17 That's a Big Closet

I sat in my room, reading the new box office numbers that Chris had sent me. I had the biggest smile on my face – Toy Story was a success. Oh, I expected it to be one, considering I knew the original one was a huge hit at the time it was released. And this time around, there was already an existing fanbase due to the books. But it was way more than I expected, and I had high expectations.

The movie cost almost $50 million to make. Chris had gone all in on this movie; it was either make it or break it for him. Chris became more and more anxious as the release date neared. It was weird seeing the usually confident man like this, but I, on the other hand, remained surprisingly calm. Chris couldn't comprehend my calmness and often joked about how he wished he could borrow some of it.

When the movie came out, children flocked to see it. They dragged their parents with them, some having second, third, or even more viewings. The movie stayed in theaters the entire holiday season, holding the number one spot for the first weeks. As January arrived with the new year, the numbers kept on climbing. With huge success in the domestic box office, Chris got offers from international distributors, so now the movie had an international audience.

The film's universal appeal helped it immensely. It didn't take long for it to become one of the biggest movies of the whole year. It became a cultural phenomenon and set a new standard for the industry. There were 3D animated movies before, but they were almost all direct-to-DVD or children's TV shows and this year that had changed along with Toy Story there were two other big animated movies as well so there was competition. By the end of its run, Toy Story grossed almost $500 million, including both domestic and international earnings. That still didn't include the money from merchandise and the home DVD releases down the line.

All this had a snowball effect; my books were only popular in the US before the release, now there was a demand worldwide. Lucy had been working overtime since the movie was released; I had more people working for me now—legal advisers, financial advisers, I even had a fan engagement manager. I had never heard of that before; mom was shadowing Lucy. I guess I had two agents now. Life seemed to be getting more complicated as my fame increased.

.

.

.

I was invited to Stardust Studios where a party was being held celebrating the success of the movie. Chris made a speech, and even I was asked to make a speech. People were happy their hard work had paid off; Chris being a great boss that he was had paid all his employees a big bonus.

"Well, Danny, we did it," Chris said as he approached me as the party was winding down.

"That we did. I suppose we get started on the sequel then," I said, grinning.

"You took the words out of my mouth, young man." Chris paused with genuine emotion filling his eyes. "But seriously, all this wouldn't have been possible without you, kid. If you hadn't given us a chance...." he put a hand on my shoulder. "…I can't thank you enough."

"It was a team effort, Chris."

"But you, Danny, you were the spark... Hey, my son's here too; he is excited to meet you again."

We walked to his office where Jaime, Chris's son, was reading my new book, Toy Story 3. I had met Jaime before; I smiled at the memory of meeting him; he was too shy to meet me and kept hiding behind Sarah, Chris's wife. Chris motioned for his son to come over.

"Hey Jaime, did you like the movie?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it was amazing. Are you going to make the second book into a movie too?" Jaime asked.

"Of course, we are, son. We were just talking about it," Chris answered as he ruffled his son's head.

"Ah, about that, Chris, I have something to talk to you about our future endeavors," I said.

"What is it?" He asked with a look of curiosity.

"Remember the picture of the clownfish I asked you to add to the movie at the last minute?" I said as a small smile formed on my face.

"Yeah, what was that about anyway?" He asked, confused about where this conversation was going.

"Settle in, Chris," I said as I motioned for him to sit on the chair near us. "I have a story for you."

.

.

.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses?" Lucy said as she sat down at the bench at the park near our apartment where I had been waiting for her to arrive.

"I don't want anyone to recognize me," I said with a grin.

"Oh, take it off, you aren't that famous," she said, rolling her eyes at me.

I took off the glasses. "Oh, you're no fun."

"So this new idea that you mentioned, what is it?" Lucy asked.

