I'm so glad to be finally putting this up!
I cannot thank my readers enough, especially those who have reviewed! You have no idea how happy you make me, sometimes I'm reading reviews and I get this close to tearing up I'm serious. It's more then just getting praise believe me, some of the people who write me reviews they put so much thought into what they tell me I feel like they really care. Then others will get really excited and it's amazing how they can translate their feelings into so few words so well that I get excited because I can tell how excited they were and it just turns into this big circle of happy excited-ness. They are such wonderful motivators, they just make me want grab a good ink pen and start writing. The more really positive reviews and things I get the more I want to put things out there for people to read. And thanks to those who answered my plea for help in trying to name this. I ended up keeping Saving Myself, I spent a good time mulling over the advice I got but in the end didn't have the patience to think of names any more, I reeeeeeeeeeeally wanted to post already.
Alright before I get started I just wanted to tell you all how much I discovered I loved writing in the process of this story. I'm not saying I find this to be a masterpiece or that it's even that great in comparison to others but just I know now how awesome the act of writing is. And if there is anyone out there who hasn't written their own fic by now I'm telling you to give it a try, it's such a cool thing to discover. I know because that's how I was before; I always read but didn't write. I sure am happy I started. But for future stories I write they will probably be a bit father and in between because I'm so busy and don't have as much time to put aside for day dreams (which is totally how I come up with my plots). But if I'm ever in class flouting somewhere between conciseness and sleep and an idea suddenly comes and strikes me you can be sure I'll write it down.
One more note to the new readers, this is a sequel but all the same is stands on its own. I only mention the first story once, twice, briefly but if you want to know what came first go ahead and click on my profile and look for it. The prequel to this story is called Home Alone Days.
So and now, on with the show…
Oh yeah, almost forgot; I don't own Danny Phantom. (Why do we put up disclaimers, isn't pretty obvious that no one on this site is the owner of anything we write about? If we were it would be mass produced and on book store shelves all around the nation, and I'd be rich.)
Saving Myself
Amity Park was asleep.
Night had long since sauntered in and the stars were sprawled out in glittering masses through out the dark blue back ocean of a sky. The stars shimmered like golden schools of fish flitting around forming constellations millennia's old. Crickets chirping and the occasional rustle of wind through the leaves was all that could be heard on that fair weathered night.
The pleasant serenity was broken as a bus rolled down the street coming to a noisy halt under a street lamp. It emitted a loud hiss as the pressurized doors swung open. Sam and Danny lumbered down the steps laughing, and stepped into the circle of yellow light.
The buss driver quickly closed the doors behind them glad to be rid of the two hooligans making all the ruckus in the back seat. When they weren't hanging all over each other they were being loud and waking the people who were trying to catch a wink on the ride from their late night job to home. He made sure to snap the doors shut just a moment too soon as to clip the boy as he jumped off the last step.
This whole incident sent Sam and Danny into new waves of laughter and Danny had to lean up against the lamp post to steady himself. Sam stepped forward and put her forehead to his shoulder giggling uncontrollably. He wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head back till it touched the post, insanely happy. Still smiling Danny kissed the top of Sam's head, then her temple and when she looked up grinning as wide as he was; her lips. Her face seemed to glow and he couldn't resist, he leaned in and kissed her a second time.
When they parted Danny took a hold of her hand and they started walking towards the Manson house or mansion might be more appropriate. They had been going out for a little more than three months now. Danny often in his mind revisited that rainy day at his house when they were finally able to admit that there was something there between them that they couldn't be ignored. They walked in a comfortable silence taking in the warm night. It was one of those moments when everything in seems like it's fallen perfectly into place; after all, love makes the world beautiful.
They reached Sam's house and bounded up the steps two at a time. Danny put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder as she rummaged through her bag for some unknown object.
"Where's my key?" Sam asked herself quietly, not particularly directing her speech at anyone.
"Um-hm." He answered not really listening. "Your hair smells nice."
"We're locked out and that's all you have to say?" She said trying to feign annoyance but couldn't suppress her smile. "It's all right I guess, there's a spare key under the mat." She told him as she went to bend down but couldn't because Danny was still holding on. "You're going to have to let go so I can get the key." She told him.
"Do I have to?"
