Oh hey.

This is the last chapter, and then I think I'm gonna take a break from fanfiction for a while. I really need to get back to work on my novel. Gah.

Anyways...

The idea for this chapter is entirely credited to sailormoonluver218. Thank you for the awesome idea! You're my hero! (:

Guys, I kind of love sailormoonluver. Just sayin'.

ANYWAYS.

I don't own Danny Phantom, but if I did...hmf.

Hot Chocolate Suprises (Chapter Three)

July 27, 2011

Sleep has a funny way of knocking people out. You know what I mean? Generally, people imagine falling into a soft, comfortable bed, snuggling their bodies into a warm blanket, letting their minds drift gently into dreamland as their eyelids flutter shut, bodies radiating warmth and comfort...

But, actually, sleep can be very violent. It can overtake us, dominating our minds, simply demanding our consciousness, while we are left, helpless, trying not to drown in the hazy stupor sleep tends to leave behind. It takes us at the most random times: in class, on the bus, at a friend's house, oftentimes leaving us in a rather...compromising position. By that, of course, I mean leaving our bodies defenseless to the cruel tricks of friends, such as Sharpie Marker mustaches or graffiteed limbs.

For Sam, it came at about 7 o'clock on the evening she divulged her most horrifying secret in Danny, Tucker, and Jazz. While their morning radiated seriousness, that afternoon was anything but. They ventured to the park, joined by Valerie (after Tucker's endless string of pleading over the phone) and had a picnic. They chased each other, laughed, flirted (when I say they flirted, I of course mean Danny and Sam flirted, while Tucker attempted to flirt with Valerie, who appeared to be in a very deep conversation with Jazz that robbed her of her ability to hear Tucker), leaned back and watched the sky slowly change from blue to pink as the sun set, watched their breath appear as a mist in the chilling air. It was about this time that sleep rudely smacked Sam upside the head, leaving her struggling to keep her eyes open and head upright.

After the third time her head lolled onto Danny's shoulder, he took pity on the sleepy girl. "Do you want to go home?" He whispered, gently brushing his fingers across her cheek, which was flushed and tinged with red from the cold.

Unable to find her voice, she merely gazed up at him and nodded, a tired smile on her lips. He stood and scooped her up in his arms bridal style, glancing over his shoulder and saying, "I'm gonna take her home, she's about to pass out,"

They all voiced their agreement, wishing Sam a good night, and then the two were off. They soared over the buildings of Amity Park, Sam already lulled to sleep. Danny grinned down at the girl in his arms; it was just too perfect, he decided. She was there, she was - for the most part - unharmed, and she was his. Finally, finally his.

He phazed through the ceiling of the home he shared with Tucker and Jazz, landing lightly in the spare bedroom they had saved for Sam. He gently placed her on the bed, tucking a thick blanket around her slim body. She sighed, turned on her side, gathered a fistful of blanket, and drew it up closer to her face. Danny watched in amazement as she slept; Sam was so beautiful when she slumbered. She was so peaceful, so innocent; Danny could still detect the innocence and joy the gothic girl had saved for only him and Tucker in high school in her face.

Not wanting to risk waking her, he slipped quietly out of the room and set off toward the kitchen. Why, yes, he was going to make more hot chocolate...how did you know?

Probably because that was the only beverage the boy would drink at this time of year. Nothing drowned out bitter cold better than a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Nothing.

...except maybe holding Sam against his chest. Yeah, that worked too.

By the time the water was ready to be mixed with the light brown powder, Tucker and Jazz had returned. They appeared to be in an argument; Tucker was pissed that Jazz had gotten in his way of winning Valerie's heart.

"Just, next time, when I'm trying to pull a move, will you stop talking over me?" He asked, dropping into the chair at the kitchen table.

"Fine, but it's not like you would have gotten anywhere even without me there," Jazz said, rolling her eyes and sliding into the chair opposite Tucker. "Seriously, some of those lines made me feel like I was gonna hurl."

Their conversation was interrupted by the high-pitched, keening whistling of the water boiling. They both looked at Danny, who stared back, utterly confused; he had put the water in the microwave. So...why was it whistling?

Wait...that's not whistling...that's...

"Sam!" Danny shouted, phazing directly through the wall and into her room. There she was, thrashing around on the bed, her hands outstretched, face twisted in terror and agony, producing the most horrible noise Danny had ever heard. He captured her wrists in his hands, drawing them down. Her scream cut off, her eyelids flew open, and she gasped. Tear-filled, terrified violet eyes found frantically concerned ice-blue.

Sam sat up in bed and flung her arms around Danny, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. He raised both hands and hugged her closer, not caring about the warm tears sinking through his shirt. The bedroom door banged open, the barrel of a Fenton Bazooka pointing at the couple. It was lowered immediately, revealing Jazz and Tucker, both of whom looked extremely confused.

"What happened?" Jazz asked, stepping into the room.

"Nightmare," Danny whispered. He felt Sam nod.

Something flickered in Jazz's face. "Um...Sam?" Sam, who had quieted, peeked around Danny's shoulder and neck to look at Jazz through bloodshot eyes. "Was the nightmare about...the war?" Sam grimaced and nodded. "And...was it really vivid?" Again, Sam nodded. "Did you think you were back in Iraq for a minute?"

