Title: In the End
Author: AkizukiSakura
Series: Danny Phantom
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Rating: M/R
Pairing(s): Vlad/Danny (Pompous Pep)
Spoilers/Warnings: Spoilers for The Ultimate Enemy, but eventually plot divergent. There may be flashbacks or mentions of other DP episodes later.
Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is owned by the esteemed Butch Hartman and all subsequent copyrights. I claim no ownership of this series, nor do I make monetary profit from the writing of this story.
Summary: We all know that Clockwork stepped in, stopped time, and saved Danny's family and two best friends – and a teacher that cared for his students despite their ridicule of him – from certain, explosive death. But what if he hadn't?
Notes: Thinking on everything here, I doubt this story will be very long at all. It's not meant to be much more than a "what if?" scenario. I have an AU planned, though, that might be a little lengthy. With Legend in the works too, though, I've promised not to start a new story just yet. Two is plenty for right now.
Chapter 2: I'll Be Missing You
Every step I take… Every move I make…
Every single day, every time I pray,
I'll be missing you.
Thinkin' of the day… When you went away…
What a life to take, what a bond to break,
I'll be missing you.
-I'll Be Missing You, Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans
-DP-
As always happened when he woke up from a shock from Vlad turning him human, Danny registered a headache pounding at his temples before he had even opened his eyes. His lips settled instantly into a scowl – for all he knew, though, he could have already been frowning in his sleep. Reluctantly the youth forced his eyes open and decided that he would stare up at the ceiling until everything came into focus again. Only when that small feat had been accomplished did he allow his tired mind to recognize the various thoughts swirling in his head.
First and foremost on his mind was bitter anger at Vlad – he needed something to think of besides his family and friends and, luckily enough for him, Vlad was present in his thoughts for him to focus on. How dare the man interfere like that? Danny seethed silently for several minutes before he decided to try to get up. He managed sitting up just fine and, though his sight was not at its best at the moment, he was able to discern that he was in a room with stone walls, a small window on either side of a bay window complete with a seat, and that it was definitely not a hospital room. All in all, the room as a whole was rather lavish.
Danny immediately recognized where he was. It had been a few years since that fateful day when he'd first met Vlad Masters – and subsequently Plasmius – but he knew this room anyway. It was the same room he'd stayed in when Vlad had thrown his reunion party. Thankfully it was not decorated in green and gold – to that end, though, it was sparsely decorated at all beyond sheer green curtains on the windows and deep green brocade draped around the bed. There was also a rug on the floor. Idly Danny wondered if Vlad had taken offense to Jazz's remark about hiring an interior decorator because this was much more tastefully done than it had been previously.
There were three doors in this room – the one on the left side of the bed led presumably, to a washroom. The one directly across from the bed was probably the one that led to the hallway. The one against the same wall as the bed was made of clear glass – a balcony, then. Since he had a balcony on one wall and a bay window on another Danny could only suppose he was in a room at the corner of the castle. He sniffed in disdain – clearly Vlad wanted him as far out of the way as possible. The window overlooked the driveway though, albeit nearly four stories up, so at least he wasn't at the back of the castle.
It wasn't until Danny decided that he might like to get up that he realized there was something around his neck and, when he raised a hand to find out what it was, that there was also something around his wrist. Whatever was around his neck was thin like a bandage. A glance into the mirror resting over the bureau revealed nothing, suggesting it was something that matched his skin tone too. Trying to puzzle out what it was only frustrated Danny so, instead, he turned his attention to the object around his wrist.
This was much easier to figure out. Not only did it glow green but it was also attached to one of the posts of the four-poster bed by equally shining neon links. He was chained to the bed by manacles he could not phase through. His lips twisted grimly. So he was a prisoner now, was he? Well, that was fine. If Vlad wanted to play it that way, that was perfectly fine.
Danny could play that way, too.
-DP-
Maybe chaining the boy to the bed had been a little much considering what rested around his neck but Vlad couldn't be certain that the young idiot wouldn't find a way out of the room even with the doors locked. Daniel was irritatingly inventive at times.
