A/n: so I found a free moment, and I decided to update. I know this chapter is super late, but it is what it is. I'm trying. I just wanted to say I'm going through some health challenges and mental health challenges, so I will continue to update when I can. I'm also in school in addition to this. So bear with me. I will finish this story, but updates will be slow.

Without further ado

Chapter 13: Home for Christmas

"For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home."

~Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)

Overlooker's POV

It was the 23rd of December, and it was the last day at work before Christmas Eve. Everyone was excited about their 2-day break; Everyone except for Sam Manson. She would prefer to keep working. She was Jewish so naturally not excited for Christmas, despite the fact that she loved the season as a kid. The older she got, the more her pessimism took over every aspect of her life. She was hardened by life and by age. She stopped coming to her family's Hanukkah and preferred to light her Menorah alone. She was always alone, it seemed.

Sighing her sigh of relief, she typed the last few lines on her current puff piece she was writing. Danny approached her from behind and covered her eyes. "Guess who," Danny said playfully. Sam smirked. "I don't know; you'll have to give me a hint." She voiced playing along. She was grateful for the lightheartedness to pull her out of her reverie.

"Well, let me see, I'm handsome, charming, and naturally hilarious," Danny said with his signature grin wide on his face as his hands still covered Sam's eyes. "Oh, that's easy, Leonardo DiCaprio," Sam said with an uncharacteristic giggle. Danny took his hands from her eyes in mock anger. He pouted in a cute way. "Oh, Sammy, you wound me," Danny said, being overly dramatic. She laughed.

"So what's with the good mood nowheresville," Sam said with a playful smile. Danny laughed simply. "Besides the fact that it's two days from Christmas?... speaking of which. I'm going home for Christmas, and I know you're Jewish, but I was wondering if you'd want to come?" Danny said nervously. He put his hand on the back of his neck. His heart was beating out of his chest, awaiting her answer.

He had no clue what he was doing. He told himself he'd stay away. That they could never be together, but that was easier said than done. Something was pulling him towards her, a electricity he couldn't ignore for another second.

Sam's mouth hung agape. Her breath hitched in her throat. She wanted to respond, but she was paralyzed. She had felt something between them. Of course, she had. But he hadn't made a move before, and she was old-fashioned, so she didn't make a move. So that left them in a sort of limbo.

Now he was ripping the limbo away and thrusting them into what? A relationship? It seemed like Christmas was a big jump from where they were, but she knew she couldn't say no. Not to him. Something was pulling her towards him.

She couldn't deny that. Her reservations be damned, she responded. "I know there's something between us, but I also know you've been holding back from exploring that for whatever reason, but I'm willing to try if you are." Said Sam honestly. She was nervous, but she had to let this play out.

A wide smile broke out on Danny's face. It was his signature lopsided grin that just sent Sam's heart to pieces. "So you'll come?" He said, confirming. He was going to try to have it all. Who said this would end up as he and Valerie had. This time he was going to do it right. If all went well this Christmas, he was going to tell Sam his big secret. He was going to let her in before anyone got hurt. He was madly in love with her, and perhaps it was blinding his better judgment, but he gave everything for the world time and again, and he was grateful to do it.

All he ever wanted was to save the world except for Sam. He could no longer be her friend. He had to have her even if it killed him. As long as his secret identity was intact, she'd be safe. No one would dare go after Phantom's girl if they didn't know he had one.

It was risky, but he could have this. He could have it all. He had to believe that. Even if it all blew up in his face, he had to believe that.

Sam laughed an uncharacteristic lighthearted laugh and then looked up at her partner and smiled. "Of course, you big lug. I'll book my plane ticket right now." Sam said Danny breathed a sigh of relief. "No need," he said. His face brimming with happiness as he pulled out a plane ticket he had already bought and laid it on her desk.

"Well, someone was very sure I'd say yes," Sam said half-jokingly as she glanced at the ticket. Danny sluffed it off and simply said, "eh, I took a gamble" Sam smiled up at him again and said. "Well, I'm glad you did."

"I'll leave you to finish your article, and I'll pick you up at your apartment in a couple of hours," said Danny as Sam nodded. "See ya then." the girl stated as her partner walked off and she got back to work. She had to finish in haste if she was gonna get home and last-minute pack.

She hated last-minute packing with an unwavering passion, but somehow she liked Danny more, and that both excited and terrified her.

