Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. I doubt I ever will, but while I don't, all the credit goes to Butch Hartman.

Author's Note: Happy April Fool's Day, I guess. I don't really do much for the "holiday" but I know some of my friends are going all out trying to torment friends and family members. This is another challenge 5-senses (underscore, not dash, but since fanfiction seems to not recognize underscores, I have to make due) on LiveJournal. Instead of the traditional five senses, I chose the second list, which is comprised of: thought, movement, love, laughter, and memory. I'm actually going for a plot this time, so be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

Also, what's been hidden before is now out in the open. What do you think? Did you see it coming? I know some people did and they alluded to it in their reviews. Kudos to you! I feel like this chapter was entirely too short for my liking, but the next chapter is going to be ridiculously long to make up for the giant gap in time. I feel like there should be one in between, so that may be a different chapter, maybe even in 15(underscore)limes or something.

Preface: Even though I had originally intended on using another plot-line for this challenge, a better (and more interesting) plot bunny bit me. I haven't accumulated anything with a real plot in ages, and I'm attempting to map this out in entirety. In order to fully understand what's going on, you need to understand that the first four chapters go in chronological order, going by holidays. The final, and most important, chapter to the five-chapter series, goes back in time to the night before what happened in the first chapter. It's all within the same year (as you'll be able to grasp soon), except for the last chapter, which skips back a day into the year previous.

So, the dates will be arranged like this: January 1st (New Year's Day), February 14th (Valentine's Day), April 1st (April Fool's Day), December 25th (Christmas), December 31st (New Year's Eve).

Anywho, enjoy reading this and please review to tell me what you think! Reviews mean a lot more than you'd imagine.

Trial and Error

03: Laughter

Theme: 03. Laughter

April 1, 2008

The second she came in the door from her short day of classes–she always managed to pick the early classes so she could get home and actually have part of the day to herself–she couldn't help but pause to sit on the living room sofa to get her bearings. She was feeling dizzy yet again, and she couldn't manage to keep her food down no matter how much she wanted to. She couldn't get through the night without having to run to the bathroom to heave food that wasn't in her stomach. Bile was not a nice taste in her mouth.

Becoming concerned started the week before, when these spells got worse; now, she was extremely alarmed, border-lining on freaking out, and she feared having to go to the doctor's to see what was wrong. She didn't want to bring anything up to her parents, since once they found out any ailment bothering her or compromising her schoolwork and extra curricular activities (somehow working on the school newspaper counted for something in their eyes, for once), they would bring in the entire medical staff of Amity Park Hospital until they came down to the exaggerated truth.

She probably just had a stomach bug.

'Probably' being the word she relied on most in that sentence.

After not eating much all day, Sam figured it would be best to try and force something down so she wouldn't faint from the dizziness; knowing her luck, that would probably happen. After she made herself a small sandwich, it immediately didn't sit well with her. Needless to say, she made a mad dash to the bathroom once again--her running skills came in handy yet again.

Groaning as she had to bend over to look for some extra toothpaste, she wondered what the hell was going on with her body. She didn't feel sick other than the nausea, and don't symptoms go hand-in-hand when it comes to these sorts of things? She figured she would get headaches or something, but...

"Wait a second," she murmured as she found the toothpaste alongside spare bottles of shampoo and conditioner as well as feminine hygiene products.

Feminine... hygiene... shit.

Quickly depositing some toothpaste on her toothbrush, she began to brush her teeth and she took off in a sprint out of the bathroom and up to her bedroom. Intent on figuring out if her calculations were, in fact, off; if they were off, then she would have nothing to worry about.

"Today is..." she looked at the calendar, "April first. Okay, and the last time I had..." she flipped back to March–nothing. She flipped to February and there it was, a bright red circle on the first that had been previously ignored. "It's been two months since I've had my period?"

She was silent for the brief minute her heart leaped into her throat as she took in this information. As soon as it struck her, though...

