Here's an update! Back at school now so the updates will be less frequent. :(

thank you my most excellent reviewers! Keep them coming please! it really motivates me.

i don't own Danny Phantom as he is a character of someone else's creation.

Chapter 11: Fate is a strange thing

After a day of constantly banging his head on low ceilings and door frames, Danny found his peace at home. He had explained to his friends and his sister that he was not in the mood at school to chat about his restless night. Instead, he needed to think about that super freaky dream. Granted, he had a good imagination still, but even he couldn't think of something like that in his head while he was asleep. There was a reason why he was a low C in English Literature you know.

His mom had gone out and bought him his usual pants in a bigger size and a darker blue, plus some new t-shirts but a different style because they only went up to a certain size in his old ones. He now had at least fourteen white t-shirts with a black stripe across the chest and sleeves. He raised his dark eyebrows at them but Maddie smiled and shrugged.

"You look nice in black and white sweetie." She explained. Though the sentiment was sweet, Danny couldn't help but be a little scared.
He opened his closet and found several pairs of green sneakers. Green. It was like his mom had an obsession with his alter ego's colour scheme. He just hoped no one would put two and two together and realise his secret. Not that anyone showed any signs of being as intelligent as Jazz as to find out.

Rubbing his forehead to soothe the bruise forming there, he scowled knowing that the cause of this irritating change must have been connected to the dream and the painful experience with Dash during P.E. But he didn't know why they were connected or what they meant for him. All he wanted was answers from someone wiser than he was and preferably with a lot more knowledge on Ghost related things than he did.

His mind went immediately to Clockwork. The keeper of time was he cleverest ghost he knew and of course, he knew everything to with the ghost zone, the Observants and the history of that dark place. Danny sometimes wondered just how long Clockwork had been a ghost because he sure did know a lot more than those Observants. However, Danny didn't know the way to Clockworks lair. If the ghost, being the ghost of time, wanted to see him, he could just summon him. But it didn't seem to be the case.

Someone else would have to do. Though not many other ghosts would be willing to help him. Most hated his guts beyond belief. Frostbite was too far away and Danny doubted he knew about this sort of thing. Pandora and Dora always seemed a bit reluctant to share history with outsiders as well. He sighed, knowing no one in the ghost zone could help him.

There was one though... Not that Danny really considered him an ally. Though he hoped that certain recent events would make the air less tense. Of course Vlad would know something. Unlike ghosts, he actually had a professional interest in the ghost zone and it's laws and ways. He had about twenty years of learning time to find out more about this mysterious place. He had to give him a try.

But he couldn't do it alone. He didn't trust Vlad at all, though he did trust Darren. More for moral support and a way to get there than anything, Danny wanted his friends and his sister to go with him to Wisconsin. After all, he couldn't control the spectre speeder all that well and it'd be helpful for them to help him through the ghost zone.

Feeling sure of himself, he grabbed his cellphone and typed in a number, "Sam, get Tucker. I need your help with an outing."

The four teens travelled through the abyss in a large, metal contraption commonly known as the Spectre Speeder. It was Jazz's first time in the ghost zone and she was awed by it but the other three ignored her excitement. Tucker was busy driving while Sam looked at Danny in concern. He was visibly worried, nibbling his thumb and leaning forward while concentrating his stare at the control panel. She rubbed his back soothingly and he gave her a grateful smile before returning to his previous pose.

"So, why exactly are we going to the Frootloop's Castle again?" Tucker interrupted, not lifting his gaze from the Ghost Zone ahead.

"Because I need to ask him something. I need to tell you guys something too. But I can't do that right now." Danny answered in a quiet voice.

"Are you sure it's safe for us to go there?" Jazz said in concern, looking at her now massively taller than her, brother.

"No. That's why you're coming and it's why we've got the Fenton Bazooka in the back." He pointed his thumb in the direction of the boot.

"I wondered why you insisted on bringing that." Sam smiled slightly, "Let's just get this done with before your curfew okay?"

"Yep." Danny straightened up, now being the tallest one in the vehicle. He looked into the dark expanse of the Ghost Zone, searching for something until he smiled, "there. There's his portal." He pointed to a glowing green swirl of light, very similar to his parents', stuck into a cliff face. "Steer us there Tuck." He ordered.

"Aye aye cap'n." Tucker agreed and they drove through the portal at a steady speed, as not to crash on the other side.

From the purple, green and black dimension to the pristine lab, decorated with all manner of weapons and experiments, Jazz was still not used to the sudden change in environments and gasped as it happened. The lab, though not as cluttered as the Fentons, was clearly used often and some of the objects looked a bit frightening to say the least. Danny spotted the Plasmius Maximus as well as other items of Vlad's creation. They landed on the floor silently (thanks to Tuckers skill with technology) and all started to get out when Danny stopped them.

