AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well folks, here we are again. We've now arrived at the ninth story in my Danny Phantom series, entitled, "Laws of Attraction". For those of you who have read my stories before, my apologies for taking so long in getting back with this one. Since I've started submitting my artwork to DeviantART as well, it's kind of cut into my writing time as much as my job has. But hey, I'm still alive.

For those of you who have not yet read my stories yet, you may come into this one feeling a little perplexed at what's going on. But my previous stories should shed some light on the subject. The list is as follows...

Facing the Future
Strength in Numbers
Bad Breakup
Trial By Fire
Hearts and Minds
Pairing Off
A Family Thing
Stolen Years

Well, as usual, enough of my shameless plugging. Time to get on with the show. Enjoy...

Danny Phantom: Laws of Attraction
Part One
By Aaron

Could any sight possibly be more touching or adorable? In the living room of Fenton Works, still in their ghost forms, but with the small, chubby bodies of five-year-olds were Danny and Sam. This digital photo had been taken just a few short hours after their unfortunate encounter with a weapon fired upon them by the Guys in White, which had the unfortunate side effect of reverting them into children. Of course, unless someone saw the digital photo with their own eyes, they would hardly believe it. But there they were, both sitting on the couch, fast asleep, with Sam hugging Danny's arm tight and her head softly nestled against his.

However, for Valerie Grey, her reaction to the picture as she looked upon it in the Casper High cafeteria was not a smile of tender compassion…but an uncontrollable blast of riotous laughter.

"Are you kidding?" she blurted out between giggles, unable to contain herself. "That's really them?"

"I managed to catch that picture when they finally ran themselves asleep and left us in peace for a whole half hour." Tucker explained, being one of the few days that he was actually able to attend school without his mayoral duties getting in the way.

"And they actually let you keep it?" Valerie asked as she handed Tucker's PDA back to him.

"Well, I…kind of…had to…promise I…wouldn't…let…anybody…see it…," Tucker muttered, his voice trailing off before looking up to see Danny and Sam making their way over to the table, having collected their food.

"They can NEVER know I showed that to you," he whispered to Valerie in a panic, causing her to immediately try and stifle her laughing fit, managing to collect herself just as Danny and Sam sat down.

"Hey guys," Sam greeted simply.

However, no sooner did Sam get the words out, than Valerie instantly broke down again, another burst of giggles forcing its way past her lips. As her hand slammed on the table in a wave of laughter, Tucker instantly froze, his eyes darting over to her with a look of dread across his face.

"He showed her the picture," Danny remarked flatly as he and Sam both cast a dry frown.

"Alright, that's it," Sam demanded, snapping her fingers and she and Danny both flashed out their hand for Tucker to surrender his PDA. "Fork it over, you just lost your privileges."

"No guys, come on…it's…it's really not that bad…," Valerie tried to object, although her inability to control her giggling did little to make her case. "I mean, you have to admit…it really IS cute."

"Rrrrrnnnn…," Sam grumbled under her breath, she and Danny looking far less amused at a nervous Tucker before turning to gaze into each others' eyes. Right at that moment, they suddenly became much more at ease.

"Mmmm…nah," Sam added with a loving grin as Danny tenderly smiled back. "I like him a LOT better this way."

Tucker and Valerie already knew where this was going, both of them rolling their eyes innocently away as Danny and Sam moved in closer, each with one hand slowly inching toward the other. As their fingers slowly locked together, the rest of the moment was purely academic as they leaned in, their lips gently grazing in a set of soft, fluttery kisses. From there, only the tenderness of the moment mattered as Danny and Sam cuddled together, their temples softly wrestling each other like two baby kittens curled up together.

Just then, a pair of soft giggles sounded off behind them, breaking Danny and Sam out of the moment. Their fingers still entwined, both of them turned to see two girls walking past their table, eyeing them both almost with a tender awe. Not taking their eyes off them for one second, one of the girls whispered something to the other, which brought out another snicker from the pair before moving on their way out of the cafeteria.

Confused, Danny and Sam continued to look around the room. But what they saw only made them all the more perplexed. From almost every table in the room, more than a few pairs of eyes were fixed on the two of them, looking on with an eerie fascination. Several coy half-smiles could also be seen, along with students exchanging hushed words to each other.

"Ooooooookay, is there some joke on us we don't know about?" Danny asked, beginning to feel quite disturbed by the crowd at this point.

"If it is, I don't get it," Sam replied with a shrug. "I mean, even if they're making fun of us, why would they think we would even care?"

For Danny and Sam, none of this activity made any sense whatsoever. Tucker and Valerie, on the other hand, seemed to understand what was going on all-too well as they found themselves exchanging nervous glances.

"Uh, Danny? Sam? You guys didn't happen to have a look at the school paper this week, did you?" Valerie asked pensively.

"The school paper? What, are you kidding?" Sam answered with a cynical hollow laugh. "Come on Valerie, you know that rag doesn't write about anything in this school that actually CONCERNS us."

"I…wouldn't be so sure," Tucker remarked uneasily, pulling a copy of the latest issue from his backpack and sliding it across the table. "You guys might want to check out the answer to the latest survey question on Page Four."

With a hint of concern on their faces, Danny and Sam flipped away the first pages to reach the paper's weekly student body survey. Usually, it was little more than a fluff piece, getting the students to weigh in on nonsense teen gossip. And so far, the title's question seemed to be just par for the course in terms of shallowness.

WHO IS THE HOTTEST COUPLE IN CASPER HIGH?

But the results of the poll were the last thing Danny and Sam were expecting to see. Splashed across a quarter of the page, in the form of a huge pie chart, were the answers submitted by students. The numbers showed that nearly 80 percent of the student body had submitted responses to the question, almost a survey record. Among the answers, Star and Kwan had earned 3.2 percent of the graph, despite the fact that they had broken up a couple of months ago. Even Mr. Lancer and Ms. Tetslaff had made the poll with 0.8 percent, although their inclusion was clearly meant as a joke. But overshadowing all others on the pie with a landslide 95.6 percent, were two names in bold type that were clearly unmistakable…

DANNY FENTON AND SAM MANSON

Danny and Sam's eyes could not possibly have been any bigger at that moment as the image before them finally sunk in. Looking back towards each other, their faces white with shock, their shared glance lasted only a moment before they whirled back around to the rest of the students in the cafeteria, most of which had yet to take their gaze off the pair. The look of fascination on most of their faces made it clear that this article was in no way intended as a joke. And once that reality struck home, Danny and Sam could only respond with one single word.

"WHAT!"