"If you want to get inside the house." He seemed to contemplate this for a moment.
"Let's stay here."
"Danny!"
"Okay, fine." He said releasing her so she could bend down and lift the mat.
"That's funny…" said Sam her voice trailing off.
"What is it?"
"The key isn't here looks like we really are locked out."
"No we're not," he said helping her up. "Being part ghost means never having to use doors." Danny stood with his back to the door and took both of Sam's hands in his own, holding them at his sides he began to go intangible. He slowly walked backwards though the bolted door guiding her along. When they were once again solid it was Sam with her back to the door.
"That little trick of yours is a life saver." She said smiling up at him.
"You have no idea." He replied with a contagious chuckle, but silence came as he brought his lips to hers again. Five minutes or five hours passed, Sam wasn't sure; she always became so lost within herself when he kissed her. They just stood there grinning like idiots at each other when Sam said.
"I want tea."
"What, I kiss you and that's all you have to say?" Danny asked trying to act offended but failing horribly as his smile was just as big as ever. Sam always said he had something of a Super Man Complex that made him feel compelled to help anyone and everyone in need. He could save the world and keep a somewhat balanced life of hero and normal kid but there was one thing for sure that neither Danny Phantom nor Danny Fenton could do and that was hide his emotions.
"Was that an attempt at irony?" she asked.
"No…?"
"Come on." She said laughing, taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen. She stole a glance back at Danny as they walked. It was weird to think of him as her boyfriend because she felt like he was so much more than that. The term seemed almost superficial compared to what they had. He was her best friend and she loved him more than she thought it possible to love another person, as corny as it sounded.
Sam flicked on the light switch and squinted as the fluorescent lights came to life. She picked up the tea kettle from the counter and took it over to the sink, turning on the stove as she passed. Danny sat on one of the stools at the island, moving the chopping bored aside so he could rest his elbows on the reflective granite surface.
"Pass me the tea." Sam said motioning to the box sitting close to Danny on the island.
"Catch." He said tossing her the carton which she did indeed catch.
"Remember when we were little and we used to play hide and seek here?" he asked looking back out into the hall.
"Yeah," she smiled, studying his profile, "even I could get lost here back then."
With a mischievous smile Danny said. "One more time, just for old time's sake?"
"What?" she asked.
"Hide and seek Sam, come on it'll be fun."
"Hide and seek?"
"Yeah."
"Now?" Was he serious?
"Yeah." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"If you want." She said with a bemused look on her face.
"Not it!" Danny yelled hopping off the stool and running from the room but not before flashing her a heart melting smile. Sam chuckled to herself and started the hundred count in her head. 1…2…3, that was Danny for you. She loved him even at his most random moments which this could defiantly be classified under, 23…24, he had better not cheat though, 48…49…50…51, watch his just go invisible and wait for me to give up, she thought, 61 skip a few, alright make that a whole bunch; 100.
"Ready or not here I come!" She yelled out to the dark house. Sam made her way slowly to avoid bumping into anything. The full moon streamed in through the windows throwing silver light onto everything around her. All the shadows were in deep contrast, it was a beautiful night. She couldn't resist walking to the window and pausing her search for a couple minutes to idly watch the sky. The stars seemed to shimmer rather then emit a steady glow and Sam felt oddly connected to them, like things like fate and destiny could exist. Usually she was completely against the idea; not being in control of her life was a bit of a frightening thought to her. But right now it didn't seem so bad if it were true, the night sky was such a picture of serine beauty that she wouldn't mind handing over the reigns to the stars. Something that pure and beautiful could only have her best interests at heart.
Sam crept through the many rooms in her house, a good number of them dedicated to nothing in particular; even the marvelously rich couldn't find a way to fill them all. She had finished a sweep of the whole upper story and still unable to find Danny which meant, if he wasn't cheating, she had missed him somewhere downstairs.
She walked slowly down the large and grandiose staircase putting both feet on each step before descending to the next as a child might. She hoped Danny wouldn't jump out at her when she finally found him.
The first thing she noticed upon reaching the floor was that the front door placed on the opposite end of the foyer was slightly ajar. An unwelcome feeling washed over her but human reason soon pushed it aside, yet she didn't think Danny would have gone outside. She started off to the door at even a slower pace then she took the stairs but within three steps the apprehension got the best of her and she quickened to a swift trot, shutting and locking the door as soundly as she could as soon as she reached it.
