Welcome back my friends! I do hope you've been enjoying this story, I've had a blast writing it for you. We've still got a ways to go before we're finished with this story, but we're already past the midway point, just so you know... Anywhoo, on with the story!
The Life We Fight For
Chapter 18: Break The Ice, and Play Nice
Three days Jazz had been hidden away in Vlad's manor. Three days of quiet, brooding tension.
Most of the brooding came from Vlad Masters, who felt as if the wind had been taken out of his sails. Danny had all but ignored the man since Jazz arrived, content to show her around and hang out while Vlad sulked in the lab. The only times he saw Danny was during meals and lessons, whereas before he'd spent a good majority of the day entertaining the boy in the library, or in the lab, tinkering away.
The absence of his little badger by his side made him almost regret his decision to house the boy's sister in the first place.
At breakfast, Jazz insisted she watch Danny and Vlad go through lessons, which began an argument between the teen and bachelor.
"Having someone around during a time of learning is distracting to the pupil!" Vlad snapped, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. He still had goals to reach concerning Daniel, and this psychologist wannabe was not going to ruin his chances!
"How am I supposed to know if Danny's getting a good education? For all I know you could be brainwashing him!" Jazz retorted, frowning at the man from her seat at Danny's right.
Danny, being quite literally stuck in the middle, shrunk back uncomfortably. He appreciated his sister's concern, but lately Vlad seemed wound up because of her meddling presence. Danny just hoped his patience didn't run out anytime soon.
"How dare you accuse me of brainwashing?" Vlad fired back. "If I wanted Daniel to act a certain way, there are plenty of ways to do so other than messing with his brain."
"Great comeback, V-Man..." Danny muttered.
Jazz meanwhile had crossed her arms and was staring at Vlad in a smug manner.
She'd noticed since her first day in the manor that Vlad and Danny were together more often than not. However, somehow the two guys had no real understanding of each other and fought almost constantly. As the aspiring psychologist that she was, Jazz couldn't let this continue!
"Admit it, you're jealous!" Said Jazz. Vlad tensed, and so did Danny.
"Jazz, can you quit it already?" Danny grumbled, leaning so far back in his chair he was almost falling out of it.
Vlad took a moment to calm down. What he wanted to say was that yes, Jasmine was being an utter distraction and his plans for gaining Daniel's trust were being impeded on by her presence. Sadly, the man couldn't exactly stop her, either. Daniel clearly enjoyed his sister's company over his own- and Vlad couldn't exactly fault him for it- however it didn't make his situation any less annoying. Having to see them walk in for meals together laughing about a film they'd just seen or arguing over who won a video game made Vlad's blood boil.
But the half ghost had to keep up his appearances. Daniel would definitely feel uncomfortable knowing Vlad wanted to spend time with him in a father and son sort of way. Regardless of how comfortable Daniel had become in recent days, he still thought of Vlad as a 'fruitloop'.
Vlad stood, straightening his tie.
"Daniel can do whatever he wishes with his free time." Vlad said finally, looking only at Jazz. "However I will ask that you leave any prior commitments as they are, this includes training and schooling, along with miss Cienfuegos' lessons."
Jazz pouted but shrugged casually. "I'll get you to admit it eventually Cheese Head, I'll be here all week folks. Literally!"
Vlad rolled his eyes and departed from the room hurriedly to get the library prepared for them. After he'd left Jazz casually turned to Danny and raised an eyebrow. Danny simply scowled at her.
"So who's miss Cien-whatever?" She asked, pulling her long red hair up into a ponytail and letting it fall around her shoulders repeatedly.
"Just a tutor... Vlad's idea." Danny said, rising from the table.
"Hey! You're not ditching me too, are you?" Jazz complained, watching Danny push his chair in.
"Vlad doesn't appreciate 'tardiness', in simpler words, I gotta go before I get my head blasted off. I'll see you later." Danny said, before making his way out of the room.
He sighed once he was out in the hall, guilty that he hadn't told his sister the whole truth. Vlad indeed did not like when Danny was late, but he had no intention of going to the library at that moment. Not when things were so...tense.
There was no other word to describe it. The air was thick as wool when Vlad had stood from the dining table, and Danny hated it. He lived here now, like it not, and he didn't want anymore awkwardness with Vlad Masters. The guy had a temper that rivaled Danny's, no doubt he had been affected by Jazz's comment. Though had Danny been in his shoes he probably would have snapped at his sister instead of walking away...
When Danny found the boring brown wood door he was looking for he phased his head through, and made sure no one was inside before phasing completely through the door. Up to the slightly raised stage he went to the instrument he'd come to appreciate as an outlet for his emotions.
As he sunk down into the seat and relaxed, he played chords to some made up melody that reflected how he felt and began to think about what had transpired these past few months.
'How could have all gone downhill so quickly?' Danny thought, his shoulders tense and raised.
