Chapter 4: Wilting in the Rain

"M … mom! Dad!" cried Danny as he rushed forward towards the rubble of what remained of the Fenton home.

The teenager pushed the yellow police tape to the side as the ashes cracked and splintered under his feet. The only thing that still spoke the truth that this rubble was once his home was the huge 'F' sign that loomed over the wreckage like a haunting tombstone. The teenager stared at it for a moment and then continued his rampage through the ashes, black clouds licking at his heels.

"Jazz! Tucker! Sam!" screamed the teenager through chapped lips as he stumbled deeper into the ruins of the house looking around in near hysteria. Danny soon fell to his knees unable to control the shaking of his legs, his screams dying.

Out of desperation, he finally began to dig through the rubble with his bare hands, his breath coming in hiccups. He had to find some type of proof, some sign that his family was alive, that the dream was a lie.

"Please," the boy whispered as he dug deeper and deeper into the rubble with his hands. Soon his fingers were bloody from the splinters and pieces of glass that he had uncovered, but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to let go. Not yet, not now… never again. Clockwork had given him a second chance. And yet, not even a few months later, the likewise fate still befell him. It had to be a lie.

"This can't be happening! Please! It just can't!"

By this time Danny's bloody hands had already reached the charred remains of the cement flooring, yet he hadn't found the comfort he needed. So he continued digging in another pile, almost erratic when he finally had to stall. He caught a glimpse of something in the rubble, his fingers shaking in agony as he slowly picked up a golden picture frame. The glass was blackened and charred, but the photo remained. Carefully, the halfa removed the photo from his childhood, little droplets of blood running down its smooth surface. The edges were burnt, but the memory remained. Jack and Maddie were holding each other tight as Jazz waved from the middle of the photograph. Sam, Tucker, and the happy teenager he once was were huddled together laughing in the bottom corner.

This proved it. This simple charred photograph spoke louder than any death certificates or gravestones. His loved ones were dead, gone like wisps of smoke.

…

Crack!

A bolt of lightning danced through the night sky revealing the full carnage of the Fenton house and the boy that had been huddled in it for nearly two hours, unmoving, all emotions seemingly dead and husked out. It was then, as if bidding the teenager to do the same, it started to rain. Danny looked up silently, the first raindrops falling onto his face and eyelashes only to run down his cheeks a second later. Slowly, he reached upward as if testing the tangibility of this world, feeling the wetness on his face.

A moment later, as he pulled his hand away, he found himself unable to tell the difference between his tears and those of the world. After acknowledging this, he couldn't bring himself to stop as he started to sob. He screamed out in woe as the light of his soul was crushed. The harder he cried, his body shaking, the harder the rain fell in response. The teenager couldn't help but slam his fists into the rubble, praying that his sorrow would consume him and end his suffering.

He wanted to die here. He wanted to die right now. He wanted to lie down and be no more. Anything was better than this pain, this suffering.

"Daniel!" came a yell that echoed over the lightning's roars, a dark form with a cape suddenly revealed in the sky as one bolt fell to the earth.

Plasmius' form remained in midair, cape whipping about as he stared at the shivering body within the Fenton's rubble. The billionaire looked away from the boy for a moment, assessing the situation. He didn't sense any spirits, not a soul. It seemed that the boy hadn't left the hospital looking for a fight ... he had to mourn.

Closing his eyes, regretting his lack of comforting skills, Vlad floated down until he was a few feet from the ground, and then he quickly turned into his human form, landing in a puddle of black water. He frowned at his now soggy shoes noting how the puddle looked ominous in this lighting. That black water was now seemingly running everywhere: into the street, into the grass, staining the sidewalks. The rain was washing away the ash, turning the very water dark and staining its usual purity.

It probably was washing away evidence as well…

The man frowned at that thought and stepped forward, his expensive shoes likely ruined.

