Links in the Chain
By Lacey52

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

A note: (mini rant!) This sucks. I had this cute little one shot all planned out called 'Perfect Endings' and now I can't post it. Rather, I won't post it because of the whole "Dp is ending Feb. 2007, episode 53 NOOOOO!" that's running rampant. It was just this cute little joke type parody thing, but now I'm afraid that people are going to interpret it in a way I'd rather them not.

Don't get me wrong…I actually had a tear slip when I went and read Butch Hartman's statement, and I will seriously miss this great show. I've written in like all the other fans and signed petitions and such, but if it's going to end, then it's going to end. We shouldn't be depressed about it, rather we should be celebrating the long run that this cartoon has had. You have to be honest with yourself. 53 episodes spread out over what?…four years. That is a hell of a long run for any Nick cartoon, and we should be thankful that it lasted as long as it did. Anywho, rant over. Sorry you guys, had to get it out.

Those Who Got Five Kudos Points:
Osco
Divine Red Crayon
Chaotic Pink Chocobo
pureangel86
Congrats to you guys, you were correct in guessing that January 24th is my Grandfather's and fiancée's (Zach's) birthday. Enjoy the story you guys! Oh and I'm assuming that Jazz is two years older than Danny…I hope that's right…PS- The 'G. Rangers series' that Dash mentioned was made up by yours truly…I don't own any of the other stuff.

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

Chapter Forty Five: Dregs

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"Danny, come on!" Sam hissed up the stairs, trying to hold the now nearly fully grown Matches back, "It's getting late and we need to get this stupid dog to the vet before we can head to school!"

A thud, followed by a rapid succession of vocabulary that wouldn't make anyone flush made Sam raise an eyebrow and Matches cock his head to the side, "Gah! That hurt! Stupid, idiotic door, getting in my stupid way when I'm trying to hurry the heck up…"

"Danny," Jazz shook her head as she walked into the living room, "talking to yourself and inanimate objects isn't healthy."

"I'm trying to pack up the rest of these stupid books for you Jazz," Danny appeared at the top of the stairs, "How many boxes do you need to pack up your stuff anyways? I feel like I'm in the basement of a museum or something…"

"I appreciate the help little brother, but I was just saying," Jazz smiled up at him, "you really shouldn't talk to inanimate objects. It isn't 'normal'."

Glaring at his sister as he headed down the stairs to take the ready to go for a walk dog from Sam, Danny mocked the quote marks she had made with a sentence of his own, "And what, pray tell, Jasmine Fenton, is 'normal' about this family in the first place? Nothing."

With a smirk Danny snatched his jacket, coupon book, and backpack to get ready to leave. Sam shrugged into her own jacket, shaking her head at the sibling's odd display of twisted affection, and noting that Maddie or Jack must have been upstairs helping load Jazz's things into boxes for her to move up to her dorm.

"Why did you start late anyways?" Sam took Matches' leash form Danny as he put his own coat on, "You seem the type who would have applied and entered right away, not waited for a while, then went to the college for a couple of weeks, and then moved all your things into a dorm…"

"Well," Jazz's eyes drifted to Danny's form as he laced his shoes, "There were just a few things around here that I had to make sure were going alright first."

Sam nodded her head. She and Jazz understood one another in that particular area. Danny was special to both of them, neither ever wanted anything to happen to the boy, even before he had his ghost powers. The abilities he had gained, as well as the responsibilities, had just made Jazz all the more determined to keep her 'little bro' safe from the world around him.

"Are Mom and Dad helping you pack?" Danny turned to her, but a blue mist interrupted their conversation. "Aw man, now I'm gonna' be late. Hold this, would ya' Sam?"

Backpack in one hand and leash in another, Sam watched Danny change and fly straight up through the ceiling, only to come hurtling back down with a large box of books on his chest a moment later mumbling incoherent curses about boxes and ghosts who like them.

"Fear me!" came the all too often heard cry, "For I am the master of all cardboard, square items and all the matter contained with in them! I am," and here was a dramatic pause while Danny brushed himself off, "the Box Ghost!"

"Obviously everyone has failed to mention to you," Danny glared at the ghost with the terrible sense of timing, "that boxes aren't squares, they're cubes!"

The ghost paused long enough to consider what his enemy had stated, and that was the only shot Danny needed. Or should have needed. Blasting the ghost back up through the ceiling probably wasn't the smartest idea he ever had.

