Warning: This chapter contains some language, some revelations, and reunions. That's all you're getting out of me ;-)

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.

Eternity

Chapter Three: Cold Ashes

"What are you doing here, Vlad," I hissed, feeling defensive. What did he want? Did he really want to destroy the last of our happiness after what he did last August?

"I'm not here to cause trouble, Samantha," Vlad replied. "I'm here to make amends, if you'll let me."

"You say that as if you actually could. Does Blue know you're here," I spat.

"No. He would never forgive me if he knew I came but I had to, my dear."

"Just because I'm in a wedding dress, don't think I won't kick your ass," I said, crossing my arms.

"As I said, Samantha, I'm not here to cause trouble. The only thing I want from you is your time."

"You've wasted enough of my time," I said, holding my head high. "I've spent the past three years cleaning up your mess. This isn't your family anymore, Vlad. Danny is mine."

"I understand that, okay," Vlad said, crossing his arms. "That's why I'm here. I've learned a lot in the past nine months. It hasn't been easy. It's been hell, quite frankly, and I wanted to make it known that I support you. You are the best person for him. After everything I've put Daniel through, he deserves to be happy. I know you can take care of him."

"You sure as hell didn't," I uncrossed my arms. "Look, Vlad, I'm not Danny. If you came here to bond with me over something and we hug and cry it out, then you've come to the wrong person. You broke him, you son of a bitch. Even today, I see those cracks in his shell. He will never be whole for what you've done to him. I will never forgive you for putting your hands on Danny and I'll be damned if I forgive you for breaking him in a million pieces after you stopped forcing yourself on him."

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Samantha," Vlad said, his head downcast. "Forgiveness is the last thing I deserve. I hurt Daniel in the worst imaginable way and after I realized the error of my ways, I poured salt into his wounds. I know you had a lot of work to repair the damage I did to my family—," Vlad continued. He crossed the line.

"No," I declared. I threw my hand out at him. "You do not have a family here! You made it clear what you thought about them girls. They are my children, Vlad, not yours. You walked out on them. You had to choose between Blue and Dawn or Danny, Lilly and Megan and you made that choice. You haven't wrote, you haven't called, you haven't done anything. No," I laughed bitterly. "You did do something. You got Danny pregnant again! During the worst possible time for him to conceive, you burden him with another child. I love my children, Vlad, and I will always care for them but don't you dare claim responsibility when you turned your back on them."

"It was my last chance at saving the Halfa race, Samantha. We just may have enough to give us a sizeable population. Maybe, sometime down the line, we can actually develop a race."

"I could care less about preservation and the birth of a race. Vlad, I saw the love of my life reduce to practically nothing! He came back to Amity a month later after that night and let the girls see me. He realized that his journeys were too dangerous for the girls and he left them with us." Vlad's eyes widened. "Yes, Vlad. Danny, the man who loves those kids more than life itself, left them for their own protection. And while he was traveling, he saw death and destruction. He got addicted to human emotion and we had to get him help. The baby nearly died because he was under so much pressure. He didn't find out until he was three months along. By that time, both of their energies were so depleated that it took months for his energy to rebuild. The baby was born small and sick. That is what you did as your last act of love. You can rot in hell for all I care."

"The baby is yours, Sam. I have completely clipped the ties that bind," Vlad said, casting his head down in shame. "I told Daniel in the letter; you can adopt them."

"We have plans for me to adopt them after the wedding," I said, crossing my arms again. As it stands right now, only Danny is listed as their father. Even though it is perfectly natural for a ghost to be able to conceive, even a man, only females can reproduce in the Real World. We were forced to name Danny as their father and leave the mother blank. "Just don't come to me and try to act like you are the victim, Vlad. You did all this to yourself. I don't want to hear how miserable you are. You weren't the one who rocked Megan to sleep every night."

"How did Megan adjust to being a big sister," Vlad asked, a twinkle in his eye. He hasn't changed a bit. He still sees uteruses and pedigrees and not people. He can't see that he has completely exhausted Danny for forcing him to have three babies in three years. And that's not including Eddie and Jacob with whom Danny miscarried when he tried to reverse his powers on the one-year anniversary.

"Megan did fine," I said, almost growling. Why can't he see how much he's hurt everyone? All because he thinks he was put on this earth to create the Halfa race. He's caused all this damage because of one vigilantee motivation.

"Okay, Samantha, I can tell I'm not welcome here," Vlad said, looking up to meet my glare.

"What gave you that idea," I retorted.

