A/N: No, it's not your imagination, and no, it's not some mirage designed by your brain to trick you. It is actually up (dies of heart attack) Trust me, I'm as excited to finally get this up as you are to see it up:)

So, to begin my plethora of apologies and excuses, I am insanely, unendingly sorry for the delay. I know I promised never to have such a long wait again, only to follow such a promise with one that took even longer to update, but I assure you I had no desire for this to happen. I had to take three weeks away from writing anything due to midterms (which were absolutely horrible) and plus this chapter is very angsty (as you can all probably guess) so it took awhile to write as well. So really it only took me three weeks to write, not counting the three weeks I spent studying continuously. Still, I know it's no excuse, but at least you understand the delay... I really, truly am sorry and I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive the long wait.

And of course I want to thank everyone profusely for your unending support of this story, specifically those of you who review. I mean 780 reviews? I can honestly say I have never dreamed one of my measly attempts at fanfiction could amass such a large number of reviews, but I thank you regardless. You are all far, far too kind (hugs for you all!)

So without further ado (since there's been enough of a gap already) I present the next fun and angsty chapter.

Chapter Twenty-One
Guilt

The new Team Phantom, with Plasmius in tow, was about to head out of the house, to assist Danny and save him from the one-on-one verbal battle with his evil self, when Jazz gasped at the display on the television. Everyone immediately turned around, fearing the worst, catching the screen just as Dan brutally, mercilessly, and enjoyably snapped the neck of the reporter that had blown Danny's secret. Jazz placed her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide in horror as they heard the feral crack of the reporter's neck bone even through the television. They watched in revulsion as Dan casually dropped him to the floor, watched in dread as he taunted Danny, watched in terror as he picked him up and threw him at Danny, watched in shock as Danny dropped the body and flew as fast as he could away from Dan, his laughter following him, taunting his retreating figure.

Seconds passed, minutes passed, nobody knew what to do, what to say, how to react. They were all simply stunned, ravaged with so many feelings they couldn't keep them all straight: shock at what they'd seen, fear of Dan, sorrow for the deceased reporter, and sympathy for Danny. If this is how they were feeling they could only imagine how Danny felt being subjected to all the cruel torture in person.

"We have to find Danny," Jazz stated, the first to find her voice after watching the horrible display on the television. "He needs us."

Maddie nodded, stepping forward and shutting off the television, unable to think rationally as she watched the man who tortured her son, only thinking of the tortures she wanted to inflict on him every time she saw that monstrous face. She turned to face the stunned members in the room, the people who were going to help Danny through this unexpected trauma. "Jack, go get the Fenton Ghost Tracker," she demanded grimly as he nodded in compliance. "We'll need it to track him down. The rest of you, into the GAV, and start prepping for a much needed pep talk."

The family rushed off to follow orders, Plasmius choosing to stay behind, feeling it wouldn't be prudent for him to join them in the pep talk, which of course was fine with them. The less they had to do with him, the better.

Soon they were loaded into the GAV, the tracker locked on a moving signal. Jack started the engine and careened out of the drive way, following the signal that would lead them towards the one that desperately needed them.

Danny kept flying. He wouldn't stop, he couldn't. If he stopped, he'd have to think, have to remember, have to feel. As long as the wind continued to whip across his face, as long as he continued to put distance between him and the body of the man he was responsible for killing, he would be okay.

It was his fault, all of it. The reporter's death, the destruction of the town, he was responsible for all of it, and he wasn't referring to himself in the future. If only he had stopped Dan sooner, if only he had decided to go straight to fighting instead of the taunts that ended up in an innocent man's death, if only he was never weak enough to create Dan at all.

He shook his head, blinking fresh tears from his eyes. He couldn't think about this. There was no way he could have known what would have happened. It all made sense before when they were planning things out, and he never thought or even imagined things would progress this far. He had been concerned about the lives of his family, because that was what he thought had been at stake. The poor reporter who now lay dead on the floor in front of Dan didn't even cross his mind as a possible sacrifice.

But that still didn't change the fact that he was. He was dead and gone and there was nothing he could do to change that. The time for changing it had long since passed…

No he thought harshly, pushing the flood of memories threatening to break free back into the corner of his mind that he had trapped them in. He wasn't going to let them out, all the feelings of remorse, guilt, shock, sadness, fear, anger. They had to stay inside, he didn't want to remember them. He would push them back as long as he could, anything to prevent remembering the sight of the light leaving Massey's eyes.

