Whoops...happy Friday everyone!

In the previous chapter, Sam was confronted with the consequences of her addictive behavior. Although Sam put up somewhat of a fight, her strong will to be the best mother she could be for Danielle helped her to accept that she needed to start seeing Jazz independently. Along those same lines, Sam shares with Danielle at dinner that she wasn't sick like the flu, but struggling with her mental health. We're also offered a sneak peak in Sam seeking out Danny for comfort she will no longer find with addictive substances.

Chapter 26: Birthday Girl

Jazz's Office, Amity Park

April 25th

7:12 pm

Sam was forever grateful that Jazz kept her practice open late to squeeze her in whenever worked best, especially on nights like these when the trio had a ghostly encounter to take care of that ruined the schedule she had originally set with the redhead. Not only was Jazz amazing at her practice-she'd practically started as the designated shrink back in high school when she began helping her brother and their friends after she learned about the Phantom's secret-she also completely understood the nuances of ghosts and halfas and the relationship Sam and Danny had long shared. Jazz didn't need to pry unnecessarily to understand all the ups and downs Sam had lived through because she so desperately wanted to keep the halfa in her life until it was no longer safe for her to do so. Jazz knew all about Sam's childhood firsthand, and though the two had never been as close as Jazz would have liked, Sam had confided in the older girl later in her teen years as their group grew stronger with the ghost hunting they did together.

This was Sam's third individual session with Jazz since the revelation of her addiction came to heed, but Jazz promised her that they would cut back once the two felt secure that Sam's withdrawals were weakened. The Goth was pale and jumpy but she truly did feel better after talking with Jazz and taking her hydration seriously. Sam still found herself reaching into her dresser drawer in the mornings-it was automatic-but her halfas did a good job at keeping her distracted. It was a good thing they were holding off on sending Dani to a real school until her age matched the grade she would attend instead of having her start this year after the Spring Break. Homeschooling took a lot of focus as her daughter was a hands on learner.

"How did your boss like the photos you took for your cover story?" Jazz inquired. Sam still had a very busy life as a journalist, but that was no excuse for finding time to use skills that could help with her withdrawals and anxiety. Sam's depression wasn't as strong as her anxiety now that she had people to turn to when she felt lonely, but the anxiety actually stemmed from her fears that it would all be gone one day. The trauma of having ripped herself away from everyone she loved and cared for as a teen had left Sam feeling insecure in her relationships, not to mention the empty childhood she endured. The two were exploring different skills she could use on her own because it was inevitable that eventually Sam would be alone some of the times when she felt anxious. Photography had always been something the Goth had enjoyed, just like all the other art mediums, but this way Sam wouldn't have to take time away from work either.

"She really liked them," Sam answered, a small smile playing out on her shy lips. "She said I was free to continue using my own photography so long as I made the deadlines for the editors in the photo lab."

"That's wonderful! And did you find yourself reaching for your camera when you began to feel anxious?" Jazz followed up. It was one thing to take pictures, it was another to use them as a skill.

"Yes, actually, a couple times, but Danny's still paying super close attention so I haven't had much alone time lately," Sam confided. She was thankful her halfas wanted to spend time with her and be a part of her healing, but she knew it couldn't last forever so she tried her best to purposely practice her solo skills. Besides, she still appreciated her alone time and knew eventually Danny would have to work on his fear about leaving her alone. It wasn't that Danny thought Sam would break the second he left her, it was more that he was extremely paranoid and saw no reason in being proactive in leaving Sam alone since he actually, you know, loved her and loved spending time with her.

Danielle, although ready to drop what she was doing to spend time with her mom when asked, seemed to otherwise be returning to life as normal already. The young girl saw no reason to think life wasn't going to get better now that her mom was getting professional help. Unlike her dad, she wasn't worried about when the first relapse might happen or why her mom seemed to be a little more tired at the breakfast table. She just took it in stride and made sure to give her mom an extra hug and a kiss before she left for whatever adventure awaited her that day. As the family therapist, Jazz was very proud of her niece.

"So what did you do this morning when you reached for the pills and they weren't there?" Jazz inquired, continuing with her line of questioning as their time wound down.

"This morning I just cuddled up to my pillow and slept in for an extra ten minutes. It's still really hard to fall asleep so I've been taking naps with Danielle this week. It's nice, but I don't want to rely on her to fall asleep, you know?" Sam answered. She knew the bags under her eyes were obvious even with her make-up. It was just so hard to fall asleep when her thoughts were so loud they were almost deafening in the silent nights. She wasn't even allowed to take melatonin to help.

