AN: The next story to be updated! I would have done this sooner, honestly, if I hadn't been distracted by the new anime coming out this fall season. I'm loving me some Night Wizard and some Clannad. Anyways, since I doubt most of you know what the heck I'm talking about, let's skip straight to the disclaimer, shall we?

Danny Phantom was created by Butch Hartman and owned by him. I do not own it! Also, please remember to leave reviews after you're finished reading.

Also, I am currently running a contest for both artists and writers, so check it out here and let me know if you're interested in entering! Remember, you have to remove the spaces in order for the link to work.

http / bekuki . deviantart . com / journal / 15049085 /

Truth and Lies

Chapter Six: Painful Truth

Night had fallen by the time Valerie had made it back to the inn she was staying in. Currently, the ghost huntress was pacing the floor, her eyes shut tightly as she mulled over all that had happened today.

"First," she began out loud, holding up one finger. "The Mansons summon me for urgent business." She stopped her pacing, her face a few inches away from the wall. "They want me to find some ghost kid called Phantom that apparently kidnapped their daughter and killed four of their guards." She shook her head then, turning around and started pacing once more. "No, that was five guards."

"Secondly, they want me to keep my eyes out for his traitorous companion, Tucker Foley." She said, holding up another finger. "Not my area of expertise, but money is money." She stopped pacing again and held out a third finger. "Third, they want me to keep an eye out for Danny Fenton, who vanished sometime before his mother was executed for high treason."

She frowned and dug into her pockets, retrieving the photographs that were given to her again. She walked over towards her bed side table and spread them out on it, frowning as she studied them carefully. Finding nothing from them, she sat down on her bed and closed her eyes, placing her hand up against her forehead.

"Fourth, I'm certain that was Princess Samantha with Phantom in the marketplace. And I'm certain she wasn't acting much like a kidnapped princess, and Phantom wasn't acting much like a vicious killer." She sighed, flopping back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. "So what exactly am I missing here? Something doesn't fit. Either I was wrong, and that wasn't the Princess or her captor, or the Mansons are lying to me for some reason."

Of course, the ghost huntress couldn't see any reason why the King and Queen would be lying to her. Though she had only come across them a few times, she knew them as kind and intelligent rulers, who seemed to care deeply for the health and welfare of their people. It was them, after all, who had provided almost limitless funding with anyone willing to help come up with a solution to the ghost problem.

So the only other options had to be the fact that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Which, of course, didn't explain why the couple had left in such a hurry after she had ran into them.

She let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her hair. "Ah! I don't get it!"

She got to her feat then and grabbed her sword, buckling it back onto her sword belt. Well, if there was one thing she knew, it was that no wasn't the time to sit around and do nothing. She needed to get back out on the streets, and back hunting.

Danny hadn't wasted any time calling a meeting of the rebellion after getting home. He had told Sam to go ahead and put their supplies away, and though she didn't like being left out of whatever was going on, she was sure that Danny would fill her in later. Or at least, she would make sure that he did.

"Are you sure it was her?" Tucker asked, sitting on a chair in his small laboratory that he kept in the basement of the house.

"There's no doubt about it." Danny nodded, sitting across from him, having resumed his human form. "It was definitely Valerie Gray. And from the looks of things, she was probably hired by Sam's parents." He arched an eyebrow. "She seemed to know she was missing, after all."

"Do you think she got a good look at you?" Dora asked, sitting next to both teenage boys.

"Not a very good one, but too good for us." Danny heaved a sigh, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Things are going to get more difficult if she's around. She's a tough cookie. I should know, my mom was the one who trained her."

"Yeah, I've heard her reputation before." Tucker frowned, his chin in one hand. "Do you think we might be able to convince her to join us? I mean, since she was so close to your mother and all. She knew you from before too, right?" He asked, eyeing his old friend.

Danny nodded his head. "Yeah, I met her a few times when my mom was still teaching her the ropes." He frowned as he considered Tucker's first question, mulling over it for awhile before he finally shrugged his shoulders. "And I honestly don't know if she would join us or not. I do not that she's stubborn as hell though, so it might take a bit of effort to even get her to listen to us."

