Chapter 25: This Wrong and Right
Seven years later…
Sam stepped out into the icy air, shuddering as the wind whipped at her cheeks. It was a relief to be outside and in the open, crowds still seemed to panic her. Behind the sliding doors slammed shut, muffling the chaos within. Snow had started to fall lightly, though the gloomy clouds threatened heavier falls. As she stepped out to the footpath the sounds of life came to her; cars and music, voices and faint barking. There was a building excitement, one that Sam didn't feel anymore.
Hefting the bag of groceries higher onto her shoulder, she began the short journey back to their apartment. December no longer held any joy for her. She almost was furious that everyone else wanted her to celebrate in this mournful time. It didn't help that her parents always begged her to visit. To be part of the family that she didn't have the energy for. But Sam wasn't going to pretend to them anymore.
She dodged a group hovering around the entrance of their building, skirting along the edges of the foyer in shadows. Her dark glare was a shield that kept anyone away, or at least Sam hoped it would. Taking the stairs to avoid a crowded lift she struggled up to her floor, the weight of the bag digging into her skin. Strolling quickly down the thickly carpeted hall she made for the door, hearing the sounds of the other residents through the thin walls. Fishing for her keys Sam paused and searched around her.
Even after all this time, Sam still kept a lookout for him. Sometimes on nights like these she would patrol the empty streets alone, hoping that he would materialise beside her with that familiar sheepish grin. A reckless part of Sam debated throwing herself into danger so that it might summon him to save her. But she knew that was stupid. Danny wasn't here anymore and in the empty hallway, no freezing presence greeted her.
Sighing she fumbled with her keychain and opened the apartment. Inside there was already a thick smell of microwave cheese lingering in the air. Tucker likely had given up waiting for her and made a horrid concoction of something. Kicking off her boots Sam padded down the narrow hallway and into their living space.
"Got the goods?" Tucker's deep voice came from the couch. Looking up from his laptop, lanky legs dangling over the side. Sam scowled at his grin, eying the empty bowl sitting beside him.
"You own me big time. It was madness down there." Moving into the kitchen she dumped the bag onto the counter, throwing things into the fridge. " Next time you can go. I'm not going anywhere near the shops until next year- And you didn't wipe down the microwave with your disgusting nachos! I knew it!"
"Sorry… I'll do that later. But… I did order pizza while you were out."
Sam inhaled sharply, clicking the microwave door shut. Turning she sent a glare. " You better have ordered me the Double Veg."
"Always."
Grumbling she grabbed a drink, shuffling over to throw herself into a beanbag next to him. Tucker unmuted the TV and they both stared at it without really watching its contents.
"Your mom called again." Tucker sounded guarded, knowing the topic was dangerous.
"And?"
"I told her you weren't home."
"Good." Sam scoffed, settling deeper in her seat. She was a bit jealous of Tucker, his parents were relaxed about the whole thing compared to hers. Sam's parents had moved to the other side of the country the first chance they got. However, Tucker's parents had been the rare few that returned to Amity Park. While they didn't care what he did, Sam's tried everything to try and fix their daughter. Forcing her to meet new people, throwing therapists that were only on their side. When they moved she had put her foot down, and her late grandmother had taken her side.
Since they had both gone to the same college, Sam had used her grandmother's inheritance and a chunk of her savings to get this apartment for the two of them. As much as dorm life sounded… Fun, Sam didn't have the heart to deal with the petty drama of it. Tucker hadn't refused, having his own bedroom meant quieter nights of study. Normality just seemed… strange after what happened. They didn't care about stupid rumours it caused them or her parent's disapproval. Tucker seemed to be the only sane person left in her life.
They ended up watching some silly gameshow, though Tucker was only half listening. On his laptop he was checking for whispers, always on the lookout for strange reports. With Danny leaving, no other sightings of ghosts appeared. And in a matter of a few years, the ghosts seemed to have been forgotten as a bad memory. Though a few forums on the web still discussed it.
The doorbell rang. Tucker tilted his head to the side. "Sounds like it's time to party."
"Uh-huh." She rose, knowing from the furious typing Tucker wouldn't be bothered. Grabbing her wallet Sam returned to the door, digging for some extra change. For a moment she paused to force on the best smile she was able to. Hopefully, the pizza guy would be just as depressed with the season as she was.
Sam opened the door, instantly spotting the guy standing there. She started to say hello, yet froze. There was no carry bag in his hand. And he wasn't wearing the familiar uniform that they always wore either. The guy before her was in heavy casual wear, long black hair hiding half of his face. But it was the eye that made Sam pause, a very familiar deep blue eye.
His jaw slackened as that eye widened. Both stared at each other, neither making the first move. Sam couldn't believe it. It… couldn't be. Maybe this guy had picked the wrong door, it was common for that to happen. But before she could choke out a word, he was roughly pushed to the side, another person stepping out from behind him.