"No," he commanded himself aloud, trying once more to solidify the boundaries of the prison for his thoughts. He couldn't let them sneak out like that. He needed to concentrate on something, something that would distract him, provide him with some amount of comfort. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the feeling of the wind against his face. That feeling had always calmed him, made him feel better, helped him lose himself on troubled midnight flights through the sky. Just the calming feeling of the wind caressing his face, flowing through his hair as it breathed across his face helped him lose himself in the memories of how much he loved this feeling. A feeling Massey could never experience again.

Because Massey was dead.

Danny stopped flying, placing his hands to his eyes. "Stop it!" he yelled. He tried to trap the thoughts back into his mind, but he couldn't. The small fissure that had been letting the trickle of thoughts through his strong fortress was under siege, and after repeated pressure from his repressed thoughts, it burst, his feelings, thoughts, and memories pouring out like water out of a ruptured dam.

He saw Dan's foreboding figure, remembering the fear he felt as he first confronted him. He saw Dan's smirking face, hearing the taunts as they echoed through his mind, feeling the hurt from the comments once again. He saw Skulker bring Massey out as Dan slithered his powerful hands around his neck, his frightened eyes darting around as they came to rest on his own, begging for him to help, to do something. He remembered the feeling of helplessness, of despair, of fear, and the powerlessness of being unable to stop it. He saw the maniacal, sadistic glint in Dan's eyes, knowing what he was going to do before he even did it…

"No! Stop it! Please, stop it!" Danny cried, tears pouring out of his eyes.

But they didn't stop; he couldn't stop them. They just kept coming. He heard the visceral crack of Massey's neck, recalling the feelings of shock and horror at the action. He saw the light leave Massey's eyes as they continued to stare at him, as they died staring at him. He felt the cold stillness of the body in his hands. He saw the horrified face of the dead reporter looking up at him, the vision frozen in his mind.

"Please stop!" Danny screamed again, taking off at top speed as he cried. He felt himself dropping in altitude, unable to stay afloat, unable to concentrate, unable to think about anything other than the memories and the pains associated along with them.

He found sanctuary in a small forest clearing. He landed and sank onto the floor, propped up against a tree as he curled up and bawled into his knees, wrapping his arms around them for comfort, changing himself into his human form.

It was all his fault. It was his fault Massey was dead, that he would no longer be able to experience joy, laughter, happiness, or even sadness or anger. He could no longer feel anything. He was dead and he, Daniel Fenton, was to blame.

Why didn't he listen to Massey before? Why didn't he let him keep the identity a secret? He was so adamant about it, not disclosing Dan's identity, no matter how much Danny begged him for it. He only gave in after Danny guilted him into revealing it. He obviously had to have known it would put him in danger if he revealed it, and Danny forced him to. He had forced Massey into sacrificing his life, just so he could know who was responsible for blowing his secret and feel partially complete, feel at least a little consolation knowing who caused him so much suffering.

But it wasn't worth it. In the end, he would still rather not know that Dan had set the whole thing up rather than Massey lying dead on the cold asphalt while he, Danny, was the one to blame.

He shouldn't have forced it out of him! He should have just let it be! Why didn't he just listen to Massey? He just had to know so he could remedy the situation, and now Massey was dead because of it. He could have just let it go, he could have just left, and Massey would still be alive. He would have found out it was Dan eventually by his appearance, so it was all for naught.

Massey died in vain, because of his stupid, rash mistakes and his craving for vengeance.

But even if he still had stupidly forced the information out of Massey, he was to blame for his death again. He had heard the tape, had heard the threat by Dan at the end. Why hadn't he paid more heed to Dan's warning in the tape? If he was paying attention he could have protected Massey, considered him as a possible sacrifice. He could have given him the Specter Deflectors, put a ghost shield around his home and office. Then Skulker never would have been able to grab him and thus Dan never would have been able to kill him. He would still be in the safe, ghost free environment, alive. His stupid mistakes had again doomed him to his death. If he had only been thinking clearly, he could have prevented it, again.

