Bitter UNIONS

by Team04Phantom

First installment of the Danny's Story series. He knew the minute his dad suggested to spend Thanksgiving week in Wisconsin that there'd be trouble but he never imagined what actually happened. Struggling to separate fantasy from reality, Danny's world comes crashing around him when he agrees to one week with Vlad. His life will never be the same. Rated for graphic rape.

9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Million Dollar Ghost. I don't own Google either but boy would it be awesome. I'd be rich!

AN: This story contains rape and male sex. If this disturbs you, please do not read.

Chapter Nine: Responsibility

I didn't have a lot of time. I had to distract them so I could phase out of my tight spot. If I just attempted to phase, I had the threat of having it cut off the way the bear done it two weeks ago. Seeing the cat come on top of me, baring it's teeth, I got an idea. The cat had been traumatized by the ghost program at the camp and had never fully recovered. Having never done this before, I hesitantly replied: "Boo!"

Just as planned, the cat leapt away terrified. I took that moment to flee, phasing through the ground. I came up a piece away to look at the hunters and make sure they were okay. They might be trying to kill me but it's my job to protect them. Besides, it's illegal to endanger a fellow hunter… they just don't know they're breaking the law.

Dad turned his bazooka in my direction and hearing the otherwise faint whine, I took my leave. I didn't want to leave Dad to take the blame for my escape… especially since it had more to do with the other idiots' than him, but I wasn't going to let him shoot me to make him feel better. I flew over to Sam and Tucker.

XXX

Sam, Tuck and I made it to the lab shortly after the incident at the Nasty Burger. I hadn't explained anything to them yet but I knew I had to. They were finally going to meet Plasmius. My mind flashed to my pathetic dream and how my future-self would tell my family that Vlad would stop raping me before they met him. If they've met him today… does that mean that reality is already being disrupted?

"Okay," Sam said, her and Tucker locking me in a corner of the basement. The portal stood to my right. An incessant beeping blared in my eardrums like a freight train. "What is going on?"

"Well," I sighed, "Meet Plasmius."

"That was him," Sam asked surprised. "How did he turn into a vulture? Does he have…"

I chuckled out loud, not expecting her to mistake the ghosts. "No. Plasmius isn't a shape shifter or anything. The vultures are his flunkies. I guess you haven't met Plasmius yet. He's the one who put the bounty on me."

"This guy put a million dollar bounty on you," Tucker asked in shock. "What is he, rich?"

"Yes," I replied. I shook my head, trying to rid the beeping. "He's incredibly wealthy. He robbed banks I think to increase his wealth but I'm not entirely sure. There are a million ways this guy can get his way!"

"So what's the plan," Sam asked me. "I mean his. Does he want you dead so you can't challenge him later… so why put a bounty on you? If he's so powerful, why not do it himself? Does he believe a bunch of idiot hunters can do what he can't?"

"It's not about me," I replied, "Well, not entirely. He's trying to make my dad look incompetent."

I still didn't get the whole picture. Sam was right. There's something I'm missing. The beeping sound continued in the background. Frustrated, I walked over to the beeping ecto-filtrator and slammed my fist angrily down on it. The beeping slurred for a moment from my assault but continued anyway.

"Come on, Danny. You can't tell me your billionaire arch enemy is here just to embarrass your dad," Sam exclaimed, understanding very little about the relationship between Vlad and our family.

"Yes," I cried out. "That and date my mom. I mean did you see the way those ghost hunters were laughing at him," I said. I added the next part sarcastically, "We're all going to have to live with my dad's goof ups for the rest of our lives."

Sam coughed, catching my attention. The beeping drowned nearly everything else out. "He's right behind me, isn't he," I asked, fearful. Anyone hearing that would assume I was serious. I was just stating it the way Vlad wants me to see it.

"Yes, I'm afraid he is. If you need me, I'll be upstairs, doing something wrong," Dad said, heartbroken. I turned around to watch him leave, guilt crushing me heavily.

"Nice," Tucker said, angrily. "Do you want to go upstairs and make Mom cry?"

"Great," I said, upset, "I just managed to do Plasmius's job for him!"

Sam had a gleam in her eye. I think she knew what I was doing, "And there's only one thing that'll cheer him up! Catching a ghost!"

I got that same gleam in my eye, too. "And not just any ghost," I said, transforming into my alter-ego, "Public Ghost Enemy Number One!"

Sam and Tucker grinned at me, us three confident this will work. All we needed to do was keep the other ghost hunters occupied and Tucker had the perfect distraction. Sam and Tucker ran off to find the other ghost hunters and distract them. I floated upstairs, ready to motivate my dad.

I found Dad's essence and floated directly in front of him. Dad sat there, depressed. Okay, Fenton, time to get scary! "Ooh," I said, drawing it out. Dad looked away. I added more oomph to it. "Oooh," I said, drawing the word out. Still, Dad looked away. I decided to take some inspiration from the Box Ghost: "Fear me!" I began to grow worried. "Hello," I said, thinking maybe he didn't see me there. Who knows, he may not even realize I'm a ghost. Ghosts should be better at scaring people.

"Hello, ghost," I said, drawing attention to myself. "Over here," I said, hanging upside down in front of him. Dad finally looked at me.

"Oh, what do you want," he asked, depressed. I wasn't used to seeing him so defeated. He's my dad! He's always been the strong one! "Come to gawk at the big failure, I suppose?"

I sucked in air, making my voice sound deeper than my fourteen years, "Just the opposite… Jack," I said. Cool, I just called my dad by his first name!

"You know me," Dad asked, looking up at his name being spoken.

"Of course," I said, my voice dropping down to the teenaged voice. I added more depth to it. "And fear you! I've decided to give myself up. That's why I've come to you!"

"Forget it, Ghost Kid," Dad said, looking away. I was shocked. "I'm tired of getting laughed at. I give up!"

"Y-You can't do that," I stuttered, losing the deep voice from surprise. I wanted to tell him that he's my dad, the guy that never gives up but instead I heard another voice say something along those lines.

"You're darn right he can't," Mom exclaimed angrily. Oh, man, she's still pissed from Christmas! "Eat hot Fenton-weasel, ghost," Mom cried, sucking me into the tight quarters. I fought the vacuum but it was no good. I looked around the incredibly tiny space, knowing how big it really was. How do they do this? I'm a human being… with some ghost… in a damn vacuum!

"Jack," Mom cried excitedly, as if she had witnessed something. "You caught the ghost boy," Mom exclaimed.

"I did," Dad asked, confused. Then, the Dad I know and love exclaimed: "I did! Me, Jack Fenton!" After a beat, my world turned on its side, "You're the best wife ever!" Softly, I heard the sounds of kissing. I didn't even want to imagine where this could lead. I've witnessed something before and I don't want to do it again.

"Hey," I cried out, disgusted. "I'm in here! Hey! Oh, gross!" Well, at least he's happier!

XXX

I never expected for them to deliver me to Plasmius. My parents had plenty of money from their inventions. Mom and Dad invented countless ghost weapons that the other hunters bought up like candy. Hell, by the next year it will be required for all ghost weapons to be equipped with an immunity device that only my parents know how to build. We'll get millions when this deal comes through! Dad was just doing it to be known as the one who caught the elusive ghost boy. He had no idea he was playing a game of chess that no one could win but Vlad.

"You've got to listen to me," I cried again, but Dad didn't listen. "You need to know what you're getting into here!"

"I know exactly what I'm getting into," Dad exclaimed, proudly. "A bigger place in my son's heart!"

There isn't enough room at the moment, I thought, dryly. However, I couldn't help that thought leading to 'now I'm crushed by space and guilt'. I couldn't give up. If Dad delivered me to Vlad, he may not return me. I never imagined the bounty may be for alive only!

"But, you're walking into a trap!"

"Why should I believe you," Dad demanded angrily and within the same breath screamed out: "Hey!" I felt my space close in on me, my core constricting. Vlad was nearby.

"Does that answer your question?"

I heard clapping coming from outside my quarters and I desperately tried to relax my body. I could feel the area closing in on me, pain filling my entire being. I'm really beginning to hate being near him. All I feel is pain anymore. Can't I feel something else? Like space, for instance!

"The Wisconsin Ghost," Dad declared angrily.

Vlad's voice stayed even. "Very good," he exclaimed. "Two pawns working together leaving your Fenton portal unprotected so I can steal it and make it a Plasmius portal," Vlad answered mischievously. That's what this has been about!

"But you've already got a portal," I asked, in shock and anger.

"He's got a portal, you've got a portal," I heard Dad ask. I guess he was trying to decide who he should listen to. Who was more evil and who was less.

"Of course I have a portal," Vlad answered, annoyed. Then why take ours! How will I return the ghosts, you crazed up froot loop! "Well, I did," Vlad said, slowing his speech down, embarrassed. Oh. "It up and exploded on me. Well, that's what you get when you don't change the ecto-filtrator," Vlad said. Wait a minute. It is? "Live and learn," Vlad added, mockingly. "Or in your case, die and learn!"

"Ut oh!"

