#Vengeful Babes Week 2017

[astrodances]

A Hunter’s Game

Vengeful Babes Week - Day 1: Hidden

Day: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Happy Friday, everybody! I’m so excited to finally be doing both this prompt week and this specific idea. Been waiting for awhile.

Warnings: for implied smut and such. ;)

Danielle kept her eyes firmly glued to the screen. One false move and she would be ghost toast. She couldn't blow her cover now. She wouldn't let them get her again.

Valerie's voice hissed in her ear above the noise. "Do something!"

Dani rolled her eyes, hesitating with her response. "I...I'm trying, okay? I'm not just gonna jump into that."

"Yeah, well, while you're thinking it over, I could use some backup down here, so come on!"

With a breath to steady herself, Dani finally settled on a tactic that had the smallest chances of getting herself killed, and jumped. As she floated down, about half of the enemy's eyes focused on her.

Within seven seconds, she managed to kill two enemies before another grabbed her and threw her off the ledge, leaving Valerie alone yet again to fend for herself.

The half-ghost groaned. As her head fell back against the couch, she heard a chuckle.

"That was your last life, babe. Which means you get to make the snacks tonight."

Dani grumbled and threw the pillow beside her at her girlfriend's shoulder, making her laugh even more. She knew playing Super Smash Bros. would only end in humiliation for herself. Stupid game. Stupid ledge. Stupid Kirby.

She tossed her controller to the side and got up, walking deliberately slowly in front of Valerie to mess with her game-playing. On instinct, she turned intangible just as the pillow met her back and turned around to stick her tongue out at the other.

With a more amused sigh, she walked into their apartment's kitchen. They'd move in together about a month ago, after Danielle's 21st birthday and a year's worth of secretly dating. They were taking things slow, especially now that the ever-protective Danny knew about them, but between the financial benefits and the mutual company, moving in together had felt like the right step.

Dani unwrapped a bag of popcorn and placed it in the microwave, letting it pop while she got some sodas out of the fridge. She really did enjoy living with her girlfriend, even if she was better gamer than she was, but sometimes she did want things to move faster. She loved Valerie, and she wanted to prove it to her.

When she came back into the living room, Val had a smug grin splayed across her face. "I avenged your death, don't worry," she declared, her hand digging into the popcorn the moment Dani set the bowl down.

"My hero in red armor," Dani deadpanned in a overly-dramatic damsel tone. She jumped back into the couch, opting to lay sideways and lean back against the armrest. She dug her controller out of the cushions, letting it fall in her lap.

Valerie smirked at her. "What do you say to one more round, and then we watch a movie?"

"Ugh. I really don't want to be embarrassed again." Dani reached out towards the TV tray next to the couch, grabbing her soda to open it.

"Aw, come on! I'll let you pick the location!"

"Fiiiine," she drawled out.

After picking their characters for the next round, the game loaded the available locations for them to play at. Dani casually moved her joystick as she pondered the different settings, before her cursor landed on one she hadn't really noticed before.

"Hey! This place reminds me of when I went to Japan!"

Valerie shot a curious look her way. "You've been to Japan?"

Dani met her stare with her own. "...Did I not tell you?"

"Not that I remember..."

She'd shared most of her worldly adventures with the ghost hunter, both from before and after she'd saved her from Vlad. Apparently at least one tale had slipped through, however.

"Oh. Well, there's actually not much to tell from then. I was only there about a week," Dani recalled. Yet what a week it had been.

"Still, Japan! I'd love to visit myself someday..." Valerie dreamed, crossing her legs under herself. "So, what did you do there?"

Dani carried her gaze up to the ceiling, letting the memories come back to her. It felt like forever ago, but it'd been one of the more entertaining places she visited. She started to list things off on her fingers. "Eh, you know. Saw the sights, took a couple lessons in ninjutsu, got a tattoo, ate my weight in candy-"

Her recounting was cut off by a sudden gasp from Valerie. "You got a tattoo?!"

Dani looked back down at her bewildered girlfriend. "I...well, yeah."

Valerie's face looked like it couldn't decide whether it wanted to be excitedly intrigued or confused as to why she hadn't learned this tidbit of information before. It finally landed somewhere in the middle and she asked, "How come you never mentioned it before?"

