Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Danny Phantom, I'm a big fan and was feeling nostalgic.
Note (10/11/2018): I legit almost started crying after reading the last two reviews, particularly the one from "keishinaruka." You guys have no idea how much work I put into this even though it's only a fanfic by brainstorming ideas with my beta-reader/best friend. I have notes with snippets about the entire thing and scenes that I have planned out, so whenever I start feeling down or need some inspiration to keep going I look back on everyone's reviews so far. After getting something so in depth though, which doesn't happen very often, it made me feel like this whole journey has been totally worth it. And I'm writing this story as much for myself as I am for you lovely fans because it has helped me put into words some of the struggles I've gone through too in my life but I'll spare you the details. And in this story at least Vlad can be a pillar of strength for Danny because he lets him be himself, although sadly, Danny's still afraid of becoming the wrong 'self' and disappointing Vlad too or being rejected by the only person he has left to rely on directly in his life since he's still young and needs a real parental figure in it. Anyways sorry for dragging this out but just know that we're going to be doing a bit of a time skip here in this next chapter since the last one was an important milestone and we're ramping up to some more serious character building moments! Thank you for all of your continued support so far and I hope you continue to enjoy this beautiful mess!
Chapter 52: Strained Relationships
Vlad's POV
It's been over a month now since Daniel began staying with me in Wisconsin. He's had a few nightmares since the one that motivated us to begin his training, but thankfully none of them have been nearly as intense. We've both started to notice the results of his training too, which as intended is helping him become strong and fit again. And for the most part Daniel seems genuinely happy having a somewhat normal routine again despite the lack of ghost fighting. I've even arranged for a personal tutor to help him with his studies starting next week to continue his education since training alone wasn't going to be enough to keep him occupied forever. Especially because lately I've been rather busy either attending to my businesses, mostly Axion Labs, or scouring the Ghost Zone in secret for any hint of this Dan while Daniel was asleep. There hasn't been much luck so far, but considering the fact that this being was from an alternate future this was to be expected...
Still, I couldn't help but notice Daniel's been acting a little odd the past few days. I've seen him wandering the castle not really looking like he had a destination in mind or I'd see him on the balcony staring at nothing. During our meals together his replies seemed almost automated, as if his mind was on something else. I tried asking him about it but his smile seemed a bit forced and Daniel insisted he was just tired, and that it was nothing to worry about. That's when it dawned on me that perhaps it was time to let Daniel talk to his sister again, since the problem might be because he's feeling homesick.
His mood brightened a little when I told Daniel the good news after giving his sister a call to let her know my plans and to arrange a good time for them to talk. I felt troubled however by what Jasmine told me to keep from her brother so that she could tell him herself. Thankfully, because of their growing fear of losing Jasmine too Jack and Maddie have finally humbled themselves and asked her to come back home. She admitted that recently she's been missing them too. And at least they've been trying to fight ghosts more to help those who couldn't afford personal ghost shields yet than to interrogate them about Danny Phantom, especially once it became clear that even his usual enemies had no idea what had become of him.
Some of them took this as an opportunity to take over the town because they either wanted to claim my anonymous reward, or because they just felt like it. Meanwhile other ghosts flat out decided that messing with Amity Park's citizens just wasn't as fun anymore without Danny Phantom around to fight with so they stopped appearing as often. As predicted Miss Valerie has taken up the mantle of resident ghost hunter since it turns out that Danny Phantom did a lot more for their fair city then they realized. Even Jack and Maddie were becoming more useful by helping in that endeavor then the Guys in White, who only showed up every once in awhile to record energy readings and clean up the mess so they could take and study ectoplasmic samples. Typical. And from what I've heard of Miss Grey from my other sources, she's the one that's been acting more violent against ghosts since she hates them now more then ever for taking Daniel away and the poor girl was in denial about something terrible having possibly befallen him due to the fact that he's been missing for well over two months now. I found myself actually feeling concerned for her wellbeing since I had no idea she once had feelings for Daniel much like his childhood friend Samantha.
Speaking of which, apparently Daniel's friends have stopped hunting ghosts for the time being since it's been getting much harder not to get caught sneaking out of school and Mr. Foley sprained his wrist after a nasty spill while fighting Technus last week. As for Samantha, her mood has been gloomier than usual because her friend got hurt and she still blamed herself for saying those terrible things to Daniel when they last spoke. Good, it serves that little smart-mouthed-brat right to taste the bitterness of her poorly chosen words. However, as usual it was Daniel I was more concerned about once he had done basically all there was to do here in the castle, which made him feel lonelier than ever. I always felt guilty whenever I was too busy to spend time with him or we were so focused on training that we hardly said a word to one another. That's why I thought taking lessons for school again and having homework would help him since he would have plenty of time to study unlike before and turn his assignments in on time...
