There are some friends who've walked along with me

They'll be there till the end of the road

But in the middle of the night

When you're alone with the pain

Sometimes it's not enough and you're on your own

-Tiger Army-

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A week had passed since Danny had left the hospital. He was still considerably weak and exhausted and had been instructed to take it easy. The media couldn't wait to get answers out of him but he was unable to really talk to them. They came to his house regularly but Jack and Maddie managed to shoe them away.

Of course the media was never positive even after all that Danny had done and Jazz found several titles that disturbed her. The most popular slander was the whole Jack and Maddie experimenting on Danny to make a ghost hybrid, failing, then trying to destroy him. But Jazz had to admit for all the bad there was more good. There were more lighthearted supporting stories about Danny, spreading more facts than fiction.

Then there were the fan girls. The ones, like Paulina, just dying to get their hands on their favorite super hero. Jazz had to admit it did put her brother in a rather good mood. It boosted his ego and made him feel important. Although he wouldn't think that once they started taking his gum and other trinkets in a creepy obsessive way. But for now it was good for his recovery.

They sent endless amounts of baked goods and gifts. Until now Jazz had no idea how many people loved Danny Phantom. It wasn't just those obsessed girls but there were letters too. Thank you letters and little kids sending "you're my hero" letters. Jazz loved the smile he got when he sorted through the bag of mail she brought up regularly. It helped because lately he'd been lacking in self esteem.

Of course everyone was pressing for the truth. The actual story of why Danny was also Phantom. And Danny had already agreed to tell all on a very popular talk show, when he recovered. For now he stayed at home lying down or moving to the couch, not a lot of moment came from him, except at night.

It worried everyone in the household. It wasn't just at night, but whenever he tried to sleep he'd thrash and scream. He had violent nightmares. Sometimes he'd mutter almost incoherently but more often then not he'd scream. It was so loud the Jack or Maddie or Jazz would jump from bed just to see if he was in trouble or not. His screams were just terrifying, they were filled with pain and agony, it was impossible to ignore them.

He fell out of bed, he kicked, and he would grind his teeth. He wasn't healing well enough even though he was cautious every waking minute. Whenever he slept he dreamed, and when he dreamed he'd become frantic. He experienced night terrors, ones that often scared him out of sleeping and left the entire household uneasy.

Needless to say it put him at risk. The worried parents knew the stress was dangerous. The whole reason for him resting and keeping away from physical activities was his heart. It was weak so he was told not to partake in strenuous activities, for his own good. So the biggest question on the family was how do you protect him from his own dreams?

The ghosts they could handle for Danny, but they couldn't do anything once he dreamt. The night terrors were frequent and horrible that Maddie often had to stand by and watch heartbroken, as he tried to resolve them. They were so bad that she worried the shock of being awoken would kill him, if the thrashing didn't of course. Either way he was in danger.

Danny's only solution to this problem was to not sleep, which left him weak and sick. How could he recover if he couldn't sleep? How could he recover if he did sleep? Danny knew he just couldn't win, but his own fear left him lying awake of his own will, there were times where he drifted off involuntarily. Ending in nightmares.

Jazz finally asked what he was screaming about, as she had stayed up to try to protect him from further damage. Danny replied simply "death."

Jazz soon learned from his muttering while sleeping that he often relived the first time he died and the afterlife in the ghost zone. But he always remembered Vlad's brutal attacks, the pain he received, the pain others suffered. Vlad's name had been screamed or cursed more than enough times.

At first Jazz had no idea how horribly dying altered his psyche but she knew it would. She figured that he probably wouldn't get over it. But she wanted him to, no matter how hard it was, it would save his life.

But she couldn't get him to talk about, with her or anyone else. And no one could reassure him that Vlad wasn't coming back, that the Plasmius Maximum belt he suggested worked. So he continued to refuse to sleep and continued to have small snippets of terror.

His heath naturally declined and he was soon confined to bed, unable to hold himself up anymore. Jack and Maddie were coming to the conclusion they'd have to take him back to the hospital. They didn't want to go to that length knowing that Danny didn't want to be seperated from them anymore. But they were becoming desperate with the stress of knowing he might not wake up from his dream one night.

One night Jazz was home alone while her parents went out on errands. She knocked on Danny's door and he laid there with dark circles under his eyes. He was just staring at the wall trying to keep himself awake.

"Danny?" Jazz asked quietly. He looked in her direction and she walked in. "Are you going to try to sleep tonight?"

Danny shook his head. The girl heaved a sigh and looked at him with pleading eyes. "You've got to try, Danny you're getting sick. It scares me..."

