AUTHOR'S NOTE:
ANSWER TO "A CURIOUS READER"'S COMMENT: Thank you for your comment, but I want to make it clear that I am writing stories aimed for a younger audience. I read in a book written by a bestselling author that "If you write for children, keep in mind that they tend to have short attention spans. Kids like seeing dialogue in books because it's easier for them to read and also fun." Which is true. After what I've written for children in the past, I've known this fact. My descriptions are simple so that children can understand them. If adults decide to read my stories, or even older teenagers, then that's your choice. If you don't like the lack of description, then go read Lord of the Rings and tell me the difference between that and a kid's novel. I admit to being one of those children who loved to read but skimmed over long paragraphs if I was getting impatient and felt like the story wasn't moving along. When I got older, I became more patient and enjoyed reading every word. I LOVE description, but I know that if I dwell too long on something, the child reading my story will get bored and just drop the book. That's why I make them a little shorter.
As for the fact that I haven't gone into detail about Andy's relationship with Sam or Tucker, it's because the stories are more focused on DANNY FENTON. When Andy becomes the protagonist of the story, THEN I will be going into depth about the relationship he has with his mother and uncle. But because DANNY is the main character for most of my stories, HE'S the one people should be focused on. It's HIS relationship with other characters that needs to be addressed in times like those. Andy's relationship with his father is a very important one, which is why I express it a lot more than the one he has with his mother or uncle.
As for the story and plot line: I LIKE having a specific plot to follow. It's worked out perfectly for me and my readers so far. I like the idea that each story before is joined together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
And a last thing: I am writing a fanfiction for a television series. I tend to have difficulty making the transition from TV to book. With my OWN stories, meaning the ones I've written with my own characters and that I am currently proof reading, I have an easier time with description and less dialogue because I'm depending on my writing skills to describe what only I can see at the moment. That's when I am a little heavier on the descriptions and relationships.
And this is a note to the rest of you readers: if you HAVEN'T read "Return of the Hero", "The Mystery of the Spirit Gems" and "Double Trouble" before this DP story, then I suggest you go read them if you don't want to be confused later on. I make a LOT of reference to those stories, so please read them and save yourselves the trouble of having to ask what I mean about certain details.
That's about it. Thank you for taking my rant. I'm exhausted from university and a little stressed out, so if this all came out in a negative-sounding way, I didn't mean it like that.
Hokay! Story time!
Andy was already busy eating his cereal at incredible speed when Danny came downstairs into the kitchen. He was just zipping up his NASA uniform sweater when he walked in. "How's this for dressed?" he asked.
Sam looked at him over her shoulder. "Good enough," she replied with a grin, going back to making her son's lunch.
Danny rolled his eyes amusingly before looking at his son. Andy devoured his breakfast as if he was in a hurry.
"Hey, whoa there!" Danny gasped, running over and stopping the boy from eating so quickly. "What's the rush, Andrew?"
"I gotsta finish my breakfast fast so that school can finish fast," he said with a mouthful of fruit loops.
"The day won't go any faster if you choke yourself to death either," Danny said with a nervous chuckle. "Swallow what you've got in your mouth and eat the rest at a normal pace, okay?"
"Okay."
Danny released his son's hand and then walked over to the counter where he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and poured himself some cereal. "So, Tucker's up to what today?" he asked, reaching around his wife and grabbing the jug of milk.
"Another press conference," Sam replied. "Then he's gonna be working on his computer program all day."
"What's the press conference about this time?"
Sam turned her head and gave him a sarcastic look. Danny, who had just finished pouring milk into his bowl, froze for a moment before smiling innocently and sealing the jug shut again. "I didn't mean it," he apologized.
Sam rolled her eyes and continued filling her son's lunch box. "They wanted more updates on Danny Phantom's last ghost fight," she announced. "From last week."
"Forgive me if I've become a national icon again."
"Tell that to Tucker. He's hardly had any sleep because of your stunts, Danny. At night, he's helping you bust ghosts. During the day, he's answering questions about Amity Park's hero."
"I'm not forcing him to help me," Danny said quietly, as a soft frown settled over his brow. He turned around, leaned against the counter and began eating his breakfast. "Tucker helps out because he wants to, just like you do."
"Yeah, but I don't have to stand in front of microphones and answer question after question about you," Sam replied.
