Clockwork didn't gossip much.

But he did like to listen to gossip - knowing all the latest trends and most popular news in the Ghost Zone was pretty handy, especially when Clockwork tried his best to prevent the worst possible futures for both the Ghost Zone and the human world.

And today, the gossip was that Danny Phantom was in a foul mood.

"Hey, watch out, man, the halfa is livid these days."

"Did you hear what he did to Spectra? Blasted her halfway across the Zone!"

"I hear he used his Wail - thought he only did that to his worst enemies."

"Eh, well, it's Spectra. She doesn't have to try very hard to get on anybody's worst enemy list."

"Still, I'd steer clear of him for a while."

"Yeah."

So, when Danny entered Clockwork's lair that day, the ancient ghost was prepared (not that he wasn't always prepared, of course).

"Got something on your mind, young Phantom?" he asked, not even turning around to address the halfa.

Danny sighed. "Yeah, a few things," he said. Clockwork waited patiently while Danny gathered his thoughts. "I guess the first thing is...how can I prevent someone from summoning me?"

Clockwork turned to face Danny now. His form shifted from "Child" to "Old man." "You were summoned?"

Danny shifted uneasily. "Well...yeah. I think I was able to resist it in my human form, but it happened once when I was a ghost, and I got dragged to this weird circle place. There was this weird guy, a kid and a - well, anyway, I couldn't leave the circle until someone rubbed it away for me."

"Interesting." Clockwork thought for a moment, shifting into his "Adult" appearance. "It is is rare for a ghost to be summoned, especially in this day and age. But it is possible. There are a few different rituals, usually involving plants or candles of some kind. And, yes, circles."

"But how can I stop it," Danny repeated, looking at his mentor with pleading green eyes.

Clockwork made a sympathetic noise. "Well, it is very rare for summonings to actually work. Most of the time they fail, especially if the conductor is doing a general summoning, as in, not calling on a specific ghost. When they do succeed it's because a natural portal happened to open up at the right time and place for a ghost to answer the call. But for you, since you were already in the human world, perhaps it grabbed you as the only available option."

Danny sighed. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. But I don't really care how it happens, I just want to not have to worry about it every time I go ghost."

Clockwork nodded, flipping between all three of his forms before settling on "Child." "I understand. Well, I am certain there is something I can give you, a charm or a marker of some kind, to keep you hidden from most summoning circles. I'll look and see and have something for you next time."

"Alright. Okay, thanks, Clockwork." Danny didn't look much happier. His arms were crossed and his face was pensive. He rose into the air, hovering fretfully for a moment before drifting back down. Finally he sighed again and said, "Hey, Clockwork...Pariah Dark's crown and ring...they're still with him, right?"

Clockwork tilted his head, surprised. "Yes. Yes, they are."

"And...he's still locked up in that coffin thing, right?"

"The Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep. Yes, the former king is still trapped there." Clockwork leaned in closer to the boy. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Danny said quickly. At Clockwork's raised eyebrow, he added, "Well, it's not a good reason. Just Spectra, she mentioned those two artifacts. But it's Spectra. She's always trying to get inside my head and mess around."

"Ah. Yes, I heard that you and she had a bit of a disagreement recently," Clockwork replied.

Danny scowled, eyes narrowed into slits. "She went after my dad. In our house, right in our living room! That is just...unacceptable." The green of his eyes glowed brighter for a moment.

"But ghosts attack your family all the time," Clockwork pointed out, intrigued by what the boy's response would be. "And technically, they're always in your own home. That's where the portal is."

Danny shook his head. "That's different," he insisted. "Out in the field, I get that the bad ones are gonna shoot back at my mom and dad. I wish it didn't happen, but whatever. We can handle it. But this is - Spectra sat there pretending to help, that she was some official or something, but all she does is bring out the worst in a person. She - she hurts you in a different way, and I don't want her near my family. Ever."

Clockwork hmmm'ed. "Fair point. But tell me something, Daniel. If you had the power to remove Spectra from your family's lives forever, how would you do it?"

Danny tilted his head, seeming surprised. His tail flickered, turning into legs and then back again. "Uh...well. I guess...I'd just banish her, I guess. Keep her in the Ghost Zone, maybe even Walker's prison. I just don't want her hurting anyone else."

Clockwork nodded thoughtfully, a satisfied smile on his face. Danny was still looking at him, confusion written all over his face. "You're a good man, Danny Phantom."

Danny blinked. "Uh. Well, thanks, Clockwork." A rueful smile appeared on his face. "But you of all people know that's not really true."

Clockwork frowned, shifting to "Old Man." "Au contraire. I of all people know exactly how true it is. If you're referring to my permanent guest, then I assure you, you shouldn't worry about that." He shifted into his "Adult" form and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "You must have more faith in yourself, Danny, and in your friends, to weather the storms that life will inevitably throw your way. I have faith in you, if that means anything."

Danny stared at him, a contemplative look on his face. Clockwork held his gaze, waiting patiently. Finally Danny nodded and a more genuine smile graced his face.

