Thank you so much for 2.13k reads on this book! I've been getting a lot of comments and votes from amazing people (you know who you are) and I really appreciate it, y'all. Honestly, reaching that milestone was a dream of mine, I would totally lose my ghost marbles if I got 10k reads.

This one-shot is in third-person POV. Enjoy.

(Takes place post Phantom Planet with a week)

TW: blood, violence. Usually I don't put trigger warnings, but I felt this one-shot needed them.

~○~

Danny sat on the roof of a tall skyscraper and breathed in the cold hair with a deep sigh. Only a sigh that a boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders could muster. The weight that nobody could bear. Maybe that was why he had felt suffocated lately, that no amount of late patrols or peaceful flights could take his mind off his responsibilities, now that he saved the world.

Usually, as he sat and wiggled his leg off the edge of the building fearlessly, he would think about everything at once: his parents getting involved in his ghost-hunting and literally every single human on earth, the paparazzi, his friends, his sister, his home, his town, his future and his past..

That time, he couldn't shift his thoughts to anything other than the red huntress. His classmate. Valerie Gray. The girl who was almost a thing with him.. that quit the whole relationship with him as soon as it started to.. hunt him. The irony almost stung Danny. It wasn't like he would have been comfortable dating the girl who smiled at Fenton in the day and tried everything in her power to hunt Phantom down at night, he tried to convince himself, but it didn't matter. He now had Sam on his side, supporting him and loving him no matter what.

Ever since his grand reveal, Valerie had been keeping her distance, perhaps even being hostile towards him at school. He tried to talk to her as if nothing had happened between the both of them for the past two years of constant fighting and betrayal, lies and broken hearts.. yet that never worked. Understandable, Danny thought.

Danny had offered to talk to her to the place of her choice. She said she would track him down tonight and she would join him if she felt like it.

Danny felt like she didn't want to leave him hanging in case she couldn't bring herself to come, which again, was an understandable proposal, that he tried to communicate clearly to her that it was no shame. Not sure if she had caught it, but Danny was still waiting for her during his patrol, nonetheless.

He suddenly felt a familiar presence behind him. A roar of jet thrusters. They died down and there was a heavy jump to the ground, with a loud click. It seemed like they were wearing boots. He didn't bother to look behind him.

"You came." He said quietly, yet loud enough for Valerie to hear.

"I have a lot of questions, Phan—Fenton." She corrected herself. Danny looked at her with a look she couldn't comprehend. He turned his gaze to the clear skies again.

"I know. That's why I-I offered you to come, so I would explain. I.. figured you would want explanations." Danny rambled. For a moment, her biggest enemy was.. human. Not just any human, her classmate. The one she had feelings for, till that day. She sat next to Danny, which Danny stiffened at, even though he wanted her to sit and hear him out. He didn't know why he flinched, but he did. It was like—

Fenton.

You are not scared of Val.

She is not going to hurt you.

Danny was so caught up in his racing thoughts, he didn't even notice Valerie, pressing a button on the touchpad strapped to her arm to retract her helmet.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Valerie asked with a tone full of hurt it cracked her voice, "I could have killed.." She bit her lip, "I could have killed you." She said in bitter realization. Danny shook his head.

"I just couldn't bring myself to tell you, I didn't know how you would react. I didn't want you to hate Fenton, too." Valerie looked away, "You would have hated me, right?" She sighed heavily.

"I hurt you. A lot. I electrocuted you, I tortured you, I burnt and shot you." Valerie said, her eyes filled with guilt and concern for her own classmate. Her forbidden love. "God, I hated you so bad and it all could've come to an end if you had just told me sooner."

Danny wanted to go easy on her as much as possible. He understood where her words were coming from. She was trying to share the guilt with someone because it was too heavy to share. It didn't bother Danny. He played along instead, "You are right. It was just.. hard. Imagine going up to you and saying 'Hey, Val, I am your biggest enemy and I am the one who ruined your life, Crazy, right?'." Danny explained. Valerie remained silent. Danny added, "Besides, I deserved it. Every hit, every burn, every cut.. I ruined your life."

"No one deserves to be hurt in the way that you were.. if so, your dad would have hit you if you talked back or your mom would've—"

"Alright, alright," Danny raised his arms defensively with a laugh, "I get the picture, but yeah, I just needed to tell you that I am not as evil and cunning as you think I am."

"Your dog—"

"Cujo is not mine, Valerie. He was just a stray hyperactive ghost dog I couldn't control. I eventually got hold of it and sent it to the ghost zone.. I just.. I didn't do this fast enough." Danny's gaze was far and remorseful. Valerie looked down at the cars racing down the streets under her feet. She suddenly jerked upwards, like she was stung by something. Before Danny could react, she looked at him with her piercing red eyes.

"How did.. this thing.. merge with you?" Valerie asked, which took Danny off-guard. He stared at her in disbelief and confusion.

"What thing?"

"The ghost." Valerie said. Danny stood up, taking a step back when he saw the gun in her hand.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked.

"What happened to sweet Danny Fenton? The one I fell in love with? Why did this happen to my Danny?" Valerie stood up, facing Danny. Suddenly, her voice wasn't hers anymore.

