Disclaimer- All hail Butch Hartman, the creator of DP! I'm broke, I do this for fun, I own no one but Cade! And speaking of... Taking this moment to state unequivocally that Cade is still a supporting character. He's not going to find out about Danny any time soon. He's not going to take the spotlight. That said, he DOES have a back story that may or may not become important here, and he IS going to be a bit...er... more active in this particular installment than normal... aw heck, you'll see what I mean. BTW, this particular piece occurs AFTER "Reign Storm." This is important.

Interlude 2

Open House

Okay, and that is the final nail in the coffin of the "trouble at home" theory, Cade decided. It was Casper High's annual "Open House" night, when parents and school staff could meet in a less-formal setting than a parent-teacher conference. It was also generally the only time auxiliary faculty like himself got a chance to see just what type of homes the students he was used to came from.

The Fentons had been the first set of parents introduced to him, embarrassed children in tow. He could see why neither Jazz nor Danny particularly wanted to involve their parents in their troubles; Jack and Maddie Fenton were overprotective, overenthusiastic, and to be blunt, a bit obsessive. But if either of them had ever raised a hand to either of their kids, he'd eat his textbooks. Without salt.

So the only thing Danny had to fear from his parents was terminal embarrassment, which didn't exactly differentiate him from any other fourteen-year-old Cade had ever met. Similarly, the Foleys seemed to be rational, down-to-earth people, if a bit too normal to be believed.

The Mansons, on the other hand... Ozzie and Harriet would probably die from sugar shock. They were probably the same type of people who'd protested Dungeons and Dragons when he was in college, and for much the same reasons as they opposed their daughter's choices in music and clothing. Sam's unusually modest outfit was almost certainly a compromise... the style was outdated even in HIS eyes, but it was black. She caught him looking at her, and flashed him an exasperated eyeroll. Quickly he hid his grin behind the cup of punch in his hand.

Neither Tucker's parents nor Sam's showed any worry about their children, but he'd caught both Jack and Maddie Fenton giving their son concerned looks as the night went on. Obviously both of them had noticed SOMETHING, even if they didn't know specifics.

And... yep, right on time. Am I good or what? Cade thought, seeing Maddie leave her husband chatting with one of the gym teachers to cross the distance between them. Setting his cup aside, he prepared himself for the conversation.

"Dr. Maboroshi... could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, Mrs. Fenton... come on, I think there's a couple chairs over here. We'll probably need to sit down for this."

Once they were ensconced in the semi-private alcove, Maddie sighed, running one hand through her short hair. "Doctor... I'm sure you're not surprised, but... I wanted to talk to you about Danny. He's been acting so strange lately, and frankly, Jack and I are at our wits' end. We just don't know what to do."

Cade crossed his legs, leaning back slightly. "Well... I can't tell you too much, to be honest. Your son doesn't talk to many people, according to everything I've seen and heard, and I'm certainly not one of the ones he talks to. After the last school psychiatrist he saw, I can't say I blame him. Still... he's a good kid, that much is obvious. I don't think he's involved in anything criminal or dangerous."

Only a half lie, he thought to himself, wincing slightly. I'm SURE it's not criminal. Not so sure about the danger, but... With a sigh, he forced his attention back to the woman before him.

"It's just that he's NEVER acted this way before! He actually cut class a month ago to go to that... Gothic circus, his grades have plummeted, he's gotten into fights, he misses his curfew repeatedly, he never does his chores... And he just seems to pull further and further away every time we try to reach him!"

Cade frowned. "He's distracted a lot? Like he's thinking about something else?"

That got a nod. "Yes, exactly. I thought it might be a girl, but the only girl he's ever around is Sam, and... well, she's not immature enough to let him act like that."

"No," he said slowly, "I'd agree with you there. The fights aren't anything to worry about, they're just because he's not letting himself get pushed around anymore, and the school bullies aren't picking up on that quickly enough. As for the rest of it, I'm not sure what to tell you, except that pushing the question is only going to make him clam up further. He's afraid of something, but... I couldn't tell you what it is."

Just then, Jack's booming voice cut through the entire room.

"Hey, V-Man! What brings you here?"

Cade looked up to see the large ghost hunter enthusiastically greeting a smaller, slimmer man with white hair and an expensive suit. A quick glance at Maddie showed her wearing an unreadable expression.

"Well, Jack," the newcomer replied, brushing himself off after Jack's greeting, "This IS a community open house, and I thought it might be a good opportunity to see if I couldn't... mmm, contribute something to your children's education. After all... you're practically family."

Okay, stop bristling. It's REALLY bad manners to snarl at somebody you haven't even met, Cade told himself, as he and Maddie both stood. He followed her across the room towards the white-haired man, hoping for an introduction. As he crossed the floor, he noticed Danny's thunderous expression. If looks could killed, the sharply-dressed stranger would be a smoking crater on the floor at that point.

"Ahh, Maddie," the smaller man smiled, kissing Maddie's hand as she approached. "You look as lovely as ever."

Her smile wavered slightly, then firmed. "And you're charming as ever, Vlad... Dr. Maboroshi, may I present Vlad Masters, a friend of the family? Vlad, this is Cade Maboroshi, the Casper High school counselor."

