After seeing Danny in the park, the lost expression of the boy's face continued to haunt Phantom. He returned to Fentonwork. Invisibly, he floated outside Danny's window, debating whether or not he should make himself known. But he really wanted to figure out what kind of connection existed between him and Danny and to sever that link if it was possible. He'd just hear Danny out and try to convince the boy to stop pursuing him. With a sigh, he turned visible. With wide eyes, the human opened the window and let him inside.
As Danny explained the strange things that had been happening to him, the ghost's expression fell. What had he been doing to Danny without even noticing? The human must hate him for that. But Danny's expression morphed into an eager and hopeful one as the two talked. With a start, Phantom realized that Danny was not afraid of him. What's more, he treated Phantom like a person, not some monster that had violated him. Finally with someone in front of him who would listen, all of the pain and confusion he'd felt since the ghost catcher poured out. As the tears trickled, he glanced at Danny's dumb struck face. The other boy's expression betrayed no emotion but the ghost mentally braced himself anyway; it would come any second- the anger, the disgust, the hatred. There was no way Danny would still be so nice once he knew the truth.
Instead….the human embraced him. The ghost stiffened in shock for a second, before he felt….something. A connection so large, breath-taking, and important. And as much as it captivated, it also terrified him. So he fled.
As Danny collapsed on the floor, Phantom phased through the window. Tears falling, he glanced back, heart (or whatever he had in place of one) clinching at the sight of the crying human. The ghost then furiously shook his head. His lip trembled as he turned away. He..he'd couldn't do this, couldn't be here.
With that thought, Phantom started to fly away but stopped not even twenty feet away. He practically crashed on the roof of Fentonworks and crawled behind the sign. Now hidden, the ghost sat with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. The ache in his chest burned, feeling like it would consume him.
Tears streaming, the ghost started rocking back and forth. "No. NO. NO" He muttered.
It...it didn't make sense. It wasn't possible. Everyone knew someone could not be a ghost and a human at the same time! There was no way, none! He was not, could not, never was, never would be Danny Fenton. He couldn't be.
Except….Phantom's hand gripped his hair… Except...it made sense in a strange, twisted sort of way. It would explain the memories and his appearance. And the...connection he'd felt, linking his soul to Danny's.
But...but that wasn't….No. Phantom pushed the thought out of his head, hating the uncomfortable truth. NO, not truth, not truth. It wasn't true. The ghost was not even supposed to be connected to Danny. That thought that the boy might be shackled to him pierced like a knife. The human would be so much better off without his ghostly stalker.
But...but the two were bound, connected at the deepest levels. And it was because of the portal accident. That stupid portal did...something, something monumental that Phantom couldn't or didn't want to understand. And then the ghost catcher, Mom and Dad's stupid invention, it was supposed to fix everything but it just messed up everything!
As the ghost continued rocking, his thought swam together, swirling and running into each other as his chest started heaving. The sorrow, the pain was too much, so heavy. It was unutterable, nigh unfathomable, so much more than just the stress and guilt from the past few days. The ghost gasped, feeling the shadow of a pounding heart beat. He blinked, the fleeting image of Danny' starry ceiling passing through his blurry vision. A sob escaped the ghost's throat at the sight… and the realization. He was seeing through Danny's eyes, like the boy had seen through his earlier. And right now, the human was weeping in his bedroom downstairs.
Phantom's body shook as he wept. Because he knew, he knew they were feeling the exact same sorrow, Because….because….because. Phantom's mind stuttered. We're the same.
The ghost closed his eyes and curled up into a fetal position. It was true, wasn't it? But he didn't want it to be. Because, he...he was a...a…..
The cursed words floated through his mind. Contamination, sickness, disease. He remembered after the accident, seeing himself in the mirror like he was now, as a ghost. And being paralyzed with fear and disgust, because his ghostliness was at worst a monstrous curse and at best a horrifying disease.
And that was why he could not be Danny. If he was just a ghost who had been overshadowing the boy, he could make right by leaving Danny alone and letting the boy go back to his normal life. But if he was Danny (or a part of Danny, a version of Danny, a half of Danny) then….then, their infection could never be cured.
Phantom wept until he couldn't anymore, his vision periodically flashing with images of Danny Fenton's bedroom. The ghost sighed, completely spent. With shaking arms, he sat up. His mind and core still swirled with pain but it was...not less, but dimmed, numbed. He'd felt so much , so strong, for so long he couldn't anymore. He bit his lip, debating. Maybe he should go through the portal, leave and never come back. Except….the heartbroken look on Danny's face held him hostage. He couldn't leave without a word...and he didn't want to. He wanted to stay and needed to fix things...not that he had any idea in what way things needed to be fixed.