Line break

Meanwhile, while Danny and Sam readied themselves for the big step in their relationship, Valerie Grey snuggled on a couch in Aspen with her fling of the week. Since ending her relationship with Danny, Valerie had never stepped foot in Amity Park again.

She had traveled the world ten times over and even explored her repressed sexuality. She seemed to go back and forth from different girl to different guy but never really bothered to stay in one place long enough to form actual roots. She didn't want to be planted somewhere ever again.

It was way too painful. Valerie snuggled in her current lover's embrace; she was a stunning blond woman with striking blue eyes, a local there, of which Valerie never could seem to remember her name. But the cuddle was nice for both women. It gave them a comfort neither had really had in quite some time.

Valerie kissed the girl on the forehead. "I'm gonna go shower up…" Valerie said, stripping down right in from of her. The girl looked at Valerie over, taking in her ample perky breast and her hourglass figure. Her eyes hungrily took it all in. Valerie smirked and winked. She tossed her clothes down. "You can join me if you want." the blond giggled and ravenously kissed the woman before her as they both headed towards the shower.

After the girls had dried off, Valerie was in the bathroom finishing her regular regiment, and her lady friend was cooking lunch. Suddenly Valerie could hear the sound of breaking glass, and a loud thud, and a sickening crack.

She knew she had to come out to see what was going on. She had to try and protect her guest. If it wasn't already too late. She broke the towel rack off the wall and gripped it to use as a weapon. She hurriedly rushed from the bathroom, only to see two large bulking men standing her the body of her lover.

Instantly she charged at one of the men. Knocking him over the head with the towel rack, but it barely made a dent. He grabbed her and slammed her body into the wall. "What do you fuckers want!" she screamed as she struggled against the man's iron grip.

"Our boss wants information, that's it. You tell us what we want to know, and you walk away, Scott free." Valerie let out a sardonic laugh. "And you couldn't have just said that before you killed my friend." Valerie snarled out. The other man who was still standing up next to the dead woman on the floor spoke up. "Actually, that was me. And you can easily be next if you don't tell us what we want to know." said the second man.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" Valerie said through gritted teeth. She was silently plotting her escape. If she kicked the man pinning her to the wall, he'd be forced to let her go, but she couldn't chance that the other man would be quicker than her. The other man seemed more ruthless.

But she had to do something. She couldn't just sit here and play the victim and wait around to die. "You told one of your many 'friends' that you knew Danny Phantom and his identity. Tell us who he is, and we'll let you live." the man who was holding her down said, and Valerie didn't know what to do.

She remembered one night when she was 18 and new to liquor she had got drunk and told a man in Wales that she knew Danny, even though back then he didn't have a name he was going by he was just a tall tale, who'd show up and save people and leave.

He had traveled the world much like her and saved people, and even though she was still angry with him, she was proud that he had decided to put his powers to good use. Luckily she didn't spill the beans on who he was, only that she knew him. He had pressed her for more information the next morning, but she was tightlipped. She knew right from wrong. Just because he had broken her heart, she knew he didn't deserve to be hunted by the government. And that's what would happen if she gave up his amenity. After that incident, she was much more careful.

Of course, the damage had already been done. If people knew that she could identify him, then she would be forever hunted. So now, she was faced with a moral dilemma. Should she reveal his secret just to save her own skin, or should she keep it to herself even if it meant her own demise?

This was bigger than her. Phantom had become a hero. He had become a symbol of hope in a dark world. He was a beacon of truth and light. He was the type of thing people needed. And fought things that the police couldn't. Sure there was that Jaguar and Blujay over in Baltimore, but it seemed that they were just humans in costumes who did what they could.

They couldn't save the world as Danny could. She knew what she had to do.

"I don't know who he is," Valerie said. The other man spoke up. "You wanna be like that bitch? Well, we have ways to persuade you." the man who had her pinned to the wall picked her up and harshly put her in a chair. The other man went in a black bag and got out some rope. The two men tied her uptight.

One of them punched her in the face with all his might, her head lulled a bit from the impact. "Tell us who he is!" he bellowed. "I don't know! I don't know who he is okay. If I did, you think I wouldn't tell you to save my own life! I don't know." Valerie screamed. "then why did you tell someone you did? Why would you lie? Why would he lie?" one of the men said. "Why would I say something untrue when I was drunk 7 fucking years ago?" she said, trying to reason with them.

She hoped she could get out of this. She really did. But she had made her decision; no matter what they did to her, she would get her mouth shut. Her life wasn't worth the world. She knew that. She couldn't live with herself if she gave him up to save her own skin when they would probably kill her anyway. No, if she was going to die, she had to stand for something.

