Okay. Now the more interesting part of the story continues. Sam is getting suspicions and Danielle is starting to have some doubts of her own. I hope you guys like this one. Blackjay, seemed to like it when I read the first draft to her. I hope you guys do too.

Chapter 20: Doubts of a Double

The incident with Nocturn had come and gone, but the same thing could not be said about Danielle's memories of it. It took a time span of several days for her to get over the dream that the evil ghost had forced her to envision as he gathered power. Luckily though, as finals were happening and the End-of-School dance was just around the corner, she seemed to become less edgy about it.

Danny himself had long been planning to take Sam to the social event. However, he was a bit concerned about his little cousin, whom he noticed seemed to be more exited about finals than the dance. She had never really been able to go to any other academic activities because of attending to ghost-problems with Danny all the time. But she never wanted to go to them anyway. It was as if Danny was the only one she really trusted to be around for very long, aside from his family and Valerie. The young clone didn't get to know anyone else very well since she started school because of this. But Danny thought it would be nice if they both went to the dance and took a break from ghost fighting. And even though Tucker had become quite busy with his own schedule, being the mayor, he was more than happy to be the one to take the, by now, famed ghost-cousin of Danny Phantom to the dance.

"Danny, I may be the mayor of Amity Park, but I'm still a teenager and I'm still going to school. The city counsel will understand completely." Tucker had said reassuringly to Danny when the subject had been brought up.

Danielle was a bit hesitant at first in going at all, but after a bit of persuasion by Danny as well as his sister and parents, she had agreed to go. Especially when Danny had suggested that they didn't showoff with any flashy entrance as being the town's teenage Phantom Ghost-Fighters. (Though, Tucker still wanted to make his own appearance by at least wearing his mayor's top hat with his tuxedo that he would wear that night.)

Both Fenton cousins arrived at the dance with their dates in quite the normal fashion, but, though it wasn't unexpected, there were still quite a few people staring at them as they entered the dance floor. They were after all hero celebrities. Quite a few girls were looking at Sam longingly as if they had hopes that Danny would be asking one of them to the Dance: Particularly Paullina, who disappointedly had Dash as her escort.

Danielle eyed Dash and rolled her eyes as the jock looked back at her dreamily for the hundredth time since she started school.

Though Dash's constant glances in her direction were always annoying, Danny perceived that Danielle was still able to have a good time at the End-of-School celebration. He sometimes watched her from the refreshments stands as she and his best friend swung it out on the dance floor.

The teenage clone was wearing a long, blue dress that had actually once belonged to Jazz. But the older sister of Danny's had never really worn it. She was never interested in going to these kinds of events. She was usually staying at home studying or filling out college applications.

Danielle's bangs still hung over half of her face, but her hair was up in a fancy knot that Sam's mother assisted in making. Mrs. Manson was all about fashion and was always trying to get Sam to wear some things she was always selecting for her. Sam avoided doing so whenever she could help it, and figuring out what to wear for the End-of-School dance was no different. But Mrs. Manson was satisfied that she at least got to drab someone up a bit for the last school activity of the year. And who better than the new superhero cousin of Danny Phantom?

Some time in the night, there was a point where the DJ suggested that the two cousins Phantom come on the dance floor together to start off a new song. Both were taken aback by the request, but everyone there kept on urging them on, chanting, "Danny-Duo. Danny-Duo." until they finally gave in.

It actually turned out to be quite fun, despite Danielle's beginning reluctance. And she was thankful that more people came on the floor to join them before the song was over. But just as the music stopped and everyone was applauding, the ovation suddenly turned into panicking screams as two ghosts suddenly phased into the room: Two, giant, green, octopus-shaped specters that started to grab students within their reach as they tried to scatter.

"Oh, man. I really hoped I wouldn't have to do this tonight." Danny said, letting out a groan of frustration and Going Ghost. His parents had volunteered to take care of any local ghost problems so he and Danielle wouldn't have to suddenly take off from the event, but he didn't count on the ones that might actually appear at the dance.