XXX

"Listen to me," I screamed again. "Stop sitting there, feeling sorry for yourself!"

"What else can I do," Dad asked me. "I'm going to lose my portal and my son's respect in one fell swoop."

I had no time for guilt, "That's not all you'll lose if the portal explodes," I answered.

"It's not going to explode. I told Danny to change it five times," Dad replied.

Well, time to get myself in trouble. "Did he clean the lab?"

"No."

"Does he clean his room?"

"No."

"Would he," oh man, I'm taking a long shot here, "I don't know… forget to install a handle on the inside of a door."

"Great gobs of ghost goop," Dad exclaimed, realizing what a screw up of a son he'd raised. "The portal's going to blow!" Now you get it. "Ghost kid, you've got to help me save my family. If you do that," Dad said, releasing me. Surprisingly, I was expelled from the device, "I'll set you free."

I looked at my dad in shock, "Uh, you just did!" Dad smacked his face, probably thinking he'd lost his last chance of stopping Vlad. Good thing my dad's a lousy negotiator. I added the depth to my voice again, hoping for Dad not to recognize my voice. "Tell you what, Jack." Man, that's cool! "You got a deal!"

The cage I assumed Vlad created was incredibly tiny and Dad was so tall that I phased through the ground to come up behind him. I placed my hands on his shoulder and turned us intangible. I waited for him to adjust to the feeling, him commenting: "My tummy feels funny!" I smiled brightly, finally living out a dream come true from when I first got my powers. I'd be able to work with my Dad, side by side. The fact that it was against Vlad only made things better.

I phased us out of the cage through the ground and reappeared on the other side of the beams. I started to fly towards Fentonworks but Dad started panicking. I realized that he was scared of falling. Dad wasn't afraid of heights but I truly understand the feeling when you come to realize you're walking on thin air. I landed us on the ground.

"We won't make it if we walk," I explained. "I know you're scared—," I started.

"I'm not scared, spook," Dad barked back. I was taken aback for a moment. I had thought we were working together. I guess it was a one-time mutual agreement.

"Okay," I said, weary. "Don't trust me. Whatever," I said, trying to get back to what I was getting at. "But the point is we need to fly there. I won't drop you," I stated firmly.

"Yeah, like I can trust you," Dad said. "How do I know that as soon as I get over the city you won't just dispose of your baggage?"

Anger burned in my gut. I knew he didn't know but it hurt to think that my dad could ever think I wouldn't protect him at any given cost. "Listen," I barked, "Do you want to save your portal or not?"

"Of course," Dad answered back sternly.

"Then are you going to question my every move or are we going to do this so we can get rid of Plasmius," I asked him again.

Dad looked wearily, then surrendered, "Will you carry me some other way. I—I am kinda scared. There's nothing down there!"

I smiled warmly, "You got it," I said. I floated over to him, just like I was lying on the floor or something. "Step up."

"On your back," Dad asked me, alarmed.

"Yes," I answered quickly. "Now, hurry. We don't have a lot of time!"

Dad started panicking the minute he put his boot on my back but once we took off, Dad started chanting frantically: "Happy place, happy place, happy place!"

I tried to hold it together because I thought he was going to crack me up I was laughing on the inside so hard. Dad felt weightless to me but I knew he was terrified I wouldn't be strong enough to hold him. Dad wasn't a fat or obese man… he was built. That jumpsuit just made him look pudgy. I was flying over the hill that lead to Tilling's Gulch when I felt my powers giving way. I didn't know what came over me but I heard two terrified screams.

I crashed into the ground, the impact actually burying me feet under the ground. Dad pulled me up, my ghostly body helping by not lodging deeper into the dirt. Once I was free, I looked around to see who or what done that to find the other hunters. Oh, great, I thought as I saw the Ghost Breakers free falling down the hill, followed closely by the rest in a cart.

Wasn't Sam and Tucker supposed to keep them busy?

The cart crashed hard into the Ghost Breakers but they leapt out of the tangled mess to throw something at Dad and I. I stared in shock as the idiots displayed true worthlessness in hunting principals. They were also breaking the law, attacking a ghost that was being hunted by another hunter.

"Watch out for that… hacky sack," Dad stated, stepping in front of me and pushing me away. The sack exploded on Dad instead. "You know, I don't enjoy helping you."

I grew angry. He thinks I need his help dealing with these buffoons? They're nothing. "Then don't," I stated boldly, "Go save our family," I yelled, pulling his skin-tight suit with my gloved hands. I froze upon realization: "I mean you're family. Not mine!"

Dad decided to leave his unanswered questions that way and ran towards Fentonworks which was a few blocks from here. I hated leaving him to run all the way there but I knew Dad could make it there, fast. If we both stayed to beat these guys, then Mom and Jazz would be killed when the portal blew. Priorities had to be made.

I looked in the direction and immediately saw my scapegoat. They brought the traumatized cat with them. I floated over to where it was sitting, nervously. "Boo," I said, simply, then to add drama I floated over to my stomach. The cat very slowly turned its eyes to look in the direction of the noise to see me floating, removing all doubt as to what I was. Honestly, I could probably be Danny Fenton and this cat would react this way.

I nearly died laughing when the cat leapt into the air, spazed out, and dived for cover of his owner. I flew over, rounding them up in a big circle and heaved them over my head. I dumped them in the garbage and couldn't help myself when I saw the dog that hung around the Nasty Burger. That dumb cat was declawed and so scared of everything, even the small pug would frighten it.

"Get the kitty," I called in a baby voice, "Get him."

The sounds emanating from that canister was worth all the hell I've been through since this all began. I heard one of the Ghost Breakers, the man, cry out: "This reeks, to the extreme!" I had my moment of laughter.

Party time over, I thought to myself. I can't leave Dad alone too long with Vlad. It would be too easy. "Now, to stop Plasmius," I stated, knowing I was in for a hell of a battle.

I hit the sonic mark, blasting to my house. I phased through the house, not yet coming solid again when I saw Dad. "Dad," I cried, aloud by accident. The vultures were attacking him.

"Nobody's wasting Jack Fenton," Dad cried out, "Not as long as my family's in danger!" The vultures were dissolved back to the Ghost Zone.

Dad reared back the Jack-o-nine-tails to attack Vlad as I triggered my invisibility. I wanted to make sure he needed my help before I stepped in.

"Fool," Vlad declared, grabbing the Jack-o-nine-tails out of Dad's hand. "You're family's in danger every time you pick up a butter knife! It's time I put you out of their misery." Vlad hit Dad, sending him flying back. I was ready to step in, but Dad began to talk.

"I may be a goof. I may mess up. But when my family's in danger, the gloves are off," Dad declared to Vlad. He looked at his hands, adding bashfully, "Well, technically they're on but you get the point!"

Vlad flew at Dad but my dad reared his fist back. Before Vlad could stop himself, Dad had rammed his fist into the bastard's jaw.

"Whoa," I called, excited. "He's all over this. So, that means," I said, triggering my rings and deactivating my invisibility, "I have plenty of time to do my chores." Only one really mattered to me.

I ran for the cabinet to retrieve the filtrator but I saw Vlad being slid along the table. "Well, the table's cleared!" Dad tossed Vlad into the beaker table: "Beakers have been taken care of." Vlad shot a blast at Dad but he picked up the trash to take the hit instead: "And the trash has been taken out. Now, that leaves plenty of time for…"

"Fenton portal to explode," I heard the announcement voice declare. My eyes widened.

"Ecto-filtrator. Ecto-filtrator! Where's the ecto-filtrator," I asked, frantic. Suddenly, one appeared in front of me. I gently took it from my dad's hands, "Uh, maybe I should have done this one of the five times you told me to."

"I'm kinda glad you didn't," Dad said, taking the dirty one and handing me the new one. Dad pointed the dirty one at Vlad and blew on the end, splattering ectoplasmic goo all over his face.

"It's not possible," Vlad yelled in an up rage. "You're an idiot. An idiot!"

"That may be so," Dad said, cheerfully, "But I'm the idiot who beat you!" Dad tossed him up in the air and punched him into the Ghost Zone. I beamed with excitement.

"Dad, that was awesome," I yelled, so proud to see him beat the man I have yet to without an advantage.

"Aren't you forgetting something," Dad asked me. "Again!"

Oh, shoot, the ecto-filtrator. I turned to the device, ready to put it in when the thing slipped out of my hand. Dad tried to catch it but I beat him to it, being much more coordinated that he was. I slipped the filtrator in before the countdown ended.

"Good job, son," Dad said to me, pulling me close. I hugged him tightly.

"Hey, you're the one with the great job. You're not a screw-up, Dad. You never have been. But how did you do that," I remarked.

"Years of practice, son," Dad said. I couldn't stop smiling. With Mom telling Vlad off and now Dad actually beating him, I was beginning to believe things weren't as hopeless as I had thought. Maybe I underestimated my parents and overestimated Vlad.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to do what you did, Dad," I said, not losing the smile.

"You're just a boy, Danny," Dad said, gently. "When you get older, you'll be able to do a lot of things that you never imagined was possible."

