"Wait wait wait. So this platypus is from another universe?" Sam questioned her friend when he was done telling her of the adventure.
Danny nodded. "Yup."
"And how do you know this? He can't talk." She emphasized, gesturing to the now-sleeping semi-aquatic animal.
Danny shrugged. "His nemesis Dr. Doofenshmirtz told me the whole spiel. He's worse than Technus!"
Sam caught a bout of laughter before it could emerge. "Doofenshmirtz?"
"That's what I said!" Danny said, grinning.
"Okay, but Dr. Doofenshmirtz landed on the machine and it sent him back to his universe, but not Perry." Sam recounted. Danny nodded. "And we have to figure out how to get him back?" Sam mused. Danny pumped a fist into the air in mock-triumph. "She understands!"
"Danny!" She punched him in the arm, earning laughter and an "Ouch!" from him. "How can we do that? It's not like we have a portal to another universe or anything."
Danny turned to her with a grin, his eyes gleaming.
--
"No."
"Come on, Clockwork!" Danny complained, trailing the time ghost around his lair as he checked that all the clocks were correctly wound. "Why not?"
"It would rip the fabric of the space time continuum." Clockwork said dryly, turning to his visitors, the frustrated ghost boy and his almost-girlfriend who was looking as frustrated as her counterpart.
"Sam can fix it! She took a sewing class in Home Economics in sophomore year!"
"Whoa, don't drag me into this! Especially if it includes sharp needles and the thin fabric of time!"
Clockwork smiled wryly. "I'm afraid you misunderstand, Daniel."
"I'm afraid you misunderstand. If we don't get this platypus to his universe, the space time continu…con..." He struggled for a minute with the word. "-Thingy," He improvised, "Will be ruined for sure!"
"I'm aware of that, Daniel."
Danny threw his hands up in frustration. "Then why won't you help us?!"
"Because you and your mate need to find another way of transportation other than my powers." Clockwork said, not looking up from fiddling with his enormous wall clock, though a grin appeared on his face.
Danny and Sam's faces went redder than a fire truck. "We are NOT…that!" Danny amended, and Sam made a noise of agreement, her pale face aflame.
Clockwork stifled his laughter. It was refreshing having young Daniel appear every one in a while. Not many people could make him feel so alive.
"Very well." Clockwork said, turning to them. "But my decision is final."
"Well can't you help us?!"
"I'm afraid not. Any more meddling would result in a suspension, which would indefinitely ruin the time space continuum."
He heard Danny mutter something about trying to sound smart with big words, but he just smiled to himself as he felt the phantom and his future bride's presence leave his lair.
--
"What are we going to do, Sam?" Danny fretted, running his hands through his hair. Sam's heart flipped as she watched, and she curled her hand into a fist to keep from smoothing down his wild locks.
"I'm not sure, Danny. There must be another way. Clockwork told us there was." Sam said quietly, petting the now-mindless animal as he stared straight ahead.
"Well I can't just make a universe transport-inator machine! I may fight ghosts but I'm not smart!"
Sam smiled and walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You're very smart Danny." She said, and he turned to face her, making her get lost in his eyes.
Something chaotic was happening to him, Danny thought. Sam was much too close for his thumping heart and he couldn't move a muscle, their eyes were locked and at the same time it felt like their hearts were locked as well, and he couldn't move even if he wanted to.
A loud chatter brought them out of their trance and they blushed as they looked over at Perry who was giving them a look that said, 'More important stuff over here!'
Danny groaned and broke away from Sam's touch. "I just don't get it!"
And then the most welcome sound was heard. "I AM THE BOX GHOST!"
--
Danny immediately took a battle stance and turned ghost while out of instinct Perry jumped up and shoved his hat on his head, using the same stance as the phantom. Sam nearly laughed at the familiarity of the two.
The Box Ghost appeared, holding a box in each hand. "You cannot defeat me!" He boasted. "For I am armed with the most nefarious weapons of all time!!"
Without thinking about it, Perry launched himself into the air, aiming with his web-foot right in the middle of the box ghost's face. Danny shouted "Perry, don't!" but it was too late. The platypus passed right through the translucent ghost and slammed into the wall behind him.
"I think that's enough for one day, Boxy." Danny scowled and sucked the Box Ghost into the Fenton Thermos, capping it firmly. Sam was already at Perry's side, healing him with her touch and her anguished smile.
"Oh, Perry, are you okay?" She questioned, rubbing his belly. He chattered in response, smiling at her with slightly dazed eyes.
"He didn't realize it was a ghost and not a human." Danny explained, kneeling down beside them. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be fine." Sam assured him. "Just a little smack to the shock system."
"Well, in the meantime," Danny mused, "I can hopefully solve this mess."
Sam sighed. "If we can't make it, where can we find a portal somewhere in the world and get to it fast enough to stop the universe from folding in on itself from Perry being here?"
Sam and Danny looked at each other with wide eyes.
"I've got it!"
--
