A Danny Phantom fan fic by Wega the blue sun. No copyright infringement is intended, the DP characters don't belong to me and no money is being made by their use in this story. Only the OC's and the story itself belong to me and I'm still not making any money!
Vlad goes to desperate lengths to attain his hearts desire. Story contains adult situations, mature themes, strong language and violence.
Ch. 22
"Maddie, I know you're upset, but we must talk!", Vlad said after a brief and tense silence. He'd been prepared for a terrible scene, had expected her to scream, cry and even strike out at him in her justified anger, but instead she was quietly sitting on the floor, just a few feet away from their would-be murderer's corpse. Maddie's relentless gaze was fixed on him, but Vlad couldn't read any emotion in her eyes, nor did her blank expression give him any hint about what she felt.
"Please say something! Tell me you're all right!", he pleaded and reached towards her, but pulled back when she recoiled from him. He sighed and wiped his bloody forehead. The wound probably needed stitches, he thought, and his ribs ached. The doctor had given him a thorough thrashing and he'd be lucky if he came out of this with only bruises and a scar. But Vlad was more worried about Maddie and the baby. If she didn't start speaking soon, he'd have to resort to desperate measures to get her talking, but he hesitated. Right now Maddie was already on the edge. Better try another appeal, he thought.
"I'm so worried about you, darling. How do you feel? Did he hit you anywhere? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?", Vlad urged. Maddie shook her head. "You're a ghost. I saw it with my own eyes. A living, breathing ghost has fathered my baby", she whispered. "How will this affect our child?", she asked and Vlad's heart sank. "I don't know. I'm not sure if it will", he replied hesitantly and Maddie's eyes flashed with anger for a moment. "I just don't understand you", she continued. "When he kept telling me that you send ghosts after him, I thought he was crazy. But you really did torment him like that, right? What were you hoping to achieve?", she said, still eerily calm and composed. "Is there anything else I should know?" Vlad rubbed his aching head, trying to soothe the pain and win time to formulate a good reply. Here was a chance to unburden himself, but he knew things would only get worse the more Maddie knew.
"You have to understand, Maddie. When Olaf ...I mean the doctor ...", he began, but couldn't put his reasons in words. Under his wife's unwavering gaze what had once motivated him now seemed trite and petty. "I only wanted to ... I never meant for any of this to happen!", Vlad finally burst out. "I've wanted to tell you, but was afraid you'd hate me. And when you became pregnant, I didn't dare let you know. You have to believe me, darling, never, not in a million years would I do anything to harm you or the baby!", he finished, but Maddie wasn't moved by this declaration. "I used to think that. But we nearly died today because of what you did", she replied flatly.
"You know what hurts me the most?", she asked almost casually. "That you didn't trust me enough to tell me. And after all we've been through together ...", she choked out, tears running down her face while Vlad cringed under the onslaught of her righteous indignation. "I knew that you're selfish and that you hold a grudge, but I loved you anyway. But you don't love me or our baby enough to just come out with the truth. That really disappoints me, Vlad, because I expected better from you!", Maddie leaned back and braced herself against the wall.
Vlad quickly jumped up to help her, but she waved him aside and struggled to her feet. "I'm calling the police", she said. "Don't bother! I can take care of this and no one will be the wiser!", he suggested with a feeble grin, but Maddie's steely expression stopped him in his tracks. "No, thanks. I want this done properly!", she replied, her voice icy with disdain and Vlad hung his head in shame while she dialed the number.
A short time later the house was filled with a surprisingly large number of police officers, ambulance drivers and EMT's. Just about everyone in the county's here to get a look, Vlad thought bitterly as the throng of first responders took over his home. Maddie had been whisked away for a quick examination while the sheriff and his deputies strode through the house, cursing and sweating as they surveyed the crime scene. At any other time Vlad would have been amused by the obvious distress of the law enforcement officers, but now he was far too distracted to gloat. He knew from experience that the death would be ruled natural, which meant he was safe from prosecution. There was no way to prove anything supernatural had taken place here, and he didn't think Maddie would reveal him as a ghost. He played the part of the surprised victim all the while his thoughts revolved around Maddie and the baby. If they suffered lasting damages because of him, he'd never forgive himself, he thought while a chubby woman cleaned and dressed his wounds.
He gave a carefully worded statement about what had happened and knew from the expression of the man recording his words that he'd done well. "You were damn lucky that guy just up and died!", the deputy said and Vlad nodded absentmindedly. "Takes a strung out druggie to attack a man and his pregnant wife in their own home. What's the world coming to, I sometimes wonder. People around here are going to start locking their doors, don't you know?" Vlad mumbled in agreement, but his thoughts were still with Maddie. She'd been so cold, so harsh. Would she be able to forgive him and accept him as a ghost? He needed to talk to her, but now was not the time. He shifted around nervously, which the EMT pressing a large bandage over his head injury misinterpreted.
