Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom

Note: Alright so a recent reviewer pointed out a possible tag mistake but I told them as I'm about to tell the rest of you to hopefully clear up a bit of confusion is that basically, the simplest way to put it is that my "Dani" is not clone-Dani from the show. It just felt weird and kept confusing to me as I was working on the first chapter to call her "Danny" too so I opted to use the female variant to simplify things so I didn't accidentally forget to write that "he" is a "she" in this story. Furthermore, the female Danny used here is loosely based off the genderbent version designed by Amethyst-Ocean, an amazing artist who has created many drawings in the show's art style. Hope that helps!

Chapter 10: Compromise

Danielle's POV

I can't even begin to tell you how tired I was of fighting in more ways than one. I was at the point now where even if this was all some elaborate trap or Vlad's was attempting to seduce me, I honestly didn't care anymore. For once in my life, there was someone in front of me who wanted me around, someone who seemed to care enough about me to acknowledge I was even in the room, someone who could make me feel...well, alive again.

And I knew in my head that I shouldn't feel that way around a dangerous guy like Vlad who attacked, manipulated, and then outright drugged me, but for some reason whenever he touched me I either felt my heart shutter pleasantly as a thrill ran up my spine and or being enveloped by his warmth felt almost frighteningly reassuring. Needless to say, his touch had a much more of a soothing effect than that sedatives ever did...and it unnerved me.

This feeling, whatever it was, obviously wasn't something I was just imagining like I thought I was. There was something more to it that connected the two of us. It was odd sure, but at least as far as I could tell those feelings were real. I tried rejecting them at first after learning what Vlad was really like and yet, I couldn't exactly turn them off. Besides, Vlad was making it hard to keep my thoughts and feelings in check when he kept throwing me off by refusing to get angry and reciprocate by acting like a jerk again every time I lashed out at him which would have made it easier to find an excuse to fight back...

Yet somehow Vlad was able to stay calm and continued being nice to me even after I said all those things to the point that it was almost like..I was being the unreasonable one here even though Vlad's the one who convinced my parents to abandon me here in the home of a near-total stranger. So, what, did Vlad really not care what I said one way or another? Or was it more that he knew I didn't mean most of it?

Well, whatever his deal is, I'll admit, it's a nice change of pace to have someone not automatically give me the 3rd degree. Honestly, I was so used to that happening whenever I talked to someone that I reflexively got all defensive and snarky when I felt vulnerable or I was bracing myself for either a verbal lashing from one of my teachers, a bully at school, or my parents scolding me as usual. But Vlad wasn't doing either of those things. In fact, he apologized for upsetting ME and it suddenly made me doubt myself. Was I being too hard on him because now I just assumed Vlad was lying to me all the time? Things may have started out black and white in my eyes when I saw his true colors but now-

Everything was different.

If I'm being honest with myself, this is the first time I've been around a ghost or, well, half-ghost in Vlad's case who wasn't interested in skinning me alive. He didn't know I was half-ghost too before I passed out and likely reverted to human form again after we fought the first time. But once Vlad realized his mistake he was careful not to repeat it. Besides even when Vlad did start making plans for me instead of gunning for my dad and wanting to win my mom over, he tried to trick me first before I saw the torn photograph and basically only switched tactics when I caught him in a lie.

So I had to wonder, when he brought me there, was Vlad planning on revealing his secret that he was just like me right then and there and wanted to apologize for attacking me before? And when he did send ghosts after me, his only goal was to distract me and Vlad never made a move to intervene personally until it looked like Skulker DID want to kill me. Besides, Vlad outright said he didn't want to hurt me before those ghost octopuses made their move before Skulker even revealed himself after shooting me with a tranquilizer. Needless to say, looking at it like that, Vlad wanted to win me over and only resorted to violence knowing that my first instinct would be to fight back rather than listen to 'reason...'

Well, what would Vlad have done if he were in my shoes? Accept his offer without questioning his motives and give up my life in Amity Park? If he met a ghost who had a grudge against his dad, wouldn't he- No, no I didn't know if Vlad even HAD a dad anymore or if he did if they were even on good terms. For all I knew Vlad would have gladly let them off his dad which is a scary thought. Either way, Vlad had no idea what I was going through let alone how I felt. Vlad was still in college when he got those powers and most likely had to drop out for awhile to get them under control and only went back to school and got all this money once he could. But for me, I was in constant danger just like he said with pressure on all sides that I couldn't escape. I didn't have the luxury of dropping out of school because my parents would probably disown me or start to home-school me to take over the family business.

I guess that's why...after my parents ditched me here the idea of just leaving it all behind was becoming more and more tempting. Let them fight those ghosts for once. And if Vlad didn't plan on isolating me completely I could always call my friends and my brother whenever I wanted. But...what would accepting Vlad's offer cost me? Was he going to become my legal guardian now once my parents decided this was 'best for me' or was Vlad going to rig everything to make them lose all custody and the right to see me at all? I mean sure I didn't want to see them right NOW since I WAS pissed at them, but not seeing them ever again? Could I live with that?

In the end, I had no idea what Vlad really wanted from me and I was afraid to find out if I'd have to...do things with him. He says he loves me, but in what way? Platonic? As a woman? For all I knew that kiss was like any kiss a parent might give their child. It wasn't deep or invasive or anything. Then again, Vlad did say he originally wanted my mom before he wanted me so I wasn't so naive that I'd assume all he cared about was playing house and raising me and Jason with her...