He abruptly stopped with a dramatic drop of his hands' weight onto the keys and looked away. Danny stood from the bench to adjust it a bit while grumbling to himself.
"I thought great pieces were supposed to be made up when the composer's emotional. Unfair."
Danny lifted his head and saw the bookshelves in which Vlad kept hundreds of scores and arrangements and frowned. He'd been shot down every time he mentioned it, apparently the music Vlad could play was crazy difficult. Danny was very much a beginner, but...
Against his better judgement, Danny walked to the far wall and inspected the bookshelves, pleased to find they were organised both alphabetically and by composer. However, each score he looked at he could barely read: there were so many notes the pages were more black than white!
Then there were pieces that he could read, but the rhythms were so tricky and the techniques so intricate he felt like he was dissecting a math problem. Others had constantly changes movements, themes and feelings, his brain going up and down like a rollercoaster simply looking at it. How the heck did Vlad play these?! And how had Danny never witnessed it?!
Danny had nearly given up finding something doable until he reached an older, more worn and weathered group of sheet music that caught his eye. Slipping it off the shelf he turned it over and read the title: Liebeslied.
"Huh?" Danny said, not even daring to try to pronounce the word. He didn't even know what language the strange title was written in.
But the notes looked simpler than anything he'd previously picked up, which now lay in separated piles on the floor. They ranged from 'gotta try this' to 'my fingers will break trying this'...most pieces sat in the latter pile.
Danny sighed and brought the music to the piano, his mind on almost anything but the notes. Nevertheless, he'd try anyway. Even if he failed and totally bombed the song, no one was there to care.
He began to plunk the melody notes with his right hand, while his left turned pages. His mind went back to the moments in his parent's lab. Frown settling in, he remembered the cold, cutting tone his mother had used to speak, the harsh, dark eyes she'd appeared to have with her goggles on, and his oblivious father who couldn't think enough on his left to save him.
He played with more confidence, though it felt more like annoyance bordering on anger. His life had gone from pleasant and normal (His version of normal at least.) to a reality one would read in a fictional novel. Danny wished more than anything else to go back to how things were, how they were supposed to be. Right now, he should be at school, Casper High specifically, trying desperately to pay attention to another one of Mr. Lancer's rants about a book of some sort.
But instead here he was, living a pointless existence wasting away in the Masters' mansion. Danny's hand came down harder on the next phrase of notes and his teeth ground together. If only he'd revealed his secret sooner, maybe this could have been avoided, or perhaps he should have taken Vlad's offer when they'd first met, then he'd be living the high life as the son of a billionaire! But no, he just had to listen to his hero complex.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Danny muttered under his breath, before beginning the piece again in a harshly deliberate tone and rhythm.
His whole body was tense, his mind was distracted, his heart was racing, and his fingers were fumbling over the keys. Danny wouldn't ever have called himself a musician, so why should he try so hard anyway?
'This is impossible, why do I even bother?' He thought, jamming his finger onto a note he'd finally managed to get right. If Jazz could see him at this moment, she'd most likely create some psychological reasoning for his reaction, but all Danny could think of was how angry and frustrated he was.
This was all so pointless.
Why was he even here? He didn't like Vlad, and Vlad didn't like him.
He should've noticed his mother's possession, he should have stopped it.
How could he protect others when he couldn't even properly protect himself? The scars on his body reflected his failures, his idiotic decisions and rash moves.
Who would want a hero so utterly human?
His desperate need to be the hero, his love for his family, his loyalty to his friends, it was all too much-
"Shhhh..."
Danny's saw a hand come into his line of vision and suddenly his right hand had an accompaniment. It was much softer, yet somehow much more confident than his own.
"Gentle," Vlad instructed in a low voice, playing with little effort the difficult part Danny had been failing at. "Like a lullaby."
Vlad looked into Danny's troubled baby blue eyes with his own, steady cobalt ones. Through the turmoil and the grief, there was a fire of passion, hidden just beneath the surface.
He just had to bring it out.
"Again." The man said, turning his gaze to the music.
Danny began once more with Vlad taking the accompaniment, and once again found himself struggling.
"Breathe." Vlad said, making a dramatic rise and drop movement with his shoulders.
Danny followed the man's instructions and took a deep breath, his fingers losing a bit of tension. He finally relaxed and for the first time found himself listening to the tune of the music. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the rhythm and not only letting Vlad guide him, but using all his pent up passion to lead the piece through to the very end.
He was so caught up in the moment, he almost never wanted it to be over. Danny's eyes clouded with moisture as he remembered the good times he'd had with his family and friends, treasuring them and looking back on them as he played in unison with the one person he'd never thought he'd be able to give a second chance.
But he was a hero, like it or not, he had a moral code to follow. And fruitloop or not, everyone deserved a second chance. Danny had received his at the change of his fate via Clockwork, and now...Vlad would have his.
