A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I really wasn't sure about posting this story or not, but I'm starting to be glad that I did. So, here's the next chapter, and I'm sorry that it's still a little short, but it's a good place to end it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.

Chapter Two
Secrets Revealed

Danny, Sam, and Tucker started walking home from the mall, laden down with an assortment of clothes, books, video games, and CDs. As they rounded the corner towards Danny's house, news reporters surrounded the three of them, flashing pictures and recording their stunned looks.

"Danny, Danny, can you tell us how long you've been a ghost?"

"What's it like having ghost powers?"

"Are you really trying to save the city?"

Danny looked dumbfounded at the paparazzi. How could this happen? How did they all find out? He turned to look at Sam and Tucker who were both equally shocked. He stood frozen staring blankly at the reporters as they continued to blind him with flashes and pester him with questions. He didn't know what to do.

"Danny, run," Sam whispered in his ear, coming to her senses first.

"How?" he whispered back. "They're completely surrounding us, there's nowhere to run to."

"Run through them, fly, do something."

"I can't."

"Yes you can. They already know. You have to go!"

"What about you and Tucker?"

"We'll be fine, they only want you. Just go!"

Danny turned intangible to many gasps of the reporters and ran straight through the crowds, not stopping until he ran through the door to his house.

He started breathing heavily as he turned tangible again. How could this possibly happen? He'd always been so careful, how could this happen?

He started walking into the living room when he saw his parents glued to the television, staring at a picture of a news reporter with a little picture of his ghost form's face.

"It has just been discovered that the Ghost Boy, or Danny Phantom as he prefers to be called, is none other than fourteen year old Danny Fenton, son of ghost hunters Jack and Maddie Fenton," the news reporter revealed as the picture of Danny Phantom was replaced by his human face.

He heard his parents gasp at this sudden revelation.

"What are they talking about? What do they mean?" he heard his mother ask.

"Danny can't be the Ghost Boy, he just can't be," his father muttered, his eyes not leaving the television screen.

"A few hours ago one of our camera men received a tip and caught the Ghost Boy in action fighting a horrifying ghost monster," the news reporter continued as Danny saw footage of his last few minutes of his fight with the hydra. It looked like it was shot from the upper floor of the building they were fighting near. He saw himself trap the monster in the thermos as his friends joined him in the street.

"Wait, that's Sam, Tucker, and…Jazz?" his mother asked. "What's she doing there?"

"Those three are Tucker Foley, Samantha Manson, and Jazmine Fenton, best friends and sister of Danny Fenton and apparently Danny Phantom as well," the news reported explained as the camera man zoomed in on the four of them. Remarkably, they had sound, which Danny thought a little strange since the camera man was so far away.

"See, I knew you could do it!"

"Nice use of mythology little brother, but I thought you didn't know the story of the hydra."

"Well, it was Sam's idea actually. Well, at least the burning it's neck part. Everything else was all me."

"Hey, what about me?"

"You didn't help, you just suggested a landslide."

"Well, shall we continue our trip to the mall before we have to awkwardly answer questions from my parents?" Then Danny saw himself transform and heard the camera man gasp as well as his parents. He mentally cursed himself as he realized it was a mistake to transform in such a public area, but he thought everyone had long since cleared the area. The camera froze on Danny's face, trying to emphasize the fact that it was indeed him.

"There you have it ladies and gentlemen, proof that Danny Fenton is indeed the ever mysterious Danny Phantom that either protects us or seeks to destroy us." Of course I seek to protect them, I just stopped a huge dragon ghost from demolishing the town! Danny thought bitterly. "Here's the scene again," the reporter stated proudly as his transformation played over the screen again, as if once wasn't enough.

"Now, let's go to Peter with a live report outside of the Fenton household."

"Thanks Beth. Just a few moments ago, we saw Danny Fenton walk around that corner," he gestured as the camera followed his finger to the corner. Sam and Tucker had left and he wondered where they went. "Then, ladies and gentlemen, it was remarkable. He used his ghost powers and just ran straight through us and into his house! One of my associates ran off to the station to give them the tape, so you should be able to watch it in a matter of…" but Danny was no longer listening as his parents turned from their couch and looked straight at him.

"I guess I came at a bad time," Danny replied, trying to sound funny. It didn't really work.

"Danny, is it true? What they're saying on the television? Are you really the Ghost Boy?" his mother asked.

As an answer to their question the white rings formed around his waste and he turned into Danny Phantom. His parents gasped in shock. Then he turned human again as he stepped forward.

"Listen, Mom, Dad, I can explain," he stated, hoping they didn't do anything stupid. When they didn't say or do anything, he continued on. "Well, do you remember how I said that during the lab accident I got out of the portal in time? Well, I didn't. I got stuck inside and got zapped with all the ghost energy. I got knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, I was half ghost."

"Half ghost? Is that even possible?" his father asked.

"I guess so. How else do you explain it?" Danny asked.

"But Danny, the portal should have killed you!" his mother cried.

