A/N: Yay! Another update so soon? It must be a miracle!
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
……FentonWorks……
"Danny?" Jazz called out. No answer, "Danny? Are you home?"
Sam and Tucker looked around, but found nothing.
"Maybe we should try the FentonPhones," Jazz suggested, frowning. It was then that the house phone rang. The three looked at each other then ran for the phone.
"Hello!" Jazz answered.
……Amity Park General Hospital……
Danny paced nervously in his ghost form, looking up every time the door opened for any news of his young clone.
"Mist-Mr. Phantom, p-perhaps you should s-sit down. Th-The other p-patients are-are getting n-nervous," an orderly stuttered. Danny looked up and for the first time realized that the man was right Children and parents watched him fearfully as he paced, unsure of what to make of the ghost boy.
"I'm sorry. I'm just- I'm worried about her; she's like a sister to me. Is there anything I can do to help out here? I don't trust myself to sit still," Danny asked, honestly. He really didn't think he could just sit still for even a second. His nerves were frayed from worry and guilt; he had let her go off on her own, not even considering the fact that she was a twelve year old girl at the time or that in reality she was only a year old.
"I suppose. Uh, does the-the girl have an-any family?" he asked, nervously, though he seemed to have relaxed some at the almost-casual tone the ghost had used. It had made him forget that he was talking to a ghost.
"I-I'm the closest thing she has, but I know of someone who will take care of her," Danny said, "How-how is she?"
"She has mild hypothermia, but with rest and a warm place to sleep, she'll recover," the doctor informed him as she exited the room.
"Oh, thank goodness! Can I see her?" Danny asked, hopefully.
The doctor looked uncomfortable, "Mr. Phantom, I don't know if that would be the best. I mean, if there were a way for you to raise your temperature, you could, but…"
"I can," Danny told her, "I just need a few minutes alone with her; I'm not ready for people to know about that ability yet."
"Of course," Dr. Pavi said, smiling tiredly. She had long believed that Phantom had the town's best interests at heart and was glad that she wouldn't have to keep him away.
"Thank you," the ghost-boy said, politely as he phased through the door. What he saw on the other side made his heart ache.
Lying in a bed with heat lamps and thermal blankets, Danielle looked small and weak. It was a shock to his systems, because every time he'd seen this girl, she was strong and brave. Even before she was stable and melting, Danielle refused to let her fears get to her.
Changing forms, Danny went to her bedside, sitting in the chair next to it.
"D-D-Danny? Wh-What ar-are y-you d-doing he-here?" Danielle shivered when she saw him.
"I'm making sure you're alright. Dani, why didn't you come to me? I could have helped you!" Danny asked, worry evident in his voice.
"I d-d-didn't wa-want to to ba-be a-a…" she stuttered, still shaking.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Danielle. You are not a burden; you have never been nor will you ever be a burden," Danny scolded. He loved her and he was sure his family would feel the same; in essence, Danielle Fenton/ Phantom was his sister, "Shh, I shouldn't have asked; you need to rest. When they release you, you're coming home with me."
"B-but…" Dani started to protest.
"No buts, Danielle. My parents will understand. Heck, my dad's the kinda guy who'll love you just for being alive," Danny stopped her. It was true; Jack Fenton was very accepting and treated everyone he met like an old friend or a part of the family. It took a lot to lose his trust and Danny dreaded the day that he'd have to tell him the truth about his old college 'buddy' which he sensed would be soon.
Danielle smiled weakly, still shivering lightly, though less than before. The thought of having a family, a real family to call her own warmed her heart.
"Now you need to rest; I'll be right outside," Danny said as he got up. When he got to the door in ghost form, he looked back to see her drift to sleep.
"Dr. Pavi, is there a phone I can use?" Danny asked.
"Just over there," the doctor pointed.
……FentonWorks……
"Danny, thank goodness, where've you been?" Jazz asked, relieved to hear her younger brother's voice.
"I'll tell you later, right now I need to talk to Mom and Dad," Danny said. He hadn't realized how worried they'd been.
"Mom and Dad? Danny, are you okay? You sound different," Jazz asked, worried again.
Danny brushed away a stray tear and said, "I'm fine, this is just really important…And tell them it's Phantom."