As the final notes died into what quickly became a deafening silence, Danny blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear the moisture from his eyes. Meanwhile, Vlad let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, and chuckled.
"I blasted two pianos to splinters trying to play this piece so perfectly." He said. "You truly are extraordinary, little badger."
Danny smiled, averting his gaze. He leaned back on the polished bench and sighed.
"No, extraordinary is Jazz, she's got offers from dozens of colleges just this year. Or Sam, she knows exactly who she is and how to stand for what's right." Danny looked at Vlad. "I'm just a normal high school kid that fights bad guys. With the occasional diabolical fruitloop."
Vlad smirked and crossed his arms. This boy, how could he have such peace and contentedness in such a time in his life? Vlad had spent years in a hospital, fighting for control over his powers, having to come to terms with what he was and how he'd live without Maddie...all while completely alone and with no one.
Daniel...was now dangerously close to his very same position. His parents were hilariously misled, he couldn't see his friends every day, and he had been forced out of his home with unbelievably devastating injuries. As much as Vlad disliked admitting it, Daniel was probably being more calm than Vlad would have in his shoes.
It just showed how mature the boy really was. But still, he was a child, hidden under heroics and responsibility and ghost powers. Vlad had seen the vulnerable side of Daniel, whether it be in the throes of a nightmare, or facing his destruction at the hands of his family. What the man wanted more than anything, was to gain the return of the boy's carefree, mischievous attitude and happy disposition.
But could Vlad really be a true father figure to someone just as broken and damaged as he?
"Was it really that hard?"
Vlad blinked. He looked down at Danny, who was now inspecting the music in front of him. The man raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Whatever do you mean, my dear boy?" Vlad responded questioningly. Danny gestured to the piano.
"You said you blasted apart two pianos learning this..." Danny clarified. "I thought you were supposed to be perfect."
"There's that wit of yours." Vlad said rolling his eyes. He then calmed and smiled fondly. "Getting the notes right is one thing, correct interpretation and passion are things that cannot be bought or learned. Yet, you got it in one go. You continue to surprise me, son."
Vlad immediately tensed, recognizing his slip up in words at the end of his explanation. He cringed in preparation for Danny to yell at him, as he had every other time he'd said 'son', but Danny stayed relaxed.
"So...what's it mean?" Danny asked, deciding to ignore Vlad's praise.
Vlad's tense muscles relaxed the tiniest bit and he followed Daniel's gaze to the music. How on Earth Daniel had found that particular score was a wonder in itself. Vlad could remember countless times he'd attempted to get the song just right, moody and restless just as Daniel had been.
But Daniel Fenton was special, he couldn't be tied down for too long. It's what made him so valuable to Vlad. The boy's determination and spirit made it hard not to like him.
"Ah, Liebeslied." Vlad acknowledged, his accent morphing to pronounce the word. "'Love's Sorrow'. It also has two counterparts, called 'Love's Joy' and 'Lovely Rosemary'."
Danny nodded in understanding. Though he was still getting used to this genre of music, it didn't take a genius to guess that 'Love's Sorrow' seemed like an accurate theme for his feelings right now. Straightening up a bit, Danny sighed.
"I'm gonna try it again." He said, determination displayed in his expression. Vlad smirked.
"Have at it, little badger."
From behind the dark, wooden door left slightly ajar, a smile graced the young features of Jazz Fenton as she listened to her brother and Vlad Masters play. The sound lifted the feelings in her heart, despite the music's somber tone.
She hummed the tune as she walked away, satisfied that the two were getting along. At least, they were for now...
Jazz turned a corner and suddenly realized that in her haste to follow her brother, she hasn't really been paying attention to where she was. Jazz looked around and sighed, realizing she was now totally lost.
"Great..." She groaned, walking forward aimlessly. she was on the opposite side of where the residents of the house slept, so she wasn't familiar with what was on this side of the mansion. She figured some exploration was in order.
Besides, she would be bored lazing around the house anyway, so why not poke around?
Jazz made her way down a flight of stairs into what looked like a sitting room. It had animal skin rugs covering the floor and deer heads mounting the walls. The largest and most notable detail however, was the fireplace. The huge, ornate stone curved like pillars on either side and still-warm embers glowed like rubies inside.
But what caught Jazz's eyes wasn't the fire, or the stone work, or the room's interesting decor.
It was the out-of-place football trophy sitting on the mantel.
Jazz walked up to the strange decoration with a single raised eyebrow. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and grabbed the object.
But it didn't come off the stone. Instead, it slid forward just a bit, a soft 'click!' ringing through the air.
"No way..." Jazz gasped, pushing the football down like a lever.
Obediently the football moved down and the clicking continued, this time followed by a loud 'crack!' sort of noise Jazz couldn't identify.
The girl quickly scrambled back as the fireplace moved like a mechanical doorway and revealed one of the entrance to Vlad's secret lab. Jazz stood in front of the opening, contemplating her options.
