Note: I'm back with an update, in partial celebration of my birthday which was yesterday! It took a bit to get my groove back after taking a break from this story but I think I managed to find it again. Anyway, enjoy and feel free to tell me what you think at the end!
"Today, we will begin our introduction to Animal Farm." Mr. Lancer began. "If you look at the first page of your packet…."
The words barely perforated Fenton's perception as nonsensical nervousness suddenly rose in him. A flash of metal floor and tables, the neon green of the portal, Mom and Dad's faces. Oh, not nonsensical then. The images began distant and fuzzy but soon gained clarity.
Phantom's far away words rang in Fenton's head. "What are you gonna use it for? I mean, I know what you'd normally listen for but…. I….uhhh..I ... don't really have either right now."
More distant words grew closer, the speech quickening. "Well, technically, I guess...I guess I do have those…." Those words….Phantom was saying those words in the lab but Fenton felt them like he was the one speaking (But he was Phantom and Phantom was him so wasn't he….?).
"I mean I do but not…" Mom's wide eyed face flashed through his vision, her nervousness and discomfort screaming at him. And Dad's silence, the haunted look in his eyes, stabbed at the human's heart. "I guess you could say I...uhh…"
Fenton's heart pounded with anxiety. He felt so close, so close to his other self despite the distance. That panic, that nervousness the ghost was feeling….Fenton wanted to give into it so badly. But...but with the distance, the human realized where this was going, what his ghost was trying to do. In his head, he screamed at his other half to stop talking. But all the same…..
"You could say...I left my heart in my other body."
The human gasped in shock and disbelief at the statement. He reached out. Fenton didn't know how he did it, how he moved Phantom's hand and spoke through Phantom's mouth from across town (but the ghost's hand is his hand, the ghost's mouth his mouth)…. "Oh my god. I can't believe you said that."
The line, the distinction between the two blurred but not in the right way. Fenton fought to stay present, to not speak in English class, to not let anyone see the glow of his eyes. Luckily, he was in the back of the class and could close his eyes, tuning out the lesson for the time being.
"I think we managed to only say that out of one mouth." Fenton said, or maybe Phantom, or maybe both, spoke out of the ghost's mouth.
"This is so confusing...You're telling me." Phantom's head shook. "No. Stop. We need to stop." Through the ghost's eyes, Fenton watched his parents stare with wide, almost fearful eyes. Like he'd grown another head. Didn't they technically have two heads?
No. Stop that. Another head shake. "I'm Phantom right now. I'm in the lab with Mom and Dad. Just here with them."
A deep breath with illusionary lungs. The ghost half subtly withdrew from the human, centering himself. "You're Fenton. You're at school, in English class."
Back in English, the human shook his head. Yes, that's right. He tries to think it, to direct the thought at Phantom but... "I'm in English-"
"Stop using my mouth." Phantom, just the ghost, muttered, putting his hands on his head.
Somehow, across town, Fenton can feel the sensation of hands on his head. No, wait….His ungloved hands were on his head. But still….a double sensation.
"We need to be two, right now. Two not….one but not." Outloud, Phantom said the words while mentally poking his counterpart.
Fenton took several breaths with Phantom. His thoughts ran in sync, in parallel too. He needed to be just Fenton, just in English class, just in his human body. But he wanted to be both, unified with his ghostly self. Another head shake and Phantom's thoughts whispered to him. Right now he couldn't think about that. He needed to just be one half now, just here. Eventually, they'd re-fuse and he wouldn't have to worry about this but now he was just Phantom (just Fenton). Another breath. Yes, Fenton agreed, assuring his other half.
Sorry for cutting in. Fenton apologized, remembering Mom and Dad's startled faces. This time he managed to only speak to his ghost, the words exiting neither mouth. The human mentally retreated, pulling away. A mental door closed and Fenton sighed, noticing the dimming neon green light leaking through his eyelids. Tentatively he blinked, opening his eyes. To his relief, no one was staring at him. No one noticed the weirdness.
A soft cough came from beside him and a pencil poked his arm. Fenton startled, looking to the side. His eyes met Sam's, her eyebrow raised questioningly. Well….. It looks like he thought too soon that no one noticed.
