Authors Notes:
Make up chapter for the cliffy stuff kind of ended on a cliffy to, and that was partially because I felt it was already really long and adding to it would ruin the pacing of the chapters... so extra chapter today!

Yay!

This chapter is also here to explain what the hell just happened, and also to blatantly share some of my silly head cannons on one way in which I think ghost can form.

Keeping Promises

Chapter Twenty: A Little More With Feeling

Suddenly Danny was coughing as a large amount of frost forced its way through his throat and out of his mouth. "Relax." Clockworks calm voice ordered from above.

Danny took a deep breath looking around, noticing he wasn't in the Gray's house anymore. "Wh-what's happening?" He asked looking around recognizing the ghost's castle. His hand shaking as it moved up feeling a time medallion hanging around his neck.

"I had to step in." The at the moment child ghost said calmly. "Valerie was desperate, you were all but unconscious."

"The thermos?" Danny asked, his eyes wide and heart beating quickly. Clockwork motioned to a table that was enveloped in a strange glowing light. The beat up thermos sat there quietly.

"It is contained." The ghost explained. "I have it locked in a field where time dose not flow."

Danny gaped strained sounds of confusion and shock fighting to get out of his mouth. "W-wh- what? Why?" Danny stuttered. "Why would you-

"Why would I remove a potentially apocalyptic ghost the moment before it was about to be released?" This sentence ended with Clockwork morphing again into his mid aged self.

Danny nodded, his mouth snapping shut. Then he shook his head. "Why didn't you take it sooner!?"

"For a multitude of reasons." Clockwork floated down to Danny's level. "First, if I had just swiped the thermos before you woke up, it would have taken a great deal more time for you to realize that this was not a dream. Seeing the thermos brought the reality of your situation to light." Danny stared at the ghost in minute horror. "Second, if I'd taken the thermos after you woke it would have simply have appeared to vanish. This would have most likely lead to you going into a state of shock and panic. Thirdly, it allowed me to seamlessly remove it without anyone being the wiser."

"It also gave you a moment to pull me away without anyone noticing. So you could explain…" Danny said feeling numb. "You almost took it when me, Val, and Dash were here, but I was terrified of losing it. I was highly emotional at the time… I wouldn't have been…" He trailed off his shoulders drooping. "I wouldn't have been very receptive."

"And you aren't emotional now?" Clockwork said.

Danny looked sideways at the ghost. "Right… I guess that's one less thing to worry about." He let out a strained laugh, slapping his hands onto his legs and rubbing them up and down. "Thanks… I guess."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Clockwork spoke again. "I didn't really drag you all the way to my castle with time on hold to keep you from having another panic attack." Clockwork said motioning Danny to follow him.

Danny stood trailing behind the ghost who floated to what Danny had mentally dubbed time windows. "Really?" He asked, rubbing his arm looking around again nervously. "You here to finally turn me over to those Observant ghost or what ever?"

Clockwork shook his head. "No. I've managed to fight back the wolves for now." Danny blinked owlishly at the time keeper. "I have managed to convince them that your experience has greatly reduced the likely hood of you becoming that thing." Clockwork said.

Danny swallowed. "W-why would you do that?" His chest hurt again. "I mean…"

"Daniel…" Clockwork said softly. "That evil future… Dark Phantom, or Dan Phantom as he likes to call himself." Danny felt a sneer cross his face at the name. "He wasn't all you."

"Yeah, but-

"He was only half of you, and a good portion of his evil tendency's came from Plasmas. Unless something brings you and Plasmas together as one being. You wont become Dan Phantom."

Danny felt his teeth grit. "Still, it doesn't mean I can't become evil- It doesn't make me any less guilty."

Clockwork nodded. "All beings have the capacity for evil." Danny took in a sharp breath, and Clockwork continued. "You have not shown any great signs of becoming such."

"But I've-

"You did nothing." Clockwork stopped him.

Danny felt hot tears fall from his eyes, he was getting really sick of crying. "I set all of this in motion!"

"You took the answers to a test." Clockwork said his voice gentle. "Any other kid would have gotten a slap on the wrist- explosion at most."

Danny felt his chest convulse with a sob. "Still!"

