Jazz sat by her bedroom window and looked out thoughtfully, as tears trickled down her face. She observed as the last few of her distant relatives scurried quickly into their cars, to avoid the heavy rain. Jazz sighed heavily with relief as she watched them pull away. Things had been hard enough on her and her parents without people they hardly knew, or remembered, loitering about longer than necessary, forcing them all to put on a brave face. Jazz had dismissed herself from the wake about an hour ago. She needed to be alone.

She was really struggling to accept the fact that they would be burying her baby brother the next day. More tears dropped from her eyes as she thought of Danny, knowing that she'll never laugh with or nag at him ever again. They had always stuck together and looked out for each other, now she was alone.

Jazz hadn't spoken to either of her parents since the accident. She fully blamed them for her brother's death and she made her views and anger known to them. Why did they think it was acceptable to leave three teenagers alone around such dangerous tools and machinery?

But she also blamed herself. If Jazz had been there she could have prevented it. Why did she always have to put her studies first? Because of it she failed to protect her brother, a task she was told she would do well right from the age of two, when Danny had been born. She had always taken that responsibility very seriously. More serious than most other older siblings as a matter of fact. But that didn't change the circumstances.

Jazz hadn't even realised something had gone wrong that day, she had been too engrossed on her essay. She had heard no noise or commotion. Well, there was always noise and commotion in the house, but she had gotten so used to it and had always assumed it was just another aspect of her parents' career choice. It was only when the blaring ambulance sirens halted outside of her house, her focus became averted. As she had ran down the stairs to see what had happened, she hoped it had been something minor. Such as her dad's negligence caused him to blow off his thumb or something.

She darted into the lab and halted when she saw everyone. Tucker was crying, so was Sam, who was also shaking and clutching Tucker's sleeve. Jazz's mother was hysterical, screaming 'No' repetitively, her father was trying to calm her, and was preventing her advances at the portal. But he also looked incredibly grave, and it sounded as though he was holding back sobs himself.

Jazz ran over to them, frantically demanding an explanation. She then looked into the portal where the paramedics where working. She gasped, horrified to see that they were in the process of closing her little brother inside a body bag.

Without hesitation, Jazz bolted into portal and grabbed the paramedic who was touching her brother by their arm. 'Stop! What are doing?' She'd shouted at him. Jack had tried to call her back, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. The paramedic had looked at her in sympathy, and could only offer his condolences.

Jazz started screaming as she looked at her brother's still body and came to the realisation that he was dead. One of the paramedics had to forcefully remove her, as her father was still attempting to console Maddie. In the end, she had subdued and was sobbing loudly into his shoulder, and he had to keep a firm hold on Jazz in order to let the paramedics finish their morbid task.

Tucker had watched the horrific display and gently tugged Sam's arm. 'We need to go.' He whispered regretfully, but sensibly, knowing the Fenton's should be left alone. He was also feeling it was also becoming too difficult for him. Sam looked at him in shock, she didn't want to leave. Tucker began to pull her away easily, as they took there leave.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry!' Sam had called repeatedly in a frantic manner. But her cries remained unheard by all except Tucker. The remaining Fenton's were watching in horror as the paramedics began to carry their youngest member away in a body bag.

Jazz shivered as she recalled the dreadful event, a sob escaping her. She continued to wonder if she could have done anything different, thinking of ways she could have stopped it. Then there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Jazz?" Her father called gently.

"Go away!" Jazz shouted back instantly.

"Jazz please," Jack pleaded, "come downstairs. We should be together."

Jazz pounced off the window ledge and stormed across her room, yanking the door wide open to show her downcast father standing on the other side.

"I don't want to be with either of you!" Jazz hissed bitterly, "This is all your fault, Danny is dead because of you!"

Jack breathed in shakily. He knew his daughter was incredibly upset, but he couldn't bear the thought of believing if any of the hateful things she was saying was true.

"Please don't say that sweetheart." He whispered, "What happened to Danny…was horrible. But it was an accident. Please come and be with your mother and me, we need each other to get through this."

"Where were you when Danny ever needed you?" Jazz spat at him, "Building idiotic inventions which eventually killed him!"

