Hi! Yes, another songfic from me. What can I do—they just pop into my poor head. I know, it's an over-used plot, but this one just wouldn't leave me alone! Oh, and I do have a bit of a beef about this song, but I'll save that for the disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, or the song Everything I Own, which was originally recorded by Bread, NOT N'Sync or Olivia Newton John. They re-did it, but the original is the BEST ONE! He sung it with more meaning—it was written for his dad who'd just died. And I don't like the new groups anyway, they're not as good. I like that old time rock 'n roll!
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Yet another agonizing week of school was starting at Casper High, and 16-year-old Danny Fenton was standing in front of his old, decrepit locker, rummaging around for the books he would need. A familiar voice called out to him, and he turned around to greet the lavender-eyed girl that was quickly approaching him.
"Hey, Sam. Did you get that English paper done for Lancer's class?" Sam nodded slightly, then grinned knowingly at him.
"You didn't do it, did you?" Danny ducked his head back inside of his locker, looking for his elusive math book.
"No. I was up chasing Skulker all night. Again. Why can't he just leave me alone for a week? Is that too much to ask?" He slammed his fist into his locker door, letting it swing shut with a loud bang. A few students turned their heads at the sound, but soon forgot about the fuming boy and his friend in the rush of the morning.
Sam pulled a black binder out of her bag and handed a copy of the paper to Danny.
"Here, I did one for you. I figured you wouldn't have the time to do it. And I left in just enough mistakes so Lancer doesn't get suspicious." She smiled at his rolling eyes.
"Gee, thanks," he sarcastically groaned. "You couldn't have made it perfect, could you?"
"Of course not. We can't have Danny Fenton getting an 'A' on a term paper—that would look just a bit suspicious, don't you think?"
He was about to reply to her satirical remark when the warning bell rang.
"See you in third, Sam. And thanks for the paper." She waved him towards his class and headed towards her own.
"No problem; just think of it as payment for your night job." He smiled and bolted off towards his science class, hoping Mr. Fermium wouldn't be too harsh on him for not completing the assignment. He was usually good about getting the homework done in that class; it was the only class he made sure he had time for. Slipping inside, he made it into his seat before the final bell rang.
His first two classes went by fairly quickly. In chemistry they only did a lab, and Danny was able to procure an extension for his homework. His second period, English, practically flew by; literally. He had turned in his paper to Mr. Lancer, earning a surprised look from the balding teacher, and about five minutes into the class his ghost sense went off. It only turned out to be the Box Ghost, but his excuse of an upset stomach allowed him to skip the rest of English and finish his Chemistry homework.
Third period was Algebra II, and both Sam and Tucker were in there with him. Mrs. Hoel was gone for the week, and the sub, Mr. Johnson, was letting them have a free period. The trio huddled in the back of the room, talking about their teacher's odd absence from class.
"Wow, she's actually gone. I never thought I'd live to see the beautiful day when Mrs. Hoel wasn't in class." Tucker sighed happily, a dreamy look crossing his face.
"Tucker, snap out of it." Danny laughed as Sam snapped her fingers in front of his glassy stare, not eliciting any response from the happy techno-geek.
Sam sighed in mock disgust, turning her back to the starry-eyed boy.
"At least we don't have to do anything in class today. I can't stand this class! Mrs. Hoel is so…so…peppy! How in the world was such a peppy person allowed to become a math teacher!" Danny shrugged at his friend's ranting.
"I don't know, I don't think she's that bad. At least I can understand what she's teaching us. Most of the time, that is." Sam rolled her eyes at his comment just as the announcements came on.
"Teachers and students, please excuse the interruption. Just a reminder: all tickets for Saturday's Sadie Hawkins's dance will be sold for 3 dollars in advance, and 5 at the door. They can be purchased in the main office during lunch and after school. Thank you, and have a nice day."
Tucker's face lit up as the announcements ended.
"Hey, guys! I never told you; I have a date!" Danny and Sam stared at him in shock.