The boy refused eye contact with his sister. She once again pressed for answers from him, but he avoided it. She was becoming desperate and distressed. He wouldn't hold up much longer at the rate he was going, too scared to sleep, too weak from lack of sleep, and too sick to eat. He was emotional unstable as well, easily angered and hurt, he couldn't seem to controll his own reactions. She wasn't sure if it was because he was just overly exhausted or dellusional from being sick.

Jazz tried everyday, along with her parents. They all tried, asking if he'd like to talk about it, or begging him to eat something. It had been five days since he slept and sixteen days since he left the hospital. Jazz was sure it was one of those nights when exhaustion would overwhelm him and he'd fall asleep.

She left him in the hopes he would. Jazz sat on the couch fighting back her worry, she tried to convince herself that he would get better. She was stressed to no ends. She hadn't been to school in a long time and spent most of her nights crying or thinking. Her brother was depressed, exhausted, and sick in a very vulnerable state. And no one could pull him out not friends, not family, not the adoring public. It seemed impossible, if they all couldn't then who could?

There was a knock at the door that broke Jazz from her thoughts and she immediately went to answer it. And there was her answer standing right there rubbing her arm nervously.

"Sam!" Jazz exclaimed.

"Hey Jazz...I'm um really sorry I haven't come around lately it's just that..."

"You don't need to explain." Jazz interrupted gently as Sam walked in.

She knew that Danny had snapped at Sam and Tucker in one of his half awake states. They had known he wasn't all there but it had scared Sam away for a while and neither one explained what Danny had said or done. She was sure what happened would never agan be discussed or mentioned.

All that was told from Tucker was Danny had been agressive with them. Apparently it had been verbally and he had been very cross with Sam. Tucker had secretly told Jazz, behind Sam's back, that he had threatened them both. Tucker hinted that ghost powers were involved. Tucker still came around, but Sam had avoided everyone for a while.

"So how is he?" Sam asked shyly kicking her foot timidly into the air.

Jazz sighed as she closed the door. Sam deserved to know the truth. "Sam he's not doing well at all. He won't sleep he won't eat. He's a wreak. His heath is deteriorating drastically and with his frail state..."Jazz shook her head. "I just don't know how much stress his heart can take."

Sam stared at the girl letting the bad news sink in. She knew it would be hard, she knew that it wasn't going to be an easy battle, but she never thought he'd give in so quickly. "Where is he now?"

"In bed, he can hardly move Sam, he can't even walk." Jazz explained her voice cracking as tears threatened to fall. "I think he fell asleep though, I sure hope so..."

"It's ok Jazz...Do you mind if I..."

"No go ahead Sam. Maybe he'll listen to you." Jazz said falling into a chair exhaustedly.

Sam smiled and made her way upstairs and finally came to Danny's door. She slowly cracked it open and saw the raven haired boy asleep in his bed. His covers were kicked in random directions. Sam observed him as he lied straight on his back looking rigid and uncomfortable. He used to sleep serenely with a small smile always on his face, he used to look peaceful.

Sam sat on the edge of his bed beside him and watched him sleep. Sam had heard of his nightmares and watched as he seemed to be having one now.

Danny shifted uneasily, his hand twitched, his eyebrows knitted and he tossed his head back and forth while mouthing unheard words. Sam decided to end the torture now, deeming it safe since the dream seemed to have just started.

"Danny..." Sam whispered softly, he turned his back away from her and began clawing at the air. "Danny it's Sam, you're safe."

She watched him and he began to groan and mumble. She wasn't sure what he was saying but it didn't seem pleasant. He let out a scream and his body jolted and he turned again towards her. His blue eyes snapped open and he stared up at Sam with fear in his eyes.

"Sam?" He whispered and she nodded. He lifted his aching body up so that he could fall into her arms. "Sam I thought you'd never come back after I..."

"Shh now Danny, we don't need to be living in the past. It happened its ok I understand."

"But I didn't mean any of it I..."

"I know you didn't Danny I understand." Sam reassured. "I heard you haven't been well."

He didn't answer her, so she continued. "You can't keep doing this you know."

"I know..." He muttered under his breath. His eyes fell to the floor.

Sam took his tone seriously it sounded to her he didn't know how bad things were getting. Or he just didn't care. "Danny don't you understand? The strain could..."

"Cause my heart to stop, that it could kill me?" He finished his voice grew a little more stronger. "Of course I understand Sam. Why wouldn't I? It' just-It's just... I don't know..." He sighed.