"Hey, Sam! Long time no see huh!"
"Dani!?" It was her. She'd become as tall as Sam, her hair much longer than the last time they'd been together. But it was pulled up in her usual ponytail, the same blue eyes shining back. She gasped as Dani leapt forward and hugged her tight. But Sam didn't respond, only peered over her shoulder to stare up at the guy. Staring at Danny. He suddenly looked panicked, scanning the hallway for any threats.
"Shush! Not so loud! Seriously we talked about this!" Like Tucker, his voice had changed with time, but it was unmistakably Danny's. Quickly he grabbed the two of them and pushed them back into the apartment. With one fluid moment they were crammed into the small space, Danny shutting the door quietly behind them.
Dani let go of her, gazing around the hall. " I assume Tuckers here, right? Ah, that sounds like him!" She gave them both a smirk. "Guess I'll leave you two alone to catch up." Sam could only watch in awe as she strolled down the hall and disappeared around the corner. From the sudden yell from Tucker, Sam guessed she had already rushed over to hug him.
Nervously she turned to Danny. It was almost comical how he was pressed tightly in the corner, completely still as if waiting for her to do something to him. For a moment his intense stare rooted her to the spot, until he abruptly blushed, posture relaxing.
With one hand he rubbed the back of his neck, gaze falling to the floor. " Sorry."
She almost threw open the door to kick him out. It had been seven years. Seven years!? He had just vanished from her life, only to appear randomly back in it. After all that, sorry was all he was going to say to her!?
Sam punched him square in the chest, as strong as she could muster. He flinched as it made a loud thump, but didn't make any move to stop the hit.
"I guess I deserve that…"
"You stupid idiot." She punched him again with both fists now. Somehow the fact he wasn't attempting to stop her when she knew he could only angered her more. " You stupid… knuckle-headed… I can't believe you! It's been seven years Danny, seven! And you just- Jerk!"
Then she hugged him, she couldn't help it. As much as Sam was furious with him, she was equally, unbelievably happy that he was okay. That he was still alive. That had haunted her almost every night as the years passed, whether the reason he hadn't come was that something terrible had happened.
In her hug Sam felt him tense, waiting. Then when it was clear she wasn't going to hit him again Danny relaxed, wrapping his arms around her to return it. She heard the rumble of his relieved sigh thunder around her, and Sam could feel his icy core pressed against her cheek. She'd missed this cold feeling.
Far too soon he broke away, giving her that familiar lopsided grin. " Sorry for coming… so unannounced. I guess you were expecting someone else?"
"Just… Pizza guy. For me and Tucker. But we… we have enough food in the fridge." It sounded so awkward to her, feeling dizzy from the rush of emotions. She had daydreamed this moment, envisioned Danny's return in so many ways for so long. He'd appear on one of her night walks, feeling that cold tingle on the back of her neck from his ghost form. Sometimes she imagined him appearing on campus, strolling beside her invisible and whispering in her ear to follow him. In reality… his return seemed so abrupt, so sudden. So much like Danny.
He turned to where his clone had gone. " Is Tuck seriously here?"
She nodded and watched him move from the corner. Danny walked almost soundlessly, though he bumped into their shoe rack with an oddly confused huff. Sam followed in his shadow, worried at any moment he would disappear.
Dani had already made herself comfortable in the beanbag, chatting to Tucker who stared dumbly at her. However the moment Danny entered his gaze flickered over, likely thinking it was her. It took Tucker a few seconds to figure out who it was and jumped up, his shock sending his laptop tumbling to the floor.
"DUDE! You're back!" Tucker rushed to him, and the two embraced in what they would demand was just a bro hug. Danny laughed, crushing him tightly back in his happiness with the reaction. Tucker pushed him gently away, holding his shoulders to size him up.
"Whoa, wait a second! You've gotten taller than me!"
"Not by much. But your voice Tuck, I barely recognized it."
"My voice! Speak for yourself!"
Danny chuckled, grabbing hold of Tucker's shoulders too. Behind his glasses Sam could see Tucker's eyes become damp, grin beaming.
"You've got to tell us what crazy adventures you've both been up to all this time. And why this long?"
"It's… a lot. I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to contact you both. I didn't do it on purpose."
"We couldn't risk it, that's why." Dani chimed in, drawing everyone's attention to her. "Those ghost hunter wannabes were still looking out for us. We had to make sure that there was absolutely no way to sense us coming back. Looks like they've finally laid off a little bit."
