Links in the Chain
By Lacey52
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
A note: First, to clear up some confusion, Mr. Manson's listed name is Jeremy. I think that in an episode of DP, Mr. Fenton calls him 'Thurston', but this is just a reference to Gilligan's Island and the millionaire, Thurston Howell III. Confusion cleared up? Good…his name is Jeremy.
Now:
(Sniffles) It's the third to last chapter! Hm…looks like one of the last things is out of the way now….Danny definitely proves himself…Oh, and yes, this is a bit shorter than the last few chapters have been, but that's okay…it sets up the next chapter:D Enjoy…
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
Chapter Fifty Nine: Altercation
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
7:57 A.M.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
The hallways before school were always bustling and hustling. People hurried around for various reasons, looking for teachers or trying to find friends. Meeting up for clubs was one of the big things to do apparently, as Tucker was already on his way to the Tech. Club meeting…of course this was ignoring the fact that he was currently twenty seven minutes late. All clubs met at seven thirty in the morning…too bad that he forgot to set his alarm.
And by that, Danny would have meant 'Too bad that the halfa was upset that you kept teasing him and Sam and decided to screw with all your electronic devices.'
Yep, Tucker was in a bit of a panic right then. He had twenty different times on all his clocks…
The past few days of school had been so very much fun for all those around Danny and Sam, as their 'accidental touches' and 'meaningful glances' had grown in number and the results were fantastic. The math club calculated a fifty three percent increase in random blushes, and Mr. Lancer likened them to several fictional characters.
All in all, those that knew Danny and Sam were having a blast with how they had been acting since prom, and the rest of the school was busy spreading rumors about the prom and its after parties. Dash's party was one of the best topics to be discussed.
"If I hear one more story about who was with who in the bedroom," Dash smacked his hand into a locker, then frowned as he realized his mistake, "Ow."
"Hey Dash," Danny began to mess with his lock, "don't slam your hand into a locker. I can tell you from personal experience that it hurts."
"Gee thanks, Fenton," Dash grimaced, then turned to move to his own locker as Sam approached, "Morning Sam."
"What's good about being at school this early?" Sam asked, "Don't take that as sarcasm, I just don't like having to come to school this early…"
"Yeah, we know Sam," Danny laughed as he retrieved his last book and turned to face the girl, "I feel your pain."
"Said the ghost boy with the convenient link into my mind," Sam said dryly as she crossed her arms, "Of course you feel my pain. What would worry me was if you didn't."
"Never gonna' happen Sam," Danny smirked, then leaned forward a bit, "So what do you think about all the rumors about Dash's party?"
"What, you mean the ones about people in the bedroom, or the ones about people in the kitchen?"
"Hey!" Dash whipped around, slightly flustered, "That's my house you're talking about! I didn't need to hear about stuff happenin' in my kitchen. I eat food from there!"
Danny and Sam couldn't help but laugh at Dash's face, the sheer horror of what he was thinking of clearly written acrosshis features. As Danny went to lean back against the lockers, Sam did as well, and their shoulders brushed as they settled back.
"Sorry!" the halfa immediately stood back up, a light blush covering his cheeks, "Didn't mean to bump you or anything…"
"No, my fault," Sam looked away, slightly pink as well, "Guess I should watch where I'm going, huh?"
"You two are pathetic," Dash shook his head as he watched them dance around the subject of any sort of physical contact, "All you did was bump shoulders, this is worse than it used to be…what the hell happened after the after party?"
"Not nearly as much as what happened in your shower," Sam smirked as she stared up at the much taller boy, "I heard it was Natasha and…"
"Don't want to hear it!" Dash shook his head, turning from them, "I don't want to know, I don't care, I don't need the mental images."
"I think you're going to give him a mental break down," Danny raised an eyebrow at his friend, then looked angrily to his side as a guy nearly ran into him and caused him to step back, "Sorry I was in your way, buddy."
"No problem," the boy, who Sam recognized as Weed, grinned back, just as Danny was slammed into by a second, and Weed's partner in crime, John.
Danny was overbalanced and twisted to catch himself on the lockers, but apparently forgot that Sam was behind him and ended up nearly slamming into her. Putting his good reflexes to good use, Danny caught himself before smashing the smaller girl, one hand on either side of her very surprised face, the lower half of his body trapping her own beneath him.
