A/N: This is another story I had on hiatus for 10 years. I have long since forgotten the direction I originally wanted to go for this story, but I suppose that it's better to start afresh. After heavily revising the original three chapters, I present you now with the newest installment. Please, do enjoy…


Chapter 4: Past meets Present


Danny listened as Sam told him of her story. She did not name the murderer, but she went into gruesome detail about how she died and was discarded like a pile of trash over the side of the highway. She also told him about her repeated deaths, and that she had lived in somewhat of a limbo existence in the witch's lair in the Ghost Zone. Since she was always revived into her body, she told him she knew that no one had found it yet.

It was a lot to take in; here sat in front of him a young woman who had suffered more pain than he had in his entire time battling ghosts.

"What I don't understand," Sam said, "is how you could have defeated that evil witch, Freyja. I mean, she's a very powerful ghost, at least I believe she's a ghost, and she can shape shift into anything her heart desires. She's the master of souls that die on the highway, and I was unfortunately trapped in her prison." Her eyes were murky, likely still thinking of her time there.

"About that actually," Danny started.

"You said you fought her, right? How?"

"I guess I can tell you, since I know your secret you should know mine, right? Going ghost."

Her eyes popped at his transformation. "You…are you a ghost? Or a human?"

"Both actually," he said, his hand behind his neck. "It's a long story, but I somehow gained ghost powers through a lab accident, which I use to fight ghosts. My best friend Tuck and my sister help out, but that's because my parents are actually ghost hunters, which led to my accident…" He could tell his rambling was only making her confused. "Yeah, basically."

She took a moment to let it sink in before nodding. "I wonder if I'm fully human right now."

"I think so," Danny said, shrugging. "I mean, you're not glowing or anything. And I have this thing called a ghost sense that lets me know if a ghost is around. Smoke comes out of my mouth or something, but it's kind of hard to explain exactly."

Her lips were pursed for a moment before she spoke. "Right, well, I think I understand. This is the house of ghost hunters. You are part ghost, hence the secret-keeping?" Danny nodded. "Your sister and friend help you and guard your secret. Okay, I can believe it. I've only been dead for two years and just got resurrected yesterday." She still seemed overwhelmed, as she was taking deep breaths.

"You'll get used to it I guess."

"I suppose so." She said, shrugging her shoulders before flopping back on the pillow. "The biggest thing for me will be to get used to being in a living, breathing body again." She rolled around to face him, her arms and legs curled up in front of her.

He couldn't help but notice that she spoke with a certain vibrato that made every word seem bursting with energy. It made him draw in to every word she spoke, almost like they were magnetic.

She looked over at him with an intense stare he was used to seeing from ghosts, not humans. He caught his breath a second. Despite her worn and beaten appearance, he was definitely intimidated by her for some reason he couldn't quite place. Was this girl before him really human or an ethereal wraith in disguise?

"Why the look on your face?" She asked him, her lips curving into a smile. "You afraid of me or something?"

"No." At least, he told himself that. "Just curious, is all. You're…very interesting."

"Me? Pff," she scoffed, oozing sarcasm. "You're the interesting one, with the ghost powers and all. Say, why would you go all the way to the Ghost Zone just to fight some sorceress?"

"I didn't. She was in the maze." After seeing her blank expression, he elaborated. "There's this maze ruin about an hour away from here, near the forests. Me and Tuck were checking it out since we heard of rumors about a ghost. I went in there, ran into that ghost lady, and here you are."

Her lips were pursed again, her brows furrowed in thought. "I learned something back there, in the darkness. Did you know there are two kinds of ghosts: the dead and the born. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere, since I was dead. But she said she was born in the Ghost Zone. Some are apparently born from grudges of those dying, others from strong desire. Can you believe it? I was envious of a ghost, trapped in a cage from which I had no exit." She laughed with a sense of melancholy.

Danny didn't know what to say, so he just listened until she had finished. Even though he just met her, he felt responsible for her. It wasn't a new feeling; he felt responsible to his town to protect them from ghosts when he could. He knew he shouldn't keep burdening himself all the time with everyone's problems, but he couldn't help it. He thought back to what she had told him about herself: that she was his age and from here. Wouldn't that mean she still had somewhere to go?

He asked her, to which she shook her head. "My parents were never the sappy type, just concerned about money and whether I could be their perfect daughter. Since I wasn't, I had stayed on my own. I mean, I still talked to them, and they were still running my life…so I don't want to find them. At least, not right now. I can't explain anything at all to them…and most likely they think I'm dead. Maybe it should stay that way."

Their eyes met again, and he sighed.

"Well think about it," he said softly. "Even if you don't get along, I'm sure you missed them a lot right?"

Her watery eyes told him everything.

They sat there in silence before he heard Jazz call from downstairs. "Danny! Tucker's here to see you!"

"Seriously?" He had so much to tell him. He turned to Sam, telling her, "Wait here, I'll be downstairs. If you want I have books in the shelf, feel free, or wait, hold up." He went over to the computer in the desk, logging in by typing the password, 'paulinafenton'. He had changed it back from valeriefenton once that relationship fell through. "If you want to catch up on news or play a game." After giving her a brief smile, he left the room.

