Day Twenty-Eight: Vacation

Word Count: 3935

Genre: Humor

For most people, spring break was a breath of fresh air, a relief. No more school work therefore no more stress. But… given the circumstances, Danny wasn't most people. No, spring break meant more stress for him; at least when school was in session he knew what to expect. He'd been fighting ghosts for three years now, so he was conditioned to the lack of sleep, bruises, excuses, the same enemies, the same lectures…. School was a cycle, predictable, repeating.

And spring break, was not.

It was against his better judgement, that Danny allowed Tucker to persuade him to go on vacation with his family. ("It's Senior year dude, we have to do something before college!") Danny's obsession screamed otherwise, it nagged and lashed and whispered something will go wrong. Leaving Amity Park means no protection, no protection means invasion, invasion means people will get hurt. Hurt, hurt, hurt-

Deep down, he didn't want to go on a roadtrip with the Foleys. But he figured he'd throw Tucker a bone, try to ignore the incessant worries that plagued his mind. Because Tucker was right, High School was almost over and one last hurrah with his best friend before they walked the stage was what they needed. They needed this roadtrip because their time was almost up….

And even though things could go wrong, it wasn't a guarantee. After all, Valerie was slated to stay in Amity Park for spring break, so hey! It wasn't completely unprotected. Yet his ghostly nature denied any mental relief. Danny's mind was a war of stress and reason, worries and logic. His obsession trying to dominate his desire to have a memorable spring break. He fought it with positive thoughts, clung to Tucker's occasional assurances, and hoped for the best.

Three days into the trip, Danny actually managed to convince himself that there was nothing to worry about! According to Sam, who'd faked illness to get out of her family's fiftieth trip to Europe, Valerie and his parents were doing a good job protecting the town in his absence. The only ghosts to wander out of the portal were Skulker, who returned to the Ghost Zone when he realized Danny was gone; a few docile animal ghosts; Technus, who was easily stopped when Valerie recruited Nathan to hack Technus's tech; and Ember, who was eventually subdued by his parents.

"See," Tucker pointed out, "I told you there was nothing to worry about, dude! And we're having a good time, so this is totally worth it!"

At the moment, they were in a hotel somewhere in West Virginia. They'd only made a handful of stops in the past few days, usually staying in hotels outside of big cities to see the sights without as much traffic. Mr. and Mrs. Foley were actually really fun to travel with, unlike his own parents - this was probably Danny's first vacation ever that didn't revolve around ghosts. They even booked Danny and Tucker their own room beside their own instead of just lodging together in the Ghost Assault Vehicle.

Danny leaned back on the edge of his bed, shooting a side glance towards Tucker, "Yeah, yeah, don't jinx it, dude."

Tucker laughed. He crinkled up a pamphlet he'd taken from the last rest area and threw it at Danny, who turned intangible on instinct. "Paranoid," he teased.

"Pretty much," Danny agreed. He leaned back on his bed and groaned. He shifted his weight when something in his back pocket jabbed him, and took out his phone. He held it above him, habitually checking for new notifications when he noticed that the Wifi symbol was gray. "Hey what's the wifi password?" he prompted Tucker, knowing that by now the technogeek had already connected all his devices.

"sillyraisin248," Tucker recited. "All lowercase, no spaces."

Danny paused, "How do you spell raisin?"

Tucker raised a brow, "You don't know how to spell raisin?"

"It's with an 'e', right? r-a-i-s-e-n?" Danny tried typing it in his phone. The network rejected the password and Danny frowned. "I guess not."

"It's with two 'i's," Tucker took pity on him.

"Oh. Thanks," this time, the network accepted the spelling. He scrolled through his notifications and dismissed most of them, already bored of social media. He'd spent enough time on it today in the car when Tucker had fallen asleep staring at the monotonous scenery of the interstate.

"My Mom just texted me," Tucker announced, tilting his head towards the wall. "She wants us to look up nearby restaurants and decide where to eat."

