Eniyou: So this is Heaven

A song fic

By: 'Vizzy (weirdIT)

Summary: Danny has died, but a year later, he finally finds the ghost portal again. Now he must reunite with his friends and family.

Song: Great Beyond by R.E.M.

Rated: K+

Why did I pick this title: Because it's what I call the song for some reason.

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, or the song, or Princess Bride, or The Bible, or K Mart, or Very much money… I am far from owning a lawyer any time soon either, so… don't sue me, Dudes!

I watch the stars fall silent from your eyes,

All the sights that I have seen,

It was a ghost. He had done this. And through a year, Danny had not forgiven him. Who would forgive someone who changed his or her life forever? Actually, stopped it. He had died. His ghost half had become his whole. Danny had his own lair now. It was nice. It had a decent bed, a seat, a TV (courtesy of the box ghost on Danny's death day as a sign of respect) and a bookshelf, where he collected stray books.

But his most valuable possession was his photo album, with pictures of his past life having fun. He looked over it every day, knowing every page by heart. He knew what his friends looked like… or used to look like, and images of his family, bullies, everything. He was the same old guy. He still kept his emotions and feelings, a very hard thing to do, but with the power he had gained, it wasn't impossible. Many ghosts thought it was foolish to use his power to hold onto his emotions. What did they know? They don't remember what it was like to feel. They didn't understand. Nobody really understood except all the people he was forced to leave behind. All the same, he still had an idea of what he was fighting for when he still had a decent amount of life in him.

He wondered sometimes that if he begged for some of Vlad's DNA, whom he was still in touch with, that he could make himself a new body like Spectra's only… not so evil. But asking that much of a friend-- which Vlad now was--just wouldn't be right.

All he had to do was escape. Just because he wasn't living, doesn't mean he could never see his friends again. He made his decision. He was going to go back to the Human world today, and find his friends, even if it took him an eternity to get out of this place. He just wanted acceptance again. He wanted to see his friends in person. He looked at a picture in the very back of his album. It had everyone in his family, and his two best friends; and him, right in the middle of it all. He envied his human self. If only he could be with those he loved again. A tear fell on the picture. He would find a way out of this place. He would search everywhere in here with every ounce of will in his heart to guide him. He needed to see them again.

I can't believe that I believed,

I wish that you could see,

Sam looked at her scrapbook/ journal. She looked at it every Friday. It was a soul promise she made to Danny the day of his funeral. Tucker joined in every other week or so, as well as Jazz, they wanted to console her. But this time, they were too busy to come. She was alone.

Her clothes were a bit different now, her shirt was a black tee with a light purple tank top decorated with a black spider web over it, and her skirt was the same, except for a small lace lining of spider web décor. Maybe it suited her a little better. She was reluctant to change her look, but, her parents liked it a little better, too. Changing her look seemed a much better idea than fighting her folks every day to make sure they didn't put anything pink on her while she wasn't looking.

Danny's mother got a copy of Sam's favorite picture of her and Danny, which Sam put at the end of the scrapbook with the date of his death day, wake, and funeral. A tear fled her eye, as it did every single Friday that she could remember.

It was the one-year anniversary of his death tomorrow; everyone would go to the Fenton house to help each other along in their struggles. Even Sam's mom and dad promised to be there. It would be a day of support and kindness, but at the same time, a day of misery and pain, as the wound would be opened again.

Her watch beeped, signaling the presence of a ghost. Her other soul promise to on the day of Danny's death, was that she would take on the mission of Team Phantom, and protect the citizens from ghosts that still infested the town. She made no delay to get her ghost hunting gear. It was a jumpsuit. Most of it was black, but the boots and gloves that extended over quite a bit of her leg and arm area, were dark purple, as well as her collar, utility belt, and mask. The only different color on her was a signature electric green 'DP' that glistened from the body wear like the moon escapes the dismal, black sky.

She carried a small, spider backpack with her everywhere. It had her normal/ ghost hunting clothes inside, and occasionally, her school books, but she usually kept them in a zip-up binder. She jumped out of her window, front flipping, and then peacefully landing on the ground with a soft click of her shoes. She stood up, but what she saw, was truly unexpected. It was a figure with a black hazmat and snow white gloves, boots, and hair flying off at about 112 miles per hour. She quickly powered up her jet skates, chasing after him, but unlike her usual fighting style, she did not blast him with any sort of stun gun. She just kept on chasing, thinking one thing over and over: could it really be him?

She raced after him, they were both going at least 120 miles per hour by now, but Sam was quick to dodge obstacles, as part of her training. She also had every dead end in the city ramped. On her skates, she was pretty much unstoppable.

