HalfafanD: Alright, re-write round two! After this everything will be completely new. So buckle your seatbelts and get ready for the long car trip to our destination.

...Thought I was gonna say 'bumpy ride', didn't ya. Well no. This ride's more boring with tons of waiting and testing patience. Like trying to get this darn site to let me upload my frickin' files!

But that's my problem. All you guys have to do is sit in the passenger seat and wait for me to stop blowing my horn yelling at the guy in front of to pick a lane. But anyway, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: And no, I've told you time and time again: I don't own Danny Phantom.

The Gift

"Danny? Danny." A voice called.

He could hear it faintly in his sleep-fogged mind. Was that his mom?

"Danny? Sweetie, get up." This time a little clearer. Danny's eyes fluttered open to see his mother looking down at him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Mom? What's goin' on?" He slurred out sleepily.

She smiled. "Come on, get up. Get dressed, we're taking you somewhere."

"What, why? It's Saturday."

"Just get dressed and come down to have breakfast."

It was all a huge blur since he was still half asleep, but Danny soon found himself downstairs dressed in clean clothes and eating breakfast. Looking down at himself, Danny realized that in his demurral haze, he had dressed in his usual shirt. But he was also wearing a red jacket, black cargo shorts that ended right below his knee and red trainers instead of his original shoes. When did he get these clothes?

"Mom, you and Dad want to tell us why you woke us up early on a Saturday. Even earlier than when I wake up?" Jazz asked. Looking across the table, Danny could see that Jazz had also gotten herself dressed in her usual attire and seemed just as half asleep as he was, which was odd considering he almost never saw her in that state.

Maddie walked into the kitchen and kissed the back of Danny's bed head before grabbing the cereal box, closing it and putting it away. The same with the milk. "Sorry, Jazz, but it's a surprise."

"Mom, we're not kids anymore. Just tell us what you two have been so weird about lately."

Jack then walked in from the basement door in the kitchen carrying various ghost inventions. "Sorry Jazz-a-rincess, can't say a word." And with that he walked off to where Danny assumed was behind the house and to the Ghost Assault Vehicle.

"Are we going somewhere?" Danny asked before yawning again.

Maddie nodded. "You kids must have been wondering why we've been so secretive lately this past week, correct."

Jazz shook her head. "Nuh-uhh." Even with knowing her brother's secret, she still liked to avoid her parent's ghostly activities like the plague.

"Not really." Danny shrugged.

"Well, you're about to find out." Came the eager response, not letting her children's disinterest dissuade her. She then grabbed the dishes and quickly took care of them before getting Jazz and Danny up from their seats and guiding them to the Fenton RV.

Once in the back, both kids buckled along with Maddie and Jack in the front seats. Maddie in the driver's seat (she loved her husband but there was no way she was gonna risk him driving this early in the morning). The vehicle then started and off they went.

The ride was a blur as well, even though Danny was awake more now thanks to the car's engine. But all too soon the RV stopped and all four got out of the car. Neither Danny nor Jazz noticed another van with broadcasting equipment on it parked close by

"What are we doing at the abandoned Townson place?" Jazz questioned, getting annoyed that neither of the ghost hunting parents was telling her anything.

"You'll see," Maddie answered. The two kids followed their parents down the winding path until they came to the front of the house. There stood a man and woman along with two other guys. The latter of the four fiddling with a camera and boom mic as the former appeared to be supervising. Pointing and giving input every so often.

Finally, the woman turned. "Oh good, you're early!" She said excitedly. Nodding to the other man, who in response gave his own thumbs up, she then made her way toward the family.

They could see she wore a navy blue beanie with a long sleeved blue shirt that hugged her figure with a white winter vest over it. She also had on dark jeans and light blue tennis shoes. Her long brown hair reached to her shoulders and her royal blue eyes sparkled in the morning sun.

The ghost hunting family walked up to them. "Hello Beth, it's so nice to finally meet you face to face." Maddie greeted, extending a hand.

Beth shook it. "Likewise." She then looked them over. "You two must take your ghost hunting seriously if you're showing up in jumpsuits."

"Actually, they always dress like this." Jazz answered. "And isn't it a little warm out?"

Beth smiled upon seeing the younger Fenton. "And you two must be Jazz and Danny. You're parents have talked a lot about you over the phone. As for my choice of fashion, my husband and I are from North Canada. Never raised above fifteen where I live. Not that it doesn't get warmer, but that's just my own experience. I honestly can't wear anything less without feeling completely exposed."

