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.
Barked
Chapter 4: How To Train Your Ghost Dog
Danny and Star had finished helping Joy and Kirk for the day.
There were still some things that needed to be unpacked but most of the heavy lifting was done. What remained was finding places for a few boxes worth of stuff, but the worst was already dealt with yesterday. What was left was several boxes worth of items that needed to be placed around the house, but nothing huge.
Anyway, Johnathan and Solene had taken the old couple to get some dinner since Georgia had the night off, while Danny and Star decided to go to a cafe to have some alone time.
However, they didn't end up as being as alone as they thought they'd be.
Since they ended up receiving another "visit" from a cute but wild little canine spook that was already captured and placed in the thermos.
Again!
The young couple had just eaten together at a cafe and discussing about a certain green, ghostly canine friend of theirs.
"This is nuts! We've capturing and re-capturing Cujo all afternoon!..."Star said, exasperated.
"I'll say. I can't believe that he's acting even more rambunctious than usual!..."Danny said with a sigh.
After Tucker had sent Cujo into the Ghost Zone, the adorable but mischievous ghostly mutt managed to escape through the portal again and ambushed them during their date.
That wouldn't have been so bad in it of itself, but he saw a nearby stray cat and got "excited" again. Lots of people ran away in terror and there was some minor property damage before Danny managed to capture him and send him back to the Ghost Zone.
However, he managed to "dig" his way through the portal yet again and kept getting into mischief.
He didn't even stopped with his attempts to play with them, but it didn't end there. Cujo had also stopped by a sandwich shop and scared everyone there when he tried to get some of the meatball subs, and any other meat that he could find in there.
He also chased several dozen cats, and even dug a giant hole in the park. He also ambushed the ghost boy and his blonde girlfriend, as he wanted to play with them yet again. The end result was them having to suck him inside the thermos, once they managed to calm him down.
Even so, the blonde girl still couldn't help but pity the little pooch.
"Poor little guy, I imagine that it must get pretty boring in the Ghost Zone..."Star said, feeling some sympathy for him.
She knows Cujo is a good dog deep down, but he can be too wild for his own good sometimes.
"Boring or not, he needs to understand that he can't just do whatever the heck he wants..."Danny said, dragging a hand down his face.
"True..."Star admitted.
"At this rate, it won't take long before the whole town starts to view him more as a menace than they did with me after Walker's stunt. Except unlike with me, they might try and find a pound that can hold him..."Danny said, before sighing and rubbing the back of his head.
He was truly fond of the ghostly pup, but he can be a handle and he's been pretty needy lately, coming for more surprise visits. Sure, they managed to calm him down and send him back to the ghost zone, but he keeps coming back for playtime and it's getting tiresome.
"Maybe I can ask my mom for advice..."Star said.
"What's your mom got to do with this?..."Danny asked with a raised brow.
"She sent Fifi to a very good obedient school, and she also worked with some professionals to train her very well. She also has some good dog training books at her place. Maybe we can borrow some..."Star said.
Danny considered it.
"I'm not sure. I tried to train Cujo myself, but it didn't turn out well. He already knows commands, but it's when he transforms that's when the problem starts..."He said.
"I know, but ghost dog or not, he is still a good dog and he doesn't mean to cause any trouble. I'm sure that he just needs some patience and maybe a good scolding every now and then..."Star said, before pausing.
"Then again...I probably wouldn't be able to keep a straight face at that if he uses his puppy eyes again..."She said with a slight giggle.
She always had a soft spot for the green ghost dog.
Sure, Cujo can be wild and destructive, especially if he's left without someone to keep an eye on him, but she also knew that unlike some ghosts, he doesn't have a single malicious bone in his body.
Ghost dog or not, he's still a dog and all dogs just need a little love and discipline. They just had to figure out how first.
"Well, we still have to figure out how to both overcome those eyes...AND his mood swings..."Danny reminded.
"Yeah. Come on Danny-boo, let's go find and see if my mom lead us some of her books about dog training..."Star said.
"And how do we explain to your mom why we need those books and techniques?..."Danny asked.
"Simple, we tell her that you want a dog of your own, but your parents won't let you have one. So, you think that if you learn more on how to take care of them, they'll let you have one..."Star said, with a smirk.
