AN: I'm really, really, really sorry for how long it took me to post this. Work took over my soul. But not to worry: I only have one more chapter after this one, and it's relatively short, so I promise I will get it out to you guys a lot faster. Enough of my rambling: onto the fic!

A Different Direction
"Second Chances"
Chapter 10

Valerie turned, trying to find the voice that had spoken. "Who's there?" she called, pointing her weapon blindly behind her.

"I am not your enemy, so please, put the gun away," a voice said from her right. Valerie turned to face the voice, noticing a ghost wearing a purple cloak and holding a strange-looking staff. "I am Clockwork. I am the ghost of time," he said once Valerie looked over at him, his form changing from the early-adult to the form of an old man. "Time is frozen, right now."

Valerie slowly lowered her weapon, her arm falling to her side. "You stopped time?" she asked, glancing around the lab. Vlad, who was kneeling beside a pile of wreckage, sat there, unmoving, his body frozen in mid-movement, his head turned towards Valerie. She moved towards him, her eyes filled with tears at the sight of Danny at Vlad's feet, his eyes open, staring eerily out at nothing. She felt the vague urge to throw-up. "Danny...I tried to save you--I--"

"You still can save him," Clockwork said as he floated over to Valerie, his body changing from an old man to a little kid.

"If--if you stopped time--then why am I--?"

"The Medallion you found. It prevents my time magic from working on you," Clockwork explained, smirking slightly at Valerie. "I was hoping that the boy hadn't lost it--it was very key to my plan. No matter, the Medallion is in your hands, now. It will be up to you to change the future."

Valerie glanced at him briefly. "Change the future?" she asked.

"Yes. Dan Phantom--the ghost comprised of Vlad Plasmius and Danny Phantom--is an intricate part of your future, Valerie," Clockwork said softly, returning to his adult form. "He will be your enemy from now on--as it was predicted he would be. He will also be the most powerful ghost in the ghost-zone--he will destroy the harmony within the ghost-zone, and he will destroy the harmony of the human world, as well.

"However, this does not have to be. The boy you call Danny has made some poor decisions that have brought him to his fate," Clockwork stated, moving his arm to revert Valerie's attention to the body on the floor. "By cheating on that standardized test, he has brought about the death of his family and friends. But there is one factor that changes the current situation--one factor that must be taken into account. The situation that was predicted did not have you becoming involved in Danny's life."

Valerie blinked, almost unable to look away from Danny's mangled body, ignoring how Vlad seemed to be posed in an unnatural position. "I'm--I'm the factor?" she asked, turning away from Danny's body. "If I were the factor, Danny wouldn't--he wouldn't be--"

"You arrived late because those that can See do not want the future to be altered; they want what they've Seen to become fact, instead of it just being a possible outcome. The direction I want this situation to take is different than the one they have Seen, so the Seers can realize the future is never set in stone."

Shaking her head, Valerie tried to understand what Clockwork had meant. "But--if they prevented me from getting here on time to save Danny--wouldn't they just do it again?"

"How badly do you want Danny to live a normal life? I can't take back the death of his family and friends--that was something only he could prevent; something beyond your own sphere of influence, Valerie. But I can give you a second chance. I can rewind time and move it back--just enough so you could have enough time."

"Theres a catch, isn't there?" Valerie muttered. "It can't be that easy."

"Very astute of you," Clockwork responded, smirking again. "You will remember nothing of our conversation--you will not remember your previous actions, nor will you remember the way to Vlad's portal, or what it looks like. There will be no guarantee that you will even make it on time to prevent Danny from having his ghost and human forms split--nor is it guaranteed that you will make it here on time before..."

Valerie followed his gaze towards Danny's broken form on the ground before nodding to herself. "Is there something--anything that might be able to help me?" she asked. "Any sort of way for me to make it here on time?"

"That is entirely up to you," Clockwork answered. "I can only rewind time--I cannot change what happens myself. Only those who are directly involved can change it."

"How far back in time will I be going?" Valerie whispered, moving towards Clockwork.

"At the most, an hour. That is all the time I can give you without disrupting both the human world and the ghost-zone."

"Okay."

"You don't have to do this, Valerie. You can decide to watch your future unfold--you can still let things be the way they are supposed to be."

"Danny is supposed to be alive--he's supposed to learn how to live with the pain of his loss. He isn't--he isn't supposed to die because of some ghost. Take me back--I want to try and save him."

"Very well," Clockwork muttered, holding up his staff.

Valerie was getting frustrated. She had been in the ghost zone for a little bit over an hour. She felt like she was running out of time--and all the ghosts that were coming at her--it was getting ridiculous. She removed her helmet, wiping the sweat off her brow as she stopped for a moment.

