#It was slightly manipulated by Clockwork so she could have a son of her own but he will never admit to it

[bet-on-me-13]

Ellie worked undercover at Cadmus

So, Ellie has grown up and become an Adult living on her own by now.

She is doing her best to make the most out of her life. She went to school, graduated from College, and even got a Job.

She grew up in a Lab, and learned quite a bit about Genetic Engineering over the course of her life both before and after escaping (Both from Vlad, and from Danny during that Point in time where they were trying to permanently stabilize her).

So, when she gets an offer to join a new start-up Company called Cadmus, she jumped at the opportunity to use her Knowledge to help others. (She was told it was a Research Company that used Genetic Engineering to make medicines)

It wasn't until she had already signed the NDA that she figured out that this was an Illegal Cloning Lab.

Thankfully, she was immune to the Mind Control that they had tried to use on all of the Scientists to make them okay with all of the illegal shit, but she still had to play the part so she could help the poor clones who would be created in this project.

She went Undercover for years. Any time a Clone was deemed a "Failure", she would try her best to save them. She did manage to save a few, sending them to Danny so he could help them find a home, but unfortunately she couldn't save them all.

After a few years, the other scientists began to stress out. The K-Series had been a total failure so far, and none of the Clones had even come close to being Viable. Even the most successful one, identified as Match, couldn't come close to being called an actual success.

So, they went a different route. If Kryptonian DNA didn't want to be Cloned, then maybe they could splice it with some other DNA and force it to work with them?

The Scientists began splicing Human DNA into the Genome, running trials to see if it would be Viable at all before even attempting to create a Full Clone. And they did find some success, preliminary tests showed that Human DNA was uniquely adaptable when it came to splicing, and theoretically it could be used to make a Fully Viable Clone!

When Luthor heard of this, he deemed that nobody aside from himself was worthy of being the "Father", and gave his own DNA to the Scientists to use for the Experiment.

Ellie was put in charge of transporting the DNA to the Lab, but in a random accident (we both know it wasn't, Clockwork), she ends up dropping the Sample. In a rush, she just puts some of her own Blood into the Vial and gives it to the Scientists working on the Gene Splicing Project. (She was panicking, ok?! Nobody would be able to work in a lab like this without getting a little bit of anxiety, and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep in days at that point!)

They are thrilled! They don't know why, but Mr Luthor's DNA was so much better at Splicing than any other Human DNA they had ever tested before. He was certainly right about his own DNA being the beat suited for the Job!

Ellie meanwhile is having a bit of a meltdown. She can't believe she just gave them some of her DNA! And they already used it to make a Fetus! She's a mother now! She never wanted to be a Mom!

But she guesses that none of that matters anymore. She's has a son now, and she needs to get him out of there. But how to do it? As the only successful K-Series Clone, he was under the most heavily guarded security imaginable, so there was absolutely no way she would ever be able to sneak him out of there. Even if she used her powers, the Security was primed to scan for any and all foreign energy signatures, even Ecto Energy.

So for now, she was stuck. She couldn't break him out, and she also couldn't just leave the Company and let them abuse all those poor clones like that! She just needed to wait for the right opportunity to get her son out of there, even if it meant that she would have to stay behind.

It wasn't until a team of errant Sidekicks broke into the Lab a few years later, that she had a way out for her son.

[flutteringdreams-matw]

Out of Time (11)

First/Last Read on AO3 Word Count: 7411

Previously: Danny and Sam narrowly escape Dan - but not before a large blast hit its target.

Now: The fallout.

Link to the next chapter will be in the replies once posted. As always - please let me know what you think!

"Of course she did," Jazz said, sighing through the Fenton Phones. Tucker imagined Jazz's frustrated face, pinching the bridge of her nose. He fidgeted in his chair, looking at snack and energy drink covered console as he waited for them to say anything else.

"When was the last time you spoke with her Tucker?" Maddie asked worriedly.

Tucker frowned, looking at the time. It was Noon. "A few hours ago," he said, scanning the radar again. No Fenton Phone in range outside of the city. "She went out of range about a mile out. She was supposed to be back by now."

"And you're sure you had found Danny? Sam wasn't going in blind?" Jack confirmed; his voice tight.

Tucker glanced at Clockwork who still stared at the screens intently, eyes darting through each screen but staying expressionless as ever. He waited, hoping for some clue that they were okay, that he hadn't let Sam walk into a trap before responding. "Yeah, there's no question."

