Happy Holidays, everyone!

Gah, Winter break's finally begun. HUZARAHHAHABUGLAH! Haha, I really need this vacation, as do a bunch more others, I assume.
I've managed to spellcheck this chapter (as well as I can, anyway). So I guess this can count as my early Christmas gift to you guys. Sorry - no christmas special. But this chapter's pre-tty special anyway (not to sound conceited or anything )

So, here's the update! Will the secret finally be found out?


"And, run!" Danny signals.

I take charge and run across the lab, gaining speed as I head straight towards the wall. Danny, Nett, and Shane watch intensely as I close in on it. Once I reach it, I take the step further and begin running along the wall upwards for three steps before jumping to slide. However, I lose my concentration and footing, and I fall back down at least seven feet.

"AGH!" I grunt, landing on my face.

"Ooh..." the three winch, each closing an eye and turning slightly away. "You alright?" Shane calls.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine you know, I've gotten used to it," I manage out, lifting my dizzy head. "This is only the eleventh time I've fallen. Twice on my face."

"You'll get it eventually. Maybe we should take a break," Danny advises, flying over to help me up as Nett and Shane run over. I smile and take Danny up on his offer. I've already gotten planar walking down, so now Danny wants me to learn Planar sliding.

It's supposed to be like planar walking, only I'm gliding along the walls I'm defying gravity over. Only I haven't been able to get it; yesterday or today. The idea is to keep my 'ghost energy' whatsamawhosit under my feet. It's easier with each step I take when walking on the walls. But when I try to glide or slide, I just, loose the energy. I lose my sense of gravity and I get pushed (or thrown) back down to the floor.

"It's sort of like skating," Danny tries to help. "Don't you do that already?"

"Yeah I skateboard, on the ground. Not exactly the same principles, Danny," I say, rubbing the side of my nose.

"Ah forget training right now. What do you want for your birthday this week?" Nett asks me with a wide grin.

Normally I'd say nothing, but this is the fifth time Nett's asked me already. "I want a million bucks. How about that?"

"Cruel much?" Nett frowns. "Come on at least give me some sort of hint. I have no idea what to get you!"

"You managed to find me a gift last year," I remind, returning back to my original human form.

"Yeah but that gift sucked and you know it."

"What'd he get you?" Shane asks me curiously.

"A lint-brush," I frown, remembering. I can see and hear Shane behind me holding in an obvious laugh. "A used lint-brush."

"See that's what happens when you don't pitch me any hints," Nett further warns, making me smile and shake my head.

"I didn't know it was your birthday this week, kiddo," Danny congratulates, walking up to me and ruffling my hair. "How old you turning?"

"Fifteen," I reply, fixing my hair as I face the ghost and smile up. "Pretty old, huh?"

"Compared to me-" Danny makes a face, realizing he really don't know how old he is. "Well, compared to your mother probably not."

"What was that story you were telling us on the way here about about your mom and your grandma?" Shane asks, pulling up an old metal stool.

Ah, right. I never got to finish. "See, my grandma felt like butting in again and coming over with grandpa to celebrate my birthday her way." Her way meaning an extravagant and over-expensive celebratory celebration all about me. Meaning beautiful tall cakes, heavily decorated marble venue, traditional roses dance, lighting of candles and speeches, and (once again) gowns, as in more than one. For me.

And my Mom and I both argued: NO.

"Luckily my mom was able to persuade Grandma that the celebration wasn't necessary." Thank God. "Mom said she'd be doing something special with me for my birthday this Sunday."

"Oh. That sounds like fun," Danny smiles. "What's she got planned for you guys?"

"Nothing," I admit, smiling sheepishly and turning my head away. "It was only a lie for my grandma. She actually has work that day and won't be home until Monday morning. She's working overtime all this week."

"Ah now that's messed up," Nett frowns, obviously upset.

