Chapter 11 – Child's End

Danny and Sam were walking to Tucker's place Saturday night, the streetlamps casting shadows. They were going to meet him and then all three go to the movies. Tucker and Sam had wanted to cheer Danny up.

Ever since he defeated Plasmius, and had realized how powerful he had become, he had been brooding, becoming withdrawn. The responsibility of such new power weighed heavily on him, and the little things that used to seem so important no longer held his attention.

He began to dress like Sam: Gothic, black pants instead of the blue jeans he used to wear, black long sleeve shirts with a string of chrome buttons that opened at an angle from upper left shoulder to lower right abdomen, the top couple of buttons unsnapped. A long black trench coat 'because it can hide me when I go ghost' he told her. Black boots with chrome buckles thudded the sidewalk as he walked. Earlier, Danny's sister Jazz had commented that they now made a matching couple, but she worried about her brother's recent mood change to darkened outlook.

Sam held his arm as she walked by his side.

Sam had been changed by Danny's new powers too. Her near death experience, and the new mental intimacy that Danny and her could share without touching, the 'non-hugs', made her love Danny even more. Gone was the old Sam, who didn't want to reveal any weakness or vulnerability. She didn't care anymore about who knew she was in crazy love with Danny, or if he saw her swoon. She was totally and completely his girl. Near death had rearranged her priorities, revealing to her what was really important in life: Love, and nothing else. Love for the only person she knew that could go into The Light, and come out again at will.

And now the boy she loved was becoming a man, leaving behind the trifles of youth, and taking on the burden of maturity. She worried briefly that she would be one of the trifles, but she only had to recall the depth of their love, Danny's words and acknowledgement that he too had his priorities rearranged; the truth in The Light had revealed to him what and more importantly, who, was important to him. Their bond was made permanent at the summit of The White Mountain, and she relaxed, all worry gone.

They arrived at Tucker's place. Tucker was sitting on the steps out front, and stood up.

"Hey." He extended his fist to touch knuckles with Danny's in a hello.

"Hey Tuck." Danny's vocabulary had become mono-syllabic lately.

Sam was a little more chatty:

"Hi Tucker. Danny's ghost boat is outta gas. Since he hasn't been working lately…"

"Don't go there Sam, ok?" Danny glanced at Sam.

"It's ok Danny." She defended, "I was just going to say, I offered to buy gas, but Danny felt like walking. So we're walking."

"Hey, I'm good with that. Walking's good." Tucker smiled at Danny, but he just turned toward the sidewalk and started walking. Sam and Tucker caught up on either side, exchanging worried looks.

Tucker noticed the bulge in the side pocket of Danny's trench coat. The Fenton thermos. Danny always carried it now. He seemed to live only for ghost fighting lately. He was becoming a more modern, darker version of his father.

"Special treat for Sam tonight folks!" Tucker tried to lighten the mood. "Good Girls Don't Sleep In Coffins is playing tonight! I'll bet its goooooood."

"Sweet!" Sam agreed, "2003 vintage if I recall. I slept in a coffin Danny, does that make me a bad girl?" She smiled as she nudged him in the ribs. She was met with success. His head was still hanging down, shaggy hair hiding his eyebrows, but sparkling blue could be seen looking back at her.

"You're so bad, you're good." He smiled at her.

"Better than being so good, it's bad." She countered.

The three of them walked towards the movies, streetlamps casting long shadows behind them.