Danny was awakened by a tap between the shoulders. He awoke with a start and found himself looking at Tucker.
"Someone's jumpy," said Tucker.
Danny scowled. "I'm not jumpy. How would you feel if I suddenly woke you up from a nice nap?"
Sam sighed. "What are we going to do with you? You can't go home...." Then she perked up. "You can come with me. My parents always wanted me to get a pet. Tucker can say you're sleeping over at his house all weekend. Right, Tucker?"
Tucker nodded. "Whatever you say, Sam."
Sam picked up Danny and carried him off to her house.
When Danny and Sam walked away, Tucker left for his house.
Once Sam was home, her parents rushed over to her.
"Is that a cat?" inquired her mother.
Sam nodded.
Her mother reached out a hand to pet Danny, who submitted to the petting.
"He's a cute one. Not too black, either," commented Sam's mother.
"He'll have to be neutered," said her dad.
A look of sheer terror crossed Danny's feline face.
Sam's dad laughed. "He looks like he actually understands us," he chuckled.
"More than you know," thought Danny.
"Can I keep him?" begged Sam.
Her parents nodded and she ran up to her room, carrying Danny.
Sam set Danny on her bed and just looked at him. "So, you're a cat now. We need figure out how to change you back- before you get neutered."
Danny nodded. "That would be horrible," he said, trying not to think of that subject.
"Maybe we can ask this Feline Marxx ghost?" asked Sam.
Danny sighed. "How can we ask him when he's in the ghost zone? That thing is huge. It would take forever to find him."
Sam thought for a moment. "Did you forget to empty the thermos before going to bed?" she asked.
Danny considered this for a moment, then remembered. "It's full in my bedside table drawer. He was the last ghost in."
Sam nodded. "Okay, then if we empty it he'll be the first one out. That could be a good thing. That way we won't have to release any other ghosts to interview him."
"What makes you think he'll stick around for a few questions?" Danny asked.
"I don't know," sighed Sam. "We'll have to think of something-"
She was interrupted by her parents calling her- and Danny to supper.
Sam picked up Danny and headed down stairs, where there was a nice-sized supper spread out on a long table.
"What have you decided to name your cat?" asked Sam's mom.
Sam blinked. "His name is Da- Phantom," she said.
Her parents nodded. "We had some food prepared especially for Phantom."
Sam set Danny down in front of a large platter set on the floor. On the plate were some choice meats, mostly fish, and some potatoes and gravy.
Danny ate most of it, as much as he could hold. He felt somewhat grateful- he could have been eating Fancy Feast cat food.
Once Sam was finished, she took Danny back to her room, where they plotted until Sam announced she was tired, and went to change in the adjacent bathroom.
Danny waited quietly on the bed.
When Sam came out, she was wearing a black nightgown and her hair was down. She crawled beneath the sheets of her bed and she and Danny talked until she finally fell asleep in mid-sentence.
Danny curled up next to Sam and slept for a while. He awoke at three AM, knowing what he had to do.
He stood and padded softly over to the sleeping Sam. He placed both paws on her shoulders and looked into her face for a few seconds. "Sam..." he whispered as his head lowered to hers. He purred softly as his lips came into contact with hers. A kiss from a cat.
Danny stepped back and smiled slightly. Sam was still asleep. She would never know of his kiss, he meant it to be that way.
He leaped to the windowsill and nudged the window open just enough so he could get out. His first attempt at transforming ended in the white rings fizzling out an disappearing. The second time was perfect. He was now a cat version of Danny phantom.
Danny's body had changed from white to black, and the parts of him that had been black were now white. His collar was now white, with the DP symbol hanging off of it. He flew out the window and made his way to his house.
He got in by becoming intangible, then he began tugging at his bedside drawer. Once it was open, he took the thermos and disappeared down to the lab.
The lab was empty for the night when Danny entered. He set the thermos on a table and pressed the release button until Feline Marxx was out, all but his tail tip. With the thermos still holding Marxx, Danny could question him all he liked without fear that the feline villain would run off.
"How do I change back?" demanded Danny.
"Do you think I'm going to tell you?" said Marxx.
"Tell me NOW." demanded Danny, pointing a random device at Marxx.
Feline Marxx sighed. "I won't tell you how until you can complete my challenge."
"Challenge?" inquired Danny.
Marxx nodded. "I will take something you love dearly, and you will have two days to find me in the ghost zone to reclaim your precious item. If you can do that in two days, I will tell you."
"What if I don't let you out?" asked Danny.
"Silly creature, you only have four days until you are a cat forever. I am the only one who knows how to change you back. If you do not let me out, you will remain a cat for the rest of you life."
"Say I do let you out- what if I don't find my precious item in two days?" inquired Danny.
"If you don't find your item, it will be returned unharmed, but you will remain a cat-"
"For all eternity, I know," finished Danny.
After a few moments of debating, much against Danny's better judgment, he let Feline Marxx out.
Before Marxx disappeared into the portal, he told Danny one last thing. "Expect your precious item to be gone when you awake in the morning."
Danny sighed and flew off back to Sam's, where he curled up next to her warm body.