Carefully walking around the rubble piles, the man came to a halt before the frail-looking child, towering over him for a moment. Usually, he'd gloat if the teenager ever found himself at Plasmius' feet, but those days were likely gone. Vlad Masters knew he had an opportunity, and he did not want to squander it. Like all business plans, closing a deal required a bit of finesse.

Collecting a more comforting visage, Vlad knelt down at the child's side.

"Daniel? What are you doing here? There's no reason to be here. We need to go back to the hospital. You are in no condition to be outside," said Vlad carefully, hoping to get through the emotionally overridden mind of the boy.

The ghost child didn't answer or even seem to acknowledge the older halfa as he continued to wail over his inner turmoil.

"Daniel," came Vlad's voice again, demandingly because he was expecting a reply. When his threatening tone remained unacknowledged, he frowned. It seemed talking wouldn't get him anywhere right now.

Reaching forward, the billionaire grabbed hold of the child by his shoulders, digging in slightly to let the boy know he was serious… and because he didn't like the far off look in Daniel's eyes, not to mention the violent shaking that was cascading throughout the small form. It seemed he was more distraught that Vlad originally thought. There was nothing left of that cocky, little badger right now. He needed a more soothing touch.

Looking at the boy's shaking form and now blue lips, Vlad quickly took off his black suit jacket and put it over the shivering child's shoulders, buttoning the top button like some kind of shawl. Placing his hands on teenager's shoulders once more, he stated in a soft tone, "Daniel are you alright?"

There was an intake of a shaking breath, a whisper escaping the broken form, "You…"

Vlad's eyes became slits as he leaned inward, tilting his right ear forward so he could understand what the youth was saying. When Danny didn't immediately repeat himself, he asked simply, "What?"

"You did this! You killed them! You killed them all!" Danny suddenly burst out like a dam overflowing as he grabbed onto Vlad's vest with his shaking hands, staining the man's silky white shirt red as he tried to pull the larger man down to his eye level.

Trying to push off the shock of being latched onto, Vlad shook his head and stated sadly, "Daniel, no. I did not cause the fire. In fact, no one knows how-"

"You did this just to hurt me! Why didn't you let me die with them?! You could have at least given me that! Or is that why you're here now!" yelled the teenager, sobs intermixing with his enraged language. "Just get it over with then! Just have your revenge and kill me as well!"

The older half-ghost blinked once in surprise and then shook his head, "Daniel, I would never hurt you like this. I loved Maddie … I would never hurt her. I didn't do this, and I certainly wouldn't do all this just to hurt you. Not like this. I truly loved your mother."

Danny stopped his hysterical crying for a moment and stared into Vlad's eyes, his vision blurry as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. Vlad ... had not done this. He had not sent the beast. Danny had no one to blame but himself. He had killed his family with his weakness! He had let them down. No matter how much he hated Vlad he knew he couldn't blame his problems on the fruitloop. His fault was his own.

Realizing this, the truth was too much for the boy to bear. The sobbing had suddenly returned and his tears started to stream down his cheeks like a rushing current. Unable to do anything else as his mind drowned in itself, Danny screamed out and threw his head into Vlad's chest, grasping tightly to the shirt of the older man with his bloodied fists. Right now he didn't care if it was Vlad. He was in so much pain. He needed anyone, anybody! He didn't want to be alone. He wanted this ache in his heart to stall in its rupturing, bleeding deep into his chest.

Vlad's first reaction was shock. He couldn't believe that this child was actually clutching at him, trying to find comfort from his arch-nemesis. It was truly soul-wrenching.

Masters' stone visage couldn't help but crumble as the rain continued to pelt over the two of them. He knew that there would be battles with the boy. There were bound to be given their previous interactions. This was not a battle he had thought he would have to fight: a boy's sorrow. He just figured the boy would be reclusive and bury his demons away inside himself. He should have known better though. That was what he did, and though they might both be halfas ... they were still very different creatures.

