Chapter 9: Moving On

Sam slammed the trunk to the limousine with a final shut as she put her final bag into it. Sam's heart ached as she sniffled and wiped away a few tears and turned to her grandmother who sat on her scooter like always, but instead of her normal happy go lucky attitude, a look of sarrow and regret dominated on her face.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, bubeleh?" Ida asked as she rested her hands on the cane she kept on the side of her motorized chair.

"I'm sorry, grandma, but I…I just can't. I can't live here with them anymore. Not after what my mother said. Not after everything she's done. And not just to me, but then the way she acted toward Danny and Danielle…that was too far, and this…is where I have to draw the line," Sam said.

"You know, I can always have them kicked out. If that helps," Ida said with a small smile. Sam couldn't help the sad smile that came to her face at her grandma's loving and caring attitude. Ida had always been someone Sam not only looked up to, but someone she could confide her deepest secrets in.

Ida had been there for Sam when she had first started going through puberty. When she had gotten her first period, Jeremy and Pamela had been away on business, something Sam had become accustomed to at a young age. After the shock of waking up to extreme cramps and more then mild irritability, she screamed at the site of the blood that covered her silk bed sheets. Her first reaction was to run into the bathroom and use her cellphone to call her parents. Unfortunately, they were caught in a meeting and told her they would call her back later, making Sam not only angry, but extremely hurt that they didn't care that their daughter was going to bleed to death. As she sat on the bathroom floor, crying her eyes out, Ida came into the room, having heard her only grandchild screaming, and fearing something was wrong. Upon seeing her grandmother, Sam fell into her arms, crying in hysteria that she loved her and that she was too young to die, all the while Ida was smiling and chuckled at the girls over reaction. After she was finally able to calm the young girl down and reassure her she was not going to die, Ida explained everything to Sam, leaving the girl relieved and embarrassed at her dramatic over reaction.

Ida was also the first one to find out about Sam's feelings for Danny. Though she knew for a fact that Tucker, being both his and her best friend, had probably figured it out from spending so much time with her, Ida was the first person Sam had confided in. She was rolling down the hall when she found her favorite family member sitting at the kitchen table, picking at a salad she made as a few loose tears fell down her face. Ida listened to Sam as she told her of how she was tired of watching all these girls warm up to Danny and how he fell for them, usually so hard that he would get hurt in the process. She told her of how she wished she could just tell him how she felt, but didn't want to ruin their friendship. Ida smiled as she placed a hand on Sam's and told her that she need not worry, and that when the time was right, she would know what to do. Sam was happy to know that someone in her family cared about her, but never quite understood what her grandmother meant until the day of the Disasteroid when she and Danny shared their first real kiss. In that one moment, though short as it was, her grandma's words came back to her and finally made sense as she was finally able to convey her true feelings to him.

"No. That's ok. I don't really need a place this big anyway," Sam said before hugging her and kissing her. "I love you, nanna."

"I love you too. And no matter what, you and your friends are always welcome here. Regardless of what they said."

"Thanks, nanna."

"Anything for my granddaughter and great granddaughter. Be sure that you call me if you need anything."

"I will. And I promise that we'll visit," Sam said, taking one last look at her grandma before turning back to what was no longer her home. As she gazed upon the massive home, a small part of her couldn't help but hope that her parents, as shallow and cruel as they were, would come outside to stop her and tell her that they loved her and that they were sorry about how they treated everyone. But, sadly, the bigger part of her knew that that was something that was not going to happen. No, her mother was much too proud and would never do something like that, even for Sam.

Sam breathed a heavy sigh of regret as she crawled into the back of the vehicle where Danny, Danielle and Tucker waited for her. Tucker sat against the longer inner wall while Danny occupied the small seat closest to the door. Next to him was Danielle who was still had tear streaks stained on her face as she sleep quietly from crying herself to sleep.

As Sam climbed in, she picked up Danielle, placing her on her lap where she instinctively started to rub the small of the young girls back before closing the door. Sam didn't say a word as she gazed at the small child that seemed relax at her feather like touch, trying not to disturb her. Finally, Danny had enough.

"Sam?" Danny said, grabbing her left hand from their daughter's back.

"Yeah?" she replied, still not looking at him.

Danny was quiet for a moment, trying to find an easy way to approach this, though he knew there wasn't.

