The Past is Present

Chapter 7: Party's Over


"This whole fame and fortune thing isn't so bad after all," Danny said, happily as he and Tucker sat in the cafeteria surrounded by the most popular and beautiful girls in Casper High, all of whom were giving him their undivided attention. "Maybe just don't try and mob a guy to get his attention next time," he added.

"Y'think the popularity'll last this time?" Tucker asked him.

"I hope so," he answered. "Y'know...I dunno, why but I've got the idea that I've forgot somethin'?" he added.

"Nah, man, I brought the tape recorder. This time we're gonna record every girl in school telling us we're cool," Tucker grinned, holding up his tape recorder.

"Oh, good," Danny chuckled.

"You didn't study for Lancer's test," Sam told him dryly as she walked past them. She'd sat with Jazz at a separate table rather than watch her two friends fawn over Paulina and Star.

"The test!" Danny cried, "Oh crud. My dad's gonna kill me...Vlad's gonna kill me, they're both nuts about my stupid grades!"

"We can help," Paulina told Danny and put her hand over his.

Danny blushed, "G...great, thanks," he stammered and Sam rolled her eyes.


Several hours later, Danny was enjoying himself at Paulina's party, he'd danced with Paulina for most of the afternoon and he felt as though he were on cloud nine. The huge garden behind the mansion was lit with hundreds of hanging stars and the fountain shone magically in the dim evening light. There was loud music and everyone was dancing happily.

"Man, this is great," Tucker declared.

"I know," Danny laughed.

"Danny, I'm thirsty, will you get me a drink?" Paulina asked him, batting her eyelids.

"Me too," Star said to Tucker.

"Sure," they both nodded and Tucker stared in jealous shock when Paulina gently dipped Danny's cheek and smiled at him. Then she waved as they walked away.

"Danny...Danny," Tucker waved his hand in front of Danny's face, "Come on man, back to planet earth."

"She...w...what're we errr..." Danny stammered.

"The girls want some drinks," Tucker told him.

"Right..."


After Danny and Tucker picked up some drinks from a large table filled with snacks, the went looking for Paulina and Star again.

"Where'd they go?" Tucker wondered.

"Think I can hear something over there," Danny said, pointing over to a small gazebo. They pushed back some expertly pruned leaves form the bushes and peered over.

Paulina, Star and Dash were standing there and Danny was just about to call over to them when he heard just what they were saying.

"...His family are ghost hunting freaks," Star complained.

"I know that!" Paulina scoffed, "But Vlad Masters is like, related to him or something and he's got more money than my parents!"

"They wear jumpsuits!" the blonde continued.

"Yeah, I saw them," Paulina sighed.

"Fenton and Foley are both freaks," Dash declared with his arms crossed.

"Have you even seen their house?" Star grimaced.

"Duh, we all have," the quarterback said, "You could probably see it from space."

"At least last time we could stop hanging out with them when the pageant ended. This time it's never gonna end," Star said.

"My mom told me to invite Danny to the country club," Paulina whined. "What if his parents show up? In jumpsuits! Hunting ghosts! It would totally ruin my social life for good and give me premature wrinkles!"

"Don't even joke about that," Star shuddered.

"Maybe it's a good idea," Dash shrugged, "Might be funny. Anyway, I'm the one with the biggest problem here! I can't wail on Fenton anymore! Not even a little bit! My mom works for Masters and if he finds out...mom says he'd probably fire her and ruin her career. And then we be...poor...and we'd have to live in a box! I can't live in a box! These are supposed to be my glory days!" he exclaimed.

"And what about us, huh?" Paulina snapped.

"Yeah," Star nodded.

"What? I just said I can't do anything!"

"Well, I..." Paulina began but Danny sighed and turned to his friend.


"You...err...heard that, right?" Danny muttered.

"Every word, dude," Tucker nodded, sadly.

"Man, Sam was right," the hybrid said. He walked heavily away from the gazebo and sat down on an elaborate metal bench. "The best thing to happen to us in high school and it lasted for like five minutes...again," he grumbled.

Tucker sat beside him. "Story of our lives, huh," he grumbled, "So...party's over, I guess."

"Yeah," Danny said, sadly, "Guess we should'a made the most of it, huh?"

"Yeah...and I was this close to kissing Star...this close!"

"You'd think a superhero'd know better," the hybrid muttered to himself.

"So...what now?" Tucker asked.

"I'm gettin' outta here," Danny stood, "There's no way I can stay here and smile when they're just gonna call us freaks behind our backs. They said it enough to our faces before anyway."

