Warning: Well, this chapter has some disturbing content in it. There's kidnapping, drugging, death, serious injury, referenced rape, and all that good stuff. Enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.
Chapter 18: A Different Kind of Fight
The GIW were relentless after that. We would have to go in pairs if we went out. The children were forbidden to use any powers until O and K were arrested and we put the bracelets on them for their own safety. Our team was on high alert but Sam was spitting mad.
"As soon as I give birth, we're going to take care of them," Sam seethed as she checked the nursery once again. I followed Sam into the nursery, passing through the drapes.
"Sweetheart," I said, putting my hand behind her back. "Everything is going to be okay." I urged her back to bed. "We're going to take care of the GIW."
"This is all because of me," Sam said, ignoring my request and picking up the basket of laundry. She took the basket of boys clothing to the closet. "As soon as I can, they will get what they want and they won't like it.
"Sam, honey, I know you are a very powerful ghost but we need to handle this as a team."
"And we will," Sam agreed. She picked up a t-shirt and plucked a clothes hanger off the rack, securing the shirt. She placed the newly hanging shirt on the rack. She picked up a new article of clothing.
"So don't worry about it," I said, picking up a pair of pants.
"I'm not good to anyone like this, that's all I'm saying. Once I give birth, I can kick butt."
I smirked at her. "I've been here before, sweetheart. I know how it feels to be nine months pregnant with reduced mobility."
"It sucks," Sam chuckled. She retrieved another article of clothing. Sam and I continued to hang the clothes. "I'm so ready to kick some butt! I'm glad this is the last one for ten years."
I hung the newest hanger in the closet. "Yep. We have ten years to raise the kids and prepare for the war. We'll get rid of the GIW and everything will be all right. You just need to focus on bringing D.J. into the world happy and healthy."
"Don't you worry. Danny Junior will be fine."
"I want you to take care of Samantha Fenton, too."
Sam leaned into me, kissing me on the lips. "Will you do me a favor?"
"Sure," I shrugged. "What?"
"This room looks all wrong," Sam said, looking to me. Not again. "Can you move the crib? And maybe we should get a new rocker. That doesn't look very sturdy."
"Sweetheart, calm down," I said. I picked up the crib with one hand. "You need to go easy on the nesting, baby."
"I'm not nesting," Sam objected. I scoffed. "What?"
"You've moved the nursery around ten times, changed our bedroom three times, turned the kitchen on its head five times and the bathroom has been moved around so many times I can't keep count. You are nesting."
"I haven't been nesting," Sam continued to object. Her voice faltered. "I've just been… restless."
I moved the crib where she wanted it and moved a few pieces of furniture around, too. I got her to sleep, though, and that was the main thing. She wouldn't sleep long but she'd get some rest.
(04)
My cell phone rang in my pocket. My classroom was empty save for a couple students but they were only chatting leisurely. I pulled my phone out, putting it to my ear. "Yeah?"
"Hey, sweetheart, how's your day," Sam asked me. She sounded cheery… too cheery.
"What's wrong," I asked.
"There's a ghost in town and it's terrorizing the mall," Sam said gently. "Tucker and Valerie are in Saint Louis as you know, so Jazz and I are responding."
"No, Sam," I objected. She's due any day! I will not let her do it.
"The last five minutes of class starts in six minutes, honey. I have Jazz here with me. I'll be fine."
"Sam, I can go to the mall and meet you there. That way you can go with Jazz and she and I can take care of the ghost. I don't want you fighting this late in your pregnancy."
"The ghost is a six. Jazz can handle it by herself. I'm just going to make sure none of us are alone. If Jazz flies to you, she'll be alone and she can't drive. It'll take too long. I don't want you by yourself, either. It'll be okay. I'll call you as soon as we're back home."
"Where is Jazz right now," I asked, fighting the urge to agree.
"She was actually at Fentonworks," Sam replied. Great. "Jazz can come to me or I can go to her, either way. We're much more available than you are."
"Okay, I'll meet you at the mall," I began.
"No. Jazz can handle this and I can watch her back. We don't need you there. Don't make me regret calling you."
"I am coming to you," I replied. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She should know what that means.
"Fine," Sam grumbled. "See you in a bit."
I ended the call, standing up. "I'm going out, Emma and Teri. If anyone comes in here, tell them I won't be back for class. I'll turn that assignment into extra credit, girls."
"Okay, Mr. Fenton. Is everything all right," Emma asked me.
"Yeah. Division emergency." I picked up my brief case, throwing everything inside quickly. "I'll see you girls later."
"Bye, Mr. F," Teri said, holding up a dark hand. I waved, leaving the classroom. I ran out to my van, throwing my briefcase in the back and opened a portal. I arrived at the mall.
The patrons ran in total fear, trampling anything in their way. A little girl was being pushed around, no one around seemingly responsible for her. I flashed into my ghost form, darting for the child. Someone hit the child, sending the person tumbling. The man caught his fall but rudely pushed the kid down. "Watch it, squirt!"
The kid was pushed into stampeding patrons, falling to the ground. I grabbed the kid just before she was trampled to death. "Thank you, Danny Phantom."
"Watch yourself, little one," I said. "Where's your parents?"
"I'm here with my sister," she said. "I don't know where she is. We were close to the ghost. She could still be with that monster."
I flew her outside, dropping her at the local shield. More people were gathering but we were one of the first there. "I'll keep an eye for anyone but check around here. Your sister knows where this place is, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah. If she's okay, she'll come here looking for me. Thanks, Ghost Boy. You're my hero!"
I smiled. "It's nothing, sweetie. I've got to go."
"Bye," she waved. "Say hello to Lilith, Gale, Rook, Clara and Gothica for me!"
"I will," I waved back. I flew back to the town. No one in the town knew about Pammy and no one was supposed to know about Sam's pregnancy but the GIW were able to detect the pregnancy. It's common knowledge now but most look at it in a positive light.
The crowds were clearing out when I entered the mall again. I heard a loud, piercing scream, the sound of a woman crying after the scream. I flew in that direction.
"Such a sweet flavor," the ghost replied, his arms crossed over his chest. He was American, his hair blonde. His eyes were closed. Beneath his foot was a girl and he was crushing her chest. He kicked her and she screamed out again, flipping. I darted after the girl, picking her up.
"Danny Phantom," she whispered.
"It's okay," I said. I phased my hand in her body and she had several broken bones. Her lung was collapsed and she had internal bleeding. She did have all that; she was fine now. "Go."
"Thanks," she called, running out of the food court. I turned back to the ghost but he had moved on. He had a young boy by the neck, a smirk on his lips.
"Move one inch and I snap his neck," he threatened. My duplicate appeared behind him without the ghost's knowledge. I flew through the ghost, catching the child and taking him away from the ghost. My original form went on the offense as soon as the kid was removed. The ghost reacted. "How did you?"
"You're way behind the times," I taunted. "I'm more powerful than your average ghost." I punched him, sending him flying back. The ghost phased through the wall, leaving the five or so humans to escape. I attacked the ghost again, weakening him with a few blasts. He wasn't that powerful and I had him thermosed before Sam and Jazz even arrived. I laughed. "Come on, girls. I was supposed to be here to back you up!"
I checked the area for any injuries waiting for the girls and the Divisional agents to show up. There were some injuries but mostly I was dealing with missing persons. We'd find them, I just needed members to do so. I completed the latest form when the first responders arrived. I looked to my watch as the Divisional paramedics arrived. There were six ghosts that have signed up with them. Where are Sam and Jazz?
"Mr. Phantom," one of the agents replied. "What happened?"
