Chapter 20

Summary:

It's time for a family discussion--and other things. Maddie and Jack try to navigate their way through the after-portal crisis. The first steps start in the lab. Danny is uncomfortable, and Jazz has a crisis.

Notes:

Wow, 2024 already. The best way to start the year off right is to post an update! (So sorry I fell off the face of the earth for 2 months. This chapter fought me hard.) THANK YOU all for helping me hit the 2k kudos mark on this story! I am honored that you guys like it!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The week flew by much faster than Danny wanted it to. Before he knew it, it was Friday night, and the family had all gathered at the dinner table. The conversation over dinner was stilted and awkward. Everyone knew that there was going to be a heavy discussion after the meal was over. While no one was truly "ready" for that, they all knew it had to happen.

Soon enough, the dishes had been put away, and the kitchen cleared. Maddie put on a pot of coffee; having something to sip on would at least add some comfort to the imminent, looming set of hours ahead of the family. While her mother put the food away, Jazz stacked the dishes in the dishwasher. The teen was feeling a bit left out, and she didn't quite understand why. The heaviness in the room could be cut with a knife.

Once everything that could be done—except for the talking—had been done, the family of four sat down and struggled to make eye contact with each other. Danny was the first to find enough courage to speak. "So, uh, Mom, Dad…do you have a plan for the stuff we're going to do this weekend?"

Maddie looked at Jack and then to her son. "We do, honey. Your father and I completed all of our data analysis this morning, and we drew up an outline of the things we need to go over with you." She swallowed and looked at her daughter. "Jazz…" The woman's gaze dropped to the table. "We're going to need to test you as well. I'm sorry, honey, but you were in the house when the portal activated. You might have been affected too."

Jazz jerked in her chair like she had been hit. "WHAT?!" She sucked in a breath to start ranting at her mother, but before she could do more than reopen her mouth, Jack held up his hand.

"Jazzipants, I understand that this is upsetting for you. We apologize for not bringing this up sooner, but we didn't want you to worry unnecessarily." He sighed. "We've spent the last two days checking ecto-radiation levels in the house, and even though the lab is shielded, it appears that we didn't do a good enough job." He looked at his daughter's frightened face; her expression caused his heart to ache. "There are high ecto levels in the kitchen and in the bedrooms above the kitchen. We don't know what that means—for any of us."

"Dad…I sleep over the kitchen. So do you!"

"I'm sorry princess. We'll get this figured out, ok?"

Jazz looked at her parents, face pale and eyes wide. "NO!" She shouted. "It is NOT ok! How could you two be so irresponsible?! You put your stupid dreams ahead of the safety of this family—you almost killed my brother, and now you're trying to tell me that being doused with 'ecto-radiation' is OK?!!"

Jack and Maddie sat heavily in their chairs. Jack visibly swallowed. Maddie stared at the napkin holder on the table as if it held the secrets of the universe. Surprisingly, it was Danny who spoke next.

"Jazz, calm down—please. There was no way for them to know what was going to happen. I wasn't worried either!" He huffed and stared his sister in the eyes. "Whatever happened is already done, and there's nothing that we can do to change that. What matters now, is where we go from here." Danny stared at his sister, begging her to get herself under control. "I understand that this is scary for you. I'm scared out of my mind about the changes I'm going through—but Jazz, we need to stick together. We're all in this now. The only thing we can do is figure everything out as best we can what needs to happen next…" His voice trailed off, and he turned his attention to his parents. "Mom? Dad?"

Maddie cleared her throat and looked up at her children. Slowly, she nodded. "We've spent all week going over everything and making a comprehensive list of all the things we need to do. We also took the time out specifically to develop and install shielding all around the lab and the portal. From what we have gathered so far, the extra shielding is making a difference."

Jack flashed a small smile. "Yeah! The ecto-radiation levels have already gone down by 20%. Pretty sure that within another week or so, they won't be detectable outside of the lab anymore. So, you guys should be alright!" He looked as though he was struggling to believe his own words. "In any case, we're going to get a thorough baseline for you two now, and we're going to keep gathering data as time goes on to measure any changes that happen." Jack looked at his wife. "We'll also figure out a way to deal with the things that have already changed." The enormous man fell silent and seemed to deflate a bit.

"Danny's right, honey. We can't change what has already happened, but we CAN control where we go from here. We need to stick together, alright?" Maddie had perked up during Danny and Jack's reassurances. She looked determined now.

Jazz was still pale, but she no longer looked terrified. She sniffed and wiped her tears on a napkin. "OK." Her voice was small. "What do I need to do?"

