WRG: Wow, three updates in one day, I'm amazed at myself. Boredom can actually be productive! Anyway, I have decided to break up the original chapter into three parts. Here's the first of the three. By the way, I put up a poll on my profile about 'Shaping Love', my Code: Lyoko fic. I don't own Danny Phantom.

Em: Hey, why haven't I gotten any airtime, Weirdy?

WRG: Just ignore her and read the story. (takes Em to a private area to talk, then looks over her shoulder) Oh, and remember that 'this is Sam talking telepathically to Linda' and 'this is Linda responding'

Danny did most of the explaining with Sam, Tuck, and Val helping him. They left out certain details (i.e. his evil self and what happened with the reality gauntlet). "So, any questions?" Danny asked when they had finished. The Mansons were shocked but quickly recovered.

"I have one: why?" It was Jeremy who asked this.

"Why do I fight the ghosts and protect everyone? Is that what you're asking?" Jeremy nodded, but before Danny could speak, Sam answered for him.

"He has a hero-complex, obviously." Her tone was teasing, but her voice was soft. Tuck and Val laughed while Danny playfully glared at her. She laughed quietly in response. She leaned up to kiss him (she was still in his lap) and innocently asked, "What? It's true, and you know it." Danny turned back to Pam and Jeremy.

"Fighting the ghosts is my responsibility. After all, I'm the one who turned on the portal. And besides, I never want anyone to get hurt because of something I could've prevented."

"We really misjudged you, Danny. Please forgive us." Pam said this, but it was obvious that Jeremy felt the same way.

Danny looked at them before saying, "I can't do that." He paused, saw that everyone was staring at him in disbelief, and continued, "There's nothing to forgive. Everyone's entitled to their own opinions. I'm just glad you changed yours." Everyone smiled. Then, Sam started to laugh. Danny looked down at her. "What are you laughing about?"

"The fact that my adoptive parents know your secret."

"And what's so funny about that?"

"Your parents should have been the first adult allies to know." Danny gave her a look that clearly said 'So what?' Sam noticed that no one got what she was saying, so she just said, "Look, it just seemed weird to me that your parents weren't first. Also, I'm just glad to be alive. If I had died, Taurus would not have anyone to take over for my parents. Actually, now that I think about it," she turned to Linda and continued, "I have to go back now, don't I. Since Ara's gone, everyone's going to need help recovering." The Earthlings' eyes widened as Linda took her time replying. None of them wanted Sam to leave them; their tears proved that.

"It is really up to you, Mira. you could live here the rest of your life or return to your birthplace. But remember that this is not a decision to be rushed."

'Would Danny be able to come to Taurus with us?' Sam knew that this was the only thing that mattered to her. If Danny couldn't come with her to Taurus, she would stay on Earth, even if it meant never seeing her real parents again.

'If he wished to, yes, he would.' Linda could feel the girl's weariness, so she said aloud, "Perhaps it would be best if we returned to Mira's Earth home and get some rest. She obviously needs five hours of sleep." Everyone agreed that they all needed sleep, though Sam was the only one who thought that five hours was more than enough time to regain her strength. Linda brought them back to the Mansons' home. Tucker and Valerie went straight to their homes after saying good-bye. Danny carried Sam up to her room, intending on putting her on her bed before flying home, but Sam wouldn't let go of him. She knew that she had to tell him the one thing that her choice would depend on.

"Danny, I asked Linda if you could come with us to Taurus, and she said that you could." He was silent for a moment.

"So that means you're going, then?"

"My decision has been made. I'm going to be where you are, no matter what. It's up to you where that is, Earth or Taurus. As long as I'm with you, I don't care where I am." As this sank in, Danny's eyes widened.

"You mean that you want me to decided where you live!?" His tone was heavy with disbelief.

"Actually, I want you to decide where you live, but that's about it. You don't have to decide now, though. Take your time and sleep on it. Just try to have a decision before graduation, okay? I'm thinking of asking Linda to bring my parents here so that they can see it. I want to be able to give them an answer when they get here." Danny told her that he'd sleep on it, but he had already decided that he wanted to go to Taurus with her. He just had to figure out how to keep the town protected. He kissed her goodnight, changed to ghost mode, and took flight. He decided to patrol some before going home. It seemed like he was the only ghost out that night, so he went home. When he got there, Danny found that he wasn't alone.

"Hi, bro, how are you?" Dani was sitting on the couch watching T.V. Her presence didn't really surprise him as he had told her almost a year ago that she was always welcome at FentonWorks. That was also the day she had been stabilized.

WRG: Okay, the next chapter will be titled 'Part 2: the flashback' and it will be longer than this one. Hope you guys liked this part!