Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom

Note: Ok, it's time for another time skip to move things along but I have an idea for a future event in the story so I'll flashback of it later when it's actually relevant. And don't worry this will be the last bit of fluff and such before things ramp up again. Woohoo! Also, apologies in advance that this chapter is so long and nothing really happens but I promise, something exciting will be happening very very soon!

Chapter 37: Dazzling

Danielle's POV

When I woke up the next morning I felt the most refreshed I have in a while after Vlad unexpectedly offered to watch over me. Realistically I knew Vlad couldn't do this for me EVERY night, but it helped me out a lot more then he realized so I made a mental note to thank him later. Being able to sleep peacefully for once was a very thoughtful gift. And the star covered Narwhal my friends won for me at the arcade was very soft and made a great pillow too.

Anyway, after stretching and scanning the room, I noticed Vlad's note tucked away in my dresser drawer where he briefly told me which ghosts showed up last night and how long he stayed to take care of them before heading home. I mean obviously Vlad wouldn't want to risk falling asleep here by accident in ghost form and being attacked by my parents. That would raise all sorts of unwanted questions. And once I committed the note to memory I burnt it with some ectoenergy in my hand.

After that, I smiled to myself and began to get ready for the day.

As soon as I was all dressed I made sure I sent a text to Vlad to thank him for last night too and told him I'd stop by if I could. Normally I'm not a morning person, but compared to my parents today I was a ray of sunshine. They had just pulled an all-nighter working on some new battle suit thing. So far they'd only made progress on the pants and judging from what I overheard they were still super buggy; which was good news for me since most of their inventions were bad news for ghosts and half-ghosts.

So, in that case, I doubt they'd have enough energy to bug me about getting the chores done right away so I took advantage of that to relax for a bit and enjoy the quiet. I didn't have anywhere to be today since I already hung out with Sam, Trish, and Vallen yesterday. After all, I didn't want to impose on them since they were invited to this dinner party thing on Wednesday. So I thought to myself, maybe if Vlad was up to it we could do some extra training today. Then again, he might be tired after keeping an eye on things so I figured I'd wait until I heard back from him one way or another.

Sadly, I wasn't able to see much of Vlad on Sunday after all or the following two days since he said he wanted to keep at least a few of my birthday surprises a secret. That was fine by me and besides, as long as I was still able to talk to him this time that didn't bother me as much as it did last time Vlad was doing his own thing.

On a side note, at school things were going surprisingly well between Sam and Vallen. I guess our little arcade trip really did the trick and Sam was finally warming up to Vallen at least a little bit. It was almost too good to be true if I'm being honest. And unfortunately, I still had this weird feeling I was being watched too but since it wasn't Vlad and I couldn't find evidence of actually being spied on I tried not to make a big deal out of it.

I didn't even tell Sam and Trish about it because the last thing I wanted was for them to start worrying about me again. Vlad knew about how I was feeling though and he promised he'd look into it for me to uncover whether or I was imagining it so I put my faith in him and went about my life as usual; you know, doing my homework, making excused to leave to stop a few ghost attacks, evading bullies before and after lunch, that sort of thing. It was becoming a daily routine again but at least as far as the bullies went Vallen was doing a better job at distracting them since he was feeling better too it seemed. We weren't hanging out together publicly or anything yet, but he was always civil to me even around his other friends who knew better than to start trouble in front of him if they wanted to stay in the 'in-crowd' too.

By the time the day of my actual birthday finally rolled around, for the first time in years I managed to feel excited about it. Jason even convinced mom to make breakfast too with chocolate chip pancakes and everything! I had like, three of them before Jason offered to drive me to school and I was totally on board with that. Sam and Trish told me ahead of time that they were heading to school early and would meet me there so they could give me their birthday presents since something came up and they wouldn't be able to make it to Vlad's dinner party until later in the evening. Honestly, I'm sure that suited Vlad just fine since he and Sam were still a little at odds with each other.

A shame I couldn't get THEM to get along too.

Speaking of people getting along with each other, I was a bit surprised that Vallen and his dad were going to be there too which I'll admit had me a little nervous. Mr. Grey was going to see my parents up close and personal realize just how...passionate and intense they can be about ghost hunting. So personally I was kinda hoping they'd be too busy eating to talk about much, especially my dad since Vlad already knew how much of a foodie he was from personal experience.

I couldn't help but chuckle a little since Vlad's personal chef was certainly going to have his work cut out for him. Especially if it was only him in the kitchen making all that food. Then again Vlad probably hired a few extra hands to make sure everything went smoothly and there was more than enough food for everyone to enjoy, myself included since it was nearly impossible to get seconds at home with dad around. It just comes with the territory.

