Disclaimer: if I owned DannyPhantom, you'd see this as the opening episodes.

Fic: Days of Dust

Summary: Not evreyone is what you think they are, one girl is the case, Samantha Manson. When some of Sam's most sacred secrets are discovered, it leads to a chain of events that could hurt both her, and have fatal consequences for the ones she loves. DannyxSam

"I remember the first time my little Sam got sick. I'd hold her and hold her, I remember tucking her in and giving her medicine just so she'd get better so I could teach her how to play catch. Like a good father. Once she got better, she jumped up and ran to play with Danny, the neighbor kid, and I remember staying there, hoping she'd run through the door and come back to me. I guess you can say I'm still waiting."

-Adrian Manson, 1993.

Prologue

June 18th, 1990

"Mr. Manson, a call on line 2." The secretary Mrs. Gunnan, poking her head through my door, a flash of her cherry red hair like a neon light in the darkness of my office. "Adrian?"

I twiddled my pencil in my hands, trying to look busy. "Who is it?" I asked, and I heard her shuffle uneasily.

"The hospital. Your wife's in labor." She whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. I sat straight up, my chair turning over and hitting the floor. My hands started to shake, and I looked at the clock, my oldest daughter Scarlett would be getting out of 2nd grade in five minutes.

"Jesus!" I yelled, running out of the office, slamming everyone else out of my way, fumbling with my keys and managing to open the car door, stepping on the gas pedal and barely able to get to Scarlett's school without getting arrested.

My smallest girl, Scarlett, was an exact reflection of my wife, Sadie. Scarlett had long red hair that curled at the ends, with big eyes that were a unique amethyst, like her grandmother. She was small for her age, probably because she had a weak tolerance body system, meaning she almost didn't make it, and she was often at the hospital. But other than that, she was as ordinary as any little girl her age.

"Daddy?" Scarlett squeaked as she saw me. Sadie had always been the one to pick her up, either that or my little brother Ashton, who attended college not too far from here. She put her backpack in the car and looked at me.

"Mommy's in the hospital sweetie." I said to her as we got out of the school range, I started going a bit faster. Scarlett gave me a look, since she was usually the one in the hospital, not Sadie. I smiled. "She's having the baby. You'll have a little brother or sister pretty soon."

Her face went ecstatic. "Go to the hospital Daddy! Go Go Go Go Go Go Go!" She urged as we both laughed, getting to the hospital after what seemed like hours. When we raced to the nurses and asked them, they pointed us in the right direction.

I remember giving Scarlett a kiss and making her wait outside the room. "You stay here okay baby?" I told her, as she blinked.

"But I want to see Mommy too." She said, and soon after I heard a scream pierce the room.

"I'll call you when it's safe." I told her, running into the room. The first thing I saw was Sadie, screaming and clutching the huge stomach she had acquired over the past nine months. Her face was bright red, she opened her mouth in a scream that made me shudder.

Her eyes traveled to me as she gasped. For a second I saw her smile, but then she got this strange look on her face and screamed again.

This would be a good time to remind myself that I had not been here to see my baby Scarlett born. I had been on a business trip, so this was the first time seeing my wife like this. I went to her bedside as she started to cry. Messy tears that ran down her red face, smearing her makeup.

"Where were you?" She whimpered, unable to speak. I bit my lip.

"I'm here now, don't worry, we'll get through this." I said, although I was shaking like a leaf. I breathed a sigh to calm myself. "Just think of oceans, of beautiful mountaintops with snow covered-"

Sadie grabbed my hand and squeezed it till I thought the bone had broken. "Will you shut the hell up? God, just hear yourself talk!" She cursed, at which I had to smile. Sadie was usually so timid. "Where's Scarlett?"

"Outside." I got serious again. "Come on honey breath…"

But she wasn't breathing. She clutched my hand harder and made a scary growling noise, moaning and twisting her face into an expression I could not recognize. It scared me as it made me back away in fear. I wasn't ready for this, we weren't ready for this. My heart was in my throat as I backed up more. The doctor eyed me, but said nothing.

Sadie opened her eyes and noticed I was motioning for the door. She bolted up. "Don't leave!" She cried, tears running down her face. The doctor said something to her, but it was lost to both of us.

"I'm g-going to c-check on Scarlett." I stuttered before finding the door and watching as Sadie tried to follow me.

"Don't leave Adrian, please." She cried, making me stop. She was crying harder, heart wrenching sobs that pieced my heart. "Please, don't leave. Don't leave me here by myself."

Suddenly, I heard the doctor. "One more push honey, come on, one hard push." He repeated as I sighed, walking up to Sadie and smiling. I couldn't abandon her, not now, not ever.

Sadie smiled too, if for an instant. Then she pushed harder than she had that entire night, as I heard the doctor chuckle. He got a blanket and started his thing, I paid no attention and looked at Sadie. She gave a small laugh. I laughed too.

After awhile, I felt the doctor's hand on my shoulder as I turned around. He smiled. "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Manson, it's a girl." He said as I gasped, tears welling in my eyes as I took the bundle from his hand and into my own arms.

