Dani found Jazz and Clockwork in the library after much searching. Clockwork seemed bemused by his companion's glee over the sheer amount of literature.
"Oh my gosh! I didn't even know there were this many spectral psychology books! Danny never told me about this!" Jazz gushed, darting from shelf to shelf. Clockwork hovered near a row of tables in the centre of the library looking more than a little overwhelmed by Jazz's enthusiasm.
"Hey guys! I should've guessed you'd come here, huh?" Dani folded her arms and adopted a mock stern look. Jazz flushed with embarrassment, and Clockwork regained his dignity as he chuckled. "That would have been the sensible option, yes." Dani snickered. Something clicked in her head and she flew to Jazz with a grin.
"We haven't been properly introduced yet, have we? I'm Dani – with an 'i' – and I guess I'm your niece!" Jazz's face lit up and she pulled Dani into a hug. "This isn't how I expected to become an aunt, but how could I be upset about such a cute niece!" Dani giggled as Jazz planted a kiss on her cheek. "I'm Jazz, but I think you knew that already, right?" Dani nodded eagerly.
Clockwork cleared his throat and both girls turned to him. "You came here for a reason, Danielle?" Dani gasped at the prompt and nearly bounced out of Jazz's arms. "That's right! Mom said she needs to get back home to her dad!" Jazz winced at the reminder; although her own parents had been distant, they would still question her when she went home. Clockwork smiled kindly. "I froze time at the point when I brought them here, Danielle. When I return them it will…" Clockwork trailed off, a blank look crossing over his face. Dani and Jazz looked at each other uneasily. They turned back to Clockwork when he made an angry noise and swept out of the library in a hurry. Dani picked Jazz up with ease and flew after him. "What's wrong?" She asked, setting her aunt down gently.
"Time has been accelerated outside of my tower. Instead of returning Jasmine and Valerie at the exact time they left the human world, I will be returning them more than a day later. Someone is attempting to cause trouble, and I think I know exactly who is trying to sabotage us." He said in a dangerously low tone. The sound of low chatter cut Clockwork off and the trio turned to see Danny and Valerie exit the thermos vault. Their hands were entwined and Danny was walking on air with a dopey smile. Valerie was the one speaking, and she tucked her messy hair behind one ear with a blush. Danny opened his mouth to reply, but faltered as he saw the expression on Clockwork's face.
"What's wrong? Has there been an incident?" He asked, pulling Valerie over to the group. Both teens were immediately on alert and Valerie fingered the holster at her hip instinctively. Dani moved to hover next to her and Jazz went to stand by Danny. Clockwork sighed and gestured to a nearby screen. "As I was telling Jasmine and Danielle, someone has sabotaged the time stream, meaning that instead of time remaining paused it has actually accelerated. More than a day has passed now, and I am unable to correct the matter." Valerie blanched. Missing for more than a day? Her father would kill her!
Danny frowned. "You can't just send them back in time those few hours?" His frown deepened as Clockwork shook his head. "Normally, such a small amount of time for such a small matter would be of no concern for the timeline. This time however, important events have been put into motion that would be jeopardised if I attempted to correct the mistake." Danny slumped, well aware of the repercussions of disrupting the timeline in such a way. The other matter of concern came forward in his mind and his head shot up.
"Someone deliberately caused this? You don't think… The Observants?" Clockwork's face was grim as he nodded. Dani gasped in shock, but Valerie and Jazz remained confused. "The Observants?" Jazz asked. Danny turned to her looking just as angry as Clockwork. "They're a bunch of jerkass eyeballs who think they can boss everyone around. They're the ones that wanted Clockwork to kill me for the Nasty Burger thing." While Jazz's eyes lit up with understanding, Valerie immediately drew a weapon on Clockwork.
"You tried to kill Danny?" She growled. Danny grabbed the gun and carefully twisted it from her grasp. "Val, while I appreciate the concern, clearly he didn't actually try to kill me. In fact, if he hadn't intervened, I would've turned evil." She blinked and flushed with embarrassment. Clockwork merely smiled as he watched them. Now he was aware of the disruption, he could see how it would shape their future, both as individuals and together. He clapped his hands together to draw their attention and spoke.
