Taking Over Me
Summary: With Sam gone, Danny has enough to deal with. At the same time he runs into the first ghost he can't beat, and that's Danny Phantom.
Rating: PG-13 for mature themes and language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Butch Hartman does. I do not own Taking Over Me, Evanescence does.
Chapter Thirteen
I have to be with you.
The screen door flew open and the screaming sandy-haired child ran out into the yard. It barely closed before it opened again. "Blake!" Sam darted down the steps ignoring her sore back and scooped up the child, despite doctor's orders that she stop lifting soon. She managed to balance him on a hip while she got the door open. She barely managed to get him in before he latched onto the side of the doorframe. "Blake," she yelled again, barely audible over the sounds of Playhouse Disney blaring on the TV.
She grabbed him by the wrist pulling him up the stairs to his room while he threw his weight against her. She shoved him into the room and slammed the door behind her. The four-year-old fell to the floor, screaming and pounding his fist. "You can scream all you want, I'm still not letting you go outside barefoot and in your PJs," she hollered back. "It's October, Blake! It's cold!"
The wailing increased in pitch as Sam opened the closet door and wondered again if she could be a parent. She tossed a Wiggles sweatshirt onto the bed and pulled out a pair of black sweat pants. She glanced back at her foster-brother that was thrashing around like a beached fish. "Oh, stop it. You're not dying!"
She pulled the wiggling boy to his feet and pulled off the blue pajama top. As soon as she had it off him, he threw himself to the floor again. "Come on, Blake." She sighed. "You're not a baby anymore; stop acting like one."
She picked him up and carried him bridal style to the unmade bed and dropped him unceremoniously onto it. She pulled the Wiggles sweatshirt over his head. She grabbed his left arm and tried to force it through the sleeve. Blake pinned it against the side of his body. "Fine," Sam said, throwing her hands up. "I give up. It's Saturday, buddy. I can sit here as long as you can." She sat there for less than a minute before Blake seemed to calm down. "Alright, we can do this my way and you can go outside as soon as I get your pants and shoes on you. Or we can do it your way and we can sit here and do nothing."
Blake stared moodily at a toy. Reminded her of the moods Danny would get in when they were little. Boy, she wished he were here now. He was much better with kids than she was. He was the type to walk up to a little lost kid in the mall and convince them to come with him to page their parents. It was one of the more endearing qualities about him. She reached out and rubbed his back. "Come on. Let's finish getting you changed."
She finally got his sweats on and went over to grab a pair of socks. "Sam," asked the young voice.
She glanced over her shoulder before returning her attention to digging through the pile of socks. "Yeah?"
"Are you really gonna leave?" She turned at the little quiver in his voice. Little blue-grean eyes shone with tears and she bit her lip.
She dropped back onto the bed next to him, socks forgotten. "Is that why your so upset this morning?" He nodded but didn't look up. "I'm not leaving for a while yet, Blake."
"But you will." She opened her mouth to respond only to be cut off by the sound of a phone ringing.
She brushed his hair out of his eyes. "I'll be right back."
She went across the hall into Mr. and Mrs. Carter's room and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" She turned leaning her lower back against the edge of the table.
"Sam?" Tammy Carter's voice drifted out of the phone. "Oh good your up. The library called this morning before you were up. Said that you had been suggested for a job. I told them you could come in at two-thirty for an interview."
A wave of anger washed over her. "Tammy, I already told the boy who suggested me that I wasn't interested."
"Samantha," she bit out. "It's a good job. And you need the money. You can't expect us or the Fenton's to pay for everything for you and the baby." Sam glared at the wall across the room. "And it's not like you have any activities your in that conflict with it. In fact you've only gone out once since you've been here."
"So I'm just supposed to leave Blake and Ryan here while I'm working?"
Tammy sighed. "Take them with you. I asked this morning, they said it would be fine."
"Well, haven't you thought of everything," she chortled sardonically.
"I don't need you to pull this attitude, Sam."
Sensing the impending argument, the teen cut her off. "I have to go. Ryan keeps asking me to fix him something to eat. I'll talk to you later."
She could almost sense the ill feelings from the woman on the other end of the line. "At least go to the interview."
"I will," she said, hoping it pacified her foster-parent. "Bye."
Blake poked his head in the door. "Mommy?" he asked.
She sighed. "Yeah, it was mommy. I have to go out this afternoon. You and Ryan have to come with me."
"Okay," Blake said, his little noise scrunched up with his confused look.
Sam laughed lightly. "Let's go get you some macaroni and cheese, Kay?"
The little light haired boys face light up and he let out a cry that sounded like a cross between 'yay' and 'yippee'. Sam grinned. Suddenly, she agreed with Danny. If she get being a big sister down, she could tackle this kid-raising thing.
Hey. I'm getting back into this daily update thing. Aren't you all thrilled? Don't lie to me, you know you've missed them! And yes, Virginia, there is a plot! Thanks to my great reviewers: Osparrow, WormmonABC x2, Chicken Person, cheerin4danny, MayB x2, GMGirl, The Fuzy Llama, Silverflare07, Dragon Blade5 x2, Hwoarangsguardie, autumngold x2, Sakura Scout x2, Storm Sword, The Good Girl, CoLdPLaYeR813, Moody Maud x2, Mrs. Granger-Weasley, audi katia, Spice Of Life, RavenForever, and Sakura Scout. A toast to your awesomeness!