"No it's fine! We talked about it. We'll just celebrate together Monday after school," I assure. I mean, it's just a birthday. And Mom needs to work. It's not fair of me to ask her to take a valuable day off from heavily needed pay.

"If that's the case then why don't Foley and I take you out somewhere that night?" Shane offers with that nonchalant look about him. Nett backs him up with a heavy and urging nod.

All I can do is laugh. "Thanks guys, but I'll probably just stay home that night. I've got this health project I need to do over the weekend, anyway."

"Bum," Nett pouts as I roll my eyes.

"Okay then, break's over," Danny sighs. I nod, go ghost, and walk away with him to continue practicing planar sliding. Maybe I should bring a helmet next time I come here.

"Dude that is so sad!" Nett brings up again, looking at Shane sitting. "Wendy doesn't even look upset!"

"Maybe because she's not?" Shane shrugs, a little off put himself. "You know Wendy's Mom and her job. Maybe this isn't the first time she's had to work on her daughter's birthday."

"Maybe," Nett says quietly, considering the idea. Despite that fact, the idea was still pitiful to him. "So what about you, Romeo. What are you gonna get her?"

"Me?"

"Not you - Napoleon. Yes you," Nett glares playfully.

Shane blows some air out and leans back a bit, staring at the tall ceiling. "To be honest I have no idea. I haven't gotten her a birthday gift in years."

"Don't you even have the slightest idea what she might like?"

"Nope."

Nett's eyebrow slumps. "Some secret-admirer you are. You don't even know her favorite color."

"Red."

Nett blinks, further frowning. "...Whatever. You're still no help."

'What am I going to get her...?' Shane thinks to himself, watching me attempt once again to run and glide up the wall, only to fall once more. I'm able to catch myself better this time, but it's still a fail. 'It's been too long since the last time we spent her birthday together.' Watching, Shane begins to reminisce about one of the younger birthdays where my mom had to work. I was really sad that day and left with a baby sitter, but Shane came over too late minute, bringing a really kid-made birthday present to make me feel better. 'Can't even remember what I got her...' But he did remember my reaction.

I smiled at him with my widest grin, not having even opened it yet. But I threw my tiny arms around him and squeezed him the hardest I could. I felt so happy. "Thank you, Shane!"

Just remembering the memory made Shane's chest inside beat a little faster. Realizing this, Shane tries to suppress his mental anxiety's effect on his body.

By dark, Nett, Shane and I were walking home. It wasn't too late, but sunset had already past. "Here's my stop," Nett says, where our fork in the road comes up. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Later."

As Nett cross the street, we continue down a turn in the sidewalk, just Shane and little 'ol sore me. "Can you believe it's already April? It's not even cold out anymore."

"I know. Soon enough freshman year will be over," Shane adds as we walk, but he moves onto a different subject. "I know Nett's already asked like a dozen times, but seriously, if you could have anything, and please don't say nothing, what do you want? For your birthday?"

"I don't know, Shane," I say. "I mean, I already have you guys, and my Mom, and these menacing but cool powers. What more could I possibly want?" Despite what I just said, Shane still doesn't look content. "How about you surprise me?"

"That's a big help," Shane replies sarcastically, making me laugh. "To be honest I'm as lost as Nett. And that's pretty bad."

"You don't have to get me anything."

"I want to," Shane admits accidentally, but he plays it off. "It's, been a while since I've celebrated your birthday with you."

It's been a while since we've been able to be such good friends again. "Well then, go by what you know from the last time we celebrated."

As good as advice that sounded, it didn't help Shane, very much. He tried very hard to remember. He did get me something - something really crappy he recalls. But it was something I really really liked.

He also recalled one day shopping with me, when we were little. He and I were with my Mom at one of the watch shops downtown, so Sam could get her wristwatch fixed. Shane and I were going all around the little store, looking at every clock. Coocoo clocks. Alarm clocks. Grandfather Clocks. Pendullum Clocks. It was a wonder world for us children.

