1/14/25: Not sure how much of this chapter I'll write today. Suddenly not feeling too good.

If any of you read the previous chapter in the first 12 or so hours, I found a few mistakes that I fixed. For example: Danny telling Sam "No, I-I can't do it." when she offered to make him coffee…was supposed to be "Can". I always read and reread my chapters to try and be sure that doesn't happen, but I knew what I wanted it to say, so that made my brain override what I was reading and I missed a few typos. They've been fixed now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

–

Chapter 46: Against a Wall

–

Two days passed. Danny had kept his word and now exchanged the twins personally instead of using his mother as a go-between. Sam, to her credit, never pushed him for anything, not even to talk, unless she had a valid question; choosing instead to let him do the talking if he so wanted.

The brief exchanges were nowhere close to natural, but Sam still lapped them up, soaking up every second she got to see him and hear his voice.

Danny was currently in his room with the twins, smiling softly as they were both sitting up in little chairs that supported them. They were currently babbling at each other, little hands waving as they talked about things only they could understand.

Watching them put him at ease, giving him a sense of calm that was missing these days. Calm that was momentarily shattered with the gentle knock on his door frame. He glanced over to see his mother smiling gently–and a little guiltily–at him.

"The mayor is here. I told him I wasn't sure if you were up for a visit…but he would like to talk to you, if you are," she said.

She noted the unsure look that crossed his features, the subtle curling in on himself, before he sighed and nodded, knowing it needed to happen at some point.

Maddie turned and headed over to Mark who was waiting in the living room. "You can go in, but keep your distance," she warned gently.

"I will," he responded before heading for the bedroom. He knocked the door frame, giving the ghost questioning look before getting the nod to enter.

He kept his features carefully schooled when he noticed the new scar on the ghost's face, as well as the white lines smattered across his neck. He walked in, but stayed just inside the door. "I'm really sorry to be here so soon. I had hoped to give you more time," he started with a light frown.

Danny glanced at his kids, meditating when Aurora started annoying her brother. "That doesn't sound pleasant," he replied warily, gaze going back to Mark.

"Not really, no," the mayor started, reaching a hand up and running it through his hair. "We haven't found Mira yet," he pointedly ignored the wince Danny made at her name, "but she may have found us. Ever since we went public with her intentions on creating half ghosts, our missing persons cases have gone through the roof," he explained.

"And you think it's her?"

Mark nodded. "I think there's a distinct possibility. We told the public to ignore her lies and promises, just after Sam, once again, knocked out a large population of her half ghosts."

Danny thought for a moment, gaze on the bed. "You think her numbers are down and she's running out of volunteers," the ghost concluded, eyes going back to Mark.

"I do. Honestly, it's all circumstantial, but it fits. And I've learned that if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck–"

"It's a duck," Danny finished. For the first time since his capture, he could feel a part of him waking up again. He was still terrified of the prospect of even seeing Mira, but his protective tendencies over the city, and what his ghostly instincts perceived as his territory, were being reignited. Not only that, but his family was still under threat, and now that there was evidence she was out and about, the threat was far more immediate than before. Thankfully, the shield was up and running.

Danny then did something that he'd thought about a few days ago. His 'alarm' call from his core was something Vlad primarily responded to, as did Sam, but it was reserved for emergencies, a sort 'shit's hit the fan' type of call. Instead, he needed to summon someone without the sense of urgency behind it. After careful consideration, he'd told Sam and Vlad of his thoughts. And so, he used it now, a 'call' meant specifically for Sam in a non-emergency capacity–a call that he mirrored after her heartbeat. For now, he was not going to tell her that, though.

He flashed his core twice in quick succession, waiting the span of a second before doing it again, flaring it in the exact way he remembered her heart beating when he would lay awake at night listening to it.

Mark, not having any knowledge of what Danny was doing internally, startled when Sam teleported into the room suddenly, the wisps of purple smoke disappearing quickly. She was elated as it was the first time he'd used the call for her that they'd discussed just a few days prior.

Without paying the mayor much mind, she looked earnestly at the ghost. "Yes?" she asked calmly, a stark contrast to the raging squall of nervousness inside. Still, she wasn't hiding her emotions as well as she should as Danny could see the excitement in her eyes at having been called by him.

