A little note to readers: This is post phantom planet story, but neither Vlad nor Danny revealed their secret identities to the world. However, Valerie and the Fentons know Danny's secret along with the small group of the people at the North Pole during the episode. Also, this is a little experiment with story styles, it's a group of small stories connected together by similar events and a single problem. I wanted to do it this way because I wanted to play with different character perspectives and to cut out fillers and just do fun/interesting moments. Hope you like it!


Coffee Break

"Thank you, have a good night," Sam exclaimed to the last of her customers.

She sighed, losing the all too cheery smile she had on her face the minute the door to the coffee store closed.

She quickly made her way to the door, switching the open sign to closed before any last minute caffeine addicts could force their way in for a fix.

She walked through the shop, eyeing the discarded trash and coffee cups on the many tables. She rolled her eyes. There was literally a trash can almost five feet away, but she didn't dare underestimate the power of laziness in society anymore, especially not after working at the shop for over a year.

It was true that her parents were more than willing to pay her way through her botany degree, that of which she managed to finish her third semester of the four year program. However, she didn't exactly enjoy her parents paying for everything, opting for a little bit of independence in the form of a small part time job at one of the local coffee shops just five minutes away from campus. There was the added bonus of free coffee at any time and some pretty impressive latte-making skills. It also helped that the store was so small, it usually only took one person to work each shift, something she was greatly thankful for.

A light tapping at the door caught her attention. She almost groaned, hoping it wasn't some person hoping they could beg their way in for some leftover caffeine.

Already steeling herself for the impending fight in her near future, she turned towards the door.

The guy standing at the door smiled at her. She could recognize those blue eyes and famously messy black hair anywhere. And if she needed anymore evidence that it was him, his eyes flashed a bright green, momentarily obscuring the features of his face.

She shook her head with a smile, unlocking the door so he could get in.

"Hey," he said, bending down so he could give her a kiss. He was at least a whole head taller than her, something she had to come to terms with since his growth spurt in the tenth grade.

"Hey, Danny," she said back, before locking the door behind him. "I told you, you didn't have to come see me tonight."

He raised his eyebrows. "You did?"

She walked behind the counter to get all the cleaning supplies out. "Yeah, I texted you."

"Oh, my phone's broken again."

She eyed him. "Isn't that like the fifth time this month?"

"Yeah, ghost fights don't really mix well with cell phones. I'm thinking about asking Dad if he could make it ghost proof or something," he shrugged. "He managed to make everything else ghost proof."

"He probably could," she conceded, then smiled at her boyfriend. "But, do you think that's kinda counter-productive."

"What do you mean?"

"You're also a ghost," she pointed out with a knowing smile.

"Point," he deadpanned. "Okay, maybe only full-ghost-proof."

She laughed. "So how was your day? Know it must have been boring since both Tucker and I had work."

"The usual plus a couple ghost fights. I hung out with Dash a bit too," he laughed at some silent joke. "He is still trying to convince me to try out for the university's football team so we can play together. Thinks I should show off some ghost-fighting moves. Might be fun."

She frowned at this as she pulled out the mop bucket and started filling it with hot water and soap. "I'm starting to think Tucker is the only smart one out of you three."

"Tucker is going to film it."

Sam sighed. "I stand corrected. You are all idiots."

"But, we are your idiots."

"Unfortunately," she allowed. "You and Dash need to stop hanging out. I miss the old days when he used to beat you up. At least back then, the world was safe from your combined stupid ideas."

Danny laughed, not at all bothered by his girlfriend's comment. "Yeah, doubt that is ever gonna happen. Looks like the world will have to continue to live in fear."

"Aren't you supposed to be the hero?"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Don't expect me to bail you guys out of jail or anything."

"Who said we are going to jail?"

"Oh, you will. I'm just waiting."

He wasn't at all deterred by this. "Tucker will bail us out."

"Tucker would most likely be there with you two."

"You're probably right about that one," he said after a short pause of thought.

He leaned against the counter, smirking at her. "But, anyway I'm here to trade my labor for coffee."

She laughed, "Is that all?"

"Probably some kisses too."

Sam smiled at him, then winked. "I probably can arrange that."

"I was hoping you would say that."

"So," she said, breaking away from the bucket of water and soap she was making, and walked over towards the espresso machine to get in position. "What would you like?"

"Coffee. Black."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You're being pretty boring today."

