Danny Fenton meets Tommy Oliver

Disclaimer: I do not own "Danny Phantom", Tommy Oliver, or "Who's the boss?", or the myth "The lion and the elephant," (I made that up, but copy rights cost money.)

Summary: Tommy moves to Amity Park, next door to the Fentons. Can Danny and Sarah keep their secret from him? (Before "School's out/ Ghouls out") It's really Sarah who meets him first, but does that really matter?

Tommy Oliver grabbed his suitcase off of the carousel at Amity Park Airport. He needed to find an apartment or house, preferably close to his new job- teaching Literature at Casper Middle School part time. He would move his stuff in when he found it. Luckily, the principal had recommended a place, and his job wouldn't start until after he was moved in. He caught a cab and gave the driver the address the principal had given him. Not long after that - or at least it seemed that way to him- he was getting out, getting his luggage out of the trunk, and paying the driver beside an apartment-like house with a sign that said "Fenton Works". He noticed a black haired boy about fourteen walking down the sidewalk. He called to him.

"Could you help me? I'm looking for a Miss..." he looked at the paper where he had written the name of the real estate agent, "Mona? Could you tell me if..."

"Right here, Dr. Oliver." A red-headed woman called. She came out of the building and up to Tommy.

"Right on time. I like that." Tommy had paid the driver and he had driven off.

"Hello, Ms. Mona."

"Just Mona. Like the mother on "Who's the Boss?" Except I'm not a mother."

"Mona."

The kid had gone into "Fenton Works".

"You're the new Lit. teacher at the Middle School, right?"

"Yes. I'll start my job as soon as I get settled in."

"Yes. I hope to help you get settled in here. You'll be interested in knowing that school is within walking distance of here."

"That's good."

"So, I hear you're from California?"

"Yes, Southern California. Originally from Stone Canyon, but then I moved to AngelGrove, then to Reefside."

"Interesting. I trust that you had no problems getting here?"

"Well, jet-lag is setting in, but no problems other than that."

"Good. Shall we go in and take a look?"

"Yes." They went into the house beside the Fenton's. It was exactly what Tommy wanted.

"I'll take it. What's the cost?"

Mona laughed. "Don't you want to see more?"

"I guess so."

"Follow me, then." Mona led Tommy down the hall.

"This is the master bedroom." The walls had splashes of white, red, green, and black. The king size bed had a black cover, red sheets, white pillow cases, and the curtains were green.

"The bathroom." It had black and white tile. The bath tub was green, and so was the sink. The ceiling was red.

"The guest room." This room was also splashed with Tommy's ranger colors. The single bed had green sheets, black pillow cases, a red comforter, and the curtains were white.

"The kitchen and dining room are in the other direction."

"Why is all the furniture still here?"

Mona sighed. "Our city has an infamous resident known as In-viso-bill. He fights off ghost attacks almost daily, but some of the other residents don't appreciate it. That's why property values are so low. They usually move out without bothering to pack."

"How low are the property taxes?"

"You can afford it on a yearly teacher's salary."

"Great! That's what I wanted to pay!"

"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic, but wait till you've lived here a month."

"I don't think I'll want to leave. Ever have alien attacks?"

"Just ghost attacks. We all blame it on In-viso-bill. We all know he's half human, but since we don't know his alter-ego, we can't make him and his family move."

"Well, how are the other neighbors?" Tommy leaned against the wall.

"They're great. The Fenton's have two daughters and a son. Jazz, the eldest, is the sweetest girl you've ever met. I used to baby-sit for her and her younger brother Daniel. He's in the ninth grade. The youngest daughter, Sarah, is rather rambunctious, but irresistible."

"What grade is she in?"

"Fifth, although she's a little young. She skipped part of the fourth. I've heard she's quite the young reader."

"Ah, that's good. At least one of my new students will be listening."

"So, what will it take to get you to buy this little beauty of a house?"

Tommy took his wallet out and pulled out last year's salary. He gave it to Mona.

"Good. Let's go to my office and get the paper work filled out."

They did. Soon, Tommy was pulling the "For Sale" sign out of the ground.

Sarah ran by. She stopped and came back.

