Octavia sat on the grass, her eyes closed, soaking in the sun. She thought of all the things she could do in the human world that she couldn't do in Hell.

"What's on your mind, Octavia?" Jazz asked, noticing the thoughtful look on her face.

Octavia opened her eyes, a spark of excitement in them. "I was just thinking... Is the ocean nearby? I've never been to an actual beach before. My home is landlocked, so I've only seen pictures."

Danny's eyes lit up. "The ocean? Yeah, there are beaches not too far from here. We could definitely go if our parents are cool with it."

Jazz smiled at Octavia's enthusiasm. "A beach trip sounds like a great idea."

Octavia's excitement grew. "I've always wanted to see the waves, feel the sand, and maybe even collect some seashells."

Jazz looked at Octavia, a bit surprised. "You seem really excited about going to the beach. Given how well-off you and your dad seem, I kind of assumed that you'd have gone on all sorts of fancy vacations around the world."

Octavia shook her head, a bittersweet smile playing on her lips. "We are rich, but we hardly do things as a family. My parents are... busy with their own lives. My father tries, but it's not the same."

Jazz's expression softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Octavia nodded slightly. "It is, sometimes. That's why I'm really looking forward to spending time with you guys if we hit it off." The Goetia pulled her legs into herself, "When I think about it, Danny is my first real friend." She huffed. "All those other kids my mother wanted me to talk to were fake."

Jazz blinked at the mention of her mom. "Your mom? What's she like?

Octavia's expression became complicated, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions. "My mom... She's really into the upper-class lifestyle. She loves hanging out with her friends, having dinner parties, and things like that."

To Danny and Jazz, it was reminiscent of the ads for the Real Housewives.

Jazz nodded sympathetically. "Do you get along with her?"

Octavia sighed, her gaze distant. "It's... complicated. I don't hate her. She's my mom, after all. But we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. Some of the stuff we do can be fun. However, she wants me to be something I'm not, and it's hard to connect with her because of that."

Danny could sense that she didn't want to talk about it much. "By the way, Jazz, Stolas offered to be my private tutor."

On one side, Jazz knew what her brother was doing. They, too, felt the same parental pressure to become ghost hunters. On the other, Jazz's eyes widened with surprise. "Really? Someone like him wants to teach you?"

Annoyance flashed on his face. "Why did you have to say it like that?!"

Jazz waved her hands in apology. "Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's amazing!" She paused, a slight frown crossing her face. "I know I say that it's never too early to learn, but isn't it a bit sudden? You're not even in middle school yet like me."

Octavia, sensing the tension and confusion, spoke up gently. "My dad is a good man, Jazz. He always tries his best to make me happy. Dad has the best intentions for Danny. He cares about those he teaches, me included."

Jazz studied Octavia's earnest expression, feeling her concerns at ease. "Well, if you say so, Octavia. And Danny, if you want to do this, and Mom and Dad are cool with it, then I'm all for it. Just be careful, okay?"

Danny nodded, grateful for his sister's support. "Thanks, Jazz!"

Octavia smiled warmly and pulled Danny into a half hug. "We'll take good care of him."

Earlier

The adults watched as the kids went out the back door.

Jack, ever the enthusiastic one, chimed in. "So, what brings you to our home today?"

Stolas cleared his throat slightly before speaking. "Danny and Octavia wanted to spend time together outside the library. They wanted to do more than just read books and listen to lectures. Given the circumstances, I thought it was important to formally introduce ourselves."

Maddie smiled warmly. "That's very considerate of you, Stolas. To be honest, I've been concerned about his lack of friends at school. There's this one friend named Tucker, but that's about it."

Jack nodded in agreement. "If fact, this is one of the few times we've had company over. Our neighbors are always busy when I ask them."

Stolas gave a once-over to their jumpsuits and the gadget in the room. 'I wonder why,' he thought sarcastically.

Jack clapped his hands. "Maybe we can have a barbecue sometime and get to know each other better."

Stolas nodded. "That sounds lovely. I'm sure Octavia and I would look forward to it when we have time. On a related note, Octavia's birthday is coming up, and I would love for Danny to join the festivities."

