Real -Chapter 11
Summary:
While hiding from his parents in Gotham, an ill-timed encounter with his neighbor, Jason, has Danny pretending to be his own twin. Fortunately for Danny, the more he pretends the easier it gets. Until he is not pretending at all. Or: Danny names a duplicate and via ghost logic, said duplicate ends up becoming real.
First->Previous
Also on AO3
“Great One!” Frostbite loudly greets as soon as he spots the pair of twins down the hallway. “I was just coming to find you!” The yeti jogs towards them. “And you must be the new mirror born. Jamie?”
“Yes.” The clone boy offers a smile. “It’s nice to meet-“ He squeaks, cutting himself off as Frostbite picks him up under his arms.
“It is wonderful to meet you as well. Come, let me have a look at you!”
“That’s umm…” Jamie blinks.
And Danny laughs. Held up proudly above Frostbite’s head, his little brother looks like a stunned baby Simba presented to his kingdom at the beginning of the Lion King.
After a long moment, Frostbite gives an approving hum. “Very good.”
Jamie blushes at the praise. “Umm… Are you going to…” He trails off, another perplexed blink as Frostbite does not let him go. Instead, the hold shifts, furry arms cradling the boy against large ghost’s chests. “Oh. Okay then.”
“You are staying put then?” Frostbite laughs. “Good cub.”
“Hey!” Jamie protests, pointing at the still chuckling Danny. “Tell him I’m not a cub.”
“It’s not going to do any good.” The older boy holds up his hands innocently. “Anyone under one hundred is a cub to him.”
“Very right!” The yeti cheers. “Now, I believe two cubs are in need of medical checkups.”
“That doesn’t mean you need to carry me.” Jamie huffs. Still, he makes so effort to escape, instead relaxing into the hold like a contented toddler.
“That is why we’re here.” Danny sighs, sobering. “Jamie’s been having some stability issues, kinda like Ellie. It’s…” He bites his lip. “We’ll explain more once we get there.”
A few quick turns down various hallways and the three find themselves in the Far Frozen’s medical facility. Frostbite puts Jamie down on one of the padded examination beds and for the third time that day, Danny explains his twin’s origin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Incredible.” After the story, more than a hint of awe trembles Frostbite’s voice. “Stupendiously incredible, Great One. Your tales never cease to amaze me.”
Danny frowns. “So I’m guessing you’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Never.” The yeti shakes his head. “Although… ghosts can twin very early in develop, much like a human embryo. And even in rare instances of asexual reproduction, the offspring of course begins existence in an infantile state.” He taps his chin. “There are ghosts which prefer to exist as multiple physical forms, through the use of duplication, though they always remain as one entity despite inhabiting more than one body.”
“None of that explains me.” Jamie cuts in. “Or why my core won’t solidify.”
Frostbite’s contemplative gaze softens. “No, it does not, Little One.” He reaches out, one paw swallowing the boy’s smaller arm. “Let us give you a full medical examination, then. There are a few assessments we can attempt.”
The clone boy gives a nod. And the exam begins.
The next hour passes with a myriad of tests. From those reminiscent of a typical doctor’s visits: looking in the ears, nose, and throat with a light, listening to the heart and lung with a stethoscope, measuring temperature. To the more specialized: collecting samples of hair, ectoplasm, and saliva in both forms, scans of the head and chest with a machine that looked like an x-ray but produced detailed pictures like an MRI. To more ghostly assessments: energy readings, tests of basic ghost powers, a detailed scan of Jamie’s forming core.
With furrowed brows, Frostbite peruses the results. “These results are…. Puzzling.”
Danny swallows, trading a worried look with his brother. “That sounds bad.”
“Not necessarily.” The yeti hums thoughtfully. “By all accounts, you appear healthy, young Jamie. Your energy levels are strong. Your powers are stable. Your physical form is well developed and incredibly detailed, much more than any duplicate would be able to achieve.”
“Oh. That’s good then.” The clone boy bits his lip, his nerves still obvious even if Danny wasn’t distantly feeling them.
“Yes.” Frostbite nods. “In fact, the function and placement of your organs in your human form matches what I would expect in a halfa, given previous observations of your brother. Even if your body appears to be mostly ectoplasmic.”