Jack held back a sob. He felt guilty enough, he couldn't stand to have Jazz hate them like this. She was all they had left now. In losing one child, had he indirectly lost the other? Before he could respond to Jazz's accusation, she slammed the door loudly in his face.

"You're despicable people, you practically killed your own son!" She yelled from inside her room.

Jack sighed heavily, quickly wiping away the tears forming in his eyes. He made his way back down the stairs, and looked sadly at his wife who was holding a picture of her and Danny which had been taken when he was a small child. Maddie stared endlessly at the picture. As Jack saw the tears dripping down her face, he could have sworn the pain he was feeling was his heart physically breaking in half.

()()()

Inside the Ghost Zone, on the hunter's island, Skulker was currently dealing with a confrontation with Ember. The ghost diva had been irritated with her boyfriend for delaying her attempt at wasting the brat of the two most despised ghost hunters from Amity Park. However, she had abandoned her attack when Skulker had convinced her of a more satisfying arrangement, if she'd let him take the ghost and allow him to remain un-wasted for a little while longer. An arrangement on which he did not deliver.

Needless to say, Ember was furious.

"What do you mean he won't go through with it?" Ember demanded, her hair 'burning' wildly.

She was referring to Skulker's hopes that Vlad Plasmius would play along with his idea of using Danny as bait to snare the Fenton's…and kill them. Of course, Skulker had never for one minute considered the possibility of Plasmius taking the whelp in. He assumed the worst case scenario would be the plan failing. In which case he and Ember would still have some satisfaction in wasting the kid. He was extremely dismayed with the fact that Plasmius canned his idea at once. But he was completely blown over when Plasmius confirmed that he wanted to keep the boy short term, and train him up on ghostly matters.

The whole situation still didn't sit right with Skulker. He knew that if it had been any other ghost kid Plasmius would have simply declared he make his own luck out in the Ghost Zone. Why was he making the Fenton kid an exception? If Skulker didn't know and trust Plasmius as well as he did he would have become very hostile with him. But Skulker and Plasmius had been scratching each other's back for many years, and there had never once any been consequences or reason for them to question their alliance. If Skulker was anything, he was a loyal ghost to those he felt had earned it. So he decided to give Plasmius a chance with his risky and questionable decision, even if he didn't fully understand it.

And it was now creating complications with Ember.

"You told me that if I let you take that ghost boy to that pretentious half-ghost we could have a chance at finally taking out those idiot ghost hunters once and for all! And now you're telling me I don't get to waste any of them?" She shrieked angrily.

Skulker sighed. Trying to explain the matter without undermining Plasmius' status was proving to be very difficult.

"That's not what I'm saying." Skulker answered calmly, "Yes, the prospect of using the whelp to attack the Fenton's has gone bust, but that was my mistake not Plasmius' doing…I miscalculated the situation. But it doesn't mean you can't take another shot at the ghost boy. He should be fair game soon enough."

"He was fair game yesterday!" Ember snapped, "Why did you let Plasmius keep him? What's he up to this time?"

"I can't say I know fully what he's doing." Skulker replied carefully, "But he assured me that what he's planning is a short term arrangement and we can have our way with him once the brat is back in the Ghost Zone again."

"How nice of Plasmius to give his permission." Ember sneered, angry because the half ghost had snatched her prey away from her without giving her satisfaction. "What's he doing in the meantime, training the dipstick up to be his little minion? Like he doesn't have enough morons running around for him already. No offence."

Skulker was silent for a moment, not even responding to the fact that Ember had just implied that he was a minion and a moron. Ember's angry blunder made him begin to wonder if Plasmius actually was intending to train the boy up to have him serve him. Similar to all of Plasmius' other alliances, such as Fright Knight, Skulker knew that meant in terms of prey, the whelp would be officially off the table. As attacking a fellow 'ally' was simply not done.

So had Plasmius lied to him last night? Could that be his true intention? Surely Plasmius didn't expect Skulker to idly watch as the Fenton's son roamed the Ghost Zone care freely? He couldn't do it, justice had to be given!

"Skulker!" Ember yelled, regaining his attention.

