"I've got to tell them" said Danny.
"It's for the best, Danny. You know they love you" said Sam
"I know, but I'm still scared to death…. No pun intended"
"I wish I could say I know what you mean, but I can tell you that everything's gonna be alright" said Sam.
"Thanks Sam, you always know what to say to make me fell better" said Danny.
"Hey no problem, do you want me to go in with you?"
"No thanks, this is something I've got to do on my own. I'll see you tomorrow"
"Bye and good luck" she called as he walked away.
"Yeah, I'm gonna need it" he murmured as he walked up the stairs to his front door.
"Mom, Dad, you home?" called Danny
"Yes sweetie, were in the basement" called Maddie.
"Well, this is it" He thought as he made his way to the basement, "Here goes everything"
"Hey Dannyboy, what's up" asked Jack.
"How was your day at Sam's?" asked Maddie.
"It was good, listen, there's something I need to tell you guys. After that last ghost attack I realized how much danger I was putting you in"
"What are you talking about, honey, you've never put us in any danger?" said Maddie.
"Well that's because you never knew it was me" said Danny.
"Danny, where are you going with this?" asked Jack.
"Well, you remember the portal thing? I wasn't actually outside of it like I told you guys. I was inside".
"What!" both Maddie and Jack practically yelled.
"Before you really start to freak out, I'm almost fine".
"What do you mean, almost?" Maddie asked suspiciously? She suddenly noticed how scared Danny looked. "Sweetie, what is it?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you guys." He took a deep breath. "I'm Danny Phantom"
Both his parents just stared at him, and then started to laugh. Danny looked shocked. "Why are you two laughing? I'm serious!" he said.
"Good one Danny, you had us going for a second" said Jack.
"Yeah, but how could you make up something like that" Maddie said, straightening up. "You know we hate Phantom". She looked at her son again and noticed how hurt he looked. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"
Danny scowled and looked down "Nothing" he muttered wile adding some venom in it. He then turned and ran out of the house.
"I wonder what that was about?" said Maddie. They continued working for a few more hours and then went upstairs to find that Danny was still gone.
"Jack, I'm worried about Danny, we should go look for him" said Maddie.
"Yeah…" he stared, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door closing. "Danny?" They both called. /they walked into the living room to find Jazz putting down her books.
"Jazz, have you seen Danny?" Maddie asked.
"No, why?"
"Because he came down to us and told us this hilarious story about how he was 'Danny Phantom'. Of course, being as funny as it was, we laughed at him and he ran out, and he's still not back" said Jack.
"WHAT! You laughed at him. How could you do that? You're his parents, your not supposed to laugh at him when he tries to tell you something." yelled Jazz.
"Jazz you can't seriously believe that story, can you?" said Maddie.
Jazz just shook her head angrily. "I can't say, it's not my story to tell." She began to walk up the stairs, then paused and said "he likes to hang out in the park if you two care enough to find him. And if it's not who you think its going to be, look him in the eyes". Then she continued her way up. Both parents flinched when they heard their daughter's bedroom door slam.
"Oh my god, Jack, she's right, we need to go find him, now!"
"Okay, let's go" said Jack as they made their way to the RV. "The park is where Jazz said he likes to hang out, lets try there first" said Maddie.
When they reached the park, the sun was setting. "Come on, it's starting to get dark" said Jack.
They started walking. After a while they stared to wonder if Danny was there until they heard music. It was soft at first, and then it started to get louder as they walked further. They realized it was a guitar, but they weren't sure where it was coming from. Then suddenly they could hear someone singing.
"And I'd give up forever to touch you,
Cause I know that you feel me somehow.
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,
And I don't want to go home right now."
"Do you hear that?" asked Maddie.
"Yeah, listen" said Jack
"And all I can taste is this moment,
And all I can breathe is your life,
And sooner or later it's over,
I just don't want to miss you tonight."
"Oh my god, Jack, I think that's Danny" said Maddie.
"Shhh, maybe we can figure out where it's coming from" said Jack.