Maddie hummed with a smile. "I'm sure that can be arranged. If I'm busy, Jack can bring Danny there."

Stolas chuckled. "That would work perfectly."

"Do I have to?" Jack sulked.

Maddie patted her husband's arm. "Come now, Jack. This is for Danny, and it would be good for you to mingle with other parents there, too."

His eyes brightened. "You're right, and I can tell them all about ghosts!"

Maddie chuckled nervously. "That's one possibility, dear."

Stolas stroked his chin. "Yes, about that. Danny spoke about your ghost profession in passing, but I hoped to get the source's clarification. Forgive me, but I am a bit skeptical about the idea."

Jack leaned forward, his broad smile infectious. "Well, you're in for a treat! Maddie and I have dedicated our lives to studying ghosts and the paranormal." Jack stood up with his wife. "Come! We'll show you our workshop."

With a shrug, Stolas followed.

Jack and Maddie led Stolas down the narrow staircase to their basement lab. The air grew cooler as they descended, the sounds of their footsteps echoing off the concrete walls. When they reached the bottom, Stolas took in the sight before him.

The basement was a sprawling space, filled with tables cluttered with various unfinished projects. Tools and gadgets lay scattered about, some buzzing faintly with latent energy. Wires snaked across the floor, connecting different devices, and the smell of soldered metal and ozone hung in the air.

Jack gestured around proudly. "Welcome to our lab, Stolas. This is where the magic happens—or will happen, once we finish some of these projects."

Stolas walked slowly, his eyes scanning the room with keen interest. He noticed an assortment of ghost traps in various stages of completion, each more intricate than the last. A large electromagnet stood in one corner, and a half-assembled ecto-gun lay on a nearby table.

Maddie gestured to a blueprint on the wall with an image of a stereotypical Halloween ghost. "We've concluded that ghosts are the residual energy of human spirits that have passed on."

Stolas nodded. 'That certainly sounds like sinners to me.' "I've read tales of ghosts in folklore, but aren't they just stories?"

Maddie continued, "Our current hypothesis is that these spirits exist in a parallel dimension to ours. I refer to it as the spirit plane, but Jack calls it the Ghost Zone."

"It's much more dynamic!"

Stolas hummed. 'Were they talking about Hell or even Heaven?'

"It's an alternate plane of existence that's separate from our own, but sometimes the barriers between our world and the Ghost Zone can weaken, allowing ghosts to cross over," added Maddie. "These visitors, in turn, make up said folklore."

Stolas hesitated. "So you think portals to other worlds like Heaven and Hell are possible?" Thoughts went back to his Grimoire. Had either Stolas' half siblings or agents of the sins been careless and revealed themselves?

Maddie made a thoughtful expression. "We refrain from using direct religious references in our research. It is our understanding that what people in past times interpreted as Heaven or Hell are explainable phenomena. They bore witness to the Spirit Plane Jack and I are pursuing."

Stolas blinked, not sure what to make of these so-called scientific deductions. "How far have you gone into proving their existence?"

Jack's eyes lit up. "Testing is ongoing, but we've drafted all kinds of gadgets to detect and capture ghosts."

Maddie pointed to a blueprint pinned to a wall. "That's the design for our Ecto-Skeleton. It's supposed to enhance our abilities to combat ghosts more effectively."

Stolas nodded, his gaze eventually drawn to the far side of the room. A large hole was cut into the wall, lined with metal, and surrounded by complex machinery. Next to it was a construction paper sign with lettering that read, "Ghost Portal."

"Our magnum opus: A portal that will allow us to travel directly into the Ghost Zone."

"Ah, I see," Stolas said, approaching the portal. On nearby tables, he noted old scriptures being used as references. Some of the circuits seemed to resemble runes.

Maddie added, "It's still in the design phase, but we're confident that once it's complete, we'll be able to make direct contact with the spirit world."

Stolas stood straight. "A man-made portal to the afterlife. I can hardly believe such a thing to be possible." He studied the arcane and traveled to Earth through such methods all his life. The Fentons had to be following a pointless pursuit. No?

