Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or have any rights on Nickelodeon

Normally, the first thing you feel when waking up is the soreness of your body after a whole night of no movement. Normally, you would try to get the sleep from your eyes and mind by sha&king your head a little.

But of course, when you're a ghost, nothing is normal.

But waking up hungry, thirsty and sore?

Okay, that's new.

And so did the day start for Ember McLain.

Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she noticed is how empty her stomach is. She licks her dry lips, and her body feels terrible. Forcing her eyes open, she found the first thing showing she's no longer in Walker's Prison.

The massive poster of herself she had put on the ceiling above her bed.

Her bed…

With a groan she sits upright in her bed, eyes scanning the room. She's in her bedroom.

Was it all a… Dream?

"You're awake."

The diva her head snaps to the open door, finding Jazz standing in the opening.

"Red? W-what happened?" She manages to say, her throat dry and sore. She puts her hand on her head, a slight headache making its appearance.

"You were out cold when we got you out of the prison. Youngblood helped us find your realm, and well, we crashed here to rest." Jazz explained as she entered further, a platter with food and water in her hands. Ember her stomach grumbles, showing how hungry she is.

"That pirate-kid? I thought I told him to stay away from my house."

"You did, but it was the only way he could help us. The Fenton Portal was, uhm, blocked and we couldn't go back." The redhead says as she puts the food on her lap. The blue-haired girl doesn't need a signal to know, and she starts to eat, scarfing the food down.

"Where's Danny?" The diva is able to ask between bites. Jazz chuckles as her eyes drift to the other side of her bed. Following the girl's eyes, her own eyes widen as she finds the halfa, sleeping with his head on his arms at her side. 'How did I miss that?'

"He stayed here all night, watching over you. Call me when he wakes up, I've got breakfast ready for him when he needs it." Jazz said as she started making her way back. Ember nods before going back to her platter, eating the rest of the food and emptying the glass.

After she's done, she moves the empty plate of her lap and turn to look at the boy resting at her side. A sad smile comes to her face, and for the first time in ever she sees him at peace. Real peace. Even on a calm day, he always seemed to have that edge to himself, like he's ready for an attack at any time.

"Oh, dipstick." She sighs as she makes her way out of bed. Her body still feels sore, and her wrists are wrapped up where the cuffs has cut her, but she needed some movement to get the knots out.

Doing some stretches, a groan from the bedside alerts her to the boy waking up. 'Well, guess he's also got enough rest.'

Danny his eyes flickered open, and he lifts his head from the bed and his arms. Yawning a bit, he tries to focus on the room he's in. As his memories return from yesterday, his eyes drift to the bed, only to find it empty.

He shoots up and is about to look for her, but a soft chuckle makes him look through the room, his eyes falling on a snickering pop-star.

"Ember, you're awake!"

"Yeah, your sis already knew that. She said that she's got breakfast ready for you." Ember said with a casual tone as she pointed to the door with her thumb. The half-ghost took the hint, and left to let the girl get dressed properly.

'And after breakfast, we'll have a talk.'

"Where did Sam and Tucker go?"

"They went to the portal when it was back open to pick up Ellie. They'll be back in an hour." Jazz said as she moved out of the kitchen, her own food ready.

"Good."

Danny was seated in the sofa, letting his body rest and heal. He had eaten his breakfast already, and was now trying to pass the time. Ember was tuning her guitar, trying to keep herself busy.

Both didn't really feel like talking at the moment.

Jazz let them as she ate her breakfast. She knew that these kind of situations need some thought. And, after she would be done eating, she'd have to go and check on the others.

If only to give the two some privacy.

So that's what she did. After eating her breakfast and putting the plate with the rest of the dishes, she told them she was going to check on the others. Both asked how, and she simply responded by giving them a sly look before she closed the door behind her.

"She surely is your sister." Ember said with exasperation as she put her guitar down, not feeling like doing anything with it at the moment.

"Tell me about it." Danny said, a soft chuckle following. His sis really was a unique person, but he learned to appreciate this. If she ever would start acting 'normal', then he would get nervous.

Silence fell. Not uncomfortable, but still very dense. Both could almost hear Danny's heartbeat slowly climbing with every passing second. Sweat rolled down their necks, and suddenly even the halfa felt warm.

After some time, neither could handle it.

"Danny…"

The half-ghost shot upright, knowing now that whenever Ember used his name that she was being very serious and he should give her his full attention.

"About… about what happened in th-the cemetery…"

She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves and trying to get her stomach to settle down a bit, just to try and keep her meal inside.

"W-what I did was fully on impulse, and I-I… I don't know when it happened, o-or how, but… I've fallen in love with you, Danny, but I… Last time I loved someone, it became the reason for… for my death,"

The boy's breath hitched in his throat. His mind suddenly turned to that song she sang during their first meeting. The one that made her so popular. He always felt that there was more to it.

"I just… I-I feel so, so, so… A-afraid… I-I don't want it to go the same way. I don't want this to be a one-way relationship. I don't want to stand in your way. You're half-human, and I'm a… a full ghost. You deserve better, like those human, living girls."

