Yay! Here's the next chapter! Okay, this should have come sooner, but I went on a five mile hike yesterday and then slept till five thirty in the afternoon.

Maddie was never really fond of me as a friend, especially after that time in the Rockies where I had asked her to leave Jack and stay with me, but now it looked like our strained friendship was going to end in a very painful way.

I looked sideways at Daniel, hoping that maybe he would say something in my defense, but he only smirked slightly. Apparently he felt I deserved what was coming to me. I on the other hand felt that I had done nothing so terrible that my punishment would be being beat up by the women I loved.

"Now Maddie," I said trying to keep my voice calm, "Daniel's injuries are not my fault." Maddie pulled out a large ectogun.

"Then why are you covered in blood?" Her voice was low and dangerous, and the wrong choice of words would probably be the end of me.

I have always been good at lying under pressure, but now I decided that I should tell the truth. Well, most of the truth anyway. "I was in the state so I decided to drop by and see how your family was doing. I heard noise in the basement so I went in and saw Daniel get launched into a counter full of beakers. The ghost flew away and I carried Daniel up here. In the process of doing so I got soaked in his blood."

That was as much of the truth as I could spare. Anymore and she might discover that it was my ghost half that had launched Daniel. That would not have ended well. Maddie still didn't seem to trust me. "Why were you in our house? Don't you knock? And why was Daniel home from school?"

I held in a sigh. If this was Jack I was talking to instead of Maddie he would have dropped this conversation after I said that a ghost had attacked his son. I felt like I was being cross-examined. "There was a lot of noise coming from the house. I knocked several times but no one was home, and I don't know ask your son."

Maddie continued looking at me angrily but had lowered her gun. Then she looked at Daniel. "Danny, why were you home so early?"

Daniel looked shocked at the sudden change in subject. "I, er…"

For no particular reason, I decided to help him. "He knew I was coming, because I had told him ahead of time. It was supposed to be a surprise for Jack, and Daniel was going to let me into the house."

Maddie looked just as angry as ever. Smooth talk, don't fail me now. "Maddie, I know you don't believe me, but I swear that I have not hurt Daniel in any way. In the basement you will find the smashed glass and damage from the ghost fight."

She seemed to relax, and when she spoke her voice was very calm. I decided that I was home free. "Just one more question Vlad." She said almost sweetly. "How did you get in, if the door was locked when I opened it?"

I could feel the blood drain from my face. I had been tricked. So much for being home free. Maddie smirked when she saw that I couldn't answer. "Not so clever now, are you Vlad?" She leveled her gun so it was now pointing at my head.

"Maddie-" I said pleadingly right before she fired. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come. Then I realized that her aim was a little off, and I felt the blast singe my face as it went past.

I opened my eyes and saw Maddie glaring at me. She had pulled back her hood so that I could see her hatred filled eyes. "Do you honestly think I would believe you Vlad? After all that's happened between us?" She walked over to me and I could feel the anger steaming off of her.

"I know what you are Vlad." she said ominously. "At first I didn't want to believe it, but now I have no choice." I tried not to panic. "Several things seemed obvious. The ghost in your mansion overshadowed Jack, a ghostly pilot stranding us directly over your house, Danny and I being attacked by ghost animals after we left your château, the way Vlad sounds when spelled backwards, that time when you appeared out of the ghost zone looking beat up, you somehow miraculously saving Danny after the first ghost attack even though you're a coward."

She paused as if thinking about what moment to bring up next. "I guess what made it the most clear was when you appeared right outside the restaurant we were at with a case of ecto-acne, and managed to infect Danny's friends."

I held my breath, knowing what was coming next, and still not believing that she had found out. How could she have known that I was a Halfa? "You've been using ghosts to try and seduce me all along. Somehow you've made a deal with them! One of them phased you through our door!"

"Yes it's true, I'm part-" I bit my tongue and stopped myself. My eyes widened in surprise, and I was pretty sure that Daniel's had too. She was dangerously close to realizing my secret, and by some miracle she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"Parthetically in love with you!" I said sounding rather dumb. Parthetically. Please. But she accepted it as an answer, and didn't question my bad grammar. I turned slightly and saw Daniel out of the corner of my eye.

"That's parthetic all right." he said rudely. I ignored him and turned back to Maddie, who seemed rather surprised at my answer.

"Vlad, I want you to get out of my house, and never return. If anymore ghosts attack I will know who they come from, and I will hunt you down and make you wish that you had never met a Fenton." Her voice was quiet and almost sad sounding.

"But-" she cut me off.

"Get out before I have to force you out. I'm sorry that our old friendship ended this way, but it's for the best. Now you can move on to other women. Hopefully ones who aren't married."

I opened my mouth to reply but she walked behind me and put the muzzle of her gun against my back. "Go." She pushed me and I was forced to walk down the stairs and out the door.

Just as I was about to turn around and complain she slammed the door in my face, and I heard it lock. Out of impulse I tried to phase through it and smacked headfirst into the door. I rubbed my head and was about to knock when the door flew open and Danny ran into me. I noticed that he was in his ghost form.

Before I could say anything he said, "My mom's inside. I overshadowed her and made her go to sleep." He looked somewhat angry with himself. "And as much as I hate to say it I'm going to need your help."

I couldn't help but act rude after being shoved out of Daniel's house by Maddie. "Really, and why would you need my help? It's not like I'm in your debt. You didn't help me back there when your mother was holding a gun to my head."

"Look Vlad, I don't care about your parthetic love for my mom. We need to save my dad, and since it is your evil ghost half that is trying to murder him, the least you could do is help." I felt like I was going to blow up in anger.

"You want me to help you save Jack! The man who stole from me the love of my life, gave me ghost powers, and then took them away again with his stupid invention? Why should I help you save him?"

"Because if my mom found out that a ghost killed my dad, which she will, then imagine what she will do to you?" I groaned inwardly, remembering Maddie's threat. There was no doubt that she would carry it out.

"Fine," I hissed dangerously. "But you need to promise me that you will never say 'parthetic' again."

So there's chapter three! he he, parthetic.