Who Needs Enemies?

Kismet here. Sorry for the long wait on Never Good Enough. Moderating two relatively large DP forums is tough work, and both were thrown at me at the same time. Now, why is Saramis starting ANOTHER chapter story when NGE is not done? Because. Saramis is having trouble with the seventh chapter. Also, the main point of this story will be completely destroyed when Flirting with Disaster comes on January 13th and I want this good and running before then. Look for a small allusion to Mind Over Matter, old readers. And I'm working on that, two.

Disclaimer: enter usual required legal disownment of basicaly everything here I had a dream once that Butch used Ash against my will and we got into a legal battle. That was a funny dream.


Hot Beverages

"Hey, Tucker?" asked Danny. The boy tore his blue eyes from the glowing screen and glanced leftwards at his friend. "Do you ever think that we spend too much of our free time in here?"

Without removing his own gaze from the computer, Tucker sat back and pursed his lips in thought. "Yes," he concluded. "So?"

"Excellent point," Danny said with a smile, turning back to his own monitor.

The two of them were seated at one long table in their favorite cyber café, their usual destination on Saturday afternoons. This time, those, they had left Sam behind and ordered her to not follow them or Danny would simply take Tucker and go underground. Curious behavior, yes, but the reason was not as much. Tucker had insisted that the day be dedicated to male-bonding, so that he and Danny could take the time off to have guy time without the usual eye rolls and scoffs that would come from a girl. That meant as little Sam – or any other female – physical contact as possible.

Knowing Danny, though, that was easier said than done, Tucker thought darkly as he looked up information on an artist's tour dates.

"You know, I'm actually kind of bored," Danny said. He rested his chin on his hand and scrolled down a page. "We've been in here for an hour already. We should do something else."

"Already starting to regret leaving Sam behind, are we?" Tucker asked. A smirk played at the edges of his lips.

Danny shrugged and replied, "I don't know. Can I have a sip of that soda?"

Tucker handed his can of soda to Danny, who definitely took a sip. Or more. He swiped it back from him before he could chug the whole thing down. "Go get your own, already!" he whined, hiding it behind his monitor.

"Sorry," Danny said with mock defensiveness. "My job makes me needy for the basics. Like soda."

"Danny, it's your off day. Get over it."

The secret, half-ghost Danny Phantom replied with a shrug and said, "That's something I can do with enough ease." He turned back to his screen and became tapping away at the keyboard again with determination. Suddenly, he paused, fingers hovering over the keys. "I'm bored," he sighed.

"Well, why don't you just play a computer game?" Tucker suggested. Maybe he should consider doing so himself.

"Because," Danny said, "Last time we – or should I say, you – played that in this cafe, what happened?" Understanding dawned on Tucker's face and he turned back to his screen, pretending he didn't hear him. That was totally not his fault and he knew it, Tucker thought. "Anyway, I guess I should just go ahead and finish up with this," he mumbled, starting to type furiously again.

Interest peaked as to what exactly Danny was working so hard on. "What exactly are you finishing?" Tucker questioned, leaning over in his seat to see Danny's screen better. Instantly he went rigid and minimized the window as fast as ghostly possible. Now, Tucker knew what suspicious was, and that fell very deeply into that category. "All right, what was that?"

"Nothing," Danny said innocently, eyebrow twitching slightly. Tucker narrowed his eyes. "I mean, it's none of your business."

Like Tucker would believe that so easily. He grabbed for the mouse in Danny's hands, but Danny wrenched it back. Soon, the two were in a wrestling match for control over the mouse, muttering light insults to each other. "It's probably some pictures of Paullina you took again," Tucker said, finally letting go of Danny's hands in exasperation.

"What about Paullina?"

Danny flinched violently and emitted a high-pitched noise that Tucker didn't think could possibly be human. He twisted around in his wheelie chair and looked up at the beautiful, dark skinned face of Paullina.

Tucker totally called it.

"H-hey Paullina!" he stammered excitedly.

With a sigh, Tucker turned back to his own screen. Well this figured. It would happen the same way each time. Paullina would magically appear out of literally no where, and Danny would stutter and try to be charming, failing terribly – he just didn't have Tucker's skills.

Holding the reigns of power to strike Danny speechless tightly in her hands, Paullina smirked. "Oh, come on, Danny, don't be shy. Let me see what's you're looking at."

Then, she'd intrude to find something to mock him for and cause him to continue stuttering…

Desperate, Danny looked sideways at Tucker. What did he expect him to be able to do? Tell her to go away, buzz off or some insane thing like that? As if he could.

