New chapter, just like I promised.

I need a bad guy name. You'll find out why later in this chapter. The name the person has isn't very scary, but it's not meant to be. I need his master's name. Any ideas?

If you suggest a good one, i'll give you a supporting role in this story or your one one-shot.

On with the show!

Chapter Eight-Secrets and Shadows

Danny awoke just as the sun was beginning to rise. He felt hot and was a little confused by the weight on his shoulder. He smiled as he thought back to the night before. Danny realized that he had fallen asleep at Sam's and, sometime during the night, she had put her arm around him.

The Ghost Boy slid out of his girlfriends embrace and stood up to stretch. He looked down at his sleeping friend and smiled again. 'She looks so beautiful. I hope she knows how much I love her.' Danny strode over to Sam's desk and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. He jotted a quick note and signed it with his emblem. After folding it in half and writing 'Sam' on the front, he propped it next to her books so she would read it before she left. He then changed into Danny Phantom and headed home.

As he flew, Danny fidgeted. His boundless energy was back. He didn't even feel tired after only a few hours of sleep. He started doing aerial acrobatics to try and get rid of some of the extra energy. When that didn't work, he flew home fast and began to clean. He cleaned his room, top to bottom, including dusting. He did everything but vacuum because he didn't want to wake anybody.

After he was satisfied with his room, he headed down to his parents' lab. Here he could make a little more noise because it was almost soundproof. He cleaned everything, organized what he could recognize, and changed the Ecto-Filtrator on the Fenton Ghost Portal. He took one final look around, gathered up the trash, and almost flew up the stairs. He took the trash out and happened to peer into the garage on his way back.

After the first (and only) failed garage sale, everything had started to pile up again. Danny knew his mom had been after his dad to clean it for some time, so Danny took it upon himself to finish the task. He organized everything, got rid of anything he couldn't recognize, cleaned up whatever was covered in goo, and even swept the floor. Danny stood back to admire his work, then picked up the trash and took it outside to dump it.

When he got back to his house, Danny could hear people moving around upstairs. He decided to really surprise them and began to make breakfast. Sure, it was only bacon, eggs, and toast, but he never cooked so it would definitely be a change. He finished and was setting the table when both his mom and his sister came into the kitchen.

Needless to say, the two women were stunned. Maddie's first thought was, 'What did he break?' while Jazz was thinking 'I hope this isn't one of Plasmius' clones.' They eyed the meal with a mix of appreciation and suspicion but both sat down at the table anyway. Danny dished out the food, some to his mom, some to his sister, a lot for himself, and the rest for his dad. He dug into his food with a fervor neither woman had ever seen him eat with. The two women shared a look and then turned to their own meals. They ate silently, the comfortable silence broken only by the sound of forks scraping on plates.

Danny finished and stuck his plate in the dishwasher. Maddie raised an eyebrow at her son, but he didn't stop there. With enough food set aside for his dad, Danny did the rest of the dishes, even going so far as to wipe off the stove and the counters. This really got Maddie's attention.

"Danny? What's going on? You didn't break anything, did you?" Maddie took her plate to the sink and rinsed it off, all the while looking at her son.

"What do you mean? Nothing's broken. I just felt like making breakfast. I mean, I have all this energy. I cleaned my room, the lab, the garage, and then I felt like cooking so I did." Danny spoke quickly, his energy making him ramble.

"Wait a minute! You cleaned your room, the lab, and the garage? And still had time to make breakfast? There is definitely something up, Danny!" Maddie's eyes were wide. "Let's go down to the lab and check you out. Maybe you've been infected by a ghost or something."

"Uh, Mom. Maybe Danny's just excited about a new school year. Don't worry. I'm sure it will wear off by the end of the day." Jazz smiled nervously and glanced at Danny, hoping he would take the hint.

Danny shook his head. "No, Jazz. I think Mom is right. You go ahead, and I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes, OK, Mom?"

Maddie smiled and hugged her son. "OK, sweetie. I'll go get things set up." She hurried to the lab to set up her equipment.

