Disclaimer- I don't own squat, Danny Phantom is NOT mine. All i own is the product of my own warped imagination.
The sun already well past the midday point, but that didn't stop the actions of four people hastily moving boxes and other sundry items from one of the larger homes in Amityville. It had take one phone call and hours of begging before Sam allowed Tucker and Valerie to help her move out. She was still pissed at them for what they did to Danny, Danny just thought it was the greatest joke of the year. Sam could tell everytime he was reminded of it because he would suddenly giggle like a six year old school girl, complete with pigtails and lollipop. They were blissfully happy together, but Sam knew something was going to happen. It was Murphy's Law afterall, and as the patron saint of unadulterated trouble, Murphy had it out for happy and depressed people alike. He was the original equal opportunitist. Course that hadn't stopped her from manhandling her friends into shifting her junk around.
"Oomph!" grunted Sam as she hefted one of the larger boxes into her arms. Then turning around she tried to blindly find her way out of the room and down the stairs to the moving van waiting below. Dropping it off with the others crowding the van, she turned around and, resting her hands on her aching lower back, Sam studied the house of domestic horrors she had been a prisoner of for her whole life.
Nothing had changed in all the years the Manson's had lived there. It was still austere. Cold. Unwelcoming. And a blatant indication of unbelievable wealth; in short, to Sam, it was scarier than all the horror flicks she had ever watched growing up. It was lucky that her parents had been forced to make an emergency business trip out of the country, otherwise they never would have been able to get her moved out and into Danny's.
Standing there, facing the front of the house, Sam watched as Danny and Tucker struggled to make it down the front steps with her favorite chair. Smirking, she could hear them curse the comfy recliner to hell and beyond, from her vantage point. Apparently Tucker was pissed at Danny because he hadn't thought of using ghost powers to move it out of the house.
Crawling into the back of the van, Sam carefully moved around her stuff so there would be room for the chair. Glancing around the side she caught Danny and Tuck lounging on the stoop talking and laughing with the chair being used as a twisted version of a rocking horse. "Hey you two!" she called, jumping out and striding towards them, "let's get this junk out of here! I want to get out of this place by tonight."
Standing to attention, Danny grinned boyishly and saluted her, "Ja, Commandant Manson." Rolling her eyes, she cuffed him lightly on the shoulder as Tucker chuckled.
"Finally, ya know, I was wondering if you two were ever going to figure it out." He wriggled his eyebrows in their direction as he grabbed the top half of the chair and tilted it towards him. Catching Sam's confused glance, Danny grabbed the lower half of the chair and together they moved slowly towards the van.
"Whatcha talking about Tuck?"
Grunting, together Danny and Tucker shoved the chair deep into the van. Facing Danny and Sam, he wiped his brow and stared at them, an odd expression on his own face. "Are you serious?" he demanded, "How the hell can you NOT know that you two have been crazy about each other for years?"
Standing in between both men, Sam stared up at Tucker with her hands on her hips and a fierce light in her eye, "I have no idea what in the world your insinuating Tuckard." Behind her, Danny stared at Tucker with a mixed expression on his face; it looked like he either was dying to laugh or choke on something.
Pleadingly, Tucker raised his hands in the air and nervously eyed her, "C'mon Sam, you're moving out of your house and into Danny's apartment."
"Yeah, because my parents are freaking idiots. You know that Tuck."
Tossing a thumb over his shoulder towards the house, Danny began to slowly back away, "Um, I'm just going to go and get some more stuff…yeah, be right back." Watching as he jogged into the empty house, Sam glared at his back. Coward. But she couldn't blame Danny. His face was too open and showed his emotions too well. And it was really kind of early for everyone to know about them just yet. Especially Tucker, since it was just a week ago that he was found in bed with Danny's ex-girlfriend.
Who was just now walking out of the front door and towards Tucker and Sam, in her arms a tray covered in tall lemonade filled glasses and sandwiches. Setting the tray on a couple of boxes beside the van, Valerie glanced between her lover and Sam, "Um, anyone wanna tell me why Danny was running back inside like he had a ghost riding his ass?"
Tucker walked over to Valerie and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, "Because he and Sam don't want to admit that their together." He remarked, as he watched Sam closely for a reaction.
"Sure we're together…as friends, Tuck. Remember that? We're best friends? He's just helping me out until-"
Shaking his head over the denial, Tucker stared at her in disbelief, "Sam, I'm not stupid. Hell, I was just signed onto a major tech corporation with a six figure salary! We heard you two last night." Sniggering lightly, Valerie tucked her head into her boyfriend's shoulder, but Sam could still see her shoulders shuddering with barely suppressed mirth. Red leathered harlot.
Staring at him hard, Sam dared him to say anything, "I have no idea what you mean Foley."
Pushing lightly away from Tucker, Valerie crossed her arms in front of her chest and smirked at the much shorter woman, "Oh give us a break Manson. We've known that you've had a thing for Danny since high school. Everyone knew. Besides," she laughed out loud at Sam as she continued," last night you two seemed to be having quite a bit of fun. Tucker and I came over to Danny's because we felt we needed to talk, to make sure that everything was alright between us." She paused and watched as Sam blushed a deep pink color, "Yeah, figured you'd know what we were talking about." Clasping her hands together, Valerie moved from side to side slowly moaning lightly in an obvious imitation of Sam, "Oh Danny, yes….please…" She let out a final breathy sigh before kissing Tucker hotly on the mouth and then making her way back inside. But not before she stood in the doorway, glanced back at Sam and let out a barking laugh as she walked into the entry way.
Sam was at a loss for words. With a thud she sat heavily down on the back fender of the van and stared at Tucker in shock. "You…heard? Us?" her voice rasped in shock, her amethyst eyes wide as she tried to take in the news. They thought they had been so careful. Only her parents knew, which was an accident, of course, but God knows they weren't going to tell anyone. They were too embarrassed that their precious daughter had been found canoodling with the Fenton boy.
Embarrassed, Tucker gazed avidly at the ground and kicked at the dirt, not wanting to see the mortification and shock in Sam's eyes. "It was kinda hard to ignore to be honest." He mumbled quietly as Danny stumbled out of the house, Valerie hot on his heels.
