Meaning

Danny simply stared at the charred bodies that were once his friends and family. They were burned almost beyond recognition and one or two of them even had limbs missing. But they were most definitely them…

"Mr Fenton," The morgue worker began, "As I'm sure you already know, I need you to confirm that these bodies are who we think they are; Jack, Maddie and Jazz Fenton; are these your family?" The man spoke with a harsh voice, not sympathetic in the least and completely uninterested – this was just another day at the office for him. Surely, it wouldn't hurt to at least try sounding a little more understanding of the situation. He was wearing clear-plastic gloves like a surgeon and the cuffs of his greying-white scientist-style coat were stained with what looked like blood. But who knows, maybe he just put too much tomato ketchup on his takeaway.Danny mentally slapped himself, it had been less than a few hours since they died; now here he was at two o'clock in the morning and instead of focussing on his deceased loved ones he was pondering on about how weird the morgue staff were. Get a grip.

"Yes, it's definitely them." Danny said, doing his blessed best to hide the quiver in his voice. "I can tell because I saw it happen, that and my mom and dad are both wearing their wedding rings. And look, there's Jazz's star-necklace, she got that for getting A-grades in all her exams last year." The look in his eyes was distraught but the tears were trapped in his eyes never to be shed. Crying is a sign of weakness, and weak is one thing that Danny Phantom simply was not.

"And the teenagers, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley, the bodies belong to them?"
"Yes. You said you found this ring in her pocket, 'Sam', I gave her this. And Tucker's PDA with the ghost related upgrades, it's his."

"Thank you, Sir, you've been a great help." He reached forward and covered each body up with a plastic sheet, before pushing each individual trolley into large, separate, metal doors and closing them, before scribbling their names and dates-of-death on them. "You can go now, get out of here kid." So much for last words, oh well. They were just flesh now and lifeless flesh can't hear you no matter how much you want it to.

He looked outside and saw a social worker. Young woman, blonde and petite and flicking through a blue a4 sized file with "Daniel Fenton" written on the font cover. She seemed to be muttering something to herself and he decided to go outside and find out.

"Ah! Daniel! How nice to meet you. Allow me to introduce myself; Annette, Miss Annette Jones. And I'll be your social worker from now on. I'm truly sorry for your loss. We should get inside, it's cold out here at this time of night and you should be in bed at this hour. No need to worry though, you won't be attending school tomorrow so there'll be no need for you to get up early." More like 'So sorry I had to get up at this ungodly hour.' She opened the door to a large silver Jeep and gestured for him to get in, before climbing in her self at the driver's side and opening Danny's file.

"It says here that Vlad Masters is your next of kin and he is located in Wisconsin. We'll get you to a hotel for the night, and then in the morning you can tie up any loose ends. I'll sort out transport with Mr. Masters." Danny didn't really answer anything the woman said with more than a nod in acceptance with a "Yeah whatever" every now and then. To tell the truth, her words barely registered, he was too lost in thought to care what she was nattering about.

"Well, here we are. Not much I'm afraid, but I'm sure it'll do for a night." They climbed out of the car and walked into a tall building that Danny must have been past hundreds of times but never actually noticed it was there. Outside it just looked like a regular building with the word "HOTEL" written on the front, but the inside was quite difference. Polished wood floors and cream wallpaper, everything looked spick-and-span –cleaned to perfection. Yet it still had that homey feel about it, sandy sofas and a television with a news report about the accident that had happened only hours before.

"One room, please." Miss Jones and the man at the front desk exchanged polite chit-chat, but Danny was more drawn to the television.

"Little is known about the events at the Nasty Burger earlier tonight, but there are rumours that it was caused by an over-heated tank of nasty-sauce exploding. This disaster claimed the lives of two adults and three children leaving only one survivor who is said to be devastated at losing his friends and family." Only seconds after the report, Danny felt his mobile (cell) phone vibrating in his back pocket. He flipped it open and looked at the screen – no caller information, just a number: s number that he'd recognise anywhere.

"…Vlad?"

"Daniel."

They must have only spent a few seconds in absolute silence but it felt like a hell of a lot longer. Neither of them knew what to say to the other, until Vlad, being the older, decided that it was his responsibility to get-the-ball-rolling so to speak.

