Literally, I only have my "Hey Arnold!" story to work on and seeing as how I did that on a whim, I'm not super worried. I also have the Bromance is for Pussies sequel, but I still need to plan that out. Either way, I had to write a Danny Phantom story for three reasons:

1. I hate Pitch/Pearl. What the fuck? It's the same guy. You can't say his ghost half isn't Danny. Other than TUE, there has been no indication of Danny's ghost half being anything more than the ghost side of Danny. And, in TUE, the ghost half of Danny was apparently the half that harbored all of Danny's regrets and frustrations. If anything, it's a Danny that has died but has not passed—like a freaking ghost. I'm being way too critical about this, honestly. I just hate seeing so much Pitch/Pearl. And, yeah, in a sense, "Evil Danny" is the same person as Danny, but he's also part Vlad, thus making "Evil Danny" his own person, which makes more sense than being the world's biggest narcissist and dating your emo self.

2. Most of the "Evil Danny" stories are either stories where he inexplicably becomes good and attracted to his younger self, stories where he comes back for revenge and Danny has to fight him, or actually good stories (of which I've successfully found three or four). There are probably more out there that are really good, but among all the clutter, who can find them? I'm trying to keep away from this and offer a logical explanation for Dan's sudden attraction to Danny, but it's hard when all the good ideas are already taken. :P

3. Some stories have genuinely great ideas, but the fucking grammar and spelling. I can only take reading something that has terrible grammar and spelling for so long. That's probably the downfall of most good stories. Sometimes, the author's first language isn't English (the language I prefer to read) and they try to write in English—this is perfectly acceptable and good on you for writing in a language that isn't your first. English is hard as fuck. These I forgive. Others, however, are people who apparently just don't give a fuck. Literally, if your summary has no capital letters, I don't even bother. If you use the wrong "your" or "you're," it irks me terribly. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes and there will often be mistakes we overlook—even mistakes our betas overlook. But Jesus fuck, at least try.

And now that my ranting is over, let's get to this story thing.

1,096. Dan Phantom scowled. He had officially run out of room—1,096 days had passed and he was still in the fucking Fenton Thermos.

That meant he had been trapped for three fucking years.

After the first few days, Dan had honestly expected Clockwork to erase Dan completely from the timeline. But, time marched on as the sociopathic sadist sat in the thermos, waiting. And, eventually, Dan decided to mark the walls of his small prison to see how long before his demise.

But, seriously; three years? That was fucking pushing it. He didn't even know how he had any concept of day or night in the thermos, but he had a sneaking suspicion that was Clockwork's doing.

After the first year, Dan had given up on denting the thermos. The dents made it more difficult to make his tallies. After the second year, Dan noticed his fiery mane had been growing quite a bit and began yelling for scissors. He stopped yelling after a month.

But now it marked the third anniversary of his imprisonment and Dan was pissed. What the fuck was he supposed to do in a fucking thermos? What the fuck could he do now? He couldn't even keep track of how much longer he was going to be in there.

"What a grand anniversary," the twenty eight year old muttered.

Suddenly, Dan gripped the walls as the entire thermos moved—was someone picking it up?—and squinted his eyes when light seeped in from where the top was. Someone was opening the thermos. The sadist grinned in maniacal glee.

Dan was going to be freed.

Dating Sam had been a dream come true—until about a week ago. Danny sighed, watching Sam stroll into school with her new boyfriend—freaking goth asshole. But, Danny supposed, it was for the best. Though the first year of their relationship had been great, things slowly began to deteriorate as Danny kept trying to save the world his way and his freaking girlfriend kept interfering. Among the fights of how Danny should handle the—relatively easy—ghosts, were fights about who they hung out with, why Danny went to that party when Sam went to this party, and who was right about certain friends they were allowed to have. By the end of their second year, they decided that sexual tension may have been what was causing so much problems and, for a while, sex worked. Their first time was awkward, but still marvelous. However, once the sex was frequent enough and stopped being a means to express their love, the fights renewed with more vigor. Eventually, as much as it tore Danny, they mutually decided to break up a week ago.