"Ghost attack," I replied. I passed my papers to the senior paramedic. "Make sure this gets to the agent in charge. I have to find my team."
"Of course, sir," the paramedic replied. I flew out of the mall, summoning my phone to my hand. I dialed Sam's number but it went to voicemail. I called Jazz's phone number but it did the same. When I dialed the unique number for Sam and Jazz's communicators and I got feedback, I got really worried. I dialed the code for Fentonworks.
"Hey, son," Dad's voice came over the line. "Did you take care of the attack?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Where's Sam? Did she and Jazz decide to sit it out," I asked.
"Sam and Jazz left six minutes ago, Danny. Are you telling me they haven't made it there, yet?"
"I'm coming home," I announced, opening a portal. I walked into the lab. "Dad? Mom?"
"The girls left a few minutes ago, Danny. They should have already made it."
"Pull up the sig-ar," I said, walking in front of the monitor. Mom pulled it up for me but the number of dots that pulled up wasn't compatible with how many halfas there are. "What's going on?"
"I-I don't know," Mom said, her voice confused. She signaled out Jazz and Sam's signatures but only eleven disappeared. Dozens more stayed on the screen. "This makes no sense."
I viewed the map but nothing stood out. More than a hundred dots sat all over town. It'd take us hours to check every one of these dots but what was doing this. "Mom, what invention could allow the GIW to do this?"
"None," Mom declared. "I have an invention that mask a signature and diverts that one signature somewhere else and I have another invention that can amplify a signature but they aren't anywhere near that kind of control."
"I'm going to call everyone in," I said, walking away from the monitor. Jazz and Sam are in big trouble. I can't believe the GIW were able to capture them both. I called Danielle. She would stop by the school and pick up the kids. No one was going to use any powers until we were home. This was the first time Sam has used powers since the GIW kidnapped Lilly. They knew exactly when to go after her.
By the time Valerie and Tucker returned to Amity Park, the kids were making it home from school. I expected the older kids to be scared or sad but Megan and Doc flanked Lilly while Jacky stood by Megan's side and Jamie stood by Doc's side. Teresa, Philip and Sammy went to play, oblivious to everything. Lilly crossed her arms, each of the older kids wearing identical faces. "They got Mom, didn't they," Lilly asked, seriously.
"We think so," I said, hanging my head. The five of them looked older than they were. They looked ready for a fight. I was going to give it to them. "Jazz was with her," I said, looking to Joey.
"Mom," Joey asked, panic crossing his face.
"Yeah. I don't know if they have her or not. They're hiding her so it's a good bet."
"They won't pass up the opportunity," Doc said, breaking the formation. He went up to the monitor. "Uncle Tucker?"
"I'm on it," Tucker responded to whatever my son asked. "I have no control. The unit is doing this. Without the invention, I have no way of turning it off."
"That's what I thought," Doc said, crossing his arms. He turned back to his sisters and cousins. "Lilly, do you know anything about this?"
"No. I've never dreamed anything like this."
"It could be different," Doc nodded. He looked to Joey. "Joe, I need you to work with me. If I could use your DNA code, it may be able to trace Aunt Jazz."
"We could do the same thing for Mom," Megan said, excited. I swallowed.
"I'm not sure," Doc said, stroking his chin. He was only seven years old but he looked seventeen… just shorter. "Aunt Jazz only has a transformed DNA stran and it could still be too much. Mommy is pregnant. We'd have to hope for her to deliver… and I know none of us want that."
"No," I said, shaking my head. "We can't let them get a hold of D.J. He's the strongest one of us all."
"I still don't know what you are talking about," Mom said, off handedly. She was talking about my claim that D.J. is the strongest member until the twins are born. There's no reason for D.J. to be so strong but he is. He has the same parentage as Pammy and the same genetic code as Lilly, Megan, Jacky, Jamie and Pammy. Yet, he's the strongest. Mom done some tests but can't prove it. He appears normal.
"Another time," Lilly remarked, coming up behind Doc. Megan followed her but my three nephews stood where they were. "How do we do it, mighty Rook? How do we find out which ones are Mom's and Aunt Jazz's."
"None of them are," Doc replied. He turned to me. "They're using smoke and mirrors." He looked to my parents. "There's a third invention. You created it so we could fool a ghost."
"The Fenton one-way," Mom declared in shock. "They've applied the tech to an invention?"
"They've masked them and threw their signature out," Doc replied, looking back to the screen. "We need to find out where the original focus is so we can find Mom and Aunt Jazz." He looked to me. "But that's going to take too much time, Dad."
"We'll lead the search party," I nodded. "All right, we're going in pairs. Dani, you're with me. Tucker and Valerie. If you come across anything suspicious, alert the others." I looked to my kids and they held nervous appearances. "You're going, too. The girls and the twins. This is your chance, kids. Make me proud."
"We will, Dad," Megan said, coming into hug me. Lilly joined in.
"We'll find them, Dad. Nothing is going to happen," Lilly replied.
"Okay, you know what your fathers and I taught you," Danielle said, hugging her twins. "Look out for each other and don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. We're a sonic boom away so call us if you need us."
"We'll be fine, Mom," Jacky said. The boys hugged Danielle.
"Tell our fathers that we love them," Jamie said, hugging Dani tightly.
"You'll be able to tell them yourself," Dani smiled.
"Are you sure about this," Mom asked, wringing her hands together.
"They have to go out, Mom. I don't want them to go but I know they have to. They'll always be my babies but right now, their heroes."
"We're not heroes," Lilly said and a tear came to my eye. The others were nodding in agreement. "We're just trying to help."
I cleared my throat, trying to keep myself from crying. I was so worried about the kids becoming obsessed with being heroes or idol warship but that was all wiped away. I was the proudest I'd ever been. "Okay," I started, my voice rough. "Let's go save our team."
(04)
Doc's theory was starting to turn out true. Everywhere I went, I wouldn't find anything. I had thought I'd at least find some kind of signal generator but there was nothing. It was all a laser pen on a mirror. Somewhere, the girls' signatures were shining on a mirror and now the points of energy was showing up everywhere. I called in the latest failed search. We were in constant contact so I knew the kids were okay. So help me, the softest muffle will have me responding.
"Hey, Dad," Lilly called out. She was continuously talking but this one was aimed at me.
"Yeah," I responded. "I copy, Lilly."
"I have a ghost here," Lilly replied. "Should I take care of it or continue searching?"
"How powerful," I asked.
"Seven," Lilly replied.
"Take care of it if you think you can," I replied. It'd take too long for a response team to get there. He could hurt someone. "Do you need me to come to you?"
"I don't think so," Lilly replied. "I'll get back to you."
I flew to my next location but I listened closely to the girls' fight. Everything was sounding okay until I heard Megan's startle scream. "What the heck was that?"
"What happened," Lilly asked.
"Girls," I asked, stopping.
"He just blew up, Dad," Lilly replied.
"Is anyone else there," I asked.
"No. He just… spontaneously combusted."
Tucker was closest. "I'm responding," Tucker replied. "I've been watching. That was weird."
"Megan," Lilly screamed.
"Respond, now," Tucker cried.
"Lilly," I cried, hitting the sonic mark.
"Megan," Lilly cried. "Where are you?"
"What's going on, kids," Mom asked.
"Grandma, the sig-ar is off," Doc declared. "Guys, we've got a problem. There are hundreds of ghosts in Amity."
"What," I asked. I remembered back when I first went downstairs. Mom turned off the sig-ar, only searching for Jazz and Sam. We had no alerts.
