Story: Halves

Chapter: A Kind Word and a Gun

Dean awoke to see green eyes staring down at him. He did not flinch as he normally would upon sensing someone so close to him, and for a while he just stared back. Phantom gave him a brief pat on the head before going intangible, causing Dean to curse as his head hit the ground. The Hunter got up, trying to talk himself out of getting into another fight with the ghost. He wasn't very good at it though, and turned to give the monster a piece of his mind. Phantom pointing to a symbol on a tree stopped him in his tracks. A pair of angel wings.

"Your bonded was here." Phantom said in a monotone that was much unlike him. He did not know how to feel about the marking. On the one hand, he felt relief that the angel had not seen him as a threat, as well as honored that the human's bonded entrusted him to care for him. On the other hand, why would the angel not care for his bonded himself? Dean turned away from the marking he had been inspecting to look at the ghost.

"Do you think your shield-" Dean began, and Phantom knew he was wondering the same negative as he.

"No." Phantom interrupted. "Bonded can get through any obstacle made by monster." Dean thought back to a few times where he thought Cas should not have been able to get to him and concluded this to be true in some sense. At last Phantom could not contain himself, because his own situation was crashing down on him. "He left you here." It was blurted out in a way that seemed a bit harsh. Dean turned fury filled eyes on Phantom, only to see tears in the neon green ones. "Just like Danny has left me."

"Uh, come on dude. You're like what, 24?" Dean guessed. He still had no context of how to react to male emotion, especially since his father had always said that tears were for the weak, no matter which gender. Phantom harshly wiped the tears away.

"It is okay for men to cry." Phantom spat out. "I am no tin man."

"Yeah, well get over it. So what? So he left you here! So were alone! It's not like-" Dean gave a frustrated growl, gripping the tree and giving it a swift kick. His hand curled into a fist and he began to punch at the tree repeatedly, his head leaning right up against it. Blood ran down his tanned skin, dripping onto the silver of Phantom's glove. Dean scowled at the hand that had his wrist in a vice, preventing him from moving. A blue mist escaping Phantom's mouth put them both on alert.

"Well, well. If it isn't Dean Winchester." The figure was large, and lumpy, not to mention he reeked of cabbage left in the sewer. Phantom gasped, placing his hands against his face. Dean was confused by this reaction, as well as grossed out as Phantom now had red staining the blue of his skin.

"Troooollllllll!" The ghost launched around the being. "Troll in the dungeon!" Phantom sped away into the distance. Dean felt increasingly nervous. It was quite the turnabout for the ghost.

"Heh, one on one, just like last time." The troll swung out at Dean, causing the man to duck and roll out of the way. Internally the Hunter was panicking, he had barely bested Vinnie the Troll last time, and he had gear that time. It had been one of his first solo hunts, and all he had gotten upon with his return was a note from his father that he would not return. Dean chucked a rock towards the throat, but it was easily blocked.

"Phantom what the fuck." Dean whispered under his breath. Then it clicked in his head. He laughed slightly, almost getting flattened by a foot. He cursed and raced to the nearest tree, pulling his knife and scrambling up with its aid. The troll tried shaking the tree, not noticing Phantom approaching in the distance.

"Hey Vinnie!" Phantom shouted. Vinnie turned around in time to see a large boulder coming towards his face. "Wingardium levi fuck you!" It hit with a large smack, the troll falling to the ground. Dean dropped down from the tree, hesitantly kicking the monster.

"So…you like Harry Potter?" Dean asked. Phantom grinned. "How did you even lift that?"

"Super strength, though it's a bit more heightened than other ghosts when my obsession comes into play." Phantom explained, flexing imaginary muscles.

"Obsession?" Phantom nodded, laying on the ground.

"I have to protect humanity." Phantom said. Even though his obsession technically had come from Danny's mentality, Phantom found the moral worth pursuing. He loved humans, with all their flaws. He turned on his side to see Dean lying next to him.

"That makes two buddy…" Dean paused. "How did you know the troll was called Vinnie?" Phantom froze.

"You know, I've seen him before." Phantom lied, rubbing the back of his neck. Dean narrowed his eyes, pointing to the offending hand.

"You're lying." Dean accused. "God Dammit, you better tell me what the hell is going on."

"It's nothing, okay? Don't worry about it!" Phantom shouted back, floating up abruptly. He was on the defensive, Dean glaring at the ghost from where he stood on the ground.

"Like hell, don't worry about it!" Dean threw his hands into the air. "You…you think you can do these things, but you just can't Sam!" Silence prevailed in the forest. Slowly the body next to them disappeared. Phantom spent a long moment gazing at the human. He gave a sad smile because Dean was much more than a mere human. A soldier, a warrior, a figure made of glass held together by the blood of sacrifice. Silver boots touched down silently on the greyed leaves. Danny was not going to come back.

"I think we are bonding."

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Sam let out a low groan as he sat up, holding his head. The low light of the dying fire illuminated the various bottles lying around the floor. He gave a sigh and laid back on his pillow, except it wasn't his pillow. Sam sat up as if he had been shocked. The person he had been laying on shifted in their sleep, turning over and cuddling one of the couch cushions. Sam averted his gaze, because at the moment the richest man in the world lay stark naked. He quickly patted down his own body, heaving a sigh that was half relief, half disappointment to find his clothes. The doors flew open, the loud bang hurting the Hunter's ears. Ember marched in with a large bucket, instantly pouring it over the billionaire. Vlad spluttered awake, sitting up and clutching the soaked pillow.

