I: You're Coming Back
Chapter One: Don't Get Any Big Ideas
Sam leaned against a wooden fence, desperately trying to shade her face with her fingers. The California heat was absolutely dreadful this time of year, and she had yet to get used to it despite her four years of college here. And to think it was nearly October.
"It's a hot one, huh?" Came a deep voice behind her. Sam turned and smiled.
"Hi, Frank." She answered, mood immediately lifted. Frank was already dressed for work, with worn paint-covered overalls and thick work boots. He cradled his hard hat under his arm as he approached her.
"I'm not really built for this weather." Sam said. "Growing up in Illinois and then New York didn't do much to prepare me." Frank grinned, his tanned skin wrinkling around his eyes.
"What are you doing out here then?" He asked. "You're not volunteering during this heatwave are you?" His voice was laced with paternal concern.
Sam shook her head. She had been volunteering for Frank's non-profit since her sophomore year, helping one weekend each month to help build homes for low-income families. She had enjoyed the work and was overjoyed to find a smaller, local organization as opposed to a bigger, profit-driven one.
"No, I actually came to recommend someone for your company." She answered. Frank operated his own construction business as his day job.
"Oh?" Frank said, leaning against the post beside her. He looked interested. "One of mine actually just moved, I could use a replacement. They have any experience?" He asked.
Sam thought about it before answering.
"Yes, you could say that." Danny had maintained her family's mansion for eight years. Frank didn't need to know that most of that upkeep had been done with ghostly powers.
Frank arched an eyebrow, looking skeptical.
"This one of your friends?" He asked, unaware that Sam didn't really have many friends to speak of.
"Yes, and he's very trustworthy." She said. "His name is Danny and he's responsible, eager for work, and a fast learner." She listed each quality off confidently. Frank scratched his chin, considering it.
"You have a picture of the kid?" He inquired. Sam nodded, pulling out her phone. She opened her camera roll and selected one of the only pictures she had of Danny. He was standing in it, looking slightly uncomfortable while he awkwardly smiled at the camera. It wasn't particularly flattering, but he was camera shy and it was like pulling teeth to get him in photos. She only got this one by lamenting the fact that she only had pictures of him as a kid.
"Hmm." Frank said, studying the photo. "He looks kind of skinny for this type of work."
"Danny is stronger than he looks." She promised. Frank sighed.
"Why do I feel like there's some kind of catch here?" He asked, looking at Sam knowingly. "You could have called or emailed me or had your friend ask me himself. So what is it?"
"Well, to put it bluntly…Danny would need to work for you under the table." She admitted. "But he'll work for whatever you pay him, he won't complain, and he'll be a hard worker." She added in a rush. Frank frowned, but he didn't seem too surprised.
"Sam." He began.
"Please Frank, he really just wants some work to stay busy. It's a complicated situation, but I thought because you've done this sort of thing before-"
"Sergio should have never told you about our arrangement." Frank muttered. Sergio was one of Frank's best employees and an all-around great guy, but the work visa he had entered the country with expired years before he met Frank. He also liked to volunteer sometimes and one Sunday he had revealed to Sam that when he was desperately searching for work to support the family he had in California, Frank agreed to hire and pay him under the table. Even though Frank knew he could potentially get into legal trouble if they were caught, he still chose to help Sergio anyway. Sam knew that Frank was incapable of turning down pleas for help from desperate people.
"Frank, I am vouching for Danny. He's the best person I know. He's going through some stuff right now and he really needs something to occupy himself with." She pleaded. Frank sighed, pushing himself off the post and standing upright. He pinched the skin between his eyes and groaned.
"I'll give him a chance, since you say that he's a good kid. Tell him to show up at the office at 6 am sharp Monday morning. He can drive to the site with me and my guys." Frank's voice had taken on a business only tone, but Sam beamed. Frank was really a soft guy at heart, and just like her he couldn't resist a good cause.
"Thank you so much, Frank!" She hugged him, relieved. He patted her on the back with his work-worn hand.
"Anything for you, kiddo."
Sam opened the door with a flourish, finding herself in a much better mood than she had been when she left the apartment that morning.
