Why Hello, welcome back to my humble story. Or if you're new here: 'sup fam~

The Life We Fight For

Chapter 24: Midnight's Ultimatum

Sunlight streamed through the windows, covering the room with soft light. It was early in the morning, just after breakfast in the Masters Mansion. The day had begun anew and with it, another opportunity for good to triumph.

But as the light cascaded over a certain raven haired young man, the thought of chasing the adventures of a new day sounded more like a nightmare than anything.

He woke up slowly, as if simply returning to consciousness was like swimming against the current back to shore. It took an obscene amount of time and effort, but when he finally did feel sober and alert, Danny nearly wanted to knock himself back out.

Oh, the embarrassment! He'd acted completely out of control earlier, and in front of his archenemy no less! Danny's cheeks burned and he tossed a sore, stiff arm over his eyes with a groan. He'd never live this down!

"I take it you're awake now?" a voice suddenly called out.

Worried it was Vlad, Danny stiffened for only a moment before pulling his arm from his face and sitting up. Or at least, he tried to.

His arms were much more weak than he initially thought, especially his hands. They shook violently before giving out completely, leaving Danny slumped on top of his pillows half sitting and half laying on the bed. He heard a feminine giggle to his left.

"Smooth, really smooth," said Jazz, who was sitting in a chair beside his bed. Danny glowered at her. "Easy, I'm just teasing."

Danny blinked against the light that seemed too bright despite the curtains covering half of the window closest to him. His expression turned confused as he tried to rub away the remaining tiredness from his eyes.

"Is it morning?" he questioned quickly.

"Yup," Jazz answered. "You slept the rest of yesterday away. I honestly didn't expect you to wake up this early, either."

"What happened?" Danny asked her, able to slowly get into a sitting position now that he had relaxed some.

"I only know that Vlad found out about your plan, went into the Ghost Zone, and came back with you totally unconscious." answered his sister evenly. Danny frowned.

"...Is he mad?"

"What do you think?"

Danny winced at her tone of voice. It was one she often reserved for telling off their parents when their weapons got too out of hand. It didn't take a genius to know she was upset with him too.

"And you're here as what, my bodyguard?" Danny said sarcastically.

Jazz sighed, her posture shifty and uncomfortable. She crossed her arms delicately.

"I'm here because I think all of this," Jazz waved a hand through the air, "has gotten out of hand."

"What are you talking about?" Danny questioned in confusion.

"This dynamic that's been created between you and Vlad. Neither of you are taking the opportunity to become real allies," the girl explained. "Even with all of the time you spend together and all of the chances you've had to learn more about each other, one of you always pushes the other away. I'm tired of it."

Danny ground his teeth together in frustration. It wasn't that simple, he couldn't allow someone he couldn't trust into his life so easily. It just didn't work that way!

The half ghost nearly shuddered as a vision of himself as Vlad Plasmius' apprentice came to mind. It would definitely take something drastic to push him that low.

"Right," Danny snapped. "And becoming the minion of an evil villain is such a better way to go about things."

"You know that's not what I'm saying!" Jazz replied defensively. "Don't you ever consider what mom and dad would want you to do if they were here, right now?"

Danny's eyebrows creased in confusion, his body tensing up at the mention of their parents. Jazz continued on in a softer tone of voice.

"Think about it, they both want us to be happy, right?" she said, "If either of them saw us suffering unnecessarily for their sake, wouldn't that make them feel bad? Wouldn't they rather come back to us as healthy and happy as they left us?"

Danny knew his sister had a point, it was a strange day when she wasn't completely right. But he just couldn't entertain the idea of continuing to push the dynamic between him and Vlad.

Besides, after his latest stunt Danny wagered the man didn't want to so much as see him, let alone talk about feelings. Plasmius was not very touchy feely, more so angry and scary.

"I doubt it matters anymore, he probably hates me...again." Danny said after a moment. Jazz sighed.

