Disclaimer: I own nothing from Danny Phantom

(Updated 1/6/2025)

Chapter 21: Remember To Breathe

(Chapter inspired by Lifeboat from Heathers The Musical)

Vlad's POV

The next morning, as expected, Danielle had remained by her brother's side throughout the entire night. Though I'm glad she managed to at least get some rest. I know this because Isla informed me before I retired for the evening that she covered Danielle with a blanket when my little badger nodded off at her brother's bedside. I'm also happy to report Jason's fever improved greatly during the night compared to the last time I checked it before agreeing to let him see his sister. With any luck, Jason's fever should break soon since knowing Danielle is safe has eased many of his own troubled thoughts so he can focus on getting better.

I couldn't help but frown as I remembered the sorry state Jason was in when he arrived. It only reinforced my belief that Jack and Maddie are unfit parents, especially since both of their children came to me in such poor health, suffering from overexertion and other issues. Jason had clearly pushed himself too far, and while his dedication to Danielle is admirable, I don't like seeing either of them like this. The moment Jason landed the Specter Speeder in front of my castle, he tried to rush past me, desperate to see Danielle. I had to steady him when the exhausted teenager nearly stumbled on the carpet in the foyer, battling a small dizzy spell. It was then that I noticed how flushed he was, and I insisted that he take a moment to sit and collect himself. I knew that if he went to see Danielle in such an anxious state, it would only lead her to believe something was very wrong...

Fortunately, Jason is quite sensible and took my warning seriously. While he took a moment to gather his thoughts, I stepped out to grab a thermometer to check his temperature. In return for allowing him to see Danielle that night instead of waiting until the next morning, I insisted that he go straight to bed afterward to avoid worsening his fever. He agreed, and after that, I led him to Danielle's room where the two siblings were finally able to reunite.

Regarding my plans, now that I've done everything I can to resolve the situation with Freakshow without getting directly involved, I need to act quickly before Jack and Maddie have a chance to regroup and intensify their futile search for Danielle and Jason. It seems they are determined to show up here uninvited as a last resort, and I can't allow that to happen. If my words alone don't convey that they are unwelcome in my home and they are MY enemies, perhaps a court summons will make it clear that I am serious about this and intend to hold them accountable for their actions.

Danielle and Jason likely aren't prepared to confront their parents just yet. However, the sooner we tackle this situation, the sooner I can help them start to heal from the years of neglect and uncertainty caused by Jack and Maddie Fenton—particularly Danielle, who has suffered the most. Last night's events clearly show that, despite the absence of visible signs, the emotional wounds from their abuse have profoundly impacted Danielle. What they've done has shaken her to the core quite literally since her ice powers are still prematurely active, at least to some degree if you'll pardon the expression...

Nonetheless, I already have most of what I need in place, and as a gesture of goodwill, I've decided to let the past go with Danielle's friends, Samson Manson and Trish Foley. They proved to be helpful by assisting Jason, and without their support, he might not have been able to escape Amity Park with so many of his parents' inventions. If he had driven here in his own car instead of using the Specter Speeder, the risk of the police tracking him down through his license plate would have increased significantly. As it stands, both Danielle and Jason have successfully evaded Jack and Maddie, which should clearly show a judge and jury that they did not wish to be found. This is exactly why they sought refuge with me in the first place...

As long as I report to the police first and clearly explain Jason and Danielle's perilous situation, it will shift the outcome in my favor. This will set the stage for the long-anticipated confrontation with Jack Fenton and his wife. Once I emerge victorious, Danielle and her brother will be by my side, and I promise they will never lack for anything, as I will love and care for them like a father should. Words alone cannot express the profound joy these two have brought into my life, but what I can say is that my admiration for them has only deepened with each passing day.

If seeing Danielle smile again and knowing she's gradually learning to trust me again isn't a reward in itself, I never dreamed I would have become just as fond of Jason despite the fact that he lacks the same ghost powers his sister has. While Danielle will always be my top priority, it does truly warms my heart that Jason has given me his blessing and entrusted me with her care. It fills me with pride to know that he already holds me in such high esteem.

