No Matter the Cost

by Jet Engine

The Healing Touch is a power that can heal anything and everything. The catch is that it draws so much energy from the user's core that the ghost risks destabilization if they use it for too long without rest. Danny Phantom knows this, but when has a silly thing like self-preservation ever stopped him? (Part 23 of the "Phriendly Phantoms" series)

3. Cores and Obsessions

Chapter Two: Cores and Obsessions

"So, it turns out being an adult is mostly just googling how to do stuff." - Unknown

Vlad

When my silent alarm goes off at eight o'clock at night, I switch to ghost-form and phase into my lab, prepared for a fight.

Not to see Danny Phantom knelt down on the floor with a book and a few papers scattered around him.

"How did you get in here?" I ask. Daniel and I ended our animosity several months ago, but we aren't on good enough terms that I would allow him to barge in as he pleases.

Daniel sets down the paper he was holding and grabs another and doesn't respond. That raises some red flags. He should be giving me either an explanation, a snarky comment, or a snarky explanation. There isn't even a sign that he is purposely ignoring me. It's as if I am not even here. He doesn't get like this unless something is seriously wrong.

"Daniel?" I kneel down in front of him, more worried now. He doesn't notice until I snap my fingers a few times. "Nice to have you back on Earth, little badger."

"Is this everything you have on cores?"

I shouldn't encourage…whatever this is, but, "Why the sudden interest?"

He drops the paper and leans forward, balancing on his arms like a predator stalking his next meal. "Answer the question, fruit loop."

His tone is threatening, yet his voice trembles the slightest bit. His features are tight with pain, and his arms are shaking enough that I fear they'll give out from under him.

Something is very, very wrong.

My Obsession is love, and while I will never admit it to Daniel's face, I have grown to truly care for the lad. Especially over the past several months, even before our animosity officially came to an end. Hence why seeing him in such a precarious state sends a visceral discomfort through me.

And, why I am willing to go along with this. So long as him breaking into my house doesn't become a regular thing. "I'm afraid what you see is what you get."

"Seriously?" Daniel says in a strained way. "You're supposed to be a fountain of information!"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "That doesn't mean I know everything, Daniel. Even the best doctors in the Ghost Zone can't tell you much beyond how to care for them. Cores are difficult to study. Removing it would cause the ghost to destabilize in an instant, thus destroying the core as well. Even if it were safe to perform an autopsy, cores are extremely fragile. Why do you think ghosts are so durable? It's because our cores are not."

"Please," Daniel begs. Actually begs. "Please, you have to-" He hisses and throws his fist on his chest. "You have to- I need-"

He cries out, and I grab him before he can hit the ground. "Daniel!" I shout. "Daniel, what happened?"

His only response is an agonized moan. This is why he's researching cores; there is an issue with his and a pretty severe one from the look of it.

My own core moans with him as I lift him up and lay him on my examination table. He switches to human-form, perhaps unconsciously. Ever stubborn, he tries to sit up, but I lightly press him back down, careful to avoid touching his chest.

"I want to help you, Daniel," I say, "but you must cooperate with me."

He looks up at me with glazed, trusting blue eyes. The scene is terribly familiar. It wasn't that long ago when I was the one lying prone and powerless on a table, and Daniel was the rescuer. At least this time the one on the table hasn't been cut open by the government.

That doesn't mean the Guys in White aren't involved…

One thing at a time.

"How long has your core been like this?" I ask.

Another red flag is raised when Daniel doesn't pretend that he's okay. "A couple hours. Can you help?" he adds desperately.

I swallow a wave of emotion. "I'll do what I can." I activate the scanner built into the table and watch a faint white light start near Daniel's head and make its way to his feet. "Walk me through what happened."

Daniel lets out a sob then composes himself. He tells me how Reaper - or "Grim," as he calls them; he doesn't call them anything else throughout his tale - was hospitalized because of their injured core and how this had been happening periodically for five thousand years. I only knew of Reaper's unhealed core; the rest is news to me, and I wonder how much of it Daniel is allowed to share.

