Life Lessons

(Jared's POV)

Memory Tardis…

A mash-up of various Tardis themes and contents.

"Oh!" Vicki said, upon finding a fob watch. "Doctor! Doctor, where are you? Doctor? Steven."

"Vicki, is that you? Oh!" Steven said, excitedly.

"Steven! Oh, Steven!" Vicki said, hugging Steven.

"Vicki Pallister and Steven Taylor?" I asked, leaning against the TARDIS console. "Gah. I am really out of my element."

"Who are you?" Steven asked, looking at me.

"I'm Jared Shay. I'm one of the Doctor's current companions."

"Companion?" Vicki asked, walking over to me. "Still. You're here, Jared. And so is Steven."

"God, am I dreaming?" Steven asked.

"If you are, then I must be too. And Jared's here." Vicki said, happily. "Look at you, Steven, you look so regal."

"When I left the Doctor, I did become a king, you know."

"A king? Wow. I'm rather impressed. Of what planet?" I asked, looking at Steven.

"Oh. It was a planet like Earth." Steven said, smiling. "And Jared. What are you the president of?"

"I'm going to be the President of Earth someday. Vicki? Did you become a queen?"

"I did. Ah, Troilus and I gave it all up to grow olives in the hills. I'm a farmer now." Vicki said, looking between Steven and I.

"You look great on it." Steven said.

"Rubbish." Vicki said, scoffing.

"No, you do, Vicki. The years have been good to us."

"Oh, I've had the most marvellous life. Children. Grandchildren."

"Me too. And now look, I've got my little sister back!" Steven said, excitedly.

"Oh, Steven!" Vicki cheered.

"Oh, will you look at this place? I can't believe we're back in the Tardis."

"Yeah, but where's the Doctor?" Vicki asked, looking over at me. "Jared? Do you know?"

"I do. He's somewhere. I know it is." I said, taking out some strawberry Pocky to snack on them. "This is a Memory TARDIS and it goes off of our stories. The Doctor doesn't forget and neither does the TARDIS. They refuse to let go."

"Oh. That does make a bit of sense." Vicki said, sadly. "I've got so much to tell him. Troilus, my children... All the things I never thought to have are down to him. I need to... I need to say thank you."

"Vicki, this might not be his Tardis. I mean, can you imagine the Doctor wearing something like this?" Steven asked, looking at the 6th Doctor's multicoloured patchwork coat.

"Nope. It's still his TARDIS. The Doctor has the ability to change his face to basically anyone and anything." I said, tossing a Pocky into my mouth. "Vicki, did you find something nostalgic?"

"I did." Vicki said, showing me the first Doctor's pocket watch. "I found his pocket watch. Oh, Doctor, where are you?"

"Hey, be careful, Vicki. We're not used to this sort of thing now. Jared is the one used to this sort of thing. It might be some kind of trap." Steven said.

"Don't be such a spoilsport." Vicki said, scoffing.

"I'm just being a little more cautious these days. Older and wiser."

Vicki picks up a horned metal helmet, "Look! We found this on the beach that day. Don't you remember? I wonder how it got here?"

Three chairs appear, and I sat down in one of the chairs.

"The same way these got here." Steven said, happily.

"Oh!" Vicki cheered.

Steven sits, "But, yes, I do remember that helmet. And I remember how hard you kept on trying to prove to me that the Tardis was a time machine."

"Oh yes, and there we were, in Northumberland, in 1066, and you still refused to believe it." Vicki said, frowning.

"Well, it had been a busy week. I mean, what with Mechanoids and Daleks. You know." Steven said.

"And then there were Vikings and Saxons, a Time-meddling Monk…" Vicki said, sadly.

"You know, it got even more crazy since then." I said, placing a Pocky into my mouth. "There are stone angel statues with the ability to send you back in time, potato dwarf soldiers, and lizard people."

"That does sound crazy, Jared."

"A typical day in the Tardis." Steven said, looking between Vicki and I.

Vicki sits down, "Such a long time ago. But now it just seems like yesterday."

"Yes. Vicki, we'd been on Mechanus, remember? And then the Doctor and I thought we were all alone…" Steven said, letting out a sigh.

(Open POV)

Amity Park…

There is a crowded school bus driving along the road.

Danny is in ghost form with a tail, flying high over the bus, "One good thing about ghost powers: No fighting the schoolbus crowds."

Danny is shown flying on a red-tinted screen. Skulker is watching him through ghostronic binoculars.

"There he is, the prey that got away. I hope you and your friend have enjoyed your freedom, child, because Skulker has returned to finish the hunt." Skulker said.

An absurdly large double-barreled blaster cannon glowing blue in the muzzles sprouts out of Skulker's right shoulder. Danny went through its sights—and a blast from somewhere else knocked Danny out of the field of view. Danny crashes into a water tank atop a building.

"What? A weapon was fired? By someone other than me?" Skulker asked.

A flying red-and-grey streak forces Skulker to duck. The streak heads for the water tower where a soaked Danny Phantom is just getting up.

