10/18/24: So…I've had 8 pages of this chapter written for several weeks. It's one of the biggest plot points for this and will shape the rest of this story.

10/25/24: I'm posting this now primarily because I'm excited to get this party started, so to speak. I'm currently on Chapter 15. Things may slow down a bit in terms of posting, but I still hope to have a few chapters out a week.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

–

Chapter 12: Doubt

–

The twins were now four weeks old. Vlad had finished the bands, as promised, and they'd had no issues since, much to Sam's relief.

That didn't mean that Aurora didn't try to use her powers. Now that they'd seemingly awakened, she had triggered Danny's ghost sense several times, particularly at night when she'd wake and want to be fed or changed. That feeling in his mind also came with it, and it would get more intense the longer he took to get her. He was beginning to realize that she was calling him.

So far, Jackson hadn't triggered Danny's sense, but the father still believed he was also half ghost, and that it was only a matter of time before he showed it. It would likely happen if the infant became stressed enough, as it had with his sister, but neither parent wanted to force that.

Maddie and Jack were over this time, helping around the house with chores to give the new parents a much needed break from them. Once the twins were settled for a nap, Danny encouraged Sam to take some time for herself while he remained alert in case either baby woke up.

She gave him a grateful smile and decided to shower, hoping the hot water would sooth her muscles.

Once in the shower, Sam sighed, placing her forehead against the cool tile. Being a mom of twins was exhausting! But as she thought of them, she knew she wouldn't have it any other way, and smiled.

Turning around, she increased the hot water, relishing when it felt nearly hot enough to burn. She could feel her sore muscles unwinding.

She closed her eyes and simply breathed, letting the hot water rush over her and sooth her tired body.

When she opened her eyes, she found two blue ones looking at her, upside down.

The goth screamed, and the upside down woman grinned before reaching down, grabbing the goth, extending her intangibility, and yanking Sam through the ceiling.

A moment later, Danny rushed into the bathroom–his ghost sense having gone off–not even bothering to open the door. "Sam?!"

He saw the shower was running but empty and his core sank. He flew around the house, startling everyone else, shouting her name, before finally flying up through the roof. He spun around, looking in all directions but couldn't see her. And worse: the signature was gone so he couldn't trace it.

"SAM!"

–

Sam woke up several hours later. She groaned as she sat up and held her aching head. It was then that she realized she was naked, but under a thin sheet. She gasped and pulled the sheet all the way up, looking around to get her bearings

She was in a dimly lit room with walls on three sides, the remaining side being composed of bars like one would see in a cell.

Sam groaned again and squeezed her eyes shut against the headache.

"I was supposed to use drugs to knock you out but, unfortunately for you, I like hitting things and…I don't like you," said a distinctly feminine voice.

The goth cracked her eyes open and glared towards the direction of the voice. "Lady, I don't even know you," she said, annoyed.

The woman laughed. "You're feisty. I'll have to be careful, or I might start to like you."

Sam opened her eyes more and saw a woman sitting on a stool on the other side of the bars. She was barely wearing any clothes and her legs were crossed, the top one bouncing a little. She held a cigarette in one hand.

"Those will kill you, you know."

The woman's eyes blazed red in the dim light. "Super healing powers," she explained.

The goth watched the woman warily now. "You're one of those artificial half ghosts."

The woman rolled her eyes, flicking the ashes from the cigarette. "Aren't we all artificial? It's not like Phantom or Plasmius happened naturally." She took a long drag before grinning in a creepy way. "Ah, Phantom. Just the name sends tingles to my nether regions." She pretended to shiver.

Sam glared now, not caring at all that this woman was half ghost. "Mira," she growled.

"Oh!" Mira said in fake surprise, hand to her chest. "You've heard of me!"

"Danny's mentioned you."

Mira put out her cigarette in a tray next to the stool and uncrossed her legs, reaching forwards to grab the stool between her legs and had a dreamy look on her face. "Oh, that's so sweet," she said before looking back at Sam. "See? I just know we're meant to be together."

"Over my dead body," Sam snarled.

Mira laughed. "Ha! You know, that's what he said, too. Except for you, that's exactly the plan."

The goth didn't shrink at the revelation, her glare simply hardened.

"Mira, you can't kill her," a man said as he entered the room. He was average height and slim with dark hair and eyes. His facial features were plainly Asian.

The woman in question crossed her arms. "Says who?" She asked, giving the man a sidelong glance and sounding like a petulant child.

