Me: GUYSGUYSGUYSGUYSGUYS I AM SOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING!
Danny: Well, you should at least tell them why, Hayden. AND BE HONEST.
Me: OK, the truth. But first. I just realised in the last chapter I said I was on the last episode of Fullmetal Alchemist. It was the original series. Then I watched all 64 episodes of the Brotherhood version. And I still haven't posted another chapter. Holy Karate Noodles, I'm late! Anyway here's my (perfectly understandable) reason: I'm ill. Quite ill. But I'm getting better. Not to go into detail too much, I need to have therapy to get better. No, I'm not some kind of mentally-disturbed girl. It's just necessary, OK? I might seem crazy, but not like that. I'm also unable to use my laptop a lot, or I feel sick and chaos ensues again. It'll probably take me a day on and off to write this A/N. But I know I'll get better. The fact that I have so much to look forward to this year and all the support I get from my internet-buddies and stalkers helps. A lot. And sorry if my writing's dodgy, or if I forget something or whatever, but I can't really help it. It's hard… So I hope you can even try to forgive me.
Danny: Review… replies…
Me: Oh, and before I say that, I want to make an announcement. I am writing short drabble-y fics for characters like Sam, Tucker and Star that explain what they were doing during this fic. Like I said, I only have 12 chappies for this one and that isn't enough room. So hopefully that'll be up soon after this fic has ended.
Oak Leaf Ninja: A spoon? Why would you want to eat a spoon? Well, let's hope you haven't eaten it yet…
Inuyuke: WHAT AN ADORABLE FLUFFEH SONG you got there :3 Here's the next one for you :)
Nycorrall: Hope you internet's working now (I've probably given you enough time in the hiatus XD)
ckittykatty: Nah, I don't have it all typed and ready, but I have girls at my school (DON'T ASK ABOUT THE GATHERING GRACE) that stalk me for updates and such.
Sleepyreader13: Hope this is what you consider soon :) HOLY UNDERGROUND FLYING PENGUINS are you the one who wrote Sounds in the Dark? I LOVE THAT! Could you update that soon, just for me? :3
XxhoneyleafxX: Well, I did mean the original, but like I said, I've watched all of Brotherhood since I last updated (how awkward is that?). And why did you quit early? A lot of people say it's the best anime out there. I've seen a lot of Detective Conan :) It's what I watch when I'm bored (only 'cause there's so many eps)
esbmusic42: HUGS AND KISSES AGAIN! I love reading your reviews, they really help with my writing :) Hope you like this one…
holospartoi258 - Alpha 01: Thanks for the tips! I take everything into consideration and when people leave me lovely long reviews they really help :)
jordylilly777: HOPE THIS CHAPPIE'S GOOOOOOD XD
HalfafanD: I'll try :3
"Hello?"
"Excuse me?"
A small voice stirred at the back of my mind and I groaned, rolling over and waving my hand groggily in the air.
I felt someone shake me - gently though, not too hard.
"Hello?"
Their hands were freezing cold on my bare arms.
Shivering, I opened my eyes.
A small girl, probably no older than twelve or thirteen was sitting cross-legged beside me on top of the sheets. Her raven black hair was tied back into a long, tight ponytail with bangs left hanging in front of her face, and the clothes she wore were either too big for her, or just very, very baggy. It occurred to me for a second as I looked that I had seen her before, but the thought left my mind as I sat up.
"Why am I here?" I looked around. I was in a large bed covered in red silk blanket, with countless amounts of cushions around me. The room was a decent size too; a clean, well-polished window covered almost all of the left wall, and the other three were painted a very deep shade of crimson, with gold outlining just below the ceiling and slightly above the floor.
I didn't bother with the décor though – my head was pounding from my passing out.
"I expect Plasmius knocked you unconscious when he took you to Master," the girl said thoughtfully, "you probably have a headache."
I nodded slowly. I remembered now – Vlad Plasmius was the blue-skinned ghost that I saw just before I blacked out.
She shuffled backwards slightly to the edge of the bed to give me more room. Her face was far too serious for her age and looked like it had been cut once or twice – I could see faint pink lines across her cheeks and forehead that could have been scars. Her face seemed to be holding a constant slight scowl mixed in with a crooked smile and her bright, ice-blue eyes seemed like they belonged to someone slightly older, someone like…
"Dani," she said, holding out her hand.
