Chapter 6: Acceptance and Denial

Hello, dear readers, I'm back. This story has certainly been an emotional journey for you as it has been for me. On a personal note, I have lost my job and I'm currently seeking psychiatric help for my mental health so your thoughts and prayers would be most appreciated. We are getting near the end of this story, probably around one to two more chapters after this one. Without further ado, I do not own Danny Phantom. R&R and Enjoy.

***Casper High, Mid December***

December in Amity. The leaves have all fallen and the grass has lost its green luster. Yet the town itself still shows some spark of life. Everyone is getting ready for the Christmas season. Decorations are being put up, carols are being sung, and most the residents were in a cheerful mood.

All except one. This person was bundled up tightly in a turtleneck sweater and sweatpants. They were in a particularly foul mood due to the cold they were still infected with and…other reasons. Other reasons normal people wouldn't or couldn't understand.

As they made their way up the stairs and through the doors of Casper High, they were annoyed at the excess attention they were receiving. The crowd parted as though they were a leper. There were no taunts or scathing remarks made but the eyes of the students they passed spoke volumes. Making their way towards the office, they asked for any homework assignments they had missed.

"Ms. Manson. Yes, we collected your homework assignments throughout the week. Are you feeling any better?" The secretary at the front desk asked.

"No." Sam said before dabbing at her nose with a tissue.

"Well, hopefully you will get better soon. It seems like the entire student body was sick at some point or another this week. Still, they managed to overcome their sickness in a day or two."

This caused Sam to raise her eyebrow at this statement but decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

"So, can I have my homework so I can go home?" The Girl in Black asked.

"Oh! Ms. Spectra has your assignments. Said she wanted to personally give them to you and see how you were doing should you stop by." The secretary said before pointing towards her office door. "Just wait outside the door for her. I believe she is counseling a student at the moment."

Sam's eyes narrowed but made her way to the office door all the same. What could Spectra possibly want with her? Tucker's worry that both she and Vlad knew of what they had done to Danny echoed in her mind but she pushed that aside. They were Danny's enemies, not hers. If anything came up, she had her ecto weapons and Johnny.

There was muffled talking on the other side of the door once she reached it. Through the glass, she saw Spectra talking to Danny. Both were close to the door, as if she were walking him to the door but got caught in another conversation. Danny was looking slightly nervous while Spectra gave him a reassuring smile. The misery ghost then embraced the boy. If Sam wasn't surprised by this, she would be even more surprised that Danny returned the hug.

When they finally separated, Spectra saw Sam standing on the other side of the door. She said something to Danny, which led him to turn and look at the girl that had caused him so much pain. He then turned back to the Misery Ghost before nodding his head.

Finally, the door opened and Danny exited. He didn't spare a glance at her as he walked by and out of the office.

"Come in, Ms. Manson." Penelope said, holding the door open.

Turning back, Sam's eyes narrowed at the redhead before walking into the office. Unlike her first attempt at stealing misery at the school, the office was comfortably warm. A couch sat on one side of the office while her desk sat at the back. No pictures adorned the walls but a single bookcase stood off to the side of her desk, filled with various tomes.

Once the door closed, Sam turned to glare at Penelope.

"Ok. Cut the crap. What is going on?" She asked in her best attempt at being intimidating. What ruined it for her was how congested and stuffy she sounded when talking.

To her annoyance, Spectra chuckled at her as she walked around her desk and sat in her chair.

"I don't think I know what you are talking about." The redhead replied, giving the goth a smug grin.

"Bull…" Sam started to say before she sneezed. "…Shit."

"Think what you want, little girl." Spectra smugly retorted. "Even if something was going on, what makes you think I would tell you?"

Sam remained silent yet her look of annoyance remained.

"Why are you here?" She finally asked.

The redhead continued to give the Manson girl a patronizing look, leaving the girl to seethe before finally answering her after a minute of silence.

"So, how goes things between you and Johnny?" Penelope asked.

"None of your business." Sam growled.

"Somebody seems defensive." The redhead said, flashing her white teeth at the girl before continuing.

"For a girl that hates vanity, that is an awfully large amount of make-up you have on your cheeks. And the way you are clutching at your wrists…Are you sure there is nothing wrong?"

"There is NOTHING wrong!" The girl hissed back. "He doesn't…doesn't…"

"Who said anything about Johnny doing anything to you? I was just making some observations." The misery ghost countered.

With that, the redhead pulled out a stack of papers from her desk.

Sam's homework to be precise.

"Now I know you didn't come here for a social call…" Penelope said as she teasingly flashed the papers to the girl. "But I can't help myself from indulging off the misery you give off."

True to her word, a red glow started coming off the ghost.

"Of course I'm miserable! I'm sick as…*ACHOO*…a dog." Sam said through another sneeze.

"Hmmm…why don't we remedy that?" Spectra said before snapping her fingers.

Sam involuntarily let out a gasp before she noticed what appeared to be a mosquito fly out of her body. Immediately, the girl felt better.

"How?" She asked.

"It helps when you have a boyfriend that helps you modify the original ecto-parasites in a way that they become unnoticeable due to their lack of ghostly side effects. Keeping you sick for a week while the rest of the student body was only out for a day of two was just an added bonus." Penelope said as the insect landed on her desk.

"You're trying to make a new body and you needed everyone's DNA again?" Sam probed.

"Well…maybe not everyone." The misery ghost countered before squashing the insect with Sam's homework. "I'm sure I could live without the excess bitchiness and backstabbing you would have given me."

There was a momentary pause before a faint red glow appeared around Spectra again.

"Just as I thought." She mused before tossing the papers to the girl.

"What?" Sam demanded, whipping as much of the dead parasite onto the ghost's desk as she could.