The man rolled his eyes, used to Mira's antics. "It's not the plan."

"Ugh!" Mira groaned. "Plan shman! Just let me kill her, she's my only competition!"

Sam scoffed. "Danny wouldn't want you even if I was never in the picture."

Mira pointed at the goth, giving the man an incredulous look. "See? See how she talks to me? She deserves to die!"

"For God's sake, Mira, just go train the new recruits!" He ground out, done with her attitude.

The woman scoffed twice, making a show of being offended, before hopping off the stool and stomping away.

The man watched her go, letting out an exasperated sigh. Then he walked up to the bars and crossed his arms. "You're not the only one to find her repulsive, but she's the strongest one of us, so we need her," he explained with a shrug.

Sam didn't comment, choosing to eye this new person with distrust.

Seeing she wasn't going to say anything, he went to the door in the bars and proceeded to unlock it. "If it were up to me, I'd let you settle in a bit, but we don't really have the luxury of time," he started, opening the door, but not going inside. "Your boyfriend is on a warpath to find you, so we need to do this quickly."

"Do what?" Sam finally said, continuing to eye the man. She was immensely relieved to hear Danny was searching for her.

He gave her a light smile. "You'll see. For now, you need to come with me. I don't want to force you, but I will if I have to."

She glared. "I'm not going anywhere until I get some clothes."

The man clicked his tongue. "I can't do much about that, I'm afraid, but you can bring the sheet." He watched Sam pull it tighter to herself. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not that kind of man. I don't take advantage of women, you have my word."

"I don't know you well enough to trust your word."

"That's very smart," the man replied, seemingly having endless patience with her, despite not having much for Mira. "Let's start with a name, hmm?" He bowed. "My name is Yoon Ki-Oh. You may call me Ki-Oh."

"You're Korean," Sam responded. She still didn't trust him, but his demeanor put her at least a little at ease.

"South Korean, yes," he stated. "I'm impressed, not many Americans can tell the difference between Asians, even with names."

The goth again didn't respond, but she did stand, making sure the sheet was tightly around her and covering everything. She walked over to the door, her hard amethyst eyes never leaving Ki-Oh. He stepped aside and held his arm out to direct her out of the cell and down the hall.

He let Sam lead, giving her directions when needed, but never touched her. Even so, she didn't even entertain the idea that he was anything other than the enemy. They made several turns, left, right, left, right, right, before he finally directed her towards a door.

She came to a stop in front of it, but refused to reach out and open it. Ki-Oh obliged, stepping up to her side, with respectful distance, and opened the door.

The goth tentatively stepped in, suddenly feeling like she was walking to her execution, despite Ki-Oh saying they wouldn't kill her.

It wasn't a very large room. It was white and sterile and brightly lit. At the center was some sort of pod with a glass lid, just big enough for one person.

There were also two men in the room. The one on the left immediately approached her, a crooked grin on his face. He was of average build with a receding hairline and dirty blonde hair. "We meet again, you little brat," he said.

Sam raised a brow. "Do I know y–" She cut herself off, finally seeing the scar over his right eye. This was the one Danny had nicknamed Scar Face, the one who had pinned her down and tried to strangle her when Danny was kidnapped.

Rage burned through her and she punched the man square in the nose. The guy howled, holding his face while Ki-Oh got between them to make sure Sam didn't go for another hit.

Scar Face growled. "You little bitch!" he shouted, going for her, but the other man who had been in the room also got in the way. "Move, asshole! She needs to die."

The short, balding man in a lab coat stood firm. "You will not hurt her. Besides, it seems like you deserved it."

Scar Face roared, grabbing the shorter man by the lapel and turned, pinning him against the wall, arm across his throat. "Know your place, you little weasel!"

The balding man gasped for breath, but still managed to speak. "I didn't stand up for Danny when I should have. I-I won't make that mistake a-again."

Sam stepped forward, finally recognizing the man in the lab coat. "Dr. Tanning?"

Everyone turned to the goth, Scar Face letting the doctor down. "You know him?" Ki-Oh asked.

Sam wasn't really sure she could explain that she'd physically seen Danny's memories, so she simply said: "Danny talked about him. From what Danny said, I assumed he was him."

The doctor coughed, rubbing his throat, before gaining his bearings. "Yes, child, I am he."

The goth's hard look softened a little, before Scar Face scoffed. "Whatever! Let's just get this going," he started, walking over towards the pod. "You," he pointed at Sam. "Get into this," he pointed to the pod.