Jack stood and put his hand on her shoulder. "First thing first, we need to head down to the lab and get started on those tests. Tonight, we're doing bloodwork and x-rays; the results should be ready by morning, and then we'll have a better idea where to go from there."

Together, the family of four walked downstairs to the basement lab. Jazz visibly flinched when the portal came into her sight and turned her head away. Danny just stared at it, almost mesmerized by its swirl of electric green. Maddie took one look at her children's reactions and hastily walked over to the newly-installed portal shield and slapped the "close" button. She was rather unsettled by the sight of the open doors herself. She really thought that they had been closed when they left the lab…

Jack walked over to the exam table, bringing the medical cart with him. He motioned to Jazz and Danny to sit down. "Alright, kiddos, let's get this show on the road!" The man spoke with an enthusiasm that he did not feel. He had to make his kids as comfortable as they could be. "Mad's" He called. "You about ready?"

Jazz frowned. "I thought you were going to do the blood draws, Dad…"

The big man blew out a hard breath and lifted his hand to run his fingers through his hair. "Well…your mom and I talked about it, and due to some of my symptoms, we felt that it would be better for your mom to handle anything delicate like that." His eyes darted over to look at his wife.

Maddie locked eyes with Jack, then turned to face her children with a slight smile. "Jazz, honey, you have to have noticed how often your father keeps 'dropping' things." She took a calming breath. "We've determined that he's having episodes of what appears to be intangibility in his arms and hands…"

Both Danny and Jazz's eyes went wide with that statement. Maddie continued. "We think it is related to his arms being inside the newly activated portal." She turned towards her son. "Danny, baby, have you noticed anything like that happening to you?"

The teen in question reached up with his hand and began rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't meet his mother's eyes. "You…you could say that." He thought of the nights he fell asleep on top of his bed, and in the morning, found himself on the floor directly under where he first lay down.

"Oh, honey!" Maddie lifted Danny's chin and made him look at her. "It's going to be ok. We're going to figure this thing out, ok?" She turned her head. "Jazz, has anything like that happened to you?"

Jazz shook her head "no" and stared, still wide-eyed, at her brother.

Maddie hummed. "That tracks, actually. I haven't had that problem either, but unlike your father and brother, I didn't have any body parts inside of the activating portal. That seems to be the distinguishing factor with this issue." She turned her eyes back towards her son. "Danny, have you noticed any other symptoms or irregularities?"

The teen swallowed audibly. "Um." It was obvious that the teen didn't want to talk, but Danny sucked in a breath and forced the words out anyway. "Yeah. I…I woke up this morning and I'm pretty sure that I was floating a few inches above my bed…"

Maddie's face went blank for a moment, and she turned towards her husband. "Jack, has anything like that happened with you so far?"

The big man shook his head, and Danny exploded. "Oh stars and planets! I'm turning into a freak!" Danny's voice was high-pitched and almost frantic.

Jack put his gloved hand on his son's shoulder. "No, son. You are not a freak! You have been exposed to an enormous amount of ecto-energy—even more than I have. It's no wonder that you're having more changes than me. It's nothing to be afraid of, but it is something we need to track."

Danny wiped a few errant tears off of his face with the back of his hand. Maddie put her hand on his leg. "It's going to be ok, honey. We promise, don't we Jack?"

The orange-clad man nodded his head firmly. "Yeah, kiddo, we promise. We're going to figure this stuff out. It just might take a little time." He turned and looked at his small family. "Let's get started. The sooner we get some results, the better."

Maddie nodded and grabbed the tubes for the blood draw. It would prove to be a long evening for everyone. Maddie drew the children's blood while Jack set up the x-rays. Danny and Jazz both took their turns in the machine, neither one saying a word. Every now and then Danny would lock his roaming eyes with his sister's. Her dread was evident in her gaze. Guilt flared in the younger teen. After a while, he simply kept his gaze on the floor.

By the time everyone was done with all the tests—including repeat bloodwork and x-rays for Jack, the family was exhausted. They trudged their way back up to the kitchen and flopped into the chairs around the table. Maddie nodded to Jack when he asked about hot chocolate before bed. Danny gulped his down rather quickly, while Jazmine looked almost reluctant to drink hers.

Afterwards, the family wordlessly made their way upstairs to their rooms. Danny flopped face-first onto his bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes. Jazz slammed her door shut. The sound hit Maddie and Jack like thunder. Jack looked at his wife wordlessly.

"She'll be ok, honey." Maddie ran her fingers along Jack's chest. "We all will."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I have to."

Notes:

We are solidly in the middle of Arc 2 for this story! Arc 3 will see a return to the present day in Gotham for all the Bat-action. Stay tuned!

:-)