"I think that it is worth an effort." Dora spoke up. "I do not claim to know much about Miss Gray, but surely it cannot hurt to try?"

Tucker and Danny exchanged glances, communicating with each other silently as old friends are able to do. Finally, Tucker spoke up and gave a quick nod. "Dora's right. It's at least worth a shot."

Dora nodded before she stood up, giving them a brief bow. "Well then. I should take care of your dinners." She smiled at the two teenage boys and let herself hover upwards.

It wasn't until she was out of sight that Tucker finally spoke up, looking towards Danny. "How are you feeling?" He asked worriedly, moving his seat closer to his friends. "Nothing's up?"

Danny closed his eyes for a second, before he shook his head. "No. I'm allright." He opened them back up, giving his friend an apologetic look. "Sorry to always keep bothering you Tucker. I'm sure you'd prefer a more normal best friend."

Tucker laughed then, grinning widely as he stood up and gave his old friend a light sock on the head. "You idiot. Why would I ever want that when I have you?" He asked. "I couldn't ask for a better one."

Danny smiled then and grabbed Tucker's hand, grinning as he stood up and slapped his friend on the back. "Thanks, Tucker. That means a lot to me."

"Pff. It's nothing." He shook his head and unclasped his friends hand. "Now come on, I'm starving. You guys remembered to buy meat right?" He asked, eyeing him. "Her royal highness didn't decide that we should all become vegetarians, did she?"

"Pssh." Danny shook his head, crossing his arms and giving his best friend a look. "Like Sam would ever try to do that. How many times do I have to remind you that she's not a hypocrite like her parents?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Eh, everyone's a hypocrite." Tucker shrugged, trying to look serious. This, of course, only lasted for about two seconds for either of the boys, before they were grinning like idiotic school children. "Now, seriously, come on, before I convert to cannibalism."

"Fine, Fine." Danny tucked his hands into his pockets, shaking his head a little as he followed his best friend upstairs, where Sam had just finished putting all of the groceries away.

"You'll have to take care of that stuff." She motioned with her head towards two other bags, filled with all sorts of strange odds and ends that Tucker had requested the two of them pick up. Sam had to admit that she was slightly curious as to what they were for, as well as how exactly the two boys had managed to get the money for all of these things. Of course, she also kind of got the feeling that would be something she would be much better off not knowing about.

"Awesome thanks, Sam!" Tucker grinned as he looked through the bags, checking to make sure that everything was there. Once he found that they were, he turned his head towards Danny. "Hey, could you carry these down to the lab?" He asked. Some of the parts were very heavy, and no normal human could carry them easily.

"I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter?" Danny arched an eyebrow, then grinned, shifting into his ghost form as he picked up the two bags and headed back down towards the stairs, leaving Sam alone with Tucker.

Tucker watched until he could no longer see Danny's white hair, before he turned back towards the Princess, who was busy plucking some eggs out of a container, making a small face as she did so. Since they had saved her life, the least she could do for them was make them so dinner, even if touching animal products disgusted her.

"So." Tucker began after a few moments. "You adjusting okay to being here?" He asked, watching her as he spoke.

Sam blinked, looking back at him as she cracked an egg into a bowl. "Yeah. I guess so." She told him, before turning back around to check the next step in the recipe.

Tucker smiled a little. "That's good. I'm glad there's someone else around that Danny can talk to." He up at the ceiling, his eyes fixing on the light fixture. "He's been having it really tough lately."

"I can imagine." Sam put the cookbook down, turning around to look at the teenaged boy. To be honest, the one she wasn't quite sure what to make of yet was Tucker Foley. Danny, even after being altered against his will, she knew and had always known. She knew what he was going to do next and she knew what kinds of things were going to come out of his mouth. Tucker, on the other hand, she barely knew and didn't have any idea what to expect of him. The fact that Danny was so close to him gave her some small comfort and she hoped that with time the two of them could become friends.

Sam frowned before she asked a question of it. "Is it really bad as it sounds?" She asked, her voice just weak enough for him to hear. She felt bad about asking this question behind Danny's back, but she wanted an honest answer. She knew that if she tried to talk to Danny about it, he would lie to her and try to say otherwise.

