Danny's fists loosened as he stared at Valerie in shock.

"That's ... that's ... No, it's not possible. You're wrong!" But even as the words rushed from his mouth the nagging feeling from earlier came back ten-fold. A figure, dressed in a white and black hazmat suit, white flowing hair and glowing green eyes. Older, true, but possible nonetheless. After all, Lunch Box and Skultech had come from the future, hadn't they? And then there was the biggest sign. The one he had tried desperately to ignore, and that was the great D/P symbol on the ghost's chest. The realization sent shivers down his spine. The mysterious face coalescing around that nightmarish smile. The smile that reminded him eerily of Vlad….

"It was him all right," Valerie said in disgust. "People saw him flying away, laughing. I knew he wasn't the greatest ghost in the world, but even I didn't expect that from him."

Danny began to laugh uncontrollably. It wasn't a happy laugh, or even an insane laugh. It was the same type of nervous laugh that Jazz had developed over the last few months of her life. The same laugh that had made Danny think that Jazz might be studying a bit too hard and becoming unhinged herself. He could see it all in his mind's eye as Valerie stared at him in surprise.

'Vlad,' Danny thought to himself. He had forgotten all about Vlad. Maybe Danny wasn't so alone after all. Wasn't Vlad Master's also half-ghost? Hadn't he been in love with Maddie Fenton? Yes, it was a psychotic, obsessive love, but it was still love. He had even offered twice to raise Danny as if he were his own son. Would that offer still stand in the face of everything that had happened? There was only one way to find out.

Danny reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small set of keys that had a much smaller version of the Jack Fenton action figure as the key chain. Danny pressed the belly of the figure and watched the eyes light up and a fist rise in a mock punching action. It had been a gift from his dad years ago. Jazz had been given one as well, though she had never actually used hers. They both had thought the keychains dumb at the time, but now….

The teen-ager heaved a heavy sigh as he tossed the keys, keychain and all, straight at Valerie's chest. She caught them in mid-air and simply stared at Danny stunned and confused.

"What's this for?" she asked her friend. Danny looked away to hide his face.

"Keys to the place. You're going to need them if you're going to continue to fight ghosts. They come out of the Fenton portal a lot and it's best that you keep an eye on it. Also, there's a lot of other things here that will help you." He paused momentarily to pick up the Fenton thermos that had rolled to his feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Valerie reacted without thinking.

"Give it up Val. I know all about your ghost-hunting," Danny continued as he ran his fingers over the very first weapon, other then brut force, that he had ever used against ghosts. "I'll say this for my folks. As crazy as they acted sometimes, and as bad as they were at actually catching ghosts, they were really great at inventing things that worked."

"That will hold ghosts until you get a chance to put them back into the Ghost Zone." Danny tossed the Fenton thermos at her. "And believe me, you'll need all of them if you hope to keep those ghosts under control."

"Danny, I don't understand. What are saying? Your parents are the ones that created this stuff. Don't you think it should be you that uses it? I mean, I saw you when all the adults were kidnapped. You're not such a lame ghost-hunter yourself."

"Not anymore," he sighed. He was trembling again. "I can't fight them anymore. I … I have to leave. I can't stay here any longer"

"I know. That's why you're staying with my folks and I."

"No," Dan shook his head emphatically and finally looked Valerie in the eyes. "I'm leaving Amity Park. I don't belong here anymore. I don't deserve to live here anymore."

"That's not true Danny. You deserve …." The look on Danny's face stopped Valerie mid-sentence. There was no emotion in his face. His eyes were dead. It was the same look he had had the night his family and friends had died.

"I killed them," he stated.

"What are you talking about Fenton?" Valerie was starting to sound angry herself. "I told you that it was Danny Phantom that killed everyone!"

"It's all the same," he replied. "Danny Phantom, Danny Fenton. Honestly, I'm surprised you of all people never noticed."

It was Valerie's turn to laugh nervously at this as her mind began to reach the conclusion of what it was he was saying. "Danny, I …."

"I'm sorry I never told you Val. But what with you hating both of us at first it didn't matter. Then later hating Danny Phantom, but becoming friends with Danny Fenton, I just didn't know how." Danny's hand began to glow, as well as his mid-section. Valerie watched as a circle of light developed around him and split in two, half traveling upward and the other half, downward. After the light disappeared above and below him, Danny Phantom stood rooted to the place where Danny Fenton had previously been.

Valerie, ready to rush at him in righteous anger, stopped mid-stride. The same haunted look from before was still on his face.

"You're …"

Danny could see the horror on Valerie's face at this sudden, new knowledge. He could hear her heart beat quicken and her body began to shake slightly. Whatever Valerie had tried to say had become stuck in her throat, so Danny used that as a silent signal to leave.

"I'm sorry Valerie. Goodbye." He quickly grabbed his discarded luggage and flew out of the room without another word.

