Danny Phantom

What Hurts the Most

Chapter 1- Chasing Sam

*This is kinda a song fic. Sorry, I love songfics and Rascal Flatts, who the story is named after. If you don't like it, don't read or get over it! I heard this song and it almost made me cry! The story is sad at the beginning, but don't worry, it has a happy ending! :) *

Two years. It had been two years since Sam Manson ran away to Hollywood. Two years since she broke the heart of her best friend. This all started at Sam's sophmore spring festival at Casper High.

flashback-

"Ready to go on, Sam?" asked Danny Fenton, Sam's best friend of 6 years. Sam had been asked to sing for the opening of the festival.

"Yeah. I'm just really nervous. I don't think i'll be any good." replied the goth beauty.

"Don't worry about a thing. You've got me and Tuck here cheering you on. Now go knock em dead!'' he said giving her a thumbs up. Sam's face blushed many shades of red before giving him a hug.

Danny held her close for that short moment. Thinking on his feet, he planted a small kiss on her cheek and smiling one of his heroic smiles to her.

WIth her confidance boosted, Sam walked out on stage.

"Hello, everyone and welcome to Casper High's 75th annual spring festival! And to kick things off, i've been asked to sing a song to get everyone in the mood." Sam closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Suddenly all her cares and concerns were washed away, and she began to sing.

I dont' own County Line by Sugerland

"There's a place I like to go.

Cherry bombs and cherry wine.

Just past the Texaco

Down on the county line.

Beer cans and cemeteries

Spanish moss on the welcome sign

catch a buzz we all get scary

down on the county line.

Chorus

out where your troubles can't find you

out where you leave them all behind.

Out where the moon shines sweetly,

won't you meet me down on the county line.

Kettle corn and 4H fairs

pink slips and white walled tires

Bet you 20 i'll beat you there

down on the county line

It's first love and football wars

a french kiss and battle cries

Further than i've been before

down on the county line

repeat chorus

While Sam finished singing, Paulina decided to rear her ugly head.

"Oh, Danny. Come ride the feris wheel with me." she cooed.

"No thanks. I'm staying right here for when Sam gets off stage."

"But i'm much prettier than she is, why won't you look the other way, just this once?" she asked with an attempt at an innocent look on her face.

"Because, Sam is my best friend and I love her. She dosen't like you, and honestly neither do I. Go find Dash or something, and leave me and Sam alone." he said coldly.

Paulina saw that Sam was taking her bows from the audiance and hatched an evil scheme.

"Ok. I'll leave. But not before I get what I want." she said grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him into a kiss. The kiss didn't last no more than 2 seconds before Danny shoved her off, but 2 seconds was all it took for Sam to see everything and run away in tears.

"What the hell!? Look what you just did! Now she probably hates me! Rot in hell, bitch!" he shouted before taking off after Sam.

Minutes turned to hours and Danny still hadn't found Sam.

"Damn, tonight has been a living hell. I swear when I see that pink bitch again, she's gonna wish she never met me or Sam." shouted Danny with his hands and eyes glowing an ectoplasmic green.

Just as Danny was about to give up, he saw Sam in front of her house, talking to some guy with a black limo. She nodded her head a few times and signed some sort of paper. She then grabbed a few luggage bags and got into the limo and it sped away.

"Sam!" Danny called over and over. Hoping that she would hear him, and return, but sadly, she never did.

Danny screamed until his vocal chords stung. The only thing that snapped him out of his heartbreak, was the sound of his cellphone ringing. He quickly opened the device hoping it would be Sam.

"Sam?" he asked into the mouthpeice.

"No, Tucker. And what the hell did you just do?!" shouted the overly excited techno geek.

"I don't know. The last thing that happened was Paulina came backstage while Sam was singing and tried to get me to ditch you guys and go with her. When I told her no, she reared back and kissed me! I swear I didn't bring it on and I shoved her away right when she did it, but by then it was already too late and Sam saw everything." explained Danny.

"Where is Sam now?" asked Tucker.

"I have no idea. I saw her outside her house and she signed some sort of contract with a dude with a limo and drove off with him."

"Oh, God! She excepted it!"

"Excepted what?! What?!"

"Thier was a talent scout in the audiance and she must've excepted his offer for a record deal in California."

end flashback

Danny's heart broke in half that day. He had been so in love with Sam that he sprialed into a deep depression soon after. He tried to call her, but her cellphone account had been closed and she no longer used her usual chat rooms.

Tucker had tried to track her, but to no avail. The two knew that it would take a few months or maybe even a year for Sam's record deal to really take off. They hoped they would be able to find her using her publicity outings, but she was too quick for them, fore she would never stay in one spot for long.

Danny was constantly haunted by Sam. Everywhere he went, her face or voice would be everywhere. Many students at Casper High would walk around listening to thier ipod with Sam's debut song, Cinderella. (Lyrics will be at the end of the fic!)

Senior year had rolled around and Danny and Tucker were now 18. Danny resorted to wearing all black, as a memory of Sam and a mourning sign for her departure.

Danny Phantom had become merciless. Almost every ghost he fought would end up back in the ghost zone with fatal injuries. Even though Danny was depressed, still, deep inside his heart, a glimer of light still shone. This was the only hope for the boy's humanity.

It was nearing the spring festival once again and this time, Danny was determined to find his beloved.

He and Tucker had concocted a scheme that would send them straight to Hollywood. Danny would sing as the opening ceremony started. During his depression, Danny often wrote songs about his love for Sam, and he chose one of his best to sing.

Danny slowly made his way to the middle of the stage, still wearing his usual black t-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers and black armbands with an 'S' on either one.

Danny introduced himself and dedicated it to Sam.

