Ok guys…yet another idea from the mind of, well, me! I really need to finish my other stories before I start writing new ones…currently I have one Fruits basket on hiatus because my computer won't give it back to me!! And I have…well this will be my fourth DP fic in progress (although none are posted). I learned from the Fruits Basket fic to write most, if not all, in advance to avoid any mishaps.
Title: Home
Summary: Pre PP. If you died and were given a second chance, would you take it? Danny did. But returning is hard, especially when you've lost your humanity. There is only one way Danny can get his humanity back...love. D/S Warning character death...obviously...
It has much more to it than the summary trust me, it's going to hopefully be a tear jerker by the end. That is if I can type it right…it never sounds as good on paper as it does in my head.
Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own him. Nor do I own the giant pink marshmallow peep of doom!
--
I close both locks
below the window. And
the sun will set for you,
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes
solutions aren't so simple.
Sometimes goodbye's the only way.
The sun will set for you.
And the
shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in grey,
And the sun
will set for you.
"Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park
--
Chapter one: The Sun Will Set
Danny laughed a full whole-hearted laugh. Life for him was complicated, but he had learned to deal with it. Everyday trials such as school, chores and meeting curfew were the least of his problems. This boy was different than any other boy, for he was half ghost. To him, ghost encounters were pretty much an everyday occurrence.
And that was ok with him.
Danny had a family who loved him and friends who were always by his side. These were things not everyone could be proud to say they had. But Danny could.
And he soaked up every minute of it.
Danny was with his friends now at the Nasty Burger. He was quite fond of their 'usual' booth and they always sat in the same seats. Sam and Tucker usually sat together and Danny across from them.
That was ok with him too.
This way he could see Sam's face well. It had only been recently that he began to realize his feelings for the Goth girl. He found himself blushing a little more often and stammering sometimes when talking to her. If Sam noticed, she never said anything.
Currently, he was gazing at her as she and Tuck discussed their homework assignment for Mr. Lancer's class. He felt giddy around her lately and was finding it harder to focus. Tucker had those knowing looks that made Danny want to slap him. But he refrained.
A sad look crossed the halfa's features. He was beginning to realize just how much he cared for his best friend, and the more he thought about it, the more he concluded he was starting to understand what love felt like.
He gave Sam another unnoticed sad glance. There was no way she felt the same though. Besides, Danny rolled his eyes here; it could ruin what good friendship they already had. It would be too awkward to hang around each other if he confessed his undying love for the girl. She would probably freak, call him crazy and run. He would call and she'd ignore him and they'd have to take turns with who got Tucker when. He sighed. He would have to bear being her friend. Even if he wanted…more…
"What do you think, dude?" Tucker's voice snapped Danny from his sulking.
Looking between the two, "Huh? What?"
Sam raised a brow. "The homework assignment, Danny. Are you spacing again?"
There was that knowing look from Tucker.
Danny kicked him under the table making the dark-skinned boy yelp in surprise.
Sam looked from Danny to Tucker and back, thoroughly confused. She shrugged it off and looked at Danny expectantly.
"Uhm…" he said after a few moments. "Yes?"
Tucker face palmed. "You have no idea what we were talking about, do you, dude?"
Danny smiled sheepishly. "The homework, right?"
Sam nodded. "We were asking what you thought of going to my house to do the homework. We can watch a horror movie as a reward!"
Danny brightened, the prospect of going to Sam's was better than locking himself in his room and playing Doomed all night like he had planned. "Sure! But I gotta grab the book from my house." He shoved his thumb over his shoulder.
Sam chuckled. "You forgot it again? If Lancer finds out you keep forgetting and skipping the in-class reading assignments he'll give you detention for sure!"
Danny shrugged. "What can ya do? Besides, he's not that observant."
"Excuse me, Mr. Fenton?" Danny cringed and snuck a peek at the overweight teacher looming over him. How does he do that?!
"Mr. Lancer! Hi! I-I was just talking about the h-homework…" he trailed off.
"Did I hear something about you skipping the reading assignments?" he raised a brow.
Danny sighed, defeated. "Yes. I forgot my book…again."
Mr. Lancer's eyes narrowed. "You know what I told you that last time that happened, right?"
Danny nodded.
"Good, glad you remembered. Tomorrow, I'll see you in detention." Mr. Lancer turned to Sam and Tucker. "Ms. Manson, Mr. Foley." He turned and walked over to the counter for an order of Nasty Fries.
"How does he do that?" Tucker said, echoing Danny's thoughts from earlier.
"I don't know! He pops out of nowhere!" Danny propped his head in his hand.
Sam leaned back in the booth. "Well, can't say I didn't warn you."
