My Immortal

Summary: Danny's life becomes impossible knowing he's ruined someone else's life. Its even worse knowing it's his best friend.

Rating: PG-13 for mature themes and language.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Butch Hartman does. I do not own My Immortal, Evanescence does.

Chapter Six

These wounds won't seem to heal.

Danny ran his finger over the edge of the envelope. Of all the days, Vlad certainly knew how to pick the bad ones. Just another reminder that the older man was always watching. The gold seal that was pressed over the tip of the envelope flap glinted in the five o'clock light that managed to creep through the south windows of his room. Danny stared at it intently. Vladimir Masters. It was just a name that sounded like an elderly evil genius.

Danny tossed it to his side and drew his knee up. Letting his eyes drift shut he tried to ignore the past twenty-four hours. Sam and him had walked home together today by themselves and not a word had been said. She wouldn't even look at him. He should have kept his mouth shut last time. She wasn't ready to acknowledge everything that had happened. He knew that; he had known that going into this. So why had he brought it up?

He felt so stupid. He had alienated his best friend, killed in cold blood, and made a promise with a man who might as well have been the devil himself. He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. Since when had life gotten this trying? The past year and a half had been more than anyone else could have dealt with. Danny reached up and undid the watch tossing it to the bed lightly. He stared at the light brown scab across the width of his arm. The edges were starting to come lose, it was healing. Danny wasn't sure how he felt about that. Cutting himself had been stupid, but he did need it. He felt better knowing that the experience had left scaring. It was almost comforting, knowing it would be that much harder to forget and move on from.

He stared for a moment before dropping his hand next to the envelope again. He closed his eyes, to tired to deal with either issue at the moment. He let his mind wander back through the day. He should at least try to remember if he had homework in World Civics. That class was mandatory, he had to pass it to graduate. The were talking about federal banks. At least that was the last thing he remembered talking about. He remembered writing the date at the top of his notes for today and writing Happy Birthday in dark script next to it. If this wasn't how someone spent their sixteenth he didn't know what was.

Sam knocked lightly on the door and shifted her weight. "Danny," she called again. He didn't answer. Sam twisted the handle and cracked it enough to look in and see the computer. She expected him to be working on homework like he'd told Jazz in as few words as possible but he wasn't sitting there. His books were but he was no where to be seen. She pushed the door open listening to the old hinges squeak. "Danny?"

The room was dim with only the last few rays of sunlight creeping through. She bit her lip before slipping in. She pushed the door shut behind her. She stepped lightly over to the bed and studied Danny. His face was still pale and he seemed much thinner than she remembered. But the thing she noticed the most was the whole positive aura Danny had always possessed about him was gone. That was probably the aspect she had missed most. It's because you hate him.

"I don't hate him," Sam breathed. She stared down at him. Something had to change if this kept up he was going to kill himself. And no matter what he'd done, he didn't deserve that. Danny had been the one that had taught her that. She stared guiltily at her own wrist. Danny had put his own life and feelings on hold for her. She could at least try and do the same for him. She brought her eyes up slowly and noticed the envelope.

Sam gingerly picked up the envelope turning it over. It was addressed to Danny. The envelope felt thick almost formal. Sam turned it over and instantly knew why. Her mind froze. Vlad and the favor; she had completely forgotten. She glanced quickly to Danny again. She still had no idea what had happened when he had gone back the next weekend, followed by his disappearance. She turned it over. There was Vlad's personal seal on the opening. Sam cursed mentally. There was no way she could open it and not have him know. But now she knew about it and she wasn't going to leave him to deal with this alone.

Even if she wasn't happy with him, he had been her best friend for almost her whole life. That wasn't exactly something you could just disregard. Sam dropped the letter lightly to his side. Her eyes traveled the watch that he had suddenly started wearing. The few times in his life Danny had been required to wear a watch, he did nothing but complain. There had to be some reason he had suddenly started wearing it. She reached her hand out towards it.

"Sam?" She jumped at the sound of her voice. Startled violet eyes met sleepy blue ones. "Come back to hit me again?" He looked so apprehensive as he said it that Sam couldn't pretend not to see it.

Sam tried to ignore the resentment in his voice. "Okay," she started wearily. "I deserved that. I came to get you up. Your family wants to do cake and gifts now."