"What happened? Are you okay?" How strange, those words almost sounded as if Vlad cared. Being that they were the first sympathetic words anyone had said to Danny so far, the first ones that sounded meaningful anyway, Danny decided to dignify them with a response.

"There was an explosion… everyone died." He muttered. Vlad waited a few seconds and when it came apparent that he wasn't going to elaborate, he spoke again.

"I saw on the news, but what exactly happened?"

"They all died, Vlad." He paused, "And it was my fault."

Vlad heard a click, Danny had hung up.

"Thanks, Miss Jones." Danny muttered as she handed him a drawstring bad complete with a toothbrush and toothpaste, a bar of soap and some white pyjamas.

"Call me Annette, and no problem. The police wont let anyone in your house including me, so I'm afraid this stuff will have to do for tonight. Now, here's your room key. The maid will wake you up tomorrow at 10am, there's a self-service breakfast bar just over there, and I want you in the lobby for 11am sharp. Got that? Good. Bye for now!" And she left. Danny inspected the card in his hand, how high-tech, opening a door with what looks like a credit card. It looked just like the key he 'borrowed' to the guys-in-white's top secret base. He was aware of his phone ringing in his pocket, but didn't answer it. He knew who it was.

Here we are, room 334. He slid the card in the door and it didn't unlock. Damn it, after the hike up the stairs it had better not be faulty. Luckily the second time it did open. The room wasn't anything amazing, but it was nice. Everything was clean and tidy, nothing like his room at home. A large double bed in the centre with crystal white covers and large fluffy pillows, it looked very comfortable. The window was open ever so slightly with the curtains swaying slightly in the twilight breeze. At the foot of the bed was an oak desk with a plain black television, it wasn't widescreen so it must have been old, however credit must be shown to the oh-so-brilliant caretakers as age didn't actually show. It had been left on a white screen with writing on it explaining how to use it. Doesn't take a genius, Danny thought as he switched it off. No use wasting electricity, he had no intension of watching TV tonight. In the corner of the room was an open door leading to a smallish bathroom. The design was simple just like the bedroom; a shower cubicle with Dove© shampoo and conditioner, a hot radiator with fluffy towels, a toilet and a sink. On the sink was a neatly folded face-towel with a bar of soap and a packet of tissues on top. Aw, how kind of the hotel staff to go to so much trouble. Closing the bathroom door he placed the bag on the side and took out the toothbrush and paste, and after cleaning his teeth climbed into the shower. The water was nice and warm. It was now that Danny realised exactly how filthy he was, covered in dust and debris from the explosion. He became aware of the extent of his injuries; bruised ribs and deep gashes everywhere. Funny, he hadn't felt them at all but now they hurt like hell. His arm had four deep claw-like cuts which looked incredibly like self-harm wounds. That wouldn't rub off well with social services – a miracle they hadn't noticed it before.

He washed his hair and, when he was sure all the dirt was gone, became intangible to dry him self and stepped out of the shower. He pulled the pyjamas out of the bag and frowned, these things looked like they belonged to a mental patient. All plain and… ugh. He put on the bottoms and left the top where it fell in the bathroom. He flicked off the main light leaving only the lamp on the bedside table. He placed his phone on the table, before turning of the lamp, climbing in to bed and closing his tired eyes.

And it was then, when he was sat in bed with nothing to concentrate on other than sleep, that the events of the past day hit him like a brick. He took is a raspy breath and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down his face, but it was a pointless effort and he finally gave up, allowing himself to cry and cry and cry. He silently prayed that someone would help him, that somehow his family and friends survived and that this was all just a cruel joke that would end soon. No such luck.

His phone began to vibrate on the side, making a horrible grinding noise. Better than a loud obnoxious ring-tone. He'd changed the settings to 'silent/vibrate' a long time ago, probably right about when he began ghost fighting. He had to, because if his friends were in trouble with a ghost he was the first person they'd contact, and he couldn't have a loud tune bellowing out in the middle of math class whenever anyone needed help… All that didn't matter now. Danny had no intentions whatsoever of going back to school… or anything else for that matter. His soul purpose as a hero was to protect the ones he loved, and he failed. Now there was no one to protect other than the so called 'innocent' people who didn't deserve it. The relationship between the people of Amity Park and Danny Phantom was similar to Britney Spears and the press – they built her up and up yet as soon as she reached the top they dragged her straight back down.

