The trio knew that Danny's little mission might take several days, especially if this lead, no matter how coincidental, turned out to be false or a dead end (when Tucker said that, he immediately started laughing. It took both Sam and Danny a few seconds to recognize the pun, and the techno-geek spent the next several minutes trying to duck away from Sam's punches. Both of them couldn't help but notice Danny's faint smile, where he would have laughed out loud at the beginning of the school year, if not joined in. It sobered both of them very quickly). They knew that they had to come up with an excuse for both the school and his parents.

The Fentons, he knew, would probably be easier to fool than his teachers, but he hated having to lie to them again. He knew that this could blow up in his face VERY easily, and if anyone did find out, it would not help his parents edgy relationship or his school standing.

Finally, they decided to wait a few days to approach his parents, and get a forged note for his teachers telling them about his "trip" for counseling with Dr. Billing in New York…who they made up.

As Danny left Sam's house that day with the note in his pocket, he couldn't help but dwell bitterly on the thought that this whole thing started when he tried to stop all the lies and deception. The thought only hardened his resolve to tell his parents. When they calmed down, he would. He would.

xoxox

The atmosphere in the Fenton household felt nothing short of dead now, reminding more than one family member of the eerie silence that accompanied any venture into ghost zone. It seemed as if a blanket had been shoved down around them, like a physical force that actually kept the family from interacting. It often felt real enough to cut through, and Danny found he compared the situation to magnets bouncing away from each other in a polarized field, like he'd seen in Science class.

His school bought the note situation without question, but he found himself dreading the weekend, knowing that he had to face his parents…and then the mission would start. Would he find Jazz or Alesha? Would he find anything at all that might lead him to them? He didn't look forward to confronting his friend, but he knew he had to try, especially if it meant saving his sister.

Once again, time seemed to creep by, but the days passed all too quickly. Finally, he found himself walking up to his father's slumped form as the older man worked on something with a scary single mindedness that Danny had rarely seen before.

With a deep breath and a gulp, he tapped his father on the shoulder, causing him to jump with a yelp. This didn't help Danny at all, and he too jolted back with a gasp.

"Sorry, Danny," Jack said as he regained his composure. "Is there something you wanted?"

Once again, Danny gulped but quickly put on a smile to hide his nervousness. "It's nothing really," man, he hated to lie. "There's just an overnight field trip, and I wanted to know if you'd let me go." He handed the larger man a permission slip that Sam had typed up for him that morning.

"Overnight at a museum, huh?" he grinned at Danny. "I remember my first trip to the museum. That's where I met your mother…" he suddenly faded off as the tangible, uncomfortable and invisible force that had kept them apart all week settled over the room again.

"So," Danny said tentatively, "Can I go?"

Jack shook his head, as if jolted out of his thoughts. "Of course you can, son. As long as you promise to call us every night you're gone." He looked over the paper. "Two nights? I"ll see you Saturday night."

"Thanks dad," Danny said as he grabbed the paper and rushed upstairs to pack.

He walked out the door the next day with a larger than usual back pack, and started for the bus stop…but he never got there.

Darlklite Spirit--I don't know if your'e reading this, because I only got a response from deception, but I wanted to say thanx...and no I do not remember you, but that's because I don't know where to remember you from...as in which web site, or have I met you irl? Thank you for your review.

Blossoming Orange Rose: Well thank you:hug: I appreciate all of your input, a lot. I have some problems with spaces for some reason, but I really think it's my computer's connection to the internet... gives me grief sometimes. Anywho, thanks again. I look forward to more reviews. ;hug:

PhantomAlchamist: Thank you indeed. I truely appreciate that, and I appreciate you reading my other story(ies) too. :hug:

Cakerut12: Well, another long wait...forgive again:hug: Thanx hon.

BluishBlackDolphin: What exactly don't you get?

Thank you to everyone else who forgave me as well, and I'm sorry that it once again too so long. I will try to be faster with the next chapter, and I'm sorry this was a little boreing.