"To reduce the trouble I'm afraid the pair of you will face, I suggest that Jasmine and Valerie return to the human world. I will ensure that future visits will not be tainted by the same problem." They all nodded, and Jazz hugged both Phantoms fiercely. Valerie pulled Danny into a kiss, then pressed a softer one to Dani's forehead. "I'll call you both, assuming you have a phone?" She smiled at Danny's lovestruck expression. Dani nodded and pulled out her phone to give Valerie her number. Clockwork allowed the group one more brief hug together before he ushered Valerie and Jazz through a portal.
Once they were safely returned, Clockwork turned and shared a look with Danny. "This was merely a warning, Danny. They wanted us to know they are willing to jeopardise your destiny if it means they remain as they are." Danny cocked his head, confused. "You keep mentioning my 'destiny', but you've never actually said what it was." He said. Dani adopted a similarly curious expression and hovered next to her father. Clockwork winced mentally.
"That is because the second I tell you it will be broken. You are not yet ready to know the full truth of it, but rest assured I will endeavour to keep you all from harm as you travel towards it. Each event that happens, Valerie and Jazz joining forces, their arrival here; even the attack upon you were part of this future. You are the keystone to a gigantic shift in the dynamics of this world, of both worlds." Clockwork let that idea sink in, and he laughed as Danny groaned and fell away to hover on his back.
"For once, I'd like to just be unimportant, y'know?" He grumbled. Dani gave a sympathetic smile. "I don't think you could ever be unimportant, Dad. You're too good to not be." Danny smiled back weakly. Clockwork floated closer to them. "She's right, Danny. You could never be unimportant, because you are already so important to so many people. Never forget that." He said. There was a peaceful moment between the three until Danny flipped upright again. He grinned devilishly at his two companions. "I think we need to remind the Observants that they shouldn't mess with us. Agreed?" His smile was reflected on both faces and they settled down to plot.
…
Valerie dithered by the entrance to her apartment building. She'd insisted that Jazz go home, that she could manage talking about everything with her father alone, but now she missed the comforting presence of her friend. The tight knot of anxiety over Danny, and Dani, and her being half ghost all seemed to rush up from her stomach into her throat. How was she even meant to broach the subject of being a sudden mother? And with her former nemesis to boot! Who was now her boyfriend again… She didn't even want to think about her Daddy's reaction to that, let alone the rest of it. And yet… She wanted him to know. She wanted to share this whole new family with him. For so long, it had been just the two of them. No mother, no wife, no grandparents or aunts, uncles or cousins. Just them. But now she could share a daughter with him. Give him a grandchild to cherish as he'd cherished her all her life. And maybe even a son-in-law? Valerie flushed hard at the thought. That was perhaps getting ahead of herself. At the very least, Danny would be part of the family somehow. Jazz and that Clockwork too, from the adoring way she'd seen Danny and Dani looking at him. Valerie sucked in a deep breath and reached out to open the door.
"Valerie? Is that- Oh my god, you're alive!" She turned only to find herself wrapped up in familiar arms as her father sobbed into her shoulder. She sank her fingers into his shirt and felt the knot in her throat tighten. With a muffled noise, Valerie began to cry as well. She'd only been gone a short while, but she'd missed her Daddy so much. Time seemed to slow as they held onto each other, their grief melting into joy at being reunited. Finally, Damon pulled away and wiped his eyes with a smile.
"I never thought I'd see you again! I thought you'd gotten yourself killed, or a ghost had kidnapped you!" His face darkened and Valerie felt the pinprick of fear that always came when she knew she was getting a well-deserved scolding. "Where on God's green earth have you been, Valerie Gray!" There it was. This was going to kill her all the way. Valerie snorted at her joke, then hunched over clutching her gut as she began to howl with laughter. Damon stared at her as though she'd grown a second head. Valerie struggled to gain composure, and finally managed to speak through her giggles.
"Daddy… I-I have a lot of things I need to tell you."
…
Now she was in the apartment and about to spill all her secrets into the open for her father to see, Valerie found she wasn't so ready to laugh any more. She twisted her fingers in the cheap throw they'd covered the couch with to hide the stains well, and tried to steady her breathing. Damon sat down on a nearby chair, clearly wary of setting her off again. Valerie offered him a shaky smile. He didn't return it.
