Opera Cake

Harmony

[Danny and Elsa through the eyes of Maddie...]

~

Maddie watched as Danny was surrounded by Iduna's book club friends. Apparently he became famous with them because of a book recommendation he did. Nearby was Elsa, shaking her head. He easily avoided being 'perused' by the curious women, shifting slightly and moving away, making sure that they could not hold purchase of him. A jarring reminder that her once physically affectionate boy had been abused so violently it erased a part of him from himself.

Elsa called out, "I'm going to check on the cookies,"

Danny quickly chased after her when she moved out of the sun room. When she excused herself to refresh the tea, Maddie found herself at the kitchen's door, watching as Danny helped Elsa without being asked. Making sure she didn't burn herself or hit herself. Handing napkins when she soiled her hand. It was all very sweet...until they saw the glow of his eyes behind his shades.

He was functioning through his Obsession.

He used to be like this with them. He used to go around the house during his cleaning day and making sure that any hazardous equipment was properly stashed away. He used to help Jazz when she needed to move heavy objects even when she could have done it herself. Maddie used to call him her Little Knight back before the breakthrough with the Ghost Zone possessed her. He used to follow Jack around, helping him fix things together or break things apart, causing them to praise him as their future inventor.

He was their Little Gentleman.

But now? Now this side of him only appeared around Elsa.

Oh. Danny can be charming, just like with Iduna's friends. Even the most annoying woman Gothel was charmed by him. He seemed to be able to go along with any topic they talked about, although for some reason he behaved like Jack when he was being absentminded. It brought out their motherly nature. Such a dangerous combination. And now they were putties in his hands.

But he wasn't sincere. Every words, every moves, they were all calculated to best get past their defenses. It was eerily too much like Vlad. But while Vlad could not exactly hide his arrogance and his vindictiveness, Danny was smooth. He was the perfect image of an attentive polite young man with a few silly quirks that made him oh so endearing. The ladies made sure stress on this when he wasn't around.

It wasn't him.

This was a caricature of what he wanted them to see. What they wanted from him.

Even with them, he behaved as he once did. He acted the part of Danny Fenton and they would almost always be lulled into a false sense of their old normalcy. Until certain topics came up and the cold, cruel man he grew up to be peeked out from behind the mask he put on. Reminding them and breaking the illusion that he wasn't the same boy they knew or grew up with. He had been shattered and put together like Humpty Dumpty; pieces all in place but never the same.

But with Elsa, he was...himself.

He was sweet, he was silly, he was earnest, and he was hopelessly in love. He followed her around like a puppy, all bushy tailed and bright eyed. He helped her with plating the cookies Maddie knew he helped made for her. She smiled as he stole a cookie and was caught by Elsa, causing her to pinch his nose for the mischief.

All this ran through her mind within seconds as she stepped into the kitchen, "Elsa, do you know where the maid put that new tea your Mother was telling her friends?"

Elsa looked around, "Wait a moment. Ah...it should be around here..."

Maddie set up the tea for the new brew, watching as Danny watched Elsa. It was moments like this that reminded her that her son was more ghost than man. The odd stillness of everything and the way he tracked her every movement with his eyes alone. It was creepy. It made the fine hair on her neck stood on end.

Elsa smiled, "Here!"

Maddie thanked the girl, "She have been talking about this brew and I thought that perhaps she wanted to share this with the girls," She hoped she read Iduna right. She had not thought that being someone's secretary can be challenging. When they said that a good secretary knew everything before being told, she thought that they were exaggerating. Turned out they weren't.

Elsa shook her head, "She didn't really mind whether you catch her intention or not. But if you do, it's all the better. She knew her friends can be...picky. They liked you more than her last one. Which is a plus!"

Maddie have heard about the last one, "Oh, yes. They certainly admitted that I am much more patient than your Mother's last shadow,"

She took the tray of tea back to the sun room, watching with interest as Iduna let the women around her gossip about all the things that would never show up in social media or the tabloid. Things that only those in her circle would know. It somehow entertained Maddie. If they forgot about her presence, they will spill more. So Maddie learned to be as quiet as a phantom...pun intended as they, too, often forgot about Danny being in the room until they turned to him and realized that he was there being a good boy, reading the book that they were supposed to be discussing.

It was hilarious.

She picked the strategy from him, after all.

It always boggled her mind how her son somehow managed to be part Batman, part Constantine, part James Bond, part Jason Bourne, and part Italian Godfather. He played all the necessary roles smoothly and perfectly. But this was his life, his reality. He wasn't a teenage Hero and he wasn't a super villain. The more she studied her son in her free time, the more she realized that he was as complex as anyone can get with his past and his secrets. And inside this room, none of Iduna's guest know about the most interesting person in the room that would put their heroes in their books to shame.

Which was why it made Elsa stood out more in her eyes.

The girl was the complete opposite to her son. She was different from the typical girls preferred in a book. She didn't think herself ugly but she knew she was flawed as human being. She knew who she wanted to be with and she chose to be with Danny come hell or high water. She didn't want to fight his war for him and she didn't want to hurt him. But she was far from a damsel in distress because Maddie have seen her training herself to be able to stand on her own two feet, even if it was to buy time for Danny to get to her because she wasn't perfect. She didn't aspire to be perfect. Her aspiration was pretty normal by the world's standard; save the planet and create clean energy to save the planet. She wasn't 'interesting' or 'exciting' but she was 'special'. The most unique things about her were her unintended involvement with Danny's life choices and her connection to the Great Spirit Ahtohallan. Otherwise, in every way, Elsa was as normal as one can get with magic involved.

So whenever Maddie saw the two being together; either giggling together in the 'fun room' before a movie, sparring to get Elsa's skill in a fight up to date with Danny's, making a winter wonderland mess in the garden, or simply being in the same room...it was mind boggling. Because her son was as complicated as they came and Elsa was normal with a side of magic. And perhaps her normalcy made him feel normal too.

Somehow, they ended up falling for each other.

Somehow, they made it work together.

Like watching sunlight dapples on the forest floor. Shadow and light dancing together in complete harmony despite the clear border between them.

It was...beautiful to witness...