"Genius Danny," Jazz eyed her brother, "send him back up to where his ammunition came from in the first place."

"Way to go, once B plus average student," Sam poked him in the back, "I'm degrading you back down to a C student…"

"You hush," Danny glared back over his shoulder before turning back quickly to catch a box that Sam had seen flying down the stairs and he had not, 'Thank God for mental links.'

"See? I could have let this hit you, but noooo, I'm the good guy, even though I get made fun of all the time…"

"Beware!"

Rolling his eyes, Danny made his way back up the stairs, pushing boxes away and pummeling the poor ghost when he finally got to him, "What is your problem? You guys don't generally bother me very often anymore…I thought you all learned your lesson."

"There is no lesson to learn," the Box Ghost eyed them all, trying his hardest to intimidate them, "except that cardboard, cubical items and I shall one day rule all!"

"You had to teach him that!" Sam shouted, Matches barking frantically at what was happening around him, "Now we'll never hear the end of 'the cubical boxes of doooooom' and such…"

Grabbing the Fenton Thermos that his sister had so kindly fetched from his backpack, Danny sucked up the Box Ghost, capped it, and changed back with a sharp exhale, "We are so going to be late for school…"

"I'd give you a ride," Jazz mournfully eyed the mass destruction around them; boxes, book, and varies items strewn from her bedroom all the way through the living room, "but I need to repack everything we spent all morning working on."

"It's fine Jazz," Sam heaved a sigh of her own, feeling Danny's guilt at wrecking his sister's moving day, "We'll just have to walk, we're late a lot anyways, one more won't hurt us."

"Who says we're walking?" Danny smiled at the girl, who was currently crossing her arms and daring him with her eyes to try it.

"I do," Sam stated confidently, "because it's cold, we both have heavy backpacks, and you've got a dog to drop by the vets for shots."

Since they both already had their backpacks on Danny advance. Sam frowned as she found herself over one shoulder and Matches barked happily as he found himself held under the halfa's other arm. Jazz just laughed at Sam's predicament.

"Everyone comfy?" Danny asked, or more specifically asked the dog in his arms as he made them all intangible, "See Sam? When we're all intangible, we don't have to worry about such simple things as 'cold' or 'heavy' at all. We don't walk either, we fly…like the wind!"

"Lame," was the consensus from the two females present and after much verbal abuse to his ego, Danny finally managed to get out of his house, running ten minutes late to school as it was. The fact that he could fly at over a hundred miles an hour was currently registering as a very good thing in his mind…

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"Ouch, just put me down already," came Sam's voice from around the corner, "I feel like a sack of poorly treated potatoes."

"No way," came Danny's humored tones, "this is just way too funny. I hope that Tuck is waiting around the corner for us and has his camera phone or something that can take pictures."

"I hate you," Sam's voice replied dryly, growing closer by the second, "Have I told you that lately? Just thought I should let you know. You know you could have let me walk like a normal person after we dropped Matches off, I do have legs for a reason."

"Nope," Danny smiled as he turned the corner, encountering not just Tucker, but also Mr. Lancer and a few other students waiting at the door, "this is blackmail at its finest."

Snapping a quick picture, Tucker tried to keep the snickering down to a minimum as Mr. Lancer was in a thunderous mood already. He didn't need to encourage it, though the boys who had gathered at the door to watch Manson and Fenton come around the corner were definitely making the situation worse with their talk.

Especially the one who wolf whistled at seeing Sam's backside at eye level.

'Possessive much?' rolled across Tucker's mind as he watched Danny frown and quickly set Sam back on her feet, 'And was that a flash of green in his eyes I just saw? Man, this just keeps getting better and better. Talk about a green eyed monster.'

The glare Sam sent his way as she smoothed her pants and tank top back down let him know that his not so quiet laughing wasn't appreciated.

"You two are twenty minutes late, Ms. Manson, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Lancer's usually humored voice was strangely stern as the two teens ducked their heads and quickly filed into the classroom, "Care to explain?"

"We got caught up with helping Jazz pack her things," Sam started, smoothing her hair back into place as she sat and readjusting the arm socks she wore, "we didn't realize how late it was getting and then…"

"…we realized I still had to take Matches, my dog, to the vet," Danny followed smoothly, neither really paying attention to the eyes that had widened marginally at yet another display of the 'psychic' connection, "He's scheduled for his shots today, and Jazz and Mom and Dad were all to busy to take him. We got held up at the vet's office."

