Hello people,

Here's a little something I whipped up, but it is completely pre-written, so there's that. The beta for this story is the very amazing LordOfAllBricks. Updates will be bi-weekly, on Fridays and Tuesdays if I can make it. There's a total of seven chapters, including the epilogue, each hovering around a little over one thousand words or so, except for the sixth chapter. That one's a lot longer.

Disclaimer, characters aren't mine

Without further ado,

GOOD BYE - Chapter 1; Sorry

By The Mishmosh Bird

.

Valerie deposited her bag with a heavy thump, before dropping into her armchair as though her strings had been cut.

These last months, Valerie had been moving through her routine in a daze, going about her day with robotic shuffles and empty eyes. How could he...? Danny Phentom ... Ph-Fantom ...Ph- She can't even properly think his last name. Everything was in a disarray, her whole purpose, her whole life thrown up in the air and allowed to land in a jumbled broken mess, for the second time in her short sixteen years. And thanks to the same boy, no less.

Valerie felt so stupid. So dimwitted and foolish. She didn't even know what to do with herself around Danny, so she avoided him like the plague. Freaking ran out of the room the moment he walks - sometimes floats - in. She was angry and confused and frustrated and furious and empty and ... above all, she was sorry. So, so very sorry.

How could she not have seen it? Especially considering she found out about Dani and Vlad and ... oh my God.

Dani. She was struck with a sudden urge to go find Danny and ask him where the hell the ghost girl was and where she came from. She wanted to hop on her hover-board and fly right over to Fenton Works and talk to him and tell him she's sorry and she wanted, needed to know- then the urge faded and Valerie sunk back into the couch she had unknowingly half-risen out of. No, she can't do that, not after everything, not after she was so horrible to him. What right did she have to ask about Dani?

"Valerie! Could you go get the mail please?"

Her Dad's call startled her out of her brooding.

"Okay, Daddy!"

As crazy and insane as everything suddenly became, Valerie could always count on her Dad. If there was one thing in the ghost huntress's life that she never doubted, it was that her Dad will always be there for her, a steadying pillar. The unwavering northern star.

Valerie opened the door of their apartment. Reaching down and shuffling though their stack of bills and coupons, Valerie saw something that caught her eye.

It was a white envelope, bare except for one message, written in handwriting that Valerie recognized immediately.

To Valerie Gray, I'm sorry

Valerie froze to the spot, dumbfounded. Then, almost in a trance, Valerie slit open the envelope and began to read,

Valerie,

.

I should probably be telling you this in person and all, but I'm honestly kind of scared you'll blast me to the Ghost Zone before I can get a word out. I have a lot to say to you, and I hope you'll be willing to hear me out.

Here goes.

Look, Valerie, I know we got off on the wrong foot and I know you're furious at me for lying to you. And if you want to ignore my calls and never see my face again, by all means! But I don't want you to go on thinking I messed up your life on purpose. I always tried to tell you as Danny Phantom, but you never listened. Now I'm trying to talk to you as Danny Fenton but it's like you've cut me out of your life.

So I'm writing you a note and if you still blame me and hate me by the end of it, then I'll stop bothering you and leave you in peace.

First of all, Cujo's not my dog. Well, he is now since we came to an understanding. But that time, way back when you were popular? That was just me trying to catch a ghost so I can throw it back into the Ghost Zone. I wasn't too good at ghost fighting yet, I only just got my powers, so Cujo caused a lot of collateral damage. Everything that happened to you as a result was an accident. One I'm very sorry for, but still.

Oh, and that time with the flour sac project? The only reason I got testy with you for 'not pulling your weight' was because I had thought that the only reason you didn't have time for school work was because of ghost hunting, something I already did and didn't get to complain about. You know, secret identity and all. I didn't appreciate you shirking your responsibilities because it had looked like you're pilling all the work on me just so you could have extra time to hunt me down later. When you told me that you had two jobs, I realized that I had judged you too soon and that I had been a huge jerk to you for the wrong reason. But you still need to know that that's not the kind of person I am. When I'm a jerk, I usually have a good reason.