"I'll go out first, tell him we're here and then you can come. You've got the Fenton Phones right?" He held up his own pair and they nodded, showing their own. "I'll call you with those. We don't want to come off on the wrong foot." Danny told them and stood up heading out the door.

"Don't take his bull crap Danny." Sam advised. "He needs to learn that if you want respect, you've got to earn it."

"Thanks." Danny headed out with a huff of air; his friends watching him leave from inside the vehicle.

Being careful with his steps, he almost tip toed up the stairs and snuck through the trinket-filled corridors. He scoffed at the amount of priceless junk here. Vlad probably never used any of it. It was all just empty money, sitting on his tables, collecting dust and not being used for things that actually meant something. Danny often found it strange how Vlad didn't give his money to charities more often. That's what he'd do instead of buying 500 year old jugs.

Danny heard muffled chatter coming from the direction of what he remembered to be the Sitting Room and headed to the noise quietly. He knew sneaking around Vlad's castle wasn't exactly polite, but knowing how Vlad often had a tendency to overreact, he thought it best to not surprise the man. This also meant going ghost was out of the question, as their most hostile moments were caught with him as Danny Phantom.

He peered around the dark oak frame to see Vlad sat on his red velvet couch with Darren sat next to him; his head resting on Vlad's shoulder. Danny smiled at the sight. He hoped they had started to bond. After all, Darren deserved it and so did Vlad. Vlad didn't deserve to be alone and in pain anymore. As silent as the grave, Danny travelled along the wooden floors and slumped down onto the seat next to Vlad with a sigh, his weight testing the springs of the furnishing quite dramatically.

Vlad's eyes were partially closed, nearly shut but stayed slightly open when he felt the new weight next to him. His head moved lazily to look at Danny and he smiled, "Darren... What are you doing awake already sweetheart...?" He slurred and lifted his hand to drift across Danny's cheek.

Not expecting this, Danny gave a questioning look before pushing the Frootloop's hand away, "Vlad. It's Danny." He said and looked across at the still resting Darren over the shoulder.

"Darren... you've tricked me before... you won't trick me again..." He tapped Danny's nose, "I wouldn't get your face mixed up with Daniel's..." Vlad laughed softly. "I remember your face always." And with that, Vlad flopped face first onto Danny's lap, leaving the raven haired lad rather flustered and Darren lying onto of Vlad.

"Seriously! I don't even look like him!" Danny complained, getting slightly annoyed and he pushed Vlad up off his legs and back into a sitting position. Vlad woke up more to find Darren asleep on his lap and a boy he barely recognised sitting beside him with his hands on his hips.

"Little... Badger?" Vlad cocked his head to the side, "What on Earth happened to you?!" He said more clearly and louder, making Darren stir on his lap uncomfortably.

"I'd like to know that for myself actually." He admitted, "and for the record, Darren and I look nothing alike." Danny said stubbornly and folded his arms.

Vlad looked down at Darren and back up at Danny, "Actually, minus the massive bulk, violet eyes and ponytail, you look extremely similar. But not too similar." He admitted, earning a scowl from Danny, "Anyway, why the hell are you in my castle uninvited at seven o'clock at night?" He gave him a disapproving look at Danny's intrusion.

"Because I need to know if you can help me." Danny said quietly.

"You, want me to help you? That's a first Daniel. Does this mean you trust me?" Vlad looked hopeful but turned saddened when Danny laughed.

"Me? Trust you? Of course not!" He chuckled at the thought.

"Then give me a reason why I should help you. Darren's already forced me to help stop ghosts attacking Amity Park and told me to fire Valerie from working for me. I don't even talk to Skulker anymore." Danny was about to ask why but Vlad said, "Darren doesn't like Skulker."

"Since when does Darren control you?" Danny looked amused and gazed down at the sleeping human.

"Since you dumped him on me and he's learnt how to manipulate me." Vlad grumbled.

"It's not my fault you seem to do anything I want when I wrestle with you. You give in after about two minutes." Darren mumbled and rolled over, his eyes opening and a smirk crawling onto his face.

"That's... Because its awkward..." Vlad looked away from the man on his lap, hiding a plainly visible blush.

"I like wrestling. Especially with you. You get all flustered," Darren laughed and rested his cheek against Vlad's stomach.

"That's because you insist on touching me in places I do not wish to be touched in!" Vlad shot a red faced glare of embarrassment at his lap-buddy.

