Chapter 10: RETREAT

'What now?' Vlad Masters knew it was a silly question, given the circumstances, but he couldn't help but wonder it. That's what Vlad did, he was a planner, he was meticulous. He always had a set of measures and counter-measures in march before he made his move, and made sure to have more intel than any other party involved. Always, except when his little badger entered the picture.

Brought him home the first time had been a foolish move. Preparing a room for him and asking him to stay, well, no word could decribe how silly that had been. He was walking blind there. His Daniel was brave, smart, caring, and loyal, but he was a horrible story teller. Vlad had no idea of what had happened with Danny once he left the mansion, neither he knew what the boy was planing to do next. That's why any attempt to come up with a plan of action for what to do now was futile, yet his brain refused to put his focus in anything else. Luckyly all his business were running smoothly, two days of neglecting his work wouldn't cause harm. However, it wasn't his company what was in danger, was it? It was Vlad's sanity.

Vlad sat up and started to pace through his office for the eighteenth time in the last four hours. Clare had said that Daniel was right when she went to deliver the charger, his shirt soaked in parts, but apart from that he seemed fine. Vlad betted his Daniel was more than fine with his wet shirt clinging in all the right places, but that wasn't the point. Daniel hadn't show up for lunch, nor he had given Clare permission to enter his room when Vlad had sent her with some snacks. It was logical for the boy to want some time to think things through, but it was almost dinner time and he haven't even touched his breakfast, and God knew his little badger couldn't get any thinner without turning full ghost.

"Clare" Vlad said, no need to rise his voice, just to enforce command in his tone (one of the many perks of having a ghost maid).

"Yes master?" Was Clare's bright response, upon materialising in front of him.

"Is dinner ready?" Vlad sounded anxious even for his own ears, and prayed for Clare not to point out that it wasn't dinner time yet. She was by far more efficient than a regiment of human maids, but had the not always appreciated gift of a sharp tongue.

"Almost ready, Sir. I could be setting dinner in fifteen, twenty minutes top, if you desire so" She was also the best in reading Vlad's mood, and felt an honest and unexplainable affection for the older halfa.

"That'd be great, thank you very much Clare. Oh!, and please make sure to carry a tray with a little bit of everything to Daniel's room, no matter if he doesn't want to." The anxiety was still palpable in his voice. His little badger had done quite a number on him, and if the worried glance Clare was throwing him was any clue, he wasn't the only one noticing it.

She didn't comment on it though, leaving with a brief "Of course, master" and a curtsy.

Vlad came back to his desk and entered a code in a hidden panel in his top drawer. It may be a lost cause try to control the situation when Daniel was involved, years of failed plans were more than enough proof of that. But he was Vlad Masters, and anxiously pacing around in his studio without doing anything simply wasn't his cup of tea.

"Skulker, I have a job for you" Vlad was using the profesional tone that has perfected over the years, the one that left no palce for questioning.

"Plasmius, it's been a while. I hope you have something interesting for me" Answered quickly the hunter, not even trying to contain the eagerness in his words.

"I have a job that will require of all your stealth as a hunter. I want you to go to Fenton Works and keep me informed of everything that's happening in the lab and the house. I also want you to investigate what happened there with Phantom last night, without being noticed, of course. I'll be waiting an in writing report every three hours. Please me, and the reward will be more than worth it, but remember, failure is not an option" Vlad merciless tone made the last part a little of an overkill.

"You are talking with the best hunter in the universe, Plasmius. This little task is like a child's game to Skukler" Said the ghost before finishing the communication.

Vlad found himself emotionally exhausted, while staring at the dead intercom. He had fell into spying the Fentons againg. He was supposed to had evolved into an occasional stalking. It was supposed to be for the best. He knew his efforts would only help him to reopen old wounds that never got the chance to heal (but al least weren't a bleeding mess anymore). He also knew he had been fighting a loosing battle these last years, even if he didn't want to admit it. He would hate to be compared to a brainless moth being lulled by the flame, unable to fight the deadly pull, but wasn't the metaphore uncomfortably accurate? Haven't the Fentons burned him enough already? Didn't he feel the ghostly heat coiling tightly in his insides, every day since the accident?

'Oh Clare', Vlad didn't know if to bless or blast her.

The dinner was set in the inner garden, there were golden paper lanterns hanging low around a circular table dressed with a green tablecloth, candles and... were those phantom orchids? There was a person already seated at the table, Vlad could recognize that back anywhere. He saw the shiver running down his spine, surley warning him of the presence of a ghost.

"Oh, thank God, I was starving here. It's time to probe if your cooking is as good as you bragged. I'm starting to fear that the nice setting is you trying to overcompensate for your lack of culinary skills. That, or you are trying to woo me-" Danny said in a teasing tone while turning "Vlad?" Danny's gaze settled on the older halfa, face draining of color and mouth suddenly too dry.

