Catalyst: A Story about Change

Author's Note: Hello! Howdy! G'day, mate! So...if you're going to review a chapter, please let this be the one! (makes big gigantic puppy dog eyes)

Chapter 14: Meetings

December 22nd

Danny gazed out the side window of the Fenton RV, his eyes wandering lazily over the landscape. For once, he felt completely calm. He was an observer, looking at life's trials and tribulations without being effected by them. Yet when the right moment presented itself he'd float back down, and she'd be there waiting for him…

They were on their road trip; he, Jazz, and Tucker. Jazz was at the wheel and Tucker was in the back, asleep. Danny had woken up from his own nap only a few minutes ago, and had fallen straight into this strange mood.

He let out a tiny yawn and leaned his head back, still looking out the window. This surreally calm bubble couldn't last, he knew, but it was a welcome relief from the sadness and anger. From the feeling of desperation that had been gnawing at his gut continuously for months now. That need to search, search, search until he found her…

He'd had a dream just now. It had taken place in the RV. He'd been alone, cruising along some two lane city road. He wasn't in the business district, or downtown, but somewhere close to your average neighborhood, with a few pizza places, some chain restaurants, pet stores; things like that. It wasn't really nice, but it wasn't run down either.

He'd stopped at a red light, and then…Sam had opened the passenger door and climbed in. Somehow he'd known it was her even before looking over. When he did though, he'd seen that she looked tired, run down. But she'd been happy to see him. In fact, she'd been on her way to see him.

The dream reunion had been wonderful, but there was no intense emotional outpouring. Instead, a calmness had descended over him as he'd slowly woken back up. And he'd been sure in those first waking moments that all he had to do was watch for the right sign, and it would fall into his lap if he just waited for it…

Now he wasn't so sure. It was just a dream, wasn't it? Yet his eyes were drawn to the window, his attention focused on something beyond sight, absorbed in searching for that signal…

"…spy…something red." Danny blinked a few times as Jazz's voice filtered through to his brain, and slowly took a deep breath. Oh yeah… That was right, Jazz had started up a game of 'I Spy' a minute ago, hadn't she?

"Um…" His voice came out quiet and husky. "The…coca-cola truck."

"No." Ah. Oh well…

Danny felt his mind drift off from the game again. They were starting to pass through another city. Maybe she was here…?

"Danny…" Jazz sounded aggravated. He looked over, a little surprised, and their eyes met briefly. After a moment, understanding trickled down.

"Oh…sorry." He looked around for a moment, and spotted a red Ferrari driving just in front of them. "I spy…something red."

Jazz rolled her eyes, answering instantly. "The Ferrari." Her voice was flat, with a sardonic edge to it. She glanced over at him again, briefly, and he tried to understand. Why the frustration…?

Oh. He smiled mildly. Right, of course. "That was yours, wasn't it? From a minute ago."

"Yeah." She was silent for a moment, and his attention once again drifted back to the window.

After another moment he heard a frustrated growl, as if from a distance. "Danny!" Jazz huffed, which was a truly rare occurrence for her. "Look, I'm going to pull over for a while, we're going to talk, and you're going to tell me what's so riveting about the view."

Danny frowned. She was…angry. "Jazz…" Wait. Stopping actually felt right, somehow. "Okay."

They took the next exit off the highway, and a few silent minutes later they were driving through the city they'd been passing on the interstate. Various restaurants and stores went by.

Danny sat up, eyes widening. This place seemed…familiar! A Pizza Hut went by on the left. Hadn't he seen that before? He heard the turn signal start, and looked back around to see where Jazz was planning to turn into. A Starbucks on the right…?

No. They should stop further down. Right up…there.

"Don't stop here, Jazz." She pursed her lips, still looking annoyed.

"Where then?"

"That grocery store further down. On the right." He paused and leaned back, the calm sense of waiting settling around him again like a cloak. "Let's stop there."

Jazz flipped off the turn signal, both eyebrows raised. "Okay."

"…brother on this trip, not a lump of unresponsive mush, Danny." He knew Jazz had a right to be mad, but even now he wasn't really tuning in.

"Hey, Cracker Jacks! I haven't had these since I was a kid!" That was Tucker, who despite his rude awakening a few minutes ago was still firmly in 'vacation mode'. They were currently wandering the isles, as Jazz vented her frustration.

"Tucker, I'm trying to have a serious discussion here." Jazz paused, and added, "Aren't you even a little annoyed that Danny has practically been an inert stump over the past few days…? And when he does talk to us, it's usually rude. And now any communication seems to be too much effort for him…"

Danny kept walking, ear half tuned to the conversation, and glanced back to see a wary look in Tucker's eyes. Jazz had stopped him cold, and he looked less than happy about it. Danny smiled slightly. He turned the corner to the next isle, leaving the two behind for a bit.

Hmm. There was baby food, baby diapers, baby medicine, baby lotions…baby everything. The baby isle, then. There was a blond lady about halfway down with her back turned. He watched her idly as he started slowly down the isle, her profile coming into view as she turned to look for something.

She was slender, and pretty. And rather familiar, actually. It was unlikely he'd know anybody in Idaho, though. She was dressed casually, and had a baby slung around her stomach. She looked too young to be a mother, though. Maybe a babysitter?

Danny felt the hair on his arms stand up a little. That was…strange. She was blond, but her eyebrows were dark, maybe even black.

His breath caught in his throat, and a sense of shock radiated through him. He knew that profile! All the feelings that had been strangely vacant since the dream suddenly came flooding back, booming over him like a wave, forcing him down into the real world.

His heart rate tripled. He found himself moving toward her, his walk escalating quickly to a run. He was right! He had to be!

