Hello! Sorry this chapter took so long - there are too many reasons it is late to list them all, but mainly this: when I started writing this story, I hadn't watched many episodes recently, so I took some time to watch the rest of the episodes.
Thanks to everyone who has read this fic and is still reading!
Also, sorry if this is really short, I just wanted to get it up and didn't think it needed to be really long.
Please forgive me if this chapter is terrible - I had part of it written but apparently didn't save it so now it's gone and I've had to rewrite it.
I do not own Hanna is Not a Boy's Name or Danny Phantom.
Chapter Six - Uninvited Guests
Unfortunately, no matter how awful Danny's weekend was, the school week still came. Danny ended up falling asleep in class and only missed detention because the Box Ghost had attacked before his punishment was finalized. For once, Danny was glad it was so easy for the Box Ghost to escape the Ghost Zone. Still, it had been a long day, and Danny opens the front door of FentonWorks on Monday looking forward to collapsing on his bed and spending some time doing something other than worrying about the paranormal investigators - like sleeping.
Unfortunately, said paranormal investigators are sitting on his couch, listening to his parents with varying levels of intensity, except for the kid with gray hair, who looks like he wants to fall asleep as much as Danny does.
Danny walks to the stairs, hoping no one will notice him.
It doesn't work.
"Hi Danny!" His mom calls.
Danny flinches at the sound of his mom's voice. It sounds . . . happy. The kind of happy his parents can only get when they're talking about ghosts.
"Danny, why don't you come on down and meet these people - they want to know more about ghosts!" Jack calls up the stairs.
"Do I have rotten luck or what?" Danny mutters, then calls back down to his dad, "Uh, not right now, dad. I have, um, homework! I have lots of homework to do so I'm going to go do it!"
Danny runs up the stairs and into his room, then shuts the door and locks it. He sits on the floor, staring up at his NASA posters for a moment, then picks up his cell phone and dials both Sam and Tucker, putting them on 3-way.
"Hi Danny," Tucker says.
"Hey Danny, what's up?" Sam asks.
"They're in my house," Danny whispers, looking nervously at the door like someone's going to come barging into the room with some kind of ghost weapon.
"The ghost hunters?" Tucker asks.
"Who else?!" Danny says. "They're talking with my parents about ghosts."
"More like one ghost, I'm guessing," Sam says.
"Yeah, and I'm guessing I know who that ghost is," Danny moans.
"What's the big deal, man?" Tucker asks. "It's not like your parents are going to tell them who you are; I don't think they would even if they knew."
"Well, no one's going to come right out and say it to them, but what if these guys manage to put together the pieces my parents haven't?"
"Is Jazz with them?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, but I don't trust her not to give pieces away by accident. These guys are supposed to be professionals. If she's acting weird, they might figure it out."
"Come on, Danny, give your sister a little more credit. Jazz might be able to steer them away from you, and she wouldn't do anything to give your secret away," Sam says, trying to reassure Danny.
"Maybe not on purpose," Danny says. "But what if something gets said by accident?"
"Danny, you're worrying too much. You're going to have a heart attack or something," Tucker says. "I'm guessing they'd notice if you went down there and overshadowed your parents, so there's nothing you can do to change things. Just calm down."
"I guess you're right," Danny says.
"Of course he is," Sam says. "Just try not to think about it."
"It's hard to do that when they're downstairs right now."
"Fine. You want to come to my house instead?" Sam says.
"I don't really know . . . "
"You're coming," Sam says.
"What about me?" Tucker says.
"Sure, you can come too," Sam says.
"Sweet! Almost makes up for the fact you two lovebirds forgot I was on the phone . . . See you there!" Tucker says before he hangs up.
"Danny?" Sam asks. "You still there?"
"Yeah," Danny says.
"Don't worry. No one who lives here has figured out your secret yet, I doubt these people are going to."
"But what if -"
"Hey, don't worry about it until it happens. I'll see you at my house, okay?"
"Okay."
Sam hangs up.
Danny feels anything but reassured. He knows worrying won't do anything to help, but ignoring the problem, especially when it's in his own living room, seems risky.
Danny sighs and shakes his head. He told Sam he'd come to her house. He stands up. Today has been such a long day; maybe some time relaxing with his two best friends is what he needs after all.
"Goin' Ghost!" Danny cries, trying to keep his voice quiet so that no one downstairs will hear. The familiar white rings sweep over him, changing him from Danny Fenton to Danny Phantom. Danny goes intangible, passes out of the house, and begins flying towards Sam's house.
He hopes that leaving the paranormal investigators alone with his parents isn't a mistake.