"I don't believe this!" Sam exclaimed, pacing frantically inside an empty classroom after she and Danny made a hasty retreat from the cafeteria. "This is the 'Sam Tasma blogs' all over again! Since when is my personal life anyone's business but my own? Well, I am going to do something about this right now!"

"Whoa Sam, calm down," Danny cautioned, gently taking Sam by the shoulders before she could storm out of the room. "What are you going to do, kick down the doors and tell the editor of the school paper to take the survey out before you photocopy his face? It's a little late for that, don't you think? Besides, weren't you the one who was just saying, not five minutes ago, that we didn't care what anyone else thought?"

"That doesn't mean I'm going to feed the beast, Danny!" Sam argued back. "I mean, it's making us sound like some Hollywood tabloid couple. I can just hear everyone chattering now. 'Oh, guess who saw Danny and Sam holding hands yesterday?' 'Ooo, I saw Danny and Sam making out at the mall.' All the pointing and whispering…do I really need this in my life?"

"Well, if it's THAT big a deal, we could always just not spend any time together until the hype dies down," Danny suggested, rolling his eyes thoughtfully.

"Okay, that seriously better have been a joke," Sam responded with a looked that showed she was clearly unimpressed.

"Exactly my point…you're overreacting." Danny pointed out, walking over and gently taking Sam's hands in his. "Look Sam, I know you're not happy about this. I know you like your privacy. But…come on, it's high school. These things don't last. In a week, someone will have squirted something out their nose or got their pants ripped on something and before you know it, THAT'LL be the only thing everyone ends up talking about."

"It'll pass, okay? Trust me."

(As Sam finally raised her head, her eyes caught a glimpse of Danny's reassuring smile. And just that look alone was enough for Sam. With a hollow chuckle and a relieved grin of her own, as her hands gently slid away from Danny's and reached up to gently pull on his shirt.

"Oh Danny," she murmured softly under her breath, "You know you're the only one who could say that to me and actually make me believe it."

Danny didn't bother to respond with words. Instead, he merely propped Sam's chin up between his thumb and forefinger and slowly leaned in, caressing her lips with slow, tender kisses.

Sam felt her heart quicken as she savored every second of Danny's lips softly grazing against her own. But as much as she was getting pulled into the moment and part of her was hoping that she'd never have to come back out, she couldn't help but find herself feeling a certain level of…fascination. After all, this was becoming a more and more common occurrence of late. Somehow, Danny just always seemed to be there for her, with a warm kiss at the ready, making Sam feel better at just the right moment. It was as though he always seemed to know right when she needed him most. Could it be another sign of that growing bond between them at work again?

But a moment later, the question no longer mattered as Danny finally pulled away and looked into Sam's eyes, following up their kisses with a soft, loving grin. And that final act of tenderness was all Sam needed. She didn't need Danny to say it. She could see it shimmering in his eyes so clearly that the words weren't necessary. Sam, however, couldn't help herself as she and Danny moved in and held each other tight.

"I love you so much," she sighed, nestling her head in the crook of Danny's neck.

That was twice now, in a matter of seconds that Sam would have given just about anything to have stayed in that moment forever. However, such good fortune was not to be as her eyes happened to glance over to the other side of the classroom, only to notice the door slowly opening, trying to be as indiscreet as possible.

"HEY!" she shouted, causing Danny's whole body to twitch in shock. "Unless you want that door to become a permanent part of your face, I suggest you keep YOUR PEEKING EYES TO YOURSELF!"

Still locked in his embrace with Sam, Danny's head whirled around to see what Sam could have been shouting at. A moment later, he soon got his answer as the door which had slowly been inching its way open suddenly reversed and began gradually closing once again. And the comedic reaction to Sam's outburst only made Danny feel more comfortable in his position as he turned towards her.

"There, see? And you were worried," he remarked jokingly as he and Sam flashed each other an amused smile before hugging each other tightly once again, cuddling cheek-to-cheek.

And so it was, Danny and Sam found themselves under the all-seeing microscope of Casper High's teenage gossip machine. It seemed that hardly a moment went by that someone wasn't eyeing them or talking about them. Eventually, it would reach a boiling point where Sam was reminded just how ridiculous that survey was and why it got her so angry in the first place. But with Danny remaining at her side for comfort, she somehow managed to swallow her objections and keep moving forward.

One noteworthy moment occurred just a few days after the school paper had been distributed. Danny and Sam were eating lunch outside on one of the schoolyard picnic tables. Little did they know that their meal was being observed by a couple of female classmates, who were hiding behind a thick bush and watching intently.

"Did we miss anything?" the first girl whispered as she struggled to find herself a decent vantage point. "What are they doing?"

"Nothing yet," the second girl replied, "Looks like they're just eating lunch."

Oblivious to their would-be spies, Sam was halfway through her lunch and seemed to be enjoying her salad. However, her attention was quickly diverted as she glanced over and saw Danny sitting beside her, his head propped up under his hand, and just staring at her with an almost hypnotic grin.

"What?" Sam asked straightforwardly.

"Nothing," Danny simply answered with a shrug, even as the smile from his face refused to fade. A smile that Sam was quick to take notice of again when she turned back a few moments later to see Danny's eyes still locked onto her.

"What?" she exclaimed, not sure at that point, whether to be amused or annoyed.

"Nothing!" Danny asserted, trying to preserve his innocence. But Sam soon got another answer as Danny's next words quickly followed a loving sigh.

"I just can't get over how beautiful you are."

No sooner did the words escape Danny's lips than Sam felt her cheeks grow hot and she instantly turned away with a shy smile. It wasn't until she felt Danny slide along the table seat towards her that she finally turned back, even though she still had her head down.

"Aw Danny…," she cooed, fidgeting bashfully as Danny gently propped her chin up and lifted her face to meet his.

Every moment was being captured by the two girls who were spying on them. As Danny and Sam moved in closer, the pair merely responded from their hiding place with a united sigh of pure bliss and wonder. But their reaction was soon to turn to one of surprise. For just as Sam leaned in to share what she thought was going to be yet another tender kiss, Danny's hands reached down and began gently tickling her sides, causing Sam to blurt out laughing uncontrollably.

The two girls could only look on with stunned fascination as Sam flailed her arms and legs wildly, trying desperately to contain herself, but to no avail. Danny, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel a little amused as he found himself chuckling at Sam's reaction. That is, until Sam finally managed to force enough presence of mind to reach over and pinch Danny's chest, twisting hard.

"Rrrrrrrr!" Danny growled, his whole body tensing in agony.

"You…you deserved that, you know!" Sam laughed out loud, despite finally starting to calm down.

