Note: Hey readers! So here we are, a big milestone, chapter 30. Hopefully you'll enjoy it. And as always, feel free to leave your thoughts, comments, and predictions! And thanks for reading!

As Phantom predicted, family time was not fun, even if Jazz had insisted that he and Fenton choose the movies. After a boring and yet somehow tense lunch, the family had sat around the tv, watching the Dannys' selection. They'd gone with the Star Trek original series films from the 80s, of course starting with the second one because the first one is garbage.

It normally would have been enjoyable, following along with the successes and failures of the characters, making quips, and laughing at the jokes. But no one seemed that engaged. Dad's comments were unnaturally subdued; he barely even teared up at the end of Wrath of Khan and hardly chuckled at any of the jokes and gags. Jazz seemed to be watching her parents and brother more than the actual tv. And Mom? Mom had a far away look in her eyes, her brow furrowed like she was deep in thought. She looked like she was doing math in her head, meticulously going over everything that went wrong with the ghost catcher and every possible solution.

As for Fenton and Phantom? In all honesty, both barely saw the screen. Phantom struggled to process what he was watching, his mind too busy with thoughts of his conversation with Jazz and with his other self. They'd said they'd think about talking to Mom and he'd asked Fenton to give him today at least to get his courage up to talk to the woman. But still, his guts squirmed at the thought. He tried not to think about it, about all the possible bad ways that talk could end but….he shivered.

Beside him, Fenton's neutral expression fell on the sad side. He obviously was feeling the same. He leaned towards the ghost, sitting with his legs curled to the side and his head on the ghost's shoulder. He offered a mental nudge of sympathy. It, with the physical contact, felt nice. Comforting. Like a soothing balm to his core. Or really….it felt like rubbing a sore muscle or a swollen ankle. Or like how he'd sometimes rub his arm and take deep, calming breaths when he was anxious. That always seemed to make him feel better at least temporarily.

And that was the case now. The touch and mental nudge drew Phantom's attention back to the tv for a time….until his thoughts drifted again.

The pattern continued as the family watched the movies. They paused after their second movie to heat up some frozen pizzas before returning to watch the third. Phantom and Fenton's worries kept recirculating. Neither could find it in them to smile, much less laugh. Even at Chekov asking where the nuclear 'wessels' were in The Journey Home, the movie they'd affectionately call 'The One with the Whales.'

Soon enough, their third movie ended and Mom and Dad elected to call it an early night instead of watching another movie. The woman left the living room after saying a listless good night. Dad soon followed her after his more enthusiastic attempt. As for Jazz, the girl pinned both versions of her brother with questioning glances.

Then she sighed. "Good night Danny."

She lingered for a moment; clearly she wanted to press about talking to Mom but she didn't. In some ways, the worried and disappointed gaze was worse than being nagged. Phantom looked down, unable to meet her eyes while Fenton glanced to the side, purposely away from her. With another sigh, Jazz started up the stairs.

"Come on." Fenton muttered after a second, tapping the ghost to get his attention.

Phantom looked up, nodding in acknowledgement. Then the pair went to their room to relax before bed.

Several hours later, after Fenton had gone to sleep, Phantom found himself again in the dark living room. He sat on the couch with his knees on his chest. The tv was on, the volume inhumanly low. He could still hear it anyway; true to his suspicion, his hearing was in fact supernaturally keen.

But he wasn't actually listening to the program. Instead Phantom was thinking about everything. In an act that might have surprised him just days ago, Fenton hadn't pressed about talking to Mom, though Phantom knew he'd want to. Or rather...the human knew they should talk to the woman, even if both halves of them were scared and wanted to avoid confrontation. Phantom knew they needed to deal with the issue as well but….

The ghost put his head on his knees. "I'm such a coward." He muttered.

It was ridiculous; he was scared to talk to his own mother. And this wasn't like before, when they actually told Mom and Dad about what the ghost catcher really did. This time there was no danger of getting shot, or locked in a cage, or experimented on or….

"Stop that." Phantom chastised himself, feeling old fears rise. He needed to stop; they were past all that. "It's gonna be fine. It's fine. She...she loves me, all of me." He still wasn't sure how much he believed his own platitudes.

