Hey everybody, here is the long awaited update. I just want to say thanks to all of you, the community on FF is amazing.

I'm sorry for the wait, with everything going on, and the fact that I went up to Monaghan a few times (there's no internet) and then I went camping for a few days too. So yeah, I've been a bit busy lately, but here it is :)

Thanks to caitgirl1 for beta reading and being the weirdest person I know. :P

Requested by gaara king of the sand.

Enjoy ;)

Danny knew that there was something seriously wrong.

He did have some clues, like the fact that he should be dead or that he could change his appearance at will and he glowed, but this was weird.

Even more weird than his hand disappearing from existence kind of weird.

He was currently floating above his bed, and if the pale light enveloping him was any indication, Danny had changed form again. (Sam had taken to calling it that and the phrase stuck)

His breath came out as raspy gasps, people don't wake up hovering above their bed. Danny went to call for his parents, frantically hoping that this was some trippy dream. His words died in his throat.

All day his parents had been watching him like hawks, almost as if they were expecting him to vanish before their eyes or drop dead. His nerves had been severely frazzled by their frantic worrying.

But then again, with the current circumstances Danny couldn't exactly blame his parents for their overprotective behaviour. Sam and Tucker hadn't been much better, the two of them had stuck to Danny like glue, only leaving after their own parents were getting antsy.

Danny felt very peculiar, apart from the obvious fact of his inhuman levitation. Everything in his body tingled, a prickly sensation crawled along his skin. Nothing hurt in a sense, but something was off, like a lack of…..

Weight

Or more specifically gravity. Danny was feeling light, so light that he could float away from the world and its problems. Now that his mind had wrapped around the fact that he was indeed flying above his bed, Danny wanted to figure out how he could return to his covers and try to pretend that it had never happened in the first place.

Good god he was getting freakier by the hour. Random body parts disappearing from existence, being able to glow like a bug zapper and now this?

Oh and don't forget about the near death experience too.

That particular thought derailed Danny completely.

Flashes of green licked his vision and for a terrifying second Danny thought that he was trapped in the portal again. A sickly vile green encasing his entire body, it seeped into his skin, invaded his being. Pain, burning, searing, agonising pain. He wanted it to stop, to end, anything but the horrendous ache throbbing through his body.

The vivid memory, the rawness of it startled Danny. It was so clear. He didn't remember really what had happened when he had first stumbled out of the smoking portal, just vaguely wondering if he was alive. He had been in a sort of daze throughout the day, not contemplating his experience in the portal.

Now it all came back, with enough force that Danny's breath left him, almost like he was physically slammed in the chest. Blood thundered in his ears and a white light bounced around his room and Danny plummeted to his bed, terrified tears silently streamed down his face.

How was he even alive?

Danny wept quietly, forcing himself to calm down. He wrestled with the gut wrenching fear, the bile in his throat.

It was okay, he was living, he was breathing, he wasn't glowing anymore.

He was just a normal teen lying on his bed.

He didn't die today.

But why did it feel like he had?

Maddie couldn't sleep.

She tossed and turned and tugged at the covers, but her eyes refused to stay shut and her brain disobeyed her commands to relax.

The Fenton Ghost Portal had failed, her only son had nearly died and now the portal was fully operational. All in one day.

Jack was not doing much better, he was twitching restlessly. Maddie had a niggling suspicion that neither of them were getting any sleep tonight. She kept thinking about Danny, about how close she was to losing him.

And it would have been her fault. The portal, her obsession with it, combined with the crushing disappointment, she hadn't been thinking clearly. Maddie hadn't even considered going with Danny and his friends as he showed them the supposedly dysfunctional portal.

Supposedly she thought bitterly.

A small part of her was overjoyed. Her life's dream, finally it was a reality!

And then her son's funeral had almost become a reality too.

Everything swirled around her exhausted brain, morbid musings and a whole boat load of sneaky black guilt. It snuck its way here and there, but it always managed a heavy presence.

What type of mother was she?

A new round of guilt began to spear through her when the bedroom door creaked open ever so slightly. In the gloom, Maddie could just make out the black mop of hair that distinctly belonged to her son.

"Danny?" She called softly, sitting up. Jack turned to face the door as well, but he remained silent.

Danny further crept in and Maddie noticed that he was clutching his bed covers tightly. He shuffled forward shyly.

