(Falls off chair) Oh WOW! FOURTEEN reviews! Thanks you guys! When I opened up my mail and found SEVEN waiting, I was so pleased, And then the next day, when there were FIVE more, I was even MORE surprised and pleased. I think I have Guinivere Sage to thank for that :) She added me into her C2 - thank you so much GS!

Ok...ahem. Let's get this show on the road!

Chapter 3

"Oh no!" Danny cringed. How could he be so stupid?

"What is the meaning of this?" Maddie demanded from the darkness.

"Uh... umm..." Danny's green eyes darted nervously from side to side. What was he to say? There wasn't any time for this! He had to go!

"I'll explain later!" He finally yelled as he grabbed the hands of Sam and Tucker, who were still beside him on the couch.

He then went intangible, causing his two friends to do the same, and slipped them outside, phasing through the floor and out of the house before anyone could say anything else.

They next appeared outside the residence, phasing up from underground. Danny let go of them and they went back to normal once contact with him was broken.

"Great," He sighed, his mind still reeling from the sudden turn of events. "Now everyone's gonna know about it."

Sam placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Danny. They'll understand."

"Yeah, and they're your parents," Tucker added. "Well, I mean, except for Jazz, who's your sister... but still, it's about time they knew. And Sam's right. I'm sure they'll accept you for who you are."

Danny smiled at their words. "Yeah... I guess they will. And in fact, I shouldn't be worrying about that right now." He frowned. "We've got a ghost to catch."

As if on cue, Sam and Tucker jumped onto their motorized scooters, which they'd both used to get to the Fenton's earlier on, and strapped on their helmets.

Danny waited for them , hovering in the air.

"Oh, and uh... where are we going again?" Tucker frowned up at him, eyes questioning.

"There's only one place where Electra can cause the whole town to black-out," Danny clenched his fists.

"The Amity Park Power Station."

They reached the plant in a matter of minutes – Sam and Tucker zooming on the scooters, Danny racing through the sky, the wind whipping through his silver-white hair.

Tucker and Sam screeched to a stop in front of the building. "Amity Park Power" was hanging in huge bold letters across it. The light bulbs on them that were supposed to be lighting them up were out, as was everything else. The moon was their only source of light.

Sam slid off her helmet, shaking out her chin-length raven black hair, the small ponytail she always wore on top miraculously still intact. Tucker did the same and adjusted his red beret, which unfortunately didn't have the same luck as Sam's ponytail.

Silently, Danny grabbed their hands again, and they phased through the building's front wall, entering the power station.

There were no windows inside, however, and it was pitch black.. The atmosphere was chilly, the air damp and clammy. Long, invisible fingers of cold seemed to reach out to them, brushing across their arms.

"Man," Tucker muttered, complaining. "Talk about ghostly atmosphere. This place reeks of ghost! And I can't see a thing! How are we supposed to find Electra in this?"

"Hang on," came Danny's voice in answer. A green glow suddenly lit up the place as he ignited a green ectoplasmic beam in his right hand. They could now see faintly, though the atmosphere remained unchanged.

Sam shuddered as another blast of cold swept over her bare arms. It was making her skin crawl – not from fear – more from the unnatural feeling that it gave. She soon found herself wishing she hadn't worn her usual black mid-drift top. She rubbed her arms, trying to calm her nerves.

"Are you cold?" She heard Danny's voice whisper.

Sam nodded. "A little,"

Danny didn't answer, but a second later his other arm slid around her shoulders. She looked up at his touch, surprised.

Danny felt his best friend tense, saw her look up at him with raised eyebrows, and immediately realized what it seemed like he was doing. Instantly embarrassed, he started to draw his hand away.

"Oops. Sorry I – I didn't realize I –"

"No, no, it's okay. You can... uh..." Sam trailed off. Even under the dim green light she could see his cheeks glowing bright red, and felt her own start to flush.