The ghost stayed like that for a while, mentally groaning in annoyance at himself, at his mom, at his situation in general. Again, he was getting so sick of this, of waiting, of feeling helpless, of being afraid.

The sound of footsteps drew his attention and Phantom tensed. His head whipped up, startled gaze falling on the source of the noise.

"Danno?" A large figure asked

After a moment, the ghost relaxed. "Oh, Dad. It's you."

The man took a step forward. "Yep. What are you doing up, kiddo? I figured you'd be in bed."

"I am." The ghost sighed. Confusion momentarily crossed the man's face before Phantom explained. "The other me. He actually is in bed, asleep."

Dad nodded. Then he raised a brow. "But what about this you?" He ran a hand through his hair. "You haven't been trying to sleep on the couch, have you? You know you can use the guest room or...we can get you a cot for your room." He shook his head, muttering. "We haven't even thought about sleeping arrangements."

"No need to." Phantom sighed. "It turns out ghosts can't sleep."

The man paused, his gaze fixing on his son. "Really? As in you physically can't or…?"

The ghost bit his lip. "Like physically can't. I tried the first few nights after the ghost catcher but….nothing. Can't fall asleep."

Dad frowned. "Oh son… that sounds rough."

"It's fine." Phantom shrugged, trying to look casual. "It's not like I get tired." He then raised a brow. "What are you doing up?"

The man glanced in the kitchen. "Midnight snack."

"Oh…Don't let me keep you then." The ghost looked away, core clinching. Another thing he couldn't enjoy.

Dad paused, stepping towards the couch instead of towards the kitchen.

Phantom wrinkled his brow. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting with you, if that's alright." The ghost nodded in agreement and the man sat down. The man sighed. "What's the matter, Danny?"

Phantom blinked. "What?"

"You've got that look on your face, like something's bothering you." Dad said kindly. "What's eating at ya?"

The ghost looked away again, his shoulders rising. "Uh just….stuff."

"Is it the ghost catcher?" The man asked. "You don't need to worry. I promise I'll get it fixed up."

Phantom shook his head. "No that's...Well...I am… I am upset about that. But...that's not...that's not really..." He trailed off, unsure what to say or really...if he should say anything at all.

"Danny?" Dad questioned, nudging the boy to continue.

The ghost swallowed, biting his lip. Everyone damn one seemed to want him to talk about this, Jazz, his other self, now even Dad. But how could he? Maybe….He took a deep breath, pinching his eyes shut. "I'm...I'm angry at Mom."

There was a pause. "Why?" The man asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Phantom opened his eyes. "It's the stuff...the stuff she's said about ghosts."

"Oh." Dad's mouth rounded into an O, realization dawning.

The ghost nodded. "Yeah. She said...well you know. You were there." Dad blushed, something like guilt flickering in his gaze before Phantom continued. "Jazz said I should talk to Mom about it."

That got the man's attention as he turned more fully to the ghost. "Your sister's right. You should."

Phantom huffed. "I figured you'd say that."

Dad tilted his head. "You don't sound happy about that. I'm guessing you don't want to."

The ghost shook his head.

"Why?"

Phantom paled. His insides churned as nervousness rose. His throat closed up, the words choking him. He couldn't say it. He didn't want to say it but…. Something tickled in the back of his mind. A sleepy hum of encouragement. He could...he could do this. Yeah. He could. He took a breath. "I'm scared."

Dad asked softly. "Why are you scared?"

Phantom shifted anxiously. He couldn't look up. He couldn't meet his father's eyes. How could he say it? How could he explain to his dad that he was afraid that Mom was not sorry about what she said? How could...how could he tell one parent that he was scared his other parent didn't love him? That barely even a week ago he'd been terrified, he's been sure that his parents would hate him, that they could never love a monster, a ghost like him.

"She won't...she won't listen to me." Phantom managed to squeak out.

"Of course she will." Dad tried to reassure.

The ghost boy shook his head. "No, She won't...she won't even look at me, much less actually listen."

"Danny boy. That's not true." Dad reached forward, placing a hand on the ghost's shoulder "Whatever it is, if it's important to you, she'll listen. Your mom loves you."

