Author's Notes:

It's funny to me; I always write these author's notes either before or during the writing of the chapter, and I always end up having to change them because I changed what I was going to write or because I have to apologize for another late chapter. ^_^; But hey, not this time!

Anyway, there's a few more comments that I left at the bottom as well, so I'll see you there!

As Danny pulled the last haphazardly folded shirt out of his duffel bag, he stared in surprise at the large, newspaper-wrapped item that sat at the bottom. He had forgotten already that Vlad had left him a gift in his bag, and now that he saw it, he couldn't figure out what it might be. After he had stared at it for a moment, he wondered why he was waiting. It wasn't like it was Christmas; he could open the gift any time he wanted.

Pulling the large, mostly circular, and somewhat heavy object out of the bag, he set it down on his bed and carefully began unwrapping the newspaper around it. As an edge was revealed, something about it seemed familiar to him. Finally pulling away the last of the makeshift wrapping, Danny stared in wonder at the device sitting before him. It was certainly a familiar thing—a near exact replica of the ghost portal in their basement. Except, this one was about the size of a small beach ball, and had a metal panel on the back instead of being attached to a wall. There was a small note taped to the doors.

Daniel,

This is a fully functioning ghost portal. All you need to do is plug it in to a normal wall socket, and the ecto-filtrator will care for itself. I've had this device for many years, but I no longer have use for it. You, however, will certainly have need of it. You see, you can keep this portal in your bedroom, and it will provide quick access to the ghost zone in the event of an emergency. Most humans cannot fit through it, but it should prove no trouble for you in your ghost form. There's also a button on the side that will send an emergency message to me.

Please, if you need to, do not hesitate to use this portal and the call button. If you need help of any kind, I can provide it.

-Vlad

Danny set the note down, blinking at the miniature ghost portal still sitting on his bed. Vlad's a little bit paranoid, isn't he? Yet, I can't deny that it might come in handy… He thought to himself. It was clear to him that the threat Vlad was probably afraid of was his parents, and though Danny didn't want to believe that he would ever need it for that purpose, it was certainly reassuring to have an escape route close by, for whatever he might actually need it for.

He picked up the device and set it on his desk, next to the large monitor, plugging it into the socket nearby. The light at the top of the portal blinked twice to indicate that it was working. Though he knew it probably wasn't the best idea, his curiosity got the better of him, and he pressed the large button at the base. As predicted, the yellow and black doors slid open, revealing the familiar swirling green energy.

Becoming even more curious, Danny stuck his hand inside the opening, looking around to the backside of the device to see that it had, in fact, disappeared. Taking his hand out and feeling a bit braver, Danny leaned over and stuck his head through the portal. After having looked around at the section of the ghost zone the portal was connected to, which looked exactly like every other part, he pulled his head back out and just looked at the thing for a moment.

The ghost that popped out suddenly startled him, and he nearly fell back in his chair. The tiny ghost was little more than a blob with arms, much like Skulker without his suit. Recovering from the shock, Danny quickly aimed a small blast at it, which sent it back where it came from, then he quickly slammed the button again to close the doors.

Okay, so opening the portal outside of emergencies is probably not the best plan. Danny thought to himself.

Danny jolted awake, covered in a cold sweat. He took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm down, and sat up. He didn't remember what he had dreamt about, but a lingering feeling of dread hung over his him. He squinted around in the darkness, his eyes alighting on a strange glow off to his left. He was used to the faint glow of the stars affixed to his ceiling, but this was something else, something much brighter. Looking at it for only a brief second, Danny quickly realized it was his emblem, floating ominously in the darkness.

He reached over and flipped on the lamp on his nightstand, squinting against the sudden brightness. The symbol was gone. Frowning in confusion, Danny threw his blankets off and walked over to where he had seen it. Not seeing anything, he turned the light off once more, and the symbol reappeared right where he had seen it before.