Ever since she first started, Danny came in regularly to visit her, which was normally at night because she was mainly given closing shifts, which was much appreciated since she was more of a night owl than an early bird. He pretty much tried everything on the menu and then joined her in experimenting when there was nothing legitimate left to explore.

"I know," he said, "but I just need something quick and easy. I'm pretty exhausted."

She stopped what she was doing, eyeing him more closely. Danny was pretty good at hiding just exactly how tired he was, but after years and years of experience, she knew the tell-tale signs. There were faint bags under his eyes, faint enough that nobody would notice if they weren't looking. His eyes also seemed a little less brighter than usual and were half-lidded. This plus that fact that he actually voiced he was tired had her a little bit concerned, but she didn't dare show this.

"How many nights?"

"Only two," he said, looking at her intently, searching for any signs of what she was really thinking.

She feigned disinterest. "Well, you are definitely coming home with me so you can actually get some sleep tonight."

He laughed. "Sam, if I come over to your apartment, I won't really want to sleep."

She flustered, feeling warmth spread across her cheeks, but she tried to hide it with a scowl. "Well, you're going to have to," she said snarkily, then turned to pour coffee in a large cup for him. She also snuck in a shot of espresso.

When she face him again, he was smiling at her, his eyes roaming over her, completely unabashed from being caught checking her out.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. "Here," she said, extending the cup towards him. "Before you pass out."

"Thanks," he smirked, taking the cup from her.

Her smile grew smaller, though, when she saw a thick bandage, peaking out from under his coat sleeve.

"Is that from today?" she said, again trying to be calm. It wasn't like this was the first time he showed signs of ghost fights, but they were more noticeable now because he was getting fewer and fewer over the years.

"Huh?" he said, taking a long sip of his coffee.

She eyed his arm meaningfully, then looked at him.

Danny followed her eyes, looking down at his arm, then shrugged. "Yeah," he said. "It was SkulkTech."

"SkulkTech?" she asked, turning to the coffee makers so she could start dumping out the coffee. On a second thought, she filled another large cup for Danny, before continuing.

"Yeah, was going to tell you about that, but broken phone," he said. She could practically hear the shrug in his voice.

"Is that still a yikes?"

She looked back at him just in time to see him really shrug. "Should be, but I still can't get past the ew part."

"Well, that happened a lot faster than we thought," Sam said with her back to him. She pulled the coffee makers back from the sink and put them in their respective places in the coffee machine, pressing the buttons so hot water would start running in them.

She, then turned towards the discarded bucket, now filled almost entirely with soapy water, pulling the mop from its place before bringing it out to the sitting area.

"Yeah," he said, walking behind the counter.

For a second, she thought he was getting the second cup she poured for him, but he walked out with a rag and spray bottle in hand.

"It's kinda surreal seeing him," he said, setting the rag and spray bottle on one of the tables to shed his winter coat off. He was wearing a short-sleeved tshirt. Usually, Sam wouldn't have minded this, especially since it gave her the chance to appreciate his strong biceps and forearms, having been forged from years of ghost-fighting, but the site was marred by the bandage that was wrapped around one of his arms, starting at his wrist and ending just before the beginning of his elbow. There were already red spots on it.

Sam could feel her mouth twist with displeasure, but quickly concealed it when he faced her once more.

He started picking up the abandoned trash on the tables to throw away. He paused briefly with a blank expression. "Wait—him—them? Are they still two ghosts? Or one?"

Sam shrugged, before plunging the mop into the bucket. "Don't ask me; I'm still getting over the fact that they actually merged."

"Maybe they just got tired of losing." He sprayed the nearest table, then began to work on it, using the rag to rub out the many coffee stains.

Sam chewed the bottom of her lip as she mopped the first section of the little shop. She didn't want to tell him what she was really feeling. That she was scared of this. It seemed like all of his enemies were starting to learn new tricks and were beginning to go to new extremes just to beat him. Danny was pretty good at being Phantom. Hell, he was getting pretty good at being both Fenton and Phantom. He was doing surprisingly well in college despite being undecided about his major; he was also going into fights with a little more strategy too. He was finally mastering the balancing act of being both a superhero and a regular guy. She just hoped he could keep it up.

"SkulkTech…" Danny said, sounding like he still couldn't believe it. "You know," he smiled at her. "I really need to start censoring my stalkers. They are just getting too creepy for me. Talk about obsessive behaviors."

