Sam fell asleep half way through the movie she had picked for them to watch. She was always asleep. Danny stroked her hair softly, her head on a pillow on his lap. He was amazed that one person could sleep so much.
When Jazz called to ask how things were going, he told her that Sam was alright, she seemed upbeat enough, besides the sleeping thing.
Jazz said that she wasn't surprised that she was sleeping so much. It's the only way to deal with the trauma. The only release from reality. When she was asleep, no one could get her. When she was asleep, her parents were still alive. He understood, but was still a little concerned. She was sleeping so much, it was then that Jazz reminded him about when they were attacked by the ghost that got away he had slept.
It was true. Danny slept for days after that attack, not only because of the injuries he had gotten, but because he was trying to get away from what had happened.
"I wish I could change it for her." he said quietly, brushing some hair behind her ear. He heard Jazz sigh on the other end. "I feel like I should be doing something."
"Well, Danny, it's probably about to get a whole lot worse. The police haven't come yet. And they're going to." She said. Danny felt his stomach lurch at the idea.
"I know." he said, removing his hand from the sleeping girl and resting it on the back of the couch. "Do you think they're going to take her to jail?"
"Well, Danny, I'm a psychologist, not a detective. But I would have to say it depends on the evidence. I do know that she will have to go to court. They're not going to let her sneak by."
"That's ridiculous. She was with me when it happened." Danny said. He didn't understand the law process, and was constantly frustrated with it.
"But they don't know that for a fact, Little Brother. For all they know you two conspired." Danny scoffed. "I know it's horrible, but they have to eliminate the no's. It's just the way it works. Don't you ever watch TruTV?" he smiled.
He and Jazz used to watch TruTV all the time together. It was their favorite.
When they hung up Danny watched Sam sleep, he felt a little weird at first, unable to draw his eyes away from her, but it faded when she sighed.
She was so beautiful. How could someone so sweet get picked on so much at school.
Everyone at school was too shallow for their own good if they couldn't see her for who she was. She was awesome.
Just as he was settling back into the couch, pulling her closer, he felt the all too familiar cold in his lungs as a freezing mist leaked through his throat. Sighing exasperatedly, he dropped his head to the back of the couch.
This was so not what he needed right now.
Slowly holding Sam up from his lap, he slipped from under her, setting her gently on the couch cushion.
He stared at her for a moment, her breakdown earlier fresh in his mind. She was so scared to be alone. He was tempted to just turn on the shield and let the ghost be, but his heart wrenched at the idea. He grabbed the pad of paper that lived on the coffee table and a Sharpie from the kitchen, scribbling a quick, but large, so she didn't miss it "Ghost." on it and setting it back on the table.
He sighed again and changed quickly, shooting through the ceiling and looking around. Seeing nothing he rolled his eyes to the sky.
"What the heck." he muttered flying silently around his home. He paused, trying to sense where the ghost was, his eyes scanning the whiteness of his back yard. He was again met with nothing, so he shrugged and returned to his living room, shifting silently back to human he went to the couch, when he finally looked at the couch Sam wasn't there.
That was odd, she was so asleep, he had only been gone for a few minutes.
"Sam?" he called, looking in the kitchen, he felt something move behind him and he turned quickly, scanning the entryway into his kitchen. There was nothing. Danny felt his breath quicken. "Sam!" He was yelling now, his breath shallow as he ran up the stairs two at a time, throwing the guest room door open he called out for her again. Nothing.
Where was she? Was she out looking for him? No, he would've seen her, or heard her yell for him. Running to his room down the hall he practically threw the door down her name hot on his lips when he froze.
There she was, suspended in air by a hand gripping her around her small waist non-too gently, attached to that hand was him. Danny was going to faint, this wasn't happening.
"You." He managed to choke out.
"Me," the creature purred, his red eyes boring into Danny, the crooked smile on his face making Danny want to vomit.
"Let her go." He said, cursing the way his voice shook. He tensed as the creature from his nightmares slithered closer to him, keeping Sam out of his reach. Danny locked eyes with her, they were both so scared, he felt so helpless.
"Why should I do that, Danny Phantom? How much does she mean to you?" It was horrible. He was too close to Danny, he was going to be sick. Danny had been stupid when Nathair caught Jazz, acting on emotion alone, but this situation had to be handled delicately, something Danny wasn't used to doing.
Nathair's question was a double edged sword. If Danny said everything then she would be taken away. If he said nothing then Nathair would surely kill her. Saying everything would be a lie anyways, she didn't really mean everything to him, but she meant a whole lot, and he would do anything so she wouldn't get hurt, but everything? That's a lot for a seventeen year old boy to feel.
"Please," was all that happened. His brain couldn't form words. "Please, she's..." He paused, trying to find a word that wouldn't damage the situation further. "She's important to me." Nathair's smile widened and he pulled Sam close to him.