Reluctantly, as if almost fearing he'd get a plasma blast to the gut if he touched the boy, Vlad carefully wrapped his arms around the child's shaking shoulders in an awkward hug. After a moment of not being shot, Vlad added in a shaking voice, "Daniel, I miss them as well. Just … just let it all out."

Danny only wailed louder at the confession and the billionaire even found a few stray tears streaking down his own face. He didn't shy from them or the words he had said. In college ... Jack and Maddie really had been all he had. It hurt to be left alone after the accident, abandoned.

Perhaps he was wrong about Daniel and he being different creatures. Maybe they were the same. They both had been left behind, ghosts of who they had been. Vlad had just been alive long enough to really grow bitter about it.

Burying thoughts he did not want to face, Vlad leaned a little more into the boy so that the bottom of his chin was all but resting on the teenager's head. He wouldn't think about it. There was no point in dwelling on such long-forgotten things.

…

Far away from the ash and stone of the Fenton's house, the winged eye watched the scene in silence. Its beating wings were the only sound it made as it observed the heart-wrenching moment with almost a reaction of glee.

Seeing what needed to be seen, the observer turned away as if satisfied and flew into a nearby alley. The eyeball glided about for a moment as if on a luxury spin before making its way over to a black Cadillac's window. The black tinted window slowly rolled down and without any hesitation the eyeball flew in, finding itself a perch on one of the seats. Its eyelid seemed to squint as if it was smiling as the creature turned its attention to the occupant.

"Master… um… I mean Mr. Smith, the boy has been found by Vlad Masters," whispered the being as rain dripped down its bat-like wings.

The occupant, who had been looking forward until then, turned his head. His sunglasses immediately fell to the tip of his nose revealing the almost inhuman eyes of Rodger Smith.

"So you found them? What are they doing?" asked Rodger as he quirked a brow, his grin turning into a look of seriousness.

Shaking his wings before tucking them in, the eyeball stated, "The mortals are mourning, my lord. In the ruins where the traitor emerged."

Smith shifted, the leather seats singing as he became more comfortable. "Well, shall we go then? Nothing like interrupting a good time."

…

It continued to rain, soaking Vlad to the bone. He couldn't help but look up at the sky as if blaming it for his problems. And yet he continued to kneel there, unable to move, cursing the rain. His brooding was interrupted when he heard the gentle clip-clapping of shoes.

The billionaire quickly turned his head in the direction of the sound, eyes squinting as a blurred figure emerging from the sheets of rain. The figure was a man in black ... carrying an umbrella.

"I see you found him. The whole hospital has been in an uproar about a missing child," the figure stated as he stopped a few yards from the billionaire and the mourning child.

The man's face was completely overshadowed by the umbrella he was carrying, but Vlad recognized the voice at once, "Smith?"

The umbrella slowly tilted back and a cockily smiling Smith met his gaze. This really wasn't an opportune moment to be smiling, and why was the sleazy lawyer even here? Didn't he have money to be rolling around in or women to be sexually harassing?

He really didn't like that man ... something was off about him.

Not that he really got to think the situation over when Smith's tall figure stopped stalling and walked through the remaining ruins of the Fenton house and over to Vlad's shivering body. Smith then tipped his umbrella over the two figures' heads, getting soaked himself.

"Need some help?" asked the lawyer with a knowing grin.

"Yes, assistance would be appreciated. Daniel is not really in any form to be walking back," said Vlad tiredly as he carefully picked up the freezing boy who had collapsed into a nonresponsive state.

"I'd say. It seems he's exhausted himself today," replied Smith simply as he continued to hold the umbrella over Masters head. The lawyer didn't seem to be cold at all, despite the chill in the air. Instead, he tilted his head towards a pair of headlights, leading them both to his Cadillac.

Vlad halted when they got to the car and couldn't help but stare at his pathetic-looking reflection in the car's tinted windows. The lawyer didn't comment on his drench appearance and merely opened the backdoor, allowing Vlad to crawl in with his bundle.