It's such a shame I can't take him out in public with me yet since he's still a missing person, and the risk of him being exposed to the media was too great because of my social standing. At some point though Daniel needs to be around other people again. Staying isolated like this was only going to make him feel worse over time because unlike me he was an extrovert, a person who thrived off of spending time with his loved ones and protecting people. Of course, we also enjoyed our down time together doing other things, but I could tell Daniel was feeling lonely even in my presence and that wouldn't do at all.
I was the exact opposite except when it came to Daniel because most people to me are just so...oppressive. This is mostly due to my current status as a multi-billionaire though since most of the people I interact with nowadays are always either attempting to get an edge over me, to become my equal, failing astronomically to seem superior because of something they were doing in the business world, or they fell all over themselves trying to please me and gain my approval. I found the whole thing extremely tiring. And at times I even missed my old days as a social outcast because at least I could walk into a grocery store and none would be the wiser.
I suppose that's why I enjoyed doing the sort of things I used to do when I was younger with Daniel because it was common ground we could both relate to on some level. But as much as our time together meant the world to me, I wasn't so blinded by the simple joy it brought me that I didn't notice when Daniel's heart just wasn't in it. And while I wasn't going to force my presence on him, at the same time I worried about leaving him alone too long while this dark cloud was hanging over him.
That's why I sincerely hoped that talking to his sister would help lift his spirits...
Danny's POV
Sitting cross legged on my bed again after giving Jazz a virtual tour of my room, I set the laptop down and gave her an abbreviated version of everything that's happened since I moved here with Vlad. I told her about finding out about my core element, working out every day, exploring the castle top to bottom, and a little bit about Vlad's past that I felt it was safe to share. Obviously I left out the fact that I was still having nightmares and about most of the other Dan-related stuff because I didn't want her to think we couldn't handle it. At the same time though I know how annoyed Jazz gets whenever she catches me lying so I told her the bare minimum when it came to my feelings and my other problems.
Who knows, maybe Vlad's lying skills were rubbing off on me, but I've been getting a lot better at telling half-truths while leaving out the rest. That is, unless it was brought up by the other person and I had to try to outright evade the question. Not that it fooled Jazz one bit when it came to some things but hey, a guy can try right? Either way it was such a relief to see that she didn't look sleep deprived anymore -which made one of us- and I was really happy to see her. At the same time though I dreaded asking for an update on how things were going because I knew that the guilt gnawing away at my stomach was only going to get worse if I heard that ghost attacks were at an all time high now that I wasn't there to deal with it, or that mom and dad were going to get a divorce over what happened to me.
When she told me that things were going as well as expected now that almost every major building had a ghost shield it made me feel a little better, at least until she told me about how mom and dad were skirting around the Red Huntress, aka Val, who has been making it her personal mission to tear apart every ghost she meets and our parents didn't want Jazz to think it was them doing it. Overall, while they hadn't teamed up like I was hoping they might, from what Jazz was saying fewer people have been hurt since they started helping fight off the ghosts still wandering around outside of the anti-ghost shields.
But, seeing as Jazz was a bad liar too, I could tell she was nervous about something so I asked her, "Jazz, is everything ok? You look nervous. And..." leaning to catch a glimpse behind her even though she was trying to block my view I saw piles of clothes folded neatly on the edge of her bed at the hotel so something was up, I wasn't a total idiot. "Are you expecting someone? Or, wait, oh my God Jazz did you seriously invite a boy over to your hotel room?! Gross!"
"Danny you dork, what kind of girl do you think I am? Of course not! I'm just, uh, repacking my things that's all!" she laughed nervously.
"Jazz..." I frowned, clearly annoyed by the fact that she was hiding something from me too. "I was just kidding, I don't actually think you're like that, but come on! What else am I supposed to think when your clothes are laying all over the bed? You can tell me the truth you know. Did you find somewhere else to stay? Like with one of your friends from school? Believe me, we both know that living a life of luxury starts to lose its appeal when there isn't anyone to share it with. Vlad's living proof of that. What I don't get is why you're being all secretive about it." I smiled sadly, "Look, I'm doing alright for the most part and I just want you to be happy Jazz. So if you're going somewhere else to be around your friends again I'm ok with that, in fact I want at least one of us to be able to live a normal life. To be honest I've been really worried about you too since Vlad wouldn't let me talk to anyone from back home until now. I really miss you, a lot, you know that right? I know it's been a long time but I haven't...forgotten about everyone. How could I ever forget the people that matter most to me? That's why you don't have to hide something like that from me, I can handle it."