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit..." she growled in frustration, her words distorted due to the toothbrush in her mouth. "Who forgets that? Oh my God, how could I have been so stupid?"

Some stomach bug.

She was a woman on a mission.

After having to try and play it cool at the register, she managed to go sight unseen (as far as appearances went) and purchase three pregnancy tests. Three, since she figured the first two would probably be faulty anyways. She had to be sure.

After chugging a good amount of water (mostly successful–she was so nervous that she almost dropped the glass a couple of times), she went about her business. She had to make sure, she had to know if it was all in her mind or she was just... broken, maybe. She hoped she was broken. Really, really hoped.

A half hour came and went, and she sat restlessly on the lid of the toilet, already tired out from pacing back and forth as the minutes ticked by. She had to swallow her fears, suck it up, and be brave. She had to, just in case they were...

Positive.

Positive.

Nega... nope, positive.

The wall never seemed so interesting before to stare it, but she found herself spacing out at it in a daze.

Her life was so perfect, so seemingly perfect, and then... and then this had to happen. She couldn't help but feel resentment towards the... the being inside of her–oh, it almost made her shudder to think of it in terms like that–but she couldn't help it... hell, she could barely swallow the concept of her becoming an adult, how was she supposed to swallow that large pill of becoming a mother? Her own mother was a poor example, how would she fair with a child of her own? And so young? She felt like she was still a child herself sometimes.

Oh, and Danny... he was probably going to duck and run. He was probably going to get scared, try and figure out how this could've happened to him–not them, just him–and leave her–

"No," she said suddenly, with more confidence than she felt. "No, he's not going to. He'll put on a brave face, tell me everything will be fine and then..." What happens then? "He loves me," she sighed, nerves eating at her. "He wouldn't leave me alone. We're in this together and he is sure as hell not running away. I'm not letting him."

Oh, but they were so careful. She knew that, since she always had condoms around and she knew he did the same. Every single time! They always took precautions and she was even going to start going on the pill soon, just to be on the safe side. Good thing she didn't start that sooner, though, that wouldn't have been good for the baby.

Her eyes widened and, balling her hands into fists, slammed them against her thighs and let out a choked sob. She had her future planned out, she had everything set and everything under way. Why now? Why her? She knew the ideology that anything could happen to anyone, even when you don't think it will.

How in the world, if they had been so careful, could she have gotten–

"New Year's Eve," she whispered, scoffing at herself for not thinking of it sooner. "Of course. We don't remember what happened but we do remember that we had sex against our better judgment. Shit, shit, shit."

Whining wouldn't help anything, she knew, but she allowed herself the luxury. No one was listening to her, so she figured she could bitch and moan 'til kingdom come.

Though... now she knew what she had to do.

"I have no clue how to approach this," she said as she dropped down on his bed.

The look of concern on his face alarmed her even further, and her nerves were completely alive with a vengeance. She wrung her hands, trying to figure out how the hell she was going to word this.

She doubted questions like, 'Have you noticed that I've put on some weight lately? Funny story: do you know why I haven't been able to keep any food down? Guess what! You knocked me up, we're going to have a baby!' or even 'Remember that night we had drunken sex? Well, you didn't wear a condom. Guess what?' in a sing-song voice would really hold the value of what she was trying to say.

She sighed.

"Well, be direct about it. Dancing around the truth isn't good, you know," he suggested, shrugging. He was genuinely worried, but then again, he figured it was nothing to be worried about knowing her and she was blowing it out or proportion–

"I'm pregnant."

She made sure to watch for his reaction, but she didn't get the reaction she thought she was going to get. Hell, she didn't think it was anywhere close to the reaction she was going to get.

At first, his eyes widened, but realization seemingly dawned on him and he started to chuckle. "April Fool's, right?" he asked, watching her with a smile. "That almost scared me there, though. You should've gotten more creative. That one's been used so many times by women. I thought I knew you better–"

"I'm not kidding, Danny," she said, looking thoroughly morose. "You do know me better that I wouldn't even joke about such a thing. Three pregnancy tests in my bathroom beg to differ with that thought of it being a joke."