I made it to where my kids were but only Tucker and Lilly were there. "There are ghosts in this area. They've grabbed Megan."
"Release my daughter, now," I screamed, my core shooting up.
"Do you know what the princess of the Ghost Zone can get me," a strange voice remarked. "I promise, your highness, she will be given the best care."
"Give me back my daughter right now," I said, my voice dropping down low. "Or I will destroy you!"
"How can you destroy something you can't see," he asked me. "You don't even know where I am right now, do you?"
"Danny, this is creepy," Tucker replied. "I can't read him. It's like he's not even here."
"I'm not, Duke Tucker," his silky voice announced. "That's the great thing about the realms collapsing. We can go anywhere."
"Daddy," I heard Megan's voice echo.
"Megan, where are you," I screamed out. I felt heat swell in my chest. "Give me back my baby!"
"Lillian, you want to rescue your sister, don't you," the voice asked, tauntingly.
"What do you want," Lilly cried.
"You are much more valuable than Megan," he replied.
"No, Lilly," I declared. "We have no guarantee he'll keep his end of the bargain."
"But then again, Daniel Reginald, otherwise known as Doc, is the crown prince," he remarked. "The three of you are so valuable. You're still alive so that makes you rare. Your brothers, Jacob and Edward would get me a great reward but they're like William, Sammy and Pammy. The newborn, though, would fetch the biggest prize. There's no hope for him, though."
"You mean the unborn child, right," I asked, panic swelling in my chest.
"Pop a cork, Daddy," his voice taunted. "It's a boy."
"Give me back my daughter, now," I demanded. "As King of the Ghost Zone, I command you!"
He started laughing. "You are still green in so many ways. I'm not from the Ghost Zone. You have no authority over me, your highness. Until you become a full ghost yourself, you will have no control over us. Do you want to know why?"
"Where is Megan? Give her back!"
"Pariah Dark actually had the title of King of All Ghosts but he was a ghost. That put us on an even playing field. When you defeated him ten years ago, you weren't on an even playing field. King of the hybrids doesn't exactly make you an almighty ruler. Changing the title to King of the Ghost Zone gives you considerable power. As long as you and your family still lives, you can't hurt us. Once you become a ghost, though, you will control all spectral beings. Pretty cool."
"I'll do what you want," Lilly screamed. "Just give us back Megan!"
"No," I screamed. I flew to Lilly's side, putting my arms on her shoulders.
"Do you swear your allegiance to me," he asked.
"You will not keep any of my children," I screamed out. I felt animalistic. My wife is with the GIW, apparently giving birth, and this bastard has my second born. I wanted his head!
"I swear," Lilly cried out. "Return my sister!"
"Lilly, shut up," I declared.
"It's done," his voice announced. I felt a breeze and my hair blew back. For a brief moment I felt Lilly vanish from my touch. Then she was back. "Nice doing business with you."
I heard a scream coming from below me and I snapped my head to Lilly. Before I took in her sight, I felt her collapsing. I grabbed her, taking her in. Lilly was gone, Megan in her place. "Megan," I called, surprised. Then it hit me. "Lilly!" No, not again. I cannot lose my baby again. "Please, give her back!"
"Say goodbye to your family, Lillian," his voice replied.
"Take care of them, Daddy," I heard Lilly's voice break. "I love you. I'm so sorry."
"No," I screamed, breathing hard. I was in my ghost form but my chest pushed and pulled. I had lost Lilly. She was in my hands. "No, please! I beg of you, don't take her!"
"She'll be fine, my liege," he replied. "Lillian and I are going to become best friends."
"Take me," I called out, turning in a circle.
"As fun as that sounds, pass. Your children are much more unique. Don't worry, Daddy. I'll take good care of her."
"No, no, no," I said, losing control. Not Lilly. "Please, I beg of you." He didn't respond. "Lilly! Answer me!"
"Danny," Tucker reached me. He grabbed my shoulder, pulling me towards him. I looked to him with tear-filled eyes. "We'll get her back."
"I've lost her again, Tucker," I said, tears falling down my cheeks. "Once again, I have lost her."
"We got her back last time, we'll get her back this time."
I looked to Valerie and she was carrying Megan, the baby curled into her shoulder. Dani and the boys weren't here. In my panic, I had abandoned Danielle. "Dani," I screamed, fearful.
"I'm with the boys," her voice came over the communicator. She sounded strained. "We're fighting, Danny, so if you could spare some time…"
I turned to Valerie. "Take her home. Tuck and I are going to Dani and the boys."
"I will… and Danny… I'm so sorry."
I sucked in a breath of air, trying to remain in control. I can't fall apart; not until Sam and my children are home safely.
Tucker and I flew to Danielle, Jacky and Jamie a few blocks away. Before we even touched down, I was dodging an attack. I righted my trajectory, hitting one of the ghosts Danielle was fighting. That allowed her to focus on the other three. As soon as it was one on one, though, another three ghosts joined the ghost I tackled. I sent out lines of fire from the ground, keeping others from joining in. I pointed my palm at a ghost as I took a second one in my sights. The ghost in my mind's eye received a firebomb, throwing him back while the one I pointed my palm at was secured to a wall with ice shards.
I ducked a throw from the ghost I tackled, grabbing his arm as I ducked. I threw him into the last one standing and surrounded them with my ghost stinger power. They both dissolved back to the Ghost Zone. I sent out eight firebombs, the energy blowing the ghosts back. I summoned my thermos, sucking in the ghost secured to a wall by my ice. I brought up my arms, blocking the final ghost's attack. I pushed energy out of my core, throwing him back. I sucked him in the thermos mid-air.
I recalled my flames to see my party had made it to the fight. Gauis, Serguis, Marcellus and Valentinus are still the ones I trust the most so Antonius, Decima, Ovidius and Junius only work for three days. The nine of us cleaned up the twenty-eight ghosts rather quickly.
"Sire, we are so sorry," Gauis said, looking down in shame. "He slipped by us. We sensed the others in the area but I had no idea he was there. He's using the boundary breech to his advantage."
"It's okay. You did your best," I said, swallowing. "Any word on the GIW?"
"I spoke with the ghost in charge, sire. The human agents snuck up on the Duchess and Queen. The guards were attacked but left behind. They were only after your family."
"Of course they were," I said, crossing my arms. "Thanks Gauis."
"Uncle Danny," Jacky ran to my side. "Is it true? Is Lilly gone?"
"For now," I said, trying to be brave. "She'll be okay. We'll get her back."
"Dad, we have more ghosts on the west side. You're not done."
"I read you, Doc."
"We're going to get Lilly back, Dad. Don't worry."
"I know, son. Keeping doing what you're doing, Doc. You're doing great."
"Yes, sir."
We flew to the west side.
(04)
We sent Jacky and Jamie home after six hours of fighting with us but the ghosts weren't letting up. Tucker, Danielle and I were doing fine, though. Valerie had returned and she was tired but doing all right. The human members of our group though were tiring out quickly, endangering themselves. We cleaned out the area and I turned to the six Divisional agents. I was about to speak when the black/green sky flashed a brilliant blue. I looked to the sky in shock to see a blue barrier covering the portals, the vortexes frozen mid-swirl.
"G-go home," I said, still in shock. "Have replacements sent in." I focused on the task at hand. I have no idea what just happened, but my members are tired.
"What the hell just happened," one of my female agents asked. Her name was Olive and she was in her late-twenties, early thirties.
"I have no idea but you're tired. You all are," I replied to the tan skinned girl with light brunette hair.