"What do you need to tell me, Valerie?" His voice was low, quiet, but it held no malice. Valerie realised he was scared for her. Guilt twisted in her chest at the thought of how he must have worried for her. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Valerie fought the urge to throw something in her frustration. She'd flown into space, she'd battled ghosts capable of crushing buildings and she'd walked right up to Danny Phantom and kissed him senseless. Yet she couldn't even talk to her father? A gentle hand rested on her knee and Valerie started. She looked up to see her father's face, full of love and understanding. "Valerie, it's okay. You can tell me anything. You know that." And she did know. God, did she know. But that didn't make it any less scary.
"Daddy, I need you to promise that you'll let me say everything before you speak, okay?" Damon frowned, but nodded. Valerie sighed, and began to speak.
"You know how it turned out Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom? Well, I ended up working with his sister on getting the ghosts back into the Ghost Zone, and it turns out I was being a huge idiot about them, because some of them are actually pretty nice!" Valerie gave a shaky laugh and fixed her eyes on the coffee table. Damon's hand squeezed her knee, but he kept silent.
"Anyway, Jazz's parents found out what we were doing, and they were gonna shut the portal down so we couldn't use it any more. Which is actually a really bad thing to do! Jazz explained there are a bunch of ghosts that can make portals themselves, and that sometimes portals just open up. So ghosts would still come here, but we'd have no way of sending them back." She risked a glance at her father and saw the worry on his face. She winced. This next part was going to be tough.
"Jazz said that… there was another person like Danny. A half ghost. And that they had a portal too. But she said he was a bad person and might not let us, and I knew because I'd maybe… kinda… fought him before?" Damon inhaled sharply, but held his tongue. Valerie silently blessed him for it. "So um, we went to this person's house to ask him to help us, because we knew there was a friendly ghost in the Zone that could make portals and we wanted to find him. And also because we thought Danny might still be alive in there. And he said no. And attacked us." Damon's eyes widened. There had been an attack at the mayor's house around the time that Valerie and Jazz had gone missing. The pieces began to slide into place. Valerie hurried on.
"We were actually getting the upper hand when this ghost showed up! And it turned out he was the ghost that saved Danny, and the Danny was alive. He took us to see him, and Daddy…" Valerie pushed a fist against her mouth, the memory of seeing Danny alive and well and the feeling of utter relief that had flooded her when she'd felt the flesh of his cheek beneath her fingers, the beat of his heart even as he hovered before her as a ghost rose up and filled her eyes with tears. Damon moved to sit beside her and pulled Valerie into his arms as she cried.
When she had calmed down, Valerie pulled away and took a deep breath. "He was alive, and he was okay. But he wasn't alone. There was a girl ghost, called Danielle with him. And it turns out she is actually our daughter!" Valerie laughed nervously. Damon's face went blank then began to slowly turn red. Valerie flapped her hands in a panic.
"We didn't have sex, Daddy! It… It's a long story… See, the bad half ghost really wants Danny to be his son, but Danny hates him. So the bad halfa – half ghost, Daddy – tried to clone him. And with one of the clones, he used my DNA to try and stabilise it, but ended up creating a little girl instead. Which makes Danny her father and me her mother." Damon's eyes softened at that. "Poor girl…" He mumbled, and Valerie was too relieved by his response to chide him for breaking his promise.
"Yeah. And uh, I'm kind of dating Danny again? Still no sex though!" She squeaked at the black look he shot her. Valerie sagged in her seat as he looked away. She didn't really want to tell him the rest. It was bad enough that she'd thrown a surprise granddaughter at him, but to find out his own child was technically half dead? He would probably have that heart attack the doctor had warned him about.
"Valerie, I know you said not to interrupt, but I can tell there's something else bugging you." Damon held her hand and watched her with concern as she fought her mental battle. He was scared to find out what it was, but this was the most he'd found out about Valerie in a long time. Valerie closed her eyes and let out a long breath.
"Daddy… You remember when I was dating Danny two years ago? Well, it was orchestrated by a ghost that could control technology, because he wanted us to stop hunting ghosts and be focused on each other. The problem was, he took over my old suit to attack us when things started going wrong. Danny blew it up as Phantom and… the ghost melded it to me with electricity. Clockwork – the ghost that saved Danny – said that the combination of Danny's ectoplasm and the other ghost's electricity changed me." Damon's heart froze as Valerie stood up and looked down at him mournfully.
"Daddy, I'm like Danny now. I'm half ghost."
