Hello! This is my very AU story of Danny Phantom, starting from where TUE let off! It has elements from stories like 'DP: Paint it Black' by Futuramakid and 'Obsession' by Celestial Fey. It also has my elements and original story continuation starting from 'Frightmare before Christmas'.

It has DannyXSam, a Vlad looking for forgiveness and a five-year-old Danielle. Any other pairings are not a chance right now… still need any logical or possible reason for an existence of them… still looking for an excuse though, but don't hold your breath.

Sorry for those expecting chapter 8, I don't know what to write, it happens that I have these... let's call them 'tics'. These 'tics' happen to me, whenever I think of something like, for instance, a family moment, an embarrasing moment, or something that makes people either laugh of cringe, these 'tics' force me to stop viewing and in extreme cases, forces me out of the computer because the thought is just so... that I have to walk it off... I'm trying to do it, I really am, but I'm losing inspiration... still... I want to do it. I'll see what I can do.

Possible disappearance of episodes: This is important, I need a really good plot for 'Masters of All Time' and if I don't come up with anything good, then I won't make it, it will the lack the embarrasment of Danny's and Jazz's parents since... well... if you read the summary you know. If I manage to do a believable plot then not only does 'MoAT' stays, but so many other episode arcs I'll write. However some will not be featured, such as 'Livin' Large' and 'Kindred Spirits' though I have a half thought of the latter if I do make 'MoAT', also I have a half-thought for 'Girl's Night Out' that might work and the rest of the episodes from 'TFBC' as well, you'll have to wait though.

Thanks to Jaded Jimmie for beta-ing this chapter and story! And for everyone as doing as much as reviewing!

Disclaimer: Butch Hartman is a brilliant man who created Danny Phantom, and he owns you too!

The path divides

From the destroyed rubble of an old building in Amity Park, a black-gloved hand rose. Danny raised his head despite his exhaustion and saw how the hand returned to the rubble before a figure pulled himself out of the rubble. The figure was Danny's evil alternate future.

Evil Danny spoke "Well, that's it, isn't it?" Danny replied "Time's up!" before he grabbed a Fenton Thermos from his belt and pressed the button on it, making the thermos fire a blue light that engulfed the evil ghost and promptly sucked him in.

As the evil Danny tried to freed himself but failed and was sucked in he said "Too weak to escape, and you're too late to save them. RAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" and Danny placed the lid on top of it.

Then Danny remembered something important, turned around and said out loud "Oh no."

The boiler of the Nasty Sauce was glowing red, its heat-meter broke, after passing the red mark, its surface started to crack and from the cracks came hot steam, and the people tied to it by ghostly bonds, Jack, Maddie, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, and Lancer couldn't help but stare at each other.

Danny broke into a sprint, attempting to get to them before the explosion happened. While running he tried to summon his ghost powers and the white ring formed, but as soon as it appeared it faded away. Danny said "I can't go ghost!".

Danny kept running, avoiding the rubble, and despite his tiredness, he kept running, pushing his legs to the maximum and with whatever strength he had left, he managed to get to the people tied to the boiler and grabbed the hands of the two people closest to him: Sam and Tucker.

Danny grabbed the hands of his friends and made himself and them intangible with his remaining ghost powers, he was about to make the rest of the people intangible but the boiler exploded in a massive fireball of highly combustible condiments.

For a second Danny wished that time would stop, so that the people in the explosion wouldn't die, to Clockwork to do something, anything, turn back the clock even if it meant fighting his evil self again, but no such luck was given to him… well… not exactly.

Time stopped and the explosion was still as strong as ever, a massive fireball over the remains of the Nasty Burger, but it was still… not expanding or shrinking, just stuck. Danny, Sam and Tucker intangible in the middle of it, the rest of the people nowhere to be seen over the shine of the fireball.

A swirling blue portal opened and Clockwork came out of it in his child form. He observed the entire scene, deciding whether or not he should help, but decided against his first decision. He made himself intangible and phased his hand through the fireball and grabbed one of the thermoses in Danny's belt. More specifically, the one that held Danny's evil future alter ego.

Clockwork said "I'm afraid this time I can't help you Danny, somewhere in another time, in another universe I helped you, I gave you a second chance… but sometimes a second chance it's just too much… now… all you have is your friends, and you're going to need them more than ever Danny. But don't worry… despite everything, I see a bright future ahead of you. I know." and he stored the thermos in his cloak and pressed the button on his stopwatch staff as he said "Time in!" and time restarted once again as he disappeared from view.

