Another side of Vlad
Disclaimer: I do not own "Danny Phantom".
Summary: Vlad shows that he can be sweet.
Vlad sat alone in his study, thinking of his college days, and looking through the yearbook. The football games, the basketball games. His first- and only- kiss with Maddie. Yes, he had gone on one date with her. It was a pity date. His father had died, and she was trying to cheer him up. At the end, she had leaned close and kissed him, then whispered "I hope you get over his death soon. I hope this helps." Under the yearbook lay the book of Sarah's photos, from birth to present. Also in that book, he had all the letters that had accompanied those pictures. Vlad was jolted from his memories by a knock.
"Go away."
"Father, it's me. If you don't let me in, I'll phase in. No one's heard from you and we're getting worried."
"I'm fine. Come in. I'm just looking back through my yearbook." The door opened and Sarah slipped in. "Let me tell Ari to tell the staff not to worry." She did. Then she went over to him. She looked over his shoulder at the picture he was on. There was her mother, about twenty, her Dad, about twenty-one or two- she really couldn't tell-and her father, twenty.
"You were quite handsome back then." She said.
"Thank you, my child. Would you like to see some of your baby pictures?"
"Yes, please. Do you have any of Ari's?"
"Yes. Her mother did the same as your mother and updated her photos every year, and told me the stories behind some. She updated me on her scholarly pursuits and some of her after school pursuits as well."
"Did my mom..."
"Yes, Madeline let me know how you were doing in school as well. I wasn't very pleased."
"I'm sorry. I study, and study, but it seems like it's never enough."
"Never enough to pass? Never enough to make me proud of you? Sarah, I'm always proud of you."
"I never really cared about that. I didn't know you were my father until recently."
"That's right. Not to rush you, but have you made your decision yet?"
"There's so much to consider. I'd like to stay here and keep you company, but I'd also like to have regular contact with Mom and Dad."
"I know, Sarah. But you don't have to worry about me. I've been alone for years. I can handle it."
"But what if it gets to be too much? What if you do go fruit loop?"
"I see what you mean. You could make a list of all the pros and cons."
"I could go and ask Clockwork to let me use the hypothetical mirror!"(See "Sarah and Walker's deal")
"That's a good idea."
"Thanks, Father. May I go and see Clockwork?"
"Yes, child. Call me if you need help."
"Yes, sir, Thank you." Sarah transformed and phased through the wall. She went into the Ghost Zone and flew straight to Clock Work's tower. She went in and straight to Clock Work.
"Clock Work, I need..."
"Yes, young Phantom, I know you need to use the hypothetical mirror. Do you remember where it is? How to use it?"
"Yes, sir." Sarah flew straight to the mirror.
"What would happen if I were to stay with my father?"
The mirror showed Sarah laughing and playing with Arriane.
"What would happen if I went back home?"
The mirror showed Sarah laughing and talking to Danny, Sam, and Tucker.
"That doesn't really tell me anything."
"You are determined to enjoy yourself no matter what." Clock Work explained.
"What would happen in school if I were to stay with Father?"
The mirror showed Sarah in the red library, doing her school work.
"What would happen if I were to go home?"
The mirror showed Sarah doing her schoolwork in her room under the watchful eye of someone who appeared to be a private tutor.
"So I would quit going to public school. What would happen if I were to return home, but kept visiting Father through the Ghost Zone?"
The mirror showed Sarah explaining to her parents how she became half-ghost. They could hear her.
"What would happen if I were to stay with Father, but kept visiting Mom, Dad, and Danny through the Ghost Zone?"
The mirror showed the same scene.
"Understandably Mom and Dad will have to understand how it happened so that I can keep visiting."
"Yes. They would get curious as to why their daughter kept disappearing in their lab."
"I suppose so."
"Well, does that help you at all?"
"Not really. What would happen if I were to talk Danny into moving to Wisconsin with me?"
The mirror showed nothing.
"That isn't likely to happen."
"No, not with Danny's resolve."
"What would happen if Danny were to keep coming to Wisconsin to help me train?"
The mirror showed Danny, helping Sarah and Arianne train.
"Nothing bad."
"No, child."
"Thanks, Clock Work."
"Come anytime you need my help, child." Sarah flew back to Vlad's portal. She phased through to the study just as Arriane was getting a green photo album from the shelves. "Hello, Ari."
"Hello, Sarah. Been trying to get information to help you make your decision?"
"Yes. Nothing bad will happen either way."
Vlad turned to Sarah.
"Sarah, why don't you come here and I'll look through your baby pictures with you."
Sarah walked over to her father's chair and sat down with him. She pulled the green velvet covered book into her lap. She transformed back into Sarah Fenton.
The first picture was of Maddie holding two-day old Sarah, with Vlad right next to her, with his arm around her back. Maddie was in a hospital bed, wearing a gown that showed her chest. Vlad was wearing his usual suit.
"You weighed two pounds, four ounces."
"Mom told me." The next picture showed Sarah butt-naked being weighed.
"If I remember correctly, this one's letter told me you weighed four pounds, eight ounces now. You're a month old. You kept gaining weight steadily like you should."
"That's good." Ari had joined them.
"Can we look through mine next?"
"Of course." The next picture was of Sarah at her first Christmas. She was crawling toward a present. In the next picture, Sarah was smiling and waving her arms while standing "That was the first time you stood alone."
"You were so cute!" Arriane said. Sarah smiled.
"I bet you were real cute, too, Ari."
"Yes, you were both very cute, and worth more than a million dollars."
"I've never seen that much money." Sarah said.
"Me, either."
"I always thought so much of you two, but your mothers thought it would be best if I didn't try to contact you two until they thought you could handle it. Then at the reunion, they thought it best just for me to pretend not to have met you two before. But I was there for both births."
"Our mothers needed someone to help them." Sarah said.
"You were both born here in Wisconsin."
The next picture was of Sarah's first birthday.
The next picture was Sarah butt-naked in the bathtub with both Danny and Jazz.
"That's a private moment."
"No, the next one is." The next picture was Sarah on the training chair.
"Boy is that ever an invasion of privacy."
Ari laughed. "It certainly is." The next picture was of Sarah's second birthday. Then there was a picture of her on the "adult" toilet.
The next picture was of Sarah on her first tricycle. She was wearing a cute little white shirt with ruffles at the collar and cuffs, with red pants.
"Your mother says you never really liked that shirt."
"No wonder. Ruffles?"
"You were developing quite the free will even then. Maddie said that she over heard you trying to talk Jazz into cutting the ruffles off once."
The girls laughed. "You were free-spirited." Ari said.
"Sarah, If and when I'm elected mayor of Amity Park-you know how I've been campaigning lately- I'll make your decision so much easier."
"Yes. Having you living in Amity Park will make it a lot easier for me to visit you. And I won't have to tell Mom and Dad about how I became half-ghost!"
"True. Though I do wonder how I'll go into the Ghost Zone without a portal."
"That's right. You can't generate one by yourself. Only Danny and I can."
"You two have only had your powers for two and three years. I've had mine for twenty."
"Life is unpredictable."
"It is, it is." Vlad had moved to the side so that Arriane could sit by him. He had put his arm around her.
"When can I go into the Ghost Zone?" she asked.
"When you learn to control your powers a little better."
"Yes, sir."
Good thing I got over hating Father before I came here, although I think he just wants to become Mayor of Amity Park to get closer to my mom and brother, Sarah thought.
Vlad smiled ruefully. I'm sorry you feel that way, Miss Badger.
Well, Father, you are rather infatuated with Mom, and you keep saying that she and Danny will join you willingly.
They will.