~Chapter 4~

Sam sighed as she rocked the twins to sleep. Junior still didn't sleep through the night. His sister was an easy baby though, she was independent and liked to be left alone while she slept.

Danny had crossed the line today. And to make matters worse, it wasn't just any old line he'd crossed. No, it happened to be Sam's sore spot. The most delicate of all the lines in existence. And he knew he'd crossed it, because he'd been avoiding her all day since the call ended, not exactly excited to be in trouble with her. Because remember...Sam had wrath. A lot of wrath. He knew it, Tucker knew it, and when the twins were old enough to understand English, they would know it. But tonight, at least, she was too tired, both emotionally and physically, to pick a fight with him. He could relax...for now.

She yawned and pushed the thought of her parents and Mr. Johnson out of her head. They couldn't bother her anymore. Heck, they shouldn't even mean anything to her now! It was stupid to love someone who didn't want you. Had she always been a burden to her family? Aside from her grandma, that is. Her grandma loved her very much. Sometimes she was smothered and showered with the pure love her grandma radiated.

She slowly blinked, just now noticing that her eyes were heavy. An invisible anvil was hooked to an invisible chain that attached to her eyelids, weighing them down, refusing to let her fully open her eyes.

Danny should be in so much trouble right now...but...all she wanted to do to him was wrap his arms around her and sleep peacefully, knowing that she had what nobody else had. Danny. She didn't love him because he was Danny Phantom. She didn't love him because he was a hero. She loved him because he was there for her. He'd protected her, saved her, loved her... Since when had she saved him? She'd done nothing but get herself into trouble, but he'd made sure to do whatever he could to fix things. Things would never go back to normal. But he tried his level best to make her happy despite the past she'd endured. That was why she loved him. She loved Danny Fenton. Everyone else loved Danny Phantom.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes. It would only be for a second... Or maybe...maybe only...a minute...or two would be nicer...maybe three...or...four...or...

The rocking chair stopped rocking and the babies continued to sleep peacefully in their mother's gentle arms. Lilith moved a bit, snuggling closer to her mother just as she did on the day of her birth. Danny Junior snored lightly, just like Danny himself. Neither of them stirred as they were carefully lifted from their mother's arms and put into their crib, covered with a blanket, and left to sleep with sweet baby dreams. Sam, too, was picked up with two strong arms. She sighed softly as she continued to sleep. The arms quietly put her down on a soft mass, and covered her with a blanket.

Lips lightly pecked her cheek as a voice said, "I'll always be here to kiss your tears away."

The next morning was...interesting, to say the least. Normally Danny would wake very early to study a little bit before school, just in case of pop quizzes, but he would wake up with Sam still in bed, having not yet woken. Things were basically back to the way everything used to be centuries ago, when sex roles were set in stone and enforced. Danny was the father who went to work and Sam was the mother who stayed home to look after the kids. She always made sure to encourage Danny to study up as much as sanely possible so he could finish high school and hopefully be able to move on to college. If he could get a job that brought in decent money, he could support the family when they moved out. It was going to be difficult, even with Maddie and Jack helping them.

And that was precisely why Danny thought Sam should clear the air with her parents. She hadn't talked to them for a very long time and he knew it hurt her inside. But this was Sam, and if she didn't want to talk to her parents, she wouldn't. In fact, she was so dead-set on keeping everything a secret from her parents that he was overly ready to tell them what happened himself. The only thing stopping him was the vow he'd made to Sam not to tell anyone without her consent first. That promise was a blessing for the most part, but right now it was nothing more than a curse. Why she was so stubborn about it all, he would never know.

This morning was different because Sam wasn't in bed sleeping. This time Danny woke up to find his arms free for once. Sam wasn't even in the room. He looked towards the crib. The babies were still sleeping, which meant she hadn't gotten up to feed them or rock them back to sleep. It wasn't like her to suddenly leave like this.

