Hey. I feel like I should give you, like, two hundred excuses here as to why this update is so late. However, instead, I'm going to give you two words. Exam revision.

Sorry x

So yes, this is the unbeta-d chapter 10. (Oh, for anyone that doesn't know what a brown thrasher is, it's a bird.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Chapter 10: Memories Hurt.

The window to Danny's bedroom lay open, just a crack. The pale blue curtains danced lightly on the breeze coming in, with grace enough to rival that of a ballerina. Danny was no where to be seen. He'd left a while back on one of his outdoor expeditions. No one had touched the room since. No one alive any how.

A delicate, pink hand reached out and caressed the photo Danny normally kept secure under his pillow. The person to whom the hand belonged, sat silently on the halfa's bed, fighting against her desolate emotions. Did she blame Danny for her death? Not a chance. Danny wasn't a bad person; he had tried to save them all, not destroy them. She couldn't believe for one minute that her friend was evil, nor would she ever accuse him of holding even an ounce of malice. She loved him.

Sam sighed as she tore her gaze from the image before her. Her number one desire was to run up to Danny and scream at him: 'I'm here! Danny, you're not alone, I'm right here!'. It was all she wanted to embrace him and never let go. But she couldn't.

The odd thing about destiny, is that you can't do a thing to alter it. You can twist it and mould it in whatever way you want but, interfere directly and the whole of existence could suffer.

If it weren't for those darn 'Laws of Time', she'd be with him right now, consoling him, confessing to him her love for him and her need to stay by his side. As it stood, she was condemned to keep her distance, help out as much as she could, without interfering directly. A task easier said than done.

The ghost looked down at the picture once again. Oh, how she remembered that day. The summer sun beating down on the world, the screaming of both the little and big kids as they were thrown in every direction by the rides they had so willingly ensnared themselves to. The photo was taken by a paid professional, one of those creepy looking guys that hang around in the corners of theme parks such as the one they were in. Danny, Jazz, Maddie and Jack; the whole Fenton family, stood smiling in the bright sunshine, excitement lighting up their faces. Then you had Tucker and herself, by Danny's other side. The boy had said on more than a few occasions that he was at his happiest on that very day, a few weeks before he became Danny Phantom.

Sam winced as she felt a tear stroke her left cheek. Gah, what she would give right now to see Danny smile like that again, just once. Being dead wouldn't be such a torture if Danny could just forgive himself. Sitting here day after day, watching him fall deeper and deeper into his hole of despair, was unbearable. Of course, he'd brightened up a little since he met Melinda and her lot, but his anguish was still there. She still heard his tears in the night, the way he thrashed in his sleep and more often than not, awoke in a sweat. It was truly heart braking. Taking a deep breath, the dead girl stood and moved over to the window.

Clockwork had told her it would be hard when he first appointed her the task of looking out for Danny, she had to appreciate that. It was still fresh in her mind, the way he intercepted her on her way to the light.

Bright. White. Absolutely beautiful.

Never had Sam come across such an awe-inspiring sight. Flickers of light formed tentacles that licked at her skin and even if she closed her eyes, she could see it. But what was it? She could remember hearing all sorts of tales about the 'Light' and the 'Final Voyage' but she had never believed them, especially after... Especially after what? She couldn't even remember, her head was just so clouded. Ah well, it couldn't have been important. So the stories were true.

There it was. She could feel it reaching out to her. The warmth that it emitted, the love, the trust... it was completely and utterly impossible, yet at the same time... undeniable.

Next to her stood four other people. She knew their names yet, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of a single memory that she had shared with any of them. It was as though she had never met them.

The one called Lancer was the first to go, leaping and bounding into the legendary doorway. Maddie and Jack were next, soon followed by Tucker, each and everyone of them swallowed up completely by the pulsating glow. Sam glanced to her right and caught a sight of the Jazz girl. She seemed slightly hesitant, as though she knew she was forgetting something but couldn't for the death of her, figure out what it was.

