I noticed that this chapter has significantly more hits than the previous. Chapters 12 & 13 were released together. If this story is on your subscription list, make sure that you've read 12 first!

Epilogue

I woke with a pounding headache. Sunlight poured through the open curtains of my bedroom window. Reaching up to hold my aching head, I find a large lump. The events of the night before come back in a rush. Ravager and Freakshow, Al being tortured, Sam and Tuck in a cage, Mom with the Fenton Anti-creep Stick…The bat!

"Holy crap!" I throw off the blankets and quickly confirm that I'm in my human form.

Jazz, Tuck, and Sam rushed to my side as soon as they heard my yell. Jazz pushes me back down on the mattress. "Careful," she says, "you've got one nasty bump there."

Sam speaks up next, "Danny, are you okay?" I give her my best death glare and she looks sheepish. "Sorry, standard question."

"Mom and Dad?"

"They know," answers Ed from the doorway. Fidgeting and looking exceptionally embarrassed he continues, "Sorry, I thought she'd hit Freakshow. It never occurred to me that she'd hit you instead."

I glance nervously at the empty hallway. "They're handling it pretty well," Tuck says. "They told us to tell you that they love you and that when you're ready to talk, they'll be in the lab. I think they might be disassembling some of their nastier ghost weapons."

I feel like my heart is lodged in my throat. "What happened? Where's Al?" I managed to choke out.

"Al's recovering in the guest room. He woke up about an hour before you did," Ed answered. "He's lost a lot of blood, but he'll be fine."

Tuck spoke up, "After your mom hit you with the Anti-creep Stick, you transformed back into your human form. She was so stunned that she just stood there staring. Ed had to jump in and rescue you both from Freakshow. It only took him a few moments to incapacitate him."

Ed shrugged, "I transmuted a cage around him, snagged the scepter, and smashed it. Box Ghost joined the fight briefly and Jack protected you and Maddie. Lydia never did make it to the battlefield thanks to Valerie. The ghosts high tailed it out of there as soon as I smashed the scepter."

"There's nothing to worry about," Jazz reassured. "They love you and that's all that truly matters. Do you want us to get them for you?" My throat suddenly seems impossibly dry as I nod silently. "Ed?" she asks.

"It'll be fine, you'll see. And remember, no matter what happens Al and I will be here for you." Ed then turns and leaves to find my parents.

Sam and Tuck suddenly look very nervous. "We're going to go look in on Al," Sam says and the pair walked out.

Jazz smiles down at me and squeezes my hand in a reassuring manner, "I love you, little brother. We didn't tell them much really; it's your secret to tell. I'll be in my room. Call me if you need me." She walks out of the room and passes by Mom and Dad just outside the doorway. "Go in," she prompts and gives Dad a none to gentle shove.

Mom and Dad move to stand beside my bed. Mom leans down and panic grips my heart. Mom sees me flinch and pulls back. "I am so sorry Sweetheart," she says, attempting to placate me. "Please, let me help. I need to see that bump." I nod and she leans down once more. "It's healing better than I'd expected," she mutters half to herself.

"One of the benefits of being half ghost, I guess. So, umm…"

"How does that happen anyways?" Dad asks. "Jazzy-pants and the others wouldn't tell us anything. It shouldn't even be possible. And yet, here you are."

"Remember how disappointed you were when the Fenton Portal didn't work?" My parents nod. "Well, Sam, Tucker, and I went down to check it out. As it turns out, someone," I glance pointedly at Dad, "installed the on/off switch inside the portal."

"The explosion," whispers Mom, looking horrified. "You should be dead."

I wince, "It certainly wasn't a pleasant experience. When I woke up, I had white hair and green eyes. The bulk of my ghost powers came in over the course of the following week. I have gained some new powers recently though."

"We were always amazed by how much more powerful Phantom was than the other ghosts. I guess now we know why. If you don't mind me asking, what are they exactly?"

I proceed to run down my list of powers and gave demonstrations as I went. The only one I refused to demonstrate was my ghostly wail.

"Why can't we see your ghostly wail?" Dad asks innocently. "I don't think we ever saw it while we were chasing Phantom."

"If I did we wouldn't have a house left. It's that powerful. Unfortunately, I can only use it as a last resort. It takes so much energy that I instantly revert to human form."

Dad wraps me up in a bear hug. "I'm so glad you could finally share this with us."

My head swims as my headache returns in full force. Mom notices my pale complexion and hands me some Tylenol, "Sorry, I meant to give you these earlier. Come on, Jack. We'll have plenty of time to talk later. Honey, just know that we love you and that we are so proud of you. Now, get some rest."

Mom and Dad exited leaving me alone with my thoughts. There will be plenty of time tomorrow for stories and revelations. We still have to find a way to get Ed and Al home; Valerie to deal with; and I want to track down Danielle (clone, or not, everyone deserves a loving family). But right now, looking out my window, all I can think about is how much brighter the world looks.

~Fin~

XxxLine BreakxxX

Thank you for reading. This is the end of A Different Kind of Truth. There will most definitely be a sequel, but first I want to work on (and possibly finish) my other two stories. I think it would be unfair to leave Ed and Al in Danny's world permanently. Besides, I still want to write a story with Dark Dan and Clockwork.

If you're still wondering about the Fenton Anti-creep Stick, I don't know what to say. There's a million different fanfics out there that tell how Jack and Maddie find out Danny's secret. I wanted to do something different; I've never read another fic where the Fenton Anti-creep Stick was involved in the big reveal. Besides, it's my favorite Fenton invention.

I'd still love to hear from you. I welcome all reviews, as well as suggestions for the sequel.