A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad so many people liked the previous chapter and didn't consider it just filler. I didn't, otherwise I wouldn't bother writing it because there's way too much important stuff I could be writing, but who knows, people just have different views on stuff. It's just that one of my favorite things to do with Danny Phantom stories is contrast the normal with the abnormal, like the Fenton dinner at PF Changs or Jazz joking to Danny about sleeping in late and then starting to talk about the Ghost Boy. It's those little things that I enjoy writing, so I like to include them. I don't know, maybe I'm just paranoid. Call me crazy, but I still get nervous posting a chapter, just incase people don't like it.

And here's a perfect example of my nerves, because this is the Danny/Valerie confrontation, which I know has been much anticipated since the beginning. I must have rewritten so many passages in this story it's not even funny. Don't be surprised to find out later that I rewrote it, yet again, but I just didn't think it was fair to continue to keep people waiting just because I can't make up my mind.

Chapter Seven
I Never Saw Us as Enemies

Danny walked down the streets of Amity, the glow of the orange streetlamps and the lights from the insides of houses lighting his way. He walked the familiar paths, lost in his own thoughts of what to say, what to do, trying to predict her reaction to seeing him at the door. The night was quiet, and Danny appreciated it, glad that there was no one out on the streets. Right now, he didn't feel like catering to fans.

He stopped dead in front of the apartment complex where she lived. He stared up at the building, knowing that behind one of the bright windows lay the one girl he wished he never had to talk to about such things, but she was also the one girl who he knew he had to talk to. He walked through the door and into the lobby until he reached the elevator, not paying the awed receptionist any attention. It seemed like only a second passed before the elevator reached her floor, and Danny stepped out, ready to face the inevitable. He walked down the hall and stopped at her door.

Never in his life did he think a door could look so imposing, so forbidding. He couldn't help feeling that he shouldn't be there, that what he was doing was completely foolish. Danny shut his eyes and thought of why he was there. He thought of not having to worry about fighting with her anymore, thought about being completely honest with her, thought about setting everything straight and clearing his name, thought about starting fresh and trying to be the friends he'd always wanted them to be. Empowered with these thoughts, he raised his arm and knocked on the door.

He heard shuffling and muffled voices as Danny stood there for what seemed like forever until he heard the door open and saw the familiar dark-skinned face emerge through the door, her aqua eyes wide as she beheld Danny.

"Hello Valerie," he stated as he tried to smile. She looked shocked and slammed the door in his face. Danny didn't quite know how to react to her sudden burst, but before he could think of an alternative that didn't result in him walking through the door, he heard the door open again to reveal Valerie's tearstained face looking back at him. She looked like she hadn't had a peaceful sleep since she found out. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes looked like she hadn't changed them in days. He noticed with joy that there was no ecto-gun in sight, but the joy was short lived as she stood in the doorway, right in front of him. All his remaining strength disappeared and he felt like he would crumble to the floor in fear, but he calmed himself, continuously convincing himself that this had to be done.

"What do you want?" she asked. Her voice sounded somewhat hurt, and yet angry and vicious at the same time.

"Look Val, I just…"

"Don't call me Val. That term is reserved for my friends," she spat bitterly.

"But I am your friend!" he argued, hurt by her comment.

"You were my friend, before you betrayed and lied to me," she stated as she closed the door again on him.

"Valerie? Valerie, please open the door," Danny pleaded. He had to talk to her. He hadn't come all this way just to get a door slammed in his face. "Valerie, please don't make me go through the door."

She hastily opened the door, her eyes tearing and angry. "Oh, so just because you're part ghost you think you can just waltz into people's houses whenever you want?"

"Listen Valerie, we need to talk."

"Oh, now you wanna talk, as opposed to before when you were just content with lying to me? How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because I brought this," Danny stated as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a mechanical silver and green belt. "It's a Specter Deflector, and I think from the name it's pretty self-explanatory."

"And how is this going to help?"

"It'll help because I'm giving it to you. It'll prevent me from even getting close to you, if that's what you want. I literally can't touch you while you're wearing it. You'll be armed, and I won't be. I promise, I just want to talk."

Valerie looked somewhat skeptical as she grabbed the Deflector and placed it around her waist and activated it.

"Alright, will you listen?" he asked and she nodded slightly. "Look, I know that this is a shock, and I know that you're probably really hurt and confused, but I promise that I didn't do this to betray you or hurt you in any way. I didn't become your friend just so I could trick you. In fact, Sam and Tucker didn't think our friendship would be a good idea since you were in reality out to kill me," Valerie looked wide-eyed at this statement. "Yeah, I know you're the other ghost hunter who's been after me. I've known since the beginning." Valerie continued to look shocked at this new piece of information. "But even still I wanted to make it work between us. I wanted, and I still want, to be friends with you, which is why I'm here. I just wanted to set things straight, and where we go from there can be your call.

Valerie continued to look at him, still hurt but no longer looking angry. Danny figured this was some kind of permission to continue.