"You and me both." Danielle responded. "So who are these guys?"

"I call them ecto-puses." Danny said as he started to hover about a foot above the floor next to her. "More of Vlad's whacked-out experiments. They shouldn't be too tough, though."

Danielle's determined expression suddenly changed when she heard the part about Vlad's experiments and looked over at Danny. "Wait…more of Vlad's…" she stammered.

But Danny wasn't listening. "Come on." He said as he took off, shooting his plasma-ray at the ecto-puses' tentacles that had caught hold of some of the students. The ecto-puses screeched in pain, dropping their victims who ran off as soon as they were on the floor.

Sam watched from the side, eyeing Danielle, noticing that she was being hesitant in going into battle this time. "Aren't you gonna do something?' She came up to Danielle and asked.

"Oh…um…" Danielle hesitated again, but Going Ghost when she realized how she was stalling. Sam folded her arms in observation, watching as Danielle still seemed unsure of exactly what to do. The Goth had caught how the clone-girl had looked so prepared to do this until Danny had said that these particular ghosts were more creations of Vlad's. This was starting to look a bit suspicious to Sam and her thoughts that she had been having about the clone throughout the year were growing.

It didn't take long for the Phantoms to round the ecto-puses into the Fenton thermos that Tucker luckily had brought with him, but by the end, after the teenage hybrids had touched down on the floor again and turning human, they were both looking at each other as if confused. Danny was the first among the two who spoke. "Danielle what's the matter? You looked like you were holding back."

Danielle looked down at the floor a bit regretfully, but still puzzled. "You said…" she trailed off at first. "…They were more…experiments…and you were just…" she didn't have to finish before Danny suddenly realized what was wrong.

He never thought that Danielle might never have known how Vlad was always conducting weird experiment with ghosts before he even started to try to clone Danny. Most of which had ended up being servants sent to go after Danny or try and kill his father. The ecto-puses were no different. While it may have taken Danielle a bit of proof and persuasion, she had turned away from that a long time ago. Danny had already seen how she was being abused by Vlad and knew that she just didn't understand what she was really doing, so he refused to attack her, even after he had found out that she was working for his archenemy. The ecto-puses on the other hand, even though Vlad no longer commanded them, they still liked going around causing trouble that Danny was always having to deal with.

Danny was going to explain this to the female clone, but people were starting to gather back into the room now that it was safe to come out and Sam suddenly came up to Danny, taking his wrist. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She said to him.

Danny blinked at the unexpected question and tried to read Sam's expression to try and predict what might be bothering her, but he couldn't get anything. He then turned to Danielle. "Hold that thought, okay." He said, as Sam was pulling him away.

Danielle looked confused and quite surprised when Sam looked back at her as if she had just done something wrong. That was when Tucker approached her with the same question Danny asked her about holding back. Danny saw as his friend began to talk with the confused clone. Tucker understood about Vlad already. He would be able to explain.

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Sam took Danny to a place in the school halls where it was empty and quiet. They stood next to a line of lockers, and after Sam had made sure no one was around and able to listen in, she turned to her half-ghost friend. "Danny, have you ever had any weird feelings about Danielle?"

Danny cocked an eyebrow at the Goth girl. "You're saying that as if there's something suspicious going on about her."

"I think maybe there is." Sam confirmed with a nod.

Danny scoffed as if the very thought was ridiculous. "Like what?" He asked his friend with a small laugh.

"Danny, haven't you noticed her behavior lately? Especially towards Dash? She's done a few things with him that Vlad would praise."

After a few seconds of consideration, the ghost boy nodded. "Okay. I'll talk to her and say that you have a problem with it. But honestly Sam, there's nothing to worry about. I did the same thing once. Remember?"

"Yeah, but you weren't so open about it."

"I hadn't revealed my secret identity at the time."