Maddie sighed. "Perhaps, but we won't stop trying until we're sure."

Stolas' mouth thinned as he thought, 'I'm starting to see why they are always busy. A portal seems like an impossible task. They aren't outright bad parents compared to those I've met in the past. But still...' He looked directly at Jack and Maddie. "With such ambitions, I would believe it hard to balance both your work and your family life."

Jack put an arm around his wife with a confident smile. "Nonsense. The Fentons' family bonds are stronger than ever."

Stolas frowned slightly, his gaze softening with concern. Meanwhile, Jack and Maddie enthusiastically discuss their latest ghost-hunting invention designs. 'I don't know them well enough,' Stolas mused, 'but I'm starting to understand why Danny has been feeling lonely as of late.' He glanced toward the window, where he could faintly hear Danny chatting animatedly with Octavia and Jazz. 'Danny would not appreciate me telling his parents that he's been feeling lonely,' Stolas thought. 'Granted, this eventually led to us meeting in the first place.'

Recalling his conversations with Danny, Stolas remembered how the boy had mentioned his parents' hectic work schedule. 'I had hoped he was exaggerating in some regard,' Stolas reflected. The memories of his own childhood surfaced unbidden. 'My parents were... distant,' Stolas thought, feeling a pang of empathy for Danny. 'I'd hate for him to go through the same thing I did. For what it's worth, I see a bit of myself when spending time with Danny and my daughter.' He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before speaking. 'Perhaps it would be best to confront them when I build better relations.' "Well, in any case, I'd like to offer a proposal to you and your son."

Maddie and Jack raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Stolas cleared his throat. "As you know, Danny has aspirations for the stars and becoming an astronaut. It may seem early, but I'd like to help him on his journey. I'd like to become his mentor and tutor, free of charge."

The Fentons seemed to reel from the declaration. "Mr. Aster, that's extremely generous of you, but like you said, our little boy's still young."

"Perhaps, but I would be remiss if I didn't first put the offer on the table for discussion."

Maddie blinked in surprise. "Well, we would have to talk about it with our son. Forgive us, Mr. Aster. This is more than we expected from a friendly visit of Danny's new friend."

Stolas waved it off. "I understand. Like I told Daniel, please take your time. There is no rush."

Jack brought his hands together. "Hmm. Well, we want what's best for Danny. If he wants to, we're willing to give it a try."

The Goetia smiled softly. "That's all we parents can do for our children, no?"

The Fentons seemed to relax at the question. "We'd be lying if we said our parents were excited about our career choices, and our kids deserve better than that."

"Yes, indeed. I feel the same about my father and how I treat Octavia. " Stolas affirmed. "I see a lot of potential in Danny, and I want to help him become the best version of himself."

Later

The atmosphere relaxed, and by the end of the evening, it was clear that Stolas and Octavia had made a positive impression.

Jack laughed heartily. "Well, if you ever see anything strange, you know who to call!"

Stolas chuckled, nodding. "We'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you for your hospitality. It's wonderful to feel so welcomed."

Maddie beamed. "Of course! If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

As the father and daughter left, Stolas smiled at Danny. "We'll see you next week, Danny. And perhaps we can plan some daytime activities as well."

Danny grinned. "I can't wait. Thanks, Stolas! Thanks, Octavia!"

"Thank you for welcoming us so warmly. We're looking forward to getting to know you all better."

"Absolutely," Jack said, clapping Stolas on the back. "We're glad to have you here. You'd be the first to come for a second time and not for a complaint."

From the window, Danny watched them go, a smile on his face.

As they walked down the street, Stolas looked down at Octavia, who was smiling happily. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked.

Octavia shook her head and looked up at her father. "It went well."

Stolas nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, it did. I think we'll fit in just fine."

"It felt nice to talk normally with people, unlike those who come to our home."

Stolas seemed to gush. "Oh, I knew this would be good for you. Just wait until our next few outings."

#

AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, OmegaDelta, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, Salo Guzman, and Traiton Moses!

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