Hey everyone, just wanted to apologize for not updating sooner - winter break was sweet...but long.
Thank you to all my awesome reviewers, especially Raven Sugara the Tenken, JulesFire, and Sakura Scout! You rock! You rock out loud!;)
OK then, more DP fanfic! woot!
Chapter 7
"Alright, here goes nothing," Tucker said, a look of determination coming over his face. His eyes glowed green as he looked up at his two friends.
And then he was in the air, flying toward them. It was as effortless as standing up, and almost disoriented Tucker for a stomach-dropping moment as he shot into the air.
"Whoa!" he cried, forcing himself to slow down. He had forgotten how easy this was – it was sort of like re-learning how to ski – he knew how to do it, it just took time for his body to realize that.
As he pulled to a stop in the air, it felt like he was pulling himself backwards, fighting against the air in front of him, as the wind whipped around him.
He shook his head and looked down. He was above the tree-line, and totally unsupported. If he fell….well, there would be nothing to catch him. Fortunately, he had enough self-control to not start thrashing madly in the air, like a hamster dropped into water.
He squeezed his eyes shut. Barely enough self control. He was starting to hyperventilate.
With one deep breath, Tucker forced himself to calm down. This was no big deal. He was just flying. Again. Without an airplane, hanglider, balloon, or any other kind of device to hold him up.
"Got to focus, Foley," he muttered, his eyes still closed.
After several deep breaths, Tucker was able to open his eyes again. He looked back to where Danny and Sam were. They were still hanging in the air, making lovey-eyes at each other.
Tucker gagged.
He pushed himself toward them, zooming over in an arc high above the trees. He was so getting his flyin' skillz back!
"Woooooo!!!!" He shouted suddenly, a grin lighting up his face.
His friends started at the noise, and then turned toward him, still holding tightly to each other.
"Tucker?" they said together, incredulously.
He pulled up right next to them, his eyes flashing green.
"That's Tucker Phantom!" he cried, feeling wicked in his skintight outfit.
Hmmm…wonder if spandex feels so strangely hot to Danny? He thought briefly before realizing what he was thinking. I-I mean, hot to Sam! Hot to SAM!
He shook his head violently, to get those thoughts out of his head. Sam and Danny stared at him for a moment before giving each other sidelong glances.
Sam coughed. "Ummm, Tucker, what's going on?" she said. "Why are you flying?"
"Huh?" Tucker looked confused for a moment. "Oh yeah, guys, Desiree's back!" he said. "And we still have to stop Ember at the concert! And school – we're already five minutes late! We have to get there now and plan what we're going to do!"
He was waving his hands frantically at this point. Danny and Sam just stared at him blankly.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Danny cleared his throat.
"Well it looks like you've got your ghost powers back, so why don't you do something to help out instead of bothering me and Sam?"
Tucker floated backward in shock.
"You can't be serious!"
Danny just shrugged and pointed at something behind Tucker.
"You've already got the Fenton Thermos – you know what to do with it."
Tucker slapped his forehead. He had the Fenton Thermos all along, and had forgotten about it! He could have already stopped Desiree, if he hadn't been so stupid.
"Man…"
Danny and Sam were already looking deep into each other's eyes again, smiling contentedly. A rush of anger and resentment suddenly welled up inside of Tucker.
His best friends were STILL ignoring him! After he had been attacked by Desiree! Again! Even though he was floating in the air beside them!
His eyes narrowed, and then he turned and flew away as fast as he could. He knew what had to be done, and apparently there was only one half-a in town who could get the job done.
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Danny and Sam didn't even notice when Tucker left, they were so absorbed in each other.
A growling sound caught Sam's attention, and Danny blushed.
"Hungry?" Sam smirked. Danny was cute when he was all red and embarrassed.
"Mmm, yes," Danny smirked back at her, drawing her closer to him. She looked up at him, her own cheeks flushing bright pink.
"Danny!" she swatted his arm playfully. "I meant food."
"Oh," Danny grinned. "Yeah, I guess I could get something to eat. Let's hit the Nasty Burger."