"I'd make an excellent chauffeur," joked the man as the billionaire carefully laid the shivering teenager in the back seat, sliding in next to him. The car door then slammed shut, the lawyer quickly making his way to the driver's seat. Vlad was given a few seconds of respite to just look at Daniel as the boy shivered under Vlad's expensive black jacket.

This ... this was going to be a mess. What had he gotten himself into?

A second later, the driver's door opened and Smith got in. The lawyer slicked back in wet hair and then turned to the back seat. He smiled oddly at Daniel and then Vlad, the windshield wipers beating away like background noise.

It ... was kind of unsettling.

Smith stared for another uncomfortable moment before he asked, "You will protect the boy, won't you? From all the horrors to come including himself, right?"

Vlad quirked a brow, part of him wanting nothing more than to glance away from Smith's unblinking gaze. Instead, he forced himself to straighten his shoulders and proclaim, "Of course I will. As his godfather, I'm obligated to."

Smith gave one of his closed-mouth smiles and put the car into gear, his voice seeming to echo in the vehicle like a bad omen, "I wish you luck then. I wish you all the luck in the world."

…

Light from streetlamps shined through the tinted windows of Smith's Cadillac making the world seem like it was caught between shifting lines of darkness as the car drove down the street. Danny no longer slept but instead, he sat up curled against the car door as if hoping to fall out. Vlad's soaked jacket still hung lightly on his shoulders and his gaze was glued to the floorboards as the light danced over him. He couldn't look anywhere else. He refused to. It would make this real. It would make everything that had happen in the past few hours real. It would make what Vlad had said real. And Danny couldn't mentally handle that. So, he decided to think of nothing. He would pretend he was stuck in this moment, unable to move on.

The gears within his mental clock were struggling though, fighting against grit and gravity until suddenly an arm finally twitched… and he was once again trapped in the present. Time would not stall for him. After all, the car was moving and his heart was pumping. The world was twirling on her axis in the void of space.

His parents were still dead.

And, knowing that, Danny Fenton's lips finally moved, "Vlad …"

The billionaire's muscles tightened in response to the boy's voice, and then he turned his head to stare at the unmoving boy. Carefully, he used a soft yet professional tone while offering a tired smile. He was trying to look as supportive as possible. "Yes, Daniel?"

The boy's next words washed away that offered smile like a road being devoured by floodwaters, "Where are they?"

Vlad instantly knew what the teen meant and it stung deeply to have the boy ask in such a broken way. Turning away for a moment, looking back at the rain hitting the car window, he stated, "They are … They are no longer with us."

Vlad didn't know what else to say. He could say they were at the morgue, but his own emotions couldn't handle the thought of Maddie's beautiful hair being nothing but a charred lump. He wished he could have at least said he loved her or at least said goodbye, but that was how death was he supposed. The ones who truly suffered are those left behind. They must live with their regrets. He was just starting to get a grasp on the idea that all the Fentons were dead ... he didn't know how Daniel was going to handle all of this.

Children bounce back easily after death, right?

Danny swallowed at Vlad's reply, sickness swelling in his gut. That was not the answer he wanted from this usually cruel and heartless man. He wanted the hard truth. He wanted it to stab him in the heart and end its insistent beating!

"That's not what you are supposed to say," ground out the boy, his teeth grinding against each other in a growing rage.

The older halfa raised a brow. "What are you talking about, Daniel?"

And with that, Daniel snapped, rage exploding in his chest as he turned and shouted at the surprised-looking billionaire, "You are supposed to say they're all dead, Danny! They are all DEAD! Mom! Dad! Jazz! Tucker! Sam! All dead, because you didn't do anything DANIEL! You didn't do anything! You didn't try hard enough! I wasn't a good enough HERO!"

Vlad, eyes wide, sat there a moment in utter surprise. He honestly didn't know what to say. The boy's explosion seemed to come out of nowhere. Generally, he wouldn't take that kind of lip from anyone, but ... if Daniel needed to scream, it was better than the still child he placed in the car minutes ago. Anything was better than that lost child crying in the dark.

