Title: The Boy in the Bottle
Pairing: Vlad Masters/Danny Fenton (Maybe more…?)
Summary: Vlad Masters is marooned on a deserted island, that is until he finds a strange bottle. And what should be inside but a teenage boy? Alternate universe to the tune of I Dream of Jeannie.
Warning: Slash.
Rating: T

Haha. A couple of peoples' ears perked unpleasantly at the mention of Vlad having a fiancée. But that's just me (loosely) following I Dream of Jeannie canon. Because Tony is engaged in the very beginning.

This chapter is boring but obligatory. Sorry. Good news is that I really like the next one.

Chapter Five: Fast Times at Wisconsin University

His chair released a metallic squeak as Vlad leaned further back into it, gazing out his window with a tired indifference. Perhaps he had been too quick in assuming he could resume his normal duties so soon. He was still quite weary from his whole marooning experience. The prospect of simply taking the rest of the day off occurred to him readily enough. After all, he had only been at his desk for three hours and was already drained from the small amount of work his assistant actually allowed him to look over.

Interrupting his reverie was a sudden and abrasive knock on his office door that might have made him jump out of his skin, if he were a skittish person who scared so easily. He beckoned the person inside and watched as his bodyguard stomped in.

"Skulker," he greeted with a nod of his head.

"Masters," the man replied, a deep and intimidating rumble of a sound. He didn't speak again until he stood in front of the other's desk. "I wanted to see if you were going out for lunch or if I could settle down outside for awhile."

"No," Vlad answered, turning in his chair. "I think that I am too tired to go out today. Feel free to go and do whatever."

"In that case," Skulker said, scratching his chin and upsetting the green hairs that rested there, "I will be sitting in the front if you need me, cleaning weapons, sharpening knives, and looking overall intimidating."

"That's what I hired you for," the billionaire said with a smile, a very slight one. With a nod of acknowledgment, Skulker left.

Vlad had no sooner settled back into his chair to look out at the sunny day that he heard a voice speaking in his ear. "Who was that?"

Once again, he patted himself on the back for not jumping in surprise. And then, knowing that no one else had entered the door and it could only be one other person, Vlad turned around and saw the suspected genie. The boy was laying above his desk, not on it like last time. No, he was resting in the air, looking like he was simply laying on his stomach on an invisible surface, head propped in a hand and eyebrows raised, waiting for an answer.

"He is my bodyguard," the man responded, pulling the other down from the air so that he laid on the desk— half on, half off. "His name is Skulker, and if I were one to use such words, I suppose I would call him a 'friend' of mine as well. Have you been in here this whole time?"

"Only for a few minutes," Danny answered offhandedly, resting his head in both hands as he propped his two elbows on the desk. "He seems very scary."

"He's supposed to." Vlad dragged a paper out from under the boy to prevent it from being crinkled. "That's his purpose, to scare people off so that they won't attack me… or annoy me."

"And who is the man that was in here before? He had the dark hair with circles of glass in front of his eyes. He carried so many papers. I was waiting for him to drop them," the genie smirked cruelly.

"You said that you've only been here for a few minutes. That was an hour ago," Vlad stated irately. The boy shrugged his shoulders lazily in response, waiting for a reply as to whom the other man had been. "He's my personal assistant. He makes my appointments, sees that I have everything I need, and generally handles business affairs that I'm too busy for."

"And what is his name?" Danny prompted, swinging both his feet in the air in a way that said he was at least halfway levitating off of the floor.

"He doesn't like to tell people," Vlad answered, slightly angered at the other's continued defiance, especially after he had seemed so submissive earlier. "As his employer, I know, of course. To anyone else, he only gives his first and middle initials, G.W., and his last name, which is Riter. If you ever have to refer to him, call him by that."

The teen nodded his head a little before sweeping one leg, and then the other, underneath him to sit on the desk. "Master, I want to apologize again for earlier. I am beginning to see how out of line that was."