Jack gasped in awe. "You understand how I feel! I can't go anywhere without the healing touch of my orange glow spandex."

Jazz groaned, smacking her face with a face-palm. Whereas Maddie simply shook her head smiling fondly. Danny meanwhile, had a very different reaction.

If he had water, he'd do a spit-take. So instead he had to settle for his eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Fifteen degrees?! How are you alive!"

Beth giggled.

Jazz huffed. "Danny, she meant fifteen degrees Celsius. Not fifteen degrees Fahrenheit."

Danny blinked. "There's a difference?"

"Are they teaching you nothing at that school?!"

"I don't think parent functions covers temperature." Wait a minute. "And you go there too!"

If possible, Beth laughed even harder. "Oh, now you have to meet my husband, Ethan. You two sound just like him and Edward."

Upon hearing his name, the man approached them. "You rang?" He then gave a kiss on Beth's cheek before extending a hand to the married hunters. "Hey there. I'd be Ethan." He then gestures behind him. "The blond is Hunter and the brunette is Spencer."

Sure enough, both men looked up from the equipment to wave before resuming to their work.

As for Ethan, he wore average pants and dark brown boots with a gray long sleeved shirt. His black hair was peeking out from under his red hat casting a light shadow over his brown eyes.

"So what's this about my dork of a brother?" The husband asked, his grin taunting.

Beth smiled. "How seeing the Fentons' children arguing remind me of you two. Don't you remember? You'd both always find something pointless to nag about at one another."

He gave a playful raised brow before turning to the kids, lowering his voice down as he cupped his mouth. Like he was prepared to tell them the biggest secret on earth. "Don't listen to her, I think that hat of her's is cutting off the circulation in her brain."

That earned him an elbow to chest, emitting a laughing grunt from him.

"Then shouldn't you be suffocating too?"

Another grin. "Touché."

Danny finally turned to his parents. "What's this all about?"

Both Fentons beamed. "Surprise!" They shouted in unison.

"Beth and Ethan called us one day and said they were coming into town from Canada to do an episode for their show. See kids, they're a paranormal show that studies myths behind ghost stories and haunts." Maddie elaborated.

"And they asked if we could be on their show since we're ghost hunters and live here!" Jack exclaimed in enthusiasm. "Isn't that great!"

"Yeah, but why are we here specifically?" Jazz reworded Danny's question.

"We wanted to do the show on the town itself and their ghost appearances, like Phantom," Beth explained. "But before heading over, we did some research and some kids tweeted recently about seeing something inside this old house."

Ethan nodded. "As far as we know, the town only comes in for an annual Halloween party every year. So this seemed out of the norm."

"Besides, we have no control over when Phantom or the other ghosts appeared. So this will be a great way to start off the week of filming." Beth finished.

Danny froze. They were going to film the haunted house because of Mrs. Guarder! But, that didn't make sense. No one can see her. So then the person they actually saw was... him.

Crap.

Jazz nodded but still seemed confused. "So why bring us?"

"To soak up the family business!" Jack answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It won't be long until you're hunting ghosts like your old man."

A lot sooner than you think, Danny added silently in his head. Even in a panic, his mind whipped up wisecracks. Should he be concerned?

"No, I'm not like you and Mom." Jazz retorted. "I might accept your ghost hunting activities, but that doesn't mean I'll follow in your footsteps."

Indeed, Jazz had long since accepted both her parents crazy obsession and her brother's 'extracurricular activities'. But after Danny's blunt admission to her terrible ghost fighting (and despite the rare occasions, looking back, she'd have to agree), Jazz had instead decided to take her life in the same direction she had initially set her heart on. But there was nothing wrong with adding ghost profiling and ecto-psychology to her profession. The guns and nets were just not her speed.

"If you say so Sweetie." Maddie then turned to the TV couple. "Are we ready to start?"

The other married couple turned to the two men working. "We all set?" Ethan asked.

Spencer nodded and gave a thumbs up, his partner already making his way to the van.

"Alright then, shall we head inside? It's best to always rehearse what to do or say and what order we explore the house in before filming." Fentons nodded in agreement to Ethan and followed the Canadian couple inside.

Danny, feeling worried for Mrs. Guarder, tapped his Mother's arm. "Mom?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Is it alright if I go explore the house a bit? Since you guys are still setting up." That was really the only excuse he could think of to get away and warn the old woman.

Maddie hummed in thought. "...I suppose you could. But make it fast, Beth and Ethan are getting ready to film soon."

With a nod, Danny sped inside the old house to look for the ghost.