Vlad was not a nice man. He knew it, Daniel knew it – hell, everyone who had ever met the true Vladimir Masters knew it! His reasons for forcing the youth to accept what had happened and move on stemmed not from any real concern for Daniel but from Vlad's knowledge that it was what Maddie would have wanted.
It was also what that bumbling oaf Jack would have wanted, too, but Vlad was willing to overlook that this time.
It was so hard to believe that Maddie was dead. It didn't seem possible that a woman of her beauty and intelligence had fallen prey to something as…something as pathetic as an overheated boiler. How could that have happened? How had that idiot boy allowed it to happen?!
The ice in his glass chinked as he picked it up, his gaze listless as he observed the amber liquid and the condensation forming on the glass before he took a sip of the heavily-depleted alcohol.
What was he supposed to do with the boy now? By all rights he should have been preparing for his junior year by now. Illegal access to Daniel's school records had shown that, though he'd been struggling, the brat had been passing all of his classes even if his algebra score was borderline. They had already taken their mid-term exams too and Christmas was only a week or so away. Some part of Vlad that wasn't heartless realized just how bad Daniel must be feeling right now but, happily enough, he rarely paid much attention to thoughts like that.
One thing was for absolute certain – Daniel would not lie in his room moping for however long it took him to get over it, if ever the stupid child did. Vlad refused to allow it. Not only would it stretch his nerves as thin as possible but it was also unacceptable simply because it was too pathetic of the boy that constantly thwarted his schemes.
It did not occur to the billionaire that he was simply unable to accept that Daniel, who was always somehow one step ahead even when Vlad thought he had the upper hand, could be reduced so far because then what would that make Vlad? Weaker to have been beaten by a child with such a soft heart? Or if it did occur to him, he ignored it – he was very good at that.
Daniel's grades were too poor to get the boy into a decent college on a scholarship in the two and a half years he would need to apply to colleges. He still had those years, though, to pick up his grades and that was something Vlad fully intended on having Daniel do. He would have to make him actually study and would keep him from his ghost hunting activities – the latter would be easy simply because Vlad could threaten the ghosts Daniel regularly fought with into leaving humanity alone, at least anywhere Daniel would feel obligated to protect. It was the former that he would have to apply his mind to making happen – he knew that he was going to have to force Daniel to go to school next semester. It was just lucky for the boy that winter vacation was already coming up, so he wouldn't just be thrown back into the high school environment.
But what could he use against the boy? Daniel would not care about anything right now, but Vlad wasn't going to have any of that, either. He wasn't doing this for the brat's future out of the goodness of his heart, but because the Fenton family – Maddie being the only one he really cared for – would not want their son to mope for the rest of his life. Of course, Vlad didn't know what had happened – he'd known that Daniel had fought a powerful ghost, but little else beyond that. He didn't know just why this had hit Daniel so much harder than it should have. Perhaps the child should have felt pain, certainly, and sadness, but Vlad saw heavy guilt in that azure stare, too. Now why would a ghost-hunting hero be guilty about something like this?
Vlad had a feeling that Daniel would not tell him what had happened, though, partly because the wound was still much too fresh but also because Daniel did not like him even remotely and this was probably something personal to the youth that he would have divulged only to his little friends before they, too, were gone.
Idly Vlad trailed a finger around the rim of the chilled glass, his gaze thoughtful. Before this had happened Vlad knew he could have coerced Daniel into doing better just by insulting the boy. Doing that now, though, would only make the child retire further into his shell and end up making things even worse.
What, then, could he do?
Vlad sat up suddenly, the idea coming to him almost instantly. If he couldn't force Daniel into doing as he wished by insult, he would just have to threaten the youth. Physical pain probably wouldn't have any effect – likewise, refusing his food or casual amenities would be ineffective. Vlad could force Daniel's transformation in front of people and reveal his identity but at the moment he probably wouldn't care about that, either.
