Chapter 18

Eventually the both of them were able to regain their strength and walk for quite a distance away from the paused agents and the final battling field. That power that the Dark Phantom used on them affected ghosts but not humans so much. Soon their ghost powers began to return and Danielle felt that time needed to flow again and so she unpaused her time piece. Soon Danny and Danielle could hear birds chirping, a pleasant breeze, and distant chatter but not for the government's ghost fighting agents because they were too far away.

They couldn't leave time paused forever because Danny needed to return to his family and former life which would include Danielle becoming an official part of his family and thus become the future heroine she was to be. Still he didn't know how to approach this situation although his family and friends would be thrilled to hear of the enemy defeated and the danger he posed was now nonexistent. However his joy and excitement were compromised with the feeling of great disappointment of his parents knowing that they were kept in the dark about everything that had to do with his ghost powers public superhero status. They were no doubt going to be upset with Jazz for not telling them about once she found out.

"Dani, how did Mom and Dad handle the news of me having ghost powers?" He inquired of his clone.

"Well you revealed your powers with Mom present in a different setting. It was during a major ghost attack but not with that monster we faced. In fact you were saving a future friend of yours and Mom was injured at the time too. You originally thought that she was unconscious as well but she saw you go ghost. Still she was very vocal about the whole thing and told Dad about it. At first he thought that Mom had hit her head or something. In fact they almost made you give up your powers and cut ties with Tucker and Sam." The clone explained.

"Where they mad at Jazz too?" He asked.

"Oh you bet they were mad at Jazz too. They found out about once you accidentally mentioned her knowledge about your powers. She was defending you and why your powers were a good thing at the time." She answered but then continued on. "I really don't think I'm at much of a liberty about what I reveal whether it is from the future or alternate one. If that incident does happen it will likely have new outcome, one without you and Jazz getting grounded. Yeah but they didn't take it too well at first."

Danny's gut wrenched, but perhaps this situation would be different. Afterall he and his clone prevented a mass murdering terrorist from killing or harming them as well as thousands if not millions of other people. His mind raced on what to say and do during the situation. They were heading closer and closer to the cave.

"Danny you won't need to worry too much more about that grandson of the blonde jokes Dash Bozo, Buffoon, or whatever you want to call him. Dumb Dash is going to get a rival who is every bit as athletic as he is if not more but sure as heck a lot nicer, smarter, and way more principled than Dash has ever acted at least to my memory. Jazz even dated him plus the rival was the first to call Dash 'brain damaged.' I'm also good friends with his younger brother." Danielle stated trying to get Danny hopes up.

Eventually they reached the cave with the Fenton Jet. They activated it to head to the cabin hideout where the Fentons and friends were hiding. Danny figured that it was best to let Danielle pilot the jet while he contacted his family and friends.

"Well, here goes everything." He thought as he contacted them.

Once they found out he and his clone were safe and successful everyone burst into cheers with enthusiasm. They couldn't wait to see them and ask about how they defeated that dreaded monster. It seemed like Mr. and Mrs. Fenton either didn't mind Danny having ghost powers or gotten over their disappointment. They sure seemed to be excited about leaving the semi finished hideout and even prepacked ahead of time just in case.

Quickly they packed up the jet and left hopefully with Vlad never knowing that they hid in one of his cabins/hideouts. Speaking of which where was Vlad? Surely he and many others received the messages that the Fentons sent out to evacuate the city and other nearby communities. He strangely disappeared while everyone else was accounted for. Danielle and Danny strongly suspected that the Dark Phantom most likely might have kidnapped him in order to assure his existence and future.

On the flight back the hybrids explained how they were finally able to defeat the enemy by using the netting of the Ghostcatcher to filter out a time medallion that he was using to keep his existence intact so that he could re-create or create a new situation in which his existence would be assured and safe.

"Ironically he was defeated by a hybrid in human form again." Danny stated with a big grin. "This time it was Danielle and that he got too close to her."

"True." Danielle laughed. "If he kept his distance I would've had less of a chance. Thank goodness he had to savor the moment. Ghosts can be as vain as humans."

It didn't take long for them to return to Amity Park to which they sent out messages to public officials (including Mayor Vlad Masters) that the danger was gone and the city was once again safe to inhabit. Their reasons for leaving was to track and analyze this ghost in order to obtain knowledge about how to defeat him. They needed to lure him away from the public for safety reasons. Plus, Danny Phantom was going to need all the help he could get.

Since Danielle was likely to leave soon they decided to delay unpacking in order to ask a few more questions about Danielle and spend a little more time with her as well.

"Um Danielle, where are you right now? Do you remember?" Jazz asked.

"Yes, I'm in your home. Specifically in the living room genius." Dani answer wryly. Giggles erupted among the others especially Tucker.

"I meant where is the younger present you, right now."Jazz clarified.

"Unfortunately I don't really remember now because it was all a blur trying to avoid Vlad, ghost hunters, and possible ghost enemies.

