Dawn came too soon in Danny's opinion. Sam had wrapped herself in his pyjama shirt and cuddled into his torso. Danny had long ago lay back on the Ops Centre roof. As the sun came up, he shifted from star-gazing to cloud watching. He listened to the sounds of his town waking up. Birds twittering in the trees around Fenton Works. The camp below came to life. Chattering and clattering as people woke up and started up hot plates and gas heaters for making tea and coffee and breakfast, wafting smells of bacon, eggs and sausages up to Danny and Sam. Danny sighed softly in happiness. It felt wonderful. He was perfectly at peace with Sam's soft breathing filling the moments of silence.

"Danny?!" Jazz screamed in the house. Danny rolled his eyes and huffed quietly in annoyance.

"Cue the overprotective sister lecture," he grumbled to himself. Sam frowned in her sleep and shuffled closer to Danny.

"Danny?! Where are you?!" Jazz shouted in the Ops Centre below him, met with a number of sleepy complaints. Danny sighed and knocked loudly on the roof beside him, knowing that the sound would alert Jazz to his location. Seconds later the access hatch slammed open.

"What are you doing up here?!" Jazz demanded.

"I was cloud watching," Danny answered calmly.

"Cloud watching? Since when do you watch clouds?" Jazz retorted in confusion.

"Well I was star-gazing first but then the sun came up," Danny added. Jazz raised an eyebrow and sat down beside her relaxing brother. She glanced at Sam who was still sleeping.

"Did you at least get some sleep?" Jazz asked. Danny shook his head, deciding to be honest.

"I wasn't tired Jazz. Trust me I tried. I was staring at my ceiling for like three hours before I gave up and came up here," Danny explained.

Jazz sighed. She fell quiet and heard the camp in front of Fenton Works clearing away for the day, making the street accessible again.

"I'm guessing you noticed those people outside our house," Jazz remarked. Danny nodded.

"I did. How long have they been there?" Danny confirmed, pinned down by his sleeping girlfriend who he wasn't prepared to wake up just yet.

"They started showing up the day after we announced you were missing. We waited until the next day before we told the press. We thought it should be public knowledge you see," Jazz informed him. Danny smiled and nodded.

"Jimmy mentioned that my kidnapping was in the news," Danny commented. Jazz chewed her lip lightly.

"You're not upset?" she ventured. Danny glanced at her before shaking his head.

"No. Of course not. I know things haven't been easy for you guys either recently," Danny assured. Jazz blinked.

"How?" she questioned worriedly.

"Jazz, have you seen yourself recently? You look like you've had nonstop exams all week or something with how stressed and tired you look. Dad's lost weight and mom looks worse than you. Even Dani looks like she's been through hell. Even though I didn't know that all those people were camping outside our house, which can't have been easy either. I know how famous I've become. I know making it public knowledge that I was missing would have caused a ton of problems," Danny told her. Jazz sighed.

"Oh. Sorry Danny. Things haven't been easy. You're right. Which is why you shouldn't have disappeared like that. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw you weren't in your room," Jazz retorted, making her displeasure known.

"I know Jazz. I could have gone for a flight you know. Gone to the park where star-gazing is easier. But I didn't. I honestly didn't think coming to the roof was so bad," Danny countered with annoyance. Despite having missed his sister, he really didn't want to start an argument. He hadn't been back a full day yet and Jazz was already lecturing him. Jazz huffed softly before reluctantly nodding.

"I'm sorry little brother. You just scared me. That's all. Hungry?" Jazz concluded. Danny offered her a small smile.

"A bit. And I'm sorry too Jazz. I didn't mean to scare anyone. I just couldn't sleep, that's all. It's probably just because my sleep patterns are all messed up from being kidnapped," Danny answered. Jazz smiled and got to her feet.

"Come down when you're ready. I'll cook breakfast. I'd prefer not to have to fight off my eggs and bacon," Jazz decided. Danny snorted.

He listened to Jazz make her way down into the Ops Centre, her muffled reassuring explanations filtering through the metal roof and walls. He waited a few minutes while he listened to the eleven guests to get ready and make their way down towards the kitchen. He gently jostled Sam and she groaned in sleepy annoyance.

