A/N: Hey all, sorry this post took so long. I've had it sitting but between my job and this damn Corona I have been run ragged. I am considered "essential" so I am working double time and I just didn't think to finish posting this. That was my fault! I hope you enjoy this. We get a little bit of Vlad's perspective and get to see what he has been dealing with which Danny doesn't know about.

WARNINGS: Scene between two males. MXM

Entry IX

Things seemed to slow down a little after that night. I spent the next two days with Vlad and honestly the man was as clingy as a groupie. Not to say I didn't like the attention, but of the two of us, let's just say Vlad "nested" harder. I was mostly trying to come to terms with the effects our joining had on me. I felt...well...confident, secure, and focused. Vlad, on the other hand, seemed highly energized with a youthful vigor yet somehow more relaxed and far less paranoid.

The old bastard had been right, our cores balanced each other, my far less jaded emotions and youth giving him a much more healthy perspective on his interpersonal relationships, while his experience, age, and mental discipline delivered to me a sort of confidence and focus I had never had before.

All that being said, while I was trying to understand how this all worked and how it would affect me in the long run, Vlad had only one thing on his mind. He couldn't keep his hands to himself, and while it didn't bother me, I found myself under him and at his mercy far too many times. He was hungry for attention, affection, and sex and now that our cores were joined I could see a small hint of entitlement towards me and my body had started to form. I remember making a mental note to keep an eye on his entitlement and simply allowed the man his wants until this "nesting" period was over.

After all, the sex and attention were incredible and though it left me fatigued I wasn't going to say no to something so enjoyable. There were other things I noticed as well, such as our emotions still flowing between each other, but at a much less intense volume. It was now more like a small tingle in the back of my mind, and less an overpowering surge through my chest. I was aware of how Vlad was feeling but it did not overwhelm me or cause a physical or vocal reaction. Another change was that the only way we could hear each other's thoughts was if we both focused on it. I couldn't simply send him a thought, image or memory unless Vlad himself was alert and actively trying to receive it. I was relieved and yet confused as to why these things were less intense now than they were prior to joining our cores.

I didn't voice any of this to Vlad, simply allowing myself time to think about it, come up with my own theories and possibly an answer. That was another thing I had come to find, I seemingly enjoyed solving my own problems more than I did before. While previously I was often more apt to ask questions of friends, family or others I now seemed just as happy trying to solve problems on my own. Another trait of Vlad's no doubt.

There was a part of me that felt unsure about it, and Vlad did pick up on those feelings, but the man was quick to soothe me, quick to tell me that we both just needed time to adjust. He himself found it difficult to control his sexual desires, feeling more akin to a twenty-year-old than the fifty-year-old man he was. He also found while his emotions seemed to flux more, he had a rather good hold on them and was more easily able to dismiss his feelings and accept them for what they were rather than obsessing over how those feelings felt in general. No longer thinking his emotions and thoughts were attacking him he was much more expressive and less quick to anger than before.

I felt better than I had in months, but it wasn't until Monday that I realized just how big a benefit bonding with Vlad would be for me. He had picked up some of my traits, but I had also picked up some of his, which meant complicated and annoying things like science and math….well….let's just say I wasn't worried about keeping up with my courses anymore. Vlad, on the other hand, seemed to inherit some of my more mischievous and playful tendencies and gave me a rather shocking surprise when Spring Break hit.

To this day, I still think he either spied on me during my month-long exile back to campus or he had picked up on the idea when he had ordered me to share my core with him the night we joined. Either way, he took my idea which I had shared with Sam and Tucker the previous month and amplified it by ten.

Damn, Fruit Loop.

I still felt a hesitance in our coexistence but it scared me far less than before. I was still trying to come to terms with how different we were. I sought answers on how to best fit into Vlad's life, how we would make such a relationship work when we would need to hide it for quite some time. I went back and forth on whether to tell my parents in the next few years or never tell them at all. I thought of the life Vlad lived, the world he was surrounded by and no matter how hard I tried to dismiss it, all I could see was my bumbling and unrefined self saying or doing something horribly stupid at some fancy party, or being considered nothing but a passing pleasure for Vlad amongst his colleagues. It made my insides crawl but anytime I even brought such things up Vlad knew just what to say and for a short time, my fears were sated.

I continued to get to know him, continued to submerge myself in his life and his desires. I found myself propelled towards trying to embrace this new path my life had taken while remaining grounded and level headed. I was happy, and really, that's all I wanted to focus on. But given who I was and how my life worked, things always cropped up. A random party here, a ghost attack there and never in a million years would I have ever imagined Vlad and I fighting side by side, but then again, there are no certainties in life….

Chapter Nine

Knowing Me, Knowing You

Danny smiled excitedly as he expertly flipped the meat in the pan, "And I knew all the answers. It was like they were in my head the entire time but I could actually find them. It was great, I spent three hours studying and laid waste to the test. I guess it's true what they say, the pen is mightier than the sword." Danny mused, turning the heat down a little as he browned the beef.

"That's excellent, Daniel. Nice being able to focus isn't it." Vlad mused from his spot at the island as he looked over some papers from work and signed a document seconds later.

