Hi, everyone! I am really excited to be sharing my first Danny Phantom fanfic with you guys. I have been mulling over this idea for quite some time, but only now pushed pen-to-paper (or, really, fingers-to-keyboard). Let me know what you think! I hope to update this once a week.

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom was created by Butch Hartman and owned by Nickelodeon.

"Life is an ever-shifting kaleidoscope – a slight change, and all patterns alter." – Sharon Salzberg

This is not how my life was supposed to turn out. The same thoughts echoed their way through Danny's mind as he slowly made his way up the steps of his childhood home, all the while carrying a box of his personal belongings. This is so not how I expected my life to turn out.

And it wasn't.

Danny Fenton had always pictured himself having the perfect life. Well, maybe not perfect, but as close to perfection as he could get it to be. The raven-haired boy imagined himself graduating college with honors and moving on to a life as a full-fledged astronaut, ready to explore the depths of space. He wanted nothing more than to learn the secrets of the cosmos – the secrets that made his blue eyes twinkle with a mix of fascination and curiosity whenever they searched the stars of the nighttime sky.

Though not as thorough of a planner as his older sister, Jazz, Danny would be lying if he said that he never made plans or goals regarding his future. By now, he was supposed to be living in what he would have proudly deemed "The Fenton Bachelor Pad," which he had hoped would be overlooking one of the many sandy beaches in Florida, close to the space center. Probably one of the smaller beaches that didn't attract too many tourists during Florida's usual peak seasons. The last thing Danny would have wanted was to wake up every night to the sound of the dog he always wanted barking at the high-spirited teens partying away obnoxiously.

Actually, no, the last thing Danny would have wanted was exactly what was transpiring right now – the reality that all of his plans were nothing more than mere daydreams thought up by a kid who already bit off more than he could chew before he had even turned 15. Wishful thinking, he would have called it if not for the fact that he learned long ago to stop using what he now claimed as "the 'W' word," thanks to a certain ghost that was known for her destructive wish-granting capabilities.

Ghost.

More often than he would like to admit, that word left such a bitter taste in Danny's mouth that it could only rival sucking on the sourest of lemons. Most people would assume that this was because of his upbringing. How can one live with parents whose primary goal is to capture and dissect ectoplasmic entities without sharing their hatred for such unnatural creatures? It would only make sense for Danny to want all "spooks," as his father comically called them, disposed of. Except he didn't.

Sure, they were annoying and obsessive when it came to their attempts to take over the world and wreak havoc on the living population. Hell, most ghosts were pettier than the A-Listers that bullied Danny all throughout high school, and they could even be just as egotistical. But he didn't hate ghosts. He couldn't, even though they were mostly the blame for why Danny Fenton was now, at the ripe age of 24, moving back in with his parents after flunking out of college again.

No matter how badly the young male wanted to hate the ghosts for terrorizing the town on a regular basis, he knew deep down that he just couldn't. To hate ghosts would be like hating part of himself – or half of himself, to be more precise – and Danny wasn't one to forego years of protecting the town he grew up in and the struggles he faced with just accepting his alter-ego's responsibilities that were brought upon him at the tender age of 14 just because he couldn't live out his fantasies of a more glamorous, or even normal, lifestyle. He was Phantom, for Pete's sake, and he wouldn't change that for the world.

Even though this is totally unfair, Danny thought ruefully as he shifted the weight of the box to his left and began to open the door to Fenton Works. Normally he would feel pangs of nostalgia whenever he entered the red cobblestone building, but this time was different. This time, he walked in feeling unattached to the home he spent the first 18 years of his life residing, knowing full and well that it was definitely not a luxurious bachelor pad with a beachfront view.

"Mom? Dad? I'm home," he loudly announced while moving onward to the kitchen and placing the box on the table. Knowing they were probably downstairs in the lab, Danny made his way to the counter where a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies were sitting. "Don't mind if I do," he murmured while reaching for the delicious confection, only to have his hand smacked away and a very manly shriek leave his lips.

"Daniel James Fenton, what have I told you about eating dessert before dinner?!" His mother chided from behind as the younger Fenton grimaced at the use of his full name.

Yep, totally unfair. Turning around, Danny forced a smile onto his face as he inwardly tried to ignore the fact that he was being reprimanded like a guilty child who's hand was literally caught in a cookie jar. "Uh, hey mom. Sorry about that."

Maddie's glare softened into a smile as she reached forward to give her youngest child a hug. "It's okay, sweetie. I just wanted you to have room for dinner; I'm making your favorite, just as soon as your father and I finish configuring the latest upgrade to the Fenton Thermos," the auburn woman explained.

"New upgrade?" Danny inquired, not sure if he should be excited for his parents or worried for his safety.

"That's right! Not only will we be able to capture ghosts from a greater distance, this new upgrade should also allow the Fenton Thermos to activate automatically just at the presence of a ghost! Isn't this exciting?" she beamed proudly at her son.

"Yeah, mom, it sure is," the blue-eyed boy answered while nervously running a hand through his hair before silently adding, even though it's probably going to blow my secret or randomly trap me until someone eventually empties it.

"So, how was the trip?"

Before Danny could answer, a small explosion was heard along with an "Oops!" from his father.

"Maddie! Where's the Fenton fire extinguisher?" Jack Fenton boomed frantically.

Sighing, the Fenton matriarch walked to one of the cabinets and opened it, revealing a neon green fire extinguisher with Jack Fenton's face stickered on the side. "Coming, dear," she yelled before turning back to her son with an apologetic smile. "Why don't you get settled in and then I'll make you some tea?"

"Yeah, okay. I'll finish unloading my stuff from the car," Danny replied as he watched his mom run off to the basement before bringing his attention back to the box sitting on the table, frowning. I guess I may as well bring this upstairs. But first…

Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, Danny turned back to the plate of cookies. I doubt she would notice just one missing, he thought while grabbing one of the sweets with a silent promise of not leaving a single crumb of evidence.