I took a sigh of relief and walked upstairs, Dad following me. "Hey, Dad," I asked when I got to the kitchen. "Why does the portal blow up when the filtrator gets dirty?"

Dad looked giddy, "Finally! A chance to show it!"

"Show what," I asked. Dad pulled out his laptop and showed me a diagram of what happens if the filtrator isn't changed every six months. I stared at the screen in shock. "It hasn't been six months," I declared, confused.

Dad looked confused, "It hasn't?"

"No," I exclaimed. "It's only been… my God," I said, slowly realizing what day today was. "I forgot. Tomorrows the twenty-seventh. I've been so busy lately with the… stuff that I forgot tomorrow will be five months."

"That can't be right," Dad remarked, him too confused. "That filtrator must be changed every six months. It's designed to hold that much negative energy, I know."

"Dad, I'd know," I said, chuckling. "It's only been five months since the portal was turned on!"

Dad chuckled out, "Oh. Yes, maybe, but the filtrator was installed six months ago. That's when we began running tests. So, I guess we're both right."

I chuckled. "I knew I hadn't forgotten… and you should never forget this," I said, elbowing him playfully, "I'm really proud of you, Dad. So from this moment on, I'll remember my chores!"

"And I'll remember that my actions have consequences to others, especially my family."

We walked off together, putting the lab top away. If Mom found it out of place, she'd skin us. A thought occurred to me, "Where are Mom and Jazz?"

"I don't know," Dad dismissed. "I need to go check the portal to make sure it's okay and he don't come back."

"Okay," I said, my mind on something else. I walked upstairs while Dad headed back to the lab. Vlad wouldn't return until tonight.

I checked upstairs, trying to find proof that Mom and Jazz had been there. I couldn't find anything. I came back down stairs to see if I had overlooked anything when I heard some muffles. They were low but with my super hearing I could just make them out. Following the sounds, I came to the weapons vault… the soundproof weapons vault.

"Jack," I heard Mom's voice scream again.

"Dad," Jazz screamed afterwards. "Danny!"

I walked over to the panel and typed in 11-6-3-7-8. When it said access denied, I knew Dad had changed it and typed in a phrase using the keypad. The lock clicked.

"Oh, thank goodness," Mom called. "Danny," she said, surprised. "How did you know what the password was," Mom said, looking around.

"When it wasn't our birth months, I knew Dad changed it," I answered blankly.

"You knew we had a weapons vault," Jazz asked me, surprised.

"Yes," I answered slowly, "I actually listen to Mom and Dad when they tell us things."

"How did you know what he changed it to, though," Mom asked me.

I allowed a smile come to my lips, "If you would think about it, you'd get it too. Everything to Dad is about…"

Mom smacked her head as she, Jazz and I exclaimed in unison: "Fudge."

"For the love of everything good and holy, Danny, please put a handle on that door," Jazz informed me.

"I will," I said, walking towards the basement. "Right now."

I grabbed a handle and went to complete my list of chores. There were many of them.

XXX

I'd cleaned my room, putting my clothes actually on hangers then I cleaned the ops center. After I finished my work there, I cut the footage from the cameras, collecting the clips. Afterwards, I went down stairs to see Dad locking the portal. I shook my head, beginning to wipe up the broken beakers. Dad looked at me proudly but I ignored the embarrassment. I should have done this a long time ago. I've let too many things slide because of everything going off. I need to start taking more responsibility.

When Dad left, I used a thermos to suck up all the green goo and arranged all the books. I cleaned up the mess and checked my blood samples in the cleaning supply closet, storing the footage in my kit. Everything was as it should have been.

I opened my files on the computer, updating the files which I regrettably haven't done in a while. My eyes next fell on the heavy book bag that I still hadn't got to. I'd return to school tomorrow and I needed to at least put an effort forth. I picked the books up, easily picking up the bag by the hanger loop with one finger.

XXX

Some time had passed when I began to feel the heat getting to me. Mom and Dad had the heat up but normally I didn't notice: cold or hot. Only when Vlad came around did I feel anything. I pulled at my collar, trying to give myself some room to breathe. Then I heard him: "Daniel!"

I stood up, walking over to the portal: "What," I yelled back angrily.

"Open this God damned door, I'm not in the mood," Vlad called angrily.

"What, you have to escape a cramped space, defeat your archenemy, and defend your family, too," I asked sarcastically. "No, that's right. I did all that. You got your ass beat by my dad, who, by your standards, is an idiot! Go away, Plasmius!" I turned my back to the portal, putting my mind to continuing my work.

"Daniel, I mean it, open this door," Vlad ordered.

I paused. "No," I yelled back. "And come tomorrow after school I'm telling them about you! I'm through and now I know I'm just hurting myself by not telling them what you've been doing to me!"

"Open this damn door or I'll blow it up," Vlad screamed.

"You wouldn't want to anger my dad, now would you," I teased him back darkly. I began to walk again.

"He surprised me," Vlad shot back. I bit back a bitter laugh but slowed my stride. "You know me! You've been subjected to my powers. Do you honestly believe I couldn't have caused the old man's heart to stop beating with my powers. Do you honestly believe I couldn't shoot a red beam and watch him melt?"

"You're lying," I called back, fearful this time. I had frozen in the middle of the room, too fearful to test him.

"You be the judge," Vlad said. I knew he was telling the truth. I rushed to open the door using the scanner. Vlad floated out of the portal, completely covered in some sick looking goo other than that of what Dad put on his face. "Don't even think, Daniel. Normally, I wouldn't punish you for your thoughts but since this is your fault, I will!"

"My fault," I asked, stunned. "You're the one who attacked me first and tried to steal our portal!"

"What are you doing," Vlad asked me, looking at the desk and changing the subject.

"Homework," I answered. I added quickly, "Sir."

"Good," Vlad answered. "You're coming with me for a few hours. Go tell your parents you're tired from all the excitement and you're going to bed early."

"Yes, sir," I answered, walking up the stairs three at a time. As I approached the door, I put on my best tired face. I walked through the door (the human way) and stumbled to the living room. As I walked into the room, I exclaimed loudly, "Oh, man!"

"Hey, you get done," Mom asked me, watching something on TV.

I yawned, "Yeah." I yawned again. "Geez, I'm wiped. I think I'm gonna turn in early. If Sam and Tucker call, tell them I've started early."

Mom looked at me weirdly. "Started what?"

"They know what it means," I answered. "'Night." When I was upstairs and I was sure no one was around, I sunk through the floor. Telling Mom, Dad and Jazz I was turning in early might work but it would only make Sam and Tucker suspicious. However, if Mom told them I would start early, they'd suspect that I was starting my late-night ghost shift earlier this time. I always went to bed when I began my nighttime shift. I try to handle them between naps.

Vlad waited patiently for me to return before taking hold of my arm and teleporting out. I fell over in a bent position again, dry heaving. I hated that power! We were at the island. I backed away, fearful.

"Don't worry," Vlad said, walking up the hill. "Stay here. I'm going to go get a few suits. My house blew up, remember."

I relaxed a little then my mind began to imagine how it happened. Dad had showed me that presentation on our house blowing up so I imagined it happening to Vlad's. I chuckled to myself.

It wasn't funny, Vlad commented in my head. It was still my voice.

When will I ever hear your voice. I know what you sound like, I replied mentally.

Well, it does take time. Stupid, Behemoth. If I hadn't lost that damn key when he swallowed me I could have just phased out… but instead. Vlad let out a sign of discomfort.

Swallowed you, I asked, confused. What are you talking about?

Very good, Daniel, Vlad said but his voice didn't convey. Why would you listen to me now? Of all the embarrassing details for you to learn!

I'm doing this, I asked excitedly. I hadn't even noticed that I'd asked to hear his thoughts.

You won't have to as you become more experienced. Do you still have to get incredibly angry to transform?

I don't know, I remarked, skipping a rock on the water. I've never not tried!

I've not tried otherwise, Vlad corrected me.

Whatever, I shot back.

Have you been working on your ecto-energy like I've assigned you, Vlad asked me.

Not really, I answered. I've been busy with your attack.

I assigned it before yesterday, Vlad said sternly.

Yeah, but I usually don't do your assignments until the weekend, I answered. I didn't try to keep anything from him. It was painful and a losing battle.

Vlad appeared at the top of the island in Masters form and cleaned up. "Just get it done before Monday. I want you to be prepared for the next lesson."

"Yes, sir," I replied, looking back up at him.

Vlad came to stand beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and teleported off the island. However, I didn't feel sick. Vlad swayed, "Wow," he replied. "Maybe I will give you a heads up next time. That was ridiculous."

"What did you do," I asked him.

"I took your nausea," Vlad answered. "Never again!"

"So you felt it too," I asked, enthusiastically. "It's not just in my mind."

"No, it's definitely not just in your mind," Vlad answered.

I took a look around. "Where are we," I asked.

"That small town that boarders your town," Vlad answered.

"Technically speaking there are 8 towns that boarder Amity Park," I replied. I went on to list them: "Clearmont, Dawson, Elemerton, Hilltop, Jefferson, Mount Vernon, Tillings Gulch and Valley."