"Can I stay in here tonight?" he asked quietly, Maddie struggled to hear him. Her heart clenched. He sounded so lifeless.

She got up and wrapped her arms around him, noting that Danny's cheeks were damp and that his eyes seemed puffy in the gloom. Jack followed suit wordlessly coming over, snaking his own arms around the pair.

The three of them remained that way for a while, embracing one another. Danny had been stiff at first, but he ever so slowly relaxed and Maddie coaxed him to the massive queen sized bed. Her and Jack placed Danny between them, shrouded in his own bed covers. Jack and Maddie lay on either side of him. Content, Danny seemed to fall asleep instantly and Maddie found herself doing the same.

Danny woke up mortified when he had realized that he was in his parent's bed. Both of them were sound asleep and he managed to untangle himself from the mess of covers and sneak out of the room. He felt like a tiny little kid again, scared of the monsters hiding in the closet. Danny just hoped they wouldn't mention anything, especially his dad.

Jack Fenton wasn't known for his ability to talk quietly.

Danny was wide awake after his skilful (at least he thought so) escape from his parent's bedroom. He dumped his covers in his own room, removing the evidence of his visit. He crept past Jazz's room, thoroughly delighted at her closed door. She hadn't gotten up yet.

Danny slithered downstairs wanting to enjoy having breakfast on his own. He diligently ignored the toaster in the corner and the microwave was off limits too. (His dad had tried to 'improve' it) Various tools laying around suggested that one of his parents were tinkering with the electronics in the kitchen. Danny looked at the counter top trying to figure out which electronic had been tampered with.

He sighed deeply when he realised that the deep fat fryer was sitting innocently on the table, with a screwdriver beside it. Well it looks like he wasn't going to have chips (fries?) anytime soon.

Danny rummaged through the fridge and fished out some rashers and sausages. He placed the meat on a pan and seasoned it with pepper and was greatly satisfied with the aromas filling the kitchen.

Staring at his empty plate, Danny sat. He was trying to locate the cold sensation in his chest, wondering if it had all been a dream. However he could feel it quite clearly, nestled deep in his being. Tentatively he imagined himself reaching for the cold, grasping at it. A wave of icy cold spread through him, a white light flashed brilliantly.

Danny ran for the bathroom, peering at himself in the mirror. White hair sat atop his head and green eyes blazed in the reflection. His pyjamas had vanished, a black and white hazmat suit stood in their place. Danny felt for a pulse on his wrist, terrified when at first he felt none. It was slow, sluggish, like it was in no rush.

He focused on his breathing, only now noticing how long it would take before he needed another breath. Then there was that tingling, deep in his bones. It buzzed and crawled along his skin. The feeling was so alien. It was the exact same feeling as when he had woken up last night.

Danny had been hovering above his bed. He knew it couldn't have been a dream, the weird tingling confirmed it. He stepped back from the mirror, his footsteps light compared to his usual stomp.

Danny came back into the kitchen, going to sit down. He yelped when his butt hit nothing but air.

What?!

Looking around Danny saw that the chair was in him. He leapt back as the chair harmlessly passed through his body. His panicked mind barely registered that he should have been falling through the floor, expect when Danny looked down, he wasn't on the floor.

The floor was about two to three inches beneath him. He was flying. In his kitchen.

Danny forced himself to calm down, the overwhelming fear of falling through the floor, unable to control his descent and getting stuck deep underground plagued his mind. The cold in his chest constricted and expanded, as if responding to his rugged heart beat. A tingle flared in his bones and Danny suddenly felt a breeze hit his face. A breeze from the open window. If he could feel it...

He gingerly tapped his foot against the chair, immensely relieved when the chair felt solid. Danny twisted himself upright, feet connecting solidly to the floor. Feeling ever so slightly brave, he curled his legs up. Leaving the comfort of the ground, Danny splayed his hands out trying to get some balance. He shifted upwards by accident, nearly slamming his head into the roof.

Huh.

Danny concentrated on his legs, imagining himself gently lowering to the ground. He was greatly surprised when that started happening. He drifted to the floor. Danny grinned. He made the conscious thought to move up again.

He floated upwards.

A smirk firmly plastered on his face, Danny swooped around the kitchen gaining confidence with each minute. This was fun. Flying out to the hall, Danny tried to do a lazy loop. He mangled it, smashing into the banisters twice. He tried again. And again. Laughing in delight Danny looped and twisted in the air, as graceful as a retarded seagull. He was getting there though. Each movement become easier, less cumbersome.