The two shook hands, but Cade was acutely aware of the older man's assessing gaze. In return, the psychiatrist made no attempt to hide his own scrutiny. Smart. Powerful. And accustomed to getting what he wants. Why does none of that make me like him any better? Of course Cade had recognized the name. It would be hard NOT to have heard of Vlad Masters, the billionaire tech tycoon, a man who had a finger in every computerized pie from here to Japan. And this man was friends-- apparently very close friends-- with Jack and Maddie Fenton. And their son hated his guts. This was probably going to get very messy.

"A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Maboroshi," Masters said, releasing his grip. "But I was under the impression that Casper High had a different psychologist in residence?"

"Oh, you must mean Dr. Spectra... no, she left quite suddenly a few months ago. Apparently her abilities far outstripped her ethics, and she left rather than face professional censure. You could say I was called in for... damage control."

Masters' expression never changed from mild concern, but Cade had a feeling none of what he was saying was news to the man. Vlad was feeling him out, conducting a threat assessment on an unknown. Quickly, the psychiatrist stomped down on the feral smile he'd been told he wore in the sparring ring. He might know this was a duel, but it was better not to broadcast that knowledge to his opponent just yet.

"Well, it is comforting to know that our students are in such capable hands. Luckily, you weren't lured away by the more... prestigious career options that surely were available to you."

Is he saying I'm not good enough to be anything but a high school counselor? Cheap shot. Cade was feeling more and more justified in not liking this man.

"Well," he replied aloud, "kids need somebody who will actually pay attention to them, which not everyone in the psychiatric field does, even with the best of intentions. After all, teenagers are a lot smarter and more capable than a lot of people give them credit for."

Oh, a flinch! That hit a nerve, and I'd bet it has to do with Danny... what the HECK is going on between a high school freshman and a business tycoon that justifies THAT kind of threat awareness?

Masters smiled. "You are an insightful man, Dr. Maboroshi. I wonder, do you play chess? Aside from Jack, I so rarely find stimulating opponents for the game... Tactics are a component sadly lacking from most current educations."

This time, Cade didn't stop the smile he felt brewing. "Mr. Masters, I would be delighted to indulge you in a game. As a matter of fact... there's a game board in my office. If you'll grab one of the tables, I'll go get it right now."

The answering smile on the white-haired man's face was no less predatory. "I would be more than happy to." The two men parted ways, leaving Jack and Maddie blinking, expressions indicating they knew they'd missed something, they just weren't sure what.

Once seated, Masters took the black pieces, to Cade's lack of surprise, leaving his opponent to make the first move. Nudging one of the middle pawns forward, the younger man rested his chin on his fist, idly overlooking the board.

"So... Seriously, what brings somebody like you to a little school function in Amity Park?" Cade asked casually. "You don't have any kids of your own in school here."

"Sadly, no... my work has left me little time for social interaction," the other man replied, long fingers maneuvering a knight out to the front lines. "Jack, Maddie, and I have known each other since college, so if I can use my resources on behalf of their children..."

"Right, of course. Jazz certainly shows a lot of promise... I don't think half the students I went to school with had her level of insight, even in their twenties."

Masters blinked, thrown off-track ever so slightly. "Jazzmine? Yes, she really is an intelligent girl. Takes after her mother in that, certainly. I have no doubt she'll go far in whatever field she chooses."

But you don't really care about her, do you? Cade mused, sliding his bishop out onto the board. You've barely given her a thought. Which brings up the question of why an obvious predator like you is focusing on a hard target like Danny.

"And Danny really takes after his dad," he continued aloud. "Poor kid. We all turn into our parents, but fourteen's a bit early for it."

"I don't know," the businessman replied, the barest hint of irritation in his voice. "Daniel seems to be possessed of a bit more subtlety than his father ever possessed." Then he stopped, flashing a charming smile. "Jack is unfailingly honest and... immediate. One of his more appealing qualities, I think."

Translation, you think he's a sucker. I got news for you, Masters, I think you've underestimated your 'best friend.' Outwardly, though, he just shrugged.

"Yeah, Danny's got a bit more finesse than his father, at least from what little I've seen of Jack. He's a good kid, even if he does have some problems... he's in my office a lot, actually."

"Well, I'm pleased to see that Daniel isn't allowing his stubbornness to get in the way of his mental health." Masters considered the board for a long moment, then slid his rook forward to capture Cade's bishop.

You're not worried about what he might tell me. You KNOW what his secret is, and you're sure he won't reveal it. Or is it that you don't think I'll believe what he has to say? The man was arrogant, but surely not enough to believe himself untouchable, or to have missed Cade's poorly-veiled distaste for him. Which meant... he was giving himself a headache. One thing was certain, Danny's secret, whatever it was, WASN'T any of the usual things people tried to hide.

Okay, time to shift gears here...

"It's hard to be fourteen and not have any clue as to who you can trust. Even harder when somebody takes advantage of that and cuts you off from the people who should listen to you. When everybody believes your enemy over you." Casually, Cade slid his queen forward. "Check."

"Enemy?" Vlad said, all innocence as he moved his king aside.

"Sure. Popularity contests in school these days pretty much ARE a war, you know. Check."

A black bishop glided forward to take the queen. "So they tell me. It's not surprising that Daniel would be... somewhat resentful, is it?"

"Nope. But lucky for him... Some of us are smart enough to look beyond outward appearances and actually LISTEN." Feral grin in full force, Cade moved his rook to capture the bishop.

"And you should really pay less attention to the queen and more to the 'lesser pieces, Mr. Masters... I believe that's checkmate." Reaching out, Cade toppled the older man's king, then rose and headed back to the rest of the open house, leaving his opponent staring at the board in silence.