Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. Enjoy!
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Dani's Dream/Flashback
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"Such a nice man. Wonderful husband."
"Loved his job. Never missed a day of work in his life that man."
"So young. Such a senseless tragedy."
Dani turned away from the adults. She couldn't listen to anymore of their talk. She felt her heart grow heavy as she walked past the casket with the American flag draped on top of it and the sobbing mother leaning against it.
Nick Polmero.
Dani had only met Nick one time a few days ago. He worked on a Precinct in Staten Island but was at the NYPD masquerade party in Manhattan and they just happened to bump into each other.
And Dani meant really bump into each other! Nick accidentally hit her in the nose hard enough to make Dani bleed. She was dressed as the Grim Reaper and refused to remove her hood when bystanders tried to pull it off to help her out.
It's not that she didn't want the help. It's just that people went a little too crazy over her looks.
But Nick was really nice about it, very apologetic, and offered her candy. She remembered his laughing green eyes and sandy blonde hair. He was young, way younger than her cousin Michael. Looked in his early twenties. Dani took the candy and Michael arrived, having heard the commotion, and escorted her out.
She was a little sad to leave as it was her first day back in the City (She was on spring break) but it was past midnight anyway so she understood. Nick walked them out to their car, still apologizing for what happened. They assured Nick time and time again that it was fine. When they were inside the car and about to leave Dani pulled back her hood and looked at Nick through the car window.
She last thing she saw was Nick's astonished face at Dani's appearance as they drove away, Dani waving goodbye to him from the passenger seat.
That was the very last time she ever saw Nick Polmero because the next day she found out that he had died in a drug bust gone bad.
Michael was sad to hear the news but Dani was even more sad. He was so young, had his whole life ahead of him, and to die like that was just cruel. She still remembered his vivid green eyes, his wavy blonde hair, his Irish Spring ocean scent. How could he know the horrors that awaited him just the next day? Her first night in the city and a person she meets ends up dead. Granted she didn't really know him and he was a police officer but still she was sorrowful. Michael told her those were the hazards of being a cop, he knew what he signed up for, but Dani still felt saddened by his passing. Michael was right. Being a cop was not as glamourous as she realized. Of course she knew of the danger but she never fully realized it until that moment when she saw Nick's face on T.V. as the reporters announced his passing. And Dani had a horrifying, terrible thought that it could have easily been Michael in his place. Suddenly she wished Michael had kept his job as a stockbroker in the World Trade instead of becoming an officer. At least then he would be safe.
A few seconds later, Dani then quickly dismissed that thought from her mind.
Michael would be safe but he would never be happy. He was never happy working at the World Trade. He was miserable. He was well payed but miserable. At least that's what Michael told her when Dani asked him why he quit. Now that he was a police officer, living his dream, he was so much happier than he ever was as a stockbroker.
Better to live briefly but happy than to live a long miserable life, Michael always told her. But Dani prayed, hoped, and wished Michael would have a happy long police officer life and would retire with his soon to be wife in Hawaii, like they always dreamed.
And now Dani was at Nick's funeral to pay her respects, she got Alice to take her since Michael was working a shift, and about to step into his widow's room. The funeral was at the couple's house so Dani passed many pictures of the beautiful young raven haired, blue eyed woman that was Nick's wife. Dani was at the second floor of the house, which was pretty much deserted except for Dani, and about to knock on the Master Bedroom. Immediately after she did a hoarse voice told her to come inside. Dani gathered up her courage and opened the door.
"Mrs. Polmero?" She hesitantly said, stepping inside the room. She saw Nick's wife Alanna sitting on the bed downcast clutching a photograph in her hands, her long raven hair covering her face. "My name is Dani Fenton-"
"I know who you are." Alanna's chilling tone stopped Dani cold. "Are you happy now? Are you happy that my mate is dead?"
Dani blinked at her in shock.
"What? I had nothing to do with-"
"YOU HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!"
Her roar of absolute rage startled Dani and she jumped back in surprise. She saw Alanna look up at her with cold, murderous blue eyes and the lights started to madly flicker on and off, pictures and books started lifting off the shelves as if pulled by invisible strings, and a static something crackled in the air with a loud noise.
