A/N: Okay! I've got you readers a long chapter because of your two week wait. Sorry if it is too centered on Theo again. More Danny chapters will be after this one. That is all I have to say at the moment. Go enjoy your chapter!

Disclaimer: Own Danny Phantom, I do not.

Chapter 18 Secret Kitsune

Theo sighed for the hundredth time that night. Worry had kept him up like this for hours now. His body and mind were tired and weary, but the tension and his anxiousness was tormenting him by keeping his sleepy eyes wide awake. He guessed that is had to be at least two in the morning. He hated himself for punishing his body like this.

The river smoothly flowing by the rock Theo was on was illuminated by the stars shining down on its moving surface. The moon was only a small sliver in the sky. Its presence was a frustrating and painful reminder to the half sphinx that time was ticking and he didn't have much of it left.

Two gods and a goddess were left. He and Danny only had about three or four days to deliver their symbols. And that was if Danny actually had enough strength or lived long enough to get up and help out. If he wasn't, Theo knew he himself would never make it.

And the worry continued.

"Boo!"

All of the sudden, Danny's glowing face was in Theo's. The teen on the rock leaned back with a sharp gasp in his freak out moment. By doing so, he lost his balance and fell off his perch completely. A frightened scream escaped Theo as he landed roughly on his back in the mud by the river.

Danny laughed uncontrollably as he hovered over Theo in ghost form. At first, Theo just stared, stunned, up at Danny. It wasn't till Danny's sides were hurting from laughter and he had to sit down on the rock that Theo's brain kicked back on.

"Little brat!" Theo hissed up at Danny. He sprung to his feet and strongly shoved Danny backwards. The ghost boy was so surprised by this action he didn't recover till he was hitting the cold surface of the river behind him.

Clinging onto the rock with clattering teeth from the rude cold, Danny glared up at the smirking Theo. Wanting to wipe that smile off his face; Danny grabbed one of Theo's ankles and pulled back on it, successfully tripping the other teen. Theo gave a yelp before plunging into the icy depths. He came back up sputtering and shivering. He grabbed onto the rock next to Danny.

Looking at each other, the boys suddenly cracked up.

"You look like a drown rat!" Danny said between laughs, pointing a finger at Theo.

"Me? What about you?" Theo teased back. "Be careful, ghost boy. You're ice powers might make your purple skin get frostbite." They laughed some more. It took a few seconds for them to get control over themselves.

"Man! This water is freezing!" Danny said, finally getting enough brains to pull himself up out of the river.

Theo quickly climbed up the rock and stuck out a hand for Danny to grab onto. A big, stupid smile was on Theo's face as he hauled Danny out of the river. Danny looked over his sore and painful wounds to make sure he didn't make anything worse as the mates sat back down on the rock. He glanced up at Theo, finally noticing the smile.

"Why the goofy grin?" Danny asked. "You being happy is very suspicious."

Theo glanced over and rolled his eyes. "What?" he asked. "I can't ever be happy?"

Danny gave an overdramatic gasp. "I know!" he said. "You were worried about me! Mister stone faced and reclusive finally felt concern. Has it opened your eyes to wondrous new emotions?"

Theo laughed with Danny, surprised that he didn't go ahead and clobber the kid for mocking him. "Yeah," Theo admitted quietly. "I was worried."

Danny's smile dropped as the mood became more serious. "You were?" he asked in slight surprise.

"And," Theo said as he looked down at the river that seemed to glow in the clear night, "I'm sorry for making you fight Ares." He sighed. It was painful on his pride to admit this next part. "I was wrong. I thought you were strong enough to keep from getting hurt, but you weren't. I'm sorry I overestimated you and almost got you killed."

There was silence for a moment.

"Hey, dude, no big deal," Danny said with a simple shrug. He wasn't the one to hold a grudge, and he personally thought he needed a brutal fight like that. It was a good snap into reality. "Actually, I'm healing pretty quickly. Maybe that weird kid, Rhodes, drugged me with some painkiller. Jeez, that kid is strange! Why on earth did you let him tag along?"

"You can say that again," Theo sighed in annoyance over the matter. "I was about to force some answers out of him while I had him pinned to a tree, my dagger at his throat. But it just so happened that your friends were there watching. Apparently they don't like me picking on little kids. And after you blacking out, they now hate my guts. This is still a disaster."