"It's too early," she complained.

"Sorry Sam, but we can't spend the entire morning on the Ops Centre roof," he muttered gently. Sam scowled with closed eyes.

"I beg to differ," she mumbled. Danny laughed.

"Come on, Sam. I want my shirt back before we get caught up here," Danny chuckled. Sam moaned softly and stubbornly tugged his arm around her shoulders and settled back beside him to fall back to sleep.

"Sam please. Cloud watching isn't nearly as fun as star-gazing. Besides Jazz is waiting for us. She already freaked out this morning because I wasn't in my room," Danny pressed. Sam flung his arm off her and rolled onto her feet and huffed loudly in annoyance.

"Fine! Come on then. But if I'm grouchy today, it's your fault," she grumbled and stomped over to the access hatch, still open from Jazz.

"Sam, shirt please?" Danny called with a slight blush, getting to his feet. Sam blinked and shrugged off his pyjama shirt with a blush of her own and tossed it to him. She quickly made her way back into the house while Danny shrugged the top back on.

Danny smirked as he walked over to the access hatch. Despite Sam having tended to his more serious battle wounds before his secret was revealed, she still got embarrassed when he was shirtless around her. When injured all her focus was on his wound. But when they were alone and he wasn't injured but shirtless, it was completely different. Danny had no problem not wearing a shirt around Sam. Before they dated and the first couple of times he got injured he had gotten embarrassed, but since then it had never felt like a big deal. He wasn't shy about his body, especially since he started fighting ghosts and built up some muscle. But before his secret came out, he had to be careful as he had a few nasty scars and a geeky Fenton wasn't meant to have a muscular body. However he was aware of how it looked. Spending time alone together and returning not fully dressed.

He returned to his room and shut the door to get dressed. Tucker was already downstairs, probably stuffing his face before making his way to the town hall. He found some jeans, underwear and a t-shirt easily and got dressed. He then walked down into the kitchen.

"Morning Danny," Maddie greeted her son with a warm smile.

"Hey mom. Sleep okay?" he returned. Maddie grinned broadly and nodded, moving a chair out beside her for him to sit on. He smirked and dropped into the seat. His father, Kid Flash and Tucker were stuffing their faces while Sam rummaged around the kitchen cupboards for a more vegetarian-friendly breakfast. Jimmy was sitting at the table frowning in displeasure at Jack, Kid Flash and Tucker while nibbling at his own breakfast. Zatanna, Artemis, Rocket, Superboy, Jake and Spud were standing up eating. Miss Martian was helping Jazz cook and Robin and Aqualad were in line for a plate of food. Danielle wasn't down just yet but Danny knew that the girl was a heavy sleeper and was likely still in bed.

"Want to explain why you were on the roof this morning?" Maddie asked, her happy bright eyes tinged with concern. Danny shook his head slightly.

"Nothing to worry about mom. I couldn't sleep so I decided to star-gaze instead. My sleep patterns are probably just messed up from the last week and a bit. I feel fine," Danny explained. Maddie nodded slowly.

"Perhaps we should check that you are alright though," Maddie suggested.

"I think that would be best. There's no way of knowing the consequences of how having your ghost energy tampered with will affect you Danny," Jimmy interjected with a knowing nod. Danny sighed.

"I don't feel any different. I promise. I feel great actually. Thanks Jazz," Danny retorted, pausing to thank his sister as she placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. He picked up some cutlery and began to eat.

"I'd feel better if we checked though Danny. Jimmy's right. I looked at the ghost containment cell before I went to bed last night. Danny that much power is dangerous. I just want to make sure that my son is alright," Maddie implored. Danny sighed and nodded.

"Alright mom," Danny relented. He hated going into the lab for a check-up. It was worse than the doctors because every time his parents had to take both a blood sample and ectoplasm sample and they always asked him to demonstrate his powers for them. It was why they knew the ghost containment cell could withstand a ghostly wail. Danielle also had these check-ups but they never had check-ups on the same day as the ordeal was exhausting.

