Dani found herself gently pushed into the bright, clean, crowded Fenton kitchen. A blue banner hung over the stairs that led to the lab—it read CONGRATULATIONS in huge block letters. Jack stood at the stove, stirring a huge pot full of something bubbling and steaming, whistling to himself. Jazz sat in a chair next to him with her nose in a book, though her eyes were on the noisy trio across the room.

The kitchen table had been pushed to one side. On its surface sat every kind of junk food Dani craved— fried chicken, buffalo wings, steaming piles of hot dogs and a huge, greasy bucket of popcorn, balanced on top of pizza boxes stacked three high. Jammed right in the center stood the mother of all cakes, four-tiered and coated in rosettes of blue icing.

Parked in easy reach of the table, Danny sat in a wheelchair with bandages on his bare feet and spiraling up his right leg. Sam sat next to him with her crutches tucked under her chair, black cast resting on the floor, and Tucker leaned against the wall, grinning despite the new, pink scars that stretched on his neck as he smiled.

For looking like in-patient escapees, they sure seemed to be having a good time.

Sam threw back her head and laughed. Tucker pounded the wall, eyes streaming. "No way dude, you're killing me."

"A magenta football," Danny insisted. "He's got all this crazy tech," Even more gauze peeked through the neck of the tent-sized orange t-shirt he wore as Danny swept out his arm. "Billions of dollars of junk all around him, and he didn't have a clue we were coming. Vlad's just totally speechless—and get this, he's blushing neon pink. Then Mom marches right up to him, not even batting an eye that he's in ghost form, and says—"

"Repeat that kind of language and you'll find yourself grounded," Maddie cut in, but she didn't sound upset to Dani.

Danny stopped mid-sentence and threw up his hands. He beamed. "Danielle! My favorite cousin ever!" He shoved himself away from the wall and the wheelchair spun across the kitchen, bringing him in range to catch Dani in a tight hug. She squeaked in surprise for the second time that day. His arms felt warm around her shoulders; an icy spark jumped between them—their ghost cores flickering in recognition.

"Don't mind him, he's on painkillers," Sam drawled.

"So are you," Danny pointed out, sitting back.

"Yet somehow you're the only one making an idiot out of yourself."

"Can't I be glad to see Danielle? She almost died, remember?"

"We all almost died. Thus the party." Sam waved her spoon at the banner.

"It's a half party," Tucker said, and grinned. "Half congratulations on saving everybody, half hooray we're all alive. Get it? Because you're both halfas, and—"

Sam elbowed Tucker. "Yeah, we get it. It's still lame."

Dani's eyes darted from one person to another, her mind a whirl of questions. These were Danny's friends, she remembered them. But his parents… they knew about his ghost half? What about Vlad? And the town, and… but the question that tumbled from her lips instead was, "The big ghost is gone?"

Danny beamed. "Yep. The GIW carted off that big hunk of ectoplasm on a truck, but we zapped the core. It's history. You're officially a hero."

"They talked about you on TV!" Jack interjected. He jabbed at her with a spoon. "'Phantom Pair Thwarts Ghostmageddon!'"

Maddie nodded, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "There's been a lot of speculation on what happened to the heroes after the attack. Certain experts," here she gestured at Jack and herself, "have hinted that you're off recovering and will reappear in a week or two. There's talk of having an official Phantom Day in your honor."

Danny, who had rolled himself back to claim a half-eaten hot dog from the table, let it drop to his plate in undisguised horror. "Two more weeks?"

Slipping over to the table, Dani grabbed the popcorn. Sam patted the chair next to her, and Dani sat, trying her hardest not to blush again. Or worse, turn invisible. It felt weird having so many people look right at her.

Tucker leaned down and swiped some popcorn. "This should be good," he whispered conspiratorially in Dani's ear.

Danny sat bolt upright in his wheelchair. "Do you have any idea how many ghosts are gonna attack between now and then? At least…"

He looked at Jazz for help, but she raised her hands, eyes on the book in her lap. "This one's all you, little brother."

Danny scowled. "Well, It'll be a lot. Ghosts like havoc. Now that the beast's aura is fading they'll be all over the rebuilding sites. I can't quit hero work for two more weeks, Mom, that's crazy!"

"We will handle it," Maddie said calmly, cutting into the cake. "You are not fighting anyone until your body heals completely. I will ecto-cuff you to your bed if necessary, sweetie."

"Okay, one, I think that fits under the whole 'no using your weapons against me' thing we discussed. Two," light burst out of his chest and he transformed from human to ghost, floating effortlessly into the air, "This body doesn't need to breathe so broken ribs are no problem. See?"

To prove his point, he drifted over to the table and swiped icing off the cake right under Maddie's nose, then threw himself on his back and lounged hammock-style.

Maddie only sighed and set the plate of cake in Dani's lap. "Let me know if you want some ice cream with that, Danielle."

"You're going to hurt yourself, showoff," Jazz said.

"Am not," Danny retorted, stuffing the fingerful of icing in his mouth.

The doorbell rang. Danny yelped and his transformation reverted, leaving him hanging in midair. Tucker lunged and caught him, making a funny little oof, his glasses askew. He dumped his friend into the wheelchair and tromped off to answer the door.

Danny laughed silently, clutching his ribs. "Owowow."

The technogeek came back with a funny little smile on his face. "Guess who answered her invite?"

Dani started, forkful of cake halfway to her mouth.

