Sam was frowning by the time they reached the park, her arms folded across her chest.

"I don't like it, Tuck," she muttered for what was probably the fourth time. "Danny's not one to just wander off like this. Jazz thought he was with you?" The techie nodded, adjusting his backpack's straps slightly as they walked.

"I thought he was home," he stated with a slight shrug. "Don't worry about it, he'll be fine. He probably just came over here after school, gave himself time to think. Danny knows how to look after himself."

"That's what I'm worried about. He can be such an idiot sometimes, especially when he's stressed." Tucker barely held back a smirk and the girl caught his quiet murmur as the wind shifted toward her.

"Yeah, an idiot about quite a few things…"

"What did you say, Foley?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Sam sighed, one hand freeing itself to run over her face. "If it wasn't Danny I'd just turn around and go home…I need some tea." Green eyes turned to her with a rather amused expression.

"You drink tea?"

"You don't?"

It fell silent again, the only sound being the slight crunch of combat boots and sneakers on the gravel path. Danny wasn't the only one who was stressed. She had to admit, he probably had the worst of it, but the past two weeks had taken their toll on her and Tucker as well. The African-American boy - although still prone to sudden bursts of completely idiotic rambling - fell into rather prominent silences more often. He still cracked jokes and laughed right along with his best friend, but when Danny wasn't around, he seemed far too serious. She could tell he was worried, but worry didn't fit well on Tucker. He would either laugh everything off in an attempt to get the others to smile, or just hide every other emotion with it for short periods of time.

Sam could only hope she was as good at acting carefree as her friend was. In truth, everything about this whole ordeal scared her; the Portal explosion, the sudden appearance of these 'powers', the way his eyes kept changing…She knew if she began fretting, though, Danny would worry even more. She was the one who wasn't fazed by weird things. If Sam Manson was scared, the world had better be running in circles screaming.

Just take it in stride, Sam, she told herself as she had so many times since the accident. Things get worse before they get better. This'll work itself out. So why did she have so much trouble believing it?

"Which one is our usual tree?" Tucker asked suddenly, looking around them with a crooked grin. "I didn't even know we had a usual." The girl sighed good-naturedly, shaking her head.

"The big oak, past the fountain," she reminded him, pointing down the path. "It's a little ways off the trail, remember? Not many people go by which is, I'm sure, why Danny chose it as a meeting place." The boy sighed heavily and she turned to him with a slight frown. He had stopped, staring rather intently at the ground between his feet.

"I hate all this secrecy," he muttered. Glancing up he lifted one hand as she opened her mouth to reply. "I know it's for a good reason, I think it would be idiotic to go waltzing this stuff around, but…it just seems like we're trying to have two separate lives, you know?" Sam managed a small smile, her hand going automatically to her friend's shoulder.

"Trust me, I know," she said quietly. "It's a pain right now, but…hopefully we can have less of the secrets after things start straightening out." Tucker stayed silent for another moment before his usual carefree look slipped back into place.

"C'mon, we're already late. He'll probably get in a fight with some squirrel if left alone too long." Sam laughed, her hand falling back to her side as the boy strode off again. Part of her wished Danny could see that side of the techie that so rarely emerged. She was sure it had happened at some point; the two were best friends, after all. It was doubtful, however, that Tucker ever showed the other teen when it was him he was concerned about. It might be for the best, really. Danny was notorious for feeling guilty about things that were in no way his fault, and this would definitely be one of them.

"Stupid hero complex," she muttered, following the red beret on her friend's head. "You can't make everyone happy, Fenton."

"Geeze, where is he? He came right after school…" Sam rolled her eyes briefly as Tucker muttered, glancing around the area for the third time. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was currently agreeing with him. Danny wasn't one to forget things easily, especially things he scheduled himself. "He did say the tree, right? Is this the usual tree?" She looked up at the towering branches and frowned slightly.

"Yeah, this is it," the girl said quietly. "So why isn't he here?"

