Ahhh, so here we are. At the end of this story. It seemed like this day would never come, but here it is. I hope you enjoy this final chapter as much as I did. See you at the bottom.

Pearl and Vlad muse presents... final chapter of the Checkmate/Endgame series.

Endgame Epilogue

Three weeks later

Sitting calmly behind his desk, Mayor Master looked at the three Guys-in-White agents sitting in front of him. But there were also two more members of the mayor's council and two lawyers in the room.

"This is more than what my council and I asked for in the settlement proposal we sent your division last week. It is almost too good to be true…" the older hybrid remarked. "You can understand why I am hesitant to accept such generosity. After all, trust is such a hard thing to win back once you have lost it. And I can assure you this town—including myself and my council—has absolutely no trust in your agency."

Vlad had been impressed that the top general of these ghost hunters had traveled from D.C. to meet with him… and had apologized for what Agent C and his team had done to Danielle and to Amity Park. And while he had agreed to settle things outside of court with the Guys-in-White, he had never expected for their top general to show up in person to discuss their settlement. He had figured the agency would just send their lawyer.

It was hard to stay neutral though. General W was the very person who had both locked him up and had been assigned to handling his case when…

"As I said, we understand your distrust Mayor Masters," General W spoke up, unknowingly pushing the mayor out of his thoughts. "However, we are trying to make amends for what happened here, and have accepted full responsibility for your daughter's accident—"

"You mean, near-death experience," Vlad corrected calmly.

"Yes…" General W said with a frown. "—I can also say it is without a doubt that this ghost attack could have been handled better by my division."

"It put Amity Park's citizens in unnecessary danger," the mayor reminded General W.

The female general calmly nodded her agreement. "It is why we are running a full investigation on the matter, which would include all government personnel involved. We will be sure to learn from this incident so that we are better prepared to respond more efficiently next time."

"I suppose we will see…," Vlad answered dismissively. "Nevertheless, I also suppose it is in the interest of all parties to move on from this terrible incident."

"Agreed," she replied. "It is why my division wanted to show you our full willingness by not only agreeing to your initial settlement request, but also, by adding a bit more. My hope is that you and your team can agree to what has been laid out before you so that we can, as you said, 'put this matter behind us'."

Vlad looked down at the papers in front of him once more. The truth was that this wasn't the first time he had seen the settlement. It had been sent beforehand for him, the council, and their lawyer to look through. They had already come to the decision on whether or not they would accept the settlement but Vlad was still a businessman first. And he knew full well you never just accepted a negotiation on the first round. It was important for the opposite party to… 'sweat' a little while they waited for an answer.

But the older hybrid could not deny it was a very good settlement. There was, of course, monetary compensation involved as retribution for the hardship, damages, and financial losses that he—as the father of Danielle Masters—endured. It was certainly more than enough to cover Danielle's medical expenses and beyond—which Vlad would be setting aside for the girl's future.

But while that was a separate contract, the biggest monetary settlement was for Amity Park itself. The government division would be covering all the cost of repairs and damages suffered by the town and its people.

Furthermore—and this piece Vlad had made sure was included—the contract stated the Guys-in-White would cease all pursuit of the ghost personas 'Danny Phantom' and 'Plasmius'; as well as any of their direct ghost associates. They would be offered immunity by the government so long as they did not commit any crimes.

The last piece of the settlement involved the Guys-in-White clearing out their Amity Park facility. The government would also recognize Maddie and Jack Fenton as professional hunters; and they would be granted all rights and permits needed to continue their ghost-hunting and research professions. They would also be appointed as the official team to oversee all ghost-hunting activities within the town.

Naturally, nothing came for free. In return for the Guys-in-White's 'generosity', Vlad, acting both as mayor of Amity Park and father of Danielle Masters, would forfeit all rights to pursue any further legal retribution against the Guys-in-White and any other government party involved in the incident that happened just a couple weeks ago.

Furthermore, the Guys-in-White still wanted the right to get involved with Amity Park should there be another massive ghost attack that might threatened more than just the town in the future. After all, they were still the government in spite of this embarrassment. They weren't going to fully relinquish their authority over any city, much less Amity Park. Finally, the incident would be kept under wraps as much as possible; and the mayor and his council were forbidden from disclosing to the press the details of the settlement or any private discussions between them.

Ultimately, the agreement appeased the government officials; but it also had everything Vlad had asked for and more. The man supposed his mastery of manipulation and turning loss into gains could be put to good use after all.

Vlad finally picked up the pen, but then paused. He looked back to General W before saying, "There is one more thing we would like from your division in order for me to agree with all the pieces outlined here…"

"Mayor Masters… I think we have been more than generous and compliant with your requests and that of your council's…" she began, a bit annoyed this time.

"Oh, it's not much," he answered smoothly. "It's more for appearance sake. You know, to help soothe the unease the good citizens of this town feel for your division. Trust is hard to gain again—as I mentioned; which is why it's important to take steps in the right direction, hmm?"

"And what is this request?"

Vlad glanced at the two council members beside him before he answered the general, "Well, I have a press conference today in a few hours. Right in front of this building in fact. My council and I would like you and your agents to make an appearance and offer a public apology on behalf of your agency."

General W glanced at the two agents with her; but then she sighed, and replied, "Part of our agreement is to keep whatever discretion is left of this matter from the press."

Vlad quickly answered, "Agreed, but you cannot cover the sun with a finger, General W. Everyone knows what happened here; so, acknowledging that an error was committed is the proper thing to do. It is all I ask."

The female general nodded. "As long as we will not be expected to answer any questions, I suppose we could do that."

"Excellent!" Vlad said with a satisfied smile. "And no need to worry about answering questions; I will be taking care of those. And I can assure you, I will exercise the most possible discretion in the matter… You might even say… it never happened."

General W raised an eyebrow at the man's grin, but then she just nodded. "Agreed."

Without further delay, Vlad finally went through with signing all the papers. It took a good half-hour since the council also had to sign it. Vlad also had to sign the separate settlement in relation to Danielle. And finally, the lawyers present had to read off a few more legal pieces and give everyone a copy of the settlement.

Standing from his desk, Vlad closed the folder labeled as 'Incident AP01-082407'and placed it on top of the already closed folder with the second 'incident' settlement relating to Danielle.

"All done," Vlad said with a small smirk; and extended a hand at General W.

General W handed her own copies of the settlements to one of the agents with her before shaking the mayor's hand. "We are done indeed. What time should we be here for the press conference?"

Vlad smiled pleasantly as he released the general's hand. "Two o'clock should be an acceptable time. I am aware that is just a few hours from now, so you and those with you are welcome to relax in the building. There is a lounge and a full cafeteria on the fourth floor. Or you could head out. There's a quaint stretch of shops and cafes just ten minutes away from here."

General W thanked him before the two council members offered to walk them out.

The older hybrid waited a full minute once everyone had left his office before he suddenly turned his eyes to a corner of the room. He then said to apparently no one, "Aren't you supposed to be in school, young man?"

None other than Danny Phantom materialized and floated down in front of his desk. He grinned sheepishly at the older hybrid as he answered, "Yeah?"

But when Vlad frowned disapprovingly at him, the teen quickly added, "Oh, come on, Vlad! When you told me you would be meeting with the Jerks-in-White I had to come to make sure everything turned out fine!"

"They could have detected you," the man retorted, still not smiling.

Danny rubbed his neck. "I figured if they couldn't detect you, they couldn't detect me."

"That's a dangerous assumption," Vlad answered, crossing his arms.

"Well, I was right, wasn't I? They didn't know I was around. Plus… we have immunity."

The teen then grinned.

Vlad shook his head before he walked in front of his desk and leaned back against it.

"Take that with a grain of salt, little badger. Immunity from the Guys-in-White is as fallible as their word."

Danny frowned this time. "You think they will break their agreement…?"

"No, but best not take chances," Vlad answered. But then, the man finally smiled and said, "Since you did hear everything, what did you think? …Was I impressive?"

This time, Danny rolled his eyes. "Smug as always, cheesehead…," he answered before he then added with a small smile, "But yeah… That was kinda cool. I can't believe you actually got them to do all that."

"You'd be surprised the things people will do to stay away from a public and legal scandal," Vlad said with a knowing smirk.

"Yeah, they even agreed to go in front of the media today to offer an apology," Danny added.

Suddenly, the boy turned human again and fell back on the sofa behind him. He stretched out his arms before resting them behind his head in a relaxed gesture. With a growing smile, he continued, "I'll tell you one thing: I won't miss that at all. I hated press conferences and talking to the media in general… I always thought having to hide my secret was hard; but it was so much worse when everyone knew who I was and had to constantly be in the public eye… I don't know how you do it."

This time, Vlad slightly lowered his gaze before he pushed off his desk and turned to grab the two folders still on it.

But catching that slightest reaction, the teen lowered his arms from behind his head and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

The man glanced hesitantly at the teen before he moved over to a filing cabinet. He was more than reluctant to tell him what he was really thinking; and it was obvious as he muttered without looking at the boy, "I just… I've been thinking of Skulker and Fright Knight… I still haven't found a way to…help them. What if I never find a way to free them from that nightmarish realm? I gave Fright Knight my word that I would find them…"

"And you will," Danny answered right away. "If anyone can find a way, it's you, dude."

Vlad just sighed as he locked his cabinet.

"But I don't think that's really what's bothering you," the teen added with a small frown.

Vlad turned to look at the teen at last. The man's eyebrows creased in a mixture of worry… and something else.

"Daniel…I was going to wait until tonight. I was going to stop by your house to talk to you; but since you're here…"

"What is it?" Danny asked, briefly feeling something from the man; but he forced himself not to delve into it since he was afraid of what it could be.

"The press conference today…," Vlad said seriously. "It's not simply to have the Guys-in-White apologize… Danny, I am publicly announcing my resignation as mayor of this town."

Danny's eyes widened. "Wait… really? But you've fixed so much already! And it's only been three weeks! And things are still not completely back to normal! The town needs you! And… Well—who is going to take your place?"

Vlad smiled a bit. "Well, Mr. Foley had some potential…"

Danny frowned. "First of all, Tucker is beyond happy to not have his mayor responsibilities anymore. And second, you know that was a different circumstance. If you remember, no one knows who I am anymore! And, in turn, no one knows all that Tucker, Sam, and my family's done for this town! They'd never let Tuck be mayor!"

"I know, Daniel. I was just joshing you," Vlad answered with a small smile. But it soon fell, and he added, "The city council will appoint an 'acting mayor' until reelections can take place. All the laws and other action items I have put in place will stay in place being it was voted and approved by the town. Nothing will change, especially with regards to Danny Phantom since you are still this world's hero. And as you said, we have immunity. So, you see, there is nothing to worry about. I was just waiting to close this settlement with the Guys-in-White before making my decision public."

"Your decision?" Danny questioned, unsure. "How long have you known you were going to resign?"

"The same day everything changed," Vlad revealed soberly. "I put in my resignation the next day with the agreement of giving the city council at least two weeks before I announced my decision. It's been three weeks. It's time."

Danny lowered his gaze and stayed quiet for a moment.

Vlad also did not say anymore, still feeling conflicted about all this. In spite of their bond, there were some things the man knew he should not share with the boy:

…such as the war raging in his mind with his inability to fully accept that he had gotten a second chance.

Perhaps it was his old self's cold and realist view of the world. But the change in their reality was a lot harder for him than what Danny realized. Then again, he tried not to show it, for the boy's sake.

Danny saved him from continuing with his thoughts when the teen finally asked, "What are you going to do now? Focus on your companies?" He looked back at the man, and added, "I mean, since you were never gone, Stephanie never opened your letter, and she never sold your companies; so I am guessing everything's good with them, right?"

Vlad nodded. "Yes… Except that, I've decided to sell them myself."

Danny just stared at him. "Are you serious? But you've spent years building them up!"

Vlad didn't answer this time.

And Danny suddenly realized what he was feeling from the man.

It was wistfulness.

"That's not all you're doing, is it?" Danny said quietly, lowering his gaze as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs. He glanced up at the man and whispered, "Are you leaving, Vlad?"