Dani's cheeks instantly turned red with the heat of embarrassment. "To be honest, I kind of wanted to leave it a surprise f-for you." She gulped, staring down at the controller in her lap. "It's...hidden."

Silence spread across the room as both girls thought about why Valerie hadn't seen the hidden tattoo yet. They both knew why, and the mood in the air took on a sudden shift. It wasn't tense, but something about it was definitely making Dani's stomach fill with butterflies.

"...Can I see it?"

And there the butterflies went, up her throat. She knew exactly where this could lead, and while she wanted that, she just hadn't expected the opportunity to present itself so suddenly. She felt unprepared and nervous out of her mind. But if she could cover her fear, then perhaps the night would work out in her favor.

Dani dared herself to look Valerie straight in the eye, swallowing down the lump in her throat as inconspicuously as possible. With an attempt at a confident smirk, she answered, "Only if you earn it."

Thankfully, that was all the invitation Valerie needed to lunge across the couch, landing on top of her girlfriend with a wild grin. They both laughed as she said, "I think I can do that," before their lips met in a heated kiss.

Any tension that was in the room before evaporated to make way for an air of romance and anticipation. They were both comfortable using the tattoo as an excuse, but their kisses silently revealed just how much desire was between them.

Dani scooted further down the couch so that Valerie was hovering directly above her. The latter began trailing kisses down the other's jaw and neck, while their hands roamed each other's torsos.

As Valerie's kisses started nearing the collar of Dani's shirt, she asked, "So, can I have a hint as to where this tattoo is?" She then pulled the top of her shirt down a few inches, kissing each new exposed area of skin.

"You're...definitely...going in the right direction," Dani teased, her breathing already starting to get ragged. If there was one thing that could make her melt into a wanted puddle of goo, it was neck kisses.

Valerie chuckled, leaning forward to nibble at Dani's collarbone. "Then I guess I'll just have to keep going that way." The physical response she got from Dani was not lost on her, nor was it when her hands ducked beneath the hemline of her shirt, urging it up over her head to reveal nothing on underneath.

Dani tilted her chin forward to gaze at Valerie, who was smiling at her. This was as undressed as either of them had seen the other, but she knew that would be different after tonight. She gave an invisible nod for her to continue.

Each kiss on now-bare skin left Dani feeling more and more tingly, as if she was turning intangible with each one. She tried to stay rooted by focusing on Valerie's upcoming reaction to her tattoo, but when the other reached the edge of her shorts, her mind refused to cooperate.

That is, until Valerie actually nudged her shorts down over her legs. Judging by the immediate surprise that graced her features, Valerie had seen the tattoo.

Dani leaned up on her elbows, clearly amused. "It's fitting, huh?"

There, at the very top of her right thigh, was her tattoo: a small green ghost from Pac-Man.

Valerie couldn't remember the specific ghost's name, but the ink definitely fit her half-ghost girlfriend, as funny as it was. It was tasteful and...cute. She ran her thumb over it, watching the skin follow her path.

"The game's from Japan anyway, so I figured it was the best place in the world to get this," Dani explained. "Do you like it?"

The ghost hunter answered by leaning down to place a tender kiss over the tattoo, which made Dani sigh blissfully. "I love it. In fact," Valerie started as she continued kissing the area, "It kinda makes me want to get my own tattoo."

"Oh yeah? Of what?" Dani asked between breaths.

Valerie climbed back up to kiss her playfully on the lips. "Of Pac-Man.”

[astrodances]

Danielle: The First Ectobender

Vengeful Babes Week - Day 4: Sparring

Day: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Woohoo! Almost done! I’m super excited about this shot, because I’ve had the idea of ectoplasm bending for a while. It’s basically what ghosts do, right? (Also I have been watching waaaaay too much Avatar lately. That might’ve had something to do with this.) ;P

"Man, I am so pumped up right now!"

Danielle bounded up from the couch as Valerie came into the living room through the front door. She took a fighting stance and threw a few spirited punches into the air.

Val laughed, shrugging off her backpack onto the floor. "I take it you're enjoying Avatar?"

