Chapter 1: A Favor
It was the end of the first week after they finally said to each other "I love you".
To make it clear, the two were happier in their relationship than they've ever been.
The two walked down the halls, holding hands and smiling.
Some people took notice and were whispering.
''Danny and Star are walking together..." Mia whispered to Paige, who nodded.
"Those two are… surprisingly cute together. And they're so happy…" Ashley gushed.
''Yeah, Star is lucky..." Paige admitted, feeling a bit envious.
"Wow… people are staring at us." Danny said.
"Let them…" Star said.
They arrived at Star's locker as she was leaving something, while two people watched from down the hallway.
Sam rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Gag me…" She muttered
"Relax, Sam. The fact they mean this much to each other is a good thing…" Tucker insisted.
"You're just hoping Star will help you get a double date with a cheerleader, or Valerie." Sam said.
"I can't lie… and Val's not as eager to hunt him anymore. Plus, I can't deny the appeal of a woman who knows how to fight." Tucker admitted proudly.
"Well… at least you're not entirely chauvinistic…" Sam muttered.
Tucker wasn't sure if that was meant to be an insult, so he nodded.
"We should give them some time…" Tucker said.
Sam shook her head, but did not argue as she followed Tucker away from the two.
Unaware of what those two said, Danny and Star were talking.
"So, what should we do tomorrow morning?" Danny asked.
"I was thinking we should go jogging. After all, how else am I going to keep this figure you keep gawking at when you think I'm not looking?" Star asked.
Danny blushed.
"What? I wasn't… doing that." He lied.
"I'll pretend you aren't if we go…" Star said.
"Well… I don't mind. Since my folks are going to my Aunt Alicia's for the weekend, we'll have the house for ourselves." Danny said.
"Is it her birthday?" Star asked.
"No… her ex-husband's." He explained.
Star stared at him.
"Her... ex-husband's?"
"She spends it destroying a piñata of him. One filled not with candy, but with crushed cherries, since she thinks it's both delicious and reminiscent of blood."
Star just stared at that in both dread and disbelief.
"And I thought my mom and dad had a messy divorce…" She said.
"At least neither of them celebrate it, like she does…" Danny said.
"Okay… I know I said I want all your family to like me… but can we not meet her?" Star asked, feeling like this woman seemed wrong.
"Don't worry, you won't. My dad would make sure of it." Danny said as the bell rang.
The two walked to class as another jealous girl glared at the two down the hallway at their backs.
"Zat will be me with him someday…" Colette muttered bitterly as she walked to class.
"Hey, Colette." Dash Baxter, walking behind her, started speaking. "Wanna come party at my place? We're ordering Crusty's Pizza."
"I wouldn't even consider touching such a thing, much less eating one… Leave me be." She snapped.
Dash just stood there for a moment before, due to his lack of reading the room, smiled.
"She's playing hard to get, I like."
The next Day
It was morning and Danny and Star went on their jog.
Danny was panting while Star, being more athletic, was doing well.
"So, how… much… longer?" Danny asked, sweating.
"Another mile. I told you not to overdo it for breakfast, even if you're adorable with that syrup on your face." Star said, winking at him.
Danny, despite his tiredness, smiled and kept jogging with her.
That's when his ghost sense went off.
"Uh oh…" He said as he stopped and looked around.
"Huh?" Star stopped as well. "What's wrong?"
Suddenly, an ecto-blast was shot from the sky at the two teens.
"Look out!" Danny shouted as he pushed Star, getting out of the blast's way.
It took them a moment to notice their position as Danny pulled away, blushing.
Danny and Star were still in surprise at what happened. They looked up and saw that it was Skulker.
"Hello, ghost child and his mate..." Skulker greeted in a faux friendly tone.
"Skulker!" Danny shouted.
"Get lost, you sicko!" Star yelled at him.
"Normally, I'd be here for your pelt, but I need you for another reason. You see, Walker is getting more eager to capture you. So we made a deal. I bring him the only ghost he's never been able to recapture and in exchange he lets me go free..." Skulker stated as he readied his missiles.
"You should have taken advantage and just leave..." Danny said as he stood up and changed forms.
Star pulled a thermos out that she keeps in case something like this happened..
Danny soon flew to his foe.
"Star and I were hoping for a little payback after what happened with Vlad's little plans!" Danny shouted as he fired beams at Skulker.
Skulker elevated to avoid the attack and flew to Danny.
"Funny… so was I!" Skulker shouted.
