Danny sat quietly, tapping his pencil, angrily and nervously and staring at the board. He glanced at the clock and gave a tired sigh. Last night he'd been up 'til four battling and capturing ghosts, sadly without help since he'd wanted Sam and Tuck to have a good night's sleep for Mr. Lancer's test. His morning hadn't started off that well, either; his parents seemed to think he was invisible, and all Jazz had said all morning was a dull 'good morning'.
He put his name on the top of his test, which was surprisingly easy, thanks to the study-phones Tuck had made for the trio last month. Put them on your ears, and do as you please while your brain silently learns. He walked up and put the paper on Mr. Lancer's desk. He sighed and turned around to go back to his seat.
He sat, weaving his pencil through his fingers than waving it in the air like a wand. He got out his notebook and began to doodle. He smiled, realizing what he had subconciously drawn: Danny Phantom with Sam on his left, and Tuck on his right, with their weapons loaded to fight some ghouls.
Finally the buzzer rang signaling the end of class. Danny got up, his books in his hands, but was pushed down by the sampeding teenagers.
The halfa groaned, and lifted himself up, scrambling to get all his things. Lancer, with a short smile on his face walked to the last child in the classroom and helped him gather himself.
"Thank you, Mr. Lancer."
"Anytime, Daniel." Danny gave a short nod in recongnition, and began to walk out of the room. A large hand on his shoulder stopped him. "And, Daniel," Danny turned to see his teacher's warm smile, "Happy birthday."
By lunch Danny had been trampled, ignored, pumpled, shoved into a locker, and defeated. Young Mr. Fenton sighed and sat on the curb. His friends had to finish their tests during lunch, so he was all alone.
Again.
He went to take a bite out of his grilled cheese, when CRUNCH! Danny grabbed his foot, and jumped. He looked to his right and saw some jerk giving him the finger and yelling, "Check yourself, 'fore you wreck yourself, dweeb!"
With a small tear in the corner of his eye, he took off his shoe to look at his foot. It was completely flatened, black, and bloody. He growled; it was broken, but his ghost powers would heal it in a week or two, so why bother drawing attention to it?
He silently put his shoe back on, letting the tear fall while he shifted his one foot into a ghostly whisp of a tail. He shifted and lightly limped to his next class, after throwing his lunch out. Seeing his foot, he was in no mood to eat.
The rest of the day was painstakingly slow, and he couldn't help but give his friends small longing looks when they weren't paying him any mind. They looked at his feet once, but didn't even ask how he was: if they weren't even paying him any mind why shouldn't he just disappear and save everyone the energy of looking over him?
Jazz, who had just earned her license gave Danny a ride home after the final bell. "How are you feeling, little brother?" Danny gave her a pathetic look, and she gave a sad smile. "I was a bit rushed this morning, sorry. I forgot to give you this," She handed him a brightly wrapped box, with a 'To Danny' tag on it. After the terrible day he had had, a tear litteraly came to Danny's eye at the sight of it. He gave his big sister a look that said 'Thank you- I don't think I'll ever forget this'.
He opened it, and saw an old friendly face holding a new video game controller. He picked up the small bear, and gazed at it. His Bearin Roosevelt- much like the cherised Bearbert Einstein but with an older, mustier look to it.
"I thought... I thought I'd lost it, forever! Thank you Jazz!" Danny wrapped his sister in a bear hug.
"I found him in the old Emergency Storage box in the basement," She couldn't help but smile at how he didn't even notice the new controller she'd gotten him.
"Bearin," He hugged it to his chest and smiled widely. "Sorry, I probably sound more like a five-year-old than a fifteen-year-old," He chuckled.
"It's fine," She kissed his forehead in a sisterly way, then noticed his flattened shoe. "So how was your day?"
Danny noticed her sight directed at his foot, and gave a small not-very-reasurring smile. "Some punk ran over my foot..." He gave a sigh, and she put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"And?" She could tell by his face that there was more.