Danny burst out laughing at the visual he got in his head. Theo's ears flattened as he shot Danny a cold look. "Oh boy! No wonder you looked so hopeless before I scared you!" Danny laughed. "You had a whole camp glaring daggers at you. Way to go, cat boy."

"Cat boy," Theo repeated flatly. "Funny. You're spiteful, grass eating girlfriend called me the same thing."

Danny's cheeks turned red the second time that night. He was thankful for the cover of night that hid most of the color from Theo. "Um…we're not exactly boy and girl friend," he said, forcing the words out.

"Oh," Theo said, giving Danny a confused look. "I thought that was what your time period called it."

"Called what?" Danny asked.

"When two people like each other they call each other boy and girl friend, right?" Theo asked. "You like Sam, don't you? I thought you did. Well, it always looked like it whenever I went to your time period."

"Um…yeah, of course I like her," Danny said in a rush, trying desperately to sound casual. "We're really good friends, but we are not…boy and girl friend. I mean, maybe someday. Or…uh…maybe never. I'm not exactly sure." Frantic to get himself out of the spotlight, he asked, "So do you have a girlfriend?"

The last question throwing off his planned comment about Danny and Sam, Theo looked back down at the river. "No," he said after a pause. "I…don't exactly have the time for a girl…or more like no girl has the time for me." He sighed as the unfamiliar subject bothered him. "Love is too confusing for me to even consider."

"Yeah, only someone pretty weird and special will be able to date you, Theo," Danny said with a sly smile.

"Oh, thanks," Theo muttered with a tired sigh.

-That Morning-

"So," Danny finished up his speech to Sam, Tucker, and Rhodes, "Theo and I only have a few days left to return Hades, Hera, and Zeus their symbols. This part will be the most dangerous, so Theo and I need all the help we can get. Are you guys gonna help us or what?"

Sam and Tucker were sitting on a large log across from where Danny was sitting cross legged next to the small fire that Rhodes had kept going all night long. Rhodes was sitting off to the side of the camp, looking back and forth from Danny to Theo. The half sphinx was busy sharpening the blade of his dagger with a stone by a tree, keeping his silence as Danny explained their mission to his friends…and Rhodes.

"Okay," Tucker said slowly, trying to take everything in all at once. "So the gods and goddesses we learned about in seventh grade were really powerful ghosts?"

"Yeah, but more like me, 'cause they have human forms as well as ghost forms," Danny said.

"And there isn't a ghost zone in this time period?" Sam asked.

"Well, that's what Theo said," Danny answered. He noticed his friends' frowns after he said this and quickly did damage control. "But I'd trust him with whatever he says about ghost portals and stuff," he said to them. "He doesn't say much about them, but trust me, he knows more than what he is letting on. He knows more about the ghost zone than us three combined."

Sam and Tucker looked at each other, silently agreeing with the other. They smiled before Tucker let Sam say, "We're with you, Danny. We're your best friends; we'd help you even if we thought you were crazy…which you kinda are." Danny grinned back at them, happy to have such loyal and close friends.

Before standing up, Theo glanced at Rhodes. The boy was staring right at him, giving Theo an unwanted and strange feeling. It was like the kid had been expecting him to stand up and take command. He could see it in the boy's eyes. He actually wanted Theo to be leader. It was different to have someone essentially want him to be one.

Not knowing what to do with this new feeling; Theo gave Rhodes a chilling look to back off. Rhodes didn't seem to be effected by the glare as he watched Theo cross the clearing so that he was standing next to where Danny was still sitting. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and made eye contact with both Sam and Tucker.

"Okay, now that you agreed to help," Theo said with a firm voice, "We have to go over some rules."

"Rules?" Tucker protested quite loudly.

"Yes," Theo answered with sharpness to his voice this time. "One, my last plan might have been a mistake, but that doesn't mean I don't know my way around here. I know more about this time period and the gods than you ever learned in a dumb history class. That means I lead everyone. Two, we go at my pace when traveling on foot. If I say to go faster, we go faster. I say when we stop and where. Three, everyone pulls their own weight whenever we make camp. Four, when we take the time to set up a plan for returning the last three symbols I want all ideas no matter how stupid. Trust me; I'm always up for the most insane. Lastly, our hike to the Underworld begins…now."

-Few Hours Later-

Picking up a good sized piece of wood off the ground and adding it to the collection in his arms, Theo's ears suddenly picked up a sound in the forest surrounding him. The sound had been slight, but Theo's good hearing let him perceive it. It had been distant. That only meant that the curious half cat had to check it out.