A threat to his friends, though… Samantha and Tucker were dead but their families were still alive. Vlad was rich and influential enough to ruin any life. Surely Daniel wouldn't wish that upon the Mansons or Foleys? Vlad could even ruin the Fenton name with a bit of false evidence.
A purely devious smirk spread over the billionaire's lips. It was time to go up to Daniel's room and extend his 'offer' to the boy.
-DP-
The chain connected to the manacle around his wrist was not very long. A rough estimation from Danny put it about three feet – there was not even enough slack in the chain for him to venture more than a few steps in any direction. Eventually Danny was reduced to sitting back down on the huge bed and contemplating what was going to happen now.
He did know that he had no intentions to doing anything that Vlad told him to do – he was still angry with the older halfa for essentially kidnapping him and subsequently chaining him to a bed. Honestly, why chain him to the bed?
The answer presented itself in his mind almost as soon as he thought the question and, for a moment, he felt a little sheepish. Of course Vlad would want him restrained while he wasn't around. Danny would have been long gone as soon as he'd woken up, first off, and secondly he probably wouldn't have been averse to destroying the room a bit while he was at it. He was definitely angry enough to do it.
Of course, that begged the question of why he was here anyway. He remembered, vaguely, that Vlad had forced him back to his human form – which had hurt a whole lot, by the way, and had aggravated his shoulder quite a bit – and that he'd ended up passing out. Apparently his shoulder had been bandaged again, and Vlad had probably done something about the pain, because until he'd tugged on the wound by accident a few moments ago Danny had completely forgotten about it.
He was also dressed in a pair of silk pajamas that were too large for him, the drawstring on the pants pulled tight and the collar of the shirt falling much too low over his chest. Danny didn't care, though – it was better than the hospital gown, at any rate, and had allowed him the chance to check his shoulder for himself. He pointedly ignored the fact that someone must have changed him and that it could only have been one person.
Taking a moment to find his hand in the large sleeve Danny raised it ad brushed his fingers over his forehead irately, noting that his headache had not faded even slightly. Honestly, if he didn't know better, he'd suspect that Vlad had purposefully made that hurt worse than usual.
The billionaire's behavior still surprised him. Anger he could expect from the man. After all, Vlad had idolized his mother for years – at least twenty or so, right? That still angered Danny, though, because as much as Vlad claimed it to be so Danny knew the man didn't love his mother. Not the way his father had loved her, not the way he and Jazz had loved her. Vlad was obsessed with her, but not in love with her. But that didn't really matter anymore.
Still, while he'd certainly seen anger in the older halfa – had felt it from the tight grip Vlad had on his throat that night – he had also seen exasperation, worry, and maybe a little fear. Danny thought he had imagined it until Vlad let him go with an expression of surprise. He must have figured it out that Danny didn't really care if Vlad decided to kill him or not. What was the point of being alive?
The kids at school would only have pitied him in their silence. Dash probably would have left him alone forever and Paulina might have talked to him out of sympathy. Danny did not want people to look at him like that. Maybe it was lucky that he was in Wisconsin now, somewhere that no one knew him. They might know him as Phantom, but Danny had no interest in assuming that alias again any time soon – maybe ever again.
What kind of hero was he, anyway? The hero was supposed to save people, not defeat the enemy and then run out of power in time for his family and friends to be blown to oblivion.
If the lock on the door hadn't clicked at the moment Danny probably would have lapsed right back into self pity. As it was the door swung open to reveal the last person Danny felt like talking to. His expression must have shown his distaste because the man paused briefly and raised a single brow at him, clearly unfazed.
"Still wallowing in pity?" Vlad asked breezily, noting the way Danny's cerulean gaze flashed angrily at him, though the youth said nothing. Just like he had the night before… Whatever had driven Daniel to this pathetic state must have been terrible for him to suddenly be able to hold his tongue. "I'll take that as a 'yes', then." Vlad leaned against the bureau, arms crossed loosely over his chest as he viewed the surly teen perched upon the bed.
