Hey everyone!

And here is the chapter that we've all been probably waiting for… the chapter where Danny explains the truth to Valerie. I've been so excited for this, so, I hope it's good! Enjoy the chapter; please read and review!

GhostWriterGirl out!

"We need to talk."

Valerie folded her arms and gave Danny a matching level look.

"We most certainly do."

Danny opened his mouth, then closed it again. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and mumbled, "You're not going to blast at me, are you?"

"Depends."

"Well, that doesn't improve the chances of this turning out all right."

Valerie had to resist rolling her eyes. Even when she was confused whether to call Danny a friend or foe since finding out he was Phantom, he still unconsciously made light of the situation.

Danny stood up from her bed and began pacing around, eying the anti-ghost weapons hanging on her wall nervously. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously, before stopping and facing Valerie again, who was still looking at him levelly.

"Well? Are we going to talk or what?"

"It's…hard to explain," Danny hedged, looking at the ground.

Valerie scoffed.

"Danny, I just found out that you're half-ghost and Phantom, the ghost I've been hunting since I became a ghost hunter. I'm confused whether you're still my friend, or my enemy. So tell me, why did you fly all the way to my apartment, saying we need to talk, when you find it hard to explain!?"

"It just is, okay!? I didn't expect you to find out! And now that you did, you ran before I could explain and I had to fly all the way here at top speed to arrive before you so that I can explain! But it's difficult, okay? I've never had to explain my secret to someone who wants to obliterate me as Phantom, and is also my friend and ex-girlfriend as Fenton!"

"Well, sorry! But this is hard for me too! I broke up with you to protect you from my ghost hunting activities, when you're also the main ghost I hunt relentlessly! Oh, and by the way, if we had gone out, were you planning to tell me that you were Phantom someday?"

"I wanted to! Believe me, I wanted to! But I knew that I couldn't when you stubbornly refused to let go of your grudge!"

"I thought you were evil!"

"And like I told you at the start, not every ghost is evil! Some ghosts just want to be left alone!"

"Oh yeah? Well most ghosts I meet are evil! Care to name the ones that aren't?"

"Gladly! Because some of the ones that aren't evil are my allies! Like Wulf, Frostbite and his people, Dora, Cujo-"

"Cujo?"

"The ghost dog that can change from a puppy to a bulldog."

"That's also the dog that got my dad fired! You told me he wasn't your dog, but are you saying he is?"

"He isn't! He just comes back to me because I'm the only other ghost in the area!"

"Whatever! He's a rampaging menace!"

"He was just looking for his squeaky toy! I tried to stop him! I didn't mean for you dad to get fired!"

"He was still fired!"

"When are you going to let that go?"

"Maybe when you actually explain!"

"I'm trying to! I'm trying to find the words to explain!"

"You're just stalling!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"You know what, Valerie? You're really stubborn, and close-minded when it comes to ghosts!"

"I'm close-minded?"

"Yes! You won't look past the fact that not all ghosts are evil when I tried to tell you that!"

"That's not close-mindedness! It's called being logical!"

"It's called holding a grudge!"

"Do you wanna fight, Fenton?"

"Bring it on, Grey!"

Danny, who's eyes had been glowing an angry green during the whole argument, charged his hands up with green energy to fire a ghost ray while Valerie grabbed the gun nearest to her. They glared at each other, locked at a stalemate, ready to fire when ready. Valerie's finger hovered dangerously near the trigger and Danny's eyes glowed a brighter green, raising his hands. They looked at each other, before they got unreadable expressions on their faces… and burst out laughing.

"Oh man. We can't talk about anything without it dissolving into a potential fight, can we?" Danny asked, dissipating the energy as he wiped a tear from his now-sky blue eyes.

"No, we can't," Valerie agreed, putting her gun down and clutching her sides as she continued to laugh.

Their laughing fit lasted for a few seconds, but when it finished, Danny said, "Seriously. We need to talk. And I'll try to explain as best I can-no stalling. Promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Danny," Valerie replied back.

