A/N: Chapter #2! Yay! I hope you all enjoyed Chapter #1. :D Jazz is going to playing a bigger role this time, since she's been pretty cheated in the previous books. But, hey! She got almost an entire chapter centered around her!

I've also been getting positive reviews on her roommates. 21 reviews total from Chapter #1! (Then again, I DID give you guys a week to post them…)

I've responded in PMs to some of you, but I may post the basic of my responses for everyone to see. After all, someone might wonder about it later.

ShadowWarrior85: I have a hard time imagining Danny with a car. We see him ride Johnny's bike in "Livin' Large" and it was part of the original concept. Besides…do you really think I (or Sam) would pass up the chance to see Danny in black leather? (To the fangirls: …DANNY IN LEATHER PANTS! *Squeeing ensues* …I arrest my case.)

RandamWriter: …I haven't really decided. They might have a thing? Kind-of? They're friends, at least.

ShadowDragon357: Ah, yes, their Ship Name. I call TuckxVal Geeky Gray (or Cyber Hunter, but I think Geeky Gray is catchier. The "Official" name of "Hunter Silly" is just…dumb…) Ghost Writer x Jazz…the "Official List" has "Classic Cliché," but we've established we don't like that. To the other readers, here is our list of suggestions: Literary Analysis, Poetic Insight, Therapeutic Prose, Turquoise Scarf, Brainy Author, Therapeutic literature, Psychoanalytic poetry. Let's get them a decent name!

NinetalesSky: Maybe…I don't know, actually. I think things might get too busy…but we get…kind-of get wedding scenes all the way back in J.O.S….*sheepish smile*

Avidreaded: Yeah, that's Jamie!

Anyhow…Read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!

Chapter #2: Well, Well…

Danny smiles inside his helmet as the skyline of his hometown comes into view. It's a warm day, making it more than a little hot inside his thick leather jacket. He's missed Amity Park, with its lush parks, quirky residents, big-yet-small-town feel, the Nasty Burger…

…and the ghosts, he notes as one flies overhead, I didn't exactly miss those.

He glides into the city limits, easing off of his highway speed to one more suitable for downtown Amity Park. No one turns his way – something he finds himself enjoying. No one notices that the son of the Fenton family is back. He's sure to be inundated with questions about his activities outside of Amity and his engagement.

His parent's faces smile down from billboards, along with some trivia about a few of the local ghosts. He snorts as he catches a smaller sign:

Welcome to Amity Park, where you can get a Ghost Hunting License with your Driver's!

"Yeah, that's Amity Park for you," he mutters aloud, leaning right down a smaller street.

Green light flashes overhead, and the ground shakes as he skids to a halt, nearly falling sideways to avoid the crater that has been bashed into the asphalt. The dust clears, and a coughing shape emerges.

"Ugh," she spits dirt from her mouth, "You are so annoying. I just started public high school this year, and I'm loaded with homework already. You seriously have to cause problems right now?!"

"You sound like your cousin, Little Whelp," Skulker laughs from above.

"I'm not going to flunk out after Maddie–"

"Mom," Danny corrects, removing his helmet.

"–Mom spent all that time to home-school me–" she stops mid-sentence, turning with wide eyes to face Danny.

"Hey, Dani!" He grins, "Having fun yet?"

"Danny!" She shouts, flying through the air to wrap her arms around his neck, "You're back!"

"Yeah," he gasps, "If you could avoid strangling me, though, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh, sorry," she smiles sheepishly, backing away to hover eye-level with him.

"Welcome home, Whelp," Skulker grins, "Ready to become my trophy yet?"

"My pelt isn't mine to give. You'd have to ask Sam for it," he replies dryly.

"So, Danny," Danielle smiles, "Do you think you could–"

"Nope, he's all yours," he shakes his head, "Sam's on the verge of a mental breakdown and needs me ASAP."

"Please, Danny?" she pleads, summoning her best puppy-dog eyes, "I already have a report to write, and I need to get back to school soon–" she looks at her watch, "–make that now – so I can take a test. Please, Danny? I don't want to make it up. You're the one who made me go in the first place! Do you want me to fail?!"

