A/N: Geez! I did NOT expect this chapter to take so long. It was supposed to be a quick chapter before the fighting scene, but then I just had sooo manyyy ideass! It was crazy, and I wasn't even able to fit them all in :(

Alas, I did finally get it all written down, and finished in only what, 3 weeks? (my sincerest apologies since it took so frickin' long! It really was unexpected)

Although, I did manage an adequate chapter in regards to length (~5.2k) so I hope that makes up for it :)

Enjoy!


When Danny and Kim arrived back at the house, everyone greeted them eagerly:

"What happened?"

"Should we get ready to fight?"

"Is it time to suit up or go home?"

"Please tell me some kind of action will come from this trip!"

"How did it go?"

"Were you able to convince him?"

All at once, the answers came flying at the two of them, and Danny seemed very overwhelmed, so Kim took it in herself to tell everyone the news:

"He wants a truce."

"So that's it…?" Jazz wondered aloud. She had studied Vlad's intriguing psychological mind for a few years now, and this was very strange behavior for him. She hadn't wanted to say anything before, but she was sure that he would want to fight. Vlad didn't compromise in anything; he had too much pride. And she was never wrong!

Danny nodded curtly, and turned to face the crowd of people awaiting his leadership. "For now, everyone can, uh, gather their things, and then… so we… we'll, uh –"

"We'll spend the night here, and in the morning everyone who lives in Middleton will leave with me. Sorry to have dragged you all out here, but we should just be happy there won't be a fight." Kim spoke, very officially.

He wanted to blurt right then and there that he'd lied. That Vlad did want to fight, and they could all get suited up for battle. But that was ridiculous.

He was going to defeat Vlad on his own. It was the only way. He could not allow for anyone around him to get hurt or die because of his fight. This was, after all, his fight. Not Tucker's, not Sam's, certainly not Jazz's, in no way Valerie's, and just barely Kim's.

He often felt like the best way to get things done was to do it alone.

With that thought, ironically, everyone seemed to disperse the room: Sam went upstairs, Jazz walked into the kitchen, Tucker went to go sit on the couch, and Kim walked into the dining room. He realized there was absolutely no words of encouragement he could offer to his friends and acquaintances as they lost interest in the conversation and began to mingle once more.

Still, with him leaving tonight – and possibly not returning – there was only one thing Danny could think to do.

Make his amends and say goodbye.

So, he turned intangible, and looked around the living room at all his guests. They were laughing and gleeful. Probably because of relief, Danny thought. He'd be talking with them if he didn't have the burden of knowing it wasn't over. He was the only person in the room who had to face Vlad tonight, but he wasn't complaining. If anything, Danny was relieved himself.

To his right, the cable box blinked 12:51 in boxy, blinding green numbers. He inhaled deeply, and exhaling, turned visible.

To his left, Tucker jumped. "Dude," he shrieked. "A little warning, next time?"

Danny chuckled, "Sorry buddy, I thought you were used to it."

"I am, but I'm just not really paying attention, and then you sorta snuck up on me, and… just cut me a little slack, okay?" Tucker rambled, then appeared exasperated.

"What's up?" Danny asked, genuinely concerned but also needing a distraction from his own thoughts.

And a distraction it was.

Tucker talked for a good 15 minutes. Going on and on about Monique and what he should do because long distance never works, but he really likes her, just not enough to uproot his life and move. But there was of course the fact that Tucker "could not be tied down" which Danny had to bite his lip to prevent himself from laughing at his best friend's very serious problem; that fact had to be considered.

Finally, after the digital clock told Danny it was one-oh-seven, Tucker's hard life's tale came to a conclusion, and he asked Danny, "What should I do?"

He seemed defeated, and Danny couldn't blame him. He was at a real crossroads. Danny wanted to will himself to care, but honestly he was busy worrying himself with a symmetrical problem. He didn't know what to do with Kim. He couldn't ask her to stay here in Amity Park, but he didn't want to spend any more time in Middleton than necessary.

"Practically speaking, it doesn't make any sense. You met her, like, a day ago. But – I am a firm believer in love at first sight, so I don't think I can answer that question for you. I don't know how you really feel about her. I hope everything works out, buddy."

