One of my personal favorite chapters is right here! the big party is just beginning! enjoy!

Chapter 41: My Lair is Your Lair

"There it is, guys." Garth and the gang now stood in front of a nice little cavern at the edge of the ghost zone. It was close to the portal, so they didn't even need to take the Specter Speeder to get here. "I think it was well worth the wait." Garth stood proudly, chest inflated and smiling broadly, proud that he'd finally gotten a lair for them.

"It must be three stories tall." Cecelia gaped in awe. "This is the coolest meeting spot ever."

"And since it's a cave, it'll be nice and dark." Sam relaxed.

"And it's FREE!" Tucker threw his arms in the air.

"We'll be having a "Welcome Home" party like you talked about, right Danny?" Danielle urged.

Danny concentrated. "Why not?"

They all smiled.

"But who are we gonna invite?" Danny asked, and their smiles faded.

"Jazz?" Tucker suggested.

"She's got a big test tomorrow to study for." Said Danny.

"Valerie?" Cecelia suggested.

"Midnight?" Tucker suggested.

"We don't know where to contact Midnight." said Danielle. "But Valerie is definitely a possibility."

"We could invite her new boyfriend too." Cecelia added. "Bob Foley."

Tucker scoffed. Sam elbowed him. "That sounds great." Sam said. "But we're going to need to get him used to the idea of…"

"…Us." Danny said. "Danielle's and my halfa-secret, Cecelia's secret, Garth's secret, but I guess we could use another guy on the team."

"How about me?"

The group was overall startled to see a red ghost in a top hat appear in front of them.

"Who're YOU?" Cecelia asked, crossing her arms.

"This is private property." Sam said self-righteously.

"I am Perniculous, the ghost of magic. And I am also your neighbor, as it would appear." He said in a sing-song voice, which quickly annoyed Sam and Garth. They exchanged disapproving glances. Perniculous pulled an elongated wand out of his pocket. "See? I'm a magician!"

Danny's eyelids drooped. This guy was really irritating, but it was no mystery to Team Phantom that he had no other friends. And there were no other neighbors around.

Sam elbowed Danny, amazed that he was even considering inviting Perniculous to their private little party. "Danny, don't…"

"Danny, don't listen to her." Cecelia whispered. "It would be downright mean to exclude the neighbors."

"Yes! Listen to the lovely lady right here!" Perniculous put his hands on Cecelia's shoulders. Sam cast a wicked glare at Cecelia. She returned the glare fiercely.

"The party starts in four hours. Be here in exactly four hours." Danny droned.

"Whoopieee!" Perniculous did not hesitate to hug all six of them in the most obnoxious of ways. He especially hugged Danielle and Cecelia tightly, which annoyed the boys. Perniculous then returned to his small cave which shared a wall with Team Phantom's larger cave.

Garth—and just about everyone else—was relieved that the poltergeist had vanished. "Guys, let me give you a tour." Garth showed them inside the cave. It was lit by ghostly torches that do not burn out unless smoldered.

The main room had several seats, coffee tables and end tables. The natural ground was gravelly, so it was the team's intention to get the place carpeted.

In the main room, there was also a nice little stereo, which would be good for the party later.

There was a nice open kitchen in the main room which also had a large counter island with a barstool setup. There was only one bathroom in the place, however, but they'd make do. There were three very large bedrooms, each with two beds so people could spend the night.

"Where'd you get all the furniture, Garth?" Danny asked.

A look of slight guilt spread across Garth's face. "This is my furniture. I moved here after I was evicted from my own little home. I couldn't afford to pay the bills after everything went up. Since living in a lair is free of cost, I decided it'd be best for me if I live here. Sam, she, well, donated some money to me and that's how I got the extra beds. But other than them, everything else here is mine. So take good care of it, everybody."

"Garth, why didn't you tell us you were having money problems?" Danielle asked gently.

"We coulda helped you out, buddy." Tucker tried to cheer him up.

"Naw. I like it better here anyways." Garth fashioned a half-smile. "But thanks. My lair is your lair, so make yourselves at home."

Garth spent the next hour showing Danielle how to come by groceries in the ghost zone (the fridge was empty). Danny and Cecelia stayed at the lair and got a shield operational to ward off ghost enemies. All Danny, Garth, and Danielle would have to do was change back to human form and then they could pass in and out of the shield.

Other than that, the shield kept out all bothersome neighbors, namely, Klemper, who visited every new neighbor and asked if he could be their friend. It was Sam who chased away the fiend with one look of a nasty eye. Johnny and his girlfriend Kitty came to meet the new neighbors, but the moment they saw Danny Phantom, they fled the scene.

