AN: Okie doke. This is a big first for me. First one-shot and first songfic. It's a pretty big leap. tears up I'm sorry! Excuse me for a moment! blows nose and sniffs Ok, I'm alright now. But, I came up with this this morning, so if it's not that great, that's why. But this is based off of my favorite song in the world right now, "Savin' Me" by Nickelback. And I must warn you, this has issues (e.g. suicide) in it that are a bit more mature, so if you get anxious about that stuff, uh…..well, don't read it. But if you don't mind it, then read it and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, or anything affiliated with it. Well…. except the Nicktoons Unite videogame, but that doesn't really count, does it?

Savin' Me

By PhantomPhorever16

He knew he had to return to Amity Park to do it. And he had to do it so everyone could see. If they saw that, maybe they would see that he was doing them all a favor. Of course they would. He was better off dead, anyway. Everyone thought that. Even he thought that.

Ever since Danny left Amity Park a year before, he had become what everyone in the town thought he was. What his enemies had said he'd eventually turn into. What he hated more than anything in the world.

A criminal.

Prison gates won't open up for me,

On these hands and needs I'm crawling.

Oh, I reach for you.

Once free from the responsibility of having to protect everyone, Danny had learned his ghost powers were more useful than he thought. For him, that is. He couldn't be Danny Phantom full time. And Danny Fenton didn't have all the things he needed to get by. He had nothing. He had left without taking anything, without saying goodbye, and without another thought. So how was he supposed to live off the streets with nothing?

Maybe I could borrow some money from someone, he had thought. Just until I could get a job. But who could he borrow it from? Everyone he was on good terms with would bring him back home. Where could he get it?

The bank. Of course. He could just sneak in and take just enough money to get by. Once he got a job, he'd put it all back. What other choice did he have?

And so that's what he did. In the dead of the night he phased into the bank and took two hundred dollars. The guilt hung over him for days while he sat on his bed in his motel room. Get a grip, Fenton, he told himself. You'll give it back. Calm down.

Well I'm terrified of these for walls,

These iron bars can't hold my soul in.

All I need is you.

But how could he get a job? Everyone would recognize him. He was all over the news. He even left the motel to throw the trail off of him. How would he be able to pay off what he took?

Wait until he turned eighteen, he guessed. By then, he'd be able to do whatever he needed. He'd have grown by then and it would be easier to find a job. Not to mention, if he was caught, he wouldn't have to go back to Amity Park. They couldn't make him if he were an adult.

But with food and occasional lodging, his money quickly ran out. I can't steal again, he told himself. I won't do it. I'm the good guy.

But he did it. He had no choice.

And he kept doing it. For months, there were reports about bank robberies with no sign of breaking and entering. But the more and more they came, the more and more Danny didn't seem to care.

That was, until he got caught. He didn't expect there to be guards that night. But there were. And after he escaped, they called the police.

It was hard to get away from all the publicity after that. The newspaper headlines followed him everywhere. "Mysterious robberies lead to Phantom", "Missing money due to Phantom Menace", "Ghost boy robbery rumors confirmed" and the list went on. Danny walked down the street and saw the face of his alter-ego pasted everywhere.

It was then that he realized what he had really done. Danny was supposed to be the hero. But heroes didn't use their personal gain. That wasn't how it worked. His enemies had always told him that one day, he would give in and do something rotten. And Danny had always denied. But now, look at him. He was exactly what they said.

How could he let this happen? He was always so responsible. He knew right from wrong. Why did he do this?

Of course. He had no one to tell him not to. He was on his own. No parents to tell him what to do. No teachers to tell him what to do. No friends to tell him what to do.

Although, he kind of wished he had his friends right then, as he was flying back toward his abandoned hometown. At least Tucker. Sam…..

Ugh. He didn't even want to think about Sam. She was part of the reason he left. And one of the reasons he wanted to go back.

But he wasn't going back for everything to go back to normal. He was going back to end it all.

For him and everyone else in the world.

Come, please.

I'm calling.

Danny was in Amity Park now. He flew over the rooftops of all the city buildings. He had to find one tall enough. He was a strong kid, despite his gangly appearance. It had to be high, and really high if he wanted the fall to kill him.

He came across one of the larger business buildings. This'll do, he thought. It was about eighteen stories up. He landed on the ledge, gently. The wind was strong. Danny's white hair was whipping in the breeze, as the scowl on his face grew deeper. The street below was fairly crowded. Good, he thought. The more witnesses, the better.

These city walls ain't got no love for me.

I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story.

And oh, I scream for you.

Danny changed back to human. Danny Phantom wouldn't be able to die as easily as Danny Fenton would. He had to make this as easy as possible. If it didn't work, everything would be ruined. It had to work.

