Chapter 1
Danny was running late.
He tore down the lengthy hallway, bare feet slamming against the hardwood flooring, while, with one hand, he battled with the buttons of his white collared shirt– really, an impossible task in itself – whilst simultaneously wrestling with the fly of his jeans with the other.
He shouldn't have been surprised. He really shouldn't have. However, against his better instincts, he had held some comical hope that he would be on time and not snooze his alarm clock in favour of a little extra rest.
He'd even had a full proof plan. Alarm was set twenty minutes early, clothes were laid out on the chair across from his bed and hell, he'd even shaved the night before!
Old habits die hard. The thought left a sour taste in his mouth.
He rounded the corner, having already managed to get his fly up, and a couple of his buttons hastily done. Later, he'd realise that was a pretty good effort, and wonder just why exactly he didn't multitask with such skill more often.
But that wasn't the problem right now. The problem is that he was going to be very, very late, to a very, very important interview, that was very, very essential in the future of his career.
The distraction by this fact and his own chaotic morning rush was probably why he didn't see the first step of the stairwell.
Everything slowed and for a single horrific moment, Danny's entire life flashed before his eyes, each memory rolling like a movie tape before the world tilted and he was weightless.
"Fuck!" He cursed, voice muffled and pained as he tumbled head first into oblivion, knocking every possible part of his body on the wooden staircase as he made his unorthodox descent.
With a painful yelp, he was deposited stomach first on the white tiles at the bottom of the stairs, feet kissing the last step and butt pointed skyward. For a few moments, he just laid there, letting himself process what exactly had happened.
I'm cursed. He decided, not even bothering to pull himself up.
There were a few rushed footsteps above and a shadow appeared at the top of the stairway. "I would ask..." a blunt, female voice sounded and he sighed helplessly, "but, I don't think I want to know."
"Good morning to you too" He huffed aggressively, the rush of air causing his untamed, inky bangs to go flying out of his face briefly before he hauled himself up. With disdain he surveyed his crumpled shirt – that he had specifically ironed for this one purpose last night – and his scuffed jeans. So much for being prepared.
"That was very graceful." He decided not to acknowledge the jibe and instead set to quickly brushing himself down, he could at least look somewhat presentable.
Just not perfect like I'd planned, he mused to himself, absently running his hands through his hair to straighten it out a bit. He'd gotten it trimmed just the other day in preparation for today's important events, and despite not having put all that much effort into it this morning, it didn't look that bad. Long on top as per usual, bangs just shy of obscuring his vision and a neat undercut at the sides and back. It was also Jazmine Fenton approved, so that was a big thumbs up for him.
However, he was extremely miffed by his shirt.
There was an exasperated sigh behind him, before warm hands slid to his shoulders turning him around and working on undoing his buttons. "Care to explain why exactly you're rushing around the house at a million miles per hour this early in the morning?"
He frowned deeply, eyes narrowing at the female in front of him. "Well I don't know Samantha, maybe it was because I'm late for an important interview!"
She smacked at his chest with perhaps a little more force that necessary and he yelped, flinching back slightly. "Ow!"
"Don't you 'Samantha' me, Daniel." Sam scolded, working on his last button now. "I distinctly remember someone claiming that they were a 'big boy now, and big boys could stay up late playing Doomed with their equally big boy friend.'"
"That's not–" He cut himself off because she was right and arguing was futile. Damn smart women and their good memory's.
Sam's lips quirked into a knowing smirk. "I thought so. Regret it now, don't you?"
He pouted, and crossed his arms over his chest childishly, shirt now open after Sam made quick work of it. "Maybe a little."
She chuckled and just like that his morning was infinitely better. "Alright, stop it with your sulking and give me the shirt, I don't have to be at the office until nine." She said, hand held out expectantly.
His eyes nearly popped out of his goddamn head for a moment and he may have been gaping just a little. "You're serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious. Now give me that shirt before I change my mind!"
"Yes Ma'am!" He saluted, practically tearing the fabric off his body in his haste to give it to her.
Her lips curved, "Good. Now go and have breakfast." she ordered, a hand tauntingly patting his abs as she left. He shivered at her touch, goosebumps flooding over him as he watched her discreetly make her way upstairs and disappear around the corner, although not before slinging a smirk and cheeky wink his way.