"Thanks man, it means the wor–"

But he was already gone.

Danny flew around until he found his person of interest walking in the second floor hallway.

"Sam."

The goth whipped around quicker than the ghost was even done saying her short name. Ghost hunting had definitely improved her reaction rate.

"Relax, it's me," Danny chuckled.

Sam's shoulders visibly loosened, and she smiled, "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just… wanted to talk…" Danny told her.

"You just wanted to talk…?" Sam quizzically stared at him.

"Yea… I just feel like we don't do that anymore, you know? We used to be closer, I guess."

"I'd say it's a good thing. You haven't had any life-threatening decisions to sort through," Sam chuckled.

You have no idea, was what Danny wanted to say.

"Yea…" was what actually left his lips.

"Hey, would you be mad if I left all these guests and just laid down in my room. I'm exhausted."

Sam shrugged and smiled, "I mean, I'm not entertaining them."

"Wasn't expecting you to," Danny laughed back.

"Goodnight Mr. Sleepy Pants," Sam teased.

Danny stared at her longer than he should've and said quietly, "Goonight."

"What do you mean Danny?" Jazz asked.

"I'm just so tired. I don't think I've slept in a solid 3 days," Danny explained.

"Will you at least eat something for me? You might just be hungry and not tired at all," Jazz reasoned, pointing to the food in front of her. She was busying herself in the kitchen – making their guests sandwiches for lunch.

"Jazz please…" Danny told her, hoping his voice wasn't as defeated as it sounded to him.

"Danny just… you better be awake for dinner because if I have to feed these people twice without you… just watch out," she warned, but there was humor in her voice.

Danny went in for the hug. He wasn't usually much of a hugger, but in this case, it was his sister. She was annoying. She was motherly. She was bossy. And she was a know-it-all

…but she was also Danny's only sister, and he loved her to the moon and back.

"I love you, Jazz," Danny said with his arms tightly wrapped around her in a large bear hug. His skinny – but tall – figure easily swallowed her more petite one.

"I love you, too, Little Brother. Rest well," she smiled into his hug, which he then broke.

Danny turned invisible, and went to find one last person.

Kim sat looking out the window of Danny's dining room. Her green eyes were set on the sun high in the sky. The clouds – he noticed – blocked her view slightly.

She was alone, keeping to herself, and obviously deep in thought. Danny felt bad for interrupting her, but he wasn't sure when he'd get another chance, so he did what had to be done.

He went up to her.

"Kim," he began, and lightly tapped her shoulder.

Coming out of deep thought, she appeared a little dazed. Still, she turned to look at Danny, asking with her eyes what was the matter.

"Do you, uh, do you want a better view?" he asked with a knowing smiled.

She appeared really confused. Raising one eyebrow, she questioned, "Do I want a better view…? What do you mean?"

He gave her a knowing smile, and grabbed her arm. Turning the two of them intangible, he launched himself off the floor and ascended onto the second level. Still grasping her hand, Danny led her to the master bedroom which was to the right of Jazz's.

He opened the door for her, and Kim looked around in confusion. "And we're in your parents' room because…"

Danny didn't respond, but instead walked over to the circular purple rug that seemed strangely misplaced. He removed the rug, and Kim was surprised to see a black matting beneath it. She watched Danny step onto the black surface, but was hesitant when he motioned for her to join him. He nodded encouragingly, and outstretched his hand.

"Come one," he said, as she still seemed worried about what was going to happen next. "Don't you trust me?"

Kim didn't think twice at that. She did trust him. Irrevocably and endlessly trusted him. With everything she had and ever hoped to obtain. She trusted him with her whole heart, and all she could do was hope it was enough.

She grasped his hand as he pulled her onto the black circle, and told his computer-operated house. "Two to the Ops Center."

A vacuuming tube on the ceiling inhaled both teenagers, and they appeared inside a moldy fridge. Danny immediately pushed the door open, and pulled both of them out. He didn't even have time to apologize for the grossness of the fridge because Kim was already taking in her unpredictable surroundings. Danny watched Kim as she walked around, admiring both the view it offered and the handiwork of equipment.

