AN: Breaking my usual pattern because I really wanted to write from Jack's eyes, hope y'all enjoy and don't mind!
Since the moment Jack found out that Maddie was pregnant, he had tried his best to be a good father. He grew up in a good home in his own eyes, his family was always supportive of him for the most part. Yes, when he's focus shifted to ghosts, things got rocky. And sure, he doesn't talk to his brothers all that often, especially after the passing of his mother, she had been the glue that kept them all together.
He wanted to do better for his kids, give them more support and love than he might have had. Not that he will ever talk ill of his family, he still loves them to death, even if he found himself estranged from it all. For the longest time, Jack thought he was doing that. Thought that his family was happy and as tight knit as possible.
People might thing he was much more daft than he was, but as days passed, Jack realized he truly was blind to a lot of the problems in his family. He thought the tense between Maddie and Danny would past, that it was just teenage angst, and eventually things would go back to normal. The memory of the conversation he had with Jazz that day at the hospital was a wake-up call that Jack didn't even realize he needed.
Danny was so neglected, so ignored. Jazz was given responsibilities she should never have had, she had to grow up so fast, give up her childhood for her baby brother. It hurt Jack to think about it, to accept the truth of the situation. He wants to be able to call himself a good father, to say he did his best for his kids. But he didn't. He let his work, and Maddie, cloud him so much that he didn't realize how much he truly let things happen. How complacent he was.
"I... I can't tell you everything, dad. Not right now... but that accident, it changed me..."
Danny's words from their conversation circled through Jack's mind as he stared down at the whiskey before him. That accident had done more than just damage Danny's heart, had changed his DNA. Danny didn't have to say it outright, but Jack was a scientist. Ectoplasm was his main study, and it was clear that it was now in Danny's blood, in his structure. Enough for the hospital to call him about an abnormality, enough for Jack, just using trace amounts of Danny's saliva, to detect it.
It made so much sense now, all the pieces clicking together in a way that had Jack feeling horrible for not noticing sooner. The way, following the incident, all their inventions seemed to target Danny whenever he was around. The way his son started to be more shifty and jumpy around anything ghost related. The accidents that followed, and accidental tripping of the security system. The way Danny started getting more into working with their inventions...
Then there was another train of thought that Jack really didn't want to think about. Just the notion of it had him downing his glass in one go, sliding it on the counter and motioning the bartender for another. It made his heart ache, his chest feel tight, and the tingle of threatening tears to arise. Everything that's happened since Danny's accident was making sense, and so did another thing.
The sudden arrival of Phantom. The ghostly being that seemed to be everywhere in Amity park, at every ghost sighting and attack. The way the spirit was so young, and was often spotted around the school. Jack didn't want to think about it, think about the implications of this train of thought. But he also couldn't just shut down his scientific mind. He wished more than anything that this was just correlation and not causation.
Yet, he couldn't shake the horrible feeling that seeped into his bones after that conversation. The what ifs that plagued his mind since the moment Danny confirmed everything Jack already knew. If Phantom was related to Danny's accident, if Phantom was Danny... Jack wasn't sure if his heart could handle it. It was one thing for his son to be ecto-contaminated, to have it in his DNA. It was another for his son to have a ghostly alter ego because it could only mean one thing.
Danny would have to be dead to a degree.
And Jack wasn't prepared to deal with it. To think about those implications, to think about all the ways that could stop Danny's development. As well as not wanting to think about how all this would have had to be going on under his own roof, and he didn't have a clue about it. All the times him and Maddie took shots at Phantom as the spirit fled from them. Each time they made a comment about wanting to pull Phantom apart in front of Danny, that thought alone made him sick to his stomach.
Jack knew drinking wasn't going to fix anything, but he needed something. Anything to help soften the weight and pain he felt in this moment. In just a few weeks, the illusion he had about his family was crumbling, and Jack didn't know if he could handle it. But that didn't matter. Jack had to handle it, he was going to handle it. He was going to be a better father for Jazz and Danny, and he wasn't going to let his work, or Maddie, get in the way of any of it again.
"I know you need time, and I know things are fragile right now..." Jack spoke into the phone, reclining in the motel chair. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss Maddie. She wasn't just his wife, but his best friend, his science partner. But everything that happened had brought so much to light for him, and he didn't think things could be the same after. "But the kids need you too, Mads. You're their mother, and Danny deserves an explanation and apology for what happened."