The boy shrugged, shaking his head. In response, the goth pinned him with a skeptical look, as if to say 'Seriously?'
Fenton shook his head again and mouthed. "I'll tell you later."
Sam rose her brow before nodding. She leaned back, seemingly dropping the subject.
Fenton turned his attention back to the lecture….or he tried to. What just happened rang in his head, and not just for the confusion of that interaction with Phantom. He'd seen out the ghost's eyes before, even communicated with him over distance; But talking out of his…..other mouth (Fenton shivers at the thought) and moving his other body like that was weird, so weird, bizarre, and a little disturbing. But considering how he and Phantom had involuntarily copied each other's movements and words before, that made logical sense, in a strange way.
No, the very worrying part was….Mom and Dad saw. They saw, they heard all of that. What did that look like to them? What would they think about what happened, about him? Worry balled in Fenton's gut, wondering at their reaction. But…..
The boy sighed. It was fine. He was fine. They were fine. Phantom….Phantom was there, still in the lab and could explain. He could mitigate their reaction and everything would be okay.
His heart fluttered with anxiety anyway. He balled his fist, his nails pressing into his palm and focusing on the sensation. He was here, at school. And he was safe. He was fine. Everything was okay. He took another deliberate breath in, lungs inflating before slowly exhaling. He looked down at the paper and read the paragraph in front of him. Another breath and Fenton could feel his heart rate slowing. Anxiety pushed down, the boy turned his attention back to the lecture.
The rest of English class passed without consequence and now the trio of friends were sitting at one of the picnic tables outside at the human Danny's suggestion.
The boy got a few bits in before Sam asked. "So….in English, what was up with you?"
Tucker blinked before giving the goth a puzzled look. "Wait...what happened?"
Instead of answering the technogeek directly, the girl addressed Fenton. "You had that far away look in your eyes, like you weren't really here. Then your eyes started glowing."
The boy paled. He looked side-to-side nervously. "Did anyone else see?"
Somehow, he knew that nervousness wasn't just his own worries of being found out but….a memory of Mom's worried face, asking if he needed to be pulled out of school, what if someone sees (what a freak you are). Fenton shivered at the thought, though a measure of surprise entered him at recognizing Phantom's memory.
"No one saw." Sam answered comfortingly. "We were in the back and you closed your eyes before anyone else saw them glowing."
"But-" Fenton started.
"It's fine, I promise." The goth reassured. "But seriously, what happened?"
Worry eased, the human Danny huffed. "Well, I guess you're right. I wasn't really there." The boy put his head in his hands. "I think….I managed to traumatize my parents."
Tucker frowned, concerned confusion crossing his face. " Dude, what?"
Fenton grumbled, embarrassment rising at the memory. "Other me was in the lab with Mom and Dad. They were going to finish getting samples from Phantom, since we didn't finish on Monday. So Mom pulled out the stethoscope and he said….he said I left my heart in my other body."
His technogeek friend snorted. "Really? You said that?"
The human Danny blushed. "In front of Mom and Dad. I...he said that in front of them. And….it gets worse." He swallowed. "I slammed his hand over his mouth. And said I can't believe you said that."
Sam's brow furrowed. "No you didn't. I was right beside you."
Fenton bit his lip. "It was...I used my other mouth."
"Your other…" Tucker's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, like at lunch on Monday, when Phantom talked to us."
Sam hummed in consideration. "So you can do it from the other direction?"
The human Danny nodded.
His technogeek friend grinned. "That's so cool."
Fenton shook his head. "But we did it in front of Mom and Dad! Mom and Dad! We...we must have looked crazy to them. Completely insane! We were having a conversation out loud but only with one mouth. And talking about ourselves in third person." The boy ran his fingers through his hair. "Granted, me and Phantom keep doing that because we're freaking stuck as two people but also not, since we're still the same person. It's just…" He made a vaguely frustrated noise. "Things are good with both of us again, finally. But then we got freaking grounded for 'sneaking out' and the thing in the lab happened. And I have no idea how they reacted." Fenton put his hands up. "Well...I mean, I got glimpses of it from Phantom's memories but I still don't know what happened or what will happen or what Mom and Dad really think about this."