It didn't matter how mutual it was, though; Danny still felt like he had been dumped.

"Dude, don't even worry about it," Tucker assured him, "You're better off without her."

The ghost boy sighed, "I just…I wish it could at least be like before, when we were friends."

"She'll come around, dude," Tucker said. "Meantime, let's get going. We'll be late again."

With a nod, Danny followed him into Casper High, hoping that—at the very least—he and Sam wouldn't see each other often. As Danny walked toward the entrance, almost directly behind Sam and her boyfriend, it began to dawn on him that he would most certainly not see her right now; as Sam and her goth passed the threshold, a ghost portal opened right before Tucker and Danny, engulfing the two boys and sending them straight into a lair filled with the rhythmic ticks of clocks.

"Ow!" Tucker cried, having fallen over face-first. "What the hell?"

Danny, who had immediately gone ghost once the portal was in sight, floated inches above the floor. "I'm not sure…but Clockwork doesn't just call me here for no reason. Something must be up."

With a small huff, the techno geek picked himself up and dusted off his clothes. Once righted again, the boys nodded to each other and wandered around the cavernous lair, trying to find the infamous master of time.

"Where is he?" Danny whispered to himself. Grunting, the ghost turned to his left, his breath catching in his throat.

On a small, shadowed shelf stood a thermos; the thermos was obviously abused, having many dents that looked as though whatever was inside was fighting fiercely to get out. Gulping, Danny could feel waves of killing energy coming from the thermos and, with careful steps, the teenager approached the cylinder.

"What am I doing?" Danny muttered to himself, aware of his intentions. "This guy is evil incarnate. I got lucky last time I beat him."

But Danny, despite what he'd said to Sam all those years ago, was a hero at heart and was restless when peace was achieved. He was glad that the occasional ghost attack was really just a lost soul wandering around nowadays, but Danny missed the challenge and, at times, sought out his fights rather than waiting for any more attacks. After three years, Danny wondered, how much had he improved? Would he be able to take on his older ghostly counterpart and win? Or would he fail again and finally have the challenge he'd been missing for years?

With a growl, the ghost boy slapped himself, hard. It didn't matter how bored Danny was. That was no excuse to put innocent lives at risk. How could he even consider letting out that monster?

"Daniel."

Yelping, said boy jumped and turned around, hands emitting their signature green glow. With a sigh of relief, Danny relaxed at the sight of an old master of time, Tucker standing beside him.

"Clockwork? What's going on? Why did you call me here?"

Clockwork glanced at the dusty thermos before leading the boys to three giant portals, each showing different histories. "I have unfortunate news. I…am dying."

Shocked, both boys looked at the aged ghost.

"What?" Danny choked out. "You…you can't die! You're Clockwork! You're the Master of Time! You would've known if you were dying! And, hell, you're a ghost! How can you die?"

The elderly ghost chuckled and, slowly, Danny realized that the time master's current form wasn't changing like it normally would.

"Daniel, I may be a ghost, but there is a time when every ghost must pass on to the other world. As you are old enough to understand, I decided my time was now."

"Right now?" Tucker asked.

Clockwork shook his head. "No, not right now. Daniel isn't ready yet."

"Ready?" Danny echoed. "Why do I need to be ready?"

Clockwork faced his portals, observing time. "I have been craving true death for many years, Daniel; but, as you know, someone must oversee that time marches on. Someone must watch the parade from above, see all the twists and turns it could take," Clockwork turned to Danny, staring at the ghost boy pointedly, "and make sure that what needs to be done for the sake of time is done. As much as I wanted to move on, I could not…because there was no one to take over once I'd gone."

Danny's eyes widened as it dawned on him. "You…you want me to become the master of time? What about school? My life? My dreams?"