"Phantom? Why?" Jazz asked, confused. She didn't always understand her brother, but this was out of the ordinary, even for him. Sam and Tucker looked up, taken aback by what that question insinuated. They looked at each other; something must be wrong for Danny to ask for that.
"Because, that's who I am right now. And Jazz?" Danny said.
"Hmm?" Jazz responded, still pondering over her brother's strange behavior.
"Will you wait with Sam and Tucker? So I can tell you what I can about where I've been?" Danny asked, knowing full well that the college-bound redhead on the other end would notice the wording.
"Okay," she agreed, "Wait, what you can? But, that sounds like…"
"Like I'm not telling you everything?" he finished her thought, "I can't."
"We'll talk about this later. Where are you?" Jazz told him.
"Can you get Mom and Dad?" Danny asked, avoiding the question; he didn't want to worry them any more than he had to.
"Fine, hold on," Jazz said, dejected. She knew that something was up just by the tone of his voice. It seemed that something was off with the young hybrid.
"Where is he?" Sam asked, curious.
"He wouldn't say," the older girl answered.
"How did he sound? Did he sound okay? Was he hurt?" Tucker rambled off, worried.
"I, I don't think he was hurt, but… it sounded like he'd been crying," Jazz answered, feeling very uncomfortable with the thought of what could have happened to him.
Sam put her hand on her friend's shoulder in comfort, though she herself wondered what could have Danny acting like this, "He'll be okay."
"I have to get my parents," Jazz said, jogging to the door to the basement and yelled in her most convincing 'shock' voice, "MOM! DAD! You won't believe who's on the phone!"
The two younger teens rushed up the stairs to hide their laughter. After all, Jazz was not an easy person to shock; she hadn't even been shocked by her little brother's secret identity.
"Who, Dear?" Maddie asked, coming up the stairs.
"Phantom!" was all Jazz needed to say for the two adult ghost hunters to rush up the last few steps!
"Phantom! Where are you calling from?" Maddie demanded.
"I'll tell you in a minute, but you need to listen to what I have to say, first," Phantom told her.
"You've got five minutes," Maddie answered, forcefully.
"That's all I need. I don't know where else to turn; I need your help," he began.
"My help? Why would I help you?" the ghost hunter asked with disgust. Danny flinched.
"Well, not me, a friend of mine. She's really sick and I can't let her go back to living on the streets. I can't lose her, I almost lost her once, I can't lose her," Phantom clarified.
"We don't help ghosts," Maddie spat.
"She's not a ghost," the boy said simply, quietly. Just minutes ago he'd made that decision, so now it was the truth.
Maddie was stunned for a moment. What was in his voice? Guilt? Maybe a little, but it sounds like he actually cares for this girl!
"Mrs. Fenton? Are you there?" Danny asked.
"Where are you?" she asked, agreeing to look after the girl.
"Amity Park General Hospital," the ghost-boy answered.
*click*
Moments later, Danny heard the screeching of wheels signifying that his parents had arrived…and that his dad was driving. As Phantom, Danny flew down to meet them at the door.
"If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her," Danny Phantom told the ghost hunters as they entered, "She won't be released for a few more days, but I want you to meet her."
"Not so fast, Spook, we want answers first," Jack commanded. He didn't understand why the ghost had called them; it must be a trap.
"I know what you're thinking, but I'm not up to anything. I'm just worried about her; she's like a sister to me, but she's had a hard life. I want her to be happy," he told them, his eyes pleading with them to believe him.
"Why us? Why did you call us Phantom? You've fooled plenty of people that you're good; why not them?" Maddie asked, unsettled by the love in the ghost's echoing voice.
"Your family is good, Mrs. Fenton; I can see that. I chose you because I trust you. I trust you to be good people. I trust you to love her as your own. I trust you to protect her and I trust you to make her happy," Danny answered passionately. They were his family and, though he would never just tell them who he was, he trusted him with his whole heart.
The Fentons were taken aback by the ghost's fierce belief and trust in them; people who had hunted him down ever since he appeared.
"Why do you care for a human anyway; you're a ghost," Maddie asked after a long pause. There had to be a logical explanation.