"It's not just that!" Dani exclaimed. "During this last episode I realized that my ghost powers are basically ectoplasm bending! I'm a bender!" As if to prove her point, she summoned a ball of ecto-energy in her palm, its green glow casting eerie shadows over the apartment.

"Whoa, cool! I never thought of it like that," Valerie replied, impressed.

Dani quickly stepped forward into a punch, letting a small puff of energy leave her fist and evaporate in the air. It looked like one of the firebending stances in Avatar, but her form was rather sloppy.

Valerie's grin morphed into a smirk. "I think you need some practice there, young Avatar."

The ghost girl relaxed back into a standing position. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, your form. You have the power, but your form is...unrefined. It's too loose, too quick." Valerie walked towards her and took up her own fighting stance, throwing a few jabs. "You need to keep it sharp and under control."

Dani's eyes lit up with renewed wonder. "Ooh, I get it! What you're saying is I need a master!"

Valerie rolled her eyes, but laughed anyway. "Not exactly, but sure, okay."

"Now I just need to figure out which style to learn..." Dani pondered, crossing her legs under her so she was floating mid-air. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I am partial to firebending. Do you know what style it's based off of in real life?"

"How should I know?" Valerie nudged her girlfriend's leg, making her float closer to the couch before sitting down herself.

"Well, you know taekwondo. I figure your guess is better than mine."

Valerie perked up at this, exclaiming, "Wait that's it! Why don't I just teach you taekwondo? Add to it the ecto-energy and bam! You have your own completely unique bending style!"

Dani nearly did a back-flip as she landed on the couch and grabbed Valerie's shoulders with excitement. "That would be the coolest thing ever!" she said, leaning forward to give Valerie a kiss. "Let's do it!"

It had been two weeks since Valerie had suggested that she teach taekwondo to Dani. And while the half-ghost was picking up the techniques rather easily, combining them with her powers into a seamless form was proving to be a bit of a challenge. That's why Valerie insisted Dani clear away an entire Saturday. They were going on a spirit world journey.

And by "spirit world journey," Val meant a trip to the Ghost Zone.

When she told Danny they'd be stopping by Fenton Works to use the ghost portal, Danny had been downright suspicious. Even if Val had eased up on her hatred toward ghosts, an impromptu trip to the Zone seemed awfully intentional.

His mindset changed however when Valerie promised him she would have Dani teach him ectobending, which would benefit everybody. But for that Saturday, it was just Dani, Valerie, and the endless void of the Ghost Zone.

Valerie brought Dani to a pre-chosen floating island. It was covered in spectral trees, similar to Skulker's island, but it had a clearing in the center and was overall much smaller. The perfect spot to practice.

As the girls landed in the clearing, Valerie willed her jet sled back into her suit. She surveyed the area then said, "Okay, this is where we're gonna be for the next few hours. We'll do some meditation, and then get down to business."

Dani nodded, and they sat down on the ground, facing a section of trees. While meditating, Valerie peeked over at her pupil every so often. She noticed her aura glowing stronger the longer they were in the Ghost Zone. With luck, hopefully the increase in power would benefit their practice.

After a good fifteen minutes of meditation, Valerie stood back up and did some light stretches, prompting Dani to do the same.

"Well, I'd say we're warmed up," Valerie noted. "Let's go through your basic drills."

"With ectoplasm or without?" Dani asked, settling into her first stance.

Valerie walked over to the side of the clearing, her arms crossed over her chest. "Without. That'll come in a bit. Okay, first drill, go!"

The duo fell into the rhythm of their drills, and Dani punched and kicked through the moves like she'd been doing them her whole life. Her aura was thriving off of her environment, and it only seemed to bolster her actions.

When she finished the last set, Valerie nodded, highly impressed. "Excellent. That's the best you've ever done!" she praised, strolling back over so she was standing across the clearing from her girlfriend.

"Thanks." Dani was leaning forward on her knees, taking a breather, but she showed no signs of true fatigue.

"So, now let's try it with ectoplasm. Let the muscle memory of the drills control your form. You just focus on adding power to them. The energy is an extension of the move, not a change," she explained.

"Thanks, Piandao."

Valerie had to resist sticking her tongue out at the reference. "You're Zuko, and I'm supposed to be Iroh in this case, young pupil."

