A/N: So much for getting to 101 before the year is out, amiright? Welp, here's another oneshot for you all to enjoy. I might go back and to a second addition to some of these oneshots if you guys want. I'm the one that would be cheating that way though, just to get to 101. If you want me to continue one, just say so in the reviews. I'll get around to working on a 'sequel' of shorts when I have time. This oneshot is based on the five stages of grief! Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom

Child's Play

Danny shook his head in disbelief as he kept running into the forest. "No way, no way, no way!" He yelled as he struggled to breathe properly as he let out rapid and uncontrolled breaths. He tripped over an exposed tree root that he hadn't noticed and fell onto the ground harshly. He could feel every bone in his body start to ache at their constant usage.

"Daniel…" Vlad's hovering ghost form looked down at him. Danny looked up with wide eyes as he shifted his position from where he was laying on his stomach to him sitting up. He started to backpedal away from the older halfa. At seeing the clear and evident fear that the boy was expressing, Vlad's face softened slightly in guilt. Only slightly, however. "Daniel," he repeated with narrowed eyes as he landed on the ground, which from the sound, made the teen jump from surprise. "Come back inside," he ordered in a stern tone.

"N-No!" Danny yelled out as he once again tried to pull his ghostly powers to aid him. However, due to being hit from the Plasmius Maximus merely an hour ago, he was met with nothing. "Leave me alone!" He yelled at the man as he watched the older halfa take a step towards him; obviously ignoring his demands. Frantically the teen looked around for a weapon and found a few pebbles that were gathered by the tree that he was slowly backing towards. "I'm serious!" Danny stated as he grasped the rock within his grip and tried to look bravely at the man.

Vlad glanced at the teen's hands and sighed, "Now, Daniel, what use is that going to do?" He asked as he shook his head in disappointment before continuing his approach towards the teen, who started to tremble. "What I'm going to do is only for your own benefit," he stated to try and calm the teen down.

Danny shook his head furiously as he eventually hit the trunk of the tree, "I-I seriously doubt that," he stated as he could only watch as the older half ghost closed in the gap between them with his long and calculated strides. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide. He was powerless and defenseless.

"How about I strike up a deal," Vlad stated as he stood merely inches away from the shaking teen. Danny looked up slowly with pleading eyes, "No, I know what you're thinking little badger," Vlad stated as he placed a hand up in front of him, "I'm still going to continue my scheme," he stated, and at those words Danny started to panic as he scrambled himself up and tried to run away from the older halfa. Before he could move out of arms reach, the man grasped onto the young halfa's arm in a steel tight grip. "Now why are you running off when you haven't even heard me out?" Vlad asked, amusement clearly being portrayed in his tone.

"I'm not being your son!" Danny yelled in detestment as he tried to break away from the man's hold, only for the man's grip to get tighter around his arm, making him hiss. He looked up and saw that Vlad was only grinning as he shook his head.

Vlad let out a 'tsk' as he moved Danny to be closer to him. The teen started to get nervous as his heartbeat started to accelerate again in anxiety and alarm as he looked into his pupil less red eyes. "Well, I doubt that being of the age of four you will even know the difference between Jack and I," he stated as Danny tried to use his other hand to push the man away from him. "However, I am a man with a heart," he stated as he leered at the teen.

Danny stopped struggling at seeing that his attempts at escape were futile, "If you actually had a heart you would let me go…" He trailed in a sad and childlike tone.

"I will let you keep your teenage mind within your new childlike body," Vlad said with a smirk on his face as Danny's eyes widened in fear.

"No!" Danny yelled as he once again began to struggle, "That's the most heartless thing you could do!" He stated as he started to tremble even more.

Vlad chuckled darkly at the teen, "I can't think of a better punishment more deserving than that, little badger," he said as he started to walk, with his hostage in his grasp. Danny started to lose control of his breathing as his worst fears were starting to come true. "Do calm yourself, Daniel," he suggested, though Danny knew it was an order. "It will all be over soon…" He trailed cryptically as the mansion came into sight.

Danny shook his head as he tried to lock his feet into the ground to stall them, "Vlad, please!" He pleaded as Vlad didn't slow down; even with the extra weight. "Please don't do this!" He stated as the older halfa phased them through the doors.

