A/n: alright people, I'm back with a new one. And yes, I used two quotes again. I do not own gravity by Sara Bareillies

Chapter 5: Wishful Thinking

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."

Dr. Suess

"It's like I'm looking from a distance,
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream"

Just a Dream; Carrie Underwood

Over-lookers POV

Today was just another tedious grueling day at work. The raven-haired woman was simply having 'one of those days.' She'd spilled coffee on her favorite dark purple blouse; the scolding beverage slightly tinged the pale flesh hidden underneath. Her friend, Tucker, was in a talkative mood. Every time she tried to leave, he would bring up an entirely new subject that she 'just had to know about'. Now she was annoyed.

To top it all off, nothing major happened all day... Actually, no that isn't what tops it off. That spot belongs to the rain that was falling on Sam's raven hair. The evil rain took away the flat-ironed locks and brought back her Jewish curls. Also, her present from Danny (the Fenton Phones) were getting drenched. Yeah, that does it.

No wait, there also the fact, she walked from her condo, so ergo she had to walk back... In the friggin rain. Yes, that did it for sure.

Sam trudged through the rain, her combat boots clunking with her, she found herself mumbling incoherent curses. Her raven hair soaked with water; as her arms clutch onto her black business jacket, that too was soaking wet.

"Damnit." the girl cursed again, sighing; silently, she wished Phantom would swoop, down, and help her.

Then she hated herself for wishing such a thing. Especially since Phantom had basically been a ghost on her. She laughed bitterly at the irony of that statement. Instead, she thought of a more unrealistic wish and said it aloud just for the hell of it.

Little did she know...

"I wish I had a perfect life!" The girl said before a green, ghost with long raven tresses appeared before her. Taking out a wrist ray Danny had given to her as a parting gift; the girl slapped it on her wrist. She began blasting and sent the ghost a foot back.

But it was already too late, far too late.

Getting bigger, the ghost flew toward Sam, hands stretched and sparkling with pink energy that eventually surrounding Sam. Though Sam struggled and fought all she could, her attempts were futile.

"So, you have wished, so shall it be."

Was the last thing Sam heard before passing out in the rain, though that was the least of her worries.

A beautiful small little cottage straight out of a fairy tale stood alone on a grand grassy hill. Inside, there was the perfect family of three children made from true love of their parents. They lived there; it was their happily ever after. Too bad it was all an illusion...

A small, male dark-haired two-year-old, rushed into the bed of two raven-haired 30-year-olds. He plopped on the bed, waking his parents effectively. The shirtless man, who the boy looked remarkably like, opened his baby blue eyes. His gaze paddling around curiously before they landed on his son. A lopsided grin spread wide across his face as he looked into the vast blue eyes of his only son.

"Hey there, bud," Danny began as he ruffled the boy's hair. The boy giggled loudly before his father, shushed him.

"Shhhh, mommy's sleeping," Danny Fenton replied, pointing a thumb in the direction of the sleeping raven-haired woman; who's slim, fragile body was encased in a dark black and lacy nightgown.

"Ooh sorry, mommy." the little boy whispered in his mother's ear. The woman stirred, but she didn't wake.

"Come on, Reaper." Danny deadpanned as he got out of bed. Grabbing his robe as he walked out of the room, his son in tow.

'What the hell hit me?' Sam thought, looking around the room; she realized she was not in her room, nor her bed. She was about damn tired of waking up in strange places after being knocked out by ghosts. Sitting up, she realized she wasn't wearing her usual clothing either, but rather a sexy black silk nightgown. Okay, maybe she did wear sexy black nightgowns, but this one wasn't hers.

'What the fuck!' the amethyst eyed girl scowled upon seeing her attire.

That was the least of her worry.

Going over to the mirror, the woman found she had aged five years. She didn't know what to think. She didn't look much different but more tired. Rolling her eyes, the woman grabbed a dark purple fuzzy robe, which was conveniently lying on the bed, and turned the doorknob leading to where voices were. She was shocked at what she saw.

It was Danny, gathered around a table with three children, that were the spitting images of the two of them.

"Hey, Sam, your finally up!" Danny said, grinning like the chestier cat as he walked over to a shell-shocked Sam, and gave her a peck on the check. She blushed hard.

"Danny, I um-" she couldn't finish that sentence.

Could she truly say she didn't like him, that way? She didn't know what to do or think. 'What is this?' The girl pondered.

"Are you alright, Sam?" Danny asked concern filled his blue eyes.

"I might need vellum or two, but I um, I'm fine." And indeed, she was.

This was a good life, and she knew it. She also knew that this was the ghost doing, but she couldn't bring herself to care. This world was far better than the one she came from, and besides, it wasn't hurting anybody, to be here... Right?

"I'm glad you're alright," Danny said as he took her delicate hand in his and led her towards the table where the children were. Letting go of her hand, Danny decided to let his wife sit down.

