As the tour bus made its way to its next destination, Danny tried his hardest to not let the green-eyed glare get to him, but considering whom those eyes belonged to…she was hard to ignore.
"How many times can I apologize, Ember? It's not like I knew Sam was going to call in the middle of the night!" stated the halfa, trying to defuse the situation. "Considering how Cujo is, I honestly don't blame her for panicking."
"Yeah, well I don't like my beauty sleep (and snuggling time, she added in her head) interrupted, Baby-Pop…"
"You needing beauty sleep is like you needing to brainwash people into liking your music. It's unnecessary."
The fiery girl ignored the interruption and continued to glare at him, but couldn't help the slight blush that came from her Baby-Pop's words and what they implied. "And if the Goth calls in the middle of the night again, I'LL be the one answering the phone!"
"Please don't," replied Danny with a sigh. "I'd rather Sam not know that I've been traveling with you. I know her well enough to know that if she knew I was with you that she'll do whatever it takes to find me and take me home…and I'd rather stay on this vacation with you."
Ember's blush grew slightly. Was Baby-Pop really choosing her over the Goth? She could feel her core pulse at a rapid pace.
"If you want to know what I think," spoke Danielle, catching Danny and Ember's attention. The teens glanced at each other before looking back at the ghostling. "I think if Danny can have a dog, I should get a monkey."
"No monkeys," stated Danny and Ember with deadpan tones, causing Danielle to pout.
The older halfa let out a sigh before turning back to the rock diva. "Look, Ember, I'm sorry about last night. I promise it won't happen again."
"It better not," replied Ember with a pout of her own before she sat next to Danny and leaned into him. She snuggled closer when she felt him wrap his arm around her shoulders.
"So where are we going to next?" questioned Dani.
When Danny glanced down at Ember, he found a grin on her face.
-:-
"Wow! This place is so cool!" exclaimed the ghostling as she and her guardians finished checking into their hotel and headed into the city to see the sights. She then looked at the ground in confusion. "Although I wonder why they decorated the sidewalk with stars."
Ember couldn't help but giggle. "That, Mini-Pop, would be the Hollywood Walk of Fame and one day you'll see MY name on here!"
Indeed, the group of three had arrived in the city of Los Angeles, the City of Angels. Danny shouldn't have been surprised that someone like Ember would want to come to the place where stars were born. There was just one problem that Danny had to bring up. He just hoped Ember wouldn't kill him for it.
"Hey, Ember. I know you probably won't want to hear this, but I don't think you'll ever get your own star on the Walk of Fame," said Danny, rubbing the back of his head.
The fiery girl blinked a few times before turning to her Baby-Pop, her voice holding a slight hint of hurt. "Wh-What do you mean? You don't think I can do it?"
If it had been anyone else, she would have told them to slag off, but this was Baby-Pop. She thought he believed in her and was confused as to why he was saying she would never get a star of her own.
"It's not that! It's just…I don't know what it was like back when the Walk of Fame was first established, but in this day and age you have to pay money to get a star."
A blank look appeared on Ember's face while a confused one appeared on Danielle's.
"What?" demanded Ember, not liking what she was hearing.
"That's just how it is today," replied Danny with a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, some of these celebrities definitely deserve the recognition for their accomplishments, but wouldn't you rather earn that recognition than buy it?"
"Of course I want to earn it!" exclaimed the rock diva. She then looked down, starting to feel insecure. "D-Do you think I can do it, Baby-Pop?"
He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to lift her head and ecto green eyes met with icy blue.
"I've told you before, Ember, that you're very talented and I KNOW you'll become one of the greatest rock stars of all time. Anyone who can't see that is a blind, deaf idiot."
Her core started to pulse again in that way that only the boy before her could make happen.
"Danny's right! Your music is awesome!" chirped the little one with a beaming smile.
Ember felt like crying in happiness. "Thanks, Baby-Pop, Mini-Pop."
"You're welcome!" replied Danielle. "By the way, what are we going to do first while we're here?"
"That's easy, Danielle," stated Danny with a grin. "I know Ember will want to explore Hollywood Hills and I want to check out Griffith Observatory at some point while we're here, but we're on summer vacation and we technically haven't done one of the main things people do during the summer. So I think it's time to hit the sand."
The little one tilted her head in confusion, while Ember raised an eyebrow.
-:-
The summer sun shined down as the ocean breeze wafted through the palm trees on Venice Beach. Before the ghostly trio could enjoy the beach though, they had to get Danielle the proper attire. Danny had pack his swim trunks before leaving Amity Park and Ember already had a bikini, so that just left the little one needing beach wear.
Unfortunately for Danielle, she was pouting as Danny took it upon himself to choose her new clothes.
"Stop pouting, Danielle," stated Danny as he looked through the racks at one of the nearby surf shops.
"I can pick out my own bathing suit, you know," replied the little one.
