Home Is Where The Heart Is

                                    

                                          
Danny's POV
                          
Even at a slow pace, it took me all of an hour and a half to get to the portal, my stalling doing nothing more than building the weight of dread in my stomach, like sand being poured into a bucket.
                          
The closer I got to the portal, the more it felt like bricks were being piled onto my chest. By the time I stopped in front of the swirling green of the Fenton Portal, I was about ready to turn around and fly away. Fly away from all of my fears. Dissapear for a while. But I couldn't do that, I wouldn't do that. Not to Sam. Not to Tuck. Not to Jazz. 'Besides,' I reasoned. 'I need to check to see if everyone's okay or I'll never be able to live with myself.'
                          
I held out my hand as it started to glow blue, different little ice sculptures forming and melting in my hand. A great way to relieve stress, I find. When I finally gather the courage to fly through the portal, the lab is, mercifully, empty. I let out a long breath I didn't know I was holding and took a moment to take in my surroundings. Familiar and yet so new. I started to climb the steps, my feet and legs feeling like two lead bricks attatched to my body, getting heavier and more stiff as I climbed.
                          
I winced as the door creaked open, the sound of the protesting hinges sounding like a gunshot in an empty room. Three figures appeared in front of me almost instantly, the familiar sound of combat boots against the floor calming me almost immediately.
                          
"Danny! Oh, God! Danny you look horrible!" One of them gasped as she examined the burns, the other two hovering akwardly behind her.
                          
"Thanks, Sam. Real self-esteem booster right there." I replied sarcastically, staring at the floor as to avoid eye contact with anyone in the room. "I'm fine. The burns will heal." I could feel their stares burning and boring holes into the side of my head, acutely aware of the sound of their rapid heartbeats and breathing from across the room. 
                          
"Danny, the burns are everywhere! Look at yourself!" Sam said as she pulled out her phone, opening the camera on selfie mode and handing it to me. 
                          
I slowly, hesitantly, lifted the phone to my eyes, inhaling sharply as I took in my charred face, my cheek burned almost down to the bone, the white just peaking through strings of red and black. I sighed, handing the phone back. "But I'm alive, aren't I? I'll heal."
                          
"Daniel... is this why you're never in school?" I looked up and to my left, Mr. Lancer holding back a gasp as he took in my, admittedly frightening, appearence. I remembered back to what Clockwork told me about the power of illusions, and focused on my appearence. I knew it had worked when Lancer let out a suprised squeak. "Did you just... heal?" I shook my head.
                          
"Illusion. I figured you'd be more comfortable with normal looking Danny Fenton instead of a half burnt Danny Phantom." I murmured. "But, yes. This is why I'm always missing school, this is why I knew the ghost zone so well, this is why I could stand up to walker and his goons and not die, and this is why I have all the scars." Maddie suddenly appeared in front of me, curiosity and poorly disguised distaste overwhelming her features.
                          
"Danny, we're so sorry-" She started, her voice sickeningly sweet,very much to the point of obnoxious.
                          
"No," I cut her off. "you're not sorry. You still despise phantom, and I'm not so sure me being Danny Fenton helps all that much."
                          
"We didn't know-"
                          
"No, you just didn't care enough to ask. Shoot first and ask questions while you're in the middle of my vivisection. That's the only way your mind works."
                          
"We would never-!"
                          
"Really?" I asked her as I dropped the illusion. "Because I'm pretty sure I got this from somewhere." I said accusingly, as I made the chest part of my suit intangible, revealing a feint 'Y' shaped scar hidden amung all the others that littered my torso. "And I could be wrong, but I do vividly remember crying out for you to stop as you started to rip open my chest!