He fumbled around in the dark, reaching out towards the glowing mark somehow without knocking anything over. When his fingers hit cold metal, he knew immediately what it was. Keeping his eyes fixed there, he flipped the light on, revealing the miniature ghost portal.

He painted my symbol on the door of the portal with some kind of glowing paint... He seems like the kind of guy who would do something like that. Danny almost laughed, but had to admire the little secret. A small smile lit up his face as he flipped the light off again, gazing at the neatly printed logo.

Finally he returned to his bed, the dark feeling left over from his dream having dissipated.

It had been several months since the reunion, and Danny had been absentmindedly wondering just how long of a period "shortly" was supposed to be when the phone rang. The shrill sound echoed up to his room from downstairs, but he tried to ignore it and just continue working on his homework. He had had a surprisingly long stretch of a few hours today where no ghosts had shown up, and he was uncharacteristically using the time to try and catch up on his work. It was really just a last-ditch attempt to pass, as his grades weren't looking too good and there was only a few weeks left of the school year.

Danny stared absentmindedly at the miniature ghost portal Vlad had given him, which he had placed on his desk next to his monitor. What a weird thing to give as a gift. My parents actually believed I bought it at a garage sale. Who buys a mini ghost portal at a garage sale? Even better, who sells one?

Danny's musing was interrupted by the sound of his father's booming voice echoing up the stairs.

"Danny! Come down for a second!" Danny sighed and pushed his rolling chair away from his desk, practically dragging himself out of his room and down the stairs.

"What is it?" He asked tiredly. Jack just handed him the phone. Danny raised a confused eyebrow at him, raising the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Daniel, so good to speak to you!" The voice on the other end truly sounded joyful, and it only took a split second for Danny to figure out who it was.

"Vlad?"

"Yes, my dear boy. I'm terribly sorry it took so long for me to get in contact—I've spent this time setting things up for you to come and stay with me for a little bit. You see, I've told your parents that you'll be attending a space camp here in Wisconsin, and that you'll be staying at my mansion for the summer. This way I can train you without the worry of school or your family. All you have to do is convince them to let you go."

"Wow, really?" Danny sounded happily surprised, a little more so than was probably necessary, but he was aware his parents were listening in and wanted to make sure they didn't get suspicious. Vlad seemed aware of the fact as well.

"Yes, just tell them you think it's a good idea, and of course make sure you show some proper enthusiasm. They may not want to part with you for the entire summer, so you'll have to do some work at convincing them. Of course, I've done my best to convince them as well."

"Sure, thanks Vlad!"

"I'll call back tomorrow. Talk to you soon."

"Yeah, bye!" Danny clicked the end button on the phone and handed it back to his dad.

"So what do you think, Danny? V-Man was telling me how great this space camp would be!"

"It sounds awesome! Can I go? Please?" Danny begged his parents, though inside he was starting to feel more than a little bit nervous at the idea of staying at Vlad's house for so long. But he had made a decision, and he was going to stick with it.

"Well, your father and I need to talk about it first." Maddie said calmly.

"Okay, but he said he would call back tomorrow to hear your decision." Maddie frowned.

"We'll discuss it. But for now, it's dinnertime. Could you go and get your sister?" Danny just nodded and left the kitchen, headed back for the stairs.

The phone rang loudly and this time Danny jumped up and sprinted down the stairs, knowing already who it was. Although he had asked, his parents had told him last night that they hadn't come to a decision yet, but he was sure if he put a little pressure on them with Vlad's phone call, they would agree.

He grabbed the phone just as his dad was reaching out to pick it up, and hastily put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Why Daniel, I wasn't expecting you to pick up first. Did you talk to your parents?"

"Yeah, they still haven't decided."

"Really? Well, why don't you ask them again?"

"Yeah, hang on." Danny covered the microphone with his hand. "Hey Dad, Mom, it's Vlad! He wants to know if you've decided yet." A look of concern passed over Maddie's face.

"I don't know…" She began, quickly trailing off.