Danny moved back to Valerie's bed and sat on it. He patted the space next to him, but Valerie pulled her chair from her desk and sat near the bed while staying away from Danny, saying, "Don't want a repeat of the last two times you came in contact with my perfume."

"Wha-oh. Sorry; I forget," Danny said back, rubbing his neck sheepishly. He drew in a deep breath and started explaining.

"It happened at the start of freshman year. As you may know, my parents built a portal to the Ghost Zone around that time. When the portal turned on, it-"

"Gave a way for ghosts to come to our world and made our lives a pain in the neck," Valerie interrupted. Danny gave her a look for interrupting, but continued on.

"Anyway, yeah the portal did turn on, but what you don't know was that it didn't on at the first try. When my dad plugged in the portal, there was nothing but a spark. My parents were crushed. This was their big project, and it not working was almost like they had lost a baby. I have never seen them so upset before; even my dad had a depressed attitude. I couldn't stand seeing them so upset, so I did the only thing that I hoped would make them better-I would fix the portal.

"At first, I was a bit unsure about doing it, but I put on my HAZMAT suit and entered the portal anyway. It was really dark, and I accidentally tripped over some wires. As I tried to steady myself, I accidentally pressed a button. However, that button turned out to be the 'On' button. My dad had put the 'On' and 'Off' buttons inside the portal. The portal turned on while I was still inside, there was a bright flash of light, and I was electrocuted by both electricity and ecto-energy. It hurt. A lot. I could compare the pain to the pain caused by blood blossoms. When I finally came stumbling out of the portal, I found out that I looked like this."

Those white rings of light came back, blinding Valerie temporarily. When she looked back, in Danny Fenton's place, was Danny Phantom.

"I freaked out, naturally. I mean, I believed that I had died back there and had become a ghost. But then I heard my parents coming down the lab's stairs, and I desperately began thinking that I wasn't a ghost, but normal, average, ordinary, human Danny Fenton again. And the next thing I knew…"

The rings of white light came back again, and in Phantom's place was Danny Fenton.

"I was once again Danny Fenton. That was then I realised that I had become half-ghost from the accident, and we believe that I may have been half-killed, but the ectoplasm fused with my DNA and protected me from being fully killed by the electricity, making me half-ghost, half-human. After that, I decided to use my powers to help people and to stop all the ghosts coming through the portal as Danny Phantom. And, that's the story."

"Honestly, it sounds kinda like a superhero origin story."

"Well, I'm kinda like a superhero."

"'Kinda'?" Valerie repeated, arching a brow.

"Sure, I have powers and I help people and fight ghosts, but I'm not like the comic book superheroes like Superman and Spider-Man. I'm just trying to lead a normal, average life while protecting this town from ghosts. Sam and Tucker tell me that I have a hero complex, but I don't see why they would think I have one. Sure, I help people, protect the town and fight ghosts, but I don't see why all that means I hav-oh my gosh, I do have a hero complex!"

Valerie smiled at Danny's comically stunned look.

Clueless, she thought.

At least she knew the truth. Danny had explained how he had become half-ghost as best he could, and she was satisfied with that. But she had other questions to ask him, and she needed to know about certain things from his side of the story.

"Danny, other than me, who else knows?" Valerie asked. "It's obvious that Sam and Tucker know; how could they not know? But, other than them and me, who else?"

"Valerie, you're right; Sam and Tucker know. They were there when I had the accident. Even if they weren't there, I don't think I would be able to keep the fact that I'm half-ghost secret from them for long. Jazz knows, but she figured it out when she saw me transform, but she didn't want to tell me she knew until I was ready to tell her. But I realised that she knew when something really, really bad happened that I never want to happen again. And my mom has known for about two months now."

Valerie nodded and swallowed, knowing that she needed to ask these questions, but she was apprehensive to ask him.