Danny saw the possible alibi, and nodded.
"Fine. I guess that we can give it a try..."Danny said.
"Goody..."Star said, smiling before she paused.
"Then again, it's already pretty late and chances are that Jean-Puke is probably home right now and who knows when Colette will be discharged from the hospital..."She said, and her boyfriend frowned.
"Tomorrow then. No way that I wanna run into that womanizing skunk or his nightmare of a daughter..."He said.
"Agreed..."Star said, feeling the same way that he does.
The young couple then decided to continue their evening together, hoping that tomorrow will give them the answers that they need.
The Next Day
Star and Danny had both woken up relatively early, considering that it's a weekend.
They were expected to go back to Joy and Kirk's house to help with the rest of the moving in, but they weren't expect them at least until noon. So, now, during the morning, they decided to go see if Stella had anything to help them with Cujo.
After calling ahead and making sure that certain nuisances won't be there, Danny and Star made it to Polter Heights.
They were already there, Pierre was playing with Fifi in the living room, as Stella guided them in to the living room and brought out some tea.
"Here you are, you two..."Stella said, as she offered some to them.
"Thanks..."Danny said, as he took one to be polite.
"Thanks, Mom..."Star said.
Danny smiled, but still felt uncomfortable being here.
"Uh...so...you said that Jean-Luc and Colette aren't going to be back for a while right?..."Danny asked, on edge.
"No, Jean Luc is meeting with some clients right now and Colette is still at the hospital to deal with her allergic reaction. Poor thing, to think that she had to go and get in contact with both latex and peanuts while we were on our trip to New York, as well as getting stung by bees and getting that mysterious infection that befell her, all at the same time? What are the odds?..."Stella asked, showing concern for her step-child.
"Karma..."Both Danny and Star thought, as they rolled their eyes.
"I'm just glad that she didn't show up to ruin our trip. We already had enough nuisances to deal with there..."Star muttered to her boyfriend.
"Yeah, I'm just grateful that she at least isn't crazy enough to literally follow us all the way to New York to keep stalking us..."Danny whispered back.
"I'll say but I guess even psycho's have their limits..."Star whispered back to him.
"Did you both say something?..."Stella asked, as she stirred in some milk and sugar into her tea.
"Oh...uh...just talking about our trip to New York, Mom..."Star half-lied.
"So...uh...those books?..."Danny asked, after taking a sip of tea.
"Oh right. Well, I will say that I was surprised by your request for my dog training books. So, you want a dog of your own, Danny?..."Stella asked, pleasantly surprised.
Danny rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah, well...I've wanted a dog since I was a kid, but my parents think that they are too much work and that it might be too much responsibility for me to handle. I...uh...was thinking that if I show them that I know how to train one and take care of it, they might change their minds..."The ghost boy semi-lied
Stella smiled at that.
"Well, you've come to the right place..."She said as she grabbed some books and then gestured to Fifi.
"I can even recommend some top notch breeders and obedience schools. We got Fifi from a very good breeder all the way in France, and she graduated top of her class. I got the papers to prove it..."She offered, as she handed the book over to them.
"Uh, thanks Stella, but let's try and see if I can convince my parents first..."Danny sad, as he took the book.
"I see. Well, what kind of dog are you hoping to get?..."Stella asked
"I...uh...haven't decided yet..."Danny said.
"Well, you can never go wrong with a poodle, especially one as cute as my Fifi here..."She said, before cooing at her pet dog.
Danny briefly thought about it, but shook his head.
He likes dogs, but poodles seem to be more of Mrs. Bevier's favorite kind of dog than his. Still, he didn't want to offend her or Fifi either.
"I'll...uh...think about it, but I honestly like all kinds of dogs to be honest. For now though, I'm looking to train a dog and have a fun pet to play with..."He said, being careful as to not to come off as rude.
"Well I'm sure that you'll become a great dog owner, once you're given the chance..."Stella said, trying to be nice.
"Thanks..."Danny said.
"Yeah, thanks Mom. So, any more books?..."Star asked, since she already had a couple.
"Of course..."Stella said, as she went to get more of said books.
A few moments later
Star placed almost half a dozen dog training books, along with some magazines into her bag, all about dog care and dog training.
"I hope these will help you out, Danny..."Stella said kindly.