"Sam! Sam Manson!" His voice rang out loudly, elated and desperate, and a little harsh. He was going to pick her up, hug her, never let her go…!

Sam froze as she heard her name yelled out, the voice all too familiar. She snapped out of it quickly, frantically trying not to panic as she reached for her purse and dug through it desperately. She'd gotten careless, hadn't really thought it would happen…! Her hands shook slightly as she pulled out her ghost protection, and terror squeezed her heart as she whipped around swiftly.

Danny came screeching to a halt just in time, eyes wide as he watched Sam thrust the Plasmius Maximus towards him. He stared down at it for a moment, eyes wide. He'd only missed getting zapped by maybe a foot.

After a moment he looked up and their eyes met, and Danny watched as the icy panic in her violet eyes turned slowly to shock. Why she'd tried to attack him became unimportant as he realized that this really was Sam…

"Sam…" It came out in a whisper; his voice was temporarily gone, throat clenched with emotion. He'd finally…he'd finally found her!

There was a clatter as she dropped the ghost stunner, and he followed the noise with his eyes, slowly. He noticed absently that the baby she carried was covered from head to toe, hood pulled all the way over its face. Well, it was cold out…

But that wasn't important right now. Danny looked back up and moved forward, closing the distance to Sam almost instinctively. He'd…finally found her. But he still needed to touch her, to know that she was real…

"Danny…" Her voice sounded choked. But she didn't push him away, and after a moment she hesitantly put an arm around his neck. He had to hug her sideways to avoid the baby, but he didn't care.

"I don't believe it….I don't believe it…Sam…" He was moaning gibberish into her hair, saying her name over and over, and tears were running down his cheeks. When had he started crying? But she was crying too, sobbing, the tears soaking into his shirt, as he continued to hold her, so he guessed it was alright. Everything was alright now.

Sam wanted to pull away. He was moaning her name into her ear, over and over. But it was the wrong voice; it was that voice! Her tears redoubled as a deep anguish swept through her. He was…he was hugging her with those arms! He was crying for her with those eyes, that face! It was impossible to hold in the sobs, and she could only pray Danny mistook it for happiness…

Sam's breath hitched as she saw Jazz and Tucker coming around the corner, and she tried desperately to get herself under control. They couldn't realize…she couldn't let them see how upset she really was…

But it was hard. Danny's embrace brought up terrible associations, and memories locked deep down were fighting their way back to the surface. But she couldn't afford to fall to pieces! It would break his heart!

Sam cursed herself for being so weak, and stupid. Somehow he'd stayed sixteen in her mind. How stupid! Stupid, stupid! She focused in on that anger, using it to draw away the other emotions, the ones she couldn't afford to deal with there and then. It worked just barely, and she managed to pull her face into a mask. She should be happy to see them. Happy!

She pulled away from Danny slowly, tightly controlling the reaction his hands on her waist had on her. They'd hugged all the time before, after all. She just had to remember those times.

She didn't look at him. Instead she focused on Jazz as she and Tucker walked over to them slowly.

"Sam!" That was all Jazz said, though her eyes were busy taking everything in. The baby, the cart, herself. Sam could see the shock as Jazz ran through the possibilities.

"Sam." She turned to Tucker. His eyes were wide, and he was tearing up. "I don't believe it…" His voice was awed sounding, and he came forward to hold her closely for several moments. She was secretly grateful when Danny's hand finally fell away.

Sam smiled tightly, her breath hitching a little. How she'd missed them! "Tucker. I s-see you've grown." He was probably six feet tall, if she was any judge. Not towering like Danny, but a respectable height none the less.

They slowly pulled away, and silence descended for a few moments. Danny's hand fell on her shoulder very lightly, almost reverently, and Sam realized she was already getting over the shock of…how he'd changed. She looked up hesitantly and, surely enough, his beautiful blue eyes were glued to her face. She smiled, embarrassed, and looked down at the ground, the silence suddenly turning uncomfortable.

Jazz saved the day. "So…we've got the Fenton RV outside, and if you live around here maybe we can all go back to your place and catch up?"

"Um…yeah." She gave Jazz a shaky smile and turned back to her cart, and they followed her as she turned toward the front of the store. The rest of her grocery list could wait.

"So, Sam…what the heck happened to your hair? I always wondered if you were a natural blond…" Tucker looked over at her, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Sam pulled a face. "I'm not; it's dyed."

Tucker went on. "Well I'm sorry to say, but it kind of ruins the Goth look. Not to mention the purple-pink turtle neck. Though it does go with your eyes."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "Really. I didn't notice, Tuck." She smirked a little.

"Tucker, knock it off already." Danny was hovering to her right, hand still on her shoulder. They stopped at the register, and she turned around briefly.

"Okay, maybe you guys can go get the car or something…? All I have is a bike."

"I'll go. Come on, Tucker." Jazz pulled on Tucker's sleeve, and he sent them a wave as he turned to follow her.

That left her and Danny. They went through the check out in silence, though Danny raised his eyebrows at her when the clerk addressed her as Mrs. Billsbury.

He waited until they were heading for the door before bringing it up, though. "Mrs. Billsbury. I take it that's who you're baby sitting for?" Sam grimaced, avoiding his eyes. That voice was going to take some getting used to.

"Sort of."

Danny gasped, and she jumped a little. "Sam! It's not credit card fraud, is it?" He whispered it nervously.

She almost laughed in relief. "No! Of course not." She glanced up at him, which would also take some getting used to. "You'll find out soon." She made a beeline for the car waiting out front as fast as she could.

