Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.
A/N- Hey, guess what? I'm back! With a broken toe and a head cold and allergies (apparently i can only write while incapacitated in some way) and a new chapter! You guys have no idea how much I love you all right now! (especially for being patient with me while I fight off writers block for this story)- the screen is currently swimming in front of my eyes so let's just skip to the story, shall we?
Bonus points if anyone can guess the television show at the end of the chapter ;)
Danny had only been to the town's single hospital a handful of times and that was including his own birth. None of the times had included coming in, in an ambulance. He'd taken one look at Tuckers starkly pale face back in front of the school as the realization of where he would be going had sunk in and had climbed into the ambulance after his friend, Sam squeezing in next to them.
They were reassured that it was only to check to make sure that there wasn't anything they missed, that Tucker appeared to be fine except for a few obvious bruises. Danny didn't argue; Tucker tried to but Danny clamped a hand over his mouth and Sam held his hand tightly and eventually Tucker gave in, sitting the ride out quietly.
The ride, full of turns that felt sharper in the back of the ambulance and the paramedic's bright smiles, seemed to take forever.
Danny felt numb, felt cold all over and his mind wouldn't stop whirling. While Tucker was sitting next to him, alive and alright and he could see and feel this, the original panic that he had felt, probably only moments ago though it felt like hours, was still coursing through him.
He could see Tucker next to him and while the bruising he could see appearing made him see red, his own imagination was making him furious. All he could see was the ambulance pulling away from the school, Dash in the back. He kept picturing the blonde lying on the ground, bruised and bloody with Tucker screaming in the background. When he closed his eyes he could see the gang leader, ugly face pinched and lips pulled back in a smirk as the others held Dash down.
He felt nauseous.
He felt like he wanted to lash out, to snap.
Danny opened his eyes, looked at the paramedic and the falsely bright smile and wanted to ask about Dash, ask if he knew anything but his voice was stuck in his throat.
The ambulance came to a stop and they were let out of the back, not hours later even though it felt like an eternity, just moments later.
He could have flown there faster, could have already found Dash; but he looked at Tucker and felt guilty for wanting to leave his best friend when he was clearly about to have a panic attack.
The ER was busy as Tucker was seated on a bed, Sam sliding up next to him and pulling him into a half hug as nurses and doctors darted around.
Danny scanned the room, standing on tiptoes and straining his neck searching for some sign of the blonde. He thought he caught a glimpse of blonde hair but it wasn't Dash.
"Danny," Tucker reached out and snagged the edge of his t-shirt, catching his attention. Danny scanned the room, a little desperately, one last time before turning most of his attention back to his friend. "Just go ask someone."
He didn't want to leave Tucker, not when he was curled in on himself and flinching at every sound, but Tucker stared back defiantly and tried to straighten his shoulders.
"I'll be fine." Tucker paused, hesitating. "I want to know about Dash too."
"I'll be right back." He promised and took off before either of them could change their minds.
He wasn't sure he wanted to know but he definitely needed to.
"Excuse me." The nurse on duty looked tired and like she had too many things to be doing with no time for Danny, but she smiled at him nonetheless. "There was a teenager brought in here not long ago, blonde hair, letterman jacket. His name is Dash Baxter- I was wondering if you could tell me where he is?"
She raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down and Danny wondered if he was showing how anxious he was.
"Are you family?" She asked, grabbing a folder and flipping through it, attention divided between it and Danny.
"Well, no," Danny shoved his hands in his pockets to resist the urge to fidget. "But he's ah…a close friend." He stuttered and tried not to blush but the way that he was being watched he knew he had failed. "Please, I just need to know he's okay."
The nurse made a little noise of what was hopefully agreement in her throat and checked a chart balanced on the edge of her desk.
"It looks like he's already been claimed by his parents, they got here right after the ambulance. He's already been moved to a room."
"A room?" A room meant that he couldn't just go home with his parents; a room meant that there was something wrong.
"There's nothing too serious wrong," She grabbed a pen and jotted something down on a scrap of paper handing it to Danny. "Just some bruising and a possibly broken wrist, the doctor will be able to tell you more."
