Author's notes: This was an idea that I couldn't get out of my head. Please review if you would like me to continue. You were the inspiration for this story SarahSoph. Thankyou!

My beautiful friend...

By Cat

Danny stood with his head down. His eyes remained at the same place. He had not moved for hours. He was standing in the cemetery. In between two graves. His mother's... and her's. His eyes had refused to look at anything but the grave of his best friend. She was everything to him. Then she got brutally murdered. A night after their brilliant marriage. They had both been so happy. A loving couple. No-one could have been happier than them. She had looked beautiful in a white, strapless dress. The thing he could not forget though was her eyes. They had sparkled a beautiful brown. She had been so happy.

Ed had given him time off from his job at the Montecito. Danny had taken it with open arms. He had needed time to think about what had happened. Why he had not said anything about his love for her sooner. His thoughts were in the middle of the defects that had been in their relationship- he had realised that most of them were by his part- when his boss, Ed Deline rested a hand gently on his shoulder.

"You okay kid?" He asked gently.

Danny's eyes shifted from the gravestone and he turned to face Ed. Ed noticed that his eyes were red and puffy, his cloths were ruffled and he looked as though he had not had a good meal or any sleep ever since the night he had found out about his newly wedded wife had died.

Danny nodded meekly. His and Ed's eyes met, if only for a second. Ed seemed to register what Danny was going through at the moment. He knew that his protégé had loved the woman deeply. He could not do anything about her death. And he regretted not being able to do much for her when she was alive.

Danny had loved her ever since fourth grade. He had kissed her behind the swings in the school playground. He had only done it as a dare at the time. But as time passed he realised that he had wanted to kiss her, not just so he wouldn't be called a scaredy cat by his friends. He had realised his love for her and had asked her to the prom. He had even bought her a dress for the event. Not because he liked to be in control. Or even to get her to show off a little skin. But after she had moved in with Danny and his father, she had not had much money and he wanted to make her feel like family. Danny had always tried to give her the best.

She was his best friend. Danny knew that Mary deserved better. For many reasons. She had been through a lot in her life and putting up with him was often the straw that broke the camels back, during arguments and such.

Both Danny and Mary had many great friends throughout their lives, but none as great as each other. Danny and Mary, either one you chose, had suffered from jealousy in each other's romantic life more than once. Quite a few times actually. Mary had also brought up their "relationship" in a few conversations too. This made him slightly more negative about the whole commitment thing. Even more so was the effect his mother's death had on his father. His father had been very torn up since his mother's death. Danny had always been scared about the same sort of thing happening to himself. When his mother had died, his father had stopped spending time with him, they stopped going to boxing fights and his father had never visited his football matches. This also hurt Danny. His regret was that if he had kids with Mary, that when she died he would do the same thing his father had. Fortunately they had not had kids.

Mary had wanted them though. Ever since year four. Behind the swings. She had always told him that she wanted five kids, ten dogs and to ride away from her wedding on the back of Prince's motorcycle. He felt guilty for not fulfilling any of these. Although he was sure about her joking on the latter one, it would have brought back happy memories.

The night they had spent before Danny had left for the marines was that of mixed emotions. He had been happy to finally tell her hat he loved her. But his four years in the marines had obviously erased any effect of that night into the fire and burnt miserably. The first thing he did when he returned from the marines was to start dating Big Ed's daughter. Not that he knew it at the time though. Mary had chided him for this. Her harsh words had been filled with both anger and jealousy. Which Danny had mentally pushed away at the time. He regretted this of course. As he did most of his relationship with Mary.

"You should go home and get some sleep Danny..." Ed said quietly. His voice had become a whisper in the slight breeze.

Danny nodded and after bending down and touching the gravestone slightly he followed his boss to the small car park. Leaving behind the gravestone surrounded by flowers.

Mary Alexandra Connell

13 September 1975- 12 November 2004

In loving memory always...

TO BE CONTINUED...

AN: I did not know some of the details of characters and such so I ball-parked some of it. Please review if you would like me to continue.