Shane thinks harder into the memory. There was a large class case counter, and he saw me staring at one very beautiful piece. A pocket watch, closed and laying flat inside the case alongside other watches. It was gold, with an intricate design on the cover.

Shane recalls wishing he had an allowance high enough to buy it for me.

I laugh to myself in oblivious thought on our quiet walk, but I look up at the night sky. The stars tonight are unusually bright amidst the warm night air. Unkneownst to either of us, there's a ghost following close by, but far enough as to not trigger my ghost sense. "You know... if I could have anything for my birthday, I do have one wish in mind."

"And what's that?"

"... To spend a day with my dad," I finally say. "I mean, to just have one day, to figure out what he's like, and... to show him what I'm like, you know...?" I shake my head, still smiling. "Ah, listen to me babble. It must be getting late if I'm saying stupid stuff like this."

"It's not stupid," Shane points out as I rub my tired eyes. Hope we get home soon.

Meanwhlie, the ghost following us makes a sly grin. "The boy was right; she would make a wish." Desiree's hands and eyes glow. "And so you have wished it... so shall it be..." Desiree quietly activates her powers for my wish, outstretching her glowing hand. True Desiree was used as a test and sent out to bother or attack us before, but Danny was on decent terms with the ghost, enough for her to grant Danny a favor this time. It was his pupil's birthday, and Danny knew he couldn't do anything for her. So he asked Desiree to follow and grant any (good) wish she stated out loud.

It just so happens that wish is for me to spend a day with my dead dad.

As Shane and I are walking, Shane manages to catch something my ghost sense doesn't. He turns back, and sees a familiar ghost fly off invisible. However Shane's Ghost Blood eyes are able to catch her transparency. It's Desiree. Shane looks at me for a moment then back at the sky behind him. If Manson doesn't sense her then it mustn't be anything too bad.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The sound of a rock hits my window pane. "YO MANSON! GET UP!" Nett yells outside my window.

I groan in bed, rolling over to peek out of the blankets. There's sunlight in the room. "Overslept," I mumble, forcing myself out. It's Saturday morning now, and the guys and I meet up at my place for our usual weekend routine. As with training every day after school, on weekends we get the training sessions over with in the morning. By 8:00, I'm out my door (or I'm at least supposed to be) with Nett and Shane, waiting out on my stoop.

"Sorry!" I apologize, leaving my door and making sure it's locked. "I forgot to set my alarm yesterday."

"No biggie. But we're like half an hour late," Nett says as we get a heavy start on our speed walking. As we're walking, and eventually running, all I'm really thinking about are two things: One, how much trouble I'll be in with Danny. He already gets irritated when I'm late during the weekdays. By the time we get there he just might end up making me do a bunch of exercises again.

Seconds, today is my last day being fourteen. Fourteen-years old. As I replay that word over and over, I begin to look over the past year of my being 14. Heh. Wow. I can't even list all the cool things that've happened this past year. Strangely enough, I think back to my fourteenth birthday. Things were so normal a year ago. I never would've expected any of the things that would've happened afterwards.

"What time is it?" I ask as we finally reach Fenton Works on the abandoned street.

"9:15," Shane reads from his watch as he holds the broken front door open for Nett and me. The three of us rush in and Shane shuts the door back closed.

Seeing as we're in a hurry, we quickly throw our bags and belongings over beside the dust-covered couch by instinct and tread out way through to the kitchen and down the open passage way to the basement. "Danny we're here!" I call down as we go down the steps together.

"Sorry we're late!" Nett also shouts as we reach the cold lab. "Wendy's fault!"

I take an instinctive head-turning glance towards the loud-mouthed boy. "Really?"

Shane however remains suspicious, looking and turning his head multiple directions. "That's weird... Danny!" Shane calls out. No reply. "Danny you here?!" he yells again. Nothing returns. "He's not here."

"Oh," I realize, looking around, too. Half of me is screaming and cheering YES, but it's not like Danny to not be here. I mean, he has literally nowhere else to go. "Maybe he went into the ghost zone?"