"He's scared..." Jazz stated softly. Danny looked up at her in silent surprise and she continued, "You didn't see him, Danny. When he carried you in here he seemed natural but he had this- this tenseness to him, like a coiled spring. I couldn't tell what it was then, but now...he was worried, for you."

Danny eyes widened a fraction and a brief, unknown emotion washed over them, clouding the bright blue hues. It lasted only a swift, sweet moment before his head was in his hands and his fingers were gripping tightly to his deep black hair.

"How can you just know that?" Danny hissed through clenched teeth. "What makes you think that Vlad won't turn right around and betray me, betray us, as soon as our guards are down?!"

"I don't know that he won't," said Jazz, remaining calm. She put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"But I know that Danny Phantom always gives second chances."

Danny felt his chest tighten and he curled into himself a bit, feeling overwhelmed. He was a hero, a young, sensitive one, but a superhero nonetheless. Jazz was right, as usual.

"You need to figure out what it is you want, and I can't help you decide this time." Jazz finished as she stood up, hesitant to pull her hand away. "What happens from here on out is your choice, and I'll support you no matter what, okay?"

Danny took a second to compose himself, taking a deep breath and relaxing his muscles before looking up at his sister again. He gave her a half-hearted smile and nodded.

"Thanks, Jazz."

The girl took the statement as all the reply she would receive and stepped away.

"I'll tell Godfrey to send up some breakfast, you need the energy," she said softly, turning away and finally retreating from the tense atmosphere of the bedroom.

Danny dropped his gaze as soon as she turned her back to him and waited for the sound of the door opening and closing to finally relax.

Nothing felt worse than having your plan utterly fail on top of getting rescued by the one person who, ironically, could make him feel even worse than he did already. The whole circumstance surrounding his current position felt surreal in the most horrid way.

Not seeing the pompous man in question yet made him even more uneasy. Vlad had a knack for being near whenever Danny was first waking up after an ordeal, and his absence was all the teen needed to truly understand the feeling of 'fearing the unknown'.

Little did he know, his day was about to get much worse than he anticipated.

Vlad set his cellphone upon his desk in a firm and final movement of confidence. His face might have appeared neutral to a stranger, but to any close person the man's expression said a single word: plotting.

And indeed, plans were coming together perfectly and Vlad was honestly feeling wonderful. He'd almost forgotten how it felt to conjure a scheme for his own goals, to put aside silly worries of feelings and chivalry and be his selfish self.

This was nowhere near what Vlad would consider 'evil', however. A good evil plan took time and effort, things Vlad couldn't give at the moment. He was thinking on the fly, coming up with something that might tip the scales in his favor for once.

If this went his way, his entire life could be changed, and so would someone else's. This was not just a plot of course, this was an ultimatum, and it could go one of two ways. Vlad could only hope luck was on his side today.

After spending an entire morning on the phone, from calling his personal legal team, finding loopholes in certain legislation, and coming up with the perfect proposal strategy, Vlad finally believed he had almost everything he needed.

All he was waiting on was a document to be faxed to him by his lawyer. After that, it was a waiting game. Waiting for his target to awaken, that is.

As it turns out, he didn't have to wait long. Vlad soon had a visitor to his study that brought him some good news.

"Mr. Fenton is awake, sir," said his butler, Godfrey, who smiled pleasantly at him from the doorway. "Having a late breakfast. He's also confined to his room, as you requested."

"Perfect," Vlad replied, "Let's make sure he stays there this time, hm?"

Godfrey nodded, instantly leaving to keep watch for a runaway halfa. Danny's disappearance had not only bothered his employer, indeed, Godfrey had grown fond of the boy as well. Enough to not want him dead at the hands of a twisted ghost, at least.

Meanwhile, Vlad tried and failed to avoid staring at his fax machine. It was as up to date as technology allowed, and had never once jammed. Still, as the minutes ticked by and Vlad attempted to sign off on some unrelated documents on his desk, he couldn't help but wonder if he should check that there were no issues.