"I did, I did," Danny groaned, his voice a mixture of amusement and pain. "I just couldn't help myself."

It took another few moments for Sam to get the last of her giggles out. But once she had regained her composure, she turned back to Danny with a gentle sigh, reaching up and softly cupping his face in her hands.

"Now Danny, you know that my love for you burns with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns," she declared plainly before starting to gently twist Danny's cheeks, her voice turning into a half-threatening tone through gritted teeth. "But there are SOME things you just DON'T…GET…AWAY WITH…GET IT?"

"Got it," Danny murmured obediently.

"Mmmm…good," Sam purred, leaning in and softly pressing a gentle peck on Danny's lips.

It was all academic at that point as Danny and Sam pulled each other close, slowly settling into a soft wave of feathery kisses. However, to the two girls who were watching them, they'd completely lost interest in looking for romance as a totally new fact took precedence.

"Wait a minute…she's ticklish?"

"She's WHAT?" a third girl whispered with the other two, later in the day as the class was silently paying attention to Mr. Lancer's English lesson.

"Seriously, no kidding," the second girl replied under her breath as the first girl nodded. "We both saw it with our own eyes."

"…no way…" the third girl replied, shaking her head in disbelief before looking back to Sam thoughtfully. "This I've got to see."

With Lancer facing the chalkboard, the third girl, who was sitting directly behind Sam, chose to tempt fate and pensively reached forward, her hand inching closer and closer to the small of Sam's back. It just didn't seem possible that the darkest of Casper High's students could possibly succumb to something as childish as a tickle. But if it really WAS true…well, wouldn't THAT be just the juiciest little tidbit about her ever.

Sam, meanwhile, didn't seem to notice, as she remained silent, her eyes intently scanning the pages of her textbook. However, as it turned out, words were hardly necessary. The muffled crackle of Sam's knuckles as she slowly clenched her free hand into a tightly-balled fist was all the encouragement the third girl needed to halt her advance and slink back into her seat.

"You know what? I think I'm gonna take your word for it," she whispered to the first two girls, who could only reply with a wide-eyed nod as they simply froze dead in their seats.

As the days continued to go by, Danny and Sam eventually grew more and more oblivious to the stares and whispers of the other students, opting instead, to focus on enjoying their time together at school, rather than concerning themselves with what everyone else thought. After the better part of a week, even the public displays of affection began to grow more common again, such as sharing open kisses in the hallways amongst the other students. Of course, this only gave way to more whispers and glances among the students. But for Danny and Sam, these were small matters. After all, they knew, deep down, that their time together was all about the feelings they were sharing. And those were FAR more important.

However, one person who WAS taking notice of all the hype surrounding the pair was Danny's one-time crush and Sam's long-time annoyance, Paulina. And she definitely didn't like what she was noticing. It seemed like only yesterday that all she heard in hushed whispers behind her back was how all the guys wanted to be WITH her and all the girls wanted to be LIKE her. But ever since that accursed survey came out in the school paper, it seemed like all anyone wanted to talk about was Danny and Sam.

No, this had been going on well before the survey came out. Even weeks before, Paulina noticed how much attention the love-struck pair was getting from the rest of the student body, particularly from those boys and girls who weren't qualified for Paulina's little clique. From there, their hype exponentially grew to the point where they were all anyone could talk about. And Paulina, she'd been tossed to the wayside, all her looks, money and popularity amounting to absolutely nothing. In seemingly no time at all, Danny and Sam had completely stolen Paulina's thunder...and the worst part was they didn't even NOTICE it. Not a day went by that Paulina didn't receive a painful reminder of that fact.

And she was about to receive yet another one that morning as she was getting ready for her classes. Innocently pulling some books out of her locker, her body immediately tensed up as she heard a tender giggle sound off behind her. No need to turn around, Paulina knew full well who it was. But her frustration made it impossible to restrain herself as she whirled around to see a laughing Sam walking down the hall with Danny right behind her, his arms around her waist and his lips landing comical smooches onto her cheek. Lost in the moment, neither one of them seemed to even notice Paulina as they walked past. In fact, Sam actually looked partially entranced as she reached up to slide her hand along Danny's cheek and tilted her head to look deeply into his eyes.

"Ooooh…you are SO perfect for me," she cooed under her breath before Danny leaned in, tracing a long, lingering pair of kisses across Sam's lips. From there, they simply proceeded on down the hall, cuddling cheek-to-cheek.

"Eeeeuuuuuww," uttered Star, one of Paulina's "satellite" friends as she walked up behind her. "Is it possible to be any more nauseated by those two? Still, I gotta admit, I kinda wish Kwan had treated me a little more like that. If he wasn't so obsessed with football…sometimes, I think he's got a brain shaped like one…"

Paulina, however, didn't appear to be listening. Literally cross-eyed in her frustration, she only let out a snarl of rage as she slammed her locker door shut.

"Uh, Paulina…are you okay?" Star asked nervously, part of her afraid to get too close.

"Oh, of course, why wouldn't I be?" Paulina shot back sarcastically, a faint whine in her voice. "Just because they're the only thing anyone's talking about anymore? Because everyone's saying how they're SOOOOOO perfect together? Because the next thing you know, those two geeks are going to get married and live happily ever after, just like a fairy tale and…and…"

"…that's supposed to be what happens to MEEEEEE-EEEEEEEE!"

"Look Paulina, you've gotta calm down." Star responded, trying to sound reassuring as they walked to the classroom. "Sure, it LOOKS like those losers are riding high right now. But I really don't think it's as bad as it sounds."

"Oh man, she is just SO lucky," a voice was heard to say as Paulina and Star turned to see two average girls walking past them towards class.

"Totally!" the other girl replied with a giggly lilt. "The way he just worships her the way he does…I SO hope I can find a guy who treats me like that."

"Okay, it's EVERY bit as bad as it sounds," Star sighed as Paulina gritted her teeth even tighter.

"All I know is if I get those two thrown in my face one more time today, I'm just gonna…," Paulina started to say as she reached for the doorknob.

"Uh, Paulina…?" Star tried to point out, noticing that Paulina wasn't reaching for the classroom door, but the door of the broom closet that was right beside it.

But it was too late. And as Paulina flung the door open, Star immediately wished she had been faster on the draw. For hiding inside the broom closet were none other than Danny and Sam, tucked in warm embrace and sharing a slow, passionate kiss before heading into class. For a moment, it looked as though nothing could possibly interrupt them in the middle of such a tender moment. That is, until the pair, still locked in their kiss, popped open their eyes and slowly panned their gaze towards Paulina and Star, who could only stand there, staring back at them with hanging jaws and stunned looks.