Despite the girl's indecision, it took no longer than twenty seconds for her resistance to crumble and she gave in completely to the pull of the light. That left Sam.

Smiling appreciatively at the miracle before her, she took a step forward. Or at least, she tried to.

"What...?" The girl looked down at her feet, checking for bonds or chains, connecting her to the ground. There were none. Well that was odd. She tried again. Still nothing.

"I do not think you will be getting anywhere near that light any time soon." Sam jumped and scanned the area for the source of the voice.

"Why not?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Unfinished business," the voice responded, right next to her ear. The ghost girl turned her head to see a figure stood beside her. Dressed in blue robes and holding a silver-purple staff with a fancy clock perched on its tip, was a child like ghost. The bright blue skin and the deep red of his eyes looked eerily familiar but Sam, despite all her efforts, couldn't put her finger on where exactly it was that she had seen them before.

"Wha... What do you mean?"

The blue ghost smirked, the lightning scar across his eye creasing. "I mean you have unfinished business." Without elaborating any more, the ghost took Sam by her shoulder, turned her around and gestured to her surroundings.

The girl looked down at the scene around her.

It was a complete wreck, if anything had ever stood there in the past, it was long gone. Bits of rubble and glass coated every inch of the floor alongside an odd looking red liquid. Sam gasped when she realised just what it was that she was looking at. Deciding she didn't want to look at it any longer, Sam cast her eyes to the horizon, hoping against all hope to see something that would expel all the scarring images she had just witnessed. That was when she saw him; the figure in the distance.

He was moving at record speed, making a dash for the spot where she now stood. For some reason, Sam found herself unable to take her eyes from him as though some invisible force was drawing them together. He seemed familiar. The way he stumbled over the glass and brick niggled at the back of her mind. As he got closer, she could tell that it was a boy, probably around her age. The build of his body was slight, nowhere near close to that of an adult yet at the same time, it was too thick to be that of a young child or a female.

It was his clothing that stood out next, a little singed in a few places but otherwise, in perfect shape. She knew he was wearing baggy blue jeans and a red and white top, and she could also knew that he had dark straggly hair that continued to fall in his face.

It was the eyes that finally did it.

"Danny!" Suddenly it all came flooding back. The CATs, the future evil Phantom, the explosion, everything. "How could I forget Danny?" she whispered, tears already burring her vision.

"It's the death daze. Everyone gets it. You're in so much shock from dying, that your memory momentarily erases itself and all you know is that you're supposed to go into the light," the ghost explained, also watching the boy carefully.

Wait a minute... Sam spun around and looked at the ghost full on. "Hang on, I know you! You're that evil time ghost that went and sent all those ghosts after Danny... Clockwork!" The girl's hands balled up into fists and she took a menacing step closer to the time ghost, her glare fiercer than ever. "What are you doing here? Don't you even think about hurting Danny now, I wont let you! I'll fight you, I'll... I'll..."

"Calm down, child. I'm not here to hurt your friend." The child turned into a middle-aged man. "I just want to help."

Sam didn't believe this for one second. "If you had wanted to help, you should have done it earlier. You've left Danny with no one, they've all gone into that darn light. He's all alone!"

"Interesting..." Clockwork stroked his chin, observing the ghost girl with a knowing smile.

"What?" Sam didn't like the way she was being looked at. She wasn't a painting, she wasn't there to be stared at! Clockwork didn't say anything for a while, just watched. Just as the young girl opened her mouth to complain, the time ghost pointed his staff at her.

"You died today," he commented, meaningfully. Sam scoffed.

"I'm aware of that, thank you."

"But you don't seem to care."

"No, I guess I don't. You know what I do care about? Danny. Do you really think he is ever going to recover from this?"

Clockwork sighed and his smile faded. Lowering his staff, the time ghost turned his head to observe the scrambling halfa, who was completely oblivious to their presence.

"I am sorry. But there was nothing I could do."

