Chapter 12:

Tony POV-

"Hey Pepper, take a look at this," I called to her when we were down in the lab, waiting for Danielle to come back. I pulled up the surveillance footage from when she left dinner and went to her room.

"What is it?" Pepper asked, leaning over my chair to see the screen.

"Well, here is Danielle going into her room, then she goes into her bathroom and…that's it, she didn't go out. Then here you are," I pulled up Pepper walking into Dani's room and bathroom and finding nothing, which proved that the footage had not been tampered with.

"Wait…how is that possible?" she asked me.

I shook my head, wondering the same thing. "I don't know, but when she gets back, we need to find out." Pepper nodded, "In the mean time, I think I'm going to do a little more research on her 'father.' Jarvis, do a search on Vlad Masters."

"Yes sir," Jarvis replied, pulling up a page on the mayor of Amity Park. In fact, from what I found, it was a surprise that he was elected mayor at all, he had only moved to Amity Park from Wisconsin shortly before the elections.

'Maybe that's the dirty work Danielle was talking about…' I pondered. I even managed to hack into Vlad's home computer. But most of the files were so tightly guarded that I couldn't hack into them for more than a few seconds at a time. And the things that were not as tightly guarded where things that I didn't really want to see: pictures (obviously photo shopped) of Maddie Fenton. I even found a holographic simulation for Maddie. Um…weird.

'So Vlad had pictures of Danielle's aunt, a married woman on his computer? And I thought he was nuts before,' I shook my head, quickly closing out.

I went back upstairs where I found Pepper pacing in front of the hallway.

"Pepper, calm down," I told her, "I'm sure she'll be home soon, she's been gone for an hour now."

"I know…that's what worries me…what if something happened to her?" Pepper exclaimed, obviously concerned.

I shook my head, "I don't know what it is, but for some reason, I have a feeling that Danielle can take care of herself."

"Well, I'm going to go see if she's back yet," Pepper announced, walking down the hallway.

A few seconds she returned.

"She'll be out in a few seconds," Pepper told me, I was actually surprised that Danielle was back, especially considering the alarm system I had engaged after she left, had not been triggered.

Dani POV-

I was, well, nervous, about whatever they had to talk to me about.

"Where were you?" Tony asked, not like a concerned parent, not accusatory, but simply like he was confused as to where I was.

"I went for a walk on the beach," I said, the lie coming easily. Tony opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but Pepper cut him off.

"Danielle, honey, we need you to be honest with us. What is really bothering you?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.

"Nothing," I stated, already breaking the honesty policy.

"Listen, Danielle, we know that Vlad is your father, okay? And we know that there is something that you are not telling us," Tony announced bluntly. My jaw dropped and my heart started racing while Pepper shot Tony an angry glare.

I didn't say anything for a few minutes. Finally I muttered, "How did you find out," very quietly.

"Well, we didn't actually find out until just now, I just had a hunch before," Tony smirked, but I was still too stunned to respond.

"So now you understand why I was so freaked out about him coming here?" I asked. Tony and Pepper nodded.

"But there is still something that you aren't telling us," Pepper said gently. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you," I whispered, feeling bad, but not bad enough to give up my biggest secret.

"Why not?" Tony asked.

"Because it could put other people in danger," I told them.

"Would this other person be your cousin?" Tony asked me, and I was stunned, and at the expression on my face Tony added, "Yeah, I put that together too."

"Yes, him, his friends, his family, and also you two," I said seriously.

He shrugged, "Dani, I think we are perfectly capable of handling ourselves."

"You don't know what Vlad is capable of," I told them.

"Then why don't you tell us," Pepper insisted.

I shook my head, "Like I already said, I can't. I'm really sorry and I feel bad. I really wish that I could but that is just way too much of a risk. You're just going to have to either figure it out on your own or stop asking because I am not going to change my mind," I informed them.

"Okay," Tony said, putting his hands up, "We won't ask you to tell us anymore."

Pepper looked upset, but there was no way I could tell them my secret without giving away Danny's secret too, and that's not my secret to tell. Plus, they already know way too much, I figure that it is only a matter of time before they figure it out, and by then, maybe I will be far enough away so that Vlad won't be able to put them in danger.

We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, before Tony finally stood up.

"Who wants ice cream sundaes?"

I smiled, and followed Tony and Pepper into the kitchen.