Danny Phantom Fan Fiction ❯ Glitches in Time ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12

"He's a child!" Valerie screeched in disbelief as she started at the almost toddler like ghost that floating before them. The ghost that everyone was scared of was a kid?

The purple clothed Old One drifted closer, clock staff in hand as red eyes flicking from person to person.

"Oh don't worry," Danny muttered, "He'll be an old man any second now."

Valerie and four other humans shot Phantom a strange look. What was he talking about?

"Ah, but you see for me time moves forwards, and backwards and oh..." Clockwork sighed as his form morphed, "Why am I bothering? None of you will remember this."

Five humans jumped at the ghost's transformation, staring at the middle-aged apparition that now hovered above them. Oh, that was what Phantom meant. Before they could assimilate the ghost's new appearance, he changed get again, becoming a decrypted old man.

"Weird," Dash muttered, eyeing the blue-skinned ghost.

"Yes, wonderful, ain't it?" Danielle said with a cheerful smile as she and her brother drifted towards a swirling portal. Flipping open their pouch flaps and withdrew a handful of glowing orbs and they tossed them into the portal and turned back to the others.

"What's that?" Tucker asked curiously, wondering also what the orbs have been.

"That—"

"I brought the cookies I'd promised," a woman's voiced called out as one of the doors along the wall opened, startling many. "Are you having a good day kids?"

The group of time travellers looked at the woman that stood before them carrying an auburn haired and violet-eyed toddler on her hip that was wearing a blue overalls and black t-shirt. The woman was incredible attractive, dressed in a black business skirt-suit and purple blouse that matched her violet eyes with strawberry-blonde hanging in a heavy braid down her back.

"Oh..." She said trailed off softly, her beautiful face showing her surprise as she blinks at the scene that greets her eyes.

"Whoa, hot," Danny muttered as he stared at the woman, oblivious to the glare both Sam and Paulina bestow upon him.

"Oh yeah man," Tucker agreed, resisting the urge to drool. A sentiment that was echoed by the other males in the group.

The woman blinks once more, then turns on her heel to face the Master of Time. "You erased my memories!"

"My dear Samantha, it was necessary to ensure that the time stream continuum remained uninterrupted." Clockwork said fondly.

"I can understand that—but still... " the woman grudging admitted as she turned back to the group of past teenagers and one adult halfling.

"Hello Danny," she greets softly looking at the young Phantom then moved her violet eyes to another.

Danny blinked. She knew him? When he'd visited the future before he'd been able to recognise Valerie but he didn't recognise this woman.

"Tucker," she nodded at the African-American, leaving him as confused as his friend Danny.

"Valerie," the ghost-hunter frowned suspiciously, was this woman a ghost or an overshadowed human?

"Kwan, Star," the football player and cheerleader were also surprised at the woman's knowledge of them, while their greeting was not as friendly, it was not cool either.

"Dash," her tone lost its friendliness and became frosty.

"Paulina," her voice was down right frigid.

"Vlad," while not as cold as the last two greetings, annoyance was evident.

The ones who had had their names listed off looked at Sam, who the woman was eyeing but had not greeted. Before Paulina could make a snide comment, the woman spoke again.

"Hello... myself."

The jaws of the teenagers of the group dropped as they looked between the gothic girl they knew and the professional woman she became.

"You become that?" Paulina exclaimed in disbelief.

"Why isn't your hair black?" Dash question as he looked at Sam's black bob and the woman's strawberry-blonde braid.

"The Putnet Square, ever heard of that?" Samantha questioned dryly.

"Yeah, it's a method used in genetics for determining dominate and recessive genes," Tucker answered.

"You've seen my parents, does either of them have black hair?"

"Ah... no." Tucker said with sudden realisation, Mr Manson had blonde hair whereas Mrs Manson was a red head.

"Exactly, it's genetically impossible for me to have natural black hair, what I had was an excellent hair dresser." Future Sam said with a smile.

"Why colour it in the first place?" Star asked puzzled.

Samantha moved her shoulders in a shrugging motion, shifting the auburn haired toddler she carried. "When I was younger as you know, I felt a great need to distinguish myself from my... parents. Once I left home for university however, there was no need to state my individuality in such a way so I let my hair return to its natural colour."

"Well it's great that you're reminiscing Mom," Danielle suddenly said, "But can we have those cookies now?"

"Mom?" Eight voices thundered in unison.

Danny and Sam looked at each other, looked at the ghostly twins, back at each other, then at the future Sam and the child she carried, to looking back at each other. Shit. They were married? And had kids?

Tucker snickered at the incredulous look on his two friends faces. This was actually less of a surprise then discovering that the twins were Danny's future children; there had always been something between the two.

"Oh pooh," Paulina pouted, "I don't get to marry Phantom."

"It wasn't only Dan you lost," Samantha said scathingly, "Your family has also undergone a reversal of fortune."

"What do you mean?" The Latino girl questioned in confusion.

"I'm the owner of Green Enterprises, a corporation that specialise in environmental cleanup." Samantha began.

"My dream job!" Sam exclaimed happily.

"Yep, that's you Sam," Danny muttered.

"Doesn't sound like you've changed much at all," Tucker added aside.

"When other businesses, such as Sanchez Corporation, and their practices don't comply with government requirements regarding the environment and its care, then I step in."

"Step in and do what?" Paulina questioned.

Samantha smile was quite... predatorily. Presenting a conflicting image for a woman carrying a child, but it fit none the less. "Take over the company. But a hostile takeover usually requires that the existing board of directors be overturned and new members instated as well as other management changes. I'm sorry to say that head of the Sanchez Corporation, your father had to go Paulina as he did not support the new management's methods and practice requirements."

Paulina started in shock at the woman from the future before her. It was impossible. Her father couldn't lose his position. They could not be—be poor!

"Man, I always knew you were vindictive," Tucker muttered to Sam.

"I prefer to think of it as justice," Samantha responded crisply with a pleasant smile.