Author's Note: Thought or Emphasis; Flashback; Thought or Emphasis in Flashback. Certain type may also be used signify SOUND or other dramatic effects as necessary.

I don't own Danny Phantom.

Danny Phantom: Not So Bad

Part VI

"How many has it been so far?"

"Looks like three... and counting."

Danny Fenton and Sam Manson sat at Amity Park's teen hangout, the Nasty Burger. While its red-and-white appearance was unassuming, the local burger joint had been a focal point for quite a few notable events: from a meeting of the world's greatest (and not so great) ghost hunters, to the accidental injury of a "defenseless" Danny carelessly attacked by Mayor Vlad Masters.

Only a select few knew that darker events could have unfolded here…

Luckily, that time would never come to pass. Instead, Amity's young citizens, free for the summer, could enjoy themselves.

One of these happy youths was Danny and Sam's young charge, Danielle, having her first Nasty Burger ever—or, rather, her fourth. Danny and Sam had witnessed her appetite before, but it had hardly ever looked this messy.

"This burger rocks!" The little girl gave a gooey smile. Sauce smeared over her lips and chin, and dripped over a Nasty Junior with everything on it. "Your pick was perfect, Tucker!"

"Glad I could help, Danielle." The third original member of Team Phantom, the bereted and bespectacled Tucker Foley, watched with pride as the new addition continued her lunch. The first Nasty Burger he ever tried was the one he suggested, and he was glad to pass down his knowledge of all things meaty. "An experienced connoisseur such as myself always knows where to get the good stuff."

"This is the good stuff?" Sam looked around. "I think the only things with more grease than those burgers are the walls of this place."

"Ah, don't listen to her." Tucker waved her off. "We're just lucky Miss Ultra-recyclo-vegetarian even let you step foot in here."

"Well, the sight of those meat balls disgusts me," her stomach almost flipped at seeing the debris on Danielle's plate, "but it is kind of our hangout spot." She still had enough appetite to sip from her straw, though. "Plus, the shakes are amazing."

"Milkshakes?" Danielle perked up her ears as she finished her sandwich, finally taking notice of Sam's dessert. "Ooh, can I have one?"

"You just went through four Nasty Juniors already," Danny noted. "You've got to be ready to burst!"

"I'm a growing girl." Burp. "Heh, excuse me."

"I think that's enough, Ellie." Sam put her foot down. "Just because we can afford it, doesn't mean I'm going to let you stuff yourself on-"

"Pleeeease?" The girl showed a mastery of the puppy-dog pout.

Sam lifted her foot up. "Alright. But you're taking it easy after this. No junk food for the rest of the day!"

"Deal."

As the girls went up to the counter to order, the boys stayed at the table.

Danny watched the girls with a fond smile. "She's totally spoiling her." He turned to Tucker, who sported a smile of his own. "What?"

"What's it like being a teenage dad?"

"Come on, Tuck," he rebuffed. "I get enough of that from Ember."

"Still wrapping my head around that too. Ember's your friend now?" He pointed out, "Also, I don't hear you exactly denying what I said."

"Look, this thing with Ember's still uncharted territory, and so's my relationship with Dani. There's no rush in trying to define either."

"Well, I don't know about Ember," Tucker looked at the girls discussing milkshake flavors, "but from what I've been seeing, it looks like you and Sam already defined things with Danielle." He bit into a fry, then pointed it at Danny. "Someone's just afraid to admit it."

"There's nothing to admit."

"So, I didn't catch you two in the park yesterday, pushing her on the swings?"

"Hey, she didn't know how," Danny explained. "Vlad wasn't exactly father of the year with her."

"And you are?"

"You know that's not what I meant!"

"And Sam's little nickname doesn't mean anything either, huh?"

"Friends give each other nicknames, Tuck." Danny locked eyes with Danielle, who walked back with her hands on a vanilla-chocolate mix, close to a certain hero's colors. "Besides, 'Ellie's' a cute name. If I had a kid someday, I'd probably name her-" Danny clamped his mouth shut.