He was being paranoid, and he knew it, but Vlad needed the copy in order for his little act to commence. Vlad prided himself in being a patient man, enough to pursue a married woman who'd snubbed his affections for years, but- ah!

Vlad finally heard the satisfying sound of paper shooting out of his machine and he stood quickly, losing his composure for all of that single moment before striding forward. With the grace of someone worthy to be called a Masters, he swept the pages from their tray and smirked contentedly for what seemed like the first time in months.

It was just a copy, for the real thing would be a bit more tedious to finalize, but it would serve its purpose. What it stood for would most certainly be enough.

Adoption papers, still warm from the machine, were held gently in Vlad's hands. Finally, he could put his plan into motion.

He refused to walk away from all the strife, tribulation and overall trouble he'd been put through the past months empty handed. This would be his payment.

At last, Vlad would get what he truly wanted.

After Godfrey told Danny he wasn't allowed out, the teenager almost disappeared on the spot. Having to sit around and do nothing now that he knew just how powerful his enemy was? Complete torture.

But he could tell by the way Godfrey's tone was clipped and how he didn't avoid calling him 'Mr. Fenton' that he'd ticked off the help as well. They were all probably worried, and Danny could understand why Vlad wouldn't want him to leave the mansion, but he couldn't bring himself to feel guilty.

So he'd broken one, kind of important rule. Was that such a big deal? It was for a very good reason! A superhero can break the rules for the greater good, even Vlad should know that.

But as Danny lay on his bed, having long since finished his meal, somehow he knew that his excuse would not hold up against the fruitloop-y judge. He needed a better argument if he wanted to be able to sit down comfortably after Vlad finally showed up.

Once again, Danny found himself trying to please Vlad. Though he couldn't bring himself to feel disgusted as he usually did, since he was still sulking over the fact that he was in this position at all.

His plan should have gone smoothly. He and his friends should have been enough to triumph. If they had fought on Danny's turf, he definitely would have won. At least now he knew that Ivix wasn't as omnipotent as he claimed to be.

He wished he could call his friends to entertain himself, but he had tried to get a hold of them earlier only to receive no reply. He could only assume that they'd been grounded. Thankfully Vlad was hiding away and hadn't come to take away his phone...yet.

He cursed his luck when his sensitive hearing picked up footsteps outside his room. He really needed to ask Sam if she knew anything about getting rid of rotten luck...

He closed his eyes and focused on what he was hearing. The steps were practiced, balanced and even, but confident and sharp. That ruled out Godfrey, who had a habit of staying as silent as possible, most likely to compliment his occupation.

The strides were also spaced further apart, indicating a height that easily surpassed his sister's. In other words, either his deductive reasoning was off the mark today...or the prodigal cheesehead had returned.

Danny treasured his precious few moments of solitude before sitting up and trying to look relaxed. Quite a difficult thing to do when you weren't sure if you'd be getting blasted through a wall in the next few minutes, or worse, thrown facedown over a lap.

When the single swift, sharp knock sounded on the expensive wood, Danny was ready. Before he could speak however, the door was opened, and Vlad stepped in without a word.

Danny spotted a large yellow envelope held in the man's grasp as Vlad closed the door behind him with his free hand and walked past Danny. The confused teen watched as Vlad pulled Danny's desk chair from where Jazz had positioned it beside the bed to sit in front of him. Danny fought to stay relaxed, repeating to himself that he had done nothing wrong.

"Daniel," Vlad finally called out, breaking the silence. He sat down with a soft sigh and stared unblinkingly into Danny's lighter blue eyes. "This isn't working."

"Huh?" Danny responded, maneuvering his body to sit cross-legged facing Vlad.

Vlad wasn't showing any indication of anger, or pride, or even happiness. Danny couldn't read his expression at all, and after months spent getting to knowing Vlad on a deeper level it was unnerving that the elder halfa seemed so much more serious than usual.

"I cannot continue to play around with our situation," Vlad stated. "Keeping you safe and helping you defeat this ghost are my conditions to uphold in this alliance, and both of those things are in jeopardy whilst the state of our arrangement continues."