Danny nodded, hands slipping from Tucker's shoulders. "Though… even now, it's still not quite safe for us. But… it's better." Sam noticed that he was studying every feature of their apartment. Seeing their collection of games, the dotted assortment of her pot plants. Tucker's massive mess of sticky notes that were placed randomly on things so he wouldn't forget deadlines. She could see a slight disappointment on his face. There was now so much missing time with them, gaps that he didn't know. The three of them had done everything together since they were little kids. But now… there were years of separation.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and everyone jumped. Tucker broke the mood with a laugh, strolling passed Sam. " I bet that's the real pizza guy. I'll get it."
As he left, Sam was surprised that Danny immediately turned invisible. Dani snorted, rolling her eyes at Sam as she too vanished. There was a short conversation at the door, Tucker returning with two pizza boxes in hand. However, he jolted to a stop when he saw that they were alone again.
"Did Danny-"
"We're still here." At the words, Danny reappeared. He had moved over to where Dani was, his hand placed on the top of her head. Sam then realized that it was him that had turned her invisible. His clone stuck her tongue out at him, and Danny scowled down. " You know we don't know everything yet. We can't risk getting seen at all until we know we can't be recognised!"
"Yeah, yeah. I know that Mr Worry-wart. Geeze, you sound just like Vlad." Danny scrunched up his nose at that, clearly not happy with the association. That made Sam wonder what had happened in the Ghost Zone, what they had all got up to in these long years.
Instead of asking she busied herself getting plates. They should have called to order more, but thankfully with the snacks she'd brought they had enough. Soon the four of them were settled back by the couch. Danny had sat on the floor, refusing the couch so that Sam and Dani could sit there. Tucker kicked the beanbag aside and joined him, dividing the food.
"Oh man, I forgot how good pizza was." Despite the guilt on his face, Danny was wolfing down his share quickly. He looked so much in heaven that Sam gave him one of hers.
"Didn't you come back with Wulf at all?"
"It was too dangerous." Licking the grease from his fingers Danny smiled. " Sadly most Pizzerias have security cameras pointed at them."
"So does our building." Worry filled her, thinking of that black ball mounted on the hall's ceiling. They both had been visible in that hall. But he shook his head.
"It's fine. Truly! We both wouldn't have come if we were worried about that. It's…" His hesitation caused them to frown.
"What?"
"Well… I don't want to freak you guys out. But for… at least five years after what happened you guys were being watched. Very closely."
"What!" Tucker dropped his slice, stunned. " But I checked for things like that!? They weren't reporting on surveilling us at all on their systems! And I don't think our phones were bugged."
"I'm not sure of the details. But they were. I think they guessed I might come back to you both. After all this time… they've counted you as a dead end."
"How do you know that Danny?" Swallowing Tucker pulled the laptop over, flicking it open. " You might think it's okay, but they might be watching us now!"
It was Dani that replied. "It was Vlad. He's the one that's been testing the GIW's limits."
"Vlad?" Sam felt her expression twist in disgust. Anything about that man meant bad news.
Yet Danny nodded. " Vlad's been coming back with Wulf for about four years now. Thought it was better for him to risk it than for us. And he's better at hiding his ghost signature from their trackers than I am. Still haven't got the hang of it…"
Pausing from the computer, Tucker hummed. " Strange. I haven't seen any reports of Plasmius being spotted. Not Wulf either. And they're… both easy to spot."
"He's been extremely careful. And he figured out how to make a device for Wulf that hides his signature from the GIW. Like this one," Sam feared he was about to show a sinister device locked onto his neck when he unzipped his jacket. But it was only to grab a tiny box hidden in an inner pocket. " When this is on it frazzles a ghost's signature, and makes it harder to pinpoint our location. We found out we're fine in our human forms. But if I go ghost, turning this on is… crucial. It's helped them gather intel on whether it's safe for us to return. Vlad's confident that it's safer for us now."
Curious Tucker took the device to study it closer. Sam huffed, crossing her arms. " And beneficial to his schemes, I bet. I've sure he had another motive behind waiting for so long. Where is he?"
" Somewhere." To her surprise Danny didn't elaborate more, returning to his food. It made her bristle. She knew this would happen with the jerk hanging around Danny! Likely all these years he'd been slowly brainwashing him to his side, and this trouble had been the perfect opportunity for him to do it!
Dani seemed to sense the rising rage as she gripped Sam's arm, grinning. "You know, today was the first time we returned here. You should have seen Danny! One step out of the portal and he fell flat on his face!"
"You just had to bring that up, huh?"
"What? It was funny!"
" I remember you weren't any better, stumbling around. It's been a long time since gravity existed." With a scowl, he chewed harder. " It didn't take me long to remember how to walk again anyway."
"You forgot?" The anger vanished immediately as Sam understood what that meant. Danny cringed, rubbing the back of his neck at the embarrassment.
" There were a few times I transformed back. But I mostly stayed in my ghost form. I mean… being normal meant I phased through everything. It was… easier to remain as Phantom. Coming back here, turning back… It was weird realising I can't fly on a whim anymore. It's like relearning an old skill again."
