A/N: So, now is everyone over the holidays? Did you have a GREAT one? I hope you did! I certainly did, especially now it's time for an update!! And I hope you're enjoying the story. Hope you strap yourselves in and get ready 'cause more angst will be coming at ya real soon! Also, I always look forward to hearing your thoughts, so don't be shy, K? Anyhow, the New Year is going strong for this story, even though I STILL do not own any characters, except for you-know-who! Well, it's NOT my New Year's resolution to stop blathering, but it is time for Chapter 17! Enjoy!

TrueHeart—Chapter 17—Pinning Them In

Al and Armen had finally made up; in fact, sometime during the day before. When he had found her later that day, and had seen how upset she had been, he had begged her to tell him what was wrong. And when she had told him everything, he was mortified. Even though he couldn't explain it, he had been so chagrined about it that Al had calmed down. She had decided that Armen couldn't have possibly understood everything that had happened to him, so she gave him the benefit of a doubt. They were quickly enjoying each other's company again, readily allowing the earlier, practically day-old disaster to be forgotten.

But forgetting was not so easy for another. Tucker was feeling more and more upset as the morning dragged on.

And in the meantime, Sam was also getting more frustrated. She had told Danny she would apologize to Tucker for what she had said to him; but, so far, she couldn't. She was having a hard time getting to their friend. Even though they were in several classes together, he wouldn't even so much as glance at her during class and had darted quickly away afterward.

So, as the early classes seemed unending, Sam got more and more perturbed. She knew that Tucker was avoiding her, but she really wasn't angry anymore with him. She was picking at herself for what she had said to him. Still, it was almost lunchtime. She hadn't had a chance to breathe a word toward him; and she was getting even more aggravated.

Meanwhile, Bertrand was a little relieved that this new day had finally come to the rescue. Yesterday had not only been a disaster, but Spectra had actually gotten surlier as the rest of that day had dragged on. The shape shifter had thought that Penelope had gotten over their first plan's being scuttled; but as she firmly confirmed, he had been wrong. He thought that their new "Plan B" would have put the female shadow ghost in a better mood, but she just kept rehashing and ranting about the events. Humph! And she had accused him of histrionics! And just when he didn't think he could take any more steam that Spectra blew off about that disaster, he, thankfully, had retreated to his lair.

And, finally, it was the next day. Maybe Spectra would feel better if they could get right on 'Plan B'. The shape shifter hurried to Spectra's lair and arrived shortly--though it was still quite a bit of time before school was to begin at Casper High.

Spectra was in a much better mood after a night's sleep and she was eager to go through with their new plan. She and her assistant decided to go separately to the school. Bertrand was to leave first with the lynx in tow. Spectra wanted to keep the dove far enough apart from the lynx so as to discourage any attempts of escape that might present themselves should the lynx know that his wife was near the school. Spectra was also pleased to leave the lynx with the impression that she would be prepared and ready to pursue a vile punishment for his wife should he fail her.

As they headed toward the school, Bertrand hurriedly filled Derek in on what the enchanted ghost was supposed to do. Bertrand had also been sure to give the lynx and himself a good dousing of the de-ghost-a--er, ghost signature masking--concoction. This time, the shape shifter was determined to make this new plan of theirs work.

And this new scheme was quite simple. And really just a tweaking of their last idea. Derek would overshadow the same new boy Armen, and corner Sam again, feigning an intense interest in her. But, this time, Bertrand would overshadow the new girl Al just long enough to get her to the scene. Then, he would release her at the precise moment to witness Derek's deed, and let nature take its course.

Once Spectra was sure that the male ghosts had been given plenty of time to reach the school, she retrieved the dove, which was still in her cage. Giving the young ghost a sound command to keep silent, the female shadow ghost grabbed the cage and made her way to the school.

So, with Tucker's being upset with Sam, Sam's being upset with herself, and with the new boy and girl soon to be upset—period-- the plan seemed perfectly set-up—this time….

"Darn it! If I don't get this off my chest soon, I'm just going to explode!" Sam grumbled under her breath as she headed toward her locker after her third period. She twirled the combination lock move roughly than she normally would with her frustration.

Suddenly, she was aware of a presence behind her. She quickly twisted completely around so that her back was now against her still unopened locker. She frowned in irritation when she saw the overshadowed Armen looking dreamingly at her—but it didn't look natural at all.

"What do you want?" she growled. "I told you to take a hike the last time!"

Derek-within-Armen hadn't expected this kind of reaction and hesitated on what to say. After all, he had only a very vague notion of what he had done before because of Bertrand's potion. He glanced slightly sideways and saw Bertrand's penetrating stare in the near distance and swallowed hard. It wasn't his fault, of course, that he met up with a very upset Sam, but he had to keep her preoccupied until Bertrand's signal.