The screaming did not last long though and as quickly as it came, it was gone. Danny's curses were now turning into choked whispers as the boy started to pull into himself once again. "I failed them... I'm the reason they're dead. It should have been me."

Masters honestly didn't know what to say, he even threw a pleading glance to Smith in the front seat, but all the dark-haired man did was share his gaze through the rearview mirror.

Swallowing, not knowing how else to comfort the boy, Vlad slowly unbuckled his seatbelt and slid across the seat. "Here, let's get you out that jacket, my boy. You're positively shivering. Everything is all right. You're just a bit chilled ... everything is fine."

He then carefully took the wet jacket and pulled the now whimpering boy against his side to keep him somewhat warm, rubbing the sobbing boy's shoulder. Daniel refused to look at him as he buried his head in his hands.

Vlad threw one more pleading look to the lawyer and the man finally spoke, his tone feeling far too knowledgeable for someone his age. "Sometimes there's nothing to say."

…

The next five days were almost as depressing as the car ride back to the hospital. Danny remained bed-bound, silent to everyone that came into his room. Vlad didn't know what else to do but to allow the boy to be as he dealt with the Fenton's affairs. Though, as fate would have it, they couldn't ignore each other forever. Vlad's actions were leading up to this … and the funeral was coming to pass.

In fact, his family's funerals were tomorrow and his two friends had already been buried. Vlad had tried multiple times to tell the boy, but Daniel would just roll over and cover his ears with his hands. He wanted to wait, but he couldn't stand the thought of Maddie being in a freezer for another day.

"Daniel, little badger, we need to talk," said Vlad carefully as he walked into the room, a plastic-covered suit draped over one arm.

Danny, on his side and staring at the window, closed his eyes and tried to ball into himself somewhat.

Vlad sighed and carefully laid the suit on the chair, the plastic crinkling. He then sat on the edge of the hospital bed, placing a hand on the boy's leg. Daniel shifted away slightly, but Vlad knew he had to speak, "I got you a suit, Daniel. It might be a little big since you weren't ... well enough ... to go to a tailor."

The boy swallowed loudly, likely choking down a sob.

"It's tomorrow, Daniel," said Vlad calmly, waiting for a reaction.

He did not get one.

Sighing, rising to his feet, Vlad tightened his tie and added, "The doctor's said you are stable enough to go out tomorrow. So, please try to get out of bed and try it on. It's important that you look nice for this."

Daniel now was visibly clawing at his sheets, his eyes squeezed tightly like he was trying to will away the world.

Frowning, wanting to help the boy but uncertain as to what to say, Vlad placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly, his words soft, "Everything will be okay, little badger. I have a few more things to do for the funerals ... but I will be by later to have supper with you like usual. Okay?"

Daniel did not answer and Vlad left with a sigh, his shoes squeaking as he departed.

Luckily, when he came back hours later, the suit was out of the plastic and laid back on top of the chair, showing that the boy had at least tried it on.

...

Vlad sat in the hospital chair the next morning, dressed in one of his finest black suits, his leg lazily crossed over the other as he watched the closed bathroom door. He sighed and looked back at his gold watch. He knew he shouldn't be impatient, that he should have at least been glad Daniel got up on his own to put on the suit when asked, but it had been nearly half an hour.

"Daniel?" finally called Vlad. "Is everything going okay in there? Do you need help?"

There, unsurprisingly, was no reply.

Sighing, getting to his feet. Vlad made his way over to the door. He knocked and leaned in to see if he could hear anything, "Daniel? Is everything alright? May I come in?"

When he didn't get a reply, his spine tingled in worry and the billionaire reached for the door handle. But, before he could even turn it, a click sounded from the inside and slowly the door swung open.

Beside himself, Masters' features softened as he looked down at Daniel. The boy was tugging at the tie around his throat and it quickly became obvious what was wrong. He didn't know how to tie one.

