A/N: YAY! TGIF! Man, I wanted this week to end! Not that it went badly, but I'm just anxious to get this out to you; and I and the chappie just wasn't ready yet! But NOW I am and NOW it is! YAY! Gee, how can I be so happy, how can I be so callous, when I just know how much angst is still in store for the gang? Just crazy, I guess….but then again, y'all ALL knew that, already! So, let's get on with the happy little sadness that's in Chapter 32. Ahem…need to get serious…Oh, yeah…Don't forget the IDNOAC thing and don't be shy about throwing your thoughts at me. Enjoy!

TrueHeart—Chapter 32—Mounting Doubt

The instant Danny heard his girlfriend's mental cry, he startled and instantly halted in mid-flight. He quickly tried to shake off the echoing it left in his mind, but couldn't. Her anguished call had been so intense that he just knew he had felt her actual soul cry out for him; and with that realization, he felt his pained, burning heart skip a beat.

But, it didn't matter. He was all twisted up inside, with a million thoughts and emotions hounding him all at once. And all of them were because of what Sam did. He couldn't sort them out, especially when he couldn't even begin to understand anything about what had happened. One thing he was sure of, though. He was definitely still hurting over what she did. But now, he couldn't help but feel worried about her when he felt her cry. Still again, he suddenly felt annoyed with that.

It didn't help that he still had that same headache that had plagued him all day from lack of sleep; though for some reason, it now seemed to pound with each throb of his heartache. However, there was more to his headache, fatigue, and heartache. Something very odd. He felt weak, strangely weak. He had never felt like this before. This kind of weakness was different...

Even so, he didn't want to think about how ill he felt anymore. He didn't have the mental energy to dwell on it. Besides, he supposed it must be all in his head. Maybe feeling a little awful physically just had to do with his headache…and his sick heart.…But, of course, he didn't know that it had to do with Bertrand's siphoning off his ghostly pheromones and slowly sapping him of his strength.

So, ultimately, Danny could only try to ignore his sick feeling. Not that he really could dwell on that at this point anyhow, because all those anguished thoughts about Sam just bombarded him all over again….Like her unquestionable distress she had relayed to him when she had mentally called to him, and which even now still faintly echoed within him. Worry instinctually stirred once again within him with that thought….But then, a wave of pain pounded his head. Wait! She couldn't be distressed! She had purposely hurt him!

The sting of betrayal returned again, and he suddenly grew angry. That is exactly how he should be feeling right now, not anything else; and then he could feel his headache unexpectedly worsen…He shouldn't be feeling an ounce of worry for her! She didn't even deserve the benefit of a doubt, let alone his trust! The boy felt so betrayed that he didn't want to see her or attempt to talk things through. But, ultimately, no matter how much he wanted to consume himself with anger, he could not. Another feeling, deeper than emotion, wouldn't let him. In fact, even when he tried to ignore that powerful feeling, it made him feel a little guilty. He didn't understand that, but he did feel his headache ease up a bit along with his anger.

Still, it wasn't his fault, he didn't think. Then, what did it all mean, if she was looking for him?

"If finding me is so important to her all of the sudden, then why did she lie to me in the first place?" he asked himself. "What did I do to her to make her do what she did to me? He paused, suddenly wondering about Sam's telepathic call, "And why hasn't she said anything else?"

He became discouraged with that thought. His tired mind must have imagined her calling after all. He immediately felt depressed after that discouragement, and it was all that another emotion needed to sneak back in. Hurt then took full advantage of spreading over his heart and mind. He was so upset and hurt, he really didn't care at this point if she would even try to reach him anymore.

But, of course, neither Danny nor Sam had known that she had been successful in connecting with him telepathically. She had mentally called out to him in sheer desperation. But because of her own distress, and because she had not been able to reach him the entire time she had been looking for him, she didn't think she would finally be able to get through to him and did not recognize that she had.