"Hi, I'm Sarah Fenton."

"I'm Tommy Oliver. I'll be teaching Literature at your school, starting sometime this or next month."

"Ah. Mona told me."

"Where are you from?"

"Southern California."

"I hear it's beautiful there, but one city keeps getting attacked by aliens."

"More than one city."

Danny came back up the sidewalk, carrying a grocery bag. He stopped.

"Well, Sarah, It seems you've beaten me to meeting our new neighbor."

"Sure enough, Dan-man. This is Tommy Oliver. He's the new teacher at my school."

Danny shifted the bag to one arm and offered his hand.

"I'm Danny Fenton, and this, as you probably already know, is Sarah."

"We met. Mona told me she was rather rambunctious, but irresistible, and that she was quite the young reader." Tommy shook Danny's hand. Sarah followed Danny's example.

"She is. She loves reading."

"I'll have to agree that's she's also irresistible."

"Thank you."

"And very well-mannered."

"Mom and Dad try hard enough."

Maddie Fenton leaned out the window and called down.

"Danny, I can't make dinner without those ingredients."

"Coming, Mom. We were just meeting our new neighbor, and teacher."

"Oh, Hi. I'm Maddie Fenton, their mother."

"Hi, Mrs. Fenton."

"What grade do you teach?"

"I'll be teaching Sarah part-time. Her original teacher is going on part-time."

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Oliver." Danny and Sarah went in.

Tommy wondered what he would do for dinner. He had seen a café on the way there. Maybe he could eat there. It was within walking distance. He would have to call the phone and electricity and water companies after he ate. He would have to set up a bank account as well. He would also have to change his address on his magazine subscriptions. There was so much to do. But first he would have to eat. He walked to the café. He sat down and a waiter approached him, gave him a menu, and took his drink order. After he got his drink, he ordered. When he got his food, he was famished. He ate it all, and got the check. He paid, and went back home. He hadn't locked the door, but he wasn't worried. He was a veteran Power Ranger. He had the key, though. After locking up, he went over to "Fenton Works." He knocked on the door. Sarah answered.

"Hey, Sarah. I'm real sorry to interrupt your dinner, but may I use your phone? I don't blame you if you won't let me."

"Hold on." Sarah turned around and yelled.

"Hey, Dad!" A chair scraped across the kitchen floor and Tommy heard a rather heavy-set man coming toward the door.

"Sarah Jessica Fenton, how many times have we told you not to yell like that in the house?" A heavy-set man in an orange jump suit asked. His hair was gray on the sides and black on the top.

"Kids don't always do as they're told." Tommy said. Sarah moved aside so that her father could shake Tommy's hand.

"No, they don't. Do you have any? I'm Jack Fenton."

"I'm Tommy Oliver. I don't have kids of my own, but I do teach. I'll be teaching at the middle school in the afternoon in Literature."

"Yes. You'll be teaching my youngest child, then. "

Sarah had gone back to the table.

"You wanted to use our phone?"

"Yes. I'll need to have my phone and electricity turned on permanently, and my water."

"Ah, yes. Mona told me that she would be showing the house next door, and for me not to knock out the electricity for the entire block if I could help it. My wife and I are ghost hunters, although that In-viso-bill is hedging in on our property."

"Do you fight them like he does?"

"No. We just capture them and release them back into the Ghost Zone. We have our own Ghost-Portal. Want to see it?"

"I need to use the phone, please."

"Yes. Right this way." Jack led Tommy to the living room. He saw the phone.

"I'll just be second." He looked up the phone company's number in the phone book.

"Yes. I just bought the house at 309 Materson Way. I need that phone turned on permanently, please. Say, tomorrow at ten? Alright, see you then." He looked up the number of the electric company.

"Yes, I just bought the house at 309 Materson Way. I need the electricity turned on permanently at that house. Thank you."

He hung up and looked up the number of the water company.

"Yes. I just bought the house at 309 Materson Way. I need to have the water turned on there. Thank you." He hung up and turned to leave.

"Thanks!" He called over his shoulder to the kitchen.

"No problem! Come over any time!" He heard Jack yell back. He went back to his house and unlocked the door. He saw his suitcases sitting right where he had left them.

