Hello! This is SUPER LATE and I sincerely apologize! I could give you excuses but what is important is that we've successfully got this chapter up and hopefully I'll continue to post as usual from now on! Thank you for your patience!

I'll be responding to reviews and pms for this chapter in the next author's note, so if you have any questions or comments, now's the time people!

The Life We Fight For

Chapter 26: Fight for Fathers

Amity Park had always been buzzing with activity, no matter what season or time. And now with all of the talk of ghosts haunting the town, it had become somewhat of a tourist attraction to those travelling through. The new mayor had deemed it 'good for business', but to the local ghost hunters? Well...

The constant ghost attacks were, at the very least, inconvenient. Summer vacation was coming up soon, and both Sam and Tucker were so behind in their schoolwork they were sure to be headed to summer school come July.

Danny had made it all look deceptively easy, catching ghosts left and right with or without backup. The two hunters never realized just how many enemies Danny must've had to fight in a day, and how exhausting it really was.

It was only midday, and both high schoolers were panting for breath as they ran full speed from the lunch period they had just ditched. Having heard the news of a ghost attack not too far away, the two had quickly geared up and set out in the direction of a local stripmall.

Technus was their target, according to Tucker's new ghost tracking program. He had needed to make dozens of modifications to his tech to make up for Danny's missing abilities. It was strange to be unaware of whether a ghost was around or not, what with Danny's dramatic shiver usually being a dead giveaway.

Tucker led the way to the source of trouble, glancing at his PDA every few moments to ensure Technus hadn't moved. Normally, he wouldn't be too worried. Technus didn't exactly have a reputation for being too bright.

What really caused him to worry was the small, blinking orange dot beside the ghost. That was a tracker Tucker had snuck onto the Fenton's GAV two weeks ago. Tucker's palm grew sweaty as he hurried down the street, unsure of what they would find.

Luckily, there wasn't much damage done when the two arrived. Tucker quickly mourned the loss of a couple laptops and radios, but Technus just seemed to be messing around more than anything else.

"See any of them?" Sam asked him. Tucker quickly turned around in a swift scope of the area before shaking his head.

"Maybe they're chasing another ghost?" he wondered.

With a loud 'boom!', Technus dropped a car down onto the parking lot, right in front of a frightened family trying to run away. With a twisted grin, he used his powers to turn on another vehicle behind them, preparing to speed it their way.

Sam moved first, shooting a blaster at Technus' raised arm as she ran towards the action. Adrenaline fueled her speed and she raced as quickly as she could over to the parking lot, blasts of green energy pouring from her gun all the while.

Seeing her intentions, Tucker ducked right, leaving Sam to the ghost distracting and moving towards the family. As he directed them towards the safest route out of the maze of cars, he heard a grunt behind him.

Sam was kneeling on the ground, panting hard. Technus had taken some hard hits, but he was still strong enough to encase a white truck in green energy, raising it high over Sam's crouched form.

"Hey, Radio Head!" yelled Tucker.

Technus snarled and jerked his head to Tucker. His mouth twitched into a grin once again and he flung the truck at the boy in a swift flick of his arms. Tucker dropped and rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding a trip to the hospital, or worse. He blew out dramatically and stood up, planting his hands to the back of his neck.

"That's it, Tech?" he taunted. "No unwarranted speech? Not even a 'boo'?"

Tucker did his best to hide his relief as he spotted Sam get up and adjust herself behind Technus. As the girl began to reach for her Fenton Thermos, Technus answered.

"I've gotten much better, no thanks to you brats!" he cried, pointing at Tucker. "I haven't even mentioned my plans to enslave the human race yet!"

Tucker rolled his eyes before sparing another glance at his friend. Sam was steadying her aim, nearly ready to suck the ghost into her thermos. Just a few more seconds...

Suddenly, a bright green light grabbed all three persons' attention. It came from the side, growing brighter as it neared. Tucker squinted at the object and tried to figure out what it could be, until he heard Sam shout.

