((Author's Note: Before I give out cookies (okay, they're STILL in the oven. ), I want to say THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS! OH MY GOSH! sobs Okay. I also wanted to say WHEEDALEEHOO! I have FINALLY polished EVERY LAST DETAIL OF THIS STORY IN MY MIND! Okay, that's a lie, because I haven't really considered the chapter structure yet. cough But I had this dream last night, and it suddenly hit me. And...okay.

COOKIE TIME:(by the way, this order is just in by the way you reviewed...I mean like...from first to last. Yeah, that. I'm not choosing favorites! )

Passing4insane! You were the firstest reviewer...person! W00T! (huggles)
Giggleaid: THANK YOU! ()()()
The Sole Survivor: Thankies! ()()()
BlueMyst19: Ooooh...I'm not gonna say anything about Jack and Danny. - But I will say that ALL of the characters will come in at one time or another. evil grin COOKIES! ()()()
Serenity The Fallen: -- Uhm...roar. But tankies fer the alert! Wait...what's STG? Maybe you meant STF...()()()
Katiesparks: Hehe...yeah I have a weird time imagining Jack and Pam together, too... ()()()
Dark Elf Angel: Lolz! Thanks! ()()()
Panic! I'm here! THANK YOU SO MUCH! You're 104? Wow...()()()
A Person: It's a VERY long and boring story, but I assure you this: I did NOT do that! If you care then you can e-mail me and I'll explain it to you. Thanks for not making it rude though (No, that's not sarcasm either)! Cookies! ()()()
Tha darkness 4m beyond tha grave: Aww I hope you feel better! Here...have a...looks at object in hand and waves magic wand Cosmic Brownie. Those always make me feel betters. If not here's an advil: ()...maybe you should take one and a half...() (Read on dear reader. You get another cookie! Leave a review...kind reader...you get FOUR COOKIES! OMFGFOURCOOKIES! ()()()()
If the cookies don't show up I'm really sorry. Just know that I baked them special for you!
Okay...so this chappy has a whole lot of dialogue AND narration (more narration nearing the beginning of it)! I'm not going to advise you to skip over it. It might contain vital information for your everyday life snickers but you honestly don't have to read it. It's probably going to get boring, and you might just ex out of this window. BUT if you want a sense of what's going on, then reading it would be the best idea. Oh man, I feel so full of myself right now.
I DO NOT OWN DANNY PHANTOM! BUTCH HARTMAN OWNS HIM! HE CREATED THE EMBLEM, THEREFORE HE CREATED DANNY PHANTOM (didja get it? Haha okay. Lame joke)! THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING IF YOU DID (your name is up there!) and thanks for reading! huggles you for reading Okay...CHAPTER TWO! Oh, and I did a little upgrading on the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle...but just a few minor details...oh and I stink at chapter titles so ignore the fact that the title is a pice of boo))

Chapter Two
Dinner

The following week Pam informed me that we were both invited to dinner with Danny and his father at Al's Steakhouse. Upon hearing the offer, I immediately declined. Free dinner or not, she couldn't make me step foot into that cow slaughtered graveyard.

"You're being ridiculous!" Pam sighed as she gave up trying to talk me into going with her. I bit my lip to prevent a smug expression from crawling across my face. What was ridiculous was trying to make an Ultra-Recyclo Vegetarian eat in a steakhouse. I grinned at the idiotic attempt to myself. Pam rolled her eyes and haughtily laughed at my constant refusals. I couldn't help but allow a smirk to spread across my mouth. Pam brushed a strand of her valiant orange hair from her eyes and tucked it safely behind her ear.

"Samantha, you are going to dinner tonight, and that is final!" I rolled my eyes, grabbed the pillow from behind my head and flung it over my face so I could no longer see hers.

"What if I stay here and fend for myself while you and Jack go?" I asked, my words muffled from the pillow. I was nearly positive that if I could see Pam's expression at the moment, she would be fuming. I smiled to myself.

"It's a way to get to know each other, Samantha. Danny will be there, so it won't be that bad," She explained exasperatedly. I rolled my eyes.

"Jack's probably just like all the other guys you've dated, P—Mom." I wasn't allowed to call her Pam to her face. "I highly doubt he honestly cares about getting to know me and you with Danny. It's just some stupid set-up so you'll like him more. Are you seriously that blind?" I threw the pillow off of my face and it landed to the floor with a soft thump. Pam sat herself gingerly on the edge of my bed, her expression soft and soothing, understandable.

