Chapter 4

Five Years Ago

It was late. It was one month late. Sam walked around her room in her underwear, looking at one mirror, then at other one. She was pale, all right, she had been hungrier than normal, but she completely ignored it, maintaining her meals schedule. She turned around, looking at herself in the mirror. She wasn't getting any fat, actually she had gotten thinner.

'There's no other way," She thought. "I'll have to go to the drugstore."

She threw a coat over herself and buttoned it up, covering herself completely. She grabbed her car keys and drove down to the street, crossing the town to go to a drugstore far away from her house, where nobody would see what she was buying.

She felt like screaming in frustration, but there was nothing she could do at the moment. She had to know before it was too late. She got out of the car and entered the drugstore.

When she was back in her room, she opened the packages and pulled out the faithful tests.

Five, she had bought five of them.

Today, she wasn't alone in her house; her parents were just down the hall in their room. She had to be really careful. She entered her suite, deciding against going to the main bathroom of the house. She left the packages on her bed and took the tests in the bathroom with her.

"The results are shown in about a minute" She took a deep breathe and closed the door.

She tapped her feet. She walked around in the small space she had. She washed her face. She studied her stomach. She sighed and jumped up and down to relieve the stress.

One minute.

"Samantha!" Her father's voice stormed from just outside the door. He was inside her room, he had seen the packages. He was furious.

Sam quickly looked at the test before opening the door. Her father pulled her out of the bathroom grabbing one fist full of her shirt. She was used in seeing him angry, but he had never touched her before. She fell on the bed with the grace of a sack of potatoes.

He walked up to her spiting fire. He threw at her one of the empty test's packages.

"You've been fooling around! I knew you'd be trouble as a teen, Samantha, but you disappointed me beyond my expectations!" He yelled at her, grabbing her roughly by her shoulders and shaking her. "My own child, a slut!"

"Dad, it's not like that!" She sobbed, trying to explain herself, but he wasn't listening. In his fury, he ripped her black curtains, her Gothic posters and only stopped when he saw his wife entering the room, scared because of all the screaming. "Mom, please, stop him!" She begged.

Before Mrs. Manson could do anything, Sam's father slapped his daughter across her face and stormed out of the room, slamming all the doors he found. Sam lay down on her bed, sobbing hysterically. Her mother, who was as scared as she was, recognized the packages on the bed and lifted a hand over her mouth; she entered the bathroom and saw all the five tests in the sink.

All of them were blue.

Present Day

Danny waited for Sam to answer. Sam looked at him, imagining what would have been her answer that day, five years ago. Sam gave him a small smile, but couldn't answer it while looking into his eyes.

"I'd have asked if you'd like to go with me." She replied, looking at the movement of the lake, as the wind blew small waves in their direction. "I think lots of things would have been different."

"I suppose…" Danny sighed, leaning against the tree.

"But I'm glad you chose her. I'm glad we got separated." Sam said, standing up and brushing the leaves out of her dress.

"You are?" Danny asked, confused and slightly angry.

"Of course." Sam gave him a small smile. "I wouldn't be what I am today."

Danny stood up, too, seeing that the conversation was over.

"Are you going back to Canada?" He asked.

"In a week."

"Can I take you to the movies?" He asked. He had decided that he wouldn't let her go away that easily. He had a week to convince her to stay in Amity Park.

"When?" She asked, already thinking of an excuse to turn him down.

"Tomorrow, maybe. If you're free…"

"I don't know, Danny." She decided to be honest with him. "We haven't seen each other for five years; it's just strange to go to out with you like nothing had happened."

"You're different." Danny whispered, looking down into her eyes, in disappointment. "You changed a lot… the Sam I knew wouldn't care if it had been ten years."

"That's because that Sam died five years ago." Sam responded, trying to hold back the tears with all the will power she had. "I'm sorry, I changed, but I couldn't help it." She turned her back to him and started walking away.

"You can change back if you want." He insisted shouting his thoughts at her, making her stop in the middle of the park. She heard his feet crushing the leaves as he ran to her. She felt his familiar arms hugging her from behind in the way she loved so much. "Please, Sam. Don't leave me again."

"I can't stay here." She answered simply, somewhere inside her, she felt her heart being touched by his pleas. She had been back one day and he was already managing to give life back to her now cold heart. She couldn't allow to be touched by his sweet words.