Before Tucker could reply, Paulina and Star called out to them, waving and walking over to them with picture perfect smiles on their faces.

"Hi, Danny, we were looking for you," she smiled at him.

"Yeah...errr...look," Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "We...err...we gotta right now," he said.

"You can't just go," Paulina replied, "This is my party, you're meant to be here."

"It's a...err...family emergency," Tucker said.

"Yeah and we gotta go...important...family emergency things to...sort out," Danny added, pointing in the opposite direction. "But err...great party...really...err...bye," he said, turning and walking away.

"Danny, wait!" Pauline exclaimed but Danny ignored her.

"This is just sad," Tucker remarked.

"Y'know what's worse?" Danny asked.

"What could be worse than that?"

"Apologising to Sam."

"...Oh, right."


"Man, that's a lot of money," Danny noted, sadly.

"Dude...Plasmius is rich," his friend replied.

"I'm not mooching off Vlad," Danny rolled his eyes.

"Why not?"

Danny sighed, "Guess I'm not going to the next Dumpy Humpty concert," he said. Without another word, he picked up the large box of movies which boasted of hours of special features and posters and a figurine of Sam's favourite horror film character.


"So...errr...yeah...I'm sorry," Danny said some time later to Sam, "We both are, right Tuck?"

"Err...yeah, totally sorry," Tucker nodded.

"They kick you outta the party or something?" Sam asked, clearly not convinced.

"You kidding?" Tucker snorted, "We just walked out," he lamented. "So not fair. And I was thiiiiiiiiis close to kissing Star! This close, I swear!"

"Ew," Sam pursed her lip, "Somehow I doubt that."

"Yeah, me too," Danny added with a small smile.

"Not funny," their friend crossed his arms, indignantly.

"Errr...got you this," Danny gave Sam the box of movies. "I err...I really am sorry. Should've listen to you in the first place..." he said.

"Yeah, you should've," she scoffed, "You use Plasmius' money to buy that?"

"No," Danny emphasised. "I err...used the money I was saving for the next Dumpty Humpty concert," he grumbled.

"Huh...okay then," the goth shrugged, placated. "So, movie night?" she said to them and they nodded.

Both Danny and Tucker breathed a sigh of relief at her wordless forgiveness as she led them to her family's huge home cinema.


Just after nine o' clock that night, after Jazz sent him a message telling him that he 'really, really, really needed to get home now,' Danny left Sam's and flew back to Fenton Works where he found Vlad scolding his parents as though they were children.

"Err...what's goin' on?" Danny asked, stunned.

"Go to your room and pack for the weekend, Daniel. You and your sister will be staying at my hotel," Vlad told him.

"I'm...what?"

"Just do it," Vlad insisted and Jazz ran in and led him away.

"What the heck is going on?" he asked her as they walked up the stairs.

"I erm...told Vlad about the err...and..." she began to explain when Vlad's loud voice overlook her.

"You have children, you fools!" Vlad snarled at Jack and Maddie. "How could you be so reckless?!" he demanded.

"Vladdie?" Jack frowned at him.

"I'm hardly in a position to judge, no wait, I am, because I'm the one who just dealt with your problems! Again!" he yelled at them.

"I was going to..." Maddie began.

"Maddie, my dear, I know where the money went and it wasn't on bills" Vlad said, scathingly. "I thought at least you had more sense! Throwing away your money chasing ghosts when you can't even pay to keep your house running!"

"But how do you..." she asked, "And anyway, we still had money left for..."

"Then why wasn't it paid? Why wasn't the kitchen stocked with food when I was here and why were two children left to fend for themselves while you were both too busy in the lab trying to blow yourselves to kingdom come?!"


"He did what! And why the heck did you tell him?!" Danny said as they sat at the top of the stairs, listening.

"I had to, Danny, I'm sorry," Jazz hung her head, sadly. "I asked him to help and he did. And he says we should stay with him this weekend while mom and dad sort out...I dunno...how they're gonna pay him back and stuff. And he's right about everything. This has been going on for too long," she replied.

"Errr...it has?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah...but I never told you. I didn't want you to worry."

"Oh..."


"Here's what's going to happen," Vlad told the Fenton parents in a tone which left no room for argument. "You are going to pay what you owe me in instalments. You're going to stop antagonising the electric supplier, of which by the way, I am now the main shareholder, by not tripping the power every week and you're going to stop using all unnecessary power to cut your bills. If you can't pay the next one I swear to you both, a court appearance will be the least of your concerns."