He sighs, ::…Sam?::

::Danny! Thank goodness! I'm going to kill her!::

::…I'll be a few minutes longer. Danielle needs to get back to school.::

She sighs, mirroring him, ::…yeah, okay. Make it fast.::

::Roger that,:: he replies, "Dani, what did you tell the locals about my…absence?"

"I told them that you had some official ghost-zone business to take care of and it was none of their beeswax," she dismisses, "So…you'll take care of this?"

"Yeah, I'll take care of the ghost who has been patiently waiting for us to finish our conversation," he smirks.

"Great," she smiles, holding out a Fenton Thermos, "Here you go."

"I'm good," he laughs, "Just go. Maybe you won't miss too much of that test."

"Thanks, Danny!" she kisses his cheek and turns invisible, flying back towards Casper High.

"So, Whelp, are you ready to play?" Skulker grins.

He moves his bike aside and scans the area, ensuring it's empty. Once sure, he pulls his cold core to the forefront of his chest. The white rings wash over his body, and he lifts into the air.

"Yeah, Skulker, I'm ready," he smirks, "It's been almost a year, hasn't it?"

"Far too long, Halfa," he chuckles, "You'll be on my wall after today, though."

"I wouldn't count on it!"

-BREAK-

"You can stay for a few more minutes. I'll write you a pass for your next class."

"Thanks, Mr. Dartle," She smiles, finishing her equation.

He nods, his thick, black mustache twitching, and turns back to his novel. She feels awkward, sitting in a seat towards the back as other students filter in.

"Well, well, if it isn't Danielle Fenton," a girl nearby sneers, "I don't get why you can ditch class all the time without detention."

Danielle focuses on her next problem, biting her cheek, because I'm busy saving your cosmetically-altered–

"Ms. Fenton has been provided special permission by Principal Lancer," Mr. Dartle retorts, "For reasons that are strictly need-to-know, and none of us do."

"It's because she's a Fenton," the first girl's friend whispers.

Danielle finishes her final problem and strides quickly to the front of the class, her red backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Thank you," Mr. Dartle smiles, "You're much more diligent than your cousin. He would've fallen asleep within moments of entering class."

"Thanks," she mutters, taking his offered tardy pass, "Excuse me."

She slips into the hallway, walking as quickly as she can to her next class. She rounds a corner and slams head-first into someone else, her books scattering across the ground.

"S-sorry," someone stutters, "A-are you okay?"

"I should be asking you," she reaches for her textbooks.

"I'm fine," he sighs in relief, running a hand through his short, spiked, blond hair. She can see light brown at the roots, "Except…I can't find my glasses," he laughs.

"Here," she snatches the simple, rimless frames from the floor, "I think these are yours."

"Thanks," he smiles, and slips the lenses over his green eyes.

"You're welcome," she smiles, lifting herself from the floor, "But I really have to get to class. I have a late pass, but he'll wonder what took me so long if I'm any later."

"…c-can I ask you a question before you go?" he swallows thickly.

"Shoot," she replies.

"Do you know which way I need to go to find room four-eighty-three?" he asks, "I just transferred here, and I lost my map, so I'm hopelessly lost–really, just point me in the right direction real quick–"

"Look," she laughs, "You don't need to explain. Luckily for you, it's my next classroom. Come on," she extends a hand, "We need to get going. He's not very tolerant of tardiness."

"Thanks…" he takes her hand, surprised at her firm grip and ease with which she lifts him to his feet.

"Let's go," she laughs, turning down one final hallway and knocking on door four-eighty-three. Through the window in the door, she can see her teacher, Mr. Rivera, scowling.

"About time, Ms. Fenton," he growls.

"Sorry. I had a test to finish with Mr. Dartle."

"It took you a while to walk here from his room," he frowns.

"T-that's my fault," the young man coughs, "I just transferred here, so I was lost."

"Thankfully, we're in the same class," Danielle smiles, "Sorry again, Mr. Rivera."

