Danny Jr. sat on a rock and pondered.
He was only about three years old, but like his father had been before him, he was an extremely intelligent and thoughtful three-year-old. From his mother, he had gained his sensitivity. The combination had made him less playful and more given to silent reflection than other boys his age.
Precocious was a word often used to describe young Danny Jr., and in this case it was fully justified.
After the strange meeting with the tall, mysterious, dark haired man with the caring smile who said he was called Danny, Danny Jr. had wondered about it for a long time. It had taken him very little time to put two and two together, but much longer to believe it. After all, Danny Jr. knew his father had been killed way back in 1942, and dead people just didn't reappear and play with their children.
Still, there was too much coincidence to be denied. The stranger Danny had looked exactly like the pictures of his father, and there was the name, and the fact that he was hanging around here, and was good with planes, and claimed to be Uncle Rafe's and his mother's friend. The more Danny Jr. thought about it, the more he was sure he wasn't wrong.
It was a good thing, thought Danny Jr., that he hadn't learned to be afraid of ghosts yet.
***
Rafe sat down to a breakfast of eggs and bacon with Danny Jr. Evelyn was in the kitchen. It was a Sunday, and one of the rare chances he had to have breakfast with his family.
He looked at Danny Jr. The boy was being unusually quiet, even for him, and was gazing at the photograph of Danny on the mantelpiece, a look of wonderment on his young but serious face. "Is something wrong, Danny?" asked Rafe.
Danny Jr.'s head snapped back. He looked at Rafe. "Uncle Rafe? You knew my Daddy very well, didn't you?"
Rafe felt a lump in his throat. "Yes. Yes, Danny, I did. He was my best friend."
Danny Jr. chewed absently on his bottom lip. "Mother says I'm very like him."
Oh, Danny, you don't know how true that is! thought Rafe. He nodded. "You look just like your father did when he was three, like you. And when you grow up I bet you're going to look just like he does in that picture."
Danny Jr. smiled in acknowledgement, then fell silent as Evelyn returned to the table with more food.
***
Danny was pacing around. It was daytime, and he couldn't go to see Rafe, Evelyn and his son, but he was desperately counting down the hours until he could. When he wasn't doing that, he was locked in an argument with himself on whether or not he should go play with Danny Jr. again. Part of him really wanted to. The other part opposed it, and told him he shouldn't be interfering with the mortals.
"Something up, Danny?"
He turned around. Behind him was Betty. She looked just the same as she always had, as innocent and smiling as a newborn. In her eyes, though, burned a hard and jaded fire. She had been through much worse than he had, he knew. She had suffered having to leave home at a young age, and falling in love only to have all her hopes cruelly dashed by Pearl Harbor. And here I am fussing over such a trivial problem, Danny berated himself. But he trusted Betty. Maybe telling her would help.
"Actually, yes." he said.
Betty raised an eyebrow. "Well, spill."
"Yesterday I went down again. To see them." Betty nodded, understanding. Danny took a breath, and continued. "I - I was seen. By my son."
Betty drew in her breath sharply. "Oh, Danny!"
"I didn't think there was anything wrong with staying and playing with him for a while, so..." Danny trailed off guiltily. "Besides, he doesn't know who I am. I promised him I'd go back tonight, but now I'm not so sure I should do it."
He lowered his eyes. "I can't help feeling like I'm being an intruder, but I've also had this nagging feeling ever since playing with him the other day. I've got unfinished business down there on Earth, Betty, and it's him. My son. All I want to do is spend some time with him. But perhaps I ought to just keep my nose out of things."
"Danny, you promised him," said Betty simply.
Danny looked up and smiled. She was right.
***
Evelyn thought Danny Jr. was acting particularly strange that night. He had asked to be excused immediately after dinner, not even staying to do the washing up. She looked out the sink window, and saw him running off into the distance, his toy plane in his hand. Oh, well, she thought. She'd just have to run circles looking for him again. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been reduced to a being a bloodhound by her son.
Rafe looked over at her from his armchair. "Danny's acting weird today, isn't he?"
Evelyn started. "You think so too?"
Rafe nodded. "He's been asking lots of questions about Danny. This morning, he asked if he was a lot like his father."
Evelyn pulled out a chair from the table and sat in it, resting her chin in her hands. "Well, I suppose it's normal for a young boy like him to be curious, especially about his father."
Rafe picked up a framed picture of Danny from the coffee table, and fingered it thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right, Evelyn." He cast a last wistful look at Danny's smiling face before putting the picture back down. "But I sort of wish he wouldn't do that. He brings back so many memories of Danny in the old days, Danny before we were pilots. He was just the same, just as smart, spirited and independent..."
Evelyn got up and moved next to Rafe. "I never knew Danny as a child. He must have been adorable," she murmured.
Rafe looked out the window at Danny Jr., laughing as he chased his plane into the sunset.
"IF you want to know how Danny was when he was young, Eve," he said, "just look at your son."
***
Danny Jr. knew his mother and Uncle Rafe probably wouldn't come out into the yard again unless they were looking for him. They normally spent Sunday evenings together in the house, and were happy to leave him to his own devices. He liked that, but today he was especially glad of it.
He caught hold of his plane, and headed to his father's grave. Somehow he knew he would probably reappear there. He was right.
"Hey, Danny," said the tall man, sprinting towards him. "I told you I'd be back."
Danny Jr. looked up at his father. Should I tell him I know? he wondered. Then he decided not to. If he knew I knew, thought Danny, he might not come back again. So he grinned widely at his father, and held out his plane. "Hi, Uncle Danny," he said. "Can we play again?"
His father reached over and scooped him up in his arms. "Where are your mother and Uncle Rafe?" he asked quietly. "Do they know you're with me?"
Danny Jr. shook his head. "You said not to tell them. So I didn't."
His father sighed in relief. "That's good. Let's go back to the big open field, alright? That's far away from the house, and we won't be seen - I mean, we won't be disturbing your mother and Uncle Rafe."
Danny Jr. smiled to himself, a small, secret smile.
***
Author's Note: I hope you all like Chapter 2, and once again I hope you don't think it's cheesy. Please review! ~HuntressMinerva
