Greetings and Salutations, all.

Yes, I am back on track. At least for now. Here is chapter five, featuring trials, tribulations, and cookies. Enjoy.

Thanks and love to all reviewers: Diamond Raider, The Fluff Ghost, Yami-chan and Unrealistic, Meagainsttheworld, Epona Harper, nathow111, Pieling, Harm Marie, Egyptian Ghost Kitty, Sunshine Silverjojo, Tornada Silverwind, lightanddarklove, hermie-the-frog, and BarnOwl93. You guys rock my socks off! For my other readers, drop me a line, eh? I love reviews, and give cheerful individual responses.

Also special appreciation and encouragement to SevenStar. I'd PM you, but it seems that e-mail from this place is down. Let's hope that's temporary.

Peace out y'all,

HiddenAuthor

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Chapter 5 – Laws

Danny was pretty sure he was trying to say something, but his mouth didn't seem to be working. Up on the stand, Clockwork sat very calm and still. If Danny hadn't spent much of the last several months with him, he would have bought the act hook line and sinker. The Ghost of Time was afraid.

"Clockwork." Intoned the central Ghost. "As an esteemed council member, you know the standard procedures and rigmarole as well as any of us. However, as this is an official inquiry and trial, we must do things by the book. As a witness unto yourself, do you swear to be honest in your responses?"

Clockwork smiled tightly. "Yes. I'll even promise to tell the truth. Rewards for cunning aside, I owe it to all of you to tell things exactly as they occurred." One or two of the council members seemed taken aback by this, but most of them, the center ghost included, seemed to accept the Time Ghost's odd promise. Their reactions changed to a uniform indignant as Danny found his voice.

"Wait a minute!" He called out, flinching slightly as his words echoed loudly in the room. "You can't punish Clockwork!"

"Oh?" Asked the center spirit. "Why not?" Danny spluttered for a moment, but finally resorted to shooting his friend a desperate look. Clockwork merely shook his head.

"Danny. I am above the laws of time, and may do as I please. But if I am judged guilty, I will abide by the orders of the council. Not because I have to, but because I choose to. I'm sure that you of all people can appreciate that. It is, however, nice to know you care." Danny frowned.

"But…why not me? It was that other me that did it!" The far right spirit, who had decided to wear a formal dress for such a prestigious trial, frowned over at him.

"Because, dear boy, we are not Walker. We are not in the habit of punishing someone for something he might do. Yes, a potential future version of yourself committed the crimes, but you yourself are blameless." The woman managed a soft smile reminiscent of the last time Danny had come before her. "I promise, though our treatment of your friend may not necessarily be kind, it will be just." Though far from satisfied, the promise was an obvious dismissal, so Danny resumed his seat. Clearing his throat, the chief Ghost resumed the trial.

"Do you understand the charges?" Clockwork nodded, but shot Danny a brief look.

"Yes, but my friend might not. Please explain if you would." The chief harrumphed for a moment, but visibly delegated the task to the councilor to his immediate left. Grumbling about inconvenience and facilitating spectators, the cantankerous ghost turned and favored Danny with a very patronizing sneer.

"Our esteemed Clockwork is being charged with reckless endangerment of the Ghost Zone in its entirety. This means that while he did not necessarily do any damage himself, his actions brought it about. We are currently to understand that Clockwork first contributed to this problem by changing your future rather than simply killing you." Danny bristled slightly. The ghost seemed unfazed and unrepentant. "Oh, sorry. We are not saying that saving you was a bad thing. We are saying that because your change of destiny required that you meet an evil future of yourself, his actions created a paradox that could only be solved by allowing that evil future version of you to exist in this timeline. If he had simply killed you, the danger would have vanished completely. His second contribution occurred several months ago, when despite his charge to guard and contain this evil being, Clockwork allowed his escape, which resulted in the mass destruction and chaos for which he is now being tried." The ghost simpered slightly. "I trust that is sufficient." His superior nodded coldly.