I also wonder what all this has to do with Daniel's core.

While he speaks, I move toward one of my monitors to check the results of the scan. His vitals are fine. His heart rate and blood pressure are too high, but that's too be expected in his current state. More importantly, his core is stable and uninjured. That being said, further readings reveal that his core is far too active, expelling a rapidly fluctuating amount of energy. An unsatisfied core? In Daniel? The guy whose Obsession is helping others, something he partakes in daily?

"I tried to ask Frostbite more," Daniel says through another pained hiss, "but he said something about doctor-patient bullshit."

I guarantee that is not what Frostbite said.

I turn around when Daniel moans again and throws his arm over his eyes. "I want to go see Grim again, but my core is fucking killing me!" Daniel lowers his arm with a heavy sigh. "I don't know how to help them…"

"Daniel," I say as the theory takes shape, "are you fixated?"

Daniel doesn't answer right away, only stares thoughtfully at the ceiling. "You know, that would explain a few things."

This is worse than I thought.

Fixations occur when a ghost encounters something that relates to their Obsession but is incredibly difficult or even impossible to get. Since they are also reminders of a traumatic event, they are uncommon. Sadly, one could argue that Daniel's entire life is a traumatic event. It's a wonder how he didn't develop a fixation sooner. Unless he had one that I'm not privy to.

I have had a few fixations myself. The pain my core caused me was indescribable. During my most recent fixation, Daniel had dropped everything to help me through it. And, that wouldn't be the last time he came to my aid expecting nothing in return. Therefore, it is only fair that I do the same for him now.

Unfortunately, Daniel is fixated on something that no one in the last five millennia was able to accomplish. That adds another layer to this already disastrous situation.

Seeing as there is no immediate danger - none that I can do anything about, at least - I switch back to human-form. "I'm going to be blunt with you, Daniel."

"Don't," he growls. He sits up with his legs dangling over the side. "I know you're gonna say it's impossible, but it's not."

Another thing about fixations is that they tend to twist your perception of reality. "Daniel, if no one - not doctors, not other angels, no one - was able to cure Reaper's ailments in the past five thousand years, what makes you think it will ever happen?"

If my brutal honesty is hurting his core, he is doing a good job of hiding it. "Because, Grim said that Clockwork told them it would happen one day. That means it is possible."

Oh, great. If the Master of Time said that it would happen, that means Daniel's fixation is based on facts and not the soft heart he is known for. That makes this even harder.

"You said you would help," Daniel says with the kind of intensity that only comes from one's Obsession. "Will you?"

I said that because I thought his core was the one that needed healed. Which, in a way, it is. "I'll see what I can do," I say honestly, "but I'm not a medical professional."

Daniel winces but hops off the table. "Anything helps."

He starts to transform, but I hold up my hand. He raises an eyebrow but remains in human-form. And, he is less than pleased when I say to him, "I think you should stay here for the night."

Daniel huffs a laugh. "Yeah, and I think you should chop off the old man ponytail, but that's not gonna happen either."

"Excuse me-" My comeback is cut short when I notice something shiny in Daniel's earlobe. "Is that an earring?"

"It's a charm," he says. "And, yes, my parents know about it." He turns his head to offer a better look. "Are you jealous, ponytail?"

Well, at least his sarcasm has returned. "I worry about you flying home in your current state. You saw how I was during my last fixation. Despite how recently your fixation began, I suspect you aren't feeling any better."

Daniel softens but transforms anyway. "I can make it. I was gonna check my parents' lab next. That'll keep me motivated."

Honestly, this kid. "Why didn't you check their lab first?"

Daniel lowers his head and taps his fingers together, curling into himself. "I…didn't want to go through dissection notes if I didn't have to."

My heart goes out to him. I still can't fathom how he lived in that house before his parents knew the truth. Hell, before his sister knew the truth.

