A/N: Hope everyone is doing okay. Shout-outs to some reviewers at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!

The Life We Fight For

Chapter 31 Part II: When Do I Get to be a Father?

There were very few times Vlad was not excited to go to work and make obscene amounts of money. Today was one such rarity.

Godfrey had insisted, of course, that Vlad tend to his companies in-person from time to time lest more rumors spread, but Vlad remained hesitant. Ivix had gotten into his home before- going so far as sending Jack himself, and Vlad had barely managed to prevent disaster each time.

But Daniel and Jasmine weren't toddlers, and he couldn't continue playing stay-at-home parent. Godfrey insisted Vlad go to work, so off he went.

As the day progressed Vlad buried himself in paperwork and appeared in meetings, showing himself to be the successful billionaire he was known as. Inside however, his thoughts grew increasingly unfocused on his tasks.

Was Daniel anxious alone in the mansion? Jasmine was there, but they hadn't been spending time together as of late. Did they get into an argument?

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Focus!'

Never had he looked forward to the end of his work day more. As Vlad exited the building, employees scurried out of his way, scattering like mice under a boot. Perhaps his mood was not so flawlessly concealed as initially thought.

When the mansion was in view he felt his body relax a bit. If it was still in one piece, then nothing too terrible could have happened.

Alright, maybe he was acting a touch dependent.

But to his own credit, Vlad had managed to keep two teenagers alive and (for the most part) out of trouble, despite being new to this parental role. If only Maddie could be around to see it, then perhaps she'd think more highly of him.

As he climbed out of the limousine and headed to the door, Vlad's sensitive ears began to pick up noise inside. Grabbing the door handle, he could feel the house trembling as if an explosive had gone off in the basement.

"That's it, I'm installing baby monitors in every room!" Vlad shouted as he wrenched the door open and stormed inside.

Jazz was hurrying down the grand staircase to the door just as he entered. She looked annoyed, but otherwise unharmed.

"What's going on?!" Vlad asked as another set of 'boom's shook the windows.

Jazz carefully made her way to the door, stumbling as the mansion rocked. "I don't know, but I'm not about to get crushed by your house. Just find Danny and fix this!

Vlad didn't hesitate. The noises were clearly coming from below, so he transformed and dived through the marble floor.

As he searched the lower floors he heard a crash, this time loud enough to follow. With a horrified start Vlad realized it came from even further beneath him.

In the lab.

Before he could descend he was forced to duck behind an energy shield as the floor collapsed under him. Someone had been thrown into it, crashing through it with the impact.

Skulker could be seen growling in rage as he regained his bearings. Plaster and dust quickly coated the air around them, hiding Plasmius from view.

The mechanical ghost glared down into the lab and two missiles appeared at his shoulders. He looked murderous, more so than usual.

"You're mine, ghost child!" Cried Skulker.

"No!"

Vlad reached the lab just as Skulker launched his missiles. Daniel was in the center of the room, eyes wide as the weapons raced toward him. Plasmius grabbed the teen and flung him behind himself as he formed a shield around them.

With not seconds to spare the missiles slammed into the shield, exploding on impact. The halfas were thrown back, right into the open portal.

Bright green ectoplasm replaced the metallic walls and ceiling of the lab. The only sound that could be heard was that of the two halfas, panting for breath.

Vlad groaned as he recovered, startled by the sudden change in scenery. With a swift turnaround he found Daniel crouched on a floating boulder, sweaty and breathing hard.

"I don't understand," gasped the boy, "that should've worked…"

Fiery anger burned through Plasmius, quenching any fear he may have felt previously. He clenched his hands into tight fists, his teeth grinding almost audibly against each other.

Vlad dove forward and snatched Daniel by the collar of his jumpsuit, eyes blazing red.

"What…" Plasmius snapped, out of breath. "Were you thinking?"

"I just-"

"You could have become a ghost, permanently!" Vlad shook the teen once, letting his rage mar his features. Let Daniel see him angry, perhaps then he'd actually take the situation seriously!

Phantom had the sense to look chastised, eyes cast downward as he mumbled.

"I just wanted- I don't know, it doesn't matter. It was a stupid test. That's all."

"Oh, that's all is it?" Vlad's voice went sickly sweet and Daniel cringed, likely more nervous than if he were yelling. Good.

"Plasmius!" Skulker's voice boomed as he came through the portal. "Are you alright?!"

Vlad dropped Daniel back onto the boulder and flew at the ghost. He couldn't punch Phantom, but he could certainly blow off steam with Skulker.

With a roar and swift move Vlad's fist sent him flying towards Daniel, who dodged just in time. The boulder shattered like glass with the impact, and Skulker was left dazed and groaning.

