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"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

-Theodore Roosevelt

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Ghoulish Fright

"How did you get in here?" Why is it that people always ask stupid questions when they're surprised? If I wasn't suffering from a heart attack at this ghost's appearance, I would have kicked myself for blurting that out. Especially when the girl giggled and shot me a cocky smirk.

"How do you think I got in?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and raising an eyebrow at me in a way that reminded me of Danny. "But seriously, you're a girl? I mean, yeah, you're a girly looking guy, but still…"

"What do you think you're doing in here? Haven't you ever heard of a little concept called privacy?" I kept my voice low, not wanting Danny or anyone else to overhear me.

Not good… first Tucker and now some weird little ghost girl? And what the heck was a ghost girl even doing in Wisconsin in the first place? Didn't we leave all that behind in Amity Park? This thought had me studying the girl a little more closely, my eyes widening when I realized something…

"You look like Danny Phantom!"

"I should." The girl said, rolling her eyes. "We are cousins, after all…"

…Ghosts had cousins?

"I'm Dani, with an 'i.' And you are…?"

"More confused then I've ever been in my entire life." I responded, trying to sort this mess out. What were the chances that I'd run into Danny Phantom's cousin on vacation in Wisconsin? Come to think of it, why wasn't she more surprised that I knew her cousin?

"Sam? You okay in there?" I gasped slightly at the knock on the door, my face paling. Grabbing the ghost girl's arm, I shoved her into my closet and slammed the door behind her, ignoring the shriek of protest.

"Fine!" I answered loudly as Jazz came in. "Just playing a little Doomed!"

"That hurt!" The ghost growled from inside the closet.

"Shut up."

"Huh?" Jazz asked, sounding confused. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing!" I grinned nervously at the older girl, mentally pleading her to drop the subject.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sam?" Jazz raised an eyebrow at me. "I could've sworn you were talking to someone in here…"

"I was!" I covered quickly. "I just got off the phone with Tina. She was just telling me about how everything's going at the Foley's place."

"Oh…" Jazz said, still sounding a little confused, but apparently accepting that. "Well, I just wanted to tell you that dinner's at eight on the main floor. Mr. Masters is insisting that we all eat together. Danny showed you the dining hall, didn't he?"

"The one replicated to look like the Packer's football stadium?" I said dryly. "Oh yeah, I remember that."

"So you'll be there on time?" Jazz clarified with a smile. "Danny said he'd go crazy if he and Vlad were the only guys down there, you know." I scowled at Jazz, making her giggle slightly.

"Haha." I said sarcastically. "I'll be there, okay?"

"Alright." Jazz rolled her eyes in amusement as she turned to leave. "Have fun playing your video game, Sam…" I sighed in relief as the door closed, turning back to the closet to let the girl out.

Only to find her head already sticking out of the closet.

"Wah!" yelping, I fell back, landing painfully on the floor. Dani blinked at me in surprise.

"Sorry," she said, walking through the door. "Didn't mean to do that this time."

"Whatever." I sighed, rubbing my now sore butt. Then I gave the girl a confused look when what she said really hit me. "…This time?"

"Long story." Dani said airily, making herself at home on my bed. "So, Jazz knows you're a girl and Danny doesn't?"

"Yes…" I sighed. "And I'll kill you if you tell him." There was a short pause after that where the girl gave me an even look. "you know what I mean!" Scowling I crossed my arms. "And you can't tell your cousin! He still doesn't know I'm a girl, either."

"Duh." Dani rolled her eyes. Before I could ask what she meant by that, the ghost girl spoke up again. "I dunno, though. My cousin and I are awfully close, and I don't know you at all. Why shouldn't I tell the only family I have that he's being lied to?"

"I'm not lying to him!" I snapped. "…Not intentionally, anyways. And I'll tell him everything once I know him a little better."

"What about Danny?" Dani asked, giving me a searching look. "You're living with him, so what's your excuse for not letting him in on your little secret, huh?"

"I'm going to tell Danny once he comes clean with me." I explained, sighing. Dani blinked at me.

"When he— you know?" Alarmed, Dani shot up, looking a little wary now. "How much do you know? Who told you?"

"No one told me anything." I replied, a little surprised at her reaction. "I just kinda put two and two together. I know Danny's a ghost hunter, and I know he's got some sort of alliance or friendship or whatever with Phantom, but that's pretty much all I've figured out." For some reason, Dani looked even more stunned after my explination was over.

"You… you think…" that was all the girl managed before she dissolved in a fit of laugher. I scowled slightly, blushing and feeling stupid for some reason or another.

"You know, I'm really getting tired of getting that reaction every time I try and tell someone what I've figured out." I told her, annoyed. "Anyways, things are kinda complicated with me and Danny right now, so…"

"Complicated how?" Dani asked once she overcame her giggle fit. She still had this weird I-know-something-you-don't-know type smirk on her face though, so I couldn't bring myself to fully forgive her.