"I'll bet you haven't even thought of what you're going to do now, have you?" That had Daniel starting a bit in surprise. Clearly this was not the way he had imagined a confrontation between them to be. The older half suppressed the urge – barely – to roll his eyes. Honestly, did Daniel think he was going to come to berate him over the death of his family? "I have," he added, scrutinizing the youth. Predictably, Danny looked at him in surprise again.
"What?" he asked, finally speaking up. Vlad supposed his annoyance must have been evident to Daniel for the boy to turn a faint pink and amend his question. "Why are you thinking about my future?" he asked instead, distrust thick in his tone.
"An excellent question, Daniel… Before I answer, let me ask one of my own, hmm? What do you expect your family and friends would have you do now?" From the way Daniel's gaze dropped instantly to his lap and his lips settled into a scowl Vlad could tell that Danny had given the idea some thought. "Because, you see… I can guess fairly accurately that they would have wanted you to 'move on', so to speak. Do you really think making your wounds worse and throwing away your education is going to make that–"
"Is that all you have to say?" Danny interrupted dully, now staring out the window. Vlad blinked, just once, indignant that Daniel had not let him finished. "You're feeding me the same thing they all say. In books, in movies, in plays… I think people who write those things haven't ever…" But he couldn't seem to get the rest of the sentence out, for he only shrugged listlessly.
Since when had Daniel become so eloquent? Then again, Vlad usually only ever heard him talk when he was with his friends – as a typical teenager – and when they fought, and by that time Danny was usually too angry to say much beyond clichéd colloquialisms.
"Well, you can't say I didn't at least attempt for civility," Vlad said with a falsely-morose sigh. "You're being quite the little idiot, aren't you boy? Whether I am, ahem, 'feeding' you what you see as the cliché, it's not to be denied that it is cliché for a reason. Your mother, for one, certainly wouldn't want to see you like this."
Danny's gaze flicked over to Vlad, openly measuring and surprisingly calculating before he shrugged again.
"My mother was the only one you cared about," he reminded Vlad, as though the man needed it. "So everything you're telling me right now means nothing. You don't care, and I know it, so there's nothing you can do to make me–"
This time it was Vlad's turn to interrupt with: "Maybe there isn't… But I think there is." Somewhat foolishly Vlad had hoped it wouldn't come down to him having to force Daniel to do as he said. Maybe if the boy wasn't so damned hardheaded it might not have had to, but c'est la vie. "It would be absolutely terrible for the Fenton name to be ruined," Vlad remarked idly. "Or for the Mansons and Foleys to suddenly become desolate. Perhaps if it surfaced that all were…involved in something of questionable legality?"
Vlad knew he had struck a nerve by the purely venomous glare Daniel was giving him through his raven bangs. Undaunted, Vlad caught his stare as he continued. "It wouldn't be difficult, after all… The right kind of evidence, a bit of money, a hint of–"
He stopped talking. In any other situation he would have had to duck but Vlad had been prepared for this bout of violent anger when he'd first decided to 'kidnap' the boy. It was just lucky that the length of the chain wasn't that long or the fist Daniel had clenched might have made contact. Vlad stared, impassive, at the angry youth standing just out of reach in front of him.
"Since you seem to understand quite clearly, let me tell you how things will proceed from here." He paused, as though waiting for some sort of comment from Daniel. When none came, he nodded. "When you are in the presence of other people, myself included, you will conduct yourself accordingly. I won't stand for any more of your childish tantrums or callous words.
You will go to school when the new semester opens, and you will study. I expect your grade point average to rise significantly, or I might have to make an example of one of your deceased friends' families," he threatened softly. Daniel wanted to say something, Vlad could tell, but even a teenager that rarely thought things through like Danny could understand when he'd been cornered.
"You will go to college, and you will choose a major that you are suited for. You will either earn a scholarship and not have to worry about expense or I will pay and you can work your debt off to me. I'm sure I know which option you would prefer." And Vlad did know, too, if the pure loathing in that blue glare was anything to go on. "I won't have any nonsense from you about your health. Until your shoulder is better, you will submit to allowing me to clean and bandage it. You will not skip meals. And you are not to assume your ghost form."