"And you think Danielle had a right to humiliate him like that time in the cafeteria, just because she didn't have one anymore?" Danny couldn't deny that she had a point on this, but he didn't vocally admit it. "And that's not the only problem I'm concerned with." Sam continued. Danny folded his arms with a confused expression, waiting for her to explain. The Goth looked both ways down the hall as if thinking that the walls had ears. She lowered her voice before beginning to express her concerns. "Danny, whenever she does it, she gets a look in her eyes that reminds me of how Vlad used to look at you before he tried to clobber. It's happened a few times in certain battles you've fought together, too."

Danny sighed, shaking his head. "An unfortunate family resemblance then." He argued.

Sam turned her head up towards the ceiling with a small groan before moving on. How could he have not noticed any of this before? Was he really that clueless? "You were usually always the first one to suspect something when you learned of anything that had to do with Vlad. I'm surprised it hasn't become obvious." She said aloud and sounding quite frustrated.

Danny just started to stare at his friend, not answering for a while. "What exactly are you getting at, Sam?" He asked, now acting as if he was suspecting her of something.

The friend of the ghost-hero took a breath to calm down. "Have you read the newspaper lately?" She began again.

Danny slouched forward, a bit annoyed. "Sam, you know you're the only one among us who actually pays attention to that thing."

Sam gave him a look as if asking him to take this subject more seriously. "In the polls section, it's saying that there are people who think that Danielle's just trying to replace you as the town's ghost-hero."

The ghost-boy glanced off to the side, still not exactly understanding where this was going. "So?" He repeated with a shrug. "Not everyone has the same opinion."

"But Danny. What if they're right?" At this, the teenage hero, looked at her in surprise. Sam sighed heavily. This wasn't going to be easy to express this. Especially considering Danny's family had adopted Danielle. But if she didn't say something about it soon, it may be too late later. "Danny…" she began slowly. "I can't help but think that these battles she's helped you with is all…just…an act."

"What?" Danny responded, and started to laugh. Now this really was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. "Why would Danielle be acting?"

Sam gave him another look and raised her voice to get him to stop laughing. "Haven't you noticed how much she hesitated when you were fighting the ecto-puses just now?" She said, gesturing in the direction of the room where the dance was taking place a few halls away. "As soon as you said that they were made by Vlad, she was stalling. What if she's still working with him?"

Danny's amusement had now gone in hearing this and uphaulment was starting to enter his own voice as he responded. "Vlad's been gone for two years!"

"And his lab experiments remain constantly coming after you." Sam shot back, her own tone still rising.

"Are you saying that you think Danielle's plotting against me?'

"She's a clone, Danny!" Sam shouted. Throwing her hands up in frustration. "An experiment-gone-wrong conducted by your archenemy, who tried to destroy your whole family since your parents got married! For all you know, she could be!" Danny's eyes widened as his friend so boldly finished her statement and he glared at her as if daring her to repeat what she had just said about his little cousin. Sam didn't stop there. "And you said yourself that before Freakshow, you hadn't seen or even heard from her in two years. In fact three, since you hadn't seen much of her in between the first two visits!" Danny rolled his eyes and turned his head to the side in ignorance as she went on. "In all that time, even if she isn't planning to get you, someone else certainly is and she could have…!"

Sam suddenly stopped when she saw her friend's eyes widen again in surprise. He was still looking off to the side and Sam followed his gaze to where she caught a flash of something moving as it quickly disappeared behind the corner to the intersecting hall.

Danny quickly ran towards the same corner looking worried as Sam followed, thinking another ghost might be attacking. They both turned the corner and Sam gasped in seeing that it was no ghost, but Tucker, who must have been hiding there, listening to every angered word that the two were saying for who knows how long. And standing just in front of him was…

"Danielle." Danny said, with shock written all over his face. "Tucker." He added, looking up at the teenage mayor. "How long have you guys been standing there?" He asked, looking back at Danielle anxiously, and fearing the worst.

Danielle just stared back up at him with tear-swelling eyes and her own shocked look of being betrayed on her face. This was almost the exact same way Vlad had tried to act innocent after he had found out she had been listening in on something she wasn't meant to hear.