"Oh Danny..." Jazz began when there was a knock on the door and we both jerked in surprise. Panicking about being seen by someone, I went to leave the chat when she rushed to see who it was then yelled back, "Wait, don't go anywhere Danny! There's someone here that wants to talk to you."
Realizing too late who she meant, I almost left anyway when Jazz opened the door for them and I froze. It was Sam and Tucker. And seeing them for the first time made me feel scared and excited and angry all at the same time, but the moment I saw the cast on Tucker's left arm those feelings vanished in an instant and once I regained the use of my voice I asked in a rush, "Tucker, what the heck happened to your arm? Are you ok?"
Closing the door behind them Tucker pulled up a chair while Sam flopped onto the bed and smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, it's a funny story actually but before that...you're uh...looking good."
Shifting nervously, I rubbed the back of my neck and replied, "Thanks, but trust me things are far from perfect here either."
"Could have fooled me..." Sam grumbled in the background.
"Sam!" Jazz snapped, glaring at Sam harshly after settling back down in her chair at the table, where her laptop was since the bed was mostly covered with piles of clothes. "We talked about this, and you agreed to come talk to him remember? He's been waiting just as long as you have to talk again so don't act all butt-hurt! Just...listen to what he has to say. Danny?"
Still reeling from the fact that I was seeing my best friends for the first time in months, I felt my chest constrict and my eyes start to water. They had no idea how badly I wanted to reach through the screen and hug them and never let go, so seeing them both at once really shook me more then I cared to admit. Did Vlad know about this? Or did Jazz pull the wool over his eyes? How long as she been planning this? And if I said I was worried about Vlad finding out, would they think I was scared of him? Of him finding out we were doing this behind his back? Either way, I wasn't...I wasn't ready to see them! I mean it made me feel better knowing they were doing alright, but at the same time it was-!
"Dude, are you ok? You look kinda pale." Tucker asked in a worried tone after noticing how tense I was all of a sudden.
Glancing over at Sam unsurely, her violet eyes looking just as conflicted as mine when they locked for a split second, I forced myself to look away and while covering my mouth with my fist I blurted out, "I just...wasn't expecting to see you guys that's all. I've missed you so much! Seriously, it's been so weird not seeing you every day and going to school and everything. I've wanted to tell you I don't hate you or anything because of all those things you said for so long since I know it was a lot to swallow. I wanted to tell you that I...I really didn't want to leave, but I can't handle this on my own. Because when Dan became a part of all this, I was this close to losing it and...I didn't want to risk hurting anyone while my powers were on the fritz so I had to leave to keep you safe! I had to! I'm sure mom and dad still hate me but I was afraid you'd start hating me too for relying on Vlad's help. This isn't just about me anymore though, it's about stopping whatever Dan's planning, and I can't let Vlad find out the truth about him, about me. And I can't face Dan again when I'm so messed up in the head from my parents chasing me off and almost dying for good this time! I'm sorry..."
Finally dropping her tough girl act Sam got off the bed and said tearfully, "Don't say that! Of course we don't hate you! W-we've missed you too Danny. And I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be acting like this, but it's been so hard trying to handle things like ghost hunting without you! Last week Tucker sprained his wrist while we were trying to stop Technus since Val was too busy fighting some other ghost and-"
"I'm fine though so don't panic!" Tucker chimed in before I could get too worked up, and he held up his cast with his usual smug grin and boasted, "I consider this a battle wound because in the end we sure taught Technus a thing or two! I just landed wrong when his latest giant robot construct fell apart when we short circuited him by knocking over a powerline, which was Sam's idea by the way, since he was actually smart enough to cover his outlet for once so I couldn't hack into his system."
I sighed in relief hearing that, but I still felt like crap knowing he got hurt by one of my enemies when I should have been there to prevent it. Jazz must've noticed the pained look on my face because she gently suggested I catch them up to speed while she finished 'repacking' and she promised to tell me the real reason why once Tucker and Sam went home. I reluctantly agreed and since I had it rehersed I told them the same thing I told Jazz. Once I was finished with my story they seemed just as worried by the fact that my ghost core nearly killed me as Jazz was, and even they had to admit it was a good thing Vlad was there, which I hoped would eventually help them see that once you got to know him he wasn't so bad...
I even explained about Vlad losing his parents before he met mine, which is part of the reason he hated my dad so much for leaving him alone in the hospital all those years. Vlad didn't have any family left to look after him and none of his doctors really understood what was happening to him or knew how to treat his odd symptoms effectively, no one did. That is of course, except for my parents who never came forward with the truth about it being their fault and that they already knew what caused his awful skin condition. But now that Vlad wanted to prove himself to me, he was slowly starting to let go of his grudge against my dad. It didn't really matter to him as much anymore as long as my dad couldn't hurt me again.