Still, in spite of his hurt, Danny couldn't get everything out of his mind. What made Sam do that? He quickly ran through the scene in his head again, stopping at 'the kiss'. He cringed at the memory, but immediately rejected the thought that now surfaced. Was his girlfriend mad at him and now getting back at him? But, she wouldn't 'get back' at him. Yeah, she would give him a piece of her mind if she were angry at him, but she would do it right way and that would be the end of it. She wasn't the 'revenge-seeking' type. He shook his head. Then, all of this didn't make any sense AT ALL!

He searched his exhausted mind once more as he resumed his flight, slowing it enough to try to remember this time how Sam looked and acted during the entire encounter, and immediately afterward. He bit his lip in hope. She had looked a little dazed, as if she were….were being overshadowed! And come to think of it, that new kid had the very same look! But that was impossible! His ghost sense would have alerted him of that. He would have instantly known. And he would have known if a ghost had even been around before—and after—the overshadowing…if he—or she—were around. He frowned in frustration. Then, that wasn't the answer. But this whole thing wasn't right, right?

No, it wasn't. Sam's behavior had been slowly becoming more erratic ever since…that new boy came to school! Was that it, then? Maybe she was more attracted to that guy after all and she was afraid to tell him?! This time, he slowed his pace, more depressed at that thought. Was she having second thoughts about their relationship? Had he somehow made her unhappy? He hadn't thought so, but then he thought about Tucker…and Valerie! Sam was unhappy that he had made her apologize to Tucker. And being nice to Valerie really killed her. But was that a good enough reason for her to cheat and lie? No! That didn't sound like Sam at all!

Then another, more plausible reason came into his mind again. She had to be attracted to Armen; but was afraid to hurt him by telling him. So, she rather 'tell' him the news by hurting him? That still made no sense. But then again, this 'relationship stuff' was still a work-in-progress for both of them; and neither of them was perfect. Still, there were things to be expected, things that expected a willingness on both of their parts to be….open. He stopped with that thought. He had to admit that Sam did have trouble with that. Maybe she didn't know how to tell him.

But there was more. He thought he could depend on how they felt about each other to keep their relationship honest and true-hearted. At least he had done his best to be that. And he thought Sam had done her best, too, even if she had a hard time about being honest with her feelings. It never bothered him before. But now, the truth was suddenly there. She cheated and she lied. And she blocked him mentally from trying to find that out or even understand why. She had not been honest about telling him that she was attracted to Armen.

Danny's face fell with that thought. And even though he didn't like it, the truth was still there….that she must want to break up with him. Well, then, if that was the case, since Sam probably wouldn't come out with it, he would just have to. After all, they were still young and weren't married or near anything like that….He paused and swallowed hard with that thought…Sure, he had pondered about the subject in a nebulous kinda way before. And Sam and he had the same outlook about it. But now that he thought of it in an entirely different light, he felt his heart burn. It didn't matter that they were still young. They were almost seventeen—well, sorta. Almost. And they had gone through so much together, had gotten so close. At least, he thought so. Yes, they were still too young to be thinking of something…so serious. But that didn't mean they couldn't love each other with the same intensity as those other couples who were old enough to take the next permanent step and commitment. Sure, they knew that they would have to wait until then, but that didn't mean their love—his love—was less intense.

That thought suddenly made things clearer for him. He knew his heart had been burning in hurt. And that he couldn't stay angry. But that was because he loved her… But she knew that, too, since he had told her many times. But she…she was never that open about it. Now that bothered him even more. Maybe she hadn't felt the same way after all. But what about all those times they had shared their thoughts? She seemed so sincere, so open, so comfortable. Now, he wasn't so sure. He jolted at the next possibility. Maybe she was blocking her real feelings all along, like she was so good at doing before they became a couple! Maybe she had felt pressured to date him, caught up with the emotions of the whole 'disasteroid' incident.