"Who asked you?" A smug grin crept onto Tucker's face at Danny's question.
"Valerie."
The speechless pair turned towards each other, noting the shock on the other's face. After a few seconds, Sam turned back to Tucker.
"Valerie actually asked you, Tucker Foley, to the dance. Oh my god, what is this world coming to!" Danny snickered at Tucker's hurt expression.
"Congrats, Tuck. I haven't even been asked yet." Tucker shot him a strange look.
"Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better. Like you get so many more dates than I do." Danny childishly stuck his tongue out at his friend, initiating a contest of insults. Rolling her eyes at her friend's immaturity, Sam held up a hand in an attempt to stop their bickering.
"Guys, stop it already. Hey, Danny, did Lancer buy the paper?" Nodding, Danny turned from his "insult war" with Tucker.
"Yeah. He seemed surprised that I actually had it, though." Tucker laughed, placing a hand on Danny's shoulder.
"That's a good one, Danny. Like he wouldn't be surprised. Heck, I'd be surprised if you actually wrote any of the papers you've managed to turn in this year." Danny shot Tucker a confused glance.
"What are you talking about? I've had most of my papers this year…and I wrote some of them too."
"Three of them." Sam replied. "Out of fifteen. And of those other twelve, I wrote eight, and the other four you didn't even bother to turn in." Both his and Tucker's jaws dropped in shock.
"You're actually keeping track?" Danny asked, amazed that she'd remember something like that. Sam shrugged at their shocked expressions.
"More or less." A sly smile crept onto her face. Tucker shook his head sadly, turning to Danny.
"Dude, she's got some heavy blackmail on you there. I wouldn't cross her if I were you."
The bell rang and they all surged out of the classroom and into the hallway. Tucker headed straight to the cafeteria for lunch, saying he was going to meet Valerie, while Danny and Sam headed to their lockers. They didn't have to watch the numbers to know when they'd arrived—Danny's was covered in dents from numerous beatings, dealt by both Dash's bullying and Danny's fits of anger. They paused by his locker so Danny could put his books away, and Sam stayed with him, leaning against the neighboring lockers.
"Hey, Danny? You remember how we were talking about the dance earlier?" Sam stared down at her notebooks, her hair effectively hiding the blush that was creeping to her cheeks. He nonchalantly shrugged as he threw his books into his locker, not noticing her red face.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Well, I was just wondering if you…uh…wou—" Sam was cut off by a shrill voice that echoed down the hall.
"Danny! Oh, Danny! There you are!" A low and guttural growl escaped Sam's lips before she could hold it back, but Danny ignored it as the most popular girl approached him.
"H-hey, P-Paulina." His hand crept up to the back of his neck, and his eyes riveted themselves on her flawless face. Paulina shot Sam a small glare, but quickly smoothed it over with a sickly smile.
"I really want to go to the dance this Saturday, and since I broke up with Dash last week I thought I'd ask you to go with me instead."
Danny's jaw dropped, a surprised expression etching itself on his face.
"Wow…uh…su-sure I'll go with you." A smug smile played across Paulina's features and she stared at Sam's fuming face.
"Great! Pick me up at six." Turning on her heel, she flounced off towards the cafeteria, leaving an awed Danny and a fuming Sam behind in the empty halls. She turned on him angrily as she recovered from her initial shock.
"You did not just agree to take that…that slut to the dance!" Danny tore his eyes off of Paulina's retreating figure and turned on Sam.
"Don't talk about my date like that, Sam!" She scoffed and clenched her fists angrily at her sides.
"She doesn't even like you, Danny. She's just using you so she can get back with Dash, and you know it."
"If she doesn't like me she wouldn't have asked me out." His eyes threateningly flashed neon green.
"Don't you glare at me, Daniel Fenton! I'm just trying to help you! She's using you for her own evil purposes!"
"Just because you don't like her doesn't mean you have to trash her in front of me. Why can't you just accept the fact that she asked me out?" Tears threatened to spill out of Sam's eyes as she glared up at her friend's angry face.