"Danny!" She called, tossing her keys onto the kitchen countertop. "I'm home." She spun around, trying to find him in the large, open living space. She spied a familiar mop of raven hair peeking out from the top of the sofa. She crossed the kitchen, her heavy boots thundering against the tiled floor. She removed her bag from her shoulder, draping it over the sage-green couch as she leaned over and peered at a very bored-looking Danny. He was slumped over, shoulders hunched up by his ears. He stared at the blank TV across from him. Sam decided to not let his obviously sour mood dampen her own just yet.
"I come bearing good news." She said cheerfully, walking around the sofa and settling next to him. "Frank agreed to hire you. He said you can start Monday." Danny seemed to perk up a bit at that, finally acknowledging her presence.
"Really?" He asked hesitantly, as if he hadn't been expecting a yes. Sam nodded.
"I told you, he's a great guy! He's very understanding and won't ask questions." Danny hummed absently, frowning.
"Am I a charity case?" He asked grumpily. The air's temperature dipped a fraction and Sam felt herself wishing that his moods would affect the weather outside, and not inside the already air-conditioned apartment.
"No, Frank isn't like that at all, He'll expect real hard work from you, and if you don't give it to him he'll cut you loose." Danny nodded, seemingly pleased by this answer. Gradually, the tension seemed to leave his shoulders and he smiled sheepishly at Sam. God, she missed his smile.
"Sorry about my mood. I've just been feeling cooped up today. How was your day?" Sam smiled, kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs under her as she relaxed into the cushions with a sigh.
"Hot." She said, voice full of mock exasperation.
Danny seemed surprised.
"This close to fall?" He asked. Sam envied his perpetual coolness. He never seemed to notice the temperature outside, and he never had to dress accordingly.
"Yeah, there's apparently going to be a heatwave all week. Fucking California." She muttered. Danny chuckled, amused by her complaining.
"And yet you chose to come here for school despite how much you hate everything sunny and warm?" He questioned.
"I liked Stanford. And I liked being on the opposite side of the country from Pamela."
Danny smiled, and Sam felt a little victorious flame light up inside herself. Danny was always amused when she rolled her eyes and used her mother 's first name. Anything that kept him laughing or smiling was good, though she knew how desperate she was to achieve that recently.
"And now that you've graduated?" He pressed. Sam had the immediate suspicion that this was a trick question. He must be fishing for a specific response and she bit her lip, considering what she could say that wouldn't upset him.
"Well, I start graduate school in the spring. So, I still have that here. After...I don't know. I'm still feeling things out for myself." She answered. There, that was a neutral response, wasn't it?
"You're not putting plans on hold for me, are you?" Danny asked. There it was.
"Of course not. I really don't know what I'm going to do after the next couple years. I still need to figure that out." Sam said honestly. "But wherever and whatever it is, I promise I'm bringing you with me." She added quickly. The scowl was back.
"You don't need to, Sam." Danny protested moodily, sinking back into the couch. "I wouldn't want to be a burden."
"And you wouldn't be! I want you to stay with me." She couldn't hide the hurt in her voice. Why wouldn't he accept this?
"Well you can't go back to New York because your parents hate me." He shot back. Sam shrugged defensively.
"I don't want to go back. Too many shitty memories. And fuck my parents." She said. It was true, she would feel smothered the second she went back to NYC. There would be no way of avoiding her family or their many friends or her former classmates in an area that small, even if it was densely populated. Their social scene was unfortunately hard to avoid in the city.
"Both of us are too emotionally damaged to go back to Illinois." Danny asked, ignoring her previous response. "Even though that's our real home." Sam couldn't deny that. She was pretty sure that going back there would be a very bad idea for either of them.
"I never said I wanted to move back to Illinois."' She responded quietly. "Even if I miss it sometimes."
"And even if you like Stanford and you love Aubrey, I can tell you hate it here in California." Danny looked at her, silently challenging her to deny it. It was somewhat true, she supposed. There were a lot of things she had come to love about her life here- her school, Aubrey, her volunteer work with Frank. But she hated the weather, hated the culture, hated beach life, just didn't fit in amongst the people . She just wasn't the kind of person cut out for the Golden State. Sam had always known she wasn't going to stay here for the rest of her life. She needed to live somewhere quieter, colder, and darker. Somewhere things moved slower and you could keep to yourself.