Sam swallowed nervously as they pulled into a parking spot at her apartment complex. She had sat up front with Jazz in order to give directions, and on the way over Jazz had told her why they were in Idaho. So far, it was just small talk.

As they got out of the car however, her nervousness started turning to abject terror. Soon she'd have to start answering questions, and nothing would be good enough to cover up the truth. She hadn't come up with a decent cover story yet, and was frankly completely unprepared for this. And the apartment was somewhat of a mess, to boot.

They headed up silently (she was on the third floor), and after she got the door open they slowly filtered in. Sam could tell, as they looked around, that an interrogation was forthcoming.

The first question came from Jazz, as Tucker and Danny were putting the groceries on the kitchen counter. She spoke quietly, though the others had to be listening. "So…so the baby…?" Their eyes met, and Jazz didn't need to go on.

"He's mine." It came out in a croak. This was admitting so much, too much to handle, almost. She walked slowly to the bedroom and put Nathaniel down in the crib, placing the lid over it. He'd just nodded off when she'd left for the store and was thankfully still asleep.

Jazz followed her quietly, and they both looked down at the playpen. Sam glanced up, and spoke quietly. "His name's Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel Manson?"

"Not…not yet. Right now he's Nathaniel Billsbury, my assumed name." She could feel Danny and Tucker both standing at the edge of the room, and slowly turned back around. Danny's eyes were burning, and as she came out he moved back as though to avoid her touch. She went to sit down at the kitchen table, feeling miserable.

"I'm…sorry there aren't more chairs. Only two." Jazz claimed the one across from her, and Tucker and Danny came slowly as if dragged along by some gravitational pull.

No one spoke for a little bit, as the shock slowly worked its way through everyone's system.

"Why even two, though?" Danny stood about six feet away, and Sam could feel the tension radiating off of him. She knew what he was asking. Why two if it was just her and the baby?

"It's just me, Danny. And Nathaniel, of course." Her eyes stayed glued to the table.

"Sam…" He sounded furious, sad, lonely, worried, and probably half a dozen other things. He needed to know what had happened, now. Sam put her hands on the table, and her face slowly started to screw up as her own emotions welled to the surface. I wish you wouldn't talk, because I hate the sound of your voice, Danny! She pushed the thought away violently, biting her lower lip.

Jazz intervened. "Danny, calm down. Just sit down where you are. You too, Tucker." Jazz placed her hand over Sam's, causing her to look up. Sam felt lost, and trapped. Her eyes pleaded with Jazz for help, understanding.

Jazz smiled, trying to comfort her, though her brow was creased with worry. "Sam, if you want, Danny and Tucker can leave for a while?"

This time Tucker spoke up, voice even but worried. "No we can't. We know her better than you do Jazz, no offense."

Sam wished they would go away. Jazz was something they could never be: female. But it wasn't fair to them; they were her best friends, after all. And would putting off the inevitable really save her any pain?

"It's…okay, Jazz." Her voice was only a whisper. This was anything but okay.

"Are you sure?" Sam nodded, and Jazz squeezed her hand. "Okay." Everyone fell silent, waiting. But Sam was anything but ready.

Jazz spoke up after a bit, gently urging her on. "Can you…tell us what happened?"

"I…" Her voice stuck in her throat, and she pulled her hand away, turning toward the window. Tears started making their way down her face, her throat working. What could she say? She couldn't just say it! Not in front of Danny!

As if on cue, Danny found his own voice again. "Who, Sam?" It was a croak, barely audible. She didn't know if that was better or worse than before.

She turned back to him, meeting his eyes, and suddenly all her emotional barriers fell. The tears turned to deep sobs, and she couldn't stop herself, even when she was practically bawling in front of them all. She wanted to speak, but she couldn't get anything out around the hiccupping gasps of air, and so just sat there, hands outstretched as Danny's face grew darker and darker.

He jumped up suddenly, and quickly sidestepped Jazz as she attempted to cut him off from her. In a moment his hands were grasping her upper arms, forcing her up out of the chair, forcing her to face him. It shocked her into silence as he yelled in her face, his own face turning red. She had never seen him this angry.

"Who! Who did this, Sam?" After a moment his face crumpled, the anger draining away as quickly as it had come, and he pulled her into a hug. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Sam…please. Please." It was a pathetic moan, and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the pleading or his closeness anymore, as memories she needed to suppress rose around her.

She pushed against him, finding her voice. "Let me go, give me space, Danny!" She stepped on his foot, hard, feeling suddenly misused and angry. He pulled away a little, looking briefly like some forlorn, oversized puppy. She glared up at him. "You're so pushy!"

She stepped around him after that, and hightailed it to the kitchen to rummaged for cups.

"I'm thirsty. Does…anyone want some water?" Her voice cracked on 'water', but the tears were gone for now.

After a moment Jazz came to help. It was a silent truce; a time for everyone to cool back down.

Soon they all had some water, and not surprisingly, everyone took a long drink. Sam stared into her cup, swirling the remaining water around slowly. Somehow getting angry had helped calm her down a little, though she still felt frayed around the edges.

"I…was attacked." She spoke quietly, almost calmly, confirming everyone's suspicion; Danny's assumption. It didn't have to be sexual, spoken that way. It could've just been someone hitting her, which was infinitely better somehow. It didn't carry the terrible sense of shame.

She went on, slowly. "I left when I was about three months pregnant, because I didn't want you to know." It sounded so lame said that way.

"But why leave, Sam?" It was Tucker. "We don't blame you. We would've helped you." She kept her eyes on the water, knowing that if she looked into any of their eyes she wouldn't be able to continue.

"I…it was complicated, Tucker. There was more to it than that. It…he…he wasn't your normal human guy, for one." Her voice broke again, and the tears started up, slowly, but thankfully more subdued thank before.