She did know him, after all.

Tucker glanced towards the basement before he answered her, heaving a small sigh. "It's worse than it sounds." He told her, his eyes meeting with hers. "I saw it, once. What happens when the drug takes hold of him." He shook his head. "It's not pretty. Not pretty at all."

Sam didn't say anything to that and didn't have a chance to once Danny came back upstairs, grinning at the two of them, oblivious to the conversation that had just gone on between them. "Hey Tuck! I put all of the stuff away too." He grinned, wrapping an arm around his friend, then blinked, looking towards Sam who had donned an apron before she had started to cook, not wanting to make a mess of Dora's clothing.

"Oh, Sam!" His green eyes seemed to light up even more as he went over to her, picking up the cookbook and checking out the recipe in it. "You're making fried chicken!" He grinned over at her. "Thanks!"

Looking at that grinning face, Sam found it impossible to keep her straight face on. Danny's smile was infectious and soon she found herself with one on her face too. "Of course." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You guys saved my life, I figured the least I could do was make you something to eat." She made a face at him then. "Even if your taste in food is disgusting."

"Oh?" Danny asked, a white eyebrow shooting up. "This coming from the girl who eats actually mud pies?" He teased her, putting down the cookbook. "But seriously Sam, thanks. This is awesome."

A faint blush colored the raven haired girl's cheeks as she looked away, burying herself back into the cookbook. "It's not a problem."

"You can cook, right?" Tucker asked then, arching an eyebrow.

"Of course I can!" Sam shot a look back at him, her blush vanishing as her expression to one of annoyance. "I'm touching meat for your sakes! You two should be grateful."

Danny laughed then. "Don't worry, we are." He elbowed Tucker in the side, shooting him a look that said he would be dead if he said anything otherwise. "Right, Tucker?"

Tucker caught the look and quickly nodded. "Oh, yeah. We are. Thanks, Sam." He laughed, before shooting Danny a look that told him he was going to have trouble finding where to inject the antidote tonight.

And Sam simply stared at the two, wondering what the hell kind of friendship they had. She heaved a sigh then and turned back towards the cookbook and the task at hand. Men were weird.

Things calmed down in the kitchen after that. Tucker helped Sam out with making dinner, as Danny excused himself for a moment. He paused to watch his two friends, both of whom he had known for forever, before he left their sight.

To tell the truth, he wasn't oblivious to the conversation they were having earlier. He had heard them talking and had heard his name brought up, and so without really knowing why, he had made himself invisible.

He couldn't deny that he was hurt by the fact that they were talking about him behind his back like that, but at the same time, he understood it. He knew that if Sam had asked him the same question, he would have tried to downplay it. He knew all she wanted was the truth and that she needed the truth if she was going to try and help him. And he knew that was her intention.

After all, he knew her.

He sighed as he looked down at his hands, eyes moving over the pale skin as if looking at blood stains that nobody else could see. Even after the blood was gone, he could still see the echoes of it, covering him. He was drenched with it and it was honestly something he didn't think he'd ever be able to rest easy with. At least, he hoped it never came to that.

He didn't want to give into the drug. He didn't want to let himself turn into a monster. He didn't want to lose everything that he had fought so hard to regain.

But...

It was hard.

Even with two daily injections of Tucker's serum, it was still hard. Even though he was now surrounded by friends and people who cared for him, instead of trapped in that awful place and treated like a monster, an abomination, it was still hard.

He could almost feel the drug in him, as if it were a separate entity, whispering the twisted, awful things that it wanted to make him do in his ears. It wanted to kill, it wanted maim, it wanted to give no mercy to anyone. He felt it every time he fought, felt it screaming at him to just give into it already. Then he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore...

He shook his head, clenching his fists and wielding his eyes shut as he slid down against the wall, pulling his legs up to his chest. Even know, as he thought about it, he could feel it, like it was laughing at him for being so weak. It would be so easy to give into it... but... he shook his head, trying to get his mind to move away from that line of thought.

