Danny capped the Thermos in his hand, releasing a tired sigh. The ghost – some random non-intelligent wolf – hadn't been strong, but it had proven exceptionally tricky to catch. Kept giving him the slip and was just fast enough for Danny to struggle to close the distance between them.

But, finally, he got it. And it wasn't even that late. Late in the evening, sure, but if he went home he would still have time to work on his homework!

He grinned at the Thermos in his hand, pleased. Just to be safe, though, he cast out his ghost sense. No, it seemed like this was the only ghost nearby…

An ectoblast whizzed by his ear, and Danny flinched away. Whirled around to face the shooter.

Valerie. Of course it was Valerie. His one opponent that he couldn't just blast, the one that just wouldn't believe him. Whose truces just wouldn't hold up, for no lack of trying on his part.

Valerie, who always insisted on seeing the evil Phantom did.

"Hey Red," he said, shooting her a short wave. She just growled in response, charging another shot.

"Not very talkative today, are we?" he tried again, keeping his hands lifted and in plain view. Hopefully she would calm down a little like this, if she knew he couldn't fight back.

And, well. If she shot anyway, he could easily raise a shield like this.

"Shut up," she snarled, and her gun fired simultaneously. Danny yelped and formed a shield.

It blocked the hit, but the impact still blasted him back. He hit a building, hard.

With a groan he dropped down onto the ground. Half-crumpled, he tried to sit up to keep an eye on Valerie.

"Come on," he complained, trying to keep the winded tone out of his voice. "What did I do now?"

She re-entered his view. Her board hovered only a foot above the ground, yet she hadn't retracted it. The gun in her hand whined as it loaded another shot.

"You know what you did." Her voice was firm. Unwavering. "Why I can't trust you."

"I really don't." He judged her hold on the gun, her aim. Braced himself, then shot a weak ectoblast right at the weapon.

The blast knocked her aim off, and the blast barely missed him.

Danny pushed himself off of the ground, zipping away. He just needed to throw her off of his tail – or to get out of her sight long enough to change back to human. He would risk walking home instead of flying if that got rid of her.

But her hoverboard has had some upgrades. And with Valerie's agility, it was almost enough to keep up with him.

Certainly good enough to keep him in her eyesight.

He dove around a corner, then screeched to a halt to avoid collision. In front of him stood two more ghost hunters, guns aimed right at him. The ecto-green elements glowed as the guns charged. Light glinted off of the goggles of the hunters, the red of the woman and the teal of the man.

Then the guns stopped whining, and Danny huffed out a relieved sigh.

"Phantom!" his dad greeted, pulling his hood off and revealing the bright blue eyes underneath. "You're in a rush! Chasing a ghost?"

"Uh, no." Before he could explain further, his sensitive ears picked up on the ever-present hum of Valerie's engines. And yep, there she was, rounding the corner he had just careened past.

"Phantom!" she roared, already lifting her gun up to shoot him. He yelped – in a very grown-up way, of course – and dove behind the massive bulk of his dad.

It was, maybe, an automatic response. These were his parents – it was their duty to keep him safe. Big and apparently powerful ghost hunting weapons definitely counted as a threat they would keep him safe from.

But having Phantom hide behind Fenton's parents… might not have been the right thing to do.

Oh well, too late to turn back now.

Valerie faltered. The whine of her gun quieted, and its muzzle lowered. No matter the circumstances, Valerie would not – could not – shoot humans.

"Phantom, why are you hiding behind ghost hunters?" she asked, exasperated. Then, after a short pause, she turned to his parents. "Actually, why are you letting him?"

"Because… we don't want you to shoot him?" Jack said, uncertainly. He was half-turned, looking between Danny and Valerie. "Phantom is not a bad ghost, Red."

She snorted, disbelieving. "Yeah, right. You just want him for yourself."

"We're serious." His mom shifted into a more defensive pose. It didn't go unnoticed by Danny – and clearly not by Valerie either. Danny got the distinct feeling that Val was narrowing her eyes at them, but he couldn't tell with her helmet still on. "We've had a truce with Phantom for weeks. He's been helping us with our research."

