Silver Dust

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this.

Empathy is something they try to teach everyone but when Danny and Sam swap bodies neither of them were ready for this. D/S

Chapter 6: Unhappy reunion

Sam had been having a very pleasant day so far regardless of falling in a locker or what not. She had a new boyfriend—well kinda, and managed to scare Tucker so bad he ran straight into a wall. The three best friends walked out together and Danny told the tale of what had happened the night before. Sam added in a word here or there but let Danny tell the rest.

The trio stopped under the cool shade of the tree and collapsed beneath it.

"So your saying a ghost did this to Sam…I mean Danny." Tucker had to rethink the names for a second before glancing back up at Danny and the bruise that adorned his cheek.

"Yeah, it came after Sam for whatever reason. You might be in danger too." Danny had dropped down next to Tucker and leaned against the rough bark of the tree. He'd been thinking about the ghost for awhile now. If it had gone after Sam to get to him, why wouldn't it go after Tucker?

"I dunno man, I'm leaving tomorrow after school for vacation before the crowds. It wouldn't know where to hunt me down. Chances are it will probably just go after Sam again."

"Yeah," Danny said suddenly sounding more miserable than ever, "I was afraid of that."

Tucker pulled out his P.D.A. and began typing in a description hoping he could pull something up on the colonial ghost. Sam glanced at it over his shoulder but then leaned back against the tree next to Danny.

"Don't worry about it man, you've survived worse." Tucker said with half his attention on his best friend, the other surfing the web.

Danny nodded trying to put his worries back at bay. He was staring at the tips of his boots thinking out what they would do if the ghost did attack again. Sam couldn't control his powers very well and that would be Danny's only chance. That and maybe the Specter Deflector. He made a mental note to grab that when they went by his house but snapped out of his trance when Sam reached out and grasped his hand.

He looked up, shocked at first but then smiled at her. He'd always figured he didn't like Sam, well not 'didn't like her' but as nothing more than a best friend. He'd always had those instances which it seemed like a possibility up but until about two hours ago he figured Sam as A.F.T(absolutely forbidden territory). And now, well he wasn't regretting this asking Sam out thing at all.

Before he had to say anything or could think of anything say Tucker called them finding a useful page. Sam squeezed his hand and turned away to look on the P.D.A. doing her best not to have one of those goofy smiles that people get when they are in love…. 'One step at a time Manson, you and Danny haven't talked straight to each other yet. Not even a date yet. One step at a time.'

"Let's see," Sam read leaning over Tucker's shoulder, "1800 witch…. silver dust. That's it. Wow, how convenient."

Danny inched forward to hear them and Tucker skimmed through and read out some important parts.

"The body change reverts back when the purpose has been completed…purpose? Any idea what they are talking about Dan?"

"Not a clue," Danny said. 'Great, the news keeps getting better' He added in mentally, 'This is probably going to end up as a trip to the ghost zone and finding out the hard way.'

"I should go pack, but I'll email you guys if I find anything." Danny tuned back in in time to hear Tucker talking.

Sam immediately stood and offered to walk him home but he declined muttering something about the new couple. Both of them felt the absence weigh down. They never had a problem being alone together, but now it was a whole different game.

"Danny," Sam bit down on her tongue in effort to calm herself and she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Mind if we stop by my house for a hour, I just have to pick up a book."

The Manson's staff left at seven a clock sharp unless directed otherwise and only kept on three lights that did nothing to pierce the overwhelming darkness in the large rooms.

"Danny, answer it!" Sam panicked looking at the cell phone. Her parents had been calling for a good five minutes and if she picked up in Danny's body they would flip out.

Danny snapped out of his trance of staring off into the darkness and shot a distressed look at her. "What? Why me?"

Sam raised an eyebrow and Danny reluctantly took the phone. He'd known Sam for awhile, maybe he could pull off something.

"Hello?"

"Samantha dear, it's Mommy. Honey, I've got some bad news." Sam leaned closer and Danny turned up the volume so they could both hear.

"What's….wrong Mom." Did Sam even call her mother mom, or mommy or something? He'd never cared to notice but Sam didn't even bother looking up.

"Something came up and we won't manage to be back for another month later than we planned, but we ordered you something that should be there tomorrow."

"Okay…" Danny struggle for words considering he'd never had his parents just leave him like that. Sam meet his eye for a moment and he couldn't read anything in them. For the first time he wondered if it bothered her that her parents left like that. It was one thing when she had a weekend to herself, but a month?

"…and keep away from that Fenton kid."

Danny snapped the phone shut and gave a laugh.

"I should have told you it isn't hard to talk to them. One sided conversation." Sam told him accepting the phone back.

Danny had a question he figured he shouldn't ask, but before he could think once again, words came tumbling out.

"Does it bother you that they do that?"

Sam made a face at him for a second before figuring out what he meant. Her lips made a small 'o' shape and she looked away for a second.

"It used to, especially when they missed my birthdays and stuff but it doesn't really bother me anymore."

Danny reached out and wrapped his arms around her in a small hug only finding it slightly unusual since he was in Sam's body. Sam was taken off guard at first but then returned it.

"Is this a pity hug Danny?"

"No, this is just to prove that statement about staying away from that Fenton kid wrong." They both broke it off a second later and Sam added in the note that they had to still go to the ghost zone. Danny just shrugged without responding realizing just how close they were. Maybe a foot away…and Sam was officially his girlfriend. He wasn't the best at this, but 'it's now or never Fenton' he figured.

Sam laughed a little but closed her eyes and leaned forward. Danny met her half way and their lips barely touched until Danny put his hands on her hips to close the distance. Fireworks where shooting off in Sam's head. She didn't care if the world died around her, she was already lost in her own. The kiss was sweet with only gentle pressure but it was meaningful. Not a fake out make out, not a bet, a real kiss with real emotions behind it. 'About frikkin' time!' Sam screamed in her mind and tried not to goof up.

Danny was distracted as well banishing any what if's about Sam considering the only thing he could think of was Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam, who would have thought he ended up liking his best friend?—well, don't answer that. Though the moment was beautiful it was a shame they didn't notice the ghost which had once more invited itself in.

0-0-0

clip from next chapter:

Sam awoke slowly with a pounding headache. Well, no—pounding was such a nice word. It would be more accurate to say she woke up with a migraine that felt like someone was sporadically smashing the sides of her skull in with the back side of a hammer. She batted her eyes for a second trying to clear them of fuzz and dirt conjunctionally realizing that the room was pitch black.

'Great,' Sam though, 'just when my day was going good.'

She might have been able to be convinced she was in her room until she felt the bounds around her wrists and the gag in her mouth. Definitely not at home. She did the best she could to sit up tugging at the unseen chains as much as she could. A bright light flickered on illuminating the room so much she had to close her eyes.

"Long time no see Danny Phantom," He spit the last two words out with disgust, "Getting in our way again?"

0-0

The beginning of the end everyone. The beginning of the end. Two more chapters! I'm telling you I'm not good at these romance scenes, but thanks for the support I got in the reviews. You peeps are the best. Until the next update-- One Thousand Ways