Hesitantly Danny put his arm back around her, but this time she relaxed and welcomed its warmth. Both looked at each other and smiled shyly, still blushing.

Danny didn't know why, but somehow when he felt Sam relax trustingly against him, a pleased feeling washed over his entire self – in fact, he felt even more pleased than when Paulina had agreed to let him take her to the dance...

Ugh. Paulina. Somehow the more and more he got to know her, the shallower and shallower she seemed to become. Sam had been right in discerning her character from the start.

Sam... He felt that pleasant warmth all over again.

Which was strange. Sam was supposed to be his best friend, not his girlfriend, even after all the complications their relationship had gone through.

But they were starting to take a toll on him.

For instance, there was that fake-out-make-out. A tingle ran down his spine just recalling that. It'd been his first kiss - and Sam's, too, but they both knew it hadn't been real, that she'd only done it to save his skin. Now – now, however, he found some part of him wishing that somehow, it had been real.

And to tell the truth, ever since the fake-out-make-out, he'd found himself unable to look at Sam in the same way as before – especially since Ember's attack on him had followed barely a few days after.

He remembered how she'd made him idolize Sam, how love-struck he'd been, how heart-wrenching it'd felt when Sam had kissed Dash to snap him out of it.

Sam had later explained that she hadn't meant it a single bit, that she hadn't wanted to do it but had had no other choice, for if she hadn't broken the spell soon enough, Danny wouldn't have been able to focus on stopping Ember from gaining power over the world.

But somehow, it still sort of hurt. And though the spell had long been broken, he realized that, more often of late, he'd been noticing how pretty Sam actually was. Sure, she wasn't as "beautiful" as Paulina, but those intense, striking violet eyes paired with her silky raven hair made her quite a lovely sight.

And Sam had the personality to match. She and Tucker had been his best friends for as long as he could remember, always there for him, watching out for him. They were the ones who really understood, and really cared. And unlike most girls in school, Sam wasn't afraid of speaking her mind, wasn't afraid of standing up for what she believed in – even when the two boys themselves were against it. It was something about her that he'd always admired.

It was then that it hit him. Was he starting to like Sam – more than just a best friend? And for real this time?

As they moved along, Sam found herself suddenly wondering how Danny could be so comfortable and warm. After all, he was in ghost mode, and ghosts weren't supposed to be warm.

Then she remembered that Danny was half-human – essentially and originally normal like everyone else. The only thing the DNA had twisted and given him in the accident were ghostly powers, and his different hair and eyes. Danny Phantom was still Danny Fenton, still the same person, still mortal, still warm... and could still feel.

Hmm... feel. I wonder what he's feeling inside right now... she thought, noticing that the goose bumps were vanishing from her arms. Danny's grip was warm and secure.

He turned and saw her studying him, and another shy, sheepish smile formed on his face.

He looks so cute when he's bashful!

Sam's stomach flip-flopped when she realized what just went through her mind. Where had that thought come from? She wasn't... she didn't have a crush on him, did she? No, that was ridiculous.

Well, okay, so maybe not that ridiculous. Maybe she did like Danny.

Yes, she'd even admitted it – out loud and to Tucker himself, when Danny had been under Ember's love spell and Tucker had asked if they didn't want to end up together.

"I don't know...maybe... but not like this!" her reply echoed in her head.

Maybe she did want Danny and herself to be together. That was what she'd meant.

Face it, Sam Manson. She thought. Ember brought out whatever feelings you had for Danny.

Yes, and even before that they'd already begun to develop. She remembered how flattered she'd been right before Danny had been hit by Ember, when he'd called her intelligent and individual – sincerely, too. And the wonderful, glorious flight in the air not long after.

And even when he'd been love-struck after that, she'd found him to be sweet – so very sweet toward her that part of her didn't even want to break the spell. But she'd been forced to.