Danny put a hand to his temple in mock pain. He could understand what the man was saying for all of one sentence.

"You're doing that thing where you're not speaking English..." he nearly whined, "9th grade vocabulary, please." Vlad rolled his eyes.

"I'm saying that we are never going to win this fight if we're not on the same page." Vlad lifted the envelope, "Specifically, this one."

"You and I could be an unstoppable force," the billionaire continued without allowing Danny to respond. "There's plenty I could still teach you, provide for you, not to mention I could give you much more than just knowledge and power. Think, a life without judgement for what you are, with no more secret identities in your own home. If you'd only renounce your father..."

"But you know I won't do that." Danny cut in through gritted teeth.

"I know you won't do that," Vlad confirmed. "But, it was worth a try."

Vlad had decided against playing games with Daniel- as much as he might want to- and be blunt. With a child, specifically a teenager, it was easier said than done. But when Vlad stood up, hoping to get a serious reaction from the other, he noticed the boy still just seemed confused. Maybe Daniel was right, he needed to speak his language.

Danny watched in bewilderment as Vlad stood, eyes following every movement closely. Was that it? Vlad was just going to leave him alone after all the trouble of riling him up?

The halfa stood before the boy and stared down at him, his expression changing. His eyes were red with a quick blink, and he towered over Danny with a dark look on his formerly neutral face. Danny's eyes widened in surprise, his irises standing out against his dark lashes.

"So, Danny Phantom," said Vlad Masters, a clear bite to his tone, "this is my last stand, my ending statement...my final ultimatum, if you will."

Danny didn't respond, too tense and uncertain to reply. His body was ready and waiting for battle as soon as Vlad's red eyes bore into his own, but he squashed down his reflex of fight or flight. He couldn't figure out what Vlad's endgame was this time, it just didn't make sense.

"These," Vlad held up the documents, "are letters detailing your adoption."

Danny flinched horribly, and Vlad felt immensely satisfied. He pushed on, saying,

"There were plenty of corrupt officials who were all too eager to deem it necessary to relocate you, and for such a laughable price."

It felt too good to be standing over the brat, watching him pale while being told exactly how easy it was for his whole life to change. Vlad had gone for far too long playing the angel, now it was time for his reward. Plasmius was back, and with a vengeance.

"You've finally proven to yourself that you are no match for Ivix, even with the help of your little friends." He smirked. "You can't get your mother back without my help. But there's a price for everything, little badger, and this is mine."

"I gave you a clean slate, we already had a deal!" Danny snapped, his eyes glued to the papers in Vlad's hand.

"But you haven't truly kept your end of the bargain, have you?" Vlad retaliated, "Sneaking around behind my back, lying to me, even breaking into my computer systems...does that sound like normal behavior between allies?"

"You lied too!" Danny exclaimed, "About all the stuff Jazz found about Ivix, you were hiding everything from me, weren't you?!"

"For your own protection!" the man defended, "And you proved my decision to be the right one, seeing as how you took it upon yourself to sneak out as soon as you discovered that information!"

"I cannot continue on as a simple ally," Vlad told him. "If you don't agree to this, I'm backing out of our truce. Including the deal concerning your father. His safety, as well as the safety of your mother in the hands of that monster will be entirely your responsibility."

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't let my mom get hurt." Danny said confidently. Vlad smiled back at him.

"Chess and its strategies might not be your forte, but I believe you can understand a 'necessary sacrifice', can you not?" Vlad said easily, closing his eyes for a moment, "If this is what it takes to get you to understand the severity of your current situation so be it."

Vlad dropped the yellow object into the bed beside Danny before taking a few steps back to give the boy some space. When Vlad finally looked back at his face, however, his eyes widened suddenly in surprise.

Danny was looking at him with an expression Vlad couldn't decipher. His lips were slightly parted in what could only be shock, his face was still pale and his eyes were looking right into Vlad's with a piercing stare. It lasted all of one, silent moment...before a tear shot down Danny's face in a quiet race down his cheek, before falling and landing on his lap.