"Very well," I say reluctantly. I grab his shoulders. "But, I am going to help you through this, Danny. It's high time I was there for you."

Daniel merely blinks at me before scoffing and jerking back. "Don't tell me this is about that stupid debt you think you owe me."

"Daniel," I check things off on my fingers, "you cared for me when my fixation was destroying me. You used your Healing Touch to soothe my core. It didn't work, but it's the thought that counts. You-" Said with absolute certainty that there was good in me. "You risked everything to save me when the Guys in White…" Drugged me and strapped me down so they could cut me open and move those tools and gloved hands all over my bones and organs. I shiver at the memory. "And even more recently than that, when you found out I'd had my first panic attack, you offered me support." I force down another wave of emotion. "I owe you."

"No, you don't," he says heavily. "But, thank you."

Against my better judgement, I let him go without a fight.

Then, I grab the phone attached to the wall on the other side of the lab and call his parents. His father picks up. "Hey, V-man! How's it going?"

No reason to beat around the bush. "It was going well until I found your son in my lab."

"W-what?" Jack stammers. "He's supposed to be on a movie date with Mira. What's he doing at your place?"

So, Daniel either tapped out of his date early or he stood up his girlfriend entirely. I've met Mira a few times. She's a lovely young woman, and Daniel is positively smitten. I hope for his sake that she isn't too cross with him.

"Are Maddie and Jasmine home?" I ask. "They'll want to hear this."

Maddie

I was already worried sick when Mira called to say that Danny never showed up for their date. "It's not like him to stand me up," she'd said. "I thought he got mauled by ghost bears or something!"

Now Jack, Jazz, and I are huddled around the phone, which is on speaker, and what Vlad has to say expands the pit in my stomach.

"Again?" Jazz gasps when Vlad reveals that Danny has a fixation.

"Again?" Jack and I exclaim.

Jazz waves us off. "Later." To Vlad, "What's he fixated on?"

"That's the other bad news," Vlad replies.

He reiterates what Danny told him about Reaper's core. Danny's imprinted parent having what sounds like the ghost version of a chronic illness is news to the three of us, though Jazz was aware of Reaper's heroic actions that resulted in that core injury.

"I am told that Clockwork- Do you all know who that is?"

I nod even though Vlad can't see me. "The kids told us about him."

"Supposedly, he said that it is possible for Reaper's condition to be cured, so Daniel's fixation isn't some flight of fancy. The problem is that, as far as I am aware, Clockwork said nothing about what the cure is nor when it will be found. It could be ten thousand years from now, for all we know."

"But, because Danny knows a cure exists or will exist," Jazz summarizes, "his fixation means he'll stop at nothing to find it."

"Precisely," Vlad says. "And, based on my own experience with fixations, he could end up doing some…unsavory things…"

The admission is heavy with regret. I wonder what Vlad's fixations were like and how many of them contributed to his past evil deeds.

And, what deeds Danny could commit while not in his right mind. My heart hurts at the thought. My son is such a sweet boy, always has been. Even at a tender age, he had a deep hatred for injustice. After he came out as a ghost to me and Jack, he told us about the times he was brainwashed or did something that caused some disaster. And, his guilt had been thick enough to cut despite him being either only partially to blame or not being at fault at all. There was also that time Jack and I overheard someone named "Dan" being mentioned. When we asked Danny who that was, he said, "No," with such severity that we never asked again.

What would it do to Danny if he did horrible things on purpose?

"Is there a way to stop this?" Jack asks.

Vlad sighs. "There are only two ways to end a fixation. One is for the ghost to achieve whatever it is they're fixated on. In this case, I don't see that happening."

"What's the other way?" I ask.

"The other way is much more difficult." It's faint, but I can hear him mutter, "Especially given Daniel's stubbornness." To us, he says, "He would have to accept the fact that what he wants is unattainable."

Jazz slumps a little beside me. "Which would be impossible, because the Master of Time said it is attainable."

"In other words," Jack says, "we're caught between a rock and a hard place."

"Pretty much," Vlad says pityingly. "I gave Daniel my word that I would look into things, but I mostly said that to appease him. I know enough about a ghost's biology, but at the end of the day, I am not a doctor. My hope is that you three will be able to do something for him."

"We'll talk to him," I assure. "Thank you, Vlad."

The moment Vlad hangs up, Jack says, "We should call Reaper."

I'm about to agree, but we all jump back when Danny, in ghost-form but with a visible earring now, phases in through the ceiling. He marches up to me and Jack and says, "Weird question: how much do you guys know about cores?" When we're too stunned to answer, he adds with a note of desperation. "Please. It's really important."

I'm the first to recover. "Danny, we…we know about your fixation."

Danny blinks in shock. "Uh, what? How did-" He narrows his eyes and mutters to the ground, "That goddamn snitch."

"Don't worry, Danny," Jack says, putting his hands on my shoulders. "We'll go over our notes and see if there's anything about cores."

What is Jack doing? He knows we've never found anything substantial on cores. Back in the days when we still dissected ghosts, the one time we managed to extract a core, the ghost and its core destabilized instantly. When we tried to examine a core without removing it, our efforts resulted in more of the same.

It had been frustrating at the time. Now the memories make me queasy.

Jack squeezes my shoulders, a silent warning to let him handle this. "We can't make any promises, but we'll siphon every drop of information we have."

Danny slouches with relief and goes in for a group hug. Jack and I return the gesture. "You guys are the best," our son says.

Jazz breaks it up by clearing her throat. "Before you get knee-deep in research, Danny, you might want to give your girlfriend a call."

"Why would-" I can almost hear the gears turning in Danny's brain. He throws his hands on his head. "Oh, crud! The movie! I better call Mira."

He reverts back to human-form as he races up the stairs to his room.

Seconds later, we hear a loud squeak and see a small, pudgy green dog run in from the kitchen. The noise came from the pink teddy bear in his mouth. He squeaks it again when he stops in front of us, his short black tail wagging in glee. Cujo has been a fixture in our house since Danny revealed his alter ego to his father and me. Cujo comes and goes as he pleases, always looking for playtime with Danny, who considers himself to be Cujo's "unofficial owner." It may as well be official, as Cujo clearly sees Danny as such.

The fact that ghost animals can understand human speech makes me feel worse about disappointing him. "Sorry, Cujo. Danny…isn't feeling well. I doubt he'll be up to playing today." Or, any time soon, if his fixation is as bad as it sounds.

Cujo's head, ears, and tail droop. Even the squeak from his toy sounds depressing.

"I'll play with you," Jazz offers.

Cujo tilts his head at her, considering. Then, toy still clutched in his jaws, he sniffs the air and bolts for the stairs.

Jazz turns to her father and me with an amused shrug. "I guess he only wants to play with Danny. I'll deal with Cujo. You guys work on your notes."

Jack flashes a thumbs-up as our daughter takes off after Cujo. "Will do, Jazzypants!"

Cujo made for a pleasant distraction, but now I sigh and turn to my husband. "Jack, is there a point to this? If even the professionals in the Ghost Zone can't help Reaper, what could we possibly contribute?"

Jack's enthusiasm melts away as reality kicks in. "I don't know, Mads. But, we gotta do something. Danny's fixation is only going to get worse from here. Besides, I like Reaper, and I know you would too if you met them." Jack met Reaper during a father-son trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. "If there's even a chance we can help them, we should find it."

It's true that I have yet to meet Reaper in person, but I've heard enough good things that I want to help them, too.

I rest my hand on my cheek. "I hope there's something we can do. My biggest fear is that Danny will do something crazy like Vlad said."

"Mine, too," Jack says. "We really should tell Reaper about this."

