Pocket Watch
Why Family Reunions Suck
On Progression
"Here's your stupid paper." Skulker muttered, handing the folded piece of loose leaf over to the bedridden Danny. Gracefully accepting it with a smile that seem to half mock the ghost hunter, Danny slowly unfolded it and eyed it's contents, taking in a small sigh from memories past.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"What the hell is it?" Skulker pointed, "And man, you have crappy handwritings."
"Skulker, I was six when I started this, of course I had terrible handwritings." Danny chuckled, "This is a list I made at that age after Jazz threatened me."
"She…threatened you?"
"Well, I was angry at her for ratting on mom and dad for something I did, so as an act of revenge, I ripped the heads of the majority of her stuffed animals. She got SO angry that she vow to kill me, so I had better make a death wish…and well, I sorta did…with this." Skulker merely raised an eyebrow.
"This is a list of all the things I want to accomplish before I die." Danny continued, "Any time I want to do a specific thing, I would add it to my list. Ever since I was six, I've been adding newer and newer things, some I've already accomplished (he pointed to the ones that he crossed out), but a lot I still need to do…and to think I started this because my then eight year old sister wanted to kill me for destroying her stuffed animals."
"Speaking of sister, I'm probably not allow to say this, but since I don't really give a crap, I should inform you that she's aware of that piece of loose leaf you've got."
"Is she?" Now it was Danny's turn to raise an eyebrow, although not one filled with surprise as Skulker, but more on a level of intrigue and awareness, "Heh…of course. She's always barging through my stuff without my permission, being overprotective older sis. Of course she'd find this little piece of paper."
"Not surprised?"
"Not in the least."
"Hmm."
"Well, that said, I should add another on the list." Danny lowered himself to pull out his backpack from underneath his bed so that he could rummage through it's numerous pockets to fish out a pencil. Using the drawer next to him, Danny wrote down another objective.
"There, finished." Danny said in a fit of triumph, "Yet another goal I have to accomplish before I die."
"Which is?"
"It's amazing how you're so suddenly curious on my general activities."
"I'm a hunter, it's my job to know my prey's general activities." Again, Danny chuckled, seemingly feeling rather much like an old man who had lived horrific experiences and lived to tell the tales.
"Okay, fair enough. My latest list states I should generally make peace with the majority of the ghosts I fought." Danny answered, "Including you, Skulker." Again, he raised an eyebrow.
"Are you serious? A lot of those ghosts you fought AREN'T going to exactly feel sorry for you just because you're dying. Half of them used to be mortals themselves, you know!"
"I know, but still…I want to get every single one of my burdens away. I want to enter a good place in the Afterlife once I die."
"Still reaching for Heaven?"
"Yep."
"Even though you have no idea if it exists or not?"
"Yep."
"Isn't that kind of scary? What if there is no Heaven and you do end up in the Ghost Zone?"
"Skulker, you told me the only way to end up in the Ghost Zone is if you were born a ghost and had burdens left on Earth that you couldn't finish. Well, what if I finish them before? Surely I wouldn't end up in the Ghost Zone…would I?"
"Hey, you're asking the wrong person. As far as I'm concerned, you could just die and…that'll be it."
"…I'll take that risk, I suppose. What have I got to lose?"
"What time is it?" Danny eyed a clock on his drawer. Already noon. Checking his cell phone afterwards, he found it to be May 3. Nodding, he got up from bed and slowly placed his feet on the floor, acting as though he hadn't walked in years.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Getting ready." Danny spoke as he stood up, "Oh, and you might want to leave so I can change or at least avert your gaze." He made his way to one of his larger bags where he kept his clothes, not even bothering to stuff them his closet. Back then, he didn't have a damn clue how long he'd stay with Vlad. Anytime Danny had the urge to organize his wears, he usually had another argument with Vlad that caused him to render the fact that he wanted to live with him in the first place, thinking one of these days, he'll runaway and…oh, I don't know…become a hobo or something.
"Getting ready for what?" Skulker asked, turning around so Danny could change privately, covering his eyes with his hands for extra protection.
"I have to go someplace that Vlad would never allow me to go." Danny answered, pulling his pants up, "And I have to get an item from his private studies that I know he won't let me touch."
