Hey! I'm back with chapter 10. Now, before I continue with the story, I just have to respond to a comment. A comment was made on my last chapter.
Ugh! I hate it when people are sexest pigs and always make the woman the BAD GUY.(resolve this or I will hunt you down!)
Ok, so first off, I'm not being sexist (it is spelled sexist by the way), I don't think that gender really matters when it comes to being an antagonist in a story, I'm not even making Sam the antagonist in this story. She is being controlled by Clare, who is being forced to do Vlad's dirty work. I, in no way was making Sam the "bad guy". She is more a victim herself, just as Danny is. If you were referring to Clare, she's not necessarily the bad guy either.
Alright, I should have just gotten started with the story, but the comment had bothered me, so I just wanted to make it clear for the person who reviewed, and others who may think I was being sexist because of what happened in chapter 9, that I wasn't being sexist. Still, I love reading reviews, good or bad.
While on the subject of reviewers, I want to mention a special reviewer that has posted several comments for my story, DannyPhantomluver2, thank you so much for reviewing, I really appreciate your feedback, as well as the other readers' comments.
In other news, I will try to update more often. Yeah, I know, I say that almost every chapter, but this time I'll try to keep that promise. I mean how long has it been since the last update? Over a year? Well a year, three months, and two days. Shit.
Ok, I should start the story now. Enjoy and please review! See you down there!
Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.
Chapter 10: Adapting
Danny had been adjusting pretty well, with his friends by his side. He was working, not depressed; actually he was doing pretty well, until he received the divorce papers. That day had been terrible for him. He had cried for hours before he even tried to look over the papers. He called Tucker, and his friend happily came over.
"Danny, you knew they were coming." Tucker said, looking at his friend sympathetically. It had been two weeks since Sam had left him. He couldn't say that he was happy, but he was certainly doing better than that first day. He hated seeing his friend, practically his brother, so upset.
"I-I know Tucker, it's just…I don't know. I had hoped that we would be able to work things out before she actually drew up the divorce papers. It's been two weeks. I need her back. I'm a wreck without her. I also need to see my kids again. I need for us to be a family again. I still have no idea what got Sam so upset, and my ex secretary is nowhere to be found, like she just drifted away with the wind."
Tucker sighed. "I know. Have you tried calling her?"
Danny nodded. "The number's disconnected. I have no way of reaching her."
Tucker shook his head. He had no idea how to help the miserable half ghost. "Have you talked to Sam?"
Danny shook his head. "I wanted her to cool down enough to be able to talk to me calmly. But, I haven't called yet. Think I should?"
"Yes, maybe she's calm enough." Tucker said.
Danny took his cell phone and dialed Sam's cell phone number. It went straight to voicemail. "She blocked my number."
Tucker held out his cell phone. "Use mine."
Danny took the phone from Tucker's hand and dialed Sam's number. It rang twice before someone picked up.
"Hello?"
"Lilith?" Danny asked.
"Dad?"
"Lilith, it's me. How are you doing?" Danny asked, happy to hear his daughter's voice again.
"I-I'm fine, we're all fine. We miss you so much daddy. We want to come home."
Danny sighed. Pain gripped his heart when he heard how much pain and sorrow was in his daughter's voice. "I want all of you home too. But you're mother and I have some things to work out first."
"…You got the divorce papers…didn't you?"
Danny's eyes filled with tears. He swallowed hard. "Y-Yes, I did."
"…She's asking for full custody of us…"
Danny gasped slightly. There was no way he was going to let Sam take his kids away. "I'm not going to let her do that. Is she there? I need to speak with her."
"Yeah, she is. Let me get her."
Danny waited for a few seconds as his daughter called his future ex wife.
"Hello?"
"Sam. We need to talk. You can't take my children from me. I'm their father and I deserve to see-" Danny stopped talking when Sam abruptly hung up the phone.
Danny looked at the ground sadly. It's been two weeks! She should be able to talk to him by now. It's hopeless. She would never talk to him.
Tucker looked at his friend questioningly. "So, what happened?"
Danny sighed. "She hung up on me. And she's asking for full custody. I can't let her take my kids."
Tucker's eyes widened. "She can't do that. They're your kids too. She has no right to take them."
Danny picked up his cell phone. "I need to call a lawyer."
Tucker stopped him. "Use mine, he can help you out."
Danny blinked. "Since when do you have a lawyer?"
Tucker laughed. "Since I was seventeen, remember? People began to have problems with me being their mayor since I was so young. I needed a lawyer to help me out."
Danny nodded, as if recalling his friend mentioning this before. "Thanks Tucker. You've been a great help these past two weeks. I really appreciate your help."
Tucker hugged Danny. "I've told you before, you are like the brother I never had. I'll always be by your side, even if Sam isn't."