"You do look beautiful, my dear," Vlad replied. He pulled a case out of his coat pocket and it was the first time I'd noticed the knock-off suit. I guess commonlife isn't treating him well. "This was my grandmothers. I had hoped to put this on my wife one day and we could pass it down to our children and grandchildren. I think giving it to the love of my life's future wife to give to as she sees fit would serve the piece's history well."

"I thought Blue was the love of your life," I retorted. Vlad opened the case and I gasped. Solid gold chain with a wide penant hanging from the piece's end. The penant was solid black, surrounded by diamonds. Vlad lifted the piece out of the case and walked to me, laying it against my chin for me to see. I looked in the mirror and it accented the purple design at the top of my black dress perfectly. "Vlad, I-I don't know what to say."

"Blue is the love of my life now," Vlad answered my first response. "That's only because Daniel doesn't love me anymore." You haven't been with him the past six months as he takes in the fact you are really gone. "I hurt Daniel and destroyed any chance of happiness I had with him. What's more, I violated him as I impregnanted him again, again and again. I could never cover the hole I left in him. That doesn't mean I don't love him. That's what I love about Blue that I didn't see in Daniel, Samantha. Blue is Daniel that was untouched. I had an opportunity to start over with him and it has worked out beautifully. Of course, spending more than a year of our relationship obsessing over the baseline of your DNA love doesn't make. Blue and I aren't perfect but he is the closest to happiness I can get. I'm tired of demanding love and expecting it to fall in my lap. After all the hell I've created, learning to love isn't going to be easy. I have to work for it. That means that despite it breaking my heart, I have to leave the kids in your hands."

I looked down, feeling guilty. "Vlad, I can never look at your actions and justify them but I can find your reasons for acting the way you did. Just please, leave our family alone. We have enough problems coming our way without wondering what your next move will be. If you stay gone, we'll be okay. You have to make a choice, Vlad. You can't pull us along like this. They're not your kids anymore, Vlad, they are mine. You have to let me do my job."

"And I will," Vlad replied. He secured the necklace around my neck and I touched the penant with my fingers. I turned to Vlad as he took my right hand. "Promise me something, Samantha. Promise me you will look after the kids and make Daniel happy. Be to them what I never could be. I have surrendered rights to them. Daniel is no longer mine and the kids are yours. Please, treat them well."

"I will," I said, swallowing.

"I'll go now," Vlad replied. I could feel his power swelling and I knew he was about to transport. Did he deserve to hear it? I'd be the only one who could tell him.

"Vlad, wait," I cried, my voice choking. The power faded. "Vlad, we had a son." Tears came to my eyes as I announced this. "We had a boy. His name is Daniel Reginald Fenton, the name you wanted to name Lilly when you thought she was a boy. He goes by Doc because his initals are DR." I began to cry, overwhelmed. "Danny wanted you to know he forgave you. Oh, God, Vlad, after everything you've done to him, he keeps forgiving you. He wanted you to know that he loved you and he forgave you for everything you ever done. He wanted you to know he wanted you to be happy."

I saw tears fill Vlad's eyes and I knew Danny was right. Those two pieces of information meant the world to Vlad. Vlad has wanted a half ghost son since Danny found out he could conceive. Vlad has tormented himself over the hauntings of his past deeds. Those two pieces of information would mean the world to him. "Thank you, Samantha. Please, take care of my—your children."

"I will," I said, wiping my eyes. Thank God I'm wearing waterproof mascara. "And, Vlad," I said, shuddering a breath. "Thank you."

"For what," Vlad asked.

"For telling me what not to do," I said, looking in his eyes. "It's because of you that I know how to be the worst person alive. It's because of you that I know how to hurt Danny in the worst possible way." I wasn't saying this to hurt him, I really wasn't. I was saying this because it was the truth. This was mine and Danny's fairytail. We had faced Vlad violating Danny and getting him pregnant not once but four times. We had faced Danny losing two of those five children. We had grew when Danny and I became a couple and I stepped into the role of mother without having had a child. We wouldn't ride off in the sunset but this was truly the closing of the book. With Vlad gone, we could finally close this chapter. I could finally be who Danny and my children needed me to be. "And, last but not least, thank you for shattering Danny. It has allowed me to reassemble him and make him better than new. If it weren't for you, I'd be getting none of this today. Thank you for being a horrible person." I took a soft breath. "And thank you for showing me that no matter how bad one gets, there's always a chance of redemption."

