Chapter Thirty-One – Home

Friday, June 13th 1998

Waiting got real old real fast. None of them seemed ready to carry on a conversation as they waited (and waited and waited). They could only hope that Phantom's plan was working correctly or that he was able to improvise when it all went wrong. (which Tucker was sure it would).

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

And still no sign of Phantom or Desiree or even any kind of commotion from the jail that might indicate a break out.

Tucker was fiddling with his PDA but the longer they waited the more often he would set it down and gaze worriedly at the jail before picking it back up again.

Sam took to pacing around the back of the Speeder then sitting down only to start pacing again.

Abbi… waited. She didn't have a phone to get lost on (not that the flip phones from this time had much use), she had already picked her finger nails as clean as they would ever come, pulled every piece of lint off her clothing, memorized what the controls of the Speeder looked like (even if she didn't know what they did) and still they waited.

It was reaching hour four when Sam broke the silence.

"This is taking too long, something has to be wrong-"

As if by magic, all hell broke lose.

A large explosion blew a hole in the side of the jail, guards came racing out of the front doors are surged towards the explosion. Ghosts of every size, shape, and color were pouring from the large hole.

Abbi, Sam and Tucker surged forward. All trying to get a look at what was happening and try and spot their ghostly friend among the escapees.

Ghosts flew in every direction from the hole. The guards were trying to block the gapping hole but to little avail. More and more ghosts just kept coming.

"Do you see him?" Sam shouted.

"No, no I don't!" Tucker replied. His head turning in every direction following ghosts as they fled. "I- wait! THERE!"

A streak of black and white was charging away from the jail, hotly pursued by no less than ten guards. Phantom was flying towards a rock formation to their left.

"Do you think he is trying to get to us?"

"Maybe? Or is he leading them away?"

Tucker started firing up the Speeder. "Don't lose track of him!" he shouted as the engines came to life. Either the guards were too far away to hear or too focused on their prey to notice the sounds. Tucker angled the Speeder towards the land mass Phantom was flying towards. And it soon became apparent that Phantom was looking for them. Phantom was frantically looking from rock island to rock island that surrounded him. He flight was also slowing down, which only allowed the guards to gain ground on him.

"Go Tucker! He is going to get caught! Again!" Sam shouted, punching the seat as if that would make the Speeder move faster.

"On it!"

In a burst of speed that left all three pressed into their seats, the Speeder took off like a rocket towards the halfa and his pursuers.

"Tt-uck-er!" Sam barely got out an angry shout as said boy tried to regain control of the Speeder.

Phantom then looked towards them as they approached, a clear sign of relief and then fear etched across his face. Changing his flight pattern, Phantom started flying away from, not the guards, but the Speeder as it rushed towards him. As it approached the pursuing party many of the guards started to scatter.

The Speeder slowly closed the distance between itself and Phantom. Sam and Tucker no longer worried about the guards, but about running Phantom over. "Tucker!" Sam shouted.

"I'm. Trying!" Tucker cut back. Finally reaching enough to grab the controls. But it was too late for Phantom. Soon he was spread eagle on the front of the windshield, unable to phase through due to the ghost shield being active. All parties involved started screaming as they rushed through the Ghost Zone, now unable to even see where they were going.

Sam was able to reach forward and press a red button on the dash that lite up the Speeder for a moment. "D-danny!" she shouted, hoping he could hear her.

He apparently did because a second later he was phasing through the Speeder, only to collide with Tucker in the driver's seat. Tucker lost his grip on the controls as he was squashed into his seat. Phantom however was close enough to grab hold of the controls and dashboard to stop the Speeders insane race.

Moments later the Speeder had slowed to a reasonable 'fly away fast' speed, and the occupants were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hey, dude! Get off me!" Tucker shouted.

"Sorry!" Phantom yelped, sliding to the right to sit between Tucker and Abbi in the front seat.

"What happened, Danny?" Sam asked after catching her breathe.

"I just escaped from prison, again," he replied, laughing.

"No! Really? I would never have guessed!" Sam replied, smacking the back of Danny's head.

"Hey! Ouch!" Phantom whined. "Is that the thanks I get for finding Desiree?"

"What!" Sam and Tucker shouted in unison.

"Yes, how do you think I was able to get free?"

"You made a wish?" Sam asked.

"Yup. And actually, I made two. She is to meet us tomorrow night at the fountain in the park," Phantom said.

"Seriously? And she agreed?" Tucker asked.

"Well, she doesn't really have a choice, but I did help her get free, so I think it was a fair trade," Phantom replied.

