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61. Fairy Tale

“I won’t leave you, Sam,” Danny insisted through clenched teeth. “If you want me to go back you might as well kill me. I won’t.”

“Danny.” She murmured his name on a sigh. “You have to go back. You don’t belong here yet.”

He glared at her, his eyes flickering from blue to green and back again. Danny growled, the sound almost feral as he raked a hand through his dark hair and turned away from her. “I’m still half ghost, you know.” It sounded weak and desperate as he said it, and if it could have, Sam’s breath would have caught in her throat.

As it was, it couldn’t, and her voice was gentle as she reached an oh so pale hand out to touch his shoulder. “But half of you is still alive, Danny. You have to go back.”

He turned on her, eyes wild. “No, I don’t! Vlad’s gone, the ghost portal is under control, and Mom and Dad have a freaking arsenal. I want to stay with you,” he pleaded.

She was perilously close to tears as she reached a hand up to push his hair from his face, her hand curving down his cheek. Danny closed his eyes, the utter pain that crossed his face making the tears start to fall. “I wish you could,” Sam whispered.

“It’s time.” Clockwork’s tone was as dry as ever, almost as if he’d never watched the young lovers fighting to live and die. It was almost ironic that it was the dead fighting for the half alive.

“Sam,” Danny begged, willing her to stay on willpower alone.

She quirked a smile at him. “I love you, Danny. Don’t forget that.”

And like that she was gone.

---

Clockwork’s inspirational words were nothing but bull. Danny had believed that for weeks and weeks, until the days became months and Sam had been gone for half a year. School started again, and life moved forward for everyone who had survived the second ghost invasion of Amity Park. Most had, only a handful had died.

But Danny tried not to think about it too much, if at all, choosing to concentrate on the extraneous instead. For instance, his locker combination. Something so simple that, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. Nor did he dare reach through the door for his next book, so instead he could only stand there and stare at the shiny red paint, the mocking stainless steel of the lock as he racked his brain for the three numbers that would lead to his education.

“Oh, my god.” A girl’s voice, and one he didn’t easily recognize. Danny ignored it for a moment until he thought he heard it say, “The Danny Phantom!”

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked as he finally focused on the girl standing next to him. She was slender, reminding him painfully of Sam until he realized that perhaps that was the only thing similar. Her eyes were as blue as his, and her hair was a bright strawberry blond. And she certainly didn’t dress the same was Sam had. If there was anything black on this girl Danny would be surprised.

She was entirely too… sunny.

“It’s just amazing to meet Danny Fenton,” she said cheerily as Danny wondered if it had been his imagination that made her stress his last name. He could have sworn she said Phantom before…

“I’ve heard so much about you,” and Danny knew that she didn’t actually mean exactly what she said. It’s almost like it was inevitable that I’d get this locker.”

Danny could only blink as she reached out and spun the dial on what had been Sam’s locker, not even thinking twice before popping the lock on hers. Another cheery smile and she was offering to help with his, expertly finding the numbers he still couldn’t remember, and patting his arm when it opened spilling books and papers to the floor.

He thought he might have protested, but even that thought was lost as she nudged one of his books with a sneaker and arched a pale brow up at him.

“Well, I suppose you do study now.” Not that that wasn’t cryptic enough. “Well, it could be worse. You could be dead all the way.”

And this time Danny knew his mouth was hanging open at her.

“What are staring for, Danny?” the girl asked, and before he could even answer she just chuckled. “Still clueless, aren’t you?”

“Saaaaam?” Her name was a long drawn out gasp for breath, and Danny’s world swum for a minute.

The girl smiled at him, taking pity as she winked one cobalt blue eye at him. “Just between you, me, and Clockwork. Perky blond types are not my style.”

And it may not have been, but the canary eating grin she gave him certainly was.

Description
61. Fairy Tale

“I won’t leave you, Sam,” Danny insisted through clenched teeth. “If you want me to go back you might as well kill me. I won’t.”

“Danny.” She murmured his name on a sigh. “You have to go back. You don’t belong here yet.”

He glared at her, his eyes flickering from blue to green and back again. Danny growled, the sound almost feral as he raked a hand through his dark hair and turned away from her. “I’m still half ghost, you know.” It sounded weak and desperate as he said it, and if it could have, Sam’s breath would have caught in her throat.

As it was, it couldn’t, and her voice was gentle as she reached an oh so pale hand out to touch his shoulder. “But half of you is still alive, Danny. You have to go back.”

He turned on her, eyes wild. “No, I don’t! Vlad’s gone, the ghost portal is under control, and Mom and Dad have a freaking arsenal. I want to stay with you,” he pleaded.

She was perilously close to tears as she reached a hand up to push his hair from his face, her hand curving down his cheek. Danny closed his eyes, the utter pain that crossed his face making the tears start to fall. “I wish you could,” Sam whispered.

“It’s time.” Clockwork’s tone was as dry as ever, almost as if he’d never watched the young lovers fighting to live and die. It was almost ironic that it was the dead fighting for the half alive.

“Sam,” Danny begged, willing her to stay on willpower alone.

She quirked a smile at him. “I love you, Danny. Don’t forget that.”

And like that she was gone.

---

Clockwork’s inspirational words were nothing but bull. Danny had believed that for weeks and weeks, until the days became months and Sam had been gone for half a year. School started again, and life moved forward for everyone who had survived the second ghost invasion of Amity Park. Most had, only a handful had died.

But Danny tried not to think about it too much, if at all, choosing to concentrate on the extraneous instead. For instance, his locker combination. Something so simple that, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember. Nor did he dare reach through the door for his next book, so instead he could only stand there and stare at the shiny red paint, the mocking stainless steel of the lock as he racked his brain for the three numbers that would lead to his education.

“Oh, my god.” A girl’s voice, and one he didn’t easily recognize. Danny ignored it for a moment until he thought he heard it say, “The Danny Phantom!”

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked as he finally focused on the girl standing next to him. She was slender, reminding him painfully of Sam until he realized that perhaps that was the only thing similar. Her eyes were as blue as his, and her hair was a bright strawberry blond. And she certainly didn’t dress the same was Sam had. If there was anything black on this girl Danny would be surprised.

She was entirely too… sunny.

“It’s just amazing to meet Danny Fenton,” she said cheerily as Danny wondered if it had been his imagination that made her stress his last name. He could have sworn she said Phantom before…

“I’ve heard so much about you,” and Danny knew that she didn’t actually mean exactly what she said. It’s almost like it was inevitable that I’d get this locker.”

Danny could only blink as she reached out and spun the dial on what had been Sam’s locker, not even thinking twice before popping the lock on hers. Another cheery smile and she was offering to help with his, expertly finding the numbers he still couldn’t remember, and patting his arm when it opened spilling books and papers to the floor.

He thought he might have protested, but even that thought was lost as she nudged one of his books with a sneaker and arched a pale brow up at him.

“Well, I suppose you do study now.” Not that that wasn’t cryptic enough. “Well, it could be worse. You could be dead all the way.”

And this time Danny knew his mouth was hanging open at her.

“What are staring for, Danny?” the girl asked, and before he could even answer she just chuckled. “Still clueless, aren’t you?”

“Saaaaam?” Her name was a long drawn out gasp for breath, and Danny’s world swum for a minute.

The girl smiled at him, taking pity as she winked one cobalt blue eye at him. “Just between you, me, and Clockwork. Perky blond types are not my style.”

And it may not have been, but the canary eating grin she gave him certainly was.