"Good morning, mommy," all three kids said simultaneously.

A chill ran up Sam's spine at the thought of having children. She never thought she would, hell, she'd thought she would end up an old maid. Yet secretly, she absolutely loved and adore kids. The girl supposed she was just a big one herself. She was okay with that. The thought of having children, his children, well, that just was...

There are no words, but it was defiantly good. In fact, everything was okay, like some old 50's cartoon, it was far too convenient, it was very good. Too good to be true, and Sam Manson knew it, but she selfishly again chose to ignore it. She could enjoy that world for a little bit, hell she deserved it.

In the ghost zone, a young-looking woman watched the small happy family through a crystal ball. Her lips curved into a leer as pink energy surrounded her, giving her more power.

"Oh, you foolish human girl." the genie ghost said to herself, her leer growing wider stretching out her green skin.

"Soon... Soon" the ghostly woman rasped.

Hours later found Danny and Sam flipping idly through the TV channels, only to stop at the news.

"Crime rate goes up again, back to you, Tiff-" the reporter began, as Sam scowled.

Almost immediately, Danny noticed turning over to her and place a hand her shoulder in comfort.

"You alright, Sam?" the man asked.

Shaking her head, she carefully chose her words.

"How did we meet?" the girl voiced a serious look in her eyes.

"Sam, seriously, what's wrong? I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you've been acting funny all day." the blue-eyed man said, running a hand through his unruly raven locks.

"Danny, I'm not your wife. I mean, apparently here I am, but this isn't real I-" Danny felt his heartbreak, he took Sam's words the wrong way.

"You don't love me anymore?" Danny said, his voice barely in a shaky whisper.

"No, Danny, this is an illusion-" Sam began again trying to explain what she knew was happening.

Danny jumped up from his seat in anger. "So, what you've been fucking with me this whole time?! I mean, I've known you forever and-" Danny began his eyes flashing green in anger.

"No, that's just it; I haven't known you forever. Hell, I've known you four months at best. This life: our children, everything is an illusion. Made by me, I was having a bad day and made a wish to have a perfect life. When I woke up, I awoke to this family." The girl finished letting a breath out, after the mouthful.

Danny just started laughing his head off. "Oh, Sam... You got me good..." The blue-eyed man said, in-between laughs until he realized, the woman before him wasn't joking.

"Sam, come on, this shit isn't funny anymore!" the man said a bit annoyed.

"Danny, I'm serious! Why is this so hard for you to believe?"

Danny just chuckled.

"For one, you'd be infected too, you would be convinced of the illusion. And two, no matter what you say, you love me. You love me in this world and the next Sam; you can't deny that." the man finished a bit of a smirk on his face. Sam blushed something furious.

"I'll...um okay. I admit you're a great looking guy; I have an attraction to you, and maybe even feelings. But that's the exact reason why we can't pursue this." The girl said, her head going down, in shame.

Danny lifted her head and pulled her eyes to his, for a moment, the two just lingered there.

"You can't tell me you don't want to kiss me right now." He said softly, moving forward.

"I'd never say that." the girl said as she let a bit of her wall fall; she didn't know what she was doing, but it felt right.

From there, they kissed. It was passionate and exploring; it was the kiss of all kisses. Sadly, oxygen played the villain. Breaking apart the kiss, Danny cupped her cheeks and looked deeply into her amethyst eyes.

"I'm so in love with you, Sam. I don't care where you think you come from or whatever; this is real. I know it! Please stay with me." Sam looked at the floor sadly, knowing she couldn't.

Laying a gentle kiss on his cheek, she simply said, "I wish for things to be the way they were."

She knew they couldn't, though. Now that she admitted to herself that she has a crush on Danny, she'd have to accept it.

She appeared, once again, in the rain with no umbrella. She has bigger problems now, she was left to wonder about that life she had glimpsed.

Was it an illusion or the future?

Something always brings me back to you

It never takes too long

She couldn't afford to think like that. She and love never panned out. It only ended in heartbreak or worse it didn't end and you just made each other miserable just like her parents.

Her parents had to have loved each other once. Although she never saw it. All she saw when they were even there was her mother's drunken rage when she'd catch her father with yet another one of his whores. He'd Bitch about her drinking, she'd bitch about his infidelity. Her mom would drink more, and her dad would spend less and less time at home.

When she was a kid, she remembered her childhood, the window would look out at the street. She idolized her dad at the time and hated her mother. She would wait in the window for hours and hours for her father to come home. Some nights he'd get back around 3am and she'd rush and the stairs and climb on him, and he'd ask her why she was still up. Then he'd carry her to bed and tuck her in. Then other nights he never came home at all, and when the dark sky turned grey, Sam figured it was morning.

Then she'd go to school having no sleep, and her grandmother would drive her while her mother slept off her hangover.

Growing up, she never saw love. She had it once with Joe, but that ship had sailed. Then she realized there were only two ways love ever ended up. People either stayed together or they didn't, but either way, they were miserable.

