Chapter 16: Distances

Danny has spent the rest of the week away from the T-portal. He's trying to move on and forget the charming alien girl. He barely talks about it with his friends or his sister. They know of it, but that's it. He's not exactly sure how to describe his time with Starfire, let alone how he feels for her. As he heads to class, he does his best to get his mind off her. It's easier said than done.

"Star! Fire!"

This caught Danny's attention. Looking back, where the sound came from, he saw Star, a pretty but unpleasant girl, holding a paper volcano that's on fire. The person who yelled was her partner, Paulina.

"How did this thing catch fire?! It's supposed to shoot tomato sauce!" Star yelled.

"I don't know! I'm not a science geek! It's the one time not being one is a bad thing!" Paulina shouted back.

This does make Danny give a small laugh before he goes on heading to class.

"Kory!"

This makes him stop in his tracks. He looks ahead to see two female classmates, Mia and Hannah, talking. What they say next makes Danny realize they said a word that just sounds like what he thought.

"Corey asked you out?!" The girl named Hannah asked. "That awesome."

"I know!" Mia responded.

Danny shakes his head and keeps going, trying to get her off his mind.

Starfire questioned why Phantom said he can't see her again. It's been days and she's sad but understands he must have some reason for not seeing her again. After days, she's not influenced by Danny's presence anymore, allowing her to not be so emotional anymore. Even then, her mind would drift to concern for him.

She ate her breakfast when the alarm went off.

"Titans! It's Gizmo!" Robin shouted.

Starfire finished her pancakes fast as she follows them.

On their way, Starfire would fly past the alley she realizes was the same one she first spoke to Phantom. This causes her a moment to slow down before shaking her head and resumed going to where Gizmo causes a catastrophe. She stopped when she saw it was the boardwalk where her first date with Phantom ended.

She saw the little villain on his spider-leg backpack firing a laser from a gun he held in his hand, destroying several attractions. This does not make her happy.

"Titans!" Gizmo shouted. "You snot munchers aren't getting in the way of my fun today!"

The Titans make their attack. Cyborg shoots one of the spider legs, Raven uses her power to remove another, Beast Boy goes gorilla and grabs the other remaining two and Robin kicks the gun out of Gizmo's hand. Starfire grabs it and smashes it before speaking to Gizmo in a scolding manner.

"You are a bad child! You will not be getting your toy back!"

Gizmo just mutters insultingly under his breath.

As he does this, Starfire looks to the Ferris wheel. She ignores him and stares. She looks at the very top carriage, where she recalls having Phantom in her arms.

"Starfire?"

Robin asks. Starfire realizes that Gizmo is now in cuffs and being escorted by the other Titans. She's been standing in place for a minute.

"Y-Yes, Robin?"

"Are you alright?" He asks concerned.

"I… believe so." Starfire says, though more to convince herself than Robin.

As Robin walks away, Starfire takes one more look at the wheel before following him.

"And that's when I told her I can't see her anymore."

After school, Danny told his friends and sister about more on Starfire. At Nasty Burger, Dany kept the tone as quiet as possible. He's even told them about Blackfire and Val-Yor.

"Wow… what a jerk." Sam said in regard to Val-Yor.

"Yeah. She saves his life and he's still a bigot?" Tucker asks in a disgusted tone.

"How could her own sister do that to her?" Jazz asks in regard to Blackfire.

Danny remains quiet. He's left out calling Starfire by her real name, or kissing her willingly. Not to mention, he doesn't say a word about his feelings for her.

"So…" Sam says. "You're not going back?"

"Can't." Danny says. "If she knew I wasn't an alien like her, it'd break her heart."

"Well… I think it's a bad move, but I respect your decision to avoid hurting her." Jazz says.

"So… does she have any superheroine friends?" Tucker smiles.

Sam slaps him in the back of his head.

"He just said he can't go see her anymore." She says. "He's keeping distance between him and her!"

"Yeah…" Danny says. "I… have to get a refill." He takes his cup and goes to get his drink.

As he reaches and places his cup where he gets his drink of choice, he thinks of what Sam said. Distance. He thinks of how he's universes away from her on the Earth she's on right now.

Wait.

It hits him.

She's an alien in that universe… if there's an Earth on that universe… maybe her world exists in this one!

A smile forms on his face.

Maybe she's here too.

"Hey, Fenton?" Danny snaps out of it when he notices Star, the pretty but mean girl standing next to him, looking at him with mild concern. "I think your cup is full."

Danny notices his cup is overflowing and pulls it out.

Starfire spent that night looking out at the sky. The stars were beautiful, but she really wanted to get her mind of him.

She found someone joining her.

"Starfire?" The voice of Raven calls out.

Starfire, sitting on the side of the tower, turns to see her friend. Starfire puts on a smile.

"Hello, Raven."