In the end it was most assuredly his fault. He had two chances to protect Massey, to prevent this from happening, and he blew it on both of them. Some kind of hero he was. He couldn't even save the people around him.

Although it didn't matter anymore. The town wouldn't want him as a hero now anyways, not after seeing what he would become, and what he could do. The whole town was going to shun him just like his family had. They would disassociate themselves with him, stay away from him, look at him in fear and disappointment, all the while knowing that whenever they looked at him, they were looking at the boy that would eventually turn into the monster that was now demolishing the town. Even if he found some way to stop him, they would still see him that way, still see him as the one that at any moment could turn into that and destroy the town, and they'd have no way to stop him.

He knew he wouldn't turn into Dan. The pep talk his family had given him before had convinced him. He wasn't evil and he wouldn't let himself become that which he hated most, especially after Massey's death. But the town didn't know that, didn't believe that, and they never would, no matter what he could say to them. It didn't work on his family, and it wouldn't work on strangers. He would forever be branded as an evil ghost, and that evil stigma would carry over to his school life. Instead of looking at him in admiration, they would look and cower in fear, seeing Dan in his stead. He wouldn't be able to go anywhere without that stigma upon him, and it would follow him for the rest of his life. Everywhere he went, no matter whether he was ghost or human, those looks and thoughts would follow him.

He hugged his legs tighter, visions of both the brutal murder and the look of the town playing freely in his brain as he continued to cry into his knees, trying to find solace in something, but realizing there was nothing to take solace in…

The GAV stopped outside a distant forest, Danny's signal coming from inside it. They quickly jumped out, rushing through the forest, the tracker and the sound of crying leading them through the forest to their son, their friend, their brother, their hero.

They broke into the clearing and saw Danny huddled against a tree, lifting his dull and puffy eyes up from his knees, looking at his family. The normally bright, crystal blue of his eyes had faded to a dull, cloudy blue resembling a cloudy sky before a storm, leaden down with despair.

"Oh my God, sweetie!" Maddie sobbed, rushing over to her son, scooping him up into her arms as he cried into her shoulder. The rest of the family rushed in behind her, each crowding in around Danny. They remained in their embrace for what seemed like hours, purely transferring their comfort and warmth to Danny as he continued to sob into his mother's shoulder, expunging himself of all his agony and desolation.

Finally they pulled apart, Maddie holding him at arm's length as she ran her hand through his hair, Jazz offering him a tissue.

Danny took it, wiping his tear-stained face. "Ho-how did you guys…never mind," he finished, seeing the discarded Fenton Tracker on the ground.

"We knew we had to find you," Maddie stated. "We-we saw the news and, we just had to come after you."

Danny nodded. He was grateful they had come, he needed them here with him now, to help him deal with all the pain, the guilt, the anguish.

"And we came to let you know that everything is going to—" Maddie started to comfort before Danny shook himself out of his mother's grip.

"No, don't even start to say that everything is going to be okay. It's not."

"But Danny—"

"How can it be okay? Massey's dead, Dan's terrorizing the city, and it's all my fault!" he cried.

"Danny, this is not your fault," Jazz stated adamantly.

"Yes it is! It's all my fault! Massey never would have been killed if it weren't for me!"

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do. On that tape, Dan threatened him, told him not to reveal the source or else he'd hurt him, and not only did I not pay attention to it when I should have, but I forced Massey into giving me the recording. I guilted him into giving me something that would end his life."

"Danny, you had more important things to worry about when you heard that recording," Jazz comforted.

"More important than someone's life?" he spat back.

"Danny, when Tucker and I heard the tape we didn't pay any attention to the content of the tape, we just concentrated on his voice. Once we heard it, we knew what it meant, and we didn't pay any attention to what he said, just the fact that he was the one saying it, and I'm sure you did the exact same thing," Sam consoled. "You're not to blame for it, just like we're not to blame. None of us paid any attention to the content until it was too late."

He realized she was right. He didn't pay attention to the content. He never even listened to the instructions; he just let the voice fill his head as memories of the owner of that voice accompanied it. He didn't remember the threat until it was too late. But that didn't matter. That only explained one way he contributed to Massey's death.

"But what about forcing the tape out of him in the first place? I'm sure he listened to the content of the tape, he had to have known that he would die if he gave it over, and I guilted him into it! I guilted him into his own death!"

