A/N:

Welp, haven't been here in a while. I guess that means either I must really hate you guys or I've been loaded heavily with physics and learning how to program in java and c++, tutoring in calculus, teaching trigonometry and French, getting required community service to keep my college scholarship, and working on 5 other fanfictions! I sound slightly passive-aggressive but I'm just extremely tired...zzzzzzzz...

ANTY-WAYS! Here's the 5th chapter of Jump Start...I've been having trouble on how to speed up the story and I've found that fluff helps a lot! Like a lot a lot. So, in "traditional" Despicable Me fashion, Night told me to give you guys the following message!

IT'S SO FLUFFY I COULD DIIIEEEE!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing I tell you!

Chapter 5

The rest of the week was normal—well, as normal as any week could be for Danny Fenton. He was actively avoided by his mother, father, and sister. His two ex-best friends slandered his name throughout school as much as they could. His tentative friend, Valerie, steered clear of him when she could but did slightly warm back up to him as the week ended. He always woke up sometime between 5 and 5:30 AM, dressed in some outfit he could barely remember, went to school and turned in homework he didn't fully realize he did, left school to fly around Amity, and returned home around 6 or 7 PM. After barely avoiding the heated scorn and disappointment from his family at the house, he usually escaped to his room to either stew in mild depression for a few hours or actively do homework assignments and study. He always went to bed between 10 and 10:30 PM and his day would start anew.

At least, that was how his school week went. When Saturday morning rolled around, the sun lazily rising around 7, indicating the heralding of the cold season, Danny slept peacefully and did not wake up until he felt like it. Unfortunately, to the ire of his teenage soul, his new sleeping schedule hindered him from sleeping past 7:30 and his restlessness begged him to start his day around 7:45. Of course, when he held his head up to look at the time on his alarm clock, Danny groaned exasperatedly at the red numbers.

"Why can't I just let me sleep?" He grumbled. "Don't I deserve a little break from all of this shi-shortbread?!" Danny came short at his sweets-cursing. Completely and utterly confused, he almost started to question it but..."Nope, it's way too early for this." He climbed out of bed and looked around his room to find something to do. On his desk lay finished homework to turn in the next week, a few finished miniature rockets models, and an old desktop computer. He looked around the rest of the room, slightly surprised at seeing his sky blue carpet clothing and garbage free and vacuumed. Everything was in its place tidily and not at all like it was the previous weeks. Shaking off the weirdness, Danny decided to take a shower first and then see how his day would go.

The house was quiet, save the boisterous snores coming from his parents' room. Normally no one in the Fenton household, not even Jazz, woke up before 10 on the weekends. Saturday was a lazy day and, being the not-so-religious family they were, Sunday held little true importance. Danny knew he wouldn't be disturbed this early even if he made raucous noises. After he got out of the shower, he dressed in comfortable grey sweats and a fitted black t-shirt. His growling stomach craved attention and he acquiesced and headed down the stairs.

Danny slid down the banister with no one to stop him. Walking into the kitchen, he glared disdainfully at the bran cereal he had eaten for the past week. He ignored it in favor of rifling through the refrigerator. "What do we say to the God of Bran? Not today!" Fortunately, he found three non-glowing eggs, immobile ham, fresh tomatoes, and still-yellow and only slightly levitating cheese. With his skills from avoiding his mother's ectoplasm-tainted "cooking" and fending for himself for the past few years, he whipped up an omelet and headed to the kitchen table, actively avoiding the toaster and loaf of bread on the counter.

He ate quietly, staring blankly into space. He had been doing this a lot recently, effectively avoiding the need to think about certain things…or people. Danny had no idea what he was going to do today until it suddenly hit him. The glade! The grassy plane he found right outside of city limits earlier in the week! He felt oddly at peace there and Danny desperately needed that right now. After he finished his omelet, he downed his juice and washed the dishes in the sink.

