A/N: Well, here's Friday all ready! And do any of you think that things are wrapping up? Fear not! Not yet. Yes, the story will eventually be completed, but I have so much still in store for y'all that that is not going to happen for a while! So, hope you'll stay with me throughout it all, of course. Anyhow, here is that IDNOAC thing and Chapter 41. Enjoy!

TrueHeart—Chapter 41—Reaching Out

As soon as they left school, Sam and Tucker raced to Danny's house to find the Boo-merang. It had begun to snow rather heavily, but Sam and Tucker ignored it as they finally arrived and knocked on the front door. But there was no answer because no one was at home. And the door was locked.

"Let's go around back!" Sam insisted and they instantly darted in that direction.

Sam tried that door and it, too, was locked. "Darn it!"

"What did you expect, Sam?" Tucker asked in bewilderment.

"That it would be unlocked! Danny said that his dad usually forgets to lock one of the doors whenever they go anywhere, and Danny has to double-check them before they leave!" She checked it again, and growled in frustration. She then turned back to Tucker and suddenly scrunched up her face in confusion when he was smiling and holding his PDA up.

"This is no time to joke, Tuc-…" she began with an irritated tone, but then she gasped when an orange beam jetted forth out of his PDA and into the lock in the back door. Not a moment later, the lock made a clicking sound and the door pulled itself ajar.

"Don't tell me," she said with a smirk.

"Yeah! Cool, isn't it?" he replied with a smug smile.

Without another word, they dashed right through the kitchen and directly into the lab. They searched frantically around but found no Boo-merang.

"Where is it?" Sam yelled to no one in particular, moving things around a little too violently on the lab's shelves in her desperation.

"Maybe it's in one of the other rooms?" Tucker offered, reacting to her anxiety with an attempt at giving her an encouraging smile. But it turned out to be a very nervous one instead.

She noticed his nervousness this time and smiled weakly, "Sorry…I know I'm spazzing. You know me when it comes to Danny. But I hope you're right, Tucker! Let's split up and get going!" she answered, leading the mad dash back up the stairs and into the main house.

Sam bolted into Danny's room, startling Sarah in her cage. The girl's shoulders slumped when she saw he wasn't in here. She had silently hoped he would be. She made a quick search for the Boo-merang when she suddenly gasped at the full trashcan, the shattered glass, and the burnt holes in the floor. Danny had been here!

She fought back the tears, but they were not in anger at what she saw lying shattered in the trash. She was heartbroken and knew he was, too. Her heart ached for his ache. And in her distress, she hadn't meant to blurt out loud, "Oh, Danny, believe me, I didn't do anything! I never wanted to be used for evil ever again; but it happened again! But I didn't do it on purpose! And I know I must have been made to do the worst thing to you and that just makes me feel like dying! But, I swear I will find you and make you understand. Somehow!"

She ran to the window, opened it and let the coldness and incoming snow envelope her. She let the tears fall, not knowing—or really caring—in her anguish whether they or the bitterly cold snow pinched her cheeks the most.

And then, trying desperately to concentrate, she cried out to the heavens, trying just as desperately to reach her love, "I shouldn't have been afraid to say how I felt about you, over and over and over again! I know that you knew it, but we all need to hear it, feel it, smell it, see it and taste it sometimes. And I'm sorry I expected you to roll with it. But I swear I won't be afraid to say it anymore!" She paused, knowing that she felt a resistance to her call. She took in a deep breath and yelled into the cold wind with her entire heart, "Oh, Darling! Come back to me! I need you, don't you see? I have learned so much about love and hope and it's all because of you! I want you to know it, see it, hear it, and taste it, don't you see? But you must come back so you can—and so that I can share it with you!"

Her shoulders slumped once more when she knew that she hadn't gotten through to him. She just couldn't concentrate enough with all the emotions swirling within her. But suddenly, she strangely felt his remorse over his destroying their things.

"Sam!" she heard Tucker call and she violently wiped her eyes and took in another deep breath, before calling back. "I'm here in Danny's room, Tucker! I'm coming!"

She quickly closed the window and dashed off, wiping the snow away as she did.

