Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

A quick note: This chapter's only slightly shorter than its companions. I figure it makes up for that super long one we just had recently. Wow, it's been a while since I've posted for this story...

Reviews: hamanor12, Samantha-Girl Scout, Naomi-Yuko, Phantom180, Doctor Shadow, darkbunny92, Serenity the Fallen, PotterPhan21.

Chapter 7: Thanksgiving

The morning dawned peaceful and beautiful. The sky was blue, and everything looked as though it might actually be a quiet day today. That thought was soon cast aside as the sound of sirens filled the air, and fire engines raced through the city to a burning building.

"I have to get in there!" a woman screamed. "My baby's in there!" A fireman grabbed her, pulling her back. "My baby's in there!"

"I can't let you in there," he tried to speak over the woman's frantic cries. "The roof's about to collapse!"

"Somebody save my baby!" she screamed.

"Look!" A young woman now standing beside the woman pointed to a black and white blur that flew into one of the windows, smashing the glass.

The frightened mother stood watching that one window with wide, frantic eyes. She gripped her hands tightly, wringing them together. She whimpered as the sound of something crashing could be heard, fearing the worst. Tears began to fall down her cheeks, shuddering sobs wracking her frame as flames began to slowly overtake that window as well. The glass beside it burst out as flames broke free, and she screamed, ducking her head and covering it as the glass shards flew down upon them.

Another ball of flames exploded, and Danny Phantom flew out of the building completely unharmed and carrying a yellow bundle in his arms. The mother choked back a sob as she ran up to the super hero, gathering her child in her arms and mumbling gratitude after gratitude.

"Don't let him get away!" a police man shouted, running up to grab Danny. "Hold it right there!" He pointed at the phantom. "You're under arrest."

A scream was heard from the building, and someone said. "Someone's still up there!"

Danny and the police man both looked up then he turned to the officer. "I'm going."

The officer nodded, stepping back. "I'll be here when you get back."

"I'm not coming back, chief." Then he took off, heading for the window from which the screams were coming from. He smashed through another window, landing in a room nearly engulfed in flames. "Where are you?" he called out. A ball of flame burst forth, and the person screamed again. "Where are you!" he shouted. He followed the whimpers and cries, catching a glimpse of a person through a charred wall. "I'm coming to get you out of here," he called to the person, moving his way slowly toward him or her.

He reached out to touch the person's shoulder, and the person whirled around the reveal Plasmius who punched Danny, sending him flying through burning walls and smoldering doors. "How predictable," Plasmius said, throwing aside the blanket that had been his disguise and stepping toward the phantom. "What about the proposal I made you? Are you in or are you out?"

"It's you who's out, Plasmius!" Danny shouted. "Out of your mind!"

"Wrong answer!" Plasmius threw up his left hand, and crystallized shards of ectoplasm flew at Danny.

"Oh, great," Danny muttered as they flew toward him. He didn't have time to turn intangible so he leapt up and twisted to dodge the first two then managed to turn intangible for the last three.

Plasmius leapt forward with a cry, punching Danny in the face. The younger phantom ducked as two of the shards flew back like boomerangs and grunted as Plasmius kneed him in the gut. He caught Plasmius' fist and twisted his wrist, making the older phantom twist to the side. Danny shot a Ghost Ray at two of the shards, and they shattered. The third caught him in the arm, and he cried out, covering it with one gloved hand, the glowing green blood seeping between his fingers.

He leaned back as the other two came at him from two different directions, destroying themselves as they collided. Plasmius lunged at him, and Danny's hand glowed as he punched him, sending him crashing through walls. Danny raised his arms to cover his face as sparks and flames darted up then he took off through the window before Plasmius could recover and come after him again.

"No one says no to Plasmius!" the ghost shouted.

In the elevator up to the boy's apartment, Vlad was recovering from Plasmius' take-over of his body. Inside the apartment, Tucker was frantically cleaning up while Sam and Maddie were cooking. Jazz couldn't make it home for the holidays. Her schooling simply wouldn't allow it. Sam was holding the candied yams, sniffing their sweet aroma. She was wearing the red dress that Tucker had wanted her to wear before.

"Sam, will you stop goofing around!" Tucker said, carrying old newspapers to the trash.

"Tuck', relax," she said, smiling at him as she moved to set the yams on the table.

The buzzer sounded, and Tucker paled. "He's here!"

Maddie pulled the turkey out of the oven and shut the appliance, setting the turkey on the stove. "Are you ready?" she asked Tucker, hand on the doorknob.