"Yeah yeah, thank you, Vlad, the almighty super tester. Look, I know this new ability of mine to focus and retain is from you, but could you just let me have a little pride of my own? I mean, come on, I did do all the studying, after all, your little boost of mental acuity wasn't the only reason I passed, ya know."

"Of course, Little Badger, I didn't mean to detract from your accomplishment. Now, tell me, do you find you actually retain more information in general or is it only what you study in school?" Vlad asked near absent-mindedly.

"Huh, I'm not sure. I mean, obviously I noticed the difference in my mental clarity pretty quickly, but so far as I know I've only gotten better at keeping what I've learned in my head and regurgitating it. Why?" Danny added water and a flavoring packet to the beef and started to mix it all together, eyeing the rest of the taco fixings as they sat in bowls further down the counter, his stomach grumbling angrily as it waited impatiently to be fed.

"Well, Little Badger, I myself, have a strong ability to recall things I've seen in passing. I thought perhaps you might gain that as well, but I wasn't sure." Vlad mused as he moved on to the next document.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked as he finished stirring the meat and moved to pour it into the last empty bowl.

"Well, for example, I remember what I wore January 1st, 1968, I was eight years old. A yellow sweater, blue jeans, and tiny orange trainers."

Danny laughed lightly as he brought the pan back to the stove, turned the heat on low and wiped the remaining grease away. But his laughter suddenly died when his brain did the math, "Wait if you were born in 1960….that would mean...your fifty years old." Danny said turning to look at the man in shock.

"Yes? You're point?" Vlad asked, his eyes never leaving the paper and his voice sounding less than interested, "You...you really haven't aged a day since forty have you." Danny said softly walking over to him and looking at his face. Vlad didn't look like a young man, but he certainly didn't look fifty. The youngest Danny would guess was actually just that, forty, definitely not younger but the man didn't have a single line or spot on his face that would indicate he was as old as he was. Even people that took care of themselves, around fifty tended to lose some of their youthful lusters. An age spot here, a heavy laugh or frown line there, bags under their eyes, some veins sticking out just a little bit more, but Vlad seemed to have stopped aging just prior to such small things setting in. His skin still looked healthy, with no spots, deep lines, wrinkles or dryness. His hair had no signs of thinning, and his hands didn't show a single sign of veins starting to show under thinner skin.

Vlad's dark blue eyes finally looked away from the work in front of him and at Danny, "No. I was waiting for the issue to arise, for my eyes to get worse, for joint pain and hair loss to start but it never came. I ran a few short tests and made the realization that I wasn't aging but have yet to look into how long I will actually remain this way. It is something you need to come to terms with Daniel. Honestly, it's not so-"

W-wait! What if I've stopped aging now!? I'll look nineteen forever! No one will ever take me seriously if I look like a stupid kid!" and Danny felt panic set in but a pair of firm hands came to his shoulders and Vlad spoke calmly, "Daniel, stop. I was twenty when I was turned and I didn't stop showing signs of aging until I was forty. You were thirteen, so, taking that into account what can you theorize about when you will stop aging?" Vlad asked.

Danny stopped to think about it and looked at Vlad sheepishly, "I'll….I'll probably be in my thirties."

"Excellent. Yes, assuming it works the same for you as it did for me you will stop aging in the prime of your life….lucky little thing you are." Vlad said with annoyance.

Danny's eyes lit up then as he smiled teasingly, "So...that means...I'm always going to look younger than you. Even when we get to the point of being old and gray."

Vlad rolled his eyes, "Charming." and he leaned forward and kissed Danny softly before he whispered, "That being said, I expect you to be nicer to me in my old age."

"Not a chance, Fruitloop." and Danny wrapped his arms around the man's neck and found those lips again.

After a moment he felt Vlad's arms come around him and hug him closer, the man humming softly as Danny's hips came to rest between his knees. The kiss deepened and those large hands tentatively started to roam his body.

"Let's go upstairs-" Vlad purred when they finally stopped and Danny scoffed playfully and pressed his foreheads to Vlad's as he said, "No way, Fruitloop. You've had enough attention the last few days to last a lifetime. Besides, I'm hungry and dinner is ready." and Danny went to pull away but Vlad held him stubbornly in place, "But-" he whined softly as he kissed the young man's neck and let out a long slow breath.

Danny's skin erupted in goosebumps but he remained stoic and said with a chuckle, "No buts, I don't want the meat getting cold and my stomach has been rumbling for the last hour. Maybe after dinner, if you get your homework done." Danny playfully mocked as he motioned to the papers strewn all over the islands marble surface.

Vlad finally relented and let Danny move towards the taco fixings as he held on his face a look of regret, "What is all this again?" Vlad asked as he eyed the bowls and the small pile of tortillas.

"Build your own tacos. See, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, and beef with taco seasoning. You just put the tortilla into the warmed up pan like this-" and Danny did just that, taking a softshell and placing it in the now clean pan over low heat, "Wait until it's nice and warm and then stuff it full of whatever you want and eat the crap out of it!" Danny loaded his tortilla with beef, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. He then professionally wrapped it before taking a big bite and turning to look at Vlad who was staring in horror.