"It wasn't his fault," Daniel said quietly, watching the ghost recover. Before Vlad could form a question, Skulker interrupted.

"This most definitely is not my fault!" He shouted. "The brat tricked me, told me there was an emergency and you were wounded. Then all of the sudden I'm being attacked from behind-!"

"Enough!" Vlad exclaimed. Silence fell heavily onto the group as the older halfa turned to Daniel, whose head was hung low.

Vlad gripped the boy's chin and forced him to make eye contact. Seeing the nervousness in those chemical green eyes only enraged him further. So much potential, wasted on childish actions and decisions-!

"I'll ask only once, and I swear if you lie to me…" Vlad let the unspoken threat hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"Is Skulker telling the truth?"

Daniel hesitated, an inner war going on clear as day in his wide-open eyes. Moments ticked by and Vlad was losing patience. A tighter grip on his face and a stern gaze was all it took to make the younger sigh in defeat.

"Yeah, it's the truth." Said Phantom softly. Vlad growled deep in his throat- purely out of frustration, and pointed to the open portal.

"Bedroom. Now!"

Skulker could be heard snickering in the background and Daniel looked ready to argue for his pride, but a glance at Vlad's terrifying stare knocked the idea away instantly. He threw an annoyed scowl Skulker's way before finally flying through the portal.

Vlad turned to the ghost behind him and popped his knuckles loudly. Skulker quickly shut his mouth.

"Now, your punishment for firing missiles at my charge…"

When Danny reentered the lab he couldn't help but cringe.

It was chaos, machinery going off with alarms, chemicals spilled all over the floor, tables turned over and smashed…it would be a nightmare to clean up.

'I'll have to apologise to the cleaning crew later…' he thought. 'If I'm still alive, that is.'

He could hear his sister's voice as he flew towards the main floor. She sounded angry, no doubt upset that once again Danny had interrupted her research.

He turned invisible and sped off to his bedroom. For a moment he contemplated hiding out in town till Vlad cooled off, but quickly dismissed it. He could handle the fruitloop.

Plus, he hadn't been blasted to pieces by Plasmius yet, despite his intense rage. That was definitely a good sign.

Chills ran down his arms and back as Danny reached his room and dropped his invisibility. He let out a cold, blue breath and looked around for threats.

"Only me," came a soft, feminine voice. Rising from his desk chair was Dora, brushing nonexistent dust from her long dress.

"Oh, hey Dora. Sorry about all this." Danny said, his tail swishing through the air nervously.

"So, you were the cause of all the commotion." She replied with a laugh. "Of course I should've known. I came here to check on you, but you'd disappeared."

Danny rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. He hadn't meant to cause so much destruction and panic, but it was important that the ghost he chose was powerful enough to worry Vlad.

"Everything's okay now, I promise," said Danny. "I just…I did something stupid, again."

Dora's smile didn't fade, but somehow it looked more pitying than before. She sat on his bed and beckoned him over.

"I've been speaking with Jazz, and I believe I've learned to be a good listener. Perhaps you can tell me what all this is about?" said Dora.

Danny closed his eyes for a moment, checking for Vlad's ectosignature. He didn't seem to be in the mansion yet, so Danny shrugged and took a seat beside Dora.

"There's not much to tell really," he said, "I thought Vlad was hiding an ability from me, so I've been messing with him. Now he's just more mad at me than usual."

"Why would Vlad hide his powers from you?" Asked Dora.

"It sounds silly now, yet I can't help but feel like there's still something he's not telling me."

Danny pulled his knees to his chest, thinking about the angry look Vlad had donned in the ghost zone. All that rage he'd caused, for nothing.

"What makes you say that, Danny?"

The halfa looked at her for a moment, thinking. "He's…well, he's been acting like everything is fine, telling me to trust him and not to worry. Vlad's walking around like a man with a plan, but won't let me in on it. It's frustrating."

"Is it not normal that Plasmius seems 'in control' even in dire circumstances?" Dora asked. "Does he not make his image a priority in these things?"

Danny shook his head. "This is different. He's different. I can't explain it but I know there's something missing and I can't risk him doing something that could put my mom in more danger."

Suddenly Danny could sense another ghost, faint but quickly approaching. Plasmius.

"You look like a man facing the noose." Dora teased, before looking serious. "I'm certain everything will work out, but you must tell Plasmius your concerns."

"If he leaves my vocal chords intact I'll be sure to try."

The door opened and Danny's core leapt to his throat. Vlad still looked thoroughly pissed.