"Danny, you're so insufferable! Sometimes I don't even know why I'm your friend. You're so clueless! Can't you figure it out? It's not like I haven't dropped enough hints!"
"What are you talking about! We don't have to be friends, you know!" he spat angrily. Sam turned around and bolted down the hall towards the cafeteria with tears streaming down her face, leaving behind a very angry and confused ex-friend.
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The day of the dance dawned bright and sunny, but Sam scowled at the intensity of the sun. Danny and Sam had avoided each other for the rest of the week, not even acknowledging the other's presence when they passed in the halls. Tucker and Valerie had convinced Sam to go to the dance with them, but she knew it would just be a disaster. She'd see Paulina make Dash jealous and dump Danny the moment Dash even looked at her. But why should I care? She thought as she looked out her window. We're not even friends anymore. Danny doesn't like me that way, and he never will now. I just need to move on… Sam sighed heavily and turned away from her window.
The black dress she'd picked out for the dance hung on her closet door, the dark purple velvet sleeves gracefully hanging next to the black velvet corset-top and shimmering black skirt. She sighed heavily and picked it up gently, placing it back into her closet. She was going to call Tucker and tell him she wasn't going to go; it would just be awkward to be there and not be friends with Danny anymore. Even if he deserved to get crushed when Paulina dumps him for Dash, she still felt a bit of regret for the dissolving of their friendship.
The silver embroidery around the sleeves and neck of the dress caught the sun's rays and shone vibrantly, and Sam paused with her hand poised over the receiver of the phone. I guess it wouldn't hurt to go—I'll have Tucker and Valerie to talk to if I get bored. She looked at the clock; the digital readout said 1:00 pm. She still had a few hours to get ready, so she grabbed her hair brush from the bathroom counter and started working on her hair.
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Danny straightened his tie and pushed Paulina's doorbell, the clock downtown striking six as the chimes rung inside the house. Her father opened the door, a glare plastering itself on his face as he saw the caller.
"Oh, you. Hold on, I'll get her." He slammed the door in Danny's face, his gruff voice echoing up the stairs as he hollered at his daughter.
"Paulina! That boy is here for you!" His head stuck back out of the door, a threatening glint in his eye.
"If I find that you did anything to hurt my little girl, I'll beat you so hard you'll be sore until you're 80." Danny nodded and gulped, speechless at the thought of what could happen to him. The sound of heeled footsteps was followed closely by Paulina's face peering out from behind her father, a sparkling smile spread across her face.
"Oh, Danny! You're here!" She stepped past her father and shut the door behind her, frowning as she turned around and surveyed the street.
"Where's my limo?" Danny stuttered, not sure of what to say.
"Oh, um, they were, all out of limos when I called." A nervous smile appeared on his face at Paulilna's calculating frown.
"Hmph. Well, I guess it'll be all right if no one sees us arrive. We'd better start now." She grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street towards the school.
Danny stared at his hand in awe, a silly grin plastered on his face as he fought the urge to giggle in excitement. She's holding my hand. I never thought this day would come.
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The gym was decorated in a spring theme, pastel crepe paper and balloons adorning the ceiling and tables. Sam looked around her, scanning the sparsely populated room for Tucker and Valerie. They'd had a dinner date before the dance, so Sam had her limo drop her off. She usually didn't flaunt her wealth, but tonight she'd felt extravagant. Her hair was done up in a loose bun, gently curled pieces of hair gracefully framing her face. She spotted Danny and Paulina near the refreshments table and scowled. Ugh, I hope Tucker and Valerie show up soon. I'm bored already.
She made her way to an empty table she'd spotted in the far corner, placing her bag and coat on the chair next to her. A few people were dancing already, but most were just lined up on the sides of the floor talking with their friends. After a few minutes, she spotted Tucker and Valerie making their way in through the expanding crowd. They saw her and waved, pushing through the multitudes as they made their way to her table.