His rant petered out, leaving his friends studying him with thoughtful expressions.
Tucker sighed. "Man, I'm sorry any of that happened to you. I know dealing with all this sucks." He offered a slight smile. "But I'm really happy things are going better with you and your ghost half."
Sam nodded. "So you and the other Danny did talk?"
"Yeah. We did. I...I kept in mind what you said, about how far we've already come. We talked some about that and just...how to keep going." And many other things that the boy felt were too personal to share right now. Fenton pinched the bridge of his nose. "It went well but… I still don't know what to do with Mom and Dad. I mean...Mom freaked out when she learned we went flying last night and then today, in the lab it's just...I think we made it worse."
There was a pause as Fenton finished. His friends glanced at each other considering the words.
His goth friend leaned back. "Well that sucks."
The human Danny huffed. "You think? What exactly am I supposed to do?" He looked up, wide eyes deliberately asking for advice, for his friends to soothe his fears.
"Embrace the weirdness." Sam threw out the words with surprising casualness.
Fenton blinked, his frown deepening. "What?"
"Lean into it. Don't shy away from what's happening to you." The goth said.
The boy opened and closed his mouth. "But...they're still...they're still freaking out, Sam. You guys...you haven't seen how uncomfortable Mom and Dad are. Mom...She won't even actually say that I'm a ghost."
Sam shook her head, a hint of anger entering her gaze. "They're not gonna get used to everything if you still try to act like everything is normal, like you haven't changed, in front of them."
Fenton swallowed, stomach flopping. He wasn't sure if that anger was directed at him or at his parents. "I haven't….I haven't changed."
"Yes you have." Tucker cut in. "You're different, even compared to who you were last week. And that's not just going through the ghost catcher."
"And it's okay that you're different compared to before. Maybe it's even a good thing." Sam added.
Fenton tilted his head back and forth, considering. "We've had this conversation before, haven't we? Before I told Mom and Dad about my powers and…..you said something like that to Phantom on Saturday."
The goth wrinkled her brow. "I thought you didn't know about that."
The human Danny startled at that; how did he know about that conversation? "Phantom showed me that last night, I think? We...swapped some memories last night." He waved his hands around his head. "It's hard to keep up." Sam and Tucker traded a concerned look, like they wanted to ask more. But Fenton interjected. "I guess, you two do have a point. I am different and maybe….some of that is good."
That was an idea that kept coming up, didn't it? Yes, he was a ghost. He had powers and that was just a reality, not necessarily good or bad. But he had found things about being a ghost he liked- the flying, the way the night looked through his ghostly eyes. And those things were good, weren't they?
And what's more, Fenton remembered who he was before the ghost catcher, how afraid he'd been of his powers, of the part of him (them? The whole Danny?) that was Phantom or became Phantom?... He wasn't entirely sure how that all worked but…. He really had been a coward, hadn't he?
A hint of guilt rose at the thought but the boy cut it down. He'd promised, he'd promised he would try to let go of that, to be kinder to himself.
Fenton shook his head, looking up. "I need to make Mom and Dad see that too. And I guess...I can't do that if I won't actually show them who I am now."
Because he was different. Like he said last night him being a ghost, being Phantom, was a part of him that was non-negotiable. Mom and Dad were starting to see that and spending time with his ghost self alone most certainly helped, even if his more ghostly attributes made them uncomfortable. But he, as just Fenton, still could not shy away either.
"Good for you, man." Tucker offered him a half-smile.
"Yeah, I'm proud of you." Sam said.
The human Danny blushed at the compliment. He really did have good friends, friends who kept helping him figure out his crazy situation and sooth his fears.
"And what was that about you sneaking out?" The goth raised a brow.
Fenton rolled his eyes. Maybe he thought too soon. Nah, Sam and Tucker were still the best. With a passing wonder about how things were going with Phantom, the boy answered her question.
Despite the initial strangeness and his parents' painful reactions, working with Mom and Dad wasn't all that bad...or well, it could be worse. After listening to Phantom's core, Mom insisted on listening to his breathing.
"Breathe in for me." The woman instructed.
Phantom obeyed, taking a deliberated breath.
"And out." Mom said after a few seconds.