"Oh come on, Maddie, let him go! You know Vlad'll take good care of him!" She still looked unsure, even slightly uncomfortable at the mention of Vlad.

"Well… I suppose we could—"

"Thank you, Mom! Thank you!" Danny jumped and hugged his mom tightly, cutting her off mid-sentence before she could change her mind. Immediately she softened, accepting the hug, her concerns vanishing.

"But you have to call us at least once a week!" She said as Danny pulled away from her.

"Sure thing, Mom!" Danny put the phone back up to his ear.

"They said I can come!" He told Vlad as though he couldn't just hear the entire exchange.

"That's great, my boy! I'll come and pick you up on the Saturday after your school gets out. Make sure you pack ahead of time."

"Yeah, I'll be ready!"

"Good. I look forward to seeing you, little badger."

"See you soon!" With that, Danny hung up the phone, smiling happily at his parents. "I'm going to start getting ready!" He said, voice chock full of added enthusiasm as he ran off towards the stairs.

"Make sure you do your homework, too!" Maddie shouted after him.

The day had finally come, and as Danny dragged himself out of bed, he was hit with an intense nervousness that had been building over the two weeks since he had last talked to Vlad. Now that it was the morning of the day when Vlad would be coming to pick him up, he almost felt a little weak in the knees. He tried to stuff the feeling down as he grabbed his clean clothes and headed to the bathroom down the hall. His shower went surprisingly quick, despite how tired he was. He hadn't slept well in several days, due to the nervousness and trying to pass all of his classes. He had, however, passed, and with that weight lifted he had slept a little better.

Danny pulled his clean clothes on, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, then gathered up his pajamas from the floor and walked back to his room. After dropping them in the hamper, he just stared at his room for a moment. The nervousness he felt had caused him to pack last weekend, so there was really nothing to do now. That only made it worse, his gut seeming to flip as he continued to stare at the oddly clean room.

Finally, Danny decided to go downstairs and eat something. His parents and sister were already at the table, eating the pancakes his mother had apparently made.

"Good morning, sweetie! Help yourself to some pancakes." Danny did just that, sitting down across the table and attempting to drown his pancakes in syrup. He consumed them in a matter of minutes, much like an animal that hadn't eaten anything in days. He didn't even seem to notice.

"Is everything alright, Danny?" His mother asked.

"Yeah, it's just that… I've never been away from home for so long, you know? I'm going to miss you guys." It was part of the truth, at least.

"We'll miss you too, Danny! But don't worry, you'll be just fine! And we'll be in touch." She took a bite of her pancakes. "Are you all packed?" Danny just nodded.

"Hey Danny! I have something I want you to take with you!" Jack said, whipping the Specter Deflector seemingly out of nowhere and shoving it into the boy's hands. "Just in case; make sure you don't lose it!" Danny smiled awkwardly and nodded, nervously eying the device in his hands. He promptly dropped it on the table, not wanting to risk the pain that might come from touching it too long.

"Jack, there aren't any ghosts at Vlad's house. I thought we discussed this during the reunion." Jack made a face, but didn't say anything. The doorbell rang suddenly.

"I'll get it!" Danny jumped up and headed for the front of the house. As he swung open the door, the tall man holding the black briefcase outside smiled down at him. "Morning, Vlad!" Danny said, gesturing for the man to come inside.

"It's good to see you, Daniel! Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I just gotta get my stuff from upstairs. And my shoes." He turned and ran off, Vlad finding his way into the kitchen.

Danny reappeared in the kitchen with his suitcase after several minutes of double-checking to make sure he had everything. His nervousness was at an all-time high, so much so that his hands were shaking slightly.

Why am I so nervous about this? It's not a big deal. I'm just going to Vlad's house for the summer. Nothing to worry about. Danny's attempts to soothe his nerves didn't work very well.

His friends had appeared just in time to say goodbye, Sam blaming their tardiness on Tucker misplacing his PDA. Danny had told them all about Vlad and his plans to stay with him for the summer, and though they were sad to see him go for so long, they were happy that he was getting some much needed help.

