Hello, my readers! Told you I'd have another chapter of CM for you in a few days time. So, here it is! Sorry, but no replies to reviews again. You know, school, work, and other stuff. Plus, I am trying to move this story faster! But you guys know I love each one; and if I can, I'll try to send you guys some replies. Well, you can also expect a chapter of DoaS soon. Maybe by this weekend. And, let's see if I can fit CM in there, too. Enjoy! This one was quite a challenge for me… But I got through it; and with my lovely beta Truephan, I'm feeling much better about it! I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. However, the other characters are my own.


Chapter 54: Show you Care.

"Ve're too old to be receiving that kind of harassment!" one of the vultures fumed as he and his companions perched on a tree several feet from the outside pool at Vlad's house.

"Tell me about it," the second spoke up. "That ghost hunter couple can sure be rough."

"Especially the lady hunter! My vings are gonna be sore for veeks!" the third bird grumbled, his feathers ruffling in anger.

After having been curtly forced into the Ghost Zone, the three ghost birds had decided to stay there for awhile so that they could recuperate a bit from their brawl with Maddie and Jack. But knowing that they had to inform their employer of what had happened, they had eventually traveled through the Ghost Zone in the direction of Vlad's portals. The three birds had actually arrived at their boss' castle an hour ago. And having found out from Derek that Plasmius wasn't home, they had decided to wait around for him.

"Do you two think Plasmius vill be angry at us for being caught?" one of them asked, sounding slightly worried.

But before either of his companions could answer, the ghost vulture suddenly noticed a familiar figure come into view.

"Hey, boys, look! It's the fancy-pants ghost boy!"

The two other vultures readily looked in the direction to which their companion was pointing one of his wings.

Evil grins curled on the birds' faces as one of them said, "He sure looks like he's steamed about something... Vhy don't ve help him cool down?"

The two other birds quickly agreed; and with wicked laughs, they turned invisible and took to the sky…

Meanwhile, still human, Danny was standing in front of the pool, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he glared at the blue water. Now he remembered why it was harder to get along with the older hybrid here in the castle. The guy always had his evil ghost cronies coming in and out of the place like busy ants hustling on their mound.

Not only did the teen now suspect Vlad was scheming again, but he was now wondering if the guy had even heard anything he had said to him the first time they truly talked after the incident with Walker... Didn't the man get that his so-called allies hated him? That if they were given the opportunity, they would not hesitate to waste the teen? But the man still kept them around like it was nothing. It was like Vlad didn't care that with them around Danny would have to be on constant alert again. It was stressing enough as it was with having to deal with his stubborn arch-enemy and… and that other sick… ghost.

Danny's glare hardened as he forced his thoughts to stay solely on his arch-enemy. What was he suppose to do now? Every time he found a reason why he should help Vlad, that jerk had to give him two more reasons why he shouldn't!

It was more than frustrating. He was quickly becoming sick of trying, and trying only for Vlad to just mess everything up. Here he was, all but ripping his heart out in the process, and for what? For a jerk who couldn't see beyond his selfish desires?!

"I swear," the boy whispered darkly, his eyes narrowing. "If I find out that he's trying to hurt---" But before he could finish his train of thought, his ghost sense went off and he gasped in surprise.

"Hello, ghost kid! Vant a lift?"

"Ahh!" Danny shouted as he felt sharp claws latch onto his shoulder and instantly lift him off the ground. He quickly snapped his head up, and his eyes turned green with his anger at finding that it was one of Vlad's vultures that had him suspended in the air.

"Stupid bird! Let go!" he fumed, as he instantly began to struggle against the ghost's grasp.

"Let go?" the bird holding him echoed; and to the teen's growing fury, he heard the other two vultures laughing from somewhere close by.

"He vants you to let him go. I think you better," one of the other two said, before laughing some more.

"Alright," the vulture holding him said with a mocking sigh of surrender. "If that's vhat you vant…"

Danny was somewhat taken aback with the bird's quick agreement. But he hardly had time to think about it, since the bird holding him suddenly did let go and the boy was as suddenly and quickly pulled down by gravity.

"AHH!" he screamed as he fell; but quickly thinking to 'go ghost', his rings appeared around his waist. However, the boy wasn't aware of how close he was to the ground---or rather the pool—below.

His body impacted the cool water with a loud splash, his transformation cut short by the painful surprise.

The three ghost vultures just laughed heartedly in midair while the boy struggled to break the water's surface.

"I think ve helped him out good, boys!" one of them said as they continued to laugh. That is, until they finally realized that there now was one other person present, and that that person was their employer, who clearly had seen the whole thing...

For a moment, all Vlad could do was stare in shock, still not believing that he had just seen the boy get dropped into the pool from several feet up. But just as he saw Danny finally grabbing a hold of the pool's edge, coughing up a gallon of water as he did, the man's emotion melded into anger.

"Hi there, boss," one of the ghost vultures said nervously as the man glared up at them.

But the man's gaze quickly returned to Daniel, who had finally managed to get enough air into his lungs again. The boy still had not noticed him, but Daniel didn't miss the three now quietly hovering vultures.

Glaring at the birds with glowing green eyes, Danny struggled to pull himself out of the pool, but it didn't keep him from growling out at the ghosts, "You three just made a big mistake!"

"Daniel?"

Soaked to the bone, Danny quickly looked at his arch-enemy, briefly freezing in his surprise at seeing him there. But it didn't last long; and suddenly angrier at Vlad than the birds, he shot the man a hard glare, before finally pulling himself out of the pool.

Vlad didn't say anything else and just silently, almost sadly, watched the teen get to his feet. How long had it been since Daniel glared at him with such intensity? One thing the man was now certain of: it had never hurt this much before to see the boy look at him like that…

The silence was suddenly broken by one of the three vultures, now recalling why they were even here. "Hey, boss! Ve got some serious new---"

But the birds never finished. At that instant, Danny fired angry blasts at all three ghosts, sending them tumbling into a tree, before they fell to the ground.

Danny only briefly glared at the groaning birds, before he turned his attention back to himself. He grumbled under his breath as he tugged off his soaked shoes with more force than necessary. But suddenly remembering he could just go intangible to remove the water off his body, the boy growled at himself before doing just that.

No longer able to keep quiet, Vlad spoke up again, his voice sounding both hesitant and worried, knowing that that fall had had to have hurt. "Daniel…Are you alright?"

"Perfect. A thirty foot fall into a pool is exactly what I needed right now," he replied in angry sarcasm, before storming pass the man, heading back inside.

Vlad watched him go with an anxious frown, clearly at a lost with what to do next.

"Boss!" one of the vultures suddenly called to him, only to wish he had not.

The older hybrid's eyes flashed red as he immediately turned his attention to the three vultures. "What the blazes are you three doing here?!"

The hovering birds reeled back in alarm, before one of them readily replied, "Ve vere forced back! That's vhat ve came to tell you! That hunter couple you told us to vatch somehow found us out and they attacked us! Ve barely made it out alive!"

"Uh, ve're ghosts, remember?" another suddenly interrupted his companion.

"He knows vhat I mean!" the first one snapped back, before all three started squabbling.

But Vlad didn't even hear it. He was shocked by what the ghosts had just told him. Maddie and Jack had sent them back? They were ghost hunting again?

However, the man quickly pushed his questions aside; and finally noticing the arguing ghosts, he angrily intervened, "Enough! You three are useless!"

"Hey!" they protested, but their employer still continued.

"I asked you three to watch the boy's friends and family and you cannot even do something as simple as that! Are you three even aware that the three brats you were supposed to be watching snuck into my home two days ago?!"

"Vell, of course, ve are," one of them replied, rolling his eyes.

"And?!" the older hybrid snapped, now even angrier. If they had been aware of it, then why the blazes didn't they stop them—or at the very least, tell him?!

"Like you said, you just told us to vatch them! If you vanted more, you should have been more specific!" one the ghost vultures replied, now annoyed with his employer's inability to make up his mind.

For a moment, Vlad looked about to blast all three vultures into a pile of ecto-feathers. But instead, he suddenly growled in his throat.

"You three are lucky I don't have time for your stupidities," he sneered, before he whirled around and stomped away from them.

But after glancing at each other, the three vultures then quickly flew after their employer. "Vait! Don't you vant to know everything that happened?"

"What I want is for you three to get out of my sight!" the man yelled furiously, though he kept walking.

