*Takes a deep breath*

…

*Posts chapter and runs screaming*

Chapter XVIII:

Everything stays right where you left it

It's been a couple of days since Danny turned on the portal. After he had made sure —got Valerie's sake— that he could enter the Ghost Zone, he had a much needed day of rest. Literally. Even he didn't recall the last time he slept for more than an hour. But with the adrenaline from..well, everything finally going down. It was easy for him to clock out for a day.

Sadly it was just for a day. You know what they say. 'All good things must come to an end.'

But now that Danny was well rested, he had time to plan his next steps properly.

("Danny," The halfa hummed in response. "We don't know what you're saying."

He blinked expeditiously, the sleep in his eyes finally drifting away. He was lazily speaking as he tried his best to wake up from his 24 hour nap. He didn't realize most of what he said was incoherent. "..oh."

"You want to try again?"

"…yah, sure.")

First thing's first, he had to know where the portal ended up. As much as it hurt him to say, the portal he built wasn't going to last long. It would be best for him to figure out the distance between this one and The Fenton's. But most importantly, he'd have to get used to the new bearings.

Second, find Clockwork. Why? Many reasons. The main one being something that bothered him ever since he first woke up at Val's. Also the time ghost could probably help the living dilemma.

Third, get somewhere to live. Sounds simple enough.

Then finally, move to the Ghost Zone, destroy the portal and live as peacefully as he can.

That's what he initially planned. And that's what he set out to do.

The first step was an easy enough part of the plan. After all, it was just him looking around the Ghost Zone. Danny couldn't help but feel some sort of deja vu the more he roamed around the unfamiliar area. He thinks. Maybe he had been here before. He'll just pin that on how big the Zone was, rather than his recent depleting memory.

However, he wouldn't be surprised if it was an entirely new area. More disappointed in the fact he just found it now. His eyes roamed around the unexplored area. It might be a good place to settle-

Erratically, Danny shook his head. "Later, Danny." He spoke to himself. "Gotta get back on task." He turned to a random direction and stared off into the distance, sneaking a glance behind him. "But.. good to keep in mind, right?"

Pause.

"And I'm talking to myself." He sighed. His legs morphing together into his ghost tail. "Great start, Phantom."

With that Danny set off, flying through the Ghost Zone for the first time after a year. He wasn't sure why, but he felt more comfortable in Ghost Realm.

"Think it's a ghost thing," Sam would've asked.

'Maybe,' Danny thought unconsciously before he blinked.

Okay, so doing this without Sam and Tucker this time was messing with him. Just a little bit. A tiny bit. Infinitesimal even.

Better not to dwell on it now. He had a portal to find. Shaking his head, he got his mind focused and continued to fly around. His head darting back and forth as he tried to find anything that seemed familiar. Lair and realm wise anyways. Floating doors can only get you so far. And yes, he did make mental notes on the emptier plots of land. More questions for Clockwork. Or maybe Frostbite or Pandora. Whoever came first, he supposed. Though he'd rather Clockwork since he was who he needed to look for later.

After a few moments, Danny started to wonder if he was going the right way. If that was possible. Directions in the Ghost Zone were complicated. Especially when one relied on muscle memory when visiting. "Island, door, door," Danny mumbled as he passed through the repetitive sights. "Island, door, island, door, island, Skull, door— wait." Danny stopped. A skull? Flying backwards, his eyes met empty red eye sockets. It was a skull. And not just any random glowing skull. If the green jungle-like forest was anything to go by. This was Skulker's Island! Danny huffed a laugh at the sight. Finally! Something familiar. He never imagined he'd be relieved to see Skulker's place first. Now he had some direction on where he was!

Now he just had to pass by most of his.. enemies/rivals.

"Great," Danny groaned, his legs formed into a tail once more. "Now to avoid any 'friendly' reunions."