He groaned, smacking a hand into his forehead to bring him out of the trance he'd caught himself in. "Oh, the power she holds" He mumbled to himself, wanting nothing more than to join her upstairs, to…iron his shirt, of course.
With a sigh, he left the thought behind, and trekked it to the kitchen, where, after digging through the small pantry, he managed to secure some bread to toast and some peanut butter to slather on it. It was, probably, going to be his only success of the morning.
While breakfast was in the works he managed to successfully throw a takeaway coffee together, which would be warm and ready to go with him on the journey as a result of the overpriced, re-usable cup he'd purchased a few weeks ago. Could he have found one for half the price somewhere else? Yes. Would that one glow fluorescent green in the dark like this one? Probably not.
The memory brought a smile to his face and he briefly put the cup in the dark side of the cupboard, shutting the door just enough to see it glow faintly. Giggling like a child, he pulled it back out, and put his plate in the dishwasher.
This was the sight that Sam came downstairs to. She quirked a brow, but didn't question it further, because Danny had always been slightly strange. "All done" She said, holding up his ironed shirt like a trophy.
"Yes!" He cheered, bounding over to her and smoothly sliding the shirt on, making quick work of the buttons – with both hands this time. "Thanks, a' million Sam. You're the best!" He bent down to her height to place a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Yes, yes I know." She sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her chest, just above the hem of her silky black cami, matching shorts covering her bottom to boot. "Can't top this goth."
He smiled at her antics, watching her hands move to put her long black hair up in a messy bun.
"Sure." He replied, before he stepped back, smoothing out his hair and wiping his mouth. "So how do I look? Casually presentable?"
She lifted a finger to her chin in contemplation, scanning him over with that peculiar violet gaze, "Somewhat. C'mere, your collars all funny." He sighed, and slouched down so she could adjust it for him. "There much better, put some shoes on and you'll be casual interview ready."
"Shoes!" He panicked, before darting towards the basket opposite the stairwell, where their few pairs of shoes resided.
"How could you forget shoes?!"
He skidded to a stop, pulling on a pair of socks he'd found at the bottom of the stairs and quickly selected his nicest pair of converse, a black pair Sam had bought him for his twenty-fourth last year.
"I was in a rush!" He sassed back, quickly glancing at his watch and cursing at the time. 10 minutes. Not ideal.
He scampered back into the living room, snagged his briefcase off the lounge where he'd left it fully packed last night, grabbed his coffee, gave a surprised Sam a peck on the lips and was out the door all in the span of thirty seconds.
"Bye Sam!" He bellowed, thanking the lord that the school was in walking distance (the car was Sam's today), before shooting off down the street.
Unbeknownst to him, Sam chuckled as she leaned up against the open door, watching him run off like someone possessed.
"He's completely forgotten he can fly." She mused.
oOo
Despite his frantic morning, Danny appreciated the jog to the school. He'd found it to be rather relaxing, exercising that is, anything from a simple jog to a full-blown workout. Both were good.
This morning was exceptionally meditative. With each step his muscles warmed and stretched while the fresh morning breeze rushed through his nose, smelling like pine and freshly baked goods – which he suspected was partly from the café he'd just passed – it cleared his nose and his head, and unwound that built-up stress and anxiety knotting in his stomach.
It was so relaxing in fact, that he wondered if he should do it every day. After all he didn't expect Sam to catch two buses into the town centre and then walk half a mile to the mayor's office just so he could drive the car down the street.
It only seems fair, He thought. Besides, I'm more than capable of walking. I'm a big boy.
He snickered, again thinking about the conversation he'd had with Sam last night when she had tried to coax him to bed early. If only he'd listened.
However, despite how nice it was being out in the early morning sun, he had business to attend to and that business was now right in front of him.
Talk about nostalgia, he deadpanned. Casper High had barely changed.
The historic building, once used as a city hall before being converted into the high school it was now, stood proudly, its brown-stone, brick frame unmoving and resilient amongst the crazy of the morning Amity buzz. It was a steep, baronial style building, lined with cream ionic posts that spiralled upwards, supporting the building on all sides. In his opinion, it made it look rather regal for a high school. It was dotted with long, arched windows, each and every one perpendicular to the next, and covered with, what looked like brand-new shutters.
Two large, red banners spilled down the side of the building, waving slightly with the breeze. On the left was the schools emblem, a raven with its wings spread wide and, "Casper High Ravens" proudly stamped across the bottom. Whilst on the right, read the schools motto, "Inspiring Excellence, Building Character".