'Oh Clare, you have no idea what have you done here' Danny could practically see the gears running in Clare's head, and the bottom of his stomach was feeling like lead already. Setting someone up to a romantic dinner with a crazy fruitloop was a really funny prank; remembering a crazy fruitloop, who also happen to be one of the most powerful beings you ever met, and the person who saved your skin two times in a row in the last twenty four hours, without asking anything in return, that he is a sad bitter bachelor by setting him up to a prank romantic dinner with the son of the uncorrespondig love of his life, that was a horrible, suicidal idea.

Vlad knew this moment will come, but it didn't make it less painful. The expression of his little badger was one of utter horror and revulsion, and he was the cause of it, because he had been too obvious, because he was a man, because he was of his parents age, because he wasn't love material. And with that last thought, the searing fury that had hunted Vlad for so long that he didn't remember his life without that hateful itch under his skin, broke free. Vlad had already resigned himself to not being loved, but why couldn't he love without being hated for it, without being made fun of, without being ostracized.

In the blink of an eye Vlad was in front of Daniel, yanking his head up and making him look right into his eyes. He'd made his little badger forget, he'd profane his mind again (this time intetionally), and sure he will hate himself for it later, but he refused to give up to his right to love, there was just so much that could be taken from him if nobody wanted to see the world burned to ashes. 'Sorry' Vlad thought briefly before activating his power, but he stopped dead in his tracks when his thoughts were mirrored by Danny's words.

"Sorry!" Danny's eyes were impossibly bigger than usual, and he knew he sounded panicked, but he couldn't help it, he really didn't want to fight, and didn't know what to do or say to help his situation there. Although the sting in his scalp eased the moment he opened his mouth, so apologizing would be his way to go then.

"I'm so sorry, I swear, it wasn't me, it wasn't my idea. It was Clare, but it wasn't her fault either, she didn't know what she was doing. I'm sure she didn't wanna cause any harm. I'll clean everything and I'll leave-" Danny was babbling non stop, and he was pretty sure a pause for breathing would be necessary if he didn't want to faint, but if Vlad's dumbfounded face was any prooof, his rambling was being effective.

"No!" Vlad looked shocked by the tone of his own voice for a moment, but he composed himself immediately, released Danny's hair and took a step back. "No need to apologize Daniel, it's alright. It's been a long day, and I guess I overreact a little, but I'm not mad at you. My offer for you to stay here for as long as you need is still in place" Vlad was straining to sound light and cordial, but it was obvious that something was off. 'Time for a tactical retreat' "I'll get Clare to get ride of all this and make sure we'll never get a repeat of whatever this thing was" Vlad said hastily, and was turning when was stopped by Danny's hand catching his sleeve.

Vlad didn't look back. He could feel his heart frantically racing. He needed some time to analize the situation, not having quite undestood the exchange of moments ago. He had already miraculously dodge a bullet today, but didn't want to tempt his luck by engaging in a conversation with Daniel when he wasn't in his right set of mind.

"It's not her fault, she doesn't know" Danny insisted.

Vlad huffed tiredly 'and leave it to Daniel to be always worried for someone else' "I'm not gonna harm her, Daniel, I'm just gonna talk to her. She's been making me company for years now, I know she is good natured" Vlad was relieved to feel Daniel's grip vanished, marking the end of the conversation.

They ended up eating in the kitchen bar, all the surface covered in delicious, healthy snacks that could be eaten by hand. Danny made of tasting a little of everything his personal goal, not even the scare of moments before had made a dent in his hunger. Sadly, there was something that didn't let him truly enjoy his tasty meal. Now that he had somehow sorted his problems out (more or less), it was even more obvious that something was off with Vlad.

The fuitloop had assured him that everything was cool (not in that words, but that had surely been the meaning), and had asked him to enjoy dinner. However, every time he made any sound to emphasize just how good the food was, Vlad glared at him as if his face had personaly offended The Packers or something. 'It's not as if I'm gonna eat all your food, there is enough for at least three Tuckers here, and you're barely touching anything anyway. If something is bothering you just tell me already! Yes, that's it. I'm gonna look him to the eye and say: If somehing is bothering you, just tell me already. Yes, you can do it, of course you can do it. First, look at him, serious mode... Wow, that's quite an intense gaze Vlad got there. Ok, no, better take something to eat and aim for casual. Yeah, I'm just eating here and asking casually: What happen Vlad, something is bothering you? Good. Snack ready, now I let our eyes meet while bitin-crap!, juicy snack!, juicy snack! Don't let it stain the shirt! Mmm, tasty juice, I could suck my fingers all night-'

"I'll go to bed. You can keep eating. There is dessert. G' night" Vlad spoke fast and huskily, before teleporting out of the room.

"What the-" Danny gaped at the empty space in front of him. He couldn't stop thinking about the older halfa during the rest of dinner, even after Clare joined him to chat. And once in bed, Vlad's words and expressions were the last thing in his mind when sleep took over.

NOTES: I think I'm making progress with the searching of a beta reader. I mean, I don't have anything checked yet, but I'm getting there, hahaha. Anyway, I reread the first 3 chapters and made some modifications, I think they are better now.

Enjoy the chapter! (because the story will get heavier from now on, sorry)

Oh! One more thing. Do you want me to write what happen with Vlad in his room tonight? Because I'll definitely have to change the rating if I do so.