AN- This chapter should me an M, but this site won't let me change the rating, I keep getting errors, so I just decided to warn you here.

Chapter Ten

And so their pretending was over, Sam had said the night before, in Danny's room that Kyle would be gone in the morning and it left no other excuse to keep pretending. Danny met Sam at school for the second period as they had said and they spent their day normally, like they had always done before that whole pretending thing started.

Danny was dying to see a journalist in a corner, to see sneaky face daring them to kiss again, but unfortunately, nothing like an excuse happened to make Danny sweep Sam off her feet with a mind blowing kiss. The journalists seemed to have vanished a few days before Sam' small trip and the students had grown used to the idea that they were a couple. There wasn't a single teasing. Danny and Sam was a serious couple and when it became clear to everybody it wasn't fun to tease them anymore.

"Danny!" Sam came running to him before she went home. "My dress is violet, by the way." She kissed his cheek and walked away, never giving him a chance to respond. Danny stood there for a minute, wondering what she was talking about and trying to extend the lingering of her kiss on his cheek.

Oh crap, he had forgotten to get a suit for the ball! That's what she was talking about. She was really looking forward to that ball. He couldn't let her down. He ran through the corridors to the exit hoping that if he was quick he could find the proper tux in time, and as soon as he walked out the door he saw Sam standing there, very surprised, in front of Kyle.

"I thought you had left already." She said; her voice was gentler than she used to address him.

Danny turned invisible immediately. He wanted to hear everything they were going to say even though it was completely immoral and selfish, but his jealousy towards Kyle was endless; he just had to know if he would kidnap her or anything. Kyle grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the back of the school where nobody was around.

"Listen, I love you, Sam. I can't live without you." He said, desperately. His hands framed her face and he had to keep himself from kissing her over and over again. His manners were still impeccable.

"Why do you insist so much, Kyle? You know I like Danny. I already said that I like you as a friend and I accepted your ring, but we can't be together." Sam answered, hating to break his heart.

"You're mistaken." He gave her a small laugh. "I'm not asking you to leave him. I just wanted a kiss."

Danny saw Sam hesitate, but she closed her eyes and leaned upwards, accepting his kiss. Danny closed his eyes, not being able to see it.

"Save me a dance at the ball." He asked, in a whisper.

"The first dancewill beyours." She smiled. Kyle was satisfied with the answer. He let go of her, turned around and left her there.

Danny's heart was heavy; If Sam liked that man so much, why wouldn't she be with him? There she was, crying because of him, but still she refused him. Danny didn't understand.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was the Valentine's ball night. Danny nervously made his tie. He checked his hair, his shoes, and his underwear (you never know!). Everything was perfect. He exited his room, met his father on the living room and gave his best puppy dog eyes.

Early that morning Jack agreed on lending Danny the RV so that Danny could drive Sam to the ball instead of walk, but Jack replied that the RV was inappropriate for the situation and told him to get Jazz's car. When Jack saw Danny he remembered his promise and lend the boy the car keys.

"You behave, mister, I want this car in one piece. If your sister ever finds out I'm dead."

"Thanks dad and don't worry about it." Danny smiled and left the house. Could anyone be happier? He was taking this beautiful girl to the ball and had a very good car. Well, yes, actually, he could be happier, he could be sure that Sam was going to dance only with him that night and that her mind would be focused on him and not on Kyle.

Usually, to Sam's house it took him ten minutes on foot, but by car it barely took two. He knocked on her door and was very displeased to see her father answering it.

"Danny…" He sighed. "You see, Sam is ready, but she sat by the piano just now."

"What? She plays piano?" Danny was very surprised. He didn't know Sam hadany kind of talent expect being Goth (which wasn't exactly a talent).

"She hasn't played for years!" Mr. Manson looked very excited about it. "Come and look."

Danny was curious. It had never crossed his mind that Sam would have a thing for music. Mr. Manson opened the door for the piano room very slightly so that Sam wouldn't notice she had an audience.

Danny's breath was completely taken away. Sam was wearing a violet, strapless dress with silver jewels and shoes. Her hair was up in an elegant knot and her lips were shining with Danny's favorite lip gloss (it tasted like cherries!). She was sitting by the piano and her hands moved fluidly through the keys.

