Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom

Note: I ended up cutting out a lot more than I realized so sorry in advance for all the time skips. I'll try to make up for it by making some chapters longer whenever possible. I was going to summarize the "filler episodes" between Vlad and Dani's last meeting at the reunion but decided I'd rather just skip it this time and reintroduce concepts later as needed to keep the focus on these two dorks learning to get along.

Chapter 8: Animosity

Danielle's POV

Of all the things Vlad could have said, I was NOT expecting that. Don't get me wrong, hearing Vlad say he wanted to help me with my powers and in general was such a relief since there was so much I could learn from him, but the idea of staying here for a whole week after what happened before still left plenty of room for doubt...

What exactly was Vlad playing at? Did he really expect me to say yes to that after sharing one moment of weakness when I admitted this wasn't the first time I felt like my parents don't care about me? Honestly, if I had met Vlad any other way, if he hadn't attacked me while targeting my dad then tricked me into staying here in the first place after drugging me, I might have said yes.

But since that's not what happened...I couldn't do it.

I had to go home so I could clear my head and figure out what to do next. If his offer was real and not just lip-service, at least I wouldn't have to figure out how to use my powers alone anymore. I didn't expect him to fight ghosts with me, obviously, but still, just knowing I might have some backup and possibly a safe place to go if things went south would help a lot.

Either way, the more I thought about his offer, the more I realized that I couldn't accept it. A selfish part of me wanted to give him a chance to show me if he was serious, but I was also still angry at him for basically kidnapping me when he rigged it so my parents would leave me with him. So with that, my mind was made up.

I wasn't as stupid and naive as people think so I weighed the pros and cons before deciding that if Vlad was serious about wanting to start over, then he'd have to prove it through his actions from now on. I've had it up to here with all the liars and the bullies in my life. I didn't want to add him to the list of enemies I have to deal with if there was even the slightest chance Vlad could change and actually help me instead of making my life more difficult.

After making my decision, I knew I couldn't wait until morning to tell Vlad because otherwise I might chicken out. I won't lie, Vlad scared the hell out of me making an anti-ghost shield that could keep me trapped whether I was in ghost form or not. I felt a little better when he sincerely apologized and explained he didn't mean for it to hurt me like that, but at the same time, I really couldn't take much more of this. I had to remove myself from the situation for my own good before things escalated again because all the stress was taking a serious toll on me...

The only problem is, I didn't know where Vlad's room was so I decided to change into ghost form and look for him. His castle was so huge though and I was surprised when I found out there were some walls I couldn't phase through at all. Vlad probably had a reason for that, but whether it was a 'good' reason or not I couldn't say. Honestly, it took me so long to even get my bearings that I almost gave up and decided to call it a night after all when I heard Vlad's voice.

Curious about who he was talking to, if anyone, I turned invisible and followed the sound of his voice which led me to the master bedroom. And when I poked my head inside I saw that Vlad was on the phone with someone while those three vulture ghosts were floating above his head. That would explain why my ghost sense went off and I had to breathe the cold air back in through my nose to stop myself from gasping and releasing a visible puff of cold air past my lips.

I didn't catch what Vlad said over the phone before he hung up, but I shivered for a whole other reason when this creepy smile spread across his face as he looked up at his cronies and said, "Alright, everything is in place now so now all you have to worry about is keeping an eye on Jack and Maddie. I don't want them messing this up for me, whatever Danielle decides. Think you can handle it this time?"

With that same thick accent I remember from before when those three landed on a bus and asked me for directions when they were ordered to attack my dad, I heard the leader of the three vultures scoff, "Vhat, first you vant us to peck ze guy to death and now you vant us to just spy on zem? Vhy not just lock ze ghost girl up if you vant to keep her so badly?"

Irritated that they were talking back to him, Vlad's eyes flashed red threateningly which made them shrink back from him, and then in this eerily calm tone he explained, "Because, you fool, I don't want to scare her off again. I've made too many mistakes with Danielle already and any more may result in her rejecting me entirely. I don't want that. Should Danielle decide to stay for the rest of the week I have to make sure I don't push my luck and ruin any chance of convincing her I'm a much better father than the one she has now. In either case, I need to make sure nothing happens to her family or she might blame me for any harm that comes to them, especially Jack. That said, I don't pay you to question me, Boris. Do I make myself clear?"

Sighing heavily the ghost vulture with the largest beak, whose name was Boris apparently, nodded and replied, "Very vell, you're ze boss, boss. Come on boyz, ve're off!"

After that, they phased through the roof, leaving the two of us alone.

I didn't know if Vlad could sense me or not, but I decided to retreat anyway since I wasn't sure what to make of any of that. Sure, it confirmed that Vlad was still just crazy obsessed as before, what about the rest of it? Did he really love me and want me to be his daughter? Or was this all some twisted game to him and I was nothing but a prize to be won...?

