First of all, I'd like to thank those who took the time to review this... And to the others who actually read this. LOL. I'm just going to give a head's up: I'm going to try to update this at least twice a month, if life allows it. Next month, however, I may be a bit swamped, as the Winter Olympics are being held where I live, and everyone and their mothers know it's going to be freakishly busy, and I know traffic at the mall I work at will almost be as busy as Christmas. But I will still try to update this fic as fast as I can (half the time, I'm writing this on my break at work on my iTouch anyway), so please, bear with me if you can. ^^;

Also, I apologise for the slow/unusual pace of this chapter. No matter how many times I tried to rewrite it, I just couldn't seem to get it to flow in a way that I would be satisfied with it. This chapter was just being difficult. Everytime I kept rereading it, it just started to make less sense to me, so I just gave up. At least its out, right?

Warning: Triggering scenes, cursive language, and maybe a violent scene or two.
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Danny Phantom (if I did, it... wouldn't have been canceled...), or any of it's characters. They all belong to Butch Hartman and the rest of the production crew. I'm just borrowing them to amuse my own delusions.

Chapter 2

It took a day before all of the paperwork was done for Danny to be released from the hospital. After that, it only took no more than three hours to take him to his house, pack up and leave. It almost scared him to know how much Vlad wanted to help, but at the same time, it was comforting to know there was someone out there what wanted to help him. Danny didn't want to admit it, but he was almost... thankful that Vlad was here. Almost. He still had the suspicion that Vlad was up to something, but what was he supposed to do? Everything he could do would land him back at square one.

And Vlad had made a point; he really didn't have anyone else. He was alone.

"What are you thinking about, Daniel?" Vlad asked him. They were flying over Rib Mountain; the last time Danny had seen them was months ago, when Vlad had invited his family for his, Jack's and Maddie's college reunion. He found that taking Vlad's private jet was unnecessary, or until he remembered that it took more than a day to drive from Amity Park to Madison. And he was a little thankful for the private jet; it would mean that they would be in Madison in a couple of hours. Then he could lock himself in his room for the rest of the day, and not have to see the fruit loop.

"Nothing."

Vlad knew it was not nothing. It never was nothing, but he couldn't blame the boy for not confiding in him. But it still hurt a little. "Did you want something to eat, or drink?"

"No."

Now this was just getting annoying. Couldn't Danny see that he just wanted to help? He was very tempted to brush the boy off and call him a brat, but that wouldn't do for his already fragile mind, and that was the exact opposite of what he wanted to accomplish here. Vlad was going to say something before the seatbelt light flashed on, and the pilot announced that they were going to be landing soon. He had forgotten how short the flight between Illinois and Wisconsin was (despite it being nightfall already); his mind was completely focused on Danny. Perhaps he wanted to make sure he didn't jump out of the plane, he didn't know.

Danny just stared at the seatbelt sign, before buckling himself up again. He didn't expect the plane ride to be that short, but he was glad for it. Being in the same room as Vlad irritated him, especially with him trying to act like the nice guy. He was just waiting for Vlad to drop the act.

Madison felt a lot bigger than the last time he was there. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he guessed the insignificant feeling helped with that. Vlad had what Danny assumed to be his personal driver pick them up at the airport, and as they drove through the city, the elder pointed out the different historical monuments and buildings they passed by. None of those interested Danny. He just wanted to get... "home", curl up in bed and never see the world ever again. But, knowing how much Vlad was trying (or acted like he was trying), Danny knew he wouldn't get a lick of privacy once they got to the mansion.

While Vlad did live in the Madison area, his mansion was in the outskirts of he city, in the suburbs. Being a city boy, Danny wasn't used to he quiet and the lack of cars driving by. He remembered that the lack of any sound during the night was a little creepy, especially it being a huge space like Vlad's home, but to be scared... Well, that would have been hypocritical of him to feel that way.

Once they were in, a butler was already in the den. Danny vaguley remembered the gratuitous green and gold that decorated the room, and the Green Bay Packers paraphernalia that covered the walls. It still amused him that Vlad still couldn't buy them out; he certainly had the money to do so.

