The next morning, Ember phased through the wall into Sam's room just as she was putting on her shoes.
"Hello," she said, and Sam jumped.
"You startled me," Sam said.
"Oh, I guess I should have said, 'Boo!' then," answered Ember.
"Don't stereotype yourself," said Sam, but she was smiling. "Say, would you like to try on some different clothes?"
Ember looked down at herself. She was still wearing her concert outfit, although she had removed the makeup. "Why?"
"To be less noticable. It will probably help, since we're going to protect you," was the reply. Sam went over to her closet, and pulled out an outfit. "How about this?"
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't want material things all over me," said Ember, "I can change my clothes. Just make some suggestions."
Forty-five minutes later, they decided on a black tank top, with a black short-sleeve shirt open over it, black jeans, and dark gray sneakers and belt. As a final touch she added black fingerless gloves. She looked very "Goth-y". Ember refused to change her hairstyle or electric blue hair color, though.
Sam picked up the necklace Ember had been wearing. Ember gasped, and stepped away from her.
"Wh-what are you going to do with that?" she asked, fearfully. She got ready to run through the nearest wall, if Sam tried to put it back on her.
"Nothing," said Sam, putting it in her pocket, "It may come in handy, if Plasmius attacks." She looked at Ember. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you with it." She put a hand toward Ember, who shied away. "Don't worry, I'd never put it on you."
Ember didn't look very reassured.
"If it will make you feel better, I'll leave it here," said Sam.
"Yeah, it would," said Ember.
Sam opened a drawer in her side table, dropped the necklace in it, and closed it. "Better?"
Ember looked relieved. "Yes. Thank you."
Soon they were on their way to Tucker's.
Tucker and Danny were waiting for them on the steps. Suddenly Danny's Ghost Sense went off. "I guess that's them," he said.
"Yep, here they come," said Tucker, looking down the street.
"Wow, Ember, you look great!" said Tucker as the girls arrived.
"Thanks," said Ember, "It was Sam's suggestion."
"What now, O Fearless Leader?" asked Sam, looking at Danny.
"I dunno," said Danny, "I guess it's a waiting game until he shows up."
They spent the day showing Ember around Amity Park, and ended up at the amusement park. They took her on many of the rides, which she enjoyed, and last through the Haunted House. Danny and Sam sat together, and Tucker and Ember shared a car. They kept watching Ember's reaction to the ride, but it mostly consisted of a "you have GOT to be kidding me" expression.
The day came to a close, and the friends arrived back at Tucker's house.
"Before we go our separate ways," Danny said to Ember, "I've got something for you." He went into Tucker's house and came out with a familiar object.
"MY GUITAR!!" shouted Ember, taking it. She immediately began checking the tuning. "Where did you get it?"
"After we fought at your concert, I kinda kept it as a souvenier. But it's yours, and I want you to have it back," answered Danny.
"Oh, thank you!" said Ember, and hugged Danny tightly. Sam felt a small pang of jealosy, even though she understood perfectly.
A few minutes later, they parted for the night.
Vlad Plasmius had been nearby all day, watching them. He was careful to stay invisible, and out of range of Danny's Ghost Sense. He was pleased at the progress of events. As expected, Danny and his friends had felt sorry for the poor little ghost girl, and were going to "protect" her. He never had any intention of sealing Ember in the iron box; it was merely a threat to elicit sympathy and obedience. Besides, she would not exist long enough to be put into it. He was going to teach Danny a hard, harsh lession that he couldn't save everyone, and therefore shouldn't save anyone, but instead use his powers for his own ends. He would leave them alone for the time being, and then strike. The swirling green fog appeared by him, and he was gone.
Over the next two weeks, Ember slipped into their lives and routines like she had always been there.
She was introduced to Sam and Tucker's parents, who accepted her as their children's friend. As it appeared that Ember was always visiting Sam, it became routine for Ember to "leave" the house through the front door about nine o'clock, then fly back in though Sam's window.
Sam bought Ember some pads of blank music sheets, so she could write and practice for an eventual comeback. Ember was careful not to practice when Sam wasn't around, though. No sense worrying her parents with strange music...
Then, cautiously, they introduced her to Jazz and Danny's parents.
Jazz recognized her instantly, as she had been at the concert, but said nothing to expose her. 'If Danny is keeping company with this ghost girl, he must have a good reason,' she thought, 'but I'd better keep an eye on things.'
"Great Scott!" said Jack Fenton, "That girl is as pale as a ghost!" He grabbed the Power Gloves and slipped them on, getting ready to grab Ember.
