This was written for the day 19 Dannymay prompt, Doors.
.
.
.
Life could be interesting when your best friend was a human and a ghost and an inter-dimensional portal all at the same time. Usually, it was the bad kind of interesting. The kind of interesting that resulted in bruises and broken broken bones, sleepless nights and failing grades, and other inconveniences. But that didn't mean that Tucker wanted Danny gone.
"A road trip? Just like that?"
"Yeah," said Danny. "Mom and Dad think that some of their other college friends might have kept up the ghost stuff and gotten into trouble."
"You mean like that Serena person? The one who killed Vlad?" asked Sam from where she lay on top of her bed covers.
"Well, she is why they're worried about it," said Danny. He played with one of the the strands of Sam's shag throw rug, his back supported by one pillar of Sam's bed. "But I think that their other friends being the victims of a long-term possession really convinced them of the possibility. Also, we've started getting people harassing us because of the money thing, and they're hoping that they'll get bored if we disappear for a while."
"They've really thought it out, huh?" asked Tucker, melancholy.
"Jazz is the one who pointed out the other things, actually. I think she was trying to make herself feel better about missing school. Mom and Dad are going to home school us while we're on the road."
"Really?" asked Sam, scrunching her nose.
"Yeah," said Danny. "I mean, it'll probably be Jazz doing the work and organization, though. You know how it is."
"Do you know how long you'll be?" asked Sam.
"Nope," said Danny. "It'll be longer if any of the rest of them did get into trouble, though."
"What kind of trouble are we talking about, anyway?"
"Yeah," said Tucker. "Ghosts? Possessions? Whatever was going on with Serena?"
"Third one, probably," said Danny, "sadly." He shifted, holding his hands so that he could massage the palm of his left hand with his right thumb. "She was a door... but not to the Ghost Zone. It wasn't even her anymore, really. She'd been hollowed out."
For a couple seconds, the only sound in the room was the whirring disk drive of Sam's computer.
"If it is something like Serena," said Tucker, "will you be able to handle it? Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounded like it was a pretty close thing when you told us what happened with her, and, well, she killed Vlad."
Danny shrugged. "I'll be prepared, this time," he said, "and I'll have Mom and Dad on my side. The first time facing an enemy is always the hardest."
"But you'll be away from the portal," said Sam. Unlike Tucker, she no longer shied away from some of the more unnerving aspects of Danny's half-life. Not to say that she was comfortable with any of it.
A slight frown crossed Danny's face, and his eyes got that impossibly deep look that signified that he was communing with the part of himself that was simply beyond human or ghost. "Yeah," he said. "No home field advantage. I think I should be alright, though. Speaking of the portal in the lab, Mom and Dad are closing the blast doors over it. With Vlad gone, and me out of town, there should be a lot fewer ghost for you to handle. Most of the natural portals should follow me." He smiled and gave the two of them thumbs up. "You should be able to let Valerie do most of the work."
"Dude," said Tucker. "That makes us more worried for you, not less."
"Do you know where you're going?" asked Sam. "If it's somewhere fancy, I might be able to convince my parents to-"
"No," said Danny, sharply, eyes wide. He twisted to fully face Sam, who had startled somewhat. "Absolutely not. I don't want Mom, Dad, and Jazz near one of those things, but they're insisting. I don't want you guys to be at risk, too."
"You know," said Tucker, "that really undercuts your whole 'I'll be fine' argument."
Danny huffed. "You weren't there. You didn't see- It wasn't just that it was dangerous," he said, making vague shapes with his hands, "it was wrong. I don't want you to be- to be exposed."
"If you're sure," said Sam.
.
Tucker and Danny walked home from Sam's together.
"Hey," said Tucker after a few minutes of companionable silence, "are you doing okay?"
"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine."
"Just, with Vlad and all... You know you can talk to me, right?"
Danny gave Tucker a rather wan smile. "Thanks," he said. "Vlad and I didn't get along, but..." He shrugged. "I didn't hate him, and now he's gone." Danny sighed, heavily. "It sucks, but I can't do anything about it."
"Yeah," said Tucker, feeling useless. "I guess not. I'll miss you, by the way."
"Me too. I'll call whenever I can."
"Same," said Tucker. "Won't be the same as having you."
"Less stressful, maybe," said Danny, playfully.
"I wouldn't trade it."
Danny smiled. "Thanks."