…
Jazz slipped through the front door, hoping that she would avoid her parents but at the same time knowing that a confrontation was inevitable. True to expectations, the second she let the door click shut two sets of footsteps came thundering up from the lab.
"Jasmine Ann Fenton! Where have you been these last two days!" Jazz rolled her eyes at her mother's tone. She moved past them to the stairs in silence and kept her face carefully blank even when Maddie stepped in front of her. Fury and worry flashed in her eyes and for a moment Jazz almost felt relief that her parents still loved her, still cared about her. Then she remembered that her brother was living in the Ghost Zone after being grievously injured and she hardened herself. With her chin in the air, Jazz raised a brow at her mother but did not move or speak. She knew enough about psychology now to win this.
Maddie's lips lifted in a silent growl and when she spoke her voice was dangerous. "I asked you a question, Jasmine. You have been missing for nearly two days. Did you even stop to think about how worried we were? That we had no idea where you were?" Jazz couldn't hold back a laugh then. She looked between Maddie and an uncharacteristically silent Jack. "You were worried about me? Really? I expected you to both be holed up down in the lab, trying to figure out how to fix someone that isn't broken. Well, Danny wasn't broken until you shot him, was he?" Jack flinched, but Maddie remained resolute. "Your brother is possessed at best, Jasmine. But that doesn't answer my question. Where. Were. You."
Jazz fixed the brightest smile she could muster onto her lips. It was cruel, she knew that, but she wanted her next words to cut so deep into her parents that the scars never faded. She wanted them to feel the same grief she'd seen lurking in Danny's eyes, his posture. They'd broken him in more ways than just the physical, and Jazz was going to make sure they knew it.
"Well, I was in the Ghost Zone visiting someone, of course! Val and me, we were invited to a very exclusive location with a very special guest living there. It turns out that being half ghost actually saved Danny's life!" Jazz relished the twin gasps from her parents in a way that she knew she shouldn't have, "And I got to see him, and talk to him, and hold him again." She smiled fondly, remembering how good it had felt to actually be able to confirm Danny's survival. She looked to her parents. Maddie had her hands clamped over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. Jack had a painfully hopeful expression on his face and for the first time since walking through the door Jazz felt a flicker of guilt for what she was about to do.
"But you'll never be able to hold him again. You'll never get to see him, or talk to him. You won't see him grow up into a man, and you won't get to meet his children. He will live on as a half ghost, and you will have to live knowing that you ruined the only chance you had at keeping his love, of earning his forgiveness when you tried to kill him." Jazz hissed. Jack and Maddie recoiled and Jazz felt no joy as she watched them crumple. There was only an empty hollow in her heart. Just as they'd lost Danny, they would lose her too. She climbed the stairs and went into her room to pack, ignoring the sound of sobbing from downstairs.
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe one day they would earn the right to stand before their children and be forgiven. But for now, she had a date with a couch anywhere but there.
…
A shiver ran down Clockwork's spine and he frowned. Something was going to happen soon, he could feel it in his core. A defining event that could affect the entire future if it went wrong. He checked Danny's futures almost without even knowing he was doing it, but they were vague and fractured. Clockwork swore quietly. Whatever the Observants had done to break his time stop had caused Danny's future to become impossible to read. He could no longer pick the easiest path for Danny, and it was infuriating.
"I am going to jab every last one of their eyes." He murmured, wiping a hand across the screen to clear the distorted images. One lingered despite his intentions and he glanced at it curiously. It showed Danny and Valerie stargazing. The view pulled back to reveal a horde of other ghosts Danny knew, celebrating some event. Danny was the centre of it all, and Clockwork smiled as he realised what was going on. A fused birthday/deathday celebration for the halfa spent in the human world. Clockwork decided to ensure that the vision would come true. A happy moment to shine among the darkness he had endured, just like the stars he loved so much burning brightly in the dark night sky. The perfect gift for his son.
The Ancient that had hovered behind Clockwork vanished as undetectably as it had arrived. The planted image had been seen, and the future was set. Clockwork would engineer Danny's return to the human world, where he would be vulnerable. Hunters would find him there, and it would be easy to take the halfa out. All it had to do now was relay the news to its masters, the Observants, and wait for their plans to be carried out.
Soon, the Phantom would be dead for good, and the Observants would reign on. All was as it should be, for now and eternity.
