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 All Bad

Part IX

"Ugh, are we there yet?"

"Quit being such a child. We're almost there."

Two ghosts, one impatient, the other annoyed, flew through the Ghost Zone to find a friend.

The first was a pale ghost woman with wild green hair who looked like she came out of the 1960s, wearing a red skirt and suit jacket with a black tank top. Her green fishnet stockings went down to black high-heeled boots.

The second, who looked a bit older, had fair yet seemingly human skin, green eyes, and red hair in two points with orange highlights. She wore purple lipstick and purple circle earrings, and purple eyeshadow reached past the black sunglasses over her nose. A red suit jacket over a white shirt and black tie, red pencil skirt, and red heels gave her the appearance of a businesswoman.

"I'm just saying, it always takes ages to find her place."

"For you, maybe," The redhead mocked. "You'd think a girl who rides on her boyfriend's bike would have a better sense of direction."

"Well, joke's on you, Penny, cuz I found it!"

True to her word, the duo arrived at a floating door, decorated with a guitar surrounded by blue flames.

"And you managed to do it this century!" 'Penny,' or Penelope Spectra, remarked. "Nicely done, Kitty."

"Whatever." Kitty knocked on the door. "Let's just get to the bottom of this."

"On that, we agree." She managed to pick up sounds of a rush behind the door. "Do you hear that?"

"Yeah, it's almost like-"

"Kitty? Penny?" Ember McLain quickly opened the door, then mostly closed it behind her, blocking the others' vision. "What are you two doing here?"

"How's it goin', Em?" Kitty grinned and waved. "It's been forever since we had a girls' night!"

"You haven't talked to us in weeks," Spectra followed up, "so we figured we'd come to you."

"Yeah, what's going on with you?" Kitty wondered. "You haven't been like this since you started hanging around Bucket Head." Then it came to her. "Oh my gosh! Is it a new guy?" She gasped, futilely looking over Ember's shoulders. "Is he still here?"

"A new guy?" A certain young man crossed her mind. "Uhh…"

"Hold on." Spectra put up a hand to an indignant Ember's face, inviting herself in. "Something's up."

Spectra scanned the place. Despite Ember's supposedly world-sized ego, her abode seemed akin to an apartment or college dorm room. Some of the desks were covered in papers with scribbled notes or pictures. A few half-eaten donuts—chocolate icing, her favorite—and coffee from the physical world lay strewn about the mess; they oddly helped her think, perhaps a vestigial habit of her past life.

"Nobody here but us girls," Ember tried to assure. "But I'm kinda busy right now. How about we meet up at the usual spot in a couple of hours?"

Spectra ignored her, and caught something out of place.

"Nobody here, huh?" She pointed to the object in the corner, still halfway out of the box: "You play checkers with yourself?"

"I picked it up on Earth," Ember cobbled together an excuse. "Sometimes a girl likes to challenge herself! Is that a crime?"

"Kitty's right, Em. You're hiding someone." Spectra caught a scent. "You're hiding…" Her eyes lit with hunger. "Fresh meat!"

Ember's eyes widened. "Crap!"

Spectra shed her human guise, shifting into the form of a wispy black shadow ghost with green eyes lacking pupils, then dashed off in pursuit.

"Penny, wait! It's not what you think!"

Ember's words went unheeded, the shadowy specter racing into her bedroom. "Look what I found." She returned with her body and tail wrapped around a familiar ghost girl. "A little spy who thinks she's Danny Phantom!"

Ember got quite the surprise when Sam and Danny asked her to watch Danielle for a few hours. The movie they wanted to see together was supposedly too much for someone a girl her age to see—at least, that was Sam's excuse to be alone with Danny. Danny was the one who'd suggested Ember of all people, reasoning that she had the power to protect Danielle while they weren't around (and to keep her from wandering off), with the added bonus of the little Phantom spending some time outside the Manson manor with her favorite ghost.

Sam, had, of course, promised to blast Ember with the Fenton Peeler ten times over if Dani came back with a single scratch. Unfortunately, it seemed Ember's newest houseguest would make Sam follow through on that threat.