Ember was the next neighbor to visit. She wanted to investigate because she heard the blast of the stereo music and thought the new residents had good taste. When she caught a glimpse of exactly who had moved in, she rolled her eyes and flew away nonchalantly.

Ember must have told Skulker on the way, because he stopped by the lair too hoping to get Danny's pelt for his wall. Skulker was horrified to see Danny waving to him, looking smug and not terrified at all. Skulker tried to blast Fenton right in the nose, but the blast didn't so much as seep past the ghost shield. Danny knew he was safe, and resumed singing along to the music with the rest of his friends.

Skulker was so enraged that hot steam emerged from his suit as he flew away.

Danielle was entertaining herself by making paper decorations for the walls of the cave. She made paper cutouts of the six of them and hung them high on the wall where they could not be disturbed accidentally. Then she patiently waited for Sam and Tucker to finish cooking the meal. Danielle occasionally sung along to the music when a good tune was on.

Cecelia was making popcorn. Danny organized everything neatly in the refrigerator. Garth was left to vacuum the place.

Danielle quickly called up Valerie to see if she was going to come. "Yeah, we have a lair now." Danielle explained it all to Valerie.

"Bob really isn't into the whole "supernatural" part of this."

"Just tell him the party's at a secret location and put a blindfold over his face."

"The only way to get him to come is if I fly us in."

"So…are you coming or not?"

Valerie groaned. "I guess I'm coming. Bob probably won't believe me when I tell him that you and Danny are half ghost."

"Then I'll have to show him."

"What?"

"I'll be right there." Danielle was lucky that the path back to the human world was villain-free at the moment. She flew to Valerie's house, where Val and Bob were presumably waiting.

It was getting late, so Danny decided to give his older sister Jazz a call. She was only an hour away from Amity Park if Danny flew to her college to pick her up. Then Danny could bring her back here just a little late for the party. "Jazz? Hi. Are you busy tonight?"

"I'll be studying all night. Big test. I must have mentioned it to you five times already…"

"Well, you're smart, Jazz and I know you know your stuff. Would it kill you to take one night off? There's going to be a party tonight, but it won't be much of a party unless you're here."

"Aww, you're such a sweet little brother!" Jazz giggled and then she got all serious. "So what are you trying to butter me up for? Are you throwing a house party while mom and dad are away?"

"No…I'm throwing a party at Team Phantom's lair. I know you'll be curious."

"I am."

"So when can I pick you up?"

"Say…give me…fifteen minutes to get ready."

"Excellent." Danny smiled and closed his cell phone. He looked at his friends. "Jazz is coming!"

The group cheered. Danny walked out of the lair and changed into ghost form. But there, waiting for him around the corner were Johnny, Kitty, Ember and Skulker all with nasty grins on their faces. Danny shook his head at them in disapproval, not even considering all the atrocious things they could do to him now.

A bit surprised, they all stopped smiling. Danny flew away in the direction of the exit. Seeing as they had not scared him even a little, the villains departed all but one—Ember.

She followed him all the way up to the ghost portal where he was about to escape. "Danny, I'm not going to fire any more blasts at you. Just listen to me. I know you're a hero, and I also know that me and my buddies are a lot stronger than you. How about we make an alliance? I can see that you're getting bolder and stronger too."

"You just want to go to the party. So don't think you can sweet-talk me into letting down the ghost shield just so you can sneak in and destroy all our hard work, not to mention our home." Danny frowned.

Ember looked down, disgusted. Her eyebrows narrowed. Johnny, Kitty and Skulker were flying towards the two of them.

Danny's instincts told him to fly out of there before it was too late. But that's not what he did. "Why are you all following me?" He asked. His voice was not as loud as he expected it to be.

"We would like to go to the party, man." Johnny said as he revved the engine on his motorcycle.

"Yah, we never get a break!" Kitty agreed. "Walker caught us vandalizing a building the other day and he took away the home Johnny and I were living in!"

"So they came to live with Skulker and I." Said Ember.

"But my house was small to begin with, so having three extra people was not exactly…"

"Guys, stop it." Danny said.

"And my boss—Vlad—just fired me because he said I was a lousy hunter. So now I have no income!" Skulker said in almost a sob.

"You are a lousy hunter." Ember whispered to him.

"So we're all living off Ember's concert money!" Kitty said.

"Why don't the rest of you get a job!" Danny said, feeling a little bit like a disappointed parent.

"Eugh! I'm not getting a job!" Kitty protested.

"Once a thief, always a thief." Said Johnny proudly.

Danny eyed each of them suspiciously.

"Please let us party!" Kitty begged and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "Just for one night!"

"We'll never bother you again, we promise!" said Ember reluctantly.

