I Do Not Own Danny Phantom or the Teen Titans

Chapter 35 – Trial and Error

Third Person

The Titans turned at a loud crashing sound from behind them, only to see Danny lying against the wall with a girl dressed in nearly all black in his arms. They quickly ran up to him to assist them, but stopped short when the girl spoke up.

"What the hell? Who are you? Let go of me!" she yelled, pushing away from Danny who was still lying winded against the wall, his face scrunched up in pain.

Sam stood up and backed away from Danny, looking shocked, scared and pissed. Her purple eyes dashing around the room, before landing on the Titans, who were staring at her with surprise.

"Sam!" Dani yelled and flew up, hugging a startled Sam tightly. "I had a feeling it was going to be you Danny was bringing back!"

"Wow, wow, back off! Let go!" Sam said, pushing Dani away from her, confused and worried about what was going on around her.

"Dude…she looks like Raven's twin sister." Beast Boy said with his eyes wide. Raven didn't comment on that, only watched the girl carefully.

"Yeah, she does." Robin agreed.

Sam's startled stare quickly melted into one of anger as she glared at them. "Who the hell are you? Who is this 'Raven' person?"

Raven took a single step forward. "I am Raven. We are the Teen Titans. It's nice to finally meet you, Sam." she said to the girl with her bored monotone.

Sam's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

Raven continued to study the girl. "Danny told us about you."

Sam's eyes turned frantic. "Danny's here? Where is he? What have you done with him?" she demanded, her purple eyes alight with protective fury.

Raven's lip twitched upwards slightly at the corner. "Laying against the wall, winded, where you left him."

Sam's eyes swerved around, back to Danny who was slightly tangled up in his cloak as he tried to get up.

"Danny?"

Danny's green eye that was visible snapped up at the sound of his name on Sam's lips. "Sam? Are you okay?" he asked weakly.

Sam's eyes narrowed at the older teen in front of her. "You can't be Danny…that's impossible, you're older." Sam muttered to him. "Who are you?" she demanded bitterly. Sam looked around the room she was in cautiously, thinking that this might be some trick. "I saw Danny fighting Skulker just a few minutes ago. You can't be him."

Sadness was plainly visible in Danny's green eye at her words. "Sam…it is me." He tried to explain as he pushed himself up to his feet. "I…I went back in time to save you." he said, taking a small step towards her.

Sam took a few steps back, noticing the anguished expression that passed over Danny's expression. "What are you talking about?" she hissed.

Danny straightened up and looked Sam in the eyes. "Sam…you died back there…"

Sam's whole body froze and her heart skipped a beat. "Wha..?"

Danny's sad green eyes refused to break away from hers. "Skulker's missile…it slammed into the Nasty Burger…killing all of you…" He said.

Sam shook her head. "This is crazy…I want to go back home, where am I?"

Danny's eyes saddened even more, looking on the verge of tears. "Clockwork's Tower…"

Sam's eyes looked around with surprise again. "Clockwork's Tower…why are we here?"

Danny shook his head slowly, his heart feeling like it was being ripped to shreds. He understood that being taking from you time line and placed in another one was very confusion and disorientating, but…it still hurt to see Sam pushing him away like she was. "I told you…in that fight against Skulker…the missile missed me but…it hit the Nasty Burger…It blew up…taking all of you down with it…"

Sam shook her head in disbelief "That's impossible…you would have gone to Vlad's and became Dan...that's what happened last time…" she said.

Danny's eyes hardened at Vlad's name. "That fruit-loop can burn in the hottest parts of Hell for all I care." he growled out softly, his hand unconsciously rubbing at his chest over the bandages still wrapped around it.

Sam's eyes sparkled slightly as a twitch appeared on her lips. "That's sounded like something Danny would say…"

Danny watched Sam curiously. "That's because I am Danny…why is that so hard to believe?"

Sam sighed and shook her head, looking away. "Look…if you are Danny…than I want some proof."

"That is Daniel, Sam…I can promise you that." Clockwork said, stepping forward for the first time since Danny came back through the portal.

"Clockwork?" Sam asked a bit startled, not even noticing him in the room.

"The one and only." he said calmly to the Goth. "And I can assure you, that that is your Daniel in front of you."

Sam blushed and glanced at Danny when he said 'your Daniel' before looking back at Clockwork. "But…why is he older?"

Clockwork smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You must understand…that you have been dead for a little over a year now…Daniel will age and grow older." he explained. "But he is the same boy you grew up with a year ago, in this time line, if a bit stronger and older, as you put it. He traveled for a while until he came across this bunch," he gestured to the Titans, "and Danielle came alone shortly after." Dani smiled at Sam when she heard Clockwork mention her name.

Sam looked back at Danny, seeing the pleading look in his green eyes. "But…what about Tucker?"

Danny's hopeful look diminished into sorrow, lowing his head until his white hair covered his eyes from view. Clockwork spoke up again. "I'm afraid, that's my fault. I allowed Daniel one choice of who to save…and he chose you." he said.