"Jack isn't like all of the other guys I've dated, honey." Pam sighed so low that I wasn't sure if she had done it or not. "He's...different."

"How would you know?" I debated. Pam chuckled and stood up.

"I just do. Now get out of those clothes." I gaped at her.

"I'm not going!" I bellowed. "I'll make me some Easy Mac or something. You leave." The dinner wasn't the only thing I wanted to dismiss her from...

Pam rolled her eyes and walked out of my room.

"In fifteen minutes Jack'll be here to pick us up. I suggest you get out of those clothes and put on nicer ones, or you'll be facing the next week in solitary confinement." I rolled my eyes. Oh, the horror.

Half an hour later I was in Mr. Fenton's Ghost Assault Vehicle, my school clothes upon my back, glowering out the window. Beside me, Danny had his hands folded uncomfortably in his lap. Pam and Mr. Fenton were laughing about something, but I had barred the conversation from my mind as best as I could. My shoulders were aching from the extensive amount of seat belts strapping me down in the seat. Apparently the only usage of this R.V in disguise was to hunt down Jack's obsession: ghosts.

I couldn't blame him, though. Five years ago I may have called him crazy, but now, with the unexpected, yet nearly daily visits from ghosts, I almost sided with him. The ghosts roamed Amity Park as if they controlled it, taking no mercy from any of the citizens. A small shudder ran up my spine; the memories of 'Ghost Drills' at school, the constant need to hide out in the basement for shelter if a massive amount of ecto-energy (as the news reporters called it) entered Amity Park, and the unavoidable encounters with the ghosts rapidly swarmed through my mind.

About three months ago, as I was walking to school with my friend Valerie Gray, a ghost had met up with us. Before I could even blink, Valerie vanished. I was alone with this hooded ghost. I had dropped my school books and ran as soon as I saw it begin to saunter toward me. With fear engulfing me, I had concentrated on not tripping, for that would have been just like me: to trip and fall during a crisis.

I had done what I could to block the memory from my mind. Bits and pieces occasionally would pop up in my head as Pam and I were taking turns peeking through a large hole in the basement that showed us the ground. For about a year, now, I had always thought of ghosts as evil creatures that deserved to be punished in any way. This was how Mr. Fenton's shrewd ideas seemed as if they might work. But there had always been one ghost that seemed to think otherwise.

When the disguised ghost had found me sprawled on the ground three months before now, after I had tripped, I was sure that I was doomed. I remember clenching my eyes shut, waiting, but when I opened them, another ghost was hovering over me, glaring at the hooded creature that had begun to flee. This new ghost had brilliant, snowy white hair, and neon, glowing green eyes, a black hazmat suit with silver gloves and boots. He looked down to me and gave me a half-hearted smile.

Danny coughed, jolting me out of my thoughts. I blinked and looked over at him. He seemed to be chewing the inside of his mouth, keeping his gaze onto the ground.

"How much longer?" Danny asked his father. "I'm starving." Pam giggled.

"Five minutes, probably," She answered for Jack. I rolled my eyes. Danny chuckled to himself, and I wondered if he had seen my annoyed expression...if he felt the same.

The atmosphere in the car lapsed into an uncomfortable silence until we arrived at the large, two story steakhouse. I glared at my mother's back for dragging me here, yet said nothing as I attempted to unbuckle the seat belts. I groaned to myself, wondering why we had to have so many on in the first place. My attempt was useless. There would be no way I could get out of this mess on my own.

"Need some help?"

Before I could look up, Danny was leaning inside of the R.V, towering over me. I grinned as his face lowered down so it was just inches apart from mine.

"Thanks," I said gratefully. Danny smiled and waved off to Jack and Pam.

"You guys go ahead. We'll catch up." He turned his attention back to unbuckling the seat belts, still smiling.

"Why does your dad have so much...?" I couldn't finish my question, seeing as I wasn't just talking about the seat belts, as Danny unbuckled the last seat belt.

"He says it's for safety, but I have a feeling he gets a little over excited. You should see our house." His breath smelled sweet and minty. I laughed a one exhale laugh and stepped out of the vehicle. Danny slammed the door shut and we began walking up to the steakhouse. My insides squirmed.

When we arrived at the table, Pam and Jack were already sipping on their beverages, Pam snorting from laughter. Danny and I exchanged revolted glances before sitting down.

"What took you two so long?" Pam asked, her cheeks rosy.

I could feel stares on my neck as I lowered my head to look at my skirt, but I had made a mental resolution to not speak to her for the remainder of the night, if not week.