One second I was in the alley, next second I was in a small complex of some sort. "Whoa," Tucker declared in shock.
"What just happened," Valerie demanded.
"How did we get here," Danielle asked. It was just us four.
"I have no idea," I replied.
"I brought you," a voice announced. I spun around to see an elderly man wearing a purple cloak. The time staff sat in his hand. "I am so sorry to dump this on your head but I am out of time. The road you have ahead of you is a long, laborious one but you can do it. We don't have much time but just remember that you are strongest together. There is only one."
"What," I asked Clockwork, confused. "Out of time? What are you talking about? Where are we, Clockwork?"
"The crossroads of Destiny," he replied. He turned around and I saw Jazz and Sam in the same room we were. I was about to react when I saw what Clockwork was really looking at. In front of us, past the girls, was the GIW outside the containment field holding my newborn son. He pointed his staff at the GIW and D.J. and he turned to a blue mist, completely disintegrating. The blue mist quickly ascended on the agents and my son, entering D.J. As the mist entered D.J., he began to glow first a gentle white, then a soft blue. The soft blue grew until D.J. completely vanished in the glow, now a brilliant gold.
"What's happening," Valerie asked.
"The girls," I declared, running for my sister and wife. I had to wake them up. Sam was in a groggy state of mind but Jazz was completely out of it. I saw an IV in Sam's arm and ripped it out. I ripped Jazz's out as well just to see Sam shoot up. "Easy, honey."
"They have my son," Sam screamed, flying to the wall. She slammed her fists to the wall, the glass shattering. The already stunned GIW looked up in shock.
"How," they asked in shock.
"I control tech," Tucker said, joining Sam. He raised an eyebrow. "It's best not to screw with us."
"Give me my son and I will spare your lives," Sam hissed.
I looked to the GIW, the glow now gone. D.J. was in ghost form. Valerie, Dani and I joined Sam and Tucker. Jazz was still recovering.
"You six will never leave here again," K declared. "This child is the property of the United States Government."
"That child is my son," Sam declared, vanishing from her spot. Sam was by far the strongest of us all. I watched D.J. vanish from O's hands. O reacted. "Shh," Sam soothed inside the broken containment chamber. Sam knelt to Jazz's level. "You feel up to watching him," Sam asked softly.
"That's about the only thing I can do," Jazz said, looking up weakly. Jazz was in no shape to fight. Without Sam's purifier, she'd be the same way. Sam has a high tolerance; Jazz is like the rest of us.
Sam reappeared in the lead, her deadly glare on the GIW. "You wanted me? Come get me."
O and K pulled out weapons, forcing Danielle, Valerie, Tucker and I to act. Sam held her hands out, two vines busting through the floor. The vines tackled the weapons, smashing them into the control panel. Sparks began to fly, the machine blowing up. The lights went out, turning the room into a black void. More plants, now glowing like we were, busted through the floor but a shot of red ectoplasm streaked through the dark room. I heard a pain filled breath exit someone's lungs.
"That wasn't me," Sam said, stopping.
"Help me," a weak, raspy voice announced. K hit the ground.
"What the," I asked, looking around.
"He's been cut in half," Tucker declared. "Danielle, with me, now!"
Dani and Tucker flew to K and I saw Tucker pick up half of his body and put it next to the bottom portion of himself. I felt my jaw hanging open in shock.
"You have a very pretty baby, my Queen," a woman's voice announced. A blue blast lit up the dark area behind me and I spun around.
"Danny, Sam," Jazz cried out scared.
"Don't worry, Duchess Jasmine. I won't harm Prince Daniel."
"Stay away from him," Sam declared, flying to the containment chamber. Valerie and I followed her.
"King Daniel, Queen Samantha," the ghost bowed before us. I stopped but Sam balled her fists together. "I pledge my allegiance to you and our kingdom. Hail Ceasar!"
"We're enemies of your kind," Valerie announced. "Why would you pledge your allegiance to us?"
"Because not all of us wish for anarchy," the woman replied. "We have to pick a side. I tend to choose the winners. Any enemy of my King and Queen will be considered an enemy of mine."
"Now, wait a minute," I declared. "We do not kill our enemies."
"There are casualties in war, my lord. This is a fact." And just like that, she was gone. D.J. was still in Jazz's arms.
"Tucker," I asked, turning in their direction.
"He's alive… just barely," Tucker replied. "He has significant damage. We may not be able to fully repair him."
"You see! You things are nothing but trouble," O declared. He was acting different. Normally he was calm and collected. I guess witnessing your buddy being cut in half can change you.
"She may have been doing it in our name but she wasn't working for us," Jazz declared. "Our team fights for justice and protects the weak." She threw her hand out in the direction of Danielle and Tucker. "Do you think we would be saving his life if we wanted him dead?"
"You are never getting away from here. You are mine!"
"Oh, shut up," I declared, trapping his feet in ectoplasm. Once his feet were protected, I froze him to the floor. K wasn't going anywhere. "The Division will be here and you two will be under arrest."
"Let me have him," Sam said, taking D.J. out of Jazz's arms. Jazz passed him to Sam, standing up. She wasn't at her top performance level but she was strong enough to pull a ruse. Only a half ghost could tell she was in no shape for much else.
"He's gorgeous, Gothica," Jazz smiled warmly. "He has his father's hair and eyes."
"Most of our children do," Sam smiled down at D.J. I couldn't get over him being in ghost form. None of our children were even capable of transforming at this age and he was born in it! I know he has black hair in human form but besides that, he's glowing. I wonder if the fact Sam was in ghost form when she gave birth had any effect. I'm terrified. What if we can't power him down?
I walked over to Sam, rubbing D.J.'s white hair. "Are you okay," I asked, looking into Sam's orange eyes.
"I'm fine," Sam smiled at me. "I have to give them credit. They know how to treat a pregnant lady."
"How did they capture you," I asked, stroking her hair out of her face with my free hand.
"They had the power neutralizer," Sam grumbled. My parents modified the power neutralizer at Samuels' request. Only our bracelets had the power to take away the ghost forms. Anything being sold only blocks the powers from being used. That's why they didn't power down. "We were able to get the device out of their possession but not before we were their captives.
"Once we were unable to use our powers, I for one got really tired and had no energy but Miranda was able to fight them. She destroyed the device but K hit her from behind. I was awake during the transport but Miranda wasn't. That's one reason the IV fluid impacted her so much. They brought us here and put us in this containment chamber. I tried to stop them from injecting me with that stuff but I was just too far along. It wasn't long after they put that stuff in me that I went in labor. Our powers came back within minutes but I was in labor and Miranda was knocked out cold."
"I'm so sorry," I said, rubbing her hair again. "I should have been there."
"Everything turned out all right," Sam said, stroking my face. She kissed me but I couldn't return the kiss. "What's wrong?"
"Everything's not all right, Sam," I said, choking.
"The kids," Sam asked, panicked. "Rook? Clare?"
"Lilith," I said, looking to the ground.
"What," Sam asked, her voice pitchy. "But-but, how? What happened?"
"We were split up looking for you two," I said, my head still hung low. "Thousands of ghosts escaped the Forbidden Zone and Lilith and Gale were fighting one. Gale was kidnapped. Lilith made a bargain with the ghost. Her for her sister. I swear, honey, I tried to protect Lilith but he took her right from my hands. He replaced Gale for Lilith. I don't know where she is."
"Why would you let them go out on their own," Sam screamed, tears in her eyes. "We've got to find her!"
"That's going to be a problem," Tucker replied, looking to us. "This place is surrounded. We're going to be fighting our way out."
