Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom Or it's characters.
Chapter 13,
After Maddie took Danny home, Paul ran up and set up the items Francine asked for. Then, to have a little bonding time with Tommy, Paul grabbed an old football from his sports room, and he took Tommy out to the lawn.
"Are
We gonna play catch daddy?" Tommy asked and Paul chuckled.
"Yeah, I know we haven't played all week and I'm sorry about that." Paul said and Tommy smiled.
"Oh, that's ok. I know that you have been busy with uncle Adam and your work stuff." Tommy said understandingly and Paul took a deep breath.
"And I'm glad that you're not upset, Tommy, but it would be alright if you were. I think a man should make an effort to spend quality time with his kids." Paul said.
"Well I do like playing with you daddy." Tommy said and Paul smiled.
"Ah, Tommy my boy, I would play with you every day if I could. I try to, at least, but I wish I could do more." Paul said and then he tossed the football up into the air and he caught it.
"But for now why don't we start with a simple game of catch?" Paul asked and Tommy giggled.
"I would like that dad. I have a question." Tommy said.
"What's your question son?" Paul asked and Tommy pointed at the ball.
"Why are we using that ball?" Tommy asked and Paul blinked.
"The football?" Paul asked to clarify and Tommy nodded.
"Yeah, normally when we play catch, we use my blue ball. But that ball is not my blue ball." Tommy said and Paul chuckled.
"Well, Tommy, this is the type of ball I use to play catch with." Paul said and Tommy's eyes widened.
"Really?" He asked and Paul smiled.
"Yeah. Do you remember daddy telling you that he really loved sports when he was in school?" Paul asked.
"I 'member." Tommy said and Paul thought that was adorable.
"Well, one of my favorite sports was a game called football." Paul said and Tommy pointed at the football.
"Like that." Tommy exclaimed and Paul chuckled at his boy.
"Exactly, Tommy. This is the ball they use for the game. Think of football like grownup catch." Paul said and Tommynodded
"That sounds like an easy game." Tommy said and Paul chuckled.
"It can be. At least once you understand the game. I would be happy to teach you a little bit about football." Paul suggested. Paul wasn't gonna jump off of the deep end and try to make Tommy into an overnight football sensation. But he could start with the basics. After all, if Tommy wants, Paul can teach him more when he is older.
"Yeah, teach me football!" Tommy cries and Paul loved this reaction so much.
"Ok, first of all, I got to show you how to hold the football. Do you see these white things." Paul asked, pointing for Tommy to see.
"Uh-huh." Tommy said.
"These help you to hold the football correct." Paul said and Tommy looked surprised.
"They do?" Tommy asked and Paul smiled.
"Yeah, look here son. You put your fingers in between the white lines, see. And your thumb wraps down to strengthen your grip on the ball." Paul said and he slowly placed his fingers so that Tommy could see.
"Cool." Tommy commented.
"Then, once your fingers are in the right spot, you pull your arm back like this, see." Paul pulled the football just past his ear, and Tommy watched.
"Uh huh." Tommy said.
"Then you are free to throw it." Paul said and Paul gently threw the ball so that he could quickly catch it again.
"Cool beans." Tommy said and Paul smiled again.
"Ok, big boy, do you think you can do it?" Paul asked with a cocky expression and Tommy jumped up and down.
"Yeah, yeah, I can football." Tommy said and Paul said and he handed Tommy the football. It was a little big for Tommy's hands, so he had a little problem with it, but otherwise he handled it fine.
"Like this?" Tommy asked and Paul nodded.
"Yeah, that's perfect. Now just pull it back and throw it." Paul said and Tommy did so. But Tommy was disappointed when the ball landed at his own feet.
"Oh, it didn't go very far." Tommy muttered sadly and Paul picked up the ball and handed it back to Tommy.
"It's ok son, you're still learning the ropes. You shouldn't get discouraged just because you don't get it right away." Paul said and Tommy took a deep breath.
Tommy put his fingers in the correct places and then he tried again. Then again, and again, and again. After a few minutes of failed passes, Tommy started to cry and he plopped down on the moist grass.
"I can't football! I hate this game!" Tommy shouted and Paul was surprised at this display. Paul remembered something Francine said earlier about fathers putting too much pressure on their sons to be football stars and Paul sighed.
"We don't have to play if you don't want to." Paul said and Tommy looked up at him with tears eyes.
"No, I want to play. I just can't 'cause I can't football." Tommy said and Paul went ahead and sat in the grass with Tommy.
"Can I tell you a little secret?" Paul asked and Tommy sniffled and looked at him.
"When I was your age, I couldn't football either." Paul said and Tommy wiped his eyes.