"You hear that, girl? You're important to him." Sam winced away from him, making Danny's heart stop. Nathair brought her close to his face, smelling her. "You're quite a catch, my dear."
He was going to faint. Why was this happening? He was immobilized by Nathair, what kind of a hero was he? He couldn't even go ghost. His brain couldn't do anything. He watched as Sam grimaced when he squeezed her tighter and cracked.
"Take me," Sam's eyes widened, as did Nathair's who turned to look back at him "Take me instead. Please don't hurt her." As quickly as the surprise came to Nathair's face it was gone and Danny watched as the taunting smile formed back on to his broken features, his black flaky skin cracking slightly from the stretch and his crooked rotten teeth making Danny dizzy. He was a horrible creature from all angles.
"What makes you think I want you, boy?" Nathair ran his talon-like finger down Danny's arm, raising goosebumps, Danny stood his ground.
"I'm Danny Phantom, who doesn't want me? You'd be the most respected ghost in the Ghost Zone. Danny Phantom gave himself up to you." He watched as Nathair chewed on his words, drinking them in. His eyes flashed to Sam, she looked like she was going to scream.
"That's quite an offer, Daniel." Danny winced at his words, Nathair sounded too much like Vlad for his taste sometimes. "But I think I'll pass. Your girl here is a beautiful prize."
Danny's teeth clenched and shifted to Phantom. "Why are you doing this? Why can't you leave me alone? Sam didn't do anything to you!" Danny could feel his hands grow warm, the knowledge that it had caught fire from his anger not fully registering. "What can I do?"
Nathair turned calmly to him. "There's nothing you can do, Danny Phantom. I do this for you." Danny felt his fuse getting shorter, loosing control of his anger. "How's your sister?"
Danny growled and rushed Nathair, who grabbed him by his head, his long claw nails clutching his cheeks. Danny gasped, the sudden impact of the hand knocking the wind out of him.
"Danny!" Sam screamed, clutching Nathair's fingers. "Don't hurt him!"
Nathair ignored her, squeezing tighter, his middle finger drawing blood. "Temper temper, my boy. No need."
"You're disgusting." Danny said, gripping the man's peeling arm as he was lifted off the ground.
"I'm disgusting? I think you have this turned around, Daniel." Nathair said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Danny gasped, suddenly feeling claustrophobic.
"You live both lives, Danny Phantom. You take life for granted. You think you an have everything you want because you have the best of both worlds. You're to scared to pick which live you'd rather lead, and too scared of yourself to do anything about it." Danny chanced a glance at Sam, she was crying. "You are the most feared and most respected ghost, and you're nothing but a disgusting human coward who can't even save the one he loves from me."
"I didn't ask for this." he gritted out. "I would never ask for this." Nathair's grip tightened once more and he dropped Sam, she slumped to the floor screaming at him as he slammed Danny into the wall.
"Then do something about it! You created yourself. You created this monster that is Danny Phantom. You decided that you were going to be the hero. You have no obligation to any of these people. They don't care about you. They don't love you. They're scared of you. You're the reason a majority of the ghosts that come to attack your pathetic town come. You are disgusting."
"What can I do? What can I do!" Danny yelled, putting his feet flat against the wall, his knees drawn close to him so he wouldn't be dangling helplessly. "There's nothing I can do about it! Nothing!" Nathair brought his face close to Danny's.
"You can leave." he purred. Danny hissed out as Nathair applied more pressure to his chest, groaning as he heard a crack.
"No. I can't. I can't leave my family." Danny's head was getting light. He closed his eyes.
"Your family would never accept you." Nathair muttered, his face still close to Danny's. "It won't be the same."
"They will." Danny whispered. "They love me."
"No, you're disgusting, remember?" Danny's grip tighted around Nathair's thick arm.
"I'm not. You are, I can feel." Danny said, opening his eyes again. "I can feel love."
"That makes you weak. I thought you were smart enough to know that." Nathair said, dropping Danny and moving back to Sam, who had huddled herself in a corner. Danny gasped loudly, holding his abdomen, two of his ribs were definitely broken. "Come on, love." Nathair said, holding his hand out to Sam. "I will take you to a much better place than this. I'll treat you the way that this peon never could."
"Don't touch her." Danny strained out. Trying to get to his feet. "Please." He stumbled forwards and fell again.
"Danny." Sam said, tears streaming down her face. "Please, don't hurt him." Nathair stepped back from her, looking at Danny.
"Humans are pathetic." he growled, snatching Danny and throwing him to the other side of the room, Sam screamed and Nathair glared hard at her, snatching her up by her waist and tucking her under his arm. "Don't worry, princess. He'll come find you. He always does." He purred, smiling at Danny.
Danny watched as he pulled Sam closer and sank through the floor, Sam screaming the whole way down.
He closed his eyes.
Nothing.