~Chapter 25~

Since Sam was five and a half months, she could feel the babies kicking and rolling around. It was extremely uncomfortable when one of them was pushed into her uteral wall, as Dr. Macy had told her. It was like a gigantic kick. To top it, the twins would often wake her up during the night. One of them, at the very least, seemed to be very rambunctious. It could be both of them, but poor Sam chose to believe it was only one. She didn't think she could handle two hyper kids. Even with Danny and his family's help, if one of the twins had ADHD... Sam simply shook the thought out of her head.

Aside from bathroom breaks, the pregnant teen spent almost all day on the couch, watching TV. Daytime TV sucked...

One of the staff stopped by every now and then to bring her food, which had always been strictly vegetarian. She also had her prenatal vitamins and protein supplements brought to her. Being a vegan meant protein was hard to get by just eating vegetables and fruit, so she had to take daily supplements. Not that she minded much, so long as she didn't have to eat an animal. Just the thought of that was enough to make her shudder.

During her stay, there were, actually, a few occasions she had looked at the knife. But those were just looks and nothing more. She hoped the camera didn't mistake her looks for envy. It was the furthest thing from the truth. She had no desire for it whatsoever. She only looked at it because it was there, just like the ceiling and the carpet and the couch. She didn't know why she felt the need to look at everything in the room every so often; she assumed it was all part of being pregnant. Her hormones were probably making her both testy and nervous about her environment. But once Danny came to get her, she hoped that would all go away.

That night was about as eventful as the day had been. Nothing happened, other than the babies waking her up at least four times. Each time she woke, she got edgy and decided to observe the room. After assuring herself that both her and her unborn children were safe, she fell back asleep. Also during the night, no one dared disturb her. She figured it was because she did get nervous, and someone being seen in the shadows would scare her.

For the fifth time, one or both of the twins moved and/or kicked. It woke her up. Immediately, she felt the urge to make sure she wasn't in any danger. She looked around, getting tired of the same routine every night. With the knowledge that she was safe, she instantly fell back asleep.

Next morning, the goth woke up with a huge yawn. She brushed her teeth and hair and got ready to leave after she washed her face and changed her clothes. The knife remained untouched as she sat on the couch, waiting patiently for someone, hopefully Danny, to come and get her out of this place.

It took two more hours before someone finally came and got her. It wasn't Danny, but one of the staff. He was a skinny, yet tall, man with a white T-shirt and jeans on. He looked pretty casual. But then, all the staff did.

The man led Sam out of the room to the front door, where freedom was just a few steps away. Through the doors she could see a car parked outside, waiting for her. It wasn't Danny's car, so she guessed they were going to bring her to the Fentons' household. Boy, they really did their research here... It was kinda creepy.

The car ride seemed to take forever. She couldn't wait to see Danny again. She hadn't seen him in at least a month. But it was fine with her. Even though she had missed him, she knew he couldn't afford to arouse too much suspicion, especially with his parents being 'professional' ghost-hunters. And especially with Valerie on the loose. She figured he had been laying low all this time, going to school, studying, not leaving home too much except to capture and return ghosts to the Ghost Zone.

After an hour and a half, the car finally stopped in front of the Fentons' house. No one came out to see what the car was doing parked in front of their home. Maybe they were in the lab, or maybe they weren't expecting her. She didn't know, she just wanted to get out of the car and run up to the front door. She wanted to see Danny and Maddie and Jack...and maybe Jazz.

The car unlocked and she flung open the door, dashing out as fast as she could without tripping over her own feet.

The car sped off, as if eager to get back to Other Ways. Sam was glad it was gone; now she was no longer affiliated in any way with that place.

To her surprise, the front door wasn't locked, and she opened it without needing a house key. Danny was the first one she saw. He was sitting on the couch in the living room watching a program on television when he saw her walk in, bags and all. The goth couldn't ignore the smile that painted his face when he registered who it was.

He ran up to her and delivered a bone-crushing hug.

Half choking, Sam gently pushed him off. "Woah there, big fella. You're going to squish the babies."

"Oh, sorry. I must've gotten a little carried away. I missed you," he said, not dropping his smile for an instant.

"Babies?" Jazz asked as she came downstairs.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I'm having twins."