"Thought I'd forgot about you and your friend, ghost?" Valerie asked, shooting at Danny, but misses and hits the supports of what's left of the water tank.

Danny flies above Valerie, "Nope. But I bet you forgot about that."

The water tank topples over, narrowly missing Valerie. Either she or her ultra-high-tech hoverboard dodges, and she pursues Danny as Skulker watches.

"They both seem formidable. Maybe I should hunt the girl." Skulker said, while Danny pushes Valerie back with a beam past him. "Of course, I have sworn a blood oath to have those ghost boys' pelts on my wall."

Now Danny is the one retreating again. Skulker follows both of them using the jet wings in his armor.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you!" Danny said, worried.

"What makes you think you can!" Valerie said, reaching behind into her backpack.

Valerie pulls out another gun, one that hasn't been seen before. A barrel longer than the casing it came out of extends, and then it sprouts eight more barrels around itself. She fires it through Danny, and his body forms a huge squiggly circle around where the bolt went through for a moment. Recovering, Danny fires back an especially strong two-fisted blast.

"I should force a contest between the hunter girl and the ghost boy. And to the winner, the honor of me using their skull as a tetherball!" Skulker yelled, hovering invisibly.

Valerie's battlesuit has taken some hits, and her hoverboard is smoking now. Danny looks very angry and is about to release a powerful blast—but then the bell at Amity High rings. They are, in fact, over their high school.

Casper High…

"Later for you, punk!" Valerie said, angrily.

"I'll be waiting, creep!" Danny said, excitedly.

Skulker watches as Valerie flies off to land behind the bleachers on the athletic field, where she changes back into her school clothes. Her hoverboard splits in two with half going into each shoe. Danny, invisible, phases into a boy's room to change. Then they both run for their first class, colliding in front of Health Sciences.

"Watch it, punk!" Valerie yelled.

"You watch it, creep!" Danny said, looking at Valerie.

The classroom door opens, and there's Ms. Tetslaff, the beefy gym teacher.

"Fenton! Gray! Congratulations! You two stragglers are paired up for a special Health Sciences project." Tetslaff said, picking up something from just inside the classroom. "I now pronounce you man, wife, and child."

Tetslaff tosses a flour sack with a happy face and wearing a diaper as Valerie and Danny manage to catch it.

"I am so not kissing the bride!" Danny said.

"What makes you think you can!" Valerie said.

(Jared's POV)

Casper High…

I was walking down the hallways of the school to see several couples with flour sack babies, then I looked at Sam and Tucker. As I walk behind Sam and Tucker, they walk with their flour sack baby, with us passing Danny and Valerie. Danny leaves Valerie behind with their FSB to run and join Sam, Tucker, and I and continue walking and talking with them while Valerie struggles alone with her FSB by her locker.

"Let me get this straight: We need to take care of a flour sack and pretend it's our baby?" Danny asked.

"It's a shared responsibility. Between two loving parents. But instead of a family taking care of a pet, it's the parents raising a child." I said, drinking a cup of peppermint mocha.

Dash Baxter is with a flour sack baby.

"Kwan! Go long!" Dash yelled, throwing the sack to Kwan like a football.

Kwan runs far down the hallway as if he was running for the goal line.

"Well, some of us." Tucker said.

"The only thing it teaches me is how pointless this assignment is." Sam said, rolling her eyes.

Valerie is struggling with her sack, and accidentally drops it on the floor.

"Not to mention dangerous! Now I've got to spend a week playing house with an ecto-hating ghostophobe." Danny said, annoyed.

"Don't worry, Danny. Valerie doesn't know your secret, and as far as you go, you don't know hers." Sam said, turning away and walking away, leaving Tucker, Danny, and I glancing at each other.

Tucker, Danny, and I catch up with Sam in a moment.

"Besides, she can't be gunning for you if she's taking care of your little flour sack of love!" Tucker said, hugging the FSB and starts singing. "Danny, Val and baby sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S—HEY!"

Valerie snatches off Tucker's beret and stuffs it in his mouth, "You dropped your hat."

Sam, Tucker, Danny, and I have stopped to look back at Valerie with her sack.

"Come on, Sam! Our child doesn't need to see this kind of negativity." Tucker said, turning and walking away. "Jared, do you want to take care of mine and Sam's child?"

"Sure!" I said, excitedly, as I walked behind Tucker. "That'll be fun. I mean, it's more fun than being with the hunter and the hunted."

"What?!" Sam exclaimed, turned to Tucker and I and followed us. "Tucker! Jared! It's a flour sack!"

Valerie comes up to Danny and dumps the sack at his feet, "I'll make things quick. I don't like you, and you don't like me."

"Cool. I'm glad we worked that out." Danny said.

"So, I took the time to chart out our responsibilities." Valerie said, bringing out a pie chart labeled 'Baby Care'.

A tiny sliver is labeled 'ME' and the rest of the pie is 'for DANNY'.

"And by 'our' you mean 'mine'." Danny said.

"Look. Unlike you, I'm busy. So busy my grades are in the toilet and I really need to pass this class." Valerie said, hearing the sound of the baby crying. "What is that?"