"Oh I'll twine with my mingles and waving black hair
With the roses so red and the lilies so fair
And the mirtles so bright with the emerald dew
The pale and the leader and eyes look like blue"

Her voice gave lyrics to go with the melody she was playing. Danny felt so light at that moment that he had to check to make sure that he wasn't floating.

"I will dance I will sing and my laugh shall be gay
I will charm every heart in each crown I will sway
When I woke from my dreaming my idols were clay
All portions of love had all blown away"

Was she an angel? Was she some kind of dark angel that had modern ideas and the pale shinning of heavens? He was proud of her at that moment. That beautiful girl sitting by the piano was his best friend and hopefully tonight she was going to be his.

"Oh he taught me to love him and promised to love
And to cherish me over all others above
How my heart is now wondering no misery can tell
He's left me no warning no words of farewell"

'What is she saying?' Danny panicked. Had she composed a song for Kyle?

"Oh he taught me to love him and call me his flower
That was blooming to cheer him through life's dreary hour
Oh I long to see him and regret the dark hour
He's gone and neglected his pale wildwood flower"

Danny was confused. Kyle had left? Was he the reason why Sam was sitting by the piano? Weren't they going to dance tonight before he left? Mostly, Danny felt jealousy, he was angry at Kyle for capturing Sam's attention, but he was mostly angry at himself who never took the courage to tell Sam everything she meant to him and allowing her to fall for someone else.

Against Mr. Manson's wishes, Danny knocked on the door, surprising Sam. He gave her a smile when he opened the door and she saw him. She looked like a child who was caught eating cookies before dinner.

"Danny, I didn't know you were here already." She said, still surprised.

"Yeah, I promised you 7 o'clock." He said, stretching out a hand that she gladly accepted. "I know I'm usually late, but not tonight."

"We're going then. Bye dad." Sam said, walking out of her house arm in arm with her best friend. "I'll see you there."

"You look stunning." Danny said,holding the door of the car open for her.

"You don't have to compliment me." She blushed. "Is it Jazz's car?"

"Yeah, I borrowed it without telling her. And I do think you're stunning." He said, sitting on the driver's seat. "And smelling really good, too."

Sam rolled her eyes, still doubting his sincerity and turned the radio on.

"I heard you playing, by the way." He smiled, studying her reaction. "You never told me you played."

"I used to like playing, but then I just got tired of it. Today I felt like trying it again."

"I liked it." He smiled, capturing her hands on his. "I'd like to watch you play more often if that's okay with you."

"Sure… but only when my parents leave. I don't like to play when they're around. They keep requesting songs." She smiled, holding his hand tighter on hers.

"It's settled then." He had to take his hand away regretfully to park the car in front of the school. "And we're here." He looked at Sam who was about to open the door. "Hey, wait up!" He said, then he turned around and opened the door for her. "This is what a gentleman does."

"You seriously need to stop doing that." She laughed. "And Kyle left so we don't have to pretend okay? Don't force yourself to stay with me."

"I wasn't going to." He smiled. "Really, Sam, let me be nice tonight."

"Fine, do whatever you want." She was still suspicious that it was a prank. Danny wasn't like that. It was completely out of character. "Wasn't the ball going to be in a fancy buffet?"

"Don't ask me."

Danny spotted Tucker and Valerie as soon as he arrived and immediately went to stand besidethem bringing Sam with him. The music was already playing, but nobody was dancing. Sam wondered if Kyle would show up like he had promised, he wasn't in her house and his room was empty.

To Sam, a night talking to Danny and Tucker was not exactly what she was expecting. She wanted to dance and enjoy herself, Danny wouldn't ask her. She wasn't popular so she couldn't expect to talk to new people and she wasn't interested in talking anyway, nobody there was worth more than a 'hello'. Valerie was much more into the conversation with Dannythen she was. It was a shame that it was school ball, because if there weren't chaperones and the drinks were alcoholic, she could be trying to get drunk, which would make people more bearable and interesting.

She saw Danny looking at Valerie. He gave her a smallglance before Tucker would notice. Sam was sure it was a longing look. He had given up on her, but he still liked her. She checked her watch and found that it wasfive minutespast midnight.