"Your highness, if you wouldn't mind giving us a moment…"

With one gentle squeeze to Danny's shoulder Dora stood and walked to the door Vlad held open for her. Before she exited, Dora pulled Vlad to her side and whispered something in his ear. It was too quiet for even Danny's hearing to catch.

She departed right after and the door shutting behind her left Danny feeling like he'd just been locked into a torture chamber. His eyes fixed onto his fingers as they tapped against his leg. If he wasn't nervous before, he sure was now.

"So, how much trouble am I in exactly?" Danny joked. Vlad's eyes narrowed.

"If you've any self preservation left you'll shut that irritating mouth of yours." Vlad said, towering over Danny. It was almost comical to him how Plasmius could be so serious and intimidating standing in the space-themed bedroom of a teenager, about to lecture him within an inch of his life.

"I believe I made the consequences for these childish pranks quite clear." said Vlad, "I'll be sure to let my cleaners know you'll be handling the mess in the lab, as well as whatever else was on their to-do list this evening."

Danny's jaw dropped.

"That's not fair!" He cried. "Skulker trashed it, he should clean it up!"

"You were warned about these tricks, boy." Vlad replied, crossing his arms. "You've only yourself to blame."

Danny felt his emotions bubbling up past the threshold of his self-control. Indignation replaced the initial anxiety and now Vlad's powerful form only served to irritate him more.

"I'm not in kindergarten," he said. "Don't talk down to me like I wouldn't understand."

Vlad scoffed. "If you're feeling condescended, perhaps acting your age going forward will prevent you from experiencing said feeling in the future."

Danny's green eyes burned. Vlad just didn't get it!

He didn't battle Skulker for the fun of it, he'd had a purpose to justify his actions! If only he'd gotten confirmation somehow that the man was hiding something, it would have been worth it!

"You can drop the face, it's unbecoming of a Masters." Vlad said.

"You mean a Fenton, 'cause I'm definitely no Masters!" Danny spat. His body was tight, straining to contain his temper.

"Certainly not yet," said Vlad.

Danny's anger bubbled up and over his threshold of self-control like scalding water on a hot stove. He didn't like to feel helpless and left out of the loop. Vlad knew this, yet there he stood- pompous as ever- whilst keeping secrets.

"If you'd tell me what's going on I wouldn't need to do any of this," said Danny, "You never let me in on your plans!"

There was a flash of something akin to panic in Vlad's eyes. For a fleeting moment it had appeared, but was quickly replaced by a stern glare.

"Get that mess cleaned up," said Vlad, "I will not discuss any of your absurd accusations until that is finished."

The man turned towards the door without another thought. The cape of his jumpsuit glided around him like a white and red shadow, following him to the threshold.

Danny wanted to scream at Vlad to stay, to let him explain or even to apologize, but he couldn't. The rage ate at him, yet he couldn't bring himself to chase Plasmius. After all, what good would it do to start another fight?

He just needed to get more creative.

The following days passed quickly. After Danny managed to restore the lab to decency, he decided to lay low. Vlad's party was coming up.

He knew nothing short of an attack from Ivix himself would constitute an excuse from attending, and arguing would just feed the terrible mood Vlad was in. Since Skulker's 'visit' the man had either avoided Danny, or hounded him with school lessons or ghost training. It was a dangerous time to mess with Vlad.

Yet, as per usual, Danny planned to do just that. Putting himself in danger had not been enough to make Vlad vulnerable enough to show off his power, so he needed a new tactic. With careful consideration- which for Danny Fenton was about 5 minutes of deliberation- he decided on his newest prank.

This time, he would become the threat. Then Vlad would be forced to take him seriously, and Danny would finally see what the man was hiding.

Vlad's week had consisted of nothing but a dizzying amount of work and party planning. When he wasn't running a multi-billion dollar company, he was teaching Daniel. When he wasn't teaching Daniel he was in the main ballroom, moving decor and deciding on the proper pastry set for the dessert table.

Despite Daniel's little incident, Vlad still couldn't help being excited. He would finally have a chance to show off his protégé. Only the most elite families would be invited, and just enough to get Daniel out of his comfort zone.

Like it or not, the rich of his inner circle were cutthroat individuals. Vlad quite liked it that way, as he (naturally) remained the most cunning and successful of them all, but it would be new to Daniel. The children of these millionaires would be silver-tongued, witted and full of ulterior motives. Daniel was smart, but his heart made him an easy target.

Perhaps this would be a learning experience for the boy. For himself as well, since he'd never experienced going to an event as a caretaker with a ward.

