It took a couple of days for the Fentons to calibrate the scanners as well as double and triple check that they were safe to use without hurting Danny. After that, Jack and Maddie worked diligently to create a stabilising agent to help Danielle. Danny couldn't believe that they were finally going to have some closure with Dani and actually help her in the right way. Then, just as all their planning and preparations were coming together, it was time for Danny and Jazz to go back to school.
With the whole end-of-the-world thing, plus the investigation into Vlad, and the Fentons subsequent partnership with the FBI, suffice to say the kids had been allowed to take a couple of weeks off from school. This gave the young ghost hero and his family plenty of time to adjust to their new norm. Even though some people knew Danny's secret identity now, not everyone did and the family as well as the FBI preferred to keep it that way– both to give Danny some semblance of normalcy, and to prevent excitable members of the public from acting foolish.
The Casper High administration knew that because the family had been involved with the Disasteroid task force, the kids were approved for the time off 'recommendation' made by the government. The next Monday both kids would be returning to school. For Danny, that meant it was time to accept the fact that he was going to tell Mr. Lancer his secret.
Although the plan had been to keep Danny's identity top secret, Maddie suggested that they at least tell Mr. Lancer. Not only was he the teacher that sent Danny to detention the most often, he was also the vice principal. As such, he had a big impact on Danny's grades. Getting him on their side would surely be a big help.
Jazz wasn't so sure about that, and Danny agreed. Lancer knowing wouldn't change the fact that he was still going to have to skip class to fight troublemaking ghosts all the time.
It was surprisingly Jack who reminded them that their parents were in fact ghost hunters. They could compare their information with Danny's and update their techniques to hunt ghosts correctly, especially the ones that appeared during school hours. Maddie added that it was okay to ask for help and sharing some of the work would help Danny learn to manage his time better in a way that would aid him not only in school, but in life as well.
After a lot of back and forth, in the end even Jazz saw it as a good solution. When Danny told Sam and Tucker, at first they were sceptical of the plan, just like he had been, however, with a bit of explaining, they understood why it was a good idea. They knew their friend needed better time management skills after all.
Now, the night before the first day of school, the Fenton family was once again sitting at their kitchen table planning something. It always seemed like the best time for these conversations was over dinner.
"So, just to be clear," Danny began his summary. "You guys are going to drive us to school in the morning so you can meet with Lancer after first period –which I do have with him. And if anybody asks why you're hanging around the school, you're going to say that you're tracking ghostly activity, right?"
"Yeah, that's the plan, son. It's that simple!" Jack replied confidently.
"You know, you two still need to say that you and 'Danny' have finally decided to work together." Jazz's air quotes around her brother's name let their parents know she was specifically referring to Danny Phantom.
"What are you talking about Jazz? I think just about the whole world knows that..." Danny trailed off when it hit him that she meant Phantom, not Fenton.
"Well, technically, they know that we as a family–and the rest of Amity Park, for that matter–worked with you, Little Brother. But Mom and Dad haven't exactly said anything official about a permanent truce, or anything else really…" Jazz clarified. "I mean, the people that know, you know… they, well, they know that's not entirely true, but it's also not a lie… I mean, they are working with their son..."
"I see what you mean, darling, and you're right…" Maddie rubbed her chin in thought. "We could mention it at the school before we meet with Mr. Lancer–if anyone asks, that is–that the Fentons are working permanently with the ghost boy. And once we explain your… situation to Mr. Lancer, well, he would understand why we were telling people now."
They hadn't thought about how it would look, working with Danny Phantom out of nowhere. They hadn't thought they needed to make some sort of announcement, but they did. In order to keep people from wondering why, in order to keep Danny's secret safe.
"Your Mom is right! That would also help to keep your secret, well, secret… wait..." said Jack, getting confused with the whole conversation.
Danny sighed, "I guess, you guys are right… but please… don't overdo it… I can handle it, I have been handling all of it fine." He was beginning to worry that if their parents allied themselves with him, they were going to be in danger, or something along those lines.
"Don't worry Little Brother, I have anticipated the most likely questions that people might ask after they hear that our parents are working with Phantom and written them down on these cue cards," at this she pulled a small stack of cards out of thin air and handed them to their parents, "as well as some pre-planned answers. Stick to these and you won't overdo it."
"Oh, that's great, Jazzy–pants!" said Jack, with a big smile. His children never ceased to amaze him with their ingenuity. He was so proud.
"We'll read over these, don't worry Jazz. And thank you," Maddie added, smiling proudly as well.
