A/N: About time I updated, even though not too many people liked it, hehe. There will be a few more chapters when they're kids, then I'll get to the good part. For now, this is just plot build. Also, in this story Sam lives in Emerald Valley first. And there, they don't have too much of a winter break, if you know what I mean. For now, enjoy the next chapter!

The Best Gift of All-Chapter 1: New Year Secrets

It had been one year since she had met Danny. They first had met, ironically enough, on the day after Christmas, present to receiver. Now, they were merely best friends, sticking together always. Currently, they were walking to their third grade class at Amethyst Elementary. To make the trip quicker, they would always play tag (without times of course) and run all the way there. Too bad they never left on time though. They ran, giggling frequently, through the double doors and to their classroom, room 171. They barely plopped in their seats before they heard the bell ring. The teacher sighed, and then said to them: "You barely made it. Now, let's begin roll."

At lunchtime, Danny and Sam were sitting in the sandbox, tossing a ball that Sam had brought to school with her. Usually they would just play in silence but today, something agitated Danny.

"Sam?" He tossed the ball to her.

"What, Danny?" She caught it, and then tossed it back.

"Do you ever wonder…why the schools here are all named after stones?" Catch. Throw.

"…Gems." Catch. Throw.

"What?" The ball hits him in the face. He sputters, and then tosses it back.

"They're not stones, Danny. They're gems."

"O-okay then. Gems. Why're they all named after gems?" The game paused.

"I dunno…maybe because of the city name. You know, in Brightvale, they named the schools after bright things, like Sunshine, Daylight, and Floral. And in Dimmsdale, they name their schools after Dim stuff, whoever or whatever dim is, anyways. Because we live in Emerald Valley, all the schools are named after gems because…Emerald is a type of gem I guess."

"Oh."

He paused, and then Sam tossed the ball to him again. But this time, a blonde kid, otherwise known as Rick intercepted.

"Now, you wouldn't need this, now would you kids?" He said in a mockingly sweet fashion.

Sam stared at the ball, and tears began to leak out. After taking one look at her distress, Danny retorted at Rick:

"Yes! Give that back now!"

"Why should I? I decided that I don't want to give it back."

"Doesn't your class have a ball to use?"

"No…we fifth graders don't have many things that you guys do. Now, be a pal and share? It's not yours anyway, it's school property."

"That's not the school's, it's Sam's! Now give it back!" Sam started to cry.

"No! It's mine now, and even if you stick up for your girlfriend, you won't get it!"

Danny was at a loss at what to do. Rick was a fifth grader, and he had no chance at fighting him. And Sam needed her ball back. He resorted to the only thing left.

"Teacher! Teacher! Rick took our ball! Tell him to give it back!"

"Shut that kid up!" Rick ordered his pals. They did not want to risk lunch detention, but they didn't know that it was already too late: the alarm was sounded.

His buddies noticed, and ran.

"Hey wait up!" Rick yelled, but it was to no avail. He then saw Danny.

"You!" He picked him up.

"Hey! Leggo of me!"

Rick took off running, and Sam ran after him. The ball lay discarded in the sandbox. He ran into the storage room, and found what looked to be a box. 'There we go!' he thought, then shoved Danny in the box.

"Stop wriggling," he told him, and closed the lid with a bang. Then cackling, he left poor Sam to deal with opening the box.

"Danny?" She asked an empty room. She only got a muffled reply.

"Danny?" She asked, more assured. "Danny, where are you?"

A box rattled. She ran towards it, and then put her ear to it.

"Danny?" Danny whined. "Don't worry; I'll get you out of there!"

She tugged at the lid, but it wouldn't budge. She fingered around the top, and then found a keyhole. 'A key?' she thought.

"Danny, I have to find the key," she said to him, but he didn't respond.

"When I find the key I'll get you outta there!" 'Too bad I can't see that well,' she mused, and then set to work, crawling on her hands and knees and feeling around for a key. She continued for an hour but it was fruitless. She started to cry again.

