Chapter Text
Danny felt the heat of the blast as it passed inches from his face. The shot was unexpected, taking him off guard as his mind frantically scrambled to process the new threat.
Luckily, Skulker seemed to be just as startled by the surprise attack, attention momentarily drawn away from his opponent. Unwilling to miss out on the opportunity, Danny fired a quick ectoblast with one hand while he unhooked the Fenton Thermos from his belt with the other. In a matter of seconds, his foe was safely stowed away.
Still tense, Danny found himself searching the scene below for the other attacker. All he found was the Fenton GAV parked below, with his parents grinning up at him through the dashboard. It took his mind several long moments to process that he was no longer in immediate danger, racing heart taking its time slowing down.
It hadn't been a threat after all. It had been a helping hand.
He smiled shakily back, grateful for the unexpected back up. Rather than flying back to his home as he normally would, he found himself slowly descending towards the street instead. His parents watched, slowly climbing out of the GAV and walking over to where he was landing.
He felt strangely out of place, standing before them in the aftermath of a ghost fight. This was their life's work after all, and he'd been secretly taking part in the family business behind their backs for years. It was one thing for them to learn about the existence of his powers – it was another thing entirely to have his parents witness them in action.
"So, umm," he cleared his throat. "Thanks. Uh...for the help back there."
Jack grinned, voice booming as he responded. "Of course, Dann-o! Way to show that spook not to mess with the Fentons!"
"Err...thanks?" Danny responded, eyes darting around to ensure no one was around to hear that exclamation. He made a mental note to reinforce the importance of a secret identity to his father later.
Maddie rolled her eyes before fixing her son with a more critical gaze. Now that the adrenaline of the fight was dying down, her motherly concern was back in full force. "Are you okay, Danny? Any injuries you want us to take a look at? I've got some equipment in the RV."
Although he knew she meant no harm in asking, years of fear were hard to dismiss. He couldn't help the images of scalpels and incisions that filled his mind at the thought of his family's ghost hunting equipment.
He hoped the day would come when that type of panic wasn't second nature – but that day was not today.
"I'm fine," He assured, voice coming out quicker and more forcefully than he'd intended. He took a steadying breath, before adding in a softer tone, "Skulker didn't get too many hits in this time. Thanks. You know...for offering."
Maddie gave him a soft smile, reaching out a hand and resting it on his shoulder. She bit her lip, a worried expression creeping across her features. "Danny, I know things have been a little tense lately, but I want to make sure you know that your father and I are here for you. I want you to feel comfortable coming to us for help. Whether that's covering for you at school, helping with a ghost fight or first aid." She paused. " Especially if you need first aid."
"Thanks, I–"
She cut him off. "I hope you know that your father and I, we love you. Human, ghost or hybrid."
At those words, Danny inhaled sharply. It was the first time he'd heard them say it since the night of the revelation, and he hadn't realized how desperately he needed that affirmation. Some tension that he hadn't even been aware he'd been carrying since that fateful night seemed to ebb away at her words.
Before he could think about it, he found himself throwing his arms around her, squeezing tight. It was the first hug he'd initiated since that night, finally feeling safe enough to do so.
Maddie's response was immediate, tightening her embrace on him without hesitation. The chill of his hazmat barely registered in her mind as she comforted her son. It was as if some seal had been broken, some invisible line had been crossed. In seconds, a shadow seemed to overtake them as his father's form enclosed the two in a group hug.
In that moment, the chasm between him and his parents didn't feel so wide anymore.
He didn't realize he was crying until he pulled back and found his mother wiping the tears from his cheeks. He took a few steadying breaths before replying. "I love you, too."
He shook out his shoulders, fighting to get control of his emotions – and failing.
"I'll, uh, see you guys at home." He needed to get back up into the air, to have a minute to process everything on his way home.
Without another word, he shot up into the sky.