"Let's consider it a matter better left forgotten," the man responded, looking away from the boy. It certainly wasn't out of embarrassment though. Because Vlad Masters did not get embarrassed. "However, before we expunge it from our memories, I feel the need to ask whether or not you've ever been involved with someone… in that way." Eyes downcast, Danny shook his head timidly. "So you've only fantasized all of this time?" The teen nodded. "I do have to wonder then why you wouldn't want to be the dominant one… in your first... encounter?"

Danny dropped one leg down between Vlad and the desk, swinging it nonchalantly. When he looked up, he seemed to have eradicated any of the bashfulness he had just displayed and had mustered more than enough nerve to respond. Was it yet another well planned answer he had already prepared, years and years ago? "In the Blue Djinn's unlimited and disgusting humor, he equipped my bottle with… certain books before sealing me away. One was a manual explaining genies' powers and limitations. The rest— nine books whole books— were of a rather perverted nature." Despite his bold expression, the boy seemed to be having trouble saying some parts. "At first, I would not go near them. You have to believe me, Master, I am no… deviant." He actually waited for Vlad's nod that he believed him before continuing. "However, boredom and curiosity are powerful things, and in my time alone I was lousy with them."

"Understandable," the man shrugged, wondering just how long the other did wait before opening them.

"Maybe he chose the books specifically for me to arrive at this thought, but, over time, I began to see that the person who is on top does not get to fully enjoy it. They are too worried about pleasing the other person, you know? So, after giving it a lot of thought, I have allowed my personal views of myself to alter so that I may wholly enjoy it, without concern. After waiting for so many years, I want for it to be… exhilarating. At least for the first time. After that, I might consider women again."

"You are quite odd, child," Vlad chuckled lightly with amusement. "Though I suppose that— for yourself at least— what you say does make sense. Speaking as someone who has engaged in the act, only with women, I believe that you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. It isn't as great and wonderful as you may have heard, or have since read. And I fear that after all of your time spent fantasizing about it, there cannot possibly exist a person who can live up to your expectations."

"Then it is best that nothing happened this morning," Danny thought aloud. "I would not want my master to feel inadequate."

Vlad sat in shock, body running rampant with outrage. Surely he had just been insulted. But given the pensive gaze on the boy's face as he looked past him and out the window, there had been no condescension in his words. However, the male pride beating through him forced Vlad to say something in his defense. His mouth was open to relay just how wonderful a lover he was when he was interrupted. The teen had a definite— perhaps purposeful?— knack for that.

"This woman of yours, Master, will you tell me about her?"

He deflated instantly. How could Vlad be mad when thinking and speaking of her? "What… would you like to know?" he asked eventually.

"What is her name and how did you meet? What does she look like?" The boy glanced at him, apparently either quite cursed with curiosity or dreamily taken with the idea of love.

"Well, we met during a—"

There was a soft and interrupting knock on the door, quite different from the hammering of Skulker from earlier. Vlad looked at it, knowing who that rapping belonged to, and then back to the boy. He had no sooner made eye contact when the genie disappeared before him. "Come in," he said, looking around and happily finding no trace of Danny.

A second later, in walked his assistant Riter with a surprising amount of papers. Of course, the only surprising thing about the number was that it was zero. It was rare that he came in without more work to pile on. "I've come to pick up the consent form for employee raises at the central office in Madison," he said, stepping up to the desk.

Vlad nodded and looked around to find where he had sat the paper after tearing it out from under his genie. Remembering, he turned in his chair and looked over the short shelf that sat under the window behind his desk. His eyes grew wide when he saw a miniature Danny— the same four inch size from before— sitting on the very paper he needed. Was that where he had been spying on him from before? Right out in the open? Livid at the idea of him getting them caught in such a way, the man jerked the paper out from under the teen and watched with pleasure as the boy went rolling off, almost releasing a little yelp.