“Only mostly?” Jamie asks
“There is perhaps ten percent ‘real world material.’” The ghost gave the words air quotes. “Some of which does appear to be human cells.”
“So I am part human.” A shy hope enters Jamie’s voice. “Not a just full ghost.”
“Indeed.” Frostbite agrees, a comforting smile. “And that humanity appears healthy and in good harmony with the ghostly part of yourself. Although…” The hint of a worried frown. “The state of your core, or rather lack of one, does remain troubling.”
“Lack of one…” Danny asks. “Does Jamie not even have a core forming then?”
“It is very perplexing.” The yeti sighs. “Normally, the core is the part of a ghost which forms first. The soul imprints on ectoplasm, forming a solidly defined sphere. The rest of the body is built around this core.”
“But…” The clone boy’s brow furrows. “My body existed before I had my soul.”
Frostbite nodded. “I would expect, then, for your core to have formed in that the moment, as your soul first came into contact with your ectoplasm.”
“But that didn’t happen.” Danny frowns. “Is that because he started out as my duplicate?”
“Perhaps.” Frostbite taps his chin, a thoughtful hum. “The ectoplasm, already defined by the Great One, resisted becoming part of another ghost. That would explain the continued interdependence after Jamie’s soul manifest.”
“You mean why my body was still a duplicate, even if I had my own soul and mind?” Jamie tilts his head. “But we managed to separate.” He pats a hand over his chest. “This is my own body now, completely mine.”
“Even still, your core does not form.” Frostbite’s brow furrows. “Although perhaps it is in fact more accurate to say it has not yet solidified.”
“What do you mean?” A cautious hope rings in Jamie’s voice.
“There is structure in the center of your chest, although I would say it more resembles that which is seen in soul-less ghosts.”
Jamie blinks. “There are soul-less ghosts?”
“Plants and animals.” Frostbite explains. “Their ghosts are imprinted from the electrical and chemical processes of life, not the metaphysical power of a mortal soul.”
“So I’m a plant?” The clone boy’s nose wrinkles.
“No.” The yeti laughs. “The resemblance is in internal fluidity. The central ectoplasm flows and circulates freely. Like…. What is word…” He shapes his clawed fingers, an effort to remember. “Ah yes a lake. A large, fixed body of water surrounded by land. Sometimes the waters are still, at other times chaotic.”
“Yeah. Okay. We’ve both felt that.” Danny says.
The yeti nods. “For plant and animal ghosts, the waves and currents of this lake may shift and change but the water always remains in liquid state. But you, Jamie...” Frostbite turns slightly, tapping on a sleet on ice on the wall behind him. A few deft swipes of his claws and an image appear. “Within your central pond, there are sections that are different.” A uniform expanse of icy blue, interspersed with tiny translucent white shapes. The yeti tapes on one. “Sections of forming ice.”
“So it is solidifying.” Jamie’s eyes widen with surprise. “I thought it maybe was but…” He trails off, uncertain.
“But?” Concern rounds Danny’s eyes.
“Nothing.” The clone boy shakes his head. “What do we need to do to get it to solidify all the way?”
A pit in the older half ghost’s stomach says that it’s not ‘nothing.’ But any line of questioning trails off as Frostbite continues.
“I do not know for certain.” The yeti frowns. “Perhaps you simply need more time. A pond left still and undisturbed will freeze over given time, if the temperature is low enough.”
“That’s it? More time? But…” An unsure pause has Jamie worrying his lip. “What if the temperature isn’t low enough? How do…” He swallows. “How do we know more waiting won’t make it worse?”
Frostbite’s eyes softened, compassionate. “I understand your uncertainty. But I believe more time will do you good in solidifying your core. In fact, with some minor effort, you will be able to achieve some progress now. Would you like to try, young Jamie?”
The clone boy raises a brow. Then… he nods shy.
“Very good.” The yeti smiles encouragingly. “Close your eyes.” Jamie obeys and Frostbite continues. “Breath deeply, to calm your heart.”
Jamie exhales, long and swallow.
“Feel your heart slow. And your ectoplasm… its flow is calming inside you. Your center grows still.”