"Here's his bag." Tucker nudged the backpack with one toe as if worried it might attack him. "He was here…" Green eyes widened as he began staring around wildly and Sam suppressed a laugh. "I swear Danny, if you're invisible right now-" Speaking of stupid proclamations…

"Shut up, Tuck," the girl whispered, digging an elbow into his side for emphasis. A quick glance proved the area to be clear of passerby, luckily, but she didn't know what they were supposed to have done if someone overheard. "You want to go announcing it to the whole world?" He grimaced, rubbing his side.

"Like anyone would believe me if they heard…" Sam shook her head, violet eyes rolling. There was a distinct possibility Danny was invisible, of course. She was slightly tense, half expecting an unseen tap on the shoulder.

What if he isn't invisible, though? the paranoid part of her mind questioned. What if something happened?

"He's around here somewhere," she muttered stubbornly, turning in a circle with her hands on her hips in an attempt to spot the messy black hair. At this point, she didn't know who she was convincing - Tucker, Danny, or herself? Danny wouldn't be stupid enough to get himself into much trouble, would he? It was Amity Park, after all, what danger was there?

"Hey guys." The voice was sudden and apparently out of nowhere. She knew for a fact that she hadn't heard anyone approach. Both of the teens whipped around searching aimlessly for the source. No one seemed to be there, which left just one other option…But there was no way-

"Told ya he was invisible," Tucker declared, shooting her a triumphant grin. "Where've you been, man? We've been looking around for like, an hour."

"It's been five minutes, Tuck," Sam felt compelled to correct, still carefully scanning the area for any traces of her friend. That voice did not sound like Danny, no matter what conclusions Tucker jumped to. It had similar qualities, but there was something off. It almost seemed to echo, as if he were speaking through a megaphone. But no, it had to be Danny; if it wasn't him, where was he? "What's with your voice, Danny?" she questioned carefully. "It seems…not like you." There was a slight pause in which he seemed to consider this before replying.

"I dunno, I…just noticed it a little while ago." The hesitation did remind her of the boy. She could easily imagine his wary look, one hand going to the back of his neck like it always did. "How'd you know it was me?"

I don't, she muttered silently, fighting back the slight panic that was rising in her chest. No, it had to be him. "Please, what other disembodied voice would consider talking to Tucker?" The techie sent her a rather indignant look, one she ignored as she crossed her arms and kept her eyes on the general area the voice was coming from. It was harder to pinpoint the way it sounded now. "Now would you come back to our range of vision? It's too weird talking to thin air." Just come back…prove it's you, prove I don't have to be worried constantly. There was a moment of hesitation before he responded.

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry about that." What was he sorry for? There was another pause which she knew fit. From what Tucker had said, it took Danny a bit of effort to bring his entire body back to normal. It wasn't all that long, however, before a teenage boy appeared quite suddenly in front of them. Sam took a split second to glance him over and froze.

No…Snow-white hair, green eyes so bright she could've sworn they were actually glowing, a black jumpsuit with white gloves and boots…and his entire body seemed surrounded in some white aura. It was like the kid had stepped right out of a sci-fi movie. There was only one thing she was certain of, though; whoever this was, Danny was still gone and the freaky-glow-guy had something to do with it.

"Wh-where's Danny?" she finally asked, cursing her voice as it shook. She could feel Tucker carefully slip around behind her, kneeling to pick up Danny's fallen bag. The other kid seemed to flinch as if he had been smacked which gave her a small satisfaction. His green eyes widened and he seemed confused for a moment. Sam felt a hand on her shoulder and could spot the red beret out of the corner of her eye. Tucker was trying to gently turn her away and she knew his eyes were locked on the white-haired teen in front of them as if expecting an attack.

"C'mon Sam, we can call him from my place…" Like that would do any good, Danny never remembered his phone. The other boy seemed to lean forward slightly, his frown deepening. Had he heard that? It had been surprisingly quiet for Tucker, how would he have heard it? Suspicions flared and she pushed away a slight nagging in the back of her mind that was telling her she had seen this kid before.

