6/30/24: Still going! This chapter is extra long because I didn't know where to split it.

I recently moved from Maryland to West Virginia in the mountains. My 3 year old son LOVES it and so do I! We have a garden, chickens and a pond full of fish. And 165 acres of which to tear up with ATV's! A little bittersweet as I lived in Maryland my entire 35 years, but I'm glad for the change! We lived just south of Baltimore (within 5 minutes), and the crime was getting SO BAD.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Danny Phantom.

–

Chapter 21: Too Late to Turn Back Now

–

There had been another argument when Danny's parents suggested that he stay at his own home. He was adamant that he was not going to put them in further danger by going anywhere near that house.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you talked to, he was convinced (more like strong armed) into it by none other than Sam. His parents made the mental note to bring Sam in whenever they needed to knock some sense into him.

It used to be something only Jazz could do, and she still could, but since Danny's return, her convincing skills just weren't working like they used to. Danny, of course, still had a soft spot for his sister, but it didn't seem to compare when it came to Sam.

The goth had originally tried to convince him to stay with her, but she actually got nowhere with that. It wasn't until the Fenton's home was suggested, along with all the security measures they had for protection, that Danny finally relented in giving up the hotel. He did try to point out that those security measures were for ghosts, not people, but couldn't convince his parents otherwise.

So there he sat, on the familiar couch in his childhood home, trying desperately not to show that his emotions were overwhelming him. He was partially spaced out, trying to ignore the feelings washing over him, while holding one end of the rope toy for DJ, who was currently pulling for all he was worth.

Sam was on the other end of the couch, fidgeting with worry over how the half ghost was handling this. She could see he was shutting down and getting lost in his own thoughts. She needed to pull him out of it.

The goth got up and went into the kitchen, carefully getting around her dog as she made her way. Danny never even looked up, which made Sam's frown deepen.

Jack was in the lab in the basement, but Maddie was in the kitchen with Jazz and Tucker making cookies, while the married pair gushed about their visit with Chase the previous night. Sam's frown turned into a small smile as the young mother talked animatedly about her now one year old son.

"I just can't believe how big he's gotten! And he was so excited to see us. It absolutely killed me to have to leave him there," Jazz said, first excitedly and then ending with a pout.

Sam gently interjected. "I'm really glad you guys got to see him. But maybe…not say that so loud? You know Danny's heightened hearing…"

The young woman had a horrified look on her face at Sam's words. "I forgot! Oh no, I really hope he didn't hear that…" she put a hand over her face.

Tucker squeezed his wife's shoulder as Maddie took cookies from the oven. "I'm sure he already understands how much you miss him, dear," the older redhead said reassuringly.

Jazz simply groaned and smacked her head on the table, leaving it there.

Sam took a seat, giving Tucker a sympathetic smile. "I do have an idea on how to get him out of this funk."

"What do you have in mind?" Her dark-skinned best friend asked while softly running a hand through his wife's hair.

"A distraction: he wanted to train us to fight, right? Why not get started as soon as possible?"

Maddie put the cookies out to cool before sitting in a seat at the table with a nervous look. "I assume he didn't mean training for ghost fighting?"

The goth shook her head. "As much as none of us wants to fight people, he would feel so much better if we could defend ourselves."

"I can defend myself," Maddie said almost defensively. "It's just different fighting people versus ghosts…"

Jazz sighed and pulled her head up. "You're right. But not all of us have that training. I was never very good at fighting even ghosts. And none of us really know how to fight against people."

Tucker shrugged. "I mean, the concept should be similar right?"

Maddie nodded. "Except we don't normally try to kill people."

"And most ghosts don't have formal military training."

At the deep voice, all at the table looked to the doorway to see Danny standing there. He had definitely heard their conversation.

The young halfa crossed his arms as DJ sauntered in the kitchen, nose pointed right at the counter where the cookies were. "At the very least, you need to know how to incapacitate someone. Unless these men are dead or unconscious they won't stop."

"So, you want to teach us how to knock them out?" Tucker asked, brow raised in a questioning manner.