And maybe now she had second thoughts about it all. That happened to friends sometimes: sometimes, they couldn't make the jump from friends to couple. And that could explain her odd behavior. By why now—and why so sudden—with no hint of any problems in all this time they had been dating? But then, he thought about their problems over Libro not too long ago. Maybe that was just the beginning? But, he thought they were way over that? What could be the explanation then? He bit his lower lip when his mind told him the answer: and that it was because Sam must have been so good at hiding all her feelings after all.

He still was not satisfied. Sam's behavior was too odd, too sudden. But what other explanation could it possibly be? Unless she had grown unhappy with him and was afraid to tell him? That might be it. He swallowed hard and slowed down with the realization.

"She often hinted that she was so was afraid of me getting bored with her…that she never wanted to fall into habit or routine. I never thought of her like that, and didn't think that was possible. Still, she really does hate ruts. But I didn't think we were in any ruts…And can couples get in ruts? I guess they can…but how?" He searched his mind, trying to come up with an answer to anything. "Maybe if they don't care enough or aren't willing to work through their problems? Would that be it?…But I thought we were willing to work things through! We have done it before, why can't we now? ...And besides, I really didn't think we were having any problems…until these past few weeks. But why?"

He didn't have an answer to that. But then, the next thought clamped down on his heart. It didn't matter why. Maybe she didn't know, either. Maybe she just didn't know anything but that she was somehow unhappy with him. And that was that. But his heart was still not satisfied, even when it knew the answer. He knew he loved her enough to let her go if she was unhappy with him. He still didn't know how he had made her unhappy. But if being apart would make her happy, then that's the way it had to be. That thought didn't make him feel any better, but he would do this if she wanted.

He breathed a heavy sigh with his heavy heart. But he still was confused about it all. Nevertheless, he bit his lip in sudden determination. OK. But if she wanted him to let her go, he had to know why…

Again, that didn't make him feel better, but it did help clear his mind. And he suddenly felt exhausted and weak. He turned himself tightly around and stopped to survey this part of the Ghost Zone. It only took a moment and he knew where he had to go. He headed back, mentally calculating where his house should be. He slowed as he approached the right area. He rechecked his reference points and inched closer to where he estimated was the right place. He produced his wulf claws, rent a hole in the dimension, and entered the jagged portal, ending up right in his bedroom, just as he calculated.

He smiled weakly at the small triumph. At least he could be sure of that, even though he couldn't be sure of him and Sam at this point...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sam woke with as start, shivering. Why was she so cold? She looked around, confused by the darkness which surrounded her. She shot up to a stand with a gasp, only to realize by the crunching snow under her feet that she had fallen asleep on the park bench. She looked at her watch and shivered once more. Eleven o'clock?! She had been here for hours? Her parents were going to kill her!

She dashed off and got to her home in no time. She quietly opened her front door and met…her grandmother.

"Bubele?" the old woman asked with a frown of disappointment. At first, there was a twinkle in her eye behind that frown. But that twinkle, which was usually there when her granddaughter did such unconventional things as coming home late like this, instantly changed to worry when she saw her granddaughter's face when she came in. This was totally different. The old woman could tell in a heartbeat that her granddaughter was not in her usual state of mind when being this late had happened in the past.

Sam was usually awhirl whenever she would come home late, but it usually from excitement, as if her granddaughter was off on a constant adventure. It all started, her grandmother reckoned, more than a year ago, when Sam was in her freshman year. That was when she made it a point to hang out with her two best friends, who happened to be boys, more often than not. Not that her grandmother worried about that—though her parents, of course, did. Grandmother Manson trusted her granddaughter to do the right thing, and she had a sense that Danny and Tucker were just as trustworthy. And now that Sam was dating Danny, it seemed to the old woman that her granddaughter seemed less edgy, even more affectionate and content. Sam still wasn't totally open about it, but Sam's grandma was certain about it. The old woman smiled. She knew she liked Danny, but now she realized how special he must truly be to cause this kind of good change in Sam.

