Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You order what I tell you to order, Daniel, and that's final.”

“I don't want to - fine. Just tell her what I will eat today and leave me alone.” The black haired boy grumbled, pulling up the hood of his threadbare black hoodie.

The man across from him yanked the hood down hard, the boy choking and coughing. The baby in her carrier next to the boy started to cry, colic in her screams. The boy turned and soothed her, a small smile creeping up her face.

Charlie frowned. He had watched them bicker, waiting in line to pick up some breakfast food to leave for his kids. The tension rose between the man and the boy he assumed to be his son an uncomfortable amount, beyond just a normal bad day or grumpy teen. “Are you two alright?” he asked, grabbing his food and turning to meet the boy’s eyes.

He ducked his head, as if he was trying desperately not to be seen.“Everything’s fine sir. I just lost control of my temper.” He said, refocusing on his breakfast.

Charlie had to go, being late to a meeting at the police station.

About midday, a call he had never expected to get during his entire career.

A malnourished baby girl was left in an expensive car seat, outside the firehouse, a note threatening to strangle her if she was returned to her bio family.

“Dad, this is a two thousand dollar, top of the line car seat.” Dani whispered. The baby had been found by her, and she screamed louder than Charlie had ever thought a baby could whenever his daughter put her down. The little one was in pain, and with the storm currently brewing over the mainland making the ferry stop running for the day, it's not like Charlie could bring her to a pediatrician on such short notice.

“There's a chance that the surrender wasn't done consensually.” He said, thinking back to the two tourists he saw arguing in the cafe. He couldn't remember seeing the baby's face when the young teen checked on her, but he remembered that he also had a baby sister. At least, Charlie hoped the newborn was the boy’s sister.

The whole situation felt off, and he got that horrible gut feeling that there was so much more to the story than what he could see.

Later that night, Charlie got a gut feeling to pick up a few pizzas for dinner.

As he walked inside, the same pair from earlier walked out, the boy Daniel looking to be on the verge of tears.

“Where's my baby, Vlad.” The boy growled.

Charlie stopped, dread curdling in his stomach.

“That's not your business, Daniel.”

“Vlad, where's Danielle? Where's my little girl?” To Charlie, Daniel looked seconds away from a full blown panic attack.

A lump formed in Charlie's throat. He had a little Danielle too.

“Stop asking about her. She's fine.” Vlad snapped.

Daniel shrunk away from both men. “Vlad, I - I’m just worried. Can I call my dad tonight? It's been days.”

“No.”

“Please, I just want-”

“I AM THE ONLY ONE WORTHY TO CARE FOR YOU!” Vlad screamed, grabbing Danny and pulling him by his jacket hood towards his car. Danny hugged himself, letting himself be dragged as if the scene had happened countless times before.

Charlie couldn't watch this any longer.
“Hey, what's going on here?”

The teen gave Charlie a trapped look. “I just wanted to-”

“He’s just being a brat, Officer. He's mad that I left my little Ellie-belly with a sitter instead of having her ruin our nice day.”

“I don't think that's all there is to it. Son, are you alright? When was the last time you saw the baby?”

“After lunch. We were going to the Luskey's, and-and and he dropped me off at the front gate before going to park the car, and during the meeting, I noticed he didn't have the carrier, and-” Daniel was cut off when Vlad slapped him across the face.

“That's enough out of you. Don't go mouthing off our business to strangers like that.”

“Hey, he was answering the question. Could I have your name, sir?” Charlie asked, memorizing the car’s license plate.

“Vlad.” He said, glaring at the boy as he buckled himself into the passenger seat. “Vlad Masters. And that -” Vlad pointed to the handprint rapidly fading on Daniel’s cheek. “Isn't illegal in Maine. I checked. Have a good evening, officer, i am going to bring this trouble maker home.” Vlad didn't even wait for Daniel to buckle his seatbelt before he drove out of the parking lot.

Charlie stamped down the urge to vomit as he realized he might have made a grave mistake.

Dani was manning dispatch for once that night when she got a call on the non-emergency line. Baby Jane Doe was sleeping next to her. She would be taken to a foster home by a social worker in the morning, but the ferry had stopped running for the night, so she was stuck at the firehouse for the time being.

“Griffin Rock Dispatch. This is the non-emergency line.”

“I fucked up.” Danny sobbed, the phone audio crackling.

Dani shot up in her seat. “Can I ask you your name and address?” She was already taking in every detail she could.

“My name is Danny.” He whispered. “I’m at a Value Motel a block from the ferry. Vlad left my phone out, and I only had one shot to call someone. Jazz is still at work, and Mom doesn't care. I know I fucked up but I didn't deserve this, why did they think I deserved this? I made a mistake, I know I did, but why did they think I deserved this? What did he say? WHAT DID HE SAY?” Danny wailed, his sobs cut off as a car pulled up in the background. I - I have to hide this phone.” The call disconnected.

Ten minutes. It took ten excruciating minutes, even with sirens blaring, to get from Doc Greene’s lab to the motel.

Charlie snarled as he yanked Chase’s wheel and kicked at the pedals. Chase flat out refused to go any faster than ten miles above the speed limit, something that felt excessively slow when Charlie knew, just knew that a kid’s life was on the line, that he had fucked up by trying to intervene, trying to play peacekeeper between that - that monster and that young boy.

He couldn't shake the feeling that Danny was running out of time.

Danny sobbed, Vlad leering over him as a familiar ache burned in his bones.

Electricity.

Why was he feeling that pain again?

It wasn't possible, right?

He wOuLdN’t dO ThAt, wOuld hE?

Danny felt the door slam open. He felt a tug on his back, a scream ripping from his lips as the pain multiplied tenfold then blissfully stopped.

Charlie kicked down the door and walked into a motel room from hell with a hand on his taser.

Clothes were strewn everywhere, the motel’s lamp being torn apart, the wires stripped and leading to the narrow space between the bed and the wall.

Charlie nearly dropped his taser in shock when he looked in the narrow space. “Heatwave, cut all power to the building. Dani, we got a fourteen year old male, scratch that, female, that's been electrocuted. Wait, he’s breathing, he’s … shit, Kade, I’m going to need your assistance.”

Charlie kneeled down to get a better view of the boy’s predicament.

The lights went out as Boulder cut power to the motel.

Under the dim lighting, the boy’s hair looked like-

No

It couldn't be

Cody. He looked like… no. Cody was with Doc and Frankie, on the other side of the island.

He wasn't here, wasn't dead, didn't have live - Charlie swallowed a lump in his throat - formerly live wires taped to his wrists.