Danny nodded, before lightly admonishing DJ for trying to reach a cookie, and took a seat at the table. "Knock them out, break their arms and legs…whatever you need to to get them to stop coming."

Sam actually quirked her mouth in a small smile. "Your mom has that Fenton Anti-Creep Stick."

The hybrid arched a brow. "Isn't that just a bat?"

"Yeah, but it's a pretty good choice if you just want to break someone's legs," she shrugged.

Tucker shook his head and took a sip of his coffee before saying, "In case it wasn't clear, she's still pretty violent."

Danny thought back to all the times Sam would bonk him and Tucker on the head for their antics, or kick them in the shins with her combat boots when they played tricks on her in high school. He was pretty impish back then and was constantly in trouble with the goth. He actually chuckled at the memories.

"My shins have never been the same, dude," Tucker added, earning a light glare from the raven-haired girl.

Maddie stood then, going over to the cooling cookies and putting them on a plate. "I'm sure Jack and I can modify some of the ghost weapons to be more effective against humans," she commented before bringing the plate to the table and setting it down for everyone to share.

Jazz took a cookie and nodded. "That might be a good idea."

Danny pulled one side of his mouth in uncertainty. "Maybe, but I'm not sure."

His mom furrowed her brow. "What makes you say that, sweetie?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, do you want to kill them?"

Maddie thought about it a moment, biting her lip. "Honestly? No…if we could just incapacitate them, I would be happy with that."

"If that's the case, I don't think you'll find very many of your inventions could be converted for that. I think they either wouldn't work on a human at all, like the Fenton Ghost Catcher, or would probably be too strong and kill them, like the Fenton Ghost Ray."

"What about the Jack-O-Nine-Tails?" Jazz interjected, picking up a cookie and offering it to Tucker, who nodded his thanks.

Danny inclined his head. "That one might work."

"What about my name sake?" Jack asked as he entered the kitchen. "I smelled cookies!"

His son chuckled at that, the statement reminding him of years long passed. "We're trying to see which of your ghost inventions we can convert to work on humans," Danny answered.

"Oh," Jack said, a little uncertain.

"Just to knock them out!" Jazz added, understanding her father's train of thought.

"Oh!" Jack said again, this time with a lighter air. He took a seat and grabbed a cookie in each hand. "Then that's a good one for it so long as I can weaken it. Right now it tries to squash ghosts."

The young halfa absently scratched at his beard. "I agree. Aside from that, I need to train all of you in hand-to-hand combat."

There were a few nervous glances around the table and Danny fought to keep from rolling his eyes. He tried to remember that he, too, once felt the same way. And if he was completely honest with himself, part of him still did. He may have committed all those murders, but he always made sure the bodies were found in as dignified a way as possible, as well as saying a little prayer for them, however that might help.

However, if it was one thing he learned from the Headmaster–as much as he hated to admit she taught him anything–it was that sometimes killing was necessary. And in this case, keeping his family safe was enough to warrant his deadly intent.

So instead of rolling his eyes, he sighed, giving each person around the table a pointed look. "I know you don't want to, but you have to. I can teach you techniques to incapacitate, but you need to learn how to kill swiftly in case there's no other choice." He turned to his mother. "I know you're already a black belt in karate. You can help teach the others."

Maddie shifted nervously. "Karate isn't about killing. It's about self defense more than anything."

Her son shrugged. "That's fine. You can teach them self defense. I'll do the dirty work."

His mother wasn't quite sure she liked that her son understood 'dirty work' in that sense. As he talked about the details with the other's at the table, she watched him carefully.

Jack had been right, Danny carried himself as if he was military. Even though he looked to be in a 'relaxed' state, sitting back in the chair, arms crossed in front of him, a small smile on his lips from something Sam said, Maddie could see the subtle tension in his body. His right leg had an almost imperceptible bounce to it and his muscles slightly rippled as they clenched and unclenched. He had conveniently placed himself in a way he could keep an eye on the doorway and window and kept glancing at them in a surreptitious way.

Her scrutiny did not go unnoticed, another indication that he was fully aware of everything going on, despite his conversation. As Tucker commented on something Jazz said, Danny gave his mother a solemn glance and her cheeks burned red at being caught. She quickly averted her gaze, swallowing hard. The last thing she wanted was for her son to think she was disappointed in him.