But her two goals were the same: One, catch the ghost that had killed Danny, two, protect Amity Park citizens from evil ghosts, and three, find Danny as a ghost. After a year passed, she was quickly loosing hope that her third goal would ever be accomplished, but, now, she was using every little ounce of hope that her body provided.

She finally thought of the perfect weapon to aid her: A tracking device. She was loosing her energy fast, but she knew, that eventually, he would lose his too, and when he lands, she could find him. She took out a slingshot, and closed one eye, going off a ramp, just in time to get high enough, and shoot for his back. The tracker didn't stray, attaching to the suit he was wearing dead on. She knew it would not fall off. She slowed to a stop, quickly crouching, and putting her hands on her knees for support, and breathing heavily. She was in an alley, so it was safe to put her normal clothes on. She had to tell Tucker as soon as possible.

Isn't any planet in the solar system,

There is nothing up my sleeve,

Danny flew at a little less than top speed, he wasn't ready to face her completely yet, but at the same time, he wanted her to get a good look at him. But carrying his emotions, as well as his powers, seemed to be doing a number on him, as he was tiring fast. He felt a prick on his back, but kept going, could be anything, a bug, or a stray piece of hail. It didn't matter. Sam finally stopped, leaving Danny relieved, yet sad at the same time. He wanted to know what she looked like under her mask.

He knew she was going to ghost fight. He remembered hearing it outside of the coffin. She even explained what her suit would look like, so that he could "Find her if he should ever become a ghost." He never forgot. He wished he had power over his body at that point, for he would've loved to just pop out and say "Surprise!" But he was dead, and he couldn't get out of his paralyzed body until he was buried.

Invisible, he watched Sam take her mask off, her hair was the same, except a bit longer, but she still looked as she did in the pictures. Then, she went behind a dumpster. He waited for a bit, until she emerged, stuffing her suit into her backpack. She looked around, and then put the backpack on her back. Danny took a good look at her appearance. She had matured a bit, as he knew she would, but other than that, her new outfit was easy to identify.

She walked away, completely oblivious that he was there, until her watch started beeping. He quickly fled, but as he took one last retreating glance, he noticed that she didn't even look like she cared. She must've had some idea of who could be triggering her watch, and apparently, wanted the 'ghost' to know what she looked like. Good ole' Sam. He thought to himself. He flew off to the park, bringing the new memory with him.

He slept in a tree that night, the stars and the moon wavered in the clouds, the occasional plane coming into view. He always loved the idea of space. He loved to hear the stars whisper to each other. He heard them every once and a while. One of his newly obtained powers was to hear the stars, moon and planets; to gain information, wisdom and knowledge from them. This inner power had probably derived from his aspiration to become an astronaut. He certainly learned a lot more over the passed years, but holding onto his emotions kept him from hearing them all the time. Right now, he was glad he could hear them. It was time for sleep, and the stars were gently singing a lullaby.

I'm pushing an elephant up the stairs,

I'm tossing out punch lines that were never there,

Over my shoulder a piano falls,

Crashing to the ground,

But humans, such as Sam, could not hear the lullaby, and she was, instead, pondering her thoughts hoping for an explanation. She found none, and decided to call up Tuck.

"Hey, Tucker!" She said, glad that he picked up.

"Sam?" He said sleepily. "It's Two thirty!" He probably would be exasperated if this emotion wasn't over ruled by exhaustion.

"Never mind that Tuck! I think I saw Danny!" She said quickly.

Suddenly all signs of sleepiness faded from Tucker's voice.

"You what?"

"Saw Danny!"

"When?"

"Just a few moments ago!"

"But Sam! He d… d…"

"Died, yes I know, but I didn't see Danny Fenton, I saw Danny Phantom!" She said, keeping her beliefs strong and untouched.

"Okay, okay. But if you did see him, then, what did he say?"

"Erm… nothing really. I think he was scared of me. He ran away, but… I chased after him, and got a homing chip on him."

"So… are you positive that it was Danny?"

"Er, well… no. But I'm 99 sure."

"Right…So, when do you plan on using the homing device?"

"Well, actually, I hadn't thought of it much." She admitted.

"I guess I'll go with you." He said. Sam knew that no matter how pescimistic his nature wanted to be in that moment of time, he was still overwhelmed with hope, and couldn't completely contain it. "I'll meet you at your house in ten minutes."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye" They hung up. She put some deodorant on, brushed her hair, and grabbed a banana from the fruit basket on the table. Then she left a note on her bedside table, saying she went over to Tucker's for breakfast. She grabbed her backpack, and turned to her GPS. The beeping was coming from somewhere near the middle of the park. She put on her skates, and went outside.