"You guys seem to be excelling at training." She said sarcastically. She quirked a brow at Vlad's state of undress. "What, you burn your clothes off again?"

"Out!" Ember shrugged and dropped the bucket on the floor, leaving the two alone. "Insufferable brat…" Vlad muttered.

"She's…right?" Sam said hesitantly. Vlad simply set himself on fire in response, instantly drying. The pillow that had been strategically placed was now ash. Sam snapped his head to the window, his body quickly following. "Is this, uh, is this redwood?"

"Sam. I need to ask something of you." Vlad said, as he slipped into the last of his new suit. They were approaching the day of hunting soon, and though he was looking forward to it, he was also dreading it. Sam turned and wordlessly took the tie.

"Oh yeah, of course." Vlad gave the Hunter a curious look, but allowed him to do the task for him. At times Sam would get into a sort of mood, where he was not entirely in his right mind. He often wondered what preoccupied so much of the man's time.

"That is not what I was going to ask of you." Vlad said softly after Sam did not let go of the knotted tie.

"I…I realize that now. Dean….Dean he used to always ask me to do it because he didn't know how." Sam let the silken tie slip through his fingers as he cleared his throat. "What did you need?"

"Do not mention what we saw to any of the others." Vlad told him, reigning in what he had originally meant to ask. "Ghosts do not handle sorrow as well as us humans." Sam nodded. "We will be going into the Ghost Zone today."

"Woah, wait, we aren't ready." Sam admitted.

"Merely to train. For you see, in the Ghost Zone," Vlad placed a finger in the middle of Sam's chest. ", you are the ghost."

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Danny kicked a rock out of his way, flexing his hands absentmindedly. He and Benny did not speak much, trekking in silence to a destination they might not even reach in time. Fighting together was more of a hassle, as they could not synchronize at all. This seemed to frustrate the vampire, and Danny knew exactly why. Danny knew how bonds worked, they were not a one all, be all, type of deal. It was a little like love, there was one person you chose to be with, because you are in love with them, whereas other forms exist as friendships, or familiar love. However, the bond of soulmates was not necessarily love. Personally, Danny refused to bond to anyone other than Phantom. To think that Phantom had nullified their bond, had escaped him for that other human, left a bitter taste in his mouth. If he saw Dean Winchester again, it would be the last time.

"Danny, how'd you land here anyhow?" Benny asked, trying to strike up conversation. Danny ignored him, throwing out a weak ectodisc to cut a branch in his way. He would not form any bond with Benny. He fully intended to leave the vampire behind. "I was felled by my own creator." Benny made a noise of humiliation. Despite himself Danny cracked a smile.

"As was I." Danny said. "He struck me down because I wanted to die. Let me guess, you died for love." Silence was his answer, and Danny smirked, knowing he had hit the nail on the head. It would perhaps at least buy him an hour or so of silence. Danny planned to go back to Vlad's once he was topside again. He was going to take a week of maids and money because frankly, Purgatory sucked. He was torn though. He wanted Phantom back, but it would be a constant reminder that he survived and his loved ones did not. Without Phantom he could go through life mourning as anyone else would, and eventually take over Vlad's companies.

"You're right." Benny admitted. Danny gave a satisfied huff. "I thought you were human."

"I am." Danny said. "Was, Am, Will be." The last part was said mockingly. It was around sophomore year that Danny started to worry about his mortality, and consequently his species. This place was not what Clockwork had promised. Danny stopped suddenly, causing Benny to knock into him. He had been promised Eden.

"Fruit." Benny intoned simply, staring at the bitten apple on the ground. "Color." It was such a bizarre sight in the endless grey of dead trees. Danny took a step back. He had been promised Eden.

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"I didn't expect the Ghost Zone to have a library." Sam said, staring up at the building. Plasmius flew up next to him, landing on the step easily. The library was falling to ruins, not that Sam could tell the difference. Loosing Danny had affected more than just him and his inner circle. By this age, Danny had befriended most every ghost in the ghost zone. While he did disagree on some issues, specifically with Spectra, they all looked up to the younger hybrid. There had been whispers of enacting him as King. Plasmius rolled his eyes at the way that the Ghost Zone handled power. Though he surmised that a free for all did eventually get redundant.

"What were you expecting?" Sam shrugged, looking around at the swirling green skyscape. It was so vast, and yet seemed comfortable. "I am impressed with your ability to control your newfound 'powers'." Plasmius admitted.

"So why are we here?" Sam questioned. The doors creaked open, a ghost poking out his head to look at them. The grey skinned ghost scowled at Sam before tossing a tome out at them and slamming the door shut again. "Nice to meet you…"

"Pay no mind to Ghost Writer. The only human he could tolerate was Daniel, and since his passing…" Sam stooped down to pick up the book. It was irritating that Ghost Writer had not at least stopped to greet him, and yet it was a testament to how dearly they needed to retrieve Daniel. "We are leaving to the Tower today."