It was pretty much too late for that, though. Danny, while he already hadn't been in the best mood, felt his spirits drop even further at the look-over his mother had been giving him. He deeply regretted his impulsive decision to try and drive his parents away by admitting to the thing's he'd done, but he couldn't take it back now. He just wished she wouldn't look at him that way…like he was a stranger. A dangerous stranger.

Maddie felt so guilty when she saw the hybrid subtly deflate. Her heart clenched and she balled up her fists in her lap at the remorse that gripped her. Sorrow tore at her, not just for what she'd done, but for whatever her son had endured to make him this way. She wasn't disappointed in him for what he'd done, nor did she hate him; he was a product of those who had taken him.

She sighed, relinquishing her thoughts for now and focusing back on the conversation.

Jack rubbed his chin in uncertainty. "I dunno, Danny-boy. When it comes to people, I'm a pretty peaceful person. They're not the same thing as ghosts."

Danny looked down at the table before responding. When he did, he leveled a sober look at this father, tone serious. "You're only peaceful if you're capable of violence. Unless you have the capacity for violence, you aren't peaceful, you're harmless, and being harmless will get you killed."

The hybrid clenched his jaw at Jack's crestfallen look, but didn't retract his statement.

Maddie reached out and took her husband's hand. Her son's words echoed those of her karate teacher when she had been doubting whether or not to go for her black belt. "He's right, honey. We need to at least learn. If we don't, we'll end up splitting Danny's attention in a fight."

The halfa's stern look softened and he watched his mother with pleasant surprise.

Jack rested his free hand on top of their intertwined ones and gave Maddie a small smile. "Alright, dear."

–

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Danny explaining his complex training, demonstrating different self defense moves in slow motion, and giving tips on how to take down someone bigger by using their center of gravity and leverage as an advantage. He made especially sure that the girls understood the concepts as all of them were petite and more likely to be overpowered.

They had a short break for dinner and then continued the lessons.

Tucker was behind the half ghost with his arm around his neck in a choke hold. The taller hybrid was crouching some to bring himself lower than Tucker. "If you're shorter than your opponent, remember to use their height and weight against them," Danny explained. "Bring a hand up and grab his shoulder. Once you have a good grip on their shirt, drop your weight quickly so they don't expect it. At the same time, throw your butt out, knocking them off guard, and pull hard," he demonstrated, pulling poor Tucker over his shoulder and flipping the startled dark-skinned man onto the floor in front of him.

Jazz cringed when her husband hit the floor. The techno geek groaned with his eyes scrunched shut. "Why do I have to be the guinea pig?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Does you screaming: 'Throw me! Throw me!', not ring a bell?" she pantomimed with her arms waving in the air.

"Yeah," Tucker opened his eyes with a sigh. "I didn't really think that one through."

Danny chuckled, holding out a hand to help his friend up, which was gladly accepted. "You did offer. Besides, I'm not throwing one of the girls, and I don't want to hurt my dad at his age."

Sam shrugged. "I wouldn't mind if you threw me. And I wouldn't be a baby about it," she grinned, flicking Tucker in the shoulder.

"I should probably be insulted, but she's got me there."

After the laughter died down, the group decided to call it a night. Jazz and Tucker headed to her old room and Jack went back down to the lab for a bit while Maddie settled on the couch with a book.

Sam, Danny and DJ went to make their way up the stairs to his old room, something he had avoided so far, but the halfa paused, looking back at his mother on the couch. As Sam went up the first couple steps, a gentle hand grabbing hers made her stop and turn around. Soft, sad blue eyes met her puzzled ones.

Danny indicated behind him with his head. "I'll be up in a bit."

Sam followed his indication, eyes moving from Danny to Maddie and back again before giving him a reassuring smile. She squeezed his hand before heading up the stairs with DJ.

Danny turned around and took a deep breath. He hadn't realized how nervous he was going to be to be alone with one of his parents. But he had to talk to her…to clear the air, to do something to alleviate that look she had whenever she looked at him.