Phantom then phased through the front seat to sit in the back with Sam, giving everyone a bit more room.

"So… she was in there? The genie ghost that sent me here?"

"Yup. I wasn't able to ask about her sending you home, didn't really have the time. But I'm sure she will be able to, it is her magic that brought you hear," Phantom explained.

"Third times the charm, right?" Tucker commented. "And there is the Fenton Portal up ahead. I'm sure Jazz is freaking out about how long we have been gone."

The two in the back groaned at that.

And indeed, they all got an earful from Jazz when they arrived in the lab. She was surprised to see 'Lilly' was still with them. Even more surprised when they told her about their trip to Clockwork and his inability to help. Then about the Infi-map and it's refusal to take "Lilly' home as well.

With a modified version of how the story from 'Lilly', Jazz was brought into the loop of how they planned to get her home.

"You got arrested? AGAIN?" Jazz shouted at her brother. Causing the other teens to quietly laugh as they watched Danny get lectured by Jazz.

Keeping the whole 'Danny and Sam's Kid' truth from Jazz was hard with all her questions and by the time Sam and Tucker had left for their homes, Danny and Abbi were exhausted as well.

So it was in the early hours of the morning that Abbi found Danny peeking his head into Jazz's room and waking her up. He motioned for Abbi to follow and together the two snuck up to the Op Center to sit on the roof and watch the stars fade away as the Sun rose.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Danny spoke up.

"So… you've never got to meet adult me before?" he asked, quietly.

Abbi took a peek at him, then shook her head. "There are… pictures of you when I was born… and when I'm really little but… no, I haven't," she finished, lamely.

"Until the day you came here?"

"Right."

"And I was in ghost form? Did I look different then I do now?"

"Well, yeah, you are grown up…" Abbi said, not quite following what Danny meant.

"But no… noticeable changes? No… fangs? Or flames?"

"No… should there be?" she asked, confused. "You just looked taller, older. You know 'grown up'. I didn't see any fangs or fire anywhere when I, um, attacked… you."

Danny snickered as Abbi blushed. Silence fell again but it was Abbi's turn to break it.

"Do you have any idea why you aren't around? Why you… hid… from me?" she asked, not looking him in the eyes.

Danny paused before answering. He had honestly been wondering about that since their night in the Far Frozen. Sure, he had theories, but they were only that…

"Maybe we… Sam and I… fear that ghosts will attack you with me being around… or afraid as a small child you would tell someone about me being a ghost…" he said really quietly.

"I'm not a small child anymore!" Abbi countered, angrily.

"They're just theories…" Danny said. "Maybe I get hurt some how that makes it so I need more ectoplasm to say stable… since it seems I'm living in the Ghost Zone and not the Living world."

Abbi thought about that one. "Maybe? Maybe you visit more often then I know… like when I'm at school... or something? I have no way of knowing if you came or not unless mom tells me…" Abbi wondered aloud. "Maybe she just doesn't tell me so I don't get mad about missing seeing you?"

"Could be? I'm not sure…" Danny murmured. He paused before snickering. "Maybe I get arrested and can't escape."

"Ha ha, sure, if it took you four hours to break out of the jail, I can't see it taking you 14 years," Abbi replied.

"Yeah… neither can I," he replied, nodding.

Slowly the first peeks of the sun appeared on the horizon.

"But you and Sam get along?" Danny asked next.

"Oh yes. We have our moments of fighting but it's nothing like with my grandparents…" Abbi explained. "They… don't like me, so we don't visit them… ever…"

"And my… parents?"

"They live out of town, across the state. I've never meet them, but Aunt Jazz has pictures of them. She doesn't talk about them, just that they don't like to come to Amity. But I'm not sure if what she says is true now…" Abbi explained. Her last sentence more of a question.

Danny nodded. "But it seems they are alive?" Danny asked.

"Huh? Yes, I see Christmas cards they send to Aunt Jazz, and on her birthday, they send one too. She tries to hide them from Mom and Uncle Tucker. They tend to get angry when it's brought up," she murmured.

"Oh," was all Danny said before they slipped into silence again. Birds were chirping in the trees and flying around. Abbi saw a squirrel digging in the grass down the street as well. A normal summer day. Like every day back home. No ghosts attacking, or ghost power training. Just a normal day.

"So… you doing good in school?" Danny asked, awkwardly.

Abbi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Did you really just ask me that?"

"Heh… yeah… Never mind…"

"I do fine in school. No genius like Aunt Jazz but I get good grades," Abbi replied, laughing a little at the end.

