Work Text:
Danny let out a deep breath.
Today was the day. He was going to tell his parents that he was Danny Phantom.
Lately he noticed that his parents were more often than not leaving his ghost half alone. And if they weren’t they were just trying to get his attention to talk to him. At first Danny didn’t want to engage because he thought it was a trap. But after long enough of them not shooting at him anymore and asking him genuine questions, he thought that maybe his parents were finally coming around.
It made him feel as if telling them he was Phantom would be okay. That they wouldn’t pull their weapons on him and accuse him of replacing their son and manipulating him.
It was time anyways. He had kept this secret for long enough.
Danny opened the door to his bedroom and stepped into the hall. He glanced at Jazz’s door. She was off at college. She knew he was telling his parents today but he assured her that he thought everything would be okay. He’d call her if it wasn’t.
He headed down the hall towards the stairs. He could smell his mom cooking breakfast and hear the sound of a pan against the stove. His dad was sitting at the table tinkering with one of their tracking devices.
“Hey, mom? Dad?”
They looked at him expectantly. He took another deep breath.
“I need to tell you something.”
They shared a look with one another.
“Did you want to have breakfast first?”
Danny shook his head. “No, I’m kind of nervous. I don’t know if I could stomach eating until I tell you guys what I need to tell you.”
She had an apprehensive look on her face but she turned off the burner on the stove and stepped over to Jack. He had a look on his face like he wanted to cry but was trying his hardest to keep it at bay.
Danny walked to the living room and sat on the ottoman that was close to the couch. His parents sat across from him.
He fidgeted with his fingers and stalled for a little bit. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times as he tried to decide what he was going to say. He might as well get right to the punch.
“Mom, dad, I’m Phantom.”
Danny was shocked when his dad burst into tears. His mom wiped one away from her eyes.
“We’ve known for some time now, Danny.” His mom’s voice was solemn. A pit began forming in his stomach. “We understand what you have to do.”
He didn’t understand what she was saying. Was he supposed to leave? Was she okay with him ghost fighting? He thought they would’ve been excited to find out he was a ghost hunter just like him but she just sounded sad. So matter a fact about it. What did she mean?
Another sob burst from his dad’s lips and he looked up at Danny. “You can move on when you’re ready. We’ll be ready to let you go. We don’t want to hold you back from eternal peace and rest. If that’s what you’re here to tell us, just go ahead-”
Danny just stared between both of his parents with wide eyes. What was he talking about? Why would he move on?
Oh.
Danny started laughing and at first it was a little hysterical. But as he realized how much his parents did truly care about him, it turned into something warmer and tears burst into his eyes.
“You guys I’m not moving on to anywhere.”
Jack hiccuped. “You’re- you’re not?”
Danny shook his head with a smile. “No, though I do appreciate the sentiment.” He wiped a tear away from his eye. “I’m not actually dead.”
His parents exchanged a concerned glance between the two of them like they thought Danny could be in the middle of a breakdown.
“But honey, you’re a ghost.” Maddie said softly, almost like it was news she was breaking to him.
Danny snorted. “Yeah, I know. But I’m still human.”
They exchanged another look. “What do you mean?” Jack looked curious now.
“I don’t know exactly how to explain it.” Danny looked down at his left hand. “The portal accident somehow made me a combination of both. The ghosts call me a halfa, because I’m a ghost and a human at the same time. I don’t know how to explain why it happened but it did.”
“You’re still alive?” Maddie’s voice was quiet. He could tell that she no longer thought he was a ghost living in denial.
Danny nodded. “I still have a pulse and everything. I still have to breathe. Everything’s just a little bit different now.”
Maddie reached a hand out towards him. “May I?”
“Yeah, go for it.”
She pressed two fingers against the pulse in his neck and held them there for a bit.
“It’s definitely there, albeit a bit slower.” Maddie let out a sigh that sounded like she’d been holding in for months. “Thank you for telling us, Danny. We had some- misconceptions about what you being Phantom meant. I’m glad we were wrong.”
“Oh, Danno!” Jack was back to letting out a big snotty sob. He wrapped them both up in a big hug. “I’m so glad that you’re not a ghost that’s ready to move on! I was counting down the days until you were no longer with us.”
Danny smiled. “Me too, Dad.” He patted his dads arm comfortingly. “Besides, I’m only fourteen. What would I have to move on from? I’ve got my whole life ahead of me.”
His mom gave him a teary smile and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
“We have been so proud of you for fighting the good fight. Even when no one believed you were.” Maddie’s voice was quiet.
“You’ve been doing such a good job hunting those ghosts.” Jack shook them gently in his hug. Danny chuckled.
“We’ve actually got to talk about how you guys see ghosts.”
Jack and Maddie pulled away from him to look at him, and then at each other.
“But for now, I’m starving. Can we eat breakfast?”
Maddie smiled at him. “Of course sweetie.”
Danny smiled as they walked into the kitchen. He knew everything would be okay.