Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own anything except my very boring storyline.(yes, I do know it's boring, I'm working on it.)

Now to answer reviews!

FireWolfHeart: Yes, very bad Tucker. Of course, it's not all Tucker's fault. There's a little fault on Valerie as well.

Kage Kitsune 14: Yeah, Tucker is a bit thick-headed. Of course, I'm going to be shipping Tucker/Valerie, so it's progress.

Chapter 9

Tara/Violet POV

I saw Valerie at the mall the next day and decided it was best to talk to her. I just hoped that her sensors wouldn't go off when I got near her. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.

Valerie POV

I was just walking through the mall to pass the time before school started back up again when my proximity alarm sounded. I looked around frantically before my eyes fell on Violet, making her way towards me with determination etched in her features.

I had learned a while ago from the Fentons that her setting-off my ghost alarm was a side effect of ecto-contamination. Poor girl. She must have been tripping all of the Fentons' alarms around town.

I half expected her to start yelling at me about stealing her boyfriend, but what she actually said threw me for a loop.

"Valerie, I know I should be totally mad about what happened… but I'm not."

What? Did she just tell me she's not mad at me for making-out with her boyfriend? She's got to be kidding me. Am I being 'Punked?'

I must have looked seriously confused because she went on to explain.

"I mean… I… Okay, I've seen the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him and… and he just doesn't look at me like that."

At that point, I was pretty sure my eyeballs were ready to fall out of their sockets at any moment. And she still kept talking.

"Anyways, I still want to be platonic friends with Tucker and-hopefully-we could be friends too."

"Are you saying that you don't care that I smooched your (now ex-) boyfriend, want me to date him instead, and you want everyone to be buddies?" Tara hesitated before nodding.

"Pretty much."

There's something seriously wrong with this chic. Either that, or Vlad's gotten to her head…

Tara/Violet POV

Valerie stared at me a moment before answering.

"Okay," she said in a nonchalant manner, though it was obvious that she was suspicious of my attitude. Of course, there were other reasons that I couldn't voice to her. For example, the fact that I was dead and Tucker was alive. It would never work out. Obviously, it worked with Clockwork because the mother was still alive. Since I wasn't, I wouldn't chance it. I didn't think ghost women could even have kids anyways…

"Hey Violet, are you okay?"

I was jolted out of my thoughts by Valerie's sudden voice. I focused on her face to find it filled with concern.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm okay. I was just thinking about… stuff," I said nervously. "Okay, well I gotta go." Before she could protest, I had already sprinted off to the bathroom.

(Line Break)

I was flying home before I remembered that today was my first Fenton Check-Up. I shuddered, thinking of what kind of things they were going to do to me. I quickly changed course and shot off to Fenton Works.

I touched down behind the bizarre structure and to replace my ring and walked around to the front. I knocked on the door and braced myself for the inevitable ecto-gun in my face, but none came. Jack uncharacteristically opened the door in a civil manner and ushered me inside. I stepped in cautiously and turned to face him.

"Okay," I said slowly, "I'm going to take off the holo-ring. Please do NOT shoot me." He nodded, his jaw set, and I held eye-contact while I slowly removed my ring and placed it in my pocket. He twitched slightly when my image flickered, but otherwise stayed calm. He then brushed past me and I followed him down to the lab where Maddie was waiting with "doctor's office" tools.

I hesitated on the last step until Maddie gave me a reassuring smile. She motioned me to the exam table and I apprehensively sat on it. Suddenly, something cold and hard was shoved into my ear, causing me to cry out in surprise. I tried to pull away but Maddie held my head still until I heard a beeping noise. Then I realized just what was in my ear, a cochlear thermometer. I heard faint laughter behind me and knew that Jack was getting a kick out of my reactions.

The rest of the check-up went with out with a hitch. I discovered that I weighed about twenty pounds and my average internal temperature was approximately fifteen degrees Fahrenheit. We also discovered that some other cool things like, ghosts do have internal organs and bone structure. I also have a nervous system and emotions. That's right people, emotions. Who knew? Yeah, I knew.

(Ha! In your faces 'Ghostbusters'!)

You do realize that the Ghostbusters aren't real, right?

(Yes?)

…You didn't know, did you?

(Of course I knew! I-I… No…)

I smiled smugly at the voice's idiocy, then I realized that the voice was a part of me and I face-palmed. Apparently my subconscious wants to believe in fictional characters. I opened my eyes to find the Fentons staring at me with bewildered expressions.

"I was… talking to my… subconscious," I explained, blushing furiously.

(Line Break)

On my way home, I spotted Vlad's vultures. They were perched atop Casper High and I decided to mess with them. I quietly approached, grinning like an idiot, and slipped into invisibility. I couched behind them in preparation and stopped to listen in on their conversation.

"Zis is a bad idea," murmured Vulture 1.

"Ov course it is, but ve have to do it," snapped Vulture 2.

Have to do it? Have to do what?

Apparently, I said that out loud and the vultures freaked out and flew off.

"Augh! English Toffee!" I growled. I needed to find out what Vlad was planning again, or we'd all be in trouble.

There was a noise behind me and I spun around to find Vlad in his ghost form, chuckling.