"See?" Tucker simply adjusted his glasses. "It's a sign."

Danny failed to say more before the girls reached the table.

"Remember to take it slow. You may have… abilities," Sam hinted, "but you still might be able to get brain freeze."

Danielle rolled her eyes, and playfully replied, "Yes, Mom, I'll be careful."

Tucker could barely hide his laugh at Sam's scarlet cheeks; a boot met his shin under the table. Even Danny felt a chortle at his own lips, but a slap on his arm convinced him to stuff it down.

Danielle looked over the frozen treat, licking her lips. "I'm definitely gonna take my time with this." She raised her spoon to get a bite of the sweet stuff…

…when the utensil floated out of her hand, and the shake followed.

"What?"

She wasn't the only one flabbergasted—food throughout the restaurant, frozen and fried alike, began to levitate and swirl in the air. As if guided by invisible wind, they whisked out the door and into the sky.

Tucker's eyes bulged. "I've heard of getting food to-go, but this is ridiculous!"

The chilling vapor of ghost sense left Danny and Danielle's mouths, trailing the floating food. "Trouble," the boy announced. The duo went to the restrooms for a place to change, but before he left, a hand gripped his.

"Wait!" His charge pleaded. "Let me handle this one myself."

"You sure?"

"Oh yeah," she nodded. "No one messes with my dessert!"

"Then I'll be right behind you." He smiled. "Good luck!"

She slipped into the girls' room and with a flash of light, Dani Phantom entered the scene. Ascending through the roof of the Nasty Burger, she demanded to know:

"Alright, who are you, and why'd you swipe my shake?"

Dani looked at a ghost girl who appeared younger than her. The red-eyed, blue-skinned child had freckles on her cheeks and short black hair under a pink hair net, with twin ponytails poking out from the top. She wore gray overalls over a pink shirt, gray gloves, and dark gray shoes.

"I am Box Lunch, daughter of the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady!" She pointed to her opponent. "And you will face flash-frozen, 100%-ground-beefy DOOM!" Her excited eyes turned sweet. "Want some fries with that?"

"Uhh…" Dani answered, "No thanks."

"THEN SUFFER!"

With a grand wave of her arms, a dozen boxes of hamburger patties surrounded her form, until their contents formed into a suit of armor, only her face revealed. Lifting her hand, she fired globs of meat at her dodging adversary. The patties fell to the earth, thawing out and landing with a wet squelch each time.

"Eww." The little Phantom saw a few unlucky civilians pull out the clumps that fell onto their clothes and hair. "I think I'm starting to see why Sam's a vegetarian." She looked back, about to be pelted by a barrage of fries, but put up a shield just in time. "What are you even doing here?"

"I explored the Ghost Zone in search of adventure, when I arrived in this unfamiliar world! If they will not assist me in my plight, then they will fear my delicious might!" She screamed a strangely familiar warning: "BEWARE!"

Dani watched the child attempt an evil laugh… and cough as her throat went dry. She saw her opening, pulling back her fist to fire a ghost ray—

But rather than attack, she took a moment to consider Box Lunch's words. "Wait, plight… you need help?" She let the ecto-energy fade from her hands. "Well, it just so happens I'm a hero. I bet I could help!" She pointed to the symbol on her chest. "The name's Dani Phantom, with an I."

"You're a hero?" The specter scoffed. "A little girl like you could not possibly assist the powerful legacy of—wait a minute." She gasped. "PHANTOM?"

"First off, I'm not that little, I'm still growing," she pouted. "Second, you're not so big yourself, and third… yeah, Phantom." Dani eyed her warily. "What about it?"

"Of course! How'd I miss that!?" The ghost gawked, floating closer to get a better look. "That's the symbol of the legendary Phantom Family! But that's not right." She squinted. "You kinda look like her, but why are you so small? Are you some fangirl or something?"

"I'm the real deal! For example," she put her hands together, "could a fake do this?"