In any case, after putting the final touches on my plan to leverage Vallen's ghost hunting abilities to tackle the Freakshow issue, I settled in to wait for Danielle and Jason to wake up, as we still have a lot to discuss. If Danielle is ready, we might even reach out to her friends soon, and I will formally ask them to serve as witnesses, given their long-standing relationship with her and their understanding of what she and her brother have endured at Fenton Works. After that, all that remains is to convince the police that Danielle and her brother have only JUST arrived at my castle today and clarify the situation before Jack and Maddie can start spinning more lies to evade responsibility for their terrible parenting and the suffering they've caused their children.

So try as they might to evade punishment for the part they played in pushing Danielle and Jason to such extremes, I will not allow Jack and Maddie to walk away from this unscathed like they did when they left me to my fate and I nearly died. This time, I will ensure they face the repercussions of their mistakes and their blatant indifference toward those they profess to care about. Soon, all those years I spent engulfed in loneliness and the pain and loss I endured because of them will be avenged...

...and so will Danielle's.

Danielle's POV

Once Vlad managed to solve the Freakshow problem with Vallen's help along with his trio of ghost vultures, I can't tell you how relieved I was. It turns out the reason I hadn't seen them around was that Vlad had sent those three to Amity Park to keep an eye on my parents. More recently, he instructed them to infiltrate Freakshow's army of spellbound ghost slaves that weirdo was using to try and search for me so he could gain control of Dani Phantom too. Surprisingly, they managed to liberate a few ghosts from Freakshow's grasp just long enough for them to turn against him. Then, while Freakshow was distracted, Vallen swooped in, completely shattered his magic staff like a total badass, and that was the end of it. Personally, I still wish I could have been there to help, but it is what it is.

Knowing that Amity Park is safe for the time being has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. It's such a relief not to have to worry about an army of ghosts wreaking havoc and robbing everyone blind anymore. I'm really proud of Vallen for handling the situation so well without me too, he's come a long way. That said, as far as the other major concern, I was still pretty freaked out by the idea of seeing my parent's faces again so soon. But when Vlad explained to us the importance of acting quickly before our parents can regroup and show up here uninvited, which would only complicate things if it came to blows, that's when I realized I had to set my personal feelings aside and focus on what needed to be done. So in the end, as much as I dreaded the idea of facing them, I knew this was something Jace and I had to do to set ourselves free once and for all from our old life. Because things can never go back to the way they were before my parents found out my secret...

Especially not after they've shown us their true colors.

I tried to hide how badly I didn't want to do this, but thankfully, at least Vlad seemed to have everything under control. I needed to trust him and remind myself that he was the reason I wasn't facing my parents alone, which helped me stay grounded and muster the courage to see this through to the end. Still, seeing them in person again made it difficult not to second-guess myself, wondering if this was a huge mistake and if I should be the bigger person and give them another chance. Realistically, though, I knew I couldn't afford to let them weaken or injure my ghost half that badly again. Because next time, they might accidentally do something that could actually kill me by tampering with things they clearly don't understand as well as they thought they did about ghosts in general. So if all they really want to do is 'fix me,' it shows that they never truly accepted me or genuinely wanted to bring me back into their lives. They only want to make themselves feel better by changing who I am to fit into their perfect little girl mold just like before...

But I can't live like that anymore. I constantly have to remind myself that so much has changed between us, and returning home would only bring back the fear and uncertainty I tried to escape. Even if I did go back, I know I could never trust their feelings for me again, no matter how many times Mom and Dad insist they still love me. They've already broken my trust once, and it's impossible to mend that now. It's too late to return to how things used to be; I can't unhear the disgust in their voices or unsee the hatred in their eyes. And I'll never know if my parents could have accepted my ghost half under better circumstances, because they can't erase the past or take back the vicious things they said without a second thought.