Danny looked down at the paper and let out a shaky breath, realizing it was a room number.
He thanked her and headed back over to Tucker and Sam, noting the doctor leaving them as he approached.
"I'm free to go." Tucker said in a rush as soon as Danny was close enough that he wouldn't have to yell. He eyed the exit with longing but didn't jump off the bed like Danny had expected him to. "Did you find Dash?"
Danny nodded, gripping the paper tighter in his hand as though afraid to let go, like someone would snatch it away if he loosened his hold at all.
"How is he?" Sam asked, worrying her bottom lip.
"Bruising and maybe a broken wrist." He scrubbed a hand through his hair and tried to breath evenly. It was all getting to be too much and he hadn't even seen Dash yet. Nothing would be okay until he could prove to himself that Dash really was all right, he needed to see it to be sure.
"My parents are on their way." Tucker looked like the adrenaline was wearing off and he was ready to fall over.
Danny glanced at Sam over his head and caught her eye. She nodded and pulled Tucker a little closer.
"I'm going to see if I can find Dash."
"And I'm going to stay here." Sam added as Tucker tensed. "You'll be out of here in no time." She promised.
Danny reached out and pulled his friend into a tight hug, feeling relief that at least one person he cared about was all right before turning away and wandering off in search of Dash.
DI
Danny's heart was in his throat as he made his way down the brightly lit hallway. Yellow stripes lined the corridor, on the floor and walls, probably to make the hospital seem more inviting, to make it seem more like a place of healing and not of death and doom like Tucker claimed it was.
The yellow felt like false cheer though. He kept reminding himself of what the nurse said, kept reminding himself how doctors healed people but Tucker's paranoia kept running through his mind.
Halfway down the hall, in front of an equally yellow door that hurt his eyes to look at, stood a middle aged couple, both tall with blonde hair and well dressed, with a short, squat man in a doctors coat. They were talking in hushed voices but stopped and looked up when Danny approached.
He swallowed around a dry mouth and tried to ignore the way he was looked up and down.
"I'll just go and get the paperwork for you then." The doctor finished, gave Danny one last look and hurried off.
The couple turned their full attention on him and Danny knew instantly that Dash had gotten his clear blue eyes from his mother.
"Hi." He cleared his throat nervously and tried to glance in the small window of the room. He spotted a tuft of blonde hair and felt something in his chest clench. "I'm Danny Fenton, I'm friends with Dash and,"
"Dash isn't having any visitors right now." Mr. Baxter interrupted.
"I was at the school and my friend,"
"He's in no condition to see anyone." The older man continued, voice firm.
Danny's spark of irritation fizzled out as he got a good look at Mrs. Baxter; her hand was playing absently with the necklace and while she was standing with them, it was evident that she wanted nothing more than to be in the room next to her sons bed. She looked lost. Danny kind of knew how that felt.
"The nurse said he would be okay, but I just- I need to know," Danny trailed off.
Mr. Baxter glanced over at his wife, something in his face softening a fraction before he turned back to Danny.
"Dash has bruised ribs, and they're going to do an x-ray for his wrist but he'll be all right."
It was the second person to tell him this but he still couldn't relax. His chest still felt too tight.
"Thanks." He mumbled, and slid the paper with the room number, now warm and crumpled from his hand, into his pocket where it sat heavy and a stark reminder.
"Come back tomorrow. They want to keep him for awhile for observation, I'm sure you'll be able to see him then." Mr. Baxter continued, eyes a shade too dark, studying him in a way that made him feel like he was entirely too obvious.
For once he couldn't care though.
Danny nodded and turned back down the hallway to the elevator. Maybe Tucker and Sam would still be there; maybe they could help this tightening in his chest.
DI
Danny had gone home with Sam and Tucker, had spent the afternoon when he should have been in math and gym, in Tuckers room playing cards and laughing and trying to heal.
He had phoned his own parents, reassured them that he was fine, Sam was fine and Tucker would be fine.
Half an hour after his parents had gone to bed and he was sure they were asleep, he went ghost and left the house.
