I'm soooooo sorry that I haven't updated in so long. Reason one is that when I went to update it like three weeks or so ago, the computer with this story on it wouldn't let me on the Internet for like a week. The when it did let on I got so caught up with something and I forgot about the story. Reason two is that school started pretty soon after that so I had little free time.
Anyway, I hope I'm not gonna let anyone down with this chappie, and thank you my faithful reviewers.
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Chapter Five: My Secret Revealed
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I was going to expose him; then destroy him.
I was riding in Danny's limo, along with Jazz, Sam, Tucker, Jamie, and dad. I had realized before I came here that I wouldn't actually get to talk to dad but I didn't realize how hard it would be not to let him know who I really was. I really wanted to talk to him. To catch up on everything little detail that I'd missed when I ran away. How long he'd missed me. If he was still looking.
Why he joined Phantom...
"Hi, I'm Tucker." I turned my gaze from dad to the man sitting beside me. He had grown considerably, but the techno-geek look he had in high school still lingered on him. Hopefully his attitude had grown as well..."Tucker Foley. That's TF as in too fine." ...or not.
"Are you trying to get a date with me or something?" I asked, not beating around the bush.
"He hits on every woman he sees, married or not," Sam supplied for me. "Of course, if he'd understand that that is why he's alone now maybe he would stop. But we're not counting on that anytime soon." Alright, I had to laugh at that.
"Anyway, my friends tell me that you beat Danny here at karate," Tucker informed me. "How in the world did you do that? I'd give anything to be able to beat him. What? Are you like a ninth degree black belt?"
"I used to be. I didn't know I was still capable of that kind of stuff," I replied, honestly.
"All I know is that I've never had any luck with ninth degree black bealt girls," Tucker began to tell me.
"Tucker," Danny warned.
"I mean, first she digged me..."
"Tucker!" Sam this time.
"...then she dumped me and went after Danny..."
"TUCKER!" Everyone but dad.
"...then she dumped him for...reasons we know but aren't allowed to-"
"I get it," I tried to stop him this time knowing he was about to send dad into a fit of sadness. He didn't finish the sentence, but instead looked over to my dad to see his head lowered. With the heavy glares everyone else was sending him I came to a conclusion that this happened often around these people.
"This is your stop," Danny told the other man. When Tucker had gotten out of the limo, he turned to me to say, "It happens all the time around that guy. His attitude hasn't changed since high school." I simply nodded while inside, I was smiling. I had to agree with Danny. Tucker had matured almost none since the last time I had seen him.
I turned to dad. He still held his head in the same cocked shape as earlier. I felt sorry for him. After all, it was my fault he was like this. But even more, it was Phantom's fault. He'd caused me to run away. He'd caused all my mind arguing. If only he had not pretended to like me as Danny. Then I could've destroyed him without guilt.
But no. He had to cause me to make my dad miserable. I felt awful about dad's emotional condition. Even though I'd only seen him for about half an hour, I realized that inside he still missed me; even if the outside didn't show it. Thinking of that, I had to wonder what had made him join Phantom's side? He had always hated ghosts just as much as I had so one good deed shouldn't have changed his mind.
We arrived at Jamie's house while I was still thinking and before I knew it were pulling in a driveway, and I assumed it was Danny's house because everyone piled out. "What about Mr. Gray? And you," I asked not feeling comfortable calling my dad by his first name, and pointing at Jazz because I knew she didn't know I know her name.
"They're visiting," Sam supplied. After we'd gotten out of the car and dad had made his way to the porch, Sam pulled me back. "Jazz, that's the red head, tends to spend lots of time around Danny. Damon trys to spend the least amount of his time at home."
"Why?" I asked fearing the answer.
"Well, remember that girl I told you about? Valerie?" I nodded. "She was his daughter and when she ran away ten years ago he couldn't stand being at home so he sold his house and rented an apartment, but it still pains him to be at home where everything reminds him of her. So, he spends as much time on the job and out as possible and we help by letting him chill with us."
I couldn't respond. My dad was miserable; and everyone knew it. And the source of all my problems which was the source of all dad's problems was Phantom. I frowned and stepped forward, narrowing my eyes as I did. I wasn't leaving until Phantom had been destroyed.
And that was a promise.
I walked inside the considerably large house. It was nice, but I skipped over the admiring and went straight for the searching. It looked like a regular home, but I knew there had to be something strange about it. Everyone walked into the living room, sat down, and began talking. I really wanted to look around so I asked,
"May I use your bathroom?" Danny nodded and told me it was upstairs on the right. Perfect, I was going to get to see upstairs; where his room was most likely. I strolled away casually and climbed the stairs. First, I started with opening a door which ended up to be Danny and Sam's.