A heart-wrenching cry alerted the two ghosts that the orphan boy had finally set eyes on the destruction site. They both watched as Danny fell to his knees, hands balled by his sides. Tears were falling from his eyes like a tsunami and his anguished sobs seemed to echo around the whole of the street.

"What do you mean there was nothing you could do? You're a time ghost; you could have changed everything!" Sam took a few steps towards Danny, her own eyes leaking.

"I don't expect you to comprehend. No one can directly interfere with the events of time. This was always going to happen, and there was nothing I could do to stop it," Clockwork confessed. Although Sam still didn't completely understand, she could tell by the tone in the time ghost's voice that he was telling the truth.

"... Can I go to him?" she asked, not taking her eyes from Danny. Clockwork seemed to debate this for a moment before nodding slightly.

"I think it should be all right. He wont be able to see or hear you, he's too shrouded by loss, but he should be able to feel you a little. Don't give yourself away too much or else it might cost us."

Sam didn't question him. Moving over to her close friend, she knelt down to his level and wrapped her arms around his chest, burring her head in the arc of his neck. "Oh, Danny. I'm so sorry," she whispered, her tears seeping into his shirt. Sam would have given anything to have Danny react in some way. But it was like Clockwork said. Danny could neither see nor hear her. To him, she was non-existent. Nothing.

She clung onto him like that for a good few minutes, letting out all her pain in her cries, Danny doing like wise. Eventually, a hand on her shoulder told Sam that it was time for her to let go.

The girl drew back, taking in the broken image of the boy she loved. His lightly burned skin, his dimming blue eyes and his soaked face. This wasn't how she wanted to remember him. What else could she do? Wiping at her tears, she turned to look at Clockwork.

"You're not the bad guy, are you?" she asked, sniffing. Clockwork sighed again, changing into an ancient looking man, his long white hair and beard drifting around him.

"I guess it depends on who you ask. I find myself feeling like 'the bad guy' rather frequently nowadays." Sam couldn't help but notice the way the time ghost looked at Danny as he said that.

"Okay. Answer me this. Why didn't I go into the light like everyone else?"

For some reason, this seemed to cheer the time ghost up a little and he reverted back to his child-like image. "I already told you. Unfinished business."

Sam rolled her eyes.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that there is something that you have to do before the light will take you." Clockwork floated forward, getting closer to his student.

"Okay then... So what is this unfinished business?"

Clockwork cocked his head to one side observing the girl closely. "You need to help Danny."

Sam blinked, glancing over to the still kneeling boy.

"How? How do I help Danny?" She was dead. What could she do for her friend now?

The time ghost hesitated, looking from Danny to Sam and back again. He seemed to finally make up his mind as he transformed into a man again.

"I have a proposition for you," he announced. Obviously this is what he had been so excited about before. Sam's eyes widened with the hope of being able to aid Danny.

"What is it?"

"If you can strictly follow all of the rules and promise me that you will never desert him, I will give you the official role as his guide."

"That means...?"

Clockwork smiled and turned to point his staff at Danny.

"It means you'll be able to look out for him, find those who can and will help him and lead him to them."

"How do I do that?" Frowning, Sam also turned. Clockwork didn't verbally answer, he just tapped the left side of his nose with his finger. The girl placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Look. You told me that I could help. If you're just going to go all cryptic on me and not actually tell me what I can do, then buzz off."

"Nice." The time ghost laughed looking the ghost child over. "All right. There will be obstacles your little friend here will have to face."

"Obstacles?"

Clockwork nodded towards Danny. The halfa was no longer sitting down but standing, his eyes flashing green. Sam looked around, panic starting to set in as she looked upon the crowd of people that had turned up to see what had happened. Danny was in the centre of it all and he was just about to... "Danny! Stop! Don't do it!"

