A/N: Thanks again to all who read the last two chapters! Especially to those of you who reviewed…you guys brought smiles to my face when I really needed them! It really is encouraging that so many of you guys are entertained by this little fic I had an idea for. Warnings: Talk of sex and also some minor swearing. Nothing too major here either…just a bit more angsty and less fluff. There will be fluff there for y'all! Enjoy!
ATTENTION: I have just learned about the recent decision by Nick to cancel both Danny phantom and Fairly Odd Parents…it was a very sad day for many of us. Mr. Hartman has told us that if we truly wish for the series to continue, as I'm sure many of us do, than our best bet is to write Nick telling them just how much we LOVE this show. If any of you wish to contact Nick, I know I'm planning on it, please let me know and I'll get you the mailing information if you don't already have it. Again, I urge any of you reading these fanfictions inspired by a truly incredible show to tell the executives at Nick just how you feel.
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Ashes to Ashes
Part Three: Flame
Whether the ghosts were taking a holiday or actually respecting his need for some space, Danny didn't care if it meant he was able to get an actual full night of sleep. He could not recall the last time he was able to sleep undisturbed by ghost attacks until nine in the morning since his freshmen year. He knew he should probably check out what was silencing all of his adversaries, but he wanted to actually enjoy some downtime for a while before he had to become a hero again. He smiled in his half-asleep state at the thought of just hanging out with his friends this afternoon instead of chasing a random ghost around Amity Park for hours on end.
The sun, out despite the still abnormally cold weather, flitted through his shut blinds to hit him in the face, which made him squint and crack his eyes open. He tried to escape the rays by rolling over and covering his head with his pillow, but a loud crash followed by a familiar yelp foiled that attempt. Groaning and rubbing his eyes in a tired way, Danny rolled completely out of bed to make sure his dad hadn't done what everyone thought he would do for years: set himself on fire and burn down the house. If Danny had enough energy to smile, he might have at the thought of his mom and Jazz yelling at him while he proudly held up his newest invention.
He almost ran into the door in his sleepy state, but was able to reach the handle and open the door to find his sister waiting for him, an expectant look on her face. Danny wondered briefly how she was able to look so well groomed at nine in the morning during summer break when it was an effort for him to even get out of bed, but she started talking and he had to focus all of his tired brain cells on her so he would have some idea of what she was talking about.
"Dad is calling for us," she said in an exasperated tone that clearly spoke volumes on how much she wanted to go see her father. "I think he and mom have some new gadget they want to show us. Were you still sleeping Danny? It's nine o' clock for goodness sakes!"
"It's summer break Jazz," Danny said with a yawn and a shake of the head to cast off the rest of his sleepiness. "And for once, I wasn't interrupted by ghosts at all last night…excuse me for wanting a full night's sleep. Besides, not all of us have your morning perkiness Jazz…"
"Oh come on Danny," Jazz said with a small laugh at his morning personality as she grabbed his arm and started to drag him downstairs to the lab. "If we wait much longer, Dad will bring up whatever he has, and I do not want my room covered in green goo all over again."
Danny showed his agreement by allowing his older sister to drag him down into the living room and then down into the lab their parent shad set up downstairs. It was actually in this lab that Danny's life had changed so drastically when he had followed Sam's advice and entered the ghost portal to turn it on. To this day, Danny did not think he'd been through worse pain, like every cell in his body was on fire, but he hardly remembered it now. He let his thoughts drift back to the aforementioned young woman and let a goofy smile cover his face, one he had not been able to shake off for the past two weeks…it was better than thinking about ghosts at any rate.
Jazz glanced back at her younger brother and let a small, knowing smile spread across her face at his expression, simply happy that he was finally smiling again. She had remembered when he would snap at everyone and had to force a smile when their parents asked what was wrong with him. He always just said he was stressed and they didn't understand what was going on in his life, which in part was true, but Jazz knew what the really reason was after Sam came over one day near the end of his junior year. She had seen the look of guilt in the girl's lavender eyes and the heartbreak in her brother's clear blue gaze; she hadn't needed anymore information to know that Danny was upset because Sam said she didn't return his feelings.
At first, Jazz had been so confused why Sam had told him that she didn't care, all of her observations and intuition said that the Gothic girl did and for a long while as well, and she had wanted to confront her. However, Danny had told her forcefully to leave Sam alone and not bring it up, saying that he would respect her choice no matter the reason why. The older Fenton sibling knew then just how much her younger brother was in love with his best friend, respecting his wishes and not talking to the younger girl about the effect she was inadvertently having on him. Still, she was very relieved when she was told by an exuberant Danny that they were now together, happy that her brother was smiling and laughing earnestly once more.
The two siblings trekked down into the lab and scanned the area for a sign of their parents, and looking back at each other quizzically before calling out. "Dad? You said to get Danny and come down…where are you guys?"
"Mom, Dad…do either of you two know how early it is right now? Come on! Please don't make me and Jazz try to find you two!"