Distantly, Danny can feel peace settling over uncertainty. A growing stillness. But…
“Now… feel the solid pieces, the tiny fragments of ice.”
The smallest pinch of the clone boy’s brow. “Okay. I can feel…” The squirming ember of anxiety.
“Gently coax them together.” Frostbite encourages again. “Very good.”
Another nod… even as Jamie’s nose wrinkles with effort. “Coming… together.”
“Now… imagine the cold spreading.”
A growing chill, radiating from the younger brother’s side of their bond. A delicate stillness.
“The pieces are simply parts of a larger whole. And they are coming together, uniting into-“
One moment, a fragile peace. Then, a jolt of panic. Fear. Pain. Green. Danny’s eyes pop open. When had he closed them? And… horror grips his core. Both of… of Jamie’s hands are gone, ectoplasm gushing from his bare wrists.
Danny does not even register as he rises. Between one blink and the next, his arms wrap around his brother. A second later… the body he is holding disappears.
A lurch of his own panic. But… A cold washes through him, a familiar swirling settling under his ribs.
The relieved sigh bursts from his lips, Danny hunching over with the feeling.
“Young Jamie!” Frostbite shouts, suddenly frantic.
“He’s here. He’s okay.” The older half ghost drags his head up.
The yeti just blinks, uncomprehending.
“Jamie overshadowed me.” A hand lifts, rubbing at his sternum. “I can feel him, right here. He’s okay.”
Yeah. A displeased sigh. No longer melting.
Frostbite blinks once more, understanding dawning. “I am so sorry. That should not have happened, young Jamie.” His eyes widen, something almost desperate in his apology. “In all my years I have never seen such…. An attempt to elicit stability by no means should have…” A shake of his head. “It is no matter. I will discover why this has happened and rectify it, I assure you.”
“It’s alright.” Danny bits his lip. “I mean… it’s not but we’ll figure it out and…”
An anxious tug at the older twin’s mind has him trailing off. A sensation like meeting worried eyes follows. He feels Jamie reaching for their currently shared voice and Danny slips back, letting his brother take control.
“Frostbite…” Under Jamie’s influence, their shoulders tremble. “What if I…I can’t be stabilized?”
The yeti’s brow rise, a moment of surprise at the sudden change. Then, his eyes soften. “We will find a way. You are able to turn intangible to overshadow and even exert control over your host’s body. And all without further dissolution. This alone speaks to the surety that your core can be stabilized.”
“No.” A frantic head shake and… Danny can feel the heart right next to his breaking. “What if my core isn’t the problem? What if…” A shaking, too fast breath. “Constantine said a human soul and a tulpa shouldn’t be able to exist together. They’re…too different, too opposed. What if…” From Danny’s eyes, his brother’s tears well. “That’s what’s… what’s wrong with me.”
Jamie. No. Danny’s mental voice pleads. That’s not true. You-
“Jamie. Danny.” The sudden new voice cuts through the spiral.
The ghost boy’s head shoots up, eyes quickly falling on…
“Lord Clockwork!” Frostbite has lowered himself to his knees, bowing with his face towards the floor. “It is an honor just to be in your presence.” Am awed deference rings in the words.
Danny blinks, watching as the robbed figure floated forwards. A blue hand reaches forward, gently lifting the yeti’s chin. “Healer Frostbite, you’ve done all you can for your young charges for now. Will you leave them to me?”
“Yes. Yes. Of course.” A smile blooms across the yeti’s face. “Who better to care for them that you, my Lord?”
At Clockwork’s silent nod, Frostbite stands. He hurries out of the room, leaving the twins alone.
Danny swallows, a sudden trepidation. “What are you doing here?”
The ancient ghost’s calm expression does not waver. Although again… Clockwork isn’t exactly a ghost is, he?
“Jamie.” Instead, the ancient being lifts a hand, finger wavering beckoningly. “Come.”
Danny shivers, a chilled ripple passing through him. In the next instant, Jamie appears, whole and unstained, in between him and Clockwork.
“Why are you here?” This time, it is Jamie’s turn to ask.