"Excuse me?"
"Dani," she repeated again as I turned around and faced her, "My name's Dani. It's short for Danielle."
"That's a nice name," was all I could think of to say in my state, "I'm Paulina. Paulina Sanchez."
"I like that name too," she let out a small, soft giggle – finally, a bit of child-like behaviour, "it sounds Spanish. It's pretty."
Dani reached behind her and handed me some clothes.
"These are for you, Paulina," she told me, "Masters says you're to wear the outfits he chooses from now on."
"OK… but who is Masters?" I asked her, trying to keep myself calm. Waking up in an unfamiliar bed lying next to an unfamiliar girl with a headache the size of Jupiter definitely wasn't something you did every day.
"Masters is… my father," she hesitated during the sentence, "but I don't really like to call him that. I don't see him as a dad. I see him as a man who just provides a room for me and who cooks me meals. That's all."
"Yeah, but why did he bring me here?" I was more confused than frightened, "why kidnap me, knock me unconscious, and then put me in a king-sized bed covered in tons of expensive stuff?"
Dani shrugged, "That's just how Masters works."
We were silent for a moment as I tried to take everything in. My first though was obviously to escape, but something about Dani kept me from going just yet. And being the kind of kind of person I knew I was, I was intrigued by her father too. Even to myself that idea sounded crazy, but I had to know what the man wanted. And what of the girl's mother? I was just too curious to leave without finding out something, although I was mentally slapping myself for it.
"Hey… Paulina?" Dani's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know Danny Fenton?" She asked, a hint of shyness in her voice, "I saw Masters' records on you downstairs in the library and it said you go to Casper High."
I nodded, wondering what connection he had with her. "Why?"
"I've seen him around, is all," she replied, shrugging again.
"Does Masters have any connection with him?" I asked.
She hesitated.
"No… I don't think so."
Bingo.
Judging by that, Danny did have some kind of connection to Masters. When I thought about it more, I remembered that that ghost (who probably worked for Masters), appeared not long after Danny left. He had just given me the bracelet.
The bracelet.
I checked both of my wrists. Sure enough, it was gone.
So Danny obviously had some kind of involvement with Dani's father. So… did that mean that all the nice things he had kind of said to me, albeit slightly awkwardly, were just to get me to get closer to him.? Masters must have known about my parents' divorce and used Danny to get straight to my weak spot.
I stopped my train of thought.
Was I getting ahead of myself? Probably. Was I making wild, shallow assumptions based on one piece of jewellery and a cup of coffee? Yes. That wasn't fair. I was acting just like Star, changing my opinion of someone based on a single bit of evidence that might even have had nothing to do with them. I had always done that.
But why did I always do that?
What influenced me to do that?
My head still throbbed.
"Is there anything I can get you Paulina?" Dani asked me when she heard me groan, "Masters won't be home for a while, and I know he'll want you for something. Everyone he brings to our house is somehow significant to him, but most of the time he doesn't reveal his reasons for a while. If I were you I wouldn't worry. It would just make your stay worse."
"Will… will I get out of here?" I questioned her, suddenly slightly nervous.
"I'm sure you will," she smiled a bit, "everyone else that's been here has."
"Good." I replied. It was time for my final few questions for her at that moment. I needed time to think things through a bit more to squeeze as much information out of her as I could – I could tell she was holding back on some things. Plus, I wanted something for the headache. She must have something for it, it was obviously a massive house.
"What time is it?" I asked her.
"Six o'clock."
"How long since I arrived here?"
"You were dropped here four hours ago."
Four hours ago was two o'clock. It was during lunch that I was taken by that tall and scary blue ghost with the unfitting silky voice that worked for Masters. So it must have taken an hour or two to get here from school.
Good.
I smiled, kind of menacingly like people do in the movies when they get a good idea.
I wasn't too far from home.
"Excuse me, Dani?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you get me something for my head while I get changed? It hurts."
Danny: So that's it for this one, guys :(
Me: Sorry for the shortness :(
Danny: Hopefully we'll update it soon :)
Me: Then we can all be happy :)
Danny: Please leave reviews :)
Me: Hope you liked all the twists 'n' stuff :)
Danny: And our insane overuse of smileys :)