Author's Note: Sorry for the long hiatus - a lot has been going on. However, I am posting THREE chapters this morning to make up for it. I'll post the last few hopefully next week. Enjoy! Don't forget how I love my reviews! :)
Chapter Ten
He flew silently and invisibly through the night sky. The whole town was on the lookout for him, and he really didn't want to fight his mom. 'I don't get it—where is he hiding? My Ghost Sense should lead me straight to him…I've checked everywhere…' Danny sighed as he stopped to think of any places left unchecked.
Suddenly, a blast from behind barely missed him. Eyes rapidly scanned the air around him, searching for the source. Maddie stood on an air board similar to Valerie's, gun aimed. 'She can see me?' he thought, dodging another blast. She wore goggles that had some sort of eye piece over one eye. 'That must be the Disguise Breaker!'
"Give it up ghost!" Maddie yelled. "This device lets me see you even if you're invisible."
Danny turned visible. "Look, can't we just…talk?"
"No. We can't," she replied, taking aim again. Danny fled quickly, but on the air board Maddie was just as fast. He led her to the park, hoping to lose her in the trees as he had Valerie so many times before. Unfortunately, his mom was a much better hunter than Valerie. She wasn't thrown off even slightly by the terrain. Beams shot passed, and Danny barely managed to keep her at bay. Deciding he was at a disadvantage, he flew upward out of the trees.
Maddie matched his move and flew above him. In one clean shot, she blasted him down; Danny fell into the trees below, slamming into the ground. The blast shorted his powers. He stood, dazed. Danny heard the sound of the air board nearing and quickly changed back. Thinking fast, he intangibly phased into a tree. He only hoped the Disguise Breaker wouldn't spot him. Maddie paused over the cratered ground where he had landed and he dared himself to breathe as she came nearer. Finally, she took off, searching the rest of the area. Invisible and thankfully unnoticed, he flew away from Amity Park.
*~*~*0*~*~*
Danny had a feeling that Vlad knew who was banging on his door because he took his sweet time getting there. The door cracked open, and Vlad's brows furrowed. "Daniel, I've told you before—"
"Vlad…I need you to listen to me," Danny panted. His clothes were tattered and he was covered in small scrapes. Vlad began to protest, but sighed in defeat and stepped aside so Danny could enter. "Thank you…"
"Don't thank me, Danny," Vlad said. "Listening isn't the same as helping." He led Danny to the sitting area, where Danny sat down as Vlad got him a glass of water. Quietly thanking him, Danny took a sip.
"This is going to take a while to explain," Danny said. Vlad allowed him to proceed. Seeing how Vlad knew none of the story, Danny decided the best place to start would be the beginning…the CATs last year. He explained everything he could.
"And now…he's killed Dad," Danny finally said. "And Mom thinks I killed him and wants to destroy me…and earlier tonight…she almost found out that I'm part ghost. Vlad…I don't know what to do—I need your help."
"He killed Jack?" Vlad said, a bit shocked. Danny nodded sadly. Vlad thought for a moment before standing. "Come with me, Danny." Danny stood and followed him to his lab. Vlad pressed a button that made a soft beep as it activated.
"A Ghost Shield?" Danny asked.
"Precisely," Vlad replied.
"But…why…?"
"Daniel," Vlad sighed. "There's something you should know. You see, I've known about this 'older self,' or 'Daniel,' as he calls himself, for a little while now."
"You have?!" Danny replied in awe. "But…how?"
"Well…strange as it may sound, he's been staying here in my castle for months," Vlad admitted. Danny eyes widened with fright as he backed away from Vlad. "Not willingly, mind you," Vlad added. Danny sighed with relief.
"He's…not here now, is he?" he asked.
"My exact reason for activating my Ghost Shield." Vlad paced as he spoke. "You see, he first came about…three months ago. He arrived just before you came by the first time. I was told if I helped you, it would be my life."
"So…that's why you kicked me out before? Because he was here?" Danny asked. Things were slowly starting to make sense. "But why are you helping me this time?"
"Because I could tell something bad had happened, Danny," he replied. "He never told me that he intended to harm anyone…much less kill them."
"If I don't stop him, I have a feeling he'll keep killing," Danny sighed. "I just…wish I knew how to stop him…"
"You and I both," Vlad admitted. "The most I can offer is a place for you to stay the night."