Danny carefully made his way through the Ghost Zone, but was still quick enough to try to get to his destination faster. The path was a familiar one. He flew down it many times before. Surely enough, Danny reached his destination. There past Walker's Prison was the Fenton Portal. Okay. What was next? ..Why did he come here? It wasn't in his initial plan, (he actually planned to stay far from it) but he guessed it was helpful. In a weird way. (It wasn't helpful at all.) The portal was far from the one he built. (What was he supposed to do with that information?) There would be no signs of mixing the two up, he guessed. (He also guessed that all the emotions he was feeling at once weren't healthy.) Deciding that he had enough of looking at the portal, Danny backed away and left the area.

"Okay, the old portal is still near Walker's. Nothing new. In other news, mine is closer to Skulker's? Not the worst place to end up, but could be better. It shouldn't be too hard to find where everything else is just from that." Danny muttered to himself, as he followed his footsteps back to his portal, before he blinked. "And I'm talking to myself again. Anything else to add, Danny?"

Silence.

"Yep. Sounds about right." He sighed as he pulled out the ring of rage. It's been ominously silent the entire time he's been in the Ghost Zone. He stared at the skull embedded on the ring. Danny's mind instantly went to the dream he had after his escape. Or rather, the voice that was in it. What did it say? His work was far from over-

«You have far more work to do, young prince. I'll show myself once more when the time comes. For now-»

For now, what? There was more, wasn't there? What did it say? It had to do something with the ring. He had to do something with the ring. But what? And why did it call him that of all things? Danny paused as he stopped fully to recount everything, until..

There was a ticking noise.

Danny told the girls that he would just focus on the first part of his plan today. Just to get a feel of the new area and find out a place he could stay, if he was lucky. There wasn't any need for him to do anything more. But it wouldn't hurt to be a step ahead, right? With those thoughts in mind, Danny nodded to himself and began flying to Clockwork's

Besides, what they don't know won't hurt them.

With the muscle memory of being in the Ghost Zone, back and fully operational, it took Danny no time to reach Clockwork's part of the Zone. He was met with the familiar sight of gears and clocks. That grandfather clock-like tower. No doubt, it was Clockwork's lair. The closer he got, the more he got nervous. He used to visit Clockwork quite often before the incident with the GiW. Along with Frostbite, the time ghost became almost like a mentor to the halfa. But he wasn't nervous about the ghost's reaction on seeing him again. (Mostly because there wouldn't be one.) Danny knew more than anyone (outside the council), what Clockwork's job was. So, no, he wasn't scared about the ghost's reaction.

He was scared of his reasoning.

Danny took in a deep breath as he flew into the tower, after seeing they were open. He knew. He always did. The only times he would keep the tower closed from him was if the Observants were there. (Not because Danny and the Observants are on bad terms. In fact it's the opposite. That was the problem.) During those days, he would visit Frostbite or Pandora instead. 'I really do have to visit them later,' Danny thought to himself as he made it to the top of the tower. When he reached the top, he was greeted by the Master of Time himself.

"Daniel," Clockwork said calmly. The ever present smirk on his face as he switched from a child form to an adult one. "I've been waiting on you."

"It was only a matter of time, right?" Danny joked as he landed in front of Clockwork.

The Time Ghost grinned. Red met green as he spoke, "You have questions."

It wasn't a question, but Danny still found himself numbly nodding in confirmation. His mind was flooded with questions for his mentor on the way. But now, with the ghost a few feet away from him, Danny couldn't think of what to ask first. He tried to sweep away the nervousness before he finally found his voice.

"Wh-," Danny paused as he furrowed his brows. No, he didn't want to ask 'why.' He thought carefully before he met Clockwork's eyes. "That.. wasn't a test, was it?" Okay. Admittedly not as careful as others would. But it could've been worse.

Clockwork hummed. "So that's the question you went with. I can't say it was a test."

"So it just happened? You couldn't stop it or anything?"

"The situation was a possibility," Clockwork stated. His form shifted into one of a child. "It was also one that I could not intervene in. For reasons that will be revealed later on." Danny was visibly unsatisfied with the answer. "Anything else?"

'Yeah,' Danny thought. How was the popcorn?' He kept the one to himself. Instead, he shook his head. His fists clenched tightly. "No. I'll save them for later. I have to get back."