Dani was ready to go.
"Alright I'll be-" Dani said as she headed towards the door.
It slammed shut. As if an invisible hand closed it.
"I had a terrible feeling about the party." Alanna continued as Dani looked on horrified. "I should of never made him go. Especially if I knew you were going to be there." She briefly paused before softly finishing. "Sometimes I just wish I had the strength to stay away from him. Then he would of been safe, transferred to a precinct in the Guys in White's territory."
"Guys in White?" Dani croaked out as she slowly inched towards the door to make her escape. But her simple question seemed to drive Alanna into a fury.
"DON'T PRETEND AS IF YOU DON'T KNOW!" Alanna screamed at her as the crazed events started happening again, this time much more violently. "DON'T PRETEND AS IF THIS ENTIRE THING ISN'T YOUR FAULT!"
Dani was beyond frightened at the supernatural phenomenons that seemed to be happening but was still miraculously able to defend herself vocally.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" She cried out, finally reaching the door and turning the knob.
It was locked. Dani felt fear run up and down through every part of her body as she looked at Alanna's deranged demeanor. She looked ready to murder her. Dani clutched her pocket knife in her dress pocket for protection and got into a stance. She didn't want to fight Alanna but she would if she had to.
Suddenly the lights stopped flickering, the books and pictures fell to the floor, and the static something in the air was silent.
Dani saw Alanna look at her for a long while, as if deciphering whether she was really being truthful or not, before finally saying
"Perhaps so. Perhaps not. I cannot tell. What are you Dani Fenton? You are not human, that's for certain. No human looks that beautiful and sounds that enchanting. You can't be a Magical Creature either. They are all affected by Mage Powers and yet you are not. So what are you?"
Dani's eyes narrowed in confusion. What on earth was this woman talking about?
"Mage Powers?"
"She'll kill you too you know." Alanna told her matter of factly, completely ignoring Dani's question, once again sadly looking down at the photograph in her hands. "You're protected now by the son but it's only a matter of time before Susan gets to you. She's done it with every other girl her son has been fond of."
Dani's heart started thumping like mad. Alanna couldn't have been talking about who she thought she was talking about!
"Susan...Baxter?"
"Yes Susan Baxter." Dani let out a gasp of shock at Alanna's confirmation. Alanna continued, completely ignoring Dani's reaction."Of course it was her son who gave the order to have my husband killed as a penalty for hitting you." She choked out, tears streaming down her face. She wiped them away and continued. "But Susan is the one he gave the order to. Susan is the head of the Baxter family and in control of him." Dani saw a true fearful shudder out of Alanna. "She rules us all. And you Dani Fenton." Alanna said as she made direct eye contact with her. "You've stolen the apple of her affection and she will kill you in retaliation. I've seen her kill for less."
Alanna said it as if she was really telling the truth. And looking at her, Dani could see she believed she was really telling the truth! Dash and Susan were annoying but they weren't murderers! And they sure as hell weren't ultra powerful Mages who ruled the world! They were just rich (Not that rich because plenty of other people took that mark) stuck up narcissistic people who insisted on making Dani's life complicated but they weren't evil!
And who the hell were the Guys in White or this him person she was talking about!?
Oh well. It didn't matter. Dani told herself Alanna was insane and still grieving over her husband. Probably forgot to take her meds like a lot of family members she knew and was rambling on about something she believed to be true. Probably was a magician too or at least learned about it, that would explain all these smoke and mirrors.
Finally after minutes of working it, the knob turned, and Dani ran out of there like a bat out of hell.
"Your days are numbered Dani Fenton." Dani heard Alanna voice say right as she booked. "Remember that."
Dani found Alice and lied to her that she didn't feel so well. They quickly said their goodbyes and left.
Dani never told anyone, especially Michael and Alice, of what Alanna told her. She felt due to the circumstances it was best to keep it a secret.
A day later Dani found out that Alanna Polmero had died. A single gunshot wound to the head. The Police ruled it a suicide.
They buried her beside her husband.
Author's Note: Oh and FYI 9/11 never happened...yet. Reviews please!
