Author's Note: Okay, so it took me a month, and I'm totally sorry. I decided that since you guys have been so patient, I'd make the chapter longer for you. So I did some switching around, and this is what I came up with. I'm rather pleased with the romance, though I'm frustrated with my take on Jack's character. I was just harping about him to my one friend, and here I am having difficulty establishing the right about of naiveté. Oh well…

Warning! Okay, so I've been reading way too many romance novels. Again. I've decided that parts of this chapter could definitely be considered lemony, so if you're not into that, just skip over the first half. The stuff with the Fright Knight in the middle is tame, though, and necessary to the plot. Please read that.

Oh, and just a heads up: Tucker gets some.

Chapter 25- Passion and Practice

Tucker lay silently in bed, his arm draped caressingly over Emlyn's waist. Her back was pressed against his chest and they were curled together closely. Over the unruly sweep of her red hair, Tucker could just barely make out her sleeping profile. He smiled and reached up to brush her cheek with his fingertips, and in sleep she edged even closer to him. He loved that; the way she instinctively gravitated toward him in bed. Grinning now, he slid his hand down and over her breasts. In response, Emlyn wriggled slightly, and her nose crinkled. He loved that, too… she was so cute when she was just waking up.

He loved the way she didn't balk at being woken by his touch, simply rolled over and returned the favor. He loved the way her hands knew exactly where to go to make his eyes close, or make him sigh. He loved her contradiction of shyness and boldness; he loved her mouth beneath his own. He loved the way her body fit to his so perfectly, matching curve to line. He loved the way her legs cradled him and the way her half-open eyes looked so sultry, and yet so honest.

"Emlyn," he whispered.

"Tucker…" she answered, and he loved the sound of his name on her lips.

And as he loved her, she loved him back.

Later, as once again she slipped back into sleep, Tucker watched. He would never get tired of being with her. Ever. He could spend the rest of his life with this woman, and he would be perfectly content. It seemed so long ago that she'd fallen through Danny's ceiling and they'd been thrown into this crazy adventure. From secret training to fights with ghosts to kings and queens to romance, they'd been on a wild rollercoaster ride. Part of him wanted it to end so they could all settle down… but part of him loved the adrenaline rushes followed by short respites of peace. He knew that their adventures would never end, even when the Knight of Darkness was defeated. Finally resting his head down on the pillow beside her, he replaced his arm around her waist.

He was her knight in shining computerized armor, and he would never let her go.

Upstairs, Danny and Sam were gaining their second wind.

"Oh, hell yes," Sam said, laughing as she lay sprawled on the bed. Danny chuckled into her neck.

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself."

With her returning energy, she swatted his shoulder. "Don't sound so smug. Remind me why we waited so long to do this?"

"Because we're good little children who actually listened to our parents' sex talks…" He shuddered. "However awkward they were."

Sam giggled and rolled over, pinning Danny down. "So let's make up for lost time."

Danny had the nerve to roll his eyes. "Jeez, Sam, slow down. You've got me cross-eyed, and I might just want to be able to look at you some time tonight."

She paused, and he immediately knew he was in for it.

"Look at me, huh?" Slowly, Sam placed her hands on his chest and rose above him. Danny's eyes widened and his heart rate doubled. His expression quickly turned pleading, however, as Sam lifted her arms over her head and stretched. She smiled seductively down at him. "Enjoying the view?"

"I always knew you were sadistic."

Sam laughed and squeezed Danny's hips with her thighs, making a rather amusing, choked sound emit from his throat. "Oh, Danny… you ain't seen nothing yet."

Fright Knight sat in a high-backed chair, fingertips together. A purple fire roared beside him, illuminating the room with an ethereal glow. In the corner, Ember knelt.

It hadn't taken much to convince the Knight of Darkness to let him keeper. Some well-placed innuendo and lifted eyebrows had done the trick, combining nicely with Knight's sadistic outlook on life. Why not let 'little brother' keep a ghost as some kind of slave? It didn't bother anyone except the slave, and that didn't matter much in his mind.