"I don't understand, Valerie, it was a lab accident. I was messing with my parent's equipment—"

"Yeah, yeah, the story is all over the news, the ghost merged with your human body, it just.. frustrates me, why did you never get rid of it?" Her finger tightened on the trigger. Danny couldn't understand her sudden change of demeanor.. or why she talked about his powers like some kind of menace.. or 'The Ghost'..

"Valerie, let's get you home, alright? It has been a rough night, you are not thinking straight." Danny said, taking a step back. He then noticed Valerie's glowing red eyes.

In a mere second, Valerie raised the gun and aimed at his chest before pushing the trigger.

Danny tried to get out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough, something small embedded itself into his shoulder. It sent foreign energy as electricity coursing through his veins. He screamed in pain, falling on his knees. His body glowed a dangerous shade of red. The pain striked again and he brought his hand to the wound and let out a loud cry of pain.

Valerie gave out an evil laugh that ultimately didn't sound like her. It felt.. familiar, but not Valerie's.

"Oh, Danny.." She cackled again, walking towards Danny, who was disoriented and in pain.

Danny retracted his hand and took a look at his shoulder. He grimaced. The bullet's colour was a shade of blood red. He immediately recognized the component.

"Blood.. blossoms.." Danny squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them to look at Valerie with hurt, "Where.. where did you get these, Valerie?"

"Oh, I am not Valerie, Danny. Valerie is looking at you from behind my eyes. I can feel her terror.. her regret.. remorse and that's the most powerful miserable emotion I can absorb from an insecure, vengeful teenager like her." Danny's eyes widened and he groaned at the pain in his shoulder.

"S-spec.. Spectra.." Valerie's red eyes glowed further and suddenly, a silhouette emerged from her body. Valerie dropped to the floor, heaving and sobbing.

"Good job, Danny." Spectra, in her dark form, taunted, "You imprisoned me all these months and left me to die in Walker's jail because I was seen in your home town. It's about time I watch you die murdered by your own classmate. Wow! I am so hitting two ghost birds with one stone. What a productive day.. watching the savior of the world die and feeding off a great deal of misery and guilt." Spectra disappeared, traces of her echoing evil laughter remained suspended in the air until they melted.

Valerie sat on her knees, watching Danny cry out in pain and moan. He fell on his back, his chest rising and descending erratically and rapidly.

"Danny!" She shuffled to him, tumbling, until she reached beside him. She choked on a sob as she stared at his bleeding shoulder and his deathly pale face. She wondered if he were dragging his last breaths as she stared at him—

No. Get a grip of yourself, Valerie.

He needs you.

"Wh-what do I do? Wh-where do I go?" Danny coughed as a response, which pulled him into a vicious coughing fit. He leaned with his elbow on the ground and brought his fist to his lips, coughing. When he lied down on the ground, Valerie noticed that his glove was stained with ectoplasm and his human blood mixed in it. "Danny!" His teeth was stained with red and green and so was his lips to his chin. He was still awake, clinging to life.

Valerie then carried him, bridal style and decided to take him to FentonWorks, hoping to find help for him. She sobbed behind her red huntress mask as she carried him to her hoverboard. Tying her friend and her lover to the straps of the hoverboard, she launched herself in the air. She gave him a concerned glance and found out he was out, barely breathing. Thankfully, FentonWorks was only a dozen blocks away.

It didn't take her more than two minutes to reach FentonWorks. She raped the door with her knuckles and pressed the doorbell button so many times until Maddie opened the door and she couldn't even utter a word.

"P-please," Valerie weeped, "Please, help him."

"My baby boy!" Maddie screamed in alarm as she ran downstairs to the lab. Valerie followed her but her steps were pushed to a halt, realizing it would be too risky to run down the stairs with him in her arms. Maddie and Jack came up with a stretcher. Valerie placed him gingerly on it and they rushed down.

Maddie's cry was enough to bring Jazz from upstairs. Jazz didn't even ask Valerie what happened. The blood and the ectoplasm on her clothes said it all. She ran down to the lab. Valerie followed in a sprint, wiping her tears with the clean side of her gloves.

"He didn't turn human, and he is unconscious!"

"This has to be blood-blossoms, Mads.."

"No.. no, please.." Maddie stepped away from the stretcher and took a shaky breath. "I will take the bullet out, you make the mixture we talked about."

"Mom, you said before it was experimental and in the wrong way could—" Jazz's grim reminder was cut off short by her frantic mother.

"Jazz, he could die if we didn't do it. Let's carry on with the procedure." Maddie pressed on Jack, who seemed hesitant. Jack nodded.

"He has a higher chance of survival if we did it. I will work on the antidote, give him a dose of ecto-dejecto." The parents went to work.

Jazz noticed Valerie's presence in the room. She approached her, pulled her upstairs from her arm yet gently and stopped when she was as far away as possible from the lab.

"What happened to my brother?" Jazz asked in a tone charged with so much darkness it made Valerie taken back.

"I-I.. was talking and Spec—Spectra was.." Jazz stared at her skeptically.