"He's tricking you somehow." Valerie shook her head, dismissively. "Or he's controlling you, or something. There's no way that he– that any of this is real. I'm not falling for this, Phantom."

She raised the gun again, tilting her head as if she was considering taking the shot. Then she apparently decided it was impossible with the Fentons between them, as she lowered it again. She pointed between the visor of her helmet – where her eyes would be – and him. "I don't trust you, Phantom. And I don't know what you're doing here, with the Fentons. But I don't believe any of this."

Then, with a hum that turned into a roar, she shot off. Her engines left a faint pink trail, but it faded off quickly.

Confident that she really had left, Danny floated back over his parents to face them.

"Thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "I, uh. Sorry that she didn't believe you."

"She really doesn't like you, huh?" His mom eyed him, but he couldn't read her expression with her goggles on. "Yet you don't seem like the type to do so on purpose."

He snorted, then shook his head. Dropped his hand again. "I didn't, I swear! But Cujo just ruined some of her things, and she thinks that he's my dog so she blames me for it."

"That's one hell of a grudge." But she pulled the goggles up again, and Danny could see that she wasn't angry – not at him, at least. "Must've been important to her."

"I dunno." Danny shrugged. Yes, Valerie's money had been important to her at the time, but now? He wasn't sure. He didn't spend a lot of time with her anymore, not after the dating fiasco a while back. "Maybe. Or maybe she's just full of spite and not ready to give up on her decisions."

His dad snorted, but wiped the smile of his face immediately when Maddie turned to him. "Yes, well. I thought you two worked together before?"

"We have," Danny acknowledged with another shrug. "But it was always only short-term. A bigger ghost, a badder ghost. And then once the troubles are over, Val- Red decides I'm not to be trusted."

His parents shared a glance, clearly having caught the trip. Dammit, Fenton, he chastised himself mentally, couldn't even keep Valerie's identity safe? But it was too late now. At least it wasn't her full name – not even her full first name.

"That's… unfortunate. In a city like this, we could really use all the help we can get hunting ghosts." Maddie pocketed her gun in her hip holster. "But if Red continues to threaten our ally, we can't consider her one either."

"Maybe we can convince her," his dad said hopefully. "It'll take time, sure, but it'll be worth it. Right, Phantom?"

"I, uh. I mean, yeah." He shifted, a little awkward. "If you can convince her, that would be great, yeah."

They nodded. Then his mom smiled at him. "And, Phantom? We'll take over patrol for you, alright? So she won't try to ambush you when you're alone."

He smiled back, brightly. "That's… That's really nice. Thanks. Thank you so much." This way he could focus on homework without even having to worry about ghosts popping up!

"Hey, it's no problem kid." His dad shrugged, also grinning. "It's our job, you know?"

"Right," Danny said, hesitant. Of course. His parents' job as ghost hunters.

Jack grimaced, then suddenly swung an arm around his shoulders. He pulled him against his side, despite the cold Danny knew he gave off. "Which also includes taking care of fellow ghost hunters, you know?" He ruffled Danny's hair. "Like you."

Cold crawled up Danny's neck and cheeks, and he knew he was blushing green. Embarrassed, he looked away – but he couldn't deny that he felt comforted nonetheless. "I– Thanks."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Jack released Danny again, but remained close. "Go do… whatever you do when you're not protecting the city. Be a kid, Phantom. You've earned it."

Ha! Be a kid. Doing homework counted as being a kid, he supposed. "Yeah. I… Yeah. Thanks, you two."

Danny smiled at his parents, then tugged on his invisibility. Certain that no one could see him anymore, he made his way back home.

The warm feeling in his chest remained with him for the rest of the night.

Mere days later, it was the weekend again. And, once again, Danny had made plans to visit his parents as Phantom. They had been busy this week – not with regular ghost hunting stuff, but with him, specifically. With finding ways to prove that Phantom wasn't as bad as people believed.

With proving to Valerie that he wasn't all that bad.

