Ravens Claws
9
…and death made angels of us all, gave us wings were we had shoulders smooth as ravens claws…
Crowley adjusted his fez and his vest as he walked beside Aziraphale who was following Danny and his friends. He grumbled to himself and Aziraphale looked at him a moment his expression filled with amusement.
"What are you cursing about?"
Crowley shot a yellow eyed glare at Aziraphale. "Flying monkeys," he said. "Only humans could imagine this! Hell couldn't come up with something this demented. Flying monkeys! Why did I let you talk me into this, angel?"
Aziraphale gestured to Danny with his head and Crowley sighed. "You really do owe me for this one."
"I shudder at being indebted to you, Crowley, now why don't you put on a pleasant expression and let's enjoy Danny enjoying his party."
Crowley smiled slightly. "Sorry. I'm not that giving. I'd better be getting something out of this other than the crappy happiness of your charge."
Aziraphale looked at Crowley worriedly. "You're in a bad mood?" he asked in bewilderment.
"I'm feeling restless," Crowley answered. "This waiting is making me nervous." He looked at Aziraphale out of the corner of his eye, with an almost sneakily sly expression which the angel missed. "When is something going to happen? What is Danny's purpose here?"
"I agree this waiting is bothersome," Aziraphale replied thoughtfully then frowned, his heart was now troubled. "It would be nice if we knew when the storm was going to hit."
"Your agreement doesn't answer my question," Crowley grumbled.
"True," Aziraphale answered.
Crowley waited a moment then asked. "Does that mean you know nothing or does it mean you're not telling me." Aziraphale smiled and said nothing more and Crowley was sure the angel knew something, and he needed to know what that something was.
---
Ember stayed with Danny and the rest of the group long enough to make an impact on the room with their collective presence, before hitting the dance floor with reckless abandon.
"Danny," she cooed as she smiled wickedly before she left. "You're a real angel you know that, Baby Pop?" Danny narrowed his eyes at her and she laughed as she faded into the crowd.
"What was that about?" Sam asked as she watched Ember take her place on the dance floor with Cujo beside her, fending off any admirers who dared to venture too close to his mistress.
Danny shook his head. "She's happy to be out." he answered softly. "Who knows?" Sam frowned, then smiled as Jazz appeared out of the crowd. She was dressed as an angel and Danny suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He wondered briefly if Jazz had figured out his secret and was trying to taunt him with it. He stared at his sister like a deer in headlights until it hit him, that Jazz was about as subtle as a chainsaw, and if she knew anything she'd either confront him with it, or hang back and wait patiently for him to come to her, though he really doubted she would wait patiently if she knew he was dead.
"Don't worry," Aziraphale told Danny as he walked up beside him, watching as Tucker and Sam moved toward Jazz. "She doesn't know a thing."
Crowley snickered as he appeared on the other side of Danny. "I've always had an appreciation for irony," he said. "But, this is boring. Excuse me." He took off into the crowd with a gleam in his eye that sent Aziraphale's radar off.
"Crowley?" Aziraphale called anxiously. "What are you planning?" The angel excused himself from Danny as he followed Crowley into the crowd.
Danny took a deep breath and watched both angels until they were out of sight, then moved to take Sam's hand in his, she turned and smiled at him as she moved her hand from his grasp sliding it up his arm, and moving so he was holding her at the waist.
"Dance?" she asked softly as a slow melody began playing. Danny swallowed the lump which had suddenly formed in his throat as her soft purple gaze held his, he could see the hope flickering in her eyes, he could tell she was expecting him to turn her down, to continue with the distance he'd been trying to put between them. He knew holding her close as they danced to the soft romantic music would be a mistake, that he would just want to keep holding her, but he couldn't bear to hurt her.
"Yeah," he answered and the joy in her eyes was pleasure enough, it had to be, he told himself.
"You don't mind if I take Tuck with me, do you?" Jazz called as Sam began leading Danny to the dance floor. He paused for a moment then looked at Sam thoughtfully, she bit her lip and looked at Tucker, who looked back and shrugged.
"Yes I mind," Danny began as he turned toward his sister, but Jazz ignored him and pulled Tucker away with her, wearing an extremely determined look on her face. Danny sighed then looked at Sam who was smiling as she watched them walk away.