Vlad almost opened his mouth and made a semi-passive aggressively comment about how useless Jack was for not even showing Daniel that much, but somehow he held it in. Instead, he put a finger under Daniel's chin and forced the child to look up at him. The boy's eyes were red-rimmed. Sadly, that was a normality for the boy, but Vlad smiled warmly nonetheless as he untied his own tie.

"Here, let me show you how its done, little badger. Just follow my instructions," said Vlad calmly. He kept his voice even throughout the lesson, glad that the boy was at least meeting his gaze somewhat and following his instruction. He had to stop and help once, but in the end, Daniel had done a fine job by himself.

"Great job, my boy," said Vlad if only to fill the silence, patting Daniel's shoulder. "Now, I got you a pair of gold cufflinks. They were my first pair and will go nicely with that suit. I also got you a boutonniere. Its a gesture of love and respect for the ... uh ... deceased."

Daniel looked down at that, his eyes rapidly blinking. He did not fight Vlad though as he placed the boutonniere on his jacket nor did he push away the assistance as Vlad showed him how to put on his cufflinks.

Finally, the boy was done and just in time. The limo was expecting them. Nonetheless, Vlad took a moment at the room's door to force Daniel to look up at him. His tone was stern but not unkind, "Daniel, if you need help or if it becomes too much today, just say so. Alright?"

The teenager merely blinked rapidly, before slowly nodding.

Vlad pretended not to see Daniel wiping his eyes with his expensive suit's sleaves as they walked out to the limo. Those would not be the last tears today. Not by a long shot. He didn't know when the boy would finally run out of tears.

…

It should have been a beauitful day. Instead, the sky refused to drop its grey canopy of clouds which was hiding the sun. Perhaps the dreariness was befitting, considering it was a funeral, but Vlad only thought the world cruel for her skyward presentation. A bright day would have press away sorrow faster than this mist that seemed to be creeping up from the graves.

Looking away from the hazy graveyard, the billionaire turned his attention to the boy that had just stepped out of the limousine after him, the wind blowing softly in the boy's hair and hiding his eyes.

Little did the billionaire know that the teenager was secretly glad for the wind and how it hid his eyes. Danny had managed to not cry throughout the entire service, his palms now containing nail indentations, but the burial was right in front of him. Where holes had been seemingly dug to the underworld so that caskets could be dropped in and forgotten.

Was he strong enough to hide all his emotions? Ball them up and place them in a silver vial? Could he keep his whimpering breath and every last tear away and hard-pressed?

Unnoticed by the boy, Vlad's eyes had been shifting towards Daniel for the past two hours, waiting for the boy to finally break. The older man had yet to see one tear since the hospital. All the teenager had done was close his eyes from time to time as if struggling for breath, petting his injured arm during the service as if trying to comfort a scarred part of himself.

It was going to happen. Vlad had little doubt, but until then his eyes roamed over the scene. He had gone through great measures to make sure the service and funeral were worthy of a queen and her daughter… and her stooge.

Unknown to the teenager, Vlad had momentarily considered putting Jack in a Fenton Casket in spite. Instead, if only to keep the peace with Daniel, he had ordered three cherrywood caskets all adorned with imported flowers. A bride would have been envious at the lengths Masters had gone to make this day unforgettable. Essentially, if he could not give Maddie a magnificent marriage then he would at least give her a grand funeral.

After all, she was his Lady of Shallot, forever beautiful in his mind as she flowed down the river Styx.

If only he could have had an open casket to give her a parting kiss, but one cannot kiss a burnt corpse.

Vlad's thoughts were quickly stolen from him when something hit his forehead. Slowly, he gazed upward … a light drizzle had started.

Damn, the flower petals were all going to get wet.

Wanting to keep their suits dry, Vlad reached back into the limousine and grabbed his umbrella. He had barely shut the door when he noticed that other cars were pulling in behind them.