With her hood down, Raven walks to Starfire before sitting down to her right.

"Still thinking of that boy?"

Starfire's smile drops as she looks down.

"Indeed… it is strange. Whenever I am around him, I am unable to stop thinking of showering him with the actions of affection. At first, when we are not together, I was able to think straight. Now, I do not seem capable of stopping." She says, worried.

"It's called a crush." Raven says flatly.

"And yet he would either be afraid to show affection or be very affectionate."

"Typical boy crush…" Raven says flatly again.

"When we last saw each other, he says he cannot see me again. He says he wishes to tell me, but cannot." Starfire says worryingly.

Raven's flat look is replaced with one of sympathy.

"Why do you think he'd do that?"

"I do not know… perhaps a fear of the commitment of the boyfriend and girlfriend?" Starfire suggests. "Or maybe there is another female who he has the attraction towards?"

"What do you think you should do?" Raven asks.

"I do not know…" Starfire says. "I would like to see him again to know why."

Raven thought about it. She remembered something.

"You know… last night, when we saw you on the rooftop… I felt a presence."

Starfire looks back to her and smiles.

"Was it Phantom?"

"I… don't know." Raven admits. "I felt someone looking at us from above. I didn't actually see him, but I could feel a presence. However, I didn't sense anything to imply it was a threat." She looks up. "Maybe it was looking for him? Anyway, I bring this because I was wondering… did you ever see anything around that implies it was a threat?"

"I have not."

"I see." Raven looks back to her alien friend. "Maybe I can help you find him?"

Starfire smiles.

"You can?"

"It's just going to take a while… but you have to find out why, whenever it comes to him, I keep sensing this odd energy and that presence last night. Ever since that morning after you met him, I sense this odd energy coming from that portal."

"I will!" Starfire says as she hugs her friend tightly. "I thank you, Raven!"

"Okay… please let go."

That night, Danny does some star gazing. He wonders if his universe has a Tamaran, with a pretty alien girl named Kory, or Starfire. He's alone, so he's free to think out loud.

"I wonder if she's out there in this universe…"

His ghost sense goes off.

"Not likely."

A familiar voice says that catches his attention. Danny turns quickly to see the master of time in his old man form. He also notices he's wearing a time medallion around his neck, likely given to him by the ghost.

"Clockwork?" He asks. "What are you doing here?"

"Informing you that your plan isn't going to work."

"Plan?" Danny shakes his head and gives a fake smile. "What plan?"

"To see if your girlfriend has a doppelganger in this universe." He says.

"She's not my-"

"While it's possible there's a parallel version of you in different universes… this is not that case. The two universes in this example are the equivalent of two separate cities." He holds up his two hands, with the trigger finger lifted on each one. "Imagine my hands are two different universes. Imagine my fingers are parallel versions of the same people. You're thinking the universes may have versions the same person. It's more like this." His left finger lowers, his thumb sticks out instead. "It's more like the universes have their own different people living inside them. There's a chance her world may have a counterpart in this universe, but it's unlikely there's a Starfire in this universe."

"Are… you sure?" Danny asks, sounding hopeful the ghost of time is wrong.

"Positive… besides, even if I'm wrong, and you know I'm not, it wouldn't be the same girl… just someone who looks like her."

Danny becomes saddened to hear this.

"I see." Danny takes his telescope and starts putting it away.

"I understand you may miss her more than you care to admit… but trust me when I tell you that you won't be upset for long."

This caught Danny's attention and looks up.

"What do you mean?" Danny notices Clockwork is gone. He groans. "Really?" Danny takes the medallion off, figuring Clockwork will just take it back. He resumes putting his telescope away.

He thinks of the distance of him and this alien girl again, and how it makes him upset.

"Do I really like her that much?"

"Thank you, Raven!" Starfire says as the two girls reach the caped one's room.

"Just promise me you'll find out why when you're not trying to cuddle with him…" She says as she goes through her door.

"How will this spell work?" Starfire asks.

"It's going to take a few things… so you'll find out either tomorrow night or the morning after." Raven looks over her shoulder. "Starfire?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like this boy that much?"

"I… believe I do." Starfire says with a smile.

Raven sighs. "Then promise me you'll be patient for now."

"I will!" Starfire says before her friend returns to her room.

Grinning, Starfire flies to her room. There, just spent a good deal of time flying back and forth with a small squeal of joy.

I will see him soon!

"Glorious!" She says as she notices Silkie on her bed. She picks the little one up and holds him in her hands as she spins around. "Silkie! I will see Phantom soon. The distance between us shall be shortened and I will find him! I will show him I have no issues with whatever the problems he hides are, he has no need to fear as we will be together soon!"

She's going the distance! She's going for speed!

But now, she's coming back to his universe. She's going to be looking for him. How will things go?

Also, sorry for the long wait. Had other stuff, like my other fanfiction.