If she went in, she would probably get blasted into next week if she got caught. Then again, her curiosity would never forgive her for letting this opportunity pass her by...
"Well, it's not like I was looking for it, it's like...fate?" She squinted. "Yeah, fate! Destiny, chance, that sort of thing..."
Jazz walked in slowly and as soon as the entered the fireplace moved back into place, leaving her in a small, dimly lit hallway faced with a metal set of doors. There was a small panel on the side to enter a password.
"Do I even have to try?" Jazz muttered, quickly entering 'MaddieMasters' into the presented keypad.
It was incorrect.
"Huh?" Jazz gasped, tilting her head as if the keypad were a math problem. How was she wrong? Jazz was never wrong. Like, ever.
She frowned and tried again, with the same results. Finally she shook her head and scowled, remembering there was someone else Vlad admired like a stalker at the moment. Jazz quickly typed in the same password, except using Danny's name.
Once again, she was incorrect.
"Wait..."
Vlad didn't call her brother 'Danny', he had always used his formal name, 'Daniel'. It would make more sense if...
'DanielMasters'
The doors parted obediently as the password was entered. Jazz suddenly found herself looking into the large underground lab of the Masters' mansion.
She quickly looked around without entering, making sure there was no one inside. Danny was with Vlad upstairs, and she didn't imagine that Vlad's servants would come in here much. She was safe, for now.
Cautiously and quietly, Jazz walked into the lab. It didn't look too different from the FentonWorks lab, the only major difference was the expensive equipment and gear. Aside from that, the girl didn't feel too out of her element. As she walked up to the long tables full of half-finished projects and documents, she could see that Vlad had a knack for taking her parents inventions and making them, well...better. She could see copies of her parent's blueprints, along with original projects like the 'Plasmius Maximus', all scattered about on the long table.
As Jazz continued along something at the end of the table caught her eye. Somewhat hidden under a month's worth of notes was a very old, worn, leather bound book. It stood out against the state-of-the-art steel table and pristine paper. Jazz found herself picking it up and taking a look at it away from the table.
It was surprisingly thin, with no title on the cover or anywhere else she could see. All that was on the front was a picture of a figure in a hood, and somehow Jazz knew this was something she needed to take a closer look at.
But fate seemed to have other plans, since the metal doors began to peel open just as she moved to turn the first page. Jazz quickly hid the book behind her back and turned, coming face to face with Vlad's ghost butler.
"Ah, miss Fenton!" The servant greeted in surprise. "How are you finding the manor? Is everything to your liking?"
She gulped slightly as he walked in and began sifting through a cabinet above the table near her, seemingly as if nothing was wrong. Did he not care that she was invading his employer's privacy? Though, she wasn't complaining. Definitely not.
"Uh, yeah. It's pretty big though, I kinda got lost on my way to the..." The girl racked her brain for a cover-up. "Library? Yeah, the library."
Creepy fruitloops that bought giant houses had to have a library somewhere right? Isn't that where Danny was tutored? Jazz had almost completely drawn a blank at this point.
"Ah, that makes sense, that book must have bored you." He said pleasantly, not looking at her. "It's very ancient."
Jazz started at him, her eyes wide. Her arms went stiff, the book gripped tightly in her hands. "How...did you...?"
Godfrey pulled a vial of something glowing out of the cabinet and finally faced her. His ever-present smile was getting kind of creepy. He nodded to her midsection.
"I can see through things, my dear." He explained. "I don't mean to pry, but I do hope you weren't attempting to hide that book for any malicious reason-"
"No no!" Jazz quickly said. "Nothing like that, I swear."
He seemed relieved and nodded once again, satisfied. Godfrey turned toward the doorway and began walking toward it.
"Well, you best follow me. I'll escort you to the library on the third floor, since Mr. Masters and Mr. Fenton will be using the one on the second floor." He told her.
Jazz didn't hesitate in taking him up on his offer and followed along as he led her out of the lab and out once more into the animal head covered room. Jazz mentally took notes on all the twists and turns the older ghost took in order to find her way back when she needed to return the book. As the walked, Jazz struck up a conversation.
"So, what's that glowing goop for?" Jazz asked, looking at the mixture in Godfrey's hand.
"Ah, it's for one of Mr. Masters inventions. A gift to Mr. Fenton, I believe." He explained, though his answer only succeeded in making the girl more confused.
"For Danny? But what device would need something like..." She halted, looking up at him questioningly. "The...ghost box?"
Godfrey chuckled. "It is an Ectosignature Simulator. Quite an odd piece of technology, as it requires the ghost's ectoplasmic energy to power it... But anyway, I'm no scientist..."
Jazz looked at the pink liquid with a raised eyebrow. She didn't like Danny having the piece of Masters tech in his room in the first place, and this didn't exactly help that feeling.
