Note: This is based on a post by the-punning-ubus, where they theorized about Jack and Maddie finding out that ghosts can have children, specifically the question of if they would try to make a lab grown ghost. This is also an alternative beginning for my story, "It was an accident, I swear." Instead of Jack accidentally cloning Danny, what if Jack and Maddie tried to clone Phantom intentionally?

"Careful with that sample. That's Phantom's ectoplasm."

Drops of purified, inert ectoplasm. Electricity. The sample bubbles. It swirls and curls, floating off the petri dish. Turning in the air, glowing brightening to white. A sphere and-

"Will you look at that?" Eyes wide with awe.

"Jack! Quick! Get it in the chamber!"

Danny doesn't learn about what his parents are doing until weeks after they start. The adults have been quiet about whatever they are working on, hiding it in the dark back of the weapons vault. And one night, when he's in the lab alone after releasing some ghosts into the ghost zone, he feels drawn to whatever they're working on. Under a sheet, he finds the horizontal glass chamber swirling with ectoplasm. He puts his hand on the glass and can sense the forming core inside. He can feel how similar it is to his and knows what his parents are doing. He's disgusted, horrified. Danny debates destroying the chamber right then, cursing himself for not finding this sooner.

And then he feels a trickle of curiosity brush his consciousness. The gestating ghost…sensed him? Danny recoiled at his previous reaction; the ghost must have felt that too. And something…maybe? An attempt at comfort… comes from the chamber in response. Danny tries to then send words and images through but just gets confusion from the ghost which makes sense. The clone doesn't have a form yet, though the ectoplasm swirls in response to Danny's presence, the ghost's core trying to form a body.

And now Danny is met with a problem. He can't destroy the chamber. Even though the ghost is basically an infant, they're alive. He can feel that the ghost will be a halfa, like him when they're done forming. And even if they were a full ghost, he couldn't destroy someone, especially a person he feels such kinship to.

But he can't let his parents continue this. He has no idea what they intend to do with the ghost when they're formed but Danny can't risk his parents hurting them. But he can't get the clone away from them, not while still forming. They would quickly destabilize outside of the chamber. Plus, there's the problem of the ghost in the chamber is a halfa and his parents don't know that. Even without this risk this puts on his secret, the risk of the ghost not surviving until they're ready to be 'born' is too high with his parents not really knowing what they're working with.

So Danny decides to try and figure out his parent's plan for after the ghost is finished. Not even having to pretend interest, he asks what they're working on and if he can help, admitting that he peaked at their work. And though they aren't happy about that, Danny is insistent that he help and eventually his parents do let him.

And while they're working, his parents start noticing things. The way Danny seems drawn to the chamber and is always touching it, the sad but almost loving looks he gives it, the way the ghost's signature strengthens and stabilizes in his presence, the way the ectoplasm swirls and tries to solidify when Danny's there.

But they have no idea what any of it means. Meanwhile, Danny spends as much time as he can with the forming ghost, sending them words and images and feeling as they come closer to understanding. And he sends images of himself in ghost form, trying to coax the ghost into forming a body. They work on it for weeks and weeks until the ghost is able to send short sentences into Danny's mind and they can form a finger, leg, or arm.

But they still can't manifest fully and the Fenton parents are starting to get desperate. The parents are confused since the ghost should have manifested with a full body by now. And Danny knows what the problem is. The clone is a halfa and their human half has been neglected.

But he doesn't know what to do about that. Maybe he should tell his parents the truth and they can figure something out? But he's also still scared of how they would react and a little annoyed they haven't figured it out. He's not exactly been quiet about how much he cares about their 'project.'

So he'll just figure it out himself. Danny starts by sending the clone images of his human self. After asking in the far frozen about how to stabilize his clone, he collects samples of his blood and hair in human form and feeds them into the chamber. And finally the piece to tie it all together (which he really should have thought of sooner) samples of his tissues mid transformation.

Danny leaves the lab that night exhausted and in pain from taking the agonizing samples himself, but the next morning he's woken up by happy exclamations from his parents. He's dragged down to the lab half asleep but is jolted awake in shock. There in the chamber is a fully formed clone of himself in ghost form. The boy's peacefully sleeping while the parents excitedly chat about what to do next. But Danny stares in awe, walking forward until his hand is on the glass, just like the first time he sensed the forming halfa. Just then the sleeping half ghost jolts awake at sensing the other boy. He immediately panics at finding himself trapped in a small container and submerged. The clone flails and kicks, trying to escape, eyes wide with fear. Seeing and sensing the reaction, Danny doesn't even think before he acts. He flings open the lid and reaches for the other boy, his parents shouting for him to stop the whole time. But Danny ignores them, muttering comforting words to the clone who shoots up, clinging to him. Danny felt him shaking, his heart fluttering. He sees the white rings form around the other boy's waist. And with an exhale, the clone turns human.