"They make a cute couple," she remarked as they resumed their walk to the dance floor. Danny frowned as he looked in the direction his sister and Tucker. Sam put her arms around his neck and he instinctively pulled her close, putting his hands on her waist and then her back as she pressed herself against him.
"Couple?" Danny asked in annoyance as he tried to ignore how good it felt to hold Sam. More than anything he wanted let go and love her and forget that he wasn't supposed to feel this overwhelming desire for her, he was almost dizzy with it. "How can they be a couple? She's two years older than he is! He's my best friend. She's my sister."
"They're both human," Sam replied as she caressed his cheek smiling when he looked toward his sister and Tucker worriedly. He returned his gaze on her and she sighed, wishing she knew how to reach him, to figure out what had changed. "Anyway, I don't think you have too much to worry about."
"Why?" Danny asked as he pulled her impossibly closer, buried his face in her hair, and took a deep breath. If there was anything he was going to miss about life, it was the smell of Sam. Tears began to prickle against his eyelids and he shut them tight, willing his eyes to reabsorb the moisture.
"Because they're not serious about each other," Sam replied. "Or at least Jazz isn't serious about, Tucker. I think he might be in..lo..um, like her a little more than she likes him."
Danny shook his head in disbelief. There was no way his sister would play with someone's heart, let alone Tucker's. She wasn't that kind of person. Was she? Jazz was sensible, smart and had her whole life planned out.
She'd changed her plans once before so she wasn't completely ridged in her plans. Instead of going out of state to college, she decided to attend Amity Park University for two years. But as far as life and love went, Danny just couldn't see her toying with someone's emotions or even really getting involved; romantic relationships seemed to revolve in a different direction than Jazz and her goals.
He'd been relieved when Jazz told him that she was going to stay and see him through graduation, and then she was going to transfer away from, as she termed it, all the ghost craziness. Now he wished she stuck to her original plan and gone away, it would have made keeping his secret a little easier, and saying good bye too, once whatever he had been sent back for was over and he was called back to heaven.
Danny looked around until he caught sight of Jazz standing near the punch bowl, eyeing each person who came near with a glare that warned them not to tamper with the punch. He smiled. That was his sister; ridged, moralistic, stuck in the mud. He sighed and smiled. He didn't need to worry about her getting involved with Tucker, who was standing beside her doing what Tucker did best, talking, incessantly. They were too different.
"Danny," Sam whispered as she pulled his attention back to her. She'd moved so she could look into his eyes and he focused his gaze on her.
"What did you say?" Danny asked absently and Sam sighed in consternation. She was silent as she returned her head to his shoulder and they swayed to the music until it changed to something more fast-paced.
Danny looked at Sam uncertainly for a moment. He didn't think he could handle her moving against him as the dance floor filled and they were forced against each other just as tightly as they had been for the slow dance. Each brush of an errant dancer against his wings, made him ache to retract them. He was uncomfortable. He needed to get off the dance floor.
Sam caught the almost frightened look on Danny's face and her heart constricted painfully in her chest. She started to say something, but Danny interrupted.
"I'm thirsty," he told her as he pulled her from the dance floor and headed toward Jazz, Tucker and the punch bowl. He was holding on to her hand for what seemed like dear life, which she found a little comforting, but still her heart was heavy and she wished they'd never attended the party.
Since Danny was guiding her through the crowd, Sam took the opportunity to look around. She spotted Ember as the wave of people surrounding the ghost parted briefly, and frowned. Then her eyes lit on Crowley who was standing against the wall as he watched people dance, his expression was hard to read as his yellow eyes glittered from the reflected lights twinkling from the ceiling.
Danny wasn't going to give her answers, but she was sure Crowley or Aziraphale could. The moment they showed up that evening, a million questions raced into her mind and set up residence on the tip of her tongue. It was hard to keep them back, but she had for Danny's sake. He had seemed so happy as the evening began, but now he was brooding and looked ill at ease and Sam felt broody and ill at ease too. She wanted answers, Danny wasn't giving them to her.
Tucker and Jazz were more interested in flirting with each other than trying to get to the bottom of whatever was going one, so Sam decided she'd have to take matters into her own hands. She was going to talk to Crowley. He seemed the more down to Earth of the pair, hopefully…she'd be able to wheedle some sort of answer from him.