When the custody battle officially began between Vlad and my parents, I can tell you right now that it was painfully obvious to everyone who the winner would be. I tried to keep myself together, but like I said earlier, it turns out that actually seeing my parents for the first time since this all began was a lot more nerve-wracking than I expected, nearly sending me into a tailspin. Deep down, all I wanted was to fly straight back to the safety of Vlad's castle, which is completely out of character for me since I'm not usually someone who runs from a fight.

That's why I ended up relying so heavily on Jace, Sam, Trish, and especially Vlad to keep me from completely falling apart before I could even testify. They were my only line of defense against the soul-crushing despair that threatened to engulf me, despite my determination to see this through. When my parents walked into the courthouse and spotted me, their eyes filled with tears of relief. But as they rushed toward me, arms outstretched for a hug, the mere thought of being anywhere near them sent a sharp wave of pain through my chest and I nearly stumbled. Instinctively, I hid behind Jace, unable to face our parents, whose once-familiar and loving expressions were now twisted in anguish when they saw my reaction.

I felt like such a pathetic coward, cowering from them like that. What made it even worse was the sudden concern for my safety—it felt like a punch to the gut. The last time I saw them, they had no qualms about drawing their weapons and aiming them at me point-blank, even after I tried to explain that I'm also secretly Dani Phantom. Honestly, if Jace hadn't been right beside me, blocking their path just like that night in the lab, I might have had a panic attack or even blacked out. Watching them act like worried parents now, only when they were on the verge of losing me forever, was incredibly painful. They had barely acknowledged my existence for the past sixteen years, so seeing them suddenly pretend to care in front of everyone hurt so much that I wanted to curl up and disappear.

Eventually, even the security guards had to step in to restrain my parents, who were stubbornly trying to get closer to me. They became almost hysterical, begging Vlad to reconsider bringing me into the courtroom. They insisted they never meant to hurt me and argued that I still needed them since Vlad didn't truly understand what it meant to be a parent. I could feel Vlad's energy surge when they accused him of being incapable of caring for me, but strangely enough, his formidable presence provided me with an odd sense of comfort. All it took for Vlad to get them to back off was for him to give them one of his unsettlingly sweet smiles as he calmly reminded them it's likely BECAUSE he is a much better parental figure than they are that Jace and I specifically came to him for help. With that, they finally gave up and reluctantly took their seats. In the meantime, I let my brother to lead me into the courtroom, still feeling disoriented, which only reinforced Vlad's argument about why I needed to distance myself from our parents and leave Amity Park for my own well-being.

And even though my parents seemed genuinely sorry for what they did to me, it doesn't change the fact that I no longer feel safe in my own home, especially with them around. Truthfully I'm probably more afraid of them than I've ever been of any ghost, because at least I can fight ghosts. Standing my parents has always been a challenge because they have a knack for making me feel guilty, even when I haven't done anything wrong. They often treat me like a child, implying that my opinions don't matter because I don't have as much life experience. All they've ever done is make up excuses and dismissed everything I have to say, but this time, when the judge looked at me to confirm my statements, I stood my ground. I refused to be silenced and shared my most recent experiences in Fenton Works with the entire courtroom—though I left out the part about being half-ghost for obvious reasons.

Despite the fact that we were winning, I really hated seeing mom and dad look so discouraged and heartbroken when they left the courtroom after the first hearing. But I mean, what did they expect? They basically threw me out into the streets with nothing but the clothes on my back, so whatever inner turmoil they were feeling paled in comparison to mine. At one point, Vlad even asked if he could temporarily suppress my powers to prevent me from losing control in front of a crowded courtroom. I came close to losing it several times, especially when I had to squeeze my eyes shut to stop them from glowing or to keep frost from forming around my chair whenever I felt angry or upset by something my parents said. To give them some credit, at least they had enough sense not to blurt out to everyone that I'm Dani Phantom which would have ruined both our lives forever, especially considering the fact it was their ghost portal that changed me.

Speaking of which, while bringing up child endangerment laws in general, Vlad cleverly leveraged his own past accident involving the very same ghost portal prototype that had also landed me in the hospital for a week due to my parents leaving hazardous equipment unattended. But in his case, the situation was much more dire. He recounted how he had been bedridden for two years in critical condition, uncertain of his survival, all because of my parents' negligence. He further dismantled my parents' defense by revealing how he endured years of isolation and suffering, with no one to support him—especially not his two so-called best friends—when he needed them the most.

