Chapter 8: Making Things Right

It was the first day of summer and Jazz had graduated. Danny hadn't spoken to Valerie since he exposed himself, but that was practically due to the fact he was now one of the most popular boys in school thus making Sam and Tucker popular by association.

And Tucker was enjoying EVERY MINUTE. After all, even though Sam and Danny were still in denial, everyone knew that Danny had the hots for Sam which was requited, so girls went for the next best thing: the male side-kick which Danny had said that he wouldn't be able to catch ghosts without.

"He is so milking this" Sam said as she and Danny walked into the Nasty Burger following Tucker who had Paulina and Star practically hanging on him.

"I'm not complaining" Danny said before stopping to see who was behind the free cash register.

It was Valerie.

She then turned to the worker next to her

"I'm going to take my break" she said

"Sure thing Val" the worker said

She then took off her uniform and walked out to the customer side and right up to Danny.

"We need to talk" she told him serious There was no hatred in her voice, but it didn't sound as if she was just going to say 'all is forgive'

"You're right" Danny said in the same tone.

"Behind the restaurant" she said

"Want me to tag along?" Sam asked

"No I need to do this alone" Danny said before following Valerie out

He met up with his ex-almost girlfriend by the dumpster.

"So…all this time?" she asked breaking the silence

"Yeah." Danny confirmed

"I feel like such an idiot." Valerie sighed "All the clues were there"

"You're not an idiot Valerie" Danny argued "You were just blinded by anger and hatred. Feelings that prevented you from listening to me when I TRIED to explain myself to you. I was planning on telling you when we had that thing going, but Technus ruined it"

"You mean when you were toying with my feelings?" she asked

"I wasn't toying. At the time, they were real" Danny retorted "Technus was the one toying with us so he could take over the satellite"

"What about when you destroyed my suit?" she asked

"I saw you in the bushes and I KNEW you weren't in there. Had it really been you, I would have done what I always do. Either fly away or aim for your board to throw you off course giving me enough time to get away. I try not to fight human ghost hunters if I can help it"

"And your dog?"

"Valerie. What I said to you that time we spent all night I. each other was 100% true I've always wanted a puppy, but my parents wouldn't let me have one. What makes you think they would have allowed me to have a GHOST dog?"

"So… that WASN'T your dog?" she asked as realization sunk in.

"No. The dog was just being as annoying as the Box Ghost" Danny explained. "But I found out that he was just after a squeaky toy in the Axion lab as he was the ghost of one of the guard dogs from before the security went high-tech."

"You know," she sighed as everything she learned this past year mixed with what she was learning now. "We could have been quite the team"

"Yeah" Danny said. "Two fighters up in the air plus three-five on the ground… But Mom and Dad teamed up with me, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz so they're getting better at the ghost hunting."

"That's good to hear" Valerie said before laughing at herself "I still can't believe I broke up with you to protect you from you"

"Yeah" Danny said with a small laugh. "We're STILL laughing at the irony. Friends?"

He held out his hand

She examined him for a bit. Truthfully, Danny looked the same as he aways did, before she learned of his status.

"Friends" she said figuring he was more Danny Fenton than Phantom.

"Welcome to Team Phantom Valerie" he said.

The End

A/N: There will be no sequel