"Uh… So, is that a 'no?"

Vlad suddenly stopped and it took all his self restraint to not actually blast the three ghosts. But knowing that he had to talk to them eventually about what happened, he turned to look at them, angrily replying, "We will discuss this later. I have enough things to take care of right now---not to mention, I presently have the strong desire to wring your ghostly necks for that little stunt back there. So, you will forgive me if I hardly have the patience at the moment to listen to anything you three might have to say."

"But I think you should know right now that---" one of the vultures began, only to bite back the rest of his comment when he saw his employer's eyes flash red again.

The man turned away once more; and without another word, finally headed inside.


Danny angrily stared at his lunch in front of him. He was hardly hungry anymore, but he had not wanted to reject the sandwiches George had made for him. Besides, he was sure Vlad wasn't even going to show up at the dining room---not that he wanted him to, anyways. The man was probably busy talking to his other ghostly allies.

"I should have known Vlad wouldn't be satisfied with just messing up my life," he thought angrily.

But what was he going to do about Vlad now? What could his arch-enemy possibly be scheming this time? After all, why else would all his cronies suddenly start showing up?

Danny had been able to relax in the past weeks because he had been certain that Vlad had not been scheming anything. After all, with the man constantly around him and with his being occupied with his business and the other things in his personal life, how could the man have any time to do anything else? But how dumb of him to have forgotten about the Vlad's ghost allies! After all, they always did the guy's dirty work. So… So what if Vlad had really been doing things behind his back this whole time? What if… What if he was planning on trying to get his mom again? Or worse, what if he was planning on hurting his dad now that he wasn't around to protect him?

Danny's hand tightened on his glass of juice at the thought, his buried hatred for his arch-enemy suddenly beginning to excavate itself from his heart…

However, the sound of faint footsteps pulled the teen from his dark and angry thoughts. And he turned his gaze to the dining room's entrance.

Vlad paused, honestly surprised to find Daniel at the table. He had been certain that the boy had gone up to his room to sulk. But although the man suddenly had the urge to turn right back around and walk out of the dining room, he knew he couldn't do that. He had to at least try to talk to the younger hybrid…

Danny was as equally surprised to see Vlad; but still upset, the boy quickly turned his gaze back to his food, which he had not even touched yet. But needing something to help him keep down his growing anger, he picked up half of his sandwich and began to eat it as if the man wasn't even there.

Vlad quietly sat down, choosing a chair that was far enough to give the teen his space, but also that he could face him. He hardly noticed Derek come in and set down his own lunch in front of him, which looked something along the line of potato salad and salmon. The man just stared at his food as if it weren't even there, much less did he want it. His mind was too preoccupied with trying to find the words to break the tension in the air. He suddenly decided to just go for the direct approach.

"Daniel, I know what you're thinking. But if you will only let me explain. Fright Knight---"

"I already told you," Danny abruptly cut him off, his voice still ice cold. "I don't care. Why should I? You obviously don't even care what I think, let alone how I feel."

Vlad frowned deeply. "That's not true."

"Yeah?" Danny retorted, glaring at him. "Then you have a funny way of showing it. Oh, wait. That's just it. You don't show it!"

"Look," Vlad said, his voice now bordering on anger. "If I didn't care, I would not even bother to---"

"There's something wrong with me," Danny interrupted him again, though he was mostly speaking to himself. "There's gotta be for me to even think that you…" But the teen suddenly cut himself off in mid-sentence, not wanting to finish what he was thinking. Instead, he shook his head, his eyes returning to his lunch as he soberly said, "Just forget it. You would never understand."

"How can I, Daniel? If you won't explain it to me?" Vlad said angrily, though he hadn't raised his voice in spite of it. The boy's last comment had stung. It really had. But internally, Vlad had to admit that Daniel might have a point. He really did not understand why the teen had changed so radically with him. But he wanted to! He needed to! Otherwise, he would never get rid of his suspicions regarding the boy and his motives…

But Danny didn't reply and just glared at his food. What was he going to explain? That he believed that everyone deserved a second chance? That he was willing to help his arch-enemy if he'd only let him? Vlad would probably just laugh in his face and continue his evil schemes anyways. But that was the problem, wasn't it? If Vlad was indeed trying to harm his loved ones, the teen couldn't possibly turn a blind eye to it and continue to pretend that he was okay with everything. And yet, deep inside, Danny knew that he couldn't stop him, either… He could do nothing.

Danny's eyes turned bright green with a sudden flare of hate. Yes, his hands were tied; but right now, he didn't really care how tightly his arch-enemy had made those bonds. He wasn't going to just accept this. Not this. But how could he keep Vlad from doing something against his family---or, most likely, his father? How could he keep the older hybrid from scheming against them?

At that moment, the teen suddenly remembered something important, something he had learned in all this time that he had been with Vlad. Danny now understood that the billionaire really didn't---couldn't---spend day and night plotting all that evil. He now understood that the man had a life outside of that. So, now, it made more sense why Vlad had so many ghost allies. It wasn't really because he was too lazy to carry out his plans himself; but, rather, that he didn't always have the time for it. So, then, didn't the success of his arch-enemy's evil plans, ultimately, depend on his allies? If the man could not keep contact with them, if they would stay away, then there was a good chance that Vlad could do nothing against his family…. Danny realized it wasn't a sure thing. But it would be something… something he could do…

"I don't want them here," the boy suddenly said, his voice as hard as steel, though his glowing gaze remained on his plate.

Vlad, who had lowered his own gaze after the boy had refused to answer him, quickly looked up; and knowing the 'them' to whom Daniel was referring were his ghost allies, he instantly frowned. "Daniel, you cannot ask me to---"

"I don't want them here, Vlad!" Danny cut him off, turning his glowing green eyes at the man. "I won't let you hurt my family, do you hear me?! I won't let you! You say you care? Well, then, prove it! The least you could do for me is to leave them alone! The least you could do is give me the peace of mind of not seeing your cronies---my enemies---around here!"

Vlad's eyes instantly narrowed with the boy's barrage. "My allies' services to me are not always about you and your family, Daniel!"

"They are more often than not! And you know it!" Danny yelled back, his hands now fisting at his sides.

The billionaire just glared, unable to deny that.

But when the man kept silent, Danny realized he was right! Anger mixed with a hint of desperation now echoed in the boy's voice as he continued, "You can't do this to me, Vlad. I thought you understood that I don't want to fight with you anymore. But if they're around, if you keep doing this, what am I supposed to do?"

Vlad's gaze softened a bit. "You know I no longer desire to fight with you, either. But you cannot ask me to do away with all my allies simply because you do not like them. "

The boy's gaze turned cold again with the man's reply. Not only did Vlad keep avoiding the real problem---which was the man's hurting his family---but Vlad wasn't listening to him. It wasn't just about the older hybrid's allies being his enemies! It was more than that! And he knew it! But the man kept feigning ignorance of it!

"You know it's more than that," Danny growled. "And if it wasn't, then stop making it sound like I don't have good reasons to not like them. We both know what they have done to me---both by their own accounts and under your orders! Or do I need to refresh your memory of everything Fright Knight, those stupid birds, and Skulker---"

But the mention of his former ally suddenly sent an unexplainable surge of fury through the older hybrid's body.

"Do not utter a word to me about Skulker!" Vlad shouted, ramming his fists to the table just before rising to his feet so violently and abruptly that the boy jolted in alarm. "You have no right! Just as you have no right to tell me that I don't care when Skulker is gone solely because of you?!"

Danny stared at the man in complete shock, but still managed to softly utter, "W-What?"

Upon hearing the abrupt change in the boy's tone of voice, the older hybrid was suddenly aware of his own outburst. But there was more. At that moment, he realized that the lost of his closest ally had hurt more than he had initially thought. Maybe Skulker really had been more to him than just another of his ghost acquaintances…

Suddenly feeling drained, Vlad sighed, lowering his once fisted hands to his sides. He looked back up at Danny, who was still silently staring at him.

But the man was done with this argument. And he made that clear when he finally spoke again, his voice grave and definite. "I will make sure they do not come near you; but you are going to have to get use to seeing them around because I will not terminate their services."

Danny could say nothing in response and just watched disbelievingly as Vlad left the dining room, leaving the teen alone in complete silence. Danny's gaze lowered again; but now more confused than angry, his eyebrows creased as he tried to figure out what Vlad had meant by his last comment about Skulker…

"Because of me?" he mumbled quietly.

