Chapter 4

For those of you that don't know, the first chapter of what was Capitulated is now the second chapter of Captivated. The second chapter if Capt. is now the third and this is what would have been the second chapter of Capitulated. Confused? Don't worry. It's not terribly important.

Danny shot Tucker a somewhat annoyed look as they stood at the stoop of the Manson Mansion. "Ten bucks says they slam the door in my face," he said.

Tucker bit back a laugh. "You're on."

The door was answered by a butler. "May I help you?"

Tucker smiled. Unlike Danny, he was welcome and familiar in the Manson household. "We need to talk to Mrs. Manson."

The butler took a step out of the door way and gestured for both boys to enter. "Right this way." He led Danny and Tucker to a well-lit, almost Victorian parlor, where the form of a slim Pamela Manson sat primly on the chaise, sipping tea.

"Madame," the butler began as he ushered the rather out of place and scruffy boys into the parlor, "Masters Tucker Foley and Daniel Fenton to see you," he announced.

Mrs. Manson's attending maid offered Danny and Tucker a seat and cup of tea, both graciously declined. The maid stepped back and Pamela finally noticed the presence of both boys.

"Hello Tucker," she greeted pleasantly enough. "Mr. Fenton," she said tersely without even casting a glance at Danny. "How've you been, Tucker dear? Are your parents well?"

Tucker's eyes flicked nervously to Danny for a moment. He could tell his friend wanted to get straight to the point, but Mrs. Manson would not state her emergency for 911 without first exchanging pleasantries with the operator first. "I've been pretty good, applying for jobs here and there. Mom's still heavy into charity work and Dad's working most of the time. They're well."

Mrs. Manson nodded. "Good, good. Let me know if you need any recommendations, dear, I'm sure Jeremy would be happy to oblige."

"Thanks Mrs. Manson."

"Now, is there something I can help you with now, Tucker? I hardly think you made the trip all the way out here just to see me." The Manson's had long since moved to the outskirts of Amity Park and now were in possession of a good many acres of estate.

"We were wondering if you knew where Sam is," Danny finally cut in.

Mrs. Manson finally turned to acknowledge him with an icy glower.

"I don't know where she is, Mr. Fenton. I believe she is on one of her trips. For that matter, even if I did know where she was, I certainly wouldn't tell you. You've hurt her quite enough."

Danny suddenly became rather preoccupied with his hands.

Tucker, in an effort to mediate, said, "Well, if you hear from her, would you please let me know? We've been a bit worried about her. She usually lets us know when she leaves."

Mrs. Manson's polite, warm smile returned to her face as her eyes fell back on Tucker. "Of course, Tucker dear." She waved her hand and the attending maid stepped forward again to show Tucker and Danny out.

"We need to search her room," Danny resolved as they stood outside of the mansion, staring up at it.

"Okay."

For all their paranoia of ghosts, the Manson's had never installed any form of anti-ghost shield. Tucker suspected it was through Sam's convincing and Danny was just grateful for it.

"By the way," Tucker said as Danny flew the both of them up to Sam's room, "you owe me ten bucks."

"I'll drop you," Danny said, sounding completely serious.

"Right, debt forgotten," Tucker said, looking down and gulping.

A little while later, Danny sighed exasperatedly. Searching Sam's room was proving to be a futile endeavor. Nothing, not even so much as a thread was out of place. Even her cell-phone was characteristically gone. But he'd tried her phone. No one was answering it. It didn't even ring, so it was probably dead or out of area. Which took Sam out of Amity Park or anywhere in the vicinity. Or it put her in some creep's basement…

Suddenly feeling sick, Danny collapsed onto her bed. The thing radiated Sam, right down to her intoxicating smell. She was all he could think of now. He laughed a little as he realized that "now" was a bit of a lie. She'd been all he could think of for… well, for a very long time. The more he thought, the farther back in time his mind wandered, the more he realized that Sam had been the only girl on his mind since about their sophomore year of high school. Even when he was trying to focus on Valerie. The first time he and Val had kissed, the thing he'd thought of when their lips met was how she couldn't compare to Sam.

"It's no use, Tuck! There's nothing here!" Danny blurted out in frustration. He wanted his Sam back now. He wanted to hold her in his arms, safe from what ever had taken her. Wherever she was, she was terrified, he could feel it. He wanted to comfort her, he'd do anything for it.

Tucker frowned. "Well, there has to be something. She can't have just vanished." To disprove Tucker's point, Danny turned invisible for a moment and then back. "So… maybe a ghost-"

"A GHOST!" The two friends shouted in a simultaneous epiphany.

Danny transformed and almost sped off for the Ghost Zone, but Tucker grabbed his arm. "Woah, Flash, hang on there."

Danny gave Tucker a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Tuck, I'm just worried about her…"

"I know, I am too."

"Do you think Vlad took her?"

"I don't know, I mean, why would he?"