So. Danny figured that they deserved a reward of sorts. A show of appreciation – even if they couldn't really know it was supposed to be that, because Phantom had no way of knowing how much they were doing.

He rang the doorbell, then phased inside immediately. He floated in the hallway instead. Floating outside his own house invisible was tiring, so he figured he could shake it up a little instead.

"Phantom?" an uncertain voice asked, and Danny's eyes snapped to the staircase.

The staircase where Jazz stood. Whoops. He didn't know she was home.

"Hey," he said, shooting her a grin that he hoped wasn't shaky. "D'you mind if I steal your parents?"

She snorted, coming down the staircase to join him. "They could use some time outside the lab. What are you planning on doing with them?"

"There's this ghost in Casper High, dunno if you've heard of him." The two of them entered the living room, and Jazz sat down on one of the armchairs, then nodded that she was still listening. "The two of us have a deal. I took your parents to meet them a week or two ago, but we had to cut it off early. I figured we could go for a second meeting."

"Sidney Poindexter, right?" Jazz frowned, thoughtfully. "I've heard of him, but I wasn't sure if he was real. Lots of people say he is – that he hurts random popular people around Casper High, and all that."

Danny rolled his eyes. He knew they said that – but he also knew it was a lie. Or a twisted truth, at least.

"Sort of," he told his sister instead. "Sidney hates bullies – was bullied pretty much all his life, and his afterlife isn't much better. And, well. Most popular kids are bullies, and vice versa."

"Ah, I see." She nodded. "He picks on bullies and protects their victims because he used to be a victim himself. He empathizes. Fascinating… Ghosts really do have the same emotional range as humans."

"Uh, yeah." Danny shrugged, glancing away. "People just don't realize it because of biased science by ghost hunters, and because most ghosts that leave the Zone are, well." He gestured vaguely. "Y'know."

"Violent and aggressive? Yeah, I know." She smiled knowingly – teasingly – and Danny felt the green creep back onto his face. Stupid really obvious glowing blush! Stupid sister that did sister things.

In the silence that fell, Danny could clearly hear his parents scrambling around downstairs. They probably had a project they couldn't just put down. That was fine. He could wait.

"Could I… come along?" Jazz asked, breaking the silence again. Danny's eyes snapped over to her, surprised by the question.

"I, uh. Why?"

She shrugged, playing with a strand of her hair. Seemed uncertain now, like her question was more of a spontaneous outburst than properly thought out.

"I think it would be interesting to talk with… Sidney, right?" At his confirming nod, she continued. "Plus, he could use the socializing with more people his age. I don't think a lot of kids at school talk with him."

"They don't." He supposed Jazz was right. And Sidney would absolutely enjoy her company – they were both complete nerds. "And I guess you're right. Sid would enjoy the company. Just be aware that he slips into old-timey ways sometimes. Mostly speech, but…" Danny shrugged. "Well, you get what I mean, right?"

"I do." Jazz gestured over to the couch, and with a roll of his eyes, Danny perched on the arm of the couch. Not quite was Jazz had intended, based on her expression, but good enough. "Plus, I think he could use some psychiatric help. Bullying… it can hurt teenagers."

"I know." Danny sighed heavily. Despite Dash's love of Phantom, his bullying towards Fenton hadn't relented. And with his diminished friendship with Sam and Tucker, he had less hope of them distracting Dash. The only thing he had going for him was his supernatural speed – and his ability to turn invisible if he could get out of Dash's sight.

But the way she eyed him made him think he said something wrong. Slowly, hesitantly, she asked, "You were bullied?"

Danny shrugged, uncertain. It was true, sure. But it wasn't something he wanted associated with Phantom, per se.

"I… yeah." He couldn't think of a way to deny it. Might as well go with the flow, right? "A lot, actually. But it's okay. Well, not okay, but… it is what it is. There is no way to change it." The teachers never listen, anyway. Even if it's still ongoing, even if it's happening right in front of them. Bullies were never punished.

It was part of the reason why he was so eager to let Sidney have his way.

The calculating look in Jazz's eyes didn't go away. But her eyes did soften, and she smiled kindly. "That explains a lot, actually."