"Why?" Danny hissed, "Why are you doing this? Why is nothing ever good enough for you?"

He didn't acknowledge the droplets cascading down his splotchy skin in favor of gripping the fabric of his jeans tightly in his hands. Danny felt defeated. No, he felt broken.

"All I've ever done is try to do the right thing, even with you. Yet here you are, trying to manipulate me again," Danny cried, "I'm not a trophy, Vlad, you can't win me by knocking down whoever's in your way. You can't buy me with temptations and promises of a better life. It just doesn't work that way..."

Danny's words cut off as he reached the stage in his crying where talking was near impossible. He had been looking at Vlad the entire time, but the boy's tears had blurred his vision and he couldn't tell how the elder was reacting. He only hoped the jerk was uncomfortable, it would serve him right.

He reached up to wipe at his tear stained face, not noticing Vlad approach. He wasn't ready for Vlad to appear in front of him when he looked up and he certainly wasn't ready for the man's hand to drop onto his shoulder and pull him forward.

"Wha-"

Danny couldn't finish, for the next thing he knew he was pulled into a hug and the hand on his shoulder moved to his back. His bed was on the tall side, so he was only centimeters shorter than Vlad while sitting up, making it easy to wrap his arms around the businessman's neck and drop his head down into his neck.

Though if you ever asked him, Danny had done no such thing. Heroes don't cry, and they certainly don't accept hugs from their archenemy. At least, that's what Danny had been led to believe.

"I'm being harsh, I get it," Vlad said begrudgingly, his aged voice rumbling in Danny's ears from being so close. "Just hear me out, Daniel. I want you to be happy, but I also want you safe. I promised that I'd protect you when we agreed you'd live with me, and I intend to keep my word."

Vlad brought his free hand to Daniel's head to brush away his unruly locks from what he could reach of the boy's face. In his arms, Daniel seemed so small and almost fragile. Not like a wild, unpredictable menace, or a strong, energetic hero, but a stressed young teenager with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

At the same time, Vlad marveled at how strong the boy truly was. For it to take this long to push him to this point, Daniel was either incredibly foolish, or more obviously, very self-disciplined and grounded.

Meanwhile Danny's emotions felt as if there was an intense conflict going on with every thought that came to his mind.

As much as he would have loved to remain where he was and ignore any all stress, he couldn't afford to. He tried to think of what Jazz would tell him if she were there, or even what Sam might advise at a time like this one.

He was cornered, like a rat. There was nowhere to run or hide anymore, and Danny hadn't felt so on the spot in a long while.

Danny forced himself to think of what his mom would tell him right now. Even though it went against his hero side, even though it didn't seem like the logical decision, he knew his mother would have wanted him to be safe, no matter what. It was just how Maddie Fenton lived, putting others first even under great pressure, making sure her family was safe even if she herself was not.

Feeling safe with your archenemy had to be as taboo as it could get for a hero, but Danny no longer cared. He just wanted to see his mom again, he didn't want his last memories of her to be seeing her in torment, trapped in a dark place without her loved ones. At least he had Vlad, Jazz and his friends, Maddie was all alone.

Danny sighed inaudibly and finally moved, mind made up. This wasn't a surrender, he promised himself, just a compromise. For the greater good, and safety of those he cared about.

Vlad felt the younger shift a bit, moving his face to breathe a little easier as he calmed. It was quiet and still for several tense, serious moments, before Danny finally replied. His voice came in a quiet whisper, almost a mumble.

"Do I have to change my name?"

Vlad's breath caught, his throat closing up for a second as he processed the child's words. He quickly forced himself to speak, his words coming out in a husky, almost emotional tone. It wouldn't do to lose his composure now.

"Officially, no." he replied, "Unofficially, it would be for the best to identify as a Masters, dear boy."

"I'm not so sure I want to be a Masters." came the soft and shaky reply. Vlad squeezed Danny's shoulder.