The world started to move again. The fireball expanded and it disappeared. After it died down Danny left go of his friends and turned himself tangible and visible, not that he had a choice since now his ghosts powers were too low to hold on those powers. As he looked around he saw that only Sam and Tucker made it, his parents, Jazz and Mr. Lancer were nowhere to be seen.

Danny said hopelessly "No… no no no no no no… NO! This can't be happening!" and he looked around, trying to find his family, his dad, his mom, his sister, even anything that could manage to survive the explosion. All Sam and Tucker could do was watch as Danny broke down slowly.

Danny managed to say "No! No! Oh… Dad… Mom… Jazz… I…" before he broke down completely and started to cry and sob at the death of his family. Sam came to him, kneeled in from of him and held him as he cried. All Danny could do was to hold Sam, hug her and bury his face in her shoulder. Tucker tried to look in the rubble for anything, and he looked he saw that in a pile of scrap metal was what appeared to be a body.

Tucker said "Hey! I found something!" and it caught Danny's and Sam's attention, they got on their feet and went to what Tucker was pointing wide-eyed. Sam and Danny's eyed bulged, not believing what their eyes saw. There, surrounded what appeared to be burnt metal, was Jazz, she was badly damaged, her hair somewhat burnt, but she was there, living, breathing… she survived.

Soon an ambulance, two police cars and a fire truck came, one of the officers and a firefighter came to them and once they saw what they were staring they called a paramedic to them.

The officer asked "Is she your friend?" and the three teenagers could only nod. The officer spoke again "I'm afraid I'm going to ask you to leave the scene, this place is dangerous. They say Danny Phantom was here." not knowingly bringing sadness to Danny again.

But Danny couldn't say anything because the adrenaline in his body died down, leaving him very tired, and making him pass out. As darkness overtook Danny all he could manage to make was the screams of his worried friends calling him by his name.

A couple of hours later. North Mercy Hospital.

In a hospital room were two beds, one of them had Danny Fenton, covered in a few bandages to cover some of his wounds that he received from his battle with his evil future self, and on the other bed was Jazz Fenton, now out of the Fenton Peeler suit that withstood most of the damage of the explosion, leaving her with some less-than-serious burns and some wounds that left her with her hands bandaged up up to her shoulders, and her feet up to her mid-thighs covered with many bandages, her face was slightly burn and so was her hair.

The doctors had to cut it and now it was shoulder's length, though with the same style.

Both of them had hospital patient robes on, and next to them were two figures in two seats. These were Sam and Tucker. Sam was sitting to the left of Danny's bed, which was at the right wall of the room while Tucker, who wasn't scared of the hospital due to the seriousness of the whole situation, was seated on the right of Jazz's bed that was in the left wall of the room.

After the ambulance took Danny and Jazz it was confirmed that Jack, Maddie, and Lancer didn't made it, in fact, their bodies were evaporated and even their bones were burnt into ashes. A sad ending indeed for the three adults. In memory of them statues would be build, with the inscriptions 'Gone but not forgotten', with the exception of Mr. Lancer which will only say 'Gone', but Sam and Tucker, and of course Danny and Jazz, would never forget him, and especially Jack and Maddie Fenton.

Soon Danny started to fidget and he slowly dared to open his eyes, hoping that everything was a dream. But as he saw the white light of the hospital, himself in a hospital robe, and his hands featuring some bandages, he knew it happened. The explosion occurred and only he, Sam, and Tucker survived, then he remembered, before he passed out he saw Jazz.

As he looked to his right he saw Sam, staring at him with concern on her violet eyes, a little further he saw Tucker, who twisted himself so he could see Danny, and next to Tucker was Jazz.

Danny rose from his bed spoke "Jazz…" though it came hoarsely as he was still tired and weak. He lay back down as Sam placed a hand on his chest and effortlessly pushed him to the bed. Sam said "Don't try Danny, you're still weak, and your wounds haven't healed yet. Jazz is ok, the doctors said that she was seriously injured and that she would need time to recover and wake up, but she's stable. She's still alive."

Danny smiled slightly before he became sad again; he remembers that now his parents and Mr. Lancer are dead, by his fault no less. Sam detected this and said "Hey, is going to be ok. Maybe your parents didn't make it, but… actually… I don't know what to say now…". Danny knew that Sam tried to comfort him and he gave her a sad smile, in appreciation for how she was still willing to stay by his side despite everything, even this relative closeness to death didn't pushed her away.