"You think they're open this early?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, of course, they've got pancakes and waffles and sausages…" he noticed her look. "And…and tofu omelets…"
Sam's stomach grumbled. "I'm there," she said, wrapping an arm around Danny's shoulder.
He raised an eyebrow at her, grinning, and she blushed again.
They were flying over the town to the Nasty Burger, and Sam couldn't have been happier.
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Meanwhile, below the two flying lovebirds, a ghost detector was detecting something on its radar. Something right above it.
Jack Fenton watched in stunned silence as the ghost signal blipped across the radar screen inside the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle, heading due south.
All at once, he regained his ability to speak.
"Ghost! Ghost! GHOST!!"
Maddie slammed on the gas and the RV went flying south. Jack's eyes glinted in anticipation.
"We'll get that ghost today, Maddie! Can you feel its icy-cold stench all the way over here? Because I CAN! And I will melt that ghost! Into shrapnel!"
He started muttering to himself, and Maddie rolled her eyes. He just got waaaay too excited around the possibility of a ghost. Which resulted in a mess of incoherent ramblings. But she understood. Her own palms were starting to sweat in anticipation of finally catching a ghost.
"Maddie! It's headed straight for the Nasty Burger! Where it will be fried! Deep-fat fried into sausage-shaped morsels of goodness…" Jack started to drool.
"Yes, I suppose we can get some breakfast after we catch that ghost," Maddie agreed. "After we catch it."
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Danny and Sam were sitting close together, sipping out of a mega-tofu-milkshake and smiling at each other when Danny's parents burst through the diner door.
"Stand back everyone!" Jack shouted, raising his ghost finder and waving it about. "There's a ghost in the house!"
"Dude, Elvis has LEFT the building!" someone shouted from the kitchen, followed by a lot of snickering. Jack scowled.
"He may not have, Buster," he said loudly.
"Danny, what are your parents doing here?" Sam practically shouted, clutching his T-shirt in a vice-like grip.
Danny tried to hide behind the milkshake, but it was too late. His mom, with her fox-like hearing, was turning to look in their direction at Sam's question. Her eyes widened when she saw them, and Danny prepared for the explosion.
"Daniel Fenton!" his mother shouted, overpowering Jack, who was still talking about Elvis. "What on earth are you doing here! You should be in school!"
Jack whipped around to see the two teenagers cowering behind the milkshake. Both of whom, he was pleased to see, were a sickly shade of white, matching the tofu milkshake.
"WHAT indeed!" Jack shouted, waving the ghost finder at them. It started beeping crazily and everyone stopped moving.
Jack's eyes narrowed. "There's a ghost in here somewhere, and now I can't catch it because of your reckless misbehavior!" He pointed the ghost finder directly at Danny, and the beeping seemed to shout "GHOST!! GHOST!! GHOST!!!!"
Jack looked around warily and then gingerly set the ghost finder down. "Hmm, seems to be malfunctioning. We may have to go back to the lab to fix this one."
Maddie marched over to Danny and Sam and picked both of them up by their collars.
"I still don't understand why you two aren't in school!"
The two teens looked at each other, blushed furiously, and looked away from Danny's mom, who was pursing her lips in a knowing manner.
Nevertheless… "Daniel, you are grounded until further notice, and Sam, I'm sure your parents will be very disappointed in you. Now, you are both going back to school this instant!"
"But –" both Danny and Sam protested.
"No buts!"
And she marched them off to the Fenton RV, shoved them in the back door, marched back into the Nasty Burger to drag her husband away from the fried bacon and hamburger chalupas, shoved him in the RV, got in herself, and shot off to Casper High.
Danny and Sam were unceremoniously dumped off in Lancer's class during the middle of a lesson.
He frowned at them, raising one eyebrow.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Look what the cat dragged in. Late again, Fenton? I'm not surprised. But you, Ms. Manson, you disappoint me."
He pointed to their seats, which they slunk to, too embarrassed to protest.
But not, Lancer noticed, too embarrassed to squeeze each others' hands and smile at each otherbefore taking their seats.