"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head over." Penelope replied, giving the girl a patronizing grin.

"I don't know what you are planning, but if you ever…" Sam started.

"If you are trying to threaten me, little girl, you would have to pose a threat to me to begin with." The misery ghost cut in. "What do you have? A drunken excuse for a ghost, a hormone and greed driven techno wizard, and some toy guns? We have two Halfas, one of which happens to be the Mayor of town with a bottomless bank account, the creators of the peashooters you have, and a family that would like nothing better than to see you suffer."

The corner of the goth's mouth twitched, much to the satisfaction of Penelope.

"Didn't think Danny was so much a coward that he would ask other people to seek his revenge." Sam finally said after a moment's pause.

"Danny doesn't want anything to do with you." Spectra remarked dryly, leading Sam's lips to curl up in a smirk.

"But we aren't doing this because he asked us to…" The misery ghost continued. "We are doing this so that if something else does come up, the person or peoples responsible for harming him will sorely regret it."

It wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

"Well, Ms. Manson, I'm delighted to say that I have more important matters to attend to before the upcoming PTA meeting tonight so I need you to leave my office."

The girl glared at the ghost but slowly got up from her seat nonetheless.

As the door slammed shut, Penelope released a sigh she didn't know she had been holding in. Going to her purse, she pulled out a compact and opened it. She frowned at what she saw. The edges of her lips were beginning to show age lines and her usually vibrant mane of hair was beginning to lose its luster.

Closing the little mirror, lest she continue to find flaws with her aging body, she instead picked up the phone on her desk and called the receptionist, telling her she would be leaving for the night. After that, she picked up her cell and checked for messages. The misery ghost smiled upon seeing the only notification she had.

With that, Spectra packed her things and made her way out of the school. She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw her lover dozing behind the wheel of his BMW. Tapping on the glass, she was rewarded when he jumped slightly in his seat before turning to see her. Shaking her head in amusement, she climbed into the passenger seat before leaning over and pecking him on the cheek.

"Busy day?" The misery ghost asked.

"Very." Vlad Masters replied, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before smiling at her. "How was your day?"

"Good. Danny is doing well. I think I've made some progress with him." Penelope said as she buckled herself in. Then her smile faded slightly. "The Manson girl came back today."

The man snorted in disgust at the mention of the girl as he began the drive back to his mansion.

"What did she want?"

"Her homework from the past week. So I gave it to her, but not without learning some things from her." She said as a smirk graced her face.

"Oh?" Her lover asked.

"Seems as though her love life isn't quite as perfect as she hoped." Spectra chuckled.

Now Vlad had a smirk of his own at this new revelation.

"How bad?"

"Nothing too serious yet. A slap here, a yank on the wrist there, and an earful of yelling. Still, she clings to him because he was the first to give her attention and affection." She mused.

"Well doctor, is it a bad thing that I feel no pity?" Vlad asked, a tone of sarcasm and fake concern in his voice.

"Hmm…" Penelope muttered in amusement. "Not by my diagnosis but if you are still concerned, you might wish to seek another psychiatrist."

Now Vlad was genuinely smiling.

"Would another psychiatrist be as helpful as you?"

The misery ghost chuckled before replying, "I doubt they would be able to help you in all the ways I can."

One of her hands flirtatiously found its way to his upper thigh as she said this.

"As much a pleasure I'm sure a handjob or even road head would be right now, I don't think it would be good for the Mayor to be pulled over for reckless driving because of it." Vlad said in an amused tone, taking the hand on his leg and bringing it to his lips.

It was when he felt her shiver did he look briefly at her hand. He saw her normally flawless skin show signs of age and wrinkles. She must have noticed because she quickly pulled her hand back from his grasp. Upon reaching a stop light did he give her a more thorough look.

"My reserves are running low." Spectra said quietly. "Without a constant influx of misery, my form begins to rapidly age until I revert back to my Shade form."

Her hair now had flecks of grey mixed with her normal red. The age lines on her face were becoming more pronounced. Even her eyes had lost some of their luster.

"You know I wouldn't leave you just because you age." The elder Halfa said in a reassuring tone.

"I know that now." Penelope replied, giving her lover an appreciative smile.

"Besides, we both know you will still be the better looking one despite your aging."

They both laughed at his joke before leaning forward for a kiss…which was quickly interrupted when the car behind them blared their horn.

Vlad noticed that the light had turned green during their chat and quickly gunned the motor.

"You sure road head is the only reason you might be pulled over? From the looks of things, you already have some trouble driving without any distractions from me." The misery ghost said cheekily.

"Hush, you." Vlad said in a half-hearted attempt at annoyance.

***Meanwhile, With Danny***

As Danny entered his home, he was immediately greeted by a hug from Kitty. Danny melted into her warm and welcoming embrace, their cheeks nuzzling together.

"I missed you." Danny whispered in her ear.

"And I you." The green haired ghost replied.

"Danny! I'm glad to see you made it home safely!" Maddie called from the kitchen before making her way to her son.

The mother could tell her child was slightly reluctant to be released from his girlfriend but nevertheless separated from the girl before coming over to embrace her. Though she poured as much of her love as a mother could give in such a simple gesture, she felt it wasn't enough. That it would never be enough to show just how much she loved her son.

"How was your day?" She asked, holding him at arm's length as her right hand absentmindedly ran through his black hair.

"It was fine." He replied absentmindedly, shrugging his shoulder while giving her a soft smile as he said so. Such a smile, so simple yet so beautiful, she thought. To think…to think she might never have seen that smile ever again if certain events had turned out differently.

"I aced my history quiz but got a B on my chem lab." He continued.

"Glad to see you too, Mom. My day was just fine." Jazz spoke up from behind Danny. She had a look of mock hurt and indignation but her tone gave away her amusement at the situation.