There was a beat following Jack's words, the line uncomfortably quiet for too long. "I know... I didn't realize how much I've been ignoring, Jack." Maddie's voice was softer than Jack was used to hearing, and that only added to the pain he felt in his chest. He exhaled softly, closing his eyes and focusing solely on the conversation. "I've been talking a lot with Alicia about things, and... I think space is for the best."
Jack couldn't help the anger that flared inside him at Maddie's response. Space was the problem. They gave their kids so much space that there was no bridge between them, not something with a stable foundation. Maddie needed to focus on herself, and Jack understood that, he really did. But when you're a parent, no matter what, your kids should always come first in his eyes.
"No, Maddie. You need to talk to Danny." Jack's voice came out harsher than he meant for it to, but he needed her to understand. Every time Maddie got brought up, Jack didn't miss the way Danny would tense, the way his son would grow anxious in just a split second. That alone told Jack that the information he had about Danny's changes wasn't something he was going to share with her. He would have to keep a secret, for the first time, from the woman he once loved more than anything. "I don't think you should come home, but you can't just ignore this. Danny thinks all of this is his fault."
"It's not!" Maddie's voice cut in before Jack even finished his sentence. He could hear the shake in her voice, the hitches in her breathing, and he knew if he was there he would see tears running down her face. They were best friends before they were a couple, they knew each other too well to not know things like this. "Oh my god, I really fucked this up, didn't I, Jack?"
The anger vanished as quickly as it came at Maddie's vulnerable response. Another sigh left Jack, and he pressed his fingers against his temple. He felt for her, he truly did. He didn't like that Maddie was hurting, but he also couldn't help how angry he was. How much he did find himself blaming her for so much, even if he knew realistically it was on the both of them. The imagine of Maddie laying her hands on Danny replayed in Jack's mind, and each time he found himself feeling more bitter towards her.
"But you can fix this, Mads. You just need to try." Jack tried again, his hand dropping to grip the arm of the chair in a white-knuckle grip. He knew this call was a bad idea, he had things he had to do today, and he couldn't risk bringing lingering emotions into it. But he also knew how much not hearing from Maddie was affecting Danny. "Listen... I can let a lot of things slide, you know me. But this... hitting Danny like that? I don't think I can."
A choked sound followed Jack's admission, and he knew she was fighting back sobs. He could just imagine Maddie's face in this moment. Nose scrunched up, jaw clenched, eyes puffy and red from tears that stained her cheeks. It wasn't often that Jack saw her cry, she was much too prideful for that, but it was enough times that he knew it all too well.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I know I messed up big time, and I know I broke this family apart." Maddie's tone was only getting shakier, less steady and far from how she usually sound. It brought tears to Jack's eyes hearing her talk about herself like this. Maddie has always been so sure about herself, so fierce in a way that added to why Jack fell so hard for her. Hearing her blame herself only made it harder for Jack to keep steady. He wasn't used to being this serious so often, and that was part of the problem. "I'll talk to Danny. I'll come back home, talk to him in person. He deserves more than just a phone call."
"We aren't home right now." Jack corrected with another exhale. At this rate, his lungs might collapse from all the sighing he's been doing. God, Jack hated having to do this. Having to be so serious and adult all the time, but he could do it. He would do it, he is doing it. As uncomfortable as it felt, he needs to for his kids, for Danny. "I took Danny out of Amity, I think a change of pace would be good for him, just for a bit... he got an internship with Wayne Enterprises."
Maddie's surprised gasp filtered loudly through the phone and Jack couldn't help the swell of pride that flooded his chest. He had been just as surprised, but so happy for Danny. Especially after he realized the true tension between his son and his college best friend. "That's amazing! I didn't even know he was sending out applications and working towards it..." Maddie's voice trailed off for a moment, the sudden spike of prideful energy that filled her voice faded near the end, and Jack had a feeling he wasn't going to like where she was going to go. "But what about Vlad? Danny was doing so good under Vlad's wing, and with Dalv. Co. making waves, it could be even better on his resume."
"Can you stop it, for once, god damn!?" Jack didn't mean to snap, but it did make him feel a little bit better as he did. His grip on his phone and the chair tightened, he could feel the wood creaking under his hold. Jack had always pushed Danny to get closer to Vlad because he wanted his two favorite guys to get along, but he didn't care about Danny having an internship with his godfather. "Danny had made it so clear that he didn't feel comfortable with Vlad, and we should have listened. We shouldn't have pushed him to spend time with him. I love Vladdie as much as the next guy, but I can't keep forcing Danny into situations like this."