Danny said all of his goodbyes and followed Vlad out of the house with his large suitcase, climbing into the taxi waiting at the curb.

"So how are we getting to your house…?" Danny asked, obviously confused that they were in a taxi and not a car.

"We're flying, of course. The taxi will take us to the small airport in the next town over. My jet is waiting there."

"Your jet?" Vlad laughed at the boy's obvious amazement.

"Yes, my jet. It will take us directly to our destination." The two half-ghosts fell silent for a few minutes before Danny voiced a thought that had suddenly occurred to him.

"Hey, Vlad?"

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you pick a space camp?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're taking me to a space camp—" Danny was aware of the presence of the driver, so he refrained from saying the actual situation. The strange, nervous sensation in his stomach startled him again—it was almost like he was willingly being kidnapped, having lied to his parents about the whole situation. He quickly pushed the feeling down and finished his question. "How did you know that that's where I would want to go?" Finally understanding the boy's confusion, Vlad quickly responded.

"I saw the astronomy book you left on the desk when you came for the reunion. It doesn't take a lot of extra reasoning to figure it out—most fourteen-year-olds don't own astronomy textbooks, especially when they attend a school that does not offer the subject." Danny laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess not." They fell back into their silence, Vlad finally pulling out a newspaper to occupy himself on the ride to the airport. There were so many things he wanted to ask Danny, but they would have to wait until they got on the plane.

Likewise, there were many things Danny wanted to know, but he was also forced to wait. The drive went by in complete silence, only the occasional sniffle or sigh breaking it.

When they finally arrived at the airport, they went through a very quick security check, Vlad showing both of their passports, and boarded Vlad's private jet. There were no attendants on board, only the two pilots who quickly sealed the door when their passengers had stepped inside.

"Holy crap!" Danny exclaimed, looking around at the extremely posh plane. Everything was decorated in the customary white color of airplanes, but instead of the uncomfortable and narrow aisles, the area was open, containing a couch, a small table with two chairs, a bed, a large flat screen, and a fully stocked bar.

"Please make yourself at home, Daniel." Vlad said with a small smirk. Danny was doing just that. "I had them stock the fridge with soda for you, and there are other snacks in the cabinets." Danny looked up at the man, arms already full of chips, drinks, and candy bars. Vlad just stared at him in shock. "You know, Daniel, the food will be there. You don't have to take it all with you." Danny smiled sheepishly, plopping down on the couch with his huge pile of snacks. Vlad shook his head, but said nothing and took a seat in one of the nearby chairs.

"So, Daniel. How long have you had your powers?" Danny looked a bit surprised at the sudden question, but quickly swallowed his mouthful of chips so he could answer.

"Six months now." It was Vlad's turn to look surprised, his eyes widening as he looked at the boy still stuffing his face.

"Six months? You mean that the last time I saw you, you had only had your powers for three?" Danny nodded. "Remarkable…" Vlad shook his head to clear his thoughts. "And it was because you stepped into your father's ghost portal, yes?" Danny nodded once more, momentarily ceasing his hyper speed consumption of chips.

"Yeah… it didn't work, so waited until everyone went to bed and then went inside to see if I could see what was wrong. I don't know why I thought I would be able to figure it out, but I guess I was also a bit curious…" Danny laughed, the sound coming out slightly twisted. "I guess curiosity killed the cat, huh?" He smiled sadly. "I accidently hit something, and the portal turned on while I was still inside. I don't think I've ever felt pain like that in my life. It was unbearable…" Danny trailed off, his voice seeming to waver slightly. "After that, the ghosts started to come out of the portal, so I took up the responsibility of sending them back where they came from."

"What did you do when you first realized…?"