Too late. Already the blue rings were forming around his middle. It was at this point, that Sam caught sight of a peculiar looking man in a white suit. She watched in horror as the guy lifted a radio to his lips and spoke into it. Although she couldn't tell what he was saying she knew it couldn't be good. Not really thinking about what she was doing, the girl ran to her changing friend. He couldn't do this, not now.

"Danny, please." Sam wrapped a hand around Danny's arm, hoping against all hope that her touch would force him to change his mind. It didn't. There was nothing she could do and within a few seconds, Danny Fenton had changed into Danny Phantom.

The whole audience gasped, frozen in shock. Well, the whole audience bar one man; the man in the white suit. He was one of them. She knew it. From the moment she laid eyes on him it was clear. The dodgy white suit, the thin black tie and those creepy looking sunglasses. Then, of course, there was the fact that the man in question was staring at Danny like he were something to eat, the most gleeful grin Sam had ever seen, deforming his face.

This didn't bode well.

Still completely unaware of Sam's presence, Danny shot up into the air and darted away off to his right. Before long, he was just a speck in the distance.

"I need to go after him," Sam gasped, taking a few steps forward with her eyes still fastened onto the spot where she had last seen Danny.

"Yes, he needs you.," Clockwork agreed, appearing next to the ghost girl. "But you'll have to take this." The time ghost pulled out a rather familiar looking neck-piece.

"It's a time medallion." Sam stated, rather confused.

"Yes. It is. But that's not all that it is."

"What do you mean?"

Opting out of a verbal reply, the time ghost placed the medallion around the girl's neck. Sam blinked.

All of a sudden, she saw everything; what had been; what was and, most frightening of all; what was yet to come. She instantly knew where Danny was and what was going through his head. She could somehow feel him there, in her mind. She knew at that point just what Clockwork had given her and what it meant.

"He can never know that I'm here," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

"No."

Sam raised a hand to dab at her leaking eye.

"I can never speak to him, or touch him again."

"I'm sorry." The ghost girl turned to look at Clockwork. The ghost seemed to be in agony himself. She now understood what it felt like for him all of the time. Knowing time itself but never being able to do anything directly to stop it.

"Don't be. I appreciate what you've done for me. What you've done for Danny." Sam sighed. "I've gotta go." Without another word, Sam vanished from her spot. Clockwork was left staring at the space in which she had just been standing. She knew where she was going. She knew where Danny was going. She knew everything.

"Good luck." The ghost whispered.

It turned out that the medallion didn't only give her the information she needed to locate and look out for Danny, but it also informed her of the people that could help him. That was how she had located Melinda. 'The one who speaks to the dead'. The Medallion seemed to transmit the knowledge into her head. Getting Danny here had to be the most fun part of the experience.

Sam recalled how she had overshadowed a small brown thrasher and nabbed the fairground picture she knew Danny kept in his belt. That way, Danny was compelled to follow her to Grandview. The crash landing? Now that was an accident. It actually worked out for her though, as the halfa had been running only on reserves, the crash managed to kill the last of his energy, forcing him to rest. A simple dropping of the photo in the centre of Grandview, coincidentally right next to the antiques store, and they were off.

The ghost girl couldn't help but feel a little proud of her schemes. They not only followed the 'Laws of time' – having Danny in complete control of his wits, but they were completely fool proof. Danny would never give up the last memory of his family and he would have been so zapped of energy, he would only ever have been able to walk into the store nearest to him. Clever or what?

A small smile played on her lips. Danny was going to be all right. She could feel it.

With this last thought drifting lazily through her head, Sam faded from sight.

"Boo!" Aiden screamed, jumping out from the trees to land directly in front of Danny. The fourteen year old stopped and rolled his eyes."Oh no. You got me. Again. How many times is that now?"

"Five!" With that, the youngster bounded off again. Danny sighed and continued walking. Whatever had possessed Melinda to let Aiden come with him was beyond the poor boy. As if Danny knew how to look after a five year old! If only he had said no. He could be up in the sky right now. But no, his conscience just had to get in the way.

