So school starts tomorrow and I wanted to give you guys one last chapter before my time is completely taken up by homework. Yay…. -.-' I also apologize for this chapter will be rather short as it really is just a set up for the upcoming chapter. Sorry.
On another note, this story is coming to a close rather quickly. After this chapter, I will only have one other and an epilogue. I am working on something else though. However, I won't upload it until I actually finish the story. That way I can just upload the chapters without you guys having to wait months for me to feel like writing. So, yeah. I guess that's a good thing, right?
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. Does that really need saying anymore?
Summers don't last forever. The earth continues its orbit around the sun and the temperatures slowly cool. The leaves will eventually turn and the bell to school will sound its shrill. No, summers don't last forever meaning the adventure will slowly come to an end.
Sam and Danny were sitting by the waterfall just chatting. Around two weeks had passed since their promise never to touch and it showed by the distance between the two as they sat by the shore. They had done their exploring for that day and Sam was recounting some stories from her school days with Tucker. Danny was listening intently with intrigued eyes. He had never been to school or really had any friends before Sam so it was interesting to hear her talk about them.
Once Sam finished her story of a bird maiming Tucker's fingers as he tried to retrieve a PDA from its nest, the two shared a small laugh and fell into a comfortable silence. Both teens were lost in their thoughts as they stared at the water rushing by them. They knew summer was coming to a close. They knew it was bound to happen. They knew what would happen afterwards.
"I don't want to go back," Sam admitted quietly after a couple minutes of the silence. Danny looked up at the sky leaning back on his hands.
"I don't want you to leave."
His statement was honest and it floated in the air a couple moment before the words' meaning sunk into her mind. She offered a sad smile to Danny and he did the same back. The two had become close in the time that they had spent together and for it all just to come to an end like this left a weird feeling in the both of them.
"However," Danny's voice sounded and he turned his gaze back to the sky, "You have a life back there. You have plans and friends. I'm not going to be the one to hold you back from all those things."
The spirit had been thinking on the topic for some time now. He knew that Sam couldn't stay with him forever and he had finally come to accept that. It hurt a lot more than it should to think that she wouldn't come and see him and probably move on but he would deal with the pain. It would be better for her to do so anyways.
Sam stared at him for a moment. From the months that they had spent together, she would say that she had learned to read Danny pretty well. However, she hadn't actually thought that he would ever say such a thing and part of it stung.
"We have one week left. Seven days," she said softly looking over to him. He looked back at her. The sun reflected off of his snow colored hair as his lips turned upwards into a soft smile.
"Then let's make those seven days count."
_(-)_
And make them count they did.
Danny and Sam explored so much more of the forest in so little time that it was actually starting to annoy some of the spirits who resided in the wood. However, the spirits didn't dare do anything about it as it was nice to see that Danny had a friend for once. He had become a sort child to everyone there.
The pair often was found talking a lot more by the waterfall and Sam arrived early and stayed late. They watched the stars together and Danny shared tales of the different constellations that Clockwork had told him long ago. Sam, in return, shared the stories of the same constellations but the human version of the tale.
It was during one of these times that Sam found out something interesting about her emerald eyed friend.
"I've always wondered what it was like up there…" Danny said once knight, head resting on folded arms as he looked to the starry sky.
"Danny, you can fly. You know what it's like in the sky a lot more than most others," Sam retorted with a small huff. He shook his head.
"No, not in the sky. I want to know what it's like beyond that. Up in space amongst the stars and all. What's up there and what's beyond that? There's so much stuff that could be found and discovered!" he said tone growing slightly excited as he spoke of the possibilities of the beyond. Sam couldn't help a smile.
"You would make a good astronaut. They go up into space all the time trying to find answers."
Danny went silent thinking about the idea. He spoke slowly. "If I was human, I want to be an astronaut."
_(-)_
The week passed quickly and they found themselves heading towards the gate, a heavy atmosphere filling the air.
"This is it…" Sam spoke sadly. Danny nodded.
"Yeah."
"It's been fun."
He hummed an agreement.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
He nodded.
"Early morning."
Another nod.
Sam looked over to him with creased eyebrows. She could understand why he was so glum but he was never really this silent sad or not.
"Danny, you've been extremely quite all day. Normally, I wouldn't mind the silence but I do like talking to you."
He fiddled with the hilt of his blade in an almost nervous fashion before asking, "Do you… think you can sneak out later tonight?
"What? Why?" Sam asked a little confused at the request. He averted his gaze still playing with the blade. She rose an eyebrow. He wasn't normally this fidgety.
"The spirits are throwing a festival later on tonight… It's a traditional thing. One night only. And I was wondering if you could possibly want to maybe um go with me?" Danny's voice managed to raise an octave or two on those final two words.
Sam went completely silent a look of shock forming on her face. He was asking her to the festival? The statement managed to turn her cheeks the slightest shade of pink. She mentally cursed the blush. Danny took the silence the wrong way.
"I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to I just thought that since you have to leave tomorrow and all that we could maybe-"
"Danny," she said cutting off his rambling. He looked up to her an embarrassed blush forming on his cheeks.
"Yeah?" he asked rubbing the back of his neck.
"I would love to go."