He bounded up the stairs, three at a time. Thank Clockwork for growth spurts and gravity defying powers! Heading into his room, he only slightly noticed that his morning ruckus had yet to wake anyone in the house. He donned a pair of loose, black tennis shoes and grabbed his phone, earphones, wallet, and keys. Danny left his room and closed his doors, keeping the illusion that he was still in his room—Not that anyone would care. He headed down the stairs with the same caution as he had previously, jumping off the banister after sliding down. He left the house and headed towards the business district of Amity Park.

Save the occasional pet walker or unlucky day worker who had to come in on the Saturday, Danny met little to no traffic on his way to seclusion. He was in no hurry and thus decided to walk instead of fly. But his mind was racing: first on how he could have confronted Sam and Tuck, second, why he was so alone, and third, if it was a consequence of many people's actions or if it was truly his fault. A small voice in the back of his head snidely commented, All alone...poor little Daniel is all alone.

I am not, Danny argued. There's...there's Valerie. He paused at a more than busy intersection, rethinking his conjecture. But she doesn't know about me being Phantom...and doesn't like Phantom at all.

Who else? He thought as he crossed the street, looking at his sides at a group of early morning joggers pass him. Danielle! He brightened, thinking about his mini-me. She's just like...she knows...she cares...he fades out, thinking about the last time he had seen his clone, shortly after he had restabilized her, which was just over 6 months ago. She had told him off, mad at him for her existence which was muddled by his memories in her head and the reminder that Vlad never really wanted her but him all along. She had dyed her hair blonde and worn brown contacts.

"I'm my own person, Danny!" She yelled at him.

"I never said—" he started.

"It doesn't matter what you said," she interrupted him. "It's the way you look at me...how Vlad treats me...how even SKULKER treated me! Like I'm some hand-me-down...some, some two-bit replacement for the 'great original'!" She was almost foaming at the mouth, all hatred directed towards the only one who had ever shown her genuine friendship bordering on familial love.

"Dani, I—" he tried to apologize.

"And stop calling me that!" She admonished. "That's your name. Not. Mine." Her fist clenched at every statement, breath released in short, hot pants. "In fact, don't call me at all, Danny. I HATE YOU!"

And with all of the possible angst an almost one-year-old girl in a 13-year-old's body could muster, Dani-no-more ran from Danny-still-shocked and was never seen or heard of since.

So...what about the little clone? the voice mocked, seemingly waiting for a response.

She's just...confused is all. Frustrated. And I'm the closest things to someone she can rely on so she takes it out on me, the boy reasoned to himself, plagued with doubt.

Yes, she definitely looked confused with her minute temper tantrum, it sighed, weighing down Danny's spirits. But...you know...there may indeed be one individual who can truly understand you—us—me.

Danny was more focused on not getting ran over by a texting driver than the word mishap of his inner voice. Yeah, he questioned, fairly disillusioned but still hoping for some semblance of a truly good relationship.

Of course, Little—Danny, the voice reassured excitedly starting to alert some warning bells in the deep recesses of Danny's mind. Someone whom you would usually not expect to know truly about your grievances. In fact, your last coincidental meeting was just early in the week!

Lancer? Danny scoffed, jumping over a puddle on the sidewalk, littered with leaves and a piece of paper he frowned at a bent to pick up. I don't think my English...math teacher...vice-principle...whatever-he-is! could ever understand me. Nor would he want to.

Not him, Daniel, the voice corrected, its tone nearing a familiarity in Danny he was not comfortable with. I'm talking about a certain older gentleman who was once close to Maddie and Jack...a certain affluent mayor?

Danny skipped a step as his heart faulted. Surely he had heard the voice wrong...when had he started hearing voices in the first place? Vlad?! As in Fruitloop and all-over crazy, scheming old man extraordinaire?! I don't think so! His vehement denial was to be expected from what all Vlad had done to him, his family, and, most importantly, innocent strangers over the decades. But the voice didn't seem to think so.

Of course, boy! Who else would I be talking about? Who else could you draw parallel to in both situation and in physical status? Who could help you when you so desperately need it? Who has offered time and time again to train you—guide you—in the right direction?