Once he finished, Vlad urged the judge to reflect on the fact that if my parents have been unwilling to take responsibility for the mistake that jeopardized the life of their former college classmate when they knew he had no family to speak of for the past twenty years. Why should any of them believe they would prioritize their own children's safety over their ghost research, particularly when one of their inventions had also injured their daughter almost just as badly..?

While I was giving my own testimony after that, I could see the distrust hidden behind my parent's eyes because I guess they had decided to assume that the ghost girl Dani Phantom was the one making me say all these bad things about them. They were acting like my ghost half isn't even a person, just some evil spirit whispering in my ear. Then again, at this point, it hardly matters what my parents believe as long as we convinced the judge that transferring my legal guardianship to Vlad Masters is in my best interest, which still feels weird to say aloud, but it's the truth.

Reliving the memory of the night my parents rejected me became too much for me though and I suddenly broke down in tears, unable to finish telling them about how my brother found me and we used the Specter Speeder to reach Vlad's castle together. As a result, they had to call for a quick recess to give me enough time to calm down. Fortunately, Sam and Trish remained by my side throughout my breakdown. When we finally returned to the courtroom I was shocked to find Vlad had asked Vallen to come today as a surprise witness. Soon after Vallen told the court how pretty much everyone in Amity Park already knows how eccentric -not to mention extremely reckless- my parents tend to be whenever it comes to ghosts. They have broken so many laws in the name of hunting them down it's a miracle they haven't already been thrown in jail. He even admitted it really bothers him that Jace and I never tried to ask anyone for help before, especially given how bad things were at home.

Once Vallen finished his testimony and stepped down from the stand, he offered me a bittersweet smile, a mix of sadness and an unusual pride in having stood up for me. Vallen seemed grateful Vlad had given him a meaningful way to pay me back for supposedly asking him to help his dad get his job back at Axion Labs so they were able to move back into their house. Turns out it was his mother's childhood home and sadly she passed away from cancer when he was three and a half years old. I had absolutely no idea it was so important and meant so much to his family.

Anyway, as soon as we left to wait for the next hearing, I made sure to give Vlad a big hug and told him how glad I am that he's here with me. That seemed to brighten his day much more than seeing the shocked look on my dad's face after realizing the true depths of Vlad's hatred for him. To sum it up, Vlad unsurprisingly won the custody case then a lot happened over the course of the next several weeks once it was over. It all felt surreal, almost like a fever dream, as if none of it was actually happening. I still remember the devastated look on my parents' faces when Jace and I turned away from them and climbed into Vlad's limo. It was clear to all of us that this would be the last time they would see us in person, unless we chose to reconnect with them someday long after we had grown up and started living our own separate lives.

There's a small part of me that still loves them so I hated to see that broken expression on their faces. Still, if I want to truly move forward with my life, I need to let them go and start my life over living with someone who actually understands and supports me. Which reminds me, the judge mentioned I could see my parents during the holidays if I wanted to, as long as the visits were supervised. But honestly, by the time I'm ready to think about reconciling with them, I'll be a legal adult too and it won't matter anymore...

As for Jace, once he was absolutely sure that I was in good hands until I graduated high school, he accepted Vlad's offer to cover his room and board so he could concentrate on his college courses. It didn't take long for several schools to offer Jace a full scholarship given how smart he is, which meant Vlad didn't have to pay for much, although he was more than willing to help if any other unexpected expenses came up. I'm just happy Jace could finally reclaim his own life without the constant burden of protecting me from our parents. This left just Vlad and me in the castle. I knew it would be difficult not to see Jace in person as often, aside from our mandatory video chats—which he said I absolutely couldn't skip for any reason—but I was also secretly excited about going back to school and officially starting my ghost power training with Vlad.

