Note: I'm back with a new chapter, luckily a little faster than last time. XD Since I posted the last chapter, I also posted my Invisobang story so I hope you check out that story if you're interest. After reading this update though, of course ;)
Happy Reading!
In the lab, Fenton paced back and forth, anxiety buzzing in his veins. This was turning into the most stressful ten minutes of his life. Err...no, the accident was more stressful. Or telling his parents about Phantom. Or getting lost in the Ghost Zone just an hour ago. Or...actually he'd been under a lot of stress recently.
"Danny." Jazz interrupted his frantic activity. "Is everything okay?"
The boy froze, turning to look at his sister. He bit his lip. Things weren't okay but…. Fenton closed his eyes, slightly pushing his perception away from the lab to…. His breath hitched. Neon green bloomed in his mind's eyes. A flash of blue and...the image was fuzzy, from a distance but...there in front of him were two ghosts on a motorcycle and out of the corner of his eye...Mom! His heart fluttered, beating faster in a mix of relief and anxiety. Phantom's lips were moving but the exchange of words felt far away. Fenton couldn't pick them up, nor those of the other three people. Finally, the other two ghosts left and...tears... Mom was crying. She was hugging him. She-
"Son?"
Fenton pulled back, gasping. His eyes blinked open. The...lab? Right, he was here in the lab, waiting for Phantom to come back with Mom. Mom….His heart ached, even as he let out a breath of relief. "We found her. Mom's okay."
"She is?" Dad asked, eyes widening hopefully.
Fenton nodded. "Phantom's got her. They're flying back now."
The large man visibly sagged in his seat, tension easing. Jazz let out a sigh of relief. The human Danny let out a breath as well before flopping down onto one of the stools. The trio sat in silence for a small eternity, held in eager and somewhat nervous anticipation. Fenton's eyes flickered to the portal, searching for any sign of movement. Then….the green mist rippled; he could almost feel the cold dampness on his skin. Fenton blinked and two figures slipped through the portal. The boy's shoulders relaxed, face softening with relief.
"Mom." He breathed, as Jazz exclaimed the word.
At the same time, Dad stood. "Maddie!"
The large man barreled forward, just as Phantom was moving to help Mom to her feet. Dad swept the woman and the ghost boy up in a hug.
"Jack." The woman gasped, slightly surprised.
At the same time, the ghost boy let out a startled squeak. Fenton winced in sympathy.
"You're both okay." Dad continued, undeterred.
"Yeah." Phantom breathed, squirming slightly in the hold. For just a moment, the ghost flickered intangible. Then he stumbled away from the pair of adults.
Both parents pulled out of their hug and turned to face Phantom. At the same time, Fenton stepped forward to stand beside his other half.
"Sorry." Phantom blushed, looking down. "Didn't mean to do...that."
"It's alright, son." Dad soothed. "I got a little excited there." A small smile graced his face. "I'm just so happy everyone's here and safe."
"Me too." Jazz stepped forward, joining the rest of the family. She wrapped her arms around her mother in a hug. "You're alright? Right Mom?"
"Yes, sweetie. I'm fine." The woman nodded. "Your brother found me." Mom looked up, her eyes meeting Phantom's over Jazz's shoulder. Her expression softened before her gaze flickered to the human Danny.
Fenton swallowed, feeling his stomach flop even as he held the gaze. After a long pause, the woman gave Jazz a pat on the shoulder and pulled out of the embrace. She then stepped around her daughter, approaching both versions of Danny. Her wide, misty eyes glanced between the two.
"Danny, baby." Worry creased her forehead. "After you...after Phantom flew off...I thought...I didn't know… if that would affect your other half but…." Her lips quivered. "Are you both okay?"
The human boy winced at the question, wrapping his arms around his waist. He glanced at his other half before answering. "We're fine… at least physically." His voice tapered to a whisper at the last word.
Guilt flickered across Mom's face. "We have...we have a lot to talk about. But…" Her eyes shone with affection. "I'm so happy you came looking for me. And you came home."
Phantom shrugged, trying to look casual. "I wasn't gonna just leave you there." He muttered.