Once she stopped, she shook her head. "What am I doing? I can't stop!" she chastised herself, moving forward on her board at a faster speed. Time was running out--she glanced at her watch again. But she was so tired--she hadn't sleep much the night before, because she had an important test to study for. There was no sign of anything related to football in all of the portals she had seen to the real world. She noticed a few forms up ahead--were they Vlad's lackeys? She hid behind another object, watching them as they neared her.

The click of ghosts seemed bound and determined to get somewhere and fast. They sped past the hidden Valerie, not even once glancing in her direction. Once she was sure they were gone, she stuck her head around the object she was hiding behind, resiting the urge to follow the ghosts. They looked so familiar... But there was a faint, semi-circular object in the distance. If she followed them, she probably wouldn't have the chance to check out the strange object in the distance.

After a moment or two of debate, Valerie sped towards that object in the distance. Something inside of her was certain she was going the right way--that the barely visible object was worth checking out. She continued to speed forward, determined not to let anything in her way--she couldn't lose sight of that potential portal. A ecto-energy beam hit her in the shoulder, causing her to jerk forward on her board, almost falling off of it and into a different part of the ghost-zone. The beams continued to shoot about her--but she climbed back onto her board and faced the unknown ghost.

"Damnit!" she spat under her breathe as she moved her injured shoulder. She should have known a straight run wouldn't be so easy. The ghost game at her, a sadistic smile stretching across his face. She didn't know how long it took for her to win against him--but time was running out--she could feel it. The ghost floated away, defeated, as Valerie searched frantically for her destination. How much longer did she have? Why was she so anxious?

"Aha! There you are!" Valerie gasped out once she saw the vague shape in the distance once again. She started towards it once more, her hand covering her injured shoulder. She could feel the blood beginning to seep through her shirt--she had been through worse; this was nothing. She had to keep going--had to make it to Danny in time. In time for what, she didn't know--but she knew time was something she didn't have very much of.

As she grew closer to the shape in the distance, more and more ghosts came at her, distracting her, making her waste more time. She glanced at her watch--it was now almost two hours--two hours she had spent in the ghost-zone. But that portal--she was beginning to see it clearly--it was a football. Vlad, Valerie knew, was a football fanatic. Valerie thanked Jazz for being so mindful of details in her diary--and as Valerie edged closer to the football, the more certain she was that it was the portal she had been looking for.

Her injured shoulder was throbbing as she tried to push the giant football away from the portal. It was a lot harder to move than she had thought it would be. But this had to be the portal to Vlad's mansion--this football had to be hiding the doorway to Danny. It just had to be. It took a few moments of frantic pushing before the football finally budged, revealing a portal much like the one to the basement of Danny's house.

Internally Valerie cheered as she continued to move the football further. She needed to have enough space to squeeze through without further agitating her shoulder. Once she was certain she had enough room to pass through the portal, she pulled out a couple of guns, holding one in each hand, even though she knew she couldn't lift one of them that high. Breathing in deeply, Valerie floated through the portal, clicking her heels together in order to retract her board as what must have been Vlad's lab floor appeared before her.

As soon as she stepped through the portal, she had to dodge a stray ecto-beam--the beam barely missed the side of her face. Her eyes went wide as she noticed Danny and Vlad were both in their ghost forms, fighting each other desperately. Acting on impulse, Valerie aimed a shot with her plasma gun, separating the two from each other. The two noticed her, both turning to face her briefly before returning to their own personal battle.

Valerie remained there, frozen. The look in Danny's eyes--it wasn't human. The anger--the pain--the frustration--the hatred that was apparent rendered her unable to breathe, unable to move. She stood where she was, watching the two fight. That wasn't Danny--that ghost that was fighting Vlad Plasmius was too ferocious, too inhuman to be Danny! Valerie felt her eyes sting as tears of defeat began to form. Had she come too late? Was she too late to help Danny?

"Valerie, look out!" a voice cried from another part of the lab. Valerie snapped out of her daze, rolling away from a deadly shot aimed intentionally hat her. The voice sounded so familiar--but it wasn't possible! Danny was fighting Vlad--Danny couldn't be in two places at the same time!

That's when her eyes finally noticed the two other forms back in the corner of the lab. Vlad was on his knees--but that couldn't be Vlad! How could he be in two places at once? Danny wasn't too far away from him--stumbling to get to his feet--struggling to get Valerie's attention.

"Stop them! You're the only one strong enough, Valerie!" Danny shouted from the other side of the lab, dodging rays that were aimed at him.

"But how are you--?" Valerie was cut off in mid-sentence as Danny's ghost-half came flying at her, his arm pulled back as if he was ready to punch her. She shot at him, hoping the shot would slow him down, so she could focus on Plasmius, who was currently chasing after Danny's ghost-half.

