Chapter 2

-V-

Homecoming

Danny's hospital room was soon flooded with gifts and get-well cards as news quickly surfaced of his injury and absence from the ghost fighting scene. An anchorwoman was currently speaking of said incident on the small TV monitor and Valerie sighed. This spelled trouble for her later with ghosts thinking this was their free time to cause destruction.

Relatives and close friends flowed through Danny's hospital room with well wishes and gifts they handed over to Valerie. Danny was shocked to see the aged faces of familiar people and became confused when presented with a new one. Valerie was more than happy to help him get reacquainted with new people, explaining that they would come later on his life as a good ally and friend and spoke of their contributions to their lives.

Jazz and her husband eventually came to visit Danny. She knocked on the door before letting herself in and gave Valerie a sympathetic smile before hugging her.

"I'm sure Danny will get his memories back in due time." She softly assured, and Valerie could hope that was the case. "Mom and Dad couldn't make it-for obvious reasons they had their hands full and had to stay behind but she had me bring you a change of clothes and a bag of other items for the...situation." Jazz gestured to her chest with a raised brow.

"She gave these to me when I needed them, and they really do help. I'll put them in one of the cabinets in here." Said Jazz.

"Thanks Jazz, I really appreciate it. Be sure to send mom-Maddie and Jack my love when you see her again." Valerie smiled and Jazz turned to hide the bags somewhere in the private hospital room.

When she returned, she beamed at Danny. "Hey little bro, how are you doing?"

"I'm feeling a little better than before. Last night I had a dream about several random moments from highschool year but the biggest one was homecoming from senior year and man was it weird." He laughed awkwardly. He remembered him and Sam arguing all that night because he had fought several ghost before picking her up in his then ripped up Tux. Her parents wouldn't even allow her out the house until he marched on and put on another Tux.

"That's great, I'm glad you're regaining back memories. I want you to re-meet someone. My husband-" She smiled as she grabbed the man's hand standing next to her. Danny's eyes widen as his lips moved to finish her sentence.

"Dash Baxter?" He breathed. "You married Dash?!" He nearly yelled.

Jazz shrugged, unphased by his shock. "What can I say? I had a soft spot for the big oaf. Seems he had a little romantic one himself." She eyed him adoringly.

"Jazz is my everything and I couldn't love anyone more." Dash returned with equally adoring eyes.

"How?" Danny was still speechless and a little perturbed.

"I gave him a chance and we went on one date. He then started to write me poetry and I loved the way he eloquently described my brilliance, beauty, and charm. We've been in love since then." In that moment, Jazz and Dash leaned in for a kiss and the mere sight of it made Danny's vision go blank as a part of his brain throbbed.

"Jasmine Fenton, do you take this man, Dash Baxter, to be lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold…."

Danny sat there with the most disgusted feeling in his stomach that he masked behind a dark scowl. He couldn't believe he was sitting at Jazz and Dash's wedding! The guy who use to bully him married his big sister! He couldn't believe it! The fact that the two were even going out for as long as they did before he proposed was a mystery in itself! They were so different in every way of the word but as he looked over at his mother and father who were balling their eyes out- his father blowing his nose into a pink handkerchief, he got an idea where Jazz got her attraction to bulky jocks from. Apple never fell far from the tree.

As much as he wanted to object their union, Dash's watery eyes and Jazz's shaking voice as she recited her own made vows stopped him. He knew they were in love and he wouldn't sabotage it as long as it made Jazz happy. Besides, he wasn't the only one in an unlikely relationship as he looked down at the brown hand gripping his own tightly.

A little voice crept into his ear. "Stop scowling like a child. it could be worse- she could have married Tucker." At that, Danny nearly gagged, he turned to see the amused eyes of…

"Danny? Danny!" The light in his vision began to dissolve as the first person he could make out was Valerie's overly concerned face and his primary doctor both on either side of his bed.

"Are you alright? Speak to me!" Valerie grabbed his hand in the same manner as she did before, rubbing the back of it soothingly.

"I'm fine...I think I just had a flashback again. Maybe you two kissing triggered a traumatic moment for me." Danny rubbed his head soothingly as Jazz was a mixture of irritated and scared for her brother. Even with half his memories missing, he could still be immature Danny.

Valerie's eyes was hopeful."What were you remembering?"

"Jazz and Dash's wedding…" Danny turned to the couple who looked taken aback. "I remember you two going out for a while before Dash proposed...And it still grosses me out."