"Elemerton," Vlad answered. "You'll be staying with me for a few days."

"Days," I paled. What was he talking about?

"Well, if my house is blown up I might as well take advantage of it. I don't really need to live in Madison… not with my bitch in Illinois." I started to get a sick feeling in my stomach. I think I know how my dream got to the point it did.

"But I can't live with you, even if you do live in Elemerton," I objected.

"Where does Tucker live," Vlad asked me abruptly.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why?"

"Oh, Daniel, I'm just saying that even though he lives with his family, where does he call home?"

"We are his family," I retorted. "And the same goes for Mom and Dad Number Two! You on the other hand are nothing to me but my master!"

"Which means I am everything to you," Vlad replied, his voice level. He wasn't displaying signs that he was upset. "You need boundaries. I had more control over you when you lived with me. I need that back but I know if I take you I risk making things complicated. So, you'll stay at home but you'll live with me. You are to report to my house every night at one o'clock."

I looked at Vlad angrily but it turned into dejection. I couldn't keep this up. If I lived with him again… I didn't want to think about it. Vlad walked away from me, leaving me in a parking lot. I looked around, noticing I was at some kind of motel. We'd spend the night here.

XXX

I barely made it through my window before my alarm started blaring. I slammed the off button and rushed to grab my clothes. I had to hurry. There was no time to dwell that I didn't have any sleep last night or that Vlad had put the unit in my anus for 'taking pleasure in my failure.' What a froot loop!

I rushed down the stairs and entered into the kitchen. I grabbed my box of apple jacks to find them empty. Mom had bought a new box when I put it on the list. However, as I was pondering what had happened to my cereal I heard my least favorite word: "Beware!"

I groaned out, annoyed, "Boxy, now what do you want!"

"You have disgraced the box and now I shall cause you to pay," the Box Ghost declared, trying his best to sound angry.

I rolled my eyes, "That's the reason you threw out an entire box!"

"You do not scare me, ghost boy, for I am…" Boxy began preaching. I pulled a thermos from the drawer and sucked him inside.

"I so don't have the patients," I said dryly. I stuck the thermos back in the drawer and put my bowl back in the cabinet. I ran out the door, jumping into the air and transforming at the same time. I hit the gas, so to speak, going sonic. Maybe I could make it to school before breakfast was over.

So not fair, I thought to myself as I stared at the selection of cereal. Not a single box of Apple Jacks was available. Only Cheerios, Captain Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and (gasp!) Froot Loops. I groaned, slamming my head against the food shield at the line. Why, of all the boxes of cereal there, would the only one I like be Froot Loops?

I reached for the Cheerios but pulled away. I have no taste buds, I scolded myself but couldn't pick them up. I can't have sugar (I blew Vlad last night) and it would be too hard to eat them plain. Captain Crunch and Cinnamon Toast Crunch just freaked me out. They both had men on the covers and how creepy is that? Then the Froot Loops. Do I need to say it?

"Come on, Fentina," Dash called from the back of the line. "Pick one and go on, freak."

I held my breath and took the Froot Loops. So help me if this makes me see him more frequently, I will destroy Kraft Foods! I picked up a jug of milk and went to sit down.

XXX

On my way home from school, I stopped by the market to pick up Apple Jacks. However, while I was there I bumped into Vlad. I started to plot a way to destroy Kellogg's HQ when Vlad caught me off guard.

"I'm going to have to reschedule," Vlad answered, briskly, bending down to my pelvic area. He turned his hand intangible, removing the unit. "I've got a meeting today that I forgot about. It's out of country but I'll see you soon."

And just like that, Vlad left, taking the unit with him. I picked up the box of Froot Loops on the different shelf.

"You may just be good luck," I said in awe. "We'll see how this plays out."

XXX

When I arrived home, I started to work some on my homework. I didn't get too far into it when my ghost sense went off. I dropped what I was doing, as usual, and went to battle whatever ghost had decided to pay me a visit. Surprisingly, it was Box Ghost, Lunch Lady and a few other of my nonthreatening adversaries. I fought them like normal but I couldn't say the same for the opposing team. When I would get close to capturing one, two would gang up while the other would escape the beam of the thermos.

I was beginning to grow tiresome of this, knowing I had work to get back to. Knowing their game plan, I aimed my thermos at Lunch Lady and, as expected, Box Ghost and one of the ecto-pusses shot through the air to throw me off. However, I turned my thermos on the two charging ghosts, capturing them two. This surprised the rest, making them easy targets. I capped my thermos and flew back to my house.

I began to enter through my window when I noticed it was closed. I never close my window, not even now, for my own reasons. I instead phased through the hallway and powered down, making note to cut the cameras before nightfall. I opened the door slowly, ready to either charge or question when a smile came to my lips. Sam and Tucker were inside the room, streaming banners and decorating the room in birthday décor.

"Are you two the ones responsible for that little fiasco," I asked as I stepped in, crossing my arms playfully. Sam and Tucker spun around, surprised.

"Danny," they called, not expecting me back so soon.

"Well," I said, a smile on my lips. Sam picked up a black balloon and bounced it towards me.

"Happy five months birthday, Phantom," Sam remarked, a smile on her lips.

"You guys," I said, trying to scold but unable to hide my happiness. With everything that has been going on, maybe an evening together would help ease some tension.

"You've been stressed, lately," Tucker said. "We thought it'd be nice to give you a birthday party."

"Yeah," I nodded my head, "But if Mom and Dad find this, they're going to wonder why you guys are off about my birthday?"

"Just for once," Sam said, her voice playful, "don't worry about consequences. Don't worry about the world. Just be Danny Fenton-Phantom hanging out with Tucker Foley and Sam Manson."

My smile grew to a full-fledged grin, "I could be that guy. Just once."

Tucker blew a noise maker, "Let's get this party started!"

"Seriously, guys," I said, my smile disappearing as I looked over my shoulder. "A quiet party!"

"Oh, liven up a little," Sam said. "You're starting to sound more Goth than I am!"

I picked up a noise maker all my own. "Okay, here goes nothing," I said, blowing into the toy. For once, I could feel myself forgetting everything. I was just a guy with two best friends… and it was great!

XXX

My alarm blared the next morning, signaling the beginning of the Friday morning. Most children dreamed of Fridays all week long. Sam, Tuck and I were the exception. It didn't matter to us. Weekends did tend to be better because we had less responsibilities to crowd our biggest but nonetheless weekends were hardly days off. While stretching my muscles, I noticed a blurry object lying beside me. Startled, I turned to see Tucker lying spiraled out on my bed. At the foot of the bed lay Sam.

I forgot. Taking a breath of relief that it wasn't Vlad, I poked at Tucker and Sam at the same time. With my acute hearing, I heard the alarm way before the two sleepy-heads did. Tucker moved around, mumbling something about the gigabytes could wait. I chuckled, nudging him again as Sam began to arouse. Sam looked up at me with confusion, not quite understanding where she was or what was going on.

"You guys fell asleep last night," I said quietly. "I guess I did too. Look at Tucker."

Sam chuckled as I nudged him again. "Motherboard is fried," Tucker mumbled again, still not waking up.

"I'll get him," Sam said quietly. "The last steak is going."

Tucker shot up, looking wildly for the person about to steal his steak. "Where?"

Sam and I chuckled at our meat obsessed friend. Honestly, we all had key phrases like that. Mention the Manson's and pink and Sam shoots up and it used to be if you mentioned Samuels and schedule, I'd come scrambling awake but nowadays anything to do with ghosts seems to do the trick.

"Time for school," I told Tucker.

"Oh, man," Tucker groaned. "I didn't go home last night. Mom and Dad are going to kill me!"

"Don't worry," I informed my friend. "I'll get you off the hook. Come on, you guys. We're going to have to work overtime to get to school on time."

A smile came to Sam's lips, "Or we could take Air Danny!"

I mulled over it for a few moments, grabbing some clothes from my closet. I tossed Sam and Tucker their usual outfits that they started leaving at my house. With as many times we get covered in goo, we've started packing extra clothing everywhere we may be. "I don't know, guys," I said, still considering Sam's proposal. "I have no problem with it, really, but with my reputation out and about… it'd have to be invisible?"

Tucker was the one to comment, "Wouldn't it anyway? You wouldn't want us to be associated with Danny Phantom, would you?"

"… guess not. Not with Mom and Dad hating his guts now. Okay, AD it is!"

Sam and Tucker grinned up, each of them heading to the bathrooms. Jazz would be done with her shower, so we weren't two short… just one. Me. I walked into the bathroom Tucker was currently using and grabbed a towel.

"What's up," Tucker asked me, puzzled. "There isn't an extra tub?"

"I found a new way to shower," I remarked, stepping out. I didn't leave any room for Tucker to question, leaving the bathroom. I ran downstairs, hoping against hope that Mom and Dad weren't in there. I locked the door that separated the lab from the rest of the basement, calling to Sam. "I'm down here, Sam. Unless you are comfortable with… yeah. Just know that…" I trailed off. I started into that sentence strongly but the blush kept throwing me off. I desperately wanted to see her… ya know. For… comparison.

