Vlad woke up under his expensive, Chinese imported silk sheets. He stretched the aches out as he turned and stepped onto his heated floor. After going through his normal morning routine, he quickly dressed and made his way down the hall to the room Daniel was recovering in. He stepped in and began surveying the scene. "I take it that as he is still breathing and there were no complications in the night."
Desiree huffed and floated back away from Daniel's side. "No Vlad," she flipped her long hair back. "The young phantom has been strong; he has regenerated most of his organs by now. At his rate of regrowth he should be awake in a few hours," Desiree said wistfully as she floated by Daniel's bedside
"Very well then," Vlad said as he moved around the check the various monitoring equipment. A mischievous idea popped into his head, something he would normally ignore and pass off as childish whimsy, but for some reason he wanted to see where it would go. "Desiree, I heard an interesting rumor from Ember last night. I wanted so see if there was any merit to it."
Desiree raised an eyebrow. "You don't strike me as the type to listen to fanciful tales Vlad," she said nervously as she had an idea of what was supposed to have remained as girl talk, became gossip among the other ghosts. "But whatever it is, you have to remember that Ember is a liar and tells mean jokes, also she cheats at cards and smells funny," she began trying to distract Vlad away from his line of questioning.
"Mmm," Vlad smirked. "Well then I guess I was wrong for listening to such a young ghost," he said as he began walking towards the door. Desiree sighed in relief as Vlad apparently bought her masterful deceit, which as a billionaire could easily afford. "Oh but Desiree," he called out as he snapped his fingers in remembrance. "One last wish to help Daniel before I go."
"And that would be what Vlad," Desiree asked.
"I wish that when Daniel awakens, you would tell him how you truly feel about him," Vlad spat out quickly as he ducked out of the room.
"So you have wished it, so it shall be," Desiree said. "I'm going to kill you Vlad Masters," she screamed at him throwing a side table at the door. Danny groaned in his sleep at the outburst. "Oh no, shh shh shh shh, sleep my love," Desiree whispered in the young halfa's ear. "You need your rest," she levitated a blanket over him, all the while gently stroking his hair.
Vlad chuckled as he sprinted down the hall of his own home before slowing as he turned a corner. "Jebson," Vlad called out getting his drivers attention. "Prepare the limousine, we are going into town to collect some very important people for a business meeting, be ready in one hour."
"Man another boring Monday," Tucker whined as he walked down the sidewalk with Sam. "No ghosts to fight over the weekend either, it's been dead, pardon the pun."
Sam shrugged. "Ehh, I don't think it's that big a deal, maybe it's like a ghost holiday weekend or something. Besides, that gave us a little more time to, you know."
"Oh ho, don't I know it," Tucker waggled his eyebrows. "Hey, if it's quiet again at lunch, you wanna sneak off and do a little-"
A sleek black limousine cut the couple off as they crossed an intersection, the window quickly rolled down. "You two, get in, now," Vlad ordered.
"Oh yeah and why should we," Sam shot back.
"Get in or I make you get in," Vlad's eyes flashing violet. "I assure you, my patience is currently at an end and I have yet to start my day, do not make it worse for yourselves," he threatened.
Sam rolled her eyes and opened the door, stepping into the luxurious vehicle with Tucker nervously following her. "Jebson, drive around the block while I ask these two "upstanding" citizens some questions."
"So what do you want Vlad," Sam asked as she crossed her legs and glared at her friend's nemesis.
"I don't want to waste time today, so I will ask you bluntly," Vlad said as he leaned forward and folded his hands together. "Where has Daniel been the last few days?"
"Why do you want to know, got some new evil plan cooked up to torment him."
"No, I just would like to know how far out of the loop you two children have been," Vlad smirked.
"We're not kids Vlad," Tucker shouted. "We've beaten you plenty of times."
"No, Daniel has thwarted me, you two have at best assisted him, and that's me being very generous as neither of you have ever or will ever land a blow on me," Vlad darkly said as his eyes began to glow. "So I will ask you again, where has Daniel been the last few days?"
Sam rolled her eyes, unphased by the threat. "He didn't come to school on Thursday, figured he just got sick since he hasn't said anything to us."
Vlad grit his teeth in anger but kept his lips pursed to not show it. "And that's it, you think your friend is sick and don't visit him for days, even on the weekend."
"Hey, we don't have to always do everything together and we've got our own things going on too you know," Tucker counter.
"Oh I am well aware of the "things"," he air-quoted. "That you two get up to."
