WoM- Such vivid language! 'giggles' You know, I can really see where people like Vlad come from; It's just WAY too much fun to be evil! This chapter's a little slow, but it picks up again next chapter!
(Valerie sees Danny knocked into a few boxes after his fight with Technus at the mall)
Valerie: Oh! Hi, I didn't expect to see you here.
Danny: I didn't expect to be here.
Hunting for Rest
The first thing Valerie noticed when she woke up was that it smelled funny. Almost like a sickly sweet version of how the gym smelled on Fitness Fridays in sixth period, which was not a fun smell in the least.
Groaning slightly, the ghost hunter opened her eyes, and the blue mossy-jello substance growing on the roof of the cave she was in swam into view. Her headache was a lot worse now, and Valerie wasn't sure if that was from the hit she'd taken or from the elapsed time.
"You're up!" hazy green eyes focused on the all-too familiar face that suddenly hovered over hers, just inches away.
"Heather?" Valerie said, confused.
"Way to take a hit, lightweight." Heather said dryly. "You've been out for two hours now." Groaning again, Valerie sat up, too wracked with pain at even that slight movement to properly glare at the little girl.
"Where's Phantom?" She asked, looking around. Heather bit her lip.
"…He's out looking for food," She said at last. "Since you're both bedridden for a while, he probably figured this was the bet time for a break."
"Bedridden?" Valerie repeated, "Phantom? What do you mean…?"
"He just… isn't exactly himself right now…" Heather said in a careful tone. Valerie's eyebrow kicked up as she studied the younger girl.
"Is there something you're not telling me?" She asked suspiciously.
"No!" Heather said quickly, holding her hands in front of her in a defensive sort of way.
"You can't honestly expect me to believe that, girl," Valerie snorted. Heather glared at her.
"Well, if you really want to know," She said stiffly, "I was wondering about how a great, nice guy like Danny and a super cool guy like Phantom could both have crushes on a girl like you," Valerie gaped at her.
"What?" She asked, bewildered. She thought for sure that the concussion she must've gotten from that hit was screwing with her hearing, because there was no way Heather just said what Valerie thought she said.
"Do you really need it spelled out for you?" Heather responded coolly.
"First off, Danny only sees me as a friend," Valerie glared at the little girl, "His other girl friend Sam Manson has a better chance then I do," It felt bitter admitting the words out loud, but they had to be said. The arrogant little brat had to know her place. "Second, Phantom doesn't even see me as a friend!"
"Puh-leeze!" Heather rolled her eyes. "How much more obvious can he make it? The way he saves you, the way all his attention is spent on you, even some of the things he's said! Can't you tell that's why I've been so hard on you and didn't leave you alone with Phantom? You're my rival! He even came close to admitting it point blank while you were unconscious," Valerie stared at Heather for a full minute.
"You are one messed up little girl. You know that, right?" She said dryly, "Phantom wouldn't care if I was alive or dead,"
"Then why would he save you?" Heather asked, glaring at her, "And why would he let you live when you fight him?"
"LET me live?" Valerie repeated, glaring back and bristling in insult.
"Admit it, Grey, you couldn't last a second against something like the Ghostly Wail," Heather said, crossing her arms. "Danny lets you live because he likes you. A lot. Maybe even more then he's willing to admit."
"You're insane," Valerie sighed irritably, "And anyways I'm not interested in Phantom, okay?" Heather's dark look changed into something unreadable for a second.
"That's right," She said, her tone far too light and conversational for Valerie's tastes "You like Danny, don't you?" Valerie blushed.
"That's none of your business, okay?" She responded, looking away.
'I can't believe I'm talking about my pretty much non-existent love life with a nine year old.' She thought dryly. 'What's next?'
"So what would you do if Danny was… oh… friends with Phantom?" Heather asked. Valerie stared at her.
"That's not possible," She said firmly. "Danny's parents are ghost hunters. They'd never allow it."
"…They are!" Heather asked, genuinely shocked. "Oh, man! Poor Danny! THAT'S gotta be awkward!"
"Huh?" Valerie said, her eyebrow kicking up.
"Uuh, nothing!" Heather coughed nervously, "Never mind!" Valerie sighed. Normally, she'd be suspicious, but right not her headache was too painful to let her concentrate on anything else. "But if Danny found away around that and became friends with Phantom, how would you react?" Valerie mulled over this in silence for a while.
"I dunno," She admitted at last. "I guess I'll just grit my teeth and put up with it the best I can."
"Really?" Heather asked her, blinking.
"Danny cared about me when no one else did," Valerie said with a soft smile. "He's cute, and fun and just someone I love to be around. He can get a little goofy and clumsy at times, but it's all part of his charm. I just…"
"You really, really like him, don't you?" Heather finished softly, giving Valerie a searching look.
"Yeah," Valerie sighed, "I guess I do." Then her eyebrow kicked up as she asked the little girl, "What brought this on, anyways?" Heather jumped, then blushed.
"Oh, you know, just thinking!" Heather answered.
"Well think to yourself," Valerie said, closing her eyes and resting against the wall. "I've got a killer headache and probably not all that much time left."
"One more question," Heather said stubbornly. Valerie rolled her eyes. "Why did you save me back there? I thought you hated me!"
"Look, my body just reacted okay?" Valerie sighed, "And hate should have nothing to do with saving people in my line of work. Like 'em or hate 'em, everyone has an equal life, right?" There was a long lapse of silence.
"…You're still an arrogant jerk,"
"HEA-THER!"
Valerie's eyes opened again as she heard movement at the mouth of the cave, tensing and groping for a gun. But then only Phantom came into view, his arms loaded with what may have passed as some sort of exotic fruits in their world, she relaxed.
'If that's not a sign I've been in this crazy world too long, I don't know what is,' Valerie told herself wryly.