The older hybrid just nodded.

The teen looked away again and fell quiet. But then he asked, "How long? Long enough to sell your companies? To see Stephanie and Annabelle?"

The teen didn't blame the man for missing them or wanting to focus on his personal things again. From what Vlad had told him, he hadn't even talked to Stephanie since things changed. And he definitely had not been back to Wisconsin.

It wasn't that that troubled the boy now. It was the fact that the wistfulness the older hybrid was radiating was directed at him. And that meant, this separation the man was talking about was not just a week or two or even a month.

Vlad sighed again; before he finally moved over to the teen and sat beside him. He then confirmed what he knew the teen already could feel.

"Longer than that."

This time, Danny stared at him with confusion and slight despair. "What does that mean? And why?"

He didn't understand Vlad's decision. They were supposed to—and needed to—stay together. Hadn't that been clear to the man?

"It means our paths need to run parallel for a bit, little badger," Vlad said sadly. "It means that I need some time to get my life in order and fix some of the wrong I've done—starting with the very companies founded on theft and lies. And the 'why' is because I need to do what's best for you."

"How is your going away indefinitely what's best for me?" Danny questioned back, now both confused and frustrated.

But not wanting to let his emotions get the best of him, the teen sighed deeply before he sat up a bit straighter. He then said more soberly, "I can understand your resignation, Vlad. I also get you need to…fix some things; and I know you miss Stephanie and Annie. So, don't think I'm undermining any of that; but you're not even talking about a few months. I know you're not. And that's what I don't get. I thought with everything that happened and all Clockwork and Serenity said to us, we both understood how important it is for us to stick together. So, why this sudden need to put distance between us; let alone say you think it's what's 'best' for me?"

"It is not a sudden decision or a need, Daniel," Vlad replied, some of his distress leaking through this time. "I knew this is what I had to do the moment Clockwork and Serenity explained the significance of our bond, and the moment we accepted to use that bond to protect the Natural Order. Don't you see? This is bigger than just you and me…. I don't want to do this. I have to do this."

"But why?" Danny pressed, still just as confused.

Vlad was quiet for a moment. He didn't fully expect for the boy to understand. He himself did not. But his experience and knowledge of the supernatural allowed him a greater understanding than the teen of all Serenity and Clockwork had said to them.

And a part of the older hybrid feared what it all meant. And it was also the other reason why he couldn't completely feel relief over the alteration in the timeline. He knew nothing came for free. If he learned anything from Clockwork and Serenity it was that everything was connected. And when you altered one piece, the dominos fell elsewhere.

He also didn't know what consequences or responsibilities came with his and Daniel's decision to accept guardianship of Existence…. and when they accepted for their fate and bond to be tied to the Natural balance.

He didn't know.

But he knew his guardianship to the younger half-ghost would always come first in his core and heart. So, his decision was not so much because of what he didn't know, but rather because of what he did know had to happen to assure his bond with Danny was protected.

"What are you afraid of, Vlad?" Danny suddenly asked in a soft and wary voice.

Vlad stared at him. He was still amazed with the depth that their bond allowed them to connect with each other and understand each other, even when the other gave no words or clue of their inner thoughts and feelings.

And the older hybrid was right, of course. Because while he didn't reply to the teen, he could see by how the boy's eyes widened slightly that he knew the answer already.

Of losing you.

Danny eyebrows creased. "Vlad… I told you, I am not changing my mind. But.. your decision makes it sound like… you have. I…" He lowered his gaze. "I don't want to lose you either."

"Little badger, I'm not changing my mind. And you will never lose me. We stay together this time, remember?" Vlad answered warmly. "My fear is not of us breaking apart. I am sure now that won't happen ever again… But this bond… is a double edge sword. Like any power, it can overtake us if we do not learn how to properly use it and control it. I'm afraid of losing you to it."

Danny placed a hand against his chest as if he could feel their bond in his dormant core. He understood to some extent what Vlad was saying. After all, Clockwork and Serenity warned them their bond had the power to create or destroy. And he knew it could overwhelm them at times just like their cores could. But….

"We can figure it out together. Shouldn't we learn to control and understand it together?"

Vlad sighed. He knew this would be hard. The younger hybrid was still so young in spite of how much he had grown in so many ways. But the teen was still learning that sometimes certain sacrifices were needed now to assure a better outcome later.

Looking back at the conflicted teen, Vlad extended his hand at him with his palm facing up.

"Do you know what a guardian is, Daniel?" he asked quietly.

Danny hesitated with the simple question before he raised his own hand with his palm down and held it just above the man's own. The teen watched sadly as a sphere of gold energy appeared between their hands.

"It is someone who guards and protects someone else," Danny muttered.

Vlad nodded. "Yes, but in the spectral realm it is much more than that. A guardian is someone who can balance and amplify the power of whatever or whoever he or she is connected to. In my case, my presence balances and amplifies your core and powers… It's an amazing concept, one I've only begun to understand. But I understand it enough to know everything I do or do not do directly affects you."

Danny stared at the gold energy building within their proximity. And he could further feel his body was glowing gold by now. But then, Vlad removed his hand, and the glow around him vanished. And yet, the gold sphere now hovering below the teen's hand lingered for a few seconds longer. It was soothing; but not enough to dispel the anxiety he felt with the man's words.

"What I do and do not do also affects you," Danny answered, staring back at the older hybrid. "I think that's all the more reason to stay together."

"It's not the same, Daniel," Vlad answered soberly. "You are just a boy. Unlike myself, you are not meant to have it 'all figured out'. In other words, being unbalanced is part of being young and learning through life experiences and mistakes what your place in this world is. Yes, you are unique in that you also have a ghost side. And my presence helps balance your core; but it also amplifies it. Do you not see the problem with that?"

Danny frowned. "That my powers will develop too quickly if you stay close? Well, that's why you're here. You can teach me. Balance me, like you said."

"But I can't balance you as I am," Vlad answered worriedly. "That's the problem. With everything that's happened I realized I cannot truly help you balance yourself until I find my own balance…"

"There has to be balance in one before there can be balance in two," Danny muttered remembering Serenity's words on her scroll.

"Precisely," Vlad answered. "Daniel, I want to protect you. I want to guide you. And I want to help you grow in every sense of the word. But I have to find my own balance first. I have to make amends for the wrongs I've done; and I have to do away with the things in my heart that have kept me in the dark for so long."

"But that's in the past," Danny insisted. "You've proven you're not evil. You've admitted your mistakes. You've changed."

Vlad smiled sadly. "Yes, but that does not mean all of my unhealthy obsessions have just disappeared. Even now, my instincts tell me I have to keep you close. Just like a…father, I want to hide you from this world which could attempt to hurt you at any moment. There's still a part of me that wants you to leave who you are behind and take you with me so I can control your choices and make sure you don't get hurt by your mistakes. Do you understand? I cannot stay close as I am if I am going to allow you to grow; and more importantly, to grow at your own pace."

Vlad sighed deeply, revealing he was more upset by this than he let on.

But sensing how upset Danny was getting now that he finally began to understand, the man placed a hand on the teen's shoulder to get him to look at him.

"You are my light," Vlad told him softly. "My purpose; my little badger. But your light is needed by so many around you. And a light is not meant to be hidden away from the world. If I ever hope to be a good guardian for you, I cannot keep you from your purpose."

Danny lowered his gaze again to hide the fact that his eyes were glazing over. He knew a good-bye when he heard it. But he knew the man was right. And who was he to deny him the time to get his own life in order?

He supposed if he admitted to himself, a separation would help them both figure out a few things. Mainly, how to live with such a powerful bond between each other without it overshadowing everything and everyone else who was as equally important in their lives. It's like Vlad had said: they had to learn to find their own balance so that their wonderful bond didn't become an obsession or threat to themselves or anyone else. After all, isn't that what Clockwork and Serenity had said? Their bond had the power to change everything but it could be to do good or to do harm. That meant, they had to keep it healthy and balanced in order to assure it was beneficial to the world, especially now that they had taken the responsibilities of being guardians of Existence. He still didn't know what that truly meant, but he knew it was significant.

But it was still hard to accept that Vlad had to go away for some time. He didn't want to be apart from his guardian.

"… What if I need you?" Danny looked back at the man and added in a whisper, "What if I can't do it without you?"

Vlad smiled warmly before placing a hand against the teen's face in a fatherly gesture. "Oh, little badger. You'll never have to again. I told you, you're not losing me. Just because I need to physically separate myself from you for a time does not mean I am leaving you alone. I'll be looking after you from a distance if need be."

"Spying on me?" Danny asked with a small sad smile.

Vlad chuckled lightly. "Spying is such a negative word…. But I supposed I can't do away with all my bad habits…." But then the man sobered up a bit and added, "However the means, I promise you I will be there for you whenever you need me. Besides, who said we cannot visit each other from time to time, hmm?"

The man suddenly lowered his hand and lightly patted the teen's chest as he assured him, "And we'll always have this between us. As long as we protect it, we will always be together in some shape or form. But I just want you to be free to make your own choices and find your own purpose in life. Whether that purpose stays forever in this town… or expands into whatever you dream of. I will support you in any way I can."

Danny hesitated; but then, he gingerly touched the man's chest. For once, he wanted to really reach out to the man's core. He immediately felt the familiar hot tingle surge through his arm and into his own core. He never thought he would ever find his ex-arch-enemy's energy and presence so comforting.

But then with a sigh, the teen lowered his hand and just hugged the man instead. "I'm really going to miss you," he told him as his throat tightened.

Vlad smiled sadly and hugged the boy back. "I am going to miss you, too, little badger. I… I don't want to leave you; but I know I must. At least for now. And I can assure you I won't stay away longer than necessary."

"I trust you. I know you won't desert me," Danny answered, squeezing his eyes shut to keep his tears at bay.

Vlad pulled away from the teen; and smiled fondly at him. "Never, little badger. You're stuck with me now. And… I am so thankful for it. Just… thank you, Danny. For everything. I swear on my life I am going to be the guardian you deserve."

Danny smiled back. "You already are." But then his eyebrows creased as he asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I will just take my cat Maddie and have my things delivered at a later date."

"And… Danielle?" Danny asked worriedly.

This time, Vlad lowered his gaze. "I already talked with your father. She is staying with you and your family. I know she'll be in good hands."

"You haven't gone by once since she woke up. We told her you created the serum that saved her life."

"Yes, but… I was not able to save her core," Vlad muttered. "Her ghost DNA was too damaged to rebuild. The last test I did, she shows less than 10% of spectral molecules left in her body. Her genetic make-up is now almost completely human."

"You still saved her life," Danny answered. "And she doesn't care about not having ghost powers anymore. In fact, she told me she feels happy to get a chance at being a normal kid at last."

But Vlad still didn't feel any less guilty. Still, he asked, "She doesn't remember anything?"

Danny shook his head. "No, it's like Valerie. She remembers this reality. Basically, what Valerie told me. You and I made some temporary truce which led to her returning to Amity Park after the Disasteroid; and eventually, my parents had her stay with us. Then this whole mess happened with Evil Phantom; and she last remembered flying in front of an anti-ghost dart to save you from it…"

The teen paused to gauge the man's reaction; but when Vlad didn't reply, Danny added, "I told her already about what really happened; and… she doesn't regret saving you."

But when the man still didn't say anything, the teen blurted out. "She's been cleared to go home today. I'm heading there later with my family and friends to pick her up."

Vlad nodded and finally said, "I know. I've gone by the hospital and completed the paperwork for her release."

This time, the teen frowned. "If you've been there, why haven't you gone by to see her?"

"Has she asked for me?" Vlad questioned.

This time, the teen hesitated but answered, "No…"

"That's why," Vlad said sadly. "She might have saved me because she sees me as her father; but she hasn't forgiven me, Daniel. She's probably even terrified of me, and I do not blame her."

"Vlad, listen to me," Danny said seriously. "It doesn't matter how things were changed or not. You know what stayed constant?" But the teen answered for him, "That she almost died to save you. If she really has not forgiven you, then why would she have done that?"