He felt his core soften a bit, a warm feeling trying to spread through his system for the first time in a while. Unfortunately, he needed to shove it aside for more important matters–he could dwell on it later.

As the ghost straightened up, Sam could see that his military training was trying to shine through, a good sign that meant he was starting to feel something other than fear and self-loathing. "Mira's on the move," he said seriously, his deep voice betraying the anxiety just beneath the surface.

The goth's brows drew down and finally glanced at the mayor. "What do I need to do?"

"You?" Mark asked with a raised brow. "You don't get to do anything. You need to take care of yourself and your pregnancy–"

"But–"

"And you can't afford more publicity after your arrest," he finished, cutting her off with emphasis.

"Your what?" Danny asked firmly, thoroughly surprised.

Sam side-eyed the ghost, wincing a little at his tone. "He-he uh…" she started, giving the mayor a sheepish look. "He didn't know about that."

Mark literally facepalmed. "Noone thought to tell him you were arrested?"

"It's not that we didn't think to tell him, it's that we didn't want to add more to his plate while he was recovering," the goth answered, pointedly avoiding her fiance's gaze.

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. "What were you charged with?"

"That's not really import–" she tried to say, but he cut her off, his tone more stern than it'd been since before he was captured, a tone reminiscent of when he took command.

"What were you charged with?"

Sam bit her lip, mulling it over before sighing in defeat, her shoulders bobbing. "For the attempted murder of you and Tucker, and for the murder of Do-hee," she admitted quietly.

The ghost's eyes widened before they turned to the mayor. "What the hell happened?"

Mark sighed and explained, in painstaking detail, who had brought the charges and why, also explaining how he'd gotten them dropped. "Even though they were dropped, it's best to tread lightly for now. That congressman is laser focused on both of you."

DJ, who had finally discovered where his favorite person had teleported off to, wiggled his way into the room and up onto the bed, getting excited to see the babies within tongue distance. He eagerly licked the back of Aurora's head, making her short, dark locks stand up at odd angles. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Sam smiled, especially as Danny lightly admonished the hyper pup, pushing him away a little.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" the mayor asked suddenly, regaining the attention in the room.

Danny watched him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah."

"The public needs to see you," he answered, indicating towards the ghost. "They know you were nearly killed and they're scared. I think it will go a long way to allaying everyone's fears if you address the public and show them you're okay."

Sam watched Danny recoil from the request, both physically and mentally. "I'm not okay," he admitted quickly, not caring if it hurt his pride. He wasn't ready to be in the living room with his own family, let alone in public.

The goth could see the subtle undertones of panic beginning to seep into Danny–the slight shaking of his hands, the light sheen of sweat on his brow.

When Mark went to protest Danny's answer, she stepped between them as her own protective instincts took over. "I'll do it. Until he's ready, I'll face the public. You already had me do one press conference; I can do it again."

The ghost stared at her back in wonder, swallowing the lump of guilt in his throat as his pregnant fiance came to his defense. He battled with the side of himself that said he was barely a man anymore, so why not? The other side acknowledged that, sometimes, you just needed help when you couldn't do it on your own.

The mayor sighed, annoyance starting to show on his face. He looked away, working his jaw before finally settling his gaze back on the goth. "I'm sorry, I promise I am not trying to push him into something he isn't ready for, I'm just in a…precarious position."

She gave him a sympathetic look, but didn't back down. "We all are, but especially Danny. I have no doubt he'll recover; he just needs a little more time."

"No."

Sam turned around to stare at Danny upon hearing his deep voice.

"He's right. I can't hide forever."

The goth looked at him incredulously. She took several steps towards him, forgetting herself for a moment, but immediately stopped when he jolted, jerking quickly back and away from her. "You aren't hiding forever; you've only been back for a little over a week. Do you really think you can tolerate a crowd?"

"Yes! No…I-I don't know!" he said, his own frustration coming through. "I just need…I don't know…" he gave up, visibly deflating.

He hated the look Sam was giving him–a mixture of sadness and pity.

"If you can't handle this conversation, you can't handle a crowd. I know that is completely unfair to say, but it's true," she said, raising an arm and dropping it. "I just…I don't want to do anything that might hinder your recovery," she pleaded gently.

