Saturday was a surprisingly nice day for November, one that should be taken advantage of in any way possible. It was standard procedure for Sam and Tucker to spend Saturdays together unless otherwise specified, and Sam was actually looking forward to it. Only, their housekeeper canceled on them, which meant Sam had to take over all the chores that needed to be done. She had already cleaned the house, did the laundry, cleaned the dishes, and was just heading home from the grocery store with some items for Ida with Tucker on speaker.

"Why would you choose errands over hanging out with me?" Tucker's voice rang out through the speakers of Sam's car, and she was glad he wasn't able to see her roll her eyes.

"I didn't really have a choice. Some of us have priorities," she answered, adding that last quip as a joke.

"Best friends are priorities, too," he countered, causing her to chuckle.

"Danny's also my best friend but you don't see me spending every waking moment with him."

"You'd like that, though, wouldn't you?" His comment made her squint her eyes in a menacing way, even though she wasn't visible to him.

"Stop it."

"Stop what? You're the one who confided in me about him."

"Yeah, in confidence. You better not have told him anything," she said sternly as she turned onto her street.

"I didn't. That'd be breaking the code. Are you ever going to say something to him about it?"

"Nope."

"So you're going to suffer in silence."

"It'll go away eventually." Tucker tried not to sigh at her stubbornness, wishing it was easier to find a way to break through. She wasn't like Danny who wore his heart on his sleeve, ultimately making him easier to read. Sam was indeed very close with Tucker and had told him a lot of personal things, but he couldn't help but feel like she was still holding back.

"You're really fight or flight with feelings, huh?" He finally asked her, causing her to shrug.

"Feelings go away."

"And how's that working out for you?" Even when she was bottling up how she felt, it was times like these where she was surprised at how well he knew her, despite them being best friends for only a few months. Trying to ignore how she felt was only making things worse, but she assumed they would go away in time, even if it meant she had to suffer for the time being. She let out a soft sigh as she pulled up to her house, setting the car in park before rubbing her temples as if that would rid of the pent up frustration that she had.

"I just got to my house and still have a few things to do. Call you later?" She asked, cutting the conversation short.

"Yeah, no problem. Later."

"Later." She ended the call before turning the car off, gathering up the groceries and taking them inside. Ida was already in the kitchen reading the newspaper, so Sam set the three bags of products on the counter in front of her.

"I got your stuff," Sam told her, causing Ida to look up.

"Thank you, dearie. Did you move the garbage cans back to the side of the house yet?"

"I'm doing it now." Sam turned around and walked out the door and to the mailbox to grab the two empty garbage cans that belonged elsewhere. Upon placing them back in their spot next to the house, Sam noticed her terrace had tipped over. She just assumed it may have fallen after Danny used it but it was too big for her to move by herself and she needed it back so he could continue to use it. Heading back inside, she started putting away Ida's groceries for her.

"Is someone going to put the terrace back up?" Sam asked her.

"I know, it's been long enough," Ida responded, causing Sam to pause at the counter and raise an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean? It just fell recently, hasn't it?"

"Sam, that thing fell at the end of the summer. Your father said he would take care of it and completely forgot about it. It's been on the ground ever since." That left Sam utterly confused. If her parents were home when Danny came over, he said he was using the terrace to get up to her room, but if it fell in the summer as Ida said, that was before she had even met him which left her with the question: how did he get to her second-story window?

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, but Ida didn't even look up from the paper as she answered.

"The Alzheimer's hasn't kicked in yet, dear." Usually, Sam would retort back in a playful manner, but her head was in other places and she instead suddenly went up to her room. Rushing over to the window, she quickly opened it to look out and around, trying to find anything Danny could have used to climb up to her room with but failing. Frustrated, she closed the window back up and crossed her arms over her chest. None of this made sense to her. What did he do? Float? The second that word crossed her mind, an alarm went off in the back of her head. The book she had finished more than once mentioned that among other things, but that book was about the paranormal and Danny was human, wasn't he? Only ghosts floated, and Danny didn't look like a ghost at all... but what if that was it? What if, even if he looked human, he still had the powers of a ghost? That still left a question lingering: how did it happen? All evidence pointed towards the lab, but what could possibly do that? Maybe some sort of contamination? Trying to remember exactly what she saw in the basement, a shade of glowing green crossed her mind and where it came from: the portal. Even if it sounded crazy, Sam was actually beginning to believe it was possible. It was clear to her now that all this time he really wanted her to find out, finally picking up on the clues he was leaving.