Just to prove that I was better now, at one point I pulled down the collar of my shirt to show them the scar on my shoulder from the bullet wound to let them know I was all healed up. I also told them how according to Vlad I was finally hitting my growth spurt which is why working out has been helping me build up a lot of muscle in a short amount of time. Tucker even made a playful jab at my clothes looking too small for me because maybe Vlad was lying and I was just getting fat and lazy from not fighting ghosts all the time. Well either way, I still wanted to hold onto them as long as possible...for sentimental reasons.
Once things finally calmed down a bit I gave them a virtual tour of my room like I did with Jazz, but Sam didn't seem nearly as impressed as Tucker who gushed over all the cool little gadgets like the new telescope and eagerly asked what model it was. Unsurprisingly, Sam still thought it was creepy that Vlad went to such lengths to make me feel at home by going out of his way to specifically remodel a room for me that was all space-themed. I tried to explain to her that though that Vlad wasn't plotting to keep me there forever, he's been a lot more honest about working on helping me with all of this which sadly brought us to the subject of Dan again...
After that I had no choice but to admit to them and to my sister that Dan was definitely up to something and had taken advantage of what happened to me to freak me out, but Vlad was taking measures against him and hadn't figured out he was my future self yet so we were safe. What I didn't tell them was that I think Dan might still be messing with me, but I can't tell since the nightmares haven't really been so much about him it was about losing everyone which is why I really needed to tell them once and for all that I wasn't mad anymore. They were still my best friends and even though I had my reservations about Vlad too I believed in him, he wasn't just giving me lip service. I've seen him change so much for the better so all I could do was ask them to trust me, that's all that mattered.
"If you say so Danny..." Sam began skeptically but then asked the one question on all of our minds that I was dreading the most. "But if its true, that Vlad's trying to figure out a way to bring things back to normal with your parents...when are you coming home Danny? In a month? In six? A year from now? And how do you know Vlad won't just...let this drag on forever so you forget about coming back at all? Especially if it's so much easier for you there? I mean I want you to be happy, but we need you too. You can't stay there forever and hide from who you really are. You're Danny Phantom! Amity Park hasn't forgotten about you just yet, everyone wants you back and so do we! Danny, we need you to come back! Please...as much as it hurts me to say, it's destroying Val that you supposedly got abducted by the ghost she was trying to protect you from. Sometimes she looks as bad as you did after a long night fighting ghosts non-stop but she's actively LOOKING for something to take her frustration out on. Even I'm worried about her. Sure your parents are helping keep the ghosts at bay too but they're not you, no one in this town is as good a ghost hunter as you, or a better friend. And I'm sorry I acted like such a jerk before. I never should have said those things when I had no idea what you were going through and thought this was just another misunderstanding with your parents about your ghost half, I never could have imagined that Dan had something to do with any of this or that you've been having nightmares about him all this time. Why didn't you ever tell us?"
"Yeah, I mean we met the guy too in that crappy alternate future and we know he's bad news! Even I have nightmares about him sometimes! You could have told us dude, but then again I can kinda understand why you wouldn't want to..." Tucker smiled warmly at me, but I was just trying to process everything Sam just said and didn't know how to respond.
When...was I going to be allowed to go back home? Was it still even possible? If Vlad gave my parents the good news and told them he finally 'found me,' would they forget all about trying to waste my ghost half and stop trying to figure out what really happened and why Danny Phantom would try to kidnap me? Or would they try to make sure I wasn't still being overshadowed or something no matter what Vlad told them about me being safe and 'ghost free?' And did they REALLY need me back in Amity Park, or was Sam just saying that? From what they've told me about the past two months I've been gone, between them, my parents, and Valerie, it looks like they had most of the serious ghost threats under control now. There was still so much I needed to do here, and frankly, I was scared of the idea of going home or anywhere near them until I found out what Dan was plotting.
Either way I had to see Clockwork and get some answers, and I had to make sure Vlad wouldn't find out about it. Still, deep down I wanted to go home so badly it hurt. But at the same time, despite worrying about them and about my family and the town I finally felt like I had some control of my life, and it wasn't constantly in danger thanks to Vlad. If I went back now, would anything really change? Or would I get sucked back into giving up on all my dreams just to keep everyone else safe? Would it be selfish not to fight ghosts even when I started to notice them constantly again? And what about Vlad? Would he feel betrayed or hurt by me wanting to go home even after he's done so much for me and saved my life so many times? The answer is yes, he probably would. But I didn't want to lose him either or see him go back to being a pain in the backside, especially when I knew more about his tragic past and felt I owed it to him too to stay friends even if he didn't get along with anyone else since I genuinely enjoyed spending time with him now and could openly say he meant a lot to me.