Danny held her even more tightly.

"At least tell me why you had to go away."

Sam felt his warm tears wetting her dress. It was hard to keep her indifference when she noticed that her inside had melted completely in his arms. She gently brushed him off her, stepping away from him one more time. He stood there, staring at her back, waiting for her to say something before she left him for good.

"I was pregnant."

Seven Years Ago

"… and then Skulker ran back into the Ghost Zone all by himself!" Danny said, laughing.

Sam and Tucker laughed, while sitting on their spot around their room.

"Really, Danny, you're improving a lot." The fourteen years old Sam said.

"I can't believe you beat Desiree with just one wish!" Tucker said, still laughing.

Danny lay on his bed, yawning. He was really satisfied with his fight of the week. The ghosts seemed to only show up with an elaborate plan to capture him, but they never succeeded. It meant that the ghosts showed up less and less.

"What if we go out for a movie?" Sam suggested. "A French Terror movie was released tonight."

"I won't watch a French movie." Tucker complained. "It's too much poetry for my action-thirsty brain."

"There will be lots and lots of blood, I swear!" Sam insisted, but the boys weren't on the mood for risking it. "What about a show? I heard the Helloween will be playing on the stadium."

"Intelligent rock music? Never!" Danny complained.

"So, are we just going to lie down and waste our night away?" Sam shot up on her feet immediately. "You boys are lazy as turtles!"

"Well, I'm sorry if we ran out of ideas." Tucker said, yawning, too.

"That's it." Sam said, infuriated. She opened the door of Danny's room. "I'm going to hear and recite some Gothic poetry in some Gothic club where is much more fun than spend time with you." Then she stormed away of the house.

"That time of the month again." Tucker said out loud, making Danny shrug. He really didn't need to hear that.

"I think we've been too mean to her, maybe we should go with her to that poetry club." Danny said, sitting up.

"It bothers me that she's going all artistic out of nowhere." Tucker said, sitting up, too. "I think she's finally surrendering to human feelings and doesn't know how to express them."

"Well, she's a girl after all… holy shit, Tuck!" Danny said, standing up and looking at the calendar hanging on the wall. "Today was her birthday!"

"You're kidding!" Tucker checked his PDA. "No, you're not kidding."

"It's past ten and there's no store open!" Danny said, panicking. "Oh, she's going to kill us!"

"Actually, I think she'll be depressed and lock herself in her room and cry among candles. It's more in the mood she's in now." Tucker said.

"It's no time to joke, Tuck. What are we going to do?" Danny said, opening his wardrobe and dressing a jacket.

"We go out and see if we're lucky and find an open store." Tucker pocketed his PDA.

Half an hour later, they were standing in front of the illegal Goth Club with the only gift they could find, a bouquet of red roses. They had no idea what Sam would think of the lame excuse for a present, but it was better than nothing, besides, they were about to enter in the club she was always inviting them.

The Goth on the door greeted them with indifference. He pointed their shirts and shook his head.

"We're not Goths, but our friend is and today is her birthday." Danny said, showing him the flowers. "We sort of forgot it and we have less than an hour to make it up to her."

"Please, let us in!" Tucker said, trying to make the man on the door look sympathetic.

"Who is your friend?" He asked.

"Sam Manson." Danny answered, "I don't think you know her, but-"

"Sam is your friend?" The man looked surprised. "She's one of our best poets here!"

"She is?" Tucker and Danny asked together, confused.

"Of course, anyway, get in already, she's about to recite a new one." The Goth opened the door and let both Danny and Tucker inside.

They saw a blonde boy on the stage saying something about darkness and endless pain and decided to find themselves a table to sit down. They found an empty table right behind Sam, who was sitting alone with a cocktail in front of her.

Before Danny and Tucker had a chance to talk to her the blond on the stage walked to her table, sitting beside her, lightening up a cigarette and offering it to her. She took a drag before giving it back to him, standing up and going to the stage.

"To be as She," She proclaimed the title.

"It is a night of dark desire, a song of sorrow,

Wolves vent their loneliness.

The ethereal one rises,

Curling wisps of death surround

her pale form a timeless agony.