Danny snickered, garnering the attention of an older woman watering her garden who gazed at him warily before warmly smiling and waving when he offered a heart-felt greeting. Danny turned back his attention to the voice. Yeah, at too high a price...

And the price being what, exactly? Disowning your buffoon of a father, Jack, and your inadequate friends, Samantha and Tucker, the voice offered. That price has been paid by them, Daniel.

The short statement caused Danny's entire being to pause once more. His dad had basically disowned him, along with his mom and his sister. Sam and Tuck had found solace in each other and discarded him like year old cafeteria mystery meat. Valerie didn't even count as a friend because of her hatred of Phantom. And Danny was definitely not ready for the fallout that would occur when he finally told her or, worse, when she discovered the truth for herself.

But, no. Hell. No. Anything...ANYTHING was better than going to Vlad of all people. And this is exactly what Danny thought at the voice.

Are you really this stubborn? the voice insulted him. Vlad has everything you could ask for, wish for, or think of and more and you would still reject him?

In. A. Heartbeat, Danny affirmed, firmly and forever against the thought of any relationship between him and Vlad being anything more that rivals or archnemeses.

You...you insolent child! You have no idea what is being afforded to you, you ungrateful boy! The voice raged at him, turning his earlier persuasion into straight ridicule.

Shut up! Danny yelled. Why am I yelling at myself anyway? He drowned the ever-rising voice in his music and began to jog the rest of the way there. Danny tried to ignore the words circling through his brain. He may not have been fully, or even a bit, persuaded but he had doubt. The business district of Amity seemed to fly past him with Danny standing still. The physical strain made his mind turn from his emotional turmoil to a more physical one from the sudden exertion. He hadn't even recognized that he had ran straight out of town until he had to jump over a fallen tree trunk right in front of his destination. His secluded paradise.

A weird tune surrounded him with light, wavering strings and strong bass. Bemused, Danny pulled his earphones away and the sounds disappeared, replaced with the quiet serenity of nature. Eyebrow raised, he looked at the display on his phone to discover that his music had changed from Rock to Classical sometime during his run. Another weird thing, I guess, he shrugged off, not really complaining about the change in music. The light instrumental and run had lightened his mood greatly and his brow was no longer furrowed and mouth not turned down.

But now that he was here, and slightly sweaty, Danny had no idea what to do. All he brought with him would entertain him for a few minutes and allow him to buy things and get in his house. Checking his watch, he saw that it was just nearing 10:00 and he was feeling a bit sleepy. Danny yawned and stretched, hungrily eyeing the soft down of grass he had lay on earlier that Monday. Lowering himself, Danny set his alarm clock to go off in three hours, kept his senses up, and almost instantly fell asleep.

Instead of being awoken by a blaring alarm in his ears, Danny woke feeling a large presence slowly approaching him. It didn't seem overtly predatory or harmful so Danny dozed, letting it come closer. His eyes jumped open, however, when he felt something warm and wet nuzzling his open right hand. But all of his caution was for naught when he caught the same slightly frightened gaze of a doe with the same white spots adorning her face as the specimen he had met Monday.

They stared at each other for a while before she gave him what could be called an exasperated huff and nuzzled her nose against his hand again. Danny chuckled at the deer and she gave him what he thought was a slight glare as if she were upset with him not having anything for her to eat in his palm.

"Sorry, girl," he apologized. "I only made enough for me and I have a feeling you wouldn't like omelet." She looked at him longer and finally decided to let the not-so-human human slide in his lapse of an appropriate offering for encroaching on her favorite grazing spot. She stomped her front left leg twice as to indicate that she was not going to leave and he nodded at her so she could understand.

She circled him once, twice, then three times, somewhat like a dog, and then decided to settle down on his left side with her head over his stomach. Now, Danny had never had a deer rest on him but he never thought one of their heads could be that heavy for how streamline they looked.

"Hey!" He indignantly cried out. "You're heavy. Get off of me!"