The rest of the day went pretty well and I loved the gifts Vallen, Trish, and Sam gave me. Trish gave me the latest version of a videogame I enjoy, Sam gave me this really comfy blue and white NASA T-shirt, and finally, Vallen gave me a couple of music CDs from two of my favorite bands. So, all in all, I was having a good day and I was determined not to let anything ruin it. I could only hope my luck would hold out and just like Vlad promised, I would finally have the first decent birthday I've had in years.

And hopefully, it wouldn't be the last.

"I still can't believe you managed to get their parents to come too," I laughed while talking to Vlad over the phone from the roof near the OP-center for some privacy. "Let me guess, they're more there as a distraction for MY parents right? Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? Sam's parents tolerate me for his sake even though my parents are so eccentric, Trish's parents pity me more than anything because of how they are, and then there's Vallen's dad who thinks he's in my debt because you gave him his fancy security job back but he's worried about my parents giving his son dangerous ideas about hunting ghosts to impress both of us."

"You worry too much my dear," Vlad chuckled before reassuring me, "I have my ways and before the evening is over I'm certain they'll see each other in a new light. Managing the unmanageable is why I've been so successful in my businesses. Besides, tonight is about you so I'll make sure to keep everyone happy and smooth over any rough edges between them. The real party won't begin until they've all gone home, including your friends. Trust me, I won't let anything happen to ruin this dinner even if I have to nudge some of them in a more pleasant direction with their conversation choices."

"Right, but promise me you'll only use overshadowing as a LAST resort, not the first. I learned the hard way how much it can confuse people..." I trailed off while thinking about the first time I overshadowed someone when I accidentally did that to Diana and made her say something embarrassing to Paul when she tried to ask him to a dance at our school.

Ignoring my silence, Vlad continued thoughtfully, "Perish the thought! I can easily handle someone like Jack without resorting to such a thing. I've been at this long enough that I rarely even need to use that method. Sometimes a nudge is all anyone needs to make up their minds because the people you overshadow will always be compelled to forget, do, or remember something after being possessed. It's a very handy trick."

I raised an eyebrow when something about the way he said that sounded kinda off to me but I shrugged and sighed, "You're right, you had to make your billions somehow and overshadowing everyone isn't an option so fair enough. I just hope you're really ready for anything since Sam's parents especially can complicate things-"

"Like father like son I assume?" Vlad snickered then quickly covered it up with, "At any rate the dinner itself won't last long so don't you worry about that my dear. We'll start with the meal then move onto dessert and presents just like you had originally planned but with the extra addition of a more...personalized feel to the event. I do hope you enjoy yourself since I took special care to ensure everything was to your liking without going too far. And once everyone else returns home for the evening, I'll come to pick you up for the main event."

"I can't wait," I replied warmly, knowing how much work he put into all this just for me. "And Vlad, I know it may be too early to actually say this, but thank you for everything. This whole thing was unexpected but honestly, I'm glad I have something to look forward to this year."

"No need to thank me, it's the least I can do. And you know I'd happily do more if it would make you smile. I love you, Danielle, and sure you understand how deep those feelings of mine go even after all we've been through together. I cherish every moment with you and would do anything for you, anything at all," Vlad told me, his voice warm and earnest.

I know, I thought to myself after remembering the less reputable things Vlad's done for me, but I kept that to myself and smiled, "Thanks Vlad, I love you too and I'll see you soon."

"Yes, see you soon my dear," Vlad chuckled and with that, the call finally ended and it was time to see the result of all his secret birthday planning for myself.

Vlad really outdid himself this time, I know this wasn't like a fancy ball or anything but I felt a bit under-dressed as soon as I saw where the dinner party was taking place. The dining room was decorated with a night sky theme in mind and it was surprisingly dark inside until Vlad asked the staff he hired for this dinner party to light the room with strategically placed glass lanterns with colored glass that gave everything a gentle blue glow. And they gave off plenty of light too despite how dim the rest of the room was.

I was in awe as I looked around, the entire room was lined with these blue velvet curtains with silver thread work on them that caught the light and mimicked the night sky. Then, in the four corners of the room, there were those cool LED balloons I've only seen at New Years' parades. The main attraction, however, was the table itself. On top of it was a royal blue table cloth, the lanterns obviously so we could see our food, and these expensive-looking plates with gold trim and back with a similar blue finish as the tablecloth and delicately painted stars with gold silverware to match. Even the wine classes were fancy and had a different constellation on each one!