"It is far too late for that," Vlad mused as he glanced at the teen with a smirk on his face, his fangs gleaming in the mansion's lights, "We'll be spending a long time with one another."

"Hello there, Daniel!" The maid chatted idly with the son of Vlad Masters. "How are you doing today?" She asked with a smile on her face, unknowingly completely oblivious to the entire situation.

Danny looked up at her from the couch and brought his knees to his chest, "Fan freaking tastic," he said dryly as he looked away from her. His attention caught the television as he tried to drown out the maid like he usually did.

Vlad walked into the room with a grin, "Ah, Kylie, you're here early!" He stated as he placed his hands behind his back and glanced at the sofa out of the corner of his eye. "He didn't say anything too…Odd, did he?" He asked, a little concerned since week one all Danny was doing was trying to convince the man's staff that he was keeping him prisoner.

Kylie smiled gently at the man, "Not at all!" She stated as she waved at him as she brushed past. "Well, better start getting to work!" She said as she glanced back at the four year old boy who was trying to become one with the couch, "I'll visit you later, Daniel!" She said as she went out the door.

"Finally coming to terms with your predicament, Daniel?" Vlad asked as he slowly walked over to the couch and leaned on it slightly. He looked down at the boy and smirked at him. Danny did his best to ignore him as he didn't look away from the television set once. "I can feel your anger all the way from here," he stated as Danny quickly looked at him, his eyes formed into a glare.

"I will find a way out of this, Vlad," Danny stated as he gripped the couch cushion that he was sitting on in a death grip.

Vlad merely chuckled as he stood up to his full height, "Ah, yes, stage two of grieving," he mused as he started to walk away.

Danny glanced to the side in mild confusion before he stood up from the couch, fisting his hands by his side, "I'm not grieving!" He yelled in defense as Vlad stopped walking and turned around. "I'm angry at being kept away from my real family!" He yelled as Vlad snickered.

"That is what stage two is, Daniel," he stated as he rolled his eyes in slight annoyance. Though he found the boy's temper tantrums very amusing.

"I-!" Danny yelled as he became flustered, "That's-!" He yelled as he started to walk away.

Vlad rose a lone curious eyebrow at the boy's retreating form, "And where do you suppose you are off to?" He asked in a condescending tone that made Danny even more furious. The boy didn't bother to reply as he stomped away and out of the room. Vlad chuckled as he shook his head, "The ghost portal is sealed off and there's a ghost shield around the mansion…There's nowhere that you can run, Daniel…I've made sure of that," he said as he started to walk out of the room, all the while straightening his suit and held his head up high in triumph.

Danny entered Vlad's private study cautiously as he made sure there were no witnesses around to see him. After all, the last thing that he wanted was for the maid to tell his tormentor where he was. "I need to get to a ghost portal!" He yelled to himself in anger as he looked to where the fireplace was. He started to walk over to it and then frowned, "I'm too tiny!" He complained as he sighed, letting the white rings overcome him; turning him into his ghostly counterpart.

He floated up to one of the golden football statues that were placed on the mantle of the fireplace and pushed down on it. He grinned when the fireplace went to the side, allowing him to walk down the newly revealed steps. "Finally!" He cheered to himself as he quickly darted down them and into the 'secret' laboratory. He expected to see a pink eerie glow when he got down there. Instead, it was black and lifeless. "No!" He yelled as he flew around the room, looking for the ghost portal. "There's no way it can be gone!" He yelled in disbelief as he placed a hand up to his head.

"Looking for something?" Vlad asked with amusement as he suddenly appeared in the room with his arms crossed.

"Where is it?!" Danny yelled with a glare as he looked over at the man.

Vlad rose an eyebrow in mock surprise as he placed a hand up to his face to examine it, "Where is what, little badger?" He taunted as he held back a smirk.

Danny let out a loud pained groan as he landed on the ground, "You can't keep me here!" He yelled as his ghostly form couldn't keep up with his four year old body. He turned back involuntarily as he fell to his knees in despair. "I don't belong here…" He mumbled as he looked at the ground.