Jack sighed tiredly. "Danny's shield is still up," he said matter-of-factly. "And Sam is a capable girl. Between the two of them, they'll look out for each other. We're needed here - once we get rid of these Shadow Copies then we'll head out after them."

"Dad," Jazz started worriedly. "What if Sam was right? How can you be so sure they'll be okay?"

"Because we have to Jazzy," he replied simply, his normally booming voice quiet and reserved. "We have to believe it."

Tucker bit his lip nervously in the silence that followed. "Another thing," Tucker added uncomfortably, his hand twitching above the keyboard. "I think I figured it out."

"Tucker - that's great!" Jazz exclaimed.

"I knew you were good Foley!" Jack boomed.

"Except…" Tucker started worriedly. "It's not exact." He pulled up the ecto-signature code he had been working on all morning, looking at again with a thoughtful frown. "If I'm wrong and Danny's still out there, we'll strand him. Worse - if he's injured or hurt, he'll be a sitting target."

The line went silent. Tucker let out a deep shuddering breath, hands shaking as he ran them over his face.

"How sure are you?" Maddie asked him. He couldn't tell from her voice what she was feeling.

"Eighty percent," Tucker admitted bitterly. He glared at the screen. "Eighty-five if I'm optimistic." The line went silent again. The implied "what do I do?" hung in the quiet.

"Tucker," Maddie said gently. He heard her let out a shuddering breath of her own. "Danny trusts you. We trust you," she told him. "Whatever decision you need to make, do it."

"But-" he started.

"She's right," Jack agreed softly. "We'll stand by it. It needs to be you."

"He's your son!" Tucker blurted out anxiously. "I'm just-"

"His best friend," Jazz told him smoothly, trying to get him to calm down. "One of two people he trusted from day one. You have as much right as any of us. Tucker, you've been working on this straight for three days - taking everything into consideration. You are the best person to make that call."

Tucker swallowed nervously, staring at the button to launch the shield. He was silent for a few minutes before he answered. "Danny's shield is still up. I'll keep working on the code. Unless we know for sure that this will work, I won't use it." He looked at the radar again, shaking hands curling into fists. "Mr. Fenton's right, let's keep at those Shadows in case Dan shows his face in the city. I'll keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

Tucker disconnected the line, rubbing his temples. He was starting to crash. "Did I make the right decision?" he asked conversationally to the ghost beside him. Clockwork, again, stayed quiet, making Tucker sigh again. "Come on, you must know something!"

"Even if I did," Clockwork replied with a hint of annoyance. "It wouldn't be much help."

"But slipping the Ecto-Enhancers to Sam is fine?" Tucker shot back with an eyebrow raised. When Sam had told him she took the enhancers and there was a note on them, he kept thinking how she would know where they were… until he remembered who suggested the lab bench to begin with.

"I did nothing," Clockwork replied, turning slightly. "I reminded her to arm herself in battle. What she decides to take with her is her choice. As this is yours."

Tucker sighed, annoyed. "Sure." They were silent again, Tucker looking hopefully at the radar again. "Anything interesting?"

Clockwork's frail hand pointed to one of the screens close to the school. "Another crack," he said with a frown. "Perhaps we need to contact the human in charge of that evacuation housing area."

Tucker frowned, looking at the list Mrs. Fenton left him and groaned. "That's Mr. Lancer. I'll-"

Clockwork gripped his staff tightly, falling to ground as a desperate piercing scream echoed through his mind. He gasped as the world slowed violently around him, feeling it fraying the fabric of time. "Tucker," the Time Master called urgently. When he got no response, he looked up with wide eyes. Tucker was moving slowly, the Time Medallion reflecting the lights of the console in front of him. The Time Master gasped as time shifted again, returning it to normal and left him out of breath on the ground.

"I'll tell - Clockwork!" Tucker exclaimed, jumping out of his seat over to the Time ghost. "What happened?"

Clockwork's eyes narrowed, mind racing. "Time just slowed." Tucker looked at him, down to the medallion around his neck and back at Clockwork. "I'm aware of that, yes" the ghost snapped irritably, before Tucker could comment. "Whoever just manipulated time also managed to affect anyone wearing the Time Medallions."

Tucker's eyes widened as he helped Clockwork up, the latter barely able to stay floating without his staff. "I thought you were the only who can stop and start time. Master and all that."

Clockwork's intense red eyes found the young teen's. "I am," he replied worried.

Tucker swallowed, looking at the screen and back to the ghost in front of him.

Clockwork waved him off. "I'll be fine," he assured, wincing slightly. "We need to warn the others. Quickly."

