A Turn For The Worst

Chapter-1: A Beautiful Day

Authors Note: So far- It's [in a way] mostly from Danny's [Josh Hartnett] point of view. Apparantly I'm telling the story, but I'm telling from my narrations of Danny's view. lol. Basically, they are still suffering from the aftermath of the war, directly after the attacks and currently; all is settled and Danny never died. Read on to figure out what's going on. ^_^

What could have been, a beautiful day- had taken a plunge for the worst. Through forlorn chocolate-hued eyes, he watched. He watched a couple that fit together so perfectly; angered and hurt. Rafe stood there, hands resting stiffly on his hips, fierce rage leeking from his expression; though the pain of knowingly hurting his one love melted him down to the human he was. And oh, how it stung. Danny watched, perched atop a crate- due to be shipped days ago. The Japaneese ambush had left them in a mess; there would be no deliveries today. Evelyn leaned against the hangar wall, a shilloutte in the late afternoon shine. Loose nightshaded curls shielding her face from Danny's view; though by the slight pulsing movements- one could tell that those loose curls were shielding a face ridden with tears. The faint tones could be heard, but the words couldn't be comprehended. But he could tell; they weren't meant to console. They were painful words; raw and seething words.. He rocked
backwards on the shifting wooden crate; hidden from view in the dusky shadows of the rusty hangar. Taking time out to blink; he caught a few words. Cruel, unforgiving words. He didn't open his eyes. He didn't want to see. But he heard. He heard a pair of high heeled shoes stomp off; breaking into a type of lopsided gait, and Rafe sighing. "Evelyn...". Rafe stomped off and threw open the door to hangar 2, probably crawling up in his disjoined half-plane, staring out the shattered windshield and sitting crooked in the cracked seat. Danny opened his eyes; staring at the now empty scene of the 'crime', imagining the two figured there, and the sounds of their fighting. Running a lethargic hand through his tangled mass of hair, urging himself up before he broke through the musty crate. Scratched leather combat boots clunk with a hollow echo in the dim hangar. Dust rises and falls; highlighted in the few rays let in by the small starboard windows. Sauntering out of the dim lit
plane shelter into the open Hawaii breeze- casual pace carries him past the entrace, traversing on a path he knew not why he chose. Pausing momentarily; the silently famillair chorus of tears meets his auditory senses. The light clinking of accelerated high heeled shoes meets the chorus; a feminine symphony-heading his way. Swaying from the sudden impact from the fleeing figure- a mass of loose curls and teary eyes. Stumbling blindly back; she hid her face within her hands still; glued fast to the spot. He reached out, removing her hands from her beautiful face- too hurt to care- her arms fell listlessly, still in Danny's soft grip. Dark oculars study the female's current state- crying and on the run, escaping the pain, trying to run from the bitter tears that caught up with her every time. Looking dowm, she released the tears, letting them splatter on the ground like rain.. Let it rain.. And she did. She was noiseless, motionless, except for the miniscule fluttering of
sooty lashes and the rainstorm of tears that she created. He stared at the sight; and it probed right to his heart. Feeling deeply hurt for her- scraping into the depths of his knowledge of how one could be so cruel to such a pure ands beautiful soul. There would be complications of cource- sides to the story he did not know. Perhaps details he would never know. The ones that the victims would be too ashamed; or too hurt to ever share with him. But either way; the very sight of such raw pain was too much to take in for a misunderstanding. He loosened his grip, letting her hands fall gently to her sides; she looked so helpless, so pitiful.. So hurt.. He opened his arms, inviting her to shed all the tears she may still have; the old shirt he wore minded naught. She stared up; fighting to see through her clowded vision. Such a forlorn expression she wore.. She stumbled forward, invitation accepted. She gripped whatever her hands could hold onto; wrapped around as if displaying
a much thirsted for embrace. Perched on the tips of her toes to reach; she burried her face into his shoulder, moistening his shirt to an extent with her rivulets of tears. Arms entwined; ensuring that a separation wouldn't take place for a good while. Standing there together; a refuge for the forlorn and aching lady. Stroking the long loose curls that fell over his arm in concolation, hoping to sooth the wild gales of negative emotion and calm the rainstorm of tears. He looked forward, cooing absent mindedly all the while, a strained, yet bewildered expression plastered on his face. And there stood the infamous man of the hour, Rafe. Emotionless; or so it seemed, Rafe stood arms crossed leaning diagonally against a hangar wall. There was a glossy sheen to his hardened eyes, as if he too had shed an amount of tears on his transient flight. Danny looked at him, a painfull, inquiring aire about him. Rafe pulled in a great amount of air, sighing as if in a state of confusion.