"Okay… I guess that's it then," said Danny feeling a bit defeated. There was nothing he could really do to dissuade his parents.
"Yes, and now it's getting late, so… kids, bedtime!" Maddie clapped her hands together with cheerful authority.
The two teens nodded, said their respective 'goodnights,' and went upstairs.
Maddie could see that Danny was still nervous about tomorrow, and she didn't blame him. Since finding out the truth and helping with the cure for Dani, they had gained a better understanding of how difficult things had been for their son. None of it was easy, but now they had a better idea of what it meant to be a halfa. Although Danny and his parents had learned a lot more about him and what he could do, they also knew that just like Vlad, Danny would continue to grow and develop more powers. Powers that they now knew they were going to be prepared and ready to help him with. After all, they had already managed to isolate Danny's ghostly signature and alter their weapons so they wouldn't affect him, or Danielle for that matter. Now they only needed to wait for the weekend to finally find Dani.
While Maddie and Jack cleaned up from dinner, the kids met in Danny's room. Jazz knew her little brother well enough to realise he wasn't going to just tell someone that he was scared, even though he was. Not that Lancer wouldn't believe it, but of how he would react. For that reason, for the day that awaits him tomorrow, and the fact that the family had agreed to postpone finding Danielle for the weekend, and knowing that Danny probably wouldn't sleep well tonight, she went to her brother's room. There Danny confirmed Jazz's suspicions, she gently coaxed him into talking out his worries and she did her best to reassure him. Jazz promised that her cue cards would work and that he should give Mr. Lancer more credit. Even though he doesn't always seem fair –showing favouritism to the football players or occasionally turning a blind eye to Dash's bullying– she knew that he had helped Danny with his grades, and cared about him as his student; being a half ghost wouldn't change that.
When Jack and Maddie finally went upstairs to get ready for bed, they overheard part of their children's conversation. While Maddie was a bit upset with herself for not noticing just how nervous Danny was, she was grateful that Jazz had. Jack also noticed that some comfort was being passed around and he felt a surge of pride that his kids had become such kind and sensitive people.
When the next day arrived, the Fentons set their plan into motion. Jack and Maddie drove their kids to school, right on schedule, although their plans took a slight deviation after that. Rather than waiting in the parking lot with the excuse of ghost hunting, they ended up exchanging insurance information with some of the other parents. As usual, Jack's driving was… enthusiastic. Sorting things out took them the whole first period, and by the time they got to Mr. Lancer's office, Danny and Jazz were already there waiting for them.
"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," Mr. Lancer greeted them. "So glad you could join us."
"Morning!" Maddie and Jack replied at the same time, sharing a smile at the coincidence.
"You two said that you needed to discuss something with me, but I'm still not entirely sure why these two," at this Mr. Lancer gestured to where Jazz and Danny were sitting in front of his desk, "need to be here. All Jasmine would tell me is that it's a family matter, and Daniel here seems to be on the edge of a nervous breakdown."
He looked back and forth between the kids and the parents appraisingly before closing the door to his office and offering them a seat.
With the whole family finally seated in front of Mr. Lancer's desk, Maddie began the explanation, "Well, Jazz is right, this is a family affair. And it's about Danny..." She checked on her son who seemed to be calming down now that his parents were here.
"I see..." said Mr. Lancer, pausing at his desk. "Is this because the school year is about to finish and you're worried about his grades?" He glanced suspiciously between Danny and his parents. It wouldn't be the first time he'd seen a family rally together to help save a struggling student from being held back a year.
"What? No!" Maddie spluttered. "Well, yes… we are worried about it, but that's not why we're here today." It wasn't hard to understand why he'd come to that conclusion. It was in part why they were having this conversation, after all.
"Please, Mr. Lancer, wait until after my parents finish. Then you'll understand what this is all about." Jazz pleaded, hands clasped in front of her.
"It's all right, Jazz." Danny murmured, giving her arm a calming squeeze before directing his gaze to his teacher "I kinda figured Lancer would bring that up… I mean… this whole year has been..."
"Unprecedented, nightmarish, messy, crazy, ect., ect.?" Mr. Lancer supplied with a raised eyebrow, finally taking a seat at his desk. He seemed like he just caught up with the fact that he was still standing up unnecessarily.
"Yeah. All that. And ghostly…" Danny muttered the last part under his breath, avoiding eye contact with Lancer.
Maddie cleared her throat softly, "Mr. Lancer, if I may… please?" She had noticed that Danny was starting to feel bad and decided it was time to intervene. His grades were as important to him as fighting ghosts, even though it might not look like that from the outside.