"Occupado!" Sam announced in an aggravated voice as she reached out and yanked the door from Paulina's hand, slamming it back in her and Star's faces.

It took only a brief second for Paulina to recover from that indignity. But once she did, her frustration instantly gave way to white hot rage, with her teeth gnashing and her entire body becoming one tensely coiled muscle.

"RrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRTHAT DOES IT!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, stomping back to her locker. "This has gone on long enough!"

"Paulina, what are you doing?" Star asked, fluttering nervously behind her.

"I'm taking back what's rightfully mine!" Paulina answered angrily as she reached her locker, fiddling with the combination. "Everyone thinks those two are so great! Well, let's just see who this school is talking about when I show up with a boyfriend that'll send them right back to the bottom of the barrel where they belong!"

"Okay, I'm all for that. But…who are you gonna find that's THAT awesome?" Star wondered, seeming more than a little unsure. That is, until Pauline whirled around and flung open her locker door.

"Be-HOLD!" she declared, exposing the inner chamber and revealing her still-standing shrine to the one and only Ghost Boy himself…Danny Phantom!

"Danny Phantom! Niiiiiiiiiiiice…," Star had to admit as Paulina simply beamed with a smile of pride. "But…how are you going to find him? I mean, sure he's come and saved you a couple of times, but you haven't really seen him in months."

"Oh, you just leave it to me," Paulina responded wringing her hands with a wicked giggle. "I know EXACTLY what I'm doing."

At the Amity Park Mall, the bustling murmur of shopping was being overrun with screams of terror as a throng of people stampeded from the Food Court. A perfectly natural reaction, especially when the snarling form of the lunch lady, surrounded by a torrent of meat, had her sights set on attacking the mall's newest eatery…that featured a vegan menu.

"Food Service? Without Meat? Unacceptable!" the Lunch Lady bellowed in fury. "THIS NUTRITIONAL DENIAL SHALL NOT STAND!"

"Okay, one question!" Sam's voice called from behind, forcing the Lunch Lady to whirl around to see both her and Danny floating just a few feet away in their ghost forms. "Exactly how old WERE you when the heart attack set in?"

Answering only with a scowl of rage and deafening roar, the Lunch Lady molded her enormous collection of meat into one of her usual armored constructs, lashing out at Danny and Sam with blinding speed. Luckily, Danny and Sam were just a little bit faster, dodging the attack and charging in, Danny's hands blazing with ecto-energy while Sam formed hers into a pair of Ghost Ray cleavers.

The battle was well underway when Paulina appeared on the scene, just as the panicked shoppers continued to retreat from the Food Court. Seeing what Danny and Sam were up against, the timing couldn't have been better. If she just happened to find herself in danger of a ghost attack, surely Danny Phantom would come to her rescue. And what better opportunity than that to plant the seeds that would unquestionably blossom into a beautiful flower of romance? Clearly, a more perfect couple could not possibly exist. That would show that scrawny dweeb Danny and that goth geek Sam who was still top of the heap at Casper High.

Taking a quick look in her compact to ensure that her face was absolutely flawless, Paulina prepared to rush headlong into the fray, calling for Danny to save her. Unfortunately, she got little more than a few steps before her foot hit a puddle of water that was left behind by a janitor's mop, causing her feet to fly out from under her and for her to go sliding on her rear, crashing into a nearby table. The force of the impact knocked over a half-full cup of soda and Paulina quickly found herself drenched under a waterfall of sweet, bubbly liquid.

Paulina could only gasp in shock at the stained, sticky mess she'd become. No way could she let Danny Phantom rescue her like this. Without a pause, she quickly dashed to the nearest Ladies' Room to clean herself up. It wasn't long before she emerged again, without so much as a blemish on her, ready to set her plan into motion again. But by the time she could even think about it, the sounds of cheering echoed in her ears, forcing her to look up and see that the fight was already over. Floating over a mountain of seared, roasted and sautéed meat, Danny was just closing the lid on the Fenton Thermos while Sam turned down her Ghostly Flame powers and the crowd cheered on.

"Okay, 'Official Disclaimer' time!" Sam couldn't resist calling out to the cheering crowd, who instantly gave them her undivided attention. "The techniques used here to dispose of these processed carcasses do not reflect the opinions or dietary choices of this ghost girl. Let's show some respect to our animal friends! GO GREEN!"

"Ooooooookay, that's great, that's lovely. You feel better now?" Danny chimed in dismissively, placing his hand on Sam's shoulder while the crowd simply exchanged confused murmurs and bewildered glances at her sudden rant. "Let's go."

With that, Danny and Sam flew away as the perplexed crowd still managed to cheer them off. Paulina, meanwhile, found herself banished to the back of the mob, unable to get Danny's attention before he made his exit.

"Darn it…" she muttered to herself as she trudged away.

A city park is typically a place for children to be screaming with excitement and fun. But today, it was filled with screams of panic as a demonic ghost horse came rampaging through, sending innocent people diving for cover in all directions. This unholy terror came courtesy of Desiree, the Wishing Ghost. A six-year-old girl, celebrating her birthday in the park with friends and family, happened to wish under her breath for a pony as she blew out the candles on her cake. Of course, Desiree felt obligated to grant the little one's wish, but naturally twisting it in her own unique fashion.

Fortunately, the horse had little time to cause any real damage as Sam landed on its back from above, forming her ecto-energy into a pair of Ghost Ray reins. Pulling hard, she guided the stampeding beast directly toward Danny, who stood firm just a few yards away, Fenton Thermos in hand. And as Sam flew away at the last possible second, Danny managed to suck the animal harmlessly away before the pair turned their attention towards the true cause of this calamity…Desiree herself.

"Crashing a little girl's birthday party, Desiree?" Danny called up at her. "Coming off a little needy, don't you think?"

"Well, one takes the jobs one gets," Desiree answered smugly before molding her hand into the head of a sledgehammer. "Speaking of which…"

Without a pause, Desiree lashed out, her transformed fist screaming straight towards Danny's head. Luckily, Sam was just as quick to respond, unleashing a mass of ecto-energy which quickly formed into a soft rubber ball which bounced Desiree's attack harmlessly away. From there, Danny and Sam both charged in and the fight was on.

Paulina managed to arrive on the scene, once again, as the fight was well underway. And she immediately got a hungry glint in her eye as she saw another opportunity to put her original plan into motion. She may have missed her chance back at the Amity Park Mall, but this time, she was determined not to waste it.