"What?" Sam exclaimed. He studied the ghost beside him. Though it was subtle, he could tell that the Plasmius personality was dominating a bit over the Vlad personality. Sam sighed. It was not as if Vlad was two separate people between ghost and human mode, but rather was like Peter Parker under the influence of Venom. It was the closest comparison he could wrap his head around, without digging deeper into the psychology of a hybrid. When Plasmius decided to use influence, he was more impatient, bolder, at times explosive in temper. Yet he knew that Vlad also felt these things, but merely kept them restrained, having been raised differently. Plasmius could not physically do anything that Vlad did not at least desire to do in the tiniest bit. It was still Vlad speaking, merely thinking as a ghost, rather than a human.

"It is time to go. I cannot wait any longer." Plasmius said, staring off. Before Sam could respond a black and white blur had captured him and was spiriting him away. The speed was dizzying, but he could see a roaring red flame following after them. "Sam!"

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"Would you at least listen?" Phantom pleaded as Dean comminuted to move away from him. Neon green eyes narrowed. He was not going to play child's games, especially about this. Dean gave a shout as he was grabbed by the back of his coat and lifted into the air. Phantom turned him, keeping the human suspended in the air with green ectokinetic energy, eyes wholly green. Dean whimpered at the fact that no one was physically holding him in the air. "I do not want you." Dean ignored the fact that this stung. "Bonds are not a one all, be all. Us bonding will not break your bond with Castiel." Phantom searched the grounds around him fruitlessly. "Believe me. You will feel when your bond is broken. It will feel as if you just became the most insignificant person in the universe."

"Yeah, well Danny ain't shit, so forget about him." Dean said in a way to relieve some of the hopelessness that Phantom felt. Then he was falling, and Phantom merely watched from above, motionless. Dean closed his eyes tightly but never hit the ground. He cracked an eye open hesitantly. Phantom was holding him, yet was still in the air. Then there was three more, all begging the one in the sky to come down.

"It hurts less like this." One of them said. Dean was set down and he took a moment to gaze at the copies. Each one had something off about them. "Though it doesn't last long." All the copies collapsed back into one, Phantom standing in front of Dean.

"So we're bonded." Dean began. "Look, I'm having some trouble understanding this whole thing, and understanding what I feel about it." Phantom searched Dean's face for an idea of where the hunter was going with his speech. "Because, I mean, Cas he… he's my angel you know? I'm…I'm the righteous man, he saved me!"

"Where is he now?" Phantom asked. He really wanted to know, and hoped the angel was at least listening to the turmoil his human was going through. Dean was suffering, though he did not know why.

"I don't…" Dean trailed off, noticing the crack in his voice.

"He doesn't belong here, he's going to get out, where is he? Why isn't he saving you now?" Phantom pressed. "Where is he? Why leave you the note?"

"Hope?!" Dean responded with aggravation. "Failure?" he added more softly. "Asking for forgiveness?"

"I lied…" Phantom admitted, though he did not realize it until that moment. If the angel was not going to care for his bonded, maybe he did not deserve him. "I do want you. You are everything Danny used to be."

"What do you mean?" To Dean, Danny was nothing more than an unstable man on the brink of losing it. Dean recalled the searing pain as green blinded his vision and ended his life. Danny was a man who had lost it.

"You're the dorky Batman to my Robin." Phantom said. "You want to do the good thing even though you were handed the bad cards. You're cool and collected until we talk about nerdy stuff. You're sensitive. Not to mention…" Phantom got a darker shade of blue on his cheeks.

"Hey, no, dude. I'm straight." Dean clarified. Phantom gave him a deadpan look. "Women only. I am…I am a beautiful peacock with ladies just…" Phantom slowly raised a single eyebrow. "They throw themselves at me, I'm a chick magnet." Phantom slowly nodded as if Dean was convincing him.

"Yeah, real dick magnet."

"Yes…NO!" Phantom chuckled. It was deep and melodic, causing Dean to stare a bit to closely at the quirk of the ghost's lips. When the hunter looked up to neon eyes he decided the best course of action was to run away and not look back. Dean gave a quick forced smiling before turning away and sprinting. Phantom's eyes widened in surprise before something in his core activated. His fangs elongated with anticipation.

"Let the hunt begin."

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"You're not gonna bite it, are you?" Benny asked, watching as Danny tossed the apple up and down. They had been sitting there for quite some time, the human not speaking.

"Well if biting it got Eve banned from Eden." Danny thought out loud. He let the red apple rest in his palm. Was Clockwork maybe looking out for him? Perhaps the ghost really was sorry. Why else would he stumble upon the apple at this time. If this excursion was meant to be a lesson, he could not find the moral.

"I wouldn't." The vampire disputed, squinting at the distance as his heightened smell picked something up. "Ghost?" Danny whipped around to look at the vampire.

"Where?" he demanded. "Phantom!" No grinning ghost appeared at his side. Danny whimpered, falling to his knees. He missed his ghost. Instead a hulking monster roared in the distance. Danny narrowed his eyes. A Hallow, of course. "We don't have time for this, lets go."

"Who's Phantom? " Benny asked. "You've mentioned him before."