"Sorry, Master Iroh," Dani laughed, pretending to bow with the fire nation hand gesture.

"That's more like it," Valerie approved, returning the bow. From the bow she jumped into a fighting stance, her mind focusing in on her training from years of lessons. "Okay, now show me what you got! Time to spar!" A small ecto-gun unveiled itself on each of her wrists, prompting her to add, "And just so you'll focus more on adding your powers to your moves, I'm going to use a little power myself."

Dani visibly gulped at Valerie's challenging smirk. She knew what that look meant on the ghost hunter's face, and it seemed like she was about to be its victim. But she could do this. She just had to focus...

She took her own stance, and when Valerie gave the signal to start sparring, she put all her effort into channeling a ghost ray through the end of her punch. Her eyes were closed, but when she opened them, she saw green smoke coming off her fist and Valerie laying in the distance, propping herself up on her elbows.

Dani immediately ran to Valerie's side. The hunter coughed a few times, but was still smiling through it. "Wow...I need to take you to the Ghost Zone more often."

"Did I do it right? With the ectoplasm and all, I mean?" Dani asked, placing a hand along Valerie's back to support her.

"It was perfect! Perfect form and perfect power!" Valerie then looked down at her side, where a section of her armor was charred. "I just don't think my suit was expecting it." Another chuckle.

Dani hid her face in guilt. "Sorry. Do you want to stop for now?"

"Take my hand?"

Dani did as she was told and grabbed Valerie's hand, expecting to help her up. However, Val pulled her down to the ground instead and flipped her over, pinning her to the ground effortlessly.

"You wish," she finally answered, leaning forward to give Dani a kiss before standing up to offer a hand to help her up. "Now come on, sparring's just beginning, young ectobender."

[astrodances]

Breaking Point

Vengeful Babes Week - Day 5: Future

Day: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Huzzah! I finished Vengeful Babes Week! Yaaay! This particular shot is inspired by the now-canon fact that Dani would’ve moved in with the Fentons had the series continued, but it doesn’t include “Phantom Planet” for reasons you’ll see. ;) Enjoy!

Danny had always known he and Valerie had a complicated relationship. Their short stint of dating appeared to be the peak of it, yet thankfully it had mellowed out into the usual social awkward friendship status with Fenton and a mutual acknowledgement of being frenemies with Phantom.

But now the issue of dating had made things complicated again.

Only this time, Valerie was dating Dani. And Dani was moving in with the Fentons.

Danny was completely fine with his cousin and hunter dating. They'd seem to really hit it off after rescuing Danielle from Vlad. He just hadn't anticipated the consequences.

When Dani moved in as the newest member of the Fenton clan, Valerie began to hang out at Fenton Works a whole lot more. It would've been okay, but Danny could see the way Valerie was always on high alert, making sure her half-ghost girlfriend was safe in a house of unsuspecting ghost hunters.

Or so she thought.

Unfortunately, she was keeping too close of an eye on things for Danny's comfort. He himself was already doing a good job of keeping Dani and her secret safe. He taught her how to keep a straight face if and when one of his parent's inventions ever honed in on her ecto-signature.

It's just that Valerie didn't know these things. She knew that Phantom was also keeping an eye on Dani, and that Fenton wouldn't harm her anyway, but she didn't know they were one and the same. That she never needed to worry, regardless of which Danny her girlfriend was hanging out with.

But one night, after Valerie had gone home, Danielle came into Danny's bedroom with some troubling news.

"She knows."

Danny nearly choked on his soda and scrambled up off of his bed. He knew exactly what she meant, but he still shouted, "What?!"

"Well, she sort of does." Dani walked casually across the room, plopping down in her cousin's desk chair. "When I was saying goodbye to her just now, she asked me if there were any other half-ghosts besides me and Vlad. I told her I wasn't sure, but then she told me she thinks that you and Phantom are the same guy. She made me promise not to tell, but I think the circumstances deem otherwise."

Danny looked paler than he did in his ghost form. He started pacing around the room, speaking his thoughts aloud. "This is bad. This is so bad..."