The ghost boy flinched, pulling away at the stinging statement. He wanted to believe that was true, so badly but he feared-

"Are you upset with me, son?" Dad suddenly asked

Phantom's glaze flickered up, his eyes falling on the adult's deep frown, the hurt look on his face. "No. Why would you think that?"

"I had a part in all this too. We haven't really been making this easier for you. Fighting with your mom hasn't helped and…" The man bit his lip. "I haven't forgotten that stuff I said before I knew…" He motioned up and down Phantom's body.

The ghost looked down at himself. Oh yeah. He flinched, the memories of the names he was called flashed in his mind. A gun pointed at his head. 'You think this is funny, messing with my boy?'

Phantom swallowed. "You didn't know back then and...you've been trying so hard. I know you don't think that stuff anymore."

Dad remained still, his cheeks reddened with shame as he considered the statement. "You're right, I don't." He took a breath. "And I'm sure your mom doesn't either. She's been trying too."

The ghost narrowed his eyes slightly, trying not to scoff. "Really?"

The man straightened. "I guess you're not seeing that." His brow wrinkled with sadness. "I need to get her to talk to you."

Phantom's eyes popped open. "No, don't." He waved his hands in alarm. This… this was not what he wanted, for Mom to learn that he had a problem with her from his Dad.

Dad's eyes narrowed slightly. "Son, you two clearly need to talk."

The ghost put a hand on his head. "I know that but-"

The adult cut him off. "Danny, listen." It was said compassionately with just enough authority for ghost Danny's mouth to snap shut. "Things have gotten better between us, because you've talked to me. Like you are right now. You told me what was bothering you…. and you can tell me anything else you need to." The man raised a brow, giving the boy a probing look.

"Yeah, I can. Yeah." Phantom swallowed. Well, that opened a can of worms. "I can but-"

"But...you should give your mom the same courtesy. She can't read your mind, son. She doesn't know what you're thinking. So tell her, so she can start fixing things."

The ghost's shoulders rose as he looped his arms around his knees. His gaze fixed down, avoiding his father. The words rang in his head anyway, running into similar pleas that Jazz had given him earlier. He...he knew what he had to do. He'd known for hours but now...he had no recourse, no excuse. He was still scared, so damn scared. But….he took a breath, stealing his courage as he looked up. "Okay. I'll...I'll talk to her, in the morning."

"You will?" Dad questioned.

"Yes." The ghost nodded. "But….don't tell Mom about what I told you."

The man gave him a serious look. "Danny."

"Please." The boy looked at him pleadingly. "I want to….no...I need to tell her myself….and I will but…." He swallowed. "This is between me and her." Jazz's words repeated in his head. "Me and Mom are the only ones who can fix this."

Dad frowned, a serious contemplative look on his face. Finally he sighed. "Alright. I won't say anything but…" He pointed. "If she asks me or you don't go through with it, I will talk to her. Your mother and I don't keep secrets from each other."

"Okay." Phantom conceded, his shoulders falling.

The man's face softened. "Don't be sad, kiddo." He gave the ghost boy a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. "Everything's gonna be okay."

The ghost boy tried to return the gesture with a smile. "I hope so."

"It will. You'll see." Dad yawned. "But now, I need to go back to bed." He stood up and started turning back towards the master bedroom.

"What about your snack?" Phantom asked.

The man turned around. "Oh right." A smile grew on his face, his eyes brightening at the thought of food. Then his gaze flickered back to the ghost, who was still frowning with his knees to his chest. Dad's face fell.

"What?" The ghost raised a brow.

"You know, normally I'd give you a glass of warm milk and some fudge and get ya to bed."

Phantom frowned. "Well there's no point in doing that, 'cause-"

"I know. But…" The man interrupted. He leaned down. "Normally, I'd give you a big ole hug too. I can still do that. If you want."

The boy's expression softened. "Of course I want that."

Lowering his legs, he turned to the side and reached forward as his father wrapped strong arms around him. The ghost melted into the hug, enjoying the warmth. It felt nice to be so comforted, even as his core still churned with sadness and worry.

"Everything's going to be alright, son."

