Warning: anxiety attacks, incompetent fruitloops.

Enjoy and sparkle on.

The Foundations We Build

Chapter 6: Crescendo to a Breaking Point

Danny never wanted his ghost powers to be a secret. He was so bad at secrets; it was almost embarrassing.

After everything he'd been through the last few months though, he felt infinitely safer with no one but his friends and family knowing who Danny Phantom really was. The idea of his secret getting out made him even more nervous than he had been lately.

His friends had noticed his anxious habits right away, and hadn't stopped bugging him about them. They'd started passing notes to him in class, sometimes just with the word 'breathe' written on it. He'd roll his eyes at them, but was internally grateful for the reminder. Sometimes he genuinely needed it.

Jazz had doubled her efforts to contact him, no doubt feeling upset at seeing him isolating and nervous. Danny paid her no mind. He couldn't add another person into his mess of a brain right now. He could barely keep up as it was.

Vivian. Sterling. Dora. Each one had a stress-inducing secret attached to them now and he hated it. He had to pretend Vivian didn't feel like an intruder. Pretend Sterling wasn't a proud peacock of a bully. Pretend nothing bothered him as much as it did. Dora was different, though.

He liked her and wanted to keep visiting her. For that reason Danny was willing to keep said secret for as long as he could. That didn't make it any less stressful, though.

Vlad had been watching him like a hawk since last week. It was equally embarrassing and enraging. Danny already had to accept the fact that he'd acted like a total baby in front of the guy after Sterling left and now he felt like Vlad must think he was made of glass. If he didn't have his ghost sense he'd be convinced the man followed him around all day invisibly.

Only Spectra had shown up today, but somehow in their fight he'd knocked his shoulder hard enough to leave a nasty bruise. As Danny and his friends sat outside the school and debriefed, Sam scolded him about it.

"Spectra's not the Box Ghost," she said. "You gotta be in the right headspace if you wanna get rid of her quickly."

Tucker leaned over and turned his PDA to the others. On it was the readings from their fight. Danny winced as he looked at the lines spike like a heartbeat.

"She was at a level seven today. Seven!" Tucker said. "Spectra's normally a five, even on sad days. Like exams."

"And your readings dropped just as hers spiked," Sam's voice was accusatory.

Danny rubbed at the back of his neck. "I was distracted?"

"You were feeding her," his goth friend corrected. Her violet eyes bore into his for a second too long. Danny sighed and looked at his shoes.

"Maybe next time we'll handle it for you?" Tucker suggested gently. "We still have our relics from Dora, and we've fought Spectra enough times already. Call us veterans at this point."

Danny's brow furrowed as he stared at the ground, arms crossed. Since when did the hero delegate difficult ghosts to his team? Since he couldn't handle a couple of petty remarks from an emotionally manipulative ghost, that's when. His cheeks grew hot.

"No way," he said. "You're humans. This is my responsibility."

"Right. You gonna tell your parents that ghost fighting is ghost-exclusive now too? Or maybe the 'Guys in White'?" Sam asked, frowning. "Where is this coming from?"

"Yeah man, we're not helpless, thank you very much." Tucker added.

Danny held his hands up, shaking his head. Leave it to him to blurt out something to get his friends upset at him.

"No I- I know that," he said. "I just feel like I shouldn't be struggling this much, you know? I'm the one with powers. You should be relying on me, not the other way around."

"You messed up today dude, it's not like it's the end of the world..." Said Tucker, blinking in confusion.

"It is to me," Danny said, shoulders tense. "I think I just need to recharge, get my head on straight again."

Sam straightened and pulled on Danny and Tucker's arms, huddling in. She had a brightness to her eyes, one she only had when talking about ghost related things, or vegetarian activism.

"Let's go recharge then. Together." She suggested. "You've been sneaking off to the Ghost Zone by yourself for a week, it's about time we come with."

Danny wanted to argue. Dora's place was his safe haven, away from everything and everyone that could stress him out in the human world.

But he hadn't hung out with his friends in the Ghost Zone in what felt like years. Before he was Vlad's ward, they'd explored the many islands and doors floating around the Zone as an after-school past time. He missed it.

So, he let his friends follow him to the Fenton Portal. He snuck them into the ghost lab with practiced ease. His parents weren't home, the RV nowhere to be seen, and it was quiet.

"It feels...wrong to be here now," Tucker said, holding his arms in the chill of the metal-walled basement.