"God, loser love in the hall," Weed called out as he high-fived John.
"Makes you wonder what they did on Dash's couch," John was laughing right along with his friend and most of the people in the hall as the two waited for Danny's reaction, "What's the matter, cream-puff, nothin' to say?"
"Oh yeah," Danny said as he started at the part of the locker between his left hand and Sam's head, "I've got plenty to say."
"Danny?" Sam was worried as his eyes were rapidly changing from blue to green and back again. He leaned back, with a blush on his cheeks, and helped Sam off the lockers, as she had scrunched herself back and down against them to avoid being smashed by the halfa when he fell.
"I'm fine Sam," Danny took a couple of deep breaths, searching for and holding onto the calm that Sam was somehow maintaining, "You alright?"
"I'm fine," Sam watched him in confusion as he closed his eyes for a second, fighting to regain control over his anger. Gently laying a hand on his arm, Sam marveled at how the young man instantly relaxed and opened his eyes to give her a lazy smile.
"Oh look at the lovebirds!" John cried as he made a face, "They're so in love their lost in their own world, just like they were when they were on the couch."
"Just shut up," Danny turned slightly, but never moved away from Sam's soothing touch, "Nobody really listens to you anyways."
"Yeah," Dash smirked from where he resided on the other side of the hall, "Everyone knows why your nickname is Weed, no one believes half of what you say."
"Aw," John called out, "You're just sore Fenton 'cause you didn't make it past second with your little girlfriend."
More laughter echoed the halls, though it was mainly the two jerks' voices, and Danny turned back more towards Sam, as if blocking her from everyone's sight. Sam hated the way he felt right then, worthless as though he wasn't doing his job, helpless to stop the teasing. She squeezed his arm lightly in support, letting him know without words she was there.
"Thanks," Danny looked down at his feet, "Sorry about everyone laughing."
"Like it's your fault," Sam raised to her tiptoes to glare over his shoulder at the two jocks, "They're the idiots who thought it would be funny to try and frame us as the ones on the couch, when everybody knows they were the ones making out in the closet all night."
Cries of 'Gross!' echoed the halls as John and Weed glared at the surrounding people, though there were far too many kids laughing to ever hope to shut up with a look. A cry of "Again, I didn't need to know that!" came as Dash hit his head on the locker, trying to oust the mental images.
Sam, feeling more than a little peeved, grabbed Danny's arm and headed off towards the hall where they each had their own first period. The bell had just rang, and already Danny was shaking his head, 'It's going to be one of those days…I really hope it's not that bad.'
Hello. This is Mr. Murphy calling, this is going to be my last visit…oh, and Danny? It's for you…
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
9:58 A.M.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
'God I hate school sometimes,' Danny sighed as he angrily shoved his recent 'C' graded essay back into his backpack and headed for his locker…and Sam, 'At least there's one good thing about coming to school.'
"Oh, look," Elizabeth Johnson stated just as Danny rounded the corner, "Sam Manson, the little Goth prom girl who went with her guy Danny…"
"I was there," Sarah huffed, turning to look at Jason, "and I just had the most wonderful time with Jason. Too bad you didn't ditch Danny, you know. You could really have made it on the 'A-list' if you just changed your clothes and style a bit."
"Yeah, well," Sam slammed her locker shut and turned to face the small group of kids who still followed the ways of the popular group, "Too bad for me that I have morals and values. Darn things, I just can't get rid of them…sorry, I can't be a member of your socially inept group of mentally underdeveloped teenagers with self-image problems."
"What are you saying?" John advanced slightly, Jason at his side.
"She's saying," Danny slid between them, "That's she's too good to have to be bothered by any of you. Don't you have any self-respect? I mean, picking on girls, isn't that like lowering your standards for you guys…no offense Sam."
"None taken," Sam assured him as she watched the situation escalate, the other boys gathering around Danny and the girls slipping around to tease her, "What do you all want?"
"Oh, just trying to give you some tips, sweetie," Sarah giggled, the other girls laughing with her, "You know, you're so pale…maybe that's why Danny likes you. His family is pretty freaky, all into ghosts…and I mean you look dead, so maybe that's why he likes you."