Valerie had a strapless, light purple dress on with a small train coming off of the bottom. Sequins adorned the trunk, and the full skirt flowed out around her. Tucker wore the usual black suit with a light purple lilac in his buttonhole that easily coordinated with Valerie's dress. They managed to plow their way to her table and sat down with her.
"Hey, Sam, what are you doing here on your own?" Valerie asked. "Where's Danny?" Tucker cringed, while Sam's face bunched into an angry scowl. Apparently, Tucker hadn't told Valerie about their fight.
"Who cares where that double-crossing, selfish, clueless—" Tucker placed a hand over her mouth, effectively cutting her off.
"Whoa, Sam. Um, heh, never mind about that, Valerie. Danny and Sam aren't on speaking terms right now." He leaned forward to whisper loudly in Valerie's ear.
"They're having a lover's spat." Sam smacked his arm viciously.
"TUCKER!" She growled at him. He rubbed his arm, leaning away from the enraged Goth.
"Hey, I didn't mean it." Valerie looked out at the dance floor and all of the dancing couples.
"Come on, Tucker. Let's go dance. You want to come with us, Sam?" She shook her head and smiled thankfully at the other girl.
"No, that's all right. I'll stay here with our stuff." Valerie nodded sympathetically.
"Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us." She took Tucker's hand and let him lead her off onto the dance floor. That could have been me and Danny—no, it couldn't have. He's never thought of me like that; he's too shallow and clueless to feel that way about me.
She sat and stewed for the rest of the song, glaring at all of the couples on the dance floor. The song ended, and the hired DJ leaned down towards the mike.
"This next song was written by David Gates for his father just after he'd passed away and was originally recorded by his band, Bread. Here's 'Everything I Own'." He started the record, and Sam couldn't help but feel that the words applied to her situation all too well.
You sheltered me
from harm
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set
me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew,
were all the
years I had with you
An image Danny's smiling face popped unbidden into her head as the first verse played, memories of their fun times running through her head. Water fights in the park, movie nights at her house, and even the times they just spent walking on the beach together. No matter what situation they were in they always managed to have a good time.
And I would give
anything I own
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would
give everything I own,
just to have you back again
A lone tear crept slowly down her face as she thought about him. She hadn't realized how upset she'd be if Danny left her. It had only been a few days since their fight, and she missed him so much that it almost seemed to hurt deep in her chest. She could admit it to herself; she missed Danny. She wasn't really all that angry with him, only frustrated that he couldn't see what was right in front of him—her. But she had lost her chance to tell him how she felt and he'd left…and now she wanted him back.
You taught me
how to laugh.
What a time, what a time
You never said too
much,
but still you showed you cared
And I knew from watching
you
Danny had showed that he cared about her, just in a very subtle way. Sure, he saved everyone on a day-to-day basis, but he always came to her first after a fight, making sure she wasn't injured. Any time she felt bad she could always count on him to be there for her, even if it just meant being a shoulder for her to cry on. He never let her dwell on anything, either. He always managed to find a way to bring her smiles back.
Nobody else
could ever know,
the part of me that can't let go
No matter how hard she'd tried to forget him this past week, or any time before that, she constantly found her thoughts drifting back to him. He was a huge part of her life, one that she couldn't let go of so easily.
And I would give
anything I own,
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would
give everything I own,
just to have you back again
As she watched Danny standing with Paulina, reality hit her. At that moment, she really would have given anything and everything to have him back, to have him sitting here beside her instead of being the trophy date of her most hated enemy. Danny… Her heart felt ready to break at the thought that she had lost him forever.
Is there someone
you know,
you're loving them so,
but taking them all for
granted?
You may lose them one day
Someone takes them away,
and
they don't hear the words you long to say
Tears streamed down her face wildly, the brutal truth of the song striking chords in her soul. She had waited too long to tell Danny how she really felt, and now he'd gone over to the popular group—the shallow, overbearing popular kids who didn't care about anyone but themselves.