"I'll be right back," Sam said as she extracted her hand from Danny's. He looked at her in surprise and she smiled at him tenderly.
"I can handle myself in a crowd," she told him, trying to keep her tone amused and light. She rose up on tip toe, kissed the corner of his mouth then moved away from him, telling him they'd meet at the punch bowl.
Danny watched her head in the direction of the bathroom then sighed and forced himself to relax. He waited until she faded into the crowd then turned and walked over to Jazz and Tucker. His thoughts sifted away from Sam and toward his friend and his sister, his intent turned to keeping apart, before someone got hurt.
"Having fun?" Jazz asked cheerfully as Danny took his place between his sister and Tucker.
"Sure," Danny said as he speared Tucker with a warning glance, which obviously went right over Tucker's head as he looked up and smiled at Jazz as he looked past Danny.
"Where's Sam?" Tucker asked as he turned his attention to Danny and smiled, ignoring the green edging around the blue of Danny's eyes.
"Bathroom," Danny answered as he watched Jazz take a long drink of punch. He frowned at her a moment and then was at a lost about what to say. He decided asking them about the nature of their relationship while they were together would be a bad idea. They would both deny anything was going on, and then Jazz would tell him to mind his own business.
"Tuck," Danny said as he turned to his friend as he was refilling his cup with punch. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," Tucker said. "What's up?" Danny gestured to Jazz with his eyes and Tucker began to look uncomfortable.
"I need Tucker to stay here," Jazz told Danny when she realized he was trying to appropriate Tucker.
"I need to talk to him about something in private," Danny told her.
"Talk to him later," Jazz said coolly. "I'm here as a chaperone and I'm bored for intelligent conversation. You owe me."
Danny gave his sister a look of disbelief. "Intelligent conversation?" he asked trying not to laugh. "With Tucker? You're kidding right." Jazz looked at him blankly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tucker asked. "Are you calling me dumb?"
"No!" Danny said quickly as he turned back to Tucker. "I'm saying that your intelligence is not like Jazz's. I don't want her to bore you."
"Are you saying that I'm boring?" Jazz asked her tone bordering on outrage.
"No," Danny replied. "I'm just saying that your interests are beyond Tucker."
"You are calling me dumb!" Tucker growled. "You know just cause I'm not a Fenton, it doesn't mean I'm dim Danny. I happen to find your sister interesting and stimulating."
"Stimulating?" Danny asked. Tucker gave him a sour look.
"Sexually or intellectually?" Danny continued. Jazz gasped in outrage and Tucker's skin darkened in a flush.
"Danny!" Jazz growled. "Where do you get off asking that kind of question?"
"I just want to make sure," Danny told her then paused as he caught sight of Ember making her way toward them.
"Make sure of what?" Jazz asked in a dangerous tone.
"Nothing," Danny said as he clammed up. Ember stopped as she reached the table and surveyed the trio.
"Danny," She started. "I'm bored. Come dance with me."
Danny looked around for Sam. "I don't think so," he told her. She walked around the table and slid her hand up his arm.
"Please Baby Pop," she begged. "After all I am here as your guest…"
"You should go," Jazz told him curtly. "Otherwise I'm going to kill you."
Danny looked at his sister and smiled slightly. He wanted to tell her that she couldn't kill him since he was already dead, but that wouldn't be a good idea, so he let Ember lead him away. He caught sight of Sam talking to Crowley and his stomach knotted. He was pretty sure he knew what they were discussing, and he wished he could go stop them, but he was trapped.
---
Crowley arched one eyebrow as Sam walked up and stood beside him. She said nothing as she leaned her back on the wall, with her arms crossed, watching the party goers in their costumes walk by.
Sam didn't look at him. She didn't bother to assess his expression or attempt to read his body language. She just stood. Crowley was amused and patient, he assumed that she expected him to talk first, but he could out wait her a million times over, so he simply settled in.
He scanned the room for action. There was a fight taking place on the edge of the crowd near the door. A Hispanic girl was screeching at the top of her lungs because someone ripped a hole in her fairy princess costume, a tall blonde haired boy was threatening a smaller, younger, weaker classmate and there was a small faction of boys hatching a dastardly plot to toilet paper the principal's car, otherwise, there was nothing going on.