"Yes, very good. And since you went so far as to mention why the charges were brought about, I shall simply forgo repeating you and ask Clockwork if he understands." He turned towards the time ghost. "Do you?" He was answered with yet another nod. "Good. Now as is custom, we shall allow you as long as you wish to explain yourself. I only ask that you bear in mind that we are not beyond the influence of time, and would appreciate simple, concise information." Danny wasn't sure, but he thought the center ghost had almost made a joke. Almost.

"Very well." Clockwork said. "On my original assignment regarding Danny and his future, I was ordered to eliminate the future creature known as Dan Phantom. It was understood that the least disruptive way to do this was simply to kill Danny immediately. However, like you, I am not in the habit of killing someone for things they might someday do. Danny may have been destined for great evil, but he was blameless at the time. So, I attempted to steer him away from that dark future. In the original timeline, Danny grew so frustrated with his CAT studies that he deliberately stole the answers after staging a ghost battle at the Nasty Burger, damaging the boiler. These two events combined to set everything up for the catastrophe that led to Dan Phantom's creation. Attempting to be subtle, I tried to distract Danny from this course by having him fight Box Lunch, a ghost that could exist in several good futures which prevented paradox, at the moment when he was about to give up studying and resort to cheating. In the new future, Danny acquired the test answers completely by accident, and I had hopes that he would return the paper to Mr. Lancer. Unfortunately, he still decided to cheat." Danny winced at this. He still felt horrible about his behavior that week. Since then, he'd always asked Jazz and his friends to help him study on and off duty, so he would never feel that pressured again.

"At this point," Clockwork continued, "I realized that subtlety would not work. I sent Skulktech through the time portal to set up the Nasty Burger for a theatric lesson and brought Danny here, where he could face what his current path would do to him and his loved ones." The older ghost winced. "It was a harsh lesson, but I think it ultimately did much good for the world. Many of the potential universes are much brighter because of how I chose to manipulate Danny's actions. I completed my assignment, and vowed to contain the unfortunate side effect, Dan Phantom, in my castle indefinitely."

Several ghosts in the chamber were nodding slowly. Danny for his part seemed taken aback. He'd never realized just how much Clockwork had manipulated him and the ghosts he fought at that time. And worse, he knew that Clockwork couldn't have been certain everything would work out like it had. Still, it had worked out, and at least he wasn't dead. The half ghost decided to give his friend the benefit of the doubt. He was sure that Clockwork had done the best he could to make sure he didn't become evil. That would have to be enough. Back on the dais, Clockwork was once again being questioned.

"Allow me to interject." Came a voice from the far left. Whoever this ghost was, he was definitely unfamiliar. Had Clockwork taken his job? "You say you completed your assignment, but I was under the impression that you were told to eliminate Dan Phantom. It seems to me that your actions not only guaranteed his existence, they created him immediately in this timeline, beyond your abilities to remove. I submit that your actions were not only incompetent. If there was any way to eliminate a threat of such magnitude as you were instructed, your failure to act on it was criminal."

"Wait a moment." Called out the lady ghost. "Let us not get ahead of ourselves. You know as well as I that such accusations and deliberations on our part must not take place until the witnesses have given us all pertinent information. I know you've never liked Clockwork, but to disrupt his trial with such blatant-"

"Enough!" Shouted the center ghost lividly. The entire room shook, and Danny's form wavered for a moment, silver rings flashing at his waist. "I will not allow sniping and childish antics in my court! The council will act with all due decorum or there will be more than one of us on trial this day!" The far ghosts both turned a most extraordinary pale color and immediately quieted. Turning politely, the center ghost smiled at Clockwork and motioned for him to continue.

"Last September, I found my promise tested by a unique problem. A major dividing point in the timeline was upon me. Dan Phantom escaped." The other ghosts turned and regarded Clockwork curiously. "I could not destroy him as his existence was both outside of time and based on my own actions, but it was within my power to freeze him in time indefinitely. However, I felt that both the Human World and the Ghost Zone would ultimately be better off if I allowed him to go free. His rampage calmed many of the more violent and malicious ghosts, which I'm sure everyone here can appreciate. And more importantly, his threat upon the human world prevented the Guys in White from eventually attacking and capturing Danny. If they had succeeded in taking him into custody, they would have used his unique DNA to develop new technologies to give the American Military ghost powers. This would have caused a chain reaction resulting in a global war in the Human World and eventual conquest by humans of the Ghost Zone. I have attended several meetings with you on the…unique condition of ghost-human hybrids, and I am sure you can all see why such an eventuality should be prevented at all costs." This time, even the center council ghost was pale.

