Chapter 20 A Rest

Danny let Sam lead the way down the stairs. As he did so he shifted quietly from ghost to human, and eyed his math teacher as she paced, still obviously agitated.

Very quietly, afraid she was still too angry to talk, Danny asked. "Miss Daily? Are you all right?"

Miss Daily made a half turn to face the teens relaxed and sighed heavily. "I guess. I shouldn't let my temper get the best of me like that, but he's caused you so much grief."

Danny couldn't help but smile. "It's okay, Miss Daily. Call me funny, but I'm kinda glad you did. You just let me know that I don't have to face Freakshow alone."

"You don't have to face anything alone anymore at all Danny." Miss Daily said. "That's what I'm here for."

Just then Sam's cell phone went off. "Oh no!" Sam said as she picked the phone up. "Its almost eleven o'clock! My folks are going to kill me!"

"Same here!" Tucker said.

Sarah moved to a large gilded mirror next to the fireplace. "Sam, give me your hand and think of exactly how your room looks. You have a full length mirror in there, right?"

Sam nodded and did as she was told. Danny gasped as he saw the mirror begin to reflect Sam's room."

"Thanks Miss Daily, Take care of Danny for me," Sam said quickly as she jumped into the mirror.

"Tucker you're next." Sarah said.

Tucker nodded and came forward. "Only big mirror we have in the house is the shower door." He touched the mirror and an empty bathroom appeared. Tucker turned back to Danny and patted him on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow Danny," he said then jumped through.

"What about us?" Jazz asked.

Sarah looked at Danny. "Ready to go home?" She asked him.

Danny took in a deep breath. "What's going to happen to me when I leave your house?" Danny asked.

"As long as Freakshow doesn't know where you are he won't think to call you." Miss Daily said, but Danny could tell that she wasn't completely sure.

"You think," Danny added.

"I can ward Jazz if you want," Miss Daily said gently. "But I can't ward you, Danny."

"Because ghost energy and your magical energies are connected somehow," Danny said. "I figured that out back at the museum when you made me send up that flair, and yes if you have something to protect Jazz I want her to have it."

"Danny I'm fine!" Jazz said.

Miss Daily went over to Jazz and whispered something to her. Jazz glanced down at Danny and sighed. "Okay, okay,"

Danny frowned looking between his teacher and his sister. "What did you tell her?" He asked.

With a mischievous grin, Miss Daily said, "I'll tell you tomorrow. You know you do have to let your parents come home."

"Oh man, I forgot about them," Danny said wincing. "That's why you and Jazz want me to go home. Mom and Dad can't go home until I do."

"Danny come here," Sarah said gently. Danny took a few steps over to his teacher, but then jumped back when she pressed down on his left shoulder. Whatever she did it felt as if she stuck a needle in his shoulder.

"Ow! Hey what was that?" He asked.

"It's a tag," Miss Daily explained "If anything magical happens to you I'll feel it."

Danny rubbed the spot that tingled and felt sore. "Oh, okay but that smarts."

Miss Daily shrugged. "Sorry can't change that. You won't feel it by the morning. Ready now?"

Danny still didn't want to leave the safety of the wards, but he knew that he had too. He nodded solemnly and watched Jazz move forward and place her hand on the glass. Instantly their parents bedroom appeared in the mirror.

"It will be all right, Danny," Miss Daily said reassuringly. "I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"Yeah," Danny answered with a heavy sigh. He looked at the mirror uncertainly, but Jazz took his hand gently and lead him through. With a small jump Danny found himself in his parents bedroom. "How does she do that?" Danny asked . He looked back at the mirror. For a second he thought he saw the fireplace and the couch of Miss Daily's den, then the image turned into his and his sister's reflection.

"I wish I knew," Jazz said looking at the mirror herself. "You have to admit it's a pretty cool trick."

Danny didn't seem happy. "Yeah," he said dejected.

Jazz put her arm around Danny. "Danny it's going to be all right, you'll see. I don't think Miss Daily is going to let you down.

Just then the pair heard the sound of the front door opening. "We'd better get out of Mom and Dad's room," Jazz said quickly. She and Danny went into the hallway then she guided Danny to his own room. "You get in there, I'll check on Mom and Dad."