"Which is…?"
"Not saying."
"Why not?"
"Because you work for Vlad." Danny said, now pulling down his shirt, "And I have a gut feeling if I told you about my plans and Vlad still had to gut it out from you, you'd tell."
"Would not! He's not my boss, he's just an associate I work with!"
"Still not telling."
"What happen to making peace with the ghosts you fought?"
"It's on my to-do list." Danny chuckled, again humoring him.
Fully dressed, Danny then took the liberty of making his bed, something he never really do on a regular basis back then, but now felt like a chore he had to accomplish. Maybe after his intended mission, he'll finally get around and put his clothes inside the closet because how long can he truly argue with Vlad inside his own manor and what will it accomplish his current goals? Baring that in mind, he wrote something else on his list and pocketed it. Then he made a casual wave towards Skulker who merely watched the human boy walk off. The ghost hunter shook his head.
"What am I doing?" Skulker groaned, "Not killing him let along bruising him? Letting him wander off so closely to me like he's teasing me? I swear maybe I AM losing my edge."
………………
A quick invisibility and intangibility. Dive in and dive out. Danny took several deep breaths. He knew better then to use his powers, but this would be quick. Quick and straight to the point. After calming himself down, Danny quickly turned invisible, then he phase passed the double doors of Vlad's private studies, headed straight for his bottom desk drawers, phased his hand through, rummaged around, fished out the object he desired, and left.
Turning completely solid, Danny let out a small chuckle as he held the item in his hand, Vlad's pocket watch, no longer ticking since the last time he encountered it. He'd worry about that after the rest of his plans worked, but right now, he slowly extended his hand to the nearest wall to support himself; the use of his powers quickly dizzying him. After some few minutes of closing his eyes and struggling to relieve himself of the tension he felt on his head, Danny slowly made his way downstairs to where Vlad sat, coffee in one hand, pen in another. Signing business paper, one assumes.
Fidgeting with his fingers, Danny slowly walked over to Vlad. Try as he might to put on a straight face, it only came out as nervousness. If worse came to worse, Vlad would have assumed he was faking his appearance, masking his true intention. In a way, it's the correct answer, but Danny prefer to keep as much honest appeal as he could for what he had to ask. Baring that in mind, Danny softly cleared his throat, prompting Vlad to halt his writing and eye Danny with a face he couldn't figure out, something Vlad is exceedingly good at.
"…Yes?" Vlad spoke.
"…Umm…I'm going…out if that's alright."
"Out? Out where?" Vlad said as he finally lifted his entire body as straight as possible from his position of sitting on the couch, "Out…to use your ghost powers when I told you not to use them--"
"--I was helping people from a fire!" Danny interrupted.
"--Or go someplace that'll make you late for dinner, someplace you refuse to tell me about?" Vlad fiddled with his pen, moving it around every so often, "I tell you, my dear boy, I'm finding it very hard to trust you."
Usually at this point, Danny would once again argue back in anger, letting his full emotions flow out of control, but for once, he kept on a calm, almost hurt face. Remember what you wrote on the list! He told himself.
"Vlad, I just want to go out. Can't you take pity on a dying kid?" Danny urged a smile.
"Oh, don't try to butter me up, boy, I've been manipulating people while you were still a fetus clinging inside your mother, so I know a fake when I see one!"
"Vlad, I can't stay cooped up here!" Danny cried out, "I'm 16 years old, I need some air."
"Why can't you be more like those teenagers who's faces are always glued to their computers?" Vlad grumbled, "I don't want you going outside. I can't trust you anymore and I can't risk it either!"
"Vlad…I'm dying. Do you really want my last days to be from boredom?"
"It might if it means keeping you safe."
"Great, now you're playing the role of overprotective father AGAIN! I really think I liked it better when you were kicking my ass." Danny started to walk away, "I didn't have such a huge problem like this with my dad."
Every time Danny compared Jack to him, Vlad put on the most dangerous and disturbed of faces. This time, one of his eyes half closed and his teeth clenched. Danny stopped and noticed and a light bulb brighten inside his head. Vlad may be the more clever man, but even he has buttons that could be pushed, so with a small grin, Danny faced him, hands on hips.