"So, that's Vlad's blood? Er, ghost blood?" She asked, sticking her tongue out comically.
"Dear me, no!" Godfrey said, laughing. "It's his energy, extracted into liquid form. It sounds disturbing, but the process is almost like draining stuffy sinuses, no pain at all."
Jazz breathed a sigh of relief. For once, she was happy to have been wrong. Though she didn't entirely like this butler ghost, he seemed to be growing on her. As they mounted the stairs to the second floor, she could hear Vlad's voice drifting out from the barely cracked open double doors at the end of the hall. It sounded like he was giving a lecture on some sort of literature, though it was hard to tell.
Jazz smirked, imagining her brother's bored, zombie-like face as he listened and tried to jot down some notes. Danny never was an English lover. As the passed the room, she turned her attention back to Godfrey.
"Do you think they'll truly get along, eventually?" She said. Jazz wasn't sure what had compelled her to say that, but she supposed this old butler was trustworthy enough. Godfrey walked into Danny's room, Jazz following close behind.
"A difficult question to answer, given I cannot possibly know their true feeling for eachother, however," Godfrey paused, picking up the cube on Danny's nightstand and opening a small panel on the side. "If Mr. Masters can put aside his own revenge to aid this boy, and in turn Mr. Fenton can find it in his heart to give my employer a second chance, I'm sure they can develop some sort of mutual trust."
Jazz watched the man pour the contents of the vial into Danny's device and the cube lit up a bright pink that slowly faded to red as the last drops were poured out.
"So what can we do to make that process go a little faster?" Jazz wondered aloud, raising her eyebrow mischievously. Godfrey looked surprised for a moment before he chuckled and led her out to of the room.
"Now you're speaking my language, miss Fenton." He said, a twinkle of excitement in his eye.
He was an old ghost, Godfrey would be the first to admit. The most invigorating moments of his day were when there was drama in the mansion, or issues in which he could meddle. Being old definitely had it perks: everyone always came to him for advice. In other words, he knew just about everything that went on with the residents of the house along with the staff.
Before the three teenagers had come to his employer for help nearly two months ago, the house has been nothing but quiet, brooding silence. Vlad Masters holed himself up in his lab or buried himself in his work most days. Godfrey was often voted to bring him meals and drag him away from his projects when his mood became too scary for the maids to handle. He'd even seen some reduced to tears.
Now, with the young halfa at his side, things had never been better. The boy brought a distraction for the businessman, someone the man could spoil and protect. It also have Vlad a reason to come away from his mountains of work, or his series of projects. Danny was an addition to the mansion Godfrey very much cared about, and was unwilling to let go easily.
"I can't read Vlad, he's not like Danny." Jazz said, interrupting his thoughts. "I can't tell whether he actually cares about Danny or not. He told me that he does, but I can't help but feel skeptical. The man is a bad guy, after all."
Godfrey nodded, understanding where she was coming from. It seemed there were quite a few people that viewed his employer in that way. Vlad Masters was a hard personality to adapt to, and was positively terrifying when angry. He wasn't surprised the girl didn't trust him.
"Although he is half ghost, no person is quite so black and white. Their actions might lean too one side or another, but humans generally have a reason they believe to be good for why they act as they do." Godfrey looked to make sure he hadn't completely confused her before continuing. "In your brother's case, his motivation is heroism. In other words, his need to protect. That is what guides him, and gives him his moral compass. Mr. Masters is much more complicated. Love tends to be that way. He strives to achieve what he believes is rightfully his. His love pushes him to do what he does, as confusing as that may sound."
It was plain to see if you looked hard enough. Vlad didn't view himself as a villain, therefore he didn't believe his actions to be evil. Danny, therefore, was the same. There was more in common between the halfas than most people realized.
"If there's one thing I understand, it's a damaged human's psyche. What you've said makes sense." Jazz replied. She then sighed. "Now if only they could see how powerful they can be if they worked together. I don't know how long Danny can last with my mother the way she is..."
Godfrey hummed in agreement. He couldn't imagine the pain the two children must be going through, having their parents incapacitated like that, but they could only look to the future now. For the two siblings, it was all they had.
"Here we are." Godfrey announced, opening the door that led to the third floor library. "Not quite as large as the second floor's, but this room should provide a comfortable environment to spend your time."
Jazz's mouth hung open as stared into the huge room. There were books everywhere. This place easily rivaled any bookstore she's ever seen. She stepped inside, happy to have a quiet place to read.
"This is perfect, thanks!" She said, waving as Godfrey stepped away.
"My pleasure, miss Fenton. I do hope we can chat together again soon." Godfrey said, shutting the door and hurriedly going back to his duties. It wouldn't do for him to be behind schedule, no matter how much fun he was having talking with the human girl.
Besides, he had to make his employer aware of the girl's presence in his laboratory. A conversation the elder was definitely not looking forward to...
