Danny was decluttering his room, discarding old junk, and eliminating clothes that no longer fit. As he opened his closet, he noticed a box hidden beneath a pile of items. Recognizing the box, he retrieved it with a frown; it conjured up painful memories he wished to forget. He hesitated before peering inside. The box contained items that Dash had coerced him into stealing more than two years prior—items he knew he needed to return.
Danny brought the box downstairs, and his sister, Jazz, also noticed it.
"Danny? What's with the box?" Jazz inquired.
"It's filled with things Dash forced me to steal more than two years ago," Danny replied, his frown lingering.
Jazz peered into the box and noticed numerous items she was certain Danny would never possess. Danny caught sight of one particular item and extracted it. Despite its age, it was well-preserved and addressed to Morningstar Mansion.
Danny's frown deepens as he recalls the time Dash coerced him into taking a letter from Charlie's mailbox before their acquaintance. It was a love letter addressed to Charlie and her father. Danny is aware of its contents; after all, Dash insisted he read it.
He had never felt ill in his life, not due to the letter, but because Dash insisted he retain it. Danny often considered sending it back, yet the worry that the family would become furious with him, or worse, deem him a troublemaker, stopped him from taking action.
'Not this time,' He thought, 'I'm familiar with Charlie and her father now. I'm confident they'll be pleased to have this returned and will listen to my reasons.'
Danny surveyed the remaining items with a persistent frown. He had clung to these objects for far too long. Now was the moment to cleanse himself of his past misdeeds.
"I'm stepping out, Jazz. There's something I've needed to do for more than two years," He declared, lifting the box once again.
Jazz nodded, understanding his point. She smiled, finally seeing that Danny was taking more steps toward becoming a better person.
Danny's initial destination was the Morningstar Mansion. He thought beginning with those he knew best would aid in embarking on his new adventure. Upon landing and reverting to his human form, Danny pressed the doorbell and awaited a response. The door soon opened to reveal Charlie answering it.
"Danny!" She exclaimed, surprised.
"Hey, Charlie," Danny replied with a smile, happy to see one of his best friends.
"It's good to see you," said Charlie, embracing him in a hug before noticing the box in his hands.
"What's that?" she inquired.
"Items that Dash coerced me into stealing over two years ago," Danny stated, frowning.
"What?" exclaimed Charlie, taken aback.
"He even compelled me to steal from both you and Emily before our paths crossed," Danny revealed, leaving her increasingly astonished.
Charlie could scarcely believe her eyes. She peered into the box and then nodded.
"Come in," she said, prompting Danny to nod in agreement.
Upon entering, Charlie fetched her father, and Danny presented them with the letter.
"I apologize if you believed your wife never sent this. I was compelled to retain it, but now I see no reason to continue doing so. I also regret reading it. It was indeed a beautiful letter," Danny expressed, as he handed it over to Lucifer.
Lucifer took the letter and read it himself, smiling as Charlie did the same.
"Ah, that's just like Lilith, always willing to stand up for herself," Lucifer sighed, endearingly.
"Mom," says Charlie, smiling, touched by the warmth in her words.
"Heh, I see she's still giving her ex a hard time," Lucifer chuckled.
"Ex?" Danny inquired, puzzled.
"Yes, she was once wed to a real piece of work. He constantly tried to make her conform to his wishes, but she always resisted. It escalated to the point where she ended it and then met me. It was love at first sight. She was such a magnificent being," Lucifer reminisced with a fond sigh.
"And don't worry, Danny," Charlie said, sensing that this was one of his concerns, "Mom's ex isn't my real dad."
Danny sighed, relieved that what he feared had not occurred. He reached into his box once more and retrieved a cross. Though unremarkable in appearance, it evoked a surge of poignant memories. Charlie saw it and was cautious to avoid contact.
"Where did you get that?" She inquired.
"From Emily's," Danny replied, frowning.