"And I don't want the world to see me,
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am."
"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,
Or the moment of the truth in your lies.
When everything feels like the movies,
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive."
They finally spotted who was singing, but it wasn't who they were expecting. They saw Danny Phantom sitting on a tree limb playing the guitar.
"Maddie isn't that the guitar we got Danny for his birthday?" whispered Jack.
"Yeah, I think it is, but why does Phantom have it?" Maddie whispered back.
"And I don't want the world to see me,
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am."
"And I don't want the world to see me,
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am."
Just then, Phantom looked down at Maddie and Jack. They both tensed, wondering what he was going to do, then relax when he closed his eyes and he continued his song.
"And I don't want the world to see me,
Cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.
I just want you to know who I am.
I just want you to know who I am."
Just then Phantom jumped off the tree limb and floated down to the ground. Right before he touched the ground, two blue rings appeared and slowly went opposite ways up and down his body. When they finally separated, Danny Fenton landed gracefully on the ground and looked at his stunned parents while he whispered the last line.
"I just want you to know who I am."
They had a two on one staring contest, until Danny said grudgingly "So, are you going to laugh again?"
That seemed to snap his parents out of their trance. "Oh Danny, we are so sorry. If we'd known you were telling you the truth then we would never have laughed" said Maddie.
"Well it's not like I could have changed like I just did in the house. With that ghost alarm set I would have been attacked" Danny said.
"Oh Danny, can you forgive us? If we had known…" Jack started, then broke off when he saw a blue mist come from Danny's mouth. "What was that" he asked.
"Ghost sense. It warns me when ghosts are nearby. I gotta go." He handed his mother his guitar. "I'll see you guys at home" he said as he changed into Phantom and flew off.
Fenton Home
"Oh jack, what have we done? What if he doesn't come back? " asked Maddie.
"Maddie, don't worry, he'll come back" He tried to sound reassuring, but he couldn't help a little fear come into his voice.
"But he's been gone for two hours. I want my baby boy back" Maddie cried into her husbands chest.
Jack hugged her and said "shhh, shhh, its ok, it's gonna be alright."
Right as he said that, the front door opened. Danny stumbled in a few feet before he collapsed on the floor.
"Danny" yelled Jack as they both ran over to their fallen son. When they reached him, they found that he was covered in bruises and cuts. There was one big gash on his left arm.
"Hurry, get him to the couch while I go and get the first aid kit" said Maddie. She dashed up the stairs to the bathroom. When she returned she found Jack cleaning Danny's wounds with a wet wash cloth. He had taken Danny's shirt off only to find more cuts and bruises.
"Oh Danny, what happened" whispered Maddie as she began to patch him up.
"Skulker happened" whispered Danny, which made Maddie jump a little, not realizing that he was awake.
"Who?" asked Jack?
"A ghost named Skulker, but don't worry, I finally got rid of him" Danny said weakly.
"We are so sorry, son. This would have never happened if it weren't for us" said Jack.
"Guys, I want you to know, I don't blame you." said Danny.
"How can you not, I wouldn't be surprised if you hated us" said Maddie.
"I could never hate you guys. I actually thought that you guys would hate me" said Danny.
"No Danny, don't you ever tell yourself that. We could never hate you. You're our son and I don't know what we would do without you" Maddie said as she hugged Danny. He hugged back, to her relief.
"I love you" he whispered.
"We love you to, never forget that" she whispered back. "Now" she said where Jack could hear too "how about I make some hot chocolate and you can tell us all about your ghostly adventures"
"That sounds great" both Jack and Danny said at the same time. Maddie laughed and went into the kitchen. Jack came in after her to help.
While his parents were in the kitchen, Danny thought "everything's going to be okay now" Then he rested his head on the pillow and fell asleep. When his parents returned to find him sleeping they couldn't help but laugh. Jack carried Danny to his room and Maddie tucked him in and kissed him on his forehead. Before she left she left she turned to look at him. "Everything's going to be okay now" she thought.