"About?" He frowned, confused. How did this change anything?

"About you." She shifted, looking at him earnestly. "I was wondering about that for a while, you see. Because even if you're not the only good ghost, you certainly are the only one here. And you said you did it to protect your friends, your family, but…" The pluck of hair was twisted, twirled, again. "But there had to be more. More of a reason, more stakes."

"What, the risk of my loved ones getting injured wasn't enough?" Danny's frown deepened as he looked at her.

"No, no." She raised her hands placatingly. "That's not what I mean. But not just anyone would do that, Phantom. Not just anybody would stand up to someone more experienced, and likely more powerful, than them just to protect others. But it makes sense now."

The frown fell away, and Danny shook his head. "I don't get it."

"It's easy. You were bullied in life. A lot, right?" The armchair creaked as she shifted again, her hands waving through the air as she spoke enthusiastically. "So now, in death, you have the power to stand up for yourself. But you don't just use it for yourself. You use it for everyone, everyone who can't do it themselves. The ghosts, the malevolent ones, are the bullies. And now you are the person you wished had been there for you, before. The person who stops the bullies, who stops people from getting hurt."

"Oh," he said simply. She… she had a point. Looking at it this way, he supposed that he had become the kind of person he wished to see sometimes. Like he had grabbed all the traits of the people he loved – of his parents and his friends – and mashed them together into Phantom's perfect persona.

"You're… really good at that." He huffed out a disbelieving laugh. Count on Jazz to psycho-analyze him regardless of form, and nail it as well. "Yeah, you should definitely come along and meet Sidney."

She grinned in response, opening her mouth to reply. But then thundering footsteps came from the lab, and their parents burst inside.

"Phantom!" his dad cheerily greeted, storming over to swing an arm around him. "Sorry to keep you waiting, kid!"

"It's alright." He grinned despite the rib-crushing strength of his dad, barely clinging on to the couch he was sat on. "Jazz kept me company."

"Really now?" Jack released him, then turned to look at Jazz. "Jazzy-Pants, how nice of you! Finally showing an interest in our profession, huh?"

"The psychology behind ghosts is fairly interesting – and unexplored." Jazz shrugged casually. "You, and all other ghost hunters, are so focused on the physical aspect that no one even realized that ghosts were just as complex as humans. It's really fascinating stuff."

Their mom nodded approvingly. "Yes, you're completely right. You should come down in the lab to talk about your findings sometimes, honey. If you get it sorted out, you could even publish a paper!"

"Maybe…" Jazz's expression was surprisingly thoughtful. She really seemed to be considering it, despite her former reluctance to associate with her parents – and ghosts in general. "I would like to focus on individual ghosts first, see if I can help them with their problems."

"A whole new approach to ghost hunting!" Jack clapped her on the shoulder, and Jazz almost fell out of her chair. "That's my kid!"

Maddie shook her head fondly, then turned back to Danny. "What earned us the pleasure of your visit today, Phantom? Dropping by for fun, or did you need us for something?"

"I figured we could go for another meeting with Sidney?" He shrugged. "Since we had to leave early last time. And Jazz said she was interested in meeting him as well, so."

"Well, that sounds like a good plan." Maddie nodded approvingly. "He was a nice young man, that's for sure. Will we meet him in the parking lot again?"

"I thought we could meet in the courtyard instead? I'll fly ahead to find him, and then we can sit down instead of standing around." Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "If that's okay, of course."

"Sounds good to me. Jack, Jazz?" She turned to face the rest of the family, where Jazz was trying to free herself from her dad's arm. "That okay with you as well?"

Jack, who didn't seem to have heard any of the conversation, cheerfully agreed nonetheless. "Yeah, of course!"

"That's okay with me as well." Danny finally took mercy on Jazz and pulled their dad's arm off of her so she could escape. She shot him a grateful look, and he grinned in return.

"Then I'll get going." Danny pushed himself off of the couch, floating instead. "If you guys pick a spot, Sidney and I will find you."

"See you in a bit, Phantom!" his dad boomed, the sound following him even when he phased outside.