Charlie glanced at him, then crossed her arms.
"Dash really needs to be put in jail for this," She stated, her voice a low growl.
Danny nodded, then picked up the box once more.
"I'm going to return these to the people I took them from. It's time for me to cleanse myself of my sins," He declared.
"Let me help you," offered Charlie, aware of the seriousness in Danny's demeanor.
"Thanks, Charlie," Danny says with a smile, grateful for her assistance.
"Daniel, thank you for returning Lilith's letter," Lucifer says, offering a smile as he pats Danny's shoulder.
"Happy to assist, Mr. Morningstar," Danny replied, his smile mirroring the sentiment.
"Please, call me Lucifer," He insisted.
Emily's house,
Danny and Charlie arrived at Emily's place, where she embraced them both. Upon inquiring about the box and discovering it contained items Danny had been coerced into stealing, Emily led them to Sera. Sera was stunned to find one of her missing crosses among the items.
"How did you get this?" Sera asked, Danny.
"Dash made me steal it from you. He claimed it would protect me from the ghosts," Danny said, rolling his eyes.
"And it wasn't only you. Dash even coerced Danny into stealing the letter my mom sent two years ago," Charlie said, frowning.
"Really?! And nobody tried to stop him?!" Emily exclaimed, incredulous that Dash could get away with such behavior.
"It's evident that the Baxters are oblivious to the impact of their behavior on others. This cannot continue any longer," Sera declared, rising to her feet.
"Mr. Fenton, please allow me to outline the consequences of the Baxters' actions, including those pertaining to their son," she said, prompting a nod from Danny.
"Emily mentioned that changing your mind would be difficult, so I won't attempt to stop you," Danny stated, aware that his efforts would be futile.
"Glad to hear that," Sera says with a smile, reaching for her phone. "I recognize some of the people who are missing the items in your box. I'll call them before I handle the Baxters," She adds.
Charlie and Emily were by Danny's side, prepared to support him in case any of the individuals confronted him. He had, after all, returned their belongings and was remorseful.
Sometime later,
Danny returned a jacket to his classmate, offering an apology for the mishap and vowing not to repeat it. Those who received their belongings back showed empathy towards him, their joy in reclaiming their possessions evident. Sera took the precaution of involving the police to prevent any issues while she clarified the situation. The Baxters arrived shortly afterward, rejecting the accusation that their son had coerced someone into stealing. Sera, however, was not convinced. She argued that stealing is wrong, regardless of the perpetrator, and highlighted that Danny was attempting to rectify his mistake, in contrast to their indulgence of their son and their obliviousness to their own wrongdoing.
"Mrs..." began Mr. Baxter.
"MS.!" Sera interrupted loudly.
"Ms. Seraphim, what evidence do you have that our son is responsible for these alleged thefts?" He asked, crossing his arms.
Sera already possessed the evidence she needed.
"Look, I have video proof that your son persuaded Daniel to steal from my home," Sera stated, as she retrieved her laptop.
A video from two years prior captured Danny attempting to decline Dash's request before being compelled to accept the cross. Subsequently, Sera faced the police and justified her decision not to submit the evidence.
"At that time, they were just kids. The most you could've done was give them a warning and send them home. Besides, I was acquainted with Mr. Baxter's reputation. His family would have simply overlooked the offense and failed to address his wrongdoing. They believe their wealth places them beyond the law," Sera explained.
"I know there's no excuse for keeping this from you, but I wanted to be certain I had the complete story before taking any action," she added.
"I deeply regret my actions," Danny added as well.
"Zip it, Fenton!" Dash growled.
"Not this time, Dash," Danny retorted, arms crossed.
"Dash compelled me to steal from many people. Some items I cannot return because Dash retained them or consumed them as if they were food. This guilt has weighed on me for more than two years. I am ready to face the consequences of my actions," Danny declared, prompting a smile from Charlie and Emily.
