Summary: Amity Park, where many of his battles took place, is where he returns after ten long years.

Characters: Vlad, Jack, and Danny

Written: March 2014

Someone to Believe

The rain poured down, flattening his silver hair to his head as several locks clung to his face. He used to be famous, featured in magazines for being a billionaire with several successful companies. He used to live in a castle, and maybe the gold and green of the Packers' team colors was a bit tack, but he was a devoted fan of the football team and wanted to display the various merchandise he owned in his home.

That was all gone now though. He had no castle, no fortune, no fame, and all of that Packers paraphernalia he spent years collecting was lost to him. He had no job, no friends, no family. He had grown up an only child, and his parents had died years ago, not long after his accident in college. He was alone in the world, and he had no one to blame but himself.

He tried, of course, to blame Jack for it. How easy it was to shift all the blame onto the big oaf like he had done years ago. But after years of being trapped in space, all alone, he had plenty of time to really think about everything. It wasn't Jack's fault. It had never been Jack's fault. Jack had never purposely sabotaged their Proto Portal project in college to blow up in Vlad's face. He was clumsy and a bit absent minded from time to time, but he was never cruel. Jack would never hurt him to win the heart of the woman they both loved.

Vlad closed his tired, bloodshot eyes as he rubbed at his forehead. He had been a fool. He obsessed over Maddie when she was never his to begin with. How could he ever think that was love? Even if it was love, it wasn't a healthy kind of love. He realized that now, but he wished he had figured it out years ago. Maybe he could still be friends with them right now.

When he looked up, he found that his aimless wandering led him straight to Fenton Works with that outrageous sign hanging on the side of the house, looking like a terrible eyesore. He winced as he recalled the look on Jack's face when he finally severed their friendship. It was only now that it was over that Vlad realized how much, deep down, he never wanted to lose Jack as his friend. At the time, he had snorted and shrugged it off, saying good riddance to his old college roommate. Now it felt like he had a giant hole left inside him where Jack's friendship used to reside.

Yet he couldn't deny his envy. Jack had everything Vlad wanted. Jack had someone he loved and two wonderful children. He had a career and money, even if it was modest compared to the money that Vlad used to make. Not that his past riches meant anything now.

The door of the house opened, and Vlad jerked back a step. Fear was a strange feeling, grabbing hold of his heart and squeezing until he felt like he couldn't breathe. Ever since he mastered his ghost powers, he had been overly confident, never afraid of being bested because his ghost powers made him strong. But as the large man stepped out of the house with a black garbage bag in his hand and muttering about having to take the trash out in the middle of a storm, Vlad felt a tremble running through his body. Jack had beaten in fights before. All of the members in the Fenton family had fought and won against him. And now, Jack knew exactly what Vlad was. There would be no cheerful grin and happiness in his eyes when he saw Vlad in front of his house. He wouldn't call out Vlad's name, or any number of annoying nicknames, and draw him into a crushing hug. He would look upon Vlad with coldness and hatred in his eyes.

Without thought, Vlad vanished from sight, using his powers of invisibility as if on instinct. Jack's head turned in his direction as he dumped the bag into the trashcan sitting near the door. Puzzlement wrinkled his brow as his eyes scanned the dark street. When he saw nothing hiding in the rain, Jack turned and walked up the steps to the front door, entering the house once again.

He wasn't sure how much time passed as he stood there invisibly holding his breath like he expected Jack to come barging out of the house loaded with weapons and ready to hunt him down, cursing his name the entire time. When only the patter of rain hitting rooftops followed, Vlad exhaled a long breath as he faded back to visible. What was wrong with him? Was he broken inside? How could he just throw away his friendships? He wanted to get them back, both Jack and Maddie, but he didn't know how they could possibly forgive him after everything that he had done. He thought he was miserable and alone because of the accident, but he was miserable and alone because of his own stupidity.

Transforming to his ghost half, Vlad took the skies and flew away from Fenton Works. He could never return to those days of being friends with Jack and Maddie no matter how much he wished he could. His eyes burned, and his throat ached like a lump was forming in it, cutting off his air. He wasn't much of a crier, he hadn't cried even once during his time in space before finally dropping back to Earth, but seeing Jack again had somehow opened that floodgate. With the rain, he could pretend the heat running down his cheeks weren't tears. He wanted to go back. He wanted to fix things. He hated the feeling of being broken inside, but he didn't see any way of erasing that feeling.