Phantom said nothing, just holding on tighter. Like he was still a little kid and his dad could shield him from the world. But eventually, the man pulled away before grabbing a quick snack and going back to bed. The ghost stayed on the couch, alone with just his thoughts and the distant song of the portal.

Phantom had a lot to think about, much to consider. He had a decision to make. Or did he? He'd said he would talk to Mom in the morning and he would keep his word even if the thought made his hands shake and his insides squirm. He and Fenton would talk to her together. Or…

His core clinched, mind going over a dozen hypothetical scenarios. What he, Phantom, would say. What Fenton would say. How Mom would react. And every extreme of that reaction- from cold and cruel rejection to insincere, placating apology to weeping, sobbing regret. He turned the matter around in his head. Mom's reaction to Fenton compared to his ghost half… those were different. And her reaction would be different, depending on which Danny said what. But the root was...Mom seemed to have a problem with, to not trust Phantom. And so…

The ghost bit his lip. He needed to talk to his human self. But even so...Phantom had a sinking feeling. He might just have to proceed alone.

That morning, Fenton woke up minutes before his alarm to the feeling of cold hands gently shaking him.

"Phantom?" He blinked through blurry eyes.

"Sorry to wake you up so early." The ghost bit his lip. "But I need to talk to you before school."

The human blinked again, suddenly feeling more awake. "Okay. Yeah." He sat up. "Just let me pee first."

"Of course." The ghost floated back to give his counterpart space to stand.

Fenton left, did his business, and then returned to his room. He sat back down on the bed, giving the ghost his attention.

"So last night...I told Dad I'd talk to Mom." Phantom started.

"You did?" The human raised a brow, surprised. Then he paused. "Wait… yeah. I saw some of that." He remembered sitting on the couch with his knees to his chest and Dad beside him, the words far away and indistinct but the worry almost palpable.

"Yeah." Phantom nodded. "You kinda pushed me to actually talk to Dad."

"I do remember that." Fenton agreed. Slowly, the words from that late night conversation shifted into focus. "You told him that we're angry at Mom and scared she won't listen."

"I did." The ghost agreed. "And I promised I'd talk to Mom in the morning."

"And it's morning." The human sighed, rubbing his face. Then he looked up. "But...I have school. Could we wait until after? I'm sure Dad would understand and…" He trailed off, talking in his counterpart's serious expression. There was something in his eyes, in the twitch of his frown that said it. Or more likely...one half of his mind knew the other half. "You think it should just be you. Only you should talk to her."

The ghost wrung his hands. "Yeah well….I'm the half she seems to have a problem with and...she'll act differently if you're there. She might be...nicer if her nice normal human son is physically there." He frowned, bitterness ringing out in the words. "But we need her to be honest. We...I need to know what she really thinks of me, just me, just Phantom."

"And if she is actually sorry, if she'll really apologize to a ghost." Fenton continued for him.

"Yeah." Phantom agreed. "It's just...I know we're a team." He held his hands in front of his placatingly. "And this isn't me pushing you away but…."

"Danny." The human said softly, cutting him off. "I get it. This isn't a rift between us but…" He sighed. "I have the feeling if we were merged...the whole Danny would have this conversation in ghost form. 'Cause you are right. Mom treats Fenton and Phantom differently."

"Yeah." The ghost shifted nervously. "It really sucks, but she does. So...you do see why it should just be me?"

Fenton nodded in confirmation. He understood Phantom's thinking all too well. And unfortunately, he agreed for the most part. Although...he blew out a breath. "Still….I hate the idea of not being there with you in person."

"But you'll just be a mental nudge away." Phantom reminded him. "So it's not like you're actually leaving me alone."

That was true, the human silently mused. It's not like he and his ghost half could actually be rid of each other. They were one mind, one soul even if stuck as two bodies. And so, even if physically apart... Fenton half-smiled. "I guess you could say I'll be there in spirit."

Phantom's brow wrinkled for a moment as he frowned at his counterpart who pinned him with a knowing look. The ghost looked down at himself and then back to the human. The corner of his smile twitched up. "Was that a pun?" Fenton's eyes brightened and he opened his mouth to reply. But the ghost shook his head, continuing before he could. "Of course it was. And yes, I guess I could say that." Slowly, his lips turned up in a fond smile. "That actually does make me feel a lot better although…." His expression turned thoughtful. "Should I wait until you're at lunch to talk to Mom? In case, it gets emotional or...I don't know...I need more of your attention."