"No!" The girl pulled away from her friend taking a few steps toward the 'offender' who had yet to say a word since he appeared. "He was here, I know he was-Where did he go?" She blinked quickly, knowing her eyes were filling with tears. There was no way she would give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry…The boy seemed uncertain, glancing around as if he was searching for an escape.

"I-" He cut off as she advanced on him, her hands automatically clenching into fists. As he backed up he met her eyes briefly and she could see a trace of desperation in them. Worried about getting caught, was he?

"What did you do with him?" She knew she was getting slightly hysterical, but at the moment the Goth really didn't care. Her best friend was missing, this creepy kid had something to do with it and the last two weeks hadn't done anything for her nerves. She saw the kid look over her shoulder, apparently at Tucker, as if begging for help. Sam's eyes narrowed and she felt a few tears escape but ignored them. One boot swung out automatically, aiming for his knees in an attempt to bring the intruder down. He dodged rather easily and she saw his face suddenly fall as if in defeat. She didn't even realize she had been swinging until her fist hit the boy's side and he yelped.

Honestly, somehow leaping effortlessly into the air was something she hadn't been expecting. Violet eyes widened as she automatically searched the ground before, blinking, she spotted him hovering at least a foot above her head. Sam had only seen one other…thing manage to make it look so easy, as if flying were second nature. Wiping a tear impatiently off of her face she glared daggers at her oppressor, only one logical explanation running through her head. Ghost…he's a ghost. A ghost has my best friend.

"Sam, I-"

"Get back down here!" she shouted, her voice still shaking and now hoarse. Green eyes seemed to look around warily as she continued. "You wad of ectoplasm, get down here and bring him back!" A firm hand was on her shoulder again and she vaguely realized Tucker was whispering something, trying to get her to calm down. The girl knew she was crying now but all concerns about it had vanished. Bring him back, bring back our friend, bring back what our life used to be like…She allowed Tucker to finally turn her around, both of his hands on her shoulders now as he spoke hurriedly. She didn't catch half of the words, but it was enough to let most of her fury fall away.

"Sam? It's me, I-" The girl felt herself suddenly pulled back as Tucker stepped in front of her and she caught a glimpse of the defiance in his eyes. She shot him an attempt at a glare, though it really wasn't as vicious as planned. Sam Manson did not need to be rescued.

"You stay back," her friend warned and she could see the ghost freeze, one hand still outstretched. Had he been reaching for her? "I don't know what you did, but Danny's definitely not the best choice for a ghost to mess with." The thought of sending the Fentons after this particular spirit gave Sam a feeling of immense satisfaction. She began attempts to free herself from Tucker's grip, violet eyes locked on the white-haired teenager. Granted, the girl really had no idea what she was going to do once she got a hold of it. Rather dim reminders of the fact that ghosts could just phase through any blows she might manage passed through her head, but she ignored them. She would get her hands on that blasted ghost and make him bring her friend back. The details were far from important at the moment.

Rather than looking intimidated, the intruder just seemed confused. His mouth opened once as if he were trying to say something before closing again. Green eyes seemed a bit brighter than they had been and he was blinking rapidly. She had to admit, a sudden retreat was about as expected as his initial flight. The ghost shot them one more baffled look before turning, still a few feet off the ground, and flew off, quickly disappearing out of their line of sight.

"You coward!" Sam screamed over Tucker's shoulder, still straining to escape. The techie could be fairly strong if the need arose. "Get back here, you stupid ghost!"

"Sam-"

"Bring him back! Bring-"

"Sam, listen to me!" She cut off, struggling to keep herself slightly composed. "He's gone, and I doubt he's going to get near you for quite a while." As the girl mutely shook her head, one hand going to wipe impatiently at her face, Tucker let go of her shoulders to swing the bag he still held over one arm. "We'll find Danny, alright? It's not like that ghost could've-Sam!" He seemed to groan in resignation as she took off at a sprint toward where the ghost had vanished, quickly following at a slightly slower speed.