One glance between Sam and Tucker told him something was wrong, running up to Sam he sat beside her and grabbed her hand in his, "Sam? Tuck what'd you do?" Catching Sam's eye, Danny saw that her eyes were glazed over and staring unseeingly before her at the ground.
Sauntering over, Valerie stood beside Tucker, facing Danny and Sam, "Oh, I don't think it's anything he's done Danny. The next time you and Sam have your lil 'fun time,' try and remember, the walls are thin and your blinds are open." Smoothly, she wrapped her arms around Tucker's waist and eyed Danny appreciatively, "Though, you have been working out lately haven't you?" Glaring at Valerie, Tucker clasped her closer to his side while Danny rolled his eyes.
"Get over yourself Valerie." Scooting closer to Sam, Danny shifted to bring her cold body close to him, and glared at his best friend and ex-girlfriend, "Why were you looking in my bedroom anyways yesterday?"
"We just wanted to talk, ok Danny?" Tucker sighed at the anger in his friend's eyes, "We both felt bad about this past week and wanted to makes sure everything was alright between us." Nodding in understand, Sam stood up and retrieved the uneaten sandwiches and drinks. This was something Danny, Tucker and Valerie had to discuss, alone.
Watching Sam navigate her way around the boxes littering her front yard, Danny waited till the door was shut behind her before focusing on the couple before him fully. "Fine, you wanted to talk? That's great. But ya coulda called Tuck." Danny grumbled, rumpling his hair in exasperation, "Doesn't matter if Sam was over or not. What if I didn't want to talk to you?"
Frustrated, Tucker threw his hands up in the air and shouted at his oldest friend, "I know that now, alright? Damnit…you two could have told me you know!" He went silent and then continued more calmly, "I've been waiting to hear that you were together for years. Hell, it took you long enough to realize that Sam was a girl." He chuckled at the memory of a misplaced tampon in junior year.
Danny knew exactly what memory was running through Tucker's head at the moment and slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand, Danny growled at him, "How the hell was I supposed to know that girls use those things for that…I just thought it was great to stop nosebleeds after…you know." His blush went straight to his roots.
Valerie studied him quietly before speaking up, "Outside of ancient history, Danny, Tucker and I were worried. You took the news so well when you found us together, we were worried that you were…ya know, pining or something."
Again, Danny rolled his eyes, only this time Tucker joined in. "Val, I know you have a healthy ego. That's great, but curb it a bit will ya?" Danny said to her as she huffed and glared at him. "For your information, the next day I went and saw Sam. We've been together since."
Obviously relieved, Tucker released a breath of air he hadn't known he'd been holding. Smiling, he clapped Danny on the shoulder, "That's great! I've been worried about Sam really for the past year or so, it's about time you figured things out." Beside him, Valerie pasted on a thin smile and nodded sharply in agreement.
But something had caught Danny's attention, "Worried?" Eyeing the couple before him, there was no way Danny could have missed the unspoken message that passed between them. Giving Tucker a quick peck on the cheek and sending a nod Danny's way, Valerie once again made her way into the house.
Glancing around quickly, Tucker moved next to Danny and sat down just inside the back of the truck next to him. There was a definite feeling of nervousness around him; Danny hadn't been Tucker's friend for so long that he couldn't tell when the man was quaking in his expensive shoes. He was rubbing his thighs in quick sharp movements that belied his wish to be up and pacing back and forth, which Danny knew was Tucker's trademark nervous gesture outside of yelling hysterically.
Staring at the ground between his feet, Tucker spoke to Danny in a low voice, "If I tell you, will you not spill to your muffin cake that I opened this can of worms?"
Confused, Danny just sat there watching Tucker, "Can of worms? And Tuck you know Sam would kill anyone who called her muffin cake. But what's wrong with her? Why didn't she tell me?"
Danny could hear Tucker breathing heavily beside him, as if weighing his words. When he spoke it was haltingly, "It was…hard, for Sam after high school Danny. At first anyways. Then she started dating, and things got better. But they were always the same type of guy. Tall, dark, messy hair…get the picture?"
"She was trying to-"
"-Get you out of her head. She knew you were dating Valerie for all those years, and thought that if you knew the truth you wouldn't want her." Placing his hand on Danny's shoulder, Tucker gestured to the bay window in the kitchen where they could both see a slim figure watching them.
Smiling slightly, Danny waved to her as he spoke to Tucker from the side of his mouth, "Fine. I was an idiot, I know that now. But Sam dating is not exactly a 'can of worms' Tuck, what's the real issue?"
Waving at Sam in synch with Danny, Tucker continued his story, "The issue didn't happen till this past year. Sam met someone, she told me that she thought he was 'the one' since you obviously didn't think she was alive. Apparently his name was Eddie or something. Real big shot on campus and off, apparently his daddy is loaded."
Wrapping his arms closely around him as an evening breeze wafting through the neighborhood, Danny couldn't help but feel that the name Eddie rang a bell somewhere. "This guy sounds like a prince. What was wrong?" It was growing steadily dark by the second, they had been talking for too long and the sun had been setting for the past few minutes.
Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, Tucker watched the house as the lights inside lit up. "Danny, Sam may have been trying to forget you in her heart, but we're still her best friends. What do you think went wrong?"
"I dunno." Danny shrugged, "If I'd been with Sam-"
"But that's the point you idiot! You weren't with Sam. But she desperately wanted to be with you, she tried to replace her dream Danny with someone real. Someone, who apparently had a temper when he didn't get his way."
Suddenly, the temperature was freezing; clad only in jeans and a light t-shirt Tucker had to wrap his arms more tightly against his body against the cold. Glancing at his friend, he could see that Danny's eyes were now flashing a vibrant green and a snarl was dancing across his lips.
"He hit her." Tucker shivered again, but this time it was because of the subzero tone in Danny's voice. He had never heard that particular pitch, not even the time Prince Aragon had captured Sam to make her his bride. For once, Tucker was truly afraid of Danny and what he could possibly do.