Phantom still wasn't convinced he and Danny were the same person (liar, a quiet voice in the back of his head whispered) but he needed to be sure of whatever the truth was. And Danny needed to see too. But what or who could convince him? Maybe they needed a second opinion. With hardly any other thought, he phased down through the ceiling of Danny's bedroom.
After Phantom disappeared, the human Danny cried on his bed, mind muddled with confusion. What...what just happened? What did he do? He'd… just meet a ghostly version of himself? Had...had the ghost catcher done that? But his ghost, who apparently wanted to be called Phantom, decided they weren't that same person? It...it didn't make any sense! But then why did it hurt so much?!
Danny's thoughts became increasingly muddled and hopeless as he tried to muffle his sobs with his pillow. He couldn't have Mom and Dad or Jazz hear and come to investigate what was wrong. How the heck would he explain what was happening? It's not like he really understood anyway. He just knew that it hurt, the emptiness in his chest gapping more than ever.
Just as he started drifting off, a soft white glow appeared, radiating through his closed eyelids. Half-lidded eyes blinked open and Danny found himself staring at a familiar ghost.
"You...you came back." He whispered awestruck, eyes lighting up with hope. Phantom floated back but said nothing as the human slowly sat up. Then Danny gave him a half smile, wiping his face. "I'm starting to think you have a problem with running off. Or maybe WE do?" His brow furrowed, still mystified and confused by the 'we're the same person' concept. How exactly was he supposed to verbalize any of that?
Phantom bit his lip, ignoring the human's strange expression. "Maybe I do have a problem with that."
"So." Danny also bit his lip, studying the ghost….that was him (wow, that was absolutely insane). He gave a wry smile and half chuckled. "You knew, I don't think this is what people normally mean when they say someone talks to themselves." Phantom frowned at that and crossed his arms causing Danny's expression to fall. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess that wasn't funny. So...do you want to figure out how to….?" He trailed off, smashing his palms together in an attempt to mimic…whatever they needed to do undo what the ghost catcher did.
The ghost raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't suggestive looking at all." He quipped, flatly.
Danny blushed and then shook his head. "We still need to figure out how to...refuse?...get back in one body? Become one?"
"And...you're just making it much worse."
The human frowned, spreading his arms. "You know what I mean! We're literally the same person!"
At that Phantom also frowned, his expression looking increasingly troubled. He held up one finger. "I...don't think we are though."
Danny's jaw fell. "But...but we both felt it. And you said you remembered everything!"
The ghost shook his head. "That...that doesn't mean anything."
The words were a punch to the gut. Danny's lip trembled. "But...that's not…" His voice fell into a whisper. "Then you don't want to…."
At the sad expression, Phantom's shoulders also feel. He ran his hands through his hair. "I want a...second opinion before we do anything."
Danny's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"
The ghost glanced down. "I want to see what Sam and Tucker think. They should be able to help us figure this out."
Danny nodded. He still did not understand Phantom's reluctance but he wasn't fleeing or outright denying the truth; it was better than nothing. He gave a hopeful smile."So you want to hang out with Sam and Tucker tomorrow?"
Phantom also nodded. "Yeah. They should be able to tell if…" He bit his lip, warily glancing at the human's face. " I am who you think I am."
In response, the human's nose wrinkled, his voice ringing with a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "That's not even a question. We both know who you are."
The ghost seemed to sag in the air as he wrung his hands. "You...you don't understand."
Danny gaped at the nonsensicalness of the statement. He...didn't understand? How could he possibly not understand? His wide eyes stared up, begging for an explanation. But Phantom carefully avoided his glaze. Floating farther back, he straightened minusculy. "You should go to sleep. You look awful."
The ghost started to turn away as Danny leaned forward, moving to stand up. "But...but."
Phantom sighed, glancing at the human. He frowned, addressing Danny like he was an unruly child. "Go to bed, Danny." His expression then softened. "I'll be back in the morning, I promise."
Without another word, he floated through the window, leaving the boy gaping.
Huffing, Danny flopped down on the bed. One hand went to his forehead, wiping his bangs out of his face. His mind still churned with confusion from the multiple baffling conversations tonight. But….he felt better. The fear that Phantom had run off and he would never see him again no longer loomed over his head; though he did not understand, he knew that the ghost had been sincere. He would come back and they would figure things out in the morning. With that thought, Danny drifted off to sleep.
