Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

ChopSuzi: Yes, I'm a huge Avatar:TLA fan. Great times. I may have also kinda slipped in a "Secret Tunnel" bit with this tree roots, but that wasn't on purpose. Hawkie being named Hawkie? Yeah I pulled one from Avatar.

Amaya: Tell me about it. Seems like he gets a bad rap. Can we not hear some positive feedback for the guy?

oOo

Isabelle had hoped that, maybe, possibly, by some off chance, Vlad might give her a bit more freedom since Christmas was rapidly approaching, but to her dismay, he only demanded more of her time.

She had to tell him off at one point, juggling his schedules with what the Guys in White needed her for was proving to be impossible. Not wanting the Guys to grow suspicious of him or begin t question her whereabouts, he let up a bit, but she still felt as if she were on a tight leash.

And this as before she even thought about her schoolwork, which she was hardly doing, and so failing her classes once again. Vlad's excuse for this being that she wasn't really a student so those things weren't really important to her.

All in all, when she was supposed to be feeling cherry and getting in the holiday spirit, she was instead at rock bottom, feeling overwhelmed. Tracy had gotten calls from the school about her bad grades, and again insisted that the Guys should know what's going on- and she almost agreed- but one look at the bracelet, and both girls were reminded of exactly who they were dealing with.

Thankfully, school was let out for the holidays about two weeks before Christmas. But then another worry began to set in. She had Christmas shopping to do. With two weeks til the holiday, all she really wanted to do was spend the time sitting at home, being lazy, and drinking hot chocolate. But at the same time, she wanted to get something perfect for Trace (the woman was her best friend after all)… and Danny too for that matter. Maybe a gift card to a tech store for Tuck and… hmm… Sam might be a little tougher to shop for.

She was thinking this as she stared around the mall that Amity Park provided, when a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Belle?"

It was unsure, and she could probably get them to think it wasn't her if she just didn't react or started walking in the opposite direction. But she knew who it was, and actually didn't mind his company. She turned to face Danny and saw that his two friends were with him. Of course. Not that she minded though.

"Hey, guys!" She waved with a smile as they approached. "What are you guys up to?"

"Not much, just wondering around." Tucker replied.

"How about you?" Danny asked.

"Christmas shopping." She replied.

Danny's eyes lit up. "Oh! That reminds me." He crept a bit closer and continued with a hushed voice. "You know about the Christmas Truce, right?"

Her answer to that must have been written on her face because Danny quickly continued. "Oh… uh- well it's exactly what it sounds like."

"All the ghosts take the night off from unfriendly activity." Sam added.

"And there's even a party!" Tucker exclaimed.

"So, you're going, right?" Danny asked excitedly.

"Wh- wait- party? Christmas Truce…" They nodded in reply. "I don't know. When is it. Where is it?"

"Well it's on Christmas Eve, in the Ghost Zone. You could come with us when we go."

She legitimately thought about it for a moment. She really did. It sounded great, like her high school fantasies of actually being invited to a party had come true.

"…I can't. I'm going to hang out with Tr-my mom."

"We know she's not really your mom." Sam mumbled just loud enough that only they could hear.

"That's too bad." Danny replied. "It's a lot of fun."

She had felt guilty about lying to them, but the thought of going to the Ghost Zone to get in a room with a bunch of people (or ghosts) that she's probably never met before… well, Isabelle tended to avoid social gatherings for a reason. She finished her shopping and went home where, upon arrival, Tracy announced that they had been invited to a neighbors, Christmas party. It was also on Christmas eve.

"We could go to that, or- and stay with me now- or… we could go to a Christmas party in the Ghost Zone." Isabelle immediately offered in reply. She had to explain the party Danny had told her about. Trace didn't seem too convinced. "I don't know… I mean- I'm only human, I can't go to the Ghost Zone."

"Why not? Samantha and Tucker do it all the time, and they're just as human as you. Please? come to this party with me?"

"What do I tell our neighbor?" Tracy asked.

"Make something up, this party will be more fun anyway."

Tracy considered Isabelle's proposal for a moment, and just when Isabelle thought she had won her over, Tracy threw her a curve. "Tell you what. I'll go to the neighbor's party, and you go with Danny and his friends to theirs."

"Or, I could just not go to either."

oOo

Three days before Christmas Eve, after Vlad had been giving her a lesson on making a shadow clone, when she made her decision.

"What are you doing for Christmas." He asked casually.

