"Danny, I… I have something to-" Sam's words trailed off as she realized that she didn't actually know what she wanted to say. The knowledge was there, but she couldn't form it into understandable sentences.

Large, cold drops of water landed around Sam and her ghost, but she felt nothing, as if the rain was deflected away from them by some invisible force. The perfectly formed beads were still visible, however. They ran down Sam's face, blurring her makeup and leaving thin, shining trails down her cheeks. The world was silent, but for the quiet splashes as shallow puddles formed on the darkening asphalt, and the shuddering breaths coming from both her and Danny.

Then, he was smiling. He looked so content, despite the discomfort that he must have been feeling.

That's what I love about him, Sam thought, trying to mimic his expression. A pained grimace split her face, instead. She quickly froze, staring deep into Danny's dimming eyes. Love? Is that what she really felt?

"Yes," Sam whispered, her mouth open in shocked revelation. Rain trickled in, coating her tongue with a sweet taste; it was the taste of hope.

Slowly, purposefully, she leant in, until her face was just centimeters away from Danny's. His open, childlike eyes beckoned her, inviting her.

"I love you," She murmured, a true smile shaping her mouth. "I just didn't realize fully."

Danny coughed, the pure white band around his waist being eaten away, dissolving into bubbling green ectoplasm. But his expression was so happy, so pleased and relaxed. Like he didn't care about what happened next.

"That's-" he choked. A thin line of ectoplasm trickled down his chin, and Sam wiped it clean quickly, not wanting to see it. "That's all I… needed t-to hear. Thank you."

A tear escaped from Sam's eye, vanishing among the raindrops that were pouring down. "I mean it."

The world faded, the dark light and quiet noises all but disappearing. Danny's head lifted slightly, bringing him even nearer to Sam, just like she wanted.

"Sam, stop!" Maddie cried, launching away from her husband. "That's a ghost! You don't know what it might do!"

"Now, Maddie," Jack berated, his voice oddly calm. He looked at Sam sternly, his small eyes serious. "She's an intelligent young woman- let her think for herself."

"But-"

"I trust that she'll do the right thing." Sam nodded gratefully to Mr Fenton and placed her attention back on the ghost boy lying in front of her. His luminescent eyes were closed; tanned skin turned an ashy white.

"No…" Sam breathed. She grabbed his shoulders in both hands, shuddering as his form gave way slightly beneath her tight hold. Gently, with each arc getting stronger, more forceful, she began to shake what was left of his motionless body. He was melting faster now.

"Daniel Fe-Phantom, you will not do this to me again! Do you hear me?" the Goth screamed at him, shuddering as the ectoplasm spread, surrounding her feet and knees with the remains of the boy she loved. She let out a loud sob, letting go of Danny to cover her mouth with a green-stained hand. "Not again… not again."

"Sam."

She shrugged off the comforting hand that tried to console her, but it was unrelenting.

"Sam, get away," Tucker advised, his voice rough with tears. "There's nothing you can do."

"No, no- I can help, I can…" she muttered feverishly, continually rejecting her friend as he tried to pull her away. "I can do… something."

"No," Tucker said, bending down and wrapping an arm over her shoulders. His next words were cut off by a loud crash. It seemed to come from behind the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle.

DPDPDPDP

Tucker wished there was something he could do to comfort Sam. There was nothing he could offer Danny right now. Their plan had failed dramatically, and now his best friend was dying- again- on the middle of the road. It seemed that only Sam and Danny had been oblivious towards their feelings, but by the looks of things, that had changed.

"I love you," Tucker heard Sam whisper. He had to turn away from the expression that blossomed on Danny's face, guilt eating him from the inside as tears burned his eyes.

Carefully, Tucker focused on his breathing. In, out, repeat. Like the cycle of life and death. Now it was Danny's turn to go out, but it was unlikely that there would be yet another repeat. There were limits, Tucker knew.

The pattern was broken by the sound of screaming. Danny was almost completely gone, and Sam sat in the ever-growing pool of his substance, tossing his fragile body backwards and forwards as if she were possessed. Without his mind's consent, Tucker was tugging on Sam's arm, trying to pull her away. His boots squelched in the ectoplasm, and stuck slightly as he tried to move, but he moved past the churning in his gut. He finally had something to do.

"Not again… not again," Sam whispered, and Tucker knew exactly what she was thinking of. It was quite similar to what had happened the previous day, though there was unlikely to be another second chance. They had to save him before he melted.

"Sam," Tucker cleared his raw throat, though it did nothing to relieve the pain he felt. "Sam, get away. There's nothing you can do."

Her fast babble was unintelligible as words, though Tucker was still able to understand. That came from years of being as close as the three of them were.

Are, Tucker reminded himself. There's still hope.

Like a warped response to his prayers, there was a disturbance from behind the Fenton's vehicle.

"I have a clothing breach," a large man stated in a monotone voice as he walked into view of the stunned audience, sopping wet.

"Affirmative," his partner agreed, also revealing himself. Their dark sunglasses were still on, despite the shady lighting of the day.

"There he is!" Agent O drew a slim, stylish silver pen from the inside of his white suit. Tucker watched in horror as the utensil morphed into a new shape.

Now both of the Guys in White had ectoblasters, and both were pointing them at the unconscious Phantom.

AN:

Hey! pale-blue11 here!

IMPORTANT

-depending on the amount of reviews I get, the next chapter will be earlier or later than usual. I have school camp next week. Early: Monday night or before. Latest: the next Wednesday. Sorry!

Here they are, Inviso-Al :) The GiW are here! Anyway, I hope I got their characters right :/

This story got kinda dark so... sorry, unless that's a good thing? Why don't you tell me in a review? :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and/or followed this story :) You awesome people!

And please review, favourite and/or follow this part! Reviews play a BIG part in next week's update :)

Have a nice week!

pale-blue11