Chapter 72: Calm Before the Storm
It was the Sunday after.
Ron, feeling victorious after what happened, was "chilling" in his backyard with Rufus napping on his stomach as he sat in a beach chair.
Kim, in her mission gear, approached him, blocking his sun.
"Uh, KP? You're blocking my sun…" Ron said.
"Are you gonna stay here all day?" Kim asked.
"Yup…" Ron said proudly. "Plus, no word on bad guys or monsters… so we're good."
Kim rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Anyway… I'm going to be out for a while…" Kim said.
"On a mission?" Ron asked, noticing her attire.
"Oh… no. I'm just gonna be out of town for a bit…" Kim said. "Gonna… check something out…"
Ron shrugged.
"Sure thing, Kim…"
Kim nodded as she walked off.
She was outside the Middleton Mall, standing and waiting for her ride.
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Looking for someone?" A familiar boy's voice asked.
She smiled when she turned around, seeing nobody but figured he was invisible.
"Still don't see him though…" She responded.
"Sorry, but figured I'd do this to avoid prying eyes… including Bonnie's."
"Fair enough." She said.
"Okay… I'm going to lift you up now…"
The invisible Danny Phantom picked up Kim in bridal manner, turning her invisible too.
Then they flew off.
"Lift it up!" Demanded Slashfang.
Trescorn did so, lifting the large machine that's been constructed for days by the captured villains.
"Where are we taking this?" He asked.
"To a location the blue human called "Middleton." Where the redheaded mate of that human-ghost hybrid lives…" Slashfang said.
"And what is this contraption to do?" Trescorn asked.
Slashfang rolled his eyes.
"You never listen… only hit."
In moments, Trescorn brings the large device, resembling Slim Possible's gadget but bigger, towards their portal.
"It is ready…" He said.
Seastorm, who is at the console for the portal, nodded.
"We must make sure the mammals are in agreement to aid us…" Seastorm said. "And the king has the perfect reward for those who do their best…"
While Danny was with Kim, Danielle was spending time with another redhead in Amity Park. While this isn't the same tall, red haired girl who can do anything, she's one who believes she can do anything.
Jack and Maddie have no idea where their daughter actually is, thinking she's out at the library. Jazz really wanted to spend some time with her new surrogate little sister.
So, they went to this ice cream shoppe on the other side of town, away from most people who knew Jazz. As they ate their cones, Danielle had something on her mind.
"So, how do you think Danny is doing with Kim, Jazz?" Danielle asked.
"He is probably drooling over her and she is pretending not to be flatterred..."Jazz said with an amused smirk.
Danielle giggled.
"I can totally see him trying to hard to be impressive around her."
"I know…" Jazz said. "I'm surprised a girl like her would notice him. I guess we're getting an amazing sister-in-law someday…"
Danielle's smile dropped a little before she felt a bit nervous.
"You mean… you're getting an amazing sister-in-law… right?"
Jazz stopped smiling and then remembered something.
This little girl saw herself as a cousin, not a sister. And her parents did not know of her.
Jazz sighed as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Danielle… Dani." She chose to use her nickname. "Look... I... I know that things are... hard now but for what its worth, me and Danny see you as our family..." Jazz said.
Danielle smiled.
"Thanks…"
"Maybe… you can live with us?" Jazz asked.
Danielle looked surprised.
"But… what about your parents?"
"We'll think of something. If you're made from my brother's DNA, that makes you the little sister part of me always wanted…" Jazz insisted. "And I'm not letting you live on the streets."
Danielle smiled warmly before she frowned in sadness.
"Until Vlad and the Faction are dealt with... I have to keep hiding..." Danielle said sadly.
Jazz sighed.
"Well think of something… okay?" Jazz said assuringly.
Danielle nodded.
"Okay…"
"So… do you want to talk about Danny and his sort-of girlfriend some more?" She asked.
Danielle smiled.
"Did you know... Danny talks in his sleep?" Danielle asked.
The other night, she snuck to the kitchen to get a snack and fazed through Danny's room and her surrogate brother was obviously having a dream.
One that made him very happy.
Jazz looked amused.
"Really? He only does that when he has a lot on his mind. Did he say anything? Wait, let me guess, it was about Kim?" Jazz asked with a smirk.
