Finally got a computer! And I uploaded all of my previous stories from my flash drive, so I can continue writing!

It makes me so excited!

Rest assured, now that I have access again, I will be trying my best update periodically.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Sympathy.

A loud clatter echoed into Danielle's ears.

Consciousness slammed into her, shoving away any sleep that was left. Danielle leapt to her feet, a sense of alarm waking her up instantaneously.

Energy formed around her closed fists, manifesting itself in a tangible and lethal green glow.

Her eyes immediately snapped to the kitchen.

Lancer stared at her through wide, bewildered eyes.

He raised his palms in an attempt to pacify her. "Sorry! Sorry! I dropped my pot."

Danielle lowered her fists. The energy in her hands dissipated.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Lancer picked up the black pot that she presumed was the one he'd dropped.

Danielle sighed and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Eleven," Lancer responded. He smiled.

Danielle glanced down at herself.

She was still wearing her hoodie and jeans from the previous day. "Where is the stuff we bought yesterday?"

"I left it in Em-" he paused and glanced down at the pot in his hands. There was a moment of silence before he looked up at her again. "It's in that extra room of yours. I left the bags on the bed."

Without saying a word, she trudged back into the blue-themed room she was sojourning in.

The girl rummaged through the bags, smiling as she withdrew each of her new belongings.

There weren't very many items, but she was grateful for each one. There were very few things she could call her own.

She crammed all of her clothes into the top drawer of the dresser and set apart her own pair.

When she reemerged from the room, she sported a beanie, a sleeveless jacket that had been tossed over a white tee, and a pair of jeans.

Addison had called her overall preference for clothing 'skater' style.

She slid into the front seat.

Lancer seemed to be busy cooking. The rice in the pot was semi-cooked, and Danielle thought she could smell something meaty wafting from the oven.

"I need to talk to you about something." Lancer announced, lifting his eyes from the food.

Danielle's ears perked up.

He cleared his throat. "I think I may have thought of a way to try and locate your cousin."

"That's awesome!" Danielle felt her heart pounding with excitement, though the professor seemed unusually calm for someone preparing to deliver spectacular new.

"I'm not so sure that it is," Lancer frowned. "The plan is rather risky—dangerous, actually, and we would be relying too heavily on luck."

"Anything is better than nothing." Danielle smiled, placing a hand on her hips.

"Well," Lancer continued. "I just thought that we could keep updated on the news and drive to places where there are Phantom sightings. I'm sure if we could get close enough, Phantom would see you and take you back to your home." He paused, adding, "Or lair or wherever it is superhero ghosts live."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Danielle approved. "Especially considering the amount of times my cousin fights ghosts on a daily basis."

"Alright," Lancer nodded. He motioned to his laptop. "I've already been keeping tabs on the Ghost Sightings page of Amity. Nothing about Phantom yet."

"That's fine," Danielle shrugged.

Maybe things got busier for Danny in the afternoons, or maybe he was having a slow day.

Either way, things seemed promising.

"Alright." Lancer rubbed his palms together. "Let's eat. Then, we figure out how to contact your cousin."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny felt his heart palpitating impossibly fast.

He rubbed his palms on his jeans, smearing the sweat onto the blue fabric, then moved to tap the cool metal of the thermos.

Except for a small indentation it had received from a former battle, the Thermos's texture was perfectly smooth.

Danny inhaled, and pushed against the door.

Cold air breathed against his skin. A sterile scent, which almost successfully masked the smell of other chemicals, greeted his nose.

He trotted down the stairs, holding his breath as he had only recently begun doing each time he entered the lab.

He came to an abrupt halt when he noticed an unexpected person present.

"Jazz?"

The teen looked up.

Danny immediately noticed the Psychology book tucked under her arm, and the contemplative look on his clone's face that most people usually developed after a 'session' from Jazz.

Danny folded his arms, maintaining a composure that he hoped appeared to be nonchalance; although, his clone's presence still made him uneasy. "He's awake all of two days, and you're already psychoanalyzing him."

"I was intrigued," Jazz admitted. "Besides, as I told your identical here—"

"My identical?" Danny echoed, not even attempting to hide his incredulity.

"—I just wanted to talk." Jazz squared her shoulders. "And we're done." Her aqua eyes flew to the clone. "For now," she added. "Don't forget what I told you."

The clone nodded slowly, still seemingly lost in thought.

The redhead waltzed past Danny, her incredibly long golden red hair trailing behind her.

"So what were you two talking about?" Danny queried, tentative.

"Nothing that concerns you." The clone's expression made an astoundingly quick transition from pensive to defensive.

"Geez, sorry," Danny grimaced. "I was just curious."

"Speaking of curiosity…" The clone straightened to a stand. He paused then approached the glass wall.

The clone's fingers traced over the speaker that had been built into the confinement.

His hand dropped and his darkened chartreuse eyes wander back to Danny. "How is it that your mother and your sister have different shades of red hair? I thought kid's hair colors were supposed to be like their parents."

