6:00 am May 14th

Jack was quiet as his eyes gazed over the exhausted teenager across the table. He was tempted to talk to him, to say something encouraging even if it was just that he should eat something. Danny had woken up this early to share breakfast with his father before school, it had been a promise from the previous night when he skipped dinner for another ghost fight. Jack was surprised he'd come in the first place, he knew sleep was probably much more welcoming than eating for the teen.

He couldn't deny that Danny was a good kid because the boy did everything in his power to make sure everyone around him was happy. Jack admired his son for a moment but lost his smile as he saw how weak he looked. He was pale, disheveled, and silent. Conversation had been attempted and failed when all the sixteen year old could come up with was monotonous slurred responses. Something had changed in him, it was written in his eyes.

Those tired blue eyes were locked onto his cell phone right now, instead of eating he was texting furiously back and forth, while flashing incredulous looks at the screen. Jack frowned; Jazz had said Danny and Sam were having problems. The father knew the bold girl well enough to know she was angry at his son for being so careless with his own health.

Mid-text a soft blue mist drifted through the air, freezing the sixteen year old. Jack gave him a sympathetic smile, knowing he was much too tired to do this right now.

"I'm sorry dad..." Danny shot a quick smiled back at his father before pulling himself to his feet and walked hurriedly off. He avoided "going-ghost" in front of his parents at all costs, maybe he knew how uncomfortable it was for them.

Jack set down his coffee and sighed. He'd talk to him about his eating and sleeping habits, when he wasn't so busy. He glanced out the window, birds chirped happily greeting the early morning.

"So much for breakfast," the father sighed.

xxx

7:58 am May 14th

Jazz was nervous, he was late and so was she. Lately he'd been having trouble getting to school on his own, walking that far was grueling for him and flying only attracted more attention. Besides this was the last year she'd be able to spend her time with her brother, next year was college and he'd be far too busy to visit her. She frowned and tapped the wheel anxiously.

Following the events of the Disasteroid Jazz noticed a change in Danny. She'd thought that abandoning his secret identity would make his life easier and so had everyone else. Unfortunately it was becoming worse for him, before Danny Fenton could blend into the background while everyone made a fuss over Phantom but now he couldn't show his face without some attention. He just needed to be left alone.

Then of course his personal life was falling apart. She'd noticed their parents were distant, still loving, but there was a level of understanding he craved that they just couldn't give any longer. He wasn't just their son Danny anymore, he was someone else. Someone they didn't know well or even completely comprehend.

Sam and Tucker were trying but they were in over their heads. No one could stop the media, the fanclubs, the ghosts, and of course the confusion and exhaustion building up inside him. He told her once in passing he didn't know who he was and he was afraid; he never clarified the latter. She tried to comfort him as best she could without smothering him.

Finally Danny came to the door, he opened it and sat beside her. "You okay?"

Dark circles under his eyes indicated he hadn't slept last night, maybe the same ghost had come back. She hadn't known this, but not every ghost had been aware Fenton was also Phantom. As soon as everyone knew his secret it wasn't just people who were down his throat. "Yeah," Danny responded throatily and shook the thermos to show her he'd succeeded.

Jazz pursed her lips, looked at him quickly, and decided they'd talk later because they were late. "Ready to go?"

xxx

1:20 pm May 14th

Maddie knew Danny was swamped, between school, friends, family, and ghosts he hardly had time to breathe. To try and eliminate his workload, she went out every morning till late afternoon to patrol town. Usually she kept her route near the school to deter any paranormal interruptions. She knew he had too much to handle, a boy his age shouldn't have to worry so much about everything, but he did and it wasn't good for him.

Though she couldn't say she was completely on board with the whole half-ghost half-human thing but she was trying to come to peace with it. He needed her support and she'd promised her children she'd love them no matter who or what they were. Danny was the first to put that statement to the test and she was determined to keep her word.

Her tracker blared as it picked up two ectoplasmic signatures a block away from the school. "Oh no you don't," she muttered as she heading down toward the area.