I had decided to write the Percy Jackson series; it was a great series more teen-focused. I couldn't really write A Song of Ice and Fire at this age. I thought about other series I read before, and this one was the only one I could remember clearly and not exist in this world. I had written the story till the part where Percy is claimed by Poseidon and a rough outline of how the story will progress.

"Here," I said as I gave her what I had written. Lucy took the papers from me and began to read it.

"This looks promising," she said after taking time reading it.

"Great, I think I can complete it in a few months; I have the whole story planned out," I said.

"There are some areas where you can improve; I'll help you with that," she said as she gave the papers back to me.

"I thought so as well. We can go through it together after I completed the first draft." We walked to the apartment where Mom and Nathan were waiting for us.

"Where have you been; we are late," Mom asked me.

"Late… late for what?" I asked confused.

"Did you forget that we were being shown a house today?" she said, reminding me of it.

"Oh right, I forgot about that," I said, remembering it.

Since we got a big payout after Toy Story's success, I had talked Mom into looking for a new house. The apartment was fine and all, but owning a home was better.In my old life owning a home was like an unattainable dream now it seemed so easy.

It was the summer of 2007; I knew the market crash was coming; I even considered trying to make money off it but ultimately decided not to. It was better to not have the eyes of the government on me.Maybe it wont happen here..... maybe it will.... who knows.

We got into Nathan's car and drove to the house that was being shown to us. Mom was the one who took the lead on house hunting.

"So where are we going again?" I asked.

"Brentwood," Nathan replied.

"So who is showing us the house?" I asked my mom.

Mom was about to answer when she saw something outside and pointed at it. "Him," she said.

We were stopped at a red light; I looked outside and saw an advertisement on the side of a building. It said:

Phil Dunphy

For All Your Real Estate Needs

There was also a large picture of Ty Burrell on it as well. Ah, I was about to meet another character from Modern Family, remembering back to the time I met Lucy's friend Cam and his boyfriend Mitchell. After that meeting with them, I had seen a man looking exactly like Nathan Fillion on the news as a weatherman and nothing really after that. This was going to be interesting.

.

.

.

Dunphy Residence

Phil Dunphy stood in front of his bedroom mirror, adjusting his tie with meticulous precision. The stress lines on his face were more prominent than usual, a clear reflection of the pressure he felt. Today was a big day.

"Come on, Phil, you've got this," he muttered to himself, trying to boost his confidence. He took a final glance in the mirror, ensuring that his hair was perfectly coiffed and his suit was as sharp as ever. With a deep breath, he descended the staircase, his mind racing through mental checklists of selling points for the house he was about to show.

.

.

[Phil's Commentary]

"You know, the real estate business can be like surfing – you catch a wave, ride it triumphantly, then suddenly, you're left paddling in calm waters," Phil said with a smile.

"And I haven't caught a wave in a while," he said with a serious expression.

"But today it's going to change. I'm going to catch the biggest wave yet," he said with his usual enthusiasm.

[Commentary ends]

.

.

"Hey, looking sharp, honey," Claire said as he entered the kitchen.

Phil forced a smile, appreciating Claire's encouragement. "Thanks,Today's the day. The day I turn this dry spell around."

"You are the best realtor in South California, Phil. I am sure you are going to get this one," she said.

"Second best... but you're right. I'm going to catch that wave."

"What?" Claire asks in confusion.

"Nothing… umm, wish me luck," he said as he gives a quick peck on her cheek and heads out the door.

.

.

.

"We were driving through an upscale neighborhood when we arrived at what seemed like the largest house in the area.

"I think this is the place," Mom said as her eyes scanned the place.

I saw a man waving at us and walking towards us on the other side of the gate. It opened, and Nathan took the car inside. We stepped outside and were greeted by Phil Dunphy.

"Hello, hello, welcome! I am Phil Dunphy, your friendly neighborhood realtor," he said as he extended his hands to my mom, who shook them. He did the same with Nathan.

"Oh, who is this?" he said, looking at me.

"This is my son, Daniel," Mom said before I could respond.

