The Man in the Moon

Summary: What would happen if Court hadn't died? It is five years later and Dani comes home for the summer. What happens when she bumps into Court after not seeing him since that one summer a few years earlier?

She had so much to say but she didn't know how to put it in words. When she passed the welcome sign to her hometown in Rural Louisana she smiles to herself. She was officially home. If you asked her if she would ever leave home when she was a little girl, Dani would reply "Heck no". The world could be a scary place and her home in Louisana made her feel safe. Living on the farm and having her large family around her was all she knew. Leaving home and just going off to some place and being out there on your own was too scary to think about. But that was then and this is now.

A lot has changed in the last few years of her life. She had her first heart break a few summers back by a certain someone and who knew how much it could make a person grow up. She learned about trust that summer and how important it can mean to some one. Looking back on it now, she knew she was only a kid in his eyes but she could honestly say she was in love with Court.

It killed her when she found out about him and Maureen. Out of all people, why? She just wanted to run away. Run away from the ache that filled her young, naive heart back then. But he was the one that ran away at the end of the summer in 1957. He was going off to college a few hours away to New Orleans and who knew when he was going to be back. Dani couldn't help but think what a change. Their town was so small, so pure in some sense and then there was New Orleans. A city full of so much adventure and the partying never stopped. Could Court really handle that? But then Dani didn't give it another thought. No, she didn't want to think about Court. He hurt her more then she could ever know and she didn't care if she ever saw his face again. But that time has come...five years later.

- - -

Mmm. The smell of hamburgers cooking on the grill made Dani think of previous summers when she and her siblings played outside all day while their dad made them some food on the grill. Hamburgers, hot dogs and sometimes steak was what she remembered. She knew she had to get away some time but being here with her family again made her happy to just be in the old neighborhood again like it used to be. You sometimes took the simple things for granted like for instance, sitting outside and having a decent meal with the ones you loved.

"How is your dinner, Dani?" Her Ma asked.

"Just how I remembered it." She smiles taking another bite from her hamburger. Comfortable silence occupied the picnic table outside until her little sister, Marie broke it.

"Will you play soccer with me and Michael, Dani?" Michael was the latest addition to the family. An adorably cute two year old who had energy from the second he woke up to the last second you put him to bed. But there he was. Pa finally got his boy.

"Dani's got all summer to play with you, Marie." Pa says, "She probably has awfully a lot of unpacking to do."

"I don't mind." Dani wipes the mouth with her napkin and sets it on her lap. "I'm almost done unpacking all my things actually."

"Aren't you going to see Court?" Her sister Maureen asked suddenly.

Dani just looks at her and doesn't know why she even brought up his name. After all they've been through because of that one guy, why would Maureen even want her to do such a thing?

"Oh, you should honey. Marie would be so happy to get a visit from you." Her Ma says to her.

"I don't know," Dani looks down at her lap for a moment. "I guess I will if I have time." Picking up her napkin she forces a smile to her Ma.

So there she was...Well, she was starting to walk down the road to The Foster's house but then she changed her mind and suddenly decided to make a turn down the other way, to the lake. Sitting down on one of the rocks and looking ahead, she noticed how oddly plain it looked. She remembered how wonderful and magical the lake once meant to her but maybe it wasn't the lake. Maybe it was the guy she shared it with.

"I thought I'd find you here." A familiar, southern drawl calls out to her. She turns back and sees him smiling and walking over to where she was.

"Court," She greets half surprised but she doesn't really know why, as she dusts the dirt off the back of her shorts. He stops in front of her.

"So were you ever going to tell me you were coming home?" He asks her in a casual way.

"I just got back this morning," Tilting her head to the side as she looks at him. He just smiles and shakes his head to himself. She was surprised when she felt him pull her into a hug. Hesitant at first, she hugs him back but barely. This was weird, wasn't it?

"Boy, Dani." He says after pulling away from her. "You sure look different."

"Different?"

"You're just look real grown up that's all. It's not a bad thing." He says and he couldn't help but look her over.

He always thought she was a pretty girl. What, with her long blonde hair and shiny, blue eyes but back then she was just a little girl. But now with her blonde hair short and looking even more developed then the last time he saw her, she looked absolutely beautiful.

"I guess," She simply shrugs. She really didn't know what to say to him. Sure, she felt flattered that he was looking at her like that but she knew there was only one reason why.

"What?" He questions while looking at her. She looked a little uncomfortable to him.

"Huh?" She looks up at him.

"It's just you don't seem that happy to see me."

"Should I be?" He was a little surprised by her simple question.

"Well, I know I'm happy to see you. It's been a long time."

"Yeah, I know. How's college?"

"It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I got my Law degree."

"Wow." She raises her eyebrows to him and slightly smiles. "A lawyer, just like you planned."

"I know, it's kind of bizarre right? I mean it feels like yesterday we were just kids playing around here" He says looking at the scenery around them. She nodds to him and pauses for a moment.

"Do you ever think about it?" She asks him. She didn't want to but part of her couldn't help but wonder if he ever did think about her the five years she was gone from his life.

"About what?" He asks, not sure what she exactly means. She looks at him but then shakes her head.

How foolish of her. What was there to think about. All they did was hang out here at the lake a couple of times. Anyone would do it on their summers off.

"Nevermind."

"No, what?" Now he was curious.

"Nothing, it's nothing." She sighs slightly to calm down. She felt herself getting upset and she didn't like the feeling.

"I better go though," She says to him. "Ma and Pa are waiting. I'll let Maureen you said hi." She turns to leave but hears him call her name.

"Is this what this is about? Because of what happened that summer with me and your sister?" When she doesn't answer, he sighs out loud.

"God, Dani. That was so long ago. It happened so fast and you...you were so great. We didn't think you'd care." He caught himself saying too much. His face got softer.

"We never meant to hurt you." She looks at him and it seems like forever. He didn't have to tell her that. She knew they never meant to hurt her but what she didn't understand was how he could lead her on that whole summer. Looking back to that summer, every day spent with him felt like she was in this different world and she didn't want to leave. It wasn't like he pushed her away or he stopped the kiss they shared but then when he met Maureen, it was like, poof. Something better came along and Dani all of a sudden meant so little to him . It was like being a small pebble while the King picked the diamond instead.

"Dani?" He asks her as he takes a few steps towards her when she didn't respond. She shakes out of her thoughts.

"Look Court," She takes a step back and looks at him with composure.

"Our moms are friends so I know we're going to see each other but it's not going to be like how it used to be."

"So we can't even talk to each other anymore?" He asks frustration filling his voice.

"We can," She responds simply. "But I just want you to know where we stand...okay?" He scoffs under his breath. This was unbelievable. This was Dani. Little Dani telling him how it was going to be. Like he was some sort of child. She nodds to herself.

"Okay," She says when he doesn't answer her. She turns back again and starts to leave.

"You've changed" He calls out to her and this makes her stop and turn her head back. In her short 18 years of being on this earth, she's learned that you have to change. It was the only way you could grow.

"Thank you." She took that as a compliment and turning back around, she starts walking down the long dirt road. Each foot step taking her farther away from the lake, from him. There was no turning back now.

I hope you liked it! The Man in the Moon is probably one of my favorites but i was so sad to see how it ended. So there you go, my spin on it. This could be a one parter or I could make it a little longer to blossom the Court and Dani relationship. Let me know what you think!!