A/N: Okay, this is a very played out plot I bet, but I'd bet you've never seen one like this before!
Your Eyes
5S5S5S5S5S5
Your eyes
As we said our goodbyes
Can't get them out of my mind
And I find I can't hide (from)
Your eyes
5S5S5S5S5S5
"Hey, Sam," Danny said. "Sam?" He snapped his fingers in front of his best friend's face.
"Huh?" Sam questioned, only now realizing what was going on. She looked at Danny.
"I asked if you wanted to come to the video game store with Tucker and me after school," Danny repeated.
"Uh...I don't know, guys, I don't think-"
Tucker cut her short. "Sam, for the last couple of days you haven't been wanting to hang out with us," he stated.
"It's not that I don't want to, just that-"
"Is something wrong?" Danny asked. There was a strange look in Sam's eyes that he'd never seen in the girl. And now that he was paying close attention to both her sagging shoulders and the slightly noticeable bags beneath her eyes, he could tell something was up. She wasn't telling them something and she wasn't getting any sleep because of it. "Anything going on that we should know about?"
Sam looked into his vivid blue eyes. How could she break the news to them? To him? "It's nothing," she said and stood from the table where they were. "I'll be right back," she said and began to walk away.
"What's eating her?" Tucker asked. He was getting a little annoyed by her attitude lately. She was having mood-swings. Danny had tried to make him have a little patience with her, but he just wouldn't listen. If something was wrong and she knew it was the cause of her mixed emotions, then she should say something. Danny couldn't help but agree, but knew better than to pressure the girl into telling them if she didn't want to. If it's a secret, then so be it. But if it got to the point where she looked as if she wasn't getting any sleep at all and was starting to pull away, he was going to have to ask, whether she wanted him to butt in or not. It was for her own good after all.
"She's hiding behind a casual tone," Danny murmured, musing to himself.
"What?"
"Can't you sense it? Her tone was forced. The way she said it...it was almost uneven. And her eyes, they were glazed over, as if she was trying to hold back tears or something."
"Dude, you notice to much," Tucker said. "What's next? She has a chipped tooth?"
Danny rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I think I'm gonna go talk to her, see if I can coax her into telling me what's wrong."
"Good luck, man," Tucker said.
Danny sighed and stood. He had seen Sam go into the school. She must have been planning on going somewhere where she can be alone. Most students were outside having lunch so there was a large variety of places like that. But of course, her favorite was the library. She loved it there. It was quiet, and there was usually no one there. Not to mention you could almost get lost in the maze of book cases. Wow, a totally new meaning to the phrase 'lost yourself in a book.'
Danny reached the library and walked inside. There were only about two students, each with their books set on the tables. They were reading and keeping to themselves. The librarian was sitting at her desk also reading a book. But there was no sign of Sam.
Danny walked in further, soon able to smell the friendly sour smell of books and old pages. The sound of pages turning was also welcoming. "Hope she's here," he mumbled, walking towards the beginning of the maze of book shelves. "Sam?" he called out quietly, but loud enough to be heard at about a five foot distance. "Sam? Are you here?"
"Shh!" came the sound of the librarian. Danny turned, smiled sheepishly and went back into hiding behind some of the shelves.
So far nothing.
He kept walking for a few more minutes when a small caught his ear. He was so alert, he could swear his ears perked. "Sam?" he asked, walking towards the sound. His walk soon evolved into almost a run as the sound became rather perceivable. It was a soft, sobbing sound. Danny knew it had to be Sam. "Sam?" he called again.
Danny stopped as the sound became unable to be pin-pointed. He cocked his head to one side and listened. His eyes widened and he ran to the end of the bookcase and looked to his left, then he turned. He came into a U-shaped area of book cases. There was no other way out except where you came from. All around on the book shelves were morbid titles and black, red, purple, and gray book covers.
Danny's eyes avoided everything other than the crouched form on the floor. Sam had her knees pulled up to her chin. Her arms hugged her knees, and her face was buried in her arms. Her hair fell over her arms too, only hiding her face more. Danny rushed over to her quickly and crouched down, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Sam?" he asked. Just as his hand touched her shoulder and the word escaped his lips, Sam's head shot up and she looked at him, wiping away tears the minute the person's face registered in her mind.