He anxiously went over to the couch and sat down on the opposite end from his mother. He sat there, slightly hunched over, absently picking at a loose piece of skin on his thumb.

Maddie didn't immediately set her book down, instead she tried to sneak small glances at her youngest child. The more she observed him today, the more she noticed. Like right now, for instance, he looked old, far older than his 21 years.

There was no gray in his hair, no wrinkles on his face, but the young man looked as if he had the weight of the world on his broad shoulders. His eyes held pain so bottomless she knew she would never reach the end of its depths. The exposed skin of his neck and arms were smattered with minute, almost evanescent scars, causing her to wonder just what he'd endured those four years, and if there was more hidden beneath his clothes.

Finally, she lowered her book. "Are you okay, sweetie?"

She pretended not to notice his flinch, or his nervous intake of breath. He was silent for a moment. Then, "I don't know," he responded, deep voice soft.

That was something Maddie was still struggling with. Not just the sheer size of her only son, but his voice as well. She never met Dark Dan, and so didn't know the stigma that came with that voice, so for her, it was just a stark change from the teen he'd been when he was taken. She wasn't struggling with all this in a bad way, simply trying to reconcile the man in front of her with the image she had of her son the last time she saw him.

"I guess I'm just sorry."

The redhead's eyebrows went up. "Whatever for?"

"For not telling you I was Phantom, for allowing myself to be taken, for treating you so horribly earlier today, for…scaring you like I did, for becoming the monster I am today, for everything. For all of it." He had his head in his hands now and his voice was hoarse from emotion.

His mother set her book on the arm of the couch and scooted closer to him. With a gentle hand, she softly pulled on his shoulder and he relented, allowing her to pull him on his side, his head on her leg like they used to do when he was a kid. "Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for. And you are not a monster. You're going to stop that kind of talk right now, mister," she admonished lightly.

She was delighted when she saw a small smile grace his lips, but it was short lived. "You should be angry that I never told you I was Phantom. Maybe if I had, we could've taken precautions or something that would've prevented this whole mess."

Maddie squeezed his shoulder and ran the fingers of her free hand through his dark locks. "I am angry, but not at you," she sighed, shoulders drooping. "I'm angry that I never saw the signs. After Sam, Jazz and Tucker told us your secret, I thought back to the previous years and kicked myself for not seeing the obvious. I didn't want to intrude on your life so I shook it off as teenage angst or rebellion. But I should've known better. I knew you were lying about where you got all those bruises and cuts. I thought maybe it was bullies at school," she shrugged. "I thought if it was bullies, you would either handle it, or come to me eventually."

Her fingers stopped their motion briefly. "I was trying to be more your friend when I should've been your mother. For that, I am sorry."

Danny turned then, Maddie's hand falling away from his hair, and laid so he was on his back looking up at his mother's eyes. He looked between them as if searching. Finally, "I guess we all have regrets."

"More than you know," she smiled.

"I don't blame you for what happened."

"I know you don't," she said tenderly. "Just like I don't blame you. Honey, sometimes these things just happen. I'd like to say there's a purpose behind it, but honestly, sometimes there's just no rhyme or reason to these things. Sometimes bad things happen to good people."

Danny bit his lip, eyes focused on the ceiling above his mother. After a moment, he sat up, situating himself so he was sitting next to her. "I tried to change it," he admitted softly.

Maddie furrowed her brow in confusion and leaned forward. "What do you mean?"

Her son rubbed his neck. "There's this ghost named Clockwork. He's…kind of like my guardian. He's the master of time, which means he can see all possible futures and timelines. Since he's always watching I kind of screamed curses at him for weeks on end until he finally showed up." He shrugged.

"Clockwork sent me forward in time once to confront myself…I had turned evil and destroyed the world when all of you were killed." His mother gasped and he gave her an apologetic look. "I fixed that timeline, so I thought maybe he'd let me go back in time and fix this one. But all he said was 'All is as it should be.' Whatever that means."

Maddie brushed his bangs from his eyes. "Sounds like he means it was meant to be."

Her son practically growled, the deep tone reverberating in his chest. "But how? How can all this be 'meant to be'?"

