Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom or any character from the series. Some characters on this fic belong to DPcrazy and were first utilized in 'Adventures after a Mistake'.
The Body Swap
Shadow was flying through Amity Park looking for ghost activity when his ghost sense goes off. He notices a green-skinned ghost wearing a red cape and cowl leaving the jewelry shop and decides to stop her for questioning.
"Looking for something special, Little Red Riding Ghost?" Shadow asks.
Upon closer inspection, the ghost boy (Danny is now too old to called 'boy' again, remember?) notices she has tatoos covering her body and that such tatoos can be used by her as weapons. They battle until she uses her tatoos to create a tornado that threw him into the jewelry shop. The police arrives seeing him and believing he was a thief. Shadow simply uses his intangibility to escape leaving lots of jewels in the floor.
"What about we snatch some jewels, destroy the surveillance camera and frame Shadow?" A cop suggests.
"You're under arrest." A second cop replies.
At night, the Fentons are watching the news and learn about what happened.
"The infamous ghost boy known as Shadow attempted a robbery at a local jewelry shop when he was stopped not by our local ghost heroes but by the police." A reporter says.
"It reminds me about the time when I was trying to stop Freakshow's mind-controlled ghosts from stealing jewels. The cops thought I was stealing them." Danny says.
"Dad, it's not the same thing. Shadow is Evil." Abby says.
"We were also informed that one of the cops planned to steal the jewels Shadow left behind and let everyone blame him but he was arrested for that." The reporter says.
"Hey, it also happened back then." Danny says.
"The security cameras also revealed another ghost invaded the jewelry shop and left with a pendant before Shadow appeared." The reporter says.
Danny sees the images. "Hey, it's Lydia, the Tatooed Lady Ghost."
"Do you know her, Dad?" Jake asks.
"She was one of those ghosts I've mentioned before." Danny answers.
"Do you think this Freakshow brainwashed her again?" Jake asks.
"Last time I checked it out he didn't need to do it. He somehow managed to earn her loyalty." Danny says.
"And what happened to the other ghosts he used to control?" Abby asks.
"I dunno." Danny says. "I've never heard any news from them since they became free from Freakshow's power."
"And who exactly is this Freakshow?" Jake asks.
"A crazed ringleader whose family kept a traveling circus by using a magic staff to control ghosts and force them to entertain people." Danny answers. "Not content with that Freakshow utilized his brainwashed ghosts for robberies until I got on his way."
"I bet this Freakshow is behind this." Abby says.
"But, Abby. If he's really behind this he must have a big agenda to have Lydia stealing just a medallion instead of all jewels on display." Jake decudes.
"You're right, Jake." Danny says. "That's why I asked your Mom to check out in her supernatural knowledege."
"Supernatural knowledege?" Abby asks.
"I'm a goth." Sam replies. "I've always been interested in studying the supernatural."
"It's late. Jake and I must rest so we can fish together tomorrow." Danny says.
"But we're just taking pictures with the fish and then release them." Jake says. He's a vegetarian like his mom.
In the next morning, Danny and Jake are in Lake Eerie fishing when a bunch of green flying tatoos appeared and later revealed Lydia.
"Dad, it's the Little Red Riding Ghost!" Jake says.
"Her name is Lydia, Jake. But I admit you made quite a good choosing for a name." Danny says.
Danny goes ghost and battles Lydia while Jake, believing nobody was watching, also goes ghost. Shadow then hits Lydia with an Ecto-ray while she was distracted with Danny. She then is sucked into a Fenton Thermos 2.0 invented by Matt Foley. Unfortunately for Danny, Freakshow took advantage of this moment to trap him into a blue beam coming from the pendant stolen from the museum. Trying to release Danny from that, Shadow tries to pull him away but ends up being hit as well. Both half-ghosts are suddenly released from the beams and fall unconscious, reverting back to their human selves. When the Fenton Thermos 2.0 hits the floor Lydia was released. Danny is the first one to wake up.
"It'll take a whole day to recharge the medallion, Lydia. We'd better run away." Freakshow says.