Morning found Phantom invisibly floating in Danny's desk chair, waiting for the boy to wake up. He'd spend several hours star gazing, desperately wishing he could sleep and put his troubled thoughts to rest for at least a few hours. But just like every night since going through the ghost catcher, sleep would not come. So around sunrise, he returned to Danny's room. He felt like a creep, watching the boy sleep but wanted to be nearby and find something to do. The ghost picked up one of Danny's space magazines and flipped through it. This was one he remembered reading before but there was something comforting in the familiarity.
Around 9:30, Phantom looked up from the magazine to a rustling sound in the room. On the bed, the sleeping boy hummed sleepily. Opening half-lidded eyes, he turned over so he was coincidentally facing the invisible ghost. He nuzzled into his pillow, giving another sleepy sigh as his eyes closed.
Across the room, Phantom put down the magazine. He bit his lip, debating if he should try and wake up the human. With a sigh, he floated up slowly turning visible as he moved to beside the bed. Cautiously, he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder which was covered by his blanket. Instead of flinching like the ghost expected, Danny somehow relaxed farther under the touch. Phantom gently shook him and whispered. "Hey, wake up Danny."
The human's eyes blinked open, squinting. Smiling contently, he muttered. "Good morning, Danny."
Phantom frowned. "That's not my name."
The boy slowly sat up though his covers remained wrapped around him. "Okay, Daniel." He playfully emphasized the last word, rubbing his eyes. "Man. Am I really this stubborn?"
Phantom ignored the question. "Go ahead and get dressed. I'll...go hide in the closet."
With a raised eyebrow, the human swung his legs over the side of the bed. "We're the same person." He muttered, exacerbated while the ghost turned around and phased into the closet.
The door to the bedroom opened and closed a few seconds later as Danny left, presumably to go to the bathroom. Phantom was left in silence; he tentatively poked a shoe on the floor of the closet with his boot. He whispered. "What am I even doing?"
A few moments later, the door opened and closed again with a creak. Drawers slid open and closed as Danny grabbed clothes. Phantom waited a few moments. "Are you decent?"
"Yeah." The human called nonchalantly.
Phantom phased through the door to find Danny still buttoning his pants and without a shirt on. The ghost rolled his eyes; at least he was half dressed. His eyes then fell on a spot about an inch above the waist of the boy's pants. In an area about the size of his hand, the skin appeared rough and raised with pinkish-red patches.
Phantom frowned, pointing at the area. "Your burn, does it feel okay?"
Danny glanced down, his eyes widening slightly as if he just remembered the injury. "Yeah. It stopped hurting really soon after it showed up…..and it's healed a lot more than a burn this size should heal overnight. Maybe because it was from a ghost weapon or…." He looked up at Phantom, brow furrowed in concern. "It was copied from you to me. You're the one who actually got shot." Danny reached towards the ghost. "Is your burn okay?"
Phantom looked down at his own abdomen, which remained covered by his jumpsuit as it had since the shot. "I don't know. I've not even looked since it happened."
Danny's frown deepened. "So Mom and Dad's gun didn't even tear the suit?" He walked forward, hands reaching for where the zip should be on the suit but froze inches from the fabric. "This does come off, right?"
"I think so?" Phantom backed away from the hands, reaching towards the zipper himself.
Though the seam and metal head of the zipper appeared almost nonexistent, the material parted. He unzipped the suit to right below the burn. Then the ghost shook the suit off his shoulder and pulled his gloves off. The outfit pooled around his waist.
Swallowing, Phantom looked down at his wound, his bare fingers gently prodding it. His eyes widened though he didn't know why he was surprised. The burn was the exact same size and shape and in the same position as the one on Danny's abdomen. Though there was one significant difference.
Phantom's nose wrinkled. "Why does the scabbing look green?"
"Ectoplasm?" Danny shrugged. "Yeah. Ghosts are literally made of the stuff. So I guess your blood is green?"
Phantom poked the burn a little more surely. "Yeah, I guess. It doesn't hurt at least."
"That's good." Danny nodded. "We should still bandage it though."
"Why?" The ghost's forehead wrinkled in slightly exacerbated confusion.
"It could get infected!" The human waved his arms while Phantom raised an eyebrow.
"Uhhh… I don't think…."
