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DP: A Shoulder to Lean On

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A Shoulder to Lean On
A Danny Phantom Fanfic
by Skye_Writer

Valerie Gray sped over Amity Park, the lights of the city below her a shifting and glittering patchwork.  She barely noticed this; she was far more interested in making it back to the library than taking in the glow of the city lights.

It had been a quiet night, for once.  Unfortunately, quiet also meant boring, and it furthermore meant she’d gone to all the trouble of going out for nothing.  I could’ve worked on my homework, she thought, frowning and shifting her weight on the hoverboard to accelerate.  Heck, I probably could’ve finished most of it.  But somebody’s gotta do this, and I don’t see anyone else signing up.

Except for Danny.  She shook her head.  But he doesn’t count.  And it’s not like he gives a care about me anyway.

The library, a squat, brown building squeezed between much taller structures, appeared on the horizon.  Valerie leaned back and directed the board into a gradual descent.  Maybe I can work on some of that stuff before class tomorrow.  Hmph.  Hope none of the librarians found my stuff, I don’t wanna go asking for it.

The board was about ten feet above the library roof when a sensor went off in her ear, screeching.  Valerie blinked at the sound for a second before she reacted, and her momentary confusion cost her.  By the time she’d swung the board around in the direction of the ghost, it was nearly on top of her.  Cursing under her breath, she called up one of the ecto-blasters on her left arm and aimed—

—then took in the familiar green-eyed face and cursed again.  She swung her arm away from him; the shot went wild, but the force of it threw off her balance, and she tumbled off the board.

She didn’t know and didn’t care where Danny was; she was more concerned with flipping herself the right way up before she hit the ground.  She managed an imperfect somersault and landed ungracefully but thankfully on both feet; but then her right foot suddenly lost its purchase on the gravel and twisted underneath her.

“Ahh!”  She hit the ground with a thud, her ankle burning with pain.

“Valerie?”

It was Danny all right.  Valerie managed to look up at him.  He floated a few feet above her, looking embarrassed.

“What?” she snarled, clutching at her leg with both hands.

“Are you okay?”

“What do you think?”

He didn’t answer.

Valerie turned away from him and pulled herself up on all fours, glancing around.  Her hoverboard lay just a few feet away; about six feet to her right was the fire escape ladder.  Maybe this’ll work after all. She crawled over to the board and wrapped an arm around it, then closed her eyes and concentrated on putting the Suit away.

Soft clicks and clatters reached her ears as the Suit folded itself up and sank beneath her skin, out of sight until she called it up again.  The chilly air of early spring brushed against her face and arms; she shivered and opened her eyes.  The Suit was gone, and all that remained of the hoverboard was a small, slim square about the size of a floppy disk.  She shoved this into a pocket, then turned her attention to the next obstacle.

As Valerie crawled over to the fire escape, she was vaguely aware that Danny was still floating there, watching her.  She clenched her teeth and ignored him.  Don’t know why he doesn’t just fly off or whatever.  Fuming, she closed her hands around the rails of the ladder and pulled herself up onto the ledge with difficulty.

She cast a glance down below, then swallowed.  Oookay.  Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea.

“Valerie?”

Her head jerked up at the sound of her name.  Danny floated in front of her, still looking embarrassed.  She frowned at him.  “What do you want?”

“Well…”  He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced towards the ground.  “I was wondering if you wanted some help getting down.”

She stared at him for five seconds before she could piece together a response that didn’t sound completely ungrateful.  “Fine.  Just—get me down from here, I gotta get home soon.”

“Alright.”  Danny flew behind her slowly and grabbed her arms, lifting her off the roof with ease.  The cold touch of his hands made her shiver, but she didn’t struggle.  Just as long as he lets go soon.  Ugh.  

They drifted down past the rusting fire escape; Danny gently lowered her to the ground.  Valerie tested her injured foot; a sharp stab of pain shot up her leg. She inhaled sharply.

“Great.”  Balanced uncertainly on one foot, she staggered over to the wall and leaned against it.  She stood there for a few moments, then looked around.  The back door of the library wasn’t too far away.  At least something’s going right for me.  She began hopping along the wall.

Danny, she noticed, hadn’t left.  “What do you want?” she asked, not looking at him.

“I’m, uh, sorry about your leg.”

Valerie scowled up at him, then continued on her way, keeping one hand on the rough brick wall for balance.  Her ankle throbbed; the pain spiked unpleasantly when she paused to rest and accidentally put weight on it.

Danny still floated there, watching her and looking embarrassed.

She waved her free hand at him.  “Don’t you have somewhere to be?  Like saving the mall from some spectral freak or something?”