I walked over to the water main, creating the plumbing from the spout to a large-enough area to house the shower. When I finished the piping, I began with the floor of the shower, then the walls and finally the spigot. The ecto-energy was dark enough to create a shield so I just stepped inside.

XXX

I walked out of the shower to find Sam staring at my contraption. Sam's eyes were as large as silver dollars, knowing she definitely didn't see that when she went in. I chuckled nervously, removing the image from my mind and the shower dissolving. Sam jumped, seeing an entire shower vanish. It took her a moment for the words to form, but finally she came out with it: "How did you do that?"

I chuckled, "You like," I asked. "It's ecto-energy!"

"Ecto-energy," Sam repeated me. "Like your blasts?"

"One and the same," I replied. "It has more purposes than just as a weapon."

"How did you learn to do that," Sam asked me. I paled. I hadn't anticipated on answering that.

I looked down, "It's a long story. Someone taught me."

"Was it your grandparents," Sam asked me, apparently not catching on to my change in mood.

"They've taught me a lot," I replied. Sam didn't catch the sure way to detect I'm lying and accepted that as a yes. I walked over to the door and unlocked it, heading upstairs. Sam followed me to where we caught up to Tucker in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mom," I addressed, grabbing my cereal box from the top of the refrigerator.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you three have fun last night," Mom asked me.

"Yeah, we did. A little too much fun. I'm gonna have to apologize to Mom Number Two for keeping Tucker."

"Don't worry about it," Mom told me. "Alice called last night when you didn't come home. I told her that you were upstairs."

I looked up from my pouring of milk on my cereal, "You knew he was still here because you never saw him leave," I asked, fearfully.

"No," Mom said, causing me to really fear my nighttime's. "I checked in on you three."

Sam and Tucker didn't react, just sit down to the breakfast Mom made us. I sat down at my usual spot with the multicolored circles that reminded me of Vlad's sanity. I began to eat the cereal, no taste whatsoever reaching my palate. Sam and Tucker glanced at my bowl quizzically, "What's with the change of cereal?"

I chuckled, thinking this will never work. "Well, I'm trying to expel someone from my life. I'm thinking if I eat enough Froot Loops, he'll disappear."

Mom chuckled, "Sweetheart, you'd probably have to eat a million boxes before accomplishing that."

"If it gets rid of Vlad, I'll do it," I commented. Mom chuckled but said nothing more.

"How you'd know who he was talking about, Mrs. Fenton," Sam asked.

"Danny's called him a Froot Loop on a few occurrences and I've witnessed it," Mom replied. Dad was nowhere around, so I knew she felt comfortable discussing it with her 'children.' "If that begins to work, Danny, let me know and I'll help you."

"Do you believe he'll come back despite what you told him," I asked.

"Maybe," Mom commented. "I didn't get a chance to reject him again before he left to eat." I laughed out loud, clearly remembering his horrified face as I instructed for the animals to give chase. I wonder how he survived that? I wouldn't have cared if it killed him. "What's so funny," Mom asked me.

I couldn't control my laugher, "Nothing."

I stood up from my seat, still laughing. I washed my bowl out and returned to my seat, waiting for Sam and Tucker to finish eating. It was now after seven in the morning and classes started until 7:20.

"Are you kids going to be able to make it to school on time? You only have twenty minutes to make it," Mom asked us.

"Yeah," I replied, not concerned. "We're fast walkers and I know a shortcut."

Sam and Tucker chuckled, this time Sam catching the tell-tell sign. The only reason they don't catch it when I use it on them is because they're completely unsuspecting. They believe that I would never use that technique on them and six months ago, they'd be completely right. However, now, as is the life of a halfa, secrets are mandatory.

When Sam and Tucker finished eating, we rushed out the door at 7:10. I headed into my favorite changing spot, Sam and Tucker following. I triggered the rings that brought out Phantom and began floating. Sam took my right hand and Tucker took my left, me lifting them in the air. As soon as I began to tap into their minds, Sam broke out on her own, calling, "A little cover, Danny!"

Tucker and I smiled at our friend who was much more advanced than any of us. I accessed her mind, bringing out the invisibility she would receive upon death. Next, I did the same to Tucker but he stayed closer to me for fear of falling. Sam had long ago overcame that fear and now chose to take wing on her own. I triggered my own invisibility and began the flight to school.

Upon arrival at the old school, I flashed my energy to make a calling card. Even though I had helped turn them invisible, I still could not see them. I landed on the ground and asked aloud, "Sam, Tucker?"

"I'm here," Sam announced.

"Present," Tucker replied.

Both of their voices displayed the happiness they felt. I let down my invisibility first and once my friends saw me, they released theirs as well. Sam touched down on the ground, ending her freedom. Tucker floated 60 feet off the ground, no higher than what I had brought him too. I lowered him, using my mind to access his gradual-gravity power. Tucker still had to get the hang of the controls.

Sam's face lit up, her smile bringing her cheeks to take form of two large apples. Sam would be in a good mood for the rest of the day, I was sure, and not the girl for whom she has a reputation for. But knowing Sam, it will be worth it for the opportunity to strike out and fly herself.

Tucker's breathing was ragged but he still held a smile on his face. Even though he is the only one of the two that has had powers free of my influence, Tucker doesn't understand the abilities as well as Sam. What Desiree had given him, us two deducted, was just something that resembled ghost powers. When Tucker had blasted off, his flight was twice as powerful as what mine has become. What Desiree gave him in detail we hadn't a clue but we have decided that it wasn't spectral.

Sam on the other hand has completely taken to understanding. She has a hard time understanding what the triggers are but when I access that part of her mind, Sam takes to it like a second nature. Simply put, she understands how to use it once initiated but on how to trigger it, she hadn't the slightest clue. She shouldn't know, either, because then that would make her the half ghost, not the half ghost's friend.

The three of us made a mad dash to our first class, our science books already in our book bags from yesterday. When you fight ghosts on a daily basis, you learn to prepare for the unexpected the best of your ability. With the three of us, we never know if we'll have time to run to our lockers. Today was one of those examples.

There were many classes I was late to, but I always tried to make it to my first period on time. Most times, I make it all right but upon occasion an attack on the way to school will leave me behind telling Sam and Tucker to go ahead. My life has become so unpredictable; there are a few things early in the day that I try to get done so I'll at least get one thing right.

XXX

I walked into Mr. Fuluka's classroom, and I was instantly met with a murderous stare. Ever since I slipped out of his classroom, Mr. Fuluka has been unfriendly towards me which I have no problem with. My parents threatened to bring his record before the board if he suspended me and with our ties, he could have a spotless record and still get canned. In some way, it was worse to deal with a ghost hunter than it was to deal with the royalty. At least the royalty's reign ends at the gates.

I took my seat, pulling out my book. I hated this class before but now it has become personal and not just 'subjective.' I laughed, my objective complete. A pun! I have started to feel like myself but at times, I have to wonder is it because I'm returning to who I was or if I'm incorporating who I was with who I am now.

Class went normal, Mr. Fuluka calling on me just for the hell of it. After class, Sam burned in rage. I believe Sam has more beef with Mr. Fuluka than I do. Sam ranted about contacting Dash and having Mr. Fuluka evaluated for dismissal but I gently talked her out of it. After all, if she contacted Dash, she'd risk the secret of her true identity revealed, and believe me, I know how much that can make someone rethink their positions.

XXX

We walked into our fourth period, I already wishing it'd be over. With the increasing difficulty to keep substitute teachers, the classes have begun to double up to support the dramatic rise in teacher-less classes. My fourth period is one of those such classes, doubling up with Mr. Lancer's English class. Even with all of the teacher's breaks being terminated, classes still sat without instructors. Our history teacher and eight substitutes had ran out of the building screaming. The other five had waited patiently until the end of their assignment.

Sam, Tuck and I walked into Mr. Lancer's classroom, Sam and Tucker taking their seats on the English side while I took my seat on the half with my History class. This was truly the only benefit from this whole ordeal. Before, we were separated with Tuck and Sam going to English while I went to History. With the two classes pairing up, there were two less classes we didn't have together. The conditions was extremely cramped, though, more like a civilized Fenton-weasel, but worth it to be near Sam and Tucker. Mr. Lancer knew nothing of the sort about history, though. He was a literature major, through and through, and if the History class had any questions, it usually led to permission to 'Google' it. Glancing at the board on the right side of the line, I inwardly chuckled. With the vibrator in my sensitive area, I had confused the Mayflower with something from our Home Ec. class. I'm glad that's now over.

'Name three of the many achievements that the arrival of the Mayflower brought.'

It wasn't a long chapter. It's just been that difficult to keep things in a steady progression. We were literally taking one step to fall back ten. With the teachers leaving, the difficulty to attract substitutes, and the ghost attacks that disrupted classes all the time, lessons were absolutely horrible to maintain. Before Walker's invasion, I was so far behind my classes that it wasn't even funny. Now I'm catching up but it's still not funny.