"No one. Forget about it." Danny hissed. He stalked off, the apple tight in his hand. Benny gave a quick huff of anger, before moving to block Danny's path. "They hurt you?"

"He's my everything, and he left me for that two bit Winchester whore!" Danny exclaimed, wanting nothing more than to beat Dean to a bloody pulp. "He's mine!" his elevated voice had attracted quite a bit of attention, a few creatures begin to circle in. "I will kill Dean Winchester. No one can have Phantom, he belongs to me. He needs to be with me, he owes me!" Benny edged away from the fuming human. "I love him. I am the only one that understands him. What if-"

"What?" Benny pressed when it seemed as if Danny would stare into nothingness for the remainder of his existence. There was terror, mixed with anger, across the human's face. The vampire had no clue what to make of it.

"What if they fuse?"

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Phantom tackled Dean to the ground, the duo rolling in the mud before hitting a large rock. Phantom pinned the hunter on his stomach, pulling his right arm back, a knee in the middle of his shoulders. The hunter struggled with him, but found it moot. The ghost leaned down and ruffled the human's hair. His core was racing in excitement, though he was a bit disappointed that the chase had not lasted longer.

"So, you watch Dr. Sexy for the plot then." Phantom teased, once he gained a bit more control over his instincts.

"Yes of course. How could you forget the finale of season 3 when he mangled his hand." Dean grunted. "He was devastated, and nearly quit the hospital for good." Phantom laughed, because he and Danny owned the entire box set of Dr. Sexy.

"He was shirtless for no reason in that scene." Dean frowned, trying to recall if that was true. Phantom let the human to his feet. "You know, there is such a thing as bi-sexual."

"Those are a myth." Dean stated, pointing a finger at the ghost. Phantom rolled his eyes, but favored this discussion over the hopelessness they had been experiencing earlier.

"Vampires, werewolves, ghosts and almost every other thing that goes bump in the night is supposed to be a myth too." He rationalized. "I want to try fusing with you. We might be able to find Castiel faster if our beings are combined."

"Fusion? What the heck are we going to go super saiyan on this hellhole?" Dean asked, uncomfortable with the idea.

"Technically it's a Purgatory-hole." Phantom joked. Dean glowered at him. Phantom sobered up, knowing that this was a thing that needed to be taken seriously. From the hunter's perspective the change was significant. Loose posture, that at times defied the laws of physics, was lost to a stiff back and raised chin. The neon green that reminded Dean of the excitement of Vegas gained a dimension, and suddenly Dean could not place having seen a color such as it before. "Look. I don't know how to explain it," the voice had not changed, still jilted with childish tones. "It's like reverse possession. It's like anti Venom, it's like Harry having that shard of Voldemort in him giving him-"

"Woah, wait what? Harry Potter has a part of Voldemort in him? Hello, spoilers!" Dean ranted. He had needed to stop after the fifth book, the death of Sirius Black taking too much of a toll on him.

"It's been out for years dude." Phantom backtracked. The ghost gave a sigh, realizing he broke his professional personality. "But you get the point. Harry can only talk to snakes because Voldemort was within him. That's what it will be like." Neon eyes were not hopeful. Dean shook his head.

"No, we continue on foot."

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"Welcome." Sam gazed about in awe. He was in the tower. Several screens around him showed different points in his life. A few were of him with Dean when they were younger, a couple of him and Jessica, one of him and Vlad. He was still being held by the ghost that had kidnapped him, and it was strange that the body did not feel hot or cold. It felt mostly human. The arms wrapped around him a bit tighter as the one who had spoken floated into view.

"Clockwork." Sam whispered. The hooded ghost nodded. His throat was dry, but he forced his question past his lips. "Is Dean okay?"

"Let us wait for our other guest." Clockwork answered, tapping a few of the screens to activate them. Sam gave a perplexed look. "You are wondering why I did not just invite you in."

"Yeah. Vlad is going to be pissed." Sam responded. Flaring red flashed to forefront of his mind. Vlad rarely let the flames get to such a dark shade, as he said the energy output was less than input. Sam was past denying that he liked Vlad, at least in the safety of his own mind. He wondered what Dean would say to his little brother liking an older man. The ghost holding him chuckled, bringing him back to the present.

"That was the point." The voice was familiar, yet not, like the difference between hearing a recording and the real thing.

"Dan is correct. His anger is meant to dispel a few doubts, and raise a few more questions." Clockwork added. "He should be arriving soon."

"Dan?" Sam gasped. That is why the voice sounded familiar. It had the deep baritone of Vlad, without the dictation. The ghost rested his head on the Hunter's shoulder. "You're supposed to be evil." He was uncomfortable.

"Phantom is happy, so I am not evil." Dan explained. "Whoops, cat out of the bag." Sam scrunched his brow. He slowly shook his head.

"No, you exist outside the timeline. Danny said so. Anything occurring in his life after he defeated you should have no effect on you." He counter argued. "You are inevitable."

"You may be too smart for your own good." Dan hissed. Clockwork tapped the ghost on the head with his time staff, reigning in the anger.