I would give
anything I own,
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would
give everything I own,
just to have you back again;
just to
touch you once again
On the ending note of the song, it suddenly became too much for her to bear anymore. Sam grabbed her purse from the table and bolted from her chair, making a mad dash for the door, not caring that everyone she passed saw her tear-streaked face and puffy red eyes.
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Danny stood next to Paulina as she gossiped with her friends, holding both of their glasses of punch in his hands. He'd seen Sam when she came in, but she hadn't even acknowledge that she had spotted him as well. He sighed and stared at the glasses in his hands. She should be glad for me, not mad! This is my one chance at becoming popular—this is what I've always wanted!
They'd arrived over half an hour ago, and they still hadn't danced. Danny was confused—one minute she'd be holding his hand, smiling up at him, and the next she would ignore him completely. He saw Tucker and Valerie walk out onto the gym floor and start dancing together, happy smiles on both of their faces. At least someone's having fun at this thing. Sam was scowling in the far corner, glaring at anyone who dared to come near to her.
The song that had been playing ended, and the DJ leaned into the mike.
"This next song was written by David Gates for his father just after he'd passed away and was originally recorded by his band, Bread. Here's 'Everything I Own'." As the music started playing, Danny's eyes grew wide as the reality of what he'd done sunk in.
You sheltered me
from harm
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set
me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew,
were all the
years I had with you
Sam really had given his life to him—she had convinced him to check out his parents ghost portal, changing him from ordinary Danny Fenton to the extraordinary, ghost-beating, butt-kicking hero, Danny Phantom. The past three years had been the best he'd even known, even with the hardships of defending a town that hated him on a daily basis.
And I would give
anything I own
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would
give everything I own,
just to have you back again
He looked over at Paulina, who was completely snubbing him again. Maybe Sam was right. It seems like whenever Dash is near us, she's all over me, but when he's not looking, I become just a part of the scenery to her. He looked over to where Sam sat by herself, a small gasp of surprise escaping his lips as he saw a tiny tear trickling down the side of her cheek.
You taught me
how to laugh
What a time, what a time
You never said too
much,
but still you showed you cared
And I knew from watching
you
She was always worrying about him, even when he didn't want her to. Looking back at the past few years, he realized she'd always been there for him when everyone else had let him down. She stood by his side through everything that was thrown at him, never complaining even if it took her away from what she wanted to do.
Nobody else
could ever know,
the part of me that can't let go
He suddenly saw her in a new light, realizing that everything he had ever wanted in someone had been right under his nose the whole time. And now that he had the popularity he'd always thought he wanted, he realized that he wanted the friendship he'd just lost even more.
And I would give
anything I own,
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would
give everything I own,
just to have you back again
He missed her, even if it had only been few days since he'd last talked to her. Now that she was out of reach, utterly and completely out of his grasp, he knew what he'd always truly needed.
Is there someone
you know,
your loving them so,
but taking them all for
granted?
You may lose them one day
Someone takes them away,
and
they don't hear the words you long to say
The tears were pouring down Sam's face, and all Danny wanted to do was rush to her side and wipe them away…but he wasn't sure how she'd react to him. He saw what she'd meant about him now—he had been clueless. All these years she'd been trying to tell him how she really felt, and he brushed her off for other girls. And now it might be too late for him to do anything about it.
I would give
anything I own,
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would
give everything I own,
just to have you back again;
just to
touch you once again
When the song ended, he watched Sam grab her things and rush from the gym. He moved to go after her, but Paulina grabbed his arm and cooed into his ear.
"Danny, where are you going? Come dance with me, you're supposed to be my date." Danny turned towards the clinging girl, a scowl of annoyance painted on his face.
"No, I'm not," he growled at her. "I'm just your bait for Dash. Now get your conniving hands off of me and let me go." Paulina jumped back from him, surprise and anger written on her face.
"How dare you talk to me like that!" She screeched. The entire gym seemed to go still, all eyes turned towards the disturbance. "After all I've done for you, after all we've been through together, how could you!" Paulina burst into tears after her tirade, earning a disgusted grimace from Danny.
