Desperate

Chapter 15

A few days passed ever since Vlad went into the Ghost Zone. Honestly, he was quite proud of himself. He ended up discovering an abandoned rocky and large area to train on, he restrained himself from killing a ghost hunter, and he felt more in control of his powers than he had nine months ago; he even discovered he could create ectoplasmic objects using his ectoplasmic energy. Life was good to him.

Well, sometimes life was good to him.

He flinched then narrowed his eyes when Elizabeth's food was thrown onto his face, some of the orange mush sliding off of his chin. He frowned as his one year old clapped her hands and giggled at his new appearance, seemingly amused with it. Still giving her an unamused frown, he grabbed a nearby napkin and wiped the sweet potato mush off of his face. "Looks like someone needs to be taught some manners," he pointed out, throwing the used napkin into the nearest trashcan.

"Having trouble?"

Vlad glanced over to see his maid, Molly, walking into the bedroom and carrying a small laundry basket with her. He scoffed then spooned some more sweet potato out of the jar of baby food. He lifted the spoon up to Elizabeth's lips, who ate it almost immediately. "It seems she found a new game to play."

Molly chuckled and set the basket down on the floor before taking a pile of folded onesies out of it and putting them away in the nearest dresser. "Is this game perhaps one where she likes to throw food at you?"

"Yes." He glanced over at her and cocked a curious brow. "Has this ever happened to you when you babysat Elizabeth?"

"Nope." The maid grabbed another set of onesies from the basket. "She's been good to me."

"Must be nice," he muttered then brought the spoon closer to the toddler.

That was a huge mistake.

Right as the spoon reached Elizabeth's lips, she grabbed the mush off of it with her hand and threw it over at him. He ducked then flinched again when the food landed on top of his head, seeping through his hair. He glanced back up at Elizabeth, narrowing his eyes more dangerously as she giggled and clapped her hands at the 'game' they were playing. He dropped the spoon into the jar then stood up and grabbed another napkin then proceeded to wipe off the mush, noting he would take a shower later to get rid of the excess baby food. "It seems that we're done here."

"Oh, don't give up so easily." Molly walked over to the two of them then picked up the spoon from the jar. "You just need to be quicker than she is and teach her that every time she throws food, it's wrong."

He scoffed again and threw another napkin in the trash. "She's a baby; how will she listen?"

"Simple. Every time she grabs at the food, quickly take away the spoon and say 'No, Elizabeth,' then she might listen to you."

He rose a skeptical brow. "'Might?'"

She shrugged. "Some babies might not understand what you're trying to tell them at first."

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Your methods would never work."

"Really? I'll prove that they will." She spooned some sweet potato out of the jar then lowered the spoon towards Elizabeth, who immediately tried grabbing at the mush, but Molly took it away from her before she could reach it. "No, Elizabeth. You eat it, you don't throw it."

The toddler blinked and tilted her head, seemingly confused. Molly brought the spoon back towards her but took it back once she tried grabbing it again. "No, Elizabeth."

She pouted, making Vlad raise his eyebrows in surprise; did she understand now? Instead of grabbing the food offered to her, she let Molly spoon it into her mouth then swallowed the sweet potato.