Sam blinked sadly at Danny, still a bit hesitant to believe that this was happening. Danny must have seen the hesitation, because he sighed, sounding a thousand years older than he was, before closing his eyes and turning away. "Maybe…this was a bad idea after all." she said, and then he teleported away in a poof of green smoke.

"Danny!" the Titans and Dani yelled, running uselessly over to the dissipating smoke.

Robin turned around and glared at Sam. "Darn it, girl! Danny was just starting to open up to us after all this time! Now he is going to clam up again!"

Beast Boy look at lost of what to do, his elf ears drooping slightly as he stared at the space where Danny had vanished. "Aw man…I was hoping to play video games with him when we got back to the Tower."

"Children." Clockwork said, getting their attention. "Danny is fine. He just went somewhere to cool off and think for a little while. He will be coming back soon, I assure you." he said calmly.

Sam looked guilty and glanced up at the Master of Time. "What should I do?"

Clockworks red eyes looked back down at Sam's purple ones. "When Danny gets back, sit down and talk with him. I am sure that he will be more than willing to talk with you, after not seeing you for two years now. He will enjoy your long missed company." he said gently, a caring smile on his blue face.

Sam nodded slowly. "Alright…do you know where he is at?"

Clockwork shook his head. "Do not go and bug him right now. His mind is at a very fragile stage and he needs time to think. He will come to you when he is ready. But for now, allow the Titans to take you to their home, and get yourself situated." he explained.

Sam glanced over at the Titans, who were watching her, curious to see what she would do. She sighed and nodded her head. "Alright."

The Titan's all nodded, smiles forming on their faces. Clockwork grinned and nodded. "Very well then. Let get you home, shall we." he said, rising up his scepter into the air, forming a portal back into Titan's Tower. The Titans all went first, followed but Dani and lastly by Sam, how paused and looked back at the Time Master, hoping for some last minute advice.

Clockwork grinned at her and winked. "Just tell him how you feel, and everything will be perfectly fine."

Sam smiled weakly, and nodded, before stepping through the portal.

One Week later

"Uhgg, when Clockwork said that Danny would be back soon, I didn't think it would take this long." Robin grumbled, sitting on the couch in the living room.

Beast Boy and Cyborg were battling each other on a video game, Raven was reading a book while levitating in the corner of the room, Starfire was cleaning, Dani was probably in the training room ,beating up Vlad some more seeing as how he couldn't get out of the room, and Sam was in her room doing god knows what.

Raven looked up from her book with a bored expression. "Clockwork said that he would be back, so Danny will be coming back. So just shut up, and stop whining like a baby that had his pacifier taken away." she said.

Robin scowled but didn't make a comment on that as he got up and paced around the room, his masked eyes narrowed. "I just can't help but worry. What if he is hurt, or in trouble. You have got to remember he was just coming out of critical condition after his fight with Vlad and that slam against the wall when bring Sam back probably didn't help his case any and what about…." Robin said continuing to rant on and on about his worries for the half ghost teen.

Raven attempted to ignore the Boy Wonder and go back to reader, but his pacing foot steps and motions of him passing in front of her started causing her eye to twitch.

Finally, after a few minutes of listening to Robin rant and pace, Raven slammed her book shut as he passed in front of her and raised up the book to give him a good whack over the back of his head with it, when the door slid open with a whirl.

Everyone in the room froze and looked over to see Sam standing in the entranceway, looking tired, worried and miserable.

Sam's purple eyes roamed over the room noticing that everyone was now watching her. Beast Boy and Cyborg had paused their game, looking at her with an expression of hope that quickly diminished into sorrow when they realized it was only her. Starfire had paused, hovering over the ground and having the same expression as Cy and BB. Sam felt a small twitch on her lips when she saw Robin in mid-pace and Raven with a book frozen in mid descent towards the spiky haired teens head.

Sam looked around the room again, seeing no sign of Danny's return. She let out a small sigh, and looked at the Titan's, forcing a weak smile on her face. "I'll be on the roof, When Danielle get back up here, let me know please I would like to ask her a few questions." then she turned and left the living room, the door sliding shut behind her.

Raven quickly completed her books decent onto Robins head, knocking him off balance with a yelp.

Robin turned to Raven, rubbing the back of his head. "What the hell was that for?" he complained

Raven stared at him with a calm expression, before replying in a monotone. "You were annoying me. Sit sown, shut up and stop driving me mad." she said.

Robin glared but huffed and wnt to pace on the other end of the living room, seemingly out of Ravens reach. But as Robin continued to pace, silently, his emotions were in turmoil, further pestering Raven as she again tried to read.

Next thing the other Titans see is a book fly across the room and slamming into the back of Robins head with a loud smack knocking him to the floor with a cry.

Back up on the roof, Sam walked over to the edge and sat down, looking out across the city. She deeply missed Danny and Tucker. But she knew in this timeline, Tucker was dead, so she more or less focused on her only living best friend, and his whereabouts.

