Chapter Twenty-one
It was a beautiful early autumn morning. The day was overcast and a slight drizzle fell from the sky. The day was going to be filled with happiness and promise and of course promises. Daniel Fenton, straightened his tie in the mirror. Of course this was his day of promises. It was finally his and Sam's wedding day. Tucker was serving as his best man.
There was a knock on the door and Danny turned in time to see a grumpy looking Jazz Foley trudging into the room she shot Danny an angry look as she sat down in the strange Goth black latex and tulle gown she was wearing and pouted. Even though Jazz agreed to play nice and wear the gown Sam had picked out, she wasn't going to play nice in front of Danny.
"You owe me big for this," she seethed as she rubbed her hand on her burgeoning belly. Danny smiled at her. His sister looked beautiful. Her long red hair was curled in ringlets and her head was crowned with a circlet of black rosebuds.
"You look beautiful Jazz," he told her as he reached over and patted his sister's stomach.
"I look a latex balloon!" Jazz exclaimed. Her face lit up as her husband walked into the room.
"Taking a break from the bride I see." Tucker teased.
Jazz shook her head. "You don't know the half of it. Sam's mother is in the bride's room fighting with Mom about who only knows what, and all the while trying to talk Sam into wearing the white frou-frou dress she brought instead of the one Sam picked out." Danny shot Jazz a worried look.
"Don't worry little brother," Jazz said as she adjusted the black bracelet on her wrist. "As the Matron of Honor I made sure Sam's dress arrived safe and sound. Just wait until you see it. You're going to pass out."
"From horror?" Tucker teased. Jazz smiled secretly at him and he winked back.
Danny was about to say something when his mother knocked on the door. She entered wearing a dark purple gown and a large smile. She grinned at Danny then adjusted his tie and smoothed his wayward hair.
"I can't believe it," She said as tears filled her eyes. "Both my babies married."
"Mom," Jazz groused. "You promised me you wouldn't cry. If you cry! I cry!" Tucker handed Jazz a tissue to wipe her eyes and she smiled at him.
"I'm sorry Sweetie," Maddie said as surveyed her daughter with a worried eye. "Are you feeling all right?"
Jazz nodded then stood. "I need to get back to Sam though, before she decides to run away."
Danny looked nervously at Tucker. "Don't worry," Tucker said soothingly. "Sam's not going to run away."
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Sam was standing at the window feeling pensive. She couldn't believe her mother tried to play the old dress switcharoo on her. She smoothed the soft skirt of her purple and mauve wedding gown. It had it's traditional aspects, but it wasn't something people would expect. It wasn't white, but at least it wasn't black.
Jazz reentered the room and smiled at her soon to be sister-in-law. I just checked on Danny, she said. "Tucker has now planted the worry in his head that you're going to run away." Sam laughed at the absurdity of the thought.
"Are you feeling nervous at all?" Jazz asked. "Having the pre-wedding jitters is completely normal you know. Over eighty percent of brides…."
"Jazz," Sam interrupted then smiled at Danny's sister. "I know how you were feeling when you almost married Todd. I also was there when you married Tucker."
"Yes," Jazz said. "But just because I wasn't nervous the second time doesn't mean that you…"
Sam interrupted again. "The only thing I'm nervous about," she said as she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Is fate deciding to play it's hand and really keep Danny and I apart. Or a disruptive ghost showing up."
"I don't think you need to worry about that," Jazz laughed. "Considering you have more than half the Ghost Zone on your side and even crazy Vlad is here to witness the ceremony. I don't think you have to worry."
"It's not wise to tempt fate," Sam said. "And I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a bulls eye." Jazz had nothing else to say. She only nodded her head in understanding.
Sam turned her worried eyes to Jazz. "You don't think maybe he'll run away do you?" she asked. "Maybe he changed his mind."
"No way," Jazz said as she laughed. "Trust me on this. He's as excited and nervous as you are."
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Danny went invisible then walked along the aisle as he checked out the guests. He could see Valerie Grey sitting in the middle, dressed in a stunning gold and orange dress. Abby and Michelle were there too, looking strange and eccentric in their evening Goth wear.
Sitting near the front with a small Japanese woman, was Vlad. Was this the new companion Danny had heard so much about? Something about her was striking, perhaps it was her pale eyes, but she didn't stand out, with her untidy long brown hair and tiny frame. She smiled Danny's way and he got the impression the she could see him. How could that be possible? He sidled a little closer. Was Vlad wearing fur bracelets? Wait! Was that a tail? Four tails? He blinked at the girl and she smiled and the tails around Vlad's arms vanished.
