Thanks everyone for the reviews! Keep 'em coming!!:) On to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own DP, butTHANKYOU Butch Hartman for creating such an awesome TV show!

Chapter 4

Back at the Fenton lab, Jack Fenton was doing a weekly check-up on the Fenton Genetic Lock.

"Why isn't it working?" he muttered, opening the Fenton Portal over and over again with the touch of his thumb. He stared intently into the portal, which opened and closed at his command, but there was nothing but the greenish light beyond – a spectral glow indicating legions of ghosts just beyond.

There was a soft noise on the staircase, and Jack started, looking away from the portal for the first time in an hour to see what it was.

"Jack, how long have you been down here?" It was his wife, Maddie. Jack grinned and waved her over.

"Just testing the Fenton Genetic Lock!" He grabbed Maddie gently by the shoulders and pushed her toward the lock. "Here, another Fenton should test it too. Press your thumb there – " he pointed, "and I'll watch for ghosts!"

"Well…" Maddie said, looking skeptical. It was close to midnight, after all. However… "Allright! If it's to test out the equipment!" Ghost hunting wasn't just her husband's full-blown obsession. Not by a long shot.

The Fenton Portal opened and closed. Neither Maddie nor Jack saw a ghost with jet black hair and a wicked grin float out, looking around the lab dazedly. She hovered over their heads, waiting silently.

"Darnit, where are all the ghosts!" Jack shouted suddenly. "I know they're in there Maddie – I wish we could just see them!"

"Your wish, is my command," the raven-haired ghost came to life (A/N: figure of speech! She's still DEAD, don't worry), smirking. With a flick of her wrist she was visible to the two humans below her. They stared up at her, gaping in shock.

With another flick of her wrist, Jack's hand was forced down onto the Genetic Lock, and the portal opened again with a hiss.

"My…my hand!" Jack yelled. "Great Scot, it's stuck! I can't close the Portal!" He strained unsuccessfully to remove his thumb from the Lock, reaching for the Fenton Thermos at the same time. "Maddie – the Fenton Thermos!"

"Not now, Jack," Maddie said. Jack looked up. His wife was levering the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick behind her head.

"Man, no matter how many times she does that it's still hot!" Jack grinned. Then he saw the ghosts emerging from the portal. His grin turned into a frown, as he tried to jerk his hand away from the Genetic Lock.

Desiree laughed out loud at the humans' startled looks, and swished her wrist again. Jack tumbled forward, landing heavily on his face as the portal closed.

Desiree's laughter turned into a howl of glee as she spiraled up toward the ceiling, followed by the minion ghosts that had come with her. They disappeared in the blink of an eye, just as Jack was unscrewing the Thermos.

"Drat!" He shouted. "Did you see them Maddie? Did you?"

Maddie was still holding the bat, looking around warily for more ghosts. Jack couldn't resist – he pulled her into a bear hug with a grin.

"I knew they existed!" He exclaimed into his wife's red hair. Then he realized what had just happened. "Maddie – there's a ghost on the loose! A bunch of them!"

Maddie dropped the Anti-Creep Stick.

"To the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle!" she cried. "Er…I mean, the RV."

Far above them, Desiree was already wreaking havoc in Amity Park.

Danny woke up with a massive headache. He blinked blearily and then shut his eyes against the painfully bright morning light. He couldn't even remember going to sleep. Danny moaned and tried to move, but it felt like his limbs were made of lead. Like he was being smothered, pressed down into the ground.

Wait, where am I? He thought with a sudden panic. The last thing he remembered was…Ember!

Danny's blue eyes shot open and he lifted his head up, trying to focus. Where was he? He felt like he'd been sleeping on rocks all night. But that didn't explain why he couldn't move his body.

He must have hit the ground harder than he thought when he fell. He didn't feel like he'd broken anything, but could that be because he was…paralyzed?!?

He looked down at his stomach, rapidly blinking the sleep from his eyes.

He was surprised to see a girl sleeping on top of him. Danny's jaw dropped. He would recognize that black ponytail anywhere. It wasn't just any girl, it was Sam!

"Sam, Sam!" He murmured gently, lifting his arms to shake her narrow shoulders. She mumbled something into his chest and sighed contentedly.

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Sam gradually became more aware of her surroundings when she felt large warm hands on her shoulders. She pressed closer to the warmth of Danny's body, sliding her arms around his hard waist.

She didn't know it was Danny; she was certain of it. He smelled like earth and starlight and pine needles, and he was so warm. She didn't want to get up, she wanted to be as close to her best friend as possible. This was possibly the best wake-up Sam had ever had in her life.

Which made her realize it was probably a dream. Great. She sighed into Danny's chest, refusing to let her dream boy go.

She could feel Danny's heartbeat – at first it had been slow, calm. Now it was beating erratically, and his breathing had become audible. She stroked the sides of his waist to try and calm him down.

