A/N: Ha! I was out camping for a couple of days and I thought up two new chapters for this story, a one shot and maybe a story line for a sequel to 'Hellbound'. Incredible huh.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

Thief

Saturday was a gloomy day. It had been raining all day and Sam had spent the day mostly in her room, chatting with Tucker on her computer, because Tucker was sick. She logged off when she got tired of his complaints and looked outside. Inevitably, her thoughts returned to Danny Fisher. She wondered what he was doing. Probably trying to find a job, she thought. Why did he drop out of school? He seemed like a smart guy.

She saw that the rain had stopped and decided that she needed some fresh air. She stepped outside, yelling to her mother that she would be back later and started to walk aimlessly. She walked past the school, through the park and then down a street that had a few shops in it. She stopped at a bookstore, went inside to leaf through some books and left without buying anything.

It started to rain again, but she didn´t mind. She looked up and down the street, trying to decide which way to go, when she saw Danny leave a small super market. She wanted to call out to him but something in his behaviour stopped her. She dove behind a car instead and watched him as he quickly scanned the area, walked away and dove into an alley.

Now curious, Sam followed him. She slowed down when she reached the alley and carefully peered around the corner. Danny was fishing something from inside his jacket and she saw a loaf of bread, two apples and some candy bars. He opened one of the latter and quickly stuffed it into his mouth. Sam stepped around the corner.

"Did you steal all that?"

She wasn´t prepared for his reaction. He dropped the food instantly, grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the wall, his eyes narrow and his mouth a thin line. Then he recognized her.

"Crap," he said, letting her go, "You scared the hell out of me."

Sam rubbed her wrists and scowled at him.

"Well, did you?" she asked.

He looked at the ground. "Being hungry changes your morals," he said, "I haven´t eaten since yesterday morning."

He looked at the spilled food, picked up a dented apple and wiped it clean on his jacket.

"So, you´re not just a drop out, you´re a run away," Sam said.

Danny shrugged and took a bite from the apple. Then he picked up the rest of the food and stuffed it into his jacket again. He shivered from the cold rain that was dripping from his hair.

"You´ll catch a cold," Sam told him, "Why don´t you come with me to my house. It´ll be warm and dry and..."

Danny shook his head. "I don´t mind the cold. Your parents will hate me. I´ll just go... to the place I´m staying at right now. I have to try and get a job later, I really don´t have time to come with you."

Well, her parents would hate him, she mused. Still... she grabbed her wallet and took out her last twenty.

"Here, don´t steal anymore please. If you need more just tell me, I´m loaded."

He hesitated.

"Look," she said, "I´ll lend it to you. You can pay me back OK?"

He took it and carefully placed it in his pocket. Then he turned and walked away. Sam waited for a moment and then followed him. If he didn´t want to tell her where he lived, she was going to find out on her own. He walked down endless streets, going deeper into town. The houses started to become shabbier, the streets narrower and dirtier. Finally she saw him stop before a burnt out house. She ducked behind a dumpster and watched him as he quickly looked up and down the street before entering.

She waited a moment and then went after him, to have a look a the house. She was shocked. Nobody could live there in that blackened building with no glass in the windows. I don´t mind the cold, he had said. Tentatively she pushed against the door and it opened with a squeak. She looked inside, but there was nobody there.

Now what, she thought as she stepped inside. Where did he go? Did he leave through one of the back windows? Then why was he so paranoid before entering the house? She looked up at the partially gone ceiling. She could almost see straight through to the roof. There were no stairs. She dismissed the thought that he was up there somehow. He must have left and she missed it. Sighing, she turned around and left.

She walked down the street again, looking left and right to find out which way was home. Suddenly she was surrounded.

"Hello pretty girl," one of the young men said, "Whatcha doin here all by yourself?"

Danny slowly let out the breath he had been holding, when he heard Sam leave. He had walked all the way, counting his steps, to clear his head. How had he not noticed she had been following him? He had let his mind wander, that´s why. He thought he would have learned by now that he should pay close attention to his surroundings.

He sat down on his sleeping bag and took out a slice of bread. He remembered the look on Sam´s face when she found out he was a thief. Suddenly he wasn´t so hungry anymore. Being hungry changes your morals. Yeah right.

Danny took a deep breath. He knew they were watching him, didn't trust him. He looked like the tramp he was, shabby clothes, dirty hands and face. He also knew they couldn't catch him. Something inside him chuckled darkly at that and he tried to push it away.

He walked behind the racks with clothes and started rummaging through the jackets. He needed one, it was cold outside and he had almost died last night. But he didn't have any money.

When he finally found what he was looking for he placed it on the side of the rack and walked away. He could feel their eyes in his back, but he ignored it. Instead, he walked out the door and dove into the alley next to the store. He turned himself invisible and intangible and walked right into the store again, grabbed the jacket and left through the wall so the alarm wouldn't go off.

He let go of the invisibility as soon as he was outside and leaned against the wall for support. He wasn't just cold, he was also very hungry and the use of his ghost powers was almost too much. He'd have to steal some food next.

Again he shivered. He had said he didn´t mind the cold but now he was very cold. He took off his wet jacket and was about to climb into his sleeping bag when a thought hit him. Sam was out there, alone, in a bad neighbourhood. He had let her walk away, unprotected.

He rushed to the window and peered outside. The rain was falling steady now, the street had a wet gleam to it. It actually looked cleaner now. He saw some people in the distance and stared at them, trying to see what they were doing. And then he felt it. A short spike of fear. He gasped and backed away from the window. That might be Sam. His teeth were clattering now from the cold and he had trouble going ghost.

He felt the fear more acutely now that he was in his ghost form. He pushed the feeling to the back of his mind as he flew out of the window towards the people who were pushing somebody against the wall. He felt a rage rise in him when he saw one of the men slapping Sam´s face. He descended , kicked him out of the way and grabbed Sam.

He flew to the roof of the building next to his own and sat her down on it. He let go of her as if she was burning and backed away a few paces.

"Phantom."

He looked up at her. She was smiling at him.

"Thank you."

He just nodded. "Come," he said, "I´ll fly you home."

What do you think? Should I go on vacation more often or should I forever stay at home and keep my stories where they belong, in my head. The next chapter is short and sad and will be up whenever I'm done editing it.