As soon as she was out of sight, Danny turned to his sister who had a worried look on her face and was about to say something. He held up a hand to stop her. "Don't, Jazz. She needs to know, and I'm finally going to have a chance to tell her without any interruptions. I've kept this from her and Dad for far too long." Jazz looked down at her feet and then looked up at her brother, a shaky smile on her face.

"Good luck, and remember: No matter what happens, you'll always have me and your friends." She gave her brother a great big hug and ruffled his hair, which earned her a slight glare and a laugh.

"Thanks." Danny took a deep breath and turned to the stairs that led to their lab. "Well, here goes nothing." Danny started down the steps. Only after a couple of steps, he turned to his sister. "Jazz?"

"Yeah?"

"If Dad comes down before Mom and I come back up, keep him busy, will ya? I don't think he's quite ready to know yet."

"Sure thing, little brother."

Danny continued down the stairs into the lab. His mom was busting about, checking dials, measuring liquids, and doing calculations. She turned to her son as he entered and gave him a small smile. She pointed to a chair on the other side of the room. "Why don't you sit down, sweetie, and we'll get started."

"Um…actually, Mom…I need…to talk to you. I think you might want to sit down for this." Danny rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit he had picked up while keeping his other half a secret.

Maddie looked a little confused but she set down the clipboard she had been holding and went over to the chair she had pointed out to Danny. "What is it, Danny?"

"Well, Mom, its-"

"Is this about Sam? Did something happen? She's not pregnant, is she?" Maddie crossed her arms and stared at her son.

Danny gaped at his mom. He started to laugh uncontrollably. "What? How could you…? Oh, man. That is just…too…funny." Danny wiped a few tears from his eyes and chuckled a bit more. "That would be the least of my problems." Danny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No, Mom. This has to do with me." He started pacing.

"Remember about two years ago when you and Dad first plugged in the portal and it didn't work?" Maddie nodded. "Then, later that day, you came back, found the portal on and me unconscious?" Maddie nodded, a little slower this time. "Well, you see, I decided to take a look inside the portal. I thought that maybe I could find something you guys missed. Well, I did find the on switch when I tripped on some cords."

"But you did have the machine unplugged before you went in there, right?" Maddie stood, sounding worried and her hands clenching in fear.

Danny sighed and shook his head. "No. I had forgotten to do that. So I was inside the portal when it turned on. I was thrown out and I hit my head when I landed."

Maddie looked shocked. "But…That much ecto-energy should have killed you! How is it that you're standing there?"

"Well, remember how you started seeing the Ghost Boy 'Inviso-Bill' shortly after that?" Maddie nodded, realization beginning to form. "I hope you don't freak out too much. All I ask is that you don't start shooting." With that, Danny shut his eyes and changed into Danny Phantom. He heard his mom gasp and then he heard a thump. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his mom had sunk to the floor and her mouth was wide open in disbelief.

"Umm…Hi, Mom." Danny gave a little wave and hovered a few inches off the ground. Maddie just let her eyes wander over the Ghost Boy who had, just a moment ago, been her son.

"Mom? Are you gonna say anything or are you just gonna sit there?" Danny crossed his arms and looked at his mom.

Maddie looked at her hands. "Oh. My. God. All this time…I've been hunting my own son." She glared up at her ghostly child. "And you kept this a secret from me for two years? Why?"

Danny changed back and dropped to the ground. "Well, I wasn't sure how you'd react. I mean, let's face it. Your aim is really good." Danny smiled and helped his mom up.

Maddie returned the smile and pulled her son into a hug. "Oh, Danny. I'm so sorry you know I'll always be there for you, no matter what." Maddie held her son at arm's length. "Who else knows?"

"Well, there's Sam and Tucker, since they were in the lab when I turned on the portal. Jazz found out on her own, after I fought a particularly nasty ghost counselor. Most of the ghosts I fight also know. Oh, and Vlad." Danny scowled at the last name.

Maddie stiffened. "How does Vlad Masters know about this?"

