Chapter Text
Danny’s life was complicated. It all started three years ago when he had died in his parents’ portal. He now was working overtime as both an average B+ senior in high school and not so average Ghost King. Over the years, the ghost attacks tempered out, due mostly that Danny learned that fighting for most ghosts was a term of endearment and fun. He had gone on a whole rant to Sam and Tucker about it when Youngblood let that little fact slip. He also learned the hard way that if he gave the ghosts an order, they had no choice but to obey. He had apologized profusely to his rouges when he had figured that out. It had unintentionally scared them into submission. Well, most of them. Skulker was still his violent self. All of them now know that any harm cast to Amity Park would get them more of a beating than the friendly matches they usually get.
With less ghost attacks, Team Phantom was able to put a good dent into the GIW’s forces. Without legal action, they couldn’t do much to them to dismantle them completely. Team Phantom was able to focus more on school, something Mr. Lancer was quite proud of. He wasn’t their teacher anymore, but he was happy for them. Tuck was aiming to study IT and coding; Sam was going to intern with a non-profit organization that was trying to get clean water for everyone. Danny wanted to study science, but did he have the time for college? Not as his responsibilities with the Zone were piling up. Speaking of no time, he hadn’t been able to spare any for his friends. He could feel the distance building and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. He simply did not have the time to hang out with them, and honestly neither did they.
Jazz was already off at college, having graduated early. She was at Yale and able to live life to the fullest. She and Danny had talked about her leaving, as their parents still didn’t know he was Phantom. He made it very clear that he was grateful to her for practically raising him. But she needed to let go. She needed to be her own person and she deserved to be able to live like that. He had even gotten Clockwork to vaguely say he would keep Danny safe. (Even if they all knew that he would not interfere with anything.)
His parents had more time to research as less ghosts bothered Amity. They had even started traveling more. Most nights, after school and homework, Danny was left alone. He claimed he really enjoyed it, he finally had time to himself after years. In truth, he was lonely. The only connection he still had was Dash bullying him, but even that had lessened. Dash couldn’t have any marks on his record if he was going to get that Football scholarship. He could always go to the Zone, but he always ended up either working or fighting. When he was free, Tuck wasn’t. Sam was gone for her internship. Sighing, Danny feeds himself, settling in for another lonely night.
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“Danny! We are back!”
Groaning, Danny gets up from bed. Glancing at his clock, it’s past midnight. His parents were lucky it was a Friday. He wouldn’t even bother getting up if it wasn’t. He stops on the bottom of the steps, looking over at them on the couch. They look tired, but his mom is holding a letter. His dad is uncharacteristically silent as they look up at him.
“Hey Danno, you got a letter. It’s from your grandmother.”
“Uh… Didn’t both your parents disown you? How does she know where we live?” he asks as he takes the letter and sits on the couch. He opens it and pauses. Looking up at the both of them as they sit on either side of him. “What is this?”
Maddie speaks up. “That is from your paternal grandmother. Your biological fathers mother.”
“Why? If she was alive, don’t you think she would’ve come to me before I was 17? You guys adopted me when I was 5, where was she then?” He is starting to get angry. He was grateful that he was adopted, but if this lady had taken him in, he never would have died. He wouldn’t be the fucking ghost king; he would still be believing that ghosts don’t exist, and it would never be his problem.
“If you keep reading, she explains she didn’t know you were alive until recently. After getting in contact with your mother.”
Danny crumples the letter in his hand and stands. “No. I am not reading what she has to say. I might have wanted answers when I was 10, but I am fine not knowing now.” He ignores the pain in his core that he is choosing the lonelier path. “If she really cared, she would do more work to find me. Plus, I’m sure that she wants to take me away from Amity where my whole life is.”
“Not quite Danny. She just wants to meet you. She is even willing to fly you out to meet her. She was hoping for next weekend.” As he opens his mouth to protest, his mom cuts him off. “Its it just one weekend. You can meet her and choose to have nothing to do with her, but at least give her a chance, alright? It might be good for you, Sam and Tucker barely come over anymore and with Jack and I gone, you’re by yourself. You can certainly come with us after you graduate, but for now, it will be good to have one more person in your corner.”