On that note, there's still the matter of Vallen. To be honest, I never expected him to become such a close friend of mine, like Sam and Trish. He really surprised me by stepping up when I needed him, so I think we're even now. The only reason Vallen believes he owes me anything is that Vlad intervened to save his dad's job after I asked him to—though, just to clarify, I didn't actually do that— so they could continue to live comfortably. That's why I was so shocked when, in addition to helping Vallen's dad, Vlad offered him a job continuing to hunt ghosts. He said he preferred to keep Amity Park's protection in human hands rather than relying on a ghost, especially now that its former protector 'Dani Phantom' has mysteriously vanished without a trace...

What's more, Vlad told me afterward that he intends to fully support Vallen from now on now that he's agreed to keep ghost hunting and told me he has other underlings taking care of the rest on the sidelines so it shouldn't be nearly as life-threatening for Vallen as it was for me back when I was the one hunting them pretty much on my own. Sadly, Sam and Trish could only help so much. While it was a relief to finally be allowed to let go of my responsibilities as Dani Phantom, I have to admit that, oddly enough, I think I'll actually miss the excitement that came from battling ghosts so I could test out each new power I unlocked. Sensing this, Vlad reassured me that I would still have plenty of chances to discover more about my powers and ghosts in general since he wants to explore the Ghost Zone with me once I finish my training—possibly even as part of it.

So, I guess I still have something to look forward to after all.

Returning to the castle for the first time without Jace felt incredibly surreal, but I'm okay with it since I know he's busy settling into his new room on campus at Yale University. Yes, you heard that right—THAT Yale. Personally, I used to think it was just wishful thinking on his part, but sure enough, Jace actually DID manage to get accepted into Yale! Thankfully, his admission to such a prestigious school had nothing to do with Vlad, who is currently in the process of legally adopting both of us. It's been wild seeing our faces plastered all over the news. I guess I should have expected it honestly, but sometimes it's easy to forget how stupid rich and famous Vlad is. To be fair, even with all the resources at his disposal—ghost powers included—there's no way Vlad could have kept such a huge secret from the press about his valiant efforts to gain legal custody of his former college friends' children, who had carelessly exposed me to the same dangerous invention that nearly took his life two decades ago. So, from their perspective, it's likely everyone assumed that when Vlad learned about my accident with a now fully realized ghost portal, he felt it was only right for him to step in and get us both out of Fenton Works for good...

But like I said, it still hasn't fully sunk in yet that I'm officially living with Vlad and his ghost employees. Don't get me wrong, Vlad's obviously thrilled about this, and I am too, but it's still a big adjustment. Especially since I haven't been able to go to school for...what, almost two months? Frankly, I've missed out on a lot while we've been navigating all those legal hearings, from the custody battle to convincing the judge that I needed to be relocated. When it comes to school, I'm looking forward to making some new friends who hopefully won't be intimidated by my newfound celebrity status thanks to Vlad, but I still miss Sam and Trish a lot—they're the only real friends I have.

Now that I'm essentially Vlad Masters' adopted daughter, I know I'm going to attract a lot of unsavory characters trying to suck up to me a LOT. He already warned me this would happen so yeah, not gonna lie, I'm really not looking forward to that part of this at all. But you know, we've already come this far so I guess I gotta take the plunge regardless. Who knows, maybe I won't have to stress too much about it because I'm sure not every wealthy kid is going to be an entitled little shit. Plus, if I can't make any new friends, I'll always have Sam, Trish, and Vallen. In fact, I already promised to invite them over for the summer if possible as my way of saying thanks for all their help and so we could spend more time together since I don't live in Amity Park anymore.

With a heavy sigh, I turned to Vlad, who was engrossed in conversation with the ghosts that had helped us clear out Jace's room when he moved out. After a while, I excused myself since I wanted to change into something more comfortable then head out for a quick flight before bed. I hadn't used my powers in a while, and I was feeling restless. Ever since the first time I went flying here, which led me to the greenhouse, flying as become a daily routine for me. It was my way of staying active, much like how a regular person might go jogging in the early morning or late at night. These days though I'm more of a night owl and I really love just floating in the air sometimes while looking up at the stars. A few times, Vlad even joined me during one of this flights and we turned it into a race. I won't lie; it was exhilarating—except for whenever that damn fruitloop decided to cheat and teleported to the finish line at the last moment just to throw me off.