When the fateful day arrived, he let Daniel sleep in. He'd seen children get dreadfully tired at the end of an evening event and he would not have Daniel whining while representing his family name. Besides, he was far too busy to give lessons this morning.

Every single invite had RSVP'd. Not a single guest wanted to miss out on Vlad Masters' long-awaited comeback. He'd have a full house of Amity's elite to host.

Jasmine and Dora had both declined the invitation to attend, instead deciding to remain in each other's company for the evening. Doing what, only women would know. Vlad only cared that Daniel was in attendance.

Godfrey made sure the boy was by Vlad's side when the guests began to arrive. Standing at the grand staircase beside the man, Daniel appeared nervous.

"You clean up quite nicely, little badger." said Vlad quietly as a group of guests headed into the ballroom.

"Vlad!" Daniel hissed. "Not so loud, you're embarrassing."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Daniel pretended not to hear him as he shook hands with the next family to introduce themselves to him. Vlad smirked, feeling as though the boy quite deserved a little embarrassment.

With the party soon in full swing, Vlad thought of his next move. Daniel needed to socialize with others worthy of being his peers, far better than those soon-to-be fast food employees at Casper High.

But the boy was a step behind him wherever he went! Daniel shadowed him, looking lost and- if Vlad was honest, a bit pale. The younger halfa's eyes darted around the room, but at the same time had a faraway look to them.

"Vlad Masters!"

Before the man could address Daniel's behavior his name was called. He plastered a confident smile on his face and turned.

"Phyllis, what a pleasure." He said as a woman and her dragged-along husband approached.

They had a daughter, as Vlad remembered.

"We thought you'd never show your face again!" Phyllis said. "But you've returned, and adopted a son? Have you given up on getting married already?"

Daniel shuffled behind him uncomfortably. Vlad knew he'd want to argue and protest the man claiming him as his own, but in order for this event to go as planned, Vlad would need to do just that. So, to get rid of the boy...

"It does seem out of character for me, doesn't it?" Vlad said with a chuckle. "I may have to ask you for parenting tips. After all, hasn't your daughter just turned fifteen?"

"Her birthday was last month, wasn't it, Gracie?" Said the husband, moving aside to reveal his daughter trailing behind the two.

"Yes, dad." Was the girl's patient response.

"I'm sure the adult talk bores you as much as it does Daniel," Vlad said, sounding considerate. He turned to Daniel. "How about you show Miss Grace to the dessert table?"

Daniel looked at him desperately, but Vlad simply tossed his head in the girl's direction. With a jerky nod he and Grace walked off.

Finally, he could speak freely...

"You'll have to forgive my mom, she likes to butt in."

Danny looked up from the marble floor. The girl sounded normal enough, but he still wasn't comfortable around any of the teens (conveniently all around his age, conniving fruitloop) that had appeared tonight.

"Not your fault, is it?" He replied. "Don't apologize."

The girl- Gracie? Looked taken aback but said nothing. Danny assumed he had still not quite figured out how he was supposed to talk to these people, and likely sounded strange.

As they approached the refreshments a small group of teens caught them. All whispering to themselves as they closed in on the two.

"Grace! There you are." Said a boy, clearly the leader.

The rest of the group looked awkwardly on, some even seemed disinterested. But the head of the group had no trouble working right up to them.

"I didn't know you were acquainted with the new boy, Grace." He said, "Perhaps you could introduce us?"

Danny gave the kid a quick glance. Standing an inch or two taller than Danny at full height, the boy looked like a preened bird. He had sharp caramel eyes that bore into Danny with intensity, and matching hair that was styled with what he guessed to be expensive gels. This guy seemed every bit like the kind of boy Sam's parents would bring home to meet her. The ones she claimed were shallow and only cared about money and status.

"We just met, actually. Not that you care though." Grace said. "Daniel, this is Sterling Kline. His father-"

"Owns quite a few manufacturing companies that work closely with Axion Labs." Sterling interrupted. "Though I'm sure Mr. Masters has mentioned that already."

Despite the growing irritation with being thrust into this group of rich kids, Danny forced himself not to show any annoyance. As much as he hated it, he would be representing Vlad for the time being. And after the man took him and his sister in, he deserved the small favor of not having his name tarnished.

"Sure," said Danny shaking Sterling's hand as it was raised at him.

Gradually the others introduced themselves as well, all with practiced poise and memorized descriptions of their parents position and wealth. Justin Porter was an Indian boy who's father owned an international trade business. Sarah Hanson's mother was an award-winning actress. Kyle Laurent's German father was a scientist with several patents. Tim Harding's parents were TV producers. And of course, Grace Prater's parents ran a news and gossip magazine. The final teen to introduce themself was Danny.