The woman opened her mouth, thinking to reply. Her mouth closed and then she sighed. "Still...I was so scared, when you ran off. I'm...I'm just so happy you're safe."
Fenton looked down, guilt swirling through him. He remained still, even as his mom stepped forward, wrapping one arm around him and the other around his ghost half. "I love both of you so much." She whispered.
A sense of deja vu overtook the human Danny as he couldn't find it in him to reply. This had happened just minutes ago with Phantom, hadn't it? And yet...the memory of that interaction passed through his mind, with the same conflicting emotions. He wanted to believe Mom's words, he really did. But… 'if Mom doesn't love you, then she doesn't really love me.' Mom could say the words but if she didn't really mean them...if she still didn't accept Phantom….
The ghost boy pulled away and a moment later, his human followed. Both boys looked down, unable to look at their mother. Then there was a cough to the side. "Let's go upstairs." Dad said surprisingly softly. "Your mother's right. We need to talk about things."
Fenton looked up. He swallowed nervously, even as he nodded. The group of five trudged up the stairs, Dad first, followed by Jazz, then Mom, and finally the Dannys with Phantom coming last. The ghost glanced back at the lab, his eyes flickering to the portal. Fenton paused, brows furrowing as he noticed the action. Then he gently grabbed his other self's arm and pulled him up the stairs.
No words were said; none were necessary, but emotions were shared through the touch. Anxiety, fear, relief, hope, pain. So many feelings. Fenton didn't know how to handle them. Everything hurt but...he hoped. Mom had said she was sorry earlier to Phantom, hadn't she? She was acting like she was sorry but…
Fenton looked up to find his mother sitting in the armchair, looking uncomfortable. In front of him, Dad placed his hand gently on his sister's arm. "Jazz, please go upstairs. Your mother and I need to talk to your brother." The words were serious and melancholic but said gently.
The other teen frowned, starting to argue. "But...I can help. Danny...he needs me-"
"Jazz, honey." Mom interrupted. "Please. I...we can handle this. I know...I know I made mistakes." Again, her cheeks reddened with guilt. "But… It will be okay; we can fix this."
Jazz's brow wrinkled, a severe look flashing across her face. Then her expression softened. She turned to look at both versions of her brother, who were still hovering nervously at the threshold between the kitchen and living room. "Danny, do you...want me here for this?" Her eyes flickered to their mother before her voice quieted. "I told you earlier, I'd go with you to talk to her if you wanted." She frowned, raising an eyebrow pointedly.
Phantom blushed, his face turning green as he shifted nervously in the air. "No. It's...it's okay. Dad'll be here."
Jazz's frown deepened, her eyes meeting Fenton's. "Are you sure?"
The human boy nodded. "Yeah. It's...you should go upstairs."
His sister stayed staring for a long moment, still looking very much displeased. Then she heaved a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll go." She turned back towards the stairs, her deeply worried expression changing into something severe and maybe even judgmental as her eyes passed over their mom. Then Jazz walked across the run and up the stairs. Soon, she disappeared down the hall and the sound of a door closing rang through the quiet house.
More tense silence froze Fenton in his spot, his heart pounding anxiously in his chest. His eyes carefully avoided the adults who were both now sitting.
Dad spoke up first, from his seat in the recliner. "Come on and sit down, son." He leaned forward, patting the couch.
The pair of Dannys glanced at each other before Fenton started forward with his ghost half following after. Both sat side by side on the couch, shoulders tense and heads hung low. Fenton balled his fists in his lap. Now that his relief about Mom being safe had drained out of him… the pain, every word of that argument came flooding back. The human felt his ghost half shift in his seat beside him and so he looked to his side. Phantom opened his mouth briefly, looking like he wanted to speak, but then his jaw snapped closed. Fenton bit his own lip. He understood the feeling; neither of them knew what to say, how to start.