"It is a trap then." Sam accused. The possibility had always been in his head, and he brought it up to Vlad frequently. He felt tension creeping into his frame, suddenly not okay with the muscular ghost holding him in place. Sam may be strong, but he did not measure up to the power of a ghost like Dan. Clockwork shifted into his young adult form and floated in front of Sam, staring at the Hunter. Brown eyes searched the red abyss in front of him.

"Tell me Samuel." Clockwork turned his time staff into a scythe. "Am I not an angel, because my wings are hidden to you?" Sam tapped the side of his leg, a nervous habit. "Am I not Death, when in my meat suit?" Clockwork used the tip of his blade to bring Sam's attention back when the human looked away. "Are you not a believer?"

"I was, am. I always was, and then…" Sam recalled his meeting with Uriel.

"You wanted to be saved by them." Clockwork said. It was not a guess. "You were the little boy with demon blood who believed in angels, and hoped they were watching over him." A blue hand patted his head, confusing the hunter who was on the verge of tears because of the humiliation. "And you were the one who ended up watching over an angel." The screens changed, and Sam turned to watch. "This counts for much Samuel."

"I'm just a man with a shotgun." Sam denied, not knowing how to deal with the praise. Clockwork smiled.

"For now." He assured. "When Vladimir arrives I will show you exactly what you are looking to see. No tricks, no traps, no alternative timeline." Sam felt himself nodding, the calm of the ghost's voice relaxing him. Dan released Sam, slinging an arm over his shoulder and shoving a drink into Sam's free hand. The door blasted open with a boom, causing Sam to spill most of the drink over himself.

"Where is he?" The ghost shouted. He had sensed the signature of the ghost that had captured the human, finding it to be something he had hoped to never experience. Plasmius gazed around and then raised an eyebrow in confusion, the flames around him dying down.

"Vlad, you just ruined a nine-hundred-dollar suit." Dan complained, motioning to the stain of wine on the light grey suit. "Where's the fire?" Dan smirked. "Oh wait, you are the fire." Plasmius landed on the ground, slowly walking towards Sam.

"Yeah, I was confused too." Sam admitted, deciding to play along. It could not hurt to do so. After having read Danny's journal so many times over, he felt as if he knew Clockwork. Despite Danny losing his trust for the time ghost, Sam could see that he had a job, just as all others. Clockwork gave him an approving nod. A black glove touched the center of his chest, causing him to look down at it in surprise. Brown eyes traveled up to look at Plasmius' face. The ghost was silent for a few moments.

"You are still alive." He said, as if he could not believe it. Of the million reasons that Dan would take Sam, the human had died in every perceived scenario. He had figured with Danny gone that Dan would seek vengeance on his other half. Or perhaps Dan blamed Sam for the death of the Fenton Family. Another thought occurred to him. The red of the flames, and the black of the grief could have killed him. "Am I?" the ghost asked, looking at Clockwork.

"Why wouldn't you be alive?" Sam asked in confusion. The human would first assume a dream, rather than death due to the bizarre turn of events. Clockwork gave the human a significant look before turning to ask Plasmius a question.

"Would this be your Heaven if you were?" Black rings sprung out, leaving Vlad to stare back at Dan and Sam. Dan grinned largely and pulled Sam closer to him, as if they were lifelong friends.

"Yes."

"Yes?" Sam asked. He knew about Heaven, and that each person got their personal one. He would have never imagined that Vlad would include him in such a place of paradise. Vlad nodded. "We're not dead. I think that Clockwork has good news though." Clockwork tapped the biggest screen. The time at the top showed it was live. Phantom was lying dramatically on the ground, Dean rolling his eyes from a nearby log.

"You can't die, you're already dead…like twice." Dean told the ghost, kicking at the leg near him.

"If I died twice, can't I die again?" Phantom argued, changing his feet into a spectral tail and whipping Dean with it. "Just admit it, or… or I'll hold my breath."

"You don't breathe either." The Hunter sighed.

"How would you know? You never get close enough to my face to tell." Phantom teased. Sam noticed a blush over Dean's face and gave a smug smirk. He always suspected his brother was a switch hitter. Getting him to admit it though.

"I'm not falling for that again." Dean pouted.

"You're just afraid you'll like it…again." Phantom said. "I know I did."

"It's been a while! I would react to anyone kissing me like that!" Dean shouted. Sam chanced a look at Vlad, who seemed to be evaluating Dean. This made his stomach churn a bit, and for as smart as he was, he could not figure out why.

"We better turn this off." Dan said when Phantom got a predatory look in his eyes. Clockwork tapped the screen, causing it to go black. Sam and Vlad stared at their reflections. Sam was coming to terms that while Dean may be away from him, he was at least happy. It wasn't Heaven, but it wasn't Hell either. He figured that Dean liked that ambiguity, the man would absolutely start a riot party in Heaven. He loved being him a little too much to be a goody goody. He was just a little concerned about him finding an interest in Danny Phantom. From what he had seen however, there was no longer any underlying darkness in those eyes. The neon green was jubilant and playful, while also hinting at wisdom.

