The next day Wulf returned to the school and Danielle decided to volunteer Dani Phantom as Danny's final ghostly guest. They didn't introduce her as Dani though to protect both of their identities and Danny asked his students to identify the powers Danielle displayed, while outside of course. Danielle could even do a ghostly wail and had activated her ice powers a couple of years ago. She couldn't duplicate her form or teleport though.
After that Danny announced that his lessons were over and the students gratefully took his lesson slots to study, most coming to his classroom due to its refreshing coolness. The exams came and then the final end of year feast. The next day the students clambered into thestral drawn carriages and boarded the Hogwarts Express. Harry and Danny made their farewells and welcomed each other to come and visit whenever. Harry then went home and returned to his auror training. Danny sighed happily as he gave one last look over Hogwarts before packing and waiting for Wulf. Minerva gave him a reference for his year's work as a competent teacher to help with him getting into a muggle college or another job.
A quick trip through the Ghost Zone, Danny emerged in his parents' lab in Amity Park. He lugged the case upstairs and into the kitchen. He took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. He was home. It was a great feeling after so long. He strolled into the living room and then cried out in surprise as he saw his family, Tucker and Sam waiting for him. Sam ran over to him and embraced him and gave him a passionate kiss.
"Welcome home," she whispered in his ear. He chuckled.
"Wow, I definitely feel welcome," he remarked with a goofy grin.
They spent the next couple of hours catching up and spending time together. They would have gone on longer except Danny and Danielle's ghost sense went off. Both jumped up to their feet and glanced at each other.
"I'll go. You just got home," Danielle offered. Danny laughed.
"Exactly, so I should go. Let everyone know that I'm back. Besides I haven't had a good ghost fight in ages," Danny retorted. Danielle grinned.
"Race you for it," Danielle suggested. Danny laughed again.
"You're on. But you're gonna lose," Danny replied and they changed into their alter egos and leapt into the air.
"And he wonders why all the ghosts call him a child," Sam muttered with a smirk.
(That was originally was the end but due to popular demand…)
Danny phased out of the house into the bright summer sun. Danielle smirked at Danny as he took in his hometown for the first time in months. It felt great to be back. Not visiting, actually back home. Both halfas quickly scanned the sky and streets around them. Danny frowned in confusion.
"That's weird. Our senses did go off right?" Danny muttered with a raised eyebrow at Danielle. She nodded, equally confused.
"Maybe we should do a quick patrol. The ghost could have just crossed our senses on its way through you know," Danielle suggested with a shrug. Danny nodded and they spilt up. Danny flew through the air, keeping a close eye on the ground below and waiting for that explosion of cold from his mouth when he finally pin pointed that ghost.
After ten minutes of systematically flying over all the nearby streets and homes, his ghost sense finally triggered. He blinked in surprise though as seconds later there was a loud explosion.
"You're going down spook!" a female voice shouted angrily. Danny smirked and floated down to the alley the shout came from. He leant lazily against the dank stone wall. Valerie Gray was shooting angrily at a blue ghost in overalls with red eyes. The Box Ghost scowled and threw a dripping cardboard box at the huntress.
"You will not defeat the Box Ghost!" the ghost bellowed cockily with a grin. Through her tinted visor, Valerie rolled her eyes and aimed her gun at the squat ghost.
"I beat you every time we fight. What's the difference this time?" Valerie pointed out with a bored frown. The Box Ghost faltered for a second before shouting his favourite word and making a run for it.
Valerie growled in annoyance and jumped into the air. Her trusty hover board materialised below her feet and lifted her above the buildings. Danny smirked and floated upwards after her as she tapped on her inbuilt computer to start tracking down the Box Ghost again.
"Looks like you could use some help," Danny called, trying to hold back a laugh. Valerie rounded on him and lifted her ecto-gun to fire at him. She paused and huffed loudly when she recognised him, lowering her gun.
"Oh, you're back then Phantom. I don't need your help. Especially not for him!" Valerie spat, clearly annoyed. Danny shrugged.
"Yep. Sorry you had to pitch in. Dani told me that she talked to you about our feud," Danny remarked.
He hadn't asked his clone to do so, but Danielle had had a few choice words for the female ghost hunter during the time Danny was away. Before, it had really depended on Valerie's mood whether she would work with him or shoot at him. There were times when they could almost be friends and work together. But, more often than not, Valerie would argue and fight Danny for the right to catch a ghost or blow off some steam against her least favourite ghost, Phantom. Danny, as always, tried to keep her appeased while protecting himself without hurting her. Even if getting a good shot at him would make her happy, he wasn't about to let her. But during Danny's absence, Danielle and Valerie had become good friends and had a flaming argument one day about him. Valerie pointing out that he destroyed her life and Danielle explaining it was an accident and that the hunter had overreacted. However since then, Valerie had agreed to play nice with Danny Phantom.
Valerie shrugged and turned to her computer again.
"Where's Dani?" Valerie asked, clearly preferring that Phantom.
"Our senses got triggered. I'm guessing by the Box Ghost. We split up to look. Dani went the other way," Danny informed her. Valerie sighed with annoyed disappointment.