"Yeah and... I also heard him muttering another name, some girl named Annie..." Danielle said.
"Huh… weird…" Jazz said. "We don't know an Annie…"
It was a park in a town somewhere between Amity Park and Middleton. This is where they decided to have their sparing match.
Danny finds himself hitting the ground on his back. Even in ghost form, he's having a hard time since Kim doesn't need to hold back as much with him.
"Come on, Danny…" Kim said with her hands at her hips. "We came all this way to a place where we can practice in private…"
Danny got on his feet, getting up.
"Right… sure." He looked to a certain structure in the center of this community park. It was a basketball with some writing on it, the name of it. "Dude who lives here has a massive ego…" Danny said.
Kim rolled her eyes.
"Ron bought his merch for a whole Summer… I find the guy obnoxious that he renamed his town after himself…"
"And I thought Vlad was full of himself..."Danny said.
He then felt himself getting hungry.
"I told you to eat before we started." Kim said.
Danny shrugged innocently as he noticed something.
He saw a concession stand up ahead, something called Proud Snacks.
Smiling, he hid behind a tree, morphed back to human form, and stepped out.
"Wouldn't hurt to get something small before a meal, right?" He asked.
However, before Danny could even approach it, Kim pulled him back.
"Whoa there!" Kim said urgently.
"What is it? A ghost? The faction? A terakon?" Danny asked, worried.
Kim shook her head, pointing to the stand.
"You don't want to eat those things. One time on a mission, Ron ate one bag of those things and he got sick..." Kim said.
Danny blinked in surprise before shrugging.
"Okay… I guess I can wait…"
Minutes later, Danny Phantom was in another sparring match. One that landed his face in the dirt with Kim standing above him.
"You're improving…" She said with a smile. "It took 3 minutes longer for me to land you on the ground."
Kim chuckled as Danny got back on his feet.
However, he quickly melted in a smile at the sight of Kim laughing.
She's… so… beautiful… He thought.
He remembered a part of the dream he had the night before.
His dream of a little girl, though the dream fluctuated between red hair or black, and blue eyes or green.
He nodded and looked to Kim.
"Say, Kim?"
"Yeah…"
"I… had a dream…" He said. "That… we were more than just friends…"
Kim smiled.
"How so?" She asks.
"Well… that I came home to a little girl, a daughter…"
"A daughter?" She asks.
"Named after your mom…" He said with a blushed and rubbing his arm with a hand.
Kim smirked.
"Is that so?" Kim asked.
Danny nodded.
He saw Kim smiling in a way that made him smile back.
She closed her eyes and inched closer to his face.
Danny smiled dreamily.
"Danny?"
Danny gasped.
He saw Kim wasn't trying to kiss him, but looked a bit worried for him. She had her arms crossed too.
He was daydreaming.
"Huh?" He asked.
"You just froze up there for a minute. You looked down at the ground and you were smiling. Were you thinking of something funny?" She asked.
"Oh… uh… yes?" He tried to hide what he was really thinking.
Kim raised one eyebrow.
"So… what is it?" She asked interested.
"Oh… uh… it's more of a… joke for guys…" He lied.
Kim seemed to think it.
"Okay…" She said with a nod.
Danny let out a breath in relief.
That's good… she bought it.
"So… ready for more?" Kim asked as she readied herself.
Danny rose his arms.
"Ready…"
A few minutes later, Danny leaned into a tree, breathing a bit heavy. Kim, however, stood with her knees buckled. She wasn't as breathless as Danny, but she was sweating.
"Well… you're improving…" Kim said.
"Thanks… you should teach martial arts if teen hero for hire dries up…" Danny said.
Kim laughed.
"Sure… at least it's something." She then sent an amused smirk. "So… my payment?"
Danny looked up in a gasp.
"What?!"
Kim laughed again.
"Just kidding… I wanted to do this."
Danny let out a breath in relief.
"You scared me… and I fight ghosts."
"Sorry…" Kim said with a smile.
However, Danny smiled and soon laughed. Kim laughed along with him.
He got off the tree and walked to her.
Once they stopped laughing, they took a moment to look at each other.
Both of them looked into each other's eyes as Danny hovered off the ground and inched closer.
Without thinking, they kissed.
This surprised them and they gasped.
