Notes: Still busy with NaNoWriMo. Update for "Instinct" should be sometime next week.

Plushie

Danny was very much ready to leave Vlad's manor, despite how nervous he was to be living on his own. Dan had just turned one a month ago, and Danny and Jazz had been going around the monstrous house collecting all of Danny's and a handful of Dan's things. Because of how difficult things were with Dan constantly needing both of his parents' presences and energies around, the living arrangement was already becoming complicated. Vlad and Danny each had to have a baby-ready room in their respective homes, and they still had to see more of each other than Danny was comfortable with.

Danny wasn't moving to a luxurious place by any means. It was a cheap apartment across town – all the way on the other side, as far as possible from the billionaire. Danny felt some degree of embarrassment that the rent would be paid by Vlad, though there wasn't much that could be done about it if he wanted to finish his degree on time. He couldn't work – he had Dan to tend to, after all, and his classes would already be taking up way too much of his time. It had already been difficult enough to attend school outside of online classes the last month and a half, and it'd only get harder when he transferred to Amity Park's University of Chicago campus. With limited branch-campus classes and very limited time, Danny felt it would be a miracle to actually get his degree with all the credits elementary education majors had to have.

But at least his life was finally slowing down... in a sense. It was a relief to be past those trying first few months of raising Dan. The hardest part hadn't been the dirty diapers or the sleepless nights, however, but rather having to get used to looking at his son's ghost form everyday. He'd lost count of how many times he'd broken down when he was in the privacy of his own room. It was not a flattering position to be found in, especially by Vlad. Though that had only happened once, it had motivated him to get over himself and try harder. It had worked, for the most part, though it had taken many long-distance and late-night talks with with friends and sister.

It had definitely gotten easier, Danny realized, thanks to everyone's support. Even Vlad, dare he say it, had been extremely helpful and mindful of him. He realized it was probably because the man's ghost side was in love with him, but he nevertheless couldn't have gotten by without the man's more or less unconditional support.

All that was over now, however, and it was still a relief on top of everything else to finally get to live his own life and not have to be constantly smothered or hit on. He wasn't foolish enough to think he'd be able to go completely on his own, though. He still had Dan, as Danny was reminded now that he was coming across toy after toy littered through the manor while gathering his things.

"Well, that's everything," Jazz said as the two walked down the hallway. "You're sure you've checked every room?"

"Yeah, but I'll probably be back sooner or later. It's a big house, I can't have gotten everything in one go, you know?"

"Alright, guess that's it for now, then."

"Wait!" Danny stopped. "I never checked Vlad's room."

Jazz raised an eyebrow at her brother, giving him a look that revealed what she was thinking at that moment. "Vlad's room?"

"Shut up! It's for Dan's stuff, Jazz!"

"Uh-huh."

Danny didn't respond, simply shooting her a dirty look as he led her to the billionaire's bedroom. He truly regretted having told her about Vlad's little crush a few months back.

Danny's eyes roamed over everything once inside the room. He truly wasn't there a lot, but Dan spent much of his time in there, as had been testified by Vlad constantly tripping over the baby's toys in the middle of the night during the past year.

The first thing that caught Danny's eye was a picture on Vlad's bedside table. It was in an obviously expensive frame, as were all of Vlad's new "family" pictures. This one in particular showed Danny in human form with Dan curled up against him in ghost form, the two of them fast asleep on the couch. When had Vlad taken that? Danny shrugged, realizing the image made him smile regardless.

"Uh, Danny? You wanna come over here a sec?"

Danny turned his attention from the picture to Jazz, who was on the other side of the bed lifting up one of Vlad's pillows. Danny raised an eyebrow and walked around the bed to see what she was staring at so intently. He immediately spotted it and began to choke on nothing, stammering incoherently before he found his voice.

"Y-You're freakin' kidding me," he sputtered, horrified.

Jazz picked the object up and turned it over, inspecting it. "Wow, there's real silver in this."

Danny snatched the thing from her, looking it over. He couldn't help but gawk at it.

It was small, about seven inches tall. It had obviously been intricately made at Vlad's discretion, every stitch perfectly sewn and every minute detail included into the object. Danny was looking at a miniature Danny Phantom plushie.

Like Jazz had said, the threading was real silver. The cloak and suit were made out of silk, the white boots and gloves out of leather. Spandex had obviously not been good enough for Vlad. The white hair atop its head felt like it might as well be real. The eyes, though, were blood-red instead of green. Danny was further taken aback when he noticed that they were made out of what appeared to be real rubies.

"Didn't you say Vlad had one of Mom a few years ago?"

"Mmhm," Danny agreed distractedly.

"Looks like he's moved on... Anything you want to tell me, Danny?"

Danny's head snapped up and he glared at her in disgust. Jazz frowned.

"Calm down, Danny! I was just joking, you don't have to do the eye thing with me. Come on, let's just finish up here."

She walked away to inspect the bookshelves and scour the floor while Danny looked at her retreating back in confusion. "But I'm not..."

He tucked the stuffed toy under the pillow again and walks towards a vanity table. Upon seeing his reflection, he simply grit his teeth in frustration. Of course, his eyes currently matched those of the miniature replica he was looking at moments ago.

Why, though? He really wasn't angry - just creeped out. Even if the gesture was rather flattering. And kind of sweet, really, even if it was totally obsessive. Though the obsessive part was perhaps what made the whole thing so...

Danny's thoughts cut themselves off and his eyes widened at where his reverie had been taking him. "W-We have to leave, Jazz!" he stuttered, wanting nothing more than to leave that house and the scent of the man he'd been living with for over a year.

"What, why?"

"We're done, come on, let's go!"

"But, Danny -"

Jazz didn't get a chance to say anything else as Danny pulled her from the room at a frantic pace.