"Actually, P-Paullina, you probably don't –"

Without waiting for him to finish his reply, Paullina grasped the back of Danny's chair and pushed him out of the way. Far out of the way. His chair proceeded to roll uncontrollably across the floor until he collided with a businessman who was drinking a very hot coffee at the moment of impact. The still steaming liquid was knocked out of his hand and spilled out onto Danny's vulnerable lap.

Wow. She was actually pretty strong. Tucker made a mental note of that.

While Danny entered a heated argument with the man about the two dollars he owed him, Paullina took possession of the mouse and scanned the minimized windows as though nothing was happening. "Uh, Paullina?" Tucker asked. "Maybe… uh…" Oh screw that. Despite his pity for the boy, Tucker wanted to know what Danny was hiding, too. He'd have time to feel guilty later.

She would succeed in finding some reason, any reason to embarrass him, Danny would be humiliated and stuttery, she would leave, and he'd be left in the wake still completely star struck. And stuttery. Tucker couldn't blame him too much though, that was Sam's job.

Unless Paullina clicked the mouse and a Google page for song lyrics popped up.

Next window, a page that looked like the opening page to a ghost hunter's message board. Next window, the school website. Tucker and Paullina shared a confused eyebrow raise at that bit.

"Oh," she said. She was obviously disappointed that she hadn't found any dirt, but was doing a decent job of acting otherwise. "Well, anyway, I guess I should leave you two losers alone for now." With that she turned around and faced Danny, who was returning with his wheelie chair in tow, a strategically placed coffee cup on top of his head. "Nice fashion statement, though."

Danny nodded with half a smile, pulling his seat back into its place. "Thanks. Bye."

The two were now inches apart, and Tucker stared with immense amazement that Danny wasn't twitching. In fact, he was frowning into her smug smile. The smirk slipped down her face slightly. Nudging him aside in slight irritation, she walked with dignity out of the café. Danny shrugged and sat back down in his chair without a second glance.

It was a miracle that Tucker's skin didn't turn purple or something after that scene.

After the door swung shut behind her, Tucker thought of something. "What the heck was she even doing in here?" He indicated the occupants of the cyber café, made mostly of nerds, adults, or people like them with nothing to do on a weekend.

"No clue, actually," Danny replied.

"Why were you freaking out about us looking at a stupid Google page? And what about the school website? I know what GPO, is, too, so that wasn't anything to hide."

"No reason," he said much too quickly.

"Whatever," he said. He turned back to face his own screen again, clicking on the AIM icon. Remembering something, he looked back and said, "Hey, Danny, you've still got that –"

"I've got it."

Danny felt fingers rush through his hair and cried out again. He turned around in his seat, heightened by his knees, and yelled, "Will you quit sneaking up on me!"

Surprisingly enough, Danny found his face inches away from that of Valerie Gray and he shocked eyes. She stepped back from him and held the dripping coffee cup out to him. "Sorry! What it back?"

There was no mercy in Tucker's world, it seemed.

Danny stayed frozen in his position, propped up backwards on his knees and staring at the girl. She was starting to look a bit uncomfortable under his eyes. "Oh." He cleared his throat and slowly took the cup from her. "Thanks… that's not mine, by the way."

"Yeah, I noticed," she said. Valerie shrugged her backpack off and tossed it into the seat next to Tucker. It landed with a load clunk. Danny's eyes followed it and he seemed apprehensive. They both knew what was most likely in that bag. "Oh, hey there, Tucker."

"Hey." This whole female virus of "hey I want to go say hi to Danny" was beginning to grow a tad annoying.

"Paullina," she spat in a way that reminded Tucker very much of Sam. "I can't believe I was really friends with her. She's such a little spoiled brat. She doesn't know a thing."

"You don't like her?" Danny asked, turning around in his seat curiously.

"Is it that surprising?" She laughed a little. As she spoke, she moved to the chair her backpack was in and accessed the Internet, signing on to an email address. "I guess it would be, but no, I don't anymore. Long story. Anyway, I'm sorry about that whole coffee thing."

It was impossible for Tucker to resist looking at Danny's reaction to that last sentence. It was even more futile to hide the smile when he saw it.

"You saw that, huh?" he asked, trying to be conversational.

"I think the whole café saw it," she said, "and heard it, too." Tucker snorted at Danny's ever reddening face. "But it's not like it was your fault or anything," she continued, tapping away at the keyboard with an impressive speed. "If I hadn't just walked into the café, I would've set him straight."