Desperate to calm Danny down, Tucker told him the truth, "I don't know. You'd have to ask Sam that. Hell, she should have told you all of this in the first place." He shook his head sadly, "All I know is that one day she was saying he was 'the one,' the next day she was moving into a house off campus. Remember when she had to change her cell number? What'd she tell you the reason was?"
Voice suddenly hoarse, Danny had to swallow a few times before he was able to speak, "That she'd dropped it in the toilet by accident and needed to get a new phone and they wouldn't let her keep her old number." The idea that Sam had been dating someone who…no, the thought was ridiculous! His Sam wouldn't date some jackass like that! Why hadn't she told him? Stifling the tears that wanted to leak from his now blue eyes, Danny stood up and motioned for Tucker to join him, "Thanks Tuck. But I think Sam and I need to talk about the rest."
Later on that night, after they had finished moving the rest of Sam's things from the Manson home and into Danny's apartment, Sam and Danny said goodbye to Tucker, Valerie having vanished some hours ago for a ghost sighting. By this time night had completely fallen and outside you could only see from the streetlights and the distant stars overhead.
After shutting the door behind Tucker, Sam fell into her recliner and closed her eyes, exhausted from the day of moving. Unfortunately there were still boxes everywhere, but they could be taken care of tomorrow while Danny was at work.
Her eyes still shut tightly; Sam could hear Danny walk across the apartment to the kitchen. A minute later the sound of the sink being used drifted into the living room. Halfway asleep, Sam vaguely heard footsteps make their way again to the living room before she felt herself being gently lifted and then the familiar sensation of being carried took over. Sam knew that Danny thought she was asleep, that had to be the only reason why, when he placed her carefully on the bed he had kissed her forehead and then mumbled something about Eddie. He said it too low for her to pick up clearly, but Sam knew who she had to blame. DAMNIT TUCKER, was her last thought before Morpheus claimed her as a victim.
When Sam awoke, the first thing that assaulted her eyes was the bright sunlight shining in through one of the windows in the room.
"Shit!" Sitting up slowly, Sam rubbed her forehead. Sometime between last night and this morning her allergies had decided to kick in with a vengeance. Looking around she noticed that she was alone in bed; a single glance at the alarm clock told her that Danny couldn't be at work just yet. Flinging her covers aside, Sam jumped up and walked towards the kitchen.
Leaning against the doorway, Sam watched Danny as he made his usual morning breakfast fare; a bagel with cream cheese and strawberry jelly. What caught her attention was that he was singing softly under his breath and swinging his hips in a manner that could put Shakira to shame. Stifling a chuckle at his expense, Sam stuffed her fist in her mouth desperate to not interrupt the moment. God she wished that she had her camera.
"Morning sunshine, something got you all happy?" Sam chuckled, as she made her way into the room for her morning jolt of caffeine. The sight of Danny blushing avidly with his mouth bursting from his bagel was enough to do her in, laughing heartily Sam kissed his cheek and then busied herself fixing a cup of coffee.
Swallowing thickly, Danny chugged half of his glass of milk before replying, "Uh, it's just a really nice morning." Still blushing, he grabbed his food and moved over to the kitchen table. Sam finished adding her sugar and cream then went to join him.
They sat there for a while in a slightly tense silence. Danny knew he had to talk to Sam, but if he started the conversation he was going to be late for work. And Sam was desperately hoping that he wasn't going to bring up Eddie anytime soon. She didn't want Danny to regret asking her to move in with him. Forcing down the last bite of his bagel, Danny rinsed off his plate and then walked back over to where Sam was still contemplating her coffee. Breakfast may have been quiet, but Danny knew something was wrong. And he knew that Sam knew something about it as well.
Leaning down he tilted her head towards him and away from her drink, captured her eye and said gently, "Sammy, I think we need to talk. Something's wrong and I think-"
"-That Tucker has a huge blabbering mouth? And that he should really just stick to shagging Valerie instead of meddling in our lives? You're right, I agree. Have a good day at work." She tore her gaze away from his and gulped down some of her now cooled java.
Nodding, Danny let it drop. He'd talk to her later about it when he wasn't in danger of running late for work or a kick from a pair of black bunny slippers. He lightly kissed the top of her head and left the kitchen. Sam sat there in silence, listening to Danny's car start and then back out of the drive. Now she had to figure out something to do for the next eight to ten hours. Should she go over to Tucker's and kill him slowly, or finish unpacking her boxes?
Though the concept of castrating Tucker with a plastic spork was appealing, Sam realized that she needed something that might last her a little bit longer than a measly twenty minutes. A guy like Tuck couldn't have that big of balls if he spilled his best friend's secrets, though she didn't know exactly what he spilled just yet. But she was intelligent, and had an overactive imagination. Pausing for a second from stirring the milky contents of her cup, Sam stared off into space imagining all he could have spilled to Danny. He was dead meat. Quietly, Sam walked over to sink, dumped out her cold coffee, placing the cup in the dishwasher and then made her way towards the living room. Maybe a day of slogging through memories would cheer her up.
Danny had been working for the same corporation since he started college, Axion. Actually, it was Valerie's father that had gotten him his position there and he had only moved up in the ranks since then. He had started out as a Go-for, but slowly had moved into security once the company had realized that he had an oddly extensive knowledge of security against mortal and ghost alike. Which of course, at the time had only served to increase his brownie points with Mr. Grey, but now he was head of the security department. A decent position but definitely not one he wanted to keep as a career for the rest of his life.
Sitting at his desk, Danny stared at a picture of him, Tucker and Sam take a few years ago just after they had graduated from Casper High. Sam was standing in the middle, significantly shorter than the other two, her arms wrapped around the boy's waists. Tucker was cheering with his cap in one hand and the other wrapped around Sam's shoulder. Danny was grinning at the camera and had his arm wrapped around Sam's waist. All three were dressed in their cap and gowns, other former students milling around in the back ground. He had been dating Valerie at the time, but in this picture it was just Tucker, Sam and Danny; the three Amigos.