She opened her hands to show a growing—and glowing—snowball, blue and green light captured inside. Surprised by the sight, Box Lunch failed to evade the pitch. The ball exploded on contact, ice blanketing the armor in front and turning the meat from red to blue.

"What the…?" Box Lunch's limbs failed to bend, the cold digging deep. "I can't move!"

"Hey, it actually worked!" Dani pumped her fist in victory. "And now…"

Dani turned intangible and charged right through the meat suit, tackling the ghost inside. Box Lunch landed with her back to the nearest billboard, helplessly squirming in the heroine's stronger grip.

"Let me go, faker!"

"I'm not a fake, I'm the real Dani Phantom! And I'll be happy to let you go, if you just calm down!" Red eyes glowed bright, threatening a shot to the face, but the halfa only returned with her own icy blue glow. "You really want to try that?"

The ghost clenched her eyes shut… then finally relaxed, her head facing down.

"See how easy that was?" Dani assured, "We don't even have to fight." She backed away to prove her promise. "Now, let's just get back down to the Nasty Burger, and-"

She caught a distinctive sniffing sound. She knew the sound well, but couldn't help but ask, "Hey, are you alright?"

She wasn't.

"WAAAAHHH!" Twin waterfalls gushed.

"Woah!" She wasn't ready for this today. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I can help you clean up, if that's what you're-"

"No, it's not!" The tears kept flowing. "I'm lost, and I'm scared, and I WANT MY MOMMY AND DADDY!"

Dani felt a pang in her chest.

She wasn't familiar with this part of the hero job, but her instincts carried her through. Box Lunch's sobs quieted when she felt black and white arms over her shoulders. "I was like you once."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm, or something like it. I was kinda lost too, no family, not even a home, until I found one here."

"You don't live in the Ghost Zone?" She watched Dani shake her head. "So where are your mommy and daddy?"

"Um, well," she wavered, "I don't know if I have those, but-"

"She's got me." Danny floated up to the ghost girls, quickly recognizing the one in his relative's arms. "Box Lunch? What are you doing here?"

"Another one?" She inquired at the sight of the DP symbol. "And how do you know my name?"

"We fought in my kitchen, and here, actually." He recalled that incredible adventure. "Although, I guess that might not have happened anymore… or did it?" He shook his head. "Time travel's weird."

"I've never met you before in my entire afterlife, stranger!" Her hands glowed. She may have looked a little bit like him, but that didn't mean he was to be trusted. "If you come any closer, I'll take you down!"

He smirked a bit; her threat lost its impact while she was still in Dani's embrace. "I'm not gonna hurt you, any more than my cousin is. This is going to sound weird, but I think I can help you find your family."

"Oh, yeah?" She gazed skeptically at the second imposter. "And how?"

Another voice answered for him, echoing around them.

"TIME OUT."

"TIME IN."

In the blink of an eye, the town of Amity Park was gone.

In its place stood the inside of a massive clock tower—a literal clock tower, dark and aged like the grandfather clock it appeared to be. From the ground on which they sat to the ceiling too high to see, gears of various sizes on all sides ticked and turned, each seeming to move to its own beat. Between those gears were windows just as sundry, yet none allowed a sight of the endless realm beyond them.

Only the ghost standing with his back to the group truly knew what each allowed to see; only he understood the tower's true rhythm and design.

"Daniel Fenton. Danielle. And Box Lunch."

A light blue-skinned ghost donning a violet cloak revealed himself. His eyes were pure red orbs, a scar running down across his left eye. No legs extended from his violet tunic, only a wispy blue tail. Watches wrapped around his purple gloves, a pocket watch dangled from the black belt around his waist, and a clock resided in his chest, visible for all to see.

In his right hand, he held his most precious and powerful possession: a gleaming iron scepter with a clock at its top end.

Dani saw the adult and acted fast. "Stay back, Box Lunch!" Dani put an arm in front of her. "I don't know how this guy knows us, but we won't let him hurt you!" She turned to her partner, who had his guard down. "…Danny?"

"It's okay, Dani," he assured. "He's a good guy."