Danny shot her a look making Sam put up her hands in defense. "Well you can't!"
Danny sighed again, finding himself unable to stay mad at her. He smiled and let his hand fall to the table with a thud. "Why don't we head to my house for the book?"
Sam nodded and Tucker smiled. "Sure thing, dude! We're right there with ya."
Danny's smiled broadened as he stood and led the way out of the Nasty Burger.
Yup, he was certainly lucky to have those two. He cared for them more than they knew. They were his support, his lifeline.
Too bad good things come to an end.
The trio walked down the sidewalk about two blocks from Danny's house. The neon "Fenton Works" sign was already visible. Not to mention the Op Center was visible for miles…
Danny yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "You're already tired?" Tucker asked.
Danny shrugged. "Some elevated ghost activity lately, no biggie. I've had worse." He shot Tuck a smile.
As they neared Danny's house he glanced at Sam. She was in her usual combat boots, plaid skirt and black tee. Even so, Danny couldn't help but think of her as pretty.
Sam smiled. "What are you looking at?"
Danny snapped his head forward. "Nothing. Just…nothing." He felt his cheeks grow warm.
Tucker rolled his eyes. "Just make out and get it over with already." He muttered to himself. Unfortunately for him, his comment was over heard
Danny stopped and glared at his friend, Tucker smiling shyly and letting out a nervous laugh.
Sam raised a brow. "Did I miss something?"
Danny sighed. "Forget it." He started walking again. Sam glanced questioningly at Tucker who only smiled sheepishly.
Sam ran a few steps catching her raven-haired friend. "You ok?"
Danny gave her a small smile. "Yea, don't worry about it."
"Well, whatever Tucker did can't be that bad. He's harmless."
"Hey!" Tucker shouted from behind them. "I have muscles! I am strong! I can do plenty harm! Right, Danny?"
Danny rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Tuck."
Sam laughed. Danny smiled; her laugh was so…vibrant. He knew her laugh and could pick it out even among a crowd. It was a loud bubbly sort of laugh, the kind that makes your shoulders rise and fall and gives you a stomach ache after a while. Danny loved that about her. She gave everything her all, no matter what it was, even laughing. Sam did have a soft sort of giggle, but it was rare and only reared its head on special occasions. He loved hearing it.
Little did he know it would be the last time.
They made it to his house and walked up the steps. Danny opened the door, allowing them all inside. Before heading upstairs he popped his head in the lab.
"Hey Mom, hey Dad." He greeted.
"Hey, son! Want to see my new invention?!" Jack beamed, waving around his new invention.
Danny watched the device warily before shaking his head. "No thanks, I'm grabbing a few things and then we're going to Sam's. Maybe later though!"
"Sure thing, Danny!" Jack smiled.
"You kids have fun!" Maddie added with a smile of her own.
Danny gave a warm smile in reply and headed back up the stairs. He met Sam and Tucker in his room. "So what did you need to get?" Tucker asked from Danny's computer chair.
"Well, my book for one thing." Danny replied, his eyes scanning the room for said book. "Plus I had a new movie I've wanted to watch with you guys."
Sam's eyes lit up. "Oh, what kind of movie?"
Danny walked over to his computer desk and sent papers flying to the floor as he searched for his book. "It's called "Midnight Meat Train". Some new horror movie." He said absently.
"Ooh, sounds gory." Sam said delighted. Tucker nodded his agreement.
"Where is that stupid b-" Danny stopped when he heard a sudden crash downstairs. He looked at Sam and Tucker and they all concluded the same thing: Jack must have blown something up again.
But their conclusion soon crashed and burned into tiny piles of dust when Maddie screamed. "GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"
Alarmed, Danny ran downstairs without a second thought. Tucker and Sam followed wordlessly. The scene that greeted them made Danny halt in his tracks, Sam and Tucker bumping into him.
Two men had forced their way into the house, the door now lying in bits and pieces on the floor. That's what the crash was. Danny determined. One had his arm around Jazz's neck, whom had recently walked in the door after coming home from the store, and held a small pistol to her head. The other larger man held a semi-automatic aimed at Maddie. The larger man spoke. "Give us all your money and valuables or else she dies!"
Danny observed the men. He was shocked and panicking on the inside, but he wouldn't show weakness to these creeps. As he watched them, he tried to calculate how to save Jazz and make the men leave before they did anything stupid. Unfortunately, Maddie had already looked in his direction so he couldn't just turn ghost here.
The smaller man who held Jazz was putting on a brave face, but he was clearly scared out of his wits. He was an amateur; he wasn't even holding the gun right. The larger man was not afraid. He had power and knew it. He held the semi-automatic confidently and glared at Maddie with a smirk on his face.