Jazz took a few steps down the stairs. Her father and mother were dragging themselves into the living room looking definitely worse for wear. "Tomorrow I'm giving the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle a thorough overhaul. I can't believe how many systems failed tonight." Jack said with a heavy sigh.

Maddie Yawned and nodded. "I'm going to look over all our other equipment too. I can't believe we had that many malfunctions tonight."

Jazz knew why her parents had so much trouble with their equipment, and while she felt guilty she knew it was for the greater good. As long as Danny was safe. "You two are back late," Jazz said casually. "Did you catch the ghost?"

"We had a few of them, but that creepy Goth Circus guy and his ghost assistant freed them again." Jack said with a frown. "We'd better tell Sam's parents. I thought that low life was supposed to be in jail."

"You'd better let me call Jack," Jazz's mom said evenly. "One mention about the other ghosts or about Danny Phantom and Sam's mom might just hang up on you."

"You saw Danny Phantom tonight?" Jazz said acting excited. Danny Phantom was quite the legendary figure among most of the teens at Casper High. To get as much information about Danny as possible Jazz tended to feign the same interest in Phantom that most of the kids in school had. Now I'll know what happened at the museum. Danny really didn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah he was there, along with that ghost hunting witch again. She claimed she was trying to protect Phantom from that Freakshow guy." Jack said. He took in a deep breath and, sat down in one of the kitchen chairs with a thump.

Maddie was looking in her address book for Sam's phone number. "I think she was right Jack. It did look like he was putting Phantom under some sort of mental coercion, and she was right about Danny Phantom only robbing banks when that Circus was in town the first time."

"Well maybe," Jack said sullenly. "But he got away again, and that tattooed ghost freed the others we caught."

"You'll catch them again," Jazz said. "But you said that the ghost hunting witch told you something about Freakshow?"

"She's a funny one," Maddie said thoughtfully. "Jazz I'm not sure but I don't think she is a ghost hunter. I think she's more after the Circus guy than the ghosts, and she seems like she's protecting Danny Phantom."

"Maybe she's more of a ghost researcher than a ghost hunter. Danny Phantom seems to like to be around people, maybe she's trying to be his friend," Jazz said. She was hoping one of her little odd comments would one day clue her parents in that Danny Phantom wasn't a threat.

"That's crazy!" Jazz's father said sitting up. "Ghosts don't want to make friends with people!"

Show's what you know dad, Jazz thought to herself. I'm beginning to think Danny really could benefit from having Miss Daily around. What she said out loud was, "I'm sure you'll figure it out Dad." She said giving her father a reassuring hug. "I'm going to bed."

She went back upstairs and gently knocked on Danny's door. She was hoping he was asleep already but instead she heard a panicked "Mom?" Coming from Danny's side of the door.

Jazz opened the door. "It's just me Danny. Mom and Dad are okay. They said that Miss Daily told them that Freakshow was trying to control you."

In his bed Danny closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Yeah I think I remember that part. Miss Daily told them not to shoot me. It was a little crazy at the time."

Seeing how stressed her brother was she asked, "Feeling better?"

Danny sighed. "Not really. Jazz what if Freakshow calls me in the middle of the night and I go to him?"

Jazz smiled knowing exactly how to handle this. "That's why Miss Daily connected Sam's amulet to you. When you left us to go after Mom and Dad Sam knew when you got into trouble. Don't you think she'll know if you get in trouble again?"

"I guess," Danny said settling back onto his pillow.

"And didn't Miss Daily tag you so that she will know if something happens tonight? Jazz asked.

"Yeah," Danny said knowing he was losing the argument.

"And she gave me a ward to make you feel better," Jazz added.

"That's what she told you?" Danny asked. Jazz nodded.

"And you know I'm going to leave the Fenton Holes open so I can hear everything that goes on in your room." Jazz told him.

Danny rolled over in his bed not facing Jazz. "Yeah I know, Jazz. My head knows all of that stuff, but deep down inside I'm still scared. Before when Freakshow controlled me I didn't remember much of it when I came out of it. This time though I remember everything that happened at the museum, and a bit of what happened the first time. Jazz, part of me likes the feeling of being under Freakshow's control."

"You liked it?" Jazz asked.