The doctor took out a pen and wrote down what Danny had said before speaking. "Yes, your strong feeling of disgusted connected to that memory triggered it and minor pieces as well you probably remember. It's completely normal as much as scents and sounds can trigger nostalgia. I'd say you're on a good path to remembering, albeit hopefully something not as traumatic for you next time around, eh?." The last words were said in amusement as he walked towards the door.

"Please speak up however, if remembering causes you immense pain or distress." Danny nodded before looking back at Jazz as the doctor exited.

"Don't you have kids? For some reason, the Baxter Brats keep ringing in my head." Jazz sighed in irritation.

"Yes we do, two sons actually and yes you called them that all the time!" Jazz rested her hands on her hips accusingly and Danny laughed.

"I remember that!" He laughed before scoffing. "No offense, but your kids are brats."

"Whatever Danny," Jazz rolled her eyes.

They all talked a little more and Valerie excused herself to go change into the clothes Jazz brought her. Despite feeling a sense of security from seeing his sister, Danny constantly found himself staring at the door, waiting for a familiar duo to walk in and reunite with him.

-V-

After Jazz left, Valerie came back dressed in new clothes: a pair of black yoga pants and a baggy navy sweatshirt. She noticed the mild anxious look on Danny's face as she sat down. "Valerie, do you know when they're coming in today? If they're still coming in?"

"Patience Danny, they'll be here soon." She smiled.

"I know but…I really don't know any of these people anymore. Not even Jazz." His eyes grew sad and it panged her. "I just really want to see them more than ever. To feel some type of familiarity. I keep feeling like they're the only ones who haven't changed after all these years."

"I understand ho-Danny." She quickly caught herself again before calling him a term of endearment. "They'll be here real soon." With that, they fell back into a comfortable silence as the small TV talked and Valerie was reading get-well cards and tabs on gifts.

Danny turned his sapphire eyes to look at the haggard woman and wondered out of everyone that visited him today, why was she still here? He decided to ask. "Valerie, why are you still here? Don't you have a family too in this time?"

Valerie pretended like his words didn't affect her too much. "Not exactly, but its fine."

"I don't want to take you away from your family."

"No worries, Danny." She gave him a sincere smile.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Danny?" The first voice was filled with a rich, timbre and it was accompanied by a more feminine one.

"Move out the wayTuck! Danny? Are you there?"

Danny's eyes widened as he tried to sit up in bed. "Sam? Tucker?"

"Hey buddy!" Sam poked her head in and Danny's jaw nearly fell.

"Sam?"He eyed the raven haired woman who smirked at him.

"Looks like you hit your noggin' pretty bad bud." She laughed as she came to his bedside. Her hair had grown out past her shoulders and she wore a black designer trench coat over a black slim dress with a lavender belt. Her eyes were darkened with eyeliner, but her lavender eyes were still filled with a warmth.

"Long time no see." Said Tucker who flashes him a smile. Danny couldn't believe how deep Tucker even sounded since their junior year.

Danny beamed from his bed as he motioned for them to take a seat, Valerie politely stood to give Sam her seat. She decided to make a list of 'Thank You' letters to occupy her time while the trio caught up.

"So what have you guys been up to since senior year?" Asked Danny, still taken aback by how mature they've gotten. Tucker had traded in his simple cut for long dreads that he kept underneath a red, yellow, and green beanie. He looked beefier than his scrawny teenage self but still had his familiar nerdy aura around him that was hinted with maturity from his years as being the mayor of amity park. Danny remembered that Tuck was still mayor throughout highschool but decided that he wouldn't rerun coming his college years.

They began filling him in on their life. Sam was an art dealer that majorly collects dark, victorian, and melodic pieces. She travels the world mostly by herself as she wasn't married or had any children or pets, but for the most part, she was happy.

"Wow," Danny breathed. "We're still all close right?"

"Well, sort of." Said Tucker guilty. We all actually kind of fell off after high school. We all tried to keep in contact, but it was really difficult. We would really just hang out whenever Sam and I would come back into town for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

"What?! I can't believe that, we're damn-near family!" Danny threw out his good arm to emphasize his point.

"But, the past shouldn't really matter now because we're all her now!" Sam tried to lighten the mood. "We're here Danny and I'm not going anywhere till you're better." She rested her hand over his and smiled. Danny returned the smile.