"You…have evidence of this?" Clockwork nodded.

"I can show you if you like. I already showed Danny his capture at the end of the Dan Phantom affair." The councilors looked back and forth amongst themselves.

"It is true that the path to creating human-ghost hybrids must be hidden at all costs." Said the ghost to the right of the center. "We have spoken at length on this matter." The others nodded, even the spirit on the far left. Eventually, the center ghost turned towards Danny, who was busy shaking off images of a global half-ghost war.

"Mr. Phantom. You are perhaps the closest person to all of this, both in your…unique relationship with Clockwork, and in your connection to Dan Phantom and the humans. Do you have anything to say at this time that you feel is pertinent to this case?" Danny looked up, confused.

"I don't understand. Why would preventing more half-ghosts be so important?" He asked. The center ghost stared at him for a moment.

"Are you joking?" He asked finally. Danny shook his head. "Think about it, child. You first gained your powers less than two years ago. When you first received them, your powers were no match for such low-level creatures as the box ghost. Now, after such a short time, you are ranked among the most powerful of our kind. And you show no sign of stopping." The ghost shook his head back and forth. "When Masters acquired his powers, we were all stunned to see such a strange and dangerous creature, but when his abilities leveled off at their current peak several years ago, we decided that while he was powerful, he was manageable. You are pulling up to him in terms of power, but you gain a new ability almost on a monthly basis, your powers increase marginally every day, and the rate of increase is showing no sign of leveling off."

The ghost to his right nodded. "Clockwork has said that it is because you are young while Masters was already mature when he received his abilities. We now understand the true potential of such beings as the two of you. One of you alone is far too powerful; the thought of an army of your kind is unthinkable. For the safety of both human kind and the Ghost Zone, hybrids must never be allowed to multiply."

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Sam and Tucker were walking towards Danny's house after school to check on him when Valerie pulled up behind them.

"Hold it you two." Danny's oldest friends paused mid-step and turned as one to face a very confused and angry huntress. Valerie pursed her lips and pinned her boyfriend down with her eyes. Sam stood there unblinking.

"Shouldn't you be in class, Val? You don't have last period Study Hall."

"I cut." She answered indifferently. "My dad'll kill me for it later, but Danny's in trouble. I know I haven't known him as long as you guys, but I'm a part of this now. I want answers." Tucker and Sam looked at each other for a moment silently, the turned their back on her and kept walking. Val frowned for a moment, but brightened and caught up as she saw Tucker motion for her to join them.

"Listen Val." He opened. "You know I like you. And I want to share everything with you. But what you're asking me to talk about; it's not my secret to tell. Or Sam's." He added as Valerie turned towards the stone-faced girl. "I want you to know, and believe it or not, Sam does too. But we're going to have to wait 'till Danny's ready. You've been a great friend, Val, but you're relationship with him…"

"It's complicated." Sam said simply, picking up the conversation as her friend faltered. "He wants to talk to you, Val. He's just…scared. He'll come around." The three walked on in companionable silence for a while, heading towards Fenton Works.

"What's he scared of?" Valerie asked, breaking the silence with visible effort. Tucker shrugged, almost as in the dark as his girlfriend, and Sam didn't answer. "Sam?" The girl sighed as the large brick building came into sight.