But the girl once again did not notice the dove as she ran out of the room. So, she didn't see it when Sarah buried her head under her wing, totally ashamed of herself. It had been terrible to see the boy in agony a moment ago before he flew off; but seeing his love as equally in pain only intensified the dove's remorse.

Tucker and Sam had searched the entire upstairs and headed to the first floor, not hesitating with continuing with their hunt. But they could still find no Boo-merang. In disappointment, they headed right back to the kitchen to leave.

But right then, Tucker spied a note on the kitchen table. Their shoulders unconsciously drooped with more disappointment when they read:

'Jazz and Danny:

Gone to test the Boo-merang. Don't worry. By the way, we keyed in a random signature,
so it won't be after you this time, Danny!

Love,

Mom and Dad

PS. Dinner is the other green stuff in the fridge.'

Sam and Tucker looked at each other in worry. Now how were they going to find their friend?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

An hour later, after being unsuccessful in their random search for Danny, Sam and Tucker finally realized there was nothing more they could do right now. They now had to admit that they never had expected to find him, anyways. It seemed that when Danny did not want to be found, there was no way of doing so. So, after a quick hug, the two friends had gone home.

Exhausted, Sam plopped hard on her bed and fell backward onto it, looking up at the ceiling for no other reason except that it was there. Then, in her frustration, she let out a huge scream which startle Derek out of his sleep. He jumped up and took a defensive stance.

When she heard his movement, she immediately sprang out of her bed and ran over to him, who was still in his glowing cage.

"Oh, I'm sorry, little fella," she gently apologized. "I wasn't thinking about you just now!" She looked at his dish of food and water and saw that they still hadn't been touched.

"Are you still hurt? Or are you sick now? And how is your paw?" She glanced down at his paw, and, of course, didn't expect an answer from him.

She continued, "Well, it must be better since you're standing on it. So, it must be better, right? But, you haven't eaten or drunk a thing yet! What's wrong? Aren't you gonna eat or drink something? I'm getting worried about you, little guy. And just so you know, I'm still sorry that you're in this cage, but my boyfriend Danny said to wait until you were well enough before we could let you go! And,..."

She blushed a little at the realization that she was talking to the cat as if he could understand her. She knew it was because she was so upset and worried about Danny. Somehow, talking to the beast helped her.

But, she was also still worried about the animal. She continued, "But, darn it, you aren't eating. I don't want to take you to the zoo! And how did you end up in the alleyway, anyways? Did you follow that little bird all the way out here? You really shouldn't have hurt that bird! I think she'll be alright, though, and we'll make sure you keep away from her."

Derek had jerked his head up when Sam mentioned a bird! He was sure she had meant Sarah! She was unharmed? His heart leapt with joy! And all he wanted to do now was get to her! But how could he when he was here?

Sam frowned in confusion when the lynx had oddly jerked.

Derek, however, noticed how she had suddenly stared more intensely at him and immediately controlled himself. He couldn't make her suspicious. Still, another thought surfaced. Why had this girl been making such a fuss over him? If she was so worried about him, why was he her prisoner? Wait! She didn't know who he was. She thought he was a real lynx. But he said nothing, and relaxed a little. At least his Sarah was safe.

He suddenly was aware of a small ache. His left front paw was still sore, but he, too, had to agree that he didn't think he was hurt that badly anymore. But he really didn't care about her bother. He had to figure out how to get out of this cage and go look for his wife. But the few times he had tried to touch the bars; he had gotten a nasty jolt. So, right now, he was stuck. He gagged his sigh and remained unsatisfied. He lay back down and placed his head on his paws.

"Oh, good, you've calmed down!" the girl then said, of course misunderstanding his position change. She then chuckled sadly at her next thought. "But, I certainly haven't! You see, I'm looking for that boyfriend I told you about. And like I told you, his name is Danny. He's the most wonderful, caring, bravest and most loving guy in the whole world! I love him with all my heart."

