"Hello! Thank you for returning to this story, I know it's been a while

Important announcement: to help with sitting down and writing I've opened a ko-fi account. If you would like to enable my coffee-induced writing bursts (like this snippet of a chapter) you can donate, the link is on my profile, but you can always find me with the username priscillakingfics. Everything goes toward sitting down and just writing or responding to FF AO3 messages. If you donate you can also make requests for fics or things you might like to see in my stories moving forward.

Getting back into writing, sorry this is so short.

The Life We Fight For

Chapter 31: Trust Not Easily Given (Part I)

"Nothing could have prepared Danny Fenton for the inner conflict he would come to experience living in the Masters Mansion.

More specifically, living day to day with the head of house. Or was it head of the mansion?

It had been so easy to write off the man as an obsessive creep; first preying on his mother, and then on himself. Now with Vlad near him nearly every hour of the day, Danny was learning that there was so much more to the half-ghost than he'd initially thought.

The idea that Vlad could be willing to change, for instance, would have made Danny laugh not months ago. Vlad was nothing but ruthless then, with nonstop plots and schemes to break apart the Fenton family. It was so easy to think there was nothing more the man could be than his archenemy.

When Vlad began to change, everything Danny believed started to get thrown into question. Now as he readied himself for the day, Danny pondered what his morals had even been before he moved in with Vlad.

What if Vlad wasn't manipulating him? What if he was truly committed to these changes? Being softer when speaking to Danny and his friends, training him without pushing him use his ghost powers to break the law, even the way Vlad had chosen to go about discipline were all changes Danny had not anticipated. So what if they were not all simply for Danny's compliance, but from a real place in Vlad's heart?

'What am I doing?' Danny thought as he caught himself feeling anxious about Vlad's approval.

His heart ached thinking that Vlad may be starting to replace his actual father, at least subconsciously. Vlad made him feel safe, for what was probably the first time since he'd become Phantom, but Jack was the man who'd raised him and molded him into the hero he had chosen to be.

Without Jack, he wouldn't be Danny Fenton. Morals, powers, hero complex and all.

However, Danny Masters was now on the scene as well, and surprisingly...Danny didn't hate the persona.

Not that he would ever admit it.

When Danny entered the dining room Jazz and Vlad were already seated. His sister had her nose in a book with a title so long Danny didn't even try to understand it, and Vlad only glanced up at him once before going back to his newspaper.

Danny sat down, thinking about what Vlad had told him the night before. He was itching for the other to explain like he said he would. Perhaps the man might be trying to play it cool in front of his sister, but Danny had no such cares. After taking one bite of eggs he tried to get Vlad's attention.

"Vlad-"

"Later, little badger." Vlad cut him off.

Danny's eye twitched at the nickname and he looked at Jazz, but the girl didn't even look up from her book. He slumped in his seat and begrudgingly finished breakfast, eventually chatting with his sister for a bit when she finished her chapter.

"Sam and Tucker have been bugging me about you," she told him. "Call them already."

"I will," Danny replied, "I've just had a lot going on."

"They've been taking care of your ghost hunting responsibilities since you arrived here, they deserve to hear from you."

Danny sighed. As always, Jazz was right. Vlad suddenly dropped his newspaper to the table and stood up, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket.

"Vlad..." Danny tried again.

"I'll find you later," Vlad promised, dialing a number and setting the phone to his ear. "Now go play."

Danny sputtered in indignation as the man walked away. Jazz raised an eyebrow at him as his face reddened.

"I do not play!"

Vlad turned his head, a barely visible smirk present. "I meant piano; you've been slacking."

"Oh."

NEXT CHAPTER: When Vlad finally tells Danny everything, will the hero sacrifice the trust he's given when his mother's life is on the line?

Again, sorry it's so short, just getting back into the swing of things. Thanks for your support. More updates coming, watch my profile for details.

-P