However, the thing that throws me off the most isn't Vlad using his powers to mess with me; it's the fact that I'm still getting used to being able to use my own powers freely at home without the fear of being shot at. Whether it's from a ghost or my parents if they happen to see me passing by Fenton Works on my way to school. Even on days when I feel like everything is going well, sometimes I start to panic, afraid this is just the calm before the storm. Vlad has taken care of everything though in order to ensure that Amity Park is as safe as it can be without Dani Phantom around, and I feel a lot better knowing Vallen is free to stop ghost hunting whenever he wants too since Vlad has plans to create some sort of special ghost-hunting team to take over for him and my parents at some point in the near future.

God...thinking about my parents, I can't even imagine what they must be feeling right now. Fenton Works must feel emptier than ever without Jace or me there to make it feel more like a home instead of just a cold, lifeless workplace. Despite everything that has happened between us, I still feel bad for them. I could tell that they really meant it when they told me they're sorry for what they did, but apologizing won't fix how they made me feel or or change my decision about staying with Vlad. And I think, deep down, I've always known that they would struggle to accept that my ghost half is an integral part of who I am now. They'll never be able to understand just how much the accident -and meeting Vlad, the first victim of their selfishness- has changed my life.

Taking a detour to Jace's old room in the castle, which is now just another guest room, I sank onto the bed, letting myself fall onto the soft bedding with a dull thud. Then I turned and stared blankly at the open door, almost expecting Jace to walk back in at any moment. I couldn't believe how much I already missed him, even though Vlad and I just gotten home about an hour ago. It felt like Jace's absence had left a huge gaping hole in my chest just when I was starting to enjoy having my brother back. Jace had become my best friend again, just like when we were kids, before he got a bit too full of himself in high school. But without him, I suddenly felt so alone even though I still have Vlad.

I seriously hate feeling like this. We've come so far and I should be happy to finally be free... so why am I feeling like this all of a sudden? Is it because I can only spend time with my friends by playing videogames together online or through a video chat? Is that it? Do I still only feel right when I'm around friends who are physically present with me...?

Maybe, but even though I don't have to worry about being judged because I'm a Fenton, I really don't want to have to live another lie once I start making new friends too. I just broke free from all that, and there's no way I'm going back if I can avoid it. That said, if my only other option is to befriend some other ghosts around my age who I don't have to hide my powers from, can I actually make that work? Or are there too many ghosts who still hold a grudge against me for sending them straight back to the Ghost Zone before they could cause too many problems in Amity Park?

Who knows what could happen, but there's no harm in trying, right...?

As expected, Vlad found me almost immediately and offered a sympathetic smile, fully aware of how difficult it was for me to let Jace go to Yale while I stayed behind. We talked about my feelings before settling in for the night, but I still felt like I'd lost someone important to me all over again and couldn't help but feel sad about it. Without my brother's help, none of this would be possible, and I would still be on the run from my parents, questioning whether I still had a future worth fighting for.

Sitting up when Vlad settled down next to me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, he asked softly, "Are you holding up alright, little badger...?"

I shrugged and answered, "As well as can be expected. I really miss Jace. Even though I know we can still talk when he's not tied up with classes, it just isn't the same without him. It felt like things were finally starting to go back to normal, but now that he's gone, I have to fend for myself again."

"I know, little badger," Vlad began affectionately, reaching up to brush the back of his hand across my cheek. "It'll take some time for me to adjust too. Your brother is a remarkable young man, and Yale is fortunate to have him as a student. Speaking of which, have you given what I suggested before some thought?"

Looking up at him I sighed, joking tiredly, "You mean about being home-schooled until I'm ready to go back to a real high school again since I have so much to catch up on that I'll probably have to repeat a year...? Nope, not at all."