"Yeah, my dad was a LOT more lenient with me." Danny smiled.
"Well, what can one expect from that blubbering idiot?" Vlad sneered, hands gripping onto the edge of the couch he sat on. Danny made a short irritated face himself after Vlad's remark on his father, but hid it quickly, continuing the accusation.
"Well, he must have done a good job taking care of me if I'm still alive and well." Danny crossed his arms.
"Alive for now." Vlad stated, "And even then, if you loved your father that well, you would have told him about your secret as a half ghost. Surely you'd trust your ghost hunting father THAT well, hmm?"
"Damn, he's good." Danny muttered to himself.
"And you ran away from him and your other family, remember?"
"But he's still my dad and I still love him!" Danny shrieked, clearly losing this battle considering picking a fight with Vlad is comparable to a mouse countering a snake, "And you can never EVER measure up to him!"
"Then WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE, BOY?" Vlad stood up, eyes sparking a brief red, his nostrils flaring, and his hands in fists, "You are NOT making a lot of sense!" Danny backed up a little, trying to maintain a courageous air in between, mouth wide open to speak, but no words coming out. Vlad let out an agitated groan, stormed off, came back with his car keys, and shoved it at Danny.
"You want to screw yourself over, then FINE! Get the HELL out, I can't stand to see you right now!"
"J-Just like that?"
"GET OUT!"
Danny bolted for the door, jumped into his black convertible, and took off. Well, it worked…not in the way he expected. Another argument and he tried so hard to not start one, but logical sensing should have detected Vlad's intense rage he always felt towards Jack.
……………………
On Reunions
"You best come back and visit me sometime."
The last time he met Abraham Masters, by the end of the day just minutes before Danny hopped on Vlad's car to return back to the manor, he told his "grandson" to come back and visit. Danny promised he did and would make good, yet as he drove in the quiet of the country fields, he's guilt increased only more so. He wasn't Abraham's grandson, but just some kid who happened upon Vlad's life because he couldn't reach his curfew in time two years back.
The car halted. Danny parked. The general store where he met the three little rascals who didn't think too fondly of him due to his involvement with the "haunted manor". Perhaps it'll do wonders if he stalled for time before he reached his destination…and get more candy, so in he went and just as he predicted, the three little children, busy running around inside (obviously hopped up on sugar), froze immediately when they eyed the taller figure before then.
"Hiya." Danny waved, "…Roger (pointing to the older boy), Sasha (the girl), and Dash (the younger boy), did I get that right?"
"DAD! THE OLD GUY FROM THE CREEPY MANOR IS HERE!" The younger one Dash cried out, still looking like he needed a bath terribly.
"I am NOT old!" Danny retorted, "Geez, just like my Dash from my school, obnoxious and rude."
"You're older then us." Roger snorted.
"But cute looking." Sasha giggled.
"I'm not obnoxious!" Dash hissed.
The owner of the general store appeared, still harboring his calm face, "Ooh, the lad has returned. Come back for more candy?"
"Yep." Danny nodded, placing several dollars, "You got any licorice? I always liked those."
"Plenty." The owner nodded, "So…you never told me you were Abe's grandkid."
"Huh?" Danny cocked his head back. Oh, perfect, he told. Well, why wouldn't he and in a small town like this, of course news would travel a bit faster and wider, "…R-Right. Yeah, I am…just trying to be…as secretive as possible."
"Yep, I heard, being on account your father is a big time celebrity in the world. What's it like being the son of a wealthy man?"
"Tiring." Danny half closed his eyes as he spoke in a rather cynical, yet truthful tone.
"I'd imagine so." The store owner placed a container of licorice in his direction, "So many rich folks…too obsessed with materials and greed."
"Well, Vlad--errr…DAD isn't really like that…of sorts." Danny stated, "He's…he's…he means well…just not in the right way."
"Glad to know at least you turned out decent, I mean, going as far as visiting your grandpa, seeing how he and your daddy are broken."
"I'm just glad you look normal and not some creepy ghost or something." Dash pointed out. Danny merely made a short chuckle over that.
"Umm…I'm pretty sure I'm not allow to ask this, but…what happen between my dad and grandpa? Why are they so…apart from one another?"