Danny was still alive, his breathing shallow, but steady. The lamp that had been rigged to shock him had burned out the socket, thankfully stopping him from being electrocuted again as Chief kicked the door down.

Charlie leaned over him, and his eyes popped open. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound escaped as he gasped like a fish out of water.

Kade and Dani had arrived on the scene, Kade assisting Charlie in pulling the bed away from the wall.

Charlie offered Danny a hand after Dani removed the wires, ignoring how the boy’s legs morphed and tangled together into a thin, translucent black tail. He stood, then started to float, hanging in the air like a puppet with stretched out strings.

He followed Charlie and the others out of the room as if in a trance, finally snapping out of his disassociation as he felt the sun on his face.

“What's going on? Where's Vlad - oh. It's you again. I didn't think you would find me.” He said, his voice hazy. Charlie led him to Chase's backseat, helping him buckle his seatbelt. The other officers had caught Vlad, Huxley jumping at the chance to stick a camera in his face.

Vlad scowled, smart enough not to talk to the video camera but still butter enough to make his opinion of it known.

Chase drove in silence, Danny retreating back to disassociation as soon as they had pulled out of the parking lot.

“You think it will stick this time?” Danny asked, half of his body phased into Chase's backseat.

“Do I think what will stick?” Chief asked, hoping to keep Danny present.

“The charges. He’s done this before. He will try it again. Usually after framing someone else for what he did. Be careful, he’s good at that I guess.” Danny said, letting his tail phase through the bottom of the car and touch the pavement. The friction burns hurt, but not as much as the fuzzy static in Danny's mind.

“Danny?”

“Danny, can you hear me?”

Danny snapped back to reality again. “What?” He snapped, his body aching.

“Kid, are you hungry?” Charlie asked, still pretending to drive.

Danny didn't know why, it was obvious that the car was self driving. “Maybe?” He said, crossing his arms. “I don't know. I just want to sleep, if it's alright with you.”

“Hold off on that, we will be at the house in a minute.” Charlie replied.

“What house?” Danny said, suddenly realizing that he did just let someone take him to an undisclosed location, cop or not.

“Well, I’m currently the only licensed foster parent on the island that has a room open right now. Unfortunately we also had a baby surrendered this afternoon, but -”

“Wait, a baby? Was it a girl or a boy?”

“A girl, but I don't think you need to worry about that. Right now, I want to get you a small dinner and your room set up for the night.” Chase pulled into the driveway, and Danny tried to get out first, forgetting he currently had a tail and falling flat on his face. He got up and made his tail split back into legs, ignoring Charlie's attempt to help him up.

“I'm fine I think.” Danny grumbled. His collar bones were visible through his shirt. “I guess I am a little hungry.”

“Well, it's currently a little past eight, so let's get some pizza in you before I show you the room.”

Danny climbed up the stairs loudly, Charlie biting back a scolding as the Jane Doe woke up. Charlie checked the fridge and saw that Cody had followed directions and gotten a tin of baby formula at the corner store a block away while he was out.

Charlie took out the leftover pizza and let Danny serve himself while he got out the first aid kit. He was too busy getting Danny out of the way

Cody struggled to carry the baby downstairs as the little girl screamed at the top of her lungs.

The pizza was quickly abandoned as Danny grabbed her gently from Cody’s arms. He pushed past Charlie to grab a bottle from the fridge, sitting in his chair and feeding her without a word. The light in Danny's eyes was absent, as was all mindfulness of what was going on. Charlie realized that trying to shake him out of it would be more harm than good, as he didn't even realize that he was there. Ellie fell asleep, and Danny carried her over to the sink to dump out the bottle and clean it before collapsing on the couch. His head barely hit the cushion before he was out, Charlie carefully taking the baby upstairs and making Cody follow him.

“Cody, I want you to not ask Danny questions without us around. I know he’s your age, but we don't know what's going on with his home life or even if he is human. Be nice, but keep your distance, alright?” Cody nodded, and Charlie relayed the same orders to the bots and his other kids.

Questions could come after Danny slept and spoke to the social worker.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Danny woke up to Ellie crying. He went intangible, looking for the baby clone while also figuring out the blueprint of the firehouse the cop had taken him to. He was surprised to see the man sleeping in the main bedroom upstairs, but found Ellie and a woman he had never seen before in the second bedroom he checked.

“Ellie!” Danny cried, scaring the living daylights out of Dani as he pushed her out of the way in order to pick the baby up out of her crib. “Ellie belly, you're alright! She hadn't been eating well for weeks, throwing up more than usual after eating, but Vlad refused to let me take her to a doctor or even have my phone long enough to look up what might be wrong." He planted a kiss on her cheek before looking up at Dani. “What was wrong?”

“She was swallowing too quickly, filling her stomach too fast. She just needed smaller portions fed more often. My youngest brother had the same problem when he was a baby.” Dani said, reaching for the baby back. “I think you should get some rest. She will be in my room for now.”

“Are you going to take her away from me?” he asked, holding Ellie's hand gently as Dani rearranged Ellie's blanket.

Dani frowned. “It's out of our hands. I hope you two can stay together, but it's up to the social worker coming this morning to make that call. My dad and Kade both have active emergency foster licenses, but that was before the bots- I mean, we moved in. Dad’s working on it, he has some pretty good connections to some people who could help. What's your name, kid?”

“Danny. This is Ellie.”

Dani smirked. “Well, I am Dani too, though you can call me Danielle if you want. What's Ellie short for, Eleanor?”

“Nope. I named her Danielle too.” Danny said, playing with Ellie's feet.

Dani tilted her head. “You named her?”

“Uh huh. Vlad would have named her Maddu after my mom because he’s a fruit loop like that.” Danny was very chatty for a kid who had arrived in a new foster home less than twelve hours before.

Dani took a breath before asking the hard question that had been on both her and her dad's mind. “Danny, is this your baby?” she asked, pointing at Ellie.

“Maybe? I hope she's Ellie. Could we talk about something else?”

Before Dani could respond, she heard a car pull up the driveway. Danny looked outside then crouched under the window. “Dani, who's that?” He said, his eyes flashing green.

Dani checked outside. “It's the social worker. I left some clothes on what was supposed to be your actual bedroom. It's the one furthest down the hall with the math poster on the door.”

Danny nodded. He didn't know what to expect, but a room with shelves of boxed up knick knacks and a stack of clothes on the desk wasn't it. He changed, the clothes smelling clean. He realized that he hadn't showered in a while. He couldn't shower while Vlad was around, not with every fiber of his being screaming at him not to.