"If anything happens to Lilith, you will not live," Sam said, turning a deadly glare on Agent O.
"How is what happened to your ecto-brat any of my concern," O asked, scoffing.
"If it weren't for you, my children would not have been out there. If that ecto-brat, as you called her, dies, you will suffer the most aggravated death in the history of the world. I am not the Queen of the Ghost Zone for nothing."
"Honey, calm down," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Sam snapped that same look back to me. "You were supposed to protect them, Phantom. Where the hell were you?"
"Gothica," Tucker cut in. "We were all there. The ghost was using the break-down of the boundaries to his advantage. Phantom had his hands on Lilith's shoulders when he took her. It was Lilith's decision. We had no control over what happened."
"You should not have allowed her to come out," Sam still accused me. "The kids should have been safe at home!"
"I stand by my decision, Gothica," I said, looking into her tangelo eyes. "We made the decision to include them in this fight. I can't hide them every time it gets a little dangerous."
"We will get my daughter back and then we will discuss this. Techno, how is K coming along?"
"I think we've done all we can do," Tucker replied. "He'll live but I doubt he'll walk. We need to get him to the hospital. They may be able to do more for him."
Sam kissed D.J. softly on the nose. "You're going to be okay, baby. Mommy's back." She placed D.J. in Jazz's arms. "You're in no position to fight, Miranda but you can protect him. Please, keep my son safe."
"I'll take care of my god child."
Sam rectified herself. "Let's go." She took two steps before flying out of the building. I flew after her, Tucker, Danielle, and Valerie on my flanks. There was about fifty ghosts outside; no big deal. We've dealt with more when most of us were still human.
(04)
It was daylight when we returned home. D.J. was a day old when Mom, Dad and the rest of my family were first able to see him. It wasn't very celebratory feeling, though. Someone very important couldn't welcome her little brother into the family. Sam spared no time, though.
"What do you know about Lilly," Sam asked, placing a human-form D.J. in the bassinet in the basement.
"We can't find her signature anywhere," Mom sighed. "It's like she doesn't exist anymore."
"You're not giving up, are you," Megan asked, her eyes filling with tears. "Sis-sis did this for me. I can't fail her again!"
"Hey," I said, picking her up. "We're not giving up on Lilly. We're going to find her. And this isn't your fault, honey. Lilly knew what she was doing."
"I'm so sorry, Mommy," Megan said, whimpering softly. Sam took her from my arms, settling her on her shoulder.
"Shh," Sam soothed. "I'm not angry. This isn't your fault. You're going to be okay and so will Lilly."
"The realms are completely open, wouldn't you say," I asked. Everyone nodded. "So if these ghosts are able to cross over into the other dimensions, we should be able to as well. We can detect ghosts in the Ghost Zone from the Real World. We should be able to trace this new realm."
"It may take a while," Mom said, looking down.
"Then stop wasting time and let's get a move on," Tucker replied. "We're not losing Lilly. I don't care what she agreed to; she stays with us."
"We need to go to the exact spot Lilly disappeared from. These portals work in unique ways," Mom explained.
"Well, let's go then," I replied. We took the Specter Speeder out to the location. Mom and Tucker used some equipment to scan the area. "Anything," I asked, wringing my hands.
"I'm getting a lot of interference," Mom said, looking back to me. "There's a lot of doorways here."
Sam looked up at the sky, ten portals just in our view. "We got that but there should be only one portal that generates that much power."
"No," Mom shook her head. "You misunderstand! I'm not talking about portals. I'm talking about worlds. There's more than one here. We should only be able to detect the Ghost Zone."
"I'm getting the same thing," Tucker replied, tweaking his invention. "There's multiple worlds here. Lilly could be in any one of them."
"There's one difference," Jazz spoke up. "Lilly's energy should be able to picked up. If you tune the instrument to each world individually, we should be able to signal out which one has Lilly."
"Jazz is right," Sam spoke up. "Lilly's energy will be like none other there. We just have to find a way to signal out the worlds."
"And I don't know how to do that," Mom sighed.
"We knew it wouldn't be easy," Tucker replied.
"This is for Lilly," Danielle spoke up. "I know you can do this for your granddaughter."
"I'd do anything for my grandkids," Mom said. She got a determined look. "Okay, we need to send in some probes. Jack!"
"Let's design some probes," Dad declared.
"That's the spirit," Valerie smiled. I took Sam's hand and she squeezed my hand. Lilly is going to be okay. We're going to get her back.
(04)
Putting the kids down that night was miserable. No one wanted to sleep but it had been a couple days since any of us got any sleep. Sam and I tried to put on brave faces for our children but seeing their heartbreak was devastating. Not even Pammy and Sammy were oblivious to the absence. We couldn't lie our way out of Lilly's absence. So we leveled with them and explained it the best we could. It terrified Sammy.
I wasn't sleeping much and neither was Sam. I'd watch her doze off for a brief moment but she'd wake up before she could get any rest. Around one in the morning, I gave up and left the bedroom. I checked on Ida and the kids but Megan wasn't in her bed. Panicked, I sensed for her. She was just on the roof of the house.
The roof of the mansion was different than the roof of Fentonworks. There was a tiny spot for someone to go out on but it was dwarfed by the Ops Center and the only place where you could see the sky was on top of the Ops Center. On the very top was an exit but it was so small only two or three people could be up there (it was never meant to be an observation deck). However, at a young age I had learned to climb over the railing and slide down the metal part, sitting on the slant. It scared Mom to death but it was my favorite place.
The mansion didn't have anything on the roof, obviously. Sam had a hanging garden she liked visiting and I had made a stargazing lab. The kids loved to come out on clear nights and listen to me identify the constellations. Sam wasn't too bad at it either but she loved telling the lore behind them. I wasn't interested in mythology; I loved the science. Megan had found her way to the stargazing lab and was bundled up in a quilt on the patio furniture.
"Couldn't sleep," I asked as I took a seat beside her. Megan looked at me, her eyes full of tears and the previous ones streaking her face. "Oh, sweetheart."
"I'm so sorry, Daddy," Megan cried. I took her in my arms and held her tight. "This is all my fault."
"It is not," I said, kissing her. It was so easy to forget she was only eight years old. All my children were so advanced and they so rarely showed signs of weakness but they are still just kids. My heart ached as I thought of my ten year old.
"If it wasn't for me—if I was stronger—I'm the reason Lilly is gone."
"Listen to me, lady bug," I said, lifting her chin to look me in the eyes. "This ghost is playing by a new set of rules and we don't even know them. He wanted Lilly, Megan. That's the reason he targeted you. You're younger, more vulnerable. He knew if he got his hands on you he could manipulate Lilly. I tried to warn her but she played right into his hands. He had this entire thing set up from the beginning, Megan. Nothing you could have done would have changed a thing."
"If he didn't get me in the beginning, he wouldn't have had his pawn. Maybe that's the name I should have chosen. Pawn Phantom."
"You listen to me, Megan Melissa. This ghost could have taken Lilly from the beginning. He could have taken any of us. He owned that fight, Megan. He targeted the one person who would make Lilly bend over backwards. You were a victim, sweetheart. Stop this guilt trip!"
"You mean this was his plan all along," Megan asked, bunching her brow up. "He never wanted me?"
"No, honey. He wanted Lilly but he didn't want her to fight. Hence the offer. Lilly's older. He also had a high understanding of our family's history. I think he will return with demands. He knows Lilly is my weakness."
"Why," Megan asked. "I thought Doc or Sammy was your weakness."