I did know one thing though. I was doing us both a favor by putting some distance between us as soon as possible. And whether or not Vlad was still an manipulative asshole, it's clear to me that being near him was just as dangerous as before.

To avoid any suspicions about sneaking around before, I decided not to bring up what I saw last night or confront Vlad about sending his goons to spy on my parents when we sat down for breakfast the next morning. And the only reason I got any sleep is because I hardly slept the night before and was emotionally exhausted. But I didn't make the choice out of fear, I made it based off facts, and I really did need to get out of here to come to terms with the fact that there's another half-ghost like me in the world and he's a rich bastard.

I refused to let my nerves get the better of me this time so I cleared my throat to get Vlad's attention, then once our eyes locked I finally gave him my answer. "Vlad? So I thought about your offer but, well, considering what you put me through to get me to stay here longer in the first place I don't think it's a good idea. I seriously doubt I could handle staying here another day, let alone another week. Besides, I'm behind enough in school as it is and-"

Before I could start rambling and listed almost ALL of the reasons I couldn't stay, Vlad mercifully raised a hand to stop me and smiled sympathetically as he replied, "I had a feeling that would be the case. I won't lie and say I'm not disappointed, but if you're sure about this I'll contact your parents and make arrangements to get you home safely."

I stared at Vlad like he had grown two heads and blurted out, "Wait, that's it? You're not going to try and talk me out of it? And...you're not mad I said no?"

Scoffing at my comment, Vlad explained, "What is there to be angry about, my dear? I wouldn't have made the offer if I wasn't going to respect your decision. But, I hope to see you again soon under more...favorable circumstances."

"Riiight," I replied, eyeing him suspiciously.

Sighing though, I ran a hand through my hair and added nervously, "I'm not letting you entirely off the hook yet but...since you're letting me go home without any strings attached that's a start at least. And if you're serious about helping me then I'm willing to give you a second chance. Just...don't make me regret it, ok?"

Vlad seemed more than understanding about my choice but what I didn't expect was for him to give me such a glamorous send off. He even gave me options on how I wanted to travel back home, such as riding in his private jet, helicopter, or limousine. I didn't even bother asking why no one else in my family offered to come get me since it was a weekend since the answer was obvious. Simply put, they couldn't be bothered.

As tempted as I was to get back quicker by flying back, I opted for the limo ride because then I could relax and sleep most of the way back. Plus it was the least conspicuous opinion. Anyways Vlad also gave me 'a little' spending money too and told me to use it if I wanted to stop anywhere along the way to get any snacks he didn't already have provided in the limo itself. I nearly refused taking the money when Vlad gently but firmly closed my fingers around the wad of cash and said with a smirk-

"I know you said you won't accept any attempts at flattery or bribery to make up for my misdeeds so think of this more as of an apology gift. Whether you spend it or not is your choice, but remember I have billions more, my dear, so this poultry amount I just gave you is hardly even considered pocket change. Keep it," Vlad stated with a note of finality in his voice, but it wasn't the type of bossiness that made me mad so I reluctantly accepted and he nodded in approval.

"Alright, whatever you say fruitloop," I huffed and rolled my eyes at him. I still felt uneasy having so much cash on me because I doubt it was a roll of one dollar bills in my pocket, but when Vlad made this cute pouty face I couldn't help but let my guard down a little because in his own weird way, he really was trying...

After that, since my things were already packed in the back of the limo, I stepped over to it and impulsively called out to him with a shy smile, "Try not to miss me too much Vlad, and don't forget to play nice while I'm gone. I might be willing to take off a strike if you keep your promise to leave my dad alone."

Laughing in response, Vlad replied, "I'll endeavor to do so if it'll make you happy, little badger."

I frowned a little when he said that and sighed, "No seriously, please don't send anyone else after my dad ok? I mean it. I probably have a mountain of homework waiting for me back home and I don't need extra work fighting ghosts to fight on top of that."

"Well unless he does something to upset you again, I won't lay a finger on him," Vlad promised, resting his hands behind his back, no doubt to cross his fingers but whatever.

If he did pull any more shit that'd be one more strike against him anyway. So for now, we'd have to just wait and see whether or not Vlad was a man of his word or just another liar. Either way, I wasn't going to let what happened a few days ago happen ever again, which meant if Vlad wanted to prove himself it'll have to be through his actions which meant letting me go home was only the first step. But, you know what they say, a leopard can't change its spots, so this wouldn't be the first time Vlad royally screwed me over...

Or the last.

A few months later...