"Well, knowing you, it's sure to happen again," he sighs, "Take your seat, Ms. Fenton. And you…" he turns to the blond, "I'm assuming you're Ashton Crossdale?"

"Y-yes, Sir," he swallows.

"You have the empty seat next to your partner-in-crime," Mr. Rivera motions to where Danielle sits, closest to the door, "Just try not to flirt too much."

The new student's cheeks flush slightly, and he quickly takes his seat. Danielle sends him a small, apologetic smile and pulls her notebook from her backpack. A small paper lands on her desk, and she opens it carefully. It's a heart, with "Danielle Fenton + Ashton Crossdale" written in the center.

Guess we know why you're always skipping class, huh?

More profanities litter the paper, and she crumples it into a ball, dropping it into her backpack.

Just another day of high school.

-BREAK-

Ashton glances around the lunchroom, spying a familiar face through the window. Danielle sits alone outside, eating her sandwich and reading her notes.

"Dude, I know you're new here, so let me give you some advice," an arm swings around his shoulder, almost startling him into dropping his tray. A fellow freshman – Connor, he remembers, from his Science class.

"W-What advice?"

"Stay away from Danielle Fenton," he advises.

"Why?"

"Well," he shifts, "It's weird. She's…popular and unpopular at the same time. Like, we all agree she's hot, and she's pretty awesome to have on your team for sports, but she's really…odd. Then again, she is a Fenton, so–"

"The ghost hunters?" Ashton clarifies.

"Yeah," Connor nods, "But she just…vanishes during school. It ticks off the upperclassmen because she never gets in real trouble for it. Apparently, only Principal Lancer knows the reason."

"What's she actually like?" he inquires, raising an eyebrow.

"Well…" he hesitates, "She…she's really competitive, and absolutely fearless. Also…" he frowns, "I'm not sure if everybody notices, but she's always hurt. Like right now," he nods in her direction, "I'd say she's got at least a bruised rib, given the way she's holding herself."

"How would you know?"

"My brother's a boxer. He's taken a few good hits. I'm observant, too – I told you she's hot. Weird, and definitely the type of girl to admire at a distance, but still really hot."

"So you've been watching her like a stalker," Ashton snorts, moving towards the doors, "Thanks for the advice, but I think I'm going to ignore it."

It's warm outside, and he places his tray down across from hers, "Y-you don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

"No," she replies, "but you should probably listen to Connor," she smirks, her blue eyes sparkling mischievously as he struggles for words, "It didn't take much to figure out what he was probably telling you. Come on, ask your questions."

He takes a bite of his chicken sandwich, "So…your parents are the local g-ghost-hunters?"

"Adopted parents. They're actually my aunt and uncle…well, it's a major simplification of my relation to them, but…my parents died in a car accident, and they took me in."

"…do you miss them?"

"…what?" she blinks.

"D-do you miss your parents?" he asks quietly.

"I…" she scratches at the back of her neck, "I try not to focus on it, you know? I like Jack and Maddie, and I'm pretty close with my cousin, Danny."

"I see," he nods, "So…seeing as I'm new to Amity P-Park…is there anything I n-need to know?"

She laughs, "Well, I'm sure you know something. What do you already have down?"

"I know it's the m-most haunted city in the United States," he begins, "And I know it has a local s-superhero, Danny Phantom…" he thinks for a moment, "…that's about it."

She nods, "Yeah, that's the basics. Well, here's some more for you; Phantom is on a bit of a hiatus – something about having to take care of some official business in the Ghost Zone. He sent a relative of his to take care of things while he's away."

"G-ghosts have relatives?"

"Yeah," she takes a sip from her juice box, "The Box Ghost is married to The Lunch Lady and they recently had a kid – Box Lunch. The Ghost Writer has a half-brother named Randy. They have relationships just like us."

"So is this relative good?"

"Yeah," she smirks, "She's pretty good. She wishes she were as strong as Phantom, but…It'll come with some experience, probably."

"So what's her name?" he asks, "If you have Danny Phantom, what's her name?"