She sat there for maybe an hour, the seagulls flying and cawing overhead as the breeze swept across the bay. She was about to get up and head back inside when she heard light footsteps behind her. She almost growled in irritation, not wanting to deal with the Titans at the moment. She wanted to be alone, and the only titan that seemed to bug her the most, was Beast Boy.

Sam growled out with a bitter voice. "Go away, Beast Boy."

"Last I checked," said a gentle voice. "Only my eyes were green."

Sam's purple eyes shot wide open as she jumped to her feet and turned around to face the boy that spoke. "Danny?" she said, as she looked at the cloaked, white haired teen in front of her, his neon green eye that wasn't covered by the thick locks of ivory hair, watched her carefully, almost fearfully.

Danny nodded his head once, quickly looking away from her. "Yeah." was all he said. The next minute stretched into a long awkward silence, both of them too nervous to speak. Finally Danny broke the silence. "Look, Sam…I…I'm sorry about-" but Sam cut him off.

"Danny, no, it's fine. I'm the one that should be sorry for the way I acted. I was just scared at first, being snatched away from timeline and placed in a new one with new people." she said softly, walking over to stand in front of Danny, noticing that he was a good foot taller than she was now. She had to tilt her head back some, just to looked up at him. "I'm sorry for my over reaction. Clockwork explained a few things and…left me to figure out the rest."

Danny's green eye looked into her purple ones, a hopeful glimmer in them. "And did you?" he asked softly.

Sam looked to the side and nodded. "Yes. I did. And the Titans even helped as well, explain things that you had told them." she looked back up at him. "I'm sorry that all ofthat happened, Danny. It must have been horrible to see all that you loved, die again."

Danny nodded once, the corner of him mouth lifting ever so slightly. "Yes…but I think yours impacted me the most."

Sam looked at him curiously. "Why is that?"

Danny blushed softly and took her hand in his, before reaching around his neck and pulling off the ring that was on the necklace. He phased the ring off the chain before placing it in her hands. "Read what's on the inside, Sam. Then maybe you can understand my feelings, if a little bit better than I could explain them." he said.

Sam looked at the gold and green ring setting on her palm, looking at the inscription on the inside. "All it says is 'WES', Danny…what is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

Danny smiled and flipped the ring over so it now said SAM. Sam's eyes widened with a small gasp, looking up at him. "Danny this…"

"Was originally going to go to Valarie, but my parent's engraved 'Sam' instead, knowing that all this was going to happen all along. They were a lot smarter than I gave them credit for." he said with a sheepish smile.

Sam blinked a tear forming in her eyes as she watched Danny, who took the ring off her palm and turned her hand over to slide the ring onto her finger. "I'm hoping that maybe someday, you can forgive me for all of my foolish actions…and maybe give me a chance at being a good boyfriend for you. I might be clueless, now I know why you and Tucker called me that, but you know that I am always loyal and will always be there to protect you with my life." he told her, looking into her eyes.

Sam wiped at the tears ing her eyes before looking back up at Danny, and then threw her arms around his neck into a hug with a big smile on her face. "Oh, Danny. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

Danny wrapped his arms around her and chuckled softly. "I think I can take a good guess." he said with a smile, his heart lighter now that his worries were gone. He let her go and took a step back. "Let's go ahead downstairs. I have been away fop a while now, haven't I?"

Sam chuckled and nodded, taking Danny's hand in hers, threading their fingers together. "Yeah, you numb-skull. A good long week."

Danny smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing that back of his neck. "Uh..oops?" he grinned. "Let's go ahead down." He quickly phased them through the roof and down the several stories into the living room, turning them invisible at the same time. He stood in the corner of the room, watching as the titans tried to keep their minds busy. Robin was now sitting on the ground, still rubbing his head where a large lump had formed, BB and Cy were still playing video games, but he noticed that they didn't play with their normal enthusiasm. And Raven, unemotional as always, was reading a book. Starfire was done cleaning so she opted to float around the room, looking a bit lost and sad.

I didn't realize I had such an impact on their lives. Danny thought to himself. I guess I'd better let them know I've shown up. With that thought, he gave Sam's hand a gentle squeeze, letting her know he was dropping the invisibility before he did so.

Everyone froze when Danny appeared in the living room, holding hands with Sam. They all stared at him with wide eyes with mixed expressions of shock, happiness, and awe.

Danny grinned at them. "Miss me?"

End Chapter 35!

Only one more chapters left and then it is over!

I understand that I am not updating as much, the only time I can really write, is when I am at school or using my grandmother's laptop if I am not too lazy to do so. My spelling is still terrible, but I do intend on going over my stories once I am finished and correct as many of the errors as I can and filling in a few plot holes (Like Danny's Scythe, I need to add that into Vlad's battle scene, how awesome would that be?). But I do have other stories that you all can read (if you aren't already reading them) and I have a few more I plan to come out with.

So be sure to keep and eye on what I post and all of my other stories.

Rae

DanPhantomsApprentice