"The world is a big place, Danny. It's more than just California, New York, or Illinois. We could go anywhere we wanted." She tried to say it lightly, hopefully. Shouldn't he be able to see the freedom in that? Shouldn't that have been comforting to him after being trapped in the same small town for eight years?
Sam stood up, offering a hand to Danny. He looked at her skeptically before accepting it. He stood up, suddenly towering over her. She still had a hard time accepting his height, missing the days when she could tease him for being eye-level with her. He seemed to have an entirely different presence these days, no longer gawky and scrawny. It made her feel both old and young at once.
"How about we just go everywhere?" She asked. "Travel the whole world. No one has to know anything about us or our lives. We wouldn't have any real responsibilities or worries." She smiled at him, imploring him with her eyes to see the appeal of the offer. It was perfectly possible with her resources. Sam could take them away from every single reminder of their former lives.
"Neither one of us are like that, Sam." He answered sadly. She knew it was true, even as she wished it wasn't. Both of them were too stubborn to just run away from life like that. Sam had a need to find a cause and see it through. Danny was just simply lost, and he wouldn't burden Sam with the responsibility of finding those missing pieces for him. They looked at each other for a long moment.
"We still have so much time to figure it out." Sam said evenly, finally breaking the silence. She backed away, ending the moment. Maybe she should go check in with Aubrey. She hadn't seen her friend in nearly a week, and the guilt was starting to gnaw at her. She grabbed her bag off the couch, slipping her shoes back on.
"Sam." Danny called out. She met his gaze. "I really am excited about the job." He reassured her. "I think it will be good to get out of the apartment, do something with my hands, you know?" He gave her a half-hearted smile.
"Of course." She said, responding with her own plastic smile. "I'll see you in a bit, yeah? I'm gonna go check up on Aubrey." He nodded in acknowledgement as she walked into the kitchen, snatching up her keys. As she walked out the front door, all she could think about was how complicated things had been lately. She sighed, resolving to worry about Danny's existential crisis at a later time. First she had to go answer to Aubrey for her recent absence.
"Honey, I'm home!" Sam announced, trying to tug her key out of the stubborn lock. The stupid thing had been getting stuck for months now. The words were barely out of her mouth before she heard Aubrey's bedroom door swing open as she shuffled out, still in her pajamas and sporting a pair of ridiculous pink fuzzy socks. It was clearly her day off, and Sam figured she must have been doing her usual day off ritual: day-drinking and watching movies in bed. Aubrey stopped in front of her, glaring as she held a glass of cheap rosé in one hand. Sam couldn't help but smile, she missed her friend and all her eccentricities. She had even missed all the pink.
"You're looking smug." Aubrey commented with sniff. She took a sip of her wine, managing to make the simple gesture express a level of disdain that Sam found impressive.
"What movie is it today?" Sam said, unperturbed. Aubrey turned her back on Sam, marching to the living room and sinking into the plush couch. Sam couldn't help but wince as her wine sloshed dangerously close to the white fabric. The little voice in her head that sounded awfully similar to Pamela was chastising her for allowing drinks anywhere near the furniture.
"The House Bunny, if you must know." Aubrey said. "Not sure why you care though, since we're not friends anymore." Sam rolled her eyes. God, theater kids were so dramatic.
"I'm sorry, I've been out all week. I've been helping Danny look for a job." This made Aubrey perk up a bit, her need to be nosy triumphing over her need to be dramatic about Sam's absence.
"A job?" She asked, curiosity clearly piqued. "Why does he need a job with you as his sugar mama?" Sam wrinkled her nose at the term.
"Oh god, please don't call me that. And he doesn't need one, but he would like one to keep him busy." Aubrey set her glass down on the coffee table. 'Use a coaster!' Pamela's shrill voice rang out somewhere in the back of her brain.