"Agreed," I say. "But, let's talk to Danny first. With his mind the way it is right now, it's probably better if we don't startle him like that."

Jack nods. "Good catch. Why don't you talk to him while I start sifting through our notes?"

With that, Jack heads for the lab while I trail after the kids and the dog. In the upstairs hallway, I find Jazz exiting Danny's room and approach her.

"How is he?" I ask.

Jazz points her thumb over her shoulder. "Mira's not mad. She's just worried." Jazz rolls her eyes fondly. "Which Danny seems to think is even worse."

I almost smile as I walk the rest of the way to my son's bedroom. The door is cracked open, and I can hear Danny's end of the conversation with his girlfriend.

"I'll make this up to you. I promise. … Yes, I do have something to make up for! I stood you up! No matter the reason, that's not okay. … Why does everyone think I have a guilt complex?"

At this point, I knock on the door and poke my head into the room. Danny, sitting on the edge of his bed with Cujo's head resting on his foot, holds up his index finger before finishing his phone call.

"Mira, I'll be okay. Clockwork said that Reaper can be saved, so I know it's possible. I just need to figure out how." Danny is silent for a while, listening to Mira. I watch as his face softens into a smile not unlike the kind Jack has sent my way many times. "I love you, Mira."

Despite everything, my heart warms and a tender smile pulls at my lips.

Danny says goodbye and hangs up his cellphone. Then, he remembers I'm here, and puts his hand over his eyes. "I just told my girlfriend I love her in front of my mom."

I laugh and sit down beside him. "There's nothing wrong with loving your girlfriend, sweetie."

He lowers his hand. "There is when I say it in front of my mom."

I point at Cujo, who is still lying on Danny's foot and clinging to that squeaky toy. A puddle of glowing green drool is starting to form. "What about saying it in front of him?"

"Cujo is a dog, so it's cool." Danny bends over to lift Cujo into his lap. "Get up here, boy. You're getting ectoplasm all over my sneakers."

But, apparently getting it all over your clothes is just fine, I think in amusement when Cujo makes himself comfortable on Danny's lap and still won't drop the toy.

"You seem like you're feeling better," I comment.

Danny doesn't look at me when he replies, only watches Cujo with a relaxed smile on his face. "No, I'm still hurting. But, it's not as bad now that I've gotten the ball rolling." Cujo barks, finally dropping the toy, and pants eagerly. Danny giggles and scratches between the dog-ghost's ears. "Not that kind of ball, Cujo. And anyway," Danny says with a glance my way, "I've gotten used to pain since dying. How I'm feeling now pales in comparison to how I felt when I got here. I can take it."

"I've gotten used to pain since dying." The words are like daggers in my heart. And, Danny said them all so easily. To him, three years of constant pain are as simple a fact as his eyes being blue. Danny grapples with his self-worth and has nightmares and panic attacks. He gets beaten and stabbed and burned and cut up. And, it's all mundane to him.

The worst part is that I contributed to that pain. Both physically and emotionally.

Cujo rolls off of Danny's lap and lands a few feet away on his back. His purple tongue lolls out of the corner of his mouth as he gazes hopefully at Danny. My son doesn't hesitate to kneel down beside Cujo and rubs his exposed belly, cooing, "You like that? You like that, boy? Who's a good boy? You're a good boy! Yes, you are!"

The sight reminds me how young Danny is. And, how similar he is to his father. They're both so resilient. Even if it takes a while for them to get back on their feet, they always do.

Danny hears me sniffle and looks at me over his shoulder, all traces of playfulness gone when he sees the tears in my eyes. Cujo notices the change in mood and rolls into a sitting position.

"Mom?" Danny says gently.

I join him on the floor and pull him into my arms. "I just hate that you have to go through this."

Danny holds me tight. "This is nothing, Mom. I've been through worse and walked out with my head held high."

"Exactly," I choke out. "I wish you didn't have to grow up so fast."