When she got there, she squinted up into the clear blue sky and saw two figures clashing. She was too late, the ghost already made its presence known to Danny. He was always one step ahead of her now, though she guessed he'd been like that for longer than she'd known. He'd had to have been one step ahead of everyone if he maintained a secret identity. To the far left she saw Sam, the girl was leaning against a tree sighing, her eyes cast skyward though it seemed she wasn't really watching the fight.

Maddie put her weapon back in utility belt; neither she nor Jack could aid Danny mid-fight, they could hurt him. Some days she couldn't believe or come to terms with the fact that she had very nearly killed her own son countless times only a half a year ago. She couldn't watch him fight, it frightened her in more ways than one. Casting one look backward she sighed. "Be safe," she whispered but he already knew that.

xxx

12:53 am May 15th

Sam kept calling as the hours passed. Jack had wondered why she was looking for Danny through their home phone until she said it went straight to voicemail. At first he hadn't really been concerned, the boy hardly had any down time he probably didn't get a chance to charge it. But when Sam was calling past twelve and Danny still wasn't home both the parents were more than a little concerned.

Jazz sat cross-legged on the chair facing toward the window that was closest to the front door. If he came home he'd probably come that way. So she sat up, accompanied by her parents, waiting for a familiar figure to land in the street or come walking up the sidewalk. As night pressed on the family was feeling less and less confident in the sixteen year old's abilities. Jazz tried to maintain a positive attitude by telling them of all the stories she could remember. She detailed to them how well he fought, how experienced he was, and just how capable he could be in tight situations. He'd been doing it for so long that he had a wide range of power and practice.

Neither mother nor father completely believed their daughter's semi-inspiring words. In her eyes read doubt, doubt that her little brother was going to come back tonight. "I'm sure he's alright," she said slowly and felt her mother grip her hand. "He probably just stopped at Sam's on his way home, you know to let her know he's okay."

"Of course he might be so tired that he'll just fall asleep there," Jack added and put a hand on Maddie's shoulder. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"I know," Maddie replied gently with a loose smile.

xxx

5:08 am May 15th

When morning cracked through the gaps in the houses in front of their home, the tired family relented their hope. Maddie was the first to go to the phone, and with Jack holding her shoulders she reported her son missing. She wasn't sure what to say exactly, she couldn't remember what he was wearing when he left the house or where he'd last been. He was all over the place half the time. If he wore a sweatshirt it might be off and lost two hours later or if he said he was one place it was very likely he'd be halfway across town fifteen minutes later.

The police asked the family to come down to the station.

Maddie, Jack, and Jazz piled into the Fenton Family RV and made the trip. There the parents were met with a polite officer who dealt with missing children cases often. He introduced himself kindly, shaking Jack's hand and then Maddie's, and then he offered them a seat. He sat after each member had gotten comfortable, folding his hands on his desk Detective Johnson gave them a sympathetic smile.

"Normally, we'd ask you wait twenty four hours before reporting a missing child," he said finally. "But considering the circumstances we're going to ignore that. We are aware of the danger your son is in, so we'd like to start the search as soon as possible." Seeing the parents' faces softening hardened his own; his blue eyes were staring tiredly forward. "I just want you all to understand that you may not like what we find."

"Are you saying that..." Maddie's eyes began to tear up. "...Oh God."

xxx

7:30 am May 15th

Sam and Tucker stared longingly at the police cars that combed the streets as they walked to school. No one had heard from Danny since six o clock last night, Sam had been the last one to talk to him. He had said he'd call her back in an hour but he never even went home. The darkly clad girl paused and watched as the man in a uniform searched the alley, including the dumpster.

She chewed her lower lip as the officer lifted the lid and flashed a flashlight in. Did they really think that he had no chance; the authorities already thought the teenage hero was lost. She tightened her grip on her backpack straps, fighting her urge to shout at the man across the street. She wanted to scream at him for losing hope in someone who had never done that, even on the brink of destruction Danny never lost hope. She envied that about him and even more so now when she too was starting to doubt him.

Tucker noticed her stare and stopped a foot a head of her. "Come on Sam," he called softly.