Vlad fell quiet.

But then, the teen said, "The only one who hasn't forgiven you, is yourself. At least see her before you leave."

"And what am I to say to her?"

"Everything you never did," Danny answered with a small smile.

Later that day, all the Fentons, Sam, Valerie, and Tucker were at the hospital to pick up Danielle. She was finally cleared to go home.

Danielle grinned as she looked at her new light blue beret in the mirror in her hospital room. It was very soft and also had pink polka dots all over it. It looked so good with her blue shirt, pink jacket and multi-colored skirt.

"This is one of my favorite ones yet!" the girl exclaimed. "Thanks, Uncle Jack and Aunt Maddie!"

Maddie and Jack smiled. While they knew the young girl did not remember everything that had really happen before the timeline was altered, they were relieved that Danielle had still lived with them for the past year. It was, of course, under different circumstance than what had happened before; but that bond they had made with the girl was still there.

"You're welcome, squirt!" Jack beamed. "Us Fentons have to look our best at all times!"

Maddie's smile widened, and she added, "Well, I'll be honest, sweetie, the credit for your new hat and outfit goes to Jazz. You know, I prefer a hazmat suit or a simple shirt and jeans; so, I don't know much about fashion these days."

Jazz chuckled. "Well, it was either I pick it; or Sam, Tucker and Danny would have."

"I wanted them to get you an all-black outfit," Sam said with a smirk.

"I don't know why I couldn't have picked something out," Tucker protested, "Out of everyone here, I'm the one who wears the most hats! If anyone would know about what looks good, it's Tucker Foley."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Even I can see that a hat exactly like yours doesn't go well with pink polka dots, dude! Pretty sure your fashion sense isn't the same as Dani's."

Valerie laughed; but then, looking at her boyfriend, she said with a grin, "Hey, I happen to like Tucker's red hat!"

"You would," Sam quipped playfully at Valerie.

Everyone laughed before Danny told his cousin. "I'm just glad you're better and can finally leave this place!"

"Me, too, cuz!" Danielle agreed walking over to her bed to finish putting on her shoes. She added, "Thought I was going to go nuts in here!"

"Hey, we should probably go down to the Nasty Burger to celebrate!" Tucker suggested.

"Yeah, maybe catch a movie, too! It is Friday!" Valerie said excitedly.

"Kids, Danielle should probably rest for a few more days," Maddie said, unsure.

"Aww, Mads, let the kiddos go celebrate!" Jack jumped in. "I remember when I was their age! Eating at a favorite joint with friends was the highlight of the week!" But then the man frowned and added, "Although I remember one time when I ordered a burger, and it had this slimy—"

"Ahhh, okay, dad, we get it!" Danny cut him off. "I'd rather not be traumatized into never eating another burger again."

Jazz dryly added, "How about just not traumatized at all?"

"Actually, Mr. F…. I'd love to hear the rest of your story," Sam said almost evilly as she glanced at Tucker.

But the dark-skinned boy smirked back at her and said, "There's nothing anyone could say that would keep me from enjoying my daily fill of meat, especially in burger form."

"Okay, enough of talks of burgers! I'm getting hungry!" Danielle said with a laugh. "Can we go now?"

Maddie smiled. "Just waiting on the nurse to come back with the wheelchair, and we'll be ready to go."

The girl slumped down further on the hospital bed, and said, "Ugh! I don't need a wheelchair! I can walk out!"

"Sorry, squirt. Hospital policy," Jack said with a small helpless shrug.

Right then, there was a small knock on the door.

But before Danielle could get too excited with believing that it was the nurse at last, she saw the door open and realized it was someone else entirely.

…It was her father.

"I do not mean to interrupt…," Vlad began in a surprisingly hesitant voice.

Danny smiled at the man, "So, you made it after all."

"I… wanted to make sure everything went well with Danielle's discharge…," Vlad began, looking at the boy before looking at everyone else, until finally his eyes fell on the girl on the bed.

"And to speak to her, if possible…," he added, watching the girl for a reaction.

Danielle stared nervously at the man before glancing over at her cousin. She knew that the timeline was supposedly altered; but what she remembered was that the older hybrid had made a truce with Danny during the Disasteroid event which had included for the man to leave her alone at last. She remembered Danny finding her in the Ghost Zone, and telling her she didn't have to live in there anymore.

But while the man had not bothered her again after that, she remembered that he still hated her. She remembered how he had acted like he didn't care if she got killed when she put herself in danger with the Guys-in-White….

She remembered how terrified she still was of him.

And she was just as conflicted by his presence as ever, because deep down, she also felt heartbroken and resentful. And yet… she cared about him. Deep down she also wished he would love her back.

She didn't regret almost dying to save him. But… seeing him here… It made her want to flee.

"We should probably go check on what's taking the nurse," Maddie suddenly said to break the tense silence.

"Yeah," Jack agreed, though he seemed reluctant to leave. He didn't like seeing 'squirt' looking so afraid. Not that he blamed her.

"Will you be alright, Dani?" Valerie asked, glancing with distrust at the older hybrid.

Danny had actually warned them all—except Danielle—that Vlad might show up. And while Valerie was not happy with the fact, she was trying to trust Danny's judgment on this.

Danielle glanced at her friend. She smiled weakly at recognizing her sister-like protectiveness. But the young girl knew she couldn't hide from her father and their pending conversation forever.

Still, all she could do was nod at her friend.

Valerie hesitated; but with a sigh, she walked out. And right after everyone else did the same, except for Danny.

"Um… Will you be okay if I leave, too, Dani?" the boy asked her worriedly. He had not seen his cousin this terrified since the time Vlad had been hunting her down to melt her.

He swallowed hard with the memory.

"Yeah," she answered quietly, before lowering her eyes to her feet.

"Okay," Danny said before glancing back at Vlad. But he didn't say anything; instead as he walked past the man, he briefly patted his upper arm, and it was enough for the man to feel the teen's encouragement for a brief second.

Vlad looked after the boy as he closed the door after him; but now that he was finally alone with the young girl, he knew it was time to do what he came to do.

"Uh… I got you this," Vlad said hesitantly pulling from behind his back a stuffed penguin wearing a 'feel better' scarf around its neck.

Dani glanced up and stared uncertainly at the toy.

As if reading her thoughts, the man cleared his throat and added, "You're probably too old for stuffed toys…"

When he had been trying to find something to bring, it had dawn on the man that he had no idea what the girl liked or didn't like. He knew everything about her, yet nothing about her.

It made him feel worse than he already did.

"Um… yeah," Danielle said reflexively. But then she startled and quickly backtracked, "I mean, no! I mean, I don't like them, but I don't hate them, either! They're okay…"

Vlad almost smiled at that, and hesitantly stepped just close enough to give her the penguin. But right after, he pulled back lest his being too near her would spook her into running out of the room. Her fear of him was almost palpable.

"Thanks," she said quietly when she had taken the toy. She placed it on her lap and looked away from the man again.

Vlad was also quiet, almost regretting coming here. There was no repairing what he had done to this girl. He was probably doing more harm than good by being here. He really shouldn't have let Daniel convince him to come.

But now that he was here, he knew he had to at least say what he came to say… It was just hard to get to it…

"I am glad you are well… I just wished I could have saved your ghost core… I tried, but…"

Vlad sighed.

Danielle didn't look at him but replied with a small shrug, "I've been unstable all my life because of my incomplete ghost-half, remember? I rather finally be a normal human without a ghost half than have to go back to… being afraid of melting every waking minute of my life."

The older hybrid mentally cringed, but he calmly answered, "I analyzed the samples I asked Maddie and Jack to get from you soon after you woke up from your coma. I was able to confirm your molecular structure has fully restructured itself. Of course, not how it was before. You're 90% human. The remaining 10% is inert ghost DNA that remains in your system; but that should not have any consequence."

"Yeah… and at least I'm not a clone of Danny anymore," she muttered almost bitterly.

"You never were," Vlad answered back quietly.

The girl instantly looked up at him in shock. "What?"

Vlad hesitated slightly but pushed on, "It's why you were much more stable than the actual clones I made of Daniel. It's why you are a girl when Daniel is a boy… Yes, I used Daniel's molecular structure as a template to create you. But it was never his actual DNA. I used my own DNA as the building blocks, which I then genetically modified to mirror Daniel's…" But the man trailed off; and instead shook his head. "It doesn't matter now…. What matters is that you are human, Danielle. You always have been. And now, you will get to have a normal healthy life."

Danielle didn't reply, and just stared at him with a sober expression.

"I uh… I also came to thank you," Vlad continued soberly. "You saved me. You should not have, but you did. It was more than I deserved after… everything."

But when the girl still didn't say anything, Vlad sighed softly. "Danielle, I know what I am about to say means very little. There is nothing I could possibly say or do to fix how much I've hurt you. But... I still need to say it…. I'm sorry. I am sorry for being so cruel to you. You didn't deserve any of it. But I promise you, I will never hurt you again. You will never see me again. After today, you will be free from me to have a normal life, the life you should have always had—the normal life you deserve. I brought you into this world only to know pain; but I hope after today, you can know happiness and hope. I know Maddie and Jack will watch over you. And I've already talked with them to assure you are well taken care of. There is more than enough money in your trust fund to provide for you, to give you a chance to go to college, and do whatever you like…"

He paused and dared to move a bit closer as he added sadly, "It's the least you deserve from me… I only wish I could do more. I am so sorry."

Danielle still didn't look at him or say anything.

But knowing he had said all he had come to say, Vlad quietly said, "Good-bye, Danielle. I wish you the very best. I truly do."

He hesitated before he turned away, but he had not taken more than two steps before the girl suddenly stopped him.

"And I'm sorry I was a mistake."

Vlad froze in place before looking back at the girl who seemed about to break down into tears.

"Danielle…"

"All I wanted was for you to love me," she whispered with tear-filled eyes. "You are the first memory I have. I don't care if I was a clone or not. If you molded me out of your genes, or Danny's, or just created me out of thin air. I don't care what I am…! It wouldn't matter if my dad would have just loved me…. Instead, you hated me. Instead… you wished I was never born."

Danielle suddenly began to sob.

Vlad closed his eyes in regret, though the girl didn't see it. He moved a bit closer before hesitantly placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

But the girl only wept louder and clung to the stuffed toy on her lap.

Vlad retracted his hand and instead knelt down in front of the girl. He watched her with sad eyes because he knew she was absolutely right. He was never a father to her, so how could he possibly comfort her as one now?

"The only mistake I made with you was not appreciating how special you are," he told her earnestly. "And I didn't love you because I didn't know how. Because all that was in my heart was hate and obsession."

Vlad paused, not sure if the girl was even listening to him. But he still continued.

"As I said, what I've done to you is unforgivable; and it will be a guilt I will have to bear in my heart for the rest of my life. No force on earth can change that. Nothing can take back all I've done to you. But I take some comfort in knowing you'll be alright… Things will be different for you now."

But the girl suddenly looked at him with a glare as she cried out, "How? How are things different?! You're still abandoning me! You still don't want me!"

Vlad's eyebrows creased in confusion and sadness this time.

"I… I don't understand…How can you want to be anywhere near me, Danielle? How could you want to look at me every day knowing what I've done to you? How can you feel anything but distrust and fear of me? Being away from me is what's best for you."

"No, it's just what's easier for you," Dani replied quietly as she attempted to calm her heaving.

Vlad stared at the girl at a loss for a brief moment before he moved his hand towards her wet face. He hesitated to touch her. He was afraid to…

But although she tensed, Danielle didn't shy away. Instead, she looked back sadly at him.

Vlad didn't say anything at first and just rubbed her wet cheek for a small moment before focusing back on her eyes.

"What do you want, Danielle?" he asked in a whisper. "Do you want me to take you with me?"

The girl squeezed her eyes close as more tears leaked out. It was hard for her to know what she really wanted because of how conflicted the man's presence left her. But in her heart, no matter how much she tried to hide it, she knew one thing was true.

"I just want you to want me," she answered. "I want you to want to be my dad… Not like before when you had to… but because you want to."