"I'm sure that they will..."Danny said, smiling.
"Yeah, this should be enough..."Star said, also smiling.
"Hopefully..."She thought.
Her mother, unaware of what she was truly thinking, smiled at her.
"I hope it all goes well. But I think that you are making a good choice. Once you do convince your parents to let you have one, I am more than happy to help give you a recommendation to the best doggy places around..."Stella said, as she looked through her personal bookshelf.
"After all, if they are good enough for my Fifi, I'm sure they will be good enough for your little pooch..."She said, smiling.
"Thank you, Stella..."Danny said, while the blonde mother continued to fawn over her pet.
"Fifi is such a delight to have..."Stella said as she petted her fancy looking poodle.
"She is so well-behaved, obedient, well-groomed and looks gorgeous in any hairstyle. All thanks to proper breeding, training and her constants grooming checkups..."Stella said, as she petted the pooch that didn't look so enthusiastic right now.
"If not for them, well...I think her many trophies and ribbons speak for themselves..."Stella said, as she pointed to the shelves.
Danny blinked, while Star sighed.
"Even when she's trying to be nice, my mom can be pretty nuts about competitions...be it beauty pageants or dog shows..."She muttered, while her mother adjusted one ribbon on the shelf.
"Did you say something, Star?..."Stella asked.
"Nothing..."Star said, wanting to leave before Jean-Luc comes back.
However, they noticed that the usually peppy Fifi had walked to her doggy bed and sighed, looking almost melancholy right now.
Stella saw this and sighed.
"However, I have notice that she's been a little under the weather lately..."The blonde mother said, as Star and Danny seemed concerned.
"Is she alright? What's wrong with her?..."Star asked in concerned, as she placed a hand on Fifi's belly, while Danny wondered what was wrong.
"The vet said that she's perfectly healthy physically, though she may just be feeling a little depressed. Thankfully, he also recommended me some organic doggy treats to be able to lift her spirits back up..."She said, smiling.
She then said something that surprised the young teenage couple.
"Also, me and Jean-Luc have set up a nice poodle that belongs to one of Jean's business friends. We are hoping to have her breed with their poodle..."Stella said
"Breeding?!..."Star said, and her mother nodded as she looked at her beloved poodle.
"Uh-huh. Jean-Luc felt that Fifi was old enough and should have puppies now as she is well within her prime as he put it..."Stella said.
"Uh...how old is she?..."Danny asked.
"She's 5 years old but she's more than ready to have puppies. You can have one of her puppies when she has them, if you wish Danny..."Stella said, with a hint of hoping to being Danny will take them up on that offer.
"Uh...I'll cross that bridge when it's time to do so. I do gotta get my parents permission first..."Danny said, while the blonde mother nodded before pulling her cellphone out of her purse.
"Want to see the lucky dog for her to marry and have puppies with?..." Stella asked, as she quickly showed off the photo of said lucky dog.
Danny and Star got a good look of the male poodle and cringed when they saw the dog that was chosen.
It was a male pure bred poodle, with REALLY poofy kind of fur, in a very frilly looking dog outfit with dog booties on his paws for walking. The more they looked at him, the less of a dog he appeared to the two teenagers.
"Is that a dog or an overgrown piece of cotton?..."Danny thought, but didn't say out loud.
"I think I found the one creature who probably spends more money on their hair than Colette does..."Star thought, as her mother kept bragging.
"His name is Lord Claude Alexander Winthrop the 5th. Handsome devil, isn't he?..."She said, as she pointed at the photo.
Danny and Star were silent, while the blonde modern continued to brag about his "stats".
"He is a 7 time Dog show winner and has appeared on several dog food commercials, and has even modeled for pet-wear and accessories. He is also the pet to the Barrington-Uphams, they are old friends and business partners of Jean-Luc. They both agreed that it would be nice for both their dogs to breed with one another. So, we're arranging a meet and greet to see how well Fifi and their dog will get along..."Stella said, as she talked about the dog's pedigree.
"Why am I not surprised that Jean-Puke made this more about a business transaction than having his pet dog have her own puppies?..."Danny thought.
"So...you guys are pretty much...setting Fifi up on a blind date?..."Danny asked.