"Twins?" Danny's parents said had been in the lab and had come up to see what all the fuss was about.

Again, the goth nodded. "Uh-huh. They move around alot and like to wake me up. The doctor said you can feel them at six months. Only with me, you might be able to feel them right now."

Maddie was the first one on her knees, resting her head on Sam's stomach and waiting for one of the babies to kick. Not wanting to be rude, the vegan tolerated it.

One of the two moved in an awkward position, hurting Sam and making her gasp slightly.

"Oh! I felt it! I felt a kick!" Maddie squealed. She got up off the goth and tried not to make her feel uncomfortable, especially given what Danny had told them all.

"No, that wasn't a kick. One of the twins pushed the other one into my stomach," Sam corrected, not mentioning that it was beginning to hurt when they did that. It was like they were already fighting.

"Do you know what gender they are?" Danny asked.

Sam shook her head. "No. Dr. Macy said my next ultrasound would be in two weeks, and that's when we'll find out if they're boys or girls or one of both." A bump appeared on her stomach, and then disappeared just as quickly. "This is parental abuse."

Jack grinned and pulled his son into the kitchen. Danny hadn't even seen it coming, which made it all the funnier. Sam had just been deserted in the comments and questions that was his family.

"So, Danny, now that you know Sam is having twins, what are you going to do?" his dad asked.

"I'm going to help her raise them," the halfa answered truthfully.

He hoped Sam would let him stay at the hospital with her when the babies were born. Half of him wanted to stay in the room while they were being born for Sam's sake, but the other half thought it was too gross to watch. Even still, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of decisions the goth would make in the maternity ward. He already knew Jazz and his parents wouldn't be allowed in, but him? What would he be doing while Sam was suffering the pains of childbirth?

"I just want to warn you, son, twins usually come earlier than nine months."

"What? Why? And how did you know that?" Did this mean the babies were in danger of premature birth?

"Well, twins grow at the same rate as a nine-month pregnancy. Since both of them share the same womb, the mother has to go into labor earlier so the children won't be crushed against each other."

"How much earlier?"

"Oh, it ranges from about two weeks to a month. But just be alert when Sam reaches eight months. She'll probably go into labor around that time," Jack finished as he walked back out of the kitchen to watch his wife orbit the goth.

Danny just sat there, not knowing whether to freak out or stay calm. Early labor? He had been expecting her to give birth eventually, but he figured it would be a full nine months! Now all of a sudden it was early? He knew why and understood it, but still...early?

"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother! I have to remember to thank Danny for the kids! Oh, and thank you, too, Sam! They wouldn't exist without you!" Maddie could be heard excitedly squealing.

Meanwhile, Danny couldn't believe he was going to be a father in around two months' time. Well, he wasn't the real father, but he had promised Sam he'd help bring up the children. He couldn't go back on it now. He wasn't going back on it now. If anything, this proved the pregnant teen needed him even more. He had promised to stay by her side, and he would. He wasn't going to let her be a single mother, especially not at fifteen years old. Despite the shock of an early delivery, he was going to help her.

The halfbreed walked into the living room, where poor Sam was still getting pounded with question after question. He figured she would be exhausted from not only a long car ride, but from the grilling she was receiving.

"What do you think the babies will be, two boys, two girls, or one of each?" Jazz asked.

It took a moment before Sam could answer; she had to think about it first. Come to think...she hadn't even asked herself what she wanted them to be yet. Two girls would be calmer and less rambunctious. Two boys would certainly be interesting to raise. A boy and a girl would be...um...well, she didn't really know how to explain it. The girl would probably be into girly things and fairies. The boy would be grossed out by that stuff. The boy would be more interested in war games and horror movies. The girl would get nightmares from such things. But then again, two of any gender might be bad because if they looked alike, she would never be able to tell them apart. With one boy and one girl, she wouldn't have that problem.

"I don't really know. I guess I'll just go along with whatever they turn out to be," she replied after much thought.

It was Danny who finally stepped in and saved her from the barrage.

"Okay, everyone, I think that's enough. Sam's had a long day. She probably just wants to relax now," he stated.

