BVQA: Yeah. . . uh. . . don't really have an excuse for not writing. . . but I'm giving Dani a- mmph!

Dani: *covers BVQA's mouth* Don't tell them NOW or they won't read the chapter!

Dani's thoughts groggily dragged themselves out of the trash can and poked her brain a couple times. Dani was struck with the sudden realization that she was awake, followed immediately by the violent denial of the aforementioned fact.

I'm sleeping. Dani firmly thought. I'm still asleep.

There was a large thump on her bed that attempted to convince her otherwise, then a voice. Jazz's voice.

"Dani? You're really going to hate me for this, but there's something downstairs that you are not going to want to see but really need to."

But Dani was too busy being asleep.

"Dani, if you don't get up I'm going to get Danny to throw a chunk of ice in your bed. It's only two in the afternoon! If you fall asleep now it'll mess up your sleeping patterns for weeks!"

Sleeping patterns or no sleeping patterns, the only thing that was getting Dani out of bed was a full-scale invasion of reporters. She'd been having a nice dream and really, really wanted to get back to it posthaste.

"Dani!" Jazz yelled right in her ear. "Someone's downstairs offering you your own TV show!"

Suddenly, Dani was feeling wide awake.

LINE BREAK

"Oh, you must be Danielle!" The lady said. Dani looked her up and down. She was wearing a black suit, so she wasn't with the GIW, and her red hair was in twin pigtails- an unusual feature on adults, to say the least. Her eyes were green- not neon like Dani's, but a nice dark color with flecks of gold. Freckles dotted her cheeks, her smile was sincere, and she wasn't caked in makeup like some adults Dani had met. She also wasn't using that 'cutesy' voice that most people used to talk to little kids and she wasn't trying to give Dani candy to bribe her into being her friend.

Dani decided she liked the red-haired lady.

"Can I call you Dani? Or do you have another nick-name you prefer?" The lady asked. Dani smiled.

"Just Dani is fine. What's your name?"

"Katey. With an 'ey', not a 'y' or an 'ie'. Did your older sister already tell you that I want to give you your own TV show?"

Dani nodded. "Yep. Any particular reason why you want to give a kid like me her own television show? I'm not sure what I'd do with a television show, actually. . ."

Katey smiled. "Well, all you'd have to do is show up and be yourself. The camera and lighting crew could handle the rest. All I'd need is an 'ok' from your parents."

Jack poked his head into the room from where Maddy was baking cookies in the kitchen. "We're her parents! We're the most parental parents ever!"

Maddy sighed. Dani could hear her all the way in the living room. "Jack, I'll handle this. . . you have a cookie."

"Yum! Fudgernutter!" Jack exclaimed, and disappeared back into the kitchen. Katey leaned towards Dani and whispered an urgent question.

"Is it always like this over here?"

Dani shrugged. "Pretty much. They're the most loving parents in the world, but a bit quirky. Quirky's ok, though. I mean, I am half ghost."

Maddy walked into the living room, drying her hands on a dishtowel. "So, what's this I hear about you wanting to give Dani her own show? We've been trying to keep her out of the public eye, not catapult her into it."

Katey smiled. "I completely understand. In fact, that's why I want to give her her own show. Dani's little run-in with the press is already plastered all over the media, including several misrepresentations and outright lies. The thing is, if Dani gets her own TV show, the reporters won't have as much to do. If Dani's telling the world about herself, there's not much point in the other reporters going after old news, right?"

Maddy nodded. "I guess. But I want to have Dani's agent look over the contract before we agree to anything."

Dani raised her eyebrows. "I have an agent?" She asked. Maddy laughed under her breath.

"I was talking about Sam, dear."

Dani shrugged. "I think she's pretty lawyered-out, but she might be able to handle some agentry."

"Then it's settled!" Katey exclaimed. She pulled a sheaf of papers out of her pocket and handed them to Dani's mom, adding a business card to the stack a moment later.

"Call me when you're ready to talk, ok? We can get to work whenever you want, and we're absolutely prepared to arrange our schedule to fit yours." Katey beamed at Dani. "You're going to be a star, kid! I've only known you for a few minuets, and I can already tell! You've got a bubbly, infectious personality and you seem prepared to tackle any challenge. Hang onto those traits, Dani. You'll need them."

And with that Katey swept out the door, leaving a general air of cheerfulness behind her. Dani and Maddy looked at each other in silence for a moment, then Maddy spoke.

"So. . . Dani. . ." She began, then they both began shouting at the same time.

"I'm gonna be on TV!" Dani shrieked. "My own show!"

Maddy looked like she was about to start crying tears of joy. "My little girl. . . a star! Katey was right, you know. . . you do have a bubbly personality. I've never met anyone who didn't like you. . . well, except for Vlad."

Dani's mood darkened slightly at the sound of his name. "Vlad. . . I wonder what he's up to. . ."

Neither one noticed the small, metallic bug watching their every move from it's vantage-point on the wall.

LINE BREAK

Vlad Masters tapped the computer console with the tips of his gloved fingers. He couldn't believe that Samantha had held up this long against the GIW's best men, but that was all about to change. All he needed was indisputable proof that Dani was committing thefts, and then he could finally claim her as his own. . .

It wasn't so much that he wanted Dani on his side. . . even when she'd been twelve, she'd been a nuisance to his plans. No, the real reason he couldn't stand allowing her to roam free was that she was making waves in the world without even trying. Honestly, if she wanted to get him kicked out of mayor's office then all she would have to do is tell her repulsive fanboys to do so. There were millions of them all over the world, as Dani had the impression of being both easier to approach and just as strong as her genetic original. Vlad shuddered.

"Dani, it seems we have some more work to do destroying your reputation. . ." Vlad said. There was a hiss as twin doors slid open, then a disgusting slurping noise as someone entered the room with a slushy.

"Good. I was getting bored." She said, and Vlad swiveled his chair to face her. The girl brushed her white bangs back from her head and bound her hair up in a ponytail.

"Come on, Dad." Dani Phantom said. "Let's give them all heck!"

BVQA: Dun dun dun!