Her shoulders suddenly slumped and she frowned at her next thought. She looked back at the lynx and sadly said, "Just look at me, will ya? Here I am so easily telling you all of my feelings. I could tell Libro all my feelings. Even my grandmother could figure them out from what little I've told her. But I can't tell the only guy I love in the whole world my real feelings about him! Why can't I do that?" She paused, but then almost immediately continued, "Because I was afraid that he would use them to hurt me if he knew…And I was even afraid that he would get bored with me, or find someone else and reject me in the end. How silly is that, huh? Then, I didn't trust him enough not to worry over that, right?…If you love someone, you shouldn't be afraid, that you shouldn't even think that those things would even happen. Isn't that what I should've been in tuned with? Yeah, I should've… And you wanna know why? Because...because, you know, I know him and he would never make me feel that way. I made me feel that way. But I guess I just made him think he wasn't good enough to trust."

She jolted and felt her heart quicken at her next upsetting thought. "Ohmigosh! I hurt him because of that! Here I was so into myself to worry about getting hurt, that I hurt him with all of this! How could I do that? He's more than good enough to give my trust to! Oh, how could I do that to him?"

Feeling the pressure in her eyes, she quickly looked away from the lynx and sniffed, "Because I didn't have the guts to really trust him with my feelings, to tell him that as much as I should have, that's why! And now I won't be able to do that! I know he thinks we're through! But we aren't! At least, I don't want that. But I can't make him believe that, and I won't even be able to, since I can't find him! I just don't know where he could be!"

She walked over to the chair near the wildcat's cage and sat next to the animal. Letting her head fall and with her hair now hiding her face, she continued with her panged words, "And you know why he won't believe me? Because he thinks I cheated on him, that I betrayed his trust! I know in a way I did, but not for the cheating thing. I have always been true to him, and I know he has been, too…but, to him, I sorta haven't been, and really, I don't blame him for thinking that. I understand now. Trust needs to be at every level of a relationship…and I haven't filled my end of the bargain because I didn't trust my true feelings to him. If I hadn't been afraid, if I had only told him and been more open to sharing my feelings, he wouldn't have even thought that I had cheated and lied in the first place."

She paused with that realization. But she still burned with both determination and remorse. "But I didn't cheat on him or lie to him! And what happened wasn't my fault! I was overshadowed by a ghost! But, you know, ...I think I was able to resist that ghost for some reason! I don't have a clue why, though."

Derek lifted his head in surprise when she said that, but she didn't notice his change. Derek then quickly put his head back down. How did she know she had been overshadowed? She shouldn't have been aware of that happening in the least. And she said she could resist it? He didn't understand that! Still, he said nothing.

Lifting her head and turning to the lynx, she chuckled in embarrassment. "But how would you know about ghosts?"

No sooner had she said this, when Derek suddenly began to glow!

Sam gasped, "What's happening to you?"

But the wildcat kept mute.

The girl looked him over again and gasped once more, "Y-You are a ghost?!"

Derek still kept quiet. He would not trust this or any other creature save his Sarah from now on. No longer would he show that kind of weakness. Even so, he grew nervous that she now had discovered this much about him.

Sam spoke again, pulling Derek out of his thoughts. "Not that it really mattered, but how come you didn't glow before? And now you do? And why couldn't Danny..." She suddenly stopped at her next thought. "Because he couldn't! Somehow you were able to turn off your energy signature! But, I didn't know that ghosts could do that…or can they?"

She suddenly jolted at her next thought. She rushed over to her bookshelf at her new hunch, and started sorting through her vast collection of ghost books and notebooks. She growled as the moments slid by, "Darn it! I wish Libro was here! He would know! Still, I remember something about….hmmm…."

She continued to search and finally pulled out the one for which she was looking. It was a thin book. Well, actually it was a notebook she had started while she still had Libro with her. She had begun to write down some of the information he had stored within his pages. He had insisted that she do this, even if she insisted that it wasn't necessary. Her eyes widened a little at that thought. He must have known that they wouldn't always be together, and this was his little way of still helping her! She smiled at the tender thought.

But she didn't want to linger in that thought. She had work to do! She quickly sat down on her bed and began to flip through the handwritten pages. One-by-one she examined them, glancing at the text and growling slightly more each time in frustration as each page passed without given her the information she needed.

As the minutes rolled by and she was still unsatisfied, she glanced slightly away from the text before returning her gaze to the pages, grasping the rest of the unread papers as she did. She knew she was nearing the end of her notes, but she still continued.

She had just flipped to the last page, when her eyes brightened and she turned back to the one she had just turned.