She could see his careful facade fading, the anxiety and fear peeking through the cracks. He was breathing, a habit they'd all noticed he'd picked up since his time in torturous captivity, likely a stim that soothed him subconsciously. He averted his green eyes to his kids and clenched his jaw before answering, "Fine. You go for now, I'll join you when I can."

Sam nodded before turning back to Mark and indicating towards the living room with her arm.

"You can talk in here," Danny said, realizing they were leaving.

But the goth shook her head. "If we speak in here, you're going to insist you need to tag along. I won't keep any information from you," she said, hand on her hip, "but I'll only tell you what you need to know before anything happens and then after I'm done, I'll give you the full update. Otherwise you're just going to stress yourself. Focus on the twins and recover."

He glared at her, and even though she wished she hadn't made him feel like he needed to, she was secretly glad he was. Any emotion he directed towards her that wasn't fear was a win in her book, even if she pissed him off.

"She's right, Danny. We'll keep you apprised, but if you really aren't ready, then it's best you stay out of discussions until you're fully ready to jump in," Mark added with an apologetic look. "It's also not a good idea for you to go with Sam. We can't run the risk of you reacting to her in public; it'll only fuel the rumors of her arrest."

Danny frowned. "But you said you needed me."

Mark deflated. "Yes, I do. But you still need time, and that's okay. Sam can do it for now, but it's not the best idea for the two of you to be out there together unless you can handle both the crowds, questions, and being near Sam without showing fear."

The ghost wanted to disagree, to rail against them, to tell them that he wasn't a child and wouldn't tolerate being treated like one. But instead, he relented, turning away from them and back to his kids and DJ, who was once again licking the back of his daughter's head. He sighed, pointedly ignoring when the pair left the room.

–

"What do I need to do?" Sam asked once they were in the living room.

The mayor sighed. "I think the best thing would be for the public to see that you're trying. You need to be seen at the local precincts looking into the missing person cases yourself. I believe that would go a long way towards showing the public that you're on their side, and not Mira's," he explained.

The goth mulled it over before nodding. "I agree. When do you need me?"

"Now, if you're available."

She nodded again. "Let me tell Danny where I'm going and I'll go. Which precinct has the most cases right now?"

"The Druid Lane district, east side," he answered. "I don't think that necessarily means her new hideout is in that area, just that it has the most cases, likely because it's the poorest area and where she'll find the more desperate people."

Sam bit her lip. "I agree, especially if that's where the most missing people are."

"Alright, get suited up. I'll meet you there," he stuck his hand out.

The goth shook it before watching him leave. With a sigh, she turned back towards the bedroom doorway frowning. She knew Danny wasn't happy with her, but it really was the best choice right now. She made her way to the door and gently tapped on it, noting his apprehension when he looked up and saw it was her.

"I'm sorry for earlier," she said gently, leaning against the frame. "I'm going to get ready and head over to the precinct with the most missing cases. Do you want me to fill you in once I get back, or would you prefer Mark did it?"

The ghost's gaze wandered back to his children who were having a tug-of-war with a plush toy. He didn't like the anxiety that buzzed beneath the skin when she was near, but there was also a part of him–a small part–that missed their connection. He knew that in order to push through his fear, he would need to nurture the part of him that wanted that attachment. So, he nodded. "You can fill me in."

He glanced to the side, just enough to see her face light up. It sent a shock to his core, a warm feeling he'd been missing. Without intending to, he lifted the corner of his mouth in a small, lopsided smile.

Sam gave him a shy smile before heading to her room. She outfitted herself in her usual Shade attire–another reason she felt like Danny shouldn't come. He was just starting to talk to her so seeing her decked out as Shade could set him back.

'Ooh, I'm so scary,' Shade mocked.

'You're also an asshole,' Sam retorted, glaring at herself in the mirror as she put her hair up. She set her wavy, raven locks up in a semi-high ponytail, her bangs covering her forehead and following the contour of her eyes. She pulled the longer strips of sideburn hair out of the ponytail and let them cascade down in waves. They looked almost like an extension of her bangs and framed her face nicely.

It was silent for a moment before she heard the sigh in her head. 'Sorry. I hide behind humor.'