Clockwork’s brow wrinkles, softening. “You’ve come to understand the reality of your situation, haven’t you?”
Something frustrated flickers in Danny. “There’s nothing wrong with him…”
Clockwork holds up a hand, a clear and forceful sign to stop. Even so, there is no anger in it. Danny swallows back the complaint.
Shakily, Jamie nods. “I’m two different things, a tulpa and a soul. And… that doesn’t work. They’re… they’re too different.” His voice lowers, pained. “That’s why I’m not stable and I…I can’t be. I…”
“You are right.” Clockwork continues gently as Jamie losses his words. “You are a beautiful mortal soul, created to be loved and to love.”
“That’s why you sent me to Danny.” The clone boy whimpers, head hung low.
“But you’ve had a choice.” Something tender enters Clockwork’s gaze. “You’ve always had a choice. Free will to follow your calling or to not. And this is good. Love, Real love requires a free choice.”
“Yes.” Jamie nods slowly. “That’s what I thought… I said it earlier when we talked to Jason. ”But… That’s not…” His hands ball and unclench, an echo of the wrestling Danny faintly feels across their bond. “I’m a tulpa too. And that’s not… there’s no choice there. It’s…”
“It’s captivity.” Clockwork offers, eyes wide and sympathetic. “Tulpas are creatures of obligation, of restriction, of bondage. Creatures only destined for slavery, as horrible a fate as it is.”
The clone boy whimpers again, a tearful shake of his head.
“This is simply the nature of things.” Clockwork reassures, gaze still on Jamie. “It is not your doing.”
A sudden wave of guilt hits Danny. “But… but it’s mine. My fault… I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” But in a way, hadn’t he? At the beginning of this, before he’d first seen the spark of Jamie’s soul, he could have stopped. He chose not to move away, to keep playing along with everyone who meet his ‘twin.’ And more than that… he enjoyed it. He let himself be comforted by the lie, to pretend that he wasn’t alone. “I.. I don’t mean to hurt Jamie. I don’t want to.”
The red eyes shift to the older boy, something sad in the gaze. “Danny, you have wrestled with your part in this for so long. Your repentance is genuine. You can let go of your guilt.”
Frustration flares, self-directed. “But-“
“You have done well.” A gentle sincerity rang in the words. “You care for your brother so well and so deeply. You saw him as a person for you to love, never a simple object for your own comfort. And so soon after truly seeing him for the first time.”
“That’s no big accomplishment. It’s the bare minimum.” Danny’s fists balled, his heart a pit in his chest.
“Don’t say that.” Jamie tearfully shakes his head. “You loving me matters. It matters so much.”
“It wouldn’t stabilize you!” It all mounts, weeks of helplessness, of striving and striving… “It won’t fix things.” Only to see his hopes dashed, his efforts wasted. “It won’t take your pain away.” Useless, he is useless. “I…I can’t do anything. And it’s all my fault.” The tulpa part, that is the problem. The… the slavery he’s unknowingly forced on someone he loves.
“No, it’s not.” His brother argues.
“I… I release you.” Danny tries. “You’re free. You… you don’t need to listen to me anymore, okay? Be whoever you want to be.”
“Danny, it does not work like that.” Is that… pity in Clockwork’s voice?
“Then how does it work?!” The older half ghost’s arm spread. “I made Jamie’s tulpa. If I can’t release him then…” Grief, guilt, fear… it all writhes, a tangled mess in his chest. “I… I can’t just… not believe in him anymore.”
In front of him, Jamie shakes his head. Tears drip from his eyes and… heart suddenly in his throat, Danny feels like a horrible person. How could he do this? How can he make any of this about himself, when Jamie’s very life is on the line?
“Is there another way?” The younger twin pleads. “If I can’t be free then… is there another way to be stable? A way to be both and it not… not hurt?”
“You know the answer to your questions.” The words are a gavel. “Freedom and slavery can never exist in one body. There is no peace, no stability, no freedom from pain. Not as you are.”
“Then… then how?” A sudden sobs bursts from the clone’s lips. “I can’t just stop… stop being what I am. There’s no….” The helplessness, the grief overwhelms, a crashing wave. The force of it sends not just Jamie but Danny as well to his knees. “There’s no changing it. I can’t… It’s….It’s impossible.” His shoulders shake, words barely audible. “I’ll… I’ll never be real.”
