Chapter 2: Ember and her Teen Spirit

Back again! I am currently having a bit of writer's block with my other stories so I thought I would start the second chapter for my rewrite. I am pleased to see how many people enjoyed the first chapter. Hopefully I can keep the ball rolling. Just another friendly reminder, I have a new poll on my page for some new story ideas. Feel free to vote on which I should take on next. I do not own Danny Phantom or 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana. R&R and Enjoy!

***4PM, Fenton Works***

As Danny entered through the front door, he was greeted by the sound of machinery emanating from the basement lab. He shook his head in amusement. Diligent as ever, his parents were. Then he sighed. It would be nice if they would pay a little more attention to their living children rather than the dead they wish to study and eliminate.

Shrugging his shoulders at his musings, he climbed the stairs to his bedroom. Maybe it could turn out to be a good thing. They hadn't figured out his secret identity, they wouldn't know he was going out tonight, nor would they know he had a crush on one of the ghosts they were so desperate to capture.

Chuckling, he entered his room, gently set his new guitar on the floor, then collapsed onto his bed.

"What a day." Danny said to nobody in particular. On the surface, he had a fairly normal day in regards to school and ghost fighting. Digging deeper, however, his day was extraordinary. He had been invited to an awesome party where some of the greatest legends of rock would be playing by the girl he secretly had a crush on. Oh yes. Tonight would be an amazing night for him.

Just then, his phone vibrated, signifying that he had an incoming call. Checking the caller ID, he saw that it was Tucker.

"Hey Tuck. What's up?" Danny asked.

"Dude, where did you go? We haven't seen you since you picked up another ghost."

"Yeah." Danny said apologetically. He had completely forgotten about his friends once he sensed Ember. "My bad."

"Hey, as long as you dealt with the problem, you'll hear no complaints from me. Sam, however, might be a different story."

The black haired teen groaned.

"Is she in the 'sulk until things go my way' mood?"

"Worse." Tucker said. "She is in the 'I'll do anything humanly possible to get my way' mood."

Danny sighed before sitting up. "At the risk of sounding like an idiot, what exactly is she trying to do and does it pertain to me?"

"She is miffed that you didn't return her feelings, that you bailed on us to fight a ghost, that you didn't return to us after fighting said ghost, and that you didn't tell her exactly who you are interested in." Tucker listed off.

"The first one she will hopefully get over. At least I was honest with her and didn't beat around the bush. I'll admit, the next two are my fault. I was...preoccupied with the ghost and forgot to meet up with you two afterwards. As for the last one...I'm not sure she would have liked my answer if I had given it to her. You know how jealous she was when I dated Val and a possessed Paulina."

"I understand about the ghost fighting and I'm sure Sam will get over that as well. The other two, I'm not so certain." Tucker said. "Hopefully you'll be able to clear all that up when you come over tonight. We are watching movies in Sam's home theater."

"Actually, Tuck, I can't."

"Why not? You said you didn't have anything going on tonight and I thought you would enjoy a movie night with us." Tuck said, his disappointment audible through the phone.

"I know but something came up." Danny said, hoping he would drop the subject.

"What would that be?" he replied, a mischievous tone now evident.

"Promise you won't tell?" Danny asked.

"My lips are sealed."

Sighing, Danny said, "I'm going to a concert with the girl I'm interested in."

"I see why you wouldn't want people, i.e. Sam, to know that. How come I didn't hear about this concert and who is this mystery girl?"

"The concert is invite only and only those that were invited know about it." Danny said. This was true. He had not known about this concert until Ember had invited him. "As for the girl...I want to see how this date goes before I tell you and Sam."

"Fair enough." Tucker said. "Hope your night goes well and I'll try to keep Sam off your back."

"I appreciate it." Danny replied before hanging up.

"So what concert are you going to, Danny?" A voice spoke up next to him.

Danny jumped in surprise before landing on the floor in a heap. Looking up with a frown, he saw Jazz giggling at his reaction.