"Use her for a bargaining chip? He has to know how I feel about her…"

Tucker merely nodded. "I dunno, we could check."

"I say we start with him," Danny said. He grabbed Tucker and they flew off to the Specter Speeder.

The ride to Vlad's was a bit tense. Danny and Tucker were both on edge, but where Danny wanted to stay pissed off and tense, Tucker wanted to lighten the mood.

"So…" he began, "you finally admit that you're in love with Sam?"

Danny looked away from the wheel to give Tucker a half-hearted glare. "Not now, Tucker."

"Oh come on, it's at least another hour to Vlad's. Just admit you're in love with her."

"Okay, I'm in love with Sam, are you happy now?"

"Not exactly, but pretty close," Tucker only grinned at the glare he was still receiving from his best friend. "I'll be happy when you finally tell her."

"I'm not going to," Danny whispered sadly.

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me."

"WHY?!"

"I can't, Tuck. She hates me. It's just too late now, even if she ever did love me the way I love her, she certainly doesn't now. She's pulled back from me, haven't you noticed? She talks to you now, but she hardly says a word to me."

"Because she couldn't. She didn't think she could anyway. She thought that you didn't want her anymore, that you just wanted to be with Valerie. She's always loved you, man."

"She has?"

"Yeah. Since about eighth grade. Personally, I'm amazed that she hasn't completely given up on you yet. But yeah, for some reason, she loves you."

Danny's face set in grim determination as his foot pressed down harder on the gas. He was going to find Sam, wherever she was. He had to, he couldn't live without her… He didn't even want to try. She occupied so much space in his mind and his heart that he didn't know if he'd ever love anything or anyone else enough to take her place.

---------------------------------------

"VLAD!!!!!" Danny bellowed as he phased into Vlad's Wisconsin castle. There was no guarantee he'd be there and not in Colorado, but they had to start somewhere. He'd left Tucker in the Speeder as he was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened last time they'd seen Sam, to see if there were somehow any clues.

"Daniel, unless you're here to finally accept my offer and join me, I'd appreciate it if you would a) not scream in my house and b) LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!" Vlad Masters commanded as he appeared.

"Where's Sam?!" Danny demanded, ignoring Vlad.

"I assure you, Daniel, Samantha is not here."

"Yes she is! You kidnapped her!"

Vlad sighed in exasperation. Daniel was always too emotional, too rash. It was his weakness. "While I should never turn such a exquisite and powerful girl as Samantha Manson away should she appear here, I have not kidnapped her."

Danny growled. "You sick bastard."

Vlad smirked and continued, "While I have always known that you had a rather endearing soft spot for her, I would never use little Sammy to blackmail you, Daniel. It would be ungentlemanly. As I said before, she is not here."

"Let me search the house then."

"Certainly not. How stupid do you think I am to let my sworn enemy search my own house? If your precious Samantha is in fact missing as you seem to believe, I suggest you stop wasting your time here and go look for her somewhere else."

"Tell me where she is!" Danny charged up his hands with green ectoplasm.

Vlad nearly rolled his eyes. "I told you, Daniel, I have no idea where she is. Please leave now, or I will have to force you out myself."

"I swear to God, Vlad, if I find out that you have somehow harmed her, I will show you no mercy."

Vlad clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, Daniel… it's really not wise to become so emotionally attached to one person, after all, look what it's done to me."

"My love for Sam is nothing like your sick obsession with my mom!"

"It would seem that way on the surface, wouldn't it, my boy? But really, are our situations all that different? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Samantha is in your thoughts almost constantly. You have dreams about her, both of a…" Vlad stifled a laugh, "sexual nature and a protective possessive one. Your every thought is of her happiness and how you could possibly be a part of it… I see by your reaction that I am right. And really, little badger, it's only a matter of time before Samantha no longer harbors romantic feelings for you and leaves you for someone else and then where will you be?"

Danny's stunned face morphed into a harsh glare. "So what if she does fall in love with someone else?! I'll be happy for her! I'll support her because she is my best friend."

"Don't try to fool yourself, Daniel. The jealousy will eat you up from the inside out until you kill her new lover, yourself or end up just like me: bitter and alone."

"I am nothing like you."

"Of course. Now, Daniel, I will ask you only once more. Get out."

Danny growled, but left. He didn't trust Vlad, but on the off chance he was telling the truth, Danny didn't want to waste unnecessary time looking for Sam in places she was not.

"She there?" Tucker looked up from his PDA when Danny dropped through the roof of the Speeder into the driver's seat.

Danny's only response was a string of curse words drowned out by the roar of the engines taking off.

"So where to now?" Tucker asked.

"Found anything?"

"No… where to?"

"The Ghost Zone."

Yeah, I know, it's short. I'm sorry. This part of the story should hopefully pick up really soon… in the meantime please R&R! Next chapter this gets bumped to M!