No one moved for what seemed like forever, but eventually, the crowd began to thin. People got into their cars, muttering as the seats became wet from the damp clothes they were wearing. Sam and Tucker watched all this with small smiles. It was over. They had made it through again.

The GiW left unnoticed. They slunk away like kicked dogs with the knowledge that they had once again failed to capture the ghost child. Probably to clean their suits, as well.

Finally, only Sam and Tucker were left to explain their behaviors to the elder Fenton's. The rain was beginning to ease up, but the large puddles the storm left behind were tiresome to navigate around. The freezing liquid splashed up into Sam's black combat boots as she purposefully strode through the small lakes, but she ignored it. Tucker followed, complaining in a low voice that Sam couldn't understand. They both stopped in front of Danny's parents.

Maddie and Jack stared down at the teenagers sternly. "Just what," Maddie started, folding her arms. "Are you two doing with that ghost? He's dangerous!"

Tucker gawked disbelievingly at her. "Did you not see that? He saved the town… again!"

"For his own purposes, I'm sure," she pointed at Tucker, making her point. "Right, honey?"

Jack jumped slightly as he was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts. "What?"

Maddie sighed and placed a hand on her husband's large shoulder. "That ghost boy is nothing but trouble."

"Trouble?" Jack asked, his expression shocked. "He just helped us. There's no way we could have fought that thing with what we have." He became thoughtful, staring intensely up at the cliff face. Then, a huge grin split his face. "Quick, Mads! I just had an idea for a new invention!"

He spun around and ran to his vehicle, but a quiet voice stopped him, and everyone else.

"Do you really mean that?" Phantom floated just a few feet behind Jack, looking edgy. Maddie's hand flinched towards her weapons, but it hesitated and fell.

"Danny!" Sam hissed. "What are you doing?"

DPDPDPDP

He turned to face her, his glowing eyes once again restored to their natural radiance, and filled with familiar determination.

He's going to tell them, Sam realized. She didn't really know how to feel about that- everything would change.

Then, his gaze left her. Sam blinked, startled out of her thoughts, as he waited for Jack's answer.

"Well," the large man began uncertainly, looking to his wife for support. "It's the truth… isn't it?"

"The truth," Danny murmured. His indecisiveness was evident all over his expressive face, his eyes clouded with problems- troubles that Sam could only wonder about. Then, he rushed forward. "I mean, yes! Of course it's the truth."

Jack fell back into a deep puddle in shock, then glared at his wet jumpsuit. Ripples formed around him as Phantom continued to speak and the ghost hunter jumped again.

"You saw it yourselves," Danny babbled, eager to make them understand. "I would never purposefully hurt anyone, never!"

"He wouldn't, Mr and Dr Fenton," Sam backed up her friend. Maddie was still looking at the trio skeptically. She opened her mouth to say something, but Jack beat her to it.

"Let me handle this, Mads," he demanded. "I'll prove to you that I can do at least one thing right! Now, Inviso-Bill-"

"Danny Phantom."

Jack hesitated. "No," he finally decided. "I can't call you Danny. That's my son's name, you know-"

Sam choked on her snort of laughter, and could see Tucker also attempting to smother his giggles, but Phantom didn't even seem to notice. He was absolutely fixated on the conversation.

"But that's beside the point," Jack said after seeing his wife's impatient face. "What I mean to sa- what we mean to say is… thank you."

"But why?" Danny asked quietly, as if he were unsure of whether to speak or not. "Why did you save me? I'm only a ghost to you guys."

"Well, yes," Maddie acquiesced, unable to keep silent. "But Jack had his reasons."

"We couldn't easily dissect you from the bottom of the ocean!" the huge man laughed.

"'Dissect?'" Sam and Tucker cried out at the same time, both running to Danny's side. He slowly floated down and they clung to his jumpsuit defiantly.

"We're not letting you dissect him," Sam glared. Maddie and Jack both recoiled hurriedly.

"No," Maddie raised her hands in a calming gesture. "No, we're not doing that now. Right, hon?"

Jack shook his head violently. "No. He's been through enough already. We'll leave you alone."

The rain began to start anew- faster and harder than before. Sam drew closer to Danny, smiling as he pulled her in. She heard the sound of a car door being opened, and looked back at the eccentric ghost hunters. They watched her disapprovingly, but said nothing about it.

"We didn't say that we would stop hunting you, ghost boy- don't forget that," Maddie cautioned. "Consider this a warning."

With one smooth motion, she swung herself into her seat beside Jack.

The trio all smiled at each other as a noisy rattling signaled the awakening of the engine.

"Well," Tucker said, beginning to walk away. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."

And as he climbed into the vehicle, neither Sam nor Danny protested his choice of words.

DPDPDPDP

"So, do you like it?"

"Oh, yeah," Sam nodded. "I like this. I like this a lot."

There was just something different about flying in the rain. The air that circulated around them was cool, but not cold enough to hurt, and the small water droplets fell around them like liquid diamonds. Sam stared into her boyfriend's face. His pure, white hair was damp and hung heavily in his eyes. Grinning playfully, Sam reached out and ran a hand though it until every single strand was in its proper place.

"That's better," she smiled, watching as the rain flattened it again. "Perfect."

"Not quite."

Even though he had no need to breathe, Sam could feel Phantom's breath against her mouth. It came quickly, and her heart sped up as their faces became closer.

The rain didn't touch them. Nothing could.

AN:

Hey! pale-blue11 here!

Okay... so this somehow became the last chapter :) I finished! Sorry for all the mushy, poorly written stuff at the end. I actually wrote quite a bit where instead of Sam and Danny kissing, Danny killed them both }:) but that didn't really fit the story. Sorry about how OOC Maddie and Jack are, too! D:

So thank you to ALL THE AWESOME PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THIS, COZ YOU'VE REACHED THE END! :D But a HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed :)

Still coming: re-write of whatever chapter I said I would re-write. I'll let you know when I do it. Reviews are appreciated!

Also, I saw a cloud on my camp that looks like the symbol on Phantom's chest :) There's a picture of it on Deviantart, if you're interested.

PLEASE look at my other stories! I need motivation to continue them! D:

And please review this last chapter :)

Thank you for all the nice words about Mia (my cat) :') They made me feel better

And... that's all O.o This is sad for me! DX I'll miss you guys :'(

Have a nice week!

pale-blue11