Her eyes squarely on the action, Paulina excitedly dashed headlong into the danger zone, stopping for nothing. Unfortunately for her, that also included the nearby tree root jutting up from the ground, which caught her foot and sent her flying through the air. Tumbling head over heels, Paulina had no idea which way was up and ended up rolling along the ground down a steep embankment and into the park's flowing stream.

Dazed and soaked to the bone, it seemed like forever before Paulina managed to crawl back up the embankment and get back to where she came in. But as she finally was able to see what was happening, she quickly realized that it might as well have been forever. Not only was Desiree captured and the fight over, but Danny and Sam were taking a moment to make it up to the poor little girl whose party Desiree had terrorized, with Sam giving her a ride on a little Ghost Ray Pony she formed with her ecto-energy.

"There you go. Did that make your day a little better?" Danny asked, helping the girl to the ground as Sam's pony dissipated.

"Thank you…," the birthday girl cooed sweetly, unable to resist hugging Danny around the neck. Not that Danny and Sam needed a reminder for why they do what they do, but as their eyes met at that moment, that's what it was all about right there.

"Don't mention it, kiddo," Sam replied, who couldn't help but smile as she patted the little one on the head.

Danny and Sam stuck around a few moments longer for some more head pats and high fives with the girl's friends before finally taking off, with the little children and even the parents cheering them on. Paulina, meanwhile, had been left by the wayside once again. Even if she WAS in any condition to try and get their attention…which she certainly WASN'T… it wouldn't make any difference now. Yet another golden opportunity had slipped through her fingers.

"Darn it!" she exclaimed, her frustration building.

His ebon steed howling through the night, the Fright Knight was ready to cut his own swath of terror through the streets of Amity Park. Or at least he would be if he didn't have Danny hot on his trail, making things even hotter with a volley of Ghost Ray blasts. But to the Fright Knight, this seemed of little concern as he turned his devilish mount to face the oncoming assault and smoothly cleaved every Ghost Ray heading towards him with his trademark sword, the Soul Shredder.

"Foolish boy!" The Fright Knight declared as Danny stopped dead in his tracks. "Did you truly believe your meager attacks could stand before the power of my blade?"

Just then, the Fright Knight caught a green flash out of the corner of his eye. Whirling around and raising his sword just in time to defend himself, he caught the strike of Sam, who had come up behind him, brandishing a Ghost Ray scimitar, courtesy of her own ecto-energy.

"Oh, really? Well, maybe you'd like to test my 'metal', tough guy," Sam challenged as she and the Fright Knight strained against each others' blades.

It was then that the Fright Knight finally realized that Danny's attacks were meant merely as a distraction for Sam to come in with an assault of her own. And now that Sam making an opening of her own, Danny pressed the advantage and moved in to attack.

Meanwhile, from the darkness of a nearby alley, Paulina looked on, once again, determined to make her move so she could win a rescue from Danny. But unlike her previous attempts, she was taking absolutely no chances. Before, she was focused only on the prize, running in without noticing anything else around her. And both times, it cost her dearly. This time, she was determined to not let anything trip her up.

As the battle raged overhead, Paulina quickly went to work. First, she quickly swept the patch of sidewalk she was planning to run along, making sure there were no sandy patches to slip on. In fact, to take extra care, she even went back over the entire area on her hands and knees with a small hand vacuum. From there, she got her eye down to ground level, making absolutely sure that the sidewalk was straight and there were no misshapen blocks sticking up for her to trip on.

So far, so good. Now to make sure she looked her absolute best for the big moment. After two failed attempts, there was no way she was going to try this time looking anything less than completely perfect. Ducking back into the alley and pulling out her compact, Paulina immediately went to work, applying the right shade of lipstick, the best eye shadow she had and just the tiniest hint of blush to bring out her cheek bones. Once she was sure there was no way she could possibly look any better, she blew a seductive kiss into her mirror, paused to center herself with a deep breath and charged straight into the middle of the fight…!

…only to discover two steps later that there no longer WAS a fight. Paulina had been so busy making sure everything was just so for her big entrance into danger that she wasn't paying attention to anything that was actually happening during the fight. Apparently, Danny and Sam's clash with the Fright Knight had taken them directly to a nearby fruit and vegetable stand, complete with pumpkins. This gave Danny and Sam the perfect opportunity to exploit the Fright Knight's one weakness, managing to disarm him and plunging the Soul Shredder into the biggest pumpkin the stand had.

By the time Paulina got back in on the action, the Fright Knight had already vanished and the sheathed Soul Shredder was winking back into the Ghost Zone, leaving Danny and Sam only to congratulate each other with a quick high five and fly off into the night sky. And as the pair disappeared, Paulina could only look on, her left eye twitching in bottled rage at a third perfect chance lost. In fact, she was too lost in her own anger that she didn't even notice danger coming up behind her. Peeking out from behind a nearby dumpster, the one and only Box Ghost slowly made his way up from behind her, eager at the opportunity of finding a human to terrorize.

"HA! BEWA…Oof!" the Box Ghost's declaration was cut off as he was slammed in the face with a trash can that a furious Paulina had kicked into the alley. Paulina, however, was still far too frenzied to notice.

"Rrrrrrrr…! What does a delicate, helpless beauty have to do to get rescued around here!" she whined angrily, storming down the street and leaving the Box Ghost groaning in the alley from underneath the trash can Paulina had unwittingly kicked at him, dazed and unnoticed.

"Uuuuuuuunnnh…be-wa-are…"

Paulina's frustration still hadn't subsided by the time school had started the next day. A fact that was particularly noticeable to anyone that knew her well. Star, for one, made it her personal business to stay a few steps behind her at all times, not wishing to incur her wrath. Some students, however, were a little more ignorant as to Paulina's state of mind. Specifically Dash, who thought he would take the opportunity on the way back to the locker rooms after gym to try and make a good impression.

"Hey Paulina," he called to her as he firmly flexed one of his arms. "Did you see some of those geeks I nailed in Dodge Ball? Was that the coolest thing or…OW!"

Unfortunately, Dash's boastful attempt at flirting was immediately cut off as Paulina tromped past, slamming her foot down on one of his in the process as she growled under her breath. And while Dash hopped around in pain, Paulina bashed her way into the girls' locker room followed nervously by Star, who was still keeping her distance. It took only a few minutes for the ache in Dash's foot to subside, but as he saw another opportunity to impress the hottest girl in school slip through his fingers, he was beginning to feel a little discouraged. He'd been trying everything he could think of to get Paulina to notice him for the better part of a year now. But not a single one of his efforts even got her to look his way. He just had to come up with SOME way to impress her before someone else came along and beat him to it, but how?