He's around here, Sam told herself stubbornly. He's got to be around here. Part of her didn't know who she was actually talking about. Whether she found the spirit or her friend, however, somehow things would work out. The girl neared a small cluster of hedges, dark eyes scanning the entire area intently. It was the sight of messy black hair that snapped her attention forward and she managed to cover the few yards in what felt like two steps.

"Danny!" The boy grunted as she plowed into him and she caught a glimpse of an extremely startled expression before her face was buried in his shoulder. It seemed like he had recently fallen; there was still dirt and traces of grass on the white material of his T-shirt and he smelled like freshly a cut lawn. As Tucker caught up, puffing slightly, Sam pulled away and lowered her gaze to the ground. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, and she aimed a quick punch at the raven-haired boy's arm. He gave a satisfying yelp, automatically rubbing the struck area and looking down at her with obvious indignity.

"What was that for?"

"You jerk, where were you?" she demanded, her eyes now slit as she glared up at him. Danny may be rather short for a freshman, but he was always somewhat taller than her. In times like this it was distinctly unhelpful. "We found your bag by the tree and you weren't there and-"

"I've been here!" he interrupted, earning another rather piercing look. "I could hear you guys the entire time, you just…I guess you didn't see me or something." Sam managed a deep breath, her hands finally relaxing at her sides as she looked the boy over. If he could hear them, why didn't he come…? "Besides, what could've happened to me here, of all places?"

"There was…" Tucker spoke up, having finally caught his breath. He shot a glance at the girl before plowing on as if afraid she might stop him if he hesitated. "There was a ghost over there, by the tree. Sam thought it might've run into you or something and we don't really know what it would do…" He had a point there, actually. What would a ghost do to a teenager if they happened to meet? The techie shrugged warily, offering Danny his backpack. "You left this over there."

"Thanks." The bag swung onto his shoulders, blue eyes alternated between both of his friends as Danny seemed to try and find some hidden information. "What-what kind of ghost was it?" Sam felt herself tense at the mention of him, her violet eyes narrowing and watching the ground carefully.

"It looked our age," she said carefully. It, not him, the girl had to remind herself. It was a ghost. She frowned as a small part of her mind prodded itself, insisting that she had seen it somewhere before…but there was no way; the Box Ghost was the first actual ghost any of them had ever seen. "White hair, some weird black suit…the thing kept trying to defend itself, like it hadn't done anything wrong." Danny was watching her carefully now.

"Had it?" The question shocked her a bit, and Sam forced herself to pause and consider.

"Well…" She gave a slight shrug, almost unwilling to admit it. "I guess it didn't actually do anything to you like I thought, but…It's a ghost, Danny. Just like that stupid Box Ghost, it's not supposed to be here." It was an obvious fact, really; ghosts didn't belong in this world, they were supposed to stay in whatever freaky place they came from, and the fact there were at least two running around the town creeped her out more than she was willing to admit. She looked up again as Danny gave a short, humorless laugh. He had taken up the role of watching the grass, his hands clenched around the straps of his bag.

"Yeah." Sam's eyes widened. The boy's voice was shaking and, now that she looked closely, his hands were as well. He seemed to tense as if preparing to suddenly sprint away from some unseen enemy. "Yeah, I guess you're right." The natural baby-blue flashed suddenly to green as he looked up at them again. That in itself wasn't strange anymore, but they seemed brighter, even wet. There was a look in them that she couldn't quite place, though it seemed almost like…defeat. "Thanks for getting my bag."