"No," Danny looked up to see Vlad adressing the butler. Said butler, who had already bent down to pick up Danny's things, looked up at Vlad. "I would rather show Daniel to his room, myself. Come along, Daniel." The butler looked surprised; it seemed like this wasn't typical Vlad behavior. Danny sighed and picked up his things, before following Vlad up the stairs. Which made him wonder how Vlad could climb up and down these stairs everyday. But then again, he probably flew to where he needed to be, as the mansion seemed to be deserted. Or maybe climbing these stairs was how Vlad kept in shape.

"And here is your room." Danny looked around the hallway, before stepping in. He didn't pay attention to where Vlad bad taken him, so he would have to ask for a tour later, something he really didn't look forward to. Danny was almost surprised that his room wasn't decorated in he same green and gold motif as the rest of the house, it almost looked... Normal, despite the size of it. He could probably fit a whole living room in there.

"-is right over there." Danny looked up in confusion. Had he zoned out during? Vlad cocked an eyebrow upward.

"My dear boy, I was just telling you where you could put your things; there is a walk in closet over there." Vlad pointed to the door on the oposite wide of the room. It didn't matter to Danny, he didn't really have any use for a walk in closet. "And the bathroom is right there. I assumed you'd want one for yourself."

How thoughtful. Danny nodded and walked over to his bed, it was a lot bigger than the one he had back at home. It looked slightly more comfortable, too. It was a four poster bed, which he had to appreciate; if someone were to come in unannounced, he would still be able to hide within the curtains. And he knew that would come in handy.

"I will arrange for someone to pack the rest of your belongings back at Amity Park, and have it expedieted here as soon as possible. Is that alright?"

"Why are you doing this, Vlad? You can't honestly say you don't have an ulterior motive." Vlad sighed. Not this again. Couldn't Danny just forget his pride and accept his help? I would make things a lot easier for the both of them. He was about go say something before the butler from earlier addressed him.

"Master Vlad, there is someone at the door who is claiming that they were arranged to see you." Ah, yes. That would be the compromisation Dr. Kendra had discussed with him back in Amity Park.

"Daniel, I need you to come with me for a moment. It won't take a long time."

"Fine... what else is there to do here, anyway..." Danny walked past Vlad to head down to the foyer, until he realized that he wasn't paying attention to how he got up to his room. He stopped, and waited for Vlad to lead him down.

This time, Danny made sure to pay attention to where his room was. It turned out, it was in the same wing as Vlad's room. and a little farther away from the front door, sitting room and the kitchen. He supposed the guest rooms were on that side, and reality finally hit that he would end up being a permanent resident from that deduction alone. Danny grimaced at the thought.

A short, stoutly man had greeted them when they got back down to the foyer. He was dressed like a stereotypical college professor would dress as; tweed suit with leather patches sewn on the elbows of the blazer, little things like that. Danny assumed that this man was, maybe ten years older than Vlad, judging by his greying hair, and crows feet at the corners of his eyes. The man smiled as soon as the two if them reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Ah, so you must be Dr. McGrain. Sorry to have kept you waiting, I was just showing Daniel to his room." Wait, doctor? This McGrain guy didn't look like a doctor. Danny just stared at him.

"Ah, this must be Daniel, I presume?" McGrain's smiled widened slightly. "A pleasure to meet you. First, I would like to give you my condolences to you."

Danny raised an eyebrow. News of... that wouldn't have made it's way down to Madison, it wasn't local. And if it did, surely they wouldn't release any information that he was the sole survivor, unless he permitted the news broadcasters to do so. So how did this man know, and more importantly, why was he here? How did Vlad know this man? Why did he need a doctor here?

"I do hope you can come talk to me whenever you need to. That's why I'm here-" Danny blinked, a thought dawning on him. A psychiatrist? He didn't need some guy analysing him twenty four hours a day; he was fine! He was a big boy, he could handle his own problems by himself. His eyes flicked up at Vlad, before shifting back at McGrain. He really wanted the doctor to leave, now. Why didn't Vlad say anything back when they were in Amity Park? If he knew about this, he wouldn't have agreed to come with him to Wisconsin.