"Fine, guess we should try this whole working together thing," Valerie decided.
"Hey, we have worked together before. Remember. Pariah Dark, Skulker's island, saving Dani from Plasmius," Danny pointed out. Valerie rolled her eyes. Suddenly her computer beeped.
"Got him. He's over by Floody Waters now," Valerie muttered.
"Floody Waters? Weird place for him to go. There aren't many boxes that way. I wonder why," Danny remarked with a frown. Valerie sighed loudly.
"I don't know Phantom! I don't read that pest's mind!" Valerie hissed. Danny bobbed his head in agreement. The Box Ghost wasn't the smartest ghost out there.
They flew off together in silence to the water park. Danny almost wanted to ask how college was for the huntress but that was a question Fenton would ask, not Phantom. Danny would have to wait until tomorrow before making it publicly known that Fenton was home to hopefully protect his secret. So Danny allowed the silence to continue. Before long they arrived at their destination. Valerie scanned the scene. Danny frowned in thought before noticing a storage shed.
"Come on, if I know the Box Ghost he'll be in the storage shed. There should be boxes in there," Danny decided and started to fly to the small building. Valerie scowled.
"I don't follow you," she grumbled but followed him nevertheless. Danny phased in and Valerie growled in annoyance before finding the door. Danny's ghost sense went off again and he allowed himself a small smirk of victory.
He spotted the blue ghost fawning over a box of cleaning products and bubble wrap. He put his hand to his belt before biting back a curse. He forgot his thermos. He bit his lip and pulled out his phone and glanced at it before biting back a stronger swear word. It was still weird from the magic in Hogwarts. He'd need Tucker to check it and may have to replace it. However his advantage was lost when Valerie barrelled into view with a large gun at the ready.
"Alright ghost! Step away from the bubble wrap. I'm gonna hand your butt to ya!" Valerie announced with proud anger. Danny slapped his forehead. The Box Ghost blinked before scowling in annoyance.
"I am the Box Ghost. Beware my bubble wrap of doom! And boxes of… pool chlorine based cleaning products," the Box Ghost shouted and using his powers tossed two boxes at Valerie. Danny jumped into the fight.
"Val! Ever hear off subtlety?" Danny yelled at the living hunter before tackling the Box Ghost. Valarie glared at him and fired at the Box Ghost, narrowly missing both ghosts.
Danny shot Valerie an angry look before blasting the Box Ghost with a ghost ray.
"Watch where you're firing!" Danny scolded. He knew that Valerie wasn't used to being careful with her aim. She was used to fighting by herself. Danny and his Team Phantom were used to being careful of Danny during a ghost fight. Valerie gritted her teeth but took greater care with her shots. In almost double the normal amount of time as usual, Danny weakened the Box Ghost enough for Valerie to hit him with a gun designed to return ghosts to the Ghost Zone. A secret gift from the Fentons to help Valerie fight the ghosts in Amity Park.
They both panted in silence for a few moments before looking at each other.
"You're losing your touch," Valerie commented with a displeased sniff. Danny rolled his eyes.
"Personally I blame you for that fight. Besides, I have an excuse. I've been away on business. You really need to be smarter in a fight," Danny retorted, folding his arms.
"My fault! How dare you?! You go off on vacation and come back to cramp my style-" Valerie shouted insulted.
"There you guys are! Any luck?" another voice interrupted happily. Danny and Valerie blinked in surprise and turned to the voice. Danielle beamed at them.
"Oh, er…" Valerie began, suddenly sheepish at how easily her anger had gotten away from her. She had promised to play nice with Danielle's cousin.
"We just caught the Box Ghost. Took a little tracking down since I'm a bit rusty and this whole working together is new, right Valerie?" Danny offered. Valerie quickly agreed, pleased to have a ready excuse to avoid explaining their argument. Danielle pouted.
"Oh. So nothing for me?" Danielle murmured disappointedly.
"'Fraid not Dani. Why don't we go back to the others and finish what we were doing before the Box Ghost reared his head?" Danny recommended. Danielle nodded.
"Ok, sure. I'll race ya," Danielle agreed and phased out of the building.
"I gotta go. But why don't we make a deal? No more working together on small ghosts. And we be extra nice to each other around Dani," Danny suggested. Clearly Valerie Gray and Danny Phantom couldn't be partners with all the bad blood between them and differing fighting styles. Valerie nodded.
"Deal. I won't be around much except for the summer because of college though. I can handle that for a few months," Valerie relented. Danny smirked.
"Reluctant friends then," Danny joked and gave a playful salute before flying after Danielle.
"Friends is a strong word. But I can live with not enemies. We do have the same goals," Valerie muttered to herself before pressing her wrist and retracting her suit.
And that is that.
Let me know what you thought.
I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this fanfic and I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed it as much as I did in writing it.
I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who gave a review since they really do make my day and I love getting feedback from you guys
There is a sequel to come following this fanfic so keep an eye out for it. And a celebratory one shot for getting over two hundred reviews.
And, I suppose that's everything I have to say…. Except…
Until the next fanfic.