Danny didn't respond as he went to open the portal. Tucker yelped behind him, and Danny smirked. When he turned around, Sam was smiling innocently.

"All set?" Danny asked. Tucker pumped his fist in the air excitedly and moved forward.

Sam caught him by the arm. Suddenly, she put a finger to her lips, turning her head to the stairs.

Long, red hair swished down into view before the face of Danny's sister came into view. She tiptoed down the last step and halted. Her eyes widened, before Jazz rushed over to them.

"I knew it," she said quickly. "I just knew the portal was being used- that you were sneaking in."

"H-Hey Jazz," Sam said, stepping in front of her friends. "About this-"

"I won't tell anyone," Jazz interrupted. She took turns looking between the team. "But what is going on? Who's the enemy? Danny?"

She craned her neck to see around Sam, and Danny caught her violet eyes for all of a second before jerking his head away.

"None of your business," Danny muttered.

There was a tense pause before Tucker called out.

"There's no danger, just some routine Zone exploring. Team building, you know?"

"Right," Came Jazz's reply. Danny's green eyes stayed locked on the far wall. He swore he could feel his sister's eyes boring into the side of his skull.

Well, she could deal. Danny didn't wanna talk, and she couldn't make him. If Vlad couldn't get him to speak, there was no way Jazz could even with her psychology tricks. Danny was a professional at silent treatment now.

"Look Jazz, we'll see you around, alright?" Sam said. She put a nudging hand on Danny's shoulder. He didn't hear what Jazz replied, nor did he care.

He grabbed his friends around the waist and dipped into the portal. He blinked against the green light and started flying the route to Dora's.

He hadn't been sure about bringing his friends to the dragon kingdom but it just felt right. His body moved almost automatically.

Sam and Tucker didn't question his movements until they ended on the soft grass of Dora's precious garden. Sam was the first to look around and voice her praise.

"It's beautiful," she said in a breathy rasp. "I don't remember these here before."

"Vlad brought them," Danny said. "From other islands."

His voice was strained. Obviously so, by the way Sam stopped looking at the plants immediately and stared at him.

"Why are we here?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, honestly," Danny said, leading them through the garden. "Muscle memory, I guess. This also happens to be one of the only places I won't be actively hunted down in the entire Ghost Zone."

"Fair enough," said Tucker with a nervous chuckle as he followed closely.

The walked until they reached a lush wood. No one seemed to be around, but Danny knew better. He followed the small brook running through the trees until it opened up into a proper, flowing stream. There, by large boulders he spotted Dora seated, accompanied by a few maids. They were softly speaking to each other until they spotted him and hushed immediately.

"Danny," Dora greeted warmly. "And friends! I wasn't expecting to see you- any of you today."

"Sorry, I couldn't exactly give notice." Danny replied.

Dora shook her head. "I would never deny company. Especially not from you all."

"We like you too, dragon lady!" Said Tucker, beaming.

Dora dismissed her maids with a wave of her hand, before gently lowering it into the water by her feet, letting it wash over her fingers. Sam knelt on a stable rock and did the same, pulling back with a gasp.

"It's hot!" Said Sam. Dora laughed.

"Quite," said the queen. "You get used to it quickly. It feels like a steamy bath; relaxing."

Tucker and Sam began to go back and forth about how hot was too hot for baths. Dora reached over and pulled Danny to her by the arm. He let her, and she leaned in.

"You look tired, hero." She said. Danny shrugged.

"Saving the town every day has that effect on me," he replied with a smile. He looked towards the stream. "I'm not getting in that water though. I'll relax from over here, thanks."

He'd made the mistake of staying in this particular wood too long the last time he'd visited. Danny found himself walking out pouring sweat and assuring a very apologetic Dora that he was fine. Toasty, but not quite in danger of melting.

Sensitive, Vlad called him. Something about how his core was still growing, not to mention recovering from the abuse his ghost half suffered during his captivity months prior. Yet another thing altered since that awful day.

Dora gave his arm a squeeze but said nothing. She didn't need to, Danny thought.

"The attacks haven't slowed down a bit," Sam said, kicking her bared feet through the tiny waterfall by the rock on which she sat. "Neither have our lives in general, really. But this place feels like a dream, repeating over and over in a loop."

"Save it for poetry night, goth girl," Tucker said, reaching down and splashing her. "This place is just a cool dragon forest, like knights used to hunt in to train. None of that dreamy junk."