"Daniel, this was the compromisation that Dr. Kendra and I had discussed. He wouldn't have let me take you here unless I had agreed to arrange for you to see a psychiatrist." Danny bit his lip. Vlad could have just kidnapped him if Dr. Kendra didn't agree to let him go. There wouldn't have been anything (or anyone) to stop him from doing that, now.

"I want him to leave." Danny said shortly, his hands balled up in fists. He was already angry about his living situation, and the psychiatrist standing in front of them didn't help his mood at all. "I don't need his help. I'm fine."

"Daniel-"

"No! Shut up, Vlad! Stop acting like you care about me! Stop trying to help me! I don't need your help, or his!" He pointed his finger at McGrain. "I can handle this on my own!" And with that, Danny bolted up the stairs, ignoring Vlad calling his name. He wasn't a nut case! He didn't need "someone to talk to". Maybe he was being childish about this, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be alone; Vlad was already crowding him too much. He didn't need someone else breathing down his neck.

Danny got to his room (quite easily, to his surprise), slammed the door shut and locked it. He didn't want Vlad coming in at all, or McGrain. If he wanted to sulk on his own, so God help him he will sulk on his own. He flopped onto his bed, landing on his stomach, and pulled the pillow, tucking it under his chin. Why was life so complicated?


Vlad sighed. He had a suspicion that Danny was going to act this way, and he didn't really blame him for it. But this had to be done, for Danny's sake. He didn't like this arrangement, as he had voiced this to Kendra back in Amity Park. But what's done was done, and now he was stuck with an emotionally unstable teenager, and a psychiatrist who looked like a human sized tea pot in a tweed cozy. How irritating. But irritating turned to awkward when he realised that McGrain was still standing in the middle of the room, his bags sitting around him. This was his compromisation; McGrain was to stay here for the duration of Danny's... treatment, for lack of better term, so Vlad could keep an eye on him. He wasn't intending on eavesdropping during their sessions, of course. But he still had to keep an eye on him to see if he was someone he could entrust Danny's emotions. One sign of Danny's depression taking a turn for the worse, McGrain was out of there, no questions asked.

"Giles," The butler from earlier was at his side in an instant. Vlad's gaze shifted from McGrain to him. "Take Dr. McGrain to his room, and make sure he is comfortable." He looked back at the doctor, smiling, feigning kindness. "Don't be afraid to request for anything. After all, you will be here for quite sometime. The maids and butlers will attend to you." Vlad turned to walk back up the stairs, but stopped for a moment. "If you need anything of me, I will be in my office. Giles will show you where it is once you are settled in." And with that, he headed up the stairs, towards his and Danny's rooms. He had arranged that McGrain's room was on the other side of the mansion, away from the both of them. He didn't think Danny would appreciate sleeping in the room next to someone he, quite possibly, hated more than Vlad himself. Vlad sighed. This whole process was going to take a long time, and he knew this. But it was still going to be tedious, and Vlad only had so much patience.

Instead of going to his own room, he stopped at Danny's door, before knocking softly. He didn't hear any noise coming from the room, so he knocked again.

And waited.

Vlad's mouth curved into a small frown as Danny didn't answer. Vlad tried the doorknob, only to find it locked. Figures, of course Danny would lock himself in his room. But the silence worried him. As much as he wanted to give Danny the benefit of the doubt and assume he was just asleep, he couldn't. He had seen how the boy looked; it seemed like he would stop himself from falling asleep at the hospital, unless he was administered some sort of sedative that would let him drift off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

"Daniel." He rapped on the door once more, fighting off the urge to go intangible and phase through the door. Now was not the time to breach Danny's own privacy. "I know you're awake. Can I please talk to you for a moment?"

Another stretch of silence filled the air, as Vlad waited for an answer. He thought he liked it better when Danny was yelled at him. At least he said something. He didn't like this silence.

"Go away."

Vlad sighed again. Of course, the one thing he says to him, and it's that. But then again, what did he expect Danny to say? Did he honestly expect the child to unlock the door, and welcome him in like he would his father? Of course not. He was not Danny's father. He would never be close to anything like his father ('In most ways, that's a good thing.' Vlad had thought to himself), despite previously trying his best efforts to have Danny change his mind and renounce Jack. Now, things were completely different, and while Vlad had stepped in as Danny's parental figure, the circumstances on which the roll had befallen him left a bittersweet taste in his mouth.

