Summary
Danny and Sam are in the park after a quiet night on patrol and Danny seems upset. Sam finds out what is wrong and puts an end to Danny's emotional down-slides and self-doubt for good by singing a song
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DANNY PHANTOM OR THE SONG IN THIS FIC!
I looked at his face and immediately knew something was wrong.
We were sitting in the park by the lake as the moon's soft light reflected of the glassy surface.
We had been out on patrol, Tucker would have come but he ended up getting grounded for breaking curfew the night before.
I rather enjoyed the quiet. Without Tucker's jokes to distract me, I might be able to finally get around to confessing my feelings for Danny, or at least that's what I planned to do until I saw just how upset he was.
"Alright Danny, spill it. I know something is wrong. What is it?" I finally asked. I tried to hide it behind a humorous voice but to no avail, my worry definitely showed through.
My crush sighed and his eyes dropped from the vast expanse of stars that twinkled above us to the ground. He seemed to be thinking of how to answer me. At last he answered, "I am scared Sam, scared of myself. I still wonder what I am. I still don't know why I do what I do exactly. I don't know if I really am a hero, or just a ticking time bomb that's waiting for the right moment to explode. I just don't know!" His exclamation was almost a whisper, a hoarse echo of his voice.
I wanted to slap him. Jazz had had this talk with him before! I had had this talk with him before! Why couldn't he get it through his thick head that he is good! A unique human! That he fought ghosts because he cared for everyone! That he is a hero!
I turned my head so that my eyes were practically burning a hole in the side of his head.
My glare wasn't one of anger; it was of annoyance! Danny seemed to wither under it. I exhaled a breath of sympathy and my gaze immediately changed into one of compassion.
"Hear this Danny," I said, "I want you to listen to me and listen good. You-are-not-a-monster! You are good! You are a human with the most unique and extraordinary abilities! You are not some 'ticking time bomb'! You are you, Danny! You are my best friend, a caring person, a brave warrior, my knight in shining armor, and my hero!"
I couldn't believe I had just said that aloud to him, the very words I had been meaning to say for years finally came tumbling from my mouth.
I focused on Danny's face; he seemed to brighten ever so slightly at what I said. A small, sad smile played on his lips before it slowly faded from view.
Then, I remembered a song. A melody that might just be the medicine Danny needed. I gently and gradually began to sing:
There's a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid
Of what you are
He looked at me, a question on his tongue and confusion in his eyes. He kept wisely quiet though.
There's an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away
Danny seemed to be trying to do what I sang.
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
Now is when he really looked at me, understanding flitting like the shadow of a bird on his face.
It's a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear
He blushed slightly at those words, but listened even more intently.
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
Danny's eyes seemed to grow brighter with hope and faith as I sang each line. That was encouragement enough for me to keep going.
The Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don't let anyone tear them away
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time you'll find the way.
He nodded ever so slightly at those lines in agreement. I couldn't blame him.
Then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in…you…
Danny was silent. He looked me right in the eye and leaned in close. His lips gently pressed mine. The meaning of that gesture was clear to me, "Thank you."