"Well, I guess in a sense it did, but not completely."

"He might have only half died, thus allowing him to be half ghost and half human at the same time," his father contemplated.

"Well, however it happened it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're still here with us, half ghost or not," his mother stated as she gave her son a hug.

"But Danny, why didn't you tell us?" his father asked.

"I was afraid to. I know how much you hate ghosts, especially the Ghost Boy, so I was afraid to tell you that it was really me. I was afraid of what you might do once you found out, afraid that you wouldn't love me anymore."

"Danny, you listen to me. No matter what, we will always love you," his mother stated warmly, kissing him on the forehead.

"Your mother's right. You're a Fenton, and nothing, not even being a ghost, will change that. You're still part of this family, and we still love you."

The three of them embraced as tears started to leak out of Danny's eyes. He had been worried about what his parents would do once they found out for so long that he felt completely relieved to find that all his fears were just that: fears.

Their hug was interrupted by Jazz, who came thundering down the stairs.

"Mom, Dad, don't turn on the news!" she screamed as she beheld the sight downstairs. She saw the television turned to the news channel, which was now showing the footage of Danny on the corner and his parents surrounding Danny in what looked like what used to be a hug.

"I think you're a little late Jazz," Danny stated, smiling.

"Wait, Jazz knew?" his father asked.

"Jack, we already knew that. We saw her on the news with Danny, remember?"

"Right. I knew that."

"Of course you did," his mother comforted as she smiled at Danny.

Suddenly they heard a large banging at the front door and the four of them ran to the door, Danny in the lead. They heard another large bang as they reached the door and saw the wall shake. They were trying to break into the house.

"How dare they?" his mother asked in anger. "They're trying to break down our door!"

"Oh, I'll show them to mess with the Fenton household!" his father stated.

"No, let me deal with them," Danny requested as his eyes turned green.

The mob outside finally conquered the door and burst it open, only to find themselves face to face with Danny. His arm was extended outwards, his palm pointing out at the crowd. The mob members up close backed away quickly, noticing Danny's glowing green eyes and the fully charged ecto-blast he held in his hand, waiting to be released.

"Do not, EVER break down our door again!" he thundered, his voice bordering on Ghostly Wail as the ground and walls shook around him. "If you do, I swear to you that I won't hold this back."

The mob members and news reporters looked stunned, while the photographers continued to take pictures. Danny let his arm down, his eyes still glowing green as he lifted the door up and placed it in its usual spot.

He walked into the living room to find his family surrounding the television showing what had just occurred at the door. He sat down on the couch next to his sister, who gave his hand a squeeze.

He looked over at the three of them. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you all involved. They won't even leave our house alone, let alone you. I'm so sorry…"

"Danny, you have nothing to be sorry about," his mother comforted, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling him closer.

"That's right Danny. Don't blame yourself because of the stupid paparazzi, they're not worth it," his father added.

"I just wish there was some way to make them all go away," Danny complained.

"Maybe there is," Jazz thought out loud.

"What do you mean?" the three of them asked.

"What if you called a press conference? What if you invited all the news reporters and the whole town and answered all of their questions? They're bound to leave you alone after that. There'd be nothing more that they'd want."

"You know, that does sound like a good idea," Danny replied. "When can we have one?"

"I'll call the Mayor right now and ask," Jazz remarked and picked up the phone and headed into the other room leaving the three of them in stunned silence. Danny noticed his mother glancing nervously at his father.

"Danny," she started to say, shifting uncomfortably in her seat "we just wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

"For everything we've done. For hunting you, for everything we said about you, for hurting you, everything. If we knew it was you, we never would have done any of it, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do. And I forgive you. It wasn't your fault, it was your job." His parents smiled and gave him a warm hug.

"Alright, the mayor said he'd be happy to set up the press conference for eleven tomorrow morning."

"Alright, I'll go inform the press. Maybe some of them will leave," Danny stated as he rose to once again face the mob.

He opened the door and he was immediately blinded by the flashing lights. The air around him was filled with people asking questions.

"Alright everyone, listen!" he yelled. Everyone went quiet. "I just wanted to let you all know that I've just set up a press conference for tomorrow morning at eleven. The entire town is invited and I will answer any questions you may possibly have for me. In the meantime, I won't be leaving my house again and I won't be saying anything else, so you might as well just leave." Danny closed the door and walked into the living room as his parents switched off the television.

"I think we've had enough of that," his mother stated as Danny smiled.

"So Danny, tell us some stories!" his father encouraged excitedly, overjoyed at the fact that his son had so much ghost hunting experience.

Danny and his parents spent the rest of the night talking. He told them everything, ranging from the extent of his powers to Valerie to his possible future. He let everything out, feeling better the more he divulged. At last there would be no secrets between him and the rest of his family. Everything was now out in the open. His parents were extremely supportive, comforting him when needed and brimming with understanding and acceptance. If the reporters and the looming thought of having to face everyone in the press conference didn't exist, this would be the happiest day of his life.