"Then trust me."

How such a short sentence could mean so much, Danny would never know. To put such faith in the man he hated so intensely only months ago felt wrong, but there was still a small voice telling him to give in and let Vlad have his chance.

The battle in his heart was taking its toll, and no sooner than his last tear had dried Danny was tearing up again. Vlad felt the moisture bleed through his collar and tensed.

"What did I do now?" he sighed.

Danny didn't answer, unsure what he would even say. His head was telling him that it wouldn't be permanent, that he would always be Danny Fenton and nothing important would change, but his heart was a different story. He didn't feel right trusting Vlad, but he needed him if Danny wanted his life to ever be normal again. He tightened his grip around Vlad's neck, knowing it would not really harm him.

"I want my mom." Danny said, almost as a confession. Vlad let out an exhausted breath.

"I know," was all the adult replied. It was all Danny needed, as well.

Vlad stood and held Danny securely for several minutes, waiting for the teen's breath to even out and his heart rate to calm. He'd secretly let some of his warm energy leak out and heat the room a bit, hoping it would help Daniel relax.

Once he started hiccuping, Daniel seemed to get a grip and slowly pulled away from the embrace. His eyes were red but he seemed much more calm now that he'd had a chance to let out the bottled up emotions inside him.

"Rest for a while, that fight completely drained you of energy," Vlad told him. "You'll need time to regain that strength."

Danny simply nodded, brushing his sweaty hair from his forehead. It wasn't as if he had much of a choice, so he decided he wouldn't argue Vlad's suggestion.

"We'll talk more later… Honestly," Vlad swept a gentle hand through Danny's hair, "You can't imagine how happy you've just made me, Daniel."

Vlad had only dreamed of getting to this point, of finally having Daniel submit and be his son. With all that had happened Vlad was beginning to believe it was not to be, but this day had now changed everything.

"So how is this going to work?" Danny said, ignoring Vlad's comment and picking up the discarded envelope.

"We will talk later, Daniel." Vlad repeated, moving to step away.

Danny regained some of his confidence in that moment and gripped the yellow paper, completely annoyed. He deserved to know his fate!

"I think I should know exactly how you're going to make my life hell, Plasmius!" he exclaimed, standing up. "Or are you going to hide that from me too, cheesehead?"

Vlad's eyes widened only a fraction, not expecting the outburst, but soon narrowed. His expression turned stern and cold.

"That reminds me..." Vlad muttered, walking forward.

Danny quickly dropped into a defensive stance but Vlad wasn't interested in fighting. He grabbed Danny by the arm and the younger immediately got a feeling of deja vu as Vlad jerked him to the side.

"Wait!"

Danny's plea went unheeded as Vlad brought down his hand on his ward's squirming backside. A second swat fell and Danny yelped, unprepared.

After a third smack Vlad released him and Danny instantly turned around, hands going to the spot while looking up in indignation. Vlad would have found the scene comical, if he wasn't so annoyed with the boy's behavior in the first place.

"Don't think I've forgotten what landed us in this situation in the first place," Vlad warned, "you're on thin ice Daniel, I suggest you take that into consideration today."

Danny crossed his arms, too embarrassed to speak up with a comeback. How did he always manage to get himself in trouble? And with Vlad of all people?

"Sit and relax, someone will come get you for dinner," Vlad ordered, not missing Daniel's face fall dramatically as he realized he was confined till dinner. He wanted nothing more than to shower Daniel with reassurances and take back his words, but he knew that doing so would be a massive step in the wrong direction. For what he was trying to build with the child, he needed to be consistent.

As soon as Daniel was sitting once more Vlad turned away and forced himself to walk out. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the boy he'd literally just promised to adopt, but there would be time to bond later.

Right now, he had to schedule meetings and call lawyers, not to mention there would have to be a gala to introduce Daniel Masters to the world. There was so much to do, it made his head spin.

Vlad met Godfrey on his way back to his office and the older ghost followed him, questioning his employer all the way.