His assistant took the paper from him and was on his heels to leave when he stopped for a moment. "I know that you're still tired from the recent events, but I feel it's my obligation to bring up the company's image. I think something should most likely be done publicly about the two pilots who lost their lives." Vlad nodded for him to continue and he did. "Perhaps a small dinner? We can invite the families and some other employees for you to formally issue your condolences. As soon as you feel up to it that is… sir."

The man thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that would be for the best. I don't care whom you invite, but wait until my fiancée returns from visiting her family. She's scheduled to come back this weekend, so I suggest you put things in the works for Sunday."

The other agreed with his employer that Sunday would work fine. They made several overall plans together, Riter taking notes on a PDA from his pocket, before he turned and left to finalize everything.

As soon as he had departed, Danny returned to sitting on the desk again, sparing no time. It was as if the thud of the door closing was the sound effect to his appearance. "You are having a party, Master?"

"Yes," Vlad replied with a sigh, "I suppose. Of course, that's if you really want to refer to it that way." He thrummed his long fingers on the wood surface of the desk before addressing the boy. "Regarding your sitting right there in the open… Don't. All someone would have to do is stand at an angle in front of my desk and they would be able to see you behind my chair."

"Then I will need to hide better," the teen responded contemplatively.

"No," the man growled, "what you need is to stay in your room like I told you to do."

"But it is so boring there. I have been alone with myself for so many years that I could only take an hour of that. I would much rather see new things and learn more about you," he smiled innocently. "Tell me about your lady."

"You…" Vlad stopped in his preparations to yell at the genie, the same genie who had bowed before him and promised to be on his best behavior just a few hours ago. He realized that he might as well forget any minor rules such as those sticking. The boy was stubborn. But he was interested in her, and that was a subject that Vlad could talk on for hours. "Are you asking me about her in earnest? Or are you trying to avoid my yelling at you?"

"Oh, I am very interested in her, Master. I will be serving her as well when you are married, hopefully soon."

"No, I don't think so. I don't want her knowing about you unless it's absolutely necessary," he responded with a slight shake of his head. Not only was the boy his secret alone, but if she needed anything, anything at all, he would be the one to provide it for her, not a magical genie. "And we're not married just yet. We're still in a rather long engagement. I told her that we would get married when I felt I had my companies stable enough to run them without worry of being away from her too often or that they might begin to fall apart and leave me unable to provide for her."

"You should be very careful there," Danny teased, stretching his hands back behind him on the desk and leaning on them. "My father knew a man who ended up losing a woman by making her wait so long in the same situation."

"Thank you for your concern, but I don't need it. I actually told her that everything was finally ready for us to be together," he grinned smugly, exuberant at the concept of marrying her at last. "It's why she's gone actually. When she was a little girl, she made a promise with her mother that, before she was married, she would spend three months apart from her fiancé. And only one of two things would happen. The distance would either make her see that she was not meant for the man, or the exact opposite. Absence makes the heart grow stronger, they say. She's scheduled to come back this weekend and tell me officially if she's fallen out of love or further in with me." He saw that the other was about to open his mouth, so Vlad continued on hurriedly. "And with us it is the latter. She calls me every night— up until my plane crash— and even sends me the occasional gift. In fact, I spent an hour on the phone with her this very morning."

Danny didn't know what a phone was, or why the other had been on it, but he shrugged that off. "If my master says that all is well between you, then I will believe," the teen said, finding such a method of separation odd. "I want to know more. Will you tell me her name and how you met her?"

"Oh, yes," Vlad said, "I didn't even get started before Riter came in. Very well… Her name is Madeline, though I call her 'Maddie'," the older man began with pleasure, a cheery smile on his lips at the thought of her. "I met her in college. We had a physics class together and the teacher paired us up in a group randomly. It didn't take long before we figured out and mastered the experiment, so after that we had time to talk. As it turned out, she was quite the… ghost enthusiast. At the time, I too had a passing curiosity. (I blame it on simply being at that point in my life all young people experience when they contemplate death and its meaning.) After a long enough talk with her, class ended. I asked her to join my roommate and me for lunch— as he was also very fascinated by ghosts— and she agreed."