The sky was still dark. Tucker soon met up with her. They left for the park, talking along the way.

In all this talk of time, talk is mine.

I don't want to stay around,

"So, you think he's a ghost?" Tucker started.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well I was just thinking… never mind. Can I have some of that banana?" She rolled her eyes, and gave him part of her breakfast, then she got back to the point.

"What were you gonna say?" she pressed on.

"Well, what if he… What if he has no emotion left? What if he came here to take revenge on who knows what?" Sam stopped in her tracks. It felt like someone had dropped a one hundred twenty pound piano on her, and crushed her spirits to bits.

She wanted to smack Tucker for saying that. She wanted to pin him down, and pull out her slingshot, hitting him with glass marbles repetitively, but she knew in her heart that he might be right.

Danny could be a crazed up ghost who loves blowing things up! She didn't know what to expect from him.

"Wow! I'm so sorry, Sam, I… I didn't think you would take it that hard!" She snapped back to reality, and found Tucker reading her emotions, as he sometimes had to do. Sam was a girl of thought. A lot of the times, she didn't feel like "talking about it."

"That's okay," She said softly. She started blading again, now dreading what she might find. When they got to the tree, sure enough they found a black and white figure sleeping in it, but now, they weren't as keen to wake him up. Dawn was coming soon, and they decided it was best to let him have some rest before he awoke to their questions. However, they were stumped why he, a ghost after all, needed to sleep. But hey, Sam thought, if he's sleeping, it's probably for good reason. Her watch started beeping loudly, but she turned it off as not to wake him.

They studied him; it was definitely Danny. They waited, anxiously for the right time to wake him. Sam felt a tear drip from her eye. She had never told anyone who hadn't already known about Danny's secret, even after his death. She figured Danny wanted it that way. Tucker and Jazz didn't either. They all knew it was for the best. It was kind of their binding, all being part of "Team Phantom," but Sam was the only one who actually chased ghosts anymore. She had the most training. Tucker and Jazz had suits and such for special missions that Sam couldn't do on her own, but she was the one who made the promise; she kept it.

She placed her head on Tucker's shoulder, felling her eyes start to swell. She was happy she had such a great friend. He helped her through Danny's death so much, and never asked for anything back. The sun was about to rise. It was time to wake Danny.

They stood up. Tucker gave Sam a boost up the tree. A twig broke under Sam's weight, but Danny did not stir.

She climbed up a little more, and tried to touch Danny, but nothing except special ghost equipment could touch a ghost involuntarily. Her finger went right through his arm. She felt the cold around her finger, and couldn't help but shudder from pure nerve. This was going to be emotional, no matter how it turned out.

"Tucker," she whispered down to him. "Get the ghost gloves from my utility belt in my backpack." Tucker scrimmaged through the small purple bag, finally finding something.

"Here." He handed her a pair of purple gloves that looked similar to leather winter gloves, except they had glowing green electric veins weaving through them. She put them on, and then tried again. When she could successfully touch his arm, she followed through, shaking him gently.

"Danny?" She whispered. He woke up and started squinting, but as soon as he realized it was Sam who had woken him, his eyes opened wide, showing a vivid electric green. He scuttled to back away, and quickly turned invisible.

"Danny? It's okay… I… I… Your Danny right?" She knew he was Danny, but she wanted him to say it. More importantly, she wanted to hear his voice again. Tears once again broke her velvety violet eyes that were already irritated from crying. Her emotions were tense; very tense. The last time she used this many emotions was when Danny had died, a year ago to this day.

She decided to just let her thoughts out. She looked around the seemingly empty branch that her friend had just been sleeping on, and began to speak again.

"Danny, if it is you… and your still here, I… I… just want to talk to you. I haven't for a year now. I was coming close to thinking that I had lost my ability to talk to you forever. I… I wish I could just erase the past year to right before you… d… er… passed on, and save you. I care about you… I might even… love you…" She was silent, and held back her tears no longer, letting them all flow out in a seemingly constant river from her eyes, right down to her chin.

Danny became visible, now showing that he was shedding tears himself. Tucker was still watching from the sidelines, waiting for a good time to come in, and though he felt guilty for it, there was a ghost of a smile nearly along his lips. She finally admitted her feelings for Danny. Took her long enough, He thought with an internal sneer.

But no matter what else they were thinking, Sam and Tucker were also both puzzling over something. Ghost can't cry. It's a well-known fact. But there he was tears and all.

"Sam… I…" Danny started in a wavery voice.

She could not hold back the shock of just hearing his voice again, but as the seconds went by in slow motion, she realized she had never felt more happiness in her life. This was the same voice as she remembered, and it seemed, in his eyes and voice, that he had the same undying, caring compassion that he had had when he was still alive. He even remembered her name!