"I need directions to the schools. I'll see if the Fenton's can't walk with me to school in the morning. I'll have to come back to let the man from the phone company in, but I can make it back in time, I'm sure of it."

He unpacked his suitcases in the master bed room.

He opened the closet. There were enough racks to hang up all of his clothes.

He hung them up, and turned the covers down. He looked for signs of bed bugs, and other bugs as well. He didn't find any.

"Strange, but I guess I shouldn't question it too much." He undressed and got into bed. He slapped himself on the fore head again, got up, and got dressed. He went back over to Fentons and knocked on the door again. Sarah answered again.

"Need to use the phone again, Mr. Oliver?"

"It's Dr. O, and I hate to keep bothering you, but could you wake me up tomorrow morning before you go to school and let me walk with you? I don't know the way."

"Sure. What time do you want to wake up?"

"Say, six?"

"All right. I'll tell Dad, since he's usually out getting the paper then."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Need anything else?"

"Not now, but I'll probably be back again tonight. Do you know where I can get breakfast?"

"There are some vending machines at the school in the gym if you don't mind your breakfast- or lunch, maybe, if you don't want to eat in the cafeteria- not being very healthy. There's always that café not far from here, or we could bring you an apple, which is what I usually eat."

Maddie Fenton came up behind her youngest child.

"I thought I heard you. You need a wake-up and breakfast tomorrow morning and need to follow my daughter to school in the morning?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Sarah went off down the hall.

"Good. You have beautiful children." He had seen Jazz at the table.

"Thank you. Well, I'll be sure to get my husband to wake you up tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Mrs. Fenton." Tommy turned around and went back to his house.

"Such a nice man." Sarah came back in with her homework and assignment book.

"Here's my homework, Mom."

"Thank you, Sarah. Have you told your father about what Mr. Oliver wanted?"

"It's Dr. O, ma'am. And I didn't know I was supposed to."

"I'll tell them, then." Maddie ran upstairs to tell her husband what their neighbor had wanted. After Danny found out, he waited until his little sister came upstairs. He started to tell her about it.

"I know about it. We just can't over-sleep and fly. No big deal. Well, except for the over-sleeping thing."

Danny went to bed. Sarah took a shower, and then went to sleep. The next morning, they got up and got dressed. Sarah ran downstairs and grabbed an apple. She washed it off and dried it on her red sleeveless. She grabbed another, got her lunch box out of the refrigerator, and put in the second apple, after washing and drying it. Danny came downstairs and got his own apple. He washed it and turned it invisible to dry it off.

"I wish I could turn just my hand invisible, instead of my whole body." Sarah whispered, before taking the first bite of her apple.

"I'm taking one for Dr. O. I've already washed and dried it."

"You put it in your lunch box?"

"Yes."

"Don't tell him about..."

"Our powers. I know. You'd think I tell everyone, the way you keep reminding me not to tell anyone."

"I just..."

"Don't want me to forget. Relax. I don't want M and D to find out." Sarah used their code for their parents, since she thought they were in the next room.

Danny laughed. "I understand."

"So let's get going."

"Let's finish breakfast first." Danny bit into his apple.

"Right." Sarah finished her apple before Danny. She threw the core away and got her backpack from the living room. Danny threw his core away and got his backpack as well.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! See you after school!" Danny yelled down the basement steps. He figured his parents were down there, working on some invention.

"Love you!" Sarah called down.

"Bye, Danny! Bye, Sarah! Learn a lot and listen to your teachers! Do what they tell you!" Jack called up.

Danny and Sarah raced outside. Sarah ran next door. She was about to knock when it opened.

"Dad did wake you up. I was afraid he forgot."

"No, I heard him getting the paper. I wonder what hurt him so much."

"He usually hurts himself." Sarah and Dr. O joined Danny.

"So I was thinking I could tell you two about myself while we walked to school." Dr. O was carrying a briefcase. Sarah offered him the apple and he took it.

"It's been washed already."

"All right. Shoot." Danny said.

