Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the characters. Danny Phantom is the sole property of Butch Hartman, Nickelodeon and Paramount global.


Growing Pains

Chapter 13: Third time's the charm...right?

Ember McLain was in a bad mood.

She had been in a good mood earlier, having had a fun gig at Club Ghoul, but her mood soured earlier when Skulker tried to harass her into getting back together.

Naturally, she beat the snot out of him and trashed his suit. However, he lost his temper and vowed to "get the whelp's pelt" in order to prove he's not a lousy hunter and that Ember was a fool to leave him.

Ember just rolled her eyes at that.

"As much as I'd love to get that dipstick out of my hair for good, he probably already has that bonehead stuck in that stupid thermos of his by now..."Ember thought, already familiar with this kind of song and dance routine.

The ghostly diva didn't care about either of them, as she called it a day. However, as she arrived to one of her favorite places to get a drink, she noticed some commotion as a lot of ghosts seemed to be in an interesting conversation.

"Oh my gosh, did you see that gorgeous new man-ghost?!..."A three eyed ghoul said, looking excited and almost starstruck.

"Of course I did, and I wanna see him again. What a hunk!~..."A 10 eyed ghostly woman said, gushing about what she saw.

"Dibs on going first!..." A mermaid-like specter said, and these ghouls began to argue amongst themselves over the hot ghost man whom they were talking about.

Ember saw all of this, and rolled her eyes.

"Geez! Some girls really lose their heads when they see some dumb, hot guy. Guess independence is at an all time low..."Ember said, annoyed as she decided to leave.

She didn't know or care what was going on here, but she knew her curiosity would get the better of her so she decided not to ask. She decided to head back to her realm, since it was almost time for her favorite soap opera to start and she didn't want to miss the show.

That's when a certain someone came running towards her.

"Ember!..."Kitty said, as she flew at her in a hurry.

"Kitty?..."Ember asked, wondered what was going on.

The green haired biker babe seemed excited about something, as she spoke to her.

"Ember! OMG! You will not believe what happened earlier?!..."Kitty said in a frantic way, with a big smile.

"Let me guess...Johnny hit on some other girl again, you got mad, kicked his butt and sent him to that other plane of existence...again..."Ember guessed, as if in repeat.

"No...well...yes..."Kitty said, before shaking her head.

"That's not what I am talking about...have you see Danny yet?..."Kitty asked, using a tone Ember wasn't used to.

"That dipstick? What about him? I haven't seen him since he ruined my "comeback" concert last week..."Ember said, mad as can be.

However, she was surprised by the excited look on Kitty's face and the way she was shaking like a kid on a sugar rush.

"Oh, you will WANT to see him, Ember! Especially with how he looks now!..."Kitty said with a giggle, thinking back to what she saw.

Ember raised a brow and made a face.

"Kitty, did you have any of those special drinks at Styx's Cafe again? Because you're talking crazy right now?..."Ember asked, before stating flatly.

Kitty pouted, offended.

"I have not! I swore off those things after I got that otherworldly headache and spent a week in bed!..."The green haired ghoul said, holding her hands up.

"You just admitted to finding that twig attractive, you know that, right?..." Ember pointed out, but her friend sent her a knowing look.

"He's not a twig anymore. He's gone from a stick to a stud!..."Kitty said with a giggle.

"What the heck does that even mean?..."Ember asked, looking at her like she's gone crazy.

"Seriously, this is what happened..."Kitty said in a gossipy kind of way, as she told her best friend about what has been happening in the GZ and with the infamous half ghost.


A few moments later

"And that's the story..."Kitty said, once she was done.

Ember was surprised, blinking a bit as she processed this information.

"You serious? Phantom got turned into an adult?..."She asked, and her friend nodded.

"Yeah, a total stud of one too..."Kitty said, still nodding.

"So...the dipstick is a guy now..."Ember said, before pausing and putting a finger near her mouth.

"Is he cute?..."She asked, more curious than anything.

"More than cute, he's gorgeous!..."Kitty blurted out, grinning madly.

"For real? How much on a scale to 1-10?..."Ember asked, really curious right now.

"An 11, Ember! No, a 12! Maybe even a 13!..."Kitty said, smiling.

"You're serious?..."Ember asked, and her friend nodded.

"I'm DEAD serious, Ember! I almost left Johnny for him, for real too..."Kitty said, getting in Ember's face.

"And you're telling me this, why?..."The ghostly diva asked, before her friend continued.

"According to Danny, he'll change back soon. It's kind of a bummer since I was serious that if Johnny doesn't quit talking to other girls, I'm actually tempted to get back together with Danny for good if he stays like that..."Kitty said, crossing her arms.

"Didn't you only date him to make Johnny jealous? And didn't you blackmail him to boot?..."Ember asked, having recalled that story.

"Details, details..."Kitty waved off, like it was no big deal.

"Yeah, that's definitely a story you'd tell your kids..." Ember grumbled in sarcasm.

"Whatever. Anyway, just figure I tell you before he changes back. You might... change your mind about him if you see the new him..." She said with a wink.

Ember scoffed.

