--Author's Note-- Gomen nasai! I'm so sorry! Things have been really crazy for the past couple weeks and I didn't have a chance to update at all. I can't tell you how bad I feel about this, but I mean, hey, it wasn't like a major cliffhanger or anything. That makes up for it, right? I kept telling myself I would get it up this weekend, but that never happened. First I was really sick, and well that would seem a good excuse to write (believe me, I take nothing as an excuse, like when JK Rowling was pregnant, I didn't care, I wanted the next book!), but really when I got home from school or work the only thing on my mind was sleeping. Then of course there was Halloween, and then homework had piled up from me being sick. I also had a small case of writer's block that refused to go away. So if this chapter seems forced, I'm sorry about that too. I just needed to get something up. And it's slightly shorter than the other chapters, but that can't be helped. Anyway, I promise to be a good girl from now on and try and get my updates done on time. Just please no hitting!

Chapter 4 The Way Things Are

The next stop was the mall. Surprisingly that had not changed at all from what he remembered. When he asked Sam about this she told him that they had built a newer, larger mall a couple years ago.

Sam held onto his arm as they walked among the other shoppers. "Do you want to get something to eat? It is lunch time," Sam asked.

"Yeah, I am getting kind of hungry," he admitted.

She led the way to a small restaurant that Danny had never remembered going to. But the couple got a small table and ordered two sandwiches.

"So what's Tucker doing these days?"

"Not surprisingly he owns a butcher shop," she said with a sigh. Danny guessed that the two had fought quite a bit about that one. "But he enjoys it, and he makes good money."

"And Jessica?"

Sam laughed now, "That girl has grabbed onto Tucker and refuses to let go. She works with Tucker in his shop, and she writes on the side."

"So they're married?" Danny asked with a confused look. He remembered the two had liked each other, but they had yet to ask each other out.

"Not yet, Tucker's a lot more clueless than you. Jessica's been trying to get him to ask her for at least a year now, but he hasn't picked up on it yet."

The waiter brought their sandwiches and went off to see to other tables.

The two talked about other people from school and Sam told him about college. All Danny could keep thinking was that he had missed out on so much. It really made him miss the simple days of high school.

Once they had finished eating they paid the bill and kept walking around the mall.

They made a quick stop at Gothic Haven; Danny was pleased to know that it was still her favorite store. It seemed as though the store had grown with its customers. It now catered to the slightly more adult tastes of the masses.

Sam picked out a couple new shirts and a skirt with Danny's help. While they shopped they talked about Danny's job. He worked in one of the labs in the next town over researching genetics. When Danny learned this he laughed, "I guess it figures. Someone with altered genes wanting to study them."

He smiled to himself as she checked out. He really thought that he could get use to this. After all, Dash was polite, and he hadn't once seen Mr. Lancer, or his parents for that matter. This was much better than high school.

While the couple headed out of the store, Sam took hold of Danny's arm again and he carried her bag. It was a moment before Danny noticed something wrong.

Down a couple shops was Skulker walking with a girl. He was talking with her, and Danny was sure that he was after a new target.

Without thinking Danny pulled away from Sam and thrust the bag into her arms.

"Danny?"

"I'm going ghost," he said in a flash. People around them stopped and stared. Danny had completely forgotten about them, but he didn't care at the moment.

Skulker and the girl had noticed him as well. Danny charged up a plasma blast, ready for Skulker's attack.

"Danny stop!" Sam shouted at him.

"Sam, it's Skulker. Can't you see he's after that girl?"

"Danny just stop. You're scaring everyone."

Danny released the energy and looked around. People were staring at him in horror and wonder. Some mothers were trying to push their children out of the crowd.

"Danny you need to change back."

"But Sam..."

"No buts Danny. Change back, and we'll go talk about this."

With a sigh Danny transformed back to his human form. Sensing there was no danger anymore, the shoppers went back to what they were doing. Skulker and the girl came over to Sam and Danny.

"Sam, is something going on?" Skulker asked.

"It's fine, don't worry. Danny's just having some issues right now."

The girl who was with Skulker smiled at the pair of Halfas. "All right, well if there's no problem we should get going, right Skulker?"

"Yes, of course. It was nice seeing you again." With that Skulker and the girl walked off.

"What was that about?" Sam asked Danny with her hands on her hips.

"Um, hello? Skulker, evil, tried to kill me. Do you not remember?"

Sam seemed to calm down. "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting. Come on Danny, we should sit down."

Danny followed her to a bench and as they sat down asked her what was going on.

"It was about five years ago. You're mom and dad completed the Fenton Ghost Transformer. It was a machine that changed ghosts into Halfas, like us. With this machine your parents were able to give the good ghosts a chance at real life again."

"That doesn't explain Skulker."

"Many of our old foes reformed when they learned that we were willing to let them into our world. Skulker was one of them. They live normal lives now; have jobs, homes, and even fall in love. That was his girlfriend, Emily, with him. They study gorillas together."

"All right, I guess I can understand that," Danny hoped. "But why did my parents build a machine like that?"

Sam blushed now. "Well, Danny, they found out about us."

"What? How?"

"Ummm... well, your mom and Jazz walked in on us making out in your closet. It scared us both so bad that we went intangible. Your mom told your dad, but it turned out Jazz already knew and just didn't say anything. She thought you would tell her when you were ready."

"So everyone knows we're Halfas and that ghosts are real?"

"Yep, that's why no one really freaked out when you changed like that. They were just afraid that you might start trouble."

"This is just way too much to understand. I don't get it."

"I know Danny, I know. But you do have to try to accept it. I mean this is just the way things are."