A knock on the door interrupted Danny's string of thoughts. "Enter." He called, putting the picture frame back in its spot of honor. Valerie's father, Damon Grey walked inside. Standing up, Danny extended a hand towards his ex-girlfriend's father, "Hey Mr. Grey, how's it going?"
Over the years, Damon Grey's dark hair had gained a silver tint to it, and he had more lines around his eyes and mouth but that didn't detract from the sharpness of his gaze. Firmly shaking Danny's hand, he smiled at the younger man, "Not too bad Fenton, not too bad. Just wanted to come in and see how you were holding up. And Alvarez in Testing wanted to see you at some point today, something about a possible break in last night."
"Thanks, I'll check into it. And I'm holding up just fine," Danny laughed, "I'm just happy Valerie finally found what she wanted." Chuckling along with his daughter's former boyfriend, Damon nodded, said goodbye then walked out of the office.
Danny waited a few minutes quietly to make sure that no one else came into his office, wrote a note saying he was out for a few minutes then went intangible. Normally, he would just walk across the facilities like a regular person, but Testing was on the complete other side of the building and it would take forever. Besides, the sooner he finished up his work for the day the sooner he could get home and wheedle the story out of Sam.
Smoothly, Danny floated through the ceiling into the warehouse located directly above his office. Silently, he flew through the various boxes and packages stored for later use. The room was chilly, which was normal, but it was colder than normal. A shiver started along Danny's spine and moved throughout his entire body, which was odd because as a halfa he hardly felt the cold. Stopping in midflight, he glanced around the warehouse. It was supposed to be empty of any workers at this time.
Invisible, he gently floated to the ground and then flashed back to Danny Fenton. If anyone was in here he could always say that he had been tipped off to a possible security weak point. The company was used to his odd ways by now. Quietly, Danny walked around, keeping his eyes and ears peeled just in case. Shadows were everywhere, making it all but impossible to detail whether they were human or not. The only sounds in the room were the rustling of packaging and the slight breeze wafting in from an open window.
Satisfied that no one was around, Danny jogged out of the warehouse and down the hallway towards the Testing department. He met no one in the hallway, as it was later in the afternoon and most people simply took off instead of waiting till the five o'clock mark. As he jogged farther down into the building, the walls took on a definitely darker appearance, the overhead lighting flickering a bit more than usual. This part of the building was the oldest and least taken care of, most of the money went into R&D and Security, so Testing was pushed to the back burner.
Finally, he came to the last door down the longest hallway in creation. In faded lettering it said on the front, "Testing Dept. Head: Ricky Alvarez." Knocking lightly, Danny didn't wait for a greeting before he walked inside.
The sight that greeted him was an older man dressed in a stained lab coat with thick goggles protecting his eyes; he was busy explaining something to a much younger woman. His arms were moving with such a speed that Danny wondered how much longer it would take before he had to shout, "3…2…1…LIFT OFF!" Moving closer he could hear the tail end of Alvarez's rant.
"…I don't care how talented you are! You do NOT take a break at this juncture in our experiments! I don't give a damn if you have to piss like a racehorse or if your water is about to burst! Do it again, and you're fired! Got that?" Huffing from the exertion of yelling, he plopped his hands on his hips and glared at the young woman, daring her to contradict the great Ricky Alvarez.
Over his shoulder, Danny caught the woman's gaze and winked at her. Her already pale skin blanched in surprise, her mouth slackened just a bit and her eyes widened. Sure that he had just caused the poor woman a heart attack, Danny stood there unsure as she swayed slightly. Still grumbling, Alvarez didn't notice, just told her to get back to work. Nodding, she disappeared without a word into the chaotic mess that was the usual working atmosphere of the Testing department.
"Stupid, no good, wasteful newbie…needs to go back to kindergarten…" Turning around, Alvarez nearly ran into Danny. Stumbling, he reared back ready to lit into another one of his workers when he came face to face with Fenton. A creaky smile broke his dour expression, out of everyone at Axion, old Alvarez had always liked Daniel Fenton. "Fenton! What can I do for ya m'boy?"
Danny grinned at the old curmudgeon, "Hey Alvarez, not much. I just heard from Grey that you had a possible break in? Thought I'd come and check it out for old time's sake." Gesturing to the spot where the girl had disappeared from, "Who was the newbie?"
His scowl once again firmly in place, Alvarez walked towards his office, gesturing for Danny to follow him. Once inside he sat behind his desk and glared through the window that displayed the entire department and its workers, "Oh her? Newbie goes by the name of Amelia Renaud, just transferred here from a sister company. Has 'great promise and talent'" he quoted, and then snorted in disbelief, "Talent my left saggy butt cheek. She almost single handedly destroyed an entire morning's worth of tests on a piece of equipment that would have half of the countries on this damned planet drooling." His eyes gleamed with a wicked spark that told Danny that those same countries were going to have to pay out the butt just to touch this same equipment with their pinkie fingers.
Walking to the window, Danny watched the hustle and bustle outside. "So what does it do?" he asked, turning back to Alvarez.
The older man was sitting here, his fingers steepled and he was looking at Danny with a fixed expression. "Well I shouldn't…could get in trouble ya know." Then he smiled, his slightly yellowed teeth glinting in the light, "Eh but who gives a rat's fart right? It'll stick it to them upstairs. C'mon." Grinning widely, Danny followed Ricky as he shuffled out of his office and towards the large piece of machinery in the center of the room. Surrounding it at the base were three people, two men and the young woman, Amelia, who Alvarez was yelling at earlier.
Standing there, legs akimbo, Alvarez appeared to be the king of the jungle, lord of all he saw. And as far as his department minions were concerned, he was. Danny stood there watching as Ricky ordered everyone to various tasks at machines all over the room; soon the only person that was left was Amelia. Glaring at the new girl, he crooked a finger at the machine, "Turn it on. I need to see you run a procedure," he demanded imperiously.
Backing away slightly, Danny watched as she walked around to a control panel and start hitting buttons and flipping switches. Soon, a low pitch hum began from somewhere inside the invention. Quickly though, the low hum grew louder and louder till Danny swore that his heartbeat was keeping time. Next to her, Alvarez was actually nodding his head in agreement as she continued to hit buttons. Apparently, whatever she was doing it was correct.
