Need You Now

Sam’s POV

Picture perfect memories, scattered all around the floor
Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore

I started looking at the pictures I had from when we were kids.  The old candid shots your mom took of us at the playground, the one where you were showing off your new bike to everyone in the neighborhood, the one I took when we first entered high school…and then all the pictures of our adventures together.  It made me remember how much we’ve shared together.  We’ve been through so much together; it’s hard to imagine that we’re only sixteen.
-
It’s getting late…where are you? I wondered to myself as I stared at the sky.  It was clear and full of stars, your favorite kind of night.  I’ve known you to stay out later if the nights were like this, but this isn’t like you…you would have always called me if you were staying out late.  After a while I pulled out my phone to call you.  I needed to talk to you, NOW.  Your speed-dial was, and is to this day, number one.  All I would have to do is hold down that little button, and you would have been there in an instant.  Yet…I never did…

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind

Looking back, I wonder if you ever worried about me.  I mean, I was constantly worried about you, even if it wasn’t about ghost fighting.  I wondered if you ever thought about me when I would see you staring at girls who I knew would never date you.  They never knew the real you, the one who’s always fighting for them, and who would give up his entire life just to save a single person.  You were always thinking about other girls, but was I ever in that clueless mind of yours?  Because….

For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now

I looked at the clock; you were late.  You were always late, but you were super late this time.  We promised we would meet at my place before midnight, and it was way past the hour.  I was always concerned for your safety; after all, you were constantly fighting off Skulker around this time, and who knew how many times the Box Ghost would try to enslave the human race with his rectangular fury?  You would call me when it was getting bad, or you would call me as soon as you would catch the Box Ghost.  You did call about him, and you said it would be soon… you didn’t tell me you were going to be this late.  

I forced myself to press that dang number one and try calling you.  Ring…ring…ring….Hey, this is Danny, I’m not here right now, so if you would just leave yo- I hung up after that.  I wasn’t going to…no, I REFUSED to wait for you to call back.  You probably would have forgotten anyway.  I just flopped myself on my bed and just waited for you.  I didn’t know how I was doing this; you weren’t here after you promised you would be.  I just didn’t know how I was dealing without you.  I just remember myself constantly saying,

“I just need you now…”

Danny’s POV

Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before

It was another long night of ghost fighting…again.  Skulker was giving me a hard time, Technus wouldn’t shut up about his ability to take a lamp and make it into a frickin’ robot, and Box Ghost…I didn’t even want to deal with him.  He was inside the Thermos before he could mutter, “Beware!”  It was super late when I thought I was done with all the ghosts.   I wished I could have finished earlier; then again, it’s just how my life was as a halfa.

I was always fighting ghosts, even if they didn’t mean any harm.  I just wanted them away from Amity -and me no matter what.  After the first few battles with them, I grew to like fighting them.  Beating the crap out of any ghost who dared to show their face in my town was really all I looked forward to back then.  It became an addiction, an overpowering addiction that at times I could never fight.

You were always seemed to be there whenever I was getting out of hand.  You made sure I didn’t lose my mind destroying ghosts over and over again.  The more and more I began fighting just for the thrill of it, I would ask you to leave.  I was scared for you to see me like that.  However, time and time again, you seemed to find me and help me like always.  

And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

I knew you always thought about me when I was ghost fighting.  You were my best friend, and you were always going to protect me no matter what.  Whenever I was finished fighting a ghost, you were right there, treating my wounds and just being the caring person you always were.  However, what about when we were done with the fighting, done with the crazy ghost experiments, what about when it was just us hanging around and being the best of friends?  Was I still in your mind as often as you were in mine?  I never knew if you felt the same way about me, but I fell in love with you the very first day I met you.  I looked at the other girls like Paulina because I was too afraid to tell you how much I truly cared for you.  I guess you could say I’ve always wanted to make you jealous of my feelings, but then again…I wouldn’t have known how you would have reacted.  You claim to react harshly to Paulina because of her preppy ways…what if you were reacting just because you honestly didn’t want her with me?

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now-
Said I wouldn't call but I've lost all control and I need you now

I looked at my phone.  Crap, I thought to myself, it’s late again.  I knew you weren’t going to be happy.  You wouldn’t get mad at me like all the other girls; you would be genuinely concerned with my safety.  Not to mention once you got a look at my latest battle scars, you’d be scolding me like my mother.  I didn’t like it at first, but then I thought about it.  A mother’s love is eternal, and it is never ending.  That’s how much you truly cared for me and my safety.  I was just worried it would only mean that our friendship is never ending.  I really wished you cared for me more than that…

I gazed at my reflection of the park pond.  I had caught Skulker, the final ghost of the night, around this area…but not before he left me a few parting gifts.  These consisted of:  a few bruises to my shoulders and biceps; several deep, scar-inducing gashes across my lower back and stomach, with one even still leaking blood/ectoplasm; and a large burn across my entire left side where I tried to dodge Technus’ newest creation consisting of bringing to life a pizza oven.  I was used to these by now.  I received them every night since I received my powers from different ghosts who didn’t like them and I sharing mutual feelings about them.  