Her delicate build appeared smaller as she folded into herself- arms crossed. She was cold. That was apparent. Danny knew he wasn't helping with his ghost form, so he quickly phased into Danny Fenton. Danny Fenton was a warm blooded boy who could help Kim and not bring pain and sadness to her.

He continued watching the small girl. She slowly walked around; her sage eyes fixed on the windows. She could see the entirety of Amity Park from this point. It was fascinating, even Danny had to admit that.

The way the sun kissed the tops of the buildings sweetly offered elegant shadows to appear at the food of each object. The shadows cascaded into the street, and Danny gazed up into the sun itself.

He wasn't able to look long. It was a blinding orange, but it was beautiful. Heat in its most purest form; no impurities, no blemishes, and most importantly – no ghost powers.

At this moment, he was not grateful for these powers. He knew that he had been chosen to bear them by some outer being. He was chosen to perform these tasks every day, but they had never been so dangerous before.

No. Danny told himself. Don't think like that. You have to believe…

Danny brought his attention back to Kim. "Do you wanna sit down?" he asked her.

She nodded, and sat on the black leather chair behind the dashboard of the Ops Center.

He sat next to her, and stared for just a moment. He looked at the ginger mane of the fiery girl. It was straight and long, but with a firm curve. Since he'd learned of her secret she'd stopped wearing the glasses and her hair had remained down. She was back to her usual self, and Danny liked her better that way.

Her large, doe-like eyes encompassed most of her face. The virescent jade orbs were framed with thick brown lashes that seemed to slow her blinks. Her petite nose was symmetrically placed in the center of her face, and her small mouth was being held in a relaxed position.

Danny watched as the girl brought her hand up to touch her face. Her eased lips spread into a look of shock, and she asked Danny, worriedly, "Is there something on my face?"

When Danny didn't respond she began to move her soft hand around her face trying to rid it of nonexistent blemishes. Danny followed the movement of her hand as it swirled around the freckled and ruddy skin. From experience, Danny knew that her creamy skin was just as soft as it looked, but that didn't mean he didn't want his hand to be atop hers.

In front of Danny she sat with her ankles crossed. Her feet just reached the ground, so she swung her feet under the chair and they almost touched Danny in every forward sway. Even through her modest cargo pants, he could see the toned and fullness of her thighs. He would've given anything to lay his hand there to rest. Anything.

Her waist indented just so, and then expanded back out to cover her breasts. There were sitting rather far away, but from this view, it would appear Kim had no bra on. Danny immediately shifted his gaze away from the perky and appropriately sized mounds and back to her eyes before he got too excited.

"…So are we just gonna sit here and stare at each other or did you bring me up here to say something?" Kim asked him, raising one eyebrow.

Danny shook his head a little to remove his mind from his current daze, and blinked , trying to focus on Kim. All of Kim this time.

"Well, I just wanted to show you this place, I guess," Danny shrugged.

"It's really neat…" Kim trailed off. She couldn't tell what was making Danny so strange, but it was making their whole conversation incredibly awkward.

Kim stood up and pointed to the "Well, I'm pretty hungry, so I'm gonna go back down–"

Kim turned to walk away, but she didn't get far. Danny immediately grabbed her hand to pull her closer to him. He wanted to feel her breathing against his chest. He wanted to hear her heart beat. He wanted her floral and sweet aroma to completely surround him.

And most importantly, he wanted to never let her go. But he had to. It was time to stop being selfish. It was time to start thinking about Kim. The last thing he wanted was to destroy her innocence by making her deal with his death. But the second to last thing he wanted to do was end their relationship. He felt like he was just getting to know her. Taking a big breath, he knew what his duty to do was.

"So have you ever thought what's gonna happen to us now that all of this is over?"

Kim was taken aback by the bold question. It wasn't like him. He always seemed to have a veil over his face – protecting himself so he couldn't get hurt. Kim sorta had to accept the fact that Danny didn't open up easily. The sorta, of course, indicating that she didn't really want to.

But this. This question was so bold and out there and unlike Danny at all. Kim would be lying if she said she didn't like it.

But at the same time, she had to think about the severity and seriousness of the words the blue-eyed boy had just spoken.

"I've thought about it…" Kim admitted after a long pause. "But I don't want to. Every time I have doubting thoughts about the future, I just… push it back in my mind."