Danny only ate half his breakfast before he felt full, pushing the leftovers towards his father who happily ate them. Maddie frowned worriedly at her son.

"Mom, I'm fine. I didn't eat much when those guys had me, I've probably just got a smaller appetite now," Danny assured her. Jimmy nodded slowly in understanding and agreement. Jazz and Miss Martian had just managed to sit down to their own breakfast, leaving a towering plate of food to the side for when Danielle emerged from her room, when the phone rang. Danny, being the closest to the door and first to finish eating, offered to answer the phone and grabbed it before Jazz could stop him, realising a moment too late that it was probably a phoney Danny Phantom sighting or a journalist.

"Hello?" Danny answered.

"Hello, is this Fenton Works?" a female voice asked.

"It is. Can I ask why you're calling?" Danny inquired politely.

"Oh, well. I found Danny Phantom and I was wondering if there was a reward," the voice explained. Danny blinked in surprise and glanced over his shoulder at the kitchen door, Jazz was in the doorway looking concerned.

"I'm sorry but that's not possible," Danny replied slowly.

"Why not? I'm telling you I've got Danny Phantom in my bathroom right now!" the woman growled defensively. Danny raised an eyebrow.

"It's not possible because this is Danny Phantom talking," Danny corrected sternly. The line went absolutely silent.

"Oh," the woman breathed.

"But while we're talking. Let me just clear up a second point. I'm not rich. And frankly I'm disgusted that you tried to con money out of my family while they've been going through hell," Danny added angrily.

"I'm sorry Mr Phantom," the woman stuttered. Danny hummed angrily.

"Goodbye," Danny concluded stiffly and hung up the phone. He turned to Jazz.

"How many of those calls did you guys get?" he demanded. Jazz sighed and shrugged.

"I've lost count. At least one or two a day, usually more," Jazz admitted. Danny shook his head angrily. He stalked towards the front door.

"Danny! What are you doing?" Jazz exclaimed.

"Telling the world to stop looking for me, starting with those people on our doorstep," Danny answered.

"Danny, wait! Don't do this when you're angry. Cool off first!" Jazz begged worriedly. Danny put his hand on the door handle.

"Danny, what if you're not safe to be around?" Jazz inquired worriedly. Danny paused.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"Jimmy explained that having had so much energy trapped inside you might have caused long-term problems. You mightn't be able to store energy in your body anymore. You might have injured your ghost half beyond repair. And what if… what if those criminals did something else to you. What if that needle didn't just take out your energy but injected in a poison or something. Danny don't do anything rash. Let us make sure you're alright," Jazz explained. Danny took a step back from the door and turned to his sister.

"I feel fine," Danny muttered.

"Danny… you haven't slept. You aren't even tired. You aren't eating as much as usual. You may feel fine, but Danny we're not so sure," Jazz replied carefully.

"Jazz, I told you guys. My appetite probably shrank and my sleeping habits must be screwed up," Danny retorted, he knew that she was right but he refused to think that it was a consequence of being held captive and having his ghost energy stolen. He was home. Everything was supposed to be fine. This was the part where he relaxed, recovered and made plans to go after the people that took him.

"Jazz, that woman, those people, tried to steal money from our family. They tried to take advantage of you guys when I was gone. That's not right!" Danny growled angrily.

"I'm not saying it was. Danny that can all wait. I can disconnect the phone. We had considered it but we couldn't be sure that you wouldn't have tried to call us. We've all been using my phone to communicate," Jazz reasoned. Danny bit his lip and glanced at the front door.

"Fine. I'll wait. But seriously Jazz I'm fine," Danny relented.

So things might not be as they seem.

I have to admit, I love Danny's phone call. I dunno if you guys ever get those scam calls about fixing your computer, but my family does. So instead of hanging up, we just string them along for a bit. And I once told one of them that we didn't have a computer. It was hilarious. He just went quiet and then hung up. So that's the inspiration for Danny's call.

What do you think? Is Danny fine, just a smaller appetite and screwed up sleep pattern. Or is there something wrong with the halfa?

Let me know what you guys think

Until the next chapter.