Clockwork chuckled. "Daniel, you and I both know that, right now, those don't exist. First of all, as master of time is a full time occupation, you wouldn't need to go to college. Second of all, as a ghost, you can go to space whenever you want. Third of all…well, Daniel, we both know you no longer dream. You only crave. And I think what we each want to cast away can help fulfill the other."

Danny sighed, nodding. It was true. Danny had essentially fulfilled his dream of becoming an astronaut and, while he wanted to go to space many more times, he could definitely go as a ghost rather than a human. Besides, the way it was looking, America had given up on trying to find new ways to get people farther and further into space.

"But…it's so lonely," Danny muttered pathetically.

"That's true," Clockwork nodded. "But I do have a companion in mind for you."

Danny looked up, "Really? Who?"

"In due time, Daniel." Clockwork dismissed, gliding over to the thermos. "But, as I said, you're not ready yet. To become master of time, you have many more skills you need to hone as well as new skills you must learn." Danny watched in silent horror—and a bit of anticipation—as Clockwork picked up the demonic thermos and began twisting the top. "And, as I'm sure you've realized, the one to help you become the new master of time is…"

The room erupted and a monstrous roar bellowed throughout the chamber, flinging Danny and Tucker back. Clockwork, who'd had the foresight to know this would happen, cleverly stopped time before Dan exploded the thermos, then calmly floated away to a safer distance before letting time start again.

Dan began laughing as he looked around, a deep, raspy chuckle emerging from his throat. Finally—finally—Dan was free. He straightened himself, waiting for the smoke to clear. The first thing he spotted was that asshole time master—Dan's eyes narrowed as he noticed that Clockwork seemed…weaker somehow. Smoke aired away and Dan looked in the direction of moaning and coughing, his eyes widening at what he saw.

Danny Fucking Phantom.

Dan's lip curled up, revealing a glinting fang, as a growl rumbled through his chest. Dan noted that Tucker was present and Sam was missing, but his focus was drawn to the large green eyes staring at him. His growl grew louder as he realized that, within those eyes, there was no fear—only excitement. Did that little shit think he stood a chance up against Dan? Suddenly, Dan's ugly scowl became a demented smile as he advanced on the ghost boy, intent on making sure Danny Fucking Phantom would remember what it fucking meant to fear Dan.

"Time Out."

"Motherfu—" was all Dan managed to get out before he was frozen in time. Danny sighed in relief and stood up, supporting his frightened best friend. Clockwork glided over calmly, floating right by the murderous ghost.

"Dan may be frozen, but I've made it so that he can see and hear all that is happening."

—CK, Dan finished in his head, inwardly seething. However, his curiosity quelled him enough when he realized that only his body was frozen. Dan stared at the time ghost as he passed by and faced the ghost boy and the techno geek.

"What's going on?" Danny asked, eyes darting from Dan to Clockwork. Dan's anger was moderately assuaged at seeing how nervous he made the boy. "Why are you freeing him?"

"He will help you. He will be your guide and teacher…and perhaps more. He will prepare you until you are ready to take over as the ghost of time," Clockwork responded, surprising Dan.

Clockwork was retiring? And he wanted that little shit to take over? And he wanted Dan to train said little shit? 'The fuck was wrong with the old man?

"But…he'll just kill me." Danny remarked, Dan agreeing.

"No, he won't." Clockwork smirked and, suddenly, a collar materialized itself around Dan's neck. Though frozen, Dan's rage made his eye twitch. A collar? Like he was a fucking dog? The fuck was it supposed to do anyway?

"Whenever Dan is acting up—as in, he threatens your life, the lives of innocents, or other ghosts—the collar will activate and automatically short out his powers. Let's give it a try. Time in."