"Oh come on! Why can't I go? This has 'educational' written all over it, and Vlad's going to be there so what's the big deal? It's not like I'm skipping school and going to Universal Studios! This is the Kennedy Space Center we're talking about so can I go? Pretty pretty please?" I pleaded, showing them the VIP invitation I got in the mail for the fifth time. Hell I didn't even remember entering any sort of contest recently, but knowing me, since I love anything space-related maybe I did at one point and just forgot about it. Either way it showed up at the perfect time since I seriously needed a break...

Looking over the invite again, my mom rubbed her chin and mused thoughtfully, "Well, I suppose he HAS helped you pull your grades up quite a bit, but I'm still not sure you've earned the privilege to go on such an exclusive trip during school. If this was happening around Spring Break that would be another story. Jack honey, what do you think?"

"Why're you asking me? I think it's a great idea Maddie! You couldn't ask for a better chaperon than the V-man himself so I say we let her go spend some time with him! Honestly I'm jealous he didn't invite all of us to go," dad chimed in and for once I was happy he looked up to Vlad so much and was on my side about letting me go hang out with good old uncle Vlad.

"See?" I smiled hopefully, hugging my dad's arm. "Even dad agrees with me!"

"Just because he agrees with you doesn't mean it's a good idea, sweetie. I'd feel much better about this if your brother went with you at least," mom countered and I groaned.

"Moooom...I'm sixteen, I think I can handle a trip to Florida by myself. Besides, Vlad's meeting me at the airport so there's nothing to worry about. I know things started off weird between us when I first met him, but Vlad's done a lot for me since then so it's not like last time. I'm doing better so why can't you trust me?" I asked, making doe eyes at her.

Finally giving in, mom agreed to let me go as long as I promised to call once I got there so I hugged her tightly, thanked them both loudly, then dashed up to my room to pack. I was so excited! Because not only was I going to the Kennedy Space Center, but I was going to get to show off how much better I've gotten at controlling my powers on, even the new ones!

I've been thinking about him a lot lately to be completely honest so even though we've both been super busy I looked forward to starting off on better terms than before. With Vlad I didn't have to worry about hiding or keeping things to myself nearly as much as I did around my friends. Well...ok there were still plenty of other things to worry about with him, but so far Vlad's been behaving so I had a good feeling about this trip and about trying to give him a second chance.

For me, just having someone to turn to for help in general was more than I could ever hope for. Too bad he was a creature of habit and I was about to discover that certain things about Vlad haven't changed much at all. He's still as manipulative as ever, even when his intentions are 'good.'

I knew this would be a long trip that would take about 2 hours even on a private jet, but something started to feel off about it when I happened to glance out the window and saw trees and mountains instead of seagulls and coastlines. It'd been about an hour and twenty minutes but since I brought my own, I didn't notice at first that there wasn't even a flight attendant on board to serve snacks or anything. But as the trip went on longer without a single person showing up, I started getting anxious.

I perked up when I heard the speakers click on and a voice said in a terribly chipper voice, "Hey there, this is your Captain speaking! If you look out the window to your left you'll see the cold, bleak, Colorado Rockies!"

"Oh no...this isn't good..." I groaned, having a bad feeling I knew where this was going.

"And if you look out your window on the right side you'll see me! Bailing out of the plane before it careens out of control and crashes!" he finished saying so I rushed out of my seat and sure enough, the pilot was waving goodbye to me just as the plane started to take a nose dive. After that I ran to the pilot's seat, instinct taking over as I tried to remember all the stuff I learned from those flight simulators, but even if I could remember any of that it was useless since the controls were jammed!

"ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME!?" I growled, pulling as hard as I could, hoping it'd magically work but as panic set in since I didn't want anyone thinking I crashed along with the plane, I looked around wildly and transformed once the coast was clear, phasing out of the plane.

After flying for a bit I eventually caught up to the pilot who, still talking into his microphone laughed manically, "At this time I'd like to inform you that you're the unlucky victim of a cruel hoax!"

Then, to my surprise, he changed into a ghost which made his parachute vanish too and grinned smugly at me, "Thank you for flying with us, sucker!"

I was so pissed off that my rotten luck had led to this whole mess I didn't even bother chasing after him when he flew back to the plane to regain control of it and zoomed off. I had bigger things to worry about since for one thing, all of my stuff had been sent ahead of me, which probably meant they either actually sent it to Florida or never sent it all. And to make things worse my carry-on was still on the jet which had my cell phone and money in it so now I was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way to call home or call Vlad for help.

Once I landed safely on the ground again, I debated on what to do since this was obviously their intention, to strand me out here far away from Amity Park so I had two options. I could either fly to the nearest town, borrow some money to call my parents or Vlad, then explain what happened more or less. And let's face it, option one was a no-go since there was no way I was calling my parents because they'd just give me a hard time about getting tricked into bailing from a jet plane instead of feeling relieved that I at least hadn't been horribly murdered by that ghost or died in a plane crash...