But he couldn't let that happen. He had to fight until the end, until the people that had created this twisted thing finally were left dead and buried. Until he could feel their heart beat their final beat, throbbing in his hand, their crimson blood trickling down his skin.

He snapped his eyes open then, disturbed at his own thoughts. As soon as he did, a sharp pain rang through his head and he let out a small yelp, closing his eyes involuntary, his hands moving to hold his head. The pain shot through him, a rush of the drug trying to break through the barriers that he and Tucker had so painstakingly erected, surging over them and then...

Then he was snapped back into reality, the force of a needle being thrust into his arm sending the pain back to bay. His green eyes opened as they met with the sweating face of Tucker, his friend panting as if he had just run a marathon. There was indeed a needle jabbed into Danny's arm, the liquid it contained going to work, suppressing the drug once more.

"T-tucker?" Danny stammered, looking weakly up at his friend. He briefly glimpsed a worried Sam standing behind him, before he blacked out.

"This isn't good." Tucker frowned, picking up the now human teenager in his arms. "It's too soon for a surge to be happening..." He mumbled, half to himself, as if he had almost forgotten that Sam was there.

"What happened?" Sam asked, her voice a mixture of worry and a hint of forcibly hidden panic. "Is Danny going to be okay? What's a surge?" She asked all at once, which caused Tucker's eye to twitch.

"Calm down!" He told her, heaving a sigh. "Help me get him into a bed and I'll explain everything to you."

Sam nodded, taking half of Danny's body, looping her arms through his shoulders as the two teenagers brought him to Tucker's room and laid him out on the bed. The African American male heaved a sigh as he flopped back into a chair, as Sam did likewise. They rested for a moment longer before Tucker spoke.

"A surge is what happens when the drug tries to take hold of him." Tucker explained. "At least, that's what we call it." He glanced over towards Danny, shaking his head a little. "To be honest, Sam, he used to only have to take the antidote once a day." He glanced back at her then. "His surges got more frequent about a month ago, so I changed it to giving it to him two times a day."

The meaning of his explanation was not lost on Sam. Her eyes broke away from Tucker's as they slid over towards Danny's human form, the only hint that he was alive was the rising and falling of his chest. She reached out and took her friend's hand, cupping it in her own, before she glanced back towards Tucker. "What can we do?"

Tucker shook his head, looking down at the floor. "I don't know if there's all that much we can do Sam. For another surge to happen so soon, and such a bad one..." He sighed, putting his hands on his face. "I'll have to change it to three times a day. Or try and work on a more powerful serum." He dropped his hands, leaning back further in his chair. "Either way, it doesn't look good."

Sam winced at his words, her grip on Danny's hand tightening as she heard them. She could feel her heart beat faster as they sunk into her, and she knew what Tucker wasn't saying. She knew that silently, he was telling her that there was a chance that they might lose Danny to this, and it might be sooner than either of them thought. Her stomach tightened just at the thought of this. She had just found Danny again, she didn't want to have loose him again so soon.

"Can you..." She faltered in her words at first, then shook her head, forcing aside the rising feeling of dread. "Can you make a stronger serum?"

"Sam." Tucker said bluntly then, his eyes locking with hers, knowing that she needed to understand the gravity of the situation. "He's already on the highest dosage of it that I've been able to make. I honestly don't know if it can get any higher."

Sam felt the taste of dread in her mouth now, a metallic taste that made her want to gag. "Then, what can we do?" She asked again, her voice a note higher from the panic that she could no longer hide.

"I don't know." Tucker shook his head. "Unless your parents have some kind of true antidote..." He shook his head, the pain he was feeling clear in his tone and one his face. "I don't know if there's anything we can do for him."

Somewhere, a pair of lips curled into a smirk, a small chuckle escaping from them as crimson eyes narrowed in amusement. While he could not see it, he could feel the suffering of the hybrid boy, and it made him smile.

Things had taken a detour, but it looked like his plans were about to get back on track.

Valerie stood outside the small house, her eyes scanning it for signs of activity, one hand resting on her sword. She had spent the entire day trying to track down the white haired boy she had seen in the marketplace, and her sources had eventually lead her here.

"Well. Let's find out what's really going around here."