Immediately after Dan felt the time master's power lift from him, the murdering ghost raised his fist and began to shoot an ecto-blast at Danny. However, instead of frying the boy where he stood, a sharp electrical current ran through Dan's body and, humiliatingly, forced Dan to his knees as he suddenly felt weak and—to his horror—powerless.

"What…the fuck…did you do to me?" Dan panted, glaring daggers at the smirking elder ghost.

"You know exactly what I did. I've already told you and Daniel. Now, Dan, listen well; if you ever want that, frankly, demeaning collar removed, you have to help Daniel. Once he becomes the Master of Time, you are free to go. However, as you must realize, from that point on, Daniel is free to do as he pleases with you."

Dan narrowed his eyes. It was a lose/lose situation for him no matter how he looked at it. He'd only get, perhaps, a few years of joy from kicking the little shit's ass before Danny decides to wipe him from existence. Dan frowned—it wasn't like he had much choice, though. If he refused, Clockwork would probably erase him there, on the spot. So—Dan glanced at his younger self—he would have to win his younger self's favor and convince the boy that he really had changed his ways. It wouldn't be easy, but—Dan hid a smirk—he could do it…and then he'd get his revenge on Danny Fucking Phantom.

"So, what do you say, Dan?" Clockwork asked.

"…As if I have much choice," the muscular ghost reluctantly muttered. He stood and sauntered over to the young crime-fighter, taking in the changes that had occurred over the last three years. Without a doubt, Danny was taller and looked stronger, but was very lean. Despite how strong the boy probably was, Dan noticed that Danny's eyes were still as large as ever…they were even sort of girlishly large. And though the boy clearly had a lean body, it was slight and reminded him of a girl who was flat. Danny had even gone so far as to let his bangs grow a little longer, covering part of his feminine face, making it more girlish.

And so Dan began guffawing. "You look like a fucking school girl!"

Danny, taken aback, was speechless for a second before pouting and roving his eyes over his…"mentor."

Dan hadn't changed much, other than the flames being a bit longer. Apparently, the lack of exercise had no effect on Dan, as his muscles were as rippling as ever. The ghost stood a whole head taller than Danny, who had his growth spurt and now stood at 5'8. Danny frowned, figuring that the extra height probably came from Vlad. Dan's icy red eyes were still piercing and awful, though Danny hated to admit that the red was sort of captivating…it was the same shade of red that Sam would wear. All in all, Danny had nothing to offend—if anything, he was more depressed.

Once Dan finally calmed down, Danny decided to address the sociopath. "So, your name is Dan? I thought you and I were the same."

"Fuck you," Dan replied. "We're nothing alike and you know it. All I am are your regrets, fears, disappointments, and anger, as well as Vlad's. Over the years, I stopped being a mesh of you two and became 'Dan.' I think it suits me."

Danny shrugged, surprised at how civil Dan was being. "I see. You do realize that once I'm the time ghost, I'm erasing you from the timeline."

"Let's make a deal," Dan frowned, suddenly serious, "If I can reform, you let me live. I'll even take over your former job and protect the world."

"Absolutely not," Danny scowled. "I don't trust you."

Dan chuckled. "Good call. I still say I should get brownie points for good behavior. Isn't it against your hero code to ignore someone who is truly trying to change?"

Danny grit his teeth—Dan was right. No matter how evil Dan was, if he could change, Danny wouldn't be very fair if he didn't give Dan a chance.

"Fine," Danny conceded, "But you have until my training is done. Which, by the way, will take how long?"

"One year," Clockwork replied.

"Wait a minute!" Tucker finally yelled. "Danny! What the hell? You're okay with this? Clockwork is dying and he wants you to take over! You're only seventeen, man! You haven't lived your life! And, if that isn't bad enough, he wants your alternate evil self to train you and thinks that flimsy looking collar can keep him contained? And now, you're actually gonna give said psychopath a chance and let him live if he manages to fool you into thinking that he's changed? Are you stupid or something?"