"As if! I don't care how old he is right now but he'll always be the annoying dipstick who ruined all my plans..."She said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe...but he's a HOT one right now. I just hope that he'll look like that again once he actually reaches that age..."Her friend admitted.

Kitty soon left to go find Danny again, leaving a curious Ember all alone.

The ghostly diva then returned to her realm and sat on her sofa, pondering to herself over what she has just learned.

"So, the dipstick fast forward through puberty huh? Guess he wanted to play with older girls..."Ember said, before looking up in contemplation.

She was half tempted to go to Amity Park and check out what he looked like now, but something on her television got her attention.

"And now we're back to "All My Departed Souls"..."The television said, which got Ember's attention.

"My soap!..."She said in excitement, before getting some popcorn.

She decided to focus on this right now, rather than her enemy.

"Eh...the dipstick isn't going anywhere. Plus, I doubt he's that handsome. Kitty was probably just trying to make Johnny jealous again or whatever..."Ember said, as she began to watch her soap opera, planning on checking Phantom out another time.

Little did she know, that'd be sooner, rather than later.


Meanwhile

With Danny

The ghost man soon arrived to the Acropolis, passing the maze and soon was near the entrance.

"I hope that she's home...and in a good mood..."Danny said as he arrived to the ghostly warrior woman's home.

He knocked on the large door and soon there was an answer.

"State your business and pray that it's worth my time..."The large, Grecian warrior ghost said, as she opened the door.

"Uh...hi, Pandora..."Danny waved, smiling nervously as he did so.

Pandora seemed surprised by his presence, and raised a brow at his familiarity.

"Do I know you? And are you of any relation to Adonis?..."Pandora asked, as she examined the handsome looking ghost.

"No...It's me...Danny...you know, Danny Phantom. I was the one who helped get your box from the Box Ghost..."Danny said.

The four-armed female's eyes widen in surprise.

"Phantom? Is that really you?..."Pandora asked, surprised to see him.

"Yeah, and before you ask...no, you didn't miss any birthdays or whatever. I'm still 14...well, on the inside...but some crazy ghost lady used a magic pocket watch, and then this is what happened..."Danny said, while Pandora looked confused.

"Uh...I beg your pardon?..."She asked, looking lost.

Danny sighed in irritation at repeating the story.

"It's like this..."Danny said, as he began to explain what has happened during the last 24 hours of his life.


A few moments later

"And there you have it..."Danny said, finishing his explanation.

"So, that's what happened? I should have known that this was Helena's doing. She's always been reckless and sloppy like that..."Pandora said, frowning.

"So, you know her?..."Danny asked.

The large ghost scoffed.

"Know her?! That hussy had pestered half of my male warriors and servants in her mad quest to find a man, and then attacked them just because she didn't like their hair cuts or whatever other stupid reason she could come up with! She's such a nuisance, and I had no choice but to ban her from the Acropolis under the threat of containing her in my box if she didn't stop showing up here and causing a ruckus!..."Pandora said, making it clear that she didn't like the other ghostly woman.

"Kinda wish you did so, all things considered..."The ghost man muttered before gesturing to himself.

"So...you have any idea where to find her?..."Danny asked.

The four-armed ghost woman shook her head.

"It's hard to say...she's banned from most of the bars and clubs here in the ghost zone due to all the havoc she caused on Singles Night and holidays. She also has no realm of her own and she doesn't have any friends that I know of. No one wants to keep listening to her whining about not having a man or deal with her tantrums and other issues..."Pandora said, scowling at the thought of her.

"It's to the point where she's one of the few ghosts who DOESN'T get an invitation to the Christmas party, after she nearly ruined the last one she attended 10 years ago...where she tried to make some poor ghost man leave the party with her and his girlfriend and Helena nearly broke the truce over it. Let's just say that's one Holiday that we'd all rather forget..."She added, still frowning.

"Darn...looks like I'm back at square one..."Danny said, kicking the dirt up in irritation.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't have been of any more help, but it's not as if I knew where she lives..."Pandora said, being apologetic.

"It's not your fault. It's Helena's. I shoulda used the thermos when I had the chance..."Danny muttered, regretting not doing just that.

"I do hope that you can get back to normal soon..."Pandora said, before smiling a bit.

"Even so, if you're not seeing anyone when you actually do reach this age...come see me, I have lots of single cousins who'd love to start a family with a man like you..."She said, smiling more.

The ghost man flinched upon hearing that offer.

"Uh...thanks for the offer, Pandora...but I'm not in any hurry to use this body for anything like that..."Danny said, turning down her offer politely to not set off her temper.

Pandora shrugged.

"If you say so. Still, let me know if you change your mind and I can set you up with my cousin Calliope. She's single and she knows her skills in cooking and archery. Plus, she plays the harp like a pro..."Pandora said, smiling innocently as she said this.

"Uh...tempting but I'll pass..."Danny said, feeling awkward right now.

"Anyway, I gotta go and see Clockwork and see if he can fix this mess..."Danny said, hovering back.