"I…I dunno," Danny said. "I…hate to leave Mom alone. And besides, if he comes back, then…well, I think it'd be better if I went home…"
"Fair enough," Vlad agreed. "I can understand where you're coming from."
"We'll be in touch?" Danny asked.
"Of course, Danny," Vlad smiled, lowering the Ghost Shield. Danny smiled as he transformed to his ghost form and left for Amity Park
*~*~*0*~*~*
After finally phasing through their Ghost Shield as human, Danny flew through the window and changed back.
"Any luck?" Tucker yawned.
"No…" he sighed. "Mom is diligently hunting me down. She came this close—" he demonstrated with his fingers, "—to finding out that I'm part ghost."
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"I dunno, but whatever weapon she was using shorted my powers out," he replied.
"You mean she actually hit you?" Tucker asked.
"Yeah, and it hurt, too," Danny said rubbing his back.
"Here, let me take a look," Sam said. She helped Danny lift his shirt. The majority of his back was burned, the skin a deep reddish-purple. "No wonder—your back is burned, bad."
"Ouch," Tucker winced. "Maybe you should get that checked out…"
"No…" Danny said. "If I say something to Mom, she'll want an explanation that…well, I can't give her. Just…don't worry about it; I'll be fine."
"So…what happened?" Tucker said.
"I was…looking for him, and…" Danny sighed. "My parents made this new device called the 'Fenton Disguise Breaker'. They said that it allows them to see a ghost—even if it's invisible. I didn't think about it when I left…"
"So that's how she saw you?" Sam asked.
"That stinks," Tucker said.
"Yeah…after she hit me, I left as fast as I could. I went to see Vlad…"
"Again?" Tucker asked.
"Yeah, but this time…he actually listened to me," Danny said. "I explained everything to him and…"
"…And?" Sam said. Danny let out a breath.
"Well…Vlad knew about…my older self…"
"What?!" Tucker exclaimed.
"How?" Sam chimed.
"He's been staying there…against Vlad's will," Danny explained. "And told Vlad if he helped me…it would mean his life—he would kill Vlad."
"So…why'd he help you this time?" Sam asked.
"Because of my dad," Danny replied.
"Wait, I thought he hated your dad," Tucker said.
"I did, too, but…I think maybe deep down he really didn't," Danny admitted. "Anyway, he said we'd be 'in touch'."
"You mean he's gonna let you know what your evil, older self is up to?" Sam asked.
"That's awesome!" Tucker exclaimed.
"I don't know if that's what he meant or not, but…either way, it's good to know he's on our side," Danny yawned.
"Why don't we get some rest," Sam said. "It's been a long night." For the first time, Danny looked at the clock; the display read two thirty-two.
Chapter Eleven
In the two weeks after Jack's death, Maddie and Danny had been growing apart. In fear of slipping up, Danny avoided having long conversations with her and she spent most nights searching for Danny Phantom, the ghost she believed killed her husband. Valerie hadn't been hanging out with Danny as much, either. Daniel hadn't shown up since the incident, and Vlad had yet to make contact.
With her perfect timing, Anna came to cheer him up when he needed it most. Sam, Tucker, and Danny were having lunch at the Nasty Burger when she came.
"Your mother said I might find you here," she said, smiling as she walked over to the booth.
"Anna," Danny stood with surprise. "I haven't seen you in a while." As they hugged, Danny felt his Ghost Sense. He looked around quickly.
"I heard about your father," she offered. "I'm very sorry for your loss."
"Thanks…it…means a lot," Danny smiled.
"So, what've you been up to, Anna?" Tucker asked as Danny invited her to join them.
"Not anything of importance," she replied.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam asked skeptically.
"What I said. Nothing very exciting or important," she corrected. "What about the two of you?"
"Same," Tucker responded. Sam didn't answer.
"And you?" Anna asked.
"I've been just peachy," she said, rolling her eyes.
After a few hours at the arcade, they parted; Sam and Tucker to their houses, and Anna with Danny to his house. When Danny entered the den, his mom wasn't anywhere to be found, which had become typical; she was usually out hunting for the ghost around sunset.
