Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Danny Phantom.

Chapter Two: Hung Up

Two years later, Sam sat in her senior year with Tucker. School had felt like a prison today, the outside much more inviting despite the clouds slowly gathering in a threat of rain. The two walked down the street, side-by-side, Tucker with his backpack over both shoulders, Sam carrying a brief-case style bag looped around her fingers which resting over her shoulder.

Sam sighed, wondering for the millionth time, where Danny could be. Ghosts rarely were seen now, so did that mean he was still fighting them, wherever he was? She, nor Tucker, had breathed a word of how Danny most likely went missing to his parents- using his ghost powers. No, after all of this time, they still didn't tell. Jazz confessed to them she knew, and during the first year tried all they could to find him, but failed. So during the second year, the three joined Danny's parents into sorrow.

Waving good-bye to Tucker as she headed inside, Sam locked the door behind her, knowing her parents were out on another business trip. Going upstairs, she flopped down on her bed, stomach first, facing her laptop. Booting it up, she checked her email, then closed the window while staying logged on, so any emails would be alerted to her. Sighing she started her homework, pausing a few times to glance at the photo that had been taken a little over three years ago, when they were all fifteen, right before Danny really started to change- she wondered now how she had missed it.

Her parents tried to encourage her to try and move on the best she could, like others were starting to slowly do, but she just couldn't. It was like they thought he was dead. They didn't find a body did they? Frowning, Sam sat up and leaned over to pick the photo up. It had been taken by Jazz, of the trio sitting on a park bench during the summertime, all of them eating ice-cream. They hadn't seen Jazz until the flash went off, so they weren't looking at the camera, but off to one side. Sighing, Sam put the picture back. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't stop looking at the skies, looking down alleys, as if hopping to see Danny there.

A small ding came from her computer, and she found it to be an invite to an instant-message talk with Tucker. Opening it, she found Tucker's usual greeting in underlined type, while her own words were in bold.

Hey Sam!

Hey Tucker.

I was walking past the good 'ol Fenton Works and heard something explode. Sounds like Danny's parents are starting to invent things again.

Well, they did put it off for two years…

Sam, you sure you don't wanna hang out again tonight?

Tuck, I've been over to your house so many times, it's like I live there.

Alright, alright. But if you wanna come over to talk, feel free to.

I gotta go Tucker, I think I need something to eat.

See ya.

Sighing before logging off, Sam headed down to her kitchen and opened the fridge while staring blankly at it. She knew she should get something to eat, but wasn't really sure what. Was she even that hungry? Another sigh left her before she pulled out a few vegetables, and heading over to the blender, her intent to make a veggie drink. Clicking the lid on tightly she started the blender up before going to find a glass.

A sudden noise made her spin about, to find the lid on the blender was rattling. Her eyes widened when she saw the lid's clasps had been unclipped. Diving for the blender, she managed to slam her hand over the lid before its contents went flying. Clicking it off, Sam eyed the blender's lid carefully, mainly the clasps. How'd they come off? Was the Box Ghost pulling some random prank that wasn't related to boxes for once? Shaking her head, she started the blender up again, keeping her hand on the lid this time. Once she had gotten her smoothie, she headed to the downstairs TV room, skimming over movie titles.

A thud made her look over to find one of the movies had fallen from the shelf. Setting her drink down before going over to it, she found it was an old horror movie.

"One of Danny's old favorites…" Sam smiled slightly at the thought. Turning around to pick up her drink, she found it was no longer there, but on a table on the other side of the room. "Alright, either the Box Ghost felt like stalking me, or some tiny ghost who felt like being a prankster is about."Shaking her head, she put on the movie, settling down.

Sam found she had only half-paid attention to the movie, her thoughts constantly going elsewhere. Hearing the phone ring, she set down her retrieved –and now empty- glass, thinking it was most likely Tucker calling to make sure she was alright. He did that a lot, knowing she took Danny vanishing harder then anyone else.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sam!"

"I knew it was you Tucker. 'Sup?"

"Er, anything weird happen at your place lately?"

"Why?"

"Humor me."

"Well, the blender lid nearly came off after I closed it, a movie fell off a shelf, and my glass moved. So? It's probably just some tiny ghost playing tricks. It'll go away soon enough. Did for me."

"Well, it must've come to my place. 'Cause my PDA kept going to a different spot every time I turned around, my fridge door was open when I went into the kitchen and a piece of cake was missing…"

"The PDA going missing is odd, you never misplace it. But the cake? You probably ate it and forgot."

"Er, no. I think I'd remember if I ate the last piece of fudge cake…" Sam snorted slightly at this comment.

"Tucker, I think we're both going through paranoia."

"Meh… maybe you're right."

"I know I am. See ya." After hanging up, Sam made her way upstairs, yawning. Seeing how late the clock was showing, she headed up to her room.

Closing the door to her room, and turning around, Sam found someone had closed her laptop and put it on her desk, and had turned down the edge of her bed like her mother did sometimes. The lights were off, and a black candle was lit on the nightstand. Slowly going over to it, she found a small, white rose was by it. Picking up the rose, then glancing at the candle, her breath hitched in her throat when she saw a white symbol was painted on the candle. The DP symbol she had made for Danny.

A/N: This chapter was a little slower, but I couldn't have Danny appear right in the second chapter! I needed a slightly suspense-ish part first.