"Why are you so happy?" I snapped.

"Well for one, dear daughter of mine, you have no idea what I have planned!"

I growled at him and took-off towards home. He followed me at a distance and I would look back at him every now and then to see if he was still there. After I went to my room and he was in his study, I decided to call the one person who was the most important to me. I shakily picked up the phone and dialed the number I knew by heart.

"Hello?" said a painfully familiar voice.

"Hi Mom," I said, trying to compose myself.

"Tara? Is that really you?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Yeah Mom, it's me…"

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I thought you were dead!"

"That's kind of right…" I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I really wanted her to know.

"What do you mean? How can I be right if you're talking to me right now? Is this some kind of joke? Where have you been? Why haven't you called?" She sounded mad. Oh man, how was I going to explain this now?

"Mom, you need to listen to me. You need to know that I did die. I'm not alive anymore I'm – I'm a ghost now, Mom. I was too afraid to tell you until now. I'm just calling to let you know… that I love you. And I hope to see you again after this." Oh sugar cookies, now I was crying. Or at least… I think was crying. There was glowing green ectoplasm leaking out of my eyes. Friggin' weird. What is wrong with the biology of ghosts?

I quickly hung up before she could ask any more questions or hear me crying. Have I mentioned how much I hate crying?

(Line Break)

With determination I strode up to Sam's house and knocked on the door. Her mother Pamela answered the door and inspected my outfit. Fortunately, I had the foresight to wear one of the dresses Vlad got me. It was pink. I hate pink. Apparently I passed her inspection because her expression brightened into a smile.

"Yes? Who are you?" she asked cheerfully.

"Hi, I'm Violet Masters. Is Sam home?"

Her cheerful demeanor immediately dissolved into irritation.

"Oh. You're here for Samantha." She turned her head and shouted into the house, "Sammykins! One of your little friends are here to see you!"

I heard the thumping of heavy footwear down stairs and then a loud thud. She must have jumped the last few steps. Sam jumped into the doorway and smiled gleefully.

"Hey, Dann-" She stopped and looked at me. "Oh, Violet, hi. What are you doing here?" Sam walked out of the mansion and her mother closed the door behind her.

"Okay, don't freak out, but I need your help."

"Doing what? You're the one with the ghost powers," she spat. I twiddled my thumbs a bit.

"Remember those boots I bought the day I met you guys?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what about them?"

"Well, did you ever notice I never wore them?" Her eyebrows scrunched together in thought.

"Yeah, but I just thought it was because you were rich and got bored with them."

"What? NO! Vlad took them and locked them away in a ghost-proof safe!" At my outburst, Sam chuckled.

"Okay, so why didn't you go to Tucker?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, right. Well what could I possibly do to help? I'm not a code breaker," she said hotly.

"I know the code, I just need someone else to get them for me. I just can't touch the darn thing."

"Oh alright, I'm in. Now I just have one more question before we go."

"What?"

"What's up with the pink dress?"

"…I wanted to give a good first impression to your parents. And before you say another word, I hate pink. With a passion."

"Good enough for me. Now let's go get those boots!"

(Cue Mission Impossible music)

"Okay, the combination is sixteen, twenty-three, nine," I whispered to my partner in shoe liberation. Sam nodded and got to work while I kept an eye out for dear old Dad. So far so good. I heard a click and turned around.

"Got it!" Sam said quietly and pulled them out to show me. They were as beautiful as the day I bought them.

"Alright let's go before he finds us!" Sam's eyes averted to somewhere behind my right shoulder and her face paled.

"He's right behind me isn't he?" Sam nodded and I hurriedly grabbed her and flew her up through the roof.

"Get back here young lady!" Vlad roared, slowly gaining on us.

"Go faster!" Sam screamed.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!"

Suddenly, I felt a kind of release and I found myself heading into a brick wall. I made us both intangible before we hit and I skidded to a stop in midair.

"What was that?" Sam demanded.

"I think… I think I just teleported," I said in confusion. Sam was silent for a moment before breaking into a wide grin.

"Awesome! Maybe you can teach Danny!"

"Sure," I said, "as soon as I figure out how I did it!" At this, Sam was silent.

"Now, let's go and get you home… Unless you want to go somewhere else?" I said, looking at Sam with an eyebrow raised. The smile returned to her face and she answered in the affirmative.

"Hot Topic?" she asked.

"Hot Topic," I confirmed.

(Line Break)

After hours of shopping in my newly recovered boots, I finally dropped off Sam at her parents' house and made my way home. As soon as I got to my bedroom, I dropped my bags and flopped forward onto my bed. I was just about to drift off to sleep when I heard the swishing of clothing.

"Don't even think about it," I mumbled, my face in my pillow.

Vlad, whom was attempting to remove my footwear from my person, froze with his hands outstretched.

"Peanut brittle!" he cursed and phased back through the wall.

I grinned into my pillow. Today was a very good day.

Sorry it took so long to do this. I've been getting ready to move, and it's hard to focus on this while my family keeps distracting me.

Anywhoo, thank you reviewers! You make me happy! I will try and update more often in my new home, but I'll have to go to an internet cafe(or something) to upload.

Reivews make me happy! So please leave them!