Cold air rushed out of his mouth. The cycle repeated and Mom removed the ear pieces. A look of relief passed over her face. "Your breathing sounds completely normal."
The boy blinked. "But...umm….I don't...uhh..I don't actually have lungs so….."
The ghost immediately cursed the words as soon as the words left his mouth as the relief disappeared off Mom's face. Why did he keep on saying vaguely disturbing things?
Mom swallowed. "I suppose you wouldn't in this form." That uncomfortable tone had returned, her eyes downcasted. His core clenched.
"And you don't actually have to breathe, do you?" Dad asked, curiosity clear in his eyes. But there was a hint of sadness underneath.
"Umm...no. I don't have to." It was still strange. He felt no urge to breathe. The lack of oxygen didn't burn his lungs...because he didn't have any. And when he did breathe… "I mean, I can. I do sometimes." Like if he was sighing in exacerbation…. or hyperventilating. "But I don't have to."
There was an awkward pause as Mom and Dad looked at each other. Then Mom shook her head, forcing the sad expression from her face. "It is strange that your breathing sounded normal considering….that." She rubbed her chin. "I don't know what to make of it. If we had an X-ray and could see inside your chest..."
The boy flinched at the words. Not that the idea of taking an x-ray scarred him; he's had to have one taken when he broke his ankle in fifth grade. But seeing the inside…..Mom's and Dad's previous excitement at seeing what was inside a ghost once they got their hands on one….He shivered.
Mom noticed, expression softening as she shook her head. "That doesn't really matter right now. How about we take your temperature next?"
The woman stood and grabbed the thermometer from the table. After asking Phantom to open his mouth, she placed the probe under his tongue. A few seconds later, the device beeped and Mom read out the temperature. "75 degrees Fahrenheit."
Phantom frowned at the number but said nothing. Part of him wanted to comment on how low it was; 98 was the normal body temperature. But then again, that was for a human and well...he'd already said enough things to emphasize his inhumanness in the last thirty minutes. And with the way Mom's eyes would widen and how a sad look would enter Dad's eyes…. He didn't need to painfully remind them and make it anymore awkward and uncomfortable.
In the silence, Mom jotted down the number. She quietly grabbed a plastic rod with a light at the end, like whatever the doctor used to look in his mouth, ears, and nose when he had a check up. He briefly wondered why his parents had all this medical equipment. It couldn't be all that useful for studying ghosts….. But wasn't he a ghost that they were studying? Well, not studying. This was a check up like at the doctor's. Information gathering so they could figure out how to put him back together, to fix him...But they were still studying him, weren't they? Nervousness rose again and the ghost fought to push it down. He shook his head.
A hand on his knee brought him out of his thoughts. "Danny-boy?" Phantom looked up to meet his father's eyes as the man smiled kindly at him. "How about you tell us about that book you were reading yesterday?"
The boy blinked for a moment, taking in the question before he realized exactly what this was. An opportunity to distract all of them. "Yeah." He nodded. "So it's the fourth book in the series. And the third one ended with the main character convincing his enemies to come together to save the world...I guess I should explain…."
Phantom started on a long winded explanation. Much like the last time in the lab, it was punctuated with the occasional question and brief explanation and instructions from Mom.
"But he was actually framed and didn't kidnap the president." The ghost pointed.
"I'm going to look in your ears so stay still for a second." Mom interrupted.
Phantom acknowledged with a nodd. "And the hitman who'd been sent to track him switched sides and actually saved him."
The woman leaned forward, examining his right ear with a humm. She jotted down some notes. "What happened next?"
"Okay so the second book? The hero got amnesia and his crush had to help him remember how to use his powers." Phantom continued talking as Mom tested his reflexes, which surprisingly were the same as normal. Again, strange. He wasn't entirely sure he had actual nerves in this form...or really of anything related to his ghostly anatomy other than his core. Maybe he should ask….
"Danny, sweetie." At the sound of his name, the ghost looked up at his mother. The corner of his lip turned down; he must have gotten distracted at some point and stopped talking.
Meeting his eyes, Mom asked. "Can you take off your gloves?"
The ghost boy glanced down. "Uh. Sure."
