Hypothetically

[A/N]: Hey! Midnight Glider here. If you see any grammatical errors please let me know as I don't have a beta reader. This is just a one shot, but I'd be really grateful if you could leave a review? :)

Ever noticed how Jack tests his weaponry only on Danny and not Jazz? Plus, when he's fighting ghosts he always seems to target them quite accurately but when he comes to Phantom he conveniently misses…Meh, it might just be me over thinking things…

Danny nervously peeked round the corner in to the lab, the cold tiled floor reflected the lights, making it appear shiny and the walls were a dull grey with a tint of green from the ghost portal which was humming gently in the background. Two figures stood at a table wearing their distinctly colored jumpsuits, their heads were bowed over their latest invention. His parents were busy welding various pieces of machinery together to create another one of their deadly destructive weapons. Danny analyzed the situation. It had now been a year since he received his ghost powers, the rate of which he mastered them were uncanny. He always wondered what it would be like if his parents knew about his secret, would they accept him? Would they reject him? But there were always more pressing matters at hand and he gladly pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. However they had once again resurfaced, only this time he decided enough was enough. If it all went well perhaps he would have the courage to reveal his secret to his parents. He was tired of running away, the countless sleepless nights he had endured and having to put up with his parents inventions constantly targeting him.

Danny realized that his plan could backfire on him at any moment. So he decided to play dumb and the only person that this could go successfully with was Jack. He planned on casually asking him a few questions, hopefully Jack would not find this too suspicious, the outcome of this enquiry would be totally dependent on his reaction. Finally he gathered his courage to ask his parents, or rather his father, what would they do if he hypothetically was a ghost? His mother, no doubt, would be cautious, she would ask never ending questions and Danny was afraid that it would end in disaster. She would probably come out with both guns blazing. Jack however was oblivious to most things, to some he was a 'blundering idiot', fortunately he is brutally honest.

Danny took a deep breath and placed one foot into the lab. Suddenly his mother stopped working, and his father raised the weapon high in the air as if it were a priceless trophy.

"It's finished!" He announced proudly.

Danny winced, all his limbs froze and he instantly regretted walking into the lab that morning. Maddie placed a soft kiss on Jack's cheek and encased him in a warm hug before turning to leave the lab. She noticed Danny, who was still lurking in the stairwell leading to the lab.

"Hi sweetie! I'm just going to the shops to get some more fudge for your father." She lovingly stroked Danny's hair and beamed.

Perfect! Danny thought, now that mom was gone he could talk to Jack alone…with his new weapon. He shuddered.

He calmly walked towards his father, ignoring the strong instinct to run away and back into the furthest corner of the room. After placing one foot after the other he found himself stood silently behind Jack.

"H-Hey Dad?" Danny stuttered in a mouse like voice.

Jack was making little tweaks to his weapon, not noticing that his son was calling for attention. Danny took a deep breath.

"Dad?"

Finally, he whirled around to face Danny. His face was hidden from view, hiding behind a big metal mask that shadowed his expression.

"Danny! You're just in time to test out our new weapon!" Jack put on of his huge arms around Danny's shoulder, pulling him in to a suffocating hug.

"Actually...C-could I ask you something?" Danny reverted back to his timid state. Jack disappointedly retracted his arm.

"So, Danny boy, what do you want to talk about?" Jack shrugged and removed the mask from his face. Danny thought about this carefully. He mentally kicked himself because he didn't even think about how he was going to attempt at even starting this awkward conversation.

"W-well…you see…" Danny babbled not sure of how to start. He sucked in another deep breath, it was now or never.

"What would you do if I was a ghost? Hypothetically of course!" Danny blurted, he deliberately avoided looking his father in the eyes, afraid that he would be able to sense something. Jack juggled his new weapon that he almost dropped from surprise, his eyebrow knitted together and he paused to think, thoughtfully scratching his chin before answering.

"Well if hypothetically speaking you were a full ghost then all of your humanity would have been vaporized and I'd have to take you apart molecule by molecule to prevent you from harming any others, because we all know ghosts are evil." His expression darkened, not liking where this was going. Jack couldn't even fathom the possibility of one day having to hunt his son as prey and slowly destroying Danny's imprint on the world.

"You can't possibly be a full ghost otherwise I would have noticed by now!" He chuckled, concluding this matter on a lighter note. He jokily slapped Danny on the back with a hearty laugh, but it was abruptly stopped as he glanced at his son's serious expression. Jack cleared his throat.

"What about a half ghost? They would be half human though?" Danny inquired.

"Danny, half ghosts don't exist…" Jack's eyebrows rose incredulously.

"Oh okay then. But, hypothetically, what if it was possible?" Danny was pushing this matter further; he did not want to leave the lab without an honest answer from his father.

"They would have a human half but the conditions for this would have to be perfect and that is impossible. Even if it did happen, the ghost half will slowly take over the human side because there is a high chance of the ectoplasm and blood imbalance."

"Would you keep it a secret if I was a half ghost?"

Jack laughed. "If you were a full ghost Danny, I don't know what I would do. Ghosts are evil and have no emotions, you wouldn't be you anymore…you wouldn't be my son…" Jack trailed off noticing that Danny visibly winced and there was a flash of hurt that crossed his face before he hid it by glumly looking at the floor. Jack continued his little rant.

"But keeping it a secret? You want me to keep Maddie and Jazz in the dark about this? I might as well, oh I don't know, hypothetically I would let you continue to live under my roof and let you continue to be my son, hypothetically of course, and still go out on father son trips acting as if I was completely oblivious as to what you were and carry on as if nothing was wrong, not to mention ignore all the times you've slipped out unnoticed to fight ghosts, hypothetically speaking."

Danny blinked. An electrifying chill ran down his back, it felt as if his father was on to him. That he already knew the situation that he was in. Just to be sure, Danny decided to play dumb and lightly brush it off his shoulders.

"Er, okay then. Well it's a good job I'm not a full ghost then." Danny nervously chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm just half" He whispered this last part as he was casually walking out of the basement with a smirk…

THE END

Midnight Glider

19/06/12

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