Resting a hand over his eyes, he called out to Aiden.

"Aiden, five minutes then we're headed back."

"Aw... Okay." A muffled response reached Danny from within the trees. Had Danny's judgement not been clouded by frustration and disappointment, he might have realised that letting a five year old loose in a forest where just about anything could attack. As it was, the teen just carried on.

The forest was so beautiful in the dying daylight. The leaves seemed to glow green wherever touched by the sun which in itself seemed to light up the leafy paradise. Danny smiled, taking in the view. It was so peaceful out here, almost as though it hadn't been touched by the outside world. Nothing bad could ever happen here. The boy spotted a fallen tree and strode over to it, plonking himself down on top of it.

When he was younger, Danny had never really cared for nature, or wildlife. A forest was just a bunch of trees and flowers were no more than unimpressive decorations. He was far too busy with his computer games to focus on anything else.

It was only, really, very recently that he had become more appreciative. Spending a few nights up in a tree'll do that for you. It felt like a whole new world had been opened up to him and he liked it.

"Hey, Aiden, do you know of any good hiding spots around here?" the halfa asked, thinking about the little area he had managed to locate the previous day. How many more of them were out here? "Aiden?" Danny looked up. The youngster was nowhere to be seen. Scanning the trees around him, Danny stood up.

"Aiden, where are you?" That was strange. He could have sworn the kid had been right behind him. Maybe he was still hiding. Danny remembered the way Aiden had taken up a spoto behind a tree as they had first entered the forest. The kid wouldn't come out until Danny 'gave up'.

"Okay, Aiden, you got me. I give up." No response. "You can come out now." Ah well, it was worth a was he? The halfa moved forward.

"I'm not playing now. Come out!"

That was when the panic kicked in. Danny picked up his pace, weaving in and out of the trees looking for the missing boy. "Aiden!" What if he was hurt? What if he'd fallen down a hole or tripped or banged his head or something? Maybe he'd been attacked by some sort of wild animal. Oh, it was all his fault. Why hadn't he paid closer attention to the kid? What was he going to tell Melinda if he couldn't find him?

'Okay, stop that now. He's probably fine. You're worrying for nothing'.

"Oh, God I hope so." Danny closed his eyes for a second, hoping to clear his head. "Aiden!"

"Looking for something?"

Danny went cold. The deep lazy voice seemed to wrap itself around him, turning his insides to ice. A wisp of mist floated from his mouth, the warning coming far too late.

"Walker." The halfa turned slowly to take in the sight of the ghost warden. Walker hadn't changed in the slightest. He was still dressed head to toe in his usual white suit that matched the hue of his skin completely. His red eyes seemed to emit loathing and his black cowboy hat with white strip still balanced awkwardly on his bald head.

"Hello, Punk. Long time no see."

Danny glared at the ghost.

"Not long enough."

"I disagree." Walker folded his arms and his face suddenly morphed into his ever annoying smirk.

"What do you want, Walker?" the halfa asked, most of his attention still on locating his little friend. Walker didn't respond straight away, opting for the more irritating option of examining Danny from top to bottom. Eventually, the ghost warden snapped his fingers. Out of nowhere appeared two of Walker's goons with a small figure trapped between them.

"Aiden!" Within a second, Danny was in ghost form, flying at top speed toward the young child and his captors. His fists were raised at his sides, one further forward than the other in preparation for a full on fight. However he didn't get very far before he halted suddenly re-evaluating the situation.

"Ah, so you noticed." Walker chortled. Danny hardly even heard him. He quickly scanned the trio before him. Aiden was currently unconscious, probably courtesy of Walker. It did, however, explain the lack of screaming. His head lolled slightly forward, making him look all the more pathetic in the middle of the two ghostly brutes.

The thing that most caught Danny's attention, was the large pink energy ball hovering right in front of the youngsters chest. Danny knew from experience how devastating an energy ball from such a close range could be. It could knock out a fully grown man and have his sent to the hospital with serious burns. Some people even died.

