A/N: Well, I took a long time to think up what I think might be a good fighting scene, but don't blame me if it's bad. Heh, well anyways, I hope you enjoy this latest installment. There's no other story to look at for me, because this has never been done before (Danny fighting Johnny with little experience. But hey, he fought one ghost, and then beat Skulker at his worst so, where to get it from, I wonder…)

OMG, my poem's going to be published! & it was a suxy poem too…oh well. Gotta find a stamp to send in the confirmation letter…hmm…

Thanks to dessyweird51, Jenna Dax, Ghostboy814, Jessica01, divinedragon7, Black January, passing4insane, and simple.pleasures for reviewing, I appreciate them a whole lot! Here are your pixel-ly cookies, happy chomping!

Happy Reading!

The Best Gift of All: Chapter 14: Courage and Strength

Danny opened his eyes, and found himself face to face with a blazing sun. Immediately, he closed his eyes and rolled over, then finally got up. He found himself in the grass next to an amusement park.

'Jazz!' He thought, remembering. 'I've got to find you!'

With that he sped off, in the direction of the park.

'Maybe they went there…'

It took him about ten minutes to arrive. He searched above tree level until he spotted them, cuddled under a lush tree.

'Gotta get his hands off my sister…why do I keep calling her my sister? Oh well, no time to worry about that…'

He dove down and landed unnoticed on a tree branch. It started cracking as he calculated a plan in his head. He quickly turned back into his human form, and with the added body mass, the tree branch cracked, causing him to crash on the ground right in front of the pair. They immediately broke apart, and a ring fell on the ground. Johnny was too busy staring at Jazz and vice versa, startled, so Danny discretely snatched the ring.

'I guess he won't be able to give Jazz this one piece…wonder what it's for…' he thought, sticking it in his pocket.

Afterwards, Jazz and Johnny turned to glare at him.

"Danny! What are you doing here?" Jazz screeched.

"I…Uh…was looking…for you! I went to sleep in this here tree, and I fell down, and here I am now," Danny drabbled.

"Sure…" Johnny said. "Can he get in trouble for this?" he turned to Jazz.

"Most probably, because I'm their real child, and not some pickup." She said, glaring at Danny.

'Jazz doesn't act like this…it must be the work of Johnny, the Shadow ghost, and that ghost in the ring! Don't worry Jazz, I'll save you…'

CHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHACHA

"You did what!" Maddie screeched, with Jack backing her up.

Jazz and Johnny were also glaring.

"Maddie, I can explain!" Danny said, cowering beneath their glares. "I was just…"

As soon as Jazz and Johnny turned around, Jack whispered to Danny:

"Good job kid, looking out for Jazz."

"Thanks Danny! Keep up the good work!" Maddie said.

As soon as Jazz and Johnny faced their direction, they pretended to be angry once more.

"And don't do it again!" They said at the same time.

Jazz glared at Danny one more time, then Johnny blew her a kiss goodbye and she stomped in the house, slamming the door behind her. Maddie and Jack turned back to face Danny.

"Danny," Maddie started, "We're going to go to the store, ok? Look out for Jazz, will you?"

"You bet." Danny said, smiling.

They smiled back, then got into the Family's SUV and drove away. Danny watched the car disappear from sight, and then walked into the house, unseen.

Meanwhile, Jazz was on the phone.

"Hey Johnny?" She said.

"Yes Kitten?"

"Wanna come over? You know to listen to some CD's? My parents aren't home…"

"Yeah, CDs. I'll be right over."

'Click.'

Jazz hung up the phone and lay down in her bed, greatly appeased. Little did she know that Danny listened in to the conversation…

In a few minutes, Johnny drove up in his motorcycle. He jumped down from his motorcycle and walked up to the house, then rang the doorbell. Jazz immediately let him in the house. Inside, he was freaking out.

'Where could I have put the ring?' Johnny wondered. 'If I lost it that means that I can't give it to this girl and get Kitty here, with me! It must be somewhere…'

But outside, he played it smooth.

"Kitten?" he said.

"Yes?" Jazz asked, blinking prettily.

"Do you have anywhere more…private?" He said, indicating somewhere where her 'brother' would not be.

"Oh yes, my parent's lab. Come here, I'll show you."

Jazz took his hand. Inside he cringed, but convinced himself that he was doing this for Kitty. Now he missed her more than ever…Jazz led him down the stairs into the basement. Inside, he saw all kinds of assorted ghost hunting equipment.

'Ooo, a portable ghost portal,' he thought, spotting one on the table.

He knew one when he saw one. After all, he had a few run-ins with Walker and his crew of police. He kept a lot in his office, but it was too risky to grab one. And now he had the perfect chance…he snatched it quickly, putting it in his coat pocket. Jazz led him through the whole lab, until they reached the control panel for the ghost portal.

"…And when it opens, the colors are actually pretty!" Jazz said enthusiastically. "To open it, a member of our family has to put their finger on the scanner.

"Will you show me what it looks like? The ghost portal?" he asked. He had to see Kitty again, even if he hadn't found the ring yet.