The Time Ghost nodded. "A wide choice." Danny got ready to fly off and make his way back to the portal. "And Daniel," He stopped and turned back to the ghost. "Don't rush getting answers."

/\/\/\/\

"Danny!"

Snap! Snap!

"Huh?" Danny looked up from the dinner table. He saw Valerie lower her hand, a skeptical look on her face as she watched him. Sitting on the opposite side of her was Ellie, who was looking at him as if she was waiting on something. That was when he remembered the younger had asked a question. …He thinks.

"Sorry, say that again," Danny spoke sheepishly.

Ellie pouted. "I said how was it in the Ghost Zone?"

Oh. Well, he was right.

He shrugged and glanced at his plate, the food on it jumbled around. "It was basically exactly how I left it. Only difference was the area the portal ended up. So, all and all, a good place to move! Once I figure the lair thing out.." He muttered the last part as he took his first bite.

"Can I help?" Ellie asked with a smile.

Danny looked back up at his daughter curiously. "You want to spend your first time in the Ghost Zone helping me find out how to live there?" He asked with a half amused smile. Which only widened when she nodded her head.

Admittedly, Danny enjoyed how stuck to him the girl had gotten. If Jazz didn't pull her away, Ellie would be following Danny around like a lost puppy. Or quite literally stick to him like glue. Like she was scared that he would slip away from her. It was endearing in a way.

"Guess it would help us both," Danny stage-whispered before he nodded. "Alight. We can go to Clockwork together and get started from there. Sounds good?"

Ellie beamed at the response and nodded, her eyes filled with excitement. "Perfect! I'll tell Aunt Jazz!"

Danny watched her zoom out of her chair and down the hall before he fully processed the sentence. "…Aunt Jazz?" He questioned.

"Yep," Valerie said. "She's been calling her that for a while."

A while? They only had that one talk almost two weeks ago. How long ago did she start calling Jazz her aunt?

"You'd be surprised." Valerie answered. Danny looked at her confused until he realized he said his thoughts out loud. 'So lame.' He thought to himself. Meanwhile Valerie took the silence as a way to explain, "Apparently one time Jazz took her out to the mall. While Ellie was looking through clothes, some old lady came up to Jazz and asked if they were together. She forgot the cousin alibi and freaked. So, she told her that El was her niece that came to visit. El called her Aunt to joke around, at first, but it eventually stuck."

Danny looked at her with a pressed smile as he tried not to laugh. "Really?" He asked and barked out a laugh when he received a nod in response. "Sounds like them. Man, I wish I was there to see that."

He had a wide grin on his face that made Valerie smile back. "I said the same thing when I heard it too," she said, her smile growing wider.

There was a mysterious glint in the halfa's eyes as he leaned forward in his seat. "What about you?" He watched her smile fade as she looked at him curiously.

"Oh," came out once she caught on. Valerie thought for a moment before (hesitatingly?) shook her head. "She hasn't called me anything like that. She called me Val-eerie on patrol before.."

Danny felt some sort of pride hearing that. But at the same time — "Why didn't I think of that?" Valerie gave him a blank stare. "What? It's a good pun!"

"It's terrible."

"That's why it's great!"

Valerie scowled in a way that made Danny grin and turn back to his food. The scowl didn't last long but she kept a frown, "Anyway, what were you thinking about earlier?"

Danny glanced up at her, digging into his food. "Just about what to do with my soon 'not so friendly' neighbors." The lie came smoothly. Besides, it wasn't like he was completely wrong.

From the look of it, Valerie just realized that small problem too. "Damn," she muttered, leaning back in her seat. "That's a good point. You have a lot of enemies there."

"I know."

"Like..a lot."

"Yup."

"Most who we're looking for you."

"…"

"…"

"I'll just.. deal with it when the time comes."

"That's… a terrible idea."

He sighed. His blue eyes looked at the night sky from out the window. "I know."

Hehe

Merry Christmas!

Here's y'all's christmas presents for me!

See you all next year! (hopefully not)