A/N: Well…so I uploaded on the 4th, but took a break on the 5th. Why didn't I update? Well…...Thursday morning, I finished the final touches of Ch. 1…and then I was bored, and didn't know what to do…so I went and bought Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright. Guess what I played through nearly without pause until I beat it? ….yeah…sorry about that, guys. On the bright side, it's an awesome game. :D

I should clarify: I have NEVER been on a cruise, so…if there are errors, I apologize. Anyway…without further ado…Chapter 2! As always, read/review/fav/follow and ENJOY!

Chapter #2: Old Jokes and Memories

"So here we are…"

"Yep."

"By ourselves."

"Yeah."

"…and you're playing on your PDA," Valerie frowns, lying back on the chaise in the Mayor's office. Tucker sits at his desk, typing rapidly.

"I wouldn't call it 'playing,'" he snips back, glaring over his glasses, "The main computer is down after an attack by Technus, so I have to do my research on this."

"Research for what?"

"I'm trying to work out some kinks to a ghost-hunting license."

"Why?" she sits up, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

He removes his glasses massages the bridge of his nose, "you know that there's a Ghost Hunters' convention gathering in Amity Park this week, right?"

"Yeah, it's why we thought it was a great idea for Danny to go on that cruise with Sam. No one's going to be shooting him."

"Face it, Val," he sighs, "most ghost hunters outside of Amity Park have no idea what they're doing. We don't need people who think they know what they're doing running amok. A few of them showed up early," he groans, his face in his hands, "The Nasty Burger lost two tables over the Box Ghost."

She grimaces, "Yeah, okay, you have a point there. What's he doing in Amity anyway? Didn't he just get married?"

"Yeah," he snorts, "What's up with that? …On the bright side, he may have provided reasonable cause to require permits for ghost hunting around here."

"'The senseless damage caused by reckless use of anti-ghost weaponry led to the destruction of property due to the lack of knowledge about the town's ghosts,' something like that?" she imitates.

"I can't remove all ecto-weaponry though; the citizens around here need them. So I'll just have to classify 'self-defense' weapons and 'hunting' weapons, and make licenses necessary for all hunting-class weapons. The test should consist of proper weapon usage and knowledge of local spooks and their typical haunts. Available to everyone sixteen or older."

"Welcome to Amity Park, where you can get a ghost-hunting license with your drivers'!"

He laughs, "Yeah, something like that."

She pats the chaise with an expectant look.

"I have work, Val–"

"You need a break."

"Val–" he growls warningly as she takes his hand and drags him over and drops him on the chaise.

"Tuck," she growls back, reclining him back before leaning against his chest, the back of her head resting in the crook of his neck. He frowns down at her, earning a smile in return, and sighs. His hand wraps around her waist and he pulls his feet up from the floor.

"You're so bossy."

"You need someone to boss you around every once in a while."

He grunts noncommittally, his eyes already slipping closed, "I…really should be working."

"I'll think about it while you get some sleep. I know my ecto-weapons too."

"…you know…I think I got that sexy secretary I needed…"

"…what?"

"It's an old joke," he mutters, his thumb brushing her shoulder, "Don't worry about it."

She listens as his breathing deepens and slows, his thumb slowing to a halt. She allows her eyes to wander to his neck, where a thin scar can be seen – only if someone knows to look for it. She wonders how he got it and how bad it was; it apparently wasn't life-threatening, but it easily could have been.

The two of them have been together for over a year now, a year full of bickering, banter, and battles they've had to fight together. It's odd to think that a little more than a year ago, the Tucker she thought she knew turned out to be someone else entirely. Sometimes, the dorky technogeek with a love of meat seems like a stranger. In his place is a competent leader and organizer, with a piercing gaze and a sharp mind; the Tucker that most people don't know, as though forgetting that he's the mayor.

She glances over at his desk, where papers are piled haphazardly to one side, in stacks she knows represent 'review', 'yes', and 'absolutely not.' Another, smaller stack rests to one side, waiting to be sorted. She disentangles herself and sits, snatching one from the waiting pile.

She can at least tell which ones can go into the 'absolutely not' pile, right?

-BREAK-

Jeremy Manson watches his daughter carefully, her eyes glowing brightly as she chats with her boyfriend. He can't help but feel that his little girl has changed so much since moving to Amity Park; for the better.

She'd started her 'Goth' lifestyle at the beginning of middle school, as a rebellion against their bright and cozy life. Despite having anything she could have wanted, she was clearly miserable. She'd never brought friends home, was always in trouble – though she always swore she was innocent, and he believed her, except for the time the local school's lab frogs went missing; that, he was certain she was responsible for. Regardless, it was obvious she didn't get along with the kids at her school. When work had taken him to Amity Park, an area much smaller – though relatively wealthy – she'd seemed almost…excited.

He can still recall how excited she looked when she got home after her first day of school. Even the usually quiet and stand-offish Sam had become talkative, telling her parents over dinner about her two friends. While he was a little worried that they were both boys – a worry any father is prone to have – it comforted him to know that she was making friends. She'd talked a little about the goofy and egotistical Tucker Foley, disliking his obsession with meat but still respecting his decision – though even now, she finds it a little excessive. She'd spoken to great length about Daniel Fenton, the black-haired blue-eyed boy who'd greeted her with a smile, not even raising an eyebrow at her…eccentric style.

In a way, Danny Fenton had put a smile on her face from the day they met that had never really left.

He wakes from his ruminations to see his wife's scowl as the two teens stride onto the boat. Perhaps Danny's family isn't exactly…normal, or high-class, but they've raised a good kid. While he's worried about his little girl's heart getting broken, he can't really see someone so polite and adoring doing so intentionally. He always gets the feeling that there's something more to Danny than most people realize, but he just can't put his finger on it. To be honest, as he looks at them, he can't help but feel like the two of them were meant for one another.

Pam, on the other hand, still glowers at the two. Wasn't this supposed to just be a phase?! She wants to demand of the psychologist she'd consulted about her wayward daughter. Her rebellion was just supposed to be a phase, she'd said. She was Goth because it was the opposite of her parents. She dated and hung out with that boy because it made them angry. It'd been two years of friendship, and then she'd upgraded to dating him around a year-and-a-half ago. Pam takes a deep breath to calm herself.

Sam had been infatuated with the boy from day one. Jeremy may have only seen a girl excited to have friends, she'd noticed immediately the way she purposefully mentioned his eyes, and how they stood out against his naturally pitch-black hair. It was only a little, but it was enough for any mother to understand; a woman's intuition. Part of her had hoped that she would slowly become more feminine to draw his attention, but it made no difference. She's remained as she was, and has acquired the boy of her dreams anyway.

He will ruin her life; she's certain of it. His parents are a pair of eccentric ghost-nuts who run around in jumpsuits, for crying out loud! Granted, the Fentons – while not rich – are not exactly poor either. Their inventions sell rather well, and their home is filled with the latest security equipment; poor men do not state-of-the-art labs own. Regardless, the owners of said labs are clinically insane, and the resulting children are bound for insanity someday.

She watches as a security guard jumps as a box floats into the air. Danny appears exasperated, slapping the offending specter away nonchalantly, muttering something about 'no ghosts.' The ghost gives one last shout before fleeing at the amethyst and ice glares leveled in its direction. The guard stares at the pair in surprise as they apologize for the trouble and board the vessel.

Doomed; her daughter is doomed.