He walked downstairs to find a nice looking woman holding his baby.

He didn't think he liked that all that much.

“Ellie?” He said, walking up to the lady and reaching for her. “Let me hold her. She likes it when I hold her in the morning, and Dani woke up with her but she's mine now.”

“Alright then, why so eager. You should like having a little break. How about you sit down on the couch, and I will show you how to hold her.” she said, irritation creeping into her voice.

“I can- fine.” Danny said, realizing that the woman in front of him had the power to make sure that he never saw Ellie again for the crime of not liking him. He sat down on the couch, and tolerated the humiliating experience of having her explain how to hold his own clone baby as if he was a toddler.

“And you just keep your elbow tucked under her head just like that. Now, look at me!” The worker snapped a photo with her phone. “Aw, how cute. Well, here's the deal. There's a whole list of just the best families looking for a cute little girl, but not so many looking for a teen, so unfortunately splitting you two is a no brainer. But, I think Charlie here said that he would be open to doing you a favor and taking both of you while you help me find a good home for this little munchkin.” The woman pinched Ellie's cheek, and she started to cry. “I guess she's not a fan of you! Give her back, and I will check her diaper while you look over the file on the counter. Really, the potential parents I have talked to have all been thrilled at the idea of a adorable little girl with black hair and darling blue eyes. Makes her unique, and, well, everyone loves one of a kind Jewels! Huh, Jewel would be an adorable name for her.” Ellie has still not stopped crying. “Is that right, wouldn't Jewel be such a darling name for you?”

“Her name is Danielle Fenton.” Danny said, gritting his teeth. “Named after me and my grandma. I'm not naming her after a rock.”

“But there's already a Danielle in this family, and really, Daniel Fenton, Danielle Fenton. Shouldn't you get just a bit more creative? Anyway, legally I can't be sure she is yours until we go to the hospital with your foster dad and get a test done. That's what we are doing today. I have a car seat for the baby, and a booster seat for you just in case.”

Danny forced himself not to scowl as he was herded into the elevator.

He couldn't suppress an eye roll when the social worker made a big production of pointing out the rescue vehicles downstairs like he was eight again.

He climbed into the car, throwing the booster seat into the trunk. Charlie gave him an apologetic look as they made the drive to the hospital.

Danny gave the social worker a look that could boil water when she suggested that Charlie could sit in on the health visit. He couldn't kick her from the room completely, because he just couldn't convince her that he wasn't an idiot when it came to so much as watching Ellie in her car seat. The male nurse was a godsend however, insisting that because he was doing a blood draw, she shouldn't stick around because needles made her queasy. He did the blood draw along with bulk of the appointment.

The nurse gave Danny a look. “Now that's over with, what needs to be done.”

“Ughhhhhhhhhh. She insists on a DNA test for both of us to prove we are related. News flash, we are, I was there when she was born. I'm transmasc, by the way. Foster parent knows, I don't know what's going on in that woman's head. It doesn't really matter, in four years I’m aging out and taking Ellie with me.”

“It says on the paperwork her name is Jewel.” The nurse said. “I mean, it's in pencil, but it's there.”

Danny groaned. “Gimme it. I am not naming her after a rock.” He took the birth certificate paperwork and a pen and corrected it, filling in all the information. “I have no idea what she weighed, she was just tiny. Was I supposed to weigh her?”

“Uh, so, the answer to daughter or sister is daughter?”

Danny let out a nervous laugh “Now that's complicated. You took the blood test thingy, in what, a week, two weeks, we will know for sure. Whatever it is, it's probably illegal.”

The nurse closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. “Danny. You are fourteen. Anything done to you that results in a child is definitely illegal.”

Danny thought about it for a bit too long. “I guess so. Uh, so no father, no time of birth, uh yeah, I think this is all done.” The nurse looked it over before letting the social worker back in.

“Her name is Ellie, by the way.” Danny grinned, showing her the pen marks on his hands. “Nice try.”

“Well, I thought it was a very pretty name.” Danny frowned as the grown woman in front of him pouted like a toddler.

“But it's not her name.” Danny replied. “Why are you back in here? The birth certificate was the last thing.”

“Well, you forgot the folder of potential adoptive parents on the table, and I wanted you to at least take out the business cards for all the adoption agencies that are looking to work with people in your shoes in order to secure their child's future.”

“I'm not giving Ellie to a stranger. I have my sister and my aunt that can take care of her if there's a problem. Not that there will be a problem because I am going to graduate high school, move in with my sister or aunt, work through college, and get a fantastic job in biochem just like I have planned since I was nine. Charlie, we are done here.”

Charlie poked his head in. “Are we all set?”

The nurse nodded. “Today was all paperwork and blood work. There will be a doctor’s appointment in a couple of weeks, but the DNA test should be back in a few days.”

“Alright then. Danny, who do you want to carry Ellie's car seat?”

“You.” He said, pointing at Charlie.

The social worker had the gaul to look offended.

The ride home was silent, Danny spending most of it playing with Ellie.

The only saving grace was that she left after dropping Charlie, Ellie, and Danny off at the house.

Danny turned to Charlie. “So, on the topic of school, am I going?”

Charlie gave Danny a funny look. “Of course you are going if you feel ready for it. If not, there's some good online ones that I can register you for next semester.”

“Oh thank goodness. I knew that there was one girl in my sister's class that got pregnant and her parents pulled her out of school and made her go right to work. I mean, not that I won't work to make money to help pay for Ellie's stuff, but I still really want to study biochemistry and work in a lab and that means I need to graduate highschool.” Danny held open the door, and the two of them went upstairs.

“Of course. We can talk about daycare and preschool later, but first, some real breakfast.”

The next time Optimus visited, he was surprised to see that the amount of kids in the house had increased.

“Well, for the time being, I'm a grandpa.” Charlie said, holding a beer. He had taken one of his rare days off, so he and Optimus were going to do some mutual trauma dumping. “I guess I didn't think it would happen so quickly. Not that Danny’s situation isn't horrible, but he's a good father. I couldn't imagine being in his shoes, being a first time dad at thirteen. He was thirteen, Optimus. At thirteen, Cody had just started learning algebra. Danny was preparing to grow an entire other being in him. It's not fair, you know? He deserved that safety too.”

Optimus thought he would have the chance to at least grab a crate to sit on before the two of them started drinking, but he guessed it was just one of those days.

