Dec 7

By Blueowl

Description: Jed and Todd go to visit Pearl Harbor
Characters: Jed, Abbey, Todd and his wife
A Tribute to all Veterans, and a special thanks to those who were there that day of infamy.
Author's Notes: Italicized means a flashback.

"Todd is here to see you sir," Charlie told Jed as he entered the Oval office.
"Thanks, bring him in," Jed replied, putting the last file down on the pile before him as Todd entered.

Todd was clothed in his usual attire; respectable, and yet casual. His hair, as always, was trimmed and clean, a military man through and through. His face was freshly shaven and his old black leather watch could be seen.

He entered, standing tall, his personality being shown through the way he stood and walked.

It was Dec 1st, about a week before Jed would be leaving for Pearl Harbor, 64 years since the day of infamy.

Jed looked up, smiling at one of the greatest men he had ever known, if not the greatest. He stood up and shook his hand.

"Thank you for coming," Jed began, still standing.
"Your welcome Jed, but what is this really about?" Todd asked, not really having been told why he had been called.

"I know you know what next week is, and I was wondering if you would want to join me in going to Pearl Harbor…" Jed didn't know how he would react, some veterans never want to return to the places of which they fought and saw the atrocities of war, while others wanted to, needing to come to terms with the demons they had faced, or hadn't.

Todd was taken aback.

How long had it been since he had been there?
Then the images came into his mind…

The Fire, the Smoke, the Bangs, the Shouts, the Orders and the screams…
The Smell…the smell of fire and oil, of soot and iron, the smell of burning…
The Sounds of engines, of planes flying and swooping down right over head, of the battery fire, of the sirens, and of the unintelligible roar of men…

The feeling of the vibrating gun in his hands, aimed up, shooting at the planes, the sun glaring off of the metal exteriors, as water shot up and sprayed the ship.

But this was not the last time he had been at Pearl Harbor…

Jed was silent as Todd just stood there, Jed just able to see the flashes in Todd's eyes of what he was feeling.

The last time he had been there were for the funerals…

The Red White and Blue, waving, at half mast…
The lone trumpet playing in the background…

"Todd?" Jed gently asked, seeing Todd was no longer there-there.
"I'm sorry sir…" Todd replied, coming back. "I will be honored to go."

Jed knew when it was time for words and when it was a time for silence, and this was a time for silence. He just looked at Todd; both of them just looked each other in the eyes, a silent communication going between them.

"We will be arriving there on Air Force One Dec. 6, your wife is of course welcome…"
"Thank you Jed, it has been too long…"

Jed nodded. A nod that meant that Todd could go, but also a nod of your welcome.

- - -

Todd walked into his house, his wife rinsing off some vegetables for a salad, oh how he hated eating them, in his opinion all he needed was meat, he wasn't a rabbit who eats lettuce.

"Good evening dear…why did Jed want you?" Deanne asked, moving on to the next tomato.

"He wanted to know if I wanted to go to Pearl Harbor with him next week…" Todd answered, his tone showing he had given an answer but was unsure about it.

"What did you say?" she asked, having stopped and now facing him.
"Yes, that I would go, he said you are more than welcome to come…"
"Well, I would hope so, I am your wife…" she replied jokingly, trying to lift the mood.
"It has been a while since I've been there," he muttered.

"I know, but maybe it is time you return, you never know, might do you some good…" she whispered, putting down the tomato and going to him.

"It was indescribable…" he mumbled, closing his eyes as she gave him a hug, her head resting against his shoulder.

"RACEY!!!" a man yelled his name. "3 O'CLOCK! 3 O'CLOCK!"

Todd turned the gun 3 o'clock to see three Japanese planes turning towards them. His finger squeezed the trigger, the three planes now charging, their weapons firing.

He shot the left plane's engine, the next thing he knew it was diving towards them.

"INCOMING!!!"

The plane hit the water several hundred feet away as Todd looked up to see the other ships in the bay. Many of them were on fire and smoking, and as he looked back to the sky, his finger pulling the trigger at the planes, he saw, on them, the setting sun insignia…

"After dinner we pack, ok?" she whispered.

He nodded, trying to shake the memory.

- - -

Todd and his wife went up the stairs leading up to Air Force One. It was December 6th, and the next day they would be going to Pearl Harbor where the President would say some words, followed by a moment of silence.

Todd closed his eyes, his wife next to him, Charlie and Leo straight across from them in the other chairs, as they took their seats. Todd tried to relax, not sure what was going to happen when they landed; all the while his wife was holding his hand.

Abbey walked into where everyone was sitting, Jed at the moment in his office. Todd's wife looked up to her and got up, gently releasing Todd's hand.

"Hey," Abbey said, Todd resting his head on the head rest, presumably sleeping.

"Hello dear," she replied, her old voice soft and gentle. She continued to go to her, Abbey knowing she wanted to say something.

"What is it?" Abbey asked.
"Could I speak with your husband?" the elderly lady asked.
"Of course, he is in his office, I am sure he wouldn't mind you going in," she answered, turning to lead her to Jed.

