Sorry I've been gone for so long. I've been writing a lot but most are incomplete thoughts or ones I feel are unworthy of posting. But Tada! One made it through, it was written while I was at work and is Un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine (And my online grammar checker) so if you see any point them out. as always reviews are nice but flames will be printed and put on a wall of shame aka a dartboard.
I don't own anything, if I did the series would have been a lot different.
"It's OK. Breath, that's it. I'm here now, just breath. No one can hurt you."
Danny took a shuddering breath looking around, everything was foggy except. Was that Vlad above him? The edges started going black and before he closed his eyes he heard
"That a boy, you're safe now, just rest. I'm not going to leave you"
Danny felt himself floating, which wasn't unusual but what was is he was in space, as human Danny. He took a few deep breaths and sighed, it felt nice, he was numb and weightless. But he wasn't just floating, no, he was headed towards a sun. He didn't want to head towards the sun, it was bright and it hurt and...
Danny sat straight up in bed and let out a scream of agony. He tore at his clothing and skin screaming again. It burned, why did it burn? He flung his shirt off and started scratching at his skin, throat sore from scream he could do nothing but whimper as he kept burning. The sound of a door bursting open drew his eyes across the room. Vlad strode in with a tray in his hands containing different jars and beakers.
"Daniel stop it you're hurting yourself."
As he moved closer Danny propelled himself across the huge bed.
"You're the one doing this? Why am I not surprised you always wanted to hurt me."
"Daniel I am not doing this I am trying to help you get through this."
By this time Danny was getting to his feet. "Get away from me you're a monster you..."
Danny collapsed and returned to whimpers.
Vlad set his tray on the dresser and rushed around the bed.
"Daniel? Daniel focus." He pulled Danny into a sitting position against him and spoke softly. "Hear my heartbeat? Focus on that. Daniel? Stay with me...I need to..."
Danny dropped back into darkness and this time there were no stars.
When Danny awoke next there was no burning only a coolness. Opening his eyes he was blinded by the brightness, closing them he groaned and lifted his hand to his eyes. But it wasn't his hand, cracking his eyes open he saw bandages up his arm, sitting up a bit he hissed at the spike of pain. Lifting the sheet he saw his entire chest was bandaged in gauze. He pulled at one of them he started unraveling it.
At this the door opened again.
"Leave that alone you need to heal."
Danny jumped and winced at the shoot of pain. "I could have guessed you were behind this."
Vlad rolled his eyes and entered further seating himself in the chair beside the bed, far to elegantly if Danny was asked.
"I didn't do this to you, in fact you did that to yourself."
"Why would I do this to myself. You're lying."
Vlad leaned back in his chair and Sighed.
"Really Daniel? In all of our fights have I ever seriously injured you? Sure you've had a couple bumps and bruises but I have never caused you serious harm."
Vlad let Danny think on that a bit before he continued.
"I found you a week ago floating in the ghost zone, you seem to have been cursed by something, your body was overheating and your core was all out of sorts. Being an ice core you can't stand intense heat. At one point you woke up and I walked in to find you scratching at your chest. You left some deep gashes that are still healing. Now I've managed to stabilize your core for now but its only temporary. I haven't yet been able to figure out what the curse is but I'm not giving up."
Danny's mean reply died on his lips as he watched the man, Vlad looked exhausted. His shirt was rumpled, his tie was missing, sleeves were rolled up and hair was frizzed and pulled into a messy ponytail. Danny's gaze traveled around the room and landed on a roll away bed in the corner with a folded blanket and pillow laying on top. His gaze returned to Vlad and locked onto his eyes.
"When is the last time you had a full nights rest?"
Whatever Vlad was expecting it wasn't that. He faltered and his eyes dropped to the floor
"Well..." Looking back up to Danny he sighed. "Probably the night before I found you. Seeing as I couldn't stabilize you I had to be close. I was either here or in my lab with a double watching you. It has been...taxing."
"Why are you doing this?"
Again Vlad's eyes dropped to the ground, it was starting to worry Danny, this was very unlike that man he had become used to in the past years.
"It's my job to protect you."
"Your Job? Protect me? How is it your job and you call fighting me all these years protection?"
"It is my job because I am the other halfa. Remember what I said earlier about never hurting you? I fought you because it made you stronger. I knew other ghosts would be after you and you refused training. Think of all the ghosts you've fought throughout the years. Imagine fighting Skulker on your first day, imagine fighting Destiny in your first week. You learned of new powers and enhanced your abilities by fighting me."
Danny closed his mouth and pouted. Vlad had a point, Plasmisus never hurt him and did always hold back but seemed to get tougher over the years.
"Why is it your job as the other Halfa?"
Vlad looked at his watch. "That is a story for another day. You need rest and your next round of medicine isn't for another hour. If you need anything pull the cord by your bed, ill be in my lab." before he closed the door he turned towards Danny who had raised his arm to his chest.
"And little badger. Leave those bandages alone or I shall bind you to the bed."
With that he was gone and Danny was left glaring at a door. Huffing he picked at the bandage again then thought better of it and let his eyes wander around the room. It was large, but then again every room in this "house" was large, in one corner sat a closed double door that he bet led to a closet. Straight across from him was a door that led to the bathroom, he could see the mirror from here that took up an entire wall, in the room he could see the reflection of a large tub, a separate shower and another glassed in area which he couldn't figure out the purpose of. Getting back to the room he saw sparse but expensive furnishings, even the roll away bed looked to be of grand quality. But really what did he expect from Vlad Masters the billionaire. One wall there was somewhat of a mystery, it seemed to be a picture frame but it had a black cloth covering the majority of it, all Danny could make out was it was in a silver frame. Sighing Danny leaned back against the pillows and looked around once more, he was bored. His eyes landed on the bedside table where there was a book. Wincing he leaned over to grab it and opened to a random page, reading a few paragraphs he hummed and began at the beginning.
