Lyrics by Don McLean - American Pie

"Hey, are you..."

"...okay."

"You're going to be okay."

~I can't remember if I cried when I

read about his widowed bride

Something touched me deep inside the day

the music

died~

Sam had one hand adjusting the strap of her backpack and the other swiping her touch screen phone with a skilled finger. She wasn't big on receiving gifts or bribes from people, but the phone was a gift from her cousin Eliza, and it proved to come in handy on a number of occasions, so she kept it.

The sun beamed down on Sam's back as she shoved the phone between her lips to pull her hair into a ponytail. Her walks home from school usually remained uneventful, but something caught the goth's eye as she twisted the elastic band around her hair.

Is that a...cat?

Sam pulled the cell out of her mouth as she curiously watched the animal. Something sharp stuck out of its paw as the animal aggressively yanked at it with its teeth. Slowly, Sam approached the cat. "Hey there, buddy. Need some help?"

The cat growled as Sam came closer, arching his back in a defensive manner. His ears flattened to express his distrust in the girl.

Someone had trust issues, Sam thought, stopping midway. "I'm not gonna hurt you." She held out her hand, palm up. "See?"

The cat considered Sam's squatted position before making a dash in the opposite direction. He was slow as he tried running without the use of one paw, so Sam did her best to chase after him.

The cat came to an alleyway. Nowhere to run! Sam thought until she saw a body lying on the ground.

She immediately stopped. Sam almost mistook him for homeless, if not for the surprisingly expensive fabric he was wearing. She remembered the distinct clothing her father would wear; something he claimed only those of great importance could afford. Sam had little pity for the rich, and even less patience for their kind, but the horrid thought crossed her mind that he might not be breathing.

The boy was wearing a black jumpsuit with a white collar, boats and belt. He couldn't have been much older than her judging by his sleeping face, and his hair was strangely dyed white. Not that odd for a goth, although it could have easily been some kind of condition. Sam knelt beside the boy and realized he was in pain. A glistening sheen of sweat dotted his face, and his eyebrows pulled together in discomfort.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sam asked. She should have been calling for help, not gaping at him like a moron.

The boy's eyes barely opened in acknowledgment, and a groan escaped his lips.

Well, he was kind of aware of her. Sam pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Hey, can you move anything?" She held her hand out above his body, but didn't dare touch him. "I'm going to call an ambulance for you, okay?"

His fingers twitched. As Sam dialed, a hand gripped the toe of her shoe.

And somehow, her phone slipped right out of her hands. Sam watched the cell twirl in the air and phase through the ground.

"What the hell?" She was more perplexed than angry at the sight of her vanishing phone. She had her hands flat against the sidewalk. How did it disappear like that? Through the ground?

A story emerged from the back of her mind. Supernatural occurrences like this happened all the time. This was probably one of those circumstances.

"Mmm…"

Sam glanced up at the boy. His limbs were moving, but he couldn't even lift his head off the ground.

"You shouldn't move," Sam instructed, placing her hand on his back. His skin felt like ice. "I'm going to get help, okay? Stay put."

Sam scrambled to her feet, but the boy grabbed her leg and she smacked face first into the concrete. "Ow…" Sam murmured, catching herself with her hands. Her palms stung from the impact, scratched and red.

"What the hell was that for?" Sam turned around to inspect her sore knee. Her tights were slightly torn.

He still had a hold of her leg. Without so much as opening an eye, he mumbled, "No...hospitals."

"What?" Sam jerked her leg out of his grasp. His arm fell limply to the ground. "Are you crazy? You can barely move!"

"Don't...just leave...me...alone…" For a moment his eyes opened, and a shiver crawled down Sam's back. They were an eerie green, glowing if she didn't know any better, but something lay behind that haunting gaze. A promise that if she went against his wishes, there would be trouble.

"But I…" Sam's words trailed off when she realized he had passed out again. So much for talking him out of it. Why the hell didn't he want to go to a hospital? Was he afraid of doctors? The bill? Maybe his parents would go haywire if they found out how sick he was and he was hoping to avoid that.

Sam sighed and stood up, testing her own balance. Her palms were still sore and her knee was a bit weak, but she was otherwise unharmed. They weren't far from her house. Maybe she could carry him on her shoulder…

Now wait a minute. Carry some wounded guy into her home? Where she was alone? Not that he was much of a threat at the moment, but Sam didn't know this guy at all. He'd grabbed her leg and made her fall…

No, he didn't make her fall. She kept moving and fell herself, but still, how could she trust him? For all she knew, he could have been injured running from the cops.