Danny chuckled darkly, "Yea… problem is… the future always has to come."

Kim nodded, "Yea, it's kind of a thing, huh?"

Danny didn't reply. He was clearly deep in thought. He needed to phrase this next bit perfectly. "I'm gonna be honest. I don't think you want to stay in Amity Park, and I know I don't want to be in Middleton."

Kim was obviously taken aback. She stared for a second, digesting his words. It was clear that he phrased it rather poorly.

"You're right…" she said finally. "I don't want to live here. It's been three months since I've slept in my own bed, gone to my school, and most importantly lived with my family. I don't want to be apart from them any longer than I need to be."

"I feel the same way. But… we both know long distance doesn't ever–"

"I'm willing to try," Kim interrupted, her eyes brimming with unwanted tears. Danny held her gaze for a while.

What he wanted more than anything was to pull Kim into his chest and just smell the accents of her hair. He wanted to hold her and tell her he'd never let her go.

…but that wasn't reality. He had to let her go. Every day of his life he feared all of the pain and damage he would cause the people closest to him if he didn't come home. He couldn't put that kind of burden on Kim. It would be less painful for her if they broke up now than if he died and left her alone. Even though it would be more painful this way for Danny, he knew it had to be done.

Saying this was hard for Danny. He knew that being a ghost, long-distance would be incredibly easy. It wouldn't even take him an hour to fly over there in his parent's blimp-jet. In fact, an hour seemed to be pushing it. It may be more like 25 minutes. It would be like living across town, but he couldn't say his real excuse. She would never accept that, so he had to use the age-old excuse.

"I don't wanna try… We'll just drag out too long, and finally… explode. We'll end in a huge fight. I'm sure we'll scream and yell, but if we call it off now… we can just go our separate ways. Peacefully," Danny said, his blue orbs locked on the ground.

"Danny, I need you to be straight with me. If you wanna break up, say it. I can't take your 'beating around the bush' ways any more. Just. Spit. It. Out." She enunciated the ending of each word sternly. Her watery green eyes looked like they were about to explode with tears, but there was no way she would let them fall. Now more than ever, he wanted to engulf her existence with his own.

"Okay…" he spoke quietly. Concentrating and taking a deep breath, Danny's penetrating blue eyes pierced Kim's:

"Kim, we don't have the same roads in life. I'm going one way, and you the other. It's like we've been cruising fine for days but the minute a crossroads is ahead, we want to split. I think we should. It's unfair and it's stupid that we can't just be together, but we can't. There's just too many obstacles, and if we don't end it all now, it'll hurt us so much more. So… I'm breaking up with you."

Kim swallowed hard. She wasn't about to cry or beg for him not to leave or any other nonsense that girls did. Instead she would hold her head up high, and walk away. But that certainly didn't mean it didn't hurt. She'd always thought that they were more than one crossroads, but she was clearly incorrect. Perhaps he was right. If he wasn't ready for commitment, better to end it now than later.

And with that thought, a surge of boiling rage bursted within her. She was able to just barely suppress it, however. She stood up suddenly from the chair she had been seated at, and looked the tortured ghost boy in the eyes. In one swift, violent motion, the back of Kim's hand connected across the ghost's cheek, and made a loud slap of a noise.

Danny held his cheek in his hand for a moment, knowing perfectly well that he did deserve that, and looked back to Kim.

Only by the time he looked up, the last remnant he saw of Kim was the swish of her fox red hair as it entered the freezer.

Danny crawled in his bed. An intense wave of exhaustion struck him, and it was as if his body had just realized how long Danny had gone without sleep. If he didn't' have ectoplasm pumping in his veins, he probably would have already crashed. Thankfully, his ghost side saved his ass a few times.

He lay on his right side, and closed his eyes.

A second later, Danny opened them, and looked at his blinking red clock.

6:02, it read.

Danny rolled to lay on his back. He found that such a small movement was no longer tiring. He had been asleep for a little under 5 hours. That was crazy! He didn't even remember having enough time to dream. He must have seriously been out like a light.

He got out of bed, and the foulest of smells punched the soft tissue of his inner nostrils. He realized, with shocking horror, it was himself. He hadn't showered in a very long time. And teenage boys mixed with no shower didn't exactly qualify for the best recipe.