After walking and jogging for the better part of a day, Theo had led the group through the woods for hours till finally stopping to make camp. Sam and Danny had gone off to a stream to reload goat skin canteens with fresh water. Theo put Tucker to work by collecting rocks for their fire, and he and Rhodes went separate ways to collect firewood.

Now, too inquisitive for his own good about the sound, Theo crouched close to the earth and started to sneak forward to investigate. For all he knew, it could have been a deer passing by. But then again, he would have spotted the creature. If you knew where to look, a deer wasn't too hard to spot.

He was only a few yards away from the place where he believed he heard the shifting sound. One more step closer and…snap!

Barely able to comprehend what had just happened, Theo was suddenly lifted high into the air by a rope that was tightly wrapped around his ankle. Letting out a surprised yell, Theo fell back down to the ground as gravity took over. Still tied to the rope that was attached to a tree branch, Theo slammed his head into the earth before bouncing back up…just to come back down for another harsh head beating from Mother Nature.

It took a good minute and a half for the bouncing to stop. Groaning and whispering some colorful words, Theo held his spinning head as he dangled a few feet above the ground. Hissing in pain, Theo opened his eyes and looked around from his upside-down position. Looking up, he saw his ankle that had gotten itself ensnarled into the animal trap. It was already swelling, obviously hurt somehow from his wild ride.

"Good thing Danny and his friends aren't here," Theo muttered sourly under his breath, "Or I'd have them teasing and tormenting me till my grave. Why do felines have to have so much pride? This is so freaking embarrassing!"

Taking out his dagger from his belt that was beginning to fall off his hips, Theo strained his sore body as he reached for the rope tied to his ankle so he could cut himself down. Whoever had made the trap was really good at them, Theo mused to himself. If it could hold something as big as a teenager, it meant the knots and set up was perfect. Too bad the hunter wouldn't get any dinner. The guy sure did deserve it with this kind of trap.

"Yes! I got something this soon? That's record timing!" someone's excited voice said as its owner jumped out from behind a cluster of trees. Theo gasped in surprise and snapped his head around to see who it was. His eyes widened in complete shock.

The person was small and thin, wearing the normal toga and sandals with a large straw hat that had been pushed back so it hung off the head by a small string. That was all common…except that the person was a girl.

Not just any girl, though. She had two furry pointed ears and long, thick crimson colored hair tied into a tight braid. Two same colored tails poked through the end of the toga, swishing around like bothered eels at the bottom of the sea. But it was her eyes that stole the boy's breath away. They were violet.

"Rhodes." The word was breathed into a soft whisper that seemed like the wind itself.

For a moment the two stared, stunned and awestruck at each other. Silent and deathly still, it took a moment for both of them to process the information before them and come up with a solution. Action was their conclusions.

Lunging upward, Theo swung his dagger at the rope bound around his ankle. He planned to get the heck away from there and warn the others. He couldn't believe how stupid he was for letting Rhodes join them. He had put the whole camp in danger!

The blade was inches away from slicing the rope when Rhodes's action caught up with his. She came in a powerful kick to his shoulder. The impact sent the dangling teen off balance. Theo dropped his dagger with a sharp yell as he swung into a tree near the one he was tangled to. As he swung back towards Rhodes, the boy desperately reached for the weapon. Unfortunately, his fingers weren't even able to brush against its handle.

Slamming back into Rhodes, he tried to sum up his fire powers as she placed her fingertips on his forehead. Crying out in pain, Theo forgot his powers as an overwhelming shock wave flashed through his head. Upside down, he grabbed onto Rhodes's arm that had been placed onto his forehead. Another wave fried his senses, making him gasp this time.

"Let…go of me," Rhodes said, her eyes squeezed shut. Crystal clear tears were collecting at the edges of her lashes. "Please, Theo," she seemed to beg. When he didn't let go, she sent a third shock wave through him.

Sick of the pain, Theo slowly let go of Rhodes's arm. As he did so, she lifted her fingertips off his forehead. They were both breathing hard as they stared at each other. Theo's head was right at the girl's eye level, forcing the adversaries to look into the other's face.

"What in the Underworld is going on here?" Theo finally said to break the silence between them. "You better start explaining, you trickster Kitsune, or you're going to have one ticked off cat."

Rhodes stepped back from Theo. "You know what I am?" she asked quietly, some surprise in her voice.