"I know it stings a bit, sorry! I can give you something for the pain, but you really should go to the hospital. I've patched you up as much as possible, but ..." "I'll go later. Right now I've concerned about my wife. She's due in less than two weeks!", Vlad interrupted. "I examined her earlier and she was fine", the woman replied. "I can check on her before we leave, just to be sure. I understand how you feel, my husband worries about me, too! Is this your first baby?", she said in an attempt to calm him and patted her swollen belly. "This is my fifth! My due date's the almost the same as your wife's", she said. "Should you even be working now?", Vlad asked and earned a patronizing grin for his question. "I have to work to feed all my babies!", the woman said, shaking her head over his ignorance and waddled up the stairs towards the bedroom.
Vlad looked around and noted that the sheriff and his deputies were now in the hallway digging the bullets out of the floor and ceiling. He retreated to the living room, where it was comparatively quiet. Only when he sat down did Vlad realize how sore and tired he was. A quick look at the window showed him that the dark sky was beginning to brighten at the very edge of the horizon. It's a new day, but not full of promise, he thought as he studied the reflection of his bruised face.
He'd never seen any of this coming, had never considered that his vendetta against the doctor would have such disastrous consequences. Now Maddie's trust in him was shattered, and she'd referred to her love for him in the past tense. Vlad groaned as he replayed the terrible scene in his mind. He'd come to this reality looking for the love that had been denied to him in his own timeline, and now it looked as if once again he'd come out the loser. Maybe he was simply destined to never be with Maddie, but cursed to remain lonely. Despite his best plans, despite heroic efforts the life he'd fashioned here had failed, precisely because success depended on maintaining a delicately crafted web of lies.
No wonder Maddie hated him now. For the first time she'd seen him clearly for what he truly was, and he couldn't help but understand her disgust. And worst of all, this time there was no convenient scapegoat in the form of lumbering Jack Fenton, Vlad thought in what he knew was a rare moment of self awareness. Oh, there was enough blame to go around, and he'd deal with the traitorous ghost crew soon, but in his heart he knew that most of the blame fell on him.
"We're done here for now, Mr. Masters", the deep voice of the sheriff startled Vlad out of his gloomy thoughts. "Uh, looks like the perp is the vagrant seen recently vandalizing mail boxes", he continued, clearly unhappy to relate this news. "The experts in there think he probably died of a drug induced heart attack, which is kind of a lucky break for you!", he grinned while Vlad frowned. "I don't feel very lucky right now", he snapped and the sheriff's smile faded fast. "Right. Well, the autopsy will clear things up, as regards to cause of death and such. We'll let you know. Just in case you're going to stay with relatives for a while, be sure to remain in the area and leave us a contact number", he suggested, now strictly business. "We'll be here", Vlad said. "Neither one of us has relatives close by, my uncle was the last one", he added and the sheriff creased his red face in sympathy. "That's too bad. Families can help a lot during hard times like this", he said and patted Vlad's aching back.
When the house was finally quiet and empty once again Vlad trudged up to the bedroom. Lately Maddie had taken to sleep in a recliner to relieve the strain on her back, and that is where he found her. He stared at her for a few minutes, hoping she'd initiate a conversation, but soon it became obvious that she had no intention on making it easy for him. "I truly am sorry", he began. "I know it was wrong to lie, but I was just so afraid you'd hate me once you found out who - I mean what I really am." Maddie remained silent, but her bright eyes were fixed upon him. "Please believe me, I had no idea he'd do something crazy such as this!"
"You're an idiot", Maddie said matter of factly, and Vlad bristled at this characterization. Here he was, pouring out his heart and "idiot" was all he got? "I did save our lives", he snapped and Maddie shook her head, exasperated beyond words. "You just don't get it", she finally shrugged. "What don't I get? If I could change things, I would ..." Vlad fell silent as his heartbeat sped up. But he did have exactly that power, he suddenly realized. He only needed to press a button on the time device, and none of this would ever take place! Vlad thrust his hands into his pockets, but came up empty. He frantically patted himself down, as if the small item had somehow concealed itself on his person. "Uh, darling, did you maybe take my pocket watch?", he asked. "I seem to have misplaced it." "Of course I don't have your damn watch!", Maddie huffed, her patience gone. "Is it important?"
Of course it was vitally important, but he couldn't well tell her that, Vlad thought. It was bad enough that she knew he was a ghost. Under no circumstance could she ever learn that he was a time traveler in the overshadowed body of her boyfriend. "Let me check downstairs, maybe I dropped it!", he said and rushed out of the room. "I'm glad you have your priorities straight!", she shouted after him. But Vlad was too busy to worry about her anger. Nothing less than salvation hinged on the time device Clockwork had given him, and he meant to have it.
"Well, Plasmius is in a bit of a bind here", one of the observers snickered. "Too bad he's lost the time device!", he added. "Oh, he didn't lose it", Clockwork said as he tossed a small golden object into the air and deftly caught it again. "Let's just say I've retrieved this for a while. I'm interested to see how - or rather if - Plasmius will master this crisis", the time keeper smiled.