Danny smiled. "Thanks. It's just… I can't shake this feeling that it's not Sam who's reacting this way…"
Tucker looked at his friend, puzzled by his comment. "What do you mean by that Danny?"
Danny sighed and shook his head. He didn't exactly know how to explain what he was feeling. He didn't entirely know himself how he was feeling. "I don't know. I think there is something making her act this way. I think that she's being controlled."
If Danny hadn't closed his eyes at that moment, he would have seen Tucker's eyes flash red at that moment.
"Danny, that's crazy. Sam isn't being controlled. You know even better than I do that she doesn't let anything control her. She's a strong woman. Besides, didn't you show her how to resist ghost mind spells?" Tucker said.
Danny nodded his head. "Yeah, I taught you both. There's a very small chance that anything could control her without her knowing it. But still, I don't think that she would ever react this way. I don't know what else to think, Tucker."
Tucker frowned. "You're not thinking straight. There is no way she's being controlled! She is probably just…hurt."
Danny's eyes flashed red. His mind became foggy and he lost his train of thought. He couldn't think of any other possibilities other than the one his friend was telling him. That's when he recognized the invisible grip on his mind. Someone was controlling him! As soon as he realized this, his mind was attacked, and his head began to ache and soon enough, he passed out.
Danny paced around in front of his laptop. He couldn't wait to talk to Clare again, even if it was only through a computer screen. After a while, Clare was online, and Danny didn't hesitate to request to video chat. Of course, she accepted, and soon, they were talking together.
"So, how are things back in Amity?" Danny asked.
Clare smiled. "Same old, but I don't go to Casper High anymore. My father got me a private tutor. I just stay at home now. Me and my brother…"
"That's really cool Clare. You know, I really miss you." Danny said, sighing longingly.
Clare smiled sympathetically. "Oh Danny, I miss you too. It must be hard over there, seeing your mom is so much pain. I really wish I could do something to help." Clare closed her eyes, hiding the fact that her eyes were glowing pink.
Danny became consumed with images of his mother sobbing, and began to feel her pain. His eyes closed, trying to keep his mind off of his overwhelming emotions.
Clare gasped. "Wait, maybe…maybe I can do something to help…That is, if you want me to help…"
Danny smiled. "What are you thinking?"
Clare looked at him, smiling slightly. She already knew what she had to do, and this was by far, her favorite part of the plan. "Well, I have a pretty big house, you could always…well…come and live with us. You wouldn't have to see your mother suffer like she is."
Danny frowned. "I…I don't know… My mom…she needs me…"
Clare shook her head. "She has your sisters."
Danny still looked unsure. "What if your dad doesn't let me stay there?"
Clare smiled. "He asked me to ask you if you wanted to live here. So stop making excuses. Are you in?"
Danny smiled and chuckled a little. He thought about it. He didn't think of anything that could possibly be a problem, mostly because Clare wiped them from his mind, literally. Finally, he looked up at Clare and nodded. "Alright, I'm in. So how am I going to get to your house? I can't exactly buy a plane ticket to Amity."
Clare laughed. "I know! But I can always come and get you. How about tonight?"
Danny laughed. "Uh, a little quick, isn't it? How about next week?"
Clare smiled. "Alright. Next week. Be ready, because we have to be quick."
*Knock knock*
Clare looked at the door and frowned. Then she looked back at Danny. "I have to go…" She said slowly.
Danny frowned slightly. "Ok…so I'll see you next week."
Clare smiled and nodded. "See you next week. Bye."
Danny smiled. "Bye."
Clare logged off and Danny got up from the computer. He was a little glad that he was going to miss his first day of school. They didn't start for two more weeks. His mother wanted to make sure they were all settled in before they started to go to school again.
Danny sighed. It has been two weeks since they left Amity. He remembered how painful that first night away had been. Not for him, but for his mother and sisters. His mother had sobbed most of that night. Danielle had cried herself to sleep. Lilith hadn't cried, though he could tell she wanted to. Since they had moved to Florida, Lilith became a mother to Danielle. They hardly ever spoke to their mom, and if they did, their voices were full of hate.
And it was all because of his father.
He hated him more than anything for hurting his mom like he had. Why did he cheat on her? All he did was hurt himself in the end. And on top of that, he wouldn't even own up to what he did.
If his mother said that she saw him cheat on her, then that means it had to be true. He didn't understand why he didn't just apologize for what he had done. It was the least he could do for her.
Danny sighed. He was beginning to get a mild head ache. Maybe leaving behind all of this stress would be good for him. He was so thankful to have Clare helping him out like she was. She was the best girl in the world.
Clare rose from her seat and walked over to her door. She opened it and her brother walked in.
"You know, you just let him delay father's plan by an entire week." Michael said, his arms crossed and a displeased frown on his face.