Danny hesitated, deliberating over whether or not to reply with a sardonic remark or simply providing him with a candid response.

He settled for the latter. "Not always. My mom's parents were both gingers. My grandma had this bright red hair like Jazz's, and my grandpa had, like, this darker shade of red hair. Almost brown like my mom's." Danny paused and cast an inquisitive gaze on his counterpart. "Speaking of hair..."

His clone smirked in amusement, knowing where Danny's words were headed.

"Your hair is looking a little grayer than it used to be."

The clone shrugged. "A side effect of dying, I guess."

His response caused Danny to freeze up, eyes widening in shock.

The clone scowled. His unstable changes in emotion left Danny reeling.

"How about you take your pity and shove it up your ass?" The clone jabbed a finger at him. His finger pressed against the glass. "It's not like my death will bring you people any misfortune."

Danny glared in return. "How about you stop sulking and feeling sorry for yourself, huh? Do you want to spend your last days completely alone, as nothing but a failed experiment?"

The clone's mouth dropped open, his eyes went wide and round with stupefaction.

Danny could see that the remark hit home. He pushed it further, pressing his suppressed emotions into every word. "You know, since you've woken up, all you've done is try to hurt the people who've been trying to help you. I bet you were even trying to somehow hurt Jazz while she was in here trying to help in her own weird way." Danny stepped closer. "Everyone else has taken it because they think you have a right to be angry. But, guess what? Despite all the shit you've done to us, we're still trying to save your life, so stop bitching and start showing some appreciation."

The clone didn't seem to have a response.

Satisfied, Danny turned around. The Thermos fit perfectly into the flush system, emptying it out and sending the captives back into the Ghost Portal.

Without another glance in his doppelganger's direction, he reverted to his ghost form and phased out of the building, hoping that his search for Danielle would be distraction enough from all the problems the clone had dropped onto him.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"Lord Of The Flies!" Lancer harrumphed as he dropped onto the couch. "I cannot believe what a busy ghost Mr. Phantom is."

"He's not usually this busy," Danielle sighed, tossing her backpack onto the recliner.

"I would certainly hope not! I would think even ghosts need some time to rest and recuperate." Lancer rubbed his eyes. "We followed that boy all over town. Speedy young fellow."

"He sure is," Danielle made her way to the kitchen. She tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear and scavenged through the fridge for anything edible. "I'm sure we'll catch up to him tomorrow."

Lancer shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow afternoon we will. I have school tomorrow."

"School?" The orange she had discovered fell out of her grip. She caught it before it hit the ground. "As in," she paused, suddenly hopeful, "Casper High?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lancer peered up at her, taking note of her piqued interest. His brows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?"

"I-um," Danielle paused. "Phantom has...connections at the school."

"And by connections I'm assuming you mean friends?" Lancer cocked a brow at her. "It certainly would explain the occasional ghost attack on the school."

"Um," Danielle bit her lip. "Well, I wouldn't call them friends, really-"

"Uh-huh," Lancer's tone revealed disbelief.

"My point is," Danielle continued, "there are people there who might know Phantom personally. Someone who might deliver a message and possibly even get him to come get me immediately."

"I suppose I could take you along with me." Lancer nodded, contemplative. "It would be perfect. We're going to have a gathering at the gymnasium. A guest speaker will be giving a speech to the seniors about their futures, and the rest of the underclassmen will be at an assembly with the principal to go over the changes for the upcoming year." Lancer tapped the table. "The schedule will be different. You can meet with Mr. Phantom's acquaintances during the assembly. Most of the teachers will be in the gym. There will be no one else patrolling the halls except for the security guard, but I can make sure he won't bother you."

Danielle clapped. Her heart swelled with overwhelming elation.

Lancer looked at Danielle, weary. "I just ask that you try and avoid putting the rest of the students in any immediate danger. Keeping those kids safe is a priority, and I know how many ghosts you and Phantom have a tendency to attract."

"Oh, please." Danielle shrugged. "Danny and I have been there a million times. Nothing dangerous ever happens." She paused, adding, "not usually."

Lancer chuckled. "I just wish we would've thought of that before taking that ridiculous trip across town."

He rose to his feet and popped his back. "Alright. Well, the sooner we get to bed, the better. I get up rather early in the morning, Miss Phantom. I would advise you to rest."

"Uh-huh," Danielle nodded dismissively, though she couldn't even fathom sleep. He excitement was making her restless.

Lancer disappeared into his room.

Danielle, stomach still grumbling for food, waltzed back into the kitchen and fished out an enormous bowl from Lancer's cabinets.

Once the bowl was all but overflowing with cereal and milk, Danielle pulled out an album from Lancer's bookshelf.

If she was going to leave soon, she figured she might as well continue her snooping, while munching on a much needed snack.

The first album was centered on Lancer and his stunning wife.

Many unfamiliar faces appeared in the photos. The only other person she recognized in the antiquated photos was a younger-looking Addison.

The pictures revealed social gatherings and other images showed Madison either painting or playing a violin.