Crowley sighed as he came to the conclusion that if he wanted anything to happen, he'd have to make it happen. He looked toward Jazz, Tucker and Danny standing near the punch bowl and smiled. It didn't take much effort on his part to start the ball rolling, but he was sure, that soon the party would get much more interesting.
He looked at Sam and smiled at her as she speared him with a questioning look. Crowley debated on whether to put her out of her misery and speak first or to let her continue to stew.
Sam sighed heavily. "How do you know Danny?" she asked. "Are you a ghost?"
"No," Crowley answered almost before her second question was complete. "I am not a ghost."
"How do you know Danny?" Sam questioned.
Crowley looked at her thoughtfully then gestured toward Aziraphale who had been caught half way across the room by Star, who was obviously flirting with him. Crowley chuckled and Sam frowned.
"I know Danny from Aziraphale. He and I go way back," Crowley answered.
Sam raised her eyebrows. "How does Aziraphale know Danny?"
Crowley shrugged. "I wouldn't think the how is as important as the why."
"Okay," Sam said. "Why does Danny know Aziraphale?"
Crowley adjusted his wings as he watched people drinking punch. He'd kept count on Danny's sister and friend. Jazz was on her third cup, Tucker his second and naturally Danny hadn't touched a drop.
"You should ask Aziraphale," Crowley replied which earned a sigh of exasperation from Sam. Crowley smiled as he returned his gaze to Aziraphale and the girl who was desperately trying to flirt with him. Crowley was trying hard not to laugh at the look of horror on the angel's face.
Sam followed Crowley's gaze, then smiled thoughtfully. "So you two…are you um, you know?"
Crowley returned his attention to Sam and asked her blankly, "Are we what?" The empty look he gave her sent chills down her spine.
"Together?" Sam squeaked as she began to feel intimidated. Maybe trying to grill Crowley for information wasn't such a good idea.
"Together?" Crowley repeated slowly, one corner of his mouth curled up in a crooked smile. His expression filling with something which looked like pure devilment to Sam.
"Yeah," she continued as she rallied her courage. "Together."
Crowley blinked almost sleepily "I believe that is a question which ought to be reserved for Aziraphale as well."
"Where did you come from?" Sam asked.
"England most recently," Crowley answered.
"And before that?"
Crowley shrugged. "Here and there."
"How did you meet Danny?" Sam asked quickly, he was aware she'd asked the question before. "And why are you here? He says you're here to help him. With what? Why? Do you know where he disappeared to for three days?"
Crowley studied Sam for a few moments to assess the intensity of her desire for answer. The air of fear and desperation lingering around her was tinged heavily with the pain of grief. He wondered for a moment, what price she would be willing to pay for the knowledge he held and how it would impact what he came to do.
He was under no obligation or order to keep Danny's secret a secret. He could, out of the goodness of his heart, tip Sam off to Danny's angelic persona, but then again he didn't have much goodness in his heart, despite what Aziraphale said, and if he was going to give up important information, he wanted compensation.
Sadly, he decided as he sized Sam up. There was very little the girl could offer him. He had no use for money and really he didn't want her soul, so there was nothing which she could give to properly compensate him for the trouble of dealing with the wrath of Aziraphale, and God only knew who else. Besides, Aziraphale would stop trusting Crowley with Danny and that wouldn't do.
"These are questions you ought to be posing to Danny," Crowley told her coolly. "Not me. I shouldn't have to endure this interrogation, nor should I be the one to give you answers which are not mine to give."
"He's not giving me answers," Sam growled. "So my choices are limited. I know something happened to him and…."
Crowley held up his hand then frowned as Aziraphale caught sight of Sam. The warning look in the angel's eyes told Crowley everything he needed to know. Messing with Sam was not a good idea.
"Listen, girl," he began. "Danny has been your friend for quite sometime. Either you trust him or you don't. If he says he can't tell you what happened or of the purpose of Aziraphale and myself in his life, then you should leave it at that."
"I can't…" Sam started. "You don't know Danny. He…" Sam paused as Aziraphale stood before her. He smiled at her kindly then looked at Crowley who shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "What? I didn't do anything."
