Redoing My Life (Modern Family)

"Why are we watching The Tonight Show?" I asked, sinking into the couch in Lucy's office. Raj, my PR guy, stood behind me with his team, their expressions tense. Lucy sat beside me, unusually quiet. None of them answered.

I turned my attention to the TV as Jay Leno introduced me alongside Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Reese Witherspoon—we were there to promote Toy Story 3.

On Screen:

Jay leaned in, grinning at me. "So, Daniel, busy year for you, huh?"

"Yes, it has been, Jay," I said, my tone casual but measured.

Tom Hanks chimed in before Jay could follow up. "Busy? This kid's the busiest person in Hollywood. Three movies? Come on. I expected more, Daniel. Slacking off already?"

The audience laughed, and I joined in, holding up my hands in mock defense.

Tom wasn't done. "Let me tell you all something. I met Daniel when I did the first Toy Story, and even then, I knew. I told everyone, 'This guy's going to be big. Watch him.' And look at him now—Oscars, bestsellers, his own company…."

The audience erupted in applause. I smiled and nodded appreciatively.

"Wow, Tom, pulling out all the stops here," Jay quipped, grinning at me. "So, Daniel, any chance there's more Toy Story coming after this one?"

I shook my head. "No… no, it's done… w-well… I think this one is the best one—it's the perfect way to wrap things up. I think this is where we say goodbye."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "Confidence like that is rare in Hollywood."

"Well," I said, gesturing to Tom, Tim Allen, and Reese Witherspoon, "we've got an amazing team here, a great story. I don't think anyone can top what we've made."

Tim Allen leaned in with a smirk. "I wish I had that confidence."

"And let's be honest," I added with a grin, "what's our competition? A Ryan Reynolds movie? Who's choosing to watch that over this?"

I smirked there was indeed a Ryan Reynolds movie The Croods was being released just after Toy Story 3

The audience burst into laughter. Reese chuckled, shaking her head, and Tim leaned over to high-five me.

"Shots fired!" Jay exclaimed, fanning the flames with a wide grin. "What did poor Ryan do to deserve that?"

Raj grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

"Hey!" I protested. "It was getting to the fun part."

Raj crossed his arms, his tone sharp. "The fun part is the problem, Danny."

"What do you mean?" I asked, leaning forward.

Lucy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, her frustration evident.

"Is this about Ryan Reynolds?" I asked.

Raj, standing stiffly with his arms crossed, nodded. "Yes."

I let out a long, exasperated sigh.

Ryan Reynolds, it seemed, was more famous at this time than I remembered him being in my old world. I understood why this was becoming an issue, but that didn't mean I had any plans to do anything about it.

"Look," I said, leaning back into the couch, "I'm going to be honest here—this is not a big deal. Did Ryan's people call you or something?"

Raj hesitated before answering, "Something like that."

"Good, because screw that guy," I said flatly.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What is your problem with Ryan? He's a beloved actor."

Raj added, "The internet's been buzzing about your remarks. It's turning into a whole thing."

"I don't care," I said dismissively. "I don't like him."

Lucy groaned. "Don't make this a whole thing, Danny."

"I'm not planning to do anything about it," I said, turning to Raj. "You guys do what you do best. If Ryan tries to hit back, well, you know what to do."

Raj gave me a skeptical look. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm experienced in managing celebrity feuds, but I thought with you, we wouldn't have one."

I shrugged. "I didn't start it, Raj."

Raj raised a hand in a gesture of patience. "Okay, so what did he actually do to you?"

I looked at Raj with an annoyed expression as I remembered that day. "He had my car moved at the Bel-Air Country Club. He claimed I took his parking spot. There wasn't even an assigned spot! I was there first."

Raj blinked. "That's it? This is about a parking spot?"

"Yes!" I said indignantly. "Oh, and that smug grin of his… I am never going to forget it. Like I always say… 'Daniel doesn't forgive… Daniel doesn't forget.'"

"You never said that," Lucy chimed in.

"Well, now I do," I said.

Raj held up a hand, cutting me off. "Okay, okay. We can work with that."

I waved him off. "Good. Do your thing."

Turning back to Lucy, I exhaled. "Now, can we move on to what I was actually supposed to be here for before you dragged me into this nonsense?"

Raj and his team filed out, leaving just Lucy and me in the room. She stood and walked over to her desk, her expression already leaning toward exasperation.

"Yes, what you were here for," she said as she sat down. "You were supposed to have completed half of the next Elden Ring book last month," she added, flipping through her notes on the desk.

I sighed. "Well, that's why I'm here, Lucy."

She shot me a pointed look. "Well?"

"It's not happening," I said bluntly.

Her pen clattered against the desk as she set it down. "What do you mean? You promised you could finish a book every two years."

"Yeah, well, I guess I overestimated myself," I replied with a shrug.

Lucy's face twisted in frustration. "What about the third A Song of Ice and Fire? You're still on track with that, right?"

"Yeah, that's coming on time," I reassured her. "I kind of need to complete five books before I can even think about making it into a TV show."

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Well, at least that's a relief."