Jazz sighed and dropped the book into a desk she'd located at the far side of the room, right in front of a large window that was bathing the area in warm, comforting light. Perhaps not the best place to read such a dark-looking book, but Jazz was never one for aesthetics.
As she sat down, Jazz opened the first page of the book. She gave a small jolt of surprise when a small note slipped out of its confines onto the desk. It was green, and slightly glowing. Picking it up and examining it, Jazz saw that it was a short, written note from one of Vlad's employees.
'Plasmius,
This treasure was a difficult one to hunt down, I hope you know I'll be expecting to be very well compensated. I also hope you know what you're doing with this kind of artifact. The information contained in it is not to be taken lightly.
-Skulker'
Jazz set the note aside, now slightly more cautious. She flipped a few pages, making sure there were no more notes, and made an interesting discovery. As she tried to understand the words printed on the pages, she found that the whole book was written in a language unfamiliar to her. Continuing to look through, Jazz could not find a single word she recognized.
Frustrated, she closed the book and pulled out her phone. There had to be something she could find on this language. It was nothing she's ever seen before, even with the amount of cultures she was familiar with as a brainiac.
Once again, she was left confused and annoyed as the internet provided no results for what she was seeing. This language was not spoken by anyone living today.
Jazz was suddenly struck with an idea, remembering that she wasn't exactly working with living beings, but ghosts. Potentially, very ancient ghosts. She rose from her seat and hurried over to the nearest shelf of books, finding it labeled as 'Historical'. She moved on, walking past various themes and genres such as Poetic, Fictional, Scientific, Psychological (she'd definitely be going back to that one later) and Theatrical/Plays.
Finally, after it seemed she had walked the whole circumference of the room, she found what she was looking for. Hidden near the back, next to a ladder and a section full of autobiographies, was the small section marked 'Paranormal'.
Jazz eagerly scanned the rows of oddly sized books, scrolls and journals in search of something useful. There were several dictionaries on ghostly flora and fauna, along with myths, legends and stories surrounding ghosts. There was one book however, that caught her eye.
It was dark brown and just barely glowing, a trait many of the books shared. The title read: 'Languages of the Deceased', and had a gold sheen across the cover. Satisfied, Jazz returned to her desk and searched through the book, hoping for some answers.
Surprisingly, she found it pretty quickly. A language that had been dead for centuries, the odd text was only used in the Ghost Zone by the Observants and ancient ghosts from the time long before Pariah Dark's rule. using the dictionary in the book, Jazz was able to translate her mystery text, albeit very slowly.
What she read would haunt her for years to come. It was an Observants account of the events in the life of the ghost named Deus Ivix. A tale of a monstrous ghost that the Observants tried to use for their own gain, that grew so far out of their control no ghost alone could stop him. The humans he terrorized called it Deus, meaning 'god', but he came no where close to a deity. The Observants dubbed him 'Ivix', a more fitting name.
Using her dictionary, Jazz discovered that 'Ivix' was a combination of the two ghost's language words 'Iv', meaning 'Wild', and 'Ix' meaning 'Evil'. The girl shuddered, thinking of all the things this ghost must have done before being given the damning name.
Suddenly feeling cold, she hugged her arms to her chest and kept reading. Apparently Ivix was found and employed by the Observants to keep peace and order in the Ghost Zone at their will and discretion, and in return, he was allowed to bring terror and exact evil on the humans who lived in that time.
What she found most interesting, was the description of his powers. Ivix had a contractual relationship with his victims, something that was a popular tactic between ghosts at the time. Trickery and deceit were more used than brute force and scare tactics.
The victims would ask Ivix for a favor, and in turn, Ivix would need the victim to touch him in some way. Through a single act of physical contact, Ivix would then be able to control the person's every move. Ivix owned the victim, body and soul, until he no longer has use for them. And when he grew tired of using the victim for his evil deeds...
Jazz sat, horrified, as it dawned on her just how serious their situation was. Maddie could be killed if Ivix is not defeated before he ends the contact! Their mother's life hangs in the balance, yet her little brother is sitting just beneath her acting as if it's a normal day!
The frustrated girl took a moment to calm herself. Danny most likely knew nothing of these particular details. Vlad had kept this book in his lab, somewhere Danny most likely stayed away from.
The thought of Danny having to suffer losing their mother pricked Jazz's heart. She now realized that Maddie probably never intended to hurt Danny. This was all a ploy from the beginning. And now...
Unashamed, Jazz pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. She bowed her head, her red hair falling over her eyes, and wept.
Danny could tell Vlad was annoyed.
Sure, his friends seemed to have a running joke about how clueless he could be, but he wasn't blind. Jazz's presence in the manor was causing a major disturbance in what had become the norm for Danny and Vlad. The half ghost was obviously making an effort to accept the girl being there, but lately they seemed to butt heads more than ever before.
