Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom
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„blah blah...", speaking
'blah blah...', thinking
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Please Review and please don't hold back. Tell me if something bothered you, I can handle the truth.
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Hey there. This is a prequel, which was a request, to how Danny raised Michelle/Ember in Through Hell To Love. I hope you will like it.
But don't rip my head off since the first chapter is pretty much identical to the original with some extra infos on how things went for them back then.
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Danny POV
I was sitting in a bar drinking my third bottle of whiskey.
'This mission is a waste of time. Why didn't Cassi let me waste the guy? With that our mission would be already completed. But NOOOO! He is a human. A life worth saving, you can't just kill him because he is supposed to become evil! What the crap? Not like I didn't already kill dozens of people to ensure the sucess of our missions. And now she even locked me out of our apartment. Damn...', I sight at my mental turmoil.
„... guess I will have to find a place to sleep till Cassi calms down or else I will have to sleep on the street.", I sighed again and didn't notice that I said it out loud.
The woman to my left poked me and as I turned to her she gave me a smug smile while holding up her drink.
„Hey cutey wanna stay over at my place?", she asked.
„What?... Oh did I say that out loud?", I rubbed the back of my head sheepish.
„Yeah you did cutey. So do you wanna or not?", she smiled.
„Guess it can't hurt to go with a lovely lady like yourself.", I also smiled.
'What am I talking there? This isn't like me... or at least not the me of this timeline... must be the whiskey.', I thought and now I noticed that the world around me was already a bit blurry.
With that I paid for my and her drink and together we wobbled out of the bar, towards her home. It took us half an hour to get there because she, just like me was totally drunk. When we finally got there she fought against the urge to vomit while trying to find her keys. I was tired of this and simply phased us through the door and guided her to her bathroom. She didn't even noticed that we just went through her door without opening it.
I left her in the bathroom and dat down on her couch and began to doze of as I felt arms wrapping around my neck. Instinctive I grabbed the arms and threw person over me and on the couch, while I stood above it. Then I noticed that I just attacked the woman who took me in. Luckily she was to drunk to notice and began to giggle. I helped her up again but she lunged forward and before I could react she was already on me, kissing me.
'HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Danny you have to fi... oh who cares...', my thoughts trailed off as both of us lost ourself in pure instinct.
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I woke up with a mayor headache.
„What did I drink last night to give ME a hangover?", I asked no one in particular.
Then I noticed something. I was in a bed. A bed I didn't remember getting into. In a room I didn't know, together with a naked woman I didn't know.
„Oh crud...", I whispered and slipped out of bed.
Fast I picked up all my clothes and put them on. Then I went back to the bed. I took a business card of a contact man of mine from my pocket and wrote
Sorry that I had to leave. If you ever get
in trouble call this number.
The man is a friend of mine and will contact me,
I put the card on her nightstand and phased out of her apartment invisible.
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Sandra POV
So weak. My legs are shaking. I can't even walk steady. I have to get to him. He can help me. He has to help us.
I staggered through the streets towards the only person who could help me. My just born baby pressed against my chest.
My breath was heavy. My chest was tight. Sweat poured down my body. I'm dying and I know it. I have to get to the recording studio. Michael can help me. He promised it.
Finally after endless hours I reached my destination. Right before me was Micheal's tone studio. Just barely I reached the door and pressed the doorbell.
The door opened and a fat man stepped outside. He wore a black tux and had a huge cigar in his mouth. He eyed me suspicious.
„What can I do for you?", he asked in a way I didn't think possible.
His voice was soft and warm despite his appearance which screamed mafia from every fiber of his body.
„I'm... searching for Michael... I was told... he could help me...", I pated.
„I'm Michael. Who said I could help you?", he asked as he crouched down to look me in the eyes.
„I... don't know his name... he gave me your card... with a message... that if I ever get into trouble... you could help me.", my chest began to tighten again.
„Oh? May I see that card?", he eyed me wary as if he didn't believe me.
Straining my sore body I searched through my jeans pocket for the card and finally found it. Careful not to wake my baby I handed him the card. He looked at the card itself unimpressed but as he turned it around his face froze. Something had caught his eye.
„You said a man gave you this card?", he inquired.
I only nodded since I was getting weaker by the minute. I could feel my end coming closer.
„Please... take my child... she's his daughter... please bring her to him...", I pleaded as I carefully handed my child over to the shocked man.