I also want to apologize for that time I gave away your identity to your dad. But you have to understand, Fright Night and the Ghost King are my responsibility. You may have martial arts and really high-end ghost fighting gear, but I'm the ghost. You were hurt and you were limping. Ghosts have a healing factor, so I'm not saying you're weaker or anything, I'm just saying that my skillset is better equipped to withstand the draining effects of the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton. When I pulled off your hood in front of your dad, it wasn't because I wanted you out of my hair, but because I didn't want you to die. I'm just a ghost anyway, no one's going to lose any sleep if I gave up my afterlife. So even though I'm sorry for making your life harder, I would do the same thing all over again so you could be safe.

There's something else I need to clarify. I'm not sure what you thought about that time we dated, though I promise I wasn't trying to trick you or anything like that. I really, genuinely, did like you. I was actually going to give you this class ring and ask you to go steady when you broke up with me. I know it's not your fault for wanting to protect someone, but I guess I'm just sorry we never got the chance to see where our relationship could have went. But just because it didn't work out between us doesn't mean it shouldn't work out for you ever. Tucker's a nice guy. And if you really get to know him, you'll see it too. He just tries too hard with girls but if you give him a chance, I'm sure you won't regret it.

What else had I wanted to say?

Oh, right, Danielle. There's something I need to tell you about her too. We call each other cousins but it would be more accurate to say she's my artificially created twin sister. And in case you have any doubts, Vlad created her. I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anyone this. Even Sam and Tucker thinks Danielle is my cousin, but I want you to know the truth. See, Tucker, Sam and I? We're not on the best terms at the moment and I need someone to watch Dani's back, because I'm not going to be around too much longer.

And that's not all. Look, it's obvious that while I'm a guy, Dani's a girl and yet she was cloned from my DNA. Like, how did that happen? Well, after the government searched through Vlad's databases, a lot of the information was transferred to Fentonworks so I was able to access it. You know how you were able to relate to Dani so easily? How the two of you get along really well even though you had a rough start? Vlad had experimented a lot with his clones, really horrifying experiments. By searching through his databanks, I found that his attempts included sneaking steroids, growth hormones and ecto-boosters into various … fetuses. Biologically and mentally, Dani is twelve, thanks to those growth hormones but chronologically, she's barely a year old. And my DNA wasn't the only one he messed with. You were … the most convenient target. Biologically speaking, you're Dani's mother, and I'm her dad.

She's still more me than you, that's the way Vlad made her, but the fact that she shared your DNA made her a lot more stable than the other clones. And besides, she shares your determination. She probably willed herself not to melt or something.

I know I kind of unloaded a lot on you at once. There's just … lot's of stuff you need to know and I can't get ahold of you in person.

None of this is your fault. I dragged you into this insanity that day Cujo got out of control. And I just really wanted to say sorry for everything I've put you through.

I'm so sorry for everything. For lying to you and for making your dad lose his job and for putting you on Vlad's radar, on all my enemies' radars. For putting this burden on you when you should be focused on school. You still have a life. While I ... well, I pretty much lost all my chances that day I stepped into the portal.

So go live your life, go to university, get a degree, get a job. With me gone, the ghosts probably won't attack as much and my parents have developed lots of new effective ghost hunting gear with some input from Danny Phantom. They even got your dad helping them out with the programming and the defensive equipment. You won't need to worry about me, Amity Park or supporting your dad anymore.

And Valerie? Please take care of Dani for me. She needs someone in her life so matter how much she claims to be independent.

I would know. I'm her cousin after all.

.

Your friend whether you admit it or not,

Danny

"Valerie! What's taking so long?" Damon Gray's voice drifted from the living room.

"Um, Daddy? You might want to see this. And check to see if Danny's home. Something tells me he's going to do something stupid very soon."

Another quick word, the idea that Danielle has Valerie's DNA isn't mine. It belongs to MyAibou, from her story, Ghosts in the Closet. I saw it and pretty much adopted it as a head cannon.

Personal promise to all readers, anyone who leaves a review will get a reply. I swear to that. I may have to go back and stick your replies into old chapters if you're a guest, but I'll do it. So yeah, love comments, can't get enough of them. Please leave one!

Thanks for reading,

~Bird

Edited; August 6th 2016 5:07am (aren't I an early bird?)