"It was a ghost." Danny's voice was low, anger bubbling below the surface, but it was contained for the moment.

"Yes." She whispered it. There was a long silence as this sunk in for everyone. Sam was amazed at how quickly Danny had understood.

"Which one?" Danny crossed his arms nonchalantly. He tried to make his voice light, but the animosity seeped through. Which one, so I can rip their head off, and maybe a few other parts?

Sam narrowed her eyes at him. "Why? What will you do?"

"What do you think I'll do, Sam? Come on!"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

"I'll kill him, that's what! And if I can't manage that, they'll never have…," his voice caught, "ch-children again, that's for sure!"

They stared at each other, attempting to glare the other into submission. Suddenly Danny looked past her, and started towards the bedroom. "What's the baby look like, Sam?" She ran after him.

"Danny, don't lay a finger on Nathaniel, or I'll kill you!"

He stopped at the playpen, arms crossed. "Fine, then you get him out so we can look at him." She glared up at him as the others came hurrying in.

"He's sleeping."

"Too bad!" He moved as if to push her aside.

"Danny!" A small cry erupted from the pen, and Danny smirked a little.

"He's awake now." He stepped back, motioning her smugly to the pen.

"You are the biggest jerk I've ever met sometimes, you know that?" They stared at each other for a moment, both wearing deep frowns, before she gave in and turned to the pen. "Move back," she grumped. "I need room." He stepped away, and she slowly lifted up the lid, the worry she'd been feeling surfacing once again. Would he see the resemblance? What would they assume, if she didn't say anything?

She paused before reaching down to get Nathaniel, and looked over her shoulder. "One thing, Danny. There's one thing you need to understand more than anything else." She turned around to face him fully, her face suddenly furious. "I love this baby. I love Nathaniel, and you'd better remember that. You may hate the father, but this is my baby too."

He looked away, face tight, and after a moment she turned back around to pick up Nathaniel. She headed straight for the bed, sitting down on the edge, Danny at her heels. She looked up, a little surprised, when Jazz came to sit on her other side, looking intently down at Nathaniel.

They all stared for a moment, and his tiny face looked unusually serious at all the attention, his eyes wandering from one face to another. After a bit, he made a nervous sound, and put his hand on Sam's chest, little eyebrows raised. He looked up into her face, and she hugged him to her, whispering little words of comfort into his ear.

There was a strange silence as they all watched her, and then Jazz spoke up. "He's beautiful, Sam." Her voice was soft, and a little reverent. "Can I hold him for a little bit?" Sam looked up, and they shared a smile, something blessedly removed from their original goal in fetching Nathaniel.

"I…he's a halfa, and he's transformed a couple of times, so be really, really careful." Sam grinned, much to her own surprise. "Not the usual thing a mother says when handing over her baby, I guess." Somehow Danny had simply fallen out of the picture for a little bit, though he still sat right next to her. It had become two women fawning over a baby, and the men folk had been pushed to the side, probably feeling out of place.

The tension noticeably lessened as Jazz started making baby faces and funny sounds, playing with Nathaniel. "How old is he?"

"About three months. He was born on September 19th." She shouldn't have added the last sentence, because she could feel the temperature drop in the room as everyone did the math in their heads.

She answered the question for them. "December 17th last year. When I supposedly had the flu." Sam kept her eyes on Nathaniel, her expression neutral.

"Sam…just tell us who it is." Danny finally spoke up, quietly pleading.

She didn't look over. "Can't you tell?"

He growled in frustration. "I'd rather not say who it looks like. Blue eyes, black hair…It's not Vlad, is it?"

Sam turned around, incredulous. "What? No! What are you, crazy? Gee wiz." Oh, gross! She turned back to Nathaniel, and probably would've laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

Danny grunted in embarrassment. "Well, I didn't really think so…" His voice dropped off suddenly, and Sam's heart froze. He had tensed up so suddenly…

She turned back around to face him slowly, worried. He was looking into space, his eyes moving side to side as if reading a book.

"Danny…?"

"The 17th…of December." His mouth formed a silent oh, and she watched as he stood up, drawing away from her. He stared down at her for a moment, and his eyes grew wide with horror as understanding truly sank in. "Last Christmas, Sam…just before…" He looked suddenly ashamed, and she thought he might cry, he looked so distraught.

She had to get him to listen to her! "Danny, it wasn't…you're not… It wasn't your fault, don't you understand…"

"Then I'm right!" He was drowning in shocked despair, eyes wide, desperately searching her face. He found the answer there, and suddenly couldn't look at her anymore. A moment later he literally flew straight through the ceiling, and they were powerless to stop him.

There was a stunned silence as everyone digested what had just happened. Even the baby was strangely quiet, perhaps sensing the serious atmosphere.

"Wait…so judging from his reaction…," Tucker tried not to put his foot in his mouth. "But I thought he was locked in a Fenton thermos, guarded by Clockwork…?"

Sam spoke in a dull monotone, feeling tired and depressed. "He escaped for a few days. But Clockwork caught up with him again, don't worry. He…talked to Danny a few days before Christmas, so Danny realized what must've happened. I'm…I'm surprised he didn't guess sooner, actually."

"Maybe he did." Jazz sounded contemplative as she looked down at Nathaniel, slowly starting to play with him again. Sam tuned in, mildly curious. She felt empty, like a glass of water that had just been drunk; she was completely emotionally drained.