If Aiden got hit, he'd have no chance.

"Let him go." Danny growled. Walker floated carelessly towards his goons.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Before the halfa could do anything to defend himself, he was flat on the floor several metres back caressing an energy ball burn on his stomach. Wincing, he forced himself to sit up and move back to rest on a tree. It appeared that Walker's attack had reopened just about every wound on the front of his torso. He'd managed to forget, once again, just how weak he was. He'd really have to stop doing that.

"What do you want?"

"Straight to the point? All right. If that's what you want." The ghost warden dropped to the floor right beside the damaged boy. In as much pain as he was, Danny couldn't do anything about Walker's hand positioned on his chest, pinning him to the tree. All he could do was turn his head away as the warden's face came within a few millimetres of his own. Danny could feel the cold seeping from the ghost's skin and it made him shiver.

"I want you to surrender yourself," Walker whispered, tauntingly. Danny scoffed.

"You're dreaming."

"Am I?" The ghost withdrew so that his enemy could see Aiden. The energy ball seemed to have gotten bigger, probably emphasised by the sweat dripping from the still sleeping child. Danny bit his lip and attempted to pull himself up from the tree. As it turned out, he just ended up with a few splinters and a sore bottom from falling back down again.

"Now. We could either fight this out and watch your dear little friend die... or you can agree to my terms and let the boy live. It's your choice."

A low growl emitted from his throat as Danny attempted yet again to stand up, still not succeeding. Oh this was all his fault. He shouldn't have taken Aiden from the house. He'd known that from the moment it was suggested. But what was he to do now? He couldn't just give himself up! After all he had gone through, being locked up in a dingy cell was the last thing he needed. On the other hand, he couldn't just sit there and watch the child die. Fighting was completely out of the question.

Danny let his eyes rise to the five-year-old. The child had been so nice to him, instantly making him feel like one of the family. Images of his little smiling face flashed through the halfa's head, alongside tinkling laughter. Aiden.

The half ghost shook his head, unable to believe what he was about to do.

"What terms?"

Walker's face twisted into an overly large grin. He slowly and deliberately moved towards Aiden, keeping his eyes on his weak opponent. The ghost then pulled out a glowing green object, that Danny couldn't quite make out, from his pocket.

"What is that?"

Ignoring Danny completely now, the warden flicked the top of his object and grabbed the young child's arm. It was only then that the halfa realised just was it was that Walker was holding.

"No, stop!" Danny's attempts at getting up doubled. He didn't know what Walker meant to do exactly but he knew it was anything but good. He did eventually, manage to stand and get into the air, but by that time, Walker had already injected his syringe into the child and pushed the green liquid through.

Aiden cried out in pain, his body beginning to light up. As though simply finished with the boy, Walker's goons dropped him.

"Aiden!" Covered in ectoplasm and struggling to stay afloat, Danny got there in time to catch the youngster and save him from the full impact of the fall. However, the extra weight, even if it was only that of a child, caused Danny to tumble the rest of the way to the ground. He managed to land on his back with Aiden cradled in his arms.

Somehow, through all of this, the young boy had remained unconscious, all that was to be heard of him now were slight whimpers. It was, perhaps, for the better, but Danny couldn't help but be scared by it. Then there was the fact that he was glowing green. Deciding to completely ignore the existence of Walker and his goons for a while, the halfa checked Aiden over.

The boy placed a hand over his friend's forehead measuring the temperature. The poor kid was burning up, whether that was due to the liquid or not, there was no way of telling, but it wasn't good. Aside from his glow and fever, Danny could see no physical injury to the boy. There were no clear reasons for his sleep.

Ah, that was something to worry about later. Right now, he had more pressing concerns.

"What have you done to him?" the halfa demanded, wrapping his arm protectively around the child whilst shooting his fiery glare at the ghost warden.

"I poisoned him, obviously." The ghost floated just above the two boys, looking down on them in that condescending way of his.