Oh yes, Vlad looked very pleased with himself when he saw our jaws drop, and as I passed he gave me an extra wink before showing us to our seats. And if I understood Vlad correctly he would be sitting at the head of the table as the host. Sam and Trish were running a little late with their parents, but Vallen and his dad were there so their seats were somewhat close because as the birthday girl I was given a seat right next to Vlad and my brother was right across from me on the other side. It was a clever way of keeping me close while still being considerate of the rest of his guests.

Still, I couldn't help but snicker a little when I noticed that mom and dad were given seats as far from the rest of us as possible. They basically had the whole end of the table to themselves which mom thought was odd at first until Vlad explained why they weren't sitting closer to the head of the table. This was all part of his plan so that my dad almost had a whole meal to himself from there and keep his appetite at bay so the rest of us could enjoy seconds if we wanted without fear of him hogging it all. Mom understood the logic in that and it would explain why two of the servers were stationed on that end of the room specifically to make sure my dad was well fed...

Once everyone finally made it, Vlad explained that the main coarse was going to be served soon but in the meantime, there were some appetizers on the table we were welcome to enjoy until then. It was mostly freshly baked bread paired with various dipping sauces and butter but thankfully Vlad assured me that he knew Sam was a vegetarian and took that into account, meaning he would have a fresh salad made for anyone who wanted one momentarily and could ask the servers for drinks and such too.

I was surprised Vlad was being so considerate of Sam's food choices, but then again I realized that Sam probably wouldn't have come to this dinner party otherwise if he didn't have something to eat too. Admittedly, I could see how it would kinda suck to go to a dinner party if you were on a special diet, allergic to some, or didn't eat any meat like Sam. I know I'd feel bad if I went to a birthday party serving ice cream sundaes and was lactose intolerant so I could only watch everyone else enjoy themselves. So I smiled when Sam swallowed some pride and actually thanked Vlad for giving him that option.

And with that, I heard music as it began playing from a pianist playing a grand piano that was tucked into one corner of the room behind its own velvet curtain that I hadn't noticed earlier. Vlad must have had one put in here so we could have live music playing while we eat. I barely noticed the chatter going on between Vlad and everyone's parents as I turned my head to listen to it a bit more closely. This music had a nice energy to it that was lively but still mellow enough to fade into the background. I'd have to ask him what songs he gave the pianist to play later and if said pianist would be playing during our...special dance once everyone else went home and I doubled back for his last birthday surprise.

I was brought back to reality when Trish began gushing over how soft the bread was and how the room was decorated. She knew I wanted to be an astronaut but forgot that enjoying the sight of stars was part of that, hence the night sky decorations. Her parents were impressed too and joined in asking questions about what inspired Vlad to decorate things like this for me.

It was a little embarrassing hearing Vlad compliment how passionate I was about traveling the stars and have everyone's attention turn towards me but what was even more shocking was how my parents looked at me as if seeing me for the first time and mom admitted that Vlad did a great job planning this. I couldn't agree more and for awhile we managed to avoid any mention of ghosts until dad asked Mr. Grey what it was like working directly under Vlad as his head of anti-ghost security. I knew this was coming but thankfully so did Vlad so Vallen's dad was barely able to give him part of an answer before the food arrived.

I swear this was unlike any dinner party I've ever been to where the food was served to you just like at a real restaurant on these ornate trays with lids and everything to keep everything fresh. We were given several options for drinks too but in the end I was all about the sparkling cider which also came in several flavors. Part of me still felt like this whole dinner might be a bit overkill but considering how rich Vlad was, to everyone else this WAS him being tame.

I'm normally not that shy but when Sam's parents started asking me why Vlad was so determined to do this for me I told them, "Well, ever since the day we met Vlad's been like family to me and since he hasn't been around for any of my other birthdays I suppose he wanted to make this one extra special."

If they only knew how special this one really is, I thought while sparing Vlad a side glance, smiling to myself. Having a birthday actually be about me for once and not my family legacy as a Fenton means a lot to me. I can only hope Vlad really does know what he's doing and can keep everyone on their best behavior. Especially my dad.

All in all the dinner party went pretty well. As promised Vlad kept my parents busy and everyone happy like a true host and the dinner itself was fantastic! You'd think I'd have gotten used to his private chef's cooking but they always found new ways to surprise me. How he managed to make a veggie version of chicken cordon bleu for Sam that was good enough for him to ask for seconds was a feat in and of itself. And that was just the main course! To go with the bread appetizers we were served soup and alternatively salads for those who didn't want it.