Tucker nodded, heading back to the console just as Ethelwulf and Frostbite came through the portal.

"Clockwork!" Frostbite cried, running to the Time Ghost, Ethelwulf at his heels.

"I'm fine," he dismissed, frowning at both of the ghosts. "We have bigger problems to deal with."

"That's why we're here," Ethelwulf replied grimly. Frostbite nodded vigorously, grabbing Clockwork's chest and helped steady him. "All of those Shadow Creatures just disappeared from my shield."

"What!?" Tucker exclaimed, looking at the wolf ghost before he looked back at the screens. "Why would-" Tucker paled, watching more of the shadows appear toward the East part of the shield. "Oh no…" he stood frozen for a second before switching the line of the Fenton Phones on again.

"We've got incoming!" Tucker told them urgently. "Those Shadows are concentrating on one point of the shield - they're trying to break through."

"Ethelwulf," Clockwork called, getting his attention again. Ethelwulf whipped his head around, yellow eyes trying to figure out what was wrong with his friend. "Sam went after Danny; if that shield breaks-"

His eyes widened briefly. "Ancients," he swore, looking at Frostbite. "Frostbite-" The Yeti leader nodded.

"You must go," Frostbite told him. "I can tend to the wounded in your absence - the Great One will need you more."

The ground rumbled under their feet as alarms sounded. Tucker gasped, staring at the various monitors. "The shield," he said quietly as they watched part of it explode and various shadows came into Amity Park. "Danny…"

:-=-:

Danny and Sam landed with a thud, skidding across the earth. With a small groan, Danny pushed himself up slightly, blurrily looking for his friend. His whole body burned in protest as he moved. "Sam," he murmured, coughing.

His blood ran cold when his eyes found her; she was sprawled across the ground, unmoving. No. "Sam!" Danny called hoarsely, coughing at the rawness of his throat. No response. Dread pooled in the pit of his stomach as he called out again. His vision swam, making him groan as he pushed away anything he was feeling. Please let her be breathing. He managed to pull himself across the ground, letting out small cries of pain as he made his way over to her. "Sam, wake up!"

With extreme effort, Danny reached her, hovering in the air slightly as he looked her over. She was covered with scrapes and bruises but nothing too serious. In fact, the worst injury she seemed to have was the large hand sized bruise on her wrist from where Dan held her captive. "Come on," he whispered desperately, shaking her gently. Eventually, he saw her chest rise and relief washed over him. Danny let out a small laugh; she was alive – the blast didn't hit her.

Relishing in his relief a little more, Danny looked around their new surroundings. He could dimly see the town from where they were in the forest, a little further away from where they were previously. Or maybe they were closer - he could make out some of the buildings now. Thankfully, the shield was still intact but Dan was still out there.

And currently, they were sitting ducks.

Danny turned back to Sam with a frown, before landing and pushing himself upright, ignoring the sharp pains going up and down his body. Focus. Find cover. He managed to grab Sam under her arms and dragged the both of them to a small cover of trees. Finally reaching a suitable spot under a large oak tree, Danny collapsed with a grunt of pain, sending both teens to the ground. Worriedly, he looked over at his best friend as he gasped for air; she was still out cold. He pushed himself up from the ground, arms shaking in strain as he lugged himself closer toward the tree. "Figures," he wheezed, leaning back against the tree for support. His chest burned as his breathing recovered slightly. "You always were a late riser."

He pulled her close to him, feeling her chest rise and fall steadily against his against his ragged one. She made no move of waking, making him frown in thought. Dan's ectoblast hadn't hit her – had it? He made it in time right? He checked her over again, looking for anything he could of missed the first time.

Dread bubbled in the pit of his stomach as he saw a dark pool of liquid started to stain the side of her jumpsuit.

"How could I have-" Danny berated before stopping himself suddenly with a gasp. It wasn't blood - at least not anymore; dark green ectoplasm gushed out of his side and onto the both of them. "Shit," he whispered, wide eyed. The blast hadn't hit Sam – it hit him.

Panicking slightly, he brought his left hand to his side to try and stop the bleeding; groaning as he finally realized the situation they were in. He bit back a scream, throwing his head back against the trunk of the tree as he gasped for breath. Everything hurt. How the hell could he not notice? Dan was still out there, the shield was up, Sam was still unconscious, the ghost shield wasn't fixed and he apparently was bleeding out. Clockwork had said there was one favourable outcome – there must be a way out of this. They needed more time.

