"Danny, wake up, sweetie!"
Maddie shook her son's shoulder gently until he opened his eyes. He shifted over to his back and rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Mom? What's going on? What time is it?" he asked groggily.
"It's almost two-thirty, Danny, but your father and I have to go to South Dakota," Maddie replied. "Some of his family were in a big accident, and we need to be there for him."
"When are we leaving?" Danny asked, sitting up and pushing the covers away from him. Maddie shook her head.
"Not you, Danny," she said. "Just your father and I. I need you to pack a bag for at least a week, so you can go to Vlad's-"
"VLAD'S?" Danny shouted. "I'm going to VLAD'S house? WHY?" Maddie sighed and shook her head again.
"Danny, I dont know how long we'll be gone!" she said. "You need someone to keep an eye out on you, and Vlad's the closest we have to family here..."
"Mom, I'm seventeen! I dont NEED a babysitter, I can take care of myself!"
"Danny, you're still grounded until Friday, and like I said, I dont know how long we'll be gone!" Maddie went into Danny's closet and pulled out a suitcase. "I know you and Vlad dont get along, but he's the best we have right now."
"Mom, NO ONE at ALL is better than Vlad!" Danny pressed. "I DONT want to go!"
"Danny, you're going, and that's final!" Maddie replied angrilly. "He's picking you up from school tomorrow, and I had better not hear that you skipped out on it, or you're grounded until the summer when we get back! Now pack your suitcase with enough clothes for at least a week, and no electronics!" She left the room, very aware of Danny's glaring eyes following her out.
As she went to go get the rest of her things ready, she began wondering what had happened to her little boy. Danny used to be such a happy kid; yeah, a little strange and aloof at times, with the occasional C and D in school with his little friends-only secrets, but now...he was so different. It was like almost overnight, Danny grew a nasty temper. The boy would fly off the handle over the smallest things, and brood about it for hours, and even days. His grades began slipping from alright to downright awful, and he couldnt be assed to care. He broke curfew, got into fights at school, and worst of all, Danny seemed to be ignoring his friends, and even his girlfriend Sam, for no reason at all except to hole up in his room for all his spare time.
She knew that having to stay with Vlad only spelt trouble, but Jack had a point; Vlad WAS the closest to family they had anywhere close to where they lived. Jack HAD named the man Danny's godfather, after all. She sighed and went to go make some coffee for herself and Jack before they left for their flight.
Back upstairs, Danny had gone from drowsy to adreneline-induced awake, and was fuming over his situation. He did NOT want to spend God-only-knew-how-long with VLAD, of all people! Hell, the last time he'd even seen the fruit loop was just last week, when he went completely postal on Plasmius's ass because their fight had ended up blowing up his backpack with his homework inside. Grim bit of satisfaction THAT was, watching the elder halfa retreat with a bloody nose and two inches missing from his hair, but he was still pissed.
And now he had to spend a week-maybe MORE-with him? HELL no. NOT happening! But because he knew his mother would get on his case if his suitcase wasnt packed when she went to check on him before leaving, Danny threw his basic essentials and some clothes into it and zipped it up, then tossed it near his door before climbing back into bed and staring a hole into the wall.
Fucking Vlad.
Fucking life.
Fuck.
Just an hour later, his parents came back into his room to say goodbye.
"Get to school on time, and dont forget to wait for Vlad afterwords, okay, Danny?" Maddie said softly. Danny made a noncommital sound to show he heard her. "We'll be back as soon as we can, sweetie."
"'Kay," Danny replied tersely. Maddie sighed and turned to leave, making a mental note to call Vlad, just as a warning. She agreed with her son that the man was a fruit loop, but she honestly pitied ANYONE that Danny didnt like right now, when he was like this.
"Let's go, Jack," she said. The cab was waiting for them downstairs. "Goodbye, Danny."
"Bye." Danny waited until he heard the cab drive away before going back to thinking his plan over. He could just skip out of Vlad's house at night to go back home, if need be, he thought. Yeah, that would work. And if the fruit loop knew what was good for him, he would leave Danny ALONE for this week or so, let he get a taste of what it was like to freeze something and then smash it with a hammer FIRSTHAND on his genitals.
