Danny suffered through the party while his sister kept watch over him to make sure no one really came near him. Danny appreciated it, but also felt like Jazz was treating him like a little kid.

"Jazz, I'm fine," Danny said.

"And the bags under your eyes say you were up how late last night?" she asked.

Danny sighed, it was almost impossible to hide anything from Jazz. "I wasn't up, per say, I was… awakened."

"Riiight, so how many hours of sleep did you get last night?" Jazz asked as Jack's loud laughter could be heard clear across the yard.

"I don't know," Danny sighed. "Last night 5? Today," he smiled remembering what time he woke up. "Probably 10."

Jazz's eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me when I knocked on your door at 3:30 you were just waking up?"

Danny smiled, "Well, it was more like 3:25."

"Danny! That's bad for your health, I knew you were out late but seesh, you're going to ruin your sleeping pattern that way," Jazz reprimanded.

Danny shrugged. "Jazz, my sleeping pattern has been ruined for the past 6 months. I'm lucky if I get a full night's sleep three days in a row," he said.

Jazz slapped her forehead. "Danny, you slept from what, 3? To… 3:30," she sighed. "And you're tired?"

"Not tired… just…" Danny tried to think of a clever comeback but none hit him. Okay, I'm tired," he admitted.

"But why? You got 12 hours of sleep, I thought you were out all night and up around 10," Jazz said.

"Jazz, in case you haven't noticed these past few days, I'm always tired," Danny muttered.

"It's that Jewel thing isn't it," Jazz said.

Danny shrugged, "I have no clue. I mean the last time I was exposed to it was… he paused, well yesterday I think. When I fought Vlad, but that's not important," Danny started.

"Yes it is!" Jazz said. "Danny, you have GOT to stay away from that thing. It's ruining your energy. Do you even know how it raises your potential energy?" she asked.

"No," Danny admitted slowly.

Jazz sighed, "Well, I have a theory."

Danny blinked, "You do?" he asked.

Jazz smiled wryly, "You'd be surprised by what I think out."

Danny rested his chin in his hand. "Well, let's hear it then."

Jazz nodded, "Okay, what I think is that the Jewel brings out all of a ghosts untapped potential but infusing its energy with the ghosts, thus giving the Jewel enough power to grow and allowing the ghost to use powers it shouldn't yet. However when the Jewel is taken away, then the ghost no longer has an energy source and in order to return their energy use to normal they have to run out of what energy they have at the time."

Danny nodded, wide eyed. "Okay, in English?" he asked.

Jazz gave him an exasperated sigh, "In English, you using the Jewel is bad because you don't have the energy reserves to keep up with the Jewel. Stay away from it."

"Oh," Danny said knowingly. "I knew that already."

Jazz resisted the urge to put Danny in a head lock for the sake of the fact that they were at a birthday party. "Danny, just watch yourself," she sighed.

Danny nodded, "You don't need to tell me that twice."

Jazz smiled kindly, "I know."

"Cake time!" Jack yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Want some cake?" Jazz asked.

"Always," Danny laughed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Fenton's returned to their house at 5. It was the first day of a three day weekend and Danny planned to sleep and laze for most of it. He had almost forgotten all about Skulker and his now very complicated relationship with his worse enemies. Keyword was almost.

Danny went upstairs and opened his door. On the other side was Skulker floating about three inches off the ground and grinning madly. Danny's eyes widened for a second then he looked annoyed. "What are you doing here?" he asked irritably.

"Tired?" Skulker asked.

"No…" Danny said slowly.

Skulker smiled but didn't reply to the rather obvious cover up. "Come, we must finish our plan."

Danny sighed and went ghost, "Have you come up with a new plan?" he asked as they flew towards the small grove of trees.

"We were waiting for you," Skulker said and put on an extra burst of speed so that he left Danny behind.

"Of course," Danny said to the air and sped up as well. He rounded around a rather tall pine and went intangible. He flew into the heart of the grove and re-appeared in front of everyone.

"Slow, aren't ya?" Ember asked.

Danny glared at her but didn't reply.

Skulker held up his hands. "Okay, now after the little interruption," Skulker said while looking at Danny. "We can continue with out strategy meeting."

Spectra crossed her arms, "I still say my plan is the best."

Skulker sighed, "Yes Spectra, we know you do."

This earned a few sniggers throughout the crowd and Spectra glared at Skulker.

"Any other plans?" Danny asked in an almost pleading tone.

Skulker gave Danny an almost apologetic smile as no one answered.

"Look," Danny said hotly. "Do you really think Vlad will fall for a plan like that? He's smart and not easy to fool."

"So, we'll just have the right person do it," Spectra smiled.

"Right person?" Danny asked.

"Someone we know that would do something like that for personal gain," she flashed the crowd a poisonous grin that made shivers go down Danny's spine, which was saying something when he was in ghost mode.

"Someone like you?" Danny asked with his arms crossed.

