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. I do not own Imaginary, Evanescence does.

Chapter Seventeen

And candy clouds of lullaby.

Danny untied the tie for a third time his hands shaking so badly that he couldn't do this. He was about to go to a hearing that even his own lawyer thought they were going to lose. Why did he keep thinking this wasn't fair? Of course, it wasn't fair. But then again no one had ever told him that it was going to be. And if anybody who knew it wasn't perfect, it was him.

There was a soft knock on the door. "It's open," Danny called. Sam poked her head in the door.

"Hey," she said softly but her voice still shook and her hands were trembling. She stepped into the door and he looked at her for the first time. She was wearing an old dress shirt and skirt of Jazz's but they seemed to fit okay. Here hair was done up in two french braids that fell right behind her ears. "Your hair looks cute like that," he said trying to find a neutral subject.

She unconciously pulled nervously at the end of one of the braids. "Your mom did it," she said nervously.

Danny gave her a strange look before beginning to try and do his tie again. "Didn't know my mom could even do hair."

"She said she used to do Jazz's hair like this a lot before she went into second grade." It went silent in the room. Sam stared at her feet for a minute and Danny noticed she had some black dress sandals on that were Jazz's so they were a size or two too big. "How are you doing?" She asked softly.

Danny successfully managed to tie the necktie so it looked decent and turned from the mirror. He watched her drop lightly onto his bed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I'm just a little nervous," she murmered. She gave a sardonic laugh, "It's not as if I'm about to have my entire future decided by a complete stranger."

"Just a little nervous?" he asked. "I don't mean to sound rude but, Sam, you look petrified."

She twirled the bottom of her right braid around her finger. "I guess that works too." She was silent for a moment. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you and Tucker."

"You won't have to leave, Sam. I promise." He took her trembling hands in his. He ran a thumb over her knuckles. "I won't lose you like this." He stared at her face while she refused look away from their joined hands.

"You don't have any choice in the matter," Danny started to object but Sam continued. "Danny, if they tell me to go, I have to go. Plus everybody in civic government knows how much of the local economy my dad's factory is responsible for. No ones going to stand up to him, especially not to get his pregnant, disowned daughter a chance at living with her best friend."

He shook his head. "Stop being so pessimistic."

"This isn't pessimism," Sam jumped in. "This is reality! I don't want to go. I don't know what I'll do without having you around. I mean I'll miss Tucker. Heck, I'll probably even miss Jazz. But you know that we haven't gone for more than a month and a half without seeing each other? Ever. Since kindergarten."

Danny nodded. "And even then we were emailing all the time."

"Exactly. Danny, I don't know if I can do this by myself."

He sighed. "If anybody can, it's you. Sam, your one of the bravest people I know."

Sam rolled back her sleeve. "Brave people don't do this Danny," she said holding out her left wrist and her right hand. The scars from the pencil knife and stove burner showed dark against her pale skin. "This is the easy way out, Danny. And I've already tried to choose it."

He sat there staring with darkened eyes at her wrist. "And you stopped me," she continued, her voice thick. "Next time your not going to be there. There will be nothing to stop me from killing myself and the baby." Her eyes looked emptier with every word she said. As always Danny's mind snapped back to the playground.

"Don't think that way, Sam." He tried to force himself not to notice the desperation in his voice. Sam lifted her head violet eyes boring into his blue ones. She sat there staring at him hollow-eyed.

"I'll have nothing left," she breathed.

Danny shook his head. "Even if they take you away, you'll still be my best friend. I don't care what I have to do to keep it that way."

They stared at each other for a moment, neither one sure what to say. "Danny! Sam!" the voice shattered the silence.

Danny supressed a sigh. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Time to go!" The voice drifted up through the floor to them.

"This is it," Sam breathed. Danny stood and slipped his hand into hers and she squeezed it. The now familiar gesture made Danny feel better and he smiled weakly over at her.

"Are you ready for this," he asked softly.

She shook her head the little tips of her braids swaying slightly. "I don't think I'll ever be ready for this." Danny pulled her up and held her for a moment.

A soft voice came from the doorway. "Kids, we need to go meet Bryce," Maddie said gently. Sam pulled back from Danny and nodded slightly, as if she didn't trust her voice. She took a few steps towards the door, still clinging to Danny's hand as he trailed behind her.

Maddie started down the steps but Sam paused. She held the railing but didn't take the step. Danny looked down at her hand on the railing. She was holding on so tight that her knuckles were white. "No matter what happens, Danny. I'm never going to forget everything you have done for me," she whispered for only Danny to hear.

Hearing her say that bothered him. Almost as if there was some ominous meaning behind them, something bigger than today or the hearing. "Why does that scare me," he asked just as quietly.

Sam slipped her hand out of his and started down the stairs. "Maybe it needs too."

You are all officially invited to the hearing of Joseph Manson vs. The Fenton Family. Also known as Chapter Eighteen, which is also known as 'the last Chapter'. Well, hold your tears we have the epilogue too! Anyway for some reason my account is screwy and it said I only got five reviews and I kept asking myself "What happened?! I killed all my reviewers or something!" I was amazed at how many I really got! You guys are awesome. At this rate we'll definitely hit four hundred! Thanks to you all: Lady-Ashanya, Weeble Wobble Chic, Moody Maud, Annie, q.t a.k.a spice, Kagome51, Possesed Angel, AngelicxDeath, Spice Of Life, Mrs. Granger-Weasley, Samster The Hamster x2, The Good Girl, Chibi Fluffy Muffin, The Fuzy Llama, audi katia, IceSugarHigh, Storm Sword, Ryo's destiny, autumngold, RavenForever, adsfasdf, Wind Cat, Coldplayer813, Shadow Sakura, Sakura Scout, RainbowSerenity, and Fox of Light. You guys rule.

P.S. – I want to thank everyone who's reviewed He's My Son. That one meant a whole lot to me and I can't thank you guys enough for reviewing!