As if on cue with their pleas, jump-suit clad Jack and Maddie Fenton leapt up from behind a pile of glowing machinery and empty boxes. Maddie still had her red goggles pulled over head, covering her short brown hair, but she smiled at her children regardless, "Hi kids! Did you two get a good night's sleep?"
"Of course they did Maddie," Jack said in his loud voice, jumping out from behind the boxes and striding towards his two kids with two silver buttons in his hand. "Good that both of you are down here, I wanted to show my latest invention…the Fenton Buttons! They automatically act as a homing device and can also warn you of approaching ghosts! Look, we each have one, so we'll always know where you're at…even at college!"
Despite both of his kids' protests, Jack pinned the silver buttons, with the overlapping letters 'F' and 'B' engraved on them, to their clothing and stepping back to admire his handiwork. Maddie walked over towards them as well and proudly showed off the gleaming silver button fastened on her utility belt. Jazz looked over at her brother, a grimace apparent on her face which turned into a scowl when he laughed at her expression.
"Oh come on Jazz," Danny said as their parents were talking loudly about how no ghost would think to mess with the Fentons even if they were away at colleges. "They aren't that bad…at least it's not like the Fenton Gabber or the Fenton Boomerang uh?"
"I guess…" Jazz started to say when he parents interrupted her.
"And look at this, kids!" Jack said excitedly as he pulled out a large looking control and started pushing buttons on it that caused their silver pins to start humming. "They can hone onto the spectral energy given off by ghosts and warn you when they're near! Now, no matter how far away from the safe confines of the Fenton household you are, both of you can still ward off those nasty specters at any time!"
Danny's face turned a pale color as his button started to whir and both of his parents looked at him strangely, wondering why his button was reacting. You see, even though his sister discovered his secret, Danny still had avoided of telling his ghost-hunting parents that he was…well half-ghost really. Jazz had told him to just tell them repeatedly, and even Tucker and Valerie said it would be all right, but he couldn't work up the courage…he kept seeing him strapped to a table and them experimenting on him. He knew it was a ridiculous fear, but he couldn't help but feel it…maybe he should ask Sam what she thought about what he should do.
He hastily took off the pin and shoved it in his mom's hand and said in a high voice, "Wonder what's going with that thing man…looks glitchy to me. I don't think I should where it, you know, in case it just keeps going off in class or…or something, you know?"
"Umm," Maddie hummed to herself as she looked at the small button in her hand with a small frown. "I suppose you're right sweetheart…Jack, this one keeps going off whenever Danny puts it on; we need to fix whatever's wrong with it. If you kids need anything, just holler on down…"
Maddie trailed off as both she and her large husband scampered over to an experiment table to fiddle with the 'broken' pin. Neither saw Danny visible relax, letting out a relieved breath that caused his sister to scowl at him. Danny didn't bother to say anything to her, knowing already what she wanted to say, and simply trudged back upstairs, yelling to his parents he had work until six that night.
He hurried back up to his room, realizing he only had two hours until he had to be at work, bounding up the stairs two at a time. Now, normally it would only take him ten minutes to get ready for work, but Danny was far from normal and almost always had to fight a ghost or two before and after work. It was just easier to leave earlier and get to work on time he discovered after the fifth day…luckily Mr. Jerrio was a little weird so he never pressed Danny on why he always looked exhausted and was late all the time.
Danny took a quick shower and got dressed in his uniform for work, black pants and a black polo tucked in with his sneakers. He didn't even try to tame his hair, accepting after years of experience that it was a lost cause, and just towel dried it before grabbing his car keys and wallet, slamming his door behind him. He hurried down the stairs, yelling down to the lab he was leaving and receiving a goodbye from his mother and a warning from ghosts from his father. He shut the front door to his house and was about to get in the five year old truck he had received for his sixteenth birthday two years prior when a slim hand slapped his hand out of the way.
"Jazz," Danny said in a weary tone, lifting up his blue eyes to look at his sister's stern expression. "I really don't have time to talk about this right now…please just let it go."
"No Danny," Jazz answered, narrowing her turquoise eyes at her brother's attitude. "You know I won't anyway. You can't keep lying to them; you've kept it up way longer than I thought you would. Are you afraid of how they'll react…is that it? Danny, they may be kind of eccentric and…well downright weird, but you're their son! I don't think they'll just turn you over to the police or to some scientists just because you tell them that you're half gho--"
"Jazz please!" Danny hissed quickly, interrupting his red-headed sibling, covering her mouth with his hand, receiving a sarcastic look from her. "Just don't say it all right? Will you just leave me alone about this one? I can't tell them okay? I just can't…every time I've tried the words just…they just die in my throat. Please just leave it be."
"They aren't going to think you're a freak, Danny," Jazz answered when he lowered his hand and moved to open his car door again. "Don't you realize how worried about you they are sometimes? You come home in the early hours of the morning, always look exhausted, and don't forget the time that mom found you after a fight with that ghost-hunting ghost. She thought you'd been jumped for goodness sake Danny! I really think that if you just told them, it would all turn out all right."