The human frowned, considering the question. "Yeah, that… that might be a good idea." He didn't like the possibility of spacing out or having an outburst in class. "I'll tell Sam and Tucker what's up, in case I get weird and….we've got a free period right after lunch on Mondays so if things go long…"

"We'll be set." Phantom finished for him.

Fenton nodded and then stood. He stepped forward, taking the ghost's hand. "It's gonna go fine. You've got this."

"We've got this." Phantom corrected, looking down.

"You're the one doing the heavy lifting." The human squeezed his hand, clinched in Phantom's. "And like I said before, you're so brave."

The ghost blushed. "Fenton."

"Phantom." The other boy returned teasingly. "But seriously, I'm proud of you. I'm proud of us."

"Yeah?" Phantom raised a brow.

"Yeah." Fenton nodded.

The ghost smiled. "Alright." He squeezed Fenton's hand before pulling away. "Now you can stop being so sappy."

The human raised a brow. "Come on. You have just as much a capacity to be sappy as I do."

"Oh I never said I didn't." This other half teased. "But that's enough for now. I've gotta psych myself up to be disgustingly honest and emotional in front of Mom."

"You've got this Danny. You got this. It's gonna to be great. You're gonna crush that conversation, knock it right out of the water." Fenton suddenly started, earnestly with just a hint of teasing. This earned a confused and slightly skeptical look from the ghost. The human stopped. "What? You said you had to psych yourself up."

Understanding flashed across the ghost's face. He snorted and then rolled his eyes. "Still a dork."

"Oh, that's not even a question. A lot of things can change," There was a knowing weight, a gravity to the statement. But then the human waved casually. "But that's not one of them."

"Yeah. It's not." The ghost agreed.

With that, Phantom released his counterpart and the human started getting ready for school. They didn't talk anymore about the upcoming conversation with Mom but the topic wasn't far from Fenton's mind, even as he chatted with Jazz and Phantom over breakfast and the girl drove him to school. Jazz of course asked him about it and he replied with reassurances that Phantom would talk to Mom today. And yes, the human Danny trusted his ghost half to talk to the woman alone, or as alone as one half of a human-ghost hybrid with lingering metaphysical connections between their two halves could be.

And that was the thing. Fenton would have to trust himself, trust Phantom. And what's more...he had to keep hoping that Mom would be receptive. He'd keep hoping that this would be the first step in mending their strained relationship….and not the nail in his coffin.

True to what he said, Phantom spent the whole morning psyching himself up for the impending conversation with Mom. He paced around his bedroom, muttering to himself. "I've got this. It's gonna be fine, right? Right, yeah. Of course. We're fine. It's fine." He sucked in a breath. "You can do this, Fenton. You can do this." For once, he wasn't talking to his human half nor was there any guilt in the habitual action. He had always had a habit of calling himself by his last name if he needed to berate himself or give himself a pep talk. "We can..I can do this. I can do this. I'm gonna do this. I'm-"

Something tickled in the back of his mind, a small nudge from his other self conveying that it was time. Phantom's stomach dropped as he glanced at the clock. Was it lunch time already? He paled. "No. I'm...I'm not ready."

A mental pock of encouragement came. Yes, you are. Fenton said, even without words.

"Yeah I'm… " The ghost took another breath. "We decided. I'm doing this. I guess...I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Distantly, he felt Fenton agree. With no more hesitation, the ghost floated out of the room. His stance tensed as he proceeded down the hallway and steps. In moments, he crossed the living room and stopped in front of the door to the lab. He shook his hands, trying to dislodge the nerves. "Alright, Phantom. You've got this."

At once a sense of deja vu hit him. A little over a week ago, floating behind his other self and watching him say those words and more distantly….being the one standing in front of the door and preparing for a potentially disastrous showdown. The ghost shook his head. This was nothing compared to that.

Deliberately, Phantom straightened. He grabbed the door knob. Luckily it turned and he pulled the door open. The ghost swallowed. "Mom? Dad?"