Dora smiled. "You're both correct, actually."

Danny watched as she rose and patted invisible dirt from her skirt. She then reached out and grabbed Danny's wrist, pointing his hand at a nearby shrub. The teen raised an eyebrow at her.

"Go ahead, destroy it." Dora said. Danny's eyes widened.

"I- are you sure?" He asked. Dora tilted her head in the shrub's direction.

"Danny, if you don't do what the dragon lady says I'm never hanging out with you again," Tucker said crossing his arms. "It's a bush."

"Wait a minute, that fern did nothing wrong!" Sam objected. "Danny, don't you dare!"

Well, he wasn't going to hurt Sam's feelings and blast now. Especially at a plant she'd decided needed protecting. She didn't even like picking dandelions when they turned fluffy and white. Danny knew the matter was serious.

But of course, Tucker had no such reservations. He charged up his wrist ray and the shot rang out in a brief second. Sam growled and went to wind her fist back, Danny moving to grab her, when the trip froze at a strange noise.

Dora was laughing, not like her usual controlled self, but loudly. The team looked at her as she quickly covered her mouth and fanned her face, composing herself.

"If you would," she said, still chuckling. She gestured to the attacked area.

Only, when Danny looked, it appeared undisturbed. Not even a leaf was missing on the tall fern, nor bark from tree it leaned against, or even moss from the coated ground.

"Oh," Danny said. "Ghost Zone forest. Right."

Sam walked over and knelt down, touching the mossy ground.

"It's still wet, even," she marveled. "What the..."

"We train here because it's unable to be destroyed." Said Dora. "Much like the ghosts you see in the human realm, the environment we come from is built to stay constant. A cycle, whether of safety- like this wood, or violence- like your enemies, is hard to break."

"Is that why Danny's so stubbornly oblivious?" Tucker said, stroking his chin. Danny glared.

"Of course, not everywhere in the Ghost zone is like this," Dora continued. "But it can be a nice place to heal."

She caught Danny's eyes with her last remark and he looked away quickly, staring at the dirt.

Admittedly, he hadn't talked much about the events of a couple months ago with Dora, although that had been his intention when he began to visit. Opening up used to be easier, but these days he felt safer keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself. Things in Danny's life were unstable right now and try as he might he felt it in more ways than one.

The trio didn't stay long after that. Danny did leave feeling better than he flew in, so he counted the visit as a success. Dora seemed happy too, which was a bonus he couldn't help thinking about as he flew his friends through Vlad's Portal.

He went to fly them out of the lab when Sam suddenly gripped his shoulder, digging her manicured nails in.

"The portal," she said in a hissed whisper. Danny turned.

The doors were open, and weren't closing behind them. Unusual, to say the least. Danny's stomach twisted.

"I'll handle it," Danny said. "Just let me get you guys outta here."

The last thing he wanted was to get his friends caught in his mess of sneaking in and out of the Zone. He helped his friends out of the mansion before forcing himself to suck in a deep breath and dive back to the lab.

"Now, what are you doing you stupid portal," he said under his breath as he approached the computer monitors by the portal.

As he inspected the program he noticed with a jolt of surprise that all the security systems were off. He could access everything without passwords or firewalls. Odd.

'Okay, it wasn't Tucker this time, so who was it?' Danny thought as he tried to get the portal to go back to closing automatically. He hit the button repeatedly, getting no response from the doors.

Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine. Not enough to set off his ghost sense, but enough to tell him something familiar was nearby. Or rather, someone.

"Come on," Danny said desperately, turning invisible and looking around for anything that could indicate why the portal doors were failing.

The lab was clean, immaculately so. It should have tipped him off before but now he was definitely wondering when Vlad had found the time to deep clean. Even Godfrey refused to clean up after his experiments and tinkering.

Danny turned invisible as his ears picked up the faint sound of the code being punched in. He froze, chest tightening as he watched Vlad enter followed by Vivian.

What was she doing here?*

"You weren't kidding, this is amazing Vlad." Said Vivian, looking around. Her eyes landed on the portal, and she gasped.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Vlad, smirking. "The world's first working portal between human and ghost realm."

'Second, you copycat.' Thought Danny.

Vivian's mouth hung open as she approached, and Danny backed up toward the portal as she came at him unknowingly. Vlad put his hands on her shoulders, leaning in. Danny would cringe if he wasn't so tense.