“I talked to a lawyer. With everything involved, there's a good chance that I could win permanent custody. If that happens, I want to sue Vlad for child support so Danny has a nest egg to live on if and when he moves out. I want him to focus on his daughter and his schoolwork while he is under my roof. Of course, if he wants to work, I won't stop him, but I want to make sure he graduates and does everything on his terms. You have access to better lawyers and the money to get them here to work with us. Vlad Masters is loaded, and this won't be an easy fight, considering it looks like all this happened without Danny’s parent’s knowledge.” Charlie sighed. “But, there was a home visit, and the house was a mess - enough that they were ordered into parenting classes. That's not going to look too great. As much as I want to give them a chance, Danny gives me the idea that as soon as the attention is taken off the couple, the house will basically go back to its hazardous state without much doubt. I wouldn't be surprised that if I really pushed it, I might be able to get Fenton Works shut down along the way. It would suck for Danny, but I can't have him going back to that house, Optimus, I just can't.”

“Consider it done, Charlie.” Optimus said, thinking it over. He had heard about Vlad through mostly rumors, but he got the idea that he was an obsessive, inconsiderate man.

The day the DNA tests came back, Charlie kept both Danny and Ellie home. They opened the envelope together, and Danny cried in Charlie's arms when it confirmed that Ellie was only his partial clone.

Vlad had made himself Ellie's father by mixing their DNA.

Charlie promised Danny that they would fight any case for custody or visitation that Vlad put forth, making him understand that wouldn't have to fight Vlad alone anymore. He had people in his corner now, people who could help him fight this.

That was also the day Danny properly met the bots, and they promised to help fight his battles too.

Chapter Text

As the police chief and Danny's foster parent, he got to see the results of a previous home inspection done when Danny was in elementary school after he complained of not having food at home to a substitute teacher.

What he saw was horrifying. Someone had failed the two Fenton kids, not checking up on them after the matter had been settled. There were two sets of photos, one of the before, with shards of metal littering the house, half built inventions and live wires everywhere, a disgusting fridge full of abandoned experiments and after, where the premises had been cleaned up to code, the old carpet replaced and a second fridge being purchased and put in the downstairs lab. The pantry had been filled and the Fenton parents had shared proof of a contract with a grocery delivery service and completion of parenting classes.

But, there were no follow up visits. Nothing to ensure that the house didn't revert back to its hazardous state, that groceries kept being bought after the contract ran out. Just a note stating the two kids had perfect attendance up until Danny was part way through middle school, where his attendance was worryingly spotty up until he was pulled out of school to go on the ‘educational cross country trip’ by Vlad. Charlie shivered reading those words, knowing how broken it left Danny before Charlie took notice and put a stop to it.

Rereading it again, Charlie knew he had some questions to ask Danny once he was home from school.

“Danny, could I talk to you in private?” Charlie asked, meeting him at the door. “You aren't in trouble, but I think we need to talk.”

Danny froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights. “What?” He said, refusing to meet Charlie’s eyes. “Could we talk later? I have homework.”

“I have your full file, Danny. Let's talk.”

Danny's eyes darted around nervously. “I guess we could talk. Upstairs, right?”

“If that's where you want to be. You pick the spot, and we can talk and I can order takeout after.”

Danny curled up in the big old chair in the upstairs living room, Charlie sitting on the sofa. Danny's file was open on the coffee table.

Charlie let Danny read through it, explaining anything he didn't understand.

Danny picked up a paper with Vlad’s letterhead, dropping it as if it bit him when he saw it was the legal agreement that let Vlad take him across state lines and away from home for almost a year.

Charlie picked it up and put it on the top of the pile. “Did your parents do this on purpose? As a punishment or something?”

Danny fought the tears welling in his eyes as he thought about his parents. “No. Vlad lied. He lied, and threatened me so I would lie too. They trusted him, and I was acting out and having a hard time in school so when he proposed the whole road trip thing they were desperate enough to say yes. By then, he had already been creeping me out for almost ten years, and had been pulling the wool over my parents eyes for twenty.”

Charlie closed the file. “I believe you, Danny.”

Danny tilted his head. “What?”

“I believe you. If you say that your parents didn't sign that paper because of malice, then they didn't. The next few days, weeks, months, maybe even years are going to be hard on you and Ellie. I want to let you know that I believe you. I know you would tell the truth, and that your truth matters to me Danny. I promise, I will always try to listen to what you want. You don't ever have to feel pressured to feel a certain way about me or any of my kids. You don't need to call me dad or anything. I could just be Charlie, the adult that you live with. Same goes for my kids. You don't need to consider them family, but know that you always have a place here, even after you leave my house.”

Danny hummed thoughtfully. “I don't think I want to call you dad.”

Charlie smiled. “You don't have to, Danny. That's all I wanted to talk about, go do your homework.”

Danny groaned, and smiled. “Fine. I guess I could do algebra tonight.”

Charlie chuckled. “Go on, kid. I will take care of Ellie tonight.”

Danny went upstairs, and Charlie leaned back against the couch cushions and closed his eyes. Danny truly was a remarkable kid given a horrible hand of cards in life. The least Charlie could do is take a little of the burden off his shoulders when he could.

Chapter Text

Late that night, Danny snuck Charlie’s phone out of his room using his intangibility, locking himself in the bathroom. He dialed Jazz's number, knowing that it would got to voicemail. “Hi Jazzy. It's me, Danny. This is my foster dad’s number, I stole his phone. I'm alive.” Danny stifled a sob. “I’m alive, and I have a kid with me. I was so alone when I had her. Vlad wasn't there, and everything hurt, and all I wanted was you, you know? I wanted you. Not Maddie, you. I gotta go now. Charlie and his kids work weird hours, and it's really late. I love you, Jazz. I love you so much.” He ended the voicemail, staring at Charlie’s lock screen, of the recent photo of him and his kids. He phased the phone back on Charlie's nightstand, and collapsed back in bed, greeted with the bliss of a dreamless sleep.

Danny woke up to another two weeks of getting into a routine, not knowing that Charlie was planning a surprise for him.

He thought he was dreaming when he saw a familiar redhead in the passenger seat of Chase.

“Jazz!” Danny yelled, tackling the redhead in a hug before she could step out of the car. “Jazzy - you - I … you’ve changed your hair.” He said, breaking away from the hug. Jazz had thrown her hair into a braided bun, a style that Danny had never seen her so before. Danny wiped away his tears.

“Yeah, you like it? I found some old pictures of Mom with my usual style and I just couldn't keep it like that.” she went into the firehouse, Danny following her into the elevator.