"Tucker," she responded softly without looking at him, "do you think-"

"No, I don't. He's gonna turn up, for all we know he's in the Ghost Zone on his way home." Tucker nodded, thinking he liked that idea because it was plausible. "Yeah, he's probably coming back right now so he doesn't miss out on another one of Lancer's lectures."

Sam looked to her friend and saw his unwavering smile, she smiled back. He was right, Danny was probably just fine like he always was. She entertained herself with thoughts of him returning covered in some ectoplasmic goop and him, with his boyish smile, awkwardly asking if either of them could help him clean up. "You're right Tuck, he always comes back."

xxx

2:12 pm May 15th

Jazz's car was outside of the school when Tucker and Sam walked down the steps. She was waiting, probably for them, since Danny had not attended any of his classes today. They flashed each other a look and walked warily toward the idling vehicle. Seeing them, she honked her horn and beckoned for them to come over; they did.

"What's going on Jazz?" Tucker asked bravely as he leaned toward the open window.

"Have you guys heard anything from Danny yet?" she questioned softly.

Sam's gut recoiled and she bit her lip as she moved toward the window. "You mean you haven't?"

Jazz shook her head. "No one has. I just don't know where he'd be."

"He's probably fine Jazz, some ghosts are just more persistent then others." Tucker looked between the two glassy eyed girls. "Right?" he urged and elbowed Sam.

Slack-jawed in a wordless stupor, Sam nodded slowly in agreement. That didn't quell the way her mind was reeling, she knew something was wrong, they'd have at least seen him once; unless, of course, something went wrong. Her thoughts were running rampant with panic, if something did happen they had no idea where to look or how to get to him. If something was wrong there was no way for him to let them know. She nearly snapped right then in there because she didn't know where Danny was, she didn't even have an idea. As Jazz drove away Sam told herself to accept that he might never turn up.

xxx

6:30 pm May 15th

"It's been officially an entire day since anyone has heard from him," Maddie stated blankly as her family sat at the dinner table. No one was eating, not even Jack, they just didn't have the motivation. What was the point if someone they loved was missing, it just seemed indulgent.

"Don't do that Mads," Jack softly relented.

"Well why not Jack? Our boy is out there somewhere and we don't know where. He could be-"

"Maddie," Jack cut in sharply. "Don't."

"No, let's be realistic," she snapped sardonically, her face contorting with a sort of vicious grief. "We all know what he does out there, let's not pretend like he's taking his time. Why else wouldn't he come home?"

"Danny's coming home, if he doesn't on his own, we'll find him," Jack returned angrily, clenching his fists and glaring at his near hysterical wife. "I don't want to hear anyone in this family give up on him. Not now not ever."

"Oh come off it Jack," Maddie returned.

"Maddie I swear-"

"Would you both just shut up!" Both parents looked to their daughter who had slammed her fists on the table. Their faces softened as they realized she was right in the middle of their fight. A fight she probably didn't want to hear and they probably shouldn't be having.

"I'm sorry," Maddie said quietly and sat down. "I just don't know..."

"Me too," Jack responded. "I know this is hard on everyone. We need to get through this together, as a family."

xxx

12:43 am May 16th

Jazz was sitting up in her room, her finger tracing a figure in a framed photograph. "Jazzerincess," a soft voice called, "you should get some sleep." She looked up to see her father standing in her doorway, leaning against the frame. She used her palm to wipe a stray tear away from her eye.

"I-I can't sleep."

Jack walked toward her and sat beside her on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her and gingerly took the photograph from her. "Sweetie, if you want to cry you can," he said. She blinked back her tears for a second as she processed his words. She'd been expecting him to say what they'd been saying to each other all day.

"I just...I just want to believe he's okay," she explained and folded a piece of her orange hair behind her ear. "But I can't do it, every time I close my eyes I can't help but think h-he's hurt or...worse. Dad I d-don't believe in h-him..." Then it happened Jazz started cry and Jack pulled her into a hug.

"I know how you feel," he sighed and rubbed her back. "Whatever has happened, no matter how terrible, we have to be strong." He knew it was easier said then done. He knew that when he actually found out the truth that he'd be destroyed and he knew this would take some time. But he wanted his daughter and wife to keep their heads up, for no one else but themselves. He realized maintaining a positive attitude wasn't going to bring Danny home any faster but it was going to keep them sane.

