Links in the Chain
By Lacey52

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

A note: Dude…right at the end of writing this the song 'Carmina Burana-O Fortuna' came on. I nearly died from laughing so hard at the irony of it…I swear my Media player has a soul of it's own. It always knows just what to play for me. You'll know what I mean if you know the song and when you get there…lol.

Alright you guys. This is the chapter before the 'incident' is revealed. It's setting everything up, so hold onto your hats. Hate it or love it, this is what happens in my story.

Chapter 46, 47, and 48 all happen on the same day (Valentine's Day), so be ready for it…we've hit the first wall of the hurricane…

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

Chapter Forty Six: Green

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"Aw man," Tucker yawned, stretching his arms over his head as Danny and Sam approached the corner on which he stood waiting, "It's way too early to have to go to school on a holiday…"

"It's the same time as we go to school everyday, Tucker," Sam glared at her friend half-heartedly, "It doesn't make some magical difference that it's a holiday or anything."

"So," Tucker started walking as the pair pulled even with him, "we gonna' exchange gifts now or wait until we get to school?"

"I say now," Danny adjusted his backpack, "that way we can be ready for the mad rush of students trying to shove random cards into our hands and lockers."

"Aren't I supposed to be the one that hates Valentine's Day?" Sam gave them a quirky look, "You don't seem to enthused Danny…actually you feel a little nervous about something. You didn't destroy another classroom did you?"

"Oh man," Tucker backed away from the halfa, "Lancer is gonna' be pissed. I wasn't anywhere near you so don't even think of dragging me into cleaning up. Sam either, she doesn't deserve the torture."

"I didn't destroy anything," Danny rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm just feeling a little jumpy today…I don't know why, okay?"

"Whatever you say," Sam rolled her eyes as she dug into her backpack, "Here Tuck, the pen that records, and plays music, and blah, blah, blah. Happy V Day."

"Sweet!"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Danny dug into his pocket for him wallet, but got his hand slapped by Sam, "Ow! Hey, I am going to pay for my half!"

"You already have, you dork," Sam glared at the boy, "Tucker's party ring any bells?"

"Down, Sam, down," Tucker cut between the two, holding up a black baseball cap with a bright blue Nike logo on it, "One Nike cap for Danny, from yours truly and a Goth girl."

"Awesome," Danny bent the bill until it curved and then pulled it on, "Fits just right too. Here Sam, from me and Tucker."

Reaching into his bag, Danny pulled out a large, hardcover book as Tucker went into an explanation, "Don't know if this is what you were looking for, but we figured you'd like it."

Taking the copy of 'Mirror, Mirror' by Gregory Maguire into her hands, Sam tried not to laugh, 'They were so close…at least it's one of his books that I haven't read yet.'

"Thanks you guys," Sam smiled at the pair who were currently enjoying their presents, "Now lets get to school. I'm getting tired of walking in the cold."

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"Hey Dash," Tucker and the rest of his small group walked to their lockers, "You actually beat us here today. Didn't know you liked school that much."

"It ain't that I like school," Dash frowned as he closed his locker, "I got talked into helping set up the dumb carnation booth with a couple of the other guys. Then I got stuck helping move the flowers in…and then it was 'since you're here can you help us move this sign?' and 'Won't you help us set up the cookie booth?'. I just got done with everything and I still have to go to practice."

"Sounding a bit bitter there, Baxter," Sam smiled in his direction, "You think it's…"

"Dash!" another girl ran up to them, "You have to help us before you head to athletics! The booth got knocked around by some kids playing around, you've gotta' help us get it set straight again. Please? It weighs a ton."

"Have fun!" the trio waved brightly to him, all three mocking him with their overly cheerful smiles.

"Oh yeah, thanks," Dash rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I'm coming. Catch you guys later."

"Bye!" Sam waved one last time and then started laugh as Danny and Tucker joined her, "Poor guy, he gets back 'in' and they work him to death. Hm, you don't think it's some secret conspiracy do you?"

"Alright, what's up with you?" Danny looked the girl over carefully, "You're way too happy about something."

"I've got a surprise for someone today," Sam smiled cheekily as she walked away, "I guess I'm just feeling good because I've done a good deed."

Watching as Tucker wondered over to the flower booth, Danny joined him, pulling a dollar out of his billfold and smiling to himself, "Blue or white, Tucker?"

"Well I perfer white," Tucker handed over a large wad of ones and gathered the flowers he had just purchased into his arms, "but I don't swing that way, sorry man. If you meant for a girl, say like, oh I dunno', Sam, I'd say blue."