The halfa was absolutely right. Sam was tired and just wanted to rest. Maybe flop on the couch and settle down for a movie, or just curl up on Danny's bed and go to sleep. Either one would work, but getting comfy on the couch seemed like a better idea since she could both watch a movie and drift off. Only problem was, if she were to roll over, she would fall off. Dr. Macy told her she needed to be very careful about falling since it could seriously injure the twins. Also, she couldn't sleep on her back for the rest of her pregnancy. But the good news was, she didn't really move much in her sleep, and she always ended up on her side, even if she fell asleep on her back. She decided the couch was a better option.

Jazz went upstairs to get a book and Maddie and Jack went back down to the lab, which had alarms screaming like crazy. It wasn't a ghost, they never had alarms for them. Something must have gone critical in there, because knowing those two, they would have stayed right by her until the thrill of two babies wore off. Danny refused to go anywhere and sat on the couch beside her. He flipped on the television and purchased an upcoming comedy.

"Hope they didn't give you too much trouble," he said with a little chuckle.

"Nah, it was fine. They were just excited," she said. Boy, was that the truth!

The movie started, but sometime during the beginning, the goth had fallen asleep on Danny's shoulder. Not the he cared, he actually was thrilled to have her in this position. He literally didn't move a muscle, for fear of waking her up. As much as he wanted to lay his head on hers, he didn't. As much as he wanted to snuggle closer to her, he didn't. As much as he wanted to hold her, he didn't. He didn't know if it was the right time for her. She didn't exactly react well when he tried to kiss her, and she'd known and trusted him for years. Maybe now just wasn't the right time, maybe she needed to get over her fear first.

Danny could be as patient as it took. Anything, even his own life, was worth it for her. He wanted to make sure she was safe and happy above all else. The twins, too. He kind of felt like he was their real dad, being around them and their mother so much. He wanted to help her once they were born, and he knew she would have to take them to school with her unless she dropped out. He knew she didn't want to do that; despite her hatred for school, she wanted a high school diploma. It would be so much easier for her to get a job that way.

He was just worried about the man. What he came after Sam again? And if he did, what if he wasn't there to protect her? Sam wasn't going to let him follow her around everywhere all the time. Yes, she wanted to be protected, but she wanted her space as well. Unless the halfa was in the air, he wouldn't be able to see around the corners of the walls at school or when she was walking home. And he couldn't be in the air much because people would notice the unusual absence of Danny Fenton and the unusual constant presence of Danny Phantom. If it came down to a matter of his secret or Sam, he would definitely give up his secret. But if both could be kept safe, that could work better to his advantage.

He stopped thinking about it and enjoyed both the movie and Sam's company.

After Sam had settled back down in his house and the awkwardness of it all had worn off, Danny would go search for the man that had done this to Sam. Unfortunately, since the goth could provide no clues about the offender, it was too bad he had nowhere to start looking. When she was in Other Ways, he had repeatedly checked out the two places she had been raped at. The first place held nothing, and the second no better. The second place only had an almost unnoticeable blood stain from when he had knocked Sam out, and her torn clothes which could no longer be used. Anything else he might have been able to use was washed away by the rain, probably only to fall into a storm drain somewhere. He had tried, but somehow, even with all his ghost powers, that man had managed to elude him. He hoped that after awhile something might come back to the goth, some memory that she had forgotten, something that could help.

Sam didn't even know how crucial she was to this dangerous game of hide-and-seek. Nobody knew what this guy looked like. Sam was the only one as far as the halfa knew. The only problem was that she didn't want to remember any of what happened. She wanted to forget all about the man and his actions. It was a shame she would never be able to...

A/N

Okay, so I'm really sorry for the semi-late update. THIS time, though, I have a perfectly valid excuse. Several, actually. First and foremost, my brother was hogging the computer, and every time I waited to get on, something came up (like dishes, laundry, room-cleaning, bathroom-cleaning, or leaving to go somewhere). Then we had my baby sister's first birthday. I couldn't bring myself to get on and type when she was so excited over her balloons and gargantuan teddy bear! TOO CUTE! Then we went to Chatanooga, which was two hours away, and spent the whole day there. By the time we got back, I was too exhausted to type. On top of everything that had been happening so far, I've been trying so hard to memorize all three first sections in my driver's manual. That's right, I'm studying for my written test! :D Only setback is that I want to pass the written test the very first time I take it, so I'm studying so hard it often gives me the WORST brain fry! No typing after that... -_-" So much has been happening, so I haven't really had much time to write this. And you guys are actually lucky I was able to update today. I have a doctor's appointment today. I dunno when it'll end, so...yeah.