"I'll explain later!" Danny shouted back, as he ran about the lab, desperately searching for something.

Valerie could only glance at Danny before focusing her attention on the two ghosts in front of her. Plasmius was making copies of himself, surrounding her on all sides, trapping her. She clicked her heels, flying up to avoid the copies, but Danny's ghost-half blocked her way, hitting her square in the chest with an ecto-beam. Flying backwards off of her board, Valerie landed on the stone floor of the lab with a sickening thud, crying out as she landed on her already damaged shoulder.

She forced her eyes open, forced herself to roll off to the side, just barely escaping the blow from Danny's ghost-half. Her vision swam, her chest felt like it was caving in. She was a ghost-hunter, damnit! She wasn't going to let her ultimate enemy defeat her--not now! She focused her energy on Danny's ghost-half, realizing that Plasmius was more content to just sit by and watch her fight with the other ghost, perhaps waiting for both of them to be weak enough for him to defeat easily.

Danny's ghost-half fought her bitterly, matching her blow for blow with such force, as if he was truly trying to kill her. Pain weakened her, but her knew shields appeared to be effective enough. The shields were nothing, though, against the next attack Danny's ghost-half had to offer. He sucked in a deep breath and let out that horrible ghostly-wail of his. Valerie, unable to block the attack, was thrown backwards, crashing against an uncluttered wall of the lab. Stars flashed before her eyes before she slumped down the wall, unconscious.

&&&

"Valerie!" Danny cried, watching as Phantom released the ghostly wail. He sank to the ground, tears filling his eyes even though he couldn't experience the emotion that caused them. His ghost-half was panting, doubled over--weak. He needed to act now--needed to at least capture his ghost-half. He frowned in determination, glancing frantically around the lab for the object he was looking for--and he found it.

Forcing himself off of the ground, Danny ran across the lab, his eyes set on that object--the Fenton Thermos. Vlad had confiscated it his first week in Wisconsin--said that Danny didn't need to worry about ghost-hunting anymore; that he was a horrible hero. He may have been a horrible hero in the past, but he wasn't about to watch the last person he had left get killed because of another one of his mistakes. Once he reached the thermos, he twisted it open, sucking in his weakened ghost-half.

There was only one thing: he had forgotten Vlad's ghost-half was still present. Plasmius was nearing Valerie, a murderous look in his eye as he moved towards her. "Don't hurt her!" Danny shouted, wishing that he could go-ghost right there--wishing he had the physical strength to fight evenly against Plasmius. He knew that Plasmius was too strong for him to handle. But he wasn't going to lose Valerie--he couldn't just let her get killed.

Plasmius, upon hearing Danny's voice, stopped moving towards the girl and looked at Danny. His eyes narrowed slightly before he changed direction, flying directly at Danny. Danny's grip on the thermos tightened, waiting for the moment he would leap to the side and away from Plasmius' attack. The attack, however, never came. Plasmius was shot in the back, causing him to stagger mid-flight.

This momentary hesitation was all that Vlad needed. He seemed to come out of nowhere, the Ghost Gauntlets on his hands. Vlad grabbed at his ghost-half, and once he had a strong grip on it, he forced it back inside himself. Once the reemergence was complete,Vlad fell to the ground, gasping for air.

"Get...the girl..." Vlad muttered between gasps, struggling to get back on his feet. "Leave the thermos--get the girl and bring her to your room."

Danny glanced at Vlad before running over to Valerie, who was still slumped against the wall-but at least she didn't look lifeless. Danny held his breath as he knelt down in front of her, his eyes burning with tears despite the fact he felt absolutely nothing. The lack of emotion was unnerving, but he shook it off as he examined her closely, finally breathing again once he realized that she was breathing, too--though her breathing was labored.

"I'm so sorry, Valerie..." he whispered, feeling as if his heart would burst as he studied her, hesitantly reaching out to her. Her eyes flickered open.

"Did--did I hit him?" she choked out, her head moving towards Danny. She fell forward, leaning heavily against Danny for support. Danny pulled her closer to him.

"Yeah, you did," he whispered, relieved to hear her speak. "Can you get up?"

Valerie barely nodded against Danny's shoulder. Slowly, Danny got to his feet, helping Valerie stand up, his arm around her waist; her arm draped over his shoulders. "Can you use your board? It'll probably be a lot easier on you if we used it.

Valerie nodded again, signaling her board to fly over to her. Danny helped her get on it before standing on it himself. Valerie's eyes were still closed, her breathing was still so shallow. Swallowing, Danny hoped that she wasn't injured as badly as he thought she was. He held on to her waist tightly as they neared his room. He hoped Vlad wouldn't be too far behind, because as soon as he and Valerie reached his room, Valerie fell unconscious once again.

All Danny could do now was wait.