"Blue it is," Danny smiled at the girl behind the counter, who ducked to get his flower quickly, all the while trying to hide her blush and nervous smile, "Thanks, here's the dollar."

"Uh, no problem," she replied shyly, "Feel free to come back and buy more!"

"Maybe," Danny grinned, "but I think that one is all I need for right now, thanks."

"So you finally gonna' admit your undying love to your best friend?" Tucker prodded him in the side with his elbow, starting to distribute the flowers in his arms to the girls around him, "Here, flower for you."

"Thanks Tucker," the girl smiled back at him and moved on. Tucker was left standing open mouthed for a moment before he shook himself out of his stupor and continued handing out his flowers.

"Sorry Tuck," Danny grinned and smacked him on the back, "but I don't swing that way and I think that girl might be a bit upset. And don't bring Sam into this. I just figured that since you'd be distributing flowers to the rest of the female population of our class, besides Sam, that she should at least get one today."

"What about me getting one?" Sam walked back up to the pair, and noticed their questioning eyes, "I went to put my stuff down in the classroom. Too much to carry."

"I just thought that I should uh, get you a uh," Danny willed the blush to stay off his face as he fought his mouth for control over the words he was trying to get out, "a flower. For Valentine's Day since Tucker always hands them out to all the other girls."

"I didn't want to encroach on anyone's love territory," Tucker chimed in as he winked at the pair, "Nice delivery Danny, but less 'uh' next time and more confession and passion."

"Shut up Tucker," Danny and Sam both turned to him with red faces before turning back to one another, leaving the flower giving teen to his own devices.

"Just thought you might like one," Danny smiled shyly and gave a half shrug, trying to judge Sam's reaction, 'Nervous, not good, but happy, good. Hopeful, good, affection, good, confusion, not so good. Why are girls so hard to read?'

"I love it Danny, thanks for getting it for me," Sam blushed again and smiled at him, 'Stupid Dash talking to me yesterday about Danny getting me a flower. Now I'm reading into it more than I should…or am I? He's nervous and anxious and hopeful and feeling really affectionate, but he's trying to hide it all …gah, what does that mean?'

"That's good," Danny accidentally mumbled out loud as another wave of affection swept to him from Sam, but the look she gave him from his strange declaration had him trying to cover himself, "Uh, that you like it I mean, uh, that you love it. I'm being weird now aren't I?"

"Yeah," Sam smiled and gave him a hug, "but that's okay."

"Aw, 'blushy, huggy moment'!" Tucker snapped a picture of Sam and Danny hugging in the hall, "That's just so cute…so when's the wedding?"

Breaking apart quickly Sam stormed off to her class. Danny glared daggers in Tucker's direction before heading off for his own class. Tucker just sighed, 'They can't take a hint and they can't take a joke. Man, when the heck are they just gonna' get over themselves and admit it, they're driving me nuts!'

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

Danny edged around the corner of the hall, trying his hardest to reign in his emotions, lest Sam be privy to them before he was ready. Wiping sweaty palms off on his jeans, he peered around the row of locker, and saw just what he wanted.

Standing beside the locker, dark pants hanging slightly from her hips and tank top revealing a decent amount of both stomach and cleavage, stood his target. Taking in her reapplying her dark lipstick, Danny was frozen for a second before he remembered his purpose.

Quietly sneaking up behind the girl, Danny tapped her shoulder earning a tiny gasp and her whirling around to yell at whoever had snuck up on her. He luckily had amnesty from they browbeating, as he was one of her closest friends, and so Sam settled for glaring and demanding to know why he snuck up on her.

"Well, it's just 'cause I know we weren't supposed to," Danny started rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he slowly brought the large book out from behind his back, "but I got you something else anyways…"

Looking down at the book Danny had gently placed in her hands, Sam found a brand new copy of 'Wicked' in her sight. Repressing the urge to squeal with glee at finally getting the book she had been wanting, Sam decided hugging the halfa in front of her instead would do as a nice replacement to the high pitch sound she possibly might have made otherwise. The word 'glomping' ran around in the back of her head as Danny's shock and then contentedness ran through her, his arms wrapping around her.

"I guess I did good," Danny laughed as he gave her one last squeeze and then let her go, "maybe I should by you books more often."

"How did you know?" Sam's smile was lighting up her face, just like Danny had hoped, "I've been wanting this book so much, but I didn't want to buy it so you guys would have an idea of what to get me, and I figured that I'd just tell you the next holiday that rolled around if you two didn't guess it."

"Well," Danny took on a knowing air and tried to act like a snobby professor, "It is generally hard not to know Samantha, when one's mind is filled with images projected from one's best friend of nothing else."