Clare rolled her eyes and walked past him. "So? I did my job. At least he's still going to come here. I don't see any problems." She walked out the door, only to feel herself being pulled back in. Her eyes widened and fear shot up her spine. She was completely frozen and helpless as Michael closed the door.
"When father says he wants him here by tonight, he means tonight. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Tonight." Michael said angrily. A wicked smile then appeared on his face. His eyes began to glow red. Clare gasped. She felt her body being lifted off of the ground, engulfed in a deep red glow, matching Michael's eyes perfectly.
"W-what are you doing to me?" Clare asked fearfully. Right then, she felt her body begin to shut down.
"It seems I've developed a new ability. With a few training sessions, I've learned to use it quite well." Michael said, lowering Clare to the ground.
Clare tried to get up, but as much as she tried, her body would not respond. What had he done to her? And more importantly, what was he going to do to her?
Michael walked over to her and lifted her off of the ground. "I believe you know what comes next." He said, smiling evilly at the female hybrid.
Her eyes went wide. "No…" She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "VL-MMM.!" She tried to scream for help before Michael had gagged her. She began to sob, knowing that nothing she could do would prevent the boy from doing what he wanted.
And sure enough, she was right.
About half an hour later, he rose from her bed, dressed himself, and turned to face the young teen.
Her face was wet with tears. She wrapped her arms around herself. Michael smiled at her pain. "Now, we can't have you telling father about this." His eyes took on a deep red hue, Clare's immediately following. She gasped, and then she knew no more.
Michael redressed the girl, and sat her on her computer chair, making appear as if she fell asleep there on her own. Once again, his eyes began to glow red, and he buried her memory of everything that had happened after she said goodbye to Danny deep in her subconscious.
Satisfied with his work, he walked right out of her room and headed towards the surveillance room.
About 30 minutes later, Clare awoke, feeling slightly confused. "When…when did I fall asleep?"
She slowly stood from her chair and searched in her memory for what had happened. All she remembered was saying goodbye to Danny, then…nothing. She sat on her bed and focused her powers on herself. She had done this a few times when she would train with her controlling powers, since Vlad didn't allow her to practice on him or Michael.
As she began to search for the missing piece in her memory, she became more and more confused.
What…? What's going on? Why can't I remember what happened? Something is wrong…
"Clare?"
Clare opened her eyes and looked at her communication device. "Yes Vlad?"
"Come to my study. I need to speak with you."
Clare frowned. "Uh, sure. I'll be right there." Clare got up and walked over to her door. She opened it and headed towards the older hybrid's study. As she passed the stairs, she saw Michael walking up, sweaty and shirtless. Obviously he was training. She walked right by him, not bothering to acknowledge him at all.
"Hello sister." Michael said as he walked in the direction of his room.
Clare kept walking, a simple "Hi" as a response. Michael smiled. She didn't remember a thing.
Perfect.
He continued towards his room, smiling to himself.
Clare continued walking towards the study. Soon, she was knocking on the door, requesting to enter the room.
"Come in, my dear." Vlad's voice called from within the room.
Clare walked into the room and stood at the door. "You wanted to speak with me father?"
Vlad nodded.
"About?" Clare asked, stepping closer to the man.
"Is he coming?" Vlad asked.
Understanding what he meant, she nodded and smiled. "He is. However there has been a slight delay…"
Vlad frowned and raised a questioning eyebrow. "What kind of delay…?"
"Nothing serious, he has just requested to leave a week later than you requested." Clare informed. Vlad thought about this for a while. "Very well, but do not let him change his mind."
Clare laughed. "Believe me, I won't."
Vlad smiled. "Good. Now leave. I have some business to attend to."
Clare nodded before turning from him and walking out the door.
Danny came to several hours later, still feeling a bit light headed. He slowly sat up, wondering how he had ended up in his room.
Tucker went over to his friend's side when he saw him sit up in his bed. "Whoa, take it easy Danny. You just need to relax right now. You're way too stressed."
Danny looked at his friend, obviously confused. "What do you mean?"
Tucker frowned. "You passed out Danny! This divorce is obviously bringing you too much stress. I'm going to talk to Sam to see if I can talk some sense into her. You just need to relax and not worry so much. Call your kids and make sure they're alright."
Danny nodded. "Thanks Tuck." He then began to dial his human daughter's cell phone number.
"Hello?" He heard his eldest daughter say.
"Lilith. Hey, its-"
"Dad!" His daughter cut him off.
Danny smiled at his daughter's excitement. At least he knew his daughters missed him.
"Please hold on for a second dad! Let me get Danielle!"
Danny waited for his daughter to return with his half ghost daughter. He had wanted to know how she had been doing, since the last time she had seen her, she had been very upset. Just the memory of her looking so upset, and the look in her tear-filled eyes made Danny's own eyes begin to fill with tears. His family was so broken.
"Daddy?"
