Imaginary

Summary: Everything has a consequence now Sam has to learn to live with hers. All Danny can do is hope it doesn't kill her.

Rating: PG-13 for mature themes and language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. Butch Hartman does. And I don't own Imaginary, Evanescence does.

Chapter Eight

I linger in the doorway.

Danny pushed the door open and led Sam in, holding her bag on his shoulder. She had an old backpack slung over her shoulder. "You can stay down here. We have a pull out couch." Sam followed everything seeming new and familiar in the same instant.

It felt strange. Her head swam. It had been hard going out into the world again. In the hospital she could just lie there and try to remember. There was no rush, no penalty for not remembering. But now she felt horrible about not remembering. These people had given so much to try to stop her from going away, and in her mind they weren't all that far from strangers.

Except for Danny. It was amazing how quickly things had come back about him. Red is his favorite color. His birthday is March twenty-second. He wanted to be an astronaut. But somehow she felt she was missing the big things. There was something he wasn't telling her. Like he didn't think she could handle it yet. It scared her senseless.

"Thanks," she muttered let the bag slide of her shoulder and fall to the couch with a soft thud. She stared at Danny and he grinned at her and then broke eye contact quickly and started to put her bag on the couch.

He shrugged. "Well I can't have you sleeping on the streets."

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure all the sleaze out there would have a field day with a fifteen-year-old." He seemed to stiffen when he said it. Like it triggered something he would rather not think about.

He spun around. "Why would you say that?" he breathed. But there was sort of a muted terror in his eyes.

"I was just kidding. What's wrong?" Blue eye's met lavender and something past between them. There was something in Danny's gaze that Sam didn't understand. She knew it was deeper than just friendly concern. She wasn't sure she wanted to.

"Nothing." He closed his eyes and when he opened them there was just the normal bright twinkle to them. "I'm going to grab something to drink. You want something?"

"Which ever," she said thoughtlessly, still shaken. "Just some water would be great."

"Okay."

Sam fell back onto the worn couch and let her eyes drift closed. There was something he wasn't telling her. In fact she was pretty sure there were two things. She felt the couch move as Danny sat down. She kept her eyes closed. "Why don't you trust me?"

She could feel him stare at her and her eyes fluttered open. He swallowed. "What do you mean?" He smiled, obviously forced.

Sam was starting to get frustrated. "Stop playing dumb, Danny. I may not remember some stuff but I know your smarter than this. What are you hiding from me? I thought we were best friends."

"We are!" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You just have a lot to deal with right now. Just let me deal with my problems. Please, Sam."

"Sure, that's what best friends are for. Too ignore the fact that the other one is hiding things from them and thinks it's best this way!" She snapped hopping up and walking towards the door.

"Sam! This isn't my fault," he said. He sounded so desperate Sam faltered in her step.

She turned around rage burning in violet eyes. "Oh, and who, prey tells, fault is it?" Venom dripped from her voice.

He looked so vulnerable at the moment. "I guess you're right. It's my fault. Oh God, Sam, all this is my fault." He collapsed back onto the couch. His elbows rested on his knees as he dropped his head into his hands.

She walked over, drawn to him. She sat down and leaned into his side and wrapper her arm around his shoulders. They sat there for what seemed like an eternity. Nothing went through Sam's head. She felt cold. Her arms, her legs, her cheeks, everything tingled with a sort of frozen-numbness.

Danny finally whispered. "What if we don't make it?"

Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought. "We have to," she whispered.

Danny shifted away from her so he could face her. He lifted her chin so she would meet his gaze. His always-blue eyes looked bloodshot from crying. "What if we don't. Sam, the odds are against us."

"Forget the odds," she glanced down. "I'm tired of odds. I'm tired of lies and lawyers and not remembering. I'm sick of all that." She choked down a sob. "Why us? We never hurt anyone."

He wrapped his arms around her small frame as she cried onto his shoulder. "I wish I had an answer for you. I really do."

She leaned the side of her head against his. "Don't leave me."

"Never," he said softly. "No matter what happens, you're stuck with me."

Sam let out a shaky breath. "Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise." She felt Danny grin and hold her a little tighter.

"Good."

Much better. The last two chapters were lousy I was about to stop writing for a while till I got it back. But I'm proud of this chapter. A vast improvement. Enough about me, on to you guys. My wonderful reviewers this time were: tlegg11, Silverflare07, q.t a.k.a spice, Shadow Sakura, audi katia, Possesed Angel, Samster The Hamster, Spice Of Life, Annie, GhostieLo, Ryo's destiny, HomicidalJungleCat, KittenGoMoo, Moody Maud, PyroDragon2006, The Good Girl, autumngold, kuromori, IceSugarHigh, RavenForever, RainbowSerenity, and AngelicxDeath. As always a million thanks to each of you.