"Well, I'm Danny." He said. "And I assume you already know Vlad."

He felt a twinge of shame for not really knowing much about how Vlad made money. The man did work, hard at that, but Danny never bothered to pay attention. These kids had their parent's whole portfolio memorized.

"Yes, we do." Said Sterling. "The question is, how do you know Vlad Masters?"

"Oh Sterling please, can't you leave him alone?" Grace said, rolling her eyes.

"It's not like we aren't all thinking it." Said a brown-eyed boy, Justin, as he remembered. "I'd like to know as well."

Danny stiffened. Of course, to Vlad's elite friends it seemed like Danny appeared out of nowhere. They wouldn't know about Vlad's connection to the Fenton's, or his interest in Phantom.

He knew Vlad wanted him to play the part of his adopted son, but his chest felt tight at the thought of saying it out loud. It was one thing to entertain Vlad's wishes in the privacy of the mansion, but another entirely to publicly align himself with Vlad.

"He's been a family friend for a long time." He finally said. "Took me in a while back."

Sterling crossed his arms. "Funny, Mr. Masters isn't usually one to do charity work."

"Sterling!" Sarah Hanson gasped. She looked apologetically to Danny. "We're just confused, Vlad Masters doesn't do this sort of thing often."

"Or ever," said Sterling. "So what makes you special? To give you the Masters name and make you his heir, there must be *something* different about you."

Danny clenched his hands into fists. This is not what he wanted to be doing right now. Sitting through an interrogation was the last thing he needed. He was supposed to be planting the seed in Vlad's ever-observant head that something was wrong.

"I don't know what Vlad sees in me. I'm just...me." he said. Danny prayed they'd be satisfied.

"You call him Vlad," Grace said quietly, "Didn't he adopt you?"

Danny wanted the ground to swallow him up. It took everything in his power not to fly through the ceiling and out of this awful situation. The last people he wanted to know about his business was a group of influential kids.

"He did," Danny replied honestly. "I'm just not used to being a Masters yet I guess."

He could almost taste the bile rising up his throat as he finished speaking. It felt better being honest but he still wanted to run away and forget about all the teens standing around him.

"Not used to it?" Sterling asked dramatically. "Where did Masters find you, the gutter?"

Sarah swatted at the boy's arm but Sterling paid her no mind. He wouldn't, Danny knew, as bullies usually didn't listen to reason. Well Danny knew how to deal with bullies, but an ectoblast into next week didn't seem good for his reputation right now.

"Something like that," Danny said. Sterling seemed angered by his lack of response and bristled.

"I don't know how you manipulated Vlad Masters into taking you in," Sterling said lowly, "but I assure you, it's temporary. Masters only wants the best of the best, and you hardly seem like someone worth his time."

Danny shrugged, remembering what Sam had told him over and over. Rich people were often shallow.

"Maybe," he replied. "Guess we'll find out."

"Yeah? Well I think-"

"That's enough, Sterling." Said Kyle, who's head had been buried in his smartphone all evening.

His voice was firm, and the entire group stiffened when he spoke up.

"I'm sure Daniel will get used to things soon!" Said Grace with an awkward laugh. "We all hated these parties in the beginning."

Danny's eyes wandered as the subject changed to some business talk he didn't understand. It took him mere moments to spot Vlad. He was in the midst of what looked like an engaging conversation with Sterling's father and mother.

He felt a pang of nervousness hit his stomach. Vlad would definitely be mad at him by the end of the day. But hopefully it would be worth it to find out what the man was hiding from him.

Vlad has never felt more excited to talk to guests. Every single person wanted to know about Daniel. Everytime Vlad proudly declared the boy to be his, he felt happier than he had been in a while. Daniel would hate him for it, of course, but it's all to his benefit.

He grew slightly worried when he spotted the teen surrounded by the children of his peers, but swelled with pride when Daniel didn't seem offended or aggravated in the least. He knew the Kline boy could be trouble, but no fights had broken out and that was definitely a point to Daniel's credit.

Later on though, as Vlad made his way around the room making conversation, he could see the boy growing restless. He would join the group in chatting for a short bit when addressed but would quickly quiet and look around for Vlad.

The man pretended not to notice Daniel. All the better that the boy gets used to not having his hand held. This was a good parenting move...wasn't it?

"Dreadfully distracted this evening, are we, mayor Masters?"

Vlad's eyes snapped back to the people in front of him. A few mothers, he remembered, asking about Daniel.

"You'll have to forgive me," said Vlad, "it's the boy's first event like this, I'm a tad paranoid."