But then she glanced up. Catching her eye, Danny could see nothing. No emotions, no personality; it was as if she was simply a shell. Still holding his gaze with her own pale one, she pressed one final button. Instantly, Danny knew something was wrong as Alvarez began shrieking for everyone to either hit the deck or run for their lives. He quickly yanked Amelia down to the ground with him, but Danny wasn't so lucky.
The machine's formerly noisy hum picked up an entirely new decibel level, now it sounded like a teapot. Clutching his hands over his ears, Danny was practically helpless. What could he do? If he went ghost everyone in the place would know he was Danny Phantom. Most of the workers were now down on the floor, their hands covering their heads; others though were desperately clutching workstations and chairs in an effort to remain upright.
Soon, the base of the machine began to shake uncontrollably, from there it escalated until the entire thing was shaking, forcing the entire room to shake. In a split second it was as if everything had gone silent. Then the explosion happened.
A blur slammed into Danny around the knees, forcing him to the ground at the last possible second. In pain and winded he just lay there, face down, as the resulting inferno raged over his head. The screams and the shouts from the people in the room were deadened by the roar of the blaze. The heat from the fire forced sweat beads to instantly form all along his body, there was no way he could tell if he was dead or alive. The roar of the flames lasted for what seemed was forever. Then there was silence.
Shifting slightly, Danny felt a dead weight pressing against his legs and lower back. Lifting his face from the tiled flooring, he glanced around at the wrecked lab. Equipment and machinery alike were destroyed. Luckily it seemed that the technicians had missed the brunt of the fire, only a few were sporting burns.
"Amelia!"
A low groan from somewhere around Danny's lower body answered the worried shout. Twisting his torso around, Danny saw what was left of white blonde hair and pale skin. "Help! She's hurt!" he shouted to no one in particular, gently trying to move so she wasn't hurt more.
With the added help of two other technicians, Danny was able to maneuver Amelia off of his body and onto the much cooler ground. They couldn't lay her on her back, as the fire had burned away the majority of her clothing, what seemed to be a few layers of skin and even bits of her hair, but they placed her face down, a small sigh escaping from her cracked and bleeding lips.
Placing his hand on what was left of her hair, Danny glared at the people around him, "What the hell are you waiting for? Call an ambulance!" Trusting his order would be followed, he then leaned down so he could speak into her ear and murmured, "You're going to be ok, stay with us Amelia." Then checking to see that everyone was preoccupied with the other injured, Danny quickly allowed his ice powers to flow through his body and into his hand. Carefully, so as to not hurt her even more, he released the icy energy onto the bleeding wounds on her back, effectively cooling them down and stopping the burning process.
Twenty minutes later, Danny was helping the EMTs load the injured Amelia onto a stretcher. Grasping her hand as they began to walk slowly to the back entrance where the vehicle was loaded, Danny felt a small pressure on his fingers and looked down. A pair of silver-grey eyes was fixed on him unblinkingly, they were framed by equally pale eyelashes; Amelia was staring at him, her lips pursed in an effort to speak through her pain.
"I'm sorry."
Danny blinked, in shock, "Huh?" Why would she be sorry? Glancing at the EMT with them, Danny could see that the man was more involved with his walkie talkie at the moment than his patient.
Coughing deeply, her body shook in an effort to contain the spasms that were causing her even more pain, "I'm sorry…my orders…I couldn't…didn't want to…kill you." She rasped, her voice sounding as if she had been smoking three packs a day for the past decade.
Taken aback, Danny stared at her, "Kill me? Who would want to kill me?" Outside of half of the Ghost Zone, he thought wryly. Watching Amelia struggle with the words trying to fight their way out, he noticed that she just grew paler and paler if that were possible against her already albino-esque skin.
Shaking her head against the boards strapping her in, Amelia stared at Danny, her eyes wide, "Don't know…name." she gasped as a powerfully painful twinge attacked her body, "only…wanted…Sam."
At that Danny's eyes widened. Sam? This was about her? Stunned, he stopped walking along with the gurney and watched as it continued its way towards the ambulance waiting at the docking station. If Sam was in trouble then she needed him. Swiftly he turned around and made his way towards his office, for the next few days he was going to be working from home and nothing short of an atomic bomb would be able to drag him out.
On the way back he ran into Alvarez who was standing outside of the company break room, his lab coat charred and still smoking slightly around the edges. Coughing slightly, Ricky's eyes lit up as he spotted Danny, "Fenton! Back from taking care of my girl huh? Good boy…good boy. Ya know she could probably use a lil-"
Holding up a hand, Danny derailed that train of thought, "Don't even say it Rick, I have a girlfriend. I was just wondering, how long had Amelia been working in your department for?"
Shrugging his stooped shoulders, Alvarez slapped at his smoking sleeve, " 'Dunno, maybe a week or two. Came highly recommended though. Don't understand what went wrong today, she was doing everything perfectly till that last sequence." He stared off into the space, "Then it was just like she chose the wrong pattern. Weird, eh Fenton? Fenton?" But when he looked up, Danny had already dashed halfway down the hallway toward his office, "Stupid kids…God I need a drink."
Racing the clock to get back home, Danny could have sworn that Murphy really had it out for him that day. Every time he swerved into a lane, some slow poke old grandma would bump along in front of him. Every traffic light that usually stayed green just for him turned to garish yellow and then red before he could zip through. Gritting his teeth against the irritation that was desperate for release, all Danny could wish for was that Sam would be alive when he got home.
"C'mon…C'MON!" he growled, finally pulling into the driveway and cutting the engine off. Phasing through the door, Danny ran straight for his apartment. Forgetting the door, he simply flew straight through it again. Panting in the entryway, Danny glanced in the living room area to his left. Then to the kitchen at his right; no Sam there either.
Scared, he pounded down the hallway to his bedroom, the pictures lining the wall rattling. No, there was his bed still unmade from this morning when he had awakened snuggled up next to her. Scared shitless, Danny fisted his hands in his hair. Where the hell could she be? Did they get her?