"Ha ha. Hilarious." Danny sarcastically remarked before sitting standing up to face his sister. "When did you get in?"

A couple of minutes ago." The eldest Fenton sibling answered. "I heard you talking so I thought I would check up on you. So, what concert are you going to and where did you get the guitar?"

Danny looked at the guitar case and saw that it was open. Then he noticed Jazz clutching his ticket in her hand.

"You went through my stuff?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"That's what all big sisters do." She replied cheekily.

Danny groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before answering.

"Fine. If you must know I was invited to a concert called Dawn of the Dead Rock Stars."

"Would the person that invited you happen to be a ghostly girl with flaming blue hair?" His sister teased.

All Danny could do was blush, giving Jazz all the answer she needed.

"Awww." Jazz said, bringing Danny into a hug. "My brother is going on a date with his crush."

"I guess I am." he replied, smiling a bit at the prospect.

"So where does the guitar come in?" Jazz continued once they separated.

"Oh. She gave that to me as a gift so I could collect autographs from all the acts performing at the concert."

"What are you expecting to happen tonight?" She asked, a smug smile crossing her face.

"I honestly don't know." Danny said, running a hand through his messy black hair. "I have a general idea but other than that, I know nothing."

"Just relax, little brother." Jazz said in a reassuring tone. "Don't stress too much and I'm sure you will have a fun time."

"I appreciate it, Jazz." Danny replied.

And so the siblings talked. Their topics ranged from the concert, school, friends, and everything in between. By the time 6:30 rolled around, Danny noted that it was time to leave.

"Think you can keep mom and dad off my back tonight?" Danny asked.

"No problem. I'll just tell them you are spending the night at Sam's place."

"Well, guess I should be on my way." He said, standing up and picking up his guitar.

"Be safe, little brother." Jazz said, bringing him into a hug.

"I will." He reassured her.

"Try to make it home with your virginity." She teased him.

"Jaazzzz!" Danny moaned, his cheeks turning pink.

She simply shook her head in amusement before he went ghost and phased out of the house.

***Meanwhile, at the Manson Mansion***

Tucker reached out with his right hand and pressed the doorbell to the regal mansion that was the home of one of his best friends. After a moment, one of the butlers answered the door.

"Good evening, Master Foley. If you will follow me, I will take you to Lady Samantha."

"Thank you, Jeeves." Tucker said before crossing the threshold. The mansion was massive. Lush carpet covered the floor. A giant crystal chandelier hung in the center of the main hall. A grand staircase led to the upper floors while several hallways went to the many rooms the mansion had to offer. They made their way down one of these halls that was covered in magnificent oil paintings reminiscent of Realist style art before they stopped before a set of mahogany double doors. Jeeves opened them and escorted Tucker into the magnificent family theater. There were five rows of seats with eight seats per row. In the middle sat Sam with a tray of various snacks in front of her.

"Hey Tuck." Sam said, smiling at her friend and beckoning him to the seat beside her. "Is Danny on his way?"

"No." Tuck replied, doing his best to retain his poker face. "Something came up and he won't be able to make it."

"I see." She replied, wary of her friend's reply. She knew that Danny had said he had no plans earlier in the day. Why the sudden change now? What could have possibly come up to change his mind?

"So, what movie shall we watch first?" Tucker asked, eager to get away from the topic of Danny.

"We'll have Jeeves flip a coin. Heads we watch my choice followed by yours. Tails we watch your choice followed by mine."

"Fair enough." Tuck said with a smile before settling in beside Sam. Jeeves stepped forward with a silver dollar in his hand. Flipping it, the two watched at the coin turned through the air before the butler caught it in his outstretched hand. Opening his gloved hand, he revealed that the coin had landed on tails.

"Yes!" Tuck exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "First up, The Matrix."

Sam sighed in defeat. "Fine. Then we are watching The Day After Tomorrow."

