Chapter 3

-V-

Coming Home

Sam continued to visit Danny in the hospital as she promised. Everyday, promptly at the same time, she popped her head in and Danny lit up like a Christmas tree. They talked, they laughed, Danny confided in her and Valerie felt irritated each time. But she promised herself she wouldn't nag and intervene unless Sam crossed the line, so she tolerated it.

Today, because of Danny's ghost powers allowing him to regenerate remarkably well, the doctors cleared him to go home and Valerie was more than please to hear. While Sam kept him company in the hospital, Valerie decided to go home and prepare it for Danny's welcomed return. She packed away family pictures, sealed up photo albums and even moved away his battle suits and her own into a private closet so he wouldn't get an inkling of their relationship so soon. She stood in her living room feeling tired as she took another once over and her eyes landed on a big problem she nearly forgot about.

It was their wedding photo, mounted high and proud above the mantle. Valerie smiled fondly. She had been standing in her giant white ball gown with her veil haloing behind her and her makeup was nearly rubbed away from all the tears she shed through the ceremony. Danny held her close against his chest in the photo and all their family and friends crowded around them in smiles that reached their eyes. Her eyes landed on Danny's friend, Tucker who beamed happily, one hand clapped on his shoulder and slowly dragged her eyes to look at Sam's insincere smile. No matter how much Danny loved this photo, she hated it for that one fake smile.

Valerie went to the kitchen to retrieve a bar stool and came back to take down the giant photo. She walked down her hall to a room and opened it. Inside, she exhaled through her nostrils, not wanting to look at the empty cradle while she sat the photo to the side. As she walked out, she locked that specific room behind her.

Valerie stood with her back against the door as tears welled her eyes. She shook her head to rid herself of the tears and sighed the ache from her chest. She didn't know if it was still her hormones settling or genuine pain that led her to flat out crying as she gathered her things to leave the house. Whilst wiping away her sadness with her sleeve, she packed Danny's clothes for leaving the hospital, hoping- praying that coming home would do Danny good and she could finally get her family back.

The ride back to the Hospital was somber as she drove. In the parking lot, she took the opportunity to fix her face in the car before plastering a smile and motivating herself as she walked through the hall to Danny's room.

Valerie reached for the doorknob but her fingers stilled against the handle as a faint voice flittered into her ears. It was Sam. "You should think about it. The doctor cleared you to leave and I can't stay in Amity Park for long but you could come with me Danny, and we could be together like old times." She said, her voice pleading. There was a pregnant silence as Valerie fumed. How dare she! Valerie's brow furrowed indignantly. They already had this conversation and the woman still went behind her back!

Valerie was just about to barge in and wring her little neck out when Danny spoke. "I..I don't know Sam." She stilled once again. "I was so happy to see you guys and you really did make me feel at home, but something in me tells me to stay here. I still want to protect Amity Park from ghosts and whoever hurt me is still out there and...and...for some reason, there's something here I feel tied to. It's a nagging feeling in my head really but I should trust it, I think. I hope you understand."

Sam sounded bitter. "Well, if that's your decision then I will respect it. But know, what happened between us was entirely my fault. I shouldn't had treated you like I did and I took you for granted. I know you forgave me when you still had memories, but I still live with the constant guilt and regret Danny. I just want to make it right again. I didn't lose a friend, but I did lose someone I love."

"Thank you Sam-" Valerie opened the door to two shocked faces. Sam had her long raven hair down but her bang tied back reminiscent of her signature high school hairstyle. Her face was red and eyes swollen with tear streaks. Her anger flared at the sight of Valerie and she quickly fixed her demeanor.

She turned away from Valerie, her eyes softening on Danny. "If it's alright with Valerie, I still want to visit you after you leave the hospital until I leave Amity Park."

Valerie's anger seemed to simmer down to sympathy. "Of course you can Sam."

With that, she gathered her coat and purse and with a hug to Danny, she left herself out the room. Danny looked down at his bandaged hands, lost in thought.

"Are you okay?" Valerie rested her gentle hand over his, feeling his body tense in response.