Sam stepped between him and Ember and said, "She's pale because she's a Goth, like me."
"Oh. Goth. Right. Gotcha," said Jack. Then he leaned down and whispered to Sam, "But if she ever exibits ghost-like behaviour, be sure to let me know."
Sam eyed him. "I'll be sure to do that, Mr. Fenton," she said.
"Good girl!" he said.
Sam rolled her eyes, and went upstairs with the others.
She went to school with them, wandering the halls and meeting students, or invisibly sitting in on classes. Nobody seemed to recognize her. She protected them from Dash and his cronies,
causing inexplicable things to happen whenever they tried being mean, until Dash had gotten discouraged, and left them alone.
Once, Tucker forgot a textbook, and Ember flew to his house and got it for him, unasked. Tucker was surprised, but thankful.
Saturday found them back in the grove in the park, eating lunch.
"You know, Ember, it's been great getting to know you," said Tucker, "You've gone from being an enemy to being a good friend."
"I think so too," added Danny, "Especially the way you've taken care of Dash and those jocks."
Ember's ponytail stirred and grew a couple of inches, and she smiled. The three humans looked at her.
"Say, are you getting power from us?" asked Danny, pointing at her hair.
Ember looked embarrassed. "Yeah," she confessed, looking down.
Danny, Sam, and Tucker stood up, glaring at her. Ember looked up at them, worried.
"Why are you doing that?" asked Tucker, crossing his arms and frowning, "I thought you were a friend, and now I find out you're stealing energy from us."
"Please don't be mad at me," she pleaded, "I'm not using any spells on you, and I'm not taking any more than you're sending out. I absorb feelings about me, it's part of my nature. I can't stop any more than you can stop breathing."
"I thought water restored you," said Sam.
"It restores my ectoplasm, not my energy," said Ember.
"Oh, so THAT'S why you've been so friendly and helpful," said Danny, "We're just batteries to you."
"Danny, no!" said Ember. She quickly moved from a sitting position to on her knees before them. "You're the first friends I've ever had. I would never do anything to hurt any of you."
"Then why didn't you say something about it?" asked Tucker.
"I- it never occurred to me," was the reply, "Like I said, it's part of my nature."
Danny sat down. "I'm sorry, you're right. I should have realized you do that. It's like Ms. Spectra, absorbing teen misery."
Sam and Tucker sat down.
"I guess," said Tucker, "I'm sorry to have doubted you. You are a good friend."
"I'm sorry too," added Sam, "I still trust you."
"Thanks," said Ember, resuming her place on the log, "And I'll try not to keep any more secrets from you."
"I do have a question, though," said Tucker, "Why did your hair grow that much from just the three of us, when it took an entire room full of fans to do so before?"
Ember smiled. "The power from genuine emotions is a lot greater than from spell-forced."
One evening, the ghost girl who wanted to go to the ball showed up. Danny pulled out the Fenton Thermos, but Ember stopped him. "Wait," she said, putting her hand on Danny's shoulder, "She's harmless. Instead of just trapping her, why not give her what she wants?"
So they organized an impromptu "ball" in Sam's rec room. With some persuasion, Tucker agreed to be her escort. They all dressed formally for the occasion. They played music and danced, and had snacks and drinks.
At the stroke of midnight, the girl turned to them. "Thank you, Sir Tucker," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. "And thank you all for this lovely time. You have fulfilled my dream, and now I can rest." She faded away to greenish smoke, and was gone.
"She won't be back," said Ember, smiling. Tucker stood there with a silly grin on his face,
and a hand on the cheek she had kissed.
The boys left after helping clean up.
Sam and Ember went upstairs. "That was a good thing you did," said Sam.
Ember looked embarrassed. "We all did it," she said modestly.
Sam stopped by her door, and Ember went on to the next one.
"Ember?" said Sam, and the ghost girl looked at her. "Would you like to move into my room, with me?"
Ember stared at her.
"You don't take up much room; all you need is space for your guitar and sheet music," said Sam, hurrying her speech, "And you haven't even messed up the bed in there. And I've got a queen size bed in my room, not that you'll need it, since you don't sleep..."
Sam suddenly realized Ember was hugging her tightly, while ectoplasmic tears drifted away. "Yes, yes, yes, yes," said Ember softly. "I'll be the best roommate ever. I'll be quiet, and stay out of your way, and guard you while you sleep, and be a companion when you want one..."
"Okay, okay," said Sam, laughing to cover the tears in her own eyes, "Go get your stuff."
And the friendship between the Ghost and the Goth reached a new level.