"Oh, no." Danny says. "I'm going ghost." He then tries to hit them with an Ecto-ray. Not only he fails but also notices something strange. "Why is my Ecto-ray red?" Looks around his body and scared by what he sees he decides to see his reflection at the lake. "Oh, no! I'm Shadow!?"
Danny then looks around and sees his body still unconscious. Not being able to wake 'him' up he decides to look for Jake asking for help but changes his mind believing Jake would still be afraid of Shadow because of when he was manipulated by Plasmius into kidnapping Jake. Out of curiosity, Danny decides to remove his/Shadow's bandana to see what the mysterious ghost boy's face looks like and gets another shock with what he discovers.
Danny reverts back from Shadow to Jake and starts wondering how his son got his powers, why he looks different and why did he keep the secret from him. Danny understand keeping the secret from Abby and the Huntresses but not from him. Jake wakes up.
Jake sees his body standing in front of him. "Who are you? How can I stand there if I'm here?"
"I am Danny Fenton." Danny explains. "Freakshow used that locket to swap bodies with me but instead placed you in my body, Jake. Or should I call you Shadow?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jake lies so bad as his Dad used to.
"I'm in your body, son. How long did you think it would take until I figured it out?" Danny asks.
"Fine, Dad. You caught me, but could we get our bodies back before I explain whatever questions this discovery will lead you into?" Jake asks.
"Fine." Danny answers. "But just to avoid confusion you must tell me who else knows the secret."
Jake: "I told Matt right after I became Shadow and would tell Tori later but she became too trigger-happy on me. Aunt Dani discovered the truth the last time she visited us. That's all." Jake explains.
Danny's cell phone rings and Jake answers as his father.
"Danny, I've found out what the pendant is for." Sam says.
"It makes people swap bodies." Jake says.
Sam gasps. "How did you know?"
"Freakshow tried to use it on Dad but now I am Dad and Dad is me." Jake says.
"Please tell me you're Danny and that this is a cruel joke." Sam says.
Before Jake replies, Lydia's tatoos abduct his mother and Freakshow grabs the phone.
"Listen here, I initially wanted Danny's body but now I know Jake Fenton is also a half-ghost I want Jake's body instead. Bring it by the next morning to the train station where my circus train stopped while performing in Amity Park or you'll never see your Samantha back." Freakshow demands.
In the next morning, Danny (still in Jake's body) goes to meet Freakshow.
"My son's body is here, Freaksow. Now give me Sam back."
Lydia shows a tied up Sam and Freakshow hits Danny with the pendant's blue beam. Jake (as Danny Phantom) appears and tries to get his body back but Lydia battles him. It seemed Freakshow would get Jake's body until Abby distracts Lydia giving Jake enough time to get it back. While father and son are unconscious Abby, Val and Tori capture Lydia and Freakshow. Danny later takes Jake to a private place so they can talk about what the earlier of the two had discovered during that mess.
"Jake, now it's time for you to tell me how you got your powers and why did you keep it a secret."
"I was jealous of my sister so I entered the Fenton Portal trying to become Jake Phantom and use the got-the-powers-late-excuse to avoid telling about using the portal but I became an un-Phantom-like ghost form instead. Because I didn't want to admit I used the portal I decided to help without revealing my identity so I wore the cape and the bandana to avoid recognition. Abby's and Tori's presumption of Shadow being Evil just reinforced my fear of revealing my secret identity."
"I accepted you as an ally." Danny says. "You yet refused to tell me just to avoid telling me that you used the portal?"
"No. I no longer mind about that. The problem now is that I'm afraid you're gonna tell Abby and the Huntresses and they'll keep hunting me after that. I'm also afraid Mom's reaction. Please don't tell them or anybody else for that matter."
"Jake, you don't need to keep it a secret. Believe me, I was once afraid my parents would tear me apart molecule by molecule but it turns out their love for me is stronger than their hatred of ghosts. Tell them the secret and if they still try to hurt you because of that they'll have to face my wrath." Danny says.
"Thanks, Dad, but I still prefer to keep my secret."
"I respect that, Jake. Let's then schedule a day for practice."
THE END
The idea of Danny and Jake swapping bodies while on a fishing trip is DPcrazy's but she didn't implement it for her 'Adventures after a Mistake'. The way the idea was developed in my fic is mine. Please review.