Hello! I'm back….
Thanks to my wonderful reviewers!
Raven of the Night676, Fey Phantom, divalady963, Fantastic Bouncy Girl, Love Sucks, XxFadedxMemoriesxX, SHADOW DRAGON TWISTER, WingsOfMorphius, the sleep warrior, Phoenix72389, sammanson, Slayer Of Souls
Now, you'll all start to have suspicions after this one hopefully. And before I start to get reviews that say this, I cannot explain what is happening until later chapters, but I will throw out many hints. So, with that little foreshadow, enjoy!
Disclaimers: Danny Phantom is owned by Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon Studios. "If You're Not The One" is property of Daniel Bedingfield. "Wherever You Will Go" is property of The Calling.
Chapter Five
Kiss Goodbye
One Week Later
I'll never know what the future brings…but I know you're here with me now…
So lately…been wondering…who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone…you'll need love…to light the shadows on your face
If a great wave shall fall…and fall upon us all…
Sam stared around her room. For the first time in her life that she could remember—it was actually bright. Her black curtains had been taken down and sunlight filtered through the streak free window onto the reddish carpet. Her walls had been painted over for the newcomers, so that it wouldn't feel so trapped.
That's exactly how she felt. Trapped and lonely and desperate and she wanted to scream and cry all at the same time. How could this be happening?
Her whole life. It had been spent here, in Amity Park. Not the best city, she knew. But it was the people here…whether they had been friends or not…she'd grown up knowing everything to be familiar and close to her. And she was about to leave it all behind.
And for what? So that her dad could run another company? It wasn't like they weren't already the owners of three different and very expensive corporations. None of which she'd been to until now.
Florida. The beautiful, "Sunshine State." Sam felt sick to her stomach at the thought of stepping into sunshine for longer than an hour.
"Sam?"
She turned at the voice to see Danny and Tucker approach her, coming up from the stairs and felt her throat constrict.
"Hey guys…"
Then between the sand and stone, could you make it on your own?
If I could, then I would, I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high, or down low, I'll go wherever you will go
"Come to see me off?" she asked, pretending to brush her hair with her fingers so that she could hide any possible tears. She couldn't do this…
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Tucker said with a grin. "And just so you know, that's not what I meant. That didn't come out right. I meant-"
"I know Tucker," she cut him off by saying. She turned to Danny and cocked her head to the side curiously. "Got sleep Dan?"
He yawned as they said it. "Not really," he replied.
"Somebody's been online buying something," Tucker said suddenly. "And it's pretty dang expensive too if he gets the right one."
"What?" Sam asked.
Danny, his blue eyes wide as he stared at his best friend, quickly intervened. "I was talking to him online last night and nothing else, and he knows it."
"What is going on between you two?" she asked, responding to Tucker's hysterical laughter.
"Nothing," he insisted, elbowing him.
"It's nothing," Tucker agreed, making it sound unconvincing.
"I've decided that I don't want to know," she told them both. She bent down and picked up the last box of her room stuff.
"Here, let me help," Danny said, relieving her of the burden.
"I knew you were good for something," she teased.
"Hey!" he said defensively. "Just because I have super-"
Sam stepped on his foot ("Ow!") as she saw her mother walk up the stairs. "Sam, dear. Oh, hello." She finally noticed Tucker and Danny standing there and her jaw adjusted before she continued speaking. "Everything ready?"
"Nearly," she replied.
"We'll be heading out soon," she said. "We're going to stay at the Lawton Estate tonight."
"Swell," she said sarcastically, knowing her mother wouldn't notice.
"I have to go get one more thing if you'll excuse me," she said, pushing past all three of them in her hurry to get to the room next to Sam's that had once been her bedroom.
And maybe, I'll find out, a way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days…
If a great wave shall fall…and fall upon us all…
"Come on," Sam suggested, nodding her head towards the door.
She led them down the stairs, brushing the stairwell post with her fingers and remembering all of the times that they'd walked up those stairs. All the times Danny had tried to slide down the rail and land "gracefully" on his feet; an attempt that never happened. All the times he'd tripped going upstairs. All the times they'd decided to play dominoes right there. Homecoming night, the same night that she'd almost told Danny her feelings, but had chickened out as she had walked down those stairs after seeing him look so fancy for his standards. Everything…she smiled, trying to recall of those memories.
How could she possibly leave all this? All of it behind, like it didn't even matter anymore. Why did any of this have to happen? She found herself unable to answer her repeated questions once again.
"Sam?" Tucker asked. "I wouldn't recommend stopping since Danny is right behind you with a big box of your stuff in his arms."
"Hey, I haven't dropped it yet," he said.
"Key word: yet," Tucker pointed out.
Sam laughed. "Sorry," she said, stepping all the way down and opening the door for them both as they walked outside.
She saw the moving van out front. Her parents had hired the best of course; they were even famous for being the neatest and gentlest with personal possessions as they moved them out of the house.
Her parents had told her a week ago that she had just only a week to pack up. A week. She had to get all of her things together, say her goodbyes, and leave the only place that she actually had called home. In one week.
Which was of course, because she knew her parents had also hired workers to help them move so quickly. There were some days she wished she wasn't rich; how much simpler would things be? Would she even be in this situation? She doubted it was likely.
Then I hope there's someone out there who, can bring me back to you
If I could, then I would, I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high, or down low, I'll go wherever you will go
"Sam, dear, are you almost ready?" Mariah asked, following her out of the house.
"No," she grumbled.