She eyed him, huffed again, and settled her head down deeper in his stomach, telling him she would not do as the not-so-human human demanded.

"I said," he groaned, eyes flashing green in warning, "get off."

Usually, when Danny did something normal humans could not do, like this assertion of dominance, animals and even strong sensing humans would back down. But all this deer did was stare at him sleepily, yawn, tongue lolling, and turn her head perpendicular to his to ignore him.

He choked slightly, at first, at the regal air of the doe and just chuckled at her stubbornness. "Well, I guess I make a better pillow than I thought."

She looked at him for a moment, eyes twinkling, and then turned away again, looking towards and nipping at his right hand. At first, he had no idea what she wanted then but it dawned on him.

"Ohhhh," he realized, smirking. "First, you want food. And then, when you found out I had none, you decided to lie on me and demand a petting." He acquiesced the whole time, laughing even more at the "well what do you expect?" look she gave him.

Danny petted the wild doe in the tiny meadow, kind of content in his little fairy tale scene. That was, until—

BEEEEP! BEEEEP! BEEEEP!

His alarm rang, startling the doe and him to a more awakened state and scaring a few settling birds away. "Sorry," he whispered, turning the vocal offender off quickly, hoping his new found friend wasn't to mad at him. But she had already moved on to the next threat, completely ignoring the shiny noise maker in her pillow-and-petting not-so-human human's hand and staring at a particular area of shade of trees in the forest.

Danny was about to ask what was wrong when her ears lowered close to her head and her muscles tensed. Taking this as a warning, he opened his senses to the area in question. All he could see was trees and shade and all he could hear was a few larger animals and insects. No smells indicated anything out of the ordinary. So, Danny just calmed down and figured that it was just a minor predator or some particular animal the doe didn't like. Nothing that he couldn't handle. He turned to calm her down but never got the chance when something.

"—lla!" An older voice screamed in the forest in the same direction the deer was staring intently. "Bella!" He, discernibly this time, called again, a bit more frantic than the last time. Debris from the forest floor could be heard crunching in the direction in question, brush shaking too. The figure could be seen clearly now as he stepped over the last of the tree roots blocking his path. "Bella," he said, acknowledging and not the boy. "I've been looking everywhere for you. If I had known taking in and cataloguing the movements of deer would be this taxing I would not have—" Startled, he seemed to have finally taken into account the presence of the young boy being slightly suffocated by the large doe.

"Vlad?!" Said boy croaked in confusion. Why the hell would he be here…now?

"Daniel," Vlad acquiesced. "What a…surprise. I certainly would not have expected you to be here, on my private property, nor in that situation," the older man calmly and amusedly commented. He was staring down at Danny like was usual, but with a more calculated glare that Danny had seen in months.

Outraged, Danny flippantly cried, "I can do whatever I want, Vlad. And this deer seems to like me here enough…Did you say p-private property?" Danny stuttered near the end as Vlad moved closer and pointedly smirked at him.

"Yes," Vlad hummed slightly condescendingly, "I do believe I did. And I also recall commenting on your peculiar pose with Bella at the moment."

Bella? Danny internally questioned. His head turned in confusion to see the deer on his stomach which had relaxed once more and was looking at him like she couldn't believe he wasn't connecting the dots. "Oh," he realized. "So, Bella's your name." The deer huffed in mild frustration at the somewhat slow not-so-human human and rose from her resting place to go see if the older strange-human had any offerings unlike the younger.

Danny rose from his place as he watched the strange interaction between Vlad and the deer…his deer. She, Bella, had acted the same way with Vlad as she had with him with her huffing and groaning at him and nuzzling his hand. Vlad turned all of his attention towards her and gave her the same noncommittal grunts and confirmations that Danny had when she treated him the same way.

It was…weird to say the least. Weird that Vlad was showing what looked like true affection that wasn't himself, the Packers, or a fat cat named after the obsession of most of his life. Danny was equal parts creeped out and warmed by this display and was overall awkward about him still being here, watching this intimate moment, on the #1 Fruitloop's private property.

