Chapter Eighty-Three: Reappearance

"How long are you here for?" Danny asked as they sat at the dinner table that night. He had been surprised to wake up in his room, but Dan explained what happened and he felt a bit of warmth that his mother, even without knowing it, was still there for him to turn to.

Maybe, when all this was over, he would tell her who he really was. He wanted to tell her now, but Maddie never kept secrets from Jack and Jack absolutely couldn't know. He'd captured him in a Fenton Thermos for sure and experiment on him without her knowing.

"Until we've determined there's no Phantom here; or until he's sighted elsewhere." Jack replied. "Maybe a month, if it's not too much trouble?"

'A month…' Dan thought, glancing away. 'Tomorrow's Monday, we'll have to tell Dark and Ghostwriter that we'll have to stay in the Real World for the rest of their stay.'

Vlad sighed. "IF it's alright with the boys; we don't usually have visitors for that long a period of time."

Danny pursed his lips. 'I DO like having mom here…'

'Yeah, but DAD is here too.' Dan thought.

'We can fake it. Vlad can distract them while we're in school, say that we went to, well, school in the city.' Danny suggested mentally.

Dan sighed internally, his expression never changing on the outside. 'And what if he says that line?'

'I can handle it.' Danny replied.

'Liar.' Dan sighed on the outside this time and nodded. "I don't have a problem with it, if James is alright with it."

"One month." Danny nodded.

Maddie smiled fondly at him.

It was clear that Dark and Daniel had the same sentiments as Dan did on the extended stay. "This isn't good for you, Danny." Daniel said firmly. "You're going to get nightmares from hearing his voice so often."

"I know, but what could I do? Refuse? I want to be with my mom, okay? As long as spend time with her and not him, I should be okay!" Danny insisted.

"Oh, who's going to be spending time with Jack?" Dark raised an eyebrow. "You know that both Phantom and the old man want him dead."

"I promised Danny, no killing." Dan reminded him. "Doesn't mean I have to be civil and not remind him of how he got his own son killed."

"Sorry, Daniel. I know you wanted to come over soon…" Danny smiled apologetically.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm more worried about you, Danny. This man tortured you and abused you and you can still look him in the eye? If this is what happens when he finds out, I…" He bit his lip and turned away.

Danny sighed. "Things…aren't set in stone, Daniel. I really hoped he really had accepted me…" He looked down.

"You're glooming up the place." Dark made a movement like he was chasing the gloom away. "You need the month off? Fine, I can allow that."

Danny nodded, then left the classroom to visit Sam, Plasmius, and Dani to explain the situation. It was clear that Sam wasn't happy, but she seemed to accept it.

"I hope that someday you'll be willing to tell me what happened when the Guys in White attacked you." She said softly. "To make you despise your father so much."

"I don't despise him. I fear him." Danny said, shutting the door to leave her confused.

Plasmius had sworn to secrecy, so he didn't have to worry about them telling Sam. He felt bad, but he had to keep it from her.

Ghostwriter had been even less pleased than Dark, but Dan managed to talk him into it somehow. Danny suspected that he would be getting drunk to block Danny out while he did something illicit again.

He had been doing that lot lately…

Dan walked towards the den, his hands in his pockets. Having Plasmius in the Ghost Zone and him unable to go see him as often as he wanted to was…frustrating. He paused when he heard a voice in the den and opened the door a little.

Jack was alone, talking to himself. He was looking at a vial of green and red liquid and rage boiled in Dan's veins as he realized that the vial was full of the stolen blood from two years ago. He still HAD it?! WHY?!

"Could give me an edge, perhaps a power or two." He heard Jack saying to himself. "A shame I only have this much, I should see if I can duplicate the effects with my own blood and ectoplasm when I get back." He put the vial into his bodysuit. "All I need is to put Phantom on a table and I'll be able to study him further. I can get Maddie's help this time, now that I don't have to worry about hiding it from her."

That bastard! He wanted to strap him down again?! If he only knew the cold, ironic truth of Phantom and Danny… He suppressed his rage and stepped back, opening the door wider to interrupt Jack's monologue.

"Dan." Jack greeted as he entered. "Where's your brother?"

Dan shrugged. "I don't have tracking equipment on him."

"Of course." Jack chuckled. "Well, what are you up today?"

"Not being out with your wife scanning the skies." Dan walked over to the bookshelf, grabbing a random book. "She was saying you should out there with her."

"Of course, I'll go to her now." He nodded, getting up and heading for the door.

"Mr. Fenton?" Dan glanced up at him. "You might want to be careful with your thinking out-loud. If Phantom really was around, I'm sure you would be dead based on what I overheard just now."

Jack stopped short and looked at him. "…Of course. Thank you for the advice, Dan." He nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Dan waited until he was gone, then took off his bracelet and went invisible. If the Fentons were going to be here until Phantom showed up elsewhere, then so be it! He flew into the sky, flying off in a random direction. He needed to vent, and seeing ghosts messing with Amity Park made him give a feral grin as he went visible. They were weak, nothing like the stronger ones he'd gained as allies, but he'd done what he needed to.

Cameras flashed and people pointed at the sky as Danny Phantom appeared in Amity Park for the first time in two years. He gave his signature two-finger salute and grinned before he flew into the sky. He saw Valerie coming after him and halted, turning to her. "Hello, Valerie." He greeted.

"Ghost! Where have you been for two years?!" She demanded.

"You could at least call me by my name, pretty sure you know it." Dan dodged a blast and chuckled. "Testy, aren't we?"

"Where. Have. You. Been?!" She demanded.

"Do you want me to answer you honestly?" He asked flatly. "Danny Fenton was my best friend. When he died, no one else mattered in this pissant little town so I LEFT."

"You just left without telling anyone?!" Valerie scowled. "Even the ghosts?!"

"I took my despair and rage out on Plasmius." Dan said calmly. "Our battle lasted a long time, and after he recovers it'll just start again. Not that it matters to you." He smirked at her. "I thought that I 'ruined your life'? Why would you care where I left or why so badly?"

"Well—"

"I was passing by and saw some troublemakers, so I took care of them. Instead of shooting me, you should be thanking me. You would've been too late to save that bus they were going for." He grinned and flew further up. "Maybe we'll meet again, Valerie. I really enjoy our battles." He then waved and flew off, leaving her protesting and firing after him.

Wow, Valerie, you act like you're dating. XD What about Dan, huh? You gotta stop flirting with Phantom. ~ Zone