All the strange occurrences that had happened to her when she was around him started making sense: he floated up to her room, he used intangibility to snatch her keys from her, the green glow she saw often could be his ghostly aura, he was nervous around the weapons in the lab because they could actually hurt him. Although shocked at this new discovery, she started to let all of the information sink in, and suddenly started to feel bad for him. Even if Jack and Maddie were isolating him to protect him, she felt like acceptance was more important than anything.

Sam lied face up on her bed, staring at the ceiling as thoughts raced through her head. Now she could see why Danny was so confused and unsure about certain decisions. Some people whom he loved haven't treated him any differently since it's happened, but other people he loved were trying to fix him. She was so lost in her own head that her phone ringing actually startled her, causing her to jump a little. Seeing it was Danny calling, she collected herself before answering.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Not a lot. I just wanted to know when I would be able to come," he responded as Sam rose from her bed and walked toward her window.

"You can come now if you want. My parents aren't coming home until tomorrow."

"Alright, give me like, twenty," he told her while Sam leaned her head out the window, getting an idea.

"Oh, can you come through my window still? It's just Grandma home, but you know, better safe than sorry," she added, staring at the fallen terrace as she awaited his answer.

"No problem. See you in a bit." Upon his response she hung up her phone, only wanting more evidence to use when she would finally talk to him about everything.

Not wanting to hound him with a hundred questions when he first arrived, she decided to set up her Xbox so they could play when he got here. She didn't want to risk scaring him off right away and thought he would be more open if he was relaxed first.

When Danny finally arrived, through the window he did enter, but Sam wasn't going to bring anything up to him until later on. Although it was a little challenging to hide the fact that she knew his secret, she almost wanted to kick herself for it. No matter what he was, it had nothing to do with who he was as a person and he was still the same Danny. She wanted nothing else than for everyone else to feel the same about it, too. It was only after their third round playing the most recent Tekken game that Danny finally sighed and held his hands up.

"Alright, I give up. You always beat me, at least virtually," he told her, resulting in a scoff from her in return.

"What do you mean virtually?" She questioned as she stood up to change games, causing Danny to do the same.

"We can have a real-life fight right now and see who comes out on top," he joked as she turned to face him, shaking her head with an amused smile.

"I'll have you know I took karate for exactly one year when I was twelve," she told him amusingly as if she wasn't years out of practice.

"Oh, yeah? Do you know this move?" He suddenly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, her arms dangling down his back before they started flailing.

"This isn't any sort of move! Put me down!" She protested, wiggling in his arms, but he only made a questionable face.

"I was thinking it was more of a wrestling move if anything," he continued as if Sam wasn't struggling against him.

"Even if it was, you'd have to finish it. I just can't be dangling," she informed him with a roll of her eyes, but that only made Danny smirk.

"If you say so." He walked over to her bed before he basically flung her off of him, causing her to bounce on her bed at least once before she landed near the middle of it.

"You're a pain, you know that right?" She asked him, causing him to smile smugly down at her until he saw something in the corner of his eye that distracted him. Turning his head he saw that on one of her nightstands was the book Tucker told him about, and he walked over to it to examine it. Picking it up with his left hand, he used his right to flip through the pages.

"Studies of the Paranormal?" He asked as if he wasn't aware of it previously. "Coming for my brand, huh? How'd you like it?"

"Well, I read it twice if that answers your question. I mean, I'm no expert unlike your parents but if we had a conversation about anything ghost-related, I should be able to keep up," she answered, but noticed that Danny was quiet as he placed the book back where it was before he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"So, what do you think about ghosts?" He inquired, and Sam had a quick flashback of when they had first talked. At the time, she wasn't sure what the purpose of the question was. Now, everything starting to come together.