"Down here." Mom called from her seat at one of the tables.

Phantom floated forward, eyes surveying the entire lab. Mom's table with the blueprints and other paper strone around her. The station where they'd been working on the ghost catcher, visibly cleaned since yesterday. A benchtop with Mom's microscope, flasks and test tubes of ectoplasm, a centrifuge and table top incubators. A pile of wires and other scrap in the corner and...his core clenched….a box containing the broken and burnt remains of the ghost catcher.

The ghost boy ripped his eyes away, gaze turning to the open portal with its mesmerizing green light and the soft hum of its song. For just a moment, the sound captured his attention, the melody quickening the pulsing of his core even as it relaxed him.

"What is it?" Mom asked, though she sounded mildly distracted.

Phantom shook his head, startled by the sudden interruption. He floated forward, trying to not look embarrassed or nervous but...the anxiety was back. His eyes flitted around the room again. "Where's Dad?" He questioned.

Mom didn't look up from the paper she was writing on. "We needed specialty parts after...what happened yesterday. Your father went to pick them up from our supplier in Elmerton. He should be back in an hour or so."

"Okay." The ghost boy nodded, taking in the statement. Well, that definitely meant he'd get to talk to Mom alone.

Even so, he silently shifted in the air, biting his lip. His gaze flickered from the portal to his mother and back several times. How to start? Where to even start? Should he sit down in the chair beside her? Or that stool, a little farther away? Or maybe ask to go upstairs for this conversation? Or-

"Danny, do you need something?" The woman asked, again interrupting his thoughts.

Phantom turned to look at Mom as she finally looked at him. His frown deepened taking her in. The woman had her hood pulled up, her goggles over her eyes. The red lenses made her look bug-eyed and intimidating. Subconsciously, the ghost floated back. The impulse to turn around and avoid this conversation passed through but he pushed it down. "Ummm...it's….I…" He swallowed. "I need to..to talk to you."

The woman frowned, glancing down at her papers. "Can it wait, sweetie? I'm in the middle of something."

The ghost bit his lip, fighting the urge to say yes, it could wait, and leave. Instead he touched down on the floor. "No...it...it can't."

Mom sighed, putting down her pen. She pushed her goggles up onto her forehead. "Alright. What do you need to talk to me about?"

"Uhh….just stuff...things….I've been thinking about stuff and wondering...and I talked to Fenton...and Jazz. And we...well….we're...I'm...uhh...I don't...It's not…"

"Danny." The woman cut him off. "Whatever it is, just tell me."

Phantom shifted nervously, foot to foot. Tentatively, he eyed the chair on the other side of the table. After a moment's hesitation, he sat down. "Okay, just promise you'll listen and….tell me the truth."

Mom's mouth twitched down. "Danny." She repeated his name, pointedly.

The ghost shook his head. "Please. Promise me you'll...you'll be honest with me….and you'll listen."

Slowly, the woman's face softened. "I promise." She said, like she might just mean it. "Now what is this about sweetie?"

Phantom took a moment, bracing himself. For a fraction of a moment, he considered where to start poking at the issue. Then he decided. The ghost swallowed, looking down. "Why...why don't you trust me?"

There was breath. "Is this about you being grounded?" Mom said, surprisingly gently. "Because we already talked about this. You broke our trust by sneaking out and-"

"No. It's not…" Phantom cut her off. "This isn't about being grounded. It's…" He looked up. "You trust...you trust Fenton but you don't trust me." He emphasized the word. "Why don't you trust me?"

Mom's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand."

Annoyance flared but the ghost pushed it down; maybe he was actually explaining this badly. "You trust Fenton, the human me. But you don't...you don't trust Phantom. This me." He motioned up and down his body. "Why do you trust Fenton but not me?"

The woman shook her head. "I trust both of you equally."

Another flicker of annoyance passed through him. "That's not true. You treat me and Fenton differently." He shook his head. "I'd...I'd maybe get it, if you didn't trust either of us. After the lying and hiding stuff from you and Dad. And after sneaking out. I mean...I can admit, we should have told you guys but…" His eyes widened, pleadingly. "I'm trying to be good! And we've told you, we're sorry for lying to you about the accident and for sneaking out. And I'm sorry for scaring you and Dad with my powers and for running off. We're...I'm trying so damn hard but…" He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, he really did. But it leaked out anyway. "You still treat me and Fenton differently. And you still don't trust me!"