Tucker made sure to hold his sigh. He knew that if he were to comment on her choice of the environmental disaster movie, she would quickly remark on his digital reality themed movie. Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed a bowl of tortilla chips and dipped his first chip into the seven layer dip that Sam had provided.

"Your dip is on point, Sam." Tucker said before digging in.

"No problem, Tuck." She replied as the lights dimmed and the opening credits began.

Secretly, she was waiting for the several laxatives she had mixed into the bean dip to take effect. Originally, she had been hoping Danny would be here and join Tucker in the consumption of the laced condiment so she could interrogate him on his rejection and who exactly he had his eye set on. It seemed that Tucker would have to do. Once she managed to coax Danny's location from her friend, she would find him and have him explain. In the back of her mind, Sam wondered if she may be a little extreme in her methods, recalling the incident with Elliot incident where he pretended to 'Gregor from Hungary'. She remembered how Danny was suspicious of him and she had simply brushed off his suspicions. Then she reminded herself that, in the end, Danny had been correct. Surely she had a right to look into this mystery girl so as to protect him from the same fate.

As the movie began, Sam settled into her seat and began munching on her bowl of organic popcorn, patiently waiting for the laxative laced dip to take hold of Tucker's bowels.

***7 PM, Outskirts of Amity, Warehouse 13***

Danny gently landed on the pavement outside the abandoned warehouse before reverting back to his human form. This part of town was rarely used. Only the occasional storage companies dropped off their wares in these rusted, corrugated storehouses. Looking around, Danny saw Ember waving to him. She had a grin on her face and her guitar strapped to her back.

"Over here, Babypop." She called.

Making his way over to her, he was shocked yet pleasantly surprised when she pulled him into an embrace.

"Glad you could make it." Ember said before separating from him.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." He replied, giving her a lopsided grin while running a hand through his hair.

"I say this deserves a toast." She said before drawing a silver flask from her back pocket.

"To an awesome concert" She said before taking a swig from the flask. Once she swallowed the liquid, she passed the flask to Danny.

"To an amazing date." He said shyly. Ember couldn't help but blush as he brought the flask to his lips and took a drink. The sour taste of whiskey entered his mouth. Fortunately, he was able to keep his composure in front of Ember and swallow the alcohol. Immediately, he felt a warm sensation spread through his body. He felt ten pounds lighter and felt ready for anything and everything. Unfortunately, he was unable to keep the look of disgust off his face once the aftertaste hit his taste buds.

Ember giggled at his misfortune.

"New to drinking, Danny?"

He simply nodded and did his best not to gag.

"Whiskey isn't for everyone. Don't worry, though. They have a fully stocked bar inside. There we can find your fancy." She said before grabbing his hand, lacing her fingers with his, and pulling him towards the door to the warehouse. Giving the door a sharp knock, rectangular eye slot opened.

"Tickets." A gruff voice demanded.

The two fished their tickets out of their pockets before passing them through the slot. After a moment, the slot closed before the door opened.

"Enjoy the concert." The ghost said once they entered before the door shut behind them.

Danny took the time to take in the scene. The industrial lights that lit the warehouse had been replaced with colored bulbs of yellows, reds, greens, and blues. Several ghosts were mingling around, chatting, and drinking. On the far right of the warehouse there was a large, fully stocked bar. On the far left there appeared to be a lounge area with carpet and some couches. In the center, a giant stage had been erected. Behind the stage, there seemed to be several curtained off rooms, most likely for private parties and conversations.

"This is incredible." Danny said, not hiding his astonishment.

"Come on, Babypop. I want to introduce you to the opening act." Ember said, gently pulling his arm in the direction of the stage.

After several minutes of weaving through the crowd, the two made their way behind the stage to where the many acts were warming up. What Danny saw took his breath away. Off to the right, Lynyrd Skynyrd were having a smoke break while passing a bottle of Jack Daniels between them. Three steps in front of them, John Lennon and George Harrison were warming up with Twist and Shout. Jimi Hendrix was off to the left, tuning his guitar. It was overwhelming to Danny seeing them all in one place. He allowed himself to be dragged by Ember to a man standing off to the side, smoking a cigarette. His skin was a lighter shade of blue compared to Ember's. He had shoulder length ecto green hair. His eyes were green and he had a green goatee and mustache combo. He had on a green cardigan over a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and sneakers. Next to him, on a stand, was a Fender Jaguar NOS Three Tone Rosewood Sunburst guitar.