"He's scared you won't want to be his friend anymore." She said simply. Valerie stared at the girl, openmouthed. "And even though I'd have died laughing if someone told me I'd be saying this a few months ago, I think he's wrong. I think everything will be fine between you, but that doesn't help him talk about it." Finally, the three stood in front of the Fentons' together. Groaning at the injustice of the world, Sam turned and kept going. "I need to get home. As my parents would say, 'no Manson is going to get away with some sort of ghostly tryst.'" The girl shuddered. "Never mind that I know I didn't do anything, they know I didn't do anything, and even half the ghosts I know know I didn't do anything. Or that nobody says 'tryst' anymore. Oh, no. So long as the paper says it could have happened, we must avoid scandal." Muttering various low opinions about one parent or the other, Sam marched down the sidewalk. Val turned towards Tucker.

"You know, she really needs to figure out who she likes more. I just hope Phantom and Danny never fight each other over her." Tucker's mouth twitched.

"Nah. I'm pretty sure that won't happen." He said shortly. Gesturing with his hand, he led Val up and into the Fentons' house. Maddie was in the kitchen baking cookies. The two could tell it was her own recipe when she pulled the latest sheet out upside down to keep the treats from floating away.

"Hi you two!" She said brightly, deftly plucking off the hovering confections and stuffing them into a special jar. "Cookie? It's my favorite new recipe. You can eat as many as you want, and you'll just lose weight! Well," she amended, "at least for a little while." Chuckling to herself, the older woman put the next batch into the oven. Valerie laughed, shaking her head.

"No thanks, Mrs. Fenton. I don't think I want to eat anything radioactive."

"Hmm." Maddie pursed her lips. "It's funny; Danny says the same thing every Monday." Both friends shared a laugh at Danny's expense.

"Speaking of Danny, is he in his room?" Valerie asked. "I wanted to talk to him about him and Phantom." Maddie shot Tucker a quick look, and he discretely moved his head from side to side.

"I see." She said carefully. Grabbing a floating cookie for herself, the older huntress sat down at the table and motioned for the younger one to join her. Tucker wandered downstairs to 'help Mr. Fenton and junk.' Nibbling lightly on her snack, the older woman smiled over at Valerie.

"Why don't we talk a bit first?" With a hesitant nod, Maddie finished off her cookie and gently wiped her mouth with a wet napkin. "It keeps the crumbs from hitting the ceiling." She explained. "Now, how about you tell me everything that's on your mind, and I'll help you figure out how to talk with Danny. This is a pretty sensitive subject with him." Nodding, Valerie hesitantly reached over and nibbled on a cookie. It was good, and incredibly light.

"Well, the first time I talked about it, it was with Phantom, so Danny doesn't really know most of it." Maddie had an odd half-smile at this, but motioned for the girl to continue. "Well, the other night, I told Phantom that I thought he was a sort of ghost copy the portal made of Danny when he had that accident freshman year."

"Wow," Mrs. Fenton said to herself. "That had to be a weird conversation." Val shot the older woman a strange look.

"Yes." She said slowly. "That's what he said. But it makes so much sense." She said, warming up to her pet theory. "Danny and Phantom look the same, sound the same, act the same, age the same way, and Phantom first showed up after the accident. And," she finished, "Phantom isn't like other ghosts. That Skulktech thing said so himself. Though," the girl frowned, "he said something about Vlad, too." The girl looked up. "When I asked about it, Phantom was acting…"

"Drunk?" Maddie supplied. Frowning, Val nodded agreement. "It's understandable. We saw him right after that. It was the low current he was hit with. It can affect some ghosts and make them act like they are drunk. It wasn't his fault." The young huntress grinned momentarily at that, deciding to add nine volt batteries to her private arsenal. "Go on." The woman pressed, now on her second cookie.

"He acted so strange." She said, still completely bewildered by his odd behavior, reaching for a cookie of her own. "He said he wanted to tell me what he was, but he didn't think I'd like him. He said he wanted to be human." The woman seemed to tear up for a second at that, but brusquely rubbed her eyes and pretended nothing happened. Val decided to respect her privacy. "But now, I think Danny knows something. I told the three of them at school that I'd figured out Phantom's secret. Tucker said he'd been trying to get Danny to tell me for months. When I told them what I knew, they all clammed up. It was like I was wrong. But if I am, Danny knows the truth. And he's not saying." Frustrated, the girl threw down the last uneaten half of her cookie, only for the now broken chunks to float up in front of her face towards the ceiling. "I'm his friend too, and I've worked with Phantom for months. I deserve to know!"