Danny was starting to realize his only real chance may be to just throw caution to the wind and go ghost in front of his mom and dad, who were both at the top of the basement stairs.
"Danny, go get my jewelry box. Jack, go open the safe." Maddie commanded, the Fenton Ecto Bazooka armed in her hands. Unfortunately it wasn't going to do anything against the men except cover them in goo, but they didn't know that. At least, the smaller man didn't by the fear so evident in his eyes. If the larger man was startled by this, he didn't show it. He just kept the same smirk on his face.
Danny nodded and raced the up the stairs and into his parents' bedroom. He grabbed the jewelry box off their dresser and ran back downstairs with it. Jack had opened the safe across the room by the time Danny made it back. He stepped into the room and set the box on the floor. Jack stepped away from the safe.
"There, take what you want. Just give me my daughter back!" Maddie's glare darkened.
The larger man retrieved what he perceived as valuable and looked them over. "This will do nicely." He commented, a broad toothy grin etched on his unshaven face. Danny balled his fists. He really wanted to beat that look off the man.
Jazz looked like a deer in headlights. She didn't struggle, just waited and prayed the men would let her go. Her pleading eyes took turns glancing at everyone in the room. Jack's worried face met her gaze; Maddie didn't look at her, her attention on the men. Sam and Tucker gulped and Danny's determined look gave her strength and calmed her somewhat. She knew Danny would never let anything happen to her. He would give up his secret if he needed to.
"C-can we go now?" the scrawny man asked the larger one, almost begging. The other rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever. We've got what we came for. Let the girl go."
The smaller man let go of Jazz and she quickly ran across the room towards Danny.
She never made it.
Danny's eyes never left the cocky man. As Jazz ran, he didn't miss the evil smile that graced the man's lips. After that, it was all slow motion.
Danny's reflexes were faster than anyone else. He saw the evil grin and therefore reacted before anyone else would have thought to.
As Jazz ran, Danny ran towards her. The robber's hand came up and aimed his semi-automatic directly at Jazz's head, obviously rethinking his decision to let her go unharmed.
By the time he pulled the trigger, Maddie only had time to scream, Jack's eyes widened and Sam and Tucker reached for Danny.
A single shot ripped through the air.
The two men scrambled and ran out the door, hoofing it down the street. Jazz hit the ground with a thud. Maddie and Jack ran to her side while Sam and Tucker stayed back, Sam's hand over her mouth in disbelief.
Jack flipped her on her back and inspected her for injuries. Jazz waved his hands away. "I'm fine, Dad."
Maddie and Jack exchanged confused glances. "Then where did the bullet go?" Maddie questioned.
Danny's knees hit the floor with a thud, clutching his chest. All eyes turned to him as he pulled his hand away, blood literally spurting from the wound in his chest. Gasps filled the room. Danny stared at his hand, wondering briefly what the strange substance was in his hand. All he knew was his chest hurt.
Then it clicked. It hit him. In his selflessness he shoved Jazz to the ground and took the bullet that was sure to kill her. He looked up, giving one last loving look to all the shocked faces in the room before falling the rest of the way to the floor.
The group rushed to him, surrounding the raven-haired boy. Jack rolled Danny on his back and pulled his head into his lap. Sam and Maddie grabbed one of his hands while Jazz stroked his hair. Tucker grabbed the phone and called an ambulance.
Danny coughed violently, blood dripping down the sides of his mouth, and smiled weakly. This was it. It was kind of ironic too. Since he gained his ghost powers, he always figured he'd be wasted by a ghost, not a robber with a gun.
He never even told Sam how he felt…
Danny's eyes fluttered and his hearing began to fade. He could hear the desperate cries of his family and friends but could not understand what they were screaming. He squeezed Sam and Maddie's hands with what strength he could muster and smiled one last time.
As the darkness started to take him, he could make out the muffled sounds of sirens in the distance.
Despite his pain…it was quite peaceful. He was calm and serene. Maybe this darkness was ok. It certainly was soothing. Maybe here he could finally find the strength to confess to Sam; maybe here he could finally tell his parents the truth. He wasn't sure, but what he was sure of, was that it felt peaceful.
Danny closed his eyes and with visions of his loved ones dancing in his mind,
He let go…
--
Wow…this almost made me cry writing it. SO NOT being egotistical. I just am surprised I was able to write it that way I did. It sounds good to me, which is a feat in itself.
Midnight Meat Train: Yes, it's actually a movie. Not sure if it was in theatre's…but it's showing at my college next week!
Hope you enjoyed! Ta!