"Tuck, it's Jack!"

That was all Tucker needed, throwing himself away from Technus and behind the nearest car. Staying down on the ground with his arms raised over his head, he braced as best he could and waited. A crash could be heard and Tucker was forced to close his eyes against the bright light that exploded around them on its impact.

It lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to leave Tucker dazed. Fortunately, Sam had warned him in time, and whatever bomb that had been detonated did not get to him. Tucker forced himself up onto his knees, looking around to see where Sam had hidden.

She too had ducked behind a car, and was now leaning against it while looking out in surprise and confusion. Sam's stare caught on a spot in the distance, and her eyes widened drastically. Tucker followed her gaze and gasped.

Technus lay smoking and singed on the ground, a trail of green leading from his impact with the ground to where he was now. Even from his safe 30 foot distance Tucker could tell the damage was heavy.

"Sorry kids, it took a little while to set this thing up!"

Tucker's head snapped to the side, his eyes landing on a rapidly moving orange figure coming toward them. In a burst of anger, Tucker came out of his hiding spot into the road.

"We had it under control!" he said angrily.

Jack took a moment to puff out a few breaths before answering. He didn't seem at all bothered by Tucker's tone.

"Sure you did, I was just dying to try this baby out. It's still a work in progress, but-"

"But it's dangerous, and it could hurt someone!" Sam shouted, capping the thermos. Technus was safely inside and now she too had no desire to keep her annoyance in check.

"Maddie told me herself that this metal masterpiece is completely safe. It'll only hurt ghosts, so don't worry!" Jack told them, giving a thumbs up gesture.

Sam was seething, her fists clenched around the thermos in her hands like it was a stress toy. It was no use to try and tell Jack that Maddie lied to him about everything, the big guy was so loyal to her he would never even hear them out. Normally even Sam would think it was romantic, but with people's lives at risk, the thought only became more and more sickening.

Tucker put a hand on her shoulder, silently urging her to take it easy. They were both trying their best and they would keep on doing so until Danny returned. That's what friends did for one another.

"It's not worth it. he's too far gone, remember?" he said softly. "Let's just go."

Sam nodded once, clipping the thermos to her belt to empty out later. At least releasing ghosts was easier now, since Jack considered them all to be ghost hunting buddies.

"Come on kids, don't look so down!" Jack yelled, oblivious to the tension around them. "Is it because Danny-boy has that internship with Vladdie? He's been working really hard, apparently!"

Sam wanted to scream. Ivix had spewed enough lies to last a lifetime, and then some. She was grateful when Tucker decided to be the one to respond.

"Don't you think it's strange that Danny suddenly lives with Vlad, just for an internship?" asked the boy. Jack's reaction was only to look at the two with sympathy.

"I know you must miss him a bunch, but new mayor Vlad Masters is taking good care of him!"

The next explosion was sure to be Sam's wrist ray shooting into a building at this rate. Usually she was controlled enough to hide her anger behind sarcastic remarks and the occasional joke, but the past couple of months had stripped her down to exhaustion. She was angry and it showed.

"How do you know that?" Sam spat suddenly. "Danny could be really hurting and you would never know about it! You should care more about your son!"

Tucker's eyes went wide and he looked between the other two in a panic. Sam was beyond miffed, and Jack was brainwashed and confused. If a worse combo existed, Tucker couldn't even imagine it.

Jack seemed to actually catch Sam's dangerous vibe, taking a few seconds to get over his surprise before replying. As he did, his voice came considerably softer and almost contemplative.

"Well, I guess that's why Maddie told me to go see him later today. He's probably missing us something fierce and if I-"

"Wait, just hold on a second," Tucker interrupted, "you're going where, exactly?"

Jack grinned, as if he'd been begging Tucker to ask. He slung his huge, silver bazooka over his shoulder and propped his hands on his massive hips.

