"And now… the moment you've all been waiting for… brought to you from D.J's back garden… it's – THE BEATLES!" Danny Jones's youthful voice cheered loudly as he dropped the needle on the record and Abbey Road started to play loudly through the air. He and his playmate jumped on top of the picnic table and danced like the whole world was watching them.

"Danny, move over! I want to do a spin!" The girl beside him exclaimed, her eyes alight with excitement. At her request, Danny jumped down on to the bench of the table and clapped as she jumped in the air and completed a three hundred and sixty degree turn.

"Awesome, D.K! Now watch me!" Danny tried mimicking her jump, but with such little room on the bench he slipped and fell down onto the grass, getting green stains imbedded in his pants.

"Are you okay?" His friend immediately rushed down and knelt beside him as he massaged the sore spot on his knee.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's keep dancing!" He pushed himself up and offered his small hand to her instinctively.

"What are you two doing out here?" Both the young children's faces paled as Danny's tall father came out of the house, his eyes narrowed and furious.

"Um… we were… dancing…" Danny replied quietly, trying to hide the stains on his pants.

"Dancing? No son of mine is going to waste his time dancing! Did you take my records, too? You know better than to take this stuff out of the house! Get out of here – both of you!" Danny and his friend didn't need any further dismissal. They left the back yard faster than a bullet, running through the ivy that bordered the yard and panting as they hit the old dirt path that connected their houses.

"Did… you see… his face?" D.K. asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah… we got… lucky…" he trailed off as they slowed to a walk, kicking the rocks that fell in their path.

"Want to go to the corner store? I've got some money left over from my allowance. I can get us some Mars Bars!" D.K. grinned, her face glowing at the thought of candy.

"Race you there!" Danny cried, taking off down the path and leaving her in his dust.

But somehow she beat him there. She always did.

"Well if it isn't D.J. and D.K! How you two holding up? Thought it was about that time of the week for you two to buy me out of all my sweets!" Good old Billy owned the corner store with his wife. They were very accustomed to Danny and D.K's visits.

"Can we have two Mars Bars, please?" D.K. asked, her voice sweet and innocent and she grinned her toothy smile up at Billy.

"Of course you can, love. Here, I'll throw in an extra one free of charge. Would you like that?" He asked, smiling as well.

"Would I ever!" She turned to Danny, unable to believe their luck.

D.K. handed over her coins and Billy counted out each one with her, grinning the whole time. It always confused Danny that Billy and his wife never had kids. They could give them all the candy they wanted.

"You ready to go D.J?" D.K. asked as she opened the door, looking back at him in confusion.

"Wait, I want to get the liquorish," Danny explained, looking up at Billy expectantly as the man got them for him.

"You know you don't have to do that," D.K. sighed as they both left, carrying their sweets protectively in their hands.

"Yeah, I do. I like to do it," Danny shrugged, "I think it cheers her up."

"Why would she need to be cheered up? She's always happy," D.K. replied, with an almost jealous tone to her voice.

"You don't see it? Her eyes look… sad…" Danny knew he sounded stupid.

"Eyes can't be sad, D.J... unless they're crying. And she never cries."

"Whatever. I bet I can beat you home!" And they were off again.

They both hammered their feet quickly against D.K.'s driveway, trying to be the first to reach the door. Danny was… almost… there…

"Haha! I win again!" D.K. cheered, making Danny frown.

"Only be cause I had to carry the liquorish…"

"I'm carrying three Mars Bars!"

"Whatever, it shouldn't count-"

"D.K? D.J? Is that you?" Their little argument was interrupted by a quiet voice calling from D.K's living room. They both put aside their differences for the time being and made their way towards the voice.

In the middle of the room sat a young woman. She was probably in her mid-thirties, but she looked so much older. Her skin was all pale, and every time Danny saw her she had a new bruise somewhere on her body. She wore a bandana around her head, almost making it look like she had no hair.

And she definitely had no eyebrows. Danny always pretended like he didn't notice.

"What are you two doing inside on a beautiful day like this? You should be out on one of your little adventures," D.K's mother grinned down at them, showing her pearly white teeth from under her very pale lips.

But her eyes didn't smile. It was how Danny knew she was sad. Her eyes never lit up the way D.K's did when she was happy.

"We went to the corner store. I got you some more liquorish!" Danny grinned, handing her the bag.

"Oh Danny Jones… I'll never understand how you're such a great little boy. You treat me so well," her mouth smiled again as she accepted the bag.

D.K's mother was always hooked up to a machine. Danny didn't know what it did – he'd asked his own mum but she'd hushed him and sent him away, telling him to stop asking personal questions. He didn't get why it was so personal. He was just curious.

The machine was like a big metal backpack. It hung off the back of her rocking chair and it had a clear tube running across her chest and up to her nose where it rested. Danny always thought that it was there to make sure she didn't sneeze.

"Mmm, delicious!" She grinned as she took a small bite of the candy. A few seconds later a beeping noise started and made Danny and D.K. jump.

Her mum's eyes widened as she tried to turn around to touch the machine.

"What's that sound?" Danny asked, pretty sure that it wasn't something good.

"Oh it's nothing, dear. Don't worry about it-"

"Is it something on your backpack? Do you want my help?" The moment Danny offered, D.K's father rushed down the stairs.

"Hey you two. Mind heading outside for a while? I think your mother needs to rest a little bit," he said while ushering them out the door. Danny looked over his shoulder, not sure that he felt comfortable leaving the woman.

"That was weird…" D.K. said as her father locked the door behind them.

"Yeah… really weird…" Danny agreed, looking back at the house and thinking that for some reason, D.K's mother wouldn't be around for much longer.