"So, how long are you planning to stay?" Danny asked, sitting on the couch.
"I'm not certain; how long am I allowed to stay?" Anna returned, sitting beside him.
"Well, really that's up to our Moms," he said.
"My mother said I could stay as long as I like," she replied.
"Really? Why's that?"
"Well…our…house burned down a few days ago…and…" her voice trailed.
"Sorry to hear that—was everyone alright?"
"Fine," she replied. "Mom is staying with…my grandmother, but there wasn't a place for me to sleep. I told her I would find somewhere to stay…and…"
"And so you came here?" Danny finished.
"Yes. I was hoping I might be able to stay here for a little while," she confessed.
"I'll talk to my mom," Danny smiled. It was then Danny noticed a letter addressed to him on the coffee table. Curiously, he broke the seal.
Danny,
I hope things are going well for you and your mother. I had hoped to contact you sooner, but have been unable to due to circumstances. Thus far, Daniel has yet to inform me of any plans.
It seems as though he has lost some trust in me, which is why I had not contacted you sooner. He has been gone for several days now, and I can assume he is in Amity Park. I can also assume he will strike before this letter reaches you.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you and your mother. I will gladly help. If you like, we can work something out so that I can teach you what I know.
—Vlad
Danny smiled as he read the note and folded it back into the envelope.
"Not to intrude, but who was that from?" Anna asked
"Oh—no one. Just a friend. I'll be right back," Danny said, stuffing the letter in his pocket. He crossed through the empty kitchen and towards the basement door.
"Could I join you?" she asked.
"Uh…sure—but don't touch anything." He opened the door and walked down the dark stairs. With a quiet flick, he turned on the light switch.
"The lab…" Anna said, looking around.
"Yeah…" Danny said, walking down the stairs. "This is their lab." He walked over to a button near the Ghost Portal that read "Ghost Shield" over it. "I just have to activate the Ghost Shield, and then we can go back upstairs.
As his hand reached for the button, Danny saw his Ghost Sense slip out. Before he could react, a sharp pain in his neck sent him whirling into unconsciousness. He hit the floor with a loud thump.
"Danny? Danny!" she yelled running to his side. He didn't respond.
"He's unconscious," Anna said. A spiral of green smoke appeared around her as her body changed form.
"Good," Daniel said, smirking. He reached into Danny's pocket and pulled out the wadded letter. Furious eyes scanned the page, and his smirk faded. "So, Vlad has decided to help him. I suppose I should take care of him now before he becomes more than a mere annoyance," Daniel thought out loud. Lips pursed as he plotted for a moment.
"Or perhaps…" he smirked. "I think I'll let Vlad play this little game of his. Perhaps one of them will be out of my way soon enough."
*~*~*0*~*~*
"Danny? Danny, are you alright? Danny!" Hands shook furiously at his limp body. Danny heard a voice calling him and he urged his eyes to open.
"W-wha…?" he groaned; sitting up, he rubbed his head. "What…what happened?"
"I don't know," Anna replied from beside him. "You collapsed all of a sudden. Come on; let's go upstairs—you should lie down."
"Yeah…okay," Danny said as he stood. "Oh, the Ghost Shield—"
"I've already activated it," she said with a smile. Danny peered at her skeptically. "All you have to do is press this button, correct? It isn't all that complicated, Danny," she added when Danny nodded. "Let's go upstairs." She followed Danny upstairs and back to the den. He laid down on the couch and Anna sat across from him in the chair.
*~*~*0*~*~*
Danny woke the next morning, still on the couch. His head rested on his pillow and a blanket had been thrown over him. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the ache from the night before. From the kitchen, the smell of eggs and bacon wafted through the air, and Danny smiled as he stood. As he suspected, Maddie stood by the stove diligently cooking Saturday morning breakfast. He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost ten in the morning.
"Oh—good morning, Danny!" Maddie said as she glanced back to see her son standing in the doorway. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Huh?"
"Anna said you weren't feeling well last night," she said, bringing the plate of bacon to the table. "She said you passed out."
"Oh…yeah…" he remembered. "Just…stood up to fast or something. I'm fine." Of course, Danny had lied. His neck twinged with a dull throb; he never could figure out what happened down there. Suddenly, a cold breath escaped from between chapped lips.