Truth be told, I had actually written out almost all of this chapter by the time the always-evil Monday struck. Busy week...

New quota will be four hundred and six (406) reviews. But it would be frikin awesome if I could pull off 420 reviews! XD Anyway, only asking for 406.

M'kay, so I'll give you guys your review replies. OH, but before I do, THANK YOU TONS FOR REVIEWING! Even going so far as to go OVER the number I asked! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST! ...Um, right, here are your replies now...

Sunshine-Midnight123-I thought Danny should be a little sweeter than he has been lately. Glad I made that work! :D

Danny Phantom Phanatic-XD ikr? One of my fave parts! Gotta say, I had lots of fun writing that part!

Codiak-CRAP NOT ANOTHER ONE! LIIIIIVVVVEEEE!

YukiNightwish-lolz, you're nuts, I can tell! :P

Danny Phantom Fan1-Woah, language, language... Well, sort of. What Sam was doing wasn't EXACTLY fooling them, a small part of it was real. It's kinda complicated...but here goes: Sam didn't ever tell them the truth about why she first started cutting. Every step has been based on 'she got pregnant at a young age', instead of what really happened. It worked for her, but for the wrong reason. Making any sense now?

KarlaG15-Hahaha! Well, I know everyone, including you, was expecting it to be this huge, climactic ending of that scenario. But answer me this if you're disappointed: what was I supposed to do in a lonely room with only one person there? Start a dance party? Plus, it's a little more realistic that way. ...Ah, who am I kidding, it was disappointing just to write that stupid part.

xxxAngelBlueEyesxxx-Oh, geez, you okay? I wanted someone to find out and no matter when I put it in, it was going to be Jenna no matter what.

Gracie407-lolz Don't worry, it didn't. (well duh, you already know that, you just read the chapter!)

KP100-Thx, lolz! (what are we loling about?)

L.-...Um, at least two months. Or longer. Eh...let's just say you don't wanna know.

Inventor of ZADRF-Asparagus is flat-out disgusting... Okay, so many people have been hinting at more romance between Sam and Danny. What KIND of romance, though? Dating, bf/gf, serious, intimate? Tell me! I COMMAND YOU ALL!

Titansgirl-otherstuff-Okay, first of all, you walked RIGHT into being pushed into the pool! XD I still can't believe you did that! And I quote myself: "Okay, now stand on the edge, with your tippy toes gripping the edge, like- yeah, like that. *pushes you into pool*. XDDDD MEGA LOL! How did you NOT see that coming? XD Oh, and another thing, QUIT RUNNING ME OVER WITH TRAINS. And also, you left some of your hair bands your hair bands here. I should just mail them back. Oh, and tell Katrina she left her pajamas here, too.

IsadoraKayStone-It is anti-climactic, but the story will have a climactic ending, so...yeah. Yes, there will be a sequel. As soon as I figure out the plot to that sequel.

Applejax XD-Thank you! :D

DannySamLover20-Thanks, and I will!

xsugarxblossomx-Wait no longer, then!

Kagome-M'kay, I have actually read your previous review on Hidden Secrets. Fanfiction got all wacked out and deleted that specific document, among others. I'm currently trying to remember where I was on that story, because when it got deleted, I had the entire chapter written out. I'm sorry, but right now, I just can't update yet. I'm not going to abandon the story, though. No matter how long it takes me to update, I NEVER abandon one of my stories.

Again, if you haven't read Inventor of ZADRF's review reply, please tell me what kind of romance you're looking for in this story. I can make it happen, but guys are confusing me a little bit here. Choose from one of these options (all options will stay T-rated): Dating-just dates and stuff in those lines/Gf/Bf-boyfriend slash girlfriend, a few kisses here and there, holding hands/Serious-deeper kisses, more frequent kisses, hanging out together alot/Intimate-much more serious loving, very passionate kisses, sensual stuff

There are your options, please pick one. The one with the most votes will be placed as the main romance in the story, so choose EXACTLY what you want.