Danny stood up from the bed and walked to the window, where the sunset outside cast golden light into the room. Whatever it's faults, you had to give Elmerton this; it had breathtaking sunsets. Valerie watched as the sunset painted Danny's face in golden yellow

light; how the light made his raven-black hair darker, his sky-coloured eyes a deeper blue, the planes of his face made golden from the light, and how the light highlighted the determined set of his mouth as he watched the town from the window. It made Valerie's heart race harder and her feelings for him deepened. She wanted to kiss him so bad now…

No. Stop thinking like that, Valerie. And anyway, you need to know his answers for certain questions you need to ask him now…

Valerie cleared her throat and asked, "Danny, with the mayor incident… did you actually kidnap the mayor."

Danny groaned.

"Does no one look at the eyes anymore? No, I didn't kidnap the mayor, Valerie; he was overshadowed by a ghost named Walker who wanted revenge on me… by turning the town I protect into my prison. And it worked, until the Pariah Dark incident. Anyway, the mayor's eyes were red; clear signs that he was overshadowed."

"Why did this Walker wanted revenge on you in the first place?"

Danny winced, and rubbed his neck nervously as he answered, "I… may have broken a few of his "rules" while trying to retrieve a present I accidentally blasted into the Ghost Zone, which was my dad's anniversary present to my mom, and he arrested me and sentenced me to one thousand years for that and the other "rules" that I had broken. And I… may have started a prison riot/breakout as part of my plan to escape."

"Danny!"

"What, it's true! And yeah, Walker wanted revenge on me for that. Plus, I managed to help free a prisoner he was torturing, and the prisoner is now one of my allies."

Valerie shook her head. "Danny Phantom, hero of Amity Park… and wanted criminal in the Ghost Zone."

"Don't say that to Frostbite; I'm also the Saviour Of The Ghost Zone since I defeated Pariah Dark according to him and his people."

Valerie shook her head, smiling in spite of herself. Looking at Danny, she saw that he also had a lighthearted smile on his face that made him even more crush-worthy.

Valerie took another breath, and asked her next question.

"What about when you stole from the museum and those stores?"

"Again, nobody looks at the eyes. Remember when that circus came to town? It's ringmaster, Freakshow, had a staff that could mind-control ghosts. All of the circus performers were ghosts under his control. He used his staff to mind-control me and made me steal from the museum and those stores. Sam helped me to snap out of it, and the staff's now broken and gone, and Freakshow's in custody. When I was mind-controlled, my eyes were red."

Valerie took a shaky breath and asked the question that was really important to her, that she needed an answer from him for.

"What about when the ghost dog, Cujo, destroyed the lab and got my dad fired? You said he wasn't your dog and that you didn't mean for my dad to get fired. Is that true?"

Danny sighed, running a hand through his midnight hair, making his bangs even more messier.

"I knew that you were going to say that. Yes, Valerie, it is true. Cujo isn't my dog, or anyone else's as far as I know; he's a free spirit-pun not intended. I didn't mean for your dad to lose his job, or to have you guys move here. I would never intentionally do that. I… I hope you can forgive me for that, even though I never meant for that to happen."

Valerie stood up from her chair and walked over next to Danny, gently touching his arm. He flinched slightly, wincing, as the leftover remnants of the blood blossom perfume that was quickly fading affected him, but it was mild compared to before.

"Danny… True, I hated Phantom for having my dad lose his job and ruining my life, but my life has changed for the better as well, ironic as it may be. I get to spend more time with my dad, I'm able to protect Amity Park as well, and I know who my true friends are. But you're right; I never looked past my grudge against you to realise that you're actually a hero as well, and that some ghosts are good. I'm sorry for hunting you, even though I didn't know it was you. I forgive you, Danny. But can you forgive me for hunting you?"

Danny turned to face her, a slow, warm smile on his face that made Valerie's heart almost leap into her throat.

"Valerie, I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago."

Valerie smiled, a slow, happy smile filled with relief and happiness. She and Danny continued to look out the window at the sunset, as the sky was painted with shades of deep red, burning orange, golden yellow, and pale pinks and purples. It was feast for the eyes. Valerie looked at Danny, knowing right here, right now, was the right time to tell him how she felt. And in the possibility that he rejected her… then at least she had told him her feelings for him.