"They hate Phantom," Danny said in a low tone, eyes going distant as he pushed his sister's hand off his door and opened it. "How the hell am I supposed to tell them the one ghost they can't stand above all the others lives in their house? Is their son even? If I even tried to tell them…Dad would probably start shooting at me and I don't even want to think about what Mom will do! Trust me Jazz; it's easier for everyone this way. I have to go to work."
Jazz watched her brother climb into his car and drive off down the road with a heavy sigh and felt tears start to form in her eyes. "But what about you?" she asked the retreating form of the beige truck, feeling as if she was losing her brother despite how close they were. "What's easy for you little brother?"
She turned and walked back inside, wishing like hell it was her who had entered that portal instead of her brother that day four years ago…wishing she could take away the burden he had to carry for just a moment. He was giving up his dreams and possibly his future to protect the people here…it wasn't fair she thought with a small, choked sob as she traveled upstairs. She passed her own room, still kept in tact despite the fact she didn't live there anymore, and walked into Danny's instead, smiling at the messiness all over.
As she sat down on his bed, she let her gaze wander over to the various awards and medals he'd won on science fairs over the years. Her brother was actually very smart, science and math coming easy to him whenever he applied himself, but he hardly ever had time because his 'other job' took up so much of his time and energy. She wasn't the only one who was surprised from the grades he began to bring home when he started high school; Jazz was ashamed now as she though about how she had been so hard on him about that.
Deciding she shouldn't dwell on past mistakes any longer, Jazz got up from his bed and thought about going out to lunch with an old friend from high school, but pausing when a small piece of paper caught her eye on Danny's nightstand. She picked up the black scrap, looking at it curiously, and unfolded it to read the very faint white writing on it. At first she was confused, not understanding what it was, but her eyes widened in alarm as she reread the initials signing the note, a name her parents had warned her about filling up her thought.
She covered her mouth with a shaking hand to prevent the scream from escaping her throat, and felt herself drop the paper onto the floor, as if it was suddenly scalding her other hand. She wondered briefly why her brother hadn't told any of them about this, knowing that she hadn't received a similar letter because her roommate had told her the other day no mail had come for her recently. But then, words he had spoken just moments before filled her head, echoing words no eighteen year old should have to deal with.
"Trust me Jazz, it's easier on every one else this way…"
"Danny you idiot," Jazz whispered to herself as she bounded downstairs to her parents' lab, determined to let them know the danger going on. Danny may have thought it was easier for others this way, but he was putting himself in unnecessary danger, and even though she knew he fought ghosts on a daily basis…this was different.
Mance Riley wasn't a ghost…he was a murderer.
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Danny, having left for work an hour and a half early, arrived there in a slightly disheveled state ten minutes late, cursing Jazz inwardly at making him talk to her and wasting precious time. He hurried past some of his co-workers, who all pointed out that he was late (as if he had forgotten) and clocked in, pulling on a red apron that said "Jerrio's Health and Aid Market" tying it in a knot behind him as fast as he could. He rushed out and apologized to Mr. Frank Jerrio for being late once again, and received a playful wink from the wizened owner who said something about the clock in the back being slow before wandering into his office.
Danny's shift supervisor let him know what was going on, but not a soul walked into the store for two hours anyway, no that Danny cared much. He looked around the health store and smiled at himself for a moment, remembering he took this job for the chance to see Sam…even though they were on the outs at the time. It was her kind of grocery store, and she actually was an old friend of the owner, but she never came in. Or, at least, just not when he worked.
He let his eyes drift shut as he stood behind the counter, still tired despite the full night's sleep he got the previous night, knowing that one of the other associates would wake him up if, by some chance, someone meandered into the store. He still marveled at his ability to keep this job…sure, summer break made it a whole lot easier, but during the school semester it was brutal. He was juggling schoolwork, preparing for college, this job, and his ghost-fighting side job; needless to say, the latter took up the majority of his time and strength. But, he had wanted to actually drive his car and he had to pay his insurance on his own now; his parents had taken his truck away from him when he got into an accident, ghost related of course, and gave him the ultimatum at the beginning of senior year.
He had accepted their deal and now worked at the health store four days a week; sure, he didn't actually need to drive his car, flying around worked well enough, but he was determined to try and act normally in some aspects. Besides, the job provided yet another distraction to keep his mind off Sam…
"Danny?" a familiar voice addressing him, startling him so bad his hand shot out and he ended up banging his forehead on the counter and falling to the ground. Groaning, he rubbed the now red mark he had on his face and slowly lifted himself off the ground, bracing his body on the counter so he didn't lose his balance. His slightly watering blue eyes met two very amused amethyst ones twinkling back at him, her mouth quirked into a small smirk that was threatening to start laughing.
"Hey Sammy," Danny said after a moment of silence, looking at her like nothing had happened. "What can I do for you today?"
