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AN: Back with chapter three! Hope you guys like it.
Warning: Explicit language
Posted: July 19th
Time Changes Everything
Chapter Three
Tucker considered himself a pretty laid-back guy. He was the most easygoing out of their trio, and usually, he was very social. But the man standing in front of him closed off that side of himself. Of all the people they had to run into, it had to be Dash Baxter. The fucking asshole that made he and Danny's highschool life a living hell.
Dash nodded in agreement to the black male in front of him. "Yeah, it's been quite a few years. Do I know you?" he asked, not being able to place the dark face with a name.
Tucker almost laughed at the question. The bastard didn't even remember who he was. No longer did he look like the nerdy geek from highschool. No, now he was eye to eye with the shallow ex-football star. While Dash had more 'buff' to his built, Tucker's muscle was more lean and subtle.
"Yes, he's Tucker Foley," Sam replied when it became obvious that the man beside her wasn't going to. She was slightly surprised at the animosity Tucker was showing towards Dash. She knew he never liked the jock, but he never mentioned him once during the seven years Baxter had been gone.
"The name sounds slightly familiar," Dash remarked, bringing his attention back to the girl in front of him. Her lavender eyes seemed to draw him in, and he was blown away how much she had matured from highschool.
"You probably remember me by 'Techno-Geek' instead?" Tucker asked dryly when the man's attention went back to Sam.
The comment had Dash looking Tucker in his marble green eyes. "That was you? Man, I totally didn't recognize you. You guys used to hang with Fen-turd... I mean Fenton," he added when the Tucker's bored gaze turned malicious at the barb towards his friend.
"Sorry, old habits die hard, you know," he apologized lamely.
"You have no fuckin' idea," Tucker commented before taking Sam's wrist in his grasp. Without another word, he led them away from the blond man and didn't look back. Sam could only glance at Dash in apology as she followed her steaming friend.
He could feel his broken bones mending and healing themselves as he straightened from his crouched position. The half-ghost had caught him off guard, and his strength had surprised him. He briefly remembered the way his hand had crushed his windpipe without struggle. It would be more difficult than he thought to carry out his plan, but he would prevail... eventually.
Jack chuckled as he licked the remaining blood off of his hands. At his feet laid a young woman. She had been beautiful; strawberry blond hair that always fell to her waist. Azure eyes, that now stared glassily at nothing. Crimson blood concealed the once ivory skin. He glanced at the broken body before walking away.
"You've won round one Phantom, but I haven't even warmed up, yet."
Valerie slammed the door to her apartment before tossing her bag onto the table. "Dammit! This is all his fault! He just had to show, and fuck everything up like he always does..." She ranted to herself as she made her way to the bathroom. Two hours were spent looking for the rogue ghost, Jack, and she still didn't have a clue where he was.
Valerie roughly turned the knobs that sat over the porcelain tub. She peeled off her t-shirt and skirt, anticipating the hot shower. When she finished undressing, she stepped under the hot spray of water with a blissful moan.
She sighed as the tension in her shoulders slowly began to melt. Her day had started off so nice before it was shot to hell.
She suddenly wondered what Danny was doing at that very moment as she brought two fingers to her lips. Valerie thought briefly of the kisses they shared in the bathroom of the Nasty Burger, and the way his hands caressed her body. She was surprised when a soft current of pleasure washed over her skin.
"All of that fighting and searching the town must really have me sexually frustrated," she muttered to herself before quickly ending her shower. As she wrapped the thick, cotton towel around her frame, she thought back to the fight with Phantom. He was still reluctant as he'd always been to fight her, which she expected. What she didn't expect, was him to battle her with his mouth.
This time when a shudder passed over her flesh, she blamed it on the cool air hitting her damp skin.
The kitchen wasn't large, but it still got the job done. The stove had seen better days, and the faucet on the sink tended to leak more times than not. Dishes from breakfast and last night dinner still sat untouched. The refrigerator was old, and usually held more beverages than it did food. Inside, a carton of Chinese food was no doubt too old to be edible. In fact, by tomorrow it would be eligible to vote. It was definitely a bachelor's place.
Danny sat at the small table that was in his one bedroom apartment. A small card seemed to hold all of his attention, as he stared hard at the numbers written in red ink. It had been two days since he had seen or heard from Valerie. After kissing her in his ghost form, he thought it would be best to back off for a day or two.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into," He asked himself aloud. He had to be out of his mind to even think about dating Valerie, knowing she hated his ghost form. If she hadn't learned to trust or forgive him by now, it was very doubtful that she would anytime soon. "Especially after I kissed her. Real smart move, Danny."
He thought of a one-night stand with the huntress, but it was quickly dismissed. After the stunt in the restroom, and in the alley, he knew he could never have her just once. He would want to take her over, and over, and...
"Fuck this," was all he said before snatching the card off the table and heading towards the cordless phone sitting on the counter top.
Valerie mentally went over all the curses she could think of as she landed two blocks away from her apartment. Making sure no one was in visible sight, she quickly changed back into her street clothes. She had just spent another morning and afternoon searching for the missing ghost from Friday. And though she caught two ghosts who were tossing dirty laundry into forty-foot trees, she was still upset about Jack. It was something dangerous about him, but she just couldn't pinpoint it. And she knew if he wasn't captured soon, something very bad was going to happen.
As she shook her head in disappointment, Valerie wondered if Danny changed his mind about calling her. It had been two days now, and the feeling of rejection was starting to creep up on her.
