The All Nighter Before Christmas
Author: Invader Johnny
Synopsis: Danny wakes up one Christmas, not in his house but soon he will find out that will be a good thing, Danny/Ember.
Disclaimer: I don't own DP, if I did then I would have sold the rights to the show to Cartoon Network along with Invader Zim.
Notes: In this story there will be a different take on the (sort of) enmity between Danny and Ember and to top it all off this slightly AU, so you can all expect a few surprises in this X-Mas one-shot.
Also, Danny is sixteen in this story while Ember is eighteen and finally Danny and Sam ARENT dating.
Darkness was all Danny could see or hear. When he opened his eyes, he didn't realize how painful it was to just even flutter. He groaned and sat up, he stared at the ceiling of the room he was in, it was gray and only illuminated by a single light bulb. He realized he wasn't in the streets of Amity Park anymore, the warm feeling of a bed told him that.
"What just happened?" our hero asked himself warily. "What? Now I can't even fly in peace anymore on Christmas? He sighed with frustration. Then he noticed that his stomach and chest were bandaged. He touched his face and felt a ban aid on his forehead. He ripped the bandages off and slowly but agonizingly put his feet onto the floor.
"Who did this to me?" Danny groaned "Damn it I'm going to be sore for a week!"
The teen then staged across the hallways, he saw a window and looked out of it, what he saw surprised him (just a bit). He was in the Ghost Zone.
"What the?" He gaped "How did I end in here?" but before he could think of a way out he heard a sarcastic familiar feminine voice.
"Nice to see you're finally awake."
Danny turned around to face Ember, his eyes fired with anger and his hands prepared to fire some ecto-blasts should the ghostly diva dared to attack him.
"Why did you bring me here?" He barked. "Seriously even if it is Christmas Eve I'll fight you if I have to!"
Ember rolled her neon green eyes "After the beating you took back on the human world dipstick? She asked sarcastically "I seriously doubt it."
"Be very careful what you say Ember" Danny warned "I might not have the strength to do much to you but I still have the Fenton Thermos and I can trap you there for a long time"
"Oh?" The dead teen asked smugly "You mean this thermos?"
She instantly got the item out of her back and tauntingly moved it in front of her enemy.
"What the... how did you...?"
"I took precautions" she answered "I wasn't exactly on the mood to the cramped in this little crap-hole of yours"
Danny's green eyes narrowed "That's it I'm kicking your ass!"
But just as he was about to take a step his knee went out and felled on the floor.
The halfa grabbed his hurt appendage as he hissed in pain.
"Oh this is just too perfect" Ember gloated "I could destroy you here and now and no one will ever know it was me!"
"And what's stopping you?" He snarled.
"Because you already had enough"
"Huh?"
She rolled her eyes yet again "Look, just because I hate you, doesn't mean I'm about to kill you, especially when you had gone through ten rounds with that psycho red huntress"
"Valerie,?" Danny though exasperatedly "Of course, she's the only one crazy enough to go ghost hunting on Christmas Eve!"
Why did you bring me here?" Danny asked but not as aggressive.
"Well I certainly wasn't about to leave you for death if that's what you're asking." Ember said. "After all if anyone has the right to waste you it's me!"
Danny glared at her coldly "You really don't know how to talk to people do you?"
She shrugged "Not like I really need to anyways"
"That really doesn't explain why you saved my life"
"Christmas truce"
Danny looked incredulously at her "There's a Christmas truce?"
"Boy, that red huntress must have given you a real run for your money" The older teen commented "Yes, there is one! That's why I saved you, when I saw that you were unconscious and that maniac girl tried to kill you with a crazy look I might add, I stepped in and saved your ass and brought you to my house in the Ghost Zone, I put you in the guest room in case you're wondering."
Ok now he felt somewhat awkward, He expected Sam or Tucker to help him when someone tried to maim him but Ember? Of All people? He sure felt like he was in some sort of twilight zone thing.
"How do I get back home?" Danny asked.
"Same way we all do go through that portal in your house Duh" Ember answered him as if he were a moron.
Danny turned his legs into a ghostly tail.
"Well this was fun" He said indifferently "But I'm sure you want me out of your hair so thanks for not killing me"
"Like you mean that" She said darkly.