Jazz sniffed weakly. "This can't be happening..."

xxx

2:26 am May 16th

The streets were dead and empty. Occasionally a police cruiser drifted by slowly in the area near FentonWorks. The moon was bright, shining with enough energy to illuminate the streets. In the quiet of the night footsteps echoed in an unsteady rhythm down the street. One step, stumble, step, step, pause, step, stumble step. Heavy breathing accompanied the footsteps and was just as hesitant and uneven.

The person making the noise was unaware that his presence was so announced. He was focused on one thing and one thing only, he had to get home; somehow. Doing so was an arduous task that was becoming more and more difficult the longer he continued. He struggled with standing upright and keeping his weighted feet moving forward. Occasionally his vision came in and out of focus, threatening to dispel his consciousness completely. He couldn't remember where he'd been or what had happened but he did know he wanted to be home.

His hand was clamped tightly over his abdomen but he'd forgotten why; he just sensed he shouldn't let go. Struggling against a burning sensation, he numbly forced the incredibly heavy door open, his hands reaching for something to grasp as he stumbled in. Finally his foot caught on an imaginary crack and he fell forward with a heavy thud.

From the floor he could hear a clock ticking faintly in the distance. His eyes stopped focusing, he outstretched his hand as if he could reach for something that could pull him from the engulfing darkness. Nothing reached back, the clock just ticked on. Tick, tick, tick...

xxx

6:00 am May 16th

Maddie was the first out of bed and as she walked down the hallway in her robe. She shivered and immediately noted the chill in the house. Crinkling her nose, she observed that traffic sounded louder this morning, more so than usual. Naturally inquisitive, the auburn haired women began to creak carefully down the stairs.

She could see that the door was wide open. Struck with a sudden fear she raced back up the stairs and into her room. "Jack," she called hurriedly. He groaned and turned over, having gotten little to no sleep. "Jack, the front door is open."

"What?" Jack asked, one eye snapping open. "Go check on Jazz."

Maddie's eyes widened and she tightened her lips. Quickly the mother rushed over to her daughter's room to find that no late night intruder had entered the room or disturbed the girl. But her opening the door in haste had. "Mom? What's the matter?" the girl asked in a haze, having just been jolted out of sleep.

"The front door is open," Maddie answered and realized that sounded incredibly strange.

Jazz sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Well, who opened it?" she yawned.

Maddie shrugged and Jack appeared behind her, sighing with relief. "I'm going to go down there and see if anything was taken."

"I'm coming with you," Maddie urged and gripped his arm.

Jazz got up too and together the three cautiously made their way down the stairs. Nearly a few stairs down Jack halted, causing his daughter to bump into him. Maddie peered over his shoulder in confusion and immediately screamed. Both parents broke from their shock and stumbled down the remaining steps in a hurry only to reveal the sight Jazz had been too short to see.

Lying face down in the doorway on the floor was her little brother Danny. Beneath him was a pool of blood that was soaking deep into the carpet fibers. They hadn't heard him come in and they didn't know how long he'd been lying there. Her father gently turned him over onto his back and both mother and father hissed at the blood stained along his front. He looked so pale and so lifeless to Jazz that she could barely breathe. She didn't know if he was alive and she was afraid to ask; she gripped the railing.

Jack ran his fingers lightly across his son's bloodied abdomen and looked up at the blank faced mother. This didn't make sense to him, his son was a ghost fighter but this wasn't the product of a ghost. "He's been shot..."

That's all she wrote. And now some statistics: "Every day, more than 80 Americans die from gun violence." (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence) "American kids are 16 times more likely to be murdered with a gun, 11 times more likely to commit suicide with a gun, and nine times more likely to die from a firearm accident than children in 25 other industrialized countries combined." (Centers for Disease Control) "In one year, more children and teens died from gunfire than from cancer, pneumonia, influenza, asthma, and HIV/AIDS combined." (Children's Defense Fund)