Sam couldn't take it any longer, she started to laugh so loudly and hard that she had to hold her side with one hand and brace herself on the counter with the other. Danny looked at her in mock indignation, putting a hand over his hand in a dramatic, wounded gesture saying, "You wound me with your horrid giggles Samantha Manson!"
"Oh shut up you big baby," Sam said with a playful slap as she calmed down and straightened up to look at him fully. She put her hand on the red mark gracing his forehead, laughing quietly to herself and commenting, "Smooth Fenton. Very smooth indeed. I didn't mean to scare you…but you really shouldn't be sleeping on the job!"
"Uh Sam," Danny said as he waved his hands around the store, indicating they were the only people still in there. "Have you looked around recently? Well, it's been like this for the past two and a half hours…forgive me for sleeping on the invisible customers. That was very rude of me."
"Ghost fight?" Sam asked, ignoring his comments with a glare which only caused him to smirk in that infuriating fashion.
"Only two," Danny said with a wave of his hand, suggesting nothing out of the ordinary. "Just Bertrand and Spectra…nothing serious. No I'm, well, I'm kind of upset with Jazz. We kind of got into an argument before work and I haven't been able to shake it out of my mind until I had other…thoughts…occupy my mind in my little nap."
Sam smiled at the way he looked specifically at her when he mentioned the other thoughts, forcing the blush to recede and asked him in a flustered tone, "An argument? What about…is Jazz being over-protective again? Because Danny, if that's the case, you're never going to win that battle."
"No," he said with a sigh as he walked out from behind the counter and headed over towards the multi-vitamin section of the store, Sam following with a slight frown at his serious tone. "She wants me to tell our parents about me. She's actually been on my case about it for a while, ever since she headed off to college, and got kind of miffed when I lied to my mom about a new gadget of theirs being off. She's even got Tuck and Valerie on her side now…I just don't know what to do I guess."
Sam reached over and took his hand, which had been rearranging vitamin containers, in her slim one, giving it a comforting squeeze which made him look over at her. "Well," she said in a quiet voice, locking her eyes with his depthless blue ones. "Maybe I don't know your parents as well as you or your sister does Danny, but I think you've kept this a secret long enough. I had wished you told them back in freshmen year…you wouldn't have had to deal with all of that stress by yourself that way. What's so scary about letting them in on your secret?"
"They are ghost hunters for God's sake!" Danny exclaimed as he pulled his hand away and walked over to the health bars and began straitening those up too. "They hate anything to do with ghosts…what makes me any different?"
"Uh," Sam said with a frown on her face and walking after him. "Because you're their son, hello! Oh come on Danny, you're making a mountain out of a mole-hill. You're parents accept you for who you are, and they'll accept all of you if you let them. Doesn't Phantom deserve parents too?"
Danny spun around and gave her a strange look, before he let it fall and just looked back at her with a small, resigned smile. "You really think that I should don't you Sammy?" He shifted his gaze to the floor, a gesture that reminded Sam of a puppy getting caught digging in the backyard and made her reach up and stroke his black hair.
"I think you should do what you feel is right in your heart Danny," Sam said, still running her fingers through his hair as he lifted up his head to look back at her. "No matter what happens, you'll still have people who love you right here. I don't care whether your hair's white or black and I don't care whether you breathe or not…I just care period. And, call it women's intuition if you must, I think you'll discover that I'm not the only one of the same opinion."
Danny leaned in and kissed her gently; happy for the faith she had in him and his family. He pulled away, but Sam tugged his head back down, smiling slightly into the kiss at the minor protest of "I'm at work Sam!" he tried to say. Sam was not aware how long they stood like that when a gruff voice gave a 'harrumph' and both young adults looked up in surprise and embarrassment.
"This the one that beat out Denalee?" Mr. Jerrio said with a knowing smile, jutting his head in Sam's direction and addressing Danny.
"Uh yes," Danny said as he felt his face heat up, thinking of the very forward girl employed here tried many times to get Danny to go out with her when he first started work here. "Mr. Jerrio, this is Sam. Sam, this is my, um, my boss." It was only after he introduced them did he remember that they already knew each other, and he slapped a hand to his bruised forehead in mortification.
"Hi," Sam said with a slight laugh at the red tinge still decorating her halfa's face. She shook the old man's hand, knowing why she liked her old friend so much just by the look in his warm, gray eyes. "I already know you, but it's been a while uh Frankie?"
"She's much prettier," Mr. Jerrio said after mock deliberation, giving Sam a friendly wink and ignoring her reference that she knew him. "Nice pick Fenton…go on home why don't ya? Got plenty of coverage here right now…go spend some time with that pretty girl on your arm!"
"Are you sure?" Danny started to say when he was being pushed into the back by the kind old man who was hollering to stop being so stubborn and just get his stuff. Danny came back out without the apron and with his car keys, a befuddled expression adorning his face as he glanced back one more time at his very strange employer.