Danielle squirmed in Spectra's surprisingly strong grasp. "Hey! Let me go!"

"Tell me…" Spectra firmly grasped the girl's face, staring deep into her eyes—into her psyche. She often liked to pry emotions out slowly through conversation, but she hadn't had a dish like this before, and was a bit overeager. "What are you?"

The halfa put up a brave front, trying to fight off the haze starting to descend upon her mind. "I'm Dani Phantom!"

"That's cute, child, but that's not what I asked. Not who are you." Spectra already knew. "I mean… what are you?"

"I'm-"

"A sad little orphan?" She went further. "A half-ghost freak?"

"No, I'm…" She tried to move, but she couldn't look away from Spectra's hypnotic eyes. "Danny said I'm his flesh and blood! He said-"

"That you were special?" She gave a false pout. "Aww, it must be so hard to prove, though, being a clone and all."

Dani's front faltered. "How did you know?"

"I can see the real you, dearie. I see your fears, your doubts, and every little weakness." She licked her purple-painted lips, sipping Dani's pain like it was an aged wine. "They're delicious!"

As Spectra began to feed, a voice called out.

"Put her down."

"Wait your turn, Ember. You can have what's left when I'm done."

"Penny," Kitty gulped, "you really ought to listen to her!"

Feeling a sudden heat descend upon her, Spectra finally turned her attention to the master of the lair.

Ember's eyes had gone from green to red. Her flaming hair spiked with rage, daring to meet the ceiling of the room. Kitty backed herself into the nearest corner, hoping not to be incinerated by mistake.

"I SAID TO PUT HER DOWN!"

"Okay, okay!" Spectra released the girl. "Come on, Ember! It's just some Phantom knockoff."

"You know the rule: never mess with ghost kids! And besides…" Danielle scurried to Ember's side, grasping her arm for security. Ember, accepting the hold, still refused to break her searing glare. "She's with me!"

"Wait, she's yours?" She resumed her human form, both for comfort and in shock. "But you and he couldn't have-"

"She's not my kid, ya moron!" Her flames subsided. "You saw into her head, didn't you?"

"Oh, right. So you're… taking care of her?" An amused smirk crossed her lips. "Didn't see you as the motherly type, Em."

"I'm just watching her as a favor."

"A favor for Danny Phantom?" She squinted, suspicious. "Alright, what's he got on you?"

"Can't a girl just do something nice without some evil scheme involved?"

"Not you."

"I don't know," Kitty, feeling the threat gone, left the corner, "I doubt I could resist helping a little cutie like this!" She reached for the girl…

"Touch her and die again."

"I only wanted to say hello." She greeted gently from a distance. "Dani, right? My name's Kitty!"

Dani wasn't sure about this one yet, but she chose not to be rude and waved back. "Um, hey."

"Don't worry about her, kid. Kitty wouldn't hurt a fly," she recalled the ghostly trio's last misadventure, "well, unless Johnny's ticked her off. Or she's really bored." Ember gave a seething look back to Spectra. "As for my so-called friend…"

"Hey, don't look at me!" She tried to look innocent. "You know I can't resist a good meal." She stared at the child, who only weakly glared back, a result of the energy drain. "And one so young, too…"

"Alright, then."

Dani's tightened grip on her arm was enough for Ember to decide:

"Get out."

Spectra blinked, her glasses sliding down her nose. "What?"

"If you can't control yourself, you can leave."

"I… what?" Shock became anger. "You can't be serious! We've known each other for years! I watched your back after you got your butt kicked the first time in Amity Park! I helped manage your last two concerts in the Ghost Zone! I even got you through your last breakup!" As it turned out, the thought that she wasn't good enough to even keep Skulker's attention hurt Ember a lot more than his fists. It also turned out that Spectra could be something of a good counselor when she tried (a little destruction tour in the next town over was great therapy too). "You want to pick this little girl over me?"

"I don't wanna kick you out, Penny." She shrugged. "But you're the one acting like an animal, in my lair, with my guest."

"Hmph." She folded her arms, insulted. "I'm not going anywhere without answers."

"Then you better kill the attitude, or I'm kicking you out," Ember raised her gloved fist, "the hard way."