"But how did we come across you? Did you seek us out or did we just bump into you by coincidence?" Jazz asked.

"It was mainly a coincidence but I'm not going to say everything. I must say there are several ghosts that have authority over time travel. I don't think I'm at liberty to say at this but I don't think it's really going to matter anymore." Danielle replied. "Oh, and by the way Jazz, don't try to girlify me or psychoanalyze me. I'm going to not only hate it but resist it." Dani added with a slight smile as if the whole experience was humorous in hindsight.
"Is there anything else we ought to know about?" Jack asked Dani.

"Yeah, don't send me to school right away because not only am I going to hate it but it will be a disaster because I'm wasn't ready for it. I won't have the social skills yet to become a proper student once you find me." She added.

Suddenly an unfamiliar voice called out for Danielle. Jack and Maddie got edgy and fired up their ecto-weapons. Danielle was the least reactive because she recognized this voice but was cautious. Tucker was bold enough with the armed Mr. and Mrs. Fenton next to him. He was not only among the first and most daring to take a peek in the room the voice originated from but the first to announce it. There he saw what he could only describe an adult Danny Phantom.

"Umm….There's someone here to see us but I think he's here for you Danielle." Tucker mention. "I think he just came inside as in phased inside." He added while pointing to an adjacent room once they came back in.

Everyone felt their hearts skip a few beats to what they anticipating but they were cautious just to be sure. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton had their weapons ready just in case. Could it be the future version of Danny be inside? Hopefully he will be the good, legitimate, hybrid version. Quickly Danielle got up to be the first one to come across him just in case this was a trick. She didn't want the time stream to be contaminated any more than it was.

Just as she entered a slightly tall muscular young man a little older than her stood in front her. He looked just like the Danny she grew up with and fought with. However she knew better than to automatically trust him. They exchanged a few words without the others being able to hear. Suddenly there they both erupted into cheers which was a signal to others that the situation was safe that enemy truly was defeated. The reunion was a joyous relief for everyone.

It turned out both of them asked each other very specific questions about one another which their modern friends and family wouldn't know…yet. They both were trying to make sure that this wasn't an imposter. It was a relief to everyone else to see how Danny was going to look like in the future. At least that fire headed caped terrorist was a thing of the past or better yet a thing of an alternate timeline. Danielle almost fainted during peak of the excitement. The future Danny caught her and carried her part of the way while they were getting ready to leave. She was then able to stand on her own while a portable portal device was prepared for them to leave.

The Danny of her time period whispered something in her ear just as they were about to return to their present time period. She reacted as if Danny told her a tasteless joke. They needed to leave anyway and couldn't stay to socialize.

"Danny, that's not funny at all. Especially after what I just went through. You darn know that my husband was feeling the same way so that can't be it." She hissed. Danielle felt her legs and balance fail as if she was becoming so upset that she was about to faint again but then Danny caught and picked her up.

"No seriously you are and there's a reason." He rebutted. He then proceeded to speak in a softer tone so that their current family and friends couldn't hear as well as they passed through the portal in their ghost forms.

"If Danielle isn't sick what could be causing her symptoms? Could it be stress? Sam asked.

"I think I heard him say couvade or something like that. Let me see if I can look it up on the internet." Tucker stated but then Jazz piped up with an excited cheer of realization. Everyone else knew from past expirience that Jazz was not only positive but this good news in some way.

"Oh my gosh, I know what that is. Danielle is expecting because couvade is pregnancy symptoms in men."

"Whoa, wait. Are you saying that Danielle is going to be a mom?" Tucker asked to be absolutely sure. Jazz assured him so. Everyone else seemed to be dumbstruck as if they didn't know what to say or if their minds were still processing the news.

"Gee this is an awkward way to learn that you're going to be an uncle or a grandparent since she's your clone and technically your daughter." Tucker stated.

"Tucker you realize that you're making this situation more awkward than it is? Even more I think we need to go home and keep your big mouth shut about this." Sam whispered keeping her voice low but not as low as she intended.

"Sam is right." Maddie stated as she broke her silence. "You two better head home. Your folks are probably are worried sick about you."

After Tucker and Sam honored Maddie's dismissal request she turned her attention toward her two known/current children.

"Danny, Jasmine, I ought to ground the both of you until you're old enough to leave the house and fend for yourselves. However I think it's better that you clean out that junk room at the end of the hall. If Danielle is going to defeat that future evil ghost version of you one day she's going to need a place stay and someone to mentor her." Maddie said as she eyed on Danny during the last part. It was as if she was giving him a vital task rather than the typical grounding. Still it could be a form of punishment and he didn't know what his mom or dad had in mind for Jazz.