"Daniel, my man! Nice to meet you!" Phil exclaimed, offering a fist bump to me. "Ready to check out the digs that could be your new crib?"

I reciprocated the fist bump. "Yeah, let's check the place out," I said, trying not to laugh.

"Alright, let's roll!" Phil said with a grin, leading the family toward the entrance of the house. As they walked through the impressive foyer, Phil began to speak.

"Feast your eyes on the living room – the heart of this beauty. Spacious, elegant, and perfect for hosting large gatherings."

Moving through the house, Phil highlighted the kitchen. "This kitchen is a chef's dream! Top-notch appliances, marble countertops, the whole shebang."

We followed Phil, soaking in the details of each room. "And here's the master suite, fit for a king and queen." I looked around the large room.

"What's in there?" I asked, pointing at a door in the room.

"Ah, the closet. Brace yourself, my man," Phil said as he opened it and let us in.

"Whoa, this is huge," I said.

Phil laughed. "You know if you buy this place, I can set you up with my father-in-law, Jay. He is in the closet business."

"I guess we might take you up on that offer," Nathan said, looking at the large closet.

They proceeded to the backyard, and Phil's excitement bubbled over. "Ah, the pièce de résistance! Check out this backyard oasis. It's like having your own private resort – pool, lounge area, the works. Perfect for sun-soaked afternoons."

"We are buying this place," I said to my mom after seeing the pool.

"Aha, looks like your son loves the place, Miss Adler," Phil told my mom.

"Well, he is the one with the money," Mom said with a smile.

"He is," Phil said, turning towards me.

"Yes… yes, I am," I said.

"Wait, your name is Daniel... Daniel Adler from…"

"Toy Story… yes, the movie, the books… do you have children that like my book, Mr. Dunphy?" I asked him.

"Oh my god, my children love your books, and I just saw the movie when it came out," Phil said with a huge smile on his face. "I can't believe I am showing a house to a celebrity."

"I am not that big of a celebrity, but this is a great house, Phil. What do you think, Mom?" I asked.

"It's great, but don't you think it's a bit big?" she replied.

"It's not that big..... Have you seen this pool?" I said, pointing at the backyard.

"He's right, Mary. This is much better than the other places we looked at last month," Nathan said, supporting me.

"Well, I guess we are buying this house," Mom said.

.

.

.

Mom, Nathan, and Phil were talking business while I was walking around the house, and I ended up at the gates when I saw another familiar face.

.

.

[Jay Commentary]

"Ever since I saw the walk-in closet at the house Phil was showing, I knew I had to be the one to do it," Jay said with a dreamy smile.

"When I heard that Phil had a showing today, I decided to take a walk…... especially in the direction of that house."

[Commentary ends]

.

.

I looked at the man walking towards me; it was Ed O'Neill, Al 'freaking' Bundy. I remembered that he was in the show as well.

"Hello," he said with a smile. "Here to see the house?" he added.

"Yeah, just decided to buy it," I replied.

"Oh, great! I guess we are going to be neighbors then," he said as he extended his hands. "Jay Pritchett."

"Daniel Adler," I said, shaking his hand.

"Great house, huh? Large bedrooms, large closets," he said.

"Oh yeah, the one in the master bedroom is bigger than my room I have now," I said, thinking back to the room.

There was an awkward silence between us after that.

"Are you the same Jay that Phil mentioned, his father-in-law, the one with the closet business?" I asked him trying to break the silence.

A huge smile formed on Jay's face. "Yes, I am."

He took a business card from his pocket. "Here, we are the best in the business," he said as he gave it to me.

"Well, we'll give you a call when it's time," I said.

.

.

[Jay commentary]

"Easy," Jay said with a confident smile.

[Commentary ends]

.

.

.

.

************************************************************************************************

In the future should Daniel work on the MCU or Create A better DCEU as a competitor to the MCU ....now this is later when he is an adult.