But Danny's mind was still plagued with guilt, thinking of what the last thoughts of his parents, and Mr. Lancer, were. Being murdered by your evil future son, evil future student in Lancer's case must be one heck of a shocking thought as your time runs out.

Danny wasn't even sure if he could get over the death of his parents, but now he had his friends and his sister to hang on, preventing him from going to the darkness of his mind, and perhaps, making him avoid the path he must not walk through.

Now Danny just relaxed and closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The same time. Wisconsin, Vlad's Mansion.

Vlad was currently in his living room, seated in a sofa, holding a cell phone to his ear, listening to what the person was telling to him through the other end of the telephone.

"So… Jack left me the custody of Daniel and Jasmine?" asked Vlad. In the other end, Mr. Johnson, the Fentons lawyer, was telling Vlad that in the will of Jack and Madeline Fenton was the clause in which Vlad Masters, as Danny's and Jazz's godfather, was given custody of Daniel and Jasmine Fenton, and had the responsibility of taking care of him, unless both, Vlad, and Danny and Jazz, were against it.

Mr. Johnson said "Yes, and I'm sure you heard the news that they are currently hospitalized. So, until both of them are fully recovered you can pick them up." and Vlad replied "Sure, I'll also call them and ask them about it."

Mr. Johnson said "Alright then, right now I'm going to see them, apparently Daniel Fenton woke up, and I'll tell them of their parents' will… perhaps they won't like the reminder of their parents' death, but it is imperative of them to follow the last will of their parents."

Vlad replied "Of course, tell Daniel and Jasmine I said hi. I have some… business to take care of before I call them. Have a good day, sir."

Mr. Johnson returned the goodbye and hung up. Vlad closed his cell phone and he was about to step outside his house and ask the limo driver to take him to his property near the Wyoming-Colorado border.

But before he left, he went to his room and grabbed the picture of him, Jack and Maddie that was in his night table, which was laid facing down the table. It still had Jack's face ripped off. So he opened the night table and took the missing piece of the picture. He decided to simply phase the face into the glass of the framed picture and into its place. The picture now looked perfect, like if it wasn't ripped out at all.

Vlad slightly smiled and left the picture in its place, now steadying it like it was supposed to be. He then left the room.

One hour later, Vlad's estate near the Wyoming-Colorado border. (A/N: If I'm wrong with the time of the trip just roll with it, please.)

Ever since Vlad heard of the explosion that took the lives of his friends Jack and Maddie Fenton, he felt… to the lack of better word, guilty.

Twenty years of planning, twenty years of preparations, twenty years of a grudge, and twenty years of effort now wasted. Not completely wasted, since he still had his money and properties, but it was all so he could have Maddie for himself, get Jack out of the picture, like the one he ripped out, and since recently, have Danny as his son.

He had thoughts of killing Jack himself, but he never thought he would actually do it. Kill a man, let alone the man who was always with him, even after the accident that gave Vlad his power he was always there, a loyal follower, and a loyal voter if Vlad ever ran for something. But now… he was dead, and so was Maddie, the woman who was also a friend for him even if he wanted more.

With their deaths he made a silent vow, he would never use his powers again, not he needed to make a vow. Like any other full ghost, Vlad had an obsession. Initially believing it was Maddie, he realized now it was his hunger for greatness, for power, for more. Always more. And now with the tragic accident his hunger for more died, and now he could barely even tap into his powers. He had a life to go on; he's in his early forties and had a life ahead of him.

But now… it was over. And he lost; he had no reason to continue fighting or even trying anymore. Maybe Danny still had something to fight for. Vlad hadn't heard of Danny having a solid obsession… yet. And Danny was still a hero, even if Amity Park thought otherwise. But since Danny had a life ahead of him and he didn't want to intervene, that was the very reason he was here in this very property: to give up and erase all of his plans since he had no reason to continue them.

Right now, Vlad was currently going down the lab where his cloning project was going on. He saw as in the different chambers many of his failed clones were awaiting for his decision to free them. However he gave them what he thought was more merciful and pressed a button in each chamber to abort the accelerated growth of the clones of Danny Phantom, and life support, leaving them to eventually die slowly and painlessly.

One by one he pressed the buttons, over two dozen chambers that contained the clones he made trying to come up with his perfect half-ghost son immediately shut down. As he was about to press the last one he noticed that inside of it, was in fact a clone that appeared to be stable and didn't look like a failure like the other clones. But the most outstanding feature of the clone was that the hair was longer than Danny's, in fact, the clone looked like a girl.