Either way, the loss of a happy ending was inevitable because they never tell you what happens after the happy ever after, and what happens is the magic fades away. There is nothing left but reality, and reality always disappoints you. Sam had learned that from her parents and from Joe, and she'd be damned if she spent her life becoming her mother.

She thought of this as she power-walked through the rain, her whole body getting soaked as she walked through the cold and harsh rain. What had she been thinking about walking to work? It had been sunny this morning. She cursed global warming for this, whether that couldn't decide if it wanted to be sunny or rainy. The rain chilled her bones. She shivered violently in the cruel pouring rain.

Her thoughts being the only thing barely keeping her mind off of it. She began to think harder. That illusion she had seen. It made her question everything. Where she came from permanent wasn't so stable, where she came from permanent met misery. The illusion was a happy life. The children were delighted, and she could feel the love radiating off of Danny. This was happily ever after. She wanted to be happy. She did. Could this dream have been a sign that she should take a chance on love, or should she just let the dream be what it was?

No matter what I say or do
I'll still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone

Reality had never been that kind before. Still, she couldn't help but fool herself. She couldn't help but want to believe that somehow in all the clichés of love that Danny was the one she was met to find. She thought that maybe the magic could last beyond the stroke of midnight.

Shaking her head, she reminded herself that reality had never been that kind to her as she continued to walk through the rain as it almost seemed cliché and symbolic.

You hold me without touch
You keep me without chains
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love
And not feel your reign

She just wished she could get him out of her head. She didn't want this man to come into her life and give her hope. She didn't want to believe. She didn't want to hope. Hope was the cruelest trick reality had to offer.

Still, he had her what was a girl to do?

Set me free, leave me be

I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity
Here I am, and I stand
So tall, just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me

What was a girl to do?

Oh, you loved me 'cause I'm fragile
When I thought that I was strong
But you touch me for a little while
And all my fragile strength is gone

Danny Fenton shot up in bed. His blue eyes lit up in emotions he couldn't yet identify, his jet-black hair messier than usual, and his shirtless body slick with sweat. He had been taking a nap, then he had a dream that Sam and he had been married with three kids. He remembered his burden. Still, with her, all his strength all his resolve walked out the door.

It felt so real. The kiss felt so real. Waking up next to her felt so right. Could he have that? Could he let himself go there? Could he really get involved with her? Maybe if he was careful. If he was meticulous. He could escape his burden and get to have what his parents have. He was tired of the loneliness in his life. For the moments in that dream, he felt at home.

Set me free, leave me be
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

He loved his family. He loved Amity Park, but home was a person a person no matter where you were, you would be home.

He had never been home. He had loved a woman once, and they were good together when they were good. However, when they were bad, it was unbearable. The bad times got more and more as they realized they were too different and other factors came into play. Still, he had never felt home with her.

What was he to do? Could he really get involved with Sam without telling her the truth? Then again, he couldn't tell her the truth, not yet. He had never told anyone except for Valerie, but that was different he was forced to tell her.

Here I am, and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be
But you're on to me and all over me

Still, it was like he couldn't help it. He needed her. He craved her. The more time he spent with her, the more he fell at her feet.

I live here on my knees as I try to make you see

That you're everything I think I need here on the ground

What was he supposed to do? He had almost god-like powers, but beneath it all, he was just a man. He was a man who loved a woman. He was a man who wanted a home. He wanted to feel his feet on solid ground. As he walked next to her as her partner, his feet were on the ground.

As he fell deeper and deeper into her world, logic went out the window. The fact that he was likely to get her killed went out the window. All he could see was her. It was excruciating. It was exhausting. Why the hell did it have to be so damn beautiful? Why the hell did she have to fit so well next to him? Why the hell couldn't he just stop himself?

But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down

He was supposed to save people. He was supposed to be a hero. He was supposed to protect the earth. He came here to live a life. He came here to find home. He must've forgotten for a second that he couldn't rest. He had to save everyone he could. When he was with her, he felt as if just for a second, he could be human. He could be just a man. He could be just a mild-mannered reporter. But alas, he wasn't just a man. He had a duty to the earth.

Still with her, everything went out the window.

You're keeping me down, eh ooh
You're on to me, on to me, and all over

Who's to even say she felt the same way. What if he was fooling himself. What if the dream had been just that. What if he was falling down a black hole never to come out again. Even if she did love Danny Fenton, could she accept him has Phantom? Could she accept him as an alien? Could she forgive him for the lies he had to tell? These were the very lies that had torn apart his last relationship, and he never really bothered after that.

All he knew is if he made this decision, he had to do it right. He had to be sure. He had to wait. No matter how it killed him, he couldn't pursue her... yet.

Something always brings me back to you
It never takes too long

A/n: so this was kind of a filler chapter, but it moves the plot along in some ways. I hope you liked it. I do not own gravity by Sara Barelillies