Sam's attention moved from Crowley to Aziraphale and she opened her mouth to ask her questions, but Aziraphale stopped her. "Your attention would be better served if it was diverted elsewhere," he told her then pointed at Ember.
The ghost had taken a break from the dance floor and was making her way toward Danny with a wicked, seductive smile on her face. Sam's fists clenched as the ghost reached Danny then ran her hand up his arm. The open smile Danny gave Ember made Sam's stomach twist into knots. Soon Ember was leading Danny on to the dance floor. Sam excused herself from Crowley and Aziraphale as she pushed through the crowd and followed Danny and Ember.
A cold knot of pain lodged itself in Sam's heart as she watched Ember dance seductively against Danny. He looked relaxed and happy, which was the complete opposite of how he'd been in her presence lately. She sighed shakily and fought back the wave of dizziness and nausea.
"Aww, don't they make a cute couple?" she heard someone murmur and she felt like curling up and dying right there. She took several steps back then turned and left Danny and Ember to their fun.
"Hey Sham," Tucker called happily as she made her way over to stand beside he and Jazz. Sam eyed him warily and Jazz shook her head.
"Want shome punch?" Jazz asked as she offered Sam a cup.
"No thanks," Sam answered weakly then looked at Jazz in surprise as Danny's sister hiccupped.
"Excush me," Jazz giggled.
"Are you drunk?" Sam asked slowly as she picked up a cup of punch and smelled it. It seemed perfectly fine. She took a tiny sip. It tasted normal too.
"No!" Jazz said in exaggerated outrage. "How would I get drunk? I'd have to drink in order to get drunk and all I have drank is this punch. I have been vigilant in my duties and I assure you that no one hash been able to get closh enough to shpike it!"
Sam nodded her head slowly then watched Jazz quickly down another cup full of punch. She smiled then leaned against Tucker and sighed. Tucker put his arm around Jazz and she looked up at him with a half lidded gaze then lifted on her tip toes and kissed him. Sam's eyes went wide as Tucker put his arms around Jazz and pulled her close.
A look of disgust and disbelief formed on Sam's face as she watched Tucker and Jazz swap spit beside the punch bowl. She wasn't sure what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Finally she cleared her throat loudly and the two broke apart and looked at her dazedly.
"I thought you were supposed to be chaperoning this party," Sam scolded softly. It was strange to see Jazz behaving like anything but the perfect sister, student, daughter, friend. Sam considered her to be a bit rigged and stuffy, but she put up with her company for the sake of Danny, who, even though he found her a bit trying at times, adored his sister.
Jazz looked at Sam for a moment then back at Tucker. "Can you watch the punch bowl for me?" she asked not taking her eyes from Tucker.
"I don't think so," Sam started then looked at Tucker who mouthed the word "please." She sighed heavily, she owed Tucker for listening to all her angst over Danny.
"Fine," Sam agreed. "I have nothing better to do."
"Thanks!" Jazz said happily as she took Tucker by the hand and lead him away. Sam muttered under her breath then looked at the punch bowl. She filled a cup then took a large swig. It tasted perfectly normal. She wondered for a moment if either Tucker or Jazz had brought alcohol of their own, but dismissed the thought. There was no way Jazz would have done something like that.
She looked at the punch bowl askance for a moment then took another large swallow from her cup. A pleasing warmth radiated from her stomach and through her limbs, fighting off the chill that had grown the minute she saw Ember pressing herself against Danny. She closed her eyes and shivered at the thought then filled her cup from the punch bowl and took several large gulps.
---
Danny was enjoying dancing with Ember. She was a fun partner and even better he was able to relax and enjoy himself, though his fun didn't come without a certain amount of guilt.
He felt absolutely no attraction toward Ember, and was fairly certain she wasn't attracted to him, so he could enjoy the moment, just relax and have fun, which wasn't something he'd done since returning from the dead.
It was frustrating, he wished he could spend time with Sam, but the moment he got close to her, he wanted to hold her and kiss her and all sorts of hormonal and wrong thoughts raced through his mind. He couldn't relax with Sam, because the moment he did he was afraid he'd give in to his desires.
"Thanks for the dance," Ember told him sweetly as the music changed to something slow soft and romantic. She noticed his attention wavering and she sent him away, more than happy to look for another victim to dance with, and there were any number of willing victims.