Now he was shocked. Needing to sit down, he sat next to her on his bed, staring at the wall the same way she had been previously when she found out for sure.

"That's why I've been sick so much," she said softly. "It's been morning sickness, I figure."

"How long have you known?"

"Today I managed to stop being an idiot and put two and two together. I'm ashamed it's taken me three full months to actually realize this. I've put on a couple pounds I'll admit, but it never occurred to me that I am actually... pregnant. I thought I was lucky for not having my period for a while, and then I go and realize I hadn't gotten it since February first."

"You didn't realize that for two whole months afterward? I thought girls were on the ball with those things?"

"Not as much as you'd think. Some are really, but I tend to forget..."

"So," he sighed, now looking at her, "when do you think it happened?"

"New Year's Eve," she replied, giving him a sad smile. "Chances are, you probably didn't wear a condom."

"True," he sighed, but then eyed her, trying to see any underlying emotions or meanings he was missing. "You're awfully calm about this."

"I got my crying out before I came to see you," she replied, frowning.

"You–" he frowned at that piece of information, "You shouldn't have waited, I would've come over there to see you, you know. You didn't have to come all the way over here, it might strain–"

"You say 'it might strain the baby' and I'll deck you right in the mouth."

"All right," he shrugged, defeated.

"Wait a second, you're not going to say anything about... giving the baby up?" She was somewhat in awe of the level of maturity he was exerting, but she didn't make that overly evident in her expression. "You're not going to come up with excuses for anything?"

"Why should I?"

"Well, you don't want a child, do you?" she asked, bracing herself for the answer.

"Not now, particularly, but... I had thought about it before after one too many chick flicks I'd been subjected to. Even though I'm a guy, yes." He turned so he could fully wrap his arms around her. "We're in this together, Sam, and no matter what, I'm going to be here for you and the baby. I'll admit I'm pretty scared, but I think I'm more scared of dealing with our parents than with the actual baby. Don't you think so?"

With a muffled groan against his shoulder, she mumbled, "Can we not tell my parents? We can run away, get eloped."

"I doubt that would solve anything," he chuckled softly, knowing he would jump at the chance if they really could run away from it all.

"I know," she sighed.

"But, um," he started to ask tentatively, "you want to keep the baby, too, right?"

He felt her nod against him. She moved to speak more clearly, "Even though I'm pro-choice, I don't want to hurt something that's a part of me already for this long... I don't even think we have a choice right about now with how long it's taken me to wake up and smell the coffee here."

"Valid point," he replied.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, too. But, hey, think of it this way... it's not the end of an era, it's the beginning of one."

"Beginning of an era? What are you talking about?"

"You know," he said, smoothing her hair back and capturing a piece behind her ear, "of our future. No matter what, Sam, we're in this together. I'm not going anywhere, and we're going to raise one hell of a kid. Age means nothing to me, and we're both mature enough to accept the consequences of what we did. So... I'm with you one-hundred percent and that's how it's always going to be."

She smiled, fearing that if she said anything her voice would crack, and figured that smiling would just be enough.

He kissed her gently, proving how much he loved her solely by that kiss alone, and any doubt that she was experiencing flew out the window. She felt loved, trusted, and... complete, somehow?

Shit, shit, shit...

Despite that, she was still pregnant.

Dammit.

She felt like it was an April Fool's joke from God.

She was scared, though she knew she could handle this eventually to the best of her capability. The entire ordeal was going to be frowned upon by her parents, she already knew that, and they were just going to have to take this in stride. They had fought side-by-side together against horrible monsters, ghosts, and evil forces... how hard would it be to take on their parents? ...and childbirth? Fuck.

This was a cruel, cruel April Fool's joke from God.