"Contrary to what you believe, Mrs. Fenton, most ghosts just want to be left alone, because some of them were once humans themselves," Phantom told her, "But, it's not just that I was once human, though. Danielle, she gave me hope when I needed it the most. I had been…doubting myself, because of a future that will never be," Phantom's eyes glowed intensely as he said this, "I wasn't depressed, but I was on my way. She pulled me out of my funk just in time. For that, I will always be grateful."
The Fenton adults looked away; Phantom had just disproved half of what they believed about his kind.
"Who is this Danielle? How old is she? What does she look like? What's wrong with her?" Jack asked, subdued.
"She has no family and she's been living on the streets for almost two years. She's fourteen with black hair, blue eyes, and a sweet smile. She-she has hypothermia," Phantom informed them. He wiped at his eyes, hoping to catch the tears before his parents could see. He had just told them more about himself and his life in ten minutes than he had in two years.
Despite her prejudices, Maddie felt compelled to do something, anything to ease the young man's, no young ghost's, fears. Hesitantly, she reached out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but was stopped when he seemed to come to his senses.
"We'd better get going," he said, realizing that an audience had gathered around the display. Not much later, they arrived in the children's ward, where Danielle was being treated, "Dr. Pavi, I'd like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Fenton; they've agreed to take Danielle in. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, this is Dr. Pavi, she's been taking care of Danielle."
"It's wonderful to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," Dr. Pavi welcomed the couple. They nodded their greetings. While Dr. Pavi briefed his parents, Danny sneaked in to see Danielle.
"Danielle! What are you doing out of bed!" Danny exclaimed when he saw the very sick girl heading towards the window.
"I can't stay here," Danielle said, coughing.
"Dani, listen to me. My parents are taking you in! If you go back out there you'll die. I'm not gonna lose you, kiddo," Danny told her. He meant every word.
"I'm sorry, Danny," Danielle said, transforming into her ghost form.
Danny reached out and grabbed her arm.
Danielle tried to go intangible to escape, but it made no difference. She looked at him in shock.
"How-how are you doing that?" Dani asked.
"Go back to bed, Danielle," Danny ordered, avoiding the question. Danielle suddenly turned very pale.
"Danny," she gasped as she fainted.
"Dani!" Danny yelled, scared.
……hallway……
"So, you're saying that, so long as she's stable, we can take her home tomorrow with the right equipment?" Maddie asked.
"Yes. Listen, Maddie, Jack, I know that you believe all ghosts are evil, but, if you'd have heard Phantom when he was in there with Danielle earlier…I couldn't see him, or hear what he was saying for that matter, but he sounded so affectionate, so sincere, so loving…He showed more care for that girl than some parents I've seen here," Dr. Pavi expressed.
"But he's still a-" Jack began.
"HELP!"
The three adults ran in the direction of Phantom's shout. Already, nearby nurses were pouring into the room to help.
What they saw when they entered was Phantom carrying the girl back to the warm bed with a look of excruciating pain etched on his face.
Dr. Pavi rushed to the bedside, "Phantom, what happened?"
"She," Phantom gasped, "tried to-to run away. Colla-collapsed."
With that, Phantom stumbled through the door, clutching his heart. Not wanting to scare the kids, Danny went to the closest empty room.
"Arrnnnn," he groaned as another wave of pain swept through his heart. As an even harsher wave hit him, Danny knew what he had to do. He phased back into Danielle's room.
Without speaking, Danny pushed through to Danielle's side. He could feel it as his had changed into its newer, gentler form.
Silently, he placed his left hand on her cheek and his right on her shoulder. Almost immediately, her body ceased its shaking. Seconds later, she gasped as she opened her eyes. She felt as if she had been warmed from the inside.
"How did you do that?" she asked, feeling safer than she had in a long time.
He kissed her forehead and whispered, hoarsely, "Hush, you need to rest."
All Danielle saw were a pair of blue eyes glowing with warmth.
The doctors, nurses, and Fentons watched with astonishment as Phantom floated through the wall. He appeared weak, like it took an extra effort just to stay afloat.
Once he was safely out of sight, Danny fell to his hands and knees, laughing softly in relief. Finally giving into his exhaustion, Danny collapsed into unconciousness.
Maddie and Jack Fenton entered the room just in time to see Danny Phantom become their son, Danny Fenton.
Maddie clasped a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp; Jack stood, stunned, gaping at his son.
"Danny!" Maddie said as she ran to his side.