"Considering what you picked out in the first place, I doubt it," said Danny, glaring at the bikini Danielle had picked. It was a bit too revealing for a twelve-year-old to be wearing.
"Well why can't I wear it then?!"
"Because boys exist and I know what goes on through their heads."
Danny ignored the angry ghostling noises as he continued looking for something more appropriate for Danielle. Off to the side, Ember rolled her eyes in amusement as she watched the two. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of something on a nearby rack. Picking it up and examining it, she smirked.
"Hey, Mini-Pop! How about this one?" asked the fiery girl, holding up a blue, two-piece bathing suit that covered up more than the one Danielle picked earlier.
The little one beamed in happiness as she accepted the bathing suit, leaving Danny with a blank look on his face.
"What just happened?" questioned Danny as Danielle went on ahead to wait for her purchase to get paid for.
"It's simple, Baby-Pop," started Ember with a smirk as she brushed her finger across his chin. "I know what goes on through little girl's heads and you don't."
Ember then sauntered away, a slight sway to her hips that captured Danny's attention. He shook his head, not wanting to get distracted.
Too bad that when they hit the beach the half-ghost hero lost all cognitive function the moment he saw Ember in her black, two-piece bikini that really showed off all her curves.
"…Is Danny broken?" asked Danielle, wondering why Danny was just staring at Ember like that.
"You'll understand when you're older, Mini-Pop," replied Ember, looking at Danny with a grin on her face. She walked over to stand in front of Danny and spoke in a soft, sensual tone. "Like what you see, Baby-Pop~"
He gulped nervously. "I'd…I'd be lying if I said no."
Ember's grin became slightly wider as happiness welled up inside of her.
"Glad to know. I like what I'm seeing as well," replied the rock diva as she trailed a finger over Danny's chest, having gained some muscle tone over the years of being a hero.
"If you two are done playing kissy face, can we get going to the beach now?" asked Danielle with a pout, already tired of seeing her current guardians flirting.
The teens blushed slightly before separating and leading the little one further onto the beach. Once they found a good spot, Danny laid out the beach towels and set up the giant parasol to help block out the sun.
'Life is good,' thought Ember as she laid on her towel to soak up some sun. She glanced over to where the Phantom duo was and couldn't help but smile at watching Danny trying to teach Danielle how to build a sand castle.
Unfortunately her good mood turned sour when a bleach blond muscle head decided to invade her personal space.
"Hey, babe. How would you like to be my arm candy?"
Ember glared up at the dipstick who would dare interrupt her relaxation time. It was clear that he thought he was God's gift to women, with the cocky look on his face. He greatly reminded her of the A-Listers. Taking a quick glance over at Baby-Pop, she found that he was also glaring at the dipstick.
Glaring back up at the idiot, she spoke. "Beat it, if you know what's good for you."
"Ah, don't be like that. I know you can't resist all this," replied the muscle head as he flexed his arms and chest.
"I would do what she says if I were you," stated Danny, his glare still on this idiot.
The muscle head gave Danny a cocky smirk. "Oh yeah? And what if I don't? You going to stop me, shrimp?"
Danny merely raised an eyebrow. "Me? I could, but I won't. Why spoil her fun, after all."
That only made the muscle head confused. "Huh?"
The next thing he knew was an immense pain between his legs as he fell to his knees and then into the fetal position.
Ember continued to glare down at the dipstick as she lowered her leg. "I'll say it again. Beat it or next time I'll be wearing my boots. Got it?!"
"Yes, ma'am!" replied the muscle head in a much higher tone.
The ghostly trio watched as the muscle head crawled away, possibly to look for a bag of ice.
"That was so cool," stated Danielle.
Danny made a mental note to teach Danielle to never use that maneuver in an actual fight. He then turned to Ember, who was looking at him with a smirk.
"…What?"
""Spoil my fun", Baby-Pop?"
"One thing I've learned from our very first meeting was that you're not some damsel in distress. I knew you could handle yourself in this situation," explained Danny with a shrug. He then gave off a grin. "Besides, you and I both know that you taking that idiot down hurt his ego way more than anything I could do."
"Damn straight," said Ember, returning the grin. "Now let's go back to enjoying the beach!"
-:-
At the same time as the ghostly tourists were enjoying themselves, there was something happening at one of the movie studios in the Hollywood district.
A ghostly woman wearing a sleeveless red dress and a long black fur boa waited impatiently for her companion to arrive.
"Where is he?" she demanded with a growl. "Orson! Get out here now!"
A crash could be heard as a short ghost quickly flew into the room. He wore a black sweater and cap and held a large green megaphone in his hand.
"D-Did you need something, Gloria?" asked the ghostly director.
"That's Miss Desmond to you, DeMille," growled out Gloria as she flicked her short black hair. She then thrust a piece of paper into Orson's face. "Now tell what is this!"
Taking the paper from Gloria's hands and looked it over. "This seems to be an advertisement for a concert."