"What is it about sleeping with Danielle that you like?" Jazz wondered aloud.

"I just like that I can listen to her breathe and be reminded that I'm not alone," Sam said, adding, "and I also just like that she's naturally colder than me. I always sleep hot and when I lived alone I could keep my place cooler, but with the halfas they actually prefer a little warmer to help balance their core degrees." She sighed, wishing she could enjoy the warmth of the heater but instead having to contend with a fan at her bedside that made an annoying clicking noise. Maybe it wouldn't annoy her as much if the noise were enough of a distraction for her to use to fall asleep, but it wasn't rhythmic in any sense and only seemed to make her thoughts louder and more sporadic.

"Well if that's the case, why don't you sleep with Danny?" Jazz asked, genuinely curious. She knew the relationship between the duo was complicated but she also knew they were together-together. Living together often meant sleeping besides one another in most relationships.

Sam blushed, looking down. "I don't know...I just-I don't," Sam struggled to explain knowing it might sound stupid when she said it out loud, "I don't want people to assume things, you know? Danny and I are taking things slow and I like that."

"Not to be obvious but you do know that no one would know you were if you decided to, right?" Jazz asked, trying not to giggle at the younger woman's expense. "And if people were assuming things, they would assume regardless of what you're actually doing."

Sam hadn't really thought about it like that, but she often found herself avoiding the thought all together because she was still just so shy about displaying affection with Danny. She never really saw that with her parents. "But what about Danielle? Assuming I try this, how do I explain it to her?"

"Has she ever asked about it before?" Jazz asked, to which Sam shook her head no. "She knows that Tucker and I share a room together, so the concept isn't completely foreign to her. How do you explain things to Dani when it comes to your and Danny's progress from friends to more than friends?"

Sam shrugged as she thought back on it. "Honestly, Dani seems to just pick up on a lot of things and it typically goes unspoken. She did ask once if I wanted to have more children with Danny in the future, but it was so innocent. We haven't even covered that section in her health credit yet."

"Well, let's role play and see what just comes naturally to you. Pretend I'm your daughter. How would you explain falling asleep with Danny if I were to catch you napping on the couch together?" Jazz insisted, putting her pen down to give Sam her full attention just like Dani would.

"But Jazz that's different," Sam countered. "Dani has seen me and Danny fall asleep together plenty of times. And it's not like we hide our affection for each other, we just don't make a huge display of it."

"Does moving into Danny's room have to be a huge display?" Jazz challenged.

"Well, I-I guess, uh, I don't know. Wouldn't it be?" Sam was stumped. She just assumed it would be something Dani would notice and need an explanation for.

"Although I am always for open communication, what would happen if you just slept there? Moved in over time? And when Dani asked you could tell her you sleep better when you're with her dad." Jazz shrugged, adding, "Dani is still a child and doesn't need any complex explanations. She'll believe what you tell her, which would be the truth: you would be sleeping with Danny so that you sleep better in turn. She doesn't need to know if anything else is or isn't happening, just like other children don't necessarily know or even think about."

Huh. Sam didn't quite know how to respond to that.

Seeing that Sam would need some time to think about this proposition on her own, Jazz decided this would be a good time to end tonight's session. Besides, Jazz did have plans of her own. "I think this is a good time to end our conversation for the night. Why don't you think about it, try it if you're up to it, and we'll circle back after some time."

Sam nodded, standing to hug Jazz in thanks not just because the session started and finished late but because it was also a very special day that Jazz had taken time away to spend with her. "Thanks Jazz, and happy birthday. I'm sorry you had to come in on your day off."

Jazz chuckled as she replied, "O don't worry about it. The three of us did some celebrating this morning. It might actually be nice to get home tonight and not hear a crying child since Tucker should be putting him down for bed right about now. I love my son but he can be fussy at bedtime, so really this was like a birthday gift to myself!" The two shared a short laugh before heading their separate ways, though they both arrived home to find loving partners waiting up for them with smiles and love.

Line Break

Home

May 1st

10:07 am

Dani woke up to the delicious smell of blueberry waffles, the microwave beeping with the syrup finally heated. Throwing on a sweatshirt, the halfa ran into the kitchen to see her parents smiling wide at her, arms extended and funny pointed hats on their heads as they exclaimed, "Happy birthday Danielle!"

She jumped into their arms and laughed, happiness bubbling its way out of her. She had been looking forward to her birthday all week because her parents had both taken the day off work to spend with her-her first birthday with a real family! Not to mention she was turning 11 years of existence which meant next year she would finally catch up to her age of creation and would start to grow again! "Thanks you guys!"