"No more pelt-hunting." Skulker added in.

"And no bike chases." Johnny said. "Or attacks from my Shadow."

Danny sighed. "You'll have to convince my friends." He pointed them in the direction of the lair. "Ask Cecelia. She's a great judge of character. If she turns ya down, then you're out. Got it?"

The four ghosts nodded and then flew off.

Danny flew through the portal and up through the basement and out of his house. Jazz's college was four hours away on a drive, but considerably less time would be spent now that Danny was going to fly there. It would be at most twenty minutes to get there and twenty minutes to get back.

Jazz lived on-campus with a roommate. Danny had visited the campus only once before, but he remembered where to look. Alpha Pi Girls Dorms was where he sat outside and waited for Jazz to emerge. Boys were not allowed to go inside.

"Heeey Danny!" Jazz waved. Her shoulder-length red hair was shiny and straight held back by a green headband. Her clothes were hip and modern—which was a style she usually didn't go for. But a party was a special occasion. Her shirt was magenta and loose, and underneath was a cool white tank top. Her skinny jeans were black, and hip-hugging. Her sandals matched her green headband and her nails matched the magenta shirt.

"Hey Jazz!" They hugged. Then they walked behind a fence and she wrapped her arms around his back. He turned them intangible as they flew off back where he had come from. When Danny brought Jazz to the front of the lair, he turned human again and walked her through the cave.

There was Danielle standing next to Valerie. They were conversing casually. Bob seemed a little pale in the face. He was just beginning to fathom the existence of the ghost zone—and the existence of halfas. He stopped Danny for a moment and pointed a vibrating finger at him. "You're—you're a-a—"

"A halfa." Danny changed into his ghost half and then back again quickly. It's not like his secret was a secret here; he just preferred to party as Danny Fenton.

Bob's jaw was on the floor and the whites of his eyes grew bigger.

"Okay then." Danny began to dance with his girlfriend.

The ghost shield was down, and Danny, Cecelia, Jazz, Valerie, Garth, Tucker, Sam, Danielle, Bob, Perniculous, Skulker, Kitty, Ember Johnny, and Johnny's shadow all seemed to be enjoying themselves as they danced to Party Rock Anthem. They all looked like normal friends having a normal neighborhood bash.

Jazz waved to the people she recognized as Sam gave her a speedy tour around the house.

Party rock is in the house tonight

Everybody just have a good time

And we gonna make you lose your mind

Everybody just have a good time

Danielle and Sam gave Jazz a little group hug while Danny got out some snacks like Cheetos and potato chips now that the popcorn had all been eaten.

"Hi! You must be Jazz!" Cecelia gave her a hug.

"Nice to meet you." Jazz was friendly. "Cool lair."

"Thanks." Garth joined the conversation.

"Dinner's ready!" Tucker announced. He took the spinach pie and the sausages out from the oven. "The pizza will be out in just a sec." He added.

Everybody grabbed some food. Most of them continued dancing while taking bites. Danny was one of the few who sat down. He chose the center of the couch. Garth and Sam were sitting across from Danny as they ate. Johnny and Kitty were making out on one of the living room chairs.

Danny was relieved when Jazz sat next to him with her plate of food. Maybe she could help take away from the awkwardness.

"So…Jazz…meet any guys over at college?" Danny found that to be the only question on his mind right now.

"No." She said casually and took a bite of pizza.

Cecelia and Valerie were really good dancers, Danny noticed. Danielle wasn't half bad either. But Cecelia…she could really move.

"Everybody, I think the mood is just right for me to do a little magic trick."

"Oh no." Garth groaned gothically. "Somebody's going to die."

Perniculous flew up high in the alcove of the lair. He soon had all their little eyes fixed on him. "With a simple flick of the wand, I can enchant the ceiling so that confetti falls down. It'll make the room all shimmery…"

Garth groaned, trying to ignore the ghost. Sam sneered at him, hoping he would start to realize that he was a social mishap all by himself.

"Don't—" Danny started, but it was too late.

The confetti was falling.

Everybody went right back to what they were doing.

"I want to personally thank you for inviting me to this party!" Perniculous said to Danny. But Perniculous wasn't watching where his wand was aimed at, and suddenly Garth fell to the ground, moaning in pain and clutching his abdomen. Perniculous gasped and backed away as Danny, Sam and friends gathered around.

Garth's eyes were closed and he backed out.

"What's the matter with him?" Asked Jazz.

"Garth? GARTH! Are you okay? Garth!" Sam was brushing the rugged brown hairs out of his eyes as Danny and Tucker lifted him onto the sofa.

"He stopped breathing!" Tucker panicked.

"Oh no!" Bob Foley shrieked.