"You know, that's not the first time you've asked me that. It seems my opinion about it is important to you. Why is that?" The look on Danny's face told her that he was aware of what she was getting at, but he still seemed unsure about admitting it to her, so she decided to do it for him. "I know, Danny," she told him softly, and he was so still he was almost frozen.

"Know what?" She gave him an apologetic look, knowing it was scary for him to let somebody else know his secret, but it was obvious he wanted her to know. He dropped too many hints around her for it not to be true, so she decided to expose it herself.

"How'd you get up to my room?" She asked him, and the sudden off-topic question caused him to raise an eyebrow.

"Your terrace. You know that already."

"You mean the terrace that's been lying in the grass since the summer?" He suddenly became quiet again, knowing she would catch on eventually, especially after reading that damn book. "You've given me all the clues to figure it out. You floated up to my room, you were weary around your parents' inventions, how you took my keys without me even detecting it..." Danny continued to stay silent, looking down at his feet until Sam took his hand and pulled him down next to her on the bed. "How did it happen?" She asked, and he finally let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"It was the beginning of freshman year. Tucker and I came down to see the portal shortly after my parents built it. They said it wasn't working so we didn't think any danger of it. I got the bright idea to go inside and check it out, so I grabbed a hazmat suit and put it on before I entered. Turns out my parents forgot to flip a switch on the inside, and I thought I was doing them a favor by turning it on, but the next thing I know... I'm getting electrocuted. I passed out and when I woke up... I was half ghost." At this point in their friendship, he knew they were way past judgment, but this was something completely different than anything anyone could imagine. However, even if it sounded cheesy, he always felt Sam was different than all the others, too. His first encounter with her proved it and left him curious for more, never having someone who didn't know much about him sympathize and care for him. She, on the other hand, had more questions than anything about all of it, and he knew none of his answers would make her treat him differently than before.

"The accident somehow infused ghost DNA with your own?" She assumed, causing him to nod.

"Basically. My ghost half looks different than my human form, but I can use my powers in either."

"Can you show me?" Even though he knew the question was coming, it still didn't stop the tension he felt. He nodded and backed away a few feet, not wanting to blind her in the midst of transformation.

"It will be bright at first, but you'll get used to it," he said, trying to prepare her, but she only raised an eyebrow.

"What will be bright?" A sudden flash lit up the room, and out of habit, she looked away just for a second. When she set her eyes back on Danny, his appearance had changed dramatically. His normal shirt and jeans were replaced with a black and white hazmat suit, his hair was inverted to white, and his eyes were a familiar green, the same as the portal. Although his ghost half was a sight in itself, he still looked the same to her. He had the same face that she caught herself looking at more than enough, but her eyebrows furred together while in thought.

"We're best friends, Danny. Why were you so embarrassed to tell me?" She wondered, but he suddenly turned agitated, looking at her as if he didn't get why she couldn't understand the depths of the situation.

"Because I'm a freak! So much so that my parents have dedicated the past five years of their lives trying to fix me, as if I have a disease or something! How can anyone accept me when my own parents can't?" His outburst didn't surprise her knowing all the pent up rage he had about the situation. Danny shared his thoughts and feelings often with the people he was close to, but his ghost half and parents were something he barely even talked to Tucker about. After keeping his feelings bottled up for so long, it was no wonder he was emotional.

However, it was almost as if he immediately regretted raising his voice in any sort of way and turned away from her, staring out her window as he rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit but also something he did when he was feeling stressed. Sam rose from the bed and came up from behind him, nudging his arm to make him turn around and face her.

"Danny, look," she placed her hands on his shoulders as if to make sure he wasn't going to go anywhere, "Tucker accepts you. Jazz accepts you... and I accept you. Your parents do, too. They're just going with the best option they think will protect you more," she explained to him, but he only snorted and rolled his eyes.