That ball wasn't what Sam was expecting at all.

She blushed when Danny caught her staring at him. She made an excuse and stood up, leaving the table. She took a walk around the room, doing her favorite hobby: people watching.

Unfortunately, her parents were chaperones along with Mr. Miles and Kyle, but Kyle wasn't anywhere to be found. Her father hadn't arrived, yet. She knew that if she ignored her parents the whole night they would be very upset with her, so she decided to say a small hello.

"How do you like the party, mom?" She asked, sipping on the punch, hoping it would magically become alcoholic. She was so frustrated at the moment. Why didn't Danny ask her to dance? He had spent the whole night sitting down, talking to Tucker and Valerie!

"I couldn't expect less from someone as amazing as John." Mrs. Manson said, shining in her uncountable jewels. "Although, I think you seem very distant from your boyfriend tonight. Have you had a fight?" She asked, hopefully.

"No. We're cool." Sam answered quickly. "Are you enjoying the party, Mr. Miles?"

"Do not address yourself to me." He said, disgusted, turning away from her like she was an insect and going to talk to the teachers.

"What?" She asked, surprised and angry to be spoken to like that. She never had done anything to that man and she wasn't going to take insults from him. "What have I done to you?" She jumped in front of him, looking very angry. Her mother gave a little scream, which made several people stop to look at them.

"You are an ungrateful child." He said, loud enough to make everyone in the room hear them. "And my son," He continued, seeing that Sam just stood there with her mouth hanging open. "He left hours ago crying his eyes out saying that he was going for Europe for the next months to forget about you!"

"He- what?" Sam couldn't believe her ears. Had she really broken his heart that badly? But Kyle seemed cool that same afternoon when she granted him a kiss.

"Thanks to you and your attitude my son left me!" Mr. Miles was infuriated. "What has this attitude given you, Samantha? Your mother talked to me the yesterday about you. You are ungrateful!"

"You have no right to talk to me like that, Mr. Miles!" Sam replied, looking at her mother for support, but finding nothing but tears.

"You ripped my son's heart out, how do you want me to talk to you?" He replied. Sam tried to walk away, but he held her on her spot by grabbing her arms, she yanked her arms away from him. "You started this conversation, missy, now you can't handle it? Show your friends how tough you really are!" He turned to shout at her while she was stalking halfway through the ballroom.

Sam felt all eyes on her, piercing through her like daggers. Sam understood what it was all about. It was Mr. Miles' last attempt to marry her to his son. She saw pictures being taken from her, 'so the journalists returned…' suddenly, everything became clear to her; it was Mr. Miles who had hired the journalists to follow her, he was trying to trap her like she was some kind of celebrity fearing an exposé. If there was something Sam didn't fear it was a public fight.

"Mr. Miles…" She called; her voice icy, she slowly turned around to glare him. "I have done some research about you." She said, making him stop and turn around to look at her, daring her to go any further. "Do people know that your oil company are about to bankrupt? Do people know you tried to marry me to your son to get my parent's financial support?"

Mrs. Manson looked incredulously at Mr. Miles, torn between believing on her daughter or in her cousin.

"I'm sure the tabloids will have a busy day, tomorrow." She replied, icily, "And your son went away because he was the one who told me all this. Unlike his father, he wouldn't betray a friend." And then she turned around and stormed out of the ballroom, torn between the satisfaction of finally saying all she thought about him and the pain of having destroyed her friend's heart.

Danny stood up and ran after her. He surely wasn't going to get to dance with her tonight and the surprise he had prepared for her had gone completely wasted.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Kyle!" Sam entered her house, calling for him at the top of her lungs. Her make-up was slowly disappearing. Her hair was down. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and the running. "Kyle!" She called again.

Danny was invisible, watching her.

"Kyle, please…" She cried, dropping on her knees in the empty living room. "I didn't mean to hurt you." She sobbed. She sat against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Sam…?" Danny whispered, materializing in front of her. She didn't look up to see him there. She was using her dress as curtains that framed her protectively from everything that belonged to the outside world; Danny included.