"Something smells delicious in here," Anna said, appearing beside Danny in the doorway. "It's good to hear you are feeling well. I was worried about you last night."
"Yeah…sorry about that," Danny said. The three sat down and ate. When they finished, Danny helped clear the table and wash dishes.
"So, what plans do you have today?" Anna asked.
"I'm gonna meet Sam and Tucker later at the arcade and…probably just hang out with them for a while," Danny replied. "You wanna come?"
"No thanks," Anna said. "I…have some laundry to do, and I thought I might go see Mom today."
Danny shrugged and she headed upstairs. Meanwhile, Danny pulled out a sheet of paper and began writing.
Vlad,
It's really good to hear from you. I was a little worried there. No signs of Daniel yet, but thanks for the heads up. I think he might be laying low for a while. Mom is holding up okay, but she still won't listen to me. She still thinks I killed Dad. I'm afraid she might find out that I'm Danny Phantom and snap. I don't think she'd believe me even if I did tell her, but I still think she'd flip. I could use the training—I might be able to beat him that way. I haven't figured out much, but one thing I know is that I'm the one that has to beat him. I don't know how we can work it out, but I am totally for it. I'm hoping you have some ideas.
Thanks for everything,
Danny
He read the letter again before folding it and shoving it in an envelope. He grabbed a stamp from his mother's stash and stuck it in the top right corner. Danny wrote his address in the upper left corner and carefully copied Vlad's return address from the letter he'd received. Vlad's letter was stuffed into his pocket and the other lifted from the table.
"I'm gonna go meet Sam and Tucker!" Danny yelled down to Maddie in the basement.
"Alright, sweetie! I'll see you later," Maddie shouted back.
Danny waited for a response from Anna, but heard none. He shrugged; she must've already left to go see her mom. With a bang, the front door closed behind him. He couldn't wait to tell Sam and Tucker about Vlad's letter. But first, he had to make a detour to the post office.
"'Bout time you got here!" Tucker said from his game station.
"What took you so long?" Sam asked. "You were supposed to be here like…fifteen minutes ago!"
"Sorry, I…had to run an errand," Danny replied, taking the station beside her.
"Is…everything okay, Danny?" Sam asked.
"For once, sort of," he replied. Sam and Tucker exchanged looks. "I got this in the mail last night." He handed the letter to Sam; Tucker read over her shoulder. "It's from Vlad."
"He's gonna train you?" Sam said.
"I thought you said he couldn't help you because of your older jerkier self?" Tucker said.
"Vlad's going to try to work something out where he won't know about it," Danny replied.
"He also says that 'Daniel' will probably strike soon," Sam said.
"I know, but…I haven't seen him anywhere and if he was going to do something, he would've done it by now. I think he might just be laying low for a little while," Danny reassured. "Besides, this will give me a chance to get stronger—strong enough to beat him."
"Awesome!" Tucker exclaimed.
"I…I'm not sure about this…" Sam said unsurely as she handed the letter back to Danny.
"What's not to be sure of?" Danny replied. "Vlad is my only chance at beating him, Sam."
"What about Clockwork?" she countered.
"I…don't think I could handle going back into the Ghost Zone…" Danny sighed. "Not after…what happened last time…"
"He has a point Sam," Tucker added.
"And besides, he hasn't been there at all since this whole mess started," Danny said. "I don't think he wants to help this time…I…think it's up to me this time."
Sam sighed, defeated. "I guess you're right."
"So, any ideas on how Vlad's going to help without your evil self figuring it out?" Tucker asked.
"Not yet," Danny replied. "I wrote him back and took the letter to the post office before I came here—that's what took so long," he smiled at Sam. "Now all I can do is wait…and hope that Daniel doesn't go through Vlad's mail."
The three left the arcade a little while later, and headed over to the Nasty Burger for lunch. Danny felt his stomach turn when Kwan, Paulina, and Valerie entered the restaurant; Sam and Tucker seemed not to notice them. It was strange—he hadn't really seen the three since the ordeal with Dash. Though Paulina and Valerie seemed okay, it wasn't hard to tell that Kwan was still recovering from the loss of his good friend.
