Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom.

Note (8/16/2020): I wasn't planning on making this chapter so angsty too (or to write another so fast) but I was on a roll and just went with it since I wanted some action! And you know, given all the stress, sleep deprivation, anxiety, and the whirlwind of emotions Danny's been trying to keep buried this whole time he was bound to crack under the pressure eventually. What happens in this chapter is also kind of a small nod to another season 3 episode in the show I'm only a fan of because of the interactions between Vlad and Danny before the fruitloop started being an uncharacteristically over the top petty jerk again. Anyways I hope you like it because man it gets intense! I had to really think about how Danny's PTSD might affect him and also wanted to add another cool idea about his powers so hope you like it as much as I did!

Chapter 13: Home Is Where It Hurts Less

Danny's POV

Talking to my friends turned out to be a huge mistake...

I really thought we had patched things up before, but now it's like we're right back at square one. The worst part is, even though I was saying all those things were about Valerie, the truth is it was actually a lot about me. I'm the one who felt terrified because while Valerie was only injured and couldn't move, I had almost no control over my body at all or even my own mind and I was forced by Dan to watch him hurt her, her dad, my parents, and even Vlad. And a few times Dan even made me do hurt them with my own two hands.

I'm sure Valerie does feel a bit traumatized by what happened, but as for the rest I realized I was projecting how I felt onto her instead because even now it seemed like I couldn't be completely honest with my friends and admit how powerless and afraid I was that day. And what I said before, about feeling like they'd turned their backs on me for choosing to take care of myself first after escaping my parents and reluctantly turning to Vlad for help since he's the only one who CAN, that's also true. I felt abandoned by my friends and family since they didn't give me the chance to explain myself and while I've given up so much for their sake it took all this coaxing to get them to help each other or admit that they were wrong.

Why was it so hard for THEM to admit they were wrong when Vlad, who was pretty much evil before, managed to do that so much easier since he cares about me? Valerie wasn't evil but she's trying to be better too and she's deciding for herself to help not only me but this town I love so much because up until now it's been all I've ever known and the home that meant the world to me. But when it comes to my two BEST FRIENDS? I practically had to beg them to get over themselves to help someone else I also consider a friend. They call ME selfish for doing one thing for myself when they can't be bothered to do anything for anyone but themselves, not even apologizing properly since Jazz was the one who told them I nearly killed myself in a fit of hopeless despair.

You know what? I don't even care what they do anymore, I thought darkly. I just want to leave this place and go home. I want to go home...

I felt so detached from the world around me that I didn't even jerk in surprise when Valerie's dad walked in after knocking and asked if I was ok since he heard shouting. I didn't look at him when he sat down beside me and put a supportive hand on my shoulder before thanking me for doing all of this for them and helping Valerie. Finally, at least SOMEONE seemed grateful for everything I've done and before I knew it a steady stream of tears were falling from my eyes onto the floor I was staring blankly at.

He didn't say anything else after that and just sat with me with a warm strong hand on my shoulder, but I suddenly felt like it was burning me. I wanted so badly to be alone, or to go flying, to be anywhere but Amity Park. All I could think about was going home to Vlad's castle. It's like nothing else mattered anymore because I had done everything I set out to do and more than my fair share to the point where the return of all that weight and pressure weighing down on me being in Amity Park again after everything I've been through was crushing me.

Vlad was right, this place...all this time it's been killing me slowly by reopening old wounds. I can't take it anymore! No sooner had I thought this that I felt my ghost energy swell in my core, and forgetting all about Damon or maybe not even caring anymore if he saw me use my powers I felt it burst out of me in a sort of pulse. And just like when I had my meltdown in Vlad's lab after Sam repeated the last thing my mom said to me before I was shot and after one of my many nightmares, anything that was not tied down started to float after I encased it in ecto-energy. Then my eyes started to glow solid green, a phantom wind swirling all around us.

...Escape...

...Self-preservation...

...Pain...

...Home.

Those thoughts and feelings kept repeating over and over in my head and it's like the rest of the room just...faded away. For a second I thought I was blacking out since my chest was in so much pain now I felt like my heart was about to burst. In my mind's eye, I could see my room in Vlad's castle, a place that used to be something patronizing when he was trying too hard to make me feel at home going through the trouble to personalize it just for me, but now it was a comforting sight. I honestly felt safer there than I have in my own bedroom I've lived in my whole life here in Amity Park and when I was in it again while recovering from what happened with Dan.

All those feelings I used to have about my old room, the few happy memories I have there of the countless hours I spent talking to my friends, playing games, and confiding in them about my annoying sister or my ghost-obsessed parents felt so meaningless right now. Then there's school. It usually feels like something we just have to put up with as a teenager, but for me, it was equal parts a haven since I could see my friends there, and hell because of all the bullying so escaping to one of their houses after school to avoid going home to all the weirdness and later fear of being caught in my ghost form used to make me feel at ease, but now the idea of asking them for anything whether it's their continued friendship or their help with anything was stupid and pointless.

I know they care, but clearly not enough to sacrifice even a few MINUTES of their precious lives. Lives that I've bled for, cried over, agonized over protecting to my last breath, and for what? For them to hurt me again like this? For Sam to tell me she doesn't care about anyone else besides herself and for Tucker to tell me I'M being unfair for getting upset at them for being selfish when all I wanted them to do was help Valerie a little on my behalf...?

With Dan gone, I suddenly felt like I could hope for all the pain to just end. I wanted to leave it all behind, to bury it, to forget it and start over. But I couldn't do it while I was still trapped here in this cage of a town! I hate it! I hate everything about this town! There, I said it! They can take care of themselves from now on because I'm not going to agonize over it anymore...