Vlad knew what she meant by 'when he had to before'. He had used her as a tool to get what he wanted. And yet… he remembered when she first came to life. He remembered how endearing he had found her the moment she opened her eyes. How much warmth he felt for her because she had been so young and innocent. Maybe it had been the closest he ever got to loving her… Still, the girl had imprinted on him; and even if his desire to use her as a tool had obstructed what could have developed as genuine love, he had somewhat cared for her. And it was why her betrayal—or what he had called betrayal back then—had hurt him more than he ever had admitted to himself.

But the question was: how did he feel now?

"Can I tell you what I want?" Vlad suddenly asked sadly.

More tears sprang to her eyes, but Danielle stared at him, waiting.

"I want to be able to undo all the wrong I've done to you. I want to deserve your love and your calling me 'father'. And I want nothing more than to keep you with me so I can spend the rest of my life assuring you, you are not a mistake."

Danielle whimpered and she tightened her grip on her stuffed penguin in the hope that it would keep herself from bawling again.

"But what I want seems impossible to me… How do I erase the fear of me I see in your eyes? How do I gain your trust when you will always have the images of my trying to harm you? It's not about it being easier for me to leave, Danielle…"

He sighed, and admitted, "I just don't know what else to do." He rubbed away more tears from her cheeks, sure this would be the only time he would ever get to show her any semblance of affection.

Vlad lowered his hand at last and stood up. "I still believe your staying here is what's best for you. You already have a loving family here… I don't know if I can offer you anything better…I've never had someone depend on me in the way you need… I don't know the first thing about being a father… And I don't know how I could ever fix any semblance of a bond between us… But my question still stands. What do you want? If you want, I would be willing to learn. I am willing to do whatever I need to do to wipe away your distrust of me… To be a good father for you at last."

"Really?" she whispered, staring at him.

Vlad smiled sadly at her. "Only if it is what you want."

Danielle wiped away more tears from her cheek. "I…I don't know. I never thought I'd ever hear you say that. And now that you are… I don't know what to say. I'm… I'm scared to think… to actually want to…"

"I know…And it's okay, Danielle," Vlad cut her off, knowing how conflicted the girl felt. "You are welcome to think about it; but I am sure Daniel told you, I am leaving for Wisconsin tomorrow. I am leaving at eight in the morning if you want to come with me, I will gladly have you. If not… I am at ease knowing you will have a good life here, too."

Danielle sniffled but nodded. "Okay…"

Vlad nodded back. "Well, I will leave you now… I am still packing a few things…"

"Okay," she answered quietly again.

Vlad hesitated before he turned; but as he got to the door, she heard the girl speak up again.

"Thanks again for the gift… I really like it."

Vlad turned to look at her with a heartbroken expression. "Good-bye, Danielle."

As he finally left, the girl lowered her gaze to her stuffed animal and whimpered, "Good-bye, Dad."

It was early the next day, just a couple hours or so before the sun came up.

And while Danny would never willingly wake up so early, he had made an exception this time.

He flew high in the darken sky, ignoring the soft snowflakes falling.

As he saw Amity Park's clock tower come into view, he smiled when he felt a wave of hot energy surge through him.

Vlad was already there.

Teleporting the rest of the way, Danny landed on the top of the building. He instantly spotted Plasmius standing on the edge with his hands calmly held behind his back.

"I was worried you would end up sleeping in," he commented without looking at the teen behind him, and just kept looking out at the town.

Danny walked up next to him as he answered, "I set up three alarm clocks. My normal alarm, my phone's alarm, and my computer's alarm. I hope you know that's dedication, cheese head."

Vlad chuckled before glancing over at the teen at last. "I am humbled, little badger."

Danny smiled a bit, but then he said more seriously, "Why did you want to see me here so early? I'd think you'd be asleep since you're leaving in, what? Three? Four hours from now?"

"I wanted to see you one last time…," Vlad answered quietly.

Danny lowered his gaze. "That sounds so…definite."

Vlad smiled sadly; but instead of commenting, he said, "There is also something I want to teach you before I go; and it had to be at this time to, well, show you."

The boy stared at him, confused.

But before he could ask, the older hybrid gestured with his head for him to follow as he flew off the tower and took to the sky.

"Where are we going?" Danny asked easily keeping up beside the other half-ghost.

"Lake Eerie," Vlad answered. But then he suddenly smirked at the teen, and suggested, "Want to race?"

Danny's eyebrows rose in surprise before he grinned. "Seriously?"

"Who said being your guardian means I can't challenge you from time-to-time, hmm?" the man teased.

"And who said you being my guardian means I can't still kick your butt? And by that, I mean, totally beat you at this race, starting… now!"

"Hey!" Vlad exclaimed when the boy took off; but he quickly flew after him and called out, "That's cheating, Danny Phantom!"

"Learned it from the best!" Danny shouted back with a cocky grin.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be….!" Vlad instantly teleported.

But having expected it, Danny teleported, too.

The two reappeared in just about the same place and almost clashed into each other. But the teen quickly pulled forward with a burst of speed and left the man behind.

Danny soon began to see the lake in the distance; but when he glanced back, he frowned when he didn't see the older hybrid. Did he leave him so far behind that he lost him? Or, maybe the man teleported again…

But before he could start to worry, the teen gasped when a dark cloud literally came at him from within the darkened sky.

The teen jolted when it dispersed around him and turned red before it just as quickly reformed back into Plasmius.

Danny gasped. "Dude… How did you…? Is that new?"

"Like it?" Vlad grinned. "I picked it up from a certain firebird we know…"

Danny smiled back. "Is that what you're going to teach me?"

Vlad chuckled. "Of course not. You don't think I'm going to reveal all my secrets, do you?"

"Hey!" Danny protested. But he knew the man was messing around.

Vlad laughed. "Don't worry. What I am going to teach you is even better. Come on…"

The two flew down towards the lake until they were hovering just about a yard above its vastness.

"I totally won by the way," the teen said smugly.

"You did not," the other half-ghost denied.

"I so did," Danny answered with a grin. But then, his face soon relaxed when he noticed the cold lake below. Its surface was so smooth and reflective that it almost looked like he was looking at another starry sky.

"Do you remember what I told you about ghost territories?" Vlad suddenly asked seriously.

Danny frowned. "You mean how most ghosts have one?"

Vlad nodded. "And their power level determines how large that territory is… When I first came to Amity Park to live, I am sure you noticed the decrease in ghost activities…?"

Danny slowly nodded. "I figured you paid them off… You know, 'cause you were a fruit loop back then."

Vlad rolled his eyes but smiled a bit. "Well my 'fruit-loop self' did not pay off anyone—well, mostly did not pay off anyone. Instead, I did what I have done before with Wisconsin and the Rockies…And anywhere I go. I simply branded Amity as part of my territory to keep the ghost levels under control."

Danny's eyes widened. "How?"

"That is what I want to show you…," Vlad revealed. "I don't know how long it will be until I can return to Amity Park… So, I want to teach you how to brand Amity Park as your own. This way, you can at least decrease the number of ghosts causing trouble once I'm gone."

"I… really? I can do that?"

Vlad nodded and glanced down at the lake. But he then sighed quietly before saying, "Daniel, this is very hard for me. I stayed awake all night battling with my desire to not leave. I… am afraid to leave you."

"Then, don't go…," Danny answered quietly, though he knew and understood the man had to.

Vlad looked back at him with a small frown as he continued, "Now that no one knows your secret, all I can think about is how your life will be like it was before… Restless nights. Constant dangers. Struggling to focus at school and keep your grades up. Basically, going back to having your entire life being consumed by your duty to protect this town, and as a result, having to always be looking over your shoulder for the next enemy… I… I don't want that for you."

But Danny smiled encouragingly at his troubled guardian. "I appreciate the concern; but you forget some very important things: Having to keep my secret is way easier than having to be in the spotlight like I was before. I now got Valerie on my side, too. I got my parents, who know the truth about me. And I got Team Phantom. Believe me, I'll be just fine. You don't have to worry about things being like anything before. It's different now, Vlad. This is the 'better' we had hoped for the day we realized we had a bond back at your castle."

Plasmius sighed deeply but nodded. "You're right…" He smiled weakly at the boy before adding, "But you know I can't help but plan ahead. And teaching you how to brand your territory will give me some peace of mind."

"I'm all ears, cheesehead," Danny said with a slightly teasing smile in an effort to cheer them both up, knowing this was going to be their last day together for a while.

Vlad rolled his eyes but still smiled before pointing below them. "First thing you should know is that branding is something you'll have to do regularly. Traces of ghost energy do disperse and fade away with time; so, in order to keep your energy signature strong in the area you'll have to do this about a week or so—at least at your current power level. And I recommend doing it here, around this time."

Danny's eyebrows creased. "Why?"

"Spectral energy is simply stronger during this time of day. Of course, there's a scientific reason for it; but that will be a lesson for another day. Also, we happen to be above the largest natural portal found within Amity Park."

"Seriously?" Danny answered in surprise.

Vlad nodded. "It's unique in that the opening actually developed under the floor of this lake. And, of course, that means its deep below."

"That explains why there's so much ghost activity near Lake Eerie—and why it's spelled with two 'e's'," Danny said with a small chuckle.

"Yes… And it's a pretty big portal. You don't have to concentrate much to feel the waves of spectral energy expelling out of it. It's all around us, spreading outward in a constant flow… Do you feel it?"

Danny frowned as he focused on his ghost sense. He had some experience now with sensing spectral energy outside of just ghost entities thanks to Vlad. So, it didn't take him long to feel what the other hybrid was talking about. The energy was so strong it was alluring—well, more than usual for a ghost portal anyways.

"Branding is a very basic process. You simply need to release a significant amount of your core energy, much like when your core gets too overcharge and you release raw core energy to bring it back under control."

Danny nodded. He was a little too familiar with that.

"The trick is getting that core energy to spread throughout the town. Naturally, it will be stronger in the place you originally release the energy; but if the presence is strong enough, it will spread and will be detected by any ghost that comes into its vicinity."

"How do you get it to spread like you want?" Danny questioned curiously.

"You have to use that natural movement of the spectral energy from this portal to spread your own spectral signature. Think of it like a surfer riding that perfect wave… The timing is everything. You have to feel it."

Danny didn't answer as he continued to stare down at the lake. He did feel the portal's waves of energy. It briefly reminded him of how he could feel the movement of time when he had had Clockwork's powers. The spectral energy of the portal was bubbling upwards and rippling across the huge lake.

Actually, as he continued to focus, he swore he could see green waves rippling across the lake; but then, like a morning mist, the energy was rising. Like Vlad said, it was all around them, rising higher and higher; but also spreading all around his town.

His town.

Danny realized he would be taking that term to a whole new level. Perhaps before, when he didn't understand things like he did now, he would have felt uncomfortable at the thought of 'branding' anything as his own. But he now could accept the need for it. Because he wasn't just human. He was a ghost. And just like he understood the laws and rules as a human being, he now knew he had to learn to live by the spectral world's laws and rules if he was going to survive and if he was going to keep the world safe from ghosts who tried to break those laws and rules.

Danny slightly grinned at the irony. Walker would probably be proud of him right now.

"Danny, focus," Vlad suddenly said, sensing the teen's emotions swaying away from what he was supposed to be doing.

The teen blushed. "Right. Sorry…"

The teen frowned a bit when he suddenly realized Vlad's own spectral energy was in tune with the portal's movement already. Actually, the man's presence was everywhere already, which made sense since Plasmius had branded Amity Park as his own before.

Danny knew, however, once the man was gone, that presence would eventually fade away. And even if he could do this, he wondered if his own branding alone would be enough to ward off any ghost.

"You're stronger than you think, my boy. But you must know that by now, hmm?"

Danny smiled warmly at the man. "Yeah…And in large part, thanks to you."

Vlad smiled back. "Focus."

The teen chuckled before he closed his eyes. "…I can feel it."

"Good, start building your core energy and imagine your hand is the end of a conductor where the portal's energy can flow from the bottom of your feet to the end of your hand."