His breathing stopped altogether in a small gasp, but his heart began beating even faster. His hands on her shoulders tightened reflexively. She could feel a shiver go through his body.

I'm making Danny shiver? The thought was exhilarating. Bet Paulina can't do that.

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Danny's stomach flipped uncomfortably and he suddenly felt way too warm. He gasped when Sam wrapped her arms around his waist. He could feel the heat from her hands through his T-shirt, and it made his entire body hot. He could also feel himself blushing.

"Sam, wake up!" he said in a strangled voice, struggling to get out from under her without hurting her.

"Mmmm…don't wanna," she murmured, burying her face into his neck. "So…warm…"

He could feel her soft lips moving against his neck, and tendrils of her silky black hair on his cheek, sending more shivers down the length of his entire body.

"Sam!" he yelped, suddenly getting up while still holding on to her. He dragged her to a standing position and held her at arm's length, looking directly into her amethyst eyes.

She blinked sleepily and looked back at him with a dopey grin.

"You're so beautiful with the sunrise in your blue, blue eyes," she sighed.

Danny's stomach felt like it was full of flustered butterflies. Sam was…was Sam…hitting on him?! Danny had never thought Sam would be attracted to him like that. Well, there had been that whole fake-out make-out, but that hadn't meant anything to Sam, he was sure.

It had meant something to him though. It had been his first kiss, and it had been wonderful. After that, Danny had been kind of awkward around Sam, noticing more and more how much she meant to him.

And then when Ember had put him under a spell to fall head-over-heels in love with Sam…that had been the happiest day of his life. Until she broke his heart.

But now. Now it was like she was under a spell. Under Ember's spell.

Danny's eyebrows shot up in realization. Ember! She must have hit Sam with a love spell and then brought her to the park! She was messing with their relationship all over again.

But then why wasn't he affected by her spell? She had hit him hard, he remembered. And then he had hit the ground even harder. If his eyebrows could go any higher, they would have.

Of course! Only some sort of shock could break Ember's spell – falling that hard must have shaken it out of me before I even regained consciousness.

Sam was still gazing at him with that happy grin, sighing sporadically. She looked so happy, but it wasn't real. It couldn't be real. Sam would never really look at him like that, with such adoration and trusting love.

To his embarrassment, Danny's blue eyes suddenly filled up with tears. He blinked rapidly, and looked down.

A small warm hand reached up to caress his cheek, brushing the tears away.

"Danny," Sam said softly. "Look at me."

He looked up, the tears falling down his face. Sam's eyes were the deepest, most beautiful violet he would ever see. He gazed into them forlornly, wishing this was real, wishing Sam wasn't here because of some dumb spell.

He shook his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't stand to have Sam look at him like that and it not be real. He couldn't stand the thought of losing something that meant so much to him.

"No, Sam, this isn't real!" he shouted, backing away, the tears blurring his vision. "You don't really like me! It's just a spell!"

Sam looked shocked, and worst of all, hurt.

"No it's not Danny," Sam's eyes were starting to tear up too. "I've always liked you! More than liked! I just never told you before, because I didn't realize it until now!"

Danny looked away, closing his eyes again. His heart felt like it was bleeding.

"Sam, I wish this was real. I wish we really did love each other, not just because of some spell. But it's not like that! Don't you understand? I don't want to hurt you, and I know you don't want to hurt me."

Sam was crying now. "But you are hurting me Danny! I just want you to love me as much as I love you! I wish you could feel the way I do!"

"Your wish, is my command," came a smooth and sinister voice above them. Both Danny and Sam looked up with tear-filled eyes. Danny's eyes widened in horror.

A ghost wearing gypsy garb floated nearby, her teeth glinting in the sunlight as she flashed them a wicked grin. "You two lovebirds are meant for each other," she smirked. "And with little ghost-boy out of the way I'll be able to take over this world with no problem."

"No!" Danny shouted, but it was too late. With a flick of her wrist, Desiree had granted Sam's wish.

Immediately, irresistibly, Danny's eyes were drawn away from the wish-granting ghost and back to Sam's eyes. He was being pulled into their violet beauty; falling, falling into warm darkness. His mind went entirely blank as the pleasant warmth consumed him.

A grin slowly spread its way across his face as the warmth grew. There was only one thought in Danny's head.

Sam was…absolutely gorgeous.

He stepped closer to her, his blue eyes intense and still sparkling with fresh tears.

"Danny," Sam murmured, her lips curved upward in a soft smile. Danny raised a finger to her lips, which were slightly parted. He gazed at them in amazement. They were perfect. He looked back up to her violet eyes, which sparkled in the sunrise like garnets.

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eehehehe, sorry for ending it right there! I know you all must be hating me right now, but I promise to update soon! I have finals this week, so i'll definitely be doing some Danny Phantom fanfic procrastination.

A little feedback never hurt anyone, and that's what keeps me goin - so please REVIEW - if you like it, let me know:)