Spectra gulped; compared to her power right now, Ember could probably take her down with the child in tow. "No, everything's fine!"

"Then you know what to do."

"Fine." Penelope huffed, knowing she would hate to lose a friend. It took her decades to find people she could tolerate (and who could tolerate her), let alone people she liked. "Hey, um, Dani, is it?"

"Yeah, that's me." Danielle's energy had finally returned, as did her confidence as the rocker stood nearby. "It's with an I, by the way."

"I… apologize." She gritted her teeth and swallowed her pride. "I suppose I should have asked what you were doing here before turning you into my dinner. I'm Penelope Spectra."

"Hmm… okay, Penelope." Dani reared her hand back, aimed…

Spectra saw it. "Oh, don't you dare-"

…and fired. A snowball smothered her words, and her head.

The whole group laughed at Spectra screaming her head off, her pointed hair now a drenched, half-frozen mess. "MY HAIR!"

"Now I forgive you."

"Serves you right!" Kitty remarked. "So, Dani," the girl managed to pay attention through her laugh, "how did you two meet each other?"

"Ember saved my life!"

"Phantom was begging me to help her," she jibed, trying to block out the memory of the ghost girl's nearly-frozen face.

"She kept me warm, then Frost-" Dani remembered the Far Frozen's existence was supposed to be a secret, "uh, a friend helped me with my powers, so now, I can do this!"

Another blue blast created a crude effigy of... something with spiky hair, a broad base and what appeared to be tentacles on its hips.

Spectra raised a brow. "What is that monstrosity?"

"It's supposed to be me." Dani blushed.

"Don't beat yourself up," Ember assured. "Your dad's got way more experience with it."

"So Skulker was right," Kitty muttered.

Ember didn't like the sound of that. "What's he going on about?"

"He's been spreading rumors that 'the ghost child' had a child of his own."

"And that you'd 'found a new mate,'" Spectra added. "I didn't believe him on either account, but, considering your new roommate…"

"He's trying to mess with my reputation!" Ember glared at the thought of his smug face, before sporting her own. "He's just mad cuz Phantom kicked his tin can." She gave a fond smile as she recalled it. "Babypop beat that bolt brain to an inch of his afterlife!" She suddenly remembered her company. "Don't tell your dad I told you about that, okay?"

"Danny kicked that hunter guy's butt…" a smile, "…for me?"

"Ooh! Sounds like there's a little bad boy in those goody two shoes," Kitty's red eyes glinted with interest.

"Down, Kitty." Ember noted, "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Johnny and I are eternal!" A dreamy grin soon turned sly. "But if I wasn't attached…"

She frowned. "You cannot be serious."

"I'm just saying, Danny was good to me that time I overshadowed that rich girl." Kitty had forgotten Paulina's name and face a long time ago. "Sure, I blackmailed him, but he was a total gentleman the whole time." She giggled, "And he's a great kisser."

"You dated the Dipstick?" Ember's jaw dropped. "How have I not heard about this?"

"You seem a little jealous, Em," Spectra jibed. "Or do you want a little advice for your next date?"

"You too?" Ember groaned. "We're not dating!"

"And yet, I hear you've been running into him quite more often lately."

"What are you, my mom?" She rolled her eyes and gave a tsk. "We fight more, sure. But we figured something out." She shrugged off the accusation. "He gives me a good workout."

"Yeah," Spectra gave a saucy smile, "I bet he does."

Ember's cheeks turned blue. "Oh, you did not just-"

"Come on, Ember!" Kitty cut her off. "What else could there be? The love-hate thing, the kid in your house…" She giggled. "You two almost sound like you're mar-"

"LOOK!"

Flames erupted from the walls of the lair; Kitty and Spectra unknowingly stepped closer to each other.

"Even if I wanted to—and I'm not saying I do," she saw Kitty's mouth close, "he's off the market… I think. You remember that human girl who stopped our big plan a while back?"

"The redhead?" Spectra thought back. "I think I tried to blow her up once..."

"No, the other one, the goth. She and Phantom are kind of a thing."