Danny sighed. "Tucker, I just can't get rid of him because of the past…future…whatever. He deserves a chance. If I'm going to become the master of time, I can't change things to my whim just because I don't like them. I have to give Dan a chance. After all," Danny looked pointedly at Clockwork, smirking a bit, "I have to give everyone a second chance."

Clockwork smiled and nodded at the boy. "Thank you, Daniel. I suggest you be on your way now."

Danny nodded then looked at Dan. "If you really want to start proving you can change, I suggest you start by doing what I say until it's time to train me, okay?"

Begrudgingly, Dan nodded. Clockwork waved his staff, one of the portals reflecting Casper High and, with a wave from the two teens, the trio jumped through the portal, appearing behind the school.

"Hey," Dan muttered, looking around, "Where's your girlfriend? Sam?"

Danny sighed. "We broke up."

"Oh, so you managed to finally ask her out after all? What did I miss while I was locked up?"

"Look, I need you to turn invisible and intangible and just follow me around today. I don't really want to talk about it," Danny replied testily. "Now let's go."

The ghost boy switched back to his human form and Dan noticed that Danny's signature style had drastically changed. Now, the teenager donned blue jeans that weren't as loose, a black long sleeve shirt under a red plaid, short sleeve button-up, and black oxfords on his feet. Raising a brow, the demi-demon ghost looked at his former best friend, taking in the techno-geek's fashion. Tucker had apparently let go of the stupid beret; now, the boy wore dark blue jeans, a purple shirt, and a black sweater. Dan shrugged and followed both boys in, following Danny's instructions. Discreetly, he approached his ex-best friend.

"Hey, Tucker," Dan whispered. After a small jump, Tucker moderately relaxed and acknowledged the ghost.

"What?" Dan grinned, noting the nervousness in the boy's voice.

"What happened with Danny and his stupid girlfriend?"

"Stupid ex-girlfriend," Tucker corrected. "And I doubt Danny wants me to tell his alternate future evil self about his relationships."

"I think I should know," Dan replied. "Maybe I can help him."

Tucker rolled his eyes. "Killing Sam isn't going to cheer him up."

Dan smirked. "No, but a little revenge never hurt anyone…well, at least not the person looking for revenge."

Tucker frowned and scoffed, opting to ignore the older ghost. However, the Mayor of Amityville stared at his best friend's dejected figure as Danny led them to class. All week, Danny hadn't been himself and, to be fair, it wasn't like Dan could actually hurt anyone.

"Promise no one gets hurt and I'll tell you."

Dan chuckled quietly, nodding. "Deal."

Dan stood beside Danny quietly as the teacher in front of the class droned on, thinking over what Tucker had told him. Apparently, Danny had saved the world, Vlad had vanished (thank god), and everyone knew now that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom where the same person. Danny was also (obnoxiously) famous and many girls kept throwing love notes through Dan to Danny. Danny, the depressed dolt, just glanced at them and brushed them off his desk. In the back of the class, Sam sat with her new boyfriend, apparently playing tonsil hockey.

"Miss Manson," the teacher finally sighed. "I understand I'm not that interesting, but if you and your…activity partner could please pay attention, that would be grand."

With a blush, Sam separated herself from her plaything and Danny jumped slumped more in his seat, clearly disturbed. Dan noticed that his young counterpart's hands were tightly clenched. Dan frowned, feeling abnormally…possessive of his younger self. Dan shrugged—clearly Dan was the only one who could cause Danny pain. Anyone else was unnecessary and intruding on Dan's territory. With an evil smirk, the man crouched so that his mouth was beside Danny's ear.

"Hey, Danny," he whispered. Danny's eyes shifted in Dan's direction. Dan assumed that meant he had the boy's attention. "Want to see something funny?"

Danny's eyes narrowed and a black eyebrow raised in question.

"I won't harm anyone, I promise. I just want to have a little fun with that goth bitch…and his girlfriend," Dan clarified, his voice smoother than jazz.