Sam served up a hearty helping of breakfast as Danny snapped on her own little party hat. He and Sam wanted to go all out for this birthday, the first one united together. They had a whole day planned out and an overabundance of gifts. "The pier just opened at ten, so when you're done with breakfast we'll head on down and spend a few hours on any ride you want and we'll catch lunch down there too. The rest of the family will be here around five for your birthday dinner and then you'll get to open your gifts," Danny announced, a small kiss to his daughter's forehead when he was done.

"And in standard Fenton tradition," Sam pulled out the matching t-shirts for the trio today, "we will be wearing our homemade t-shirts that finished drying yesterday." It was such an odd tradition, but Sam supposed it was special because the Fenton parents hardly ever wore anything other than their jumpsuits. A change in clothing often signified something more special and more important than ghost hunting. Even though Sam and Danny didn't wear casual jumpsuits they figured the tradition could still be one to incorporate for their family. The t-shirts were white and decorated with puffy paint of all different colors.

Dani beamed as she scarfed down her breakfast. Today was going to be an awesome day as she left the dishes for someone else to take care of and grabbed her own shirt, headed back to her room to change as soon as she could so they could hop in the car and get going. It wasn't a long drive but Dani was allowed to play any music she wanted and since it was such a nice day out Sam left the windows down so she could turn the volume up. Luckily for her parents, Dani actually had some pretty good taste in music.

Upon arrival and a lucky parking spot up close to the entrance, Dani was assured that both parents would participate in any rides she picked. Neither were afraid of heights or speed after having spent a good time fighting ghosts up high in the sky. Dani picked out the tallest rollercoaster she could find first and off they went, screaming and laughing and enjoying the dizziness for the next two hours until Dani had her fill of rides. She was ready to eat lunch.

"What are you in the mood for sweetheart? It's your day and your choice," Sam promised, smiling widely at the carefree outing they were enjoying. The shirts did come with an added bonus-people who recognized the famous Danny Phantom also recognized that he was busy celebrating his daughter's birthday and were wise enough not to bother them for a photo. Though sometimes a little kid or two would wander up to them Dani didn't seem annoyed in the least. She thought it was pretty cool that the kids recognized her dad for the hero he was. Not to mention she secretly enjoyed how they would tell her they were jealous. Jealous of her, could you imagine?

Lunch was sushi and it was delicious. They even went to the stand where they made it in front of you! Afterwards Dani tried her luck at some of the game stands and no one was surprised at the amount of prizes the trio won. With their aim having been perfected throughout the years there wasn't a chance they wouldn't come out victorious, thus why they took the car instead of flying. They dropped off their winnings after another hour and headed for the ice cream stand soon after. They had an hour left and Dani wanted to ride the infamous ferris wheel last. She was having such a wonderful day though she was also looking forward to the nap she would take on the way home. She was exhausted, but in the best way!

"Three tickets please," Danny said as he bought their seats, getting cozy in their little pod as they began to raise up to the top where they were stopped, allowing Sam and Danny to point out different places along the lake that they could see from their view. Dani was used to heights like these-she was used to heights far taller actually, but she was still enchanted with looking down at all the people so far away. It was relaxing, so relaxing that she unconsciously began to hover above her seat. She felt weightless like not even gravity could get her down today!

Today had been lovely, and it wasn't even over yet! She glanced at her parents who smiled back at her with a glow. How lucky was she? Dani didn't need any of the gifts that were waiting for her at home; she had all that she would ever need right here. Then again, as Dani helped bring the food out to their living room later that day to welcome her family inside, seeing all the gifts her parents were bringing out from their bedroom to add to the mix that everyone else brought was also pretty exciting.

"O wow, thank you!" Dani said for the dozenth time that night. She had been given gifts to help her with exploring different art mediums, a few books about different topics in history, some games for her computer, some treats, some clothes, some music, and even some customized accessories for her ghost half! She had gotten literally anything a kid could ever ask for, and when it was time for her birthday cake Dani found herself at a loss for what she could possibly wish for. It wasn't until the song was coming to its end that Dani found that the only wish she had was that this next year of life brought her family even closer together with more memories, photos, and love. She blew out the candles all in one go and everyone celebrated some more.

They played a few games-pin the tail on the ghost, pictionary, charades, and when the night came to an end Dani hugged and thanked everyone one more time for a very happy birthday. Tonight Dad would join her and Mom for her bedtime story, though he already did that more often than not, and they sent Dani ahead to get ready as they began to clean up from the party. She couldn't help but spy invisibly as her parents cleaned up together, smiling and laughing and generally just enjoying one another. How lucky was Dani to not only have two parents who loved her, but loved each other? Even if the details of that love were sometimes finicky, she knew her parents loved each other and that just made Dani wonder in awe at the powers of love-love so strong that it lasted years apart. She hoped she could find that love one day when she was older.