"Oh, I'm sure you would have," Tucker said as a matter-of-factly. Danny and Valerie turned to face him as he smiled innocently. "Don't mind me, you two. I'm observing. Go on."

"Thanks, but it was nothing I couldn't handle," Danny said confidently. "I got him over it."

"After you gave him two bucks and walked away."
"I prefer peace whenever I can take it," Danny said. Well, he did. It was just that in his line of work, he couldn't usually take it.

Valerie shook her head and pushed back her seat. "That's where our opinions differ, I guess. Anyway, I'm done here. See you later Danny. Bye Tucker"

"Bye, Valerie," both of the boys said simultaneously.

Once she left, Tucker sighed in relief. "Finally. If Sam suddenly shows up, too, just shoot me and we'll pretend today never happened." He reached over to take another drink.

"I don't think she'll be showing up," Danny laughed. "I'm thinking about asked her out."

Freeze.

Had he heard right?

Tucker choked on his soft drink and began hacking mercilessly, soda spilling out the side of his mouth. Taking the can from him, Danny started pummeling him on the back, which unfortunately didn't make Tucker's situation much better. He held up a hand to stop him and instead began wheezing, gripping the table for support.

"What now?"

"Is it… that bad?"

"No! No, not bad at all!" Tucker laughed. He gripped Danny's shoulder brotherly and smiled. "It's about time, though. Wait, wait," he said, putting a finger in between Danny's confused eyes. "It's not an evil Ember love spell again, right?"

Suddenly Danny understood Tucker's unexpected reaction. "Tuck, I'm not –"

"Great! No spell. I knew you were acting weird around Paullina. You don't like her anymore. Jeez, why didn't you tell me—"

"Tucker!" Danny yelled, crushing the coffee cup on his friends head. "Listen to the words coming out of my mouth already."

Nothing grabs attention like a coffee cup to the head.

"I'm not talking about Sam. I'm talking about Valerie."

"What?"

After repeating the last three minutes of action, wherein Tucker coughed worse than before and Danny had to convince several people his friend didn't need an ambulance, he recovered enough to say, "Are you clinically insane?"

"Do you really have to ask me that?"

"Yeah," Tucker said, nodding eagerly. "I kind of do, actually."

Danny nodded. "Look, I know why you're freaking out. But at least listen to me."

Hah. Right. "What is it with you and crushing on every single girl we know?"

"You went out with her," he accused justly. "If I remember correctly, Sam and I were telling you not to date her once."

"Tucker pushed his hat back to rub his temples. "Danny, this is slightly different."

"I know," he admitted. "I know it is. But I can handle it."

"If you were telling me not to date her, then how come I can't tell you not to?" Tucker asked. It didn't make sense!

"That's how you should know I've thought about this," Danny replied. "I know it's dangerous, but I at least want to try. I really like her, Tucker."

Okay, Tucker thought pleadingly. Bring the girls back. Make Sam appear and drag Danny away so he wouldn't have to be the one to control Danny's sanity. He wasn't good with that.

"So… what about Paullina?" he asked, begging to know more despite his desire to have never heard it.

"I don't know. I guess I'm over her."

"As Sam?" Danny didn't answer immediately, but rather, gazed thoughtfully into the computer screen. "Danny? Danny."

"I thought… maybe," he said. "It's a possibility. But I just can't picture that happening right now."

Tucker felt like smashing his head on his desk. It wasn't like he could stop Danny or anything. Sure, he could kick and scream and even get Sam to gather an angry mob – because the Mansons were good at that – but it'd be worthless energy. "I hope you know what you're doing, Danny,"

"Don't worry, I do." Danny looked at his best friend and smiled, grateful that he hadn't reacted worse. He'd reacted terribly, but he had expected to be dead right now. He's save that for Sam, though. "So, do you want to grab something to eat? I'm kind of hungry, and I need to go intangible to get this coffee off of my pants."

"Yeah, me too. Just give me a few minutes here." Tucker turned back to the open AIM window and removed his away message. He then double clicked the screen name MetalMistress.

Okay, so maybe he could talk to Sam. This was just something she'd want to here as soon as possible.


Author's Notes: Squee. Gray Ghost. I love Gray Ghost, I just do. If you want to know where I got that from, there's a link in my profile. Mmkay, honey bunches? Also, check my forums for info. So amazed that FFN has forums now

See you in the afterlife,

Saramis Kismet