Just then, a chorus of laughter rang out behind him and Dash turned around to see Danny, Sam, Tucker and Valerie walking past and sharing a little 'friend time'. Under normal circumstances, seeing guys like Danny or Tucker actually enjoying themselves would annoy Dash no end. But then he happened to notice Sam hugging Danny's arm and gently leaning her head on his shoulder and the sight gave him pause as Danny walked Sam over to the girls' locker room.

"I'll be holding my breath and counting the minutes," he uttered softly, gently stroking Sam's cheek with her thumb and looking deeply into her eyes.

"You don't have to get THAT sappy," Sam replied sarcastically, even as she smiled back at him with tender affection.

The two shared a soft, lingering kiss a moment later before slowly parting and heading into their respective locker rooms. As the scene played out, Dash looked on with a certain fascination. But he soon discovered that he wasn't the only one paying attention as he caught wind of a gentle, touching sigh. Standing beside him, two familiar schoolgirls were also watching Danny and Sam's loving moment and enjoying every second of it.

"That was SO sweet," the one girl murmured dreamily. "Those two just have love down to a science, don't they?"

"Down to a science?" the words echoed in Dash's brain as the two girls made their way to the lockers. At that moment, he suddenly found himself in a position he was rarely in before…he was becoming thoughtful.

It was later in the day and Danny and Sam were taking a bit of personal time under a tree on the Casper High grounds. With Danny resting against it and Sam's head nestled into the crook of his neck, they both looked as satisfied and content as two people could get. A feeling that was even more evident as they both tilted over slightly to look into each others' eyes. Staring into their warm gazes with gentle smiles, they were clearly sharing a moment where there was no need for words. They both knew exactly what they were feeling at that very moment, especially when they leaned in to let a pair of loving, tender kisses flutter past their lips. And as Sam curled back up to rest her head back into Danny's neck, softly tugging on his shirt, there was only one thing either of them were thinking at that moment…

…It just doesn't get any better than this.

Or at least it didn't, for a few more seconds. Suddenly, Danny and Sam felt an odd sensation disrupting their vibe…as if someone had just walked over their grave. Their eyes popping open at the same time, they both snapped their gaze upward to see none other than Dash Baxter frowning down at them.

"Okay, do you have ANY idea how good this had better be?" Sam asked, clearly irked.

"Let's get one thing straight," Dash shot back firmly, not appearing to be any happier to be there as Danny and Sam were to see him. "You guys repeat what I'm about to say to ANYONE, I'm gonna deny it. And Fenton, you're gonna spend the next two weeks living in your locker. But as much as I hate to admit, I…"

"…I need your help."

"You want to know how to get Paulina to like you?" Danny exclaimed, with Sam looking equally stunned as they spoke to a nervously pacing Dash by an isolated picnic table.

"I've tried everything, man!" Dash blurted out in exasperation. "She won't even LOOK at me. I mean, come on, Fenton, you got together with Goth-zilla here. How did YOU do it?"

"…yeah, THAT makes me want to help you…," Sam muttered under her breath.

"Dash…it wasn't that simple," Danny replied with a nervous shrug. "And…I'VE gotta believe that this is more work than you're gonna want to put in."

"There's gotta be SOMETHING you can tell me," Dash responded, the pleading in his voice clearly evident. "Come on guys, I'm DYIN' here!"

For a moment, Danny and Sam could only look at each other, neither one of them sure about what to do. Was Dash really serious about this? He certainly SOUNDED desperate enough. But did he really want Paulina to be his girlfriend because he genuinely CARED for her, or was he just into her for surface reasons? Finally, they looked back over to Dash, who only looked back, his eyes silently begging for help.

"Sit down," Sam sighed in surrender as Dash flashed a wide smile and excitedly took a seat across the table. "I'd better not regret this."

"Okay, Dash, look. What happened with me and Sam…it didn't happen overnight," Danny began to explain, his fingers gently intertwining with Sam's as they shared a gentle smile. "I mean, we spent YEARS getting to know each other before we even TRIED being together. We know what we both like and if one of us likes something that the other doesn't, we know how to deal with it. Take Sam and meat, for example…"

"Guys, guys?" Dash interrupted, already looking bored. "I didn't ask for the life story. And I don't have time for years, okay? Isn't there something you guys can tell me to fast-forward this whole thing? I mean, there's that big dance coming up in a couple weeks and it would REALLY be kickin' if me and Paulina could…"

"That's it! I'm out!" Sam announced, throwing up her hands as she stormed from the table. Immediately, Danny was about to follow her, but was quickly stopped by Dash, who snatched him from across the table by his shirt.

"Get-her-BACK-here, Fenton," he menaced through gritted teeth. "If I walk away from this empty-handed, NO ONE is going to be happy."

"Yyyyyyyyyeah," Danny replied, rolling his eyes before leaving the table and trotting over to where Sam was still fuming. "Uh, Sam…?"

"Danny, it's a waste of time!" Sam hissed under her breath. "I mean, come on! He's not taking this seriously! Why don't we just fit him with a big club and some animal hides and then he can go out and REALLY look the part?"

"Alright, just…just…calm down, okay?" Danny answered, gently rubbing Sam's shoulders reassuringly. "I think I've got an idea. Oh, Dash…!"

"Yeeeeeaaaaah?" Dash responded threateningly as Danny trotted over.

"Okay look, you want to at least get your foot in the door?" Danny explained. "How about starting by at least showing that you care about what SHE likes? Take an interest in HER hobbies. Her friends, her music, the cheer squad, anything…"

"Cheer squad…," Dash mumbled thoughtfully, "I've GOT it!"

"Uh…okay, great!" Danny replied as Dash ran off towards the school at top speed.

"Okay, Danny?" Sam chimed in, walking up to him from behind as Dash disappeared inside the school doors, "You don't actually think that paperback self-help drivel you just unloaded is actually going to GET him anywhere…?"

"Nnnnno, he doesn't have a chance," Danny answered dryly before turning to Sam, curling his arms around her waist. "But, hey…it got rid of him, didn't it?"

"Hmmmm…this is true," Sam realized with a knowing smirk as she draped her arms around Danny's neck. From there, it was right back to where they were before Dash's untimely interruption, with Sam leaning in and softly pressing her forehead to Danny's as they simply smiled and looked deeply into each others' eyes.

"Waitaminute, waitaminute," Tucker backed up as he and Valerie were talking with Danny and Sam over by the lockers. "Dash Baxter…OUR Dash Baxter…was begging YOU guys for help?"

