1/17/25: Started this one before finishing the last one because I got stuck. In my defense, nearly all of it is written, I'm just stuck on how to end it.

YOU MAY have noticed the cover photo changed for this story. It was just a glowing DP symbol. However, Danny's look is going to change, courtesy of not only Sam, but also other events that become a catalyst for this change. It's not happening yet, but soon. Be on the lookout.

That photo is AI generated and it's as close to what I can picture in my head that I could get. I don't think his face is quite right for Danny (the photo looks a bit latino I think, of which, he is not), but the clothes and hair/beard fit well with what he looks like for this story. And yes, that includes his glorious muscles XD.

Yes…there's a watermark on it. It's because I couldn't get AI to generate a photo that not only had Danny the way I pictured his new look, but ALSO with green eyes. It was one or the other, so I had to use software to color the eyes green, which is where the watermark came from. I promise though, it's AI generated and not stolen.

I have done a few AI photos of Sam/Shade as well. No idea how to share them with you guys though…

The song in this chapter is called "The Love You Want" By Sleep Token. I actually have no idea what the first verse really even means, but the rest of the song falls in line with Danny's way of thinking in this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom.

–

Chapter 47: The Love You Want

–

Despite Danny's bravado the day before, he was now internally freaking out. How the hell was he supposed to face Mira when even the sound of her voice set him off? One thing he knew for sure: he couldn't do it alone. He needed Sam, and perhaps, even Shade, if he was going to stop her.

That meant getting over his fear.

There was no question that he wanted to be close with Sam again, but he was terrified and he couldn't seem to help it. However, he had an idea that would not only get them to spend more time together, but might also help him get over his fear of her.

The group had spent quite a bit of time talking the night before in an attempt to come up with a game plan. So far, they didn't have anything concrete, but they were slowly shaping one. They'd called Mark as well and got his input on the matter. The mayor was extremely concerned about what this all meant for Amity.

For now, Mark told them to sit tight. They could still discuss a plan of action to present to him when the time came, but for now he was going to try and handle it diplomatically. Because of that, most of the group were trying to relax while they discussed a path forward.

There was a small indoor pool that the group had barely utilized, but as Danny searched for his fiance's signature, he realized that's where she was today. The hallway to the pool was fairly long, with the hallway abruptly ending, an archway to the indoor pool area on the right a few yards from the end. The hallway had a smattering of decor, mostly houseplants and paintings, with a large mirror directly adjacent to the archway that led to the pool. That meant anyone in the pool area could look over and see themselves in the mirror.

Danny paused at the end of the hallway. He could hear her in there talking and laughing with his sister, as well as splashes from his swimming nephew and the occasional coo from one of his children. Every now and then he also heard Tucker, Dash and his mother joining in the conversation.

It was possible Sam already knew he was close because of his signature. But now that he was this close…he was chickening out. He abruptly dampened his signature so she couldn't detect it, quite the feat when one's core was as powerful as his.

He went to turn around and leave but forced himself to stay, taking a large, deep breath. He made himself walk towards the archway, but realized with trepidation that he subconsciously activated his invisibility.

And so he stood there, completely invisible, staring into the pool area, and trying not to panic at the amount of people. He couldn't do this, not with this many people. He'd need to wait for her to be alone.

Instead of simply leaving, he went to the wall next to the archway in the hallway and pressed his back against it, thinking.

He and Sam had had several small conversations now and while he could see the spark in her eyes at their interactions, her actual presence was muted around him. She spoke a little softer–with little excitement– and she didn't really laugh or smile much. Was she just trying to keep him comfortable, or was she pulling away? Was he hurting her so badly that maybe she was done with their relationship?

He sighed gently and dropped his head back against the wall, eyes closed.

Seems your heart is locked up

And I still get the combination wrong.

He could hear her in the pool area behind him. At times, the sound of her voice triggered his need to run and get away from the danger, and at other times, her voice sparked a side of him that longed to hear its velvet melody.