Their fists collided. Danny threw a punch to the face, Skulker uppercut him in the stomach. Danny kicked him across the torso, Skulker backhanded him.
"I just need one clear shot." Star said, readying.
Danny thought fast and grabbed Skulker by the arm.
"Silly me, my girlfriend would like to vent too." He said.
Before Skulker could speak up, Danny swung and sent him straight to the ground.
As the impact damaged his ecto-skelekton, he was too late to get away.
Star soon stepped in front of him, holding the Fenton Thermos. She then aimed the device at Skulker, who failed to get up in time.
"I don't know what's going on… but it's over!" Star said as she used the thermos..
"NO! MY FREEDOM!" Skulker yelled as he was being sucked into the thermos.
With Skulker taken care of, Danny changed back.
"Didn't think Walker would ever get that desperate..." Danny said.
"Walker… I know I heard you mention that name once..." Star said, trying to place that name.
"He's the ghost warden I mentioned, the one who framed me for that ghost invasion, and attacking our former mayor." Danny explained.
"Didn't you say he was responsible for what happened at the camp?" Star asked.
"Same one… still, no reason to let him ruin our day." Danny said as Star nodded.
The two teens soon went back to their jog, unaware a ghost was watching from afar with a handheld telescope.
"Darn..." Bullet went as he spoke into his wrist device. "Skulker failed…"
He could hear his boss groaning from the other side.
"Looks like I'll need to send someone else…" Walker said.
Meanwhile, at the Strong Residence.
Mr. Strong was in his home office, going over papers for a case he's got for next week.
What I wouldn't give for the case to be interrupted by a ghost... He thought as he felt exhausted from doing this for 3 hours.
There was a knock at his door.
"Yes?" He asked, sitting up in his chair.
"We have a visitor…" Georgia said.
Jonathan groaned.
"If it's Mr. Lancer, tell him I'm not taking his case. He clearly misused that electric razor because of how hairy his back is…" He said.
"First of all… EWW! Second, it's me." Stella's voice went.
Jonahthan stood up, surprised.
"Um… come in." He said.
Stella then walked in. Johnathan straightened up. After that whole "bonding" incident at the country club, he and his ex-wife tried to be more civil, for their daughter's sake at least.
Still, it was odd she was here while their daughter wasn't.
"Johnathan…" Stella said in a cordial tone.
"Stella… Star's not here." He says to his ex-wife.
"I know. I did want to talk to her… but I needed to speak with you first." Stella said.
"Did she and Colette get into a fight again?" Jonathan asked.
"No… I mean, they always do, but that's not why I'm here." Stella said, looking nervous.
"Oh?"
"I have something to ask… a… favor." Stella went.
"A favor?"
"To be clear, I have a favor to ask of Star, but I want your approval for it." Stella said.
Jonathan raised a brow.
"Okay… let's hear it.
In Fenton Works
Danny and Star changed back to their normal clothes after coming here once their jog was done.
Star was on the couch, laughing as Danny recalled one of his past adventures.
''Are you serious? Did you really grab Youngblood by the leg and slide him on the ground?" Star giggled, finding it hilarious.
Danny nodded and continued.
"Then I heard my dad say "get me a Fenton towel, stat!" as I flew off…" He said.
Star laughed so hard, she had to wipe her eyes.
"Wow…"
"Yeah…"
''That must have been some camping trip..." She said.
''It was..." He said.
Danny then sat next to Star, both of them resting their elbows on the cushion.
Danny then placed his arm around her waist, bringing her closer.
Star smiled and cuddled into him, enjoying their time alone.
"I love you…" Danny said.
"I love you too…" Star said.
They kissed. Then it got deeper.
''Mmm..." They went at the same time.
As they started making out, Star pulled Danny back as she rested on the couch.
This continued for about five minutes of joyful bliss.
Her cell phone went off as Star groaned.
"Just a sec, Boo…" She said, looking at the phone and sighing. "It's my mom…"
"Oh…" Danny pulled back as Star got up and walked away a bit to answer the phone, not seeing Danny getting up and following her.
"Mom? Hey, I'm at Danny's…"
"Tell her you're busy…" Danny said as he hugged her from behind and kissed the side of her head.
Star giggled as she lightly pushed Danny away.
"It's fine Mom… we're doing… homework." After a pause, Star blushed. "WHAT? NO! French class does not involve Frenching!"
Danny chuckled.
"I wish it did…" He whispered.