Danny shook his head struggling with his words. "Not me me. Something else inside of me. Like Sarah said it felt like a high. It didn't feel like I was under anyone's control. I ...I wanted to help him. It was too weird. I enjoyed causing trouble. I tried to blast Miss Daily for crying out loud, and I didn't even care." Danny shook with the memory. "It's like that evil older version of me that's trapped in Clockwork's tower still exists inside of me, and Freakshow just brings him out. I don't want to let him out again Jazz. I don't want to be evil."

Jazz rubbed on Danny's back the way she and her mother did when he had the nightmare. "You're not going to be evil Danny. That's what we're here for. That's why Miss Daily came for you. Danny sighed and didn't answer. Jazz could tell that he wasn't relaxing. He was way to worked up to fall asleep right now. Taking in a deep breath Jazz said, "You know Miss Daily said you might be a little too worked up to sleep. If you want she gave me something to help you go to sleep." Jazz too out of her bag a silver flask.

"She did?" Danny rolled back over and looked at Jazz. She almost winced looking at those wide blue frightened eyes.

Jazz didn't want Danny to worry about her, so she simply nodded and smiled. "Yep, and she guaranteed that if you drink this stuff you won't have any nightmares and even if Freakshow does try to call you in your sleep you probably won't even hear him."

"Really?" There was no doubt about she had Danny's attention. Danny looked Jazz up and down. Then looked at the flask. "What do you think?"

"I'm not the one who can't sleep," Jazz said. "Did that headache tea she gave you last time work?"

Danny frowned in thought. "It did," he said. "He reached for the flask. Jazz handed it to him and Danny regarded it carefully. "And she said I probably won't even hear Freakshow call me?"

Jazz smiled. "What she told me was that if you drank that the Ghost King could march his army right outside, and you're ghost sense wouldn't even wake you up."

Danny looked at the flask, looked back at his sister, then opened the container. "In that case, here goes nothing." Danny took a tentative sniff of the bottle's contents, took a experimental sip, then to Jazz's surprise began to drink the liquid in great gulps, emptying the flask in only a few seconds.

"Danny?" Jazz asked. She knew it was something connected to magic, but she wasn't sure why Danny went from cautious to not in seconds.

"That was good!" Danny said sounding surprised himself. Suddenly he closed his eyes and put a hand to his head. "Woah, but it goes right to your head." Danny handed Jazz back the container, put his head back on his pillow, and moved until his head rested against Jazz's leg. "I wonder how long this stuff takes to work?"

Jazz put her hand in Danny's reassuring her brother that she was still there. "She said you could help it along if you do that calm down exercise she showed you."

Danny yawned and smiled at the memory. "Yeah she showed me something to get myself under some kind of control. I'm supposed to think of snow, and take slow deep breaths." He looked up at his sister. "You'll stay with me?"

Jazz could tell that whatever he just drank it was having some kind of effect on him. His eyes didn't seem to quiet focus anymore, and normal wide awake and cautious Danny would never admit he wanted company. When he was stressed he usually became more of a loner. "Of course I will," Jazz said. She brushed some hair from his eyes, and watched as Danny closed his eyes and began to take long deep breaths. For no reason at all Jazz began to count Danny's breath.

One, two, three, Hmmm I think he's beginning to fall asleep. "Four, five, man that was fast. Danny took one last deep breath then curled up into a semi fetal position and began to breath slow and evenly sound asleep.

"Danny?" Jazz said quietly giving her brother a gentle nudge. Danny only answered by curling up tighter. With a smile Jazz said, "out cold." She tried to get out of the bed, but Danny sound asleep tightened his grip on her hand and muttered a sleepy "no don't go,"

Jazz had to fight to keep a few tears from falling. Even sound asleep under a magic potion Danny was frightened enough to not want to be alone. Jazz sighed regulating herself to another night in Danny's room. "All right, Danny. I'll stay with you."

Danny's body relaxed again but his hand had a death grip on Jazz's hand. Jazz smiled and leaned up against Danny's headboard and closed her eyes. It was going to be another long night.

Coming Soon Chapter 21 The Attack.

Danny couldn't help but feel worried. He knew Miss Daily didn't want him to fight Freakshow, but she was including him and his powers in her planning.

Miss Daily moved to her office where they could see the large picture window. Danny and Jazz followed. Outside they could clearly see Lydia and the other ghosts Danny didn't know, holding the students and some of the teachers hostage.

"Oh man," Danny said with a shudder. "Sam and Tucker are out there somewhere, and if Freakshow finds Sam he'll take the ruby from her."