What? Angst Day? Torture the child? Got it covered

I wrote again. That may or may not be a good thing. It's kinda messy. Oh well

"Daniel James Fenton! What on Earth were you thinking?!"

Danny cringed, pulling his phone away from his ear in an attempt to quiet his mother's voice. His free hand curled around the seat of the bench, gripping it so hard he was sure it would break. Maddie's voice came through the phone again.

"-ck here this instant or I swear I'll-"

The terror that had been numbed since he left suddenly resurfaced, and he found himself struggling to keep his voice even. "M'sorry."

His mother's words died in her throat. Danny shifted uncertainly, adjusting his grip on the bench. "I didn't think you would… uh…" He trailed off, unsure of how to finish his sentence.

"Care?" The voice from the other end of the phone was soft and resigned, but carried no accusation. Danny swallowed thickly, shame and fear burning his eyes. "Danny…"

"Mom, I-it's fine," he stuttered. "I'm fine, and-"

"Daniel you are definitely not fine," her voice came through again.

"Mom-"

"Your shoulder," she cut him off sharply. "I hit your shoulder."

Danny subconsciously reached up to his left shoulder, lightly brushing the wound that had already begun to heal. It had been an ectoblast, aimed straight at his chest, that he hadn't had the time to completely avoid. The force had been lessened, but it was still enough to slam him into the basement wall and crack his head against the cold metal, sending his vision dark and fuzzy.

"And your head. I hit you hard, Danny. Are you sure-"

Heavy footsteps had pounded toward him, a shrill whine filling his ears as the ecto gun powered up again. The barrel was pressed against his forehead, the energy radiating off the gun almost tangible. He had clenched his eyes shut tight-and then…

And then, he had lost it. The strain on his body from the fight with his most recent ghostly enemy, combined with the shot of pure focused energy from his mother's gun had proved too much, and his spectral form had fizzled out in a flash of brilliant light.

Through the blinding haze, he had just barely been able to see his mother; she had taken a step back, gloved hand shielding her eyes from the halo of light that emitted from his waist. The warmth of humanity had only finished sweeping through him when Maddie dropped her gun.

"Danny? Can you hear me?"

He blinked, snapping out of his daze.

"Your shoulder-"

"Mom," he interrupted. "I-it's fine, really." The corner of his mouth quirked upward in an almost smile. "I heal fast. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

Maddie hesitated. "Danny…"

"Mom, I'm fine, I promise." Danny rotated his shoulder almost to prove his point, wincing when the raw skin caught on the bloodstained fabric of his shirt. Maybe he wasn't as healed as he thought.

"Where are you now?"

Danny's hand moved to the bottom of his shirt, fiddling with the hem. The backpack he had grabbed and hastily packed before leaving suddenly felt heavier against his leg. "Uh…" he glanced up, finally dragging his eyes from the concrete sidewalk and onto the sign posted a few feet away. "...the bus stop."

"The bus stop?" Maddie paused. "You aren't… um…" she hesitated again. "Flying?" The voice coming over the phone crackled; a combination of poor reception and uncertainty.

Danny took a moment to respond. "I-you guys have, uh, ghost tracking equipment… right? I didn't-uhh…" His gaze moved back towards the ground, his hand trailing up from his shirt hem to the back of his neck

"Want us to be able to find you," Maddie finished for him, her voice quiet and unsteady.

Danny ran his free hand through his hair, grasping at the strands and brushing them out of his face. The silence from the other end of the phone was pressing, and he realized belatedly that his vision had gone blurry with tears.

A choked sob came from the other end of the line. "Daniel Fenton, you listen to me." Danny tensed, his eyes widening in irrational fear. The edges of his phone dug into his hand as he tightened his grip on it. He was waiting. Waiting for it all to go downhill, waiting for his world to fall apart. His head hurt, his heart hurt, and he had lied. His shoulder still burned, a sharp throbbing pain that spread down his arm and up around his neck.

"You-I…" She took a deep breath. "Listen to me." Maddie paused, trying to find the right words. "I… Danny, I love you. Always. I-it doesn't matter, I just… come back. Please. I-I'm sorry."

Danny's breath caught in his throat. She couldn't mean it. Not after… not after he had finally shown her what he was. He was a ghost, and time and time again she stated how much she loathed them. They were foul, unnatural creatures; the only place they belonged was in the basement on the lab table being examined inside and out. Would he just become her next experiment? But there was still a bigger part of him that truly and honestly believed her. She wouldn't lie to him; no matter what else he was, he was still her son. Right? He broke down then and there, his sobs echoing over the line.

"Danny! Danny what's wrong?!"

He shut his eyes tight, gasping for air. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never told you, I'm s-sorry I lied for so long, I'm sorry, and j-just-" Danny took a deep breath. "Thank you. You have no idea-I mean, I thought-but you didn't, and-and I'm so sorry but thank you, thank you so much." All of his emotions bubbled up and spilled out, a jumbled stream of everything that had been running through his mind.

"Danny, no matter what, I would never-I mean, Danny, I-you're safe here, no matter what. Please, come home."

Danny released a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding. He could go home. Home. That word held so much more meaning than it had used to. Uncertainty, but most importantly safety, and reassurance. He was wanted back at home, and he couldn't possibly deny his mother that.

"I… Okay. I just, uh, give me a couple minutes to get my stuff and, uh, take a few minutes."

"Of course. Take as long as you need, but please do try to be home before curfew. I don't want you to get hurt out there after dark."

Danny was somewhat amused by his mother's belief and worry that anything provided by the natural world could really hurt him, but agreed anyway. "Yeah, I will. Promise."

"Okay, see you soon. And Danny, I love you. Remember that."

A faint smile traced over his lips. "I will. Love you too."

A click sounded from the other end of the line, and it went dead. He snapped his phone shut, sliding it into his jeans pocket and taking a deep breath. He could do this.

"Hey, kid."

Danny started, head snapping up in response to the unexpected noise. A bus had pulled up to the stop while he wasn't paying attention, and the driver was addressing him. "You gettin' on or…" The driver hesitated. "Are you okay?"

Danny suddenly realized how horrible he must look, partially covered in blood and practically sobbing. He sniffled, absently brushing his fingers over the ruined shoulder of his shirt and picking at the torn threads. Rubbing at his eyes with his other hand in an attempt to rid his face of tears, he responded. "Uh, yeah, I-I'm fine. And no thanks on that bus ride, I'm headed home." He couldn't leave. Someone at home was waiting for him.

"You sure kid?" Danny nodded, more sure of his answer than he had ever been. "Alright, suit yourself." The driver closed the door and sped off down the street, almost hitting a mailbox as he left.

Danny stood up, hefting his backpack over his shoulders. He didn't notice when the strap brushed against his wound; it barely hurt anymore. He stalled for only a moment before turning and heading home.

He could do this.