"And you both had to be present to take a dog to the veterinarian's clinic?"

"Uh," Sam nodded her head, "Yes sir, it was…moral support."

At several snickers and suggestive comments from her classmates Sam rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, "For the dog, people, not Danny."

"Don't think anyone's buying it Sam," Tucker said in a low voice, "It's pretty convenient that the two of you were late together don't you think?"

"Everyone quiet down," Lancer turned to the board and scribbled an assignment across it, "Mr. Fenton, Mr. Foley I need to see you after class. Ms. Manson, I'll need you and Danny to stay after school if you wouldn't mind, unless you can prove taking the dog to the vet's."

"Heh," Danny smirked to himself as he dug in his pockets, "I know I've got it somewhere…"

Sam shook her head with a small smile, heading up to Mr. Lancer's desk and handing over a small slip of paper she had had in her pocket, "It's the vet's estimation of a bill and the time the dog is supposed to be picked up."

"Hey! How'd you get that?"

"You gave it to me to hold so you wouldn't lose it. Is this proof enough, Mr. Lancer?"

"Quite."

Strolling back to her desk, Sam watched as Danny now dug frantically through his backpack, "Now what are you looking for?"

"His homework," Tucker shook his head at the halfa's dilemma, "He swears he did it, but can't find it anywhere. Keeps blaming the Box Ghost for some reason…"

"We ran into him this morning," Sam tried to keep a straight face at all the emotions that started to roll of the young man at the mention of that morning's adversary. Disbelief, anger, frustration, and a tiny amount of satisfaction, probably from kicking his butt back into the ghost zone.

"Saaaaaam?"

'What now?' Sam's eyes widened at hearing Danny's voice, her right eyelid beginning to twitch in irritation, 'He wants something…'

"I need to use a coupon!"

'I hate him. I hate the coupon book. Curse me and my sentimental side, why did I ever talk myself into believe that damn thing was a good idea!'

"I need some homework," Danny slid the folded green coupon under her arm, "and I need it really, really soon. Like before Lancer takes it up soon."

The day hadn't barely begun to crawl out of its infancy and already Sam could only roll her eyes.

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"Thank you," Danny said for what seemed the thousandth time, all of them with varying pitches, volumes, and accents, "Thank you, thank you thank you!"

"I'd be kissing butt too if Sam had just done a two page piece of homework for me in under ten minutes," Tucker gave a dashing grin to the girl beside him, "Think I can earn a coupon book, or does it cost two fake-out, make-out sessions?"

A blushing halfa and a gothic girl with her mouth hanging open gave Tucker the opportunity to hide behind his locker door before several pencils, pens, and erasers flew his way, "Teasing, teasing! I was kidding you guys, calm down!"

"'Sup guys?" Dash nodded to the trio as he went to his locker two down from Tucker, "What's Foley done now? Take more embarrassing pictures of you two?"

"No," Sam growled in irritation as she slammed her locker shut and stalked to the blonde's side, "He's just being a jerk who doesn't know when to shut up about certain things that shouldn't be talked about."

Three weeks of saying hello in the morning and chatting at their lockers had definitely helped Dash learn the ins and outs of their relationships with one another. Tucker teased, Sam was sarcastic, Danny mediated. He mainly observed and commented, sometimes making him feel like a documentary film maker, 'And here we have yet another classic example of Techno Geek versus Goth, with Average Teen Boy mediating.'

"So did you get that paper done for Mrs. Harris?" Danny closed his locker and leaned back against it, "I didn't get the part about applying the themes we've been studying."

"I didn't finish it, 'cause I didn't get that part either," Dash shrugged, acting apathetically though he was honestly relieved to hear that he wasn't the only person who didn't understand the assignment.

"Dash?" a voice interrupted their unfolding conversation, causing the boys to look on in shock as Sam nearly ripped the poor piece of paper in her hands to shreds.

"Yeah," the named boy turned, "What's up Paulina?"

"Oh, I just hadn't talked with you in a while," she idly rolled her tongue over her top lip while playing with the tips of her hair, "Mind if I talk to you in private for a while?"

Looking back over his shoulder at the so called 'losers' who had taken him in, Dash swallowed hard and watched them nod to him to talk with her, "No problem."