"What's going on?" Dr. Pavi asked as she walked in.
"Jack! Close the door!" Maddie told her husband, urgently. She couldn't let anyone else discover her son's secret. She wasn't ashamed, in fact, she was very proud of her son for all that he had done. She could see now, looking back, that he'd always done what was right with his powers. No, she wasn't ashamed, she just didn't think that he would want others to know.
Her husband came out of his stupor and did as she asked. He then rushed to his son's side and lifted him to the nearby hospital bed.
"What happened?" Dr. Pavi asked, not sure if she'd seen correctly.
"He's our son! He's Phantom," Maddie answered, on the verge of tears.
"We only saw him collapse and transform. We don't- What's wrong with him, Doc?" Jack asked, worriedly. There was nothing more important to Jack Fenton than his family, not even his job.
"It may just be exhaustion, but earlier, when he left…" Dr. Pavi trailed off. She wasn't sure what had happened. She thought she'd seen him grasp his chest in pain, but it could have been an illusion. Could this heroic young man have had a heart attack; it didn't seem possible, but that's what it looked like. Dr. Maya Pavi was stunned to find out that Danny Phantom, the ghost boy, was, in fact, human.
"I'll have to run some tests," Maya told the anxious parents. She turned to leave.
"Dr. Pavi, will you, please, tell no one of our son's identity?" Maddie pleaded.
"Of course," Dr. Pavi assured her.
……FentonWorks……
Jazz paced the room, "Where is he? He should have been here by now!"
"Jazz, this might sound strange, coming from a goth, but look on the bright side; Danny may finally be telling them the truth," Sam calmed the older girl, though her own nerves were frayed from worry.
"He would have said something if it were something like that! What if something's wrong? He sounded like he had been crying!" Jazz fretted.
"I'm sure he's fine, Jazz; he may have just needed their help. Danny's been hurt before, but he's always gotten through it. I'm sure it's just a bad bruise. Besides, Sam could be right about him telling them the truth; he might not say something about it if he was afraid of backing out," Tucker reasoned. He was worried, but he knew from experience that someone had to calm Jazz or she would drive herself insane.
"Still, I'll feel better after I've called my parents," Jazz said, restlessly. Nervously, she linked her FentonPhone to her mother's.
"Hello? Mom?" Jazz said.
"Jazz?" Maddie answered distractedly as she watched Dr. Pavi perform the tests.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Jazz asked, sensing her mother's worry.
"Jazz, honey, maybe you should come down here," Maddie told her daughter.
"Mom, where are you?" Jazz asked, freaking out.
"The hospital," Maddie whispered, "Danny- he- oh honey, we don't know what's wrong! He seems to have had a heart attack!"
"WHAT! A hear- are you sure?" the older sibling panicked. She'd turned deathly pale.
"Jazz! What's wrong?" her younger brother's friends asked.
"He was clutching at his heart when Danielle- Oh, honey, just come here!" Maddie said, having gone into the corner to speak with her.
"Who-We'll be right there!" Jazz said, shaking with dread.
"Jazz, what's happened? JAZZ!" Sam frantically asked, scared for her friend.
"We have to go," she told the younger girl, "Mom, where are you?"
"The hospital," Maddie whispered, not trusting herself to speak any louder.
The three teens rushed to the hospital. When they arrived, Jazz rushed to the reception desk.
"Excuse me, but my parents called. They said-Can you direct me to Danny Fenon's room?" Jazz asked.
"Is that Dani with an 'I' or Danny with a 'y'?" the receptionist asked.
"Danielle's here, too?" Sam asked, alarmed.
"Both," Jazz said, anxiously. The woman directed them to the correct rooms.
"Mom? Dad? What's wrong? What's wrong with Danny?" Jazz asked as she entered her brother's room.
Danny stirred and moaned as he woke.
"Danny!" Jack nearly shouted with relief.
"Uh-oh," Danny croaked, realizing that his secret was blown.
"Danny, what happened?" Jazz asked.
Danny tried to sit up, but his mom put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"No, Danny, you need to rest," she told him, worriedly.
"I don't have the time to rest. I have stuff I need to do," Danny told her.
"Danny," Sam began, sitting at his feet, "does this have anything to do with what happened earlier?"