And it wasn't his looks that really mattered. Or that he was a hero. He was just... well, Danny – funny, sometimes unsure but a great best friend anyway, and she'd always liked him for that – as a best friend, of course. But now... why did it seem like she was noticing and admiring all the little things about him even more?

Oh, and of course – the fake-out-make-out. It had been... nice, in a way, especially now that she knew what his lips tasted like, but why – why a kiss? What had made her do it? And why on earth did her own lips start to tingle everytime she thought about it – especially if it hadn't been a real kiss?

Could it possibly be...?

Yes, she realized. Yes, it could.

Oh well. Even if she did like him, she was sure Danny would want things to stay the way they were between them.

Hmm... yes, she supposed she liked it better this way too. Best friends was good enough... Right?

Meanwhile, Tucker eyed his two friends as they walked down the passageway, emerald green eyes twinkling and a knowing smirk on his face.

Sam and Danny were meant for each other – he kept trying to tell them that, but they just didn't seem to see it.

Judging by the looks on their faces and the fact that they had seemingly forgotten all about him, though, something told him it wouldn't be long now...

And that he wouldn't even have to push it.

Suddenly, they passed a room, which door was slightly ajar. Someone could be heard yelling frantically.

"Gardner! What's going on in the generator room down there?"

Another voice came screaming back, sounding nasal through the radio communicator. "I don't know what the blazes is going on! There's some freaky ghost thing down by the generator and – aaahhhhh!"

His terrified yell was the last thing the three friends heard.

Danny slipped his arm off Sam's shoulder and switched off his ectoplasmic beam, clenching his fists as green eyes glinted in anger, glowing in the dark. "Time to get charged."

Ok, ok, whoa, WHOA. I know that most of you are by now wondering (if not screaming and itching to get at me) about my explanation on Danny's ghost half. I don't know for SURE if he's warm in ghost mode, but I'm INFERRING it from "Fanning the Flames". Because 1. He was shivering when he entered the Specter Speeder from the Ghost Zone, and 2. Sam didn't show any signs of being cold when he carried her and took her flying. (Well, okay, I know that's not really great proof, but that's what it seems like to me.)

And yes, I know his ghost half got separated from him once in "What You Want", but hey, it's him. It's his whole character. As in, it originated from him. It's... well, like I said; Danny Fenton is the same person as Danny Phantom. Okay, I think I'm getting carried away...

My thanks to those all those who reviewed the previous chapter:

cakreut12, StarLightKagome, I don't exist 123, ANIMEFANANGUS, SetsuntaMew, GijinkaRenamon, jS8

Riverfox237: Oh Yay! You got an account! And great fic, I must say! Hey, all you KP and DP fans! Go check out her fic - it Rocks! She totally kept the characters from both shows in character!

Guinivere Sage: Again, thanks so much for adding me! It really is an honor :D

PhantomAL: You really think so? Thanks :)

sam manson rulez: Yo! Girl, great to know it's you :D Yes, I am on tvtome - I'm kpkrazy! But I only go there like once in one or two weeks so you don't see much of me :P

emera-fire22: OIC, hope you enjoy the site so far! Thanks for reviewing!

SacheyoPriestess: Umm... sorry - don't watch Inuyasha (I don't really like anime - no offense), though I do know who's he and who's Kagome. But I DO have one or two friends who watch it. I'll see if I can get them to check out your fic! Thanks for your review!

Kats02980416: Yeah I know! Actually that part came out quite by coincidence, but hey, thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you liked it!

Oh, and a final note just to let you guys know – Chapter 4 is the one where the action is, and it also holds a little surprise in it... I'm not telling what, but you guys can probably guess.

And no, I'm going to be mean and let you all wait the regular interval till next week! Muahaha :D

Well... okay, okay. I'll be nice ONE LAST TIME. Since I know this chapter's mostly on thoughts and feelings and lacks action, (though it is long) I'm willing to update early to make up for it.

That is, IF you all review. :P

-FBG