This story is one I wrote some time back and put away in another folder, but recently decided to tweak it a bit and post it.

Danny Phantom belongs to Nickelodeon. I own nothing!

Also, Clockwork is my favorite ghost from the series. And yes, there is slight Nocturne and Desiree romance here too. I thought they would be cute together. Anyway, enjoy!

A Father Who's Always There For You

It was all a blur to them. The betrayal, the crazed looks in their parents' eyes, Sam screaming at them to run, and now just having escaped Skulker who had been intent on hunting them again. Suddenly, they ran into something hard and fell down, exhaustion now seeping into them as the adrenaline wore off, leaving them half-awake.

They then heard the door open and tried to see who was coming out, but their vision was fading as they was slowly falling asleep, only seeing a blobs of blue and green and purple and black before their eyes completely closed.

Nocturne and Desiree were rather shocked when the two ghost kids had crashed into their lair. "They're injured," said Nocturne.

Desiree looked thoughtful. "It looks like Skulker was after them again," she said. "Who can help them?"

Nocturne glanced out his window and saw the Clocktower not too far away. "Clockwork," he said. "He'll know more about them and what happened to them."

Nodding, the genie ghost picked up the young, orange-haired girl while Nocturne picked up the black-haired boy and they flew to the Clocktower, but were too scared to knock and so gently set the children down on the doorstep and Nocturne quickly knocked before he and Desiree flew away, scared to stick around as they feared Clockwork.

Clockwork studied the boy and girl that had been left on his doorstep noted that they both had burn marks on their clothes and faces, burn marks that would match Skulker's weapons. Sighing, he leaned down and picked them up, slinging them over his shoulders and moving inside, heading towards his room.

Once he got there, he gently set down them on the bed and watched as they slept, their faces streaked with dry tears. Clockwork didn't have to ask why they had been crying. He had seen it through the time window and the thought of two parents betraying their own children disgusted him.

He now looked back at the sleeping children. "I will help you, children," he said to him, changing from his young adult form to his older man form. "I know of your pain. Soon, you won't have to worry anymore about them."

Danny heard a voice speaking and groaned slightly, trying to block out the voice, but couldn't and felt something cold touch his face and he jumped up in surprise, trying to get up but a hand came on his shoulder and forced him to lay back down.

"Hold still, child," said a voice and Danny turned to see a blue ghost with a purple cloak beside him.

Just when his ghost sense went off and he immediately tried to get away from this ghost, but every power blast he used was dispersed by the ghost in front of him. Jazz woke up too and gasped when she saw the ghost. "Danny, look out!" she warned, pulling out a ghost gun, which the ghost blasted with a telekinetic ray, forcing her to let go of it.

"Calm down, you two," the ghost said sternly, but the young halfa and young girl was too frightened to listen and Danny charged, only to be tackled by the ghost before him and pinned down. Danny gasped and struggled even more, but the blue ghost was too strong for him and soon he gave up, tears running down his face again.

"Let my brother go!" said Jazz as she charged too, but he caught her in his telekinetic ray, pinning her down beside her brother. Both were now shivering in fear and looked up at the time ghost with fear-filled eyes before they squeezed their eyes shut again.

Danny felt cold hands release him and one arm came around his back, supporting him as something soft and cold touched his face again and he opened his eyes to see it was a cloth that had been soaked in cold water and it was now washing his face, courtesy of the ghost holding him.

"Don't be afraid," said the ghost in front of him. Danny tried to struggle again, but his body was too weak to put up much of a fight as he felt something cool and dry brush over his face, drying it from the earlier washing.

The ghost in front of him switched from an older man to a younger man, causing Danny to jump and try to get away, but the ghost only tightened his hold on him, making Danny tremble. Who was this ghost? And what did he want? He was scared to know.

Clockwork sighed when he realized the boy was more scared than before and was no doubt a little unnerved by his changing forms. He then picked up the girl in his other arm. "Daniel, Jasmine," he said, his voice comforting and soothing. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who…who are you?" the young halfa asked, still trembling.

"Clockwork, the Master of Time," the older ghost answered. "Nocturne and Desiree brought you to me after you both had been injured by Skulker."

Danny remembered that and realized it had to have been those two ghosts he had seen before falling asleep. Jazz realized it too as they both now squirmed, but noticed Clockwork didn't let them go. They were about to ask when the ghost smiled at them and then gently placed Jazz back down on the bed before turning his attention to the boy.

"If I let you go, I wouldn't be able to do this."

Danny felt a hand on his side and fingers poke his ribs, making him let out a cute squeak, which made the ghost holding him smile.

"Hmm. Only a squeak? Perhaps another spot," said Clockwork as his hand moved and poked the boy's underarm, getting a giggle this time. "A giggle? Not too much longer now then."