"Like you care" He snapped back "So let's not do this again."
Ember materialized the upper half of Danny's jumpsuit "Here, you might want to put this before you leave"
He silently grabbed his piece of clothing from his enemy's hand.
Once Danny was ready he simply floated out of the room but before he could actually leave Ember's place he felt an arm on his shoulder, Danny groaned before meeting the eyes of the ghost girl.
In an annoyed tone he asked "What?"
"I gotta know, what the hell were you thinking fighting with that red huntress on today of all days?"
"It wasn't my choice I simply wanted to get out of my house for the night; I don't exactly like the holidays"
Ember raised an eyebrow "Seriously?"
"Seriously, anyways Valerie came out of nowhere and started to blast me simply because I don't deserve to exists" He finished the last part mockingly.
Ember felt sympathy towards him, "Listen, the thing is, everyone in the Ghost Zone is celebrating and I usually don't do much for the holidays since I'm Jewish"
Danny blinked "You are?"
"Yeah I am" She confirmed "So if you feel like staying here for a while until you have enough energy to fly safely to your dimension then that's fine with me"
Danny looked deep into her eyes, green eyes that sparkled with many deep emotions while his green eyes reflect one.
Distrust
But he sighed and said, "I don't see why not."
"Want to have a seat?" Ember questioned somewhat politely.
"I prefer to stand." Danny replied but then without any warning he collapsed out of tiredness.
"And you were planning to go home just now?" The blue headed ghost asked incredulously.
"I don't suppose you got anything to eat do you?" He asked lamely, in an attempt to change the subject
Ember made him a salad "Sorry, that's all I got, I been meaning to go out and get some food but who was the time? She asked rhetorically.
"That's ok; I guess it could be worse?"
"How?"
"Ever had a hot dog tried to eat you?"
"Jewish remember? And thank god no!"
"Oh... right"
Ember sat down and took a good look at her house guest. It was certainly quite the situation, neither sure what to say to the other after all they weren't exactly on the best of terms and here they were in the same room not trying to kill the other.
"So…" Danny couldn't really think of anything to say.
"Phantom… if you don't mind me asking, why do you hate Christmas?"
Danny was caught off guard by that question, but he answered it anyways
"Do you believe in Santa" He asked bitterly.
The diva looked at him as if he were crazy "Uh no, not really".
"Well my dad does and my mom doesn't so guess what goes on in my house each year"
"You're joking right?" She asked with a cruel smirk "Are you telling me that your folks actually fight over the existence of that red fat guy?"
"Yup" He answered then ate a bit of his salad "I kind of hate the holiday because of them; normally I spend the day at the mall or my room, as far away as I can from the annual holyday fight"
Ember laughs "Oh man I gotta see that next year!"
"It's not funny Ember!" He snarled.
She giggled good naturarelly "Sureeeeeeeeeeee it's not"
Danny grumbled something that sounded like "I hate Santa"
"Listen, I knew your family is full of weirdoes with you being the weirdest but the fact that two adults actually waste time on such a thing? Hilarious"
"It's more embarrassing than anything else" Danny admitted.
"Have you ever tried to make your old man believe otherwise?"
"Tried and failed, my dad just believes in the impossible sometimes"
"But you loved him" Ember pointed out. "Despite his many flaws and all"
"Of course I do!" Danny snapped "He's my dad! I mean he may not be perfect but he means well"
Ember grabbed some water and drank it but not before giving the halfa a bottle of water for himself.
"Thanks"
"Don't mention it"
"So uh Ember if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing all alone in Amity Park?"
"I wasn't"
"Huh?"
"I was in the cemetery visiting my parents' grave; it's something I do each year"
"Sorry I asked"
"It's alright." Ember said. "I hated them both, I simply visit out of respect for my grandparents, since they were the ones that really raised me, and the rents simply left me at their place because I was too much trouble"
"That's... sad" Danny said, he knew that not all families had the typical setting of loving parents but he never expected to hear this, specially from one of his enemies, he forgot that sometimes ghosts like Desiree, Johnny 13 and the diva in front of him had human lives before he met them.
But now he was going to think more about this..
She snorted coldly "Don't even know why they didn't leave me with my grandparents in the first place"
Danny awkwardly puts his hand behind his neck "Um, I had no idea"
Realizing she had unintentionally given away part of her past life to her enemy she menacingly said "This conversation stays between us... got it?"