That's the human race for you; they use, they take everything, then throw you away like the worthless waste of space they portray you to be.

But he didn't loose his fame – he lost his family, his two best friends, the only people in the entire world who he truly cared about, and who truly cared about him. A desperate loneliness ached inside his heart, like an itch he couldn't scratch.

The phone continued to vibrate. He knew it was Vlad before he'd checked. He couldn't speak to the man, he just couldn't. He answered the phone and held it by his ear, not speaking nor making a sound, just listening.

"Daniel? Are you there?" He heard Vlad's voice, but didn't respond to it. "I understand… You don't feel like talking.

"I'm here." The words came out cold and empty, exactly the way he wanted them too.

"Your social worker contacted me earlier. I agreed to her terms, you'll be moving to Wisconsin tomorrow, I'll have a room ready for you. I want you to understand Daniel; I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I always wanted you as my son and apprentice, which you already know, but not under these circumstances. I'm sorry for your loss. I know what it's like to feel alone in your head…" He stopped talking and waited, he waited and waited and waited but Danny did not respond. Vlad assumed he had fallen asleep.

"Love you." The line went dead as Vlad hung up. That word: love, had Vlad ever used it before? Danny frowned as he flipped his phone shut and placed it back on the bedside table. He rolled over onto his back and gazed unseeingly at the ceiling. The pillow was damp from his tears but he didn't really care. Discomfort didn't matter, he probably wouldn't sleep much anyway.

The night seemed to draw on forever. Danny lay in bed thinking about the accident, playing the events over and over like a record player.

Play, repeat. Play, repeat. Play, repeat.

The looks on their faces before they died… Each of them with faces full of terror, pleading with their eyes that Danny would get up and help them. But he couldn't – it all happened so fast – his muscles weighed a ton and every bone in his body was screaming with agony yet all he could think about was helping his friends and he still failed.

He crawled down the bed and reached out for the television, switching it on and grabbing the remote.

"Welcome to Lakeside Hotel, Daniel Fenton. The current time is 6:52 am.

For hotel information and opening times, press 1

For television, press 2"

"You have pressed 1 for hotel information and opening times.

He pressed 1. The breakfast bar opens Monday - Friday at 7:30am and will remain open until 11am and 10am – midday on weekends.

The bar is open 24 hours a day

The pool is open 24 hours a day, but is only supervised from 10am – 10pm

For more information, please check with the front desk in the lobby. Press 2 to watch television."

He began flicking through the channels. As you can imagine, there wasn't much to choose from. Channel one, a documentary about global warming. Channel two, adverts – how annoying is that? Channel three, crappy 90's comedy re-runs. Channel four, blues clues? Who'd have their kid up at this hour? Channel five, an old black and white war movie, the kind your grandma watches when she manages to snag the TV remote. Channel six, the news. Danny was a little taken back when he saw his own house huddled with news reporters and helicopters. Did they really think he was there, alone?

What a bunch of numpties.Jack used that word a lot to describe stupid people. Normally, Danny would grin at the smallest mention of the word - numpty, such a daft nickname. But all that remained was pain. Happy memories, define a happy memory? You get the good with the bad and the good. The only thing that came from remembering the happy times was the realisation that he'd never experience such times again and that he'd probably never again find love or acceptance. And even if he did (which in it's self seemed very unlikely) - life isn't a fairytale. Loved ones can never, ever be replaced. That cold empty feeling will reside in one's heart till the day they die.

"We now go life to the scene of the accident. Harriet Jones, what is your take on this tragic accident?"

"Good evening. I am here at what once was the Nasty Burger where three young teens lost their lives alongside Jack and Maddie Fenton, who were old acquaintances of mine from my college years. For anyone who has just tuned in, there was an explosion here that claimed a total of five lives and left a teenage boy orphan. They have just recovered another body of an out-of-shape teacher known by locals as 'Mr. Lancer', a teacher at Casper High. The evidence found by local forensics suggests that these innocent people fell victim to what police describe as a tragic 'accident' and therefore no criminal charges will be placed. This young man, Dash Baxter, claims to have seen the whole thing. Dash, what happened here?"