Maddie quietly nibbled on her cookie for several minutes as Valerie took some deep breaths. When the young girl looked marginally calmer, the huntress finished off her snack with one large bite and smiled over at the poor girl.

"You're right." She said finally. "But it's not my secret to tell."

"Tucker said the same thing." Valerie answered, idly plucking a few crumbs without sufficient lift from the air in front of her face and licking her fingers. "I'm not asking you to tell Danny's secrets for him. Or Phantom's. I'd just like some help on how to ask."

After a brief pause to change out another set of cookie sheets, Maddie plopped down with a sigh. "My only advice is to wait for Jazz to come home, and wait for Phantom with her through his door." She said finally. "He's much calmer in there, more relaxed and inclined to talk about himself. And Jazz will help with the difficult psychological bits." Face turning to a teasing grin, the older woman leaned forward conspiratorially. "Now tell me. What have you and Tucker been working on in those towers?"

The two spent an enjoyable half-hour talking about boys and death rays, with an occasional flying cookie to break the conversation.

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"Clockwork." Intoned the chief ghost slowly. "After much deliberation, we believe we have reached a practical and just solution." Danny did his best to remain calm and still to support his friend, who was only bluffing wish slightly more skill. "While your actions may benefit the future, that remains to be seen. We must act on what we know. What we know is that you not only failed to eliminate the potentiality of Dan Phantom, you guaranteed his existence. However, because your later action resulted in his destruction, we have decided to view your assignment as successfully completed. This only leaves the problem of Phantom's destruction of many ghosts and lairs, and his influence's impact on the human world. In light of your contentions we have decided on a…unique ruling." The ghost arched his fingers over his podium and shared a nod with his colleagues. "We will wait. You say that the future will be brighter for your actions. So we will wait and see. In six months' time, if no mass damage or threats occur as a direct result of your actions in this matter, you will be judged innocent of all crimes. If something does happen, we shall observe and see if the situation resolves. If it does not, you will be held responsible for both the damage already done and the damage done during this period. Finally, according to policy, your presumed guilt taints all legal actions you have undertaken during and after your crimes and all such activities must be wiped from the record. All beings you have personally convicted without supporting evidence during this time will be given presumed innocence and carte blanche. They are to be released as soon as you return to your castle. If you are judged innocent, they will all be retried for their crimes and returned to custody on your testimony. You are to take no actions to influence the future from this point until we return for your second hearing. That is all."

The next thing either Clockwork or Danny knew, they were floating in the Ghost Zone. The council door was nowhere to be found. The time ghost immediately set off for home, Danny trailing behind him.

"Okay, I don't get it." He said finally. "They're letting you go?"

"Not exactly." His friend answered. "I am essentially under house arrest. I can go where I please, but I am barred from using my powers. Also, they are making me release Vlad."

"WHAT!" Danny yelped.

"It can't be helped." His friend sighed. "If I might be guilty, my word is worthless. And my word as a council member was the only thing keeping Vlad imprisoned. I was the councilor in charge of protecting your haunt from violation, and there is no evidence of his crime that the councilors will now accept."

"But Valerie's tape!" The half ghost called desperately.

"Tapes are a relatively new idea. Most of the councilors are several hundred years old, and they do not change quickly. Video footage is not yet accepted as evidence. Only testimony from an impartial ghost of good standing can be used as hard evidence. You are not impartial, and I am no longer in good standing, so I must let Vlad go. At least for six months." As the two neared the castle, Clockwork paused and gestured towards Danny's ghost door.

"You should go. I can't tell you anything that is about to happen, but you need to get going, and stay prepared. Several lives, including mine, rest on you maintaining the peace. I'll visit in a few weeks." Danny opened his mouth to reply and Clockwork vanished. Dejected, the half ghost headed home. It was several minutes before he realized Clockwork had simply become invisible. After all, his friend couldn't control time.