Dani just slouched back in the chair, more amused than anything else. "I think it's kind of funny." After Danny's death glare, she continued, "Look, she knows I'm half-ghost, and she hasn't tried to shoot at Phantom in a long time. You guys are friends, I think you should tell her."

"Are you nuts?" Danny turned to her, his face twisted in panic. "After everything that's happened between us - if she found out it was me who did all those things she hunted Phantom for, t-that would...oh man, I can't even imagine how she'd react!"

The room fell silent as Danny's head filled with over-dramatic scenarios. Dani felt torn between wanting to help him, and wanting to laugh over how ridiculous the whole snafu was.

"You gotta convince her I'm not Phantom," Danny finally said.

"Oh, come on! I say we just let her suspicions simmer for a little while, have some fun with it. I'll pretend to spy on you like she asked-"

"She WHAT?!"

Danny was now in Dani's face, his hands gripping her shoulders with a death grip. She finally couldn't help herself and burst into full-on laughter.

"Danny, relax. Look, I really don't think she would hurt you if she found out. If she was going to, I think she would've just flown right up here and done it the moment she had the idea."

Danny's hands fell to his sides, and he returned to pacing.

"It'll be okay. I'll keep her at enough of a distance, but maybe we can play a few tricks in the meantime, alright?" Dani watched his shoulders finally surrender their tension.

"Fine," Danny sighed.

"Yes!" Dani hopped up to give her cousin a hug. "This is gonna be so fun!"

It was Danny's turn to laugh. "Val sure knows how to pick 'em," he deadpanned.

A pillow from his bed effectively silenced him.

It had been a little over a week since "Operation: Craze the Hunter" had been approved, and Valerie was nearing her breaking point.

It was like they were purposely teasing her, she was sure of it! Every little denial of her not-so-subtle prodding, Dani's surprisingly unhelpful spying, and Phantom's muffled laughter whenever she turned her back were starting to wear on her.

Everything seemed to click into place when the adoption papers for Dani were approved. When Jack first called her "Dani Fenton," Valerie could've smacked herself. As much as she loved her girlfriend, she really needed to work on original names.

And Danny needed to do a better job of protecting his alter ego.

This fool-proof evidence had Valerie nearly bursting at the seams. The day after Dani was officially adopted, Valerie went with her and Danny to the mall for some lunch.

She spent most of the time debating in her head how she was going to bring the topic up, make Danny spill. Right before the group left their table, Val pulled Dani aside.

"I need you to keep Danny distracted for a few minutes, then just go to his car in the parking lot," was her only instruction.

Dani stared at her suspiciously. "What are you gonna do, Val?"

"Let's just say, Phantom's going to need to make a very quick appearance." She smirked, then pulled Dani in for a quick kiss. "Just remember I still love you. Nothing bad is gonna happen."

Before Dani could respond, Valerie was walking out the mall doors, a clever grin on her face. Danny would have to use his powers, probably before he even had a chance to transform. His secret's time was up.

She ducked into the parking lot and in between two cars, then willed her suit to cover her body from head to toe. When the two Fentons finally walked past her hiding spot, she put her plan into action.

Valerie flew out on her jet sled from between the cars, stealthily flying behind the two just until...

"Watch out!"

The shout came from Valerie, who was planning to shoot at the ground right behind Dani as if there was a ghost there. The plan was to make Danny's protective instincts kick into gear.

But right as she pulled the trigger on her ecto-gun, Phantom phased into view right in front of her...with Fenton still completely human at Dani's side. She barely had time to register the ray of ice power that froze her gun before Phantom was flying off with a cocky smirk, baiting her to chase him and get them away from the humans.

But Dani and Danny were right there, both staring at her dumbfounded under the pretense that neither of them knew who the Red Huntress was.

"I...don't worry, I'll get that ghost," Valerie promised, keeping up the ruse.

She took off swiftly into the air, pretending like she was going after Phantom, but instead altered her course. She was going to Fenton Works.

She'd reach the breaking point.

"So apparently Val's back at our place," Dani told Danny, pocketing her phone. "I think you won."

"Not quite yet," Danny replied, driving his jeep through the streets of Amity Park.

Dani groaned, leaning her head back. "Oh come on! That duplicate stunt you pulled back there was pretty cruel, man."