"It was terrifying dude! Danny Phantom was there, and he made this like huge ghost ray that killed the bad guy, but he used up all his power and fell to his knees. His hair turned black – I think he might be half-human or something. I didn't see his face though, there was too much dust. The next thing I knew there was a massive explosion! It was so cool!"

"Thank you for that, sir. And now back to the studio."

"That's terrible. We have a statement here from the Amity Park police force, it says that anyone who saw or heard anything about the explosion should contact the on-screen helpline at once. Moving on to a charity event at …"

"Dash is such an idiot! 'It was so cool', he'll pay for that one."Danny growled, climbing out of bed and reaching for his clothes. Dirty, smelly and dusty. No thanks. He transformed into his half-ghost alter ego and flew through the window, heading for the mall.

He walked quietly to his favourite clothes store, invisibly of course. The shop was closed and only dimly lit, very creepy. He reached for his favourite, shirt, white with red rims and a logo on the chest, but then his hand stopped in mid-air. No, that wouldn't cover all the injuries from the fight with future-Phantom and the last thing he wanted was questions. Instead he picked up a plain black button-up shirt with long sleeves, like the kind men wear in a suit. Any other colour wouldn't do at all – he didn't want Dash's blood stains to ruin a brand new top after he'd gone to all this trouble to steal one. A pair of dull, blue jeans and red converse and he was good to go.

He'd forgotten all about beating up Dash by the time he got to the hotel, now all he wanted to do was eat. Surely it must be 7:30 by now. He checked the clock on his phone before shoving it into his back pocket. 7:29 Am. That's just cruel.

The lobby was still quiet and the staff all looked half asleep. The breakfast bar had a room of its own. The entire back-wall was glass allowing a lovely view of the lake. He walked to the counter just as a woman placed down a nice fresh batch of hot croissants. Délicieux. He grabbed one and almost burned his fingers. Sitting down on a window-side table he gazed at the family outside. A posh business man in an expensive-looking suit on the phone, his tie unfastened. The woman who appeared to be his wife came and fastened it for him, smiling lovingly and kissing him sweetly on the cheek. A little girl stood a few metres away feeding the swans. When the bread was gone she ran up to her father who, when he'd put his phone away, swung her up into his arms. Within minutes they were gone. To where? Who knows – by the looks of it the man had a meeting, but after they could be planning to; judging by the picnic basket, rolled up towels and sunhats; go to the beach. And in those few seconds, Danny could imagine himself as a child, happy with his parents and ready to go for a fun-filled day. The moment was ruined when an elderly-looking lady picked up the crumb-filled plate and held a large jug in Danny's face.

"Coffee?" She said sweetly. Her hair was white and slightly curly, tied up at the side and falling down her left shoulder in a cluster of snowdrop ringlets. She smiled, "Sir? Would you like some coffee?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, yeah please." She poured the steaming-hot drink into a cup and reached into her apron, taking out a couple of small sachets of milk. Danny noticed a wedding ring on her finger. It was cold with tiny amethyst jewels and, in the tiniest writing he'd ever seen, said 'love'.

"Is something bothering you, son?" She said, her peaceful blue eyes focussed on Danny's. "I can tell there is. You look a lot like my grandson, y'know, and I can always tell when there's something wrong with him."

"Have you seen the news this morning?" Danny said with a sad smile. "My name is Danny, Danny Fenton."

"Oh? Oh…" She sat down in the seat across from him and placed a comforting hand on his, "They were your family and friends? I'm so very sorry for your loss. If there's anything I can do…"

"Nah, I'll be fine, thanks. Nice meeting you," he looked at her name tag, "Angela."

"Oi! Waitress, get over here!" A Scottish man, he didn't sound very friendly.

"Ah, I have to go. I knew that man would make a fuss the second I saw him stumbling in drunk last night. Nice meeting you, Danny." She stood up, tucked the chair in neatly and left.