Mom made the decision for them. "Danny." She started softly and Fenton looked up. "I am so sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I shouldn't...I shouldn't have said any of what I said. I...I promised I would listen to you but... but I didn't and…" She sniffled. "I just...I just yelled at you and…" Her voice shook with emotion. "You said...you thought I didn't love Phantom. I...I made you think that but… I swear, I love you so much. You're my baby and...I… I'd do anything for you. I love… I love you so-"
"Stop." Phantom cut her off, voice pained. Fenton could feel his heart aching as the emotional dam broke. "You...you say that but… you said...you said I'm not supposed to be a ghost. You keep...you keep acting like there's something wrong with me. And you wouldn't even… even admit it. That...that you treat me different from Fenton or…" Mom winced at the words but they kept pouring out of the ghost. "Or barely look at me...or touch me… or…" Phantom sniffled, eyes watering. "I can't...I can't be what you want. I can't be...be normal. I...I tried and this is what happened. All that horrible stuff you think...think about ghosts...you still think that about me. And…" His voice cracked, no more words able to come through as he started crying.
Fenton was crying too, feeling every single word in his heart even if they hadn't been said with his mouth. He cried too, wrapping one arm around Phantom in a useless attempt at self-soothing. Even after Mom's attempted apologies, even after she'd ventured into the Ghost Zone without a plan to find him, even after everything, the fears welled up. He felt sick with it, his insides churning.
The human boy barely registered when the couch shifted. "Danny. Danny baby, I'm… I'm so sorry." Fenton looked to the side, following the sound of his mother's voice. He winced. The woman had moved to sit beside Phantom, her arms wrapped around him. The ghost didn't react, helpless in his tears. Mom pulled him closer. "No. I don't...I don't think that about you. I know you're...you're good. You're not a...a monster. I never... never should have said that. I was wrong."
Fenton whined, low in his throat. "Then why… why do you treat us… us differently? Why wouldn't… wouldn't you admit it?"
One of the woman's hands moved to grab the human's shoulder. "I hadn't even realized it but… you're right about… everything you… Phantom accused me of. I was treating you two differently. You were right about me… about me... Hesi… hesitating to touch you… or look at you."
"Why?" Phantom whimpered.
There was a pause, a sniffle. Then the woman answered. "I've been...I've just been so afraid."
The ghost flinched, briefly flickering invisible. "Of...me?" The words were so quiet, so broken.
Mom shook her head vigorously. "No. No. Never. I've just...I'm...I'm so afraid of hurting you again."
That made Phantom pull out of the hug. "What?" He frowned, Fenton copying the action.
"I've...I've already hurt you so much. The...the accident...the portal...my portal, my invention already hurt you. And...and I split you in half and…"
"Maddie." Dad finally interrupted the words. "Both of us did that, not just you. That...this is both of our faults."
The woman looked up, shaking her head. "No. But I'm...I'm the one that shot him, Jack. I...I shot you…" Her eyes flickered to Phantom. "I...I shot you and I'm...I've been so scared of hurting you again. I've been… been trying to keep you at an arm's length to protect you. But I didn't realize I was still hurting you."
Fenton pursed his lips, at a loss of what to say. His ghost half had no such problem, anger briefly flashing across his face. "Yeah, well...you still did. You still….you still said I'm wrong and unnatural. You still said I'm supposed to be alive, like I have any control over that. You still said I wasn't supposed to be a ghost."
Mom glanced down, guilt darkening her checks before she looked up again. "You're right I did say those things. I shouldn't...have wanted you to be something you can't be. It's just…" She sighed, eyes watering again. "I didn't mean it like that."
Ghost Danny grimaced, eyes narrowing harshly. "Really?"
The woman swallowed, looking even more guilty. "At least...that's not what I intended. I meant...none of this was supposed to happen. The accident… it shouldn't have happened. You...you shouldn't have been hurt...you shouldn't...shouldn't have d...died because of my...my invention. But…" She gasped, voice trembling. "It was my negligence, my carelessness that did this to you. It was...it was my fault. You never should have been down there. I never should have made you clean the lab. It never should have been your responsibility." She took a shaky breath. "But when...when I found you down in the basement after the accident..you weren't...you weren't breathing."
Fenton gasped. "Really? I didn't… I didn't know that."
Mom didn't directly reply, pinching her eyes closed. "That was the worst five minutes of my life. I'd thought...I thought I'd lost you." The grief was enough to bring new tears to both boy's eyes. "But...your heart restarted and you seemed miraculously okay after the hospital and then...and then I learned about this…" Her eyes opened, looking at Phantom. "The portal...my portal killed you. It killed you. And...I'm so scared of losing you again. There's so much I don't know about ghosts. And-"
"No. Mom, that's not…" Phantom interrupted. "You didn't...you didn't lose me. You're not going to lose...to lose me."