In reality, slavery was not what Fright had in mind. For years he'd been watching as Skulker and Ember became closer and he could do nothing about it. Now, at last, he had an opportunity to steal the siren's heart. True, it could be difficult given the way he'd acquired this chance, but where there's a will, there's a way.

She'd been sitting very still for a long while. Her hands were bound behind her back, though he'd given her an opportunity to clean up and eat before taking assurances that she would not escape. Finally no longer to stand the virtual silence, he spoke to her.

"I hope you don't hate me. I want you to understand that I did not bring you here for malicious purposes. In actuality, I saved your life."

"Ha! Save me from that punk and his friends? It's not like they don't let us go all over again."

Fright shook his head. "Not true anymore. Danny Phantom is the ghost king, and he understands more and more that his mercy toward ghosts is what causes him so much trouble. He has grown up, Ember. I'll tell you this; if Skulker is not already destroyed, he will be soon. Phantom's allies will not allow anything else."

"No! Skulk wouldn't let that happen to him! He's too strong!"

"And yet, he was captured. He has been captured multiple times. You've had more luck fighting Phantom than he has. Can you truly call that strength?"

Ember did not answer. Making a final decision, he removed his helmet to reveal a pale but strong face and jet-black hair. Fright Knight stood and moved to her, lifting her to her feet. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, she tried to twist away. "Get your hands off me!"

He simply held on tighter, forcing her to remain still, though her face would not turn to him. "You have such fire… it is part of what I adore about you." He leaned forward and touched his lips to her ear. "I want to feel that fire, Ember. I've wanted it for the longest time. I don't dare take it from you, but I swear that one day you will give it freely."

She turned to him, only to say, "Keep dreaming, dipstick."

He dropped her and moved back to his chair. "Don't worry. I will."

The blast hit the training room wall and burst, leaving behind a large black mark.

"Good!" Emlyn yelled as Tucker formed another orb between his hands. "Now make the next one bigger!"

He concentrated hard on putting as much energy as he could into the shining yellow ball he held. He focused his anger and resentment at the Knight of Darkness, making the ball turn dark red with the emotions. He pushed it out with a yell, using as much force as he could. This time, when it hit the wall, the light exploded, scorching from floor to ceiling. Tucker fell to his knees, out of breath and out of energy. Emlyn was grinning as she walked over and stood beside him.

"What?" he asked between heavy breaths. "You're not even going to help me up."

"Nope. That was an amazing attack, but you need to learn to recuperate from it quickly. If we were in battle, you wouldn't have five minutes to get your strength back. You've got ability, and you've got power. This coming week is about teaching you stamina… and rounding off your other skills."

Just to drive her point home, Emlyn formed a bright red orb in one hand and sent it hurtling toward the wall. The scorch mark it left behind had expanded five feet onto every wall around it. She wasn't even sweating.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're an amazing sorceress and I should bow down and worship you until my dying day." He stood while she laughed and nodded. "Let's get back to it, then."

Emlyn fixed the wall, making it clean as new. Tucker formed another spell and blasted it out. However, instead of slamming into the wall like it was supposed to, it curved and hovered near the ceiling in the middle of the room. Tucker stared at it in frustration, his mouth twisted into a snarl of failure. He was about to say something witty and sarcastic when the orb began to glow a menacing red before darkening to black. Its energy pulsed out, sending vibrations around them. Emlyn's eyes widened.

"Down!" she yelled, racing across the room toward him and crouching next to him, forming an energy shield around them. Tucker was too shocked to help her as rays of searing light broke out from the ball and scorched the walls. The ball turned and shifted, and the rays drew black, curving lines over the room around them. Each time a ray hit their shield Emlyn winced, trying to strengthen it. The orb spun faster, and soon the rays were a blur, flashing like a laser show. Tucker was startled when one of them broke through Emlyn's shield, forming a sharp dark line on the ground between them. Their vulnerability broke through Tuck's amazement and he refortified the shield, allowing Emlyn to relax a little. He watched as his spell expanded, retracted, and then exploded in mid-air, shaking the entire room. After that there was silence, and Emlyn motioned for him to lower the shield. She stood, somewhat breathless, and surveyed the damage.