A half hour later and Sam was softly closing the story book, Dani having fallen asleep rather quickly with all the excitement from today. Her birthday celebrations had gone perfectly and the two parents were proud to have pulled it off for their special daughter. They each leaned down to kiss her goodnight, closing the door and shutting off the lights on their way out. Sam and Danny were just as exhausted and waived their goodnights in between their yawns.

Yet, as Sam prepared to climb into her bed that night, she stopped herself. She was tired but after being surrounded by people all day Sam found she was slightly put off at suddenly being all alone. She would have thought she would appreciate some time to herself as she was an introvert at heart, but alas the quiet didn't feel peaceful. Rather it felt...empty.

Sam bit her lip, glancing at her open door as she heard Danny finishing up down the hall as he got ready for bed. She wondered if he was feeling the same thing as her. He probably was, she imagined, because Danny never really liked alone time. During their younger years when he didn't want to do anything, he typically found himself hanging out at her or Tucker's place just doing nothing. Sometimes they wouldn't even talk much, just kind of do their own thing together.

Sam began to feel butterflies in her stomach as she thought back to what Jazz had said, that Sam should at least try and just see what happens. It's not like Dani was going to wake up in the middle of the night, not with the sugar crash. And besides, today was only Thursday so she and Danny would be up for work in the morning before Dani was even the wiser. And it's not like anything was actually going to happen if she did go sleep with Danny. She's sure he's just as exhausted as she was, but it would still be nice to actually rest well instead of tossing and turning all night.

Sam made the decision that she would at least see if Danny was still awake. She had climbed in once when he'd been asleep but they had never spoken about it and she wondered what that meant. He probably just didn't want to push her too fast since it was well known that Danny was ready for Sam to move into his room. She tried not to think too much as she shuffled outside his door in a matter of seconds, knocking softly to alert him that he wasn't alone. He popped his head out of the door, toothbrush hanging as he looked at her. "Is everything ok Sam?"

Sam nodded, doing her best not to wring her hands together but still finding that she rubbed her fingers on her left hand as she replied, "Ya I was just wondering, you know...I haven't been sleeping well, you know, and, uh...I'm so tired but I always sleep better...with you...so, uh, I was wondering if maybe, I could, you know, crash with you for the night? In here?" Her eyes darted around the room as she studiously avoided the bug eyed stare from the halfa. His lack of immediate response led Sam to blurt out, "It's just that we've been surrounded by people, you know, all day and then suddenly it's so quiet-it's so weird that I feel weird with that because, you know, I'm normally not a people person but I was actually kind of enjoying it and, you know...I was just wondering, since we're both probably tired, we'll both probably just fall asleep, but, you know…"

"Ya Sam," Danny answered, cutting off her embarrassed explanation when he got his wits amongst him. "That'd be just fine! I uh, I was actually feeling kind of, you know, lonely myself. It'd be-ya, it'd be nice."

Sam nodded, still not quite looking at him though she headed onto the bed and under the covers as he finished brushing his teeth and cleaning up from the day. He turned the lights off and slid into bed soon after, pulling the covers up over himself and turning to face the woman in his bed. She was facing his way too and he could see that her eyes were closed but she obviously wasn't asleep yet. He wondered if she was hoping he'd say something? What could he say, what could he do so that it wasn't awkward? He didn't actually feel awkward, just intrigued. Where did this courage come from? He listened to her breathing for a few moments before leaning over slowly, giving her time to move if she wanted (she didn't) and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight Sam."

Sam didn't move and she kept her eyes closed but she replied, "Goodnight Danny." And that was it. It was almost normal. Danny fell asleep soon after, relaxing as he felt Sam beside him, and Sam soon followed, slowly drawing nearer to the cooling presence of Danny's cold core. She slept soundly and in the morning she awoke feeling refreshed. She felt so much better that she was convinced she'd found a new addiction: sleeping beside Danny, curled up to his cooling presence. There's no way she was going back to sleeping in her empty bed now that she knew what she would be missing out on.

For Dani's part, she hardly noticed how her mom slowly began moving her things into her dad's room. That's what parents did, right? They shared a room. Didn't make much of a difference to her except that she noticed her mom wasn't as tired anymore in the mornings, and that made Dani happy. Her birthday wish was already coming true.