Something sparks in her eyes, and she hides a brief frown, "They call her…Destiny Phantom," the name seems to strangle itself on her tongue, "She–"

"Did you hear?" A girl giggles to a friend as they pass by, "Phantom's back!"

"A reporter got a picture of him, look!" the friend pulls something up on her phone, "He's pretty hot, for a guy who doesn't have a pulse."

A small smile pulls at Danielle's lips, "He's been known to take a break from whatever he's doing to visit occasionally. The women in town go crazy," she glances at her watch and begins to shovel her mashed potatoes into her mouth.

He looks at his own watch and follows suit, "So, uh…D-Danielle…"

"Dani," she answers, "Call me Dani."

"D-Dani…" he corrects between carrots.

"What?"

"…Can you tell me where to find the art rooms?"

-BREAK-

"There's a guy with a motorcycle out there."

"Really?"

"Yeah, a really cute one. He looks familiar though…"

Danielle finds herself beginning to jog towards the doors, her backpack slamming heavily against her spine. The sunlight outside hurts her eyes, and she swivels her gaze to where Danny leans against his bike, a large smile splitting his face.

"Danny!" she smiles, leaping down the steps, "You came to pick me up?"

"Yeah," he returns, "Mom and Dad were in the middle of a big project anyway, and Sam is sleeping off a migraine. Why not? Here, your helmet and jacket."

"Well, well, Daniel Fenton!" Mr. Lancer waves, moving closer, "How's school coming?"

"It's coming," Danny sighs, "One year's worth down, three to go. What about you? I hear you're the new principal of Casper High!"

"Ah, yes," Lancer coughs, "It helped to have a good relationship with our mayor."

"How is Mayor Gray doing?" Danny asks, "I hope it isn't stressing him to death."

"He knows how to run things," Lancer nods, "Besides, he has Burgess to help him out here and there, and he has Foley's number if he needs to know how something was organized. Speaking of Mr. Foley, when is good ol' Mayor Tuck coming?"

"Next week," Danny smiles, "He and Val are meeting in Elmerton and then coming up together."

"So…do you think you could be planning a double-wedding?" he laughs.

Danny groans, "One is bad enough. Seriously, Pamela is going to kill me, if Sam doesn't kill her first. Besides, Tuck's commitment-phobic and Val doesn't have time for something like that. I imagine they'll finish college and have careers before they decide whether to get hitched or not."

"Well, it'll be good to see them. I'll let you get going. You have a nice day, Danny, Danielle."

"Yeah, you too, Principal Lancer," Danny smirks, "Come on, Dani."

She tightens the strap of the heavy helmet beneath her chin and climbs on behind him, wrapping her arms around his stomach. The wind pulls at her ponytail as they pull away from the school, and she can't help but smile.

I love the bike, she thinks, it's way cooler than any car!

Surprisingly, Danny turns in the opposite direction from Fentonworks, and she finds another reason to smile as the sign for the Nasty Burger comes into view. They coast into a parking spot and she dismounts, waiting for Danny to remove his helmet. He also removes his leather jacket, slinging it over a shoulder.

"I figured we could use some catch-up time that isn't punctuated with explosions," he grins, "My treat."

"Awesome!" she shouts, "I'm totally go–"

"I'm paying for one meal, not five," Danny snorts, "I'm not that nice, you bottomless pit."

"Jerk," she pouts.

"No, I'm just an adult now – I have bills to pay!"

"That sucks," she retorts, "I'm still buying the biggest burger on the menu."

He sighs, "I hope I didn't eat as much as you. It should've run my parents out of house and home!"

"Danny," she smirks, "You were a teen boy. You probably ate more."

"I also had a free supplement to my diet after a couple years, though," he laughs, "Maybe you will too, eventually," he orders a cheeseburger, fries, and lemonade before moving aside for Danielle.

"I'll have the Super McNasty Meat Supreme," She smiles, "With large fries and a Coke," Danny is wincing to her left as he pulls his wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Not cool, Dani," he frowns, handing over the money, "so not cool."