Jazz went on after a moment, her voice very quiet, as if she were talking to herself. "Maybe he did know for a long time, deep down, and was suppressing it. People do it all the time, you know. For instance, I firmly believe our parents have been suppressing the fact that Danny is actually half ghost for years. They're too smart to be that stupid at the same time, right?" Jazz looked up, and Sam realized she had tears in her eyes. Jazz wiped them away with one hand, and smiled weakly. "I have a nephew!" Nathaniel smiled up at her after a moment, and giggled a little.

Tucker and Jazz made their way into the kitchen to cook up some kind of dinner a few minutes later, when Sam said she needed to feed Nathaniel. She joined them after a while (they'd decided to order pizza, in the end) and she told them about the birth, about what Nathaniel looked like in ghost form (she'd only seen him change twice so far). She told them about Vlad's involvement, and about how she'd been planning to return anyway.

They stayed up late, talking about her life for the past year. They didn't talk about Danny very much, though both Tucker and Jazz assured Sam he'd cool down and come back, that he just had a lot to think about. Things had been especially hard on him after she'd left, after all.

The next evening

He'd found a particularly energetic entry point into the human world this time, craving the activity and bustle that was humanity in large numbers. Floating in the Ghost Zone for months on end with no one to talk to got lonely, after all.

Danny had been hanging around none other than the Big Apple for almost a week now, sometimes following people's conversations, and occasionally venturing into the financial district to start making sense of what it was that went on there. He knew he needed to start learning.

He'd actually been rather surprised to find himself in New York City, though he had been aiming for a big city. Just not this city.

Not that he minded. He'd even gone to see a musical several days ago, since this was the home of Broadway. It had been 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Sam had recommended it to him years ago. As the plot had unfolded Danny had had to laugh a little; it was her kind of story, though she'd probably hoped Raoul would drop dead at the end. He smiled wistfully. If he was lucky, maybe he'd get the chance to ask her someday.

Right now it was getting pretty late, and he was seriously thinking about returning to the Ghost Zone for some sleep. He didn't need much, and hadn't taken any during his time in the human world, since he ran the risk of turning tangible while asleep.

Thus he was floating above the traffic of Times Square, idly searching for that cool touch of the Ghost Zone when he heard the words 'time out' come from behind.

And suddenly all the noise stopped. It was quite unnerving. He turned around to see Clockwork grinning at him, and crossed his arms in response, eyebrows up. This man, or whatever he was, had quite a mischievous streak.

Of course, the truly unnerving bit was that Clockwork was apparently able to see him, visible or otherwise. He pursed his lips, annoyed. Not your usual spook, though he'd already known that.

Danny went tangible anyway. "So, do I get another question and answer session before you send me on my merry way?" He was actually very excited, the grogginess he'd been feeling completely forgotten.

"Actually, yes. I have just a few more words of wisdom, and then I will send you on your way, to do as you please." He paused, and added, "Within the obvious limits. If you start blowing things up, don't expect me to look away." That grin was still playing around his lips, Danny noticed, though he didn't doubt his sincerity.

Clockwork let himself float slowly downward and landed between two cars. He started walking slowly, and Danny realized this was probably the first time he'd seen the other ghost bother with legs. Danny descended, joining him.

A few moments went by before Clockwork spoke again. "What were the words I left you with, Danny? Do you remember them?"

"Ah, not exactly." He rubbed the back of his head, slightly nervous. "You were talking about the soul. You said that it's not like your average physical object, in that…it's not restricted by space or time."

"Yes, exactly. Have you thought about what that means for you particularly?"

Danny was silent for a long moment. Yes, he'd thought about it a lot, but wasn't exactly eager to start putting forward theories. Why this round about approach, anyway? Was the time master trying to tell him something horrible? He swallowed, gathering his thoughts.

But he was saved answering when Clockwork went on. "Danny, what happens to your soul when you split your body multiple ways? Does only one of them think, feel? Or are they all simultaneously you?"

Danny frowned. "The latter, of course. It's like seeing through five sets of eyes, or however many times I split myself. But you said the soul couldn't be split, so…" He looked up, brow furrowed. "Like you said, it somehow exists simultaneously in five different places." He paused. "Look, I'm putting this together based on what you've told me, Clockwork, but I still don't quite get what that really means, honestly." He put his hands behind his head and sighed. "I think I know what you're saying, though. Maybe."

They both walked a little further, but after a moment Clockwork slowed to a stop and faced him. "What am I saying, Danny?"

He stared back for a moment, reluctant to speak. He had to be wrong; it was too ludicrous, wasn't it? "You're saying that somehow the Danny of this time and me, from the future, even with the difference of ten years… that we're…" He raised his eyebrows, waiting for some indication from Clockwork, any hint that this was sound reasoning. "sharing…"

"The same soul. Yes." There was a pause.

"You're serious."

"Yes. You are the same essential being, in two different bodies."

Danny stared for a moment. "So it's like we have the worst case of multiple personality syndrome on the planet."

Clockwork raised his eyebrows a little. "Actually, you're not so different, I think. You've had different experiences, gained different knowledge, different habits. Different influences have led you down different paths."

Danny grinned, still trying to let this sink in. He'd been sure he was wrong! "You know, Jazz would've killed for this kind of psychological study material."

"Would, you mean."

Danny looked down at his hands. "Y-yeah." He paused. "So what does this mean, Clockwork? What do you expect me to do?" Why are you telling me this?

"I was charged with looking after you, Danny. Looking after both of you. I could've kept you locked away indefinitely, and let Danny live his life out. But what then? At death his soul wouldn't have moved on. It would have been drawn, in its entirety, to the tiny thermos, and become trapped with you in your ghostly body." He frowned, looking away. "A punishment worse than death. Not even you, with all that you've done, deserve to be locked away for eternity, Danny. And your other self certainly doesn't deserve it."