"Oh yeah," he mumbled. His eyes drifted shut and he grimaced as he sat up. "Happy birthday to me," he chortled condescendingly.

Sam glared for a moment. "Maybe if you were more pleasant about it, it would be happy."

"I'm glad that I'm getting advice this time around."

Sam hand instantly went to her hip. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Suddenly the fight seemed to go out of him, as if he had suddenly realized what he was doing. "Nothing. Let's go. And you can pretend to like me for my family."

"I don't pretend to like you." She watched as Danny got up on the opposite side of the bed she was standing on. He stared out the now darkened window on his wall.

Danny reached over and turned on the light by his bed and straightened slowly. "Either your acting in front of them or you do a really great job of pretending to hate me when your in a room with just me." He turned as he said this, scooping up the watch.

Sam stood there in shook for a moment. She couldn't believe this. "Maybe if you would at least attempt to be civil."

"In front of people you mean." Danny glanced up from working with the clasp on his watch. "Even you don't attempt to be civil when it's just me."

Sam tore her eyes away from the watch, her thoughts again turning to why he was wearing it. "Maybe if you would give me a reason to be—"

"Maybe if you weren't always on the defensive around me."

"Ever think there's a reason for that," she bit out tauntingly. As soon as the words were out there she wished she could reach out into the air and pull them back. Danny's face melted into an empty mask. "Danny, I—" She let her voice trail of, hanging in the now charged air between them.

He shook his head. "Don't. We'll end up saying something stupid and ruining dinner for everybody else." He picked up the envelope and tossed it into his nightstand drawer on top of his map of the ghost zone and a few letters from last year in study hall that he had kept. Sam's gaze lingered on the drawer even after he shut it. "Oh and Sam." She brought her gaze up and let it fasten upon his. "My mom's really big on birthdays."

Sam tucked her hair behind her ear, flipping it over her shoulder. "I know I've been there for the past ten."

"Just try to be my friend just for tonight?" Sky-blue met amethyst and Sam found herself unable to look away. There was something deeper there she couldn't recognize; something almost frightening. She tore her gaze from his and fixed it on where his bedspread touched the floor. She just nodded. "Thanks, Sam. That's all I'm asking."

With that he turned and started from the room. With one backward glance at the drawer, Sam followed mutely behind.

Hey, I'm sorry it took so long and if you need to know why, see below. I will try to write more often but I can't make any promises. Huge thanks to: lonesome K, Zeon of the Twilight Blade x4, antonia, cheerin4danny x 2, gothmiko, Aimee x4, Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet, antonia, August x4, Osparrow, konijnemans, Airie, The Fuzy Llama, purrbaby101, Terrasina Dragonwagon, Fox of Light, Mrs. Granger-Weasley, autumngold, audi katia, Dannys-Ghostly-Girl, Moody Maud, AngelofLight, Cat o'thWind, Kitty00240 x2, Lazytologin, Hwoarangsgaurdie, Cooperstar and Blink, Ryo's Destiny, Spice of Life, BunnyGirl x2, Yayfulness x2, getfuzzyfan04, Draka Firestorm, WormmonABC, Sakura Scout, Wind91Rider, and MayB.

I'm going to try to be really nice here cause I know I'm only talking to about three people who are ruining it for the rest of the people. I am currently attending high school full-time, college part-time, and night classes at a junior college. I am working two jobs, golf course receptionist and children's library clerk. In short, I'm one of the busiest seventeen-year-olds you'll ever meet. I'm not trying to be mean, but it makes me feel horrible when I check my email and see reviews telling me "Where are you? What happened to constant updates?" I appreciate the people who asked how I was doing, you guys were great. I realize that I have an obligation to you guys. Believe me, I started this I am going to finish it. But I also have an obligation to my teachers, employers, and myself. I'm trying as hard as I can to please everybody and I have cut back hours on both my jobs so hopefully I will be able to write more often. All I'm asking of you guys is that you be patient with me. I promise I will update so you can stop worrying about that. I'm not trying to sound mean, I mean I was so upset that reviewers were mad at me I broke down and cried in front of my friends the other night. I am trying my hardest, so please just give me a little patience?