At the end of the dinner, a fancy custom cake was brought in which was literally decorated to look all of the planets stacked on top of each other and this intricate milk chocolate milky way swirling around the whole thing. It was one of those cakes that almost looked too pretty to eat so we all took pictures before I blew out the candles and we did our best to make room for at least one slice after that big meal...

After that, it was time for presents!

Trish, Vallen, and Sam already gave me theirs at school, or so I thought so I was surprised when Trish and Sam each gave me an extra one that went together that they said they pitched in for together since things might get a little more hectic next year once we get ready to graduate. I completely understood that so when I opened it I saw that it was a silver necklace and a star-shaped pendant to go with it I could change out if I wanted to. Smiling I thanked them for it and put it on before moving to the next present.

It was from Mr. Grey and to my surprise, he gave me a copy of a picture that was taken of his father watching the apollo 11 launch back in 1969. This was a really cool piece of family history and it touched me that Vallen's dad was willing to share it with me because I admired astronauts so much. Sam's parents weren't obligated to get anything for me either since we hardly knew each other personally, but it was nice that they did get me something after all even if it was just a new backpack with a built-in charger and wheels. Trish's parents ended up giving me a free movie pass which I looked forward to using pretty soon since a movie I've been waiting forever for was coming out soon.

And finally, it was the moment of truth before Vlad's gifts which he insisted go last so it was Jason and my parent's turns. I was dreading whatever gift my parents had since it was usually some sort of anti-ghost weapon, but I was relieved when Jason got me something a little more normal all things considering. For his gift, Jason gave me a book of constellations throughout history and I was excited to see if there were any that even I didn't know existed...

As for my parent's gift, surprise surprise it was at least somewhat ghost-related. They gave me this weird techy undershirt with thin inlaid wiring that was supposedly capable of protecting me from being overshadowed. It was better than a belt or another gun I suppose but some things never change. Still, I was very happy that so far, at least this year I got a few things I actually wanted and some welcome surprises. I had no doubt there was more to come, especially when Vlad asked us to come outside to show off his other gifts which he decided to put all in one place.

I kinda knew this was coming but I inwardly groaned when Vlad unveiled...a rather big present which was, you guessed it, a car. My parents went berserk when they saw it and walked around it with expressions that were a mixture of annoyance at Vlad for doing this without asking them and awe because of how sleek it was. It was certainly top of the line according to Vlad and he insisted it had all the latest anti-ghost precautions installed already to protect me from harm. That helped smooth things over a bit, meanwhile, Trish couldn't stop squealing and practically drooling over the custom-built vehicle. Vallen was impressed too, especially when Vlad told him that the same technology was built into many of his own vehicles as well and would soon be marketable for the public too if things went well at Axion Labs.

Weird how my birthday ended up becoming a little political for Vlad but then I realized something. There was a reason he invited my friend's parents to this party too, Vlad wanted to impress them and to show how serious he was about taking care of and protecting me from ghosts. He was making sure they were on his side and knew it was a good idea to have him around. Vlad wasn't just a billionaire, he was a concerned uncle looking out for the daughter of his "best friend" and wanted to do the same for their families as well. This was all to keep them in the dark about there being anything else between us while showing how important I was to him.

I could tell it left an impression on all of them and now even Sam's parents seemed to be looking at me in a different light like I was just another normal person trying to get by coping with the now confirmed existence of ghosts that had nothing to do with how eccentric my parents were. And even they were dialing that down since dad was convinced now that Vlad knew what he was doing and that I was in good hands. Jason was impressed too. So all in all, I would say that Vlad succeeded in his plans to dazzle everyone in my life and prove once and for all how serious he was about my well-being and happiness. In a way, this was a confession of his love even though we both knew it wasn't the same kind of love they were thinking of...

To them, I was Vlad's beloved niece, a daughter almost. But to him, I was...everything and I'll admit that even I was dazzled by just how much he did just to make sure that this birthday would be one I never forgot. And the best part is, I knew it wasn't over yet. This part of it was drawing to a close, but the night was still young and I for one couldn't wait to steal a moment alone with him. I wanted to be close to him, to tell him how touched I was by all of this and frankly a little overwhelmed. I didn't know what to expect, but as always, Vlad went above and beyond what I dreamed possible.

I almost didn't want this day to end because I was so happy. But sadly, all good things must come to an end. So I would just have to enjoy the rest of the evening once Vlad brought me back here to spend some time together making new memories of dancing close with him to replace the old ones. Memories of a time when Vlad wasn't quite the knight in shining armor I would have imagined falling in love with...