He quietly tried to gather his things and leave, not disrupting the quiet interaction of Bella and Vlad, when he felt a tug on the back of his shirt. Well, it wasn't so much as a tug, but a full pull that caught him off balance and caused him to fall back, limbs flailing in windmill motion. He groaned when his head hit the ground, eyes closed. Danny didn't open them until he felt a hot huff of breath on his face. When he did, he was met with the face of an angry deer. Bella didn't seem to appreciate the leaving of her knew pillow-and-petting not-so-human human and demanded him to stay. This, of course, caused Vlad to laugh spiritedly both at the boy's predicament and the deer's indignation.

"It seems my Bella has taken quite a liking to you, my boy," Vlad got through between laughs.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Danny groaned, pulling himself up and brushing himself off after Bella decided to marginally back away. "She's a sweetheart."

"Yes, that is why I acquired her…but you still have not answered my question, Daniel," Vlad drawled, causing Danny to question his character. Vlad only "drawled" when he wanted something…or knew something that could lead him to his desire.

"You never asked me anything, F-Vlad," Danny claimed, wanting to leave but firmly routed to the spot by the obstinate deer and a slight curiosity at why Vlad was here…But, oh yeah; that's right.

"This area is on my private property. I asked you, Daniel, why you were here and how you got past the fences."

Danny stared at Vlad somewhat incredulously and then miraculously remembered that a few miles after the business section in that part of Amity Park housed the city's most well to do who's-who, including the beloved mayor. It only served to sour the beautiful place to know that Vlad, of all people, owned it but made Danny somewhat happy at the fence comment.

"Man, there was no fence the way I came." At this, Vlad stared at the boy disbelievingly and started to walk away. Bella looked at Danny, then Vlad, and then back at Danny again and huffed, telling the boy to follow. He eventually did move towards Vlad and deer as they walked out of the glade and into the woods.

The walk was much longer than he remembered, maybe because his mind was elsewhere or nowhere at all the two times he had walked that way. He almost lost Vlad and Bella a few times only to find the deer waiting impatiently and Vlad looking at him amusedly. At this he would grumble and groan about Vlad's overgrown weeds to which Vlad would retort something about how they were trees and native shrubbery and how Danny was not supposed to be there anyway.

Danny was about to answer with a "witty" comeback when Vlad suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, and here we are. The oh so elusive wall!" Before them stood a red brick wall topped with a layer of beige bricks. It was quite obvious and well over seven feet tall, probably near twelve or thirteen. Dumbfounded, Danny stepped closer, unaware of Bella's disinterest and Vlad's close assessment of the boy. When he got close enough, he ran his hands along the wall. Feeling its firmness, its realness, he gasped, still shocked. Looking to his left and right, Danny saw that the wall followed the entire expanse of the wood, not ending in his eyesight.

"B-bu—," he stuttered. How did I…how could I not have seen this? Was I really so out of it that I—no, I must have just…

"Is something wrong, Daniel?" In that moment, Vlad sounded so sincere that Danny almost broke from the shock.

"W-wrong?" Danny asked.

"Yes, Daniel," Vlad answered, placating the distraught Danny. "You don't seem your usual self…and my ever-present nickname you have ever so gracefully given to me has not graced your lips, or at least my ears, in quite some time." Bella had found a certain patch of grass increasingly interesting as Vlad moved closer to Danny.

"N-no," Danny gasped, breathing becoming more erratic. First Danielle. Then Sam and Tuck…then mom and dad and Jazz, too. The clothes. The homework. The…the weird times of the day that I just zone out. And that voice I had heard this morning. I'm losing it. I. Am. Seriously. Losing it. The entire inner monologue was accompanied with rapid eye movements and even more erratic breathing. He was having a panic attack. An honest to God panic attack.

Danny didn't hear Vlad repeatedly calling his name. Didn't feel the man clasping his arms, trying to get his attention. Didn't see his face as he leaned closer to Danny to see the boy's eyes out of focus. But he did notice the acute burning on his cheek and the sudden change in direction of his line of sight.

