AN: It seems that most DP fanfics revolve around Vlad/Danny pairings. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I wanted Vlad to have some different company. I created an OC to stick in, not being comfortable or favorable enough to choose any of the shows female characters.

Enjoy. :)

Edit - 11/26/12 - Revising and editing chapters up to 15 or so.

Chapter 1

"Dear Family,

I hope you all had a great vacation and actually got the rest and relaxation you've all been so desperately wanting. I wish I could have tagged along, but I was right; having this time to myself has really been good for me. This brings me to the point of the letter.

Mom, Dad, I know you both are trying to give the best advice you can as parents, but I need to get away from it all. I wish I could make you two understand that I do want to go to college and get on with my life, but it's just that I'm not entirely sure what it is I want to do yet. And all the ghost business, I'm sick of it. There are new ones popping up every day, and I'm so tired of putting up with it. I'm an adult now, going on twenty-one years old, and can make decisions on my own, so I've decided to move out.

You might not like the idea Mom, but I've decided to stay with Uncle Vlad for the time being. You two may not be the friends you were during your college years, but he's become someone that I can call a friend, and no Dad, I'm not looking for another father. You two are my parents, and I would never change that.

As for how long I'm staying, I can't say for sure, but I promise to keep in contact. You have my cell number as well, so don't be afraid to call. Just please don't be too upset when you do.

Mom, Dad, Jazz, Danny, I'll miss you guys.

Love, Roz."

XxX

Roslynne Fenton sat parked in her lime-green Bug. It was dark, but she had successfully made her way through the Colorado woods, and now found herself staring at Vlad Masters' mountain chalet. She had never visited it before, and without the flickering light of a fireplace, she would have mistaken it for empty. Roz in fact had only come face-to-face with Vlad once, and that was during her family's stay at his Wisconsin castle-like mansion leading up to her parent's college reunion several months ago. It had been a complete disaster, and the tension between Vlad and her father had returned, but Roz had found the time before chaos started to get to know Mr. Masters.

Vlad had developed the nickname "Uncle Vlad" from her younger siblings Danny and Jazz. He saw himself as somewhat of a god parent to them, even though the intentions were not entirely loving. Roz on the other hand had a different view of him and was glad to have developed a solid friendship with her parent's old friend, but loved to jokingly call him Uncle Vlad now and again.

Her contact with Vlad had become almost constant. Roz often called him for condolence when her parents were driving her up the wall. He was a busy man, but he always had the time to talk to his favorite young Fenton. Sometimes though, the tables were turned.

Everyone in the family, minus her father, knew Vlad still had feelings for her mother. Her younger brother Danny had briefly told her about the time he and their mother had found themselves stumbling into the same area she now sat. Vlad had flat-out asked her mother Maddie to leave her husband for him, therefore spoiling their friendship. While Roz didn't agree with Vlad's motives, she knew all he wanted was for someone to love him, and listened to him whenever he needed someone to talk to. Her mother referred to her fondness of him "disrespectful" in her father's defense.

Roz pulled her key from the ignition and grabbed her purse. Her bags were left in the car. She had not notified Vlad of her visit and hoped he didn't have company. According to Danny though, Vlad's personality perfectly matched that of a loner.

She hurried to the door as the cold air whipped through her dark red hair. Her thin white t-shirt and equally thin red jacket was less than suitable for the new climate that surrounded her. With a shaking hand, she quickly jabbed the doorbell button.

What a sight, Roz thought as she waited for the sound of the door handle turning, a runaway asking the rich man to take her in.

Within just a few seconds, Vlad slowly parted the doors enough to view his late night visitor. "Roslynne!" he said enthusiastically, pushing the doors aside. His bright eyes noticed that she was shivering and rushed her inside.

"I hope I'm not showing up at a bad time." Roz said as she walked inside. As usual, Vlad's hair was neatly tied back, but his suit jacket had been replaced with a white evening robe.

"Not at all." Vlad ushered Roz into the foyer he'd occupied minutes ago. "I don't suppose I have to ask why you're here." He frequently reminded Roz that she was more than welcome to visit him when her nerves were on end.

Roz sat down on a dark red sofa, as close to the fireplace as she could get. She took a minute to take in all the animal pelts and trophies that "decorated" the room. "It hasn't been so bad lately, but that's only because the school semester's coming to an end, so Danny and Jazz have been on their minds a bit more."

"Then what made you decide to leave?" Vlad asked as he sat down beside her.

She shrugged. "The usual, but I've been wanting to for some time now," Roz replied. "I was dreading to hear what my parents had to say."

Vlad draped his arm over the back of the couch. "And just what did they have to say?"