Danny heard his daughter's voice through the phone, and frowned, hearing that she was on the verge of crying. "Danielle, how have you been princess?"
"…I-I want to go home..."
That single statement alone made Danny's heart constrict. She had sounded so hurt. "I know. I want you home too…all of you. I'm trying hard to convince you're mother to listen to me. Just give me some time, I'm sure in no time, we'll all be together again."
"R-really?"
"Really," Danny assured his youngest daughter. "Where is your brother?"
"He's…in his room… He…,"
Danny frowned when his daughter stopped talking.
Lilith soon took the phone from the young hybrid. "He's just a little upset with you. That's all."
Danny knew he was more than a little upset. He despised him. He honestly believed that he had betrayed Sam and cheated on her. Danny sighed. "I know. How has he been doing?"
Lilith hesitated. "Well, I would love to say that he's fine, but he isn't. He's been very distant from us. Seeing mom sobbing all the time has really gotten to him. He's been acting really cold towards us. He spends most of his time in his room, and he only comes out to eat. Then he goes right back to his room…"
"I've heard him talking with some girl," Danielle began. "I think her name is Clare. He talks with her every day. I guess she's helping him through all of this."
Danny nodded, even though the girls couldn't see it. "I know who she is. It's a good thing that she is helping him cope. I'm going to talk to him, but not now. You girls just hang in there. I'll be with you soon. I have to go now, but I'll call you girls a little later."
Danielle grabbed the phone. "Ok dad. We love you."
Danny smiled sadly, "I love you too, all of you."
Lilith took the phone from her sister. "Dad, mom is acting strange. She doesn't listen to any of us when we try talking to her about you. Mom is hardly ever this irrational."
Danny nodded, even though she couldn't see it. He completely agreed with his daughter, but he just thought she was hurt or something, so much that she couldn't think clearly.
"I know Lilith, but I'm sure if we give her time to cool down, she'll be able to see how irrational she is being." Danny responded, though not entirely convinced.
"Dad! It's been two weeks! She's had time to cool down. I think you should just fly down here and talk to her or at least force her to talk to you!" Lilith yelled, angry at her father for excusing her mother's behavior.
Danny sighed. "It's not that easy Lilith. I can't force her to talk to me. So the best we can do right now is to just give your mother some time. Now I have to go, but I'll call you girls a little later, alright?"
"Alright, bye dad."
"Bye." Danny hung up his phone and sighed. He needed to fix things with Sam, but how could he if he didn't even know what she was upset about?
Tucker dialed Sam's number. It rang a few times before Sam picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey Sam. We need to talk." Tucker said seriously.
"If this is about Danny, you can forget it."
Tucker sighed. "Will you at least tell me what happened?"
There was a slight pause as Sam thought about it for a second.
"He cheated on me with his secretary."
Tucker frowned. "Do you have proof he did this?"
"Other than the fact that I saw him with my own eyes? I also saw her hitting on him every second of every day."
Tucker rolled his eyes. He knew how jealous she could get. "Are you sure you aren't just over exaggerating?"
"Are you saying I'm lying?! I thought you are supposed to be my friend? I was the one there with you all of those times Danny had left us to clean up his messes! I was the one there for you when we thought Danny had run away and worse, when we thought he was dead!"
"I know Sam! But he's our friend. And I won't abandon him when he needs me, like you once swore you wouldn't do. What is wrong with you Sam? Have you forgotten that Danny is the man you fell in love with?" Tucker asked quietly.
"…He obviously doesn't love me if he cheated on me…"
"If he says he didn't, then why not believe him. He's your husband, you are supposed to trust him and listen to him, not cause him pain, especially not so much pain that he begins to pass out from all the stress. Don't you see? You aren't the victim here, Danny is. Please just talk to him, work things out, because not only are you hurting Danny, but also your daughters. Lilith and Danielle are devastated because their family is not whole. Not only that, Danielle is half ghost. She needs Danny, she needs his help to develop her powers and make them stronger. She needs him to be there for her and teach her about her powers. So please, I beg you, just talk to him." Tucker begged gently.
"…No. He deserves what he's getting, as for my daughters, they will be fine here with me, I am perfectly capable of teaching her about her powers and I will help her develop her powers. She doesn't need Danny…I don't need Danny…"
Tucker's eyebrows creased. "But…Do you love him?"
"…"
Tucker waited for her to respond, but when she didn't, he sighed. "Do you just not know the answer…?"
"…Tell Danny that I will be in Amity in about a month to settle the divorce, and you can be sure I will not allow my daughters to be around him."
"But Sam-" Tucker sighed when Sam suddenly hung up on him. Danny was right. She just wouldn't listen to anything. Something was definitely wrong. She never spoke with that much, if any, hate towards Danny…
Danni finished dressing herself and looked at herself in the mirror. She was going to meet Edward's father later. They had planned to do so the week before, but Tucker had called her and told her about what was happening with Danny and Sam, so she had decided to postpone it until the next week.