"Oh, cool," Danny nodded. He searched Google for a few minutes before consulting Tucker, "So which places are you interested in? I'm kinda leaning towards that Italian place."

"Eh…." Tucker tilted his head back and forth. "The reviews on their website say it's overpriced. I know Dad loves a good chicken parm so I already checked."

"Well that's a bummer," Danny rolled his eyes. "Okay. So what about… 'the Cowabunga Chicken'? Wait, that doesn't make sense. 'Cowabunga' is Hawaiian, right? It says it's a steakhouse?"

"Well, something obviously went wrong when they were choosing their name," Tucker laughed. "I was actually thinking about just going to Sonic; it's cheap, we don't have to leave the car, and they closed the one near us years ago."

"Oh yeah, I remember that place! Before they shut down, we got banned because Dad took out three rows of menu displays with the GAV."

Tucker snorted, "Are you sure they didn't have to shut down because of your dad?"

Danny thought about it for a moment, "It's a possibility. It wouldn't be the first business he's killed." He paused before throwing Tucker a cheeky grin, "I would know, after all."

"Oh yes," Tucker deadpanned, "Danny Fenton, established 2004 - killed tragically by his dad. Sometimes I can still hear his voice…."

They both laughed. Once their laughter died down, Danny looked back at his phone and calculated the distance between their hotel and Sonic. "That seems like it isn't too far. Will your parents mind that it's fast food?"

"Nah," Tucker decided. "Back in the day Mom used to always get me their slushies. She was heartbroken when it shut down. Well, it wasn't the end of the world but it just kind of sucked."

"Yeah," Danny nodded.

"Alright, I'm texting them right now…" Tucker said. It was only a matter of seconds before he got a response. "Mom said it's cool. We'll leave in like… what time is it?"

Even though Tucker had a clock on his phone, Danny responded anyway, "Like ten 'till seven."

"We'll leave in ten minutes," he determined. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

"Okay," Danny turned back to his cellphone. He was just about to get on a gaming app when he noticed that he had a new notification from Amity Park's news app. Apparently it was from three minutes ago. Weird. Usually they didn't send out push notifications unless… unless something was wrong.

Shit.

Danny clicked on the notification and momentarily forgot how to breathe. Not like he needed to breathe anyway but-

6:52 PM RED ALERT. GHOST INVASION.ALL CITIZENS TAKE SHELTER UNDER GHOST SHIELD. CLICK HEREFOR SHIELD LOCATIONS.

Ancients Amity was being invaded right now and he was all the way out in West Virginia, hundreds of miles away from home. No, no, no-

It's all my fault. I never should have left. I protect the town, I keep people safe - of course this would happen the moment I leave! Valerie and Mom and Dad can only do so much!

His obsession was compelling him to rock back and forth now, rubbing it in that you didn't protect them. And somewhere, a door opened. Danny looked up and realized that Tucker was staring at him. And he was still rocking, like a maniac - stop, dumass.

"Uh, dude. What's up?" Tucker tested the waters.

Danny blinked at him. "Y - you didn't get the notification?"

"What notification?" he questioned. "From who?"

"The news app," he replied shakily.

"Why would I have a news app?" he pointed out. Then, he realized, "What did it say? Is everything all right?"

Danny wordlessly shook his head and held out his phone for Tucker to read himself. For him to understand what he had done wrong, to understand how he had failed. Tucker narrowed his eyes and looked back at Danny. "The screen's black, dude."

"Oh." Danny put his thumb over the button and turned it on, checking to see if it was on the correct screen and let Tucker read. His eyes went wide when he processed the alert and took a step closer to Danny.

"Dude, this isn't your fa-"

"Yes, it is Tucker!" he protested. "If only I hadn't come on vacation Amity wouldn't be invaded right now and people are in danger and I'm an another freaking state! I can't - can't do anything! I failed them, failed the city, failed to be Danny Phantom! Failed to be the hero…. I never should have…."