Line break

Hours laterfound Danny and Sam on a plane. They were on their way to Amity Park; because there was no airport there, they had to fly into a larger neighboring city, take a taxi to Danny's childhood home.

Once there, Danny helped Sam with her bags, and soon enough, they were on his doorstep. Sam could already smell the scent of Maddie's apple pies wafting out from the window where they sat to cool. Danny fished out his key and opened the door.

Warm smiles welcomed home the prodigal son. He had found his way, and though they missed him, they were so proud. Jazz waltzed over to her little brother and gave him a huge hug. She was the first to speak.

"Who's your girlfriend, little brother? Introduce us." the girl said with an unwavering smile. Sam, in turn reached out her hand to shake Danny's sister's hand. "Mom, dad, Jazz, this is Sam Manson; she's my partner. Sam, this is my family," stated Danny as Jack came rushing over, and Maddie closed the oven to go and meet Sam.

"Oh Danny, she's so pretty. I'm so happy for you." Maddie said as she set the table, and all parties took their respective seats and waited for Christmas dinner to be served. Danny's family and Sam continued to talk well into the meal and through it. Sam had decided she liked them, and in turn, Danny's mother, father, and sister decided they liked Sam. Never before had they seen Danny this happy, this at peace with himself, and they hoped this time that he would get the hell out of his own way and finally allow himself to be happy.

They knew all too well about Danny's self-imposed burden, and they just wished he'd let it all go. Sure the world needed him, they would never understand his duty, but it wasn't for them to understand. It was for them to advise and nudge but never try and take his choice from him. It had to be him. He had to say he was tired of bearing his burden alone, that he could have the girl and save the world. If he couldn't do that, then he should just leave Sam alone.

After the plates were in the sink and the dishes were put away, Jack had retired, leaving Jazz to show Sam her room. Danny and his mother remained. Danny turned to take his leave, only to be stopped by Maddie.

"You said you left home to find yourself to allow yourself to be Danny Fenton. I see you on the news as Danny Phantom, and I'm so proud of you. I get that you feel you have to be their hero. I'm not going to tell you what to feel. But you don't owe these people a damn thing. You give them your all; you help the world because I raised my son to love this world and to fight for it, so be their hero or don't, but whatever you do, release yourself from your burden. Don't make the same mistakes as your yesteryear. Don't you dare break that young woman's heart? Just let yourself feel." So stated the woman as she sat down. Her son turned around and took a seat across from his mother.

"If I let myself have this, there's no going back." The man stated somberly. "Oh, honey, there's never any going back. Life is about moving forward; it's about taking chances. When you're my age, and you look back at your life, if you don't do this and you end up all alone with nothing but the memories of the people you've saved, you are going to wish you had a nice girl like that to be right there by your side, but only then it'll be too late." The mother said wisely as she reached out for her son's hand forcing his baby blues to meet her eyes.

"I love her, but being with me is a risk. If I let her in, she takes on my burden." The man voiced, and Maddie shook her head. "That would be her choice. Let her choose if she wants to be with you and all that it entails." The mother said wisely. At first, Danny said nothing. He just let the words wash over him.

"Do you ever get the feeling that there's something wrong? Like a sixth sense." Danny stated a feeling that he couldn't shake, running rapidly through him. "You're just psyching yourself out. Just trust me, okay." The woman voiced with a warm smile. And Danny nodded, trying to remove the thoughts from his mind.

'Fuck it,' the young man thought. His doubts and reservations could be put on hold for a bit. Tonight he was going to enjoy a quiet evening with the woman he loved, and he wasn't going to let himself feel guilty about it. His burden be damned.

"Thanks, mom," said the man with his signature lopsided grin; he stood up and left without another word as he retreated up the stairs. He could have sworn he heard his mother say "be safe" in the distance. Danny went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He took a deep breath and splashed cold water on his face. "You got this, Fenton," he stated to himself. He gave himself one last look as he forced himself to walk towards Sam's door. Every step felt heavy. He knew there was no going back from here.

He wanted this. Of course he did. With his mother's words coursing through his veins, he continued walking. Once at the door, he stood there for a moment before knocking. Sam was on the other side reading a book, and at the sound of the knock, she covered herself in a robe just in case it was one of Danny's relatives. "Come in," she called through the door. Danny mustered all the courage in him and opened it.