Vlad grabbed the teen's right wrist and raised it up. And with his touch, the teen's ghost aura turned gold.

Danny exhaled when he suddenly felt his own spectral energy's movement shift. Instead of freely flowing around him, its rhythm began to follow the portal's own. And soon, he felt the portal's spectral energy no longer flow around him, but instead, flow through him and mix with his own energy.

Danny opened his eyes and looked at the older hybrid in awe.

"Ready?" Vlad asked with a smile.

"Definitely," Danny answered, feeling a sudden excitement surge through him.

"Keep your hand pointed upwards," the man instructed as he let go of his wrist. "Imagine your symbol. It represents you. It is you. And this place, belongs to you—to govern, to protect and defend. Let them know Danny Phantom is here."

Danny's aura suddenly flared, and with a flash of gold light, he changed into his newer transformed-self. And then he released his core energy in a beam of light, which projected outward from his raised hand.

That intense beam of light immediately split and shot upward like zagged lightning before it exploded and illuminated the dark sky in a mixture of green and gold. Almost instantly after that, a loud sonic boom shook the area around them.

Danny gasped when he felt a sudden drain in energy and a flash of rings changed him back to his normal ghost form.

Vlad placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, "It's alright. The drain of energy will be easier to manage the more you practice."

Danny blinked the spots in his eyes before looking up at the sky. "Did I do it?"

"Let's see…," Vlad said with a smirk before he grabbed the teen's wrist and flew them up higher. They soon broke past the clouds, and found the light show was still visible up here.

"Whoa…" Danny gasped as they slowed to a stop.

The two watched as green and gold 'DP' letters formed with its energy shimmering across the sky.

"It's only visible to ghosts, but they won't need to see it to feel your energy moving above Amity Park."

Vlad suddenly grabbed the teen again, and abruptly teleported them. When they reappeared, they were standing at the top of the lighthouse that was closest to the lake.

"I figured you could use a break before you head back," the man said as he gestured for the teen to sit down.

Danny did so and watched the man sit down beside him.

The two looked out and could see the hints of Danny's green and gold energy moving across the sky and slowly spread around the town.

"Thanks, Vlad," the teen said sincerely.

Vlad smiled at the boy. "I want you to know I'm proud of you. Not just for being able to do this, but for not letting anything or anyone—including myself—stop you from being who you are. I never believed in heroics before; but you are my proof that heroes do exist. And I am proud of you for that. And I am thankful… I guess you saved the villain after all, hmm?"

"And I guess you got me to join you, after all. I call this a win-win," Danny answered with a smirk.

Vlad blinked before he suddenly burst out laughing. He pulled the boy into a side-hug. "I guess my persistence paid off, then."

Danny smiled at him; but then, he added, "I'm proud of you, too, cheese head. You think I'm strong, but I have never met anyone stronger than you. Hate to say it, Vlad; but you're one of the good guys now."

"Perish the thought," Vlad said with a chuckle.

Danny smiled back but then sighed deeply. "I wish I had time powers again…I'd stop time right now."

But the older hybrid shook his head. "Time is too precious to waste it away in the same spot. Believe me, I know… You have an entire future to look forward to, Danny. And sometimes the hardest steps are always the most important."

"Like saying 'good-bye'?" he asked sadly.

"Like saying 'until next time', little badger," Vlad answered warmly.

The teen nodded before he hugged the man. "Until next time, then."

The man hugged him back tightly; but then pulling away, he said, "I have about thirty minutes more… Can I ask you for a favor?"

Danny wiped the stray tear from his cheek but nodded. "Yeah."

Vlad pointed at the dark sky. Dawn was approaching, but it was still dark enough to see some stars.

"Tell me, what's that large star there?"

Danny smiled warmly before looking up at the sky himself. "That's not a star, it's actually another planet…"

And just like that, the two half-ghosts spent the next minutes enjoying each other's company. And while they knew they would have to part for some time, they both took some comfort in knowing that their unbreakable bond would always bring them back together...

The trip to Wisconsin was exhausting. He had wanted to drive back in his limousine since he knew he would not be back for a while. Plus, he didn't have his helicopter or plane in Amity Park. That meant a several hour trip; and by the time he made it to his castle, it was almost noon.

After turning off his car, the man stepped out and stared up at his home. If all that had happened in Amity Park with the time alteration still felt surreal, seeing his castle intact after having watched it torn down by a demented spirit was even more so.

It would have been a wonderful sight… if it wasn't for the sadness and uncertainty that resurfaced in his heart. He couldn't help but be reminded of his ghost staff; and as much as he wished it wasn't so, he knew they were gone.

And yet…. Thanks to their sacrifice he was still here.

"I promise I won't waste this chance…," he mentally said with a sad frown.

"I almost forgot how huge this place was …"

Vlad looked over at none other than Danielle, who had gotten out from the passenger seat and was also staring up at the huge castle with a mixture of awe and uncertainty.

The man was quickly reminded he was not alone. And he wouldn't be alone ever again. While he had lost… he had also gained… so much.

"This is home… Your home now," Vlad answered, smiling encouragingly at the girl.

Danielle smiled back shyly. It had been hard to take this step; to move past the fear and uncertainty. But once she had, she realized there was nothing more she wanted than to finally be with her father. A chance to start again with him. It was all she had ever wanted.

Of course, it had been hard to say goodbye to Danny and everyone else. She was definitely going to miss her Aunt Maddie and Uncle Jack. She would forever be grateful to them for their kindness. But… this is where she belonged.

"Thanks for letting me come with you…"

Vlad shook his head. "I told you, there is nothing to thank me for. I appreciate you giving me this chance. I know… this won't be easy, but we will take it one day at a time, hmm?"

Danielle nodded. "Okay…"

Vlad smiled back. He knew the road he would take with the girl would be long and hard; but he was glad for this chance to try to fix things with her, too. He had been sure she would not come with him; but he was pleasantly surprised when she had shown up… The fact that she was willing to give him another chance said so much about the girl's character.

Clearing his throat, Vlad changed subjects and said, "It's awfully cold. Why don't we head inside? Once we get settled in, I'll make us some tea."

"Tea?" Danielle said with a face.

Vlad chuckled as he moved to the trunk of the car and opened it. "Young lady, if you are going to live with me, you will have to learn to love tea."

Danielle giggled before she opened the back door of the limo and grabbed Maddie in her carrier.

"Can I have hot chocolate instead?"

The man sighed dramatically but then he smiled at her. "Of course."

Vlad grabbed their luggage from the car. Luckily, they didn't have much since the man was getting most of his things delivered.

When they walked in, the place seemed even bigger to both of them. The man almost cringed when he realized he could still feel his ghost staff's energy in this place.

Vlad looked at the girl, and said, "Here, I'll take Maddie. Why don't you go upstairs and see which room you like best?"

Danielle was still looking around but nodded. "Um, okay…"

Vlad grabbed the carrier from the girl and took Maddie out. Without a word, he headed to the kitchen with the cat in his arms.

The man entered the quiet kitchen and turned on the lights. "Maddie, this place feels bigger than I remember…"

But standing there, Vlad truly felt the loss of his staff. Of his sister. They were gone. How would this place ever feel like home without them?

The older hybrid sighed shakily and placed the cat down. He walked over to the beautiful sparkling stoves and placed his hand on top of one.

"This place will never be the same without you all…," he muttered.

"What won't be the same, sir?"

Vlad froze. That sounded like… He turned, and he gasped when he saw none other than George floating there.

"It can't be…," the man whispered shakily.

"Sir?" the ghost chef asked, worried. "Is everything alright? We were not expecting you to…"

Vlad suddenly ran over and pulled the ghost into a hug.

"Oh my…!" George said completely taken aback. He didn't remember the older hybrid ever hugging him.

"I don't care how you are here… I am just glad you are!" Vlad muttered hugging him even tighter.

George blinked; but then he smiled warmly and hugged the man back. "I'm happy to see you, too, Mr. Masters. And quite relieved to see you are well after that close-call in Amity."

Vlad pulled away, and asked, hopeful, "The others?"

George motioned with his head in a certain direction.

Vlad grinned and quickly walked right through the adjacent wall and into the employee lounge.

"Sir!" Derek explained. "You're here!"

Bennie began to clap in delight before he signed something to Jasper, who nodded and answered, "It is definitely a pleasant surprise!"

"You didn't say you were coming," Carl added, surprised, too.

Martha then said, "Good thing we keep things clean! But some notification would be appreciated next time!"

But Patricia pouted, "Now my schedule is all off."

Vlad couldn't believe it. He really couldn't.

"How are you all… here?!" he whispered in awe.

It was George who answered, "Not sure what you mean, sir. After you returned with an injured Danny Phantom at your Amity Park home, you told us to leave and stay hidden for a while. Since flying through the Ghost Zone was too dangerous, you told Jim to fly us out of the city. We barely made it out before those white-clad hunters locked down Amity Park!"

"But I called the castle a few weeks ago…," Vlad began. "I called my other homes, too, and no one answered!"

"Oh, perhaps we were traveling between your other homes at the times you called," Derek answered.

But Carl, added, "And we were at your Chalet at the Rockies for a few weeks with that whole fiasco. That's usually where you tell us to go when there's a real threat."

"Yes, plus the place was due for its yearly spring cleaning," Martha added.

Vlad just stared at them. He honestly felt like he was dreaming. But he knew this was real. And while a part of him wondered how things truly played out, he meant what he told George. He didn't care right now. He was just glad they were here again.

"Is everything alright, sir?" Carl asked, confused.

Patricia then whispered to her sister, "You think he's sick? Memory loss and confusion is not a good sign…"

"Patricia, he's perfectly fine…," Martha retorted, rolling her eyes.

But Vlad suddenly laughed joyfully before going over to Derek and hugging him.

Martha gaped. "I take it back. He's ill! Very ill!"

Derek squeaked in surprise; but then Carl laughed. "See! I told you he missed us!"

Vlad laughed at Carl's comment before he yanked him by an arm and hugged him, too.

"Yes! Hugs! Finally! Hugs are good!" the driver grinned, gripping the man back.

But the excitement in the air prompted Bernie to run over and tackled both Vlad and Carl in a bear hug. But then, he motioned for Jasper to join them.

"Well… Okay!" Jasper gleamed and ran over like a happy puppy to join in the hug fest.

Carl then pulled away, and said, "George next! Do George!"

"I got the first hug," the chef answered smugly, crossing his arms.

But then, everyone turned to Martha and Patricia, who screamed when Vlad suddenly went over to them, and pulled them into a hug, too.

"No, he's touching us!"

"He's contagious!"

Everyone else laughed as the man let them go.

Vlad chuckled warmly at their reactions. He missed this. This right here. Their silly and crazy antics. The warmth of their smiles and joyful voices. They were his family. And from now on, he would make sure they knew how much he appreciated them all.

"What's going on?" Danielle suddenly asked when she walked in after having heard all the commotion.

"Oh, look! We have a guest!" Derek exclaimed.

"Actually," Vlad said with a grin. "Danielle will be living with us from now on… She's now part of our family."

"How wonderful!" George exclaimed.

"He called us family," Carl choked before pulling Derek into a side hug. "Best. Day. Ever."

"I am so happy to have you home, sir!" Derek said warmly.

"Quite so. We were so worried about you," Martha added.

"I'm more worried about him now. Look how much he's grinning," Patricia then said with a frown.

As the two maids argued again, Vlad swallowed, still feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

"You all have no idea how relieved I am to see you all," he told them.

Carl elbowed his employer. "Enough for more hugs?"

Vlad laughed again before pulling the ghost back into a hug.

Carl raised a hand with two fingers up to show the chef he had now gotten two hugs from his employer.

Danielle smiled warmly at the exchange. She realized there was still a lot she didn't know about her father; but she was looking forward to discovering it.

"How about some lunch or brunch?" George suddenly asked.

Pulling away from Carl, Vlad answered, "Only if you all join us."

Everyone briefly looked surprised by their employer's request, but soon smiled warmly at him.

Danny jolted up in bed when a sudden explosion briefly rocked the house. TJ who had been sleeping next to him also yelped in alarm.