Trying to glare but failing as Danny winked at her, Sam popped him gently on the shoulder with her newly acquired text before stuffing it in her bag, "Truth Danny, I want the truth."

"Eheheh," Danny was once again rubbing at the back of his neck and then tugged slightly on his shirt collar, "About that…"

"Spit it out," Sam pushed his shoulder, "What did you do now?"

"I kinda' snuck in and read through part of your diary to figure out what you wanted since you wouldn't tell us," Danny backed away as he felt Sam's ire shoot through the roof, "Hey, I got you the book you wanted!"

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you went in and read my diary!" Sam looked positively murderous right then, "That's my private journal, Danny…"

"Hey guys, something wrong?" Dash walked up and looked between the two best friends who had managed to draw a good deal of attention to themselves. Many people in the hall had been thinking they were privy to a cute, romantic moment the two so often had when it had exploded into something quite ugly...Dashhad been among that number.

"Nothing's wrong, everything's just peachy," Sam glared at Danny before turning her back on him, still hurt that he had read through her journal, 'That isn't for him to read unless I say he can! I can't believe he'd do that, I mean, I've never done that to him. What if he read something he shouldn't have…dear God, what if he read that I had a crush on Kwan that one time? Don't think about that now, Dash is here…'

"Oh yeah," Sam reached into her backpack and pulled out a small plastic wrapped package, beginning to cool down a bit as she forced herself to think of other things, "I got this for you. Figured I might as well give it to you today, what with all the gift giving."

Danny tried his hardest to not step between the girl and the jock, keeping his jealousy at bay as best he could, 'Sam got presents for me and Tucker, so why shouldn't she get Dash something? He's been our friend lately, it's reasonable, right? Unless she got him something because she really wanted to…but her emotions don't feel that way…'

"Huh?" Dash began to open the package and Danny peered over Sam to see what was in it, "Dude, number twenty three! No way, how'd you find it?"

"I have connections," Sam said smoothly as she leaned against the lockers, still intent on ignoring the glaring halfa behind her, "It's no big, I just figured you could use a little pick-me-up with all the crap that's been going on with the 'A-list' and all. Happy V Day."

"Thanks," Dash smiled warmly, before opening his locker, "but I actually got you something too…call it a 'thanks for putting up witha jerk' present or whatever."

Handing the girl a second copy of the book she had been longing for for so long, Dash nodded with another smile, "I remembered that you said you wanted that one when I was heading past the bookstore in the mall the other day, so I picked you up a copy of it."

Danny had never been one to think on sayings and their meanings and how suitable they could be in certain situations, but right then one saying was more than appropriate than anyone could have guessed.

His jealousy was potent and caught Sam's attention right away as she turned to face a very green eyed Danny, 'Or a green eyed monster…what's his problem?'

Unfortunately for the pair, their emotions had already started to feed off of one another's getting caught in a loop. Danny's jealousy triggered Sam's anger to burn even hotter, which made Danny even more upset and it was just downhill from there.

"Yeah, you had a surprise for someone today," Danny frowned, feeling her emotions growing darker the more he spoke, "Guess you didn't expect to surprise two people, Sam."

"I never said it was a surprise for you Danny," Sam frowned feeling the effect that their connection was having on them and letting it get the better of her,though she did remember to move in front of him to block the view of his eyes as best she could. Glowing, green eyes were a little too obvious for her taste, and as upset as she was at the moment, she didn't want him to blow his cover, "Geeze take a chill-pill or something."

"Whatever Sam," Danny shook his head as he tried to reign his runaway emotions back in, "Sorry. Enjoy your book…I'll see you at lunch."

As Danny walked off, hanging his head with a frown on his face, Dash stood watching as Sam angrily kicked at the row of lockers beside them, leaving a dent, "Did I miss something?"

"No," Sam said stubbornly as she readjusted her backpack and headed for the bathroom, "Don't worry about it. He's just being a jerk."

'Man,' Dash shook his head as he made his way to lunch, 'I sure hope I didn't cause that.'

.o.O.o.o.O.o.

"What's wrong with you man?" Tucker sat down beside a rather moody Danny, "You look like you could use a ghost to beat up on."

"You've got no idea," he ground out, trying to keep his eyes from glowing too brightly. He could feel the green just beneath the surface of his façade.

"Seriously man, you look pissed. Your eyes are green," Tucker began to dig into his lunch, "Something you need to talk about?"

"No," Danny bit into his chicken strip viciously, "I'm just a little mad right now is all."

