A/N: This is a story I just couldn't resist writing for Christmas.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
……Casper High……
"Hey Danny," Sam greeted her friend.
"Hey Sam, how was Aspen?" Danny asked as the two walked through the twin doors to the school.
"How do you think? My parents were there," Sam asked, sarcastically.
"Oh, come on, Sam, it couldn't have been that bad," Danny said.
"Do you have to see the best in people?" Sam asked, annoyed. Danny bit his lip. Yeah.
"Wait, what's with the beard?" the goth asked, confused.
"Uh, I- uh, just thought I'd like one?" Danny stammered. I wish I could tell you. Sam didn't believe him.
"This has to do with that job ClockWork gave you, doesn't it?" Sam asked, "Danny, what is going on?"
Danny hung his head, "Yeah, and you know I want to tell you, Tuck, Jazz, and Dani everything, even my parents, but I can't."
"But why?" Sam almost yelled.
"You know why. I told you, my job…in my job, I have to treat everyone fairly. I'm already biased because you're my friends and family," Danny said, calmly, "Telling you is unfair to others."
"You do realize the irony of that statement, right?" Sam asked, flatly.
"Unfortunately, I do. By being fair to everyone else, I have to be unfair to those I'm close to and myself," Danny admitted, "Can we please not talk about this?"
"Fine, I'll-Danny, what's wrong?" Sam asked. Her friend had just grimaced as if in pain, "Are you okay?"
"Wha-oh- yeah, I'm fine. It's just heartburn," Danny lied. That was no heartburn.
Sam lifted her eyebrow, but let it pass, this time.
"Hey, Tuck!" Danny called out.
"Hey guys," Tucker said, jogging to meet up with his friends. One look at the two told him that something was wrong.
"What's going on?" he asked, carefully.
"I'll give you one guess why he grew the beard," Sam told him, angrily.
"Ahh, not the job again!" Tucker complained, "Dude, when are you gonna tell us what this is about?"
Danny looked sadly at his friends, "Never. I'm sorry, I just- I need you guys to trust me."
"I do trust you, Dude, I just wanna know what's going on with my best friend," Tucker said, earnestly.
"I do, too, Danny; we're just worried about you," Sam told him sincerely. Danny smiled with relief at his two best friends.
"So, a beard, huh?" Tucker said, conversationally.
"Part of the uniform," Danny said, happily.
"Well, we know one thing, it's not food service," Sam teased. The three friends jumped when they heard the bell and ran to class.
"You're late!" Lancer told the teens, "Stay after class, and we'll talk about punishment."
The teens nodded as they quickly took their seats.
"Now, class, this semester we will be covering the tragedy of Macbeth and … Pay attention!" the teacher commanded, exasperated. The class collectively sat up, startled by his outburst.
"Now what in Elsewhere is so fascinating about Mr. Fenton, that you can't pay attention to the lesson?" he asked, annoyed.
"He's- he's got a beard!" Dash spoke up, unable to figure it out himself.
"So? Oh, for The Secret Road, Mr. Fenton, care to explain?" Lancer asked, seeing the students' faces.
"Uh, it's a job requirement," Danny explained, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What kind of-?" Lancer began.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lancer, I have to go," Danny interrupted, running for the door.
"Arrrggghhh!" Danny cried as he fell just outside the door, clutching his heart.
"DANNY!" Sam and Tucker yelled, alarmed.
"Great Gatsby! What's wrong with him?" the teacher yelled in shock.
Sam ran for the door.
"NO!" Danny yelled. The door slammed in the girl's face, even though the ghost boy was two feet away. The students heard the muffled sound of dozens of doors slamming before they saw a flash of white creep under the door.
"No! Danny!" Sam screamed, rattling the door in an attempt to get through to her friend. Sobbing, the goth slid to her knees, still pounding the door with her fists.
"Sam!" Tucker said, "He's- he's gonna be okay. He's- he- may-maybe ClockWork warned him! C-ClockWork won-won't let anything happen to him, right? Right?"
……2 weeks earlier……
"Aspen! Oh, come on! I get stuck visiting relatives in Montana, and you get to go skiing in Aspen!" Tucker exclaimed.
"Oh please! Two weeks of seclusion with my parents is not my idea of fun!" Sam argued, sourly.
Danny rolled his eyes, "Uh, Sam, isn't your grandma Ida going too? And, Tuck, I thought you loved visiting your cousins! Come on, it's the holidays and we've only got one day together before you both leave me to battle Frankenturkey alone, so let's make it a happy holiday."
"Uuuggghh," the two groaned, looked at each other, and pushed their friend.
"Man, your puns get worse the closer it gets to the holidays," Tucker complained.
"Hey, I can't help it if they're handed to me," Danny smirked, playfully. The trio laughed.
"Ho ho ho ho!" Danny laughed. Sam and Tucker looked at him, but couldn't hold their straight faces for long; another burst of laughter came.
"Time OUT!" the booming voice of ClockWork echoed through the motionless world.
The master of time floated to a stop in front of the boy in the middle of the trio. His eyes sparkled with life, joy, laughter, kindness, and, most importantly, love.
"Only 16, yet, despite having so few years, you, Daniel, have within you a Christmas spirit that the world has not had in years," ClockWork spoke to the unresponsive teen.
Creating a portal back to his castle, ClockWork moved the time-trapped teen into the Ghost Zone.
"Time IN!"
"Ha ha ha, Da-Danny. Danny! Danny, where are you?" Sam panicked the moment she noticed he'd disappeared.
"Danny!" Tucker joined her.