He shifted his feet underneath him, looking down at the floor. Sam saw that he wasn't keen on sharing that information with her, revealing that he had spent all that time as Phantom likely made him worry she'd judge him.
Tucker thankfully saved the conversation. "So… what exactly happened when you guys left? You must have had some crazy fights in the Ghost Zone when they all realised you were stuck there."
That made Danny chuckle. " I'm afraid I'm going to disappoint you. After… everything, we were exhausted. We ended up crashing at Dora's domain. I was thinking about going to Frostbite, But… Well, I didn't think Plasmius would get a warm welcome there." Finishing the last of his food he took the time to look at both of them. " We ended up staying there for a while to rest, heal, and… I guess come to terms with what happened."
Dani laughed. " That's putting it lightly. Plasmius basically kneeled over at her door and spent three whole months sleeping. But… Yeah, we just spent the time chilling out at Dora's castle, exploring and stuff."
With a nod, Danny's face fell. " Most of the ghosts knew what happened. Rumours had run wild in the Zone. It was why all ghosts retreated from Amity Park when… He struck. Most were weirdly…sympathetic about it. I think they all knew that ghost would have come and destroyed them all at some point. So they were happy we stopped the threat. Ember most of all." He smirked, gaze pausing at her. " Did you know she and Skulker were a couple?"
"What!? You're kidding."
"Nope. Turns out they were getting pretty serious. But… my future self wasted Skulker, and Ember was…enraged about it. Learning that I sealed him away gain me some respect from her. At least she doesn't want to kill me anymore."
The news of this shocked both her and Tucker. Neither had known that Skulker was dead. There were still huge holes of that time that they had no clue about. Sam still blamed Plasmius for it, but even she knew from seeing Vlad's horrific wounds and Danny's hiding, more had happened. A lot more terrible things.
"Anyway… we spent the time at Dora's. Then when Plasmius started regaining his strength we planned our next move. This move. And in the meantime, I got stronger. You know, surviving from getting my butt kicked… What happened on this side?"
Danny's sudden question made her and Tucker share a look. Her hesitated stare told Tucker to take the lead.
" It was crazy after you left. We… waited a few days until we made a call. Only a few hours later a police patrol turned up. Then… it seriously looked like we were screwed. The GIW showed up to breathe down our necks. We ended up back in the place they took us before, their base. You could just tell they knew we'd been with you. Wanted to do further "questioning". But… suddenly Mr Gray showed up out of nowhere and started lying to them about us all getting split up in a snowstorm."
"Really?" Danny's utter amazement didn't go unnoticed by her.
"Yeah. We were shocked too Dude. What was more shocking is that they believed him. They let us leave with the police who drove us all back to the hotel where everyone was. There Mr Gray told this same story to our parents, and they bought it! Though I think Mom saw right through it. That's why I'm shocked to learn we'd been watched. It seemed like we escaped their attention."
"I…see." Danny had a small rueful smile on his lips, and Sam knew something was up. Beside her Dani was tense, her mouth was drawn tight as she didn't like the news. Sam had always wondered what really had happened down in the base… And a fear that Mr Gray might not have been as trustworthy as Tucker believed.
Drinking to clear her throat Sam continued for him. "Most of the residents of Amity Park left, only a few remain. There was a petition whether to abandon it completely, but it's not… a real ghost town yet."
" It kind of is after the Guys in White tore it apart to find any more spooks hiding." Tucker gave his friend an apologetic look. " They were pissed when they couldn't open your ghost portal. Even more so when Plasmius's house blew up taking his portal out. I spied on their communications for years and… they tried building their own with your parent's blueprints. But never could… figure out how to get it to work. Thankfully."
Danny snorted, though he was saddened by the news of his home. Sam swallowed, knowing he needed to know the worst part. " Do you know Danny what they said about Casper High?"
"No… What?"
" You're not going to like this Dude, but… Most people outside of Amity Park don't know it was ghosts that caused it. The government was quick to hide that fact. They… Ah man, they called you guys a bunch of terrorists that blew up the school. Painted the whole thing as a… terrible act of extremist evil. They said that the evacuation was due to a manhunt for you guys. Only the old residents of Amity and the people surrounding it know the truth, though most have been bribed into complete silence."
They waiting for the news to sink in. It was clear Danny was angry, the flicker of green that came to his eyes was proof of that. Sam's old sadness came back, her anger that they had lied about the truth. Already people were forgetting. They had become nothing more than a faint tragedy, just something people whispered without knowing what they spoke of. She'd face the same questions here at college, classmates more excited about the gory details for their own enjoyment than the lives it had destroyed. Like her parents, Casper High was disappearing. But for them, it never would be forgotten.