Time flew by, gazing out of the window and eating free food whenever he felt bored; 10:55am arrived in no time and as expected, he was having second thoughts. Living with Vlad? Come on. Maybe he should tell the social workers that the cuts on his arms were from trying to kill himself, then he could get locked up in a mental asylum on suicide watch and live out the rest of his life in a billionaire-free soft white room. No, that wouldn't work, Vlad's very smart and he'd find him. To live with his worst enemy, dine with him… To call him father? Well – definitely not the latter.

"I must be insane… I gotta get outta here!" Danny whispered to himself. He stood up and ran towards the nearest hiding place to transform and make his get away. But as luck would have it, he crashed into Annette on his way.

Typical. Typical, typical, typical.

"Oh! Daniel, I was just coming to look for you. How did you sleep?" She sounded like a completely different person than last night. She seemed very cheerful, a care-bear friendly attitude and had a grin that lit up the whole lobby.

"Don'tever call me that." She looked confused, she didn't need to open her mouth as her facial expression pretty much covered 'what are you talking about?' and 'look who woke up on the wrong side of the bed'.

"My name is Danny. Didn't sleep a wink, how about you?" He did the mental equivalent of kicking himself in the shin. Never talk to a lady like that, it's rude. It isn't her fault some kid has been dumped on her like this.

"Oh, I slept fine thanks, but there are more pressing matters at hand. Mr. Masters has organised a private jet to fly you out to his home in Wisconsin. We can stop off at your house if you want, to get personal belongings and such. We'll have to be careful of the paparazzi, they're everywhere."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the airport, bye!" Danny ran, he just ran. He jumped onto the roof of a passing car and sprang from that, transforming into Danny Phantom and flying to his house as fast as a bullet. As an afterthought he hoped that no one saw him, but the only important thing was that he got home and spent as much time there as possible.

He arrived through his own bedroom window. There were reporters camped outside of his house, how sad. They weren't going to get a story from Danny, so all they had gained was a wasted night and probably a cold. He went around the house closing the curtains; the press would probably break the door down if they saw him.

He grabbed a duffel bag from his parents' room and stuffed in a few items of clothing and underwear. Lifting up his mattress he revealed a plain black wallet, which went in the bag too. On his bedside table was a photo… He remembered when it was taken. It was a rainy day, cold and miserable. Danny, Sam and Tucker on a normal school day in a normal photo. Sam liked the colours, she said that "It's raining and miserable yet we're still cheerful. It shows how strong our friendship is."

He most certainly couldn't leave that behind, and of course, he needed one of his parents too. The family photo was equally as important - it resided on the bookshelf; Jack, Maddie, Jazz and Danny all looking happy and content. Danny had thought his life was bad enough before, but without them it scarcely bared thinking about.

He went to the lab and noticed that the door was locked. The spare key was hidden on top of the door frame and was covered in dust and what looked like moulding jelly. On the bright side, that meant that the police hadn't gained access to the lab… let. How embarrassing for them. He unlocked the door and walked down those oh-so-familiar stairs leading to the laboratory. He took a moment to stare into the swirling, green abyss that was one of only two portals into the ghost zone in existence, before closing it and giving it several password locks and a secret question that only he would ever know the answer too. The world was not ready for the ghost zone quite yet. He proceeded to destroy the rest of the lab, ranging from the BOO-merang to the ecto-mic bomb. Thermoses, weapons and old coffee mugs saying 'worlds best mom' – everything had to go. If this equipment fell into the wrong hands, the guys in white for example, it could lead to a multi-dimensional war.

After taking one last look around the house he lived in for fifteen years, he left it for the last time.

So one pointless conversation, agonisingly long plane ride and very uncomfortable experience with a fat guy later, Danny was finally in Wisconsin. He climbed out of the limo to be greeted by Vlad, whose facial expression was as unreadable as ever. Danny did notice that the black-rings around his eyes seemed a lot thicker, and he had slight bags under his eyes which in itself happened to be very unusual for Vlad as the man never seemed to show his age. Perhaps he had a good surgeon or…

Vlad didn't say a word; he just waved the limo off and stood beside him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. Danny turned around and took hold of Vlad's wrist, "Vlad, we need to talk."

"Yes we do, about you living here, you mean?"

"No. I meant it when I said that it was my fault, and I need to make sure no more people die because of it… I've seen the future, Vlad, and I can't let it happen." There was an awkward silence, and needless to say Vlad looked quite confused.