"Yeah, you're a sly and conniving Japanese fox spirit," Theo spat back. "I've heard stories about your type. None of them were good. What are you doing so far away from your island? What do you want with the others and me?"

"That's just it," Rhodes said with despair and a passion in her voice. "I was kidnapped from Japan thirty years ago. I had been working on my transformation power, but I messed up and got this mixed form. Before I could change back, some pirates captured me and put some kind of a spell on me so that I'm now stuck in this form. They took me here and sold me to a man that was the leader of some traveling performers. I was forced to work with them for years, as a rare fox lady. But the day I ran away, I ran into that god named Vlad."

Tears again threatening to escape her eyes, Rhodes held back a sad sob. She had spent too many years in this country in captivity. Usual fox spirits her age were so nice and innocent, just beginning to understand their powers, but not her. Her years spent in Greece were harsh and brutal ones. She had learned to grow up and fight for her life. She didn't know what was coming over her as she talked to Theo. She hadn't cried since that first night of being kidnapped. Now she couldn't keep back to the sobs.

"I know you think I'm stupid and most likely tricking you when I say this," Rhodes continued, "But when I saw you for the first time, I felt…safe. Somehow I knew you had been through what I went through. I just knew you had a hard and painful life like mine. To find someone like me felt so exciting that I wanted to be around you and the others."

"So you were like a stalker?" Theo asked, kind of distraught by this.

Rhodes gave a light chuckle. The pleasant and soft smile she then gave him seemed to smooth out all of Theo's tensions. "Kind of," she answered. "I also had nowhere to go and I'm prone to liking…lets say stressful situations. You and the others seemed perfect."

"They aren't exactly a walk in the park," Theo returned with a grumble.

"They're different," Rhodes said quietly after a small pause, "Just like me. I've come to like them."

For a brief moment, the two stared at each other again. But this time it was different. Instead of mistrust, anxiety, and aggression, there was a bond between the two that was untouchable and unspoken. Their hardships seemed to have bound them together. Again, against Theo's better judgment, the boy let the girl into his life.

"They aren't going to greet you so well if they found out you were a girl this whole time," Theo pointed out bluntly.

Rhodes flashed the teen demigod a sly smile. "Who says we have to tell them the truth?" she asked.

Theo frowned at this thought. "They deserve to know," he argued. "You can't just walk around pretending to be a guy whenever you're in public."

"Oh yeah," Rhodes said, putting her hands on her hips. Her two tails swished around in annoyance. "You try being a girl for one day. You know how difficult that is? We are mistreated and disrespected everyday so we can be put into our place. We are treated like animals by all men. Trust me. It is a lot safer for me to pretend to be a little boy than it is for me to be a girl."

Theo opened his mouth to protest, but at the last minute saw her logic and where she was coming from. Girls were treated differently in different time periods. It had taken him a few trips into those other periods to get used to treating a girl the same way he would treat anyone else.

Sighing, Theo said, "Fine. You can keep the little kid identity. But these guys are not what they seem. They wouldn't treat you badly if they found out who you really were. They would be mad that you tricked them, but they wouldn't see you any differently." He wasn't sure how much Rhodes knew about the Ghost Zone or portals, but just in case he didn't let out much information. Only with trust he would give that to her.

"I can think for myself," Rhodes retorted. "And usually I'm right. And right now I believe it would be better for me to keep a low profile."

"Fine," Theo growled back.

"Fine!" Rhodes shouted into his upside down face.

"Fine!" Theo yelled. They narrowed their eyes at each other in their heated silent argument. Finally Theo rolled his eyes as he swallowed his pride once again and muttered, "Can you get me down from here? This position is giving me a headache."

A/N: I've always wanted to do what I just did with Rhodes. Those girl-pretending-to-be-little-boy concepts have always pulled me into stories or make me love the story more. A few years ago I read a Jane Yolen book where that happened, and it was so surprising that I decided that one day I would do it myself.

Okay, so I have an idea for another Danny Phantom fan fic. Right now I'm just thinking over chapters and plot ideas to see what I like or can make better. I don't even have a summery yet. But in my next update, I'm gonna pitch my summary to you readers to see what you guys think of it. Have any of you readers have heard of the UK book series called CHERUB? The question has to do with my fan fic.

So, my next update will be in two weeks on either Friday or Saturday now. I wish I could update quicker, but AP English has me busting my butt with essays and term papers. Ug. But you readers have a great weekend! Go have some fun before the weather gets too cold!