"Daniel, I know that you're angry with me," Vlad said to the door, hoping that Danny was listening. "And I apologise for not telling you about this earlier. To be honest, you weren't in any condition to do much listening to me at the hospital, anyway, so I did not know how to tell you. But I know this is for your own good, and Dr. McGrain can help you."

"But I'm fine-"

"No, you are not!" Vlad had to interrupt him. It annoyed him every time Danny said that. "You are far from fine, Daniel! I know that you're afraid to even close your eyes, knowing that you would see their deaths replay behind your eyelids! You won't talk for long periods of time, and when you do, it's only to answer questions with one worded answers, or to lash out in irrational anger like you did downstairs!" Vlad let out a long breath trough his teeth. He needed to calm down and talk to Danny normally. Yelling would not get them anywhere. "I know you do not trust me, still, and that is perfectly fine. I'm not asking for you to trust me so easily. But I am asking for you to try talking with Dr. McGrain. Try to heal. If not for me, then for your family and friends."

He knew he wouldn't get an answer for that. But at least he had given Danny something to think about. "The night is still young. I will send someone to deliver some dinner up here for you later." And with that, Vlad turned on his heel and headed to his own room. This was only his first full day taking care of Danny, and he was already exhausted. He didn't know how the Fentons had ever been able to do it... But then again, Danny must have been slightly happier. Vlad had his work cut out for him. But his determination was driving him, and his promise to Maddie and Jack was the fuel.


Danny hadn't seen or heard from Vlad for the rest of the night, and he was grateful for it. He didn't want to deal with that man, or the doctor. He didn't need one, he was perfectly fine. The mere idea of it was ridiculous. He wasn't some whackjob who needed to be asked how he was feeling everyday. If he was going to therapy, it would be pretty damn obvious how he was feeling. And what was this doctor here for, anyway? Vlad had pretty much told him, back at Amity Park, that he didn't have anyone else to confide to, with his being Danny Phantom. And this whole issue was because he was Danny Phantom. Out of the times he had wished he was normal Danny Fenton, he never wished for it as much as now. If he was just the regular kid he was before the accident that gave him his ghost powers, he would still have everything that mattered. He would still have a father and mother who were overly enthusiastic about ghost hunting, he would still have his annoying, but loving sister, and his two best friends. He wouldn't have to worry about fighting ghosts every night, but instead, studying for the next test in class, or getting his homework done on time. He would worry about looking good for his first date, pimples, peer pressure, grades, bullies... Everything any normal teenager would have to worry about.

Before becoming Danny Phantom, he wished that he didn't have to worry about those things. But now, everything was different. He wished he didn't take his normal life for granted. A normal life... It was a luxury compared to this. What he was in was Hell. And what killed him the most on the inside was, he had the chance to save them. Clockwork gave him that chance. And he still failed. He still wasn't able to save them. They were dead, and it was all his fault.

...No. It wasn't his fault. It was Danny Phantom's fault. None of this would have happened if Phantom didn't exist. He would still have a normal life if he didn't exist. His family would still be alive, his friends would still be alive, and everything would be alright.

Danny pushed himself up onto his elbows as he stared down at his now wet pillow. He already held in his emotions for this long, why were they coming out now? Especially when Vlad could come in at any given moment (really, like everything else, there wasn't anything stopping Vlad from doing so). Danny wiped his eyes furiously, before giving his pillow a hard look. That's all he had to do. Phantom couldn't exist anymore. And while he wished he could rip that part of himself out, he knew he couldn't make that same mistake twice. But that didn't stop him from locking that part of him away for good. All he had to do was bury Phantom into the deepest, darkest corner of his mind and try to forget. But a small part of him knew he wouldn't be able to completely forget, but if he could at least keep himself from thinking about him, then it was a something.

Danny nodded to himself. Right. As of tonight, he was no longer Danny Phantom. As of tonight, he was no longer affiliated with Danny Phantom. As of tonight, Danny Phantom didn't exist. As of tonight... He was Danny Fenton, and Danny Fenton only. And there was nothing that would change that. Nothing.