It was a conflicting again for Danny, who was trapped in the middle of it all. He loved his sister, for all the overbearing mother hen she could be, but he also...tolerated Vlad now. What else could be said to describe it? Danny was comfortable around the man, probably more than he should be. He couldn't help but feel as if he were betraying his parents by being this close to the man that wishes their marriage never happened.
Jazz would say he was succumbing to his hero complex, and Sam would probably say he should follow his heart. Either way, he couldn't have Vlad and his parents. He didn't have enough of himself to give for both. But he wouldn't go back in his word. He agreed to give Vlad a second chance, and he would keep his end of the deal. As long as Vlad didn't go try to get revenge on his father, he could ride this out a little longer.
Suddenly, the paper he was supposed to be working on- a review quiz in English- was pulled away from him. Danny looked at the ornate clock on the wall and then back to the man responsible for interrupting him.
"I still have six minutes." Danny frowned, dropping his face onto his palm tiredly.
Vlad took one glance at the distracted teenager and rolled his eyes subtly. The boy wasn't getting anywhere with the review today. He'd rather not have to fail him on a simple review that Daniel would ace on a normal day.
"You've written the same answer three questions in a row. I doubt you would have accomplished much." Vlad replied, seeing the unfinished sheet onto his desk in front of Danny's. "Something on your mind?"
Danny tensed. Sure, he was comfortable enough around Vlad to bowl with him, and let the guy tutor him, but he wasn't about to have a heart-to-heart with Vlad Masters. Not if he valued his dignity and self confidence.
What would Sam do in a situation like this? Knowing her, Danny could easily say the goth girl would tell the billionaire exactly what was on her mind, and find some way to make it sound super intelligent and thought out. Danny just didn't have that sort of passion.
Shooing thoughts of his crush from his head, Danny struggled with how to answer Vlad. What could he say that wouldn't put Vlad in a worse mood than he already was? Was there a right answer to his question? Was Danny supposed to start bawling on the man's shoulder? Where was Jazz when you needed her?!
"I... I'm fine. Just tired I guess." Danny finally replied, sighing as if to prove his point. Sadly, Vlad didn't completely buy it.
"Physically or emotionally?" Vlad asked slowly with a raised eyebrow. "You seemed fairly frustrated earlier in the music room."
Danny blushed at the reminder, remembering the way he'd butchered the poor piano piece trying to play with his torn emotions. Vlad had barely critiqued him though, one more thing that Danny wasn't yet used to. Vlad wasn't an overly strict teacher, which was something Danny had been afraid of since he arrived in the mansion. It was silly to look back on now, seeing as Vlad was nearly always calm and took his time explaining things. If Vlad had tutored him since his accident, his grades would have never taken a nose dive into the toilet like they had. Danny was able to understand things he thought he'd never get in his head at Casper High, all thanks to Vlad.
With all that in mind, Danny figured he should at least tell the man the truth. Just the once.
"Are you really jealous?" Danny deadpanned. Vlad's eyes widened a moment before settling into a confused stare. Danny continued. "About Jazz's comment earlier. Are you actually jealous of all the time we spend together since she's been here? Do you resent her?"
Vlad too a deep breath at the sudden onslaught of questions. Was he jealous? Yes. He could admit that. He wanted Daniel at his side, and the girl taking all of his bonding time away was a complete nuisance.
However, once again Daniel seemed to have the wrong idea, no surprise there. He didn't dislike Jasmine per say, but he did find her meddling inexcusable.
"I do not harbor any ill feelings towards your sister, no." Vlad responded. "As for your other question...the answer is complicated."
Danny crossed his arms over the desk, getting comfortable. He was glad Vlad and Jazz weren't seriously fighting, just bickering, but all his questions weren't completely answered yet.
"Explain, then." Danny said, shrugging his shoulders carelessly. Vlad frowned.
"You already know I want you as my heir, and my protege. And since you've given me this clean slate I intend to spend every waking moment attempting to convince you to remain at my side." Vlad said, his tone having a slight bite to it. "But I grow tired of this game, Daniel."
Vlad looked directly at Danny with a tired but passionate look.
"I would be able give you the life you deserve, without judgement, or fear of rejection. We are the half ghost beings in existence, you need me just as much as I need you. I can give you the security you so crave, you need only accept my offer, little badger."
Danny didn't reply right away. He looked away, and stood from his seat. Vlad feared he'd pushed the boy back into his shell, but Danny didn't simply run out as the man anticipated.
Meanwhile, Danny was having a difficult time accepting that after all this time, Vlad still saw him as a trophy, just another thing he needed to acquire. The man would never change.
Danny's parents loved him for many different reasons. They supported and guided him through his rebellious antics and proud moments out of love. Vlad simply couldn't understand the mind of a parent.
The boy turned to leave, his back to Vlad, and asked one more question.
"Do you still think you'd be a better father than Jack Fenton?" He asked bitterly.