"MOM!" he heard his sister yell in annoyance.

Danny glanced at his clock. It was almost noon; and with a groan, he fell back on his bed. He had gotten home around seven AM after saying his last good-bye to Vlad. So, while it was later in the day, he was still too groggy to function.

"At least it's Saturday," Danny muttered as he settled back in his pillow. He felt TJ also snuggle back against his legs.

Too bad his hope for more sleep was interrupted by his door suddenly bursting open.

"Okay! I know I said I'm gonna miss this family when I leave next week, but I won't be missing THIS!" Jazz exclaimed as she walked over to her brother.

Danny covered his head with his covers as he groaned, "Go away, Jazz! Can't you see I'm sleeping? And what happened with 'knocking'? Remember that rule?"

"Dad just blew up goo all over the kitchen! And worse, he got it all over me!"

Danny lowered the covers from his head and stared at his sister. She indeed had green goo splashed all over her clothing. But the worse was that it covered nearly all her hair.

"It will take days to get this stuff out!" she screamed, tugging at some of her hair strands. "And don't you dare laugh!"

But her brother did laugh as he sat up. "You would think by now you would know better than to be near dad in the kitchen in the mornings. While waiting for food is when he usually loves to pull out his latest invention to tinker with it—in other words, prime time for goo explosions!"

"First off, It's not morning. It's almost lunchtime. And second, I was trying to make us all a nice brunch for once! We already missed breakfast after such a long day yesterday. And a good meal is a must after a traumatic….!"

Danny stretched his hands upward while he tuned out his sister's rant. He then grabbed his hips and cracked his back. He already knew he wasn't getting anymore sleep at this point.

"…Cortisone levels rise during high stress periods, which result in various physical—"

"Sit," Danny suddenly ordered, cutting her off.

Jazz's mouth hung open from her unfinished words; but then she blinked. "Huh?"

"Sit down," Danny said again, rolling his eyes a bit. "I might be able to get the goo out of your hair."

Jazz's eyes widened, but she quickly complied.

Danny turned slightly to face his sister before he grabbed a strand of her hair.

"Hmm….," he said thoughtfully before his eyes flashed blue. Cold blue energy shot forth and touched the strand before it travelled up and out along all of her locks. Soon, the goo dissolved, leaving just tiny specks that floated away until everything vanished.

"There. Your hair is saved. All in a hero's day of work," Danny said cockily before he stood up.

Jazz grabbed and examined some of her hair and gasped in disbelief at seeing all the goo had just vanished. "How did you know how to do that?"

Danny walked towards his closet to get some clothes but still shrugged and answered, "I didn't… Just knew you can't phase off goo with intangibility; so, I tried a shot at using my ice energy combined with blue energy. I figured there was a fifty-fifty chance of it working…"

Jazz frowned. "And if it hadn't?"

Danny grabbed his clothing and a towel before looking back at his sister with a smirk. "I hear wigs are a fashion thing now."

"Danny!" Jazz exclaimed angrily.

But the boy laughed. "I'm kidding. Kinda! That's what you get for waking me up!"

"Ugh, you're such a…!"

"Amazing brother?" he finished for her.

Jazz narrowed her eyes, though there was a small smile on her lip. "I'm considering not feeding you…."

Danny pouted this time. "What happened with a good breakfast being necessary for my mental recovery after the past weeks of traumatic events?"

Jazz smirked. "You were listening…"

Danny rolled his eyes. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Did you want help with breakfast, er… brunch? Or, uh, cleaning dad's mess?"

"Mom's making him clean it up; and I am almost finished with breakfast. I was about to make French toast. You can help me with those."

Danny nodded. "Sure. I'll be quick. Oh… and I know this awesome French toast recipe. Feels like a good day to try it out…"

Jazz smiled. "Okay. See you downstairs."

She headed out of her brother's room; but then paused and looked back at him. "Hey, Danny?"

"Yeah?" he answered while continuing to look through a drawer.

"I just…. I'm happy to see you so… happy," she said warmly. She had worried that Vlad's departure would be too hard on her brother, especially after all that had happened. Even she was trying to cope with the concept of an altered reality.

Danny chuckled. "I guess for the first time in a long time everything feels… how it should be."

Jazz smiled even more. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

Danny watched her go before he placed a hand against his chest. It was weird… even with his guardian gone, part of him still felt him, like they both held a part of each other somehow. He didn't understand it, but he was okay with it.

He realized that even when things were not 'perfect', it was still enough. More than enough. They were just right.

A sudden ringing brought him out of his thoughts, and he grabbed his phone on his desk. He smiled when he saw a text from Sam. She, Valerie, and Tucker were coming over to head to the park for some ice skating.

He texted her back to let her know about having a late breakfast with his family, but they could go after that.

Danny headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

When he got downstairs, he saw his sister had already made omelets and toast, and had the ingredients ready for him to make French toast.

His parents were also at the table. His dad was pouting over at his mom who had clearly taken away his new toy—or the smoking remains of it.

"Good morning, sweetie," Maddie greeted.

"Morning, Son," Jack mumbled.

Danny smiled. "Good morning. You okay, Dad?"

"No!" Jack immediately exclaimed. "This might just be the worst day of my life! Not only did V-man leave, and in turn, shot down my plans to rekindle our lost friendship; but squirt left, too! I have lost my wingman! Now all my inventions are exploding again!"

"Honey, we talked about this," Maddie said patiently. "Danielle wanted to go with Vlad. Just how it's important for you to rekindle your friendship, it is important to her to rekindle her bond with her father. And spending some alone time with him is the best way."

"Don't see why they couldn't have done that here, instead of moving back to Wisconsin…," Jack said with a sigh.

"It's okay, Dad. I'm gonna miss them, too," Danny spoke up. "But Vlad's got some things to resolve; and Dani… Well, Mom's right. Her and Vlad need time together to… be a family. I know she'll be happy with him. And that's what matter's right?"

Jack sighed. "Yeah…"

"I'm gonna make French toast. How about we add fudge on top? You like that, right?"

Jack grinned. "Fudge makes everything better!"

Jazz made a face; but she didn't say anything else and went to help her brother.

By the time the food was done, Danny's friends and girlfriend showed up at the house.

Everyone immediately greeted each other.

"Just in time for breakfast!" Jack said before he grinned when his daughter set down a good helping of French toast and omelets on the table.

"Mr. Fenton, It's like twelve-thirty in the afternoon," Valerie commented, confused.

"It's never too late for breakfast!" Tucker said with a grin as he helped himself to the food.

"Yup!" Jack said. "It's like fudge! Never a wrong time for it!"

Maddie smiled helplessly at her husband as she reached to pour herself a glass of juice. She knew most of those in her family were early risers, but with all the hecticness from yesterday, they had all needed a few more hours of rest. So, for once, she agreed with her husband about it never being too late for a good breakfast.

Noticing Sam sit beside her, Maddie asked, "Aren't you going to eat something, Sam?"

"Don't worry, Mom. I got her," Danny spoke up. But then moving closer, he winked at his girlfriend, and added to her, "I made you something special."

"So thoughtful," she answered with a smile when Danny placed a bowl of fruit salad, and toast with strawberry jam in front of her.

"Valerie, I'm so glad to see you. How's your father?" Maddie asked warmly.

"He's back at home, recovering; but he's doing really well. Thanks for asking," she answered.

"This has bacon, right?" Tucker asked Jazz, ignoring all the conversations and digging right in.

"Yup," she answered with a small smile.

"Sweet!" he said and grabbed himself two omelets.

Once everything was on the table, everyone started eating. But then Danny noticed Valerie was a bit too quiet.

"You okay?"

Valerie nodded. "I'm just… worried about Danielle. I had hoped she'd stay. But she called me last night to tell me she decided to leave with Vlad. I mean, I know it's what she's always wanted; but…"

"Trust me. She'll be okay," Danny assured her. "Plus, not like she won't come visit; and we'll always be a web chat away."

Valerie smiled warmly. "You're right. And thanks… I'm so glad to have you as a friend, Danny."

"Yeah, same here," the boy replied. But he then smirked. "Any chance of some friendly sparing or ghost hunting tonight?"

Valerie grinned. "You can count on it, ghost boy. I mean, if you have room for one more on Team Phantom?"

"Oh, yes, and don't forget we're still part of the team, too, sweetie," Maddie suddenly spoke up, having heard the conversation.

But then, so had everyone else.

"Yeah, we're now official ghost hunters, thanks to Vlad!" Jack exclaimed. "I was thinking though… Team Phantom? I think we need a better team name. Like… The Jack Fenton Fight Squad!"

Everyone cringed, but Danny said, "Uh… I'm sure we can take a vote on it later. But…" He smiled at everyone in the room, and added, "I couldn't hope for a better team than this one…"

"Team Phantom all the way, dude," Tucker said.

And the others nodded.

Right then, his phone pinged; and while he hadn't planned on looking at it, he changed his mind when he saw it was a text from Danielle.

She had sent him a picture…

….Of Vlad sitting at the dining table with… George and the others.

He couldn't believe it… They were okay!

"You okay, Danny?" Jazz asked, noticing her brother's eyes glaze with tears.

Her brother took in a small breath to calm his emotions before smiling. "Never better…"

He glanced warmly at the smiling Vlad Master one more time. And he could see how happy the man was in the picture.

Danny was reminded again how blessed he was. .

Putting his phone down, he grabbed his glass of orange juice, lifted it up, and said, "How about a toast?"

Sam raised an eyebrow in amusement. "For?"

"For real new beginnings. For second chances. For friends and family. And for whatever exciting things the future holds," Danny said with a grin.

"That sounds so nice, Danny!" Maddie beamed.

"I can definitely toast to that!" Jack said with a grin.

"Cheers!" they all said as they toasted.

Serenity smiled as she walked up next to Clockwork and caught a glimpse of the time viewing orb. It held a view of the elder crossbreed showing his protégé how to brand his territory. However, the image soon vanished, and Clockwork turned to face the female spirit.

"So, what happens now?" she asked him with a small smirk. "Is all as it should be?"

Clockwork chuckled as he turned to look at her. "I don't know… you tell me."

Serenity pretended to think about it as she recounted what had happened, "Well, let me see…the Natural Order has been restored; the crossbreeds' bond is fully awaken… Time and Order are moving aligned once more… Is there something else?"

Clockwork nodded. "Yes, just one last thing…"

He reached out and gently grabbed her hand in his own. As he raised their joined hands a bit, he could see how her aura turned gold at his touch—much like his own.

"I know what this means now," Serenity said with a warm smile, as she further intertwined their fingers together.

"You forgot to mention how you gave up your Ancient status. You risked your own Existence; and had been willing to surrender your guardianship of Order… to save me." Clockwork said seriously.

"A beautiful shadow once told me my ideal of a perfect Existence will always include you—my light."

"I like that ideal," Clockwork answered, still smiling. "Perhaps now that we have separated ourselves from the Observants and Ancients, we will finally be able to find our own balance; and in turn, assure Time and Order continue to move harmoniously."

"Yes, we get to try …And I heard second chances can be nice at times," she answered with a smirk; but then her eyes lowered to their joined hands again, and studied them with slight intrigue.

"Just one question?" she asked, raising her eyes back to the time spirit's own.

"Of course," he answered.

"Now that our home is like before… and it will move so that the Observants and Ancients cannot find us, this also means, it will be unlikely we will ever see the two crossbreeds again… Are you alright with that? I know how fond you grew of the younger one…"

"I will miss our little… adventures, surely," Clockwork answered with a small smile, "But Danny will be just fine now that he has his true guardian at his side… And besides… Who said I won't be watching from time-to-time…?"

Serenity answered, "No harm in that… After all, we cannot have those two causing any disruption to Time and Order… It seems sensible to check in on them from time-to-time… From a distance, of course."

"Of course," Clockwork agreed before the two smirked at each other.

Letting go of her hand, he turned back to his viewing orb, and said, "I do have a question for you, too…"

He brought up an image of Annabelle, and asked, "Should I be concerned about this?"