Maybe she believed the problem was him. He wasn't the Danny she knew; he was now a weak, pathetic version of Danny. He couldn't protect her–he couldn't even protect himself.

He looked up and watched her through the mirror against the opposite wall, his green eyes watching her face light up for everyone but him.

Or are you simply waiting to save your love

For someone I am not?

He was struggling with his demons; with the things that mocked him, laughed at him, and told him he should just cease to exist. They were all around him, circling like vultures. They wanted to break him and wash away the colors, leaving him in black and white.

He reached up, fingers lightly brushing his cheek just underneath his right eye. Or maybe just leave him in black.

Too many swallowed keys

Will make you bleed internally someday.

Danny's core ached at the easy way she interacted with the others, finding himself jealous not only because she made it look so easy when he was struggling to even look at someone, but also because he missed that effortless way he and Sam used to interact.

Was she holding back around him to just give him time, or was she simply forcing an interaction she didn't really want? It was his fault Tucker got hurt and Do-hee was dead, maybe she blamed him and couldn't get over it?

Was she trying to force herself to love him?

Maybe, you believe that in the end

You will be better off that way?

He looked away from the mirror; watching her like that was hurting his core and fraying his nerves. How could he be so scared and yet want so badly to just hold her at the same time?

'Cause I'm still full of the love you want;

Still waking up beneath it all.

Time and proximity were going to be the catalysts to getting him through this; he knew that. However, knowing it and implementing it were two different things. He felt like the side of him that loved her was still there, just sleeping. He needed to wake that side up, to remind it of why it existed in the first place.

And I'm still full of the love you want;

I'll reach for you on faith alone.

He was going to have to put himself out there to know for sure how she felt and he wasn't sure what he was more afraid of: putting himself out there, or finding out how she felt.

And I'm still full of the love you want;

Still waking up, so alone…

His gaze lifted to the mirror again and he watched her laugh, core constricting. He wished desperately that he could be what she needed–what she wanted. To be the man she deserved...

Suddenly angry at himself, Danny teleported away, unseen. He reappeared in his bathroom in front of the vanity and mirror. He observed himself in the mirror, his eyes once again scanning over the scars he could see on his neck and face.

He felt the shame start to rise like bile and swallowed it down. How could he be so weak? He supposedly had power that could rival Pariah Dark, yet he'd allowed himself to be abducted and tortured. He shook his head at himself, feeling the self-hatred and resentment boil over like a tea kettle.

Finally, Danny punched the mirror, shattering it and sending shards everywhere. The noise was loud and grating on his ears but he ignored it. Large and small pieces of the mirror scattered across the vanity and floor, many bouncing off the sink and breaking further. His hand was bleeding but he didn't care–didn't even feel it.

He heard quick footsteps behind him before a light gasp. "Danny?" he heard his father say with worry in his tone.

"Why is it so hard?" Danny responded with a question, a hand over his eyes as he leaned over the sink.

"Why is what so hard?" Jack countered.

His son's response was so soft that Jack wasn't sure Danny had even meant to say it. "Living."

The older man wasn't sure what to say to that; at least something that didn't sound fake or scripted.

After a moment, Danny growled, dropping both his hands to the sink and swiping all the broken glass to the floor in an angry motion. "Nearly my whole life has been a giant shitstorm of…well shit, and I freaking died at the age of 21!" he snapped, pissed off, but not at his father. "I've been through more shit than anyone should have to deal with in a damn long lifetime, let alone 21 years!" he added in a deep angry tone, hands gesticulating. Finally, he stopped, hands falling to his sides, looking defeated. "No wonder I'm so f*ed up."

Jack watched him somberly, feeling his own guilt and sadness bubble to the surface. "I failed to protect you. I failed as a father," he said sadly, eyes cast down.

Danny immediately hated himself. "No, I didn't…I didn't mean it that way at all," he said, voice apologetic. "I had a wonderful childhood, really. I was happy and loved. It was my stupid decision to go into the portal that day. If I hadn't, none of this would be happening. But I chose to go into the portal, and I chose to hide it from you."