'It ain't such a bad thing to just talk to Paulina,' Dash gave a half-hearted smile as the trio left him standing with the girl, 'She has to have some reason to be seen with me…'

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"So," Paulina flipped her hair back over her shoulder as the three nerds left the area, "I know you've been hanging out with those three for the past couple of months. I've seen you at the mall with them or just walking around and now in school you talk to them between all the classes and in class and at lunch."

"What's it to you?" Dash furrowed his brow, trying desperately to figure out where the slim woman before him was leading the conversation.

"Nothing," Paulina answered honestly, shrugging her shoulders and giving a tiny frown, "The other's just wanted me to talk with you. We all think you've learned your lesson if you've been reduced to hanging out with those three. They're almost as bad as that one Nate kid…or Nathan…or is it Nathaniel? I forget…"

"Paulina, do you even have a point?" Dash folded his arms and leaned back against the locker, "I have to eventually get to class, I don't exactly have my hall pass card like you do anymore."

"Well," Paulina said coyly as she reached into her pocket and withdrew his old membership card, "That's part of what I'm talking about. We've decided that you can come back to us. No questions asked."

"Why should I?" Dash said, but at the same time took the card back into his hands, looking it over and remembering all the privileges he had, "What do you have to offer besides this? I can live without it, I've done it all semester so far."

"You can break a few rules," the girl offered in her most sugar coated voice, "We don't care if you hang out with the losers every now and again. The group hasn't been the same without you Dash, even Jason wants you to come back. Kwan and Star have really missed you too, like I have."

"Sure why not," Dash stood up and pulled out his billfold, placing the card back in the empty spot that it had sat in for years, "but it's by my terms, not yours, got it?"

"Fine by me," Paulina laughed as she pulled him back towards the group that had now collected by the corner, "Look who's come back to us guys!"

Shouts of welcome and congratulations were sent his way, handshakes from the boys, giggling hugs from the girls, and his old membership packet was handed back over by Dillinger himself.

Dash had never been more overwhelmed as he was in those few minutes between the tardy bell and when the first members of the group, being slightly more studious, began to move back towards their classes.

The euphoria soon dropped off though when those left around him began discussing the latest trends and such. It wasn't that he was out of style or around strangers, but for once in his life Dash felt completely out of place in what he once considered his element. The same people, who had only yesterday been trying to trip him up in practice, were now suddenly his best friends again. They talked about people like they were nothing, entertainment.

He felt sick. This was how he had been. For years, not caring about others, stepping on whoever he had to, doing what he wanted without ever thinking of the consequences because there had never been any. Not even in fifth grade had there been any, and that was when the 'A-list' had first started to form.

The people around him made no sense as he listened into the superficial conversations and the little group of Sam's that he had inadvertently joined was feeling farther and farther away. He wanted to back out, but couldn't now, the deal was already struck.

Looking around him, Dash felt as though the deal he had just struck was a deal with the devil.

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

The cafeteria was bustling with people, completely packed as a light mist had started outside and a frenzied wind had caused the temperature to drop dramatically. Passing outside, many students and teachers were reminded of their various ghostly encounters over the past two years or so, though nothing could quite compare to the deathly cold of a ghost.

"Excuse you!" Sam yelled at the girl who had just shoved into her side, again, as people tried to move past their table, "Can people get any more rude around here?"

"Probably," Danny answered her dryly, her own sour mood at those around their table steadily seeping into his own outlook, "At least no one's spilt anything yet."

"You spoke too soon," Tucker shook his head as he tried to wipe the juice from his shirt and pants that some Freshman had just dumped on him, "Why do we even try? Murphy's Law wins every time, it's like Murphy stalks you or something Danny…at least the kid had sense enough to run away from a Junior."

"Like you'd do anything to him, Tuck," Sam snapped a carrot stick off, "You're as anti-bully as I am and that's saying something."

"Speaking of bullying," Danny scanned the cafeteria carefully, "Where's our reformed bully?"

"Who knows," Sam shrugged picking up another carrot to eat, "maybe his conversation with Ms. I Think I'm A Princess took longer than we thought?"

"Isn't it a little strange that she suddenly wanted to talk to him?" Tucker finally stopped trying to wipe his clothes off and began to wipe the juice off his glasses, "I mean, wouldn't she be risking her popularity unless she had some other reason besides just 'talking' with him?"

"Yeah," Danny frowned, "but what reason would she have. With me it was trying to get with the 'ghost boy' or trying to make Sam mad."

"Yeah," Sam shot the halfa a look, "and it always seemed to work, don't you think?"