"Doc and Sammy are weaker than the rest of you guys. It's kind of like Joey or any of the others. If a ghost targeted Doc or Sammy and they could handle the attack, I wouldn't react any differently if it had been you. This time… it's different. I promised I'd never lose her again."
"Lose her again? This has happened before?"
"After she was born. Lilly was born in captivity like D.J. was but unlike this time, Lilly was kept from us for five months. I have a feeling this ghost has this knowledge and he plans to use it against me. He said the Princess of the Ghost Zone could fetch him a good price. I don't think he planned to sell either of my daughters into slavery."
Megan's tears dried. "Immunity. Dad, you're not going to give this creep what he wants, are you?"
"No," I answered. I looked to Megan. "You are going to settle this."
"Me," Megan asked, astonished. "How?"
I smiled in response. I would wait to tell her my plan. Her mother was going to kill me.
(04)
It was late in the evening when Mom and Dad finally finished the probes. Our entire family was working on finding a way to look into these other worlds. Once we got the probes inside these worlds, we would be able to perform universal scans. By nine o'clock, we were syncing the probes together and Mom inserted Lilly's unique signature sample. We had her location within seconds.
"Okay," I said, looking over my entire family. My wife and children were grouped to my right while the remaining of my extended family was spread out to my left. My parents stood directly in front of me. "I have a plan. This was his plan all along, guys. We know he wanted Lilly for immunity. When we go in there, he's going to throw Lilly's allegiance to him in our faces. Lilly will not be able to leave without breaking that allegiance. I'm not sure what a breach in agreement would mean for her."
"So what's your plan," Sam asked. I looked to Megan.
"Oh, no, Dad," Megan said, backing up. The nervousness was painfully obvious in my daughter. "We are talking about Lilly here!"
"And you both have had the same training," I replied. "I know you can do this, Lady Bug. I have faith in you."
"What are you talking about," Sam demanded.
"He wants Megan to challenge Lilly," Tucker replied. "This ghost has declared himself a king and now Lilly is his subject. If Megan challenges Lilly, she is challenging his kingdom. If Megan defeats Lilly, that removes her from his kingdom and we can beat him without conquering Lilly."
"But wouldn't Megan conquer Lilly," Doc asked. "How are you going to get around that?"
"We can deal with that back home. With Megan conquering Lilly, she may even become the crown princess. Once we move on from this ordeal, the girls can fight again and Lilly will be able to fight for her title back. If either of us conquers her, it could cause massive trouble. At least the girls are equal in power."
"I'm not sure I am equal in power. What if she turns against us? What if—?"
"Stop," Sam said, putting her hand on Megan's shoulder. She went to her level. "No matter what happens, Lilly would never turn on you. The entire reason she's there is because she wanted to protect you. Your father is right. You are the best one to do this. You are the only one to do this."
My eyes widened. "Say that again?"
"Shut up," Sam rolled her eyes. I smirked.
"If we're going to get this done, we'll have to move," Danielle replied. "What about the boys? Do you want the kids to get involved?"
I looked to Doc, Jacky and Jamie. "Do you boys feel up to facing Lilly?"
"Oh, they get an option," Megan scoffed.
"Doc isn't strong enough to challenge Lilly. He's much younger and his powers aren't as developed. Jacky and Jamie don't have spots in the hierarchy. If they defeat Lilly, it would completely turn the castle on its head. No matter what they chose, Lilly is your responsibility. The boys will be your backup, not ours."
"I'm always ready for a fight… and come on! One against Lilly is going to be epic. I wouldn't miss it for the world," Jacky declared.
"I'm in. Megan is going to need our help."
"How do you figure," Doc asked, frowning at his cousin. "I'm game but it should just be the two of them. We should be pretty bored."
Jamie gave Doc an incredulous look and I agreed with him. "Yeah. Nothing ever goes according to plan. Jamie's right. Something will happen that we couldn't foresee."
"So all three of you are in," Mom nodded. "Okay. You kids be careful. You have no idea what you're walking into."
"We'll be fine," I said. I hugged my mother. "Take care of D.J. for us, Mom, and watch over the girls. Keep them safe."
"There's nothing to fear," Mom said, kissing my cheek. "You kids be careful." I blushed. I was twenty-five years old but I'll always be a 'kid' to her.
We loaded up and traced Lilly's signature. When we passed through the portal into the new world, though, a big change happened. My body became incorporeal and I felt different. We all stopped, looking at our hands in shock.
"Dad," Doc said, his voice in shock. "This is a spiritual world, Dad. We're immune from time and space here."
"This is so cool," Jacky declared. "I've never felt so…"
"Powerful," his brother concluded. He looked up. "I don't understand, Mom. Why do I feel so powerful?"
"I don't know. Even I feel stronger. Like I know my powers better here than I did in the Real World."
"I completely agree," Jazz declared. "I don't get it."
"I do," Megan said, snapping her head up. She had no clear details… none of us did. The air around us was as if it was filled with smoke. "Rook said it himself. It's a spirit world. When we came here, time has no meaning so everything we will learn about our powers is unleashed."
"Just powers, right," I asked, my eyes widening. Will they learn the truth about their parentage? Has Lilly?
"Natural progress," Doc answered. "We have no advances in anything learned. Even if we are taught something in the future, we won't learn it. It's something we learn naturally."
I nodded. "Okay. Jazz is the newest half ghost so she feels enlightened. You kids are still developing. Danielle is still developing. That makes sense."
"But this makes it so much more difficult," Megan answered. "Lilly's had three days of this advancement. She may be more advanced than me."
"Told you something would come up," I grumbled. I released a breath. "Okay, you can do this. Let's go, guys."
We started in the direction Lilly was currently at. Before we reached her, though, we were attacked. "Halt," a deep voice declared. It wasn't his, though. Someone else was here. "Who goes there?"
"Crud," Tucker grumbled. "There's more than just Lilly and this guy."
"You dare speak of our Queen," the ghost demanded. "Leave now or I shall obliterate you!"
This guy or anyone like him wasn't a threat. Lilly declared the queen of the realm, though, would be disastrous. She wouldn't conquer him but remain here, would she and so help me if he's touched her, obliteration would be an unrealized dream of his.
Needless to say, my team mopped the proverbial floor with that ghost. But as we made it closer to Lilly, more ghosts were showing up. We could continue to fight but it wouldn't end. Dreading my choice, I was about to call a retreat when I heard a commanding voice. "Stand down."
"It's the queen," the guards started to whisper. We watched as all the ghosts fell to what I would assume was their knees (they got smaller, at least). A ghost floated down the middle of the reduced ghosts. My eyes widened.
"Dad," Lilly asked. It was her but she had changed so much. I'm not just talking about the smoke essence that made up her form; she looked older. I could still see Megan, Doc, Jacky and Jamie's childlike forms; Lilly was an adult.
"What happened to you," I asked, stepping towards her. The guards went to react.
"I said stand down," Lilly snapped, turning her head to the ghosts that disobeyed. One of the ghost screamed in agony.
"My Lillian," the voice from before announced. I'd know his voice anywhere. It's all I could hear the last three days. "They only wish to protect you, my dear."
"I am still in charge, correct," Lilly asked, her voice kind. "Unless you plan to domineer me, I will call the shots."
"Of course you are still in control, my love. This is your world, I promised you that."
"You son of a bitch," I cried, turning to the smoky ghost. "She's ten!"
"Silence," Lilly declared. I felt my jaw drop. "You are in my world now, father. This was my decision."
"Young lady, I am your father!" I was in so much shock that it was the only thing I could come up with. It wasn't as stern as I wanted it to be, though. I couldn't believe how she was acting.