Her raven hair cascades over translucent

Ivory shoulders and her full scarlet lips

Part slightly to taste red tears

Streaming from pale flesh beneath her

Now a night of ecstasy, I weep."

She returned to her table one more time, the blond gave her another cigarette, but this time she noticed the two very shocked boys sitting right behind her chair before sitting down.

"Danny, Tucker, what are you doing here?" She asked, surprised.

"We… wanted… to see you?" Danny tried, but Sam wasn't convinced. She walked over the exit, leaving them to follow her. Danny hid the flowers behind him and rushed after her.

"Danny," Tucker whispered, so that Sam wouldn't hear. "She's smoking."

"I noticed, Tuck."

They stood on the sidewalk, where Sam was waiting for them, still with that cigarette in between her fingers.

"I thought you two didn't like poetry." She said, simply, acting completely normal.

"We don't." Danny managed to smile. "But we just wanted to say we're sorry for being such jerks and that we wish you a very happy or Gothic birthday." He showed her the roses and it was Sam's turn to be shocked.

"You bought me flowers?" She stated the obvious because there was nothing else she could say.

"Well, you're Goth, depressive and indifferent, but you're still a girl." Tucker said. "We thought you'd like some fluffy stuff."

It took Sam only awkward minutes to manage to answer them. She smiled and jumped on their necks, giving them a big group hug.

"This is the best birthday gift ever!"

"Good." Danny said. "Now you can put out that cigarette so we can go watch that movie."

"I'm not putting it out." Sam said, breaking the hug. "I'll finish it."

"I didn't know you smoke." Tucker said, noticing that Sam was being all defensive again. He really didn't want her to be upset.

"I do, rarely." She said, walking in the direction to the movie theater. "Mostly when I'm upset."

"You know, it's illegal for fourteen years old to smoke and drink, right?" Danny insisted.

"Fifteen please, and yes, I do, but it's not like anyone will catch me." But as soon as she said that they heard a siren and a police car stopped right next to them, blocking their way out of the club.

"Hey, kids." A policeman said, smiling broadly.

"Sam, you better run." The Goth at the door said, entering the bar and yelling for everyone to run.

"Great!" Sam said, sarcastically to no one in particular.

The next day Sam called Danny saying that she was already home, but she wasn't allowed to go out for a month. She didn't give him time to ask questions, she hung up quickly, not telling him how her parents reacted when she was taken home by the police. She just said that indeed, it had been her best birthday.

Present Day

It was Saturday morning and Danny hadn't slept the whole night. In his mind he kept replaying what Sam had said to him. She had left town because she was pregnant. He hadn't expected that answer, but in the middle of his shock he was overwhelmed by the realization that the revelation might be true.

As much as he liked to think he knew her better than anyone else in the world, she always seemed to surprise him somehow. It had never crossed his mind that she might have had a boyfriend while he was with Valerie, he had never bothered asking.

She was a girl of many surprises, like when she got a tattoo and got her tongue pierced. She also surprised in a bad way, disappointing him in the process like when she was drinking and smoking. She could show him how smart she was in her own depressive way.

He couldn't stop an inner voice from saying what he wanted to deny so hard 'if she smoked, drank why she couldn't have sex?'

He was feeling deeply, madly jealous. Who she had been with? Did she go away with him? Was he in Canada with their child at the moment?

Danny would drown in an ocean of questions he had no answer for. It was better just go talk to her or simply forget the subject. He had more reasons to forget, then to insist on the matter. First, he had nothing to do with her life; second, he was going to be even more disappointed. She said to him once that ignorance is bliss and now he couldn't agree more.

Another thing that he couldn't help was to imagine how her child was. Was it a boy or a girl? Did he have violet eyes? Was she a mini-Sam? That child must be adorable.

What kind of friend he was? He had to show Sam that he still cared for her. She once told him girls usually didn't say what they truly thought or what they meant. Maybe it was the time he went to her and showed her that he liked her no matter what. If she was as alone as she said she was, she needed a friend.

He had finally decided to go talk to her, after all that time he spent thinking. He stood up, opened the door of his room, descended the stairs, entered the kitchen and had breakfast with his family.

Jazz was a psychologist now and she immediately noticed that there was something wrong.

"Had a bad dream, Danny?" She asked.