"How bored can he be with you over there all the time?" She scoffed. Sam knew Aubrey meant it jokingly, poking fun at the time she spent over there, but the question stung. The truth was that Danny seemed to be getting increasingly dissatisfied with Sam's company. She would try to give him space, he would get lonely and feel cooped up. She would try to drag him around with her and do stuff, he would be miserable and feel out of place. She would try to just stay with him at the apartment, and he would feel guilty about making her put her life on hold. He had already finished his online summer classes earlier this month and the fall ones wouldn't begin until mid-October. So a job was the only thing left that Sam could think of to preoccupy his time for now.
"He's been in kind of a funk, I guess." Sam said, 'Understatement of the year'. "Things have finally slowed down recently, and I guess some stuff is catching up to him emotionally." Sam could immediately see how unhappy Aubrey was with that vague and loaded statement.
Aubrey slowly rose off the couch, turning to Sam. Her face was no longer playfully annoyed, but deadly serious. They both quietly faced one another. Sam stood still, calmly standing her ground. Aubrey stared back, opening her mouth and closing it before she could form a question. She frowned and pursed her lips.
"So. Are we gonna talk about it?" Aubrey finally asked. Sam weighed her options silently, not really a fan of any of them at the moment. She had been hoping to delay this conversation for as long as possible. Sighing, she accepted that she had brought this on herself by not being around for nearly an entire week.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked casually, deciding to play dumb. Aubrey narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. Oh no, Sam thought. She was assuming The Stance. Sam hated The Stance. Aubrey's hands moved, resting on her hips as she leaned forward and gave Sam a deeply unimpressed look.
"I mean the fact that a strange man has been living with you for months now and I still haven't been given a decent explanation as to why." She started to tap her foot irritably and Sam knew she was screwed.
"I'm not living with him, I'm living with you." Sam countered immediately.
"You sleep there far more often than you sleep at our place. And I know you're footing the bill too, so don't try to lie about that either." She said impatiently.
Okay, fair. She was over there quite often. And Sam figured it was pretty obvious she was the one renting the apartment. Aubrey had tagged along a few times and seen the place. No normal twenty-something would have been able to afford that nice of an apartment, especially one without a job. Sam decided to switch tactics, outright denial not an option.
"I told you, he's an old friend from New York and he-"
"You didn't have friends in New York." Aubrey interrupted. Blunt, but true.
"Distant relative." Sam declared.
Aubrey scoffed.
"Relatives don't look at each other the way you two do, no matter how distant they may be." She countered.
"We don't look at each other!" She stammered out, face burning hot. Aubrey smiled devilishly and Sam knew immediately that she had fallen for the bait. She silently cursed her
lack of tact. Aubrey was a master manipulator and she could always disarm Sam with ease.
"One of my dad's business partner's sons?" She half- heartedly suggested. Sam was at a loss. Every story was so unconvincing. Aubrey just knew too much about her, knew her too well.
Aubrey sighed, finally releasing The Stance.
"Sam, the two of you could have at least picked a less obviously fake name. I mean, Daniel Jackson?" She drew the name out.
"What's wrong with that name?" Sam asked defensively, not bothering to refute her claim that it was fake.
"Sam, that is way too close to Jack Daniels for me to take seriously."
"Huh?" Sam asked, bewildered.
"You know, Jack Daniels? The whiskey?" Aubrey answered back. "What, did y'all just swap the order around?"
"He is NOT named after a liquor brand." Sam ground out. "Danny's name is Daniel. That's not fake."
"So he just happens to have the name of your dead best friend?" Aubrey asked pointedly.
The question made Sam squirm, though she knew Aubrey didn't mean it like that. She obviously didn't think this Danny was one and the same as Danny Fenton. How would anyone ever come to such an impossible conclusion?
"I didn't name him after my friend. His name really is just Danny." Sam insisted softly.
Aubrey hummed, considering it. She nodded, satisfied.
"And Jackson?"
"Family name." Sam said, somewhat honestly. He was the son of a Jack. Danny had picked it to honor his dad since he couldn't use Fenton anymore.
Aubrey sighed.
"Look, Sam- I'm not trying to pry. I get it. Danny seems like a nice enough guy, when he's not hiding from me, and you're happier than I've ever seen you before when you're around him. I get that he has his secrets and he's entitled to them. I don't need details. I just want to know what he is to you." She said in a rush. "I'm your friend and I care about you. You have to know how freaky all this is for me, you know? Disappearing for two weeks and then reappearing all injured with a mysterious stranger? Who you didn't mention to the cops at all?"