Silence falls, heavy and oppressive, if not for the sound of sobs. Danny is crying too. His arms wrap around his brother, a last effort at comfort. But… is there any point? Any comfort, any hope to be found here? A small corner of his heart still strains, desperate to hold on. He… he shouldn’t give up. He should keep fighting but… he’s powerless, unable to do anything to save his brother. Maybe… maybe it really is impossible. And worst of all… did Clockwork really come here just deliver this horrible verdict?
A rustle of fabric cuts through the dark thoughts. Danny pulls out of the hug and watery eyes blink, straining to focus. Clockwork has lowered himself to kneel, an arm’s length from the two. Dark red eyes meet the elder twin’s. And…. Danny’s breath can’t help but catch. The depth of those eyes… it’s like gazing into the bottom of the ocean, a window into the most distant reaches of space. Danny’s core quivers, so small, so fragile in the face of something so cosmic. And yet… all questions, all fears fall away.
An eerie stillness takes hold, the very air seeming to hold its breath as the ancient being’s gaze shifts and falls on Jamie. His mouth opens. Words pour forth, like the roar of distant galaxies and yet… so meekly human. “You forget who you are speaking to.”
Slowly, sluggishly, Jamie blinks. “What?”
“You say it is impossible. But who stands outside of time? Who created its fabric, all of existence with just a breath?”
The image blooms behind Danny’s eyes. The darkness of space, stars bursting to life across its empty void… Awe stirs.
“Who weaves the soul together, forming its light from that very same breath?”
Golden light swirled in gentle hands, like…. the memory of something he knows but has never seen with his own eyes.
“And who mends the heart when it is broken and weary? Who gives the soul perfect rest?”
And his own soul knows, down to the deepest parts of him. He knows the answer. Of course, he knows.
“Who breaks every chain, even death itself?”
The Answer kneels in front of him.
“What are you…” But Jamie still stares, stunned and confused. “I…I don’t understand.”
The red eyes soften and that gaze… Danny feels just the edge of it. But he could never even imagine something so tender, so loving. All encompassing, like his brother is the only person in the entire universe.
“Jamie.” The name trembles on Clockwork’s lips, something precious. “Yes, your nature chains you but...” His hands raise, fingers outstretched. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is,” They cradle the boy’s face. ”there is freedom.”
The words… they raise goosebumps on Danny’s arms. And he could laugh. That was a pun, wasn’t it, considering his previous inference of the ‘ghost of time.’ And yet… the words are true, unquestionably true.
Jamie’s eyes widen, a sudden understanding. And… “You mean…” A dawning hope. “You can set me free?”
“Yes.” And the word is the truth. No, more than the truth, like… “And so much more than that.” Like… each is a fundamental building block of reality. “Not just freedom but…” Creating, sustaining, holding together even existence itself. “New creation.”
“New… creation?” The question wrinkles on Jamie’s brow.
“Yes.” Clockwork’s fingers lower, one steadily wrapping around the boy’s forearm. “Will you trust me?”
“Yes.” Jamie’s other arm lifts, holding on just as tightly. “Yes.” The words mutter like a prayer. “Yes. I trust you.”
A nod. “Do not be afraid.” Clockwork’s free hand begins to glow. “This will be uncomfortable and startling but…” Golden wretched fingers hover over Jamie’s chest. “I will be right here.”
The clone boy exhales, eyes full of a trust that Danny can also feel.
Clockwork’s hand brushes the surface of Jamie’s hazmat suit and then farther. Intangible fingers reach and-
A sharp pull, a jolt of panic; Each echo in Danny’s chest. A blink and…
“Jamie!” If the boy hadn’t already been kneeling, he surely would have ended up hunched on the floor away. “Jamie, breath.” Arms wrap around a panting chest. “Breath. It’s-“
“Shhh. Shhh”
Danny’s head jerks up at the sound. “What did you do?!” A desperately pleading panic.