"A ghost could get sick from real world germs." Phantom's eyes widened as Danny seamlessly continued his thought but the human failed to notice the reaction. "But what if there's like ghost bacteria or something?! You never know. It'd be better to treat it, just in case."
Getting over the shook, Phantom crossed his arms. "Fine. But-" He pointed. "That has to be bandaged too."
The human shrugged. "I was going to anyway. I'll go get the bandages and neosporin." He patted the bed. "You can sit down, you know. It's your bedroom too."
Without another word, Danny left again. Cautiously, Phantom floated to the bed. With some mental effort, he reengaged gravity and flopped down on the bed. Sitting there was somehow both comfortable and familiar, and foreign and awkward. Like it was in fact his bed and his room, yet he didn't belong here anymore. Maybe he didn't; the dead didn't belong in the land of the living after all.
His troubled thoughts were cut off by the door opening again. Startled, he flickered invisible but reappeared a moment later once he realized it was just Danny. With the medical supplies in his hand, the human sat down beside Phantom- not close enough to be touching but still near enough to suggest he was comfortable with the ghost.
Danny leaned forward, posed to start treating the ghost's wound but Phantom batted the hands away, grabbing the banadages. "I can do it myself." A brief flash of disappointment sprang from the contact but the ghost frowned, ignoring it. Silently, he applied the antibiotic cream to his burn while Danny did the same to his. Both finished, Danny put on his shirt while Phantom re-zipped his suit.
After a moment, Danny spoke. "So what's the plan with Sam and Tucker?"
Phantom glanced up. "I was thinking you text them and ask about hanging out at Sam's house. We're less likely to run into her parents than Tuckers'... And it's not exactly safe for me to hang around here."
Danny frowned, Phantom guessed at the thought of his parents hurting the ghost. "Yeah. That sounds good." He gave a half smile. "I guess we hang out with Sam and Tucker like normal….except there's two of me."
The ghost looked down. Why couldn't Danny just see how serious this was? How if the two really were the same person, it wasn't a good thing? Gritting his teeth, he muttered something.
"What's that?" Danny asked with raised eyebrow.
Phantom took a breath, still not meeting the human's eyes. "You need to stop thinking like that. You're going to be disappointed."
The human crossed his arms. "Dude, can you stop with that? Don't you think I know myself well enough to know the truth?"
In a heartbeat, neon green eyes stared into icy blue. "No. You don't. Or you're willingly choosing not to see."
Just as Danny's jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed in anger, a knock sounded from the door. With a gasp, Phantom turned invisible. The door swung open as Mom barraged in, her eyes wide with concern. "Is everything okay? We got a spike on our scanner….and I thought I heard voices."
"Nah, everything's fine." Danny answered casually. His eyes turned very deliberately on the invisible Phantom. "I was just talking to...uh….myself."
"Okay?" Seemingly satisfied, Mom relaxed, changing the subject. "What are you up to today Danny?"
He looked up at his Mom. "I'm going to hang out with Sam and Tucker. I think it'll help me feel more like myself after….everything."
Mom frowned. "Are you still not feeling well?"
The human quirked his lip. "A little. But…." His eyes feel perfectly on Phantom who has slowly floated off the bed and as far away from the ghost hunting adult as he could. "I think things are starting to get better."
"That's wonderful, sweetie." Mom ruffled his hair. "Call or text me with when I can expect you home, okay?"
Phantom looked on the motherly display of affection with something that could be jealousy. With another smile at Danny, his mom left. With a sigh, Phantom turned visible and then cringed at the angry look the human was giving him.
Danny pointed at Phantom with narrowed eyes. "I don't get what's up with you...which is completely unbelievable. But if I know anything, Sam and Tucker can always talk sense into me. Hopefully it will work this time too."
"I'm not…" Phantom tried to argue.
But Danny cut him off. "We both know you're doubly lying to yourself." The human picked his phone up from the desk. "I'm texting our friends."
He opened the group text and started typing as he turned away from Phantom, leaving the ghost awkwardly floating in the corner of the room. Nebulous guilt swirled in Phantom's chest- at the thought that Sam and Tucker might see him as the ghost who possessed their friend, at his stand-offish behavior towards the human, at his continued denial. But...the truth was just too painful to embrace. The knowledge that they would never be normal or even fully human again. The paralyzing fear that the human half of him would still hate and fear the ghostly half after really acknowledging the truth. Phantom shuddered. What was he going to do?
But then Danny looked up at him with a slight smile. Maybe they would be okay. Phantom hoped, just maybe.