The hysteria came out of nowhere as I continued staring at my reflection in the water.  I must be going insane, I thought madly to myself, here I am, in deep pain from my recent battles, and yet I’m laughing at myself.  I mean, Skulker, Technus, and every other ghost I have fought in the past has given me so much distress that it was making me regret every stepping inside the portal, for ever having parents who knew so much, yet so little, about ghosts…for even being alive.  I got no respect from the town I was saving so I was getting no self-satisfaction from saving the people who I became a hero for.  Then…I started beating the ghosts to an ectopulp when they came anywhere in my vicinity, and I felt better.  The stress from school left instantly with one ectoblast to Skulker’s stupid head, the jealousy I felt when other guys were looking at Sam vanished with one hard kick to any of Walker’s goons, and the guilt of not living up to my parents’ expectations of me always disappeared when the Box Ghost even thought of taking two steps near me.  I left my mind and realized that I needed the ghosts again; I becoming Danny Phantom had become my forever addiction, and I was still on my high from destroying a few of them tonight.  

I held my head in my right hand and started laughing menacingly to myself.  I felt powerful, strong, and completely happy.  I had never felt this much ecstasy in my entire life, and I wanted more.  My green eyes in the pool shone brighter than ever, reflecting my inner ghost demon.  I felt myself slipping from sanity, and I was perfectly ok with it.  I allowed my ghost energy to build in my left hand and started firing in the distance at imaginary ghosts.  The blasts surged through the sky, and some passed through some unfortunate trees at the outer edge of the park.  The night was completely quiet besides my endless maniacal laughter and the blasts flowing through the sky.  Chaos and discord kept flowing through my body, my eyes flashing a menacing red with energy, and there was nothing in this world that could stop me.

RING…RING!  I stopped my firing and quickly turned around to find what was making that infernal ringing.  I gazed down at my discarded bag of ghost supplies resting against a tree, and I realized what was acting up.  I flew indifferently towards the bag and meaninglessly searched for the source of the ringing.  It was my cellphone; Sam was trying to call again.  I glared at it, not even bothering to answer it.  I didn’t feel like talking to her, why dare she even bother interrupting me in my bliss?!  It went to voicemail, and I held it to my ear to listen to the message.

“Danny,” it said, “it’s Sam.  Look…I’ve been trying to call, and for the past few times you aren’t answering.  It’s close to one thirty in the morning now, Danny, and I’m worried about you.  I don’t know if you’re hurt, or if you’re still tracking a ghost.  All I know is that…God, I told myself I wouldn’t do this, but I NEED you Danny.  I’m almost sick worrying about you, the least you could do is tell me if you’re ok or not…I care too much for you to not return the favor.  At least give me a call when you get this message.  See ya Danny…and please be careful, for me…BEEP.”
-
All I could do after that was stare at the phone…Sam…was worried about me, and I didn’t even bother letting her know how I really was.  I dropped my phone to the ground and stared at my hands.  They were slightly glowing from the ectoenergy running inside of me.  I ran back to the pond and stared at my reflection again.  It still showed the same reflection I had earlier, but what was once a source of eternal bliss became an instant form of disgust.  I had become a maniac, a ghost-destroying maniac who was getting his kicks from pulverizing ghosts to death, well afterlife death, but you get the point.  I fell down on my butt and slowly started backing away from the pond, trembling at what I had become.  When I thought I had reached a sustainable distance, I gripped my head in my hands and started screaming.  I was horrified at myself, and I didn’t want any more of it.  The hysteria high I was now feeling now became inner torment and it didn’t help that the more I became stressed at myself, the more the pains from my recent battles started aching and flowing.  

I crawled to the tree where my equipment laid and found my phone buried in the high grass.  I breathed unsteadily as I started to dial Sam’s number.  I could have pressed one and it would have dialed instantly; she was always number one on my speed dial.  I was doing something I told Sam I wouldn’t do when I got this bad, but I needed her badly.

“Hello, Sam? I…It’s Danny…”

And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

Sam’s POV

The little trick didn’t even bother answering his phone the FIFTH time I called him.  Yeah, I told him I wouldn’t call him when he was in the middle of ghost fighting, but everyone in the neighborhood could hear the fighting.  It had been calm for over an HOUR, and I didn’t even get as much as a text message.  I didn’t want to think the worst, because I could hear the thermos.  Not to mention that after all the ghost fighting was done, there was about a fifteen minute lapse where all I could see in the sky was Danny’s ectoblasts towards the sky.

“Danny…were you trying to blame the world again for your curse upon you?  It’s not a curse to the rest of the world, it’s a blessing.  Don’t ever blame yourself for the reactions of others.  You will always be a hero….” I found myself saying out loud when I saw his blasts.  I thought he was in trouble, so when they were starting to rain across the sky, I reached for my phone and tried calling him.  I kept staring out my window while it was dialing.  I did notice that they stopped after the second ring; maybe he’ll answer for once, I thought when the blasts stopped.  I kept waiting and waiting for him to pick up.  Come on Danny, you’re not waiting for anyone or anything, ANSWER! I kept saying mentally to myself as the ringing went on relentlessly.  When the ringing stopped, and I thought at last you were going to answer:

Hey, this is Danny, I’m not here right now, so if you would just leave your name and number, and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Thanks! Beep!

