Depths

40. Control Freak

Phantom's eyebrow twitched, the puppy inside the carrier wouldn't shut up. This thing better not keep him awake at night.

Danny was busy turning in songs to the office, but he was wearing Phantom's clothes so the merman wasn't worried about any assassins trying to track him. If a mermaid was going to come after him, they would go straight to his bedroom where his scent was strongest.

The boy would be home soon though, so Phantom wanted to hurry up and get the mutt set up. He had put a reservation on the puppy a long time ago, and the owner told him that he could take him as soon as he was old enough to leave his mother, and it was finally the day. Not that Phantom was particularly happy about having this brat in the house. He hoped Jack Fenton wouldn't mind. If he did though, what was he gonna do, get mad? That would do nothing for someone as stoney as Phantom, and Jack knew that.

Switching the adoption papers in his other hand as he set the carrier down, Phantom dug out his key and unlocked the door. He set the dog down inside the house and left to get its stuff out of his trunk.

He hoped he wouldn't regret his decision to get Danny a puppy, he knew that they pooped and wined a lot. He didn't know if he would be able to keep from killing the dog if it started barking and howling every night. Danny would have to know that there was a strict rule that the mutt was not allowed on the bed, ever. There would be no puppy cuddling where they slept and often... not slept.

A tap to his shoulder surprised Phantom out of his skin, he hadn't noticed anyone coming. It must be Danny wearing his clothes then. Strange how he didn't hear him approach.

"Wow, Pet, you're back a lot quicker than exp-" Phantom turned around, but shut up as soon as a red orb was shoved in his face.

Freakshow smirked when he saw how the merman's eyes began to glow red, he had Phantom right where he wanted him. "Hello, Phantom. Sorry, but you won't be seeing your little human today. Or ever." He laughed maniacally, but the siren had already slipped so far under his spell, that the reality of what was going on became completely lost to him as it all went black.

...

Danny sighed as he took his key out and shoved it in the lock, only to be surprised when the door opened, having not been closed all the way. That was strange, he thought but figured someone had to be home then.

He walked in and called out, "Hello?"

No answer.

"Dad? Phantom?"

A small whimper somewhere to his left stole away Danny's attention, and his face brightened when he saw the same puppy he had played with on his date with Phantom in the carrier.

He gasped and knelt down, "Hi there, cutie!" the puppy jumped up into his hands and allowed him to pick her up. She was so small that she could fit in just the palms of his hands, her paws the size of quarters. "When did you get here?" he sniffed, the familiar scent of crap filling his nose. He peered into the box and grimaced at the sight of drying poop. "Yuck. You had to have been here for at least an hour." Danny looked around, "Nobody took care of you?"

That's when he noticed a note taped to the front door, he took it off and read it, his face falling as his mouth dropped open. It was from his father.

Danny and Phantom,

I know this might be hard for you, but I turned myself in as Vlad's murderer. It was either this or allow them to eventually expose you as a mermaid and arrest you for murder Danny. I'm going to tell them that I made it all up, that a mermaid did not kill Vlad and I just molded a weapon to make it look like one did. They'll fall for it, considering I've always been the town goof.