5S5S5S5S5S5
The ones that took me by surprise
The night you came into my life
Where there's moonlight
I see your eyes
5S5S5S5S5S5
Danny withdrew his hand a few inches. Sam's eyes were slightly red from crying. Tears stained her cheeks, and she looked very pale. "Sam?" Danny asked, brows furrowing with concern and worry. "Sam, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Sam murmured, wiping away her tears and turning away from Danny. Danny cupped her chin between his thumb, index, and middle fingers, turning her face back to him.
"Come on, Sam," he whispered in a sing-song, rhythmic tone. "You can tell me. What's wrong?" His eyes scanned over her face. It broke his heart to see her like that. She looked so sad, and yet she looked worried about something. "Is something wrong at home?" Danny asked. "Anything I can help with?"
"Oh, Danny," Sam whispered, her voice uneven and on the verge of breaking again. "I'm so sorry."
"Sam, your my best friend, there's nothing to be sorry about," Danny assured her. He wiped away the traces of tears on her face with his thumb and smiled thinly. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Sam."
Best friends, Sam thought. We are now, but once... Sam felt more tears come to her eyes. A sobbing sound escaped her throat, and she shook her head. Danny frowned and sat dow in front of her, crossing his legs into a horizontal 'X.'
"Aw, Sam," he mumbled. She had her face buried in her hands, her knees falling to one side. She looked miserable and Danny did not like it. He didn't like it one bit. "Come on, please don't cry. What's wrong?"
"My parents..." Sam sobbed. Danny was suddenly alarmed. What happened to her parents?
"What about your parents?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding as if he was assuming the worst. When Sam didn't answer, he felt an impulse to just hold her. "Sam? If it's that serious..." he mumbled, putting both hands on either shoulder. Gently, he pulled her to him. She did nothing to stop him. Before long, he was holding her close to him, hugging her gently.
"I'm leaving," Sam mumbled incoherently.
"Hm?" Danny asked.
"My parents...want to move..." Sam sobbed. "I'm leaving, Danny. I'm going off to another state, maybe country. They haven't decided. Either way I'll be far from you...I'll never see you again..."
"But why?"
"Because they hate you," Sam spat the words out with such anger, it almost caused Danny to jump. "My mom just hates you...she would do anything to just get me away from you..."
Danny only held her, not saying anymore. She does hate him, he knew. He remembered when she put a restraining order on him. It was only taken off when Sam finally put on a pink, yellow-flowered dress. He had to admit, it was disturbing.
"Just try to understand her, Sam," he said quietly, in his same rhythmic tone. "She's just doing what's best for you. She only has your best interests in mind."
"She doesn't care about that," Sam spat. "She only cares about keeping you away from me." She paused. Danny waited for her to say something more. "But..." she said. He could see her lower lip quiver. She was probably trying to keep back her tears. "I don't want to leave, Danny..."
"I know you don't," Danny said. "But I can't do anything, Sam. They're your parents. I have no say in what they decide to do..."
Sam stopped shaking. She'd been trembling before, but now she was completely still. She sniffled quietly, then nodded. "Yeah," she said. Slowly, she leaned up off Danny into an up-right sitting position. Danny did nothing to hold her back. He only watched her.
She wiped away some of her tears with the back of her hand and stood. "You can't do anything about it...best friend." With that said, she stepped around him and walked towards the end of the hall before breaking into a half-run out the library. Danny stood slowly.
"That's...that's not what I meant," he whispered.
5S5S5S5S5S5
How'd I let you slip away
When I'm longing so to hold you
5S5S5S5S5S5
"Danny, did you hear?" Tucker asked, running up a zombie-like Danny Fenton.
Danny had just come out of the library, turning Sam's words over in his mind. Once he realized that someone was talking to him, he stopped and looked up. He saw Tucker, looking both frantic and confused. Danny could swear he also saw a little bit of worry in Tucker's expression too. He waited until Tucker was right in front of him, then asked, "Heard what?"