Finding his parents (and Jazz) proved as easy as he had expected. Besides the fact that the three of them were the only ones out here on a Saturday afternoon, two of them were also dressed in bright hazmat.

Yeah, the day Danny couldn't find his parents in a crowd was probably the day he would officially declare himself blind.

He took a non-existent seat at the head of the table, floating in the open space in a sitting position. Sidney took the only actual free seat, next to Jazz.

"Didn't keep you waiting, did we?" he asked, glancing at his family.

"You didn't, no worries." His mom flapped a hand, leaving the other resting on the hard wooden table. "We just sat down. Sidney, nice to see you again."

The ghost grinned back. "You as well, madam. And you too, sir." Then the boy turned to Jazz, straightening his glasses. "And I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you yet, miss."

"I'm Jazz. Jazz Fenton." She extended her hand, and they shook. "You're Sidney Poindexter, right?"

"That I am," he confirmed, straightening his bow tie. "Has Phantom introduced me?"

"He has. But I heard about you at school as well." She twisted in her seat to face him properly. "According to Phantom, you help protect the kids who can't protect themselves."

Sidney blushed, his cheeks growing marginally darker and faintly green. "Ah, yes, well. I try my best."

"And you do a good job of it, especially considering your past." Smiling, she pushed herself out of her seat. "Speaking of which… Would you mind sitting down to talk in private?"

"Um." Sidney glanced between her and Danny. Knowing what Jazz was trying to achieve, Danny nodding reassuringly.

"Sure," Sidney said, floating up as well. "Shall we take a seat at a nearby table, then, so your parents won't get worried?"

"Sounds good." Jazz turned back to the Fentons. "We'll be just over there, okay?"

"Sure sweetie." Maddie smiled, and the three of them watched as Sidney and Jazz left. Once they were sure that the two were out of earshot, Maddie sighed, pleased. "We don't deserve her."

"She's a good person," Danny agreed, also looking at his sister and his friend. "She'll do a lot of good things with her life, I'm sure."

"I just… worry, sometimes." Maddie shifted, and Danny looked back at her, confused. "About both our kids, I mean. I… We know we're not the most conventional parents. And sometimes, I fear… I'm afraid that we're hurting them."

She sighed, deeply and wearily. Jack wrapped an arm around her before she continued. "Especially with how busy we've gotten nowadays. And Jazz will be going to college soon, and Danny is growing apart from us as well, spending less and less time with us… And I can't help but worry. Are we doing the right thing?"

"I think…" Danny swallowed, heavily, then tried again. "I think you're doing your best, and I think your kids know it. Parenting… Parenting isn't easy, and neither are teenagers." He huffed out a laugh. "Being a teen isn't easy either. But I'm sure your kids know that you're trying, and… and I wouldn't worry so much. Everything will be okay."

Maddie nodded, and her gloved hand wrapped around Danny's. "It's a parent's job to worry, Phantom. Just because it's not necessary doesn't mean I can stop."

But she smiled, kindly. "But… thank you. Hearing that helps a lot."

"I'm glad to be able to help." Danny glanced back to where Jazz and Sidney sat, and felt his own lips twist up. "And I think your daughter is doing the same for Sidney."

"What, um." Sidney paused, uncertain. Sure, Danny seemed to approve of this conversation but Sidney had no clue what the intention had been. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally reveal his friend's secret identity.

And, above all, how were you supposed to talk to the sister of your best friend if she didn't know that her brother was the best friend of a ghost or that he was part ghost himself?

"What did I want to talk about?" Jazz smiled kindly. Sidney would be lying if he said it didn't help soothe him. "Phantom mentioned something interesting about your past earlier today, and I wanted to talk with you about it."

So… nothing about Danny's secret identity? Oh, good.

"Oh. What, uh. What was it?" He couldn't deny being curious. And… perhaps he did miss talking to other teenagers. Danny was nice, but they weren't very similar. But Danny had often compared Sidney to his sister – said they were both studious nerds, and all that.