"Well? How'd the boy take it?" The butler asked, hope twinkling in his aged eyes.

Vlad stepped into his office for the second time that day. He didn't even scowl at the old man's nagging, he simply smirked in genuine satisfaction.

"He is not happy at the moment, but he soon will be." Vlad responded, folding his arms behind his back in a proud gesture.

"You're a parent," Godfrey said in realization, "I thought I'd never see the day."

"Don't get too excited," Vlad warned, "as far as Daniel is concerned this will only last for as long as his mother is held captive. Though I fully intend to make this arrangement permanent."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" asked the employee.

Vlad leaned on his desk in a leisurely stance. Daniel was not as high on his priority list as most would think. He still had a psychopathic ghost on the loose, and a crazed, confused woman gunning for his head.

"I'll earn his trust, of course." Vlad said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Daniel wasn't that difficult to figure out. He was like a children's book written in a foreign language, difficult to read at first, but easy to understand once you knew how.

"If you know anything about teenagers, sir, you might find that incredibly difficult..." Godfrey replied with a sigh. It seemed his employer has not learned as much while living with Daniel as the butler would have liked.

"Daniel isn't an ordinary teenager, Godfrey," Vlad reminded him, "he doesn't hide his feelings or purposefully rebel without a good reason. Daniel is special."

"But he's still a child, sir..." Godfrey said gently, "Under all the heroism and heart, he still needs a father."

"Believe me, I will do my best to be twice the father Jack Fenton ever was."

Godfrey nearly facepalmed, but thought the display would be too unsightly. The ghost believed that why Danny could trust Vlad the little bit that he did was because Vlad was...Vlad.

Danny didn't need a multimillion dollar home with a professional chef, or a mentor to teach him how to use his powers. He needed Vlad, for all that he was and could be.

Vlad was the one who cured Danny's nightmares, saved him when Ivix took over his mind, and agreed to keep him safe and hidden in his home when Danny had nowhere else to go. But the man's heart was still so cold that the thought of those things being important to Danny was the furthest from his mind.

"Of course, sir." was all Godfrey replied. He excused himself and left the room, more determined than ever to get the two halfas to trust each other.

If he couldn't do it through Vlad, he'd have to convince Danny himself. He wasn't sure exactly what state the boy was in right now, but Godfrey couldn't imagine it would be a good idea to leave the boy alone for too long. Danny had not only just gotten caught sneaking out, but he'd also had his life drastically change, and such a thing happening so suddenly was never easy on a teen's psyche.

Godfrey approached Danny's room and as soon as he was within ghostly earshot, rose into the air, careful to keep his energy use low and harder to detect. It wouldn't do to have Danny's ghost sense go off and disturb him if he was sleeping.

The butler poked his head into the room using his intangibility and looked around. At first, he didn't see Danny at all but soon was able to catch a small glimpse of where he was seated almost entirely out of view.

Danny was sitting on the floor beside the bed, with his back to the door. The bed blocked the view of his body almost entirely, except that his wild hair was just tall enough to be seen over the space themed sheets and pillows.

He didn't appear to be bawling his eyes out, definitely a plus, but the halfa did seem a bit depressed. So, Godfrey took the chance and knocked on the door, not bothering to wait for an answer before walking in.

"Mr. Masters has just told me the news," Godfrey said, opting to keep his voice as gentle as possible. "I thought I'd see how you were faring."

"I'm fine." Danny mumbled, not moving from his spot on the floor. He'd tucked his knees to his chest and buried his face into them, making his voice hard to hear. Thankfully, Godfrey had ghost hearing, and understood him clearly.

"Forgive me, but last I checked one seated on the floor in a heap does not emulate a good mood."

Danny huffed agitatedly, pulling his head up just enough to glare in the butler's direction. Godfrey just smiled sweetly.

"I thought you were angry with me for sneaking out just like everyone else," Danny accused. "Why the sudden sympathy?"

"Oh believe me, I'm still unhappy about that," Godfrey replied in a neutral tone, "But I think I'll leave it up to Mr. Masters to deal with you."