Glancing toward the city again, Danny frowned as his breathing became more ragged. His vision seemed to go dark around the edges as he focused internally, trying to sense whether the shield would hold. He felt something stab at his core, crying out softly as the pain moved through him. He looked at the unconscious girl briefly before looking back toward the shield. There was no sight of his evil self.

If that goes down, the city would be in jeopardy, he thought bitterly. But if Dan finds us, we're screwed. He contemplated his next move, trying to figure out what would make the most sense. He looked down at his side – his white glove was coated in too much ectoplasm. Grim realization caused him to let out a shuddering breath. There wasn't much time. Concentrating, he focused what he could on making them invisible, biting back a groan as his core fought against the abuse.

Danny closed his eyes, his breathing coming out in small gasps. Come on Sam, he thought hopefully. You gotta wake up. He felt his body weaken as ectoplasm continued to ooze through his fingers. His core continued to send sharp pains and sparks through him as he tried not to panic. Okay. You're losing ectoplasm. It could be worse right?

Danny bit back a scream as his core sparked to life. His mind left his body, back toward the shield protecting the town. He could see Dan's shadowy minions attacking the shield, their attacks bombarded his senses. He tried to put energy into the shield to hold it, but his core violently protested against him. The shield cracked, crushing pain against his ribs and electricity coursed through him. He vaguely felt his back arch against the attack as he bit back another scream. It was too much - it needed to stop. The invisibility was starting to wane slightly as he lost a grip of his powers. Making a split second decision, he released his hold on the shield. Danny gasped as he was thrown back to his body, hearing the explosions in the distance. He opened his eyes dully, still gasping heavily as part of the dome on the Eastern side of the city shattered, creating the opening Dan's forces needed to attack his home.

He groaned as he felt the shield crumble more."Still could be worse," he quipped darkly, wincing at how raw his voice sounded.

It was getting harder to breathe as the time passed. He closed his eyes again, trying to keep the invisibility going for as long as he could. He already failed the city; he wasn't going to fail his friend. He wondered briefly if this was what dying was supposed to feel like – slow, agonizing defeat. Clockwork warned me this would happen. It was always a possibility. He hugged Sam tighter with his right arm.

Relief washed over him as Sam finally stirred. He didn't move, still trying to focus on staying conscious for a little longer to keep the invisibility. Suddenly, she jerked in his grasp, making him hiss in pain. "Sam – it's me!" he whispered urgently, vaguely aware of how faint he sounded now. "It's okay!"

Sam stilled against him. "Danny?" she questioned, relief, worry and confusion coming through the one word.

Danny swallowed. "I need you to check if we're safe," he pushed. He scrunched his eyes tighter as he tried to suppress any show of pain from his injuries. "Okay? Let me know if I can drop the invisibility."

Sam nodded against his chest as she moved. She didn't let go, crouching low as she surveyed their surroundings. Sam frowned as Danny's breath hitched slightly, but made no comment. "Coast is clear," she told him. She broke away, feeling herself become visible as she waited for Danny to drop his powers. The slight smile on her face slid off as Danny reappeared in front of her.

His head was thrown back against the oak tree, facing upwards to the sky. He breathed hard, almost as if he couldn't get enough air in his body. There was a large hand shaped bruise that curled around his neck, turning purple against his pale skin. As Sam ran her eyes over his battered body, they stopped dead at his left side at the sight of the ectoplasm running through his gloved hand. Breaking out of her stupor, she moved quickly, putting her hands on top of his and applied pressure. Danny let out a strangled gasp, filling Sam with dread.

"Don't move," she murmured, her voice wavering. "That's… there's…"

"Sam," Danny gritted out. Green eyes fluttered open, staring up at the sky. Sam felt unnerved at the reserved look on his face as his aura flickered dimly. "It's too much."

"No," Sam told him firmly. "We're going to get through this. You're going to get through this. We're going to get you back to Ethelwulf okay?" Eyes widening slightly, she looked down at her jumpsuit, letting go of Danny's wound as she tore through the pockets. "Where the hell…" she whispered frantically before letting out a cry of triumph as she pulled out a sleek, black pouch. Opening them quickly, she took one of the syringes and hesitated, looking between the syringes and the fallen boy in front of her. Had Ethelwulf checked these out? Were these safe? Danny had his eyes closed again, breathing becoming ragged. She couldn't chance it. Making her decision, she injected the contents into his leg.

The effect was instantaneous; Danny's back arched as he took a deep gasping breath. His aura shone brighter as his body relaxed against the tree, panting in exertion. Sam put pressure back against his side, trying to stop the bleeding as he composed himself. She sighed as his breathing became more normal, looking him over some more. His chest had a large burn, his left leg had a large gash and she was pretty sure she saw ectoplasm from behind his ear. The trail ectoplasm she had noticed earlier stemmed from a gash just under his hairline. They sat in silence for a long time, Sam quietly assessing how to help as she continued to apply pressure to his side.