Vlad on the other hand was in shock. There was an afterlife for ghosts. Purgatory. Would he too go there when he decided he was done living? He thought about asking the reaper, but did not. He figured that a straight answer would not be given to him. His pseudo son seemed happy at last, even if he was not with his loved ones. It seemed a little too good to be true. Red eyes looked over to Dan, who was trying to execute a martial art style spin with the scythe. It did not go well. Vlad allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he watched Dan, assuming that Phantom's new ability to let the past be the past had a positive effect on the ghost. Instead of asking any more questions, Vlad simply enjoyed the time in silence, for it was true what he told Clockwork, this could be heaven. His son, ever the man-child, deciding to play with a dangerous object would bring daily amusement to him, as well as an opportunity to teach the young man. He looked over at his human companion. Sam had a perplexed look about him, that made Vlad doubt a few things.

"I believe we should go." Vlad intoned, gesturing to Sam. Sam nodded, but took his time thanking Clockwork and Dan. Vlad watched these interactions silently. The human was not afraid to touch the ghosts, and although his posture was tense, it was merely from the way he was raised rather than any real perceived threat. He heard Dan give a laugh, and upon looking in that direction saw brown eyes boring in to him. He could not hide his shock, but tried to play it off as a sudden epiphany. "Can we visit them?" The question was directed at Clockwork, but it was Dan who answered.

"Once you die." He gripped Sam's shoulder tightly. "Assuming you bond to your monster by then." It was a like a warm flare in his core. Vlad transformed back into Plasmius and offered his hand to Sam. The hunter gave it a courtesy glance.

"I think I want to fly home instead." Sam floated up, stabilized and then took off in the direction of Vlad's portal. While it had stung that Sam had rejected his hand, another emotion overtook Plasmius.

Sam had called the mansion home.

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Cas stilled as he heard a crack nearby. He let his wings flare out in warning, though he did not know which creature was near, and if they could see them. Two creatures emerged from his left, growls that sounded like the screams of tortured wolves reverberating in his ears. This would be an easy battle. Blue eyes lit up and he threw out his arm, his wing following suit, sending several piercing feathers to hit the target. They instantly dissipated to smoke. Cas quickly brought his wings closer to him, trying to centralize as much of the energy as he could. He could not deal with being in such a place much longer. He hummed to himself, a song that was on Dean's EyePod.

The angel sat on a nearby rock, deciding that he was safe for the time being. Abandoning Dean was what was best for the human, but he felt so bad doing it. He could hear the self-doubt and suffering that Dean was experiencing. This sacrifice, could not even be called one. Yes, it hurt him to be away from Dean, but his bonded was hurting more. He was losing his divinity, and he was unsure how he felt about it. He imagined Dean, as well as Sam, and Bobby too. He missed them, and would miss them in passing too. He looked to the sky, wondering why his Father had not yet intervened. Perhaps it was because he was too broken to be considered a saint. The moment he dove down into Hell, he had damaged himself. Dean Winchester deserved to be saved though. It did not matter that he action had singed his wings, or that it dimmed his halo. Cas thought back to the creatures he had been fighting off, and deduced that perhaps he was becoming more of a sinner, day by day. In the beginning he would go hand to hand, striking the points that would terminate them without much pain. Now though, they just kept coming. He struck them down, hard and fast, with little remorse.

Standing again he kept on going, walked the opposite direction than what he could sense Dean. He would have to keep fighting. At least until Dean found a way out, and lord help anyone who touched the man. His wings ruffled in agitation remembering the other humanoid that was in the realm. Danny Fenton. The boy, and yes the twenty four year old was a boy to him, had not been ready. No matter what he may have thought when plunging that knife into himself, he had not been ready to die. It was similar to Dean, he knew that the man would lay down his life for the sake of the world, but he would not be ready. Cas watched a leaf fall to the ground. As an angel he was not meant to be here, if he died here, that would be the end of him. There was a fear, yes, but there was also a purpose. If love was to be a fight, he would die for those he loved in a moment. He truly loved the Winchesters, the boys as well as their parents, even if John left a bit to be desired. Bobby Singer as well. Ultimately, though, he was in this mess because of Dean, and he would not have it any other way.

They had of course been watching Dean Winchester since he lost his mother. A gentle push here, a bit of a forceful tug at other times, the angels kept him alive. Cas had never been assigned to the human, but he did frequently watch the progress, and despite himself could feel a bond growing. Michael had been in charge of rotating out the other angels so that they would have a significant amount of time with the Righteous Man, for he was to be Michael's vessel. Yet, Michael did not pay visit to Dean, or file his prayers. Castiel did, each one he placed in the right box, and at times, he felt the beginning of emotion at the ones that begged God to bring his father home safe. Then, he saw Dean create the deal. Dean Winchester was a man by that time, and did not have angels nearby around the clock, it was happenstance, or perhaps destiny, that he happened to look down to the man. He did not say anything at first, not wanting to give himself away. However, when it became clear that the hellhounds were to get Dean he had taken off in search of his brother. No one was paying attention to Dean Winchester; no one had noticed his absence. In took a day to discover that Michael was in the throne room, holding conference with angels as they came. The line stretched on for miles. A day in Heaven was the equivalent to a month on Earth, once you reached the highest level where the souls of the dead, and God himself were. He flew to the front of the line, causing outcry and security to detain him. He was then thrown back down to the lower level. It took three more days to break through and alert Michael.