A stream of white light shot out of nowhere and slammed into Vlad's chest before he could wake from his thoughts and dodge it. He lost altitude, the ground rising up fast. He tried to regain his flight, but the pain radiating from his chest seemed to take up all the space in his mind, pushing away his memory of how to fly. When he hit the ground, his brain felt like it rattled around inside his skull. If he hadn't been a ghost at the moment, the fall from that height and how hard he hit the paved street, he would have died. His bones probably would have shattered.

"Nice shooting there, probie."

Vlad pushed himself up on his arms, but they trembled weakly trying to hold up his weight. Two men stood before him with ecto blasters in their hands. Vlad's red eyes widened, recognizing immediately from their clothing that they belonged to the Guys in White. He stared into the barrels of the blasters, frozen in place as they lit up, charging with a whirring noise.

"If you keep that up," the older agent said, smirking with a malicious hunger, "you'll be promoted in no time."

Vlad watched as their fingers squeezed around their triggers. At that close range, he couldn't hope to escape before their blasts struck him. His chest still ached from where their first shot hit him. His eyes slipped shut. What a fitting end this would make. He already lost everything in life. He might as well give up and let the Guys in White destroy him, put him out of his misery for good.

Then the men shouted, their bodies hitting the ground. Their weapons clattered upon the wet pavement, skidding away from them. Vlad's eyes popped open, widening fraction by fraction as he stared at a familiar figure standing before him. It could be no one else with that same black and white costume scheme, though it had changed over the years from that average jumpsuit. His white hair had grown a bit, not too much but enough that Vlad took notice of the slightly longer length, and his body had put on a lot more muscle from that scrawny teenager he was ten years ago. When the ghost hero turned to him, Vlad expected to see hatred in those green eyes.

Instead, Daniel's expression was firm with determination. He crouched down beside Vlad, lifting his arm around his shoulders. He didn't say anything, and Vlad was too stunned to even try speaking. The agents of the Guys in White were scrambling to get back to their feet and retrieve their weapons. But Daniel shot into the air, weaving with ease, zigzagging to avoid the blasts that the agents fired at them. He made it look easy, and maybe it was for him after all these years of fighting. They flew in silence, Daniel's speed too much for the Guys in White to follow.

When they arrived at an apartment building shortly after leaving the agents behind them, Daniel phased them into one of the apartments and didn't seem to care that they were dripping water on the wooden floor. He kept hold of Vlad, helping him over to a stool in the kitchen area of the apartment. Vlad sat, wincing as he lowered his gaze to his chest. The agent's strike had burned a hole in his white tunic. Ugly bruising formed on his chest, pink blood seeping out in a few places. It wasn't the worst injury he ever suffered, but that didn't lessen the pain of it.

"Change back and let me clean that up," Daniel said, walking away.

Vlad followed him with his gaze as Daniel crouched before the cabinet under the sink. When he changed back to human, his clothing was completely intact, though it was ragged and dirty from having been worn everyday for the past ten years. He shrugged out of his coat as Daniel placed a first aid kit on the table next to him and popped open the lid. Once he unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it to the floor with his coat, he shivered lightly, the coldness from being soaked finally hitting him and chilling him to the bone.

"I should have something that will fit you," Daniel explained. He didn't meet Vlad's gaze as he carefully cleaned the injury then dressed his chest with bandages.

"Why," Vlad forced himself to speak, and after ten years of being alone, his voice sounded hoarse and weak, "are you doing this, Daniel? You could have left me there at the mercy of the Guys in White. Why would you save me? Why are you helping me?"

"Because I won't let you take the easy way out," Daniel answered, tying off the bandages. After a moment, he finally lifted his head, his mouth pressing into a tight line. "I haven't forgiven you for what you've done, but I also believe in second chances. I wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't been given a second chance." He stood up, and somehow, he seemed to tower over Vlad in that moment. "But trust me when I say that if you make one slip up, I will be there to stop you and make sure you can't slip up. Ever. Again."

A chill ran down Vlad's spine, and he knew it wasn't from being in the rain for so long. Daniel had grown in many ways over ten years, and his strength as a ghost was no exception. Daniel was a force that he didn't want to anger. Vlad lowered his gaze, and exhaustion weighed on him like a hundred pounds of lead trying to crush him into the ground.

"I have no plans to slip up," Vlad stated quietly. "You don't have to worry about me. I won't bother you or your family ever again."

"That's not what I'm saying Vlad!" Daniel shouted, and at the emotion in his voice, Vlad lifted his head and blinked in surprise. Now there was anger on the half ghost's face. He was human now, and Vlad wondered when he had transformed back. "You have a second chance here. You can make things right. I never took you for the type that just gives up." He frowned, a conflict warring in his eyes. "I always expected you come back. I just hoped it wouldn't really take you this long."