Sam understood. Honestly, she really did. Aubrey had handled all of this weirdness with the utmost grace, never overstepping when she totally would have been in the right to. She had been very respectful of both her and Danny 's privacy. Sam felt thoroughly shitty about the whole situation.
Sam sighed, deciding the only option left was vague half-truths.
"I can't get into the specifics for Danny's sake, but we used to know each other and then we reconnected." She admitted. "His family situation is complicated. He doesn't have anyone anymore."
Aubrey seemed to consider this, looking unsurprised. Sam figured that information was something Aubrey had assumed.
"And the cops?" Aubrey asked skeptically. "Why didn't you mention Danny to them?"
This was important. Sam couldn't really say that it was because Danny Fenton was supposed to be dead and wasn't, nor could she admit that any investigation into him might reveal his less-than-human status and put him at risk for all manner of experimentation and dissection. Just one nurse or doctor poking and prodding at him would have massive consequences.
"Because I didn't want to get him involved in everything surrounding my disappearance." Sam said uneasily. "It's unfair to involve him in that mess." Aubrey looked worried.
"But he was involved, wasn't he?" Her tone made it clear that she wasn't really asking.
"None of it was his fault." Sam said defensively. "He helped me."
"Then why not tell the police about him? Everyone had so many questions about what happened to you."
"That kind of scrutiny would be bad for him. Not because he's dangerous or a criminal anything. I swear! I wish I could tell you more, but I really can't." She said.
Aubrey studied her intently, sweeping her eyes up and down Sam's whole body, studying her body language. It was honestly intimidating, even though Aubrey was the sweet and bubbly one out of the two of them.
"Ugh, fine. I believe you." She relented at last, huffing dramatically and flipping her long hair over her shoulder, "But I don't have to like any of this." She added, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Sam.
"Thank you for being so understanding-" Sam began, trying to sound grateful and thoroughly scolded. Aubrey retrieved her wine from the table, taking a quick swig.
"Are you sleeping with him?" she asked, going in for the kill. Sam found herself immediately wrong-footed by the extremely blunt question.
"Uh…um. N-no'?" She stuttered out. Aubrey looked unconvinced.
"Sure, very persuasive. This is why I'm the actress and you are not."
"I'm telling the truth!" Sam said, blushing furiously. Aubrey didn't need to know that yes, Sam was often sleeping in the same bed as Danny, but that wasn't what she was asking. And why did Aubrey even need to ask anyway? Sam had nothing to answer for, she was an adult.
"Well, if you want my honest opinion it's that he is hot, even if he's kinda weird." Aubrey forged on shamelessly, studying her nails. Sam felt her face get even redder.
"All right! Conversation over!" She declared, heading for the door. "I'm leaving now!" Only Aubrey could turn an interrogation into a conversation about boys.
"Oh Sammy, you know I'm just teasing you." Aubrey called after her, rolling her eyes. She had a shit-eating grin though. "Come back! I haven't seen you in days." She laughed. Sam stopped, shooting her friend a dirty glare.
"Then why are you trying to run me off!?" She grumbled. Sam hated talking about gushy stuff like feelings with anyone, even Aubrey. Besides, not even Sam had a clue what Danny and her were to each other. The situation was complicated.
"I'm not, I'm not." Aubrey insisted with a laugh. "We can talk about something else now. I just miss you." Her voice sobered at the end, and Sam felt guilty again for putting her friend through so much.
"One day," Sam began quietly. "I will tell you everything about what happened. I promise." She swore. "Just not now. Danny isn't ready yet, and neither am I." Aubrey nodded, acknowledging the promise.
"Deal." She said. "Until then, why don't we do something fun. I only just started my movie if you want to join." Aubrey offered. Sam beamed, grateful for just some normalcy in her life.
"Pour me a glass."
AN: Hello! I've been working on this sequel for a bit and am excited to finally start posting it. To everyone returning from ATWWG, thank you for continuing along this journey.