Author's Notes: Thank you to all who reviewed my fic.

Shiva the Sarcastic: I'm glad you like the story.

Chapter XVII: Not What It Seems

Sam

"Ha, I'm not falling for that old trick," Oogie said laughing as I smiled at him. This had to work it just had to.

"Oh, but I dropped a thousand dollar bill on the ground," I say playfully hoping he'll buy it and give Danny a fighting chance.

"A thousand you say," he asks as a glint of greed shines in his sockets. He bends over and sees the mirror, "where is this money," he asks as he gazes into the mirror that starts glow an unearthly shade of blue that cast a aura over Oogie Boogie like a search light.

"HEY WHAT KIND OF TRICK IS THIS," Oogie roared as he tried to look away from the mirror, but couldn't.

"Danny can you hear me?" I ask him trying to reach the Halfa underneath those bugs.

He glanced up at me and asked in a frightened voice, "Sam?" as he tried to rip the skin away, "what's happening to me?" he asks pleadingly.

"SHUT UP DANNY BOY, NO ONE CARES FOR YOU!" Oogie snapped at Danny as he fought to subdue the boy but Danny wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"Don't listen to him Danny, I care for you," I shouted to him. I could feel my heart breaking as I watched the internal battle raging inside him and felt my own battle in my heart. Emotions were leaking from it and corroding the stone exterior of a Goth. Finally, I could hold in no longer, "Danny…I…love….you!"

Oogie turned, "Sam," he said in Danny's voice, "Help…me," he called out trying to break free from Oogie's control.

"Danny, if you want my help, you have to free me and my friends," I tell him and wait for his reply.

He says nothing but with a shaky hand pulls a lever and I, Jack, Jazz, and Sally are freed.

I go up to him and place a hand on his face, "Danny," I cringe as I feel the course burlap on my skin but still lovingly stroke his face.

"Get these off bugs off me," he pleads as I move my hand up to the top of his head and use a nail file to break one of the stitches. As I go to remove the stitches he glares at me and throws me across the room, "Nice try baby, but you won't win," he said throwing a switch causing the room to shake.

I turn to others, "Run," I order them.

Jazz looks at me as if to say 'what about you' but I tell her that I'm not leaving without Danny and watch as they leave so I can finish my task.

Jack Skellington

We raced out of Oogie's lair faster than a bat out of Hades; lucky for us I know a way out that avoid most of the traps.

"What are we doing, we have to go back for them," Jazz exclaimed looking back at Oogie's hideout. I could feel her pain but it was too dangerous for us.

She raced back but Sally but a hand on her shoulder, "no, we can't," she said as tears begin to form in Jazz's blue eyes as she looked to where her friends were.

Suddenly the entire lair began to collapse, we all looked in horror realizing Sam and Danny never made out.

"Come on let's go home, we need to rest up," I said as I lead the way home. Our hearts were heavy during that walk; there was no way Danny could make it out alive.

When we got back to my place the Mayor was waiting for us, "Jack what happened did you get the book back, who is this and where's Danny?" he asked confused as to what's going on.

"I have some bad news, Mayor," I said as I told him the news after which he runs off to announce the sad news. Rest in peace, Danny, you'll always be a hero in Halloween Town.

Jazz

Sally had shown me up to a spare room where I could rest up, but I wasn't sleepy not after what happened. My mind couldn't fathom life without Danny, he's always been there and now he was gone, it wasn't fair.

I don't know how long I cried into my pillow until I had spent all my energy and drifted off to sleep dreaming of Danny and Sam and how they were torn from our lives.

Sally

Poor Jazz, she is taking Danny's lost hard. She had told me that she was more than Danny's friend but his sister as well and now she had to be the one to tell her family that he was gone.

"There has to be hope," I said thinking in my room of a plan. I don't know how long I was thinking when an idea hit me. "That's it!" I said as I raced out of my room and back to the remains of Oogie's hideout hoping I wasn't too late.

Vlad

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN DESTROYED?" I hollered through the intercom. This was not part of my master plan.

"Just what I said, there was no way the kid could be alive, sir," he reported back to me as I tied to control my anger.

"Go back and find the boy and don't come back until you are sure he's alive," I tell him as I change into Plasmius and blast the intercom to bits. Hopefully there is a chance that Daniel is still alive.