He headed straight to his bathroom, and turned the shower nozzle on boiling hot. Steam immediately flooded the room, and he quickly stripped away his clothes. He climbed behind the shower curtain, and allowed the water to pierce his muscles and skin. It burned, but not necessarily in a bad way. After spending so long as Danny Phantom, his poor muscles could use a little warmth; it could help kick start the blood flow to his veins.

Then again, he remembered he'd been human for the 5 hours he'd slept, so perhaps that wasn't why the warm water felt so good. Danny knew that hot showers were the best time to think, and right now, that was exactly what Danny didn't want and exactly was Danny needed to do.

Danny knew he didn't want everyone to fight with him. It had seemed like a good idea to severely out number Vlad, but that was until he realized he had completely underestimated the man. Vlad was very smart; he would figure out a plan if they showed up tonight with his 'Army of Misfits'. There was always casualties in a war, and he didn't want someone he cared about or someone Kim cared about to be one of them. If something happened to anyone currently downstairs, he could never forgive himself.

As it was, Danny hated it when Sam and Tuck forced themselves to come with him on patrol every night. He knew it was done out of kindness and a need to help, and lot of the time it was a real life saver. Still, there were those few occasions where he saw Sam flying through the air, plummeting towards the ground; or the moments that Tucker happened to be right in the line of fire; it was times like these that Danny wished they would let him ghost fight alone.

And it was exponentially worse with Jazz. He was his sister, and even though she was older, Danny felt like he had to keep her safe. Every time Danny left the house in the morning, he had come to terms with the fact that he may never come back. Fighting ghosts was a dangerous pastime, and he knew that he could die while doing it. Being half ghost did not make him invincible. He could easily leave his parents with one child. But what if he left them childless? Danny couldn't even think about what his parents would think if something happened to both him and Jazz. Losing two kids in the same tragic incident… how does one even come back from that? He could never do that to his parents. He's already put them through so much…

Not to mention Vlad designed Kim's suit. There was no way she could defeat him, no matter how good she was. Still, she simply had a lack of experience. Sure, Danny knew that Kim could handle her own; she had proven that countless times, but ghosts were a different story. And half ghosts like Vlad were immensely more powerful than other ghosts and there was no way that someone with as little ghost fighting experience as Kim had could do that.

But all of these pessimistic thoughts had already been sorted out. There was one thing he had refused to think about but he needed to address:

I might die tonight.

It was a thought that had crossed his mind, but he never let it sink in too far. Danny and Vlad both knew that the fight tonight was to eliminate the other. Danny was going in blindly. He needed a plan. And then it hit him.

What had his parents just bragged about no less than a week ago? Danny racked his brain for the exact quote:

"The Fenton Ghost Binder can hold down any ghost while I rip it apart molecule by molecule," his dad had said as he held the little device. It was nothing more than a small cube. His dad had promised it would expand and ensnare any ecto-energy with unbreakable force. "And! It's so simple! Just throw it at the feet, er tail, of the ghost watch it grow!"

That was it! The Fenton Ghost Binder could hold down any ghost. And he didn't need to wait for his parents to rip him apart "molecule by molecule". Instead, he would trap him and carry him off to some part of the Ghost Zone. He thought that Frostbite's realm would do just fine for that job.

He finished washing his hair, and jumped out of the shower. He ran his towel up and down his body, rubbed it through his hair, and gazed into the steamed the mirror. He could just see the outline of his jet-black hair.

He then raced to throw on his boxers, jeans, and t-shirt, without even bothering with his sneakers. Turning back into his ghost form (which gave him intense chills after his steamy shower) he intangibly plummeted to his parents' basement.

Once safe below the rest of his house, he was forced to turn back to Danny Fenton. Unfortunately, his parents had been smart enough to ghost-block the weapon vault, meaning it was impossible to phase through. Smart and useful, yet incredibly annoying.

The cold tile flooring felt icy on his bare feet, but he walked quickly and efficiently towards the locked door.

"Can I help you?" a voice called to him.

Danny spun around. His baby-blue eyes immediately found curious black ones.

"What? Uh, no… no, I'm fine. I just need to grab something out of here?"

