LIEK OH EM GEE.

Only a few more days before Urban Jungle! Rejoice!

And in celebration of this new baby episode, here's an early update. ;D Prepare for a shocker chapter, though.

Onward!

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Chapter Four

Incredulity

She sighed softly, looking down at the present for a few minutes, before quietly picking it up, hugging it to her chest as she opened the door, looking up at Gregor with a little smile. "Ok, I'll play. Have you seen Danny? I still have to give him his present..." She said slowly, as Gregor laughed, ruffling her hair and pointing to the bathroom. "He said he was going there last time I saw him."

And just as Gregor finished, the door opened, Danny wiping at his mouth with a surprised look, followed by an apologetic one. "Sorry Greg... I ate a bit too much cake. Couldn't keep it down." He laughed.

Gregor arched an eyebrow, about to argue when Sam grabbed her brother's hand, looking a wee bit nervous. "Hey Danny, can I see you for a minute before we go downstairs?"

He smiled and shooed Gregor away, telling him he'd be down in a minute. "What's up? You feeling okay?" He asked, placing his hands in his pockets in a casual manner. "It's not like you to be cooped up in your room for this long..."

"Yeah… I uh...I wanted to give you something." She said quietly as Gregor shrugged and headed down stairs. "I was...taking my time wrapping it." She shoved the present into his hands, nibbling on her bottom lip.

The raven-haired teen blinked, holding the gift for a while, as if surprised. "But I thought you said-" He quickly caught himself, trying to cover it up with a cough and looking the other way. "Ah... thanks, but... you know I don't expect you to buy me anything on holidays, Sam."

She wrinkled her nose up, "Its your birthday Danny, Eighteen is a very special birthday." She lowered her eyes. "I just wanted to get you something. I hope you like it. You know...for being such a annoying little sister and all." She wanted to kick herself.

"Aww," He laughed, before he bent down and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, mussing up her hair afterwards. "You're not an annoying little sister. I just worry about you sometimes is all." He looked off to the side, muttering something about magazines.

She battled desperately against a blush, before grinning. "I'll see you downstairs Danny. Go ahead and open your present." She tore down the stairs, and out into the yard.

He watched as she tore down the stairs, wondering why she was so eager all of the sudden to join the rest of the group. "Women and their mood swings." He muttered and left it at that, before he slowly began to unwrap the gift, haphazardly throwing the paper - that looked oddly familiar, covered in little rockets - to the ground. A plain cardboard box, nothing fancy... but when he opened it, he almost fainted. A tour book of Cape Canaveral, something he had been trying to get his hands on for weeks. "This edition isn't supposed to be out yet!" He yelled to no one in particular, then continued to gawk at the second gift that lay at the bottom. One VIP pass to a private tour of NASA during a summer launch. Those things cost a fortune... "Sam..." He whispered, looking towards the stairs, as if expecting to see her standing there with a grin. She really went all out for this... "Had she really been saving up for this all year?" He whispered, staring at the ticket with wide blue eyes. She didn't do anything near as spectacular for Jazz's birthday earlier this year, not to mention mom or dad. He would really have to do something special for her in return...

"Sam?" Valerie asked curiously as the young girl ran out, wearing what looked like a strange cross between a gothic lolita dress and a night gown, the hood sitting cutely on her head, rosy cheeks and almost glowing purple eyes staring out from behind it. "What are you so happy about?" She arched an eyebrow, leaning on her hip.

"Yeah... that smile you've got almost scares me." Tucker gave the girl a nervous look, having been kicking an empty soda can along the front drive.

She shrugged, stealing the can with her hasty feet, and kicked it about. "Just read something that made me happy." She lied easily, swinging her arms as she kicked the can. Gregor smiled at her warmly, looping a flirtatious arm about her shoulders. "I quite enjoy this side of her."

Tucker gave Gregor a small glare as he got awfully friendly with Sam. "Well I didn't say I didn't like it." He frowned and stopped the can as it rolled towards him. "I was just saying, it's a little freaky to see a goth grinning that much. But," He rubbed the back of his head, giving Sam a sheepish grin. "You do look a lot prettier when you smile, Sam."

Sam looked between the two boys with a slightly uncomfortable expression, plucking Gregor's arm off her shoulders. "Uh that's nice guys, but don't get used to it." Her plush lips sealed in a familiar frown, and she pressed her dress down to her knees, stepping away from the Hungarian teen.

And just as she stepped away, a pair of strong arms wrapped about her shoulders, Valerie letting out a word of protest. "Are you two picking on my favorite little sister?" Danny grinned, setting his chin atop her head with an overly joyed tone. "Or just flirting, again?"

"W-we weren't flirting!" Tucker replied defensively, holding his hands up as a dark red blush spread across his cheeks. "At least, I wasn't..."