"Wha?" Danny asked through a mouthful of food, "It's delicious, mom used to make them all the time." Vlad's dark blue eyes went from the rolled-up tortilla to Danny's mouth and then quickly to the fixings before he sighed and shook his head.

"Right. Let's give it a go." and the man stood and prepared his own taco, his ability to roll it correctly and keep the insides from going anywhere not near as good as Danny's. The young man laughed a little at the mess he made as Vlad ate. The next time through Danny showed Vlad the best way to wrap the tortilla so as not to make such a mess.

"Put all your ingredients to one side, that way you have more room to roll, and halfway, tuck one of the sides and roll over it so it works to hold the stuff in." and Danny showed him as he spoke, handing the man a much better-wrapped taco.

"That's not how a taco is meant to be, both sides are usually open-" Vlad commented sourly and Danny laughed, "They are tacos, yes, but it's much less messy to eat if you do a sort of half-burrito style role. Anyway, what do you think?"

Vlad was on his second one and had yet to say anything but as he took a bite, chewed and swallowed he smirked, "I must admit, better than I expected. Though, they hardly compare to the food I am used to."

Danny's smile faded and he took his plate and his third taco to the island where he sat and a gray cloud seemed to form over his head. Vlad both noticed and felt the young man's sudden shift and he brought his own plate and food to sit next to him, "What is it, Daniel? Have I offended you, I didn't mean to-"

"No, No, I am glad you like them. It's just...well...I've been thinking about that. The things you're used to. Being a billionaire and all, and I was just...well….do you really think this will work out? I mean, the other night, you were right, about me growing and changing in the next however many years. I am barely at the beginning of my adult life and...well...considering who you are...I mean...would you be...do you think you'd be...would going out to some fancy restaurant with someone like me...an average person… I've never had a hundred dollar meal before… would you be embarrassed to be seen-"

Vlad's hand came to Danny's shoulder and he looked up to see Vlad staring at him intently, "No, Daniel. I'd not be embarrassed to share dinner with you at some fancy restaurant."

"Really? I mean, I don't even know proper etiquette or anything, I can't speak French or any other language and I really wouldn't even know how to order-"

"Daniel, you always seem to forget one very important thing." Vlad offered softly as he brought a hand to the young man's chin and raised his face back up, "What's that?"

"I was born into poverty. When I was thirteen, I was lucky to have three meals a day. Comparatively, how you grew up with your mother and father, your family would have seemed insanely wealthy to me. I had to learn how to exist in the world of wealth and fame. And there were plenty of people voting for me to fail. I made a lot of mistakes, in both etiquette and the proprietary lifestyle. I don't expect you to fall in line the way I did. I want you to stay just as you are. And I don't expect you to play the rich man's housewife either. You have your own thoughts and opinions, you have your own way of doing things, I expect you to want to work and travel and experience life. I don't ever want that to change and I certainly don't want you to feel like you have to be someone you aren't just to please me."

Danny shook his head softly as a smile finally crept back onto his face, "I love you." Danny said, the words having slipped out as a wash of emotions such as affection, gratitude and disbelief came to him.

Vlad stared a moment, not having heard those words straight from Danny's mouth since their conversation in the snow. Vlad leaned in then and kissed him, taking Danny's face in both hands and moaning as he did so. As he pulled away he whispered, "Say it again. One more time."

Danny chuckled and looked Vlad in the eyes, saying so softly, "I love you, Vlad." The man moaned before pressing their lips back together and his hands left Danny's face only to start pushing at Danny's clothes.

Vlad's lips left his and skimmed down his throat towards the sweet spot between Danny's neck and shoulder and Danny's hands gently pressed at Vlad's chest, "Vlad, wait, dinner, we need to finish dinner. I just...we should wait, go upstairs and-" Vlad bit, his fangs sinking in and Danny felt his arousal which had been a dull ache ignite.

It was still a very odd thing, everything had faded since their bonding. Danny's ability to feel Vlad's emotions now a more subtle pulse in the back of his mind. They could only hear each other's thoughts if they focused directly on each other and in general one could even say they were mostly back to normal. Yet, whenever Vlad's fangs broke Danny's skin it was as if they had returned to their very first time out in the farmlands of Wisconsin.

Danny often wondered if he had fangs and he bit Vlad if it would have the same effect. Unfortunately, Danny didn't have fangs and he wasn't so sure he'd want them anyway. But the ability to put Vlad into such a euphoric and helpless state would be really useful.

Still, all thoughts seemed to slide away from him as his arousal pulsed to life and food or the bedroom became obsolete. Fingers yanked at his pants, the sound of stools clattering to the floor and plates being shifted aside came to his ears but Danny's eyes were locked on the ceiling at his pupils dilated and his length became ungodly hard.

His hands went to Vlad's pants, yanking at the belt, buttons, and zip, wanting to once again submerge in the waters of love and lust.

