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The apartment is clean when they finally get in. They'd wanted to surprise him at his new place. Jack couldn't stop talking about showing their son all the best places around their old college town.
Except Danny isn't there when they knock. When she texts him a 'you home?' she gets a 'yeah why?' Which had made her frown. Why lie? She didn't respond to his question because that would defeat the entire purpose of surprising him.
They go down to the apartment office request to be let in after showing proof that they were related to said resident.
Her first thought is that the place is clean. There's no pizza boxes sitting on the coffee table. No dishes laying about. There isn't any stray laundry. No pictures on the wall. Danny had always been a messy kid. It doesn't sit right with her.
Maddie walks into the bedroom and looks at the bed. Pristine. Untouched. Like it was just bought. She lifts a finger to swipe the nightstand. There's a layer of dust.
A dawning realization holds itself over her head. An underlayer of panic builds. Maddie walks back out of the bedroom and looks at her husband. Her anchor, her support.
Her son has never stepped foot inside this apartment.
"Jack what--?"
"Deep breaths Mads. Take it easy."
She clutches his hands and does as he says.
"There. You're okay."
"No, no, where is Danny?"
"Just call him I'm sure he's fine."
So she does.
Except it goes straight to voicemail and Maddie clutches her phone tighter. Jack lays a hand on her shoulder.
"Vlad's place is like an hour away from here I'll bet maybe he knows! Or better yet maybe Danny's there!"
Maddie feels the panic simmer down a light worry. Yes, perhaps. But why would Danny be there? Sure Vlad was a friend but he didn't exactly live close enough to justify a friendly pop-in. And that didn't even begin to answer why Danny's new apartment was so empty!
The hour long drive is torture. She keeps trying Danny's phone but it's still turned off. Weren't the young folk always glued to their phones? Why did Danny even have it off? And why wasn't Vlad answering his either?
The closer they get to the mansion the more she hopes her son isn't there. Something isn't right. She feels it in her gut. An empty place. A silent phone. Secret visits to a family friend.
They pull up front and Maddie tries not to run up the steps. Jack knocks on the door and she clenches her hands. 1, 2, 3, breathe.
She should feel bad for not remembering the butler's name, but right now the only thing that occupies her mind is unease.
"If you'll be so kind as to wait in the foyer I'll go and fetch him."
Jack stands beside her to dutifully wait in the foyer but his presence doesn't warm her like she's used to.
She follows the butler.
"Maddie!" Jack goes after her. "What are you doing?"
She doesn't know. She just knows that she doesn't want to stand around and wait.
"Mads let's just--"
"Shh!"
Jack looks at her, confused. This was Vlad's house. What reason did they have to sneak around? But he closes his mouth nonetheless and follows his wife.
After almost losing him, Maddie finally catches sight of the trail end of the butler going into a set of double doors. She comes up to peer into the room, making sure to stay out of sight. The action only leaves her more out of wits. Why was she spying? Why did she feel the need to spy?
But as Maddie looks into the room the answer lies within. It's a fairly large room, as all were inside the mansion. It looked to be a sort of entertainment room. A giant TV on one end. And across from it was the couch. Vlad Masters sits with an arm strung across the back while his other rests wrapped around her son. Danny sat with both legs on the couch, turned slightly away from Vlad so his back pressed against the man's side.
They are both looking at the butler as he informs the pair they have company. Vlad looks up first. She witnesses him reign in his initial reaction and school his expression into a blank like state. Danny, on the other hand, cannot suppress his nervous panic.
The feeling of wrongness returns tenfold. Something is off. Except now she's no longer sure she wants to know why.
"What's going on?" Her voice is quiet. She feels Jack come up behind her and she reaches for his hand. Steady, reassuring.
Danny shares a heated look with Vlad. They've been cornered and they both know it. Danny lets his eyes flash green. Silently asking Vlad what he wanted to do. Asking for permission to tell them.
Which truth did Vlad want them to know? Would Maddie hate him more for being the ghost that used to beat up her son? Or for being the man that stole his heart?
"What's going on?" Maddie repeats in a tone that is a lot more demanding. "Danny so help me God tell what the hell you are doing here! And it better not be what I think it is!"
She knows she's bordering on hysterics now. Vlad is a grown man! Their age for ghost's sake! And correct her if she's wrong but didn't he used to hold a candle for her a few years ago? What did that even mean? That if he couldn't have her he'd go after her kid?!
Jack squeezes her. Breathe.
But she can't breathe. Why was it Danny? If anything Jazz was the one to inherit her looks it didn't make any--
Oh God.
She stops her train of thought immediately. Ashamed and horrified that she'd even let her mind go there.
"Madeline," Vlad begins.
"No." She snaps. "I'll get to you next."
She looks at her son. Watching the reel of emotions and thoughts running through his head. Then, his eyes settle. His face tightens.
"Mom, Dad," Danny breathes in gathering his courage, "I have to tell you something about me. About the accident when I was 14."
Maddie frowns. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything." Danny says.
Vlad gestures gently towards the couch. "You may want to sit down for this."
