Amazing, huh? I never thought I would get this far. 98 reviews... wow...
So, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer/Reminder: I do not own Danny Phantom in anyway other than this fanfic. If I did, my name would be Butch Hartman now, wouldn't it?
They were all awestruck. None of them moved. Not even when the Red Huntress flew in, eyes widened by the site before her. Valerie, who vowed to destroy Phantom on the spot, whenever she got the chance, has stopped moving. Why?
Inside the chamber was a body of a boy. On his upper torso there was a white shirt. His HAZMAT ghost suit was materialized over his shirt, his suit ripped at the parts where the needles never hit. The DP symbol clearly marked his identity.
As the glass doors opened, Danny fell out. Seconds. Minutes. Danny never got up.
Sam was the first to move. She was not really thinking. This was on instinct. Danny was unconscious. HER Danny was unconscious. She bent to his side and gently shook him. "Danny…? Danny? Get up, please……" Over and over she shook him, tears gradually falling.
This is my fault… Tucker collapsed to his knees, his mind repeating those four words over and over again. He didn't even notice Sam leave his side. Not even when his PDA fell out of his hand.
"My little brother…… please…… don't… don't be…" She couldn't finish. She didn't want to believe. Jazz tottered on her feet, slowly making her way to Sam and Danny's unmoving body. For the past few months, Jazz had always wanted to help Danny and his friends fight ghosts… she always wanted to help… now, what can she do?
Jack and Maddie… captivated by what they've done, Maddie sobbed against Jack, while he was staring at his only son. Jack stood there, listening to all the sobs and pleads, embracing his wife… but he could never take his eyes – his tearing eyes – off of Danny. Maddie told herself over and over again that Danny isn't a ghost… but there he was, Phantom's emblem clearly marked across his chest.
Nash was right… Phantom is Danny! Valerie backed up, shaking her head. Valerie swore revenge on Phantom, and swore to protect Danny. Now what? Is Danny evil, or is Phantom innocent? When Danny is Phantom, does his personality change, turning into a creature bent on destroying lives? Is he evil in both forms? Or is he only trying to help…? Just as fast as she came, she ran up the stairs and jetted out of the Fenton Works building, mind still racing on the many possibilities… quietly hoping that Danny is still alive.
------------------------------------------------------
Sam was still crying, still shaking Danny, still hoping he'd open his eyes and… and live. "Danny… please get up… it's not supposed to be like this… get up!"
With one final shove, Danny's eyes fluttered to life. Though he was human, though he had his raven hair, his jeans, his eyes remained green. More proof – not that Maddie or Jack needed anymore – that Danny is Phantom.
Danny looked around, confused. Sam and Jazz were smiling over him, Tucker kneeling, wiping tears from his eyes. Jack and Maddie were relieved, confused, astonished, ashamed, and a million other emotions and feelings.
Now Danny remembered: Just a few minutes ago, he was thrust into the machine, his clone unable to escape itself. The white rings that usually formed around his waist appeared only at the metal rings' ends. Shock, pain, and exhaustion caused him to faint inside the capsule.
"DANNY!" Sam hugged Danny, almost like she was holding on for her life. "Don't ever do that again. You hear me?"
Danny was glad his lungs weren't working, because he would've needed air by how tight Sam hugged. "Sam…" he whispered. "I'm not dead, you know. Well… not completely."
As Sam let go, Jazz ruffled his hair. "You okay?"
"Yeah… yeah, I'm okay…" He turned to face his parents, and then gulped. "At least… for now."
Tucker ran over to help Danny up. "Dude, I'm so sorry. Really, truly I am."
"No, Tuck…" Danny sighed. Or, at least, faked a sigh. With the support of his friends and sister, he was lifted up on his feet. "None of this is anybody's fault."
As he prepared to face the music, a lot of things passed through Danny's mind. This would be the third time Danny has been revealed to his parents. His alternate future self, Dan Phantom, revealed him once. If Danny had the chance, what would they have said then? Another was an alternate reality. Jack wasn't his father, and Maddie was married to Vlad. Things turned out okay in the end, but it's still a fake universe. Another was when it was real, and he was revealed to everyone. Nobody cared: not his classmates, not his fans, not his parents. Especially not his parents.
Two of three cases told him that he was ready. There's no clock to rewind time. There's no gauntlet in front of him to erase a couple of memories. There's no ghost ready to distract them, creating a valid excuse to leave. There's only experience, chance, and hope.
And Danny hopes it's for the best.
He slowly paced himself over to his parents. They were staring at him, unblinking and unmoving. Everyone has had their share of crying, and his parents weren't an exception. For a full minute, there was absolute silence. Finally, a voice. And this voice would explain everything.
"Mom, Dad, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then you thought right: Your son is a ghost. I'm a ghost. But I'm also human. Remember the accident? When I turned on the portal? What you guys don't know is that I was inside when it powered up.
"When I got out, I was a ghost. A moment later, I was a human again. And this went on and off for a few days before I could control it. And just in time, too: ghosts come through that portal almost every day. And I felt like - and still feel like - I needed to stop them, somehow. So I started the ghost hunting business as Danny Phantom.
"Sam and Tucker were there to support me from the very beginning. As time passed by, Jazz came to help me, too. I couldn't ask for better friends or sister. We all kept my secret safe. And I owe them my half-life for doing so.
"For a time, I didn't tell you about being a ghost, because I thought you guys would destroy or dissect me… That changed after a couple of ghost fights. Before today, I didn't want to tell you, because I have enemies, enemies in very high places. If they ever knew that Phantom had his parents as friends, they would use you to get to me. They've already done that to Sam and Tucker, and a Fruit-Loop of a ghost used Jazz.
"You guys are the best parents I could ever wish for. I wouldn't change it for the world. Now that you know… I'm ready. I'm ready for anything and everything you do to me. And no matter what… I still love you guys."
Love. That's all he gave, that's all he wanted. And that's what he got.
Maddie embraced Danny, tears now flowing again. "Oh, Danny! We're sorry! We're sorry for everything: the portal, the fights, and just now. And you took it all without complaining!"
Jack hugged Danny too, lifting him off the ground. "I couldn't be prouder, Danny, my boy! My son, a ghost fighter! It runs in the family after all!"
Soon, everyone hugged each other. Danny didn't need a reason why his parents accepted him each time; they just did, and that's all he'll ever need.
There you go. This isn't the end of Phantom Blogs. Oh no. We still have a few more things to cover.
If this chapter is too expectant, or too much of something else, it's because... well... see my account page. I'm also too lazy to have a beta reader for any mistakes, like present tense/past tense issues (which i get a lot, by the way).
Thanks to all readers, reviewers, and fav-ers!
