Chapter 13 – Another Plan
Sam knew the weight of public duty weighed heavily on Danny. He needed a distraction, but he would not consider anything fun that other people would. He needed an important distraction, one where he would feel purpose and usefulness, but without the pressure of criminal confrontation. And she knew of a need he could fill, a need that she had recently learned about. Besides, her own sense of right and wrong wanted Danny to fill that need too.
She and Tucker were in Danny's room, kicking the idea around between the three of them. She led the conversation with her idea.
"Only you can help them Danny." She crossed her arms "You are the only one that can take them into the light."
"But Sam," Tucker was concerned "Danny would have to form a connection with them, a connection with people who have ideas and culture very different from Danny. And Danny would seem alien to them as well. Some of them may have…disturbing images. Life was very brutal a long time ago." His outstretched palms begged agreement.
Danny listened to both of them, watching Sam, then Tucker, and then looking down at the floor as he sat on the edge of his bed.
"It's ok Tuck, I have been thinking of this for a while anyway. I have already connected with some of them. It was…strange, as you said. But I can handle it, no problem."
But Danny didn't look up at Tucker as he said it. Tucker wasn't very reassured.
"Well, if it isn't that bad, maybe you can connect me too so I can see…"
"NO." Danny looked up at Tucker, then at Sam, and then quickly looked back down again.
"No, I…I know you are curious Tuck, but it is too difficult for me to connect two at the same time. It will be easier and more certain if I just take them in, one at a time, by myself."
Sam looked up at Tucker. After Danny's outburst, she now began to have second thoughts. Why was Danny being protective about Tucker not experiencing the thoughts of the dead? Hmmm, well maybe the sound of that question did sound ominous. The thoughts of the dead?
"Danny, if you can't talk to us, who can you talk to?" Sam put her hand on Danny's shoulder. The small gesture had great impact on Danny, as she felt his shoulders relax and heard him breathe a sigh of relief.
"What is the real reason you don't want Tucker to see? What did you see?"
"Yeah Danny. I don't have to connect with you when you take them, but just tell us what it was like?" Tucker smiled, trying to ease Danny's concern.
Danny laid back, arms in back of his head, looking up at the ceiling in recall.
"They…don't like it. They don't like the part of me that is human."
He shut his eyes.
"They don't care about the ghost part of me. But they try to…haunt…my human side. They get angry, and I see…violent images. Ghost images, ghosts just like here in Amity Park, ghosts that want to attack, to destroy, and to scare the living."
He looked up at Sam and Tucker. They looked at each other, and they started laughing!
Sam spoke first:
"So, this is something new? Tuck, how many hundreds of ghosts do you think we have seen and fought with Danny?"
Tucker stopped laughing, but was still smiling: "Only one or two…thousand." He laughed again. "Danny, don't you think Sam and I can handle it by now?"
Danny wasn't smiling. "This isn't the same thing guys. I can't take a Fenton Thermos with me there. I can't use ecto-anything against them. All I can do is connect with them, and then maintain the connection until I reach the light. All the while, they are doing their…thing. And it seems like they are doing their thing for a long time. Travel is slow to the light. You both know that."
Sam decided. This was going to put even more stress on Danny, not less.
"OK, maybe it was a bad idea Danny. I don't have the right to ask you to do something this…this difficult. You do enough already for the living and dead." She sat next to him on his bed, and brushed the shaggy hair from his forehead. He closed his eyes to absorb her touch. He thought of selfishly agreeing with her, to enjoy her love, and keep his 'work' to a minimum. Then he remembered the words given to the gifted over the ages: 'to whom great things are given, great things are expected.' He sat up.
"I must do it Sam, there is no one else who can." He stood up, looking out the window with determination. Sam and Tucker watched Danny carefully, and thought quickly. If they were going to talk him out of it, they had to act fast, because once he began phasing, days to him would pass by in a heartbeat for them. They wouldn't know he was gone, until after he was back.
He laid back down on the bed.
Sam touched his face. "Danny…"
He phased…
