Woooooowee. Get ready for a bit of a long chapter. Well, it's really only 8 pages long, but seeing as I usually do 4 to 6, that's long for me. Kinda. Sorta. Hey look, a dragonfly….

Anyway, on to chapter two. Thank you everyone who reviewed! ChibiSamiSala and I love you all!

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Chapter Three

Ghostly Visitor

"You!" She gasped, surprised as they flew upwards, and she squirmed in his arms, a frustrated look gracing her features. "You really need to stop kidnapping me!"

"Aww, is that what you call it?" Big green eyes gazed down at her with feigned sadness as they lowered down, hovering mere feet above the planks of the pier behind the ride he just whisked her away from. Gently he set her down, his own feet touching ground soon afterwords. As soon as she turned to face him, she saw the familiar tall figure of Danny Phantom, the town's supposed ghostly hero. "And after I saved you, yet again from another attack."

She flushed in aggravation, crossing her arms. "You know, your always there when I need you, it sorta makes me suspicious that you might just SET those things up." She said quickly, "My brother is probably worried, I should go."

"Wait!" A strong gloved hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "I'm sure he's fine...I mean..." He looked away with a bit of a frown, obviously wearing his emotions on his sleeve - like always. "I haven't seen you in a while."

She stopped, looking back at him with a little frustration. "Phantom, I can't just run off on him..." She couldn't help but feel a little bad for the ghost, and it was obvious on her features. "What if he's looking for me…"

"You're a strong girl," He replied with a confident grin. "I'm sure he knows you're alright. Besides, it was just the Box Ghost... every Fenton knows he's no real threat."

"And so, you shouldn't have had to drag me out of there." She said firmly, crossing her arms as she slowly backed away, "Since any Fenton knows that ghost is harmless, I'm sure you do too…" And the moment she was close enough to the crowds to make a run for it, She did – and sprinted out of view.

The white-haired teen blinked as his shoulders slumped, a little more than disappointed that she ditched him so quickly. 'She must really hate me.' He thought to himself, his features falling even more. It seemed that ever since she told him she had a crush on another boy when she was twelve, she avoided him more and more. Yeah, at first she thought he was cool and easy to talk to (she told him herself) when she was younger, but now... she was growing up and quickly caught onto his little 'flirting' act he seemed to adopt around her. Damn... "AH! The ride!" He practically yelled, before going intangible and flying through the walls of the haunted house, hoping he could make it back before Sam did.

Sam panted slightly as she slowed down in the crowd, people pouring out of the ride by the dozens, cackling that they had been lucky enough to see Phantom of all people battling a ghost. It was a perfect haunted house in their opinion. "Danny!" She called out, worried that her brother might have ran off trying to find her and she'd not locate him again. The last thing he needed was to ruin his surprise birthday party...

A strong hand fell on her shoulder, followed by a worried voice. "Sam? You okay?"

She stiffened at the voice, and for a good moment she thought that her old friend-turned-stalker had followed her into the crowd. She rumpled up her nose, growling as she whirled around with her fingers curled into a ball. "I TOLD you not to follow me Pha-"

Surprisingly enough, her fist was caught before it went any further, a rather surprised Danny looking down at her curiously. "You told me not to follow you?" He asked simply, dumbfounded.

She blanched, squirming her hand out of his. "Oh...sorry Danny, I thought you were someone else…" She said quickly, her shoulders slumping in relief as she gave him a weak smile, before blowing on her fingers, her proximity to Phantom leaving her more chilled then before. "Sorry, when I saw the ghost, I panicked." She half-lied.

"Well, I'm sorry I left... tripped over the power cord." He laughed with nervous embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his head. "Tried to fix the damn thing too... sorry for losing track of you. I know how you are around ghosts..."

She shook her head, about to respond when a single white snowflake fell onto her nose, melting against her pale skin as the sky began to melt into a pallet of gray.

With a curious gaze, Danny looked up towards the sky as snow began to fall, lightly sprinkling the already ice-laden ground. "Oh, wonderful." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "Another snowfall...they're still cleaning the roads from last night, too." He reached over and pulled the cat-eared hood around his sister's head, pulling it closed in a very maternal fashion. "Why don't we head home? Don't want to get caught in this."

