Reply time! (I'm sorry I forgot to do this last chapter.)

Replies for both chapters:

Luiz4200 - Don't worry - you'll see all those things in chapters I already have written.

The gangsta of love - I hope that twist was thrilling.

:)

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom? Nope. Not mine.

The Beauty of the Brook

Daniel lay by the fire inside the Fenton's small home. He was just starting to wake up after he'd gained some of the strength the Blood Blossoms had taken from him.

"See, I told you he'd be fine!" said Jack excitedly.

Still groggy and dizzy, it took Daniel a moment to recognize his dad's voice. "Dad?" he croaked.

"How are you feeling son? Those Blood Blossoms almost killed you!"

"I'm still alive?" he asked amazed. The idea didn't seem plausible to him – Blood Blossoms were one hundred percent fatal to phantoms. Yet, he felt too tired and weak to be dead.

Daniel tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but a woman's hand held him down. Daniel could sense magic in the woman – she was definitely a witch – but her magic felt different than any magic he'd sensed before. It was much warmer and gentler than any he'd encountered.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be doing that yet," she said firmly. "I've got to take my hand off to stir this tonic for you, and I don't want to catch you getting up when I do."

"Of course you're alive son!" Jack said. "Phantoms can survive a circle of Blood Blossoms if they've got someone to get rid of the herbs. We're just lucky your former mistress didn't know anything about this – otherwise she would've prevented their removal. But then again, Black Witches like her rarely know about ways to save phantoms. Why would they save anyone who's not like them?"

"Jack Fenton, could you make yourself useful for once in your life and hand me that can of powered salamander tail?" the witch snapped.

Jack obliged the witch, but wrinkled his nose in disgust at the salamander tail. "Yuck!" he whispered to Daniel, "I don't envy you your sleep potion!"

"I heard that!" the witch spat. "My potions don't taste that bad, Jack Fenton!"

Jack rolled his eyes when the witch wasn't looking. "Anyhow," he said, "Danny, this is your Aunt Alicia! Her concotions may taste nasty, but she makes the most effective potions and tonics in Weissstadt."

"Now what did I just say about my potions?"

Daniel grinned. "We're here?" he asked happily. He sat up to greet his aunt face-to-face. "Hi Aunt Alicia!"

"I told you it's not a good idea for you to get up yet," she said. "Jack Fenton, could you get your son to lie back down?"

"Sorry," Daniel said, lying back down.

"So this is my nephew!" his aunt said. "He went and got himself turned into a phantom, then he went and got himself trapped inside a circle of Blood Blossoms, and now he won't even listen about having to rest up!" she said. "And where is my sister? How come no one's telling me that?"

"Alicia! We're working on it! Don't you think I want my wife back just as much as you want your sister back? I'll tell you where she is later later. Danny's had a tough day and needs his rest, so we shouldn't have that difficult discussion in front of him."

Daniel felt good when his dad stood up for him and what he needed. It was the sort of parental thing he'd been craving all his life with Frau Schwartzekatze. She never would've stood up for him like that. It just went to show the strong contrast between how horrible a guardian she was, and how much better his dad was than her.

Jack's comment managed to end Alicia's complaints. It was with a much gentler tone that she told Daniel to drink his potion. She handed him a cup of a silvery-looking substance that flowed in a lazy circle. She instructed him,"Drink up now, you hear?"

Daniel found that the potion didn't taste good, but it didn't taste bad either as far as potions went. He felt comfortably warm inside, and his eyelids were drooping. His aunt's high-quality potion was working fast.

As he drifted off, he heard his dad whisper, "Sleep well, son. You could use a good rest to regain your strength."

He was sitting by the brook where he'd met Sam, and where he'd gotten his dad back. The stream whispered happily as it bubbled past, accompanied by choruses of a variety of bird species. The sunlight was filtered through the trees' leaves, blanketing everything in a soft green light. The spot was absolutely wonderful to him, totally relaxing.

"Hey, Daniel," someone whispered, softly sitting down next to him. Daniel's heart hummed happily, and he felt light enough that he could float as he recognized Sam's voice.

She wore a peaceful smile, and looked as beautiful as he remembered her. "Sam," he said, returning her smile. "You look wonderful." She blushed at the compliment.

Then Daniel's heart sank as he remembered the last time he'd seen Sam. "I'm glad you're okay," he whispered, "and I'm sorry about what my mistress did to your parents. It wasn't my idea Sam - it was hers."

"But you changed them back, didn't you?" she asked sweetly.

"Yeah," said Daniel, and something within him swelled with joy. Sam had forgiven him! It was like a dream come true!

A dream come true? This scene was too good to be true. It must've been only a dream, but he wished it could be so much more.

But because he'd moved to Weissstadt, where non magicals were viewed as equals, maybe one day he could make it up to her and they could be friends. Maybe they could be more than friends. Daniel wanted that dearly.

The future seeming distant to him, Daniel decided he might as well enjoy the dream while it lasted. "Sam?" he asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes Daniel?"

"If I said I want to get to know you better, what would you say?"

Dream Sam smiled at him. "I'd love to get to know you too," she said. She took his right hand in between her own two hands. "You strike me as someone special."

It was a very blissful dream...