His mother rubbed his back in soft soothing circles. "I may have phrased that wrong. Instead of 'meant to be', maybe it means…'not broken'?"

The half ghost turned to stare at her with a raised brow. She sighed. "What I mean is people go through things like this all the time; horrible things. Children are abused and die young, women are kidnapped and sold, good people are murdered. There's no 'do-over' for them. Giving you one wouldn't be fair in the grand scheme of things, no matter how much we want that."

Danny got a far away look as he turned that over in his mind. "To give one a second chance, he'd have to give everyone a second chance."

"Exactly," she said. "He gave you one second chance probably because your other self destroyed the world. This…while extremely awful in its own right, isn't world ending."

Danny turned his gaze down, resting his elbows on his knees. "This might sound crazy, but that's oddly…comforting. I was so angry thinking he was just brushing me off. I guess I never stopped to think that he had the entire world of people to consider, even if he is my pseudo-guardian." He turned back to her with a lopsided smile. "You are very wise."

Maddie smiled back. "Well, of course, sweetie; I'm your mother." She ran a hand over the side of his head and down his neck. "It's nice to know that my little boy isn't too old for some advice."

Danny gave a light chuckle before he looked down again. "I hope…this means you aren't afraid of me? I saw you earlier, I know you were."

The older woman took a deep breath and swallowed hard. There was no point in denying it. "I was, I won't lie. You've changed so much in the past four years that it's almost like looking at a stranger. And when you said all those things to scare us…I guess I couldn't help it. Learning it was all true made it difficult to not feel at least some fear." Her eyes watered and she sniffed, causing Danny to turn to her on the couch. "I'm sorry. I don't feel that way now after talking to you. This talk made me realize you really are still my son, that there's still so much of that young man in you. I hope you can forgive me," she said, voice wavering.

As tears fell down her cheeks, Danny felt his heart constrict. He reached up and cupped his mother's cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tears on that side. "Oh, Mom. There's nothing to forgive. I'm the one who said those things in order to scare you. It's my fault, not yours." He pulled her to him, enveloping her in a tight hug.

Danny felt her reach her arms around him, returning the hug, and he couldn't help but realize she felt smaller than he remembered. He brought a hand up to the back of her head and buried his face in her neck, simply absorbing the love and the radiance of the woman who gave him life.

"I forgive you, too, you know?" She said with a sniff. "You said those things because you wanted to protect us. That's another reason I know you're still my son: noble to the point of being self-sacrificing, especially if it means protecting others."

His mother's words struck a chord with him then and Danny released her, pulling back and looking away. "I'm not as noble as you think."

Maddie gave him a sad smile. "It doesn't matter, sweetie. You're my son and I will always love you."

The hybrid looked up, gaze locking with hers. He could see love in those depths, but also uncertainty. Of what, he wasn't sure, but it made his heart lurch. Perhaps she hadn't been telling the whole truth? Was part of her still afraid?

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, and patted her knee before standing. "Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, honey."

–

As Danny made his way down the hallway to his room, his bedroom door opened and Sam came out, towel draped over her arm. "Oh! You were taking a bit, so I thought I would shower." The goth smiled warmly. "Did things go okay with your mom?"

"Yeah," he responded tightly, but didn't elaborate further.

"Okay…" Sam gave him a look that said she didn't quite believe him, but decided to let him come to her. "I'll be about fifteen minutes. If you wanna talk after that, I'm here."

The half ghost nodded and watched her head to the bathroom, DJ on her tail, before he stepped into his old room and closed the door.

He looked around, realizing without much surprise that it was the way he had left it. All the furniture was in the same places, the NASA posters were still on the walls. His small stereo was on the desk playing music Sam must have turned on. The only real differences were some things had been upgraded as if his parents had expected him home.

The computer on the desk was newer, the sheets on the bed, while still space themed, were also new, and, as he opened the drawers in his dresser and his closet, his clothes were new as well.

He lifted the corners of his mouth in a barely-there smile at the clothes. Most were too small–his parents, like most people, not expecting him to get so tall–but it did look like there were various sizes so some should fit.

But as he stared at the clothes in his top drawer, his thoughts began the same old loop of self-doubt and self-loathing.

