Vlad stood in his doorway, calling Maddie's name out into the darkness. The cat had scratched and rubbed up against the front door all day, irritating the man until he'd finally let her outside. Normally, she wandered around for a bit on the front porch, maybe slinking down the stairs to nibble at his roses or roll in the patch of mint he'd planted for her. If she decided to spend too much time puttering about, Vlad would simply go back inside, returning after a few minutes to find a disheveled and frantic animal that mewled and whined until he picked her up and apologized for "abandoning" her.
But she wasn't waiting on him this time.
He raised a hand to his mouth, calling her name loud and long. Even after the sun had set, Maddie still hadn't come home, and he was worried.
Even with the moon nothing more than a tiny sliver in the sky, Vlad's eyes could still pick out each blade of grass, his ears could still hear the shuffle of mice that still dared to live near the home of a cat. But no white fur running up to him or jingling of a glittering collar.
"Ma-addie!" He walked down his front steps, trying to see more of his yard with red-tinged night vision. "Maddie, Daddy's waiting for you!"
"You seriously call yourself 'Daddy'?" came a laughing voice from behind him.
Vlad turned with a glowing glare as Danny floated on his stomach in his doorway. Maddie was currently curled up on his back, purring loudly. The ghost's core must have been cold, as she had her paw draped lightly over her nose.
"What are you doing with her, little badger?" Vlad asked, stalking up to the pair. He gingerly lifted Maddie, the cat stretching with a squealing purr before resettling against his shoulder. Even her paws were cold as she kneaded against him, wrapping her tail around his arm.
Danny righted himself with a lazy smile, feet touching down as he transformed with a flash, so much more blinding in the dark of night.
"Your dumb cat got herself stuck in a tree. Probably tried to get a bird or something, 'cause she was just sitting in a branch with her pathetic little 'moo, moo, moo'." Danny reached up to scratch Maddie's whiskers. "Bet you're glad to be home with Daddy, huh, Little Miss?"