So what if it was a total invasion of privacy? I was going to become famous for unveiling Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom. True, people would think him a hero, but then, out of the blue, Phantom would disappear never to come back. And that would be my doing.
The room looked normal. It consisted of a bed, dresser, table, closet, and more future technology than I considered necessary but I searched it anyway. I opened the closet and found nothing but clothes. I even searched through the pile of clothes and still found nothing suspicious.
Of course, he'd probably hide it somewhere he would think Sam wouldn't look. I gave up in their room and headed down the hallway, searching every room until I knew everyone downstairs would begin to get suspicious of me for staying up here too long. Or that I had some sort of bladder problem.
On my way down I over heard a beeping noise coming out of Danny and Sam's room. Curiously, I opened the door to find one of the many devices flashing red and reading, 'Ghost Alert.' I wondered if I should get involved. I didn't figure it would hurt so I opened the closet and pulled out a bogin I'd seen earlier and I cut some eye holes in it with a pair of scissors I'd found on the dresser.
I ran downstairs, hiding the mask under my shirt so no one would become suspicious. I was about to run right back into the living room but something stopped me. Something I didn't want to hear. Something I didn't think I would hear; well, not as long as other people were in the room.
"Okay, hopefully Nicole is still upstairs," Danny began. I stuck my head around the corner just in time to see Danny Fenton turn into Danny Phantom. My first thought was to look at the faces of the surrounding people. They all seemed unfazed; even dad.
Phantom phased through the roof. My dad knew the truth and he had still sided with Phantom? That made me even angrier. At everyone. These people knew that Phantom was using Danny as an illusion and still did nothing about it. I stormed around the corner.
"I've gotta go. I've have places I want to visit," I lied.
"Well, do you have a way to get to where you're going? If not, we could lend you something. You seem nice enough to return it," Sam offered. I replied by saying thanks. "Take the motor scooter. Sorry, I can't let you borrow the hovercraft. Danny's got the keys...who by the way just went on a walk around block."
Yeah, I'm sure.
"Thanks," I replied again.
"Don't mention it. Hey, why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow night?" she asked.
"Thanks," I replied, really wanting to get outside. "But you people are being, like, too nice. I-"
"Don't be silly, we must have a guest over every week. Mostly, strangers right off the streets," she answered. "Seven."
"Thanks." As soon as I stepped outside I slipped the mask on and looked up to the sky to see Phantom and some other ghost battling it out right above the roof. I stood there, watching as Phantom smoked the floor with the guitar bearing ghost.
Not much more time went by and Phantom caught her in his thermos. He descended to the ground a few yards away from me, not noticing me. While he wasn't looking I decided I would attack. Sure, now it would appear strange to be attacking Phantom since he was known as a hero, but I couldn't resist.
I kicked him.
He looked at me startled from the ground. "What in the world? Who are you?" he asked with a confused look plastered on his face.
"Wouldn't you like to know, ghost," I asked. His eyes widened and I realized my mistake. I remembered how I always used to say ghost at the end of almost every sentence I said to him. It wasn't a big thing...
"Valerie?"
...but apparently big enough to blow my cover. I didn't answer. Instead, I kicked him again and again until he finally phased through into the ground. I looked around for a second before turning around to see him floating there. I wasted no time as I lurched forward in an attempt to punch him.
He turned intangible as my fist phased through; then disappeared. I let out an exasperated sigh and took Sam up on her offer to ride home on the scooter. I hopped on and took off the mask before I started the scooter. Now, that was a mistake.
"What were you doing with a mask on?" came a voice from behind me. I slowly turned around, knowing whose voice that was. I saw Danny making his way from the garage door to the scooter.
"I-I just, um..."
"And why were you fighting Phantom?"
"What?" I asked, startled. Not trying to hide it I asked, "You saw?"
"I was coming back from a short walk around the block," he answered smoothly.
"Well, like I said when you brought me to the boarding house, I lived here ten years ago," I told him.
"Really?" he answered playfully. He'd said my name outside. I really hoped he wasn't digging a trap or something. "Under the protection of Damon Gray and was the red ghost hunter, maybe?"
"You knew that I was...the..." I stopped realizing I'd made a deadly mistake. So much for that trap. I saw Danny smirk. He had been trying to trap me revealing my secret to 'Danny.' Then, he'd probably attack me or something.
"Don't worry," he began. "Obviously, you don't want anyone to know it's you so I won't say a word." I tried to thank him but my throat was too dry for words at the moment. So he continued, "So tell me, now that I know it really is you, why did you leave?"
I managed to find my voice and avoided the question by asking, "How'd you know it was me?"
"I knew I recognized your voice from somewhere, but I couldn't place it until, well, now," he recalled. "So why did you leave, Val?" he asked once again.