Darkness began to engulf me but I knew my child would be safe with her father caring for her. I accepted death's embrace.
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Michael POV
I was utterly confused. Just now a strange woman handed me a child, telling me it was from my pal Danny and then died on my doorstep.
„Damn what is going on here?", I muttered to myself as the bundle in my arms began to stir.
The little girl began to cry and I was at loss for options. I never had held a child in my arms before so naturally I was confused. Then I had a good idea.
„Anne come here. I need some help!", I called into the building.
A minute later my assistant Anne came to me and stared at me in shock.
„Boss... What's this about?", she eyed me, the crying child and the dead woman.
„It's not what you think. This woman said this child is Danny's and died as she gave it to me. And I have no idea on how to handle children. Please tell me you have an idea?", I explained the situation.
Without hesitation she stepped forward and grabbed the child of my arm and began to cradle her carefully.
„Hey there you little one. Are you crying because of your mother? Now now... don't cry anymore. We will bring you to your papa.", she soothed the child and it actually worked.
The girl calmed down somewhat.
„Ok you handle the baby and I will call the cops about this incident. We won't tell them about the child. I just hope Danny comes by soon.", I explained as I seached the woman's purse for certain documents.
But I found only one of them. Her ID-card I found but no birth certificate, just a sheet of paper with a date.
ID-Card: Sandra Beringwood
Sheet of paper: Birth: 15. January 1971
„I guess that's her birthdate.", I muttered.
„I will use some contacts to forge a real certificate and then she can have a normal live with Danny as soon as he comes by.", I stated and made my way to the phone to call the police.
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Danny POV
„God how I missed you 1971.", I said as I flew over New York.
„Danny don't forget that we are only here to check on your contacts and go for our next mission.", Cassi said with a stern voice.
„Oh come on Cassi. This is one of the greatest times ever.", I exclaimed and dive bombed on a tone studio.
Cassi followed me with a 'whatever' expression and we phased inside the building. There in a big leather chair sat a middle aged fat man. He gave us a warm smile as he saw us.
„Ah Danny, Cassi. It's good to see you again.", the man exclaimed and walked over to us.
„Hey Michael what's up old man?", I snickered.
We shook hands and talked over our little adventures and how we have been.
„Say is there anything I should know about? Clockwork looked quite pissed when he said to come back and check if something has happened.", I asked curious why the old time ghost was so pissed at me.
„Yeah there is something...", Michael trailed off while searching for the right words.
„So? Spill it. It can't be that horrible or shocking right?", I gave him a questioning look.
Michael looked really uncomfortable and looked at me, then at Cassi, then to the ground.
„There was a woman...", he began and I for some reason also became uneasy.
„...she brought a child to me... saying it was yours...", he looked up.
I looked at him dumbfounded.
„Oh a child if that's the... WHAT!", I yelled.
„Yeah. She brought her over before she died two weeks ago.", Michael stuttered as we felt Cassi's anger rise.
„DANNY! YOU INTEREFERED WITH THE TIMELINE!? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?", she yelled as she jumped at me to strangle me.
„Cassi... Cassi get off me.", I sad as I pushed her off me.
She jumped back and began to fume in the other corner of the room. She knew that she couldn't beat me in strength and intellect so she obvious began to make a plan to kcik my ass somehow. I ignored her and turned back to Michael.
„How dis this woman come to the conclusion that it's my child?"
„She had one of my business cards with a message. The handwriting of the message was definitely yours.", Michael explained.
My stomach sunk to my knees and my blood ran cold. It was her. The woman from that bar. I facepalmed.
„God damn it. I hoped it wouldn't come to this.", I said as I sank in a chair.
„So you know her?", my contact asked curious.
„Yeah it was during our last visit that Cassi and I had a small fight over my methods to fulfill our mission. In that night I went to a bar to get a drink. Most likely I was so drunk that I went with some woman and the rest I leave up to your imagination. In the morning I left her your card and went on with my mission. I didn't thnk something like that would happen.", I sigh after I explained the story to the other two.
„Guess that's why Clockwork was so pissed at me.", I sigh again and leaned back in my chair.
Silence fell upeon the room. No one dared to say something. Even Cassi forgot her plans to kick my butt. She knew what would happen from now on and she wasn't pleased at all.
