A/N: Hey guys! Long time no see! I know I need to update my few Danny Phantom stories more often than I have been but I've had writers block even with my Invader Zim ones and those were always easier for me to write.

Well here's the next chapter. Don't know when the next one will come out. Enjoy!

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Chapter 5 – I know they weep for me…

The small green soul fragment floated at the ceiling of Fenton Works kitchen. The sight of the room tore at his already strained existence. His clone, a young girl as close as family to him, sat at the kitchen table sobbing. She'd been crying for the past hour, and nothing Jazz, nor anyone else, said would ease her pain.

He remembered once, Danielle saying that he was the only real family she had. It had been hard to watch his friends and family at the funeral… now he was seeing that fresh pain all over again.

Why can't anyone see me… if I could just tell them…

Jazz held Danielle in a tight hug, gently rubbing her back. The girl was finally calming down. Sam fixed some tea and passed it to Mrs. Fenton as she sat at the table with her head in her hands.

"I don't get it… Vlad… was cloning my son…? He knew? All along?" Her questions weren't directed at anyone and she'd been asking the same things for a while so no one answered. With some coaxing, she took the cup and drank.

Mr. Fenton leaned back on the wall by the door; all of his usual cheery idiocy was gone. He stared long and hard at his family sitting around the table. The idea that his son was a ghost had been hard enough, knowing that Danny's condition was entirely his fault, but now hearing he'd done the same thing to his collage friend… what other lives had he destroyed with his ghostly obsession? Then there was this girl… because he'd turned Vlad and Danny into half ghosts that made it his fault that she had the sad, lonely, existence she did now.

No one had spoken in quite some time, and Jack's words were the last thing anyone expected, "I guess she'll have to come live with us." Everyone stared at him in surprise. "She can stay in the spare bedroom." After all, no one was ready to see Danny's room being used again.

Jazz smiled. She spoke softly still rubbing the child's back, "That's a great idea Dad. What do you think?" she asked the girl. Danielle looked hesitant.

She hopped off of Jazz's lap, hugging her arms tightly around herself. "I… I think I'm going to go fly around for a bit." She didn't give anyone a chance to argue before rushing and phasing through the front door, transforming as she ran. She took off into the air and flew away in the direction of the city park.

Valarie held Jazz back as she looked ready to run after the girl. "I'll keep an eye on her," she said picking up her book bag. She activated her ghost hunting equipment and took off the same as Danielle.

Jazz looked up at the clock. It showed 7:30. She pointed out how late it was getting and offered to drive Sam and Tucker home. The two said they would walk and left shortly after. Jack and Maddie hadn't moved from their spots, or said a word the entire time. Jazz went up and hugged her Mom from behind and suggested eating dinner.

"Sorry… I think I'm just going to go to bed."

Jazz nodded, and Maddie went up the stairs without another word. Jazz busied herself cleaning up the teacups and other dishes in the room. She glanced back at her father a couple time, worried by his silence. She was nearly done cleaning before he spoke.

"Is all of this my fault?"

She turned back and saw tears streaming down his face. No loud sobs. No overdone dramatics. Just two smooth streams rolling over his cheeks.

"No Dad. This is nobody's fault. You could never have known this would happen." Why… Why did she always have to be the strong one? Maybe because she knew no one else could.

Jack simply nodded. "I think I'll go get some sleep to…" he said finally, and then he too went up the stairs.

Stillness filled the house. After some time, the small green orb fled from the room. He couldn't stand to see his sister crying like that any longer.

XXX

"Yeah Dad, I'll be back late. … It's complicated. Some things came up with the Fentons. …..Alright I promise. ….. Yeah. I'll be back when I can. Love you to." Valarie hung up her cell phone and tucked it away in her pocket. Her feet dangled down into the open air as she hovered somewhere around 100ft over the city park. Down below a soft silver glow shone in the darkness, where Danielle Phantom sat on one of the swings.

"What do you mean you've never been on a swing?"

"Well Vlad never really let me do anything fun. It was always about catching you and making the perfect clone…"

"Haha, well how bout we fix that?"

"Huh?"

"Come on."

Danielle smiled remembering how Danny had talked her into flying down and hanging out on the playground. It had been later in the night, that time, but the darkness hadn't seemed nearly so cold. They had stayed there for an hour, while Danny taught her how to swing herself back and forth without using her ghost powers. It was the first time she had really acted like the kid that she was.