"Besides, we've always been enemies, right? So why not keep it like that, huh?"

He felt his heart breaking with every word. She was giving reasons, valid reasons. He understood her fear, but he also knew that she was starting to make assumptions.

Time to be honest.

"You know, Sam and I, we used to date… But, after a few months we just felt like, it wouldn't work out. And not because we didn't love each other, even now I still have some lingering feelings,"

Ember her ponytail deflated as he spoke, her eyes looking away. If she had a heart, it would surely be shattering about now.

"My point is, we stopped dating because of how, how different we are. I might still be human, but my ghost-half has affected so much of me, even now I can feel how I'm aging slower than the others. I don't even know if like this, I can have kids or not. I'm grateful for Dani, but I still want to be able to be a father, like other people, from the beginning. With Danielle, I feel like I missed out on so much of her youth, even now."

He took a shaky breath, the emotions he's pouring into this collecting together is his voice and throat. He swallow the lump in his throat before continuing.

"After that, I felt… Lost. Like I didn't have anywhere to go. I'll be honest, I changed a bit after that, started listening to different music, acting more… Mature, I guess. And around then, I think I just, started to like, have a… a crush on you, Ember."

For a moment the blue-haired diva felt something in her chest flutter, but that feeling quickly simmered down.

"It was around then that our fights turned into what they are now. Simple exchanges of banter and sparring. I could tell that the usual anger between us was gone, and it gave me… Hope. After I almost killed you in that fight, I realized just how dangerous things could get, and seeing how that danger between us vanished, it gave me hope. Hope for… for more."

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is, we're already far past being enemies. Even if we didn't call each other that, I knew that we had become like friends. This, it felt like, like we were taking the next step, even if it didn't look like it. Ember, I've fallen in love with you, and I don't care if we're different. I-I understand why you're afraid, but I don't want that to stand between us. I promise, I will never hurt you like that. So please, just, give it a chance okay?"

Silence fell. It pressed down like a weight on the two, and for a moment both held their breaths. Eventually needing air, they released their breaths. Neither looked at each other, nor say something. Everything had been said, now they had to think.

Ember replayed what Danny had said through her head, over and over. The words mixed together and her thoughts were a mess. Taking controlled breaths, she tried to focus on something. Curse her mind for that to be her guitar. Immediately the memory of what the halfa had done for her, just by helping her get her guitar fixed, entered her mind.

Danny didn't dare look at the pop-star. His heart was racing, and he was almost afraid he was going to have a heart-attack and die right here and now. Mentally he chuckled, the thought that dying would really make things easier crossing his mind. Since when has death become such a normal subject for them to talk about? Since the day they realized ghosts are real, and they used to have a life?

Ember her thoughts went back to the moment they shared on the cemetery. Not only had Danny let her in on a part of his life no one else knew, he had helped her start accepting the loss she has suffered in her life and afterlife. The pain she usually felt that day had been softened by the heart-filled words the half-ghost had shared with her.

She had to admit, he seemed to ease the pain she felt, and her fears seemed to vanish whenever he was around. The fear she felt right before they came to save her had seemingly melted away when the boy she loves came to save her.

The boy she loves…

And he loves her…

She stood up from her seat and slowly walked to the halfa. His eyes darted up to her, and as she stopped in front of him. She kept her face solid neutral. One last time ticking him off by keeping her emotions locked.

She extended her hand, and he eyed it warily. Unable to read her face, he could only rely on his instincts and trust. A final test.

A test of trust.

He hated the fact she was forcing him to think, her face not showing her emotional state. He could bet not even Jazz could read those steel eyes. He knew that she was testing him, he had a vague idea about that. A test of trust.

Okay, then. Trust it is.

He grabbed her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. She took the hint and pulled him up, taking some care to avoid tearing the bandages around her wrist or opening some of his injuries. As he came to stand up, both were suddenly aware of the slight difference in height. 'Since when has the dipstick grown so much?'

Taking that simple detail aside, their eyes locked. Danny's were showing the anxiety and worry, but also the care and love he held for her. Hers were like steel, not showing anything. He mentally sighed, his heart unable to stop from break a little with how indifferent she looks.

And then suddenly that mask broke away, the love in those green eyes surprising him. Before he could react to the sudden emotions, she pulled him down a little by the collar while she softly floated up, their lips meeting in the middle. At first shocked, he quickly deepens it by leaning in, allowing himself some control. Her arms wrapped around his neck as his hands wandered to grab her by the waist, pressing her body closer to him. A cold and pleasant shiver passed down her spine with the coolness radiating from the halfa, and he felt the kind warmth from her body and the burning pony-tail, that seemed to increase in size and strength.

After a few lingering moments, they had to end the kiss, gasping for air.

"D-does this mean what I think it means?" Danny asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Ember rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she couldn't stop a soft chuckle from escaping her.

"What do you think, baby-pops? Of course. Just, promise me that you'll never, ever break my heart, okay?"