"Maddie had somewhere to go, so she entrusted me with visiting the kids and boosting their morale!" he said proudly.

Sam frowned, thinking on overdrive. This was indeed new. Especially the fact that Jack had spoken of children, meaning multiple. That meant he most likely had been fed a lie about Jazz as well.

Regardless, there was no way Jack was going to 'boost the morale' of Jazz and Danny by visiting them. In fact she wasn't sure her friend could handle seeing his father in such a state. Sam knew Danny was more sensitive than he seemed at times, hero or no hero.

"We should come with you," Sam suggested. Jack looked excited at first, but then seemed to reconsider.

"Shouldn't you be heading back to school right now? I can't stop you two from trying to help, but your classes should be more important than hanging out with friends."

At that moment, the last thing on the minds of Sam and Tucker were tests and reports. If their futures were ruined and their friends were all safe and happy, it would be well worth it. But of course, that wouldn't make such a great argument in this case.

"We promise you Mr. Fenton, we'll study as hard as we possibly can later," Sam said. "We just really want to see Danny again. He must need a break from working so hard, and he'll probably want to see us."

Jack appeared more conflicted as Sam spoke, rubbing at his neck in uncertainty. She wasn't sure what was going on in the hunter's mind, but Sam had a pretty good feeling he was seeing it her way.

"Well, I guess you've got a point there..." said Jack. "Maddie never said I couldn't bring anyone with me, after all."

Tucker's shoulders dropped as the tension left them. At least they could make sure Jack didn't try anything while at the mayor's home. It still wasn't entirely clear how controlled his mind was, and Tucker wasn't in the habit of taking chances.

"So when do we leave?" asked Tucker.

Jack grinned, swiftly searching his pockets for a minute. He pulled out the GAV's keys and held them up excitedly.

"Right now!" he said. "There's no time like the present, you know!"

Sam and Tucker gave each other a concerned look. The present consisted of a mad ghost manipulating and threatening their lives that truthfully, they could do without. But without hesitation, they began to follow Jack.

"Trust me," Sam muttered, "we know."

Jazz carefully slid a large book back into its slot. It had been an interesting read; old medicine techniques and a guide on herbal remedies had all been included in the dusty vintage textbook.

But it had been her tenth completed book today, and reading was starting to hurt her eyes. She glanced behind her at the large grandfather clock resting in the corner, ticking away. It was well past the time Vlad usually kept Danny in the classroom.

Jazz decided to finally seek out her brother, shoving her latest pile of books to a corner of her table for later. The maids had started to avoid this library since Jazz had deemed it her territory, and she was quite content to waste the day away while the others worked out their issues.

The ritual had finally gotten boring, though. There were only so many stories she could read before she began to long for her psychology books again. Vlad seemed to be a lover of novels and fantasy, likely because of his interest in the supernatural. The shelves were filled to overflowing with the mythological and weird.

Departing the library with a quiet yawn, Jazz made her way down the hall to Danny's room. She wasn't sure where he went after lessons, but she figured his bedroom was a good place to start.

A knock on his door earned nothing but silence. She knocked again, this time pushing open the door as she did so. There was no immediate yelling or ectoblasts thrown her way, so she assumed her intrusion was not noticed.

A quick look around the room confirmed Danny was not lazing around yet. Jazz headed back out and downstairs. She had a few other places in mind; the kitchen being the main one. Godfrey liked to stick around the dining and kitchen areas as it got closer to lunch time, and Danny had lately taken to talking to the ghost during his free time.

Jazz was usually the one Danny went to when he needed advice, but she had purposefully taken herself out of the equation. It made her sad to see Danny unsure of himself, but it was no secret that he depended on his friends and family to ensure he was doing the right thing. It was hard to see where the responsible hero ended and the imperfect teenager began.

Vlad himself had told Jazz about Danny's adoption, asking her again if she would accept the same. She knew he was only doing so since it was convenient, not to mention having both of Jack Fenton's children under his roof permanently would be nothing short of a dream come true.