Jack's eyes came up, but he didn't respond.

His son sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when nervous or unsure. He then dropped the hand with a slap to his side and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I guess I just…hate the man I've become."

"I don't."

The ghost's eyes quickly landed on his father, their gaze meeting; Danny's questioning and Jack's full of love. "I can't tell you how proud I am of the man you are. Despite everything you've been through in your life, no matter how many times you've been torn apart and had to build yourself back up, no matter what's been thrown at you, you still manage to have such a kind soul, you still chose to put your life on the line for others, and you still choose to protect them, even if they hate you. I know for a fact that I couldn't do it. I would've given up on people a long time ago, but you haven't." Jack's gaze switched between his son's green eyes, eyes that were now watering from his father's words.

"Not only am I proud of who you are, but you're my role model. You are my hero."

Danny couldn't stop the tears that cascaded over the brim of his eye lids. He dropped his gaze, unable to meet his father's eyes through the haze of emotions. When he looked down, he noticed the jagged lines on his upper arm were showing and he reached up, quickly pulling the sleeve over them.

The action did not go unnoticed by Jack, who's eyes flicked to Danny's arm when he covered it. He pointed at the sleeve. "I know you probably look in the mirror and see those scars and hate them. I know you probably think they show everyone how weak you are. But you have to remember: those scars are a part of you; they shape who you are. But they don't define you. They're a testament to all you've endured. Now you just need to show them how strong they've made you."

Danny stared at Jack for a moment before letting out a breathy chuckle. "Since when did you grow up and gain all this wisdom?

His father grinned at him but there was a trace of sadness in it. "You grew up way too fast, kiddo. I gotta keep up."

For the first time in a while, Jack saw a genuine smile on his son's face. After a moment, it fell, replaced by a look that said the ghost was uncertain. "I guess I'm just afraid I can't come back from this one."

"You'll be alright, Danny-boy. You just need to give yourself a little leeway sometimes, and a little time." Jack resisted the urge to touch his son, to place a hand on his shoulder and squeeze in reassurance. "And, just so you know, I may brag and talk a lot about my ghost inventions and how awesome they are, but…" He turned to leave before glancing at his son, giving him a smile. "You and your sister are the best things I ever made."

With that, Jack left, satisfied that Danny was okay for now. 'I've failed you so much throughout your life, son. At least now I feel like I've done something right.'

–

Danny's talk with his father lit a fire under him and he decided to take advantage of it before he lost his nerve. Once the bathroom was cleaned up and his hand tended to, he located Sam's signature again, though it was no longer in the pool area. She was now in her room, so he made his way there.

He stopped in front of her closed door and lifted his hand to knock, stalling as he stared at the barrier. He growled and mentally rolled his eyes at himself before finally knocking.

"Who is it?" her voice filtered out from the room.

"It's me," he answered, hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he was.

There was a pause as her brain tried to catch up that he was actually at her door when it wasn't time to swap turns with the twins. "Come in," she said finally.

He opened the door and froze, his mind completely stalling when he realized she was naked–changing after getting out of her swimsuit.

"I'm sorry!" he finally blurted before backing out quickly and nearly slamming the door shut.

The goth sighed, pointedly ignoring the smartass remark Shade said in her head, and wrapped a towel around herself. She then went over and opened the door, hand on her hip. "You know you've seen me naked before right? I'm not sure if you realize this but…we have kids," she said with mirth.

His eyes were wide as saucers. "Yeah, I know–I just–ahh…what?"

Sam raised a brow before a giggle escaped her, a genuine sound that reminded Danny of the wind chimes his grandmother had given him as child–a gift he'd loved so much.

"Did Danny.e x e stop working?" she asked, stepping away to let him back in the room. "I really don't care if you watch me change." (Her phrase kept getting removed. Hopefully it works now.)

He shut the door behind him but immediately averted his eyes when she dropped the towel. The goth mentally rolled her eyes at him and clamped her jaw shut to make sure Shade's comment didn't come out.