Tucker sang backup vocals. Surprisingly, both boys were natural singers. (dispite Tucker's performance in 'Fanning the Flames)

I don't own When You Loved Me by Rascal Flatts

Or Lyric Street; thier record company.

"If I ever write the story of my life

dont't be surprised if you're where it begins

Girl, i'd have to dedicate every line on every page

to the memories we made, while you loved me

chorus-

I was born the day you kissed me

And I died inside the night you left me

But I lived, oh how i lived while you loved me

I'd start with chapter one, love innocent and young

As the morning sun on a new day

Even though I knew the end, i'd do it all again, if you'd just come back to me.

repeat chorus

Danny was in tears by the end of the song and the crowd roared with applause. Then, just as expected, a talent scout approached Danny.
"You put alot of emotion into that, kid. I like it. How would you like to sign on with us?" asked the mysterious man.
Danny identifed him as the same one that took his Sam away.

Danny slowly nodded and signed the contract put in front of him.

Another week past and he and Tucker stood in the recording studio of 'Lyric Street' records.

Danny recorded his song along with others for the company, hoping Sam would hear it one day.

Danny and Tucker lived quite comfortably in a suite in one of California's most presigious hotels. Even with all the money and technology he could ever want, Tucker still wasn't happy, and Danny sure as hell wasnt. Then, as if Danny had a gardean angel, he met Sam's manager at a conference.

Danny persuaded the woman to give Sam a tape of two of his songs with a heartfelt apology recorded along with it.

The woman happily agreed and promised she would give it to Sam.

"Sam? Can I talk to you for a moment, dear." asked the kind woman entering her client's hotel room.

"What's up, Stella?" asked the young girl as she came into view. Sam had grown up quite a bit in two years. Her once short raven hair is now long and fell around the middle of her back. Her pole thin frame had been replaced with one that was more curvy. She was still slightly goth, but chose to wear colors at times.

"I just met the nicest young boy today, and he said he knew you. He wouldn't tell me his name, just to give you this. He says all you need to know is on it." she said handing Sam the CD.

"Ok. Thanks." said Sam as she left the room.

The goth beauty placed the CD in her CD player and hit play. The first thing she heard was the song Danny sang at the spring festival. She had heard it a few times before and liked it quite a bit, but she didn't have any clue Danny was the one that sung it.

The song ended and it skipped to the second track. Danny's heartbroken voice, along with Tucker's emitted from the machine.

I don't own What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts

"I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house

that don't bother me.

I can take a few tears now and then

and just let em out.

I'm not afraid to cry every once and a while

Even though goin on with you gone

still upsets me

There are days every now and again

I pretend, i'm ok

but that's not what gets me

chorus

What hurts the most was being soo close

and having so much to say

and watchin you walk away

And never knowing what could've been.

And not seeing that loving you

is what I was tryin to do.

It's hard to deal with the pain of losin you everywhere I go.

But i'm doin it

it's hard to force that smile

when I see our old friends and i'm alone

still harder gettin up gettin dressed

living with this regret

but i know if I could do it over

I would trade give away

all the words that I saved in my heart

that I left unspoken.

repeat chorus

Then, the moment of truth came. The music had stopped and a familiar voice filled the air.

"Sam, this is Danny. You know, your best friend. All I want is to explain what happened the night of the spring festival two years ago. That was soo not my fault. Paulina came on to me, I shoved her away the second she did, but by then it was already too late. Tuck and I have been searching for you ever since.

I miss you soo much, Sammy. I love you, with all my heart and soul."

By this time, Danny was crying.

"And I wanna say i'm sorry for what happened. I'm a wreck without you, Sam. I can't sleep, can't eat can't do anything without something reminding me of you. All I can do is pour my heart out in my songs. I even got myself roped into a record deal just to travel to Cali in hopes of finding you. I'm still here for now. I'm staying at the Flatts Inn not too far from 'Lyric Street' records.

Please. If it's not too much to ask, please look me up. I miss you more than anything. I love you, soo much."

And with that, Danny's voice died from the machine. Sam sat on her bed in tears. Her heart ached at the thought of Danny's current state of being.

Sam rose from her bed quickly and stuffed her cellphone and some money into her pocket and ran out of her suite and down the street to the hotel that Danny and Tucker were staying at. Once thier, she got the room number from the desk clerk and ran to thier room to find it empty.

She assumed they were at a meeting and decided to wait.

Sam walked around the room and found many songs Danny had written because of her. Many were sad and depressing songs about lost love, but ever so often, she would come across one or two that were actually happy, about childhood love.

Sam sat on Danny's bed searching through song after song until she eventually fell asleep.

About midnight, a very tired and sleepy Danny and Tuck stumbled through the front door.

"I'm gonna get something to eat, want anything?" asked Tuck picking up the phone to order room service.

"No, not in the mood. All I wanna do is sleep." said the halfa taking off his black t-shirt and throwing it aside. He did the same with his pants until he was just in his green boxers.

He slid under his covers and noticed a strange warmth eveloping most of the bed.

He jumped outta bed and pulled back his blankets to reveal the sleeping beauty burried beneath them.

When Danny laied eyes on her, his eyes spilled tears of joy, love and happiness, knowing exactly who he was looking at.

"Sam." he said breathless.

This sturred the goth princess and slowly opened her eyes to see a crying 18 year old Danny looking down at her in his boxers. Sam didn't know wether to blush, scream, cry or faint. Which she didn't have time to respond because within a flash, Danny's arms were around her, lifting her out of his bed and into a bracing hug.

"I missed you soo much, Sam. I love you." cried the young man.

"Me to. I made such a stupid decision. You'll never loose me again." she soothed.

By this time, Tucker had heard a strange female voice and had entered the bedroom to see his long lost best friend.

"Sam!" he cried in joy as he joined the two in a hug.