Phantom pulled his gloves off, placing them in his lap. He flexed his fingers nervously; the electrocution scar on his left hand was visible again. Remembering Mom's reaction to seeing it the first time, he braced himself.
Gently the woman reached for his hands. Her lips twitched as her gaze fell on his scar again but she swallowed and took his unscared right instead. A thoughtful expression covered her face as she studied the back of his hand before turning it over.
"It looks the same as last time." She commented. "And identical to your counterpart other than the….differences in hue."
Phantom read between the lines. By differences in hue, she meant the greenish tint of his skin and nails which was probably because of the ectoplasm running through his veins or...whatever.
"Can you squeeze my hand?" Mom asked and Phantom did so. "Good." The woman nodded. "I'm going to pull towards me and you resist." Another nod. "Now I'll push towards you." Again, the ghost gripped her hand, his arm holding steady. "Your strength and dexterity is good...although…" Her lips pursued and she met his eyes again. "Can I feel your wrist?"
Phantom nodded and her fingers moved, positioning as if to… The boy frowned. "Are you trying to feel my pulse, 'cause….."
"No sweetie. I'm….." She bit her lip. "Well...I'm trying to feel if you have bones."
The ghost tried not to gap. He really did. "You're trying to feel...if I have bones?"
Mom's face turned slightly red. "It feels like you do which is odd."
"Uh….why is that odd?" Phantom raised a brow.
The woman opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, trying to formulate a reply through her discomfort. She glanced at the other adult.
Dad raised a brow at her before turning to Phantom. "You don't know much about ghost anatomy, do you?"
Eyes wide, the ghost shook his head.
"Didn't think so." The man tapped his chin. "Well, ghosts have a core. That's the center of their power, kinda like…" He snapped his fingers. "How'd you describe it, Maddie?"
"It's the combined heart and brain of a ghost." Mom said quietly. "That matches what you told us, about how you can feel the ectoenergy flowing from it."
"Right." Dad nodded. "But, other than the core, ghosts don't have other organs."
"Well, clearly that's not true." The ghost glanced down at himself, frowning. "I'm not just a core."
Mom shook her head. "That's not what he means, sweetie. Clearly, you have some kind of nervous or circulatory system to allow ectoenergy….and probably ectoplasm as well….to circulate around your body."
Dad's eyes lit up at the statement. "Mads do you think other ghosts have the same thing?"
The woman tilted her head in thought. "Maybe, it would make sense if they did. Maybe we should-"
"Mom, Dad." Phantom interrupted. "What does this have to do with why me having bones in ghost form is weird?"
"Sorry son." Dad continued. "The point is...we thought ghosts just had a core and the outer appearance was just a shell."
The ghost blinked at the man in confusion. He turned at Mom, silently asking for further explanation.
The woman frowned. Her brow furrowed and she swallowed. "The outer appearance is just that, an appearance. A ghost may look like a human but the similarities are just cosmetic with no substance below the surface." Mom averted her eyes, focusing on the wall behind him. Her tone shifted, becoming forcibly impersonal and professional. "A ghost's body is composed entirely of ectoplasm, with the core being the most energetic and organized region. The rest of the appearance is projected from the core and composed of ectoplasm in semi-solid or liquid form."
Phantom felt the illusion of his stomach flopping. That tone, that scarily detached quality, prickled his skin, the hair on the back of his neck raising in fear. Fear. The flickering image of the hallway at school raised in his vision. A wordless question rang in his mind. Fenton, asking what was happening.
The ghost boy shook his head, forcing the anxiety down. He closed his eyes, briefly trying to send Fenton the message that he was okay and they'd talk about it later. His older half drifted out of his awareness again.
Phantom looked up, swallowing. "So….I...uhh...I shouldn't be solid enough to have bones?"
Mom seemed to register his discomfort, her face softening. "I wouldn't say you shouldn't but….what we know about ectoplasm suggests it's highly unlikely. I'd thought ghosts' forms were more malleable." She said the last part quietly, as if talking to herself rather than him.
"Malleable…" Dad wrinkled his brow in thought. "But Mads, doesn't self perception play into a ghost's form too?"
The woman put a hand on her head. "That's an older theory but yes, since the core does act as the brain of a ghost, thought can alter form to an extent...but that's still limited by ectoplasm's physical properties."