"And Sam and Tucl forgot my birthday. I don't judge them- I didn't say anything and they had Lancer's test to think about... but I guess I at least expected a 'Have a good day' or a 'Happy Birthday, Big Guy'. I didn't think I was going to be so lonely on my fifteenth birthday..." He sighed, and squeezed Bearin.
"I'm sorry, Dan," She gave him a concerned face, "Dash, again, too?"
"Yeah..." He sighed, and then growled at the wave of pain that shot through him when he set his foot down.
"Lemme check that out when we get home," Jazz, patted her brother's shoulder affectionately. He gave her a smile and agreed. After about five more minutes of silent driving they reached Fenton Works.
Jack and Maddie heard the door open and slam, but were to hard at work on their latest invention to say anything but, "Welcome home, kiddos."
Jazz helped Danny walk up the stairs, and into his room. He sat down, and Jazzie-Pants grabbed a first aid kit.
"Let's see it," She removed his shoe and sock, and was appalled. She didn't expect it to be this bad. Either way she wrapped his foot and ankle in a soft, silky cotton after cleaning it. Then she plastered together a cast. She had limited knowledge on how to doctor a broken foot, but could tell she was hurting him from time to time- but he just sat there and took it, only making some small talk.
"Stay off it, okay? I think we have some crutches in the basement...Anyway, I'll bring you dinner."
Danny nodded gratefully, and leaned back against his pillows. Soon he was snoring lightly.
Jazz smiled, until she heard Danny's phone ring. She picked it up, and went outside of the deep-sleepers room.
"Hello?"
"Jazz?"
"Oh, hey, Sam."
"Hey, where's Danny? We couldn't find him after school."
"He got a ride from me- I thought he said he told you."
"Oh... Why didn't he answer?"
"He had a long day, but he's alright now. His foot is patched up and elevated and thanks to yours truly he's asleep right now."
"What happened to his foot?!"
"Didn't he tell you? Some jerk ran over it on accident, and it's broken."
"He didn't say anything to me. Actually we hardly got a chance to talk all day."
"He didn't say that... Poor guy." They both paused a moment then Jazz spoke up, "Say, do you know the date?"
"uh, here- lemme check my calendar...April 15th, why?"
Jazz waited for it to sink in.
It sunk in.
"It's Danny's BIRTHDAY! With Lancer's big test I completely forgot! Why didn't he say anything?!"
"You're not the only one to forget- actually only Mr. Lancer and I remembered according to him."
"Not even your parents? Or Tucker?"
"Mom and Dad are really busy with a new invention. And Tucker didn't say anything to him, either."
"I even had the perfect present for him- I can't believe I forgot..."
"... I know, how about I call you when I'm going to wake him up to give him dinner, and you and Tuck can surprise him!"
"That's perfect! Thanks a ton, Jazz. You're a great sister to him."
"Awe, thanks. See ya in a bit, Sam."
"'Kay, bye!"
The two girls hung up and Jazz went down to make a small dinner for the pair of them.
After the dinner was made, Jazz called Tucker and Sam to tell them they could come over. She smiled and passed the dinner table where her two parent sat making themselves busy. They didn't even notice her, about to bring up a meal to her brother. She sighed angrily, and continued on her way.
Sam and Tucker walked in, without any trouble due to their own copy of the Fenton Work's key. They quickly made their way up the stairs, and met Jazz at their base.
"Hey, guys," Jazz happily said they walked quietly into the sleeping halfa's bedroom.
"Danny?" Jasmine mumbled while lightly shaking her sleeping brother.
"Mmehh.." Danny mumbled and his eyes twitched.
"Come on, pal. You've got some visitors," Jazz was quiet as she shook the halfa. He opened his eyes, then squinted them from the light.
After some adjusting and his vision clearing he saw, not only his sister, but his 'brother' and crush also.
"Hey, Birthday Boy," Sam mumbled, she gently shook a small box in her hands. Her tone was cheery and sugary- probably because of her friend's weak condition.
"Hey, Man. Happy B-Day," Tucker clapped the boy's shoulder. "Sorry we were too distracted to remember earlier."
Danny's smile couldn't be any wider. He reached forward and pulled the three of them into a group hug. "Thanks guys!"