"Just an incident that happened over 20 years ago, my boy."
"Yeah, but what?"
"It's nothing you need to know."
"I'm his grandson and Vlad's my father, why can't I know?" Danny cried out, "Did it involve this?" Digging through his pocket, Danny whipped out the pocket watch. Immediately the sales owner opened his usual lazy looking eyes and his mouth fell to a gasp.
"The pocket watch." He barely uttered.
"What, it's just a stupid watch." Roger mumbled.
"Where did you get this?" The sales owner asked.
"I found it inside my dad's private studies, inside a desk drawer." Danny answered, "This obviously means something to both my pops and grandpa. Why?" The sales owner grew silent. Should he? He made a promise to Abraham to never tell a new soul about the watch, the incident…but Danny…he's family, a rather close one, surely he of all people should know of his family's heritage and traditions?
"…The watch is primary known as the Masters' Pocket Watch, an heirloom passed down from Masters' family to Master's family since the 1700's."
"Wow, that old?"
"It has been said that the watch since then continued to tick, never once stopping, so it is an awful shame to see it so still."
"Hmm? Oh, right!" Danny quickly took the watch and whined the top, bringing life back into it.
"It is a shame you had to find the watch instead of it being passed down to you, but it does give me a sense of hope that your father managed to keep it even after the falling."
"…Which you're not going to tell me about, are you?"
"I'm sorry, my boy, but I cannot. This is something Abe himself must tell you. Please don't pressure me."
"I won't." Danny lowered his head, a bit disappointed, gripping the watch with both hands, "…This must mean a lot for grandpa, that's why I'm going to show it to him today."
"That sounds risky." Sasha gasped.
"I'm a risky person, kid." Danny grinned which made the little girl giggle in fan girlish delight, "Any who, thank you for the licorice, I better go and do this. Wish me luck." After pocketing a few licorices, Danny waved to the four and started to head out.
"Oh, and I didn't tell you my name, it's Danny. Danny Fen--Masters."
"I know." The sales owner said, "You can call me Clark."
"Right, sure. See ya."
…………………
On Family
Okay, serious, why does he get himself into more problems? Why on earth is he visiting Vlad's father when he could just as easily back down and let this all slide before the problem gets any bigger? This isn't his problem, this is Vlad's. The last thing on his list he wrote just a couple of hours ago: Make peace with Vlad. It didn't mention make peace with his whole family and reunite them like some pseudo Guardian Angel. So why is he doing this?
"Well, how's my favorite grandson?" The old man waved from afar the long trail between the now parked car and the house the Masters' farmers dwelled in, proving for someone his age, he had rather good eye sights.
"…Yeah, that's right, I suffer from hero's syndrome." Danny crouched underneath his driver's seat for a while, muttering under his breath before putting on a straight face and embracing the hug Abe gave him.
"You got away from your father long enough to come see me?"
"Uh-Huh." Danny nervously answered, "Listen, I came here to more then just visit you, I came to--
"--Learn the tricks of the trade of the farm life!"
"Huh?"
"Well, boy howdy, at least I can find it in confidence my son actually did something right! Great, we'll get you in some appropriate clothes and get you started."
"Huh?"
"You like cowboy hats, right?"
"HUH?"
Dressed in a pair of loose jeans, a plaid shirt, and--of course--a cowboy hat (which, for Danny seemed rather familiar looking) Danny confusedly let Abe drag him by the hand over to where the cows stood calmly behind wooden linked fences, calmly watching their surrounding areas, not seeming to care. Danny's no dairy farmer, but why so few cows compare to a large field? About maybe 12--14 cows tops lazily and randomly walked the fields, but surely there would be room for more. It seemed like such a colossal waste.
"This is where we feed the cows." Abe started, "We feed 'em with, of course, hay." He took the familiar rectangular shaped haystack and spread it about to the cows.
"Now you try. They're pretty heavy and I gots to admit, you're a pretty scrawny kid." Abe scratched his head, "Damn father of yours spoiled you too much."