Clockwork looked him in the eyes for a moment. "Yet after a lifetime of being trapped, I could hardly just let you out and expect you to behave. You would have gone insane long ago." Danny swallowed. Not a pleasant thought.

Clockwork went on. "So this is the best of both worlds. Eventually you will join back together again into one body. This might not happen until one of you dies. That isn't ideal, of course, but better than the alternative." His tone softened even as it grew more intense, and Danny found himself leaning forward. "The best thing, of course, is for you both to come to terms with this, and merge back together while still alive. This will make you stronger, and not just in the physical sense. You will be a better person."

Danny found his voice after a little bit, feeling a little amazed at the strangeness of the suggestion and craving more information. "You would know, wouldn't you?" Clockwork turned away, smiling to himself.

"You're right, Danny." He paused, and added over his shoulder. "I suppose you're worried that you'll no longer 'be you' after the merge?"

Ah. Well now he was.

"You two must be similar enough in thought and action for this to be even possible, and you both must be willing." Danny smirked to himself. Well, then, that woulddefinitely not be happening.

"You'll have all the memories of the combined parties, which will be seamless, of course, up until around the time of your family's death. And I know it's hard to take on faith, but you will still be you." He grinned. "Just more so."

"Won't I make him a worse person? I doubt he's ever killed anyone, for instance." He looked away, following the line of cars down the block. So many people…

Clockwork's tone could only be described as sardonic. "You might be surprised." He paused. "But you're right; he hasn't. If you drip a droplet of ink into a bowl of milk, however, the entire bowl is contaminated. This would be equivalent to your soul, Danny. Any bad or good action taken by either of you effects you both."

"Sucks for him, doesn't it?"

"You might think so, but perhaps you were simply having certain experiences, and went through a period in your life that he was then saved from going through directly? In which case you got the short end of the stick, metaphorically speaking." He paused. "It may seem strange, but when you went into that dark place for all those years, Danny, and then managed to come back out again, you were forced to grow very strong in certain ways. You'll never go down that road again, will you?"

Danny looked down at the ground, frowning deeply. "No." He looked back up. "But maybe he still would, is that what you're saying?" He locked eyes with Clockwork, trying to read the thoughts behind them.

"He has certain weaknesses that have been beaten out of you slowly, Danny. I'm not saying he would take an identical road, but he has the potential to turn very dark. He promised he would never become you, but that promise was based on the safety of his family and friends, the preservation of the life he had."

A cold fist clenched around Danny's gut. So maybe he wouldn't go ballistic again himself, but that didn't mean he wanted to see his family destroyed, again. "Are you telling me something horrible is going to happen?"

Clockwork raised his hands placatingly. "No, no. But life isn't eternal. People die, Danny, and you must have control over yourself, more-so than others, since when you lash out, buildings collapse, cities burn. Your powers force you to maintain incredible self-control."

They were both silent for a while as Danny digested things. Then Clockwork turned, and started walking again. He seemed to be taking time with each footstep, the pace was so sedate.

He spoke after a few moments. "Things will work themselves out. Everything happens for a reason, Danny. Work to become a better person, to pay off what debt you can for your crimes, and leave the rest to fate. Just never forget what you were once, what you've did in that state. And never let yourself go there again."

Clockwork turned to look at him and they held gazes for a moment. Danny could sense it was the end of the conversation. "I'm…free to go?"

"Yes."

Danny ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "So…Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe…probably." He added, "Do you know where you'd like to go first?"

Danny looked up at the sky. "I…want to make amends. I'd like to see Sam again, you know, beg her forgiveness, to let her know she's safe in…in the future." He grinned like it was a joke. Some things were too serious to say without a smile.

"I could take you to her, if you'd like." Clockwork's voice sounded strangely aloof. He looked over at him, feeling a little nervous. What, right now?

"That would be…that would be great." Waiting wouldn't help, he knew. He'd been waiting a year already, and knew exactly what he wanted to say to her.

"Alright." Clockwork came over to him and lightly grasped his wrist. A moment later they were in the ghost zone, and a few moments after that they were back in the human world. So fast! Danny was so surprised at the quick shift that the new location took a moment to sink in.

This wasn't Amity Park. "Where are we?"

"Never mind that." Clockwork pointed down at the building directly below them; an apartment complex from the looks of it. "She's just below us. On the top floor." He looked up at Danny, smiling a little. "Only a rooftop away." His eyes turned serious after a bit, and he sighed, one of the most human things Danny had ever seen him do. "Try not to scare her too badly."

"I…won't." He frowned, looking down at the rooftop. "I guess I'll be seeing you arou…" But in looking up to meet his eyes one more time, Danny saw that Clockwork had already gone. He looked back down, and started slowly descending toward the roof, and paused, a little nervous.

He let out a whoosh of air. Who was he kidding? He was terrified! Sam meant so much to him. What if she hated and loathed him? He deserved it. He shouldn't be surprised if she did. But it wouldn't make seeing her hate any less painful.

But he had an obligation to let her know she was safe, that the other Danny was safe. He would never hurt anyone ever again, and intended to work to make up for what he'd done before; both here, and in his own time.

His resolve strengthened, Danny allowed himself to descend through the roof and into what appeared to be a living room. There was the faint smell of stale pizza and some sort of mild perfume. Maybe a scented candle, or incense? He moved hesitantly forward. The place seemed empty, but maybe she was in the bedroom? It was already getting dark outside; perhaps she turned in early for some reason?

Why is she living here, anyway…? He phased his head through the bedroom door, staying invisible, and looked around cautiously. His eyes fell on a form sleeping in the bed. Sam.