Sam tightened the sheet around her. "No," she said haughtily.

Instead of getting mad, the man's lips spread in a creepy smile. He crossed his arms. "What? Afraid I'll see you naked? Well, that's too bad."

The raven-haired woman scowled. "You'll lose your balls before that happens."

"Why you little–"

"Enough, Declan!" Ki-Oh said firmly, actually coming close to a shout. "She's not here for your amusement. Get out and let the doctor work," he said, silently impressed by the petit woman's bravado.

Declan glared, scoffing, but left, making Sam feel a little more at ease.

Dr. Tanning made his way over to Sam, motioning to a curtain on the left side of the room. "There's a robe behind there, you can put that on in peace."

The goth nodded and went behind the screen, finding the robe. She stared at it, shoulders drooping and sighed. She believed Ki-Oh and Dr. Tanning would at least keep the worst at bay, but they were still part of this–whatever this was. She couldn't trust them to just let her go.

She tentatively grabbed the robe and slipped it on, reemerging from behind the curtain. She shifted her distrusting gaze between the two men in the room.

Dr. Tanning approached her, but stopped a respectful distance away. "I am sorry that I cannot prevent this, but I will do what I can to keep you safe."

Sam eyed him. "You mean they're still using your son against you," she stated.

The doctor's eyes widened, before he pushed up his glasses and nodded. The goth's gaze softened a bit. "Danny doesn't blame you. I can't either."

The statement should have comforted the doctor, but instead it made him feel even more guilty and ashamed. He swallowed hard, before using his arm to indicate towards the pod in the middle of the room. "If you'll please step in."

Dr. Tanning went over to a small panel on the wall and hit a button, the lid to the pod opening vertically with a hiss. The goth watched it warily, feeling for all the world that she was about to embark on something life-changing. She looked back at the doctor, noting his solemn look and swallowed hard, before stepping in and turning around.

The door closed with another hiss and she suddenly felt claustrophobic. She looked around frantically but there was no way out. Then, she heard a soft, "I'm sorry," from Dr. Tanning.

He pressed a button on the panel and Sam suddenly found her arms and legs restrained, the restraints coming from the back wall of the pod seemingly from nowhere, and locked with a click.

Then the pod began filling with a clear liquid substance that was glowing. The goth panicked, watching as it filled and didn't stop. She started screaming to be let out. She saw Dr. Tanning try to reach up, but Ki-Oh grabbed him and pulled him away.

Sam tried to stand as tall as she could as the liquid hit her neck. Her fear and panic were taking over and she was hyperventilating, trying to get the last of the air in her lungs. 'Danny, please…save me…'

She sucked in air before the liquid covered her, but she quickly lost it in a silent scream, bubbles covering her face, as the liquid hit her nostrils, eyes and ears, and mouth.

It burned. It seared her from the inside as it invaded her body as if it had a mind of its own. Once inside it filled her cells and entered her bloodstream, binding with her DNA and converting her blood.

It was minutes of agony before she knew nothing else.

–

Everything was hazy. She felt…heavy, disjointed. Her head ached and her muscles were sore like after an intense workout. She could hear a whole host of sounds she couldn't quite make sense of. Was that the wind outside? And that buzzing…could she actually hear the electricity humming?

Her eyes fluttered before she clenched them shut against the assault of light. When did everything get so bright?

And where was she? The last thing she remembered…

The goth shot up, eyes coming open despite the brightness, and looked around frantically. She was still in the robe and was in what looked like a bedroom, but not one she recognized. She did realize, however, that colors seemed to be more vivid.

She brought her hands up and looked at them, noting for the first time that she could tell where her veins were and even see every line of her finger prints.

Then she felt it, a weird pulsing in her chest. She reached up and clenched the front of her shirt with a confused look on her face. It was not her heart, as she could feel that separately with her hand against her chest. This was different; she could feel it throughout her body, an energy that hummed along with her breathing.

The door opened without so much as a knock, startling the goth. Her surprise turned quickly into a glare when it was Mira who walked in.

"What's up, sugar?" the annoying woman said sweetly.

Sam's glare darkened. "Don't call me sugar."

"I can tell by the confused look you had when I walked in that you have no idea what happened to you," Mira continued, ignoring Sam's comment. She went over to a chair in the corner and sat down, crossing her legs.