Danny huffed and turned his attention back to the teacher. Frowning, Dan quickly regained his smile, making himself tangible. He laid an invisible arm across Danny's shoulders, making the boy jump a bit in his seat and shift his "angry eyes" in Dan's direction.

What? the boy mouthed through visibly clenched teeth.

"C'mon, Danny-boy," Dan replied, his mouth disturbingly close to Danny's ear, "She deserves it. You and I both know it. After all you've been through together, don't you think she should respect you a bit more and at least do that stuff outside? It's just harmless fun…and she'll learn a lesson."

"I said no," Danny whispered back firmly and finally turned his attention back to the teacher, ending the conversation. With a pout, Dan stood straight and leaned against Danny's side. Danny glanced at the sadist, but decided not to question Dan's sudden comfort with getting so close to Danny. For all the ghost boy knew, this was Dan's weird way of trying to get Danny's trust.

The bell rang minutes later and Dan straightened himself again, waiting for the ghost boy to get his things. As Danny put away his last book, Dan noticed that a nervous-looking Sam stood behind him patiently.

"D…Danny?" she managed. Danny visibly became more rigid, but complacently turned and faced her. He bravely looked her in the eyes, but Sam's gaze averted itself.

"Yeah, Sam?"

"Look, I'm sorry about just now. Uhm… I didn't want to, because you're here and I figure this is still pretty fresh for you, but Alan can be coaxing. And, now that I think about it, he's kind of an asshole and…well, I suppose getting with someone and trying to fill that hole you left was kind of my way of coping."

"I…I see," Danny replied, softening. "I didn't think this break up was hard on you."

Sam sighed. "Of course it is, Danny. I feel like I lost my best friend. I'm sorry…I went the wrong way about handling how I felt. Can we be friends?"

Danny smiled. "Of course, Sam. Nothing would make me happier."

Sam finally smiled back and looked him in the eyes. "Cool. Wanna sit together at lunch?"

"Like old times?"

"Yeah, the old group."

Danny grinned, hugging the girl gently. "Great. Lunch it is. I, uh…I have quite a bit to talk to you about."

With a small wave and a wide smile, Sam left the room. Danny followed her shortly, after sending a smug grin in Dan's direction. Dan huffed, rolling his eyes.

So she wasn't a bitch, he thought, big fucking whoop.

"Oh man, I can't tell you how good it feels to eat lunch today," Tucker commented as he sat across from Danny and Sam.

Sam smiled, nodding. "Same here. I miss you guys."

"Well, here's hoping we never split up again," Danny chuckled.

"Hey, Fenton!" they all heard and turned to see Dash approaching them. "Sorry we're late." Behind him came a smiling Kwan.

Danny smiled at them as the football players sat down beside Tucker. After Danny Phantom had outed himself as Danny Fenton, Dash immediately apologized for the all the abuse he'd put Danny through and, Danny, knowing that Dash could be a good guy when he wasn't under peer pressure, accepted. Kwan was also forgiven, as Danny, Sam, and Tucker knew that Kwan was actually quite reluctant when it came to bullying them. Quickly, they became good friends and Dash and Kwan were inducted as members of their small group. Dan scowled at the group of teenagers, surprised at how much had changed simply because of Danny.

It was enough to make him sick.

He also hated being ignored and made it a point to stand behind Danny, both of Dan's large hands on the teenager's shoulders.

"So, we got your text, man." Dash said. "What's so important?"

"Important?" Sam frowned. "Did something happen, Danny? I noticed you disappeared into the ghost zone right before school started. How did that portal get there?"

Danny sighed, feeling the heavy weight of his confession on his shoulders…literally. "That was Clockwork. He summoned me and Tucker to his lair to tell me that he…he's dying."

Sam, Kwan, and Dash glanced at each other in surprise. "How?" they asked simultaneously.