"Remember how I told you more than one city was attacked by aliens, Sarah?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, the city always had heroes called Power Rangers. I was an evil Ranger for a little bit, but then I went over to the good guys. I was the Green Ranger for quite a while, but then I became the White Ranger. After I was the White Ranger for some two years, I became the Red Zeo Ranger. After being the Red Zeo Ranger, I retired. But it wasn't for long, because when a new alien attacked Earth, I became the black Dino Ranger."

"You speak of this as if it were nothing." Sarah said, as they stopped to wait for a light to change.

"After a while, it was nothing. I just fell into the hero routine."

"Well... I need to speak to my brother in private, please." Sarah went up to Danny and whispered "He just told us about being a Ranger. I think that was supposed to be a big secret. Should we tell him about our powers?"

"This is a big decision. We shouldn't rush head long into this. He said he used to be a ranger. We'll have these powers until we die."

"I know, but he trusted us enough to tell us. We should trust him."

"We'll discuss this after school, young lady." They had reached the middle school. Tommy followed.

"See you after school, Danny." Sarah called over her shoulder.

" I'll need to meet your principal. Then, I'll go back home and let the man from the phone company in, although he may not even need to come in. "

"Yes." Tommy and Sarah went into the school together.

"Could you show me to the main office, please?" Tommy asked.

"Sure thing. Follow me." Sarah led Tommy to the main office, then went to her locker and got her books. She went to homeroom, then first period. When she got to fifth period, she saw that Tommy was there. The first teacher hadn't left yet.

"Class," he began, after the bell rang and the last student had closed the door,

"This is Dr. Oliver- you're to call him Dr. O- He'll be taking my place in this class. As you all know, I have to go home after so many hours of teaching on doctor's orders. He won't start teaching today, but it will be sometime this or next month."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Lancer." The class said.

Ladsby stood up and threw an eraser at Sarah. Tommy came forward and caught it.

"That's Ladsby Baxter."

"He's the bully." Sarah said.

"He especially likes picking on me."

"Why? Is it because you like getting into trouble, or because you like the attention? Or maybe it's because you can't pick on anyone your own size?"

"And you're really just a wimp?" someone called out.

"That's enough, Mr. Lass." Mr. Lancer said. This was Mackenzie Lancer.

"Well, I'll let you observe the class today, and take charge while I'm out of the room, Dr. O"

"Yes, sir." Tommy took a chair and sat at the back of the classroom.

"All right, class, let's turn in our books to page 380, and read "The Elephant and the Lion" to ourselves."

The class did. Mr. Lancer went to the back of the room and whispered to Tommy, "I'll be in the facilities if you need me."

Most of the class giggled. Mr. Lancer left to go to the bathroom.

Why do the same people always giggle when someone says they need to be in the restroom? Sarah asked herself.

Another eraser hit her head.

"Ladsby, if you throw another eraser at Sarah, you can go to the principal's office." Tommy said.

"Mr. Lancer said you wouldn't be taking charge until sometime later this month or next month."

"He isn't in here, and I am. That means I'm in charge."

"No, it doesn't." Tommy picked Ladsby up out of his seat and dragged him to the office.

"I expect the rest of you to be on your best behavior." he said, before he left.

Mr. Lancer came back. He noticed the eraser on the floor, and saw that Ladsby and Tommy were gone.

"Ah. Mr. Baxter threw another eraser at Ms. Fenton, so Dr. O took him to the principal's office." he said.

"Yes, sir." Tommy came back with Ladsby. Ladsby went and sat down.

"Mr. Lancer, Ladsby..."

"Threw another eraser at Ms. Fenton, so you took him to the principal's office. I quickly deduced that, seeing that there is an eraser on the floor, and you and he were gone. Ms Fenton confirmed it."

"He also didn't believe that I was in charge."

"If I remember correctly, the Baxter's have usually had trouble with authority."

"That explains it, then. He didn't want to listen to Principal Brown, either."

"He's a Baxter through and through."

Sarah got up and picked the eraser off of the floor. She put them in her pocket and sat down again. Dr. O held his hand out for the eraser. Sarah handed it over.

"Are we all through reading?" Mr. Lancer asked

"Not yet, Mr. Lancer."

