It's hard to notice gleaming from the sky

When you're staring at the cracks

It's hard to notice what is passing by with eyes lowered

You... walked away, heard them say

"Poisoned hearts will never change, walk away again"

-AFI-

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"Maybe we were too hard on Sam." Tucker sighed swishing the last of his coffee around the bottom of his cup. "She misses Danny and all she does is want to prove that he'd never leave us."

Jazz stared at the boy seriously, isn't that what they all wanted, was to be sure that Danny wouldn't leave them. But she felt that if she gave into the temptation of those thoughts she'd roped off as forbidden, then she too would come undone. Her parents wouldn't be any help and it seemed to her that Tucker was slipping off the edge along with Sam.

"Tuck, Danny wouldn't leave us, he loved us all. But he definately isn't alive or floating around waiting for us to find him. He's always with us, just not physically. Do you understand?"

"I guess... why couldn't we just explain that to Sam, wouldn't she get it that way? Instead we were at her throat and always trying to pound into her head that he was gone forever."

"Sam doesn't listen to reason once she'd dead set on something. She wants what she wants and sometimes you have to be agrresive." Jazz explained simply.

"Well I'm going to find her, Jazz she's lost and scared and she doesn't needs us against her, who knows what she could get herself into?" Tucker stated standing up. "Are you coming?"

Jazz stared at him looking more determined then ever. "Fine. Where are we going?"

"To look for Sam." Tucker answered bluntly.

"Well duh..." Jazz remarked under her breath.

Jazz followed Tucker out leaving behind the empty mugs and marching out the front door. He seemed so determined it reminded her much of her little brother. Maybe Tucker never had to show it before because Danny always took charge anyway, now it was Tucker's turn to be the leader and the brave one. He seemed to take the title with all seriousness.

They walked along side by side through the cold streets together in the darkness of the night. They checked the park first because Tucker explained that Sam liked to run there all the time, they didn't see her. So they tried her house, she didn't answer the door and her grandmother explained that Sam had left.

Frustrated the two scoured the streets looking around in all of Sam's favorite places to hide but didn't find her. They returned to FentonWorks feeling hopeless.

"Tuck where would she go?" Jazz asked slowly putting her coat in the closet.

"I don't know, she's Sam she could be anywhere." Tucker replied taking his coat off as well and putting it on chair.

"Anywhere..."

"Or she could be downstairs..." Tucker added quickly the two teens took off for the basement.

They saw Sam just about to enter the ghost zone, Tucker immediately raced forward and jumped her, forcing her to slam to the floor uncomfortably. Jazz ran over and shut the door of the portal and watched as Sam wrestled with Tucker then went still. She sat and blinked at him confusedly.

"Are you nuts!" He yelled as he let up off her.

"Huh? What? Tucker what are you doing on top of me?" Sam asked frightendly.

"Sam you almost walked right into the ghost zone are you trying to get killed?" Jazz exclaimed helping them both up.

"Guys I know you think I'm crazy, but I wouldn't do that." Sam denied looking back and forth between the two. She rubbed her head and looked around, "How'd I get here?"

Jazz and Tucker shared a look as they stood in front of the confused goth teen. She truly wasn't sure about what was going on at all.

"Geez Tucker how hard did you hit her?"

"Not that hard, only enough to stop her." Tucker defended then looked at Sam. "What do you remember?"

Sam searched hard for thoughts and tried her hardest to recollect everything. "Danny." She answered quietly.

"Oh this is getting us no where." Jazz complained, "Let's just take her home."

"No, Danny, Danny was there at my house. He was going to take me somewhere and that's all I remember..."

"Weird..." Tucker mused untill he got elbowed in the ribs by Jazz, "oh right... Sam let's get you home. Ok?"

Sam nodded she was willing to cooperate since she was still trying her hardest to sort through what she was missing. Jazz drove her and the whole time Sam swayed back and forth with each movement of the car, she wasn't sure if she simply made the whole thing up or if he had actually come. Why wouldn't she remember?

Jazz pulled up to Sam's driveway and turned her head to see the silent girl in her backseat. "This is your stop..." Jazz crooned.

Sam nodded and slowly got out mumbling a thanks. Tucker looked at her then at Jazz, "Actually I think I'll get off here too I've got to talk to Sam. I'll just walk home, ok?"

Jazz shrugged as he stepped out and shut the door. She put the car into reverse and backed out and started for her five minute drive home. Jazz turned up the radio to escape her ever nagging thoughts, if she could just make Sam understand what happened then the girl wouldn't be hallucinating.

But the problem that really stuck with her was that if Sam was hallucinating why doesn't she remember anything else? Most people can describe it in full detail what the saw, or what they thought they saw, as if it truly had been real. So why couldn't Sam?

Jazz pulled up to her driveway and parked the car and sat there with the keys dangling from the ignition.

"Surely, surely it wasn't real... Sam hadn't really seen him had she?"

Jazz gripped the steering wheel, she wasn't sure why she was so bent on keeping Tucker and Sam in line, they were never really her friends, they were her brother's friends. So she had to wonder why on Earth she was putting herself through this immense burden for them, she never got over her own pain yet, why did she ever believe that she could help others over it.

Jazz twisted the keys out and finally exited her car. She stared up at the looming house, it just wasn't home anymore. Her parents were never around and never around together. The love left the house as well, it's like they all forgot they were a family.

The redhead sighed as she walked in the front door, she called "I'm home!" just for the hell of it. No one was even around to acknowledge her return. Jazz poured herself a glass of water and stared at the kitchen wall. Sometimes she just wished things could go back to normal, or at least move forward to the recovery days.

The only hope she ever had now was the fact that eventually her family would feel ok with losing Danny and be a family again. Tucker and Sam would regroup and laugh, smile, and in Sam's case, love. She just couldn't wait for those days, those days when the sun would come out and she would love it, those days where she would dance in the rain and not think about who slipped away one rainy night. Jazz just wanted to be happy again, but it would take time.

Finally Jazz could stand it no longer she marched over to the basement and threw open the door dramatically and stomped down the stairs. She immediately stood determindly in front of the ghost portal and plopped to the ground in an indian style sitting position, and she stared.

"Ok little brother..." She began while streaching out her hands and snapping her knuckles all in one move. "time for you to come out here." Her turquoise eyes gleamed with a fire.

"I'm waiting." She called impatiently.

The door remained still and unyeilding. Jazz already knew nothing was going to happen, but she could dream.

yeah...I've got nothing to say and/or rant about... I'm sorry I can't entertain you with my nonsense today, although this could be considered rambling, not very long rambling but rambling. I have to wonder do you guys even read my rambling author notes. Because it makes me think a whole lot, like are you expecting me to give away plots to the story or maybe even the meaning of life? Or perhaps you are waiting for news or questions or something or other... well I dont know all I know is I do read author notes even if they end up like this one, really long with no real structure or direction. It's fun though...