"I'm going with Danny and his friends to this ghost party thing." She replied without missing a beat. The problem with lying was the sometimes a knee jerk reaction might cause you a lot of trouble in the long run. It wasn't so bad in this case- hopefully she could still go with them.

"The Christmas Truce party?"

"Yes, that."

Vlad looked thoughtful for a moment, though slightly sinister too. When his thoughts returned to the present, he didn't say anything else. It took her a moment to realize that he had been considering keeping her from the party.

Probably going to threaten me with that "maximus" thing. She shuddered at the thought. That night she called Danny and was relieved to find that he was happy that she had 'changed her mind'. The day after that Sam called her to talk about dresses, something Isabelle never expected from the goth girl- that is, until she saw the dresses that Sam had in mind.

They were on sale too, because they were what had been leftover from Halloween. "Perfect." Isabelle grinned at Sam.

Over the next two days, Isabelle tried to get Tracy to blow off her party and come to theirs, but Tracy would not agree. Christmas Eve came, and the two women split ways. Isabelle flew to Danny's house, phasing invisibly through the walls and floors into their basement where the three teenagers waited for her.

The four of them were going as friends, though Isabelle could see some awkward chemistry between Sam and Danny. The younger halfa ushered everyone into his family's Specter Speeder and- to Isabelle's surprise- drove it into the Ghost Portal. The fact that these were kids and they were doing things like this all the time, was a bit of an amusing shock to her.

They are about, what, fifteen? Sixteen? I shouldn't be so surprised. This is a very advanced age to be living in.

When Danny pulled up to a large house, Isabelle thought to ask, "How did you find out about this anyway? The party I mean."

All three teens laughed slightly at the question, and told her about a ghost named Ghost Writer. Danny explained that he had accidentally destroyed something belonging to him and had to basically 'endure his wrath', but it had all been few years ago. "It's in the past now," Danny said waving his hand dismissively. "He's really a great guy, and it doesn't hurt that he helped me stumble across this little get-together."

"I hear that." Tucker smiled, holding the door open for everyone to enter.

Inside, it looked as if Santa's elves themselves lived here. The place was decorated from floor to ceiling. And her first fear was recognized. Ghosts, everywhere. A few she recognized, but nobody she really knew. Her first instinct was to shrink to the corner and make a stealthy escape, but Tucker walked in behind her and she changed her mind, deciding to stick to their small group.

First, they were introducing her to some of their closer friends; Frostbite, Skulker, and even Ghost Writer himself! Others they pointed out from across the room; Ember, Youngblood, and Box Ghost…

"…And that's Nocturne- oh and there's Vlad-" Danny said quietly continuing his introductions, though he and his two best friends watched as Isabelle looked up to see Plasmius, then duck behind Tucker.

"You didn't tell me he'd be here." She growled to Danny through her teeth.

"I didn't know. Keeping tabs on people is his creepy habit."

Tucker began inching away from her. "You can't hide from him." he insisted. "I don't think he's seen you yet."

It was true. He wasn't even looking in their direction. He was talking to an unusual ghost that Danny had called Nocturne. But he was facing them. That's what tipped her off. "No. He knows I'm here." He can feel energy. Ours, probably everyones.

He was Plasmius at the moment, though his usual tunic was replaced for something more appropriate for the occasion. The dark suit a change from the usual white.

"What are you hiding for?" Sam hissed, pulling her out from behind Tucker by her elbow. "I didn't get you that dress so you could hide behind people." The dress had been Sam's Christmas present to her, and she did love the dress, but suddenly she was feeling self-conscious and kinda silly. She had no business being here. Parties weren't really her game. She felt even more out of place when she realized that she was the only one of the halfa's present that was in their human form.

Too late to change now, I'm already inside. She fidgeted with the hem of the dress. It's probably fine, nobody'll notice- or care! …yeah.

She glanced around the room, first to see where everything was, then to see where everyonewas. There was a sort of snack bar, made up of tables lining the two far walls and meeting in the corner.

"Where to?" She asked Danny. Keeping tabs on where people were walking through her peripheral vision. Then having to correct herself. This was a truce party, she didn't need to be on her guard! But her instincts kept her ever aware of what was going on around her.

"Well I guess we could- where's Tuck?"

"He walked off in that direction-" she pointed far to her left where Tucker was trying out some pickup lines on a few girls who were giggling in response.

"We're going to dance." Sam said as she grabbed Danny and start walking away.

"But-" Danny started to interject.

"Come on." She heard Sam hiss.