"That may be so but this is my world. You don't run the show here; I do. I haven't been the little girl you remember in a long, long time. Things have changed over the years."
"Years," I asked, my eyes widening. "Lilly, how much time do you think has passed?"
"Dad, I'm in my twenties. Why wouldn't you know that?"
I choked, unable to speak. "Lilly, it's been three days, sweetheart. We came as soon as we could," Sam spoke for me.
Lilly snapped her head to her siblings and her cousins. "Oh, my God." She whipped her head back to the ghost that took her from me. "Did you know of this?"
"Milady," the ghost said, nervous.
"Answer me," Lilly said, threatening. She sent chills up my back. I think I know why Lilly's the queen. She was too powerful for him. The ghost started sputtering. "You have defied me," Lilly growled. The ghost howled in pain. "Take him away. He is under arrest!"
"At once, my queen," one of the guards announced.
"All of you, leave," Lilly declared. The ghosts didn't hesitate. "I thought-thought you forgot about me."
"No, sweetheart," I said, stepping to her. My heart broke. My baby was ten three days ago and now she's probably older than I was. It wasn't fair! "I am so sorry."
"So am I," Lilly whimpered. "I could have left a decade ago. I was tired of being his slave so I challenged him for my freedom. He had no idea how strong I was. I defeated him and I became queen. I left him as King because I had pledged my allegiance to him."
"What has he done to you," Sam asked. She went next to Lilly, hugging her.
"We're married," Lilly said hesitantly. I wanted him dead. "Before, I was his slave. As I got older, though, I became stronger. I didn't want to live the rest of my life like that so I challenged him. He had no idea how powerful I really was so he wasn't suspecting it. I can't believe I wasted ten years of my life."
"Does this mean I don't have to challenge her," Megan asked. If I wasn't on the verge of destroying something, I'd laughed.
"Challenge me," Lilly asked. She looked to her siblings again. "Oh, man, you guys are really young."
"And you're really old," Doc declared.
"Thanks," Lilly grumbled. "You couldn't challenge me, Megan. You're too young. I'm four times more powerful here than I was at home."
"I'd say she's more powerful than we are," Tucker said. He hugged her next. "I don't care how old you are, you're still my little Lilly Bear."
"What do we do now," Lilly asked, sighing.
"You come home," I said, rubbing her hair.
"I can't," Lilly declared. "My children don't have bodies." My eyes widened.
"I'm sorry," Sam squeaked. "Did you say your children?"
"Yeah. I have three children," Lilly replied. "It takes five years for them to fully gestate unlike a human. They aren't like humans. They are spirits. Come, I want you to meet them."
"Lilly, I want his head," I said, balling my fists together.
"Don't worry, Dad. He'll be punished severely. He knew about this and he manipulated me. No one manipulates me!"
I fought not to be fearful of my own daughter as I felt the surge of power beside me. Lilly floated deeper in the world. There was no structures, just this heavy fog everywhere. Occasionally, there would be a white fog instead of the dense gray fog that was everywhere else. It almost looked like the ghosts but this white fog had no characteristics, just a paler areal fog.
Lilly stopped but where she had taken us didn't make me feel any less confused. The gray fog now hovered at knee level but it was broken in tiny spots. It almost looked like… no way. In the middle of the gray fog was a tiny fluff of white. Lilly bent down and picked it up. As soon as I focused on the white "fog" I knew what it was. It was my grandbaby.
"This is my eldest. I call it a girl but I have no idea what she really is. I was fifteen when she was born. I call her Vanessa but she hasn't aged a bit. She's real, though. I can interact with her. Do you want to hold her?"
"What is it," Doc asked, looking over the white mass. It wasn't how I imagined.
"It's a spirit," Tucker replied. "It has no gender. It's not even born. Because you are human and he was ghost, you could still reproduce so you created a spirit baby. You were in this world, though, so it couldn't be given a body. She's right, it can never leave this realm. It will deteriorate."
"And you have three kids," Jazz asked. "You said you challenged your freedom after a decade here and it took five years to generate the spirits. Did you get pregnant after you became queen?"
"Yeah. I still honored him, but this time as a husband. Before, I was just his slave."
"He raped you," I swallowed hard.
"No," Lilly shook her head. She was nervous and her voice was pitchy as her words ran in circles. "Not exactly. He didn't hurt me! I gave it consenting but only because I was afraid of what he'd do if I resisted. Thinking back, I know he really raped me but he did it differently than traditional rape. He used guilt. He'd always tell me that I surrendered to him and I had agreed to this. He kept me submissive but I swear, he never hit me or even hurt me! It felt like sex but it wasn't exactly. He told me because this was the spirit world, just our spirits touching was considered intercourse."
"I am so sorry. I never wanted this to happen to you, baby." Lilly was trying to protect me. I know that monster hurt her. If not physically, then mentally.
"It's not your fault, Dad. I did chose this. Megan was worth it. It would have been her if not me, Dad. At least I understood adult situations from my dreams. Megan doesn't know a thing about sex or being an adult. At least I'd dreamed of it before I came here."
"What about the other two," Danielle asked, standing behind Jazz, Sam and I. Tucker and Valerie joined her and the four kids stood behind them.
"One boy and one girl. They resemble my dream children so much. Vanessa is nothing like Caitlin so I didn't call my firstborn by the name I gave my baby. The second child was so much like my dream first-born that I named him Clinton. When my baby was born, I could see so much of Caitlin in her that I named her that. In my dreams, I only have two but you know, I never saw this happening either."
"It's because I let you kids tag along," I said, hanging my head. "I was too afraid in the other timelines but now, I'm creating this new world. I am so sorry, honey."
"I want to see my grandparents," Lilly said, hanging her head. "I have to stay here with my children but I want to see the rest of the family. Let's go home."
I wrapped my arm around her waist, "No matter what happens, you're still my baby."
"I'm older than you, Dad," Lilly grumbled. "I should travel in the back. I'd hate to give Grandpa that heart attack he was supposed to have when Sammy was born."
"Yeah. I agree," I nodded. We flew out of the Ghost Zone, the white spirits, detailed and not, stopping. I didn't know what the large undetailed white spirits were but I was too afraid to ask. Too much was happening. I went to rescue my ten-year-old daughter and now I'm bringing home a near-thirty year old!
We passed through the portal, all of us in silence. We blocked off Lilly's view from everyone else. "Did you find her," Mom asked. "Where's Lilly?"
"Guys, things are different now," I said, releasing a sigh. "She was in a spirit world. It's timeless there…" I stopped short. It was timeless there. That was the whole point of everyone else having more control.
"Yeah," I heard a small voice. I turned around, knowing it wasn't Megan. "This was most unexpected." In the back of our group, at a height of four feet, was my ten year old again.
"Lilly," I cried.
"I have no idea what happened," Lilly said, turning her hand over. "I passed through the portal and shrunk!"
"What," Mom shrieked. "What are you talking about? You're as tall as you were before."
"No," Tucker said. He actually reacted first, engulfing her in a giant bear hug. "That realm was moving faster than our world but it was only aging the spirits. She's got the mind of a thirty year old but she's still just ten. This is great!"
"Easy for you to say. I have to go through my awkward adolescent years again!"
"What are you talking about," Dad demanded. "I am so confused right now!"
"In that other world, Lilly was almost thirty years old with three spirit babies. Now, she's my baby again," I declared. I picked her up, swinging her around. I kissed her repeatedly. "I love you so much, baby."