Danny silently watched as they ordered. Eyes locked with his as Valerie caught sight of him. She turned and quickly led them to a booth across the restaurant. It wasn't long after that Danny, Sam, and Tucker went their separate ways.
*~*~*0*~*~*
"Surprised to see me?" Danny turned quickly; he knew that voice.
"Vlad?" he said with a little bit of shock. "What are you doing here—did you get my letter?" Vlad nodded. "Oh…I'm guessing that's why you're here?"
"Correct," Vlad said, landing beside him. "Several days ago, actually. Daniel has yet to return—I'm thinking you might have been right to say he is 'laying low for a while.' I decided this might be a good opportunity to show you what I know."
"Okay," Danny said. He looked around before changing into his ghost form. "I have to be home in about an hour and a half, but I've got a little time."
Vlad took Danny to a more secluded area where no one would get in the way of practice fire; they headed to the park. He started with the basics that Danny didn't have. They worked for about an hour before Danny decided to head home.
"So…are you staying in Amity Park or going home?" Danny asked.
"I was hoping to find a place to stay here," he replied. "Hotel, maybe."
"Hotel? Why don't you just 'come in for a visit' and stay with us?" Danny suggested.
"I don't know…" Vlad protested. "I'd hate to put your mother in that situation…"
"Honestly, I think she might enjoy seeing you, with you being friends from college and all," Danny said.
"You think so?"
"As long as you don't hit on her," Danny joked. "I think it would do her some good."
Vlad smiled. "Alright. You go ahead home, I'll come by later."
Danny nodded and headed home. It was only nine, but he was really tired. As he guessed, Maddie wasn't home; he headed upstairs. When he passed by Jazz's room, he noticed Anna asleep on the bed. Quietly, he went into his room and plopped onto his lumpy mattress. As usual, Danny grabbed his laptop from the floor; he logged on. Sam and Tucker started a session with him not long after, and Danny couldn't wait to tell them about Vlad. It had only been ten minutes before the doorbell rang.
Danny headed down stairs and to the front door. He looked through the peephole and smiled when he saw who was on the other side; he opened it.
"Hello, Daniel," Vlad said casually and as if they hadn't seen each other in ages. "Could I speak with your mother?"
"Sorry, Vlad," Danny replied. "She's not home. She's out looking for Danny Phantom. Come in."
"Thank you," Vlad said as he stepped inside. "What time is she usually back?"
"She usually stops by around nine thirty. You can talk to her then."
As expected, the front door quietly opened at nine thirty. Vlad had gone upstairs to the bathroom for a moment while Danny watched TV in the living room.
"Danny?" Maddie said, closing the door behind her.
"Hey Mom," Danny said from the couch. "Oh, uh…someone stopped by to see you."
"Really, who? You didn't tell them you were here alone did you?" Maddie questioned.
"Relax, Mom. It was—"
"Why, hello Maddie," Vlad said as he reached the bottom of the staircase.
"…Vlad," Danny finished.
"Vlad? It's—er—nice to see you," Maddie said, smiling. "What brings you to here?"
"I…just thought I might stop by and see how the two of you were," Vlad explained. "I'm terribly sorry I didn't make it to the funeral. I had planned to come but…something—er—came up at the last second and my flight was cancelled."
"Sorry to hear that," Maddie replied. A couple of moments awkwardly slid by before she continued. "So, how long have you been here?"
"About five minutes—maybe ten," Vlad lied. "Daniel and I were just catching up."
"Really?" Maddie said, slightly surprised. She shot a raised-eyebrow look over to Danny who nodded innocently. "Well, that's nice. How long will you be in town?"
"A couple of days, I believe," Vlad said.
"Where are you staying?" she asked.
"Seeing how most of the hotels in town are full, I will surely have to find someplace outside of town…" Vlad lied.
"Why don't you stay with us?" Danny chimed. "If—er—it's okay with you, Mom…"
"Well…I don't know, Danny…" Maddie protested. "I mean, we already have your friend staying…"
"Oh, c'mon Mom," Danny argued. "Vlad doesn't mind sleeping on the couch, do you?"
"Now, Danny—if your mother says no, then you shouldn't protest," Vlad said. Danny gave a pouty face as he turned back to the television.
Maddie sighed. "I guess it couldn't hurt. All we have is the couch, though."