"I have been caught, how do you say, red handed." Gregor grinned, not at all ashamed of it, and Sam flushed, looking up at Danny with a growing smile. Obviously he had opened his present...

Valerie huffed, looking mightily uncomfortable as the two siblings met eyes, and crossed her arms. "Can we start the game?"

"Well, where's Jazz?" Tucker shrugged, looking towards the house. "Is she still inside? We told her we were ready..."

"She's helping mom and dad with the dishes... Looked like she was almost done though." Danny mused, still happily clinging to Sam like a little kid.

"Well I'll go get her." Valerie said in an even more annoyed tone, heading for the front door.

"Alright then... I GET TO BE ON SAM'S TEAM!" The African-American announced with a grin, raising his hand high in the air.

"Wait, what?" Gregor gasped, only to wine when Sam whirled about and clung to her brother, giving the white haired teen a look that said she had already chosen her team.

Danny grinned and hugged her back, before turning to Valerie with an apologetic look. "Sorry Val, little sis comes first."

"Okay, I'm ready!" Jazz called as she walked out the front door, giving the group an odd look. Tucker and Gregor looked like they were shot down (she guessed it had something to do with how Danny and Sam were clinging to each other), and Valerie looked more than a little sour. "...Did I miss something here?"

She gave a little growl, stuffing her hands on her hips. "Nothing at all. Come on Jazz, your on my team."

"Uhh...sure." The older red-head gave her a blank smile, figuring she was pissed Danny wasn't with her. "So... we still playing manhunt?"

"Yes." Sam said quickly, before throwing her hand up. "NOT IT!"

Tucker quickly followed. "NOT IT!"

"NOT--Aww damn it!" Valerie Hissed, stomping her foot. "You guys suck!"

"All's fair in love and war." Tucker gave her a suggestive grin.

Valerie would have hit him if Gregor hadn't slapped the mailbox. "Here's your base!" And then, ran for it.

Danny laughed then grabbed Sam's hand, tugging her along out onto the sidewalk. "Where to?" He asked, though he just kept moving.

Valerie growled as they dashed off, Shouting after them. "I haven't even STARTED COUNTING YET!" She shouted, before turning around, closing her eyes. "Come on Jazz. One...two...three..."

Jazz only grinned and shook her head, but followed Valerie in counting.

Sam laughed, letting him lead her. "How about the woods, you know, where we built that old fort?"

"I dunno, that's a little far away... you think they'd get mad?" He looked up towards where Valerie and Jazz (Who seemed to still be laughing at the other girl's expression). The fort was near the park, and that was a little ways down the road... "And what if Tuck and Greg thought of that too? I mean, we all built it..."

"Then we'll kick them out. Each team for themselves." She said manically, "Unless you have a better idea." She placed her hands on her hips.

He just laughed and shook his head, but continued onward down the road. "Alright then! To the fort!"

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And as the two sibling ran off towards the park (at first closely followed by Tucker and Gregor, though Sam was able to persuade them to quit long before they got to the fort), the night went on as planned, everyone allowing themselves to be lost in their childish play if only for one night. Of course the constants were there - Tucker and Gregor continued to hit on Sam (One more blatantly than the other), and Valerie kept exchanging stone cold glares with the younger goth girl, most of the time, while clinging to Danny. But as the hours passed, their friends returned home one by one, leaving Jazz, Danny and Sam fooling around outside in fits of laughs and giggles, before Maddie called them in... only to scold them for being stained with mud and grass, and ordered them each a shower before bed, which would have gone without saying. Maddie was more than happy to see her three children able to get along so well, but sometimes she worried they were a bit immature when it came to situations such as these. Even Jazz, who graduated from high school just last year, had weeds and twigs in her hair (probably from chasing after Tucker after he ran up that tree), and was covered in filth, not to mention a few cuts and bruises that wouldn't go unattended through the night. More or less, Danny decided he was grateful for the surprise party, though even more grateful to his little sister, who's present he hadn't forgotten. Minutes before she fell asleep and moments after he stepped out of the shower, he quietly snuck into her room, bending over to gently kiss her forehead. "Good night, Sammy." He whispered and left her room just as quietly as he came.

The next morning found the young girl with a smile on her lips, knees tucked up to her chest as she snuggled under her thick comforters, the snow having fallen thickly during the night, leaving the streets and trees as snowy white as a certain Phantom's hair. Her alarm went off, playing a tencho version of The Adam's Family theme song and she groaned; tucking herself deeper into the comforters. Finally she decided to get up, and wiggled her toes around until she found the clothing she had set out the day before under the sheets, and proceeded to get dressed like that, never leaving the comfort of her bed until she was fully changed, and wasn't going to be frozen when she vacated it.