"No one is like Jazz…" Danny agreed. "Exempt for maybe mom…"

"What… what are they like? Your parents?" Abbi asked.

Danny thought for a moment. Wondering how to put it. "Eccentric? Ghost obsessed?" he sighed. "They hate Phantom. Everyday they talk about 'ripping him apart, molecule by molecule.' Jazz tries to get them to understand ghosts. Tries to show them that they aren't all evil, but it never works. I don't know what happened from the two of them to come to hate ghosts so much. They've never bothered to tell Jazz or I."

"And that's all they do? Hunt ghosts?" Abbi asked.

"They more stick with inventing stuff for ghost hunting. They aren't that good at it though. Their inventions tend to work though. Mom has great aim, Dad… doesn't. He gets distracted by fudge a lot, he loves fudge. Mom has a sister who lives in Spittoon. We have visited her before. She's kind of a hillbilly to be honest. She's divorced, no kids. I don't know what she thinks about ghosts… I never asked…" Danny explained, wondering about the last comment some. "Maybe she would know why they hate ghosts…"

Silence fell again. By now the sun was above the horizon and car were starting to appear on the roads. A growl from Abbi's stomach broke the silence this time. Causing the two to laugh.

"Come on," Danny said, standing up. "We can get some food and then many a few more hours of sleep, unless you want more ghost training?"

"Food would be great." Abbi agreed.

Saturday, June 14th, 1998

The afternoon flew by with Abbi hanging out with Sam, Tucker and Danny. They walked the town, stopping in different game shops and goth stores, eating at the Nasty Burger and chilling in the park. Ember made another appearance that Danny Phantom made quick work of before Skulker chased him off for almost an hour. When Danny returned, bruised and bleeding just a little, the small gang returned to Fenton Works to clean him up. Abbi got to see Jazz fussing over him as she cleaned up a gash on his arm. Danny refused stitches, saying it would heal soon enough and to just have her bandage it.

This reminded Abbi of the wound she caused on Danny's back. After too much silence from Abbi, the three friends noticed and forced the truth out of her. Only to have Danny show her the wound was completely healed. Not a trace of it left behind.

"That's from the ghost powers?"

"It's not necessarily a ghost power as it is due to being a ghost. They just heal fast. Being made of ectoplasm, they don't always have bone structure and organs the way humans do. Ectoplasm tends to grow much faster than human… flesh. That sounds gross… why am I the one explaining this again?" Danny said, turning to Jazz who took over in a much more scientific and confusing way.

And soon it was time for them to head out to the park. Jazz said goodbye at the door, acknowledging that the for of them needed to say their goodbyes alone.

The sun was sinking as they made their way to the park. Silence having fallen between them. They didn't run across anyone on the way there. And when they reached the fountain it was void of people as well.

"When did you say Desiree was going to be here?" Sam asked.

"I told her 'tomorrow night' so… I guess any time after sunset," Danny explained.

"That or any time before sunrise too…" Tucker groaned.

Danny froze, smacking himself on the forehead after Tuckers comment. "Why didn't I say 'dusk'?" he asked himself.

"So… we wait?"

"We wait…" Sam agreed dryly.

Wednesday June 14th, 2018

"I still can't believe I met my niece six years before she was born…" Jazz said, walking with the other three down to the park at sunset.

"And she already knows I'm Phantom…" Danny said, worriedly glancing from side to side, fearful someone who might recognize him would show up.

"You taught her different things about ghost powers but I'm not sure what, probably the basics at least," Tucker explained, trying to think back to days spent with Abbi. Shaking it off he turned to Danny. "Dani and Samuel didn't want to come?"

"She did but Samuel doesn't want her leaving the Zone, besides, Abbi wouldn't know who she is, unless she met 'Lilly' and you haven't told us?"

"No, Dani never came by or was brought up while Abbi was around," Tucker answered. "She will be excited to have cousins I bet."

Danny smiled. "Al will be happy to have someone old enough to play with. He wanted to come more than Dani did."

The small group laughed at that. They had never met the small boy in person but had been told stories of his… adventures.

The fountain wasn't too far away now, the sun just a wisp before disappearing for the evening. The group arrived and looked around.

"Now what?" Sam asked, turning to Tucker.

"Well, I know it was after sunset and there was waiting involved… but… I cant really remember how long we had to wait."

"Wait for what exactly?" Danny asked, pulling Sam close beside him.

"It's Abbi's story, not mine, she'll remember far more then I will after all," Tucker said for the hundredth time it seemed.