"That's quite alright with me, Maddie," Vlad smiled. With his mother's okay, Danny ran upstairs and grabbed a pillow and an extra blanket. He threw them on the couch for Vlad. Maddie bid them good night and headed back out to find Danny Phantom; she told Vlad she would explain later. Yawning, Danny turned in for the night as well.
*~*~*0*~*~*
Vlad woke with a fright as a cold chill crawled up his spine and his Ghost Sense was triggered. Quickly, he looked around. Movement could be heard from the kitchen; the sink cut on and a glass was filled with water…silence. Footsteps treaded softly towards the den; Vlad could see a silhouette in the doorway.
"Oh, did I wake you, Vlad?" she said, stepping into the little moonlight that flowed from the window.
"It's…quite alright," Vlad said, relaxing a little. "And…who might you be?"
"I'm Anna, a friend of Danny's," Anna replied.
"Nice to meet you," Vlad said with a little skepticism in his voice. "How did you know my name?"
"Oh, Danny mentioned you earlier," she smiled. "He didn't want the 'stranger on the couch' to frighten me."
"I see," Vlad said. "Well, it was nice to meet you."
"Likewise." With that, Anna headed back upstairs. A moment later, Vlad heard the door quietly close behind her. He gave one more glance around the room before lying back down.
Only hours later, morning sunshine spilled across the floor and onto Danny's eyelids. He woke quietly and sat up; neon letters read eight ten. Danny yawned as he rose from his bed. Quietly, Danny tiptoed towards the bathroom.
Suddenly, a cold breath slid between his lips. Danny froze; he looked around cautiously, looking for any signs of anything out of place. He creaked open the door to Jazz's room. Anna was still sound asleep on Jazz's bed. Danny walked to the top of the staircase; Vlad was stretched out comfortably on the couch. Anxious ears listened for the slightest sound of movement. Nothing…Danny turned and quietly closed the bathroom door behind him.
It wasn't much later that the usual smells of Saturday morning filled the house. Danny had gone back into his room and was quietly watching television. It didn't take long for him to doze. A light knock on his door woke him.
"Come in," he yawned.
"Get up, sleepy head," Maddie smiled. "Breakfast is ready." Danny flipped off the TV and headed downstairs. Vlad was in the kitchen, setting the table.
"…You can cook?" Danny asked, watching Vlad stir a pot on the stove.
"Of course I can cook, Danny," Vlad said, setting the pot on the table.
"Hm…I didn't know you could cook," Danny shrugged, sitting at the table.
"I didn't know you could cook," Jack's voice rang out from behind him.
"Well, I've been watching Mom do it and thought 'hey, how hard could it be?'" Danny replied.
Danny smiled a little as he remembered that morning—it had been the last normal Saturday morning he'd had…the Saturday before Jazz…
"Oh, I'll go get Anna," Danny said, standing and leaving the kitchen. When he reached Jazz's room, the door was ajar. He pushed it open to reveal an empty, unmade bed. Curiously, he walked down the hallway. The bathroom door was closed. He knocked.
"Anna?" Danny said. "Breakfast is ready."
"I'll—er, be down in a few minutes," she replied. "I'm…in the shower."
"Oh…uh, okay," Danny said. He headed back to the kitchen. "She said she'd be down in a few minutes." Maddie nodded.
"Vlad, this is delicious," she said as she swallowed a mouthful of eggs and bacon.
"Thank you, Maddie," Vlad replied.
The three ate in silence for few minutes. Danny reached for his glass of orange juice. Just as the rim of the glass touched his lips, his Ghost Sense puffed out, frosting glass. Eyes glanced around quickly and fixed on Vlad when he noticed that he was also scanning the room cautiously. Their eyes met with a silent message.
"The food smells great," Anna said, stopping by the table.
"Oh, Vlad," Danny began, "This is Anna; Anna, Vlad. Vlad's a…friend of the family."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Vlad," Anna said, sitting.
"Likewise, my dear," Vlad replied. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be back in one moment."
"It's quite alright, Vlad," Maddie said. Vlad stood from the table and, with a hinting look towards Danny, left the room. Danny waited a moment before speaking.
"I'll—uh—be right back," he said. "I'm…gonna run to the bathroom." Before his mother could say anything, he followed Vlad. Vlad signaled him to head upstairs. "You, too?" Danny said softly.