Shaking her head in amusement, she released Danny to embrace her eldest child.

"Just so you two know, your father and I will be away at the PTA meeting tonight. There's $20 on the fridge so you can order a pizza or something." The mother said.

"We were thinking about going to the fair that came to town but thanks mom." Danny spoke up.

Maddie released her daughter before turning to look at her son. He was laying down on the couch, his eyes closed but a content smile on his face. His head was resting on Kitty's lap, allowing her to run her fingers through his hair and caress his face.

"Are you sure, Danny? I don't know who all will be there at this fair." The mother said to her son. Though she didn't directly say it, she knew her son understood she was referring to the possibility of Sam and Tucker being there.

Danny opened his eyes and looked over to his mother. With the small smile still on his face, he replied, "I know, Mom. But…I can't hide away from them forever. I want to live my life…even if it means seeing them every once in a while."

Maddie sighed in defeat before nodding her head. She started to head back to the lab before Danny spoke up.

"I love you, Mom." He said.

The mother couldn't help the single tear that fell down her face upon hearing those words.

"I love you too, sweetie. Both of us do." She replied, smiling at her son before heading down to the lab. She saw her husband using a workbench, his back to her.

"Jazz and Danny are home." The redhead said to her husband, trying to get him to turn around.

"Good…Good to hear." Jack Fenton replied, keeping his back to his wife.

"Danny said he did well on his tests." Maddie continued.

"I knew he would. I remember seeing him and his girlfriend studying."

Walking over, Maddie hugged her husband from behind, burring her face into his back.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Jack." She said.

"I can't help it." He replied.

He had been trying his best but he couldn't help the tears from finally escaping his eyes.

"He needs us both, Jack." Maddie said, trying to hold back her own sobs.

"I know." Jack sighed.

"Come on." His wife said. "We have to get ready for the PTA meeting tonight."

The big man sighed but allowed his wife to pull him up the stairs all the same. He took one last look at the Ghost Portal.

To think that his greatest accomplishment had caused so much pain to both his best friend and his son.

***Two Hours Later, Casper High Gymnasium***

"Settle down, everyone! Settle down!" Principle Ishiyama spoke above the din of the congregated parents. Once the crowd had settled, she sat back down in her chair with the other teachers and their surprise guest, the Mayor.

"First, I would like to thank you all for coming. I know that many of you must be exhausted from works but, rest assured, your dedication to your child's education is most appreciated.

There were a few murmurs across the crowd but in was hardly noticeable, allowing the principle to continue.

"Second, I would like to welcome Mayor Masters to our meeting this evening. It was thanks to his generous donation that we were able to install the new security cameras around the school."

There was a round of polite clapping as Vlad stood up and waved the crowd before sitting back down next to Penelope.

"Finally, I would like to note that it seems the outbreak of colds that spread through our student body has finally stopped. We are unsure as to why it affected nearly all the students so rapidly but it seems to have run its course." The principle stated. "I will now open the floor to the parents who may have questions. Please raise your hand if you wish to speak and we will do our best to make sure all your questions are answered."

A big burly man raised his hand. An attendant brought the microphone over and handed it to him as he stood from his seat.

"I got a question about these new cameras. Just what are they for? Why do we even need them now?" The man asked.

"Do you mind if I answer this question, madam principle?" Vlad asked, turning to look at her. Ishiyama nodded her head before Vlad took her offered microphone.

"It is all a part of my new list of programs for the school, Mr…"

"Baxter. Mike Baxter." The man said gruffly.

"Mr. Baxter." The elder Halfa said, nodding his head towards the man before continuing. "I was recently informed of some bullying going on in the school. More than simple school yard insults and locker room gossip. I won't go into more details, seeing as that is not my place nor would it be proper of me to divulge the involved individuals, but I was disgusted by such things occurring. That is why I'm putting money into our school so that such bullying can at least be reduced."

Mr. Baxter didn't seem to like the answer but nodded his head nonetheless and returned the microphone to the attendant.

Another hand shot up, this one female and wearing a white satin glove. Upon revealing herself to be Pamela Manson, a few in the crowd groaned, knowing the woman was about to complain about something insignificant or other.

"I have a question for Ms. Spectra." Mrs. Manson spoke up in a snooty tone. "What is your purpose at school? Why are you back now after being away for almost a year?"

Penelope smiled politely at the woman before replying, "My purpose at the school is to provide counselling to students who need help, ma'am. As to why I was away most of last year after my initial hire, extenuating and personal circumstances arose and I was forced to leave. It was your Mayor that contacted me, asking for me to return once I finished with my personal business."

"Oh really?" Mrs. Manson continued, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow and ignoring the usher that was trying to grab the microphone from her. "What exactly are you to the mayor? An acquaintance? A friend? Something more…intimate?"

Spectra smirked back her. "Mrs. Manson. I don't see how any relations you think the mayor and I have affect how I do my job. I can show you and all the families here my degrees that prove I am qualified to provide psychological help to the children of this school."

"Next person, please." The principle said, trying to move to other parents and avoid a confrontation.

Pamela Manson furrowed her eyebrows at Spectra but handed the microphone over…to her husband.

"Just who exactly are you helping, Ms. Spectra? From what our daughter has told us, the only child in the school that you have been seeing is that Fenton hooligan."

What little whispering there was throughout the crowd was silenced immediately. Most of the parents turned to look over at Jack and Maddie Fenton to gauge their reactions. Maddie was looking calm and collected up at the teachers table. Jack, on the other hand, was opening and closing his fists while his nostrils flared for a few seconds.