"Why would you ever want me to come back?"

"Because I knew given enough time, you would realize what an idiot you've been." Something stirred in Daniel's blue eyes, but Vlad couldn't read what the man was thinking in that moment. "You can make things right with everyone."

Vlad stared at the ghost hero. How could Daniel still be so naive? How could he always try to look for the good in people and give them a second chance despite all the terrible things they had done? Why was Daniel just so - so fudge muffin good all the time? He turned his gaze away, shaking his head.

"I don't even know how."

"You don't have to know. You just have to try." Silence stretched on for a time. Then Daniel broke it, saying, "I'll get you something dry to wear."

"Wait." Vlad blinked in surprise to hear himself speak, and Daniel paused, turning to stare at him. "Before that, I - I wanted you to do something for me." Daniel stood hesitantly, and Vlad didn't blame him. He reached up, tugging at the hair hanging from his chin. "It's been ten years. I think I'm overdue for a shave and a haircut."

Daniel remained still as if he couldn't grasp the meaning of Vlad's words. Then he nodded, a smile almost ghosting over his face. He disappeared behind Vlad, a drawer sliding open in the next moment. Daniel worked in silence. Vlad closed his eyes as fingers threaded through his wet locks. Snip, snip, snip. Strands of silver hair fell away, dropping onto his shoulders and the floor. It was a mess he would have to clean up later. It was silly to think that a haircut could somehow make him feel better, but for some reason, it felt like each lock cut from his head was like shaving away the layers of pain and sadness and loneliness inside him.

Then he felt the sharp blade of a straight edge razor against his skin. How easy it would be for Daniel to just drag it across his throat and kill him. But that wasn't who Daniel was. Daniel would never kill an enemy. He would find some way to stop his opponent that didn't result in killing him or her. The blade scraped up his throat and jaw, cutting away the overgrown beard.

"Done," Daniel said, and Vlad opened his eyes to see the half ghost standing before him, wiping the blade clean on a towel.

"I'll-"

"My room is through there," Daniel said, pointing at a door and not giving Vlad the chance to speak. "You can pick out whatever you want to wear. Sorry I don't have any fancy suits you like. I'll get this cleaned up." Daniel walked away, presumably to get a broom and dustpan to sweep up the hair.

Vlad stood, brushing off the hair on his shoulders and chest. Then he headed for the bedroom, which was far cleaner than he would have expected. He had been in Daniel's bedroom before when the half ghost was only fourteen, and it looked like a constant pigsty. Daniel's bedroom had everything in its place. There was little decoration. He had a framed copy of his diploma and a Space Camp certificate hanging on the wall. On his dresser were several pictures of his family and friends. But other than that, the room was rather plain. Ignoring that, Vlad searched the dresser for some clothes to wear.

When he stepped out of the bedroom, he wore a white knitted sweater that was a bit big on him, making him feel like a kid wearing his father's clothing, and a pair of jeans. Daniel had finished sweeping up his hair and stood at the counter brewing a pot of coffee. The raven bangs that hung down into his eyes were pulled back in a tiny high ponytail. Returning to the stool, Vlad sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say now.

"How did you like the haircut?" Daniel asked, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder.

Vlad blinked because he hadn't actually bothered to look in the mirror when he was in the bedroom. He realized that he hadn't really even seen his own reflection in the past ten years. When Vlad didn't respond, Daniel turned all the way around to face him, his eyebrows lifting up in surprise. He picked up the shiny silver toaster near him and walked over to hand it to Vlad. What he expected to see when he looked at the toaster, Vlad wasn't entirely sure. He lowered his gaze, trying to keep his hands from shaking and his breath from coming out in rattling gasps. Daniel had shaved his chin clean of even the usual goatee that Vlad had sported for years. It actually made him look a bit younger. Shifting the toaster in his hands, Vlad examined the haircut. He stared blankly for several moments before reaching up a hand and running it through the silver strands.

"A bit short, wouldn't you say?" Vlad managed to ask, turning his gaze onto the half ghost hero.

"A new look for a new you." Daniel grinned then walked back over to the coffee maker to pour them a mug each.

Vlad stared at his reflection again and could hardly recognize himself. Maybe this was what he needed. Maybe he just needed someone to believe in him, that he could change to become a better man. Daniel returned to where Vlad sat, holding out a mug to him, and they enjoyed their coffee in silence.

Author's Note: Happy 10 years of Danny Phantom, everyone! =)