"Yes, of course, Mrs. Fenton. By all means, please tell me what this is all about." Mr. Lancer had also noticed Danny's change in attitude and decided to focus more on the parents, mainly on Maddie seeing as she was the one taking the lead. Jack sat next to her in silent support, but his worry for Danny was plain to see.
"Well..." Maddie began, glancing back at Danny who nodded.
Mr. Lancer took notice of the exchange and was about to comment when Maddie finally spoke, interrupting his thoughts.
"Danny is 'Danny Phantom.'" she said.
"What?" Mr. Lancer spluttered, caught off guard. "What in the name of the Scarlet Pimpernel! That doesn't make any sense… What's really going on here? I would have believed something like this from young Daniel…" he stopped, noticing that Maddie seemed to sincerely believe what she was saying.
"Danny," the boy murmured under his breath. He was a bit annoyed that Mr. Lancer still called him 'Daniel,' even in moments like this. Especially in moments like this. "It's Danny."
Mr. Lancer looked back and forth between Maddie and her son. He began to worry that something else might be happening, something that the family either doesn't know about, or doesn't know how to explain. Because although his student being a ghostly superhero would explain a lot, it was impossible. Wasn't it?
"Just show him," Jazz suggested in a loud whisper. She knew that Mr. Lancer would believe him if only he saw it for himself. Knowledge of halfas was global now, so it wouldn't be hard to make the connection. If they just told him without showing him, he might just think Danny was faking it, using Vlad's revelation as inspiration.
Danny looked up at his parents who gave him an encouraging nod. "...Fine." He sounded a bit annoyed to be put in this situation, but proceeded to stand up anyway.
"What are you doi–" Mr. Lancer began to ask. He was getting worried as to why it seemed like everyone knew something he didn't, because show him what?
"Going ghost," Danny quietly said his catchphrase, transforming into Danny Phantom in a bright flash of light.
Mr. Lancer blinked the spots from his eyes, using the silence that followed to process his thoughts. It would seem that their former Mayor wasn't the only halfa in Amity Park. He had anticipated a few of the more creative kids would probably play pretend at being a ghost and a human at the same time, but never in his wildest dreams could he have anticipated one of his students actually being one.
A single, quiet, "Oh" was all the stunned teacher managed to say.
"Are, are you okay, Mr. Lancer?" Danny prompted, changing back into Fenton and retaking his seat. Maybe that had been a bit too much for him after all.
"You know what Mr. Fenton, that makes a lot of sense..." Mr. Lancer finally said, looking across his desk at Danny. He gave the boy a small, sad, smile, because it did make a lot of sense.
"Wait, what?" Danny said, confused. He hadn't really been expecting that reaction, even though he had assumed that Vlad's precedent might either help or hurt his situation.
"Well, it does… The skipping school every time there's a ghost attack, the slacking on your homework, the sleeping in class… All starting around the same time as the ghosts showed up, it makes perfect sense. I'm assuming your whole family knows, and I hope that your parents didn't know until recently..." Mr. Lancer gave Jack and Maddie a stern look. Just thinking about the hundreds, if not thousands, of times that he saw the Fentons hunting Phantom… it couldn't be possible, right?
"Of course, we didn't!" said Maddie quickly. Neither she or Jack wanted this to be like their interrogation with the FBI, they didn't want to have to defend themselves again. They love their kids, and would do anything to protect them. If they had known it all from the beginning, maybe the thing they needed protection from wouldn't have been them. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The possibility of losing their kids to child services like the FBI threatened them with at the start had been a rude awakening.
"We would never have knowingly hunted our son," said Jack, the normally jovial man deathly serious. He felt the same as Maddie, remembering how bad the interview with the Feds was, especially at the beginning.
"Oh, for the love of… you know what, never mind." Mr. Lancer shook his head defeatedly. "I'm not going to think about it. I am assuming that isn't all?"
"You're right about that," Maddie sighed, her face serious. "Do you remember when the FBI interviewed our family and practically everyone around us?" She knew she had to say something about it regardless, he would need to understand the conditions that he was bound by now.
Mr. Lancer nodded, allowing her to continue her explanation.
"Well, they know. About Danny... Mr. Lancer, this is highly classified information we've just shared with you." Her eyes pierced his, impressing on him the gravity of the situation. "They said we should keep it secret, only those who already knew and no one else."
"Oh. I see…" Mr. Lancer's voice was solemn with understanding. The situation was more serious than what he had originally thought. "So, your friends, Samantha and Tucker..." he raised a questioning brow at Danny.