He walked in, leaving all his reservations at the door. "Do you mind if I sit?" he asked, motioning toward the bed. "Be my guest," Sam voiced with a smile. Oh god, did he love her smile. It was enough to light up his whole world. "Sam, I have so much I want to tell you, and I know that I can trust you. But not tonight. Tonight I just want to be; tonight, I just want to hold you in my arms and let the world and all its problems fade away. Then tomorrow, I'll tell you everything I promise." Danny confessed as he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Sensing his tension, Sam scooted closer to him.

"You're not like a serial killer or anything, right?" the young woman quipped, and Danny smirked. "Damn, you caught me. I lured you here with my evil plot to strangle you in your sleep." the boy deadpanned, and despite herself, Sam laughed a deep, hearty laugh. When the laughter died down, Amethyst met ocean, and soon enough, the gap between them closed. Kissing passionately, the pair fell back on the bed.

Danny broke the kiss as he looked Sam deep into her eyes. "Are you sure?" the man inquired as she nodded. "I want this; I want you." That was all he needed, and the ghost boy fully allowed himself to be submerged in every moment that followed. There the pair made love for the first time. He held her close after it was over, and they talked all night until one of them drifted off to sleep, then the other like clock work.

Line break

The next morning came, and Christmas was over, and they were thrust into this new world where they were so much more than partners. As Danny awoke, the gears in his head began turning, and he had to think about how he was going to tell Sam the truth about himself and his burden. He couldn't let this end like he and Valerie had. He wouldn't let that happen.

Danny's phone went off. A text from Tucker said that a package had been delivered to the times for Phantom. Since Sam was still asleep, he figured he could appear as Phantom and grab whatever package and return before she woke up. So he went to the times and got the package.

Within an hour, he was back at his childhood home. He went to his bedroom to open it. Once he did, he found that it was a videotape. Luckily he had a player in his room, so he pulled the tape out and popped it in, nearly dreading what he was about to see.

The first thing he saw made his stomach turn. It was a bruised and bloodied Valerie who was very much bound but not gagged. His heart lurched. He watched as the two men beat her over and over as she continued to deny that she knew his identity.

He watched as they switched to cutting her with a pocket knife slice after slice; she still denied knowing his identity. Tears fell from his eyes as he watched as they switched to burning her in small places still she denied the truth.

The video went on for hours, burning, cutting, beating, even removing her fingernails one by one, but she never changed her story. Danny watched the entire tape up until the end. Then, finally, with the last of her strength, she looked dead at the camera and said. "I know who he is. He's the man this world needs. He's the light to snuff off the darkness like you and like me. He' s the very best of us. The world needs him. I didn't always believe that, hell I was furious with him for a very long time and I spent most of my life running from the pain he caused me, but I know you'll see this and I know you'll blame yourself but don't because-" Valerie had begun before one of the men snapped her neck, and her head hung limp in the chair. "NO!" Danny screamed uncontrollably. He had watched the whole tape, hoping to deduce clues of where they were holding her so he could save her. But that wasn't the point of the tape.

They weren't trying to draw him into a trap to save her; she was always going to die. They wanted him to know that she died because she loved him; she died because she protected him. They wanted him to think she died because of him.

If that was their intention, then they won. He knew exactly who was behind this. Vlad, there was no question only he could hire people so vile and cruel. He had done this, he thought. He had gotten her killed. He had been fooling himself, and his mother had been wrong. He couldn't have it all. If he stayed with Sam, if she knew the secret, then she'd be a target.

She could end up like Valerie. He couldn't have more blood on his hands. He swore silently to himself that Masters would pay for this. He'd pay for killing Valerie; he'd pay for the fact that he had to push Sam away to protect her. He'd pay for every awful fucking thing he's ever done, and Danny would make sure of it.

Still, it didn't make anything hurt any less. His first love was dead, and he was going to have to break the heart of his current love. Nothing could make this hurt any less. He wiped his tears as he banged his hand on his dresser, forgetting his strength and making a massive dent in it. From there, he just began smashing his room to hell. Holding back tears as he destroyed everything he could, Sam burst into the room and forced him into a hug.

He softened and leaned into her and cried. "Shhh, I'm here, my love. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." the woman said softly as she stroked his hair.

"I'm so sorry, Sammy." the man voiced, broken. She just held him as he fell apart in her arms, and she promised herself that she would try and put him back together. So there they stood as pain enveloped them on the day after Christmas in a world so cold and unforgiving.

A/n: well, there you guys go finally, an update.