"To get PAULINA?" Valerie added. "I mean, I know he's taken a shot at her a couple of times, but I didn't know he was THAT into her."

"Well, I can't say I'm all that surprised. I mean, come on, EVERY guy gets a crush on Paulina…," Danny pointed out, drawing a dirty look from Sam. Danny, however, was quick to pull himself back as he put his arms around Sam's waist from behind and snuggled up to her, smiling.

"…Some guys just get over it sooner than others."

"You REALLY like making those quick saves, don't you?" Sam grumbled acidly.

"Isn't that one of the reasons you love me?" Danny cooed jokingly, nuzzling Sam's cheek.

"Don't get nuts," Sam objected, even as a tiny smile crossed her lips, indicating that she was, nevertheless, enjoying the closeness.

"FEEEEN-TOOOON!"

No mistaking whose voice that came from as Dash kicked open the doors of the gymnasium. But there was DEFINITELY a mistake in what he was wearing as he came storming out into the halls, sporting a girls' cheer uniform, of all things…complete with pom-poms, no less. He may have gotten laughed out of the room by the entire cheer squad, but that alone was nothing compared to the deafening roar that erupted when the students in the halls watched him thunder by. But even as the wave of laughter echoed through the halls, like a tide that never ebbed, Danny and the others could only look on, completely dumbfounded at what they were seeing.

"Yeah, that's my cue," Danny noted, phasing into the lockers while Sam, Tucker and Valerie could only stand with hanging jaws and wide-eyed blinks while Dash fumed past.

"Hold on…you told him to join the CHEER SQUAD?" Valerie exclaimed as Danny popped his head out from the row of lockers.

"NO!" Danny protested. "I TOLD him to take an interest in her hobbies. I had absolutely NO control over any of his decisions after that."

"Okay, he DOES know they make MALE cheer uniforms too, right?" Tucker had to ask.

"Apparently not," Sam answered, still partially stunned.

"You'd better hope your locker is fully furnished, Fenton!" Dash bellowed over a school full of cackles, making a second pass as Danny phased into the lockers once again, "Because you're not gonna be getting out of it for a long, LONG time!"

"Well, I guess I know where I'm going to be spending most of my time for the foreseeable future," Danny remarked as Dash disappeared once again, phasing part of his upper body out and reaching for Sam's hand with a playful grin. "Wanna give me some company? It's dark and craa-aamped."

"Ooohhh…you're such a romantic," Sam purred with a tender smile as she took Danny's hand and phased into the lockers to join him. Tucker and Valerie, meanwhile, were left alone in the hallway, exchanging bewildered looks.

"Is it starting to feel like fighting ghosts is about the only normal thing we do anymore?" Tucker asked, drawing an affirmative nod from Valerie. "That's what I thought."

Tearing through the swirling mass of the Ghost Zone, three spectral figures, one big, one average and one small, were flying as fast as they possibly could. Following close behind, in a blare of sirens, were the unmistakable police vans of the GZPD, firing a volley of trademark capture beams at them. The large and small figures were caught in a matter of seconds, causing the third to turn around, gasping in shock at its fallen comrades.

"Don't be stupid!" the small ghost shouted. "You can't do anything for us! GO!"

Turning sorrowfully, the third ghost obeyed, turning and fleeing at top speed as a pair of police vans yielded from the chase to pick up the other two. But three more were still in pursuit…and gaining fast. For a moment, it looked as if this was a race the third shadowy figure was destined to lose.

Just then, a strange, glowing portal just instantly appeared a few short yards away. The third ghost had no idea where this portal came from or where it led to. If the portal was naturally occurring, there was no clear answer to either of those questions. But given the circumstances, ANYTHING had to be better than where the ghost was at that moment. Shutting its eyes tight, the figure dove headlong into the portal, which immediately sealed up behind.

With the third ghost's escape, the police vans had no choice but to call off their pursuit as Bullet, Walker's Vice Warden, emerged from the front vehicle, clearly aggravated at his failure. Just then, a faint twinkle in the distance caught his attention. Flying down to a nearby patch of ground to investigate, he came across a plain white box with a tag attached to it. Upon reading the tag, Bullet looked around to see if there was anyone around who could have left such a parcel out in this remote area, of all places. But seeing no one, he chose to take the parcel with him…

…which was exactly what Vlad Plasmius wanted. Watching from the safety of a nearby boulder, he flashed a wicked grin at Bullet taking his bait. And once the police vans were well out of sight, he promptly made his exit.

"So…one of the escapees managed to get away," Walker declared from behind the desk in his office, his back turned and looking away with serious eyes. "Two out of three ain't good, Bullet. Not in MY book."

"I…can't explain it, Walker. This portal…just appeared out of nowhere and…closed up before we could follow," Bullet replied, holding up the box he'd collected. "And then, after that…we found this. Don't ask me how or why, but…it's addressed to YOU."

Tossing a suspicious gaze in Bullet's direction, Walker took the box away and lifted the lid, tossing it aside. Inside was a peculiar little device, a metal box with what appeared to be a tiny satellite transmitter attached. But the most curious thing about the strange gadget was a big red button in the center, with a sticky note attached which read two little words…

PRESS ME

Walker was beginning to like this whole setup less and less. But at the same time, it was also becoming less and less likely that this was all just a coincidence. Fearlessly throwing caution to the wind, Walker pulled off the note and pressed the button firmly. Instantly, the device sprang to life, firing a beam of light from its transmitter. Within seconds, the beam swirled and twisted, giving shape to the all-too familiar form of a ghost portal.

"Hmmmm…well, we may not know 'how' or 'why'. But I think we just found out 'where'," Walker remarked, a wicked smirk crossing his face. "And if I'm right, we may not only be able to get our escaped fugitive back…but we may get a chance to hunt some BIGGER game, as well."

Once again, the streets of Amity Park rang out with cries of panic as Walker's guards swarmed over the city like a plague. Attacking homes, businesses, playgrounds, vehicles, nowhere seemed to be safe from the unrelenting onslaught.

"You've gotta be kiddng me! Not again!" Tucker yelled as he ran from a pursuing battalion, remembering full well what Walker and his goons had done to Amity Park just over a year ago. Luckily, he was snatched up by a battle-ready Valerie on her rocket sled just as the guards were about to close in.

"What's wrong?" she joked, flying along the street and blowing away the guards in front of her with a volley of weapons fire as Tucker clung to her for dear life. "Don't you like a 'nice, normal' day?"