The FSB is playing the sounds of crying. Danny picks it up. The needle on a gauge on the side jumps from 'calm' to 'CRANKY'.

"You can't just set it down. These things need constant motion." Danny said.

"You see? And it's that kind of parental responsibility that's gonna get me a good grade. Or else!" Valerie said, walking away, leaving Danny holding the bag.

Outside the Nasty Burger…

Danny is still holding the bag and it's still crying, "I've been a parent all of one day and my grade is probably already down to a C-minus."

"Life could be worse. You could be that guy." Sam said, looking at the Nasty Nat, the costumed mascot of Nasty Burger, being tormented by four nasty little boys.

"Ooo! The Nasty Nat! Sam! Tucker! Danny! We should get a family photo with him." I said, eating my bacon cheeseburger. "It'll be fun."

"Jared's right. We should. Family photos raise your grades." Tucker said, pushing Danny and Sam toward the mascot.

"Tucker, Jared, you two are taking this way too seriously!" Sam said, angrily.

I have my Augma on my head and I loaded up security cameras I have up of the city in full view. I loaded up the one on the exterior of the Nasty Burger.

Skulker is skulking on the roof of the Nasty Burger, watching. He turns away to do some monologuing.

"Hmm. Going to need the right bait to lure those two back to battle. The Black Pearl can live another day." Skulker said, materializing a cage with various ghosts he's captured. "Too scaly; too frightening; you I plan on feasting on for dinner—Yes! You'll do." He pulls the Box Ghost out of the cage. "You'll do."

"I am the box ghost. I…" The Box Ghost said.

Skulker puts a spider-like gag on the Box Ghost. Then Skulker brings out something looking very much like the Fenton Fisher.

Back on the ground, Danny manages to take a couple of snapshots of Sam, Tucker, the Sack, and I with Nasty Nat using only one hand while holding on to his crying sack.

"You want me to take one of you? Family photos boost your grade." Tucker said, happily.

"That would require having the whole family. But Mommy is too busy with her job to pull her weight and keep this kid quiet!" Danny said, angrily.

"Danny! You're scaring the baby!" Sam, Tucker, and I said, at the same time.

"Which that is not; that's a flour sack." Sam said, frowning.

"Oh come on!" Danny yelled, while his sack farts.

"Just be thankful it's only flour."

"Then why does it smell like beans?" Danny asked, as his sack farts again.

"Well, it's those little things that bring the baby to life. Here. Let me." I said, taking the sack from Danny.

I took out a changing table from out of my sling bag and laid it on the table.

"Jared, I was gonna do it." Tucker said, annoyed.

"You asked me to help babysit. So I am." I said, taking out the baby supplies out of my sling bag. "I stocked up earlier. And Tucker has too."

"Where'd you and Jared get all this stuff?" Danny asked, looking between Tucker and I.

"I announced the birth of our ten-pound sack of joy on the internet. The online geek community can be very generous." Tucker said, smiling.

While we talked, Skulker dangled the Box ghost on his fishing line behind Danny, Tucker, and I but in front of the customers inside the Nasty Burger. Danny's ghost sense and my ghost sense finally register, so we turn around and notice the Box Ghost. I took my Augma off my head and placed it back inside my sling bag.

"Beware!" The Box Ghost said, just after his gag falls off.

The customers in the Nasty Burger finally realize they've seen a ghost.

"Ah man! Can you watch the kid for me?" Danny asked.

"What do I look like? A baby-sitting service?" Tucker asked, and Danny handed him a two-dollar bill. "Come to Uncle Tucker and his baby-sitting service."

"I'll take care of yours, Tucker." I said, grabbing Tucker's baby. "I don't mind it. Really."

Danny runs around to the back of the Nasty Burger and runs into the mascot.

"Watch it!" The Nasty Nat yelled, running off.

"Sorry, It was an accident. Jeez, Is everybody a jerk this week?" Danny asked, transforming without his signature 'going ghost' and flies up to take a look around. "Now where's that lame-o Box Ghost?"

"Only lame-o ghost I see here is you!" Valerie said, shooting a rocket into Danny, causing him to crash into the Nasty Nat drive-through robot.

"Welcome to Nasty Burger. May I take your order?" The robot asked, half destroyed.

Danny blasts the robot, finishing its destruction.

"Oh, she's too busy to watch the kids, but when it comes time to kick my butt, she's front-and-center." Danny said, looking at Valerie. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"This is what I do!" Valerie said, firing and hitting, causing Danny to fly past Skulker.

"At last! People hitting people. Is there anything more beautiful?" Skulker asked.

Valerie fires a salvo of five rockets which all land at the Nasty Burger. One of them hits the pole holding the sign up, and it begins to lean over toward Tucker and I.

"My baby!" Tucker said, worried.

"Tucker." I said, grabbing Tucker's hand and making both of us intangible before the pole snapped and fell. No harm comes to Tucker and I or the FSBs, and I let go of Tucker's hand to make us tangible again. "Thank goodness with my quick thinking."