Mariah tried to smile. "Come on, don't be a killjoy," she said super happily, making even Tucker raise an eyebrow. "We'll head off in a few moments. Maybe we'll get to catch the sunset."
"Yeah," Sam said. She waited until her mother left before she muttered, "And maybe I'll throw myself out of the car."
Tucker sighed. "Well, we knew this day would come unfortunately."
"No, we didn't," she told him. "We thought we were always going to be together."
"We can still be together," Danny told them. "Distance doesn't change a lot."
"No, it just changes everything," she said, biting her lip.
"You know Dan and I will always come visit you," he said. "You know that right?" He stared into her eyes, waiting for an answer.
"Yeah, I know," she groaned. "I just wish we could do it everyday."
"Hey, Danny might be able to if he flies. Super speed and all," Tucker suggested.
"Tucker's right for once," Danny teased, assuring her at the same time. "I can come visit you a lot. And if Tucker's not to chicken to fly a hundred miles, I'm sure he'll do the same."
"I am not chicken," he protested.
They managed to bring a smile to her face and Tucker stepped forwards, hugging her. "See you Sam."
"Bye Tuck," she said.
"Ah, ah," Danny intervened. "Not goodbye. Just a see you. This is not goodbye."
Runaway with my heart, runaway with my hope, runaway with my love
I know now…just quite how…my life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
"Right," she replied. She turned around. "What do you say Danny, want a hug?"
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her tightly and she clutched her hands into fists, leaning her head on his shoulders. Why couldn't she stay like this forever…?
"Sam, let's go!" Mariah shouted. "Come on dear, before we miss our flight!"
"What a shame that would be," she grumbled, pulling away. She turned back to him, fighting back tears. "Well…looks this is goodbye."
"Yeah…" he whispered.
"Take care--"
She was midsentence when time suddenly warped. A flash of red light flared around them and time continued on—but very slowly, second by second broken down. Danny and Sam were both unaware of what was really going on.
He stepped up to them, holding out his hand. On his finger laid a ruby red ring tinged with pink and gold. He turned to Sam first.
"Sam, girl. Take a chance. There is nothing stopping you but yourself and you know it. Danny is the only person that you care how he thinks about you. Well, guess what? He thinks you're great. And he's going to miss you more than you know. Tell him when you're ready. Either way, you'll be ready."
He switched his gaze onto Danny next.
"Danny. I know what you're afraid of. It's the one thing every friend is afraid of. But you can't fear love and you certainly can't deny it either. Taking that step will mean everything to Sam. Take it slow and you'll get used to it. Tell her how much you're going to miss her. It's one promise you know you'll keep."
He grinned and lowered his hand. "Tear it up guys…" he whispered, his red eyes alive with excitement. "This is going to be good."
I'll stay with you, for all of time
If I could, then I would, I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high, or down low, I'll go wherever you will go
Time continued again full speed, but the stranger was nowhere to be seen and had been unseen by anyone at all.
Danny shook his head, the whispered words of his conscience finally picking up and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Sam blinked, cutting off her statement and shaking a sudden thought of out her head and going red just thinking about it. She turned back to Danny, wringing her hands together.
"Take care Danny," she finished.
"You too," he replied.
After a moment of hesitation, he leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. She hugged him again, feeling delight run through her whole body at his action, still feeling the vague loneliness that threatened to take over her and fighting back a new wave of tears.
"Sam!" Mariah insisted.
"I'm coming," she called, irritated. She stared up into his eyes. "See you later Danny."
"See you," he said, swallowing.
She lingered only a moment and then, her arms crossed over her chest for a secure feeling, walked over to her parents' expensive car and climbed in the back, staring longingly out of the window.
Danny and Tucker stood in the yard, waving to her as the car began to drive away, the moving van fast behind them. Soon, they had disappeared completely.
"What was that all about?" Tucker wondered.
"Hmm?" he asked, sounding miserable.
"The kissing thing," he replied with a grin.
"I felt like it," he answered. "I had this voice in my head that told me too."
Tucker stared. "Sure…" He didn't smile and he sighed. "Wanna go home?"
"Yeah…" he agreed. He stared back up at the large house as they walked to his car and wished that it was all a dream and Sam wasn't really moving. Or that they would drive back home, realizing she'd forgotten something and he'd get the chance to…
To do what? he found himself wondering. So what did he really want?
If I could turn back time, I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine, I'll go wherever you will go
I'll go wherever you will go
That actually turned out to be longer than I expected. So yay, another chapter done.
Oh, for those of you who do happen to watch Charmed and see a certain (Cough, cough) "similarity" to one of the things in here, please do not blurt it out in a review. Yes, I did steal one thing from one of the episodes but it's also very different. So, I ask that you keep it secret so those that don't know will be surprised when I reveal what it actually is.
Please R&R! Here's your sneak peek!
Chapter Six: Random Thoughts
"We're going to play a little game," he said, pacing around the front of the classroom.
Danny set his hands out in front of him on the desk flat and set his chin down between his fingers, vaguely listening. Why couldn't he concentrate? It was only the first day and he found himself wishing he was somewhere else.
"The game has no name, although a lot of people have made up their own versions. The rules are, no cussing whatsoever and nothing else inappropriate and then there are no rules after that," he continued explaining. "What we're going to do is, I'm going to say a word, and then I want you to say the first word that comes to your mind. Got it?"
Tucker and Danny exchanged glances and he shrugged. They'd played it thousands of times. With Sam…of course, he thought solemnly.
Lateraina Wolf