At the site of his smile, Sam swallowed down whatever darker emotions she was feeling. She didn't want to worry him by making a big deal out of this. He was Danny after all and was very different from the newly formed half-ghost fourteen year-old he used to be. He could handle a lot and most importantly now, he knew when to ask for help if he needed it, something she finally drilled into that thick skull of his.

"They should all make a club," she smiled. "Paulina could be president."

Danny shivered at the thought. "Five years and she is still chasing Phantom." Then he smirked. "But, I think she would have a run for her money with Mr. Mayor."

"Speaking of Vlad," she said, starting the next section of the floor, attacking a particularly stubborn spot of dried coffee. "Do you think we should really take that truce he wants seriously?"

Danny paused mid-wipe to shrug at her, then continued what he was doing. "I don't really know. He seemed kinda adamant about it. He's even been giving Dad an easier time and stopped hitting on Mom—thank God."

"Could be a trap," she said as she pounded the mop into the bucket of soapy water, adding to the finality in her voice.

"You always think it's a trap," he said exasperatedly, but there was amusement in his eyes.

"Because it usually is."

He laughed. "True."

She eyed him as he moved onto another table—one of the last. "But you don't think it is this time."

"No," he confirmed without missing a beat.

She stopped, staring at him curiously. Leaning against the mop with one of her arms resting on the top of the handle, she said, "Okay, I'll bite. Why not?"

Danny looked at her then. "It's going to sound dumb."

She just looked at him with eyebrows raised, waiting for him to continue.

He huffed, seeing how she wasn't going to let him out of this one. He raked his dark locks back in a restless motion, the only thing that showed his agitation on being grilled. She smiled at him, secretly drinking in the site of him. Even though they started dating at the ripe age of fifteen, she felt the same way as if it was the first time she looked at him, butterflies and all.

"I've been thinking a lot about the other future lately—the one with the evil me—maybe because of SkulkTech," he shrugged, determined to play it off as if it was no big deal. "I don't really know, but in that future there was a different Vlad. He was a better Vlad. Maybe that's happening now."

"I think you might be getting your hopes up on that one," she said matter-of-factly. She wasn't trying to be mean or bring Danny down, but it was her duty as the cynical straight-shooting member of Team Phantom to point this out.

"Maybe," he conceded. "But, can you blame me, Sam?"

He noticed the questioning look she shot him. "I've been half-ghost for five years by myself, and there are still some things that take me by surprise, a lot I don't know too. Vlad has twenty-five years. Do you know how much easier it would be if he was on our side. And, not for the ghost fighting—I can handle that, but for the other stuff. I have so many questions. Just having somebody to figure it out with me would be nice."

Sam frowned at him, more unhappy that this was the first time she was hearing these feelings from Danny than about the sudden warmth for the older halfa. "You've given this a lot of thought."

He shrugged uncommittedly at her before moving to the to-go stand, starting to restock the sugars, straws, and utensils. "Not as much as you think. I'm not crying myself to sleep every night if that's what you're getting at. Just always something that was in the back of my mind, even when I was fourteen. The woulda-shoulda-coulda's, you know?"

"But, now it actually could happen," she said. For a second, she was able to see Danny's point-of-view. It must have been pretty scary not knowing anything about his future in that way. There wasn't much precedence for half-ghosts, and no matter how much his parents threw themselves into research, they weren't going to have all the answers. There were still many things they didn't know about half-ghosts.

At this, she felt a twinge of sadness for him, hating how this was what happened to him. He was such a good person; he didn't deserve this. Even though being Phantom was something both the world and he needed, it still had its price.

"Yeah, it would just make things easier," he said.

They worked silently for a few minutes. Having finished the floor, Sam went behind the counter to dump out the now-dirty mop water, and began working on washing the milk canteens and many muffin trays.

"He offered to pay for the rest of my college tuition," Danny said, joining her behind the counter so he could wipe it with his rag. He wasn't looking at his handiwork, instead looking at her reaction.

She kept her face neutral, resisting the urge to scowl. "All of it?"

"Every year," he said.

"Wow," she said. "We haven't even started our fourth semester yet. That pretty much sets you up for the next two and a half years. Are you going to do it?"

"I'm not sure," he said. "Feels kind of weird accepting money from him."

"If you really think he is serious about this whole truce thing, well I don't see how it would be too weird." She cut her eyes back at him, smirking. "He's a billionaire, Danny. I think he can spare a little."

He didn't say anymore about it, neither confirming nor denying he was going to go through with it.