She couldn't fight the strange feeling rising inside her and she rapidly turned and put her back to the door so she wouldn't have to feel like someone was sneaking up behind her. But this didn't offer her the same comfort that it did when Danny's body was softly pressing her against it no more then forty five minutes before.
Sam stayed there not wanting to move. The sound of her breath was loud and foreign in the darkness and she was trying to quiet it when an anguished scream rang out and reverberated through her body.
The sound of the tea kettle whistling seemed to have scared someone else as well. A crash followed the abrupt end of the whistle and water slapping the tile could be heard. He had given himself away; Sam knew exactly where he was now. She chided herself for not thinking about it before; Danny was hiding in the last place she would look, the room she had started in.
Sam walked to the kitchen and was caught, frozen in the threshold. Fear gripped her when she saw looming figure's back bathed in shadow, shoving the silver into a bag with the tea kettle at his feet. The smallest noise of surprise and terror escaped her but it was enough to make the man turn around. His eyes were large and white looking almost as terrified as she felt. Things slowed down for Sam and she could do nothing as she watched him fumble, frantically, in his coat pocket. She was aware of nothing; she registered no feelings, even when the gun he produced caught the light of the moon and glinted maliciously.
A million years later the barrel was level with her chest and the intruder squeezed the trigger painfully slow and Sam remembered. She remembered sitting alone in her empty house as a little girl, she remembered hanging out with her friends on weekends…she watched the bullet coming spinning towards her…she remembered sitting in class drawing in her notebook, she remembered kissing Danny for the first time.
The bullet ripped through her but Sam felt nothing, only numbness; and then she was gone.
It was dark and arms were around her. Danny held her tightly to him; her head was on his chest, tucked under his chin and he held his hand over the ear that wasn't pressed to him so she wouldn't have to hear the thrashing noises that were coming from downstairs. Sam could feel his breath, quick and irregular as his chest rose and fell; she could also hear his heart beating at an impossible rate.
"Danny." She said in a tiny whisper, her mind was still not working. Sam looked up at him blank and full of questions her voice wouldn't move to ask, all she could say was, "Danny." He tried to give her a smile, brushing her hair out of her face.
The look in his green eyes was undecipherable, there were too many emotions at once. It was about then Sam started taking in their surroundings. They were in what she recognized as one of the second story rooms in her house. Danny sat leaned up against a wall holding her protectively; he was in his ghost form.
Confusion started to roll in, a thick fog surrounding her mind. She stared at him feeling lost and he looked like he wanted to say something, he even opened his mouth to speak but abruptly closed it apparently at a loss for words as was she. There was another crash downstairs; large things were obviously being moved in a hurry. They looked at each other and there was a mutual agreement.
Soon they were flying over the city and landed under a tree in the large park that served as the center of town. When they touched down on the silvery grass, Danny changed back. His hair was once again dark and his eyes blue but they still wore the same expression of concern. He led her to a bench and they sat down. He held Sam close once again and asked into her neck, "Are you alright?"
Everything had become apparent to her on the way to the park, Danny had saved her life. He has come and made her intangible just as the bullet was about to hit her, but now the gravity of all that just happened fell upon her. Silent tears slipped down her cheeks and she hoped Danny wouldn't notice, but he did.
He brushed away one of her tears. "You scared me there." His voice wavered, "You scared me."
Sam wanted to say everything and nothing at once. "Thank you," she said, "You saved my life Danny."
He kissed her, kissed her eyes, her neck, her lips; breath ragged. She got the feeling he was trying not to cry too. "Not really," he said with a small laugh, "I was really saving myself, I would have died without you." Sam didn't know how long they sat there but after some time had passed they slowly got up from the park bench and walked towards the Fenton's house where they could be safe and come in from the night.
FIN
Well there it is, my second ever fanfic. I hope everyone liked it, and to those who did don't forget to check out Home Alone Days. Just once again thank you to everyone who reads and an extra big thank you to everyone who reviews. To all the especially wonderful reviewers (I think you can tell who you are) an even bigger thank you, I appreciate it.
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