Reluctantly, Maddie and Jack go to sit down on the couch. Jack's hand is strong in hers.
Danny and Vlad remain standing. Though Vlad has moved to the side. All eyes are on Danny as he mentally prepares himself.
"The accident…" he swallows thickly. "The accident changed me. It did something to me on a molecular level."
Maddie hears the words but does not truly process them. Yes she remembers it well. It had been quite the scare but he had been fine. A little shaken, but okay.
"Sweetie, what are you saying?"
He exchanges another hard look with Vlad and turns back to them.
"I have ghost powers."
Jack lets go of her hand.
"What?"
Danny lets his hand light up in a green glow. Maddie stares at it. Unable to comprehend anything, yet somehow understanding everything.
"The equipment...it always malfunctioned around you…"
Danny nods. "Except it wasn't malfunctioning."
She lets it all sink in. Her son. Ghost powers. All this time. No wonder he'd been afraid of the basement! No wonder he'd started to close himself off!
All the times they'd ever talked about ghosts and ripping them apart came to the front of her mind and she feels sick. Beside her, Jack tenses and she knows he's made the same conclusion. They were the reason the son felt like he couldn't be open with them. They'd failed him.
"Sweetie I--" she chokes, tears forming quicker than she can stop them. "Oh Danny."
They both stand to hug their son. They wrap around him, warm and tight.
"It's okay. I know you guys never would have hurt me."
But it's not okay. Because if that were true, Danny would have told them a long time ago. It makes her squeeze her son tighter. She tries to convey all her apologies and sorrow into it.
Danny pulls away, letting them collect themselves. Maddie wipes at her eyes. She looks back at her son, still the same Danny Fenton. But in a new light. There were so many things she didn't know. So many she wanted to.
"I can do a little of this and that." Danny says, demonstrating each power. "Invisibility, intangibility, an ecto blast or two. But that's pretty much it."
Maddie marvels at it all. She couldn't believe this was even possible! That a human could possess powers of a ghostly nature had never been in the realm of possibility before! This changed everything! So many new doors were opening before her eyes! So many new avenues and theories to explore!
Beside them, Vlad's expression is still grave. And her whirl of thoughts changes directions.
"Danny, thank for trusting us and showing us this." There was a very heavily implied 'we'll talk more about this later' but for now she still had a matter to get to the bottom of. "But I still don't understand. What does this have to do with Vlad?"
Vlad looks back at the pair and silently brings his hand up. Palm out. A burst of link ecto energy fills it.
Shock cannot begin to describe it.
"The proto portal." Jack says. There is surprise in his face but it pales to the sorrow in his eyes. "All those years in the hospital…"
"Getting a hang of ghost powers certainly isn't the easiest thing." Vlad says simply. "But I managed."
Jack continues to look at Vlad while Maddie turns back to her son. The puzzle piece falls into place. Danny smiles at her.
"He's teaching me." He confirms. "He's really the only one who can understand what it's like. To be like this."
He scratches his arm, looking at the ground. "That's why I didn't want to live in that apartment. Vlad...we know each other. I don't have to pretend to be normal."
The brief shame she'd felt at her wild train of earlier thoughts is nothing compared to now. She'd come into Vlad's home and had assumed the worst. Only to find he had been taking care of her son this entire time. Picking up the slack that she and Jack had so carelessly left.
Maddie hangs her head in defeat. She feels like a terrible mother.
She feels a hand on her cheek and looks up. Danny cups her face and graces her with a gentle smile.
"You didn't do anything wrong." He looks up at his father. "Neither of you did."
She wonders when she will start to believe that.
"No," Jack says. Danny and Maddie blink at him. Jack steps towards Vlad. "That's where you're wrong kiddo."
Jack looks like he wants to reach for Vlad but shoves his hand into his pocket.
"I hurt you. And then I left you."
Vlad eternal face of blank calm starts to crack. "Really Jack as I already said it's water under the--"
"I felt so guilty for that accident that I couldn't even muster the courage to come see you. I didn't want to be reminded of what I'd done. I didn't want to see the results of my mistake." Jack grits his teeth and the tears fall. "I was so selfish about not wanting to face the true impact of what I'd done, that I convinced myself you didn't want to see me. You were alone and scared and had no one help you."
Jack wipes his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry Vlad. God I'm so sorry."
Vlad's shoulders are tight with a deep tension. He looks deeply uncomfortable and he keeps shifting his weight like he wants to take a step back.
Then, with a deep and lasting breath, Vlad exhales and lets his posture relax. He reaches out to put a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"I forgive you."
Maddie watches the two men hug. Happy for them. Happy the past was finally put to rest. She turns to look at her son. He's too busy staring at them, mouth hanging open, to notice her.
Everything made so much sense now. Danny had always been so secretive. Especially around Vlad despite the weird pull they always seemed to display towards each other. There's still so much she doesn't know and she will be asking Danny questions about everything later. But for now, she can be content with the fact that Danny has confided in her and Jack. She smiles and reaches out to brush a lock of her son's hair.
She finally knows the truth.