When Danny finally came back to reality, the first the he said was, "Did you get the license plate of the tiny truck that hit me?"

Vlad took this as a good sign and sighed at the boy's not caring and huffed out, "Yes, it was a personalized one that said FRUITLOOP." He chuckled a bit, especially at Danny's even more shocked expression at him just making a—

"Joke…Did you seriously just joke with me so soon after I had a…whatever that was?" Danny thought that he must have been still seriously out of it if he had heard Vlad joke and laugh at his own joke.

"Why, yes, Daniel," Vlad pointed out Danny's astute observation. "I do believe I did. And I think your reaction is called a mild panic attack, or at least a case of hyperventilation."

Danny shot the man a glare as he recognized that his breathing hadn't completely evened out. "That was not a panic attack. I don't have panic attacks, Vlad."

"Of course not, Daniel," Vlad shot back. "You just have times where oxygen cannot reach your brain causing you to breathe heavily and act as idiotically as your father and, oh, here come the scary eyes!"

The intense staring match between her not-so-human human and her old strange-human lasted for a while, both eyes glowing unnaturally bright green and red, but Bella decided she had had enough. So, she calmly walked over to her not-so-human human, choosing him since he had no offering for her even if the petting felt nice, and nudged his right hand with her head to gain his attention. When he ignored her movements, she decided to dole out punishment.

"YA-AH-OWWW!" Danny screamed, making his hand intangible and wrenching it from the deer's jaw. Vlad wondered bemusedly for a second until his musing turned into an amused realization.

Tears came to Vlad's eyes as his laughs turned into gasps for air, his arm covering his torso. Bella gave the older one a strange look after giving the younger a huff. Danny was glaring angrily and slightly disbelievingly at the deer. He could almost see, though, the laughter shining in her eyes. And that, along with Vlad's laughter did nothing to assuage his growing anger and frustration.

"Oh honestly, Daniel," Vlad commented at seeing Danny's aggression reforming after the initial surprise. "Bella is just a mite touchy at being ignored from her new favorite for a while. Aren't you, girl?"

The deer huffed and rolled her eyes a bit at the older man to reassure him that what she just did was fully justified and not at all petty. But Vlad would have nothing of it and just laughed at the doe and called her an attention hog. The interaction between the two was prolonged as Danny, still nursing a throbbing deer bite wound, marveled at how someone as…as creepy and insane as Vlad could relate to and understand some animal as innocent and caring as a deer. And what was more was the deer genuinely seemed to like Vlad. It creeped Danny out less than before and just left a hollow space in him because he just didn't know how to feel.

He hadn't moved since Bella bit him and didn't until Vlad addressed him again, which her heard the first time this time, saying, "Does it honestly hurt that much, Daniel?" He eyed the wound critically. Bella may not have bitten hard enough to break skin but she had applied enough force for mild discomfort and swelling which was already showing through an increase of red on Danny's palm.

"No," Danny muttered, trying to hide the way he twinged when he moved his hand extensively. He watched Vlad watch him closely, again ignoring Bella but thankfully not enticing her mild-mannered wrath.

Vlad shook his head at the boy's stubbornness and, in lieu of criticizing him, he offered, "If you would like, I have gauze in my abode. I could wrap it for you."

Danny, shocked and slightly frightened at the observation, hesitated at going with Vlad. Their track record wasn't as clean as many young men-uncle relationships could have been…it wasn't as dark as it could be in some places either but Danny still didn't trust the man. But, our favorite halfa is all about second chances and his new friend Bella was giving him the most adorable and sorry deer-eyes she could possibly give him. Looking once more at Vlad and honestly seeing nothing more than genuine concern and the remnant of a smirk at Danny's discomfort, Danny decided to trust Vlad…just this once…and just until his hand was wrapped to prevent swelling.

"Alright, Uncle Vlad," Danny assented. "Lead the way."