"Scrawny?" Danny placed his hands on his waist, "I'll show you scrawny--heh, heh--grandpa." Rolling up his sleeves, Danny took the nearest haystack and roughly lifted it up. Heavier then he though, but not enough for him to struggle with. If this was two years ago, then he'd have some trouble. Danny casually walked over to the cows and spread about their food like Abe showcased as the older man watched with a wide grin on his face.
"Them's Masters' blood running down ya!"
"Yeah…sure." Danny rolled his eyes, trying in vain to keep himself from creating a humorous smile.
"After that, I'll show ya how to milk a cow, then we got chores around the house, then we got our vegetable patch for the people who live and work here, and--ooh, I gotta show you a thing or two on ridin' horses."
"You got horses?"
Couple of hours of chores aside, Danny managed to meet the various horses they kept. About five of them, most of them brown, one black, one white.
"Since you're a newcomer, this one will do you some good." Abe brought out the white horse, "Daniel, this is Lila. Lila, Daniel."
"Geez…they're a lot bigger in person." Danny nervously chuckled as he stroke the horse's face with his hand.
"Here." Handing Danny a carrot to keep the horse occupied, Abe rummaged around, took out one of the saddles, then grabbed Danny, trying to get him on top of Lila.
"I…I don't know if this is a good idea." Danny struggled.
"Oh, come off it, you were born to horse ride. Masters' blood, boy!"
"I was afraid you'd say that." Danny mumbled. For the duration of his stays, those two words frequently popped out of Abe's mouth, each time causing Danny's stomach to turn a loop: Master's Blood. Oh, lord, now he can't even get it out of his head.
Abe had to literally push the boy until Danny reached the top and even then, he didn't so much as seated himself on the saddle as he lied on it, tipping over to the other side, and ultimately falling over. This took several tries and only then did Danny really rode the horse for some five minutes before he accidentally fell off again. No amount of Abe's instructions helped him; the boy sucked at horseback riding.
………………
"You staying for dinner?" Abe asked as he sat on his usual chair in the dining room alongside his worker Hank. His son Kevin provided the meals.
"I should hope so. My son's a pretty good cook." Kevin said, "One taste of his food and you'll never want to leave…ever."
"I still think he's secretly homosexual."
"Men cooking food doesn't make them gay." Hank said, barely irritated. They've argued over Kevin's sexual nature before, "He's just in more touch with his feminine side on account he was close to his late mother."
"You keep believing that." Abe muttered, then he pressed his lips to Danny's ears and whispered, "He's clearly in denial, so just humor him whenever this subject comes up again."
"…O-Okay." Danny answered, not entirely sure what he'd do, frankly because he could care less what gender Kevin liked.
"So, you staying?" Abe continued.
"Sounds good, but I'm not so sure…dad might get pissed." Danny fidgeted with his fingers again. Speaking of Vlad, his original plan finally entered his head after hours of pushing it aside to live a farm life for that brief moment, so he decided to quickly get this over.
"But…I am sure on one thing." Danny confidentially pointed out, "That is…that…family is a VERY important thing."
"Ahh, I agree." Abe nodded.
"Well, if that is the case, then shouldn't families, even ones we haven't had contact with years come together and reunite?" Danny could see it in Abe's face that he didn't like where this was going, "I mean…I made it my business to come see the other family members that I had and I had fun…minus the bandages from falling off Lila so damn much."
"…What's your point?"
"Uh-Oh, I sense the fireworks are about to be loose." Hank shook his head.
"I'm saying…maybe, juuuuuuust maybe, it's…time to…you know, talktoyoutson?" He spoke the last sentence quickly.
"Excuse me?" Abe slightly raised himself.
"There it goes." Hank grinned.
"You want me to go talk to that one person who ran off on his own father, vowing never to return?" Abe stood up, towering over Danny.
"But you guys are father and son!" Danny cried out, "Surely you can see past whatever crap you pulled through and work things out."
"I see…this is why you came, so you can shove your happy…dappy, whatever little life lesson onto me; well, you can tell your father when you see him that HIS old man isn't going to back down! If he wants to reunite, he better come down here and apologize for running away like the selfish git he is, damn it…and the chances of that happening is SLIM, so what the HELL does it matter?"