"Hey Kurt." Ember said once they were in front of the ghost. Looking up, Kurt Cobain gave Ember a small smile before putting out his cigarette with the sole of his shoe.

"How goes it, Ember?" He asked, looking over the two.

"Not bad. Looking forward to the show." She answered. "I wanted to introduce you to my date tonight, Danny Fenton."

Danny was flattered that Ember considered him her date. Maybe she did share his affection.

"Pleased to meet you." Kurt said, extending his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine." Danny replied, accepting the hand shake.

"We were wondering if you would be so kind as to sign Danny's guitar and maybe get a picture with us." Ember asked, giving her best doll eyes.

The ghostly frontman of Nirvana chuckled before nodding his head in acceptance. Danny pulled out his guitar and sharpie and allowed Kurt to sign his name on the body. Then Ember was able to get a passerby to snap a photo of the three with Danny's phone.

"Getting close to showtime." Kurt said while picking up his guitar. "See you both out there."

Ember quickly dragged Danny over to one of the curtained off rooms so he could place his guitar down. Walking back to the stage, they pushed and shoved their way to the front as the lights dimmed. From stage right, Kurt walked out along with some ghostly band members. Once they were set, the lights became brighter as Smells Like Teen Spirit began to play. The crowd went wild. People were thrashing, fist pumping, and drinking as the song picked up.

Load up on guns, bring your friends

It's fun to lose and to pretend

She's over bored and self assured

Oh no, I know a dirty word

Danny was simply overwhelmed. The concert of the dead seemed so...alive. Everyone was having a good time, especially him and Ember. Speaking of Ember, she seemed a bit preoccupied with the band to be paying much attention. A sly grin came to his face as an idea formed in his head. Casually positioning himself behind the ghostly teenager, quickly grabber her by the waist and hoisted her on his shoulders, his head settled between her legs. The ghost girl yelped in surprise at the action and gave Danny a halfhearted glare. He simply gave her a cheeky grin in return. Shaking her head in amusement, she gently ran her fingers though his messy black locks as the chorus came.

With the lights out, it's less dangerous

Here we are now, entertain us

I feel stupid and contagious

Here we are now, entertain us

A mulatto

An albino

A mosquito

My libido

Yeah, hey, yay

"Having fun, Danny?" Ember asked, looking down at her companion.

"You bet!" He replied.

Ember decided to have a bit of her own mischief. Gripping him tightly with her legs, she lifted the two of them off the ground before releasing Danny. The black haired teen was shocked and a little frightened by this until he landed on the eager hands of the audience and began crowd surfing. His stunned looked changed to an excited one as the crowd passed him along, looking up, he saw Ember giggling at him before gliding over and sitting weightlessly on his chest.

And I forget just why I taste

Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile

I found it hard, it's hard to find

Oh well, whatever, never mind

"Enjoying the free ride?" he asked.

"Yup. I think I could get used to riding you." She said before her hand went immediately to her mouth. A blush rapidly spread across both their faces at her statement.

"I'm...I'm sorry Danny. I didn't." Ember began stammering before Danny gently stopped her.

"It's okay." He said, trying to soothe her. "I'm sure I could get used to you riding me as well."

There was a moment of silence between them while the crowd continued to pass him along on their fingertips before they burst out laughing.

"Nice comeback." Ember finally managed once they calmed down.

"I thought so as well." He replied.

As the song came to an end, Danny and Ember were dropped off at the edge of the crowd.

"Want to grab a drink? Maybe get to know each other better?" Ember asked.

"Sure." Danny replied, eagerly following her to the bar.