The tricky part was finding the right window. All of the windows against the concrete grey walls looked the same. Danny flew along the row of second story windows peering into darkened rooms looking for the tuft of blonde hair he had seen earlier.
The room was silent as he snuck in through the wall; save for the beeping of the heart monitor that he was sure was there just for show. Dash's parents weren't sitting next to the bed keeping vigil and a part of Danny was pleased with this, if only so he wouldn't have to explain his presence. He didn't need people questioning why Danny Phantom was visiting a quarterback.
Pale moonlight lit up parts of the room, casting the rest into shadows. The light fell across Dash's face making him seem pale and fragile and making the bruises stand out like smudges against his skin.
Danny didn't move, heart pounding in his chest, trying to break it's way out and let his eyes roam over Dash to finally reassure himself that the blonde was really all right.
Blue eyes stared back at him.
Danny jerked, surprised and a little panicked at being caught.
"Hey." Dash's voice was hoarse and he rubbed at his eyes.
"Hey." Danny probably didn't sound any better. He wanted to cross to the bed but his feet remained rooted to the linoleum floor four feet away.
Dash shifted in the bed, sitting up slightly and stared at Danny, studying him in a way similar to the way his father had hours before but with a hint more warmth and concern. The silence was beginning to feel suffocating but as he searched his mind for something to say, he came up short. Everything that came to mind sounded like something out of a bad romance novel or was too close to the truth for comfort.
"Get over here, will you?" Dash finally sighed, patting the bed with his good hand.
Danny was across the room instantly, hesitating next to the bed. Dash shifted over with a grunt and grimace of pain and he took the invitation clambering onto the bed next to the blonde.
They just barely fit on the tiny hospital bed, arms and sides pressed firmly together. Dash was a furnace against him and Danny greedily soaked up the contact, curling closer and tentatively reaching out to grasp Dash's hand.
"I thought I heard your voice earlier." Dash watched their joined hands with a small smile on his face. "When my parents were out in the hall with the doctor."
"They wouldn't let me in to see you." Danny whispered, turning his face so it was hidden in the crook of Dash's neck and breathed deeply.
"I knew you'd be back." Dash's thumb rubbed back and forth over his hand and it made him warm all over.
Danny opened his eyes, staring through the dim lighting and he could just make out dark bruises on Dash's neck. Anger flashed through him, quick and startling and he tensed. Someone had tried to strangle Dash. This was the second time that someone in that gang had laid their meaty hands on Dash and Danny hadn't done anything about it. That was going to change.
"It's not your fault." Dash tugged insistently on their joined hands but it was weakly too.
It was; it was his fault that Dash had been hurt. It was his fault that they knew Dash Baxter was important to Danny Phantom.
"It's my fault they know you're important to Phantom." Guilt wracked through him chasing the fury.
"I'm important to you?" Danny tilted his head and could just make out Dash's smile widening, he couldn't tear his eyes from the sight. "Besides, I chose to step in that night in the park. And I don't regret it." Something about the way he said it had Danny's stomach twisting but in a good way; he felt lighter. Dash's hand tightened around Danny's and Danny squeezed back.
"I should go." Danny murmured but he couldn't bring himself to move. Dash pulled his hand until it was draped over the quarterback's waist, safely below his ribs and then awkwardly stretched, wincing all the while until he had an arm wrapped around Danny.
"You could stay." Dash whispered against his hair.
Danny smiled, something small and content and for the moment his anger was forgotten and the pressure in his chest lessened.
"I could stay." He agreed, closing his eyes.
DI
School wasn't closed the next day; in fact the teachers took the opportunity to call an assembly on safety.
Danny snuck away right before the assembly with Sam and Kwan to visit the hospital.
Mr. Baxter just gave him a knowing look when they slipped into the room and he tried to look like it was his first time seeing Dash, tried to look like he hadn't spent the night there, only leaving as the nurse was about to come in.
Dash grinned at him, a secretive smile that told him he was thinking about waking up to Danny untangling himself from where they had been wrapped tightly together.
But his good mood didn't last long.