"Please, do not think of me as a beast for what I am about to do," Vlad whispered out as he finally removed his fangs and kissed at Danny's lips.

"What...what are you going to do-" but Vlad's hands came to Danny's hips, pressing the young man's loose jeans down and they pooled around his ankles. He turned Danny swiftly and pressed him against the island, bending him over and coming up behind him.

"I love you, Daniel. I don't want you to think...this seems a little rough and crude, but I...just.." but the man didn't finish, instead, pressing into Danny's back before aligning his length and then slowly pushing in. Danny gasped, the feeling of being stretched never failing to surprise him as Vlad took him from behind while he was bent over the island.

Vlad wrapped one arm across Danny's front, the other coming to press fingers into his hair and gently fist at the black locks. He continued to slide in, and when he reached the young man's end he shuttered and placed kisses on Danny's ear, temple and cheek.

Their emotions flowed back and forth between each other as Vlad took Danny in the kitchen. Love, affection, lust, desire and need swirling in and out, using their bond to create a heightened state of euphoric bliss that turned both men into the moaning, grunting messes currently on display.

Danny came quickly, hands fisted before him on the island as he felt the pleasure pulsing through him. His mouth opening to let out a long groan and his legs shaking from the release. Vlad followed a few minutes later, hitching into Danny hard as he gasped and gave a gentle bite to the back of Danny's shoulder.

The two remained standing in this position for several minutes, panting, resting and trying to come down from the high.

"You're so unfair," Danny muttered when Vlad finally took the time to carefully pull out and allow Danny to stand, the young man reaching shaking hands for his pants which were still pooled around his ankles.

"I apologize, but if you weren't so damn enticing this wouldn't be such a problem." Vlad countered as he too righted his clothing and made to start cleaning up the disheveled kitchen. Danny helped him pick up the stools before going to the sink to grab a rag so he could wipe up the spilled tacos that had been pushed out of the way.

"You have no respect for food, you know that?" Danny teased as he wiped the mess of taco innards from the counter onto one of the plates and headed for the garbage can.

"Not true, I love food, I just love you more and you are far more delicious than any food I could eat." Vlad sniffed as he began the process of packaging up the unused taco fixings, "You are done, correct?" he asked, looking towards Danny who was now putting the plates into the dishwasher.

"Yeah, yeah, but you did ruin taco night, so I want compensation." He said crossing his arms as an evil smirk came to his face.

Vlad glanced at him, his hands working to move the ingredients from the bowls to a plastic container and pressing a lid on it, before bringing both the stack of dirty bowls and the leftovers to Danny. The young man placed the bowls in the dishwasher next to the plates as Vlad said contritely, "What, the pleasure you received wasn't compensation enough?"

Danny let out a soft scoff of amusement as he took the Tupperware from Vlade and raised a cocky eyebrow, "Not nearly."

Vlad leaned forward, a rather wicked smirk of his own lingering on his lips as he gave Danny a quick kiss, "What then, must I do to make up for my egregious mistake, Little Badger?"

Smiling Danny looked Vlad in the eyes and said, "Oh I don't know, maybe some ice cream, and a couple of hours worth of working on Chief. Sounds fair to me."

Vlad sighed before he stood and walked to the fridge, Danny walking behind him and placing the leftovers on the right side before Vlad opened the freezer on the left, "Pick your poison, young man."

Danny's eyes grew wide when he saw the selections of ice cream and he glanced at Vlad and said softly, "Wow, sweet tooth much?"

"Yes, well, you know us bitter people, we do love to wallow in self-pity and the only way to do so efficiently is with large quantities of ice cream and television."

"Damn-" Danny mused before a soft chuckle came from his chest and he reached for one of the many quarts of ice cream that filled the space, "Alright, let the self-pity begin."

Two hours later found the pair of men in the garage, surrounded by half a dozen half-eaten or empty quarts of different flavored ice creams while they were bending over the engine.

"Well, this should be it. Still a lot of work ahead of us, but the final cap is on. Why don't you give her a start." Vlad said, wiping an arm across his forehead and standing up straight.

"Really? You think she's ready to go?" Danny asked with excitement and Vlad took the keys from the front pocket of his mechanic overalls and dangled them before Danny, "Well, obviously we have a ways to go on the bodywork but I think the engine is finally put back together. Let's see if she turns over." and Danny snatched the keys quickly before jogging to the side and getting in the driver's seat, taking a deep breath and putting the keys into the ignition.

He hesitated and glanced at Vlad through the windshield only to see the man give a thumbs up and Danny turned the key. The engine purred to life sounding a million times better then it had before and then idled quietly as it waited to be put into drive.

"Oh my god, we did it...we...we did it!" Danny said with excitement and he launched from the seat and rounded the front, looking down onto the engine to see everything running smoothly, no grinding, knocking, sputtering or high pitched whirring.

"Yes!" He said with so much pride and excitement, throwing fists in the air and jumping in circles, "HELL YEAH!"

"And there you have it, with a little TLC and patience, even something as old as Chief gets the opportunity of a second chance," Vlad said with a smirk as his eyes filled with affection and he watched the young man before him running around and cheering.