"Thanks! But Danny, this is gonna cost you extra." Tucker said, looking up at Danny.

"You can bill me later. Right now I've gotta stop this fight before anyone gets hurt." Danny said, turning invisible, goes behind some SUVs, and comes out as Danny Fenton.

Valerie looks down with her binoculars at the scene. Part of the scene is Nasty Nat (not the robot) on the ground, unmoving, surrounded by panicking people. She also sees Danny Fenton close by.

"No ghost kids. I better get out of here before this gets any worse." Valerie said, flying off.

"Oh, this is ridiculous. I could have skinned the three of them by now." Skulker said, annoyed.

"Danny, I ought to bust you for child endangerment." Tucker said, giving Danny his sack back and grabs his own sack from me to cuddle it. "There, there now. Daddy's here. Daddy loves you, yes he does."

"Uh, Tucker…" Sam said, taking the sack from Tucker. "Point of information, it's a sack of white powder you almost got killed over."

"A sack of white powder that represents a baby." I said, while Sam smiles at the sack, moistens her finger with her tongue and rubs off a smudge. "And babies are cute."

"I'm gonna have to charge you extra, Danny. Hazard pay, and all." Tucker said, looking at Danny.

"Fine." Danny said, handing a five dollar bill to Tucker. "Whatever. Right now I just want to find Valerie and give her our kid. And a piece of my mind!"

Danny turns to leave, but runs right into Nasty Nat, up and around again.

"Please move!" Danny said, shoving the Nasty Nat aside.

A day has passed, and Dash and Paulina are outside the Nasty Burger.

"I can't take the kid during football practice." Dash said, in his football uniform.

"Hello?" Paulina asked, in her cheerleading uniform. "You have protective padding. All I have are pom-poms."

"I couldn't help overhearing you, and I think I have the solution to your child-care dilemma." Tucker said, happily.

(Open POV)

Valerie Gray's Apartment…

Valerie is doing chin ups from some ugly pipe in her ceiling. Around her are all sorts of evidence of her obsession, including clippings of articles about 'the Ghost Kids', photographs, Danny and Jared's images on her computer, ectoplasm samples, an arsenal of weapons on one wall of her room, and 'Most Wanted' posters with Danny and Jared at the top of the list.

"You can run, ghost boys, but you can't hide." Valerie said, talking to herself.

There is persistent knocking that brings her to the entry door.

"Valerie? It's Danny. And Junior. You're taking the kid. Now." Danny said, handing the sack to Valerie.

"But. My job." Valerie said.

"I know all about your stupid job."

"What?" Valerie asked, kicking a forgotten gun near the door out of sight. "Who told you about that?"

"It doesn't matter. Free ride's over. Now get your lazy butt in gear and start pulling your own weight."

"Danny, wait, please! If I flunk Tetslaff's class my dad will kill me!" Valerie cried, while the FSB farted in her face.

"Great! Then you might think about changing that diaper." Danny said.

"Clearly the sack is very valuable to both of them. Which gives me an idea…" Skulker said, becoming invisible, flies over to Valerie's apartment, and steals the sack out of Valerie's hands.

Valerie immediately arms herself. Skulker then appears before Danny in the corridor outside Valerie's place with the sack.

"Skulker! What are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Framing you." Skulker said, yelling at the sack, which starts crying.

"Skulker! No!"

Skulker throws the sack to Danny, then turns invisible and phases through the ceiling. And, of course, just after Skulker disappears, Valerie comes out of her door in her battlesuit. And Valerie sees one of the ghost boys holding her stolen FB.

"Hand over the sack, ghost, and nobody gets hurt!" Valerie said, angrily.

"Wait! It's not what you think!" Danny said, terrified.

Valerie begins firing in the hallway. Danny keeps holding the sack with both hands, turns invisible, and flies up through the ceiling. Instead of her usual blast-a-hole-and-fly-out-through-it technique, Valerie comes out through the open window in her place on the top floor seconds after Danny left her, and she gets right on his six, firing some more.

"You don't understand. This is all a trick. By a ghost named Skulker." Danny said, over his shoulder as he flies with the sack ahead of his body.

Valerie stops firing but keeps Danny covered with even more firepower. They come to a random stopping place directly over a plot hole to parley.

"See? I'm putting the sack down, right here. You don't want to hurt me, and you don't want to hurt this, right?" Danny asked, pointing to the sack.

"Why do you even care?" Valerie asked, retracting the extras from her gun.

"No hitting? Why is there no hitting? I'm changing the rules of this hunt." Skulker said, pressing a button on his wrist.

Doohickeys pop out of the ground around Danny and Valerie.

"I knew it! It's a trap!" Valerie yelled.

"No, it's not me!" Danny said, worried.

The doohickeys zap them with electricity, or perhaps ghostricity.

Skulker's Island…

Danny woke up next to Valerie (still suited up) after being knocked out. He and Val discover they are handcuffed together, and the handcuffs are glowing with some kind of blue energy.

"Greetings, prey. Having failed to determine which one of you is the superior challenge, I've decided to hunt you both at the same time." Skulker said.