"Thanks Frankie," Sam said with a yell as she yanked Danny out of the store and towards his familiar truck, still smiling at the expression on his face.
"Did you have anything to do with that, by any chance?" Danny asked Sam as he opened the door for her and let her in, knowing she had walked to the store without having to ask.
"Maybe," she answered coyly as he shut the door, smirking at him still when he got into the car. "Just wanted to spend some time with you before I have to go to orientation up in New York tomorrow. Can you believe that my entire family wants to go too? I think my parents are making some kind of vacation out of it…I have to stay for a week there!"
"You leave tomorrow?" Danny asked as he pulled out of the parking lot and out onto the street. "Great, with Tuck, Val, and now you gone I'm going to have be stuck with my parents and sister all day long! I was really hoping you wouldn't leave for another day or two…"
"I'm coming back Danny," Sam said with a small laugh, even though something in her mind was hissing "This time at least". They both seemed to have the similar thought and fell under a heavy silence that neither of them could stand. Sam tried several times to start another conversation, but one look at the closed off expression playing on his face dissuaded her, and soon they weren't all that far from his house.
"You want to go out and do something tonight?" Danny asked suddenly, startling Sam slightly. "Like, catch a movie or get something to eat?"
"Are you asking me out on an actual date Danny Fenton?" Sam asked with a smile, giggling at the roguish smile he sent back at her, eyes glowing green for a second.
"That depends," he answered playfully. "Are you saying yes?"
"I think I can put off packing for a few more hours for a good horror flick," Sam replied back, eyebrows quirking and eyes dancing in mischief.
"Then yes, yes I am," Danny said with a laugh as he pulled up to his drive way. He parked is car and then sent Sam a confused gaze, which she met, at the police car on the curb next to the house. "Oh man," Danny groaned as he let Sam out of the car and they both headed over towards the front door. "Please don't tell me that my parents exploded something again!"
He cautiously opened the door to find several police detectives, officers, his parents, and his sister all huddled in the front room, talking about something. Grabbing Sam's hand, he ventured into the room and asked quietly, "Umm…what's going on?"
"Maybe you can tell us Danny," his mother answered in a worried voice, making him think she knew about the secret he was going to tell them already. The rest of the crowd in the room looked up at him in a way that was both worried and angry at something.
"What are you talking ab--"
He never got to finish his thought as his mother held up the black note he had hidden in his room, silencing any protest he had in is throat. It took him a moment and he didn't speak until he felt Sam grip his hand tighter, drawing strength from her. "Where did you get that?"
"In your room," Jazz said, evidence of tears on her cheeks apparent. "Why didn't you tell any of us about this Danny? Do you know how worried we were about you, and when mom called your work, your boss said you'd left early, but you didn't answer your phone and…"
"I was driving Jazz," he answered, looking at his parents too. "And I…I was going to tell you but I didn't want to ruin grad night for the family or anything…I kind of forgot about it." He knew it was a lie, and so did Sam, but thankfully she didn't say anything.
"When did you get it Daniel?" one of the detectives asked him, a calculating look on his face telling the halfa to tell the truth.
"About two weeks ago," he answered hesitantly, glancing at the startled looks on his parents' faces, and listening to Jazz gasp in dread. "In a…in a letter from the college I'm going to next fall. That's all that was in there."
"And," the detective continued, walking close to Danny and looking him in the eye. "Did you have any idea on who it was from?"
"Yes," Danny answered, running a hand through his black hair and glancing up briefly at Sam before continuing. "I had a pretty good idea it was from Mance Riley…he told me those words that one time in the park."
"Then why didn't you tell us Danny?" Maddie asked suddenly, fixing her son with a gaze. "Jazz didn't get a letter like this, she checked with her roommate earlier today. Just you…do you know how worried we were about you?"
Danny stared at his parents, noting for the first time how saddened his father looked, such a drastic change from what he usually looked like. He felt the white hot feeling of guilt form in his stomach and he looked down to avoid looking at his parents. He had really meant to tell them about the note but he forgot because of all the ghosts, work, and Sam. "I guess I…I didn't want to trouble anyone with my problem."
"But it's not your problem Danny!" Maddie said tearfully, standing up, hurrying over, and engulfing him in a shaking hug. "It's ours, your father's and mine! I don't want that man getting near you…this is our responsibility, not yours! You have enough things to worry about young man, don't you dare take on this as well!"
Sam let go if Danny's hand and walked over to comfort Jazz, knowing the older girl needed something right about now and letting Maddie have a moment with her son. She heard Danny whisper "I'm sorry" to his mom as he hugged her back, letting her come to grips that he was all right and not…well, a ghost.
'Oh the irony,' Sam thought to herself as she told Jazz that everything was fine and to calm down. She wasn't the best at being comforting in girlish ways, but she was very good at being gruff and stating it as it was, which she found was more helpful in these situations. Sure enough, Jazz calmed down and she started talking to Sam about the situation, which Sam listened to even though Danny had already told her.