"But you do, Daniel," Vlad retorted making the young boy hiss in response, "You're my son now and that's the way it's going to be," he stated as he started to walk over to the grieving boy.

"You'll slip up," Danny grumbled out, making Vlad chuckle.

"I won't," Vlad commented, making the boy look up at him for any signs that he was lying. The young halfa started to panic at how serious the older halfa was at following through with his plan. "Desiree is never going to show her face again," he said, dropping down to a knee in front of the boy, "I've made sure of that," he concluded mysteriously that made the boy only come to one conclusion.

Danny's eyes went wide as he started to have a loss of breath, "No way…" He trailed, the realization that he wouldn't be getting out of this situation. There was no other ghost that had the same powers as the wishing ghost that would undo Vlad's wish.

Vlad chuckled as he stood up, "Time for lunch, son," he nonchalantly said as he patted Danny on the head, making the young boy go into a cold sweat. He was stuck playing Vlad's son for a very long time, and this fact scared him.

Vlad walked into the living room and noticed that Danny was laying on the couch. His small body was sprawled out on it as he was staring up at the ceiling. There was a television running in the background that would take his mind elsewhere. "Daniel, how are you today?" He asked as he eyed the boy from a distance. He knew what the boy was feeling, he knew what stage in the grieving process he was in. It was going to be one hell of a show.

"Vlad…" Danny trailed as he perked his head up, sitting up straight so he could see the man, "You're a man of business, right?" He asked, making Vlad smirk as he walked over to where the couch was placed. He made a simple hand motion for the boy to continue; much like the older halfa does at press meetings. "Can't you let me go into the Ghost Zone?" He asked in a weak, pleading tone.

"Daniel, what makes you think that I'll let you do that?" Vlad asked, crossing his arms in amusement. "After all, if you're offering a deal of some sort, what could I possibly gain from it?" He asked, challenging the young hybrid.

Danny's eyebrows furrowed in thought, "I…I don't know," he stated as he looked down at the rather expensive couch, "I just – I just need to see someone," Danny stated cryptically as Vlad raised a suspicious eyebrow, "Just…Just a few minutes!" Danny bargained as Vlad moved towards the couch with curiosity.

"I must know who you're planning to visit, little badger," Vlad lectured, he watched as Danny grew tense at the small pet name, "You have many enemies who would take advantage of your current state," he reminded as he watched the boy's face darken.

"Yeah, you…" Danny let out a small growl as he clenched his teeth.

"Hm?" Vlad asked, enjoying his toying with the boy, "Speak up, child, I didn't seem to hear you," he said, ignoring what the boy had said. "Who are you planning to see?" He inquired, not letting the topic drop.

Danny darted his eyes to the side in thought. Vlad watched as a nervous expression overtook the boy's features before swallowing down his growing anxiety, "He's a…" He trailed as he looked up at the man, "A friend," he finished as Vlad's eyes narrowed.

The older hybrid sat down next to the boy, making Danny grow tense at the other man's presence, "I require more information than that, Daniel," he stated, pulling the boy closer to him. As soon as Danny's body made contact with the side of the older halfa's, his body was frozen in fear. Of entrapment.

"Clockwork!" Danny yelled, surprising the man as his eyes grew wide from the sudden outburst, "His name is Clockwork, okay?" He asked as he glared at the man, "Now, let go of me!" He yelled once again, pushing away from the hybrid and on the other side of the couch.

"He's a mere myth," Vlad scoffed as he shook his head, "If there were a 'Clockwork' out there, I would have found him already…" He trailed in thought as he leaned his head against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling, "Though the fact of the matter is that you know what he does," he started, glancing at the boy out of the corner of his eyes, "Meaning that you still think that you can get out of this, don't you?" He asked in a dark tone.

Danny jumped as he shook his head, "I…" He trailed as he couldn't come up with a lie. Vlad shook his head as he stood up suddenly, making the boy's attention be focused on him, "Please! Can you just let me see him?" He asked, hating the way he sounded to his arch enemy.

Vlad eyed him with suspicion, "He's not real, Daniel," he chastised as he watched the boy's eyes grow with a strong emotion; determination.

