A/N: Hey, folks, here's my second DP fanfic! Nope; it's not my first. I started another story in the middle of February and it's been progressing slowly, so I decided to write this XD The story is full of angst and depressing shit, so if you don't like it then don't read it. However, if you're a fan of fluff and DannyXSam… be my guest ;)

My heath class has been discussing things on drugs as well as DWI, and just happened to mention Binge drinking, and there this story came to be. I know something along these lines have been done similarly, but why not add another one to this section while I'm in the mood? :P This ain't my best, but… meh. I was bored. Btw, no one knows Danny's secret, so if Danny Phantom is brought up, remember that Danny's friends are the only ones that know he's the ghost kid.

WARNING ~ CHARACTER DEATH (No, Danny isn't going to die. Don't freak.)

Disclaimer - I don't own DP, yaduh, yaduh, yaduh… :P You already know that.

B i n g e D r i n k i n g

By Draco

He set the shot glass down, swallowing the remaining taste of the liquor in his mouth. It was going to be another start to a depressing night. By now he had expecting it, even before he would walk into the dimly lit bar and sit on one of the stools fraught with rust and vandalism. The dark-haired male sighed out of his lack of willpower, not even bothering to stop himself from ordering a refill.

Danny was surrounded by partying men and women alike, dancing or cheering to the sound of ZZ Top or Johnny Cash; oldies were the main genre of music that played, Danny realized. He went to the bar enough times to know that. It's been a week since he started going frequently, so he might as well get to know his surroundings and what goes on. It's not like he'll remember it much in his lifetime, but where can he turn to anymore? Family issues, girlfriend problems, tons of collage work, ghost fighting, and his day time job were hard to balance, and weren't making his life any easier.

The car accident that occurred the previous Sunday started his long chain of problems. A speeding Saturn happened to "accidentally" crash into the Fenton RV one moonless night, when his dad and him were just coming back from father-son outing… something Jack and Danny Fenton haven't done in a long, long while. The crash was devastating, with thousands of dollars worth of damage to the RV, as described by the police. Danny managed to survive the crash with only a mild concussion and a few deep cuts and bruises… but as for Danny's father…

He was clumsy… and goofy… and sometimes embarrassing… But he was my dad, and a damn good one at that…

Police eventually realized that the crash was set up, and done on purpose in order to kill the individuals in the RV. Through his aching head and unstoppable pain in his limbs, Danny could make out the slight glow of red in the man's eyes before he was arrested and put into the police car, along with the chiming of his new handcuffs.

Congrats, Vlad. You finally managed to kill my father. Somehow you were able to do so five years after you decided to murder him? Again, Danny took a big gulp of his drink as the thoughts flooded his mind as if the event occurred yesterday.

Maddie Fenton was completely ruined. She was bawling the moment she heard his death, immediately grasping her only son into a long hug. She was glad Danny was still alive and well… but the death of the husband she loved dearly would be remembered for as long as she lives. For the rest of that night after the police left, Danny didn't hear from her, despite his want to comfort and console his distressed (and now only) parent.

Valerie Gray was a lovely woman, and Danny knew that from the moment he laid eyes on her. Her caramel skin would glow in the sun, and her curly black hair would always remind him of the black liquorish that would always sell in the candy stores. Not only that, but she was as sweet as her traits described… until you piss her off.

Often Valerie and he would fight about ridiculous things; she always seemed to yell at him for the small mistakes he made, from forgetting allergy medicine during the spring, to leaving his clothes in the bathroom after he took a shower. She would anger easily, and he realized it the hard way. Strangely, in some cases, it made her more attractive in his eyes, but after a few years of it becoming a major habit, he started seeing her in a different light. The stupidest thing he had done was actually talk back in defense of his own being, but of course she won.

Typical. Women always win.

Quarreling continued for another two years, up until the other day when he told her how he's been feeling about her yelling and complaining, because he knew his opinion mattered in their relationship. Danny knew she was stressed out with her jobs, but it didn't mean she had to take it out on him. However, confronting the problem and pointing out the cause of her yelling made her even angrier. The hardest thing he did then and there was break up with her, leaving the house and going to his mother's.

He was in love with her, and he didn't want to leave her, but what was a better alternative? He couldn't deal with her yelling and volatile behavior; it was too much, and it made his days even worse than they already were. Since the loss of his father, the least stressful situations were starting to become impossible to overcome… and that included Valerie's constant verbal abuse. Now, he was single and still having reoccurring emotions about his ex.

Danny rubbed his face out of shame, wishing he could turn back time and turn the RV intangible so he could save his father, or somehow say better things to Valerie so he wouldn't have to split up with her. To make things any worse then they already were for him, he nearly lost his day-time job earlier that morning because he was late. Again. Ghost fighting was also taking up his time, and he struggled to maintain an organized schedule when a ghost disrupted the peace. And because of his ghost fighting, he was also struggling to boost his already low grade point average in collage.