His hair changed from snow white to raven black in an instant. His lime green eyes went piercing blue, and his skin paled considerably. Danny Fenton appeared out of nowhere. But Danny Fenton or Danny Phantom, he still didn't deserve to live. Danny tip-toed his way to the edge. It was now or never.

He closed his eyes and took a breath.

And jumped.

Hurry.

I'm falling.

As he fell, he never noticed how relaxing it could be. Of all the times he had fallen from a great height, he was wracked with fear and panic. But when you're waiting for inevitable death, you're not thinking of anything. Just of how nice it feels to be soaring through the air and not having to worry about what happens next.

But what did happen next surprised him. He felt pain. I thought this was going to be painless! he thought to himself. But it wasn't just any pain. It was the pain of his body colliding with rough cement and…. another body. That's why I'm not dead, he thought. Someone broke my fall.

He heard a groan. Whether it was his or the person's he fell on, he couldn't tell. His whole right side was in pain. Danny wouldn't be surprised if it was him. And it probably wasn't all that pleasant for the other person, either. Having a fifteen year old boy land on you in the middle of the sidewalk couldn't be enjoyable.

Danny gathered all the strength he could muster and pulled himself off of the other person. He got on his hands and knees. He wasn't even that hurt. He was pretty sure he could get up and walk without any problem. Great job, he thought sarcastically.

"I'm sorry about…" Danny began to say. But he trailed off when he turned to face the person behind him.

And all I see is you.

"Sam?" Danny asked in astonishment. But he knew it was her. Even though she looked a little different. She was a little taller and her black hair had grown out a bit, but Danny would know her face anywhere. It was the face he loved and hated all at once.

"Oh my…" Sam breathed, as she stood up, not taking her eyes off the friend she thought she'd never see outside the papers again. "Danny?" she asked.

Danny nodded weakly. This isn't going to end well, I can tell you that, he thought.

Sam was still in shock. "How….when…..why…." She couldn't seem to think of the right question to ask.

Danny sighed as he stood up.

Show me what it's like,

To be the last one standing.

"Don't worry, Sam," he said, changing back to his ghost form again. "I won't be around much longer."

As he turned to fly back up to the top of the building again, Sam stopped him. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To end this, "Danny mumbled. I'm not messing up this time, he told himself. Danny Phantom dies tonight.

"Danny, I don't know what you're up to, but I haven't seen you for a year and you're just going to turn around and leave? Without saying a word?" she wondered.

"You don't want me to, remember?" Danny said, facing her beautiful violet eyes.

"Danny-,' she began.

"I believe you said something along the lines of, 'I don't need you, Danny. No matter how much you think I do. Just go.'" He repeated the lines he heard from what seemed like just yesterday, still burning in his ears.

"Danny…" Sam said. "I didn't…."

"Save it, Sam," Danny stopped her. "I'll save you the trouble." He turned back to fly away.

"Danny, I know what you've done," Sam said. Danny halted and looked back at her. "Everyone knows."

Teach me wrong from right.

I'll show you what I can be.

"But the people who care about you will be able to forgive you," Sam assured him. "I will."

"They'll be able to forgive Danny Fenton, but what about Danny Phantom?" he asked her. "My parents want to rip him apart, remember? And I know you're still pissed at me. As is the rest of the world. So I'm going to do all of you a favor. I'm taking myself out of the picture."

Sam just stared at him, figuring out what he meant. "You mean… you're going to kill yourself?" she asked, eyes wide in fear.

Danny just looked at her solemnly. He nodded.

"No…" she gasped. "Danny, you can't…"

"Really?" Danny wondered, angrily. "Give me one good reason." He turned and prepared to take off again.

"Because I love you."

Say it to me,

Say it to me,

And I'll leave this life behind me.

He stopped again. What had she just said? She loved him?

"What?" he said.

Sam's eyes were filling with tears now. "I should have told you before. And believe me, every day you were gone, I regretted not telling you. And I can't let you destroy yourself to please everyone else. Because you won't please everyone else. Danny Phantom isn't the only one who will die if you do this. Danny Fenton, the man I love, will, too. And if that happens…" the tears rolled down her cheeks. "I lost you once, Danny. I don't want to lose you again."

Danny was still stuck on "Because I love you." But the message still went through. She'll forgive me, he thought. And if Sam could forgive him, his family could too. And everyone else. In time, of course. He didn't expect everyone to trust him all at once, but they would. At least, he hoped.

But he didn't care about everyone else at that moment. At that moment, all he could think about how Sam was in love with him.

And he was in love with Sam.

He realized it right then.

Danny turned human again. He walked toward her slowly, but he was kissing her faster than he could think. With her in his arms, all the things that had gone wrong in the world went right. Danny Fenton was saved.

Say it if it's worth saving me.