All of a sudden, the room turned cold, and she shivered. She turned to her left, and saw…a ghost! She began to panic, but it said to her:

"Relax, I'm just here to get my box. For I am The Box Ghost! And you are?"

"S-sam." She stuttered, then thought for a moment.

"E-excuse me? Co-could you p-possibly get my f-friend out of the box?"

"Is he stuck?"

"Yeah, and I can't find the key to getim out. C-can you help him?"

"No problem! For I am the box ghost! And anything is possible when there's boxes involved!"

He inspected the box. "Hmm…" He scratched his chin. Sam took this time to examine him. He was pretty fat and looked like he was- or had been – a janitor. But her thoughts were interrupted:

"Ahah! I got it!" He exclaimed, and at that moment an astral light seemed to come from him. He pointed his hands towards the keyhole and the box popped open, just like that. Sam immediately dived towards it and reached inside. She pulled out a very pale boy.

"Danny?" His response was to dive into her arms and sob his heart out, while coughing hysterically.

"You okie?" He hugged her tighter, crying "Sammy" over and over.

"Assuming my work here is done, I will now take this box so I can use it to take over the world!" The Box Ghost said, and then disappeared, along with the box, leaving the two hugging third graders alone.

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"Danny?" Sam asked him as they were walking home.

"Yeah?" He replied quietly, clutching to her hand. He hadn't let go since after school let out.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I can't breathe," he said, patting his chest.

"There was no air in the box?"

"Nope."

"Okie then. At least you're out now. Lookit, we're almost home!" She said.

They were right in front of her house. She rang the doorbell. The butler answered.

"Oh, welcome home Miss Manson. And you've brought your friend, Danny with you again?"

"Uh huh!"

"Ok then," he said, and stepped inside, allowing them passage.

Once they were safely in her room, she closed the door behind her.

"Whew!" She sighed, wiping her forehead.

"Danny, why don't you go rest," she said to him, shooing him in the closet, his makeshift bed. She closed the door behind him. At that same moment her mom came in.

"Samantha, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Mommy." With that, she sat on her bed.

"Baby, I was just concerned about your strange behavior. Are you feeling ok, sweetie?"

"I'm fine, Mommy. I've just been feeling a little tired."

"You always go to bed early, and…oh well, get some rest, Samantha." And she left. She peeked back in, saying:

"Did your friend leave yet?"

"Yes," she replied sweetly, even though he hadn't. After a year had gone past, she was used to hiding him. After that, her mother finally left.

After making sure the door was secured, she knocked on the closet door.

"Danny! We have to get ready."

"For what Sam?" came the reply.

"For the New Year, of course! Didn't you ever have a party?"

"Not with Unc…Vlad. I don't remember if I ever had one with my real family…"

"It's ok, we're having one now! I'll be back soon after I help mommy and daddy fix up. They always like fixing up for New Years themselves to make it extra special! Ok?"

After a few hours hanging up things and setting out confections, the party was set up. When the people came, her mother insisted on showing her off. When she finally got away from her parents and the guests, she snuck back up to her room with some stuff from the party. She and Danny had a blast with the blowers (whatever they're called, I still don't know, and that's bad!), and when the clock turned 12, there was so much noise going on that they couldn't hear themselves speak.

"Danny," she said directly in his ear.

"What Sam?"

"I have someplace to show you. Let's go!" She said, tugging him out of the closet.

"But Sammy, I don't think we should be leaving, what if your mom gets worried about you?"

"She won't notice. Come on! It won't take long. We have to see the firework show!"

Danny finally conceded, letting Sam drag him out the window to the ladder.

They walked to the park, taking in the full view of the beautiful colors lighting up the sky.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Sam asked in awe.

"Yeah, thanks for forcing me to come Sam."

"Your welcome."

They turned around to leave, but was stopped by a stern-looking man.

"I've finally found two perfect nominees," He said to himself, before hitting them both in the neck, giving them no time to scream. He picked them up and walked away with them, chuckling.