Danny swiftly turned and ran to him, knocking the man over as he wrapped arms around him and they tumbled to the floor.

"Daniel, what on Earth-" Vlad had started with annoyance before Danny's lips came to his and silenced the older man with a kiss. When he pulled away he smiled down at Vlad and said softly, "Thanks, Fruitloop, I couldn't have done it without you."

Vlad gave a soft smile and was about to pull Danny down for another kiss when suddenly Danny's ghost sense went off and he frowned, "What the hell, a ghost? Here?" and suddenly Danny was jerked off of Vlad and tossed across the garage, slamming into a wall before falling down and landing on the roof of one of Vlad's many cars. His head smacked the windshield, the glass breaking from the force before Danny's limp body rolled off and landed with a harsh thud on the cold cement ground.

Vlad was up and transformed within seconds as his red eyes narrowed dangerously. He continued to scan the space as he slowly inched towards Danny, desperate to get to him but not willing to let his guard down and fall victim to the same invisible attack.

"Show yourself, coward!" Vlad yelled and as soon as he spoke Skulker suddenly appeared with a gun pointed right at Danny.

Instant relief and excessive annoyance spread through him and Vlad growled and his fists clenched, "Skulker, you blundering imbecile! What in the hell do you think you are doing!" Vlad yelled as he stomped over to the hunter and shoved the man's gun away and off its line of sight on Danny.

"The whelp was attacking you! I thought-" Skulker started but Vlad turned swiftly and smacked the ghost across his face.

"You idiot! He wasn't attacking me!" Vlad snarled before he kneeled down and brought a hand under Danny's head, it was retracted swiftly when Vlad felt a wet warmth and found blood swept across his palm and fingers.

"Damn you, Skulker!" Vlad hissed as he fired a small burst of pink ecto energy at the hunter who managed to dodge and looked at the man with utter confusion, "I don't understand, Plasmius, the whelp is your enemy, why are you acting like he is of any consequence too-"

"Enough! I don't have time to explain! Daniel? Daniel, can you hear me? Wake up!" Vlad was greeted by a soft groan and a weak, "Vlad? What, what happened? Is there a ghost or…." but Danny was utterly knocked for a loop, his eyes hardly able to stay open and after a moment he was unconscious again.

"Jesus, Daniel, hold on, I am going to take you to my lab, we will get you patched up, Daniel? Daniel!"

"Uh...did I miss something?" Skulker asked and Vlad took Danny up in his arms and moved passed the hunter with quick even steps, "Plasmius?" Skulker called and the man turned swiftly as he hissed out, "Wait here you stupid fool!"

Vlad turned intangible and headed straight for his lab, sinking through the floor and reappearing in the center of the space. He quickly laid Danny down on a table and went about hooking him up to several monitors before he placed his hand on Danny's chest, closed his eyes and willed his energy in the young man before him. Suddenly Danny transformed into Phantom though he remained unconscious.

"I swear to God, Skulker, if he is seriously damaged I am going to kill you...repeatedly." Vlad quickly moved to grab a small metal cube which he raised high above Danny before pressing a button and an odd sound was made.

He then took the cube over to a scanner and spoke quickly, "Computer, display the images that were just taken."

On the large computer screen, three images of Danny's skeletal structure came up. The cube having taken several x-rays as well as having analyzed the youth's vitals. Vlad's red eyes moved swiftly over the images, noting that there were no broken bones, ruptured organs or internal bleeding. He'd be bruised but fine and didn't require any surgery.

Finally, Vlad's eyes moved to the x-ray of Danny's skull and his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Computer enlarge section D-6." The imaged zoomed in and Vlad saw a small hairline fracture in Danny's skull, no longer than an inch.

"Computer, is there any indication of swelling of the brain tissue or blood gathering in area D-6 of image."

"Negative. No swelling of brain tissue or blood gathering, a hairline fracture is detected."

Vlad seethed, "Likelihood of recovery without any lasting side effects or damage?" Vlad asked.

"98.7 percent chance of full recovery without any lasting side effects or damage." The computer responded and Vlad finally relaxed, "You are a very lucky ghost, Skulker." and Vlad turned and walked over to Danny. He placed a neck brace on him to hold Danny's neck and head still, before carefully turning the young man onto his side and looking at the back of his head. The cut was small and thankfully not very deep but Vlad would have to bandage and disinfect it, as well as remove a little hair.

"Daniel is not going to be happy about that." Vlad murmured. It took him about 15 minutes to shave off the hair around the wound, clean it and wrap it. After that, he injected a small amount of sedative and painkiller into Danny's arm and then took him up again in his arms and phased through the ceilings and floors above before entering into his room and laying the youth down on his bed.

He heaved a sigh of relief and very gently kissed Danny's lips before he pulled up the blankets and looked down at him. His heart was still pounding, even now, fear and anxiety finally starting to slip away before Vlad seemed to realize just how much danger Danny might come to find himself in in the future. While Vlad had been good going on four years now, he still had plenty of enemies. None would be above using Danny as a means to get to Vlad.