"This is...something, certainly." Vivian said breathlessly. She turned, putting her hands to Vlad's. "But why- Vlad why are you showing me this? Partnering with Axiom, becoming the leader in ghost tech and now this...underground lab. What is all of this for you? It can't just be a hobby."

Danny's eyes widened as they started unblinkingly at the couple. He felt his legs start to feel numb.

"Why am I showing you this?" Vlad asked. He looked up past her shoulder, almost over her head. Danny locked bright green eyes with his blue, narrowed ones. Vlad continued.

"Because I want to trust you."

Danny's gloved hands grabbed at his chest, and he took a step back. The room suddenly felt suffocating.

"You don't already? After all those dates?" Vivian huffed. "Just tell me what this is about, Vlad!"

"You must understand something, first," said Vlad, his gaze softening as he spoke. "Daniel and I, we're different. Special."

"Please," Danny whispered. Vlad's eye twitched.

"Okay, now you're scaring me," Vivian said, taking a step back. Danny did the same, the light of the portal behind him shining at the edges of his vision.

"You know I adore your son, but the way you're talking...I think you need to tell me what this is about. Quickly." Vivian finished. Vlad held his hands up.

"My apologies," he said. "But this is important I'm afraid. I need to know you're trustworthy before taking the next step in this relationship."

Vivian cocked her head at him. "The next step? You're thinking of making this official? Us?"

Danny's eyes blurred with unshed tears. He was confused and panicked. No way. No way was Vlad about to blow their cover to his stupid crush.

All over a stupid test of trust. For Danny's sake in name only. He didn't want this. Didn't want her.

"Of course, if you pass this little test of mine." Said Vlad.

He stepped toward her, and like a flicker of a flame Vlad's eyes shone red.

Vivian gasped and backed up, almost knocking right in Danny. In a moment, Vlad's eyes changed back and Danny stumbled, trying the avoid the collision. Just as the tears started falling from his eyes he fell back through the portal.

In a twisted, disoriented sense of survival he shoved himself back through the round opening. The last thing he was thinking about was the flashing green light show that illuminated the lab as he shot back into it.

He didn't care either that his chest felt like one big pressurized, forceful squeeze. Or that his stomach was writhing itself into jumbled knots.

When he swung back through the portal, all he could focus on was how Vlad had Vivian's face in his hands. How she in turn had her hands on his chest. How they were locked in a kiss.

Vlad peeked up at the portal before releasing Vivian. That was not his best move, but she hadn't slapped him yet, nor did she pull away when he'd suddenly grabbed her head.

Daniel had gone through the portal, bathing the entire half of the lab it faced with green light. Not only that, but the boy had dropped his invisibility. Vivian had turned, and he did the best thing he could think of.

When Vlad caught sight of his son, he nearly froze right there. If he didn't get Vivian out of there, she'd hear him, if not see him at this point.

The boy had a hand clamped over his mouth, face shining with falling tears. Vlad moved his hands to Vivian's arms.

When he'd suddenly sensed Daniel's energy in the mansion as he brought Vivian to the lab, he had been hot with rage. Tight and electric as a live wire. There was no doubt Daniel had just come from the Ghost Zone. After he'd explicitly banned him from doing so.

Knowing the kid was in the lab, ruining his plans yet again, made him livid. He wasn't meant to know about Vlad's little test at all. Let alone be present for it. It filled him with white hot fury.

But that rage was gone now, looking into the sparkling pools beneath Daniel's very visible irises.

"I- this was a mistake." He said, stuttering. "Let me walk you out."

Vivian seemed to sober immediately. She nodded, though she looked admittedly heartbroken. Vlad left a clone of his human half to escort her from the lab to his nearest employee.

Real Vlad wasted no time in kneeling down in front of Daniel, who'd slid to the ground as Vivian exited.

"She's gone," Vlad said, reaching a hand out to Daniel's shoulder. He jerked it off immediately.

"What was that?!" Daniel shouted at him, his eyes glowing furiously. He shoved trembling hands at Vlad's chest repeatedly as he spoke.

"My secret is not yours to blurt out! I didn't want this, you seriously crazed-up fruitloop- any of it!"

Vlad caught Daniel's fists before they could connect with his chest. "I was only trying to prove you could trust her! Isn't that what you wanted?"