"I'm sorry." He said. Just then, he turned, and flew off.

Tucker was shocked. "Well, that's not what I expected."

But Sam didn't even care. She saw him! He was more or less tangible! She jumped down from the tree, and ran to Tucker, hugging him, her tears of panic and anxiety were now tears of distinct and utter joy.

Danny felt his heart race, why did he leave? It was the perfect time to get back where he belonged; be accepted again. But he was fleeing. He had to turn back. He had to be with them! Danny kept moving forward with a heavy heart.

Why can't we pantomime,

Just close our eyes and sleep sweet dreams?

Me and you, with wings on our feet,

It wasn't about hate; it wasn't about rebellion. Sam could tell, as she went over Danny's expressions in her mind. It still baffled her how he could cry, but she knew he wasn't here to do anything wrong. She was overjoyed, and she hardly even knew why.

He left me. But he said he was sorry. He's a ghost! But if he can cry, maybe he found a way to keep just a little bit of his humanity. Nothing could pull her from her unique-- and for once, happy-- state of mind.

Tucker kept his shocked state; so many emotions in such little time. First, surprise, then happiness, then sadness, then anxiety, then sadness again, and then joy, and now shock. He couldn't think strait. He wasn't that good with emotions, and even with a day of preparation, he was thrown off by all that was happening.

They were both walking to the Fenton's, quiet, while right beside them, though they didn't notice, was Danny himself. He was just walking, invisible right next to them. Sam noticed nothing, her internal ghost alarm was overshadowed by her joy, and her watch was off. But Tucker was looking for something to take his mind off of confusion, and soon noticed something different in the air. This sense that Tucker had came from expecting the unexpected which came from previously having a half-ghost as a best friend. Not to mention there seemed to be a slight drop of temperature.

"Sam, somebody's here. A ghost," He said suddenly. They both stopped, Danny panicked. He started to fly off, but then realized that there was absolutely no where he'd rather be.

"Turn on your watch." Tucker continued. But right before Sam pressed the "on" button, Danny spoke.

"No need." His voice seemed to echo more than usual, as the two simple words resonated between the teens. For them, the world had just stopped for the second time that day. Danny proceeded to back up a bit so they wouldn't get even more startled, and then became visible.

Sam's eyes widened and she instantly up to him without warning and just hugged him, without any words. But what words could possibly describe the unique sensation that she was feeling that moment. A hug described it ten times better than words could ever dare to go.

Meanwhile, Tucker stared with a blank face, and a mind that was anything but blank. For a long time he could do nothing but stare at the destined couple as they were reunited. Then, slowly, a small, uncertain smile spread across his lips.

"It's seriously you?" He spoke. The warmth in his voice surprised even himself. Danny was smiling at Sam's embrace, a little relieved that she wasn't trying to exorcise him for running from their first and second encounter. Danny then turned to him and nodded with a sheepish grin.

"Dude, wh… wh…" Tucker started, but he didn't know how to ask what he really wanted to ask. He just couldn't put it into words. He walked up to Danny, and stuck out his hand for a handshake. Danny accepted. "I don't know how to even start to tell you how much we've missed ya, Man." He said, his smile becoming complete. He couldn't help it; he joined the hug.

"That's okay," Danny stated, "'Cause I don't know how to express how much I've missed you guys." The burden of keeping his emotions no longer seemed like a burden.

After what felt like an extremely long time, they finally broke the loving embrace.

"You know we still have a lot of questions for you." Sam said to him teasingly.

"Trust me, I've got all the time in the world to answer them." Danny replied.

"So, I guess your… completely dead, still, huh?" Sam started off.

"Yeah," Danny answered. His eyes dropped to the ground. But Sam quickly picked up his chin to make eye contact. Wow, were those eyes bright.

"Did I ever say that was unforgivable?" Danny shook his head, and a smile quickly appeared on his face again.

"So," Tucker started with a teasing grin, "I guess we're friends with a dead guy." Danny punched him in the arm, playfully. He was so lucky to have such loyal friends. It actually felt like old times for a bit. Sam pulled him into another hug. She couldn't help it.

"I'm so glad your back," She said softly.

"Alright, alright… But what about your family?" Tucker said, getting to the inconvenient truth. "We can't keep you our little secret. We at least need to tell Jazz."

"You're right." Danny admitted, pulling out of the hug.

"Okay, so… I guess we're heading for the Fenton house." Sam said.

"Well, yeah, but then we'd have to look sad, and we're far from sad right now." Tucker stated.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Danny." Sam teased.