"Sam!" Tucker said, waving his arms slightly. "She ran out the school and left the campus! She was crying. I tried to stop her but-"
Danny cut the boy short. He put either hand on either shoulder and shook Tucker. "When?" he asked.
"Like three minutes ago," Tucker said. "She was running at least ten miles an hour! More even!"
"Did you see which way she went?"
"I couldn't tell. You're not thinking of going after her, are you? Class starts in ten minutes!"
But Danny didn't hear him. He'd already started out the school through the main hallway. His thoughts were spinning loosely in his mind. He felt that if anything should get in his way, he would trample over them. And sure enough, someone did.
"Danny," she said, the cheerful voice nearly sickening after what Danny had just been through. His tall, red-haired older sister had come out of an adjoining hallway and into his way.
Danny skidded to a stop, just barely stopping in time. "What?" he shouted. Jazz blinked.
"I was going to ask you if-"
"No time!" Danny ran past her and waved a hand. "I'll talk to you later!" Then he disappeared out the doors.
Jazz watched him, then resumed from where she'd stopped speaking. "-you'd seen Sam..." Tucker ran up next to her. Jazz looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Where's he going in such a rush?"
"To find Sam," Tucker said.
"Oh."
5S5S5S5S5S5
Now I'd die for one more day
'Cause there's something I should
Have told you
Yes there's something I should have
Told you
5S5S5S5S5S5
"She probably ran to her house," Danny figured, musing aloud to himself. If not, then maybe to the water tower, or the beach, or maybe her favorite Goth library in town..." He came to the reality that there were a bunch of places where she could have gone. And he only had ten minutes to find her or else he'd face a truancy mark on his report card and probable detention if he only arrived late to class.
Danny turned a corner into a deserted alleyway. His foot stepped into a puddle, sending small droplets flying all around. He reached a shadowed end and quickly went ghost. "Going ghost!" His battle cry sounded, almost echoing. The transformation seemed to drag, but once it was over, he let no hesitation mark his movements and shot into the air.
He floated there for a second before pin-pointing which direction was Sam's favorite hang-out: the Goth library. He floated through invisibly, checked around, but found so sight of her. Next he searched a few other places: the water tower, the beach, a small abandoned park at the edge of town, but no where he looked signaled a person named Samantha Manson's being there.
Danny wished he could have continued to search, seeing as the last place he had to look was her house. But he knew he could always just call her later on that day. Right then, he had to get back to school. I hope I can talk to her later...he thought as he went.
Hours later, he paced back and forth across his living room floor, staring at the phone. He'd cancelled his plans with Tucker and decided to come straight home after school. Luckily he'd made it to class in time so he didn't get detention. If only Lady Luck could always be with him.
His parents were out and Jazz was at the library. She'd been meaning to talk to Sam also, about something Sam wanted to tell her, but she would not tell Danny why. She only said it was urgent. "Maybe I should call her," he said to himself. He stopped, reached for the phone, then made a strained expression and sighed, withdrawing his hand back to his side. "Ah!" he shouted at himself, pivoting a thirty-degree turn on his right leg and landing on the couch. He crossed his arms and stared at the phone.
If whatever Sam needed to talk to Jazz about was so important, then she would call right? So why wasn't she calling! Danny stood, hands turned into fists. "Okay," he said, adding a determined tone to his voice. "I'm going to call her right now!"
He reached for the phone, but his hand froze over it. His eyes widened, then he quickly took it and said, "Hello?"
"Danny? It's me, Jazz," Jazz said. "Say, have you talked to Sam yet?"
"No," Danny said, sighing. "I've been planning on calling her though."
"I suggest you do, and quickly too," Jazz remarked.
"Huh? Why?" Danny asked.
"Just do it, you knuckle head!"
"Hey, I-" Danny didn't finish the sentence, Jazz had hung up. He grumbled beneath his breath and hung up the phone, only to pick it up again to dial in Sam's number. It rang once. Twice. Thrice. No answer. Danny was about to give up, when it picked up.
"Hello?" a voice said hastily.
"Yes, hello," Danny said, holding the phone so tightly his hand was getting sweaty. "I-is Sam there?"
"One moment, please!" the voice was muffled, as if shouting to someone. "Forgive me, sir, but the Mansons have gone already. I don't believe-"
"Gone?" Danny almost shouted.