Danny frowned. “I thought you liked your hair down.” He said, reaching up to feel her new bangs, the haircut long and choppy, like she did it to herself.

“I couldn't. Not after hearing the news - where's the baby?” She asked, sitting on the couch in the upstairs living room, Danny sitting across from her in a loveseat.

“At daycare. It was a day off of school today because some experimental lawn mower tore up the main lobby and broke a few windows. Graham went to go pick her up.”

“Whose Graham? A new boyfriend?” Jazz teased, ruffling Danny's hair.

“No, he’s one of my foster brothers.” Danny said, looking down at his shoes.

“Oh. Sorry. I can't wait to meet him. I talked to Charlie on the phone, he seems nice. Paid for my plane ticket.”

“Yeah, he was asking me about that. If I thought the ticket could be an issue and all that. My foster sister, insisted that he pay for it. She and my -” Danny took a deep breath. “My daughter have the same name. Jazz, I named her Danielle.”

Jazz looked surprised. “You named her - you gave her your -” Jazz’s eyes darted around the room before she leaned into Danny's ear. “You gave her your dead name?” She whispered.

Danny blinked away his tears. “It fit her so well. She's a little mini me, Jazz. A little clone. It was too perfect.”

Jazz gave Danny another hug. “Of course you would do that.” She sniffed, giving Danny a peck on the cheek. Danny rubbed it away, and Jazz frowned. “Danny, what happened to us?” She mumbled.

“You got out.” He whispered, leaning back on the couch. “And I had to wait.” He looked down at his hands. “They got worse. Mom and Dad, not the bullying or my friends. Sam and Tucker tried, but they couldn't get anyone to listen. We were all branded as trouble makers, so nobody bothered listening. I haven't called either of them yet.” He admitted. “I don't know what to say. Jazzy, when I - when I met Ellie, I wanted you with me so bad.” Danny hugged Jazz tightly before slumping back on the couch.

“Danny, I promise, Sam and Tucker would understand. You need your friends.” she pleaded, squeezing Danny's hand.

Danny wiped away his tears. It's just that, I was gone for almost a year, we were about to graduate middle school when I left and now I'm going to be a sophomore after some extra classes over the summer. Charlie has a kid my age. Cody is nice, but - we are so different. He’s just a kid, and I don't think I can be one anymore.”

“Danny, please call them. I’ve been talking with Sam over the phone and text and the two of them are worried sick. They care about you, Danny. They want to hear from you.”

Danny sniffed. “I will, I think. I will have to borrow a phone, I think. Mine’s in an evidence locker, and Charlie hasn't gotten around to getting me a new one.”

Jazz took out her phone. “Casper High is off today. I know that this is a lot, but I know they would want to hear your voice. I am staying here this week, and aren't planning on doing much. You can keep it, and just … when you can, at least let them know you are alright. Leave a message, or a text. No pressure though, but. Know they do love you. A lot. Platonically, I mean.” She handed it to Danny.

Danny stared at the black screen. “They love me?” He whispered. He still remembered Jazz’s passcode, and stared at the selfie the two of them took together that made up the phone’s wallpaper. He leaned on Jazz’s shoulder, tears flowing silently.

“They care about you Danny. They were worried sick when you disappeared.” Jazz whispered, planting another kiss on Danny's forehead. Danny dropped the phone in his lap, hugging Jazz’s neck the same way he used to when he was small. Jazz still towered over him, taking after their dad, though he was catching up in height. Jazz froze, and Danny backed off, picking up the phone and curling up next to her, a little confused.

He put in Sam’s number, silently hoping it would go right to voicemail. It didn't.

“Jazz? What's up, is Danny ok?” Danny had put her on speaker.

“Sam, it's me.” He said, wiping face.

“DANNY!” She shouted. “Are you ok? I know the fruit loop got you and I swear, if he put a hair out of place I will put a boot through his-”

“You're on speaker phone, Sam.” He said, laughing weakly through his tears.

“Oops. How are you? Is everything ok?”

Danny broke, nearly dropping the phone as his hands shook with the weight of everything he went through. “No. No, nothing is ok. He - he did - wait, you don't know -” Danny sobbed.

Sam cursed. “That bad? That freaking fruit loop, Danny I am so, so sorry.”

Danny tried to pull himself together. “Yeah, it sucked. He -he was awful. I missed you guys so much. I so want to see you guys. I don't think - I am so behind in school you have no idea. At least up here in Maine we are a year behind Casper.”

Sam snorted. “That's a first.”

“Yeah, good old Amity Park. Got to be twenty years behind everybody else, right?” Danny said, curling up on the edge of the couch, Jazz ignored for the time being.

“How are you doing?” Sam asked. Just then, Graham got back with Ellie. Danny took her from him, setting her on his lap.

“Well, if you turn on your camera, I can show you.” Sam complied, and Danny did the same, keeping Ellie out of frame.

“Wow. You look like deep fried roadkill.” She remarked. She was laying in bed, her makeup smudged and half removed.

Danny chuckled. “Well, it gets worse.”

“How? Your eye bags have eye bags - I’m going to kill him.” Danny had chosen that moment to show her Ellie.

“He did not.” Sam broke down. “he didn't. Oh, he did, didn't he - Danny, I am so, so sorry. I knew he was a fucking creep, I just knew it.” Sam wiped away the rest of her makeup. “What's her name?” She asked. “Do you need money? You need money, right? Give me a couple days, I can get you some cash.” she scrambled off screen for something, likely her debt card.

“Her name is Danielle Jazmine Fenton.” He said, kissing Ellie's head.

Sam stopped her search, looking directly into the camera. “You named her after yourself?” She whispered.

Danny nodded. “And the bravest woman I know.”

“And I'm the second.” Sam whispered, watching Ellie squirm in her little pink onesie. “Danny, she's beautiful. Are you doing ok? Healing well? Oh she's so tiny. Is she supposed to be so tiny?”

“No.” Danny whispered. “She was born early, but she's doing well. Me, not so much. We are both healthy, but I’m a mess.”

“Danny, of course you're a mess! Vlad - he fucking- you're a kid! A kid with a kid! Could you send me a picture? I'm supposed to meet Tucker later, and he would probably like one - I’m rambling, you should tell him on your own terms, I just - that bastard!” She shouted. “I got to go, my mom's yelling for me. I love you guys so much, send me bank details soon so I can send you money for diapers and wipes and stuff.” The video call shut off, and Danny leaned back on Jazz's shoulder.