"You need not fear me, Danielle." The ghost introduced himself, his scepter held grandly:

"I am Clockwork, Ghost Master of Time."

As if to demonstrate, his adult form faded away, replaced with a child, looking younger than the trio.

"Hey, Clockwork." As his 'cousin' stared in awe, Danny greeted the ancient being with a handshake. "I was going to see you anyway."

"I know." The same voice came out of his youthful body.

"Right." He informed the girls: "Clockwork knows everything."

"Including your story, Box Lunch." The girl peeked out from behind Dani's shoulder. "And I will assist you from here."

The once boastful villain shivered under his gaze. "What is this place?"

"You are in my Tower, the nexus wherein I conduct the first steps of my work: observing the past, the present," he shifted into an old man, "and all futures."

"Don't you mean, 'the future?'" The little Phantom interjected.

"I do not, Danielle." With his scepter, he pointed to a cluster of viewing windows, which sprung to life showing various worlds. "Every choice made affects one's personal timeline. Actions of yesterday created today, and the choices you make today create countless futures. Your… 'cousin' knows this well." He turned to him, "Don't you, Daniel?"

Danny's eyes locked onto a Fenton Thermos on a distant pedestal; it was dented and bent, but still standing.

"I do."

"You, Box Lunch, come from one of these futures." He explained, "In your childish exploration of your era's Ghost Zone, you stumbled upon a rare form of ghost portal; one not only capable of crossing space, but time as well." He looked at his watch. "By my count, you are ten years in your past. You have yet to even be born."

"So that means…" she mumbled in shock, "You two are the real Danny Phantom… AND DANI PHANTOM!?"

Dani grinned. "Told ya."

"You're my IDOLS! Second to my mommy and daddy, of course." Her eyes practically sparkled. "Especially you, Dani! The whole Zone knows about how you beat-"

She stopped. Her entire body stopped, covered in a green aura.

"Wait, what?" Dani waved a hand in front of her frozen fan, then turned to Clockwork. "Beat who?"

"Sorry, children, but…" The Master of Time pressed another button on his scepter, rewinding Box Lunch's words with an oddly playful wink. "No spoilers."

"I'm with him. You don't want to know your future. You definitely don't want to mess with the past either." Danny shuddered at the mental image of Jack Plasmius. "Trust me."

"—AND DANI PHANTOM?" Box Lunch blinked. "Didn't I just say that?"

"Don't worry about it," Dani shrugged. "We should get you home."

"Indeed." Clockwork directed the future child to one of the windows, showing a floating warehouse/deli combo within an endless green sky.

"That's it! That's my lair!"

"It is. You will return to your era only a few minutes after you left. Your parents will be none the wiser, and it will be as if you never left at all." He raised his scepter. "You need only enter."

"Wow." Box Lunch reached a hand forward, a step away from home, when she paused. "Wait."

The pink and gray blur tackled Dani off her feet.

"Thank you so much!" Dani found it lucky she didn't need to breathe in ghost form, or the arms around her throat would be a problem. "You really are a hero! My hero!"

Dani patted her on the back. "No problem, Boxie."

"She called me Boxie!" Her eyes sparkled once more.

"Just promise to be a good ghost, okay?" The little halfa warned, "Don't make future me have to fight you someday."

"I promise!" She nodded to her idol. "I might even become a better hero than future you! And all evildoers who oppose me will BEWARE! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Box Lunch dashed off into the portal, to her family and time. It rippled, then settled, a mere window once more.

Dani wondered, "Did that sound… evil to you?"

Her 'cousin' replied, "A little."

"Do not worry, Phantoms." Clockwork looked to the portal, where the ghost crashed into her father with tears in her eyes, "believe it or not, the events of today were quite the turning point."

He pointed his scepter to Dani.

"Had you ignored her words this afternoon and continued to fight instead, her fear and anger would have festered, and in the most likely scenario, she would have been your enemy for the rest of the year."

Then he pointed to Danny.