"He likes me," Sam started to bristle, "because I'm his best friend, and have been his friend for years. He doesn't like you because, like Paulina, I wouldn't even get my feet wet if I stepped into a puddle of you. A puddle of Paulina, however much I hate to say it, wouldn't have as much slime in it as yours would."
"Excuse me?" Sarah asked as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Shut the hell up Fenton," the loud, angry voice of Jason cut through their conversation, "You've got a mouth and it needs to stop running."
Sam felt her heart leap into her mouth at she watched the three boys surround Danny and then a group of people surround them all. She knew that he would be fine, knew that something would probably happen to stop the fight, but every time she saw him get that look in his eyes, she felt her breath catch, and not in a good way.
It was that look of single minded determination, that absolute resolve to fight and see it through to the end. It was Danny's fighting face, and the feelings that went along with it were addictive in their own right, 'It's excitement and anger, and adrenaline, and fear and courage and…'
"Excuse me, but is there a problem here?" everyone immediately stood down at the sound of the vice-principal's voice, "I do believe I asked a question, would someone care to answer?"
"No sir, nothing's wrong," Danny stood up straighter, but kept his fists balled and his eyes on the teens still surrounding them, "Just a friendly little debate."
"I see," Mr. Lancer finally made it into the inner most circle of kids, sending most of them scattering with a glare, "Then you will all continue to your classes immediately."
The group of 'A-list' students who still refused to see the changes going on went their way, slightly put out that they had been stopped. Most of the other students in the hall shook their heads at the idiots that made up the 'popular' group of students.
"You quite alright, Mr. Fenton?"
"Yes sir," Danny's reply was tight and quiet, his body still tense and his emotions still roiling, "You okay Sam?"
"I'm fine Danny," Sam moved closer to him, not because she was afraid, but because she needed to calm him down before he did something he regretted, "Let's just go to class alright? See you later, Mr. Lancer."
"Yes, I do believe you will," he smiled tightly at the two students he felt most responsible for, then turned to leave them to a moment of peace alone in the now empty hallway, 'I'll have to watch them today…those idiot 'A-list' kids seemed determined to prove something…prehaps Principal Ishiyama would like to know as well.'
"Only third period and today's already horrible," Sam laughed gently as she leaned into a hug Danny wrapped her up in, "I knew I didn't like waking up early to go to school for a reason."
"No lie," Danny shook his head as he released her and picked up the backpack he had dropped when the others had started to surround him, "I have the feeling that it's going to get worse before it gets better though."
"When hasn't it?" Sam smiled humorlessly, "That's your lot in life, Danny…think you can handle it?"
"With you around?" Danny smiled down at her as he grabbed her hand and tugged her towards their next class, "No problem."
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
12:27 P.M.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"You took lessons from Paulina, didn't you?" a very annoyed and on edge Danny glared down at the small girl beside him as she leaned flirtatiously against the rails he was resting his lunch tray on.
"What makes you say that?" Sarah smiled brightly up at him, a conniving air about her, "Say, why don't you sit with me at lunch? It'd be way better than having to sit with those losers."
"Say," Danny mimicked her, finally reaching his breaking point, "why don't you leave me alone? I'm not interested in anything you have to say, Sarah."
A wave of amusement rolled over him then, and he glanced over at Sam who was watching him argue with Sarah out of the corner of her eye. He had to bite back a smile, lest he suddenly start encouraging the annoyance beside him, 'Oh sure, leave me to deal with her all alone. Gee thanks Sam…remind me again why I love you so much, you deserter you…'
"Hm, well fine," Sarah walked off in a huff. Another wave of amusement brushed past Danny, followed by a wave of affection, pride, and there was that wonderfully warm feeling again.
'Man, I want to ask her about that,' Danny thought dreamily to himself as the cafeteria woman scooped a large helping of potatoes up and plopped them onto his tray, 'I know she loves me and I know we're something, but what are we exactly? Going out? Best friends with benefits? Gah, I don't like the way that last one sounds….then again…'
While Danny was busy with his own bothersome thoughts, Sam was having troubles of her own. She and Danny had been the second of their table to arrive, as only Valerie and Dash were there besides her. It was as Sam started laughing at Sarah's retreating figure that the miffed girl changed directions and headed straight for their table.