He jumped out of bed and quietly searched the room. Drawers were pulled out, bedsheets were taken off, and notebooks were flipped through. There wasn't a note. She...was it possible that she had returned to her parents? Maybe, but was it really necessary to panic him all the time? As if he hadn't been through enough already!

He groaned. "Sam, you better have a good reason for this..."

But in that instant, unnerving images crept into his mind. He wanted to believe she had left on her own, but what if she hadn't? What if she had been taken? But how...? How would someone manage to sneak in the house, take Sam, and leave without a sound? A ghost couldn't have done it. They were always so noisy. Desiree was probably the quietest off all the lot, but she couldn't possibly have a motive for kidnapping Sam. Johnny 13 and Ember were also quiet sometimes, but they had nothing to gain from Sam.

Danny shook his head. It didn't add up, but now he knew he didn't have to check the Ghost Zone.

He ran into his sister's room and shook her awake, holding his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream.

"Jazz," he said once she was awake and aware that he wasn't an intruder, "you need to watch the twins."

She blinked.

"Sam's gone, I have to find her. I need you to babysit for awhile," he explained. "I'll be back as soon as I find Sam."

She stood there. It was frigid morning air, but it was refreshing, the kind of air that worked better than any coffee. So she stood there, thinking about things. She had left Danny sometime in the middle of the night, knowing the twins were safe with him. She had made her way here, back to her parents' house. Back to the place she never thought she would go back to... Yet here she was, right on the doorstep. It had been a long time since she'd last seen or heard her parents. She wondered what they would think of her now. They already knew the "baby" had been born, especially considering they knew she was pregnant last time she saw them. But they didn't know the baby had turned out to be babies. It might spark twice as much hatred. They also didn't know the babies weren't really Danny's. And they would be disappointed in her if they found out she had been lying to them this whole time.

She sighed, unsure whether she had the strength to knock on that door. It was much easier to stand here in the cold than to attempt going inside and talking to her parents. The last talk didn't go so well. At least her butler was happy for her. That made one person. She wondered if her parents would be happy to see her again. Maybe it would be something like a family reunion, where everyone was all excited to meet up again and chat about how things were going, how people were doing these days, what was happening lately...things like that.

But it didn't sound like something her parents would do. They had disowned her. And it wasn't just a bout of anger, a spur of the moment kind of thing. They never spoke to her once since then. They didn't call her, didn't even bother to find out where she lived now. And Danny wondered why she didn't want to see her parents... Answer was pretty obvious but there was a reason Danny's nickname was Clueless One.

Besides, it wasn't like he would understand. He had kind, loving parents that would do anything for him. They even took her in. They gave her a home, they got all excited when they found out about the babies, even more so when they found out it was twins. She wondered how they would feel if they knew the truth, if they knew Danny wasn't the father. Would they still think of themselves as grandparents? Would they be angry, sad, frustrated?

She took a step back. If they wanted her, they wouldn't have dumped her on the streets. And even if they wanted her back, she had a family to take care of. She had two beautiful children, two proud grandparents, a wonderful aunt, and a loving father. She was a mother now. Danny was a father now. Maddie and Jack were grandparents now. Jazz was an aunt now. She couldn't leave her family. It wouldn't be fair to the kids if they were taken from Danny to come back here, where they were unwanted. They deserved to live with a father who loved them and would give his life to save theirs. They needed a mother who would nurture them and never kick them out.

Danny had done everything he could for those children, even before they were born. Something told Sam he had viewed her and the kids as his family for a long time, far before she knew it. He...come to think of it, he acted just like a husband. What would it be like to marry a ghost-human hybrid? It wouldn't be so bad to get a house together. And he would look incredible in a tuxedo, waiting for her at the alter. He would tell her she looked stunning, and she would smile. They would live as a true family, just like any other. Danny would have a job by then. He would come home every night and spend time with the kids. Sam would cook dinner for everyone. They would talk and laugh around the table. And at night, when the kids were tucked into bed, she could make Danny hold her again.

