Work Text:
The icy blue eyes continue to stare at Jack, whose mind is running in circles. Jack who had just found out his son was half ghost, was Phantom. Jack who had just accidentally cloned his son less than an hour ago. Danny had marched up the stairs, furious at his father at the revelation and leaving Jack to clean up the mess.
Jack finally meets the eyes of the figure in front of him. They are light blue, the same color as Jack’s own. The boy tilts his head at the man on the other side of the glass and Jack curses himself for his previous thought. The figure in front of him isn’t a mess. He’s a person. A child, Jack’s child. Not his Danny but still Jack Fenton’s son.
The boy coughs, startling the father out of his thoughts. He bits his lip, anxiously. “Dad, why am I in the ghost containment unit?”
Jack’s heart fell at the fear in the boy’s voice but his tongue remains tied. At the lack of response, the boy’s eyes widened in fear. “I...I swear I can explain. It’s not what it looks like. I’m not possessed or any thing. It’s me Dad, Danny.”
At the last part, Jack looks down, heart falling. Danny was right. How...how is he going to explain this, without crushing the kid or making him more afraid? He looks up again, opening and closing his mouth, trying to figure out what to say.
“Please Dad! You have to believe me.”
Jack gives the boy the best smile he can muster, though it’s tainted with sadness. “ It’s okay, kiddo. I know about you being half ghost and about Phantom.”
The kid tries to scramble up, flickering invisible in the process but falls on his behind. He awkwardly shuffles back until he hits the wall. Jack just gasps at the display; he hasn’t seen either this boy or Danny use ghost powers in human form yet. Meanwhile the kid puts his hands in front of him. “I promise it’s still me. I’m not dead or an imposter or something. I’m your son.”
Jack’s heart finally shatters. He tries to calm the boy, putting his hands in front of him (and at the same time getting a wicked case of deja vu). “You’re right. You are my son and I would never hurt you. You don’t need to be afraid.”
“Then why am I in the ghost containment unit?! And where are my clothes?!” Now panic enters the boy’s voice.
Stepping closer and bending down to be near the kid’s eye level, Jack tries to calm him. “Both of those were an accident, and my fault.” He cringes at the last part, because the only reason this kid exists and is in this situation is because of his actions.
“What...what did you do?” The words are nervous and surprisingly, not the least bit accusative.
Jack bites his lip, now nervous himself. How to explain this without permanently scarring this kid. There’s so much he doesn’t know. Jack knows that the clone thinks he is Danny. But how deep does that go? Will he believe the truth, and if he does will it shatter him? He really wishes Maddie was here. She would know how to approach this better than he does. But Jack’s here now and his new son needs his father.
Trying to buy himself a little time, Jack nervously approaches the door. “Can I come in and talk to you?”
The boy swallows looking at him nervously. “Can I come out instead?”
Jack raises his eyebrow and then nods after the revelation that he does not want to feel trapped. “Let me help you up.”
He opens the door while the boy continues looking at him skeptically. Jack walks over and bends over. He scoops the kid up in his arms, carrying him bridal style with the blanket wrapped completely around his waist. The boy yelps in protest. “You don’t have to carry me!”
Jack looks down again, speaking softly again. “Please just let me do this son.” A bit of humor entered his voice. “Unless you want to risk losing the blanket walking up the stairs.”
The kid crosses his arms, frowning. “Fine.” The very teenager-like gesture actually makes Jack chuckle in relief.
Jack heads up the stairs carefully, surprised at how light the boy in his arms is. Is it because he’s half ghost? He makes sure the kid doesn’t bang his head on the door as they enter the kitchen. Jack absentmindedly notes that as a whole he’s been surprisingly careful considering his boisterous, somewhat clumsy nature. Once in the living room, he puts the boy down on the couch.
Jack sits down on the arm chair across from his son, who had been studying him with intelligent, cautious eyes the whole time. The father wrings his hands together. While he’s trying to decide where to start, the boy speaks. “Are you going to tell me what happened now?”