"Are you still so interested in ghosts?" the teen questioned, laying flat on his back with his knees bent and hands folded on his stomach, watching the other with interest.

"I'm interested in anything that I don't understand," the man responded indifferently. "Ghosts, genies, most things supernatural."

"I am afraid that I may not know much more than you on genies. This is the first time I have ever even been able to experiment with my powers outside of my bottle. There are very few things to be done in there."

"Genies have never been my primary focus before now, so there's no telling who knows more. Ask me anything about ghosts, however," Vlad said smugly, "and I can give you millions of theories, some I've read and many that I have established on my own."

"Then you really are very fascinated by ghosts?" Danny asked again.

"I basically had no choice in college. Maddie was so caught up in thinking about ghosts that I had to pretend I was equally enraptured so that I could have an excuse to spend more time with her. Eventually, the two of us and my roommate, Jack, established a small club with just the three of us. My feelings for her only grew. Unfortunately," he growled low in his throat, "the more time we spent in our little club researching, theorizing, and inventing, I began to notice that Jack was starting to feel for her as well."

"What did you do, Master?" the teen inquired, turning to lay on his side and look at the man.

"I tried to ignore it, even though that proved almost impossible. The worst was on the day that we were set to launch an experiment of ours. It was a portal designed to break into another dimension we had speculated about, an alternate realm that housed the ghosts we had become so intrigued by. We were all excited, but just as we were getting ready to begin, I saw the two of them share a look. They caught each others' eyes in a way that I was not at all happy with. I could read it very well— it saying the exact way I felt for Maddie." Vlad paused for a minute and turned his chair away from the boy somewhat, facing his window. "Completely consumed by rage, I ran out of the building. Being the good person that she is, Maddie followed me until I finally stopped. In a moment of absolute stupidity, fueled and clouded by emotions, I suppose I… confessed to her. I even asked her out on a date. She thought it over for a good minute, but she finally accepted. She forgot about Jack and saw me, who had been right in front of her the whole time… The rest is history. We've been together for eleven years."

"You seem very happy to have her," Danny smiled, pushing himself up until he was sitting and let his legs dangle off the desk. "Thank you for telling me so much of your past, Master. It makes me want to meet her even more."

"I am happy. Though I only told you because, honestly, who else could you possibly tell," he grinned, relating the boy to a journal in his mind at that point. "And… perhaps you may meet her, in time. It certainly depends," the man thought, turning his chair back towards his desk.

"What does she look like?"

"She has short light, sandy hair, a mix between brown and red, with the most beautiful and deep amethyst eyes. And then… Actually, wait a moment," Vlad said before reaching for one of the drawers of his desk. "I have a picture of her here. I had to take it down shortly after she left, though, because it made me miss her far too much." With pleased smile, he looked the picture over in his hand before giving it to the teen.

Danny took the picture and pondered only for a moment on such wonderful quality in such a small painting— knowing nothing of photography— before his eyes widened horribly, taking in the image of the woman smiling back at him. He stared at it for what must have been a full minute before Vlad felt the need to finally ask what was wrong. However, he had no sooner began to do so when the teen closed his green eyes in a quick blink, disappearing. The only sign that he had even been sitting there was the picture that held itself in midair for a brief second before falling towards the desk, threatening to shatter the glass if Vlad hadn't caught it.

"How odd," he said aloud, wondering what could have possibly caused such a reaction.

omg. Wha happened?

Yes, by the way, I did change the ages of the college trio. I know that they graduated twenty years ago come series time, not ten. I actually have a reason for this, to be disclosed later. You'll just have to wait to find out. So yeah, they're all about thirty-two here.

Nom nom nom. Ghost Writer. Haha. I was happily surprised when I took the 'W' off of the word and saw that 'Riter' actually looks like a name. But what could the 'G.W.' stand for…? Oh, well of course I know. Hehehe.

Every time I write that Danny blinks, I blink.