Danny wanted to argue, saying he wasn’t lonely. He didn’t need anymore people in his corner. But at his mom’s pleading look and his father’s quietness he sighs. “Fine, I can even meet her this weekend. I don’t have anything planned. Let her know” He moves back up the stairs, transforming and flying out of the room. Why now? Why reach out when he has lost all hope to get out of his parent’s house, after he had died. It wasn’t fair, although, he did just chalk it up to his luck. He never had good luck. He would meet this woman. If not just to rip into her at what she wanted with him. If she thought he was going to meet her with hope in his eyes, she was mistaken.
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He should’ve known better when the plane that his grandmother sent was a small jet. He should’ve known better when he was picked up in a limo. He should’ve known better when they said his deadname. He should've known better when the house was massive. He was standing in the entryway, waiting for his grandmother when it came all crashing down on him. They didn’t even have the decency to learn his real name. She was rich as well, which was always a bad sign. He wondered if this was another plot of Vlad’s. She was probably plotting something- he didn’t like it.
“Danielle?” A voice calls out to him, and he flinches.
“Daniel. My name is Daniel. Please get it right. But I prefer Danny.” Hell, he wouldn’t even mind Daniel if they called him that. The woman nods, leading him through a greenhouse to a nice lawn. His grandmother turns and he catches the slight surprise in her eyes.
“Dani- “
“Its Danny.” He cuts her off, not wanting to be called that again. “If you had even bothered with anything you would know that.” It comes out harsher than what he meant, but he doesn’t apologize.
To her credit she takes it in stride, motioning to the seat across from her. “Please, have a seat. We have quite a lot to discuss.”
“I bet you do…” He mutters as he sits. He shakes his head as someone tries to pour him tea.
“Now, let me properly introduce myself. I am Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renald. Current Queen of Genovia.” She gives him a wide smile. “Meaning, that you are the next heir to the throne of Genovia. That is partly why I reached out to you. I hadn’t known you were alive. When your father passed, he said that you didn’t exist. His lover in America had gotten rid of you before birth. It wasn’t until she had reached out for money, that everything came out. She had tried to raise you but put you up for adoption. After being adopted, she didn’t follow you. A little digging and I was able to find you. Your adoptive parents were kind enough to get us connected. Now, I am sure you have plenty of questions of your own. I will try my best to answer them for you!”
He had not listened to a single word she said after saying he was the heir to the throne. He remembers when Clockwork said being a King was in his blood with a sly grin. He was going to kill that ghost. He didn’t have to take this; it wasn’t his fucking responsibility. Couldn’t they just find a cousin who wanted it? He leans back in the chair, a deep and long sigh coming out of him. “Why me? I am sure I have a power-crazy uncle who wants the throne, give it to him.”
“You do not. As long as there is a blood heir, it goes to them. There will be a ball in about 6 months that you will have to attend and there we will announce you. We can have you moved here, or if you would prefer, we can come to Amity Park.”
Danny didn’t move but that was an idea. If she came to Amity Park, he could scare her off, literally. He could show her that she didn’t want him. No one wanted him. He sat up, a grin filling his face. “Yeah, you can come to Amity. I still don’t like the idea of being a Prince, but maybe you can convince me, your highness” He lets the fake charm drip off the tone. He stands, towering over her. “You have a lot to convince me of, do not think I am just going to welcome you in open arms. You have no idea what I have been through, and I am not going to be pushed into a kingdom I do not want.” Not again “You are the stranger in this equation. I am not going to just go along with your plans. I am not some naïve teen. I have seen and done things you can’t even imagine.” He lets his eyes flash green before leaning back. “No need to send me home, I can make it back myself.” With that, he turns on his heel and makes his way across the pristine grass to nimbly jump the fence. Once he is over, he sprints away. He was always running from everything, wasn’t he?