"I trust you Johnny," Jazz said, then started to put her finger on it, until she heard someone scream:

"Jazz! Don't do it!"

"Huh?" She said. "Danny, what are you doing here!"

Johnny grabbed her hand and slammed her finger against the scanner, and the portal opened.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" Jazz said.

"Get away from him. He's trying to send you into the ghost zone to summon a ghost here!" Danny said, running towards them.

When he was under the bookshelves, Johnny yelled, "Shadow, fetch!", in the process, knocking Jazz over. The jacket and scarf fell off of her.

Shadow appeared, phasing through the bookshelves, which caused them to turn black for an instant, and then fall upon Danny in a heap.

"Danny!" Jazz screamed. "What did you do Johnny?"

Johnny hurriedly grabbed her and forcefully put the clothes back on, which sent her into a daze. Danny phased out of the bookshelves and transformed into his alter ego.

"So you're that ghost…I never would have guessed. Oh well, I wonder what your motive is, but then again, I don't have time for that!"

"So you control Shadow. You're a ghost too?"

"Precisely, and I need this girl to bring my girlfriend here so we can be together! Do you have time to help me find the ring I need to finish it? You must understand…"

'So Johnny's a ghost, the girl in the ring is his girlfriend, and he needs the ring to switch her and Jazz…I get it now,' Danny thought, and then grinned.

"No…but now I know you can't do anything without this!" He said, showing the ring.

"Give that back, kid! Shadow, fetch the ring!" He said, and then Shadow began to chase after him in a whir.

Danny sped away.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

'Ring…ring…ring…'

"Darn it!" Tucker said, then started dialing Danny's cell phone number again.

"Just give up Tucker, he's not going to pick up." Sam said, sighing.

"But what if he's in trouble?"

"Of course he is, that's why he didn't come back!"

"If he did, he could have sparred me getting called 'Bad Luck Tuck'…I am not bad luck!"

"I know, I know. You are in fact good luck."

"Ring…Ring…hello?"

"He picked up!" Tucker said to Sam, and then turned back to the phone at hand. "Man, you don't know how long I've been trying to call you…"

"I need help. Is Sam with you?"

"You are in trouble! And yes, she is."

"Go to the park, and bring the Thermos. I need your skills. I've got a plan in motion to try…"

LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA

Since Shadow was his name, Danny guessed that he would be sensitive to light. It might not work, but then again, if it did, he would be able to suck it up in his trusty thermos. And he could trust Sam and Tucker to bring it and carry through with his plan. After all, they were his best friends, and he hoped for the best. He sped through the sky, taunting Shadow.

"You're not fast enough, nowhere near fast enough, nana, you can never catch up to me, sucker!" He said, sticking out his tongue. His ghost sense kicked off and he turned around, only to come face to face with Shadow, who was lunging in for the kill.

"In one foul swoop, you…" Danny dodged, and then sped forward. "…miss!"

In five more minutes, he had reached the park, with Shadow right on his tail. In an attempt to slow him down, Danny ran him through buildings, parking signs, and even hotdog stands. He hoped that it would still be usable by tomorrow, though, or that would pretty much suck. He flew in towards the middle of the stadium where all the school games would be played.

'Boy, I hope Sam and Tucker made it in time…'

He found Johnny already in the middle of the field.

"Nice try kid. Don't ever try and double cross me. You're going down. Now to finish you off, for the second time!"

Shadow dove in again, and then Danny said, "Not this time!"

'I hope…"

To his extreme pleasure, the stadium lights turned on, and Shadow froze in its tracks, screeching in pain.

"Catch!" He heard Sam yell out, and he turned around and caught the thermos.

Danny turned around and opened the thermos, then activated it, effectively sucking Shadow inside its confinements.

"No, my power!" Johnny said. "I have to flee!"

"Never again, Johnny. Here's your ring," he said, throwing the ring at Johnny, effectively conking him on the side of the head. "And bye-bye you go! Have a nice life with your new wife!"

Danny sucked him in the Thermos.

"Well that's settled…" he said, then landed in the middle of the stadium, turning back into his human self.

Tucker and Sam ran towards where he was standing.

"Danny, you did great!" Sam said, hugging him then kissing him on the cheek without being aware of what she had done. "I'm so proud!"

Danny blushed. "Uh…thanks Sam!"

Tucker snorted. "Lovebirds…"

"Are not!" Danny and Sam yelled, glaring at him.

"Are too! I swear, if you guys turn out to be related I will be seriously grossed out. You guys are way too mushy."

"And we're not related!"

"Just kidding! Anyways, it was a long day."

"Yeah…" Sam said. "Let's go home. Danny, you're going to walk me, right?"

"Of course," Danny said, smiling. "And don't forget about that ride I owe you."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sam said, smirking.

"Lovebirds…" Tucker muttered.

"Tuck!" They said.

"I get it; I get it…well tomorrow's the weekend! Oh Wonderful weekend!"

"Yep indeed," Danny said, putting his hands behind his head. "Yes indeed…"

And they walked to the park exit, not noticing the red glare emitting from the bushes…