Eventually, Sam noticed the slowing of ectoplasm from his wounds and some of the smaller scrapes and bruises healing. He didn't speak, out of exhaustion or pain Sam didn't know, but his aura flared up again and he let out a soft groan.

"These Ecto-Enhancer seem to be helping," she told him quietly, moving one of her hands behind his head. Whatever head wound that was there had scabbed over slightly. "You're healing faster than you normally do."

Danny chuckled, coming out more of a wheezy cough. "Fat lot of good that'd do me," he said hoarsely.

Sam frowned, moving her hand towards his neck. He winced as she brushed against the purple bruise. It wasn't healing at all she noticed. Faint explosions from the town broke through the silence as she put her hand against his cheek, wiping away some dried ectoplasm from a small cut under his eye. "Thanks for getting us out of there," she said, guilt rising up from within her. "I should have run when you told me to; you took that blast for me."

Danny grunted, opening one of his eyes to look at her. "If you ran, I would be dead twice over by now," he told her, slightly coughing. "I would have bled out." He scrunched his eyes tightly as he released a shuttering breath. "Still might."

"Don't say that," she scolded, worriedly looking him over again. He let out a small grunt of pain but said nothing else. "What happened? Frostbite told us you were headed back when you disappeared. I thought -"

"He ambushed me," Danny told her, wincing in pain. "My ghost sense went off went off, was going to tell Frostbite but was knocked out before I had a chance. Next thing I knew, I was in that clearing. It was too far to teleport in one go. Thought I could distract him enough to get away," Danny coughed, wheezing slightly. "Didn't work." Sam frowned, watching him shudder slightly as a wave of pain hit him. She took out the first aid kit, grabbing an anti-septic wipe and started to dab one of his head wounds. He hissed painfully. "Stings," he grunted, inhaling deeply as he kept his eyes closed. "Realized what he wanted too late - he wanted me away from the shield to weaken it. Guess it worked."

"Danny," Sam whispered before she sighed. "Don't beat yourself up about it - you kept it up for hours after… that." She shuddered as she remembered his screams, Dan's hand through his chest. One of Danny's eyes opened, watching her worriedly. "I'm still amazed you were able to keep it up when he was blasting you with all that energy - it was at least an hour."

"What?" Danny asked, confused.

Sam's frown deepened, continuing to wipe away some of the dried ectoplasm from his face. "You don't remember?" He shook his head. "After you passed out, he wanted to wake you - to … you know," she gestured vaguely, implying their last encounter with the ghost. "But you wouldn't wake up - at least not coherently. Dan got frustrated and decided to forcefully wake you." Her eyes hardened slightly. "I played right into his hands - got a few hits in before he got me. I tried escaping, but couldn't get past the damn duplicate; I'm sorry I couldn't get you out earlier."

Danny closed his eyes again, a small gasp of pain escaping before he chuckled. "Sam Manson is no damsel in distress," he wheezed in amusement. "Kicking ghost butt one handed."

She glared half-heartedly, smiling slightly as she got another anti-septic wipe and started to clean the scab behind his ear. He gasped, shaking slightly as his fist curled. Her smile fell, searching for the source of his pain. She checked his side again, watching as the ectoplasm started to clot and breathing a small sigh of relief. "The Ecto-Enhancer is working," she told him soothingly. "Once Tucker gets that ghost shield up, you can take down the shield and we can get you back to FentonWorks."

"Sam," he said forcefully, green eyes finding purple. He sighed, pushing himself more upright despite his protesting body. "There's a good chance I won't make it."

"Says who?" the Goth replied angrily. She looked to the shield briefly. "If we get close enough I-"

"Clockwork," he said softly, making Sam stop, turning toward him slowly with wide eyes. "He told me there were three outcomes of this fight. Only one of them is favourable for the timeline."

Sam stared, their conversation back in the Ops Center starting to click. "What does that even mean!?" she exclaimed angrily. "One favourable. His view of the future is skewed anyway - you're here, you're going to be fine."

"Clockwork can't see past this moment," he continued, smiling sadly as he looked up at the sky. "There are three ways this goes down Sam. The best chance I have is to take Dan down with me."

Sam stared at him, lost for words, before an intense look of anger came across her face. "For once in your life, stop being such a self-sacrificing idiot!" she yelled, making Danny wince at the volume.