She tried to lift his mood. " They gave everyone a burial. We went. The memorial site is where Casper High was. I… I know it doesn't fix things but Mr Gray made sure that they included your family, Danny. He insisted they be placed with the others, and… he included your name with them."
Danny looked up at her, face stunned. " He did?"
"Yeah. He… Most of the town believed the GIW's story. But he did try to explain that Phantom wasn't at fault. That you weren't the reason that… it happened. Said that without you there would've been more deaths from the real enemy. I don't think… Most people didn't want to believe him. Wanted... to blame Phantom. But some in Amity Park believed him. Still do."
A flicker of pain crossed over his face, gaze dropping to his plate. Slowly he inhaled, nodding slightly. Tucker gave him a comforting pat on his shoulder, which brought Danny's smile back. It must have been a confusing amount of emotions for him, grief, anger, maybe joy that some still believed that Phantom was a good guy.
Tucker gave her a look, and she saw that his reaction had worried him. " So… you guys staying here long-term. Or is this a social visit?"
Dani was the one who spoke, seeing that it was right to join the conversation again. " We don't actually know that yet. I guess it depends on what Vlad finds out."
"What's he got to do with what you decide?" Sam almost snarled in her shock. " He's got nothing to do with what you choose."
"I know Sam! Danny and I can do whatever we want without the jerk! It's just we don't know if we can yet. The only reason we think we can is that Vlad found out those idiots have old information on us."
"No way!" Tucker suddenly grinned, studying the two half ghosts. " The descriptions…"
Danny smirked. "Yeah. Apparently the GIW think that since we're dead, we don't age. All their data on us is based on what we looked like seven years ago. So… Vlad thinks that since we've grown so much, it might be possible to hide in plain sight. Just as long as we don't use any ghost powers."
Abruptly Danny awkwardly played with his sleeve, gaze flickering back to Sam and then the floor. " In saying that… I- we were wondering if we could stay the night here. It's okay if you don't… you probably have other things to do and we came over randomly. I can find somewhere else-"
"-Of course you can stay here!"
" I don't want to intrude or anything-"
"Don't be silly Danny, you're not intruding! You're fine staying here, we've got the room."
"You… sure? I-"
"Duh! I don't want you to leave!"
"Really?"
She realized then that Tucker and Dani had been watching them banter, a knowing smirk crossing their lips. Ears burning Sam rose sharply. " You can stay in Tucker's room, we've got enough bedding to make up a bed on the floor. Dani you can stay in mine, my bed's big enough for two. It's fine with you guys staying here. Considering you're still wanted I'd prefer it!"
Next to her Dani's smirk widened, muttering so low Sam hoped Danny couldn't hear it. " Which Danny do you mean?"
Ignoring the comment Sam marched over to their cupboard, pulling things out that would work. She decided to busy herself with the task, grabbing a pile and heaving it into Tucker's room. To her dismay Danny rose to offer help, which she quickly shut down and told him to sit back with the others. Sam hoped that this task would let her reorganize her thoughts, and stop the sudden tightness that had settled in her stomach…
###
Groaning Sam stirred, a headache thumping in her temple. The morning sunlight was bright in her eyes, she must have forgotten to draw the curtains tight. One glance at her clock told her it was stupidly early to wake up. Instead, Sam snuggled back into her pillow, drifting back into blissful sleep. Just a few more hours until-
Danny.
With a jolt Sam sat up, a panic thumping in her chest. Fear crept into her mind. Had last night been nothing more than a hopeful dream? Or had they snuck away in the middle of the night, so as not to hurt her again?
But in her search, Sam spotted a shape on the other side of her queen bed. Dani was nestled in a bundle of blankets, using a cushion from the couch as a pillow. Seeing her shattered the thought it had been a dream, and made her sigh with relief.
He'd come back. That thought had almost fallen into impossible. And yet Sam recalled last night, still unable to believe it was him. But it was her Danny, though he'd changed so much his laugh was still the same. Though he was older and taller, the grief of what happened haunted his eyes, it was the same Danny. The same cold, wonderful tingle that she'd felt from his core…
With a silent groan, Sam buried her face in her hands. Unbelievable! He'd only been back for a few hours and already her childhood crush on him surged back with a vengeance. Danny didn't need that from her now! His biggest problem was not getting captured and killed, not her melting in giddy excitement at his return!
Quickly she rose, padding softly around to not wake Dani. Now there was no chance of her falling back to sleep. Creeping out into their shared living space Sam paused at Tucker's closed door. She was tempted to check, make sure that Danny was indeed still here. Yet she stopped herself, slapping her cheeks to beat out the embarrassment and made her way to make coffee.