"No, I don't have plans later tonight…" Star said before she heard her mom say something Danny could not hear. "Really? Okay… Yeah… yeah… wait, what? You… I mean, you should ask Dad if… you did? He said it's okay? Oh… I see…" Star had a reluctant look on her face. "Can I… think about it? … Okay. Thank you… Yeah, me too…" Star hung up and sighed loudly.
Sensing his Starlight in some kind of peril, Danny spoke up.
"Something wrong?"
Star turned around.
"Do you remember Pierre?"
"Your baby half-brother?"
"Yeah… my mom asked if I can babysit at 6." Star said.
"But… I thought your housekeeper's sister did that?" Danny asked.
"She does, but a friend of hers is getting married, so she's out of town and my mom knows nobody else to look after him as she and Jean-Puke go see a client of his out of town for a business dinner." Star said.
"But can't Colette do it?" Danny asked.
There was a pause.
Suddenly, both of them erupted into uncontrolled laughter.
After a good 10 seconds, they sighed happily and wiped tears out of their eyes.
"I love you…" Star said.
"And I love you…" Danny said with a smile before adopting a serious look. "But seriously, nobody else?"
"No… all joking aside, Colette's going with them. They don't allow babies where they'll be most of the night." Star said.
''I see..." Danny said as Star looked uneager to do it. "You okay?"
'Not really. I mean, my mom asked me to look after the kid of her and the guy who ruined my family." Star said
Danny knew she had issues. She still hasn't exactly forgiven her mother, nor has she truly accepted her half-brother. However, Danny saw this as an opportunity.
A chance to make a connection.
"I think you should do it." He said.
"Huh?"
"I think you should babysit him. I know you have conflicting feelings about him because of who his dad is, but it's not his fault it's the same jerk who convinced your mom to leave…" Danny said.
"That's… true." Star said.
"Besides… this might be a good thing." Danny said. "Since he's your half-brother, that makes him more family than Colette and her dad. Sure, he's not your full brother, but if you make a good influence on him, it might feel that way and he might be someone in that family you can make be… the good half…"
Star thought about what he said.
It actually sounded like a good idea.
"You… think so?" Star asked.
"Yeah… heck, I can come, if you like." Danny said.
"Mom says Jean-Luc has banned you from their floor in the case Colette managed to win you over. He has guards keeping you from the elevator." Star said.
"Well… he didn't take into account of me going through walls…" Danny pointed out.
Star thought about him coming, then an idea sprung.
I'm babysitting… with my Danny-Boo. Us? Alone? In a penthouse all to ourselves? Like… we're married?
She smiled at the thought.
This was a chance to see if she and Danny could have a future if they get that far, raising a child.
It was making her face turn red.
"Uh… Star?" Danny asked, waving his hand over her face.
"Huh?!" She snapped out of it. "Oh uh… I think you're right. I'll call my mom and let her know I'll do it." She said.
Danny nodded as she started dialing.
Meanwhile, in the Ghost Zone.
Walker marched down the halls of his prison, the ghosts behind bars trying to claw out and reach for him.
He stopped in his tracks.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" All of the ghosts stopped as Walker cleared his throat. "Good news, I'm extending a get out of jail free card for all of you." All of the ghosts cheered. "All you gotta do… is bring me Danny Phantom. If you fail… one of you spends the night in solitary confinement."
All of the cheering stopped as the ghost quickly pulled away from the bars.
Suddenly, a smaller ghost of a greyscale color scheme with glasses came running up to Walker.
"Walker, sir… Box Ghost and Lunch Lady were sent, but why send the two if you know they're gonna lose?" Poindexter asked.
"Because they'll tire the punk out so someone tougher can do the job, that's why! You've only been working here one week and you're already in the red, Poindexter." Walker warned.
Poindexter gulped.
"Well… I also wanted to let you know that Technus and Desiree are on board." He said.
"Send Technus, the genie's power can easily be turned against her." Walker said.
"Yes sir." Poindexter said with a salute before running off. Once out of Walker's hearing range, he groaned. "This is what I get for thinking a job would let me meet girls…"
Walker continued marching along as he held something in his pocket.
If nobody is able to get me that punk… well, someone gets to have a new cellmate… He thought.
The newest side story for Stranded, Protected.
I asked for FP11's permission and help, as I saw Star's half-brother not being used and thought why not help Star start to warm up to him.
Walker's the Big Bad here because I figure not featuring Vlad for once.
Stick around :)