A/N: Please remember to read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY! A big thank-you to all who have! Welcome to the new reader/reviewers such as: Rhyolite56, , Phantom Misfit, KaLeigh Samantha, diseptiv, Moon's Meow and any other (relative) newbies to my 'verse. Muahahaha, welcome them to the fic, regulars! (The Talent, KodiaWolfe13, ShadowDragon357, KuriMaster13, StarlightWhovian, jim89, WhiteWinterStar, shugokage, to start.)

Chapter #8: Flight

The night air breezes softly around them, the only light being that of the moon. Sam leans back against Danny's chest, and he tightens his arms around her. She closes her eyes, enjoying his scent, and the slow rise and fall of his chest.

"Ready?" he whispers.

"Always," she grins, securing her earmuffs and buttoning her coat. He laughs, leaning back against the ship's railing and allowing them to fall overboard. She can't help but let out a small squeak of surprise before he allows the white rings to wash over his body, and they swoop out over the waves and rocket up into the sky.

Laughter bubbles in her throat as they swirl into the air, her heart swelling in her chest. Danny laughs beside her, his hand locked on hers. His green eyes are bright with excitement.

"You know," he shouts, "It never gets old!"

"I agree!" she giggles back, swooping down, pulling him behind.

He pulls them back up, stopping to hover hundreds of feet over the ship. She floats up to 'stand' even with him, and he bows smoothly in-air, "May I have this dance?"

"Of course," she smiles, and they begin to twirl gently in the air. If anyone was watching from the deck, they would be a small silhouette against the moon, waltzing in the sky.

"We didn't get around to dancing at the party, even after you spent so much time teaching me," he smirks.

"You're doing better than I am up here," she chuckles, "I feel like I'm dancing on a sheet of ice and keep falling through occasionally."

He laughs, "I've had more practice."

"Just wait until I get my air-legs, ghost-boy," she growls playfully.

They slow to a stop, her head cradled against his shoulder, and his heart beating slowly beneath her fingertips. His gloved fingers brush through her hair, until they cup her chin, lifting her lips to his. Her fingers climb into his pearly hair, and a small moan escapes her as one of his hands coast over her shoulders and down to her waist, pulling her against him.

"Sam," he breathes, tangling his other hand into her hair, "I…"

His lips meet hers again, making her heart pound wildly in her chest, ::Shh…:: she whispers in her mind. She traces her lips across his jaw to his neck, kissing gently at the hollow of his jaw. She hears him release a ragged breath, and can't resist the triumphant smirk that climbs to her face.

He rests his forehead against hers, his green eyes burning into hers, "You should be careful," he growls huskily.

"You don't scare me," she smirks, heart hammering in her chest as he tightens his hold on her.

"How should I scare you?" he growls.

They share a laugh, and he takes her hand gently, "Well, ready to do some work while we play?"

"…which direction?"

He takes a deep breath, scanning the waves from their vantage point, "Well, I can't see any sign of land. I say we stay this high and go a mile out and sweep around in a circle from there. We'll stop at a radius of ten miles."

"Sounds good," she agrees, and they begin to drift out, their eyes scanning the ocean for any sign of land or life.

The air is cool against her face, but the coat and earmuffs she'd brought along are sufficient for the climate. Her hand tightens in his.

"You know…" she beings.

"Yeah?"

"I've always wondered. If you feel cold to me, do I feel…hot to you?"

His eyes lock onto hers, still smoldering from the heat of their kiss, "Burning hot." Blood rises in her cheeks, and he chuckles, his eyes flitting over the horizon.

They slowly spiral out from the ship, carefully scanning the ocean below and the horizon. They reach the ten-mile mark – or so Danny estimates – and there's been no sign of land nearby.

"We'll go out further tomorrow night," he mutters, "But it's almost time for the crew to start moving around."

"Yeah," she yawns.

"And you need to get some sleep."

She yawns again as they begin to float back towards the ship, but he stops suddenly.

"…did you see that?" he whispers.

"See what?" she asks behind blurry vision.

"Light," he replies, flying the opposite direction.

A shadow appears on the waves, graced with the occasional flicker of light, like a flashlight. They drop low to the waves, skimming over the surface.

"I don't think this is a rescue ship," he whispers. A red light flickers inside, and a green shield drops around the ship, narrowly missing Danny. They watch invisibly as men armed with AK-47s and ecto-weaponry file out on deck.

It's a relatively small boat, especially in comparison to the large cruise liner, built for speed.

"Keep an eye out for the spook, boys," one commands, "They're common in these waters. Not usually something to worry about, but we're always cautious."