Valerie watched him fly out, her emotions fighting with each other. So overwhelmed was she that she fell to her knees. The ghost that had ruined her life, that she had made it her mission to destroy, was the same kid she had become such good friends with. The kid she had wanted to protect when his world had come crashing down around his own ears. That wasn't the worst of it though. Witnesses had seen Danny Phantom fleeing the scene of the murder, but hadn't Danny Fenton still been there? It was all too confusing for Valerie to handle.

There was only one thing she was positive of at this moment in time. No matter how much Danny may blame himself for what happened, she had seen the look in his eyes and she knew that there was no way that Danny Fenton, ghost or not, could have killed the very people he loved most in all the world.

"Oh, Danny," she whispered to the empty lab as tears streaked down her face, the Fenton thermos clutched tightly against her chest. "Danny …."

Danny flew high in the sky for a good hour before he finally stopped to rest. Sitting on the top of a farm house he tried to clear his mind to think. Something he hadn't actually done. He couldn't fly all the way to Wisconsin carrying his luggage. It would take him twice as long and he would be exhausted. His luggage was a lot heavier then it looked and already he was tiring out.

Besides, he couldn't exactly just drop in on Vlad without letting him know he was coming, could he? He wasn't even sure if Vlad would even want him. Vlad might very well blame Danny for his mother's death and thus want him more dead then alive. Not that the young halfa could blame him. Part of him wanted himself dead as well.

Danny pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head in his arms. He no longer even knew what he was doing. It was all so confusing, but Vlad was his only hope for having someone understand what he was going through. If Vlad rejected him now, Danny didn't know what he would do. Maybe he should just cut his loses now and kill himself. At least then he could be with his friends and family.

"Uh-hum."

Danny pictured what Sam and Tucker's faces if they were alive and knew what he was thinking. He could see the concern and the anger that they would feel, but more then that, he could see the disappointment in their faces, that he would give up on everything so easily.

"A-hem, cough."

Even Jazz's face appeared, though hers was marred with the same worried looks from when she had thought him depressed before. Then she had ensured he had been sent to see the school counselor, who, it turned out, had been a ghost bent on killing Jazz, and destroying the entire student bodies morale so that she could remain looking young. Danny snorted at the memory. It was bitterly ironic that when he was fine Jazz had been there to try to get him help, but now that he really did need help, she was gone. Along with everyone else.

He had to admit, as much as Jazz had been a pain in the butt, she had always been a really great sister. He had even considered one of his closest friends when they were younger. Danny wondered if any of this would have happened if he had only confided in her about all his secrets like he use to.

"Yo! Excuse me!"

Danny jolted up and looked at a ghost floating in front of him. He recognized it at once. It was the same ghost that Vlad had sent to fly him and his mom to a fake mother/son convention half a year before.

"What do you want?" Danny sulked.

"I have a letter for you," the ghost handed an envelope to Danny.

"For me? From who?"

The ghost shook his head in exasperation. "Who do you think? You don't know that many people who use ghost messengers, do you?"

"Actually more then you might think," Danny replied, thinking of all the ghosts he did know and how many of them probably used ghost messengers. He opened the envelope and was about to read the letter inside when he noticed the ghost still hovering in front of him with an outstretched hand.

"What?" Danny asked irritably.

"Tip," responded the ghost.

"I'm not sending you back to the ghost zone where you belong," Danny spat. "Consider that your tip."

"Hmph!" The ghost said as it drifted away. Danny could hear it muttering as it left. "You half-ghosts are all alike. Think you can just walk all over the real dead. But you just watch. One of these days …."

Danny brought his attention back to the letter in hand and read it.

Dear Daniel,

I have received word of what has happened and would like you to know that you have my sincerest condolences for the sudden lose of your family and friends. I know I should have written to you earlier, but under the circumstances I thought it best if I waited.

I know that this is a hard time for you, but I would like you to consider me as a possibility if you decide you need anyone to talk to. As much as it may seem like it now, Daniel, you are not alone. You are more then welcome to come live with me here. I also know the road ahead seems daunting and will be a long and difficult one, but I would like to help you on that road. As such I am enclosing an open-ended ticket to Wisconsin should you decide you would like to take me up on my offer.

You will not have to worry about ghosts, or anything of that nature either. I completely understand if you were to decide you want to put all of that behind you and therefore I will respect whatever decision you make on the matter.

Please think about on it. You may take as much time as you wish, and if you do decide to come, merely use the ticket enclosed. I will make sure that a car will be waiting for you at the airport. In the meantime I only ask that you do not do anything foolish or rash.

Sincerely,

Vlad Masters

Danny looked in the envelope and pulled out the ticket to look at it. He really didn't need to think it over. He had already made his decision back at the house. All this did was make it that much easier to get to his final destination. With that in mind, Danny grabbed his luggage and flew off to the nearest airport.