Welcome back friends, hope you're doing well and gearing up for the upcoming holidays! Thank you to my reviewers, your kind words are always the best gifts.

Previously In The Love With Had Before: Danny and gang gear up for their boss battle against Infe, who finds himself nearly defeated by their teamwork. But then he calls up on unexpected allies and Danny's backed into a corner by Infe's new bait: the appearance of Sam Manson.

Chapter Ten

"Sam."

Danny breathed her name into the darkness, suddenly flooded with a maelstrom of emotions. He couldn't explain the misguided joy at seeing her right there in front of him as if summoned in a dream. He almost couldn't believe she was real. If it weren't for the rope tied around her wrists and bandana covering her eyes, he might have assumed she wasn't. She was the same Sam he knew, as she was dressed in her usual goth garb: mini-skirt, black shirt, and accessories. Her hair had grown longer over the years but he knew without touching it, how soft it would feel under his fingertips. He reached out for her instinctively, drawn to her presence like a moth to a flame.

But Infe pulled her away as soon as he moved forward, clicking his tongue. "Ah ah ah…"

Sam struggled in his grip, her disorientation quickly replaced by anger. "Let go of me - you - ghost jerk!"

She landed a swift kick to his shins and Infe actually grunted, his scowl deepening. His hands lit up like a sparkler and Danny's heart collided with his ribcage.

"Don't!" he shouted, lunging toward them again.

But Infe switched targets at the last second and thrust his hand out, hitting Danny squarely in the chest with the sparks. His body absorbed the shock and he was brought to his knees as lightning consumed him. On all fours, he tried to catch his breath, the pin-and-needle feeling hitting all his limbs, as if he'd gone numb.

"Danny!" Sam cried.

"Shut up!" Infe insisted, jerking her backwards again. "Shut up or I'll zap you just like I did him. And he knows I'll do it."

"Sam," Danny grunted. "Don't do anything to make him hurt you."

She must have heard the fear in his voice because after a moment, she heaved a sigh and nodded. He knew how hard it must have been for her to relent, she'd always been such a fighter in these types of situations. He admired that about her - her insistence to never give up, never back down.

He staggered to his feet slowly, meeting Infe's gaze. "What do you want?"

Infe laughed and Danny swore somewhere he could hear the sound of nails shredding through metal. The bitter sound just seemed wrong and devoid of any feeling besides pain.

"Haven't you been paying attention? Fine. I'll spell it out for you. My deal is simple, Phantom kid. You want your little dark angel safe and sound? You'll join forces with me."

"What kind of choice is that?" Danny exclaimed. "You've spent all this time trying to convince me that you're not chocked full of evil and you're going to offer that? I know how ghosts like you think. There's never a good option in your ultimatums."

"Is this your preferred option?" Infe suddenly grabbed Sam by the collar of her jacket and dangled her over the edge, managing to keep a steady hold even as she kicked out in an attempt to get back on solid ground.

Danny heard the panicked noise she let out and hollered, "Stop. I'll do it." The command was more out of impulse than thought, though he didn't have a second one.

"I could show you what a real broken heart feels like, kid. Or you can take the easy route and become a Wrecker. Lead armies, fight for justice, and create chaos. I know it probably doesn't make any sense now but you'll come to learn what we do. In time." Infe still didn't pull Sam back from the edge and his dark gaze didn't leave Danny's.

Danny tried to come up with a scenario where neither decision had to be made. He obviously couldn't let Sam fall to her doom, and there could have been many alternatives to preventing it using his ghost powers. However, once again, Infe's lightning bolt had sapped him of his energy. He'd managed to maintain his form but just barely. He couldn't risk his powers failing him if she fell. He already didn't know what to do without her.

But what Infe offered seemed like a deal with a devil. He didn't trust that Infe wouldn't use him for some future plan that promised armageddon for the human world - or the ghost one. He knew the Wrecker could just as easily trick him, manipulate him into doing his dirty work. Danny wouldn't allow himself to be controlled that way. He couldn't.