Danny held onto his lips and blushed hard. Kim just stared at him.
There was a moment of silence, both unsure what just happened.
"Umm…" Danny spoke up. "I didn't… I mean I-"
"I think... I think we need to talk..." Kim said, feeling a little awkward.
Danny blushed, also awkward.
"I think we should..." He said.
"Can we… do it somewhere else? Like a rooftop?" Kim asked.
Danny nodded.
They landed on the top of the tallest building in the city. It was with some kind of basketball-like structure on the top. They landed near the "hand" of the building. However, Danny took a moment to shake his head at the weird structure.
"Seriously? Does this guy really want to remind the whole planet what he's famous for?" He asked in annoyance.
"He makes Drakken look modest…" Kim said with equal disgust. "I hear he has a son, maybe I can get Bonnie and him to meet to get her off your back?"
Danny laughed.
"That'd be amazing."
"Well…" Kim said "Maybe not so much those two getting together…"
They both laughed it off.
Once that was done, both remembered why they were here and took a moment to finally look to the other.
"So..." Danny spoke up.
"So...' Kim said.
"Uh… well..." Danny stammered a bit.
"Anyway…" Kim managed to say.
They pause. They looked away from each other. Both having massive blushes on their faces that they both were as red as tomatoes right about now. They still couldn't believe what they just did earlier.
They've kissed before, and yet it never seems to get old to them.
"That happened again…" Danny said.
"Yeah..." Kim responded.
They pause again.
"So are you-" Danny spoke.
"You wouldn't ha-" Kim overlapped.
They both stopped, realizing they were speaking at the same time. They gave a quick, awkward laugh and blush a bit.
Danny was thinking of how beautiful and fun she is.
Why can't I stop feeling this for her? He asked himself in his thoughts.
'So... Uh... Danny..." Kim started.
"I like you..." Danny suddenly said.
He immediately regretted saying that, covering his mouth.
Why did I say that? Why did I say that?! WHY DID I SAY THAT?! He thought.
"I know..." Kim said.
Danny felt a little better Kim didn't seem to reject him outright.
"Yeah…" Danny lowered his hand and felt a bit worried. "It wasn't exactly subtle…"
Kim looked over to Danny and found herself really looking at him.
She looked to someone she's come to care for greatly.
Meanwhile, Danny felt very worried about her words.
"I think...I think the ONLY reason I hesitated is our age difference...I think, if we had been the same age..." Kim paused as she thought of that situation before shaking her head.
"I mean… there's a chance it's just because I saved you from the Fright Knight…" Danny said.
"Well… I was grateful…" Kim said with a small smile.
"Yeah…" Danny said, feeling a bit down.
"I think… in some way… I did kind of like you at the start." Kim said.
Danny looked up, surprised to hear.
"Really?"
Kim held her hands out.
"I mean… don't get me wrong. I don't believe in love at first sight… but… it's not like it came from nowhere…" Kim said.
"So… at the risk of sounding full of myself… what did you think of me?" Danny asked, hopeful.
"I thought you were… kinda cute…" Kim said with a smile.
Danny blushed with that same goofy smile when he heard that.
"Oh… I see…" Danny said, feeling excitement.
Kim couldn't help but find it amusing.
"I don't know why you feel surprised, Bonnie pretty much throws herself at you every chance she gets..." Kim jokes.
"Don't remind me..."Danny muttered.
While he and Bonnie sort of come to a truce, that doesnt mean he is willing to go out with her anytime soon.
"Still, surprised you don't take advantage of it…" Kim said.
Danny shrugged.
"I guess even I have standards of who I date… at least compared to before…"
Kim smiled when she heard that. That's when she got to thinking.
Kim thought long and hard about this.
For all intents and purposes, she only has two very close guy friends, Danny and Ron.
Two boys who were special to her, in different ways.
And both of them she had some conflicting feelings for.
Ron is her best friend and she known him for most of her life. He has always been there for her, whether it is school, missions or typical life stuff.
Ever since that incident with the Moodulator, things have gotten more awkward for them.
And then, there is Danny, who, despite the short time they have known each other, has become close to her.
She wasn't entirely sure how they got to this point.
Still, there was one major difference.
One of them was clearly was into her and didn't hide it. One who also has had her back some time and has shown to be a fun and heroic guy.