"Spectra? Spectra doesn't have blood-blossom infused bullets in her pockets to pull such a stunt, Valerie." Jazz said in dark sarcasm. Valerie continued to stutter, tears streaming down her face.

"She overshadowed me and.." Jazz brought her hands to her mouth as she gasped, "The bullet is mine, Vlad Masters gave it to me before I knew he was bad news and.."

"Why did you still have it on you?" Jazz asked in desperation and hurt. Valerie tried to justify her actions, but there was no excuse. She always carried it with her to kill deadly ghosts, and somehow she managed to kill her own friend. A human.

"I am sorry, I.." Valerie sniffled. Jazz sighed and she hated to admit, she felt sympathy for her.

"Let's get you some clean clothes." Jazz attempted a weak smile, but she couldn't get to form a smile at all. Valerie followed her upstairs.

While Valerie washed up and changed, Jazz took the liberty of notifying Sam and Tucker. Jazz called Sam, who definitely didn't take it well, and Tucker who tried to stop his wavering loud voice from showing his true emotions and ultimately failing.

Both came as fast as possible.

"Where is he?" Sam asked, as soon as she entered.

"In the lab with Mom and Dad." Jazz replied. Tucker could notice how Jazz's eyes were wet with tears threatening to spill.

"How is he?" Tucker asked.

"I.. I don't know." Jazz said. The answer was chilling to Sam and Tucker. The girl always knew what was going on, especially something medical. She went to the lab but the door was locked. She immediately grimaced at the thought.

"Mom? Dad?" Jazz called, looking behind her to exchange a worried glance with Sam and Tucker. Valerie was behind them, watching from afar.

Suddenly, the blaring siren of an ambulance erupted from behind the teenagers, out the front door. Jazz knocked hard on the door.

"Mom? Dad?" The door opened. Jack ran fast to the front door with limp Danny scooped up in his arms. Valerie opened up the door for him. Jack was so fast nobody could catch a glimpse of the unconscious boy. Maddie followed quickly behind him. She didn't stop at her tracks until Jazz gripped her wrist.

"Mom." Maddie sighed.

"We managed to extract the bullet and give him the antidote for the blood blossoms, a thing which we have never done before. He was slowly yet surely getting better but we needed to monitor his vitals for the next two days and we don't have the right equipment." Maddie explained, yet Jazz felt like she was lying, or she was purposely blinding them from some of the whole truth.

"We'll follow." Sam decided. "Jazz, you can ride on my scooter." Tucker also invited Valerie on his vespa. They all followed the ambulance.

***

Cardiac Arrest. Danny had a cardiac arrest in the Fenton Lab. His poor mother had to perform CPR on his lifeless body, breaking down at the sound of her daughter calling and knocking for them. Jack, the cheery giant, had tears rolling down his cheeks as he helped her with the procedure.

Maddie wished the ambulance had come sooner. They had called the paramedics the moment Valerie placed their unconscious boy on the stretcher. He continued the experimental antidote, which did make a significant change on Danny.

And here they were, taking turns to sit beside him in case he woke up.

And finally came that moment, only nobody but Sam, Jazz and Tucker were present. With a small breathless gasp of pain, he opened his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath. Sam noticed his awakening.

"Danny.." She whispered as she rushed to his side. Tucker and Jazz followed immediately, standing beside him on the opposite side of Sam's. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"Alright. Shoulder still, uh.. hurts, but it will pass. How long was I out?" He said, rubbing his eyes, noticing that there had been an IV inserted in his hand.

"Three months." Tucker replied. Danny quickly sat up, only to regret it. He threw himself on the pillow with a groan.

"Three months?" Danny exclaimed loudly, straining his voice. Sam and Jazz shot him an angry glare. Tucker laughed.

"Kidding, man, just two days." Tucker said.

"I hate you, Tuck." He said with a breathless chuckle.

"Great to have you back, little brother." Jazz said with a smile, holding his hand and patting it. Jazz looked at Sam and realized that she probably needed some alone time with him. "Tucker, why don't we go search for my parents?" Tucker nodded, understanding what she was trying to notion to. They both left.

Sam took the opportunity as soon as the door creaked closed and she hugged Danny. He could feel the angry wound in his shoulder aching him as she did so, yet he couldn't tell her to stop. He needed it, too.

"I thought I lost you." Sam confessed.

"So did I." Danny said with a smile.

"What Valerie said.. about Spectra.. is it true?" Danny nodded.

"It's not Valerie's fault. She overshadowed her." Danny said. Sam sighed. Danny tried to sit up, so Sam helped him by adjusting the pillow. "What? Tell me you actually thought she would hurt me."

"Spectra feeds of misery and guilt. Tries to make them.. amplified.." Danny shook his head.

"She overshadowed her, she didn't manipulate her. She amplified her emotions, like you said, by hurting me through her own hands, with her own gun." Sam paused. She then sighed, leaning against his bed.

"Looks like Spectra is amp-ing her game. What are you gonna' do about it?" Sam asked.

"Where's Valerie?" Danny asked. Sam went utterly quiet that he would probably hear the pin strike the ground from the silence. "Sam?"

"She is nowhere to be seen."

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Would you like to see a part 2? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this!