As the water began to boil, Sam watched the steam drift gradually into the air. She knew she should be just happy that Danny was back. And yet…for how long? His old life as Phantom and Fenton had been torn to pieces. If he returned into the open, then the GIW might find him. What if… they were rushing over to their apartment right now? Waiting for him to leave so that they could jump him, shoot him with one of those darts and drag him away. It scared her to think of such things.
Abruptly she shivered, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. At first, Sam thought it was nothing but the morning air. But she froze when she remembered this feeling. The feeling of a ghost entering the room. Now tense, Sam gripped the edge of the counter, muscles twitching into action like old times.
Without warning Vlad Masters materialised right next to her, leaning casually against the counter. To her credit she didn't scream, only jump at the sudden appearance of the half ghost. Wrinkling her nose in fury she turned, ready for a fight.
Seeing that despicable jerk again brought back all her theories, her hatred towards the guy who'd separated them from Danny. Though Sam was momentarily stunned at Plasmius's appearance. He was dressed in the most casual she'd ever seen him, wearing the ugliest navy flannel shirt Sam had laid eyes on. Vlad had even changed his hairstyle and dyed it dark brown. If it wasn't for that annoying smirk, he was almost unrecognisable.
"Why Samantha, I almost didn't recognise you for a moment! My, you've grown into such a lovely young lady."
"Get out of my apartment Plasmius!" She hissed, wondering how quickly she could throw the coffee pot at him.
With well-practised acting, Vlad pretended to be hurt. "I'm saddened that you think of me that way. And here I was assuming you'll be happy to see me?"
"No one in this entire planet would be happy to see you, you-" but Sam froze when she noticed something about him. Her mouth dropped, wondering whether it was a trick. "You… you have two hands?"
"Hmm?" Lifting his left arm to inspect it a bemused expression crossed his face. " What on earth do you mean? I have always had two hands! Perhaps your imagination has once again run too wild for itself?"
When he saw her glare he smirked smugly, his old self creeping out. "My dear, I'm a genius who was able to perfect a human clone. Do you honestly think I couldn't figure out how to re-create an arm for myself? How cute."
Sam blushed but held her ground. Vlad brought his arm closer to her, rolling up the sleeve and moved his fingers. It was then that she noticed that the movement was stiff, some of his fingers twitching violently before he clenched them into a fist. " However, the lumbricals and ulnar nerves still need some work. Ah well… I'll make a perfect one someday."
At his words, Sam suppressed a shudder. It reminded her just how powerful Plasmius was. Likely the only reason he'd been able to manage a new arm was due to his regeneration powers. But it still freaked her out how carefree he treated building a body part back like it was easy.
Vlad could sense her thoughts and chuckled, that stupid sly smirk plastered all over his face. " I suppose I should thank you for being such a good little host. Keeping those two out of trouble for me last night. As you hopefully figured out by now… it would end in disaster if their identities were revealed."
"Danny isn't your responsibility! He can do whatever he wants without any say from you. Don't think you can control him!"
"But of course! It's amusing that you think I could control him at all. He's a free-spirited boy, when his mind is set nothing will stop him." To her absolute anger, he began searching through her cupboards, seeking a mug. How dare he invade her space! This was all his fault in the first place! Sam was sure of it. Danny might never have told them what had happened, but she just knew it was Plasmius's doing.
But when Vlad found what he sought and gave her a smug grin, she knew he was the last person she wanted to piss off. Danny was still asleep, a wall blocking them. And Sam knew in one single second Plasmius could kill her if he wanted to.
"That reminds me…. Since we're in the season of gifting, I have a gift."
"I don't want it."
"You don't even know what it is. I'm sure once you see it, you'll change your mind. Besides it's not exactly for you." From that tacky shirt, he pulled out two large envelopes. The yellow packets were thick, and when he held them out to her Sam snatched them from Vlad's hand. Each had both the half ghost's names written on the front so that they wouldn't get mixed. After feeling them cautiously with her thumbs, Sam slowly opened Danny's.
She didn't trust whatever Plasmius had put in there to be safe. It could be some ghost weapon that would hurt Danny. In the corner of her eye she knew Vlad was watching her, enjoying her mistrust. Scoffing his way Sam peeked inside Danny's envelope.
It was just a bunch of papers, the odd lump revealing to be a small collection of plastic cards. Pulling them out Sam flicked through the top and froze when she realised what they were.
They were an identity. Everything was here, social number, school records, health reports. Even a library card. Everything inside here could be used to create an entirely new identity for Danny. They were still using his first name, but his middle and last had been changed. Her eyes gaze through the sheets to find there were even bank accounts, and she inhaled sharply at the amounts there.
" If you're still so blatantly paranoid, Danielles possesses the same contents, as well as the same last name. I decided it was safer to make them siblings. Hopefully, that will throw those fools off the trail if they get suspicions. Luckily they have the same DNA makeup, so the sibling theory is perfect for smaller investigations." Without another word, he returned to make a coffee for himself.