Vlad tensed and looked down, actually thinking about the question. His heart felt differently about the subject than it had a month and a half ago. Back then he would have cursed the man's name in a heartbeat. Now...
"No." Vlad said quietly. He provided no explanation, but thankfully Danny didn't need one. The man's tone said it all.
"Do you still think you'd be a good father to me?" Danny pressed, daring to look over his shoulder at the older man.
Danny knew the billionaire's speech was as real as a Saturday night sitcom. Vlad didn't speak from the heart, he spoke with confidence and deceit. Danny was all heart. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he was probably more sensitive than most boys his age. With all that he'd been through, one wrong word could make him break down.
"...No."
Danny's chest tightened and his eyes went wide. Did he just say-?
"I finally see...can't be a good father to you, Daniel." Vlad expanded.
Danny's eyes unwillingly filled with tears, but he dared not let them fall. Vlad still wasn't looking at him, his gaze fixed in the floorboards beside him. Somehow, it hurt that someone so interested in being in his life now was rejecting him. He had a very small group of people he could trust at this point, and it felt like a knife had just been stabbed through his gut as Vlad took his confidence and shook it to its core.
Vlad had finally realized what it meant to live with a troubled, half ghost teenager in his household. Danny didn't blame him for that. How could he? His parents were always angry at him for one reason or another, and Danny was constantly having to lie to them. His life was far from that of a pampered, genius billionaire.
Who could ever want him?
Just as Danny moved to take a step forward, away from Vlad, away from the heartache, somewhere other than right there, right then, Vlad spoke again.
"I would have to learn." Vlad said, looking up at Danny's stiff back. "I'm new to the idea of family. You would have to teach this old man how to be...affectionate, and fatherly."
Danny looked back. Vlad smiled, a barely-there smile that Danny had long since learned to be able to notice. Any other person would have thought the man never did much besides grimace and smirk.
"However, you would first have to accept me as a part of your life. I cannot force you, I see that now." Vlad frowned again before continuing. "I am not Jack Fenton. I never will be. But...I want to support you Daniel. I wish to be someone important to you. But you have to let me."
Danny pressed his hands to his chest in uncertainty. It felt like his heart was racing, and his whole body was on high alert. He didn't know what he should say. If only Clockwork were here, or Jazz, or Sam. They would know what to do.
But this wasn't a decision he could make with the recommendations of his friends. This was something he had to decide for himself. Danny couldn't have felt more stressed in any ghost fight or math test than he felt right now.
But he was the hero. He had to make the right choice.
"I...I don't want to trust you." Danny began. "My head is constantly telling me to stay away, afraid you'll betray me. But my heart wants to help you, to give you this second chance. I... I'm confused."
Vlad understood where the boy was coming from. This was new for him as well. He wasn't expecting to open up and be honest like he just had been in front of Daniel, but he had. Then again, he hasn't expected to help and house a fourteen year old son of his enemy, either.
What a rough couple of months.
"I understand you have no real reason to trust me. But I can only give you my word, Daniel." Vlad said. "The trust that comes with it will have to be built in time."
Danny nodded. What Vlad said made sense, as much as he hated to admit. He finally turned around and dropped his hands to his sides.
"...Okay." Danny said. "Just one more chance."
Vlad's eyes flashed with an emotion Danny could not identify. He chuckled, running a hand through his tied hair.
"Good. I was worried there for a moment." Vlad teased. Danny rolled his eyes.
"This doesn't mean you're taking my dad's place." Danny reminded. "Just so you know."
Vlad crossed his arms. "Those would be rather huge shoes to fill, I think I'll pass."
Danny sighed, recognizing the snide remark for what it was. He turned around again, this time having the courage to step away, and tossed over his shoulder:
"I guess...I'll see you later."
Vlad hummed in response and watched Danny leave. As the door to the library closed, the room felt infinitely more lonely. Vlad hardly noticed. He leaned back against his desk and looked up, his eyes unfocused, and shining with moisture.
He'd done it.
He finally had the chance to achieve one of his greatest goals. And he would get Daniel as his son.
No evil plot necessary.
Next Chapter: Vlad and Jazz talk about something that could potentially ruin Danny's newfound trust in Vlad
Woooooooow.
I really can't think of anything more productive to say XD
This was the ultimate feels rollercoaster to write. Right now it's at 8100 words, and my chapters are usually no more than 6500... That says a lot. Though, I did take my time getting this done, so I guess you all deserve a longer chapter.
Also, I was going to leave it on a sort-of cliffhanger after Vlad says "I finally realized...I cannot be a good father to you Daniel." Lol, just thought you should know.
Ttyl, pls review and favorite, all that nice stuff.
(If you are review-shy I accept "sparkle" as a positive response. Literally. Just put "SPARKLE!" in a review and post it if you're shy like moi. It'll also confuse the heck out of people who haven't read the story yet and are looking at the reviews XD)
-P