"Sam got stuck," Danny explained. Jack laughed.

"Sorry, Sammy," He explained sympathetically. I winced at this newfound nickname. Sammy was something that my father had called me as a child, and I didn't even allow him to do it anymore. "I forgot you need to buckle all of them to strap yourself in..." I nodded, still looking down.

The waiter came back to our table to ask us what we would like to drink.

"I'm not gonna drink anything," I informed him, looking up for once. He was a balding man with a large stomach. An expression of annoyance seemed to be engraved onto his face. The waiter rolled his eyes and looked at Danny.

"Coke...please," He said. The old man left us, and I could feel a steaming Pam from across the table glaring at me. I looked up and slightly narrowed my eyes back. It was bad enough that she had to make me come here, let alone try to make me eat anything that associated with this place.

Pam cleared her throat and took a sip of her cola. We lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. I drummed my fingers on the table to my favorite song, yet I was so off-beat that I wasn't even sure if I was thinking of the correct song. Pam reached across the table and folded both of her pearly white hands onto mine.

"Sammykinns...please. Stop that." I winced at the name that she had given me as a child. The name that she only used if she wanted me to do her a favor. Beside me, Danny chortled. I threw him a nasty glare that shut him up immediately. I yanked my hands from hers and placed them in my lap.

"So...Sammy," Jack began, now tearing his interest away from across the room to me. "You're fourteen, right?" I gave him a stiff nod. Apparently he took that as a 'yes' because he continued with the interrogations. "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

I hadn't been prepared for a pop quiz during dinner. I shrugged.

"Stuff, I guess." Jack nodded, and I hoped that he had gotten the hint that I didn't want to discuss anything that involved me anymore.

Naturally he continued.

"What sort of stuff?" He was twirling the straw in his Root Beer, watching the bubbles rise to the top.

"I dunno." I shrugged.

"Do you do any after school activities?" I shook my head. "Wh--"

"Dad," Danny intervened. I gave him a gracious look, though I wasn't sure that he caught it. "Erm...maybe you should let Sam enjoy her night...you know...without the questions." Jack studied his son's face for a moment before nodding.

"Right." He peered out the window, and Pam did the same. Danny sighed and gave me a crooked smile. I liked it. Half of his mouth was turned up, yet the other side still looked as if it were a grin that reached his eyes. I smiled back at him, trying to create a trademark smile for myself. I didn't think that I came to any success, other than making my face in a pinched expression.

The elderly waiter came back, this time with a pen and a pad of paper in his hands. He raised his eyebrows at my mother.

"Are you ready?" His voice was slurred; it was as if he had just drank one to many alcoholic beverages.

"Yes. I'll have the erm...chicken fried steak, please," Pam announced, handing the waiter her menu. He jotted down the order and turned to Jack.

"Same as her," Jack said in a loud, booming voice. The waiter nodded and looked at Danny.

"Erm...a burger, I guess." He shrugged, collected his father's menu and gave it to the waiter.

"You?" He asked me. I shook my head.

"I'm not eating any of this gar--"

"Samantha!" I did my best to restrain from standing up in a huff and leaving at my mother's outburst.

"I don't have an appetite," I said to him, not bothering to pick up the menu.

"I see," He muttered, picking up the menu himself. Pam rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"What are you looking for, Jack?" Pam asked suddenly. So suddenly that I slightly jumped in my seat. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the corners of Danny's mouth twitch as he sipped his soda.

"Huh?" Jack had been staring out the window, occasionally looking around the room. At first I had thought that he was scoping the restaurant, but it shouldn't take that long to look around a boring place such as this. "Oh...nothing, honey." He pecked her on the cheek. Danny pretended to barf into his drink, causing me to restrain from laughter so much that I snorted, enabling both of us to howl with laughter now. Jack and Pam exchanged puzzled expressions at our sudden burst of laughter.

Fifteen minutes later the food arrived. I did my best to breathe through my mouth at only necessary times while I watched as they ate. Pam commented on Jack about how good the food was. He nodded and explained that it is normally not as good. I suppose he wasn't looking around at the vague decoration in Al's Steakhouse after all...

"Are you sure you're not hungry, Sammy?" Jack asked. I sighed. Was Sammy his new nickname for me, now? Did anyone respect what I wished to be called?

"Yeah. Positive." I made sure that my voice was monotone, and heaved a quick, deep breath.

"It's really good," Pam offered. "You want a bite?"