"But it does matter!" Danny countered as he dug his hand inside his pocket, "HERE!" He slammed the fabled pocket watch on the dining table. Naturally, every single person in the room but Danny let out a unison gasp, staring at the watch like some sacred object, not one of them edging closer to it, giving off exaggerated reactions Clark gave off earlier. Finally, Abe slowly extended his hand and gently picked it up by it's chain.
"…Where did you get this?"
"Inside my father's desk drawer in his private studies." Danny smugly answered, arms crossed, eyes half closed.
"…He's had it with him the whole time since he left me?"
"Yes."
"It's…still ticking."
"Well…yeah…but that was through me."
"I…I'd figured he had sold it by now."
"He didn't." Danny shook his head, "Look, the old picture of you and him is still in there." Danny opened the pocket watch and there, behind the glass held the sepia tone picture of Vlad as a child standing contently next to his father. Softly touching the picture with the his fingertips, Abe closed his eyes and unless he had something in his eye, Danny swore he saw a tear come out of Abe's.
"…Umm…you okay?"
"He kept it." Abe spoke and just barely, "…Maybe you're right…maybe I should call him, sit down, and have a nice heart-to-heart chat with--"
"DANIEL!"
What? No! He's here! Wrong timing, wrong timing, wrong timing! Oh, why of all now for him to come? Why couldn't he waited just a few more minutes? Close, so close and now, Danny could feel his plans crumbling into millions of pieces with him watching it while strapped to a chair. What utter torture. Immediately, he and the three males exited the house, Danny halting just near the front door, using all his strength to keep himself from screaming, only to utter a quick yelp because he knew at that precise moment that he would be getting himself into far deeper waters then he intended.
"So…this is where you went off to last time, wasn't it?" came the source of the voice, Vlad, "The Masters' Farm!"
"Vlad." Abe said, his emotions and mannerism rather stoic, not knowing how to react, "So…you've returned…after some twenty plus years."
"SAVE IT, OLD MAN!" Vlad pointed, "I just came for Daniel!"
"Well, this is a fine welcome!" Abe's sorrow from indoors quickly shifted to irraitation, "Most family reunions involves hugs, like your boy did with me."
"M-My boy?" Vlad gasped, raising both eyebrows as he stared at a nervous Danny who muttered a quick smile, staying side by side with Abe and his workers out of fear Vlad would turn ghost right in front of everyone and decapitate his head from his body.
"Yes…YES. My boy!" Vlad cleared his throat, "I told him this place was off-limits, but apparently he chose to disobey his father and you know what happens to children who disobeys their parents!" And with that, he quickly grabbed Danny by the arm and pulled him to his side.
"You are indefinitely grounded until you're 31!" Vlad shouted. Danny didn't shout back, already too deep into this mess and too nervous to utter a word.
"Oh, of course you wouldn't come and visit me without some sort of excuse!" Abe cringed his nose, "Why the hell you kept this watch all these years is a gosh darn mystery to me!" Vlad, shocked, eyed Danny.
"You SHOWED him the watch…no, no, wait, you STOLE my watch and then SHOWED him it?"
"Stole? Of course! Why would you pass it down to him? It's the Masters' tradition and you'd do anything to avoid that. The only thing you're carrying around is our family name!"
"Give me back that watch!" Vlad cried.
"WHY?"
"It's mine!"
"It's the Masters' pocket watch, passed down from generations to generations to hold and to cherish, not hide it in some drawer hoping to forget one's past, you ain't getting it back!"
"…..FINE. Keep the damn thing! Come on, Daniel!" He pulled Danny's arm so roughly that he swore he heard something pop inside. Vlad shoved him in the convertible, cowboy hat and all, and drove off, leaving one angry farmer and two befuddled workers.
"…How did he get here if he just drove that black car home that Danny rode alone? We ain't got no public transportation nearby." Kevin asked.
………………
Escaping to his arch-nemesis' manor to escape his family, friends, and past, constantly arguing with him on a daily basis, and discovering he's powers decided to screw him and slowly deplete his life compared to absolutely nothing when one eyed the boiled look on Vlad's face as he drove his car without saying a word. Danny would have so much loved to seat himself on the back seat, but Vlad shoved him to the front next to him without a second thought.