"Uh...well, I suppose that you could look at it like that. But Lord Winthrop is quite the catch in the canine world and came highly recommended..."Stella said, smiling.
"What does Fifi feel about this?..."Star asked.
"Oh, she's thrilled, I'm certain. Just patiently awaiting for the day to meet her soulmate and the future father of her puppies..."Stella said., smiling at her pet.
Unknown to her, the female poodle just sat there, bummed as she seemed to stare off into space. Danny and Star noticed this and gave each other worried expressions for Fifi.
"Mom. No offense, but she looks like she's asleep with her eyes open..."Star commented.
Stella sighed.
"I know. I really think that she's just feeling a little lonely, but I'm sure once she meets her Prince Charming, she'll cheer up..."She said optimistically.
The teens still didn't seem so sure, but the blonde mother soon spoke up again.
"Anyway, I have some things to do right now and I have to go make preparations for Jean-Luc's lunch, which we will be having a little early today. Would you two care to join us?..."Stella offered.
"No, thanks..."Danny and Star both said at the same time.
Stella sighed.
"I had a feeling you'd say that. In that case, then at least let me get you two some snacks before you go..."She said, as she then walked towards and looked for something for Star and Danny to eat.
As she did so, Star and Danny both sent concerned looks to the depressed looking Fifi.
"Poor girl.."Star said in sympathy to the purebred poodle.
Later
Danny and Star soon left, but Star's eyes landed on Fifi, who still seemed bummed, while Pierre tried to get her attention.
They wanted to stay, but they also didn't want to risk running into Jean-Luc, so they left. Still, they kept talking about the situation with Stella's pampered pooch.
"Are they really gonna do this to Fifi? Breeding? I mean...I know she's a dog but...that just seems...is it really okay to do that?..."Danny asked.
Star sighed.
"This is common in the world of show dogs. They try and breed with dogs of other pedigrees and hope that their puppies will be purebreds too..."Star said.
"Why does that even matter if the dogs parents have pedigrees? It's not like it changes anything. They are still dogs, aren't they?..."Danny asked.
"Lots of dog shows and upper class circles think that purebred dogs are way more valuable then "mutts" and try to make sure that their puppies are purebreds too. Treating them like an investment, so to speak..."Star said, with a strong hint of disappointment in her voice.
"It just makes me so mad. As if "lineage" or some stupid piece of paper or how many trophies affect an animals worth..."She said, while her boyfriend seemed appalled to hear that.
"That sounds just like what your crazy ex-grandma tried to do to you the last time she was here..."Danny said in disapproval.
"I know. It is pretty much the same thing. Only problem is...Fifi can't voice her complaints if she has any..."Star said, worried about the dog.
"That's horrible! Why do people do that to their own pets?!..."Danny asked, looking upset.
"Because a lot of people are snobs who seem to think that money and bloodlines are all that matters and they even apply that to their own pets. There are even puppy mills that run like factories and treat dogs like products than living things..."Star said, disgusted.
"I know. Sam mentioned that to me. She and her protest group tried to shut down one near Elmerton after they saw how poorly they treat the dogs..."Danny said, recalling that incident.
He was upset when he heard about it. Sam isn't the only one who cares about animals after all.
"Unfortunately, lots of people still only care about money and status above everything. They don't care about the person...or in this case dog's...feeling's on the matter..."Star said, looking mad before sighing.
"Poor Fifi..."Star said, still worried about her.
She knew for the fact that she is going to be breeding with a dog that she doesn't even know, and even if she is a purebred, Fifi has always been shy and sensitive. She wasn't sure how'd she'd react to her mother and Jean-Puke's attempts to set her up with that other poodle.
"Can't you say something to your mom?..."Danny asked.
"What can I say? She thinks this is a good idea since all of my family's dog have been purebreds and my mom loves dog shows almost as much as beauty pageants..."Star said, shaking her head.
"For real?..."Danny asked.
"For real..."Star stated.
"She also thinks something like this is good for Fifi. While she might see this as innocent match making, Jean Luc is only doing this as a "business investment"...and trying to get closer to those rich snobs through their dogs...he's such a creep..."Star said, recalling the incident with her grandmother and Donovan.
"That stinks. I just wish that we could do something..."Danny said.