Sam despised this woman. The way she carried herself, how she dressed, her tone of voice, they all screamed succubus. But she nodded in answer, anyway.

Mira cocked her head. "Guess you're not as smart as people give you credit for," she clicked her tongue. "Shame. It's not like you've been around half ghosts for years or anything."

Sam's eyes widened as it dawned on her, hand now a fist. "Why? I'm your enemy, why would you give me powers?"

The women grinned wickedly, causing a shiver to run down the goth's spine. "Oh, the plans I have for you, sugar."

"You're insane."

Mira shrugged. "Probably, but Danny didn't seem to mind," she said a little too innocently, leaning forward to put her elbow on her knee and chin in her hand.

The goth knew she was being baited, but she couldn't help it. "How so?"

The half ghost stood, sashaying over towards the bed. "Oh, you know, the feel of his lips against my skin, the hot breaths as he said my name, the warmth of him writhing beneath me," she said with a smirk.

Sam felt her heart crack. "You're lying."

"Why do you think that? Because he told you something different?" Mira laughed. "News flash, sugar, you aren't his first and once he comes to his senses, you won't be his last either," she said mockingly, before leaning over to say softly, "He even kissed me when we ran into each other months ago." With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

The goth sat there in mute shock and horror. That couldn't be true, could it? He said he'd never been with anyone other than her. Danny would never lie to her like that, right? If it was true, he could've just said so; she would have accepted it, even if it hurt. Well…maybe she wouldn't have. After all, she did tell Danny that she would've been okay with anyone but Mira.

But now…the thought that he might have lied to her made her feel like her heart was breaking. She thought, at the very least, their relationship was built on trust.

He had been acting strangely since he'd run into Mira, and she'd been having this strong feeling that he was hiding something. Was it because he felt guilty for this? Guilty for lying?

A small part of her began to doubt him. She told him that he was still the Danny she fell in love with years ago, but was that really true? This made her feel like she didn't even know him.

Along with the heartbreak came anger. How dare he lie to her? How dare he make her feel this way?

Without realizing it, her eyes were glowing purple, her newly formed ghost core channeling her emotions into energy. It wasn't until her bedsheets were aflame that she realized she'd done something.

"Ack!" she panicked briefly, quickly swatting at the sheets and putting out the fire.

She sat there then, just staring at the bed, breathing hard, unsure if she wanted to scream in anger or cry from heartbreak. Both emotions warred within her, her energy waxing and waning in response.

Then another emotion started to bloom within her chest: fear. She was an artificial half ghost. Not only did she now have powers she had no idea how to control, but she had no idea of what the repercussions were of being made this way. Danny said their signatures were warped; twisted. Did that mean something? Could it be like poison to her DNA?

And how would Danny react? He would surely feel her signature and know. He called them abominations. Would he consider her an abomination?

Then her thoughts went to her children and her heart lurched. Would she see them again? Would Danny come for her so she could? She had no idea what these 'plans' were that Mira had for her, but she really didn't want to stick around and find out.

She just wanted to be in her own bed with her children, not this place.

There was a knock at the door then, and Sam, full of sorrow, just looked up at the door with a solemn look. The door opened and revealed Dr. Tanning, looking a bit like he was trying to be quiet. He stepped in and slowly shut the door to minimize sound.

He looked at her, eyes full of regret and sympathy. "I'm so very sorry," he said softly. "I'm not even supposed to be here, but I wanted to check on you."

The goth-turned-half-ghost didn't respond, and simply dropped her gaze to the sheets in front of her.

Dr. Tanning noticed the burnt sheet and clicked his tongue. "I see you've discovered your powers. I know it will be difficult, given your situation, but you'll need to try and school your emotions in the beginning. Until you learn to control your powers, you could accidentally do a lot more than set the bed on fire."

She still didn't respond, except to pull her knees to her chest and wrap her arms around them.

The doctor sighed lightly. He absolutely hated doing this. The others were volunteers, but Sam had been unwilling, and that tortured him. He carefully stepped forward, pulling a chair up to the bed and sitting, pushing his glasses up. He sat there a moment, not quite sure what to say.

Finally, "If I could change this all…if I could have prevented this, I would have. I hope you know that."

Sam's eyes finally met his and saw the tears in them, glistening behind his glasses. She blinked a few times as if her brain was finally catching up. "Thank you," she said softly. This man was possibly the only truly kind one here, and she needed an ally.

