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 Three

The Goddess of imaginary light.

No sooner had he turned ghost, Danny lunged out the window and took off full speed towards Sam's. Flying had always been fun for him. It was a kind of freedom that few could dream of. But now none of that crossed his mind. He mentally urged himself to go faster. He dropped lower when he got to her street and didn't slow himself down till right before he entered the house.

He dropped to his feet as Danny Fenton once again. He glanced around her room, so familiar but at the same time the warmth that had always been here was gone. It made a shiver crawl down his spine. "Sam," he called softly into the dark room. He walked over and opened the door he poked his head out and looked both ways down the hall. He called for her again. He walked down the hall to the right and walked around to the stairs.

He slowly crept down them and he noticed light coming from a room behind the stairs. He didn't call out again, he really didn't need too. He walked down the stairs silently. It was a skill he had acquired from sneaking in and out of the lab. The key was to put his foot down flat and stay as close to the wall as he could. He heard a crackling sort of noise.

He turned at the bottom of the stairs his right hand on the balustrade using it to pull his weight around. He continued towards the kitchen. He crept silently towards the girl that his every thought was. He put first one foot into the light then the other and stood there in the doorway of the Manson's kitchen.

Sam was standing next to the stove. It was stainless steel and somehow the twisted reflection shone back at him. He watched her carefully right now she seemed to be fine. She walked over to the sink, still with her back to him. She opened the cherry wood drawer below the sink.

Sam's whole house had always made him uncomfortable. It was a reminder of the fact that he was and never would be in her league. No matter how many times she assured him that she still wanted him as a friend, he always felt, very literally, second-class compared to her.

Sam pulled off a paper towel and dangled the bottom against her right wrist with her left hand. Danny wondered what in the world she was doing. She drifted back over to the stove and this time Danny noticed that the burner glowed an angry neon red.

Sam touched the edge of paper towel to it and watched the flames dance along the sides of the paper. At the moment it seemed that she was okay. This was just some sort of stress reliever. As long as she wasn't hurting herself, he could live with that. The flames were coming close to licking at her fingers now and she dropped the remains of the scrap onto the stove.

The smell of something burning reached him at about the same time she lifted her wrist and held it out over the burner. It hit him what she was planning at the same time that she started to bring her arm down. "No!" Sam jerked her head around to see him and she froze.

Danny however didn't. He lunged at her and it seems to break the spell she was under. Sam slammed her wrist down the same instant Danny grabbed her elbows. She managed to bang her wrist down on the door handle to the stove. She whimpered as Danny wrapped his arms tight around her, pinning her arms to her side. She jerked toward the stove again.

"No, stop it," he snapped. "I'm not going to let you do it, stop trying." She jammed her foot down on his insole. Danny loosened his grip for a split second and she managed to jab her elbow into his ribs. She took advantage of his momentary lapse and pushed away from him as hard as she could.

She managed to lunge forward but he grabbed the back of her shirt. She still managed to catch the heel of her hand and she shrieked falling down. She grasped the wound then stuck it in her mouth for a split second out of gut reaction. Danny instantly pulled her to her feet and virtually dragged her over to the sink.

She was sobbing uncontrollable and trying to talk at the same time. He held her hand in his, bending her hand back so the ice cold water hit it directly. She shied away, pushing herself against Danny. Her words became more coherent. "It hurt. It's never hurt before. Its never just not worked. Why did it not work, Danny?"

He turned her around and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. We'll figure it out. It's all gonna be alright. I won't let anything happen." She put his head on his shoulder and just cried. Danny just sort of walked her up to her room, she leaning on him as if she lacked the strength to make it on her own.

He laid her down on her bed. Her eyes closed and he watched her for a moment and he turned to leave. Her fingers loosely coiled around the edge of his arm, still not touching anything with her palm. "Don't leave me."

He turned and saw her eyes darkened with a sort of fear. He glanced at the clock. 10:48, still morning. "Of course," he smiled down at her. "As long as you need me."

Her eyes drifted close, the edge of her lip curled up. "I don't think you can promise me that long, but I'll take whatever you can give me."

Hehe, I think Sam's getting to like Danny, even if she does have issues. I hope you all appreciate this. It's the latest I've been up in a LONG time. But I wanted to give you another chapter. I had lots of new reviewers, kind of scared; I haven't heard from style or ID in a while and Samster and Spice of Life didn't review this time…Maybe there out searching for me and they really are planning on stalking me…scary thought. But hurray for those who did review. You are my favoritest of favorite people: Kagome51, Dragon Blade5, The Good Girl, Ryo's destiny, KittenGoMoo, Piezo, Moody Maud, Possesed Angel, autumngold, Shadow Sakura, Trevor the Enchanter, RavenForever, CoLdPLaYeR813, and Samster the Hamster from last chapter. Thanks to you all.