He expected to be fought on that last one, if not because Daniel relied often on that form then because principle should have had him balking at following the orders of anyone who was not his mother or father, or even his sister. Silence met his last order, suggesting that either he intended to disobey anyway – something Vlad had already planned for via that special device around Daniel's neck – or that he, strangely, had no intentions of taking that form again anyway. Highly doubting the latter, Vlad assumed Daniel was going to try anyway and decided, graciously of course, to enlighten the youth as to why it would be a bad idea.
"To ensure you do as I say, the device around your neck – I know you can feel it, though it is rather difficult to see – will exert the same power as I did last night should you attempt to shift forms." From the way Daniel lifted a hand to the strip of deceptively flimsy material Vlad could tell that he wasn't happy with this new discovery. "I don't suggest trying to remove it," Vlad added idly. "The results would be unpleasant." He straightened, dropping his arms back to his side. Daniel looked up when he came closer, seeming surprised when he picked up the youth's manacled wrist.
"Destroy anything and I will make you regret it," Vlad said at last, giving Daniel a calm-but-menacing stare before he unlocked the manacle but left the other end fastened to the bed. "Of course, I have no true control over your body," the man said lightly, staring down at Daniel expressionlessly. "So there is nothing to make you do as I say but for your feelings on what I suggested. If you decide to do as I ask, dinner will be in precisely one hour. I will take your appearance as acquiescing to my suggestions and your absence as indication to do what I need to do."
With that said, there was nothing left to keep Vlad in this room. Daniel had not said anything at all ever since his comments on Vlad's impassive nature toward his existence. Vlad supposed the teen needed time to think it over – and an hour was plenty of time. Besides, Vlad already knew what Daniel was going to choose and so in that time he would be able to make a few phone calls, one of which involved having Daniel's things gathered from his house and another that would have Vlad instated as Daniel's temporary guardian. There was also the matter of his parents will to be read, but that could happen later. If anything, it was unnecessary until Daniel became of age.
Vlad shut the door with a soft snap, though this time the click of the lock was absent.
-DP-
He didn't know what to make of all this. The idea of Vlad Masters caring about him was laughable and Danny wasn't nearly naïve enough to think that Vlad cared even a little bit about him. All of this was done because Vlad felt it his duty to the woman he had loved. Danny snorted.
Vlad was incapable of love. He could pine, maybe, and desire, and want, and covet, but love? Walker was probably more capable of that emotion than Vlad. Hell, even Dan probably had more potential than Vlad did, and that was only because there was a bit of Danny in that psychopathic ghost.
Vlad's threat proved it.
Danny was hurting. Everything had happened so fast, so recently, that the wounds hadn't even had time to be cleaned, much less healed, and already Vlad was threatening – inferring, though, because otherwise it would be blackmail – to ruin the names of his family and friends. It was bad enough to Danny that they'd died because he hadn't been able to protect them – he'd be damned if he let something like this happen when he had the power to prevent it.
Vlad had explicitly forbid him to destroy anything, or from behaving questionably in front of others – Danny supposed that was a reference for his new classmates as well as Vlad – and that he wasn't allowed to starve himself.
Vlad had said nothing about 'getting over' their deaths. Danny could still mourn them. He didn't have to let them go. He didn't finally have to shed tears and accept that they were really gone.
When an hour had passed Danny reluctantly got to his feet. He was unsurprised that the door was unlocked and he closed the door behind him, setting off down the hallway a moment later. He still remembered the layout of Vlad's castle. It was sort of hard to forget, given that he'd first met Vlad here, and Sam had researched the castle to death. She had found the story of the Dairy King; she knew the blueprints and layout of the castle. She knew all of that and, subsequently, Danny had been forced to learn it, too.