"He says that there comes a time when all ghosts find peace within themselves and are ready to pass onto true death. He…he says that he's ready for that and has been for many years. So, he wants me to take over as the master of time."

"B-But, Danny!" Sam exclaimed. "What about school? What about your family and friends? What about becoming an astronaut?"

Danny smiled sadly. "Sam, I've been to space more times than most astronauts get to be. I can go there anytime as a ghost. Besides, you know me; I'm restless. I'm bored with being a human half the time. You remember all the fights we used to have about me disappearing into the ghost zone just to pick a fight with Skulker or Walker for the fun of it?"

Sadly, Sam nodded. "But what about us? Being the master of time is a full time job."

"Yeah, man," Kwan muttered. "We'll never see you again if you have to keep tabs on the timeline."

Danny chuckled. "We'll still see each other. I promise. But…we can't be together forever, you guys. After senior year, we have to start going our separate ways. It's time for us to grow up."

The table descended into a depressed silence as they realized that Danny was right. Whether he went to college or became the master of time…they wouldn't see him very often anyway. They all knew they were planning on going to different colleges and it was only a matter of time before their small family would have to split up.

"Wait," Tucker blinked, interrupting the silence. "If you're a half ghost when you take over Clockwork's job, aren't you going to get hungry? Need to pee? All that human stuff? How can a human live forever and watch over time?"

Danny sighed, hoping no one would mention it. After Clockwork had dismissed them, it occurred to Danny as well that there was no way a human could do Clockwork's job.

"Does…does that mean…?" Dash stuttered.

"Yes, it does," Danny replied, calmly looking at all of them. "It means I have to become a full ghost…I have to die."

Dan's eyes widened, his hands on Danny's shoulders tightened their grip, and a maniacal grin spread across the man's blue face. Danny Fenton would have to die? Somehow, that sent a shiver of pleasure through Dan as he realized, in a way, one of his greatest pleasures would be fulfilled. As Dan now existed outside of time, Dan could only be erased by Clockwork, so Dan had no need to worry about disappearing once Danny died.

…Maybe, Dan's smile widened, Dan was around to train Danny and then, ultimately, kill him.

"I mean, not get hit by a car or anything," Danny chuckled. "Clockwork probably has some way of making me a full ghost in a humane way."

Dan growled. Fuck. He hadn't thought of that.

"Anyway, there's more to it than that. Remember how I told you guys about alternate future me?"

The others nodded, Tucker frowning in disapproval.

"Well, he was taken outside of the timeline and, for a while, I thought Clockwork got rid of him." Dan growled again, squeezing the smaller boy's shoulders. Danny winced and sighed. "Sorry, sorry."

As Dan's grip loosened again, Danny rolled his eyes and continued. "Well, he wasn't. 'Dan Phantom,' as he prefers to be called, is still alive. And Clockwork has appointed him to help train me into becoming the master of time. You can show yourself now and, if possible, make it so only we can see you."

Dan grinned menacingly as he became visible again, his black, dead heart filling with joy at the frightened faces staring back at him. His aura manifested into a green vortex that spiraled around them, hiding the group of five from the other students. Outside of the vortex, Dan could hear screaming from the other students.

"Oh, my god!" Dash exclaimed. "He'll kill us! Why would Clockwork do something like that?"

Danny smiled. "Relax, guys. He can't hurt you and he's promised to try to turn over a new leaf."

"How can you be so trusting, Danny?" Sam scowled. "You're the one who told us he's tried to kill us!"

"I know," Danny nodded. "And I'm asking you all to trust me. He won't hurt you. I won't let him." Danny looked over his shoulder and pointedly into Dan's red eyes. Dan grinned sadistically in return, accepting the challenge.

The group relaxed, though their eyes all kept flitting back to Dan.

"You can go invisible and intangible again," Danny commanded. "And get rid of the vortex. I was hoping you'd do something more subtle."