"Oh well. It's his loss," she said, trying to convince herself as she reached her apartment building. The sound of her cell phone ringing quickly brought her out of her dampening mood.
"Hello? Danny, it's you," she smiled softly as his deep voice washed over the phone. Even though she would never admit it, a slight giddy feeling arose within her.
"I was beginning to give up on you," she said quietly, secretly jumping up and down inside her mind. As she listened to his voice, she unconsciously paced up and down the sidewalk in front of her apartment.
"No, that' s perfect. Seven it is," she agreed, before walking up the stairs to her apartment. She quickly kicked off her sneakers after unlocking and stepping through the door.
"Oh and Danny? Don't be late."
"No fuckin' way! You finally called her," Tucker said in disbelief as he walked into Danny's apartment just as the other man hung
up the phone. He flopped on the black sofa in his best friend's livingroom before smiling, "It's about damn time man, about damn time."
"What are you doing here Tuck? I thought you were working a double today," Danny asked as he placed Valerie's number back into his wallet.
"Oh, Parker's filling in for me. Said she needed to make up some hours, so I gave her my second shift," Tucker answered absently. "By the way, guess who me and Sam ran into Friday night," he said suddenly to the man in front of him. Danny raised his eyebrows at the change of conversation. "Who? It wasn't Vlad Masters or anyone like that, was it?"
"More like Dash Baxter. I guess he's home for good. You should have seen the way that asshole was eying Sam, like she was one of his groupies or a fucking piece of candy," Tucker answered distastefully as he thought back to the encounter.
"Sam's a big girl, Tuck. I'm sure she can take care of herself. Besides, do you really thing she would go out with him? She remembers how big of a jerk he was in highschool," Danny responded to the brooding man sitting on his couch. When he didn't reply, Danny smiled in realization.
"Ya know something, Tucker? If you would just ask her out, you wouldn't have to worry about guys 'eyeing Sam' as you put it."
Tucker shook his head before standing, "Dude, don't start with that again. I told you it would never work. Sam's our friend, and it'll be weird between the three of us if we started dating. What if it doesn't work out and we can't stand to be in the same room as the other. Do you really think we could remain friends after going through something like that?"
Danny shrugged his shoulders, "It's a risk I know, Tuck. And if you're not willing to risk it, you're going to have to let her go. It's not fair to her or you for that matter. "
And a risk was exactly what he himself was doing, by deciding to date Valerie. Her name seemed to bring Danny back to the present as he checked his watch for the time. "Shit, I gotta get ready Tuck. I only have an hour and a half before I have to pick up Valerie from her place. Think about what I said," he told his friend as he headed towards the bathroom.
Tucker contemplated the situation a few minutes as the shower came to life in the bathroom. Sighing to himself, he snatched his car keys off the coffee table before heading out the door.
She checked her reflection for the fifth time before nodding in satisfaction. It had been at least two years since she had been on a date, so she wanted to look perfect.
When she got off the phone with Danny, Valerie went straight for the bathtub. After soaking for nearly an hour, she rummaged through her closet for something suitable for a dinner date.
The strapless red dress seemed to scream out 'WEAR ME!', so she responded accordingly. The strappy red sandals gave her three extra inches when she slipped them on. Valerie completed the ensemble with four inch-long earrings that dangled on her brown shoulders. The tear-shape stones of the earrings were crimson, glittering in the soft light of her bedroom lamp. They had been a gift from Vlad Matters years ago when she turned eighteen.
Deciding against leaving her hair down, Valerie pulled the ebony tresses up into a high bun. A few wisp of hair refused to cooperate as they fell softy against her face. She was debating of grabbing a few hair clips when the doorbell rang softy through the apartment.
"Shit, shit, shit," she repeated softly as she rushed to the livingroom. Grabbing her ghost hunting gear off the couch and shoving it in a nearby closet, Valerie made her way to the door.
Danny took a deep breath as he rang the doorbell. Glancing at his watch, he was relieved that he had made it on time. Tucker had been long gone when he finished his shower, and he was sure his friend had a lot to think about. Danny was reaching for the bell again when the door suddenly opened. He felt his mouth go dry at the image in front of him.
Long brown legs seemed to go on for days before disappearing underneath a dark red dress. The material fell softly against her thighs and hips before hugging the slim waist and full, round breast. He found himself longing to kiss that spot above her right shoulder as it pulsed quickly under her skin. His gaze rose to her full lips, coated lightly in red lip gloss. Long lashes lowered over emerald eyes as they swept over his tall frame.
"You clean up nice, Fenton," Valerie said softly, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach. It was a big understatement, but it was the only thing she could think of without sounding like a complete buffoon. The crisp white dress shirt looked heavenly on his lean frame. He had left the top two buttons undone, showing off hints of toned hard flesh underneath. Black slacks and shoes completed the look, and his dark hair was still as unruly as it always been. She had never wanted someone as much as she did at that very moment. Valerie swallowed hard at the thought before clearing her throat, "Let's go, shall we?"
AN: WHEW! You guys don't know how hard this chapter was to write! I hope you enjoyed it, though it didn't have any action like the last two chapters.
I like to give thanks to you guys who reviewed! It was because of you that I squeezed this chapter out today.
Jaymie
Evilevergreen
Freshgal
master
LongingforLlangarlia
so.random
animefreak
mandy