"Danny, you didn't force him to do anything," Jazz stated.

"Yes I did! He didn't want to give it to me but I kept pestering him for it, yelling at him for it. I was yelling at him to hand over the tape that would lead to his death!" he cried, angry tears pouring from his eyes.

Jazz grabbed onto his shoulders, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Danny, listen to me. You did not force him. I was there, I saw it. You talked to him, you told him how important the tape was and how much it would mean getting it, but ultimately the choice was his and his alone. He could have continued to refuse you, he could have thrown you out of the building, but instead he decided to go against the warning and give you the tape anyways.

"He knew what he was doing. To say he was stupid enough to give you the recording without knowing what could happen would be an insult to his memory. He knew that if he gave it to you he would likely end up dead at Dan's hands, but he didn't care. He still gave you the tape."

"But why? Why'd he have to do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? He did it for you. He was willing to sacrifice his life to help right yours. All the reasons for why you wanted the tape became his reasons for why he wanted to risk his life for your cause. He believed in you and what you stood for, and to make it up to you, he gave you that recording."

"But I didn't want him to sacrifice his life for me!" Danny bawled, the hurt and agony piling up inside his chest. "If I would have known I never would have let him give me that tape! I never would have let him sacrifice himself!"

"I know, but that's not your choice to make. It was his choice. It was his life, and you can't stop him from giving up his life for you any more than we can stop you from you giving yours for us."

"But it wasn't like it even did us any good!"

"What are you talking about Danny?" his mother asked. "Of course it did us some good. We found out who was behind blowing your secret."

"We could have found that out when he started terrorizing the town like he is now."

"But we wouldn't have been prepared," Maddie pointed out. "By receiving the tape we were prepared, we knew it was him and we knew what to do incase he showed up."

"I'd rather not have a plan than to have Massey's life in danger."

"Danny, do you really think Dan would have shown himself if it weren't for Massey?" Jazz asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Strategically, Dan had everything going for him before you found out it was him. He had you wallowing in misery, with probably more plans to make you even more miserable, all the while he would continue operating secretly within the thermos so you never knew he was behind it. There was no reason for him to ever come out. If his ultimate goal is to turn you into himself, then he could have continued doing it without direct involvement, and you would continue becoming miserable, not knowing that this was the cause. But when you found out Dan was responsible, you realized that the misery was just a way to try to turn you evil, and you promised to fight it, like you have been since you found out about him.

"Finding out about him ruined his plan. He was banking on the fact that you didn't know it was him, but as soon as you did, he had to change his plans, accelerating them and doing something drastic, like releasing himself and challenging you, killing Massey to not only fulfill his threat, but to make you miserable.

"If Massey didn't give you the tape, you would still be in the dark, not knowing who was behind this, and having no way to stop the downward spiral into desolation that he was planning. But now, now you can fight him, defeat him, have a chance to fix what he screwed up! And Massey giving you that tape and in turn forfeiting his life gave you that chance. He gave you the chance for happiness, the happiness that he had unintentionally originally taken away from you."

"There was no other way it could have played out for the better Danny," Tucker comforted. "This is the best scenario possible, and Massey knew that."

"How can this be the best scenario?" Danny asked. "How can the entire town seeing Dan and now knowing that he exists along with Massey being dead the best scenario?"

"Think about it Danny, would you really want him to still be in the thermos, silently working out his plans to make you miserable. He was planning on turning everyone against you eventually. I mean, blowing the secret, Infuriator, the appearance of our family and eventual separation from them, it was all probably part of his plan to make you miserable from the sidelines. He was going to slowly take everyone that ever trusted you and turn them against you, and being you, he would know exactly how to do it too. Trust me Danny, it's better this way."

"But it's still turning everyone against me!"

"Yes, but this time it's different. This time, you can fight him back. This time the people can see you fighting it, while if he remained on the sidelines they'd never see the grand plan."

"If they even want me to fight for them anymore…"

"Of course they do Danny, why wouldn't they?" Jazz asked, taken aback. She wasn't expecting an outburst like this.

"They all think I'm evil!" he cried. "Why would they want someone with a future like mine protecting them?"

"Danny, we've already been through this; that's not your future because you're never going to turn into him."