There wasn't a clear spot to be found, except where they'd been crouching. Everything else was a charred and flaking black. A light clicking sound could be heard when tiny pieces of the walls and ceiling fell to the floor. She looked down, biting her lip thoughtfully, at the place where Tucker's spell had broken her shield. She glanced at him before returning her gaze to the room, still seeing the black ball in her mind. "Effective," she said simply before waving the room back to normal.

That's when Danny and Sam came racing down to meet them. They appeared out of one wall and skidded to a halt before their friends.

"What happened?" Danny asked, his eyes darting around the room.

"We felt shaking!" Sam exclaimed.

Emlyn's eyes widened. Danny was wearing only pants, and the top button wasn't even done, showing he'd put them on hurriedly. Sam had a sheet wrapped around her. Emlyn smiled. "Nothing's wrong; sorry to get you guys up. I thought you'd be out and about by now… it is, after all, nearly noon."

The couple shared a blush as Tucker rolled on the floor, laughing. "Don't change the subject," Danny said grouchily, trying to hide his embarrassment and hiding behind a corner of Sam's sheet. "What the heck went on down here?"

"Just a little demonstration," she replied, her lip twitching uncontrollably. "Nothing to be worried about. Why don't you—" She snorted, trying to hold back laughter. "Go back to bed, you guys." Her mirth broke out then, and she laughed without restraint, covering her mouth with her hand.

Danny and Sam Glared at them and turned to stalk out of the room. They disappeared through the wall from which they came, and Emlyn flopped down to sit on the floor. Tucker shifted over to join her, and they shared a smile.

"It's weird to see them like that," Tucker admitted. "They've been together for a while, and I've seen them making out, but they were always adamant… no sex…" He chuckled. "I used to be grossed out by it. Now I'm just happy for them."

"What do you think they'll say when we tell them?" Emlyn asked, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

He snaked an arm around her waist and yanked her closer, dipping his lips to the curve of her shoulder and neck. "What, that we're going to spend the rest of our lives together?" He nudged her hair out of the way and traveled up to kiss just behind her ear. She shivered, and though he couldn't see, her eyes closed. "I think they'll be happy. You know, the day you showed up we were talking about how much I needed a woman." He reached down and gently began unhooking the chains that held her top together. He paused just below her breasts, and though his breath on her ear warmed her, she could tell he was thinking about something seriously. "Damn…I've grown up," he said finally, resting his palm against her bare stomach.

She turned and rested her forehead against his. "What do you mean?"

"Before all of this, my biggest worry was Sam killing me when she found out it was me who nominated her for prom queen. Now…" He kissed her lightly, and her world spun. She stroked her leg along his and he smiled. "I'm planning for a family. I'm thinking about where we'll live and how I'm going to support us. It's easy here in the Spirit Realm… no money needed. But back where my parents are, it's an entirely different story. And I'm considering your ties to Africa. I know you have that medicine man there—the one who helped you after your father died."

"I would like to see him again."

"I know. My point is, I never would have considered that a few months ago. My priorities have completely flipped."

Emlyn stared into his eyes worriedly. Was he upset about the change in him? Did he want to go back to the way he was? Was he going to leave her and return to his old life of near normalcy? "It that a bad thing?" she asked instead, hoping he would answer all her questions at once.

He did. "No, it's a good thing. I like the change. I can handle more, and I think I have more of Danny's respect than I did." His finger returned to their quest in ridding her of her top. "And I have you to thank."

She swatted his hand away and finished removing the garment herself. She noticed he became distracted instantly and grinned. "Whatever you feel, I don't want your gratitude."

She could see he wanted to touch her, and for a few seconds she expected him to. But he forced his gaze back to her eyes, determined to finish their conversation. His consideration and respect for her made her heart swell. "What do you want?" he asked, an eyebrow lifted.

She took his hand and placed it on her skin. "Everything," she responded.