She clutched to her arms tightly and her sobs became quieter. The sight before him broke Danny's heart completely. He couldn't bear the fact that she was broken, that she was sad because of someone else. She looked up to meet his eyes and slowly stood up, wearing on her indifference mask.

"Oh no, you won't play indifferent with me." Danny said, indignantly. He put both his hands on the wall, pinning her against it. She tried to move him away from her, but it was impossible. His arms were way larger than hers, stronger and his chest was pressing against hers, not allowing her a decent personal space. "Tell me, Sam. I need to know." He asked, sounding desperate. "Do you love Kyle?"

"You know I don't love anyone, Danny." She answered, her voice tired from crying. "It's just that I have been so unfair to him." Tears run down her face one more time. "I broke his heart."

"You didn't break his heart. For what I've heard his father did." Danny said, pressing up against her; "Answer me, Sam. Do you like him?"

"Not like that…" She left he tears flow like a river. "He knows everything, Danny. I told him about the pretending." She cried. "And I told him I couldn't be with him… because of you. I told him when we were in New York. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just didn't want to stop pretending. I'm sorry I ruined your night."

He lifted one hand to caress her face softly.

Sam looked up to him in alarm, noticing he was pressing against her and that she was reacting in a way she wasn't supposed to. They were alone. They weren't supposed to be doing this. He was supposed to back away and be relived that they wouldn't have to be together again. Why was he getting closer to her?

"What are you doing, Danny?" She asked, breathily, as he pressed even more. Even with their clothes separating them, it was impossible to missany part of him. What she was feeling for him at that moment was like forbidden bliss.

"I'm not sure… do want me to stop?" He whispered huskily on her ears, feeling her shivering under him. When she didn't answer, he placed his hands on her waist and bent his head down, capturing her lips in an insistent and passionate kiss.

She put her hands on his chest, trying to push him away, helplessly, but her legs gave out, feeling completely weak. He held her in place by lowering his hands to her hips. He pushed his thigh up in between her legs and if it was to keep her up or to…do something else, she couldn't tell because it was working both ways.

He let go off her lips and trailed kisses down her neck, holding her hands up on both sides of her head and intertwining their fingers. He unconsciously pushed his hips against hers building sensations that they had never felt before.

Danny opened his eyes to see Sam's face. She had her eyes closed; her mouth open and she had thrown her head back. He panicked. What were they doing? He stepped away from her, clumsily falling backwards.

She fell down, too, sliding against the wall. Her whimpers were the only thing that broke the silencein the room. Studying her face, Danny noticed that they didn't exactly do a bad thing.

"What was that?" She asked, breathing heavily.

"You know very well what it was, Miss Manson." He grinned at her. He reached his hand forward and touched her hands, going for her arms until he reached her boneless form and successfully pulled her forward, towards him, until she was sitting on his lap. Her face was burning up. Danny moved, changing their positions so grand himself more access to her. He placed her on the carpeted floor and laid on top of her. "I thought about giving Mr. Miles a goodbye gift, if you don't mind."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, the mood completely gone.

"Haven't you seen the security camera?" Danny asked. "It's hanging on the ceiling." He was still kissing her neck, nibbling softly. "Don't worry; I was careful while changing back in my human form." He grinned.

Realization washed over Sam. He was pretending. He was still pretending. That's right; he was never going to like her for real, was he? He wasn't over Valerie, yet. He could deny it to the world, but not to her. She knew him like the back of her hand.

For what seemed an eternity, she just lay there, letting him kiss her while looking incredibly gorgeous in that tux, nib her and do whatever he wanted without responding. He explored every bit of her face his lips. He explored her mouth as fully as he could before roaming downwards, finding the soft skin of her neck and gently biting her, that action made Sam moan loudly and shakeunder himlike electricity had just gone right through her head from her toes. How could he be so passionate without meaning it?

"Danny… we don't have to do itanymore." She said, gasping as her fingers found the way up to his hair. "He's gone. I'm not going to marry anyone." His hands were less shy than she remembered. Usually they'd rest on her waist, but this time the shameless hands were groping a little too much, going up and down her body not deciding where to rest.

"But that Mr. Miles is still around… I'd like to rub it on his face." Danny said between kisses. "I want to show him he never had a chance snatching you away from me."