"The whole thing with the ghost dog and all the unfortunate accidents that always seemed to happen to you to make your bad situation even worse weren't my fault. I found the ghost dog and I thought it was harmless, since it has this whole Jekyll and Hyde thing going on, so I didn't do anything with it, but as soon as it started destroying things I started chasing after it. Well, it ran to the lab and as I tried to capture it, we kinda made a mess, thus costing your dad his job, which I felt, and still feel, really bad about.

"I know it's sorta my fault and I know that if I would have just captured the dog in the beginning none of it would have happened, but I never intended to destroy your life. For some reason the dog just kept wanting to follow you around. I finally figured out that he was a lab dog that your dad's company had killed and he just came back from the dead to find his squeaky toy. Kinda cute, huh?" Danny smiled, but it quickly faded as he saw Valerie's expression. "I guess not. The point is, it wasn't my fault. I've never been out to ruin your life or rather anyone's life for that matter. Now, I know that our rivalry has since then gone beyond that of the whole dog fiasco, but I promise you that I never meant to do or hurt anyone, especially you. You have to believe me."

Danny waited as Valerie processed the information. He didn't really know how to react, but he knew he had to wait and accept whatever she chose, no matter the outcome.

"So you've known this whole time?"

"Yeah."

"And you never told anyone, not even at the press conference?"

"No."

"Why? I mean, we're enemies, why wouldn't you?"

"Maybe because I never saw us as enemies. I never wanted to hurt you, or fight you for that matter. Most of the times I tried to capture the ghost and then fly away as fast as I could before you got there. I hate fighting you. And plus, I had my own secrets, and I wouldn't like them being blabbed out all over the community. Although, it still happened anyways so it really doesn't matter, but you get the idea. The point is, it wasn't my secret to tell, and I respect people's desires to have secrets," he added with a slight smile.

"So, all those times we were fighting, you were never trying to hurt me?"

"No. I mostly tried to take out the glider because then you'd spin out of control long enough for me to get away. Like I said, I never wanted to hurt you."

Valerie and Danny stood in silence, not really knowing what to say to each other. Danny still felt extremely nervous, still not knowing what to expect.

"So even after all the times I tried to kill you, you still wanted to be friends?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I still wanted to be friends with you. I thought non-ghost hunter Valerie was cool and nice and someone I'd like to hang around with. Ghost hunter Valerie, I could do without," he added with a smirk. "I hoped that I could separate my two different lives from each other, but clearly I wasn't doing a very good job of it. But, that's not really what matters. All I wanted to say was that I still would really like to be friends, if you still want to. I leave the choice up to you and I'll respect whatever you choose. If you want to be friends, that'll be great, but if you don't and want me to stay away from you at all times, I'll do that too. It's your decision. I just hope that you can see that even though I may be Danny Phantom, I'm still first and foremost Danny Fenton."

Danny studied Valerie's face and he could tell she was having a hard time with everything. They'd been through a lot, and it was a lot for her to process. Maybe she just needed some time to think it over? Then again, maybe she was just trying to think of a nice way to say that she never wanted to see him again? Or she could be trying to decide where the nearest ecto-gun was hidden? As the minutes dragged on Danny's worry and apprehension increased. Finally, he just couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright, well, I'll let you think it over. I probably should be getting home. We have school tomorrow and…well…" he trailed off as he started walking towards the door.

"Danny," Valerie stated as she called after him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately, the Specter Deflector was still activated around her waist. Danny tried to stifle back a short scream as the electric current circulated through his body. "Oh my gosh Danny, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" she apologized quickly as she deactivated the belt and stood near him, making sure he was okay.

"Don't worry about it. I've had worse," Danny stated as the awkwardness returned.

"Listen, I just need some time to think, okay? It's just…a lot to go over and…I just need some time, alright?"

"Yeah, of course. I understand."

"But I can tell you one thing; I don't think I'll be hunting you anymore."

Danny smiled. "Thanks. You don't know how much I appreciate that."

The white rings of light formed around his waste and transformed him into Danny Phantom as Valerie gasped in spite of herself. He smiled at her and turned intangible as he flew through the ceiling and into the night sky, feeling a little apprehensive, but overall very relieved.

Skulker flew through a large dark room, devoid of any ghosts. He kept his ghost tracking monitor on, constantly looking out for ghosts. He didn't want the owner of this ghost lair to find him because the result would be disastrous, both to him and his new master.

He didn't know how he got hooked up with this new master, it all just happened so quickly. He was attacking the Ghost Child in the Ghost Zone the previous week and was hit by one of his annoying ecto-blasts and found himself inside this strange ghost dwelling. Then he heard the voice, the voice that chilled his ectoplasm. It beckoned him to come nearer. When he introduced himself, Skulker knew there was no escape, and after hearing the voice's request, he realized he had a new master, whether willingly or not.

He stopped and looked through his hunting glasses while consulting his PDA before turning and continuing down a hallway. He reached the end and floated off the ground, waiting for his new master to address him.

"Did you deliver the message?" the malicious voice asked as Skulker continued to stare into the darkness ahead of him.

"Yes Master," he answered obediently.

"Good, good. Soon, very soon, Danny Fenton will cease to exist," the voice stated as its evil chuckle echoed down the hall.