Chapter Eight

Grey Manor, April 22, 2006

"So you have wished it, so it shall be."

- - -

Valerie covered her eyes otiosely as a brilliant pink flash engulfed the room, and lingered far longer than it should. As it at last adjusted, she saw a marvelous sight.

Before her was Danny. But a Danny far more like the Danny she knew - his eyes had regained a twinkle that she hadn't seen since she'd arrived here, and his head was held higher. And on his face was a lopsided (slightly angry, but everything she'd seen Phantom do had a twinge of ire in it) grin.

The huntress stared at the boy for a moment. He stared back, and his grin lessened as his mouth grew tired. The radiance remained. "That was unexpected," he said after awhile.

Valerie's face exploded into a broad smile, and she hugged him again. "You're back!" she screamed.

Danny blinked, and put a hand on one of Valerie's arms. "Yes, I'm back. Could you please get off of me?"

Valerie leaned back, and wiped a happy tear away from her eye. "Sorry. I'm just glad that you're back to normal . . . or as close as you can be, here. In this freak world."

"Seriously, what's going on? One minute I was one me and the next - I'm all over!"

Valerie tilted her head. "In English, if you don't mind."

"Can't explain it better than that. I've lost two years of my education. What do you expect?"

Valerie's gaze hardened. "Speaking of that, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What?"

Again, Valerie noticed that they were acting like friends. Perhaps simply because she knew Danny so well in her world . . . and he was just following her lead.

"Well . . . Dad and I . . . we talked to your parents the other day -"

"They're not my parents," Danny interrupted. "Not anymore."

"Well, anyway, we talked to Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, while you were . . . erm . . . yeah . . . okay, anyway, we talked to them, and they're going to talk and . . . well . . . maybe . . . they might take you back and reinstate you into the free . . . world . . . so . . . yeah."

Danny gazed at her. "You can't be serious. Not that I want to remain . . . what I am, but I so don't want to go back to them. The parents that sell their kid into slavery . . . not my first option."

Val shook her head. "Well . . . you'd be free."

Danny shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"You'd get to go to school."

"Great idea. Because I just love that sort of prejudice," he replied sarcastically.

Valerie raised up her hands in frustration. "Fine. Whatever. Technically not your choice." This shut him up. "Look, Danny, I like you. I really like you. And I hate you, but not this you. In more ways then one. But the point is, I just want you to be happy."

"Get me out of here and . . ." He trailed off, and his eyes closed. He fell backwards, landing on the floor with a thud.

"Danny!" she shouted, eyes flashing in fear. Then she sighed in relief as he slowly sat up again. "Don't scare me like that," she breathed.

He opened his eyes, and chill went up Valerie's spine. Cold red replaced the familiar blue.

"Hello, girl," came a voice from behind her. "For a security salesman, your father has pitiful security."

With a quick blow to the head, Valerie was knocked out.

Meanwhile . . .

(ordinary universe)

Danny yawned as he turned the steering wheel of the Specter Speeder. "Flying is so much faster, you know," he said to the girl sitting next to him.

"Well, I can't fly," Valerie said dryly. "Can't this thing go any faster?"

"No," Danny replied. "I miss the good old days where you had a jet sled and an aerodynamic suit . . . though, technically that wasn't you and I was always in a mad dash for my life . . . so, whatever."

Valerie leaned back heavily into her seat. "Why on Earth did this happen? I have to treat you . . . normally . . . until I get back, and, heck, I don't even know if I'll get back, and I'm traveling in a creepy-looking flying thingy in another creepy-looking parallel universe."

Danny glared at her. "Since when does my universe look creepy?"

"It doesn't, I meant . . . Oh, never mind."

The rest of the trip was spent in silence. At long last they reached the towering castle of time, and Danny pulled the Specter Speeder under a small overhang. "We're here," Danny announced.

Valerie sighed. "And this Clockwork guy lives here? And he'll send me back?" He'd better.

"Yes. He should, anyway."

Val pouted. "Comforting," she told him sarcastically. "Let's go."

Danny stepped out of the Speeder. "Don't try and touch anything, you won't be able to."

"Fine. Whatever."

Valerie followed, and soon they were standing in front of the Master of Time. "We'd like you to send her back to her own universe, Clockwork."

"I know. However, there is a slight problem. I cannot retrieve your Valerie, she is out of my jurisdiction. I'm going to have to send you in, Danny, to retrieve her." Clockwork looked at them as benignly. "I will send you in with him, of course," he reassured after Val gave him a pointed look.

"You'd better, ghost," she huffed. "Or you will be going down."

Clockwork, had he been the type, would have chuckled, that much was obvious, even to Valerie. "What you must do is simply to travel into the Ghost Zone and find me there. He will be able to take care of things."

Danny nodded. "Does Miss Superior over here have to come?"

"I'm afraid so," Clockwork told him. "She must be returned to her own universe. Now, you must be on your way . . ." He hit the top of his staff, and mouthed something Valerie couldn't quite make out. Everything suddenly seemed to be muted, and there was brilliant green flash. She closed her eyes to avoid the light.

When she opened them, she immediately knew where she was.

Home.