"Crystal clear"
"Good"
Danny ate the rest of his salad quietly as he and Ember continued to make awkward conversation every few minutes.
It was Midnight when Danny decided to go home "My parents are going to kill me!"
"Maybe I can help you out… just this once"
"I'm not going to let you knock them out!"
She grinned "That's not what I had in mind but that is a good idea"
"EMBER!"
The girl laughed good humorlessly "Relax dipstick, that's not what I had in mind"
Danny sighed exhaustedly "I know I'm probably going to regret asking this but what did you have in mind?"
Ember smirked "My guitar"
"What about it?"
"I can make them think you were in your room the whole night while they were looking for you, it will be as if you were never gone"
"Really? He said in a mixture of surprise and suspicion "You can do that?"
"I wouldn't have offered if I couldn't"
"Um thanks I guess."
"Don't mention it… ever"
"Mention what?" Danny asked feigning ignorance.
Ember smirked "Exactly"
"Exactly what?"
She rolled her eyes "Ok stop that it's getting annoying"
"Ah but where's the fun in that?" Danny teased.
"Ok, can we go now?" Ember scowled "Before I change my mind!" The half ghost opened the front door and in a fake British accent he said "After you my lady"
"Stop that or I will hit you with my guitar!"
They both began to make their way towards the Fenton Portal.
"Erm Ember?"
"What dipstick?"
He smirked back "Couldn't resist could you?"
"Nope, so what you want?"
"This may sound weird but it's the best Christmas I had in a while and I guess what I'm trying to say is that… thank you… for the company and all"
Ember simply stared and after a while she said "Care to make this an annual thing?"
"What you mean?"
"Think of it as a brief Christmas reunion, just, the two if us, I mean you can get away from that crazy family of yours and I can actually have some company"
Danny smiled "I don't see why not"
As they made it to the portal they could both hear screaming coming all the way from the kitchen.
Danny slapped his forehead "I really hate this day".
Ember snickered while she got her guitar out, setting the buttons to do her desired action.
"That won't hurt them will it?" He asked suspiciously.
The ghostly diva raised an eyebrow "Christmas truce, remember? I know you don't trust me and the feeling is mutual but I don't break promises"
He crossed his arms "I don't think you will but I'm still watching you"
Ember opened her mouth, planning to say some cruel remark but stopped herself, without him knowing it, the ghost boy had given her an opening to mess with him.
With wicked delight she commented "Aww how cute, you wanna check me out"
The hybrid widened his eyes "WHAT? NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"
The blue haired girl pouted "Are you saying I'm not pretty?"
"That's not it either!" He defended himself "I think you're hot!"
Well this caught the dead teen of guard "You think I'm hot?"
"Uhhh"
"I was just trying to mess with you" Ember admitted "But did you actually just tell me that I'm hot?"
"Uhhh"
"Stop saying uhhh" She growled "It makes you sound like a fucking moron"
"Why are you so surprised?" He squeaked "I mean it's not like you haven't heard that before"
"Well yeah I have, but this is you… my enemy! why in the hell would you tell me that to my face?"
"I… Don't know" He said "It just came out, stuff like that usually happens when I try to talk to pretty girls"
Her jaw dropped "You did it again!"
"Well unlike you I'm not messing around!" He bellowed exasperatedly "I don't know why my mouth won't shut up, it's like someone else is controlling what I say!"
Ember crossed her arms "I think you need to get laid real bad"
"I'm sixteen!"
"So?"
"SO?" I… I… Shut up!"
"Ohhhhhhhh great comeback!" She applauded sarcastically, and with an evil grin she got closer to the boy, got her arms around his neck and kissed him.
At that moment without meaning to the rings came forth and turned human.
After a few minutes she pulled away.
The hybrid's eyes were not only the size of dinner plates but his jaw dropped to the floor "Wha… what was that?"
"I'm trying to loosen you up" Ember replied "I still think you need to get laid though"
"You're insane, you know that?"
"Says the son of the guy who believes in Santa"
Danny's cheeks turned red "Don't remind me" he said meekly.
Ember laughed "I don't know what's more fun beating you up or watching you squirm"
He glared daggers at his "guest".