"They know. They've known since the beginning, actually." Danny said with a small shrug. "Oh, and Valerie knows… Valerie Gray. She found out while we were working on the intangibility transfer device. Well, while her father was working on it, but you know..." he shrugged again.
"I see…" Mr. Lancer nodded. "I understand." His hunch had been correct, Danny's friends had been covering for him in class for a while now, and he finally knew why. The mention of Miss Gray was a bit of a surprise, but it made sense if something had happened to reveal Danny's identity while she and her father had been working on the device. That also meant that the other people who already know are those who were involved with the task force in Antarctica.
"With all that being said, Mr. Lancer," Maddie called his attention back to her, "while we're here, we would like your help with Danny's schedule. I'm sure you've noticed that his time management skills could use some improvement."
"I can agree with that," Mr. Lancer said, giving Danny a faux stern look.
At this, Jack chimed in, "Now that we know what's going on, we can help fight the ghosts that appear during school hours. We'll probably still need to pull him into the field some, though, especially while we're still getting used to things."
"Very well, the three of us can continue to discuss a plan, but," Mr. Lancer glanced up at the clock on the wall, "I think it's time for Jazz and Danny to go back to class."
He began to pull some papers out of a drawer in his desk while the Fentons stood up from their chairs.
"All right then, I guess we should get going…" Danny said, stretching his arms above his head. He was feeling very relieved that Mr. Lancer was taking it so well and seemed eager to help. He couldn't stop his smile as he addressed his teacher, "Thank you, Mr. Lancer."
"Why, whatever for?" he asked with a smile. Mr. Lancer wasn't exactly sure as to why Danny suddenly seemed more relaxed, but he couldn't be more proud. He knew that a topic like this one must be hard for the whole family, especially Danny.
"Never mind, just… Thank you." he was still smiling as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.
"Of course," said Mr. Lancer. He handed Danny and Jazz the papers he had just signed, "Oh, don't forget these, your hall passes. Just give them to your teachers and your tardiness will be excused. And if there's anything else I can do… just let me know."
"Oh, right… Um, thank you," Danny stuttered out, caught off guard by the kind offer.
Maddie, Jack, and Jazz watched the scene unfold, the three unable to keep the grins off their faces, they knew that all Danny needed was a little understanding and guidance. The three of them exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to each help him in their own ways.
"Let's go, Little Brother," Jazz looped her arm through Danny's and pulled him towards the door, making sure they both had their hall passes. "And thanks again, Mr. Lancer! For everything! Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"
"Bye, Sweety!" Maddie called back, "We'll see you at home later!"
Jack waved, voice booming as he called out, "Bye, kiddos!"
After the kids had gone, the three adults returned to their seats, they had planning to do, after all. Once sitting, Mr. Lancer pulled out a notebook and together they started brainstorming different ways to help Danny, both with school matters as well as ghost fighting activities–because they all knew he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. They began with an easy schedule that could help Danny better make use of his time. At one point, Lancer proposed to let some of the other teachers know about Danny's secret, but the Fentons reminded him that the information was highly classified. It's not the sort of thing you can just go around telling people. They had to fill out so much paperwork with the FBI in order to get approval to tell just him. That's how Mr. Lancer knew that the issue was very serious. He asked how the FBI was keeping it a secret, but all the Fentons could say was that it was classified, and no, they didn't know either.
They had been at it for quite a long time when they heard the unmistakable sounds of a fight in the hallway. Mr. Lancer rushed to the door, the Fentons hot on his heels, thankfully, because this wasn't your average school fight, this was a ghost fight. The three adults arrived at the scene just in time to see none other than Danny Phantom flung into a row of lockers.
Jack and Maddie decided that it was about time they joined in the hunting, that was a big part of their plan, after all. They really needed to be more alert to ghost activity during school hours so Danny could concentrate more in class. Class that Danny certainly wasn't present for right now, for obvious reasons.
While his parents had stayed to talk with Mr. Lancer, Danny had made his way to his next class. Everything was going well, that is until Danny's ghost sense went off. He had run out of the classroom, calling a lame excuse to his teacher on the way.
Danny found the ghost in the computer lab, it was none other than Technus. Danny had lost count of which 'version' he was supposed to be at this point, and he didn't really care. Danny only knew that he was up to no good.
