Chapter 2: Taking on Responsibilities

"But…that's impossible," Sam said, leaning against a locker for support. "I'm…I'm a mother? Of a twelve year old human-ghost hybrid?"

"Looks that way," Tucker said while still scrolling through his PDA.

"But, how is that even possible? She doesn't even look like she has any of my traits or looks."

"Well, genetics work in weird ways, Sam. I mean, if all of Danny's main traits are dominate, for example his eyes, than she would get them. But if the traits for hair are dominate on your side, she would have gotten that from you, though" he paused, looking Danielle over before turning back to Sam, "it's hard to say who she gets the hair color from, but she definitely got the style from Danny."

"I can't believe that thanks to that nutjob Vlad, Danny and I have a twelve year old daughter."

"Well, technically she's only about 8 months old, but basically yeah. It's gotta suck to know you have a kid and didn't even get to have the fun part of making her," he smirk.

"Tucker, this is not funny, nor something to joke about!" she yelled as her face started turning red from both anger and embarrassment at his comment.

"Look Sam, what do you want me to say? The proof is in the data. He took your DNA, made an exact replica of your egg, added Danny's DNA, put it together into some kind of chamber, and out came Danielle like a cake from the oven. It's all set in stone," he said, holding up his PDA again. "Or, print, I guess."

Sam sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know, Tucker, and I'm sorry. It's just a lot to take in right now, right Danny?" she asked. "Danny?" when she called his name again and still got no answer, she turned to see the two halfas were still staring at each other.

A long silence fell over the group, no one really what to say or make of the situation. Danny's mind was racing as many thoughts ran around, one after another, trying to be the dominant thought for him to focus on.

Danielle is…my daughter? Mine and Sam's daughter? But…she wasn't born to us. She was created differently…she was created by Vlad, but, that doesn't matter. It never mattered to me before because…because I had only thought of her as a cousin, maybe as a sister, but as a daughter? It never even crossed my mind. Can I handle that kind of responsibility? Do I even want it?

Danielle's mind was running just as much as Danny's, though her thoughts were completely different.

His daughter…I'm his daughter…and Sam's…Why wouldn't Vlad tell me this? Was he afraid that if I knew, I would have betrayed him sooner rather than later? This is all so confusing. I mean, I've always looked up to Danny, but more like a brother. The fact that he's my father, on a technical level, I guess doesn't mean anything. I mean, why would it? I wasn't born to him or Sam, and I'm only eight months old, but look like I'm twelve. Plus, they're fifteen! Why would they even want a kid right now? It was a mistake for me to come here. I shouldn't have brought this to them. Maybe…maybe I should just go…I mean, I've been taking care of myself for a while…

A small pang of guilt and sorrow ran up through Danielle's body. Here she was, trying to surprise her cousin with a visit and some new information that may be useful to him, and all she was doing was making his life more complicated. How could she expect him to even care for a daughter he never knew he had and who wasn't even technically his daughter, but an abomination made from a combination on DNA stolen from him and Sam? She'd have to be crazy to think he'd even consider having any feelings for her.

"Tucker, please explain to me, how she could be mine and Danny's daughter, but having almost exclusively Danny's traits?" Sam asked.

"Well to be honest, I'm not really sure. Maybe it's because his Ghost DNA was stronger than your human DNA. Since Vlad was using Phantom DNA instead of Fenton DNA, he could have had a stronger effect on her personality and traits, but that's a stretch, to say the least."

Sam sighed, turning back to the two still stunned halfas. "Hey, hello! Earth to Danny and Danielle! Wake up, space heads!" she said, shaking them both.

"Huh-who-what?" Danny said, looking at Sam who only rolled her eyes.

"Brilliant, Fenton. Now focus. What are we going to do about this?"

"About what?" Jazz asked, walking up to the group. "And what's keeping you guys? We were supposed to leave 10 minutes ago."

"Um, nothing, Jazz. I'll explain everything later. Right now, we need to get Danielle, and-" Danny stopped as he turned around to see that Danielle was gone. "Danielle? Danielle!" he yelled, panic quickly taking over all rationality in his body.

"Danny, calm down! Who's this Danielle you're talking about?" Jazz asked, concern for her brother clear in her voice.

Just as Danny was about to start explaining the situation, he caught something outside the window. He turned and focused on the black and white object as it streaked through the sky and away from the school. Before he even realized it, Danny had taken off down the hall, transforming into his ghost form in pursuit of the runaway ghost girl, having made up his mind in that split second of how he felt about her.

"Danny! Where are you going!"