"I am sorry. I do not understand," he truthfully said, using Armen's own thickly accented voice as he did.

"Too late for that," Sam spat back. "Now, just get out of my way!" She pushed against him and effectively shoved him just enough away to go around him. She then turned abruptly back after her next thought. "And just what's with that fake accent of yours, anyway? Oh, never mind! Just stay out of my way!"

She quickly turned and huffed away.

Derek again spied the glare of disapproval in all of the little ghost bug's eyes. He had better think of something—quick.

He hurried after Sam, and Derek-as-Armen, really not certain on what to do, grabbed for Sam's hand. Having successfully secured it in his grasp, he quickly spun her around so that she was now facing him again.

"Just what do you think you're doing, you creep?" the captured girl seethed, instantly attempting to pull her hand away.

But Derek wouldn't let go and said more insistently, "Please, Sam, forgive me! I could not let the day pass by any longer without begging you for your forgiveness."

This time, her face scrunched up in confusion. First, he was hitting on her; then just before this, he seemed to be doing the same, and now he was begging her for her forgiveness?

"Look, I don't know what your game is, but it doesn't really matter, because I'm not going to warn you again to just leave me alone, got that?" she firmly replied.

"I can understand that!" he calmly agreed, surprising the girl once more. "I mean, I am so new here, I did not realize how rude I seemed at first." Again, this statement had come naturally from Derek, as it was the truth.

Sam eyed him suspiciously. Was he on the level or just setting her up again? And, still, it was that accent thing. Was he for real? But, he raised a good point and maybe hadn't really known what to say, only to have it all come out badly. She tried to give him the benefit of a doubt. "OK. I think I get you. But your really need to work on that part. The 'not-being-rude' part, I mean."

Derek silently sighed in relief. He was delaying her departure as instructed by Bertrand. But then, he felt a knot of discomfort grow within him. He was still tricking this girl, but he had no choice. His mind was too consumed with thoughts of his Sarah. Those evil ghosts would hurt his wife.

In the meantime, satisfied by Derek's final success, Bertrand had quickly left the scene, found Al, and overshadowed her. He brought her over to where the overshadowed Armen and Sam now were. Spectra's assistant got the hapless new girl close enough to the scene so that she would be both hidden from the couple's view and still have the perfect angle of seeing what would happen next.

As soon as he thought this would be the perfect place to 'plant' Al, he relinquished his hold over her and made a beeline to one of Armen's ears.

"OK, Derek," the overshadowed boy heard as Bertrand whispered in his ear. "OK. Everything's set. Kiss her!"

"WHAT?" Derek uttered in disbelief through his human mouth.

Sam startled a little, as they had not, of course, been talking about anything that should have made him utter such a loud –and random--response.

Bertrand repeated more firmly, "You heard me, big boy! Kiss her!"

Derek frowned with Armen's mouth, but knew he had to obey. He suddenly grabbed Sam by her shoulders, pulled her tightly to him and gave her a big awkward kiss.

Sam's eyes widened in shock as the boy pressed his lips to hers.

Suddenly, the area they were in filled with two loud gasps: Al's and someone else's who had just walked into the scene.

"Hi, Tucker," Valerie said with a smile when she saw her boyfriend walk up to his locker just after their third period class. But she immediately noticed that he looked as upset as he did when she first saw him all morning.

And by the tone of his voice, and the fact that he didn't look at her, she wasn't the least bit mistaken. "Hi, Valerie," he barely mumbled.

"What's wrong, Tucker?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Nothin'!" he answered unconvincingly. "Gotta get ready for the next class, you know," he barely uttered as he turned his combination lock. He still didn't look up at her. He couldn't. He was too confused by all the emotions squeezing him: confusion, anger, disappointment in himself and his girlfriend, and regret. Regret for what she did to Danny and regret that he had let it happen. He was even surprised that he was struggling with regret for feeling sorry for her and wanting to help her a year ago.

Valerie frowned even more with worry. She had never seen him this upset before. But she tried to make light of it. "Oh, is that all? Lamest class of all, huh?" she chuckled with embarrassment.

Tucker neither glanced at nor answered her. Having gotten the lock off, he proceeded to open the locker's door…only to find that it was stuck—again. He growled, frustrated with everything that had happened and yanked the door open with such force that it rattled loudly, startling Valerie.

Her boyfriend ignored her, grabbed what he needed, carelessly threw what he didn't need into his locker, and violently slammed the door, ignoring its echoing cry of protest. "Stupid locker," he grumbled as he violently spun his lock and promptly left...leaving Valerie behind.

Valerie, meanwhile, stood stunned. Did she just see her sweet boyfriend practically attack his locker? And then ignored her and left for class without her? Something awful must have happened!