"She's human," Daniel said trying to yank his hands away. Vlad noticed with a start that he was breathing roughly, shallowly. Phantom didn't need to breathe, though, and something told him this wasn't habit.

"But we're human," Vlad tried to tell him, holding tight. But Daniel just shook his head.

"I didn't want this, I didn't- didn't want to trust her," Daniel said, words spilling from his mouth in half-sentences as he wriggled in Vlad's grasp. "Don't want things to change. Feel safe. I just want to feel safe. Please!"

Daniel's eyes shot open impossibly wider and he put a hand to his throat. Alarmer, the man quickly pulled him into his embrace. Daniel was stiff as a board, eyes unblinking despite the drops racing from them.

Vlad didn't know what to do. If this were months ago, when they were barely allies, he'd have his head and wits about him. He'd be barking orders and taking command. He wouldn't be feeling this thudding of his heart in his chest as he watched Daniel's- watched his child's- back heaving from how distraught he was.

"I can't breathe, I can't-" Daniel gasped, knocking Vlad to his senses. "Please."

Vlad sat them upright as best he could, huddled on the cold floor of the lab. All of the sudden he could see and hear in sharpened clarity. The ghost portal, still open, sent a swirling shadowed light over them, fighting with the florescent lights of the room. The computer beeping, something on the screen demanding attention. The high pitched whines Daniel let out when he managed to exhale a bit.

"Breathe with me," said Vlad. "In and out. As slow as you can."

He quickly stripped off his suit jacket and drapped it across Daniel's shoulders. It engulfed him like a blanket and the teen clung to it immediately, pulling it tightly around himself. Vlad then wrapped his arms around the bundled-up hero and pressed his back to his chest, making dramatic movements of his own deep breaths.

"This reeks," Daniel choked out, lungs expanding in jerky bursts.

Vlad forced out a huff of a laugh. He squeezed just enough to be grounding. Enough to remind the boy to keep breathing.

"Just try to calm down," said Vlad. "You're safe. Though you don't feel like it right now, you are. I promise I won't let anything harm you."

"The window," Daniel said, almost whispering. Vlad frowned, confused.

"Let's get you stable again, my boy," was all he said, before loudly breathing in slowly and deliberately.

It was crawling progress. By the time Daniel finally started to keep the pattern of deep breaths on his own, Vlad could feel pins and needles building in his legs. Daniel's tears eventually turned to hiccups and Vlad allowed himself to shift.

The boy grabbed onto him immediately. After contemplating for a moment, Vlad hauled them both up and helped him find stability on wobbly legs while gently stomping some feeling back into his own.

Wordlessly, he yet again cloned himself and began restarting the lab programs from his main computer. Soon, the doors to the portal slid shut with an echoing clang. Daniel jumped, face buried in Vlad's suit jacket collar, pulled tightly to him.

Vlad transformed, black rings sweeping over him. He carried Daniel up through the floor and to the southern area of his estate. Into the kitchens.

"Sit here," said Vlad, lowering Daniel down onto a chair in front of a small, homey, wooden table, with a full view of the kitchen from its angle. Daniel didn't respond, just watched him intently as Vlad began to heat milk on one side of the kitchen before walking to and scouting through their pantry.

Somehow, he'd managed to fix up a hot cocoa even Godfrey would be in awe of. He'd even found some marshmallows. He set it down in front of his ward and proceeded to sit opposite him, feeling a tiny bit proud when his eyes lit up just a shade at the drink.

"Drink that," Vlad ordered, leaning over to tap the mug. Daniel obliged, albeit slowly, taking obedient sips.

The older halfa waited, not taking his eyes off the other until the very last drop was gone from the cup. All the while, Daniel's eyes stayed trained on the table, head down.

Vlad took the mug without a word, setting it aside. The younger met his eyes, frowning. He looked back at him with tired blues, expressions matching but for different reasons.

"I wanna talk," said the teen after a moment. Vlad couldn't help but be sarcastic.

"I'm ecstatic," he said. His voice was gentle, despite. "You can begin by telling me when this anxiety started."

"It's not that simple," said Daniel, looking away. "It just wasn't a problem until it was. I got nervous every now and again and then before I knew it, it was all day every day. And it's your fault, by the way."

"Oho, is it?" Vlad huffed, dramatic. "How convenient for you, hero."

Daniel glared. "It is. It was your brain-dead idea to start dating a- start dating someone."

Vlad leaned in. "You were going to say 'human' again. Why?"