She leaned back and swung her legs forward, then leaned forward and swung her legs back; just like he had taught her. She swung higher and higher till finally she leapt forward off the swing, using both her built up momentum and her ghost powers to fly and land nearly 10 feet from the swing set. She laughed when a cat yowled and fled from the area, before running back to do it again. She had done this almost 10 times before Valarie landed nearby.

"That looks like fun. Mind if I give it a try?" Valarie sat down on the empty swing next to her and swung her legs back and forth. When she was high enough she activated the thrusters in her ghost hunter suit and did a full 180 flip over the bar. She smirked at the ghost girl. "Think you can do that?"

Dannielle smiled accepting the challenge. She swung higher and higher before sticking her arm back behind her and letting off an ecto blast. The small burst of energy was just enough to allow her to clear the bar. Valarie laughed and high-fived her.

"Nice one."

"That's nothing," Danielle smirked then proceeded to turn herself so she twisted up the chains of the swing, then spun really fast when she let go. She swung back and forth, leaning to the sides and twisting the chain as she went up and down, spinning in all sorts of crazy ways.

"Whoa!" Valarie smiled, looking impressed. "Where'd you learn to swing like that?"

Danielle's face dropped a bit but she held her smile, "Danny taught me. It was a little while after you helped him to stabilize me."

"I'm glad I was able to help with that," Valarie said. "If I hadn't, I would have missed out on meeting a really cool kid." She reached over and messed up Danielle's hair. The young girl laughed. She leaned back as far as she could and stared up at the night sky. The city lights and clouds blocked out most of the sky, but both the girls pointed up excitedly as a shooting star streaked across the black.

Danielle looked over to see Valarie folding her hands with her eyes closed, "What are you doing?"

"Making a wish. That's what you do when you see a shooting star."

The young girl thought about this for a moment before folding her hands and making her own wish.

"So what'd you wish for?" Valarie asked curiously.

"I wished for my cousin back." Tears started to fill her eyes again.

Valarie reached over and put her hand on the girl's shoulder, "You know you've still got people that care about you?"

"Like who…?"

"Well me for one. Then there's the Fentons, and Sam and Tucker." Danielle said nothing. Valarie hopped off the swing and stretched her arms above her head. "What do you say to spending the night at my place?"

"Huh?"

"Well you don't want to stay out in the cold all night do you?"

Danielle looked away. "Is that really okay?"

"Sure it is! The apartment is kind of small but we got sleeping bags and it will be like a slumber party. My dad won't mind." Valarie smiled waiting for a reply.

Slowly Danielle nodded, "Mind if we make a quick stop first?"

XXX

The small green orb drifted over the city with nowhere to go. He couldn't go back to the house right now, because he didn't want to sit there and watch his family cry. The same was true for Sam and Tucker. With nothing particular on his mind, he found himself hovering near the church.

Somewhere behind it was a faint glow, curious, he went to investigate.

Back in the far corner of the graveyard, by the stone his body was buried under, stood Valarie and Danielle. A small bundle of flowers, which were probably picked from the church's garden, rested on top of the smooth stone. Danielle's soft voice floated up through the air, and he moved closer to hear what she was saying."

"You really did a lot for me. You showed me what kind of person Vlad really was, and then helped me escape from him more times than I can count. You showed me how to have fun and be a kid. So , Cuz, I guess I just wanted to say thank you. You always wanted me to be strong, so I'll show you that I can be." She paused looking up at the sky again. "I never got to repay you for all you did… so I've decided I'll go live with your family. I'll try and help them out whatever way I can, okay? So you don't have to worry about me being alone, because I know I'm not."

Danielle…

Valarie's arm was wrapped around the girl's shoulders the whole time, and she gave her a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry Danny, I'll look after her."

Valarie…

Danielle smiled up at her. Out of the corner of her vision, another shooting star fell across the sky. The girl quickly folded her hands, "I wish that Danny would be happy and know that we're all going to be okay."

The older girl smiled, "That's a great wish." Danielle smiled back. "Come on," Valarie said as she activated her ghost hunting gear, "it's getting late." Danielle nodded and the two flew off into the night.

For some time, the green orb remained over the spot. And I wish I had never left you all… But wishes don't come true… His essence brightened slightly as a small ray of hope appeared. Or do they!?

With one goal in mind, the broken soul flew off in search of the one person he knew had the power to grant wishes.

A/N2: Leave a review if Danielle is just too adorable... ;~;