Tucker set a hand on Danny's shoulder, attempting to assure him. "You couldn't have predicted this."

"But I did predict it! I predicted it and - and I came anyway!"

Tucker didn't flinch when Danny's eyes blazed green. "You can't live in fear of every possibility that could happen. This trip may have been a gamble, but there's no way you could have told me with one hundred percent certainty that this was going to happen. You're allowed to live your life-"

"No," he murmured, "'m not alive."

"Don't you start that half-dead emo crap again," Tucker scolded. "You're not at fault for this. I doubt that your absence was the catalyst for this invasion. All your regular foes lose interest in Amity when you're not there, so chances are that this is not because of you. Val and your parents are probably holding up shop for now and everyone has been told to go under ghost shields. It'll be alright."

"No, no it's not," Danny denied. "Maybe now… but they won't last long. I - I have to fix this. I hafta go back home. Physically I can't stay here… my obsession is already... " he held up his hand and showed Tucker how bad he was shaking. "I gotta go."

He stood up from the bed, pushing Tucker's hand off of him and stood in the middle of the room to transform. Tucker watched him worriedly as he changed into Phantom. His blue hoodie dissolved into his black jumpsuit, paired with ethereal floating hair and determined green eyes.

"Danny, you can't just leave now. We're six-hundred miles from home! What about my parents? Your stuff? We have a few more days left."

"I can't stay for days Tuck," Danny said darkly. His aura flickered fiercely, longingly. "They need me now and you know that. It was… a good trip. I'll see you when you get back, okay?"

"Seriously, Danny," he protested. "You can't just go-"

Danny was already floating by the window. His legs morphed into a spectral tail and he looked back towards Tucker one last time. "I'm sorry, I can't stay. Bye Tuck."

"Wait-!"

And he phased through the window. Tucker was left alone in their hotel room. He didn't bother looking out the window to try and lure Danny back because he knew it was too late, he was long gone. Danny's top speed was two-hundred miles per hour, meaning that he would be back in Amity Park in three hours at the latest.

"Why does he always do this to me?" Tucker complained to himself, launching himself back onto his bed in a frustrated slump. He pulled out his phone and decided to text Sam, since he doubt Danny would remember to do it. Actually... did Danny even take his phone? Tucker glanced back at Danny's bed - his phone was still there. That was a no….

He typed out a message to Sam. He let her know that Danny was on the way and asked about the details of the invasion for reference. She didn't text back immediately so he assumed that she was out fighting, which was a predictable of Sam. Knowing her, she probably snuck into the Fenton Vault herself and raided it for the most powerful weapons she could find. It's not like it was hard sneaking into Fenton works, after all.

With nothing else to do, Tucker decided that he would check the internet for news about the invasion since he had little to no information about it. However, before he could search for anything, there was a knock on their room's door.

"Boys! We're leaving now!" his mom called from the other side.

Oh no. How was he supposed to explain to his parents that Danny was just… gone? It's not like he could tell them 'Oh yeah, Danny has to go protect the town so he turned into a ghost and flew through the window. I wouldn't worry about it.'

"J - just a minute Mom!" he replied. He had to think of something and fast.

Okay, okay, okay-

Danny was here, now he's not. And he won't be coming back. So maybe… maybe he left the hotel and got on a bus? Maybe he had to go back home because his Mom fell and broke her ankle? No, his parents kept up in the news in Amity Park. They would know about the invasion, they would know that Danny's parents would never invite him home during an invasion. Besides, all of Danny's luggage was still in the room so if he went somewhere he'd have to take it with him, right?

He needed a new idea.

Maybe-! Maybe Danny went downstairs to the laundromat to wash his clothes! Maybe he spilled something on his shirt and was so embarrassed he decided to wash it immediately? But why wouldn't he just put on a new shirt instead? Uhh-

What if a ghost followed Danny all the way from Amity Park, flew into their room, and kidnapped him? It wasn't too far-fetched since Vlad kidnapped Danny all the time! But… his parents didn't know that. And other than Vlad, no ghosts left Amity Park either. That and ghosts officially had no reason to kidnap Danny Fenton.