"Sam, look at me," Danny said seriously, gesturing to his body. "Even with the Ecto-Enhancers, I'm not healing enough. Dan will attack again and we're not ready for him – I certainly wasn't." He smiled ruefully. "He wants to break me Sam, and worse - he can. I won't be able to heal fast enough to face him before he tries again. There's only one way out of this to save the timeline. I'm - "

"Who cares about the timeline!?" Sam exploded. Danny's head turned to her quickly with wide-eyes; Sam's eyes were shining with tears, hands curled into fists as she shook with rage. He rarely ever saw her like this. "What outcome saves you Danny? Have you even considered it? Or did you just automatically just assume you wouldn't make it? Between you and Clockwork I'm sure one of you can figure out a way to defeat Dan while saving yourself. Tell me!"

The tears that threatened to fall did as her chest heaved from her outburst. Danny watched her, recognizing the worry underneath the anger. There was something else hidden there, something deep and raw that he didn't recognize just yet. "Sam," he whispered, reaching out to comfort her, but wincing in pain from the movement. They stared at each other, only the distant sounds from the city intruding in their conversation.

"Do you want to die?" Sam asked him dangerously quiet, silent tears still falling down her angry face. "Is that why you're giving up so easily?"

"No," he answered quickly. "Of course not!" Danny fought against the pain and pushed himself closer to her, grunting with exertion. Sam moved quickly, grabbing him slowly as he settled closer to the tree. She stayed by his side, waiting for Danny to regain his breathing as she checked the blast wound. It had stopped bleeding, thankfully, but now she could see how far the blast had hit. If that hit him as a human… She let out a soft sigh, releasing her anger and worry as he composed himself.

"You never give up," she said to him softly. Danny blinked back at her. "Never. You could've earlier, when Dan was attacking you. No matter how much you insist you aren't afraid of Dan… you are afraid Danny. You're doubting yourself, playing into his trap." She swallowed slightly, strengthening the conviction in her words. "Don't let him get to you - you can do this. Believe in yourself. Like everyone does - Like I do."

Danny stared at his best friend for a long time before he realized what he was missing; Sam wasn't just worried or angry… she was scared. She was scared of losing him. "I'm not sure I can do this Sam," he admitted softly, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they flashed green for a moment as he looked at her. "Dan is… I don't think any of us are ready to face him."

Sam let out a deep breath. "I think you are," she assured, surprising Danny with her confidence. "You're letting Dan and Clockwork get in your head. Our plan is working, Danny. Those Shadow Ghosts? They're slowing Dan down. Amity is fighting with you Danny, you aren't alone. So think; if anyone can figure out how to save the timeline and survive it, it's you."

Danny stared at her for a second, before a look of determination crossed his face. "I'll give it my best shot."

She smiled sadly at his resolve. "Let's just focus on getting you to Ethelwulf," she said gently. "We can figure out how to face him later." She shuddered as she remembered the last time she saw Dan. "Danny, you need to figure out what you want from all this timeline stuff. I'm sure you'll make it happen somehow."

Danny frowned slightly, taking in the girl's words in front of him. What did he want? He looked at Sam, her face inches away from his. He was taken back briefly to their conversation back at FentonWorks, before he realized what was at stake. He wanted to defeat Dan. He wanted to live. He definitely wanted a nap. Most of all he wanted….. Danny remembered what she said - about him regretting decisions; He didn't want to regret anything.

So what did he want? A strange expression came across his face as he really looked at her. Sam's violet eyes were staring at him, like he would disappear at any moment. There were dried tear stains down her face, mixing briefly with a small cut across her cheek. His heart jolted; suddenly full of nerves and adrenaline.

He acted on instinct – closing the gap between them and kissed her.

Time seemed to slow as he moved, feeling freer than he ever felt. All of his injuries seemingly disappeared as he moved up toward her. Sam stiffened in surprise for a moment as their lips met before relaxed into the kiss. His brain went all fuzzy, no cognitive thought running through it other than the euphoria of the moment. She smelled like lavender and ectoplasm. It was nothing like he could imagine. His heart felt like it was doing somersaults in his chests. Their foreheads rested together as they broke apart, their breathing hard yet in sync. He had kissed her – actually kissed her.

"You did say later," he joked breathlessly, suddenly feeling self-conscious. They stayed like this for a few more moments, relishing in their bubble for a little longer before Sam moved her hand to his cheek.