He chuckled, turning onto their street. "Hey, you said yourself we should have a little fun."

"True," Dani conceded with a tiny grin. "But still, I think it's safe to tell her now. I'll be in the room just in case though."

"Yeah, alright..."

Danny put his jeep in park in Fenton Works' driveway, then went inside with Danielle. After some invisible searching, they found Val laying on Dani's bed, watching some show on TV.

Instead of going back out into the hall, however, Danny floated carefully in the air beside the bed, prompting Dani to do the same. With a deep breath, he then popped into sight, as his human self.

After the scream ended, Danny calmly said, "Hey, Val, there's something I gotta tell you..."

[astrodances]

Distractions in Paradise

Vengeful Babes Week - Day 3: Flowers

Day: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Aloha! I’d love writing this shot, because Hawaii + food = happy me. This is actually based off of a pic I took in Hawaii, which you can see here, and off of a custom I learned while there. I figured they applied perfectly to Dani and Val. ;)

The food on the table looked heavenly. No, beyond heavenly. Its enticement had transcended heaven and was floating way out on the fringes of the solar system.

Danielle couldn't wait to consume her food. She looked over at Valerie to her right, who seemed to be thinking the same thing, then at their server, who was taking a tortuously long time to refill their water glasses. Once he was gone...

Their meal was complemented by a stunning view of the Hawaiian shoreline catching the day's sunset. But that could wait. Because in front of Dani was the best-looking club sandwich she had ever seen, sliced up and surrounding a bowl of crispy golden fries, and adorned with Hawaiian flowers and pineapple chunks along the plate's edges. Valerie had a similarly-served burger in front of her, and between them sat a Hawaiian pizza for them to share. To complete the course they'd ordered a couple of Blue Hawaiians, which almost looked too beautiful to drink. Almost.

Finally the waiter left, and Dani wasted no time in picking up a section of her sandwich, eyes hungry. The couple had spent most of the day at the beach surfing, so their appetites were strong. Ravenously strong.

But before she could dig in, Valerie held out her arm and said, "Stop!" The ghost girl flashed her eyes green in a glaring response, and Val continued. "I wanna take a picture of all of this."

Dani groaned and slouched in her seat, setting her food down. "Why must you torture me so?"

Valerie snapped a few shots of the table, then aimed her phone at Dani. "Because you love me." Click.

"That doesn't even make sense," Dani countered, shaking her head. "Can I eat now?"

"Go crazy."

Within milliseconds the sandwich was in her hands again, and Dani sunk her teeth in for a bite. She nearly melted in her seat. Somehow, the food tasted even better than it looked. It was reaching interstellar levels of delicious.

Once both girls had eaten enough to push the gnawing feelings of hunger away, they slowed down to a more relaxed pace, even taking the time to enjoy the incredible views around their little outdoor table.

At some point, Valerie wiped her hands on her napkin after finishing a slice of pizza and raised her drink in a toast, prompting Danielle to do the same.

"Here's to this trip, this amazing food, and to us! Happy anniversary, babe!" Valerie proclaimed, leaning over to give her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips before they clinked glasses.

Dani sipped her drink between a huge grin. She never thought that the ghost hunter she once feared when she was just thirteen years old would one day be celebrating their five-year anniversary with her in Hawaii. It was insane, but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

As they began to finish up their meals, Dani toyed with the flowers at the edge of her plate while eating the pineapple chunks. In a moment of silliness, she stuck one of the flowers behind her right ear, then turned to her partner.

"Hey, Valerie, how do I look?" She stuck her arm behind her head and posed for a fake glamor shot.

Valerie smirked and leaned against the table on her elbow, chin in hand and eyes lustful. "Stunning. Absolutely stunning." After a beat, she blinked herself out of her reverie and joked, "Oh, you meant the flower. Yeah, that's beautiful too."

They laughed as Dani reached over to lightly shove Valerie's shoulder, all while trying to contain her blush.

After a few more minutes of not-so-subtle flirting and planning for that evening, a young man around their age suddenly approached the table. He looked like he was from the area, and spent more time in the ocean surfing than on land.

"Hello..." Dani greeted hesitantly as the man immediately focused his attention on her.