"I panicked. I woke up on the floor just outside the portal, and as soon as I saw the hazmat suit I freaked out and ran to the bathroom. When I saw my hair and eyes, I started screaming. I woke up my parents and my sister, but before they arrived, I had already changed back. They calmed me down and got me back to my room, and I was convinced it had just been a dream. Sleepwalking, you know? But a couple days later, I woke up as I started phasing through the bed and the floor, and I couldn't write it off anymore." Danny took a deep breath. "It took a while, but I figured out how to will the other half forward, and after it stopped scaring me, I started to understand what had happened, and what I could do. That's when all the ghosts started appearing." Danny finished his story, taking a large bite of a piece of liquorice.

Vlad was silent for several moments, remembering the trauma he had experienced trying to understand his new powers. That was twenty years ago, but the pain was still fresh, as though it had happened just yesterday.

"Did you tell anyone?"

"Just Sam and Tucker. They're my two best friends, and they've been helping me fight the ghosts. I know I can trust them." Vlad disagreed, but he bit his tongue and didn't mention it.

"And what about me, little badger? Do you trust me?" The expression of pure shock on Danny's face was almost comical. He swallowed the liquorice, looking completely uncertain, and was just about to respond when Vlad cut him off. "It's okay, you don't have to answer that." Danny frowned, watching the man for a moment, but held back his answer. The overhead speaker came on, interrupting the awkward silence.

"We'll be taking off now. Please strap yourselves into the safety seats until we are in the air." Vlad signaled for Danny to follow him as he pulled aside a large curtain behind the bar. Off to the left was the bathroom, and directly in front of them were four normal airplane seats, equipped with belts.

After they had buckled themselves in, Vlad pushed a button to inform the pilot they were ready, and the plane slowly taxied to the runway. Danny seemed to enjoy the takeoff, watching the clouds pass the window like an excited puppy in a car, whereas Vlad seemed completely bored, certainly having seen it all before many times. When the pilot finally said they could return to the main area, Danny quickly got up and returned to the couch and his snacks, Vlad sitting down at the table with a small breakfast.

"So Vlad, when will we get there?"

"It will take approximately two hours." Vlad said, before taking a bite of the egg toast he was holding. "When we land at the airport, my driver will pick us up and take us to my mansion."

"You have a driver too?" Vlad looked up at him quizzically.

"Honestly, Daniel, I have a private jet, butler, and chef, and it surprises you that I also have a driver?"

"Hey, most people don't have that kind of stuff. Even you have to admit it's surprising." Vlad shrugged noncommittally. "What about the pilots?"

"I hired them temporarily." Danny just stared at the man for a moment, then shrugged as well and went back to eating his liquorice, flipping on the TV. "So, Daniel, may I ask you something else?"

"Sure."

"You've seemed a bit nervous since we left your house. Are you alright?" Danny was silent for a moment.

"Yeah, it's just that… I've never been away from home for so long."

"Daniel, you don't have to hide anything from me." Danny held Vlad's eyes for a minute before finally looking away.

"I'm just a little nervous about staying with you. I mean honestly, I don't know you that well. And you're going to be training me too… I'm not sure if I'm even ready for this."

"It's natural to feel a little uncertain, but I promise you that you will be just fine. If you can hold your own against Skulker, I'm quite certain a little bit of training will be no problem for you." Danny smiled, happy for the reassurance, though he was internally wondering how Vlad knew about his fights with Skulker.

They each went back to their activities, Vlad working on some important business, Danny watching a really bad comedy movie to pass the time. Before long had passed, Danny had eaten himself sick, him now lying on the couch with his hand over his stomach next to the discarded chip bags and soda cans.

"We'll be landing in Wisconsin in about twenty more minutes. Please gather your things and prepare to land." With the announcement, Vlad tucked his papers back in his briefcase, snapping it shut. Seeming to finally notice Danny, Vlad turned and looked at the boy sprawled out on the couch.

"Daniel, we'll be landing soon. You need to get up." Danny waved one hand flippantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard. Just… one second. I need to rest." He breathed heavily, trying to settle his overindulged stomach.