There was a long and anxious moment of silence as the four of them just gawked at each other. Danielle's gaze shifted between Sam and Danny before her tears began to run down her face.

She turned and started to run away, but before she took a step, Danny caught her by the arm to hold her back. Tucker, being in front of her, also helped by grabbing her shoulders. "Dani, hold on. I'm sure Sam didn't mean…" but Tucker wasn't able to finish as Danielle turned herself intangible, escaping from Danny's grip and phasing right through Tucker's body.

The hurt clone sped down the hall a ways and more tears fell from her eyes, as she was Going Ghost. "Dani, wait!" Her older cousin yelled after her as he saw her transform. But she kept going as she turned intangible again, took off through the ceiling and was gone.

Danny felt a sinking feeling in his chest grow as he looked on after where his heartbroken cousin had vanished. After a second, Tucker broke the apprehensive silence, turning to Sam in an accusation. "Sheesh. And you keep saying I talk too much." He said, glaring at her.

"Oh, shut it." the Goth replied to him, rather rudely.

Danny spun around to face her and said angrily, "Actually Sam, he has a point." He then changed into his Phantom form and was about to go after Danielle when Sam stopped him.

"Wait a minute, Danny. What if she wants you to follow her?"

Danny scoffed crossly as he hovered a bit above the floor. "Oh, and I suppose Vlad sent her to lure me into another trap of his." He remarked in his still infuriated tone.

"It's possible." Sam confirmed

Danny shook his head, not believing that something like this was coming out of the mouth of his best friend. He landed in front of her and Sam took a few fearful steps backwards as he suddenly started advancing on her in anger. "The whole reason I have my powers in the first place is from the result of a complete accident, that you so happened to have been involved in." He said, as their movement only stopped when they were passed Tucker, who was gawking at the two as they argued. "Vlad got his powers in the same way. Does that make me like Vlad? Does that make me a flawed experiment to you?"

Sam was completely taken aback by the question and didn't answer right away. And when she did, she stammered with it. "Well…your situation is different…"

"No it isn't!" Danny responded immediately. "And with what you just said about Danielle, she's not the one you should be worrying about being like Vlad, Sam. You are."

Danny put a lot of emphasis on these last two words and by the end of the statement; Sam was the one who looked shock with how she was being spoken to. Danny looked angrily at her for another moment before turning away and quickly took off through the ceiling to go after his cousin.

"Ouch." Tucker said bluntly after Danny had disappeared. "That's gotta hurt."

"I said, shut it!" Sam turned angrily at Tucker and she yanked the brim of his top hat over his eyes so he couldn't see before she stopped away.

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As soon as Danny made it outside the school, he looked around frantically to see if he could spot where Danielle had gone. He peered through the darkness of the night sky, not seeing any sign of movement. Where could she have gone?

Danny racked his brains for a second, trying to think of any place she would go after hearing a conversation like that. The first and only thing he could really think of was the underground Fenton Works. It's worth a shot. He thought to himself as he sped off in the direction of the hidden teleportation pad that was in the high school football field.

He didn't even bother to land as he activated the voice key, telling the pad to take him down to the house. As soon as he was inside, he phased up to the second floor, landing in the hall. He had just come up in time to see Danielle suddenly rush out of her bedroom, now changed into her normal human outfit of the light blue, hooded shirt and red slacks. As soon as she saw Danny though, she looked panicked, went Phantom and took off through the ceiling again.

Danny pursued, calling after her. They were both outside, and the ghost-boy chased his look-alike as she rose further into the air, heading away from the town. Danielle was about to use her plasma rocket to get away, but Danny managed to pull in front of her, blocking her path before she could do it.

The clone stopped abruptly in the air, letting out a shrieking gasp as she nearly ran into her cousin. But that wasn't what Danny was concerned about. One look at her face told him that she was emotionally shattered with what she had just overheard. "Dani. Where are you going?" He asked, in a worried tone.