The women giggled behind their hands. They looked at each other as if they'd just seen something cute. How revolting.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Mrs. Porter, "Kids these days make friends so easily, Daniel will fit right in with the rest of them."

Even though they tried to tell him otherwise, Vlad still had a nagging feeling in his chest. Watching Daniel, it felt as if the child had anything but the present on his mind. He couldn't help it, Vlad soon began to worry.

When the night began to wind down Vlad conceded and allowed Daniel by his side again, this time to bid farewells and thanks to guests. Daniel seemed stressed, but Vlad couldn't tell if it was simply tiredness, or something more.

Perhaps he shouldn't have pushed for the younger to attend. Whatever was eating at Daniel didn't feel worth it to bring him along tonight.

"It's nearly 10 o'clock," said Vlad as they waved to the last of the guests. "Are you tired yet, Daniel?"

"Not really," said the other halfa.

Vlad led him up the staircase to their private living floor. Time to get ahead of whatever whining surely awaited him.

"I'm sure this was not your ideal way to spend the evening," Vlad began, "but I'm very proud of how well you carried yourself tonight, little badger."

When he heard no response Vlad stopped and turned. Daniel's head was low and his hands were wrapped around himself. Concerned, Vlad set a hand on his shoulder.

"Something the matter?" Vlad asked.

"I'm sorry," came Daniel's soft reply. He wouldn't look up. "I promise I tried."

Vlad's brow furrowed. "What do you-"

His sentence was cut short by the boy's sudden pivot toward him. With his fist raised Daniel swung at him, narrowly missing Vlad's jaw. If the man had not been a skilled fighter and moved quickly, Daniel might have done some damage.

Soon Vlad was squinting against the light of Daniel's blue rings transforming him. He didn't understand what was happening, but he clearly understood when he needed to defend himself from an opponent.

Vlad changed in a flash of black and caught Daniel's first as it came at him once again.

"What is wrong with you, boy?!" He snapped. Daniel's eyes seemed to see right through him, like he wasn't really there.

"It's not me," said Phantom.

Before Vlad could question further he was ducking under Daniel's leg as it came flying toward his head. With a twist and a jump Vlad was flying, still firmly holding Daniel's fist. He pulled up and swung the boy through the air before letting go.

Daniel hurtled towards a marble statue. He looked about to smash into it when he caught himself just in time. He snarled at Vlad and flew at him, firing ectoblast after ectoblast as he did.

The anger Daniel was fighting with seemed familiar. Vlad threw up a shield to block the blasts but couldn't dodge the kick that sliced through the smoke and right into his side. He was thrown to the wall, landing painfully to the floor on his back.

"Come on Plasmius," said Phantom, "fight me for real!"

The teen threw a blast of ice in his direction but Vlad managed to move away in time. With startling realization Vlad remembered when Ivix took control over the boy. But he was sure the ghost was near. So then how...?

Vlad let Daniel smash into a shield as he flew at him before throwing his own ectoblasts at the younger. While Phantom dodged and weaved through the onslaught of pink rays Vlad flew through the ceiling and out of the ballroom.

Daniel was hot on his spectral tail, but Vlad had enough time to reach the boy's room safely. A quick search under his bed found that the device he'd crafted was still intact; not only that, but it was still on.

"What on earth is going on here?" Vlad gasped.

Phantom burst through the floor and tackled him to the ground. Before he could take a punch Vlad phased out of the other's hold and flew out to the hallway. When Daniel flew toward him again Vlad skillfully turned him and trapped the boy to the wall. He went intangible with Daniel, preventing him from escaping as he had.

"I'm going to need an explanation here," Vlad said with growing anger. "If Ivix has truly taken control, why have I not sensed it?!"

"Less talking, more fighting for your afterlife!" Phantom yelled, wrenching free.

They faced each other from across the hall both hostile by this point. Vlad's eyes narrowed in warning, hoping that the boy would have an ounce of sense and not attack.

Of course, asking Daniel to be sensible was like asking a bird not to fly. When the halfa rushed to him, fists ablaze with ecto-energy, Vlad was fully prepared to beat the boy into submission and ask questions when he recovered.

"Enough!"

Before either could strike, a figure planted itself in front of Vlad. He lowered his stance as his eyes focused on Dora, who looked beyond miffed.

"Enough," she repeated. "Danny, this is too far."

Daniel looked between Dora and Vlad with anger and growing panic. As Vlad began to get a handle on the situation, Dora continued.

"I should never have indulged your ideas when you spoke with me," she said, "and I regret not telling you to simply speak with Plasmius. This would all be resolved if you two conversed privately!"