She fought back a blush, pulling her hood out of his hands as she shook her head, trying to stammer out something to keep him here. "Uh, I'd rather not! I mean, I didn't even get to finish my ride, we have to do something..." She had to call jazz, find out how much longer she had to stall. "I uh...I have to pee!"

"Ah...okay." He blinked a few times, not sure why she was acting so frantic. "Well the restrooms are at the front of the pier..."

"Great lets go." She grabbed his hand, dragging him along with intention, despite her little limp. "I really really have to go bad. That Cocoa went right through me." She rambled.

He let her lead him away from the haunted house (which in all it's ironic glory, really did seem to be haunted, or at least used to be), but he kept looking up at the sky periodically, looking a little worried. "Sam," He pulled her aside once they made their way to the concrete building at the pier's fence. "Go on in, but we need to leave once you're done. The sky's looking a little dark... we should get home before mom starts to worry."

"Uh sure." She said uneasily, "I might be a bit, so, don't go far." She said quickly, slipping into the bathroom to drag her cellphone out, typing her sisters number quickly as she locked a stall behind her, sitting on the toilet cover. "Come on Jazz, pick up..."

Four rings later, the rather tired voice of Jazz answered, her breath a little labored. "Sam, is that you?" There were a few voices in the background along with some clattering. "Good lord... Dad almost blew the roof sky-high with one of his new inventions. He said it was his gift for Danny..." Her voice trailed off before she yelled something incoherent away from the phone. "Sorry about that... "

"Jazz, we have a problem!" She hissed, drawing her knees up. "Danny wants to go home right now, it's snowing out here. Is everything ready? Is everyone there? I don't know how much longer I can stall..."

"Hey, hey, calm down." She said with an easy voice. "We're a little stirred up from what dad pulled, but everyone's here and we're just about ready. I'm sure by the time you drive back everything will be in place." There was a pause as Maddie's voice carried over on the other line from in the distance. "Gotta go, mom needs me to help with the candles. See you in a bit Sammy!" And with that, the phone clicked off.

she sighed, her shoulders slumping as she stood up, shivering as she tucked her cellphone away and blew on her fingers to try and warm them again. She was prone to being cold, her thin form refused to gain any body fat, or body meat to protect her from the elements. She was always getting sick, to the point that it was almost a condition. But that came with being born so early. Sometimes she told herself she wasn't meant to exist in this family at all. "Alright Danny, I'm ready to head home now..." She said quietly, withdrawn as she stepped out of the bathroom.

"...You okay?" He asked just as quietly, reaching down to feel her forehead as he checked for a fever. "You look a little down."

"I'm fine." She said simply, swatting away his hand. "Come on, let's go home." The eagerness that she had exhibited earlier was nearly gone completely, back to the distant way that she treated him a lot of the time. "Mom's worried, I called her real quick and had to listen to her and Jazz." She lied.

"Ahh, that's why..." He laughed softly, walking beside her at an even pace. Those two really did worry a little too much... their mom was always a doting parent whenever she wasn't working on her inventions, and Jazz was always fixed on giving her younger siblings a hard time about 'psychological teen stress'. More so Sam than Danny, since she was Gothic. "Well, sorry the ride didn't go as planned. Maybe we can come back tomorrow once the repairs are done."

"Nah." She shook her head, following him to the car and looking distracted as she stood next to the door, waiting for it to be opened. She was looking forward to giving Danny his present, but...As soon as they got there, she knew...She would be all over him the entire time. Just the thought put her into a depression.

"Aww, is Sammy scared of another ghost attack?" He cooed, before slipping into the car and unlocking her door for her.

She just glared at him, flopping down in her seat as she bundled her fingers into the sleeves of her jacket, blowing on them steadily to try and warm herself up. Ugh, she was going to be sniffly tomorrow and she knew it. "You and Jazz might not be bothered by them, but I cant help it. I'm sorry I'm not like the rest of the family."

"Nahh," He slipped the keys in the ignition and started the car, warm air filtering from the vents. "You don't have to be like me and Jazz and devote your career to ghost hunting. In fact, I advise against it." He backed out of the parking space, and headed towards the main road. "It doesn't exactly pay well, and it's an expensive hobby."

She snorted, grinning just a little as they drove off, Sam cuddled up in the passengers seat as she turned all the heaters on herself, quietly hoping that the girl wasn't able to make it to Danny's party.