She snapped out of her daze and hurried after him. She quickly closed the gap, and had just about gotten close enough to say something when he suddenly stopped right in his tracks. She was so surprised at his abrupt change that she ran right into him, accidentally shoving him. He slammed into the nearby wall and slid down to the ground with a groan.

Valerie winced, mortified. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Tucker!" she cried, as she helped him back up.

"That's OK," he barely mumbled under his breath as he turned away from her. "Forgot somethin' in my locker." He hurried away from her, leaving her behind…again.

This time, Valerie blinked in disbelief. What was happening? But this time, she hesitated and didn't follow him.

Tucker had just turned the corner nearest his locker when he abruptly halted in his tracks again. He gasped loudly and instinctively at the sight: Sam was kissing that new guy!

In the meantime, Sam immediately resisted Armen, but he was too strong for her. As she looked upon him, she tried to pull away and her protesting yell was gagged by his kiss.

But Tucker didn't see Sam's reaction—and he didn't' know that she hadn't seen him--because he had turned immediately around and run off, completely floored at what he had just witnessed. It was already bad enough that she rode him about Valerie. Now she was sticking it to Danny?! What was with her?

Al, however, marched right up to Armen and Sam. But before she got there, Bertrand had been hovering near Armen and had just ordered Derek to relinquish his hold on the foreign boy. When the unfortunate boy came to his senses moments later, he immediately jolted away from Sam when he realized what he was doing. He stuttered in shock, "S-Sam, what are happening? Why are he here?"

Before Sam could give him her angry response, however, Al stepped right up to the goth girl, pulled her away from Armen, and hissed, "How dare you! Not only do you leave poor Danny hanging on your lease, but you go after him!" She pointed to Armen as she said that and the foreign boy cringed.

Sam got right into the girl's face and hissed back, "He's the one who started it and grabbed me! He's crazy or something! I didn't do anything and I don't have to answer to you! I'm outta here!" She started off, making sure to give Armen a hard shove when she passed him. She then elbowed her way passed Al, hurrying as fast as she could to the protection of her next period's classroom.

Al turned violently back to the still confused Armen and cried, "I thought you liked me! And I can't believe that I liked you back, you jerk! I don't ever want to see you again, understand?" She quickly stormed off so that he wouldn't see her angry tears, leaving the very bewildered boy behind.

"Well, well, looks like we've stirred up this hornet's nest up pretty well," Bertrand chuckled smugly to the disconcerted lynx. "But I still have to make sure the main victim has been stung first. Let's go!"

The little ghost fly didn't wait for the disgruntled lynx as he flitted off toward the cafeteria. When they arrived at its entrance, Bertrand turned to Derek and said with bubbling conceit, "Oh! Now, before we get this thing all wrapped up, I'd better…." But he paused and frowned when he realized he had forgotten the most important thing: the little machine! He grumbled slightly, "Darn it! I knew I felt too light! Oh, well. I've got to hurry back and retrieve that little machine I left back at my lair. Tsk. That's what I get for thinking that this was going to be a great and flawless plan! Still, we don't want to miss the big opportunity when it all blows up in their faces, right?" he said to the morose lynx, not really expecting him to answer.

But his voice turned more sinister when he said to the wildcat, "You stay here until I get back, got that? Don't let anyone see you and then we'll do our last little trick. Remember, we have your sweet little Sarah!"

Derek merely glared at him, but Bertrand knew that the enchanted ghost would obey him. The little fly soared away in haste to retrieve the pheromone-sucking machine.

In the meantime, the black lynx scanned the area and saw a very dark corner on the far side of the cafeteria. But just before he started toward it, he frowned. He was so upset; it seemed as if his thoughts were burning holes right through him. If he and his wife were ever to get out of this mess, he would make sure that they flee from this wretched place and never return. But before he could start to fly toward the dark corner again, his ears perked up. Someone was nearing him! He quickly turned invisible and waited.

"I can't believe it! First all this mess with Valerie and now Sam! I'm not sure if I can take all of this!"

The lynx clearly heard what the red-beret-wearing boy had said as he hurried past the invisible ghost animal. Derek continued to track the boy as he headed to a classroom nearby. Derek startled at the sudden realization that had seized his mind. He somehow knew this boy. He frowned, trying to bring up the memory. A hazy thought surfaced, but he was not certain of it. But he could not deny the gut feeling. This must be the boy that Spectra had made him and his wife stir up trouble with a few days before. He had not…directly been involved with this human…but with….the one for which he had feelings. He let his head fall in shame. He silently glided over to the dark area he had first spied.

He lay down in the shadowed corner, dropping his head right on his front paws. He was thankful that it was very dark here. He closed his eyes, suddenly aware of an oppressive feeling quickly overwhelming him. He was so sure that what he was feeling felt tangible, suffocating him as it did. He didn't fight the emotion, melding as easily into the murky despair now coating his mind as surely as his ghostly body melded into the cold, murky shadows.