A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! ^_^ Well, Eve anyway hahaha Anyway, here's chapter two of my fanfic, and I have the next two chapters ready and waiting. I'm wondering whether to post both or just one tomorrow, because I don't want to spam your inboxes! ;D lol Anway, I hope you all enjoy!

Part 2:

The moment the doors closed, Jazz shot up in her bed, a sudden feeling of sadness jolting her out of her already restless sleep. Sighing, she had a feeling she knew what she had just missed. Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep again, she slowly shoved her feet into her slippers. Opening her door, she made her way down the hall to wake her parents. The least they could do is spend Christmas together.

As she was about to open her parent's door, she was surprised to find they were already awake.

Her mother smiled at her gently. "Couldn't sleep, honey? Neither could we." Her mother pulled her into a warm embrace, and Jazz let a few tears slip before her dad, ever trying to lighten the mood, ushered them into the living room.

They sat in silence for a while, just staring at the tree, not really wanting to open any gifts. They all wanted the same thing, only one thing, and once again, it seemed impossible.

Just as Jazz was about to move to open the first present, the doorbell rang. Jazz stood up stiffly to answer it.

Sam and Tucker stood sheepishly in the doorway.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, Jazz. Sorry, we know it's early, but—" Sam began.

"Have you opened the presents yet?" Tucker asked with strained enthusiasm.

"No, we were just about to though, so come on in." Jazz smiled lightly at the two, and began sorting through the presents.

The unwrapping went quickly and somberly, though each attempted to be excited. Soon enough, they were all on the floor, sitting in a smallish circle. Sam flopped down on the carpet in exhaustion, and Tucker followed suit. As he did, he came face to face with the stem of the tree, and he saw… more gifts?

"Hey… guys. We missed some." His confused statement earned him more bewildered looks from the rest of the group.

"I'm sure I got all of them…" Jazz got down on her hands and knees, and, to her surprise, she saw that Tucker was right.

Leaning in toward the corner, Jazz brought out a small bundle of gifts, one for each of them. Mouths hung open slightly, and each was trying to suppress some small spark of hope. What…?

Nobody wanted to be disappointed again, and so no one said what they were all thinking. In complete silence, they all opened their gifts, their joy real now, and Sam couldn't stop the tears that were threatening to form. Jazz and her mother were crying openly, and Jack sat stock still, just gazing at his gift, not really seeing it. Tucker was fidgeting, and everyone could tell he was trying to refrain from voicing all of their thoughts.

The gifts themselves were well thought out, and obviously, he'd put some time into choosing them. Later on, they would forget the gifts, mere tokens of physical treasures, bound to break or get lost, or suffer some sort of damage. It wasn't that they had gifts, it was that he had given them.

They all nearly simultaneously picked up their notes, and read, hardly daring to breathe in case something should happen and break their hope.

Each note consisted of a different story or Christmas wish. For Sam, a declaration of caring and "best friendship" (though she knew what it really meant), Tucker had jokes shared only between the two of them, Jack and Maddie teared up at his heartfelt parental appreciation, and Jazz giggled at the kind of gushy stuff she knew her brother would never say to her aloud.

Finally, Tucker could not contain himself.

"So… he didn't want to stay? Doesn't he know…?" Everyone pretended not to notice the small tears forming in his eyes as he quickly brushed them away.

A single excerpt from their notes was the same, and each one confirmed the small bit of hope they'd been harboring since the day Danny died.

"Merry Christmas, Mom/Dad/Jazz/Tucker/Sam.

I told you guys I'd try to be better about the holidays. Consider this a promise.

I'll see you all soon. I love you.

Love, Danny"

Maddie put a hand to her mouth to try to stifle her sobs, but failing that, she ran into the bathroom and shut the door.

"But, if he cared so much, why didn't he stay…?" Jazz sighed. "I guess all we can do now is wait."

He didn't stay… but at least he didn't forget us. For the first time since he died, Sam had a real smile on her face, to match Tucker's and Jazz's. Jack had left to comfort Maddie, but they knew Danny's parents were smiling too.

A promise…