He left, and I gave our new baby girl to Sadie, watching as she cradled her in her arms, as I got a good look at her features. I saw that our new baby girl had blonde fuzz on top of her head, and smooth porcelain skin like mine. She was so tiny, I thought, so precious.

"She's so beautiful." Sadie said, bringing the baby's fingers to her lips as she kissed them. I watched as our baby gurgled, waving one of her arms toward me. "Have you ever seen a more beautiful baby?" Sadie asked me.

I blinked, smiling. "Never." I said, and I watched as the baby turned her head to me, opening her eyes for the first time. I gasped.

Amethyst, just like grandmother, just like Scarlett.

I stopped, looking at my wife and our new baby girl. "I'll be right back." I said, opening the door excitedly and watching as Scarlett looked up from the magazine she was looking at. She smiled shakily at me, and I realized she was scared.

I softened. "Come here baby." I said as she came to me, and I gathered her in my arms, kissing her forehead. I could feel her shaking under my skin, and I could feel her head on my chest.

"Is it safe to go Daddy?" She asked, and for the first time, I was crying over someone else's feelings. I smiled, taking her hand in mine.

"Sure is." I said and got up, looking down at her. "Do you want to see your new baby sister?"

Scarlett nodded as I lead her though that door, as Scarlett saw her mother attached to a whole bunch of tubes and other things she didn't know. I watched as Scarlett formed tears in her eyes, which scared me. Scarlett never cried, not even when she broke her arm and went into cardiac arrest, not even when I told her that Grandpa Jack had died in a car accident. She was sturdy, she was mine, and to see her cry right then and there broke my heart.

But I carried her closer as Sadie showed her the bundle of joy that was now her sister. We heard the nurse come in. "Have you thought of a name for her?" She asked, and Sadie and I just looked at each other.

After a few seconds I heard Scarlett's voice. "Samantha." She said, as I smiled. "Samantha…Samantha Marie Manson." She said as the nurse looked at me. Scarlett reached out to her sister and stroked her soft face.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

I watched as Sadie looked at the nurse. "Samantha," She tried it out as she smiled. "I like it. Samantha it is."

The nurse left to go get the birth certificate, as I picked up little baby Samantha and poked her nose, making her giggle. After awhile they were both asleep as I took Scarlett home.

I stayed with Scarlett to make sure she fell asleep. After I got a small snack, I came into her room again, kissing her on the cheek and then getting in my car, driving to the

hospital again. It didn't take me long to find the baby room, as I finally saw Samantha, sleeping like…well…a baby.

Although I didn't know it then, Sam would always be my rock. Scarlett would be my baby, no doubt, but Samantha was different.

From the moment she was born she was to be the one who I would find myself in. I waved at her from outside the glass, although she didn't see me, I didn't care. I looked back on that memory a thousand times, and I had a hard time figuring out why I saw her that night secretly. Now I know.

See, I didn't go there because I needed to see her, or because I wanted to make sure she was okay. I went because without my wife beside me I was helpless, I went because I had been changed by her birth.

I went because seeing her, there, I suddenly remembered who I was.

"Your first time being a father?" I heard a woman behind me, as she looked at her own baby, she pointed her new son who was sleeping next to my daughter.

"No." I said, and I noticed she was still big, her son must be young still. "You?"

"No." She said smiling. "I've got an older daughter, Jazz."

I smiled. "How old?"

"Six."

"I've got an older daughter, Scarlett." I tell her, as she smiles at my remembering face. "She's eight."

She nodded, getting closer to me. "Boy or girl?"

I smile. "Girl." I watch as I point my new daughter out to her, the one lying next to her son. "Samantha Marie Manson."

"My name's Maddie." She says, then she cooes over Samantha before telling me her baby's name. "She's so cute. My son was born yesterday morning; his name is Daniel Jackson Fenton." She tells me as I watch my daughter suddenly awaken.

On an odd coincidence, Daniel wakes up too. And I see them looking towards each other. The boy, Daniel, puts his small hand on the glass, gurgling slightly. He rolls slightly, obviously trying to get up. My daughter continues to watch him, and for a second I think I see her smile.

Daniel succeeds in rolling on his knees, and if it wasn't for the plastic crib, I'd think he'd jump out. My daughter sticks her thumb in her mouth and follows Daniel's actions, and both Daniel's mother and I watch in amazement as Samantha's free hand reaches out towards him. The cradles are close enough, as Daniel reaches his hand out and touches Samantha's hand.

Their fingers are immobile, as their new hands fumble around each others, trying to make a connection, I assume. Finally our two babies seem to give up as they just settle with the first option. Samantha's palm is pressed against his own, and for a minute I see a drooly smile on Daniel's face. Maddie looks at me and smiles.

"Looks like they're fast friends." She said.

"Friendship is hard to find." I say, and it is true. Maddie looks at me.

"Why should we be the ones to break them up?" We both say at the same time, as we exchange addresses, and I think that was the happiest moment in my life.

"You're a good man Mr. Manson." She says as she smiles. "You'll be a good father to her."

And because those are the words I've wanted to hear since Samantha's birth, I smile.

Please review! What do ya think? Cute right? Don't worry the next chapter will be SO much more interesting. SOMEONE DELEATED PREP LIKE ME! UGH! Oh well, point is I'm better, so I can continue.

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