"What's so funny, freak?" Sarah's eyes were hard, and she definitely looked pissed beyond measure. She was just daring Sam to stand up to her, and well, Sam was never one to back down from a challenge.
"I was just laughing because you were flinging yourself at Danny and he just blew you off," she smirked as she leaned against the table with her elbows supporting her, "You should know he wouldn't give you the time of day by now. You're probably lucky he even acknowledged your presence."
"What?" Sarah delicately arched one eyebrow, an intimidation trick she had learned early on. She was surprised when Sam did it right back, and looked twice as daunting.
"Look, I normally don't laugh at people like you," Sam rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh, "but that was just awesomely pathetic. I couldn't pass up the chance."
'Dang,' Valerie put her spoon down in her pudding to watch the verbal match that was beginning, 'Sam would have done really well on the 'A-list'…that's actually the weirdest thing I've ever thought.'
"God," Sarah looked away and folded her arms, "You're such a loser."
"If by 'loser' you mean one of the greatest people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing and being friends with," Danny sat down right next to Sam, and continued addressing Sarah, "then yeah, you could call her that."
Sam just blushed as a grin broke out on Dash's face. This was turning into one heck of a day, and he had had front row seats for most of it. Just then Tucker came running into the cafeteria, and absolutely completed the day, in Dash's opinion, as he slid to a stop right before falling into the trashcans, only to be bumped right into them as a Sophomore started running from his angry girlfriend.
Tucker, who had been pulled back up by Kwan and Star, sidled up with the two and a sigh, "I'm just glad that I didn't fall all the way in that stupid can and get food all over me…"
"Excuse me, I was having a conversation," Sarah glared at the interrupting boy.
"No," Sam folded her arms, "You were being beaten at witty banter by Danny, and that isn't something I'd want on my resume."
"Listen you little," but Danny cut Sarah off with a bored look.
"Look, if you're just going to stand there and insult Sam," Danny hefted a sigh, "At least make Sam have to work for it."
"Are you giving her lip, Fenton?" Jason finally figured out what was happening and sauntered up to Sarah's side, obviously looking for a fight. He leaned in over Sam, which made Danny grab the edge of her chair and slid her over, much to Sam's relief.
"I ain't givin' anybody lip," Danny frowned.
"'Cept Sam, I bet," Tucker wittily cut in, making both Sam and Danny glare at the boy and blush, "Yep, definitely lovin' the blushing."
"Shut up Tuck."
"Freaks," Jason growled out as Sarah took a step back. Danny pushed his chair back to stand, only to find that Dash had beat him to it. The two boys glared at one another and looked as though they were about to start fighting, before Tucker gave a rather loud, "Ahem."
As Dash turned his attention to the still seated boy, he got a small shake of the head and a quickly whispered, "It's their fight, they can handle it."
Sitting back down with a frown, the blonde jock watched as Jason and Sarah continued antagonizing the pair. Danny and Sam both sat calmly, listening to whatever was said and giving one another side glances from time to time. Most of the cafeteria was watching the display, and they had decided that the 'lovebirds' were definitely handling it with style.
"Look, Jason," Danny ground his teeth as he finally stood and got between Jason and the rest of his table, "Just sit down, no one wants to hear your lame insults."
"What, Fenton?" the other teen got closer and curled his hands into fists, "Too afraid to fight?"
"No," Danny shook his head, sitting back down before the situation got even more out of control, and gladly accepted the hand that Sam slipped into his own, "I'm not going to fight."
The more Jason talked, the less that the table listened to him. Danny even went so far as to start eating again and the jock was infuriated.
"What the hell?" Jason finally got too angry to handle himself and smacked Danny's tray across the table, covering nearly everyone in milk, peas, red jello, and Salisbury steak, "Listen to me you little prick!"
Sam stood calmly with a napkin in her hand, wiping the jello off her face and brushing the peas from her lap. Sarah stood behind Jason, laughing the entire while, "Oh, gee, I think you should leave it on. It really improves your looks, you know."