"I didn't do anything!" the young man moved away from her slightly, watching the spork that was tightly clutched in her small hand, "I said 'no' this last time, didn't I? That's gotta' be something right? Like brownie points?"

"Maybe," Sam glared him down, "Or maybe it kept me from slaughtering you for staring at her boobs every time we see her."

"Hey, I haven't been staring at any boobs, thank you!"

The last statement was rather loud and caught the attention of several of the students around them, most of which were Freshmen and Sophomores, and neither of which normally liked to be stuck around upperclassmen when fights were about to break out.

Really though, most of them were evacuating the area so they could laugh to their hearts' content without repercussion from their seniors.

"Right," Tucker rolled his eyes as Danny blushed to his ears, "So…who's getting what for Valentine's Day this year?"

"Way to change the subject," Danny and Sam said quickly, then turned to look at one another. For them to burst out laughing, however was not what Tucker was expecting.

"What? No blushing, no embarrassed stuttering?" he eyed each of them, but the two simply tried to control their laughter, "Since when did this happen?"

"Just now?" Danny answered, only to be smacked over the head by Sam's hand, "Ow! What was that for?"

"For that question-like statement," Sam shook her head as Danny pouted, "Really, Danny I though you were over that stage of your life."

"Back to the topic on hand so I have time to shop for whatever it is I'm getting whoever," Tucker rolled his eyes at their bickering, "Who's getting who what?"

"That is so sad that I understood all of what you just said," Sam bit into the last carrot stick she had, "How about we go halves this year? Me and Danny will get you something, me and you get Danny something, and Danny and you get me something."

"Sounds fair enough," Danny shrugged, "So what do we all want?"

"Well, I just want a good book," Sam stretched, "but you two can figure out which one. You know my tastes, so figure out something that's relatively new that I would like."

Danny nodded and thought of his own present, "I want a new hat. I haven't had a baseball cap in forever. But not a cheap one, I want like…a Nike one or something, so it'll last."

"I want one of those cool pens that record what you write, and say, and you can draw instruments and play them, and then hook it back into your computer and upload everything," Tucker smiled eagerly as he described what he wanted, "Plus it'll be easier to get it since we're going halfsies…you two can afford it."

"Materialistic much?" Sam cocked her head to the side, one eyebrow raised in a silent rebuke for her friend, "And no we aren't going 'halfsies' on it because Danny's half is already paid for."

"Aw come on Sam," a pleading look was sent her way along with a feeling of slight irritation, "You can't seriously still be mad at me for slipping you that money at Tucker's party. That was like two weeks ago!"

"I am not mad, I'm peeved, and I'll get this for Tucker, it's not like money is an issue or anything Danny," and as the boy started to open his mouth again, she just leveled him with a glare, 'Does he have to try and pay for everything all the time? I mean the last time we all went to the movies he offered to pay for my popcorn, and that was really sweet and I know he just wanted to do something nice, but it's getting ridiculous, I can pay for myself…'

But her train of thought was slammed into by Danny's as a flood of surprise, distrust, and hurt came to her, "Danny?"

Her worried tones pulled Tucker into their little world, watching as Danny simply glared in the direction of the popular table, where a group of people were crowded around another person. Dash Baxter was back 'in'.

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"Hey did you guys hear the news?" another anonymous voice piped up, "Dash Baxter was eating lunch with the 'A-list' again."

"Yeah," another voice, "He's back in, didn't you know?"

"Guess what?" a person's voice said, "Baxter's back 'in' now."

Passing down the hallway was quite the experience for Danny and Sam, as several looks were cast their way. The multiple connections they had to Dash were making it hard for people to not glance their way with pity in their gaze.

He was their tormentor, their old friend, their newly acquired group member, and their bully of years. What would happen now was anyone's guess, but no one was very optimistic about the outcome of this situation.

Tucker's thoughts were mainly calm, but there was some trepidation as to what would become of the bond that Dash and the rest of the trio had begun to form. Things would be ten times as personal if Dash started back in on them now. Sighing to himself, Tucker headed straight for his math class, content with just listening in on the gossip and seeing what the general feeling was. It wasn't looking very good.

Danny was feeling mixed emotions, but it wasn't because he was confused. His feelings about the situation ran somewhere along the lines of, 'I knew he'd end up backstabbing us…I can't believe we were getting along and then he'd go back to them.'