„Can't Clockwork rewind time and stop you before doing it?", Michael broke the silence.
I shook my head. „No. He can but he won't do it. He probably wants to make an example on me so that I will never do something like this again.", I explained.
„What does that mean?", Michael was confused.
„Trust me you don't want to know.", Cassi said as she came up to me and putting a hand on my shoulder.
„So where is my child?", I asked dry.
Michael went wordless to the next room and came back a few minutes later with a small baby. The little one squeaked as he handed her to me. She snuggled up to my chest and looked at me with her big blue eyes. I cradled her a bit before looking up to Michael who smiled at me.
„Does she have a name?", Cassi asked beside me as she watched the little baby in my arms.
„No her mother never named her or at least didn't tell it to me.", he said.
„Where is she anyway?", I asked a bit concerned.
„She... died on my doorstep shortly after she handed me her child.", he fought with himself to word it.
We all looked at the little girl in my arms and went silent.
„Michelle.", Cassi broke the silence.
„What?", I asked a bit confused.
„Her name... Michelle. I think that's a cute name.", she stated.
„That's really a beautiful name.", Michael agreed and I looked down at my daughter.
„Michelle Phantom. I like it. So what do you think my little girl?", I asked the now named Michelle.
She squeaked happy and pulled on my long white hair, that covered her here and there.
„I think she likes it.", Cassi stated happy.
„So what now? You take her back to your timeline?", Michael asked.
„No we can't do that. We are not allowed to remove someone from their timeline without Clockwork's permission.", Cassi explained while I cradled my child.
„We have to stay here and raise her till the time has come.", I stood up and faced Michael.
„I know it's quiet much to ask but do you think that you could get us a apartment to live in?", I asked.
„Oh that won't be a problem man. I have a unused apartment in the city. You can use it if you want.", Michael laughed.
„You are the best Michael. I woe you big time for that.", I laughed and shook his hand.
„Guess we will live in Miami for a while.", Cassi sighed and looked down on michelle who already was sleeping in my arms,
„She must really like you. Maybe she knows you are her father by instinct.", Michael stated as he pulled a key forth from one of the many drawers in his desk.
„Maybe. It could be that she inherited some of Danny's powers. Though they must be dormant since I can't feel anything from her.", Cassi shrugged while michael wrote something down.
„Here are the keys to the apartment and the adress. I will send you her birth certificate once it's finished. If you need something just call. It's fully furnished. Maybe a bit dirty by the lack of use but still a good place.", Michael explained as he handed Cassi the key and the adress on a sheet of paper.
„We owe you big time Michael. Thank you for everything.", I said and we left the building.
„You think she will forgive us for what will happen to her?", Cassi asked as he flew over Miami invisible.
„I don't know but I don't think that she will ever forgive me. Since she is my daughter she will become a ghost for sure and when that happens she will probably haunt me for all eternity.", I sighed.
„And if we just don't tell her the truth?", Cassi asked.
I gave her a are you serious look.
„No I can't do that. It would be too cruel to her and she would find out sooner or later. Even if it's just someone slipping the information during a talk. I want her to live a happy live. Even if it's short I want her to have many happy memories.
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After that things didn't go so well at first. Whenever I tried to give her to Cassi to go on a job, Michelle would cry like crazy. How did Cassi call it again?
„Michelle is one hell of a papa girl."
It may have been meant as a joke but sadly enough she was right. Michelle clung to me like a magnet to a metal bar. Soon I learned that we were inseparable. So Cassi went on a few missions alone since I couldn't come with her. But the missions got heavier and heavier each time. That's when we decided that Cassi would stay behind and I would go on the missions.
Michelle's face was priceless when I duplicated in front of her. Her small eyes were bigger that saucer plates. We decided that I would leave a duplicate by the two of them. So while I worked Cassi could began to forge a bond with my lil angel. Hey it took only four months and Michelle was fine with being in Cassi's arms just like in mine.
I had never seen Cassi happier than in the moment when Michelle crawled into her lap and called her momma. That was nearly a year after we took her in. After that Cassi's maternal instincts where on high alert and we formed a happy little family.
For everyone else we were a newly wed couple. Cassi stayed at home while I worked for a security comapny.
For Michelle we were two superheroes protecting her from everything evil. That much we could figure out from her first ever drawn pictures as she turned two years old.
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This is it. I hope you liked the first chapter.