It had caused a panic, Michael sending fleets of angels to go after the man. It was a tragically beautiful sight to see them freefall towards Earth. A heavy hand landed on him, and his brother asked him many questions before he was told to stay behind no matter what. It had been too late to prevent what Michael feared. He shared a profound bond with Dean Winchester, and he would be the one to save him. He may have injured a few guards in the process but he left Heaven at the speed of a falling star, straight into the fiery depths of hell.

"Come out come out!" A voice called. "Here, little angel…" Leviathans, there was no doubt. He did not wait this time before calling the flock to him by extending his grace. Several appeared, followed by more, until about twenty surrounded him. Cas let the trench coat fall to the ground, the tie loosened. His blue eyes scanned the enemy. The surged as one as Cas let his eyes fall closed. Dean was relying on him. There was several pained shouts as Cas began to fight them off. Therefore, a soldier he would be.

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"I am going to try the apple." Danny said after about an hour of contemplation. He wanted out, and if it did nothing he would have even more motivation to escape the punishment that Clockwork had given him. Benny shrugged, tired of trying to relate to the stubborn human. Benny knew this was not the human that the rumors had been about. This human was almost more a monster than he was. The bright red apple was brought up to pale lips, a blue mist passing over it. The crunch was crisp, and Benny watched the human carefully.

"Anything?" Benny questioned.

"Well that was-" Danny wheezed, the fruit rolling from his hand and onto the ground, turning black from where he had bitten it. He gripped at his throat, falling to his knees. He began to cough violently, his entire body convulsing. Benny grabbed Dany by the chest, concerned that the human was choking. The heart under his fingertips had no discernable pattern, merely pounding away at random. Blue began to overtake the human's skin, green eyes burning a beam of neon light through the forest. He could see the piece of red in Danny's mouth.

"Spit it out!" Benny commanded. Danny tore away from him, bathing Benny in the green light when he pinned the vampire with a glare. The color was shifting, slowly but surely. A serpentine tongue pressed the piece of fruit out to the forest floor, retreating behind grinning fangs when this did nothing to stop the transformation. Benny did the only thing he could think of. He attacked.

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"He bit it, didn't he?" Dan asked when he found Clockwork staring at a blank screen. "A monster for eternity now. Do you think he will take it better than Eve did?"

"I think that Purgatory will find themselves with a dictator." Clockwork replied, leaving Dan in the room alone. Dan gripped at his head, getting a minor headache just behind his eyes. He shook it off, the wall would hold. How bad could he have really been?

"What were you thinking Danny?" Dan asked aloud to the dusty room. His reflection sneered at him, causing him to face it fully in surprise. The black screen version of him mimicked his motions exactly. He figured it must have been the curve of the screen playing tricks on him. Today was officially the day that he and Danny were the same age, and he would be taken off his homeostatic aging spell. He was where Danny should have been, and the hybrid was where he was meant to be. He should have gone in after Danny. Although Dan was now officially his own person, he still felt as if he owed to Danny his existence, and wished to look after his counterpart. "A dictator…." Dan whispered to himself, eyes getting distant. A sudden, artificial spark of amusement jumped to his eye. "Haha, penis potato." If the following laughter turned manic towards the end, no one was around to mention it.

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Benny held a hand over the sizable bite in his neck. Danny was wiping he blood off his chin in horror, his hand shaking as he brought the red substance to eye level. Panicked blue looked to him for answers. The man looked like a lost little boy. There was nothing Benny could say, however, not without making things worse. Slowly depth, anger, and sorrow returned to the robin egg eyes, turning them something akin to slate blue.

"You incompetent son of a bitch!" Danny shouted, ripping Benny's hand away from his neck. Benny bared his fangs in warning, but Danny merely took a piece of fabric from his shirt in order to bandage it. Once Benny was patched up, Danny walked away, heading for the nearest stream.

"Who was that boy?" Benny asked, his voice hoarse.

"The blood loss is messing with your head." Danny spat. "There was no boy."

"The one in your face." Benny clarified. Danny stopped, turning back to Benny.

"That boy died along with his loved ones."

"Leaving his shell for a monster to inhibit." Danny bared his new row of fangs. He was beyond agitated, he felt like tearing Purgatory up from its roots. "I can change you back."

"How?" Danny commanded.

"That will have to wait, because I don't exactly remember. Jus' don't draw anyone's blood." Benny admitted, taking the lead. The trip would be quicker now with Danny able to keep up with his vampire speed. He did a few quick steps, moving halfway down stream. Distantly he heard Danny curse.

If a tree falls in a forest and a vampire needs to use super senses to hear it, did it signal a bond?

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Sam had barely made it into Vlad's lab before Kitty, the female ghost babbling about a mile a minute, was pulling him along. Sam patiently waited for a break in her speech in order to interrupt, before recalling that Kitty did not need to breathe. Vlad shut the portal and raced after them. He seemed to understand what the girl was saying, and his face lit up. Kitty let go of Sam, to tug at her hair.

"What…" Sam began, though it was clear that Kitty was not listening. He stood in a moment of shock as Vlad sprinted down the hall with Kitty. The billionaire turned to look over his shoulder, calling for Sam to follow. Vlad looked divine with the large smile framed by lose locks of greying hair, and so Sam did as told, catching up in a manner of seconds. "What is going on?"