The other feelings were coming from the girl he was watching open a locker, head down, frown apparent on her pretty face. Memories were flashing across her mind in a whirlwind and she was doing her best to keep them down, lest Danny worry more about her than he was presently doing…

"What?" Sam glared at the boy standing off to the side, "You suddenly remember you were friends with me?"

"I ain't friends with a freak show like you, Manson," he spat back at her.

"Aw," the other boy glared at her, "You sound mad, Sam…"

"Just leave me the hell alone," Sam said miserably and held her head in her hands, the pain from getting slammed against the wall starting to take over.

"Heh," the blonde boy laughed slightly, "She's cussing now…"

"Sam?" Danny's voice broke her from her memory and she quickly grabbed the notebook she needed and slammed her locker shut, "You ready?"

"Yeah," she smiled back at her best friend, "Sorry I just zoned out for a minute there."

"It's cool," he smiled again, "So lets…"

"Hey, uh," Dash broke into their conversation, opening his locker in a rush, "do we need the books in class today Fenton?"

Sam and Danny just stared in confusion.

"What?" Sam eyed him carefully, 'Why's he acting like we're all still friends…isn't he back on the 'A-list' now?'

"I asked Danny Fenton," he drew the boy's name out slowly, almost like he was teasing, "if we needed our books in the next class. I kinda' forgot if we did or not from yesterday."

"Uh yeah," Danny frowned incredulously, "but why're you still talking with us?"

"Danny," Sam admonished him, "Ever think of being subtle?"

"Not really," Danny stated unhappily and moved in front of her, feeling how upset she was and acting on it, "It's kinda' something we need to know don't you think?"

"What's your problem all of a sudden," Dash frowned at the way they were acting, "Not good enough for you now that I'm back on the 'A-list'?"

"No," Sam peered over Danny's shoulder on tiptoe, "it's actually the other way around. Forgive me for being skeptical, but you're going to have to prove to me that you aren't just trying to play us for a laugh, Dash."

"Whatever," he shook his head at her, but stopped when he noticed the set of Danny's jaw and the furrow of Sam's brow, "You guys are serious. Look, just because I'm back on the 'A-list' doesn't mean I'm just gonna' drop you guys."

Danny just nodded his head, his stance and face relaxing slightly, 'It never hurts to give someone the benefit of the doubt. It's worked for me before, hopefully I'll be right again.'

"We don't need our book today," Danny gave the boy a small smile, "but we needed to bring our map pencils for some diagram thing."

The feelings of Danny relaxing slightly and letting go of his anger washed over Sam and soothed her, the emotional storm she was riding started to settle slightly, 'Please don't let this be like last time. He isn't a bad person…just gets caught up in things too easily.'

Moving on to their classes, the three smiled to one another and wanted to believe so badly in one thing, that their determination to see it through almost made it fact in their minds.

'It won't turn out the way it has before.'

'I'm not gonna' let things happen like they did before.'

'Things are going to be different this time around.'

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"So this is why Mr. Lancer wanted to talk to you after class and why you showed up in my room at 3 last night…it wasn't really because you wanted me to take Matches to the vet with you was it?" Sam eyed the destruction of one of the English classrooms, "This is why you were feeling kinda' jumpy last night."

Wincing at the mutilated books that lay around him, Danny just nodded slightly, gently prodding a book that had somehow survived the massacre.

"Yeah, and I got stuck helping him out and Mr. Lancer dragged the story out of me this morning," Tucker folded his arms as he took it all in, "You are one lucky Goth girl that you weren't there when Danny and I fought this thing, or you'd be having clean up duty too."

"I can stay if you want," Sam glanced around the room in horror. It would take hours to clean it up and get rid of all the scraps of books that were laying everywhere, "I take it this ghost hated books?"

"Something like that," Danny mumbled as Lancer walked in with cleaning supplies and garbage bags, "You better get out of here Sam, you've got that report due tomorrow and you don't want to get drafted…"

"Right," Sam turned to find her vice-principal looking down at her, "I'm really, uh, sorry about the classroom and all the books, Mr. Lancer. It really is pretty bad."

"Yes," the man looked like he was about to cry, "The carnage is unbelievable…"

"I'll just let you three get to your cleaning," Sam quickly made her way to the door, "Uh, call me when you guys get home or something."

A faint whimper from Lancer was the last thing she heard as she high tailed it out of the English wing and started out of school.

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

Pulling her coat tighter around her and making sure her gloves and scarf were secured on her person, Sam pushed open the school doors and made her way down the stairs, only to be stopped by someone tugging gently on the end of her scarf.