Danny now started to struggle as he was then playfully pinned to the bed and felt Clockwork slip his gloved hand under the upper half of his costume just over his stomach, the cold touch filling the boy with dread when he realized what was about to happen.

Clockwork grinned and began to wiggle his fingers quickly and teasingly into Danny's stomach and the boy just about left his skin as he laughed his hardest.

"NO! STOP!" he cried out, laughing. "PLE-HEE-HEE-ASE! I'M TICKLISH!"

"I already knew that, little one," Clockwork teased as he lifted up the top half of the costume a little bit to reveal the boy's ticklish stomach and he grinned, leaning down quickly and blowing a raspberry into the boy's stomach.

"AHHHHHHHH! NONONO! NOT THAT! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Danny screamed out, laughing as the ghost continued to blow raspberries into his stomach and now smiled as he stopped, giving the boy a break.

"Will you calm down, then?" Clockwork asked, smirking as he knew what the boy's answer would be.

Danny weakly nodded, the ticklish torture having drained him a little. The time ghost chuckled before turning to Jazz, who looked a bit fearful. "Your turn, Jasmine," he said.

Jazz tried to get away, but Clockwork grabbed her and began tickling her, making her laugh as he tickled her unmercifully. "You're as ticklish as your brother," he said teasingly.

"Please," Jazz begged through her laughter.

Clockwork chuckled and stopped, scooping both children up, holding them in a father-like way as he carried them to the screen room, sitting down in a large, comfortable, purple chair and setting them in his lap. Danny felt a little uncertain, but that vanished when one hand came up and began to rub his back in a soothing manner, chasing away any fears he had then and making him relax, something that made the time ghost smile. Even Jazz relaxed when she felt the time ghost's hand rub her back soothingly, no longer afraid.

About a month had passed and Danny and Jazz were still getting used to the fatherly way Clockwork acted around them. It felt so foreign after their parent's betrayal.

Parents. They had pretty much kicked them out of the house and Danny wondered if Clockwork might do the same.

A hand on his shoulder made the poor halfa jump alert out of his thoughts and look to see Clockwork behind him, the Time Master's face showing that he knew what Danny had been thinking. "Danny?" said Clockwork. "Is everything alright?"

Danny looked down for a moment, but a purple-gloved hand gently tilted his chin up to look at Clockwork. "Your family?" he now asked, having a feeling that's what Danny had been thinking of.

"Clockwork? You wouldn't…throw us out, would you?"

That question from Jazz made Clockwork wince. So, that was the reason they were upset and seemed to still be uncertain most of the time when Clockwork would show them fatherly affection. "No," he said firmly. "Jasmine, Daniel. Unlike your parents, I do have a heart."

Deciding to not correct Clockwork on their names, Danny looked down at his feet and Jazz covered her face with her hands. Clockwork pulled them both into a fatherly hug, just as the children felt tears begin to fall. "Shh, my little ones, I'm here," Clockwork soothed them, hugging the boy and girl tighter to give him more comfort.

Danny and Jazz clung to Clockwork as they slowly calmed down, but were still upset. "You…you promise?" Danny asked. "You won't…do that?"

"You'll never hurt us like that?" asked Jazz.

Clockwork stroked their heads that rested on his shoulders. "I will never betray you as your parents did," he promised. "You both have my word."

The young halfa and young budding psychiatrist finally calmed down and didn't move away from Clockwork's embrace, to which Clockwork smiled and carried them to his room where there was a rocking chair and the time ghost sat in it with them in his lap. The chair began its gentle rocking rhythm as the teens immersed themselves in the comfort that the time ghost was giving them. A thought came to Danny.

"Clockwork?" he asked, a little unsure.

"Yes, Daniel?" said the time ghost, sensing the boy's uncertainty.

Danny was about to ask, but then shook his head. Clockwork gently nudged him. "What did you want to ask me, Daniel?" he asked him.

Seeing that Clockwork wouldn't let him drop the subject so easily, Danny sighed and looked at him. "Can we…can we call you…?" he couldn't seem to say it, but the time ghost knew what he was asking.

"Danny, Jazz," he said, using their nicknames. "You may call me 'Dad' if you want. That's your choice."

Jazz looked hopeful. "You're okay with it?" she asked.

Clockwork smirked and tickled them, making Jazz giggle and Danny laugh for a while before letting them rest. "Yes, my children, I'm alright with it," he said.

Danny looked at the calendar and saw that it had now been a little over a year since he and Jazz had fled from their parents and was thinking about paying them a visit. But how would they react now? Jazz came up to him. "You're thinking about them, huh?" she asked.

"Well, it's been a year now," he said. "But, I don't know."