"Weird," Danny said under his breath then moved away. The woman's eyes followed him and he had to suppress the chilled feeling that washed over him, and it wasn't a ghost sense. The woman seemed strange and dangerous, the perfect match for someone like Vlad.
"Danny!" Tuck called just as Danny reappeared. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I thought maybe you ran off on us." Danny laughed at the absurdity of that thought.
"No," Danny said. "Just checking out the guests."
"Well we're ready to go," Tucker said. "Are you?" Danny nodded and they went to stand near the podium.
Jazz walked in first carrying a armful of black and red roses. She smiled at Danny then winked at her husband who was beaming back proudly at his wife. Danny swallowed nervously. What if Sam changed her mind? What if she decided she couldn't live with the conditions the Tribunal set forth? What if she didn't love him anymore?
The four string quartet playing Canon in D in the corner stopped and began playing an instrumental version of Come What May from the movie Moulin Rouge. Danny thought it was as strange song to walk down the aisle to, but Sam was unique. She said she had good reasons for choosing the song.
She appeared at the end of the aisle, clinging to her father's arm and Danny felt like his heart was going to burst from joy and pride. Their eyes locked as she began walking toward him. If she was wearing a dress, Danny wouldn't have known. She was wearing a dress of course. It was dark purple with mauve roses and a long train. She wore dark red and almost pink roses in her hair and carried a single purple calla lily.
The ceremony went by quick. But not quick enough for either Danny or Sam. For a few moments they both felt like they were suspended in time as they looked into each other's eyes and smiled, both almost frightened that some cataclysmic event would prevent the final announcement.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," Resulted in a mad rush for each other that sent the crowd into titters of charmed laughter.
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Jazz stood next to Tucker, leaning against him slightly. "Finally," She said as she watched Danny and Sam dance.
"There were times," Tucker began. "When I never believed we'd reach this point. I thought they'd avoid this moment forever."
"Me too," Jazz said as she caught sight of Michie standing with Vlad. The woman smiled at Jazz and winked. Vlad was too caught up in talking to Jack to notice her. Jazz wanted to keep things that way. She nodded at Michie then turned her attention back to Danny and Sam.
Danny kissed his wife's cheek then looked into her eyes as they danced slowly to the music. "I'm glad you didn't run away on me," he said. "You look incredibly beautiful My Sam."
"You would have come after me anyway if I did run away," Sam laughed as she blushed at her husband's compliment. "Besides even if you think it's bad to serve on the Ghost Zone council on human world law, I don't."
"But I have to spend three weeks every year living in the Ghost Zone," Danny stated sadly. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
Sam sighed heavily. "It's a little late to ask me that question isn't it? Just make sure you're not living those three weeks in the Ghost Zone when our first child is about to be born."
Danny paled. "First child?" he asked looking at her with wide blue eyes.
"Not yet dumb head," Sam answered as she laughed. "But maybe some day."
"Yes," Danny said as he smiled. "Someday, but not too soon. I'm too selfish to share you just yet." Sam gave him a weird look and he cast a look to his parents who were dancing not too far away.
"I hope we're as happy as they are," he said. Jack Fenton smiled lovingly down at Maddie, who in turn smiled up at him adoringly. Jack was still a great big bear of a man, even though he'd dropped over fifty pounds in the last few months. Sam smiled then looked down near Jack's leg where the cuff of his pants were folded over. She could see a flash of orange and she laughed, deciding not to say anything.
They spun away from Danny's parents and their vision focused on Vlad and Michie. Sam furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the odd pair. Tall Vlad Masters smiling smugly down at the diminutive woman in his arms. He wore a look of contentment Sam would never have imagined she'd ever see on the villain's face.
"Too bad she's not real," Danny said sadly as he caught Sam's line of vision.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked as she noticed the wicked smile spreading across Michie's face as she looked up at Vlad.
"I asked Jazz," Danny said. "She told me that Michie uses Vlad's power to manifest herself in the human world."
Sam's face fell as she looked again at the happy couple. "Poor Vlad," she said on a sigh.
"I never thought I'd hear you say something like that," Danny laughed in disbelief. "I don't think Vlad cares too much, and I think he finally got over Mom
"It's just too weird," Sam said as they moved away from Vlad and Michie. Sam didn't really want to engage in much conversation with the pair. She felt like it was inviting trouble.
The newlywed's tour across the dance floor took them in the direction of a blissfully happy Jazz and Tucker. Danny and Sam watched them in silence for awhile. Jazz looked lovingly at Tucker while they talked with his hand on her stomach.