"Well, let's go inside. It's freezing out here."

They sat in the lavish living room. The sofas were expensive black leather, they still smelt brand new. Danny had always liked that leathery smell. The walls were a deep red and the room had the most gorgeous wooden flooring that you could almost clearly see your own reflection.

"So, you wanted to talk?" Danny picked up his glass of water and ran his finger nervously around the rim in a repetitive circular motion.

"Yeah… I'm going to tell you what happened during the time approaching their deaths, and you are going to listen and believe what you hear. I have no reason to lie to you Vlad. I mean this when I say it, if you don't believe me then I'll leave now."

"Daniel you really don't have to, I don't blame you for what happened to them."

"The whole chain of events was triggered by me planning to cheat on my C.A.T. exams. With the whole 'ghost fighting' and such, I didn't have time to study, so I figured that cheating wasn't so bad on my part. That decision killed everyone I love. This is really hard to explain, but this is how things were supposedto happen; my teacher, Mr. Lancer, arranged to meet my parents at the Nasty Burger to discuss how I cheated on the exam and the freak explosion would kill them all. I moved here with you distraught with grief and you took pity on me, granting my wishes to be free of all emotion. Things didn't go as planned. What you actually did was split my ghost and human halves apart, causing a severe split-personality and making my ghost half pure evil. His first act was to turn on you and merge with your ghost half creating the ultimate enemy. The second was to brutally murder the now-human me. The third was to… kill. Anyone and anything that crossed his path would die. It was a horrible place…" His head was tilted forwards causing his hair to cover his eyes. It served as the perfect mask, hiding the tears that threatened to spill.

"Okay, so that's how things were supposed to happen, but how didthings happen?"

"Mostly thanks to Clockwork's interference, 'Dan Phantom' as he called himself found a way to access the present and to ensure his own creation, he planned to make sure things happened as they were supposed to. After meeting you in the future, I was so sure that Id…" His voice began to shake, "I was sure that I'd be able to stop him and save everyone. I was wrong. I caught him alright and the thermos is with Clockwork, but I didn't save them." A tear trickled down his nose and landed with a silent 'plop' on the floor.

"And you're sure this wasn't just a dream? Your mind may be playing tricks on you –wouldn't be the first time- and…" He said with almost-usual smugness.

"No!" He stood up, not caring about the tears now falling freely down his cheeks. "Vlad, this is important! I am telling the truth!" He reached forward and grabbed the man's collar, pulling his face towards his own and only stopped when their faces were inches apart. "If you don't believe me, you might as well just kill me now." He growled in a low voice, before throwing Vlad back in his seat and going to his room. Vlad wasn't sure if he was storming off or running away. One thing was for sure though; he had never seen that look in Danny's eye before. He looked… completely torn apart and just a little insane.

Danny walked into his new 'room' and unintentionally slammed the door. He grabbed the duffel bag from the bed and removed the two photographs before flinging the bag to the floor and jumping onto the bed on his belly. He stared at the two photos and placed the one of his family on the bedside table, but kept the one of him and his two best friends at hand. A large crack adorned the crack going right between he and his two friends – it must have happened during his journey to this wretched place he had to call home. The long crack was an everlasting reminder that he had been left alone in this cruel, anti-ghost world. He placed the photo beside the other and stood up, floating through the floor and back to the living room. He shouldn't have yelled at Vlad. Heck – if he'd just been told that story he'd doubt its truth. He poked his head through the rather grand double doors and saw Vlad, reading a book and swirling what looked like very expensive whisky in a glass. The whole picture looked very depressing.

No matter how much I hate him, I must remember that he's hurting too.

He knocked three times on the door before taking a few paces towards Vlad, who didn't move his head from the book.

"Vlad; I came to apologise." The man looked up, one eyebrow raised. "I shouldn't have shouted at you like that, especially after you let me stay here."

"Ah. It's alright little badger. I believe what you say. After all as you said, you have no reason to lie to me."

"Are you sure? Because I meant what I said, I'd rather you kill me than let me become that monster."

"Wouldn't anyone? Here, want a drink?" Was he offering Danny alcohol?

"No thanks. Slowing down my reaction times is the last thing I need right now."