She placed her hands on his shoulders in sisterly concern. "Danny, I don't really consider them our parents anymore," she said. "Not after they almost destroyed you and me."

"I know," he said. "It's just…,"

"You still wonder if they might see that they made a mistake," said Clockwork gently as he appeared before them. Having lived with him, the kids had gotten used to their ghost father always appearing when they least expected it. Danny now nodded.

"Yeah, I guess," he said.

Jazz looked unsure. "Do you think it's possible, Dad?" she asked Clockwork.

"Anything is possible, my young ones," he said vaguely. "If you wish, you may go see them, but take care to stay hidden. Daniel, I trust you'll keep your sister safe."

"Yes, sir," said the halfa as he took his sister's hand and they flew through the ghost zone, running into Nocturne and Desiree on the way.

"Hello, you two," said Desiree warmly.

Danny and Jazz smiled and embraced her and Nocturne. After being told that the two had saved them, Clockwork had made them members of the family, much to their surprise, but the kids had accepted them.

Nocturne now ruffled Danny's hair. "What are you two up to?" he asked.

"It's…kinda personal," said Danny.

"Sorry," said Jazz.

Both ghosts just smiled. "Alright, but be careful," Desiree cautioned.

"Skulker and Walker have been patrolling around her more lately than usual," said Nocturne. "Perhaps one of us should go with you."

"Uh, no thanks," said Danny. "But thanks anyway."

"We'll be careful," said Jazz as she and Danny flew off. Nocturne was still a bit worried as was Desiree.

"Desiree, darling, I'm worried about them," he said.

"As am I," she said. "I think I know where they are going."

Nocturne's eyes then widened. "Oh, no," he said when he realized it too. He quickly used his telepathy to call a friend, who received the message and immediately followed the kids.

Jazz kept a watchful eye as Danny flew both of them towards the portal that would lead back to their former home. "I hope we won't regret this," she said.

"Me too," said Danny as he made them both invisible and they flew in to see what was going on. They gasped when they saw the lab had been severely tricked out with ghost equipment and Jack and Maddie were both working on something that looked sinister.

"This will do perfect to dissect any ghost that dares to come in here," said Maddie. "Including our former children."

"Ah, those two," said Jack. "I hope they never come back."

That stunned both siblings and they looked at each other sadly and flew back into the portal. Jazz then had an idea. "Can you shut the portal from this side for good?" she asked her brother.

"Worth a shot," said Danny as he was about to do so when Walker suddenly appeared.

"Well, well, I've been looking for you two for quite some time now," said the ghost warden. "I'm taking you both in."

"Leave Clockwork's children alone, Walker!" cried out a wheezing voice as the kids saw Vortex send a tornado at Walker, sending him spinning away. Wulf also appeared and growled, pointing to the portal. "I agree," said Vortex. "Daniel, we can close the portal if we concentrate."

Danny nodded and set Jazz down where she'd be safe and helped Vortex by firing his ghost rays at the portal. Vortex did the same and the two concentrated hard and the portal exploded, shutting the Fenton portal to the ghost zone forever. Danny now nearly collapsed, but Wulf caught him. "Quick! Get them back to Clockwork! I'll hold Walker off," said Vortex.

Wulf nodded and grabbed Jazz and took off through the ghost zone, soon coming to the Clocktower and setting them down. "Thanks, Wulf," said Jazz.

He smiled at them and headed off while the kids headed inside, feeling a bit depressed. "I'm sorry, Jazz," said Danny. "If I hadn't been so stupid to think they had changed, we wouldn't have gotten in trouble."

"Danny, you're not stupid," she said. "And, I was hoping the same, but I guess they won't change."

"You think Dad knew and didn't tell us?"

Jazz looked down. "Maybe he wanted us to see for ourselves instead of just telling us," she said.

"Why?" asked Danny.

"Because you wouldn't have believed me if I told you," said Clockwork, appearing before them. "I'm sorry, my little ones. I knew you would be hurt, but I also knew you had to see the saddening truth for yourselves."

"And that's the way it will be, right, Dad?" asked Jazz.

"I'm afraid so, Jasmine," he said.

She hugged him and he returned her hug before seeing Danny come up to him. Clockwork pulled him into the hug too, feeling his son hug him back as he rocked his children to soothe them. "Shh," he soothed them.

"Dad?" said Danny. "Will you always be there for us?"

Clockwork smiled and wiped the tears that had started to run down their faces. "Yes," he said. "I'll always be here for you two."

They hugged him again. "Dad? Thanks for everything," said Jazz.

"Yeah, thanks," Danny echoed.

The Master of Time smiled. "You're welcome, my children," he said as they all went to the living room and they sat in his lap as they watched the time stream together, happy to be together as family.

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418