Author's Note: Thought or Emphasis.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

Danny Phantom: Not All Bad

Part II

Danielle Phantom awoke to the sound of beeping.

Her mind was hazy, the last thing she clearly remembered being the sign welcoming her to Amity Park.

She felt like she was floating, or swimming.

She opened her eyes and found out she was right.

"AAAAHHHH!"

Her scream came filtered through a face mask, helped her breathe in the vat of healing liquid wherein she was suspended. Outside the vat were bear-like monsters walking about in what appeared to be a laboratory. She pressed against the glass, too weak to blast herself out.

"Where am I?" She looked about, finding herself in a pure white shirt and shorts protecting her modesty. "And where are my clothes?"

"Welcome back to the world, Young One!"

Still addled by fear, it took her a moment to realize that the big bear thing with the fanged smile on his face was talking to her. A look at him, and the blue cape over his back, gave her the impression he was someone important.

"Who and what are you?"

"I am Frostbite, a yeti ghost." He took no offense to her words; others had asked the question before. "You are in a de-icing chamber, within a medical facility in the Realm of the Far Frozen."

"Far… Frozen?"

"I suspected you would not know of it. True to this realm's name, we are in a secluded region of the Ghost Zone."

"I'M IN THE GHOST ZONE!?" The beeping she heard earlier spiked faster. "How the heck am I in the Ghost Zone?" She banged on the glass. "Get me out of here!"

"There is no need to be upset, Young One." He put an arm made of ice and bone to his chest, knowing his solemn vow. "We of the Far Frozen are honor-bound to aid those closest to the Great One."

She stopped her banging, the question obvious. "Who's the Great One?"

"He means me."

She looked beyond the bear ghost to the young man entering the room, a young woman with hair made of flames right behind.

The beat of her core spiked again, but in joy. "DANNY!"

"Hey, Dani." Her 'cousin' greeted her, floating up to the glass. "What do you say we get you out of there?"

"Ice powers!"

Danielle sat upright in a hospital bed, Frostbite having explained the reason for her cold affliction. The thought of getting a new power nearly sent her mind reeling.

"Yep. Just like me." Danny formed a snowball in his hands, then an ice pyramid. "We can help you get a handle on that in a little while."

"Cool!" She could hardly wait. "But what's she got to do with this?" She pointed to the rocker ghost leaning against the wall (a bit uncomfortable, since it was as cold as everything else here).

"That's Ember." Danny replied as she walked to the bed. "She helped keep you warm enough to make it to Frostbite."

"And here I thought we started off friendly on the way here." She shrugged. "How ya feelin', ice pop?"

Ice pop, huh? She smirked back. "I'm just fine, flame brain!"

"Ooh, Babypop's brat's got some sass!" She grinned. "But shouldn't you be thanking me for saving your frozen butt?"

"I guess I should." Her spirited smirk became an honest smile. "Thank you for helping me, Ember. How do you know Danny?"

"I kick his butt all over Amity Park."

"You're a bad guy!"

"Bad girl." She corrected. "I hear you used to be too?"

"Yeah..." Dani's mood darkened, "…used to. Wait, how do you know?"

"Your dad's a blabbermouth."

"You're the one who asked me."

"Dad?"

"Well," she began to reason, "you two are kinda like-"

"Ember?" She turned her head Danny's way. "Could you give us some privacy?"

She would have gone on, but his stare convinced her that it was a bigger issue than she realized. "Uh, sure." She stood in the doorway. "But don't be too long, Babypop. I'm freezing my frets off in here!"

"Didn't you say you could handle it?"

"I can handle it." she muttered as she left the room. "Doesn't mean I gotta like it."

The door closed, leaving the Phantoms alone.

The younger spoke first. "What's going on?"

"Danielle," the elder's voice lowered with gravitas. "While we were on our way here, before you went back to sleep, you told me something. Do you remember what it was?"

"What are you-" The words flashed through her mind; green eyes widened. "Oh."

"So, you do remember."

"Just forget whatever I said!" Her ponytail swished with her shaking head. "I was just… er, loopy from the cold!"

"You really are like me." He chortled sadly. "I always was a bad liar."

"Danny-"

"After what we've both been through together, the least you can do is be honest with me."

"What's to lie about? I didn't say anything important! They were just stupid words!" Her eyes clenched shut, unwilling to meet his concerned gaze. "I'm stable and I'm not cold anymore, so I'm fine, okay?"

A new sight alarmed him and he tried to reach out. "DANIELLE!"

"I'M FINE!"

The sound of cracking ice filled the air, then silence.

She heard him speak with strain. "Open your eyes, Dani."

She obeyed him, seeing the spikes of ice that surrounded her bed. She looked down to her body, glowing with a cold blue aura.

"What?"