'You get that from me,' Sam replied, raising a brow at herself. 'Also, it wasn't funny.'

She felt when Shade retreated, a feeling of indignation from her darker half. Sam rolled her eyes. 'It's like sharing a body with someone who has the emotional capacity of a toddler.'

'I heard that,' Shade growled.

'Yeah, that was kinda the point,' she replied sarcastically. Then she noticed in the mirror that she'd been making faces as she was conversing with Shade. Oh no…did she make random faces like that every time she spoke with Shade? The goth groaned. People were gonna think she was crazy.

With one last sigh at herself, she teleported.

–

Danny peeked out into the living room. It had been a few hours since Sam left and she wasn't back yet. He wasn't worried, as she knew how to flare her core in case of danger, or a seizure, but he was–for the first time since being rescued–getting a little lonely.

He loved spending time with his kids, but…they didn't talk much. A one-sided conversation wasn't much intellectual stimulation. And DJ, despite being a border collie, wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box…especially seeing as how he was currently licking the window. Teaching him tricks wasn't going well.

He spotted his mother in the living room watching the news with a cup of tea. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be anyone else around. He didn't think he could handle more than one person, and he'd been dealing with his mom a lot the last week before he started swapping the kids himself, so he was semi-comfortable with her.

The ghost went back in his room for a moment and grabbed the twins, one on each hip, and then tentatively left his room.

The redhead looked up, surprise evident on her face when she saw him enter and make his way towards the couch on the opposite side of hers. He placed Jackson and Aurora their stomachs on the playmat on the floor before settling next to them, using the couch as a prop for his back.

Maddie wasn't sure if saying anything to her son would spook him, so she kept quiet for now, surreptitiously glancing at him now and then. For a while, he was quiet as well, simply enjoying the adult companionable company for the time being.

That and just coming out with "So, how have you been?" seemed extremely awkward given the situation.

Just when Danny was about to break the silence, the TV started acting funny. The screen blanked out for a few seconds before blinking several times. Then, it seemed as if the news broadcast was coming back before the screen went black again.

Danny exchanged a questioning glance with his mother. "Did it die?" Maddie asked. Her son shrugged, looking back at the screen.

Finally, they heard a laugh–a cynical, mocking chuckle that sent the worst kind of shivers down Danny's spine. He felt lightheaded and tingly as his very soul reacted negatively to the malevolent presence. Maddie watched as he seemed to curl in on himself. It made her son, who was so tall and strong, look small and fragile.

"Good afternoon, Amity Park. By now, you've likely heard my name, but let me introduce myself anyway: I am Mira.

"A little birdie told me that your town 'hero' has been lacking in his duties lately." They could hear the derision in her voice at the word 'hero'.

Danny shrunk away from her accusation, the guilt tearing at him like a hungry scavenger.

"So many innocent souls…" They heard her tsk in a mocking tone. "That said, from now on, this town is mine. You will submit to my rule and my rule alone. Your law enforcement can't help you, your government can't help you, and your 'hero' can't help you."

Maddie looked at Danny with wide eyes. He looked terrified, his limbs trembling, his jaw working. But there was something else…a spark in his eyes hidden beneath the surface.

"Starting tonight there will be a curfew in place. No one is to be on the streets after 9pm, and if you are caught outside at that point, you will be punished accordingly. From now on, banks, stores and restaurants will be closed. All citizens will be required to pay taxes. If you want money, find a job that's still open, or come to us. You want food? You have to go through us.

Don't even think about resisting. My half ghost army will be patrolling the streets and keeping order and trust me, they have orders to use deadly force.

If you want anyone to blame for this, blame your precious Danny Phantom. This is his fault; it's his doing. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here. Be sure to show him your appreciation the next time you see him." They heard a clear, sardonic laugh before the TV blinked again and the news came back on.

Mira's speech had been broadcast across the city and the news anchor's were clearly in shock, but Maddie was watching her son.

Danny, though still shaking, had sat up a little straighter, rolled his shoulders back a little farther, and was staring at the screen with a hard, dark look. She'd awakened something in him, something that had been dormant since his torture.

Despite the circumstances, she was proud when his gaze met hers, and, for the first time since Sam had brought him back, he held her gaze and didn't look away.