Danny nodded then warned her that her time would be up at midnight. She rolled her eyes at him and told him she hadn't forgotten their deal. He left feeling happy and light hearted, but then the heart which felt so light, wasn't really there. His mood began to fall slightly as he moved from the crowd. He caught sight of Crowley and Aziraphale who seemed to be engaged in a heated debate then turned to look for Jazz, Tucker and Sam.
Sam was standing by the punch bowl alone, looking a little tired and slightly bored. He smiled softly and moved toward her. She scowled at him as he reached the table.
"Have fun with Ember?" she asked bitterly. Danny sighed. He understood why Sam was upset.
"Yeah," he answered. "Are you mad at me?"
Sam gave him a narrowed eyed glare. "Why would I be mad?" she asked. "I'm only your girlfriend, or am supposed to be! I don't know what I am any more since you hate being close to me, yet have absolutely no problem letting Ember rub herself all over you."
Danny looked down and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Sam."
"You should be sorry," she told him bluntly. "And even worse Tweedledee and Tweedledum won't tell me anything and then your sister and Tucker abandoned me to go off somewhere and make out."
"What?" Danny asked sharply as the blue in his eyes gave way to green. Sam looked at him a moment then shook her head.
"And even worse than all of that," Sam continued on a hiccupping sob. "You don't even want me anymore…" She trailed off and Danny moved to take her into his arms his sister and Tucker momentarily forgotten.
"That's not true," he told her gently as he took her by the shoulders. It was then that he caught the scent of alcohol on her breath. He blinked at her in surprise and she pushed away from him. He looked at the punch bowl, then the half empty cup in Sam's hand. He brought it to his lips then moved away as the smell of alcohol overwhelmed him. Whatever was in the punch was potent stuff.
"You know," she said slowly, her words slurring ever so slightly. "I never thought our relationship would come down to this. I thought it was stronger. I thought we were stronger, and I never thought you'd be the one avoiding it, or I would be the one pushing the issue. But that's all there is between us lately, that and your damn secret whatever the hell it is."
Danny shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
"Sex!" Sam practically yelled and Danny felt a blush stinging his cheeks.
"Sam!" Danny whispered as he looked around in embarrassment. Luckily, no one seemed to be listening.
"It's true," Sam began angrily. "We're stuck! And if this is what we're going to be stuck on, maybe we're better off…not together."
Danny took Sam by the arm. "This isn't the right place for this discussion," he told her gently.
"No place is the right place for this discussion!" Sam told him. "Especially since you keep avoiding me! We were supposed to have fun tonight, but no…"
Danny managed to herd Sam into an empty hallway then frowned as he looked around. He wondered where Jazz and Tuck had disappeared to. He looked at Sam a moment then sighed.
"Let's find Tucker and Jazz first," he told her gently. "Then we'll talk."
"No," Sam said stubbornly. Danny grimaced as she pushed away from him and turned to run down the hall. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"You're drunk and you're not thinking straight," Danny told her gently.
"I am not drunk!" Sam growled in outrage. "I'm hurt! I'm hurt and angry and…and you're breaking me into pieces, Danny…and I…"
Danny didn't know what do or say, so instead of using words, he used action as he pulled her against him and kissed her forcefully. She relaxed against him almost instantly, melting against him as he plundered her mouth.
Sam gasped as Danny pressed her against the wall and slid one hand up her side to cup one of her breasts through the thin fabric of her witch's robes. Her gasp changed to a moan against his lips and a lazy electric warmth coursed through her.
She slid her hands beneath his shirt and smoothed them up his back until her fingers found the feathery down of his wings. "Danny," she whispered as she broke the kiss. He trailed his lips along her jaw and she waited a moment before continuing. "Can you take off your wings?" Her fingers roved across his body, looking for the straps. Danny grabbed her hands and moved away from her, feeling as though he'd been doused with a bucket of icy water. Sam blinked at him in confusion and he ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her quickly so she wouldn't realize anything was wrong or feel he was pushing her away.
"Let's find Jazz and Tuck," he told her gently and slowly. "We can finish this conversation later."
Sam took a deep breath then leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Do you promise?" she asked.
"I promise," Danny told her, hoping that she'd forget.