Valerie Gray appeared in the doorway. She was a good match for the trio already in the kitchen, a thick white band of gauze around her head and one arm in a sling. She looked pale and tired, and blinked in outright confusion at the banner and the decadent spread of food.

Finally, someone she actually knew besides Danny. Dani waved and nearly dislodged the cake from her fork. "Hi Valerie!"

Valerie frowned, looking puzzled. "Danielle? What are you doing here?"

"She lives here now," Maddie said firmly, putting both her hands on Dani's shoulders. Dani felt heat flush across her cheeks, again, and she gave Valerie a shy smile. They wanted her here, and not to study, or for any reason she could guess except that she was Danny's "cousin." It felt nice.

"She's a bona fide Fenton!" Jack added, raising a chocolatey spoon in a triumphant arc. "Soon it'll be official! My wife put a good word in with the mayor, the paperwork's almost a done deal. Glad you could make it!"

Valerie took a step back. "No—no, I'm not here to… I came to—" She cut herself off, took a deep breath, and straightened. "Can I speak to you privately, Danny?"

He picked up the ketchup and squirted another layer onto his already well-seasoned hot dog. "You're here to talk about me being Phantom, right?"

Flinching, Valerie glanced sharply at Danny's parents. Her eyes widened. "They know? And they're okay with the whole—"

"Well, okay is probably too strong a word, but yeah. After the whole mega-monster thing it all came out."

Dani watched this exchange, quietly curious. She'd been wondering the same thing.

"We're proud of our son," Jack said, slapping Danny on the shoulder. "He's a bangup ghost hunter."

"Banged-up, you mean," Tucker interjected.

Danny snickered and took a huge bite of hot dog. "Schee?" he managed around the mouthful of meat.

Valerie put her hands on her hips. "What kind of pain meds did they give you?"

"Way more than I'm getting," Tucker complained. "But then he did stay in the hospital longer, so it's a tradeoff."

Danny swallowed and shrugged. "Uh, yeah, a lot, but that's beside the point. Weird as it is, I don't have a lot of secrets right now. Not with the people here, anyway. And I'm starting to like that. So whatever you want to say, go right ahead."

Valerie's fists knotted and she glared at the floor. For a long moment Dani was sure she'd just turn around and storm off. "I came to… to apologize," she ground out at last. Then the rest came in a rush. "It took me way too long to figure out what was staring me in the face, and I blamed you for a lot of stuff, and—I'm sorry for the thing in the basement and blaming you for the dog, and hunting you. I wouldn't have done if it I'd known you were—who you really are, that is. You have to believe that. So I guess I'm saying I'm sorry. Alright? I'm sorry."

A raw, uncomfortable silence filled the room. Dani stared at her toes and clutched her plate of cake. Valerie had been kind to her from the moment they met. It had never occurred to Dani that Danny and her rescuer were enemies. For some reason it made her feel guilty.

"Cake?" Danny offered, tipping his head toward the table.

Dani looked up. Valerie stared at him.

"It's chocolate. That's your favorite kind, right?"

The girl's brow knotted like a thunderstorm. "Were you not… listening? Do you have any idea how hard that was to say in front of everybody?"

"Val, relax. Look around. My parents are ghost hunters. Sam's been an evil plant. Danielle was Vlad's minion. Everybody in this room has nearly killed me at some point, on purpose or otherwise." He picked up the ketchup, studied his hot dog, then squirted on another layer. "Except Tuck."

Tucker extracted the ketchup from Danny's hand and put it out of reach. "Well actually dude, remember that one time with the wish thing?"

"Oh. Oh yeah." Danny scratched the back of his neck and smiled. "You see? So stop looking so tormented and have some cake."

Maddie moved over to the table and cut another slice, putting it on a paper plate and offering it to Valerie. "We understand more than you realize, believe me. Please stay."

Valerie studied Maddie, then Jack, then gave Danny a long, hard look. She took the plate. Dani gave a silent sigh of relief and let her fork drop to her plate, releasing a breath she hadn't noticed holding.

"Thing in the basement, huh?" Tucker smirked. Danny ducked his head and Sam glared at him suspiciously.

"Shut up, Foley," Valerie muttered, turning red. She snatched an offered fork from Maddie and pulled out a chair, plunking herself down beside Dani. Nudging her shoulder, Valerie nodded her approval. "Good job kicking monster butt, you."

Dani gave her a grin, some of her usual cockiness returning. "Easy peasy."

Valerie stuffed a piece of cake in her mouth. Her eyes went from Dani to Danny as she chewed. "So are you two really cousins?"

Dani didn't miss the significant look that went between Jack and Maddie Fenton. "Not… exactly," she began, instantly shy again, stabbing at her own slice. "I'm-"

"More like siblings," Danny interrupted. He'd somehow gotten the ketchup again and his hot dog was vanishing in a flood of red paste as he squeezed it with both hands. "Or delayed twins? Uh…" His eyes met Dani's and he smiled, blue eyes creasing into crescents. "It's kind of a long story…"

"Save it," Valerie said, and tugged at the nearest box of pizza. "I've had enough staggering revelations for now."

Dani took a bite of her cake. It was rich and warm and solid, like the room, and the people around her, and her own skin. For some reason, everything tasted just a little bit like lime jello.

~ end ~

A/N:

That's all she wrote, folks!

Blah, too tired and stuffy to come up with much of an an A/N. Insert imaginary author commentary here, hehe. I hope you've enjoyed the story, and thanks for your reviews, especially Verdantia Akalixi for the typo catch and AlyssPotter who reminded me I hadn't posted this. See you in my other fics!

-Hj