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, an innocent woman was being terrorized by another horde of guards, only to be rescued at the last second by Danny, who phased up through the street and flew her to the safety of a nearby roof. Before the guards knew what was happening, Danny had slammed back into the street, driving his fist into the asphalt and unleashing an ecto-energy explosion which sent the guards flying like popping corn.

That was four down. The only question was, what was Danny going to do about the wave of guards charging down the street towards him? Before he had a chance to come up with an answer, a mysterious entity tore through the rear of the advancing force, sending guards airborne in all directions. That entity turned out to be none other than the ghost form of Danielle, riding the back of one guard like a snowboard along the street and using her Ghost Rays like rocket engines, plowing through the entire squad.

"WAAAAAA-HOOOOOOOOOO!" she cheered excitedly, leaping into the air and spinning around to release a huge Ghost Ray sphere, blowing away the guards she missed before landing at Danny's side. "Oh yeah, THAT'S the stuff! It's about time we had got some decent action around here!"

"Danielle!" Danny exclaimed, still stunned by her sudden appearance.

"Hi." Danielle replied with a simple grin.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Danny scolded, even as two more gangs of guards were advancing down the street towards them from either side.

"Aren't YOU?" Danielle argued back. "Look, I missed out on the last three ghost fights, okay? If you think I'm sitting THIS one out, you're nuts. Now let's get to whuppin'!"

Having no way of arguing with her and needing all the help he could get, Danny really had no way to reply. He could only let out a heavy sigh as he and Danielle both burst off in their respective directions, bashing into both packs of guards like a pair of cannonballs.

Unfortunately, not far away from where Danny was fighting, Sam wasn't having nearly as smooth a time of things. With people running in all directions like spooked deer and hiding in every nook and cranny they could find, she was finding it impossible to locate an out-of-the-way place to go ghost. But she was soon about to find herself saddled with a bigger problem as she noticed Paulina running past her, straight into the fray.

"Oh, this is so PERFECT!" Paulina squealed as she checked her face in the mirror. With so much chaos going on everywhere, there was no way this fight would be over quickly. No way could she possibly miss her opportunity now.

"Oh-no!" She called out, trying to get Danny's attention, although the monotone in her voice clearly indicated that she was no award-winning actress, "What-is-going-on? Save-me-Danny-Phantom!"

However, the person whose attention she raised wasn't Danny's. Tackling her from behind, Sam rolled her along the street before finally picking her up to drag her to safety.

"What are you doing, you idiot? We've got to get out of here!" Sam exclaimed.

"Get away! You're ruining everything!" Paulina whined, trying to tear herself away and check her face with her compact at the same time. "You almost ruined my makeup!"

"WHAT?" Sam blurted out in shock. "Have you COMPLETELY lost your mind?"

Just then, both girls happened to turn around just in time to see one of Walker's guards towering over them. Sam had been so busy fighting with Paulina that neither one of them had noticed. And as the guard brandished his flashing club, with wicked intentions on his mind, Paulina was completely frozen in place. And there was absolutely nothing Sam could do to react…Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and no way to transform.

Just then, Danny skidded in along the street, throwing his arms around Sam and Paulina and dragging them out of harm's way, just as the blast from the guard's club slammed into the street where they had just been standing. Sliding the girls to a safe stop, Danny instantly whirled around, firing a Ghost Ray blast of his own that sent the guard bouncing along the ground before turning his attention back to Sam and Paulina.

"Are you two okay?" he asked, directing his attention at both of them, for appearance's sake, even as his gaze was squarely on Sam.

"Unnh, I think so," Sam answered as Paulina picked herself up. "I don't get it. What's going on?"

"I don't know," was all Danny could say. Just then, he looked up just in time to see Walker arrive on the scene, overlooking the handiwork of his men.

"But I know who I can ask," he added sternly before turning around to see Sam and Paulina's worried expressions. "Don't worry, everything's going to be okay…"

"…I promise."

Sam couldn't help but feel touched as Danny flashed a confident smile towards her before taking off to get some answers from Walker. Paulina, however, naturally assumed that Danny's smile was meant for her. So as he burst into the sky, neither girl could keep from letting out a unified sigh as the very same words dreamily escaped their lips…

"Oh…I'm gonna MARRY that man."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"NOTHING!"

Floating above Amity Park as the madness reigned below, Walker was truly enjoying the efforts of his forces. That is, until a pair of Ghost Rays drilled into his back. Giving Walker no chance to react, Danny was on him in a flash, pulling him out of the sky and slamming him into the side of a nearby building. And before Walker knew what was happening, Danny had him pinned to the wall with an arm over his throat and a blazing fist pointed just inches from his head.

"Talk fast, Walker!" Danny demanded as his ecto-energy pulsed even brighter. "What's the big idea?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Walker replied, smirking in the face of his situation. "We're searching for an escaped prisoner. And I'm placing this entire area under maximum security lockdown."

"Since when is YOUR prisoner supposed to be MY problem?" Danny asked firmly.

"Simple. The prisoner in question fled to THIS world to escape capture. In my book, that makes you ALL guilty of aiding and abetting a known felon." Walker answered plainly. "But if you don't care for this arrangement, there IS a way you can get out of it."

"You actually think I'm going to cooperate with YOU?" Danny shot back defiantly.

"I don't recall making it a choice," Walker declared, reaching up and snapping his fingers.

"He-eeey!" an all-too familiar voice sounded off down the block, causing Danny to whirl around and see both Sam and Paulina being carried off into the sky by Bullet.

"I have them, Walker!" Bullet declared while Sam, still unable to transform in front of Paulina, could only look at Danny with a powerless shrug.

"Oh-Danny, I'm-so-scared! Please-save-me!" Paulina cried out, still playing the damsel in distress, even as she smiled and waved to him while Sam could only slap her forehead with a groan of exasperation.

"Sam!" Danny cried out as the sight before him finally set in.

"Paulina!" Dash cried out, peeking up from behind the mailbox he'd been hiding behind since Walker's attack began.

Walker, meanwhile, was quick to act on Danny's distraction, grabbing him with ease and tossing him straight into the hood of a parked car. Before Danny could recover, Walker came down, driving the heel of his foot into the back of Danny's head and keeping him pinned where he had landed.

"Twenty-four hours, punk," he decreed, grinding his foot into the back of Danny's skull. "If you don't have my criminal back in my prison in 24 hours, the prom queen and your little sweetheart are the ones who are going to do the time. If I were you, I'd get moving."

With that, Walker took off. Before a stunned Danny could lift his head to look up, Walker, Bullet and the rest of the guards had all disappeared, along with Sam and Paulina. And with nothing but wreckage surrounding him, Danny only felt a wave of helplessness wash over him, hanging his head in failure.