"Turn off the water works, Paulina. You don't feel that way about me and you know it. Now stop acting and go ask Dash out already, if that's what you really want." Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and ran out the door after Sam.
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Collapsing onto the edge of her huge bed, Sam threw her purse at the wall, her tears flowing freely. She'd run all of the way home, not bothering with the limo. As the sobs wracked her thin frame, she looked at a picture on her nightstand. It had been taken in eighth grade; just her, Tucker, and Danny. They all looked so happy and carefree; they hadn't had to worry about the strains of crushes back then. They were just friends, never expecting to be anything more. That had changed after the accident. Becoming Danny Phantom had brought out another side of her friend; the hero side. She'd always liked him before, but being Phantom completed him somehow. He was more confident, more caring. He was the most selfless person she knew, and she loved him for it. No matter how hard she tried to hate him, she just couldn't get rid of her feelings.
"Oh, Danny, why did you have to change so much? Why did you have to make me fall in love with you?" She whispered to herself. A hand gently touched her shoulder, causing her to swing around. Her red, puffy eyes met the pair of concerned blue ones she'd been thinking of.
"We both changed, Sam. We changed for the better. If it wasn't for the accident, we wouldn't be where we are right now." He sat down beside her and took her hand in his, softly stroking her palm with his fingers. She looked up at him questioningly.
"What do you mean?" Sam whispered, silently hoping he hadn't heard the last part of her rant. She watched his face as his expressions ran from tired to confused, to conflicting. He seemed to be struggling with something inside, but she couldn't figure out what it might be. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, he finally turned to her.
"If you hadn't made me go into the portal, I never would have found myself. I'd still be lost in the glamour of popularity, hoping that they might accept me. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be at the dance with Paulina, having my heart broken while I watched her dump me and go for Dash again." He sighed heavily, his eyes meeting hers.
"You were right, Sam. You've always been right, but I've just been too clueless to see it. But tonight, that song made me realize…that…" He trailed off distractedly, still staring into Sam's eyes. She stared back at him, hope swelling in her chest as she looked at him carefully. Seeing the conflicting emotions once again racing in his head, Sam softly touched Danny's arm with a shaking hand.
"Danny, I, I—" She was cut off as his lips tenderly pressed against hers. Closing her eyes she let the feeling sink in, slowly returning his kiss. He gently pulled away and looked down at her, smiling at her beaming face.
"I love you, Sam. Can you forgive me for being an 'insufferable' and 'clueless' idiot?" Blushing slightly at the memory, Sam nodded, instantly losing all capability for speech. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, relief flooding her thoughts.
"I love you too, Danny." She whispered into his ear. "I just wish I'd been able to tell you sooner, we could have avoided this whole mess with Paulina." At the mention of the popular girl's name, an impish smile adorned Danny's face.
"Do you want to go back to the dance, Sam? I bet she'll burst when she sees me dancing with you…" Sam thought for a moment about her friend's words, then a smile gently rose to her lips.
"Nah," She replied, grinning wider when a puzzled expression grew on Danny's face. "I'd rather just stay here…with you. Maybe watch a movie or something…" A matching grin crossed his mouth as she played thoughtfully with his hand.
"To the TV room then?" He asked, standing up and holding out his arm. She laughed loudly and rose from the bed, slipping her arm into the crook of his elbow.
"Let's go." They walked from her room, heading down the stairs. "Besides, I bet we'll shock more than just Paulina when they see us making out at lunch." Sam chuckled lightly as Danny blushed bright crimson. I can't wait till tomorrow!
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So? What did you guys think? My beta is quite wonderful; she re-worked all of my awkward sections and pounded them into submission. There's still a couple parts where we both had issues, but…overall I'm not too disappointed. It turned out pretty well. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought! And thank darkflame1516 for being so awesome! Come on; give her a round of applause! She edited 4 of my stories within 2 days, and they were all at least 2000 words. Let her know how much you all love her!
TSW