The two were blinded for a second as a sudden flash of white-blue light appeared at their friend's waist. Sam stumbled back a step, eyes widening even further than she would have assumed was possible. The light split suddenly and the two rings traveled over Danny's body purposefully. One swept upwards over his chest and head, the other down over his hips and legs. They vanished as soon as they reached the top of the hair and bottom of the feet respectively and a prominent silence stretched over the three. Where Danny had stood a second before in his usual t-shirt and jeans, a ghost now watched them carefully.

The haz-mat suit was mostly black, save for its gloves, boots, belt and collar. His hair, usually jet black, was snow-white, though it was just as messy. The eyes, though…they were the only part of him she knew, having seen that neon green on her best friend so often recently. It was those eyes that had been staring at her with dismay as she screamed at him, practically attacked him…and then closed briefly now as he sighed, pushing himself effortlessly into the air.

How-why-? What was she even supposed to ask? How did you get like this? Why didn't you tell us? One of her hands began rising as if she were trying to pull him back down again. "Danny, I-" Since when could he fly, anyway? "Is that really you?" The boy snorted, turning away from them. His voice was strained as he replied, obviously trying to keep it steady.

"Yeah, but I'm not supposed to be here, remember?" Her breath caught in her throat at the words and Sam froze. He couldn't think she was talking about him-but how would he not? It had been him the entire time, the one trying futilely to defend himself while she blocked out every word.

"No, wait, I didn't-" He had taken off already, white hair whipping back in the wind. The boy's legs had apparently vanished, merging to make some strange translucent tail that flew out behind him. "Danny!" The ghost-boy didn't turn, and part of her wasn't surprised. Why would he, after all of this? Tears slipping down her face again, Sam stared over the rooftops where her friend vanished. The sounds of footsteps startled her out of her thoughts and she turned to see Tucker already striding down toward the main street. "Tuck-?"

"Hurry up!" he called, and she noticed even his voice was strained. "I still have a curfew, but there is no way he's going to mope all night." Trust Tucker to even attempt a joke now…Glancing up at the setting sun, she bit her lip as one arm wiped her face quickly. Her parents would probably freak, but what else was new?

You have to set this straight, Manson, she told herself. Tell him…Tell him what? What on earth was she supposed to tell him? Sam jogged down the grass after her friend, still blinking hurriedly. Tell him everything was going to work out, as she always did? That none of it mattered? He was a ghost, what part of that was even slightly okay? The girl shook her head as they reached the sidewalk, carefully avoiding Tucker's eyes. No, he wasn't a ghost…ghosts were dead. Danny wasn't dead. The two freshmen set off quickly down the street, silence reigning for the first few minutes. She could see where flight would come in handy, especially if one wanted to make a quick getaway. Danny was probably already home while they still had at least five blocks.

"What are we going to say?" Sam finally asked hesitantly, glancing up at the boy beside her with a frown. He paused before sighing, one hand running quickly over his face.

"I don't know," the techie admitted. "I just…we need to say something."

"So what, this isn't a big deal for you?" Her voice rose slightly before she realized it and they both glanced around the buildings quickly.

"My best friend is a ghost, Sam," Tucker muttered after a moment, voicing the fear that she so stubbornly pushed back. "It's a bit of a big deal."

Author's Note:

Yeah, I didn't end the last chapter with an author's note because I figured it would have cut the mood terribly. I didn't start this one with an author's note because…well, it would've cut the mood terribly. (For all those reading straight through)

I speak for a moment to Samara, one of my reviewers; Are you following me or something? I had been seriously thinking about doing chapter 12 from Sam's point of view. I come on the computer and your review mirrors my thoughts. I'm a little creeped out. x3

Anyway, this chapter was (if you couldn't tell) the last section - after the second line-break - told from Sam's point of view. Hopefully it cleared a few things up and was just an enjoyable read.

I once again thank Dragondancer123 profusely for being my most epic beta-reader. ^^ I hope everyone had a very excellent Christmas! (Muse permitting, I will soon have the next chapter of my House crossover posted. I've been neglecting it a bit. -pets story-) Until next time!

~Waggy