The drive was short, as always, so by the time they pulled into the empty driveway, the heater in the car just began to kick on. Funny how that worked. "Did you need help with any of your homework this weekend?" He asked as he turned the car off and stepped out, adjusting his jacket so the collar pulled up against his jawbone.

"No." She said distractedly, peering into the windows at a distance as she saw shadows scrambling into hiding places, and she let him go ahead of her, hugging herself as she stepped out of the car and back into the snow. "Come on, I'm freezing."

He nodded and patted her back as they came upon the front door, still feeling a little bad that their outing didn't go as well as planned. Well, thus is the life of his luck... "We're home!" He called as he opened the door, already sliding his coat off.

"SUPRISE!" came a massive shout, green confetti exploding overtop of him as people blew on noise makers and a certain voluptuous girl threw her arms about his neck, planting a messy kiss on his cheek. "Happy Birthday!"

The poor boy paled the moment the light flickered on, confetti sticking in his hair as he stood there, stunned for a better word as he was promptly hugged by the dark-skinned girl, a kiss soon after. "Hey Valerie." He laughed, though he didn't look too happy about the commotion in the living room. "And here I was, thinking I got to spend my birthday in peace for once..." He sighed, wrapping an arm around Valerie's waist in a friendly manner. "God, you even drug Tucker and Greg into this?" His two friends waved meekly from behind the couch.

"What are friends for?" Tucker grinned, placing his hands on his hips as he took a few steps forward, and patted Sam on the head. "Hey Sammy! Did you two have fun at the carnival?"

Sam wrinkled her nose at the African American boy, swatting his hand off her head just as Danny's older friend swept her off her feet, swinging her around in a circle. "Sammy! It has been long since I have seen you!" Gregor laughed, ignoring the 14 year old Goth's screech of indination as she pounded on his shoulder. "GREGOR, PUT ME DOWN!"

Danny laughed as the Hungarian teen clung helplessly to his sister, Sam screaming something about 'goth indifference'. "Alright, that's enough... hands off the little sister. It's just about time for her afternoon scowl."

Gregor just grinned, setting the frail girl down before pressing a playful kiss to her forehead. "Ah never any fun for me."

Sam flushed angrily, feeling as the odd one out as Valerie quietly twined her fingers with Danny's own, a warm blush on her face. "Come on Danny, we have presents and games waiting for you."

"Presents I can do. But I'll pass on the games, knowing dad will have his collection of board games out." The raven-haired boy laughed nervously, resting his forehead against Valerie's as he gave her a cute smile.

"Well, I threw the Halloween version of Monopoly in the trash last week..." Jazz replied.

"JAZZYPANTS HOW COULD YOU!"

"Now Jack, calm down. I just bought the new one yesterday. So no harm done." Maddie said easily, smiling at all of them. "Now who wants cake?"

Sam didn't say anything, having quietly moved away from the Hungarian teen and his friends, making her way up the stairs as stealthily as she could.

The group down below continued on even as she left, but she was far from forgotten. More than a few times Tucker called from the living room for Sam to come join them, sometimes joined by Gregor, but after they were met with silence, their efforts thinned as the evening went on. Hours passed as the cake was passed around (filled with clear green icing, as courtesy of Maddie's creative insight), and the presents were distributed. Danny started making a fuss not long into the party, having no particular taste for big social get-togethers, especially when it was centered around him. He was just like his younger sister - he didn't like to be the center of attention, it made him feel uneasy. But it seemed as though every year his parents were able to successfully tie him down and make him spend the evening with family and friends, even if their numbers could be counted on a single hand. As the clock struck nine, everyone settled down to watch a movie - of course, only after Tucker called for Sam once more, hoping the younger goth girl would at least join them for a movie. But alas, Sam insisted on staying in her room, obviously upset about something. And of course it didn't have anything to do with the fact that Valerie and Danny were constantly cuddling. Of course not.

And Danny's present sat unmoved beside the girls bed as she cuddled under her comforter, tugging on an extra pair of toe socks before pulling on her warmest night dress, complete with a lolita styled hood, and she hugged her knees, puffing out her cheeks angrily as the more louder moments from downstairs drew her attention, mostly, when ever Valerie laughed, or said something sweet to Danny. God it was almost too much to bear. Her heart felt like it would break.