"I know that. I know that now." Mom replied with conviction, looking at the ghost. "You're still here. And that...that makes me so happy." One hand moved to cup Phantom's check. "I'm so happy you're still here." Her eyes moved to Fenton, her other hand touching his face. "I'm so happy that you survived. You're still alive...at least partially."
The words were not as comforting as she likely intended. The human Danny bit his lip. "But...what if...what if I wasn't?"
"What if I was just Phantom?" His ghost half continued the thought. "What if I was just a ghost?"
For just a brief moment, Mom's eyes widened in surprise. A complicated mix of emotions crossed her face- wariness, uncertainty, fear, sorrow. Then she swallowed, a new determination passing her features. "Then...it would...it would still hurt but...I'd be happy to still have my son here, even if he was different."
Ghost Danny didn't pull away, even as hurt flashed across his features. Instead, his hand reached up to grab the woman's other arm, the one that was reaching for Fenton's face. The action drew his mother's eyes. "But Mom…" He bit his lip. "I'm already different. That's what I've been trying to get you to understand. I'm a ghost...a real ghost. And I don't... I don't want to be an exception just because I'm part human or because I'm your son. I just…" Tears ran down his face. "I just want you to accept me for who I am, ghostliness included."
Mom's eyes widened again, her hands pulling away. She studied Phantom's face, before her eyes flickered to Fenton. "You...all of you thinks that." It wasn't a question so much as a statement. Then the woman shook her head. "Of course you think that. You keep telling me that and…" An understanding passed over her face. "I'm still not listening. I...I really need to do better, don't I?"
Fenton and Phantom didn't say anything. What could they say? It was true and all of them knew it.
"Both of us should do better, Maddie." Dad spoke, making both boys gasp softly. They'd forgotten that he was here. The man blushed, looking guilty. "I should have noticed what was happening and pushed to talk about things sooner."
The human felt his heart clinch. Oh how differently things could have gone if they'd tried to have this conversation as the four of them first, instead of Mom and Phantom alone.
Mom shook her head. "That might be true. But… this is on me. I should have noticed." Her eyes flickered between the two Dannys again. "I shouldn't have made you feel like this. I was too caught up in my own grief and fear. I haven't been the Mom that you've needed." She paused, conviction shining in her eyes alongside the guilt. "I should have noticed you were hurting and... it was because of my behavior. I messed up but I want to do better." She took a breath. "How can I do that? How can I make this up to you?"
For a long moment, both Dannys were silent, processing the apology. Fenton bit his lip. It...it sounded authentic. That conviction, admitting to mistakes, the willingness to take responsibility. And they'd...they had wanted this apology so badly. But...should they trust it? Maybe, start with….
The two Danny shared a glance, contemplating how to reply to the question. Finally Phantom sighed. "We don't...we don't know. Maybe…" He wrung his hands in his lap. "Don't freak out if I use my powers or...you know...talk about being a ghost."
"Yeah." Fenton agreed, mustering all the confidence he could. "It's not like it's a bad word. It's just...how I am now and...I'm okay with it." The boy said the words and for once, no guilt accompanied them. They were...they were the truth.
The same could not be said of their parents. Mom's lip turned down, her face reddening with guilt. "Sweetie...That...that should go without saying."
"But," Phantom softly argued. "You have freaked out….or…" He blushed. "You….well...you've looked at me weird, like you're...un...uncomfortable." Getting out the words was so hard. "So...so….I don't feel like I can use my powers or talk about...stuff."
"Hey, Danny-boy. It's okay." Dad said. "We talked about this, remember? You can talk to your Mom and me about anything. I want you to come to us if something's bothering you. Or if you just want to talk. Or not talk, just hangout. We're here for you."
For just a brief moment, the guilt returned. Dad had said that last night. But...both Dannys were still hesitant.