"Vladdie, come on, you know there's always bad months when it comes to ghost hunting..." Jack said.

"Then get other jobs. I worked three in college, remember? You think I wanted to work in a garage? In a café? Or a nightclub? Of course I didn't. But I had to otherwise I'd have been evicted and kicked out of college!"

"What other jobs could we possibly...I mean, this is all we've ever done, I don't..." Maddie sighed.

"Welcome to the real world, my dear, it's several decades too late, but here we are. You're not children, for crying out loud, stop acting like it. You have actual children to look after and if you don't start acting your age I'll be forced to step in."

"What'd you mean?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm their godfather, or did you forget? I have a legal obligation to ensure that they are well cared for. I don't call this neglect, being well cared for."

"But they're our children, we love them!" Maddie cried.

"Love doesn't put food on the table, Maddie. It doesn't keep you warm in winter and it certainly doesn't keep the bailiffs away because you refuse to pay your way."

"Life isn't just about money, V-man," Jack said, kindly.

"Maybe, maybe not," Vlad replied, "But you still have to pay your way. For Jasmine and Daniel's sake if nothing else."

"Maybe you're right," Maddie sighed, heavily and slumped onto the sofa. "Jack...we let things go too far," she said to her husband, holding his hand.

"But..." he began to protest but his wife's pained expression seemed to draw the fight from him. "Yeah, ah, Maddie, I'm sorry," he said, sitting beside her and hugging her.

Vlad turned away, grimacing at the sight and at the thought that he'd just brought the parents closer to the children thus, doing an exceptionally good deed when before, he'd have prodded the problem with a pointy stick to make it worse.

"Oh, and one more thing," Vlad turned back to them. "The children will be dining with me at my hotel every few days while I'm here as well as staying there over the weekend," he said.

"They will?" Jack asked, confused.

"Yes, they will," Vlad said.

"Vlad...you never said you wanted to be part of their lives," Maddie noted. "If you did all you had to do was ask," she said.

"Clearly I should've stepped in sooner," he replied, haughtily crossing his arms

"Yeah, Vladdie, you and the kids get on great," Jack smiled, "Always said you would."

Vlad sighed and dragged his hand across his face. "The issue here, isn't whether or not I get along with your two teenage children, it's the two teenagers I'm looking at right now that are the problem."

"Teenagers?" Jack asked, confused, looking around.

"I know, you're right, Vlad," Maddie said, ashamed. "And...I'm sorry, we both are. Whatever...happened...you were always there for us," she said.

"I wasn't put on this earth to keep your heads out of the clouds," he ground out.

"No...I know," she nodded, "And I'm grateful, Vlad, we both are."

"Then go down to that lab and turn it all off when you're not using it. Stop exploiting the electrical supply and stop treating your daughter like your own personal accountant!"

"Jazz...she's always been..." Maddie began.

"Mature for her age, yes, but she's not meant to be keeping track of your finances. You are," Vlad said.

"That's how you knew, wasn't it? Jazz told you," Maddie sighed.

"She asked me for help. A sixteen year old child was worried sick about her ridiculous parents going to court over a silly little unpaid bill."

"Well...maybe you're right, Vladdie," Jack admitted finally.

"Maybe I'm right?" Vlad repeated in disbelief and scoffed, shaking his head. "Well, this weekend will give you plenty of time to think about how on earth you're going to reimburse me for my troubles. Buying out that company wasn't cheap," he said, "You owe me."

"Yeah, we do," Maddie said, genuinely, "You really didn't have to actually buy the..."

"What was the alternative? I pay this time only to have you fail to pay the next one and be right back where we started? At least this way, I'll know if you fail to pay and your children won't have to babysit your bank account," Vlad said, scathingly. "Tell the children to meet me in my car when they're done," he said, storming out of the house.


Vlad was leaning against his car, smoking when Danny and Jazz emerged from the house, each carrying a luggage bag.

"Vlad..." Jazz began but Vlad shook his head and his expressions seemed to be enough to silence her. He then dropped his cigarette on the floor, stomped his foot over it and then he got into the car.

"Get in," he told them, so they did.

Before they'd even had a chance to fasten their seat belts, they were speeding away down the road, away from Fenton Works.


"Err...Vlad..." Danny uttered.

"Quiet," the older hybrid snapped.

"But I..."

"Be quiet," Vlad snapped again, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Why?

"Because I said so."

"Err..." Danny blinked.

"Vlad?" Jazz said, sounding surprisingly hopeful.