Sucking in math, as usual…

Downing another shot of liquor, he again asked for another refill, even though he knew it wasn't doing him any good; both physically and mentally. But he didn't care. He stopped caring long ago, because he had a feeling that it was just hopeless. His life was going down the drain, so what else could he do? The only people that would support him were his friends, but he hasn't seen them in a short while thanks to their individual lives. He hasn't gotten together with his lifetime buds Tucker and Sam in a few long days. Other than that, no other option seemed available to him… so he drank. Right at that moment, it was the only thing he could do.

--

"Goddamn Paulina…" Sam grumbled to herself, her steps heavy with anger. "That son-of-a-bitch won't quit being a shallow ass, will she?"

Recently an encounter with the Hispanic female made Sam's blood boil to baking temperature. Even at nineteen, Paulina still felt like she was at the top of the totem pole, not realizing that high school was over, and life would begin from there. She's been asking Sam constantly about Danny, and not because she was curious of his depressed state, but because she knew him and Danny Phantom were somehow similar.

The dumb bitch can't even tell the difference between the two of them… Why can't she just get over Danny Phantom?

She didn't give a crap about Danny Fenton, who is one of the nicest boys there were compared to the other stereotypical men, in Sam's opinion. If Paulina actually got past his shy personality and reputation as a geek, then maybe she would see the real him. However, Sam knew that the girl's head was only filled with air (and possibly a few brain cells if she would look hard enough), so trying to convince an irrational person such as Paulina was practically pointless.

Sam continued to stroll down the road, walking home after a long day at work. Thanks to her rich parents, she was able to get a full time job that earned her a living and put bread on her table. Her parents didn't understand why she wanted a job in the first place, since her family did have loads of money, but Sam persisted that she'd get one. She knew that a hard day's work was always rewarding. But, after that long day of work, she was tired and wanted to get home before the street would get too dark. Her encounter with Paulina didn't make her sleepy mood any better, but at least she had an apartment to go back to… and a bed.

Her job was only down the street from her apartment, so a short walk was all that was needed. She didn't mind at all. She needed fresh air after she sat in the office building about ready to gag from the awful stench of cheap air conditioning and compressed oxygen. It always smelled like a new car mixed with the scent of the internal seating of an airplane.

She walked by a nearby bar, rolling her eyes at the racket inside the beat-up building. Despite her distain for drinking and partying out in a public place, Sam couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehensiveness. She passed by the building hundreds of times before, but somehow it felt so alien.

Danny's been so depressed since the accident, and has been acting strange lately…" She glanced through the windows of the bar as she slowly walked past. What if he's--?"

She wanted to slap herself for even thinking of that thought. She couldn't imagine Danny being unpredictable enough to turn to drugs due to his suffering. Try as she might, she couldn't picture it. His behavior has been a bit off, but that didn't mean that he's been out drinking, hasn't he? She's seen him go to the bar once before on the day of the accident (which was a normal response to a major loss, so she let that behavior slide), but has he been going more often then she thinks? He never spoke about it to her --which was odd-- but she's been suspicious during the past few days. Since his father's death and his break-up with Valerie, he hasn't really been speaking to anyone.

She shook her head. "No, Sam. Just walk away from the bar… go home… get some rest…" She told herself to stay calm, to just relax. If she had to deal with that realization that Danny could become addicted, then she'll immediately be in pieces.

Sam passed the bar, back into the threshold of the night. The bar was the only lively place in the area so far, and its lights were the brightest thing on the street. Once she passed it, she was again in darkness… just the way she liked it. She tried to focus on the bliss she felt when the moonlight kissed any area left uncovered, including her face. Sam didn't want to think about the awful events that Danny went through, or his different behavior, or his possible drinking habits for that matter. All she wanted was some sleep, and possibly listen to a few music tracks from her Evanescence CD.

Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps were heard behind her. They seemed faint, but Sam grew cautious. If it was some weirdo trying to stalk her for sex or money or whatever the hell weirdoes stalk people for, then she's going to have to run for it. She saw a nearby parked car and decided to slip behind it, away from the sidewalk so that she could see the person who followed her.

The person's footsteps were still faint, but they seemed uneven. Normally when a person walked, the steps were in sync, and could be heard in some sort of pattern. However, this person had a completely different footing altogether, almost as if he or she was stumbling half the way down the street.

"Hello-o-o-o-o-o-o…?" The voice was male, sounding a bit boisterous from where he was at. "Ca-can somebody tell meh where my house is?" He started saying things to himself, which was still loud enough to be heard. "Where's that lady… person…?"

Oh, great. A drunkard. Looking for me.

Sam could tell from the uneven steps and slurring of the voice that he was intoxicated. His slurring made it hard to tell who it was, but she definitely knew the person was male and that he obviously consumed alcohol. From the mention of the anonymous drunkard following her, she started picturing Danny being the alcoholic… being like that every night.