Danny rested his cheek on her shoulder his messy black hair fell over his eyes. He couldn't hold back his frustration and Sam felt him begin to shake. Until she could audibly hear him crying. The sixteen year old held her friend in her arms and began to rub his back while humming a soft tune to calm him. Danny just cried until he was reduced to a soft whimper.

"It' not fair Sam..." He moaned meekly.

Sam looked tenderly at the back of his head and frowned. "What's not fair?"

"I stayed behind because I wanted to help you and I wanted to make up for lost time. But I don't know what's wrong with me, it's like I don't even want to live anymore. It's not fair that I'm causing everyone more pain then they deserve. I thought I could fight this Sammy, but I'm so feeble and so pathetic. If it wasn't even for the gem you gave me I wouldn't have survived."

"Danny." Sam gasped. "I don't ever want to hear you say things like that. You're the bravest strongest person I know. And about the gem it didn't work."

"Yeah, there was a burn right in my hand. I know you put it there. It had to have worked." He protested.

"But it didn't." She assured him while shaking her head. "The energy in them wasn't enough to save you. Don't you see Danny you did that all on your own, you fought and won all by yourself." She explained happily, but he stayed silent in thought. "What you're doing is hard and no one blames you for being tired. Danny it's not going to be an easy fight and we all know that. But you've got to try and we'll try with you."

Danny smiled and sat upright letting Sam stable him. "You're right Sam you are."

"Exactly Danny and part of winning means you have to sleep and eat. Could you do these things for me? If not for anyone else could you do it for me?" Sam asked her voice was so soft and persuasive. "You've saved my life now it's my turn to save your's are you going to let me?"

Danny's blue eyes darted away from her soft amethyst. He was still so scared and felt ashamed for admitting it.

"No one said it was going to be easy." Sam said quietly causing his eyes to meet with hers again.

"I can't do it alone." He replied softly.

"Then I won't leave you Danny." She soothed gently moving some extra bangs from his face.

Danny lay down in his bed and Sam lay beside him her arm gently wrapped around him. She placed the covers over him.

"Sam." He spoke his eyes were closed. "I want you to know that I love you with all my heart."

Sam smiled to herself. "And I love you so much Danny."

"Forever and ever?"

"And beyond." She whispered and kissed his lips daintly. He smiled at her before letting his sapphire eyes close.

Danny grew silent again and Sam lay there with open eyes with her arm still wrapped around him gently. His hand now rested up on her other hand and he made no sudden movements. Sam relaxed as minutes had passed and Danny's breathing had fallen into a soft stable pattern. She knew he was sleeping peacefully, she knew with her help he would get out of this bed and he would go on to do great things.

With that knowledge Sam began to drift off her head buried against his chest. The steady sound of his beating heart made her forget the world around all that exsisted was Danny. Her warmth and his warmth shared as their bodies stayed tangled together. As she fell asleep his arm wrapped around her and he held her close to him.

When the Fentons returned home they looked at their half asleep daughter in the chair. "Jazz we decided we aren't going to risk anymore time with Danny, he's got to go back to the hospital." Maddie announced putting her purse down with a soft thud onto the coffee table.

"That's not necessary." Jazz smirked her eyes twinkling.

"What do you mean Princess?" Jack asked.

"Why don't you go see for yourself?" She suggested and she got up to follow the parents to Danny's room.

They peeked through the crack Sam had left and saw the two children sleeping together. The parents were smiling uncontrollably at the sight. Jazz still couldn't seem to get enough of that scence. It just seemed to make everything Sam and Danny had suffered dissapear in a single moment. But she shut the door, just because she didn't want to ruin the peace.

"That girl is a God send." Jack remarked in a quiet whisper.

Maddie nodded in agreement. "He's finally sleeping, he's not even moving." She smiled.

"Mom I think Danny's going to be alright. It's going to be a long recovery and still a struggle.Sure we'll have to face some difficulties concerning the public. But I think he's found his reason to live again. Danny's going to be ok."

:sighs: Long chapter, final chapter. I'm sad to see it go. But I liked the end personally, I couldn't bring myself to kill Danny again, that would just be cruel. Even though I'm really really good at doing that. But you all stuck by me you all deserved a happy ending, so yay for the 'everything will work out ending'! I actually have a deleated scene written down somewhere, but I can't find it, if I happen to locate it I'll post it.

So thanks for sticking by me and reviewing for Sacrifice Theory and of course for reviewing Over Exposure, without you people there would be no story and I can never thank you enough for all your kind words and support! Couldn't have done it with without you all, did I say thanks? Because well...thank you!

Love (in a totally friendly way) At-a-glance