Sam stared at his back, confused. With this… Danny could actually have a life and return to the real world. Even Dani might be able to live without hiding herself either. And yet… it didn't feel right.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Why?" Vlad hummed, taking a sip. " I'm just doing as he told me, following his direction."
His answer only confused her more, even more so that he had said it so seriously. But when he spotted her puzzlement that smugness came back.
"Daniel asked me to. After all he wanted to come back in the end. And after he likely saved me from a life of painful experiments, how could I refuse him?" The smile dropped, a frown replacing it. "Although his advantage is the only reason I accepted this. As I know you've obviously noticed, Daniel isn't a Little Badger anymore. He and Danielle have grown exceptionally well. Thankfully those idiots think they are still children, which puts us ahead of them. If they commit to those identities… Well, I don't see how the authorities will find them anytime soon."
Sam squeezed the envelopes in her hands. " This seems like it has a catch."
"No catch. However, I do gift you a warning." He moved across the space and leaned over, his height shadowing her. Suddenly he bent so that their eyes were level, his narrowing. "As I told you years ago, you are the biggest threat to Daniel's safety. He will do anything for you, even use his ghost powers. If I hear you have deliberately caused him to risk revealing his identity, well… You will regret it. That's all I'll say." His eyes flashed red, and the light bulb above them flickered. She could feel the malice pooling off him, coursing through her like static. It took every ounce of her willpower not to tremble. Instead, Sam squared her shoulders, narrowing her gaze.
"You too better not threaten him either. I know what you are, and I suspect the truth of what you did. If you want to give Danny a new life, then stay far away from him. He doesn't deserve to be haunted by someone like you. If you can't, I'll make sure you regret it!"
He stared at her intensely, scowling at her words. For a horrible, flickering moment Sam thought she had pushed him too far. Abruptly he stood up straight, that annoying smirk appearing again.
"You children always amused me with your brave heroics. It's adorable!" Vlad moved back to her counter, and Sam started to breathe again. All at once, the danger passed, leaving her standing in the middle of her kitchen without knowing quite what to do. So instead she pushed the papers back into their sleeve, wondering what she could do next. But her decision was answered for her.
" I thought that was you. You're done already?" Soundlessly Danny had arrived in the space, yawning in his drowsiness. His presence immediately made Sam relax, knowing that the jerk wouldn't dare threaten her with him around.
Vlad turned his head back, the smirk fading into a smile. " My dear boy, I don't just sit around and do nothing! I was just having a wonderful chat with Samantha about it. It's all there, of course."
Danny's gaze fell onto her, and to the envelopes in her hands. The moment Sam saw the expression on his face, she felt a tingle of anger. Danny knew everything about this. Vlad had been toying with her the entire time, knowing that she would be suspicious. With ears burning Sam held out his to take, and he flicked through the documents. Suddenly the excitement on Danny's face fell, furious glare turning onto Plasmius.
"No."
"It's already done."
"We talked about this! I'm not taking any of your money. It's yours."
"I have no use for such things anymore. Think of it as… an investment for the future. Besides, you don't have to use all of it."
"It's too much. Things like this would draw unwanted attention to me!"
"Nonsense! It's from a fake name, with no connections to Vlad Masters at all. I wasn't a fool to have all my wealth in one spot. That isn't even all the money that survived. I haven't given you everything from the accounts, so it won't cause any suspicions. I checked, Daniel. I wouldn't have done so if I was worried it would expose you. "
"Still, it-"
"-That last name matches the fake name I used for the account. No one will care. If someone does investigate, all they'll find is that it was… an inheritance from your uncle."
Danny's scowl deepened, marching over with the envelope held high. He talked to Plasmius in a hushed whisper, low that she couldn't make out his words. Vlad seemed to ignore the outburst and continued with his coffee, which only angered Danny more.
Feeling like this was a conversation she didn't want to be a part of, Sam drifted back into the living space with the remaining sleeve held close. Both Tucker and Dani had awakened from the noise, rubbing the sleep from their eyes.
"What's wrong?" Tucker saw her face, worried at what he saw there.
Instead, Sam shook her head and held out the yellowed paper to her. " Here. This is for you."
Dani's eyebrows disappeared into her fringe, knowing what it was. Cautiously she leaned against the doorframe, taking it and pulling out the same contents that Danny's had. As the half ghost frowned over what she found, Sam turned her attention back to the kitchen.
Finally Danny stormed out, eyes holding a glint of green in them. He was furious, the sleeve held so tightly in his hand it bent as he slumped down on their couch. But it was clear that Plasmius had won this battle.
Vlad followed him and caught sight of Tucker at once. "Mr Foley, wonderful seeing you again! Hope that Automata theory class still isn't giving you too much trouble?"