Tucker was running out of time and he couldn't think of any excuses. Maybe he could just shove a bunch of pillows under Danny's covers and pretend he was sick. If anything, that would at least buy time….

"-you two okay in there? I told you we were leaving at seven, so come on!" his mom jiggled the doorknob.

"Hh - we - we're good!" Tucker panicked.

"You want food or not? Every other night you two have like starving wolves…" Mom trailed off.

In a last ditch attempt, Tucker decided to try the pillow thing. It was the stupidest idea ever, but it was the smartest excuse he could contrive in this damned situation. Tucker pulled all the pillows off his own bed, and began shoving them under Danny's sheets. He tried moving them to look person-shaped, but the bed only looked lumpy. He bit back a frustrated growl and kicked the bottom of the bed in desperation. That hadn't been a good idea; he wasn't wearing shoes yet so that hurt like a-

"Motherfucker!" he cursed.

"Excuse me?" his mom cried from the other side of the door.

"N - nothing," he yelled back. Oh shit she was going to be pissed.

"Open this door this instant!" she demanded, pounding against it. He wasn't done arranging the pillows yet, though. The bed still looked like a lumpy mess; it was never going to be believable enough that Danny was in it-!

"Tucker Benjamin Foley, I mean it!"

"Angela, honey, we're at a hotel," his dad said, quieter. "We're not at home."

"That damn boy better…" Mom muttered.

Tucker gave up. This excuse would never work. And his mom was already angry enough. He was out of time, out of luck. He had no idea how he was going to get himself out of this one. With no other choice, Tucker hung his head and walked towards the door. There was no preventing this confrontation; he would have to tell his parents that Danny was gone, and he wouldn't be able to explain how.

He reached for the doorknob and pulled it open. When he met his mom's eyes it looked like a vein was ready to burst out of her forehead. "Why did I hear you cussing in there?"

"I uh… stubbed my toe," he admitted. At least that wasn't a lie.

"You still shouldn't be using that language," she reprimanded. "Now, come on. Where's Danny?"

He gulped. "He's uh..." and Tucker didn't say any more. What could he say?

"'He's uh' what?" his mom drew quotes in the air. She glanced over Tucker's shoulder, searching for signs of Danny.

"Not here?" was all that Tucker could manage.

"'Not here'?" she placed a hand on her hip.

"Well, where'd he go?" his dad butted in.

Why did they have to make this so harrrd?

"He left?" Tucker was aware that he had started sweating. These were the worst excuses that anyone had ever given in the history of excuses. Both he and his parents knew it.

His mom placed a hand on her hip, "Yeah? And how does that work? We're going to Sonic, stop messing around."

And now… his mouth was dry. "I - I can't," he managed weakly.

"I think he's serious, honey," his dad said to his mom. "Look at him. Danny's not here."

Mom's expression darkened. "Where is Danny, then? Tucker, I swear you better not lie to me."

"I d - don't know," he shook his head.

"I said don't lie to me," she repeated.

"I'm not!" Yes, he was. Danny was flying somewhere over West Virginia right now at a superhuman speed. But would she believe that? Hell, no. "I really don't know."

"Then explain," she implored, leaning against the doorway. "Why did Danny leave? What did he do?"

"We were - were in our room," Tucker came up with. "And - and he saw something on his phone," which also wasn't a lie, "and he just walked out."

Dad ran his hand over his face. "W - was he angry about something? Upset?"

Tucker looked between his parents, training his eyes on a blank spot on the wall, "Upset, I think?"

"Do you think he could be waiting for us outside of the hotel?" Mom asked.

"I doubt it," Tucker responded. "I don't think we'll see him for the rest of the trip."

"What?" they echoed.