I looked down. It took all my will power not to smack him upside the face. I started the motor scooter and told him, "I'm not Valerie anymore."
With an amused look on his face he asked, "Then who are you? Just because you change your name-"
"Thats not the reason I'm not Valerie. And I'm not Nicole Sanderson, either."
"Then who are you supposed to be?"
"A woman with a cause." I told him, avoiding his question, and driving out of the garage.
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I was lying on the bed in my room at the Fenton's old house. Why would he not spill the beans about who I really was? What did he have to gain by keeping quiet?
Another ally, that's what. He thought he was wrapping me under his wing. Well, he wasn't. He may have gotten Sam, Jazz, dad, and I guess Tucker and Jamie, but he wasn't getting me. I knew what evils he'd committed because I'd witnessed most of them first hand.
And he knew my secret. I was surprised to hear that. Why did he not tell me he knew. Or why didn't he kill me when I wasn't expecting it...like when I wasn't ghost hunting? I didn't know, and frankly; didn't care. He was evil.
Why did have to keep telling myself that? How come I couldn't just say once that he's evil and leave it at that? Was it that I still considered the thought of him being a friend? Ugh! What was wrong with me? Stupid Phantom and his stupid promises to keep my secret. He was playing with my mind.
I wasn't sure how much longer this charade could go. I was getting sick of it; and only after one day! I made a promise to destroy Phantom before I left. And I was going to carry it out, but the amount of time I might have to spend here to do that would take a toll on my keeping quiet.
I sat up and grabbed the closet thing, which was CD, and threw it against the wall. I had to let this anger out and unless he was in his true form, I couldn't take it out on Phantom.
"Nicky?" a voice from outside my room called.
"Come in," I told the person, angry they'd interrupted my ranting time. The door opened to reveal Star. "Hey," I greeted.
"I was just going to make sure everything's peachy. I mean, I haven't known you for long," I had to laugh on the inside, "but, I feel like I know you're upset. Where'd you go after the program?"
"I went with Danny Fenton, the mayor," I replied glumly.
"You've only been here for a day and you've already been invited into his inner circle?" I raised an eyebrow thoroughly confused. She elaborated, "He's so secluded. He only shows up for events in the city if he's forced to, an example would be this afternoon, and he doesn't usually let anyone inside his circle unless you know him and he knows you like a best friend. Befriending a total stranger is so unlike him."
From how I'd seen him today, Danny didn't seem like he would only befriend people in his "inner circle" as Star called it. I mean, he just offered me, a total stranger, a ride in his limo to the nicest place in town.
Then again, back in the garage he said he'd recognized my voice from somewhere but couldn't place it. Maybe that was why...
"Hello?" Star asked waving a hand in front of my face. "Are you still here?" I snapped my head her way realizing that I'd spaced out.
"Yeah," I replied. "I was just thinking how Danny just up and offered to take me to the nicest place in town. Of course that was after I beat him at the little karate thing." Star started laughing, just as Sam had earlier. "It's not that big a deal, Star." I told her.
"Whatever," she replied.
"How'd you know about his "inner circle" as you call it?" I asked curiously knowing that if she knew something about it, she was probably in it.
"Oh, I'm sort of part of it, well, when I want to be," she told me casually. "Well, I should leave. See ya!" She left the room after that. I didn't move from the current position I was in which was crossed legged on my bed, an eyebrow raised, and my chin resting on my right hand.
Part of the circle. That gave me the shivers to know I was a considered a part of the enemies circle. He drug me into I kept telling myself. Was that really true, though? Did I really resent Phantom as much as I told myself.
Okay, he was married to a person who knew his secret. That was an excuse. Everyone seemed happy to have him around. That was another excuse.
But what was the truth. The real reason I hated Phantom was because he had caused me and my dad to loose all of our money; well most of it. The real reason I liked Danny was because he was a sweet, caring guy who...who...
I didn't know. Where were my thoughts pushing me? I kept having to convince myself, over and over again that Danny wasn't really Danny. That he was Phantom. A ghost. Evil. Deceitful. The enemy. Period.
But people kept telling me he had done all of these kind things to help everyone. How come I hadn't seen him do anything? Well, besides fight that one ghost above his house, but who was he saving as he fought that ghost. The town, the people, his friends, family...
And if I hated ghosts with all my heart, and I had sworn to protect this town from any and all ghosts because all ghosts were evil...
...why did I still know one was my friend?
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If anyone says that Valerie made that decision and total mind change too quickly, I'll go crazy. She's under stress; which means she can't think clearly so either the friend or evil feeling is the real one. Just because she says he's evil doesn't mean she really really thinks it and the same goes for the friend comment.
And I'm not sure about the updates now, but when one comes it will be sometime on a weekend; about that I'm positive.
Please read and review.