Why? Why did he have to say those things? Why did he have to scare his parents like that? He hated that he was so impulsive.

I want to be someone you used to hate,

Without the memory of the pain.

I went too far, now we can't restart.

Danny stared at the stereo, brows drawn in a scowl. 'How fitting…' he thought.

Shaking his head he slammed his drawer shut. Despite what Sam had said earlier about him going nuclear, he had kept his true emotions reigned in very well. But now he was at the boiling point.

Trying to scare his parents off, and nearly succeeding, was tearing at him. But if he was honest with himself, he wasn't sure if he was happy it didn't work, or angry.

He did have a good talk with his mother, but he still felt like she was holding back, like she was afraid of him…or something else. He wasn't sure.

His father was definitely afraid. His fear had practically been rolling off him since this morning, even when they spent time training and laughing. Jack was more reserved than he remembered, more cautious.

He went over to his desk and picked up a photo of him, Sam and Tucker from freshman year. They were so young, so naive, so…innocent.

He clenched his free hand into a fist, feeling anger, regret, and sorrow flooding his system.

I lie to myself like it's not too late,

Convinced the past can still be changed.

We know it's gone, but I can't move on.

He didn't lie when he told his mother that he understood Clockwork's decision not to help him. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. It didn't mean he didn't desperately wish he could change the last four years.

I want to rewind, but it just replays,

Jumping on a hand grenade.

But it won't go off, no, it won't go off.

He'd let them down; he'd let them all down. How could he expect to protect them? He was selfish and he hated himself for it. If any of them were hurt because he couldn't stay away…

It's not like he'd survive this anyway. The Headmaster would not let him live. And if she did, it would be at the cost of his family and friends lives.

He felt a sob try to escape.

I know I'm gonna die in this bed I made,

And I'm drowning in a dream that I can't escape.

If I could wake up I'd-

Every emotion Danny had been holding back rushed to the forefront. He lost it.

With a roar he threw the picture frame across the room and it shattered against the far wall. Then he picked up the chair at his desk and threw it as well, the item bouncing off his bed and smacking on the floor.

In a rush of fury and self-loathing, he used his arm to sweep everything that was left on his desk onto the floor. He went to his shelf on the wall next and punched it down.

Tears silently ran down his cheeks as he finally let out the rage he'd been holding inside for far too long.

Next he went to his dresser and pulled out two drawers, smashing them against the floor, clothes tumbling out. He never even noticed when he shifted to ghost form and started floating around the room, picking up random objects and smashing them.

Finally, after several minutes, he slumped onto his bed and held his head in his hands, body shaking.

It's too late to turn back now. Oh God, I tried but I don't know how…

He heard footsteps running down the hallway, then the door flew open and a panicked Sam, Jazz, Tucker and Maddie entered, DJ right behind them.

But Danny was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh my God…what happened?!" Jazz exclaimed, her hand over her mouth.

Maddie looked around the room in disbelief. Everything was scattered all over the floor. "Did they find us?"

Sam shook her head. "No, I think a certain halfa threw a tantrum," she answered, voice full of exasperation. She crossed her arms and glared around the room at the mess.

"Are you sure?" Tucker asked, warily scanning for any possible danger.

The goth nodded. "I'm pretty sure. There's no damage other than just stuff thrown around."

"Then where did he go?" Maddie asked.

"Could be anywhere with his ghost powers. Don't worry," she started, turning to them. "I'll find him. You guys go to bed."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," the goth waved them off. "I got it."

Jazz shrugged at her mother as they walked out. "If anyone can find him, it's her." Tucker nodded in agreement.

Sam watched them leave before shutting the door and turning around. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Alright, Danny. I know you're sitting on the bed, I can see the indent of your ass."

Said halfa slowly materialized, light glare on his face as he stared at the ground. His neck was red, a sign of his embarrassment. DJ barked in alarm at the odd occurrence, going to hide in a corner.

The raven-haired girl walked up to him and put her hands on her hips, brow raised. "You done throwing a fit?"

He scoffed. "What do you know?"