She glanced over for a second to see Jack Fenton giving the police contact information, acting in such a professional matter that Sam almost didn't recognize it as Jack. The police exited, and the detectives said that there would be at least one patrol in the area to escort the Fenton children anywhere…namely work for Danny. The left and Jack heaved a heavy sigh, heading over to where his wife was still sitting near Danny, though no longer hugging him, and gripped Danny' shoulder in a way that seemed to reassure himself rather than his blue-eyed son. Both parents rose and spoke to each other for a moment, then said that dinner was in an hour and asking what kind of pizza everyone wanted. The usual cheese and pepperoni was asked for, and then Danny asked for vegetarian, which earned a knowing smile from his mother to Sam.
"I'm sorry Sam," Danny said with a tired voice as he walked over towards her and wrapped her in his arms. "But, it looks like I'm going to have to post-pone that date. How about pizza here instead?"
"That's fine Danny," Sam said as she placed a small kiss on his lips and then laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She admitted, she was worried about leaving him for a week, but Tucker was coming back in two days…he should be able to look after himself for that long. She felt Danny kiss the top of her head, and she smiled at the chills he gave her still. "Are you going to tell your parents about Phantom?"
"Not yet," Danny answered after a moment, seemingly thinking about it in his head. "They're so stressed about this whole situation with Riley…I don't want to give them a heart attack and tell them I'm the ghost-boy too. I will tell them though Sam, I promise."
She smiled at him and nodded, then disengaged herself and grabbed his hand. "Try not to get in to much trouble while I'm gone Ghost-boy," she said playfully as she brushed his hair out of his eyes and they both walked into the kitchen for some pizza.
"Me, get into trouble?" Danny asked with a mock offended look that made Sam laugh. "Now when as that ever happened?"
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Sam could not recall a time when she had been more bored as she paced her hotel room in the ritzy Hilton Hotel in New York City. Her orientation had been done for a day, and she had gotten the lay of the land around the university relatively well, and now she had absolutely nothing to do except tour the city for four more days. She refused to go to any of the parties her parents were going to, and her only saving grace was that her grandmother was taking her to see "Rent" on Broadway on Friday. So, she had three days to spend in her room, knitting for all her parents knew, and listen to her mother talk about taking her shopping at some of the high fashion boutiques that graced New York.
She missed Danny, she thought to herself as she plopped down on her bed and played with the necklace he gave her on her birthday. She had received it before their minor rift, she was the oldest out of the four, and she never took it off unless she was showering. It made her feel connected to him, just holding it in her hand, like he was close by her, watching over her like always.
"You would like it here Danny," Sam said out loud to him even though he wasn't there, a habit she had picked up of late. "It would be a new experience for you…if you visit me down here I'll give you a tour sometime…"
It was so depressing, thinking that she would have to put one thousand in between them come September, but it didn't change the fact that she was going to have to. It had always been her dream to go to NYU, she wanted to be a political journalist, and now she was given the chance to. She just wish she didn't have to leave Danny for four months at a time while she was at school…but he'd visit. Wouldn't he? She certainly hoped so, but sometimes he did forget things and was distracted easily…
"He'll remember," Sam said to herself. "I'll make sure to see to it that he remembers."
Sam felt herself blush hotly, and she sat up in shock, surprised by her own words. Who was she to say that she could make him remember her? She hardly knew what she was doing half the time whenever she was with him…what made her think that she'd know what to do if she were ever…intimate with him? Was it even to soon to start thinking about that sort of thing, and if not, did Danny even want to?
Okay, that was a stupid question Sam told herself, thinking that he was male and knowing that if he was offered, he wouldn't pas it up.
Still, the fact remained that, compared to most girls her age, Sam was largely behind when it came to sexual encounters. While she didn't fully believe that Danny and Valerie had ever had sex, he certainly did seem to have more of an idea of what he was doing than herself. Maybe Phantom was much more…experienced…as well, and that carried over to Danny. But still, that was still to far-fetched because Phantom and Fenton were the same person…just a bit different when it came to emotions.
Sam kept dwelling on the issue late into the night, and it wasn't until her alarm beeped at midnight, did Sam decide to just try to sleep and worry about this another day…maybe she'd talk to her grandma about this at the play. She certainly trusted a more rational conversation if she choose her 'wild' grandma over her mother. Sam changed into a pair of purple sweatpants and put on a slouchy black sweater over her white tank top to stay warm. She brushed her teeth, and put up her hair in a loose bun before climbing in bed, letting sleep try to overwhelm her.
But it eluded her for an hour or so, and she ended up just sitting up and staring out the window and up at the crescent moon in the ebony sky. She felt a strange buzzing in her brain, one that didn't seem to go away no matter how hard she tried to will it, and it grew into pictures from a boy's head she knew all to well. She kicked off her covers and lurched to her feet as a nauseous feeling washed over her small frame as the flashes of colors pass through her head.