Danny cringed. "It's kind of a long story. Long, and very detailed. Besides, I need to get ready for school. How 'bout I tell you when I get home, OK?" Maddie grinned and nodded. Danny gave his mom one last hug and headed up to his room.

Meanwhile at the Stokes household, Adrian was trying to eat breakfast and hold his hands over his ears. He could hear Alex's music alarm blaring and wondered why she hadn't gotten up to turn it off yet. He finally had enough. The redhead put his spoon down, pushed his chair back, and stormed up to his sister's room.

When he opened the door, it was cold enough that he shivered and he could see his breath. He went to Alex's desk and turned off the noise that was her alarm. Adrian strode to his sister's bed and poked the lump that was in the middle of the four-poster bed. "Alex. You gotta get up. You're gonna be late for school." The blankets shifted slowly and Alex's face appeared.

"Wha-?" Alex yawned slowly. She had slept fitfully all night, was really cold, and felt like she was swimming in concrete. "What time is it?"

"It's 7:30." Adrian looked pleased at the look of horror that leapt onto his sister's face.

Alex bolted out of bed and raced to her closet. She started throwing clothes onto her bed and Adrian ducked out of the room to avoid the flying objects.

Alex ran past her brother into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She was still freezing so she turned the hot water till it was nearly scalding. Even though she was hurrying, she still ended up taking a 15-minute shower. While she was drying off, she yelled at her brother through the door, "Why didn't you wake me before now, you little twerp?"

Adrian merely leaned against the wall and examined his fingernails. "I figured you were just enjoying the music. It was up loud enough."

Alex headed back to her bedroom, stopping only long enough to give her brother a withering glare. Adrian ignored her and went back to his breakfast.

Adrian didn't have time to dry her hair. She merely wrung out the excess water and pulled on jeans, a sweatshirt, and her combat boots. She grabbed her books and bookbag and bolted down the stairs.

She sprinted into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. She only had time to grab a bottle of juice and an apple before she slipped her bookbag over her shoulder, and took off for her car, stopping only to grab her keys and phone.

The blonde girl jumped into her car and spun out of the driveway. She nearly tore off the gate as she sped out onto the road. Alex put her foot to the floor while eating with one hand and driving with the other.

Alex arrived at school only a minute before her class was to start. She sprinted down the hallway, reaching the room right as the bell rang. She yanked the door open and ran to her seat, dropping into it just as Mr. Lancer turned around to begin.

Alex was still panting from the workout but managed to smile somewhat when both Sam and Danny gave her a thumbs-up.

The image of Alex sitting in class wavered in the ornate stone bowl. The figure standing over it smiled, an expression which frightened most creatures.

"The transformations have begun, Master." Another being emerged from the shadows. This creature's face could be seen because its hood was down. Long pointed ears were nearly hidden by the enormous mane of black hair. Black eyes glowed with fire and the red skin gleamed in the semi-darkness. When the creature spoke, many pointed teeth appeared and a forked tongue snaked its way through.

"I can see that, Ludo. Well done. It won't be long now. Soon, the Ghost Boy and Demon Girl will be at our mercy. We must strike before they gain control. Has Plasmius returned with an answer yet?' The first shadow blew on the bowl and the image shifted to Vlad Master in his lab.

"No, Master. He said he had to do some more research first." Ludo bowed slightly, waiting for his master's response.

"Damn him. We need his help for this. He knows the Ghost Child's weaknesses. Why does he persist in making us wait?" The shadow clenched one hand tightly and made to lash out.

"Master, I will go and speak to him. Perhaps he has researched enough."

"Very good. And if he still insists on making us wait, kindly remind him of our deal. Now go!" The shadowy figure flung out a hand to indicate that his servant was dismissed.

"Yes, Master." Ludo bowed lower and backed into the shadows.

"In the meantime…" The being blew on the bowl again and the image shifted back to Danny and Alex, the former fidgeting in his seat and the latter sound asleep and drooling slightly. "The show has started and I'm going to enjoy watching this." Sinister laughter rang through the darkness.

Like I said, 'Ludo' isn't very scary. But he's not supposed to be. Leave me a review with your suggestions for bad guy names.