Looking down, Valerie was finding the ground more interesting as she slowly built up her courage to tell Danny her feelings for him. She looked up again, ready to tell him.

She looked at Danny, who looked back at her, and the both said at the same time, "There's something I need to tell you."

Blinking for a second, Danny said, "You first."

"No, you go. I don't mind," Valerie said back.

Danny sighed once, before he asked something that, to Valerie, was unexpected.

"Valerie, I don't whether you want to or not, but would you like to join Team Phantom?"

Valerie was speechless. She blinked once, before she regained the use of speech and said, "I… I'll think about it, but I'm honoured, Danny, that you want me to join your team, after I hunted your ghost form before I knew. Very honoured."

She smiled at him, before fiddling with her bracelets. Gulping once, she said, "There's something I need to ask you. Do… do you want to give us another try?"

"When you mean us, you mean… us us?"

Valerie nodded.

She looked up and saw Danny's unreadable face, but ploughed on.

"I know I was the one to call things off between us, to try to protect you, even though I didn't know you were Phantom and I was hunting you. But Danny, I've never stopped liking you, as in more than friends. I tried to bury it deep, but I can't avoid it any longer. Danny, do you want to give us being a couple another go?"

Valerie looked at Danny, but still saw that he had an unreadable expression on his face.

Blinking back tears, Valerie started to walk away from the window and Danny, saying, "I knew you didn't share my feelings back. It was stupid of me to get my hopes up that you did. I guess we'll just remain fri-"

However, she stopped walking when she felt Danny place his hand on her shoulder. Turning back, Valerie's eyes widened in surprise when Danny kissed her on the lips. Eventually, that surprise melted into pure bliss, happiness, and a thousand other emotions that she couldn't name that she was feeling right now, and she kissed Danny back. The air electrified and chilled at the same time, but she didn't notice or didn't care. She was just enjoying the fact that she was kissing Danny, and he was kissing her back. His lips were warm and slightly cold at the same time, but that just made Valerie kiss him back even more deeply.

Eventually, Valerie pinned Danny to the wall, continuing to kiss him as they made out. They were so caught up in making out with each other, that they didn't hear Danny's phone ring, or Valerie's dad knocking on her door, which quickly turned to banging when she didn't answer. The half-ghost and the ghost huntress just kept kissing.

Although Valerie had been shocked, and had felt betrayed and angry, when she found out Danny's secret, she had accepted him, both the human and ghost parts, and she loved his ghost form just as much as she loved his human form now.

The sun's light faded, day melting into night, and once-longtime foes, Danny Phantom and the Red Huntress, just continued to kiss.

And, there's the chapter!

I know I said that this was not going to be a DannyXValerie fanfic, but after writing Valerie having a crush on Danny… I just couldn't leave the story like that. So, I decided to have them become a couple at the end of this chapter.

Don't get me wrong, I'll forever be a DannyXSam lover and a DannyXEmber fan, but I just feel that either Sam, Valerie or Ember-if she had been given more screen time and more character development-would make a great girlfriend for Danny(No offence to DannyXPaulina fans; I also feel that Paulina, despite her not being one of my favourite characters from DP, should have gotten more character development as well). And anyway, I sometimes feel like Danny and Valerie's relationship reminds me of Jake and Rose's from American Dragon: Jake Long. I hope you guys don't mind me making this a DannyXValerie fanfic, and that I wrote Valerie's admission and their kissing/make-out scene really well, and it, and the end, wasn't too cruddy/rushed/boring.

Anyway, so this is the second-last chapter! I feel like that this is, officially, the last chapter, but I'm going to write chapter eleven as a sort of epilogue, to wrap things up, even though the end suggests that. I just feel like this story needs an epilogue.

So, yeah, I'm gonna finish rambling now, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was the chapter I've been wanting to write other than the reveal chapter, because it was the explanation chapter.

No, I don't own Danny Phantom, that wonderful show belongs to Butch Hartman. I only own this story. Please read and review!

GhostWriterGirl out!