"Mind if I walk with you for a while?" Dash asked cautiously.

"That's fine," Sam started to walk again, the boy falling in beside her, "So what was up with Paulina and lunch today?"

"She just wanted to tell me I was back in and I was kinda' catching up with everyone at lunch," he tucked his hands firmly into his letterman's pockets, "It's really cold out here."

"Not as cold as a ghost," Sam smirked knowingly, and laughed to herself at Dash's puzzled half-nod, "I guess I'm glad for you that you're group is working things out."

"I dunno'," Dash frowned and looked down at the young woman walking beside him, "I don't really like it. I used to like being with the 'A-list', but now it's different. It's like their conversations are all about the same thing, but with different names thrown in. The guys all talk about sports and trends and girls, and the girls all talk about clothes and rumors and guys."

"We do that too," Sam looked up at him from the corner of her eye, "You've been hanging around with us long enough to know that."

"It's different though," Dash struggled to find the words to explain it to her, "You guys are mean to each other, but you know you can do it. You're friends and it doesn't matter, 'cause you know you're kidding around. They're serious though, they really think what they say about other people is true."

"I guess," Sam shrugged, "They've always seemed shallow, now I just know for sure they are."

"I never really thought about it before," Dash shrugged as well, "I guess they just seem like they're acting stupid…like little kids or something. Not that you guys don't act like little kids too…just not bratty I guess."

"That's one way to put it," Sam gave a small laugh, "Hey, are you doing that big flower sale thing on Valentine's Day?"

"Nu-uh," Dash shook his head, "That's the NHS's department, not anything I'm in. Why?"

"I was just trying to find someone to help me stop it," Sam grinned and geared up for a rant, "It's a waste of flowers, a waste of nature. We can't eat carnations, and we can't reuse them after they're given to a person. I mean, what's the purpose of…"

"Dude," Dash looked down at her, "Chill. They're flowers. They don't have any other reason to live except to look nice for someone. They're probably grown just for stuff like this."

"Fine, believe what you want," Sam shook her head, not in the least bit perturbed by him cutting her off, "I just don't get the point of it."

"Don't tell me you don't want to get at least one flower on Valentine's Day from someone," he rolled his eyes, "I mean, even I can see how you and Fenton act and that's saying something."

Sam rolled her eyes in response to his eye roll, "Whatever, and besides, I've gotten flowers before. It's a nice gesture, but it doesn't last very long. They wilt and die."

"Heh," Dash just shook his head, "I know for a fact that if Fenton gave you one, you wouldn't think that."

Sam actually stopped walking for a moment to stare at the boy's retreating back, 'My God he's an audacious boy. I can't believe he just said that.'

"So what did you tell him you wanted?" Dash kept walking and asked back over his shoulder, snapping her from her trance and causing her to catch up.

"I actually didn't tell him what I wanted," Sam said brightly, a malicious grin lighting her face, "I'm making him and Tucker figure it out. All I really want is this book called 'Wicked' that's been out for a while now. I've heard its an interesting read."

"'Wicked'?" Dash repeated, then frowned at her, "Somehow it fits, Manson. All I want is this one comic book I can't find. Fenton's got a copy of it I think, but we haven't really talked about his collection as much because he likes some of the series that I hate."

"Which one did you want?" Sam asked curiously, genuinely surprised that he was into comic books. A corresponding wave of slight jealousy churned in her stomach, and she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at what Danny was feeling and the fact that he had finally figured out she was talking to someone, 'Just like the time with the letter…'

"It's number 23 in the G. Rangers series," Dash smiled bashfully, "I know it's kinda' a kid's series, but I've liked it forever and have nearly every one of them."

"So what you're saying," Sam smirked as they came to the road where they parted ways, "is that you're just as weird as the rest of us that you used to make fun of. What a shameful secret Baxter…"

"You got me there," he smiled and they split paths, "See ya' at school."

"Yeah see ya'," and Sam continued on her way, several thoughts running through her head and a comfortable feeling settling over sent to her from her halfa. It was calming and just what she needed at the moment, and reciprocation was more than likely appreciated by the boy.

Getting caught up in the loop they had just created, Sam walked happily the rest of the way to her house, and as she slipped in she looked back towards the school, 'Thanks Danny…you don't even have to know what's going on to know when I need a friend…but I know someone else who's going to need a friend for a while. Hope it all works out…'