But then, his thoughts drifted back to what Vlad had said, what he had refused to do: to keep his ghost allies away. He shook his head. He no longer cared about what his arch-enemy had meant about Skulker. He was too upset, more saddened than angry now that he knew that Vlad would not do this one thing for him, even when the teen had surrendered his entire life to him, even when he was trying so hard for him. But, no, he just knew Vlad wanted more. And if that 'more' included hurting his father to get to his mother, then…

Danny closed his eyes in helplessness. And suddenly wanting to be in his room, the teen abruptly stood up and headed out of the dining room.


After Vlad had left the dining room, he continued towards the foyer, and then to his room, where he planned on staying for the rest of the day. Maybe then nothing else could go wrong today.

But just as he had reached the top of the main stairs, a loud ring echoed through the foyer. The man frowned in confusion as he turned to look at his ringing front door.

In an instant, Derek materialized in front of the front entrance, looking very human. The ghost butler did not realize that his employer was behind him at the stairs, and just opened the door as he normally would.

Derek smiled in recognition at the person---or 'persons'---at the door. "Hello, Ms. Hui… And young miss."

Stephanie smiled at the butler and greeted him back. "Hello, Derek."

"Yeah, hi, Derek!" a teenage girl standing beside the woman promptly greeted him as well.

"Is Vlad around?" Stephanie continued, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Why, yes. Come on in," Derek replied, ushering them in.

But the moment the two newcomers stepped in, they instantly noticed the billionaire staring at them from the stairs, looking somewhat surprised to see them. In all that had happened, Vlad had forgotten that he had asked Stephanie to stop by to pick up the 'MVI' closure papers…

"Oh, he's right there," Derek said in surprise when he, too, noticed his employer's presence.

But it was the teenage girl beside the man's secretary that was the first to speak up.

"ba!" she exclaimed in Chinese before zooming up the stairs and hugging the billionaire.

Still out of it from his fight with the younger hybrid only a couple of minutes ago, it took Vlad a second or two to respond to the girl. And as he returned her hug, the man softly chuckled at the title by which the girl commonly addressed him out of affection. "Annabelle, my girl, it's good to see you… But…" The man pulled away slightly, raising an eyebrow at the two pink streaks on the teen's otherwise straight blond hair. "What on earth did you do to your hair?"

"That's what I asked her when I picked her up from school today," Stephanie interrupted, walking up to the two and frowning disapprovingly at her daughter.

"What?" Annabelle slightly protested, grabbing one of the two pink streaks framing her face. "It goes with my outfit. Plus, Easter's coming up, so my friends and I thought it was a good idea. You don't like it?" the girl asked, looking at the billionaire with the same large light green eyes as her mother's. The fourteen-year-old also had her mother's petite form; but other than that, the girl looked to have more Australian in her than Chinese…

Vlad tilted his head slightly in amusement, noticing how the streaks indeed matched her attire, being that she was wearing a white knee-length skirt and a pink and grey blouse. "Hmm, well, let's see. Perhaps if we could find you a pair of rabbit ears and a black nose, then, I might like it…"

Annabelle pouted. "You two are so 'old school'."

"Perhaps. But it's still coming off as soon as we get home," Stephanie said in a matter-of-factly voice, before she smiled at Vlad. And knowing there was no need to put on any sort of act, she greeted him with a friendly peck on the cheek. "You looked surprised to see me," she then told him, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Honestly, yes," Vlad replied with a small embarrassed smile, though it had nothing to do with the way she had greeted him. He was more than used to it. "I somewhat forgot I told you to come by…"

Stephanie smirked. "More like you completely forgot. But you have been doing that a lot lately, so that's alright. How was the trip?"

Vlad's demeanor fell somewhat as he glanced in the direction of the dining hall. "It was…"

But before the man could say anymore, Danny, who had been planning on heading to his room, walked into the foyer. The boy froze in surprise at finding not only Vlad and Stephanie there; but also a girl he had never seen before.

"Daniel," Stephanie said, breaking the silence. She walked over to the still frozen teenage boy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you? Vlad told me you went to Germany with him. How was it?" she asked with a smile.

Danny soberly glanced over at Vlad, but then he just looked away when he saw the man's own serious stare. He forced a small polite smile on his face as he finally responded to the woman, "I'm fine, thanks. And, uh, yeah, I did go... It was… fine."

Stephanie's eyebrows slightly furrowed, noticing the teen's less than cheery demeanor. But not wanting to comment about it, she smiled again and coax him forward a bit before beckoning her own daughter with a hand gesture. "Look, I want you to meet my daughter, Annabelle. Annie, this is Daniel… Vlad's nephew. The boy I told you about, remember?"

Annabelle—or, 'Annie'---nodded; and with a smile, extended her hand at the teenage boy. "Hi, Daniel. It's nice to finally meet you."

In spite of his earlier mood, Danny could not help but blush at having such a pretty girl talk to him. And his blush only deepened as he suddenly realized she might even be prettier than Paulina. And that said a lot in his mind!

Still, he managed to take the girl's hand and get out a timid response. "H-Hi. Um, call me 'Danny', though."

The girl's smile widened. "Only if you call me 'Annie."

Danny just nodded.

"Well, then!" Stephanie said, as she stepped away from the two teens. "You two children can chat. Vlad, you and I have business to take care of, hmm?"

As Vlad calmly nodded, Danny snapped out of his 'there's a pretty girl next to me' mode. He glanced at the man again; but, this time, Vlad was not looking at him. And, instead, the billionaire had all his attention to his secretary.

And as soon as Stephanie reached Vlad's side, the two adults turned away, and retreated without another word to either teen, now leaving them all alone with each other…

The billionaire and his secretary silently walked down the halls heading to the man's private study. But it was Stephanie who broke the silence, now that they were alone.

"Looks like I came in a bad time…," she said causally.

"Honestly, yes," Vlad said, frowning to himself. "But it's not your fault. Daniel... He's being difficult…"

"Difficult?" the woman repeated curiously. "Well, that is part of the whole 'teenager' thing. But by the way he was staring at you, I'd say he thinks you're the one being difficult."

"Yes, well, that's all true, too, I suppose," Vlad muttered, knowing in spite of everything that the boy had plenty of reason to be upset with him. But Vlad could not tell Daniel what he wanted to hear. Because what the boy was asking him was to essentially give up on Maddie and he could not do that…

"Vlad…," Stephanie suddenly said with a sigh. "How much longer is Daniel going to be with you?"

The man almost paused in his steps with the unexpected question. But he instead frowned at her and curiously asked, "Why do you ask?"

The woman looked soberly up at him. "Because, if I were Maddie, I could never have my child be away from me for this long."

Vlad glanced behind them, feeling uncomfortable with talking about this in the hallway. But knowing he was just being paranoid, he looked back at Stephanie.

"You know I have known the Fentons for a long time, Stephanie. It's essentially as if Annabelle was staying with me. It wouldn't bother you, would it?"

"No, not in the least," she replied. "But it's not anything like that, Vlad. First, we live in the same state; so if it was Annie who was staying with you, I'd still be able to see her. Daniel's parents live in another state; I doubt they have been able to come to Wisconsin in the--what? three months?---that their son has been here. Secondly, we have a different type of relationship than you do with the Fentons. I mean, you are in love with the boy's mother and despise his father, correct? So, no, Vlad, it is not essentially the same thing."

Vlad didn't reply; and that only troubled Stephanie even more.

"Vlad. You're not lying to me, are you? Maddie does know that her son is with you, right?" she asked, fearfully.

"How else would the boy be here?" Vlad replied calmly, though his gaze remained forward.

"I just don't want you to do something you will later regret," she told him sadly. "You're my friend, Vlad. And no matter what you do, you will always be my friend. But as your friend, I have to tell you to think carefully about whatever it is you're doing."

Vlad finally stopped when at that moment they finally reached his study; but turning to her with a serious look, he finally spoke, "I appreciate your concern. I truly do. But you already know my response regarding this matter."

Stephanie nodded, before muttering what he always told her, "'Don't get involved in your affairs with the Fentons'."

Vlad didn't reply, knowing he did not need to. Instead, he opened the door, and allowed her in first.