He pointed over his shoulder. “Actually, I was just headed home when… yeah.”  

“Oh.”  She returned her attention to the door. Whatever.  I just gotta get home, who cares if he’s watching anyway.  It’s not like there’s anyone he’s gonna tell.

“I—here.”

Valerie glanced up in time to see Danny transform and drop to the ground, human once more.  He looked around briefly, then walked over and put his arm around her shoulders, supporting her.

She stiffened.  “You sure Sam won’t have a problem with this?”

Danny stared at her.  “She shouldn’t.  Why are you asking?  You don’t even talk to Sam.”

“Yeah, but you do.”

“Oh.  Right.”

Valerie rolled her eyes and hobbled forward, dragging Danny along with her.

“What are you doing out here, anyway?” he asked.

“The same thing you are,” she snapped.  “What else did you think?”

Danny started to say something, but trailed off.

They reached the library’s back door.  Valerie pulled herself out of Danny’s grasp and hopped up the single step to try the knob.  It was locked.  “Aww, come on!”  She glanced up at the numbers painted in a brownish gold color on the door; according to the listed hours, the library had closed fifteen minutes ago.  “Dang it!”  She slammed one fist against the door and sank against it, blinking back the tears inexplicably rising in her eyes.

“Uh, Valerie?”

She turned to face him, her expression furious.  “What?”

Danny shuffled backwards a step.  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“No, I’m not okay, all right?  Is that what you wanted to hear?  It’s just—lately everything’s been—ugh!”  She looked away.  “You wouldn’t get it anyway.”  You don’t understand how confusing it’s been for me, even though it’s been like a year.  You just thought you could say “I’m sorry” and make everything better, but it doesn’t work that way. A pair of hot tears trickled down her face; she wiped them away hastily.  It never does.

She heard Danny step forward.

“Why are you here again?” he asked.  “At the library, I mean.”

Valerie swallowed.  “I told Dad was coming here to study.  Which I did, for a little bit.  I just stowed my stuff in some back corner, I figured I could swing back and pick it up when I was done patrolling.”  She sighed.  “Looks like that plan’s blown out of the water, though.  The library’s closed.”

“Where’d you leave your stuff?”

She stared at him.  “What?”

“I said, where’d you leave your stuff?”

“In that little cubby by the elevator on the second floor, what are you—?”

Danny jumped into the air and transformed with a flash of light.  “Be right back.”

By the time Valerie blinked the spots out of her eyes, he was out of sight.

He flew back through the side of the building minutes later, carrying her backpack and jacket in his arms.  He drifted down and landed before her.  “Here you go.”

Valerie snatched her coat from him and shoved her arms through them sleeves.  “Why did you do that?” she demanded, looking up at him.  Man, I forgot how tall he is now…

He shrugged.  “Just seemed like the right thing to do.”  He handed her the backpack.  “D’you want me to fly you home, since your ankle’s hurt?”

Valerie, halfway through putting on her backpack, staggered and stared.  “What?

“I mean, since you hurt your ankle, I didn’t think you’d want to walk and stuff.”

“And you don’t think Sam might have a little problem with that?”  Valerie placed one hand on her hip.  “You know, since she’s your girlfriend and everything?”

His face turned bright red as he muttered a few half-hearted excuses.

“That’s what I thought.”  She finished putting on her pack and gingerly stepped away from the door.  “I can make it to the bus stop fine on my own.  See you at school tomorrow.”  Without another word, she limped past him and headed towards the alleyway that came out on the street.

“Valerie!”

She rolled her eyes and turned back towards him.  “What?”

Danny sighed, shaking his head.  “Look, I’m gonna feel bad about it unless I take you home, and since it’s kinda my fault you’re hurt in the first place—”

“You got that right.”

He frowned at her.  “Thanks.  But—we were kinda friends before, right?”

She couldn’t answer.  We were kinda friends before, and it was almost more than that, but it was better, wasn’t it better just to be friends?  And then suddenly you just stopped talking to me period and I was just sorta standing there wondering what the heck happened and then—

“So, yeah.”  He walked over and carefully picked her up.  “Just hold on, okay?”

She nodded, too shocked to protest.  Awkwardly she hooked one arm around his neck and tried not to think about how cold he felt.  Or about what this would look like to anyone else.

Danny rose into the air smoothly, and in moments they were speeding over the city.  The lights of the buildings and cars stretched and shook weirdly; Valerie’s stomach turned.  Her hoverboard was one thing, but this fell into another category entirely.  She stared at her knees.  

“You’re still in Elmerton?” Danny asked.

“Yeah.  We got a house last year, it’s at the corner of East 42nd and Burton Avenue.”

Danny nodded and adjusted his course slightly.  Neither of them spoke for the remainder of the trip.

Valerie fidgeted, playing with the zip of her jacket with her free hand.  I could’ve made it to the bus stop on my own.  It’s not that far a walk. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth.  He didn’t have to go and be all—noble.  I’m seventeen, for Pete’s sake, I can take care of myself.

Be honest.  How far could you have made it on a bad ankle?


The ankle in question still throbbed; Valerie winced, as much from the internal question as the pain.  All right.  I could’ve made it to the bus stop and maybe on and off the bus, but probably not all the way home.  Still doesn’t explain why the heck he’s being so nice. Her gaze darted up to Danny’s face; he didn’t appear preoccupied or worried, just focused.  This close he looked slightly shimmery, which she supposed had something to do with the faint aura he put out.  She hadn’t really noticed it before.

She returned to observing her knees.  He’s also got a girlfriend, she reminded herself.  And she’d eat me up like a tiger if she found out about this.

Eventually, Danny began to descend, and Valerie recognized the peaked roof of her house below them.  “It’s right there.”  She pointed.

Danny landed lightly on the sidewalk in front of the house, just outside the black iron fence that enclosed the yard.  Just as gently, he lowered Valerie to the ground; she wobbled on the spot for a moment, then reached out and grabbed the fence for support.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck.  “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to the door or anything?”

Valerie gaped at him.  “This isn’t a date, for crying out loud.  I’ll be fine.”  She turned and hobbled towards the gate.

“So… see you at school tomorrow?”

She glanced back at him.  “Yeah.  Sure.”

She didn’t bother watching him leave, instead occupying herself with digging the key to the gate out of her pocket.  This neighborhood wasn’t the best in town; her dad insisted on locking the gate at night.  Though if someone really wanted to get in they could just jump the thing, she thought; the top of the fence was barely higher than her hip, and she was short.

The key fitted to the lock, and the gate swung open.  Valerie hopped through and was halfway down the footpath when the front door opened.

“Valerie?”

“Dad?”

He hurried out the door and to her side.  “Sweetie, what happened to your leg?” he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.

Valerie leaned into him.  “Nothing, Daddy.  I just sprained my ankle getting off the bus.”

She was pretty sure he knew she was lying, but they both pretended it was the truth as he helped her into the house and to her room, and then went to fetch a bag of ice for her slightly swollen ankle.  She leaned back on her bed, staring at the immobile ceiling fan, thinking about Danny and what he’d said.

“…we were kinda friends before, right?”

We were.

So why aren’t we anymore?


***

On most days, Valerie was one of the last people to enter the lunchroom at Casper High, mostly because she still brought her lunch and had to run up two flights of stairs to retrieve it from her locker.  The process took even longer on this particular Thursday, as her ankle was still bothering her, despite the ice pack last night and the bandage around the injury today.

So she hobbled into the lunchroom alone, well aware that she was probably the last person to make it to lunch that day.  Which means, she thought irritably as she stood at the door and looked around, there isn’t even a decent place to sit.

Her eyes fell on the end of one table, where Danny Fenton sat with his girlfriend and his best friend.

…I guess it’s worth a shot.

She limped up to the table, making sure Danny at least noticed her as she approached.

“Hey guys,” she said, managing to smile.  “D’you mind if I sit with you?”
Entry for the Plotbunny Contest on ~PhanFiction.

This takes place post-Phantom Planet by about a year.

I wanted to submit an earlier piece, but was very nicely told that something new would be preferred, and this is what I got.

The "plotbunny" was more of a quotebunny. I finally got my hands on a copy of Watchmen a couple weeks ago, and as I was devouring it, this quote stuck out to me:
We do not do this thing because it is permitted. We do it because we have to. We do it because we are compelled.
--Rorschach
I scribbled it down and figured I could write a DPfic around it, something about either Danny or Valerie's motivations for doing what they do. I tried to go the Valerie route, but the story kept twisting around in the fickle manner of plotbunnies, demanding to be something else.

This is what I got, and I rather like the result. I hope you do, too.

'Danny Phantom' and all related characters and settings are the intellectual property of Butch Hartman and the actual property of Nickelodeon and Viacom, Inc.
© 2008 - 2024 SkyeWriter30
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0ArmoredSoul0's avatar
Ah, I was wondering why this popped up in a search for Rorschach-related fanfictions.
I'm glad I found it too, this is actually really good.
I like your take on the Valerie/Danny relationship, and I always did wonder why those to never made up and became friends again in the series...