Her ice core skipped a beat at the sight of ectoplasm staining a spike. The source: Danny's outstretched, and pierced, right arm.

"Oh no!" At her sadness, the ice began to crumble. "Danny, I didn't mean to do that, I swear! I'm just new to this, and-"

"It's okay." Danny ignored the pain, using his other arm to blast the remaining obstacles. "But you're not, are you?"

"I thought I was, but..." Her eyes fell to the bed. "No."

"Then tell me what's wrong."

"Okay." She took a breath. "Seeing the world was fun. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. No more living in the basement, no Vlad hanging over my shoulder… staring at me…" She shivered, and not from the cold air. "…wanting to dissect me…"

"Vlad's not here, Dani." He put a hand on hers. "And he won't find you here."

"I know. I just…" She shook those red eyes out of her head. "Anyway, I saw all kinds of stuff when I was flying around, buildings, people, animals! I even helped people, just like you!" She couldn't help but smile a bit. "But while it was cool to see the world, I realized something:

"I wasn't really a part of it.

"None of it was mine. When I was done, I'd just go on to the next town. I didn't have real friends, or a home, or…"

Her eyes darted to him, then away.

"…Or a family."

"Dani," he started to console her, but she went on.

"So I thought, maybe if I came back to see you, I could make heads and tails of it, pick myself up. Or maybe just visit my cuz, ya know?" She tried a happy laugh, but it fell flat. "And it'd only be for a day, maybe two!" Her voice softened, "Then I wouldn't get in your way. But then..." she gestured to the room, "this happened."

"Get in my way?" Danny couldn't believe it. "Why would you ever think that?"

"Because I always have!" Her eyes glowed in anger. "I turned on you, so Vlad could take your DNA! I got Valerie to come after you, and then you had to go through them both just to save me! I thank you for the help, but I don't think I've done anything except hurt you!"

A tear fell.

"I'm starting to wonder if I was made to hurt you."

Danny was stunned. He had no idea that the little girl who fought for her freedom and flew off with a smile had harbored this kind of pain. After the accident that gave him his powers, he understood what it was like to not know what he was, but he'd never faced something like this. He wondered if he was a freak, but never the source of someone's suffering.

She was the one who suffered in those misadventures, not him. In the brief time he knew Danielle, he knew he'd take a million torture sessions with the Red Huntress before ever making her feel this way.

He had to make her see that.

"I know you treated Vlad like he was your father. And I know you were desperate when you told Valerie about me," he admitted. "But ask yourself this: Did you stay with Vlad?"

"No. He was a dirty liar, and I kicked his butt!" She nodded, vindicated.

"Sure did, with everything you had, and you were awesome!" He ruffled her hair, hearing her giggle. "And did you tell Valerie to go after me?"

"No, I'd never do that!"

"Exactly. She was after me months before she ever met you. And because she met you, I think she's finally coming around." The ghost and ghost hunter had indeed crossed paths afterward, but Valerie hadn't pointed a weapon Danny's way since.

"Really?"

"Really. Vlad may have made you, but he made you from my flesh and blood." He grinned. "And ectoplasm, probably!"

He continued. "You're not some weapon made to hurt me, and you're not a burden. You're my family, whether that makes you my cousin or something else entirely, and I'm here for you. Isn't that why you came to me?"

"Yeah." She realized, "I knew you'd be there for me, because you've always been there for me. Even when I was getting cold, I just knew that if I got to you, I'd be okay."

She defied her weakness and launched into his arms.

"Thank you, Danny."

"You're welcome, Dani."

He held her for a minute, but as he began to back away, she resisted. He felt cold tears reach his shoulder.

"I don't want to leave this time!" She finally admitted it to herself. "I'm sorry, but I really don't wanna go!" She clutched him tighter. "I just want… this!"

"Don't you dare feel sorry."

He swore it to her and himself:

"You want a home? You're getting a home."

She backed away, startled at his resolve. His gloved right hand wiped away her tears.

"Remember my friends, Tucker and Sam?" Hearing her 'mm-hmm,' he explained. "Well, my big sister Jazz knows my secret too. They'll all help us!" He gulped. "And if it comes down to it, we may have to tell my mom and dad the truth."

"But they're ghost hunters!" They were tough on his human self as well, as far as she could tell; they were going to ground him for a century and worse for running off in the Specter Speeder if she hadn't overshadowed his mom and teacher.

"They're also my parents. I've been thinking about telling them for a while. And if not, maybe knowing Danny Phantom has someone to take care of will give them a reason not to shoot first and ask questions later." His hand landed back on her shoulder. "We'll talk about it when we get home, okay?"

"Home…"

Danielle would always cherish her first taste of freedom, soaring through skies the land below ready for her to explore.

But here, in a quiet corner of another dimension, the joy in knowing that she would soon have a home outshined that feeling by a factor of millions.