Sam didn't even bother to answer her as she sat back beside Danny, and listened to Tucker rant under his breath, "Just had to say something didn't I? I got lucky about not falling into the stupid trash can, bragged about it, and now Bad Luck Tuck does it again…"
"Here," Sam handed a napkin across the table, then turned to look at Sarah and Jason, "Please leave."
"Oh, 'please leave'? Did you hear that?" Jason looked around but found no one was laughing, rather the entire populace of the cafeteria were shaking their heads or just staring in shock, the teachers included, "Look you dick, you ever…"
"That will be quite enough," Principal Ishiyama stormed up, anger clear in her eyes as she took in the scene before her, "Dillinger, Grayson, to my office, this instant. I do not allow such heinous behavior in my school, especially when those you've targeted have tried to diffuse the situation."
Several smiles, smirks, and jeers were sent their way as they were escorted out of the cafeteria and Danny was left with a grimace on his face, 'Great they got in trouble and now something else is gonna' end up happening.'
"Fenton," Dash's voice was serious, stern, and immediately caught Danny's attention, "You know you're gonna' have to watch you back now right? The 'A-list' ain't gonna' put up with this."
"Yeah I know," Danny sighed as he finished cleaning himself up, as were the rest of the people at the table, "I really don't want anything to happen though. I get so sick and tired of fighting and now that everything's finally settled down with the ghosts, people are trying to get me to fight…"
"It'll be fine," Kwan shrugged, "It's not like you're alone or nothin'."
"Yeah," Danny shook his head, then smiled at the friends around him, "Thanks you guys…but don't get into it. It's my problem, you guys just take care of Sam."
"I dunno'," Valerie said with a shrug and a smirk, "I think she does pretty good taking care of herself."
"Yeah," Sam playfully punched him in the arm, then laughed as he pretended it hurt, "I've got boots on…"
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
3:35 P.M.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"God I hate their guts," Jason Dillinger sat on a low wall right outside of the school building, chatting with Weed and John, and watching Sarah laugh with Paulina and Elizabeth, "I can't believe that stupid woman gave us detention. I had to sit in that damn room for twenty minutes."
"They got detention with Lancer too, ya' know," John shoved his hands into pockets, a small grin on his face, "It was Fenton, Foley, and Manson."
"Yeah?" Jason's interest peaked, "They should be gettin' out about now, huh?"
"Yep," John smiled back, "I think it's time to put that little shrimp back in his place."
"Sarah, babe!" the girl approached quickly with a smile, "You and the girls get out of here, we're gonna', uh, 'talk' with Fenton and Foley."
"I'll stay," Sarah smiled, "That stupid wannabe Goth is gonna' be here too."
"You sure, 'cause…"
"And then he was like, 'Dude, how could you do that?' and I just started laughing!"
"Dash, you're a jerk," several laughing voices sounded from around the school's corner, Star's being the one addressing the storyteller, "I can't believe you did that."
"Yeah well," they rounded the corner with smiles on their faces, "they all deserved it…"
Jason, Weed, John, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Paulina were face to face with Dash, Danny, Tucker, Kwan, Star, Valerie, and Sam.
"What are you all doing out here?" Sam frowned as she folded her arms, Danny moving slightly closer to her.
"Where the hell are all you going?" Weed asked in confusion.
"The Nasty Burger, not like it's your business," Tucker glared as the 'A-list' group came closer. A silent moment passed before Danny just shook his head and started to walk around them, only to get pushed back by Jason, and nearly get clocked in the face if he hadn't stepped to the side quickly.
"Chill dude," Danny frowned, "I ain't gonna fight you…I'll tell you that right now."
As he turned to keep walking, the rest of his group of friends followed suit, passing right by the extremely pissed Jason, Weed, and John. Dash looked back and shook his head, 'They have no idea how lucky they are that Danny didn't fight with them. He would have stomped their asses into the ground.'
"Hey, Manson!" Sarah called out, "Your boyfriend's a freak and a wimp, how sad is that?"
"Look," Sam had finally lost her temper, "He isn't a freak and he isn't a wimp. You have no idea how strong he is, physically and mentally, you have no clue in your bimbo head how brave he is and what he puts up with all the time, and frankly, our relationship isn't up for examination."
