Hero

Tucker adjusted his glasses, patted the PDA in his left pocket and made sure his IPod was firmly in place as he started up the stairs to Danny's room. He was in a good mood, well he was always in a good mood. He had very little to complain about and really, Tucker didn't allow much to get him down. He lived his life on the sunny side of the street.

Sam said his heart was filled with helium, and it was true to an extent, it was hard to bring Tucker down, and keep him there, but the sounds he heard while passing Jazz's room, put a rock on his light heart.

Jazz's light sobbing was something he'd been hearing more of in the last few months and he was worried. Danny shrugged it off, saying, "She's a girl! She's my sister! She's an alien." Sam shrugged it off, saying, "Yeah some girls cry I guess."

Danny's excuse for failing to realize something was wrong with Jazz was pure cluelessness. He saw his sister as unshakable and figured she was probably indulging in some new sort of therapy. He told Tucker that Jazz was strong, well adjusted, happy, not to worry.

Sam was simply at a loss. When Tucker brought the situation to her attention she got angry, but the truth was she didn't know how to approach Jazz. Sam wouldn't have appreciated people meddling in her affairs, therefore she considered it common courtesy to let Jazz deal with whatever her problem was, as she saw fit.

Tucker was troubled. It wasn't as though he always heard her crying, but the fact that he had, on several occasions heard her heart broken sobs, or caught her tear stained face as she ran from the bathroom to her room, or emerged from the Casper High library looking pale and sad, weighed down his mirthful heart and made his time at Danny's house uncomfortable because all he could think of, was she was hurting, and no one bothered to see if she was okay, they just assumed, because she was Jazz that she was fine.

So, Tucker stood outside Jazz's bedroom door debating on his next move. He had to do something. He couldn't let things go on any longer, and so he built up his courage and he knocked. The crying stopped and there was silence.

"Who is it?" came Jazz's voice, soft and uncertain.

Tucker swallowed hard then squeaked. He had to clear his throat so he could answer firmly, "It's Tucker. Can I…Can I come in?" He was met with silence. He grabbed his hat off his head and clutched it has he waited. Just as he was sure she wasn't going to answer, the door opened and he looked into the clear and beautiful red rimed eyes of Jazz Fenton.

"What do you need?" she asked softly.

Tucker was stunned. He was like a rabbit staring up at the hawk who was about to swoop down and eat him. "I-I-I," he stammered. "I heard you crying and um, are you okay?"

Jazz lowered her eyes to the floor and she shrugged her shoulder. "I didn't know anyone could hear. I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?" Tucker gave her a strange look and shook his head.

Jazz looked up at him and the look of disbelief on his face. "I'll try to be more quiet in the future." She started to close the door and Tucker stopped her.

"No," he said loudly and she gave him a startled look. "You didn't disturb me, well, yeah you did, but not like that." He took a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

Jazz bit her lip as she looked at Tucker thoughtfully. He continued to hold her gaze unflinchingly, but she could practically see him shaking in fear. She smiled slightly. "I will be," she finally answered.

Tucker closed his eyes. "D-do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Jazz asked and suddenly Tucker felt stupid and small as he dared to open his eyes and look at her. Who did he think he was, attempting to comfort this beautiful, sophisticated and strong creature? He felt like nothing before her, like the joke people often made of him.

"What's bothering you," Tucker answered as he flicked his gaze from her face to the floor, preparing for rejection or derision filled laughter.

Jazz looked at him thoughtfully for a moment then stepped back and opened her bedroom door.