=2=

"Dude!" Tucker exclaimed, wrapping Danny in a one-armed hug.

"Tuck, buddy! I missed ya bro!" Tucker took his arm off and they faced each other, grinning.

"We just met up yesterday," Tucker reminded him.

"Not for long. You had just called me to meet you at that maze and then hightailed it while I was in there. I didn't get much of a chance to catch up. How'd the family trip treat you?"

Tucker had gone on a trip with his family to New York, and he was sure Tucker was hitting up all the tech conventions.

Tucker was bursting with excitement. "It was great, especially since Mom and Dad gave me free reign to explore on my own. I even managed to get this baby." He pulled a brand new PDA out of his pocket. "Isn't she precious?" He put the device up to his cheek, snuggling it.

"Yes," Danny sighed. Tucker was his usual techno-geek self. "Very."

"I even hit up the ladies, but couldn't get a date…again. At least I have this girl." By girl, he was sure Tuck meant the PDA.

"What about Valerie?"

"Oh, we're not official yet. Also, we had a big tiff the other day and I really wanna give her space to blow off some steam, if you know what I mean." Oh, he knew exactly what Tucker meant.

Tucker then slipped the device back in his jacket pocket and then walked up to Jazz, putting his hands on her shoulders. "But seriously Jazz, look at you! It's only been half a year and you're prettier than ever! The haircut looks great, it suits you. Is that makeup? Looking fine."

"Really?" Jazz asked, a slight pink tinge spreading across her face as she smiled shyly. "I was trying out a new look. You really like it?"

"Tucker…" Danny muttered, and then put his hand on Tucker's shoulder, taking him aside. He whispered, "What did I say about flirting with my sister?"

"What? She's super hot! I'm just saying how it is, man."

Danny sighed; Jazz had put her hands on her cheeks now. This was getting embarrassing.

In Tucker's ear he said in a low voice, "Are you really in that much of a hurry to be my real brother, Tuck?"

"Aren't we already bros, Danny?" Tucker replied, giving him the 'Tucker is innocent' look.

"Don't flirt with her unless you're serious about her, Tuck. You know you flirt with everyone in a skirt."

Tucker raised his eyebrow. "Hey it's not like anyone actually takes me up on it. But yeah, I care about Jazz as much as you do. I won't do anything to hurt her feelings, you know that right?"

"Yeah…"

"Dude, you worry too much," Tucker winked, elbowing him slightly. "So, how's your break been? Were you able to catch a break between ghost hunting?"

"Oh he's been busy alright," Jazz said, eyeing Danny. "You'd be surprised."

"Busy with what?" Tucker was always one for gossip. He leaned closer to Danny. "Danny…Did you get a girl?"

"About that, I have something to tell you," Danny said, putting his hand on his nape. He was regretting letting Jazz assume he was dating Sam, but he had no choice but to roll with it for now.

"She's even here now, in his room." Jazz added, surely to spite him.

"Jazz!" He hissed, but Tucker was already dashing up the stairs.

Danny sighed; at least he would be able to tell him in private.

=3=

She had just finished reading an online article on mysterious murders rumored to have been committed by ghosts when she was confronted with someone who she could only guess was the 'Tuck' person Danny had talked about.

"Hey, nice to meet you," he said, shaking her hand energetically. "The name's Tucker Foley. Call me Tuck." He winked.

"I'm Sam Manson. Charmed." She offered her best attempt at a smile. He seemed friendly enough.

The door opened again, and Danny came walking in with a huff. He pointed at Tucker. "My best bud Tuck."

"We've just met," she confirmed, getting out of the chair to stand.

Tucker went over to Danny and elbowed him in the gut. "Hey man, I didn't know you were into the dark side."

Sam scowled in response.

Danny protested, "Hey! She may look gloomy but she's really great when you get to know her." She didn't know him at all, except for the fact that he wanted a puppy when he was a kid. "She tells a mean joke."

"She jokes?" Tucker turned to face her. "I like her already. We needed another joker in the group; it gets lonely with just me. So, how far along are you guys? Did you tell her about you-know-what?" He said the last part quieter but she still heard everything.

"Yeah she knows; she's alright with it." She assumed they must have been referring to his ghost self.

"Did you ask her to join team Phantom?"

Danny was about to answer when Sam stepped in. "No, he didn't."

"See since Danny fights as Danny Phantom, it's team Phantom. Me and Jazz help him out with the weapons and the Thermos." He probably saw the confusion on her face when he said Thermos so he went on. "The Fenton Thermos captures ghosts."

"Cool," she said. Danny was giving her a worrisome look but she ignored it. "Sign me up. I so want to kick ghost butt."

"It's dangerous," Danny said to her.

Staring him straight in the eye, she replied, "So what? I'm tired of being afraid. I want to do something, and maybe I can get revenge on that evil witch."

After giving a shrug, Danny reluctantly led them to the lab.

=4=

"So this is the Fenton Peeler, eh?" Sam said, admiring the weapon. "Sleek design."

