Final chapter! Let's see how it all ends!

Review replies;

SOLmaster: We shall see, in time... Thanks for the review!

Zim'sMostLoyalServant: Oh, you'll have to wait and see...these strings are long. :P Thanks for reading!

Chapter Twelve: Mystery Wrapped in Enigma

Sam Manson opened her eyes.

She was lying in a pile of rubble, her clothes dusty and torn. Aragon was nowhere to be seen, and her amulet was lying next to her right hand. Her head ached badly.

This wasn't right, was it? She remembered being tackled by Aragon…they had been going down…then it all got blurry. Maybe she had a concussion.

"Business is done, Ms. Manson."

Sam looked to her left. A tall man in a white suit and hat was standing nearby; juggling what looked like a Fenton Thermos in his hands.

"I understand you can't remember much," the man stated in a deep Southern accent, "You hit your head pretty hard – but you did beat him, and your quarry is safely incarcerated in here."

He threw the thermos to Sam, who caught it.

"Um…thanks, I guess," nodded Sam.

"Not a problem, ma'am," replied the man, "I'd just like you to remember something for me."

He looked Sam in the eye – he had sharp eyes, but cold ones.

"There will come a time when I need assistance," he said, "Until then – forget you saw me."

He tipped his hat and clicked his fingers.

With that, Sam blacked out again.

Danny awoke to the sun in his eyes.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding himself lying in his bed in his room, his mother standing over him.

"Oh, Danny!" exclaimed Maddie, seeing him wake up, "You're awake! Jack!"

"Ugh…how long have I been out?" groaned Danny, as the other Fentons, Sam, Tucker and the Nicktoons (minus Spongebob, who couldn't appear in front of the Fentons without inciting a ghost panic) entered the room.

"You've been asleep for twenty-four hours," replied Jazz.

"You would've been up earlier, but they wouldn't let me wake you up," added Jack.

"…you were going to use a bat," snapped Jimmy.

"Anti-Creep Stick," corrected Jack.

"I been sleeping for a day?" gasped Danny.

"You had an ectoplasmic poison in your system," nodded Maddie, "Who knows how you got into contact with it…"

"Heh – yeah – who knows, huh?" chuckled Danny, nervously.

Something clicked in his mind.

"Wait a minute!" he realised, "Mom, dad, was there anyone else in the lab when you found me?"

Jack and Maddie glanced at each other.

"About that…"

The door opened again, and a head peeked out.

"Can I come in now?" asked Dani, somewhat nervously.

Maddie nodded, and Dani walked into the room, followed by Valerie (who was slightly worse-for-war, but otherwise fine.)

"Valerie and Timmy told us that you've been looking after Danielle, right?" asked Maddie.

"Yeah…kinda…" nodded Danny.

"And that she got sick, and you used Fenton equipment to heal her," added Jack.

"…and that she has no parents," finished Maddie.

Danny blinked.

"…what exactly are you saying?" he asked, at last.

Maddie and Jack grinned at each other.

"Your father and I have been talking, and we've decided that if Dani has no place to go, then we'll give her one," explained Maddie.

Danny tilted his head.

"Until we can work out where Dani comes from, we've decided that she can come live with us," continued Maddie, "Of course, she'd have to share your room, but…"

Maddie was interrupted as she was pulled into a two-way hug from both Danny and Dani, both yelling out a line of thank-yous to her. Jack shrugged, and he and Jazz joined in.

"Aww," grinned Jimmy, "Isn't that sweet?"

"Let's ask him how he feels about it tomorrow morning," added Tucker.

"…so Sam got Aragon, though she can't remember how, because she got a concussion," finished Danny.

He and Valerie sat on the edge of a tall building, underneath the night sky.

"So," asked Danny, "Think we can make this truce last?"

He grinned, but received nothing in return.

"Well, this is – this is awkward…"

Valerie turned and looked Danny in the eyes.

"You can stop playing dumb now, Fenton."

Danny's eyes widened.

"Fenton? N-no, no, I'm not a Fent…" he stammered, hurriedly.

Valerie rolled her eyes.

"I worked it out when you 'adopted' Dani back there," she retorted, "You honestly think regular old Danny Fenton would be that happy about it? I don't know why I didn't work it out sooner…"

Danny sighed.

"Alright, yeah," he nodded, transforming back to normal, "I'm Danny Fenton. I had an accident with the ghost portal and now I'm half-ghost. And now I've lost my friend, because she found out I'm her main target."

He lay on his back, clearly annoyed.

Valerie stared for a moment.

Then she offered her hand. Cautiously, Danny took it.

"Think we can make this truce last, Danny?" she asked.

Danny grinned.

"I think we can."

Sam lay in her bed, fast asleep.

She had placed a small black box next to her bedside table, and only she knew the combination.

In her dreams, she remembered her fight with Aragon. Despite the stakes and the pain of fighting, she had to say that she'd enjoyed using the amulet, all things considered.

And after all, what Danny didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

The End

You know, it seems rare that I write happy endings. And yet, here we are, a happy ending.

Thanks very much for reading, good luck in all your endeavors and I'll see you in the next fic, Stage Fright.

Merry Tenth of August!