Something was off, and standing there in the open by herself, she was a sitting duck. Without looking to where she could still feel Vlad's presence, she walked to the farthest corner of the room, putting as many people/ghosts between him and herself as she could. It was there that she found something that she didn't see from the other side of the room. A bar.

I'll be hitting that up pretty soon. She thought as she ducked behind a pillar and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't feel as though she had been followed. That was until…

"Oh, I remember you." Someone said a little louder than she was comfortable with. Thankfully his voice dropped after that. Isabelle turned to face Frostbite. "Danny's friend, Isabelle."

"Yes, that's right." She nodded, reaching out to shake his hand. When his hand grasped hers, a slight shock sparked between their fingers.

"Sorry about that. It's been staticy this time of year." She apologized.

"Do no worry about it," He waved a clawed hand dismissively. "But that was no static electricity, that was a discharge from your lightning core."

"…My what?" She asked after a second. Something nagging in the back of her mind.

Frostbite gave her a perplexed look. "Your ghost core," He continued. "It is a lightning core. …You were not aware of this?"

"You know I'm half-ghost?" He nodded with a smile, so she continued. "I mean, I can make electricity with my hands and sometimes lightning if I concentrate-but.. what does this mean?"

"Nothing. It simply means that your ghostly element is lightning. My own is ice," He lifted his ice arm to show her. "As is Danny Phantom's ghost core."

"So that's why I can't make ice? Because of my ghost core?"

"I'm afraid so. But it only means that you have a whole different range of powers to unlock."

Isabelle laughed at this. "You really think I could 'unlock' hidden powers?"

"But of course! I sense much potential within you, and you can trust me on that. I'm good with these sort of things!"

They shared a chuckle and Isabelle found herself falling into easy conversation with the yeti-like creature. Together they walked to the bar to get a drink as they continued to talk about cores. When Isabelle asked if he knew anyone who might be able to help her with her lightning powers, Frostbite seemed to become wary, though he did answer.

"We of the Far Frozen have not had much contact with those who have heated cores- at least until recently." He glanced over his shoulder to where Vlad was chatting up with Skulker and Ember now. "As for lightning? It's been eons before you since I met someone with a lightning core, but that's not to say that they aren't out there."

"I-I'm… the only one in how long?"

Frostbite sighed heavily. "I know of a ghost who can create storms and by proxy, lightning. But his core is really more of a wind element. The true lightning elementals were a strong and proud race of ghosts. If there are any left today they are spread far and thin. As I understand, not many are born- or I should say- die, that have the traits to develop a lightning core."

"Traits?" She asked as she finished off her first shot of bourbon and ordered a second. She had been sipping it while Frostbite gave her a most educational lecture.

"Your traits, that define you. Are you a happy person? Mischievous? Maybe you're the serious type? Loyal and loving? These things determine what kind of person you are, and they also determine what kind of ghost you'll be."

"So my personality kinda made me have electrical powers?"

"Not quite, but that would be the gist of it." There was a pause before he continued. "Isabelle you have a special gift, not just that you're one of the few halfa's that exist in this world. Your lightning core is a rare element, and a wonderful ability."

"I feel… suddenly much better about this whole ghost thing I've got going on." Or it could be the two shots of bourbon I just knocked back.

"I'm glad I could help!" Frostbite replied with a laugh as he gulped down the rest of whatever was in his mug. Her conversation with Frostbite, though relaxing, had distracted her for a while, and she now had no idea where anyone was that she had been keeping track of. But she no longer cared about that. Frostbite moved on to converse with other partygoers, and Isabelle decided to do the same. Some of the ghosts she had never met before were able to tell immediately that she was half-ghost. Some couldn't. A few that she had met before almost didn't recognize her in her human form.

She had been talking with Ember, actually getting along quite well with the musical artist- they discovered that they had similar taste in music as well as a few things in common- when behind Isabelle, they heard Skulker address his girlfriend.

"Hey babe, let's hit the dance floor while this song is still playing." Isabelle looked over her shoulder to see Skulker approaching the two girls… Vlad right next to him, a drink of his own in hand. So if Skulker was about to take Ember away, that meant…

Vlad took Ember's place standing next to her and waved to Skulker and Ember. Normally Isabelle would feel annoyed, uncomfortable, and maybe even disgusted too, but tonight she'd had two drinks already. She wasn't trying to get drunk on purpose, but knowing that she'd have to deal with Vlad eventually, she needed something to help take the edge off. The first drink had done that, and the second had been like a pep talk in a glass. Now with him in front of her, she was feeling less uncomfortable, more confident, and maybe even a little mischievous… but equally annoyed.