"Promise me," she murmured breathlessly, looking him directly in the eyes. "Promise me that you're going to do whatever it takes to defeat Dan. Promise me that you're going to do everything you can to come back to us – alive. Promise me you'll win."

Reality brought him back to the severity of the battle to come, what it could mean for him. Determined green met worried violet ones. "I promise," he told her softly. "I'll do whatever I can to survive and defeat Dan." He frowned worriedly as he held her gaze. "But I will do whatever it takes to protect the people I care about. Sam, if there's no other way-"

"I know," she whispered, distraught. She closed her eyes, pressing her head against him. "I know. Please, just try."

He nodded, feeling her relax slightly as he did so. "I'll -" his attempt to reassure her was cut off when Sam kissed him. This one felt different, more grounded in where they were but it didn't matter. He was here, with her, kissing her and it felt wonderful. Better yet, she kissed him. That had to mean something right? He moved; trying to deepen it before reality, again, dragged him back from his bliss. Pain shot through him as his core sparked to life, sending ripples of electricity through his body. He broke their kiss with a cry of pain, hunching over as it grew in intensity.

"Danny!" he heard Sam cry out, feeling her hands push him back against the tree. He breathed through the pain, gritting his teeth as more electricity passed through him. Eventually, it subsided, leaving him panting against the tree once more. "What was that?" Sam asked worriedly. "Was it the shield?"

Danny shook his head. "Dan did something to my core," he told her. She noticed that his voice was stronger now, less raspy than before but the claw like bruise on his neck was still a deep purple against his pale skin. "I think that was the Ecto-Enhancer trying to heal it." A large explosion and screams drifted toward their ears, making Sam whirl around toward Amity Park. She frowned as she watched a ton of shadows flock into the Eastern part of the city. Above it, a figure with flaming white hair floated triumphantly.

"Dan," she whispered, eyes widening before turning back to the injured half-ghost beside her. "He's attacking the city."

Danny nodded. "I couldn't keep the shield up after I got blasted," he said bitterly. "How close was Tucker with the Ghost shield when you left?" Sam shook her head; Danny sighed. "We need to get him away from the city."

Violet eyes narrowed. "Yeah, and how are we supposed to do that?" she asked sarcastically. "In case you weren't aware, we're both covered in your ectoplasm from when you were bleeding out. There's no way you're up for a battle by yourself."

He cringed. "He's going to go after them Sam," he said worriedly, pushing himself in more of a sitting position. Sam's sarcastic glare melted, hands moving to his shoulders to help support him. "I can't lose them."

"I know," she agreed. "But you're not going to last in another full battle on your own if you fly in there like this. You just said he wants to break you; don't you think he wants this?" She cupped his face gently with one hand. "Danny, you could have -"

"I know," he said softly. He leaned into her hand, relaxing slightly. "I know, Sam. He almost got me. But I don't want to live through any of those visions." He sat up straighter, steeling his resolve. "I never want to live through it again."

Sam's face softened slightly as she tried to think of a way to convince him before a voice called them from above.

"Sam! Danny!"

Both teens looked up to see Ethelwulf flying down towards them; his black leathery wings flapping majestically under now the green clouds. Sam waved at him as zeroed in on them, touching down softly on the grass. His yellow eyes widened as he took in the two teens, quickly noting the injuries on Danny and the amount of ectoplasm covering the both of them. "What-"

"Dan," the boy replied quickly. "I'm fine."

"Like hell you are," Sam argued irritably.

Danny winced at her tone. "Okay, more fine than I was," he amended. He frowned worriedly, turning to Ethelwulf. The wolf ghost moved toward him, already assessing injuries. Sam pointed to the huge blast mark on his side. Ethelwulf frowned as he touched it, making Danny flinch heavily. "How's the city?" Danny asked, looking for any clue from the shapeshifter on the wellbeing of his loved ones.

Ethelwulf frowned. "Dan's forces got in through the Eastern part of the shield; thankfully Frostbite's forces and some of the other ghosts are holding them back while the human volunteers get the people to safety. Dan is facing off between Vlad, the Red Huntress and the smaller Phantom."

"What about my Parents? Jazz? Tucker?" Danny urged, concerned.

"They're all fine," Ethelwulf assured, tilting the boy's neck slight to look at the bruise with one of his claws gently. Danny sagged in relief, allowing Ethelwulf to address more of his injuries as Sam put a comforting hand over his. "I went looking for Sam when the shield started to fall. I was worried I was too late."

"Perfect timing actually," Danny replied. Moving out of Ethelwulf's reach, he grabbed onto the tree trunk, attempting to stand.