Vlad said "Mad- err… computer, what is the status about this clone?" and the hologram of the deceased Maddie Fenton appeared and said "Stability 95%, sweetie. Anomaly: Y chromosome missing in DNA recombination. Result: Female clone, dear one. Ectoplasmic readings: Stable so far. Instability expected with overextended use of ectoplasmic powers. Structural density: 100% so far."

And Vlad flinched at the compliments he got from the hologram and made a mental note to delete it, along with the Jack program. Looking at the holograms of his dead friends, who he had mistreated, were a pain to his already stroked heart.

From what the hologram told his is that the clone was indeed a girl, and was stable and had the appearance of the regular 5-year old girl, amazingly not looking horrid like the other clones.

Vlad still had the thought of aborting the growth and letting her die in peace, but his body didn't respond and instead pressed another button, which emptied the green substance the girl was floating in and made the chamber open, smoke poured out of It, and as the upper part stopped moving, the chamber revealed the girl in it.

She was wearing the same ghost form clothes she would be wearing when she would be 12 but it didn't show her midriff. Her white hair was short and it barely grazed her shoulders, and her front bangs were in the same style as Danny's.

She was very short, like any young child, at least 3 feet and she was lying down in the bottom of the chamber. Suddenly there was a flash, and in its place was a black haired girl, and she slowly opened her blue eyes.

She slowly got up until she was on her feet, trying to balance herself over them and Vlad kneeled down in front of her and caught her before she fell on her face.

Dani looked up into the eyes of Vlad and asked "Are you my daddy?" Vlad immediately felt a pang of guilt in his heart, though he didn't show it. He was nothing to her, only her maker, just to fulfill his selfish desire of a half-ghost son.

Vlad spoke "No. I'm actually your godfather… your father is…" and trailed off before answering, he was considering telling her that his real father, Jack Fenton, was dead, and so was her mother, Maddie Fenton. So when Vlad spoke again he said "Your father is actually in Amity Park, my dear. I will take you to him, if you want, Danielle."

Dani cocked her head to the sound of what she thought was her name. She asked "Danielle? Is that my name?" and Vlad answered "Yes. Your full name is Danielle Fenton." and she absorbed this information.

Vlad got up, carrying her in his arms and as he walked out Dani asked "And my father? Who is he?" and Vlad only slightly smiled and replied "He's Danny. Danny Fenton. A remarkable young man if I say so myself."

As Vlad walked out he made a mental note that he would have to find a way to stabilize Dani's DNA. She didn't exactly need to be stabilized, but if she ever used her powers her DNA could destabilize, and the only way she could help Danielle is if Danny agrees to give him a sample of mid-morph DNA. Though he would expect a witty comeback from Danny, being called a fruit loop for asking his DNA and for making Danielle in the first place.

True, Vlad didn't expect forgiveness from Danny, but he was willing to do anything for forgiveness. He hoped that Danny would at least trust him. As the girl started to doze off on his shoulder he decided that if Danny didn't offered him a sample of mid-morph DNA then he would find any way to stabilize Danielle.

The same time. Amity Park, North mercy Hospital.

A middle-aged man entered the room where Danny and Jazz were currently recovering from their wounds. Sam and Tucker turned to him.

The middle-aged man had grey hair, was slightly bald and was wearing a black suit and had a black briefcase on his right arm. The man was known as Frederick Johnson, the lawyer of the Fentons.

Mr. Johnson said "Oh. I'm in the right room." as Sam and Tucker only stared at him.

Sam eventually asked "Who are you?" and Mr. Johnson replied "I'm the lawyer of the deceased Jack and Madeline Fenton. I have the will they left in case of both of them died, which was unfortunately the current situation. Is there any chance either Daniel of Jasmine will wake up?".

Tucker answered "The doctors said that Jazz might wake up in a few days. Danny just woke up an hour ago before he fell asleep and we don't know when he might get up."

As if on cue Danny started to move and he opened his eyes. He glanced around the room until his eyes fell on the middle-aged man. Danny asked "Who are you?" and the man said "My condolences, Daniel. I'm your parents' lawyer, and I bring the will they left." and Danny felt somewhat sad, his parents' death was still a raw wound and it would take a lot of time to close but he tried to swallow the sadness and said "Oh. Well… what does the will say?"