"But the public doesn't know that! They all think I'm him, think I'm going to turn into him!"

"Danny, they don't all think that…"

"Of course they do! You weren't there, you didn't see the way they looked at me while Dan was talking!"

"Danny, I told you that you shouldn't let Dan's taunts get to you. They don't mean anything and he'll just say anything to get you worked up."

"I didn't, I didn't need to. It wasn't what he said to me that's the problem; it's what the rest of the town heard and what they thought."

Jazz sighed. "Danny, I'm sure most of them were just shocked. A lot of them know you, they're your classmates, your friends, your teachers, people you see and save all the time. I'm sure once all this is over you'll go back to school and things will be back to the way they were before Dan attacked."

Danny shook his head. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Technically, everything we're saying is trying to make you feel better," Tucker pointed out.

Danny groaned. "You know what I mean. You're just making it up to make me feel better. You don't really mean it."

"Danny, I wouldn't—"

"My own grandparents wouldn't see past it, and they didn't even have the proof in front of their faces, and you think some random people in the town that I go to school with or order food from at the Nasty Burger are going to see past him? Somehow, I don't think so."

The family remained silent, not knowing exactly how to dispute his claim which, unfortunately, was very truthful. Danny noticed this, his mood dropping. He knew this was the truth, but he had still hoped they would have something to say, something that he wasn't seeing. That was usually the point of these talks: they would find what he was missing and remind him of it and he would leave feeling better. So where was that missing piece of information or proof, showing that he was just doubting himself or just being pessimistic? Or was there really nothing for them to say?

"You guys see it too don't you? If they weren't willing to see it, the town won't either."

Jazz sighed. "Look, I'll be honest with you Danny, there are probably a lot of people that aren't going to believe you when you say that you're not going to turn into him, but those are probably going to be the same people who didn't think you were good before Dan even showed up. You've dealt with the entire town being against you before, still fighting and still doing what you know is right, so why should it be any different now? So what, now they have proof, what does it matter? They were already thinking it without proof in the first place."

"Yeah, but I won't have a break from it now. I can't just hide out as Danny Fenton, away from the fearful looks and untrusting reactions, because they know I'm Phantom too, and thus evil."

"Danny sweetie, honestly, we don't have an answer for you," Maddie apologized. "We don't know how the town's going to react to this, and we can only guess as to what they're going to do. There was a reason Dan chose to do this because he knew that it would affect the town and thus affect you. But you have to be stronger and rise above him, show him that it doesn't affect or scare you, let him know that you're still willing to go on, regardless of what he does or shows the public."

"Besides Danny, when you fight him and when you beat him, the town will see that," Sam pointed out.

"They'll see that you're not only denouncing Dan, but that you're fighting him, challenging him and his existence, and while I'm not guaranteeing that it'll convince everyone, I know it will convince a lot of people. Plus, by fighting him, you'd be a hero, saving the town from the enemy destroying it, even if it is yourself, and they'll have to admit that while you may possibly have a dark future, you're a hero in the present, and that's all that will matter," Jazz comforted, giving his hand a sympathetic squeeze.

Danny smiled, the first glimmer of hope rising up inside him. She had done it, she had found that missing piece of information needed to counter his pessimism, the ray of sunshine to pierce his storm cloud of doubts. He let go of her hand and gave her a warm hug. He knew he could count on her, on all of them, to help him, to give him a little boost. It wasn't complete and it didn't comfort all his depressing thoughts, but it did help him to think straighter, find a way to push the thoughts out of his mind better than he had done earlier when he was trying to run. He had found a way to deal, found a way to wrap his mind around the memories, guilt, and fear, and accept parts of them, understanding they were beyond his control or that there was nothing he could do. And while there were still parts he couldn't deal with and didn't have answers to, like Massey's death or what the town would think of him after all this was over, he had at least managed to push them out of his brain until later, when he had time to properly deal with them.

His family hugged him back, seeing some of the clouds in his eyes dissipate. They had done their job. They had helped him, and nothing could make them happier. Their hero was back and ready to take his stand, against both Dan and his new negative reputation.

They were just starting to break apart, ready to give comforting words before heading into battle when a voice from the clearing made them all turn to face the newcomer.

"Sorry to interrupt but, we need to talk."