"I can't believe he's my brother-in-law now," Sam said as she watched Tucker Foley, Techno Geek with his wife. "It's like how it's supposed to be you know?"
"We'll always be inseparable," Danny said as he nodded his head. "No matter how much he tries to fight it."
Sam sighed then frowned. "Are they really moving to Massachusetts though?"
Danny smoothed the frown off his wife's face. "It's not everyday someone gets a chance to go to graduate school at MIT," Danny told her softly. "And those two need a break from you and I and all the weirdness we draw. Plus Tucker has put aside enough of his life keeping you and I together all these years."
"I guess I'm just selfish," Sam sighed as she put her head on Danny's shoulder.
Danny laughed as he tightened his arms around her. "It's not like they can get away from us Sam. They're family." Sam smiled then kissed Danny's cheek. She caught sight of her parents and sighed.
"You realize," Sam said wearily as she looked at her mother looking on disapprovingly, "That my mom is trying to buy the house across the street from her for you and I to live in."
"No," Danny said as he shook his head in horror. "Besides we don't need them to buy us a house."
"Because my trust fund kicks in next month," Sam said absently. "And then we can buy a nice little house down the street from Fenton Works." Danny rolled his eyes and Sam laughed.
They danced around the room one more time then stopped. Sam's eyes lit on Valerie and she sighed. A lot of the animosity she felt toward the ghost hunter had faded. After all Valerie had saved her finger. "What about Valerie?" Sam asked. "Where is her happy ending?"
Danny smiled and then pointed across the room where a tall and handsome red headed man stood. "Who is that?" Sam asked.
"Nathan," Danny answered and Sam's eyebrows shot up.
"Wow! He's changed!" She said in awe.
"And they will make eye contact in 3…2…1 Ahhhh!" Danny said as Valerie turned and looked at Nathan who began to look a little nervous as she walked toward him.
"How did you get to be so good?" Sam asked in wonder. Danny only shrugged. "No really," she asked.
Danny shook his head. "I'm just lucky I guess," was his only answer. Sparkling mischief filled baby blue eyes met suspicious lavender and locked. Sam smiled knowingly.
"I love you Samantha Fenton," Danny said as he danced her out of the room and kissed her deeply and passionately.
Sam smiled dreamily when he finally broke the embrace then she sighed. "I think you need to change your computer password." Danny laughed in reply.
Vlad watched the couple escaping from the dance floor and he shook his head. "No one but Daniel would take his wife on a honeymoon to the Ghost Zone." he said serenely with his arm around Michie.
"I know how you work Plaid," Michie laughed lightly. "If you married me. You'd take me to a little room in the Ghost Zone where no one could disturb us and we'd sit and imagine all sorts of ill fated nefarious plots. Too bad I'm too old for you."
Vlad smiled then laughed. "I don't think Daniel and Samantha are going to the Ghost Zone to plot evil Mickey."
Michie's eyes widened at Vlad. "Their loss." She purred.
So it was that Danny and Sam didn't want to stay for the festivities, they just wanted to be alone and Sam herself didn't follow convention. She didn't want to throw a bouquet or feed Danny cake.. Of course Jazz and Tucker knew where they had gone and they laughed as everyone except Vlad and Michie searched for them.
THE END
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Is this really the end? How could I! How could I end it like this? Well…I didn't want to draw things out too much more. I was scared of over killing the story. Take heart however there is going to be a nice epilogue as one reader suggested….you could say there will be three epilogues or vignettes. One on Danny and Sam, one on Tucker and Jazz and the other on Vlad and Michie….eventually. Right now I just can't write…need rest.
Also to all those who liked my OC Michie, she sends her love to you all. She's the silly muse who wants me to write nothing but intense fluff!
If you want to see how I imagined Sam's wedding dress. Then do the following. Google this phrase: "gothic wedding gowns from gulden and brown" . Click the first link you get then click the link that says Volcon Gown and there you will find it. ….yes I like making you work for it, I'm weird like that. If you look at it though you have to tell me what you think. Cause your opinion matters. Like it or love it, for some reason it screams Sam to me.
Otherwise. Review. I want to know what you think. I want to know if there are issues you just absolutely have to see resolved so I can address them in the epilogue. I love you all. Thanks for your support on this story.
Of course it will happen sooner rather than later, that I'll start missing getting mail because even though people will continue to read, the reviews will stop and I'll be lonley. So give me lots of reviews to tide me over eh?
One more thing! 20 points if you can guess why Michie calls Vlad. Plaid. (hehehe with her accent it's more like Prad LOL. I LOVE Michie)