The next day Danny met up with his friends at the park about the news. He explained how his parents took the news of him being part ghost better than he hoped. They were so close to grounding both him and Jazz plus getting rid of his powers but they seemed to figure out another option; tracking down Danielle and making her a permanent part of the Fenton family. She was definitely going to need the guidance of the original Danny Phantom, a family herself, and knowledge of ghost tracking and fighting gear in order to prevent a catastrophe from happening. So instead Danny and Jazz were tasked with doing some major reorganizing in the home in order to make a room for her. If they didn't one of them would have to share a room with Danielle. Both teenagers valued their space and privacy and agreed to their parents' (mainly the mom's) terms.

"So, any word about Vlad's absence? He wasn't seen except for that imposter." Sam inquired.

"He's back in office although officials and most of the media seem to be buying his story about being captured and imprisoned by that evil ghost." Tucker announced as he showed the article on his PDA. It featured a rather disheveled Vlad with a bit of fright in his eyes as if he went through something traumatic. Danny was positive that Vlad's statements had truth to them. He was certain the only reason why the Dark Phantom didn't destroy him was because Vlad was crucial for his existence to become a reality in this timeline.

Now there was another issue; where was the present Danielle and how to find her? Would she be willing to accept the invitation to be adopted by the Fentons? The future Danielle wouldn't say much as if she was under oath. Still she had to be found and kept safe from Vlad and other ghost hunters. Still that meant that Vlad could easily be all the more determined to capture Danielle to use her or more likely study her. Danny and his friends were certain that there were several more clones of him that were made. He wasn't likely to stop trying to make a 'perfect Danny Phantom clone' anytime soon. Since Valerie publically attacked him and declared him a threat he was no doubt going to distance himself from her and most likely do away with her.

"Say Danny maybe you could ask Frostbite if you could borrow the Infi-Map. It would lead you directly to her in no time." Tucker suggested.

"That is a good idea but risky. We don't want Vlad getting ahold of the map again." Sam stated. Then she continued. "I think we should all work on our Esperanto and see if we can meet up with Wulf in the woods by Lake Eerie. Wulf is a pretty good tracker but he's weak in English."

Danny's mind then lit up. It was a smart but simple idea. He should've thought of it himself. Even more Wulf could alert them to danger such as Vlad or other ghost hunters trying to pull a fast one on them.

"Uh, Danny you might want to properly introduce Wulf to your family so that they know that he's here to help and possibly protect. If your folks are going to be cool with you having ghost powers and fighting ghosts they ought to know who your enemies and allies are." Tucker added.

"Good point. I don't want to severe that tie and have Wulf think I betrayed him. It was bad enough that my mom sent him back into the Ghost Zone that one time. Although there wasn't really anything I could do at the time for him." Danny agreed.

"So when are you going to start?" Tucker asked his best friend.

"Definitely check out the woods near Lake Eerie. That is the last time we saw him." Danny answered. However he was unsure if he would still be around there. Still he had to check it out because it was the only lead he had at the time. Even more how were they supposed to explain this to Wulf?

"So are you both open to the addition of another member of Team Phantom?" Danny asked his friends.

"Oh heck yeah." Stated Tucker. "With her on our side, we'll be at least twice as good as before. Maybe each member of the team should be cloned or something."

"Tucker you realize that we're going to be admitting the younger Danielle as in the present one of our timeline not future hottie you're crushing on? Let's nevermind the whole cloning thing, Danielle is a good exception but I doubt all clones will be like her. So let's not risk it." Sam stated in her objection.

"Sam do you realize that I'm just kidding. Gee you really need to lighten up." Tucker confessed.

Sam blushed and apologized. "Sorry about that Tucker it's just been so crazy having to put up with contaminated timelines. I mean everything is so confusing and stressful." She admitted.

"Sam, I'm the one in the most stressful situation. I've been meaning to tell my parents about my powers but it got thrown in their faces without any fault of your own." Danny stated to both of his friends. "If you ask me, I'm going to say the answer to the million dollar question is how to get Danielle adjusted to my family after we find and take her in."

"Still how do your parents adopt her?" Tucker asked. "She can't have any records like a birth certificate or the sort. She's off the grid and a literal ghost. How are they going to convince any adoption agency or the government?"

"There are ways around that." Sam answered trying to be helpful. "One of my aunts has a friend who has connections with various people and organizations that have done some adoption work for children born into cults or off the grid in other ways. Technically they're going to be stretching the truth a bit but who's going to argue that she's younger than seven?" If they can estimate a close enough age that's good enough. It's tricky but it can be done especially if you know the right people." Sam explained.

"Uh, this still means nighttime missions, right?" Tucker asked.

"True, but at least I won't feel so guilty about going behind my parents' back." Danny stated.

"Yeah but you can't do the whole 'find Danielle' guise forever Danny." Tucker added.

"Right but I can use it to start with and find other reasons to hunt ghosts." Danny answered.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's start." Sam declared.

Suddenly a familiar cry of "Beware" was heard along with the screams of frightened picnickers.

"Yes, Sam but after this." Danny replied has he gone into a grove of trees to change into his Phantom form to deal with the Box Ghost.