……ClockWork's Castle……
As soon as ClockWork placed the medallion around his neck, Danny came back to life.
"Ho ho ho ho-no. ClockWork, what's going on?" he asked as he took in his surroundings.
"I need to speak with you, Daniel, about something very important," ClockWork began, "Don't worry, it is not about him."
Danny looked relieved, "If it's not about him, what is it about?"
"A very important job," was his response, "You see Daniel, when you received your ghost powers, your hair could have turned any color in the ghost zone, but it turned into a very rare, white. Had you not chosen to protect your town and the people you love, this would have simply been an oddity. But, you did choose to be a hero, thus cultivating a heart of gold."
"I don't know about a 'heart of gold,' ClockWork, I've done some pretty rotten things," Danny said, humbly.
"Yet each time you have amended whenever you've been given the chance," ClockWork stated.
"I still don't get it, ClockWork, why is this so important?" he asked, confused. He paced around the large room in frustration. Why does he have to be so cryptic?
"Because, Daniel, only a ghost exhibiting these qualities may take on the position that now rightfully belongs to you," ClockWork explained.
"What position? What JOB!" Danny burst.
ClockWork maintained his calm and serious expression as he said, "The job of Santa Claus."
……Amity Park……
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Tucker said, exasperated.
"You're right; maybe he got home!" Sam exclaimed, heading for FentonWorks.
"Look! It's Jazz! Jazz!" Tucker yelled.
"Jazz!"
The older redhead pulled over to the flailing 16 year olds.
"Tucker? Sam? What's going on?" Jazz asked as her brother's friends got in.
"It's Danny; we can't find him," Sam told her.
"WHAT?" Jazz asked, alarmed.
"One second he's there, laughing with us, the next, he was gone!" Tucker explained.
"He may show up at FentonWorks; it's where we promised to meet if we ever got split up," Sam told her friend's sister. Jazz nodded.
……ClockWork's Castle……
"SANTA CLAUS! But I'm only 16!" Danny freaked.
"I know that you are young, but I can no longer act on your behalf. Indeed, you are the youngest Santa to ever take the job, but you would've been younger still, had I not convinced the Observants to allow you two more years of childhood," ClockWork calmed the young man.
Danny took a long deep breath to soothe his shaking nerves and to clear his mind. Okay Fenton, so you're Santa Claus. It'll take some getting used to, but, I'll manage…I hope.
"What do I do?" Danny accepted the new responsibility.
"First, you take the oath, then you have a decision to make," ClockWork answered, smiling.
"Okay," Danny agreed.
"Do you, Daniel Caleb Fenton Phantom, solemnly swear that the truth of your identity as Santa Claus will not pass from your lips, to human ears?"
Danny dropped his head, took a breath, then looked into ClockWork's eyes as he said with a heavy heart, "I swear."
"Do you swear to do all in your power to protect each child, naughty or nice?"
There was no doubt in his voice as he answered, "I swear."
"Do you swear that from this point on, no human will come to harm at your hand?"
"I swear."
"Do you swear to uphold the Christmas Truce?"
"I swear."
"Do you swear to never misuse your powers as Santa Claus?"
"I swear."
"Daniel Caleb Fenton Phantom, do you accept the powers and responsibilities of Santa Claus?"
"I accept," Danny said, finally. Before the oath, Danny hadn't expected any change other than being held to his word, but now he felt…different, in a good way. Happier, more confident. He felt right.
"You are now, officially, Santa Claus," ClockWork announced.
Danny looked up, "You said I had a decision to make, what do I have to decide?"
"Halfas have only existed for 22 years, and so they have not been addressed in the oath; you have to decide, are halfas humans or ghosts?"
After thinking for a few minutes, Danny said, "It's not my choice; it's theirs. I believe that they ultimately choose by their reactions. I am both, because I have an obsession, to protect those I care for, but it is not entirely selfish. Vlad's obsession is selfish, because he doesn't care about the effect his actions have on others; he is a ghost. Danielle only wants to survive; so far as I know, she has no obsession; she's human."
"Wisely said, Santa," ClockWork said.
"ClockWork, I know that I took an oath, and I plan on honoring it, but will I ever be able to tell anyone who I am?" Danny asked, sadly.
"One day," ClockWork told him, "And I will tell you when that day comes, but for now we have one final matter to discuss before you return to your home."
"And what is it?" Danny asked.
"The medallion that you are wearing now is different from the last one that you wore. Not only does it allow you to move outside of time, but if you turn the 'C' clockwise and say 'Time out' time will stand still for you, pushing it down and saying, 'Time in' will do the reverse," ClockWork explained.
Danny nodded, "Is there anything else?"
"The first year for you will be the hardest, because, not only will you feel the joy of every child, but their pain. It will feel as though your heart is breaking," ClockWork warned.
The young Santa nodded, grimly, "Thank you."
"Oh, and Santa," ClockWork smirked, "don't shave."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Danny smiled, "DANIELLE!"
All signs of a smile disappeared form Danny's face as he sensed that not all was right with his younger counterpart.
"This portal will lead you to her," ClockWork offered.
"Thank you!" Danny said as he flew through the portal.
Dani shivered uncontrollably as she stumbled behind a dumpster. She moaned, collapsing against the alley wall.
"Danielle!" Danny caught her as she fell to the ground. Quickly gathering the 14 year-old girl in his arms, Danny flew to the nearest hospital.
……………
A/N: That's it for this chapter, but more are soon to come. What do you think will happen to Danielle? Will Danny's family and friends figure out that he's Santa Claus? Tell me in a review and as alwaysALOHA!