"Sam, talk to me. I need to know…are you sure you want to do this?"

She didn't reply for almost minute, but when she did, she looked him directly in his eyes where he could see faint tears starting trying to form.

"Unfortunately, yes I am. As much as I hate to admit it, I knew this was inevitable. My parents and I have been butting heads for so long, I thought that when the day came that I moved out, I wouldn't feel bad about it. I had always worried it would end like this, where my parents and I would get into a fight and I'd leave, get my own place, and only speak to them when I felt it necessary. But I never knew it would not only hurt so much, but that I really didn't want it to be this way. I love them, but I love you and Ellie too. You two are the most important people in my life, and if they can't accept either of you, them they have no room in my life," she said as she quickly wiped the tears before they could flow. "I just wish that they cared more about how I felt and wish that they could understand."

Danny rubbed her hand before kissing her softly on the lips.

"I love you too, Sam. And so does Ellie. And believe me when I say that I am sorry it had to end this way with your parents, but…we all knew it was bound to boil over one day. I just wish we had more time, been a little older so we could have set you up better than this."

Sam nodded before turning to the driver.

"Jensen?"

"Yes, Ms. Sam?" the elderly driver asked at full attention.

"To Fenton Works, if you please."

"But of course, Ms. Sam," he answered as he rose the small window connecting his seat and the cabin, and shifted the car into gear.

"Thanks again for all the help and support, you guys," Sam said, looking at Danny and then Tucker, love for her friends making her feel better as she scooted closer to her boyfriend and placed her head on his shoulder.

Tucker couldn't help but to feel more at ease as he looked upon his best friends' little family of three. Danny, the strong, overprotective father. Sam, the stubborn, but nurturing mother. And last, but not least, Danielle, the adventurous daughter who always brought a little excitement wherever she went. Never in his short, fourteen years of life, would he have thought that any of this would have happened the way it did. Danny getting his ghost powers, both he and Sam being controlled ghost, fighting and saving the world. Now, he couldn't even imagine what their lives would be like if none of it had ever happened. This was something he always knew would happen, though the unexpected addition of Danielle was a surprise. But nonetheless, he felt a bit of envy for them, and hoped that one day he too would have a family like this one.

"So. What's the plan now?" he asked as they made their way down the road.

"We go to my place, I talk to my parents, and we move Sam and Danielle's stuff in. Everything's gonna be pretty much the same as before, I guess," Danny said.

"Except without my parents input. Though, that never mattered much before anyway," Sam said with a small smile.

Tucker smiled back and nodded his head in agreement as silence fell over them in the small space for the rest of the trip. Upon their arrival to the Fenton home, Danny phased out of the limousine and into his home where his parents and sister waited, wanting to question him and Danielle about their earlier interview and the battle with Ember which happened to be all over the news.

But before anyone could ask any questions, Danny announced that he had something important to talk to them about.

"Oh god, please don't tell me Sam's pregnant," Jazz said as she placed a hand on her head. "Please tell me that you are not about to tell me that you have other kids or that you have another one on the way."

Danny stood in shock as he stared at his sister. Shaking his head rapidly and finally getting his speech function back, Danny replied in the best way he knew how.

"What in the world is wrong with you, Jazz!? Are you NUTS!?" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

"I'm just asking because every time you walk into the house and say "Guys, I've got something important that we need to talk about", it ends with something big happening, and I don't think I can take finding out I have any more nieces or nephews right now, especially when I just found out I have one yesterday!" Jazz said in exasperation.

Danny did a face palm, making a mental note to find a better way to handle these things in the future, and reassured his sister that he would not be having anymore kids any time soon. From there, Danny went on to explain everything that happened between them and the Mansons. Needless to say, Maddie and Jack were beyond angry with them, and Jazz was completely disgusted with the two.

"How could they have been so cruel to her? I mean, she's their daughter! And the way they treated Danielle and you is just horrible! She's so sweet and innocent, and you never did anything wrong to them. Not to mention she's their granddaughter!" Jazz ranted as she paced in front of the couch.