Standing still, his chest rising and falling heavily, Danny tilted his head. Was it just him or did he just hear something in the hallway? Walking slowly towards the front door, Danny was moving quietly until…
CRASH "OUCH, DAMNIT!" Hopping up and down on one leg, he looked to see what had tripped him. One of Sam's many boxes had been placed in the hallway. He must have missed it in his mad dash a few minutes earlier.
"Danny? Is that you? What happened?"
Gingerly, Danny put his leg down and tried to put some weight on it, "Ow, shit…yeah, Sam? Is that you?" limping slightly, Danny made his way towards the living room where he thought he had heard Sam's voice. Carefully he walked into the room, breathing out a sigh of relief at the sight of a ruffled looking Sam. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail, her makeup was smudged and her clothing was rumbled, like she had just woken from a nap.
"Danny, what the hell happened to you? You look like you've gone a few rounds with Skulker and he actually kicked your ass for once." Grabbing his arm, Sam led him to her recliner, gently pushing him back till he fell into the seat. Kneeling, she carefully began to roll up his pants leg to see what he had done.
"Heh, Skulker I could have handled." Wincing as she probed a sore spot, he continued, "It was one of your stupid boxes. I swear, they're like bunnies, multiplying every time you blink. Ouch, Sam!" jerking his leg back, he glared at her, forgetting his fear now that she was in front of him alive.
Sam rolled her eyes and glared back, "Oh quit whining you baby. And nothing's wrong with your leg, you'll just have a mother of a bruise there for a few days." Sitting back on her heels, Sam watched Danny closely. Something was wrong with him. She could always tell when there wasn't something right.
Placing a gentle hand on his injured leg, Sam caught Danny's attention, "Did something happen at work today? Is that why you're home early?" she asked quietly, tucking a wayward strand of hair back behind her ear, her unusual purple eyes searching his clear blue ones for a hint.
He just looked at her, the beginnings of suspicion dawning in his gaze, "Where were you when I came in Sam?"
Surprised, Sam's eyebrows shot into her hairline, "What?" she laughed, "I was taking a nap here on the couch."
"I didn't see you." He said, looking surly. She looked too damn restful and calm.
Exasperated, Sam just looked at him, "Danny, when you're in a rush do you actually take the time to look around? No." chuckling, she flicked his nose.
Sighing, he shook his head angry at himself for doubting his Sam. Wrapping his arms around her, Danny squeezed tightly. Too tightly, if Sam's squeaks of indignation were any indication. "I'm sorry Sam, it's just….I had a rough day at work." Boy was that an exaggeration. He then went on to tell her exactly what had happened. Except for the part where she was mentioned.
Sam didn't make a sound till the story was finished, "Wow…that's…just, wow. And you think she did it on purpose? I find it hard to believe that someone would want to do that." Shaking her head from side to side, she remained adamant, "Why would she want to kill you in the first place? I mean, it's not like she's a ghost or anything if she was hurt as badly as you said."
Piercing her with his bright blue eyes, Danny asked her a question, "Sam, who's Eddie?" He knew he had hit on something as soon as the words left his mouth. Sam's already pale complexion blanched further and her heliotrope eyes widened to the point where Danny could no longer see her pupils.
"He did tell you then." She whispered slowly, her eyes suddenly icy, "I'm going to kill Tucker!" she growled, her fists clenching against the carpet at her knees.
"Don't blame him, the name rang a bell anyways-"
At that minute, Sam's cell phone ringtone cut through the conversation. Moving faster than Sam, Danny reached across the armrest to a side table near the couch and palmed her phone. Ignoring her demands for her phone back, Danny glanced at the caller ID. Holding it up so Sam could see who was calling her, Danny growled, "And now I know why."
"He called you the other day." Danny said, staring at the screen.
Sam nodded, "Yes."
"You told me he was just a friend who used to live in the same dorm with you last year." Tossing the phone into her lap, Danny watched her face, "Sam why didn't you tell me he was the reason why you got the new phone number and had to move out?"
Playing with her phone between her fingers, Sam refused to look him in the eye, "Because I knew you were busy. You know, ghost fighting, working, Valerie. I didn't want to add to that stress. Besides, what could you have done? I was up in New York and you were over here."
"We could have talked about it. I could have helped you in some way." He said quietly, "Sam what'd he do to you?"
Oddly nervous now, Sam stood up and started towards the kitchen, "I want some tea; do you want some tea? Tea sounds good…"
"Oh, no you don't!" reaching out, he snagged her arm and dragged her back so that she was sitting on his lap, "Tea can wait, Sam don't you see we need to talk about this? It's really bugging you and that bugs me."
"Fine," she sighed, moving carefully so she could curl up in his lap, "When you were preoccupied with that red leathered, fly by night skank-"
"Valerie." He laughed at her description.
She nodded, "That's what I said. When you were all wrapped up in her, I thought that…well, you'd never really look my way. So I started dating randomly. I told Tucker about them because I needed someone to talk about them to, and I knew he'd understand." Coyly she glanced up at him through her eyelashes, "You're hard to get over Phantom."
Danny puffed out his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her shoulders, "That's what they tell me. Ow!"
Smirking, Sam poked him sharply in the chest, "Yeah well, don't let it inflate your ego. You can already fly as it is." Snuggling into his chest, she sighed as he began to stroke her hair, "Anyways, it took me a while to realize that all these guys had certain things in common. That should have told me something, but I was too blind to care. And then last year I met Eddie." Her voice became softer as the memories began to unravel in her mind, "He was everything I thought I wanted."
A spike of jealousy shot through Danny's body at her words. Everything?
"He was smart, sweet, hot, and he didn't make fun of me because I was a goth." A sad smile broke Sam's face, "He once told me that he thought it was wonderful I was seeking my own sense of being because it would make me a better person in the end."
Pausing in his ministrations, Danny had to ask, "So what went wrong?"
"I found out later that his father was friends with my parents. They had planned our meeting, dating, relationship…everything. But when I confronted him, he was no longer the guy I had first met." She shuddered, relaxing only when she felt Danny's arms tighten even more around her body, "He was cruel, sadistic and a man whore. He had already slept with half of the freshmen in the dorm before I found out. When I asked him about it," Danny could feel her hesitation to tell him in her voice, "He shoved me against a wall and asked me what I was going to do about it, that I could do nothing and that I was his." She shivered, "Only his."