After that initial emotional dam had been broken, things were improving between the Fentons. It was far from perfect, and there was more than a healthy dose of awkwardness present at any given time, but it was undeniable that their relationship was mending. In a way, it was stronger than it had been before now that there were no secrets keeping them apart.
"You know," said Maddie at dinner one night, "You do look very handsome with white hair, Danny."
Danny felt his face flush at the unexpected compliment.
"Takes after his old man!" Jack shouted, running a hand through his own salt-and-pepper locks and shooting a wink at his wife.
Maddie shook her head at his antics, a fond expression spread across her face.
At that exchange, Danny slid lower in his chair, but couldn't fight back the smile tugging at the sides of his mouth. Sure, he was embarrassed, but there was something so mundane about this type of discomfort. In comparison to the way he'd been feeling over the past week, this type of embarrassment just made him feel more normal than he had since before the accident .
"You guys are so ridiculous," Jazz groaned, shaking her head at her parents. There was no venom behind her words, as she was clearly pleased by the newfound peace and acceptance in the Fenton household.
––––––––––
Soon, his parents became a frequent fixture in his ghost-fighting routine. It was strange at first, resisting the fight-or-flight instinct he’d honed over the years, but it was a relief to let go of that stress. They helped cut back on the number of hours he spent battling ghosts – and he offered a hand in the lab, sharing his knowledge of all things ghostly to help guide their research.
With that help, the eldest Fentons were re-evaluating some of their own previously held theories on ghosts. It was a humbling experience for the duo as they realized that they’d spent whole decades approaching their own profession the wrong way. They’d been so determined to prove their own theories, they’d failed as scientists to objectively evaluate the data that had come to life since the portal started working.
They were still determined as ever to protect Amity Park from any malicious ghosts, but it was clear now that not every ghost fit that category. Their son spoke at length about his friends and allies from the ghost zone, going so far as to offer to introduce them to a friendly ghost or two.
Their teamwork led to a wider variety of weapons meant to stun, rather than destroy. Jack found he still got the same thrill from firing them, but at least now he was confident that a wild shot wouldn’t have fatal consequences.
The alliance did not go unnoticed by the city of Amity Park. The local news station was fascinated by the Fenton family’s team up with their resident superhero and they were not shy about expressing their interest in the partnership.
It was a level of scrutiny that made Danny anxious. The more the news anchors speculated on the partnership, the more he feared the security of his secret was at risk. After a few longer segments where their speculation hit a little too close to home, he voiced his concerns to his family.
Jazz was quick to offer a solution, encouraging her parents to set up a press conference on the subject to help appease reporters and give them just enough misinformation to steer them clear of the big secret.
"You have them some answers so they stop looking into it," she'd explained. "They're never going to give up otherwise – it’s too weird that the most famous ghost hunters in town are suddenly buddying up to a ghost they’ve been hunting for years!"
It was settled. Jack and Maddie spoke with several of Amity Park's leading reporters, explaining that they'd found out that they had found evidence that proved they’d been wrong about Phantom in the past. They cited several sources confirming the local hero’s complex and impressive emotional and mental capabilities as the main reason for re-evaluating the ghost.
Danny had laughed at that, later joking that he was sure Lancer didn’t see his mental capabilities as anything particularly impressive. His parents hadn’t found his joke particularly funny, instead of reminding him that with their help hunting ghosts during the school day, they fully expected him to focus more on bringing up his grades.
He’d easily agreed, surprised by how comforting it was to have his parents take such an active interest in his life. After all, for years after the accident he’d wondered if they had any interest at all. It was nice to know they cared.
"Phantom has proved himself a hero time and time again," Maddie had explained at the end of the press conference. "For a long time, we didn’t want to see the truth – so we didn’t. It's hard to admit when you've been blinded by your own beliefs, but we were wrong about him. Perhaps about ghosts in general. Now, we're working to set things right and learn all we can about them."
When his parents returned home that day, they found their very human son sitting on the living room couch. After nearly a month of living in his ghost form at home, he'd decided it was finally time for things to return to normal.
Or at least, to the new normal.