But now, this kind of 'excitement' her granddaughter had brought home tonight was very different. Something was wrong, and she knew that Sam was obviously upset.

The old woman paused a moment as Sam stepped in and closed the door.

When the girl turned back to her grandmother without saying a word, Grandma Mason dryly said, "Cold night air gives you pimples."

"What?" Sam said, pulling off her jacket and quickly hanging it up. Did her grandmother just say her millionth weird comment?

"I said, cold night air, especially after ten o'clock, gives you zits."

Sam got the hint and said, "Sorry I'm late. I fell asleep in the park."

Now her grandmother's eyebrow rose in surprise. That was very odd, indeed. She then said, "Well, let's get some hot chocolate and talk about it. Your parents won't be back until midnight. They went out to dinner and a symphony way before you were due home for dinner."

Sam heaved a silent sigh of relief. At least her parents didn't know she had been late. And she didn't question her grandmother as she followed behind her scooter. Hot chocolate sounded perfect and she did need someone to hear her out right now.

Finally, they were sitting and sipping in silence.

Sam could just feel the curiosity rising from the hot steam of her grandmother's mug, but the old woman kept mute.

"Grandma?" the girl said at last.

"Yes, Dearie?"

'What can I do…er, I mean, what does someone do when they're accused of lying or doing something I…uhm, they didn't do even if looks like they did do it?"

Her grandmother blinked a moment and then something clicked. Her granddaughter was using their 'code' talk again, the one she used when she was having a hard time coming right out with it. She rolled with it. "You mean, if someone was accidentally framed, like Grandpa Manson had been?"

"Yes!" Sam said a little too loudly, startling her grandmother a little with the seemingly verbal assault. But reminding her about the time that Grandma had falsely accused her grandfather of cheating on her helped everything click with the goth girl.

"Sorry!" Sam said with an apologetic frown. "But, it's just that I couldn't figure that out until you said that, and that's exactly what I mean. Only, I can't explain how I, er, they were framed-or even if they were. But what happened is kinda the same."

"Well, that is very difficult, indeed. And the evidence is overwhelming for that, uhm, person?"

"Totally!"

"But that…person is innocent, you say?"

"Totally!"

"Hmm…that is a dilemma," the old woman began, lightly rapping her fingers on her chin. She took another sip of her hot chocolate and then added, "Do 'they' have anyone who believes them? Who knows 'they' would be innocent?"

Sam immediately thought about Danny and Tucker. But mostly about Danny, of course. Her lips sagged downward a little as she replied, "At first, 'they' did, but not really anymore. But that's the real problem. The person 'they' trust the most is the one who believes that that person is guilty, though, in reality, that person was somehow and kinda framed."

"I see," her grandmother slowly said, pondering. "Then, I guess, there's only one thing 'they' can do!"

"What's that, Grandma?" Sam asked. Her heart was leaping with such hope, she hadn't realized how excited her voice sounded when she blurted that out. And she just knew her grandmother would be able to help her.

"Do your own investigating. There's got to be evidence to counter the fake ones… And try to convince the one whom you trusted to believe in you again. And if I know him, I'm sure he will."

Her grandmother then grabbed her mug and put it in the sink without another word. But she was surprised when Sam came up behind her and affectionately kissed her on the cheek. Not that she hadn't done that before, but she was doing it more regularly. However, the old woman didn't say a thing about it and quickly exited the room on her scooter, hoping that Sam didn't see the large grin on her face.

Sam smiled weakly after watching her grandmother leave, silently thanking her. She felt better, but suddenly grew nervous. Still, she brushed it away, nodding in her firm decision. She was now certain that she was being falsely accused. Well, that, or, it was something as simple as her telepathic powers going crazy. Either way, then, that was it! Tomorrow, she was going to lay it out to Danny. She cared too much to lose him—ever!

She would do whatever it would take to win back his trust.