"Aloha, I'm Ryan," he returned. His voice sounded shaky in its casualness, as if he had to talk himself into coming over to them. He gulped and continued. "Listen, I know you're almost done eating here and everything, but would you maybe want to go out for drinks later tonight?"

Dani blinked at him incredulously, feeling blindsided. "Uh, sorry. I'm already involved with someone." To prove her point, she interlaced her hand with Valerie's on the edge of the table.

Ryan's eyes followed her hand and he turned red instantly, backing up a few steps. "O-Oh sorry! I thought you were single!"

"What made you think that?" Dani asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I just assumed so, because your flower is behind your right ear." When he was met with blank stares, he explained, "S-See, in Hawaiian culture, a flower behind your right ear means you're single, and one behind your left ear means you're taken."

The girls nodded in dawning realization. "Got it," Valerie added, a tinge of possessiveness tracing her voice. "Well, hate to break it to you, Ryan, but unfortunately for you, we just didn't know about that custom. Sorry, pal."

"Oh, the mistake's all mine. Sorry about that again. I hope you two ladies have a lovely evening." Just as quickly as he'd showed up, Ryan ducked back into the noise of the restaurant.

"That was...random," Dani declared, turning her gaze back once Ryan was out of view. She was surprised to see Val's hand nearly in front of her face. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing this." Valerie plucked the flower out from behind Dani's right ear and replaced it behind her left. She let her fingers linger along her neck after, her lips quirking into a soft smile. "Even more stunning now."

Dani grabbed Valerie's hand beside her face and gave it a comforting squeeze. "What? Worried some Hawaiian hunk might swoop in and take me away?" she laughed.

"Ha! Nah, just want to make sure nothing distracts you from tonight, and us. Because trust me," Val whispered, closing the distance between them. "You're not gonna want to miss one second of it."

Dani's breath hitched in her throat, and she sat there stunned as Valerie leaned back, satisfied with the effect her words were having on her.

The waiter dropped off their check then, and as they stood up to go pay it, Dani snatched another flower from her plate and turned Valerie around by the shoulder. She carefully threaded the flower's stem behind her girlfriend's left ear.

Valerie smiled, asking with a chuckle, "What's that for?"

Dani blushed and answered, "After what you said, I don't want you distracted either."

[astrodances]

Friendly Gestures

Vengeful Babes Week - Day 2: Sleepover

Day: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Back for day two! This particular fic takes a different direction from the end of “D-Stabilized,” so keep that in mind. ;)

Valerie watched the two ghosts with mounting ease. After rescuing Danielle from Vlad in a joint effort, it felt...allowable to let her guard down around her and Phantom. Not completely, but enough to push the desire to keep an ecto-weapon ready to the back of her mind.

She definitely was taking an extra liking to Dani though, that was certain. Human, ghost, or both, there was something about the girl that felt honest, despite their first meeting.

With a shake of her head, Valerie's attention drifted back to the conversation.

"...Now that this phantom is fixed, she's got places to go," Dani remarked cheerfully.

Wait, Dani's leaving already? Valerie was surprised at the tinge of sadness that fell over her heart at this new turn of events.

"Well just be safe, okay?" Phantom warned.

"Aw, Danny, nothing can hurt me now!" Dani leaned forward to kiss Phantom on the cheek. "See ya." She floated back to wave at Val. "And thanks Valerie!"

As Dani flew off into the evening sky, Valerie had a feeling she would regret it if she didn't say something. It was like some instinct was pushing her to act quickly, leaving her stomach feeling all tingly.

Before she could think twice she called out, "Wait! Dani!"

Both Phantoms turned to her, and Dani quirked an eyebrow up. "Yeah?"

Suddenly Valerie wished the other Danny was gone, but she ignored it. "Do you...have to leave so soon?"

The girl shrugged, and floated back towards them. "I mean, it's be nice if I could cover some ground tonight. I've been wanting to go to California. How come?"

"It's just...maybe you should rest. Take a break, y'know?" Valerie could've smacked herself over her poor phrasing. She inhaled deeply, then decided to get straight to her point. "I'm going to a party tonight."

"A party?"