"So… we wait?"

"We wait…" Sam agreed dryly.

Saturday, June 14th 1998

It wasn't an hour before a green fog began swirling around in the air beside the fountain. An feminine voice filled the air along with it. "So you have wished it! So shall it be!"

A ghost genie appeared withing the smoke, bangles on her wrists, green skin and blue clothing, exactly like the ghost Abbi remembered from the attic.

Danny ignored the cold wisp of his ghost sense to walk up to Desiree. "Thanks for coming," he greeted awkwardly.

"I had no choice!" Desiree shouted, but calmed down quickly. "But you released me from Walker's prison so… what is it you needed me here for?" she asked, gazing around their group. "You have a new friend?"

"Um, sorta," Danny agreed. "She is actually the reason u asked…wished… for you to come here."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Danny turned to Abbi. "You want to explain?"

"Um… I…," Abbi looked nervous, extremely nervous.

"Okay… I'll try to explain…" Danny said, turning back to Desiree. "Okay… well, Desiree. A… Lilly here is actually from a different time… and we've been trying to find a way to get her back to her correct time. Finally she told us it was you who sent her to this time so… we were wondering, if she wished to be here, couldn't she wish to go back home and if it would work?"

"Time travel?" Desiree asked, surprised. "Yes, I suppose that would be possible. But what's in it for me?"

"I don't put you in a thermos?" Danny offered.

Desiree glared at him. The two had a small stand off before Desiree huffed. "Fine. She only need wish it and it will be done," Desiree said, turning to Abbi. "Well?"

"I…" she looked nervously at the other three.

"Guess this is goodbye again?" Danny said, a small smile on his face.

"Take care of yourself…okay?" Sam said, surprising all of them by giving the girl a quick hug.

"Thanks…mom…" Abbi murmured quietly. Pulling away from Sam she looked at the other two. "I'll see you all soon."

Tucker held up his fist for a fist bump and Danny looked like he wanted to do the same. But Abbi stepped forward and hugged him instead. "Thanks, for everything," she whispered.

"No problem," Danny said, hugging the girl back.

Finally she pulled away and stepped towards the green floating ghost.

"Are you ready yet?" Desiree asked.

Abbi nodded before taking a deep breath. "I wish I was back in my own time!" Abbi shouted.

"So you have wished it! So shall it be!" Desiree shouted. Green smoke began to swirl around Abbi and she turned to give the group a smile and wave. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she turned back to Desiree. "And I wish Sam and Danny didn't remember meeting me!" she added. "And neither did you either, Desiree!"

"So you have wished it! So shall it be!" Desiree shouted, and the smoke enveloped Abbi completely.

Wednesday, June 14th, 2018

Green smoke began appearing near the fountain as the group waited. Sam screamed when it appeared. Her and Danny started running towards it. Tucker and Jazz not far being. The smoke became denser until a figure could be seen inside, then it began to drift away, leaving behind a small teenage girl with black hair.

"Abbi!" Sam cried, running towards her daughter and wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"M-Mom? What are you doing here?" Abbi asked, shocked to see everyone waiting for her.

"Tucker told us you were coming back today!" Sam explained, pulling away far enough to look Abbi in the eyes. "Never do something like that again! Do you hear me! I told you what wishing could do!"

Confused, Abbi looked at Tucker. "How did he know?"

"You didn't erase my memory, only these two dorks," Tucker said, pointing at Sam and Danny.

Abbi blinked before smacking her forehead. "Seriously? I forgot… shoot!" Abbi groaned. Sam laughed at her antics. Sam pulled Abbi's hand away from her forehead and kissed it instead.

"Well I'm glad you forgot, otherwise we wouldn't be here to get you," Sam said, hugging her daughter once again.

And all this while, Danny watched, not sure how to approach the two. Not sure what to say.

Jazz stood beside him, smiling at the mother and daughter, until she saw her brothers face.

"Hey, Abbi, someone here would like to meet you," Jazz said quietly, pushing Danny forward.

Sam and Abbi separated, and Abbi looked towards her father. Her grown adult father as he came towards her and knelt in front of her.

"Hello, Abbi."

"Hi… Dad."

5/25/2020

Wow. So technically this is done. One Epilogue to go and that's it. Only took five hours to write this (facepalm) I must be slower at writing then I thought. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed this and I will see you again in ten days. This is technically unedited so I'm sorry for any mistakes you found.

How to get the MY computer back to my mom for her to do her stuff.

Bye!

Morning Bleach