"I'm not at liberty to disclose who I'm providing help to due to confidentiality reasons, Mr. Manson." Penelope said, remaining calm and collected. "Besides, I would say the slob who takes your daughter home from school on his motorcycle is more of a hooligan than young Mr. Fenton is."

"Our daughter would never go home with some degenerate on a motorcycle!" Pamela Manson yelled, standing back up and glaring at Spectra. "She has much more self-respect than that."

An audible snort cut through the silence. The Manson parents turned and saw Maddie Fenton holding back her chuckles while smirking.

"What are you laughing at?" Pamela asked.

Maddie continued to smirk teasingly at the woman without replying.

The snooty woman glared at Maddie before a cruel smirk of her own graced her lips.

"At least our daughter has the will to live." Pamela Manson spoke into the microphone her husband held.

The smile ran away from Maddie's face, replaced by a scowl.

"You are out of line, Mrs. Manson!" The principle said through her microphone.

"It's not as though I said a lie. I'm sure most of the students have told their parents that the boy tried to slit his wrists." Pamela continued, throwing all care and caution to the wind. "From what I've seen, our children would be much better off if…"

But the rest of Mrs. Manson's sentence was cut off by a feral shriek as Maddie Fenton flew through the air and tackled Pamela to the ground. The bystanders nearby back away from the one-sided cat fight while Mr. Manson stood off to the side. He turned to see an unconcerned Jack Fenton looking upon the scene in mild interest.

"Call off your wife, Fenton!"

"Why would she listen to me?" Jack asked. "She is the athletic and smart one of the marriage. I'm just the lovably fat and stupid husband."

***Meanwhile, at the Fair***

In the town's park, the fair was in full swing. Bright and colorful lights were flashing all around. The hum of rides being operated was competing with the cheers of the crowd and music playing over the loud speakers. The air was filled with the intoxicating aroma of fried food and cotton candy.

Yes, everyone seemed to be having a good time…including one young man who hadn't felt such enjoyment for nearly a month.

"Danny! You have to try this funnel cake with strawberry syrup!" Kitty begged an amused Danny.

"I don't…" Danny began to say.

"Pwease?" Kitty pushed, giving him her best baby doll eyes.

The black haired boy sighed in exasperation and amusement.

"Fine." He relented.

The green haired ghost grinned triumphantly before feeding him a piece of funnel cake, topped with powdered sugar and strawberry syrup.

"So? How was it?" Kitty asked.

"I was good." Danny said in a mock reluctant tone.

His girlfriend giggled at him, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow.

"You have powdered sugar on your nose." She said.

Before Danny could move to wipe it away, Kitty leaned forward and kissed his nose.

"Got it." She said before the two lovers laughed.

"Somebody's whipped." Jazz teased from behind the two.

The green haired ghost continued laughing while Danny glared at his sister. Once the two had calmed down, they continued walking through the crowd.

Life for Danny Fenton had thankfully taken an upswing. Sure, Dash still stuffed him in lockers and ghosts still haunted the town. But it was a nice return to normalcy, or at least as close to normal as things could get. Nobody, not even the A-Listers, brought up his scars in conversation nor did they pry about his attempted suicide. Yes, there was still tension and uneasiness within the student body and yes, Sam and Johnny continued to try and goad a reaction from him and Kitty.

But Danny, with the help of his new girlfriend, was taking things in stride. He still had days where he felt like complete and utter shit. There were days that some of Sam's comments stung more than they should. Yet Kitty was there for him. She saw him cry the tears he held back in school and heard him say how completely worthless he felt. The green haired ghost wiped the tears from his eyes, held him tight while his body shuddered from his sobbing, and even knocked him upside the head a few times before reassuring him of just how loved and wanted he was.

In return, Danny showed Kitty the love and affection she had wanted in a relationship, not the sexual lust Johnny had shown her. He took her on dates, talked about her life as a human, and learned about her dreams and aspirations. Sure, they had their differences and disagreements like how Kitty forced Danny to watch her cheesy Rom-Coms or how Danny failed to get her to play Borderlands with him. Yet they worked past them and became closer because of them.

After a few minutes of meandering through the crowd, the group of three arrived at the Ferris wheel.

"You two wanna get on?" Danny asked.

"Pass." Jazz said, thinking her brother and his girlfriend deserved some romantic alone time.

"Kitty?" The black haired boy asked.

"I don't think…" The green haired ghost began to say.

"Pwease?" Danny asked in the same tone she had used on him earlier.

"That won't work on me, Danny." Kitty said smugly.

"Maybe not," He shrugged while an amused grin bloomed on his face. "But I know something that will."

Quicker than she could react, Danny's fingers began tickling Kitty's sides. She burst into a fit of giggles, trying to squirm away from him. Unfortunately for her, Danny now had his arms around her, continuing his humorous assault while peppering her face with butterfly kisses.

"Ok…OK!" She managed to get out. Danny stopped his tickling and looked at her, a victorious smile now on his face.

"You're mean." Kitty said teasingly.

"Nu-uh!" Danny replied.

"Yeah-huh!" She countered.

"Would you two just get on the ride already?" Jazz interjected. "Guess you both have each other whipped."

The two lovers stuck their tongues out at the redhead before getting in line. Jazz shook her head in amusement before walking off to the side to wait.

As soon as the two entered their car, the ride began. It was stop and go in the beginning as other cars were filled but soon fell into a slow and steady pace.

"How are you doing?" Kitty asked, moving from her seat to Danny's lap.

"I feel amazing. I honestly can't remember the last time I had this much fun." Danny replied.

Instead of making a joke about the reason being because he didn't have her as a girlfriend, she simply smiled at him and pecked him on his lips.

"I can't tell you how happy I am for you." She replied.

"I…I don't think I could have done any of this without you." He said shyly.