Mr. Johnson sat on a chair near the door and placed his briefcase on his lap and opened it and also placed his glasses before his eyes, as he took out the will he said "Well… in your parents' will it says that your parents left you and Jasmine their house, their contents and everything, even what is in their lab in the basement, it also says about their bank accounts which should cover any debt of water, electricity and other necessities of yours for a while, and whatever amount is left in the bank accounts will be transferred to a new bank account.

Though all of this will be yours once Jazz becomes old enough by legal terms. In other words, until she's 18 years old. The contents in your rooms however belong respectively to both of you and you can take them to the place you're going to live in.

Your godfather, Vlad Masters, was left with the custody of both you and Jasmine, and unless both parts disagree with the clause you will have to be under his care, and -" and he was cut off by Danny saying "No! I will not go or listen to that fruit- old man!"

Mr. Johnson sighed "Very well, if Vlad follows your wishes he will leave you, but you and your sister will require a legal guardian if Vlad isn't yours, or you will have to follow the clause anyways."

Danny considered this; he didn't know who else to go with. There was his aunt, Alicia, but it wouldn't be a nice life to say the least. Sam eventually spoke up and said "He can live with me! I can convince my parents to live with us!"

Frederick, Danny, and Tucker stared at her and asked "You can?" and Mr. Johnson considered this "Very well… if your parents agree to be their legal guardians and Vlad renounces their custody, then it's all taken care of. But you will have to live with them and also, you, Jasmine, and Vlad will have to sign some papers at my office to clear everything up. And her parents will have to sign some papers as well, making them your legal guardians. Now that that's taken care of, your father left you one last item."

Frederick placed the will in his suitcase and put away his glasses as he grabbed a small black box that was buried inside the mess of papers inside the suitcase and closed it once he took out the box. He walked to Danny and gave him the box.

Mr. Johnson said "Your father left you this. Is his old class ring, he was going to give it to you since he believed that you could have a use for it. He even engraved something in it. Now, I must go, my most sincere apology, Danny. Something like this shouldn't have happened to your parents. They were good people. Oh, and before I go, here, this is my address. Vlad sends his greetings." He gave Danny his business card and he left the room.

Danny glanced at the box in his hand. He opened in and indeed, there was a ring. A gold band with a blue rock on it. As he took it out, and saw the inside of it he noticed that it said 'Wes'.

Danny spoke "Huh… it says… 'Wes'… weird… Oh well… my dad left it believing I might have a use for it one day, so I'll keep this around." He placed the ring inside the box and gave it to Sam. He said "Can you keep this for me? Oh and, thanks for saving me from going to Vlad's."

Sam replied "Sure, and your welcome." and Tucker said "Are you sure you can get your parents to be Danny's and Jazz's legal guardians, Sam?" and Sam thought if for a second. She answered "Well… it might take a few dresses and some… bright make up… but it will be worth it." While cringing a little to the thought of using a pink dress and pink make up, but to let Danny stay in Amity Park, and more importantly, away from becoming evil she would do it.

Danny said "Thanks Sam. You're a really good friend to do that for me." And Sam replied, while slightly blushing "Oh it's nothing. That's what friends are for." barely whispering the last part. Usually Tucker would crack about them being lovebirds, but the somber mood of the death they experienced, and witnessed, hours earlier returned and everyone was alone with their thoughts.

Danny decided to lie down again and try to sleep, having nothing else to do. Sam continued to stare at Danny, seeing him calmed down was far better than what she saw when he broke down. And Tucker continued to look at Jazz.

The three of them thought that things would get complicated from now, and they were right, but what was keeping them going was the thought that after everything, no matter what, life would be good, and with time everything would get better.

End of chapter 1.

I actually made it? Wow… now… it will take a while before chapter 2. So… yeah…

Any questions, you can ask me with a review of PM. Also any suggestion is welcome. You can be criticizing, I can take it. No need to be gentle, but don't be an ass and flame me either, I only accept true criticizing, if you say 'It sucks' say why. And I don't allow anonymous reviews… I hate posers who use the pennames of authors to stir up trouble in the fandom.

One explanation, and perhaps the only one I thought for this one: The ring… in the episode 'Flirting with Disaster' Jack showed him the ring, in the right side. In my story Danny just grabbed it and being the clueless teen he is he had it upside down, so… yeah… as for the awkward father-son talk… I'll think of something, and no, there won't be any parents' ghost… I have something in mind that just seems likely, if you know what I mean.

Also, Dani is short, very short, and probably barely tall to reach Danny's waist or something. I think. Oh well.

Thanks for reading. And reviewing for those who want to.