It's been a while, but I have finally finished this chapter! I am really excited to have finally gotten this out! I'm really sorry for the wait, and I will try to not let that happen again. Enjoy the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Danny Phantom

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple -Oscar Wilde"

I curled up into a ball and put my head in my hands. I swear I just give u-

"Danny, is that you?" I heard as the light came on in my cell.

"Sam?" I managed to croak.

"Oh my God, it is you."

I looked up, and I couldn't believe it. They found me. Sam found me. That's the last thing I thought before Maddie came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder, trying to hold her back.

"What are you doing?" Maddie asked her," Why would you want to set phantom free?"

"Get your hands off me you monster!" Sam screamed," Are you really this blind?" "Look at him, and tell me you don't see the same tortured boy that I do!"

"He's just a ghost, nothing to get so worked up over." She replied, confused at why Sam cared so much.

"No, right now, look into his eyes and tell me he is not Danny!"

"Okay, I'd say there could be some resemblance, but what you are suggesting is absurd!"

"No mom, that's Danny! How could you do this? I didn't think you could be this blinded by your work, but it turns out that Sam's right. You are a monster," Jazz sobbed when she saw my emaciated body.

"What?" Maddie said I disbelief," That's Danny. No, that can't be. But the things I did."

She looked straight at me, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Danny, I am so sorry," she said as she ran into the cell.

She reached out to hug me, but just before she could, someone's voice rang out.

"Stop."

As I looked around the room, time seemed to stop as a deafening silence took hold. It was emphasized by the fading ring of the word spoken in a harsh tone only moments before. It took me a moment to realize that I was the one who let the word tumble out of my mouth, coming out loud and crisp despite my parched throat. My mom stood there, emotions flitting across her face. Sadness, guilt, regret, hurt. I tore my gaze from her face, not able stand it any longer. There was one emotion missing. Understanding.

I turned to Sam and attempted to walk over to her, but failed miserably. My legs gave out and she barely managed to catch me. Black dots danced across my vision and I almost gave in to them, but then I realized that if I did, I would wake up in a room hours later, unable to remember the moment I would step out of this cell. The moment I would walk out of this lab. The moment I would be free. I couldn't miss that, no matter how weak I was.

I attempted to gain my footing on the metal floor, but my legs would barely move. I ended up staying in Sam's arms, which was definitely better than having to use what little strength I had left to stand up. In hindsight, I probably would've fallen again anyway. I looked into her piercing violet eyes, and stared at them in awe. Was she really here? Was I dreaming? I reached out to touch her cheek in an attempt to see if it really was her. I felt wetness on her cheek, a remnant of a tear that had fallen moments before. That's when I knew it was her. I couldn't dream of Sam crying. She was Sam.

"It's really you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I thought that this was just another dream. That I would wake up to a nightmare like I always do. But you saved me, Sam, you saved me," I whispered hoarsely, my voice fading steadily the more I talked.

I looked to Jazz and Tucker. "Can you help Sam bring me up the stairs," I asked shakily. They said something in confirmation, but their words seemed jumbled in my head. I could feel myself losing my grasp on consciousness and I tried to yell for them to hurry, but my voice gave out then and the words were unable to fall from my lips. I blinked my eyes rapidly trying, to push away the darkness submerging me from all sides. I felt my legs hitting each stairstep, and although my legs ached from each impact, I welcomed it as a sign of my impending freedom.

As we neared the door, I imagined white light shining through just like in my dream the night before. Except that this time, I made it through the light. This time it wasn't just a dream. This time…it was real.

I yanked myself from Sam's arms and fell to the floor. Tears turned my vision blurry, and I pushed my head against the floor, rejoicing in the feel of the symmetrical dips in the tile floor. Reveling in the absence of smooth metal and glass that had surrounded me for weeks. The floor became slick beneath my face as tears silently fell to the floor, the only sound in the room was of my tattered jumpsuit scuffing the ground as sobs wracked my body. But these were tears of happiness. Of unbelievable relief. I lay there for what seemed like hours but, in reality, must have only been a few minutes.

After I had calmed down a little, Tucker tried to lift me up and set me in a chair, but as soon as I rested my back against the chair, a bolt of pain went through it and I arched my back in pain, unable to make a sound. Tucker immediately moved me forward, but had a hard time finding a place I was comfortable. After the pain had subsided, I motioned for him to lift me up, which couldn't have been hard because I must have weighed as much as a small dog. I motioned towards the door, and he seemed to understand me although he didn't seem to think it was the best idea.

"Danny, you should be resting in bed right now, not off being led around the city." Tuck said, as he glanced uneasily at Sam and Jazz.

I looked at him angrily, and lifted my arm up to point at the door once again. With another glance towards Sam and Jazz he picked me up and walked towards the door. Jazz reluctantly opened the door, shooting me a worried glance. I smiled at her, as a confirmation that I was going to be okay.

I pointed down the road and kept on doing so, as we made our way to the destination ingrained in my mind. I saw trees in the distance and a smirk made its way onto my face. I was so close. As the trees surrounded us we made our way down a paved walkway, and to the side sat a very familiar bench. One that seemed like I had sat at a lifetime ago. The electrocutions and experiments had made the image slip from my mind, but the fresh, crisp air of the park brought the image back to me. An image of a clear blue sky. The feeling of the sun warming my face. The buzz of the bees and the song of the birds. I motioned for Tucker to set me down, and he looked reluctant because of the previous time he attempted to do so, but after seeing my longing expression he sat me down. The pain in my back was still there, but the happiness and calmness I was experiencing seemed to alleviate it to a dull ache. As I stared up at the sky, I resisted the urge to blink and take my eyes away from the sight of freedom. All I could think was that I never want to forget this moment, ever…

I loved writing this chapter! And don't worry this is not the end yet, there are still many questions that need to be answered! I will hopefully write another chapter before Christmas break ends. This is a few days late, but Merry Christmas!