"They got a funny way of showing it," he muttered, but Sam gave him a disappointing look.

"Just because you're different doesn't mean you're a freak. The fact that you have something special like this is incredible, okay?" That seemed to lift his spirits a little bit and she pulled him into a hug, wanting him to know that she really meant what she had said. She found herself hanging on for maybe a little longer than she intended and stepped away, a nervous chuckle almost escaping her.

"So... can I see?" She asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"See what?"

"What you can do," she clarified, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" She answered with a nod of her head and an eager smile, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself at how acceptive she was, almost feeling stupid for being so afraid of what she would think of him. The question made him wonder where he could even start, so he decided to just start at the beginning. "So flying, invisibility and intangibility were the first powers I got." He briefly demonstrated them one after another, knowing there was a decent amount to cover. "My ghost sense was another power, but I can't control it."

"You can sense when there are other ghosts around?" She assumed by the name, causing him to nod.

"You'll see it when it happens. It looks like mist is coming out of my mouth."

"As if you're cold?"

"You know how people say the temperature drops when there's a ghost in the room? Turns out we're pretty cold." He grasped her hand to prove his statement and Sam could feel a noticeable difference. It wasn't as if he was as cold as ice, but he was definitely cold enough for anyone to question it.

"Ectoblasts were next," he continued to list, holding up a glowing green hand to showcase it. The only thing she could really explain how they looked like were glowing green static globes, just way cooler. "Then overshadowing and duplication."

"Overshadowing?" Sam asked, looking for some clarification.

"I can take over people's bodies. I know, sounds invasive which is why I try not to do unless I have to. Oh! Last year I found out I can do this," he held out his hand with his palm pointing upwards before blue auras started to swirl above it in front of their eyes. Suddenly, a rose made out of what she assumed to be ice formed almost clearly, and she couldn't help but stare at it in awe.

"Ice powers?" She guessed, causing Danny to nod.

"Cryokinesis. To put it simply, I can use the cold inside of me to form anything using ice," he cleared up before he gripped the rose by the stem and held it out to her.

"You're letting me have this?" She asked, looking into new but familiar green eyes and taking the rose in her hands, surprised that it wasn't nearly as cold as she thought it would be.

"I made it for you to keep. Hopefully forever," he added, rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand.

"This won't melt?"

"No, but it can shatter, so just be careful with it."

"Trust me. I'm not letting anything happen to this." She walked over to her dresser to place the small ice sculpture on top, still staring at it in amazement as she backed away from it. She was realizing Danny's mood had changed, feeling comfortable around her already in his ghost half instead of feelings of doubt and worry. Turning around to face Danny, she spoke up again as she sat down cross-legged on her bed.

"How did you find out you could do all this?"

"Mostly by accident to be honest. Once I accidentally did something I would focus on it for weeks or even months to learn to control it," he answered, walking over to the bed before sitting down next to her.

"So what do you do with them?" The question threw him off guard, not really thinking he could do much with them.

"Huh?"

"Your powers," she clarified, causing him to scoff.

"Besides sit in my room?" He asked with an eyebrow raised, joking at his own expense before he shrugged. "Well, my parents didn't really want me trying to access my ghost half. I guess they didn't want me exercising my powers, but I did anyway. Why shouldn't I learn how to control them if I was going to have them?"

"Do you ever hunt ghosts like your parents?" She questioned, making him shrug unenthusiastically.

"Sometimes. I think it's good practice but if I get seen hurt, my parents will question it."

"Do you like it?" For some reason, he didn't know what to say about that. It was a complicated answer he wasn't sure she would be able to get it.

"I think I do," he responded, and Sam could hear the revelation behind his voice as if he was admitting it out loud for the first time. "It can be dangerous and I've been hurt before, but there's a feeling I get when I win a battle. Whether I come out unscathed or not, I feel... accomplished, confident, like I have meaning or something. Nothing can beat the relief I feel every time knowing that I've kept my family and everyone else safe." Sam could tell by the way he talked how much he liked ghost hunting but was unfortunately restricted from it by his parents. After his confessions, she could see that this was something that he needed to do. If it gave him self worth and made him happy, that's all she ever wanted for him. She suddenly stood and started nodding, pacing back and forth as she thought everything over. Coming to a halt, she turned to face Danny who stayed put on her bed.