Though he knew very well what might have caused this disaster. Rafe pulled a weary hand through his flippant appendages, leaving it sticking up at various angles. Turning on his heel and walking away, as if nothing had happened; as if he had been staring off into space- nothing at all. A disgusted sense bubbled up within Danny- how could he do this to her? He is so lucky, so lucky to have her! And this is how he treats her? "Ssshhh.." he cooed, slightly rocking to and fro, cradeling the silent Evelyn- who appeared to have stopped shedding tears. Gently prying her off- holding her at arms length, surveying the fading expressions she wore, he grinned; though it wasn't of true origin. He grinned bright and joyously; hoping to salvage even the slightest scrap of happiness from her. Though he was beginning to feel the stinging pain too, he hoped dearly that he could rid her of it. His best friend's girlfriend- though it was a longing ride, he had promised to back off. But he had
loved her all along, forbidden to pursue his one love, all for the bond of best friends. He could treat her better than that. But what..What had happened? He couldn't go back on his oaths before there was an adequate explanation for all these tears. For, both appeared to be shedding them. The gloss still remained in bright azure eyes, but there was a bit more of a eased glimmer in them. The tender edges of her lips lifted themselves into a smile, nothing significicant, but enough to tide over the tears. There was no doubt that pain still lingered, but there was the slight consolation of knowing that there was indeed a guarantee for a brighter day. A beautiful day it would not graduate to, there was still hurt leaking from the crevices, dripping every which place. He staired ahead, coast was clear. "C'mon Evelyn," he said, a defiant support hidden amongst the kindness of his words. At the moment, it appeared to be the best thing to do, the moment's remedy. She didn't
interfere with the decision, she didn't refuse. She allowed her dainty hand to be partially swallowed in his as he lead her away. The image of a starstruck couple out on the town; reveling in the mere simplicity of love, they ran through the grounds, journing off to where Danny kept his things, the small soldier's bunk he called his 'home away from home'. The entered the dark room, which several other military men had once occupied; but were now passed away. The war had taken so many, and left so few. He looked around at the empty neatly folded bunks- looking as if they awaited someone to come home every night from the day's endeavours; with the tattered photographs and newspaper clippings hanging about. Knick Knacks and little things still scattered around the small barrack, creating a more comfortable setting. Nothing had been touched, just left. And it was only a painful reminder of the friends and 'brothers' he had lost to the bloody waters of Pearl Harbor on that day.
December 7th. He looked around, soaking in the memory as he did every time he entered the room. Though today, it wouldn't be about him and his loss. Swinging himself astride a chair, perching his chin on his arms which lay folded on the back of the chair. She sat on an empty bunk, bouncing slightly from the spring in the mattress. She carefully smoothed the covers around her, aware that it was the former resting place of a deceased soldier. She looked up, clear eyed and a bit better off than she had been; regaining the rosy tint in her cheeks; collecting herself from the afternoons' terrors. She managed a smile- witnessing Danny snap out of a little trance he had been indulging in, staring ever so dreamily over at her. Shaking his head forbadingly, stuttering momentarily in a cautious manner. "What happened?" he asked, trying to step as far from the laceration as he could- though finding no other was to pose the question. She paused; looking a bit hurt as if experiencing
bits and pieces of a flashback. A morbid gleam flashed within those sapphire hued eyes, dying slowly as she regained composure after what appeared to be a rather sticky memory. Looking up, inhaling as if recovering from a smoky room, she sighed. A long, deep sigh as if from the very origins of pain. He waited, curiosity mounting to discover the 'source' of the tears. "Rafe.. He got angry with me- he found out that, um, we were 'together' during the war; and all.. And he's still trying to deal with all his friends and such dying right in front of him.. He's really hurt.. And even seeing him like that bothered me.. But there's nothing I can do, he's changed.. He different... It's like he's unreachable-- that war...It changed him.. He'll never be the same. I don't know If I'll ever be the same.." she sighed; an empy desolate look creeping up betwixt the ease and silence. Leaning back against a wooden bed post; rolling oculars skywards as to restrain any remaining tears. It was