"If he's not real, then there won't be any harm of me trying to find him, right?" Danny asked rhetorically, bargaining with the older halfa. Vlad let out a chuckle in response at the boy's antics and shook his head.

"No, Daniel," Vlad stated with a smirk as he started to walk away from the couch and into another part of the luxurious mansion that he had owned.

"Wait, Vlad!" Danny yelled, hopping off of the couch and ran to catch with the man, "I'll do anything!" He yelled in his desperate plead once more.

Vlad turned to face the four-year old boy with a sadistic smirk on his face, making Danny stay frozen where he was, not wanting to move a step closer to the mentally unstable man, "My answer is still no," he stated, as he watched in amusement at Danny's eyes growing wide with fear. "Now, stop whining about it and get ready for dinner," he ordered as he turned on his heels and walked away.

Dinner wasn't very lively. With two half-ghosts, one would assume that dinner would be dead. Danny was staring at his food with a blank expression; seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Vlad was merely taking calculative sips of his wine glass, making glances at the young child.

"Daniel, you haven't touched your food," Vlad mused as he gestured his wine glass to where the child was sitting.

"Not hungry," Danny countered back in a bland, emotionless tone. Vlad raised an eyebrow as he stared at the boy in front of him. He took note of the boy's cold and lifeless eyes as the boy continued to stare at the food.

Vlad placed the wine glass on the table, "No need to feel so depressed," he stated as Danny looked up at him and shook his head slowly, "You're not depressed?" He asked, continuing the one sided conversation. Danny just let out a sigh as he pushed his food out of the way and rested his head on the table. "Daniel, you need to eat," he lectured as the boy didn't move from his position.

The young hybrid was feeling hopelessness, though he didn't know if he could relate it to depression or not. He was sad. Sad that he was somehow in this predicament with no seeable way out of it, "Leave me alone…" He mumbled, his voice was muffled because of the wooden table.

"Maybe if you eat your dinner…I'll let you into the ghost zone," Vlad spoke as the boy's head perked up and he looked at the older hybrid with hope in his eyes, "But you have to eat every last bit of it," he stated as he pointed to the full plate of the food that was within arms length of the boy.

"I…" Danny mumbled as he looked at the food and didn't feel hungry. He brought the food in front of him and swallowed roughly. Why did he find it so hard to swallow? "I can't…" He admitted as he felt the food was suffocating him just by the sight of it. He looked up at Vlad, who had a smirk on his face.

The man stood up gracefully as he pushed his chair in, "I know you can't, boy," he sneered as he glanced over at Danny, who let out a weak glare in response, "Why would I offer you freedom?" He asked as he shook his head, "Think for a moment," he scolded as he started to walk out of the dining room.

Danny looked at the food in front of him, "I…I can't," he whispered as he looked to his left and found the untouched fork, "But I have to," he encouraged to himself as he grasped the fork tightly, "I have to see Clockwork!" He yelled, his voice filled with determination. He started to eat the food, though the moment the food would touch his tongue, he would immediately want to gag. He swallowed forcefully as tears sprung up in his eyes. "Come…On…!" He yelled as he swallowed the last of it and looked away from the plate. Just the smell of the dinner he had ate was enough to make him vomit.

"Color me impressed…" Drawled Vlad from the doorway of the dinner table.

"I did it," Danny said as he stood up from his chair and struggled to walk over to the older hybrid, who looked down at the boy in amusement, "Now you have to let me into the Ghost Zone!" He ordered as he expected the older halfa to follow through with his end of the bargain.

Vlad merely let out a hum, "Do I?" He asked as Danny's eyes grew wide in alarm, "Didn't I say 'Maybe'?" He asked, letting out his dark smirk that he had been holding in.

Danny opened his mouth to argue, but felt the food rising in the back of his throat. He placed his hand over his mouth and ran to the nearest bathroom and spilled the contents of his stomach, "How…?" He asked in-between his vomiting, "You…" He cursed as he was left panting for breath from the activity, "You're evil," he accused in a whisper as he knew that Vlad could hear him.

"You're the one that's gullible, Daniel," Vlad remarked as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom, "It was all a ruse for you to eat," he admitted.

