A new lease on life

New lease on life

A Danny Phantom fan fic by Wega the blue sun

No copyright infringement is intended, the DP characters don't belong to me nor am I making any money off them. Only the OC's and the fic itself belong to me, and I'm still not making any money!

Vlad goes to desperate lengths to attain his hearts desire. Story contains mature and explicit situations, adult themes, nudity and crude language - all the things that make life worth living. Readers will note that the rating has been upped due to ever more mature subject matter.

Ch. 17

"But I don't understand!", Vlad stuttered and the ring clasped in his numb hand threatened to burn a hole into his skin. "I thought you loved me?", he asked hesitantly while the sarcastic laughter of the overshadowed alter ego echoed in his mind. "I do love you, and I do want to marry you, but not just yet!", Maddie said firmly. Vlad breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment he'd feared some hideous revelation, but this crushing defeat appeared to contain a glimmer of hope. "Explain this to me!" he begged as he asserted control until the spiteful mirth of his younger self had been stilled.

Maddie pulled the silky sheet up to her chin and intently looked at the nervous man before her. "I thought a lot about our relationship while I was on vacation, and for quite some time before that. I worried that you'd lost interest in being with me", she said. "No, absolutely never!", Vlad shook his head so energetically that his long hair flew into his face and he impatiently brushed back the white strands. "You were so cold and angry when I left, I wasn't sure if you'd even be there to pick me up again", Maddie continued while her eyes remained locked with Vlad's. "I was a complete fool to ...", he began but the young woman impatiently waved her hand and he fell silent. "You don't have to explain yourself, I'm not blaming you. I understand why you felt that way, at least I think I do!", she said.

Vlad smiled and nodded, but an intense anger against his overshadowed younger self was beginning to build within him. He'd already disliked the alter ego for being weak and ungrateful, but now he hated the witless boy. If but for the slacker's idiocy Maddie would be his bride! "But when I called you the first time from Arkansas, you sounded so differently", Maddie continued. "Not just your voice, but your entire attitude had changed and I noticed this difference even more when we met again!" "Oh yes, I have definitely changed!", Vlad admitted and Maddie nodded in agreement.

"And precisely because of this remarkable change I'm hesitant to take this big step!", she blurted out. "Because I'm not certain you will remain like this. What if you change your mind again? Do you see what I mean?" she asked and Vlad nodded ruefully. "But I assure you ...", he began but Maddie wasn't finished yet. "I know what I want out of our relationship, but you also need to be sure about what it is you want. If it's marriage, then we'll do that, but I don't want you to feel trapped because you stuck with me out of some sense of obligation!", she said and her eyes filled with tears.

"That's not why I asked you, although I'm grateful for your loyalty even when I was so beastly to be around", Vlad added hastily. He pulled the emotional woman into a tight embrace. "I just love you so much! There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Without you ..." his voice trembled. "I just want us to be together, forever!", he added. "I'd like that", Maddie whispered and her breath tickled his skin. Reluctant to break the silence Vlad's thoughts raced with arguments to make her understand the depth of his devotion, but the damage his alter ego had done appeared insurmountable.

"How can I convince you that I really mean it, and for all the right reasons?", he said and gently brushed his fingertips over Maddie's shoulders. "Let's just live together like we did before. If you're still happy in a year or two we'll get married, OK?", she suggested. "Isn't that an awfully long engagement?", Vlad groaned. "How about a month or maybe three weeks? You can tell a lot about a person in that time, you know!", he added hopefully. "Take whatever time you need, but there's no rush! We're already together, remember?", Maddie said and she pulled out of his embrace. "Just think about what I said!", she tossed over her shoulder as she rose from the bed and left the room.

"OK, I just made up my mind! Can we get married now?", Vlad called after her but a silvery laugh was Maddie's only response. He tossed the ring into the air and deftly caught it again. Although his proposal hadn't met with the enthusiastic response he'd expected, Maddie had made it clear she would marry him at some point in the future. "How do you like them apples, boy?", Vlad grinned while he contemplated the chagrin the alter ego had to experience now. No matter how messed up this life was, he'd overcome every challenge set before him, and this situation only proved again who was the better of the two Vlads.