Sam could feel Danny freeze all around her and knew that if she bothered to look into his face she would be greeted by the sight of menacing green eyes. "When I told my parents they didn't care and insisted that when we got married he would change and see the error of his ways." Sam snorted at the ridiculousness, "As if I'd give him the chance to propose. I moved out that same day and changed my number."
"But he somehow got your number." He stated, glancing at the phone.
"Yeah, he must have wheedled it out of one of my friends. He can be very persuasive when it's something he believes is rightfully his."
"Like you." Danny said, kissing the top of her head and breathing in her scent. Feeling Sam nodding, Danny closed his eyes. He really was an idiot. This was his fault, if he had only realized his feelings to begin with, Sam wouldn't have had to deal with this jackass.
Leaning back, Sam smiled up at Danny noticing that his eyes were back to their natural blue, "I think what really pissed him off was that he could tell he wasn't the only one in my life. Every time he came over to my room in the dorms he had to go through the pictures on my walls." She snickered and kissed his jaw, "I think he felt threatened by you, Danny."
"By me? Why?" This made no sense, he didn't even know the guy and he had felt threatened by him?
Sam nodded, "Mmhmm, I think he could tell that he could never be first in my heart and that pissed him off. One time I caught him about to rip up one of my favorite pictures because it had us in it." Leaning back in the recliner, Sam watched Danny's facial expressions. There was something going on in that head of his that he hadn't told her about just yet, he always got this weird look on his face, like he was trying to do complex math without a calculator.
Slapping her thigh, Sam wiggled her way out of his lap and stood up, "Now can I go get that tea? I've been dying for a cup all day." Numbly he nodded his head, so she walked into the kitchen.
This was too much to think about for the moment. But at least he now knew that this Eddie never actually hit his Sam. If that had happened, personal credos aside, the man wouldn't see another day break. Danny didn't think he could actually kill someone but he would hate for that theory to be tested.
Levering out of the squishy purple laz-e boy, Danny tested his leg and smiled as he realized that whatever magic Sam had used, it was perfectly fine. Standing, he followed her into the kitchen. They would figure everything out. She didn't need to know just yet that someone was after her, especially since he had the faintest inkling that it might just be her twisted ex boyfriend.
In a café along the main strip in downtown Amityville, Eddie sat in a corner booth by himself sipping at an espresso. She hadn't picked up again. Again. How DARE she. Didn't she know who she was messing with? And that assassin, what an incompetent piece of crap, couldn't even kill one measly man. She wasn't worth the amount of money he'd given her. And what good was sleeping with Sam's friend to get the number if the bitch wouldn't even pick up?
Tossing back his searing hot coffee, he stood up, tossed a few bills onto the table and walked out. Well, that just meant that he'd have to pull a few of the aces from up his sleeve then. A chilling smile ruined his handsome face as he climbed into his car and drove down the street. He just hoped he had enough gas in the tank for the trip. He didn't think some poor gas station attendant was up to serving him at the moment. Peeling out of the parking lot, smoke filled the air as he drove out of town.
Some hours later, Edward Haverstein III found himself in a wealthy part of Wisconsin. A rather familiar, wealthy part of Wisconsin. Cruising leisurely down the road he glanced from side to side, taking in the ostentatious homes. Finally, he found the one he was looking for. Driving through the open gates and up the driveway, Eddie entered the property of one Vlad Masters, billionaire extraordinaire. And old friend and business associate of his father's.
Walking up to the door, Eddie pounded against the wooden frame. A few minutes later, the door opened and a woman appeared before him.
"Good morning, are you here to speak to my sweet Vlad?" She said. She certainly wasn't the atypical butler he was expecting that's for sure. She was dressed in a turquoise hazmat suit, her red hair cut short in a bob and a ditzy smile on her face. Add to that the fact that she was floating a good two inches above the ground and Eddie knew he had found the right place. Master's was said to be gaga over some chick that he never got a chance at in college.
"Yeah, it's important that I speak to your," he gagged slightly, "'sweet Vlad,' right away." Nodding, the apparition melted away leaving the door slightly ajar. Walking in, Eddie slammed the door behind him. Now he just had to wait. Walking down the hall a ways, he came upon the library and smiled at the table with a decanter of brandy. If he had to wait, he might as well do it comfortably.
Down in the subbasement, Vlad was working on another one of his inventions to clone Danny Phantom when his Maddiebot appeared. Ignoring her presence, he continued to work fervently, desperate to finish and thus begin his experiments.
"Oh Sweetheart!" She sang out in her mechanical voice, "There's a dark haired young man to see you upstairs. He said that it was important and he needed to see you right away." Now silent, she floated along beside him, staring at him lovingly through carefully reproduced lilac eyes.
Pausing from his research, Vlad turned around to face his Maddiebot, "Is that so my dear? Well, well…I always knew Daniel would come crawling to me. It was only a matter of time." Imperiously, he pointed at her, "Go. See where he is and inform him that I shall be right up." With a nod, she melted away into nothingness.
Chuckling, Vlad clasped his hands behind his back, "So Daniel, finally decided to give up on that fool of a father of your's eh?" Wiping his face clean of any expression, Vlad flashed to his alterego and floated up through the ceiling. Appearing in one of the many empty bedrooms that filled out his mansion, Plasmius transformed back into Vlad Masters; checking his reflection in the mirror hanging over a dresser, Vlad straightened his clothing and smiled.
"Finally, you will have your fated son and heir." Then with a nod he marched out of the bedroom only to be greeted once again by his synthetic Maddie. "Well my dear, where is our guest?"
Smiling coquettishly, she pointed down the hall, "He is in the Library, sugar dumplings. Awaiting your awe inspiring presence." Vlad winked at her, a smug expression plastered on his face, and then gestured towards the room where his guest was waiting.
"After you my dear."