Skulker scowled at her. "I don't know what Plasmius' full intentions are, Ember! But I know I can trust his word. If he said we will get our chance with the ghost boy then we will."

"We'd better!" Ember hissed before she haughtily pounced off, leaving Skulker alone.

He was relieved, Ember seemed to have taken the news well. Well by her standards at least. Normally an argument with her was never ending, but it appeared she'd be fine once she cooled off. Skulker knew if any other ghost currently had Danny in their possession, Ember would take her chances and have it out with them in order to have her victory. However, he knew that Ember was aware of just how manipulative and powerful Plasmius is, and that she would be foolish to challenge him.

Skulker didn't really get what Ember's deal was anyway. He knew of one time when the Fenton's had defeated her. Although it is a pain, he didn't think it would be enough to push her to waste someone. Ember was capable of causing great damage and bodily harm, but wasting somebody was an entire different ballgame, and Ember had never done it before. Most ghosts had not, it required a great deal of justification or heartlessness on the killer's part. For Ember to have come so close, she must have felt extreme justice was required. Skulker came to the conclusion that perhaps Ember must have felt she was on the right track to enable 'moving on' when the Fenton's attacked her. Now she wanted to take her fury out on their dead son.

Skulker could also admit that he too felt the urge to waste the brat simply because of who his parents were. He hoped his new theory about Plasmius' objectives was wrong. He was glad he had convinced Ember that everything would work out in their favour, now he had to do the same for himself.

()()()

Unknown to any of his family and friends, Danny had actually 'wakened' on the morning of his funeral, in a grand castle out in Wisconsin.

Listening to the soft rain outside, he moved his eyes around the unfamiliar area in which he had woken up, and realised he was in a luxurious bedroom, and in a very comfortable bed. So did that mean…had all that stuff with the ghosts just been some crazy dream? Danny sat up on the bed. If it was, then where was he? The last thing he remembered before the ordeal with the ghosts was being with Sam and Tucker in his parent's lab. Either event did not explain how Danny got to this room.

He stood up, and realised he was still wearing the black hazmat suit. Not a good sign. He walked over to the dresser and gazed into the grand Victorian mirror. He inhaled deeply when he saw his reflection was still the sporting snow white hair and glowing green eyes which he had in his 'dream'. Which meant it hadn't been a dream at all.

"Great." Danny mumbled grimly to himself, "Still a 'ghost'."

Danny took a few steps back and sat on the edge of the bed. He didn't really believe all that stuff, did he? Was what Ember had said been true? Did he really die? Was he really a ghost? And how the hell did he get here when the last thing that Danny could recall from that strange encounter was Ember attempting to 'waste' him on some creepy ghost jungle island? Danny needed answers, and he was not going to get them by sitting on a bed.

He walked to the door and opened it. He looked down the hall and discovered how big and grand the place was. Danny paced up the hall. He was hoping if he could find someone, they could explain what was going on. He peered into rooms with open doors only to find them empty, and he knocked on the doors which were closed, not receiving any response.

After doing this on two separate floors, the only thing Danny found was learning that whoever lived here had expensive taste. As he walked the down the stairs to the ground floor he noted that it was much more spacious, meaning fewer rooms to inspect. The smell of bacon suddenly hit him and his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in a really long time! He followed the smell which led him to an impressive dining room.

At the top end of the dining table sat a middle-aged man, with long white-grey hair which was sophistically tied back; he was dressed in a striking black suit and reading a newspaper. Danny peered curiously at the man, did he know him? As the man turned a page in his paper he glanced in Danny's direction, and put his paper down when he saw the boy.

Vlad Masters smiled confidently at Danny, "Good morning, Daniel." He greeted him, outreaching his arm to indicate the boy take a seat.

Danny timidly walked a few steps closer to the man, not taking his eyes off him. How did he know his name? And weren't most humans afraid of ghosts? Assuming that Danny now really was one? Who was this man? Danny stopped next to the chair Vlad had offered him, but did not sit down.

"You know my name?" Danny asked, suspicious as he did not know who he was. Although he did look vaguely familiar.

"Yes I do." Vlad stated, outreaching his hand to the boy. "Vlad Masters."