The silence did give Danny time to think, mostly his mind beating himself silly for doing something so ridiculously stupid. How ironic that Vlad, the manipulative rat king who often lied his way to get what he wants pisses off at Danny for doing the same thing. What worried him even more were the very words Vlad uttered two years ago, "You're more like me then you know." Manipulation, lies, and fake emotions; he used them all to get Abe to even as so much as embrace the pocket watch. Is that why he came to Vlad's manor? Did he subconsciously believe somewhere inside, he deeply wanted to or already became like a Vlad Jr? Then a sudden realization kicked in when he slowly removed the black cowboy hat he still wore, eyed it, then remembered some of the old photos of Vlad as a child or teen. Vlad's hat. This was Vlad's. Did Abe purposely wanted his "grandson" to substitute as his own son? The stomach pains he felt earlier compared nothing to the one he had now, the butterflies kicking from the inside.
Immediately upon entering the manor entrance, Vlad roughly dragged the boy by his arm again and pushed him inside and pointed to the stairs.
"GO. ROOM. NOW!"
Danny didn't question him, knowing it'll trigger off another argument, so he hastily obeyed and quickly closed his door upon escaping to his room (indefinitly grounded till he turned 31), lowering himself down, back against the door. At least for the time, he'll be safe.
"…How did he find me?" Danny clutched his heart, recovering from the hasty beating from all that drama.
Okay, stupid question. Danny thought to himself. This is Vlad! Is that why he gave him the car keys, so Vlad, using his ghost powers could fly (not close enough to let ghost senses loose) and see where Danny headed? Did he fake his anger in order to make it more convincing?
One thing's certain, Vlad's current face of anger right now is certainly the real deal. Never in Danny's life had he seen Vlad express such raw emotions pertaining to blowing his top off. Not for all the resistances, battles, and even that one incident during his quest to clone the perfect son which he afterwards just lost it (bless Dani's little heart) could compare to the one glued all over his face. Sure, he didn't cry out in a deep, resounding "NOoooooooo", but his current behavior felt more passionate only because when Danny looked at it, the incident became all the more personal, one which Danny could relate. After all, Vlad delved so far into Danny's life, his friends and family both involved with Vlad in someway to his devious little plans. In any other situation, Danny would tell off to Vlad, tell him how HE felt for once when his personal life was barged annoyingly, but instead, he felt a sense of…pity.
Still clutching the cowboy hat, Danny stood up and examined it. He still didn't quite understand why he felt the need to do this. Maybe him slowly dying DID started to affect his thinking. Whatever the case, Danny took out the list from his pocket, snatched the same pencil he use earlier, and wrote the latest in his list of things to do before assumingly taking a trip up to Heaven: "Reunite the Masters' Family."
To Be Continued…
…………………
Author's Note: Okay, okay, I updated, now shut up. Nah, nah, I'm just kidding on that "shut up" part. I appreciate you guys enjoying my story and asking for more and all that jazz. I apologize for the long update, I've been busy making a Danny Phantom website with a friend of mines, so yeah, I've been devoting myself to that a lot (and my comic series and all that stuff). That said, some behind-the-scenes info to get out of the way:
First off, I had some reluctance to put in that little homosexual conversation thinking I might offend someone the way Abe said it, but I when I made Abe, I always viewed him as a rather conservative and old fashioned. I have no problems with different sexual natures people have though and was merely added with no ill intentions, so don't get the wrong idea.
This chapter also served to be the breakthrough point between Danny and Vlad, then I noticed the chapter is already freakishly long as it is, so I'll have to save that for a future chapter, a very close one. I mean, I've already dragged on this damn story long enough and it's really now (and the next planned chapter) where the story REALLY starts to get moving to what the general plot will be overall (let's just say you'll be seeing action in the future to come). And I like cowboy hats, ahahaha.
Oh, and yes, that little dialogue with Dani I AM imploring she has since passed on, possibly from her destabilized form. To me, using her in this story is too much of a hassle (this is a focus on Danny and Vlad, so I don't need a third wheel around). I admit, I never cared much for her (can't say if I like or hate her due to her one appearance that I felt the creators didn't utilize well; she needs to make a comeback before I ultimately judge), but I never EVER liked the idea of a third halfa anyways.