"Yes, they left about thirty minutes ago. Who is this? Maybe you would like to leave a message for when-"
Danny didn't hear the rest of the message. He'd hung up the phone. They couldn't be gone. Sam had only begun to feel down two days, counting today. They couldn't have possibly packed every single one of their belongings so quickly.
Without realizing it, Danny found himself going ghost and flying straight out the building and in the direction of Sam's house. "She's got to be there," Danny murmured to himself as he went.
He reached the Manson Mansion and gasped. The building looked so lonesome, forlorn and vacant. It looked dead. Danny quickly flew down towards where some people were still loading up a few moving vans up with furniture and other items. He went to Sam's used-to-be window and peered inside. The room was dark, empty, and cold-looking. But more strangely, it gave off a small feeling of wanting to be left alone. As if the atmosphere wished to stay the same way no matter what.
Danny frowned and sighed, backing up slightly. She is gone, he thought. She's gone and never coming back. And I didn't do anything to stop it.
His hands turned to fists and he shot into the sky until he was clear above the clouds. He couldn't believe it. She was gone. What would he do now? Did Tucker know? Did Jazz? He felt tears in his eyes, but forced them back. He could still reach her at her cell phone right? But if she's on a plane, then it will surely be off. What about leaving a message on her regular phone? The messages were usually passed on to their new number once it was connected. But then again, the butler or whoever answered was surely still there.
Danny, almost losing all hope, flew off towards Sam's other favorite place to be: the water tower.
5S5S5S5S5S5
When I looked into your eyes
Why does distance make us wise?
You were the song all along
And before the song dies
5S5S5S5S5S5
Danny reached the water tower shortly afterwards, flying at his top speed, not wanting to stop. But he did and landed on the water tower's top. He reverted back to human form and looked out towards the beach, at all the couples holding hands as the sun set down over the horizon, as little kids ran around in friendly interactive games. He sat down, pulled his legs up to his chin just barely and wrapped his arms around them. He rested his chin on his knees and looked out to sea.
Thirty minutes. Either the Mansons were still at the air port, or if they'd gone on a private plane, then they'd surely be miles away by now depending on how long take-off took.
His thoughts trailed on and on for nearly twenty minutes. But no matter how many times he turned the news over in his mind, his heart would not understand.
Just then, his cell phone began to ring. He nearly jumped at the sound, but recognized it as his ring tone. His heart began to beat loudly as he quickly grabbed it. His eyes scanned the caller ID and fell. "Jazz?" he said, answering by flipping the phone open.
"Danny? I just came home. You're not here. Where are you?"
"The water tower?"
"The water tower? I'm not even going to ask. Anyway, did you talk to Sam?"
Danny paused and shook his head. "No."
"What about at school? Did she say anything?"
"No," Danny said, a little annoyed now. "Why? What's the big deal?" There was a pause on the other line. A throat being cleared, and a few incoherent words. "What?"
"Danny, are you sure she said nothing?" Jazz asked.
Danny sighed and tried to think back on basically the only real conversation they had.
"My parents...want to move...I'm leaving, Danny. I'm going off to another state, maybe country. They haven't decided. Either way I'll be far from you...I'll never see you again..."
The words rang in his ears. Her explanation for being so down.
"Danny?" Jazz asked.
"I...think she may have implied...something," Danny mumbled, presently confused on a level he never thought existed.
"Oh, Danny," Jazz sighed.
"What?"
"Danny, look in your pants pocket."
Danny blinked. "What?"
"Just do it."
Danny dug inside his pants pocket, then his other pocket. To his surprise, his hand clutched a folded paper. He pulled it out and looked at it. How had it gotten into his pocket? He opened it and his eyes scanned the writing. It was most definitely Sam's. "It's...a note," he mumbled, as if still a little bit dim on what he was supposed to do with it.
"Read it."