"That means a lot, actually, Clockwork," Danny said. "So, thank-you. The last few weeks have been...weird for me, so I think I needed that. Thanks."

Clockwork smiled. "Of course, Daniel. Happy to help."

Danny nodded once more. "Yeah." Then he cleared his throat, and the mood shifted. "So...you'll have something for me next time? To stop wannabe cultists from trapping me in summoning circles?"

Clockwork nodded. "I will," he affirmed.

Danny flew higher into the air and drifted away from Clockwork. "Alright, cool. Aunt Alicia is coming over for dinner tonight so I gotta go, but thanks again, CW! See you later!" He then turned and shot out of the Clock Tower that the Master of Time called home.

Clockwork watched the halfa go, then drifted further into his haunt. Past the bells and clock parts, towards his personal library. Placed on a pedestal in the middle of the room sat a white and green thermos, dented in numerous places.

"He was here, wasn't he," a deep voice grumbled from the thermos. When Clockwork said nothing, the voice continued, "You spoil him too much, Clockwork. What is he even doing with his life? Going to college? I was destroying cities at his age!"

"What a shame you can't see what's wrong with that sentence," Clockwork replied, tone mild. The thermos rattled as the entity inside slammed against its confines.

"I'll get out of here eventually," Dan threatened, as he had since the day Danny deposited him in Clockwork's lair. "And when I do - "

"Everything will turn out for the best," Clockwork interrupted, shifting into his "Old Man" form. "Danny will defeat you and all will be well."

"You don't know that," Dan snarled. The thermos jumped in place, slamming against the pedestal. "You don't know anything, you meddlesome geezer!"

"But I do know that." Clockwork waved his arm. Immediately portals appeared, showing different possible futures. In some, Dan never escaped, simply trapped in the thermos for all eternity. In others, Danny and his team overpowered him and returned him to the thermos or destroyed him altogether. There were even a select few where Dan was depowered and offered the chance for redemption. All manner of possibilities, capable of being mixed and matched to form even more.

"In fact," Clockwork began with a smirk, "you might say it is inevitable."

Dan released a wordless scream. Clockwork merely chuckled before turning his attention to a section of his library. He had a promise to keep to Danny, after all.

A.N. - I hope you all are staying safe and well, and hopefully enjoying a little more freedom than this time last year! I know this chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to have some Clockwork and Danny (and Dan) interaction. Did I do the characters enough justice?

Here also is a bonus deleted scene between Skulker and Danny. I'm no longer sure of its "canonicity" to this fic, but I enjoyed writing it and wanted to share it as well.

Bonus scene:

"Woah, hold up there, tiger," Danny exclaimed. He held up his phone, shoving it in Skulker's face. Surprised, the ghost peered at the device; when he saw the date displayed on the screen, he groaned.

December 25th.

"So you release me on the one day I won't fight back," Skulker realized, scowling. "Well-played, Ghost Child." Then he sighed and turned towards the portal. "I'll just have to take my revenge another day, then."

"Wait!" Danny interrupted. When Skulker looked back, confused but expectant, Danny paused. Finally, he gathered his thoughts and asked,

"Do you...I mean, have you ever...is it possible for someone to...summon a ghost?"

Skulker paled, and turned to face Danny entirely. "Summoned? You were summoned?"

Danny shifted uneasily. "Well...yeah. I think. I think was able to resist it in my human form, but it happened once when I was a ghost, and I got dragged to this weird circle place. There was this weird guy, a kid and a - well, anyway, I couldn't leave the circle until someone rubbed it away for me."

"I see." Skulker frowned. He was quiet for a while, then nodded slowly. "Yes, well...it is rare for a ghost to be summoned, especially in this day and age. But...yes, it is possible. I don't know the exact method, but it usually involves specific plants and a specific ritual. Interesting that it happened to you, since you're a halfa, but the Ghost Zone's ectoplasm is embedded deep within you."

Danny made a face at that last part; it just sounded wrong. But the rest of Skulker's explanation was good intelligence. "Is there a way I can stop it from happening? What do other ghosts do when it happens to them?"

"I don't know. I can't help you anymore, Ghost Child," Skulker answered, tone sharp. He turned back towards the portal and rose into the air. "We'll be enemies again the next time we meet, whelp. Prepare yourself for a hunt!"

Then he passed through the ghost portal and disappeared. Danny watched, frowning.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," he murmured.

Looks like he'd have to get answers from Clockwork, then.

...

Skulker flew away from the Fenton portal and Danny, his relief growing the further he got from the Ghost Boy. Those questions were beginning to make him sweat. He hadn't wanted to lie, not on Christmas, but he hadn't wanted to let the cat out of the bag, either.

Annoyance rose the more he dwelled on it. Who dared to try and summon Phantom? It was going to put Skulker's plans all out of whack. Even now, Phantom and the Ghost Girl had kept him in that stupid thermos for six months, and Skulker could do nothing about it. All he could hope for now was that Danny wouldn't dwell on it any longer and find out the truth.

That the only ghost that could be summoned from the Zone was its king.