"No, I don't think I dreamed at all. I'm just tired." He forced a yawn to prove his point.

"Okay…" She seemed to be satisfied with the answer, but kept looking at him funnily.

He finished his breakfast and stood up. He returned to his room, showered and dressed. He put on the watch Sam had given him long ago, it was just a mental help he thought she might need. He immediately went ghost and flew out of his window.

It had been long since he flew to Sam's house. The streets looked the same, same old trees, same old houses. He spotted the familiar house he hadn't entered for five years. It took all his will power to go invisible and enter the house.

The room was exactly as he remembered, except for the candles. There was no candle. The laptop was closed on the bedside table. The window was closed to keep the cold fall breeze out.

She was asleep on her bed, covered to her chin. Danny had to smile when he saw her. She looked exactly the same since the day he had last seen her, except for the longer hair, she hadn't changed. He felt his chest swell in warm emotions he hadn't felt in years.

He missed watching her sleep.

He turned himself visible and brushed the hair from her face. He turned human and bent down to kiss her lightly on the cheek. Her skin felt exactly the same.

The small peck was enough to make Sam wake up. She moved slightly before turning to her side and opening her eyes. She smiled when she saw him and Danny felt relief wash through him like cold water in a hot summer day, but the sensation lasted for about thirty seconds before Sam sat up on her bed, looking at him in annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered, so that her mother couldn't hear her.

"I wanted to talk to you." He whispered back. "Please?" He made his best puppy face that a few years ago she couldn't resist. She just groaned and stood up in a small violet silk nightshirt and closed the door, before returning to the bed, complaining about the cold.

"We can talk now." She said in a normal voice. "What you want?"

"Sam, please don't give me a cold shoulder." He begged. "You're still my best friend."

"I'm not giving you a cold shoulder, Danny; I just don't have anything to talk to you anymore." She said simply. Somewhere inside her she felt something crack.

"Listen," He tried to ignore her answer. "I just wanted to tell you that I'd like to see your child, even though you're not just a girl anymore, even though you're a mommy with responsibilities and stuff, I still want to be part of your life." He smiled at her in a comforting way, trying to melt the icy barrier she had built around herself.

"He…" She tried to say, but stopped abruptly. "His name is Allan." She reached for her wallet that was on her bedside table and got three pictures.

Danny felt his heart melt when he grabbed the pictures, sitting on the bed by Sam's side. The first picture was of a small baby with big violet eyes and dark hair being held on Sam's arms. Danny felt a hand on his shoulder and she leaned forward to look at the pictures with him. The second picture was of a small boy about one year old holding a plushy bunny. The third was the same boy with three years old sitting on Sam's lap, both smiling broadly at the camera.

"Is he in Canada?" Danny asked.

"Yes."

"I'd like to meet this boy; he looks like a happy child." Danny said, kissing Sam on the top of her head. "I bet you're a wonderful mommy."

"Thank you." She smiled, sincerely, taking the pictures back and putting them in her wallet. They looked at each other for what seemed eternity before Sam finally said. "Did you really miss me, Danny?"

"So much that it seemed that I couldn't even breathe." He said. He noticed how full her lips were. Had they always been like that?

"I missed you, too." She held him tightly, letting one tear drop, but immediately hiding it.

"Sam, would I be impolite if I asked you who was he?" Danny popped the question that took the sleep away from him the whole night.

"I don't think I should tell you." Sam answered, looking down. "It's a sad story."

"Was he your boyfriend? At least tell me this." He begged.

"No, he wasn't." She said, sincerely, finally looking into his eyes to show him she wasn't lying. "We just shared one night, nothing else."

"Ok, I won't ask anymore about him." Danny said, grinning. "I wish I saw you with a big belly, eating everything in your fridge."

"Oh, don't remind me." She laughed, hitting him in the arm playfully.

"Tell me about the pregnancy, how was it?" He laid down on the bed, bringing her down with him, like they used to when they were alone.

"It was nice, I guess." She said. "My belly just started showing around the fourth month. I didn't gain much weight. I went to the doctor frequently to assure that everything was all right." She stopped and laughed as if she was remembering something very funny. "The first time the baby kicked I had a teacup on top of my stomach; he kicked so hard that the teacup fell on the floor."