"You're up," Phantom said, looking relieved. He flew over to her, setting the food down on the ground, "How is your head?"
"Fine," Valerie lied. It felt like a marching band had taken up residency in her skull. "What's all this,"
"Food," Phantom sighed, "I wasn't sure If everything was edible, so I only picked things I remembered seeing humans in the Base eating. We need to gather all our strength before we move out, those… things are still out there."
"All of them?" Valerie asked in surprise as she took the fruit the ghost offered her. "What about the one that got hit with your Wail thing?"
"Dazed, but still alive," Phantom sighed. "I'm not sure if it was because I wasn't at full strength, or because they're so durable. I mean, the other two fell down a 200 drop bluff and just climbed right back up."
"Let's hope we get outta here before we have to test that." Valerie said grimly. Then, remembering what Heather said, the girl added, "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be hurt too…"
"I'm fine," Phantom sighed, "I heal fast. All ghosts do."
"Nice to know," Valerie said in a droll tone.
"Phantom!" Heather whined, "I'm thirsty!" The ghost smiled at the little girl, ruffling her hair as he stood.
"Sorry," He said, "I'll go get some water for you two. Be right back," Heather watched intently as the ghost flew out of the cave waiting for a while before turning to Valerie.
"See what I mean?" She asked pointedly, "You're the one his attention went right to without even asking for it. I had to work to get him to notice me."
"Since when is whining work?" Valerie asked, thought doubt was starting to settle in. He had seemed pretty worried about her… could Heather have a point.
'Well, what can I do about it if she does?' Valerie asked herself sullenly. 'I can't control how Phantom feels, and I'm not about to return his feelings…'
'But you can take advantage of it,' the voice whispered to her slyly, 'lead him along, and then…'
"NO!" Heather yelped slightly in alarm at Valerie's abrupt yell, falling to the ground and clutching her heart.
"What the heck's your problem?" Heather demanded, glaring at the girl, "Man, you're even crazier then I first thought…" Valerie ignored her.
She could never allow herself to even think of doing something like that. It was far, FAR lower then anything the ghosts had done to her, and Valerie couldn't imagine doing something like that to anyone, living or dead.
It was true she'd led boys on to get what she'd wanted in the past, few popular girl's hadn't, but what kind of monster would manipulate someone's feelings to lead them to their death?
'Phantom's already dead, remember?' The voice reminded her, 'Really, you're doing everyone a favor by putting him out of his miserable existence… himself included.'
"Back,"
Blinking, Valerie looked up as Phantom re-entered the cave, giving a container of water to Heather (Who took it happily) before turning to hold one out to her. Valerie stared at it, hesitant.
"Don't worry," Phantom said with a wryly smile, "I didn't poison it,"
"Why wouldn't you?" Valerie challenged as she took it, "We're enemies, after all."
"Only because you want to be," Phantom reminded her. Valerie eyed him curiously.
"And you don't?" She asked, "Ghosts are nothing but trouble."
"Not all of us," Phantom sighed, Resting against the wall opposite of Valerie, "Some ghosts just want to be left alone."
"You can't expect me to believe that you're one of those." Valerie snorted, "Not with all the fighting you do," A strange look came over Phantom's face then.
"I don't pick those fights," He said quietly, "I'm the only one who can stop those ghosts from hurting innocent people, from turning the human world upside down." He looked her right in the eye, and Valerie could tell he was being serious, "But I only do it because I have to. I don't like fighting. I never wanted to be anything more then a normal kid. Sometimes I just want things to go back to the way they used to be." Valerie felt a chill go through her.
His words were almost a carbon copy of her own. She could hear the longing for peace in his voice, the nightmares she'd had night after night since she became a ghost hunter…
"Why do you care?" Valerie asked, "You're a ghost too, why don't you just act like one?" Danny smiled wryly.
"Let's just say I'm not like other ghosts," He told her. Heather giggled, and shot Valerie a smug look. The ghost hunter glared back, annoyed that the two were keeping secrets from her.
"And just what makes you so different?" Valerie pressed. Phantom didn't respond, and Valerie realized he was resting. Huffing in annoyance, the girl turned to her water, taking a swig. She made a face at the foreign taste, before falling back to rest against the wall of the cave.
She studied the ghost in front of her, her dark look softening when she noticed that he looked even paler then usual, and bruises were already well-form on his arms and around the base of his neck. He was pretty scratched up as well, and there was a nasty burn scorch on his right boot, as if he'd stepped on a bomb.
'He really did take a hit…' She thought.
"So, what now?" Heather asked, looking between Phantom and Valerie. Phantom's eyes opened, and the two exchanged looks.
"…I don't know," Valerie admitted after a long lapse of silence. Phantom gave her a humorless smile.
"Me either," He said. Valerie couldn't help but return the look.
'Dad's right,' She thought, 'I really am just a kid who's in way over her head.' Glancing up, she had to add, 'And Phantom's right there with me.'
WoM- I know it's short, but it picks up again next chapter. I know everyone must be going nuts waiting to find out if Val's gonna find out. 'smiles cheerfully,' I love being so mean!
Thanks to;
Evilevergreen
Freshgal
DannyPhantom22
IwuvMyKenshyPoo
Firehedgehog
My Eternal Facade
Ember518
the sleep warrior
Inumaru12
leilanisangel
ShiroandFubuki
epobbp
Light Dragon SunsSong
dramaqueen07
CelloSolo2007
PhantomKat7
Petitio Principii
Anasumi
Samantha-Girl Scout
Spidergirl
conan98002
Firefury
BratCat
Sammy
phantomshadowdragon
Fire Forever
Kitty Kyinsky
Hafae a.k.a. Hufflepuffer242
KatanaSisters
JPElles
Next update; January 30th
See you then!