"I love you, too, Dad," Lilly smiled. She kissed me on the cheek. "But don't think because I'm small that I don't remember everything that happened. I'm not just talking a few experiences. I was there for every day until I was twenty-nine years old. That changes a lot."
"I don't care. Your childhood isn't over, my baby is back and your life is still ahead of you."
"Not to mention we're older than you again," Sam remarked. She hugged Lilly next. "I love you, pumpkin."
"I love you so much, Mom. I missed you all so much."
"Children," Mom asked, holding her head. "Are you telling me my ten year old grandbaby has babies?"
"No, spirits. They can't come to this world. They'll die," Tucker answered.
"Lilly, come here, sweetheart. I want to give you a rape kit," Mom said, holding her hands out.
"You won't find anything," Tucker replied. "But I want you to check." He turned to Sam and me, then to Jazz. "We have some business ourselves."
"Okay," I said, confused. I trusted him, though, and we followed Tucker out of Fentonworks. It was just the genesis generation. "What's up," I asked as we flew back to the portal.
"I think once the tests are done, Mom will find Lilly is still a virgin. I don't think the spirit world has intercourse the same way the real world or the Ghost Zone does."
"So what can we do," Danielle asked.
"If she's had sex but is still a virgin, we'll have to work with her," Jazz replied. She gave Sam and I a sympathetic look. "You two will get it the worst. You will have a fully sexually charged ten year old."
"Don't worry about Lilly," Danielle rolled her eyes. "You know how he was about me. Do you think he's going to allow his baby to have sex?"
"You're a perfect example of the challenges I will face," I grumbled. "You were still an infant when you were having sex."
"Shut it," Danielle retorted.
"We have to find out how this world deals with interaction. Danny and Sam are in charge of sexual interaction. I want the two of you to find a way to make love. Jazz, Dani, I want you two to find a way to interact with Val and I." Tucker looked to Sam. "You touched her. How did it feel?"
"I went to touch her but I couldn't touch her," Sam said, shaking her head. Tucker nodded.
"That's what I experienced. The spirits have a unique way of interacting. Our job is to find out how to do that. That's why I've paired us up this way. Danny and Sam are married so they can do the lovemaking experiment. I love Valerie and I love technology but never have I imagined making love to Val in her suit. Now, our job is really tricky. If I'm right, and I hope to God I'm not, we're going to accidently make love. As we are touching, we're going to slip and get the wrong kind of interaction. That's why I'll take Danielle and Valerie and Jazz can work together. I know it's the last thing any of us want but if Jazz and Dani make love, there's going to be serious scaring; I'm talking for an eternity."
"Yeah," Dani said, her eyes wide. "No thank you."
"And while I'd rather have Valerie and Dani together, I think if Jazz and I slip up, it'd be the same as Jazz and Danielle. Dani and I aren't much better but I haven't known her all my life."
"It'll be weird for me, though. I've known you all my life!"
"Who haven't you known all your life," Tucker asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, it'll be weird but this is the best arrangement. Let's just focus on not screwing up, though. Please, don't let us screw up!"
Sam and I were looking at each other. While we found their predicament funny, we couldn't get over our own. So what if we were married, we're expected to make love in front of everyone. Hello, awkward! Still, it can't be worse than the thought of accidently making love to your sibling. We all consider ourselves brothers and sisters, especially in ghost form. While it's obvious that Tucker and Valerie are from different ethnic backgrounds, it's not impossible. I've heard debates about whether Tucker really is my brother or not. The most hilarious one, though, is Miranda. There's a debate about her as well because of the purple hair.
We flew through the portal, entering the spirit realm again. It would be an embarrassing next couple hours for everyone.
(04)
It was a good news, bad news kind of situation. Lilly still had her hymen intact and intercourse in the spirit realm was much different than in the real world but essentially, Lilly did experience sex. The experiments was completely helpful and Mom even sent us back for more testing. Sam and I started to create a spirit baby of our own but it wasn't complete. I felt an energy in my core as we touched and allowed our spirits to unite and that energy would penetrate in Sam, nurturing a similar energy from within her. Every time I felt that energy, I would lose focus though and the energy would dissipate. It told us that he deliberately impregnated Lilly because there was no way he did this on accident. It took a lot of energy from me to even begin. As I continued to experiment, it got more complicated. I could see why it'd take five years.
Sam and I had a big change to adjust to. Lilly was full-on mother mode but we wouldn't let her live in that realm (not that I ever entertained the idea. I would have locked her in the basement before I let her return) so she spent hours a day going to that realm. Lilly was never gone for long periods of time but she would go there for a few minutes dozens of times a day. I couldn't bond with them like Lilly had. Lilly called them her children; I called them the fuzz balls behind her back. I wouldn't insult them in front of Lilly but I couldn't see them as children. They weren't even sentient. To me, they were no different than the failed clones. They were mindless.
But Lilly loved them so I did my best to support her. I wasn't alone in my thinking, though. No one but Lilly seemed to even understand them. Lilly said they had personalities. To me, it was a child with a doll playing pretend. The only evidence that they were alive was the fact they would feed from Lilly. She was able to 'breastfeed' them somehow. I didn't understand it; not at all. Sam discussed creating one to get some answers but I talked her out of it. Five years is a long time for us to go to this world that has no privacy and push energy into a ball to create something a little cotton candy at home could replace.
It was about two months after D.J.'s birth that I felt comfortable enough to do some investigating. The night was infamous for more than two reasons. Of course Lilly was taken from us and D.J. was born but also the ghosts escaped, I formed my own faction of Forbidden Zone ghosts and Clockwork done that mojo thing. I hadn't had time to talk to him since he disappeared on me so I needed to search him out. I hadn't done much work since that day but life was starting to return to normal. It was time I returned to work.
So that Monday, I held my first physical class in two months. I was replaced temporarily but Samuels still controlled the school; I could have my job back at any time. My students welcomed me back warmly and they all had questions about the eighth Fenton. I tried to keep the class on target but my children were a huge part of my life so my students were dying to get as much knowledge as possible. Some even wanted me to bring him by. I didn't know about that.
After school, I took the kids home and went into the Ghost Zone. After Divisional board meeting adjourned, Mom and Sam would meet us at the castle. Tucker and the rest were heading there as I went to meet Clocky. I'd probably be the last one to arrive. It was okay, though. There was plenty to do at the castle so they wouldn't get bored.
I finally arrived at the clock tower but it was off. The cogs weren't moving and the place looked deserted. I stepped inside, the monitors all exposed and showing interference. "Clockwork," I called, becoming worried. "Dan? Anyone here?"
My voice echoed through the halls, the area completely vacant. I toured the tower but there was nothing. I walked past the hanging time viewers, feeling at a loss. Why wouldn't he come back? Where did he go? Something caught my eye and I spun around, seeing the time medallions hanging on the wall.
"What," I declared, covering my mouth. The once purple ribbon was now pitch black and the medallion hanging wasn't no longer gold trimmed but instead lined with silver. The biggest change was CW that once adorned the piece of futuristic tech; now, D.J.'s PJ stood out in a silver engraving. What the hell happened? Where is Clockwork?
"Dad," I heard a voice. It sounded like Doc but different. His voice was mature.
"Doc," I asked, turning to the entrance. "What are you doing here?"
"It's not Doc," the voice replied. "Come to the time mirror."
I walked to the center of the time room. Standing in the mirror was the future version of my son. "D.J.," I asked, taking in his form. He was wearing a black cloak, just like Clockwork's purple one.
AN: The character death has already happened but Danny hasn't been filled in. You may already know who it's going to be.
Okay, let me know what you're thinking. Leave a review.