Skulker's Island, which like many ghost zone venues is an island floating in space, surrounded by scattered purple doors. It is mostly jungle on top, with one outcropping featuring that has the face of a skull.

Skulker is looming and gloating in his huge armored, gadgeted battlesuit in front of Danny and a screaming Valerie.

"AAAH!" Valerie said, screaming. "UHHH! HELP!! What is this place?! Who's he?! What's going on here?!"

Valerie flinged Danny around by his handcuff as she wildly gestures and turns about.

"Okay, in order: This is the Ghost Zone; that's Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter; and other than you dislocating my shoulder, we're about to be hunted like animals." Danny said, sadly.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Valerie yelled.

"I'm offering you a sporting head start, prey. I suggest you take it." Skulker said, producing a ridiculous array of weapons from his suit.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

"Less freaking! More running!" Danny said, as he is running away with Valerie.

After dodging a flying net and spinning bolas, Danny tries to fire back with his free hand. It glows, but doesn't do anything else.

"Oh, man! These handcuffs must cancel out my all my ghost powers!" Danny said, angrily.

"My rocket grenade launcher!" Valerie said, reaching down and reaching down for her weapon.

"No! Don't! It might be…" Danny said, sadly.

A compartment hidden in a tree opens and a lot of darts shoot out. The pair drops to the ground. The darts all seem to miss.

"Booby trapped. See, that's why I took the time to explain the whole Ghost Zone's greatest hunter thing." Danny said, scoffing.

They hear Skulker roaring.

"Get up! He's coming!" Valerie said, looking down at Danny.

"I... can't... move." Danny said, and there is a dart in his butt.

"Spectral paralysis dart. The effects are only temporary. But this will not be." Skulker said, pulling out a large two-handed gun.

Valerie drags Danny along as she runs away.

"Well, on the bright side, she's finally starting to pull her own weight." Danny said, and Valerie is dragging him behind her.

(Jared's POV)

Park…

Tucker is pushing a carrier. The carrier is made of four prams fastened together and mounting a large banner between two poles advertising 'Flour Power Day Care'.

"Flour Power Day Care, please hold. Flour Power Day Care, please hold, Flour Power Day Care. Yes, we do accept your parents' credit cards." Tucker said, raising phones in both hands to his ears.

"This baby sitting racket is a gold mine!" Tucker cheered, looking at Sam, taking down the phones for a moment.

"That's great, but Tucker, aren't you worried our own sack might get neglected?" Sam asked.

"He's not. That's why I am taking care of it." I said, keeping Sam and Tucker's sack baby safe in a baby carrier. "I volunteered."

"No. Why? Our baby's not getting neglected. As Jared said, he's taking care of it." Tucker said, sadly.

"Thank you for babysitting, Jared." Sam said, picking up the 'baby' from me. "Tucker, while you're just so busy, why don't I just take her off your hands for a few hours?

Sam cradles and rocks the 'baby'.

"Her? Now who's taking this way too seriously!" Tucker said, taking the 'baby' away and puts it on top of another sack in one of the prams. "You're bonding, aren't you?"

"No! I am so not bonding. I just thought I'd give you a break, that's all…" Sam said, frowning.

"Well, thanks, but no thanks." Tucker said, bringing up a phone and turning away. "No better advertisement for business than a full carrier."

Tucker takes the phone as he starts walking away pushing the carrier with his other hand.

"You're right, it's just a stupid school project." Sam said.

"Yes, we do offer diaper cleaning. Flour Power Day Care…" Tucker said, talking on the phone, oblivious to Sam and I.

Sam looks down at her 'baby' rolling away with the other sacks Tucker is using hoping to make even more money. I turned myself intangible and walked over to the pram and picked up Sam and Tucker's sack from there. I made myself visible and walked away with Sam, passing the sack baby to the goth.

(Open POV)

Skulker's Island…

Valerie is screaming and bursting out of some jungle foliage, pulling Danny along. Skulker comes out of the same foliage.

Danny's face is now off the ground. Danny's free hand closes slowly with a creaking noise as he grunts with effort.

Valerie is dragging Danny up to the edge of the island. Valerie stops, Danny stands up, and they both peer down over the edge.

Skulker stopped somewhere behind them, holding his gun at the ready, "No way out, whelps!"

"There is one way out!" Valerie said, terrified.

"What?! No! Listen to me!" Danny said, worried.

Valerie dives off the edge of the island, dragging Danny with her. Skulker reaches the edge three seconds later. After falling quite a bit, she deploys her hoverboard from her boots. Danny falls down on the board as Valerie stops its 'fall'. Valerie starts moving under control.

"He might have got my weapons, but he didn't get everything!" Valerie cheered, looking at the missiles and the guns built into the board, which are plainly visible.

Ghost Zone…

Skulker is deploying his wings and jets and taking off to track them down. Valerie and Danny are racing along on her board.

"Could you slow down for a moment? This is the Ghost Zone, and I am a ghost. I can help us both." Danny said, sadly.