"Nah. The Ghost Portal would be left open," Nett says, walking over to the ghost portal and knocking on its metal plating. None of its lights are on, meaning it hasn't been activated or put into use any time recently. "He could be hiding?" Nett shrugs, his voice unsure. "Like as a test or ghost exercise or something?"

"I'd see him if he were invisible," Shane counteracts with an almost just-as-confused tone.

"And my ghost sense thing isn't up," I say, checking my breath for any fog and my arms for any goose bumps. I'm as warm as spring. "Where the heck is Danny?"

"Don't worry too much about it. I'm sure he just wants us to wait here ," Nett assures, only for us to hear a distant clang and crash. I freeze. They freeze. And we're silent, as if waiting for a follow up noise. "I take that back something's up." There's another crash, and I glance up towards the ceiling this time. "Literally up."

"There's something upstairs," Shane states. Cautiously, the three of us simultaneously and mentally agree to check things out ourselves. Assuming silent-mode, we hurriedly tip-toe up the stairs. After making sure the kitchen is clear, I lead them out of the staircase. About a chair and a few dead plants have been knocked over, but nothing to major.

"Is there a robber?" Nett whispers, but I just shrug. The next sound isn't a crash, but it's a noise loud enough to catch my attention. I throw away the discretion-moves and jump right back out into the living room; the source of the noise. I've gone ghost and prepared an ecto-ray in my palm, holding my arm out towards the man. There's a figure's back facing me a few feet away, and by my loud footsteps, the guy appears to know he isn't alone.

"Freeze!" I yell out. Gosh, I feel like a cop. The guy is startled, but unmoving. His back still faces me, and his hands seem lost. "Don't move! I'll shoot you I swear it!"

"Wendy!" Shane and Nett run back out behind me, skidding to stops behind me upon seeing my ghost-ray. "Wendy what're you doing?" Shane whispers harshly behind me. I can bet he was thinking it wasn't a very wise decision to go ghost and threaten some man with ghost powers, but hey, this stranger's in a place he shouldn't be.

"What're you doing here! No one's allowed here who are you!" I bark, feeling a rush of anger. It's like someone trespassing here just, makes me feel tick. It's like they're disturbing the peace that is Danny's realm, his somewhat resting place. "Did you follow us here!?"

"I didn't follow you, Wendy," the man says warily. It's his voice that makes my heart stop. I can only imagine Nett and Shane's faces behind me. "I live here. In the lab downstairs," the man says, his back still facing us. But with my ecto-ray within shooting range, he keeps his position with his hands up in the air. "Wendy...?"

I gulp, a little nervous with this. It can't be... "Turn around," I order cautiously, holding my wrist with the palm holding the ghost ray. Slowly we watch the man turn around with his hands still up. When he's made his full turn, I can't believe what I'm seeing. "Impossible..." I whisper as my ecto-ray fades away, and my arms fall back down to my sides.

"Danny?" Shane says breathlessly.

The man before us isn't Danny. Yet... it so is. Same skin, same height, same voice, same shape. It's Danny, but- "Human..." I say, feeling my heart racing. Am I dreaming? Are we all dreaming? By the looks on our faces, this 'Danny' seems just as scared and curious as we are. He's cautious, too. We haven't changed I'm sure, but Danny's never left the lab except for the ghost zone. This all may feel as dream-like to him as it is to us. "Danny you're alive...?"

"I'm alive," he repeats, as if I've just given the correct answer. "I'm... alive." He then looks down at his blocky fingers, and then towards a broken television by the wall.

The bigger part of the former black screen shows Danny's reflection. I think this is his first time seeing his reflection like this, as his eyes grow wide and he nears the broken black screen. He touches the reflection first, and then hesitantly reaches to feel the skin on his face.

The three of us till aren't moving. Just observing. But within the next two seconds, it all appears to sink in for Danny and he just screams. "AHHHHH!"