useless. A few solitary droplets rolled down her porcelain face- running raw into her soft velvety skin. He walked over, rising a hand to wipe away the tears. "It's hard; I know-it's hard. It'll take him a while to deal with it, he might never get over it. Some people don't, and its okay. Don't cry. Everything'll be alright.." Calming slightly; the tears stopped once more; and she looked at him. Murphy's law was that if anything could go wrong, it will. And heaven forbid, it just did. It was as if it just hit her; like it had when they all though Rafe had died.. The overwhelming pain had lead her to panic, to do anything she must to escape.. To rid herself of that pain, that stabbing, bleeding, stinging pain. She stared at him, comprehending his every feature; memorizing the way his hair cowlicked, the way his eyes shone, everything. He was starting to appear.. Good.. No, better.. Rafe started to sift out of the spotlight; Danny watched her hypnotic gaze; anxious and
excited, the woman of his dreams was begining to, perhaps, like him? A little more than just.. friends? But then his jovial fantasies fell.. What would become of his dearest friend; if he stole away the only light at the end of the tunnel? For, Rafe was falling fast; and only love could save someone in this deep. But still! He had seen her cry, he shouldn't have treated her like that! If Rafe loved her so, then why did he do this to her? The two different sides ate at Danny- like the angel and the devil astride either shoulder. He fought with himself for a few moments more- tossing and turning inside his mind. His head lead him away, his heart lead him nearer. Though why must he be so responsible? Why couldn't he be reckless and youthful? Like he used to be? He looked back, staring deep within that soulful gaze of hers. Feeling the almost intimidating allure she emited. Such a longed for fear, such a danger he never knew, but he loved it! He had thirsted and hungered for it
all this time! And he had found it.. Directly in the core of Evelyn, his best friends girlfriend. He started to melt, though in the middle of winter, he felt the perspiration beading on his forehead, creeping down his back.. She smiled, one corner of her mouth turned up in a flirtatious manner- driving away the pain by replacing it with love.. Looked like a good idea.. Was it love? Or Lust? The difference would be made later- after the thirst had been properly quenched. Rafe had made his mistake- he mistreated her- therefore she had taken it as driving her away. Slender fingers traced his collar- feeling the rough military hem sewn into his uniform. She let her fingers fall across the golden emblazed pins n' medal type things.. Feeling.. Pulling him closer all the while, literally dragging him carefully closer to her. He bent in, closer, bracing himself by putting his hands on either side of her- they leaned closer, her hands still pulling him by his collars. They kissed-
passionate and full.. Rafe would be boiling if he saw them.. But they were oblivious, neither did they care. Carefully lowering himseld downwards- leaning into eachother.. It happened so quickly.. The heavy combat boots laced up to his lower shin, braced against a wooden post. A collection of noises left the two; swift fingers undid the insignia stamped buttons on his shirt- falling to the floor with a muffled clink, clink, clink... A screeching noise- not of their own was welcomed harsly into the adrenaline of their few moments together. It creecked and swung, the hollow thud of footsteps- clad in combat boots rung through the small barrack. Enragened gaze fell on the two. Evelyn down to silks and braziers; Danny still donning his fatigue pants and combat boots. He sprung out of the bunk- jumping up on the ground quickly grabbing his shirt from the floor and trying to get it on; faster than it had come off. What was the use; Rafe had seen. Rafe knew. Danny sighed; his shirt
hanging on unbuttoned, Evelyn still in her position underneath the top bunk. She wore no emotion. Rafe pulled back his fist; Danny lunged. But Rafe stopped, he let his hand lay loosely at his tense side. "Make a decision-Evelyn." grave stare fell upon her, but she didn't move. Danny stood in the corner; running a hand through his touseled hair. Rafe was fading away; he could only keep his soldier shell for so long; to be so charming and stiff. But she saw right through him. She got up, slipped on the dress she had on earlier; and left. Refusing to answer Rafe's question except for, "I'll think about it." and then she left.

What could have been a beautiful day- had taken a turn for the absolute worst. And the downside was- that there was much more to follow the unfortunate events. Danny stared out at her as she walked off through chocolate eyes. Confusion had left him- though the tingling sense of betrayl of his best friend and momentary loss had captivated his senses as his angel slammed the door.