"Sam!" Danny called out as he landed behind her.

She turned around. He was bent over, breathless. She didn't care whether he was Fenton or Phantom. Danny was Danny and that would never change. She walked up to him. There it was, in his eyes. The kind of love only Danny could give her. He was kind of like a dog, the way he always came back for her. A big, soft, loyal dog. How did he do it, anyway? He stuck by her through everything. The rape, the cutting, the tears, you name it. It didn't matter what she did. He would always be there, even if she didn't want him to be. Even now, when left without any hint as to where she was going, he looked for her. He never gave up. Ever. He loved her too much for that and under no circumstances would he let her go. And she didn't want him to let go.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. It made him shut his mouth. She didn't know if he knew what was coming or not, but she knew and she knew he deserved this for all he'd done for her. She gently pulled his head down and covered his lips with hers. She felt him smile. The surroundings seemed to vanish, and all worry removed itself from the both of them. Sam was fine. Danny was fine. Well, scratch that. Danny was on cloud nine right now. And why wouldn't he be? Every time Sam showed even the slightest bit of affection towards him, he couldn't help but smile. She was already his, but...he was Clueless One. He was still kind of shy around her. It didn't hinder him from putting as much effort as possible into the relationship though.

They parted.

"I think I did something right for once," Danny teased.

Sam smiled.

A/N

I have no excuses. However, let it not be said that I'm not an author of my word. I promised you I would finish Flowers Will Bloom and I did. I promised you I would finish Flowers Will Grow and I will. No matter the length of time it takes, I will finish this story!

I'm hoping for seventy-five (75) reviews, but I realize how angry you all must be with me, so there is no actual review quota.

Now the long-awaited review replies:

SilverWolf329- Thanks. :) And I can't tell you what's going to happen, sorry. But your idea is very interesting. Just remember, I've put an epilogue at the very end of Flowers Will Bloom, and this has to fit into that epilogue.

Inuyuke- Yes, and I'm sorry for the slow updates. I've gotten my motivation back and I'm ready to get my butt in gear! :) Expect faster updates. Yeah, that whole situation was actually an accident, if you can believe it. I realized it in the middle of FWB and had to build on it.

The-Unsung-Writer- Thank you very much. :D Well...actually, yes, I do have a passion for writing. Oh wow, this is so flattering. :D You have no idea how happy I was to read your review, I was literally on the brink of tears. Thank you so much! :'D

Guest- Yeah, fanfiction finally fixed it. :( I'm sorry to say my slow update has no excuse.

puppets4ever- That's alright. :)

writergirl142- Wait no more. I've got mah zest back, my inspiration has struck me like lightning, and I'm BACK!

Guest- Um...okay. Thanks?

RainingHearts4Ever- Wow, I can't believe you're one of the few people who has the patience to put up with me. :P Yes, that was the original idea, but I realized that it would be a little difficult to manage since the twins need to stay with their mother.

TheNinjaKitty13- Uhhh... The next chapter is, sadly, now. I'm so sorry for the slow update. Molasses and syrup combined moved faster than this update.

LittleBoomBoom- Thanks. :)

Guest- I know, right? I was in and out of a sequel mode for a long time before I decided to do one shortly before I finish FWB.

DeviousAngel1998- You think so? :D Thank you so much. Really, thank you tons. :)

Kitty in Boots- :( I'm sorry! I need inspiration if I'm to produce good chapters. But fear not, I've gained it back and CMF is ready and rarin' to go!

KillingFieldz- Heh heh... Yeah...sorry about that. Thanks. :)

BrittneyluvzChrist- Count this as an official update. ;)

Favorite Daughter of Hades- Thanks, and again I apologize for the slow update.

Thank you to those who haven't given up on me. :) Even if you don't think so, your reviews mean a TON to me and they really encourage me to keep going.