I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Hope to have ch.13 out next week. But no promises. Sooo... ENJOY!

Chapter Twelve

Slight Recovery

"What are you going to do to us?" Melissa strained her voice to speak for her throat was clogged with fear. Vlad stood up and put his hands behind his back. Melissa used her body to shield Danny from whatever he was about to do.

"Just give me the boy," Vlad sounded angry and frustrated.

"NO!" Melissa practically threw herself on top of Danny.

"Melissa I don't want to have to hurt you but if I must to reach my goal I will," said Vlad as he pulled out the Plasimus Maximus. Melissa's eyes grew huge at the sight of that terrible device. She turned Danny and herself intangible and flew to Sam's house. She would be able to help, at least Melissa hoped.

Melissa was barely able to hold Danny with the puny amount of strength she still had. Melissa turned them intangible once more and fell through the wall. Sam was reading a dark gothic poetry book, which flew out of her hands at the sight of the two half ghosts entering her room. Melissa was exhausted and turned into human form while she fought passing out.

"Melissa, are you and Danny alright?" said the Goth as she ran from her bed to their sides.

Melissa tried to find the words in her half passed out mind, "I…I'm fine but …Danny needs help." They both turned to him and saw his wounds still bleeding and the gash on Danny's arm needed some serious attention. Melissa was utterly fine other than what she had just experienced.

"Melissa do you have enough strength to help me lift Danny onto my bed?"

"Yeah," Melissa replied barely able to stand up. They moved Danny over to Sam's bed. "Do you think you can help him? I don't want anyone finding out about this so I could only think of to come to you," Melissa said as she regained her strength.

Sam had her arms crossed and was looking down at Danny, then she nodded. She lifted her head to match her eyes with Melissa's, "I can help him no problem but I'm really curious as to what happened. Would you tell me?" Melissa nodded and they both sat as Melissa explained what had happened after the training session, to being put in the chamber, and finally coming to Sam's home.

"Wow! To think that even after this time Vlad was still alive. How did he survive?"

"I don't know how but he's alive and mad. Odds are that he's looking for us right now."

"Well I better get to work." Sam pulled out a medical herb book from her bookshelf and started flipping through pages. Melissa watched as she tended to Danny's wounds.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXLINE BREAKXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After a week Danny was healed(except for the bandages that covered the huge gash on his arm). They had remained at Sam's house and after Melissa had called Danny's parents and made up a convincing lie, all their worrying stopped. They returned to school but Melissa was always on high alert for Vlad, as were Danny, Sam, and Tucker.

It was lunch the second day back and Vlad appeared. Melissa and her friends were sitting at their usual table for lunch when Melissa and Danny's ghost sense went off. Melissa turned to the window and Danny looked over to.

Danny said, "That's weird I thought there was a ghost. Hmm. Must have just been passing through." Danny returned to his lunch.

"Danny there is a ghost. It's Vlad! He's right there! Don't you see him," Melissa said with annoyance in her tone. Melissa turned to Danny then back towards the window to see that Vlad was gone. She knew he was still at the school though.

Melissa's hunch was right for Vlad grabbed Melissa from her waist and attempted to turn her intangible and take her to the lab.

"Danny help!" Melissa spoke trying not to alert anyone besides her friends. Danny sprang to help Melissa at the sound of her distressed voice. She was fighting going intangible and Danny could tell. He could see Vlad's intangible hands grabbing Melissa and actually turning her part intangible but not enough to phase her through the floor. Tucker and Sam were now next to Danny, trying to help their freshmen friend escape Vlad's grasp. They grabbed her arms and pulled. Vlad retreated only to send Melissa flying onto the table.

"Thank god that's over," Sam said with a sigh.

"Yeah we almost lost ya," replied the Geek.

"That really was too close" Danny said as he sat down.

Melissa breathed in but the air was forced right out with another ghost sense, "Danny Vlad's still…" Melissa didn't finish for she was cut off by Vlad catching her off guard and heading towards the lab.

"Melissa!" the trio yelled together.

Danny turned to his remaining friends but they already understood without speaking. Danny nodded and headed outside behind the school.

"I'm going ghost!" Danny took to the skies as Danny Phantom and spoke to himself in his mind, I'm on my way Melissa and that asteroid didn't kill you but I am Vlad. You better watch yourself and if you lay one hand on her you'll be dead before you could raise a finger.