"My Ghost Sense," Vlad replied, almost whispering. "This is the second time since I got here that that's happened."
"Second?" Danny said a little louder. Vlad shushed him. "When was the first time?"
"Last night," Vlad replied. "I was asleep and it woke me. That friend of yours, Anna, was in the kitchen. Then this morning, she walks into the kitchen and both of our Ghost Senses are triggered…"
"Where do you think he's hiding?" Danny asked. "He's most likely invisible—do you think he's just messing with us?"
"I highly doubt that, Danny," Vlad replied. "If he were to discover that I'm here, then it would mean trouble for the both of us. I'm going to have a look around." With that, he transformed and turned invisible.
"Okay, I'll head back to the kitchen so they don't get suspicious," Danny said. He headed back downstairs and went into the kitchen. Danny hesitated when his Ghost Sense was triggered again. 'It's probably just Vlad…' Danny reassured himself.
"Where's Vlad?" Anna asked as Danny sat down.
"Oh, he'll be back in just a second," Danny replied. "He just, uh…had to step outside and get some fresh air. He said he got a little hot cooking breakfast."
"Is he alright?" Maddie asked from the sink. She came back over to the table and picked up the empty frying pan.
"Uh, yeah. He—" Danny hesitated as his Ghost Sense slipped out once more. No one else seemed to notice. "…said he was fine." Danny stood and helped his mom finish cleaning off the table. Anna headed back upstairs, and Vlad came in just as the last plate was rinsed and laid in the sink. Danny looked at him hopefully; Vlad shook his head.
"Well, I hope everyone enjoyed breakfast," he said.
"I know I enjoyed it," Danny said, watching the sink fill up with dishwater.
"It was great," Maddie smiled.
"I'll get the dishes, Mom," Danny said.
"Well, thank you, Danny," Maddie hugged him. "You know where I'll be if you need me." She headed downstairs to the lab, closing the door behind her.
"So…you didn't find him?" Danny asked after a moment.
"No," Vlad replied. "I think you might be right—he may be hiding invisibly…or perhaps…"
"What?" Danny asked when Vlad didn't finish.
"Danny, did you mention me to your friend last night?"
"Yeah, I told her that you were sleeping on the couch so that—"
"'The stranger on the couch wouldn't frighten' her…" Vlad finished.
"Yeah…how'd you know that?"
"Never mind that," Vlad said. "Did you mention my name to her?"
"I…don't know…I might've?" Danny replied, trying to remember what he said. "Why does that matter?"
"Because," Vlad explained, "When she went into the kitchen last night, she knew my name."
"I…must've mentioned it to her when I was telling her you were downstairs," Danny shrugged. "It's really not that big of a deal."
"Haven't you noticed whenever she comes into the room, your Ghost Sense is triggered?" Vlad asked quietly. Almost on cue, Anna walked entered. As she approached, Vlad and Danny's Ghost Senses were triggered simultaneously. Vlad shot Danny a slight 'I-told-you-so' look.
"Would you two like any help?" Anna smiled.
"No, thank you," Vlad said before Danny could speak. "I think we're just about done. Thanks for the offer."
"Alright then," Anna said. She turned on her heel and left.
"You see?" Vlad said after a moment.
"Something doesn't feel right…" Danny said, almost whispering. "Do you think it has something to do with Daniel?"
"Hard to say," Vlad replied.
"You don't think…" Danny said. He dropped the plate he was washing back into the dish water. "What if she's his next target?"
"I suppose it's plausible," Vlad replied thoughtfully.
"Oh, no…" Danny half groaned. "I have to stop him—I have to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else."
"For now, all you can do is watch over her," Vlad said.
Once the dishes were done, Danny left to met Sam and Tucker at the arcade. He finally talked Anna into tagging along—much to Sam's dismay. He gave her an 'I'll explain later' at some point. The day was spent as usual—just playing Doom and arcade games. They went their separate ways around sunset and Danny told Anna he'd catch up with her later; Danny had an appointment at the park. Practicing different things wasn't easy, but he hoped that it would help. The next couple of days passed the same way—totally uneventful.
Danny was starting to think that Daniel really was just laying low.