They wait invisibly outside the shield.

"…no movement on the liner, captain. She's stranded, alright."

"Security?"

"No escort ships," the man from below deck adds, "If there were, they were washed away by the storm. "

"Good," he grins toothily, "I like easy targets."

::Pirates,:: Sam breathes, ::Modern-day pirates.::

::You can't be serious.:: Danny groans, ::Pirates with anti-ghost tech and a cruise ship just waiting to be held for ransom. Perfect.::

::What should we do?:: she asks, ::We can't let them just…::

::We can't do more than delay them,:: he explains, lifting a hand. His eyes glow blue, and ice begins to form around the shield, hemming the ship in, ::It won't take long to melt with this climate and the saltwater.::

::We have to warn the ship in the meantime,:: she replies.

::Yeah,:: he tucks her to his chest and zooms upwards as quickly as he can, banking sharply towards the ship once he thinks he might be out of range of whatever they'd used to detect them. She curls into his chest, burying her face into his shoulder to protect it from the air.

They alight on the deck, and he allows the rings to phase over his body in a flash of light. He's out of breath after the long flight and the large quantity of ice, but they rush for Al's cabin.

"What?" he snaps angrily, answering the flurry of knocks at his door.

"Pirates," Sam pants, "on their way."

"There aren't pirates in these waters," he growls.

"There are now," Danny adds.

"And how would you two know?" he frowns.

They share a glance, not having come up with an explanation.

"Well…"

"It's a long story, really…" Danny adds nervously, "Can we just say 'my parents' ghost-tech' and call it good?"

"Ghost tech helped you find pirates?" he deadpans.

"Yes?"

"Go back to bed," he hisses, beginning to close the door.

"I detected a ship approaching while fiddling with my parent's weapons and the radar system," Danny lies quickly, holding the door open, "Whoever it is, they have ghost tech, and are about thirteen miles out. The human eye can see the flame of a candle from thirty miles away on a dark night, yet we aren't seeing any lights. Why would someone be making a beeline for a liner they know is there without any signal?!"

"You were fiddling with the radar system?"

"…somewhat," he continues, ::Okay…I hope I can actually make it do that. Where's Tuck when you need him?::

::No kidding.::

"What are we supposed to do if there are pirates?" he sighs.

"Unload as many people as possible," Danny explains, "A few lifeboats were damaged, but what we have left can hold most of the passengers."

"We don't even know if the signal beacons are working!" he hisses.

"They'll probably be able to reach land and get us some help!" he retorts, "If these people are friendly, they can help us pick up those in the lifeboats. If they aren't, then at least we minimize potential hostages!"

He stares at the coal-haired teen in his doorway, "We'll discuss it with the others later. I'm too tired right now. If, by morning, you're ready to admit that this is a prank, I'll forgive you," the door slams in his face.

::Well, at least I have until morning to fiddle with the radar,:: he swallows nervously, ::I hope I'm more familiar with my parent's work than I think I am.::

-BREAK-

"Ever get a really bad feeling, Val?" Tucker questions, laying back on the grass, arms behind his head.

"Like what?" she presses, closing her eyes against the sun.

"Like you're really needed somewhere but you're not sure where?"

"…not really," she shrugs, "why, you feel like that?"

"I don't know why," he frowns, "But I feel like someone needs me…"

"Mayor Tucker!" a young man shouts, running over in his suit and tie, "There's an urgent matter that requires your assistance!"

"…there it is," Valerie smirks, sitting up, "Have fun with work, Babe."

They exchange a brief kiss, "The picnic was amazing," he smiles, "Thanks."

"I'll head out on a patrol and then get to work at the Nasty Burger," she replies quietly, "go."

"Love you, Val."

"I…" she blushes, "You too, Tuck."

A/N: I hope you're enjoying the story. :D A big thanks to all who've reviewed! Continue to do so~~! It's been fun to see your reactions to Pam and Jeremy's story last chapter. The most common comment was about "making Pam more human," but there were still a few who were like 'eh, don't care, she's still a witch with a capital B.' Anyway, here's the flight you were waiting for! As Ladd Russo would say:

"Thank you, *BLEEP* you, the villain has arrived!"

We'll learn more about our pirate friends and their various personalities later; probably next chapter, which I plan to upload tomorrow (Remember; no promises), as I probably won't be updating Thurs. or Fri. this week.

EDIT: Also, I've uploaded some sketches of the important characters of this fic (the ones I haven't drawn before…) and some TuckXVal cuddles. Links are in my profile. :D