"We're kinda seeing each other." I admitted, blushing slightly. To my surprise, Dani looked stunned for a moment, before she paled rapidly.

"You mean…" she stammered out. "You… and Danny… but he… I thought…" I was confused for a moment before I realized what the little girl's problem was, blushing in humiliation when it hit me.

"Girl me!" I shouted, embarrassed to no ends. "He's seeing girl me!" Dani looked relieved at that.

"Oh…" She said, laughing sheepishly. "I thought there was something Danny wasn't telling me there for a second. I mean, not that I'd have a problem if he really did like—!"

"Just. Stop. Talking." I buried my burning face in my hands, trying to will this conversation far from my thoughts so that I wouldn't die of shame the next time I saw Danny.

"Will do." Sighing, I glanced over at the alarm clock next to my bed, wincing at the time.

"Anyways, I'd better go." I told the ghost with a sigh. "I've only got ten minutes to get to dinner… Stay here and if anybody comes in, hide!" I still wasn't all that happy about having this girl around, but I definitely owed her cousin enough to tolerate babysitting her for at least a little while.

"Yeah, yeah…" Dani rolled her eyes. "Bring me back something to eat, okay?"

"…ghosts eat?"

"What, you haven't met the Lunch Lady yet?" Dani asked, laughing slightly. "We need to get our energy from somewhere too, you know, and eating's a lot nicer then some of the other ways to do it. Like Spectra's misery thing, or Desiree's inability to hear a wish without granting it…"

"…Never thought of that…" Making a mental note of this Desir-whatsit just in case this was going to be the next ghost to make my life miserable, I headed to the door. "Anyways, I'll try and bring you back whatever I can."

Sighing in relief as I shut the door behind me, I made my way to the elevator, trying to figure out the best way to hide a twelve year old manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post human consciousness from my roomie, his sister, her best friend and a creepy multi-billionaire.

Compared to being a girl in an all boys school, that'd be a walk in the park.

This is gonna be a piece of cake. I realized, smiling to myself as I pushed the button. For once in my life, there's no way things can get any worse for me…

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"Isn't this so romantic, Danny? I just love a good, cultured meal like this! More escargot?"

…I've really gotta learn when to shut my big fat mouth.

Scowling, I glared across the table at Danny's Thanksgiving Date, one of the few girls on earth that made me long for a gun to kill myself with every time her name alone was spoken in my presence.

Morgan Manson.

Not ringing any bells? Remember that cousin in the first chapter? The mink wearing English cousin I was supposed to go to school with? Yeah, that Morgan…

"You know Danny, I don't think I've ever seen eyes like yours! They've got to be your best feature! Not that you have a single feature that isn't to die for."

…That Morgan who was currently clinging onto my roommate like the soulless leech she truly was.

"Think we should hold her up to that dying part?" Liz whispered to me dryly, eyeing my cousin, who was sitting so close to Danny that she was practically in his lap.

"Just find me a blunt object and an alibi and it'll be a reality." I muttered back.

"So Morgan!" Mr. Masters said warmly before Liz could add word to the dark grin she flashed me. "You're enjoying America so far, yes?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, Mr. Masters!" Morgan gushed brightly. "And so friendly! I feel like I've lived her my entire life!" That was probably helped by the fact that she was born and raised her until she was eleven. "Thank you again for inviting me to this special holiday meal!"

"My pleasure, dear girl…" Mr. Masters dipped his head in a mock modest sort of way. "After all it's the least I can do for your family after your horrible tragedy…" Morgan and I gave the man identical blank looks at that. Tragedy? Did someone die or something? Surely Matt would've told me if something like that had happened…

"Tragedy?" Morgan repeated out loud.

"Your cousin's still missing, is she not?" Mr. Masters asked innocently. My heart stopped in my chest as a strange look passed Morgan's face.

"Oh, right…" She said unenthusiastically. "Samantha…" A twitch on my part here. "Yes, the whole family's dreadfully worried about her."

I bet. I rolled my eyes. Morgan still hadn't forgiven me for smearing all of her favorite fur coats in neon orange paint.

"Has there been any luck finding her?" Mr. Masters pressed.

"Not yet." Morgan said tightly. "But we're all hoping for good news to come soon."

"Wait, there's a Manson who's missing?" Liz asked, sounding a little alarmed.

"Why yes, of course." Mr. Masters sounded surprised. "You didn't know? Young Mathew's sister has been missing for months now…"

"Matt's sister's missing?" Liz repeated, her voice going up an octave and her eyes widening as her fork dropped back to her plate. "He never said a word to me about it!"

Crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcraaaaap! I winced, revisiting the urge to bang my head against the table as I shot Jazz a frantic look. She just shrugged helplessly, looking almost as afraid as I felt.

"Really now?" Mr. Masters hummed thoughtfully. "That's strange… I thought Mathew was close to young Samantha…"

"They are close." Liz insisted stubbornly, apparently offended on my brother's behalf. "I mean, Sam's gotta be the only person in his whole family he actually likes." Morgan scowled at Liz, looking insulted at that. I would've laughed out loud if Liz hadn't turned to give me a thoughtful look. "Well, I guess that's not totally true. He seems to like—"

BANG! Liz jumped and yelped loudly in pain, turning to glare at Jazz.

"You kicked me!" She said accusingly. Jazz laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry!" She said brightly. "I was uncrossing my legs…"

Gotta remember to thank her for that. I noted to myself as relief overcame me. Seizing my chance, I changed the subject.

"So, Mr. Masters!" I said loudly. "You… erm… like… football?" I grasped desperately at the first thing that came to mind, flashing the billionaire a (hopefully) convincing smile.

"Yes, yes I do." Mr. Masters said conversationally. "Do you know anything about football?" I opened my mouth to reply when I realized that I didn't know anything. Football was one of the sports I'd come to most detest, due to the fact that it was generally the sport of choice for everyone and everything I stood against.

"Actually, no." I admitted, my smile straining. "Think you can explain it to me a little? I'd love to learn…" Across from me, Danny suddenly started choking on his soup, which might have been funny if Morgan didn't immediately start cooing over him with her napkin…

"Of course!" Mr. Masters said joyously. "…right after dinner."

WHAT?

"At any rate, if there's anything I can do to help find your dear cousin…"

"It's fine, Mr. Masters." Morgan said tightly. "There's no need to trouble yourself, my aunt and uncle have everything under control."

"Well, could I at least have a picture of her of something to show around the party, just to have everyone keep an eye out for her."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Masters." Morgan said with a frosty smile. "I'm afraid I don't carry pictures of my cousin."

"Matt's gotta couple." Liz piped up, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Wait, now that I think about it, Sam looks exactly like—"

BANG!

"Will you stop kicking me!"

"Sorry, recrossing my legs." Liz scowled darkly at her best friend, clearly irritated to no ends.

"Jeeze, Jazz, what's your prob…" Liz trailed off here a look of dawning on her face. She blinked a few times, then glanced between me and Jazz.

"Problems?" Mr. Masters asked in amusement.

"Of course not Mr. Masters!" Jazz said quickly, making a furious hand motion as she shook her head vigorously. She screeched in surprise when her hand was grabbed out of the air by Liz, along with my wrist.

"You and you!" Liz snapped shortly, yanking us out of the dining room. "We need to talk. Now."

As soon as we entered the empty kitchen Liz dragged us into, the brunette turned to scowl at Me and Jazz.

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?"

"What gave you that idea, Liz?" Jazz squeaked with a nervous smile.

"Hmm, lets see…" Liz said sarcastically. "Number one; Mrs. Perfect Snob doesn't seem to recognize her own cousin, why?"

"We're not that close?" I offered. Hey, it's true…

"Number two; there are two Sams in the Manson family, Samuel and Samantha. Both the same age with the same hair and eye coloring and similar builds."

"…My family isn't very creative?" Another true point!

"Number three; To my recollection, Sam Manson looks identical to Sam Falcon, Danny's girlfriend. Who, by the way, has never been seen in the same place at the same time as Samuel here."

"…Um…" Crap, she had me there…

"Number four; Matt's sister's gone missing, and not only done he not say a word about it to anyone, but he also doesn't even seem that concerned." There too…

"Th-there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that…" Jazz said hastily, pausing to try and think of more to add to that.

"And number five; You and Matt have been hiding something since this school year started, and I'm willing to bet my bruised knees that it has something to do with Sam Manson." Jazz and I exchanged glanced before she sighed in defeat.

"Liz…" The redhead started when the door opened yet again.

"Ah, there you three are!" Mr. Masters said happily. "Jasmine, Lizella, do you mind if I talk to Samuel privately for a moment? It's concerning young Daniel."

"Isn't it always?" Liz said sarcastically under her breath. "Look here, fruitloop—!"

"Did I mention that Daniel and Morgan are currently unsupervised?" Mr. Masters said innocently. Jazz winced, then sighed slightly, giving me a worried look.

"I'm fine, Jazz." I promised her. "Go save your brother before Morgan does something she'll regret later…" Still looking a little uncertain, Jazz sighed and pushed Liz out of the room, leaving me alone with Mr. Masters.