"Perhaps I was too impatient. Perhaps I should have forced myself to wait until my affairs were in order; until it was safe to pursue a relationship with someone. I suppose I was once again too selfish. I only hope you can give me the same patience I have given you. I still have a few hatchets to bury, but I promise it won't interfere with us...nothing will...ever...only us, Daniel, I promise." and Vlad sighed, turning away from his lover and placing his face in his hands.

The silence was soothing but wasn't meant to last, for as Vlad tried to get up the energy to go down and slice Skulker apart a soft cough met his ears and the man's hands fell away, his head turning slowly to look at the hunter who was now standing by the door, no doubt having phased up through the floor.

"I told you to wait." Vlad hissed out in hushed tones.

"I know, but the whelp is dangerous and you'd been gone a long time. I thought he might have-"

"Quiet." Vlad said in a whisper, "Outside, go in the hall." he urged and Skulker phased through the door and Vlad followed, glancing over his shoulder one last time before he stepped through.

"What is going on Plasmius? You have asked me to keep you apprised of the going's on in the Zone and I've been doing so, like a damn errand boy, you owe me an explanation of why you are suddenly so concerned with the little whelp's health."

Vlad glared daggers at the ghost but after a moment took a deep breath and finally transformed back into his human form, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Contrary to what others may think of you, I happen to know you're smarter than you are given credit. So why don't you just put two and two together, hm?"

Skulker looked from Vlad to the door, his eyes studying it as if he could see through to the youth resting on the other side. Perhaps he could, the technology was not beyond his ability and Vlad realized he was when those eyes flicked around as if searching the space of the room. No doubt he noticed Danny's dirty clothes, a book bag, homework strewn across the desk, a video game console that had been thoroughly used and even the spare toothbrush in the master bathroom.

Skulker's face morphed into one of shock before he slowly turned to look back at Vlad, "So...last month...when you were asking me about the mating habits of our kind-"

"Yes," Vlad said smoothly, waiting for the hunter to put it together.

"So...the ghost child….he was why...he was your selected, you chose him to be your-" Skulker trailed off for a moment before he looked down at his feet and winced, "So I….I attacked-"

"My mate, yes," Vlad said, his eye twitching a little as he studied the ghost before him.

"But I saw him, he was on top of you...he was going….to...oh….he was on top of you-" Skulker trailed off when he realized what else such a thing might imply and he brought the heel of his hand to his forehead, "Stupid."

"Yes, very stupid," Vlad said with quiet venom.

Skulker nervously rubbed at the back of his head before giving a big sigh, "Damn."

Slowly, he removed a machete from his belt, the thing extending while giving an ominous green glow, "Very well, make it quick." Skulker said holding the blade out towards Vlad.

"Whatever are you doing?" Vlad asked with annoyance.

"In accordance with our laws, the few we actually follow anyway, an unprovoked attack on someone's mate is punishable by death. I am an honorable hunter and ghost, so...do it." Skulker said and Vlad looked between the glowing blade and Skulker. Part of him, the part that was still rather angry, was tempted to do it. But in truth, Skulker hadn't known and so the law didn't really apply.

Reluctantly Vlad pressed the blade back towards its owner and sighed, "No. You didn't know. I had meant to tell you sooner and I put it off. You cannot be held accountable for your ignorance. You are forgiven. Now, what do you have to report?"

Skulker seemed surprised by this but didn't hesitate to take the out and as he put away the blade he spoke quickly, "There is movement, but nothing you need to worry about. High Priest Blasen seems to have taken your appeal for a truce and the territory you gave him as recompense. He isn't advancing and doesn't seem to have any interest in moving against you further. His followers and sycophants are standing down, they are no longer calling for your head."

"Good, one down, three to go. Any news on Lester and his rouges?" Vlad asked.

"Skulker shook his head before saying, "And Phineous Flame has withdrawn back into his territory. You may have talked your way out of a conflict with both Phineous and Lester but we won't know for sure until I speak to them. Though, I wouldn't consider giving them any territory unless you must. Anything you give them will fall too close to the territory you gave Blasen and they may see this as an attempt to insight a war between them. The less contact your enemies have with each other the better."

"Yes. Yes, good advice. I will have to come up with something for each, a peace offering that will soothe their aggressions and placate their need to retaliate."

"You could just give back what you stole," Skulker said as he put a hand on his hip and gave a rather quizzical stare.

Vlade glanced up at him and barked out, "I would if I still had the items I took! Pariah Dark's ring is gone and I no longer have access to the Book of Ages thanks to that blasted Spirit of Time! No, I will have to come up with something else." and Vlad brought fingers to his eyes as he grit his teeth and felt the muscles in his neck twitch.

"All that matters is Daniel. I want him to be safe. I can't risk simply walking away and those I have wronged coming after him. He's...He's become a weak spot for me and I can't afford to lose him. I'd...I'd not recover." Vlad managed, not looking at Skulker as he felt fear and worry wash through him and suddenly he felt cold.

Skulker watched him carefully, waiting to deliver the final blow. Vlad's eyes finally found his and the man sagged a little, "Earnestra?" Vlad asked though his voice sounded doubtful.

