Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time

Chapter 29 - The final goodbye

The next morning was much nicer than he expected, the sun was shining brightly without a cloud in the sky and the only downside came from the cold wind.

Danny had woken up in Dash's guest bedroom, he did not totally freak out. Ok, he did, but it was an unfamiliar room and with his life being a complete trainwreck in the last few months, he was allowed to panic, even if he were to deny it later.

Since flying away from Amity Park all those months ago, Danny's style had changed, not extensively, but he had moved away from the baggy jeans and his signature white top. He had grown in the last few months, he had gotten taller, only growing about four inches, but it still counts, leaner, with tones muscles that showed off the training he was putting his body through with the heroes. Instead of his old style, since that no longer fit him, he wore black ripped jeans, with some of the rips actually being intentional, a plain black t-shirt, and a slightly baggy dark red hoodie and a pair of black high top with red laces. The colours changed every day, but the black mostly stayed the same. He contemplated putting a jacket on, sure the November chill was starting to come in, but he wasn't cold. Ever since the accident he had found that he never really got cold as he did before, he just chalked it up as a ghost thing and left it at that.

He padded downstairs and headed into the kitchen, where he could hear multiple voices coming from. He looked at the clock on the wall and noted that it read seven o'clock in the morning. High School would be starting in half an hour. As he walked into the kitchen he saw the faces of Paulina, Star, Kwan and Dash, who was scraping something black in the bin from the pan he was holding.

"I told you, we should just stop off at that sweet little cafe for some breakfast." Paulina chimed as she watched the black stuff in disgust.

"That cost's 'Lina, why waste money when we have food at home?" When did Dash become such a dad? Danny questioned his sanity.

"Plus they still use a lot of plastic stuff," Kwan piped up whilst taking a sip of his fresh orange juice.

"Do none of you know how to cook?" Danny finally made his presence known. He was just casually leaning against the kitchen doorframe watching the exchange.

The girls started slightly, not realising the third boy was even in the home. Both the girls had changed during their second year of high school as well. Star had stopped putting those flower clips in her hair and instead pinned her side bangs back to show off her ear piercings, the rest of her hair was in a high ponytail. The piercings were new, she now had seconds in her upper lobe and a helix in her left ear. While Paulina now wore her hair in loose french braids at carried on into pigtails at the nape of her neck. Both girls wore less make-up than in their first year, but their styles had mostly stayed the same.

"Nope, but these guys insist on trying every morning." Star smiles fondly as she pointed to the boys.

"Honestly, why are all teens I meet hopeless in the kitchen," Danny mumbled as he headed to the fridge and pulled out a box of eggs, a pack of ham, spring onion, cheese and butter.

"What are you doing?" Dash questioned as he dropped the pan in the sink.

"Makin you all omelettes cause you're all hopeless." Danny looked at the pan in the sink and put it back on the hob.

"You can cook?" Paulina exclaimed in shock.

"Well duh, had to learn if I didn't want to eat something that moved." Honestly, how wasn't his mother's cooking a scientific discovery? Making food move on its own, hell, it was impressive, despite it being inedible.

"What? How do you make food that moves?" Kwan asked, only slightly afraid of the answer.

Danny simply shrugged as he got to work on the food. "Dunno, to be honest, though the microwave did have a toxic sticker on it and it was totally not for show." The four looked at the cooking teen in shock, he was talking about it like it was completely normal. But he did grow up with a family of scientists so it had to be normal for him. But what the hell?

Soon enough the teens were digging into the omelettes. Actual edible omelettes. The four of them would gladly admit that Danny was a damn good cook.

"Can I hire you as my personal chef?" Paulina asked in between mouthfuls. Danny just laughed as a response.

He was now watching the clock, the others had left for school ages ago, and it was now nine o'clock. He sighed gently. It was now or never.

He picked up the keys Dash had left him. It was the spare pair that the family kept in case of emergencies, but Dash lent Danny them for the time he was here, so he could come and go freely and not feel the need to be constantly be accompanied by the jock. He kept the keys in his hand and locked the front door on his way out.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the outskirts of town, where the tiny church and the graveyard were located. Considering the town wasn't really that religious, except for a few elderly residents, the church went mostly unused. Though the vicar always made sure it was a beautiful sight to see. She had planted flower beds just outside the doors, roses and creeping ivy climbed the sides of the church and the windows were always polished and washed every other Saturday.

He only gave the church a brief glance, a permanent frown was etched onto Danny's face at the moment. He didn't know if he was ready for this, as soon as he would see their names etched in those stones it would no longer be a bad dream. All of it, everything, it would be real.

His feet carried him through the gate. The graveyard's groundkeeper gave him a brief glance and a nod before going back to his work. He felt like he was walking past the graves for hours. He was going to his families graves first, then his friends and teacher's after.

His feet finally stopped in front of three perfectly clean new gravestones. He sat down in front of them, with his back resting against the gravestone behind him.

"Hi mom," He looked at the stone on the far right, it read; 'Madeline Fenton, beloved mother, wife, sister and daughter. Forever missed. Age 33. 23rd January 1978 - 17th May 2011. "Hi Dad," He next looked to the gravestone in the middle, it read; 'Jack Fenton, devoted husband, father and son. Keep smiling and laughing. Age 34. 12th November 1977 - 17th May 2011.' "Hey Jazz." He looked to the final gravestone, finally feeling the tears run down his face, it read; 'Jasmine Fenton, caring Daughter and sister. Taken too soon. Age 16. March 31st 1995 - 17th May 2011'.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, it wasn't safe, it still isn't safe." He quickly placed a hand over his mouth as a sob bubbles out of his throat. His sobs soon turned into screams. The tears wouldn't stop streaming down his face and his screams only grew louder. "I'm s-so ... sorry! This, a-all o-o-of this. It's a-a-all my fault!" He spoke between breaths trying to get his words out. He was hugging his sides as he leant forwards, over his dad's grave,l as tears hit the soil. "I-I should, I should have told you! I-I was s-so s-s-scared! I-I thought, I thought you would hate me!" He didn't know if he was imagining it or if it was his guilt pushing him down. But in that moment coldness washed over his, in an odd way like it was a comforting hug. Like the universe saw him hurting and wanted to let him know he wasn't alone in his grief.

"I miss you all so much."He finally got his breath back under control. But his voice cracked, his throat ached and felt raw. What he didn't know was how loud he was screaming, the groundskeeper at the other side of the graveyard realised that the young teen needed some privacy with what he was saying and what he was going through and had left to go distract himself with the vicar for a while.

Danny was at a loss for words. He had so much he wanted to say, be he couldn't find the words to say them. All he could do was repeat sorry over and over again. Until his voice was hoarse and starting to croak until there was no longer any sound coming out of his mouth.