"Didn't I just tell you both to..." he began to snap but she spoke again.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you for helping us...for helping mom and dad," the teenager clarified.

"I'm not used to doing the rescuing," Vlad said after he sighed deeply.

"Well, it kinda feels like we're being kidnapped...y'know, if that helps," Danny muttered with a shrug.

"Add it to the list of all my other criminal activities," Vlad replied, uncaring, "I'm sure that ranks as one of the least threatening."

"Geez, relax, dude," Danny snapped.

"It's been a trying few days, Daniel, don't patronise me."

"Err...oookay then...sorry, I guess," he stammered, sheepishly.

"How was the party?" Jazz asked her brother, hoping to change the subject.

"Oh...err...well...it kinda went...okay...for a bit," he answered, turning to stare out of the window rather than at his sister.

"What'd you mean it was 'okay for a bit'?" she frowned, "What happened?"

"Look, it was all fine. We had fun, okay?"

"Doesn't look like it," Jazz remarked.

"Huh," Danny scoffed, "My own stupid fault. Should'a known better."

"An unmitigated disaster, was it?" Vlad raised an eyebrow and stared at the teenager in the rear view mirror. "What did you do?" he asked.

"Me?! I didn't do anything! It was them!" he exclaimed, angrily. "Me and Tucker were having a good time. We went to go get drinks for the girls and everything just...kinda blew up."

"Literally?" Vlad asked.

"Err...no. I mean, we went to go get drinks and we came back and heard them saying all these horrible things. I mean, they've called us dorks and stuff before like to our faces, so you'd think we'd be used to it...but this was just...worse! Like...they're only acting so nice 'cause they know I'm your godson now and..."

"Wasn't that abundantly obvious to you?"

"Well...kinda...sorta..."

"And they're usually quite pleasant to you, are they?" Vlad asked, perceptively, "These teenagers?"

"Erm...not really, no," Danny muttered, "Like I said they usually..."

"And you genuinely though that this would be any different?" Vlad scoffed, "You've got a lot to learn, Daniel."

"Hey, I just wanted to go to Paulina's party! But I should've listened to Sam. She said it was a bad idea," he grumbled.

"As much as I dislike the girl, at least she understands how money can change your life. People will treat you differently...to your face. Scratch the surface, and you'll find that they can't stand the sight of you. Perhaps I should have warned you, but I'd have thought it would be obvious. If they usually send so time making your life miserable, why was this incident so much worse?"

"I dunno, it just...yeah, they're usually pretty mean but...I dunno, it just really got to me. So we left the party and went to apologise to Sam."

"You should've stayed at the party," Vlad told him.

"Say what? Why?"

"This is likely to happen for the rest of your life, Daniel, to you and your sister now. You'll need to get used to it."

"But..."

"Get used to it, boy," Vlad repeated, sternly. "Learn to lie to their faces as much as they lie to you. You've been lying about your powers for several years now, so this should be easy. Yes, they still hate you, money won't change that, but you have the advantage of knowing that. Life will be a lot easier for you if they think you believe them to be sincere. I speak from experience, believe me."

"So...they lie to me about liking me and I lie right back about liking them even though they just said they don't, and we're all just...lying to each other? Why bother?"

"Because it's fun."

"Sounds dumb," Danny said.

"And lonely," Jazz added.

"You're calling my life 'dumb' and 'lonely'. Wonderful, thank you children," Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Call it like I see 'em, dude," Danny shrugged. "Anyway, they're not gonna be nice to me now that I just kinda left the party," he added.

"They will," Vlad insisted. "They need to. They'll act concerned and likely ask you to another party soon," he said.

"Great," Danny sighed, "What am I supposed to do if they do?"

"Say 'yes' of course. Go to the party, lie to them and smile and have a laugh at their expense. Some of them have quite well connected parents, they might be of use to you at some point."

"Geez, I don't wanna do that."

"Sounds like some kind of Victorian novel," Jazz said.

"Having spent time in Victorian England, and Daniel if you mention my age, I'll strangle you, I suppose it is very antiquated. But some things never change."

"I don't wanna act like I'm in some stupid old book," Danny snapped.

"You don't have a choice."

"Great. This is all your fault."

"Yes, it's also my fault that your parents will not be taken to court and that your house still has an electrical supply. My fault and my wealth. You should be thanking me for having such limitless resources."

"Maybe later," Danny rolled his eyes.