She opened the door to find Jed behind his desk reading a file.
He looked up to see his wife, as well as Deanne, Todd's wife.

"Good to see you," he said, speaking to Deanne. "Glad you and your husband decided to come."

Abbey gave a nod to Deanne and departed, closing the door behind her.

"What can I do for you?" Jed asked Deanne, who was surprised that Abbey somehow knew she wanted to talk to Jed alone.

"Sir…" then remembering Jed had told them to call him Jed, she paused. "Jed, I wanted to thank you for doing this…Todd has…had a difficult time…" she didn't need to explain further, Jed understood.

"Every year, around this time, Todd…has trouble sleeping…" she told him, her posture alone showing she was having trouble admitting this.
"Oh?" Jed replied, at a loss for words. "Anything I could do?" he asked.

She walked further in and then sat in the chair near the desk.

"Yes. He has never talked about anyone to me as much as he talks about you…he trusts you completely, which is honestly hard to get from him…" Jed believed her; he had listened to Todd many times, from the experiences in the war involving Pearl Harbor, to the UDT missions during WW2 and the Korean War, to even events else where, including church. He was a man of character and a man who was deeper than the ocean, a man who took his time in putting his complete trust in people.

"What can I do?" Jed asked.

"It would mean so much to me, and to him as well, if you give him time on the docks of Pearl Harbor…alone." The way she said 'alone' Jed immediately knew what she meant.

"Of course, the media won't be permitted near him, they don't even know that Todd is here, but there are no promises that tomorrow they still will not know, but I can work out a time for him this evening…"

Deanne looked so grateful.

"Oh, one other thing, I didn't ask you to do it…" she whispered.

Jed smiled.

"He won't hear it from me."

- - -

Todd and his wife followed the president and his wife off of the plane, and then into the limo that would drive them to the docks of Pearl Harbor. Leo and Charlie having gone to the motel.

The secret service had everything secure, they had no objection to Jed's request, this way, also, they would get a better feel for the event that would occur the next day.

Todd had no idea that Jed had done this at his wife's asking, and simply accepted Jed's words of this pre-gathering at the dock as a security requirement, which wasn't exactly a lie.

The secret service went over the area again as Todd, Jed, and their wives, stepped out of the limo.

Deanne looked up to her husband as he breathed in the moist air from the bay.

Oh how smell can jump start memories…

Todd could suddenly see and hear, in his mind's eye, what it had been like over 60 years ago.

The smoke filled sky, the blackened water, the chaos, and the raw sound of War…

They all just stood on the side of the dock, several dozen yards from the edge, and just looked at the ships and the calm waters; the USS Arizona Memorial in sight. The beautiful white monument and the USS Arizona that was just under the surface of the water.

Jed and Abbey stood side by side, Jed's arm around her, Todd and Deanne mirroring the first couple beside them.

The sun was beginning to set. The sun's rays reflecting off of the waters, the sky's colors changing into orange, red, and purple. Todd let go of his wife, and stepped forward, continuing alone, to the edge of the dock. The first couple and his wife watched him go to the edge and look out. He held his head high, looking across the waters of where an act of War occurred, and where the sleeping giant had been awoken.

They waited for him for a while, his old, but still capable, body casting a shadow across the deck.

Deanne looked at Jed. Jed nodded and stepped out, leaving his wife and his old friend's wife to watch from a distance.

He approached the lone man slowly, until he came to a stop beside him.

"You know Jed, I still have nightmares that are rooted to this place…" he whispered, only allowing Jed to hear.

Jed said nothing; there was really nothing that could be said after that statement.

"My best friend was on the USS Arizona, he was one of many who went down with the ship. It could've been me just as easily…"
"Yes, it could've been, but it wasn't," Jed whispered back.

"Why did it have to be him, why did it have to be all of those other young men? They didn't deserve it." Todd was breathing calmly, though his shoulders were slightly slumped in sadness, and hidden in his voice was grief.

"They gave the ultimate price for America and for being American. We are all a symbol of Freedom; we all carry the invisible insignia of Liberty… Those who Hate Good, and Love merciless Power and who will do anything and everything to gain that Power, will be our enemies, and will always be the ones who attack us, and who do great Evils."

Jed became silent, letting them both watch the setting sun in silence, the white monument resting in its dimming rays.

Tomorrow they would all return here, to give their respect and thanks to those who died, and to those who served, and to those who serve today. Jed would give his thanks to the veterans before him, at home, and abroad. It would be a small speech, followed by a moment of silence, remembering the, not only lives, but, actions it took to save the world from Evil.

"Thanks, even though I know you fibbed about this being a security thing, but was really a request from my wife…" Todd finally whispered to him.

Jed didn't even ask how he knew it had been his wife, but instead stood beside his friend until the sun had set, and until the stars appeared, sending trickling light down to the resting place of the many Americans who died, serving.

- - -

THE END

This is my small thanks to Veterans and to those who serve today.
Thank You