But Clockwork is no longer right beside the pair, instead several arm lengths away. His gaze fixes down on something, a shadowy mass that swirls between his arms. No, not just a mass but…. A round shape curled against the ancient being’s elbow, a wider part trailing off into a flickering trickle of smoke. Writhing shapes lift from the shadow, the suggestion of…. reaching fingers.
“Shhh. It will be alright.” Clockwork soothes at the… person. It’s a tiny person, made of shadow. “You will be alright.”
But the figure is not soothed. Tiny arms flail, tail of mist flicking like an agitated cat.
Glowing fingers brush against the fist-sized head. “Peace.” An angry hiss, the smokey suggestion of a face squirms under the touch. “Peace, little one.”
Beside Danny, Jamie groans, a hand rising to cradle his own head.
Danny’s eyes widen, understanding dawning. The shadowy likeness… connected to his brother.
“There is no need to resist, tulpa.” The words confirm the suspicious but with them… a weight presses on Danny’s chest. A weight that only grows heavier as the shadowy arms thrash, pushing against Clockwork’s glowing chest. But…. “Be still.” Smokey fingers waft, form swirling away like mist in the light of the sun. “There is no need for you any longer.”
A fear chill strikes Danny’s core. “You’re… you’re hurting him.”
“N…No.” The words sloppily slurred from Jamie’s hung head. “No.”
A protective arm blocks Jamie’s front as if Danny can shield him but… “What… what are you doing? You can’t…”
But Clockwork can. He is. His golden aura, bright and penetrating, is driving the shadow away, as inevitable as… the light of dawn chasing away the dark of night.
“You… you can’t do this.” Danny stutters. “You… you’re hurting Jamie. You-“
“No.” Jamie’s hand, surprisingly strong and steady, grasps as Danny’s protectively shielding arm. “No. Da… Danny.” His name, slow and forced, with great effort. “That… that… is…” Like the first time Jamie really spoke to him. “That… is… not… me.”
Danny blinks, the statement not quite registering. What does he-
“That.” The clone boy’s head drags up, focused eyes shining. “That is not me.”
“Yes.” Clockwork’s agreement is definitive. “It is not.” The words ring out true.
Still a last heart flutter of confusion, of fear. Danny stares, wide-eyed at the waning shadow. But….
“Danny.” Jamie calls his name, as solid and steady as the arm gripping his. “I’m Jamie. I’m right here.”
A light flares at the edge of Danny’s vision, a wave of energy surging across the bond to his twin. The power of it stills the breath in his lungs. Finally, his eyes turn back to his brother. Any concern from the tulpa wafts away, like the last moots of the shadow burning away in Clockwork’s light.
A light shines in Jamie’s chest, not the golden warm glow of a soul. But… an icy blue pin prick. In a breath, it swells, becoming a swirling, irregular mass. Then… rounder, smoother. The cool light curves, growing into a perfect fist-sized sphere of ice. Awe stirs in Danny’s chest.
Another wash of energy ripples across the bond, an icy lake overflowing its shore. The light spreads. From the icy sphere, it presses outward. Across Jamie’s chest, to his arms, his neck.
“You need…” Jamie’s words are breathy. “You need to let go of me.”
Danny does not think. He releases, just as the light spreads to the arm he had been holding.
The light envelopes, the tips of Jamie’s fingers, down to the bottom of his boots. It flares, hiding any trace of the boy’s jumpsuit. The clone boy closes his eyes as the light passes over his head.
Transfixed wonder stays Danny’s gaze. Cool blue radiance shines from every inch of Jamie’s figure, so bright and untainted that no trace of jumpsuit or hair remains. As if…. The clone’s body is made of entirely light. Said light pulses, a sudden flash. The blinding radiance explodes, the overwhelming power of a supernova.
Pounding heart in his throat, Danny blinks spots from his eyes.
In his brother’s place floats a fist-sized icy sphere. A ghost core. Jamie’s core.
This is… this is Jamie’s core, finally here. Finally solid and real. And…
Relief radiates from it. It strums down the line to Danny’s core, the overwhelming release of tension, of ceaseless straining. And even greater than the relief…. Joy and love sing, the echo Jamie’s delight ringing into Danny’s own soul.
Jamie’s core rises higher into the air, the older brother’s chin lifting to follow.