Joy…

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WoM- I'm ending it here for now. And I apologize deeply for most of this chapter. Don't ask what Vlad and Sam are gonna be talking about, you won't find out until next chapter because I'm evil like that. 'insert clique villain laugh of your choice'

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Thanks to;

SevenStar, rbzodiac612, dPhantoMfreak, Me The Anon One, Sqweakie the Wonder Mouse, hammy ham ham, My Eternal Facade, Phantom of a Rose, zombie-rodeo-frog, Zarmina, Miss Selarne, Samantha-Girl Scout, Treska SilverFlame, silvermoonphantom, fairy to be, Ghostboy814, Sasia, Paranoid-One13, SpasticImpulses, Black January, MiaHime, luv2bamom, Esme Kali Phantom, dietuckerdie, KILLERGRIM23, Jimmy the Gothic Egg, SamuraiSirius, Boongdaba, Jillie chan, femaleprongslet, Aiyanabell, MonroeD, Balkoth, kennyk12, Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet, Droodle Phantom, soaring-bright-flame, Lynne102, Firefury, Kirstyn.T, Sahara Jo, BJA Fan, wolffeather, emotigone crazy, divinedragon7, Aytheria, Anomaly25, dannyXsam-forever, blissfulInsomniac, Save Danny69, riotrockergurl, michelle, dark midnight627, NNF, Fey Phantom, Kalle Faqueza, Call Me Blue Streak, WhiteMoonDragon, Baka Hanyou Rahvin, Madame Band Geek, Shenhua Phantom, conan98002, blawblawblaw, Siren of Time, Criticizer101, Angelicxox, Golden Lunar Eclipse, Aquagirl15, kingdomhearts222, CharmedNightSkye, The Sole Survivor, Lumias, Kats02980416, Veronica Meiia x33, maverick, Itallia, Demon in the Snow, lolopixie, Nobody is Somebody, deadly-anger, Kewl Gurl 05, Ally, Lt. Commander Richie, Redwind, loop-de-loop-ride, Serena, Fran, Fan-Fic-CC27, Artemis's Arrow, Fan-Fic-CC27, CarmenElizabeth, dominicandragon, RemembertheLegacy, Jan Fredrik, Petitio Principii, Violet Sauce, XThe UnwantedX, riotrockergurl, epobbp, Sweetnevermore, loviegurlie, a.p.nikki1717, Crossover Fiend, Introsquirrel, midnight, ilikedan, animefreak1457, Kuki Salazar, Amaya92, Giff, Aki Tones, wandering star, Zuzanny, Chelsea, lil miss sunshine, Kassi, ForgottenSmile, Tigae, Hakkyou Kuusou, Divine-Red-Crayon, Boxghost228, RIPKurdtCobain, pyroblade, Spiffy McFloogan, unlovedepacifist, MegaRose, Snea, OogalyGoogalie, Ryo's destiny, inu-osuwari, JosephineInLove, Fan-Fic-CC27, Lyidia, IvyLeaf16, Re-Ane, peaceful one, Kirika Moonshadow, blade-king, Anime Chick009, alorwen, The Bushranger, Nefarious Idiot, DannySam4EVA, SquirrelGirl13, coolgirlc, Sam 'n' Danny 4Ever, OxAshiteruxO, KittyKiChi, DannysEvilTwin, Rachel, Angelgirl963, Evillittlegurlie, chaotic.calm, Miss Sam, zizzy333, Lianna, Switchblade237, ShadowCatOfTheNight, FlamesofAnubis, Ojufemi, NotReallyAnything, thundercan, Andrew Laplante, Danneh-n'-Sam-4eva, ok..., BlackShadow875, ChoasGhostBoy, some dudette, J.J., chelseagrey, Psycho Rooster, afkWoW, Kyasarin-Maarukeehii1, Duchess of Harmony, Chocolate Box, SoccerFreak2516, Hanyou-01, JuneSpy, Panic! i'm here, Anjera, eternalLament43, starrobin4eva, kitain9, Scribe of Aurora, Deliela, TheFlamingFluffball, MajorDxSfantatic, DoubleKK, Twisted Creampuff

Special Thanks to;

loop-de-loop-ride, Droodle Phantom, Andrew Laplante, Aqua91, Sweetnevermore, peaceful one, TallieCat, rikagirls, divinedragon7, strange organized chaos, SpasticImpulses, Laqua the random and insane queen, Rachel, Iona, I.S., JULIA RAMIREZ, Divine-Red-Crayon, Satoshi Silver Syoran, Lynne102, Linkmaste, NebuNeferu, Paranoid-One13, OxAshiteruxO, Anime master Inu, Shenhua Phantom, BlackDecember, MiaHime, Chelsea, blissfulInsomniac, Fan-Fic-CC27, riotrockergurl, EclipseKlutz, hello,mynameis, Ashira, RyuuMahou, Anime Chick009, Invader Crystal, SmileToScareTheDarknessAway, crazyidiot, DoubleKK