"Whatever."

"On the subject of my employer..." Godfrey continued, moving pillows off of the bed to straighten up the sheet.

"I don't want to talk about it." Danny grumbled. He jolted when he felt the sheet move against his back and begrudgingly moved to stand. "Besides, I don't have a choice in anything anymore so what does it matter what I think?"

"You always have a choice," Godfrey reminded him, "it's just difficult sometimes to make the right ones."

Danny stayed silent for a moment, letting the advice sink in. He couldn't imagine anything good coming out of Vlad becoming his guardian, but was it for the greater good?

"How do I know I made the right decision?" Danny asked. His arm came up and he grasped at his hair in frustration. "How do I know for sure he won't betray me?"

Godfrey sighed, finishing off his chore by setting the pillows back in their proper places. His boss was a hard man to predict, but for the sake of the child, he couldn't bear to crush his hopes.

"He won't." Godfrey stated firmly, "As Mr. Masters has told you himself, you are special."

"But why?!" Danny cried, "Why me? Other than my abilities I can't understand why Vlad would want me by his side so desperately. Why go through all this trouble for me?"

Godfrey's normally kind and gentle features turned saddened as he watched Danny fight within himself. There was a war inside the boy, with one side clinging to what was left of his normal life, and the other pushing for a new future.

"Why don't you ask him?" The elder wondered aloud. Danny stiffened and didn't reply. "Just have a conversation, a serious chat to clear the air between you two."

Danny shrugged, sitting down on his bed with his back to Godfrey. It just couldn't be so simple, not with Vlad. Both the halfas were stubborn and passionate enough to achieve their goals, but that's about where the similarities ended.

Still, that nagging voice in his head kept pushing, wanting Danny to try and be happy for once, to let an adult take care of the hard work and truly let himself relax. He wished Jazz or friends could tell him what to do, or that some sign would let him know what was the right choice.

Danny was slowly coming to realize that difficult decisions often weren't easily discernable as completely right or completely wrong. He just had to trust that in the long run, he'd chosen a successful route.

"What if he doesn't give me the answers I need? What if just proves to me he's still a villain?" Danny finally replied.

Godfrey smiled, though Danny couldn't see it. The teen could be more mature than adults at times, but other times, his true age and naïvety shone through, often when he was feeling vulnerable.

"Do you really continue to put your trust in him based on who he is right now?" Godfrey said, continuing to explain when Danny cocked his head to side in confusion. "You see the good in people Mr. Fenton, the optimistic possibilities over the negative reality. That's why the people in this town see you as a symbol of hope."

"Trust that Mr. Masters will make good decisions when it counts, and go from there." Godfrey told him, "You've already influenced him more than I or any of the other staff ever could."

Danny didn't respond to the ghost, too busy thinking. Godfrey waited for a few moments and when it became apparent that Danny had truly taken his words to heart, the butler slipped out of the room as silently as he could.

Walking down the hall as quiet as a shadow, Godfrey smiled, content that he'd planted the seed. Now, it was up to Danny to make it grow.

Trust is hard to build without faith. One must have faith that the other will stay true, often without any evidence that they won't be betrayed. But without fighting for the good in people and taking the initial leap of faith, the world would be without happiness and trust.

Godfrey believed that wholeheartedly, and had confidence that in the end, Danny and Vlad would win the fight against their enemy and break down the walls between them. Without even knowing it they already leaned on each other, they just needed to push away some of their pride and admit it.

The butler sighed one final time and headed to the kitchen. The least he could do was make sure the halfas each got their favorites for dinner today.

If greasy, unhealthy food was what it took to put the youngest in a good mood, so be it!

Next Chapter: Danny deals with his new reality and renews his efforts to gain control of his ruined life.

Thanks for reading! This update was a day late, so my humblest apologies for that, but this was an important chapter, so I wanted to do it right. Hope to see you next month!

Special thanks to the betas of this chapter (listed on my profile)

-P