Wind swirls, the clean smell of freshly fallen snow. The sphere flashes brighter and….
In the blink, Jamie floats in front of Danny, whole and unstained. The same jumpsuit as ever, the same white hair. Except…. The chest of the suit is bare, without Danny’s Phantom symbol. Jamie’s hair, longer than before, swirls as if underwater. His skin is just the smallest bit bluer, ears a little more pointed.
Another flash of light, this one of transforming rings around the clone’s waist. The rings pass, over head and feet. With a gasp, Jamie falls out of the air, stumbling onto his knees.
“That’s my…” A hand presses against Jamie’s chest, a breathy amazement stalling his words. “My…”
“Your core!” Danny beams, hands reaching for his brother’s shoulders. “I saw! Your core solidified. You-“
“No.” Jamie cuts off the words, shaking his head. “It’s my heart. It… it feels different. Heavier. More solid. I… I think I’m…” His eyes dart, to the bandage on the inside of his elbow. In one quick motion, he pulls it off. From the exposed needle mark…. A bead of red wells. “I am human. Really human.”
“Hey, don’t do that.” Danny reprimands but there’s no heat, not with the excitement thrilling in his core. His head swivels, already looking for Frostbite’s supply of bandages.
“Allow me.” Clockwork, again kneeling beside the pair, reaches for the puncture. The gentle brush of fingers and… “Be healed.”
Danny’s eyes widen and Jamie gasps as the wound disappears.
The clone’s finger traces the spot. A stunned disbelief strums the bond. Then… a note of warm gratitude.
Jamie’s head lifts, wide eyes fixing on Clockwork. “Thank you. Not just for that but….” His mouth opens and closes, as if searching for words. “You… you fixed me. You… no, not fixed me. You…. brought me to life. You made me real.” Jamie’s breath catches, a new amazement singing from a new core. “The… the tulpa was never me, was it? You took it away and….” The words flounder, his eyes widening all the more.
“As it died, you lived.” Tenderness rounds Clockwork’s eyes, one hand reaching to cup the boy’s cheek. “You, your true self, the person I created you to be.”
“The person you created me to be…” The words softly breath, something worshipful entering Jamie’s gaze. “And that’s why my core solidified. It…” Another stunned blink. “Did it literally remake my body? Is that why I’m really human?”
A fond chuckle lifts Clockwork’s lips. “Ah, now that is for you to puzzle out on your own.”
Jamie’s lips tremble, just the smallest hint of a complaining pout. But it doesn’t last long, not as the clone boy throws his arms around the Ancient Being. “Thank you. I… Thank you. Thank you.”
Jamie’s feelings echo across the bond, bolstering Danny’s own gratitude and relief. That same thank you dances on his tongue. But…
Clockwork gladly accepts the hug. Arms wrapping around the boy, He pulls him to His chest. “Healing you is My delight.” Gently, He plants a kiss on the black-haired head. “You are so dear to Me, little Jamie.”
Images, words play in Danny’s mind.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, Gentle fingers cradle his brother’s face. there is freedom.
Do not be afraid. Clockwork’s golden light, chasing away the darkness.
Blue light filling his vision. Jamie’s core, exploding into existence.
Soft tenderness and unbelievable power. Gentle care and incredible might. He… he’s just seen something sacred, something unquestioningly divine. But…
You… you can’t do this. Fear stutters Danny’s words. You… you’re hurting Jamie.
Guilt tightens around his heart, the weight of it drooping his shoulders.
“Danny.” Yet, his name on Clockwork’s lips is tender.
Red eyes meet his over Jamie’s shoulder. Clockwork lifts one arm out of the hug invitingly.
Shame twists. Reluctance slows. Danny wants to accept but… he leans forward, allowing Clockwork’s arm to wrap around him.
“I…I’m sorry I doubted you.” Danny’s voice trembles, sincere and sorrowful.
The arm holding his grips all the tighter. “You are already forgiven.”
Tears well Danny’s eyes. His heart aches but the weigh of guilt lifts. And in its place…
Gratitude and relief. Calm, a peace like nothing Danny’s ever felt before. A quiet, impossible joy.