"The crossdresser? Ugh." Kitty faked a gag. "And here I thought Danny had good taste."

"Not if he was willing to date you," Spectra remarked.

"Oh? And how's your love life, Penelope?" She fired back. "Still cuddling up with that blob you call an assistant?"

"I'll have you know that my relationship with Bertrand is purely professional!"

"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

Dani, arms folded, demanded the floor.

"All this stuff about dating and kissing Danny? Gross!" She glared at Spectra. "And what do you mean, 'workout?'"

"Well," she chuckled, "you are a little girl, aren't you?"

"I don't think I like you talking about my d-" Dani caught herself, "about Danny that way!"

"No need to be so possessive," she mocked. "I'm sure Papa Phantom will always love his little Ellie most of all…"

Dani flinched. "You don't get to call me that." Her pupils shrank to pinpricks. "EVER!"

"Woah!" Ember saw a familiar blue aura spike around her. "Watch that temper!"

"But I can't forgive her for that! Only my family can call me that name!" Her anger grew with the chill in the room. "Only them!"

"You'd better take it back, Penny." Ember restrained her charge with a warm hand on her shoulder, but she warned all the same: "Though, to be honest, I kinda wonder what she'll do to you…"

Spectra's still-frozen hair and the frost covering Spectra's glasses were more than enough to convince her. "I'll take it back, I'll take it back!"

Dani said nothing.

Ember tried to get through to her. "Dani, what did I just say?"

The only response was a raised hand in Spectra's direction, pointing down. I wonder how she'd look with ice blocks for shoes…

She thought fast. "Don't make me tell your mom!"

Dani blinked. The last time she messed up—water park incident, enough said—she wasn't allowed another Nasty Burger milkshake for two weeks!

Ember watched Dani relinquish her power, slowly releasing her hold on her in turn. "Are you good?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, "but your friends are jerks."

"But I didn't do anything?" Kitty mumbled.

"They know how to push a girl's buttons, and I guess you're no exception." Ember looked at the friend in question. "But ticking off the same person twice in ten minutes?" She laughed. "That's gotta be a record, Penny."

"Then why do you hang out with them? Especially her?" Dani spotted Spectra, checking her face in the nearest mirror, and smirked. "I mean, doesn't she look way older than you?"

"You little-"

"Looks aren't everything to a ghost," Ember explained. "And besides, we can agree on some things."

"Like men," Kitty continued.

The friends spoke in unison: "HATE 'EM!"

"Can't live with 'em," Spectra followed up, "can't suffer an eternal existence without 'em."

"You'll learn when you're older, kid," Ember concluded. "Guys can be a real hassle."

"But you like Danny, right?" Dani noted, "I mean, he stopped all kinds of bad ghosts, like your ex-boyfriend Skullface or whatever…"

Kitty giggled. She'd remember that name for later.

"…and if not for him, I'd be goop in a lab right now!"

"Okay, sure, he's not all bad," she admitted. "I mean, any guy who'd save me from-"

Ember slapped her mouth shut, while her friends' mouths hung open. They asked in unison, "He saved you?"

"…Crap." I'm really starting to suck at hiding things.

"Details." Spectra folded her arms. "Now."

With a sigh, Ember revealed her encounter with the Red Huntress. There were a few embellishments—such as the "hundred" weapons sprouting from her opponent's suit, or the crowd of human fans she'd given autographs just before the fight—but she wouldn't deny that the Huntress dealt some big hits.

"…So I'm lying down, gun in my face, still getting my second wind, when the Dipstick dives right in and stares her down, saying, 'I won't let you touch her.' Can you believe that?"

Her gaze grew distant.

"He said he did it because I needed him."

Her voice quieted.

"He was just… there. For me."

She gave a tch.

"I don't get him."

Kitty squealed. "That's so adorable!"

"No, it's embarrassing."

"How are you not seeing this? He's cute, strong, caring, and probably great with kids." She listed. "If you're not snatching him up, and the goth girl hasn't, somebody will."

"Like I care. And besides, is this mystery girl gonna take care of this little troublemaker?" She put a hand on Dani's head. "Not likely. Heck, I got my hands full after a night!"