-as do we. "AAHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" By now all of us are screaming, but we come to a stop eventually. Danny's stumbles back, almost tripping over a loose box on the floor. "I'M ALIVE!" he screams again in panic.

"You're alive!" I repeat in fear, and in lack of any other reaction.

"I'M HUMAN!" he panics in a scream, turning to us.

I nod incoherently. "You're human...!" I repeat, somewhat afraid. One of us is going crazy.

"I'm human!" Danny repeats.

"I know!"

"I'm in shock!"

I nod anxiously. "I see!"

Nett: "I'm, sitting down," Nett says dizzily, sitting on the edge of the couch behind Shane and me.

"Oh my god..." I finally say, catching up with my heart rate.

"I'm..." Danny finally gets, and he calms. His hands . "I'm, not a ghost..." he exhales, holding one hand on the plastic covered couch for support, but he somehow loses his footing and trips over an old dusty magazine on the floor.

Well, now at least we know where all the crashing is coming from. Human Danny's about as clumsy as a 1-year old learning to walk. "Yeah. You're not a ghost," I slowly agree, taking very hesitant steps towards him. I know it's Danny, and he knows it's me, but we both look (I assume) very nervous as I approach him.

Meanwhile by the kitchen entrance, Nett and Shane observe with wide eyes the scene before them. Danny's Danny alright, ghost or human. But for the first time they can see the total human-resemblance between secret father and daughter. They dare not say anything about the unspoken subject, but it's still scary to see them together. Almost as scary as seeing them both as ghosts for the first time - seriously alike.

I stop in front of Danny, having had to maneuver over some broken glass and papers on the living room carpet. The Fenton Building's always been run down and a huge mess, but we never took to moving anything around since we found it. Now Danny's created a whole new mess.

I take Danny's hand, surprisingly feeling its warmth. He's wearing clothes. Actual clothes besides that black and white ghost jumpsuit. I look up at is very tall face and notice just how blue his eyes are - as blue as my own. They've lost their glowing green tint, and his once white snow hair has turned as black as midnight. He really is human...

"This, is so, freaky," Netts whispers.

"Wow…" say first slowly, and to Danny. "I knew I'd get into something major for being late for training but, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"Me neither," Danny admits, showing his cheesy and anxious smile. I can tell right off the bat through that smile that this is my ghost teacher.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Did I say yet how freaky this all is?" Nett whispers to Shane. By now, all of us are sitting downstairs in the lab.

"So, you just woke up like that?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yeah. One second I go to sleep a ghost. The next thing I know, I'm on the floor and I actually feel cold. Like, colder than I've ever literally been. I wake up and I realize there's something off with me. My suit's gone, I have all these weird sensations, and soon enough I find myself wandering the building up the stairs."

"I thought you couldn't leave the lab because you were bound to it," Shane recalls.

"I am," Danny agrees. "You can see why I'm so stumped here."

"Forget why and how. The point is you just left!" I grin, scooting my chair closer to Danny. "So what was it like? Leaving for the first time?" I felt like a little girl, hearing one of her friends just visited some exotic place like Paris or Central America.

"Mm. Scary. Very scary," Danny laughs. "I had no idea what to expect going up there. I went up the stairs to the resident rooms a bit before turning back and going back to the living room. I'm still not used to all this weight on your body so I just lose my footing sometimes and I'd knock things over."

"Again, that explains it," Shane frowns.

Now that Danny mentions it, I don't blame him for being so clumsy as a human. The gravity level difference between my ghost-form and human form are almost dramatically different. I can manage now since I'm so used to changing from one to the other, but you can immediately tell how much different you weigh when you change from ghost to person for the first time in a while.

And for Danny, who's probably been so accustomed to weighing as light as a cell phone then going to normal grown man,; it's... difficult I'm guessing.

"I'm still thinking this is all some freaky dream," Nett says, seeming to be the only one out of the three of us to not have had this all sunken in yet. "How exactly does a ghost go from being a, ghost, to being an, an alive-person?"