"Why should I trust you?!" Valerie exclaimed, while Danny pointed to the glowing handcuff connecting him to her. "Fine. I'm open to suggestions."

"Head for a door. Any door! Sometimes they're portals between the Ghost Zone and Earth." Danny said.

They fly to a door and Valerie opens it. They see a railroad track leading straight to the door.

"Not that door!" Danny yelled.

An Old West-style steam locomotive is rushing toward them. It opens a mouth revealing fire behind huge jagged teeth. Both of them slam the door closed.

"Then maybe you should be a little more specific, huh?!" Valerie exclaimed.

They fly to the nest door, enter, and close it behind. Skulker stops in front of the door three seconds after.

"I can smell how near they are. Sweat. Fear. And…" Skulker said, sniffing. "…beans. One of them must have had a burrito."

(Jared's POV)

Amity Park…

I have a security camera tucked away at Tucker's garage, knowing that the sacks would all be there, and I wanted to see the nerd's reaction to his sack being missing.

Tucker returns home with his carrier-and-rolling-advertisement but without Sam. He's set up his phony-baloney 'day care center' in his parents' garage.

Tucker begins putting each of his customer's sack's in their own cradle to be rocked by a pulley system rigged from the washer, so they won't start getting 'cranky' without any effort on Tucker's part. Each cradle has the payment for its sack baby clipped to the top.

Tucker puts a sack into a cradle with a ten dollar bill.

"Nighty-night, Alexander." Tucker said, putting a sack into a cradle with a twenty dollar bill. "Sleep tight, Andrew."

Tucker puts a sack into a cradle with a one hundred dollar bill.

"Pleasant dreams, Benjamin. You're my favorite! I mean, of course, except not counting—huuuuh!" Tucker said, as there are no sacks left in the carrier.

Sam's Room…

I have my iPhone 15 Pro Max out with the Torchwood software up, along with a lot of security cameras there.

"Sam, he doesn't know!" I said, laughing a lot.

I have obviously taken Sam and Tucker's sack baby from the geek's carrier while he was oblivious.

"That's hilarious!" Sam said, running over to my phone to see Tucker's reaction.

Sam's put a wig on the sack baby like her hair. Sam has drawn eyes like hers, and now she's using her own lipstick to give her baby a mouth.

"Aren't you adorable? You are now! Yes you are! Now!" Sam cheered, looking down at her baby.

(Open POV)

Ghost Zone…

Valerie and Danny fly through a void with no purple doors but many floating islands. Valerie lands her board on one and retracts it into her boots.

Danny flexes a little, "I can move again. Thanks for the save back there."

"Yeah? Well thank you for nothin'!" Valerie said, pointing at Danny accusingly. "It's your fault I'm stuck in this freaky ghost world!"

"Right." Danny said, picking up a rock and began beating on the handcuffs cable against a bigger rock. "Because clearly the maniac who cuffed and dragged us in here didn't have anything to do with it."

"Man, I'm just gettin' paired up with all kinds of jerks in my life!" Valerie said, angrily.

"What do you mean by that?" Danny asked.

"Nothing you'd know about, ghost! Some dweeb's been givin' me all kinds of static at school! Because of this project we're both supposed to be doin'."

"Uh, maybe you weren't pulling your weight?!"

"Or maybe he has no idea what my life is like! A job! A second job!" Valerie said, picking up another rock to hit the cable with.

"Two jobs?" Danny asked, sympathetically.

"I gotta catch ghosts like you and raise money for college! I coulda been paired up with anybody, but I got stuck with insensitive…" Valerie said, striking the cable much harder. "…uncaring…" She gave another hard strike. "Danny Fenton!"

Valerie breaks the rock she was using as a hammer. And now each cuff joins to project a hologram, and an all-too familiar voice is heard again.

"Greetings, panicking youngsters. As much as I would enjoy following the smell of beans through the infinite realms of the Ghost Zone, I believe I have something you want right here." Skulker said, holding up the sack baby.

"We have to go back!" Danny and Valerie said, at the same time.

"Even though I have absolutely no idea why that sack is so important." Danny said, frowning.

Skulker laughs evilly.

(Jared's POV)

Sam's Room…

"What have you done with our child?! Give him back!" Tucker said, taking the 'baby' from Sam, puts a beret on it. "It's obvious Tucker Jr. needs a strong father."

"No way!" Sam said, snatching the 'baby' back. "Lilith needs to be raised in a nurturing environment. Not some overcrowded baby barracks!"

"Oh my gosh! The other babies! Gotta go!" Tucker said, kissing 'Lilith'. "Bye!" He kisses Sam. "Uhhh…"

"Tha-at never happened." Sam said, sadly.

"You got that right! Daddy's gotta run!"

"Don't forget to pick up milk!" I said, excitedly. "Your baby needs it!"

(Open POV)

Ghost Zone…

Danny and Valerie are heading towards Skulker's Island. Valerie lands and folding up her board back into her boots.

Skulker's Island…

Skulker watching is watching Danny and Valerie.

"That's it, come to my trap." Skulker said, as the sack baby starts crying.

Skulker drops the sack baby, then picks it up again.