The call went dead silent for a moment, and Jack had a feeling Maddie muted herself. There wasn't even so much as some static or breathing. Jack really hoped he was just overthinking it, but he wouldn't be surprised if Alicia was listening over Maddie's shoulder. His sister-in-law never liked him much, and probably would have been happier if Maddie ended up with someone more like Vlad. Even then, Jack tried his hardest to be friendly and civil.
"You're right..." Maddie's voice held a hint of bitterness that Jack couldn't miss. He knew she didn't like being called out, or being wrong. He loved it as much as it was infuriating sometimes. "He's working under Bruce Wayne's name now, he'll be okay... just fine... I've, uh, gotta go, Jack. I'll call later."
Jack didn't even get a chance to say anything before the call ended. Before he could even realize it, he chucking his phone onto the bed. The device bounced off the mattress and hit the wall with a harsh thud. With a curse, Jack immediately got up and retrieved his phone. There was a small crack on the bottom corner, but aside from that it looked relatively unharmed.
God, Jack found himself wishing he could talk to his older brother. To have someone he felt safe and comfortable enough to vent about everything going on. But the idea of calling him up all of a sudden like this? Jack just couldn't do that. If, and when, they reconnect, he didn't want it to be just because of this. The older Fenton has always been a shoulder for Jack growing up, but he knew it had to have been a drain. Especially knowing how Jazz has been feeling lately.
"Dad, just be cool, okay?" Danny's anxiousness was endearing to Jack, adding a lightness to the heavy emotional day he's been having. He knew Danny was more concerned about Jack embarrassing him, than anything else. Not that he could blame his son, it was a Jack Fenton guarantee most of the time. But Jack was trying to be better, do better for his family. "I'll let you know when Bruce can meet you, but this is still where I work, and..."
"I know, I know. I'll be on my best behavior, promise." Jack spoke up when Danny trailed off, giving the teen a beaming smile as he ruffled Danny's hair. He laughed as Danny pouted, stepping away from his touch to fix his hair. It was rare to see Danny so worked up about something like this, and it gave Jack the feeling that this internship might be the best thing to happen to Danny in a while. And his boy deserved it.
Danny coughed awkwardly for a moment, before leading Jack into the lab he worked in. Jack held his tongue as Danny spoke through all the things he was working on. Showing Jack the blueprints and paperwork that he had created. As Jack's eyes scanned over everything, he felt so much pride for his son. Danny was doing so much better than Jack had expected, and it made Jack realize he didn't give his son enough credit.
He knew Danny was a bright boy, even if his grades didn't reflect it like most kids. Jack just didn't realize how much of the work they did had rubbed of on Danny. The blueprints and paperwork were a little crude, something that would need a little more refining. But it was an amazing foundation, something that could easily find it's way into official documents once cleaned up a tad.
"Oh, what's this?" Jack broke his silence, picking up a small packet that laid away from the rest of what Danny was showing him. His eyes scanned the words, intrigue filling him as he did. It was clearly a rough draft from the amount of scratched out words, and eraser marks that littered the page. The name wasn't much to go off either, just the simple word "detection". For a moment, Jack thought it might be ghost related, but as he noticed a list of items to the side, it all clicked. "This is for Gotham? Air quality control?'
Danny's cheeks flushed immediately at Jack's words, his gaze shifting the floor in the way he always did whenever he felt embarrassed. Or inadequate as Jack was starting to realize. "It's nothing... there's not even a prototype yet. Lucius just wanted me to make a mock up presentation, and with how much airborne drugs this place has... I thought an early detection device would be good for the citizens."
Jack's face broke out into a large grin, unable to stop himself as he pulled Danny into a patent bear hug. Danny sputtered for a moment, but settled quicker than Jack had expected. He was used to his kids usually fighting his hugs, especially in places outside of the privacy of their home. The way Danny's arms returned the hug with fierce strength had Jack feeling better.
He might have messed up a lot, and he wasn't the perfect father that he wanted to be. But he was trying to change things, and little moments like this with Danny had Jack feeling like he was actually doing it. He was making changes enough that Danny was probably noticing, and it was doing good. Jack needed this, needed his son to know he would always be there for him. No matter what. All he needed to do was build that bridge with Jazz too.
"That's amazing, Danny-boy! I want to hear everything!"