"Okay… So put some lemon juice in your eyes or eye drops, or something." Danny said, half smiling.

"Or we could just dab some hot water on our eyes, and think of the saddest thing that ever happened to us, smart one," Sam mocked.

"Besides loosing me," Danny joked, ignoring Sam's new name for him. They stopped by Sam's house, and wet their eyes, then Danny flew them to a block away from the Fenton house. They both shifted their weight to make a crouching position, and slumped into the house, Danny behind them, invisible.

It wasn't a very pretty sight inside the house. Everyone had a box of tissues on their laps, and they all had puffy, red eyes. They were watching home videos of Danny. The older Danny Couldn't help but sit next to his mom for a while; wishing and wishing that he could turn visible that very moment, and hug her, telling her that it was alright, and that he was here. But she would probably be frightened of me. He reasoned to himself. She would probably attack me or something… or, if she didn't, my dad would. No, now was not the time; not yet. He flinched as the TV revealed his mother changing his diaper for the first time. Sam and Tucker, behind the couch were becoming teary-eyed, but for a different reason. They were trying with all their might not to burst out in hysterics as Maddie showed the open diaper to the camera, then turned and hugged her baby saying "Goo' boy! Goo' boy!" Danny instantly got up off the sofa, and pulled his two friends over to Jazz. It must've looked awkward at the time, an invisible force pulling two snickering teens, but thankfully, no one was paying much attention.

"Jazz, we need to see you, now." Sam said, trying to calm down, her tears of pure hilarity were now helping as a prop to help her acting. Jazz was a mess. Her hair was untidy, her headband missing, and there were huge bags under her puffy, red eyes. Danny hated it. Was he responsible for this? There was no way he couldn't be. Guilt was now hacking at him like a crazed beaver.

"Can't it wait?" She wined sulkily, blowing her nose. The two glanced at each other.

"No, you need it now!" Sam asserted. Together, the two visable young teens hoisted the older teen up, and gently pushed her upstairs, Danny following them.

"Sit down," Sam said as she closed the door to Jazz's bedroom, and locked it. Jazz obediently sat down on her bed.

"Jazz, I know this is hard to believe, but Danny is in this very room."

"Yea, in my heart, he's…"

"No, think more physically." Sam said, cutting her off.

"You mean… he's alive!" Jazz yelled. Tucker put his forehead to his palm, and shook his head. Jazz is obviously not thinking strait. The duo thought together.

"No," Sam continued. Jazz's face fell. "He's dead, but… aww, just show her, Danny," She gave up, and sat down beside Tucker. Danny became visible, showing that he was sitting in the corner.

Jazz 's reaction was Sam and Tucker's combined. First, she just sat there for at least two minutes, then without warning, she erupted from her bed, launching herself at Danny, and squeezing him in a hug, and sobbing happily into his shoulder. Danny felt his eyes bulge. "That's a little too tight," he said, voluntarily making his voice sound out of breath to sound as human as possible.

"Danny! I can't believe it! I thought you were dead!" She screamed, ignoring his comment.

"Jazz, I am dead." He reminded her.

"Oh... right." Her hug loosened a tad, as she thought about this with a heavy heart. No, things would still never be the same as they used to be. But she couldn't let her baby brother see any disappointment. This moment could not be spoiled, for his sake, and hers. "Well, I thought…" Her hug tightened once more, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Sam and Tucker watched happily.

After another monstrously long hug, Jazz let go of the embrace, smiling, tears flowing down her face. But these tears were not of sorrow anymore, but of excitement and joy.

"You're gonna tell mom and dad right?" She inquired.

"Well, yeah, but… I just don't know how… I'm not exactly the same I looked when I died," Danny pointed out.

"I guess we'll just have to tell them, then." Jazz reasoned. Danny nodded. It was passed time.

I'm pushing an elephant up the stairs,

I'm tossing out punch lines that were never there,

Over my shoulder a piano falls,

Crashing to the ground,

I'm breaking through;

I'm bending spoons,

I'm keepin' flowers in full bloom,

I'm lookin' for answers from the great beyond,

I watch the humming birds and dancing birds,

Sweetest dreams of you,

Downstairs, people were watching Danny's first Home video. He'd done it on nature. Their extended family lived in the country, and had a beautiful lake. Flowers framed it; the lily pads bloomed into flowers, baby frogs were croaking, and the occasional hummingbird flew by the camera lens. There were two other birds sky pointing. It was marvelous footage for five-year-old. The tape finished, and a sniffling Maddie changed it to one where a six-year-old Danny started singing a lullaby, and accidentally sang himself to sleep. When that tape went blank, they stopped watching the videos to calm each other down, and Mrs. Manson and Mrs. Foley went to get some chocolate fudge to help Jack feel better.