Stephanie knew plenty about his relationship with the Fentons—just not everything. After all, there was already enough of what he did of which the woman did not approve. So then, he did his best to not involve her any further when it came to his affairs concerning Daniel and his family. Still, truth was, Stephanie was the only person he could truly call 'friend'. And he didn't want to lose that. Ultimately, no matter what the woman said, if she truly knew of even half the things he had done and was doing, Vlad was certain that she would not only quit her job for him, but she'd probably never talk to him again…

And if that happened, it would greatly upset Vlad. Although there had been a time in his life when he had wanted precisely that, when he had gone out of his way to get Stephanie out of his life forever, now, Vlad could not imagine not having her—her and her daughter---in his life; much like he could not imagine not having Maddie or Daniel in his life…

The billionaire silently went to his desk and quickly pulled open a file drawer to get the papers he needed. When he finally found them, he walked over to Stephanie who had been staring seriously at the fireplace, more worried and saddened than anything else…

"Everything is done," Vlad suddenly said, breaking the silence as a small smile curved his lips. "Vazier has sold me half of his company's assets, making me the co-owner of M.V.I.---just as planned."

"Congratulations," she replied, forcing a small smile on her face. "Did you tell him that you also bought off all his shareholders as well?"

Vlad smirked, handing her the folders. "Not yet."

Stephanie nodded and accepted the files. She was hardly fazed by what she knew her employer---and friend---was going to do. She was more than use to the cold and sometimes even cruel ways of the business world.

"Alright. I'll give these papers to your lawyer for him to go over. Everything, then, should be in place by the time Vazier decides to go public with your 'partnership' with him…"

But when he noticed that she still sounded upset, even when it was obvious she was now trying to hide it, Vlad sighed. "Stephanie…" But when she lowered her gaze from his, he cupped her chin and gently made her look at him again. "My dearest friend, believe me, there are some things you are best off not knowing."

"Are your words supposed to make me feel better?" she asked, seriously, almost coldly.

The man paused, his eyebrows creasing in sadness, before he removed his hand from her as he whispered, "I'm sorry…." But then he gave her a sad smile as he added, "I wish I could understand why you even put up with me…"

Stephanie's hard look melted, and she returned a sad smile to him. "It really is not that difficult to figure out, Vlad."

The billionaire stared in confusion at her, but then he sighed again. "You know it's not my intention to upset you."

"I know," she agreed with a small nod. But then she sighed herself, before she smiled again, this time, in a calm way. "You can make it up to me, though…"

Vlad raised a curious eyebrow. "How so?"

Stephanie's grin grew as she teased, "Guess where Annie and I are going for the rest of the week."

Vlad frowned slightly. "I don't know. You never mentioned it."

"We're going to Florida to visit my parents..."

"No," Vlad said instantly, now knowing exactly where she was going with this.

Stephanie frowned. "But I haven't even explained it to you yet."

"You don't have to. I know where you're going with this. I know what you're going to ask me. And my answer is, and always will be, 'no'."

The woman's lips pursed as she watched the man walk away from her and go over to the fireplace. However, this was a topic she was not so easily dropping.

"It will just be a few days, Vlad. Please, it would mean so much to me if you would go with me and Annie. And I'm sure you would have no trouble taking Daniel along."

Vlad crossed his arms, now gazing seriously at the softly burning flames. "I cannot go with you. The last thing I need is for the press to find out I'm traveling back to my home state with my secretary and her daughter."

"We're just friends," she told him, slightly frowning.

"Yes, but we both know how eager the media would be to stick to that truth," Vlad said sarcastically, briefly glancing back at her. It was true, of course. And that was the reason they all but kept their friendship a secret when they were in public. The media would have field day if they found out that that the famous Vlad Masters had more than a professional relationship with his secretary. And it would only take a little bit of digging for them to further discover that they had a tightly interwoven past, too. Vlad could already imagine all the horrors they would make up, not just about him, but about Stephanie… and even her daughter…

"You know it's not about that," Stephanie insisted. "We have traveled together in the past countless of times and we have easily kept the press from ever thinking more than my being your secretary. So, stop trying to make up excuses. Why don't you just simply admit that you don't want to go to go Florida, Vlad."

"Alright, fine. I don't want to go to Florida. Are you satisfied?" Vlad asked, now looking almost angry at her.

"No, I'm not satisfied," Stephanie snapped, walking right over to him. "I'm not satisfied because I don't understand why you will not go back home!"

"And I do not understand your insistence that I do," he retorted, now glaring at her. "Why do you always do this? If I have not returned to Florida since I moved to Wisconsin, then what makes you think I am going to change my mind about returning after more than twenty-five years?"

"Because you have to overcome what happened eventually!" Stephanie replied back determinedly.

But that single comment made the billionaire explode in rage; and although he knew that he probably would not have react so badly if it wasn't because he was already on the edge with everything that had happened today, he was too angry to care.

"Surpass?!" he shouted at her. "No, it is YOU who needs to surpass all that! If you haven't noticed, I moved on; unlike you who is clearly stuck in the past! You're obsessed, woman!"

"At least I don't pretend like it never existed," she answered back, though she now sounded more hurt than angry.

Vlad closed his eyes, feeling them burn red with his frustration; but having caught his friend's tone of voice, he deflated with a sigh. "Look," he began, his voice now considerably lower, but serious, as he looked at her again. "I know you have the best intentions; but, Stephanie, I cannot go back. Can you not see that I'm not you?" he asked, his voice just slightly saddening. "You might be willing to acknowledge the past---and I admire such strength about you---but that is something I cannot do. If I could, I would forget it all together. But because that's impossible, then, the best I can do for myself is to pretend it never existed. So, please, stop trying to force me back. I moved on from all that a long time ago."

Stephanie lowered her gaze as she shook her head. "No, Vlad. You haven't moved on. Otherwise, you would not avoid anything relating to the past like you do."

The older hybrid did not reply; and for a moment there was utter silence. But the man finally spoke up again, more quietly this time, "How are you getting there?"

The green-eyed woman felt another pang of sadness at her friend's clearly wanting to change the subject. But she still replied, "We're driving."

Vlad frowned a bit. "That's a long drive, Stephanie. Why don't I ask Jim to---"

"No," she quickly cut him off, before moving away from him. "I'm not interested in your money, let alone its facilities. I never have been. So, do not insult me like that."

The man's eyes slightly widened, realizing how wrong his honest attempt to offer her transportation had come out especially after they had just argued. She probably thought he was trying to apologize by using his money!

"Stephanie, I didn't mean to offend you," Vlad said worriedly, fighting off the urge to get closer to his friend, knowing she wouldn't appreciate it at the moment. "You and your daughter are very important to me. You know that. It was just a simple offer. I promise, I meant nothing else by it."

The woman sighed, believing him. After all, her friend had never treated her like one of those people he could buy off. Aside from his being her employer, where, naturally, he would compensate her for her work as he would for all his other employees, the man's money had never been a factor in their relationship. They went back too far for it to involve something so meaningless…

"I appreciate the offer, Vlad," Stephanie calmly replied, turning to look at him again. "But Annie and I opted on a road trip as oppose to simply flying. Believe it or not, it's actually more exciting," she assured him, smiling a bit with the comment.

Vlad silently nodded, as he briefly remembered a few road trips he had had in his college days with Jack and a few other college friends…

The thought quickly reminded him of his current problems; though the one that worried him the most was the boy with whom he had just argued a moment ago…

Stephanie sighed with some unknown emotion, before her gaze went to a frame on the fireplace, one she had seen many times before. But suddenly moving towards it, she picked it up and silently studied it for a moment.

Vlad was so deep in thought that he had yet to notice the woman's actions. But her next comment quickly got his attention.

"You know, Danny looks a lot more like his mom in real life than in this picture," she calmly commented.

Vlad's eyebrows creased strangely at the sight of Stephanie holding his picture of the Fenton family. He didn't know why, but it felt odd for him to see her looking at it, for her to be looking at the very boy and woman for whom he cared as well as the man who he hated. Seeing that felt as strange to him as it did every time she spoke to him about the Fentons. He couldn't explain it. But because it troubled him so, it was yet another reason why he did not want her to be involved in his affairs that dealt with the people whom he considered important now, in his present life. There was something about it that was just… unnatural. Seeing Stephanie with that picture in her hand was like he was suddenly living simultaneously in his past and present… It was all wrong…

Walking up to her, the older hybrid gently removed the picture from her hands and briefly looked at it himself. Stephanie was right, of course. Danny did look like his mother. And even his personality was closer to that of his mother than his father---thank heavens for that! But, ultimately, Daniel was very different. He was his own person. And he was like no one the older hybrid had ever met before. He was… special.