"Oh, she's pissed," Skulker said matter-of-factly as he crossed his arms over his chest and jutted a hip.

"Damn!" Vlad hissed out with annoyance.

"Well, you did reject her offer, which was pretty much rejecting her. A female like her would take it personally." Skulker said with a shrug.

"Obviously," Vlad said as he ran a hand down his face, "Thirty-some years of preferring female companionship and wanting to rule and dominate and Earnestra offers me the crown to her kingdom three months after I give it all up and fall in love with a young man. Guh, the irony!" Vlad said as he turned and headed for the stairs.

"No one said life was fair." Skulker offered and Vlad scoffed, "Tell me about it."

"You never told me why she wanted you to be her king, was there a reason?"

Vlad was heading for his study, needing a stiff drink and dimmer lights, his head was starting to hurt, "The only reason she wanted me as her king was because she thought I might give her insight on how to rule both the Ghost Zone and Human realm. If she had been a year earlier I might have taken her up on the offer, as it were, by the time she realized I was a halfa and how that might benefit her I was already interested in Daniel and had gone to great lengths to try and start some form of relationship with him." Vlad said, phasing through his study door and heading straight for the mini cocktail bar in the corner.

"Yes, about that, what made you suddenly set your sights on the whelp, uh...the ghost boy? Surely it's much more trouble than it's worth to try and coax an alliance out of him. Not to mention to try and get the little...uh...pup to consent to bond." Skulker asked as Vlad poured them both a drink and headed over to the couch in front of the fire, Skulker glancing as the amber liquid and cocking a brow before he followed Vlad over to the couch and sat next to him, resting an elbow on the armrest as he studied his quasi-friend carefully.

"It's a long story, Skulker, one I am sure would bore you to tears." and Vlad took a long sip of his drink before swooshing the liquid around a little and leaning back with a sigh.

"I'd like to hear," Skulker said carefully, having spent the last six years working for and trying to understand the half-human half-ghost before him.

Vlad's head slowly turned to look at him, "You would?" the man asked with confusion.

Skulker noticed the look in the man's eyes, a sort of doubt mixed with curiosity and as he had noticed over the last four years a certain lack of anger or annoyance.

"Yes. That's what...friends do….they share...don't they?" Skulker asked with a slightly nervous tone as if he had never had a friend before, which he probably hadn't, still, the hunter held Vlad's gaze and shrugged.

Vlad seemed to think about that a moment before the soft word, "Friends?" left his lips and he actually took a moment to register the idea as he too shrugged and finally said, "I suppose we are. I'm a piss poor one, but we are more than acquaintances and-"

"We are as close to friends as creatures like us can have. Will you share your hunt with me?" Skulker asked.

"My hunt?" Vlad asked as his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Yes. Finding and selecting a mate is much the same as a hunt. Very dangerous with a lot on the line, not to mention proving yourself worthy of their affection. It is a mighty challenge. So tell me of your hunt." and Skulker held out his glass and Vlad looked at it before he gave an almost amused smirk and clinked his glass with Skulkers, "Alright, I will tell you about my...hunt."

When Danny woke up his head was pounding. He groaned and went to sit up only to be hit with a wave of dizziness and a sudden twist of his stomach.

"I think I'm going to be sick-" he moaned as he closed his eyes and tried to make the room stop spinning.

"What the hell happened?" and as he looked around he didn't see his companion and called out weakly, "Uh, V-Vlad?" his vision kept blurring and everything seemed to be doubled. He held a hand up in front of his face, seeing two instead of the one and as he shook his head to try and dispel the blurry images a sharp pain hit him and hands came to his head.

He felt bandages but his brain didn't seem to want to recall how they got there. He also realized there was something stiff around his throat but couldn't figure how to get it off.

"Eh, is that a neck brace?" he said groggily out loud as his hands touched the thick item that sat around his neck. After several seconds of trying to recall what had happened, he stood from the bed and carefully made his way towards the door, hands stretched out before him in hopes of steadying himself only to realize he couldn't grab the doorknob.

Aside from the fact he was still sort of seeing two of them his hand had gone intangible and as he tried to focus on his hand and making it solid he didn't notice he was slowly starting to sink through the floor.

By the time he realized the doorknob was at eye level, it was too late and Danny sunk through the floor and was falling. He landed rather brilliantly on a couch, the yell dying from his mouth as he opened his eyes to see two faces peering at him, though they seemed to smear together.

His legs were splayed out awkwardly over Skulker while his head was in Vlad's lap and his butt rested on the cushion in between them.

Danny's head was still swimming and he pointed at Skulker and tried to shake his head and blink multiple times to clear his vision as his words came out in what sounded like a drunken stupor, "Skulkmer, fuckn'en Skulkmer, was he doin' herr-" and Danny took a weak swing which missed the ghost by a mile before his arms slow momentum propelled Danny off the couch and onto the floor.

"Dizzy, so dizzy, V-Vlad, what the hell...is...ugh." and he lay there dazed and unable to do much else.