Edward floated into the room. "Are you ready to go?" he asked Danni as he floated next to her, also looking at her reflection.
Danni sighed. "I don't know if this is a good idea. Maybe I should go visit Danny and see how he's doing."
Edward hugged her. "Danni, I know you're concerned, but he'll be fine. Tucker is with him, and so is Valerie and TJ. We'll come visit him afterwards, but we really shouldn't keep my father waiting. We already canceled on him last week. It's not fair to him. He really wants to meet the love of my life."
Danni smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You're right, my love. Alright let's get going."
"Uh, just one thing, love. He is a bit paranoid. He does not allow anyone he does not trust to know where he resides," As he said this, he took a blindfold from his pocket and showed it to Danni.
"You've got to be kidding me. I have to wear that?" She asked, taking the blindfold from his hand.
"Yes, my father insists. I'm sorry love." He helped Danni put the blindfold on and kissed her on the cheek. "Now, let's go."
They floated away from their home, Edward leading the way towards his father's home. An hour later, they arrived at a portal. Edward led them both through it, landing in a lab of some sort.
Danni removed her blindfold and looked around the room. It looked strangely familiar to her. "Where are we?" She asked her fiance, looking at him, awaiting his answer.
"My father is somewhat of a scientist. This is his lab," Edward explained.
"For some reason, I feel like I've been here before...it seems strangely familiar to me..."
Suddenly, the door opened, and a young teenage boy walked towards them.
"Hello brother..."
"You must be Michael! Edward's told me so much about you! I'm- AHHHHHHH!" Danni screamed in agony as electricity coursed through her body, causing her to lose consciousness.
Edward just stood there, not believing what had happened. He was in complete shock. However, seeing the love of his life lying on the floor of the lab, unconscious, snapped him out of his stupor. "Michael...why would you do that?! Why would you...?"
"Edward, it had to be done. She cannot be trusted"
Edward looked at the entrance of the lab and saw his father descending the stairs. "What do you mean father? She is the love of my life. I trust her with all of my heart...what reason did she give you to mistrust her...?"
"She was a mistake."
A memory began to come back to Edward with his father's words.
"Edward...we've been together for a while now…" Danni said, nervousness leaking into her voice.
"Two years, six months, and eleven days. And they've been the best moments of my life." Edward stated lovingly, giving Danni's hand a light squeeze.
"I couldn't agree with you more. But as I was saying...we've been together for a pretty long time...I think it's time you know something about me…" Danni looked away, hoping to cover up her pain.
"What is it, my love?" Edward asked, pulling her closer to him.
"I…I was a mistake…" Tears began falling from her face.
"What do you mean? You were no mistake, you aren't mistake. You are the most perfect person I have ever laid my eyes on." He gave her a peck on the cheek and held her tightly.
"No...you don't understand…I- I was- am…a mistake… My father...he cloned my cousin Danny…in an attempt to create the perfect half-human/half-ghost son...instead...he got me. I am a clone...or was supposed to be…" Danni began to sob, he childhood pain beginning to overwhelm her.
Edward shook his head. "You are not a clone. Far from it. I have met your cousin, and yes, there are some similarities between you two, but you are not clones. You are each unique individuals and are special in your own ways. He is strong, generous, forgiving, and a really good person. And you, my love, are intelligent, hard-headed, funny, sweet, gorgeous, strong, yet soft at the same time. In my eyes, you are perfect. I would not change you if I could."
Danni looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. Her heart almost burst with her love for him. She had never heard anyone talk about her like he did. And what was even better, was that she felt the exact same way about him. She hugged him tightly "I love you. So much."
Edward returned the hug. "I love you too Danielle. More than I ever thought possible." He pulled her in for a kiss…
"You...you created her!" Edward exclaimed, pointing a finger at his father.
Vlad smiled wickedly. "Yes I did. I meant for her to be a clone, but for some reason, she came out like this. I wish I had never created her. She is a pathetic little brat and a mistake. It is unfortunate that she is the one you wanted to wed."
Edward then glared at his father. "To think, I thought you wanted to meet her, to get to know the woman I love, when you just wanted to do this!" He gestured to her unconscious form. "Her cousin will not stand for this!"
Vlad frowned, "Well we can't have that, now can we? Michael,"
Michael stepped towards his older brother.
Edward looked at him nervously. "Michael...you wouldn't…"
Michael's eyes began to glow a deadly red color. His hands began to crackle with electricity. "We aren't even really related…" He shot the electricity towards Edward, causing an agonized yell to resonate throughout the lab when it came into contact with him, then causing him to lose consciousness. Michael then proceeded to restrain both Edward and Danni, using special restraints meant for both ghosts and humans.