"I wonder what Annie would think of him…," Vlad suddenly said in a quiet and slightly saddened voice as he solely stared at the picture of Daniel, before looking back to his female friend.

Stephanie smiled sadly as she replied, "She would love him."

Vlad nodded his agreement, before placing the picture back.

But as he did, his secretary spoke up again, though her voice sounded a bit hesitant now. "Vlad, Annie and I are going to go downtown to get some ice-cream… I know you can't go… But would you mind if I take Daniel along with me and Annie?"

Vlad blinked in surprise; but he then lightly shrugged, though his eyes turned away to the fireplace as he muttered, "You'll have to ask him."

Stephanie smiled a bit. "Alright. Then, I'll leave you now. I'll call you when I get back, okay?"

The billionaire returned the smile as she kissed him good-bye. "Have a safe trip," he then told her.

The woman nodded. But just as Vlad watched her leave, he suddenly called to her, "Stephanie?"

At the sound of her name, the woman stopped and turned to him again.

Vlad silently regarded her for a moment; but just when his friend was going to ask him what he was thinking, he calmly asked, "Give your parents my greetings, hmm?"

Stephanie shook her head helplessly, thinking how her parents would be more thrilled if he would give them his greetings himself. But not wanting to argue again, she just said, "I'll do that."

Vlad gave her a thankful smile, before Stephanie finally left. But the moment she did, the older hybrid's smile fell and he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking utterly exhausted.


It had been awkward for Danny to be left alone with a complete stranger. And not just any stranger. A very, very pretty stranger who so happened to be close to his own age...

"Uh…," he said, rubbing his neck and looking around. "So, you're Stephanie's daughter, right?"

Annabelle gave him a bemused look, not understanding why he was repeating that again. "Yes…," she said slowly; but realizing he was just shy, she smiled again. "Sorry, my mom sometimes forgets that not everyone is as overly friendly as she is. It leads to some embarrassing moments sometimes…"

Danny smiled, the comment calming him a bit. He could totally relate to that. "It's alright. My mom—and my dad--are the same way. I guess that's one of the qualifications for being a parent: having the ability to embarrass your kids."

Annabelle laughed in agreement. And with that, the tension was broken. They don't know how they ended up at the closest living room to the foyer, but it really amazed them both how easily they began to talk to each other.

Danny was particularly impressed. The girl sure had some of her mom's enthusiastic personality. And by the way she talked about school, she had to be pretty popular, since she was involved in a lot of extracurricular activities. But with all that, she wasn't anything close to being dim or shallow. Actually, she was very bright and down to earth. The boy mentally paused as the thought led to another: Annie was possibly living proof that not all pretty girls were airheads---as Sam would call them...

Annabelle was also already glad to have met Danny. He was such an easy guy to talk to; his personality was refreshing, funny, and almost soothing even…There was something very special about him that allowed her to connect very easily with him. Not to mention, he was very cute… But that thought, she'd keep to herself…

"Seriously, you live in Amity Park? I heard that place is haunted. Not that I believe in that…," she added with a small chuckle.

Danny raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe in ghosts?"

"No," she said, sounding amused by just the thought. "I've never seen anything like it; so, I don't exactly buy the whole 'ghost' thing. Why? Do you?"

Danny blushed a bit and he let out a nervous chuckle with the question. "Well, uh, yeah, I actually do. My, um, parents are actually ghost hunters. It's… uh, what they do for a living."

The girl blinked in surprise. "Whoa…Well, um, I guess everyone has the right to believe and do what they want, right? But that's cool, though. You must have an interesting life."

"That's one way of putting it," he said under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Uh, nothing," Danny quickly said, shaking his head and smiling. "So, uh, what do your parents do for a living? I mean, I know your mom works for V—my uncle."

The girl suddenly laughed. "Sorry, it's funny to hear you call Vlad that. And I can tell it's awkward for you; so, don't worry; you don't have to call him 'uncle' in front of me. I already know he's not really your uncle."

Danny jolted. "Wait. What? You know Vlad's not really my uncle?" he asked, shocked.

"Well, of course, I know he's not your uncle," she replied with a calm smile. "I've known Vlad forever and my mom has known him longer even. I think she would know and tell me if Vlad had a nephew. Besides, my mom already explained to me how your dad's a really close friend of Vlad's and how your parents are letting you hang out here for a while---which is pretty awesome, by the way. But, how much longer will you be here? Maybe we can hang out when I get back from my grandparents' house," she suggested with a hopeful smile this time.

Danny felt a surge of different emotions race through him with the blond-haired girl's comment. Is that what Vlad told Stephanie? That his parents were letting him stay here? Not only was that the biggest lie ever, but Danny couldn't believe the man had actually fed it to his supposedly 'childhood friend'. And what was this? Stephanie knew about his parents? She knew he was not really Vlad's nephew? What else did she know?

"Um, Danny? Hey, you okay?" Annabelle asked when the boy didn't reply.

"Huh?" Danny shook his head. "Uh, sorry, Annie. What did you say?"

The girl looked puzzled before she rephrased her question, "I asked if you want to hang out when I get back from my grandparents'…"

Danny smiled; and even though it was a bit forced, the prospect of hanging out with someone his age after all these months was exciting. "Yeah! I mean... if it's okay with Vlad," he added, his face falling again.

But the girl grinned. "I'm sure he won't care. And if he does, I'll convince him for you," she added, a mischievous look on her face.

The teen's eyebrows creased in confusion, not getting what she meant by that. But her look vaguely reminded him of the look Jazz gave him when she assured him that she could convince their dad about something…

Shrugging a little, Danny decided to ignore that weird look the girl just gave him plus what she had said and moved on. "So... you're going to go see your grandparents?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," Annie replied, nodding. "They live all the way down in Florida; but I don't mind. It's going to be really fun since my mom and I are driving there this time! I just love road trips!"

Danny smiled. "Sounds cool." But remembering something she said, the boy raised a curious eyebrow as he asked, "You said your mom and you are going? Your dad's not going?"

Annie shook her head. "I don't have a dad, Danny," she told him calmly.

The young hybrid froze. But thinking that she meant he had passed away, he quickly stumbled into an apology, "Oh, geez, I'm sorry! I didn't know he---"

"No, no," Annie quickly cut him off. "He didn't pass away or anything. I just don't have one because he left my mother before I was born. Never met him."

Danny cringed. That was even worse. "Oh… Um, well, I'm still sorry. That must… reek…," he mumbled awkwardly. He couldn't imagine not having his dad around… It had to be terrible!

But to his surprise, the girl shrugged uncaringly as she replied, "Honestly, I'm not. You can't really miss what you never had, you know. Plus, my mom and I are fine on our own. She's awesome, even if she is strange sometimes."

Danny smiled again. She did have a point about not needing something you never had. After all, there were all sorts of families; and as long as they were happy…

"Besides," the girl continued, her smile widening with her next thought. "Vlad is pretty much---"

"Annie?" Stephanie suddenly called, interrupting the two teens' conversation.

"I'm in here!" the teenage girl called out, quickly getting up and heading over to the living room entrance.

Spotting her daughter at last, Stephanie walked over to her just as Danny was standing from the couch. "There you two are. I thought I would never find you... Listen, Daniel, are you interested in heading out and getting some ice-cream with us?"

Annie gasped at the idea. "Oh! Yeah! That would be awesome! You must come!" she urged excitedly.

Danny was utterly surprised by the offer; and he was more than tempted to say 'yes', especially with how excited Annie was about it. But his thoughts quickly circled back to Vlad. There's no way the man would let him go out without him or any of his ghost workers to keep an eye on him…

But as if guessing why he was hesitating to answer, Stephanie quickly informed him. "Don't worry. I already asked your uncle," she said with a wink.

Danny mentally froze, having no idea how to feel about that. Vlad was letting him go out alone—so to speak? But then, there was their argument a moment ago. Suddenly, the teen bitterly thought that the man had only agreed because he didn't want to look at him.

"Well, I don't want to look at him, either, anyways," Danny thought angrily.

But just as he was going to say 'yes' to the offer, he thought better of it. No, why should he give Vlad the satisfaction of doing what he wanted? He wasn't one of his things that the guy could throw out when he got bored with it and then readily pick back up whenever he felt like it again!