Sam handed him his birthday present, and Tucker showed him a new video game wrapped only in a small red bow. Danny smiled at Tucker, and gave him a smirk that said 'can't think of a better way to spend Saturday afternoon'.
He opened Sam's package, and his eyes widened in awe, "Thank you, so much!" There was a DP frame that held a picture of Team Phantom, and a new t-shirt identical to his regular attire, except with his ghost sight he could tell that there was a glow-in-the-dark Danny Phantom insignia.
He admired it, and Sam softly kissed his cheek, making him blush a deep red.
"Thanks a ton, guys! This means so much!"
"Sorry you didn't have a better day, Dan. But happy birthday." Danny couldn't be happier- that is until Tucker accidently clapped his foot.
"YOW!" his hand glowed a ghostly green as he yelped in pain. He prevented himself from shooting, but couldn't stop the glow.
"Sorry, dude." Danny opened his squinted eyes, and smiled.
"I'm alright! You guys just made me the happiest halfa in the universe! A little pain can't dampen that!" Danny smiled wider and then his tiredness began to overtake him.
"It's Friday night; do you too want to stay over, tonight?" Jazz asked, then whispered as she saw her brother's eyes close, "He said he was pretty lonely- I think he could use your company."
The pair smiled and nodded, then Sam showed her spider back-pack. "I had a feeling you'd ask," She grabbed out her pajamas, and gave a smirk.
Tucker lifted a pair of boxer-shorts and a t-shirt out from under his beret. "We know you hospitable Fentons all too well."
Danny began to lightly snore, and his three friends couldn't help but give a small "Awe," before they went to get changed.
"He's such a sweet little guy," Jazz mused as she brought in two comforters and a pair of pillows for Tucker and Sam. She sat waiting for her brother to wake back up, when her thoughts were interrupted by Sam's voice.
"What's this?" She asked, looking over a small bear in a wheel chair.
"Sam, I wouldn't touch that or even bring it up, if I were you," Jazz warned. The ultra-recyclo-vegitarian put the bear back in this wheel'd seat.
"But why?" she asked, looking back at it as she sat down.
"That's Danny's. He's kinda protective of it, at least he was when he was little, before he lost it."
"How'd he lose it?" Sam asked, observing the small toy's design.
"Well, he went to this assembly at school about fire safety, and having a pack ready with all the things you couldn't live without... So he came home and made one: it was kinda cute, all he had was his toothbrush, a mini ghost-ray that he stole from Dad's Lab, and Bearin." She chuckled, "That assembly had him so paranoid, that he kept in all in the bag for a week, and didn't touch it. One day, Dad took Danny's example and put all his stuff in a big box in the attic. Danny hasn't seen Bearin Roosevelt since that day, until now- I found it for him."
"He's like your bearbert, isn't he?"
"Yeah... funny, Danny wouldn't have ever lost him, if he wasn't scared to loose him." Sam thumbed Danny's cheek, and kissed his forehead lightly. "Thanks to his ghost powers," Jazz reminded, "He'll be able to walk normally by next friday."
"Great," Sam smiled, and Tucker nodded in agreement.
"He's a tough dude," Tucker stated, "He can last a week."
"But what about Dash?" Jazz asked, nervous for her brother.
"He'd have to be nuts to try to get through Sam, just so he can wail on Danny," Tucker smirked. "And Danny's got a few tricks up his sleeves."
"Good...You know, some older sisters wouldn't like having a little brother so close in age, but I'm glad he was born; I love my little brother," Jazz smiled, and ruffled the sleeping halfa's raven hair.
Sam and Tucker smiled at the pair, "We do too."
I know I should be updating Accidental Portal, but I just wanted to show the pure bond between siblings. I'm the older sister in my family, and even though we may not always get along (which is definitely portrayed in the series) Siblings will never forget the bond they share. Maybe you and your brother or sister have grown apart as time passed, but I guarantee that you will never forget how great it felt to have someone looking out for you (or someone to look out for.) Live long, and prosper.
-E. Zippy577