Serenity almost smiled at the sight of the human girl holding a certain amulet in her hand. She had wondered when her counterpart would notice her necklace containing the Order's Crystal was no longer around her neck…

"As you said, my dearest Clockwork, no harm in checking in from time-to-time… You have your methods, and I have mine…"

"Then like me, you know this is only the start of Danny and Vlad's journey," Clockwork answered. They have yet to learn what it means to be guardians of Existence… And the sacrifices they will need to make in the future. Perhaps… we should have told them…"

Serenity fell quiet for a moment before she shook her head. "They will know in due time, my dearest Clockwork… For now, let them enjoy their mortal lives…"

"Yes… there's still time," Clockwork agreed.

"But in the meantime, it will be such a fascinating journey to watch," she answered with a smile as she continued to watch the human girl within the viewing orb and how her eyes were glowing with a soft reddish-pink hue.

But then, the doorbell rang and Annabelle quickly hid the Order's Crystal in a jewelry box. Her eyes were back to normal as she then raced out of her room to see who was at the door…

Stephanie was at her kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand and reading some work contracts. It was the weekend; but in her line of work, there were really no days off. She had been working for another company for almost a year, ever since she left Vlad's companies after their little 'talk' and just before the man had moved to Amity Park.

However, the contracts she was reading were not for her current employer. But rather, for something more personal…

While she had quickly found a good job that she was comfortable with, she had always wanted to start her own company. It was just one of those things that she never really got around to doing. But leaving Vlad's companies had been the catalyst that had finally pushed her into finally pursuing that dream.

She had always been a country girl at heart; so, she was highly considering moving back to Florida and going into the agriculture and farming business. She also needed a break from the dog-eat-dog business industry she had worked in for over twenty years.

Yes, a change would be so welcome.

But, of course, these sorts of things took time. And she was only in the beginning phases. She already had enough land for the farm and the factory. She was currently working on the permits and the list of suppliers as well as figuring out which contracts would benefit her most. Eventually she wanted to produce her own supplies; but again, these things took time.

Lucky for her, she had the experience of working alongside one of the most successful businessmen on the planet. Her time with Vlad Masters was certainly not wasted.

Stephanie lowered the contracts on her kitchen counter and took a sip of her coffee. Speaking of her friend… She was still highly disconcerted with their last conversation some weeks back.

Things seem to have settled in Amity Park; but her friend sounded 'off' … When Vlad asked her all those questions, it was as if he truly didn't know what had been happening in the past year. It was… strange.

And then just over a week ago, she saw on the news that he had stepped down as mayor. There were rumors he had moved back here to Wisconsin, but he had not called her or anything.

Stephanie had been tempted since then to call him again; but she resisted the urge. He made it clear a year ago he didn't want her in his life… And maybe it was for the best, especially after all the things he revealed to her.

She just hoped he was alright.

Suddenly, her doorbell sounded.

Stephanie frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone today.

"I'll get it!" Annabelle suddenly yelled; and she heard her daughter race down the stairs.

"Must be her little boyfriend," Stephanie muttered.

However, unbeknownst to the woman, it was someone else…

Annabelle quickly threw the door open, and grinned from ear-to-ear at the person behind the door.

"Baba!" she exclaimed in a whisper and threw herself around the man's neck.

Vlad chuckled and grabbed the girl in a tight hug. "I'm happy to see you, too, my sweet girl."

"I know we texted yesterday, but I still can't believe it!" she whispered as she pulled away. "You're actually here! You moved back to Wisconsin! That's great!"

"It was long overdue…," Vlad answered before he turned slightly and extended a hand to someone behind him. "I want to introduce Danielle to you… She's my daughter."

Annabelle smiled at the uncertain girl beside the man, and said, "Hey, Dani! Nice to meet you!"

Danielle blinked. While her dad had told her briefly about who Stephanie and Annabelle were—since she didn't remember meeting them thanks to the alteration in the timeline—she was a bit surprised that the other girl seemed to 'know' her by her tone of voice.

"So… you know me?" Danielle asked before glancing up at Vlad.

But before the man could reply, Annabelle said, "Don't worry. I'm pretty sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other."

Vlad smiled knowingly at Stephanie's daughter before he asked, "Did you mention my coming by to your mother?"

Indeed, Vlad had spoken via text to the girl yesterday. Not only to tell her he was coming by, but to also discuss a few other things, such as whether or not the girl remembered what had really happened. And he wasn't surprised when she told him she did remember. After all, the girl had directly interacted with Serenity.

But what the man didn't know was that the girl never mentioned a certain crystal amulet now in her possession…

Annabelle giggled. "No, I figured I'd let her be surprised."

Vlad hummed before asking, "Where is she?"

"Kitchen. She probably thinks it's just Henry at the door," Annabelle answered.

"And you are certain she doesn't remember anything?" Vlad asked, his eyebrows creasing slightly.

"Annie, is that Henry at the door? Are you going—?"

But the woman, who had finally decided to go see who her daughter was talking to, paused in mid-sentence when she saw who it really was.

"Vlad…," she whispered, surprised.

The man smiled warmly at her. "Hello, Stephanie…"

The woman finally smiled back. "So, the rumors are true. You are back in Wisconsin."

Vlad nodded. "Yes… I realized my place is here… with you and your daughter."

Stephanie blinked. "What do you…?"

"Oh, I don't think you've met my daughter…" Vlad interrupted her with an innocent smile. "Stephanie, this is Danielle… Danielle, meet Mrs. Stephanie Hui…"

The woman stared at the man for a moment. Yes, she didn't know Vlad's daughter personally; but she knew the story behind her… The dark story he told her before he left. But to now see the girl with the man…

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hui," Dani said, and extended her hand. There was a small smile on her face. And while, Dani didn't remember ever meeting the woman before, the way her dad looked at her said it all.

Stephanie broke out of her stupor and looked down at the girl. She smiled warmly at her and extended her own hand to shake the girl's own. "The pleasure is all mine, Danielle."

However, at that moment, Vlad noticed a bandage around one of the woman's wrists.

He swallowed hard when a disturbing memory suddenly filled his thoughts.

"What happened to your wrist?" he asked, now unsure and slightly tensing.

Letting go of Danielle's hand, Stephanie raised her hand up slightly. "Oh, this? I was being clumsy. I pulled something out of the oven and burned myself on the rack. It's just about healed by now."

Vlad stared at her wrist for another moment. He would never forget the sight of his friend crying out in pain as Dazzler…

"Vlad?" Stephanie questioned, not understanding why he suddenly looked so haunted by the sight of her wrapped wrist. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Annabelle cleared her throat. "Hey, maybe it would be a good idea to go talk inside?"

"Actually," Vlad said, forcing himself to relax enough to focus back on Stephanie, "I was hoping to go out with you, Stephanie… I-I mean, to talk, and perhaps, have tea? If you are not… busy…?"

Stephanie blushed slightly. The man's sudden awkwardness for some reason made her nervous.

"… Sure, I'm… not busy," she answered slowly. But she then frowned. "What about… appearances?"

Vlad shook his head before saying seriously, "No more appearances. No more pretenses." He smiled at her. "I just want to catch up with a good friend…"

Stephanie finally smiled. "Alright, let me get my bag."

Vlad watched her go. He wished so much she remembered everything, so he could just hold her; but… he knew things were better this way. Maybe this time, he would have the chance to actually win her over… to deserve her. And to perhaps recover some lost time…

He could only hope.

"So… That's Stephanie, eh?" Danielle suddenly said with a smirk.

Annabelle giggled. "Sure is."

Vlad looked at the two teenagers and chuckled. But then with playful sternness he said, "Hush. Not a word out of you two. This is not a matter that concerns children."

"Riiiight," Annabelle and Danielle said almost at the same time.

They both looked at each other and grinned.

Vlad sighed. "Somehow, I feel having you both together might not be good for me."

"Imagine the day you have us all under one roof..," Annabelle replied with a wink.

Danielle started laughing.

But Vlad quickly placed his hand on Danielle's back and playfully shooed her into the house. "How about you two take all that giggling upstairs while I wait for your mother—I mean, Annabelle's mother! Oh, sugar cubes! Stop laughing!"

"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked as she finally returned.

"Nothing!" Vlad said quickly. "Annabelle was just about to show Danielle her cat, isn't that right?"

"Yup! But before I forget…" Annie suddenly hugged Vlad again. But at the same time, she put something in his pocket. "Good to have you back, Baba!"

Vlad hugged her back again, but then pulled away, and said, "Thank you, my sweet girl."

"Come on, Dani," Annabelle said. "We have lots to talk about!"

Danielle smiled. "Sure."

But as the two headed up the stairs, they called out together, "Have fun, Mom!"

Vlad turned bright red as he continued to watch the two giggling girls go up the stairs.

"Did your daughter just call me, Mom?" Stephanie asked, confused.

"Did she? Huh. Kids," Vlad said with an innocent smile.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "That look doesn't suit you, Vlad Masters…"

He chuckled as he held the door open for her. "And what suits me, my dear?"

"I am not sure… But I am sure by the end of this day, I'll figure it out."

Vlad smirked before he opened the door of his car's front passenger seat for her. "I can only hope so… my dear Stephanie."

Once she was in, he walked around to the driver's side. But he paused to get in. He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a certain ring he had given Annabelle.

The girl had returned it for an obvious reason.

"All in due time," he whispered with a soft smile before he put the ring back in his pocket, and finally got into the car.

Several months later. Halloween night

"Grahhhhh!" Skulker cried out as he cut down several green monsters coming at him. But catching sight of several more approaching from his left, he pulled out a gun and blasted them away.

Just then, however, a one-eyed green monster suddenly oozed up from under him and grabbed his leg. Its jaw full of sharp, jagged teeth was already opened and about to bite down on the appendage.

"Hey!" Skulker exclaimed in alarm.

But at that moment, a familiar sword came out of nowhere and cleanly sliced through the creature's neck before it vanished into green smoke.

Skulker looked up at his rescuer. "'Bout time you show up," he muttered, annoyed.

Fright Knight sheathed his Soul Shredder as he answered, "I was occupied in combat with twenty-plus of those creatures."

"Did you get them all?" Skulker asked, wearily looking around them.

"All fully vanquished."

"For now, anyways," Skulker reminded him with a frown. "They will return… They always do." But then the hunter suddenly smirked as he asked, "What's your count now?"

Fright Knight smirked back. "8,731 vanquished foes."

"Ha! I am at 9,001! I'm still ahead!" Skulker exclaimed proudly.

"That cannot be accurate! You were not so ahead in the last battle we had!" Fright Knight argued.

"Because while you were fighting off 'twenty-plus', I was here battling against almost fifty!"

"And what of it? My attackers had sharp teeth! We agreed they count double!"

"Yes, and mine had teeth, too!" Skulker argued back.

"Bah!" Fright Knight said with a dismissive wave. "You will not be in the lead for long anyways."

Skulker grinned triumphantly. "We shall see!"

Putting away his blade and gun, the hunter looked around their green surroundings. He had no idea how long it had been. But this had been his surroundings for what felt like an eternity.

The slowness of Time probably had to do with the lack of any notion of, well, Time. There was no day or night. Just endless green void with endless nightmarish monsters.

Skulker supposed the Realm of Nightmares definitely lived up to its name. Of course, one would think getting to fight otherworldly creatures for all eternity was hardly a nightmare for a ghost like him. However, this realm worked differently for ghosts to some extent. While for humans, the realm projected superficial fears, for ghosts the 'fear' the realm weaved stemmed from a rooted principle for all ghosts:

The terror of being stuck in limbo forever. And of not existing.

This place… it wasn't like the Ghost Zone. This realm was devoid of anything substantial. It lacked any type of external feelings, like spectral energy. It was like being in a vacuum or a black hole. There was nothing here that made you feel real.

….Nothing but the knowledge of being trapped forever, waiting for an end that would either never come. Or if it did, it meant having to 'move on'—which was as equally terrifying to most ghosts.