They go nearby booth to wait, and he scratches at a dusting of stubble on his jaw.

"Trying to go for a more rugged look, Danny?" she smirks.

"No," he chuckles, "I stayed the night at Jazz's apartment. I was in a hurry to leave, so I didn't take the time to shave. I haven't gotten around to it yet, between calming Sam down, trying to survive Pamela, talking with Jeremy, and almost getting blasted by one of the inventions in the basement at home."

"Welcome home," she laughs.

"Nothing quite says it like a ghost fight and an ecto-gun in the face," his smile fades, "And buying a fifteen-dollar meal for your cousin. I repeat: Not. Cool."

"Well, if I was still 'traipsing around the world', you wouldn't have to," she replies slyly, taking a sip of her soda.

"You'll thank me later," he growls, leaning back, "No more stealing apples from the Farmers' Market in Elmerton."

"H-how…?!" her lips work soundlessly, "Wait…Valerie told you?!"

"Yep. I'm assuming you pulled similar tricks around the world. You'll have to have an honest life now. How awful."

"Except that my birth certificate makes me a year younger than I am…biologically. I mean, seriously, Danny? I have to wait an extra year to get my license, and probably a job…"

"You needed that extra year," he snorts, "And while it sucked a lot, being a teen superhero with ghost powers has its advantages. Like flying, if you ever end up in a pinch without a drivers' license. Or a ridiculously cramped bus," he stands to get their order, returning a moment later.

She smiles, seeing her hamburger, heaped with meat and dripping with cheese.

"It's as big as your head," Danny mutters disbelievingly.

"And I'm going to eat all of it," she grins.

He shakes his head and takes a bite of his burger, "Oh, have you heard? Johnny and Kitty are getting married. Want an invite?"

"Seriously?" she laughs, "About time!"

"I think I said the same thing…" he trails off, "And again, I'd almost forgotten that I meet with the Observants' Council later on this week."

"About what?" she asks, her eyes wide.

"Who knows," he sighs, "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but they really don't like me. They tried to use the field trip incident as an excuse to banish me from the Infinite Realms forever. Then they wanted to lock me up after the pirates. Even Clockwork is getting fed up with them. Normally he treats them with tired indifference, but last time, he got angry enough to yell at them."

"At least you know he's on your side."

"Yeah," he sips at his lemonade, "He and I have the same goals – the most harmonious future possible. The problem is that it'll require some change, which The Observants aren't fond of."

"Changes?"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed, Dani," he deadpans, "but the Infinte Realms are pretty much in a state of anarchy right now, and it's not exactly beneficial for human-ghost relations. The problem is that no one wants to change that after having been under Pariah Dark's thumb. I don't blame them, but each lair is like a kingdom unto itself, and they all have different rules. The only one they agree on is the Christmas Truce. The Observants choose to act very selectively; they can't decide where to intervene or not. For the Mortal Realm, it's like having a neighboring field filled with a bunch of small houses. Some have fences, some have a line drawn on the ground, and others have nothing at all, but still expect you to know where the boundaries are. Some of the residents are friendly, while you worry that some of the others might kill you in your sleep and steal your stuff. You can't really tell who's who, so you want all of them gone. Really, they need to get together and–"

The ground shakes, and his head whips around to see where a building is collapsing nearby. Panic and fear flood his senses. Within seconds, he's out into the heat again. Police cars have already arrived, and he can hear ambulances in the distance.

"Sir, you can't–"

He pulls an I.D. from his pocket, "I'm a nationally-certified EMT responding on-scene," he explains.

"Fenton?" the officer grins, slapping him on the shoulder, "Welcome back, kiddo! Helping out with the wedding plans?"

"Yeah," he slips past, "Has everyone evacuated the building?"

"We're not sure."

"Keep up the perimeter," Danny strides towards a coughing group of survivors, "We don't need curious tourists getting caught in the rubble," he kneels next to them, "My name's Danny. Your names?"

"Sandra."

"Jason."

"Emily."