"Well?" Infe pressed.

"Fine," he said, licking his lips nervously. "I'll do it."

"Do what? Say the words."

"I'll join you or whatever. I'll become a Wrecker and play your little mind games," he said, throwing on the sarcasm.

"Hmm, sounds too easy," Infe contemplated. "Is it love that makes you so quick to decide, or is it something else you've got up your sleeve?"

"And how do I know you won't betray me immediately?"

Infe's eyes narrowed. "You don't."

Danny threw up his hands as if defeated. "Guess we're at an impasse."

"Not...necessarily."

The Wrecker slowly set Sam back down on the jagged floor and regarded Danny with suspicious eyes. His grip around Sam never faltered but he stuck out an apprehensive hand. "You swear loyalty to me and you won't need girls like this anymore, kid. You're so willing to give up everything for her?"

Danny thought it was weird that Infe wanted to shake hands to seal the deal and his own suspicions rose. He didn't trust whatsoever that this alliance would be false from the start, that this choice would lead him to a path of pain and destruction.

But the physical contact, even if it was brief, did provide an opportunity...

"I am," he insisted suddenly.

"Danny, don't!" Sam intervened.

Her blindfold had fallen slightly, so that only one lavender eye was unhindered. Danny met her worried gaze and tried not to reveal anything. If he hesitated even a little and this newly forming plan failed, Infe was going to make him a Wrecker or worse, causing harm to Sam. But he'd do it - he'd sacrifice anything for her and he hoped that deep down, she knew that, even if it meant he had to lose her either way.

"I swear it," he said again, forcing his eyes to look back at Infe.

Infe held out his hand and Danny, pretending to feign uncertainty, flexed his fingers and discreetly primed the Fenton Thermos on his suit's sleeve. His shaking palm met Infe's and for a moment, Infe smiled, sensing victory.

But in a blur of motion, Danny kicked the Thermos attachment on and shoved the now glowing opening at Infe. His arm trembled with the effort of so much power running through the suit but Infe was already trapped in the white-blue vortex, screaming as he was sucked into the space. There was a whoosh of air caused by the energy and then an abrupt silence.

Danny knew he didn't have much time, as he'd sensed Infe might have prepared for any deviation to happen; and lo and behold, the Wrecker had shoved Sam hard at the last second. She cried out as her boots scrambled for purchase and found none on the broken edge. Her mouth formed a scream as she started to fall.

He reached for her, catching her arm as it flailed in the air right before gravity took hold.

"I've got you," he promised.

He could have let her go once she was back on the solid ledge but instead he pulled her into his arms, breathing a sigh of relief. Her head fell onto his chest, fitting perfectly under his chin. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the closeness, realizing just how much he'd missed her, even though he'd thought of little else since she'd left. He could feel her racing heartbeat against his ribs in synchronization with his.

"Danny, are you -" she began.

But there was a loud crack that echoed through the hollow space that cut off her question. Danny felt the unnatural movement beneath his feet too late as the ledge they stood on crumbled in on itself. The next thing they knew, they were dropping rapidly into the darkness below, large chunks of debris hovering around them in freefall.

Before he could summon his ability to fly, Danny hit the ground on his back and pain exploded in his head, flashes of white and yellow temporarily blinding him. Sam landed with a grunt on top of him and screamed out a warning as several blocks of concrete and rebar soared towards them from above.

Adrenaline took hold of his hands and he called upon the short burst of energy to form a shield of ice and ectoplasm around them, feeling the weight of half the house collapsing on it. His hands shook as he poured more power into the shield to protect him and Sam from getting crushed. He literally felt the impact of the heavier chunks trying to break past the barrier but eventually, the barrage stopped. Outside the dome was chaos, but he'd managed to defend them inside the small bubble of energy.

"You okay?" he asked her, his words strangely slurred.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said breathlessly. "You?"

He took a moment to answer. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good." And then he blacked out.

That was a little shorter than I expected, but hopefully not any less exciting. The next chapter will be longer, I already know.

Thanks for your continued support!

Kat Day