"Danny, we were never together." She said, breathily as he kept kissing her, each kiss more passionate than the previous one. "And I lied to you about the cameras, they were installed but they're not working, yet."

"Sam… it's not about the camera." He backed away from her looking into her eyes like he was looking into her soul. His stare made her shiver. "Just kiss me back, please?"

"Okay…" She reached up to him and gave him a small kiss on the lips before smirking. "But just because you asked so nicely." And she kissed him back with all her heart. He licked, bit and kissed a single spot on her neck, making her wonder why he was doing that.

"I'm giving you a hickey." He said, as if he could read her thoughts. Sam didn't protest, just allowed him to do what he wanted. He lowered his hands again, groping her and meaning it, not in a pretending way. He hooked her leg over his waist and Sam noticed it as soon as he put his hands on her like that that it had turned into something real. Somewhere along the road, the pretending became real.

Sam was going to ask him if he'd like to go up to her room, but they got interrupted by the front door opening abruptly. They stood up, surprised and fixing their clothes before anybody saw what they where doing in the middle of the living room. Mr. Miles and Mr. Manson walked in the living room just a few seconds later.

"Sam…" Mr. Manson said. "You have my permission to date Danny." He said, furious and turned to Mr. Miles. "Please, pack your belonging and go away, John."

"We can still do business together." Mr. Miles insisted.

"My family money stays in the family, John." Mr. Manson said. "And you're not part of it anymore."

"Thanks to your lovely daughter." Mr. Miles replied, sarcastically.

"It wouldn't be yours even if I married Kyle, Mr. Miles…" Sam said, facing him. "I wouldn't give you a penny to save your company!"

"Kyle would." Mr. Mile answered.

"You underestimate your son." Sam smirked. "One day you'll see it." She turned around, grabbing Danny's hand and pulling him towards her room.

"You want to talk about it later?" Danny asked, as soon as Sam closed the door of the room behind her. "I think you've got enough headaches tonight."

"No… I want to finish it right now." She said, kissing him again. "I think it's too real to deny it any longer." She grinned, letting herself fall for him completely. "Just tell me one thing. When did it become real?"

"To me? The first day, I guess, or during that first kiss..." He laughed, placing his hands on her waist and bringing her as close as the laws of physics allowed. "And you?"

"I realized it the night I ran away with Kyle. I did that because you were focused on Valerie and I didn't want to even hear about it." She explained, sincerely; "I told Kyle everything; he knew I was crazy about you and there was no room for him."

"I'm glad." He leaned forward to kiss her again, but she stopped with more questions. "Why didn't you ask me to dance?"

"Oh, that…" Danny laughed awkwardly when he remembered what he had planned for the evening. "You see… I was going to give you this exactly at half past midnight. I had an agreement with the DJ that he'd play your favorite song." He said, digging into his pocket and getting a small box.

"What is it?" She asked, curiously.

"Open it." He said.

Sam picked the delicate velvety box in her hands and opened it carefully. She gasped when she saw what was inside. It was a delicate necklace of white gold craved in red 'My Wild Rose.' Sam was stunned and couldn't form a single word.

"Yeah, it is that song that you like, even if it's a tragedy I understand the intensity of their love. And, well, since you like it, I thought it'd be a good idea. Sorry if it's too lame…" He scratched his neck, not really knowing what else to say, it was when Sam stopped him with a kiss, he felt a single tear on her face that he quickly brushed away.

"Thank you so much. I'm never taking it off." She kissed him again and turned around, lifting her hair up so that he could put it on for her.

The scene was almost perfect. As soon as he tied the necklace, he bent down and kissed her neck softly, circling his arms around her and bringing her close once again. Finally, they were together for real, without thoughts of Kyle, of Valerie or anybody else to disturb the peaceful course their relationship was leading.

And this is the end... or not. I mean, there still is the epilogue. Thanks again to Rae whochecked the grammar and typosand gave me some ideas for more fluff. I think this is time to thank all my wonderful readers and reviewers. I' had never gotten so many reviews before and I am teary about it. You were so wonderful that I am thinking about writting a sequel. So, thanks again and wait fot the epilogue!