She nodded, the tears flowing all over again. "Okay!"

"Hey, Danny!"

"Huh?"

Both turned their heads at Ember's voice, the same look on their faces. They were more alike than they realized.

Even Ember had to admit: Okay, that's kinda cute.

She shook it off and continued. "You got me standing out here for, like, 10 minutes. You done with your hugfest? I got your kid's clothes from the wash." She mumbled to herself, remembering how the yeti treated her as he handed them over. "Servant to the Great One my butt…"

"Yeah, I think so." He set the clothes on the nearby table.

"Hey, Ember," Danielle asked, "Why do you call him my dad?"

"Because he is. You're his flesh and blood, and he takes care of you. Sounds like a dad to me."

Danny pointed out, "I also think she's messing with me."

Ember winked. "Maybe a little."

"So, what's that make you?" Danielle asked. "You keep hanging around him, and you sure don't act like an enemy." She grinned with mischief. "You wanna be my mom or something?"

"Danielle!" Danny's face exploded in red.

"You got me dead wrong, kid!" Ember's face colored blue, the perfect contrast to his. "Dipstick's just my ticket outta here!"

"Dipstick?" She squinted suspiciously. "But you just called him Danny."

"Well, excuse me for being nice!" She folded her arms in protest. "I'm not all bad, kid."

"I know!" She giggled. "That's why I thanked you for helping me…" she couldn't help it, "… and my dad with this."

"Uhh, Dani…" He wasn't sure how to feel about that word. Goodness knows how the gang's gonna take it back home if she starts saying it around them…

"I'm just playing!" She was… mostly. "I know we're still gonna work things out, Danny." Danielle assured. "And I don't care whatever we call it. We're family, right?"

"You know it."

Ember watched their bond strengthen. She could tell from a glance the kid was lonely, and a part of her was happy to see someone else heal that hole inside.

It must be nice to have someone backstage, cheering you on, letting you know you're not alone.

Ember composed herself. "This is touching and all, but when exactly are we gonna leave?"

"We can head out once Danielle's dressed."

"Sweet. I'll be outside… you know, again."

"Before you go, Ember," Danny proposed, "I was thinking about having a practice session tomorrow to help Danielle with her new power. Matching up against your firepower would be a great way to show her how it works."

"Well…"

He attacked her weakness. "And who else but my old, powerful enemy—the hottest singer in the Ghost Zone—to give the Phantoms a good fight?"

"Alright, Phantom, no need to get on your knees!" Her ego successfully inflated, she gave in. "I'll help you out." She turned to the younger Phantom. "How about it, Danielle?"

"Just call me Dani."

"Danny with an I, huh?" Ember laughed. "Figures."

An hour later saw the ghosts stop their flight in a denser part of the Zone. In the distance floated a door displaying the design of a guitar surrounded by familiar blue flames.

"Looks like this is my stop."

"See you tomorrow, Ember." He put out his hand.

"Don't act too nice to me, Dipstick." She returned it for a handshake.

Her grip didn't lessen, until a surge of heat forced him to let go. "Yowch!"

She grinned. "In 24 hours, I'm gonna barbecue your black-and-white butt. And who knows? If you're not too burnt, maybe I'll come at you the next day too! I still got a new track just waiting to blow you away!"

A blue aura washed over his hand to cool it. "Can't wait."

"And you'd better be ready too, Dani. I won't hold back just because you're a twerp!"

"I'll be ready, I promise!" The missile that was once a child crashed into Ember for a hug, catching the rocker off guard. "Bye, Ember!"

"Uhh… yeah." She gave an awkward pat on the back.

This might take some getting used to.

Eventually released, Ember floated to her door, ultimately not regretting her choice to help a ghost child in need. Dani could be a fun little addition to her eternity, and she liked this… rivalry she and Danny now had, for lack of a better word.

"Hey, Ember!"

She turned back. "What?"

A snowball pelted her in the face.

"That's for messing with Danny!"

He gave her a fist bump. "Nice shot!"

"Oh, you're so paying for that tomorrow, kid!"

I stand corrected.

She melted the snow on her face, the Phantoms laughing as she closed the door behind her.

This will definitely take some getting used to.

END

You wanted it, you got it! I couldn't help but come back to the story after leaving the ending wide open like that. As you can see, Ember gets just a little bit softer as it goes, a sign of the shift in Ember and Danny's relationship through Danielle.

I've seen fics starring Dani where the relationship between her and Danny were defined right off the bat as siblings (Rtistic's "The Return of Dani Phantom," a classic) or parent-child (a couple different ones here and there). I wanted to leave this one a bit more fluid. After all, they don't know each other as well, and those who've watched The Ultimate Enemy know that the future's never set in stone. Will I come back again? I dunno, maybe. But for now, enjoy. And don't forget to leave a review!