It never occurred to Shane, but suddenly it all clicked. The Danny, the human, the ghost yesterday night after training, the conversation between him and me about what I'd wish for my birthday. Desirre granted her wish of spending a day with her dad...

"Does it matter? Danny's alive and he can leave!" I practically cheer, standing form my seat again. I can't get enough of saying that. "Who knows how long this can last, guys! We need to take Danny out!"

"What?" Danny asks.

"Huh?" a deadpanned Shane and Nett stare.

"Just think about it, you guys! This may be Danny's only real chance of discovering the world he may have lived in decades ago!" I say naively. Danny blinks, while Nett and Shane exchange nervous glances. "Come on Danny we're burning daylight!" I scream, grabbing Danny by the wrist and hauling him up at light speed up the stairs.

"W-Wendy I don't think that's such a good idea-!" Nett tries to yell nervously but is held back by Shane before they can leave the lab.

"Let her go," Shane says, a bit hesitant with his choice at the moment. "It's only for today."

"Only for today Shane we have no idea what's going on! For all we know this could be some sort of trap or illusion or test or-"

"You're not going to believe what I'm going to tell you," Shane tells slowly and seriously, being his face straight and slightly calm. "Just shut up and hear me out."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"You're kidding me," Nett says, staring into space with an almost lost yet demented look on his face. Luckily no one else was around but still. WHAT THE HECK. "So Danny's really human!"

"Yes Sherlock that's what I've been trying to tell you," Shane repeats, the two of them having followed Danny and I out into the city. We're currently all walking along the sidewalk and around the town. Obviously Danny's amazed by everything and is so easily amused by any tiny detail, so I've got myself occupied. Meanwhile Shane explained his whole reasoning for this occurrence to Nett a couple feet behind and away, out of ear-shot. "It really is only for a day though, but we have time."

"Heck yeah we've got time. It's only ten in the morning," Nett reminds high strung, looking at his new high tech phone. Outrageous design, Shane thought. "Well, if Wendy's got her birthday wish then I guess she's alright."

"Still don't you think this is even a little bit dangerous?" Shane asks carefully.

"What's there to worry about?"

It takes all of Shane not to smack the boy upside the head. "Are you kidding me there's a crap load of things to worry about now. What if Danny really remembers something?" Shane brings up. "What if he sees Sam? I know it's been what, fourteen years, but I'm sure Wendy's Mom can recognize her dead husband the second we cross."

"Well what're the odds of the four of us seeing Ms. Manson?"

"Knowing our horrible odds, very likely," Shane says sourly. However his frown begins to fade as he looks up, watching Danny and I converse a few feet up ahead. Danny's expression looks so confused, willing to take in any words necessary to understand this whole new plane of existence. And I'm just yabbering on and on with this huge smile on my face. "But... Wendy seems happy for now."

"I'm supposing that's the purpose of the wish," Nett shrugs, nodding, "But you do bring up a good point. We have to be careful - watch them. It'd be bad if someone recognized him."

"It'd be bad if they recognized each other," Shane says nervously in a low whisper, eyeing the father and daughter.

Despite Shane's and Nett's initial and secret fears about the day, it was going pretty swell according to me. I'm just glad they were able to put up with me the entire afternoon, because I was taking them everywhere. The mall, the library, the movies, the Valentine Cafe- anywhere I could think of. There was reason behind my madness, and I think the others were starting to catch on after a while, too.

At the Nasty Burger, we order Danny his first, uh, nasty burger. He was pretty put off by the name, and the actual food, but he ate it eventually. And it'd seem the setting of the fast-food restaurant triggered something in him, like he could remember being there before. 'Faintly familiar' he called it.

Then after going through the east side of Amity Park, we passed by Axion Labs, a recently new building with a bunch of renovations. Shane, Nett and I are just kids, so we don't know very much about it, but Danny does. He started to go on and on about how he remembers how much he loved space. When he was alive, he wanted to be an astronaut. I'm guessing he never got to it.