He snorted slightly at that. Sure, because bullying really builds character.
It was probably immature to be bitter about it, after all, he had left the horrors of high school behind nearly seven years ago. But still, it would always make his gut churn to remember the type of environment he experienced, particularly in his freshman and sophomore years.
He supposed it might be different now, times had certainly changed. But he couldn't help but reflect on his own time at the school here, and he doubted the ominous feeling would lift anytime soon.
He sighed, brushing it off for now.
Below both the banners was the entrance, where, tucked between a big cream archway, were two beautifully stained, double doors, both tall enough for even a giant to walk through and lined with dense metal. How they ever shut those doors? He never knew, but they looked insatiably heavy.
A pathway of cream steps led down to where he was standing at the front of the school, surrounded by lush green grass, trimmed to perfection by the ground-carers and a few groupings of pine trees, which shaded a couple of benches, currently occupied by loitering students waiting for their first class.
Yep, still the same as ever. He sighed happily. Then, he gripped his briefcase tighter, straightened his shirt, and mentally prepared himself for war as his foot met the first step and he made his way to the reception.
As per usual, it was shrouded entirely in red (1), there was so much of it, that it made the office a bit of an eyesore, but it was a familiar comfort. He noticed the trophy cabinet along the left wall, filled with various sporting awards, and a few academic ones to boot. He had no doubt majority of those sporting trophies read 'Dash Baxter'. At least the guy had something going for him.
To the left of the cabinet read the Mayors Declaration, a few words from the current Mayor himself on the capability and prestige of the school. He quirked a smile, cute.
Tearing himself from the nostalgia, he made his way to the front desk. A young lady sat there, her blonde hair tied into a neat bun and fingers typing away on her laptop. He blanched slightly at the sharp contrast to the old crone who used to run it when he was a kid. He never did like Mrs Potts.
She looked up, sensing his presence. "Oh" She blinked, surveying him with warm brown eyes. "How may I help you Sir? Are you a parent?"
He chuckled slightly at her obvious confusion. "No, not a parent. I'd like to think I'm quite a few years off that yet." She flushed slightly at his words, mumbling a quick apology and he instantly felt bad. He scratched the back of his neck, "No need to be sorry. You were just asking."
She visibly brightened at his words, "Ok then." She chuckled lightly, "So what can I help you with Sir?"
"I'm here for an interview actually. 8:00am?"
She snapped her fingers, "Ah yes! Daniel Fenton?"
"That would be me, although I prefer Danny." He stuck out his hand for a handshake, "Pleasure to meet you, um…" He paused, realising he hadn't even asked her name.
"Rachael. Rachael Wright." She finished for him, and stood to shake his hand, her grip firm. "Lovely to meet you too. Your interview will be held in the principal's office, just through those doors to the left." Rachael directed, pointing to the double doors just past her desk.
"Awesome. Thanks a bunch Rachael." He praised, stepping towards the doors. "Enjoy your day"
"Same to you Danny, good luck!" She mused, sitting back down behind her large wraparound desk.
He smiled, before pushing open the double doors.
The office was cosy, having not changed much since he'd been here last. Except for maybe some new furniture. Centrally, there was a large table which was probably used to meet with parents, and behind it sat a small desk, a few files scattered on its surface.
He walked in completely, acknowledging the two figures that sat at the table with a nervous wave and a hello. They both stood to welcome him.
"Daniel Fenton." Said Principle Ishiyama, her grip firm as she held his hand just a second longer than normal. "I didn't think I'd ever see you back here, but I must say, it is not an unwelcome surprise."
He chuckled at her humour, Ishiyama had always been kind-hearted, at least to those who respected her. Her easy-going smile, and casual greeting put him instantly at ease. "Neither did I, but here I am." He replied with a lopsided smile, before moving on to shake the next hand.
A smile cracked across Mr. Lancers face, "Welcome back Daniel." He greeted kindly, eyes scanning over Danny's face. "How dare you get older." He berated comedically, eyes lighting with mirth and creasing with new wrinkles. Lancer looked good, a little old and grey, but he was still kicking.
"I can't say the same to you Sir, you haven't aged a day." He complimented before following up with, "I see retirements not on the cards anytime soon. What a shame."
