Chapter 17 – Heaven or Hell
Sam walked upstairs to Danny's room. She would wait for him; if Danny phased, he shouldn't be long…if he succeeded.
Jazz and Tucker looked at each other and stayed downstairs by silent agreement. Every minute that went by without Danny's return weighed heavily on their hearts. Shouldn't he be back already? It had been at least five minutes. They didn't know he had flown over Amity Park and then secretly returned to begin his mission from his bedroom minutes later.
Sam turned the knob, and opened the door…
…and there was Danny, lying on the bed. The evening light shining through the window was dim, but she could see that he was still, eyes closed. He had returned, but was…not moving.
She walked to the bed and sat down next to Danny, immediately feeling his forehead: was he warm? Yes. He was alive. She brushed his thick black hair back, could she wake him?
She thought about what he was doing, and although he was doing what he always does, helping others, this...this was bigger than anything he'd ever done before.
Being part of something bigger than herself, something that can help the world was natural to her, whether recycling or defending the rights of wild animals, and her contributions, her effort didn't even seem like sacrifice. But this time, Danny was at stake. The love of her life, her world was at stake, not just the world. For a moment she felt selfish, she wanted Danny to stop and come back.
But the she thought back about Danny, and the long journey they shared together, and realized that he had matured so much since that clueless boy she thought was just cute before. She loved him even more now. Ironic that the more powerful he became, the more valuable to the world and the more generous, the more brave, that the greater the risks he must take, because no one else can take them, no one else was halfa, could use the powers of both sides for the benefit of both sides. This made him even more wonderful in her eyes, but also had the potential to take him away from her. Who was she? Just a girl. Not enough to make him stay, when the ghost zone and the world of the living needed a superhero like Danny.
Then, in the darkness of the room, she began to notice a dim green halo surrounding him. It was slowly getting brighter. He was coming back!
When he phased by her side before his return was always a brief flash of green, then he would appear. Now, his return was slower, much slower. How much time is going by for him, how many lifetimes? The glow is tied to some energy gained by freeing those trapped in purgatory. Or energy lost. Will he make it back?
The green glow around Danny grew brighter now, lighting up the room. Jazz and Tucker could see the light emanating from the room into the hallway. They ran up the stairs.
Jazz got to the top of the stairs first.
"Sam, what's going on?"
Tucker was right behind her, panting.
"Sam!"
They saw Sam still sitting on the bed, one hand still on the side of Danny's face, her other was holding his hand. She was engulfed by the greenish glow, but didn't seem to be in any discomfort.
The light peaked and then Sam kissed him.
The light vanished!
Danny opened his eyes, to see Sam smile.
"I knew you would come back." She leaned forward and kissed him again.
He sat up and putting his arms around her, kissed her briefly but happily and looked around at Jazz and Tuck
"How long was I gone?"
"Dude, it was a while, almost a half hour. You haven't been gone that long before. What happened?"
"It WORKED!" Danny jumped up and danced a jig. Sam laughed, joined by Jazz and Tucker. He continued:
"When the light exploded it reached all of them, touched all of them and WHOOSH!" he threw his arms wide "all of their lives went by, what a movie!"
Sam stood up off the bed and put an arm around Danny's shoulder, her other hand on his chest.
"So they are at peace now, thanks to you Danny." She kissed his cheek.
She looked down, an anti-climatic expression on her face.
"You will probably have more to do, as time goes by and as more people...more people..."
"Die?" Tucker interjected.
Sam looked up at Tucker, slowly nodding. Jazz looked at Sam and then at Danny.
"Sounds like a lifelong job little brother. You don't have to do it. I mean, you do have a life to live." and she smiled at Sam. She knew what Sam was thinking.
Danny could tell too, reading her mind. He turned to Sam wrapping his arms around her waist and using his forehead to make her forehead look up. He kissed her.
"Nothing in Heaven or Hell could keep me from you!"
She smiled.
