Chapter Thirteen

492 Main Street, April 24, 2006

One must realize, at this point, that though Valerie was being entirely unreasonable, she was, as it were, a spoiled rotten girl who'd grown used to having a really cute super-powered boy serving her night and day, hand and foot. It simply wasn't in the blood of the multi-millionaire community to make such Drastic Lifestyle Changes.

But bludgeoning that really cute super-powered boy on the head with a random brick was crossing one of the few lines she hadn't already crossed. Blatantly insulting him in front of his mother was one thing. By law, she owned him. It was her right. As it was Maddie's right to kick Valerie out of her house.

Storming into the house above mentioned and taking Danny off was acceptable, if infuriating, with the same explanation as above.

Val knew that no matter how angry those last few things made her, heck would've frozen over before any results were gotten from this forsaken dimension. With the exception of her 'father', and Danny's parents, no one gave a flip.

This was (though it hurt her to even think this) animal abuse.

And there were penalties for animal abuse.

So, locked in a death stare with her alternate self, she couldn't help but think smugly, This little brat is so in serious trouble.

Bad mental banter, but after awhile, it made Val laugh, breaking the shared glare.

Maddie had run off, in all likelihood to call the proper authorities, leaving them alone.

"What the heck are you laughing about?" Valerie snapped.

"You're going down, that's why," Val chuckled. "So shut it. Danny needs medical attention."

"The ghost doesn't deserve any medical attention. And at the moment, I'm in charge of him, so he's not getting to the vet -"

Val shuddered, cutting Valerie off. "That's wrong. The vet? Really?"

". . . Get back to your own culture."

"Ahem." Damon now stood behind his daughter, eyes narrowed dangerously, and Val couldn't help but giggle a bit. "That would be for Mrs. Fenton to decide. I signed the papers legally giving him to her. She may do as she pleases at this point."

Valerie slowly turned around. "Uh . . . Dad. Nice to . . . see . . . you?" she choked nervously.

Maddie, at that point, rushed out. "I called the - Damon!"

"Danny's yours, Maddie," he stated, monotone, too livid with Valerie to show his happiness for her. He looked down at the girl. "You've done some pretty terrible things today, young lady."

Val snickered. No kidding.

"I . . . erm . . . well . . . you see . . ."

Damon grabbed Valerie by the ear, and dragged her off. "Tell them to come by Gray Manor, Mrs. Fenton," he called back to Maddie as he disappeared around the corner. Valerie's cries of protest overlapped his voice.

Suddenly, Val remembered the unconscious ghost hybrid in her arms. "M-Mrs. Fenton, he needs help."

She lifted Danny up as best she could (considering her physical condition, that was pretty well), and handed him over to his mother. "Thank you, Valerie," Maddie told her, then carried him inside FentonWorks. Valerie shrugged.

"Time out!"

Val heard this before she blacked out, just for a minute. Then, there was weight around her neck and . . .

She was looking up into the eyes of an old man. Then a child. Then a young adult. All of the eyes were wise and worn with age, and somehow, they made Val trust the man they were attached to.

"Would you like to go home, Miss Gray?" Clockwork asked.

"I . . . erm . . . are you Clockwork?" she asked awkwardly.

The sagely ghost nodded. "I am Clockwork, master of time."

Blinking, Val reached up and ran a hand through her hair, and looked down. "What about Danny? My Danny? Is he okay? Does he still . . ."

He raised a hand to stop her talking. "All will be answered in time, Miss Gray." Clockwork waved a hand, and a swirling blue vortex appeared behind it. "Go."

Gulping, Val bit her tongue as she stepped through uncertainly. It wasn't usually in her to trust a ghost, but after the past almost-week she felt anything was possible.

And then she knew anything was possible, standing in front of the window in a room she knew was hers.

Really hers.