Making a mental list of who had bothered to come, Vlad finally popped open the umbrella to shield the two of them from the light drizzle. At least it wasn't a full downpour. Unfortunately, the clouds above were looming with a threatening weight.

"Vlad?"

The older half-ghost was suddenly stirred from his thoughts, looking down at the teenager that had not met his gaze since they had both left the hospital. Or spoken to him for that matter.

Carefully, he asked, "Yes, Daniel?"

"I … I can't do this," suddenly choked the teenager, jerking himself back towards the car, ready to jump in and hide behind the dark-tinted windows.

And there it was ... the break.

Before the boy could even open the car door, Vlad quickly stalled the boy's retreat. He grabbed Daniel around his middle and pulled the teenager towards himself, both hugging and restraining him.

Danny took a few panicked breaths at this and dug his fingers into Vlad's arm, but the older halfa was no stranger to pain. He was stern and unmovable and barely winced. Danny, feeling like his throat was closing up, gave in easily and slumped against the billionaire. He starting shaking his head, murmuring over and over again that he couldn't do this.

Vlad sighed, petting the kid's fluffy head. And so, it began, the waterworks that had been quiet all morning.

Without a second thought, he pulled a fine handkerchief from his suit pocket and gave it to the teenager. He then loosened his grip and cupped Danny's head so that those wet eyes were forced to look up at him.

"Daniel ... it's alright. You can cry if you need to. These kinds of things ... are expected," stated Vlad in a soft tone.

The teenager couldn't meet the older man's gaze. He felt weak for finally breaking ... He was a coward.

"Daniel, nod your head if you understand," continued the older man, his tone almost demanding now.

Despite himself, Danny reluctantly met the man's gaze and nodded as a few stray tears escaped. It was then that he noticed that Vlad's eyes were just a little red as well. He must have been close to crying at one point.

Vlad's voice showed no weakness though as he spoke, "Besides, it's best not to run away, little badger. You would regret it for the rest of your life. Plus, your family would want you to be here, and we both know you're stronger than this."

Masters smoothly stood back up and put a comforting hand on the teenager's shoulder as he led him forward, the umbrella echoing as the rain continued to fall.

The grasses swayed silently around them as they made their way across the grounds, headstones watching with a deep stillness. Danny had stopped panicking and now all his energy was focused on the flowers he was holding (courtesy of Vlad). His grip was currently threatening to crush the flowers' thin stalks as he mouthed over and over again that he could do this.

Finally, they made it to the plots, three caskets hovering over their eternal holes as they waited to be lowered into the ground. Danny knew he should try to listen to the priest's words or at least look at the beautiful bouquets adorning the coffins so that he may remember this years later ... but all he could do was stare at his shoes.

Danny just didn't get it. How was he supposed to just stand here and watch as his family was lowered into the dirt so that they could be covered up and forgotten forever? And, worst of all, he was supposed to stand here right next to his arch-nemesis and allow that man to comfort him.

Finally looking up from his shoes, Danny was going to ask why Vlad was even here taking care of him ... when he heard the whine of a small engine. The priest was done with his speech and people were throwing flowers in ... his family was finally being lowered into the ground.

The teenager's hands trembled around the flowers he held. This had to be a nightmare, a twisted nightmare. Why couldn't he wake up? Why wasn't Clockwork interfering? Was it because their deaths were different ... or had the time ghost merely bought him a few extra months and they were always fated to die?

Had he squandered those gifted months like a brat?

He wished he was dead instead.

Breathing catching, Danny watched those lovely wooden caskets slowly disappear into the earth, the flowers on top wilting in the rain. When the last white petal sank beyond his immediate sight ... he snapped. His face was drowned in tears as he openly sobbed, shaking with grief. Vlad silently rubbed the teenager's back as he whispered something unintelligible, but the boy's sobbing only grew in volume.

Vlad ... didn't know what to do. The boy was nearly hysterical.

