This part should not have made me cry as much as it did... and I still have writer's block... but it's not as bad as before... it's helping... For added effect, listen to When Somebody Loved Me...
Disclaimer: yep... I still own nothing...
Danielle rolled her eyes as her limo sped away from the reporters gathered around the front of the law offices. They were starting to seriously piss her off despite the fact she understood why they were so relentless. Her 'father' was one of the most powerful men in the economic world, and she, his 'daughter', just decided to appear right after his death. She leaned back in her seat and sighed, pulling the headband out of her hair. It was times like these she really missed talking to him, even though they would communicate via phone call during this time.
"Are you alright, young miss?" She looked up and gave her chauffer a sad smile.
"Just tired, Mr. Smith... Tired and nostalgic..." She replied, playing with a strand of hair. For a second, she wished her hair was full black, but shook the thought away quickly.
"I understand, young miss. Now, your tutor will meet you at two, which will give you enough time for lunch, and a Mr. Gray will stop by at seven to deliver some paperwork concerning some business." The girl merely hummed in response, thinking maybe her hair would look better as a light brown instead. She gave up on that thought as well, deciding she was rather content with her hair color, which was a mix of brown and black, with a strange white streak by her left ear.
"Have the maids re-decorated the living room?" Mr. Smith nodded.
"They just finished a few minutes ago. By your orders, most of the house has been relinquished of the gold and green color scheme and has been accommodated to more modern colors. The only rooms left with the gold and green theme are the Game Room with the bar and the living room in the second floor in the east wing. They also followed your strict order of not changing the master bedroom or taking anything from it."
"Good..." Smoothing out a wrinkle from her plaid skirt, Danielle looked up and caught a glimpse of her eyes in the driver's rearview mirror. A slight twinge of pain shot through her heart seeing her own sapphire orbs. Mr. Smith, as though sensing his charge's distress, cleared his throat.
"You know, my dear, when the late master first introduced me to you, your eyes were a lighter shade of blue. And though I found it odd that you seemed to have not gotten anything from your father, I couldn't help but feel happier when your eyes grew as dark as his." He gave her a sad, but comforting smile, and she couldn't help but smile back.
"You have your father's eyes, miss. That same lovely shade of blue that reminds me of Sinclair's Bay... We used to vacation there a lot with my family when I still lived in England..." She sniffed, wiping a stray tear from her eye.
"Thanks, Mr. Smith..." She remembered freaking out that morning after she got that blood transfusion from Vlad. Her hair was lighter, her skin had a more olive tint to it, and her eyes were that darker shade of blue. It scared her to think that her creator would be upset at her changes, but she was proven wrong. He wasn't angry at her, but rather relieved that she didn't melt every time she used her powers.
"Now then, have you presented all the files to the lawyers?" She nodded.
"I did. They have seen that my personal records are all legitimate and I'll be getting in touch with them about the will tomorrow." The records had named some random woman in Europe as her mother and that she died in an accident. Her father even went through the troubles to create photos of the fictional woman and have them 'hidden' in his desk at work. The media ate it up like dogs given a steak. As for her 'secrecy,' she stated that her father didn't want to draw too much attention to himself, and that she had a certain skin condition for a long time. It amazed her how much effort he put into making them seem like a legitimate family.
"There are still some waters and yogurt in the cooler in case you're hungry." She nodded in thanks and pulled it open. Grabbing a strawberry yogurt, she paused when she caught sight of her father's mineral water. She composed herself and shut the drawer quickly.
"Have the Aspen trees been cared for as well?" There were four young Aspen saplings in total that were planted in the backyard, each one a secret grave marker for the clones that didn't survive. There were times she felt guilty that she was the only survivor, but Vlad always told her that the only one who should feel guilty was him.
"They've been watered and fertilized this morning right after you left." She hummed as she ate a spoonful of yogurt, briefly remembering one time her father showed her how much better it tasted when it was frozen.
"And... the police department?"
"They unfortunately closed the case, young miss. The trail went cold, and no clues have been found to lead us to your father's killer." She sighed sadly. She knew who his killer was, but the world wouldn't believe that a fabled ghost king threw his huge sword at her father while he was trying to protect Danny Phantom. But they believed her and her lies about how she came to be... The world was a strange place... and by strange she meant unfair beyond comprehension.
"I understand." But she didn't understand why Vlad had to be such a great father to her. She didn't understand why he accepted her as his daughter and loved her so much that she in turn loved him back only to have him taken away from her!
"Can I take a nap for a bit, Mr. Smith? I woke up really early today..." He nodded and smiled.
"Of course, my dear. Call me if you need anything." She gave her thanks and smiled as she rolled up the window so he couldn't see her anymore. Once she made sure it was shut she finally let out the sob she'd been holding in for hours. Pulling the sleeve of her blue sweater over her hand, she wiped her eyes vigorously to dry her tears. Vlad Masters was truly a good father to her; he had taught her how to use her powers and treated her like a human being, even though they both knew she was initially created to be a 'back-up' plan in case Danny Phantom was no more. She now understood more than ever why Vlad was so afraid of losing Danny after they defeated Pariah Dark once. She understood why he was afraid to love her at first because the first three clones died shortly after awakening. And yet he still did, even when she started melting he loved her like his own daughter. And when he used his own blood to stabilize her, she was, technically, his own flesh and blood.
"I miss you, Daddy..." she whispered to herself as she lay down to take a nap. Danielle sniffed and rubbed her eyes. For a brief moment, she wished he wasn't so good. She wondered if maybe it wouldn't' be so painful if he was just a power-hungry, obsessive half-ghost who cloned Danny for the sake of having him as a son. But then she remembered his pained expression when he saw her after the blood transfusion; he said it was like those pictures couples order to determine how their offspring would look like in ten years had just come to life. It reminded him of what he might've had if he settled down earlier in life, and Danielle couldn't help but feel guilty over it. She remembered him comforting her, telling her that she looked beautiful no matter what and pulled her into an embrace. It was then that she discarded the precious thought away. She would rather have her creator be a loving man and murdered than be evil and bitter to the point that he would destroy the world with an asteroid or something like that. She closed her eyes and took a nap before being woken up by Mr. Smith as he opened her door.
"Rise and shine, my dear!" He called cheerily, "Where shall I tell the maids to take your lunch?" She got up and climbed out of the vehicle, rubbing an eye as she brushed her hair back with the other hand.
"Take my food to the gazebo out back by the Aspens. It's a nice day out." She replied, smiling as she gazed at the sky. He nodded in understanding.
"Of course. Oh, by the way..." He added, walking behind her as they walked up towards the estate, "There have been questions regarding your... Accessory you tie around your arm. May I inquire what exactly is it?" Danielle glanced down at the red bowtie tied around her right forearm. It was torn and knotted back together at one section, and the ends were singed and ripped. If one got close enough to it, they could still smell a hint of cologne. Glancing down at it, she merely smiled and tucked her hands behind her back.
"It's just a bow tie, Mr. Smith... Daddy would always wear them... I thought I should start wearing them, too..."
First one to find symbolism gets extra credit... not that anyone ever reads my stuff anyways..
