AN: Hi folks sorry about the very long wait for an update but I had a few problems writing this chapter. I blame my lack of motivation, inspiration, and laziness it was always a combo of those that never let me write. : Anyway this chapter will be short and there is a reason for that but I will explain at the bottom of the chapter as to why. So please if you like this story read the bottom notes.

Chapter 8: Healing Wounds

Danny held Danielle tightly as she sobbed into his shirt as she mumbled numerous apologizes that he could barely understand. Both halfas stood in that position for a while until Dani calmed down and stopped crying only letting out the occasional hiccup. Danny slowly led her to the bed where both sat down still holding on to each other as Dani took comfort at being held figuring Danny wasn't going to kick her out since he hadn't yelled at her, but she still felt afraid of what he would do.

"Dani I'm not going to kick you out so get that idea out of your head right now." Danny ordered as he slowly started to pat her head to calm and relax her just like his mom did to him when he was little. Cause though Danielle looked like a 12 year old in reality she was only a year or so old. "You should also know that no matter what trouble you cause, intentional or not, you're not going to make me not want you anymore. You are my daughter. I love you no matter what you silly brat." He then kissed on her head as she took in what he said.

"…..D-do you r-really m-mean that?" she stuttered gripping onto Danny even more as to make sure this was really happening.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Y-You m-must be thinking I-I'm being si-silly crying like this over something so stupid." Dani hiccupped wiping away her tears as she gave a teary smile. Danny held her closer as he continued to pat her head. "No I don't think it's silly. In fact it's something I expected though not this soon and not because of what happened at school."

"You expected me to breakdown crying cause of a fight at your school?" Dani asked a bit surprised and indignant because she thought he was implying she was a crybaby and weak. "NO! No nothing like that! See…uh how do I explain this?" 'Damn It, this parenting is hard to do!'

"Ok you should realize this is something I learned from Jazz's books on psychology- don't look at me I was bored that day figured I might as well try them!" Danielle continued to give him a disbelieving look, though she reeaally wanted to burst out into giggles. "Anyways basically it talked about how someone (a kid specifically) would be like if not raised in a stable loving environment and instead one that was…ah…hmm not…so loving…" Danny tried to explain since he figured Dani wouldn't like if he said abusive she didn't like to be seen as weak no matter if it did describe somewhat how Vlad was to her but Dani already knew what he was implying and bristled at the thought.

"I wasn't in an abusive environment!" she argued

"That's what you might think but you have to face the facts that you were Danielle!" Danny snapped before he sighed "Listen- No let me talk first! Dani there are different kinds of abuse not just physical, him trying to melt you down and sending those vultures to attack you does count as physical abuse but he didn't use it as much as the emotional kind on you."

"How can you be emotionally abused?" Dani questioned because although she still didn't think she was abused, she was curious on what counted as abuse.

"You have to understand Dani that emotional abuse is very hard to recognize most people that have it happen to them don't really realize it. They think its ok considering that it doesn't sound as bad as the physical kind since it doesn't leave scars on the body but it does leave scars, emotional ones, which are worst since they stay with you for the rest of your life and affect how you are with other people. Abusers use humiliation, degradation, judging, criticizing on the person they abuse to make that person think their feelings & opinions are 'wrong' and regularly ridicule, dismiss, disregard their opinions, thoughts, and feelings. Their also very dominating and tend to try to control and shame their victim to make them less likely to fight back is this starting to sound familiar?"

Dani looked down her eyes burning with sensation of tears that want to fall but she stubbornly held them back gripping Danny's shirt tightly and burying her face into it. She wanted to deny it, say it wasn't true, but it was she couldn't refute it no matter how much she hated that it was true and she couldn't change it.

"What do I d-do then? I-I admit that I might have been….abused." 'Wow wasn't that hard to admit.' "But that doesn't make me weak and I don't want your pity for it!" Dani retorted glaring at him daring him to try it and see what happens.

"No Dani I'm not going to pity you. It wouldn't do you any good and I wouldn't like it myself if what happened to you happened to me and all I got was pity, but I can sympathize with you. I know I can't make you talk about what Vlad did to you when you were with him but know that I will be here to listen and not judge you. That you can let go and not bottle everything up around me that you don't have to be strong in front of me." Danny assured her.

