I apologize in advance for the slapdash ending. I'm planning on re-writing it at a later date. But for now, this is the last installment of the saga.

Almost Lovers (Six)

She hadn't even expected it. She was just leaning alone against a railing on her balcony, enjoying the crisp winter air and dying sun in the distance. Her thoughts had been racing all day, and she hadn't even started her pile of weekend homework because of it. She still didn't know what she was going to do, especially when she went to school. By now, something had happened between everyone's favorite couple, because that's just how Danny was. He owned up to his mistakes immediately, because it was only fair, right?

But she still hadn't expected it. She suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her midriff, although she couldn't see them. She felt someone press up against her back and her legs, and a face nuzzling into her hair. She watched as two familiar black-and-white arms appeared around her waist, with a pair of legs in white boots to match, along with a pair of shoulders, chest, a waist donning a utility belt, and of course, a head topped with brilliant white hair.

Without thinking, Valerie leaned back against him and closed her eyes, placing her own hands on top of his. For some reason, even though she was practically drowning in guilt, his embrace made her feelings melt away. And for him, it was the same way. He tightened his grip on her and made his way through her dark hair, nuzzling the back of her neck.

Valerie turned around in his arms, so she was pressed right up against him, and cupped his face in her hands. She pulled him towards her and laid her lips on his, just like the first time. All her thoughts, fears, and apprehensions just disappeared, and all that mattered was the person in front of her, holding her waist like she would break, and kissing her back with as much force and passion as she was letting on.

When they pulled apart, she draped her arms on his shoulders, and he nuzzled her nose with his, causing her to smile.

"I'm falling in love with you," he whispered, "and I don't know why."

"Neither do I," she whispered back.

"I thought you hated me."

"I did. For awhile."

"But now?" he asked.

"Not anymore," she whispered, but it died in her throat as she kissed him again. She had no idea what was going to happen to either of them; there was no way they could start a relationship. They were trapped in the middle of a huge mess that was nearly impossible to clean up. But that was okay, because at that moment all she had was him, and that was all she wanted.

She almost wanted to cry when he pulled away from her, letting her waist drop. It took all of her self control not to jump him as he smiled at her from across the balcony.

"I'll be back," he said softly. And he vanished into the night, just as the sun set. Valerie sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, sliding down onto the concrete.

That was the last time she ever saw him.

The next morning, Sam had shown up on the Fenton's doorstep, unsure of what she was going to do or why she was there, only to find a frantic Fenton family. Apparently, Danny hadn't shown himself since yesterday morning when he set out to meet her.

"Do you have any idea where he could be, Sam?" Maddie had asked, hoping her son's girlfriend would know. Sam sadly shook her head, shrugging.

"I haven't seen him since yesterday morning." She replied. Her thoughts drifted to the morning before, when she learned that the one person she loved above all others had cheated on her. It wasn't a good day.

Part of her was glad that he had vanished; maybe then her pain would, too… but then her heart began to ache. She didn't want him to be gone. She just wanted him to be hers again.

Danny wasn't seen for the rest of the week. Sam held onto her ring, still wearing it, even after the news of Danny cheating spilled out into the school. She didn't find out just who he cheated with, but she didn't want to know.

Ghosts who regularly came through from the Ghost Zone hadn't seen him. People outside the Ghost Zone hadn't seen him. Sam and Tucker even went into the Zone and interrogated ghosts as to where he could be. But no one had seen him.

Valerie didn't know, either. She hadn't seen him since their last embrace on the balcony.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and finally, nearly four months after he disappeared, just as the snow was beginning to melt, he was declared dead.

Sam continued to keep the ring, even long after she herself had gotten married. Her husband never asked about it, or even got jealous of it; he knew he was just the second man in her life, and that Danny Fenton would always be the first.

Valerie had been left in a strange, suspended state, not really knowing if she loved him or not. In the end, she decided that it was an infatuation, not even remembering how much passion she had shared with him in such a short amount of time.

It wasn't for years and years after he vanished, long after both Sam and Valerie themselves had passed on, and their children were getting on in their years, that what happened to Danny Phantom was discovered. After emotionally cheating on his girlfriend, he confronted her about it, then went over for one last embrace with his other girl, and then, on a rash decision, bounded into the Ghost Zone to find the gang of ghosts who had been giving him trouble lately. From there the story blurs; no one is sure if he was captured or not, all they know is he went into their stronghold and never came out.

But they never realized that a secret defender was always watching them, sitting atop lamp posts and building roofs, watching and waiting, having decided long ago that no matter who he loved, they would be hurt as long as he was Danny Phantom.

For some reason, I couldn't imagine it ending without Danny vanishing somehow, but I didn't want it to seem horribly cliché. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it before it started to suck, and yes, this means I'll actually work on other things!