"Mrs. Guarder?" Danny called out in a whisper. Everyone was right outside so he had to make sure they didn't hear him.

"Mrs. Guarder?" Danny tried again as he entered the dining room, she was usually there. Nothing but plastic covered decor. Well that was all of the first floor. So that just left upstairs.

"Mrs. Guarder?" This time Danny spoke a little louder, no longer at risk at being overheard. He opened room after room, each one turning up empty. His calls became more desperate. "Mrs. Guarder?"

"In here, Little Casper." A familiar voice responded just a few rooms down.

Sure enough, when Danny opened the door, the white faded figure of Mrs. Guarder sat floating just above a plastic covered chair by the window.

The woman gave a kind smile. "That's quite the party you've got going on down there."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I honestly had no idea that my parents were planning this, or that the someone spotted me."

"It's not your fault, little Casper."

"Not my fault?" Danny accused. "It was my idea for you to stay here while you waited for your granddaughter to settle down. It's my fault that I got spotted in the window when I should've been more cautious and it's my fault that I dragged you into all this ghost craziness."

"And I'm telling you it isn't your fault." The woman responded, her voice sturdy as ever. With a kind smile, she floated over and grabbed Danny's hand. Enveloping it with her own two transparent ones in a gentle grasp. "You've been nothing but kind to me since we first met. The fact that you've always brought me the paper and a cup of tea when visiting proves it. So what if someone spotted you, you had no control over that. People would've just found out that I was here another way."

The kind woman then guided Danny to the window. She grabbed a small cookie from the plate that had been sitting on the sill and placed in his hand. "Here."

Danny stared at the cookie. "Where'd you get these?"

"I swiped some from the nice young couple down there." At Danny's widening eyes she continued. "Don't worry, I took it from the main box so that they wouldn't notice anything."

Danny chuckled. He really worried too much. "Thanks, Mrs. Guarder."

"Anytime, little Casper."

Danny sat in the chair across from Mrs. Guarder while she took back her initial spot, both munching on the cookies.

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"We got everything set up?" Beth asked, to which Spencer gave another thumbs up from his computer. "Ok then, let's start shooting."

Jazz moved to stand by Spencer while Ethan, Maddie, and Jack stood in front of Hunter who held the camera.

"Alright! On the air in five, four, three, two..." Hunter then pointed straight at them. They were officially live.

"Hello and welcome back to Haunted Discoveries," Beth spoke. "I'm Beth."

"And I'm Ethan."

"And today, here in Amity Park, Ohio; we have two very special guests."

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"So, I take it you're not leaving while these guys are here, huh."

"They could tear the place apart for all I care." The ghost laughed. "Not like the building was in good condition beforehand."

That got a laugh out of the halfa.

"So, you make any progress on that homework of yours?"

"Nah." Danny brushed off. "I decided to sleep on it when I got home. I was planning on doing it today, but Mom and Dad dragged us out of the house before I could even grab it."

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out." The ghost reassured. "You are a rather smart child."

0000000Line Break0000000

Jazz glanced up at the old house before looking around. Her parents and the couple had already gone inside and started covering the first floor for their 'mystery ghost'. It was just her and Spencer outside.

"Hey, has your brother come back out yet?" The man asked looking up from the footage his computer was displaying.

Jazz sighed. "No, not to my knowledge."

He hummed. "He probably just went out the back and started exploring the property. You know, teen stuff."

Jazz knew that wasn't just the case. Her little brother wasn't like most teens. She looked up at the house again. She hoped Danny got Mrs. Guarder out of there already.

0000000Line Break0000000

"Let's check the second floor," Beth suggested after they searched all the rooms.

The five (if you included Hunter) then head up the steps and onto the second floor. Once up there, they all began to look around.

Ethan was the first to speak. "Which room should we start with first?"

Before anyone could answer, another voice was heard.

"Me, smart? As if, have you seen my grades?"

The reaction was immediate as everyone turned their heads toward the door near the end of the hallway. At the same time, the ghost radar in Jack's hand began to buzz to life.

"Danny?" Maddie questioned quietly. Why was her son still doing in the house?

"Danny, you mean your son?" Eden elaborated for the camera. The ghost hunting couple nodded.

They all continued to walk silently to the door which was fortunately slightly ajar. Beth opened the door fully and they moved into the room. The youngest Fenton, sat in a chair facing the window, his back to them with another vacant chair across from him and a plate of cookies on the sill.

When did he snag those? Beth asked herself.

Jack's ghost radar continued to buzz silently, only the signal seemed stronger this time. Thankfully, though, Danny seemed too engrossed in his 'conversation' to hear it.