"If I didn't know any better I think you want to be the one to get me laid" Danny mocked.
Ember blushed "Like hell I do!"
The boy grinned cruelly "Aww that's cute you want me to ravish you till you scream my name"
Ember's face became as red as a tomato "S-shut up!"
This time it was Danny who kissed her.
"I think I just shut you up" He said slyly.
She was indeed speechless, it was just too strange, here they were, two enemies under the same roof kissing.
And before she could say or do anything a new voice was heard which undeniably made both teens skin turn cold.
"Oh Danny here you are!"
The boy in question closed his eyes "Oh no"
Jazz looked at her brother and the ghost with a mixture of shock and amassment "So this is what you were doing the entire night?"
Realizing that he and Ember were still embracing he let her go like she was going to burn him, the diva pretty much did the same, neither making eye contact, deciding that the floor was much, much interesting.
The redhead yelled "MOM! DAD! I FOUND DANNY!"
Both adversaries' eyes widened for far too different reason.
"JAZZ NO!" Danny hollowed in horror.
"ARE YOU CRAZY KID?" Ember said at the same time in mild fear.
Soon enough footsteps where heard and none other than the Fenton parents where in the lab.
"Danny, where were you son? Jack questioned disappointedly "I need you as back up for the night! I been trying to convince you mom that Santa is coming!"
Ember blinked and looked at the younger teen.
"Thought I was lying huh?" Danny said with an embarrassed chuckled.
"For the last time Jack!" Maddie growled "Santa is not real!"
"And that's the attitude that will get you coal under the tree" The main said sourly.
"Ember?"
"Yeah dipstick?"
"Would you do me a favor and put me out of my misery?"
"I would have to reset my guitar for that" Ember said grimly.
At that moment both parents finally noticed the extra person in the lab but obviously they were too clueless to figure out what she really was.
"And who is this?" Maddie asked wonderingly.
"Uhh… Mom Dad this is Ember she is well…"
Jack grinned proudly at his son "Ah Danny-boy you got a girlfriend!"
This made both his son and the ghost diva scream "NO WAY! SHE/HE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND!"
Jazz smirked "Oh? If she is not your girlfriend why were you kissing her a minute ago Danny?"
"Whoa-what?" They bellowed "You saw that?"
"Ah ah ah Danny" His sister said while patronizingly moving her index finger "Don't think you change the subject"
Maddie was looking at Ember with troubled eyes "Do I know you?"
The ghost teen his her guitar behind her back, just because these people couldn't see a ghost when it was in front of them, it didn't meant they couldn't notice ghostly artifacts.
"I… I don't think so Ma'am" She nervously answered.
Danny raised an eyebrow at the blue haired girl "Ma'am?"
Ember glared daggers at him "What else am I suppose to call a ghost hunter" She whispered.
"Good point" He whispered back.
"How long have you two been down here?" Maddie asked suspiciously at her son.
"Uh well… you see mom it's like this Ember and me were just…"
But before he could say anything more a pink ecto-wave came their way and the three eldest Fenton were knocked out cold.
Danny's eyes widened in horror and sharply looked at the one who shot the energy.
Ember strapped her guitar to her back and mockingly bowed at the boy "Your welcome dipstick"
"What… what did you do?"
"I kept my promise duh" She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "I wiped their minds, when they make up they won't remember a thing, oh how I wish I could"
"What?" Danny asked perplexed "You don't wanna remember spending time with me?"
"NOT THAT!" She screeched "I mean meeting your parents and sister, I can see why you wanna stay away from them this day"
"Oh" He said sheepishly "You could have told me that before giving me a heart attack"
"I could have" She said "But then it wouldn't be fun to see you piss your pants"
"You're insane"
"And damn proud of it"
After putting his parents and sister to bed, Danny and Ember had the house to themselves.
The dead girl was watching the snowflakes falling while Danny silently ate some leftover turkey.
"You know, this is the first time I seen snow since I was alive" Ember said trying to break the silence.
"And this is the first Christmas I ever had where the entire house is silent" Danny said with mild enjoyment "Gotta thank you for that"
Ember didn't say anything for a while but after several minutes she phased out of the house.
"EMBER!"
For the second time that night he turned into Phantom and followed her out of his house.