"Father, once they regain consciousness, won't they recall everything that happened to them? We can't keep them here forever. Their loved ones will begin to worry and wonder where they are." Michael pointed out.
Vlad nodded. "Yes, I realize that son, but it is fine, I know exactly what to do. They will not need to remain here for very long." He and Michael shared a look, and Michael nodded, knowing exactly what- or who he meant.
Hours later, Edward began to regain consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes as a groan escaped his throat. His vision blurred a bit, then his eyes focused on his fiance, who was chained to the wall opposite him. He tried to get to her, but found that he was also restrained. He tried phasing out of the restraints, but soon realized that they were ghost proof. He couldn't believe his father and his brother were capable of hurting him like this...He thought they loved him and cared about him, when in reality, they didn't care at all. Michael had always been...cold towards him. But Vlad had raised him, he had taken him in when he was a young, defenseless ghost. He was practically his son, and had always treated him as such…
He heard someone enter the lab. He tensed, hoping it wasn't Vlad or Michael. The entity floated up to him and placed its hand gently on his face. He looked up and saw his half-ghost younger sister floating a few inches away from him.
"Clare…?"
Clare frowned, "Edward...I am so sorry. You don't deserve what Michael and Vlad have done to you. Neither does your fiancé…" She glanced at Danni and gave her a sad look.
"I know I am not the only ghost to fall victim to Vlad's schemes...You have been through worse than anyone else." Edward said, giving her a sad smile.
"Yeah…" Clare looked down, pushing her pain down.
"Clare...you had better get out of here. If Vlad finds out you are in here, things will not go very well for you or your mother." Edward warned her, taking a quick glance at the lab's entrance.
"Don't worry about me Edward...Vlad sent me down here…" Clare admitted, a guilty look on her face.
Edward frowned. "I see...well I do not want you to get into any trouble with our 'father'. Do what you must."
Clare sighed as she floated closer to him. "I'm sorry. You know I really don't want to do this, but…"
"You have no choice...I know." Edward finished for her. He gave her a small, sad smile. She returned it.
"Remember, I really don't want to do this. And even though we came from completely different families, know that you are the best brother I could ever ask for. I love you." She gave him a hug, even though she knew he couldn't return it.
"I love you too, Clare. And you are the best sister I could ever ask for. I understand that you really have no choice. Now do what you have to do, before you get into trouble…" Edward lowered his head, knowing she had to do it.
Clare's eyes began to glow a bright pink color, and a pink mist came out of her hands and began surrounding Edward, invading his mind, erasing all memory of what had happened that day, and any memory of Danni...or so Vlad thought. In reality, Clare was forcing his mind to suppress the memories, so that they weren't completely gone, just forgotten. She then created new memories so that he wasn't completely confused when he came to, and forced him to lose consciousness once again, then she teleported him to his old room.
She then turned her attention to Danni, who was beginning to move and groan as she regained consciousness.
Clare quietly observed her. She really looked very similar to the second of the original two halfas, except for the fact that she had longer hair and looked more feminine. She was very beautiful.
Danni opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the blurriness in her vision, then realised that she was restrained. "Where am I? Who did this? What happened?" She asked herself aloud as she looked around the lab.
"That's no longer important." Clare said, floating closer to the defenseless half-ghost.
"Who are you? What did you do to me?" Danni asked her, looking at the young ghost nervously.
"Also not important. What is important, is that Edward loves you. Nothing that happened today is his fault." Clare assured her. "Not that you'll remember any of this."
Danni looked at her, frowning. "What do you mean?"
Clare looked away from her. "I'm sorry about what I am about to do... I honestly don't want to do this, but I'm afraid I have no choice..." As soon as she said this, her eyes began to glow a bright pink color, the spell stronger than the one she had put on her older sibling. Yet, she still didn't get rid of her memories of Edward, just pushed them to the back of her mind.
Danni then lost consciousness once again, and Clare teleported her back to her home in the ghost zone.
Clare sighed and walked up to her room. In one week she would get to be with the love of her life. She smiled to herself. She really couldn't wait.
Danny paced back and forth in his room. Tonight, Clare was coming for him. He had everything ready for his departure. Clare had told him to write a letter saying he was going back to Amity, that he couldn't take seeing his family in so much pain, that he needed a break from everything. He had already packed up his things and was eagerly awaiting Clare's arrival. She said she would be there by eleven. It was 10:50. Ten more minutes. He had to admit, he was really excited to see his girlfriend again. He really missed her. He didn't like being away from her, not being able to hold her, or kiss her. By now, everyone in the house was fast asleep. Or most were anyway. He knew his mother hadn't gotten much sleep since she found out his father had cheated on her. She spent most of her nights just asking herself 'why?'. Why had he done this to her? Why had she just let him slip through her fingers? Why hadn't she fought for him? Why couldn't she let him go?