"I know. I can only imagine how Sam must be feeling. I mean, I always feared it would happen to me once my secret was out. But her…she knew it was going to happen eventually. That's gotta be the worse. It just makes me sick," Danny said as he shook his head a little. "So, Mom, Dad, is it alright if Sam moves in with us? I'd really feel better knowing she was somewhere safe and close by. I promise we won't do anything, and-"

"Danny," his mother said, holding up her hand. Danny peered into her eyes and relaxed at the smile on her face. "Sam is family. She always has been and with her being Danielle's mother, it wouldn't be right if we didn't do everything we could to help her. Although you two are going to have to share a bedroom since we're turning the guest room into Danielle's room. But I expect you two to be responsible about all this, Daniel James Fenton. Understood?"

Danny smiled and hugged his parents. "Thanks guys. I'm gonna help them move their stuff," he said as he turned and phased back outside. Thirty minutes of lifting and phasing threw things later, mostly done by Danny, all of Sam and Danielle's things were moved into the Fenton home. Sam laid Danielle, who was still napping, on the former guest bed and placed a kiss on her head before heading down the hall to Danny's room.

Upon entering, Sam was surprised to find almost all of her bags empty, and most of her possessions either put away or arranged in various places around the room.

"You know, I am capable of unpacking my own stuff, Danny," she said with a smile as she walked over to him.

"Trust me, I know," he said as he placed her spare boots in his closet. "Hence why I left your clothes in their bags.

"Oh, is that why?" she asked as she watched him turn back into his human form.

"Well that and, knowing my luck, you would walk in while I was trying to put your underwear away, and you'd think I was some kind of pervert."

"Well considering the fact that you're used your powers to spy in the girl's locker room, I'd say we're way past that."

Danny's jaw dropped as a deep red blush crept onto his face.

"Uh…how…how'd you come up with that?"

"You know, it's funny the kind of information you can get out of Tucker when you use the right type of motivation," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck while his made their way around her waist. "But it's ok. You're a guy, and that's what guys do. Though, most don't have the ability to walk through walks or turn invisible." She smiled at his blush before the two came together in a passionate kiss.

"Hands where they can be seen, people. There's a child entering the room," Jazz said, a smirk on her face at the annoyed glare her brother gave her.

Before Danny could say anything, Danielle stumbled into the room, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Sam smiled and pulled away from Danny's embrace as she walked over to the preteen, kneeling and drawing her into a warm hug that Danielle gladly returned.

"How you feeling, sleepyhead?" Sam asked, ignoring the slight scowl she received from her daughter.

"I wasn't that sleepy," she grumbled. "But I do feel better now." She paused for a moment, hanging her head as she looked at the ground and the guilt of everything that had happened weighing heavy on her. "I'm…sorry…"

"What? Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Maybe, but if I hadn't been such a loud, smart mouth and rude to-" Danielle caught herself. She couldn't really call that woman her grandmother; not after what she had said and done. "If I hadn't mouthed off to Mrs. Manson, she wouldn't have gotten angry at you and she probably wouldn't have slapped Daddy like that."

"I still can't believe that she slapped you," Jazz said as her anger started to rise a little. "There's something wrong with that woman. No offense, Sam."

"None taken. And as for you," she said as she directed her attention back to Danielle, holding her gaze as she stared into the baby blue eyes she has come to love from both the two hybrids. "You didn't anything wrong. My tension with them had been building for a long time now. In fact, if it wasn't for my grandma, I, sadly, probably would have already tried to move out on my own a long time ago. My parents have always been on this kick and as much as I don't wanna admit it, I knew this was coming, and knew that as soon as they found out about you, they would probably hit the roof. But let me make myself 100% clear. I love you and your father more than anything and anyone else in the world, and don't you ever forget it."

Danielle smiled despite the tears in her eyes and the small bit of guilt she still held, and hugged her mother again, never wanting to let go. Danny walked over to them and kneeled down to receive a hug from his daughter as well.

"Kids, can you come down here please? We need to have a family meeting," Maddie called up the stairs.

The four teens walked down the stairs and into the living room where Tucker was sitting on the larger of the couches, waiting for his friends to show up. After taking their seats, Maddie took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the conversation.

"Now, as you all know, due to some unfortunate circumstances, Sam has had to move in with us," she said, scanning the room to make sure everyone was paying attention. "Of course we are more than glad to let her in with open arms because she is family, as are you, Tucker," she said with a reassuring smile to the two teens. "Moving on. Because of this, we will have to go to the school and have your address changed to have our home listed as your home address. However, since we are technically not your legal guardians, it may take some time to get some of your information changed like your emergency contact."