"Maddie, you could wear the ring already, since we're practically engaged now!", he shouted, but the sounds of the shower drowned out his words. "Well, I might as well start breakfast", Vlad sighed as he got up to collect his strewn about clothes. He was hungry, but he wasn't in a hurry to take a bath. The scent of their lovemaking still clung to his skin and he was reluctant to rinse off the reminder of their first night together.

A few minutes later bacon was sizzling in a large skillet and its savory smell mingled with the appetizing scent of fresh coffee. His meager culinary abilities nonewithstanding, Vlad prided himself on being able to produce a decent breakfast, a skill acquired long ago. "Something smells good!", Maddie said as she stepped into the brightly lit kitchen. Her hair still wet from the shower, she vigorously rubbed a towel through the red curls until something caught her attention. "Now where on earth did you get that?", she asked and pointed at the large expresso maker taking up much of the counter space.

The halfa grinned in response but didn't reply. It hadn't been easy to find the expensive machine in this pre-coffee craze timeline, but he'd managed. Or more precisely, his crew of ghostly helpers had managed the difficult task. They'd taken the machine from an upscale Green Bay restaurant, and he'd personally removed the previous owners' nameplate. "Ready for a cup?", he asked and deftly filled a sparkling glass with the fragrant liquid. Maddie eagerly sniffed the plume of steam rising from the bubbly surface before she took a sip. "This is pretty good! And strong, too!", she added and delicately licked the foam off her lips.

"Yes, I believe there's a great market for caffeinated beverages opening up soon", Vlad said, eyes firmly fixed on Maddie's lush lips. "Specialty coffees like expresso and cappuccino and latte", he added. "Latte? Never heard of it!", Maddie replied with a shrug. "It's popular in the Northwest", Vlad said quickly. "Might be worth investing in", he added casually. "Do you have any money for that? It must have cost a pretty penny to fix this place and set up the lab!", the young woman asked while Vlad filled her plate. "No, there's still a good bit left!", he chuckled, thinking of how much he'd saved by employing the ghosts. "Besides, I'm counting on the settlement. It should come through any day now and that will go a long way to cover expenses. There should even be enough to ..."

"Play with?", Maddie finished his sentence. "Money is serious business!", Vlad sweetly corrected her. "But yes, I think we'll have fun with it!" Maddie smiled and nervously tapped her fork on the table. "See, there's another instance of those changes I mentioned earlier!", she said. "Oh?", Vlad replied, feeling uneasy. "Getting an expresso machine and following market trends, that's so unlike you!", the young woman said. "And now you're talking about living off and investing a settlement you don't even have yet!", she added. Vlad dabbed his mouth with a napkin, trying to think of a reasonable response. "Well, I've simply devised a financial plan for our future! The settlement plays a big part in that, and the lawyer assures me that it will come through!", he said. " But mainly I'm finished feeling sorry for myself and eager to make up for lost time!"

"That's great!", Maddie said cheerfully but Vlad detected a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "I am supremely confident that we shall achieve everything we set out to do!", he added, placing strong emphasis on the word "we". "Let's drink to that!", Maddie said and grabbed the orange juice pitcher. To Vlad's amazement she poured the cold juice into her half empty expresso glass and vigorously stirred the noxious liquid. "Hey, maybe there's a market for orange coffee!", she said and offered the brimming glass to Vlad, who declined politely. "Could be", he agreed weakly. "But do you know what I want to do now?", Maddie continued in a sultry tone and Vlad's interest perked up. "Maybe go back to bed?", he asked optimistically. She shook her head and drained the glass with one deep gulp.

"First work, then fun!", the young woman chided. "As soon as you finish your breakfast we'll start working the portal! Lord knows how many ghosts have come through already!" "Alright, but you'll have to put on this ring!", Vlad demanded. "You might as well, because I won't stop asking until you do!" Maddie laughed and held out her hand. "How could I say no to that? Go ahead!", she said and Vlad eagerly slipped the ring over her finger. "It's a perfect fit!", he said and gently kissed Maddie's hand. "Is it white gold?", she asked as she admired the ornate setting. "Platinum", Vlad said and pulled her closer. "The best stones are set in platinum, and only the best is good enough for you!"