As he thought this, he heard footsteps outside of his door. The door opened slowly as his mother poked her head into the room. "Sweetie? Are you still awake?"
Danny looked at his mother, "Yeah, I couldn't sleep," he lied.
Sam sighed. "I know that everything that's been happening with your father and me, and moving here to Florida from Amity is a big change and hard to deal with, but I just want you to know, if you need to talk, I'm always here for you." Sam assured her son.
Danny smiled, "Thanks mom, and I really appreciate it. It was a lot to deal with at one time, but I've been trying to make the best of it, for you. I know this has been hardest for you most of all. Unlike Lilith and Danielle, I'm trying to be strong and understanding, for your sake."
Sam frowned, "They are taking this rather hard. I don't understand why they can't see that I'm the victim here. They keep treating me like I'm the bad guy!"
Danny hugged his mother. "That might be because we've always seen him, for all of our lives, as the hero. It's hard to imagine that he would ever hurt anyone, especially not us."
"I understand. I'm glad you're being so understanding about all of this. I really appreciate it. But don't be so hard on your sisters. They're still adjusting to everything. Just give them some time, they'll come around." Sam turned and opened the door. "Now, please try to get some sleep."
Danny smiled and nodded, "Alright mom. You too. You look exhausted."
"Alright son, I promise. Goodnight."
"Goodnight mom." Danny watched as his mother walked out of the room and heard her walk to her room and shut the door. He looked at the time. 11:00. He walked to the room's balcony and looked around the night sky, not seeing Clare anywhere. He frowned.
"Looking for me?"
Danny gasped as he saw Clare fly onto the balcony in her ghost form. He then smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "I've missed you...so much."
Clare hugged him back, resting her head on his shoulder. "Me too, Danny."
Danny pulled away enough to be able to kiss her.
"Danny, we really should get going. My father's expecting us. We need to fly a long way. Not as long as it could be, but still a long way." Clare said, floating off the balcony.
Danny grabbed his backpack with his stuff and placed the letter he wrote on the bed and went back onto the balcony.
Clare extended her hand towards Danny. "Ready?"
Danny looked at her hand, then back to his room, then back at her hand. He morphed and grabbed her hand. "Let's go."
Vlad paced back and forth in his living room.
"What is taking this lasted girl so long. They should have been back half an hour ago!"
Michael looked at his father, clearly amused. "Maybe they stopped on the way here to fool around,"
Vlad glared at his son. "Don't be foolish. She wouldn't…would she?" Vlad shook his head at the thought.
Suddenly, Clare and Danny flew through the roof and landed a few feet from Vlad.
"Hey dad! This is my boyfriend Danny. Danny this is my dad." Clare said, smiling.
Danny extended his hand to Vlad. Vlad shook the boy's hand and smiled pleasantly. "Nice to meet you sir."
"Please, Daniel, call me Vlad. I hope you make yourself at home. Feel free to explore as much as you feel like. Clare will show you to your room. Breakfast is served at 8am, lunch at 12pm, and dinner is at 6pm. You can go into the kitchen at any time to get a snack if you get hungry. Alright, I'll be in my office. Good night children." Vlad began to walk away, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, and Clare? Meet me in my office as soon as you are finished with Daniel, hm?"
Clare nodded slowly, wondering what he needed to speak to her about. She decided not to worry about it and helped Danny with his things. She walked up the main stairs and headed to the room Vlad had her and Michael prepare for Danny. That day was still a little blurry to her. She woke up on the bed a few hours later with a slight headache.
Soon they arrived at Danny's room. Clare opened the door and led him inside. "This is it."
Danny's eyes widened. "Whoa…" The room was huge. "This is my room?"
Clare smiled. "Yeah, you have a bathroom, study, closet, and a secret room you can access by pulling down these stairs, "She walked into his closet and pulled down some stairs. "Alright, I'll leave you to get adjusted. If you need me, my room is two doors to the left."
Danny dropped his things and walked over to Clare slowly. Clare watched him until he was only a few inches from her.
Danny gazed into Clare's light green eyes and she returned the gaze and almost found herself lost in his blue ones.
Danny leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. It was innocent at first, but became more and more passionate, and soon, Clare was being pushed onto the bed, Danny sliding onto her.
*Knock knock*
Danny quickly got off of the young female hybrid and helped her off the bed.
"Clare, father would like to see you in his office." Michael shouted, knowing well that he was interrupting something.
"I-I'll be right out!" Clare called out. She looked back at Danny and smiled. "I hope you like the room. Try to get some sleep, ok? I'll see you tomorrow." Danny returned the smile and nodded. He watched her as she turned and walked out of her room. He glanced down and looked a the bulge in his pants. "Darn it." Danny whispered in annoyance.