"A lot more than you think. And I'm beginning to believe that I know you better than you know yourself." Sam expected him to fight, to push back, especially given the state of his room. He obviously destroyed it in a fit of rage.

What she didn't expect was for him to sigh heavily and reach for her arm, pulling her to him so he could rest his face in her stomach. With a flash, he shifted back to human, the sensation of the rings passing through Sam making her shiver.

He mumbled something into her abs, but she couldn't make it out, so she pulled back, much to his chagrin. Instead, she directed him to the bed, crawling into it herself and lying on her side.

Danny watched her before giving up and joining her, lying on his side so he was facing her in the bed.

The goth took a slow, steady breath before reaching out and moving his bangs to the side so she could see his eyes properly. "What did you say?"

The hybrid dropped his gaze. "I don't fit in this world, not anymore."

Sam's brows knitted together in concern and worry. "Of course you do, Danny."

He sighed and grabbed her hand, holding it to him. "I don't mean 'the world', I mean this world. I have no place here with you, with them." He gestured with his chin slightly towards the door.

The young woman used the hand he held to push on him lightly to get him to look at her. "You belong here with us. You always have."

"I used to, but this version of me doesn't. You're too good, too pure for what I am," he punctuated his words by squeezing her hand. "Every second I'm here puts you all in further danger."

It was Sam's turn to sigh. "We've been through this, Danny, multiple times. We all accept the danger because it means being with you." She sat up, putting her arm under her and looked down at his blue eyes.

The moon showed through the window, the beams of light highlighting her features and giving her and her amethyst eyes an ethereal glow. Her black hair framed her face and for a moment, it was like Danny forgot to breathe.

"We will fight and do everything in our power to keep you free. You're so sure that she's coming for you, and from what you've said about her, I don't doubt it. If she does, we can all fight together and put an end to this. Don't you want to be truly free of her, to stay here with us?"

"Of course I do," he said softly, his deep voice barely audible.

"Then stop. Stop all this self doubt, stop all this hatred you've directed at yourself." Sam leaned closer, opening the hand Danny had a hold of and pressing the palm to his chest. "You. Are. Enough."

He remained silent. He wanted to believe her, and he began to think that, perhaps, a part of him was really starting to. The young man felt hope well up in his chest and didn't have the strength to squash it. He wanted to believe; he wanted to hope.

Danny pulled Sam down and scooted over, settling so he was on his back and she was on her side, pressed up against him with her head on his chest. He ran his fingers through her dark locks while she listened to the steady thrum of his heart, relishing the warmth against her body.

"These last four years…I wish I could get them back, if only if it meant I could've spent them with you instead," he admitted out loud.

Sam felt a new kind of warmth, one that started in her chest and spread to her limbs. The love she could hear in those words made her smile.

"Since I was taken, my life has been black and white. Then you just showed up…you found me, and since then…" He looked down and met her glistening eyes. "You've shown me colors I never knew existed."

Sam smiled broadly, sniffing as she held back emotions. "Even when we fight?"

The half ghost barked out a laugh at the unexpected comment and Sam practically shivered at the sound of a true genuine laugh from him.

"Yes, even when we fight," he answered. "I'm pretty sure you've shown me every shade of red." He smiled down at her, pulling a strand of hair from her face. "But my favorite color is amethyst."

–

So this one took a while…started 6/30/24 and finished 7/12/24. Part of it was writer's block, and part of it was completely rewriting the last chapter of this story because I wasn't happy with it. I still gotta connect chapters, but I have the last one written, along with one other chapter somewhere between this one and the last, just not sure exactly which chapter it'll be in yet. I keep adding stuff which is pushing some events off.

But I hope the extra long chapter made up for it taking a while.

8/30/2024: I've officially finished writing this story!

HUGE shout out to SamXDanny who has been diligently reviewing my chapters that I post. You give me so much motivation to keep going and helped push me through the writer's block for this chapter!

And this chapter is brought to you by "Take Me First" by Bad Omens. Fantastic band and song. There's far more to the song that I wanted to put in here, but it's not a songfic so I didn't want to get weird with it. If you have a chance, give it a listen, it's really good insight into how Danny feels in this chapter.