She thinks that perhaps Danny has earned it.
"Maybe…" Kim said.
Danny looked hopeful.
"Maybe… what?"
Kim smiled to him.
"Maybe I don't care about our age difference anymore… maybe we can give this a shot…" Kim said. "After we stop his royal majesty, that is…"
Danny just froze right there.
He had to blink just to have any reaction.
"Did… did you just say-"
"Yes." Kim said. "I'm saying maybe us being a thing is a thing."
Danny froze again, his face turned red.
Kim, seeing this, smiled.
It's really adorable… She thought.
"Danny?" She asked. "You okay there, Spaceman?" She asked again, waving her hand in his face.
"Y-Yeah!" Danny said with a grin before noticing what she called him. "Wait… did you call me Spaceman?" Kim nodded. "But… we're not in space…"
She shrugged.
"I think it's a cute nickname…" She said.
Danny smiled at hearing that.
A nickname? She's giving me a nickname?! He thought happily.
He knew this was something people in a relationship do, and he couldn't help but think it's a sign.
Kim shook her head with a small laugh.
"Come on, let's get something to eat…"
Later
After grabbing a bite at a place called Whiz Burger, only because neither could find a Nasty Burger or Cow N Chow in the area, Danny and Kim were now walking in a nearby park.
It was late and the sun was starting to set and Danny was still admiring the redhaired heroine who had a hold of his heart.
She is so beautiful... He thought as he kept looking at her.
"How about here, Danny?" Kim asked.
"Huh?" Danny said and realized he zoned out as she was talking.
"I asked if you wanted to sit here..." Kim said as she pointed to a nice, grassy spot that had a nice view of the town.
"Oh...sure..." Danny said, embarrassed that he did that again.
Kim smiled in amusement but said nothing.
She knew he was doing it again, but found it adorable.
The two teenage heroes soon sat on the spot and could see the sun beginning to set.
It was a long pause.
"So… how's Ron?" Danny asked.
"Doing good." Kim said. "I decided he should take a day off today and he chose to just chill…" She rolled her eyes. "He'll find any excuse to just sit and do nothing…"
Danny chuckled.
"He must be in heaven right now…" He suggested.
Back in Middleton
"Ronald!" Mrs. Stoppable shouted from the kitchen. "Has the trash been taken out yet?!"
"Yes, Mom!" Ron was heard outside.
"And you finished watering the flowers?!"
"Yes!"
"Good… now head to the store for me, I'm making dinner! Something healthier than that junk food you live off of!" She said.
She heard her son whine.
"Not that cabbage stew again!" He whined.
Rufus could be heard whining too.
"How about you and your team?" Kim asked.
Danny shrugged.
"Jazz is just ecstatic to have a little sister and it looks like Danielle has taken to her fast. As for Sam and Tucker, Sam's pretty upset Rufus doesn't seem to like her. Apparently, she kept trying to pick a fight with Ron and Rufus snapped at her."
Kim looked surprised.
"Well… those two are hard to keep apart…" Kim said.
Back in Amity Park
Sam, speaking with Tucker through webcam, looked annoyed.
"I just don't understand!" She shouted. "I like animals! Why doesn't he like me?!"
"I'm no animal lover…" Tucker said. "But it might be because you're rude to someone he's super best friends with?" He suggested.
Sam scowled before looking away.
"Why aren't we hanging with Danny today?" She asked, already tired of talking to just Tucker.
"He said he was busy? Maybe training since all our badguys, old and new, are still out there?"
Sam had her mind elsewhere. Not on the villains, but with Danny.
He better not be with that cheerleader…
Meanwhile, Danny and Kim were still admiring where they were, but for different reasons.
"Such a beautiful sunset..." Kim said, looking to the sunset.
Danny agreed but he was not looking at the sunset. He was still looking at her.
"Yeah... beautiful..." He said in a dreamy voice.
This is one of my fantasies come to life… Danny thought, really gone now.
He was watching the sunset with his dream girl and she earlier admitted to no longer caring about their age difference anymore.
When this is done… she is so going to be my girlfriend! He thought happily.
And then he had an idea to make it more romantic.
"How... about a flight... just you and me?" Danny said.
"A flight?" Kim asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah, I can't remember the last time we did that...that had nothing to do with fighting bad guys... you know, just for fun..." Danny said.
