Author's Notes: Like I said before after this we start at the beginning again! But I will write details of the story differently, so it doesn't feel like the same old thing all over again. With that said enjoy this chapter, and please review.

Yours Truly, RoxieDivine

(Back with Dark Dan…)

'The nerve of that woman!'

Dan growled as he zoomed off in the direction that Skulker, and Technus had given him. Those weaklings were so pathetic that they begged for mercy before he even made a move to attack. 'I should have obliterated them for telling her that there was actually a way to stop me!'

Hell, the fact that there actually was a way still irked him to say the least.

'Relax.' Dan told himself. 'According to those fools, Clockwork never interferes, he only watches. She'll never convince him to alter time in her favor.'

Still, even as Dan told himself these words doubt sunk in. 'No, I worked too hard for this!' he thought.

And this statement was true. After Dan destroyed his human self he escaped to the ghost world where he continued to perfect his power, challenging every ghost in sight until he was sure that he was the most powerful ghost in both worlds. He then set-off to Earth to punish the human race for being the weak creatures they are.

And now all that work could be in jeopardy! He could end up going back to the start of it all!

'I will not go back to living a weak life of pain and emotions!'

With that final thought still fresh on his mind Dan doubled his speed determined to reach Clockwork's Lar in time.

(Back with Valerie…)

She wasn't sure if there was really anything she could say, or do to change his mind; but that did not stop her.

'I have to try.' Valerie thought as the Spector Speeder stopped in front of a large clock tower. She opened her door, and left the vehicle stopping only once at the entrance to stare up at it in all its glory. "Well here goes nothing." She said out loud. Then with one final deep breath she pressed forward into the unknown.

And what she saw made her gasp in amazement. The tower was dark, dust, and full of cobwebs, like the place hadn't been touched in years.

"Hello?" She cried. It was quiet, too quiet, and only the sound of her own echo, and shifting gears greeted her. "Is anyone here?"

No Answer.

"No Please you've got to be here!" Valerie exclaimed. "You're my only hope now." She looked around franticly, squinting in the darkness.

A shadow of something flashes past her, she sees it just outside the corner of her eye. Valerie whorls around. "Hello? Clockwork?"

"You are not welcomed here." A raspy voice spoke from behind her.

Valerie spun around again. "Clockwork?" She asked again, as a sketchy outline of a being approached her.

"Where you expecting someone else to be here?" Clockwork asked, stepping out of the shadows.

Valerie winched at the sight of him, she wasn't expecting this.

At the moment Clockwork was in his elder form, making him look old and wrinkly with a big scar running down his face. His purple robes looked unkept, and he bared no time staff. It was obvious that the ghost was a shell of what he once was, but she ignored that fact, after all she didn't have much time. Dan could already be onto her plans by now.

"Please I've come to-" Valerie began, but Clockwork cut her off.

"I know why you are here." He snapped. "And the answer is no."

"Please you have to alter time!" Valerie exclaimed, not in the least bit shocked that he already knew her reasoning for being there. He was the father of time after all, which meant he most likely saw her coming before the thought to seek him out ever came to her mind.

"Why?" Clockwork asked. "So that you can be saved? So that you may be spared this horrible fate!"

"No!" Valerie snapped. "I don't care about me!" She cried.

And it was true, Clockwork could see the truth in her eyes in an instant. This human girl was not like the Observants who only cared for their own safety. No, she cared for others while the Observants only wanted his to destroy the boy to preserve their own hides. They were selfish, and got what they deserved when Dan Destroyed them, and every member of the ghost council years ago.

However, this girl was different, she knew the dangers of coming her into the Ghost Zone, a world full of ghost that she had defeated and trapped here. Ghost that would love to get revenge on all she had done to them, and yet she came here anyways.

Clockwork looked at her thoughtfully, he had long ago gave up the hope of finding someone who thought this way. The Observants, the humans, and the ghost, they all thought of themselves first, even the heroes of the world would rather cheat and solidify their futures then do the right thing for the sake of others. But this Valerie was different, she truly had nothing left, she could have come here begging him to destroy Danny as a child as The Observants had did in hopes of getting revenge.