"What happened earlier?" Maddie asked, worry making her alert.
"I got a job," Danny answered simply.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you have a job? Where can I get one?" Tucker asked.
"Not that kind of job, Tuck. It's more of a responsibility," Danny said, tensing. He knew that any moment now they would be asking what this new job was and he would not be able to tell them.
"So who gave you this 'job'?" Sam asked, suspiciously.
"ClockWork, and he was only passing on the information," Danny answered. He would never be able to tell them everything, but he owed them something.
"What kind of job gives you a heart attack?" Maddie asked, "If this is going to put you in danger-"
"Mom, I'm not gonna die. The heart attacks will only happen in this first year, because I haven't gotten accustomed to it yet. Everyone, listen, this job, it might hurt a little, but it's- it's worth the pain," Danny expressed.
"Danny, what is this job?" Sam asked. Danny looked away from all the concerned and asking faces.
"I can't tell you," Danny answered, resigned.
"Why not?" Jazz asked, hurt. She'd thought that, since she'd found out about his ghost half, he'd tell her anything.
"I'm sorry, please don't be upset. I took an oath of secrecy. I-I can't tell anyone," Danny informed the group, guiltily.
"Danny…" Sam began.
"Don't ask me to quit. Please, don't ask me that!" Danny pleaded. After what just happened with Danielle, he understood what he could do as Santa and he just couldn't give that up.
"Danny, please, just trust us," Jack asked his son.
"It's not that I don't trust you-" Danny began to argue.
"Then why didn't you tell us you were Phantom?" Maddie asked, quietly, hurt.
"At first, I'll admit, I was afraid that you wouldn't accept me-" Danny started.
"Of course we-" Maddie interrupted
"Just let me finish, okay?" he said tiredly. The listeners nodded, "I was afraid, even though I knew that wouldn't happen, so I kept it a secret. Then, when I'd seen that you would accept me, I still kept it, because I was afraid of something else…Losing you."
The three other teens looked away from the adults, knowing what had brought Danny to fear that.
"Kids?" Maddie asked quietly, "What happened?"
"Do you remember the reason I gave you, when you thought I was Phantom, for caring about Danielle? That she saved me from my own self-doubt that I got from a future I'll never let happen?" Danny asked.
Maddie gulped, she didn't like where this was going, "Vaguely."
"Let's just say that it wasn't good," Danny said. He didn't want to elaborate, but he knew he'd have to.
"Danny-" Maddie protested.
"Wait, Mom, I've tried to get him to talk, but, it's been a year and he still hasn't told any of us the whole story," Jazz stopped her mom; she had to protect her brother.
"No, Jazz, it's time I talked; I'll be keeping enough secrets with this job. In that future, I lost everyone in this room, because I cheated on the C.A.T," Danny started.
"Danny!" Maddie scolded.
"I took my second chance when it was given, but this is about an alternate future. Anyway, I cheated on the C.A.T. and Mr. Lancer found out. He called you and told you to meet him at the Nasty Burger. I don't know how it happened originally, but you and Dad, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker, as well as Mr. Lancer were inside the Nasty Burger…when it exploded…In the timeline that I was in, it was my jerky older self who chained you to it. If it hadn't been for ClockWork… I had fought my evil self and won, but not in time to save you. ClockWork saved you, and then reset time so that I could have a second chance with the test," Danny confessed. When he finished, the room stayed silent, only to be broken by a cell phone ringing.
There was a slight rustle as all but two looked for their cell phones.
"Sam, answer your phone; your parents are just worried about you," Danny whispered. Sam looked up at her friend and couldn't help but stare.
Before her was the same boy with messy black hair who'd become her friend when she was ten, and her crush later on, but something was different about him. His human blue eyes seemed to glow with warmth and love. It was different from his normal eyes, different from the ghostly green. They seemed to glow gently, unearthly while still being completely human.
"Answer them," he told her gently.
"Mr. Fenton, Mrs. Fenton?" Dr. Pavi interrupted, looking at the visitors, "May I have a word with you?"
The spell was broken and Sam answered her phone while the elder Fentons spoke with the doctor.
……………
A/N: So, what do you think? Did the way Danny's family discovered his identity make sense? Did you feel hypnotized with Sam? Tell me in a review and as alwaysALOHA!