Chapter 17:

Sam POV-

We didn't go back to school after our chocolate milkshakes, in fact we didn't even drop off Jazz's car (so she was pissed at us when she came home), but, honestly, I didn't feel like going back, so we spent most of the day just talking (and maybe kissing, but that's beside the point).

We went to the park, which, at this time of day, was nearly deserted with the exception of the crazy woman who spends her days talking to herself and the pigeons.

"So what kind of business do you want to open?" I asked Danny, before taking a noisy sip of the bottom of my milkshake that refused to come up the straw.

"Well…honestly, I don't know, there are so many things I feel like would do well in this town," he thought.

"Such as?" I wondered, honestly curious.

"Well…I've always thought it would be cool to own a restaurant," he shrugged.

"Danny, honey, I hate to break it to you but…you can't cook," I told him. And it was true, thankfully, he has never made anything that has come to life, but I'm pretty sure I have seen him burn water.

"Gee, thanks," he remarked sarcastically, but he was smiling, "Yeah, I know I can't cook, but it would be cool. Realistically, I'm thinking maybe like a hardware store, or somewhere that specializes in ghosts and ghost weapons," he told me.

I arched an eyebrow, intrigued.

He took my intrigue as his cue to continue, "Well, obviously, it's no secret that we live in the most haunted city in the country, so we should embrace it. I mean, think about it, right now, me, my family, you, Tucker, Valerie, and Vlad are the only ones who actually know how to fight ghosts. That's eight people, seven who would actually do it, out of 15,000 and this city keeps growing with ghosts becoming a tourist attraction. Now, I'm not expecting people to jump into action or start protecting the town or anything, but it would probably be a good idea to market some gadgets and weapons for self-defense."

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea. You, or maybe even you parents could lead courses on how to use the weapons, and you could have a catalogue of all the ghosts you know so that people would know more about them," I suggested.

Danny seemed to ponder this, like I had suggested something that he hadn't thought about. Or maybe, my support was actually allowing him to actually put a deeper thought into this idea.

"Hmm…what should I call this business?" he asked me.

"…Ghost Gadget Hardware Store," I answered. Again, he seemed to ponder this, the idea bouncing off of the walls in his head.

"And you'll be the company lawyer?" he grinned.

"Are you expecting a lot of lawsuits?" I teased, grinning back.

"Well…if we let my dad run a class…" Danny said and we both burst out laughing.

When we finally stopped laughing, I decided to ask him more questions about this business idea.

"So what would you sell there?" I asked him.

"Well, on one side we could sell all the usual hardware stuff, but on the other we could have things like portable ghost shields, Spector Deflectors, thermoses, wrist rays, ghost security systems and shields for houses, ghost detectors, ghost nets, you know, the works, but not anything someone can hurt themselves with," Danny replied.

"You could sell ghost Tasers, rifles and pistols too, but you could make people pay for a license for those," I suggested.

"Ooh, good idea," Danny beamed.

I was glad that he felt so confident in this idea.

"Just make sure that everyone you sell a weapon to knows not to use it on you," I pointed out.

"Well, yeah," he scoffed playfully, "I'd be the number one good guy in the catalogue, and Vlad would be number one bad guy."

"Where would the Box Ghost rank?" I giggled.

"Public nuisance #1," Danny replied with a smile and we laughed.

"Well, Danny, I think this will actually work," I told him.

"You think so?" he asked, almost a little shocked.

"Yeah, I mean, you just created a solution to a public need, it's a great idea! And, I think, that if anyone can make it happen, it's you," I told him.

"What do you mean?" he questioned, confused.

"I mean, you are…well, actually the only person who has put a lot of thought and research behind the ghosts you fight. You're parents' judgment is clouded because they see all ghosts as evil, but you actually see the good in some ghosts, which is why, say, if your parents opened a hardware store, they would give probably the biggest weapons to anyone with one target: all ghosts, but, mostly you. But, you would be not only teaching people how to defend themselves, but you have the opportunity to actually change a public opinion about all ghosts, you can make a difference," I told him.

"Well, yeah, but do you think I actually am smart enough to run a business?" he wondered.

"Danny," I said, grasping his hands and looking at him in the eyes, "I know you are smart enough to run a business. Sure, your grades in school aren't the best but that's only because, half the time, you don't apply yourself and the other half, you are putting your effort and dedication into a town that doesn't even deserve your kindness. So, I know, if you put your heart into something that will make this town a better place, you can't lose."

"Or we could both just become motivational speakers," he smirked, giving me a kiss. I giggled.

"A strong plan 'B,'" I told him through a fit of giggles.

"If you can believe, you can achieve and succeed!" Danny mocked in a deep motivational speaker voice, causing us both to explode in laughter until we couldn't breathe and had to calm ourselves down, which, of course, only made us start laughing again.

"Ha…ha…" I tried to catch my breath.

I looked at Danny who had now stopped laughing and was looking at me with an expression I didn't really recognize. It looked like wonder and realization, at what, I didn't know, but there was…something else.

I was silent, staring into his deep, ice blue eyes, just waiting for him to say something.

"Sam…I love you," he said finally. I'll admit, I hadn't been expecting that, but that doesn't mean I didn't except it. It felt...right, like it had come so naturally to him. And, I felt the same sense of ease when I automatically replied.

"I love you too."

He smiled the kind of smile that lights up his whole face and his eyes danced with delight as he leaned close to me and kissed me. This wasn't like our other kisses that were usually so sweet and guarded, in this kiss I felt a kind of hunger behind it, a passion, I realized, that I was returning with the same ferocity.

I realized, that I have everything I have ever wanted: a family, both Danny's family, and soon to be one of my own, a guy who I love and who loves me back, a sense of self-worth, a future to look forward to, and, most importantly, all of these things have given me something to fight for.

And I'll be damned before I let anyone, especially Vlad, take that away from me.