Danny watched how kind the Mansons had become to his family, even with all their differences. They seemed to set this aside for him. Maybe something good did come out of all this.

It was time.

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz stood in front of the TV to get full attention, and full attention they got. The adults were taken aback by their rather cheerful faces.

Danny sat on the floor behind the three teens to listen, and wait. Sam started to speak.

"It's time we tell you all something." Danny smiled. The adults all exchanged looks, Mrs. Manson and Mrs. Foley walked in the door.

"We're baaack!" She sang, but as she saw the placement of everyone, she soon had a question buzzing in her head, and was quick to ask it. "What's going on?"

"Mom, could you sit down for a second?" Sam hastened. Mrs. Manson sat, a bag of chocolate fudge still clamped in her hands. Mrs. Foley followed. Sam began.

"Do you remember that accident, a long time ago?" She asked, "The one in the Lab that got the ghost portal going?" Jack and Maddie nodded.

"Well, that's not all that happened. Something also happened to Danny," Jazz continued, "He was inside the ghost portal when it turned on." All the adults seemed to gasp as one.

"But nobody could possibly survive that!" Maddie countered, quickly. She was unwilling to even imagine the pain her son would've gone through if the story was true.

"Exactly. Danny only partially survived it," Jazz clarified. Her parents raised their eyebrows. "He turned…" She hesitated, "…part ghost." The room was silent for a long time.

"That's impossible!" Maddie finally denied stubbornly. "Besides, we would notice a ghost flying around that looked exactly like our Danny!"

"No, it's not impossible. In fact there are two cases in the world." Tucker said.

"You know of another predicament like this!?" Maddie asked.

"That's not important." Sam continued, elbowing Tucker in the ribs. "Anyway, in his ghost form, which he could easily gain access to, he looked different than the Danny Fenton we know. The thing is, he became… he became the ghost we called… Danny Phantom." Silence enveloped the room for another endless moment.

"But Danny Phantom was evil!" Maddie yelled, "And our son was not!"

"No! He was always being set up by other ghosts!" Jazz said, now a bit exasperated with her mother's constant interruptions. Everyone else was quiet, why couldn't she? Tucker now chose an example.

"Like when he supposedly attacked the Mayor, the Mayor was being over shadowed by a ghost named Walker. Walker was trying to make Danny Public Enemy #1 to avenge a fight between the two of them that happened a long time beforehand. He made it look like Danny was the one attacking the mayor, when actually; the overshadowed mayor was holding Danny against his will."

"He died in a fight between him and another ghost, saving the red huntress; y'know, the mysterious ghost hunter?" Sam said flatly. "How noble can you get?" Behind her, Danny turned an invisible crimson.

"But the thing is…" Jazz progressed, "He miraculously held on to his emotions when he turned into a complete ghost… and he's been living as a ghost in the ghost zone for a year now. More recently, he's escaped from the ghost zone, and he went to Tucker and Sam right away."

Jazz now concluded the story, "He met up with us first, and so here we stand Danny's ghost is here in this room, right now, invisible. But it's probably best you talk over what we've told you before he shows himself to you guys, after all, he does look different, and we don't want to put too much pressure on you guys all at once. Mr. and Mrs. Manson, and Mr. and Mrs. Foley, we don't mind if you leave now. You've already helped so much, but we don't want to put any more burdens on you."

With that, the three teens left, unknown to the speechless adults, that there was a fourth teenager following behind them. They went up the stairs into Danny's room. Danny became visible, and closed the door, looking around. His room was just as if he left it, perfectly preserved. He lay on his bed.

"Wow! I forgot how comfy this thing was!" He said to his friends. They laughed a little, followed by a sigh of relief in unison.

"Well, that went well," Tucker said.

"Could've been better," Sam added.

"But, still not that bad," Tucker added.

They all just sat there, asking Danny different questions.

The adults sat, paralyzed in their seats.

"I…never imagined!" Maddie thought out loud. "Could it be? It would've explained a whole lot!"

"Half ghost? That couldn't be possible!" Jack added.

"But…it might be a way we could see our son again." Maddie continued.

"Danny Phantom is evil! That was supposed to be a fact!" Jack said, his voice acerbic.

"But the kids looked serious, and Jazz was bawling before, but she just came down without a tear in her eye." Maddie recalled.

"Then we'd have to accept our son in a way that we've never seen him before! How can we trust him?"