"Look; if Tucker tells me that he needs a break, then he can have one," Danny argued. "It's not my fault the people know him as Danny Phantom's link to Amity Park. Who gave him that title, anyway?"
"Amity Park," Sam answered.
"Tucker's trying to help me, and I appreciate it. You'd do the same if you were in his position, Sam. Don't tell me you wouldn't."
Sam sighed and looked at Danny. "I just don't need to have both of my best friends do stupid things," she said. "One's enough, thank you."
"I don't do stupid things," Danny muttered between bites.
Sam laughed sarcastically and looked at him again. "And using that street light as a baseball bat wasn't stupid?" she said.
"Hey, Skulker was gonna skin me, Sam!" Danny replied in defence. "I had to use something that could club him!"
Andy finished his breakfast and carried his bowl to the dishwasher. He then squeezed between his parents and grabbed his lunch box. "Are you guys finished fighting over silly things?" he asked.
"We're not fighting," his parents replied in unison.
Andy looked at them sarcastically. Danny shared a wry grin with his wife at this. "We just… enjoy disagreeing with each other," Sam replied with a shrug.
The five-year-old nodded and walked off. "Uh-huh," he said, still not convinced. "If you're finished then, will you drive me to school? You guys talked so much, I don't have time to clean my room with Daddy."
Sam gasped and looked at her watch. "Oh, shoot!" she said, grabbing her purse and snatching her keys. "Okay, go get your bag and coat, Andy, and get in the car! Mom will be there in a few seconds!" She dashed off into the house.
"What about Daddy?" Andy wondered, pointing at Danny.
"Yeah; what about him?" Danny agreed.
Sam stuck her head back into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow. "He's got some cleaning to do," she said before disappearing.
Andy moaned while Danny tucked his hands into his pockets. "But it was gonna be the last thing I do wif him before Daddy leaves!" he complained. "It was the only time I wanted to clean my mess!"
Danny chuckled and rubbed the boy's head. "I'll be back tomorrow night, Squirt," he said. "I'll clean your room this time, but next time, we'll make an adventure out of it together, okay?"
Andy groaned stubbornly and walked off to get his coat. "Fine," he muttered.
Danny watched him leave and then rolled his eyes. "At least having ghost powers makes cleaning the room interesting for him," he said to himself.
It took a few extra minutes before both Sam and Andy had gotten outside. Danny walked them out to the car and held the door open so that Andy could climb in. "We'll see you tomorrow, Andy," he said, leaning into the car. He kissed Andy on the head and pulled himself away. "Be good, ok?"
Andy grinned back and gave the thumbs up. "Okie dokie!" he said before waving. "Bye-bye, Daddy."
Danny waved back before closing the passenger door and looking up at Sam. The woman opened the driver's door and looked at her husband. "I'll go to the store to get a few things and then I'll go check how my dad's doing," she said. "I'll drive you to the airport after, ok?"
"Do you think Tuck will have the chance to see me off?"
"Not likely; he'll probably give you a call if he's not busy, but that's it."
"Good enough."
Sam got into the car and closed the door. Danny stepped back and waved at his son again. Andy waved back before the car drove off down the street.
Danny watched it leave before turning around and walking back towards the house. "Now to clean up the tornado," he muttered to himself.
Twelve thirty arrived, and with it came time to embark on the plane. Sam and Danny had arrived at the airport at noon, and half an hour later, it was time to go separate ways.
Sam kissed Danny while placing her hands around his neck and then pulled her lips away from his. "You'll do fine," she whispered, sensing his anxiety. "You were always good at talking in front of a crowd when the time called for it."
"Doesn't mean that I wasn't nervous," Danny replied. "You know I hate having to stand up in front of people."
"You're just naming the people that will be part of your crew, Danny. It's not like you're on national television, you know."
"I know, but…" Danny looked at his shoulder bag for a moment before looking worriedly at Sam. "I'm always worried that someone I work with might figure something out. You know, about my powers. It's really hard to start working with a new team if you don't know anyone or know if you can trust them."
"True, but you'll never know what might happen if you don't try it out," Sam replied, zipping Danny's NASA jacket up. "At least there's Dr. Johnson you can talk to about things." She kissed his cheek. "You'll need to take a taxi home. Tucker will be with me and Andy, fixing the PC downstairs in the lab, okay?"
Danny nodded. "Sure," he replied. He hoisted up his bag and walked off. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Danny."