Vlad gave me a sad smile. "I didn't do it for you, my dear, but thank you for cleaning up my mess. Take care of them, Samantha. And whatever you do, don't speak incomplete sentences around Daniel. You never know when he'll mistake obsolete to the town being obsolete to life." The swell of power returned and he vanished. I started sucking in slow breaths. It's time to close this chapter. Now, June fifth means something. This story has been going on since November 26, 2004.

I cleaned myself up and finished drying my face when the door opened. Mr. Fenton stood in the door. I smiled at him. "My God, Sam, you're beautiful."

"Thank you, Mr. Fenton," I nodded. "Are we ready?"

"Not yet," Mrs. Fenton traveled into the room. "Sam, we need to talk to you."

"What," I asked. I walked towards my future mother and father in law. "Is something wrong?" A million fears went through me. Was Doc sick again?

"No," Mrs. Fenton said gently. "Everyone is okay. It's something Danny did."

"Okay, what's it about?"

"He invited us," a familiar voice said softly. My heart stopped and fear froze me in place.

"I mean it, Pamela," Mrs. Fenton said in a harsh tone. She had stepped out of the way, facing the door. My parents walked in hesitantly. "If you hurt her in any way, shape or form, I will throw you in a cell and lose the key!"

"What are they doing here," I cried, snapping out of my stupor. I hadn't seen my parents in more than two years! I left when the witch had practically sold me to a man six years older than me with the hopes that a husband my grandfather approved of would have us inherit the fortune. She was willing to sell me out, against my wishes, for the chance of getting some money!

"Samantha dear, we came because we love you," my former mother replied. "Honey, I know what we done was wrong now and I want to make that up to you."

"I can't believe Danny would betray me like this," I said, shaking my head. "I never wanted to see you again! I had put that life behind me!"

"Danny told me it was important to him that he have everyone in the family here," my dad said. Dad actually didn't have anything to do with the Jonah incident. Dad was just as shocked as the Fenton's were when I told them of the ordeal. I moved in Fentonworks and the only time I had any contact with a Manson, it was with my grandmother and in a public location. I went home one last time to get the ice sphere Danny had made me. I never wanted this part of my life revived.

"That's why he went to the lenghts," I said, looking to the Fentons. "What do you think? Should we let them in?"

"I promise you, Sam," Mrs. Fenton said, taking my shoulders in her hands. "If they so much as make you nervous, they'll never be seen again."

I swallowed, trying not to show the nervousness I felt now. "Fine," I said, looking to my mother. "But I have a few conditions. One, you do not say a word about my wedding. Two, you don't say a word about my groom. And three, if you so much as look cross eyed at my children, they won't have the opportunity to lock you away and throw away the key. I will kill you with my bare hands."

"Well, children are some time away," Dad said, wearing a smile. He moved in, giving me a hug. "I think you would have looked best in a white gown but you still look beautiful."

"There's a lot you guys don't know," I said, going stiff. I mean it, one snort. "Danny and I already have children."

"What," my mother yelped.

"Danny and I have three children," I replied. "Lillian, Megan and Daniel Reginald. We have three ghost children as well. They didn't survive very far past conception. Edward, Jacob… and William." I shuddered a breath before I spoke my actual biological son's name. Danny and I share a connection and when he is hurt, I feel it. On his travels, Danny was impaled by a stake and I was standing at the top of the stairs. Danny's energy was high enough to repair any damage he took on but I took a tumble. Our son wasn't strong enough to survive the tramatic event.

"Six children," my mother declared, looking to my future mother in law. "How could you allow them to be so irresponsible?"

"It's not their fault," I declared. "Look, things happen, okay. You can't understand it all. I will not allow you to understand it all! We didn't ask for these children but they are our responsibility. The three ghost children are being raised in the Ghost Zone, though."

"Sam, I would love to be the one to give you away if you'll let me," Dad said, looking to me. "A lot has happened in the past two years. I am not here to judge. You and Danny can live your lives the way you want to. I just want to be here to share it with you."

"This is all dependent upon her, Dad," I said, glaring at my mom. "I've never had any problems with you. You never done any of it. But if you decide to stand by her like you did that day I told you what happened, I will not overlook it. This is my life, now. I won't have anyone else running it if I can help it."

"Please, Sammykins, forgive me for that terrible thing I did. I want to be apart of your life. I want to be apart of my grandbabies lives."

"One last chance," I said, lowering my arms. "But this is my life, okay. I will not let anyone tell me how to live it. Not the Fentons but sure as hell not you."

"It's seven-thirty," Mrs. Fenton said, wiping her eyes with a napkin. "It's time to see our son get married."