In the middle of fourth period, I felt the chill. This was normal, considering that ghosts are mostly nocturnal and so forth. It was my studies and my later classes that suffered mostly but even some ghosts desire to catch the worm. I raised my hand, already looking around for the ghost. Mr. Lancer called on me.

"May I be excused," I asked hurriedly. I had long ago stopped adding details.

"Go ahead, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer sighed. I dashed from the room, heading for the nearest place to transform.

After my transformation, I took to the air seeking the ghost. My ghost sense had a pretty wide area, so if I couldn't sense energies, I'd certainly never find the ghosts before they found me or someone else. I followed the signature, the ghost apparently pretty far off. I hoped that it wouldn't be off school grounds again.

I tracked the signature until I was separated from the ghost only by a wall. No one, as I could tell, had discovered either one of us and I had hoped it'd stay that way. I held my back to the wall, ready to barge in and face the ghost. Finally making my move, I floated into the room at the ready.

"Will you be my friend," an annoying voice bombarded me. This ghost is actually one of my worst. It takes me longer to 'defeat' Klemper than it does Skulker.

"Oh, Klemper," I groaned. "Can we do this later, I'm busy."

"I just want someone to be my friend," the ghost wailed. I felt for him, I really did, but I had more pressing issues.

I thought for a moment, "How about I set you up with someone?"

"Someone to be my friend," Klemper asked me, overjoyed.

"Just for you," I replied.

Klemper grew excited as I floated through the wall, beckoning him to follow with my hand. We flew back to my house and, carefully to avoid my parents, went through the portal. I lead him through the familiar streets until I came upon a door I knew well. I hadn't visited in a while, but I'm sure they'll be glad to see me.

I opened the door, and stepped aside for Klemper to enter into the doorway. "Grandma, Grandpa," I called, closing the door behind me. "It's Danny!"

A woman in her late forties looked up. She had rich brown hair and she had the reddest eyes I had ever seen. They weren't hard, though, as they only had love and compassion for me. "Danny," my grandmother called. "David, Danny's here!"

My grandfather floated into the room, "I knew he was coming, Carla. Hello, Klemper. We have some food on the table, old boy." My grandfather was tall with a fairer shade hair color. My grandfather was lanky with long legs. He was maybe in his early fifties. My mom lost her parents in a car accident shortly before her graduation day. They were both young to be ghosts.

"Why didn't you tell me you dreamed of our grandbaby's return," my grandmother scolded him. I smiled as my grandmother took me in her arms. I returned the hug but it was cut off abruptly. "Danny, honey. Who touched you," my grandmother demanded angrily, her red eyes flashing as the fire bubbled to the top.

If I had blood to drain from my face, I surely would have paled. "What do you mean?"

Grandpa floated over to me. "Oh, my God," he declared.

"What are you guys talking about," I demanded back. They weren't usually this cryptic.

"Sweetheart, you stink," my grandmother said, her voice venomous.

I suddenly became self-conscious, trying my best to inhale. However, I couldn't breathe if my life depended on it. Then something occurred to me: "Hey! You're ghosts! You guys don't breathe or have any kind of perception of human senses!"

"It's not actual odor," Grandpa informed me. "It's the same as when we feed on emotions. When a ghost has been sexually assaulted, it gives off this god-awful smell to alert the community to its violation. The perpetrator also gives off a smell, so we'll know a rapist is around our haunts. It's the Ghost Zone's version of a national sexual predator list."

"Are you sure that it's not something else," I answered. I didn't want to anger my grandparents, especially the fire queen.

"Positive," my grandmother seethed. "Speak!"

I backed away, trying to think my way out of this. I'm just glad this doesn't happen in the real world or I'd never kept it for as long as I have. My grandmother stared me down, refusing to let this slide.

"You know, I could always ask my dreams," Grandpa spoke up after I held my silence. "And if that's the way I find this bastard, I will kill him."

"You can't," I surrendered. "He's more powerful than I am."

"Honey," my grandmother spoke softly. "There are many ghosts out there more powerful than you. You're just a child." Grandma walked over to me, taking my gloved hands in hers. "I never wanted you to have this life. I've always prayed my descendants would have a better life than mine and my husband's but you've been handed a pretty bad hand. You have to let someone in… you have to ask for help every once and a while."

"I can't," I said again, the tears trying to breach my defenses. "I'm stuck being his… bitch… until the end of eternity. If I don't, Mom will be joining you guys much sooner than I know either one of you'd like."

"You don't have to tell Maddie or Jack, just tell us," Grandma told me, holding my hands in hers still.

"And get the two of you obliterated. I've just found you," I said, my voice breaking. "I don't want to lose you again."

"This guy won't obliterate us," Grandma insisted. "I'll barbeque him before then. Not many people are stronger than the fire queen."

"He is," I said, hanging my head in shame. "After my last visit, Mom and Dad took Jazz and I to Wisconsin for their college reunion. While there, I met this ghost and he's so powerful. He has mind control and his powers are more advanced… He can duplicate. He can do anything. That night, he raped me but I didn't know." My voice was going high, I could tell but I couldn't calm down. I had filed this away as 'don't ask, don't tell'. If I just pretended I was okay with it, I could escape the torture.

"After the reunion, I thought it was only a dream. I woke up back in the bed I was sleeping in and I thought I just dreamed it all. However, the week before Christmas, he asked my parents if they would allow me to spend a week with him…"

"A ghost asked Maddie and Jack if he could have you and they agreed," Grandpa asked incredulously.

I abruptly stopped. "He's like me. He's half ghost."

Grandma and Grandpa's eyes widened and I could see the shock in their pale faces. Ghosts display shock differently than humans. Ghosts don't gasp or breath hard because they don't breath but their glows do fluctuate with their moods. Grandma's and Grandpa's glows became brighter as the shock and anger filled them. Grandma's actually took on a soft orange glow, blending her power in with her mood.

"Who," Grandma asked me, her voice strict and nonnegotiable.

"Vlad Masters," I spoke, softly. Vlad grew up with Mom and Dad so I knew they knew who he was.

"Vlad's a ghost now," Grandpa asked, surprised. "My God."

"I'm not going to let him hurt you," Grandma declared, still undeterred.

"And I'm not going to let him hurt anyone I love," I shot back. "He's promised he won't hurt me, that he'll hurt my family and I've seen it. I ran from him the first day he came for me and Mom Number Two was injured in an accident with a ghost. He took responsibility. I won't risk him finishing the job. It'd be too easy for him!"

"So you'll just be repeatedly raped by him for the rest of your life," Grandpa asked me, his voice displaying the illogical aspect of that.

"Until he gets tired of me or I die," I said, my voice low. I knew I'd never escape Vlad. I hadn't admitted it yet, but I knew it deep down and it wasn't as hard to admit as I thought it would be.

"No," Grandma said, shaking her head. "No. Absolutely not. You're only fourteen!"

"Age doesn't matter anymore," I spoke softly. "I've progressed farther than anyone my age. I'm no longer a boy. I'm half ghost."

"But that doesn't define you," Grandpa declared.

"Doesn't it," I asked, looking to my grandparents. "If I'm not being called ghost boy, halfa or whelp, it's something else about my status. There are only two of us in existence. It's defining!"

"But you are still half human," Grandma replied. "I think that's what your grandfather meant. Yes, honey, you are half ghost but you must remember the other side of the coin."

"The other side of the coin only states that I'm a freak. Not quite one, not quite the other. I belong to both worlds, yet I belong nowhere. I straddle life and death and that's not natural. I should have died in that portal… but I didn't and that's because my parents messed with the grand design. No one was meant to open this doorway."

"Sweetheart, it's humanity's burden. Mankind still pays for mistakes our ancestors have made and even into the afterlife, we still pay. If you are half ghost because your parents breached a code of design, then the Powers That Be have changed their ways of going about things. If half ghosts were a punishment for the breach, there'd be more than two."

I shook my head, shaking the images of Sam and Tucker's dreams. That would be four.

"And more than your friends," Grandpa included. "I already know they become half ghost."

"I'm gonna stop that," I said, determined. I'd stop the horrible visions I'd had of them becoming like me. Their lives would not be ruined the way mine has been.

"You can't," Grandpa stated. "Every single timeline says they become half ghost. Every attempt you make at disrupting the timeline fails. They will become half ghost, it's their destines."

"I'm not going to allow it," I said, still determined.

"Stop changing the subject, you two," Grandma demanded angrily, her glow spiking. Hues of orange, red and blue danced at the rim of her spectral illuminate.

Grandpa and I both cut our talking and turned back to her, fear in both of our eyes. Grandma was not one to mess with when angered. Grandpa had always said he left the frying pan and went into the fire and he's not over exaggerating.

"Grandma," I said, tentatively, "There's nothing you can do about that… there's nothing anyone can do."

"There's something someone can do," Grandpa said, trying his best to be cryptic. Of course, it didn't slip past me.

"Actually, that option isn't available anymore," I said, slowly.

"What do you mean," Grandma asked me, her mood mellowing.

