A/N: Hey, sorry about the last chapter. I wanted Dany to stand up for himself, but in order to do so I kinda had to make him get mad, and when people get mad they tend to cuss. So sorry. However, it is most likely never gonna happen again, so don't worry. Anyway, Valerie finally shows up!

Danny's POV:

I stretched in the booth at the Nasty Burger. "I hope I never, ever, ever have to go through that damned truth potion stuff again after this is all over."

"That's understandable." Sam shrugged. Once school had let out, we'd come here to hang out before I went home to be bombarded with a ghostly tazer and run away from my parents to the safety of my room. Which technically isn't all that safe, seeing as Dad got it into his head that we need ghost shields around our bedrooms and that he should turn them on at random . . . heh, I just remembered when Vlad tried to visit, Jazz turned the shields on . . . heh heh . . .

"Danny, that look on your face is scaring me . . . I think it's scaring Sam . . ." Tucker stared at me. I must have had my devilish grin on. I like that grin. It scares Tucker, it scares Sam, and most importantly . . . it scares Vlad, too.

"Right. Sorry." I grinned wider.

"No you aren't."

"You're right. I'm not." I laughed. "But there is something I am . . . and that's hungry. Be right back . . . with food." I stood up and sauntered over to the counter. Food food food food food food food food, lov-e-ly food . . .

"Hello, wecome to the Nasty Burger. What would you like?" a bored voice said from behind the counter. It sounded awful familiar . . . wait a second, what time is it? Don't tell me it's . . .

. . . Valerie's shift.

Dammit.

"Danny?! Hi . . ."

"Oh, uh, hey Val. Um, can I have a Nasty Burger and some fries with a Coke? I'm gonna faint of hungerrrrrr . . ."

"Nu-uh, not until we hang out for a bit." Val grinned at me and crossed her arms on the counter. "So, what's up?"

"The ceiling, the sky, space, et cetera et cetera." I blinked. "Val, I'm really, really, really hungry . . ."

"You always are. C'mon, how's Tucker and Sam?"

"Val . . . . hunger . . ."

"Jazz still testing her psycho-analysis on ya? Bet that must stink, huh? I'd hate having her all over me, too."

"Val, I'm dead serious . . . more than you know. Your food is calling me. Pleeeeeeeeease . . ."

"Nu-uh." She just grinned wider.

"Ugh . . ." I groaned, but then grinned evilly. Master plan forming. Initiate. "Hey, Val, you've been asking a lot of questions. Can I ask a few?"

"Sure."

"Can you look into your heart for me?"

"Why?"

"Just do it."

" . . . okay . . ."

"Are you looking?"

"Yep."

"Now, look deeper . . ."

"Uh-huh . . ."

"Deeper . . ."

"Uh-huh . . ."

"And deeper . . . you there yet?"

"Uh-huh."

"Now, look deep into that deep deep deep place . . ."

"Uh-huh . . ."

" . . . and see if there's a Nasty Burger there for me. Dammit, I'm HUNGRY!"

Val cracked up laughing. Laughing. Laughing! I'm serious, woman! I'm really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really . . . insert huge intake of breath . . . really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY hungry! I'm gonna starve here! It's not a laughing manner!

. . . I mean, matter . . .

"Hey, wait a second . . . huh."

Valerie started to look like that constipated-officer-dude-who-locked-me-up-in-jail-that-one-time. "What . . . hee hee . . . d'ya got now . . . hahaha Danny?"

"I just figured out the secret to life."

"Which, hehe, is . . ."

"Eat right, exersize . . . die anyway. But since I'm already half-dead, why should I bother? GIMME A BURGER ALREADY!!!"

" . . . . . . . hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Val, that's not helping the situation."

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Vaaaaaaaal . . . I just want my fooooooooood . . . why dost thou make me wait-eth?! The burgers . . . they're calling me . . . they're screaming 'eat meeeee, eat meeeeee' . . ."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"THAT ISN'T HELPING MY SITUATION!!!!! FEED ME!"