Dani teared up at having someone say they would be there for her and not leave her for not being what they wanted, for not abandon her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth trying to pour all her joy, happiness, and gratitude in that single gesture and to convey what it meant to her that he really truly wanted her. They held each other for trying to savor the moment but jumped when the front door banged open to let in a worried and annoyed Jazz that was not happy about what happened at school involving to troublesome half ghosts. Both Phantoms looked at each other for a moment before bolting out the room to meet the mad red head and at least try to explain the situation before she exploded on them.

"DANNY! WHAT HAPPENED FOR YOU TO GET IN FIGHT AT SCHOOL AND IN YOUR HUMAN FORM NO LESS!?" The older Fenton sibling shrieked.

"Hi Jazz welcome home take a seat in the kitchen I'm getting some fudge and chocolate milk for Ellie here before we explain what caused that fight." Danny quickly suggested as he pushed his sister into the kitchen with Dani following behind them.

That caused Jazz to pause in her fuming as she knew that the fudge and chocolate milk combo equaled to bad/stressful day it was their comfort food that they had while trying to relax. Jazz looked at Danny giving him a questioning stare with him nodding at Dani who was digging into the fudge Danny gave her while chugging down the chocolate milk since she found them delicious.

"My god these are awesome! They taste wonderful. Oh daddy can I have some more please~" Dani pleaded attacking Danny with the dreaded puppy dog eyes technique.

"Ok, ok you can have seconds but no more after this. These are special foods for special occasions we don't want you getting hyper by eating more." Danny warned giving her some more this time she ate it more slowly try to savor the flavor. Sitting down he faced his sister, who had only watched they're interaction quietly with a small soft smile on her face. Noticing she had his attention she waited for his explanation for the incident that happened at school and hoping he had a good reason for it.

It only took a few minutes to fill in Jazz on what happened at the school. Dani not wanting to be there went to go play some of Danny's videogames while they talked. Afterword Jazz sat there with a look of thoughtfulness on her face for a while before it turned serious when she looked back to her brother.

"Fine you're off the hook for the fight but you do know that Mr. Lancer will have to tell Mom and Dad about this right so you won't be getting off that easy even if you tell them you were only protecting Danielle."

Danny grimaced for a bit before he shrugged as he had already resigned himself to being grounded for it. "Yeah I know and I honestly don't care if they ground me or not so long as Dani is ok it's all good." Jazz nodded happy to see how Danny was changing and becoming more mature.

"So how has Danielle been adjusting so far?" Jazz asked "Considering she went from living on the streets to here she must be getting a bit restless."

"Well so far she's fine. That fight at school caused a bit of a hiccup but I was able to smooth that over so it's ok for now." Jazz sent him a questioning look about that so called 'hiccup'. "Don't worry it was just something concerning Vlad and what he did to her and no I can't tell you about it. I'll be violating Dani's trust and privacy if I did so ask her yourself if you really want to know."

"Ok I won't ask I trust you to take care of that and if you need help you know you can ask me anytime."

"Thanks Jazz that means a lot." Danny gave her a grateful smile.

"No problem little brother."

Again to those who like this story I'm sorry I haven't update in so long and when I did it was such a short chapter I have reasons for that not very good ones but still. Ok so recently I went through my plot bunny folder where I put all my ideas that I get for numerous fanfics that I might or might not write and while I was looking through them I counted them all. I have 78, SEVENTY EIGHT, ideas all spread out from different fandoms and crossovers. Some I have developed them quite well and others are just a paragraph long description but either way I have A LOT of bunnies there just waiting for me to give them some attention which is why I haven't been writing much they keep having my muse jump from one to another never staying long on one to let me write it out. Frankly I'm tempted to see if anyone would adopt a few so that I won't have to write them myself but then again I really REALLY want to write them too cause it won't be the same if someone else did it. :' Anyway back to this fanfic considering how often my muse tends to skip around on which idea to write I have unfortunately have forgotten what I had planned for this story so I am going to rewrite it and this time writing out a vague plotline before I write to make sure not to forget it again.

Oh and one more thing I have decided to make a personal blog for my fanfiction on tumblr that I will post my plot bunnies to see which ones are popular and what ideas everyone has on them that you can submit to me. Although I have it password protected so only those that actually like my stories would be willing to see it. Figured those that just like to flame or insult my fanfic ideas would find it too troublesome to go on it. The password and name of the blog is on my profile I'm also going to post any drawings I make based of my fanfics on there too so any fanart for my stories are welcomed there. :D Thanks for reading this long Author note.