Here, with Jamie on one side and Clockwork on the other… there are no words. Just the arms around him, the newly stabilized core bound to his, a clock’s soft tickling. Just warmth and safety and love.
Some unknowable time later, the air shifts. Thoughts, words return. Slowly, limbs untangle. The group hug pulls apart.
Danny blinks, his blurry vision clearing. Blurry…. With tears. Had he been crying? A fresh tear wells, dripping down his cheeks. He wipes it away, an easy laugh bubbling. It looks like he’s still crying.
Beside him, Jamie sniffles. Water shines his eyes… but so does a smile.
“You both are so precious to me.” Clockwork’s own smile is as radiant as it is tender. “Continue to take such good care of each other. You made me proud.”
In one seamless motion, the Ancient Being rises to stand. A flick of his fingers and a staff unfurls, clutched in his right hand.
“Wait.” Jamie pushes himself to his feet. “You’re leaving?” A hint of disappointment twitches his lips.
“I am always with you, even if not visible.” Clockwork’s gaze softens.
Danny also rises to stand. “Thank you, again.”
“But we’ve got so many questions.” Jamie starts. “I don’t-“
“Call to me and I will answer you.” Promise rings in the words. “I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Jamie blinks. “What does that mean?”
“Precisely what I said.” Clockwork shakes his head good naturedly. “Now, I believe you have friends and family who will be very excited to see you healed. Your sisters will burst through the door in…” He pulls back a sleeve, studying a watch on his wrist. “Thirty seconds.”
“Thirty seconds!” Danny’s eyes pop wide; he can’t help but agree. He does have questions.
“Clockwork!” Jamie protests.
“James." The word mirrors, not a complaint, but just as emphatic. It silences any protest. “James…” Something sparkles in Clockwork’s eyes. “That is a wonderful name.” A grin beams. “I have two close friends with that name. And a half-brother.”
“What?!” Both boys exclaim.
“Ask Jason.” Clockwork winks. “He was raised Catholic.”
The Ancient Being clicks a button on his staff. The air swirls and the glowing blue shape of clock hands appears. The arrow swings, the clockwise sweep of a ticking clock.
At the same time, the door bursts open. Sure enough, Jazz and Ellie rush through.
“Frostbite said...” “Wait Ellie! Let’s…” Both speak at the same time, words overlapping.
A chuckle rings out, Clockwork fixing the twins with one last fond look before he disappears with a last flash of light.
“Jamie!” Ellie almost bowls into the boy. “Frostbite said Clockwork was here!”
“Did he know how to stabilize you?” Jazz studies him with wide eyes. “Are you okay?”
The boy blinks. “Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. Clockwork…. He stabilized me.”
“Ah!” Ellie let out an excited yell. “That’s great. You’re stable!”
Ellie and Jazz tackle Jamie in another sibling bear hug, leaving the clone boy stunned for a second before returning the embrace.
Danny can’t help but find himself laughing as he’s pulled into the group hug. At the same time, Frostbite’s booming voice rumbles down the hall. Jason’s, Sam’s, and Tucker’s voices answer, excited calls turning into excited grins as the rest of the group enter the room.
Danny grins. He still has questions. So many questions. But this… his loved ones are here and together. All are happy and healthy, Jamie is finally, finally stable. This is more than enough.
Note:
A big inspiration for this chapter was the song "[i died]" by Lacey Strum, particularly the chorus. Listen to the song here
Responsibility lands squarely on my shoulders And in eternity these choices last forever But as your blood intervenes She's dying while you hold her She only looks like me But that's not me Oh, call me by my new name
I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, please leave feel free to leave any comments or questions. I always love talking about my fics. This chapter is particularly dear to me. It is the product of all of careful thought and fervent prayer. Circumstances really conspired to try and keep it from ever seeing the little of day. But I firmly believe these words are meant for someone.So if this chapter spoke to something in your heart, please reach out. God is real. He loves you so much and wants to heal you. He came to the world as Jesus Christ to free you from all the pains and temptations that hold you captive. He wants to make you truly alive and help you become the person He created you to be. Call out to Him. If you ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you, to show you who He really is, He will. I love you all.