Danny walked over silently and watched the rise and fall of her chest, a tender feeling coming over him. He drew back after a moment, however, not wanting to disturb her, and decided he'd wait for her to wake up on her own.

His eyes wandered away, as he knew he was probably in for a wait, and were quickly drawn toward a very large box in the middle of the room. What…? He moved towards it, curious.

There was…a baby curled up inside. He stared for moment, confused, then turned back to the bed. He hadn't really looked that closely, just assuming it was Sam asleep, but maybe not…? This was the right apartment, righ…!

His eyebrows went sky high. This woman was a blond! He floated up for a better look at her face, suddenly nervous.

No, wait…that was definitely Sam. But in a way, that hardly simplified things. She was living away from home, with a baby…and had dyed her hair blond, of all things. Maybe…she was actually a natural blond?

In the back of his mind things were starting to snap into place, but he'd learned years ago never to jump to conclusions. This wasn't necessarily her baby…

He floated back over to the baby pen again, peering down intensely into the darkness. He could see in the dark very well, but there was a lid over the top, and it was only semi-transparent…

Danny's mouth slowly fell open when he realized he couldn't phase through, and he just stood for a moment as the world turned on end. What the…? He threw caution to the wind after a bit, and becoming solid, moved the lid away slowly, focused completely on getting a closer look at that baby…

It was only an infant, definitely under six months old. He was willing to bet it was right at three months old, actually, and that had nothing to do with his ability to judge based on looks. Basic math skills were all he needed for this.

He barely dared to even think the words, but they appeared in the back of his mind, unstoppable. He had a…he was a father.

He moved silently, leaning down as far as he could to get closer to the child. He was tempted to see if it was a boy or girl, but didn't want to risk waking it. It looked like a boy, but it was so very little he couldn't be sure.

The hair was black. What about the eyes? And did it ever transform? It would be a half ghost, right, since he was a full ghost..? He hadn't even known it was possible for… But that would explain the playpen, anyway.

Danny brought his hand down carefully, letting himself become visible, and marveled at how large his hand was when compared to the child's. He knew he shouldn't, but couldn't stop himself from running the back of his palm ever so carefully along the baby's cheek.

A feeling of awe slowly enveloped him as he watched the tiny infant sigh, and shift slightly in its sleep. He couldn't look away, it was so captivating, and a warmth he hadn't felt in a long, long time stole over him. He was a…father. He knew this had to have been so hard on Sam, and somewhere he was mourning that, but…he had a child, and nothing could destroy the wonder of this moment. He had a child…

Danny heard a loud gasp, and turned his head to see Sam springing up from the bed, horror etched on her face. He'd been so absorbed he hadn't even noticed her waking up…

The beautiful silence was shattered a moment later as she came at him screaming. She rushed at him in a panicked fury, beating against his chest again and again, screaming at him to get away, get away, get away!

Danny let her push him backward, seeing that she was beyond coherent, beyond reasoning with, and kept his hands down, palms open, unthreatening. If he just waited it out, she'd see in a minute…she'd see he didn't want to hurt her or the child. But it was still painful to see her react like this, and he couldn't stop his face from crumpling slightly, and swallowed back the lump in his throat.

Buck up, idiot. Of course she'd react this way. Just…wait until she cools down…she'll cool down in a minute. She had to be running on pure instinct, because she never would have rushed him while in her right mind, he knew.

"Don't touch him, don't touch him, don't touch him…!" She kicked and punched without aim, having pushed him up against the far wall, and finally brought her hand up and raked her nails across his cheek.

Then she finally stopped, drawing her hand back quickly, eyes wide, wincing, as a warning bell blared in her mind. What…was she thinking? Her mouth fell open a little, and she looked up slowly, fearfully, into his face. They stood staring at each other for a moment as a tiny stream of ghostly blood started down his cheek. His eyes were sad, hurt, his brow deeply furrowed, and he slowly reached up to trace the scrape.

"Ouch." He brought his hand down slowly, passing only inches away from her, and she backed away a few feet, realizing how close they were standing. "I'm…I'm not going to hurt you, Sam." He raised his eyebrows, and smiled a tiny smile, his face full of things she didn't want to acknowledge. Tenderness, hurt, shame…regretfulness? Her eyes focused on his cheek; anywhere but his eyes. "Honestly, I…," she watched his Adam's apple bob, heard his voice crack. "I deserved that. Much more than that…" His throat was constricting so much he could hardly get the words out.

A deafening silence stretched out between them as they both simultaneously looked away; to the floor, the ceiling, just not at each other.

Danny opened his mouth to speak, and closed it again. What he'd planned to say…it was all wiped away, now that he knew she'd had a child. He swallowed again. "What…have you named it?"

Sam couldn't believe her ears, and looked up to see a strangely shy look on his face. She tried desperately to ignore what else she saw there. A glimmer of happiness, a touch of hope… She folded her arms across her chest, feeling confused, and quietly answered his question. "Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel." So it was a boy. "That's a nice name. Knowing you, it probably means something?" This was crazy. He hadn't felt shy like this since…well, it had been a long time. But she was actually talking to him, and he was afraid to spoil the moment.

"Gift of God." Sam realized, as she looked up at him, that no one else had thought to ask her that yet. It almost felt like she was giving away a precious secret, and she realized she might be blushing a little. "It means 'gift of God', and his middle name, Zakai, means…i-innocence, purity." They stared at each other, Danny's eyes widening a little. Innocence…

He looked down, his mouth pulling into a slight grimace, as the guilt he'd been feeling for months came back to the surface. "I've changed." He was speaking to the floor, his voice a quiet caress. "I came here to tell you that. I've…sworn never to fight again." He looked up, so she could see how sincere he was. "I never want to hurt anyone ever again, Sam. Clockwork…he helped me see that I canstart over." He picked up a little momentum as he spoke, somehow excited to be talking to her about this, telling her his plans. It helped make them real, a promise for the future.

