AN – this was written before TUE. It's just sort of a soft scene and character sketch. I hope you like it. Oh, and I don't own Danny Phantom, I'm just borrowing the characters…

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Voice of a Child

The darkness was stretching into the late night hours. It was a calm comforting darkness heavy with sleep and dreams. Jazz was enjoying the darkness except that something in it, stirring unnaturally, pressed her into consciousness. She blinked a couple of times to try and figure out what woke her. Then she saw the figure glide by her door.

She got up and crept along behind him. She followed him to the door of her parents' room. Peering in cautiously, she saw him standing next to Maddie. He glowed in his ghost aura, and Jazz could see evidence of a rough night. There were several gashes in the material of his uniform, and a couple of these bled unnatural liquids. He looked tired but resolute.

Danny bent over. Maddie shivered a little; most of the blanket was being hogged by Jack. Danny pulled the blanket over and up to cover her shoulders.

"I love you, Mom," he whispered.

She stirred and muttered back, "I love you too, Danny," and she opened her eyes blearily.

What stood before her was not the son she knew. But the voice belonged to him – both of them, he was the same. Danny took a tentative step backwards. Maddie had closed her eyes once more and was mumbling something about a ghost. Somewhere deep in her subconscious she had registered, and more importantly, accepted Danny as a half-ghost. But in the morning it would all be a vague dream.

Jazz scurried back to her room before Danny turned around. Lying in her bed with her eyes wide open, she heard Danny's door close and she smiled.

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