That was how Vlad found him as he came through the door next. Danny didn't even look up as he set the tray down on the side table and sat in the chair.
"Enjoying my book little badger?"
Danny glanced up then back to the book.
"Who knew you had such good taste frootloop."
Vlad sighed at the nickname then stood stepping towards the bed.
"Do you think you can put it down long enough to get your medications done? After this I won't have to bother you for a few more hours so you may read to your hearts content."
Danny placed the book to the side after memorizing the page number then glared at the tray on the side table.
"I'm not taking those."
Vlad glared back at the boy. "Really Daniel? You think I spent a week pulling you back from the brink of death only to poison you now? If you don't take these your core temperature will spike, and we will be back to square one. Please, Trust me, I'm trying to protect you."
Danny glanced towards Vlad then back to the tray. It made sense but after all these years trusting the evil bastard wasn't natural.
"Fine, do what you must."
Vlad offered him a few drinks explaining what they did. This one stabilized his core, that one brought down the fever, another for pain. Then came the difficult part, Vlad started removing the bandages, he started with Danny's right arm. There was a crisscross of lines across it in different healing stages. Since you are awake we won't have to bandage whole areas if you can be careful not to injure them further, after a nod from Danny he only bandaged the open ones leaving the scabbed over ones open to the air, this was duplicated on the other arm before Vlad paused fingering the bandage on his chest.
"You should close your eyes for this one."
Danny looked into Vlad's eyes and saw sadness, he didn't think he had ever seen that look on the mans face.
"I'll be OK, just take it off."
Vlad let out a breath then nodded. "I need you to sit still then."
He retrieved a pair of scissors and began cutting up each side, he looked at Danny's face once more before pulling the strips off. Vlad took such care stopping after every time a strip caught and he felt Danny wince.
"I'm so sorry little badger, I'm trying to be careful."
Danny bit his lip against a pull then shakily replied. "I know, it's OK, keep going."
It continued slowly till all the front strips were removed, he had Danny lean forward to pull the unused ones from the back before settling him back on the pillows. Once Danny got a full look at his chest he looked away.
"I did this?"
"Yes, you were trying to dig out the heat. or that's my best guess at least."
Danny looked back at his chest, there were lines all over some were healed into thin scabs while others were held together with butterfly sutures. Vlad moved towards the tray and pulled a spray off it.
"This is something I designed, its an anti bacterial plus adds a ghost healing factor. I have used it on many occasions but did not want to use it on you until you were awake and could tell me if you felt up to it."
Danny looked between his chest and spray.
"Does it hurt?"
"Yes, it will hurt for a few seconds then it just becomes a dull ache, we will have to do it twice a day until they are healed, unless of course you wish to stop."
Danny looked once more at the bottle before nodding
Vlad began spraying on the further healed cuts before moving onto the deeper ones. Danny tensed and gritted his teeth against the pain, at one point he reached forward and grabbed onto Vlad's hand squeezing tight. Vlad paused.
"Do you want to stop?"
Danny let out a shaking breath and whispered. "No you're almost done, keep going."
Vlad squeezed his hand back and continued till his entire chest was covered with the blue, slightly bubbling, substance.
"OK its over, we will let this sit for 10 minutes before covering it back up."
Danny released his hand and let out a few shaking breaths.
"So since we have time. Tell me why it's your job as the other halfa."
Vlad couldn't help but roll his eyes as Danny grinned. Feeling a small smile reach his own lips he let out a laugh.
"Very smooth subject change little badger."
Danny laughed at that, "And while you're at it you can tell me why you call me little badger."
Vlad sat back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair smoothing it back.
"I won't answer fully since you aren't quite ready for that but I will answer in time."
Danny rolled his eyes and was about to cross his arms before he remembered he couldn't, he settled for pouting instead.
"I call you little badger because of how you act, you are mostly solitary but the people you associate yourself with become very close to you. You are rather small but don't let that stop you from being fierce and determined in battle. You are also very protective over what you consider to be yours. As for why it's my job I will just say that you and I are connected. We are the only two of our kind meaning we are not understood by humans nor ghosts. There are some ghost traits we picked up that humans do not have, in time you will understand. Remember, I was in your shoes at one point. I've been where you are and I know what is to come regarding your two halves interacting."
Checking his watch he stood.
"It's almost time, let me grab more bandages and ill be back."
While he was gone Danny thought over what he had said. Really he didn't care why he was called little badger it had just been a curiosity. But the other part. What did Vald mean by they were "Connected". He understood Vlad had been through this, He was fairly new to this yet Vlad had been living with this for 20 years. As Vlad came back in Danny was going to ask more but seeing his closed off reaction he decided to hold off. Vlad bandaged him quickly with few words spoken. When the task was complete he turned to leave. Danny grabbed his arm before he could get far.
"Thank you, you didn't have to save me and you definitely didn't have to keep looking after me but you have."
Vlad held Danny's hand up to his lips and gave it a soft kiss.
"It's my pleasure Daniel."
As if suddenly realizing what he had done he dropped Danny's hand and exited the room. Danny just stared at his knuckles where Vlad had kissed then the door. Why had he done that? After staring at the door a few more minutes he picked up his book and continued where he left off.