Danielle started to cry again as she looked down to avoid his gaze. "I don't know." She said through soft weeping. "But I can't stay here anymore."

The teenage boy looked at his cousin solemnly as his own feelings sunk. "Dani, whatever you heard back there you shouldn't be taking it so hard." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders, trying to reassure her.

Danielle knocked them away and started to glare at him through her wet eyes. "An experiment-gone-wrong?" She quoted. "It sounds more to me like it's best if I just stay away from you." She started to float around to the other side of Danny when he started to speak again.

"But Dani, if you just leave, what am I going to tell my parents? And it's only going to make Sam more suspicious."

Danielle stopped when she had made it to the other side of her airborne cousin. She didn't answer for a moment as a few tears escaped her eyes and started to run down her cheeks once more. "I may have been made from you Danny…but your family was never mine." Danny looked at her in concern after she said this. She sniffled, wiping her tears before turning to face him and explain further. "Ever since Vlad made me, I've always felt something…empty…inside me. Like I was missing something." Danny listened intently to this as she sadly went on. "I thought at first it was because I hadn't been stabilized. But even after you helped that to happen, that lack of something just kept on lagging on with me. Living with you hasn't changed that." She paused looking down again, gazing sorrowfully down at the lit up city below her that she felt that only Danny had a right to call home. "In fact…" she began to add as her tears started up again. "I don't think that place will ever be filled anymore."

Danny's remorse for the young girl started to make him feel so heavy, he was surprised the weight of it wasn't making him sink back down to the ground far below them. He had always thought something was bothering her. How could he not have even asked about it? His own guilt in addition to the concern for Danielle started to sink deeper inside him as he looked at her face that reflected more hopelessness than he had ever seen in anyone.

"But…Danielle…" he tried to say. "That doesn't mean you have to go." He said, almost starting to sound like he was begging.

Danielle spun around to face him again and through tears of anger, she shot back, "If people think that I'm just out to destroy you and the reputation you've rightfully earned, then what other choice do I have?" She tried to fly off again before Danny grabbed her by the arm.

She tried to turn intangible to pull herself free, but he was expecting this and he made himself intangible at the same time, still able to keep a good hold on her. She tried to turn solid again in another attempt to get him to let go, but he followed suit again, keeping a firm hold.

"Dani, just because there are some negative opinions about you doesn't mean…" he began to say before his clone spun around, igniting her free hand with a green charge.

"Let go of me!" She shouted and Danny almost gasped in seeing an old enemy suddenly glaring out at him through her eyes. The next thing he knew, he felt himself careening backwards through the air, down towards the city.

He regained himself swiftly after being forced back a few yards, holding his chest where it was hurting and he looked up in shock at his cousin who had just openly attacked him.

Danielle looked panic-stricken, looking at her own hand as a green vapor was still rising from it.

There was a moment where both Phantoms just floated where they were above Amity Park, staring at each other, completely shocked at what just happened: What Danielle had just done.

The clone hybrid looked fearfully at him before she suddenly turned around. Danny saw her shoes start to glow with a bright green charge. "No! Dani, stop!" Danny cried out, but her emission of ecto-energy shot her forward and far away at a speed he would never be able to catch up to her with.

Even though that regard was hopeless, he started to fly after her anyway. She still couldn't keep up that speed for very long and would have to let it off soon if she was to stay in her ghost form. Besides. It wasn't safe for her to be out on her own anymore. A lot more people knew her now, including several ghost enemies.

And no matter what Sam said about Danielle and whether she had just deliberately attacked him or not, he refused to believe that she would be trying to bring him down. His constantly reoccurring memories of how Vlad tried to destroy her were far more than enough for him to stand by his belief that Sam was wrong.

My sister seemed to approve of this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it too. But I really need your opinions on chapter 18. Please comment on it and tell me if you think I should rewrite it or maybe just delete it. But it does explain how Sam's concerns start acting up.