"Alright, Mr. Cooper. Hurry up, so that we can read it out loud."

Two minutes passed.

"Done."

"Thank you, Mr. Cooper. Will you please start reading for us?"

"In the long ago time, back when the world was young, there was an elephant cub named Linus and a lion cub named Terus. When Linus was just six weeks old, he went for a walk. He met Terus. He was afraid, for his mother and father had told him what a lion had done to his grandparents. Lions killed my grandparents. If I get too close to this one, he will kill me, too, Linus thought.

Linus started to give Terus a large berth. Terus saw him and called out, "Will you be my friend?'

Linus said 'No, you just want to eat me, like two of your kind did to my grandparents. It is your way.'

"Mr. Dibbs? Would you take over?"

'No, I won't. I don't even like elephant meat, honest.'

'Okay.' Linus went over to Terus and they became fast friends. Years passed. Linus and Terus grew up. Terus learned to hunt. Linus was older than Terus. So when Linus got old, Terus helped take care of him. One day, close to Linus' time to die, there was a famine across the plain. Terus was very hungry, but he would not eat Linus. Linus was suffering, so he begged and begged Terus to kill him. Terus loved his friend, and hated to see him suffering. So one day ..."

"Ms. Fenton, perhaps you would like to read for us?"

"Terus asked Linus, 'Do you really want me to kill you?'

'Yes.' Linus said. So, it was with a heavy heart that Linus raised his terrible heavy foot and crushed Linus' head in. 'Good-bye, old friend.' Terus whispered as his friend died. "

What a bunch of baloney, Sarah thought.

"What a bunch of baloney." Ladsby said.

Ladsby and I agreed on something! Sarah thought, her eyes wide.

Tommy had sat down in the front of the class. He went to Sarah's desk and knelt in front of her.

"What's wrong?"

"Ladsby and I both think the same thing about the story. I hope that doesn't mean that I'm starting to act like him."

"I hope not, too." Tommy said, going back to his chair. Mr. Lancer had heard, and he hoped that Sarah wasn't starting to act like Ladsby, either.

One Ladsby is enough, he thought.

After school, Sarah and Tommy waited for Danny. When he came, he whispered to Sarah "We'll have to swear him to secrecy."

"Yes. But we'll tell him?"

"Yes. What can we have him swear on?"

"If his parents are dead, their graves."

"Okay. I guess that's good enough."

"I'll bring it up." Sarah said.

"What are you two whispering about?" Tommy asked.

"We going home or not?"

"Coming." The Fentons hurried to start walking home. They slowed down after a bit.

"So... how did you fall into teaching, Dr. O?" Sarah asked

"I decided that I liked working with young people after teaching martial arts for several years, so I decided to teach them something else that would help them in life and that didn't remind me of being a Power Ranger."

"How did your parents re-act to you telling them you wanted to teach?"

"My biological parents are dead, but my adopted parents are fine with it."

Sarah stopped. "If we tell you a secret, will you swear on your parents graves not to tell?"

"Not if it's life-threatening."

"It isn't."

"Then I swear on my parents graves, although I don't know exactly where they're buried."

"Good." Sarah motioned for Danny to come closer.

"We have ghost powers."

"Do you save the world with them?"

"Danny fights the other ghosts, but I don't."

"What do you look like when you're...um...?"

"In our ghost forms? Watch." They led Tommy into the woods, so that no one could see them. Sarah concentrated on "going ghost". Her hair turned white, her clothes turned black, and the rings were both blue, like Danny's. Her eyes turned an icier blue. There was the slight addition of a stylized "S" in the middle of her chest. Sam had stuck it there once while Sarah was showing off her ghost form. Danny yelled "I'm going ghost!" and transformed.

"At least I'll know two ghosts around here."

"You'll have two ghosts to protect you. I may not fight like Danny, but I'll fight if I have to." Sarah said. They changed back.

"Do your parents know about this?" Tommy asked.

"No. And they can't find out. Danny's friends Tucker Foley and Samantha Manson- we call her Sam-and our sister Jazz all know." Sarah said.

"If M and D find out, they'll want to split our molecules."

"M and D? You two speak in code?"

"Not all the time."