Danny cautiously took the man's hand and slowly shook it. Vlad's hand was more firm.

"Please, sit." Vlad said, as he took his hand away and lifted his cup of coffee, causally taking a sip.

As Danny pulled out the chair and slowly sat down, he made a realisation.

"Wait. Vlad Masters?" Danny repeated.

He recalled that name, and remembered seeing Vlad's face on some business magazine ages ago. And was he wrong, or was there a connection between that same business tycoon and some old college buddy of his mom and dad.

"Aren't you some high-top billionaire?" Danny asked abruptly.

Vlad chuckled at the boy. "In a sense. But that's not important right now, is it?"

Danny pressed his lips together. Vlad was right, he had more concerning matters to address ahead of the fact he was sat at a dining table with the richest man in the country.

"How do you know my name?" Danny asked guardedly, unsure of his first impressions of this 'billionaire.'

"Hm. It was the name given on your Christening invitation." Vlad replied knowingly. "Daniel James to be precise, but we'll not worry about the finer details."

Danny's eyes widened. "You were at my Christening?"

Why would a billionaire have been present at Danny's Christening? Unless…there is a connection between the billionaire and the old college buddy. This guy had to be the same person.

"No, unfortunately. But maybe now you feel a little more content with how I know you?" Vlad queried.

"You were my dad's friend in college." Danny answered, relaxing a little in his chair.

If this guy had been friends with Jack, then he must be harmless. Right? Danny thought that his mom had also been friendly with Vlad Masters, or 'Vladdie', as his dad fondly called him sometimes, but she rarely commented when Jack mentioned him, and she never brought up the topic of him herself. Odd.

Vlad glowered slightly at being thought of as Jack Fenton's 'friend'. But he did not correct Danny. And the boy didn't notice the man's fast passing expression of disgust.

"Yeah, dad's mentioned you a couple of times I think. Said you two were in some band or something."

Danny smirked slightly at making the reference to the incredibly cringe-worthy 'Skunk Punks.' Vlad took another sip of his coffee, he certainly cringed at the memory. He eyed the boy next to him and wondered bitterly if he was always this quick tongued…Would this be a problem?

"But I don't think I've ever met you before." Danny continued, "How do you know me? And…and how did I get here?" He blurted, remembering that this was all a serious blank.

"Well…" Vlad slowly began, choosing his lies carefully, "I've seen your picture in your mother's Christmas letters."

"Did I have white hair and green eyes in them too?" Danny asked sarcastically, not certain about how truthful the billionaire was being.

"Indeed you did not." Vlad answered grimly. He did not answer what had been the boy's second question. Danny saw that Masters had almost a 'knowing twinkle' in his eye.

Before Danny could continue to bombard Vlad with questions, he felt a cold shiver tingle in his body and gasped when a blue-ish ghost, who appeared to be a servant, floated quickly into the room from the adjacent kitchen carrying two plates. Danny visibly jumped when he saw the ghost, his eyes fixated on him immediately. Vlad smirked at Danny's reaction to the little ghost whom he employed. Was it fear? Clearly Danny had not had good first impressions of ghosts. The servant silently placed the two plates filled with cooked breakfasts in front of Vlad and Danny and quickly floated back into the kitchen.

Danny's mouth dropped open, perplexed by what he had just saw. He turned his focus to Vlad again, who was still smirking. It seemed fairly obvious by his reaction that Danny had never clasped eyes on a ghost before yesterday, and he clearly wasn't fond of them either! Danny remained silent as he stared at the man. Why had a ghost just served him and Vlad Masters their breakfasts? Danny didn't think he had been more confused in his life. Even math wasn't this complex!

Vlad gingerly picked up his knife and fork. "Eat." He said to Danny, "We will still have plenty to discuss after breakfast."

()()()

Hi everyone, now I will admit this chapter was a bit of a filler, and there probably wasn't as much action and story development as I would have liked. However, I felt these little details were necessary, so to make up for a slightly boring chapter I shall update the next chapter much sooner than the previous ones. That being said, I still hope you are all enjoying the story so far, and thanks for staying with it, please don't forget to review!

xseriouslyx