"Danny?" His mother called.

Danny jumped, if that was at all possible in the air. Startled, the cold in his chest started shrinking. A warmth pooled around the cold, sealing it away.

The white rings passed over him and Danny plummeted to the ground.

Oufff.

Danny lay crumpled on the floor as Maddie peered over the landing bannister.

"You okay honey?" She asked, frowning.

"I'm good," Danny grumbled from his place on the carpet. That had been fun, until the sudden two meter drop.

"What are you doing up so early, it's only seven," Maddie replied coming down the stairs. She obviously hadn't seen his aerial practice.

Danny picked himself up, rubbing his face. The carpet hadn't really cushioned his fall. He felt exhausted, like he had just ran a few laps around the park and his stomach rumbled.

He was starving!

"Are you making breakfast?" Danny asked as he fixed his pyjamas, they were blue with rocket ships and stars on them.

"Yeah, you want some?"

"Yep. Can I have three rashers, four sausages and an egg?" He gave her his best puppy dog look.

"What are you? An Olympic swimmer?" Maddie joked as she walked into the kitchen. She paused, looking at the empty plate.

"Did you already eat something Danny?"

"Yeah but it was only something small," he fibbed. He'd made a good hearty breakfast, Danny had a massive appetite. But after the flying and everything, it felt he had not eaten anything at all.

Huh.

The whole family was now up at this stage and Danny had cleared his plate. His stomach seemed content, for the moment. One thing that bothered Danny, was that he had a craving. No matter what he ate or drank, there was this gnawing sensation, a deep utter craving for something.

He looked through the fridge, searched the cupboards.

Nothing he found caught his interest.

Scowling Danny had been in a rotten mood, longing for something that he had no knowledge of.

Jazz yelled goodbye as she went out the door, presumably going to the library, that's how she always spends her Saturday. Danny couldn't imagine being holed up in the library, with only heavy tomes to keep his mind occupied.

They hadn't told her yet.

Danny felt unusually self conscious, the whole incident with getting fried in the portal. (Do not think about, don't think about it!)

Jazz was overbearing, always talking and whining, saying how unhealthy their parent's obsession was with ghosts. Jazz firmly believed that such things didn't exist and Danny hadn't really given it much thought.

He did love her, in a sisterly, brotherly way, but sometimes Jazz was just a little too much. He already had to deal with guilt ridden parents and friends, he honestly did not want to deal with his sister too.

Moping, Danny aimlessly wandered around the house. He was bored, craving like a pregnant woman and feeling distinctly uncertain with life right now. He came to the living room, pausing when he heard something. Poking his head out into the hall, he identified where the sounds were coming from.

Random, strange noises erupted from the lab. The basement door had been left open and Danny could clearly hear his parents working away. He tilted his head slightly. Either they were being really, really loud, or his hearing must have miraculously improved.

Intrigued, Danny sat down at the top of the basement stairs. He could hear the scraping of metal on metal, a tinkering of glass. He crept down the steps and looked around the corner of the staircase.

Maddie was clad in her blue hazmat suit, a metal welding torch in hand. Jack had his arms full to the brim with glass beakers and test tubes. Behind them, swirling green warped and warbled.

The portal.

His heart automatically quickened, his throat closed up. Danny ran. He took the stairs two at a time, sprinting away from the lab.

He hid in his room for a while, berating himself for being so weak. It was only a device, it's not like it could grow legs and run after him. He clenched his fists. Danny was not going to be scared by an inanimate object!

Again he crept down the basement steps, and again he bolted as ice cold fear clawed at his insides. Despite his better judgement, he tried a third time.

And a fourth.

Fifth.

Sixth.

And so on.

This was getting ridiculous he thought to himself, sweating from all of the running. At least his parents hadn't noticed yet, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was called down to the lab for some reason or another.

He picked up his phone, rang the first number that came to mind.

"Danny?" Sam spoke over the line, voice laced with worry and guilt.

"Hey can I come over, or you come over or something like that," Danny mumbled.

"Something wrong?"

"No, well maybe. I don't know," Danny replied honestly. Was flying a problem? Or having solid objects pass through him?

"Kay, I'll come over to you then. I'll get Tucker too," Sam said realising that Danny wasn't going to say anymore.