"Err…" Tucker was speechless, staring at Plasmius's appearance. " It's err… growing on me, so it's not… Whoa, when did you get your arm back!?"
Sighing dejectedly Vlad's shoulders slumped. "Is it honestly that difficult to comprehend that I could fix it?"
"Arms don't grow on trees…" Sam muttered under her breath. However, she was watching Dani, who was still studying the papers.
She looked conflicted, frowning as she circled through the mass. "This is…" Fingers tracing the edges Dani swiftly peered at Vlad, who instantly glared back.
"Don't read too much into it, my dear. The more Daniel can separate himself from Danny Fenton, the better. It's more beneficial for him for you both to be connected."
She blinked, before rolling her eyes. "Of course I'm not reading too much into it. I'm not that stupid to not see it's safer if we pretend to be siblings. I'm just saying that you forgot that driver's licence for me. I expect you to get that done by the end of the month."
At the demand Vlad snorted, turning away from her with irritation. But Sam thought for a second she thought the corner of his mouth twitched up. Though that probably was just the usual sneer.
Sam returned to Danny, wondering what his thoughts would be on the exchange. Yet he wasn't paying anyone attention at all, still reading the information Vlad had brought.
"Everything seems here. I think."
"Obviously Daniel. I made sure that everything was covered. From the basics to the trickier items." Vlad chuckled, placing the empty cup down. " It was harder to get these things done when you don't have a name to yourself. But… it was doable."
Suddenly Vlad stared at all of them in turn, voice growing serious. " I want to remind you, all of you that the authorities are still actively searching. Don't think for a second that they have given up as you hoped. However… the advantage we have from their outdated data is useful. The fact they foolishly believe we don't age is wonderful. But remember we mustn't rely on such things forever. Things could change at a moment's notice. As long as you two stick to those identities to the letter, you… should be safe to remain here."
He glanced at Danny, frowning deeply. "Remember; you know how to contact me. If situations change… I will come."
Danny studied Vlad for a moment, before he faintly smiled. " I'll be fine."
Sam couldn't stop her scoff. " Then what about you?"
"I have better things to do than waste my time lecturing you children. I assure you that there are far bigger things on my agenda, Miss Mason." Smirking he moved towards their entranceway, sending Sam a red glare as he strolled passed her.
"Vlad." Danny's tone caused the half ghost to pause, waiting.
"If I hear that anything has happened to Damon, anything, you're in big trouble."
Still with his back turned Vlad grumbled under his breath, words unable to be made out.
"Plasmius."
"… Fine." Without warning, Vlad disappeared. Sam couldn't hear his footsteps, their door remaining closed. Nervous that he was still lurking in their apartment she went to check, but Danny must have seen her concern.
"Don't worry, he's gone." Sighing he folded the papers into their sleeve, placing them down on the low table. The departure of Plasmius seemed to cement the fact that Danny was staying here. Permanently staying here. Tucker move up to her side, a lopsided grin crossing his mouth.
" I'm guessing you guys don't have a place at the moment?"
Danny frowned before he too slowly started to grin. " I guess… you're going to be stuck with us half ghosts haunting your place for a while."
For what seemed like forever, Sam burst into laughter. It sounded so light, so carefree that she didn't care if it sounded crazy. Soon all three were laughing, the joy that they were once again together overwhelming. Even Dani joined in lightly, arms wrapped around the envelope tight. Their morning moved lazily, strange yet somehow complete, finally right.
Sam knew that they were going to need more food. Grabbing her keys and coat she hurried out, moving through the empty foyer and out into the street. She almost jumped in the air when something brushed against her arm, Danny slipping through the door before it closed.
" Thought you might want some help with carrying."
For a moment Sam was terrified. Danny was out in the open sunlight, in full view of everyone. People were moving about in the streets, cars driving past. For a horrid second, she waited for the panic, for GIW agents to rush and capture him. But nothing happened. No one even bothered to look their way. They both could have been ghosts themselves, invisible to everybody.
She relaxed, rolling her eyes. " What you mean is that you want me to buy you junk food."
"No. Well… Maybe. Not just for me, of course."
"Of course. It's all for Dani, right?"
He peered down at her, a sudden playful smile tugging at his mouth. " Which… which Danny do you mean?"
Sam froze, breath catching in her throat when she realized he had heard Dani last night. Seeing his smile grow caused her own to appear.
" I think you knew which one I meant."
Danny laughed, the two of them starting their journey to the store. Side by side they walked in the chilly winter's morning. But at that moment to Sam, the air, her life, they didn't feel so cold anymore.
THE END
AN: And... there it is! My once "short" story ended up being a bit longer... A massive thank you to everyone who read this story and for your feedback! I worried about what people would think as it's a bit dark, but it sure was fun to write it! And I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Once again, thank you for reading!