Vlad was trying to be subtle about it but I could tell his touches were...practiced and deliberate. They frightened and fascinated me at the same time because I couldn't help but respond and feel my skin ripple as he drew me closer. I used to wonder what doing it with Sam would be like, but it always got weird at the end since we've been friends since kindergarten. With Vlad though, it felt like a natural response, almost like he was...my other half. I know that sounds weird but I don't know how else to explain it. It wasn't just a physical reaction, it was a compulsion, an instinct. And since I didn't really know much yet about what being half-ghost meant, maybe it was like a sort of ghost alpha thing since he was more powerful than me.

Then again what do I know?

In the end, I only knew one thing for sure. I've had enough. My parents leaving me here was the last straw and we were going to have words when and IF I ever did go home. Because I'm tired of trying to please them let alone argue with them about how I was living my life and what I wanted to do in the future. They didn't give a damn what I wanted to be, they only wanted me to be the next owner of Fenton Works and hunt ghosts well guess what?

I WAS fighting ghosts and what good did it ever do me or anyone else? That was supposed to be their job but until they saw me and ghost started showing up everywhere they had honestly never seen a real one as far as I know and it only made ME a target when I was in ghost form and my powers set off all of their inventions. I couldn't get away from it at home, school, with my friends, or in town, ghosts were just...a constant for me.

So, why not let Vlad become a new constant in my life if he WAS willing to help me after all? I guess that's why after my meltdown earlier...I lost the will to fight it anymore because it was pointless. I couldn't please everyone. And if Vlad meant anything he said to me, or was sincere about his feelings then...there were worse reasons to accept the help of a villain and fall from grace, right...?

Vlad's POV

Danielle was exhausted so it's no wonder she fell asleep soon after she and I became a little more comfortable on her bed. And this proved my theory that whatever this bond between us was, it was mutual because Danielle couldn't help but respond to my touch and couldn't bring herself to reject me again. I was taken aback that she asked me not to leave let alone requested that I bring her over to the bed knowing I might be tempted to...well you know. So perhaps it was some kind of test. If so, I hope I passed because I really was beginning to worry that the execution of my plans was doing more harm than good.

Even so, Danielle looked deceptively relaxed and at peace when she slipped away into oblivion. I could feel the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest as she breathed and the steady pulse of her heartbeat because of how close we were. To be honest I was so content that it nearly lulled me to sleep too but now was hardly the time for that. It was barely even noon and I had things to do such as find out what those brutes she called parents were doing. I'm surprised they didn't call me the moment they got home to check in on their daughter. Then again, maybe they have and I missed their call...

With that in mind, as much as I loathed leaving Danielle's side, I brushed her hair back, kissed her forehead and gently untangled myself from her embrace. A look of malcontent flitted across her face but I ignored it. I did, however, take the time to properly examine her arm while she was asleep and applied some ointment after rolling up her sleeve and then protecting the wound by wrapping it in a nonadhesive bandage.

This whole thing really made me question my methods, shocking I know, but it felt as though I was doing everything wrong as far as Danielle was concerned. She was frightened of me and the implications of what my feelings for her meant, and more importantly, there was this...anger at being lied to and coming in second that I wasn't expecting. Not that I blame her because Jack and Maddie clearly had no clue how to raise their children. There was little I could do about previously being in love with her mother for several reasons, the most obvious of which was that I knew Maddie before Danielle was even born.

I have tried being more honest with Danielle than I usually would have been, and once her stubbornness abated it seemed to help reduce her stress levels a great deal once it was clear that I wasn't angry nor was going to be short-tempered with her. I was angry with the way she's been treated and how no one noticed how gifted and intelligent she was given the chance to prove herself even if those skills were more...practical rather than reliant on cold hard facts memorized in some textbook. Danielle was very attentive and witty, relying on logic to paint a full picture and most of the time it served her well. However, she was used to ghosts attacking and acting in the moment, whereas I carefully planned each move and had several backup plans should one fail.

Either way, I needed to do what was best for Danielle even if it meant sending her home at this point. Keeping her here was hardly helping matters but at the same time I couldn't very well have her slip back into that vicious cycle of neglect and fighting for her life against random ghosts likely released into this world via a portal it's own creators barely understood. The fools...

But before any of that I needed a fuller picture of how things were going in Amity Park with her parents before formulating a new plan, a plan I hoped would bring Danielle closer to becoming mine even if the distance between us increased again. I'd have to keep tabs on her to make sure she was protected of course, but it didn't necessarily have to be directly.

I could provide her with some sort of undercover guardian or at the very least send other ghosts to deal with the minor annoyances to reduce her burden if she went back to fighting ghosts. I hated the idea of Danielle fighting at all, however, given her headstrong personality it likely served as an outlet for her anger while doing something productive with her powers so who was I to rob her of that? The fact is I wanted Danielle to become stronger. I wanted her to become my equal. And while I wanted to keep her safe as well, I knew now that forcing that protection on her would only make Danielle it more likely that she would reject it to prove she could handle anything life threw at her.

And while I admired her passion I knew that this was a dangerous way of thinking as there would always be a ghost more powerful than the last. She was lucky that while I was one of those ghosts, I didn't have any reason to destroy her. In fact, I wanted to preserve her life as long as possible so that one day...we could share it.