Ghost in the Falls

Chapter 9

"Are you sure you want to tell them now?" asked Jazz as Danny shakily stood up from his bed.

"I've got to do it at some point, and you'll be there to back me up," Danny said, half convincing himself as he reached out and turned the door handle after taking a deep breath. "You'll be going to college soon, and then what? I need to tell Mom and Dad before then, and now's as good a time as any."

They trudged down the stairs, the time dilating as it felt like Danny was walking towards the gallows. Jazz's hand on his should kept him grounded as he entered the kitchen. His parents were sat at the table, his dad wolfing down toast. Ford stood by the counter, and gave a nod of acknowledgement when Danny walked through the door.

Danny began to eat his cereal, despite feeling queasy, regretting choosing a sugary cereal which seemed sickly sweet in his nervous state. "Hey, uh, Mom, Dad, I need to tell you something, in private," he said reluctantly. "After breakfast of course."

His parents exchanged confused and concerned glances. "Of course, sweety." Maddie kept a calm and caring demeanor despite the worried glint in her eyes.

The rest of the meal was tense, with no one saying a word, even when Dipper and Mabel came down. Mabel had attempted to make conversation, but the reluctance of anyone else to speak put an end to that attempt within minutes. Danny rinsed out his bowl last and nodded to Jazz, who insisted that their parents leave all their weapons in the kitchen, even the hidden ones.

The quartet went into the living room, the parents sitting down by demand of their children. "I, um, remember the accident with the portal..." Danny stammered, eyes cast down to the floor. "I, I didn't really get out of it completely fine, I mean the same, I mean, ugh!"

Tears streamed down his face and Maddie and Jack got up to embrace him in a hug, but stopped, flawed when he shrunk back from their efforts. "Whatever it is, we still love you Danny, nothing could ever change that," Maddie reassured.

Danny shuffled his feet, and mumbled, "I'm half ghost."

"You're what? Half toast?" said Jack, trying to process what Danny had just said.

"I'm half ghost," Danny repeated, louder this time, his voice shaking with the rest of him as he stood there. "A halfa."

Jazz stepped forward to embrace her sobbing brother, and patted him on the back. "Halfa..." muttered Maddie under her breath before getting up alongside Jack and going to join in the hug.

"Danny, I'm so sorry," said Maddie, her voice cracking with emotion.

"What for?" asked Danny, his icy blue eyes brimming with emotion as he met her gaze.

"Everything. We should have noticed it, your grades slipping, the bags under your eyes, the injuries. And all of this because of us. We're terrible parents," she cried.

"But I lied to you, over and over, you couldn't have known, if anyone should be apologising, it's me. It wasn't your fault; I chose to go into that portal, it's my fault." Danny pleaded.

"It's not a matter of fault or anything like that. We're your parents, we should have been helping you through it. No one should have to go through whatever you're going through alone," said Jack, brushing Danny's hair out of his eyes.

"Thanks, but I wasn't alone. Sam and Tucker helped me out from the start, and Jazz worked it out on her own." Danny stepped back from the hug, only to end up in one of his dad's bear hugs.

"I should have known that your friends would help you out. You have some great friends Danno," Jack said.

"Dad...need to breathe..." gasped Danny before phasing out of his father's arms. Jack shivered and retracted his arms, muttering about never getting used to intangibility.