"Yea...Sam asked me to go with her…" Danny felt the warmth of her hand comfort him during his moment of confusion.

Valerie averted her eyes, slightly guilty. "I..umm...Overheard your conversation." She moved to sit at the edge of his bed.

"So you know, huh?"

"Yes," She whispered.

"Valerie," he said after one more moment, lifting his sad blue eyes to her.

"Yes Danny?"

He spoke for a moment but retracted the words. He took a second to iron out his thought before sighing in defeat. "Can you tell me more about the end of high school?"

"Of course Danny." She smiled as she took out her phone to show pictures. Danny shyly suggested she share the bed with him so he could get a better look at her phone. Valerie climbed in the side of the bed and snuggled herself a respectable distance, being careful not to interrupt any of his tubes.

Her index finger shifted through her photo album, quickly swiping her from any current pictures, much to Danny's chagrin. He had hoped to probably see a sexy photo or maybe even something more to tease Valerie about but she didn't allow it. She scrolled to a picture of their graduating class and handed him the phone.

"This is graduation day. There's you, Sam, Tucker, Paulina, and Dash."

"Wow," Her laughed lightly. "We all look so grown up. What ever happen to Paulina and Dash? "

"Paulina went to college for fashion but ended up someone's trophy wife midway through. Dash became a frat guy and majoring in partying- that is before your sister came into the picture and straightened him out."

"Wow, it took Jazz to turn a block head into a fatherly block head." They laughed.

"What happened to you? I vaguely remember you leaving with your Dad."

"Well" She spoke. "My dad and I moved to Chicago for a while and I attended private school there and after high school-"

"You and I went to the same college." He said, jogging his memory.

She smiled. "...Yes. You and I went to same college together miraculously and reconnected." She looked on at the pictures fondly before scrolling on. She was mindful of keeping her fingers away from scrolling into their college years and the part of the photo album that stored their engagement photos and wedding pictures.

When they finished, she asked. "Are you ready to go home?"

Danny raised a brow. "Where's home?"

"Well...until you're better, you can stay with me- if that's fine with you, if you much prefer, you can stay with Maddie and Jack?"

He contemplated: go home to his parents who will probably drive him insane and overwhelm him or take his friend and former love interest's request. He loved his parents but didn't need all his memories to know that nothing has changed one bit about them. "Nah, I think I'll just stay with you...but will your...significant other mind?"

"No, I don't think so. He's technically..not around… but he wouldn't mind if I'm helping a friend in need."

-V-

Danny walked into the home and felt a feeling of nostalgia wash over him. He felt his chest swell with comfort and love as he walked through the threshold. Valerie spied a small picture of him and her together and quickly slammed it down on its face as he walked through the door.

"So this is where you live?" Danny quietly marveled.

"Yep."

"Did I use to visit a lot?"

Valerie was hopeful. "Yea..you did actually. This will be your room." She showed him to a guest bedroom and he walked in. It was simple enough but it felt empty compared to the rest of the house and the niggling feeling in the back of his head wouldn't relent.

After she got him settled in, she quickly began to make dinner but gasped when she forgot the bottles in the sink. She quickly cleaned them and stored them away in the high shelf with the good China in it.

She got started on preparing dinner and poured herself a glass of wine as she did. After a while, Danny came into the kitchen and sat in one of the high stools. He didn't like the way the stool felt and decided to sit in the middle chair where it was a little more comfortable. Valerie tried not to laugh as he discovered his favorite seat at the table. He watched her cook with wide childlike eyes, recognizing the familiar scent wafting through the kitchen.

"Meatloaf?" He asked.

"Yep, your favorite."

"How did you know?"

Valerie shrugged teasingly. "You're my best friend, I just know these things"

"Wow" he laughed. He watched her more as she moved around the kitchen, taking in her body as he did so. She was wearing a pair of skin-tight jeans that hugged every curve of her body and showed off her well endowed bottom that strained the poor belt keeping her jeans up. He felt his mouth water as his eyes dragged up to her waist that was hidden underneath the baggy V-neck but didn't hide away her breast that were running over the cup of her bra, not noticing the insert that peeked from inside her bra. He felt all his blood run south and sat uncomfortably in the chair. He didn't realize what he was doing until he shook all the impure thoughts from his head- what was he thinking! This was his best friend who opened her house to him and here he was thinking nasty thoughts about her.