Jazz shifted, laying her arms on the table on front of her. Sidney had sat down on the bench in front of her, but was now growing increasingly uncertain at her relentless gaze.

"According to Phantom, you used to be bullied, back when you were alive." Oh. Oh. Was this what she wanted to talk about? Seeing his probably panicked expression, Jazz continued to speak with a soothing tone. "Bullying… It can have a heavy impact on a teenager. And, I don't know if you know this, but I have… a bit of an interest in psychology."

This, Sidney did know. Danny griped about it a lot. That, and he joked about it a lot – about how Jazz would be thrilled if she found out about the Phantom thing, from a psychological standpoint.

"I think few would know that better than I," he ended up saying. After all, of the many that had suffered from bullying, most didn't stick around. Not like he had. "That's why I protect the kids now. To make sure none suffer like I have."

She seemed saddened by this knowledge, catching on the unsaid words. "That's really noble of you, Sidney. But…" Jazz shifted, folding her hands together in front of her. "But you're still around, so your old experiences can still hurt you. Are still hurting you, I think."

"Maybe so," he acknowledged with a loose shrug. He supposed that he was catching onto Danny's manner of speech, but it was to be expected. The kid was pretty much the only person he spoke to, nowadays. "Most ghosts are still hurt by their old lives. It's why they stick around as ghosts, you know? Happy people don't become ghosts."

"Then all of those ghosts deserve help. And I don't know if I can help all of them, but you, you I can help." She grabbed his hand, ignoring that the limb must've felt uncomfortably cold in her hand. He couldn't help but lock eyes with her, the bright teal gazing back. "Sidney, your experiences have been hard and unkind. Traumatizing, even. Please, let me help."

"I…" He didn't know where he wanted to go with this. He didn't know what he wanted to say. Didn't know what to think.

What did it say about his life, that he was caught off-guard so badly by such a kind offer.

"I would really appreciate that," he managed finally. "I… Besides Phantom, no one has ever… just been kind. There was always a plot behind it, or a trick, or… or something else. Never out of the kindness of one's heart."

Something about the Fentons, despite how strange they were, worked. Because both their children were so wonderful.

It made Sidney sad, sometimes, that no one knew what Danny really did. What he was really like. That no one appreciated Danny Fenton, because he could do more good as Phantom – and he was okay with that. With sacrificing everyone's opinions of him, just for that.

"Good," Jazz said with a firm nod. She released his hand, but patted the top of it comfortingly. "And if you ever want to talk… Well, I'll be around for the rest of the school year for sure."

"You don't… mind? That people would see you talk with a ghost?" 'With me' went unsaid.

But Jazz just shrugged. "People know my family as those ghost-nuts anyway. It's much better now that everyone knows ghosts really exist." Her lip twisted into a smile. "Besides, people don't get to pick and choose which ghosts they accept. If they are fine with people talking to Phantom, then they don't get to throw a fuss about me talking to you."

"But what if they do?" He didn't want her to get punished because of him. He was just… He was just Sidney. Nobody special, even after death.

"I don't care." She looked firm, set in her ways. "They don't get to decide what I do with my life, and who I talk with. And if the teachers get worried, I can tell them that my parents and Phantom both approve of you. That should get them off my back."

"Oh." He wasn't… wasn't used to anyone making such an effort for him. Danny tried, usually, but Danny was busy. Had a lot going on for him. Which was why Sidney tried to help to the best of his abilities, of course, but.

But this was different. Nice different.

"Um. Thank you." He smiled at her, shaky and uncertain but heartfelt. "Really, thank you."

Then he glanced over to the other table, seeing three pairs of eyes watching them. "But we should probably rejoin the others."

"Yeah, probably," she said with a laugh. "But seriously, Sidney. Talk to me, okay?"

He nodded. Then, the words slipping out without him fully intending to, he said, "You can call me Sid. If you want."

"Sid?" Her smile widened. "Yeah, of course. Now come on, Sid, before they get worried."

Let Jazz have friends! Let Jazz have friends!

And the Fentons continue showing off their excellent parenting game. Now by parenting their actual children as well, whoohoo!