"How where did she go?"
The answer came soon enough in the form of a snowball hitting him in the head.
"HEY!"
The diva giggled "How you liked that Phantom?"
"Oh you want a battle huh?" He asked in mock anger "Then you'll get one!"
He sure kept that promise because soon enough he brought forth his ice powers, making a snowball the size of a tire.
Ember gaped and was met with the sad fate of being hurled into the snowy street with the giant snowball.
Danny landed in front of the girl who groaned.
"You all right?" He asked concerned.
"You cheated!" She snarled getting up from the floor as she got the snow out of her face, shoulders and mouth.
"How did I cheat?"
Ember's eyes turned green with anger "You used your powers, that's not fair!" She pouted "I didn't use mine to make a snowball!"
The hero raised an eyebrow "Since when do you play anything in human terms?"
"Since its Christmas and I want to!" She retorted "So you lost the first snow battle for cheating!"
"Hey now that's not fair, I wasn't even aware of this being a game to you so I didn't lose, we're starting over and this time I'm not using my ice powers"
Ember grinned "Prepare to eat my dust baby pop"
Danny mockingly sneered "Funny, I think you just tasted my victory"
"I'm going to make you eat those words Phantom"
"Oh yeah?" He taunted "You and what army?"
"This army!" The ghost yelled as she grabbed him by the neck and launched him into the streets.
"AHHH"
He unceremoniously hit the street with his face but before he could get up a snowball hit him in the back of the head, he turned around to face his adversary, sadly another snowball hit him.
"Ugh" Danny groaned, getting the snow out of his face, he was meet with a playful Ember pouting, holding another ball of snow.
"What should I do with this snowball?" She pretended to think "Oh I know "Hit the guy who cheated!"
Ember forcefully threw the ball.
Danny who saw it coming this time dodged it and triumphantly yelled "HA!"
His victory was short lived since he jumped right into a bit of ice and felled.
"Ow"
The ghost diva walked towards him and looked down at the teen with enjoyment "HA!" She repeated.
Danny growled "This… isn't… over!"
"Your right" She agreed sweetly.
The girl got yet another snowball that she hid in her back and carelessly threw it at his face.
He spits the snow out of his mouth while glaring at the blue haired teenager who was smugly looking down at him.
"Now round one is over" Ember said "And oh I think, I think I made you eat your words"
"Cheater" The ghost boy muttered.
"I know you are but what am I?" She childish taunted.
"Still a cheater"
After three more rounds both teenagers were exhaustedly sitting in the stairs of Fenton Works.
"So Phantom, what time is it?"
Danny shrugged "I don't know but I don't think it matters since neither of us is getting any sleep tonight"
"Guess your right"
Ember got closer to the halfa.
"Uhhh what are you doing?"
"Resting"
And she did just that, she rested her head in Danny's shoulder.
After several seconds of awkward silence, the boy wrapped his arm around the older teen's waist.
"This is... nice" both of them thought.
"So Ember, what else you have planned for the night?"
She quizzically gazed at the boy "Why ask me, I'm your guest, shouldn't I be asking you that?"
He chuckled "Normally that would be the case but I think since you started this meeting you should be the one to finish it"
Ember raised an eyebrow "You're just saying that because you have no idea what else to do, right?"
"You caught me" Danny said sheepishly. "I never been much of a Christmas person remember? So I really have no idea what to do next"
"I don't even celebrate the holiday and I'm the one running the show" Ember dryly commented "And I think that reeks"
"How does that reek?" The half-ghost asked in confusion "I think your doing a good job, aside from blasting my family that is but other than that I'd say this is the best Christmas I had in a long time"
"It reeks because I'm the one who's going to have to plan this night for next year!"
"Let's not look that far ahead" Danny said in a tone that was meant to calm her down "First of all this night is not even over so let's go inside I think I know what we can do next"
"Oh?"
Danny got up from the frozen stairs "Yup. I think you're going to like what I have planned"
He lifted Ember bridal style, phasing them both into his house.
The hero whispered into her ears "Consider yourself Ember McLaid"
That was all the information the dead teen needed.
Ember grinned "I did say you needed to get laid"
"So you still run the show"
Early the following morning both of them were walking down to the Fenton Portal, Danny limping while Ember groaned in pain.
