A random plot that popped into my head when I was having a writer's block. Hope you like it.

Disclaimers: We all know that I don't own Danny Phantom. Why do I still need to announce that?

"Dude, you're phasing, again." Tucker whispered. Danny groaned.

"Why don't you just go to the nurse's office?" Sam asked.

"My temperature's not normal." Danny moaned.

Yeah, sure, Danny's temperature was lower than the average human, but he was also showing other signs: flushed cheeks, headache, sweat covered forehead…

Sam's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a sound.

"Danny!" Tucker and Sam yelled when they saw Danny lying unconscious on the floor. Ignoring their classmates' curious gaze, they got down to their knees beside Danny. She quickly placed the back of her hand on Danny's forehead.

His temperature was almost high enough to be considered a fever for normal people. For a halfa, that's never good.

"Pride and Prejudice, people, what is going on?" Lancer exclaimed.

"Fenturd fainted at the weird 'blood'. Dash taunted unhelpfully.

"Danny has a fever. He's been ill since this morning." Sam shot back. Danny wasn't weak. How dare Dash degrade his image like that.

"I'll call Mr. and Mrs. Fenton." Tucker informed. His mobile phone was already at his ear.

"Class, settle down. Mr. Baxter, carry Mr. Fenton and follow me. For the rest, I want to know your opinion of the novel of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by the time I come back." Lancer instructed.

"Mr. Lancer, can we come?" Sam asked. Although that sentence ended with a question mark, it wasn't a request.

"Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton should reach Casper High soon so hurry." Lancer replied.

Dash picked Danny up, bridal style, and carried him out of the room. The goth could only be glad that Dash wasn't carrying Danny over his shoulder. With all the blood rushing to his head, Danny would have woken up with a killer headache.

By the time they reached the principle's office, Danny's parents were already there. Mr. Fenton quickly took Danny from Dash's arms. Apparently, Mr. Fenton could be gentle.

The four of them left a while later, after Sam managed to convince Principle Ishiyama to let her go with them and get her homework later from Tucker. She wasn't a Manson for nothing. The drive home was surprisingly safe. Well, it was Mrs. Fenton behind the wheel this time.

When they got back, both of them immediately tucked Danny in bed. After some persuading, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton left Danny under her care. Sam was glad they did. She really didn't want them to feed Danny any anti-ghost concoctions, thinking that it would help Danny get well sooner.

Sam tucked her hands under her chin and planted her elbows on the bed. Her amethyst eyes focused on Danny as she watch his chest rise and fall as he breathed.

Unable to stop herself, her hand reached out to stroke Danny's forehead. Gradually, she grew bolder and started pushing Danny's unruly hair from his pale face.

Didn't she tell him to take a break? She warned him, and he didn't take her advice seriously. Now he has a fever. That's what you get when you ignore people's well meaning advice.

Her eyes traced his features, his closed eyes, slightly apart lips, furrowed brow. She felt her cheeks heat up. Stop it, stop blushing. Danny was her best friend, she didn't want to put their friendship at risk. She can't just tell him out of the blue. What if he doesn't feel the same way towards her?

Tucker was always teasing them, saying that they were love birds. What did he know? He probably just wanted to see what would happen if she confessed. But Tucker wasn't a sadist.

She felt Danny shift slightly. Was he waking up?

The baby blue eyes stayed hidden behind closed lids. Danny was still in fever-induced sleep.

Sam took Danny's hand in hers, playing around with his fingers. She couldn't remember the last time he felt so warm, especially after he developed his ice powers. The accident had really changed him. That's what both Tucker and herself thought.

But was it true?

Danny seemed different ever since he became half-ghost. He was more confident, alert and fast, especially when he was Danny Phantom. To most people, if they knew Phantom was Danny, it would seem that Danny grew a spine along with having powers.

But they were wrong.

Danny had always been heroic. Despite his small size, he was always ready to defend those weaker than him. That was why he always got hurt. But after getting hurt so many times, with no physical qualities to back him up, Danny eventually gave up. He was still human after all.

His heroic nature was only uncovered when he was given ghost powers and the responsibilities that came with it. No one could grow a spine overnight. Heroes had to be heroes at heart before they could actually be a hero. And Danny was the most selfless person she knew.

Most people never saw him for who he was. They either only saw the youngest son of a ghost hunting family, or a scrawny klutz who hung out with losers. She could count with the fingers on one hand how many had actually spent time with him and get to know his goofy smile and sweet personality.

The accident didn't just give Danny ghost powers, it unveiled Danny's true self, a blessing in disguise.

Baby blue eyes fluttered open. Sam quickly pulled her hands away from Danny's before he noticed it.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Sam teased. Danny replied with a groan.

"About time you woke up, you've been asleep for two days." Sam continued, feigning seriousness.

"I can't tell whether you're joking or not, but somehow, I just can't care." Danny groaned again. "It feels like Skulker just set off all of his explosives in my head."

"I told you to take a break. But did you listen to me? No."

"Ok, ok, you were right, I was wrong. Happy?" Danny moaned as he curled up on his side.

Just then, a gasp left his lips.

"No." Sam said firmly as she pressed Danny's shoulder, stopping him from getting up. "Valerie can take care of it. You need your beauty sleep."

Sam got up to get some fever medicine. Hopefully, that would make Danny go to sleep and forget about being the hero until he got better.

"Open up." Sam said and turned around. It was her turn to groan.

Danny was gone.

Grabbing the thermos that Danny had so conveniently left behind, Sam quickly ran out of the room. Part of her had known that Danny would go out to fight, high fever or not. But he was sick and thermosless. What was he trying to do? Kill himself?

If Valerie didn't kill him, she will.

"Where're you going?" Tucker asked near the foot of the staircase.

"After Danny. Cover for us." Sam instructed as she rushed out.

The door closed behind her. Leaving a bewildered Tucker behind.

"Huh?"

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