"Why do you say that?" Danny simply shrugged as saying 'I don't trust you not to plan something against me' didn't sound right, and 'I'm too scared that Dan will show up' just made him sound paranoid. Danny sat back on the sofa, facing away from Vlad.

"Even now; even now I wish my emotions would just go away. I've had such bad injuries in the past; I've been beaten to a bloody pulp and put in hospital more times than I can count, but this? This is what pain really is." Danny heard Vlad's glass being put down on the floor along with the book. At least he was listening. "I know you Vlad, and I have my doubts about whether or not you are plotting…" He was silenced by Vlad placing a finger against his lips.

"I'm not plotting anything." Vlad gently raised Danny's chin, an action that before would be seen an uncaring in its tenderness, but now everything was different. "Look at me." Danny's eyes were downcast, but he soon found himself staring directly into Vlad's. "I'm not going to hurt you, Daniel. Don't you see? All we have is each other."

--

Danny was laid on the roof of Vlad's mansion staring emptily at the skies above. There were no stars and the narrow crescent moon barely shone through the thick black clouds. One word and one word alone could summarise the weather – cruel. Icy temperatures, violent gushes of winds and judging by the clouds, rain was on its way too. Quite unusual for this time of year, perhaps the heavens were mourning too.

He wasn't thinking much about his parents as the only thing left to think about was the future, but that hurt too much. No, what was really bothering him was Vlad's sudden kindness, mainly his most recent experience with the man. 'All we have is each other.' What did that mean, exactly? Perhaps he was right, Danny had lost everything he cared about and Vlad didn't have much in the first place. It maybe that he really did want to be Danny's father figure… or that he wanted assistance in taking over the world. 'Why is everything making me so confused?'

Needless to say, he didn't trust Vlad… much. To be honest, he was expecting Plasmius to jump out any minute now and attack him, kick a lion whilst it's down so to speak.

But he didn't…. Not to attack anyway.

"This is where I come to think alone too." Danny heard Vlad's voice but didn't jump.

"Yeah well… You being here is kind of defeating the object of 'alone', isn't it?" He turned around to see Vlad in his ghost form. Is he going to attack?

"You should come inside. You must be freezing out here in just a shirt."

"Did you just come up here to fuss about me not wearing a jacket? Because I should tell you, the nagging-mother act doesn't suit you one bit."

"Actually, yes, I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Top of the world, how are you?" He replied in a sarcastic tone.

"I'd be better if you stopped shutting me out."

"That's rich coming from you. Give me one good reason why I would open up to you, and besides, there's nothing left to discuss." He spoke in a quiet, empty voice and had remained in his human state. Vlad couldn't help but think, was it an act of trust… or an act of madness.

"I've put a roof over your head, show a little gratitude."

"That makes everything you've done to me in the past year alright? Pull the other one, Vlad; I know exactly what you are up to. This woolly-headed kindness won't fool me."

"I've told you once and I'll tell you again, I'm sorry for what I've done and I promise that I won't hurt you again; ever."

"I don't trust you."

"Then why, might I ask, haven't you transformed into Phantom?"

"Because nothing you can do will truly hurt me."

"What?"

"If a fight is what you want then fire at will – but you mean nothing to me, you can't hurt my feelings, that pain that lasts."

"Oh? Then tell me, what does this mean!?" Vlad punched Danny in the face, harder than he'd meant to. In fact, he didn't mean to punch the boy at all, he just lost his temper. He pulled his fist back and looked questioningly at the boy. Danny slowly turned his head back to face Vlad. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth and there was already a bruise starting to form.

"It means that nothing has changed between us, and that nothing ever will." His words were cold and void of emotion, although there seemed to be a flicker of betrayal in his eyes, it only lasted a second though – blink and you'd miss it.

"Then… what does this mean?" Within moments Plasmius was human again, and holding Danny in a comforting – perhaps even loving embrace. Danny knew that although Vlad's hold was strong, he could get away easily by going intangible. He just didn't wantto. He chose to remain silent for the few moments it lasted before Vlad stepped away; not removing his hand from Danny's face where he had just minutes ago punched him. "I'm sorry for this, I truly am." And with that he left, floating through the floor and going god-knows where.

Great, Vlad just caused me another sleepless night.

TO BE CONTINUED…