“This might not be the right time, but could I hold her?” Jazz said, wiping her eyes. Danny nodded, and handed Ellie to her. Jazz rubbed her thumb on Ellie's cheek. “She's so soft.” Jazz whispered. “Can I kiss her?” She asked. Danny nodded, and Jazz planted a kiss on her forehead, and nuzzled her head. “Hi Ellie. I'm Jazz. I'm your Aunt. Aunty Jazzy is here, and I am so excited to meet you, and be there for your daddy. I will never let Vlad touch you if it's the last thing I do.” She said, her voice soft, but holding an unimaginable anger. “that goes for both of you, Danny. Vlad has haunted this family for the last time. If he walks, I swear.”

“He won't, Jazz.” Charlie said, approaching the three of them for the first time. “I’ve cashed in some favors. The best family lawyers in Maine are going to be in our corner, and we have all the evidence on our side.”

Jazz handed Ellie back to Danny. “Could I talk to you in the kitchen?” Charlie nodded.

Ellie fussed, and Danny got up from the couch. “I need to put her down for a nap. I will be back in a minute.” he went upstairs.

“You know -” Jazz hiccuped, opening the fridge. She reached for one of the beers Kade had forgotten to lock up in the liquor cabinet and had left in the fridge. Just this once, Charlie let her have it. She looked like she needed it. “Danny told me over the phone that he was alone when - when Ellie was ready to come out. He said-” Jazz struggled with the pull tab, finally giving up with it in favor of just crying sober. “he said that all he wanted in that moment was me. Not momma, me.” Jazz sobbed, Dani handing her a box of tissues. “It just ain't fair. I love Ellie, and he loves her too but oh, I wanted things to be different. I - I wish- I wanted it to be me.” She said softly. “God Almighty, I wanted it to be me. Out of the two of us to be obsessed with, it had to be the one that looks the least like my mom.” Jazz blew her nose. “You gonna put him in therapy right, the good stuff, right, not the councilors I see back at school. Get someone who specializes in - in - teen preg-” Jazz choked on the word, crying into her sleeve. “Rape. Sexual Assault. Come on Jazz, you're going to school to be a psychologist, you have to be able to say it out loud.”

“Jazz, it's alright to be upset about it all. Danny has been through an ordeal, and you had to learn about most of it second hand. This isn't a client that you can walk away from, it's your brother.”

“I know, but I just - I want to help. I want him to be safe, and happy, and Vlad made sure that our folks fell for his lies, hook, line, and sinker.”

“About that. Jazz, you know I can't let Danny and Ellie go back to that house.”
Charlie saw an invisible burden lift from Jazz's shoulders.

“Oh thank goodness. I didn't know how to bring that up. I just want to be able to see him whenever and for Danny to have full custody of Ellie. Those are my two terms. I do want a legal agreement, however. Signed, reviewed, and written by a lawyer. Other than that, I will keep being Aunt Jazz.”

Charlie frowned. “Jazz, hear me when I say that I would never keep you from Danny or Ellie unless you pose a threat to him. You are Danny's big sister, and I consider you one of my own kids. You have a place at the table here, I promise.”

Jazz sat back in her chair, tears brimming in her eyes. “Really? There's nothing I could do to fuck it up?” She whispered.

“Language, but no. My house will always be a safe place. Danny is a fantastic father and an amazing young man, and from what I have heard about you from Danny, you practically raised him. And that's quite an accomplishment, raising a kid while being one yourself.”

“It's true though. I did most of the work while they were running experiments and building that stupid port-” Jazz froze “Transport vehicle. Their van took them three months to build when I was eight and Danny was five, and they slept in it the whole time.”

Charlie noted yet another strike against the Fentons, his opinion of them lowering every day.

Jazz stayed for the rest of the week, going back to school the following weekend.

Danny was a mess in the days following Jazz leaving, being clingy and anxious.

It broke the adults’ hearts, seeing him so out of sorts. Even then, he still put on a brave face when they got called out, even though the sound of the alarm made him shake with worry.

Things went to a head when he fell asleep waiting for the bots to return, Ellie left crying in her bassinet upstairs. Cody was at a sleepover with Frankie, and Danny was the only person home.

With a heavy sigh, Charlie woke him up.

“Danny, Ellie's crying. You fell asleep. Get upstairs, I will take her to my room tonight, and we will talk in the morning.”

Danny snapped into wakefulness. “I’m sorry, I didn't mean it, I fell asleep waiting, it won't happen again I swear.” Danny's eyes welled up with tears, and Charlie realized his mistake.

Danny needed choices to feel safe, and he just phrased a suggestion like a demand. Charlie went back a step. “Danny, you are exhausted, and Ellie will likely have a rough night tonight with the late call out. Do you want me to get up with her, or Graham?”

“You.” He mumbled. “Last time Graham watched her she got a rash.”

Charlie got ready for bed, Ellie being bathed, changed, changed again, and swaddled for bed. Charlie softly brushed her cheek, Ellie just on the cusp of falling back to sleep. If she was one of his, he would give her a little skin to skin time, but, not wanting to betray Danny's trust, he instead settled on tightly swaddling her for bedtime with one of the thinner blankets, since she was already wearing a T-shirt Danny had picked out and had laid out on the changing table. Danny picked out most of Ellie's outfits, putting them in little stacks in her clothes dresser.

He went to bed too, getting up a few times with Ellie, but otherwise getting a good night's sleep.

Chapter Text

“Hi. You are Woodrow, right? Charlie said you would be sleeping on the couch for a couple of days.”

“And you are Daniel, right? You're staying with my older brother for a little while, right? I haven't seen any pictures, but I assume this little squirt is Ellie. I didn't get anything for her, I figured between my brother and my niece and nephews you wouldn't need any of the fun baby stuff. But I could pick up some diapers and wipes on my dime for you?”

Danny laughed. “That would be appreciated. Maybe a bigger size? She was a premie, but a guy could hope that she could get a little bit bigger before she hits six months in a couple of weeks.”

“She's six months?” Woodrow said, shocked. “Even Graham was bigger than this at six months, and he was a NICU baby. What did the doctor say? Anything they can do to put a little baby chub on her?”

“We're just going for feedings whenever she's hungry. I was thirteen when she was born, so-”

“Thirteen? You're one tough cookie, Danny. Kade’s mom was twenty when he was born and she nearly called it quits. Anyway, I’m rambling. I hope you find yourself a good support group online of other young parents. I know it helped Charlie with Kade and especially with Cody and Graham. I wish ya all the luck, kid, but I know with Charlie in your corner, you might not need it.”