"Take Sam and Tucker to our house, Jazz. I'll explain everything when I get there!" he yelled back, phasing threw the wall before she could protest.

It didn't take Danny long to catch up to Danielle. Even though he knew they could both go faster than 100 miles per hour, he could tell that she wasn't going faster then maybe 60. As he got closer, he soon realized why as he heard the sobs coming from the young girl.

"Dani! Stop!" he shouted over the wind.

"Leave me alone!" She yelled, turning to shoot an ecto-ray at him. Danny dodged it easy, but took quick note of the tears in her eyes.

"Danielle, stop!" he shouted again as he grabbed a hold of her wrist, yanking her back and causing them both to stop in mid-air. "Why are you running from me?"

"I said leave me alone!" She yelled in his face as she tried to yank her hand out of his grip, but to no avail.

"What's wrong with you? Why would you just take off like that?"

"Because!"

"Because what?"

"Just because!" she screech at him, still trying to get free.

"Wow, good reasoning there," he said in annoyance as he rolled his eyes. "Now, what's the real reason?"

"Because…I-I know…that you don't want me," she said in a sad tone as her body went limp and the tears she was fighting finally spilled over.

"Don't want you? What are you talking about?" he asked, finally letting go of her.

"How could you want me? I'm not even a clone of you. Just some messed up combination of cells and DNA that fruitloop stole from you and Sam. I'm an abomination. Why would you want or even care about me when all I ever do is bring more and more trouble to your lives. I mean, Sam probably doesn't like me. And let's not forget that you guys are fifteen years old! Why would you want the responsibility of having to look after me? I'd be better off just leaving you guys and not coming back. I'm not even technically your kid! I wasn't even born. I-"

"Danielle!" he yelled, startling her as he grabbed her shoulders. "Shut up and stop talking nonsense!"

"What? But-"

"Listen to me, and listen good. You are NOT, I repeat, NOT an abomination or a messed up combination of mine and Sam's DNA. You are a smart, cheery, mischievous, beautiful young lady. Sure, we didn't exactly create you ourselves, and yeah, we may only be fifteen years old, but you're our daughter, making you our responsibility, and no matter how you got here or why, you are still mine, and I'll love you either way, no matter what."

"But…what about Sam? She doesn't even like me."

"Now why would you say that?"

"Because every time I show up, I do something that either gets them in trouble or puts someone in danger," she said in a quiet voice, a bit of shame creeping into her stomach.

"Look, Dani, sure, you may have caused a few…mishaps in the past, but those weren't your fault. And I can promise you, Sam isn't the type to hold long grudges over a little food on her head. Trust me, I know," he said with a grin that caused her to smile a little.

"But what about your guys' parents? What'll they say when you tell them you have a 8 month old daughter that looks like she's twelve?"

"You know, when you say it like that, it sounds kinda weird," Danny said, getting a small giggle from the young girl. "We'll worry about all that later. Right now, all that's important is to get you back to my place and get you rested and fed, because you are not, no matter how much you try to argue, no matter how many times you try to run away, and I will find you," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye, "leaving again," he finished, pulling her into a tight hug that surprised her. "Understood?"

Danielle floated there, completely stunned before her face started to scrunch up and more tears came to her eyes. "Danny, I-I don't-"she stopped as her chest started to heave with a sob and her tears started to flow like a river. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. "Thank you!"

"Of course. Now, let's go home. I'm sure Sam and Tucker are at their wits end with Jazz asking all those questions. Not to mention how my parents are reacting to trying to calm Jazz down."

"Wow…I've never been this nervous. Not even when Vlad was trying to melt me into ectoplasm," she said, wiping her eyes and heading the direction of Fenton Works. "Race ya!" she yelled before taking off at full speed.

"Hey, no fair!" he smiled before taking off after her.

Upon their arrival, Danielle cheered and floated around Danny victoriously and followed him onto the porch where they both proceeded to change back into their human forms. As she stood in front of the door, she could feel her knees start to get weak from the fear of what was going to transpire once they entered the home. She looked up at Danny who was looking down at her with a reassuring smile.

"Are you ready for this?"

"I'd be lying if I said yes," she said as she placed a hand on her stomach. "I feel like I'm gonna puke, so let's just get this over with."

"Look, Danielle," he said, kneeling down to her level, "no matter what happens in there, I promise you're safe, and I will protect you. You are important to me, and I love you, so don't you ever think I don't and that I'd just leave you to face this alone," he said smiling at her. He then kissed her forehead, trying to help to ease her fright, and was rewarded with a smile and another hug before standing to his feet and opening the door.