"Right," Tucker said as he watched the halfa's glare settle on Dash as he walked in the room and across to the 'popular' table, "just a little mad. Got it. Note to self, never make Danny a 'little mad' he's freaking me out right now enough as it is."

"Just leave it alone, Tucker," Danny said tiredly, running a hand over his eyes as he finally felt Sam start to calm down. They were both trying their hardest to sooth their own emotions, he couldn't offer her any help at trying to balance herself out right then.

As soon as Sam walked into the cafeteria, Danny's eyes were glued to her, a pathetic look of remorse glued on his features. Sam, however, didn't seem to be satisfied with his outward display of repentance and being the obstinate girl she was, marched right over and planted herself between Dash and Kwan, much to the two boys' and Star and Valerie's surprise.

"I'm sitting here, don't ask questions, just let me do it, please," Sam's voice brooked no argument, and the other's had no real problem with it seeing how she was in a mood, "I'll never bother your table again, just let me sit here for a while."

"It's cool with me," Dash shrugged and turned back to his burger, "so long as you can stand a table full of people eating meat."

"After meat-boy over there?" Sam raised her eyebrow, "All of you together couldn't come close to beating Tucker on the meat thing."

"Why are you sitting with us all of a sudden?" Star watched the girl carefully. She wasn't exactly dressed badly. In fact, it looked pretty cute…only it was dark. Not geeky or loser-ish at all, 'Why do we group her with those others? She isn't that bad…come to think of it Tucker and Danny aren't either…'

"I just had to get away from Danny to cool off," she answered as Valerie smiled to herself and Sam caught it, "and if anyone of you make some wise-crack about anything, I'll buy the teachers off to fail you and make your lives miserable."

"Uh, Sam?" Kwan cut in, "I know you could buy the teachers off because of your birthday party and your house and all that, but isn't that kinda' against your morals and all?"

"Yeah," Star echoed his sentiment, "isn't that why you hid the fact that you had money?"

"Yeah," sinking into her chair and holding her head, Sam fought back a wave of upset and hurt and jealousy from Danny, her own anger once again growing, 'We have got to stop doing this. The more upset he gets, the worse I get. We're getting caught in some sort of cycle between our emotions…'

"Sam?"

'Think of the halfa, there he appears,' Sam sighted wearily as she opened her eyes to find him standing in front of the table, the other occupants staring between the two as though a bomb might go off any second. In fact, they were pretty sure they should evacuate the area immediately, but a morbid curiosity held them all in place.

"What Danny?" Sam answered him tersely.

"Look, I'm sorry alright," Danny glanced off to the side as he talked, "I didn't mean to blow up at you in the hall earlier. I guess it's just been a bad couple of days for me, ya' know?"

"It's fine," Sam said stiffly, uncomfortable talking to him with the whole cafeteria watching, "Look, I'll talk to you later."

"Why later?" Danny sensed her discomfort and began to interpret wrong, 'Is she not talking because Dash and all these people…but Valerie's here. Wait, she doesn't like Valerie, is she sitting here because they made her?'

As his mind was moving a million thoughts around in confusion in under a minute, the pair's emotions, which were already unsettled, began to play off of each other again. Anger, jealousy, fear, confusion, annoyance, cynicism, suspicion, heartbreak. Why were they spinning out of control…why now…why so fast…

"Look," Danny began, heaving a sigh and turning his head slightly, "I just don't like you sitting here."

"I can sit anywhere I want," Sam replied standing and slapping her palms on the table top, leaning herself over her lunch, "Stop being so paranoid, Danny."

"Me?" the young man locked eyes with her, jaw set and face hardened, "You're the one feeling all nervous and mad! Excuse me for being concerned."

"I was mad at you overreacting to everything, Danny!" Sam's hands curled into fists as she glared her best friend down with all she had, " I was nervous about having a stupid argument in front of the entire school! Stop. Worrying. I though you'd gotten over your stupid paranoia."

"How can I get over my paranoia," Danny looked from her to the table beside them and those sitting there, then back over to Sam as he spoke, "when the people who caused it are either sitting with you or at the table beside you?"

"Get over it!" Sam's eyes bored into him but she was forced to stop as fear crashed into her, cold and harsh, nearly overwhelming her as Danny deflated before her eyes, the fear in her mind echoing the fear in his face.

"I can't Sam," Danny heaved another breath, "Don't you even remember what happened that day in fifth grade? Do you know how scared I was? I don't want it to happen again!"

The cafeteria was deadly silent, no one daring to move or breath after the outburst from the two Juniors in their midst. Everyone had heard of the day…everyone had their own theories….every student knew that it was never mentioned…

The truth was finally going to come out.