"Let this be a lesson to control yourself, then. Now come along; get up." Danny waited for a moment more before finally rolling himself off the couch and standing up slowly. His stomach growled loudly, protesting the movement.

"Bathroom." Danny said simply, finding his way back behind the curtain to the tiny bathroom. Vlad shook his head, almost laughing to himself. That boy needs to learn a little self-restraint. Nothing I can't help him with, of course… The man stood, walking over to one of the cabinets and fishing around inside. He found the bottle he wanted just as Danny returned from the bathroom.

"Here, take some of these." Vlad handed him the small bottle of stomach medicine.

"Thanks, Vlad!" The boy downed two of the tablets, eagerly waiting for the pain in his stomach to subside. As he turned to sit back down, he saw the large mess he had left and groaned to himself before leaning over to start cleaning it up. He made quick work of it, dropping the wrappers and chip bags in the trash and the cans in the recycling. There were still crumbs everywhere, but there wasn't much he could do about it, so he just laid back down on the couch.

"We're approaching the airport. Please return to your seats." Danny groaned loudly again.

"I just laid down!" He complained.

"Come along, Daniel, it's only a few feet." Danny rolled back onto his feet once more, following Vlad and strapping himself into the airplane seats. Danny's face was immediately glued to the window again, eyes watching the world slowly come up to meet them.

Touching back down with a jolt, the plane slowly came to a stop and taxied to its gate. Gathering up their briefcase and suitcase respectively, the two passengers disembarked and headed down the causeway. They left the small airport quite quickly, having no baggage to pick up.

"Mr. Masters!" A man standing near a large limo in front of the airport called out.

"Ah, Byron, right on time, as always."

"You have a limo, too?" Danny stared in disbelief for a moment before shaking his head. "You know what? Never mind. Of course you do." Vlad smirked.

"Come along, Daniel." Vlad climbed into the limo as his driver opened the door, Danny following shortly after, leaving his suitcase for the driver to put in the trunk. The puff of blue mist that slithered out of the boy's mouth made him tense, looking around suspiciously at all the people nearby. "Calm down, my boy. It's nothing to worry about." The driver shut the door.

"What do you mean it's nothing to worry about? There's a ghost nearby!"

"Of course there is. And that ghost happens to be my driver." Danny blinked.

"Wait, your driver's a ghost?" Vlad nodded, completely unconcerned.

"Of course. How do you think I've kept my secret so well all these years?"

"But he looks so… so human." Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"You do too."

"I'm not a ghost!"

"You're half a ghost. Honestly, Daniel, if you can be half ghost and half human, why is it so surprising that some ghosts can appear human?" Danny looked a little put off.

"I dunno, I've just never seen it before."

"Ah, but you have. It's the same with my chef and my butler." Danny stared at him for a moment, then turned his attention to the window and the town rolling by.

"Of course. Of course all your servants are ghosts. Why not?" Danny sounded almost bitter, for a reason Vlad couldn't quite grasp. He just chuckled to himself and turned to the papers in his briefcase.

After about twenty minutes had passed, the limo rolled into the circular drive in front of Vlad's house, coming to a stop in front of the large mansion.

"Wouldn't it have been faster to just fly here from the airport?"

"Yes, but do you want to carry a large suitcase on a flight that far?" Danny frowned, realizing he was right. He turned and climbed out of the car when Byron opened the door for him, watching the man intently. Vlad climbed out behind him, and the driver quickly retrieved Danny's suitcase from the trunk, rolling it over to him.

When Danny had taken it, they started up the massive stairs leading to the door, Danny dragging the heavy case up each step.