"Good luck, Phantom. Oh, and when you see Clockwork...can you tell him that he left behind his cloak here during our last poker night?..."Pandora said, her words surprising Danny.

"Uh...you and Clockwork know each other? And you play poker with him?..."Danny asked, surprised to hear this.

"Yes, and with Frostbite, Queen Dora and a few ghosts you've never met have games like that once a week. Namely the ones who leave your world alone..."Pandora said, like it's no big deal.

"Huh...learn something new about ghosts every day..."Danny said, rubbing the back of his head.

Pandora just shrugged.

"He might be the time master, but even he gets bored sometimes and he does enjoy playing cards every now and again..."Pandora said, before frowning.

"Even if he does cheat when he uses that "I see all possible outcomes" power of his. He might be the time master but he doesn't play fair!..."She muttered, arms crossed.

Danny blinked, unsure how to respond to that.

"Uh...sorry to hear about that..."He said, unsure what else to say.

Pandora sighed bitterly.

"Not your fault that he cheats..."She muttered, arms crossed.

Danny soon left to head to Clockwork's tower next, confident that the ever wise and benevolent time master will be able to help him return to his true age.

Or at least, that's what he hoped.


After that

Danny soon arrived to Clockwork's tower.

"I sure hope that he's in a mood to actually help, and not be all cryptic and mysterious like always..."He said, really wanting to get a straight answer from him this time.

Danny soon entered the ghostly Clock tower, but did not see the ghostly time master anywhere.

"Clockwork…It's me, Danny. I'm pretty sure you know why I'm here already. So, can we skip the explanation part of our talks, and we can get to the part of me asking you for help in finding that female Fruitloop so I can make her turn be back to normal?…"Danny called out, but was surprised to see that he wasn't home.

"Where is he?..."Danny asked out loud.

"Clockwork!..."He asked again as he floated around the realm, being careful not to knock into anything that looks important or dangerous.

He still didn't see his most mysterious of ghostly allies yet.

Danny frowned.

"Where is he? I know that he knows that I was going to show up here today!..."Danny said, as he kept searching the area.

It was then that he noticed something that was on a nearby table. It was a piece of paper that had "To: Danny" on it.

The ghost man blinked, picking it up and examining it.

"Huh? A note?…" Danny said as he picked up a nearby note on a table.

"To Danny…I know that you are due to stop by my home today but I had business across time and space with a certain someone. Someone you have yet to meet with in person, but that part isn't important. At least not now. Anyway, I won't be able to return until 3 days from when you read this note, so I'm sorry but you're gonna have to solve your problem in the present, not in the past or the future. Also, make sure to study up on chapter 7 in your history assignment next week…signed C.W…" Danny read the note out loud, before groaning loudly in dismay.

"Are you kidding me?!..."Danny muttered, before noticing something on the rest of the note.

"Wait there's more…P.S. I know your main focus should be restoring you lost youth that Helena took away, but don't lose hope. Thing will work out, just give it some time…"Danny read, until he noticed the pun at the end.

"Sometimes I can't tell if he's giving me legit advice or just messing with me..."He thought, before groaning.

Realizing that his time-themed ally isn't here to help, the Ghost man sighed and dragged his hand across his face.

"So much for getting a quick and easy spoiler. I'd better get out of here, before Murphy Law kicks in and before I accidentally knock something over and either get sent to my college graduation or to the time of dinosaurs…" He thought, not wanting to deal with that on top of this.

However, he suddenly noticed a second note that didn't seemed to have been there a moment ago.

"Huh...another note?..."Danny thought, as he picked it up and soon saw that it was a continuation of the first note.

"P.S. Also, please inform Pandora that I will pick up my cloak when I get back. And remind her for me that just because I can predict every possible move my opponent can make, it doesn't count as cheating. Remind her that I won our last game fair and square..."Danny read out loud, before rolling his head.

"So not getting involved with that..."He muttered.

Danny soon left the clock tower in defeat, feeling more frustrated as ever as he decided to just go home right now.

Unknown to the ghost man, the time master could see all of his current actions and sees exactly where each action will lean him too.

"It might seem tough now, but as always, he'll deal with his problems in time...as well as that nutcase woman who just can't take no for an answer..."Clockwork said with a frown, as he thought of that obnoxious ghoul.

The time master went back to his job, already knowing how all of this will play out.

-To be continued-

Next time on Growing Pains

Back To Square One


A/N: Special thanks to NeoMark and Jay The Average Fanboy for helping with this chapter. You guys rock :)


REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:

RonaldM40196867:

Happy birthday.

1) I think Danny would have won since his powers are stronger in that form.

2) I'd say so.

3) I just wanted to add that scene.

Invader Johnny: Yeah.

Jebest4781: Thank you. Also, sorry but this story is separated from the "Stranded series".

Boris Yeltsin, Pzombie and NiteOwl18: Thank you :)

Jc-montanorock: Sorry, no spoilers. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

Danifan3000:

1) Well, she did ask if he was related to Adonis.

2) Maybe.

3) I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.

Fiction Realm" How's this?

Chocodrop545: I'll think about it. Thanks for the suggestion.


:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)