"I promise, with my own heart." Danny spoke, his voice filled with seriousness. Ember nodded, her eyes avoiding his gaze to try and hide the blush she has. Her hands lower down to rest against his chest, and she floated down to the ground before leaning into him. He smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her the comfort she needs. This was though for her, he understood that, but he'll always be there for her.

"Is this… what I think it is?"

The two their heads turned to the source, finding Jazz and Sam looking at the duo, the first with a happy smile and the other with a questioning but also somewhat happy expression. Tucker looked up from behind the two girls, trying to get a look himself. Suddenly, Dani phased through the three blocking the door, a small huff escaping her as she turned to them, a small scowl on her face.

"What are you talking abouuuuu-" She trailed off as she turned back and saw her dad embracing Ember, and not in a way that simple friends would do. Her mind took some time to process things, in that time Danny separated from Ember and softly approached his daughter. He knelt down to her level, placing a hand on her shoulder that snapped the little girl from her thoughts. She looked up, the shock still lingering on the young halfa her face, but also carrying confusion and, is that a shimmer of happiness in her eyes?

"Does this mean that, Ember is going to be my mommy?"

The trio of behind her chuckled a little bit, Sam rolling her eyes sweetly. The blue-haired diva came to crouch down next to Danielle, who turned to look at the ghost with expecting eyes.

"Not exactly, sweetie. Your dad and I will be dating from now on, but we're taking it slowly. So, no, I'm not really your mom."

Dani her eyes flickered, and tears appeared on the edges. Danny sighed softly as he grabbed his daughter in a big hug.

"Oh sweetheart." He cooed as he softly rocked the little girl and brushed with his other hand through her hair. Ember joined in on the hug, her ponytail wrapping itself around the two Phantoms, giving them a soft warm feeling.

In the meantime, the three in the door opening looked at the moment with happy eyes, Jazz wiping a few tears from her eyes. Tucker took a few pictures with his PDA, and Sam simply had her eyes closed, focusing on the good part about this all.

At least Danny is finally able to get over their break-up. Now only she has to get over it.

"So, this is going to be a bit strange to get used to." Sam mused as the six flew through the Ghost Zone in the Fenton Speeder. Danny was standing in the cockpit, a hand on the two seats, Tucker navigating and Sam steering.

"I know, and we'll have to figure out some other things on the way. For now, we'll take it slow. Ember still has some, uhm, things to deal with." Danny said as his eyes were fixated on the path ahead. He already could see the Fenton Portal in the distance.

"You mean, getting over the fact her death was thanks to heartbreak?" Tucker asked with a neutral tone. His two friends spared him a questioning look, and he simply shrugged. "There was more to her song than just lyrics."

"Yeah, I sort of figured that out too." Danny said with a slightly confused look. His eyes darted to Sam, but the goth merely shrugged before focusing on her steering.

In the back, Jazz was holding Danielle, who still was a little bit down from the news. She had always hoped to have a mom, and after learning that Sam wasn't going to be the one, she really had hoped that Ember could be her new mommy.

The diva was seated in the opposite of the speeder, her mind thinking about a few things. She sometimes spared a glance at the two Fentons in front of her, and Jazz shot her a few sympathetic looks. She sighed, feeling bad for hurting the little bud's feelings like that.

But truth be told, she really wasn't sure if this would go differently from last time.

They reached the Fenton Portal. Danny entered the back, a sad smile on his face as he noticed that Dani was still slumping. She didn't look at him, and he understood why. Ember stood up and offered for a handshake. The halfa shook his head and gave the blue-haired ghost a hug. She flashed him an apologetic look as her eyes briefly passed over the sad form of Dani.

He mouthed her 'she'll be alright' before letting go. She waved goodbye at Jazz, who offered a kind smile before wrapping her arms around her niece a bit tighter. She went up front and offered a simple handshake to the two friends, and Sam even flashed her a somewhat kind look. Taking that as a last sign off good luck, she phased out of the speeder and flew off, leaving the five to their devices.

Allowing the silence to remain, Sam steered the speeder through the portal. As they entered back into the lab, Tucker and Sam their eyes widened in shock. Putting the speeder down softly, Danny and Jazz couldn't shake the uneasy aura that suddenly surrounded them. Taking some caution, Danny went to the door of the Fenton Speeder and opened it. As soon as it's fully open he looks outside. His eyes widen to dished and his pupils turn to dots as his eyes meet the infuriating looks from Jack and Maddie Fenton.

Oh, crud. They're screwed.

Author's note: Okay, I think next time I'll have to warn for feels and fluff like this. Anyways, hope to see you again for the next chapter, because I'm leaving you with this cliffhanger for the rest of this and next week.

Why, you might ask? Well, I'm trying to get my focus on the other stories in the making. Also, I'm announcing that my story 'Aftermath of Time' is going to be officially deleted by the end of this week. Sorry, but it just isn't going to work out like I hoped it would.

Anyways, remember to fav, follow and review and I'll see you all soon!