Vlad teleported them a short distance away from his hotel, drove up to the building and left an employee to park his car and left another with orders to have Danny and Jazz' bags brought up to his suite. He led the way through the hotel and along the way people mostly moved aside for him. When they reached the top floor they could see that it was just as grand, if not more so than the rest of the building that they'd passed. It was mostly decorated in neutral colours, with golden chandeliers, plush rugs and carpets, gold ornate mirrors and frames around expensive paintings hanging from the walls. It was stunning.

"Geez, overkill," Danny muttered, feeling very out of place.

"I can afford the best, why shouldn't I enjoy it?" Vlad shrugged.

"Man...something smells good!" Danny remarked suddenly.

Vlad furrowed his brow, confused as the three of them followed the delicious small coming from the kitchen. It was a room just as resplendent as the rest of the suite but it was hardly ever use. They took most meals down in the grand dining room with the rest of the guests.

"Mother?" Vlad stared at her.

She was wearing a beige apron, dicing celery with quiet music playing in the background. On the kitchen counters there were several bowls and plates already full of food. Vikki was at her side, standing on a box to reach the counter more easily and rolling some pastry out eagerly.

"I wasn't expecting you just yet," she said to her son. "Oh, hello, Danny, Jazz, what a lovely surprise. Are you here for dinner?" she asked them.

"Danny! Jazz!" Vikki explained and ran over to hug them, not caring that she was covered in a light layer of flour.

"Hey, Vik...err...why're you covered in flour?" Danny muttered to her.

"Oops."

"They're here for the weekend, mother what on earth..." Vlad said.

"I didn't feel like putting on a show for dinner downstairs again," Rosalyn said.

"So you decided to cook enough for the entire hotel," Vlad raised an eyebrow. "You didn't need to do that. I could've ordered them to send us some food," he said.

"I wanted to cook," she replied, "I like cooking."

"Fine, have it your way," he shrugged. His eyes landed on a delicious smelling bowl of Pelmeni, Russian dumplings and he snatched one up. "Is this some kind of a hint?" he remarked, staring at it.

"That I was hungry?" she blinked at it.

"That you're missing old Russia...or rather a certain old Russian that you agreed not to visit," he said.

"I'm insulted, my dear, really," she said, with a small smile. "I'm English, as well you know. Why would I miss Russia? If anything I'd miss England."

"You're English?" Danny remarked.

"Yes."

"Oh...err...cool."

She raised an eyebrow in a very Vlad like mannerism before turning back to her son. "I've eaten Russian food for so long, I'm used to it. Your father never liked me making my 'English food' so I've probably forgotten how. Bedsides, I like it."

"So...you're half Russian and half English," Danny muttered to Vlad.

"Technically, yes. Why? Are you planning to call immigration?" Vlad chuckled, "Sorry to disappoint you, Daniel, but I was born here. You're stuck with me."

"Jerk," the teenager muttered. "Hey...can I..." he said to Rosalyn and pointed at the bowl of Pelmeni.

"Help yourself," she smiled, so he did.

"Oh, man, that's good," Danny said with a mouthful of food. "What is it?" he asked, eating another one. "Jazz, you gotta try this," he muttered.

"It's Pelmeni...it's a beef dumpling," Rosylan told them.

"We are making borscht, too!" Vikki exclaimed, happily, "And then we will make Napoleon cake!"

"Err...you're making what now?" Danny blinked, "Bor...whata?"

"Is soup. Very nice soup. You will like it," Vikki said before looking back a Rosalyn. "I do not know any English food. Can we make some?" she asked.

"Tomorrow, maybe," she answered, "We'll have enough here I think for today."

"Maybe you should made that instead," Vlad mused. "We've been Russian for long enough. Maybe we should try at being English for a change," he said.

"Oh, well I suppose you won't want anymore of these then. That's alright, I'm sure Danny can dispose of them for us," his mother said, dryly as she gently pushe the bowl of Pelmeni over to Danny who grinned happily.

"I didn't say that," Vlad said quickly and grabbed the bowl before Danny could.

"Hey!" the teenager exclaimed.

"I'll be in my study, I've work to do," Vlad told them, taking the bowl with him as he left.

"You'll spoil your dinner," Rosalyn called after him, sarcastically. "I suppose I'll need to make some more now," she remarked. "Want to help?" she asked Danny and Jazz.

"Erm...I kinda just end up burning stuff..." Danny replied, sheepishly.

"I'll be sure to keep an eye on you, then," she replied, smiling.

"If it's burned we can give to uncle Vlad," Vikki giggled.

"Err..." Danny blanched, "Maybe not."