"That isn't true." Mom repeated, shaking her head in denial. "And I don't treat you and your human half differently."

"Really? You don't?" Phantom challenged. "Then why won't you touch me?"

"What does that-" The woman started, paling slightly.

But the ghost interrupted. "You hesitate, every time. Like I'm going to hurt you or something. But you don't with Fenton."

"That's not-"

"Don't say that it's not true, 'cause it is." Phantom pointed. "And you won't look at me either."

Mom's eyes widened, her face paling more. But she didn't argue. After a moment, her gaze flickered down.

"And you're doing it now!" The ghost gripped his hair. "You keep avoiding me like...like it's painful to look at me. Like it hurts to even be in the same room."

"That's not-" The woman repeated.

"Stop saying it's not true!" Phantom's volume rose and he felt his eyes flash brighter. "Half the time, you act like I'm a dangerous wild animal." He shouted, anger flaring with her constant denials. "Like I'm gonna turn into a monster...or just some mindless ghost." He spread his arms in exacerbation, just a fraction of the words he'd thought coming out. "And the other half….you act like I'm already dead and gone."

"You are dead." Mom hissed heatedly, the words impacting Phantom like a punch to the gut. "You're dead, Danny." The woman finally looked up, her teeth gritted as she clearly struggled to control her emotions. "And it's my fault." She said the last part so quietly; Phantom's barely heard the words but ignored them.

"You know, I'm not actually dead." Phantom balled his fists. "I'm still part human. I'm different but you don't have to act like you've lost me."

"So what, I'm not allowed to grieve now?" Mom glared.

"No.., you're not!" The ghost growled. "I know things are different now but you can't keep acting like there's something wrong with me! Because there's not!" He glared, pointing at her. "I heard you, that night after Fenton and I tried to merge, and when you and Dad had that fight. I know what you said." Again, his anger swelled, the bitter memories replaying in his mind. "And you can't keep treating me like this!" He bared his teeth in almost a snarl, the shadow of his pulse pounding in his head. "Like I'm unnatural. Like I'm lesser." His voice rose into an echoing shout, like two voices speaking as one. "Like I'm not supposed to be a ghost!"

"You're not supposed to be a ghost!" Mom yelled in anger, her own eyes burning. "None of this was supposed to happen! My son wasn't supposed to die at fourteen in the portal in our god damn basement! It wasn't supposed to be my invention! It wasn't supposed to be my fault!" She snarled. "I'm not supposed to be having this conversation with the ghost of my son! You're supposed to be alive! Normal! At school, worrying about homework and girls and friends! You're supposed to be human!"

Just like that, the air evaporated out of Phantom's lungs as the words crashed into him like an icy wave. His anger dissolved and sorrow welled up to take its place. "I was right." He whispered as tears started collecting in his eyes. "You're not sorry."

The woman's mouth snapped shut, the wrath snuffed out. "What?"

His hands started shaking. "We...we hoped maybe you could still love Phantom."

Horror dawned on the adult's face. She reached forward without hesitation. "Danny sweetie."

In a blink, he jumped out of the chair and flickered backwards. "But...you'll never really love a ghost."

Mom stood, her eyes widening in shock, distress, guilt. "No, I do-"

He backed away, panic rising. "We...we can't be something we're not. We can't be completely human for you."

Their head whipped side to side. Escape. They needed to escape now. They needed to fly. Something green flickered in the corner of their eye. Their head turned and eyes widened. The portal…. The call, the song was so loud, so inviting. The ghost wanted to follow and human instincts for once agreed. There, they could escape.

Their gaze flickered away, again falling on the woman. Time seemed to slow. Mom's eyes widened, horrified realization dawning. She stepped forward, arms outstretched. But they were faster. In a heartbeat, legs morphed into a ghostly tail and they dived.

"Danny! Stop! I'm sorry. I-"

Neon green light engulfed them, cutting off the sound of the mother's cries.