"What is this thing?! And why will it not cease its infernal racket?!" Skulker exclaimed, squeezing the sack as if he were strangling it.

Danny and Valerie there now. Skulker throws the bag down and is about to blast it, but Danny and Valerie jump in front of him, grab it, and start running away. Skulker, of course, starts shooting at them. Valerie activates her hoverboard again, and they dodge Skulker's fire.

"Go high!" Danny said, angrily.

"Go low!" Valerie said, a few dodges later.

They charge Skulker and use his handcuffs as a tripwire, knocking his feet from under him.

"Hey, I think we finally got this teamwork thing down!" Danny said, excitedly.

Skulker recovers and grabs them off the board by the handcuffs.

"Just in time to get our butts fried!" Valerie yelled.

"Now, before I destroy you both, I must know what is so valuable about this package." Skulker said, looking between Danny and Valerie.

"It's not the package that's valuable, it's how you take care of it that counts!"

"And dude! You are a horrible mother!" Danny said, and the sack baby farts in Skulker's face, blinding him.

Another one of Valerie's guns is lying beside Danny, tied to the usual glowing cable, just like the one on the first booby-trapped weapon.

"Wait, what are you doing!" Valerie said, worried.

"Giving Skulker a taste of his own booby trap!" Danny said, excitedly.

The trap fires pointy red cones which Danny and Valerie avoid by hugging the ground. Skulker, twice as tall as either, and still standing, does not avoid his own trap, and soon looks like a pin cushion.

"I can't see... I can't move…" Skulker said, toppling to the ground with a clank.

"Please, don't get up on our account." Danny said, taking the key from Skulker and unlocks the handcuffs.

Then Danny and Valerie walk out of the scene, leaving Skulker alone.

"Ok, now my nose itches. A little help here? Anyone? Please?" Skulker asked.

Danny comes back with the sack and makes it fart in Skulker's face again.

(Jared's POV)

The Foley's kitchen….

Tucker Foley comes home through the kitchen door where his mom is baking, "Hi, mom!"

"Cookie, dear? Just made 'em fresh for the big bake sale." Mrs. Foley said, happily.

"Thanks, Mom." Tucker said, [picking up a fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookie.

"No, thank you son for picking up all that flour for me."

Tucker spits out his mouthful. All the flour sack babies he was being paid to look after are ripped open and empty.

"Nooooooooooo!" Tucker yelled.

(Open POV)

Ghost Zone…

Danny and Valerie emerge from the jungle foliage somewhere near the edge of Skulker's island into a clear area.

"At least it's stop crying. I guess I was kinda harsh on you before. I never thought a ghost could be anything but trouble." Valerie said, holding up what's left of the flour sack baby.

"That's because you never bothered to get to know one. Truce?" Danny asked, holding out his hand.

Valerie stares at Danny's outstretched hand, "For now. Get me out of this ghost world, and we'll see how long it lasts."

"Zone. It's more of a zone." Danny said, sadly. "But, if you insist…" He goes ghost and becomes invisible. "We're going to have to do it my way, though!"

Danny overshadows Valerie. He flies Valerie's body off of Skulker's island to the Fenton Portal.

Fenton Works lab…

Inside the deserted portal room, Danny turns invisible and flies out through ceiling, and out of the building.

Amity Park…

Danny flies Valerie's body into the full-moon night sky over Amity Park.

Valerie's apartment…

He flies Valerie to her room in Elmerton. Setting what's left of her flour sack baby down as he kneels on her bed, Danny presses some control on the left glove of her battlesuit, and the suit goes wherever it goes when Valerie de-activates it. Then Danny, still invisible, comes out of Valerie's body, and Valerie collapses onto her bed, curling up, asleep.

"Now to get out of here before she—oh, man! You gotta be kiddin' me!" Danny said, while he just noticed the Nasty Nat costume is on the floor of Valerie's room.

As Danny picks up the costume, Val wakes up. Danny hides behind the costume as he turns back to Danny Fenton.

"What?! Who's there?!" Valerie exclaimed.

"Uh, sorry." Danny said, revealing himself. "The door was open and uh, according to your chart, it's my turn to take the baby, and…"

"Gimme that!!" Valerie said, jumping out of bed and grabs the costume from Danny. "And you'd better not tell anyone, I mean it!! You'd better not!"

"I won't tell anybody! Wow, this is like the worst job ever. I didn't know this was the job you were talking about."

"That's because you didn't bother to get to know me." Valerie said, walking away with the costume.

Valerie puts the costume down on her bed.

"Yeah. You're right. And I'm supposed to be one of the good guys." Danny said, sadly.

"Huh?" Valerie asked.

"Uh, nothing, nothing. So, uh, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

"You can start by not getting mad." Valerie said, holding up what's left of their sack baby.

Casper High….

Ms. Tetslaff is in the classroom.

"Fenton! Gray! Your flour sack is a disgrace." Ms. Tetslaff said, holding the sack in her hands.

Over Ms. Tetslaff's shoulder, several sacks in worse shape among the students and Ms. Tetslaff looks at Valerie and Danny.