"Shh…" She whispered before wrapping his arms around him. "Don't worry about what could have been. Just stay here with me now."

Danny just buried his head into her neck, nuzzling her cheek. Kitty giggled at his show of affection while running her fingers through his hair.

"I love you." She cooed.

"I love you too." He replied.

"AWWWWW!" A voice interjected, startling the two lovers from their moment.

Two things had happened while they were chatting. The first was that their car was now stopped at the top of the wheel. The second was that Ember McLain was now in the car with them, grinning mischievously at the couple.

"Now kiss!" The rocker continued to tease before making a kissy face at the two.

"You just had to show up now, didn't you?" Kitty sighed, turning to face her friend while remaining in Danny's lap.

"Well, it was either now or show up just after you've had sex. Seeing as how you wanna make dipstick's first time special, I thought you would prefer I show up now." Ember countered cheekily.

Danny blushed at the implication while Kitty simply rolled her eyes.

"So why are you really here?" The green haired girl asked.

The amused look on the rocker's face turned to one of concern.

"I wanted to check up on you two. It's been a while since you've been to the Zone, Kitty. I haven't seen you or Babypop…since…" Ember said before leaving the rest of her statement in the air.

"I'm getting better." Danny said, wrapping his arms around Kitty's middle.

"I'm glad to hear that." The rocker said.

With that, Ember hesitantly took off the glove on her right arm while shifting the armband her left arm up. Danny was surprised to see cut marks on her wrists.

"I know what it's like…to have someone you love reject you for someone else. I couldn't take the emotional pain that he inflicted on me."

Now the rocker was crying, tears sliding down her cheeks before she found her voice again.

"I…I'm so sorry for leaving you on that roof. I just…remembered what happened to me…and…"

Ember couldn't take it anymore before breaking down. Danny was surprised to see one of his enemies crying before him.

Kitty moved off his lap before going to her friend's side and embracing her. Danny moved to her other side before doing the same. It took a few minutes for the rocker to calm down, but once she had, there was a determined look on her face.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, I promise to be there for you." Ember said.

"I appreciate it." Danny replied.

"We both do." Kitty added.

The rocker ghost chuckled in amusement as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"You're lucky you got him first, Kitty." She said, causing the green haired ghost to roll her eyes at her friend.

"You already have a boyfriend. Don't try to steal mine." Kitty replied.

"Barely." Ember countered, causing the trio to laugh at the insult to Skulker.

The car was jostled as it began its final decent.

"See you around, girlfriend. And Babypop, treat her right." Ember said.

"Or else." The lovers replied jokingly.

Now it was Ember's turn to roll her eyes before vanishing in a whirlwind of flames.

When they finally got off, the two found Jazz before continuing through the fair. The evening went on as it had. They enjoyed some more food, joked around, and went on some more rides. It wasn't until they decided to play some games that they were approached by the people they were trying to avoid the entire night.

"Danny, could you win me that white tiger?" Kitty asked as they reached a shooting gallery.

"Step right up! Step right up!" The carny running the booth called out before pointing at Danny. "You there, young man! Come and win your lovely lady a prize!"

Yet as the trio walked over to the booth, somebody rudely bumped into Danny.

"Watch where you're…well, well, well. Look who we got here.

There before them stood Johnny 13, a smug grin on his face. Hanging off his arm was Sam. She didn't seem to be having as much fun at the fair as everyone else but she seemed to take some satisfaction at her boyfriend's insults to Danny.

The black haired boy collected himself, looking at the two people that had caused him so much pain and humiliation before continuing to the booth with Kitty. For her part, the green haired ghost glared at her ex and Sam before leaning in and pecking Danny on the cheek.

"Your standards must have really dropped if you're shacking up with that loser, Kitty." Johnny called as they kept walking.

Danny glanced over at Kitty and was amused to see her roll her eyes at the petty insult.

"How much further could standards be dropped when compared to him?" Jazz whispered to the two, causing them to laugh.

"We have a player!" The carny said as Danny and company approached. "Rules are simple, young man. Shoot the targets, win a prize. Different targets land you different prizes."

After handing over a dollar to play, Danny took the air rifle and set his sights on the various targets. Lucky for him, his ghost fighting skills were extremely helpful in winning him the game.

"We have a winner!" The man said, pulling the stuffed white tiger Danny won off the shelf and handing it to Danny. Danny then gave the plush to his girlfriend, earning him a kiss on the lips.

"Out of the way!" Johnny said, shoving the couple to the side as he placed his money on the counter. "Anybody can beat this game."

The carny raised an eyebrow at Johnny's actions but handed him an air rifle nonetheless. Johnny was a decent shot but several of his shots went wild.

"The hell? You gave him a fixed gun." Sam accused the carny as Johnny continued to miss.

"I don't take too kindly to insults, little lady. My games are clean as a whistle. Your boyfriend is just a lousy shot." The man replied before snatching the gun out of Johnny's hand and shooing them away.

The biker was pissed at his rotten luck while Sam was annoyed that Danny was able to best her boyfriend in the shooting gallery. She glanced over at the trio as they walked away victorious while she and Johnny were left to sulk.

"How can you be so happy?" The goth girl called out, making her way to her former friend. "How can you just move on like that after everything? Why aren't you miserable when you don't have me?"

Danny stopped. He briefly looked over at Sam before turning to look at Kitty. His blank look brightened slightly before the two lovers continued walking. Sam became even more flustered when she saw Johnny's former bitch pinch Danny's behind. The boy jumped slightly at the gesture before they both laughed it off and pecked each other on the lips.

Not wanting to be ignored, Sam tried to follow them before she was stopped by Jazz.

"Have you ever thought that maybe my brother might be able to find happiness with someone other than you? That he might be able to move on after the horrible things you have done to him?" The redhead asked while glaring daggers at the goth.