Going against what he really wanted, Danny smiled apologetically at Stephanie and her daughter. "I, uh, really appreciate the offer. I really do. But I can't right now. There's something…else I... uh, gotta do," he said truthfully, though at that moment he was unsure what that 'something else' was. He just knew going out at the moment was not a good idea…

Annie looked put off, but Stephanie seemed to understand and she calmly smiled at him. "Alright. But then, you have a date pending with us, little jié​."

She ignored her daughter's bewildered stare at the pet name, and focused solely on Danny, who smiled back at her.

"Yeah, okay," he answered.

Saying their goodbyes', the mother and daughter left Danny alone. But as they left Vlad's castle and got into their car, Annie looked at her mother with a confused look. "Why did you call him 'jié?" she asked her.

Stephanie smiled warmly at her daughter as she replied, "Let's just say it's a joke between Vlad and me. Maybe I will tell you one day…"


After Annie and Stephanie had left, Danny had gone up to his room, just wanting to be alone. He knew he and Vlad would have to talk eventually; but he did not feel like talking to him yet. He was still too upset and hurt with the older hybrid. After all, all the teen was really asking of him was to not hurt his loved ones and to keep his enemies away... After everything the man had taken from him, why couldn't Vlad give him this much?

It was with that unanswered question circling in his mind that the teen had drifted off, his jetlag from Germany still not completely filtered out of his system…

But a few hours later, Danny woke again. His nap had helped clear away a good amount of both his physically and mental fatigue. But with nothing to do—or rather, with nothing he felt like doing---the teen remained in his room. He was aware that it was getting close to dinner time now; but he wasn't interested in that, either.

He was still upset; though, now, for one other reason. In all honestly, he had hoped that Vlad would come try to talk to him. But it had been hours now and the man had not shown at all.

It was saddening. Danny really didn't want to go back to fighting tooth-and-nail with his arch-enemy. And even though his anger had died down by now, the teen knew that their recent argument was very different from the ones they had in Germany. They finally got along there because things had been more…neutral. But now, their latest arguing had been about something that truly mattered. He had to work this out somehow. But how? ...Could the way they had worked things out in Germany be the key after all? Was it that simple? He hoped it would be, because things were sure getting way too complicated awfully fast. He grew more upset, wondering how it was possible for things to change so radically in less than a day.

Currently sitting on his bed, Danny sighed as he passed a hand through his hair, before staring soberly at the water globe still on his dresser.

There had to be a way to make Vlad understand---if only, a little. Heck, at this point, the boy was even willing to sway a bit from what he was asking of the man; but only if the older hybrid would, too. The truth was that Danny didn't care as much about having to put up with Fright Knight and his other enemies' presence as he did about the possibility of Vlad going after his father in some way. The young half-ghost was willing to bear the stress of having Vlad's allies around, as long as he didn't have to bear the fear of something happening to his father---or his other loved ones…

But that fear could only be alleviated by his arch-enemy. And by the fact that he had not cared to come speak to him since their argument, the teen was sure Vlad wasn't going abandon whatever plot he had conjured up…

Danny turned his troubled gaze to the picture of his loved ones on the night stand. However, his thoughts remained on the older hybrid...

At this point, he was wondering again if Vlad really did care about him… The man was constantly sending him so many mixed messages that it all but had the poor young half-ghost literally dizzy. Vlad cared enough to risk his own safety for him; but not enough to leave his father alone? How did that hold any logic?

If Danny wasn't in such a sober mood, the name 'fruit loop' would have crossed his mind. But, alas, his thoughts only troubled him more. But they oddly also made him realize that Vlad indeed cared…

He just didn't care enough.

So, was this it? Should he just call it quits right here and now? Should he just go back to despising Vlad and seeing him as nothing else but his arch-enemy?

"It would sure be easy," he thought, his frown deepening. "And considering that my family's safety's at stake, I probably would even be right…"

And yet…He didn't want that. It was as if more than ever he was determined to change the older hybrid…. Niane thought he could. And maybe that was it. Recalling his earlier conversation with the ghost maid, he was suddenly convinced that what she had said to him was the assurance he was looking for ever since he had decided to try to help Vlad. He had been so uncertain of whether this was the right way to go this whole time. But now…Suddenly, he was sure this was what he had to do. And not only that, but he wanted to do it.

And he was going to find a way.

Danny's eyebrows creased, though it was no longer in sadness but with his new-found conviction. And as he continued to stare at the picture in front of him, he knew that he first had to solve this current snag before he could do anything else. He was willing to continue forward, but not while his loved ones safety was hanging in the balance.

"That's it," the young hybrid said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stood up. "I'm not giving him a choice anymore. He's going to listen whether he wants to or not."

With that last determined thought, the teen marched out of his room, heading straight to his arch-enemy's own. But as he walked the distance, the boy's thoughts drifted just slightly. More specifically, they drifted to what the man had said to him about Skulker…

Why would Vlad say that? How was it his fault that Skulker was gone? Or more importantly, what did Vlad even mean by the hunter being 'gone?'

"That makes no sense!" he muttered, already feeling the tendrils of frustration curling around him again. "Where does Vlad even get off blaming me for something I don't even know about? I haven't even seen Skulker around since…"

Danny halted in mid-step, his eyes suddenly widening with both shock and realization. "I haven't seen Skulker since Walker attacked me…" he finished in a whisper. The boy suddenly turned his blue gaze down the hallway, "Vlad wouldn't…would he?"

Danny suddenly thought about the violent way that Vlad had reacted at the dining table, when he had tried to discuss with him about what had happened to Skulker . Come to think of it, that reaction wasn't….right. Could it be possible that Vlad had actually broken his alliance---no, friendship--with Skulker all because of what had happened to him in the Ghost Zone?

Danny recalled how Vlad had strictly ordered Skulker to stay with him at all times and to make sure to get him back safely. Back then, the teen had hardly given the man's words importance… But now… He knew that his arch-enemy had not only been worried, but scared of what had happened to him with Walker.

Would Vlad have blamed Skulker for it?

Actually, now that he thought about it, did Vlad even know who had been responsible for that ambush? Danny had already figured out that Walker had not just gotten lucky and found him at the right place and the right time that day…. The teen knew someone had clued in the ghost sheriff. And Danny knew exactly who it was… He had figured it all out before he left for Germany…

Danny briefly squeezed his eyes closed as a sudden memory came to his mind; but he forced himself to focus back at the matter at hand. But if Vlad knew who truly was responsible for the ambush, wouldn't the man have already acted? At the very least, the man would be angry at the ghost responsible for betraying him?

Maybe that was it. Maybe Vlad thought that Skulker had set up the whole thing with Walker. Maybe Vlad had broken off his friendship with the hunter because the man thought he had betrayed him…

"But how can he think that?" Danny questioned out loud. "Come on, even I can see that Skulker would never double-cross Vlad. And Skulker would definitely not get another ghost, especially not, Walker, to waste me. Not when he has sworn over and over again that he would have my pelt. No, Skulker would never get anyone else to waste me."

Danny frowned in thought. And his eyes slightly widened yet again as yet another possibility sprang to mind. What if by 'gone' Vlad had meant Walker had caught Skulker? Or had even…. destroyed him?

The boy's eyebrows creased in concentration. A lot of what had happened that day was still just a blur. But with a bit more thought, he suddenly remembered that Skulker had escaped. And Walker had let him get away since the sheriff had been more interested in the young hybrid at that moment…

So, no, that wasn't it. Then, something had happened between Vlad and Skulker. And by the man's reaction, it was something serious…

But although at any other time it would not be any of the teen's business, it was now. He wanted to know why Vlad was blaming him for it. He, at least, had the right to know that much.

Even more determined to get solid answers from his arch-enemy, Danny briskly continued forward. "I'm sick of his stupid guessing games," the boy muttered angrily. "He's going to tell me the truth."

He soon reached Vlad's room and wasted no time in knocking on the door. "Vlad, come out. We need to talk," he said determinedly. But when the teen got no response, he knocked more forcefully.

Still, there was no response. And believing that the billionaire was ignoring him, Danny's eyes flashed green before he suddenly turned intangible and phased right through the door.

Danny opened his mouth to talk, only to halt immediately when he saw the room was empty. "Uh… Vlad?" he called again as he glanced around the multiple rooms. But still getting no answer and not really wanting to invade the man's private space to the point of looking through all the other rooms, he quickly phased right back out.