"But, if you do take this money, I guess this means you will have to finally pick a major."

He smiled at her, reaching across her to drop the rag in the other section of the sink. "Already ahead of you. I was thinking medicine or something like that. I've patched myself up enough times to know a thing or two about it already. Who would have thought the superhero business was good for something other than learning how to punch."

He smiled at her then, which she returned with a frown. "That's not funny."

He rolled his eyes at her, but his smiled remained. "You gotta admit it's a little. I thought you were supposed to be the one with the dark sense of humor."

"Not when the jokes are so bad."

"Sam Manson, I will get you one day," he said, mock glaring at her.

She flicked water at him and leaned closer into his direction. "You will never get me, ghost-boy."

He drew in closer to her, so close she could practically feel his body heat. She inhaled sharply, taking in just how handsome he was, especially with the mischievous half smile on his face. It sent her brain into a flurry of thoughts and the butterflies in her stomach soaring, but she refused to show how much of an effect he had on her.

"You know, Sam," he said, "even though you are usually right about a lot of things, I hope you are wrong on that one."

She couldn't say anything. She couldn't even stop the goofy smile that she knew was on her face. Instead, she turned back to the dishes and began rinsing them off.

With a chuckle, he kiss her cheek, then went behind her in the other section behind the counter to start refilling the many containers of powders.

She eyed his backside hungrily, watching as he crouched down to pull out the boxes of excess powders to fill the containers with.

After rinsing the last of the dishes, she started the cleaning cycle on the espresso machine, then began pulling the frozen pastries out that needed to be proofed for the next morning.

"Why do you think he is doing all of this?" she finally said, returning to their previous conversation. She was still skeptical but was more willing to believe there might be good intentions.

"I think he still feels bad about the whole Disasteroid thing."

She growled at this. "Well, it was his fault it got so out of hand in the first place."

Vlad Masters wasn't exactly the cause of the Disasteroid coming for earth, but he did try to use it to his advantage by striking a deal as his alter ego Plasmius with the world leaders, practically holding the world hostage in exchange for turning the asteroid intangible and saving them all. In the end, it didn't work out because it was made out of ectoranium, a substance that no ghost could touch without experiencing intense pain. Luckily, Danny's plan to turn the earth intangible saved the day, but it was a pretty close call. The only thing good that seemed to come out of the whole catastrophe was his parents finding out his secret, along with a select few at the North Pole, who were sworn into secrecy after.

After that, Vlad laid low as Masters, throwing himself more into his role as the mayor of Amity. It took a while for Danny to accept that he was no longer scheming, but over time, he eventually only regarded Vlad as more of an annoyance than a threat.

"Can't argue with that," he said as he filled the last container with cocoa powder before putting all the boxes away, "but he hasn't done anything since. Another reason why I think he is serious about this. After all, he isn't the first person to change."

"Okay, okay," she said, putting the trays of pasties on the racks so they could sit over night. She turned towards him then. "We can give him a chance."

He stood up, rubbing his hands together to get some stray cocoa powder off. He raised an eyebrow at her. "That was easy."

"Just let me talk to him first."

He rolled his eyes. "And there it is."

She glared at him. "There what is?"

He shook his head at her, more amused by her glare than scared. "You're going to threaten him, aren't you?"

She smirked, looking suddenly wicked. Holding her hand up to show her pointer finger separated marginally from the top of her thumb, she said, "Only a little."

"Aren't I'm supposed to be the hero?"

"So?"

"Meaning I can threaten my enemies just fine, Sam, thank you very much."

She walked up to him, giving him a brief hug before pulling away to pat his cheek with one of her hands. "Sure, babe, whatever you think."

The moment was broken by a big yawn from the halfa.

Sam smiled knowingly at him. "Ready to go home? You look pretty tired."

He smirked at her in a mischievous way, but the expression didn't quite reach his tired eyes. "I am all for going home with you."

She gave him the second cup of coffee she poured for him earlier and started leading him out the door. She knew exactly what he meant in his last statement but was determined to deter him. "You didn't sleep for two days already. No. You're sleeping."

"I don't mind making it three."

"Well, I mind."

She finished locking the door, then turned to him. He really did look tired; it was more obvious now than it was before.

She smiled at him. "Thank you for coming to help me."

She gave him a long kiss, long enough for her to feel the sparks between them she normally felt.

He smiled at her when they parted. "For you, anything."