Hope you enjoy it!

Ps- I don't own Danny Phantom, would be awesome though!

Chapter 1

His bedroom was dark, with the curtains drawn tightly shut. Dirty clothes and empty beer cans scattered the floor. Danny Fenton lay fast asleep, tangled up in his own sheets, until his cell phone began to ring from the top of his dresser.

"Hello…?" He said in a groggy voice.

"Baby! I knew you would still be sleeping!"

"I wasn't sleeping, I was, ummm…" But Danny could not think of a good excuse fast enough. He rubbed his eyes and began to sit up in his bed.

"Exactly! Lazy." He could almost see the grin on his girlfriend's face.

"Mmm just come lay with me," he moaned, crashing back onto his pillow. "Just for a little bit."

"Daniel Fenton. It is past noon. Get up and do something productive!"

"Yeah yeah yeah. Hey, call me when you get out of class, ok? I'll take you to dinner before we go out for Tucker's birthday."

"Aw, you're the best Fenton. I love you!"

"I love you too baby girl. Talk to you in a bit, Lauren."

"Bye, Danny."

The twenty-three year old barely had time to shut his eyes when he heard a loud banging on his door.

"Daaannnnyyy!" he heard his roommate and best friend Tucker Foley yell, "get up, dude! It's my birthday! You only turn twenty-three once man! We are living it up tonight! I wonder if I can get any hot girls to give me lap dances or something for my birthday..."

Danny rolled his eyes and grinned. Finally getting out of bed, he walked out of his bedroom and entered the small living room of the apartment he and Tucker shared.

"Dude, work blows. We've only been out of college for a year but I miss it so much." Tucker ranted as he played with his newly upgraded PDA, a generous birthday gift from his parents. "I hate being an adult."

Danny laughed then yawned. "Late night?" Tucker asked. Danny nodded and laid his head back on the couch.

"Late night with Lauren, or…" Tucker chuckled.

"No, you perv, not with Lauren!" Danny said, "Just couldn't sleep."

Danny then heard a familiar ring coming from his room, so he quickly walked back into his dark bedroom, plopped back down on the bed, and answered his phone.

"Hi, Mom." Danny pulled the covers over his head as he talked to his mother. After a few minutes of chatting about work and life at home, Maddie Fenton asked cautiously, "So, Danny," she started, "have you read the newspaper yet today?"

"Mom, I don't even know if Tuck and I get the paper." He grinned as he new that his mother was probably rolling her eyes.

"Well, there's a nice article of Sam's father in there."

Danny sat up at the sound of her name. "Oh really? What about?"

"Well as you know, he and Mrs. Manson have donated a lot of money to the children's hospital here in Amity over the years. The paper had a nice picture of him, thanking him and his family for their support."

Danny was quiet, not sure where his mom was going with the conversation. He then heard her take a deep, slow breath. "Danny, Sam's dad was killed in a car accident yesterday."

Danny froze in shock; he couldn't believe it. It seemed totally unreal. True, Mr. Manson was never a fan of Danny hanging around his daughter, but still…

"Have you talked to Sam recently, Danny?"

Again, Danny was quiet. "No." He said. "Not in a while…"

"Oh."

Silence.

"Well," his mother began again, "the viewing is on Friday, and your father and I are going. It would be nice if you could make the trip home."

"Yeah, Mom, I'll be there." His heart began to pound. Going to the funeral meant he would see Sam again for the first time in years. It also meant he would see…

"Alright, well wish Tucker a happy birthday for us, and I will see you Friday."

Danny sat staring off into the darkness of his room. He couldn't imagine the pain Sam would be going through. Just then an image of Sam popped into his head, one of his last memories of being with her, the time she yelled she never wanted to see him again.

Tucker glanced up as Danny re-entered the living room.

"Mother dearest?" He asked.

"Yeah, she says happy birthday." Danny sat thinking for a moment before blurting out, "Did you know Sam's dad died in a car crash yesterday?"

Tucker stopped and looked him straight in the eyes. "Oh my god, seriously? Poor Sam, I mean I knew they never got along, especially with what happened senior year, but still, her own dad…"

"The viewing is Friday, if you would like to come with me."

"Of course I'll go." Tucker replied. "Are you bringing Lauren, too?"

Danny stopped to think. He had completely forgotten about Lauren…

"I don't know, I think it might be awkward."

"Eh, maybe not. You and Sam have been broken up for a couple of years anyway." Tucker said light heartedly. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Have you talked to her lately?"

Danny laughed. "My mom asked me the same thing, but no I haven't."

In a more serious voice, he asked, "Does Lauren know about you and Sam?"

Danny shook his head. "Lauren and I have only been together for like, less than a month. I think it's too soon, she might freak out."

"Maybe." Tucker said. "So it's on Friday. Will Sam have Noah there?"

Danny's heart sank. Tucker read the painful expression on his friend's face, but he didn't want to drop the subject, not quite yet.

"Danny, we never talk about Noah."

"I don't want to."

With that, Danny got up off the couch to go take a shower. Lauren would probably be getting out of class soon. He kicked yet another beer can out the way.