"Sooo…" Vlad said, gaze drifting around the room before finally landing on her. "an electric core?"

Ohhh, definitely annoyed! "Lightning core." She corrected.

"Right, of course! It explains quite a bit actually." He said, then took a long sip from the brown-amber liquid in the short glass he brought with him. When he didn't continue, Isabelle's streak for ignoring his childishness seemed to snap.

"Why do you do that?" She asked.

"Do what?" He shot back smoothly, setting his drink back down.

She didn't answer, only gave his a disbelieving look. When he repeated the question, Isabelle sighed heavily. "Mr. Masters, if you're going to act like a child then I'm not going to talk with y-"

"All right, all right. But, maybe you could elaborate? What is it I'm doing?"

"What you just did, Mr. Masters, was try to bait me."

"Bait you?"

"Yes."

"Into what?"

"You tell me. You're the one who was doing it. Now, what about my lightning core "explains quite a bit, actually"?"

He smiled lightly, a soft 'Oh,' before he thought about it for a moment, apparently trying to get his words together. "I was simply commenting on how… similar your are to your natural element. As you should be."

"I'm similar to lightning?" She asked, momentarily disbelieving his explanation.

"Yes. You… you have a spark about you. You could say that, your actions, your personality, matches your element. That's what Frostbite was trying to tell you. I only mean that it's… very fitting, for you."

"…Thank you. I think." Isabelle replied. Thinking over everything she had learned in the last hour. And to think, I wasn't going to come to this thing!

"So, what's the element for a pompous fruit loop?" She asked after a moment. There was a pause, where she watched his expression, a second where he looked at her with a mixture of shock, "What?!" He yelped, drowned out by the sound of the party. She cracked a smile. And then, for just a second, he returned it.

"Why must you insist on antagonizing me?" He didn't sound angry, just mildly annoyed and even a little hurt.

"Well… you must understand that I hold negative feelings toward you." She replied, phrasing her sentence like he might- choosing her words carefully, hoping to agitate him. He was right, she really did like to pick at him.

He went to say something, but stopped. They both took a sip from their drink in the awkward silence that followed.

"It's also-kind of- part of my personality." An excuse, and she knew it. "But… you do understand, why I just don't… like you?"

"Is if only because of those reasons?" He asked.

"Name the reasons, Vlad."

He took a deep breath as if he was preparing himself for a root canal. "Is it only because I have placed you under my control that you feel this way toward me?" He wouldn't look her in the eye when he asked.

"Don't forget the constant surveillance, or the way you try to manipulate my schedule to fit your needs."

"You know about the cameras?" He was more surprised and impressed than angry.

"It's a little bug with your face on it. Not very subtle." She said. "Yes, I know about it. And I don't like it either. You treat me like a pawn. And it doesn't help that because of this-" she lifted her arm with the bracelet, "-that's all I seem to be."

He considered this for a minute or two. "You feel like a prisoner." He concluded.

"I am a prisoner." She corrected. "Granted, I'm not locked away from the light of day, but I definitely don't have much freedom to speak of anymore." sighing heavily she met his gaze "Sometimes, I wish I'd never answered that ad."

"Isabelle," He said. When he didn't continue right away, she looked back to him. "In light of the holiday, would you consider honoring the Christmas Truce, and set aside our differences for one night?"

"Why, so you can have your way at my expense again?" There hadn't been any malice in her voice, but he knew it must be lying just under the surface.

"What if I gave you something in exchange?" He pressed. "That way we would both get something out of this."

"Like what?"

"What do you want? I can get you almost anything." He had said that under the assumption that she would ask for something that he could buy with his billions of dollars. Something material. Something he might ask if he were in her situation. In hindsight, he should have seen this coming.

"I want this thing off my arm. I want my freedom back." She said, once more lifting the bracelet for him to see. The sleek polished metal gleaming in the light from the disco ball.

"Anything else I could persuade you to-"

"The only thing I want is my freedom. It's that or no deal."

He regarded her silently. The only sounds were from around them: music, people talking, clatter of tableware. She was staring at him too, her usual calculating or blank stare replaced by anticipatory… anger? He couldn't be sure. Maybe she expected him to say no.

How amusing. He thought. A small smirk playing at his lips. This little girl has caused me so much trouble. The biggest problem being that I can't seem to get her out of my head.

"Alright."

A.N.: This chapter took a bit because I was having some trouble plotting out the party, as well as having to keep in mind what I plan for the next few chapters coming 's where the plot begins to escalate a bit.