Jason moved forward to grab Sam's arm and move her out of the way, "Shut up you…" but found himself on the ground with a pissed off Danny standing over him and looking over at Sam, "What the hell was that Fenton?"
"You aren't hurting her again," Jason swore Danny's eyes flashed green as he stood quickly, hyped that the smaller teen was finally going to try to fight him.
Jason took a swing at Danny, throwing his weight into it, determined to bring the deceptively smaller teen down. Imagine his surprise when Danny blocked him without so much as blinking, "You don't want to fight me."
"Hell yes I do," Jason tried again, only to get blocked. Another swing, followed by an uppercut actually caught Danny on the chin, but the halfa just frowned and his brow furrowed, then brought his fists up.
The scuffle that ensued was relatively fast. Danny had, and kept, the upper hand the entire time. Tucker, Kwan, and Dash simply stood on the side lines, staring down Weed and John, daring them to try anything. Jason was down in a matter of seconds holding a bloodied nose, and whimpering from the multiple blows to his stomach and chest.
"I told you," Danny glared down at the teen, "I don't want to fight. I hate having to fight. Just leave me, and Sam, and everyone else alone."
The young man on the ground looked up and saw an extremely pissed Danny. He could only nod, as talking would have been difficult with the wind knocked out of him, 'Guess I shouldn't of underestimated him…God, he packs a punch…he, he isn't even sweating…'
John and Weed stood in shock, knowing full well that Jason could have taken them down, and in fact, had before. Seeing Danny Fenton, the punching bag for most of the bullies at school, put Jason Dillinger down, and put him down hard, had been rather informative.
"Heh," Sam's voice made Danny smile, even as he watched the other boys watch him, "Danny won."
The two jocks moved forward to pick their shamed and beaten leader up, just as a resounding slap was heard from behind them all. Everyone's heads turned in time to see Sarah's hand pulling back from Sam's face, her head turned slightly from the force of the slap.
"You shut your mouth freak," Sarah shouted, standing in slight shock that Sam hadn't even flinched, "He just got lucky!"
"Seriously," Sam turned back to Sarah with a glare, "If that's all you've got then don't even bother. Why do you even bother us, we've never done anything to you? Leave. Us. Alone."
Sarah didn't quite know what to do. She stood for a second just watching Sam cross her arms and tap her foot angrily against the ground, then turned to look at Paulina, who was looking between them with an unreadable look on her face. Elizabeth looked as shell shocked as she felt.
Taking what was left of her dignity, Sarah Grayson turned on her heels and walked off, not bothering to check on people's reactions for the first time in her life. She didn't know what to do, but she knew one thing. She was scared of Sam Manson, and she didn't have people to back her up. Elizabeth and Paulina had left her on her own.
Paulina and Elizabeth turned away, immediately launching into girlish chatter on what they had just seen Danny do. Star hurried over to join them in the gossip, her camera phone out and displaying Danny's, "Totally awesome fight! Who knew he was such a good fighter! Everyone's gonna' flip!"
"And Sarah just got Goth Curb-Stomped for the second time," Paulina lifted her eyebrow as she looked back at Sam, "I knew there was a reason why I never stuck around to fight with her…"
The giggling increased as Danny and Sam locked eyes, walked over to each other, and immediately went into their own little world. Star snapped a picture of that as well. It was going to be all over the school by the next morning and she was going to make sure of it.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
11:47 P.M.
.o.O.o.o.O.o.
"So what do you think's gonna' happen now?"
"I don't know," Sam shrugged as she sat on the floor, leaning against Danny's side, "but I really don't think we have to worry about the 'A-list' anymore...I think you got yourself a fan club."
"Don't even joke about that," Danny shook his head as he stood and pulled Sam up with him, nervously leaning in to brush a kiss across her cheek, "It'd be just my luck."
"Hey you never know," Sam grinned as she returned the kiss to the cheek, grinning even more as he changed and gave her a devilish wink with glowing green eyes, "I'll take that as you actually want a fan club...I might have to get jealous."
"Nah," he smiled and dared one quick peck to the lips before he disappeared from her sight, "You ain't got nothin' to worry about."
"Good," Sam laughed as she moved over to her bed, falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, Danny's happy feelings and that warm wave of love and affection brushing over her, "Good..."