"A child Sam!" Vlad said with a laugh. His cobalt eyes sparkled with a fresh look on life. The trip to the reaper had helped the ghost with moving on, and Sam figured that he should too.

"Where?" He asked observing every door as they approached it.

"Ember's room!" Kitty answered, finally tired of running and shooting up through the ceiling. Sam quickly calculated the quickest route to the singer's room.

"Race you." He blurted before taking off. He could hear Vlad's footfalls behind him and he flashed a superior grin over his shoulder. Vlad responded with a smug look of his own, running through a ring of black light. "Cheater!"

"Never." Plasmius said in fake offense. He took Sam by the hand, teleporting them to the room. The scene was nothing like how Sam had expected. There was a light blue bubble floating in the middle of the room, Skulker and Ember sitting beneath it in deep meditation. At times Ember's lips would quirk into a smile, and Skulker would give a huff. Green and blue flames mixed, surrounding the bubble. Kitty was practically crushing Johnny's arm a high-pitched squeal emanating from her. Plasmius gripped Sam's hand tighter, and the human realized that he had forgotten to let go. Slowly the bubble melted away, showing a young ghost. He had grey skin with a tuft of fiery green hair. Eyes wearily blinked open, a wonderful blue. Ember floated up, and the baby landed in her arms.

"Thanh." The baby cooed melodically. She clutched her son tightly to her, looking over at Vlad and Sam. There was tears in the halfa's eyes, and Sam figured there was also a lump in his throat. The others did not know that they had gone the tower, and Sam figured that what they had discovered would make the moment even sweeter.

"Danny's happy…with my brother believe it or not." Johnny let out a holler of joy.

"Time to party!" Nervous eyes looked to Vlad. "Uh, with your permission…" Vlad gave the ghost a stern look.

"We will not be having a party." He said. Sam gave Vlad a look, feeling that he was being unfair. A quick wink caught him off guard. "We will be having an announcement!" Vlad sunk through the floor, pulling the reluctant Sam with him. "Press that button." Vlad told him, pointing to one that looked like the million others on the board. Sam placed his hand over it.

"What exactly is an announcement?" Sam asked. Vlad placed his hand over Sam's and they pressed the button together. The portal doors flew open, ghosts already beginning to gather. Vlad gestured them in, pulling Sam into the Ghost Zone. Above his portal in beautiful script was a message. "On behalf of Ember McClain and Skulker Huntsman, Vlad Masters and Sam Winchester would like to present Thanh."

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"You are going to hurt yourself." Phantom said lazily as Dean continued to stumble around with his hands covering his face. There was a muffled complaint. "Well stop denying it and I'll stop trying to get it out of you." Dean let his hands fall to his sides.

"I'm bi okay?" he huffed in exasperation. Phantom nodded, walking upside down next to Dean. "Can we focus on what's important now?"

"Yes. I…A baby was made." Phantom gasped, falling on his head as he dropped out of the air. He scrambled upright, looking around in a frenzy.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked. "If this is some time of joke-"

"Shush!" Phantom hissed, trying to find a thread of an invitation anywhere. They could follow the feeling back home, back to the new baby, Vlad was announcing it, along with…Sam. He looked at Dean, but decided against mentioning it. "A baby was made by a pair of ghosts. Ghosts that I know! My godfather, well Danny's godfather technically, made an announcement. A truce, among all ghosts, to see the new kid. I can sense the calling but I think this place is scrambling it. I can't find the path."

"Woah, okay. Calm down." Dean said, pulling the ghost to his chest. "Relax. Breathe."

"Don't need to breathe." Phantom reminded him.

"Just pretend to." Dean replied. Phantom took a few calming breaths.

"I can't find it." Phantom admitted. "I'm sorry." It was too much for the ghost to handle and he broke into tears. Dean sighed, and it made Phantom tense.

"It's okay." The human assured. "We should stop for the night."

"Okay." Phantom agreed, moving away from the Hunter. He began to clear a spot for them to reside for the night. Dean shoved his hands in his pockets. He was past the point of no return. Cas may have saved him, but now it was his turn to save Phantom. If they found Cas, it would be great, but if they couldn't. "Do you know how to sing?" Dean nodded, taking a spot next to Phantom. A song had been stuck in his head all day, without much reason. He had not heard the song in ages, having it downloaded on his old iPod that was shoved somewhere in the seats of the Impala.

"They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for." Dean began, allowing Phantom to rest his head on his shoulder. "Well, baby, you are all that I adore." A small dome of green light surrounded them. Dean let his eyes fall closed. "If love is what you need, a soldier I will be." A puff air against his neck told him that Phantom had fallen asleep. He found it amusing that the ghost mimicked breathing while asleep. Dean stared at the sky, wishing for the constellations from back home.

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"I'm an angel with a shotgun, fighting 'til the war's won, I don't care if heaven won't take me back. I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe. Don't you know you're everything I have? And I wanna live, not just survive…" Cas curled his wings around him tightly, the chill of the night getting to him. ", tonight."

So I missed the one month mark, sorry. It should help to know that I am already half way done with the next chapter, and I will most likely post over Thanksgiving Break. What did you guys think, please review!