Danny Phantom: Vampire Heart

Chapter seven: The journal

Vlad poked his head around Danny's bedroom door. The boy was sitting at his desk, face down and sleeping soundly still with his lamp on and a pen loosely held in his hands. He took a sheet from the bed and placed it over him, taking the pen out of his hand and noticing the page he was writing on. Sitting on the chair besides the sleeping boy, and began reading...

"So last night Sam attacked me... right after my family's funeral. I was shocked as hell - I mean jesus christ, one minute we're making out and the next she's trying to kill me. I woke up at Vlad's place. I always thought he was a heartless sag of shit, but it seems there's more to him than that. He saved my life - again-, cleaned and bandaged my wounds and stayed by my side. I thought that maybe it was just another scheme to gain my trust so he can betray me later and make me join him and such, but he has genuine concern in his voice... I can tell somehow that he cares. I still have doubts...

I had a dream too... Sam was screaming at me to help her, telling me that I 'Didn't need to do this'... I thought I was awake but my mom was there and she told me about God erasing Sam's memory and in a way employing her... to wipe out vampires. I had another dream, about Vlad... his old house. When I woke up I went there, and touched a blood hand print... It was like I was there, in Vlad's house when he was young except no one could see me. His father was drunk and abusive, and shoved him in his room. Right as he was about to punch Vlad, the punch that would hurt the most... I stood between them. I didn't even think about it, I just didn't want to see the kid get hurt more. I stared him in the eye, and he seemed to see me. Then he had a heart attack and died. Part of me thinks that I killed him... I can't be sure, judging by the amount of alcohol the man consumed it was inevitable that he would die because of it someday... But man, poor Vlad. After that Dracula was there... he retold me what mom had, only he confirmed it... I have to kill Sam. I have to kill my only love... How can I do that?

The fly home was a silent one... I probably made im worried sick...

note to self: apologise to Vlad."

The man smiled, not an evil grin or a 'I have a cunning plot' face, just a genuine smile. He stood up and wrapped the sheet properly around Danny to make him more comfortable, and but his hand on the boy's shoulder as a way of saying goodnight. "Thanks...Dad..." he whispered in his sleep. Suddenly, Vlad was filled with deep sadness. He always thought that the time Daniel called him 'father' it would make him the happiest man on Earth; yet it just reminded him of the grief and loss the boy was suffering. Part of him knew that he probably would rather have Jack here tucking him in rather than Vlad, and that he probably thought in his distant sleep that it was his real Father and not someone who less than a week or so ago was considered as an enemy, perhaps still was.

Walking downstairs, he heard a rattle coming from the kitchen. Strange, at this hour Danny and himself were the only people in the house. Continoing on to the kitchen, he found who else but Skulker rumaging through the liquor cabinet. "Skulker, what are you doing here?" he sighed.

"Getting a drink. Woah, what's up with you boss?"

"Ugh. Get me a drink too."
"What do you fancy?"
"Anything strong... I'll be in the living room."

Moments later, skulker joined Vlad in the living room, both sitting lazily on the sofa drinking red wine from expensive looking glasses.

"Caring for teenagers is supposed to be hard to begin with, and Daniel's a grieving wreck with ghost powers, hes part vampire and les we forget is being stalked by Dracula himself. He's just found out that he's supposed to kill his girlfriend and the second I take my eyes off him he's in trouble again!"
"I heard his family and that goth chick were all dead, but I swore I heard the Count talking about her. Apparently he's made her parents think that he brought her back to life, so that they don't get any smart ideas. He's got it all worked out, make Sam and her parents think that the ghost child is bad news, so that they don't get close again which would stop them killing each other. Quite sly yet cunning." Vlad remained speechless for a moment, stunned by what he just found out.

"Daniel said he saw his mother in his dream, and she told him that God erased the goth girl's memories, Dracula told him the same. I sound crazy, I don't know what to believe now."

"Why dont you just let me kill the whelp?"

"...lay a finger on him and it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Ofcourse it will, Cause I'll waste him." They both turned around to see an unhappy Danny standing in the doorway. "Tell me, how exactly do you know this? Wait, don't tell me, you probably stalked him." the room remained silent, how much of that conversation had the boy head? "So Vlad, I bet you enjoyed reading my journal huh?"
"I..."

"DON'T LIE TO ME! How else would you know all those things? HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!"

"I..."
"And then I come down here and find who else but Skulker, the guy who hunts me for fun, drinking with you and talking about ME! VLAD, IS THE ONLY REASON I'M HERE BECAUSE OF MY MOM? WELL, IS IT?!"

"I..."

"Fine. I'll go to Tucker's place; and if that don't work out, I'll live in my dead house - anywhere's better than this joint!" he yelled, transforming and flying straight out of the window, smashing it as he went - probably just to irritate Vlad.

"See what I mean? And I can't just leave him out there..."