Danny didn't understand why he was suddenly so shy about her being unclothed; she was obviously right–he had seen her naked a lot. It just felt…wrong when he was barely able to even talk to her.

Once she was dressed, she went over to the crib to make sure the twins were still napping before turning back to the ghost. "Not that I'm upset that you're here–because I'm not–but why are you here? You haven't come here except to hand off our kids."

Finally, his eyes met hers. "I want you to help me attune to my core."

Sam looked unsure then, arms crossing over her chest. "Honestly, the best person to do that would be Ki-oh."

"He's not exactly here, but you've attuned to yours," he replied.

"With his help," she retorted.

Danny sighed. "I know that. But you at least have experience; you can walk me through it, right?"

The goth shrugged. "We need to find the dance that fits with the way your core pulses. There's so many types that it won't be easy. Ki-oh was just…intuitively good at figuring it out." She shrugged. "He knew, even when the first one was wrong, that I would attune to one that used a weapon."

"Which one did you attune to?" He asked.

"Jian wu. It's a Chinese sword dance."

He smiled softly. "See, that doesn't surprise me. You're really good with the swords."

She smiled back, sending a shock of warmth through him. "If you want to try jian wu with me, we can do that. It'll at least give you a baseline of how your core pulses. When do you want to start?"

"Now, if we can," he responded.

The goth nodded and grabbed the baby monitor. "Let's head outside where there's more room," she said.

–

Not much later, the pair were outside in the backyard. They could see the faint glow of the shield above them partially obscuring the sky.

Danny didn't have swords of his own, so Sam gave him her swords to use while she used two large kitchen knives. It wasn't quite the same, but she should still be able to show him the dance without much effort.

"Okay, just watch first, and then when I run through it again, try to follow my movements," she explained.

He nodded, watching her intently as she went through the dance. He was impressed with her skill, the way she moved, the grace with which she went through each form. She made it look effortless–flawless.

Then she started to glow. It began at her chest, her core attuning and shining so brightly, it could be seen from the outside. The rest of her followed as the energy emanated out from her core though her limbs. At its peak, she outshone the sun, a blinding beacon of light. He nearly forgot to pay attention to her movements.

As the dance ended, her glow faded, retreating back from her limbs to her core, until it, too, dimmed.

"Wow. I just–wow," he said, lost for words.

Sam blushed, but pushed it aside. "Your turn."

Danny nodded and settled into the stance she had started with. He clumsily went through the forms, Sam joining him when he seemed to struggle. After two run-throughs, he started getting it down, but he was disappointed.

"How does it feel?" She asked.

He shook his head as they ended the last form. "I don't think it's right. It feels…off," he answered.

The goth shrugged. "It doesn't surprise me. We don't even have the same type of core, so I didn't expect yours to attune to the same dance mine is attuned to. We'll just have to keep looking."

It was then that the ghost realized they'd just spent over an hour together and he'd barely recognized his anxiety. It was coming back now that they'd stopped and he'd noticed it, but it told him that he could be around her pretty easily so long as he was concentrating on something.

It was a start.

"I don't really know that many dances. I can show you geommu as it's what Ki-oh is attuned to and it's the first one he showed me, but we may need to do some research on others to try," she said, pulling the monitor out of her pocket to check it.

"Sounds good," he responded with a nervous half smile.

"Looks like one of them is awake. We can try geommu later and then others tomorrow after some time to research?"

He nodded before carefully handing Sam her swords back. She teleported away leaving him standing there and hoping he could handle the proximity in the coming days.

Danny brought his hand up to his chest and settled it over his core, feeling the soft and steady pulsing. He smiled softly at himself as he reimagined the warmth he'd felt in her presence. Then his father's words came to mind.

Come hell or high water, he would get back to the man she could be proud of. He could do that…for her.

And I'll be full of the love you want;

No matter what, forevermore.

–

1/19/2025: Hi! It's a shorter chapter and I'm not actually that happy with it. But…it's there.