There were a few incoherent words exchanged from the living room below, the tinkering of plates echoing in the otherwise silent home (that is, if you ignore the constant wailing of "wake up you loser! wake up you loser!" of Danny's alarm - but because of that, no one could hear Jazz's).

She gave a half grin, rubbing her hands together as she went to brush her teeth and attempt to soothe her wild locks, finally giving up and letting them sit as they wished, and headed down stairs with a yawn. "Mooom? Whats for Breakfa--" She stopped sharply at the door to the kitchen, her violet eyes widening. "Who..?"

"Hello Samantha." A white haired man said with a simple grin, sipping at his tea as he crossed his legs and raised an eyebrow at her. "Beautiful Morning isn't it?"

"...Mom..." She asked uneasily, as Maddie stepped into the room with a plate full of bacon, a unreadable expression on her face.

"Sammy, dear..." The woman gave her daughter a rather empty smile. "Join us, won't you? Surely you remember Mr. Masters from when you were younger..."

She nodded slowly, not liking how the man's light eyes roamed over her features as she sat down, tucking her legs beneath her as her Father came in with a almost forced smile on his face. "Good morning Sammy-pants." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and gave her a tight, almost crushing hug, before sitting down as well. "Is that bacon?"

Vlad smiled warmly up at the red haired woman, and stood, quietly taking the plate from her in a gentlemanly way, his hands sitting on top of her own for much longer then needed, before he set it down. "It is so nice to see you all again, though, I didn't expect it to be under such situations of course."

"Yes, well..." Maddie replied in a strained voice, almost as if she was battling a rush of emotions. "I'm still not sure I can find this to be possible, Vlad... I want to see the blood work on Danni..." She paused, sighing and sitting down on the chair perpendicular to her husband's.

"I have it right here my dear." He said easily, pushing the folder into her hands, smiling easily. "I made sure that everything was definite before I brought this up to you. After all, these are two very grown up girls that we are dealing with here."

Sam looking between the two with a quirked eyebrow as her father stayed oddly quiet. "What...are you guys talking about?" She couldn't help but ask, curious.

Slow creaking footsteps descended the stairs, as a very tired Danny walked down, followed by Jazz - who was completely tidy and put together, as if it were a school day. Much unlike her brother, who was in naught but a pair of torn-up jeans and a rumpled white button-up shirt. "Mom, what's-" The red-headed daughter looked down, blue eyes widening at the sight of their guest they had sitting the living room. "Uh... Danny?" She emphasized his name as she reached down and grabbed his collar roughly, stopping him in his tracks.

"Ahg - Jazz, what are you..." He looked up, blinking a few times before his eyes narrowed dangerously at so -called 'Mr. Masters'. "Vlad." He said in a mock greeting tone, his voice oddly deep.

"Good morning little badger." He said amiably, "Happy belated Birthday by the way." He stood and laid his hand lightly upon Sam's Shoulder as if it was nothing. "I believe I have a surprise birthday gift for you."

"Yay, food!" A small girlish voice erupted from the hallway, as a blur of familiar raven hair whizzed past the group, the small form settling herself in front of the coffee table and promptly began eating the bacon set out before her. She turned around, big blue eyes peering innocently at the group around her, her oversized hoodie almost falling off one shoulder, barely brushing up against her short ponytail. "Daddy... who are they?"

Sam nearly jumped out of her seat, looking over to see a young girl of her age eagerly ingesting her mother's food, and arched an eyebrow. She looked so much like Danny it was almost creepy. "Um..."

"Danni, remember that little thing that I had to tell you when everyone was here?" Vlad asked amiably, never taking his hand from the girls shoulder. "Well I think I should explain it now, if everyone would take a seat."

Danni set herself comfortably in the couch right beside her father, as Jazz and Danny carefully made their way to the seat beside the couch, though the raven-haired boy refused to sit - he settled with an undeterred glare pointed at Vlad. "What are you up to?" He asked bluntly, taking no time to think about manners.

"Daniel, that's no way to talk to your godfather!" Maddie scolded.

Danny let out a snort, and folded his arms, looking the other way like he just really didn't give a damn.

"Thank you...Maddie..." The white haired man gave a tight smile, before nodding.

"Danielle...Samantha..." He said slowly, "I know this must come as a shock, but you two have been living with the wrong families. Danni, this is your mother, Maddie...Fenton...And Samantha..." He gave a warm, almost fake, smile. "I hope you can accept me as your real father."

Sam nearly choked on her own air, leaping to her feet. "WHAT!"

And a disturbing silence settled through the house.

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Ooh, was that evil? Yes, yes I believe it was. –Manic grin- Flames are certainly welcome!

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Much loves

Zoey