But she did ask for death, no she asked for a change.

'Maybe there is hope for the universe after all…' he thought, and yet part of him was still not convinced.

"If not for your own sake then who's?" Clockwork asked.

"Everyone's!" Valerie said. "I mean honestly how can you stand here and do nothing when you know how bad it is right now!"

"This is how fate designed things to play out." Clockwork explained. "Who am I to argue with fate's design?"

"What design?" Valerie asked.

"Allow me to show you." Clockwork said, as his time staff appeared in his hand. A time rift flickered on showing the past events. "Danny Fenton cheated on his C.A.T., he cheated at life; and there for fate showed him the consequences."

Valerie watched in shock as the Nasty Burger exploded, and Danny fell on his knees screaming in horror as he lost everything he loved. She was disgusted, but more than that she was angry. "Seriously!" She snapped. "All of this happens because he cheated on a stupid test!"

"Yes." Clockwork answered. "Cheating is wrong, he knows this."

"He's also a child!" Valerie snapped. "Or he was, we couldn't have been no older than 14! A child his age wouldn't understand the full weight of his own decisions. He wouldn't understand that there are consequences. And if he does than he doesn't realize they can be that extreme. "

"That doesn't make it right." Clockwork countered.

"No, but him cheating doesn't make this right either!" Valerie yelled. "It was one mistake!"

"All it takes is one." Clockwork said. "Just one mistake can ruin your life forever."

"Wrong!" Valerie disagreed.

"You think so?" Clockwork gave her an inquisitive look.

"It's never too late!" Valerie said. "Everyone deserves a second chance, everyone makes mistakes. The point is to learn from them." She screamed. "You should know that! You're the father of time, you should be using your powers to make the world a better place, not sitting on the side lines and doing nothing!"

"It is not fates design for me to interfere." Clockwork explained. "There are laws that must be followed."

"I don't care about the rules!" Valerie said. "Any rule that says this devastation is okay is wrong!" Tears spilled down her face. "That monster! You made him this way!" She cried. "If you had used your power to show him the dark path he was heading down you could have saved him! But no, you chose to do nothing and now Danny is gone, and that monster is all that's left of him!"

"So, you are asking me to change time for his sake?" Clockwork asked.

"Yes." Valerie said. "It was one mistake, no one deserves to be put through that much pain. Everyone deserves a second chance!"

"But he killed everyone." Clockwork reasoned. "He killed all those innocent people, he killed your father, he even tried to kill you. Someone who has done nothing but try to help him-"

"I don't care!" Valerie said, clenching her fist. "Danny was pure, and just, and thoughtful, he risked everything; including his own life to save others! And you just watched as his ghost half as it ripped him apart!" Tears spilled from her eyes as she spoke.

"I did not watch." Clockwork admitted. "These rifts had been off since the day of the Nasty Burger explosion." These words were true, the truth was Clockwork already knew what was to happen next, and he could not stomach watching it and all its horror.

Valerie realized this in a heartbeat. "You're worse than he is, all the blood on his hands is on yours too! At least I tried, we all tried, but where were you? I'd rather try, and fail then not try at all!"

"Even if you already know your efforts are useless?" Clockwork asked. "What if I told you Dan will exist in the future no matter what I, or anyone else does to stop it?"

"I wouldn't care." Valerie said. "At least I tried. Even if my efforts only stalled the inevitable, at least we would have a little more time together, at least Danny would still be himself a little longer! And we'd all be alive, and together, and happy. After all isn't that how life is anyways?" She asked.

Clockwork perked up at her words, for these words steered up something deep inside of him. Reminding him of words and thoughts that he too had not so long ago.

"We all die eventually." Valerie said. "But we still put an effort into our lives all the same. Even if living is a means to an end, we still fight! We fight it by staying as fit, and healthy for as long as possible. We avoid it with distractions; like friends and family. We allow ourselves to get close to someone even though we know we may lose them one day. We chose to live for the moment. We chose to take the bull by the horns, and change life for the better. Even if we know deep down our chances of doing so are slim to none. We do it anyways for not just our own sakes, but everyone else around us as well. Isn't that what living is all about?"