Before either of them could say anything, Sam appeared suddenly, the violet smoke puffing into and out of existence quickly. When she saw it was only Danny and Maddie, she flared her core, prompting Vlad to appear as well.

"What's–"

"Can you gather the rest, please?" she asked, taking charge and unintentionally cutting the billionaire off.

He stared at her for a moment before nodding and disappearing again to find the others in the house.

Though she was trying to look composed, Danny could see the carefully hidden rage in the lines on her face and in the depths of her amethyst orbs. He knew instantly that it was Shade and not Sam and he felt the panic begin to rise.

She glanced at him, noticing when his breathing started. She knew the habit meant panic, and so she forced Shade to the background, despite her protests. "It's alright, Danny. I'm Sam."

The ghost eyed her cautiously, but noted when the look in her eyes changed to something more friendly. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

Soon, everyone else started filtering into the living room looking quite confused. Danny steeled himself for the assault on his senses from the amount of people and his breathing went into overdrive as he was noticed. Thankfully, other than smiles, everyone respected his space and left him be.

The ghost spotted Tucker, his left arm still completely bandaged, and hobbling around on crutches. He averted his eyes in shame and guilt.

"What's going on?" Dash asked as he took a seat in an armchair.

Sam countered with her own question. "How many of you saw the broadcast just now?"

Everyone shook their heads except Maddie. "Danny and I saw it," she responded.

"What broadcast?" Tucker asked.

"Is it that?" Jazz responded, pointing at the TV where her eyes were now glued. Maddie turned the volume up as the news replayed the broadcast, then cutting to the anchors who speculated on the topic, clearly shaken.

"Jesus," Tucker breathed when they'd all seen it.

Danny could feel eyes on him, but he refused to look up from his kids.

"What do we do?" Dash asked, nervous.

"We'll need to confront her," Vlad responded seriously.

Jazz made a face. "You can't honestly expect us to do that, can you?" she asked, gaze flicking to her brother.

Tucker sighed. "She's right. Very few of us are in any condition to do so."

"I'm not sure we have a choice, here," Sam retorted, arms crossing over her chest. "If we fail to respond, she wins. Do you really want the entirety of Amity Park against us?"

"The only one of us who even stands a chance right now is Vlad, and he's only one person," Jack countered.

"I am not weak," Sam responded with a light glare.

"No, but in case you've forgotten for the hundredth time, you're pregnant," Tucker growled.

The goth bit the inside of her lip to avoid snapping with a smartass comment. It didn't work, though, as Shade took the liberty of doing it anyway. "Oh my gosh, really?" she said with fake shock. Then she glared. "Of course I know I'm pregnant, asshole."

"Hey!" he snapped.

"What the hell, Sam?" Jazz said, backing her husband up.

The goth winced before giving them an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry."

Tucked eyed her with suspicion. "I'm not sure I buy this whole 'separate personality' thing. Are you sure it's not just an excuse to be a jerk?"

The goth sighed, bringing an arm up and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Trust me, I wish it were fake."

"So let's say we do face them. What do we do?" Dash asked, bringing everyone back on topic.

"Our hands are a little tied because of the law, but we either take them out, or send them to law enforcement," Sam answered.

Vlad shook his head. "Law enforcement can't hold them, despite what Mark thinks. You stayed in jail because of your moral compass. They will not do the same."

"So then we have to kill them," she reasoned.

"And what if they retaliate?" All eyes turned to Danny who had finally spoken. He lifted his gaze, eye meeting Sam's. "She won't sit by and let us kill more of her army. She will retaliate, either with us, or the citizens."

"We can't just do nothing," she retorted softly.

The ghost's gaze fell before he turned his attention back to the twins. "She doesn't want the city, not really. What she wants is me."

"Not going to happen," Jack said firmly, the veracity of his tone leaving several stunned.

At first, it seemed like giving himself up was exactly what the young man meant by his statement, but when his resolute eyes met his father's, Jack could see that's not what his son meant at all. "No, it's not. But it does mean I need to face her."

"You're not–"

"I know," he said quickly, cutting his mom off with an apologetic look. "But I have to. Amity Park needs to see I'm still here and fighting for them."

–

1/17/25: I actually started the next chapter before finishing this one. I struggled a bit with the ending here.