"Walker lead a massive ghost invasion," I began. "When it was through, I was named the ghost responsible and public ghost enemy number one. I messed up, Grandma. I shot at Mom and Dad thinking they were overshadowed."

"What," Grandma asked alarmed. Grandpa stood motionless, completely surprised.

I covered my face with my glove, "I know I screwed up. I never imagined they were just happy that ghosts were discovered. They've always been so determined and convinced that ghosts existed that I never imagined that they'd need to see one to be certain. I saw them with a bunch of people I knew to be overshadowed and I just assumed. I never double checked."

"Okay, I'm going to go have a word with your mother," Grandpa said.

"No," I cried. "She may have loved you guys tremendously when you were human… but they're distrustful of ghosts. I don't know… they might…"

"Sweetheart, Maddie would have to really change to be that way," Grandma declared, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shook my head, "I'd still rather keep the little relationship I have with my parents a pleasant one. I already dread going up against them again… I couldn't imagine not having a place to hide. It's the only thing that keeps me sane." I cleared my throat, feeling it trying to swell, "I miss my mom."

"I know you do, sweetie," Grandma said, softly. "But I promise you that Maddie was never that way."

"And she was seventeen," I said, softly. "She's aged. She's not the little girl you left before graduation. Jazz is almost her age from when you two died."

"Don't remind us," Grandpa said, playful. "We're dead and we're still aging!"

I smiled back at him, knowing he was only making light of the situation. Then something occurred to me. "Oh, crap! I'm late. I was supposed to just take care of Klemper. I've got to get back to school."

"Use the division," Grandpa stated, cryptic. "You'll find out you've been here longer than you think."

"Oh, great," I groaned. "Leave Vlad alone, guys. He's not someone you can mess with!"

I floated out of the doorway, saying my goodbyes as I left. I flew back to the portal as fast as allowed in the Ghost Zone and as I exited into the real world, I hit the sonic mark. I landed at the school, the police surrounding the premises. I grew panicked, wondering what I had missed. Then Grandpa's cryptic message hit me. No way!

I looked to my watch to see what time it was to gasp in surprise. I had left the school at ten o'clock and it was now after five. I hate how time has no meaning in the Ghost Zone! I transformed behind a tree and walked towards the entrance.

Crap! Crap! Crap! I don't imagine anything Sam and Tucker could do could get me out of this trouble. If it could, I'd imagine they'd already done so. I pulled out my new cell phone and dialed Samuels' number. I had to make this good.

"Samuels," his gruff voice came on the line.

"Hey, it…" I began.

"Radar," Samuels called, much lighter. "Why haven't I heard from you?"

Because you have the reputation of being able to spot a ghost from any distance, I thought to myself. "Been busy. Look, I got a minor problem and I was wondering…"

"Wadda need?"

"An excuse," I said, my voice hesitant.

"An excuse," Samuels called, surprised. "Radar, you could do that yourself."

"Listen," I said, casually, "I like to keep the fact that I have more authority than any one of my peers to myself and the ghost hunters. I don't like to admit… hm, that I'm, huh, the most powerful fourteen year old." I remember when that phrase wasn't so nerve wrecking.

"Well…" Samuels said, slowly. "Give me the number."

I shot off my school's number and said my goodbye. I hoped this would work.

XXX

I walked into the school, being escorted by an ecstatic police officer. I saw Sanchez, Norris, dozens of officers, every teacher on staff and horrifically, my parents. The officer—Havez being his name, I believe—walked me into the room, my parents crying my name and rushing to hug me. Now, here comes the hard part. To explain to them something I can't possibly tell them. Lying is definitely a qualification for being a halfa.

Mom swore to skin Samuels alive for taking me out of school and even worse for flying me to Washington, DC but she didn't question it. Samuels even had a log of where a helicopter had arrived at the airstrip and I had boarded it. Never underestimate the power of Division G. Mom threatened to ground me for an eternity but Samuels stated if I even got an hour, I'd be the primary breadwinner for our family. That was enough for her to 'reevaluate' things.

Sam and Tucker didn't know what to believe. They became really worried when I didn't return to our fourth period but stuck it out. They skipped their fifth periods to search for me and when they couldn't find me, during lunch they went for the ghost tracker. That had been when the mess began. With three students disappearing from the premises of a frequently haunted location, they began to fear the worst for me. The entire school was locked down until my safe return. I'm certain to visit a locker multiple times tomorrow.

I dismissed the 'threat', not really worried about it. I just worried about Vlad. Would I have to go to his apartment tonight or would he still be at the meeting. I hadn't heard. It shouldn't take much thought to know which one I'm hoping for.

I sat down to get some kind of work done. I had plans to hit the streets tonight and I wouldn't get another chance to get my homework complete. Of course, I didn't have much. I only attended four periods.

I worked diligently to finish my math homework before six when my cell phone rang on my nightstand. I abandoned the exercise, picking up my cell phone. The caller ID displayed an international call. Nervously, I answered the phone.

"Hello," I said, timidly.

"Daniel," his voice came across the line. I still held onto hope he wasn't telling me to meet him at the motel.

"Yes, sir," I spoke, my heart refusing to beat and my throat constricting.

"Agreements are taking longer than planned," Vlad answered in an annoyed voice. Why don't I just overshadow their asses and force them to the merger? "We're still on for the rain check. I'll call you tomorrow with instructions. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I said, shock surly covering my features.

Vlad disconnected the line and I was met with the dead silence. I felt a small smile come to my lips but I suppressed it. It doesn't mean anything! I refuse to believe eating Froot Loops has caused this!

XXX

My alarm came screaming at me from the dead silence. I shot up, the exhaustion I felt crippling me. I had turned in at ten-ten last night but the damn night shift kept me up for most of the night. I slammed the alarm off, having a second thought of blowing it up. I retrieved an outfit from my closet and set out to dress.

The hallway was extremely quiet and dark for a school morning. I looked at my watch to make sure my alarm clock wasn't off. It was six-thirty. I shrugged, thinking maybe Jazz is sick. I quickly took a shower.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I was met with my tired mother. I stumbled back, not used to Mom meeting me on my way out of the bathroom. "Mom!"

"Sweetheart," Mom said, tiredly. "It's Saturday. You're trying to go to school on a Saturday again."

I felt the color drain from my face and I quickly glanced at my watch. Six-forty on a Saturday. Great! "I'm sorry," I commented, covering my head with my hands. "I get days mixed up so easily now."

Mom nodded, too tired to say anything. I felt wide awake, so I kissed her forehead and dismissed myself. I heard Mom returning to bed.

I opened the door and retrieved the paper from the porch. Some ghost attack meet me as today's headlines of the Amity Park Angle. That was the least of the attacks yesterday. Last night we nearly had a catastrophe when this mean looking ghost decided he was going to expand his haunt into the real world. I was alone as it was after three in the morning when my ghost sense stirred me from my sleep. I stayed outside for forty-five minutes expelling his workers and capturing him.

I sat down, beginning to flip through the paper. A few articles were written in the opinion section about me but I chose to ignore them. I didn't need the added stress. Halfway through the paper, my hearing picked up a commotion upstairs. By human means, it was quiet so it wasn't Dad but to my ears it was loud. I took my eyes off the paper and looked upstairs, curiosity getting the best of me.

A few moments later, Mom descended the stairs dressed in her usual attire. I groaned, knowing I had caused her to wake so much earlier than her usual wake up time on a Saturday. Mom walked into the kitchen, barely noticing me. I folded the paper and tucked it under my arm, choosing to follow her.

Mom began to perk the coffee and I knew immediately what had caused her to turn a blind eye to me. Mom sat down at the table, propping her arm on the wooden surface. I took a seat casually beside her, dropping the paper lightly to the surface. Mom looked up from the soft sound the drop caused.

"Sweetie, why are you up so early," Mom asked me, drained.

"I was already up," I gave a simple excuse. "What about you? You look nothing like a beautiful woman ready to tackle the day."

Mom smiled wearily, "I haven't been that woman in a long time."

I cocked my head to the side, puzzled by her response. "Mom, you have been that woman for most of my life. Even when I myself didn't have the strength to continue, you've been that woman."

Mom smiled again, this time the action reaching her eyes. "You're the one I can't figure out. You act as if you've always got this crushing responsibility over your head and if you don't use every available resource, it'll collapse on top of you. What's going on in your life, honey?"

My eyes darted to find anything less demanding. Mom's gaze, especially before her coffee, could drain the oceans and its tributaries. I didn't want to falter here. "Nothing, really," I lied. "Just normal teenage pressures."

"You've never been a typical teenager," Mom lamented, propping her head upon her extended arm. "I refuse to believe that these past few months have changed this dramatically without an equally dramatic cause. Why don't you allow me to help?"

Because you'll destroy me, I thought to myself, the extra burden crushing me. I hated lying to her. Mom and I use to be so close. We shared everything and I enjoyed the intimacy. But when I became half ghost, I began to wonder what my new status would do to our relationship. I tried to pretend nothing had happened, but with the way my mother is, I had to pull away to keep my secret.