Every time Danny fought Technus, he boasted that his plan was better than the last and that he wouldn't be shouting it out, and each time he failed. This time wasn't any different. They started in the computer lab, but Danny managed to lure the ghost outside, away from all the technology in the building, only denting a few lockers on the way. Once they were on the lawn, Danny was able to create a distraction and it was in that moment that his parents attacked Technus, weakening him enough that Danny could capture him in the Fenton Thermos.
While the Fentons joined the fight, ecto-guns blazing, it was time for Mr. Lancer to play his part. Danny had probably used an oldie, but a goodie: the Toilet Excuse to get out of class, but it wouldn't be enough for how long this fight was going to take. He knew which teacher Danny had this period, so he just needed to find a place near that classroom to wait for him and walk him personally back to class. Perhaps he could say that he'd needed the boy's help carrying some extra textbooks or something. Danny would likely need a place to transform back–something that it would take Mr. Lancer a bit of time to get used to–but he did manage to find a good spot for that.
Once their battle was over, Danny handed the thermos to his parents so they could put Technus back in the Ghost Zone. In turn, his parents gave Danny encouraging nods and proud smiles. It was nice to be appreciated, but Danny really needed to get back to class. He was surprised to find Mr. Lancer waiting for him just inside the school to walk Danny back to his class, fake thanking him for helping with something in his office. When they reached the classroom, Lancer mentioned to Danny's teacher that he had found Danny just outside the bathroom, and remembered something that he needed help with and Danny was perfect for the job. That explanation to Danny's teacher was enough to avoid detention again, but it gained him snickers from his classmates. While being the butt of a joke wasn't ideal, it was a whole lot better than detention. This whole situation might just work out after all.
Danny took a seat at his desk and decided to concentrate as much as possible on today's lesson. Sam and Valerie tried to ask what happened, but Danny only gave them a quick thumbs up and a smile to let them know it went well. He would give them a more detailed explanation after class or during their lunch break. It was times like these that they really missed Tucker, but they knew that with him being the mayor, private tutoring was the best option for him.
At least for the rest of the day Danny wouldn't need to worry about getting detention or fighting ghosts. He knew that his parents were going to be patrolling around the school, Lancer had his back at school, and the ghost of the day-or at least for the time being- was trapped in the Fenton Thermos. He could just relax with his girlfriend and Valerie, and he would get to do a video call with Tucker during the lunch break.
Things were looking good, after all this time, even though it had been a lot of new things to get used to. Danny never thought –even when he had seen it before– that it would feel so good telling people his secret. Of course, he wasn't just going to go around telling people left and right, it had to be to select people. Letting Mr. Lancer into the fold had been more strategy than anything else, but it was still nice to have him on the team.
The day ended without further incident. Team Phantom enjoyed talking with their mayor friend during lunch. They caught him up with the situation at the school and told him how Lancer had reacted to the news. Tucker, likewise, updated them with the news of his personal proposal.
Because the last mayor had been a crazy halfa, and his teenage ghost hunters were fired and dismissed, the whole town had been under siege by ghost attacks. Something needed to be done, and it was going to take a lot of work for the city to recover. Tucker, as the mayor selected after a major disaster like this, would have to step up to the plate. It would be a full time job, with no time to go to school. So, the rest of the politicians and personnel of the city council decided that the best course of action was that he should have private tutors, since he hadn't graduated from high school just yet. Tucker, since winning the election and realising, or rather learning, that he wouldn't be able to go to Casper high any longer, began working on a proposal. It was as follows: he would serve as mayor until the next election, at which point he would leave his position until later in life, should he wish to run for re-election.
With his parents' help, Tucker had proposed his return to Casper high in the next school year to the city council. They had approved it, but in the meantime, Tucker had to pass his classes and learn more about politics, especially those of Amity Park. He was allowed to communicate with his old friends only during breaks, however his private tutors made sure that his schedule was similar to what he was used to. Those tutors also knew about his friends and about Danny's secret identity, but they wouldn't say a word, not only because they got a 'friendly' warning from the FBI, but because they had always considered him a hero, even before he had become recognized as both a local and global hero by everyone else.
Danny Fenton was happy with how everything seemed to be working out. His parents and Mr. Lancer had come up with a good plan to help him out during school hours. They helped him to create a better way to manage his time after school that not only would allow him to keep fighting ghosts when needed, but to also just be a teen. He would have time to take care of his responsibilities, homework and chores and the like, as well as to have fun with his friends. Danny never thought that all he needed was a little help with time management. His grades were already improving, and with the rest of the school year to go, he knew he would pass his classes.
Just like that, the time flew by and the week turned into the weekend. It was finally time to look for Danielle.
To be continued
:D :D