"I can't believe we didn't do it in your bed" Ember hissed.
"What?" Danny asked "We couldn't do it in my room, someone could have heard us"
"And the RV was the best place you could think of dipstick?"
"Trust me, no one will know we were there" Danny said blushing.
"For our sake I hope your right" Ember mutters "I don't think your parents would be very happy about their precious vehicle being the breeding grounds of dead people"
Danny snickered.
"Thank you Ember"
"For what?"
"For giving me a Christmas that didn't suck"
She smirked "So, same time next year?"
"I'm not sure"
"Why not?"
"First of all because I want to know what we are... are we still… enemies? Friends?... More?"
"I don't really know" She admitted slowly "I mean we did just sleep together and we're not even dating!"
"I think we went to fast back there"
"At least you did" Ember said impressed.
He rubbed the back of his neck nervously "Yeah… sorry I got... carried away"
"I bet you did" She slyly said "But how about this, we call the enmity off and after we figure out what to do next you give me call"
"Deal"
"Good"
Danny walked towards the console, pushed a few buttons to open the portal so Ember could go home.
After several beeps, the portal opened.
"Guess I'll see you around" The hero said nervously.
"Like you didn't do too much of that last night" Ember told him sexily.
"Well… you're the one to talk!"
"Chill baby pop I'm just teasing" She said while laughing.
"Danny your done there?" Jazz's voice was heard.
"Well I better go, thanks for the night Phantom"
"You too"
Ember walked towards the portal but just as she was about to jump in, she turned around and gave the boy a passionate kiss on the lips.
As she parted, he looked at the ghost with puzzlement "What was that for?"
"Something to remember me by" She answered.
And with that, she took her leave.
The portal closed soon after.
Which was right in the nick of time, since Jazz just entered the lab at that very moment, only to be greeted by the sight of her little brother in ghost mode and in his underwear.
"Uh Danny"
"Yeah, Jazz?"
"Where are your pants?"
Breakfast for the Fenton Family was like any other day, except Danny was sleeping on the kitchen's with a half eaten sandwich on his hand and his parents weren't building any sort of ghost catching device, believing that this morning was meant to spent as much time as possible with their children.
Jazz on the other hand was just getting the morning paper, she still hasn't gotten any sort of answer out of her brother but soon enough she wasn't going to need one out of him.
She looked at the front page and her jaw dropped.
"Oh this is bad"
She re-entered her house with the intention of talking to the half-ghost.
After lying to her parents about seeing a ghost on the streets which they undeniably couldn't resist to go after, she and her brother were alone.
"Danny"
He snored.
"Danny"
Drool came out of his mouth.
"DANNY!"
She threw water at his face.
"GAH!"
"Glad you're awake" The redhead said dryly.
"What is it Jazz?" Danny grouched "Don't you see I'm trying to sleep?"
"Well too bad you're not going to sleep for a while"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about this!"
She showed her brother the main article of "The Amity Angle"
"What?" He asked confused "It's just a photo of me and OH MY GOD!"
He grabbed the newspaper out of his sister's hands.
"Oh crap" He cursed, his skin turning pale.
Jazz crossed her arms "Want to explain that?"
Danny was seeing a photo of his alter ego and Ember McLain in a snowball fight.
The words "DANNY PHANTOM HAS A GIRLFRIEND?" were in big bold letters.
Jazz narrowed her eyes, waiting for some sort of answer from her brother "Well? How did this happen?"
"I think the most important question is who took the photo and how I can rip him apart molecule by molecule!" Danny snarled.
"It doesn't matter" The redhead snapped "The damage has been done"
"Great now everyone is going to think me and Ember are together, how could this get any worse?"
As if the devil was taunting him, his cell phone ranged, he reached for it and saw who was calling him.
"Sam"
He gulped.
"Well Ember I hope you want company cause I'm about to turn completely ghost" He thought grimly.
And that my friends is my Danny/Ember Christmas one-shot, I know it seems horrible how I left it but I decided to leave the rest to your imagination, it is best to give my readers a reason to let their imagination wonder.
Plus I love to torture you all from time to time.
Well do review and tell me watcha thought,
Plus I want to wish all my readers out there a Merry Cristmas.
Invader Johnny Signing Off.