This is a lonely war tonight and I'm forsaken

Are you a lonely one, too?

This is a lonely war tonight, the soldier's waking

They were the lonely ones, too

-AFI-

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"Sam I'm just saying I don't want you to give up faith because of all of this, there's still a chance..." Jazz lectured but was cut off by Sam, whose patience was wearing thin.

"Of what Jazz?" Sam remarked bitterly. "He's gotten more than enough second chances, I think he's out by now. And why should we keep trying to save him?" Sam asked viciously her eyes were burning with tears. "Maybe we should just let him die this time. We're only hurting him and ourselves."

"Sam how can you say that? That's not like you. You aren't going to listen are you?" Jazz asked and tilted her head. She let out a sigh. "Sam you know he loves you right?"

"Everyone says that..." Sam mumbled her face turned from Jazz.

"Because it's true." Jazz stated still staring at the sixteen year old goth. But the girl had no response and the redhead had nothing more to offer to her.

They stayed silent until Tucker came out, he told Jazz where and the girl immediately took off, only giving one glance to Sam.

Jazz opened the door and shut it like the three others did ahead of her. She walked in counting every step she made. Her turquoise eyes fell on her brother and she had to look away. That just couldn't have been him, she hadn't seen him since the war a year ago and now this was what she saw.

It looked like her brother, right down to every feature. It was the fact that he was inscribed in her mind as a fighter. And it wasn't that she thought he was weak, no because it took a lot of strength to hang on like this. It was that Jazz had never seen him so frail.

The girl blinked the tears from her eyes and continued to gaze at him. Her hand reached out touched his hand and immediately she ruffled it like she always used to. A sad smile crossed her face as she tried to imagine him actually pulling through.

"Danny, it's me Jazz. I'm not sure how you always do this, you always have some new surprise, some new way to fight the system." She sat in the plastic chair provided for her. Uneasily she shifted and cleared her throat.

"Little brother, I'm not sure what I can say to you... because nothing I can say can help you get through this. But I do want you to know that I love you. No matter how many times you thought I didn't care, I did."

Jazz held his hand in hers and watched his chest weakly rise and fall through the covers. She just wished she could change what was happening to him. Jazz felt the tears fall from her eyes and down her cheeks, she wanted to be brave but just couldn't.

"Danny I want you to know that I love you so much. Be strong Danny."

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Sam found herself at the door Jazz had led her to. After the girl had left Sam couldn't help but stare at the numbers on the door 231. She started at each one, wasting time. Finally she worked up her courage to open the door and walk in. She took one step and watched her foot placement. Finally after her delay she made it to his bedside.

She took in every sight and realized she didn't like what she saw. And now she was even more torn on whether she wanted him to live or die.

"Danny I know I'm supposed to be all supportive of what might happen, because god knows it would just be selfish to try and keep you alive when you just can't." Sam explained she paced around and spun around towards the bed with some hope that his eyes would be open. "And I don't want you to suffer any more than you have to it."

Sam slumped her shoulders and her voice became somber. "But I also don't want you to die. Sure you did everything you needed to do and I suppose you're not needed anymore, but no, that's not true. We all need you, I need you Danny." Sam stopped and gazed at him.

Unlike Tucker and Jazz, Sam didn't look at the things that told him he was still there. She watched his face she knew her decision could be made if he could just show her what she was looking for.

"And maybe you can't do anything but I think I can save you." The goth girl reached into her skirt pocket and presented a small object wrapped in velvet. "I just know that you don't want to die Danny, but I don't want to make you do something you're against. Oh Danny what should I do?" Sam questioned exasperated as she began to pace in a small circle.

She stopped and took his hand and held it within hers. "Come on Danny give me a sign." Sam was on her knees beside his bed now the tears streaking down her cheeks as she tried to hide her face in the sheets. She made soft whimpering sounds as she sat there when she could've sworn she felt the hand apply pressure to hers. She looked up but saw he wasn't awake. "Is that your signal?" She questioned her amethyst eyes searching his face. "Ok then Danny I'm hoping this will work."

Sam released his hand and let it lie on the bed with his palm facing upward. She took the velvet and let the treasure inside drop inside his hand. The red stone glistened for a moment but stayed dormant. She was sure they worked right away so why wasn't this working now? Sam closed his hand over it so his fingers covered the gem.

"Please Danny please fight this. I-I love you..." Sam whispered she kissed his cheek and quickly stumbled out, trying not to look behind in the fear of a break down.

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"So here we are again." Clockwork announced just as the door closed.

Danny floated beside him in the room and locked his eyes on where Sam exited. He couldn't believe his own ears, Sam really did love him, but what did she mean by saving him?

"Clockwork what's going on now?" Danny asked finally turning towards his ghostly friend. He was almost sick of this seemingly never ending chase.

"Well Samantha just took a hand in preserving your future. Of course now it's in your hands on whether or not what she gave you actually works or not."

Danny blinked at him with a blank stare plastered on his face. "I'm sorry what?" His green eyes staring blankly at the Master of Time.

Clockwork smacked his forehead in the most unprofessionally way before finally looking at the boy. "The gem of life is in your hand right now, but because you are also ghost it won't activate immediately unless you will it to. Of course choosing life also means choosing agony and a very painful recovery, and choosing death means that you will finally get the rest you've been waiting for."

"So you're saying I need to choose between suffering or moving on? Seeing my friends and family or getting peace?" Clockwork nodded. "How can I choose?"

"The decision is yours. Only you Danny can say what you really want."

"Well obviously I should choose life...but I'm not thinking that...why am I not thinking that?" Danny searched Clockwork for some answer but received no hint as to what he was to choose.

"If I live am I completely guaranteed survival, in full?" He asked.

"It depends on how much you want survival, if you are not fully dedicated you most likely will die." The ghost explained.

"And if I choose death I won't have to repeat what happened last time?" Danny stammered out the question and began feeling like a traitor for even asking. How could he even think about leaving them all behind? But then again, how could he not?

"You'll move on, your soul will be ready to depart from this world and the life you led, for good." Clockwork answered cooly with a shrug indicating he had no real drive toward either choice.

Danny's green eyes darted back and forth as he weighed his options. There were so many negatives to living and so many positives to moving on. But then he was always left with a few very important positives on the life half that almost made him jump at the idea. It was a huge decision one that he didn't want to make alone, but he had to. It was up to him.

The long awaited...what chapter am I on? I lost track...and I could check but that's not a problem right now. I figure I can strecth this story out a good couple of chapters, although I've been milking this whole life or death thing for quite some time. Drives you mad doesn't it? Tehe.