She had declined once more as graciously as possible, despite the disgust that bubbled up within her. The last 24 hours had been difficult, staying away from Danny while he processed everything felt wrong. But, she had told Vlad she would let her brother choose and Jazz Fenton was not in the habit of lying.

Today she wouldn't hide, she needed to hear how Danny was feeling. His psyche was already unstable to begin with, it was hard to imagine what he must be going through right at that moment.

Her thoughts turned even more negative as she approached the kitchen. Vlad had no business getting so involved in Danny's life, especially to the point of taking legal action. It was only a matter of time before-

Jazz halted quickly as a surprising sound filtered out from the kitchen. She knew the noise like she knew the stages of grief.

It was Danny's laugh. She entered the room and gasped softly at the sight before her.

Danny was seated on a counter, arms crossed and with a triumphant grin on his face. Behind him were delivery men filing in with the groceries the chefs needed for the month. Said chefs were watching the event unfold with shocked faces.

At first nothing seemed to be too off, but a careful look inside one of the bags had Jazz slapping her palm over her face. Only one explanation came to mind.

Godfrey entered the room as he spoke rather loudly to the man in charge of the delivery. His hands gestured wildly as he all but yelled about the mess.

"Who in their right mind would put 45 bags of chocolate chips on their shopping list?!" Godfrey exclaimed.

"Apparently, Vlad Masters," said the man with a shrug. "This is everything on the list you gave me last week, nothin' more, nothin' less."

Godfrey watched the men depart with a dumbfounded expression. As soon as the back door closed, he whirled around and put his hands on his hips.

"Daniel Masters!" yelled Godfrey, "Explain this immediately!"

Danny hopped off the counter and reached into the nearest bag, pulling out a huge candy bar. Trying to appear casual about the whole thing seemed to be his strategy.

"Everything on the real list got delivered too, don't worry!" said Danny. Jazz frowned.

"Real list?"

Godfrey didn't let Danny explain further, too busy shuffling around the mountains of sweet-infested groceries to think to be polite.

"Look at all of this! If this isn't a cavity waiting to happen I don't know what is." Godfrey finally reached Danny and waggled his finger at him. "This will all be disposed of this instant. And just wait until your father hears about this!"

That last comment seemed to have an affect, making Danny's smile drop a bit. His hands had stopped trying to get his candy bar open and his entire body had tensed.

"It was just a joke, okay?" Danny said softly, "You can throw it out, just-"

"Oh no," Godfrey huffed, "don't expect me to hide this 'practical joke' from Mr. Masters simply because you seem remorseful now."

Jazz could feel tension start to build in the room. One of the disgruntled chefs was even bold enough to make a comment.

"Should call Mr. Masters now, give him something to wait for," he said, "it'll take ages to get all of this put away if we can't trash it."

"Let's all calm down a sec," Jazz suggested. "We can help clean this up, right Danny?"

The teen in question nodded quickly, glad to have someone on his side at the moment. But Godfrey didn't think very highly of her idea.

"I believe you've done enough," said the butler, looking down at Danny. "Now go on, the both of you. I have a call to make."

Jazz could see Danny's eyes harden and quickly snatched his wrist, fearing an even more intense argument. Danny turned away swiftly and allowed Jazz to lead him out of the kitchen.

She didn't stop until they were at the entrance of the mansion. Deciding the grand staircase was as good a place to talk as any, Jazz seated herself on a step and Danny followed.

"Why do you care if Vlad finds out about your sugar hoard?" Jazz asked, choosing not to beat around the bush.

"It started out as a way to freak out Godfrey, his obsession with perfection and organization can really be annoying sometimes," Danny sighed. "But the timing for my prank to work couldn't have been worse!"

Jazz rolled her eyes. "Aren't you being a little dramatic?"