"Yes." Clockwork said with a smile. "That is exactly what life is, a means to an end that we constantly fight to change no matter what the cost may be."

Valerie smiled sensing a change in the being before her. "Does that mean you'll do it?" She asked.

Clockwork nodded. "Yes, I will change fates design." He said turning all the Time riffs back on, and causing the dust, and cobwebs to dissipate with a wave of his staff.

"Thank you." Valerie said.

"No, thank you." Clockwork said. "Thank you for reminding me of why I took this job in the first place." He said as he shifted to his child form. "When the Observants first made me the father of time I too wanted to use my powers to manipulate the world for the better."

"So why didn't you?" Valerie asked.

"They would not allow it." Clockwork explained. "It was against the rules, and I was too cowardly to speak against them. Sure, I would beg them to allow me to alter time, but they always told me no. And I was too fearful to disobey, fearing that they were right; that the rules were there for a reason."

"Were they?" Valerie asked. "Did they really have a good reason to ignore all the bad things that have happened in the world?"

"They feared a paradox could be formed, or that our meddling would cause more harm than good." Clockwork answered. "And I accepted that answer, until they started breaking their own rules; forcing me to change things they did not like. Finally bitter, and disgusted I decided to stop listening to their request, I was convinced that fate chose this path for a reason."

"You were convinced that we all deserved this." Valerie realized.

"Yes, but not anymore; thanks to you." Clockwork said.

"I don't get it." Valerie said. "Thousands must have come and asked you the same thing why listen to me and not them?"

"Because like the Observants they ask for their own salvation." Clockwork told her. "But you asked for his, while others asked me to kill Danny, you ask me to save him."

"He's saved all of us a hundred times over." Valerie said. "He deserves the favor to be returned."

"You do realize the sacrifice you are making here, don't you?" Clockwork asked.

"What do you mean?" Valerie asked. What could she possibly be sacrificing by changing Danny's past for the better?"

Clockwork sighed. "You two only become friends because he loses everything. You reached out to him because you could relate." He explained. "He will never know you the way he knew you then. If I change the past he will still have Tucker, and Sam, and you're friendship may never get the chance to exist. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?"

"Yes." Valerie said without hesitation. "If it means that he will stay the same as he was then yes, I will sacrifice our friendship a hundred times over if that's what it takes, just make this right!"

Clockwork nodded. "So be it." He moved to press the button on the top of his staff.

"Not so fast!" Dan declared as he stormed into the castle. "You're not taking my future away from me!" he lunged for the father of time.

"No!" Valerie panicked, and stepped in front of Clockwork protectively.

"There is no need to protect me." Clockwork said.

"But he-!" Valerie began.

"Here wear this." Clockwork said placing a gearshift shaped medallion around her neck.

Dan had just enough time to take in the piece of jewelry, there was nothing special about it only that it bared the initials CW for Clockwork. "How's some petty trinket supposed to save her!" he declared still coming at full speed.

"Like this." Clockwork said, punching the button up top his staff. "Time Out!"

Valerie watched as Dan froze in midflight. "What did you do to him?" she asked.

"Nothing." Clockwork answered. "I paused time; you are not effected due to the medallion around your neck." He explained.

"Oh, I get it." She said. "It's like a get out of timecard."

"Precisely." Clockwork answered.

A moment of silence passed over them…

It does not last long.

"So, what now?" Valerie asked.

"I do the one thing I've been wanting to do since I started this job." Clockwork answered. "I manipulate time for the better. But before I do any last words to your friend here?" he asked gesturing to Dark Dan.

Valerie nodded. "Goodbye." She said to the frozen Dark Dan. "I hope to see your better side really soon, I miss him dearly."

Clockwork nodded, and with a wave of his staff he said. "Rewind!"

-To Be Continued