"Hey!"

"Relax, twerp." Ember ruffled her hair, not unlike a certain Phantom. "I'm just messing with ya."

Dani couldn't help but giggle herself. "Well…" She reached up to grab Ember's hand. "I guess it's okay when you do it."

Neither ghost let go.

"No, Kitty. That is adorable." Spectra saw them share a smile. "It's sickening, but still adorable."

Disregarding her friends for the moment, Ember instead focused on Dani's slowly saddening face. "What's wrong, ice pop?"

"Valerie tried to attack you? I thought she was okay with ghosts now?" She hated the thought of two of her friends fighting in the streets.

"It's bygones." Ember waved it off. "It's weird, but I don't really feel like holding a grudge."

"Okay, now you're weirding me out. Ember McLain, not holding a grudge?" Kitty had to conclude: "Phantom's really got his hooks in you, hasn't he?"

"Please." She puffed out her chest. "I'm still the toughest ghost this side of Walker's prison."

"And yet you're cuddling your enemy's daughter," Kitty noted.

A warm blue filled Ember's cheeks when she realized she had subconsciously moved her hands to Dani's shoulders. She flew a foot away, to Dani's inward dismay, and folded her arms. "No, I'm not."

"You've been hanging over that kid like a mother hen since we got here." She considered, "Or, since Miss Gloom-and-Doom's in the picture, maybe like an 'auntie hen?'"

Kitty heard Ember grumble something she swore was, "…Better be the cool aunt."

"Auntie Em!" Dani exclaimed.

Ember froze. "…wh-what?"

"Yeah! Like that old movie I saw with Danny once! The one with the scarecrow and the wizard! The girl in it had an Auntie Em, and you…" She immediately retreated when she saw Ember's surprised face. "Well, you know… it's just…" Her eyes avoided hers. "You always say that Danny's my dad and Sam's my mom, so I guess you'd be..."

Ember's 'niece' fell into silence, and the 'aunt' along with her, until…

"Aww!"

"Shut up, Kitty." Ember turned to Danielle, finding herself at a loss for words as she looked into those innocent eyes. It was one thing to joke about it, but to say it out loud, to make it real… "Look, kid—no, Dani, I'm… I…"

Knock Knock.

"I'd better get that!" She flew to the door, her escape hatch...

…or maybe not.

"Danny!?" She cursed her voice for squeaking in surprise.

"Hey, Ember! I'm back!" He waved with a grin. Sam was back home—unbeknownst to Danny, still sighing blissfully over their time together. "How was Dani?"

"She was…" Her eyes flickered back to the girl, still unsure of her place, before she composed herself. "Little brat almost talked my head off about what she did the other day." She looked back and smiled. "You never told me was a dragon-slayer!"

Ember quickly glanced at her friends, watching intently.

Then she looked at Dani, her face unchanged.

…Screw 'em.

"But I guess that's expected of my niece."

Dani gasped, an astonished smile spreading from ear to ear.

"You… mean it?"

Another person gasped as well. "Oh my gosh, she said it!"

"Kitty?" Danny finally noticed the others in the room. "Spectra too?"

"Don't worry, we're on our best behavior," Kitty defended. "Well, I am, anyway. Spectra was-"

"Drop it, Kitty." Ember assured him, "I handled it."

"Good." He remembered Sam's threat as well, until the word finally hit him. "Wait… 'niece?' As in-"

"I'm her aunt now." She looked him in the eye, daring him to contradict her.

To the contrary: "The cool aunt, right?"

"See that?" She looked back to the girls. "Even a Dipstick can get it!"

He chuckled. "Sam's gonna love this."

Ember recalled their talk. "I get the feeling she's not gonna be surprised."

"What about them?" Danny pointed at Kitty and Spectra, "I'm pretty sure your villain reputation is gonna be shot after today."

"They'll keep what happened here to themselves." She glared, and they nodded. "And as for my rep…" She gave an audacious grin. "We'll see how it is after I take you down next week."

He returned it. "You'll try."

"Oh, and the next time you wanna do something like this again…" her voice softened, "call ahead, would ya?"