I didn't have an answer, but I tried to give her one anyway and told them just as Jazz finished up and rejoined the conversation, "Sam...Tucker, the truth is I still don't know what's going to happen to me or how much longer I'm going to be gone, but, I know one thing. I believe Vlad will do the right thing this time and there's something I have to take care of before I even think about coming home. And I don't want to put you in danger again like the last time I fought my evil future self. Dan is my problem, and in a lot of ways he's Vlad's problem too, and the best way you guys can help me right now is to stay safe and see if you can keep things under control there for a little longer. I'm not asking you to put yourselves at risk to fight ghosts like I used to or anything when there's plenty of help to go around who can handle it better, but...until I sort this all out I need to see this through to the end. So what I'm saying is yeah, I do want to come home eventually but this is something I have to do. I have to for my sake and yours, Vlad's too because I refuse to see him go back to the way he was because of me! He doesn't deserve to be alone anymore. And I don't want to fight him anymore. I finally have someone around that can help me and I can't miss out on learning more about my ghost powers and what I can do from the only other person like me in the world! Especially if learning from him will help me get an edge over Dan! I promise I'll be careful, but I need this. Guys, you have no idea how much I've longed for this ever since I found out Vlad was a half-ghost like me so just...trust me ok? Anyways I uh...I gotta go for now though so Jazz, you'll have to tell me what's going on on your end next time. I'll talk to you guys again soon! Bye!"
Snapping the laptop shut before I completely lost it when I started getting stressed out about what Sam said, I leaned back on my pillows and hugged my knees, feeling a crushing weight on my chest because I felt so lost and confused. Obviously I still wanted to go home, but not if it meant losing what I had here with Vlad now or facing my parents again before I was ready. Besides, at least I had a life here where I didn't have to hide who I was anymore! Sure it wasn't perfect and my sister and my friends weren't here with me, but I felt safer here with Vlad then I have at home since I was little, even before becoming half ghost.
They were doing ok without me for now, weren't they? I mean sure I felt better now that I've patched things up with Sam and Tucker, but I knew Sam was going to say something like that the moment I saw her, I just knew it! It had taken every fiber of my being not to shout and deny all of it saying they didn't need Danny Phantom anymore because honestly, I don't want to fight ghosts by myself anymore if there were other people that could do it too! At first, I thought having my powers meant that it was my job to keep everyone safe, but as time went on, I felt like I lost sight of who I was as Danny Fenton somewhere along the way. And sometimes I wondered which part of me my friends cared more about. Their best friend since childhood? Or their new cool super powered one? But then again, it was true that I DID need to figure out what was happening to me and how Dan was messing with me before I could show my face there again either way, otherwise...I might-
There was a knock on the door and before I could calm my nerves Vlad opened it and stepped inside, his smile fading when he noticed the steady flow of tears trailing down my cheeks. Oh great, just what I needed! Someone else I had to answer to. But instead of coddling me or asking what was wrong, Vlad took one look at my laptop laying on the bed then back at my face before calmly retreating and telling me he'd come back later once I'd calmed down. I was shocked, and before I knew what I was doing I rushed to my feet and went after him, grabbed his wrist from behind, and then I leaned my head against the back of his suit as if silently asking for his support.
I didn't want to be alone right now, but at the same time I didn't want to talk anymore. I just...wanted someone here with me to make things seem like they were going to get better and that everything was ok. Something solid, something real that wasn't going to disappear on me. Thankfully Vlad seemed to understand that and slowly phased out of my grip before taking me firmly but protectively by the shoulder and gently guiding me down the hall to his room and settling down beside me on his expensive leather sofa in front of a dimly glowing fireplace.
Vlad didn't say a word and just sat with me while my chest throbbed painfully and everything around me was blurry because of the constant flow of tears. And when they threatened to get worse whenever I started thinking about the shock of seeing my friends again out of the blue and not knowing if I should be mad at Jazz for inviting them over or glad about it, he'd squeeze my shoulder til I calmed down a little. Clearly Vlad knew my talk with Jazz didn't go as well as planned but he didn't ask what happened, not yet anyway, he just...held me close. Vlad made it clear he wasn't going anywhere. And I honestly wasn't sure if it was the warmth of his hand on my shoulder, or his presence beside me, that made me feel like things were going to be ok and that I wasn't as alone as I felt.