"What do you say we take a morning walk before Jazz and Dad stir around," I offered. Surly I could fit a brisk walk into my schedule.

Mom's eyes brightened at this and I knew the four-to-six inches of snow that fell last night wouldn't deter her. Mom and Dad lived in a small town west of Cleveland, Ohio meaning that the snow that blew off of Lake Erie constantly covered their home.

Before the coffee finished perking, I rose from my seat taking two mugs from the cabinet. Mom glanced at me questionably when I done this but I proceeded to descend upon the coffee pot. I poured two mugs, adding the cream and sugar to Mom's like she liked it. I left mine black.

I handed Mom her steaming mug as I passed to my chair. I took a large gulp of coffee within the first twenty seconds of sitting. The caffeine did nothing to awaken me.

"Danny," Mom brought me from my withdrawal. I looked up to see her horrified eyes staring at me. "Honey, don't do that. You'll burn yourself!"

"Do what," I asked, confused. I took another big gulp.

"That," Mom cried, her face completely distorted with the fear of burning myself. "Honey, take small sips."

I looked back into my cup, more than half its contents emptied. The steam did lift off the black liquid in a desperate attempt to cool itself. I guess to any normal person, the liquid would burn the back of the throat. I chuckled aloud, trying to think of something.

"I guess I'm not completely awake," I choked out. I tried to feign a burning sensation, holding my throat the way someone would when they drink too hot of a liquid.

"Honey, please be more careful when doing that," Mom said, taking a small sip of her coffee. Mom let out a small cry of discomfort from the contact with her lips. Her hand instantly came to the aid of her burning mouth. "It's extremely hot!"

"Are you okay," I asked, concerned. I didn't feel any of the coffee's effects. The burn might cause some damage to my throat but it would heal so fast that nothing could be left to witness it.

"Yeah," Mom said, withdrawing her hand now that it hurt less. "Some of it just slipped onto my mouth. You're the one who took two large gulps of the lava beverage!"

"What can I say," I answered, more playful, "Coffeemade doesn't have anything on Fentoncoffee."

Mom smiled at me. Without thinking, I turned my cup up and downed the final third of the liquid, standing up. I could hear Mom's slight catch of her breath so I knew I'd screwed up. I let out a small cry of discomfort, beginning to laugh afterwards.

"No one ever said you were the brightest," Mom remarked from behind me. I washed out the cup, placing it in the drainer.

"That's true," I said, taking my seat again. I waited patiently for Mom to finish her coffee.

XXX

Mom was bundled in a coat that was warm but not thick. I had a small sweater-jacket tied around my waist, just to satisfy her. I tried putting it on but I started to feel so uncomfortable that I ended up tying it around my waist. We walked along the yet-to-be plowed streets, stepping on the freshly spewed snow. The most snow had fallen overnight and I knew exactly at what time. I was throwing out the ghost when two inches alone fell. Mom had her hands shoved in her coat, the thin material her HAZMAT suit was made of doing nothing to keep her hands from freezing.

Every once and a while, Mom's eyes would fall over me looking for any sign I was cold. I tried to add a few chills here and there but they came off so fake I was afraid I'd have her feeling my forehead. The slight snow that trickled from the heavens fell into Mom's hair and stuck while mine melted immediately and the liquid would slip into my eyes.

My body temperature had proved a major problem when the winter arrived. Just being outside would cause steam to collect around my body at the beginning of November. To prevent my secret from being blown to smithereens, I had to learn how to transfer some of the cold from my ghost form to the warmth of my human form. It had proved tricky at first but I eventually learned how to pour the cold into the heat. As Sam had commented, it was like I was two cups of very contracting liquids and I just used one to cool the other. Still, the transfer did nothing to chill my spiked temperature.

The snow falling now proves that. While I have managed to reduce my temperature so the steam won't pour off of my exposed flesh, my temperature is still exceeding one-sixty which means I am by far the hottest thing around, temperature wise. I watched Mom from the corner of my eye shiver but brush it off. I felt guilty, knowing because of my ignorance to the cold, Mom was trying her best to ignore it too.

"Are you wanting to turn around," I asked her, watching how the shivers increased.

Mom shook another shiver, "It's not me that's making me do this. Even though it's cold out here, you're walking here like it's the middle of spring!"

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess I'm more tolerant of the weather."

"More like immune," Mom stated, her voice distorted with the grunt that she had meant to cover the phrase. I couldn't believe it. Mom was jealous.

"If you want to turn around," I said, trailing off. We could always find some other way to occupy our time at home without freezing her.

"No," Mom said, her voice absent from the grumble now. Without warning, Mom pulled me close to her, "I wouldn't… Danny?"

I pulled back, surly my eyes going wide. Even though I had tried to balance my temperature, I was still way too hot for a normal human. I tried to make my voice sound casual but I could hear the failure in my response, "Y-yeah, Mom?"

"Honey, you are burning up," Mom called, fearful. "You're right. We should go back!"

"Mom, wait… nothing's wrong. I'm all right," I said, much too panicked to sound sure.

"The hell you are," Mom cried, alarmed. "Honey, you've got a high fever. I'm surprised you can even walk and carry a conversation."

"Mom," I said, growing fearful. Think, Fenton, think or you're dead!

Mom grabbed me by my arm and turning around, began to drag me back to the house. My mind froze, unable to comprehend what I should do. If she makes it to a thermometer, she'll take my temperature and find out how hot my 'fever' really is. At this moment, she can only feel the heat through her glove. I can't bring that temperature down any more or it starts to affect my vitals. One-ninety-four is now normal for me. If I go below what I am now, I go into hypothermia because I have no heat for my ghost form.

Mom pulled me along, desperate to get back to the house while I desperately thought of a way out of this. I didn't have a clue what to do, but I couldn't let her test my temperature. No human should survive the temperatures I've called normal. No human should have a fever of near 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Mom, please, listen to me," I said, my voice high as I panicked. "This is nothing… I mean, I'm not… Mom, this is normal!"

Mom turned towards me, completely surprised, "What?"

"This is my new norm," I informed her. At her confusion, I continued, "The portal accident. It spiked my temperature."

"Honey," Mom tried to speak but her voice broke. She stopped momentarily but continued on.

"What are you doing," I asked, alarmed.

"I've got to get your temperature down," Mom said, still scared.

"Didn't you hear me," I cried out, "This is my new norm!"

"I know you think it's okay, but I understand the human body better," Mom replied, her voice conveying how much she was freaking out.

I pulled at her arm but she held on tightly. I thought about pulling away with my powers but I was on thin ice as it was. Mom pulled me to the lab and, as I'd feared, took my temperature. Mom began to fill the tub in the basement with cold water. She wouldn't listen to me, stripping me down to my boxers. She forced me into the water, the steam pouring off my skin like the hot cup of coffee we had earlier.

Mom disappeared after she put me in the water. I stood up, desperate to get away from her. If she lowered my temperature, I didn't know what would happen but I knew it wouldn't be good. I began to balance my temperatures, cooling my ghost form and warming my human. I shivered, the pure cold water drenching me.

I grabbed an old sheet that they keep downstairs and wrapped it around me. I was actually freezing now, with Mom having put me in the cold water while my temperatures were off balanced. I felt myself become colder and I wrapped myself in the sheet tighter.

"Daniel James Fenton, I want you back in that tub this instant," Mom declared, carrying bags of ice. I stepped back, fearing her intentions.

"Mom, please, this isn't good. I-I'm freezing," I called out, shivering.

"It's just the shock," Mom said. "I'll do it gradual so it won't overwhelm you. I know what I'm doing."

"I-I'm sure you do," I answered, feeling colder and colder. Mom steered me towards the tub and my instincts told me to fight. I tried to resist but I was growing weaker as my core went into hypothermia. "Mom, please, listen-listen to me."

Mom picked me up and put me back in the water. Needles penetrated into my mind, the cold paralyzing. Mom poured a bag of ice into the water and I could feel my vitals shutting down. My heart beat began to slow and my breathing picked up. I looked to the tips of my fingers to notice they were turning a pale blue. This wasn't good.

"Mom, please," I said, but my voice was just too low. I could feel the sleepiness taking hold of me but I fought the strain. "Mom…"

"It'll be okay," Mom said. The corners of my vision began to go black as I started to slip from consciousness. Of all the ways to go… I never imagined an innocent walk would send me to meet my maker.

"I-I love you," I said, feeling myself slipping away.

"Danny," Mom's voice spoke as she vanished from sight. I heard one last cry of my name then all vanished.

I shot awake, my alarm still blaring past seven. My vitals spiked to life, my heart beating loud against my chest. I smacked the alarm, my breathing hard for more than one reason. Of course, this hadn't been the first time I'd dreamed of my death but it was the closest one in the timeline. I had been so close to the timeline, I hadn't even realized I was dreaming. As I sat up, one thought came to my mind: maybe we'll just play a game of checkers!

AN: I'm evil, aren't I? Check out the chapter companions. Earlier companions are available at fan fiction dot net slash my forums slash Team 04 Phantom slash 3876657. Please PM or review any questions you may have. I hope to hear from you.