Dear Danny,
By the time you read this I'll probably be long gone. I swear you're the dimmest boy I've ever met and if I ever meet anyone else that dense it'll be too soon. I've probably already explained that I'm moving. My parents told me it may as well be half-way across the country if not another country all together. I haven't told Tucker, so I trust you will tell him once you're done reading this note. Tell him he was a great friend and that I think he's too much of a techno-geek to have a shot at any of the 279 girls at our school. No, don't tell him that, really. But, Danny, I want you to know that even if you're the dimmest, thickest, most dense boy I've ever met, that you were a great friend. And even though you worried me sick every time you went into some ghost battle without us knowing, that I really, really liked you. And I think I...loved you even. I love you still. I always will. I only wished you felt the same.
Signed,
Samantha Manson
"I...I..." Danny murmured.
"Danny?" Jazz asked, sensing he'd already read the note.
"And she told you about this?" he asked.
"Yes. I've known since yesterday. She told me about everything."
"Dammit, Jazz! Why didn't you tell me? I would have done something...I would have tried to stop her..."
"She made me swear I wouldn't say anything," Jazz whispered. "I'm sorry."
Danny felt tears burn in his eyes and before he could muster another word to say, hung up on Jazz. He felt such anger, such grief, he couldn't control it. He looked up and glared angrily at the sky, as if something there was the cause of all this.
The beach was empty now. The sun was almost down already. Just a few more minutes left of the glowing red-orange color and the sky would turn dark blue-purple.
Danny stood, and angry growl-like sound escaping his throat. "Sam!"
he shouted angrily. No one could hear his shouts. Everyone was gone. And those who weren't, ignored the child. "Why! Huh? Why to me? Why does everything always end up messing up because of me? Why do I always screw things up? Why?" Danny shouted. He ran both hands through his hair, grasped fistfuls of raven black hair, let go, then angrily brought both hands down, them turning into fists. "Sam!"
Danny fell to his knees. The tears finally flowed down his cheeks and onto the steel roof water tower. His shoulders shook, his chest heaved. "Sam..."
5S5S5S5S5S5
I should tell you I should tell you
I have always loved you
You can see it in my eyes
5S5S5S5S5S5
Danny spent most of his time on the water tower. Soon enough, the clock struck at a late hour. But he didn't notice. His mind couldn't stop unsettling his thoughts of what could have been. He knew he'd always loved Sam, but he'd never been able to comprehend his feelings. He'd never been able to understand. Now that it was finally clear, he didn't know what to do with these feelings that had been for so long buried beneath all the pressure, stress, and the feeling of being confused.
"I love you," he finally whispered. It felt good to finally be able to say it, but he found he would never be able to say to Sam. "But there's no longer someone to love. You're never coming back. I should have told you sooner, but...I couldn't. I'm sorry."
"Danny?" came a voice. Danny's eyes scanned down towards the ground.
"Dude! What are you doing up there? It's late!" His other friend Tucker shouted. Both him and Jazz stood down on the beach. Their voices were just barely audible. Danny grinned thinly and quickly flew down towards them. He landed on the floor and looked at them.
Jazz hugged him. "Glad you're okay," she said, and let go.
"I guess," Danny mumbled.
"Jazz told me everything," Tucker said sorrily. "Sorry, man."
"I guess I asked for it" Danny said shaking his head. "I never told her how I felt. Now it's too late."
"I'm sure one day you two will meet again," Jazz assured. "You'll see."
"You're probably right," Danny said.
"Come on," Tucker said. "I'm freezing!" Jazz laughed and began to walk away with Tucker.
"Coming?" Jazz asked.
"Be right there," Danny said. Jazz shrugged and continued after Tucker. Danny looked up at the sky one more time. "She's probably right," he whispered. "Maybe we will meet again one day."
Off somewhere far away, Sam was whispering something too. She traced a finger down the glass of a window where she was sitting. "Until we meet again," she whispered, and blew onto the window, causing it to fog up. She stood and walked away.
The fog began to vanish instantly from the glass. But before it could disappear completely, a small, perfect heart was formed. Then it was gone just as fast as it had formed.
E/N: Axel recommended the song 'Your Eyes' by Rent saying that I may be interested in writing a fluffy DxS fic on it. Of course after reading the lyrics I was more than happy to write one. Anyways, thanks Axel (or Insubordinance if you want to read her fics. I do recommend them greatly!)
--Airamé Phantom