"But you are right." Mom continued. "This is your home. You're supposed to feel comfortable here, like you can be completely yourself. And I have not been making you feel that way. And…" She took a breath. "You are a ghost and you have ghost powers. They're your powers." The words were said with only the slightest hesitance, like they still hurt at some level but...Mom was trying. The woman put hands together, looking more determined. "So how about this? I gave my full permission to train your powers."
Phantom blinked, startled. "What?" At the same time, Fenton asked more excitedly. "Really?!"
"Yes." Mom confirmed with a nod of her head. She held up a finger. "In the lab with us and…" She glanced at the other adult, whose eyes shone with a hint of excitement. "We'll have a training session in the next few days, before we finish with the Ghost Catcher. If that's alright with you."
The ghost boy looked at his counterpart before answering tentatively. "Yeah. We can do that but...what about just...general ghost power use?"
Fenton didn't say anything, pleasantly surprised by the bluntness.
"Danny. They're your powers." Mom continued after a pause. "You said...it feels natural to use them. I meant what I said before, it would be cruel to forbid you from flying and… I do trust you." She vowed.
There was a pause as both Dannys took in the words, again surprised. Phantom bit his lip. "You do? But…"
Mom reached out to touch his arm. "Yes, Danny. I trust you. And I should have never let that waver, not with this." She comfortingly squeezed, eyes flickering to Fenton. "I know that having ghost powers hasn't changed you deep down, not where it counts. You're still my son who's responsible and knows to be reasonably careful."
"And to fess up if you've messed up or accidentally broken something." Dad added with wide affectionate eyes. "Which you probably will. You've got my clumsiness." The corner of his lip turned up. "And those powers are tricky. So, it'll be alright, right son?"
"Um...yeah." Fenton replied, with a slight blush as a warm feeling rose in his chest. Did that...was he actually starting to feel better?
"And speaking of fessing up…" Mom said. "I am so proud of you for talking about this with us now. And earlier...it took a while but you told us about your powers and you told us what the ghost catcher really did. And I'm proud of you for that." The woman offered a slight smile. Then her lips turned down again, more serious. "You trusted me with the truth. And I know I've broken that trust. I want to earn it back. So...do you think we can work on that?"
Fenton's heart squeezed. He glanced at Phantom and… "Yeah. We can...we can try." And he would try. Both parts of him would but there was a lot of trust that needed to be rebuilt.
Mom gave a nod. "Alright. We can start with what we talked about, the training and freely using your powers. And…" Her eyes focused on Phantom, eyes again wide with conviction. "From now on, if you're uncomfortable, tell me. This is your house; you're supposed to feel like you can be yourself."
The ghost's lip twitch. "O...Okay." Beside him, Fenton swallowed. Well...that was a tall order. He couldn't...he couldn't promise that.
Dad seemed to notice the discomfort. "Or tell me." The man added. "Just don't keep bottling it all up, son. Your mother and I just want to help you. We want you to be happy and safe."
"And we'll do everything we can to do that." Mom continued. "Is there anything else you need us to do?"
The human Danny bit his lip and glanced at his ghost. Okay...they could consider being more willing to talk to Mom and Dad. And training and using their powers freely was exciting. But still, there was more.
Fenton sighed. "About your theories about ghosts….uhh…." The boy trailed off, unsure where to exactly start on the problems there.
"Your mom and I already talked about rethinking them." Dad started.
"Or rather, throwing out the old hypotheses all together." The woman frowned. "We need to look at everything with fresh eyes. And gather more information. Like I said...there's so much we don't know."
"But what we do know is, we can't assume any ghost we find will be thoughtless or emotionless." Dad added with a nodd.
"Or malevolent." Mom said. "We'll proceed with an open mind and hope for the best. We do want to go through the portal at some point and observe ghosts in their native environment." The corner of her lip turned up. "Maybe we can find some other humanoid ghosts to talk to...just talk to." Her expression then shifted, turning more serious. "But...this won't be until after we get you re-fused. As we've said, you're our priority, Danny."
Both Dannys nodded, considering the statement. Then Phantom agreed, biting his lip. "That sounds good. I'm...uh...glad you're gonna rethink studying ghosts. Just talking's good."