Danny kisses my cheek before pulling away. "I'm glad I did. It's hard, but I wouldn't change it. Any of it. Please don't cry, because if you do, then…then Cujo will start crying, and no one wants to see that."

I fight a laugh and swipe at my eyes. "Cujo will start crying?"

Danny crosses his arms and retorts, "He's a very sensitive dog."

Cujo makes a curious noise and tilts his head.

Danny gasps suddenly, throws one hand over his chest, and latches the other on to his bed for support. He shivers and whimpers in agony and doesn't even acknowledge Cujo when the dog-ghost whines and paws at him.

"Danny?" I start to reach for him then pull back, too afraid of hurting him worse to touch him. It's a thought that rips me in half. "Sweetheart? I-is it your core?"

"It'll pass," Danny rasps. "I'll be fine."

Danny seems to put all his weight on the bed as he slowly pulls himself to his feet. This time I take the risk of hurting him to help him up. But, when he cries out and collapses against me, I switch courses and lower him on to his bed. He offers no resistance when I position him so that he's laying as comfortably as possible on top of the covers.

I've never seen him like this, not even in his worst fights.

I swallow a sob and brush his hair out of his face. "Easy, sweetheart. I'm here."

Danny moans and curls into a ball on his side. Sweat beads on his skin. "It'll pass. It'll pass." He breathes out the words, and I can't tell which of us he's trying to convince.

Cujo leaps on to the foot of the bed and whimpers, as powerless as I am to help Danny.

I keep stroking Danny's hair until he opens his eyes and uncurls himself. I guide him into a sitting position and wipe the tears off his face as relief floods me.

But, the relief fades as quickly as it appeared. "Does it always just…come on like that?"

Danny takes a deep breath. "Unfortunately." He pats my thigh. "Thanks, Mom." He turns to Cujo on his other side and rubs his head. "You too, buddy."

"That's it," I decide. "I'm calling Reaper."

"What?" Danny exclaims when I start for the door. He shoots to his feet. "No, Mom, you can't-" He freezes with his face pinched in pain.

Alarm bells ring in my head. "Danny?"

He waves his hand in front of him. "I-it's just a jolt." He recovers after only a moment. "Mom, please don't tell Grim about this."

I knew he would argue. "Reaper needs to know-"

"You don't understand!" Danny takes my hands in his. "Grim is in the hospital, Mom! They have enough to worry about!"

"Danny, I know you don't like people worrying about you, but-"

"It's not just that! You don't know how much they've done for me. They're the reason Jazz woke up from her coma. They patched up my wounds and held me when I cried and offered me sanctuary. They were a parent to me when I needed one most." Danny pauses and grimaces in guilt over the admission.

I smile like my heart didn't just break again. "Go on. Don't hold back for my sake."

Danny's eyes water, though whether it's from a physical feeling or emotional, I can't tell. "I want to do this for them. I need to. I'll take my own life if it saves theirs! I don't care!" The look on my face makes Danny hear what he just said. "That might have been the fixation talking."

I suppress a shiver. "Danny, Vlad warned us that you might do something crazy." Like take your own life. I swallow hard and tighten my grip on his hands. "I don't want to see you get hurt. Reaper needs to know."

Danny looks up at the ceiling then lowers his head with a sigh. "Give me time." He cuts me off when I start to argue. "Reaper said they would let me know when they were released. If I haven't figured something out by then, fine, we can tell them. But, give me a chance, Mom. Please."

I'd much rather tell them immediately, hospitalization be damned. "How long do you think until they're released?"

"A few days, a week if it's really bad." He grimaces and bunches his shirt in his fist, right over where his merged heart and core rest inside of him. Through gritted teeth, "This isn't helping my case, is it?"

My poor baby… "Do you really think you can withstand this for a whole week?"

He's still shaking, but manages a smirk. "Don't insult me."

Pain like this is just another Tuesday for him. I'll never stop hating that. I let go of his other hand even though every instinct is telling me to hold him again. "Let me talk to your father, see what he thinks."