His mom placed her hand on his shoulder, "Tucker, you're not making any sense. You gotta tell us what you know."

"T - that's all I know." Lying like this was so hard. Danny owes him big time!

"No, I see it on your face," Mom decided. "You know and you lying. Whatever it is with Danny, I expect you to tell me because while he is on this trip with us, he is under my protection as a parent. If anything happens to him, it's on me. You got that? Now start from the beginning and fess up."

Like the sly woman she was, his mom grabbed his arm and lead him back into his hotel room, ushering his dad behind her. She sat Tucker down on his bed, making it clear that they weren't leaving until he told the truth. But he couldn't tell her! He couldn't just tell Danny's secret for a number of reasons!

First, it was Danny's secret and he didn't have a right to reveal it. Second, how would he even get them to believe him? The concept of half-ghosts was as credible as leprechauns. Third, if he told his parents about Danny being Phantom, then he would also have to admit to everything he'd done to help Danny in his fights. He'd have to admit all his own secrets and lies and all the nights he spent in dangerous situations.

So telling his parents Danny's secret? It just couldn't be done.

"I can't," he admitted. "I can't out Danny like this. This is his business and as his friend, I just… can't."

"And I'm your mother, so get talking," she narrowed her eyes. "You brought him on this trip, but his ass is still seventeen years old, so therefore he's still a child. And you might be eighteen, but you still live under my roof, got it?"

"Listen to your mother, son," Dad advised.

"I… I really can't tell you Danny's secrets," he whispered. "I wish I could, but I can't. Can we just leave it at that? He had to leave, and so he went. I can't tell you more than that."

His mom scrunched up the hem of her shirt, "How does a seventeen year old boy with no car, no driver's license, and no wallet 'just go'?" she tilted her heads towards the nightstand with Danny's wallet. "He's out there walking along a road somewhere, isn't he? Why can't you just tell me what this is? Tell me where he is."

"No," Tucker refused.

"Don't make me say it again. I've already said it enough," she hissed. She thought for a moment, "If you don't tell me where Danny is, I will take your laptop."

Oh geez, not the laptop. She was playing dirty. "I - I need that for school!"

"No you don't. There's always Dad's computer," she pointed.

Tucker's eyes widened in horror. "That dinosaur? That takes like fifteen minutes to turn on! That can't even be classified as a computer."

"Well, then if you were smart you'd tell me where the hell Danny is," she threatened. "I'm not playing around Tucker, this is serious. I can't just lose an entire child!"

Tucker couldn't. He couldn't betray Danny's secret over a computer. But his Mom… his Mom was really freaking out, he could tell. Because she was right, as the parent, she was responsible for Danny's whereabouts and now he had disappeared. He knew that he wasn't coming back on this trip, but he couldn't explain that to her without the truth.

What was the right thing to do? Lying to his Mom felt wrong. He couldn't… couldn't keep this up. On the other hand, if she knew, that was another can of worms….

Goddamnit.

Danny loved to make his life complicated, didn't he?

"I'm waiting, Tucker," she reminded.

"I…" he shook his head in a vain attempt to rid himself of convoluted thoughts, "okay."

"You're ready to tell us?" Dad asked.

"God, no. I'm not ready. But… I don't see any other choice," he gave in. Danny was going to kill him for this, but after four years his excuses had ran thin. This was the end of the line, the final lies. "It's a long story, but the gist of it is Danny went back to Amity because right now there's a ghost invasion."

His mom frowned. "I did see that on my phone, but what does that have to do with…?"

"Danny felt like he had to go back because…" Tucker inhaled. This was it, the confession. "He fights ghosts. And well, he sort of is one? It's really hard to explain and I doubt you believe me, but Danny's Phantom."

Silence. His parents only stared at him, at a loss for words.

Finally, Tucker couldn't take it anymore. "Get it? Danny Phantom? Danny Fenton? We thought it was funny when we came up with it…" neither of his parents smiled as they processed the information. "I guess not."