I didn't even realize I was screaming through my tears when I howled, "I just want to GO HOME!"

Valerie's POV

I can't tell you how relieved I was when we finally finished, and instead of waiting for them to come back Vlad suggested we go to them instead in case Danny fell asleep afterwards. It made sense so I didn't argue, even though I was the one who freaked out today Danny's the one who looks like he's barely hanging on by a thread. I've seen him look jumpy and defensive before but today it really seemed like he was pushing himself not to show how awful he was feeling...

Vlad mentioned something about having an 'incident' which is why he didn't want Danny left alone for too long so my guess is it has something to do with Dan. As much as I hate to admit it, it might be better for all of us, but especially Danny for him to leave because he clearly needs some space to breathe. I know the way I've been acting hasn't helped either. My nerves are pretty much shot too, or at least they were until Vlad froze on the spot as if sensing something I couldn't.

"What's wrong?" I asked, taking a close look at his expression when it changed just enough for me to tell he seemed worried.

Instead of answering me, Vlad whipped out his phone and before he could even dial whatever number he was planning too it rang. I barely had enough time to see my dad's name on the caller id until he put the phone up to his ear and said as calm and calculated as he could, "Damon, where are you right now? Is Daniel with you?"

Whatever my dad said seemed to alarm Vlad since his eyes flew wide and without another word he shoved the phone into my hands and sharply told me to stay right here and then in a swirl of electric pink mist he teleported away. Fumbling with the phone I noticed he hadn't hung up so I pulled it up to my ear and immediately heard wind howling on the other end as if a tornado was raging on the other side. I had to practically shout so dad could hear me...

"Dad! What's going on?!" I shouted again, but this time while in a dead run because there's no way I was going to stand around if there was a ghost attacking my dad or Danny.

"Valerie, how did you-no nevermind, just stay there! It's too dangerous in here right now! Something-something is wrong with Danny and I can't get him to respond to me at all! All I know is that he got into some sort of argument with this friends then while I was trying to help him calm down everything suddenly started floating and-WHOA!" there was a loud thud when my dad burst through the door further up ahead of me so I hastily hung up the phone, shoved it in my pocket, and reached down to help pull him up by the arm when I glanced into the other room to see what was happening.

There were loose objects swirling all around Danny that were encased in a green glow and Danny himself was also glowing, but he wasn't in his ghost form which made this all the more unsettling to watch. Vlad was in there too with his hands cupped around Danny's cheeks, shouting for him to snap out of it. But Danny, his eyes were glowing a solid green and a torrent of tears were falling from them only to get swept up in the whirlwind too. I noticed something glowing and even brighter green on the other side of the room so against my dad's will, I lunged forward and braced myself against the doorway to keep myself from getting pulled inside too but the strong vacuum of wind.

My eyes flew wide open when I saw some kind of portal on the other side of the room and inside of it it wasn't just a green swirl like the ghost portal in Danny's house, but rather a solid green halo with some kind of castle on the other side. Was that...Vlad's castle? I mean I've heard about it but never actually seen it in person. But that raised the question, how come we WERE seeing it? Was Danny doing thi-

Without warning, as if someone had hit the off switch the portal vanished and all the items that were glowing before clattered to the floor, some of it breaking and scattering all over the room. Then I heard Vlad calling Danny's name and cradling him close to his chest, looking pale and absolutely terrified which didn't seem like him at all. It didn't last long before Vlad angrily whipped his head around at us, his human eyes flashing blood-red as he demanded to know what happened.

Still a bit shaken up by the whole thing, my dad did his best to explain the same thing he told me and that almost seemed to make Vlad even angrier because the next thing I knew he was snarling, "That wretched girl! When will she ever learn to appreciate how much Daniel does for all of you ingrates?! To think she would make the same mistake again and say something so careless to him! Oh, they are going to pay dearly for this!"

Picking up Danny bridal style off the floor, he told my dad to file an incident report but to make sure to leave Danny out of it if possible and make it seem like some invention malfunctioned then announced that he was leaving the clean up to us. I was about to argue that it wasn't fair to make us do it but then when I saw the pained look on Danny's face in his sleep when whatever just happened completely wiped him out I realized something. All-day long, he's been trying to be strong for my sake too but for the most part Danny was just trying not to fall apart and lost control of himself like this.

Whatever Sam and Tucker said to him must've been the straw that broke the camel's back though and as a result Danny couldn't take the pressure anymore and completely lost it. Knowing my dad he probably tried to calm him down too but once this became a ghost powered issue he called for backup from Vlad.

I felt really bad for not being able to help either, but still, I was worried about him so I asked, "Is Danny going to be ok? Is that...normal for half-ghosts to do?"

"No," Vlad replied bluntly before begrudgingly elaborating, "Daniel is a very special young man and his powers are still developing along with the rest of his body, which sadly means his emotional state can affect his powers as well and make them unstable. This is the first time I've seen him open a portal leading to somewhere in our world and not the Ghost Zone. He only discovered this power recently. I saw it on my surveillance recordings back at my castle, but I never dreamed he would be able to create one again so soon."

Looking down at Danny with a deeply troubled expression, Vlad added bitterly, "I can only assume that Daniel felt so distressed by whatever happened that he went into fight or flight mode and subconsciously wished to escape to a safe place. And as I suspected, Amity Park is no longer that place for him," turning away from us and walking past us out of the room Vlad added a bit more somberly, "Daniel needs to go home to where he belongs before this place and the people in it hurt him any more than they already have..."