A/N: Don't tell anybody, but I do most of my writing during classes.
Hey, don't blame me. When the inspiration hits, ya gotta act on it.
A burning building on the east side of Amity, almost farther away from him than Elmerton, Danny saw it on the news shortly after dinner. He didn't typically participate in anything non-ghost related if he wasn't directly involved, since the city's well-funded emergency services usually handled it well, but the fire apparently had spread almost an entire city block in a course of 15 minutes due to some unlucky wind patterns.
Even worse, they think that there are a good number of people still trapped within the blaze, despite the 0 confirmed deaths ticker blinking ominously on the right corner of the screen.
So, of course, Danny couldn't (or wouldn't) keep away. He sent a quick text to Team Phantom about the issue and flew off without waiting for them. This was one of those issues that they really couldn't help with, which made them wary, but they understood.
Upon arriving at the scene Danny's ghost sense went off, and he was immediately suspicious. This wasn't anybody's particular style of haunting, so was it a new ghost that caused all of this, or is he overthinking things? He decided that he didn't really have time to think, let alone overthink, with lives hanging in the balance, so he charged in anyways, hoping to find the worst-trapped first.
The flames licked at Danny's intangible from harmlessly, but it still always felt funny, like feathers being dragged… not across your skin per se, but rather through it. He took a moment to get used to the feeling while listening through the crackle and pop of the flames to try to hear any sort of distinctly human sounds, screaming, coughing, calls for help-
There's one, a girl.
Danny dashed through two walls and a hallway to find a woman who had fallen down a stairwell, likely in her haste to escape the building. Probably mid-thirties with blonde hair and blue eyes, her body was bruised, her ankle was swollen and she had already taken off the bright red heels she must have been wearing during the fall.
He glanced at the ankle. Probably broken. Danny thought.
He made himself known first by calmly and quietly whispering assurances that she would be okay and then fading into view. The woman looked slightly surprised and confused before recognition dawned, wordlessly reaching out to Danny like a small child. Tears ran light, skin colored tracks down her soot-stained face, revealing faint freckles dusted across her cheeks.
As he reached for her, he made sure to release some of his natural cold energy into the stairwell to counteract the scorching heat. The woman wrapped her arms around Danny's neck, muttering a constant stream of thanks and appreciation. Danny smiled and told her over and over you're safe, you're safe, you're safe, andhe felt her heart rate steadily decrease as he flew her out of the building.
Upon bringing the first woman out and to emergency services, people finally noticed that Danny Phantom was on the scene. He briefly recalls hearing cheering before quickly zooming back in to find more.
Danny was able to fish out around 7 more people in various conditions before the first building that was ablaze, an apartment complex, began to collapse. He decided to do one more sweep of that one before moving back to the rest, as the fire department was still able to go through those on their own.
Danny made a figure-eight through each floor that was still in-tact when he heard the distinct sound of a child coughing through one of the doors in a hallway.
Oh no. Please no.
Danny dove through the walls of apartment 23 like a madman, searching every nook and cranny for the source of the desperate coughing. He arrived in the bathroom and tore open the shower curtain, feeling relieved when he finally found the small tan-skinned girl kneeling in a bathtub full of water, desperate to escape the overwhelming heat.
A look of fear flashed on the girl's face at the sudden motion, and she tried to slosh into the farthest corner of the tub that she possibly could, eyes peeled at the disheveled, floating boy covered in ash and soot. Danny quickly took note of this and rubbed his hair, face, and chest, revealing his iconic DP logo and snow-white hair. Recognition dawned on the girl's small, innocent face.
"Danny Phanto-" her statement was interrupted by a series of thick, wheezing coughs that racked her entire small body, and Danny quickly picked her up and turned the both of them intangible to avoid the smoke and flames. She leaned into the cool relief of his body.
"Before I go," Danny softly asked "I need to ask you something that I really need you to answer. Where are your parents or whoever takes care of you? Are they still here?"
Peering up at Danny's still-dirty face. She shook her head.
"I'm home alone, mommy and daddy are out right now, they should be safe."