"You don't get it," Danny replied, "I totally bombed a pop quiz today that I should have passed. Vlad's already got it in for me."

"And why didn't you pass?"

Danny rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his chin into his hands. The last thing he wanted was to talk to Jazz about his problems after she'd avoided him for so long, but it was a habit that wasn't easily broken. He couldn't keep much from Jazz, not even his secret identity.

"I just couldn't focus. All of the stuff going on between me and Vlad can make it hard to be around him," said Danny, "And then Godfrey reminding everyone about the adoption just ticked me off."

Although she wasn't in his position, Jazz could understand his feelings pretty well. Since she had first seen them together she had thought her brother had mixed emotions when it came to what he felt about Vlad. But she wasn't sure if doing what she wanted, encouraging Danny to trust Vlad, was really the right thing to do.

"You know Godfrey adores you," she said, staying away from the adoption subject entirely. "Just don't let his angry rant get to you."

Danny didn't respond, and Jazz had a feeling her words weren't being taken to heart. She crossed her arms over her chest and once again decided to change the subject.

"So where is the cheesehead anyway?" she asked.

"He got called in to work, apparently," said Danny. "It's easy to forget he's still the mayor..."

Jazz hummed in agreement, once again reminded that the world still moved forward, uncaringly. If it were not for Vlad she doubted she and Danny would have made it so far.

Suddenly the doorbell rang out, loud and echoing throughout the house. Jazz looked to Danny in confusion and an equally uncertain pair of blue eyes stared back at her. Vlad had left less than a couple of hours ago, it wasn't likely he was back already.

Godfrey came hurrying into the large front entrance with quick and light steps, muttering insults about the interruption. He took a moment in front of the door to compose himself, not taking notice of either of the teens behind him.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" said Godfrey as soon as the door was cracked open. Danny scooted side to side, trying to see who was standing outside, but Jazz quickly swatted his knee to halt the action.

"Hiya butler guy!"

Danny froze, his eyes widening to fully display his irises. His mind raced in a thousand different directions, putting so many thoughts into his head he could barely keep up.

Why of all days was he here now? Danny hadn't sensed a ghost, so what was going on? Was Ivix not here with him? Where was he? Did he truly not survive their last encounter?

"Mr. Fenton, what a surprise!" Godfrey said. "I hadn't been informed you were coming. Mr. Masters isn't home right now, I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience."

Danny jumped to his feet as soon as he caught sight of the bright orange jumpsuit stepping past Godfrey. His breath came out shallow and quick and he prayed he wouldn't start hyperventilating.

"Actually, we're not here for Vlad," came a disembodied feminine voice. Godfrey opened the door completely and Danny finally caught sight of his friends, standing just slightly behind his large and towering dad.

"Danny-boy!"

If Jazz hadn't latched onto his shoulder as quickly as she had, Danny would have bolted. Flashes of scenes he wished to forget came to the forefront of his thoughts. The school rooftop, the lab, the back of the Spectre Speeder...

"Hey, Dad..." Danny choked out. Godfrey's face grew tight but no other reaction could be seen. His friends had pushed themselves into the room after his dad, determined to intercept any danger.

"We just came by to see how your internship was going, right Mr. Fenton?" Tucker said, directing his question to Danny's dad but making it obvious to the halfa that he was to play along.

Problem was, Danny was beyond stressed. Playing along was the last thing he wanted to do, with his face growing hot and his chest tightening as he tried to combat his fight or flight impulses. He wasn't the talkative, political one, that was Vlad. Danny liked to go in guns blazing and not hide his true intentions.

"Of course! It's a bummer Vladdie isn't home right now, but I guess he's busy," Jack replied, looking around the manor in awe. "This place is insane! Imagine all the fudge you could keep in here!"

Sam took the steps to Danny's frozen position, bypassing the chit-chat. She gestured for Tucker to follow her before she turned to Jack.