"The whelp is helpless." Skulker said with a happy lear, "Don't you dare, you're already in hot water for attacking him in the first place. As I was saying, we have a truce and are now bonded, you don't get to attack or hunt him anymore." Vlad said just as Danny felt arms gently help to raise him from the floor and then pick him up.

Danny saw Skulker again and gave a weak thrash, "The hell you want, Skulkness, go away, I'm….hell I'm dizzy, you're fault, Vlade, Vlade punch him….I can't...too many of him...can't see-" Danny continued to try and get his words out as Vlad let out a heavy sigh before gently shushing him, "Calm yourself, Daniel. Skulker was your enemy, but he is my friend. And as you expect me to respect your friends, Miss. Manson and Mr. Foley I expect you to respect mine. Skulker didn't know we had a truce, he only attacked you because he thought you were attacking me."

"We were kissing!" Danny blurted out angrily, though Vlad saw the young man's eyes cross and he seemed to fall unconscious for a moment before snapping his eyes open and shaking his head.

"Good God, Skulker, you gave him a damned concussion. I will need to babysit him for the rest of the night, go back to the Zone and let me know the instant Earnestra makes a move towards my portal."

"Awe, but Ember and I were going to-"

"You nearly killed my mate and gave him severe head trauma. I chose not to kill you and instead request you keep an eye on my portal, just for tonight. I can retain watch by tomorrow, Daniel should be alright by then. Give Ember my apologies."

Skulker sighed but nodded, turning intangible and phasing down through the floor. Vlad looked at the young man in his arms who was moaning a little as he light blue eyes cracked open and he sighed, "Did you...did you drug me? I can't move my neck or h-head...everything is spinning."

Vlad sighed as he turned intangible and flew up through the ceiling towards his bedroom. Once there he laid Danny back on the bed and tucked him in, "Yes, I gave you both a sedative and a pain reducer. Between that and the knock to your head you are going to be relatively out of it."

"W-what happened?" Danny asked.

"I put a neck brace on you, it's uncomfortable but you can remove it tomorrow. You're in your ghost form and need to stay that way, for the time being, you will heal faster. That idiot Skulker came to visit me and saw us together on the floor and made the assumption you were attacking me. He...he thought he was saving me. Do try not to hold it against him, Little Badger."

"He's an asshole," Danny mumbled before he seemed to pass back into sleep and Vlad rubbed at his eyes again.

"To you perhaps, to me...he's...he's the closest thing to a friend I have." but Vlad was speaking more to himself than to Danny who was hardly in a position to talk. He took Danny's hand and brought it to his lips, giving a soft kiss before he left the young man's side long enough to disrobe and brush his teeth.

He took his hair tie out and looked at himself in the mirror, the fatigue of the day clearly written all over his face. His worn face hardened as he mumbled out softly, "Don't go soft. You need to maintain a little longer." Vlad urged himself as thoughts of Lester, Phineas and Earnestra came to his mind.

They can't know about my bonding with Daniel, you have to get this sorted soon. They will use Daniel against you. He can't be made to pay for your mistakes.

Vlad heard Danny groan and looked out to the young man in his bed, his heart swelling with affection but his mind filled with apprehension and anxiety.

No one is going to take you away from me. I'm yours and you...you are mine, Daniel. Nothing and no one is going to touch you.

Vlad finished his nightly ablutions and then came to bed, laying down next to the young man and watching him snooze.

If he knew how often I watched him sleep, resting so peacefully next to me...I don't think I can get much more creepy. But it's hard for me to believe this is real. Someone...someone actually chose me and it turned out to be the last person I would expect. It took me four years to reach this point. Months worth of patience and understanding. I don't even know where it all came from. Somehow...at some point...I simply learned how to wait...I suppose I have always waited. Waited for Maddie, waited for something to happen for me that I actually wanted. I have everything I need to give Daniel the best possible life...money...connections...power...but that isn't why he chose me. I still don't understand why he did because none of those things were ever a factor for him. Still, I have him now, we are bonded for life, he can't leave me...he took a risk larger than any other by placing his trust in me. I cannot break it, I have to resolve this and make sure my past mistakes don't come back to haunt us.

Vlad scooted closer to his lover, wrapping an arm around as he tangled their legs together, breathing in the young man's scent and feeling his body resting calmly next to his.

To not be alone anymore is a blessing, but to lose this….this proximity, this intimacy...I'd go mad. I cannot let anything happen to him. I must remain strong awhile longer, then...finally...I can just be. Just exist in this space with Daniel and be...I can be...happy. Happy for the rest of my life, with Daniel. Together, forever.

"Good night, Daniel," Vlad said softly into the young man's ear and he pressed his face into the side of Danny's head and took a deep soothing breath before settling in for a long night of snoozing on and off while checking to make sure Danny was doing alright.

His lover continued to rest peacefully beside him.

A/N: This had been a filler Chapter meant to set up for the last two which I will post next week. I didn't mean to make you guys wait this long. I am so sorry, Fanfiction just hasn't been the first thing on my mind. Too much crazy with the Rona I am so sorry. Hope you enjoyed this.