Phantom dropped to the ground in sullen annoyance. "Well I definitely can't continue now, thanks Dora."

Vlad pushed past Dora in rage. He grabbed Daniel by the collar of his jumpsuit and towered over him.

"You have mere seconds to explain yourself," Vlad said, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Please Plasmius," Dora pleaded. "This is not what I meant to happen either. Release him."

"You do not command me here, your highness," Vlad said with a snarl.

Daniel wriggled in his grip, gasping softly. "Don't talk to her like that," he said.

Vlad looked between the two in disbelief. The people in this house were purposefully riling him up, that must be the cause of this! With a laugh that would scare most children, Vlad let go of Daniel and stepped away. Fine, have it their way.

"If you wanted to have a nice civilized chat with me, the ectoblasts were a nice way to start, really." Vlad spat.

"I wasn't trying to actually hurt you," Daniel said, "I just- I wanted you to think I was serious so you would, you know-"

"Enlighten me," Vlad's tone was dangerously low. Dora gave a disapproving look but he paid her no mind.

Daniel deserved to see him angry, to feel his wrath. For both his insolence, and for ruining a perfectly good night.

"I'm trying to explain," said Daniel. The ridiculous whine in his tone grated on Vlad's last nerve.

"I believe having this discussion in your room would be more productive," said Vlad.

He reached out and took hold of Daniel's wrist firmly. The boy looked confused before his eyes widened and he resisted Vlad's pull.

"No, wait!" Danny said quickly. "I'm not in trouble, I had a good reason to do what I did!"

"It is up to me to decide whether you are in trouble or not," Vlad said, unrelenting in his grip.

Dora stepped forward. "Vlad really, what difference does it make where you hold your discussion-"

"Whether he goes over my knee in the privacy of his bedroom or out in this hall makes the difference." Vlad snapped.

Danny blanched. "Vlad!"

Dora looked puzzled, but ultimately relented as Danny became too embarrassed to fight Vlad.

She did not follow as they ascended to the proper floor of the house and into the boy's room.

As Danny stumbled in behind Vlad, he began to protest. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"The audacity you possess to think you are justified..." Vlad shook his head in amazement.

He sat on Daniel's bed, never releasing the boy. With his grip firmly on his wrist, Daniel was forced to stand before him.

"I'm not the one at fault here, if I hadn't done anything-"

"You are not to attack me, or anyone in this house, ever." Vlad interrupted. Daniel pulled against the man's hold in what Vlad could only describe as the beginnings of a tantrum.

"What if there had been stragglers from the party?" Vlad continued. "What if someone innocent had gotten hurt?"

"I'm not stupid!" Daniel exclaimed. "No one would've gotten hurt."

Vlad pulled Daniel toward him till their knees touched. Angry, bright green eyes glared into his own. Vlad held his stare and said firmly:

"You attacked me without provocation; a sneak attack. Is that something a so-called 'hero' would be proud of?"

Daniel had the decency to blush.

"You wouldn't know, you always play the villain." The boy said under his breath. Vlad sighed.

Sometimes it felt as if he and Daniel lived in two different worlds. Everything in Daniel's world was black or white, good or evil. Vlad's world consisted of various shades of gray, good and evil.

"We can discuss which of us holds the moral high ground later," said Vlad. "Now..."

"I'm not in trouble," Daniel said, pulling backward.

Vlad's eyes narrowed. He'd had just about enough of the boy's attitude for one night. Things were going so well, it almost felt typical for something to go wrong.

"You're basically admitting that there's something you're hiding from me, so how am I wrong here?!" Daniel continued.

Confusion clouded Vlad's eyes. "How on earth was attacking me and putting yourself in danger supposed to fix that?"

"You're admitting it!" Daniel said in such a terrible whine that Vlad wanted to cover his ears.

"I've admitted nothing," Vlad said, counting to ten in his head before continuing. "What were you trying to prove by provoking me?"

Daniel looked down. "I thought you were hiding a new power from me, but-"

Vlad finally let go of Daniel to throw his hands up. "A new ghost power?!"

The man stood and began to pace the room angrily. Had he any hope that the boy possessed common sense, it was now certainly gone.

"Your grand plan to expose a new power was to provoke it out of me?!" The man roared. "What if it were dangerous? Something I couldn't fully control? Would you even care if you could have died?!"

Phantom backed away, looking nervous. If he had to guess, Vlad would assume this to be the first time the gravity of the situation has dawned on the younger. Either way, Vlad was fully enraged, cape swishing and snapping behind him as he moved about the room, trying to calm down.

"How many times must I explain it to you?" Said Vlad "I am not your enemy! You're my so- my ward and if I decide to keep something from you, it is your job to trust that it is for your benefit!"

