Chapter Ten
FentonWorks, April 24, 2006
Val gave a light shudder, and looked at him. "I think we're about to have a very, very awkward conversation, Phantom."
Danny swallowed. "Why, exactly?"
She turned to him. "There are some things I wouldn't even wish on you. I guess your parents from here aren't exactly as . . . accepting as Danny Fenton's were back where we live."
"Okay . . . If I was that guy, which I'm not, I wonder what his folks would think of me being him?" He looked down at his feet, and rubbed the top of his head.
Val shrugged. "I dunno." Her look hardened. "Don't get used to me being so nice, ghost."
Danny looked up, smiled, and raised his hands in mock defense. "I wouldn't dream of it. My life wouldn't be complete without you trying to waste me."
Val took notice of how he spoke as if he was still alive. It must've just been . . . a mistake. A slip of the tongue. "You mean destroy you," she corrected. That was an odd thing to say so nonchalantly, and she knew it.
"Um . . . yeah . . ." He looked nervous for some reason, and Val had a hunch why.
Before Val could delve further, Valerie approached with Mr. and Mrs. Fenton behind her.
Both the Fenton adults were rubbing the backs of their necks awkwardly. "Hi," Maddie said uneasily.
"Hi," Danny replied.
"I guess you'd be . . . the Danny from her world . . ."
After a moment's hesitation, Danny said, "Well . . . it's actually just . . . Phantom. Danny Fenton and me . . . we're sorta different people."
"Oh," Jack said simply, interrupting his wife. Then he brightened up. "Then Danny's not a slave!" Then his look became reprimanding. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be . . . cleaning something or something? Or are you a rogue?"
When Danny wrinkled up his face in confusion, Maddie grabbed her husband's ear and whispered fiercely, "Did you not listen to anything I told you?"
"Oh . . . um . . . right . . . Separate timelines . . ." Jack said sheepishly.
"I'm here to take Valerie back . . . Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," Danny told them. "The Valerie from my world."
Maddie bit her lip. "Um . . . Phantom, that's your name right? Could you do us a favor?"
Danny raised his eyebrows, and removed his hand from the back of his neck. "What?"
"Well . . . this is awkward . . . but I want your help in talking to Danny. We're . . . thinking about taking him back," Maddie explained.
"Well . . . I don't think I can," he said. "But if he's anything like me . . . he'll be pretty mad."
Valerie piped up. "Not if he's acting right, he won't be."
Val glanced sideways. "If he's acting right . . ."
"Pardon my impudence," a quiet voice came from behind the two Valeries and Danny, and Mr. and Mrs. Fenton gasped, "but which one of you is my mistress?"
Valerie pointed to herself impatiently, and Val rolled her eyes. "Such a moron," she muttered. Then her eyes widened. "You're acting like . . . that . . . again!"
Another long, complex energy signature conflict. Desiree's weaker energy was in direct conflict with that from Freakshow's staff, and reset Danny's energy pattern, which had been disturbed by Desiree's
'magic'. Not that Val or Valerie ever could have known this, but the vague idea was to be tossed around my Val later.
"Is there a problem, milady?" Danny said meekly (from now on normal universe Danny will be Phantom, and alternate universe Danny will be Danny).
"Uh . . ." Everyone turned to Phantom. "This is weird . . ."
Danny's eyes widened. "You - you're Phantom . . ." he whispered.
When Val, Valerie, Jack, and Maddie looked at him as if he'd grown wings and was throwing lemons at everyone (Phantom was already looking at him like that), Danny blushed and shut up, save for a "sorry, milady, milady, Mistress and Master Fenton"
"It's okay, Danny . . . we were just surprised to hear you speak like that."
But the speaker wasn't Val, it was Maddie.
". . . Okay, Mistress Fenton," Danny said uncertainly.
Valerie clenched her fists and teeth, a few high-pitched growls emanating from her throat occasionally. Why? She decided to continue on with her (perfect) description of this entire situation: it was insane.
"It's Mom," Maddie said happily, proud to have made any progress whatsoever.
"Okay, Mom," Danny answered. It was like the switch between 'milady' and 'Valerie' - he simply replaced one word with another in his mind.
"You've certainly changed key, Mrs. Fenton," Val noted, pleased.
"I suppose . . . Jack and I have been thinking very hard about this. If your . . . Valerie's father were to agree, we'd take Danny back in a heartbeat."
Val caught a small smile float on and off of Danny's lips.
"Urg . . . well . . . Valerie . . . we sort of have to go," Phantom's echo-y voice broke the serene bubble that had swept everyone (except Phantom, albeit) up in a warm embrace.
Val blinked, suddenly remembering both a.) that she had to get back to her own universe, and b.) she was trying to see if Danny Phantom was Danny Fenton.
"Right . . ." she said. "Let's go."
Valerie's face had become a startling shade of red, and finally, she exploded. "I'm not playing nice girl to her anymore! I'm home! You wrecked Danny," that last sentence got her glares from everyone in the room, save the dazed ghosts and Danny himself, "after I'd gotten him so . . . perfect . . . and then! Urk!"
Phantom sighed, and floated over to Valerie, picking her up by the back of her shirt. "I'll take you home."
Valerie wiggled, trying to get free. "Let me go or I'll tell the other me your secret!"
Phantom immediately dropped her. This was yet more proof for Val. She decided to make a bold move.
"Well . . . Yeah. Okay. Just stay here." the ghost said nervously.
Val sighed. "You're a moron, Danny. I already figured out it's you."
"Uh . . ." The ghost boy floated, agape. "How?"
"I just started paying attention. The 'hey, Danny's Phantom in this world' thing was a real push, too."
Phantom blinked, and transformed back to his ordinary self. "I guess you hate me now, huh?" he said shyly. "It's okay, I'll just . . . I dunno. Go to this world's Clockwork by myself. He can probably take you back long distance. Just . . . I didn't try to kill you. I knew your suit was possessed."
Val opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it.
Danny transformed again, phased through the bars blocking his way, and disappeared into the swirling mists.
Forever? Val couldn't help but wonder.