Kim thought about it and nodded.
"Okay, sounds like fun..."
Danny grinned as he changed forms and soon picked the pretty redhead up.
"Thank you for choosing Air Phantom..." Danny said.
Kim playfully rolled her eyes.
"Don't make me regret my promise…" Kim joked.
He soon took off and Kim was now experiencing what wasl a Lois Lane-Superman moment. As in, a girl being carried in the arms of a superhero as they flew in the air.
Sure, she did not need anyone's help in protecting herself but still, she couldn't deny how nice it felt.
They flew back to Middleton.
Once the sun completely set and the moon was out, Danny landed and put Kim down, though he was still in his ghost form.
He landed her atop Middleton High.
"That was fun..." Kim said
Danny smiled.
"Yeah, it was..." He said, feeling his heart fluttering.
"So… what should we tell everyone?" Kim asks.
"We can do that later. I mean, you said after we stop Thirorex, right?" Danny suggested.
Kim thought and nodded.
"Sure thing…"
They both just continued to stare at each other, both feelings their hearts beating quickly.
Danny leaned forward and so did Kim.
They got closer and closer to each other, both knowing of the other's intentions and they just continued until their lips finally met.
They were now kissing.
Kim... Danny thought blissfully before they made contact.
Danny... Kim thought upon the kiss before closing her eyes.
She soon wrapped her arms around Danny's neck and he did so around her waist, bringing her closer to deepen their kiss.
His ghost powers kept him hovering, his ghostly tail where his legs were wrapped around her.
Mmm… She let out in a moan of delight as she tried to deepen the kiss even more and the sound made Danny want to squeeze her even more.
Mmm... Danny ended up letting out, which just encouraged the redhaired girl even more.
They just held to each other longer before finally ending the kiss.
They spent a few moments longer looking into each other's eyes before Danny floated up.
"I… better go… I'll see you later. Bye, Kim…"
"Bye Danny…" Kim said.
Once Danny let go, he flew away, waving to her. She waved back with a smile.
Danny was thinking of how happy he was.
She's so going to be my girlfriend! He thought.
Kim was less ecstatic and calmer. But still, she felt some joy.
There's a good chance we might end up a thing… I'm okay with that… She thought.
With aid from the ghosts, the machine was place atop the space center, connected to its computer through cables.
Vlad, among the ghosts who finished the installation, groaned.
"It's done… finally…" He muttered. "I grow tired of being that beast's slave…"
Ember, lightly kicking the large device, was curious.
"Anyone curious what the heck this does?" She asks.
"I don't care…" Vlad snarled.
"Nor do I…" Skulker said. "The sooner this is done, the sooner I can hunt my prey…"
"Is that so?" Slashfang, who observed the set up asked. "Not even if the king rewards you?"
This got everyone's attention.
"What reward?" Vlad asked.
Slashfang grinned.
In his throne room, Thirorex sat and grinned maliciously.
"With the info I have given Slashfang, it will be easy to use those smaller pests…" He said to himself.
Meanwhile, someone overheard from out of his vision. Someone around the corner.
That someone is his brother, Scorex.
"This can't go on…" He muttered. "He's gotten us extinct… I'll give him one last chance… Otherwise…" He took a breath, unable to finish his sentence.
It's been a while, hasn't it?
In the time since then, Danny has been revealed to appear in Death Battle, fighting a different dragon, Jake Long.
At the time this chapter is up, the episode hasn't aired yet. Waiting with anticipation.
And yes, that was Wizville they were in. Since the locations of their towns are never said, and I assume Amity Park must be near a beach, I'm assuming Danny lives in Northern California while Kim is probably Colorado.
Special thanks to Flower princess11 for help.
Gonna keep this up until we reach chapter 75.
Phantom Fan 21: I've read the first 5 chapters. I like it, though personally I'd have had Danny move a little later into his time as Danny Phantom, maybe after season 2. Keep it up.
Jebest 4781: Thank you.
CMR Rosa: Dialing it down.
Leonardo: I will indeed include other Nick/Disney shows, not sure which yet.
Luiz4200: I'll probably have that brought up later.
qazse: Maybe... but at least he saved himself and Kim.
vparadox12122000: Yes, 3.
16: Thank you for reading.