"Where would he…?" the teen began thoughtfully, but the answer came to him before he got his entire question out. This time, Danny hesitated, as he glanced down the hall, knowing that at the end was the billionaire's private study.

However, his determination quickly set back in; and with pursed lips, Danny headed out in its direction…


"You say you care? Well, then, prove it!"

Vlad's fingers suddenly paused over his laptop's keyboard. He had spent the past few hours on business obligations. And although Stephanie always did a marvelous job of keeping his work as minimal as possible, there were just things that he alone had to resolve and do.

But his progress had been slow. And how could it not be when the boy's words kept coming back to mind? Vlad was frustrated to say the least. He had been trying to avoid thinking about the boy and about everything else, but it seemed his mind… or something else--had other plans…

"The least you could do for me is to leave them alone! The least you could do is give me the peace of mind of not seeing your cronies---my enemies---around here!"

As much as he did not want to admit it, Vlad knew the boy was right. After everything he had taken from Daniel by forcing him here; after the boy's attitude about him had changed---even if the man still didn't know why---that really was the least he could—should--do for him.

But like he had thought before, that essentially meant giving up on Maddie. But it also meant turning away from his need for revenge against the man who had betrayed him, who had taken everything from him

Vlad glared at his computer screen. That's what it all came down to, wasn't it? Jack Fenton? It was always Jack Fenton. If it wasn't for that fat oaf, he wouldn't be having all these problems. He couldn't even get rid of the idiot anymore without it costing him the two people he wanted more than anything else!

The man's eyes flashed red, before he closed them and sighed. He was doing it again. He was letting his emotions get the better of him. And that was not going to get him anywhere. And neither would his continuing to avoid making a decision about all this…

"I refuse to surrender either Maddie or Daniel," Vlad muttered, his eyes narrowing on the computer screen as if it was going to argue back with him.

But as he began to think through his dilemma, he suddenly realized that perhaps he really could give Daniel what he was asking without having to give up on his own wants entirely.

But he would still have to give up something. He would have to surrender his need for revenge against Jack. And that greatly stung Vlad's pride…

Still, if it meant keeping the boy happy…

Vlad's gaze quickly softened with the thought. He hated to see the teen so upset. And he hated even more to know it was his fault. The man had meant what he said. He did not want to go back to fighting with the young hybrid. He wasn't sure if he even could at this point. He had gotten used to spending time with Daniel; he had gotten used to seeing his smile and hearing him laugh. And as he thought about it, it worried him to realize he had gotten a little too used to it all…

…Daniel wanted him to show—even prove--he cared…

Vlad had understood what the boy had meant by that. It essentially went back to a question the young hybrid had asked him once before.

"What am I to you?"

But Vlad had only been able to assure Daniel that he wasn't just some worthless object or pawn; but rather something much more important, much more significant…

But even now, now that the billionaire could acknowledge to himself that he cared about Daniel, he was still hesitant to expose his feelings to the boy himself. So, ultimately, no, Vlad still could not tell, let alone, prove, just how much he knew he cared for the young half-ghost…

But he was now more willing to show it…

If only it didn't mean sacrificing some of his wants for it…

But, again, if it meant he could see the boy happy… then… maybe…

"Knock-knock!"

Vlad looked up at the closed door of his study and frowned, already knowing who it was by the lack of his inner ghost sense… After all, there was only one other human in his castle. But now Daniel's obvious arrival had Vlad briefly wondering if the boy had ultimately gone out with Stephanie and her daughter… Maybe he just got back? Or had he been in the castle all this time? Vlad had not dared to go find out in all this time..

"Knock-knock!"

"Vlad, open up!" Danny suddenly ordered, his voice as determined as ever.

But mistaking the boy's tone of voice for an angry one, the man's frown only deepened with the command. He wasn't in any mood to argue.

"Go away, Daniel," he replied coldly, before turning his gaze back to his work.

There was only a brief silence, enough for the billionaire to think that the teen had actually done as he told him. But how silly of the man to forget that it was never so easy for Daniel to take orders from anyone…

Still, the man never could have expected what the young half-ghost did at that moment…

Without any warning, Danny suddenly phased right through the door and marched up to his desk. But completely floored and affronted by the boy's cheek and his own mixed feelings, Vlad could only stare at Daniel. Hadn't he told him that this place was off limits to him?

As if reading his thoughts, Danny crossed his arms and seriously said, "You can blast me later. After you and I talk."

Vlad briefly glared at the teen; but as if losing interest, the man turned his gaze back to his computer and began to type on it again---not that he really knew what he was typing any longer…

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Danny snapped, his hands slightly fisting at his sides as his anger began to bubble with the man's attitude.

"I am in no mood to argue, Daniel," Vlad told him simply.

"Well, then, quit ignoring me!" the teen retorted, growing even more frustrated.

Vlad finally looked back at the teen; but his eyes were still as cold. "Fine, Daniel. What do you want to talk about? About your parents? Your father? Or how you so strongly believe I care nothing about your thoughts or feelings?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I want to talk about!" Danny replied, not liking his tone of voice. "That, and a whole bunch of other things; like, the fact that your secretary or friend or whatever she is seems to know a little too much about everything!"

Vlad suddenly rose to his feet, his eyes narrowing on the teen; and although he did not raise his voice, it was now even colder than steel as he said, "Be careful, Daniel. My relationship with Stephanie has nothing to do with you or anyone else close to you. What she knows is my business. I owe you no explanation about her. So, do not cross that line."

Danny was briefly taken aback by the man's strong response. But before he could recover, Vlad continued.

"As for the other things you wish to 'talk' about, then, let me make this quick for both of us. Your family and friends are all safe and sound. I have not killed your father; I have not moved in on your mother; and I have done no harm to your sister or friends. Furthermore, I am giving you my word—for that is all I can possibly give you---that I will not be attempting to harm any them; and, yes, that does include your father. Lastly, since nothing I can say will convince you that I do care for your thoughts and feelings, then you are free to believe what you want. Now if that is all you came in here to talk about, then, do go away. I have a lot of work to get done."

Now completely floored, the young hybrid silently stared at the older one as the man sat back down and resumed working on his computer. That was… well, unexpected... That was it? Just like that? The man was so easily giving him his word that he wasn't going to hurt his loved ones?

Before, Danny would have found it very suspicious---and probably—no, definitely--would not have believed the man. But now… The teen believed him. He believed him because under his cold demeanor, the teen could hear the man's honestly in his words, as well as, his slight reluctance in saying them---as if it had been a hard choice for him to make.

And indeed it had been. Vlad had just agreed to let go of his revenge plans for Jack. That, however, did not mean he still didn't hate his former friend, let alone did it mean that he was in any way giving up on Maddie. But it was the best the man could do. And he planned on honoring his promise, even if it left a bitter taste in his mouth…

Now unsure of what to do or say, Danny's eyebrows creased; but his thoughts suddenly shifted to the man's allies. He had noticed that Vlad had said nothing about them. And the teen understood from his definite tone of voice at lunch earlier that the man was not bending when it came to them. But Danny didn't dare push his luck with that. He was just internally relieved to know his loved ones were okay, and that Vlad was not going to try to hurt them for as long as he was here. The teen realized he was probably settling for less, but, ultimately, what mattered most to him was his family and friends…

"Daniel?" Vlad suddenly called to him, getting his attention. There was now a more sober than cold look on the man's face as he calmly said, "Please, leave."

Danny slowly shook his head. "No," he told him, his voice calmer, too.

Vlad sighed, as if not knowing what to do anymore.

But this only boosted the boy's determination, and he stepped closer as he finally spoke. "As much as I appreciate most of what you told me, I said I wanted us to talk---not just you. So, now it's my turn. And I'm gonna first tell you that you're wrong. What you say and what you do does make a big difference in what I believe." The teen briefly paused as he mentally thought what he did not brave to say out loud. "And I believe you do care more than you let on..."

But thinking the teen was still talking about his loved ones, Vlad frowned again. "Daniel, I already told you, all I can give you is my word that I will not harm any of them. There is nothing else I can say or do if you choose not to believe me."

"But I do believe you," Danny replied without any hesitation.

The billionaire had to keep himself from physically jolting at that moment. Instead, he stared at the boy, before saying in a mellower voice. "You do?"

The teen nodded. "Yeah. I believe you'll keep your word."