Walking into the library, Vlad noticed something wrong. Several things wrong actually. First off, the dark haired young man waiting by the fireplace, a glass of expensive brandy in his hand, was not Daniel Fenton. Secondly, he wasn't any dark haired young man that Vlad knew personally.
"Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my home?" He barked, standing just inside the doorway staring at the intruder who had the audacity to partake of his favorite drink.
Closing the book he had been browsing through and putting it on the fireplace mantle, Eddie turned and smirked at the older man, "I'm hurt Uncle Vlad that you can't even remember your favorite fake nephew." Swallowing the last of his brandy, he placed the glass alongside the book on the mantle. Throwing his arms out wide, Eddie called out jovially, "How's about a hug for old time's sake? No?" He asked, seeing the expression on Vlad's face, "That's fine, I came for business anyway."
The proverbially lightbulb finally lit up over Vlad's head, "Edward Haverstein?" he choked out, shocked at this unexpected appearance.
"The third thank you," Eddie nodded, "Finally, I see that you remember me. That's wonderful, I was beginning to be worried that I would have to bring out pictures of my sixth birthday party. You remember…the one where you were dressed as bozo the clown…?"
Flapping his hands desperately in an attempt to shut the younger man up, Vlad growled at him, "Yes, yes! I remember, unfortunately. Now, what do you want? Or should I just call security?"
Eddie shrugged, "Call security; though I believe you might regret not hearing out my proposition." Digging a hand into his inner jacket pocket, he pulled out a thick packet and waved it into the air, "I may have something that'll interest you. I know you and my father had a falling out a few years ago, but a Haverstein and Master's merger might just be the thing. Don't you think?"
Eyeing the packet in Eddie's hand, Vlad crossed his arms, "What is that?" he demanded, "If those are the damned pictures from your birthday-"
Shaking his head decisively, Eddie replied, his voice tinged with acid, "Oh nothing quite so mundane I'm afraid. Though I could have those up here sometime today if you wish. No, for this I believe we'll need to go somewhere more comfortable Uncle Vlad. Or should I say, Vlad Plasmius?"
Agog, Vlad only stared in shock. How could this…this child know that? "How'd you find out?" He queried hoarsely.
A light smile warmed Eddie's usually cold hazel eyes, "Aw, even you must remember all those times my father would drag me along on business trips, Uncle Vlad. One day I walked into the wrong room, and saw Vlad Plasmius talking with my father. A minute later, Plasmius was Masters. Really, even at the age of eight it doesn't take a genius to figure something was going on. I had just always assumed that you used mirror tricks and that was why my father agreed to the merger. Now, I think it's something completely different." Walking over to a table in one of the corners of the room, Eddie opened the envelope in his hand and allowed the pictures to cascade all over the surface.
"I think you're a ghost. Or part one anyway. And I know you hate Danny Phantom. So tell me," His light brown eyes now ice chips in their intensity, "Why is Danny Phantom making out with my girl?" picking up several of the photos dotting the table, he flung them at Vlad.
Barely catching one, Vlad looked at it closely. In the photograph there were two young people, one a girl and the other a rather familiar looking boy, both having dark hair and fair skin. The girl was standing on the passenger side of the car, a freaked out expression on her face. The boy appeared to be in the car. Standing up. No, Vlad took a double take, the boy wasn't actually in the car, but passing through, an intense expression on his face as if of great concentration. It was Daniel Fenton and on closer examination the dark haired girl with him must be an older Samantha Manson.
Quirking an eyebrow, Vlad couldn't help but ask, "Your girl? It seems as if she is Daniel's girl." Glancing at other pictures showed similar scenes between Sam and Danny, some with him as Danny Phantom and some with her less than fully dressed; blushing slightly, Vlad tended to over look those.
"No," a feral expression took over his face and Eddie hissed at Vlad, "She's mine. She belongs to me. And since my earlier plans didn't quite work out as I'd wanted, I need your cooperation."
"Cooperation? To do what? Break them up? Good luck, they've been in love since they were children. And there is nothing you can do that could possibly make me humor a spoiled child who has never understood the meaning behind one of the simplest words in the world. No." Shaking his head, Vlad turned his back and made to leave the library.
Baring his teeth in a challenge, Edward once again dug through his inner jacket pocket, "Really? Now, I do believe I might have something to make you change your mind." Brandishing another packet, similar to the first, he chucked it at Vlad's back. "And don't bother keeping them, they're copies naturally." He said carelessly, flicking lint off of his immaculately pressed Armani suit.
Silently, Vlad flipped through the several dozen pictures of him. They ranged from him as Vlad Plasmius, to him as Vlad Masters, and even a few of him in mid change between both. Lowering his head, Vlad glared daggers at the young man, "What exactly did you have in mind Edward?"
Solemnly, Eddie watched Vlad, "Well, since our Danny Fenton, or Phantom, is about as easy to kill as a cockroach after a nuclear explosion-"
Horrorstruck, Vlad stared at him, "Kill? Maddie's son?"
Glancing at the bobbing holograph beside the couch, Eddie's interest flickered and was gone, "Maddie eh? Yes, kill…course the assassin was incompetent. But you know what they say, good help really is hard to find now and days. Money apparently can't buy everything. Anyways, since he was a pain to try and get rid of, killing is the second option, though preferable. I just need him out of the way and Sam believing he's dead. Without her knowing I was involved." A hazy light appeared in his eye, "I want her to come running back, knowing that she's mine." A low chuckle escaped and filled the room.
A quick glance at Vlad told Eddie that killing Danny would have to be put on a back burner. At least till later, "Fine, don't kill the man. I know you want a protégé, keep him. I just want her, without him in the picture. But afterwards, he's all yours Masters. Do we have a deal?" Thrusting his hand out, it took a split second before Vlad was clutching it and pumping their hands vigorously.
"Haverstein, it'll be a pleasure. Truly."
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Sorry this took so long, classes have started up again but i'll do my best to continue...is it bad that i have such an attatchment to my bad guy? lol i love Eddie in a sick and twisted manner, its so wrong and i need therapy :-D And don't worry, i have plans for Vlad, Eddie, Sam and Danny buahahahaha