"Me too, and we will. But let's try and get Cujo under control first. Then I'll try and talk with my mom about Fifi. Hopefully I can say something to snap her out of this without this becoming another beauty pageant incident..."Star said.
"Sounds like a plan..."Danny said, as he glanced at some of the books and magazines that Mrs. Bevier had loaned them.
However, there is one that confused him about these items.
"I still don't get why we would need a Doggy fashion magazine that includes articles on how to style their fun and the top recommenced dog shampoo brands. When would we need those kinds of things?..."He asked his girlfriend, who shrugged.
"It can't hurt. Plus, Cujo is cute, but he could use a bath every once in a while..."Star said, while her boyfriend nodded a bit.
"And this Doggy gourmet snack recipe magazine? I didn't even know they had magazines like that..."Danny said.
Star sighed.
"You'd be surprise what rich people with too much free time blow their money on..."Star said, as they kept walking.
Danny raised a brow. Before he could say anything else, his ghost sense went off once again.
"Oh man...not again...it's either the Box Ghost or Cujo..."Danny said, but soon heard the sounds of people screaming and running away.
Danny and Star saw this and the ghost boy sighed as they had a feeling who caused that reaction.
"It's probably Cujo..."They both said, since the only time the Box Ghost ever got a reaction like that was during the time he stole Pandora's box and that was VERY short lived.
"I wonder what trouble he's gotten into this time. I just hope that he's not cranky...or hungry again..."Star said, as her boyfriend hid in an alley and changed forms.
"Let's just hope that these books can help us deal with him if he is..."Danny said, as he took one of the books with him.
"I'm coming with you. He might listen to the both of us together..."Star said, since Cujo is still her friend and she wanted to try and help.
Her boyfriend nodded and soon picked her up bridal style, before taking off.
The young couple went to to tame the ghostly mutt, hoping that this time will yield better results.
Meanwhile
Unknown to them, Stella was in the middle of something. She went to go get her mail and was going over them.
"Let's see...my credit card bill...Colette's credit card bill...Jean-Luc's credit card bill...water bill..."Stella went over.
"Oh...this week's issue of Affluence Magazine's...and the most eligible bachelors section...huh, looks like the mayor is no longer on the list. I wonder what happened..."She said, as she opened the door to go inside to her penthouse.
She would have closed it, but she then heard her phone ringing.
"Oh my, my phone!..."Stella said as she went to go find her phone.
However, she accidentally left the door opened in doing so. All the while, a bored and disenchanted Fifi saw the door opened.
"Madame had left the door open..."She thought.
She then got an idea.
She was bored all day of following her schedule and being cooped up here in the pet house after her grooming appointment and lessons. She wanted to go out and play. Fifi paused, as she was bored and wanted some fun. She was looking at the opened door and ideas were forming in her head right now.
"Well...I'm sure Madame won't my if I go outside for a little bit. I mean...she wouldn't leave the door open for me if she didn't want me to step out, right?..."The poodle rationalized, feeling a rare desire of rebellion.
Without a second thought, Fifi ran out of the penthouse and soon ran down the stairs rather quickly.
"I'm actually doing this..."She thought, as she ran down a few more flights of stairs and soon ran out a door that the building's custodian left open.
Soon she was out on the street and for the first time today, she didn't feel bored.
Unknown to her, there was another dog nearby who was also trying to cure his own sense of boredom.
Oh boy.
-To be continued-
Next time on Barked
Dog Meets Dog
A/N(1): I dedicate this chapter to my family, my friends and my love for God :)
A/N(2): Special thanks to Jay The Average Fanboy for all his help. You rock :)
REPLIES to my loyal and totally awesome reviewer:
RonaldM40196867:
1) He likely did after she confessed to how awful they were.
2) He probably didn't since he assumed it was a teenage infatuation but he is glad that Star now has a better boyfriend in Danny.
3) Yes, yes she did.
4) Right.
5) Right.
6) Probably.
7) Well, originally the step family didn't live in Amity Park at the time, but he is glad that Star no longer associates with the A-listers.
8) Right.
9) They did after she cut ties with them.
10) I wanted to give her some character development.
Luiz4200: Yeah.
Invader Johnny: I guess that we will have to wait and see what happens.
Jebest4781: Thank you :)
:) I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to read and review :)