"What? Why would you do that? I was cooperating!"

"Yes. And to make sure you continued cooperating, I poisoned the brat. You see, I need to make sure you follow my instructions to the last detail and I've found that the only way of doing seems to be endangering someone you care about."

Danny winced and glanced down at the little boy in his arms. Why did he seem so good at getting other people into trouble?

"You see that glow? You're seeing the brat's life energy. I'd say he's got about... seven hours before his lights go out?... Literally." Walker chortled as he watched all the colour drain from his opponent.

Danny was speechless. How could anyone be as sick as to poison a five-year-old boy? It wasn't right! Almost unconsciously the halfa's hold on Aiden tightened..

"I don't get it. Why did you have to poison him? Why didn't you just take me? I gave up." The halfa's voice barely raised above a whisper yet his point still stood. It didn't make any sense.

"Hah. You really don't know do you, Punk?" Walker asked, landing noiselessly in front of Danny. The boy just shook his head. "You're being watched."

Danny blinked. "What?"

"Twenty-four-seven, there's someone there. In that house of yours, watching you. It's lucky that I picked up on this before I made my move. It could have gotten ugly otherwise."

"Who is it? Who's watching me?" All of a sudden the halfa was scared. Was it them? Did they know he was here? Were they just waiting for the right time to attack? But no, that didn't make any sense. That wasn't the way they worked. So who was it? Noticing Danny's distress, Walker took it upon himself to revel in it a little more.

"Oh, someone. If you don't know, then they probably don't want you to, do they? It's not my place to say."

Realising just how much enjoyment the ghost warden was getting out of him, Danny decided to put his fears to one side. He could deal with those later.

"If I'm being 'watched' then shouldn't there be someone here, like right now, watching me?"

"You didn't let me finish before. It seems that the only time your... guards if you like, aren't following you around, is when you go on your 'walks'. That is why I knew I could get to you this evening without anyone suspecting a thing."

"That still doesn't tell me why you couldn't just kidnap me or whatever right now." The halfa replied venomously. This guy was really starting to grate on his nerves.

"Think about it, Punk. You have guards watching the house all the time. I don't want any of them to know that you have disappeared until it is too late for them to track you. You're kid friend here has seven hours to live. Work it out."

Danny frowned. It was hard for him to think properly, what with knowing that Aiden was dying in his arms. Surely it would take the 'guards', 'watchers', whatever a while to realise that he was missing, long enough for Walker to get him way out of the way. Unless even Walker was too weary of them to take even the smallest of risks.

That was an odd thought. Walker being scared.

So... if he'd wanted more time... that was it!

"You want me to sneak out tonight so that you'll have all night to get away." The boy breathed, frowning slightly at the revelation. Walker smirked.

"Ah, so you do have a brain in there after all. How quaint."

"What about Aiden? You poisoned him."

"Yes, I did." The warden puffed up his chest, as though proud of his deed. "And, to sweeten the deal, when you give yourself up completely tonight, I will send a scout with the antidote to the brat's condition. He'll be all better again. I'm generous like that, you see."

Danny bit his lip and looked down at the youngster. Already, the glow about him had dimmed slightly. He knew he had to get him back to Melinda, and fast. If Danny didn't get out in time, it was possible that the child may not pull through and although he had no plans of exceeding his seven hour limit, he wanted to make sure the kid was cared for.

"Midnight. I'll be here," the halfa promised before using all of his strength to lift the five-year-old and raise up into the air. The last thing he heard before he flew in the direction of the boy's home was Walker's haunting words.

"I know you will."

So, what do you think? Drop us a note! I realise there may be a lot of mistakes in this as when I put it onto the site, everything jumbled up and I've been sorting it out for the past hour or two. I say this at the end so that you were not looking out for errors whilst reading. Tactics see? ;)

(Sorry if I haven't replied to any of your reviews, same excuse as before, I love ya though :))

xX-Mea-Xx