And at the park, -the special, empty, run-down and abandoned park Shane and I used to play in- taking Danny there, he said that place was familiar too. He could remember the place being a whole lot more livelier, and greener. He remembered the birdbath, now knocked over and covered in vines and cobwebs. And he took notice of something further down in the park neither Shane nor I have ever really noticed. We didn't go al the way down, but just from the park entrance, Danny could see this lone hill near the horizon, almost completely on the other side of the park beyond the woods.

It was a pretty hill, with a single tree on the top. We've never been there, but Danny says the view is great. You can see all of Amity Park from up there. He was once up there when he was alive.

Another weird place that caught Danny's interest along our wandering of the town was this old construction site near the edge of downtown. We didn't stop there; more along the lines of passing through. Danny was the one that stopped us.

"What is it, Danny?" I ask curiously, seeing him just dazed, staring off the sidewalk's railings and out to the dirt-field down below. A few bulldozers and dump trucks were there.

"I remember. Something else," he says. I could tell after the first couple times that Danny never tries to remember things on his own. they just come to him whether he wants to recall or not. This must be one of those times. "It's foggy..." he says disappointingly.

"They say there used to be an old hospital here," Shane informs, all of us observing the ruins and rubble. "An old haunted one that's been out of business for decades. It's been condemned for a long time after an incident back in the early 2000s. The city's torn it down and they're going to build some condos over it."

"Incident," Danny repeats, recalling a bunch of black and white images. "Yes, I remember that incident. It was a scam, by this lady, a-" He couldn't remember. "And, everyone at school got stuck inside, with a ghost virus."

"Don't remember that from our history textbooks," I mutter to Shane and Nett.

"We got everyone out, though," Danny spills, but then he wonders who exactly is 'we'. "We used some weird spray thing... Fol... Fol-something." Danny shakes his head, then running his hand through his hair. "Mm, sorry guys. Whatever it is I'm trying to remember sounds pretty stupid."

"No it's not," I assure with a half smile. "Whatever it is it must've been a pretty cool memory. To think, being inside an abandoned haunted hospital?" I look out to the ruins, imagining a fictitious image of the said creepy building. Danny's old life seemed so interesting. Selfishly, I think I'm taking Danny around more or less so I can find out his past.

With all of us looking out to the desolated site, I turn and see a small down about two blocks away down the street. "Hey, I think I know where to go next," I grin.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Only a few minutes later, all four of us were at the local Amity Park indoor skating rink. It's a new place that's opened up over the winter, but what with all the training, the guys and I never got to go check it out. Well, now we are.

"I-I take it back maybe this was a bad idea...!" I admit shamelessly as I hang desperately onto the edge of the skating rink. Even a little girl skillfully passes by me, skillful and confident compared to me.

Nett laughs, skating up to me and stopping in a flash. "Come on Manson, don't tell me you're scared."

"Oh shut up, Nett," I glare jealously. Okay. So I can't skate and the others can. Big whop. They don't' have to laugh at me for it.

Danny sure does. "Come on Wendy, I think this'll be good for your training," he smiles, forcing my hands off the wall.

Suddenly I feel my breathing pace faster as my eyes retain a perfect round and wide shape. "Danny Danny wait DANNY!" I scream, holding on desperately now to his wrists as he skates himself and me away from the safety wall. "And how the heck do you remember how to skate!" I say angrily.

"It's a ghost thing - which is why you should learn," Danny smiles slyly, gliding me towards the center of the rink. Luckily there's only like five other people here, leaving the rink wide open for use. "This'll help you with your planar sliding. They're both basically just gliding and balance."

My face deadpans, me still crushing Danny's wrists. "You mean if I can learn how to skate then I'll know how to Planar Slide?"

"Pretty much," Danny shrugs confidently.