"Really?" Tommy asked and Paul nodded.
"Yeah, I had a hard time with it. I use to play with your uncle Adam, when we were little. But Adam had an idea to boost my confidence and it helped me enjoy the game more." Paul said.
"What was that?" Tommy asked and Paul smiled as he remembered how silly it was.
"Adam gave me a nickname." Paul said and Tommy grew confused.
"How did a nickname make you better at playing football?" Tommy asked and Paul shrugged.
"I guess it got me out of my head. It may not make a lot of sense, but when I was playing the game, I was playing as another person." Paul said.
"You mean like a game of pretend. Like when Danny and I were playing knights?" Tommy asked.
"Actually, yeah." Paul said surprised.
"Cool, I wish I had a nickname. Then maybe I can football." Tommy said and Paul ruffled the young one's hair.
"Tommy you don't have to be good at football. You could grow up to be many, many different things." Paul said and Tommy crossed his arms.
"But I want to football as good as you do, daddy." Tommy said and Paul hesitated, then sighed.
"I can?" Tommy asked and Paul shrugged.
"Sure. You can borrow it until you get a new one that is." Paul said.
"Cool, daddy. What was your nickname?" Tommy asked and Paul straightened his back.
"Dash." Paul said proudly and Tommy got confused.
"Dash? Why that?" Tommy asked.
"Because I use to be really, really fast. And I really didn't want to be the Flash, so I was Dash." Paul said and Tommy giggled.
"So you were Dash?" Tommy said and Paul nodded.
"Yep, that's right. All my friends use to say 'there goes Dash Baxter, the fastest kid in school' and I was." Paul bragged.
"So, if I borrow your nickname, will I be Dash Baxter?" Tommy asked and Paul nodded.
"Just until you get another nickname, or when you just want to be Tommy again." Paul said.
"Cool, I'm Dash Baxter." Tommy said, jumping up.
"Ok, don't hurt yourself, Tommy." Paul said.
"No, no, not Tommy. Call me Dash." Tommy insisted and Paul chuckled softly.
"Ok, then. Dash are you ready to try again?" Paul asked as he handed Tommy looked at the ball.
"But what if the nickname and the blood isn't enough?" Tommy asked and Paul paused.
"Ok, then how about me?" Paul said and Tommy looked up at him.
"Huh?" Tommy asked and Paul nodded.
"Son, if you want to be a football star, then I will be there for you." Paul said.
"Mean it?" Tommy asked with a smile.
"I mean it with all my heart. In fact, if you're still playing football in high school, I'll scream and cheer for you. But oh no, I won't stop there, now will I?" Paul asked, and he went ahead and stood up.
"What else could you do?" Tommy asked and Paul smiled gently. He looked down at the football in Tommy's hands, and he slowly positioned the boy to throw the ball.
"Imagine you're older son." Paul said and he took small steps backwards as he talked.
"You're in a field with all of the players on the field and there are hundreds of fans and students calling your name to cheer you on. 'Dash, Dash, Dash, Dash.' If you close your eyes you might even hear them." Paul said and Tommy closed his eyes.
"I think I can hear them." Tommy whispered in amazement and Paul smiled.
"You have the ball and you are running to make a touchdown and win the game. This may be your greatest moment in your football career. So you look up at the stands to look up at the stands to look for your family. After a second, your very loud mother screams over the crowd and you spot her instantly." Paul paused when he heard Tommy giggled at that.
"But then you notice that I'm not with the family in the bleachers. You look back at the goal line and there I am. And I'm shouting too, just like your mother, but I'm saying 'come to me, come to me'. You start to run faster and I stay there, even though referees try to get me to leave. I say 'no, that's my boy' and you win the game. Now, Dash, throw the ball." Paul said and Tommy hauled back and threw the ball as hard as he could. Paul was standing about four yards away from Tommy, but that ball still shot over his head.
"Wow." Tommy said when he opened his eyes and saw how far he threw it that time.
"Ha-ha!" Tommy, you machine, how did you do that?" Paul said, running up to Tommy and picking him up.
"I-I don't know... I just... did it." Tommy said and Paul looked at the ball and pointed at it.
"See that, Tommy. That has got to be six or seven yards." Paul said and Tommy smiled.
"I guess I'm a good Dash then?" Tommy asked and Paul rolled his eyes.
"I suppose if you really wanted, you could be a better Dash then I was." Paul said and then Paul ticketed Tommy on his stomach and the two laughed.
"Ok, Tommy. You want to throw the ball some more before your mother gets home?" Paul asked and Tommy nodded.
"Yeah, but call me Dash. I think that works." Tommy said.
"Ok, ok, Dash." Paul said and he put Tommy down and he went after the football.