"I won't go intangible," Dan replied. "I like knowing that you can feel me." Danny shuddered. "And I never do subtle, Danny-boy."

Dan seemingly melted away and the vortex disappeared, the confused students outside of the table staring at the apparently normal group of teens at their usual spot. A murmur passed through the crowd as the students figured Danny Phantom must've momentarily lost control of his powers or something. They shrugged, knowing that the ghost boy was prone to discovering new powers, and returned to their seats. Dan scowled at them in disgust, annoyed that he was so quickly dismissed.

"So…what does this mean for us?" Sam eventually asked.

Danny sighed. "It means I've got one year to live and I want to spend that year with you guys as much as possible while I train. As master of time, I imagine it'll be pretty lonely."

"But Clockwork promised you a companion, remember?" Tucker supplied.

"Oh, yeah," Danny recalled. "He did. I wish I knew who he had in mind."

Dan scowled. Not only was he supposed to train the little shit, now he had to hear about how Danny apparently was going to be hooked up with someone while Dan could possibly be erased forever? Great. Suddenly, Dan felt strange. He looked around and noticed that everyone was standing or sitting perfectly still. Dan raised a brow as he suddenly registered that there was a weight on his chest and looked down, noting that there was a telltale gear-like pendant on a necklace around his neck.

"Clockwork," he droned. "What do you want?"

"The question is," the ever-knowledgeable ghost replied, "What do you want?"

"'The fuck are you going on about?" Dan scowled, turning to face the elderly master of time.

"You don't want to be erased, correct?"

"Of course."

"And Daniel needs a companion in the afterlife. Unlike me, who was always alone and preferred it that way, Daniel cannot cope as a loner. He needs to have someone there, preferably someone who can satisfy all of Daniel's needs…romantic and otherwise."

Dan stared at the ghost for a while when, belatedly, it clicked. "Are you fucking insane? I'm not gay, asshole!"

Clockwork raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "…Really?"

Dan, uncharacteristically, sputtered. "Wha…? Yes! Really! I'm not gay, you demented ass!"

"So you don't find Daniel the least bit attractive?"

Dan was about to refuse when it struck him that Dan had been extremely close to Danny lately—ever since the classroom, Dan had made it a point to touch Danny in some way. Throughout every class, Dan had stared at Danny, obsessing over Danny's feminine features.

"Question." Dan declared.

"Shoot," Clockwork smirked, already knowing how the conversation would end.

"I'm extremely buff. Will he grow up like me?"

"He will not get past the age eighteen. He will look as he now does forever."

"Is he going to do that weird thing you do, where you switch ages constantly?"

"If he so chooses. I do it to show that I am not part of the timeline…I only watch it. Daniel, however, will probably not do as I do, unless in the face of company or the observers."

"…Why are you pushing for this?"

Clockwork smiled almost kindly. "He needs a companion. You need to survive. Doesn't it seem like it makes sense?"

"Isn't that a little unfair?" Dan raised a brow. "He's not gay, from what I recall. Forcing him into homosexuality out of need…that sounds horrible." Dan grinned. "I kind of like it."

The master of time chuckled. "I will do what is necessary for the sake of the timeline."

Dan smirked evilly. "All right. Fine. I'll give this gay thing a go, if only to torture the boy."

Clockwork nodded and removed the emblem from Dan, disappearing into his lair. He watched the portal that showed the lunchroom where the teenagers continued their planning for Daniel's demise. Clockwork watched for a while, able to see Dan's obvious glee at what the sadist thought was forcing Daniel into what was basically Stockholm syndrome.

The all-knowing ghost smirked. He would let Dan believe what he wanted to, if only for the sake of the timeline.

And so time marches on…

Yeah, okay. I know the thing with Sam seems a little rushed, but I really hate the idea of bashing any characters and where I was going with it seemed dangerously close to bashing her. I never liked the Sam and Danny pairing, but it doesn't mean Sam is a bad character.