"It's time to get married," I said, smiling softly. I couldn't wait to see Danny.

"Let's go," Mrs. Fenton said, tugging on her husband's tux. The Fentons and my mom exited my quarters as I walked over to where my shoes sat. I slipped out of the slip ons and lifted my dress up, stepping into the black high heels. Diamonds sparkled along the sides as the shoe got wider at the base of the foot. I walked to where my hydrangea bouquet sat. The bushells of flowers were wrapped with a black cloth with neon green stripe swirling around the flowers. I stepped in front of the mirror to look over my reflection. The golden heart with the names of our six current children and five future children engraved in the plate adorned the front of the bouquet.

"You look amazing, dear," Dad said as he looked me over. My hair was twisted up, held only by clips. I was supposed to have Granny's hairband in my hair but I must have forgotten it. I think this looks better anyway. A black stone tirara adorned my head, drooping to my eyes. My veil was flipped back so I lifted it forward, the white lace touching my nose. Vlad's ancestor's necklace, the bracelets and Mrs. Fenton's rose pin were the only piece of jewlery I had on. My ice sphere was in the jewlery box but I wouldn't put it on until tonight. My shoulders were bare, the top of my dress purple and laced in criss-crosses. My black wedding gown laid beneath, turning completely black by the bottom. The dress was straight but I had a train behind me. I looked as I was supposed to.

"Thanks," I smiled. I stepped towards him, holding out my arm. "Take me to my husband, Dad."

"I will," Dad nodded. "I'm only sorry the trip here was so rough."

"The journey makes the life, Dad. I'm not sorry for anything that's happened to me. It's made me who I am today."

I heard the beginning of the Wedding March and Dad took a step. Danny was waiting for me on the shore.

We exited the reception hall and the night was decorated by laterns and string of lights. The entire area was alit, the sky looking like a glowing spider web in the sky. The guests were fanned out like an ampitheater so I would come in from behind. We made a large arch and sitting beneath the chuppah was my Danny. His eyes widened and he broke out in a smile. I blushed by his reaction. Sitting in the first row was my children. Danielle held Jacky while Valerie held Jamie, Joey sat in Jazz's lap, Jazz's fiance sitting beside her. Brit, Mrs. Fenton and Mr. Fenton had the three I wanted to see the most, though. I wanted my family to be my bridesmaids but they had talked me out of it. The A-List was dying to be behind me as I walked down the aisle. Seeing Doc in Mrs. Fenton's hands, Lilly in Mr. Fenton's and Megan in Brit's proved to me they were right. They had the best job of the entire ceremony.

All three of my children's faces lit up at the sight of me. I smiled, tears rushing to my eyes. It has been seven days since I've seen them. I wanted to rush to them and hug them but I put my eyes back on my man. Tucker stood by his side, both boys in black tuxcidos. Danny had a red tie on while Tucker wore a gold bow. Dad delivered me to Danny, placing my hands in his.

"God, you're beautiful, Sam," Danny said, releasing a breath. I blushed as Dad took his place beside Mom.

"My parents, really," I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They deserved to be here, Sam. They made a stupid mistake. It's not like we have never made any mistakes."

"That's true," I smiled.

"You may be seated," the Christian priest started.

"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Samantha Annabel Manson and Daniel James Fenton," the rabi said his part.

"Two faiths," the priest replied.

"Two hearts," the rabi continued.

"One love," they said in unison.

(04)

Then it was time for the vows. Jewish tradition doesn't do vows but I had planned on writing them anyway. Our life was too complicated for your run-of-the-mill vow recital. "Sam," Danny began. "It's hard to believe we're here, isn't it? I never imagined my actual best friend would be my wife but I've loved you since I met you. But love doesn't mean easy. We've had our trials and some we didn't overcome. But this, we have succeeded at. We're here, sweetheart. This isn't the end, though, this is the beginning.

"We will face future hardships but I know we will be strong enough to get through it. I love you with all my heart, Sam Manson, and it makes me delighted that you want to be my wife. I promise to cherish you, love you, protect you and provide for you for as long as we both shall exist but what's more important, I promise to be honest with you, allow you to take care of me sometimes and respect you not as my wife but as my equal. We have a long life ahead of us, Sam, and an even longer eternity, but I know forever isn't long enough when it comes to you."

"The bride," the rabi replied.