"You should totally get a tour of the mansion, I'm sure Godfrey could show you all the fun there is to see,"

"Yeah, but Maddie was pretty specific when she said I needed to see Danny..." Jack said, coming to the base of the grand staircase. "So, kiddos, let's catch up!"

The next couple of minutes were a blur in slow motion. Jazz led Danny to follow Godfrey to a sitting room, one with many windows and a gold and green color scheme. The colors were all he could truly see, with vertigo settling in and making it difficult to stay alert and upright.

He hated this. Heroes didn't crack at the slightest reminder of trauma, they pushed through, striving for happiness and good to the very last moment. It seemed Danny's brain didn't get the memo.

Sitting down opposite his dad felt surreal and wrong all at once, like he was having an out-of-body experience. Danny couldn't understand what was being said around him, but he assumed his friends would take care of any conversation. If he tried talking, he was afraid he'd break down.

His fingers climbed up to his collar and lingered at his neck, where the scars from that event began. Zigzagging in electrified bolts down his torso to his navel. He'd have to live with them for the rest of his existence, they'd always be there to remind the halfa of the worst day of his life.

He felt movement beside him and his gaze shot down to his left side, spotting a hand going for his pockets. He tensed immediately and tried to focus on his blurring vision.

The appendage froze in its tracks for a few seconds, allowing Danny to see that there was a dark striped band around their wrist. Sam.

She stopped advancing for his pocket and instead poked her finger at it, hitting the cellphone he'd stowed away in it. Sam nudged it a few more times and when Danny finally reached in and pulled out the device, she halted and returned to the conversation with the others.

Confused and near panicked, Danny stared down at the screen of the phone Vlad had given him. No one had called him, so he wasn't exactly sure why Sam wanted him to grab it so badly. He heard his name being called and looked up to see his dad staring at him.

"Sorry, what was that?"

His dad seemed excited that Danny was finally talking, but it was difficult to tell. He blinked hard, hoping that would help keep away the creeping black shadows at the edge of his vision.

"I asked what V-man's got you doing here all cooped up day and night. His business stuff is kinda boring, but if that's what you like..."

"Yeah," Danny said quickly. "It's just lame paperwork filing. With the occasional coffee run, that's all."

The halfa unlocked his phone and held his finger down on the top right corner of the screen. Vlad had programmed the device to instantly bring up his number when the trigger area was pressed. Immediately Vlad's contact information appeared on the screen.

Danny sent one short text, hoping his dad wouldn't notice or question it. He put the phone on silent just in case, while keeping the screen within view as he tried to once again tune in to his surroundings.

Politics was utterly boring.

After Daniel had failed one of his quizzes Vlad had been determined to buckle down and clear the air between the two of them, but clearly his plans had changed. There were several complaints of a recent ghost attack resulting in a few shops bring completely destroyed.

It had been a while since a real threat had terrorized Amity, especially since Skulker couldn't hunt Danny under Vlad's roof. Even so, damage had been done and it was Vlad's job to issue the proper protocol.

Leaning back in his desk chair the billionaire popped his tense neck joints, relieved that his job seemed to be finished. All of the people he'd needed to meet with had gone and he was almost ready to return home in under three hours. He only had a few more papers to sign.

Suddenly, he heard his phone go off and he reached into his briefcase absentmindedly. He was prepared to tell whoever it was that he was done for the day, but once he saw the contact ID, he raised a curious eyebrow.

"Daniel?" he wondered softly, opening the text. It was a phrase Vlad had heard before, one that couldn't mean anything good.

'Come get me.'

Vlad quickly replied asking what was wrong, but he didn't receive an answer until another five minutes had passed. He was starting to worry.

'please.'

That text seemed to do it, making Vlad get up and snatch his briefcase with one hand while holding up his phone's screen with the other. Suddenly driving didn't sound so appealing and he decided to take the scenic route, maintaining his calculated expression and posture despite his worrisome thoughts.