Sam looked around for any signs of police officers or mayhem. No one was around. It was a surprisingly sunny day in Amity Park with little action.

There really was no going around this. Sam knew she wasn't about to leave him to cook out in the sun. She pulled his arm around her shoulders, supporting his weight before standing.

"Whoa!" She shifted her weight forward before they could tumble backwards. He was heavier than he looked. Luckily, Sam was pretty athletic, so it didn't put too much strain on her body.

"Stop…" His face was buried in her neck as he spoke, his lips grazing her skin. Sam did her best to ignore the irritating blush, or the desire to smack him.

"Don't worry, I'm not taking you to a hospital," Sam said softly, "but I need you to help me out here. Try to walk, okay? If you're about to fall, just lean on me."

He didn't say anything in return, but she could tell he was standing on his own now. His face was still on her neck though, and his arm around her shoulder.

"Get ready." Sam took a step forward, and the boy all but dragged his foot afterwards. She could feel as he inhaled in pain, breathing through his nose.

This was going to be a long walk, Sam mused. She did her best not to ask him any questions. She knew he wouldn't have the strength to talk anyways. He was doing surprisingly well keeping pace with her. He didn't once complain, but maybe the pain was too unbearable. The boy moved his head, and his face was buried in the crook of her neck.

"Sorry…" His voice came out raspy, hardly above a whisper. His breath was warm against her skin.

"It's not your fault," Sam flinched at how close he was. This was far passed her personal bubble. "I just have a bad habit of trying to help the wounded."

The only person that came by during their walk was a young boy who peeked at them curiously, but continued moving. When they finally reached Sam's house she was thankful. She managed to get her keys out and open the door, closing it behind her.

The boy was beginning to lose balance. Sam steadied him. "Hey, don't fall yet. We just have to get you upstairs." There was a guest bedroom up there. She didn't want to put him on the couch in case he rolled over and fell.

Sam took the first step and he groaned.

"C'mon, don't be such a baby. You made it this far. A few steps won't kill you."

Sam wasn't sure if the intake of breath was laughter or pain, but he managed to follow her up the stairs and into the bedroom, crashing onto the mattress. Sam let out an exhausted sigh herself, before going into the closet and pulling out extra blankets. She threw a bunch on his body, hoping to get his temperature back to normal.

"I'll be right back," Sam said, heading downstairs into the kitchen. She started preparing dinner; hot soup for her and her guest. Sam pulled out the pot and whatever extravagant package her parents claimed from the pantry, reading the instructions carefully.

The meal was just about finished when Sam heard a scream. There was a long pause and something shattered.

Sam turned off the stove and ran upstairs, stopping in the doorway. The boy was sitting upright, his body drenched in sweat. He clenched at the bed sheets as he gasped, a murderous look in his eyes. It was horrifying.

But Sam noticed something else. Behind the shaking rage and pain was an emotion she recognized too well. He was scared. Behind all that madness she could see genuine fear across his face that he couldn't control.

Without thinking, Sam ran to the side of the bed. He nearly hit her with his hand, trying to shove her away, but Sam put her arms around him and pulled him into her chest. "It's okay," she whispered. "No one's going to hurt you."

His pants slowly turned into tears. He gripped onto her so tightly it hurt. Sam ran her hands through the boy's white hair, moving it away from his pained features. "It's okay," she whispered, holding back her own tears. "You're going to be okay."

So we've made a full circle. Anyone notice how the memory at the beginning started out the same way as chapter one? Foreshadowing at its finest.

But that's only part one of the flashback. There will be more revealed later.

And guys, the whole point of this story was the flashback chapter. I planned it from the very beginning. Last chapter I was asking WHEN I should post the flashback chapter, not IF I should make one. If you guys were majorly lost, I would post it right away, but if you were swimming just fine I would wait a bit longer. I sort of wanted you to draw your own conclusions about what had happened between Sam and Danny based on each character's perspective. That's why I start every chapter with a memory from one of the characters. Each character has their own side of the story, and that was meant to influence whatever thoughts you may have had. Of course I was going to explain everything eventually, otherwise this story wouldn't make much sense, would it? Just know I normally plan for you guys to be confused out of your mind before I tell you the how's and why's, you silly :3

This somewhat lovey dovey chapter was a late Valentine's Day gift for you single ladies out there! Now here's some chocolate and teddy bears. You're all my valentines :)

CrystalShardz