But, of course, Skulker was not about to acknowledge he was affected by this at all. After all, he was a fearless hunter…

"Look, there is a boulder. We can rest there," Fright Knight said.

The two moved over to the large rock big enough for them to sit on. That was another thing. Finding inanimate objects like rocks was rare. Most of the time, it was just empty space.

Skulker suspected Fright Knight was the one who would conjure them up; but the former spirit never admitted to it.

And speaking of the knight, the hunter was now glad to have him here. But it had not always been like that. At first, when Skulker had run into him in this realm, he wanted nothing more than to behead him for being the one to condemn him to this place for eternity.

But ironically, Skulker had already learned that holding a grudge with someone for eternity wasn't practical.

He was still angry at the former spirit for trapping him here; but the hunter by now could see past that. He knew Fright Knight regretted his actions; and besides, the hunter knew his life here would be vastly more meaningless without… a friend.

Sitting on the rock, Skulker inspected his suit for damage. It was mostly habit since damage to his suit always somehow repaired itself.

Fright Knight explained that the Realm of Nightmare lived in some sort of loop. Nothing could perish here; at least not permanently.

That was why the monsters in here, no matter how many times Skulker and he destroyed them, would always come back.

But Skulker knew firsthand that just because nothing could be destroyed in this realm, it did not mean that you couldn't be hurt. Let's just say he didn't always win in his battles with the monsters…

"You are unusually quiet…," Fright Knight suddenly said, glancing over at his companion.

Skulker frowned back at him. "Is it just me, or… does this day—or what I assume is 'day'—feel different?"

Fright Knight lowered his gaze. "It feels different," he agreed.

"It's strange…," Skulker continued. "It also seems the creatures here also feel it… They are more restless than usual."

"It is Halloween," Fright Knight suddenly said in a sober tone. "They are restless because, like us, they can feel the surge in spectral energy."

Skulker raised an eyebrow. "It's Halloween? How do you know?"

"I just do… Part of my curse… It's the one time of the year that the spectral veil is weaken enough for any ghost to travel between the living and ghost world," Fright Knight explained.

"Except for this realm. There is no way in or out of this place," Skulker muttered, sounding more annoyed than anything else.

Fright Knight was quiet for a moment, but then said, "There is only one creature who can escape the Realm of Nightmares…"

Skulker quickly looked at him.

"The Spirit of Halloween," Fright Knight revealed soberly.

Skulker stared at him. "So, wait a moment… You are telling me you can move in and out of this place at will, and you never mentioned that until now?"

"Yes… But only when I have my Soul Shredder with me," he answered. "If it is taken from me, and locked into a pumpkin, I am trapped here until I am released again."

"But you have your Soul Shredder!" Skulker exclaimed, getting to his feet. "You have been able to leave this place all this time, and you have not? Have you lost your mind?!"

Fright Knight shook his head. "I did not want to leave you here alone. Besides, what purpose would I have outside of this realm? To return into forced servitude by someone more powerful than I? To continue to see the possible destruction that horrible dark spirit has cast upon the worlds?"

"I'm sure Plasmius and the whelp defeated him," Skulker replied seriously. "Otherwise, I doubt there would be anything left of Existence, and we wouldn't be talking right now."

"It does not matter," Fright Knight answered. "It is all the same to me! As long as this curse is upon me, my life will be in a continuous loop just like this realm! I do not wish this curse upon anyone! No matter what choices I could make, the truth is I am not free as long as I am tied to this sword!"

Skulker fell quiet, and sat back down. He hated to admit he felt a bit guilty. The Fright Knight really had it hard. And while he was trapped physically here, it had to be awful to live trapped within yourself, down to your very soul.

Skulker glanced over at the former spirit, who was clearly upset. The hunter cleared his throat and said, "Uh… Thank you. For staying here with me… Not that I cannot handle it myself! But… well, I am glad you are here.""

Fright Knight looked at his friend and smiled. "It is the least I can do."

"All the same, you should get out of this place," Skulker continued seriously.

"I will not leave you here," Fright Knight answered.

"But you could go see Plasmius. Perhaps with your knowledge of this place, and his knowledge of…"

"There is no way for a ghost to escape this realm, Skulker. It is not possible," Fright Knight cut him off.

Skulker frowned even more. "You cannot know that for sure…"

"I am truly sorry," Fright Knight answered sadly.

Skulker stared at him before gazing around the green vastness. "Well… At least I can hunt for eternity…"

But when the Fright Knight did not respond, Skulker glanced over at him. The former spirit looked so guilt-stricken. But Skulker had to soon look away, unable to focus on the other ghost. And the hunter's attempt to brush this off with his previous comment did not work for him this time.

Skulker suddenly couldn't stop the anxiety and distress that curled around his core at the thought of being trapped here forever.

And the brave hunter could not keep that primal fear within him from gripping him, and all because he, like most ghosts, had some unfinished business. But the worst part for the hunter was that he didn't even remember what that 'unfinished business' was—nor did he care. He just didn't want to move on. And he didn't want to be forced to move on. Still, that fear coiled tighter around him. He had been sent here, into an unknown limbo, and he knew that only meant reliving the same nightmares: that he would be destroyed and thereby be forced to move on by the Reaper of Souls; or become part of the Realm and lose all touch on who he was.

None of the options boded well for him.

Even after all this time, it was hard to accept. And it was probably why he hoped against hope he would find a way out or that Plasmius would not stop until he found a way to free them.

Even if it was impossible. Skulker had to continue to hope… or he would go insane.

Insane like all the other monsters in here…

Not wanting to think about it, Skulker shook his head. But then focusing back on Fright Knight, he finally spoke up again.

"You want to go find more monsters? See if you can even hope to catch up with my numbers!"

But Fright Knight stared sadly at him, and instead asked, "Have you wondered why I did not tell you I could leave this place until now?"

Skulker raised an eyebrow. "I suppose… Why?"

Fright Knight pulled out the Soul Shredder. Skulker could plainly see that the flames surrounding the blade had intensified and were no longer green, but were dark purple.

"Halloween awakens the sword's full power," the knight said quietly. "It is the one night of the year I can lay restless souls to rest… And not just send them into this Realm of Nightmare."

Skulker instantly tensed. "What are you saying?"

Fright Knight looked at him, and answered, "The creatures that I fought just now will not be returning…this time."

Skulker stared at the foreboding sword before looking back at the knight. The hunter realized the ghost's aura was also glowing brighter. It was hard to ignore why Fright Knight was known as the Reaper of Souls.

"...Are you going to do the same to me?" Skulker asked quietly.

The Knight glanced at his sword with a sigh. "It depends…"

And the hunter instantly tensed.

But focusing back on the other ghost, the knight added, "Skulker, letting your soul be at rest would be the most merciful option for you. No matter how much you fight this, you cannot win it. You will either go insane in here… Or you will beg me to end it for you in the end, only to realize you will have to wait until the next Hollow's Eve. Or, the next. And the next… And by then, you will have endured so much unnecessary torture…You will lose yourself here… like every other creature that has the misfortune of being condemned to this place."

"So, that's it?" Skulker hissed back. "I either slowly descend into madness, or you get 'the honor' of running me through again—and this time for good?!"

Fright Knight frowned sadly. "As I said, it all depends on the choice you make… I will not reap your soul if you refuse. But believe me… It is the most merciful option. You cannot stay in here forever, Skulker."

The hunter lowered his gaze. He knew the knight was right, but… he didn't want this to be the end. Not yet.

Skulker shook his head and soberly replied, "I don't think I'm ready."

Fright Knight sighed deeply. "If that is your decision… But as I said, you cannot remain in here… I will not let you lose yourself in this place."

Skulker frowned in confusion. "What do you…?"

But the hunter never finished. Before he could react, Fright Knight stood, thrust his sword, and ran it through the hunter's core.

Skulker gasped as he reflexively grabbed the glowing purple sword embedded in his chest. "You…No, you said…"

"I am truly sorry," Fright Knight whispered sadly. "Halloween is also the only time of the year that my curse can be transferred to another soul…"

"No…," Skulker gasped out at suddenly feeling too weak to pull the sword out. He helplessly dropped to his knees as the sword's burning purple flames slowly began to sweep into his core, consuming him from the inside out.

"This is the only way out, Skulker," the ghost knight muttered as his own hue began to dim into a normal ghost hue. "Only the keeper of the Soul Shredder can move between the Realm of Nightmare and the Ghost Zone…It is the only way for you to escape this realm with your after-life intact. But my curse will now be yours, and for that, I am sorry."

Skulker continued to gasp when the Soul Shredder's power finally finished seeping into his core, and the sword dimmed to green once more. At that moment, he suddenly gathered enough strength to pull out the sword. But to his growing horror, his body began to become transparent.

Focusing back on the other ghost, Skulker desperately said, "Fright Knight… You can't do this! I can't do this! And you… You will be trapped in here forever!"

"Yes… But my soul will finally be free," the knight answered with a small smile. "And who knows? Maybe you and Plasmius will find that impossible chance of opening the door of this place…Or… perhaps you will return one day and put my own soul at rest at last. Either way, I will be waiting for you."

"I won't do that!" Skulker exclaimed in distress.

"It is your responsibility now… A burden I know you will carry with more dignity than I ever did… Good-bye, my friend."

"Fright Knight! Curse you! You selfless… No!" Skulker cried out when the sword's power suddenly pulled completely into him; and in a blink of an eye, he vanished from the Realm of Nightmares—sword and all…

… Leaving behind the former Spirit of Halloween, who sighed tiredly at the emptiness around him….

Meanwhile, in the Ghost Zone, a certain female singer, was walking through the old halls of Pariah's keep.

It had been months since Skulker had been taken from her. And in spite of her—and Plasmius—best efforts, they were no closer to finding a way to help the hunter. Being a ghost, it was definitely hard for her to let go and admit defeat. Then again, the old halfa still refused to give up, too.

But tonight, on Hollow's Eve, it felt right to come pay tribute to her brave fallen warrior at the place he was taken.

But to her surprise, in the main area of the castle, she found a single green pumpkin with a familiar sword embedded into it.

"No way…," the ghost diva whispered.

She moved over to it; and with slight hesitation, she yanked it out. She took a step back as green smoke filled the room.

But to her horror and surprise, it was not the Fright Knight that reformed in front of her.

"Skulker?" she whispered.

The End.

Ahhhhhh don't you all just love completed stories with bittersweet endings, and a few tiny lil loose strands of possibilities and intrigue? No? Well, I DO! Vlad muse says you're welcome! hahaha

Okay, in all seriousness, I found this a fitting end. I hope you all agree. And before you all ask if I plan to make this series a trilogy, no... don't think so. Probably not. No way. *glares at muse*

Honestly, I don't have plans to add anymore. I think I might do some one shots and drabbles on a few scenes and future events I have imagined in my years of writing for DP. But... we'll see.

For now, I will set my eyes and full focus on working on DoaS, and hopefully getting to the end with that one, too.

Before I leave you, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart and core. I started Checkmate April 24 2006 and have ended with its Endgame sequel July 8th 2020... That is over 14 years of work and dedication to these two stories. And that's 14 years of all of you supporting me as a writer and giving me the motivation and just plain love to get me to the end of this journey. That's amazing for me, and I just love you guys so much!

Thank you to my dear friend Truephan who has been my betta through almost all these years [and for those that betta-ed for me back in the day, thank you, too!]. These stories would not be the same without your help!

Special thanks to Dreama and others like her who have blessed me with so many fanarts, trailers [Yes, I still remember those!], and so many other things. It warms my heart that you all share your talents with me.

[Side note, check out this latest drawing by Dreama for this story. *melts* w ww . deviantart. c-o-m /dreamadove93/art/light-847750135 [*remove spaces and '-']

And of course, I can't forget all of you who review [even when I can't always reply, though I will be this time!], just know your words and thoughts are also just as encouraging.

I told you. I love bittersweet endings, and I definitely feel it on a personal level. I will never forget these stories and all you wonderful people who stood by them through all these years.

Until next time, my dear readers! We shall see each other in our other journey with DoaS!

Love you all!

Take a bow Vlad muse. You're awesome, too!