As he flew, he tried to think of the positives. At least Daniel was conscious, since he was texting. The phone would have alerted him if there were any foreign ectosignatures close by, so he wasn't being attacked either. That narrowed it down a bit.

Plasmius phased into his home, aiming straight for Daniel's room. Finding it vacant, he focused on his ghostly senses, trying to locate the other. He was in human form, so the signature was dampened, but Vlad could still feel it, as strong as ever.

Now he was even more confused. He changed to human form as he approached the room where Danny was, not wanting to set off his ghost sense unexpectedly.

"That ghost will be torn apart molecule by molecule!"

Vlad took a sharp breath in, speeding up his steps to the sitting room. No, not another attack inside his home, not the one day he'd been called away...

"Vladdie!"

He was greeted as soon as he was visible in the doorway. Jack's hulkish figure couldn't be mistaken, if the bright orange didn't already give it away.

Daniel, his friends, and his sister all sat opposite Jack, with the halfa boy squished between the girls. Vlad forced himself to take his eyes from Daniel and reply to Jack.

"What a surprise, Jack," said Vlad, "what on Earth are you doing in my home uninvited?"

His insulting tone went unnoticed, as always. Jack stood, standing just a hair taller than Vlad's slim human figure.

"I'd actually come to check up on Danny and Jazz, since they haven't really called us in a while," Jack said, walking over to hug Vlad.

The other dodged expertly and switched positions, putting himself between the kids and Jack. Godfrey walked over to his side seeming nonchalant, but Vlad knew better.

"Daniel and Jasmine have been great guests thus far no need to worry, or come back," he said sweetly, "but it is nearing lunch time and I'm afraid you'll have to leave, I am serious in taking care of these two, you understand."

"Please Dad, we promise to call you sometime, just please don't bother Mr. Masters anymore," Jasmine said, appealing to her father's loyalty to Vlad.

"Well, if you're sure everything's okay..."

"She is," Vlad interrupted. "Now if you don't mind, Godfrey will show you out."

Jack didn't get to reply, as Godfrey instantly began leading him out of the room and to the front door. Vlad spun around, intending to drag Daniel away from his friends. He was surprised however to see the boy extracting himself from the others immediately, keeping his head down.

"Danny? Hey," Tucker called, watching his friend avoid them and head to Vlad. Daniel didn't answer him and Vlad began to feel the worry from earlier come back full force.

"You three head to the dining room," said Vlad, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder as soon as he was close enough. "We'll catch up."

Samantha seemed ready to argue, but a glance to her friend halted her action. At least she had some sense of intuition, not that it was difficult to tell Daniel wasn't feeling well at the moment.

Vlad didn't wait for the teens to obey, leading Danny out and up to his own bedroom. He figured they were less likely to be disturbed there, even the staff mostly stayed away unless told differently.

"He's gone," Vlad assured as soon as the door was shut behind them. He meant to continue speaking but the words were knocked out of him, quite literally.

Daniel all but tackled him, grabbing his suit jacket as if his life depended on it and pressing close to Vlad's chest. The man stood awkwardly pinned between the boy and wall, unsure of exactly what to do.

"He said he was gonna kill Phantom," Daniel said in a shaking voice muffled by fabric. "A-and that he would chop me up, molecule by molecule, and give me to Mom so she could study me- in pieces."

Vlad's chest tightened, his emotions torn between their anger at Jack and concern for Daniel. He wrapped an arm around his trembling shoulders, reminded of just how small the younger really was.

"I won't let that happen Daniel, I promise."

Still he wasn't released and after it became clear that Daniel wasn't going to let go any time soon, Vlad reached down and hoisted him up by the waist. He carried Daniel to his bed and seated them both on its edge, with the hero now clinging to him from the side.

"I'm your guardian now, remember?" Vlad asked. "That means you are under my protection, and nothing can harm you here."

"Eventually that promise will be broken," Daniel whispered. "I can't just put all my faith in words, anyway."