"Okay. Let's do it," she told him, making him confused.

"Do what?"

"Ghost hunt," she responded so casually, and he wasn't sure she was aware of the penalties she could face.

"Do you know how dangerous it is?"

"Duh. Why do you think I'm not letting you do it alone?" She asked ironically with a smirk.

"You really want to ghost hunt?" Danny pressed, never wanting to see her hurt but also knowing she would be too stubborn to back down.

"Yeah! We'll get Tucker in on it, too."

"How exactly are you guys going to be able to fight ghosts?"

"With your parents' weapons," she said as if it were obvious. "That's where Tucker could come in. He can help us with technology and you could help us by fixing the weapons!" He stood up and started to shake her head, feeling as if she was thinking it was that easy.

"As if I'd let myself lead you guys into danger. That's exactly what I don't want to do."

"You and I both know that once Tucker hears you're ghost fighting, he's gonna say the same thing," she countered, crossing her arms over her chest with a smug look. Danny scoffed, trying to think of more excuses to not get them involved.

"I suck at fighting, and I don't normally use my powers against others, so I'm not used to it."

"Then we can train you on Friday nights in the basement when your parents go out." The answer made him quiet, not because he was going to refuse, but because he realized that it could actually work. Sam mistook his silence as a bad thing and already started feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, Danny. I didn't mean to push you like that. You know it's up to you."

"No, no, no. You're actually making sense to me. For the first time since I've become half ghost, I'm finally excited about it. I just wish you guys would stay out of the line of fire." Sam only smiled and laughed softly before she playfully hit him in the shoulder gently.

"You know Tucker and I would do anything for you. That's something you can't change." Her words made him genuinely smile, causing Sam's heart to unexpectedly flutter a bit.

"I know. Same here." Rising from her bed, Danny walked over to the window, preparing to leave before it got too late. Sam followed pursuit, stopping in front of him to face him. "See you later," he bid her farewell before he pulled her into a hug again, wishing he didn't have to let go.

"I'll see you Monday," Sam told him as they pulled away. He gave her a lopsided grin as he stood in her open window.

"Thank you," he told her sincerely, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"Making me feel like I have a purpose." His response made her melt, but her heart stopped when he leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight," he told her before he flew off, leaving Sam nearly frozen there in shock. After standing there for a few moments with her thoughts reeling, she finally closed the curtain and immediately fell facedown onto her bed, hoping the thick comforter could suffocate her. Why did he have to be so cute? Why must he make this so hard for her? Why did he just have to make her feel this way? Those questions were definitely not to be spoken out loud by her nor anyone else, but at times it could be frustrating to keep it in.

She finally picked her head up for some air before she rolled over onto her back, staring at the ceiling while rubbing her temples then huffed.

"I need a mental break."


*Says I'll update on Halloween and doesn't until almost Thanksgiving aka Turkey Genocide Day)*

Yeah, that's my bad. I take so long because I'm writing this as I go so I really need to pay attention to detail and try to make sure what I come up with will stick with the storyline. That and I get hit with writer's block every other month ^^'

So I'm HOPING I'll update again before the New Year or on the New Year (this sounds familiar) Hopefully I can get it done :)

Invader Johnny: You know I can't resist the DxS!

lena .smith.106: Only time will tell... ;)

alex-in-w0nderland: Oh my god, that honestly means so much to me thank you T.T

Pokeshipper4life: Thank you for all the positive feedback :)) To answer your first question, I wouldn't exactly call them friends. More like acquaintances. They really only talk when they see each other at the club, outside of that there's really no contact. And for your second question, I think this chapter answered it for you lol

Sam Manson Repilica: Aww all of that means a lot to me, thank you (:

silente64: Thank you!