"What if it were Sam or Tucker here, for the same reason?" Clockwork asked.

"They aren't half ghost! They wouldn't have to worry about their nature!" Danny seethed.

"You think not?" Clockwork asked. "Humans have and can become ghost, and some of them have even made history with their violence."

Danny swallowed having nothing to say to that. "I know you have been struggling. I know that it's been panful." The ghost of time said his now wrinkly face showing understanding. "That pain may never truly go away, but all is not lost. You have an ally." The ghost moved a hand over a near by window and Valerie's face appeared.

"She want's half of me dead." Danny whispered.

"Yes, and your catch 22 promise with her did not help." The ghost released the image. "It would do best to avoid her as Phantom for a while."

Danny nodded. "So… You are holding that thing." He glared at the thermos, his fist tight. "Valerie… still wants to protect half of me and kill the other… I guess other than losing all my support nothing's really changed." His voice cracked.

"Oh, but now you have me." Clockwork said. "I'm officially in charge of you. If you start to go evil, I'll deal with you myself."

Danny was frozen. "C-charge?"

"Think of me as a guardian."

Danny nodded slowly. "Okay…" His chest was slowly loosing that tight feeling he'd had since the explosion. A small warm emotion was growing under all that hurt. Danny wasn't sure what it was just yet, but… it wasn't pain, sorrow, or guilt.

"One more thing, before I send you back. I don't want you to drive yourself nuts trying to figure it out."

The screen shifted again to show the owl. "Spooky…" Danny said frowning.

The ancient ghost smiled. "Yes, Spooky, as you suspected, they are a manifestation resulting from the emotions left behind by your friends and family."

Sorrow nearly brought Danny to his knees. "All of them?"

"Even Lancer." The ghost nodded. "It is a low level ghost, created nearly entirely by the emotions your family was feeling as they died."

Danny trembled. "But-

"It's main drive is to protect you." Clockwork said leveling his gaze with the boy. "It has no memories of the people who gave it the energy and emotion needed to be created. It only knows that it loves you. It worries about you. I cares about you. Because these are the emotions they felt at their last moments." Clockwork left out the fear they felt it wasn't important because the strongest shared feeling the ones he loved felt then was an overwhelming want and need to help Danny.

"I-I don't understand."

"This little ghost is a manifestation of your families love for you." Clockwork said. "Being only a couple of weeks old technically speaking, it's fairly powerful. I'd say thats physical proof that they did not, in fact, hate you."

Next thing Danny knew he was standing in the Gray's living room. Clockwork took hold of the medallion and smiled. "Things will get better Daniel, just give it time."

Danny stumbled back flopping numbly onto the couch as he heard the distant "Time In"

"Danny!" Valerie cried, not sure what had happened. She watched Danny stand in a panic only to have him stumble back, a blank look on his face.

A soft chuckle left him as the strange owl landed on his lap looking up at him with its head tilted to the side in confusion. Cradling Spooky close to him he allowed himself to cry. Tears of sorrow and pain intermingled with a feeling of love. Love for his family and friends that loved him so much they left a peace of themselves behind to look out for him.

"It's all so messed up." He said whipping his eyes with his free hand.

"What is?" Valerie asked, wondering if he'd explain what he meant about this all being his fault because of who he was.

"Just… their deaths…" Danny said quietly. "It's messed up."

"It is." Damon said in agreement.

Sad grey eyes looked up to the man, a bit of a smile pulling at the boys lips.

Valerie pulled Danny back to her crushing him in a tight hug. Over whelmed by the sudden change in mood. She wasn't sure what caused it, but she was thankful, because she could see just a small bit of it, in Danny's eyes. A small spark of hope that brought a little color to his grey-blue eyes.

The world was still moving to fast, but for the first time since this living nightmare started Danny felt that maybe it was okay if it didn't just stop. At least not entirely.

Authors Notes:

So… stupid? Too talky… boring? Cheese? Or did this actually work?

I've always felt that this story moved really slow... but I think it also kind of works... I guess I just want to know if you guys want me to move it more quickly or is this pace okay?

Well, thanks for reading. Hoped you liked this chapter! ^-^