"Danny no!" Sam cried, scrambling to her feet as Ethelwulf moved backward in shock. Danny continued to rise; small grunts of pain escaping him as he did so. Sam rushed forward, supporting his injured torso as he pushed forward. "You're still hurt!"

Once on his feet, Danny tested his weight on his left leg. Seeing that he could support it, he nodded toward Sam to let go. She let go reluctantly, watching Danny in concern as she stepped back.

Ethelwulf's frown deepened as he watched the halfa stand. He could sense the pain and exhaustion from Danny from here, but could see the stubbornness across his face. Whatever the boy was planning was going to be a terrible idea.

"Danny, your core -"

Danny nodded, swallowing slightly as a small wave of pain moved through him. "It's healing," he said quickly. "Sam used one of the Ecto-Enhancers. I'll manage."

"You're not going to fight him, not like this!" Sam argued desperately.

Danny shook his head. "You're right," he agreed. Danny turned to the wolf ghost. "Ethelwulf, with the shield up around the Ghost Portal, do you think you'll be able to teleport us into the town? Even if we're a few miles out?"

"Shouldn't be an issue," Ethelwulf replied, frowning slightly at this line of reasoning.

Danny nodded. "Stay with Sam," he told his mentor. "Wait for me here and teleport us back."

Sam frowned. "Where are you going?"

Danny sighed, looking grim. "We need to lure Dan out of the city. The only way we do that is if he sees me."

"You can't be serious," Ethelwulf said disapprovingly. "There's no way you can go into battle the way you are now."

"I know," Danny repeated. "But we don't have a choice. I'm not going to fight him – just use myself as bait. Get him to chase me out of the city. I can use my core powers to teleport and defend if I need to." Sam's eyes narrowed. "Trust me, I don't want to do this either. If you're right, then destroying those shadows are our best option - the last thing we need is if Dan joins in. I can bait him out, buy Tucker more time to get the shield up and be far away before he realizes."

Sam stepped forward, biting her lip. "Danny, this is risky," she said finally. "There's no way you'll get back here without needing to defend yourself. We barely got out of there last time."

He gave a reassuring smile. "I'm okay," he told her. "The Ecto-Enhancer is working still, my base powers are a little more stable. I can fight if I need to." Sam looked down, crestfallen at his response. "Hey," he said softly, grabbing her hand in his. She looked up at him with wide eyes, sad and confused. "Still believe in me?" he asked with a small smile.

Sam smiled in response. She squeezed his hand tighter. "Always," she replied. She glanced to the discarded pouch on the ground. Breaking away, she picked up the rest of the Ecto-Enhancers and offered them. "Take these with you. They may come in handy."

Danny nodded in response, taking the pouch. "Thanks," he said, stuffing it on of his jumpsuit pockets.

Sam watched him worriedly, uneasy at his resolve. "Danny," she started, making the half-ghost look at her expectantly. She threw herself around him in a hug, nearly toppling them over. He staggered backward, stunned as she tightened her grasp. She smiled into his shoulder, trying to reassure him of his decision. "You made me a promise Ghost Boy."

Danny wrapped his hand around her, chuckling into her hair. "I remember." He turned to Ethelwulf as they broke apart, smile sliding off his face. "Keep her safe," he said.

Ethelwulf nodded. "We'll be waiting."

Danny nodded, not trusting his voice. He turned towards the city, watching the explosions from afar. They were both right; he would need to fight to get to Dan. He frowned in thought, before he summoned enough energy to teleport.

Ethelwulf and Sam watched him vanish; staring at the spot he was just in for a few moments. Sam balled her fists, the wheels turning as she thought of a plan. She picked up the rest of the first aid kit hurriedly as she heard Ethelwulf sigh.

"We're not staying here," he asked. "Are we?"

Sam's eyes narrowed. "No," she admitted. "We're going to destroy some Shadows. If Danny's fighting - let's make this a fairer fight."

Ethelwulf sighed again, kneeling down. "Hop on then," he told her. Sam gave him a quizzical look. "We can take out more from the sky."

"You're not going to stop me?" Sam asked, climbing onto his back apprehensively. Ethelwulf laughed, a dark eyebrow raised skeptically at the girl.

"The one thing I've learned after all these months," he said, yellow eyes sparkling in amusement, "is that Danny will not stop if he feels his friends and family are in danger -A trait that he shares with many people in his life. He's too afraid of the outcome. So if I can help save him from himself, I will."

Sam frowned, taking in the ghost's words. "Save him from himself…" she whispered a small determined smile formed on her lips. "Sounds about right."