A/N: Wow. It's been way too long guys. I apologize profusely. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I've lost some readers. Well, here's the new chapter, finally. Sorry I've kept you guys so long.
Danny collapsed onto the living room couch, alone, frightened, and worried. He'd spent at least twelve hours trying to find his best friend's daughter. Sadly, his luck had been horrible. He'd nearly caught Dan twice, and every time he evaded Danny at the last second. Michelle had been unconscious both times and Danny was worried that she'd been hit on the head or something.
Desperation called Danny to bed, but he stood up, fixed himself a cup of black coffee and cracked open every mythology, archaeology, and paleontology book he could find in the house. Surprisingly, it was quite a few, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Sam had garnered an interest in the studies during her time away from the easel. Without giving it much thought he popped open a Greek mythology book and began to read about anything he could find.
Hours passed, and he had moved onto Egyptian mythology. He still found nothing even remotely similar. With a frustrated yell he threw the book onto the coffee table in front of him and stood up ready to rip something to shreds. He cracked his knuckles - a habit he'd picked up when he'd been interrogating a suspect that pissed him off. Danny looked down and noticed another book in front of him on archaeology on the same coffee table. He picked it up, sighed, and sat back down, breathing slowly to keep his temper in check. He turned each page, looking for key words that would lead him in the right direction, and finally at 4 o'clock in the morning his frustration payed off.
Two years ago a strange egg shaped rock had been found in Germany, and after extensive research nothing was concluded about it except that it was prehistoric, so it was put on display as a tool of some sort. A few passages later chilled Danny to the bone, however. It was bought by a Mister Gerard Borders a year ago and kept in private collection. In his private study of the artifact, Gerard had determined that it was an object of ritualistic importance. He knew that Gerard had minored in prehistoric archaeology and that he had probably bought the object and researched it to impress whatever woman that he was with now.
Silently, Danny cursed Gerard for bringing that object where Dan could get to it, and slammed the book shut. He fumed as he went to his room and was still fuming when he laid down. More than anything though, Danny beat himself up for not protecting the people he cared most about. Long after he'd laid down, long after the sun had risen, Danny fell asleep tossing and turning as his imagination played tricks on him.
Dan finally stopped moving near dawn in Europe. He had Michelle (who was still intangible along with him) thrown over his shoulder, the sphere in his hand. He looked down at the green object with an expression of wonder and appreciation. He had to silently hope that the sight of it appeased her.
He found his way to a ruined cathedral from the middle ages and set up "camp" there. All he did was dump Michelle to the ground. "Well, I hope you're comfortable, because you're staying here." He produced a force-field around the girl that acted as a cage, and then flew off, in search of something that should not be awoken.
Michelle woke up hours after Dan had left. Tears sprang to her eyes as hunger seized her small stomach in an unfamiliar place. She touched the wall of her imprisonment and screamed at the electric shock that slammed into her body. The only thing she knew was that she was very far away from home, and her mom. "Danny...Please help." She sobbed herself back to sleep as she lay on the cold ground.
Sam slowly woke after loosing consciousness for the third time. All she could hear was the beep of her heart monitor and the coughing of a woman two rooms down. She sighed softly, and tried to move her arms once more. Still no luck. She wanted to scream in frustration, but instead moved her eyes to the window. She was surprised to see a figure asleep in the chair near her. Danny?
The figure moved into the weak moonlight filtering through the blinds, and her heart sank. It was Gerard. In replacement of the sorrow a blinding fury found its way out of her chest and she let loose an intelligible scream. Her fury was unmatched, and Gerard suddenly collapsed to the ground out of the chair in surprise.
"Sam! Jesus, you scared the shit out of me!"Gerard whispered hoarsely as he stood up, dusting off his work pants. He sat down in the chair he'd fallen asleep in and stared at her for a few seconds before she opened her mouth to scream again. He reached over and clapped his hand over her mouth. "Sam. Calm down. I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry, and I don't blame you for hating me... but anyway... I wanted to be here when you woke up to tell you that I'm really truly sorry." He paused. "Please Sam. Lets get along for once, hm?"
Sam glared up at him, wishing she could move so she could strangle Gerard. When he wouldn't remove his hand she ran her tongue along it, hoping her saliva would get him to let go of her face. The childish trick worked, and he wiped his hand off on his pants. She knew it was immature, but she had no inclination to be civil when he had left her a week ago for some chick that he got pregnant.
"Gerard, what the hell?! What makes you think I want you ANYWHERE near me?! And NO I don't want to 'get along' with you!" She snapped at him, eyes narrowed with hate and hurt. Sam couldn't help the yearning in her heart as she looked at him. She wished things were the way they once were. She wished that she could move, that Gerard had never left. She still loved him, even if the hate over-road the love. More than anything, though, she wished that she was home with Michelle to tuck her in. Her daughter was her world, and now that her world was back home and she was in the hospital with strange wounds, she didn't know what to do with herself.
Gerard sighed and scratched his neck as he looked at her for several moments. She could tell that whatever it was that was bothering him was having a hard time getting out. After a few minutes, he spoke. "Look, Sam, I've got bad news. Daniel called the hospital a few hours ago. And yes, I know he's staying with you." He paused for several seconds while Sam looked at him expectantly. "Michelle.... Michelle was kidnapped. Daniel said you'd understand. He said it was a man who called himself Dan..." Gerard looked confused and hurt for a moment. He knew that he'd hurt Sam much more than he'd anticipated, and he knew that now all she was living for was Michelle. If he was honest with himself, he knew that everything that had happened to her was his fault, even the ectoplasmic wounds on her back.
Sam on the other hand, was unreadable. Tunnel vision had set in, and her mind had gone blank. The only words she'd comprehended was that Michelle had been kidnapped and that Dan was involved. After a moment, the wailing began.