Still...It wouldn't had been the first time he entertained those thoughts to an extent, they did date at one point after all and he did invision her in many ways on his lonely nights with his hand, but this time is different. They were older now and from what she told him, she was already spoken for. So he tried to keep his thoughts to a respectful one.

Valerie didn't miss his longing glances at her rear or how his eyes lingered on her chest. She reveled in the fact his attraction to her still persisted but she couldn't deny that she wasn't feeling or looking the best aesthetically and her breast were still very sore even with the gel pads against them.

"So, about your...boyfriend. Where's he at?"

Valerie took a long sip of her dark wine and racked her brain for something to say. "Hero business...He's sort of a...Hero."

Danny nodded mutely. "Really? That's...great. I'm glad you found someone." He said, but Danny didn't know if the truly meant that.

"Thank you," She poured another glass and hoped he dropped the subject.

"...How did you meet?" Valerie nearly choked.

"Through...you. You introduced us. He's was a friendly rival of yours. You guys often got into competition." God, I'm such a liar. She inwardly cringed.

Well, her little lie seemed to have satisfied the halfa as he digested her words.

" I'm kind of happy some things are starting to make sense at least."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you act now to me and the way you are with Sam and how you've been at my side like glue through my whole injury. The fact I introduced you to the love of your life. We must have really been gotten close in college." He surmised.

She nodded. "You're completely correct; we were always in each others dorm room, talking after class and going to parties." She left out the other explicit details and watched Danny fight to turn on that light bulb in his mind, He wanted all of what she said to click but nothing.

She downed the rest of her wine and heard the oven ding and pulled the meatloaf from the oven. She took out a knife and sliced a healthy portion of the loaf for Danny with his mash potatoes on top.

He was shocked she even knew the way he liked his food arranged and thanked her. They ate in silence, him enjoying every bite of his dinner and Valerie watching him with hidden adoration. They had light conversation about life in Amity Park. Valerie had got him up to speed with a lot of the ghosts- who left, stayed, and settled down in the ghost zone. She told him how many have become allies of his and retired from mischief in Amity Park. She also warned him how their kids were not as friendly and often they would battle them, finding that they were stronger and a little more cunning than their parents.

Danny absorbed all of what she said as gospel. He was shocked that so much changed, he hardly knew anything about his life anymore. After dinner, Valerie began to clean the dishes and Danny stood to help.

"You don't have to," She smiled. "I got it. Go sit and relax."

"No, I insist." Danny grabbed the plates from Valerie's hand and went over to the sink.

"Wow, you really must of hit your head pretty hard. The old Danny would never offer to help." Valerie mocked with a laugh but Danny frowned.

"Was I… a jerk?" His brow furrowed.

Valerie's eyes widened. "No no! I just meant that you were always tired and couldn't really help a lot. You are the sweetest person Danny. I'm sorry for confusing you."

They finished the rest of the dishes in silence then made their way to the living room where Valerie poured herself a cup of water. Danny looked visibly uncomfortable.

"Is there something the matter?" She watched him awkwardly stand in the middle of the room before settling on a loveseat.

"I just get this nagging feeling about this place. Something feels off about it. I can't put my finger on it, but this room feels really...empty."

Valerie rested a hand on his knee. "Don't stress yourself to remember anything, it'll come back to you Danny." She smiled but Danny could smell the alcohol on her breath and saw sadness hidden behind a veil in her eyes.

They retired into their rooms for the night. Danny felt uncomfortable in the foreign room. He tossed and turned before settling on staring at the ceiling until he exhausted himself. Valerie laid in her King sized bed alone with teary eyes and silently wept until she tired herself to sleep.

-V-

Thank you for reading! Sorry for the long update. I had bad writers block. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and leave a review!