"I know," Jazz gushed. "Isn't it great? And it's effective too. That's why this one's my favorite."

Danny handed her what looked like a silver tube of lipstick. "It's really a laser gun," he explained. "See here, this is how you use it. Point it where you want to fire, and press the side like so." She nodded, it was simple enough.

She had to admit, Danny's parent's lab was impressive. There were all kinds of gadgets ranging from the Fenton Peeler to the Jack o' Nine Tails, which made her laugh when she discovered Danny's dad's face popped out every time it was used. She looked at the metal doorway which Tucker said led to the Ghost Zone. She was mildly curious of what it would look like. She had only seen it once when she was captured by those ghost birds. All those doors that must have led to mysterious and unknown destinations, and she was curious what it would look like when it wasn't in shades of gray. However, she was afraid that if she ventured into it, she would once again be in that dark room without a sun ray in sight.

She remembered how much she hated it when her mom woke her up in the morning when she still lived in the mansion. She wanted to be back there again, but she was afraid. Her parents had surely changed. She was changed. She thought back to her new purple eyes. Would they even recognize her if they saw her again? She doubted it.

She picked up what looked like a boomerang off of the table. "What does this do?" She asked the residents of the room.

"Put it down!" Danny said from the other side of the room, slightly panicking. She set it back down wordlessly, though her eyes asked him to elaborate. "That thing's tuned to my 'ectoplasmic signature'." He used his fingers to illustrate the quotations. "I'm not in the mood to get another whack in the head. I'm positive that thing will give me a concussion."

She chucked. For some reason, she really enjoyed his sarcastic sense of humor. Tucker was also funny, telling her about the weird high jinks the group would get into while battling wacky ghosts like The Box Ghost, Skulker and the Lunch Lady.

"So in the end, we decide to step on all the packing tape and the Box Ghost cries out, 'I'm under fire!' and hops into a box. We ended up sucking him and the box into the Thermos."

"What, that's so dumb! The Box Ghost is a card!"

"Yeah, true. I mean, he causes trouble and is annoying sometimes, but no one can get mad at him. I'd say he's the most loved ghost in Amity Park. He even has a fan site that sells mugs with his face on it."

"Bbbh." She was barely keeping her composure, choking down another laugh.

"You know, Danny can't fight ghosts without exchanging witty banter."

"With the ghosts?"

"Yep. Hard to believe right? It's like a power ritual for him at this point; he's pretty weak without it. One time he ran out of things to say to Ember, the rock star ghost, so I had to run in there while dodging her sound blasts to give him some suggestions. It's insane what I have to do sometimes."

"I'm sure he appreciates having a great friend like you a lot."

"So," Jazz said, walking over to them with her hand outstretched. "I hear you're part of the crew now."

"Guess so," Sam said, shrugging.

"Oh goodie!" Jazz shook her hand more enthusiastically than Tucker, though it was hard to believe. She felt like her arm would come out of its socket. "Welcome to the Ghost Getters!"

"I thought it was Team Phantom?" she asked, cocking her head.

"That's just Jazz's name for it," Danny revealed.

"But Ghost Getters is such a more fun name," Jazz retorted. "So Sam, you're Ghost Getter number four. I'm number one, and Tuck and Danny are two and three."

"Let me guess, in order of age?"

"We understand each other well," Jazz said smugly. "So your task for now is training." She looked at her closely before continuing. "Pick a weapon and master it. Oh, and anyone might have to use the Thermos so make sure to learn that too, I'll show you the ropes."

Sam looked down at the laser lipstick in her hand. "This works well for me, it's sure to be convenient right?"

Jazz nodded.

Sam sighed. Danny's clothes weren't that uncomfortable but she wanted to get into something more her style soon. "Say, Jazz, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything for my little brother's girlfriend." She batted her eyelashes. "What do you need?"

"Do you happen to have…?" She could feel herself turning beet red, but she needed to say it, no matter what. She could not function in boy's underwear. "…any new underwear?"

"Wait…what?"

Sam buried her head in her hands, too embarrassed to meet Jazz's gaze. "It's a long story, which I don't feel like getting into right now, but I don't exactly have any of my clothes." Well she had them, but she doubted they would survive a load in the wash.

She peeked through her fingers. Jazz was clenching her teeth.

"Danny?" Jazz called out, her eyes closed in anger.

"Yes?" Danny walked over with an innocent face. Poor Danny, he would have to make her some excuse.

"You and me. Talk, now."

She wrung her hands, watching them go to the corner and talk it out for a few minutes. Based on their expressions, she hoped he was able to concoct a story that wasn't too shameful. Jazz and Danny walked back, Jazz with a sparkle in her eye.

"Okay everyone," Jazz said, clapping once. "We're off to the mall!"

"Wait, why?" Tucker asked, looking up from his seat. He probably had been reading an article on his PDA.

"To take Sam shopping, of course! We're going to pick out some cute fashions for you, right Sam?"

Sam did not like the look in her eye.


A/N: I plan for this story to have a dark and mysterious angle, with actual action eventually. Thanks for reading, and I hope that you stay tuned for the next chapter.