Maddie Fenton surveyed the new training course she had devised for her son. As a little inside joke, she had made every fake ghost look like Vlad. Her grin fell when she checked the clock, "Danny's late. Again."

"Maddie!" Her husband stumbled down the stairs, "Maddie!"

"What, Jack?"

He paused, looking around the lab, "What's with all the pictures of Vlad?"

"He's a ghost. This is Danny's training."

Nodding slowly, he refocused, "Danny, right! That's what I was coming down here for!"

Her eyes widened in panic behind her goggles, "What about Danny? Is he ok?"

"He was kissing that Ember McLain and talking about being in the circus on the news. I didn't know he was in the circus! Or that he broke up with Sam at that."

"Ember McLain? The ghost singer?" Maddie raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you weren't dreaming? You did just eat a peanut butter, banana, and potato chip sandwich."

Jack hesitated, "I'm pretty sure I was awake. Three o'clock is nap time and it's…" He glanced at the clock, "Two fifty-eight! I better get ready!" He turned around and went back upstairs, passing Danny as he went, "Hey, son. You looked good on TV!"

Danny bit his lip, "Uh… Thanks?" He shook his head and continued into the lab, "Hey, Mom."

"You're late." She sighed, "Go ghost, then we'll talk."

"Talk about what?" He did as she said and started to stretch a little, "Is it about the new course you made?"

Maddie nodded, "Yes, though that's not what we need to talk about."

"Ha-ha! The 'ghosts' are Vlad. Nice touch." He smiled at her, "What's today's goal?"

"Two minutes or less." She pointed at the new countdown app added to the wall clock above the ghost portal, her motherly affection turning into trainer bluntness, "And some of the new things will hurt if you don't do something about them."

He gave her a quizzical look, "You're going to hurt me? What did I do?"

"Nothing, and it won't be too bad. No pain, no game." She laughed, "Begin."

Danny immediately dodged a plasmic laser and shot one right back at the cardboard Vlad. He jumped into the air, weaving and phasing through different obstacles and attacks. At one point he found himself surrounded by Vlad replicas, though they wre hardly a challenge. With a powerful yell, Danny soon decapitated all of the mannequins with ease.

"One minute and fifty-nine seconds." Maddie noted the time on their training log, "You cut it kind of close, Danny."

He shrugged, "I still made it."

"Are you all right?" She studied her son, "You seem a bit… Off. Is something wrong?"

"Actually, I needed to talk to you about something…"

Freak Show paced in front of the ghost idol, "All I wanted you to do was advertise, not create a romantic fantasy about your love life!"

"Sorry, sir." Ember watched him calmly, "But it did increase the publicity. Humans around the world are watching us."

He growled, "Yes, but I want to know why you disobeyed my orders and did this… silly act of romance!" The blue crystal shone in front of her eyes, "And I want nothing but the truth, minion."

"Danny Phantom is very attractive." She stared blankly ahead, "The town loves him and he has the kind of presence that one cannot ignore. I acted on instinct, and then gave the people what they wanted." Since she was only answering his direct question, Ember didn't even think about mentioning how much she liked the kiss and how seeing him run after that human had snapped her into a jealous rage.

"Yet, in doing so, he broke away from us! It was your foolishness that lost the very talent we need to acquire. Vlad is not known for his patience."

She nodded, her red eyes glowing with raw determination, "Don't worry. I can bring him back home."

"You better; otherwise it will be you who answers to Vlad. I', sure he could find a place for a pretty ghost like you. Now get out of my sight until you get Phantom back!"

Ember resisted rolling her eyes and flew out of the tent. I can use that human girl as bait, but that wouldn't be as fun as getting him to come on his own free will. Yet, how do I do that? Seduction? Maybe. I could tell he enjoyed the kiss as well. Too bad I have a time limit. The show starts in five hours. Let's get started then…

Maddie looked at her son worriedly, "Talk about what?"

"Well, certain circumstances…" Danny paused, rethinking his words. He wasn't comfortable with telling his mother that he was too weak to protect himself from Freak Show, "Something happened earlier today, and now Sam is concerned. She wanted me to talk to you about getting some kind of protection, and-"

She paled, "Honey, don't you think this is more of your father's domain?"

"Huh?"

Sighing, she sat down on a lab table, "You and Samantha are both still young, too young, in my opinion. But I'm glad that you two want to be smart, and I hope that you are completely sure about taking this next step in your relationship."

Danny nearly choked on the air he was inhaling, "Whoa! Mom, we are not going to have sex! We're seventeen and there are tons of shows that demonstrate what can go wrong!" Super Nanny had scarred him for life, "No, this is completely different!"

"What?" Inside, his mother was jumping for joy. She hated the thought of her baby growing up too fast, "You know you can tell me anything."

Maybe I should just tell her before Mom thinks Sam's pregnant or something. I didn't know how perverted she was. I just got to suck it up. Danny sighed, "Do you remember when that Circus Gothica was in town a few years ago?"

"With the convict ringleader?" She scrunched up her face as she thought for a moment, "Why?"

"He's back as the ringleader of le Cirque du Soleil. Freak Show has this blue crystal and it has the power to control ghosts… I-" He hesitated, "I'm not strong enough to fight against it. I've been affected once already today, but I can't remember what I did. Sam- and I- were wondering if you could help." Maddie was quiet for a few moments, "So you two are not being intimate with one another, but you are being controlled by some freaky crystal?"

"Yep."

Her face broke out into a grin, "All right, let's get started. One: your father should stay away from this. Two: you need to tell the mayor about le Cirque du Soleil. Three: stay away from that place while I get to work. A chain isn't girly, is it?"

Danny groaned, "Why not a wrist band? Or a watch? No jewelry, Mom."

"Oh, fine. I'll just make several different accessories that you can choose from. Now get." She twisted around to grab a pencil, "I've got work to do."