She reflexively gushed with triumph. "This is it! The tagetes patula flower! Its bloom resembles a marigold and grows in temperate climates. It has been said that this flower's nectar could repel mosquitoes in the Real World. But when grown in the Ghost Zone, its properties drastically change. Its stems become thorny and tough, the blooms darken, and its perfume spoils. When processed properly, the concentrated nectar actually repels the ghost's ghost aura, masking their energy signature. But the process of formulating this ghost masking potion was lost when the last ancient Ghost Wizard faded away."

Sam re-read this piece over again, checking the pages immediately before and behind it to make sure she had read it in its entirety. She mumbled, "Not much to go by. Might not even be possible."

But she hadn't said it low enough for Derek's quick ears not to have detected them. Still, he made no comment on her discovery.

But then, the girl gasped, "The last ancient Ghost Wizard! Johnny 13 had said that had been Abantesma, the Spectre Whizard! And Spectra is his daughter! Maybe she's behind all this? And maybe somehow she was able to take his books of magic with her?" She searched her memory and smiled in encouragement, "Johnny 13 did say that while she was known as Esprit she wanted to practice her powers she had inherited from him! That would make sense! Maybe she had found out about this plant, too! Maybe…" She grunted. "Too many 'maybes', Sam. Grandma said to look for proof! And you have no proof! For all you know, that plant doesn't even exist anymore—if it existed at all!" She let her shoulders drop with her disappointment. "But there's got to be an answer! I promise I'll find it, Danny!" she rebounded, gritting her teeth with determination.

However, she didn't know that she wasn't far from the truth. Spectra had taken her father's books with her and had tried to improve in her own powers. But she hadn't been interested in using plants and potions. However, Bertrand was, and he was the one who had used all those books Abantesma had on magical ghost plants to make lots of different kinds of portions.

Sam read the passage again, memorizing the details of the plant before she replaced the notebook back on her shelf.

Momentarily lost in her thoughts as they pressed upon her, she headed over to her window and glanced out. Unconsciously searching the snowy sky, she began to speak out loud to herself. But her voice was loud enough to be captured by the sharp hearing of the lynx. "It may be impossible, but that would explain why Danny never sensed the ghost cat or could tell when I was being overshadowed all those times. And if Spectra were involved…..Maybe that was the only way that she could keep herself from being detected until….until she was able to break us up! Maybe she wanted us to break up… and suck up all our misery! That could explain it. But then, why don't I feel as terrible as I did when she did that to me over a year ago? I mean, I'm very upset for hurting Danny, but it's not the same as I felt that last time Spectra made us miserable. Maybe it's because I'm older or somehow stronger?" She quickly searched her mind and shaking her head said, "No, maybe…" This time she growled in irritation, before saying, "There's those 'maybes' again. I don't need 'maybes', I need 'definites'!"

Grunting again in frustration, she turned completely around, away from the window so that her back was now to it. She leaned against the window sill and heaved an annoyed sigh.

Meanwhile, Derek listened intently to the girl, but kept firm in remaining mute. Even though he now believed the girl wished no harm on him and it looked like she was finding out about everything on her own, he didn't trust her. Yet, he was surprised that she knew this 'Spectra' creature. How could she? But just as quickly as it came, he threw the thought out. It didn't matter. He would remain strong and keep mute. After all, he knew she certainly wouldn't trust him if she found out the truth about him.

Still, he heard both desperation and determination in her voice and wondered a little about what kind of girl she was. He could tell that she deeply cared for the boy whom he and his wife helped separate from her. And he could somehow sense the continuing distress she had being apart from him. He had no doubt that she had loved this boy—and still did.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the girl approach him again. Seeing the cat in the cage again had distracted her from her own thoughts. This time, he jumped up and hissed in warning.

She recoiled at first, but instead of moving away, she squatted down so that their eyes met. Derek was unnerved by her mesmerizing amethyst eyes. They were intelligent, but also strong, and oddly, gentle at the same time. But he still kept his guard up.

She said to him, "I don't know how you got here in the Real World in the first place. Maybe you just fell into one of those random portals by accident? But then, why were you after that poor defenseless dove?"

Derek jolted with that and unconsciously gasped! He hadn't expected the girl to say anything more about his wife and when she did, he had reacted in worry for Sarah's safety once more…

This time, Sam gasped and pulled away a bit. She hurriedly said, "Did you just gasp? It sounded so human! But how can that be possible?"