"Then why hasn't anyone reported the crimes?" Mrs. Baxter inquired, raising another point.
"Could it be because this town is only concerned with itself?" Charlie suggested.
"Or perhaps some believe they can simply buy their way out of trouble, making it appear as though it never occurred?" Emily proposed.
"Our families have never done that. We only spend our money when we truly need to," said Charlie.
"Being wealthy doesn't mean we rule the world," Emily chimed in.
"We don't care about Danny's wealth; what matters is his remorse and efforts to make amends over the past two years," Charlie stated.
"We stand by him because we never want to see him in such a situation again," Emily chimed in.
"And we refuse to let him face the punishment alone!" they declared in unison.
"I think you girls have made your point," the officer said, aware of the strong bond between the three.
"Son, I'm glad you understand your crime and are willing to make up for it." He said to Danny.
"I am ready to accept any punishment you deem appropriate," Danny stated, prompting a nod from the officer.
"We will obtain statements from the others, but Dash Baxter will also be assigned community service," He continued.
"WHAT?" the Baxters exclaimed.
"Officer, you surely can't think that one video is sufficient to wrongly accuse our son of being the thief!" Mrs. Baxter exclaimed.
"Yeah, what evidence do you have that says I coerced Fenton into stealing?" Dash challenged.
"Sorry, did I just hear Dash admit to forcing Danny to steal?" Charlie asked, smirking.
"I heard that as well," Emily chimed in, her smirk matching Charlie's.
Dash blinked, his brain scrambling to catch up with his words. His eyes widened under the officers' stern gazes.
"Um... I mean, I don't know anything?" He offered, his voice faltering.
"You heard it straight from the horse's mouth," Charlie said.
"He wonders why he always gets F's," Emily added.
The officers nodded, acknowledging they had the necessary proof. Dash's parents attempted to deny the allegations to protect their son, but Sera intervened.
"Enough," She declared. "Your son has confessed to the crime, and he must now face the consequences."
"Furthermore," She cautioned, "if I find you attempting to interfere with his punishment, you will join the Mansons in cleaning the cages at Lucifer's Circus."
They recoil, aware of the implications. Sera exhales deeply before determining Danny's punishment.
"If it's acceptable to you, officers, I would have Mr. Fenton work for me during his community service. Rest assured, I'll ensure he fulfills his duties," She stated.
"Believe me, Sera can be quite persuasive in making people atone for their misdeeds," Emily chimed in.
"Is that something I should be concerned about?" Danny inquired, apprehensive about the implications.
"I won't pressure you too much, as I'm aware you're already striving to atone for your crimes. However, I'll ensure Mr. Baxter fulfills his community service," Sera stated, fixing a stern gaze on the boy in question.
"But..." began Dash.
"Don't bother, Dash!" interrupted Charlie.
Danny exhaled, cognizant that Dash was not getting out of this predicament. Indeed, he too was facing consequences, but unlike Dash, he was ready to make amends. The pivotal question remained: would Dash learn from this? He glanced at Charlie and Emily, who were pondering the same query.
'Nope,' They concluded in unison.
Season 2 of The Trinity begins with a focus on Danny's past transgressions of stealing items two years prior. Danny is portrayed as fully remorseful and intent on making amends. Sera involves Dash and his parents in the situation, leading to Dash's impulsive confession that he coerced Danny into committing the thefts. As Danny faces consequences and seeks redemption for his actions, Dash appears unlikely to change, presumably reverting to his habitual behavior of blaming Danny for everything.
Now, I wish to say something. For those who are wondering if I'm going to do Memory Blanks, which gives Danny his logo, I might need a different way to do that. In the show, it was Sam that caused Danny to lose his powers by making a wish that started she wished he had never met him. In my stories, Sam isn't the cause of Danny's powers since Danny was by himself. Plus, I still need to write the first meeting between the Trinity and Desiree. So, I need a different way for Danny to get his logo.