"Please don't let this guy be Danny… Please." Even though she had her fears, she stepped out onto the sidewalk to find out who the heck was following her home (and scaring her half to death). The person's lack of patterned footsteps started getting louder, until he came to show himself once the moon hit his form. Before he was noticeable in the moonlight, he managed to lean his arm against a nearby tree to hold his body up, eventually lifting his head to reveal his face.

"Oh shit… It's Danny," Sam said to herself, rubbing her face out of shock. "Of course it would be the person I feared to see."

Danny, seeing an actual being standing in front of him, decided to ask the question he was hoping to get an answer to. "Hey! Um… hi, do you know where meh house is? I-I kind of… forgot… an' stuff… I swear I knew where it was, but… I don't." He giggled to himself at his own stupidity, while Sam tried her best to keep him balanced.

She realized how serious the whole situation was. Danny was drunk, all on his own, with no one else with him, while any random girl (or guy) could pick him up, or he would get into a car or be the one being run over by one. Things would get catastrophic from there. Certain situations would cause more drama to his life. The only thing she would have to do was bring him to her apartment, where she knew he would be safe.

"Danny, I'm going to have to take you back to my place, since you're this smashed," she tried explaining, grabbing his arm.

"Smashed? Who was smashed?" asked Danny. "Do ya mean Hulk smash?"

Oh god, why me? To humor him, she replied in a less than amused voice. "Yes, Danny. I mean Hulk smash."

"Cool!" shouted a goofily grinning Danny, his arms over his head voluntarily. He sounded even more boisterous than before.

"Shush!" Sam snapped. "Keep it down, will you? People are still sleeping."

"But shouting is fun!" He started getting further away from Sam at the moment, most likely to prove his point. Almost instantly Sam was on his trail and kept him in check once again. She grabbed his arm for the second time.

"Danny, please… Try to be quiet and come with me, okay?" she coaxed. "You're not looking too good and it's getting late; you need a place to stay."

Danny's expression looked a bit stern, shaking her hand that was holding his arm away. He crossed his arms stubbornly. "I can lead myself there! Geez, you dun have to do it for me! What am I, a drunken fool?"

YES!

Danny tried walking on his own down the sidewalk despite Sam's protesting, but found himself going from one end of the simple trail to the other. Danny failed at walking in a straight line, which was obvious to Sam that he needed her. "See? I'm doin' jus' fine!" To basically show how wrong he was, he ended up with his face meeting a course textured tree trunk with a whack; from the impact, his body then met the ground.

"You won't survive ten minutes out here all on your own!" Sam replied to his drunken idiocy. Getting annoyed, she walked over to where he fell and looked down at him, crossing her arms over her chest with her hips leaning to one side in a confident fashion. Her expression was full of smugness, knowing that she was right.

Danny's face was surprisingly calm and collected, with his lips curled into a big grin as if he was about ready to burst out laughing. At that moment, it would have been a good time. "I got knocked down with a tree."

She frowned. Oh, that's right! Danny's logic and judgment ceases to exist at this time. How lovely!

Sam would have laughed at Danny's obvious statement, but apprehensiveness began to cloud her thoughts. They weren't very far from the bar, and who knows what could happen if another drunkard would walk by.

"Danny, seriously, knock it off," she said. "Try to stand up."

With her help, Danny managed to get his body off the ground, with Sam letting one of his arms drape over her shoulders as if he broke his own leg. In cases like this, it was a better way to keep him balanced, and so that she can get a better grip on him.

She could smell the rancid odor of alcohol on his breath, which made her cringe, both from the consumption of the drug and of his discretion to do so in the first place. The realization that he was doing such a stupid act was making her nervous for his safety, yet it did make her more persistent to help out with his depression. Even though she was one of his best friends since the seventh grade, she knew that when it came to a distressed and angry Danny Fenton, stay away and let him burn some steam. She didn't want to make his losses any more painful than they already were. But because of that, it led him down the road to alcoholism, which was obviously what she didn't want. She needed to monitor him more often than what he would want.

"I still dun get why you have to hold me up," said Danny, after a surprisingly long silence without him babbling like an idiot, "I was doin' fine without you."

She glanced at him, his head less than a foot away from hers. Even in his state and in the darkness of the night, his eyes were still that shade of blue she always admired. She obliged, "Sure, of course you were. Keep telling yourself that." The least she can do was cheer her moody self up with good old sarcasm.

"Don't worry, girly, I will," he told her, finding that he was getting drowsy. To prove his sleepy state, he rested his head on the shoulder that was nearest.

She couldn't help but crack a small smile, even though she hated the word he decided to use for her.

"Danny, you're hopeless when you're drunk."

A/N: How come in every fandom I write stories for, I end up making the main characters drunk? O__o Whatever.

So, yeah, this is the first part, and hopefully I'll get the final parts done and over with so that this is out of my head. It's been bugging me for days. In other terms, REVIEW! :D