"Danielle," Vlad said with a gentle reprimand, fixing me with a serious gaze. "I didn't mean to offend you; I'm just being realistic. My only goal is to help you succeed. Honestly, I'm hesitant to send you to any of the schools I've considered so far, given your new social status. You'll have to contend with entitled little rats who'll never come anywhere close to achieving the same things you have. And on principle, they're going to give you a hard time since I'm planning to adopt you, which frankly might only make catching up on your studies more difficult. It's not that I doubt your abilities, Danielle—quite the opposite. I just think you might need some time to readjust to being in the public eye. After all, you're no longer just a secret ghost-fighting hero; you're going to be the adopted daughter of Vlad Masters, and that comes with its own set of challenges."

Wincing since I didn't mean to snap at him I pressed the palms of my hands against my eyes and flopped back onto the bed with a slight bounce, groaning theatrically. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Vlad. I know we discussed this last night, but I'm feeling pretty overwhelming right now. We just got back from Connecticut, and I'm still grappling with the reality that Jace is off at some fancy-pants college while I'm... well, just me.

"I've never been as smart as him and according to my school records, my grades went to shit because of all the ghost hunting. But now that I can actually focus on school I honestly don't know what to do with myself. It's like I'm adrift at sea without a lifeboat. Unlike Jace, I have no idea what I want to do with my life. I gave up on having a life outside of taking over Fenton Works like I was expected to do so my parents could retire. Pfft, retire from what exactly...? It's not like they had to ghosts every night like I did just to make sure none of us would be caught by surprise and suddenly wake up as one. They just spent each and every day happily coming up with new ways to tear them -and me- apart molecule by molecule."

Dropping the rich guy act, Vlad reclined next to me, sighing as he folded his hands over his chest. He shot me a sidelong glance and said, "Danielle, I really wish you would stop putting yourself down like that. You're so much more than this, and I know you're a talented young woman, with or without your ghost powers. Still, I do see your point about pacing ourselves so I'll set aside the topic of your education for now. However, the real reason I came to find you is that I have a surprise. If you're up for it, we can go pick it up in an hour or two—just let me know. How does that sound?"

Raising an eyebrow, I turned to look at him and asked skepticly, "Vlad, before I agree to anything you didn't go too far again, did you? Remember what happened the last time you tried to 'surprise' me?"

Vlad chuckled and nodded, "Oh, I certainly remember. But I promise, this time you'll find this gift to be the most subdued one I've ever given you."

As the thought of him surprising me with a thoroughbred stallion crossed my mind, I turned to prop myself up on my elbow and replied, "Alright... I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time. I should be ready to go out again by then, so why not? But this better not be something crazy, like booking a private concert with my favorite band."

With a playful wink, Vlad grinned, "I'm still considering that for your next birthday, but let's see how things unfold, shall we? Remember, Danielle, today marks the start of our new life together, and I'm determined to make up for lost time. I want to learn everything about you—your hopes, dreams, and aspirations. And if I have the means to fulfill your wishes, then what's the use of being the richest man in the world if I can't indulge a little and spend it on my beloved daughter...?"

Rolling my eyes, I snickered, "Don't get ahead of yourself, fruitloop. Let's focus on becoming friends first before diving into any family drama, especially since we didn't exactly start off on the right foot. Anyways, you don't have to worry about me; I'll be fine. See you in a few hours."

After giving Vlad a quick hug as he sat up, I waved goodbye and made my way back to my room to change clothes and take a nap. I hoped I wouldn't accidentally oversleep due to jet lag, especially since I was curious about what Vlad would consider a 'tame' gift compared to the others he's given me. We've come a long way since our first meeting, and while I know he's excited about our evolving relationship, I'm still unsure about calling him 'dad.' Right now, I just need a friend, not a parent, and certainly not another goofy sibling or someone acting like one.

I knew I'd have to get used to being on my own again eventually. I just didn't expect it to be so soon after we sorted things out with my parents so I don't have to worry about them coming after me and trying to do something drastic like removing my ghost half. At least, I hope that's the case. If they ever become desperate enough to kidnap me and break the law, Vlad definitely won't let them off with just a warning next time...