"That must have hurt!" He laughed, too, tightening his embrace around her.

"It did, I was so scared that I called the doctor and she explained that the baby had just kicked." She smirked. "I was really mental that day. It was the first time I realized that there was another life inside of me."

"Were you alone all the time?" He asked. "Who took you to the hospital when it was time?"

"Nobody, I was in the kitchen when my water broke, it was gross by the way, and I quickly called a taxi. The driver helped me to the hospital and when I got there it took me five hours of killing contractions until that little angel was born." She said. "When I was in labor, I thought over and over again how much I hated being a woman and when I heard the cry… I mean… It was like all the pain was just washed away."

"I wish I was there to hold your hand." Danny said, without thinking. "Jazz said it helps."

"Well, I had a small plushy dog that I was squeezing, but it didn't help." She said.

"It's better when it's someone's knuckles you're cracking." He joked.

"It must be a real relief." She laughed, resting her cheek on his chest. "I'm glad you're not disgusted." She said, becoming serious again.

"Why would I be?" Danny asked, confused.

"When I said at the park that I was pregnant I thought you'd think of me like a slut or something. I didn't think you'd come here and ask about Allan."

"You surprised me." Danny said, sighing. "But I could never think badly of you."

"Thank you." She whispered, finally allowing herself to cry.

Danny held her in his arms, saying that everything was all right now. He was glad he could hold her in his arms again and he was even gladder that she wasn't pushing him away.

"I have to go back to Canada." She said in a muffed voice into his sweater. "In three days."

"Do you think you could find a job in Amity Park?" Danny patted her back. "In the Affluence Magazine, maybe, you could bring Allan and I could help you to take care of him."

"I can't stay here, Danny." She replied. "It brings me memories I want to avoid."

"I want you back in my life." He said sincerely. "I can't let you walk away again."

Sam shot up, looking at him as if she had seen a ghost (no jokes). She bit her lower lip so hard it bled. Her eyes were wide and her face much paler then thirty seconds before.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, sitting up, too, scared that she might be having a stroke or something.

"I can't be with you." She explained, tears filling her eyes once more. "I can't stay here."

Danny sighed. It was difficult. He had to understand why she couldn't be with him. At that moment he realized how much he loved her and she so stubbornly pushed him away.

"Are the memories that bad?" He asked. "Was your father the reason you couldn't stay?"

"I knew you'd figure part of it out sooner or later." Sam said, wiping her tears. "He caught me doing the pregnancy test and was furious."

"I can imagine, he wasn't the friendly type." Danny commented. "But he didn't beat you, did he?"

"He slapped me." She finally said. Danny couldn't find words. "And that night I heard him shouting at my mother that he wanted me to go away to some institution, so I decided to go away. He wanted me to have an abortion."

"You should have told me." Danny said. "I would have helped you."

"How could I tell you?" Sam looked at him angrily. "You were so busy with Valerie that you barely saw me!"

"That's not true, Sam, I always had time for you." Danny defended himself.

"Yeah, on the Friendly Tuesdays you always spent playing videogames." She pointed, sarcastically.

"Listen, it's not right, I don't want to fight with you." Danny stopped before they had another faithful fight and he never saw her again.

"Danny, I can't stay and that's final." She said, standing up and opening her wardrobe. "You don't need a depressive friend on your heels." She pointed out.

When she reached to open the wardrobe Danny caught a glimpse of a scar on her wrist. His mind went completely blank when he confirmed that it was indeed a scar, a very deep one. He couldn't say if he was furious or extremely disappointed. It felt like a stab on the heart.

"I want you to be happy, Danny." Sam continued. "I'm not good for you and I want you to find the right girl, marry her and have tons of babies. I want you to be so much happy…" but her words died on her lips when she felt Danny's hand gripping her left wrist tightly.

She looked down at his hand; he was gripping her so strongly that she could feel the bruises. It was when she noticed what he was looking at.

This is the biggest chapter, yet! I hope you enjoy it… I felt like ending the chapter when she revealed the pregnancy to Danny, but I changed my mind, I like to torture my readers with cliffhangers, but that would be cruel. Lol. Since I'm so nice to you, what about lots and lots of reviews? They're like candy to me, I can't get enough!