Valerie had actually been doing her homework in front of the television that day, the first time she'd actually sat down to do her homework for a long time. She had to admit it was definitely a welcome feeling. It reminded her of how it felt before she started ghost hunting, doing her homework, getting good grades, having time to herself. Now that she knew Danny was Phantom, she didn't have to spend every night searching for him or training for when she did manage to find him. She could finally have some time to relax, get things together, balance her life like she'd been trying to do ever since she started ghost hunting.

It was a strange feeling, sitting around and doing nothing for once. She knew there were probably other ghosts out there she should probably take care of, but she knew Danny had it under control, which alone was a strange enough feeling. Not only was she not obsessed with hunting Phantom, but she trusted him enough to know that he would keep the town safe while she took a little break for herself. After all, she trusted Danny, why shouldn't she trust Phantom? They were, after all, the same person.

But an urgent news report on the television shook her out of her thoughts, causing her to direct her full attention to the television. They were talking about a ghost that was terrorizing the town, a ghost using powers greatly resembling Phantom's, including his signature Ghostly Wail, and boasting the infamous Phantom symbol on his chest.

Valerie stared in shock at the screen, unable to believe her eyes. It was Phantom, there was no question, it was definitely Phantom. The color scheme of the suit, the symbol, both were indicative of Phantom, but what she recognized most were the powers, powers she'd had to combat time and time again when she used to fight him. It was, without a doubt, Phantom. And yet, it was nothing like the Phantom she'd always seen, and it most certainly didn't resemble Danny.

She continued to watch the screen, transfixed, debating whether or not she should suit up and go after him. But then she heard cheers from the stupid crowd surrounding the menacing destroyer and the camera moved to focus on the real Phantom, the Phantom she knew, the Danny she knew.

She listened as the two exchanged banter and occasional shots, not believing what she was hearing. The ghost demolishing the town was Danny? And from the future no less? Danny would grow up to become this? To turn into this?

But, he had promised. He had promised her that he wasn't evil and never would be. He had blatantly lied to her when he went to talk to her after she found out. He had told her he wasn't, and never would be, evil. But then, what was the thing floating in front of them, showing his monstrous behavior to the entire world?

It was so obvious. He had lied. He had used being her friend to take advantage of her and lie to her. He didn't want to fight her anymore and lied to her to get her off his back. It was just like him, pulling tricks and pranks to get what he wanted, making her trust him before he ripped that trust from under them and turned on her again.

Mentally she slapped herself. What was she thinking? This was Danny Fenton, sweet Danny Fenton. He wouldn't do that to her. In fact, he'd never done it to her, at least not on purpose. After she'd found out about him she'd spent hours sitting on her bed, trying to figure it out, going back over all their encounters, all their interactions, seeing things she'd never realized before. He'd never hurt her, or at least not as badly as he could have, or as bad as she'd hurt him. He'd never tried to screw her over, never meant to double cross her. He only wanted her to cease hunting him, not so that he could fulfill his evil plots without her on his case, but because they were friends, friends that shouldn't be fighting each other.

Even as she watched the horror on the television she could tell, she could see that he didn't want this future, that he was fighting and struggling against it. The way they talked, the way they interacted, she could see the deep-seated hate between them. He was fighting it, trying to remain good, like he was at the moment.

But she still felt hurt that he didn't tell her. Sure he promised that he would never be evil, probably because it was the same promise he made to himself, but he still didn't trust her, again. He didn't trust her with his secret and now, he didn't trust her with this. She could tell why he did it, since she always had thought him evil and he was trying to convince her otherwise, but still, how did he expect her to form an honest opinion of him without telling her? Unless he didn't care, just as long as she trusted him he was fine, and it didn't matter if he left out a few important details. Just as long as she was going to trust him, he was fine.

She wanted to talk to him, ask him the real reason why. She'd hate to think that it was simply a way to influence her opinion of him, but from where she stood, that's what it seemed like. Of course there were many other reasons, like not being able to comfortably admit it or not wanting to talk about it, but still, she wanted to make sure. She wanted to believe him, to trust him, but experience kept telling her otherwise.