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Tucker sat fiddling with his PDA, lately his life had been less than disirable. Since Danny, his best friend had dissapeared; Right after his families deaths, he just left without a trace. As for Sam, she didn't even seem to remember him, and after a while of trying to persuade her, he gave up. Friendless, lonely, he didn't even bother going to school anymore. Suprised he was when he turned around and saw Danny's face. "WHA?! DANNY? OH MY GOD WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" he yelled, hugging his best friend like crazy.

"At Vlads..." The smell of blood... He suddenly remembered how hungry he was, able to feel Tuck's every heartbeat, every pulse - which made it a hundred times worse. "Long story..." a bead of sweat rolled down his face, the temptation was too great; he must not succumb to it.

"Man, are you alright? You look kinda washed out."

"Huh? Oh yeah... I'm fine..." he insisted. "I just need a place to crash..."
"Say no more, you can stay in the guest bedroom; We can have a sleep over, play video games!" He was extremely enthusiastic - who wouldn't be? Especially when their best friend had just appeared out of nowhere. He spun around, "Hey Danny. what's up with Sam, it's like - D-Danny... your...teeth...!" he stuttered stumbling backward a few steps. Reaching upto his mouth, he felt his own teeth, to find sharp fangs. He couldn't control himself any longer.

"I... I'm sorry, Tuck." He said, dissolving into the air and suddenly re-appearing right behind Tucker, before sinking his teeth into him. Before he knew what he was doing, Tucker lay bleeding in his arms. "Oh my god... What have I done... TUCKER!" he yelled, holding his friend tightly. "I'm so sorry; I couldn't help it! Don't die, please don't die... You're the only real friend I have left... TUCKER!!!"

"It's... not your fault... Danny..." He whispered, before slipping into eternal darkness.

Tucker Foley was dead... He was going to stay that way forever.

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Skulker scowered the city of Amity Park in search of the ghost child, due to strict orders. He checked the old home, nothing. The house was dusty and empty, it reeked of death and decay. He then checked Sam's house, but again found nothing. beginning to loose hope, he flew out of the house and looked around one last time, when his eyes fell upon the faint, glowing form sitting on the Foley's roof. Knees pulled close to his chest, head buried in his arms. "Phantom?" The robotic ghost asked, knowing full well that it was him; just unsure what he should say.

"I killed him..." he stuttered, looking up at Skulker with teary eyes, shaking slightly from both fear and the icy temperature. "I killed my best friend... How could I do that?" he questioned, wiping the blood from his mouth. Tucker's blood. He stood up and walked towards the edge of the building, unaffected by the other ghosts presence. "Why are you here?" He said in a cold, empty voice.

"Plasmius sent me to make sure you didn't do anything stupid, and that you went home now. I figured that you can't do anything stupid if your unconscious!" he bellowed, aiming a punch for the boy's face. Danny quickly jumped, and landed ontop of Skulker's metal arm.

"And where exactly is home you stupid bucket of bolts!" he yelled, kicking him square in the face. "I'll show you stupid, I'll show you freakin' stupid. Flying miles into the air and cut out my ghost powers - try telling that to your boss!" He yelled, flying up high into the air. The thought never really crossed his mind before; he had everything - a loving family, great friends, super powers - the ones he loved were gone, he had no one left to protect. If he transformed human even now, it would end it all for him. No more pain, no more dragging himself through every day and wishing it was over before it began... He did it. Replacing his messy white hair was raven black, his green eyes replaced by blue, and he began plummeting towards the Earth. He closed his eyes so that he couldn't see how far he was from the ground, therefore wouldn't be tempted tp stop himself before impact. Suddenly; pain. Wasn't this supposed to be more or less painless? Opening his eyes he saw Skulker, he'd caught him and was now carrying him under one arm. "Let go of me you freak!" he yelled, trying to escape his grip, but it was no use... as a human anyway. Changing back into Phantom, he tried to phase out of the ghost's grip, but it was no use. He was just too strong.

"Afraid not whelp, I promised Plasmius I'd take you back in one piece and that's what I intend to do." He said sternly, flying towards Wisconsin.

"Let go!" Danny yelled and struggled, but to no avail. "Fine. might as well enjoy the free ride right?" he moaned under his breath, giving skulker an evil glare. Before, Tucker would have hacked into his systems and freed Danny in no time... but now that wouldn't happen, never again. Danny had ended the life of his best friend, and wasn't even aware of him doing so until it was too late. He managed to turn his head enough to be able to see the ambulance outside of Tuck's house, the light go off in his bedroom, a bedroom that would be forever unoccupied by his best friend.

His life was so screwed up.

A lone tear trickled down his face, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"What's wrong with your face?"
"Nothing."

"Are those tears?" he asked out of genuine curiosity, but didn't allow much time for a response - like Danny was going to give one anyway. "I am incapable of shedding tears, I've been told it resembles pain."

"Shut up Skulker."