She watched as his eyes brightened up. It felt so surreal, listening to him speak, watching his expressions. She'd known he was Danny, a different, changed Danny, but still the boy she'd grown up with, been friends with. She'd known since that day a year ago, when he'd begged her to say his name…

But it hadn't really, truly sunk in. They'd looked and sounded so different then that she'd easily separated the two in her mind, but after yesterday, those distinctions were breaking down, and she was left with a strange and terrifying truth. This person in front of her, this was her Danny, too. They were both Danny.

"…fortune kind of like Vlad, except I'll put it to good use. I though you'd be really good at that, actually. Deciding how the money can best be used. If…assuming you'd be willing to…assuming that you could put up with me at least occasionally." Sam tried to absorb what he'd just said, having tuned out for the beginning. It sounded like he wanted to build a fortune, and then use the money to improve the world. She wasn't going to pretend it wasn't music to her ears. It had always steamed her how Vlad, with all his wealth, never seemed to do any good with it…

She realized he was staring at her, waiting for her reaction, her approval, and suddenly she felt confused, and shaky. And a little afraid. This was all too much, too fast! So much had happened over the last day, first seeing Danny and the others again after so long, and now this…

Sam bit her lip and backed away a little. "This is…I…" She put her hand to her head, and wished she could just collapse, and forget everything for a little while. He was back. She'd hoped she'd never see him again, but now, if he really was better…but just a few years ago he'd tried to kill them all! He could be mentally unstable for all she knew! Looking at his past, it seemed unbelievable that he really wanted to make amends.

But then, this was Danny. She was finally looking at him and seeing the truth; that he was her Danny too…

Sam could feel the tears falling slowly, gliding over her cheeks. It was the physical manifestation of all the stress, all the emotional train wrecks one after another in such a short period of time. The strain on her nerves had slowly torn her emotional barriers into tiny little bits…

Danny watched as Sam drew into herself, her face tight, eyes wide and screaming for some sort of escape. She was a wreck, worn down, miserable. Somehow he'd missed the bags under her eyes before, the tiny shake in her hands.

He whispered her name, almost to himself, as he watched the tears fall, feeling helpless. He'd done this to her. He was responsible for all of this pain. Danny could feel his face twisting, crumpling, the sense of guilt was so strong, the need to make things right so powerful, and he couldn't stop himself as he moved forward, wanting to comfort her, make it all better, even though a little voice in the back of his mind screamed that he was the source of her pain…

Sam stood still as he came forward, not knowing what to do, only hoping that he wouldn't hurt her…couldn't hurt her. And that he wouldn't hurt Nathaniel. That face…at least that face was no lie, that look he'd had when he'd asked Nathaniel's name.

Danny fell to his knees and threw his arms around her waist, forgetting his self imposed promise not to touch her, and hugged her to him, his face pressed to her abdomen. He was probably incoherent, he knew, as he quietly begged her forgiveness, making and remaking his promises in sobbing supplication. She didn't have to worry, she was safe, he'd look over her, he'd do whatever she wanted, he'd go away even, but he'd make it up to her, he'd make it up to her…

Sam let her hands drop carefully onto his shoulders as her own tears slowly stopped their silent descent. It was strange, but seeing him react so powerfully like this was calming her down. Maybe she had to be in control because he wasn't? She didn't know. But things were realigning themselves, somehow, and she found she believed what he said.

He grew silent after a little while, and they just stayed as they were. It was as if a pillow filled with emotions instead of feathers had just burst, and they were both waiting for it all to settle.

"Sam." It came out muffled, his face still pressed against her stomach.

"Yes?" It was barely a whisper.

"You're why…you're why I changed." His voice was calm again, serious, low, soft, and…beautiful, in its own way. "You saved me. I was lost, and you brought me back." He paused. "I don't…know if it means anything, but…you were my first." He let out a tiny laugh, and sniffled. "Well…my only, is what I mean." He tilted his head up a little, as if listening for her response. "You do know what I mean…?"

"Yes." It was softly spoken this time. She sighed, looking at the wall a few feet away. So much pain and suffering…

He was silent for a little while. "I won't…Sam, I can't pretend I don't…love you. There hasn't been a day this last year I haven't felt miserable, thinking about w…what I did, what happened. The guilt I've felt…." He stopped, his throat working, and closed his eyes, feeling a fresh set of tears squeeze out. "I don't deserve to be around you, I know, but I will make things up. I will build that fortune, for one. Everything I have will be yours, if you want it, Sam. I want to do good. After everything I've done…I need to make amends."

He paused, his voice wobbling between a whisper and a gravelly, watery tone as his tears stole his voice. "If there was ever a way that I could…if I could be a tiny part of your life, even." He took a little gasp of breath, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. "If I could see Nathaniel grow up, even as a…an uncle, or something, that would mean so much to me…"

There was a crash as the door was torn open, and a moment later they were both violently ripped out of their thoughts.

Author's note: The end. Bwahahahahaaaaa! Just kidding. Neeheehee. Again...if you've got to review just one chapter, please make it this one! I'm dying of anxiety. :) Well...not really. Um. Maybe a little bit, actually. Oo

Obviously lots has happened, and I'd love to hear your opinions. Does the soul thing freak you out, for instance? It's kind of been a very basic building block for the entire story...eheh. So. Thanks for reading! Hopefully you don't hate me:)