Notes: Poor Vlad. Even villanous half-ghosts need their beauty sleep. Short and sweet drabble. Fluff is good every once in a while, after all. X3
Sleep
At two in the morning, Maddie and Jack obviously didn't expect to hear the frantic ringing of their doorbell. Naturally, the two ghost hunters rushed down the stairs, ghost weapons in hand ready for a ghost to be on their doorstep, ignoring the fact that a ghost wouldn't be likely to wait for permission to be let in.
On top of their doorbell ringing at two in the morning, they also didn't expect to see their college friend on their doorstep, bags under his eyes, frazzled hair out of its ponytail, and a crying Dan in his arms.
Jack and Maddie lowered their weapons. Maddie opened her mouth to speak, but Vlad beat her to it before she could.
"I haven't slept in eight days. Haven't had time, even when Dan will settle down. So many press interviews about the elections. Daniel's been busy with school, and he's still so drained since Dan was born, I obviously couldn't keep him up with this. Please, you have to help me!"
Maddie blinked at him with wide eyes while Jack stared at his usually composed friend in surprise.
"And he won't stop crying?" the woman asked.
"Oh, he'll stop, alright. He'll stop just long enough to lull me into a false sense of security!" Vlad said, a slightly hysterical pitch in his voice.
The two grandparents frowned sympathetically at the half-ghost, remembering well those sleepless nights with Danny and Jazz.
"Have you tried -"
"I've tried everything!" Vlad interrupted Jack. "I've tried singing to him, I've tried rocking him, I must have fed and burped and changed him a million times by now, I've tried to use my energy -"
"It's alright, Vlad, just calm down. This happens, it's probably just the baby formula you've been feeding him. Look, how about we take Dan for the night and you can sleep in the guest room upstairs?"
Vlad's tired, bloodshot eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect of sleep, and he quickly nodded. "Oh, thank you, Maddie!"
Maddie took the baby in her arms as Vlad passed him to her. However, Dan seemed to cry harder as he was taken away from his father. Vlad winced, his ears aching and head pounding.
Maddie shushed and tried rocking the child, but Dan just continued to wail. Vlad looked distressed and made to get his son back, but Jack got to him before he could. The half-ghost tensed, eyes briefly flashing red.
What happened next surprised everyone. As soon as Jack adjusted Dan against his bulky form, the baby stopped crying, simply making soft whining noises as he settled down and cuddled against the large man's frame. Jack grinned widely.
"Hey! He stopped crying! Guess he likes his Grandpa Jack!" Jack said in a soft voice, bouncing Dan up and down in motions that were much less clumsy than was customary for him.
Maddie approached her husband and grandchild, but was unexpectedly pushed out of the way before she could get too far. Her eyes widened when Vlad suddenly jumped on Jack in a tight hug, Dan et al.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Oh, Jack, ol' buddy, ol' pal!"
Vlad quickly released the man, stumbling over to the couch before collapsing on it. Within seconds, he was out, one of the ghost-hunting devices beeping in the background as the half-ghost's energy abruptly spiked and began to replenish what his sleep-deprivation had caused him to lose.
Jack was surprised for a brief second, but seemed amused nonetheless. Even Dan giggled in Jack's arms, though all Maddie could do was stare at her old "friend" in shock.