In the light of the morning the bruises from the night before stood out starkly against pale skin. Both of Dash's eyes were black and there was an angry red mark on his cheek. The bruises Danny had spotted the night before on Dash's neck had formed into two dark hand prints and Dash shifted uncomfortably when he caught Sam and Kwan staring.
His wrist was in a cast and held close to his chest with a sling that blended in with the hospital gown he had been forced into.
He looked fragile.
Danny could feel his anger building, could feel it pounding in him. He tried to take deep breaths, tried to calm himself.
He listened carefully when the doctor came in, smiled along when he said that Dash could be released the next day.
But as the doctor began checking over the bruising, checking Dash's breathing, Danny needed to excuse himself.
He leaned back against the bright yellow stripe in the hall, arms crossed and eyes trained on the ceiling as he tried to focus on just breathing.
These guys had taken things too far, they had touched Dash, had hurt Dash. They had hurt Tucker.
They lurked around his school, thinking they were clever, thinking they were better than everyone else. They thought they could do whatever they wanted. Someone needed to show them that they couldn't.
They wanted Phantoms attention?
They had it.
"Danny?"
He was startled from his thoughts as Sam slipped into the hall. She took one look at his face and settled against the wall next to him.
"Too much?" She guessed. Danny nodded. He couldn't bear to see the extent of the bruises, not right now, not when he was so close to snapping.
"Bruises fade, Danny." She said softly, leaning against him lightly.
"Memories don't."
"Yes they do." Sam nudged him lightly. "You can't tell me you remember everything that has happened this year perfectly. You'd be lying."
"I remember the night in the park." He said, eyes trained on the ceiling again. He remembered Moe, the gang leader and the look on his face, remembered the smell of his breath and remembered Dash standing there like an unlikely knight in shining armour.
"But do you remember what you were thinking? Do you remember how it felt to be cornered, how it felt to look up and see Dash?"
"What's your point?" Danny snapped, frustrated.
"In a month or two neither of you will remember what you're thinking right now, the feelings will fade, memories will start to blur. So whatever it is that you're thinking of doing right now, it may not seem like a good idea once you're less angry, once you're thinking clearly."
Danny pressed his lips together in a thin line; Sam was wrong, his anger was making him think clearer. The gang needed to be dealt with; they were just like all those ghosts he'd dealt with in the past. They were bullies, didn't belong, just hurt people and like the ghosts he would be the one to take care of it.
"Danny," Sam turned to face him, hand on his arm and it took everything he had not to shake her off. She was his best friend; she didn't deserve to have his anger directed at her. "Promise me you're not going to do something stupid. Let the police handle this one."
He met her eyes and then glanced over her shoulder at the bright yellow door. Dash was on the other side, sitting in a hospital bed. It was his fault that Dash had been targeted. His fault that Tucker had been targeted.
"I promise I won't do anything stupid."
It wouldn't be stupid. It would be the right thing to do.
DI
"Danny!"
He didn't bother to hide his surprise at who was calling out to him. After their break up he'd figured he'd just fall off the radar again and that Paulina would move onto some jock or something but he was proven wrong as she caught up with him.
"Paulina." He greeted hesitantly.
"How's Dash?" She asked with what seemed like genuine interest. Of course it was genuine interest, he mentally kicked himself, they were friends most of the time.
"How did you know I'd been to see Dash?" He asked. Maybe Kwan had mentioned it.
"I just knew you would." She smiled at him, eyes sparkling like she knew some great secret. Danny swallowed.
"He's going to be all right." Danny fell into step next to her as they made their way down the busy hall. "He has some bruised ribs and a broken wrist but it all looks worse than it actually is."
It didn't stop the anger that flashed through him every time Dash winced or tried to hide that he was hurting. His parents were taking him home later that afternoon and Danny had promised to stop by the next day, once his parents had decided he was settled and could have visitors again.
"He's bored." Danny continued, a small smile making it's way across his face as he thought of how Dash had conned Kwan into a wheel chair race when the nurses were distracted. "He seems to think he'll be back at school next week."
"That's good," Paulina paused in front of an open class room that other students were filing into. "I was really worried."
She turned to go and then paused again, turning back to Danny.
"How is Tucker?"