Her left hand flew up and gripped the amethyst pendant around her neck, and she vaguely saw a bright lavender glow emit from the jewel…a jewel that was glowing like spectral fire…
"You…" Sam heaved out to the absent boy as she clutched her head with her other hand. "You had this made in the Ghost Zone…What's wrong Danny?"
She saw a flash of silver and a clear picture of a glowing young woman…a young woman who looked like winter herself all rolled into one with the other seasons. Her cold, black eyes bore down onto Sam, and the Gothic girl felt herself and another presence cringe away from her. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head, and she fell to the ground, her hand still clutching the shimmering gem that flared to life with one last blast of light and then extinguished…leaving the body of a young woman lying on the floor of a hotel room.
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A/N: Honestly, how many of you would kill me if I left it here? Well, I added on a little extra piece that was for the next chapter. Thanx Lacey52 for getting me the Dark Danny info!
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Sam woke up in a clearing she recognized all too well…a familiar swing set and monkey bars piercing her vision as she looked around. It was different though…it was broken and unused, one of the swings moving in a slow rhythm by itself that echoed lost childhood. It was also glowing faintly, as if it was a memory or…
"Where am I?" she asked, noting that her voice echoed and sounded strange. She looked down at herself, noting the same clothing she had been wearing in the hotel room, but she too was faintly glowing, as if she wasn't really there. Her glowing necklace caught her attention though almost immediately after her appearance, its hypnotic glow catching her eye. She wondered what had happened when she recalled the images and the pain and then finally blacking out.
She looked back and forth, not sure of where to go, but deciding that she needed to move somewhere. She took a tentative step away from the broken playground, and yelped in surprise a path suddenly revealed itself to her, leading to nowhere and somewhere. "Well," she said as she started walking, proving that Sam Manson wasn't one to give up or back down. "I guess I'll just keep walking until I find someone who can help me out."
So, she did just that. She walked down the road and paused often to see if the slight noises she heard were anything of consequence before pressing on. She had no idea where she was, or what was going on, but maybe if she kept walking she would wake back up in her hotel room and the floor and chiding herself for eating ice cream before heading to bed. Or thinking about sex for that matter.
The area she was in suddenly turned into an area that looked like a theme park, walled by video game consoles and games all along the walls. Sam marveled at her surroundings when something else much more pertinent caught her eye. There was a boy bouncing around like an idiot on one of the rides, and then landing in front of her, flashing a funny grin her way with all blue eyes that looked odd, even for him.
There, standing right in front of and decked out in all blue and glowing slightly was a very hyper and very happy Danny.
"Danny?" Sam asked in a bewildered voice, causing the blue Danny to start laughing at her, as if she had just made the best joke in the world. "Danny, what's going on here? And what's up with your eyes and clothing?"
The blue boy bounded right up to her and stuck his tongue out at her before running away like a moron, yelling something about she couldn't catch him. Sam hurried after him, shouting for him to stop, which he finally did after five minutes or so, but still running around her like a monkey.
"What's wrong with you Danny!" Sam yelled at him, trying to catch her breath and waving her hands around like a crazy person.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" the blue Danny asked in a bored voice, looking at her like she was the least fun thing in the world. "You already asked me that…are you always this boring? Why don't you want to play or anything?"
"Danny," Sam tried to say with as calm a voice as she could. "Please stop acting like an idiot and just answer me all right? Do you know where we are or not?"
The blue boy stopped bouncing around and froze, looking at her with a huge grin on his face. "You don't know! HAHAHAHA! That's sooooo funny! Well, I gotta go, but maybe you'll find someone as boring as you! Bye Bye Sammy!" And with that, the blue Danny ran away and disappeared into thin air, leaving a very confused Sam standing in the middle of an abandoned road again.
"Okay," she said with a very annoyed tone. "When I find you Fenton, you are so gonna pay for calling me boring you big, dumb a--"
"You don't like me anymore?" a pitiful voice asked her from behind, and she spun around quickly to see who had said it. She had to blink here eyes once before she looked back to the form in front of her. It was Danny! Except, instead off all blue, he was in all gray and his eyes were gray as well. He looked like he was about to cry and his form was hunched over as well.
"Danny?" Sam asked, questioning her own sanity now as she looked at the sad looking boy in front of her. "Okay…you were just in blue, and now you're in all gray and acting like I killed your metaphorical puppy. Not to be rude, but what the hell is going on and where am I?"
"The necklace brought you here," the Gray Danny said in a soft voice, sniffling as if he really was going to cry! "Do you hate that too? I'm sorry for making you wear it if you do…"
"I don't hate it Danny, and I don't hate you," she muttered, the last of patience ebbing away. "So stop acting like I broke up with you all right?"
"I'm sorry…" he started to say when Sam held up her hand and said, "Please don't say that anymore Danny. I just want to get out of here all right? Do you know a way out?"