"I understand," Sam said. "I'm already planning on contacting a lawyer to have myself emancipated from my parents, and once I get that settled, it shouldn't be a problem."

"But how are you going to convince them that it's a good idea?" Danny asked.

"Easy. I've spent most of my life taking care of myself since they were always busy and away on trips. Plus, my grandma knows a really good lawyer and she said will testify on my behalf if need be."

Maddie nodded, glad to see that Sam was already on top of things which would make this easier for all of them. "Since I'm sure you don't want people knowing about you living here for now, we'll be sure that everything that happens at the school is in confidentiality. I would also like to talk to you two about the sleeping arrangements. We don't have a problem with the two of you sharing a bed and a bedroom, but we are trusting you to be responsible and mature about this. As your sister made very clear earlier, we don't need any more surprise grandchildren for a while."

Sam and Danny's faces turned red in embarrassment. Sam had known that this was a conversation that they were going to have to have eventually, but that didn't make it any less embarrassing for her or Danny who, apparently, had a similar conversation with his family earlier. Jazz and Tucker were snickering at their discomfort while Danielle, who knew nothing about the birds and the bees, was considering the possibility of have a sibling sometime in the near future.

"On that note, your curfew will still be 10 o'clock unless otherwise talked about or if there is a ghost attack. Danielle, yours is 9 o'clock unless you are with them, Jazz or Tucker, but again, unless specified before hand or if there is a ghost attack."

All four nodded their heads as they took in all the info that Maddie had given them.

"Hey, Tuck. Is there any way you can get Danielle into the school system at the middle school?"

"What? I get to go to school?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course you do. No daughter of ours is going to grow up without an education," Danny said with a grin.

"I won't be able to until I have all the information and birth certificate made up as well as putting her in the government records. I'd say a week….maybe four" he muttered the last part.

"Four weeks!? What am I supposed to do until then?" Danielle asked.

"Calm down. It's simple. We'll home school you," Danny said, placing a hand on her head.

"That's a great idea, Danny. Jack and I will teach her during the day and you kids can tutor her and teach her the more extracurricular courses in the afternoons," Maddie said as she folded her arms over each other.

Everyone nodded in agreement on the plan that they had set for the future and started on light conversation before being interrupted by the sound of a cellphone going off. Sam groaned knowing full well who it was without even looking at it, and ignored it. A few seconds after it finished ringing, the phone beeped, notifying her of a voicemail to which Sam deleted without even listening to it. Danny wrapped his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder. Danielle got up and went around Danny to sit on Sam's other side where she leaned against her mother reassuringly. Maddie smiled before turning to Tucker who had the same happy grin on his face.

"Will you be staying for dinner?"

"That depends. What are you guys having?" he asked, the grin never leaving his face.

"We were going to order out pizza. We could also use some help on tweaking some things on the Specter Speeder if you wouldn't mind."

"You had me at pizza," he said as he got up to make his way to the lab, Jack and Maddie close behind. Jazz, clearly getting the signal as to what was going on, got up and headed toward her room, telling everyone if they needed her, she would be reading in her room. All was quiet as the small family of three relaxed on the couch together, enjoying each other's presence.

"You know," Danielle said, looking at her parents, "despite everything that has lead up to all this, I'm glad I have the both of you here with me."

Danny couldn't help smiling at the young girl. "Ellie's right. This is nice, and I love having both my girls here with me, safe and sound."

Danielle scowled at him, trying to hide the pleasant feeling she got every time he called her his girl. "Don't call me that. Besides," she grinned, hopping off the couch and transforming. "You should probably be focusing more on what you're gonna name my little brother or sister." She laughed at the look her parents gave her before turning intangible and running off.

"Yeah, you'd better run!" Danny yelled with a smile before turning back to Sam who was smiling at him too. "Though, maybe planning another kid wouldn't-"

"Keep dreaming, ghost boy," she said before pulling his smiling face into a passionate kiss.

Unbeknownst to the two, or the rest of the family for that matter, just outside their home, a new breath of life came into the plants that had, for some unknown reason, started to lose their color and wilt earlier in the day. The plants glowed bright green as they sprang back up, and a faint glow shone from them, replenishing the flora in a way that has never been seen before.