Vlad lowered his gaze, though only because he could not find any words at that moment. Daniel… believed him? It was an astounding thing. The man had never thought that the boy would ever take his word on anything, let alone something this important to the teen…

Oddly enough, the billionaire's reluctance to uphold his promise suddenly slipped away and he found himself wanting to keep it… And he would. He would because he didn't just care for the boy's thoughts and feelings---as he said. He cared about him.

"Vlad?" Danny called, his serious tone of voice breaking the brief silence. The man turned his attention to him again and the boy continued. "I want to know what you meant by Skulker being gone…? You don't think it was him who set me up with Walker… do you?"

The billionaire's face hardened; and for a moment, the teen thought Vlad was going to get angry again. But to his surprise, the man just shook his head. "No, it was not him," he replied bitterly, though he knew the emotion was directed towards himself. He had acted so foolish when he had said all those things to Skulker. How could he have ever thought that the hunter would set Daniel up and betray him? Had the possibility of losing the young hybrid shaken him up so much that he had lost all form of rational thought at that moment?

The answer to that was obvious, of course…

Like the older half-ghost, the teen had fallen silent again, as he briefly had to struggle with his recent memories trying to resurface again... But Danny quickly focused back to the actual topic, and asked, "Then, what happened? Where's Skulker, Vlad? And why is it my fault that he's gone?"

Vlad sighed angrily. "It's not your fault."

But Danny's eyebrows creased deeply as frustration began to bubble up in his stomach again with Vlad's reluctance to answer his real question.

"Darn it, Vlad! Why won't you tell me why Skulker hasn't shown up since the whole thing with Walker?"

Vlad stood up, obviously getting defensive again with their topic. "Because, Daniel, it is not of your concern!"

"It is when I know it has something to do with me!" Danny snapped back. He might have given up his right to know what exactly Stephanie knew about his family or even him; but this, he wasn't going to let go as readily.

Vlad growled in frustration, before moving away from the teen and heading over to the mini-bar on the far left wall. But as he poured himself a glass of water, he replied, "I do not understand you, Daniel. Just a couple of hours ago you were demanding that I do away with all my allies. And now you are upset because you have not seen as of late my closest ally and one of your more formidable adversaries?"

Danny crossed his arms. "I saw him escape, Vlad," he continued, ignoring the man's comment all together. "So, I know Walker has nothing to do with Skulker being gone. So, that only leaves that something happened between you and him. And if you're so sure that he didn't betray you or whatever, then what really happened?"

Vlad scoffed, before taking a drink of water. But when he lowered his glass, he looked seriously back at the teen, who was still awaiting a response. "You really are not going to let this go, are you?"

"No," Danny replied, stubbornly.

The man stared down at his glass as he briefly thought about something. But he suddenly shook his head. "That's too bad, then, because I am not going to tell you."

The teen frown's only deepened, but Vlad was not swayed. "Daniel, it does not matter why Skulker is gone. And what happened between me and him is my and his business alone. Look, just be content with knowing you will not see him around here again. Fair enough?"

But when the teen didn't reply, the billionaire just sighed before taking another drink. He then set down the glass on the bar again and walked back to his desk.

Danny just silently watched after him.

The man's last comment had been enough for the boy to truly understand what had happened between Skulker and Vlad…

Danny lowered his eyes and crossed arms. He remained silent, wrestling with his emotions, too unsure on what to say as this point. But he suddenly knew he needed to know one more thing…

"Are you sorry for it?" he asked quietly.

Vlad looked at the boy, who still had his eyes lowered. He understood what Daniel was really asking: Was he sorry for ending his alliance with Skulker for him?

The older hybrid already knew the answer to that; and to his surprise, he voiced it without hesitation.

"No, Daniel," Vlad replied calmly, but gave no further explanation. And he made it clear that he was not going to do so as he seriously added, "Now, please, enough of this. I do not want to talk about it any longer."

Danny nodded, the man's simple 'no' appeasing him. His arch-enemy might not be fully willing to voice or show that he cared. But the man failed to realize that with that one single word, and with his honest promise a moment ago, he already had. In fact, he had just proven it to him---if only a little. The man did care. Danny still did not know how much or if it was enough… But…it was enough for him—for now, anyways.

A weak smile finally appeared on the boy's face. He wasn't completely satisfied, but he could tolerate how this all ended for now. At least he was relieved in knowing his family and friends would be kept safe. And there was some hope. Hope about Vlad. Could the man be reaching his turning point? He didn't know, but it did lessen the sting of all this other unresolved stuff about Skulker…and Stephanie.

He sighed. There was nothing more he could do about this right now. He was about to turn to go when another thought struck him. He suddenly felt that it was a good idea, that it would help him, especially when he still wasn't exactly content and Vlad was clearly finished with this conversation. It was time to change the subject…

"So… Are we gonna train today?"

Vlad blinked up at the teen. "You… want to?"

Danny's smile grew slightly and he replied with a shrug, "Well, I haven't really used my powers in over four days. It seems like a good idea. What do you think?"

The man's own lips finally curled upward. "That is true… Well, then…" He looked briefly at the clock before looking back at the boy. "We have a bit of time before dinner… Are you interested in a quick session right now?"

It was the younger hybrid's turn to be surprised. "Really? Right now? But… aren't you…um, busy?" he asked, pointing at the man's computer and the stack of papers beside it.

Vlad glanced down at his work, and briefly frowned as if suddenly recalling it. But to the boy's further astonishment, the man quickly waved a hand; and with a smirk quipped at the teen, "I think I can afford being 'busy' later…"

Danny grinned a little more widely this time, feeling a little more weight lift off his heart. At least the man didn't think this was a lame idea. He then said, "OK, then. Meet you down there?"

Vlad calmly nodded right before Daniel morphed and phased through the floor. But the man just chuckled amusedly at the boy's antics. And perhaps his light laughter was also from relief. Seeing the teen happy again lifted a heavier weight off his shoulder than he could have ever imagined.

Truly, he was not sorry for ending his relationship with Skulker... Even if he had not fought with the ghost about what happened with Daniel, they would have ended up breaking off their agreement over something else, anyways. The truth was that from the moment the boy had come in between them, their alliance had been destined to be absolved. After all, Skulker strongly believed that with his employer's caring for the teen, he was siding with the boy, and, in turn, going against everyone who hated Daniel, including the hunter himself.

But what Skulker had failed to realize was that he, Vlad Masters, Vlad Plasmius, sided with no one. He made his own side. And he was the one who chose whom he wanted on his side, including the young hybrid. If Skulker or whoever else was not interested in remaining by his side because the boy was now here, then so be it. He meant what he told the hunter: Daniel was worth more than several of him…

So, then... why had talking about Skulker troubled him so much…?

Vlad's lighthearted demeanor melded into a frown. But he quickly shook his head again. No, he did not regret it. He couldn't, because the end of his relationship with Skulker had been the turning point between him and the younger hybrid. It had led to whatever relationship he now had with Daniel. And that was something he did not want to lose. So, no, he could not regret any of the events that led them to this point…

Just like now he could not regret the hard decision he had made regarding Jack…

But Vlad sighed away the thought, not wanting to dive into it at the moment, let alone recall how much harder it was now going to be to get Maddie at his side… None of that mattered at the moment. He just wanted to go practice with the teen, as if nothing had happened. Or rather, as if their compromise now meant things were only going to get better between them. Vlad could only hope, wait, and see…

But just as the man's lighthearted smile began to return, it suddenly slipped away as another thought came to mind from what the boy had recently said to him.

"You don't think it was Skulker who set me up with Walker… do you?"

Did Daniel also suspect the same ghost he did for that? Or did the boy just conclude that Skulker was not responsible, but still didn't know who was?

Vlad eyes slightly narrowed. It didn't matter. What mattered to him was that ever since the incident in the forest between Daniel and those parasitic ghosts, the man now had a very good idea who really had betrayed him.

And that was something he needed to resolve as soon as possible….

Still, as the man closed his computer and walked out of his study to head to the simulation room, he also knew he needed to approach this matter with care. But, fortunately, he had already thought exactly how he was going to do that, and at the same time, bring his suspicions and that matter to an end--once and for all.


Heh. As you guys can see, we are getting close to a long awaited climax---not the ending climax, but another. I think you guys know… *winks* So, until then, share your thoughts, please! Thanks again for all you support!