Jack exhales slowly. “I will. But first you need to know that I’m sorry that my actions put you in this situation. But I am not sorry you’re here. No matter what you’re my son and I love you. I want what’s best for you and am going to help you through this.”
As Jack pauses, the boy sits up somewhat. He focuses on the father with serious eye. “Dad. Stop. You’re treating me like I’m made of glass. Like I’ll shatter if you push too hard. Whatever happened just tell me. I can handle it.”
Jack sighs again. He really hopes his son was right. Gathering his courage, he finally speaks “You’re...not who you think you are.”
The boy raises his eyebrows. “Okay? What does that mean?”
Jack tries again. “You think you’re name is Danny Fenton, right? But you’re not Danny Fenton.”
“What! Then who am I?” His voice raises slightly, though skeptical.
“I...don’t know yet.” He stutters.
The boy crosses his arms again. “You don’t know? What then? Do you think I’m some kind of imposter? That I’m just pretending to be your son.”
“No, you are my son.” Jack answers sincerely.
“Dad, if this is your way of saying I’m adopted, you’re doing a horrible job.” The annoyance in his voice increases.
“You think you’re adopted?” Jack tilts his head.
“I mean, sometimes.” He shrugs. “I’m clearly not as smart as you and Mom like Jazz is.”
“That, that’s ridiculous. You're super, smart, just not book smart like your sister. And you look like me. Of course we’re related.”
“Then why are you saying I’m not Danny?” The boy spreads his arms, exacerbated.
Jack shakes his head. He’s doing a horrible job at this. He’s just going to come out and say it. “You’re a clone.”
“What!” The boy grits his teeth.
“You’re a clone of Danny Fenton.” He swallows, forcing himself to say the word. “I ...accidentally made you, about an hour ago.”
“You accidentally made me? But….that doesn’t make any sense.” The boy grabs his hair with his hands. “I remember growing up here. You taught me constellations when I was four and when I broke Mom’s vase, we went shopping to replace it. And...and my first day of school, I had a spiderman backpack and that’s when I meet Tucker. And our fishing trip last year. I remember all that!”
Jack wrings his hands, his heart breaking over the distressed display. “Danny said that might happen, that ghosts with similar cores can share memories and you might think you were him.”
“So what, my memories are just copies of someone else's?!” The kid’s hands ball into fists. “Dad, if this is a joke, this is cruel. Now tell me what actually happened!”
“I swear, that’s the truth.” Jack’s practically pleading now. “I know you can’t tell that those memories aren’t yours. And that’s okay. No one’s mad about that. And I’m sorry that you’re having to go through this because of something I did. But please, you have to believe me. You’re not Danny.”
The speech seems to calm the boy somewhat, though his words are still biting. “Fine. If I’m not Danny Fenton, then what’s my name?”
Jack’s heart freezes at the question. “You...you don’t have one yet.”
At that the boy springs up, his eyes light up green. “No. First you’re telling me that my memories are fake and now I apparently don’t even have a name. I’m going up to my room now. You can come get me when you want to tell me the truth.”
Jack stands too, holding out his hands to stop him. “Son, wait. We’ll figure this out.”
The still glowing green eyes meet Jack’s and the father finally notices the tears forming in them. He can practically see the cracks forming. This reaction, it’s not just anger. It’s fear, this boy is terrified that his father is right. Jack walks forwards, arms enveloping the boy who is gently shaking with anger and fear. The boy listlessly returns the hug, his head turned towards the side. Jack gently rubs his back. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
Just then the sound of footsteps pounding down the stairs echo through the room. “I’m really sorry for running out on you earlier.”
At the voice, the boy in Jack’s arms pulls away, like he’s been struck. The father’s head wipes towards the figure on the stairs, a red-eyed, blotchy faced Danny Fenton. Danny’s eyes fix on the other boy. He holds out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, one of Danny’s favorites Jack notices. His voice tinges with nervousness but still rings with compassion. “I figured you would need some clothes.”
A tear finally breaks free of now blue eyes of the boy in front of Jack. And Jack can practically hear the boy’s heart shatter.
“No.” The whispered, dread filled word leaves the boys mouth. Then he disappears.