Daniel caught his lower lip between his teeth, seeming to ponder. Vlad quickly held up an admonishing finger. "The truth, please."

Daniel couldn't meet his eyes, though he gave a valiant effort. His gaze stopped right at Vlad's nose. It was a long moment before he replied.

"I don't want it to happen again," he said quietly, blinking rapidly. "Like mom. The reaction. The betrayal..."

Ah, so that's what he meant by safe. Vlad felt like kicking himself. He must be the only parent in the world to have accidently brought his own child's fears to life in such a way. An absolute failure at keeping the boy calm, let alone happy.

"You know I would never let that happen to you, don't you?" Vlad replied.

He hadn't planned it, but it felt like the right thing to say. At least, it was the most genuine thing in Vlad's core at the moment.

Daniel looked at his right hand, fingers curling and uncurling. Vlad followed his gaze down, watching him for a moment. The boy didn't seem to believe him. He could hear the material of his gloves straining.

Daniel's voice filtered into his thoughts. The window. The window. Vlad wanted to facepalm, but held it in. Of course.

"The boy pushed you," said Vlad, words all but falling out of his mouth. Daniel looked at him, startled. His mouth opened and closed as he struggled to respond.

It was the only confirmation he needed. Vlad shoved his chair back and stood, body tense and suddenly too-full of energy.

Everything he'd done to try and fix Daniel had just pushed him further away from him! He'd created an environment the teen couldn't feel safe in. Full of people he didn't- couldn't trust, nor enjoyed being around. This was his fault. Biscuits.

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and turned around, cape whipping around him. Count. He had to count. Ten, twenty, whatever it took to calm down.

"I'm sorry," came Daniel's voice around number fifteen. Vlad whirled back around. "I didn't want you to worry...don't be mad. Please."

"I- what?" Vlad shook his head once to clear it. "Blazes, you're not in trouble, little badger. I'm mad at myself."

"I should have known," he continued. "It's my responsibility to be aware of the things you've been put through and how it might affect you."

"I didn't tell you though," Daniel said softly. "Didn't know what it was I was feeling, really. But still."

"You didn't tell me how you felt, and we'll discuss that," Vlad agreed. "Still, I should've noticed. Known."

He dropped his forehead into his palm, sinking slowly back into his seat. Silence fell over them, and neither moved for a long while.

He heard Daniel shift from the chair, but no footsteps. Vlad raised his head just in time for the floating form of Phantom to reach him and wrap his arms around his neck.

The older caught the suit jacket as it slid from the boy's shoulders, securing it around him again before placing a gloved hand on Daniel's head. Daniel allowed it, the first normal touch he'd let him have in a while.

"I don't want you to try anymore," said the young hero. "I meant what I said before you walked through the portal that night. That I didn't hate you being a second dad."

Vlad's chest tightened. This was it, Daniel was going to take it all back. Everything he did will have been for nothing.

"But, it was only good when you weren't trying so hard for it to be. I never had normal parents to begin with, I don't know what I'd do if you became one." Danny explained. "Forget what I said about normal- I don't want that anymore. At least, not human normal. I want our normal."

No Vivian, no Sterling. No replacement mother or replacement friends. Just their trusted circle, and most importantly, just him and Daniel.

"That's what you want? Even if I have no idea what I'm doing? To stop trying?" Asked Vlad. Daniel shrugged.

"I mean, being a little less morally gray wouldn't hurt. But yeah, just be yourself."

"As you wish, son." Vlad gave the fluffy white strands between his fingers a ruffled toss. He suggested the boy rest, and went to reclaim his suit and he transformed back to Masters.

Danny pulled the jacket close around him. "I'll hang on to it."

"Absolutely not," Vlad said, ignoring the pout thrown at him. "That projector of yours is enough of a security blanket. And even that I'd prefer you didn't have."

Daniel crossed his arms as the jacket was tugged from his shoulders. "You gave it to me!"

"For your nightmares. You shouldn't need it anymore," Vlad said matter-of-factly. He smirked at Daniel's scowling. "Relax, I won't take it from you. Yet."

"I'm hiding it," declared Daniel, taking off through the ceiling. Vlad chuckled, giving him a head start as he stared after him from the tiled floor of the kitchen.

Vlad felt just a little lighter now.

Next Chapter: Things are changing, this time for the better. Not everyone agrees. Namely, a certain Kline.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate the support. Sparkles~

- P