Danny paused to take in her statement. This girl couldn't be anywhere over 5 years old, and she was home alone? He looked at her, into her dark brown eyes that didn't seem to show any emotion or sadness at this statement, saying it as matter-of-factly as she knew it to be. His lips pressed into a thin line and the room dropped another 20 degrees despite the inferno surrounding the two of them. The girl rubbed her arms and shivered before Danny was snapped out of his thoughts and slowly flew out of the building.
When the pair reached the open air outside, Danny quickly turned tangible again, close enough to the building that the fire itself reeled back as if it'd been struck directly by the force of the cold energy shedding off of him. He slowly floated downward, scanning the crowd for an open gurney. The cheers at Phantom saving yet another life, and a little girl at that, we're barely registered as Danny landed and placed her on the white surface stained in ash from its previous occupants. Medical personnel were immediately on them, asking him questions about her scenario and how he found her.
The EMT was in the middle of asking "Where are her parents?" When a loud cry was heard from the crowd of civilians behind the police line.
"Jamie!" Was the name that was called out, and as the two adults that looked strikingly similar to the little girl emerged from the sea of onlookers, Danny lost it.
The girl turned to look at who called her name, but before she could see them the ghost boy wrapped his cool arms around her protectively.
Danny growled. His aura flared, his eyes glowed brighter than many have ever seen them, he bared his fangs, and his voice gained an echo as if he was in the vastest cave system known. His obsession screamed out at him only one word, protect. He didn't want, couldn't give what was now his back to the people that would have gotten her killed if he wasn't there.
Anyone within a 50ft radius of the powerful Phantom froze, including- no, especially the girl's parents. Both of them, clearly being the target of his aggression, broke out in a cold sweat instantaneously, fear gnawing away at their rationality. They both took a step back, staggering as if he was holding them in chains with only his gaze. The onlookers were silent, unmoving, awaiting whatever wrath Phantom decided to bring upon his quarry.
"She was alone." Danny said, with a finality to it that made the parents flinch. The words vibrated into the soul of every human there. All was still for a time, nobody daring to move lest they anger the ghost that looked as if it would snap at any moment.
Until Danny felt wiggling in his arms.
He looked down at the girl he held and instantly came back to reality, drawing back into himself the raw, ghostly aura that was emanating from him. She looked up at him with confused and worried eyes before looking at the parents that were behind her. Upon making eye contact with them, Danny felt her small hands grip even more firmly into the padding of his suit, and he drew her in more closely in turn.
Danny, being only 16, wasn't sure he was credible, knowledgeable, or even mature enough to make this type of decision, but there was something in his gut that did make him sure that he didn't want this girl to go back to her parents, obsession aside. It was a weekend, an evening. The couple was in an assortment of clothing that looked much too ritzy for the low-income housing that they were living in, and the bones of the girl were much too tangible under Danny's palms. An image of Danielle flashed through his mind.
He knows there's plenty of exceptions that might make this almost alright. The clothes could have been gifts, they could have been to a wedding, funeral, something of that nature. Heck, they could have even been working. One thing was certain, there was no excuse that could make it okay that they leave someone as small and helpless as a 5 year old girl home alone, especially considering her apparent health.
Then there were their eyes. Danny looked up at them and stared deep, drank in their emotion. There was fear, pure, unbridled fear, but that was to be expected. What he searched for was fear for another, parental instinct. He, Danny, a ghost, was clinging onto their seemingly only child. He could snap her in half, burn her to a crisp, whisk her away in an instant. (Not that he would, and not that anyone there expected he would either, if they were thinking straight)
Their eyes stayed locked onto Danny's. Not even a flick towards the girl, nothing. They could have been afraid of Danny's essense, sure, but- and Danny might be overthinking this, but he had time now- they could also be afraid that they've been caught. Not worried about their daughter getting taken away, no (because again, they haven't even looked at her) but worried about the consequences. Jail time, fines, a criminal record.
Not about their little girl.
No, Danny decided, he wasn't credible, knowledgable, or mature enough to even have an inkling about what type of process would be necessary for the girl, but he did know one thing. He had power. Not anything regarding him being a level 7 or 8 ecto-entity, but power in reputation. Emergency services knew Danny, and some of them have possibly even figured out his secret (they were very perceptive people, they had to be) so they trusted him. If he said that this girl was in danger, that she needed to be removed from this home, they'd do it in an instant.