"Had you faced her instead, Daniel, there was a chance she would not have believed your words, and run off into an unfamiliar Ghost Zone. In one of the worst futures, Walker would have deemed her a trespasser in his territory, and sentenced her to a 'lenient' century of imprisonment."

"Woah… wait, one of the worst?"

"Yes, one." Even he was sadly moved at some of what he'd seen. "Shall I explain the future had Vladimir Plasmius found her instead?"

"No thanks," Dani frowned. Since the incident with Skulker, just saying his name seemed to sour her mood.

"So, you see, Danielle, Daniel, this was for the best."

"I'd been wondering why you didn't just get Box Lunch yourself after she landed in Amity Park." Danny realized, "She was supposed to be there, wasn't she?" He squinted at Clockwork. "Did you plan this?"

The old ghost smirked under the cloak. "Everything's the way it's supposed to be."

He activated his scepter, and with the spin of a clock hand, the Phantom duo was gone.

Danny opened his eyes to see the interior of the Nasty Burger. He looked down, his finished meal right where he left it. Looking out to the restaurant, no sauce splatters, beverages, or burger meat stained the walls (well, no more than usual).

"It's clean?"

"Uh, no, didn't you hear? Greasy walls?"

"AH! Sam!" Danny jumped out of his seat, both realizing and forgetting she was there. She and Tucker were right where he left them. Danny settled down, knowing the culprit. It still surprised him to know the power Clockwork held.

"He brought us back!" Danielle also surmised the truth. "Which means…" To her delight, the vanilla-chocolate mix was unharmed. "My shake!"

"Yes, it's your shake," Sam repeated. "I know you said you'd take your time, but you just spaced out for about ten seconds. And you didn't go anywhere!" She half-fretted, half-joked, "Are you sure you didn't eat too much?"

"No worries, Sam." Danielle took up her spoon, her wait finally over. "I'm just fine."

As the child took a trip to sweet paradise, Tucker suggested, "Who's up for a movie?... at Sam's place, I mean." He saw her glower. "What? You do have the best TV."

"Fine," she settled, mostly. "But I pick. I'm thinking something old school."

Tucker pouted. "Aww, but I was thinking high tech!"

"My screen, my rules."

"Take it easy, you two," Danny jumped in. "Let's just have a good time," he gestured with a chuckle, "like Danielle."

"Ahhh." She leaned back, patting her stuffed belly. "Best… shake… ever."

Their eyes and smiles connected.

"You earned it."

Back in his lair, Clockwork continued his vigil. He would never admit it out loud, but the old ghost enjoyed himself a bit whenever a Phantom came around, no matter their native timeline. That older Danielle with power over flame was quite a novelty…

Right now, however, he focused on the one met just moments ago. "You made a fine choice today, Danielle Phantom."

On a muted viewing screen, Team Phantom walked out the doors of the restaurant. Danielle hung back, hesitant at first. Danny noticed, and appeared to ask why. She looked down and away, mumbling something into the ground. With a tiny smile, he ruffled her hair, opened a hand to clasp over hers, and they stepped into the summer sun.

"Your bond with Daniel will make you both stronger for the days to come."

Still more windows displayed:

Ember McLain, a fury unbound, a fire-covered fist aimed at a saddened Danny.

Another ghost, laughing evilly with a frightening glint in his blood-red eyes.

Something big, heading to Earth.

But there was yet another window.

"And the choices you both make…"

Clockwork observed Box Lunch opening the front door to her lair, her parents telling her they had a big surprise. Her eyes sparkled brighter than ever, and she squealed with joy at the smiling figure before her…

… a woman with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes.

"…will help create a brighter future."

END

I wanted to divert from Ember's feelings for a minute and instead focus on Danny and Dani as heroes who touch people's lives, whether they're human or ghost. I see Clockwork, meanwhile, as a character who knows of their potential to affect the DP-verse and its inhabitants (after all he "knows everything"), and has a unique interest in watching and maybe tailoring Danny's timeline in particular. I figure that this interest might lead him to watch over Danny's "cousin" as well.