They talked a little more while Valerie pretended to watch the small TV monitor. She wanted to give the trio their private time to remininsense but she also wanted to be at Danny's side incase of anything. After their chatter began to die down, Sam finally acknowledged Valerie.

"So how have you been since we've last seen each other?" Sam forced sincerity in her voice for the sake of Danny. Even if he didn't remember anything, she still wanted to be cordial.

"I've been getting by fairly well. How's traveling the world going for you?" Valerie smiled with a hint of genuine sincerity. She knew Sam was trying and truthfully, Valerie had buried her side of the hatchet years ago. They weren't friends by a long shot, but she could stomach sitting in a room with Sam nowadays. However, Valerie was more than capable of switching into her bitch mode when need be. But this wasn't that moment, so she simply smiled.

"It's going great." With that, their moment or cordiality was finished and Sam nodded once before turning back to Danny.

Danny and Tucker watched the swift interaction with mixed emotions; Tucker having a knowing look in his eye as he's been through this before, and Danny who simply looked a bit confused and intrigued. From what he could remember, Sam almost threw a party when Valerie finally moved away with her dad. The two couldn't even be in a room for than 20 minutes at one point as Sam would have an attitude and Valerie wouldn't mind catching one too. This new shift in attitude had a clear sign of growth from both parties and it really made him interested.

"Am I missing something here?" Asked Danny. He really wanted to address the elephant in the room. "How are you two getting along so well?"

"Well, it's because you told us to." Sam rolled her eyes.

"Woooow, I gotta remember that moment." He laughed but Sam and Valerie couldn't share in his amusement. They rather not remember that tearful moment in their past that nearly broke them all apart.

"Anyway Danny," Sam tried to change the subject. "How long they say you're going to be here?"

"Well, considering I have ghost powers that's allowing me to quickly regenerate, I think I have another week here before they release me. I should be in a boot and a sling by then hopefully."

Sam nodded thoughtfully, "Sounds great!"

"Yea, the moment you get out we need to celebrate!" Said Tucker.

They talked a little more before Tucker had to leave to visit his parents for dinner. He gave Danny a handshake with his good hand and hugged Sam. Valerie smiled and thanked him for visiting which he then pulled her in for a hug, muttering something along the lines of her being family.

A nurse knocked on the door before cracking it to peak her head in. "I'm sorry to intrude. It's time for Daniel's bath." She spoke and Sam and Valerie nodded before standing out in the hall to give Danny privacy. Valerie may be his wife, but she didn't want him to feel anymore uncomfortable by her presence than how he was now.

They sat in the waiting room but didn't say a thing to one another. The tension in the room began to grow thick as a jungle. There were words that needed to be exchanged but none were said until Sam grew tired of the silence.

"Valerie...listen." Sam sighed. "I know this must be hard for you and it's hard on all of us that Danny's going through this."

Valerie's smile was tight. "Sam, with all due respect, you can't even begin to know what I'm going through right now. My husband almost died. My husband doesn't remember that he's even married to me. My husband still thinks that you're his girlfriend and calls for you every ten minutes. Sam, how can you even begin to process how I feel right now?"

Sam's anger flared. "You're not the only one feeling some type of way! I haven't seen my best friend in years and the time I finally get a phone call, its to hear he's in the hospital! You weren't the only one scared for his safety!"

"Well Sam, no one told you to move away! No one told you to not pick up a phone and call! A conversation goes two ways last time I checked."

"You're right Valerie, and that's why I'm going to be there for Danny until he gets his memories back. I'm not leaving until then. I want to be there for Danny the way I wasn't for all those years." Valerie looked at her as if she grew a second head.

"You're joking right? I won't allow you to influence him in his vulnerable state."

"The doctor is right Valerie; Danny needs to be around a familiar face and that face is me, Tucker, and his family, people who he is close to." Sam was assertive as she spoke. "People he remembers."

Valerie didn't like that jab, her eyes narrowed warningly.

"I understand that but you forget one simple thing: I am his wife, I'm his primary caregiver by default so you can't just up and take him from me." Valerie was right and knew the doctors would side with her if this became a legal battle.

Sam stood up from her seat, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "If you really care about Danny, you will do what is best for him. We're what's best for him."

"Oh please Sam," Valerie stood up as well when the nurse finally left the room.

"Just know Valerie, when you go back in there, it's not you who he asks for." With that, Sam turned around. "Tell Danny something came up and I had to go." With that, she departed from the hospital, leaving Valerie clutching her twisted heart.

-V-

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