"We could accept him in a way we've never seen him before, or we could go the rest of our lives mourning. He's our son; if there is an ounce of hope of seeing him again, I'm for it. I think if our daughter, as well as his best friends believes in it, then it's worth going for. Let's face it; they seemed to know Danny much better than us." Maddie concluded. The Mansons simply watched. She went up to Danny's room, and was just about to knock on Danny's Door, when she heard her son's voice.

"Yea, I love doing that," he said. "It feels like you're on top of the world!"

Maddie felt her heart pound to the rhythm of her little boy's words. Though it had a slight echo, she could recognize that voice anywhere—or so she thought.

"Speaking of feelings, how did you hold onto your emotions after you… y'know…?" Sam asked, dubiously, "Most ghosts are mindless."

"Well," Danny Began, "I got this huge amount of power when I died. For a long time after the funeral I just sat in some sort of limbo place. Suddenly this ghost came out of nowhere. He just popped up right in front of me. He asked, since I had enough power, if I wanted to give it up for keeping my emotions. I knew if I didn't keep my emotions, I could become evil. I've seen what an evil me can do. And even though I was full aware of how much emotional pain I could go through, and how many times in the eternity that now stretched ominously in front of me, I would never want to be responsible for such a horrendous future. I decided to keep my emotions. Now, I'm only a bit more powerful than I was when I was half ghost." Maddie was on the verge of fainting as she listened wide eyed. She had just heard her own son talking when he had been dead for a year now, not to mention that he had just admitted that he once was half ghost! She couldn't help but continue to listen.

"Wait, you said after the funeral, where were you during the funeral?" Tucker inquired. Danny smiled. It seemed Tucker had gotten a bit sharper over the past year.

"I was in my body, only, I couldn't move, the only thing I could do was listen." Danny explained patiently.

"That must've been a nightmare," Jazz sympathized.

"Yeah, it did hurt a lot. I wished for nothing more than to just climb out of that thing and hug you guys. But I must admit, hearing what you guys said helped make the last year of emotional distress a lot more worth while."

"So you mean you heard what everyone said to you?" Sam asked, blushing. Danny knew that she probably wouldn't want to tell people, especially Tucker exactly what she said that day; not yet.

"Yeah, everything," Danny said, blushing in return. Tucker didn't get the hint.

"So, do you remember what I said to you?" Tucker asked.

"You told me how I was your best friend and that you'd never forget me, and how you hoped I wouldn't forget you." Danny recalled. There was never a moment in his afterlife where Danny had stopped thinking about what his friends and family had said to him that day. It was beyond touching.

"What did Jazz say?" Tucker kept challenging.

"She said that she was sorry for everything she ever said that ever discouraged me, that she cared about me so, so many times, that she was sorry for catching me in the thermos so much, and that she loved me… very, very much." Jazz's cheeks flushed, and she fought back tears once more.

"Your Dad?" Tucker pushed.

"That if a ghost killed me, he'd rip it apart molecule by molecule… and that he loved me dearly, and misses me."

"Your mom?" Maddie's eyes widened even more, wondering if he actually remembered everything she said to him. Danny smiled, he didn't act like it, but he knew his mom was listening. He took a deep breath, and started reciting by heart.

"I love you so much. I wish you were alright; we all miss you so much. I wish I could take all your family's pain away; wish that everything could be as it was, but it can't.

Wasn't it great when you were young? It was such a joy: watching you grow up. I remember when you were little like it was yesterday: How we shared everything, how we hugged, sang, how I pushed you on your favorite swing in the park: the one that went the highest, like the rocket ship you wanted to be on one day to go to outer space. It was so much fun raising you, and though we've grown apart, our love still came through every once and a while.

You started spending more time with your friends, and I, with your father. But I knew you were having fun; that was what mattered, even if you weren't with me. I know sometimes you didn't trust me, but that's okay… I love you.

I wish our journey didn't have to end so soon, but I hope you take this with you, wherever you may be right now: I love you, my precious baby boy." He finished. The room was silent. Maddie was crying uncontrollably. He had remembered everything she had said, word for word.

"I can't believe you remembered all that…" Tucker admitted.

"I couldn't have forgotten if I tried," He said simply.

"So…" Tucker said smugly, "What did Sam say?"

Danny paused for a moment. "Some things, however, remain without remembrance." He winked at Sam. She blushed again, sheepishly.

"Aww… c'mon!" Tucker started. "You remember what she said word for word, too, don't you." Danny remained stubborn smiling crookedly. "C'mon, Danny!"

"Isn't it time we go downstairs?" Sam cut in, still blushing bright scarlet. "The adults have been waiting a while, I'm sure."

"Yea, sure, let's just wait for something." Danny said rather loudly. Maddie's heart skipped a beat. Did Danny know she was there? She quickly fled downstairs, tears still issuing from her eyes.