Sam appeared to contemplate Jazz's questions for a moment before angrily retorting. "He shouldn't be happy! He can't move on from me! He was so stupid for not realizing my feelings for him. Now that I've moved on to someone else, he has to suffer now that he can't have me!"

Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"He can't move on from you? Or is it that you can't move on from him?"

"I don't know what you are…" Sam tried to say before the redhead cut her off.

"Life with Johnny isn't all you figured it would be, I'm guessing?" The elder Fenton sibling continued, a small smirk playing at the edge of her lips. "Are you really fine having to share him with other girls he brings over or do you just tolerate it so he won't leave you? Is he really showing you the love and affection you were hoping for or is that only when you are putting out for him? Do you even like Johnny or were you just using him to get some payback on Danny for a little while before finally taking him back?"

That shut the goth up. Whether any of her observations struck true, Jazz neither knew nor cared. What she did know was that she had now planted some seeds of doubt in Sam's mind.

"Now I'm only going to say this once. Leave my brother and his girlfriend alone. Let them be happy together. In return, we promise to leave you and your boyfriend alone to…whatever you have going on." The redhead said, a smug smile now on her face while Sam glared daggers at her.

"And if we don't?" The goth countered.

"You'll never see Johnny or his shadow again." Jazz said ominously. "As for you…we'll find a way to break you. Maybe not your body but possibly your will and spirit."

With that, the elder Fenton sibling turned away to catch up with her brother and his lover.

Sam was fuming over the talking down she had received. Of course she and Johnny were happy. She was…tolerant…of the other women. Johnny…liked her. They were…

The goth growled aloud. Damn Jazz and her mind games! She was making her doubt her relationship with Johnny.

Turning around she walked over to her boyfriend who was flirting with a busty brunette…again…for the third time that night. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him away from the bimbo, behind a tent.

"What the hell was that?" The biker demanded, wrenching his arm from the goth's grip before roughly grabbing her chin with one hand. "I was trying to bring over company tonight and you blew it for me!"

"Why do we need company tonight? You have me! YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

Johnny shoved her to the ground before replying. "I've told you this several times! I need variety. You won't let me do all the positions and shit I want so that's why I get other girls that will."

Sam took a deep breath before letting it out slowly and standing up.

"Look, we're both a little mad and there is one person to blame for that."

"The carny?" Johnny asked.

"No! Danny! I want him to be miserable but he's all lovey dovey with Kitty now. Her and her stupid kisses and butt pinches…"

"What did she do?" The biker interjected, raising his eyebrow at Sam's statement.

"She pinched his ass. Why does that matter?"

A cruel and knowing smirk bloomed on Johnny's face.

"I got an idea."

***1 Hour Later, At Fenton Works***

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Danny said as the trio entered the house.

"Ok. I'll make some popcorn so we can watch some movies." Jazz replied as her brother walked up the stairs while Kitty remained in the living room with her.

"Ummm…Jazz. Can I ask you something?" The green haired ghost asked, clutching her white tiger close to her chest.

"Sure. What's up?" The redhead asked as she took out some popcorn and put it in the microwave.

"I…I was…" She tried to say before sighing in exasperation before chuckling in amusement.

"Why is this so hard to say?" Kitty asked aloud.

It was then Jazz realized what her brother's girlfriend was trying to say before she too started to laugh.

"You know I'm just the older sister and not our mother, right?" The redhead asked.

"Yeah, but you are still his family and you will be in the house." The biker girl replied.

"I'll just turn the sound up and hope you two are done by the time I go to bed." Jazz said.

The two laughed for a moment before Kitty spoke again.

"He loves you very much." The elder Fenton sibling said.

"I know. I wish I had words to tell you how much I love him." Kitty replied.

The microwave beeped, indicating that the popcorn was finished. Jazz took it out and poured it into a bowl before offering some to the green haired ghost.

"So, am I supposed to say something now? Have fun? Go get em, tiger?" Jazz asked.

The two burst into giggles once again, this time taking a minute to recover.

"I'll see you in the morning, Jazz." Kitty said before heading up to Danny's room.

"I don't know!" The redhead called up in a sing song voice.

While this was going on, Danny was washing himself while thinking over his encounter with Sam. He had a feeling he might bump into her while at the fair but he was thankful that it didn't turn out as bad as it could have been. To be honest, he was actually proud to have bested Johnny at the shooting gallery. Going with that, he did find it funny the insults his sister gave to Sam and her new boyfriend. Was this the most mature thing for him to take pride in and enjoy? Probably not. Yet, when was he ever the mature one in the family?

Chuckling to himself, Danny rinsed himself before shutting off the water. He dried his hair and upper body before wrapping the towel around his waist and walking back into his bedroom. What he saw caused him to stop and stare.

There before him stood Kitty, completely naked and smiling shyly at him. Danny couldn't help but marvel at her petite body. Her pale green skin was flawless. His eyes momentarily paused on her perky breasts, noticing her nipples were a less pale green and were erect. He didn't care what Johnny said, Kitty's chest was perfect the way it was. He traveled down her stomach before again stopping to look at her sex. While she did trim for her bikini line a tuft of curly green hair sat above her vagina.

He realized he was staring and turned his head away in embarrassment while his cheeks turned scarlet.

Kitty giggled at her boyfriend. She was delighted to gain such a reaction from him. Slowly walking towards him, she gently turned his head so he was facing her. She could see the surprise still in his eyes along with a questioning look.

"I'm ready for you." She replied to the unanswered question, caressing his cheek and giving him a reassuring look.

"I've…I've never done this before." The black haired boy replied meekly.

"Don't worry. I'll show you." The green haired ghost replied.