"I know that, you idiot! Who the hell is this?!" demanded Gloria, pointing at a familiar fiery-haired rock diva.
"I believe that's Ember McLain, Miss Desmond," replied Orson. "From what I hear, she's actually pretty good. Looks like she'll be holding a concert here in a few days."
Another growl escaped Gloria's throat. "How dare this hussy try to steal MY spotlight?! I am Gloria Desmond! I am the greatest actress Hollywood has ever seen!"
'Only in your head,' thought Orson, biting his tongue.
"Well I'll show her what happens when you mess with me!" exclaimed Gloria as she turned to leave. "Come, Orson! We must prepare for my greatest role yet!"
Letting out a sigh, Orson followed after his boss before she took her anger out on him.
-:-
The sun was starting to set, but the day wasn't done yet. After spending time at the beach, Danny thought it would be for the best to finish the day at the nearby Santa Monica Pier.
He let out a chuckle when he noticed how his little clone's eyes shone with excitement as she took in the sights of the amusement park.
"Ready to have some fun, Danielle?" questioned Danny, already knowing the answer.
"You bet!"
"You're spoiling her, Baby-Pop~"
"Then I must be spoiling you as well since I was hoping to ride the Ferris wheel with you again."
With a blush, Ember let out a few giddy giggles. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want to snuggle with her Baby-Pop on the Ferris wheel.
As the stepped onto the pier, one of the many carnival games caught Danielle's eyes and Danny knew right away that she wanted one of the plushies that it had as prizes.
"So all I have to do is knock over the bottles?" questioned Danny, playing the fool. He knew how these carnival games worked.
"You got it, kid," replied the carnie with a smug smirk. He handed Danny three baseballs after receiving his money. "Good luck."
Danny gave off a smirk while Ember rolled her eyes. She knew what Baby-Pop was going to do; especially since she also knew the game was rigged. So if the carnie was going to cheat, cheat back.
Using a little bit of ecto energy, Danny threw the ball and knocked over the bottles, much to the carnie's shock.
"Well would you look at that. Got it on my first try," said Danny, feigning surprise. He then turned to Danielle. "So which prize do you want, Dani?"
The little one looked up at the prizes before her eyes landed on a plushy lizard dressed in beachwear and holding a surfboard. She pointed right at it. "That one!"
With lizard plushy in hand, the three continued on into the park.
"It's ironic that you'd get a lizard here in Los Angeles, Dani," said Danny with a chuckle.
Ember gave him a confused look. "How is that ironic, Baby-Pop?"
He just gave her a smirk in return. "Now Ember, I thought YOU of all people would know the connection between lizards and Los Angeles."
The raven-haired continued forward, starting to hum a VERY familiar song that made Ember stop and tense up.
'Th-That's "Light My Fire"! He knows about The Doors?!' thought Ember, a heat building up in her core as her breathing became heavy. 'To hell with waiting until marriage! I need Baby-Pop now!'
Before she could pounce and drag him back to their hotel room though…
"Danny! Can we go on the roller coaster first?! Please?"
She was reminded that they had a ghostling with them.
'Damn it! Not like it's Mini-Pop's fault though,' thought Ember with a grimace. She was going to need a cold shower when they got back to the hotel later. It was then another thought entered her head. 'Ugh, Baby-Pop's not even officially my boyfriend yet and I'm already thinking of having sex with him. Easy girl, take it slow or you'll blow your chances!'
"Ember?"
"Huh?" replied the rock diva with a jump. She looked over to see Danny giving her a look of concern.
"You okay? You kind of looked like you were in a daze."
"U-Uh, yeah, I'm okay. I was just surprised that you knew of The Doors."
He let out a laugh. "Are you kidding? Who WOULDN'T know of The Doors? In fact, I would probably put them in my top five favorite rock groups along with Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Queen, and Kiss."
'…You're not going to make this easy, are you, Baby-Pop?'
For the rest of the night, Ember had to try and keep her amorous intentions in check.
TO BE CONTINUED
-:-
And we're back, ladies and gentlemen, and we're heading to Tinseltown AKA Los Angeles for the next stop on the World Tour. Much like Vancouver, Los Angeles was not part of the original MHA version of this story.
Now I know some of you have been waiting patiently for this story to continue, but don't forget, the first sixteen chapters were written and posted from May 12 to May 31. That's little over half a month. I NEEDED the break to prevent burnout and to work on other projects. That being said, I'll try to get the next two chapters out ASAP.
Anyway, I feel like The Doors would be Ember's all-time favorite band since they were pretty much the poster band of rebellion in the late 60s and early 70s. Also, for the villains' names, Gloria Desmond is named after actress Gloria Swanson and her character Norma Desmond from the movie Sunset Boulevard, while Orson DeMille is named after Orson Welles and Cecil B. DeMille, both of whom are considered some of the greatest movie directors of all time.