"Wow, Danny," I smiled. "This is happening. I never thought we'd be able to be together. For so long I wanted to be yours but I was too afraid to say it. We have come a long way and we have so very far to go. I know we can do it together. We will face hardships and there will be times that we will want to give up but I'm going to fight. I'm going to fight for our family, for our world and for our love. Not a day will go by that I am not by your side. If I'm not there physically, you can bet I'm there in spirit. Our futures are tied together and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Nothing can prepare us for the road we have ahead of us but I know we can do it. I expect a lot of uphill climbs in our future but the bad will stregthen us. Our hearts, our souls and our bodies have never been stronger but I know they will continue to grow. If we stand together, nothing can stand against us. I will fight for everything we have and everything we want. I will be that rock you need, I will allow you to be my rock and we will rely on each other to get through the really hard parts. I have no doubt in my mind that we will be together for an eternity. The type of love we have transends time and space. When we no longer exist, our love will remain. I promise to protect, love and cherish you, Danny Fenton. As your wife, as your lover, as your equal. From now to eternity."

"The rings," the christian priest replied. Dash's little brother, Dan Baxter, brought up the rings. Danny took the ring studded with black diamonds and slipped it on my finger.

"I take thee, Samantha Manson, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do we part."

"And I take thee, Daniel Fenton, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do we part."

I slipped his silver band on his ring finger.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the two spoke in unison. "You may kiss the bride."

We moved in and our lips touched. A spark of electricity traveled between us and a gust of wind blew. I felt something deep inside me, it felt like my heart but not quite, swell with energy. Danny pulled away to look at me in shock. I had never felt so powerful. My energy hit a peak and it felt like I could transform if I wanted to.

We left the alter, exiting to the left. We retreated inside and everyone filed in behind us. My grandmother hugged me tightly. "You look beautiful, Sammy. Congradulations, sweetheart."

"Thanks," I smiled, distracted. What was that?

I'd love to know that, Tucker replied telepathically.

You know, I've been used to him hearing the most private of thoughts for the past three years but when he said that, I jumped. It's been a week since I heard his voice in my head. Foley, you scared the hell out of me!

Well, you scared the hell out of me. What was that?

It's probably magnetism, I replied. You know how our bond is. Magnetism has been going crazy since Danny left on that trip.

Magnetism is a pull, not an increase in power. If we felt it, you know others can feel it.

I'm not worried and neither should you.

The Deejay interupted Tucker and I with an announcement. "Please vacate the dancefloor for the first dance of the new couple." Not knowing Tucker and I were talking, Danny held out his hand. A song began to play and I took Danny's hand, him leading me onto the dance floor. We could deal with this another time.

AN: Okay, I know you are bound to have some questions. First, you've probably already figured this out, but Blue is Danny's clone. When Vlad was hit by the Disasteroid, in my fanon, he was killed. Danny used the Reality Gauntlet to revive him but Vlad finds out that Sam and Danny have gotten together since then. At that time, Vlad can't stand Sam and he wants Danny back. When Vlad can't win Danny back, he begins slipping again. Having any form of Danny is better than being alone to Vlad, so he returns to the chalet and reanimates the "perfect" clone. That's where Danielle and her twins came in. Vlad has Danny abducted and impregnantes both Blue and Danny at the same time.

In my fanon, ghosts are gender-nuteral. It doesn't matter what sex you were when you were alive, any ghost can get any other ghost pregnant. The term is hermaphrodite. If you read my other stories, I include more ghosts that reproduce with the same gender. It's not just for Danny. I guess you can say it stems from my personal beliefs. I believe same-sex couples should be able to get married and down deep, I wish homosexuality wasn't a sin. Since sex is designed for reproduction, to make it natural that step had to come along.

If mpreg makes you uncomfortable, please don't turn away now. Sam will never call those kids "Vlad's kids". She's called them hers since Danny and she got together. If Vlad hadn't crossed the line and called them his kids (especially after what he did last time), it would have never come up. I tried to break it to you slowly but if it upsets you, please feel free to stop. There will be no hard feelings. :)

Okay, now as for the Mansons. The way the show portrays them, they get no love from me. It was a conversation I had with another author that I even started giving them a second chance. I can't comprehend anyone who would dislike their daughter's personality. I can get them not liking the Fenton's or Sam's friends but it's obvious that they love their daughter but hate Sam. At least, that's what I take away. I don't know if the Manson's would ever sell their daughter out for money but I do believe they would do anything to have the daughter they envision. This is the turning point for the Manson's in my fanon. When Danny called them, they realized if they ever wanted their daughter home, they had to accept Sam for who she is not who they want her to be.

Thanks for reading. Please leave a review.

Four

P.S. Sorry it's taken so long to post this. It's up now, though. Next Chapter: Monday!