"Next time?"

"Yeah." Ember smiled, watching Dani rejoin Danny. "Next time."

"Until then, Ember." He began to retreat to the door.

"Later, Phantom."

Dani gave a quick hug. "Bye, Auntie Em!"

She patted her back. "Later, ice pop."

"Heh, 'Auntie Em?'" Danny snickered. "Like the old lady from-"

"Shut up!" She shoved him out, his laugh still growing behind the closing door. "…Dipstick."

The smile on her face hadn't left.

Kitty and Spectra noticed.

"…What?"

"So that's what you look like with him."

"Get that grin off your face, Kitty."

"You first," she retorted. "You know you just asked him out, right?"

Ember groaned. "To a fight."

"After babysitting his daughter." Spectra wondered, "I bet you didn't even think about refusing his request in the first place, did you?"

"No," Ember answered without a thought, before she stammered. "I-I mean, who cares?" She stood defiant. "Who I spend time with is my choice!"

"Like Phantom?" Spectra pressed.

"Yeah, 'like Phantom!' Maybe I think his kid's alright to hang around. Maybe he's not the complete Dipstick I thought he was. Maybe…"

She looked at the door.

"Maybe I actually… like him a little now. So what?"

"So, you had better face facts," Spectra confronted. "That look in your eye when you talked about him? You never had that with Skulker. I'd even bet you haven't even been like that since... before."

"Before wha-" Ember realized it. "You're seriously bringing up—I don't even remember that!"

"I'm a counselor, honey. I've spent a lot of time getting inside people's heads. I'd figured you out the day I met you."

"Well, you should have 'figured out' that if you bring that up again," she stepped closer, "those glasses are going down your throat."

"I won't." Spectra stepped back. "I may tease you, but I'm saying this as a friend: Deal with whatever you've got going on with Danny Phantom, or it'll bite you, hard."

"And if you pry him out of Gloomy's hands, gimme a call!" Kitty added. "We'll double date."

"Ugh." She'd given up trying to fight them on it. "Fine, whatever."

"We'll postpone girls' night," Kitty announced, placing a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "You've probably got a lot to think about."

"Remember what I said, Em." Spectra did the same. "Deal with it."

The girls left. Ember stood in her lair, alone. She picked up the checker game box, recalling her victory before the others came.

She looked so cute when she saw that triple jump I set up…

She shook her head, snapping out of it.

"Look at yourself, McLain." She spoke to the room. "They've got you all warm and fuzzy about kids' games!"

She tossed the box into the corner.

She dropped onto the couch, closing her eyes. Memories of the Phantoms, laughing and fighting, kind words and innocent eyes, swirled about in her head.

Danielle was her niece now. The solo singer was solo no more. There was no taking it back.

Would I take it back?

If I did, she'd hate me. And if she hated me, I know Danny would-

"UGH!" She launched a fireball of frustration, turning the game into ashes. "WHY DO I EVEN CARE!?"

Kitty might have been right. Maybe Phantom did have his hooks in her. Maybe they both did.

But if Danielle's my family…

What does that make him?

"Deal with it, huh?"

She put her head in her hands.

"How in the Zone am I supposed to deal with this?"

To be continued...

And so, Part IX, in which I probably use italics way too much. This was supposed to be an Ember chapter, but I couldn't help bringing the kid in to help with her development. These chapter ideas run away from me... it's the nature of writing.

One aspect of the story I want to talk about this time around is the power of the name. Names can symbolize not just personal identity, but the relationships and struggles that help shape that identity.

For Danielle, she was given that name by her creator Vlad Masters; like Danielle compared to his coveted Danny, her name could be considered a flawed copy of the name he wanted to give his ideal son. The name "Dani," however, was one she gave to herself, a symbol of the respect and growing love she had for the new role model in her life. In my view, "Danielle" is who she is; "Dani" is who she chose and still strives to become.

In my story, she has a third name, representing the bonds forged between her and the family she's finally found. She holds that name close to her heart—and no one, not even a friend of Ember, can turn that name against her.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I feel like I'm getting closer to the end… and even I'm not totally sure what comes next!