"Yes," Sam whispered, closing her eyes. Danny could feel her eyelashes against his neck; he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek in his fingers, gently tracing her ear and playing with her earlobe with his index finger and thumb. He could feel her relaxing under his touch; her muscles were slowly loosening as she leaned into the warmth of his chest.

"It...it kind of sounds like...PTSD," Jazz whispered, settling on the bed beside the couple while Tucker stood in the doorway.

"What's PTSD?" Tucker asked.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,"

The room was absolutely silent, except for Sam's sharp breath through her nose. Danny felt her tense again; he pulled her onto his lap, trying to provide just a small amount of comfort to her.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?" Sam repeated, her voice dangerously close to tears. "I have a disorder?"

"It's totally normal! It happens to a lot of people after they experience something traumatizing. It's most common in soldiers who return from war..." Jazz's voice trailed.

"So, what, do I have to go to a crazy institution now? Take pills? Oh, no, wait. I get to roll play with other freaks to sort through my emotional problems. Right?" Hot tears fell down her face, which she wiped fiercely away.

"No! No, Sam, it's nothing like that!" Jazz said quickly.

"You're not a freak," Danny said quietly, planting a soft kiss on her temple. She closed her eyes briefly at the touch of his lips, but did not relax.

"Then, what? I'm not going to therapy, if that's what you're about to suggest -"

"Wait, wait. I just realized something," Danny said, tightening his grip around her waist. "You didn't have a nightmare last night, did you?"

Sam turned to look at him, tears still brimming in her eyes. "No," She said, rubbing at her eyes rather violently.

Danny caught her hands in his and brought them down to her lap. "You felt safe, didn't you?"

She nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

"And when I was flying you home, you fell asleep easily. The nightmare started after I put you in the bed," Sam nodded again, although of this she was not entirely sure. "So that's all the therapy you need!" Danny said, gently squeezing her hands. "I'll take you flying, you'll fall asleep, and then the nightmares are over!"

Jazz clapped her hands together. "Perfect!" She squealed. "Oh, this is so perfect!"

"But what about after we get back?" Sam asked quietly, watching Jazz. "The nightmare started after you left me..."

"I won't leave you," He whispered quietly, running his hands up and down her arm. "I promise."

Her eyelids fluttered shut as she nodded.

"We'll be back in half an hour, hour tops," Danny said to Tucker and Jazz. "You might want to put something a little warmer on," He said to Sam, who immediately stood and seized the camouflaged jacket of her uniform and wrapped it tightly around her torso. Danny transformed to Phantom and scooped her up gently, phazing through the wall of the room, pausing when they were outside the house. She shivered and leaned closer to him, closing her eyes against the cold. Danny kicked off and soared over the house, gazing at the city, which was bathed in a warm glow of light cast by the nearly set sun. Stars were just starting to wink and yawn at him from the sky above, turning Danny's lips upward in a content grin. Sam tightened her grip around Danny's neck, leaning her head heavily against his shoulder. Sleep was already invading her again, pulling on her eyelids and fogging her mind.

Danny set off at a rather slow speed, desperately trying to keep the freezing wind from nipping at Sam's face. He smiled when he saw her slip into a deep sleep, her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed. He continued flying around with her in his arms, feeling completely at peace with the world. That feeling of weightlessness that had snuggled into his chest had returned, he realized with a delighted, breathless laugh; she was there, in his arms, completely and totally his. She trusted him with her everything, allowing her barriers to come down, being completely and totally vulnerable, in Danny's care. And he sure as hell wasn't about to let go of that trust. Not for all the money in the world.

He touched down lightly outside of his home, holding Sam closer to his chest as he did. He could smell her sweet shampoo, which floated up and gently kissed his nose. He phazed through the front door, nodding to Tucker and Jazz, who were settled on the couch watching a movie, when he became visible again, and floated to his room. As gently as he could, without jostling Sam awake, he settled into the bed, wrapping his arms protectively around the girl as he did. She sighed and snuggled into him, her jacket slipping off of her shoulder as she rolled half-way onto his chest. He drew the blanket up around them, lightly kissing her forehead as sleep began to close in on him. Sleep touched his muscles, slowly relaxing them, kissed his eyelids shut, lulled his mind into a foggy, pleasurable haze. But Danny fought it for a few brief moments, long enough to bend his head toward Sam's and place a gentle kiss on her sleeping lips. For a moment, he swore she kissed him back; as he pulled away, a faint smile crossed her face. But, before he could whisper her name to see if she was actually awake, sleep got the better of him and dragged him under a warm, comfortable darkness.

'Kay, I kind of loved writing the last three paragraphs. Hehe.

Well, that's it for a while. Tanks for reading!

I'll be back, though. Just like the Terminator.

Keep a weather eye on the horizon.

YAY FOR PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN!

:D

- Tori

PS - If you guys have any DxS romance plot ideas that you'd like me to write, PM them to me. I'd be more than happy to take a stab at them in my free time, and I'd give YOU the credit for the plot idea in my commentary up at the top (: