A/N: Since I haven't updated in forever (sorry guys), here's a little something to tide you over. I promise, the story is all planned out and there more excitement in the coming chapters! Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far, especially ItTicklesLikeCrazy for your encouragement :)

Chapter 8

On the walk from the Nasty Burger to Fentonworks, Sam, Tucker, and Danny discussed amongst themselves how best to go about revealing the truth to the Fentons. Danny couldn't seem to stop fidgeting and several times he remarked how it was too bad Jazz was at college. Though he seemed to consciously avoid saying the word "wish".

"Danny, just calm down okay?" Sam was rubbing circles on his back to calm him. "You've been saying for awhile now that you wanted your parents to know. Jazz may not be here, but Tuck and I are. We've got your back, you know that."

"Yeah dude," added Tucker, looking up from whatever he had been typing on his PDA, "no worries."

"Hmph, easy for you to say. You're not the one about to tell a couple of ghost hunters that you're a ghost." At his words, Val glanced down towards Danielle. But she didn't seem to have heard the conversation, apparently lost in her own thoughts.

As Tucker and Sam continued to console Danny, Valerie's mind drifted to the new developments of the past several hours. Fenton was Phantom. Fenton and Danielle were clones, or, well, something akin to clones. Fenton was Phantom. Even though she had guessed it and even though she had seen it, the revelation was still shocking. Worse, Valerie was dealing with a gnawing guilt about the whole thing. Danny had explained away everything evil she had blamed Phantom for, leaving her to be the bad guy when she thought she had been the good guy. Could she really have messed up so terribly? Sure, Vlad was to blame for some, okay, most of the stuff. But she was the one who had let herself be fooled and manipulated by the creep. She was the one who had almost killed…

God, that was the worst part. The guilt of having contemplated and almost succeeding in murder. And not just any murder, but murder of a classmate, a friend! Valerie shook her head. She needed to apologize and ask forgiveness. That was the only way this nagging guilt was going to leave her. But Danny was stressing out about the big reveal. She'd have to bring it up afterwards.

At last, they arrived to the Fenton's front door. As Danny reached for the handle, Valerie reached out a hand to stop him. "Uh, Danny, if it's all the same to you, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell your parents about my suit. I've got enough problems dealing with my own dad. And I won't tell him about you either. Deal?"

"Sure, Val."

"Thanks."

Danny took a last deep breath, then turned the doorknob and proceed to cross the threshold into the living room. Valerie had only been in the Fenton household once before, during the Pariah Dark siege. A lot had happened that night - she'd met her benefactor, Vlad Masters, she'd learned that there were ghosts more evil than Phantom, and her dad had found out about her 'second job'. It was strange for her to be back here, this time without her suit or the urgency necessitated by a hostile spectral take-over.

"MOM? DAD? YOU GUYS HERE?" shouted Danny to the living room that was devoid of parents but littered with remnants of what Valerie supposed had been or were going to be ghost weapons of some sort. She shuddered. There was a loud clanging from the basement followed by a series of loud thuds increasing in volume until a door at the other end of the room burst open, revealing a large man dressed in bright orange.

"DANNY!" the man, who Val recognized to be Mr. Fenton, shouted boisterously. "You're home! On time! And with guests! Perfect, I can show them the new Fenton Ghost -"

"Now, now Jack. Let the kids relax a bit before you show them your invention." An auburn haired women materialized from the kitchen. She was brandishing a wooden spoon and sporting a chocolate stained apron atop the skin-tight hazmat suit that showed off a womanly figure that put Valerie's own curves to shame. "There's a fresh batch fudge in the fridge," she added. The remark was enough to send the orange-clad man scurrying to where Mrs. Fenton had just been, giving her a peck on the cheek as he passed. The woman rolled her eyes and let a small sigh escape the gentle smile on her face. She set down the spoon and began untying her apron as she proceeded to where the teens had gathered.

"Hi Mrs. Fenton!" greeted the techno-geek, still not looking up from his device.

"Hello Tucker, Sam, and, uh.."

At the hesitation, Danny jumped in. "Mom, you remember Valerie Gray, right? Her dad works at Axion and helped with the ghost king thing," he gestured towards Val. Taking her cue, Valerie extended her hand, "nice to see you again Mrs. Fenton." Eyes lighting up in recognition, the blue-clad woman pushed past the outstretched hand and enveloped her in a hug. "Damon's daughter, of course! Please, call me Maddie." Mrs. Fenton, er, Maddie, finally released Val from the hug. Danny chucked and Val sent him a glare that made him cringe. "Oh, I haven't seen you or your father in months," she continued, "we really should have you both over dinner sometime! Jack would enjoy having another person to 'talk shop' with."

"Wa wa at, weetie?" called Jack from the kitchen, his mouth apparently full of fudge.

"Danny's invited Damon's daughter over," Maddie called back. Jack made his way back to the living room and scooped up Val into her second hug of the day, to further snickers.

"And who's this?" he asked, reaching down to pull Danielle into a hug before she scampered away at the last minute to hide behind Val.

"Uh, this is Danielle, she's, uh, another friend," stammered Danny.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Danielle," said Maddie, refraining from a hug this time, based on her reaction to Jack. Instead, she simply shot the girl an understanding smile and gave her a slight nod.

Encouraged by the welcome, Danielle tentatively stepped around Val. "Actually," she piped up, speaking for the first time since they left the Nasty Burger, "it's Dani, with an i. And can I use your bathroom?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Maddie. "It's upstairs and down the hall past Danny's room on the left."

"I know. Uh, I mean, thanks." Dani blushed, then scurried up the stairs.

With Danielle gone, there was an awkward pause. Now or never, though Valerie, as she glanced at Danny, who was nervously shifting his balance between the balls of his feet. She was about to break the silence herself, when Jack interrupted the silence, causing the kids to start.

"Hey! Let's go see my new invention!" Grabbing the nearest teen, who happened to be Sam, the Fenton parent hurried towards the basement door, dragging a startled goth behind him. Danny, obviously afraid of leaving his not-girlfriend too long alone with his parents quickly followed, leaving Val, Tucker, and Maddie. The latter let out a groan. "I guess I should make sure he doesn't do anything stupid or deadly," she said, turning to follow the others. Valerie just watched them go. Is it always like this here? she wondered. As if reading her thoughts, Tucker replied, "Welcome to a normal day in Fentonville."