A/N: I'm too tired and feeling too lazy to write anything special for you. However, here's some Sam! Yay! She'll get more screen-time in later chapters, but she's been in the background a little more than usual this time around, probably because she's busy arguing with Pamela, and we've heard every argument they've had a billion times already. ;P

This chapter is fluff. Pure fluff. Like…I'm not sure it's actually relevant to the story. I think I just feel a little guilty for how little Sam's showing up so far. Especially as I know she's the favorite of several people. *Cough* The Talent *Cough*

Chapter #10: Early Flight

Sam runs a hand briefly through the pitch-black strands of hair, earning a contented hum from her fiancée.

::We need to get up, Danny.::

He groans, his thoughts a murky, garbled mess.

::…That was helpful. Come on, we were going to sneak out before my parents got up, remember? They get up early.::

::Where were we going again?:: he manages to think.

::I was thinking we'd start on a waterfront ride and just improvise from there.::

::…remind me why we can't go later?::

::Because my mom will insist that taking a break will ruin the wedding plans and set us ages behind,:: she snorts, ::Come on, Danny. We'll ride to a quiet spot on the waterfront and then maybe we can go flying…::

::Flying sounds good,:: he smiles, slowly blinking open his blue eyes. They glow in the darkness a little, ::During the day, especially.::

::It'll definitely be warmer,:: she smiles.

::Though I can think of something else warm too…:: he chuckles, pulling her against his chest, his lips brushing her neck.

::Steamy make-out sessions are even better when flying,:: she giggles, pressing her lips to his.

::But the bed…:: he begins, one hand caressing her side, ::It's so comfortable…the force is strong.::

::Flying, just the two of us, over Lake Superior. In the sunlight. We can pretend that there is no secret. That we can just be.::

He snorts, ::The halfa, in his natural habitat.::

She punches him lightly in the gut, laughing silently and shaking her head, ::Let's go,:: she pulls from his embrace – earning a slight flicker of red through his eyes – but she can hear him move the sheets aside. She takes a moment to appreciate the way the shadows cast by the lamp accentuate his bare chest, even the scars. They're smaller than before, but she suspects that a few of them will never completely vanish, even with ghostly powers.

Danny whisks off his sweatpants without hesitation and reaches for his riding leathers. She can feel his eyes sweep her, clad in a cropped tank-top and boy shorts. She enjoys the little smile that pulls at his lips.

He's definitely become less shy as the years have gone on. Oh, his shyness still makes the occasional appearance, but when they're alone…he's not terribly self-conscious, and neither is she. It's…comfortable.

She looks around at the nostalgic dark walls of her room, and she has to admit that she wishes for the comfort and privacy of their little fourth-floor apartment. It's a nice apartment – with two incomes and only one bedroom, they can afford something a little better than most college students. She misses its plethora of windows with heavy curtains. She misses the mismatched furniture that they'd bought from various garage sales and antique stores.

She muses on the fact that she doesn't even really know her neighbors. She and Danny keep to themselves. They're not very neighborly. They probably haven't even noticed that the two college students have been away.

She pulls her leather jacket over her shoulders and snatches her helmet from her dresser.

::Ready?::

::Yeah,:: Danny replies, taking her hand. He phases them outside, to where his bike waits. They wheel it from the garage before starting it up. She climbs on behind him, fisting her gloved hands into his jacket.

They ride down the empty street, and Danny angles them towards the docks. The streets are fairly quiet, and she wonders momentarily if Danny's motorcycle is waking people up. She shoves the concern away and watches the sky lighten in the distance.

The coast is entirely empty, and they leave the bike in the parking lot of a boating shop. They'll be gone before it opens. Danny takes her hand in his, allowing himself to transform. She can feel herself become lighter, floating into the air.

"My mom's going to have an aneurism when she wakes up and realizes we're gone," she laughs, using her voice for the first time that morning.

"Not a surprise," he replies dryly. A wicked grin spreads on her face.

"I left her a note saying that we're eloping to Vegas."