"Now you're catching on," Spectra nodded happily.

"The rest of us could hide in the back ground and get the Jewel when the time comes," Skulker mused quietly while rubbing his chin. Danny had come to realize that Skulker did this when he was thinking about something, and he also wondered for the life of him how Skulker wasn't burning himself.

"Maybe someone should go with Spectra just in case," Danny said quickly.

"Just in case what?" Spectra asked while narrowing her eyes.

"Umm, lady, no offense, but you tried to kill my sister and frame me. I don't really trust you all that much." Danny paused and looked around. "Come to think of it, I really don't trust any of you, but you least of all," Danny finished.

"Well, looks like you're going to have to trust us, huh?" Spectra asked.

Kitty stood by Spectra, "I'll go with her. Vlad doesn't know me that well so he can't base his opinion of me on anything I've done before."

Danny blinked and looked up and Kitty who gave him a small wink. Danny smiled and looked at Skulker. "Well ghost child?"

Danny sighed and sensed he was loosing the battle horribly. "How long will this take?" he asked.

"We will make the maximum time allotted 24 hours," Skulker said. "If ANYTHING threatens the time limit we leave, because if it takes any more time then that, then Vlad knows something."

Danny vaguely wondered if he should call anyone but then decided against it since if anyone knew they would probably get mad at him. 'I'd be mad at me,' he thought. 'I just hope Jazz gets the gist and covers up for me,' he sighed. "I REALLY don't want to do this," Danny sighed. "But if it gets Vlad out of power then I'll give it a shot."

Skulker clapped a massive hand on Danny's shoulder making him wince, "Very good, Daniel," he said.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Vlad was still in Amity Park because he figured if that's where all his enemies were then that's where he should be. He was currently renting out the whole top floor of the best resort hotel the town had, which was fairly good. He decided to go out for an evening fly when something caught his eye. Danny was flying towards the hotel and being pursued by Spectra, Vlad smiled, he knew she didn't have it in her to fight for anyone but herself.

"Stay away," Danny yelled and sent a bright green ectoplasmic energy blast at her which she managed to dodge, but barely.

She disappeared from the air leaving a confused Danny looking around for where she might be. She reappeared behind him and pinned his arms behind him. "Gotcha," she said in a very perky voice but her grin was anything but nice.

Vlad smiled and flew up to where Spectra was holding the struggling halfa. "Well, well, well, I must say my dear, good job. What brought this on?"

Spectra grinned, "Change of plans, Vladdie." Vlad winced at the sound of his old college nick name but he over looked it. "I want to be on the winning side, got room for one more?"

Vlad flashed her a toothy grin that for all the world made him look like a vampire. "Of course my dear." Then he looked down at Danny. "Well, looks like you walked into a trap," he said.

Danny narrowed his eyes and let them glow a bright green. "What do you want," he hissed.

Vlad smiled and held up the Trinsed Jewel that was hanging on a pendant around his neck. It flashed with bright spectral energy and Danny tried to shy away from it. He felt Spectra loosen her grip a tad and edge back enough that Vlad didn't notice but Danny did. "What do I want? Oh my dear boy, you've known me for three months, surely you know what I want." He let the Jewel twist in the air, reflecting the last rays of the sun, "I want power," he whispered.

Danny almost shivered at the tone of voice that Vlad used but he kept his ground. "Well, it looks like I win," Vlad said and leaned forward to Danny until his face was mere inches away from his own. "And there is nothing you can do about it."

Danny wanted nothing more then to summon his energy blasts and fire them in that smarmy face but he knew that it wouldn't accomplish anything. Except a very angry Vlad, which under different circumstances might not have been a bad thing, but right then it wasn't a very good idea.

Vlad could almost sense what Danny was thinking. "I wouldn't try anything if I were you, you wouldn't get anywhere."

"I thought you said that if you were going to do anything I'd be the first to know," Danny said.

"Plans change my boy, and this one has changed for the better. Now, just to make sure you don't escape me this time, because I know your love of disappearing," Vlad smiled. "Like during last weeks pep assembly," Danny growled but didn't reply to the obvious quip. Spectra let him go and Danny used the opportunity to use his energy blasts. Plan or not when he was in danger his body went on auto pilot. Unfortunately for him that wasn't anywhere near enough to defeat Vlad Plasmius. His hands glowed a brief green before Vlad grabbed his wrist. "Now this is a sense of déjà vu," he said and let his red spectral energy run through Danny. Danny screamed and Vlad smiled, "Only this time I'm not going to let go." Danny passed out and resumed his human form. Spectra looked the least bit put out but didn't say anything.

Vlad smiled and looked at the Jewel that started to glow around his neck, it pulsated with an angry light and Vlad seemed to ignore it. "Now, time for phase two," he said.

OOOOOOOOOOO

A normal sized chapter! Okay, I feel really bad . ; Ah well, it was necessary. And next few chapters we actually get to know what the heck the jewel is, yay!