"Are you sure you don't want to be touched in those places?" He sat up and moved closer to the perplexed billionaire.

"Quite sure." Vlad said through grit teeth.

"Anyway, what can we do for you Danny? Man troubles perhaps?" Darren wiggled his eyebrows with a grin.

"You could say that. Can my friends come in? They're a bit anxious over me wanting to talk to Vlad and I need to tell them something too." Danny asked, only just getting over the fact that his old cheese-head had been wrestling with a twenty four year old.

"Sure." Darren said before Vlad could protest, "tell them to come in. This matter is obviously troubling you some."

"You have no idea." He mumbled before taking a Fenton Phone in his hand, "Sam, Tuck, Jazz? It's safe to come in. We're in the Sitting Room on the same floor as you come out on after the lab. Take a left and you'll be there." Danny instructed and he heard an 'okay' from Sam in agreement.

"You do look different actually. Who made you grow up so quickly?" Darren asked, leaning his elbows down onto Vlad's thighs and supporting his head while he lay down again. Vlad hissed in pain.

"Nobody did. At least I don't think so. It happened overnight and I had this really weird dream that night too." Danny remembered the odd happenings of that night which brought a flinch to his face.

"What dream?" Jazz asked from behind them with Tucker and Sam standing either side of her.

"Well, I was in the school alone. No one was there. So I went looking for people." His friends and sister came in cautiously, "I ended up in the locker rooms and there was this weird note from the Observants and it said something about me being bonded-"

"With another person? This shall be documented as the first official halfa and human bonding in ghostly and human history. Did it say that?" Darren straightened up, his playful smirk dropping into a serious stare.

"Y-yes. But how did you know that?!" Everyone's eyes rested on Darren.

"Because Dark Dan had that dream. But it was the first ghost and human bonding. Not halfa." Darren looked at Vlad sheepishly. "Who is yours!?" His eyes met with Danny's.

"..." His mouth opened and he looked at his lap, "... Dash." His hand tightened over his other one and he closed his eyes.

"You're gay? But you said you weren't." Tucker said curiously.

"I never said I wasn't I just didn't say I was." Danny corrected him and he looked up to see Jazz studying his face, Vlad looking mildly surprised and Tucker wide eyed. Darren and Sam smiled slightly. "So, who was Dan's in his dream?"

"It... Was strange. He was flying without a point, not really noticing where he was going and all of a sudden he crashed into a tree and fell down to the ground. Being small it was surprising that he knocked someone down too. Vlad, was there. Dan was unconscious on top of him. Dan felt pain and woke up to see Vlad. He almost attacked him. But he ached too much to try and flew away. The dream happened that night in the remains of the Nasty Burger and Vlad was there. But then he was hurt by many many independent ghost hunters, the GIW and his... Dead parents. He woke up after that and looked like the Dan we all knew recently." Darren explained and sighed. "I never really understood it, but he wanted to find Vlad so much. He was always thinking about getting him but then he also thought about... Much more... Heated things. Disgusting things to do to him against his will. He liked the thought of seeing Vlad battered after he was done with him. But he'd never be done." Darren shivered. "The other though, the other me wanted to be with Vlad again because he felt so bad about what he'd done after all the help Vlad gave him." He felt Vlad's eyes on his ponytailed hair, "I don't want to hurt Vlad. I want him to... Like me. I want you to be with me as I do you. Don't freak out but Dan kinda bonded with you and now I'm sort of bonded with you too." His violet eyes looked scared as he found the strength to look back at Vlad.

The billionaire gazed with no sneer, no hatred, no fear but a straight face. You could see the focus in his eyes as he looked into Darren's. The cogs in his brain looked like they were ticking furiously. Darren couldn't pull his gaze away, the intensity of the look too much. He was scared that if he removed his eyes, the subject would be dropped after he poured his heart out. What would be left of him then? He felt his face burn up but he couldn't do anything about it. His stomach sank heavily as he still received no response from Vlad.

The strong jawed man in front of him showed no signs of moving. Those rich oceanic blue eyes shadowed by dark eyebrows were darkened by the contrast of his perfectly pale skin with the fan of surprisingly thick black lashes that framed them. The long, thin, nose stayed still on his face and did not twitch even a small bit. After sleeping for a short amount of time, his slicked back hair had flopped forward slightly over his eyes, revealing a bit of those silver bangs. Of course Vlad was irresistible to Darren. Those stupid Observants had made sure of that. Sometimes he hated how much he wanted to hold Vlad in his arms and tell him that he was his but he knew that the way he felt wasn't going to change.

Caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Vlad take his hands in his own soft ones and run his thumbs over Darren's knuckles. His eyes softened and he lifted one hand up to hold his chin gently. Vlad's eyes flickered between each one of Darren's before he leaned in and gave a careful, short sweet kiss on the other's lips. Darren felt suddenly extremely happy and pressed in harder but found that Vlad had pulled away as soon as he did.

"I have no doubt that you are a very caring one and I'm extremely touched that you have cared for me more than anyone else has done in my entire life. Even more so knowing that somehow you are now soul bonded with me. But I barely know you Darren and though I know that I do like you a lot more than most people, I need more time before anything happens. I'm giving you a chance okay?" Vlad lowered his head and flinched when Darren squealed.

"YES YES YES OH MY CHEESE-BALLS!" He jumped up and down on the sofa but stopped when he spotted the teenagers looking shocked... And Danny looking a bit miffed.

"Yay. We've resolved that. Now please can someone tell me what's happened to me?" He folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Long story short, you and Dash are now destined to be together but you have to initiate it or he'll go on while you spend the rest of your miserable existence yearning after what could've been." Vlad answered bluntly.

"That seems lovely." Sam added sarcastically.

"It happens naturally, but the Observants are extremely formal about it." Vlad grumbled, "the Observants stick their noses, if they have any, into everyone's business. Even the Ghost of Time's I hear."

"Clockwork? He's spoken of them before. He says they're meddling." Darren smirked.

"You've met him? Wow, you're lucky..." Vlad looked at Darren in awe.

"He's a bit annoying sometimes. Especially when he tried to kill Danny on behalf of the Observants." Tucker remembered clearly.

"Anyway! We know about Danny and Dash now, but what about the rapid growth overnight?" Jazz asked, steering the conversation back on track.

"That'd be some sort of ghost puberty. It only happens once you've found 'the one'. It's done to help attract your mate." Vlad explained plainly which made Danny frown.

"But Dash looked shocked when he saw me." He said sadly and held his hands together.

"He has to adjust. You'll get used to it. If you're lucky, you won't have to wait too long until you can be together!" Darren said extremely cheerfully and smiled, clapping his hands childishly.

"I'm happy for you dude, but I wish you'd told me earlier. I would have understood you know." Tucker placed his hand on Danny's shoulder and Danny looked up at his friends.

"He may be stupid, but he's not disloyal." Sam teased and Tucker pushed her playfully.

"Well I'm glad you understand." The three teens beamed at him. "But I think it's about time we leave don't you?" He stood up and brushed his lap off.

"If you want to get home on time I believe it would be the best." Jazz said smartly.

"Goodbye Little Badger!" Vlad said a little more cheerfully as the four began to walk out the room.

"Danny!" Darren jumped up and grabbed his arm. "Congratulations." He whispered in Danny's ear and smiled, running back to Vlad with a skip in his step. Danny smiled back with a smirk, looking at Vlad and Darren one more time before his hand was taken by Sam's and he was pulled away out of the room and back to the Fenton Speeder feeling a little more enlightened than before.

Darren slumped down onto the springy couch once more, admiring Vlad who was looking in the direction the teenagers had left. He tucked a strand of soft, long raven hair behind his ear and retied his ponytail nervously. "I forgot to tell him something." He mumbled as Vlad turned to him once more.

"What was that then?" Vlad's head cocked to the side slightly as he questioned his newly acquired companion.

"The need for your mate gets worse with time." He looked down at his hands and twiddled his thumbs.

Vlad looked at him with interest before lifting Darren's chin, "Then we'll need to make sure you can get your mate soon, hm?" His lips tugged upwards at the corners as a warm expression came onto his face.

"I'd like that." Darren felt a little more encouraged, more hope filling his eyes. "But you have to take that camera out of his room."

"Oh come on!"

"It's an invasion of his privacy."

"I'm keeping an eye on him!"

"Fine. The camera can stay. But only for Danny's safety." Darren gave in and heard a quiet "yes!" From Vlad.

"Oh and Darren?" The silver haired halfa began.
"Yes?"

"Who's Dash?" He said with pure interest and a confused look.

"Danny's bully and quarterback at Casper High. He's tall, blonde and blue eyed. They've had a rivalry for years." Darren shrugged but Vlad tensed.

"HE'S BONDED WITH THAT OAF!?"

Darren sighed and laughed at the look of horror that Vlad now wore. His parents weren't the ones to worry about with this; the lonely, half ghost Packers fanatic was.

How was it? Do you know that Butch Hartman has been tweeting some very interesting things involving Danny Phantom recently... XD r&r please!