"Uh, yeah," the young man replied, nervously dusting off his clothes.

Maddie opened the door, and Vlad smiled as he walked in. "Hello, Maddie, darling." He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I'm sorry I'm late. Work was murder." He held out the wrapped package in his hands. "I picked up a fruitcake."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Masters." She took the fruitcake and set it aside, making a face when he wasn't looking.

Vlad stepped further into the apartment, shedding his coat. "Why, who is this lovely young lady standing beside my nephew?" He smiled at Sam while setting his coat on his nephew's arm.

"Um, Sam, I'd like you to meet my uncle. Vlad, this is Sam."

"Hi." Sam shook hands with him.

"How do you do? I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Happy Thanksgiving, sir," she said.

"Oh, where is Danny?" Maddie said, interrupting the moment. "I hope he remembered the cranberry sauce."

At that exact moment, Danny flew into his bedroom still in ghost form. Everyone looked up as something thumped upstairs.

"I didn't know he was here," Tucker said.

Maddie stepped toward the stairs. "Danny? Sweetie?" Everyone followed her. "Danny, are you up here?"

Danny turned toward the door then quickly turned invisible, floating up to the ceiling so he wouldn't accidentally overshadow anyone. Everyone stepped into the empty room, and Vlad moved past Maddie and Tucker to look around.

"I thought I heard something…" Maddie mumbled.

"Maybe something just fell over," Sam said

Vlad looked around Danny's room with raised eyebrows. "He seems to be a bit of a slob."

"All brilliant men are," Maddie argued, protecting her son.

Vlad turned to go, and Danny let out a silent gasp as a drop of his glowing green blood fell from the earlier cut and dripped to the floor. Vlad whirled around as if he had heard it then looked down at the floor. He growled then looked up at the ceiling, but there was nothing. He went to the window, looking out before finally leaving the room.

Danny opened the front door a few hours later. "Hey, everyone!" The group had assembled in the living room and stood as he entered, greeting him. "Sorry I'm late. It's a jungle out there. I had to beat an old lady with a stick to get these cranberries." He held out the can to his mom who took it gratefully, hugging him.

"Now, everybody sit down," Maddie said.

The group obeyed. Tucker sat beside Sam who sat across from Danny. Vlad sat at the head of the table and shook Danny's hand before he sat. Maddie carried the turkey to the table and set it before Vlad, slapping his hand as he poked the candied yams.

"Carve the turkey, please," she said.

He smiled, barely holding back a growl, and picked up the fork and knife to carve the turkey. She smiled then looked over at Danny, gasping.

"Oh, sweetie, you're bleeding!"

Danny blinked then looked down at his arm. A red streak now covered his pale green shirt. "Oh, uh, yeah. A bike messenger knocked me down."

Vlad stopped carving the turkey, staring at the bloody wound as Maddie unbuttoned Danny's cuff and pulled back his sleeve. "Oh, that looks awful," his mother said. "I'll get the first aid kit."

Vlad stared at the cut on Danny's arm. "H-how did you say that happened?"

Danny looked at him. "Bike messenger knocked me down," he said slowly.

Vlad set the knife and fork down, standing so quickly that he nearly knocked over his chair. "Excuse me, I have to be going."

"What? Why?" Tucker followed him out.

"Something has come to my attention," he mumbled distractedly, grabbing his coat and heading out.

"Vlad!" Tucker ran after him. "What are you doing? I planned all this so you could meet Sam!"

"I have to go."

"But this girl's important to me!"

"Oh, please." Vlad looked at the young man he had raised almost as his own son. "Do you think a woman like that is hanging around because she likes your personality? She's only after the money, Tucker." He stepped inside the elevator.

"You're wrong about her, Vlad," Tucker said.

He turned around, smirking. "A word of advice to the not-so-wise about young Samantha in there: do what you want with her then dump her fast." He slammed the elevator door shut.

Sam gasped, looking away from the door that was still slightly ajar. She looked at the table, biting her lip. Danny sighed, looking away. He glanced over at Sam who was looking out the window with a look of pure anger on her face. Tucker walked back inside, shutting the door. He looked up at the table, and Sam stood, throwing her napkin aside.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Tucker," she muttered, grabbing her trench coat and shoving it on.

"You heard?" he asked.

"Everyone heard that creep." She walked toward the door, brushing past her boyfriend.

"Hey, that creep is the only father I've ever known!" Tucker shouted. "If I'm lucky I'll only become half of what he is."

Sam rolled her eyes, opening the door. She turned back to the door, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry, Maddie." Then she walked out.