Danny blinked, surprised but answered anyways.
"He'll be back at school next week, he's just a little bruised but his parents are refusing to let him leave the house until then."
Paulina nodded and it seemed like she really cared too, not like she was asking as an after thought.
DI
He had been unable to pay attention in history, his mind had drifted and before he'd known it he'd been thinking about Dash and that led to thinking about the gang and by the end of the class he was slowly reaching his boiling point.
Maybe it was time to go out on patrol and find the gang before they could hurt anyone else.
He'd have to do it quietly, so Sam wouldn't find out.
A large bulky shape blocked his way down the hallway to the front doors.
"Well if it isn't the fairy."
Danny kept his head down, kept his anger in and focused on getting by Victor.
A hand shot out blocking his way again. A few people walked by but they avoided his eyes, too scared to get involved, worried about what Victor would do to them. That was fine, Danny could handle himself and he was sick and tired of people getting hurt because of him.
"I was looking all over for you yesterday." Victor continued.
Danny glanced up taking in the two looming figures standing behind Victor. He recognized them as hockey players that had once hung around Dash. It looked like they had found a new bully to worship.
He wasn't going to let Victor get to him, not this time. He turned around and made to go back the way he had come. Before he could take more than two steps though, a hand clamped down on his shoulder, hard, stopping him.
"I'm talking to you, freak." Victor leaned in close, trying to intimidate him with the height and weight difference. Victor was muscle from whatever football team he'd been on at his old school and he had a few inches on Danny. But it wasn't scary. Dash had done it all and he hadn't been scared then.
"And I'm not listening." Danny informed him, reached up and peeled his hand off while the bully was still shocked. Apparently he wasn't used to his victims talking back.
"Heard what happened to your boyfriend." Victor called after him and against his better judgment Danny found himself stopping to turn and look at the other teenager. "Everyone knows how Baxter got beat up like a pu-"
Danny's fist was stopped only because Kwan got there first.
Victor went sprawling backwards onto the dirty hallway floor, as the other two jocks jumped out of the way so they wouldn't get hit as well. They were staring at Kwan, probably wondering how he had snuck up on them and if they would be the next to be knocked to the floor.
Danny didn't even glance at Kwan, stepping forwards and kneeling down, getting close to Victor. He was furious and Victor was glaring up providing an outlet.
"Don't ever touch me or my friends again." Danny dropped his voice so only Victor could hear. "Don't ever talk about Dash like that again. Because what Kwan did is nothing compared to what I can do." It was a rush, the way Victor's eyes widened. Danny knew that something of his ghost side was probably showing through but he used it, let the fear sink into the bully and enjoyed it.
"You're not top dog at this school." He continued. "You'd better remember that."
"Let's go." Kwan dropped a hand onto his shoulder and Danny stood up and stepped away from the bully. He let Kwan lead the way down the hallway, only stopping once they were far enough away.
He felt sick.
What he'd just done, scaring Victor, threatening him, using his ghost side- it made him feel sick that he'd gotten a rush from it.
"You all right?" Kwan asked, leaning against the wall, watching Danny.
He straightened up and took a deep breath.
"Not really." He admitted, partly shocked that he had admitted it.
"Let me guess," Kwan glanced down the hall from where they had just come. "You're feeling angry, frustrated and you want to make someone hurt."
Danny nodded, open-mouthed.
Kwan grinned, self-depreciating and without humour and Danny had to wonder what happened to the easygoing football player.
"Dash's my best friend. I'd love to go kick some ass."
"That's how I feel." Danny agreed quickly, glad to find someone who was finally on his side.
"That's why I haven't."
"What?" Danny wasn't following the conversation anymore.
"If I ran out and beat up every guy that might or might not be in this gang, I'd be no better than them." He paused, looking like he was debating something. Danny just watched, surprised by this new side to the other teenager. "And I get the feeling you could take them all; but you don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to you, right?"
Danny blinked. How did Kwan…? Did he know that…? A million questions ran through his mind but he wasn't sure how to ask any of them.
"I guess not." He said instead.