"Do you know what happened?" He asks, carefully escorting them closer to the perimeter.

"I don't know," Sandra coughs, "Everything just started shaking, and there was smoke…"

"Is anyone still inside? Did you see anyone that looked hurt?"

"I just assumed it was a nearby ghost attack, you know?" she continues, "But then the fire appeared inside, and–"

"I think a couple of boys from the newspaper are still inside," Jason coughs roughly, "But everyone else got out before we did."

"Did you see where they were?" Danny presses.

"Last place I saw them was the third floor," he shakes his head.

"Got it. Wait here, the ambulances are coming," he kneels next to the shaking and rambling Sandra, and touches her shoulder, "It's okay. You need to calm down," he whispers, "They'll be okay. So will you."

He pushes and pulls gently at her emotions, cutting away the excess fear and shoving it beneath relief. She relaxes a few seconds later, and he stands, turning back to the building.

"Hey! Danny, wait!" the officer shouts as he dashes inside, and swears, "Fenton's at it again!"

Danny dances around the falling bits of drywall. Dust coats his throat, making his tongue feel thick. He focuses his senses on the building, the world going dark around him. Small specks – some bigger than others – float around him. He finds the strongest – fear – and traces the little current backwards. His eyes remain closed as he maneuvers through the crumbling building, up to the second floor.

His eyes snap open, and he glares at the collapsed wall in his way. He doesn't dare push it – the people he's looking for are leaning against it on the other side.

"Hello?" he shouts, "Can you hear me? Are you okay?!"

"Yeah!" someone replies, "…you know, you sound kind of familiar…"

"My name is Danny Fenton!"

"Danny!" he laughs, "Dude, it's Alex, from school! Jaden's with me."

"Hey, Danny! How's it going?" Jaden asks weakly.

"Let's play catch-up after we get you out of here."

"Yeah, I'm all for that," Alex answers, "But, dude, it's seriously good to hear your voice. We can't move this stuff – it's holding the ceiling above us, and Jaden's leg is trapped. Is someone coming with something that can get us out of here?"

Danny swears quietly to himself. He can feel the lower floor weakening, preparing to cave in – crushing them all in the process.

"I'm not sure we have time for that," he replies honestly.

Their fear spikes, "So…we're going to die?" Jaden manages to ask weakly.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he growls back, glancing back and seeing no one.

"Danny, if this place is going to collapse, you need to go," Alex chokes, "You're engaged, man."

"I'll be fine," he promises, "And so will you, understand? But I need you to promise something."

"…what?"

"Promise that you won't tell anyone what you're about to see."

"Why?"

"Just promise!" Danny hisses, allowing his cold core to rise a little, "Like you all did that day in the hospital, after the field trip. That secret is miniscule in comparison. Promise me, Alex, Jaden!"

"…I promise."

"…promise."

"I'm coming in," he phases through the wall, between the two. They scream and scuttle backward – or rather, Alex does. Jaden flinches, his trapped leg holding him in place.

"Dude…your eyes…" Alex whispers hoarsely, "They're…"

"Ectoplasmic green. Yeah, I know," Danny replies, "We need to get out of here."

"But…how…" Jaden hisses, "Through the…?"

He allows his cold core to rise completely to the surface, and the rings travel over his form. Ink turns to snow, and snow turns to ink. Ice turns to acid.

All of the blood drains from their faces, curses falling from their lips.

"Do you understand now? Everything?" Danny asks, the floor wavering even beneath his light touch, "I'll tell you the story later – but we need to get out of here."

"Dude…this whole time…that trip into the Ghost Zone…"

"Look. We have to go. Sam's going to be ticked that I told you. She's already worried that it's going to get out, and I just told a couple of newsmen. Can we have the whole 'crisis of the revelation' later?" He returns to Fenton and kneels beside Jaden.

"Can you move your toes at all?" he inquires.

"No," he grimaces, "I think it might be broken."

Danny grasps the chunk of ceiling – and a desk from above – that pins it. They turn intangible, and he pushes them down, to the floor below.