He gave her a sad smile. "I'm sure she didn't tell you, but there's clothes in the dresser over there, and a bathroom beyond the door next to it. Aside from these two rooms, you won't be able to go anywhere; they've erected a ghost shield specific to your signature. If you even attempt to touch the doorknob to leave this room, it will shock you."

She sniffed, feeling the dam threatening to break. She wasn't quite sure why the news was pushing her emotionally over the edge, because it's not like she didn't expect it, but it was like the straw that broke the camel's back and before she knew it, she was sobbing.

Dr. Tanning reached forward, but stopped himself, unsure if she would be receptive to any kind of comfort from the person who did this to her. But after a few minutes, he couldn't stand it anymore. He stood from the chair and sat on the bed, tenderly pulling her to him and holding her as he would his own son, and let her cry.

Sam didn't pull away from the man. Her heart was crying out in pain and she just wanted to feel even a modicum of comfort.

After some time, her sobs stopped, and she sniffed, wiping her eyes. She blinked when his hand came into her field of view, holding some tissues. She took them, wiping her face. "Thank you," she said.

He nodded, rubbing his hand in circles on her back. "Danny spoke about you often," he said suddenly.

The mention of Danny sent a pang through her heart, but she pushed it away. It was best not to think about that situation right now.

"He spoke of how much he loved you," he continued. "Part of me knew that you'd find him eventually, and I can't tell you how glad I am that you got him out of here."

Sam suddenly jolted. "Are we in Beijing?" she asked, voice a little panicked.

He shook his head. "No. After Danny killed the Headmaster, Mira brought the half ghost operation back to the states; she wanted to be close to Danny. The main operation is still there, though. I think she wants revenge for her mother, but that woman has so many screws loose, that I'm not really sure of her real motive, especially not now with making you half ghost."

She swallowed hard, digesting that information. "Are we still in Amity?"

"No," he answered. "But we aren't far. The main area is a warehouse at the shipping port just outside of Amity. They've made part of that warehouse into living quarters like yours here, for those of us who work here."

She finally looked at him, noting the lines on his face and wrinkles around his bright eyes. She decided he had a kind face. "Danny…" she paused, eyes back down. "Danny struggled a lot after we found him. He was stuck in ghost form, and was withdrawn and standoffish. A friend of ours had this…machine that let us see some of his memories so we could figure out why he was stuck."

Dr. Tanning nodded. "He got stuck about two years in."

Sam took a breath before her gaze met his again. "We saw you in some of those memories. That's how I recognized you. You seemed like the only bright light he had those four years."

The man teared up, giving a disbelieving chuckle. "I'm not sure about that. I did some awful things to that boy."

"Because you had no choice. We," she licked her lips. "We saw the incident with the acid, what the Headmaster made you do." At this he looked stricken. "Danny told you it was okay. He asked you to do it to him so you didn't have to do it to your son. He never blamed you for any of it."

Dr. Tanning looked down, playing with the seam of his lab coat and taking a shaky breath. "He didn't; he said as much several times, especially any time I was forced to–But I still blame myself."

The goth reached over, placing a hand over his. "I don't blame you either. You are as much a victim in this as we are." She squeezed his hand, causing him to look at her. "If I can get you out of here, I will."

He gave her a sad smile. "That's very kind of you, and as much as I would love that, leaving here would put my son in danger."

Her brows drew down. "Are they keeping him somewhere?"

Dr. Tanning shook his head. "No, he is living his life normally. He…he thinks I'm dead, but he is being watched closely. If I make a move to warn him, let him know I'm alive, or disobey, they will kill him."

"Then we'll get him, too," Sam said determinedly.

His brows went up. "You truly believe that."

"I do."

"Then…perhaps if anyone could get him, it would be you and Danny," he said with a kind smile.

He then glanced at the clock and went wide-eyed. "Ki-Oh will be here soon to start your training. I suggest you get dressed and wash up. I must leave now, before they discover I've been here."

As he went to stand, Sam held onto his hand a moment longer, causing the doctor to look back at her. "Again, thank you," she said sincerely.

He gave her a soft smile, patting her hand with his free one, before going to the door, opening it, peeking out, and quietly leaving.

–

10/19/2024: I was going to name this chapter 'Taken'...but I felt that was a little on the nose, considering this story's predecessor. And I was afraid it would give away what was going to happen. So I named it simply 'Doubt' as this is where the seed of doubt is planted in her mind over Danny.

Not sure how many of you saw this little twist coming, but if you did, congrats!