Valerie has been avoiding mistletoes like the plague. It was getting to the point of ridiculous, where couple times she had to use the windows to leave. And it was Dan's fault. They made this absurd bet and he was hell bent on winning it. Why the hell did she agree on it in the first place!? Oh right, pride.

Either way she had to survive till midnight and not walk under ANY mistletoe. BUT THEY WERE EVERYWHERE. She couldn't go into her own home because of it! Valerie glared at the damned plant dangling right above her front doors, cursing under her breath.

"I thought all those stupid ghosts had a truce or something!" she grumbled angrily to herself as she climbed through the window into her own room.

"We do, but we're not fighting here, Valerie." Dan was laying on her bed, flipping pages of some magazine.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" she aimed the blaster at his head and he laughed as he became invisible.

Just couple more hours Valerie, just couple more hours. She repeated that like a mantra. Then she noticed he placed a mistletoe next to the ceiling lamp. She shot that green menace with her gun. Gosh he could be such a brat sometimes!

One day in the year when she gets rest from all the ghosts but HE just couldn't have it that way, now could he?

Stupid, dumb, prideful, pigheaded ghost. She was throwing all the curse words she could think of at Dan as she went to take a hot shower to chase the cool away. It also improved her mood.

After shower Valerie went to help her father set the dinner. And time flew, she couldn't even tell when it got dark but everything was ready and it all looked so good… wait. Where was Dan?

The damned ghost had not bothered her whole afternoon. It didn't sit right with her. He was planning something. She had to check it.

"I'll be right back Daddy." she kissed her father's cheek as she headed to the window.

"But the dinner is ready, Val." Damon looked at her confused.

"I'll just have to- ARGH HE DIDN'T!" one look at the windows had her furious.

It looked like while Val was distracted with Christmas preparations, Dan had planted mistletoes in every window in her home. Bastard! He WAS planning something! She wanted to destroy each and every mistletoe in her home but the doorbell changed her plans. The guests were here.

Entire evening Val has been on the edge and not really listening to what people were talking about. Something about city hall, maybe.

"Hey, Val, you want to go with us?" Kwan tapped her shoulder and she had to refocus.

"Sure. Where?"

The young man smiled politely at her. "City Hall. Val are you alright? You don't look.."

"I'm fine," she cut him off. "I'll go, just someone has to take down the mistletoe from the doors."

Enough of sitting down, whatever Phantom planned must have been outside of her house. They all got dressed up, everyone else were chatting happily but Valerie couldn't get into it. Her eyes wide open for any mischief Dan had planned.

Finally they reached the City Hall. Right in front of it was placed a tall construction in rectangular shape covered in white sheets.

"So what are we waiting for here?" Val asked Kwan.

"The sign said something will happen here at midnight and that's in a minute." Kwan checked his watch.

Suddenly the white sheets dropped and exposed a tall Christmas Tree. And Dan. He had one of those smiles. Those crazy smiles she learned to avoid. She was reaching for her blaster when suddenly his hands caught fire. The crowd watched as he rose up in the sky and… the tree became illuminated with Phantom's fire. Thousands of candles were lit at once. Hundreds of people sighed with relief and wonder at once. It truly was beautiful. The way the holiday ornaments sparkled with the warm light of fire, like ice or crystal in the sun. In colours so beautiful Val wondered where did he got all of those things.

Dan landed in front of Valerie with smug expression. "Like what you see?"

"If you mean the tree then yes." she arched an eyebrow at him and he shrugged.

"Don't get used to it. It's just for holidays."

"I like it." he didn't expect her to place her hand in his with that soft smile of hers. "So this is what the bet was all about?"

For a moment there was surprise on his face and he observed their hands. Together.

"Would you leave me alone if I didn't set it?" he asked simply.

"Probably not."

"There's your answer."

She chuckled and he joined her. A normal laugh, not a boastful or annoying cackle. Such a rare thing with him.

"Thank you." she pulled him down and without the help of mistletoe placed a kiss on his lips.

And suddenly they were back at the cave, two years ago. And they forgot there were people around them. And it probably lasted a whole eternity or maybe just a second but when they parted it somehow was so hard to return to reality.

Val licked her lips and let go of his jumpsuit and reluctantly pulled away.

"Merry Christmas Val." he said, brushing the back of his hand over her cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Dan."

Merry indeed.