Vlad wasn't going to be happy to hear about this either, but at least he could help me cover up this mess so my parents wouldn't find out what really happened. I felt so stupid and humiliated for falling for this so I took a minute to sit down on a rock and just...curse my luck again. I mean, of course I'd NEVER win a contest like that, of course it was all just part of the evil plan of some random ghost, and of course I fell for it hook line and sinker!

This, my friends, is why I'm not allowed to have nice things. I wasn't allowed to have my own phone, my own car, my own LIFE, no...it was always ghost-this and ghost-that and ghost, ghost, GHOST! Enraged by all this, not caring if someone heard me because hello, I was in the middle of nowhere in the mountains anyway, I stood up, glared at the nearest tree and yelled in frustration and punched it relentlessly. The wood cracked under my assault and because of how thin it was, it soon snapped in half and came crashing down with a loud thud. I stepped back, stunned by my own strength a little bit, taking a few long deep breathes to calm down just like Jace taught me.

"Alright, think Dani. You've been in worse situations before, so this is nothing!" Feeling a bit better, I looked up at the sky and using my knowledge of astronomy I tried to figure out what direction I was facing based on what time of year it was and the placement of the sun.

It looked like I was facing somewhere south-west, home was somewhere north-east, and Florida was south-east. Either way, my parents at least had the good sense to teach us a few survival skills if we were ever lost in the woods, but since I had the added advantage of ghost powers I wasn't totally stranded out here. Lost, yes, but unless I didn't find anything after flying a few miles, hopefully I wouldn't have to camp out in these woods and sleep in the dirt. So first things first I needed to find a water source and follow it til I found a river and-

"Oh..." I muttered because after flying up into the air one more time to get my bearings, it turned out I wasn't all that far away from civilization after all...

Down below I could see what looked like a fancy mountain chalet and...wait, was that a V on top of the building? Oh no, did that mean-but I thought he changed! No, no maybe the V stood for something else! Maybe it belonged to some family whose last name just so happened to start with V. I thought to myself, trying to write this all off as a mere coincidence.

Either way, I flew back down until I was right outside the front doors and changed back just when, sure enough, Vlad drove up to me in a golf cart and I wasn't sure whether to feel shocked or pissed off because he had tricked me...again.

"Surprise Danielle!" Vlad beamed like nothing was wrong and that...oh yeah that made me absolutely livid to the point where my eyes started to glow as I glared at him and crossed my arms, tapping my finger.

"There never was any contest, was there?" I accused bitterly, totally pissed off that Vlad actually had the NERVE of smiling at me at a time like this.

A bit taken aback by how angry I was, Vlad cleared his throat and explained, "Well there was, but I'm afraid that they already chose a winner. However, since you DID in fact enter that contest at one point it was easy for me to forge an invitation claiming that you were that winner to get you here. I wanted to surprise you but, my dear, is something the matter?"

"As a matter of fact, there is!" I shouted, resisting the urge I had to punch Vlad in the face. "You tricked me again and here I was feeling really excited to have actually won something for once! Do you have ANY idea how long it took me to convince my parents to even let me go on this trip by myself? And to top it all off, the pilot you hired was a ghost that kicked me off the plane and said I was the victim of a cruel hoax! So what am I supposed to think!?"

When Vlad's eyes suddenly flash red too and his face twisted into one of rage as he gripped the steering wheel of the golf cart tightly, I recoiled from him, thinking he was mad at me for calling him out on this whole pretty scheme, but then Vlad snarled, "That imbecile! That is NOT what I told him to do at all! He was supposed to claim that something was wrong with the engine as an excuse to force an emergency landing in the field nearby and once you were there I was going to surprise you by telling you the truth! He was not supposed to bale out of the jet itself and force you to jump out! Oh Danielle, I am so sorry..." he stepped out of the drivers seat and approached me, but I slapped his hand away, not in the mood for his mind games.

"Forget it, even if that part was an accident, you still tricked me again, Vlad. You used something I love against me to set this whole thing up that I was genuinely looking forward to and that really hurts. I was so excited about this trip and actually didn't feel weird about spending time getting to know you while I was there since you've actually kept your promise up until now. But now I just feel sick to my stomach for ever making the mistake to trust you so just...let me in so I can use your phone. After that, I'm going straight home." Shoving past him, I started making my way towards the door but he grabbed by arm and halted my progress.

"Danielle, please wait. I never meant to hurt you, and I didn't know going to Florida meant so much to you. Isn't there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Vlad asked, sounding desperate.

Phasing out of his grip, I kept walking and replied venomously, "Yeah there is. You can just leave me the hell alone from now on. I don't need or want anything from a scumbag like you..."