The adults were all throwing sympathetic looks. A few people were actually crying. There also were students milling about with their parents. He doubted half of them were even Jazz's or Danny's friends, but such things were almost expected when a student died. The few youths to the front all looked too stuck-up to come of their own accord, though the African American girl kept giving Danny a sorrowful glance.

Ah yes, Valerie Gray. He remembered her.

The bachelor met her gaze for a moment, thinking how skilled that girl was before he continued to look around until someone whispered in his ear, "This is usually the time you bow your head."

Vlad started, caught off guard. He snapped his head to his side and almost audibly groaned when slim, yellow sunglasses stared back at him. The interloper merely smiled.

"Mr. Smith, this is a highly inappropriate conversation for the moment," whispered Vlad to the man next to him. "It's in bad taste to critique someone's mourning habits at a funeral ... especially while wearing a smile."

Mr. Smith merely continued to smile and bowed his head slightly, allowing his sunglasses to hang on the edge of his nose. It was taking all the energy the lawyer had not to start laughing. The irony, him in a graveyard. Not that anyone else would get the joke.

Vlad was now sneering at Smith, but he didn't get a word in edgewise when Danny finally couldn't take it anymore. The boy started to collapse. Vlad barely floundered fast enough to grab the teenager under the armpit and keep him standing before the boy ended up in the mud. Not that Danny cared. He made no attempts to hide his grief as his cries grew in strength, his whimpers growing into stifled screams.

Struggling to keep the boy standing while still holding his umbrella, Vlad encouraged the boy to at least cling to him so he wouldn't end up in the mud. It was a little awkward having the child cry all over him when Daniel had wanted him dead a month ago, but there was nothing else to be done for it.

Petting the boy's head as he wallowed into his expensive suit, Vlad gave one more glare at Smith as if telling him to leave. Smith merely nodded his head with a smile and departed. It was at this time ... that he also caught the stuck-ups watching, their conversation carrying slightly as the teens started to turn away.

"That is pathetic. He's getting a rich uncle or something now I hear. He should be glad to be rid of his family of stooges," whispered Dash, making sure no one but his small group of popular kids heard him, but little did he know that Vlad's ghost abilities amped his normal senses allowing him to hear every word. "Except Jazz, that is. It should have been him and not Jazz that died. At least Jazz was pretty and smart."

Kwan whimpered a small complaint but was punched in the arm for his troubles.

Paulina merely rolled her eyes at the whole display as she flipped her hair, indifferent as she looked away from the crying boy, "Let's just get out of here, black is so not my color. I still can't believe I was forced to come. Popularity really sucks sometimes."

"Same," grumbled Dash. "Let's ditch the rest of this. It's just sad at this point."

Vlad's lip twitched as he watched the teenagers walk away. The caskets weren't even fully in the ground yet!

Feeling petty, the billionaire quickly called upon an invisible Plasmius clone as he remained in his human form. It was a new trick he had developed and was planning on using it on Daniel later, but he doubted they would be having any of their duels anytime soon. Daniel had no reason to fight him anymore… Maddie was gone.

Shaking off the depressing thought, Vlad closed his eyes and felt his other half follow the teenagers over the hill. It only took a moment and then there were quickly unmistakable screams of, "Ghost!"

Opening his eyes, his pupils glowing, the billionaire wrapped an arm around the teen and helped him to the limo. That showed those little brats. Daniel was his responsibility, and he wouldn't stand for such disrespect towards the Masters' name.

Not that Daniel knew he was getting a name change ... They still hadn't had that whole I'm your godfather and I'm adopting your conversation. Maybe tomorrow or in a week.

Vlad wasn't really in the mood for a ghost fight right now.

XXX

Paw07: Hello there hi ho hi ho it's off to work we go! – Here is a good reason never to leave your computer unguarded when your younger sister is around. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter; it's supposed to be sad and depressing. Bye and thanks for the reviews. Gosh, I'm so boring well lets … Look! Flying squirrels!

Edit: Lengthened this chapter by about 2,400 words. Same scenes, just more angst.

(Revised October 2019)