Taking his hand, she led him to the bed. Danny was so focused on her that he didn't notice the towel around his waist had fallen. Once they had both crawled onto the bed, Kitty leaned forward and planted a passionate kiss on Danny's lips. The boy lost himself in the kiss, enjoying the dance between their tongues, savoring the little nips Kitty gave to his lips, and returning them with nips of his own.

They separated after a moment of making out before the biker girl took his right hand and gently put it on her left breast. The boy flinched slightly upon touching her soft flesh but was reassured by his lover that he could continue. Hid fingers glided over the small mound of her breast before he began to play with her nipple. He must have been doing something right once Kitty began to moan. His unoccupied hand went to her other breast and began to do the same.

Danny was so preoccupied with what he was doing that he didn't notice the green haired ghost's hand reach over and wrap around his growing penis. The boy moaned as she continued to stroke him until he was at his full length of six inches.

"Lie down." She whispered in his ear. Danny complied and watched as his girlfriend straddled him, her dripping pussy hovering over his cock. She slowly sheathed him into her, both of them moaning in satisfaction once he was fully inside her. She leaned forward to kiss Danny before she slowly began to rock back and forth. She kept her pace slow and steady so they could both reach their climax.

Their lips separated for a moment, allowing Danny to shift his mouth to her breast.

"Oh God, yes!" Kitty cooed as her boyfriend began to suckle on her nipple. He remained there for a moment before showing her other breast the same attention.

Both lovers were lost in the beauty of their love making, their hands roaming each other's bodies and learning what pleasured the other.

The moment finally came when their climax was fast approaching.

"Kitty! I'm gonna cum!" Danny moaned.

"Me too, Danny" She replied.

Seconds later, they came. Both Danny and Kitty basked in the high of their climax as the black haired boy filled his green haired girlfriend's womb with his seed. They panted for a few moments before Kitty gently collapsed onto Danny's chest. She listened as the rapid beating of his heart began to slow while her lover gently wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, Kitty." He whispered to her.

"I love you too, Danny" Kitty cooed back.

***Back at Casper High***

"If this is what all PTA meetings turn into, I think I'll be looking forward to the next." Penelope mused as the parents slowly exited the gymnasium.

"I doubt it." Vlad replied in an amused tone. "I think Mrs. Manson has learned her lesson."

Speaking of which, they both watched as the woman in question and her husband walked out. She was sporting a brand new black eye, a busted lip, and ruby red handprints on her cheeks. The two glared at Vlad and Penelope while they returned their looks with smug smirks of their own.

"So…" Maddie Fenton spoke up as she and Jack made their way towards their former friend and the misery ghost. "I get the feeling she won't be changing her mind about our family anytime soon."

Maddie had come out of the catfight relatively unscathed with only a few minor scratches on her HAZMAT suit.

"Probably not." Spectra replied. "But we did plant in their minds that their daughter might be seeing someone behind their backs. With any hope, they will catch the two and punish her."

She glanced over at Vlad and noticed he had walked a few feet away, refusing to look at his former friends.

"What happens now?" Jack asked.

"Life goes on." The misery ghost shrugged. "How are things at home?"

"Fine…" Maddie sighed.

"It's still bothering you, isn't it." Penelope said.

"Yeah." She replied while her husband nodded.

"Just give him time. He's recovering and learning to open up. Keep letting him know you are there for him and he'll come around."

Maddie nodded her head before silently indicating Vlad.

The misery ghost shook her head no as an answer to the unasked question. Both the Fenton's sighed at this response but understood.

"What was the deal with the flu that hit the school? And why did you ask for blood samples from Danny and Jazz?" Jack asked.

Penelope chuckled before responding. "Remember that little outbreak of Ghost Flu that infected the school?"

"That was you?" Maddie asked.

Spectra nodded.

"Not one of my most subtle plans. The basic idea was that I compile the desirable traits and strengths from all the students in the school so I can make a perfect body for myself. One that would not rely on me constantly absorbing misery. The plan failed, as your son would tell you, but the idea was a sound one. So, I had Vlad help me modify the parasites to that they would only be seen as a normal flu so we could avoid another panic."

The misery ghost did a little twirl for the Fentons before turning back to them with her hands on her hips.

"As you can see, the results speak for themselves."

"Although," She added as an afterthought. "Vlad has yet to do a more…thorough examination."

She strutted over to her lover before saying in a stage whisper. "Maybe we should go do that."

The elder Halfa chuckled at the insinuation and the little nibble she gave his earlobe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Maddie roll her eyes while Jack was finding interest in his shoes. His mouth curled into a smirk before wrapping his arm around Penelope's waist and walking towards the gymnasium exit.

But just as he was halfway between the door and the Fenton's, Vlad stopped. The smile slowly vanished from his faces as he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of car keys. Penelope saw his pause and noticed that the keys he pulled out were the keys to his El Camino, the car that was still parked outside the Fenton's house. She looked into his face and saw he was in deep contemplation.

He seemed to make up his mind as his arm left her waist and he started walking back to Maddie. For her part, she seemed surprised that he was approaching her. He stopped once he was an arm's length away from her. Vlad stared at her for a moment, neither maliciously nor friendly.

Finally, he held out the keys to her.

"For Danny." He said.

She took the keys but gave her former friend a questioning look.

"It's been sitting in front of your house for half a month…and I think it's about time I let it go."

"I don't…" Maddie started to say.

"I'll send over the paperwork sometime this weekend." He cut her off. "Just promise me one thing."

"Sure. Anything." She replied.

"He does not touch the car." The elder Halfa said, pointing to Jack.

"Really, Vlad. That was…." Maddie chuckled.

"He does not…touch…the car." Vlad growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Ok. He'll only ride passenger." She said nervously.