"I think," I added, "with DC and Midas, I just don't have as much free time to write as I thought I would."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Your fans are in for a huge disappointment."

"They can wait for a while," I said, waving a hand dismissively.

Lucy tapped her pen against the desk. "I was promised a book from Daniel Adler for next year. What am I supposed to do about that?"

"I didn't say I have nothing for you," I said, standing up and walking over to sit in the chair across from her desk.

Her brow furrowed. "So, you have something for me?"

"Yeah," I said, leaning forward. "I've been working on this idea for a horror novel. I've been thinking about it ever since Stephen King told me to try my hand at one."

Her eyes lit up with cautious interest. "Well, that could work. What's it about?"

The idea came from a movie I'd seen in my previous life. I'd searched for it, scouring the internet to see if it existed in this world, but it didn't. It had been frustrating, especially since I couldn't even remember the name of the movie—only that Nicole Kidman had been in it. But the concept was great. I thought I could do the same thing I did with The Revenant: write it as a book and then make it into a movie.

I smiled. "It's got quite a twist at the end, so listen carefully."

Lucy nodded. "Alright, I'm listening."

"The story takes place just after World War II, in 1945," I began. "It's set in a remote country estate in England, where a woman and her two children live. The kids have this rare condition—they can't be exposed to sunlight. So, the house is always darkened, with heavy curtains and little to no light. And the mother? She's fiercely protective of them."

Lucy tilted her head slightly, intrigued.

"One day," I continued, "one of the kids claims there's another boy and his parents wandering around the house."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess—the ghosts?"

"Let me finish," I said with a smirk.

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Go on."

"So, the mother doesn't believe the kids at first. She brushes it off. But then… she starts hearing things. Voices, footsteps, even the piano playing itself when no one's in the room. Naturally, she freaks out and decides the house must be haunted."

Lucy's pen hovered over her notepad, her gaze fixed on me.

"She goes on this investigation of sorts," I explained, "trying to figure out who—or what—is haunting her house. But then it gets worse. Her husband, who she thought died in the war, shows up out of nowhere."

"What? Is he…?"

"He's alive. At least, that's what she thinks," I said. "But he's not the same. He has severe PTSD, and even worse, he starts talking like he has to go back to the front lines. Like the war isn't over. This makes the mother question everything—she wonders if her husband is a ghost too."

Lucy nodded slowly, clearly trying to piece the story together in her head.

"Then," I continued, "things spiral out of control. The so-called ghosts start changing things around the house. They rip down the curtains, exposing the kids to sunlight—which, as you remember, is deadly for them. The mother becomes more and more desperate to protect her children, and the whole situation becomes terrifyingly chaotic."

Lucy leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "This sounds boring."

"Well, that's because I'm explaining it to you. And I haven't even gotten to the twist yet."

Lucy sighed, feigning impatience. "Alright, then. Go ahead. Blow my mind."

I leaned forward, lowering my voice for dramatic effect. "You think this is just a normal ghost story about a poor mother trying to protect her poor children from haunting spirits, right?"

Lucy nodded skeptically.

"Aha," I said with a grin. "But it's not. Here's the twist: the mother and her kids? They're the ghosts."

Lucy blinked. "What?"

"Yes. The so-called ghosts we're seeing from the mother's perspective? They're the living family that's moved into the house now. The mother and her children are actually the ones haunting them."

"Wait—so the mother and kids are… dead?"

I nodded, leaning back triumphantly. "Here's what happened: When the war was over, the mother, in a fit of grief after she lost her husband, killed her children and then herself. She's been in denial this whole time, thinking they survived by some miracle. She truly believed God—or something else—brought them back to life."

"And in the end," I continued, "the mother realizes the truth. She and her children are stuck in the house—it's their purgatory. The story is about denial, guilt, and ultimately redemption. We weave in those themes, and we've got a haunting, emotional story on our hands."

Lucy's lips curved into a small smile. "Alright. That's actually pretty good. I'll admit, I didn't see that ending coming."

I grinned. "Told you. You just needed to hear the full pitch."

"So, I'm thinking I can finish it next year, but I'll need some help because next year is going to be insane for me."

Lucy nodded, glancing over a calendar on her desk. "We can do what we did with The Revenant: write the book, then make a movie out of it."

Lucy sighed, leaning forward with her elbows on the desk. "It's not a bad idea. I'm still disappointed about Elden Ring, though. But I guess this will have to do."

I gave her a half-shrug. "Can't win 'em all. Besides, this will be something different to show my..umm.. range."

Lucy pointed a finger at me, her expression serious. "Speaking of shaking things up—cut it out with this Ryan Reynolds stuff. You don't need a feud."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's up to him, isn't it?"

Lucy groaned, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Danny. You've got a reputation to think about, and it will be an entirely new headache to deal with."

"Hey, I didn't start anything," I said, raising my hands defensively.

Lucy shook her head with an exasperated sigh. "Just… don't make it worse, okay? Focus on your projects."

"Noted," I said with a grin, though I wasn't entirely sure I meant it. "But you have to admit, it's kind of fun to see how it all plays out."

She groaned again, muttering something about my ego, before flipping through some papers on her desk.