"Don't you think you're underestimating me a bit?" he replied. "You are the only one that can come close to defeating me. Against the two of us, not much stands a chance."

Daniel simply shrugged, content to sit and seemingly snuggle Vlad for as long as possible. He ignored the concern eating at him and let himself be a temporary security blanket. For Daniel's sake, there wasn't much he wouldn't do.

"I'm not feeling a pep talk right now, Vlad," Daniel said in a tired, empty voice.

"That's 'father' to you boy," said Vlad, but his tone wasn't as stern as usual. "As for your statement, I'm not sure what you want from me Daniel. I wasn't there to hear Jack speak but-"

"Ivix sent him here!" Daniel interrupted. "To get to me and freak me out- and he succeeded! How weak do you have to be to panic at seeing your own dad?!"

Daniel had pulled away a bit, enough to look Vlad in the face. His eyes were watery and his cheeks were flushed red, reacting quickly to any heat.

"You don't get it because you don't put anyone above yourself; you don't like to play the hero even if it's for your own sake." Daniel's voice grew louder as he pushed past the growing lump in his throat. "But I have people I need to protect, people that rely on me and trust me! You could never understand that!"

"Really?"

Vlad's eyes had narrowed, watching closely as Daniel accused him of being selfish. He would never hide from his past or his personality. If the cards he played reflected villainy then so be it.

But even so, he could never see himself as one of Daniel's 'bad guys'. He was so much more than that, no matter if the other insisted on turning a blind eye to it. Nothing could stop Vlad from getting Daniel to trust him now, not with so many opportunities presenting themselves.

"And all that I've done to protect you, what would you call that, then?" Vlad asked him. "Do I not have you to provide for, and do you not trust me to keep you away from some dangers?"

"Yeah, but-"

"My turn, little badger," Vlad cut in, "I hold you to a very high standard, as someone unique as you should be. You may be easily affected by the trauma now, but it is obvious to me that you are strong enough to overcome it when it counts."

"I said no pep talks..."

"It's the truth," Vlad continued. "You may not want to believe it, but there are things that haunt even the strongest of people. Everyone has a breaking point..."

Vlad took Daniel's chin in his hand and forced their eyes to meet.

"Tell me Daniel, is this really yours?"

Daniel pulled away and wiped at his eyes, sniffing away any lingering negative emotions.

"It's not." he replied.

"I'm sorry," Vlad said, "what was that?"

"I'm not broken," Daniel said more forcefully, though he still kept his gaze on the bedspread.

"Aren't you?" Vlad mocked, smirking when the younger snapped his green 'scary eyes' up at him.

"I'm not!"

"Not what?" Again, Vlad pushed him. Almost there...

"I'm not broken!"

The fire was finally back in his protegé's eyes, lit by confidence and fed by hope. Only a couple of months ago Vlad would have liked nothing more than to quench that naïve spirit. He too had changed more than he thought possible. All because of one mouthy, reckless brat.

"Hey!" Daniel cried out as Vlad casually wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him back to his side.

"You weren't supposed to make me feel better," Daniel complained.

"Can't always get what we want, can we?" Vlad said absentmindedly, staring at the far wall and envisioning a life where he could have this forever.

One where it all didn't have to end and there were no ghosts to fight. Where he could focus on his goals with Daniel at his side- teaching him to take over his business, not be ashamed of who he was, and to eventually to surpass him in battle.

"Vlad?" Daniel called.

"Hm?"

"...Thanks for the pep talk."

Vlad chuckled, running his free hand through the boy's hair, immensely satisfied when he cried out in indignation, still unable to free himself from Vlad's grasp.

They'd both look back on moments like these months from now. When their relationship became a shell of what it had once been.

Next Chapter: Vlad and Danny try to return to their temporary normal, each troubled for their own reasons.

Thanks for your patience, I will try my hardest to get back on schedule.

Until next time,

-P

Special thanks to the betas of this chapter.