"Uh uh," Gray Danny said in such a pathetic voice it made Sam want to hurl. "But you won't like me anymore once we get there…"
"Whatever Danny," Sam said as she followed the distraught boy in front of her, putting herself through his numerous apologies for petty things he'd done during his life. To be honest, Sam didn't even remember half of the things he said 'I'm sorry' for. After what seemed like eternity passed, Gray Danny froze in place, terror etched across his face and shaking visibly. "Danny?" Sam asked in a worried tone as she watched Gray Danny back away from her. "Is everything all right?"
"No…" he whimpered as he disappeared, only an echo remaining after he was gone. "I told you that you wouldn't like me once we got here…"
Sam looked back ahead of her and felt her breath catch at the figure looming before her on the blank road. She could vaguely recall what he looked like, but that didn't mean she couldn't remember him all the same. Especially when Danny had told them everything about him in great deal and how evil he was…is apparently. Floating before her, a horrible distortion of the smirk she loved so much playing on his ghostly pale face, was a nightmare that was supposed to be over. His cold, red eyes regarded her with something bordering on hatred and his white-flamed hair was raging on his head. He still looked somewhat like the boy she loved, but anything that made Danny her Danny was gone.
Before her flew Dan Phantom…a twenty-four ear old perversion of nature and everything she believed in. He was a path that Danny could have taken, but a path that he spurned instead…he shouldn't exist at all! But yet, there he was…and then he spoke.
"Confused are we Samantha?" he asked her in that cold, heartless tone that still held vestiges of what Danny sounded like. It was sickening to listen to. "I'm sure you are…thrown into a world where nothing makes sense and nightmares come alive…to bad it's not a nightmare eh?"
"You don't exist!" Sam said as she stumbled back when he approached her, the smirk contorting further into an evil smile that scared the purple-eyed girl. "Danny stopped you from existing!"
"Oh but Samantha," he said calmly, the grin widening to bare his fangs. "Don't you understand? I still exist inside of your precious Daniel Fenton…a darkness that he can never escape. That he can never hope to defeat."
Dan flipped back his cape and grabbed Sam's arm, pulling her close, laughing when she flinched. "You really were a fool to come here Samantha, even if that damn pendant called for you! Now, I think this is a good way to ensure that Daniel becomes me…I'll destroy the soul of the person he loves more than anything in the living world…let dear old Danny know you're here now my dear."
Sam's eyes went wide with horror as Dan lifted a hand encased with ghost energy to kill her with, and then she shut them as he brought it down, hoping she would wake up from this nightmare soon. The blow never came, and Sam felt herself knocked over to the ground, and a bellow of rage filled her ears form above her. Her curiosity overriding whatever her instincts were screaming at her, Sam lifted her head off from the ground, and directed her lavender gaze upwards.
She saw Dan fighting two separate beings, one she recognized very well and the other familiar but not in an immediate way. She saw the snowy-haired Danny Phantom flying around and blasting the evil version of him, and she saw a version of Danny dressed in all black, with startling purple eyes like her own, binding and locking Dan away, even though he was thrashing around and shooting powerful beams everywhere. She saw the monstrous thing that had once been her best friend locked away and before she could call up to Danny, he disappeared in a haze of green.
The black clad Danny was looking at her in the way a child looks at a person he or she knows is great and then also walked away and out of sight. Sam sat on the ground in shock at what she had just witnessed, to dumb-founded to even get up. It wasn't until she heard another voice call out her name that she even moved her head, and found herself staring at yet another Danny…this one different form the rest, like the black one had been.
He had on all yellow robes, and was wearing glasses, his eyebrows quirked at her in a know-it-all fashion from underneath them. He walked over to her and hauled her up, brushing off some dirt and leaves off her clothing. Sam looked straight into his yellow eyes and let out a sigh, asking in a tired voice, "Will you please just let me know what's going on right now? I'm thinking I'm completely crazy because you're the sixth different version of Danny I've seen here today, or tonight."
"You are not crazy, just misinformed," The Yellow Danny answered as he led her away from the fight scene. "I really do wish that Daniel would listen to me every once in a while…I'll explain everything my dear. It really isn't all that hard to figure out once you know you're way around here, and you can head back to your body."
"My body?" Sam asked in an incredulous tone, skepticism entering her voice. "Danny, what are you talking about?"
"Yes your body," Yellow Danny answered with a small smile. "Did you notwonder why Rage said he would destroy your soul Samantha? And, I'm not Danny...you may call me Knowledge though if you wish."
"Oh my God," Sam said as she stopped walking, looking into the yellow eyes of her guide as he simply smiled back at her and nodded. "I'm in Danny's mind…"
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A/N: Okay, so I may still get murdered for this, but oh well. The chapter's getting too long! Hope everyone liked that! I used the inside of the mind thing from Raven of Teen Titans…I thought it was a very clever way to express the subconscious, so I used it. Sorry if it bothered anyone, but artistic choice! Hehe!
Remember you guys, I LOVE reviews! Let me know what y'all thought! Again, if anyone wants to help the SAVE DANNY campaign, let me know and I'll send you the contact info! See you next time yes?
Osco