His jaw drops, and his green eyes stare at her in horror, "You really want to kill her," he whispers weakly, "And you've come up with a plan to do it without any evidence."

"I'll make good on it if she continues," she growls.

He laughs and shakes his head, "I was thinking we'd elope to the Far Frozen. Kings can perform marriages, and Frostbite would be ecstatic. He'd have a church built for the sole purpose of the ceremony."

They fly out over the water, and she takes a deep breath. She can smell the fishy scent of the lake, the pines in the forest. Her favorite, however, is the scent of her fiancée, who cradles her against his chest as they fly. She can't ever describe the way he smells – there's something crisp about it, perhaps a side effect of his ice powers.

Danny tucks her even closer to his chest and spirals upward. Several hundred feet above the water, she watches the white rings wash over his body once again, and they begin to fall. Her heart hammers in her chest, the wind sweeping her breath away. The only sound is the pounding in her ears…and their laughter as the dark water approaches.

She looks up at him, locking with ruby eyes, "Now, now, Samantha, what did I tell you about killing anyone besides me?" Impurity purrs, pressing his lips to hers.

"I thought you were pretty much merged with Danny nowadays," she glances back down at the quickly-approaching surface of the water.

He grins, showcasing his pointed teeth, "Oh, I'll always be here."

The water is only a few feet away, and she feels a chill wash over her, her skin tingling with intangibility as they hit the water's surface – or rather, go through it.

"I thought you'd swoop up at the last second."

Danny – his blue eyes returned – shrugs, "That was the plan…and then I just kind of thought it'd be fun to surprise you. Wanted to see if it would scare you," he grins.

"You're going to try harder than that, ghost-boy," she snorts.

"I guess so," he grins mischievously, pressing his lips to hers. She can feel the water moving around them, through them, each one causing a tingling wave through her body, almost like touching a limb that's fallen asleep.

His lips move against hers, and she melts into the kiss, each wave of water sending tiny pulses of pleasure through her skin and adding to the sensation. His lips move from hers to her neck, tracing down to her collarbone.

She looks up at the surface of the water, the early morning sun creating a hazy window. They're alone down here, completely alone.

"I love you, Sam," Danny whispers into her ear, his cold breath ragged.

"I love you too."

He holds her in his arms a little while longer, "…Clockwork's making some comments lately that have me on edge," he confesses quietly.

"What kind of comments?" her brows furrow in concern. She's felt the undertones of unease beneath his anger at Vlad, an unease even more prominent after his meeting with the Observants.

"…he says that the Observants want to get rid of me because…" he swallows nervously, "…because they think I'll become The King of Ghosts."

You are the widow of Danny Phantom, King of Ghosts. We will all stand behind our queen in her time of need.

The words from her dream echo in her mind, in a portion locked away from Danny. It's from that dream, the one of…the dream of his funeral. A dream where he's mourned by humans and ghosts alike, leaving her behind.

"Sam?"

It takes her a moment to realize that she's crushing herself into his chest, her hands tangling painfully into his jacket.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she snorts, "Just ticked. That's a really stupid reason to want you gone."

"It'd render them obsolete," he whispers quietly, "Besides, a having a king didn't go over well last time."

"No, it didn't," she agrees, "But you don't want to be king – I know you don't. You're not that type."

"Ever get that feeling that you might not have a choice?" he whispers quietly, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on her shoulder.

"There's always a choice, Danny," she cups his jaw, angling his worried blue eyes to hers.

"I'm not always so sure about that. Can you call choices that would tear you apart inside actual choices? If I were to choose between the life I want and becoming Ghost King, but choosing the life I want would cause someone pain and suffering…" his voice fades away, "It would cease to be the life I want."

"The guilt would eat it all away," she whispers.

"I don't care if I'm miserable," he laughs mirthlessly, "So long as others are happy. I'll bind myself if it means others go free."

"And you couldn't possibly choose any other path," she whispers, and he shakes his head gently, cradling her to his chest and running his fingers through her hair.

"That's the nature of my obsession."

A/N: What dream? Read Chapter 14 of Adrift. :D That's the one she's talking about.