With a laugh Tucker reached out to embrace her. "You have it!" he said, and kissed her gladly.

He wanted a cookie.

Jack glanced around him, but in the backwoods of Wisconsin, there didn't seem to be a bakery anywhere in sight. He frowned and put the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle—er… the RV—on autopilot and rummaged behind the front seat, searching for his secret stash. He mumbled in his search, not hearing the insistent beeping that issued from the dashboard. He didn't see the blinking red light.

He turned back around with a grin, chocolate-chip cookie in hand. He'd taken a bite and was chewing thankfully when he finally looked out the windshield and screamed.

Vlad Masters's hulking mansion was looming straight ahead, and the RV was not slowing down. Jack shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth and began hitting buttons, searching frantically for a way to turn off the autopilot.

Note to self: change Fenton Family Assault Vehicle's commands so that on and off switch are in the same place.

Having no luck in finding the off switch, Jack opted for cowering under the wheel. She pushed the seat back as far as it could go and just squeezed down below the dash, squirming uncomfortably. He braced himself and waited.

The impact was jolting, but the heavy armor on the RV was enough to shield Jack from the onslaught of debris and the tremendous crash. The vehicle went right through the outer wall and into Vlad's personal study. It slammed through the fireplace and flew down a set of hidden stairs, finally coming to a screeching halt at the bottom.

For a few minutes, everything was still. Then Jack's stomach growled and he decided it was time to investigate the situation. He removed himself with some difficulty from his hiding place and stretched mightily. On the way out of the damaged RV door, he grabbed an ecto-gun and powered it up lazily.

The place he'd landed was high-tech and shiny, and for a moment Jack was distracted by all the new technology. "I wonder if Vlad knows this is down here," he muttered, walking aimlessly. His focus was caught, however, when he saw a large ghost portal against one wall. Jack glanced at his watch, which was still reading the signal from the place the ghostly video had been filmed. It was in the ghost zone.

Jack's eyes widened with fear, and for a moment he stood in indecision. He didn't know a lot about the inside of the ghost zone—his wife had always warned him that the equalizing matter of the tubular tributaries embedded in the infrastructure was unstable and possibly quite dangerous. And Maddie… she wasn't there! She was the one with all the fighting ability…

Jack shook his head resolutely and stepped toward the ghost portal. Danny was in there somewhere, and he had to save him! His only son…

"I'm coming, Danny!" Jack cried and plunged into swirling green.

The ghost zone was strange and new, and Jack's eyes widened as he looked around him. He was floating like a ghost among doors of many different sizes and shapes. He looked to the side and noticed that one was open. Curiosity overwhelming him, Jack kicked his legs and floated over to the door, peering in. There was only darkness, so he leaned in and stepped forward.

Light flooded his eyes and he squinted against it. After a few moments he saw through the haze to a figure standing tall and proud. Upon closer inspection Jack could see disfiguring scars marring the figure's entire face and black hair falling freely around his shoulders. The door shut with a snap behind him and Jack turned to see the Fright Knight standing there, arms crossed over his chest.

Over against one wall, Vlad Masters lay bleeding and unconscious. Jack lifted his ecto-gun and aimed it at the only one in the room he didn't know.

"Where's Danny!"

"Out at the moment," the stranger said humorously, stepping forward. "But he'll be here, soon."

The room plunged into darkness.

Wasn't that just delightful? I love cliffhangers.

There was a bit of a mix-up with the SagePoint, and I told some people they were wrong when they were actually right. So, for posterity, here are the people that answered correctly: Sam-n-Danny1, Oasis Blackmore, Hakkyou Kuuso, and Mama Agwe. Congrats to all of you.

SagePoint: What religion is Butch Hartman? How does he feel about his values being shown in his shows? (Random, I know, but I thought it was interesting. As a head start for you guys, the answer can be found in the "episodes" section of the DP forum at Butch Hartman's website. It's still a lot to go through, I know, so I'll give you this hint: it's in a closed topic. There! Now there's only like two postings to page through.)