Vlad was actually quite surprised when Maddie called him just a few hours later as he was getting ready for the day. "Hello?" he said, balancing his phone between his head and shoulder as he fixed his tie.
"Vlad, it's Maddie." Vlad nearly dropped the phone; well, he DID drop it, but he managed to catch it.
"Maddie!" he greeted happily. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Fair warning, is all."
...Well, THAT was odd. "Whatever do you mean? For goodness sakes, Maddie, you know I'd never hurt the boy...!"
"It's not...really Danny I'm worried about, Vlad..." Maddie replied hesitantly. "...It's you."
"...Me? Whatever do you mean?" He heard Maddie sigh on the other line.
"Vlad...Danny's changed recently," she replied. "...I dont even know when it started, but I can guarantee that he's going to be a handful, and maybe even trouble while he's staying with you. Vlad, I'm begging you, PLEASE try to actually get along with Danny this time. Dont tease him or egg him on, because if you do, you'll be lucky if your house is still standing."
Vlad actually had to agree; he was just happy he had speed-healing, because he was sure that if he didnt, his nose would still be broken from Danny punching it last week. And there was no telling what the boy would do to his house...! "I understand, Maddie," he said. "But I want to know if I have your full support should Daniel...act out, shall we say, and I will need to punish him...non-corporally, of course..."
"He's already grounded with limited privilages, so you can take those away too if he acts up," Maddie concurred. "Maybe even make him do chores, but just...nothing to rile him up, please Vlad. If anything...try to find out why he's been acting like he is...he wont talk to me or Jack...not even his friends anymore..."
THAT didnt sound like the Daniel Vlad knew. He made a mental note to figure that out. "Alright, Maddie," Vlad said, putting his Rolex on. "I'll take care of Daniel for you. He's in good hands."
"Thank you, Vlad," Maddie said. "Goodbye." With that, she hung up, and Vlad put his cell phone away, then turned to his nighttime visitor, who just walked in. "We're going to have a visitor for the next week or so, Andrew," he said. His companion arched a brow and adjusted his glasses.
"'We', Vlad?" he asked. "I was not aware of anyone who was a mutual friend of ours."
"...Friend, no," Vlad replied, pulling his hair back into its usual ponytail. "More of an...acquaintence, you might say. And his presence here wont hinder yours in the least. He knows who you are."
"...Are you going to tell me who this 'visitor' is?" Andrew replied, crossing his arms. Vlad purposely avoided the other man's eyes as he pulled his jacket on.
"...Daniel."
"WHAT? THAT wrathful little brat? Are you even KIDDING me, Vlad?"
"Not in the least, Andrew. There's...family issues that his parents must attend to, and I'm the closest to family they have around here for Daniel to stay with." At Andrew's skeptical look, Vlad sighed. "I'm the boy's godfather."
"...Brilliant."
"I'm going to pick him up from school today around three-thirty, and he'll be staying here for at very least a week, and I promised his mother that I would..." He looked almost pained just to say it. "...Get along with him. Maybe...perhaps...you could, too."
"Not very likely," Andrew replied, scowling. "That little rat trashed my Christmas poem, got me thrown in jail, and didnt even apologize for it!"
"...That was three years ago, my dear Ghostwriter, and Daniel has become quite...tolerable around Christmastime. And believe me, I've heard the horror stories of how he ONCE was..."
"It doesnt matter. I still want an apology," the 'Writer replied stubbornly.
"Well, maybe you'll get one during his stay." Vlad grabbed his briefcase. "Will you be staying here, or returning home while I'm gone?"
"I have a few more chapters to write for my novel," Andrew replied. "I might come by later for dinner. But as long as the brat stays out of my way, I'll stay out of his."
"Fair enough." Vlad leaned forward and kissed his lover briefly before heading for the door. "See you tonight."
As Vlad was riding in his limo toward Town Hall, he suddenly got a chill down his spine, an indication that something was going to happen.
Nothing good ever came from those chills...
Sorry for the delay, little computer time.