Roz bit her lip as she smiled sheepishly. "Well...I won't find out until they all come home from their camping trip and find my letter."

"Roslynne..." Vlad started in a drawling tone. He turned to her and grinned. "Your mother's not going to be the slightest bit happy about that." The two shared a smile.

"She's rarely ever happy about anything I do," Roz playfully scoffed. "She's even gotten a habit of comparing me to Jazz. She's apparently the perfect little angel that I never was."

Roz clenched her jaw as she updated Vlad on the recent occasions she had been compared to her younger sister. Vlad simply sat quietly and listened, just like he always did.

While the two sisters were both social and cared deeply for their academics, Roz had often been the one guilty of breaking curfew or being in the middle of the next round of high school drama. Recently, Roz had been taking heat for not spending enough time at home. If she wasn't working extra hours at the bookstore, she was spending time with her remaining friends in Amity Park. Her two best friends were away at college.

"Would you like to go to bed?" Vlad suddenly asked later as Roz began to lapse into a fit of yawns.

Her heavy-lidded eyes were directed to a grandfather clock in a corner of the room. She had been talking for nearly an hour. And she had never been interrupted. Vlad had always been patient with her; it was one of the things she liked most about him. She grinned quickly before turning to him and nodding.

Bracing the cold once again, Roz quickly helped Vlad in retrieving her belongings from her car. They walked in silence as she followed Vlad upstairs to the bedrooms. Like his home in Wisconsin, Vlad's cabin had far too many rooms for a single person. He stopped and opened the door to a room with blood-red furnishings.

"I know it's not as large as the room you had during your last visit with me, but I think you'll find it suitable," Vlad said as he entered the room. He turned and smirked at her in a joking manner.

Roz almost rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're too funny." The room was almost twice as large as her own room back home, and it included a private bathroom.

"Why, thank you Roslynne," Vlad chuckled slightly. He placed what bags he had at the foot of the room's large bed.

Roz repeated his actions and then sat at the edge of the bed. Her fingers instantly dug into the thick plush of the comforter. It took her back to her first night in Wisconsin. Grinning to herself, she picked up one of the bags and pulled out a black journal and pen.

Vlad was at the door and ready to leave her to herself when he heard her rummaging through her bags. "Do you want me to help you unpack?" he asked.

Roz kicked off her shoes and lay down across the bed. She flipped through the ruffled used pages until she found a clean one. "No, I'll do it tomorrow. I'm going straight to bed after I finish writing."

After turning and failing to leave again, Vlad looked back at her. "Roslynne?"

"Hmm?" She stopped writing to look up at him. Her green eyes were tired, but they also expressed the happiness she now felt.

"How long do you plan on staying?"

Half smiling, Roz joked, "I guess until you decide to throw me out." When Vlad didn't reply and took a deep, silent breath, she returned to her journal and turned serious. "Why, how long can I stay?"

Vlad grinned quickly. "As long as you want to. I don't want you to think you have to go home."

"I'll hold you to that," the young woman replied with a smirk. "But you should know I don't want it to be anytime soon. I'm not here strictly because I wanted to get away from home. I'd like to catch up with you, face to face."

Vlad cocked his head while his hand lingered on the door handle. He almost had a look disbelief on his face. "I'm happy to hear you say that," he nearly laughed.

"Well, you're kind of my only rich friend, so…" Roz joked as she continued with her writing. She stole a glance at Vlad, who gave her a mock-scolding look. "But seriously," she laughed before her tone changed, "you're a good friend…and you just sound so lonely sometimes."

An awkward silence fell between the two then. Roz knew she was right, and even though they were indeed good friends, she also knew Vlad wouldn't openly admit to it. He shared some of his feelings with her, but not all of them.

However, she was surprised when the man whispered, "I am." The sadness in his voice was apparent.

Roz's eyes quickly snapped up to catch his own, but they were looking toward the floor. She knew the reason, and it was quite an awkward one. Putting her book down, Roz scooted back to the edge of the bed. She started to get up, but instead she curled her fists into the bed. After almost of year of electronic comforting, she was reluctant to give the man a physical sign.

"Don't worry," she started as a smirk appeared on her face, "I'll badger you enough."

"Badger," Vlad almost laughed as his eyes finally looked up. "Heaven help me if you are as tiresome as your brother."

Roz snorted a laugh as the tension quickly left the room. The two shared a warm smile before she started to yawn once again. Vlad took it as his cue.

"Well then, I'll see you in morning. Sleep well," Vlad said as he finally opened the door to leave.

"Thank you, Vlad." Roz said softly as he stepped into the hall.

After the door was closed behind him, Vlad let his hand linger on the handle. "No, thank you Roslynne."