Woodrow walked away to talk to Graham, and Danny thought over his words. He pulled out his phone and searched for teen parent support groups. Sorting away the typical bad actors, prenatal groups, and church groups, he found a couple that looked genuinely helpful and run by people who actually wanted to help and teens themselves.

That night, while Ellie was sleeping, he hopped on the first of a couple groups he bookmarked. Finding it friendly, he introduced himself with minimal information, his name, pronouns, and a false name for Ellie. He rolled his eyes as he got a dozen DMs questioning him about his pronouns, insinuating that teen dads could only be deadbeats and demanding pictures of ‘Elijah’. He blocked the group and the members that demanded things of him, and moved on to the next one.

He repeated the process using the same names and information, this time getting an automated response to his introduction with a page of resources and a brief mission statement.

Seeing the more polished introduction message, he got a good feeling about the group, adding on a photo of a couple of Ellie's outfits laid out on his bed.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, an admin for the group informing him that all baby and parent photos were to be faceless in order to preserve their anonymity, and to refrain from any gorey or traumatic stories in the general chat. There was a separate channel for that, one Danny had to opt into to see. He could share as much or as little as he wanted, as long as it maintained his and his child’s privacy and didn't reveal location or sensitive details.

Danny liked the group already.

He shared a funny story about an interaction Kade had with Ellie, putting himself in Kade’s place.

That earned him a couple of private friend invites, including the mod, who introduced herself as June, a former teen mom who now had a son the same age she was when she was pregnant.

Danny was comforted by that, knowing an adult was around to keep the whole group from collapsing in on itself.

He shared a photo Charlie took of Ellie grabbing his hand into the main group, getting a flurry of awws and a couple similar photos in return.

He fell asleep reading funny stories from the other parents, feeling a little less alone in his situation.

Chapter Text

Danny got a package from Illinois the following day. Also expecting a package from Tucker, he didn't bother reading the shipping label.

That was a mistake.

“HOLY SHIT, VLAD YOU FUCKER!” he yelled, Heatwave tripping over himself to scoop him up. He looked down at the package. “Is that a box of shredded money?”

“Yes. It's probably from Vlad, because he's always done shit like that. Did I tell you he used to send me Valentine's Day cards with hundred dollar bills in them? Nothing for Jazz, just for me. Looking back, I shouldn't be surprised that he made Ellie just to fuck with me.”

“Hey guys, why were you - oh. That's - a lot of shredded money. Heatwave, did you do something?” he teased.

“It's from Vlad, Kade.”

“That creep? He found you? Shit, I have to tell dad. Don't touch it, and both of you, wash your hands.”

Charlie answered the call from his oldest son through his comm, expecting some funny food themed emergency.

“Dad, Danny's stalker is back.”

Charlie froze, his blood going cold. “I’m heading back, Chase, sirens on.”

“He’s not at the house, but knows Danny's at the firehouse.” Kade explained.

Chase cut the sirens, Charlie giving him a look. “Chase, put those sirens back on right now.” He said, his papa bear instincts rearing its ugly head as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. “I got a bad feeling.”

They drove back as fast as Chase was comfortable going, making it back to the firehouse in minutes.

“Where's Danny?” He asked, getting out of Chase and staring at the ominous box.

“In here.” Danny yelled, in ghost mode. He was curled up in his ghost tail, the end of the long, slender appendage flicking nervously. “I called the daycare. They have put themselves in a hold in place just in case. The director of the baby room offered to stay on facetime with me and her and Ellie until you or a family member picked her up, but I turned her down.”

“Alright. I will pick her up early, and we can make a new plan just in case. Danny, would you be alright by yourself or do you want to come with me?”

“Stay here.”

“You sure?”

“I don't want to risk him or anyone he works for seeing me.”

Chief sighed, putting a hand on Daddy's shoulder. “I can understand that. I still wish you would let us take some of the responsibility for your safety sometimes. You don't have to do everything for yourself.”

“But - but how - fine. I will wait upstairs and prep a bottle for Ellie, she will probably be hungry when she gets home.” Danny shrugged away Charlie's touch and transformed into Phantom, floating through the ceiling and into the kitchen.

Charlie left in Chase, a bad feeling stirring in his gut as he drove his usual route to the daycare. Nothing was different, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the box of cash wasn't the only nasty present Vlad had in store for Danny.

As Charlie was signing out Ellie, his phone buzzed. He put her car seat down and pulled out his phone, seeing he got a text from Chase.

: someone has just come up behind me and taken a picture of my license plate. I would advise delaying your departure.:

Charlie froze. He had to go out the same way he went in. Taking photos of a cop car wasn't illegal, but with Vlad sending packages to Danny, it all felt wrong to him. Unusual for him, he buckled Ellie into the seat before leaving the daycare, throwing one of Ellie’s lap blankets over the front of the carrier. He ordered Chase to monitor her while he drove home.

He made it home without incident, Danny swarming the car, phasing Ellie out of her car seat and through Chase’s back door. He kissed her forehead and nuzzled her head gently, murmuring under his breath about his day and how he was so, so relieved she was alright. “Charlie, I have school tomorrow.” He said, his voice full of worry. “I have school tomorrow, and I can't let him win and make me scared all the time and I just want everything to be ok.”

“Danny, I” Charlie stopped, knowing that Danny’s worries were deserving of more than just words. “I will drive you and Cody tomorrow.”

Danny hummed, both for Ellie's benefit and his own. “Alright.”

“Alright?”

“I refuse to let the fruit loop scare me.” He declared, kissing Ellie again.

Charlie smiled. “It’s a deal then. I will tell Cody when he's back from the Greene's.”

The next day was a strange one.

First of all, a girl that Danny had never seen before just waltzed into class wearing the weirdest assortment of luxury clothes imaginable and took an empty seat in the middle of the room like it was completely normal. When the teacher, Mrs. Davis, asked for the homework, she passed up a huge packet of back work along with hers. Mrs. Davis just sighed and took it without comment.

The class split into groups to discuss the week's reading, and unfortunately, the girl, Priscilla, was roped into the group despite her protests.

Of course, she instantly made it everyone’s problem. “Oh, you're Danny right?” She said, a hint of malaise in her voice. “The new kid with a kid? You know we had to sit in an assembly about teen pregnancy and sensitivity because of you.” She fake yawned. “How boring. It was a nice nap.”

Danny rolled his eyes, returning to his work.

“I bet you miss her, being here and not with her.”

