Im sorry, that was a cruel trick. I had written all three chapters at the same time but I wanted to leave you in suspense. Please forgive me.
He dreamed, he knew he was dreaming because this was impossible.
Vlad walked through the door after a long day at the office and handed his jacket to Alfred. He heard thundering footsteps and turned just in time to have himself end on his backside with his arms full of two squirming beings.
"Daddy! Daddy's home! Did you have a good day at work?!" the little girl squealed crushing one half of him in a hug
"Daddy look, look! My tooth fell out today!" The little boy pulled back and showed off a big toothy grin, minus the one on the bottom he must be referring too.
A chuckle led his gaze from the children to the doorway where a bright light was present.
"Emmy. Casimir. Let your poor father off the floor."
"Yes papa!" they said in unison. They climbed off Vlad and ran off giggling to do whatever they were doing before he walked in the door.
"Danny?" Vlad stared at the light trying to see in but nothing was visible till a hand reached out.
"Come on fruit loop, up you get." Vlad grasped the arm and was pulled to his feet, once he was standing he could see the light fading. Through it, Danny appeared, young and smiling and just how Vlad saw him before he left for his trip.
"Danny. You're here" Vlad pulled him into a tight hug burrowing his nose into the shorter man's hair.
Arms wrapped around him and a chuckle was placed into his chest. "Where else would I be? I've been on house arrest for the last 6 months remember."
Vlad pulled back confused. "House arrest, whatever for?"
Danny motioned to his swollen belly with a strange look on his face. "Pregnant ghost boys don't quite go over well with the news. Are you feeling alright?"
"Pregnant?" Vlad took a step back to look Danny over. Well, he hadn't been lying, the boy looked about 8 months pregnant and his shirt did nothing to hide it.
"Sweet sugar cookies." Vlad took a step back and almost fell down before Danny grabbed under his arm.
"Let us get you sitting down. I've told you you're putting in too many hours in at the office." Danny helped him to the living room sofa before sitting down beside him.
Vlad took a couple deep breaths, he couldn't look at Danny without freaking out at the moment so he looked around. All around the room were pictures he had never seen before. Danny and Vlad getting married, both in suits with ties matching each others ghost-half eye color. Pictures of Vlad and Danny holding twins. Pictures of the twins growing up. Finally, a family portrait above the fire with Danny in a chair, on his lap was the girl, Emmy she said her name was, The boy, Casimir he remembered, stood beside the chair and standing behind them all with a hand on Danny's shoulder, was Vlad.
Feeling himself start to hyperventilate he stood up and paced. "This isn't possible. None of this is possible. You're dead, you died because I left you. I let you down, I never told you how I feel about you. This is a dream, it has to be a dream, Or I'm dead too."
"Vlad!" Vlad stopped pacing and looked at Danny. "Sit down, you're making me nauseous."
Vlad sat at the other end of to sofa. Danny leaned over and took Vlad's hand in his. "What has gotten into you today, did you fall asleep at work and have a nightmare?"
Vlad shook his head "No, I wasn't at work I was in bed. You were dead and Plasmius and I were trying to bring you back...then I..."
Vlad looked around the room, the plan didn't work, Danny was dead and Vlad, well Vlad was dead too. This must be heaven then.
Danny furrowed his brow. "You just need some sleep, Come on lets head to bed early. Lori can get the kids to bed."
Danny led him out of the room towards the stairs. Without a second thought Vlad swept Danny up into his arms to carry him up the stairs, he was thrown off slightly by the extra weight but managed to stabilize himself. This felt natural like he had done it a million times before. Danny just giggled and held onto Vlad's neck, when they got to the Master bedroom door Danny leaned over to open it. Vlad used his foot to push it further, once inside he used the same foot to close it.
He gently placed Danny onto the bed before leaning down to softly kiss him. "I need to take a shower, maybe that will clear my mind."
Danny just smiled and lay back against the pillows "Alright but hurry back."
Vlad smiled back, heading into the bathroom and closing the door. Once on the other side, the smile fell and he leaned against it. He could understand Danny making it into heaven but him? Shaking his head he turned on the shower. When he got out of the shower the bathroom door was open, hadn't he closed it? Wrapping the towel around his waist he started towards the door
"Vlad! Vlad Help!" Vlad broke into a run but the bathroom seemed to stretch in front of him. Through the door, he could See Danny standing clutching his swollen belly. He yelled out for Vlad again and this time he could Clearly see the rivulets of red running down the man's bare legs.
"Danny! Danny! Hold on baby!" Vlad ran faster but he couldn't quite reach the door.
"Vlad!" Danny screamed as he reached out one arm towards the bathroom. Suddenly the door slammed shut and it felt like Vlad had been snapped back by a rope around his waist. He was pulled through a cold wall of nothingness that left only darkness.