From his seat in the recliner, Dad's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, speaking of talking to ghosts…" A hint of excitement lit in his eyes. "You said that you talked to a ghost who helped you find a portal back home. You said he was called...Sidney?"
Mom's eyes widened, flickered to her husband and then to Phantom. "What?!"
"Uhh...yeah…" The ghost boy rubbed the back of his neck. "His name's Sidney." His eyes met Mom's. "So...long story short, there's like...a metaphysical line between me and Fenton because...same person. So I...uh...followed it to find him and the line led me to a portal that's actually in Sidney's lair and opens up into one of the locker's at school."
The woman blinked. "So… you found a portal...inside this ghost's...lair?" Phantom nodded. "And it leads to...a locker in your school?" This time, Fenton nodded. "And this portal...you got back home through it?" Both Fenton and Phantom nodded. "Which means...you went back through our portal to find me." Mom blew out a sigh, her voice a mix of surprise, amazement, and a little worry.
"Yeah." Phantom shrugged, though his cheeks flushed green. "I wasn't gonna leave you."
The adult's face softened. "Oh sweetie…" She shook her head. "So this ghost...you talked to him?"
The ghost boy nodded. "Yeah. He actually taught me some stuff about the Ghost Zone and uhh...ghost etiquette, I guess. And apparently...the ghosts have a word of people like me. We're called halfas."
Both adults blinked, taking in the words for a long moment. Then Dad's eyes lit up. "Halfa! Human you said that earlier, in the Fenton GAV. What else did you learn?!"
Fenton slumped slightly, overwhelmed by the sudden excitement. "Can we...uh..maybe talk about this later?"
Dad's expression fell, disappointed. A hurt look flashed across Mom's face. "Danny sweetie...whatever happened, you can tell us. I promise we'll keep an open mind."
The human boy's eyes widened slightly, guilt briefly flaring in him at the reaction. "No Mom, it's not that. It's just...there's a lot."
Phantom nodded. "I learned a lot. Tons. It'll be...a long conversation and…"
"I'm tired." Fenton continued, sudden weariness overtaking him as he yawned. "I heard...I saw everything that happened...in the lab." He paused briefly, stomach only slightly flopping at the memory. "And...I got kinda pulled to Phantom when we ran off…" Mom and Dad both looked confused so he clarified. "My part of our mind...It's like...I wasn't aware of what our human body was doing because...I was with Phantom."
Dad frowned. "So...like two people in one body? But...you're the same person?"
Phantom shrugged. "Yeah it's confusing. It didn't last very long but...a lot happened and...I'm tired too...like mentally and emotionally so…" He trailed off, unsure.
Mom's expression softened. "I understand, Danny. We can talk about that later. You can go upstairs and take a nap if you want to." She moved from where she was stilling to crouch in front of both boys on the couch. "I'm so happy you're back and you're safe." She leaned forward to kiss Phantom's head... "And I love you so much. Phantom and Fenton." And then Fenton's. "Ghost and Human." Neither boy flinched at the kiss, nor did they shy away as her eyes met Phantom's before flickering to Fenton's. "Thank you for talking to me and giving me another chance."
"Yeah. Mom. We love you too." Both Dannys said in synch.
And they did; that had never changed. Everything that had happened before, all the words and actions, all the pain, all of that hurt badly, so badly. But...that was because they loved their parents.
Mom stood and stepped to the side and Dad moved to kneel in her place. His big arms wrapped around the pair. "I'm happy you're safe too. And...I know it was hard but...I'm glad all of that's in the open now. Now we can start dealing with it and getting better."
Fenton squeezed back, returning the hug. "Yeah. You're right."
"You're right. Thanks Dad." Phantom squeezed as well.
The man pulled away, his eyes watering. He enthusiastically patted both boys' knees. "Now go take that nap. I want you bright-eyed and bushy tailed to tell me all about your adventure in the Ghost Zone."
That earned a chuckle from Phantom even as he blushed. "Yeah. That's a word for it."
Fenton shook his head, the corner of his own lip turning up. He glanced up, catching a slight glimpse of Mom's subtle smile as Dad stood and stepped back. The human boy rose to his feet. "Come on, Phantom."
"I'm coming." The ghost also rose and floated beside his human as the pair went up to their room.