Danny Fenton shouldn't make this decision, but Danny Phantom had to.
He turned to the EMT standing next to him and… laughed. Her eyes were glued to the girl, to his hands and arms that held her. He picked up the girl and relaxed his stance, which in turn relaxed the EMT's. She looked up at Danny. (Well, not literally, she was about an inch taller than him. Sometimes he forgets he's still only 16.)
He shifted awkwardly "Is there a detective I can talk to? I uh… need to talk to them. About Jamie."
She pauses for a bit. Glancing between Jamie and her parents, the EMT furrows her brows, and nods.
"Of course, he's not too far away taking statements, follow me."
Danny smiles and follows her, looking too much like a lost brother carrying his little sister. He glances back at the parents, shooting them a glare that could only dare them to follow him, and then they depart.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Danny drops Jamie off on a gurney closer to where the detective's stationed and struggles to pull her off of him, he chuckles.
"Jamie, you're safe now, you can let go. We're- we're out of the fire now."
She clutches to him tighter. "Dun wanna. Want to stay with you."
Danny sighs and kneels down, thinking of ways to let the EMT's tend to her, she really seemed to need it based on the way she was coughing earlier.
"Jamie, the nurses need to make you feel better, and then you're probably going to talk to a lot of people about what happened. I can be here later, but right now I have to talk to someone too." He pushes some hair out of her face, and the EMT from before comes up behind Jamie and taps her on the shoulder.
"Cmon little one, Mr. Phantom needs to do more hero stuff! I can take care of you until he gets back, okay? We've got to stop that coughing, it probably doesn't feel too good."
Jamie looks at the EMT, and then to Danny. Danny smiles and nods.
"It's alright, I promise."
She lets go of Danny's suit, albeit slowly and hesitantly. She reaches out to the EMT, who also holds her close.
She apparently really likes hugs, huh.
Danny gives her a wave and starts to walk back, when he hears a high voice call out to him.
"You better not break your promise Danny!" Jamie yells, followed by more rough coughing. The EMT fusses over her, but Danny laughes and waves again.
"Not on my afterlife, Jamie."
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
Danny gives the detective as much information as he can on the fire as well as Jamie's situation. He's extremely thankful for everything Danny's done, as well as his perceptive analysis of the girl. Apparently they had had their eye on that family for awhile due to neighbor concerns that they did indeed leave the girl alone, but there was never enough evidence to start a full investigation into the household. Due to Danny's outstanding reputation, his word held almost as much weight as a police officer's or a doctor's. The Detective (this one's name was Carlyle, but Danny struggled with names. Well, human ones at least) assured Danny that Jamie would get the help she needs.
Danny returned to Jamie to help get testimonies from her about what might be going on at home. She was rather calm about the whole thing, and was indifferent about staying with her parents or leaving them. Most of the psychologists that she spoke to were befuddled by the lack of attachment she had to her own parents, but Danny could sympathize.
Throughout the next few weeks Danny would regularly visit Jamie wherever she was staying at the time. (Amity was a rather close-knit and compassionate city, probably because of the ghost attacks, so there were more than enough foster homes willing to take her in after the display on live television) He thought that it likely had something to do with his obsession, but he didn't care too much since he really did enjoy her huge smile every time he would phase through her wall.
She quickly became popular with other kids and adults alike due to her positive nature and connections to Danny Phantom, so it was no surprise when her foster parents decided to snatch her up and make her a part of their family. She was an amazing addition to their home, and was a natural at welcoming and comforting other kids that ended up in foster care due to other circumstances.
Danny had made it part of his patrols to show up to the home a few times a month to say hi to Jamie and the other foster kids, and had a fuzzy feeling in his chest for days after visiting.
He had decided, that beyond the ghost powers, the new friends, and everything he's done as Danny Phantom, this is one of the things he does that's most rewarding to him.
A/N: I loved writing this one, the words just fell out. If there's anything that I got wrong in terms of process or anything that I should have put in there, let me know! And of course, if you know someone, anyone, that's in this type of situation please never ignore it! There are lots of avenues of help available.
And thank you for the favorites and follows! I love you people! 3