"Daniel, you know that would be much easier to carry if you use your ghost energy, correct?" Danny turned from his case and looked up at the man quizzically. Realizing with a start that the boy didn't know what he was talking about, he elaborated. "Just funnel some of your powers into your muscles, and you'll gain some of the strength you have in your ghost form. It's quite simple." Danny seemed to try it for a moment, with no success, and quickly gave up on it. Glancing back at Vlad awkwardly, he transformed into Phantom, floated the case to the top of the stairs, and changed back. Vlad rolled his eyes. "We'll work on that one later." The large doors in front of them seemed to open on their own, the quiet butler standing in the shadows behind them.

"Thank you, Christophe." Vlad said as he stepped inside. Danny followed after, suitcase rattling noisily as he rolled it over the doorframe. Danny couldn't help but look around again, taking in the huge mansion. It had only been a few months since he had seen it last, but it was still impressive to look at. He snapped back to reality when Christophe tried to take his suitcase from him. Danny resisted letting him take it.

"Hey, I got it dude! I can handle a suitcase." Christophe looked slightly concerned, but seeing that Vlad wasn't insisting upon his help, he quickly bowed and backed away. Danny turned, and seeing Vlad ascending the left stairs, quickly transformed and floated up to join him, suitcase hanging from one hand.

"You'll be staying in one of the master bedrooms upstairs. Everything has been prepared for you, but if you should need anything, you may feel free to call upon Christophe." Vlad seemed to ignore the fact that the boy was floating beside him, right up to when he reached the top of the stairs and changed back. Walking a short distance down the hall, Vlad opened one of the many doors. "Here is your room." Danny stepped inside, setting his suitcase near the door and admiring the large room. It was bigger than the one he had stayed in previously, and had a few extra amenities, like a television and a walk-in closet. "My room is just down the hall. We'll be having lunch at one, so please meet me in the dining room then. I'll leave you to get settled in." With that, Vlad shut the door and disappeared down the hall.

Danny marveled at the room, examining various things before finally lying down on the bed. His stomachache for the most part had subsided, the empty junk having quickly dissolved. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, the reality hitting him suddenly that he was going to be living in this mansion, in this room, for the whole summer. With another half-ghost. Away from his family and friends.

Danny felt a twinge of regret for a moment, thinking about them, but quickly pushed the feeling away. This is going to help me. I need to do this. Danny couldn't help but feel a bit strange in this room, it being so alien to him, knowing that a man he had only known for a short time but who knew his deepest secret resided just down the hall. The boy took a deep breath to calm his nerves and stood up again, pulling his suitcase onto the bed and unpacking a few things.

He left his toiletries on the bathroom sink, draped his jacket over the office chair in front of the desk, set his game console in front of the TV to be hooked up later, and finally pulled out the miniature ghost portal. He had taken it with him, since he didn't want his parents examining it while he was away. At a loss for where to put it, he finally set it on the desk and plugged it in, wanting to make sure the ecto-filtrator could do its job.

Deciding to leave his clothes in his suitcase for now, he zipped it back up and set it inside the empty closet. He laid back down on the bed, biding his time until he had to go downstairs for lunch. He realized quickly that he hadn't been paying close attention, and didn't know where exactly his room was upstairs. Guess I'll have to wander a bit and figure it out. He thought to himself, quickly standing heading for the door. Taking one last look around the room, he seized the doorknob and pulled the door open, stepping back out into the hall. Seeing both directions looked the same, he sighed to himself.

Yeah, this is going to take some getting used to.

Author's Notes:

Okay, so a few logistics notes here; I'm ignoring Memory Blank. It was a convoluted, paradoxical mess of an episode, and though it was certainly interesting and fun to watch, I don't like the way it fits into the rest of the story or how they explained Danny's accident, so I'm taking some creative license. So yes, Danny's accident is a bit different, and his logo is just on the suit from the beginning. Don't ask me how.

Also, nobody's really sure exactly where Amity Park is/is supposed to be, but I just assumed a plane would probably be the more comfortable/efficient way of getting to Vlad's house, though we know you can take about a two day drive there. Vlad just doesn't seem like the road trip type, haha.

Anyhow, that's all I wanted to comment on, and as always, reviews are appreciated! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!