I widened my eyes as she lifted up her chicken fried steak with her fork and scooted away from the table. I buckled my ankles together to stop myself from standing up.

"No!" I shouted. The talkative bustle in Al's slightly died down. "Just eat it and let it rot in your stomach. See if I care..."

Danny coughed.

I scooted closer to the table so a waiter could get through the narrow space. Pam's shoulders moved up and down, her eyes full of rage. She resembled a lion, ready to pounce to attack its prey.

The rest of the meal continued with silence. When the waiter came to give Jack the bill, he gave me a cautious glare before hastily exiting to the kitchen.

"That was a lovely meal, Jack. Thank you so much!" Pam announced once we reached the R.V. She stepped on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss. Danny and I made it a point to look away. Jack blushed and grinned at Pam.

"No problem..." He grunted, stuffing his large, bulky hand into his pocket. Mr. Fenton had the ring of the keys twirling on his finger in a matter of seconds. "Watch out." His command was harsh. Pam and I took a large step back (I almost fell on the blue Volvo beside us), Danny only taking about three inches worth.

The Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle suddenly had what looked like a green dome around it, which vanished as soon as Jack pressed a large orange button. I gasped.

"Invisible ghost shield," He announced proudly. "Put this baby in the other night. Works wonders doesn't it, Danny?"

"Erm...yeah...sure, I guess," Danny said with a slight shrug as he opened the R.V door.

I walked to the other side and flung myself into the car, leaning up against the silver buckles. I winced as the cold metal touched my lower back.

"Need any help, Sammy?" Jack asked me as I began to attempt to buckle myself up. How did I do this before? I shook my head and stared dumbly at the buckles. Danny's quiet and stifled laughter rang through my ears. I did my best to look angry and not turn my head, but a short smile was trying to escape and laugh along with him.

"Let me help you," Danny offered as he leaned across the seat to buckle me in.

"I'm perfectly capable of doing this, thanks," I replied shortly. "I've done it before."

Danny smirked.

"You think you can do it again?" Despite myself, I shook my head. He chuckled and leaned back against his seat. I looked down at my body. Amazingly, I was already strapped in. I gaped at him, but he was looking out the window, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, to see my surprise.

The remainder of the ride continued in silence. I had learned that Jack was a very maniacal driver: he would speed through the red lights and turn such violent turns that if it weren't for the many seat belts I would have plummeted to the ground. I hadn't remembered this from the ride to Al's Steakhouse, but then again, I had been lost in thought.

When Jack pulled up into our driveway, he unlocked the doors and bid us good-bye, not bothering to get out. Pam looked slightly hurt at his haste to get us out of the vehicle, but I was relieved.

"See you soon!" Jack said happily, gunning the engine. Pam spread a fake smile across her face.

"Alright, dear! Be careful!" She slammed her door shut. I groaned at my unavailability to unbuckle myself, but Danny had already leaned over to help me out.

His hand lightly brushed against my exposed skin. It was warm and smooth, almost like a silky blanket after you take it out of the dryer. I looked up from his large hands and to his face. He was smiling at me, the crooked smile that he had given me during dinner, and undid the last buckle.

((Author's Note: Erm...yes. This chapter was originally a lot longer, but those parts were so boring that I took it out. I think I had three extra pages worth of stuff that wasn't needed.

OMFG SAM WAS INTERROGATED IN A STEAKHOUSE! Sorry, I had to say that. I really hate second chapters the most (aside from first chapters >>). You've finally gotten the first one up, but you can't really leave it on a cliffhanger on the first chapter well you could, and you also have to make it so that the second chapter is better than the first and you're sort of rushed because you want to finish it within at least a week.

There's a lot about seat belts in here...I hate it when I use repetition too much. (bangs head against wall)

Sort of.

So...yes. I have started chapter two in SEVEN DIFFERENT WAYS! I finished three of those ways, but those were either too rushed more rushed than THIS ONE? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? or too boring, or too slow. This one seemed perfect, yet it was kind of hard to do...erm...well...yeah. Next chapter will be better...I hope. rolls eyes

PLEASE REVIEW! NO FLAMES! If you want to flame me then e-mail me, but please no flames on this thingy lolz. I'm sorry, but flames really hurt...sort of. Kind of... I'm confused. It's about to rain, too, so that's a big problem. I guess. And I'm hungry. Okay.

IF YOU REVIEW YOU GET FOUR COOKIES! OMFG! Heehee.

Next chapter should be up soon! Gosh, this chapter was so lame.

FS))