"C'mon, stop. No way that's true." Danny spoke again, nibbling on a cookie.

"I'm serious." Mrs. Guarder persisted, though Danny was the only one who heard her. "You're a very intelligent boy. They never taught the stuff you're learning now to me when I was your age. You'll get this assignment done before you know it."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

Danny blushed. Ever since the Pariah Dark incident, a lot of the ghosts have come to respect him and have gone as far as to compliment him many times, giving a quick hello when he passed them in the Zone. Honestly, it left him a little embarrassed. He hardly got that kind of attention as Danny Fenton.

Seeking to look for a subject change Danny gazed out the window, only to spot something. Or lack thereof. "Huh, looks like Mom and Dad started exploring the house." He turned to Mrs. Guarder. "I should probably sneak out before they get to the second floor. You go a find a place to hide."

The woman let out a laugh. "Hide? Last time I checked Little Casper, you're the only one who can see me."

"Yeah, I know I'm the only one who can see you." Danny said rolling his eyes. "But that doesn't mean Mom and Dad's equipment can't pick up on you. I don't want to take any risks."

Maddie gave a light gasp. Was her son, talking to a ghost? It certainly explained why the radar in Jack's hand was going off. But she couldn't see anything other than Danny.

It wasn't uncommon for some ghosts to be so underpowered that they were invisible to the naked eye. And it certainly wasn't uncommon either that there were certain people (namely children) that had the ability to see those ghosts. So did that mean her son was one of those gifted children?

Her suspicions were confirmed when a cookie from the plate began to float before disappearing mid-air bite by bite.

Danny suddenly laughed. "Ok, I'll be sure to bring some next time I come over."

Next time? Has her son been here before? Was he visiting this ghost? Why? He knew ghosts were dangerous, she and Jack had stressed that out enough to him and Jazz so that they'd remember it. But if he was visiting this ghost, did that mean it was her son those kids saw and not the ghost?

"Well, she can't really see you so meeting her would be hard. I'd be the one doing all the talking. But yeah, I'm sure Jazz would love to meet you if given the chance. She's a lot more open to the idea that I can see ghosts she can't after I saw that one incident."

Wait, Jazz knew but not his own parents? Why? And this ghost wasn't the first one Danny had met that only he could see? Who else did he...?

Maddie then began to feel extremely guilty. Of course; the camping trip. The trip Jazz had so adamantly persuaded them into going. She went on about how the anti-ghost environment and the stress that came with the school was making him hallucinate and see ghosts. So the hypothetical ghost Danny kept claiming to see was actually there. And they didn't believe him. No wonder he hadn't brought it up again, her son must've thought that they wouldn't believe him. The only one who did was Jazz. It would certainly make sense she knew after she had suddenly demanded that they head home when they only just arrived at the campsite.

Now Maddie really wished she had believed her baby boy then. To be the only one to see those ghosts and have to deal with them all by himself, it must've been hard. No wonder he couldn't focus on his studies. But now that she knew, things were going to be different.

Danny stopped talking again as he grabbed the plate of leftover cookies. "I'll be sure to ask her if she's free to come over. She's been busy with her college stuff lately, but I'm sure she'd love to visit."

"I'm sure I'd love to meet her as well." Mrs. Guarder answered. "I think I'll take this opportunity to go see my granddaughter now."

"Be sure to tell me how's she's doing."

"I will." She then gave a kind smile before flying up through the ceiling. "See you late, Little Casper."

"See you." Danny waved back. Once she disappeared, Danny turned towards the door to sneak out the back before his parents came up. Well, that was the plan.

But what he saw by the door made him stop. For standing at the entrance, were his parents along with the TV people he was introduced to earlier. And the camera in the guy's hands was recording.

Danny chuckled nervously. "Heh, heh. Uh... you didn't see that, right?"

HalfafanD: And there! Now we're caught up. As you can see, I added a little more to the OCs and flushed them out a tad more. But we'll be seeing more of them. Chapters will indeed be coming in soon though, I assure you.

Another thing that's cool is that in addition to writing these chapters, I've been doing fanfic art. Cover Art, character sheets, etc.

So you'll be seeing not just title pages done by yours truely, you'll see character sheets for other OCs such as Beth and Ethan here. Of course, for the time being my priority on fanfic art is on both 'Mysterious Magician' and 'Total Drama Phantom!' so you can expect to see those first.

In the meantime though, please drop a review if you liked what you read. Love to hear all your thoughts. But no flames please.

See you all next chapter!