If Danny thought Vlad's smile was genuine before, he had no idea how to describe the bright look the man gave him after he agreed to go with him. It was as if Vlad had just seen all of the good in the world in one split second…as if everything was good and every good thing was in its place. It reminded Danny of how Vlad had looked at him the morning Vlad knew Danny was a halfa and Danny was still in the dark about Vlad. But it no longer unnerved Danny to see Vlad react like this. Shocked a little, maybe; but not creeped out. Vlad eagerly beckoned to Danny and started heading towards his Amity Park mansion. Bella cried out for him to wait…as much as any deer could…and walked with Danny on their way home.

To Danny, this scene felt odd…but right. It felt right to the very essence of his being. Maybe that should have alerted him.

To Vlad, this scene felt exhilarating…it was all he had planned for. Just a bit more and he could have all that he deserved. Maybe Danny would finally accept him.

To Bella, this scene felt…well nothing really. How could a manifestation of shared thought and control feel anyway? She wasn't real. She didn't exist. She never had.

To an outside observer, all he or she would have seen was a teenager climbing hesitantly over the wall and stumbling through the woods into a little meadow. There he would have taken off his earphones and stood for nearly one hour. After a while, a figure would have emerged from the shadows, halt at the edge, and stare at the boy for a while. The man would call out, making the boy sway just in the slightest. A creepy smirk would have unraveled on the man's face as he neared the boy. The man would get just close enough to the boy to reach out when the boy would suddenly shudder as if waking up and cry, "Vlad?!" This would startle the man, making him slightly frown, but he would soon recover, correct his features, and assuage the boy's confusion with his dulcet tone and reassuring words.

The boy would calm down and be caught once again in the man's trap as he continued to listen, distracted, as his eyes were drawn to the older man's. This Vlad character would grin triumphantly in response and his eyes would subtly glow, not being detected by the younger man he had called "Daniel". In response, Daniel's breathing would calm and mellow out. His responses would become more robotic and questioning, as if he's not sure that they're what he thinks, only to have repeated them with Vlad's insistence. This would have continued for many minutes, maybe even hours, with Vlad's eyes becoming redder and redder and Daniel's becoming duller and more unfocused.

It would have reached a point where Vlad would stop talking to the boy and cut the glow from his eyes, ever watching the completely docile, compliant Daniel. Daniel would have not reacted to Vlad coming closer. He would not have reacted to the man grasping his shoulders firmly. He would not have reacted to the short, barking, triumphant laugh of the older man let out. He would have reacted to the man suddenly asking, no demanding, Daniel to follow him. The boy would have swayed in response, taking a few steps in the direction the man directed, but stopped, fighting the compulsion.

This would have caused Vlad to order the boy again. Daniel would fight even more, neon green eyes an external sign of his internal battle. Vlad would have growled at this, letting his eyes become fully red and directing his gaze at the boy who was fighting his control. Daniel would have been fighting valiantly and would have won had Vlad not burned the boy's right hand in a bout of rage. This would have caused the boy to cry out in shock and distract him from his mental battle, making him sink back into the mental fantasy Vlad made just for him. When Vlad was firmly sure Daniel would not fight him again any time soon, he held the boys uninjured hand and guided him back to his castle. Daniel would have offered little fight, his mind too far gone. He was trapped in a fantasy made just for him, one that Vlad would be sure he would not easily escape this time.

Vlad had just gotten a hold of the young Daniel and he would not let him escape. Not when his plans had come so far.

A/N:

Quite fluffy...and a bit of a mind-fuck. Don't hate me about Dani. But seriously, I'd have some serious "creator" and "original" anger issues if I were her. But she'll show up again with the TT...or after them...eventually. I still haven't decided on whether the deer he met the first time was really real or if Vlad just used it innocence as a calming distraction for Danny's mind. And if you're truly worried about anything in the story, just remember that Halloween is very important and Christmas is vital. Night said that Bella was a sassy doe and she is...she is. I hope she ends up being real and not just a one time plot device my sleep-depraved mind created. Siggghhhhh. Time for thanks and responses!

thankyou ThankYou THANKYOU!...to all who followed and favorited in my prolonged abscence! Without you...I would still update but you give me good feelings. Not like butterflies in my stomach, though. That just sounds horrible, doesn't it? Little insects flying around in an extremely confined, acidic space that would ultimately mean a heinous, prolonged death...Not. Good.