"Maybe ectoplasm is more malleable than we thought." The other adult suggested.
Phantom blinked looking between the two in confusion. The way they bounce ideas off each other, talking over his head so scientifically unsettlingly reminded him of Sunday night, of them talking about him as if he was just a copy, one of their experiments.…. No. He cut the thought off. He was not an experiment to them. He wasn't. This was innocent curiosity, nothing more.
He coughed, getting the parents attention. "I still don't get what you're talking about. What does this have to do with me having bones?" He wrung his hands. "How will this help you guys figure out how to fix me?"
Dad blinked, the pair of adults looking at each other. A guilty look crossed Mom's faces, her cheek reddening. Brief shame passed his father's expression as well.
The man's face softened and he gently placed a hand on his son's knee. "You're right, Danny boy. I guess the point is….you still pretty much think of yourself as human, don't you?"
The ghost blinked in shock. "I am human." The words exited his mouth before he really thought. Then he blushed. "I mean….I know I don't look it right now." He motioned down his body. "I am the ghost half….and being split doesn't help….But I'm still just as much a human as a ghost. And...I've been a human a lot longer than I've been a ghost so..."
"I get it, son." His dad offered a subdued smile. "But do you get it? Why that's important for how you look and feel?"
Phantom shook his head. "Ummmm….No?"
The man pointed at his head. "You are what you think. Or...err…" He glanced down at the boy's chest, where his core was. Dad's large finger wavered back and forth between the two before he shrugged. "Ehh, no matter where you're thinkin' from, what you think shapes who you are."
The ghost tilted his head for a few moments, considering this. It would explain things, especially why the way his body felt seemed to flexate, why sometimes he could feel his heart beating or his stomach flopping with nerves. But he suspected it was deeper still, his thoughts shaping who he was a person. There was a reason that he and Fenton felt more like one person when they were thinking and feeling alike, when the pieces of their mind were in harmony.
Phantom nodded. "I think I get it, yeah. I still think like I'm human so I feel more human." He looked down, examining his hands. "I guess that might help with fusing too, if I can imagine what I'll feel like when I'm back to normal." Again, he was reminded of how little he knew of his ghost form before the ghost catcher, how he still didn't know how his human and ghost forms fit together when he's all in one body. But if he can imagine it, truly being human and ghost at the same time…..
The boy looked up from his thoughts as he noticed the silence around him. Based on how this conversation had gone so far, he expected to find nervousness, discomfort in his parents' gazes. But instead Mom looked….relieved? The ghost frowned, puzzling that out. Why? He'd said he primarily thought like a human (not that he really knew that much about real ghosts and how they thought) and he felt human. And he mentioned fusing, going back to normal….Oh
The ghost boy's expression fell. Human. Normal. Those words likely meant something different to his parents, his mom especially who was still struggling with him being a ghost. But he can't give them false ideas about his humanity, his ghostliness, and the weight he gave both.
He bit his lip. "You know…..I'm just as much a ghost as I am a human. Both...both are parts of me, equal parts of me. I know that doesn't make much sense, 'cause being a ghost is new. And I just told you I primarily think of myself as human but...it has to be true. 'Cause me and Fenton are both equally Danny. There isn't a dominant half. One of us isn't more the 'real' Danny." He put the word in air quotes. "We're just…." He lashed his fingers together. "We need each other. And that's not just gonna end after we fuse. We need both our halves and we're not gonna stop being a ghost after this."
Phantom's ramble ended and his mouth snapped shut as he watched his parents for their reactions. Mom's relief evaporated; she looked disappointed. It made his core ache.
"I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" The ghost started.
"Son, it's okay." Dad cut in. "I get it."
Though his face was heavy with sadness, there was….acceptance there. Acceptance. The kind expression just about made Phantom's core sing in relief.
"You do?" The ghost asked hopefully.
Dad tilted his head back and forth. "I don't understand all of this but...you are who you are. If being a ghost is a part of you, then…" The man swallowed. "I can accept that."
Phantom could hardly believe the words. "Really? You mean that?"
"Of course, I do." The man stood up and approached Phantom. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around the ghost version of his son. "I'm sorry I didn't assure you sooner."