DI
While it wasn't his first time to Dash's house, it was his first time there during the day, when he wasn't Phantom. And while it wasn't his first time meeting Dash's parents, it was just as awkward.
Mr. Baxter had him seated in the living room while they waited for Dash to come down. Mrs. Baxter had sat herself next to him on the couch and was staring at him with familiar blue eyes and quizzing him on his school and social life.
It felt strangely like he was picking Dash up for a date. Which he technically wasn't doing because they were just going to watch television in Dash's room.
But it didn't mean that he didn't want to. Pick Dash up for a date, or be picked up, or whatever. He blinked and tried to remember what Mrs. Baxter had asked him.
"Um, no- my prom date and I broke up so I don't have a date for prom right now." But he did have two tickets sitting at home on his dresser waiting to be used. If he ended up going to prom at all.
"Oh, what a shame, a nice boy like you," Mrs. Baxter smiled and patted his knee. "I'm sure there's someone just waiting for you to ask." Her eyes drifted to the stairs as she said this and Dash chose that moment to come jogging down the stairs, a very slow jog that looked painful as he kept his hurt wrist clutched close to his chest and his bruised ribs.
Danny bolted off the couch and met him before he could reach the bottom of the stairs to save him the rest of the trip down.
"Hey." Dash grinned at him, cheeks slightly red and looking incredibly pleased.
"Hey." Danny grinned back, probably just as dopey before remembering that Dash's parents were still sitting there watching them. "Uh- ready to go upstairs?" He asked, glancing over at the couple in the living room.
"Sure." Dash turned and led the way up the stairs and Danny tried not to stare but Dash's blue jeans fit him really well. He swallowed hard and let himself be led to Dash's room.
It was the same as he remembered it, if not cleaner.
Danny watched as Dash turned on his computer and opened up a website, one handed.
"Have a seat on the bed." Dash called over his shoulder. "I found this really cool show I think you'll like."
Danny pushed himself back on the bed until he was seated with his back against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him.
"So," Dash began, still typing away at the keyboard. "You and Paulina broke up?" He tried to sound nonchalant, tried to sound merely interested but Danny could hear the smile slip into his voice.
"Yeah, it wasn't really working out." Danny watched the back of Dash's head, trying to read his mind.
"Too bad." Dash tried for sincere but fell short. "Any particular reason?"
Danny was struck with the sudden realization that it really could be that easy. That maybe he could have this, that maybe he could be happy. He just had to say it, just had to cross that final distance.
But his heart was hammering in his chest and after everything it shouldn't have been as big a deal. Dash had already placed himself out there; it was Danny's turn.
"I'd rather be going to prom with this other person." Danny finally said.
Dash finished up at the computer, hit play and settled back onto the bed. After a moment of sitting pressed together, side by side, Dash reached out and grasped Danny's hand.
They watched the show about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost, holding hands and Danny felt giddy and alive all over. He leaned further into Dash, slipping until his head was resting on the quarterbacks shoulder. He felt warm and for the first time since the hospital his anger was fading and he could look at the bruises and just see Dash. The fury wasn't gone, just diminished for the moment.
"Dash," Danny cleared his throat as one episode ended and they waited for another to begin. Dash tilted his head to look at him; Dash who was actually kind of nerdy and who stood up for Danny and who found a ridiculous show about ghosts for Danny. He already knew the answer but his heart was still pounding. "Want to go to Prom with me?"
The smile that broke across Dash's face was beautiful.
"Thought you'd never ask, Fenton." He teased, the smile never fading.
Danny decided that he wanted to see the smile as often as possible.
Dash leaned forwards and Danny tilted his head and they met halfway, lips pressing together softly and then a little harder. Danny lifted his hand to thread through Dash's hair as he parted his lips and Dash's tongue slipped inside, mapping out Danny's mouth, and sucking on his tongue until his toes curled and he was panting pressed up against the blonde's side.
They parted, matching goofy grins, half their attention back on the show but hyperaware of each other.
Danny traced idle patterns on Dash's thigh with his other hand and watched as the ghost on the screen terrorized her fiancé, he heard Dash snort at the theatrics next to him and he realized that he may have just come up with a way to get back at the gang.