"Don't," Daniel said desperately. Vlad raised an eyebrow and the boy had the gall to nearly pout.

"Don't...you know, punish me. I get that I should trust you, but how can I suddenly start doing that? You've always been the villain, you've always hidden things; and lied to me."

"When do I get to be a father?"

Danny's ghost green eyes snapped up to meet Vlad's. That wasn't the response he had anticipated.

"What?" He choked.

"I'm the villain," said Vlad, still angry, but the fire was dying. "The liar, the monster under your bed. You've put me in that role since arriving here."

Vlad dropped into Danny's desk chair and put his face in his hand. "What do you want from me, then? I can't be your enemy, we're allies. But we can't be that, either, since you've proven to be too reckless to trust. So, then...?"

Danny felt a knot forming in his stomach. "Yeah?"

"When do I get to be your father?" Vlad asked.

The air in the room had never felt heavier to Danny. As Vlad sat by his desk angry and upset, Danny stood equally distraught where he was by the bed. Neither said anything for a few seconds, though to them both it felt longer.

Danny pondered what Vlad said, and thought back to his father Jack. How would the man have acted seeing Danny's behavior? Would it have been different than Vlad's reaction now?

The man was a goof, a big man with a big heart, but Jack was a father as well. Had he seen what Danny had done, he'd be disappointed, and probably mad. He shuddered to think what his mom would have done were she with them now.

"I'm sorry," Danny said finally. Vlad's eyes moved to his. "I'm... I'm in trouble, aren't I? For earlier."

Vlad didn't seem impressed by Danny's acceptance of his fate. His ruby eyes had no pupils, adding to the difficulty Danny had with reading his expressions. Vlad just stared at him with mild intrigue.

"Vlad..." Danny called out, more childishly than he meant to. "You're killing me here. Just get it over with already!"

This time, Vlad reacted with a snort. He then shook his head and straightened.

"All this time in discussion and you're only worried about how sorry your rear end is about to be. Unbelievable, Daniel, really." He said. Danny reddened.

"Because the longer we talk about it the angrier you get!" Phantom defended. Vlad stood from the desk chair and Danny almost regretted bringing it up at all. He forgot how powerful and intimidating Plasmius could be.

"I'm only going to say this once." Vlad told him. "You are being held responsible for using your powers to try and get a rise out of me, instead of talking to me about the concerns you had about missing information. I do not have a 'mystery power', but regardless it is inappropriate and *dangerous* to start ghost fights. Do I make myself clear?"

Danny looked at the floor, wishing it would swallow him up. "...Clear."

He heard Vlad retake his seat on the edge of the bed before the dreaded next command came, spoken tiredly. "Come here, little badger."

In all, his punishment lasted less than a few minutes, but you couldn't convince Danny it wasn't an eternity. Even as Phantom, Plasmius' strength broke him down quickly, and when Vlad finally let him up again Danny was fighting back tears.

"This is the last time you do something drastic instead of talking to me about what's bothering you." Vlad said firmly. Danny's emotions spilled over.

"I'm sorry," he said through the lump in his throat. "Don't be mad at me anymore."

Vlad grabbed his arm, gently this time, and pulled him close.

"I wasn't mad," Vlad said, "disappointed, perhaps."

"That's worse!" Danny exclaimed.

Vlad chuckled before suggesting Danny go to bed early. Reluctantly, he agreed, because although he'd never admit it, the party had drained him.

And on top of that, the fight and argument afterward had completely sapped his physical and emotional energy. It was times like these he missed his mom, she had a magical touch and her hand running through his hair would get him to sleep faster than chloroform.

"We'll discuss what's going on in that silly head of yours tomorrow," Vlad promised.

The man stayed with him until he was close to sleep, after which he rose and left the room, the only indication of it being the absence of his potent ghost ectosignature. As Danny fell asleep, he heard voices outside the door.

"Well handled, sir." An aged voice said. "He'll make a father of you yet."

Danny heard Vlad huff, then sigh.

"Nosey old ghost."

NEXT CHAPTER: When things get complicated and lives are at risk, Vlad must choose between keeping Danny safe- or telling him the truth.

Special thanks to reviewers:

Aleksa

Shadethedark217

Dp-Marvel94

Gatomaro

Heart of the Demons

Invader Johnny

freegirl333

Jean d

Still alive, still busy. All updates will be on my profile, both AO3 and FF. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and finishing out Vlad's Party/Danny's Pranks Arc. The story has a lot to go from here, but we're in the final stretch! Stay safe, everyone. Sparkle on.

-P