But the newest scene on the television stopped her thoughts dead as the murder of Massey played in front of her eyes. Now was definitely not the time to talk to him, that was certain. But now was also not the time to stay sitting in her house, not when she should be out there, helping him. She watched him fly off, the camera following after him. She clicked the television off, suiting up before kicking her glider out, flying out the window. She turned on her tracker while flying in the direction she last saw Danny heading. Finally finding his fleeing signal she shot off, rushing to keep his signal still in her scanner. Man, that boy could fly fast when he wanted.

Finally she saw the signal stop, sighing in relief as she approached the blinking light, finally landing in the forest clearing. She started walking through the trees, stopping as she saw Danny surrounded by his family, Jazz comforting him about the death of the reporter. She stayed in the bushes, sensing a family moment. She'd come out after they were done.

As she sat she listened into their conversation, her frustration at him melting away. He was clearly ashamed of this future and was clearly concerned about how much he was hurting his reputation. And after hearing that Dan, as they called him, had really set everything up to mess with him and ruin his life, she knew she had received the answer to her question. He wasn't trying to trick her, he obviously refused to talk about the sensitive subject as much as possible, promising everyone he isn't evil because that's his goal, and admitting that he had an evil future would mean he gave in.

Finally when the talk was over she stepped into the clearing, the hood of her suit removed, the Fentons looking up at her in shock to see her there.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to talk," she stated firmly.

"Valerie, this really isn't—" Sam interrupted but Valerie held her hand up.

"I know, I watched the news. That's the reason I'm here actually." She turned to look at Danny. "Remember how I said I was still waiting on a final judgment on you? Well, I just wanted to let you know that I've made my decision."

"Yeah, I figured you had," he replied dejectedly as he looked down at the ground. Here it was, the beginning of slippery chute, the first of many that will judge him and find him guilty of being evil.

"You're not evil, and you're never going to turn into him."

Danny looked up at her, his eyes shining in hope. Did she just say what he thought she did? "R-really?" he asked, daring to hope. She nodded her head and he ran towards her, hugging her tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Valerie smiled. "Oh, I kinda think I do," she replied, returning the hug. Danny pulled away, smiling at her. Valerie, the Red Hunter, the one obsessed with harming and capturing his ghost half, didn't think he was evil, despite the appearance of his evil self and her already preconceived notions of his moral nature. In spite of all that, she had judged him and found him to be good.

Maybe he was being too hard on himself, not giving the town enough credit. Maybe a lot more of them than he thought would look past the blatant proof and see that he was fighting as hard as he could to prevent this from happening. If Valerie could see it, after everything she had already believed, then maybe more people could too. Maybe they would be able to see past it like she did, maybe things weren't as bleak as before.

"See Danny, there are still people who believe in you, people who still think you're good, no matter what Dan tries to do," Jazz comforted. "Now, are you ready to go prove it to them by defeating him? Showing them that you're willing to fight for the future you want and the future you deserve?"

Danny nodded, his face determined.

"I'm helping too," Valerie stated. "There's no way you're leaving me out of this one."

Danny smiled. "Good, because I wanted you to help in the beginning. I'm going to need all the help I can get to beat him."

"Yes, but you can do it, we know you can," Maddie comforted. "We'll be there to help you, but in the end, it's going to be you and Dan."

"Danny, you can do it," Jazz assured. "You have to do it. Do it for Massey."

At the mention of Massey's name his eyes glowed green, filled with determination. "I swear, on Massey's grave, that Dan will pay," Danny promised, his fists clenched in resolve. He was going to make Dan suffer, not only for tarnishing his reputation and making him suffer, but for Massey. For what he did, for everything he took away from him, and for everything Massey sacrificed himself for.

"For Massey," he swore, going ghost and jumping into the air. Valerie kicked up her jet sled and followed while Jack crashed the GAV through the trees, the family jumping in before they too caught up to the rest of them, Danny leading the way to the final battle, the battle that would finally free him from Dan's torturous plans, forever.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed all the angsty goodness! I'm on a total angst kick right now, so I have to say I enjoyed writing it :) (of course, once I actually got the time to write it...) And I apologize again for the wait. I won't promise to have the next one up sooner, since I've learned my lesson, but I do want to warn everyone that finals are coming up far too soon for my liking (though I don't think it'll be that long) and the next chapter is a battle, which of course automatically means it takes time to write. But I'll try my best!

Four more chapters left! I'm gonna cry...