"A sleepover party, actually. W-wanna come with me? It's at my friend Danny's house." She had to hold back the snicker over how many Dannys she knew now.

Speaking of, Phantom suddenly jumped back into the conversation with a choked cough. As he regathered his stance, he stumbled over his words. "You mean F-Fenton? As in Fenton Works? A-are you sure it's a wise idea to bring Dani there?"

"It'll be okay. Just as long as she stays human, she'll be fine, right?" Valerie looked from Phantom to Dani, who was looking just as apprehensive as her cousin. "If I wasn't able to detect her as a human on my equipment, then the Fentons definitely won't be able to. Besides, if anything does happens, I'm more than capable of protecting her."

Dani's muscles seemed to relax at the reassurances, and she shied her glance away from the hunter, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Okay, I'm in. Just as long as Danny thinks it's okay."

Both girls turned their heads toward him, and his gaze sent an unspoken message to Dani before he finally said, "I guess so. Since that's the case then, I'm gonna go now."

Valerie gave him a quizzical look. "Where are you going?"

"Just gotta get back to the Ghost Zone, that's all. I-I'll let you two go get ready for the sleepover." He gave Dani another pointed look, adding, "Stay out of trouble, cuz. And thanks for helping with the rescue, Valerie."

With one final pause, he took off into the night, his flight seeming more rushed than normal.

Valerie shrugged off the ghost boy's weirdness and turned back to Dani, who was watching her with keen interest. "What?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing," Dani shook off, shifting her glance away. "Sooo...a sleepover, huh? I've never really been to one of those."

"Really?"

Dani shrugged, leaning back against nothingness. "Well, unless you count sleeping in the projector room at a drive-in movie theater for a night, theeeen no."

"Oh." Valerie's chin fell. Compared to how Dani had been living, especially with her instability then, Val and her dad's situation seemed like paradise. Today had been humbling if anything, that was for sure. "Well...this will be fun then! C'mon, let's go to my place first, and we'll get some stuff for the sleepover."

The half-ghost nodded, and the two took off for Valerie's apartment back in Elmerton.

After making sure her dad wasn't home, Valerie ushered Dani through her open bedroom window and followed her in, closing it behind her. She willed her jet sled back into her armor, then crossed over to her dresser. "You need some clothes for tonight?" Without waiting for a response, she began to rifle through her clothes.

"Why are you doing this, Val?"

Valerie's hands stilled and she turned to see the girl staring at her inquisitively, her arms crossed. Valerie couldn't help the blush that rose on her cheeks at the stance. It made her feel...vulnerable. "W-what do you mean?"

The stance relaxed. "Like, I know that you're not tricking me or anything, I trust you now on that. But why invite me to this party? You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." The words were out of her mouth before she could process them, and Valerie faced her dresser again, picking up a pair of basketball shorts. "Besides, like I said, you should take a break and rest."

As silence fell between them again, Valerie missed the knowing smirk behind her. After a few more seconds of looking through her clothes, she turned and held up the shorts and a blue tank-top. "Are these good?"

"Yep!" Dani reached forward and snatched the clothes out of Val's hands, holding them up against herself.

Once Valerie found some clothes for herself, she put them and Danielle's into a backpack along with a few other items, and they were out the window once more, sights set on Fenton Works.

When they reached the street around the block from the bright neon sign, the girls landed in an alley. Valerie willed her armor away and Dani transformed into her human self. They both checked each other over, then casually walked out of the alley, making sure they weren't being watched.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dani asked as they strolled the sidewalk.

"I'm positive. As long as you stay human, there should be no problem." Without thinking, Valerie reached down and grabbed the girl's hand with a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fun."

Dani gazed down in awe at their hands, then relaxed into a smile, nodding.

However, as they walked up the front steps of Fenton Works and Valerie rang the doorbell, she couldn't deny the nerves in her own gut. She'd phased through these walls just hours earlier with Phantom, as a trespasser and a thief, despite their good intentions to get the cure. It felt weird to be back now as an invited guest.

But as Danny opened the door to greet them with a friendly, if nervous smile, and Danielle squeezed her hand back as they walked into the party, something told her it would be okay.

It would be fun.

And if she played her cards right, it would be magical.