A booming laugh erupted from his old teacher, one which spurred on both himself and Ishiyama. "And I see you have not lost your humour Mr. Fenton." He applauded, before gesturing to the seat at Danny's side, "Please take a seat, we'd like to have a chat."
It was Ishiyama that started, "We've had a look at your Resume, and it is extremely impressive. Your knowledge and skills in the STEM field is exceptional, I can't help but feel proud you were one of our students once upon a time." She chuckled, as if recounting his once failing grades. "Your involvement with NASA however is what really perked our interest, would you mind telling us what it is exactly you have been involved in?"
Danny smirked, expecting the question. "Of course. I was admitted into NASA's junior program after my first year of University, where I was given the opportunity to train with their professionals in multiple different fields, however I spent most of my time in engineering." He said sheepishly, "In my second year with them, I was offered a paid internship as an undergraduate engineer."
"Congratulations Mr. Fenton, I must say, I'm rather proud of your achievements myself." Lancer praised. "You must have learnt a lot during your time there and I believe I am not wrong to assume that you are still in this internship?"
"Yes" Danny affirmed, flushing slightly at the praise.
"Interesting. So why this job then? What will teaching at Casper High provide an engineer like you?" Ishiyama asked.
He sighed, twining his fingers together nervously. Time for the hard part. "As a part of my up skilling process at NASA, I am expected to spend time working in an academic field, as per my involvement in STEM, but also to apply this knowledge in a teaching environment to strengthen these skills. In order to fulfil this requirement, I applied for your job opening as a science teacher." They nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer, but Ishiyama eyed him sceptically. "But it also would provide a fantastic opportunity to pass on my skills and knowledge to the next generation of students here at Casper High."
He held his breath, watching as they pondered over his words. Ishiyama looked happy with the last part of his answer, which he counted as a win. Thank you, Sam, for the preparation.
"That's fantastic. I am happy to hear you are so passionate about teaching." He squirmed slightly at the words. Far out, he really was doing this. Her smile only grew, "You seem like the perfect candidate to fill the position. How would you feel about becoming our new science teacher at Casper high?"
An ear to ear grin split his face. "I'd be honoured"
"Then its official, welcome back to Casper High, Mr. Fenton." Ishiyama stood and once again, shook his hand. "I look forward to seeing you for your first day tomorrow. I'm assuming a tour won't be required?"
"I look forward to teaching here. Thank you for the opportunity. And no, thank you for the offer, but I think I've spent enough of my time here to know the place." He chuckled, and Ishiyama nodded.
Lancer took his hand once again. "It's good to have you back Daniel."
"Good to be back."
oOo
Danny walked out of out the school on a high, but he made to get out of view before celebrating. This deserves an afternoon of flying, he confirmed, before stepping into an alleyway.
After deducing that he was relatively alone, aside from a few onlooking stray cats, he let his power loose, feeling the coolness of the rings wash over his form. It was the best kind of familiar, and he would never forget the thrill of the transformation, it was just as amazing as the first time.
He opened his eyes, feeling, rather than seeing the change. His eyesight, clearer. Hearing, sharper. Body, lighter. A childish thrill ran through him, and he couldn't help but do a little jig in excitement. Time for some fun, Phantoms out to play today.
Briefcase in hand, he leapt to the sky, feet merging into a wispy tail in his wake.
It was not until the alleyway was just a speck in the distance did the thought finally hit him and he groaned, slamming his palm into his forehead.
"I could've just flown to school!"
A/N
(1) Inspiration from 'Shift' by CaptainOzone (Go check it out, most incredible fanfiction I've read in a while!)
Hope you all enjoy. I found this idea on Pinterest by mismagireve, so yes, it's not entirely mine. But there was a consensus for an AU about Danny going back to school as a teacher years later, still fighting ghosts. So, as my gift to you, here it is! I've got a few ideas of my own to really make this story pop (prepare yourselves, this is gonna be fun), but if you have certain things that you'd like to see, be sure to let me know and I'll see if I can twine it in.
Please be aware, this is my first Fanfiction on this site, I have used others before. But I implore you all to keep in mind that I am not perfect, I will make mistakes, let's point them out kindly. The DP community is normally pretty lovely compared to most others anyway. So I have minimal worries :)
Finally: As a disclaimer, I don't own, or seek to own Danny Phantom, it belongs to Butch Hartman. This is merely for my own enjoyment.
- Skirter