The dining room was the first room he went to, but from the lack of table settings and the almost stale quality of the air Danny could tell that Vlad rarely used this room. He passed through it to an adjoined room and found a much smaller table. Vlad was already seated, his gaze almost lost in thought, but as soon as Danny glanced at him the man blinked and was suddenly there again. He gestured wordlessly for Danny to sit down across from him. Danny did so quietly and, to avoid speaking to or even looking at Vlad he took the time to examine what was on the table.
If not for his clothes, Danny decided, Vlad would not be out of place in a medieval setting. From his impeccable manners to the various foods on the table Danny almost might have suspected there was a cook tucked away somewhere because the idea of Vlad cooking just didn't seem to flow right. Even so, there was a bowl of winter fruit, some sort of wine for Vlad, milk and water for Danny, and a surprisingly hearty stew. Chancing a glance at Vlad the youth was surprised to find the man watching him. Only when Danny looked away did Vlad pick up a spoon.
"Don't let it get cold, Daniel," he said simply, and that was that.
-DP-
It's really hard to sit down and write this story…Which must be obvious, considering it took two months for me to manage a decent chapter. This one's shorter than the last one.
I'm not used to writing like this – the two or three other fics I have planned are all AU for a reason. I'm a fantasy writer more than I'm a fiction writer, so it's difficult to stick to something like this. I can't say this story will be very long, either.
I really didn't like how this chapter turned out, because I don't think I stayed true to the characters, but out of two or three ways I considered to get everything moving, this way was the one that stayed the truest to Vlad and Danny. Still, the OOC bothers me.
I will try not to take so long again, but between two jobs and the whole getting-in-shape-for-the-Navy thing, it's a little difficult. Even so, there really is no excuse, I suppose.
Thank you all so much for your reviews! I only have a few of you, but you all mean a lot to me. I don't normally do replies, but, oh well. I will anyway.
DinKelion: Love, you know I'm going to address you first and foremost. And of course, now that I have your stamp of approval, I'm going to have to continue, aren't I? I'm glad you understood the effect I was trying to create with Danny. I didn't want an overload of emotions – just straight realization at first. Thanks for the review, love. 3
Kyle: I don't know if you still want to read, all things considered, but I'm really glad to be writing something you like! Personally I'm a fluff!bunny. I don't usually do angst, but as a writer I guess I have to think outside the box, ne? Thanks for your review!
Animehpgurl: Thanks!
The Wolf: Your alias is so like you… I'm glad you liked it, too, dear. "Did someone call for dues ex machina??" No, no, nothing like that. When I kill people, they usually stay dead. Nice to know you have that faith in me, though.
Granite Ghost: I had to look up "ftw" I guess I'm just a loser like that. You're the first reviewer to like the song clips I put in. Yeah, I like the Japanese lyrics better than the Spanish/Italian (since I don't know which it really is). I like the Spanish/Italian version better, though – the voice in the Japanese bothers me a tad. But yes, Pompous Pep pwns. Thoroughly.
Emyrin: Coming from you, that means a lot, my dear. I'd say description is my strongest point, but there is such a thing as too much description. I know I'm supposed to let the reader imagine, but I don't like to do that for some things. I like to adequately portray the picture in my head – especially when it comes to clothes. And I hate clothes, normally. Wtf?
Xelena: You say that like Vlad picked up a stray dog somewhere… Or a cat… Kitty Danny… Hmm… Anyway, moving along, of course a father/son relationship wouldn't be as much fun! I can see it happening. I can even see that type of thing as a good fic. But that's not what I'm writing. D
Rya: Well, my dear, here's more for you to read! Interestingly, I got your review only, like, yesterday. Aren't you the lucky one for not having to wait? I've been waiting since March for The Marriage Stone to be updated… Granted, the writer has a family member that's extremely ill but, still, it's such a great HP fic…
I feel the love and support. Thank you all for your comments! Criticism is good, too. Keep in mind that flames are generally ineffective and I use them to melt the peanut butter on my bagels. Mm… Peanut butter…
Word count: 5,438
AkizukiSakura