Danny took a deep breath, and bit back a retort. He did miss Ellie.

Priscilla caught on. "Aw, aren't you a good mama then. Being so attached, right? Poor mama Danny, hope you graduate!" Danny ignored her, but Cody saw red.

"Priscilla, you have one chance to take that back."

"Stop it. It's not like Danny is your real brother. He's just a foster kid, and really, I don't understand why he -"

"Priscilla Psych, what did you just say?" Mrs. Davis, the two boys' English teacher, walked back in from assisting another group. "Apologize to Danny, right now."

"But I -"

"All kinds of families are welcome here, Priscilla, and you know that I do not allow bullying in my classroom." She leaned down, lowering her voice. "Cody, could you tell me what she was saying before I walked in."

"She said that Danny wasn't a real dad, or my brother, and that she didn't think he would graduate."

She turned to Danny. "Danny, is this true? You aren't in trouble, but I want to know your story before we go to the office."

"The office? I don't think that's-"

"Danny, at Griffin Prep we take bullying and harassment seriously. It's policy that the councilors have to get involved. I know next class you and Cody have a study hall. I want you two to file a report during that time.”

Seeing no way out of it, Danny nodded in agreement.

Mrs. Davis stood up. "Now class, if we could refocus on the worksheet -"

Class sped by in a blur. As promised, she caught the three of them before they could leave, and brought them up to the councilors office. The councilor was nice, but very pushy about making Priscilla face consequences, rambling about in school suspensions and how she had a record and that none of it was his fault.

Danny was confused. "But I - maybe she was rude, but I don't think -"

"Danny, we have a no discrimination policy. Your foster brother said she made remarks about your home situation and gender orientation? That's against policy, and due to the amount of smaller infractions that other students have reported, she is due for a bigger consequence. However, whether or not I inform your foster father is up to you. I know that you have come out to him, but protecting our students is always my priority, so I want to clarify some things. I was planning on arranging a check in later this week, so I think we should go through a couple of questions together to get to know each other. My name is Mrs. Vaggie, I am a counselor. I know that you have a daughter at home, do you prefer being referred to as her mom, dad, or her birth parent?"

"Dad. I mean, I am raising her."

"How do you refer to your foster parent? Your foster siblings? First names, foster siblings, or siblings?"

"First names, except for my foster sister, who shares my name."

"That would be Dani, right?"

Danny nodded.

"Good. How about the whole, you know, transition? Any issues, any concerns?”

The walls seemed to close around Danny, claustrophobia chasing the heavy feeling in his gut that he couldn't fully trust this woman, that she held far too much power over him to feel safe here. She could do so much to ruin what he had tried to make of his life on Griffin Rock. “I don't see how that's relevant. You aren't my doctor.”

Mrs. Vaggie reached for Danny’s hand, and he instinctively flinched away from the touch. “Oh. Well that's not nice of you. How about we talk a little more.”

“No, I think it's time for you to speak to Cody. I came in for bullying, remember?”

“Oh. Yeah, we can catch up later. You can come to me anytime, Danny.”

Danny got up without a word and left. As he shut the door, he heard the woman mutter a single word.

“Rude.”

He sighed, and waved Cody into the room.

He went back to class. Priscilla was sent home and Cody returned halfway through study hall.

The rest of the day was normal, the box of shredded cash gone to an evidence locker.

Danny sat on the couch with Ellie, playing with her feet. He scooped her up, and heard a click of a camera. He turned his head, staring down a small window he hadn't noticed before.

Another click.

Danny set Ellie down and bolted to the window, phasing through it and tackling the man outside.

Wait.

He knew this man.

“Dash?”

“Why are you here?”

“You didn't think I would turn down the kind of money Vlad offered?” Dash grinned, and shoved the camera in Danny’s face, grabbing his neck with the other hand. He was still taller than Danny. “Anything to make Fentonrina squirm. Plasmius teleported me over. You're even more pathetic than I remember. Being all motherly and stuff. Mama Danny, what a loser.”

Unfortunately for Danny, the only adult in the room was Heatwave. The bot couldn't intervene, but he could watch as Dash threw Danny around, kicking his ribs and busting his lip. He didn't know why he froze like that, just numbly watched as Dash picked up Danny one more time and bashed his head against the side of the firetruck. It dented Heatwave, Danny's powers preventing him from getting hurt at the last possible second.

Danny had enough. “CHARLIE!” He yelled.

After a few moments of no response, Heatwave blared his siren. Dash dropped Danny and ran, Charlie being just too late to catch him.

“Danny - what happened.”

“Vlad happened. And dash, but mostly Vlad. Is he gone? How is - I LEFT ELLIE ON THE FLOOR!”

Danny rushed to the girl. Ellie was fine, but Charlie couldn't believe what happened. “Danny, are you ok? You're bleeding.”

“Don't worry, I’ve had worse.”

Charlie sighed. “Danny, that's not reassuring.”

Chapter Text

The ending to the chaos was... Anticlimactic, to say the least. The investigation had dug up some white collar crime Vlad had done in the creation of his company, and because the justice system sucked, his case for money laundering, falsifying tax records and possibly a bribed mayoral run would land him in prison before Danny and Ellie's case would hit family court.

Chief Burns had been a foster parent back when Kade and Dani were little, so Danny got to stay with them once the firehouse cleared inspection. There were some minor things that needed fixing, but Danny suspected that the social worker just wanted to place them and be done with it.

He wasn't going to be shipped back to Illinois, not with his parents under investigation and teen parents already being borderline impossible to place on short notice.

Charlie had offered to give Graham, Danny, and Ellie the main bedroom, to give them more space. Danny decided not to take it, deciding that encroaching on Graham's space and disrupting his sleep with the baby was enough to ask for. Graham had even packed away most of his stuff to let Danny use his relatively big closet as a mini nursery, having a place to tuck away Ellie's baby stuff when not pulled up next to his bed.

Graham didn't complain about any of this. He and Jazz were in their senior year, his childhood clutter being packed into storage anyway. He was moving downstate, but he has told Danny that he wanted to leave him with a clean slate to decorate while he was gone.

In a way, it was starting to look like he would have a place in Griffin Rock for now, until Jazz could figure something out.

Charlie had talked to her a handful of times, sending her a little money to help her move out and stay out of Fentonworks once she graduated in a year. By the drained look on Charlie's face, she had probably cried at the news.

Ellie fussed, and Danny was snapped out of his thoughts. He didn't mind being a dad, now that Vlad was gone. He picked her up, and decided that he'd might as well get her a bottle.