It's the end! Or is it?

Yeah I'm all cheesy with that tonight I guess. This is the final chapter. Thank you guys so much for the support. You have no idea how much it means. I never thought I'd get recognition for my writing on this site-just a few friends, you know. But I'm glad you guys like this story and I plan to do more in the future. Enjoy!

Chapter 13: Epilogue

I really can't explain the stuff in between that and my last year of high school, because it would take a couple more people to make sense of it. That's for another time. But I can't end it with Uncle Tucker fainting because he'd be in extreme denial. Even though he still did faint like a girl (don't worry, we woke him up later.) I guess I'll just have to finish this with something else. I guess you could say it was the end. But really, the story was only beginning. Just like mine wasn't the sequel to my dad's story. He still has more to tell.

Andy's Senior Year: Graduation

Everyone was lined up in the yearly red gaudy robes. Mothers sat in seats with tissue boxes hidden in their purses, and small siblings cried out often. Alone on the stage stood one of the robed students: a girl with dark red hair with even darker highlights, curled into ringlets that shined like a dying fire. Her face was average, with plain makeup and a pearl necklace around her neck. She smiled at the crowd. Like her mother, she was the valedictorian for her class by a landslide.

I, her cousin, tried to adjust my itching robe that was like sandpaper on my neck as I listened to her speech.

"Good evening everyone. I know you are all expecting a lot for me to say, such as my thoughts on our years together, or how we'll always have a connection to this school, or how we're all one big family. The sad truth is, if I told my version of that, this would seem like a funeral, because my side of the story includes ups and downs. But I will be happy to tell you what our high school years mean.

"I don't think that we should focus on the subjects we were supposed to learn, because then it'd be class all over again. But what we learned about by accident? Those lessons are a bit more interesting. We learned about discipline accidentally when we trained ourselves in the art of getting ready in time or making study guides for finals. We learned how to interact socially to keep or disrupt the unspoken hierarchy of high school—we either accepted our fate or threw it to the side in that case. A lot of us learned that we should leave ghost hunting to ghost experts," she chuckled. Remembering the previous year, everyone laughed as well. When Youngblood had gotten loose . . . let's just say some football players in fairy princess costumes were involved.

"We learned that we don't like tests, but we do like competition. We learned that speeches are boring and talking in French annoys the other language teachers," some other goofball senior boys guffawed in remembrance of this, "We finally learned how to use our time—whether we used it well or not is different for each person. We learned that we can hurt others, but we can also heal them. We learned how to hate, how to love, and how to hide in plain sight. (This one made me laugh) We learned about all kinds of people, and how to deal with them. In short, we learned how to live. That's all we need, I think, to face the world, because if we can survive school lunches here, we can probably survive anything," she grinned. Applause ran through the crowd. I went through to get my diploma in a rush. Was Pomp and Circumstance really that fast? Then the reception where everyone sat with their families was on.

At first, I was disappointed. Mom, Dad, and all the adults were eating almost silently. Even Ember, Amorpho, Dash, and Paulina were there as ghosts, which made some students uneasy at first. They calmed down though as the food was brought out.

"What gives? I'd think you guys would be a little more enthusiastic," I said, setting down my fork. The calm expression on Aunt Jazz's face dropped to an exasperated one.

"Danny, come on, you have to tell them!" she complained, and it sent a jolting reminder of the Jazz I had met Freshman year. A pang of fond remembrance ran through me. Our parents never hinted that they knew we'd gone. They'd never even acted like their younger selves . . . it was hard to connect the two. Sometimes it was difficult to even imagine they were the same people after getting to know their younger selves. Dad rolled his eyes.

"Jazz, you're going to ruin it! Fine, I'll tell them. Jade, Andy, Adrian, and Marine . . . we brought our younger selves here because we remembered being at your graduation. By the way, Andy, you're grounded for the night," my dad grinned wickedly. I gaped.

"Why?!"

"I don't suppose you remember me promising to ground you after the incident with Desiree. And I keep my promises," he smirked, "but I also promise it's only for tonight. No cell phone, video game, laptop, or ghost portal unless a high level ghost attacks." I rolled my eyes and turned to see Danny, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Valerie, Dash, and Paulina. Their images shimmered a bit when they were farther away.

"Clockwork," I guessed amusedly. The old coot always had a knack for meddling—this illusion was no different. Not that I minded at all.

"Yeah," Danny responded. Dash and Paulina embraced Adrian and marveled at their ghostly counterparts. Uncle Tucker broke into a wide smile and boasted to his younger self about his inventions and business. Aunt Jazz rolled her eyes simultaneously with her younger self. Valerie and her older version talked about ghosts and learning to deal with them differently. Danny and Sam came hand in hand to my parents, Marine, and I.

"So this is what we get to look forward to?" Danny asked.

"We do. Plus our little girl. She turns three in a couple months," smiled Mom.

"We have a daughter too?" Sam said, shocked. Mom nodded.

"Elizabeth Madelyn Fenton. She's being babysat by her Aunt Dani right now."

"I seriously can't believe this, you know. Danny Fenton, a father," Valerie said, eyeing me oddly as the sole present proof of that statement. Danny locked eyes with Dad, and for a moment, I saw the connection. I saw how they were the same determined hero that they'd always been. Like everyone had, they'd grown up. But they didn't grow away from who they were. I resolved to do the same—to still be Andy even when teenagers would refer to me as Mr. Fenton.

When I grew up, I'd take on the world the way my dad did. I wouldn't change who I was because I was older. I wouldn't go it alone, but with someone else. Someone I cared about deeply . . .

I met up a few months after with the others at our combined going away to college party. Jade was being congratulated on her high scores and Adrian got a football scholarship. I never would have thought it freshman year, but he did. Football was the last thing on my mind when I thought of Adrian then.

Though things change, people don't. He still played video games with me online, and we swore to keep in touch. We were still best friends.

I then pulled out the small black box from my pocket and turned to Marine. She was facing away, waving at Jade. I knelt on one knee, so when she turned to face me again, she would have to look down.

"Marine, will you marry me?" The moment was suspended in midair. There was no sound, no movement, just utter shock.

"Yes!" and we kissed, and I didn't even hear the "aw" or see the flash of Jade's camera.

I, Andrew Fenton, was the happiest man alive, and nothing would change that.

Come on, you know that ending was super sweet! Even if it was a bit cliché... Now on to other things.

It will not be soon, but I plan on writing more. Danny's timeline, somewhat before Andy arrives, is about where I want the next story to start. I haven't worked on my crossover DP/ Sonic in forever, so that will be something I'll try to work on too. Currently I'm in a vibe for Kingdom Hearts, HP, and DBZ (use ALL the abbreviations lol) which explains my lack of writing for this and other stories. I will attempt to work, but school is still really busy. I try my best to keep up.

If you guys have any comments for the story as a whole, post them on this chapter as well as anything on the epilogue itself. I appreciate it! PM me with ideas for the next fic if you have good ones that you want me to use. I'll give you a hint to the general plot:

School play. Danny signs up. Very much irony in him signing up due to the subject of the play. He has to kiss Sam in it. Multiple times.

That's the general gist. Hopefully you all enjoyed this fic and my writing in general. Thanks so much again for reading this! You are the reason I write, you know. Otherwise these would never get posted ever.

Thanks again and again and again!

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