Not too long after the house became quiet as the movie played, a cold wind passed through her room and chilled the girl in an unearthly manner. "Something wrong, Sammy?" A voice whispered in her ear, cold breath wafting against her skin.

She jumped, gasping as she toppled out of bed, limbs flailing, utterly tangled up in her blanket. "P-Phantom!" she squeaked, violet eyes wide as her heart beat out of control in her chest. "Don't SCARE me like that!'

The white-haired ghost teen materialized on her bed, looking down at her with a bit of a scowl. "Well," He propped his chin up against one hand as he watched her writhe out of the sheets she was tangled in. "Maybe I wouldn't have if you hadn't ditched me earlier today."

"I wouldn't have ditched you if you had chosen a better time to bother me." She said annoyed tone, to upset really to argue much with him, and she stood up, smoothing out her dress as she eyed the white haired man warily. "Come to try and drive me insane as well?"

"Hey," He gave her a defensive look, sitting up and crossing his legs as green eyes stared at her intensely. "What's with you lately? No offense, but I haven't done anything to you." His scowl turned into more of a pout. "We used to be close... but lately you've been treating me like you do Tucker and Gregor."

She met him with a defensive look, before lowering her eyes. "As of late you've been acting a lot like tucker or Gregor." She said unhappily, sitting down on the bed a good distance from him. "You keep flirting with me..." the way she said it, it almost sounded like she didn't understand why anyone would.

"Well..." He looked off towards nothing in particular, a small blush creeping up on his cheeks. "Maybe it's because you're growing into a beautiful young lady."

His blush was matched by her own, and she looked off to the side, a little frustrated. "You shouldn't though... I like someone else... I told you that before..."

The familiar cold air swept across her arms as the weight on her bed shifted, Phantom's cheek almost touching her as he leaned into her, suddenly inches away from her. "Aww, who is it? C'mon, you can tell me" He grinned, a playful tone dancing in his voice.

"Phantom!" She squeaked, pulling away from him the best she could, her cheeks heating more as she felt the cold across her skin. "Why should I tell you?" She asked defensively. "Are you going to go out and bother him half to death?" honestly though, Danny probably wouldn't be bothered by this guy. They were kind of alike, in a way.

"Awww..." His green eyes shimmered with fake crocodile tears as he leaned closer to her even though she backed away. "Of course I wouldn't! I just wanna know!"

"I'm not going to give you a name!" She said quickly, as she nearly lay flat against the bed in her attempt to get away from him. "But if you back off...I'll give you a hint."

"Alright then," He grinned at her, not backing off in the least, as if he would decide when he would depending on if he liked her answer. "Shoot."

She flushed, looking to the side, her arms starting to hurt from supporting her. "Well...he has the most gorgeous blue eyes...and dark black hair. Not the brown black, but almost blue black... Not like mine..." She bit her lip, cheeks heating the more she talked, her tone belaying her feelings. "He's protective, and always looks out for me and I've loved him for ever, more then I should." She felt a bit bitter, "And its never meant to be...but I cant help myself..."

He slowly backed off, giving her breathing space as he gave her an almost melancholic expression. "Has he really been giving you this much pain?" He paused for a moment, emerald eye gazing at the soft comforter they both sat on. "I mean...maybe it's too much to trouble yourself with him."

She slowly sat up, folding her hands in her lap, almost relieved that she could talk to him almost normally again. "I wish it was... but it would hurt so much more to not love him." She said quietly, biting her lip. "I...I don't think he has any clue either... He's always with this other girl who hates me I know it...and..." She looked up at him, wincing. "I doubt you want to hear any of this...I mean...I guess you're in the same position..." Great. Now she felt hurt and guilty.

"Nah." He replied quietly, still not quite catching her gaze in his own. "I mean, I've always been fond of you, Sam. I really do care for you... so I don't mind listening to your problems or anything, if that's what you're saying." He paused and sighed. "I guess I feel a little dejected, but... I'm fine with it as long as I get to spend time with you like we used to."

"Nah." He replied quietly, still not quite catching her gaze in his own. "I mean, I've always been fond of you, Sam. I really do care for you... so I don't mind listening to your problems or anything, if that's what you're saying." He paused and sighed. "I guess I feel a little dejected, but... I'm fine with it as long as I get to spend time with you like we used to."