“No!” I said before his voicemail ended.  My eyes started tearing up, thinking he was seriously hurt or even worse…when the beep came, I decided to leave him a voicemail this time.  Maybe he’ll finally realize how much I need him now...

“You know what? Forget this…” I said to myself after I ended the voicemail.  I tossed my phone to the other side of my bedroom, and I went to get ready for the night.  “If Danny wants to come over, he can just wait; I’m tired of feeling this sick about him not giving me any idea of where he is and how he’s doing.”

I put on my pajamas quickly in my bathroom, and I started pulling the sheets away from my bed to go to bed.  I stared one last time at my phone, hoping by some sure miracle that it would go off.  It didn’t.  I slipped underneath the sheets, pulled them over my head, and decided I should force myself to get some rest.  ”He can call all he wants,” I said to myself, “I’m not answering…”

Then, for what felt like about a second later, I heard Danny’s ringtone for my phone playing.  I groaned at hearing it.  I didn’t feel like getting up, I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to.  My body had other ideas.  It instantly pulled itself out of my bed and started taking me towards my phone.  I stopped and gazed at it.  Maybe he really needs me…maybe he’s trying to kiss tail…I don’t know what he wants anymore, I thought to myself as I reached for the phone and pressed accept.

“Hello?” I said indifferently.
“Hello, Sam?  I…It’s me, Danny…” Danny said unsteadily.

“What is it Danny?”
“I…I…I finished for…for tonight, the ghost fighting.”
“That’s good.”
“I guess…um, Sam.  I…I need to say something.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry about not answering…you know what it’s like, battling all those ghosts…”
“Sure…”
“Sam…” His voice was breaking as he spoke.  “Sam, I got bad again tonight…I don’t know what happened, or who was taking over.  I felt wrong.  I felt different, I felt darker.  It felt like Dark Dan had come back and was taking over again.  I felt myself slipping…and it hurts.  I need you…please come by the park and help…I’m weak, I’m hurt, and I don’t want to become him again…please…”

He hung up after that.  I held myself back from the tears of guilt, and it ached hearing him like this.  I grabbed my jacket quickly, put on my shoes, and raced out my bedroom to get to the park.

It was now two in the morning.  It was a chilly November early morning, and the wind picked up a little as I rushed towards downtown Amity Park.  The leaves kept attacking me with the ongoing wind, and a few stragglers from the downtown area where wandering hopelessly around.  I hardly paid any attention to them; all I was concerned was making sure Danny were ok.  I felt horrible about how my actions were earlier.  I shouldn’t have been that selfish…then again, he was acting very selfish by wondering off and going ballistic on me again.

I found myself at the park entrance within record time. I scanned around, but I couldn’t find Danny anywhere.  I guessed if he saw himself going crazy again, he had to be near the pond.  I walked briskly along the path that leads to the pond, still searching for him hoping for the best.

It didn’t take me long after getting on the path to find him.  He was curled in a ball underneath a tree, with his head resting on his knees.  He was still Danny Phantom, but his glow that is usually surrounding him had completely faded.  He was trembling all over, and I noticed his arms were hugging his chest tight.  He looked pathetic, not the kind that made people want to laugh at him, but the kind of pathetic that you sympathize other constantly.  He seemed to be sobbing, with his chest heaving up and down when it happened.  

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all

I stepped closer towards him, gently calling his name not to frighten him.  He looked up at the sound of my voice and smiled his half-sided grin.  I’m glad he was smiling; my face was of pure shock when I saw his injuries.  His chest was almost ripped completely open, his face was covered in scratches, and his jumpsuit was torn badly enough to reveal all the hidden bruises he had.  

“Hey Sam…” Danny said weakly reaching one of his hands to beckon me closer.  It was covered in blood and ectoplasm.  

“Danny…” I said softly at first still frozen at his appearance.  I then shouted his name and ran towards him, kneeling down to eye level and checking all that was wrong with him.

“If you don’t get these treated soon, you’re going to die, Danny.  Why didn’t you fly sooner towards my house?!” I yelled at him pulling him into an embrace, crying into his torn shoulder.  I was trying to stop myself from all of it, from the concern to the true worry, but I couldn’t fight it any longer.  He was in a lot of pain, both physically and mentally, and it was my entire fault.  I just wanted him to be better, to be up walking around, and to be Danny.

During my embrace with him, he reverted back to Danny Fenton, and then he passed out in my arms.  I laid him down on the ground and started tending to his wounds.  It was going to take a lot of gauze, but Danny would live; he always lives.

“Sam…” Danny spoke in the middle of me tending to his wounds.
“Yes Danny?” I said stopping for a second to look at him.
“I’m glad you’re here…I really needed you now.”

I stared at him briefly, chuckled slightly, and said, “Obviously.”  I think he knew that in my mind, I needed him now too.