She hung up and Danny chucked his phone on the bed.

"I'm sorry, I thought you just said that you could fly," Tucker snorted almost spitting Coke everywhere. Danny meagrely sipped at his own can.

"You sure you weren't dreaming?" Sam asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Well I know I wasn't dreaming this morning when a chair passed through me," Danny said nonchalantly.

Sam and Tucker both did spit takes.

"A chair did what?!" Tucker yelled and Danny irritably hushed him.

"Intangibility, like yesterday with the plate," Sam finally responded. She took a long gulp of her Coke, letting out a satisfactory burp afterwards.

"You're like a superhero or something," Tucker breathed, trying to beat Sam's burp. His own was quite pathetic compared to her's.

"Well show us what you can do," Sam finished her drink, tossing the can expertly into the recycling bin. Tucker tried the same thing, but missed the bin by a mile and grumpily got up to retrieve the can, ignoring Sam's smug grin.

Danny smirked at their antics, tossing his own can. He laughed when it hit Tucker in the ass.

"Real cool, Danny," he grumbled.

Danny fist pumped Sam and then got focused on the task at hand. The cold patch blazed like a blizzard in his chest and Danny reached out for it. The rings appeared, enveloping him from head to toe.

He was back to wearing the hazmat suit.

"Whoa, now that's cool," Sam poked him in the chest. "You're ice cold," she added.

"Yeah, I've noticed that when I'm like this, my heart rate and breathing slows right down. It's real freaky," Danny replied. He gathered his attention to the tingle in his bones, the buzz traveling across his skin. He saw himself rising up, feet leaving the floor. Closing his eyes, keeping that mental image in his mind, Danny felt the floor disappear from beneath him.

"Oh my god!" Tucker had lost control of his face muscles it seemed and Danny wondered how many flies he could catch.

Sam stared at him with wonder, and amusement at Tucker's reaction.

"Danny that is so cool. I'm insanely, ridiculously jealous right now," she said with good humor.

"I can even do flips if I concentrate enough," Danny beamed. Maybe being a weird mutated freak wouldn't be too bad after all.

"So have you shown your parents yet?" Tucker asked. Danny's grin slipped off of his face.

"Guess not then," Sam replied dryly "You need to tell them Danny. Come on, we'll help you do it, and make sure you don't back out," her tone suggested no alternatives.

He really did not want to go down to the lab.

Sam grabbed his arm and tugged him along. Danny tried to find his voice.

"Wait! Let's call them up here instead. Eh, they'll be all distracted down in the lab," Danny bullshitted. Sam paused, giving him a look, but yelled for his parents. He gave her a grateful smile.

Two pairs of feet thundered up the stairs and Danny pulled at the warmth before they arrived, he didn't want to scare them.

"Hi Sam," Maddie said brightly. Jack boomed his own greetings.

Tucker and Sam glared at Danny when he didn't say anything. He nervously cleared his throat.

"I want to show you guys something," Danny fidgeted, a hand snaked to the back of his neck. He decided to cut to the chase and pulled at the cold.

His parents lept forward, rushing to him like he had been shot.

"I'm okay!" Danny yelped, jumping away.

"Danny honey, does anything hurt?" Maddie asked the blood rushing from her face. This was not going as planned.

"Look I'm okay, nothing hurts, I'm a-okay. I have this figured out. I can change between… Forms," Danny patted his mother's shoulder gently.

"Forms?" Jack had an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Yeah," Sam stepped in. "Danny can willingly change forms, looks, appearance, whatever you like to call it,"

"Like a superhero costume," Tucker cut in.

"Superhero costume?" Maddie echoed.

"I can kinda, sort of…" Danny faltered and Sam stomped on his toes "Ow! I can fly!" He yelped. Sam gave him an innocent smile and he glared at her.

"I'm sorry what?" Maddie looked gobsmacked.

Danny shrank down. Jack had the weirdest expression on his face, like he was trying to appear shocked but was too excited to keep up the facade.

"Show us!" Jack cried, his enthusiasm encouraging Danny.

Danny let his feet lift off the ground. His parents stared, in shock.

But then Jack smiled in delight, the grin he had could have split stones at its intensity. And beside him, Maddie, ever so slowly, created a small grin of her own.

Yes, Danny decided. This wasn't so bad.

THANKS FOR READING