"Dude," Alex whispers, "That is seriously cool."

"Yeah, when you know how to control it," Danny snirks, "At first, it just made me drop an unholy amount of beakers and phased my pants off in front of the whole school."

"I remember that," Jaden smiles tightly, his eyes locked onto his twisted leg. He closes them, taking a long breath.

"Unfortunately, everyone does," the rescuer grimaces, "We need to get out of here ASAP."

"That's not going to be very pleasant for me, is it?" Jaden whimpers.

"No," Alex answers honestly.

A curse dances on his lips, "Well…we should get this over with."

"Yeah, we should," Danny replies, pulling one of his arms over his shoulder, "But I'll do what I can to reduce the pain."

"What you can…" he falls silent.

"We need to go, Alex," Danny mutters tightly, "I can't do this for long. Put your hand on my shoulder."

He keeps a mental hand on the throbbing, red stream that is Jaden's pain. It flows into him, pulsing from his calf up. He summons his intangibility, allowing it to spread to the two men in contact with him. They shuffle through the rubble, and Danny phases them down to the first floor and they limp into the sunlight. EMTs and Firemen jog over, helping Jaden onto a gurney. Danny slowly relaxes his grip on Jaden's pain, sweat pouring from his forehead.

"Remember," Danny turns to Alex, "Not a word."

"Y-yeah," Alex nods, "I want to know the whole story someday, Danny."

"I'll tell you someday – provided you tell no one else."

"You got it," he grins, hopping into the ambulance with his best friend.

"Are you sure you're alright?" One of the technicians on board inquires.

"Yeah," Danny dismisses, "Just dirty. Get them out of here, huh?"

The EMT nods and the doors close. The officer from before jogs up as the ambulance pulls away. He curses.

"Fenton, you can't just rush into crumbling buildings," he scolds, "One of these days, you won't come out!"

"Yeah, and there'll come a day for anyone where they won't see the next sunrise. I just can't stand aside and let that moment come for someone else."

The officer's eyebrows scrunch together, "That…"

Danny laughs, running a hand through his hair, "Wow. That was a little dark, wasn't it? Don't think too hard on it."

He still watches him with narrowed eyes, "Yeah. You're positive that you're okay?"

"Totally," he smiles, "My cousin's probably wondering where I am. Can I…" he motions at the Nasty Burger.

The policeman sighs and nods, waving a dismissive hand, "Yeah, go. If I catch you pulling a stunt like that again–"

"Yeah, yeah," he nods, brushing past. Phantom pain still pulses in his leg, and it takes some effort to avoid limping back towards the Nasty Burger. Danielle sits outside, leaning against his bike. She scans him quickly, noticing his shadowed eyes. His shirt is soaked in sweat and covered in dust.

"What happened to you?" she snorts.

"It's a long story," he sighs, "I'm guessing you weren't determined enough to do some of your homework while I was…occupied?"

"Nope."

"I thought not. Let's go. I need a shower."

A/N: End of Chapter #2!

Danielle doesn't like being called "Destiny Phantom." Danny figured that even the ever-blind Amity Park would piece things together is Danny Fenton had a cousin named Danielle who happened to show up at the same time as Danielle Phantom while Danny left Amity for college and Phantom left at the same time…yeah, he figured they wouldn't be THAT dumb. I'm explaining this here because I'm not sure where/if I can fit that explanation into the story.

Ashton Crossdale. He has a bit of a stutter, especially around girls or people of authority. You'll notice that it went away once he relaxed and started have a conversation with Dani. It showed back up after the lull in their conversation and because he had to ask her something. About his hair…look up "Matt Ryan Constantine" and you'll probably have a good idea. It looks pretty blond, but from some angles, you can see a darker brown beneath.

I think that Danny and Danielle have gotten a bit more comfortable with each other, and act a little more like siblings. (Though Danny still dotes on her more than most brothers…)

So how many of you knew it was Alex and Jaden when someone mentioned the "boys from the newspaper"? Is Crystal (still?) dating Alex? What happened to the building?

Sam next chapter!