My stare stays, if not only frowning more. "I hate how you turned a perfectly fun afternoon out into a training session." Danny rolls his eyes.

Outside the skating rink, Shane enters the establishment and runs up to the surrounding see-though wall thing, up behind Nett, and knocks. Nett, seeing the boy, skates over to the arena's entrance where Shane starts to put on his own skates. "Took you long enough. Where'd you go? When you said you'd just be a minute at the store I imagined like maybe one or two - not twenty."

"I'm here aren't I?" Shane defends, standing up straight onto the ice.

Danny keeps a firm hold on my own wrists. "Okay, now I'm going to skate around the rink alright? You just copy my movements and try to keep up okay?"

"Don't let go...?" I almost beg, gulping.

"Promise," Danny assures with a close nod. Seeing that, I get a desperate yet hopeful glint in my eye.

"Aw, now will ya look at that," Nett smiles as he and Shane meet up at the edge of the rink. The two are watching Danny teach clumsy me how to skate. I'm holding desperately onto Danny's arm and shirt as my legs try to adjust to a unique new movement on the ice. The two boys can't help but just smile at the warm sight. "Now isn't that nice."

Shane lets out a quick, honest breath. "I still can't get used to the sight of the two of them next to each other. I mean, the resemblance is so close it's scary."

I lose my footing on one of my skates, but Danny catches me, and pulls me along on the ice as we continue to try and skate.

"Kind of weird how Wendy hasn't noticed yet," Shane notices.

"Let's just count that as good luck on our part," Nett laughs nervously, crossing his arms. "Still, isn't it cute? It's like Danny trying to teach his baby girl how to walk all over again. I bet he never even had the chance."

Shane shakes his head, placing his cold hands into his hoodie pockets. "Wendy's dad died before she was born, she says. He never even met his daughter until that day you and me followed her to Fenton Works."

"You mean until that day you dragged me to follow her," Nett corrects, Shane laughing and turning his head away.

"Okay I'm gonna let go now okay?" Danny warns.

My once loose grip on his arm tightens once more. "No Danny wait I'm gonna fall!"

"You're not gonna fall," Danny soothes in that assuring tone of his. I just wish I could believe him better. "Ready?"

"No."

"Set...!" Gulp.

Danny lets me drift off ahead as he comes to a slow, and I'm stuck in a frozen position, just gliding along the ice. I'm afraid any movement I make will result in me falling backwards and onto the ice. Sadly I'm about to fall backwards after the first five seconds, but I hear a razor quick scrape of the ice from behind me, and I feel someone catch me, gliding me along the ice from behind by my arms.

I look back and it's Shane. "Geez you're real bad at this," he chuckles at me, a shake of his head to finish.

I scoff or laugh. Whichever, I'm glad he's there. "Yeah."

"Looks like she's finally got it," Nett grins as Danny skates up to him on the side. "Whoo! Go Wendy!"

"Almost," a proud Danny agrees, watching Shane take over for him with teaching me. I'm a bit more relaxed now, skating with Shane's hold. But while watching them, Danny receives another spontaneous flashback. Images flash one by one across his mind in black and white. It's an ice rink, a different one. And it's Danny, human Danny, skating with someone else. It's a girl. The two, he and the girl, look exactly like Shane and me right now. "Almost..."

"Danny?" Nett asks, bringing Danny out of his daze.

"Oh, sorry," Danny gasps, shaking his head. But Nett knows what's going on, and can't help but feel a little concerned himself over Danny recovering bits and pieces of his memories.


PREVIEW:

"Hey it's Mom," I say, surprised.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"So tomorrow is Wendy's birthday, right?"

"... Yup," Shane replies.

Danny remains silent for a few more seconds. "Then... tomorrow was the day I became a father

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Should I not be curious?" Danny asks.

"It's okay to be," Tucker guesses. "It's your choice. Do you want to know who Sam is?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I'm... Wendy's father...?"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Happy birthday, Wendy."