"Who are you?" Mr. Possible asked, a hint of accusation touching the question. Danny noticed the older man's eyes gaze down toward his bare feet. Great, now my girlfriend's father will think I'm homeless.

His heart suddenly sank into his chest as he remembered that he was no longer with Kim. It no longer mattered what her father thought of him.

"Me? I'm nobody – nobody that important really. Just, er, need to borrow something of the Fenton's. I come here a lot so…"

"Wait a second–"

"Actually, I really don't have that long–"

"I know you!"

Danny visibly gulped. "Whaatt? That's crazy. I have no idea who you are!"

"Well, I don't know you, but I've seen your picture. You're in, like, every frame upstairs," Mr. Possible corrected, adjusting his tie and looking off to the right.

Danny let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. That was a huge relief. "Really? Yeah well the Fenton's and I are pretty close."

"How do you know them?" the older man asked innocently.

"I'm friends with their kids," Danny told him without thinking.

"Kids?"

"Kid!"

Mr. Possible and Danny spoke at the same time.

"I meant kid!" Danny reiterated.

"Liar! You knew Phantom before he was a ghost, too!" he accused.

"Ghost? What are you talking about?" Danny nervously chuckled.

"Don't play with me, kid. I can sniff out a liar like a dog with its bone," the man's eyes narrowed.

"Okay, so I know about ghosts, but how can you not around here?"

"I must say I don't know what you mean."

"Well…" Danny began, unsure how much to say. "Mr. and Mrs. Fenton have a knack for ghosts you see. It's a bit of a fetish, really. Some call them insane, others brilliant. But who am I to judge?"

"How do you know all of this?"

"I'm… from here…" was Danny's shifty answer.

"Really? How close to here? I'd love to meet your parents."

"Oh you know… just around…" How Danny had had so much practice lying and still sucked at it was a miracle.

"Well, how about I walk you home. Or even better, you could stay for dinner!"

"I'm actually gonna catch a ride home with Phantom. He's right there" Danny pointed at the wall behind the man who swiveled around curiously.

"Wh-" Mr. Possible began, but Danny was too quick. With his head still intently staring at the wall, Danny aimed one finger at his face. The moment Mr. Possible's head turned around, Danny let go a squirt of ectoplasm. The man struggled to get it off his face (as it covered his eyes) and howled a bit.

Danny knew he only had limited time. He typed in the passkey (74259) that then allowed for the Fenton eyeball identification test. Finally, the heavy steel door hissed open, and swung forward, revealing a dark room.

Danny wasn't afraid of his parent's weapons vault. He'd already been in it so many times, though the lack-of-shoes was a bit of an issue. The metal flooring was ice-cold, and Danny found it easier to hop around rather than stand in one place for too long. He successful found the glowing palm-sized box in just a few moments, and pulled it out of its corner.

Stepping out of the vault, the door suddenly slammed shut.

Mr. Possible saw a blinding light, and then yanked off the last bit of green goop over his face. Opening them, he looked exactly where that strange boy was standing, but found that he was gone. Looking all over the room, Mr. Possible realized he had simply vanished. All of that strange green goop had vanished as well. He wasn't much of a day-dreamer, but he supposed it was possible he'd imagined the whole encounter…

Meanwhile, Danny had invisibly flown to his room. There, he put away the Fenton Ghost Binder, and no later than when it was safely stored in his top drawer did a knock come at the door.

He froze in his position, and stared at the door. When he noticed the handle turn slightly, he lunged for his bed (as he was supposed to be asleep) and made it just as the door crept open.

"Danny?" the melodic voice of his sister echoed. "Are you awake yet? Dinner's ready, and I really think you should eat." Danny suddenly remembered that he'd promised to attend the dinner, but was in no state to do so, so he said in a muffled and tired tone, "Too tired. I'll come down later." He even threw a yawn in there to make it sound convincing. It seemed to work because Jazz immediately shut his door.

It hadn't occurred to him before, but he was famished. He couldn't remember the last thing he ate, and knew he'd have to make a pit stop before heading out tonight. He rolled onto his back in bed, and knew he'd have to pick a good place for a bite to eat.

After all, it could very well be his last.


R&R! I want to know everything! All thoughts and opinions are welcome! (with the exception of flames of course)