She pulled back even more, slightly spooked by the encounter, however brief. Were her telepathic powers going haywire after all, and maybe she imagined his response? After all, she had no idea if her powers would be permanent or change in any way. Maybe she was just imagining that she had been overshadowed all those times? Maybe she was just giving herself an 'out' when, in truth, it was all of her fault in the end—all the fault of her telepathic powers!

"Maybe…" she muttered., but then, she shrugged off her doubt and said more loudly to herself, "Too many 'maybes', Sam! Grandma said to find the proof and you have only theories! Still, I did feel a shadow ghost's presence just after I threw that ghost out of me….Then, there's that ghost plant….And Spectra! Theories-smear-ries! Some good circumstantial evidence—even if it's far-fetched! And I will still somehow convince Danny." Her voice grew more determined when she added, "And I will get him back!"

Her last utterance made Derek startle a little and Sam turned at the sound of the rattling cage under his slight movement. And she was surprised by the animal's reactions. He was looking…oddly at her and seemed to be…thinking…

Derek had cocked his head in surprise and was suddenly curious about the human. This girl certainly had spunk. And she must love that boy intensely to be so determined! He thought about his wife once more. He knew he loved her as much, if not more, than this girl loved her boyfriend. And he then realized that Sarah had been the real determined one in all these years. He thought it was he, but it was her. It was her hope that had seen them through all their misery.

He shifted in his uncomfortable thoughts, and his eyes once more briefly met the girl's. This time, they both felt something different, and Sam gasped at the lightening-like flash that erupted in that moment. Derek tried to ignore her reaction. But somehow, he saw a fire of determination and love in her eyes. Yet, he also saw hope. Hope to make amends, to prove her love to that boy who had been driven away by him and his wife. He clenched his jaw.

When Sam had gasped, she could swear that she had seen something incredible when she looked at the lynx! The intellect behind this wildcat's eyes seemed so human! And he was full of distrust, and hopelessness. But then, that seemed to change in the next few moments, and she could feel remorse from him. Why? She pulled back, breaking their gaze, shaking her head in disbelief. Now, she was beginning to think more seriously that her telepathic powers were driving her crazy. Her face fell with defeat.

Derek was also jolted that he actually, for some reason, saw some of her thoughts and memories. That this girl was willing to sacrifice everything to help her boyfriend. That she would even be willing to die for him. That she also had done so much sacrifice in the past helping this boy do something very important. But those particular memories were unclear to the ghost. Still, he was absolutely sure that the girl was also suffering because she so desperately wanted to find her love now that they had been torn apart.

He felt his heart suddenly burn a little, and he couldn't help the swelling shame that had insisted on accompanying it. He should have known better! That is what had happened to Sarah and him! Others had wanted them apart, but they had not succeeded until that fateful day! And he was just as suddenly aware of how he was feeling now that he was apart from his love. He, too, was sure he was full of as much angst as this girl for being pulled apart from his love Sarah.

But Derek had also noticed that she seemed to somehow sense his feelings. He didn't know why he knew this, but when he did, he somehow began to feel a sense of guilt. It had been wrong of him to keep her in this much turmoil. As wrong as it would be for another who might know how to break their spell to keep him and his wife in turmoil. He felt as if he were as evil as Spectra after all.

And then, the girl pulled abruptly away and he could see her sad change. She looked crushed. He could bear the dishonor no more. He was about to say something, when her cell phone rang.

Derek startled at the sound. What was that contraption? And it was capturing her voice?

"Hello?" she asked.

"Sam! It's Tucker! Get over to my house, fast! There's a big fight just behind it! I hear a lot of ectoplasmic blasts, but I can't see anything…Wait a minute….Valerie is fighting a couple of ghosts—I think it's Spectra and Bertrand! Wait…And now I see Danny! Hurry! I'm going to do all I can do to help!"

"Ohmigosh! I'll be right there, Tucker! Bye!" she said before immediately hanging up and darting to her bureau. She opened its top draw and whipped out her Fenton wrist ray gun. She strapped it on as she dashed out of the room, not at all hearing the wildcat call her name as she headed toward Tucker's home.