Gaping, the ghost returned the hug. "It's...it's okay. I get it. This is hard, really hard." He lowered his voice, whispering into Dad's shoulder. "I've struggled to."
"I know...I should have been there." Dad squeezed him one more time before stepping back. "I love you, Danno."
Danny the ghost smiled. "I love you too."
"Thanks for being such a good sport today. We learned a lot." Dad said. "Anything else you want to talk about?"
Phantom's core pulsed in sudden nervousness at the question. Apprehensively, he glanced at Mom. The woman had still not said anything. In fact, her expression was unreadable.
The ghost swallowed, deciding to ask anyway. "Uh...about last night?"
"What about last night?" With crossed arms, Mom finally broke her silence.
"Ummm….I am sorry about not telling you guys and missing curfew. I really am. And I won't do it again. But…." He sighed. "I had a really good time flying. Other me loved it too which was...a pleasant surprise, since he got our fear of heights. It was amazing. Really amazing." The ghost wrung his hands. "I know that us flying worries you and maybe you're right and it could be dangerous but…" Finally asking what he wanted to, Phantom looked down. "please don't make us give it up."
Heavy silence lingered, making the room feel suffocating. Maybe he shouldn't have asked that, not this soon. He still hadn't gotten a reaction from Mom. Still didn't know what she really thought about all this.
"We're not gonna to forbid you from flying." Dad said.
At the declaration, Phantom looked up. His eyes meet Dad's eyes which shone with kindness. The ghost's lips twitch up. "You're not?"
"Of course not." Dad reassured, smiling. "You can fly, Danny boy. You can fly! That's amazing!" The man's grin widened with familiar enthusiasm. It keenly reminded the ghost of his father's reaction when he showed off his floating on Monday. "It's incredible. You look so comfortable in the air. I can tell you love it. I'd never take that from you."
That promise, that reassurance, lifted Phantom's spirit. "Really? You mean that? Really?"
"Yes!" The man said enthusiastically. He tapped his chin in thought. "Also I was thinking...your other powers… do you wanna show them off to us? We could train, figure out what you can do."
The ghost smiled at another pleasant surprise. He'd thought about that last night, figuring out his powers and his limits. But that his dad would pick up on that or have a similar idea? Then again, he did have ghost powers. And his father's love of ghosts was only surpassed by his love for his family (and maybe for fudge) so maybe his interests shouldn't be all that surprising.
"Jack." Mom cut suddenly in sharply, her face hard.
And just like that, Phantom's good mood evaporated.
Dad, however, did not seem to pick up on the change in mood. He turned, giving her a confused look. "Your mother and I will have to talk about how so we can test your powers safely…..And we'll need some rules for flying. But we won't keep you from that."
"Jack." The other adult interrupted again. "You can't...you can't promise him that."
The man blinked, frowning. "Why not?"
"It might be…." Her voice, still harsh, lowered. "It might be dangerous."
Dangerous…. Dangerous for who? For him, the ghost half? For Fenton? For Mom and Dad? Why would it….. Well, his powers could harm. He'd seen that...but that didn't make them, make him, dangerous.
"That's why we should train him, Madds. If he learns the limits of his powers and how to better control them, they won't be dangerous. Not training him could actually be more dangerous." The man held up his hands, answering like it was the most obvious thing.
Mom opened and closed her mouth like she very much wanted to argue. The woman glanced between the boy and her husband, a calculation running behind her eyes. Her mouth closed and her face hardened, set with something that might be...anger. "Danny. Go upstairs. Your father and I need to talk."
Phantom swallowed. "But.."
"Go upstairs." The woman demanded.
The ghost shivered. That tone sent dread through him. It was sharp, like someone was in deep trouble. She's angry. But at Dad or at him? He couldn't tell. He couldn't tell and he didn't know what he or Dad would have done to earn her wrath.
"Danny boy. Go upstairs." Dad's words were quiet, the tone of someone who suddenly realized they were in trouble but wasn't sure why. They effectively cut through his growing panic.
"Oh...okay. Okay." The ghost floated off the stool, stuttering out the words.
With a cursory glance back, Phantom floated up the stairs.