Clare walked towards Vlad's study. What just happened? Were we about to…? Am I crazy?! Sure, I love him, but I don't know if he loves me. Besides, we haven't been together for very long. Darn you teenage hormones! That bulge though… Clare dismissed her thoughts as she arrived at Vlad's study. She knocked on the door and waited to be allowed in.
"Come in Clare." Vlad called from within.
Clare opened the door and looked at Vlad curiously. "What did you need to talk to me about?"
Vlad looked at her with an emotionless stare. "Why were you late in your arrival with the boy?"
Clare frowned, "Danny kept fooling around and flying around everywhere. So it took us longer…"
Vlad raised an eyebrow. "Is that truly the reason? Or is it that you and Daniel wanted some 'play time' together?"
Clare looked at Vlad in disbelief. "What? Vlad, how dare you think that!? I haven't known him long enough to want to…" Clare trailed off as Vlad played back security footage from Danny's room, showing what had just happened a few minutes earlier.
Vlad glared at her. "Now why were you really late?"
Clare returned his glare. "I already told you! He kept flying around! And if you don't believe me, then maybe you'll believe your own invention!" Clare activated her bracelet, which was also a tracking device. "Activate GPS tracker. Show movements from 11pm to 3am." Suddenly, a screen appeared in front of Vlad. A red dot appeared on the screen with coordinates below it. "Zoom out and fast forward." Clare commanded, and the device obeyed. Other than a few times she went in a circle or randomly zigzagged, the red dot headed straight for its destination. When it arrived, Clare commanded it to shut down and looked at Vlad, who had a sober expression on his face.
"As for that security tape, I would ask you to STOP putting security cameras everywhere and let everyone have their privacy, but a fruit loop like you-"
Vlad immediately glared at her. "What did you just call me?"
Clare mentally cringed. "I just meant, someone with your mindset-"
Vlad rose from his desk and walked over to the young girl, soon looming over her. "What did you just call me?"
Clare gulped. "Fruit loop…?"
Vlad grabbed her by the neck and soon Clare was screaming in agony, electricity coursing through her body. Vlad let her go and she slumped on the ground. Clare fearfully looked up at the older hybrid.
"How do you know about that?!" Vlad demanded to know, knowing that the only people who had ever called him that were his enemies.
"I-I-" Clare stuttered, fearfully trying to find the words to explain.
"Tell me now! Or else you will never see your mother or Daniel ever again!" Vlad threatened.
"I looked into Danny's dad's memories! I wanted to know why you were out to get him!" Clare confessed, already bracing herself for another attack. And she got it. Vlad slapped her across the face, making her head spin and almost making her black out.
"Next time you do something like this, you'll get far worse." Vlad said darkly. Noticing that he had left red marks on her neck and on her cheek, he grabbed his watch and pushed a button. "Desiree, come to my office."
Clare's eyes went wide and she gasped. "What do you want with my mom? What are you going to do to her?"
Vlad completely ignored the almost frantic girl and watched as the ghost mage appeared in his office. "Yes Vlad?" She noticed that her daughter was also there and saw the marks on her face. She glared at Vlad, "What did you do to my baby?! You'll pay for this Vlad!" She lunged herself at him, but Vlad simply put up a shield and watched as Desiree crashed into it. He then pushed another button on his watch. Desiree screamed as she was electrocuted by the two metal bracelets she wore on her arms. Clare wanted to defend her mother, but feared that Vlad would hurt her even worse if she did. Seconds later, the torture stopped and Desiree was left on the floor gasping from the pain.
"Now if we're done with your dramatics, I need your powers." Vlad said, sounding almost bored."
Desiree slowly rose from the floor and bowed her head submissively. Clare, not wanting to cause her mother any further pain, held her tongue and looked away.
"Make it so that the marks on her disappear completely, but she will still feel the pain as if they were still there." Vlad ordered.
Desiree nodded and turned to face her daughter. She did as Vlad ordered and soon, Clare was being surrounded by a green mist and the marks on her disappeared. It was as if he had never struck her. Well on the outside. She still felt all the pain she had before they disappeared.
"Both of you are dismissed. Leave." Vlad ordered coldly.
Both mages didn't hesitate to obey his order and left immediately. Clare helped her mother to her room. Once they were there, Desiree sat on her bed and looked at the floor sadly. Clare sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. Desiree held her teenage daughter, trying to comfort both of them.
"I wish daddy was here…" Clare whispered shakily.
Desiree held her tighter. "I know. Me too...but we'll be fine…"
Clare began to sob, and so did her mother.
Well that's that.
I honestly hope you all enjoy this chapter. It took me a while, but I had fun with it. Don't worry, Sam won't be so, er, mean(?) for long.
I will be focusing more on the original gang in the next chapter. Especially Jazz. She hasn't gotten to be in this story very much.
Alright, see you next chapter, Bye!
-Jennie