"No!" Vlad said, raising his voice ever so slightly, causing Maddie to take a step back. "He…DOES NOT…TOUCH…THE CAR!"

Maddie sighed, knowing her former friend wouldn't budge on the issue.

"Ok. He won't touch the car…Right Jack?"

The big man nodded his head in acceptance.

Satisfied, Vlad turned around and made his way back to Penelope.

"Vlad!" Maddie called out.

The elder Halfa stopped but did not turn around.

"We're sorry…Jack and I."

There was a moment of silence before Vlad spoke up.

"What's done is done. Nothing can change that. Things will never be as they were."

"But can we try again? Start our friendship from scratch?" She pressed.

Another pause, this one more tense than the last.

"Maybe." Vlad finally replied before walking away.

Maddie let out a sigh of relief, watching her former friend and his new lover walk out of the gymnasium.

'It was a start.' She thought.

With that, she and Jack followed their lead and exited the gym and made their way to the Fenton Assault Vehicle. The ride was silent, neither one wanting to discuss the PTA meeting nor the talk with Vlad. Both parents had much weighing on their hearts regarding their son and their former friend.

Entering the house, they were surprised by how loud the sound was on the living room TV.

You want answers?

I want the truth!

YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Maddie grabbed the remote and turned the sound down.

"Gotta be careful with the sound, Jazzy Pants. You could go deaf with it being that loud." Jack chuckled.

"Well…it was either have the sound on high or…" The elder Fenton sibling started to say.

"Oh, Danny! Oh, Danny!" Came the muffled voice of Kitty from upstairs.

This caused both parents to immediately look at Jazz for answers.

"Listen to Danny and Kitty having sex for the last hour." She finished before taking a bite of popcorn.

"Oh dear God." Maddie groaned, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So how was the meeting?" Jazz asked as she continued to watch her movie.

"Don't change the subject, young lady! We are not over the fact that your little brother is having sex under our roof!" Her mother countered, her hands now on her hips.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, mom." The elder Fenton sibling said. "They've been dating for a while and Kitty wanted to take things further. Even if I wanted to stop her, she doesn't have to listen to me."

Maddie opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with a reply before sighing in defeat.

"We're going to bed." She said before grabbing her husband's hand and dragging him up the stairs. Maddie did her best to ignore the moans of pleasure coming from her son's room while also ignoring the urge to kick down the door and put an end to it. Once in the room, she shut the door and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"You don't have anything to say about our son having sex?" Maddie asked turning to her husband.

"What can I say?" Jack said, a small hint of pride in his voice. "Us Fenton boys really know how to pick em."

With that, he gently wrapped his arms around his wife before pecking her on the lips.

Maddie tried to look annoyed but couldn't help the look of amusement from winning.

"Come on, Mr. Macho Man. Time for bed." She said.

They stripped down to their bedclothes before settling in for the night.

***Meanwhile…***

At his desk, Tucker Foley flipped through a digital photo album on his computer. He didn't take many pictures but those that he did were special to him. First day of high school…with Danny and Sam. The first ghost attacks…with Danny and Sam. Eating at the Nasty Burger…with Danny and…

Tuck snapped his laptop shut. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed at his eyes, trying to tell himself that he was rubbing at a piece of dust in them and not wiping away the tears that were threatening to fall.

Why…Why had he sold out his best friend? The money he used to crave and covet now sat in his bank account. The latest technology he desired now lay unopened and untouched by his computer. What good was this stuff when he had nobody to enjoy it with?

"Hey nerd. We got a job for you." The voice of Johnny 13 spoke up, breaking the geek from his thought. Turning in his chair, he saw the biker ghost and Sam standing in his room.

"What do you want?" Tuck asked.

"We want you to edit the video on my camcorder and play it over the school's TV network during Monday's announcements." Sam said, handing him the camera and a stack of money marked for $10,000.

The geek gulped at the amount. He had a vague idea what might be on the memory card but wanted to get some confirmation first.

"What exactly am I editing?" Tuck asked.

This threw the two for a loop. Every time they had come to Tucker with a job and had given him the money, he had done what they had asked with no questions. Why was he getting cold feet?

"We snuck into Phantom's house and recorded him having sex with Kitty. Thought we would humiliate him and possibly get him expelled once the whole school sees." Johnny said. "Should be the last video on there so just ignore everything else on the memory card."

The geek drummed his fingers on his desk, contemplating what he should do.

"Is that a yes, Tucker?" Sam asked impatiently.

"I…I don't…"

"Listen, nerd!" The biker said, getting impatient and grabbing the black nerd by his shirt collar. "You either do as we ask or me and shadow will beat you until you agree to do it."

Tucker was frightened. Sure, Johnny had been rude to him every so often but never violent.

"Uh Sam? Little help?" He asked the goth girl.

She just looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you going to do it Tuck?"

"Are you seriously going to let your boyfriend beat me up over another stupid prank you want to pull on Danny?" The geek countered.

"What is with you, Tucker? Why the sudden attitude change?" Sam demanded. "You think Danny will take you back by just telling him you are sorry? News flash! You are just as guilty as we are! There is no redemption for you! We are the only friends you have left! Now do this for us!"

The geek was shocked by his friend's statement. The one person he thought would stick up for him had just sided with the guy that was threatening to beat him to a pulp. Tucker closed his eyes, willing the new tears back.

"Fine. I'll do it." He relented.

"Good." Johnny said, tossing Tucker back in his chair. "Glad you saw things our way."

With that, the biker grabbed Sam by the wrist and flew off with her out of his room.

Once he was alone, Tucker wept.

How did he let this happen?

What was he going to do?

Most importantly, what could he do to make things up to Danny?