Review Responses:

UltimateTouken: MWUAHAHA! I'm exactly a month late this time! The snap shall be glorious and will have ecto-beams AAAND ghostly wails but little to no parent-figure murder. TT will show up probably briefly in Chapter 6 and fully in 8.

bibbledoo: I do...I honestly do want you to harm them violently. And that always confused me in the show! They should have adjusted their theories drastically with all f the opportunities to observe ghosts!

Poohbearmorris: I know the dress is black and blue...the mom who originally sent the picture is very bad with her camera phone. And they won't as long as you believe in them! But they will...sorry.

scheffelman: Briefly in Chapter 6 and then gradually until their full appearance in Chapter 8. Soon, my friend! Sooooon!

Kimori Takahashi: Now you know, pbbbbbt! Run away?...maybe. Captured against will?...probably. Dubious consent taking (not slash)?...very likely. And the ghost zone...ohhh you're gonna find out soon about that.

Good Witch of Babble: I swear I get half-seizures half-freakouts whenever I read or just see your comments...I. LOVE. IT! 1) Yes about Vlad's obsession with Maddie. 2) Yes, Val is not a good pillar for Danny. 3) Yes with the mental weakening. 4) Custody battle...to simple and realistically strange. Jack wouldn't want the burden of a failure on his "good ole' buddy Vladdie" and Maddie doesn't trust Vlad. But their parenting will be strictly criticized when TT come into play. 5) You are close! My plots are very see-through. It just seems like a straight and narrow answer to me and I probably won't have very complex stories until my third...sadness. 6) Write the tragedy! Angst abound! 7) Things will even out soon and more interaction will happen with the parents, Jazz, Danny, Sam, and Tuck. Then, Vlad...and then the TT! And I love German chocolate cake! I wish I could bake!

ColorlessRainbow42: I hope you have to read it again again! Eventually I'll get better at updating so you'll remember it. The dress is annoying. I just put it in there and TOTALLY forgot about it...

The Dark Imperial: I like the way you think, good sir/madam! And I have...Danny hasn't but I have. It's not as boring as you've heard.

DarkKing1: I know! The woman that took the pic is just really bad with camera phones!

Guest of honor: It's about as obvious as a Blue's Clues clue. I'm one month late this time, hahahahaha...hahahaha...ha...yep. She deserves Samantha now. And you will see them in every chapter after this one! The main meat of this story sandwich is a-commin'!

Crimson Leo: DUN DUN DA DA! Here you go!

EcoReibun: I did. I really really did! Hate me! MWUAHAHAHAHA!

XXXtheGODgood: Thanks! Reading about someone else's viewpoint of the story actually fortifies my own thoughts about my writing! And I have major problems with character development but I'm working on it! I hope it's long and beautiful too but it might not even last 25 chapters. But it'll be good!

Ninuhuju: I'm sorry about the fight. But that dress thing is hilarious, and overdone, and annoying. And...pretty much. But that's the highest amount of creepery I can deal with...no pedobear Vlad.

zombiw4queen: Your heart's desire is my command!

16crk: More is here and more shall come. Have no fear. Don't be glum. For this chapter is surely done!

Totalfangirl01: Love that play! It's almost like every high schooler/secondary education participant (?) has to read at least three Shakespearian works. And, yes, the dress is unfortunately black and blue. Val has HUGE anger issues! Everyone sucks but Danny basically...and the TT but they aren't here yet. Thanks!

I'll see you guys again in a couple of weeks! Wish me luck with the buttload of exams...including mf-in' Chinese!...that I have to take tomorrow. Ahhh, the glory of collegiate life!

See you next time. Deuces!