"But seeing it's not part of a cookie, I'm giving you a 'C'." Ms. Tetslaff said, while she looked at Sam. "Manson, for exemplary parenting skills, if questionable taste in makeup, I'm awarding you an 'A'." She then thrusted her head just a few inches in front of Tucker's face. "As for you, Mr. Day Care...!"

(Jared's POV)

Park…

There is a long line of couples lines up in front of a banner reading 'FLOUR POWER DAY CARE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS'. Tucker is handing out refunds to each couple.

"Gonna miss you, Alexander!" Tucker said, handing out the refund to the next couple. "And Andrew!" He handed out the refund to the next couple. "And especially you, Benjamin!"

After the last couple gets their money back, Tucker takes down his banner and as he rolls it up Sam and I come to him.

"Lilith is still cute." I said, happily.

"Thank you, Jared." Sam said, while her flour sack baby in a snuggle sack. "Cheer up, Tuck. You can still visit Lilith on weekends."

"Sam, it's just a flour sack." Tucker said, throwing the banner over his shoulder.

The park Sam, Tucker, and I in is right next to the Nasty Burger, sign now repaired

"Hey! Watch where you're throwing that! Show a little respect, huh." Nasty Nat said.

The banner is draped over the mascot.

"Wait, Danny?" Sam asked, going to Danny, followed by Tucker and I.

"Yeah." Danny said, removing the mascot head. "The other day I was such a jerk to uh, the person who wore this thing. I figured I give that person the day off."

"It's a good idea giving Valerie a day off." I said, taking out some chocolate chip cookies to snack on them,

"Aw, you're not half bad, Danny. Maybe someday Valerie will figure out the other half isn't either." Sam said, smiling.

"I didn't say it was Valerie." Danny said, sadly.

"You didn't say it wasn't. Relax. I'm sure she's finally enjoying herself."

"More like she's chasing the Box Ghost." I said, looking over at the horizon with a mountain.

The Box Ghost in high-speed retreat from someone firing pink energy bolts at him, "Wo-o-oh!"

"You're goin' down!" Valerie yelled.

"You cannot catch me! For I am the Box—owww!" The Box Ghost said, getting shot at by Valerie.

Memory Tardis…

"You know, looking at the size of the Tardis now, I think the Doctor must have lost his own dimensional control. Oh, be careful, Vicki. You know the Doc won't want you looking through his stuff." Steven said, looking at Vicki.

"Well, would you look at that? This proves it's the Doctor's Tardis. I bet the Monk is still looking for it." Vicki said, picking up the Monk's dimensional control.

"No, he isn't. He escaped. We ran into him again. He wasn't happy how the Doctor left him stranded." Steven said, sadly.

"Oh. I'm going to be pissed if I run into the Celestial Toymaker." I said, leaning against the TARDIS console.

"The Toymaker was a bit of trouble."

"I'm so jealous." Vicki said, annoyed.

"Jealous? Of what?" Steven asked.

"Steven, you had other adventures with the Doctor after I left."

"Vicki, you were in love with Troilus." I said, letting out a sigh. "You wanted to stay in Troy."

"Oh, I don't regret one single minute of that. But the Doctor was so... special. There's no one else like him." Vicki said, looking between Steven and I.

"Oh, you can say that again." Steven said, happily.

"He rescued me. I was an orphan, and he became my family. I became the granddaughter he'd lost."

"Oh. Susan." I said, picking up a peppermint mocha from the TARDIS console to drink it. "I wish I could have met her."

"Vicki, he was very fond of you. He talked of you for all the time I knew him." Steven said, smiling.

"He never came back to visit me." Vicki said, sadly.

"He thought you'd found your life in Troy and were happy. Maybe he thought turning up again in a police box might complicate things for you. And maybe he did stop by and you never saw him. He's a wily old character."

"I bet he's watching us on a monitor somewhere. Doctor? Doctor? Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Vicki cheered.

"The Doctor has got to be here somewhere. He's as much a part of the Tardis as this is."

"Ugh. He's more than that, Steven. The Doctor will always be a part of us!" I said, excitedly. "It's why I help fight monsters."

"Jared's right, Steven. From the very first moment the three of us met him, don't you feel it?" Vicki asked.

"I did. The day I left him, when we said goodbye, something in his eyes said... this was never goodbye." Steven said, looking between Vicki and I.

"Oh, he's got to be here. It's why we're here. So we can all be together again."

"You're right."

"You're totally right, Vicki. You and Steven haven't been together with the Doctor for ages." I said, smirking.

"You know, maybe if I close my eyes... You know, I think of him every day. I always have. If I could have one wish in all the universe at this moment, it would be to see him again." Vicki said, happily.

"Yeah." Steven said, happily.

"Where else could a wish be more powerful?"

"Then in the Tardis! Oh, Vicki! Let's make that wish."

"You know, I've always wanted to meet your Doctor." I said, smiling.

Vicki, Steven, and I hold hands and we close our eyes. Vicki opens hers first, smiles, and we hear the first Doctor chuckling.