Whaat? Not even an hour later? It's like you've had this saved on your computer for months or something! Or you're just really trying to avoid studying. Or both.

Bleh.

Epilogue

It had been three days since the thing with Demeter and the job offer from MOM. In that time, Danny had learned that, not only was he probably not immortal (three cheers), but Valerie was coming to terms with his being half-ghost and had agreed to join the Centre with him and Sam, Sam wanted to try going on a date (as weird as it could possibly look but hey, another three cheers), and also that Martin had dumped Danny's evil alternate future self into a Centre cell in order to make room in the Thermos for Demeter (one very unenthusiastic, and highly sarcastic cheer).

Danny limped along the darkened hallway rather more slowly than he could have gone. It wasn't the pain in his ankle or the bulky cast (courtesy of secret agent training) that dragged at his feet like a magnet to the metal floor, rather the reluctance came from his destination. He supposed he could have flown, but the physical act of putting solid feet onto the floor and lifting material legs helped (forgive the pun) to ground him.

He wasn't as afraid of this meeting as much as he would have been seven years ago, considering he'd been living with the guy for the last two. But he was still apprehensive about it. And weary. And any number of synonyms along those lines. He would've thought something along the lines of 'a least the alarm signalling his escape hasn't gone off yet' if he hadn't had extensive practice in keeping those thoughts subconscious after years of dealing with the likes of Desiree and all manner of psychic ghosts.

He passed plenty of weird looking creatures in their cells as he limped to the end of the hall, but he only paused to examine one. A basketball sized globe hung suspended in midair, a modified containment unit like the Thermos, only prettier and infinitely less portable. One of the aliens in R&D had volunteered it to hold Demeter until the Fentons were done with a new Thermos. A real-world test in a safety-ensured environment, he'd called it.

Danny took a moment to make sure it was holding, and then continued down the hallway.

The cell was silent as he approached, and empty as he looked in. But he didn't panic. Not yet, anyway. His evil self was a ghost and invisibility came expected. Plus, there hadn't been an alarm (don't think 'yet,'). Plenty of the cells in the Centre appeared empty at first glance. Luckily, MOM or some other brilliant individual had decided that vacant-looking cells that were not altogether vacant was kind of a dangerous phenomenon in their line of work, and had installed a number of different settings into the walls of the cages to read different visual spectrums; infrared being the one that Danny used now.

A huddled form in varying shades of blue and green appeared near the back of the cell. Near as Danny could tell, the other ghost was leaning back, arms crossed, maybe sleeping, more likely sizing him up.

For a while, neither of them said anything. Then Dan spoke (okiedokie, not asleep), "Pretty risky move, dumping me in here. Did you even know if the walls were phase proof? Or did the idiot Danny leap before looking?"

"…It was an educated guess," Danny said, "One I didn't consider too horrible seeing as MOM threatened to lock me in one these before when she knew full well what I could do."

"Did she now? Didn't figure Maddie as one to join the alien hunting business." Dan sat up and faded into normal view. Danny turned off the infrared. Cold eyes bored into his.

Danny closed heavy lids over blue irises. "Not that MOM. It's em-oh-em. Stands for…something."

"Oh, well done there, Sherlock."

"Shut up. I only came to tell you not to get used to the luxury suite. Mom and Dad are almost done building a stronger Thermos, and then you're going back inside."

Tense silence, and then a mocking, "Mom or Em-oh-em?"

Danny chose not to dignify that with a response. He walked away, dragging his leg behind him.

He and Sam had a double date with Martin and his fish-lady girlfriend-hopeful at some space restaurant MOM had recommended. He didn't want to keep them waiting. Especially not for the likes of him.

"An educated guess," came the unheard whisper from the dark, "is still just a guess."

the end

Well, it might be the end. I've made an educated guess.