Danny flashes a hopeful smile. "Okay. In the meantime, I'll call Eileen and tell her why I'll be breaking my promise to not send my duplicates to school in my place."

Eileen is the other ghost Danny imprinted on and is also a teacher at Casper High. A shame it took a run-in with Spectra for me to accept my son having a ghost mother.

I let Danny and Cujo be and head straight for the lab, where I find Jack digging through drawers and piling whatever he can find on the desk. Papers and notebooks have slipped from the pile and fallen on the floor.

He stops and straightens at my approach. "How's Danny?"

"Not good," I reply.

Jack listens with a sharp intensity as I tell him about the scene in Danny's room. His expression doesn't change when I mention Danny's request to keep this from Reaper.

"I think we should tell Reaper anyway," I conclude. "What do you think?"

Jack rubs his chin, considering. "Reaper definitely needs to know…but maybe we should hold off."

I shake my head in dismay. "Jack, you didn't see him. He couldn't even move, he was hurting so much! Do you want our son to suffer for a whole week? Maybe even longer?"

"Of course not. But, I'm thinking about Gettysburg. It wasn't the same thing, but let me tell you that our son has more fortitude than anyone I've ever known."

The reminder sends an odd combination of pride and devastation through me. "That, he does."

Jack brushes a stray hair out of my face. "I know how you feel. When Danny was having those visions, it killed me that I couldn't do anything about it. But," a small smile forms on his face, "I realized that all Danny really needed from me was emotional support. And, if that's the best we can do for him, then that's exactly what we should do. In this case, that means helping with research and being there if he has another incident like the one you described. And, trusting him," he adds when I don't say anything.

"I trust him," I retort. His raised eyebrow irritates me. I put my hands on my hips. "You think I don't trust him?"

Why doesn't he answer right away? He inhales through his nose. "I wasn't gonna bring this up, but do you recall what happened last time you didn't let him handle ghost stuff his own way?

It takes a moment, but the fight leaves me when I realize what he's referring to.

It was actually not that long before Danny revealed his ghost-half to us. And, even longer before we learned of Vlad's ghost-half. "Plasmius" had developed a fixation of his own, one that involved Danny, and we still don't know what that was about. To make a long story short, Danny had snuck out in the dead of night to look for Plasmius. I happened to wake up and see that my son was gone, so like any concerned mother, I went searching. I found Danny in a parking lot, ready to take off to Wisconsin (though I didn't know where they were going at the time) with Plasmius and another ghost. Nothing I did or said could convince Danny to stay away from them, so I blurted out a last ditch attempt that would prove to be the worst mistake I ever made.

"If you go with that ghost, then don't bother coming home!"

I have yet to forgive myself. I don't think I ever will. I'm not even certain if Danny has forgiven me.

"That…that was different," I say weakly.

"I know." Jack takes my shoulders in his huge but gentle hands and bends over to kiss my forehead. "And, I know how much you love him. I love him too, and I don't want him to suffer any more than you do. But, Danny's surprised us before." Understatement of the year. "Let's give it until Reaper recovers. If no one's figured something out by then, we'll let Reaper take the reins."

Everything about this plan makes me want to scream, but I agree to it anyway. If only because the thin ice I was already skating across with Danny recently became that much thinner.

Jack doesn't know about the "dinner" at Cracker Barrel that I went to with Danny and Eileen. The same dinner where I accused Eileen of manipulating my son into imprinting on her, where I exploded and said all kinds of things about ghosts being deceitful and always hurting my family. And, Danny heard enough to storm out in tears. Granted, that had mostly been Spectra's fault for feeding me false information, but she had been playing off of my own feelings to craft her lies. I was so jealous of Danny's relationship with Eileen that I let myself believe Spectra's dishonesty.

I was able to clear the air with Danny and Eileen, but I had never felt so close to losing my son, not even during the Plasmius incident.

I need to tread carefully.