Danny flushed the toilet and he stood up shakily, "Just leave me alone!" He yelled as he ran out of the bathroom, turning himself intangible for a split second so he wouldn't run into the older hybrid. He narrowed his eyes as he almost reached his room before he stopped running. "Why? Why can't I?" He asked as tears ran down his face, "Because I'm me…That's why I can't win," he stated in a monotone voice as he looked down at the carpet.

Vlad's footsteps were heard as they approached the young boy, "Depression doesn't suit you, my boy," he remarked as he placed a hand on the young child's shoulder, "You should just accept the role that you were fated to play."

"Why do you want me so badly?" Danny asked as he turned to look up at Vlad with a cold glance, "Is it because I'm my mother's son?" He asked as Vlad was taken aback by the sudden question, "Or is it because I have ghost powers?"

"Both, naturally," Vlad remarked smoothly as Danny hung his head in defeat, "You're the only other that compares to me; both hybrids," he stated as Danny merely shook his head, "You can't deny what you are, or rather, who you are," he lectured.

Danny looked up at him, "I guess," he mumbled as he turned invisible and disappeared from the man's sight.

The past week, Danny was in a self-pity mood. His depression was starting to worry Vlad a little. But only a little. Like the other stages of grief, he knew that the boy would get past it. He had a strong will, the older hybrid knew, and it was only a matter of time.

Except that another week had gone and past and the boy was still in the same stage of grief, his depression taking a long effect on the boy. His body started to weaken, and not even his ghost self could save him. In fact, Danny Phantom hadn't been shown in weeks. Not since Danny tried to locate the non-existent ghost portal. Vlad wasn't sure whether Danny was in the right state of mind to morph into his ghost half.

Another week had gone by, and Vlad ordered that Danny shape himself up. It wasn't nearly as entertaining as the other stages, this stage of depression was taking too long for his liking. He had thought about seeking out this 'Clockwork' just to make his little badger happy. He had thought of it once before he reprimanded himself that he had worked too long to get to where he was. It was far too late to reverse anything he had done.

"Vlad," Danny's voice came as he passed the study. It brought the millionaire out of his thoughts as he glanced up and caught the passing form of Danny.

"Daniel…?" Vlad asked in shock as he quickly stood up and walked over to where the boy had passed, "How are you feeling?" He asked, hiding any worry in his voice expertly.

Danny, who was being addressed, shrugged as he turned around, "As good as being in this situation can be?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes at the older halfa for getting him in this predicament. "Any time you feel like letting me into the Ghost Zone you can," he offered, and at seeing the unwavering face of Vlad, he turned around and started to walk down the hallway once again.

Vlad raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "You've accepted this quite well," he mused as that stopped the child again. Danny turned around and glared, crossing his arms stiffly.

"Don't treat me like a lab rat, Plasmius," Danny hissed as his eyes illuminated green for a quick second, "Make no mistake, I've accepted this…For now," he mused as he turned around, "I'll find a Ghost Portal and fix this."

"Clockwork?" Vlad scoffed as he watched as the boy in front of him fumed, "You can't fix this, Daniel," he stated as the boy turned around once again.

Danny took a few steps and stared up into Vlad's eyes without any fear, "The only reason he hasn't stopped this is because there's no Ghost Portal," he stated, which surprised Vlad because he hadn't thought that his little badger would be thinking about his entrapment in such detail. "There's no spectral energy or whatever you want to call it," he said as he placed his hand up before placing it back down to his side, "So he can't interfere," he concluded as he turned around and started to walk again, "I'll just have to go to him."

Vlad chuckled, "Chasing after a legend gets believers killed," he mused as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Think what you want, Vlad," Danny stated as he didn't bother to turn to face the man.

Vlad watched as the boy left down the hallway and then narrowed his eyes, "I'll need to keep a keen eye on him…" He trailed as he turned back into his study and opened up a book that was on a shelf, "Clockwork?" He asked as he examined the book's contents. "A time ghost? No. No way one exists," Vlad mused as he shook his head, "Daniel is gullible and will believe anything…" He trailed as he closed the book. "But then, why does he seem so damn sure…?" He asked to no one in particular as he glared at the closed book.

END.