"That was a while!" Jack said. She grinned at her husband, who had fudge all over his face. He really could be very cute. Dry tears now sparkling on her cheeks, she walked over, and started wiping the fudge off his face.

"Well, I had to use the bathroom, and by the time I got to the door, I listened in, and they were already planning on coming down."

"Did you hear Danny?" Jack asked seriously, Maddie then noticed that he had dry tears running down his cheeks as well. He might not be the smartest guy, but he was gentle, and sweet, and considerate, and he cared, deeply.

"Yes… yes I did."

They both smiled, and a fresh flow of tears were let loose. Jack pulled her into another embrace, patting her on the back gently.

Just then, the three teens came down the stairs once more, and just like before, they were followed by a fourth invisible one.

"Are you guys ready?" Jazz asked. Her tone was serious, but her eyes were trying to wordlessly console both of them.

"We're far beyond ready to see our son again." Maddie assured.

"Alright…" They hesitantly moved aside, and Danny slowly made himself visible.

"Uhh… surprise!" He said with a sheepish smile. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. The moment Maddie saw this, everything was confirmed. Only Danny did things like that. Only he could conjure up such love in her every time he gave a nervous smile. She immediately let go of her fears of what might happen if he was dangerous. She ran up and hugged him, just like Sam and Jazz before her, sobbing happily into his shoulder, and reminding him how much she loved him. Danny smiled contently, patting her on the back, and saying how he loved her too, and how he missed her, and that he was so sorry he left her. Then, she stood aside, knowing that Jack needed his time. She was right, of course, but… how much time would Jack need? He stood up, and walked up to Danny, watery eyes, and a broad smile. For a long time he stood in the middle of the living room, looking at him, but not quite focusing his eyes. His head spun as he thought. This is a Phantom. He is not a human like my son was. But now I see so many similarities. I see he seems so familiar—the way he acts… Finally, Jack focused on Danny's face.

"Let me have a look at you, son," He said, grabbing Danny's shoulders, and looking him up and down. Then, suddenly, he pulled him into a tight embrace. Danny hugged him back.

Now Jack wasn't a religious man. No matter how many years in Catholic school his father put him through, he never really grasped a strong belief. But as he was hugging his son, a quote from the bible rushed into his mind, and could not be shaken loose.'For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' (Luke 15: 24)

As the embrace loosened, Maddie spoke. "We have so much to catch up on, sweetie." Maddie told him.

He smiled warmly. "I have plenty of time."

That afternoon he answered just about every kind of question in the book, He even told them about his power to listen to stars, which fascinated family and friends alike. A long time passed in the evening. They sat on the roof, and asked Danny what the stars were saying. That night, however, when almost everyone was home, and asleep, Danny knew it was time to talk to Sam alone.

I look into the stars,

I look into the moon,

"Listen," He started nervously. They were walking in the park, under a perfect sheet of stars, and he could hear two whispering about him and Sam. They were both looking up at them. They wordlessly decided to sit on a bench nearby.

"Sam, see those two stars there," he pointed, with one eye closed.

"Yea," She replied after a minute of searching for the right one.

"They're gossiping about us," He stated. She looked at him, disbelieving.

"You're kidding. I'm not that important," She teasingly pushed him.

"Think about how many stars there are out there. Every pair needs something interesting, and original to talk about. You're interesting, and definitely original, why wouldn't they want to talk about you," He said convincingly. She looked to his eyes. Everything in them was truthful. "They're saying," He continued, "that we might have a chance together, even though I'm… dead," He paused, "that we could have something special as a couple."

She leaned on him, and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. She softly recited one of her favorite lines from the movie The Princess Bride.

"Death cannot stop true love." She said simply.

They looked to the stars once more. Danny was delighted by a potential 'yes,' and the hopes of a new beginning. They leaned on each other gently. He was sure they could get by even with all their differences, including probably the biggest difference of all: life and death.

Sam had promised at his grave that she would fight ghosts for him and for the entire city. She had promised to look at his pictures every week. And she had promised to always keep him close to her heart. She kept them all.

I'm pushing an elephant up the stairs,

I'm tossing out punch lines that were never there,

Over my shoulder a piano falls,

Crashing to the ground,

I'm breaking through;

I'm bending spoons,

I'm keepin' flowers in full bloom,

I'm lookin' for answers from the great beyond,

I'm breaking through;

I'm bending spoons,

I'm keepin' flowers in full bloom,

I'm lookin' for answers from the great beyond,

I'm breaking through;

I'm bending spoons,

I'm keepin' flowers in full bloom,

I'm lookin' for answers from the great,

answers form the great,

answers!

The End