Sam and Tucker blushed furiously, and the former became enraged at the invasion of their privacy. "How dare you spy on us."
"I did no such thing, another ghost happened upon you two and felt that was important information to provide me," Vlad scoffed. "I could care less what Daniel's sidekicks get up to, but you've provided me enough information to discount you two as important, please," Vlad said as the vehicle pulled to a stop. "get out and next time wipe your feet before you step into someone else's car you heathens."
Sam and Tucker quickly got out of the limousine and waved rude hand gestures at the billionaire who drove off. "Oh son of bitch," Sam screamed. "He dropped us off halfway across town, we're going to be super late to school now, that jerk," she roared as she stormed off.
Vlad laughed evilly at the mild inconvenience he sat upon the two annoying teens, he thought on what they had told him and assumed they were telling the truth because teenagers are notoriously bad liars and it was just like a normal teen to get lazy and complacent as soon as the dust began to settle. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled down the list of names and paused at Fenton, his finger hovered over Jack's number, the urge to use that oafs friendliness as a means to pry information out of him was being fought by knowing that he had set the ball rolling with the feds and had to do everything above board.
He pressed down on a name and held the device to his head and after three rings the line picked up and a voice on the other end spoke.
"Hello, this is Jasmine Fenton, who may I ask is calling," Jazz said on her end of the call.
Vlad sighed, "Jasmine, it's Vlad." Pausing to allow the young woman to yell and scream at him, general threats and such. After a minute of that he interrupted. "Yes, all well and good, I'm not sure where you learned such language, but this is actually important. Your parents caught Daniel."
"Caught Danny doing what," Jazz said sarcastically, Vlad could picture her rolling her eyes at him.
"No Jasmine, they caught him," he stressed the word caught to ensure the meaning was understood.
"Oh no, and well how did they take it when he revealed himself," Jazz said nervously.
"I do not believe he had the chance to do so, not before they began working on him," Vlad said as firmly as he could, trying to keep emotion out of his voice.
"Oh my god, what did they, how is he, where is he," Jazz started rapid firing questions at Vlad who could hear her voice breaking as concern for her brother overwhelmed her.
"Jasmine, Jasmine, he's, getting better. He is currently resting in my home and if you would like I can arrange for you to be here tonight to see him," Vlad admitting to what part he has played so far in this situation while offering her an olive branch.
"I'll be at the airport in one hour, I have to tell my teachers I'm leaving for a few days," Jazz said frantically as sounds of her packing in the background.
"I will have a ticket ready for you when you arrive," Vlad informed her as he had his driver pull up to city hall. Stepping out of the vehicle Vlad nodded to his driver. "Jasmine, do not worry too much, he has received the best care money and threats can buy and he is being watched over by "friends"."
"You let Tucker and Sam have free run of your mansion," Jazz scoffed.
Vlad strode the building with purpose taking folders and reports from staff members. "No, I said friends, not those two miscreants," Vlad darkly answered. "He seems to be liked by the ghost community more than he realized. And when he's awake they may be the only people he trusts from now on."
Leaving the conversation at that awkward end, Vlad hung up and began going through the normal daily paperwork. Around midday he strode out of his office and informed his secretary he was leaving for the rest of the day. He crossed the street to a parking garage where he kept a personal vehicle in the event he did not feel like waiting on a chauffeur. He started the car but did not pull out, slumping his head onto the steering wheel as the week's events weighed heavily on him.
After taking a moment to compose himself, he pulled out onto the main road, he drove in relative silence, with only the sound of traffic to accompany him when he saw a sign appear on the corner, quickly making a decision he pulled off the street. "Welcome to Nasty Burger, home of the Nasty Burger, may I take your order." Vlad sighed as he placed an order for some artery clogging junk food, the cost was negligible, but he hadn't eaten anything that wasn't prepared by a chef in years.
Arriving back at his manor he moved through the building delivering instructions to his staff for what to finish up and what to get started on in the morning, before secluding himself in the east wing. Swiftly walking down the hall to get to the room Daniel was in to check on his condition. He froze when he stepped into the room as Desiree and Daniel jumped and pulled away from each other. "Well, I'm sure you have much to tell me Little Badger," Vlad smiled evilly as he found a source of enjoyment for the day.
Author's Notes: First off, for those that like this, my update schedule is sporadic at best and many times I'll put a story on hold for a few months as I either settle down into other work or constantly rewrite chapters.
On that note, this is one of a few Danny Phantom Stories I have ideas for. Some I may get to, others I won't. That's life.