The next album was like a timeline that gave Danielle a vague overview of the educator's life: graduation, an engagement party, and a beautiful wedding.

The last image was of the jubilant couple standing right outside the cute wooden house Danielle was currently in.

Lancer's arm was wrapped around Madison's, while her hands settled over an unusually swollen belly.

Curious, Danielle fished out the next album, which was labeled 'Our Precious Girl.'

To Danielle's surprise, there was a picture of a beaming Madison, in a hospital bed, holding a sleeping infant in her arms.

This album, unlike the former, was a timeline of another member of the Lancer family.

A golden-haired, teal-eyed infant smiled up at Danielle.

She turned the pages and traveled up the little Lancer girl's years: the baby waddling in a photo labeled 'first steps,' a toddler playing with her father in a grand backyard, a five-year-old holding her mother's hand, the girl sitting on a bike, an elementary school girl holding up an A+ paper, a skinny blonde tween grinning at Lancer's side and holding up an incredibly well drawn sketch of a violin.

The final images revealed a happy sixteen-year-old Lancer who had inherited Madison's beauty and Lancer's warm, teal eyes. Her image was surrounded by photographs of a happy family.

Lancer's voice caused Danielle to jump in surprise.

"Her name's Emily. Emily Lancer."

The man had, at some point, reemerged from the room—this time dressed in a plain tee shirt and blue pajama pants.

Lancer's teal eyes revealed a deep melancholy that stirred unwanted emotions in Danielle.

"She's, um," Danielle swallowed. "She's beautiful."

"Mm," Lancer nodded. "She was also very exuberant. Just like her mother."

Danielle glanced back at the album. "May I," she began tentatively, "ask what happened to them?"

Lancer sighed and slid into the chair behind her.

He closed his eyes, hands rubbing over his lids.

"There was..." He paused, attempting to steady his wavering voice. "We were on our way back from an art exhibit several miles away from here. I was driving." Lancer paused, taking a deep breath. "I got distracted."

He paused.

Another breath.

"I, uh, almost hit a guy on the bike, and I swerved at the last minute." Lancer pressed his lips together.

The silence stretched out for a few minutes. "I hit a lamp post."

"My wife didn't make it," Lancer finally concluded.

Danielle placed a hand over her chest, attempting to abate the sympathetic sadness that swelled within her heart. "When...did this happen?"

Lancer sighed. "Six years ago." He leaned back, finally meeting Danielle's gaze. "When Emily found out what happened to Madison, she snapped. She and her mother had a close bond, and she blamed me for the accident. I haven't seen her since she left after her graduation. She's twenty-two, now."

Danielle paused. "Have you tried calling her since she left?"

"No," Lancer admitted. He bit his lip. "I...just assumed she never wanted to hear from me again. I..." Lancer paused, eyes falling to his hands. "I don't expect her to forgive me."

"Well, things change," Danielle offered. "It's been a long time. Maybe she's had a change of heart."

"If she has, she would've called."

Danielle paused. "Maybe she's waiting for you to do it first."

Lancer chuckled, dryly. "I doubt it."

"You never know unless you try."

Lancer's gaze snapped to hers. He gave her a sad smile that touched her deeply. "Sometimes I forget just how much the teachers can learn from their students."

Danielle frowned, perplexed. "But I'm not your student."

Lancer laughed, this time a genuine laugh that made Danielle smile.

"No, Miss Phantom. You certainly are not." Lancer's beamed. "You speak words of wisdom. I'll heed your advice. Once we reunite you with your family, I will work to rebuild mine."

"Good for you." Danielle smiled and picked up her now-empty plate.

Lancer rose to his feet, gathering the albums in his arms. "These don't need to be hidden away in my bookshelf anymore," he commented, setting them on the glass table by the couch.

Danielle smiled and padded into the kitchen.

A sharp pain at her core caused her to double over.

The bowl slipped out of her hands and clattered onto the floor.

Milk spilled across the clean tiles.

Danielle's arms automatically curled around her navel.

The feel of a knife cutting through her caused her to drop to her knees.

Lancer jumped in fear. "Danielle!"

Dani felt the ectoplasmic energy gather at her middle, slowly expanding outward.

The rings appeared, though they moved at an agonizingly deliberate pace, as if a part of her was trying to hold it back.

A scorching sensation swept across her body, traveling in the same direction as her rings.

The burning flooded her body, wiping away every thought from her mind.

Lancer's muffled voice sounded a million miles away, making it impossible for her to register any words.

Black consumed her blurring vision, and everything went dark for several moments before unconsciousness relieved her of any pain.

A/N: Yes!

I'm so happy that this is finally up!

Be warned, not everyone will be able to post a review.

I replaced the previous Writer's Note chapter with this new chapter, so anyone who had already commented on it may not be able to do so again

Unless, of course, it is posted under Anonymous.

..

Merry Christmas everyone!

Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Yuletide! Happy Three Kings Day!

Many blessings to all, and happy holidays!

:D