She dropped her eyes to the bed, her cheeks warming. "Thank you, Phantom..." She murmured, "I really have...missed having you as my confidant." She lifted her eyes up to him, a faint smile dancing on her lips. "I knew you were my best friend for a reason."

The specter's glowing green eyes seemed to sparkle when she said those words, and in an instant, he soundlessly floated down to the floor beside, her pulling her into his cold arms with a warm smile on his features. "Thanks Sam," He spoke, his cheek pressing against hers as he refused to let her go. "That really means a lot to me."

She shivered softly, leaning into his familiar chill as she wrapped her arms about him as well, burying her face into his shoulder as she took comfort in how much he cared for her. "What is wrong with me, Phantom?" She asked softly, hugging him tighter as she felt tears well at her eyes.

He blinked, backing up just enough so that he could look down at her while still holding her securely in his arms. Gently he placed one gloved hand to the back of her head, his gaze softening as his fingers ran through her raven colored locks. Was she...crying? "Hey," He whispered softly, his embrace tightening ever so slightly. "There's nothing wrong with you..."

She shook her head into his shoulder, nibbling on her lip. "Today's his birthday. I can't even get the guts up to give him his present. I saved up all year for it..." Her voice lowered even more, fighting back tears.

There was a long pause in his actions, as if he was surprised by her statement - a little more than he should. "W-why?" He asked, voice cracking just slightly. "It's just a gift... why go through so much trouble?"

"Because...I want it to be special." She rubbed at her eyes angrily. "I didn't want it to be just some gift that he gets in a group from his friends. I just...I don't know." She opened watery violet eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip. "A part of me wants him to notice, but I know he wont, and he shouldn't." She looked over at the carefully wrapped package. "I'm an idiot really..."

'Well, it is a little weird that you want to make sure it's special for no apparent reason...' He thought to himself, but didn't say anything. "You're not an idiot." He insisted, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers, green eyes meeting damp violet ones. "You're a wonderful person who cares about her family. That doesn't make you an idiot."

She jumped, her eyes widening as she yanked back. "I never said it was for my family!" She panicked, eyes widening. "What made you think that?"

Immediately the ghost teen became paler than he already was, his voice stammering as he tried to think up a good excuse. "W-Well I couldn't help but notice when I came here, there were a lot of people downstairs!" He defended quickly. "I just figured maybe it was your dad's or brother's birthday, because you did say 'his birthday'..." He gulped, blushing slightly. "Ah... did I get that wrong?"

"Yes! VERY WRONG!" Anyone who knew her well could tell that she was panicking and lying very badly. "No no no, He just happens to have the same birthday as my brother! That's all! I mean..." Crap... "This present isn't for him."

"Oh..." He blinked, buying it completely though he could tell when she was buying. "I just figured maybe you were nervous because he has a bunch of friends down there... but I guess that's not the case." He smiled apologetically, his fingers still gently running through her hair. "Sammy, you need to stop worrying too much. Just tell the guy you like him, and I'm sure he'll return the feelings. You're an amazing, beautiful girl." He leaned in, tenderly kissing her forehead. "And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I wish I could." She sighed, flushing as he kissed her forehead. "Bu--" She paused, her eyes widening as a fist pounded on her door lightly. "Sammy, I wonder if you would like to come down." Gregor's voice reached her ears. "We are about to, how do you say, play a game outside. We need one more for a even game."

Phantom looked towards the door with a nervous look, half expecting the visitor to walk in. That would be the last thing he needs, since the position he and Sam were in could look very compromising. With a soft tap to her head, he winked at her, grinning lightly. "Go ahead and have fun, okay? You need it." He whispered.

She half smiled at him, giving a half hug quickly before nodding. "I'll see you around phantom." And with that she quietly stood up, waiting for him to leave before making another move.

Almost immediately after she left is embrace, he faded from sight, most likely flying off through the roof.

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See, look. I CAN do chapters that don't end in cliffhangers. I just like 'em like that. xD

Yes, yes… as you can probably guess, both Tucker and Gregor (Who happens to be really Hungarian), have blatant crushes on Sam. Haha. Lolicons.

Believe it or not, this should be the last chapter before the plot picks up and finally takes hold. Look forward to the next update! Until next time, y'all!

Zoey