She didn't know why, but in that very moment she needed to have Danny. She slowly drew herself back from his grasp, and look into his eyes. He seemed to have sensed it too, and searched her eyes as he moved his hand to caress her cheek and push the hair away from her eyes. He didn't let his wondering mind have any say, and finally just kissed her. The passion and longing for one another was evident as they embraced once again in this new heated act. Her hands moved from their place on his chest to across his face and finally tangling themselves in his hair. As the kiss deepened he hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He stumbled back a ways and then forward a few steps before he finally regained his balance. As much as they both wanted that moment to continue, they found themselves out of breath. She slipped down to stand once again beside him, and didn't say a word. She didn't know what to say; she was completely speechless. At once they both went to speak, "Danny," "Janet." They both shared a smile and he nodded for her to go ahead.

"I have to go," she announced looking sheepishly down the road. She looked up at him once more before turning on her heels to walk briskly away. He didn't bother to try and stop her; he just watched her go. When she was out of sight, his shoulders fell and his body slumped the way it did when he was upset. There was so much running through his mind. Rafe was, well, missing, but that was pretty much the same as dead at this point. His best friend, his brother, was dead. He kicked himself for what he had just done. Kissing Janet was not the best move. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. He had told himself that he was moving on and had to accept that Janet was never going to be more than his best friend. But he couldn't help thinking that in the moment they had just shared, something was new and different between them. Maybe it was just him, but he thought that in their kiss Janet was trying to say something. 'Wow,' he thought to himself, 'I can't believe we actually kissed. It's been a long time since that had happened…' His mind reminisced to their first kiss. He was probably about ten or eleven, and that was when he decided he would love her forever…

Flashback

The kids were running through their neighboring fields chasing one another. Janet was trying to outrun Rafe as she chased after Danny. Lucas, Janet's older brother, joined in with Rafe trying to stop Janet from catching up with their young friend. Just as they got in reach of her, little Joe came tearing through the field.

"Hey!" He shouted, "Don't do that to my sister!" Joe had always been particularly close with Janet. Even though he usually followed in Lucas's footsteps when it came to Janet, no one else mattered. It was an odd relationship to outsiders, but to them it made perfect sense. Rafe and Lucas gladly tackled little Joseph instead. Danny looked back for a minute allowing him to lose focus. He stumbled upon a ditch and fell over. Janet stopped just behind him and burst out laughing as he lay there covered in mud. Danny's face turned bright red with embarrassment as he lay on his back looking up at the girl. It only took a moment for them to get distracted as the sun sunk a little lower and the night's little lights shot across the sky.

"Fireflies," Janet whispered in awe as she moved towards the tree line. Danny moved to his feet, and watched as she walked away from him. Her eyes were focused on the twinkling lights of the bugs that resembled the Christmas lights on the tree in Rafe's 

living room each Christmas. The three other boys didn't seem interested in the annual return of the insects, and went running toward the barn up on the other side of the hill. Danny, though, continued to follow stopping to stand beside her, now under the trees. He reached up and caught one that flew past.

"Here, Jan," He called to her as he noticed her trying with much effort to catch the fireflies above her head. She opened her hands eager to hold it herself. He carefully placed his hands over hers and opened them releasing the firefly. It stayed for a moment on the young girl's hand before flying right between them. They both watched as it moved from her hands to the sky above. Janet wasn't sure why, but in that moment she wrapped her arms tightly around Danny. She supposed in a way of a thank you to him. He held her in his scrawny arms for a moment, and then quickly kissed her lips. Neither of them said anything; they only walked home hand in hand.

He sighed loudly now, wishing it could still be that simple. Sadly, he knew that kissing Janet today would cause a lot more drama then their innocent first kiss. Of course, Danny decided, that had Rafe and the others known about their kiss it wouldn't have been so easy then either. He pushed the thought away and decided it was time to get inside and out of the storm.

Janet hurried home, but not because of the continuing storm. No, Janet hurried home to get away from Danny. She had kissed him; she kissed him. Her mind ran with these thoughts over and over again. When she finally pushed open the gate to their fenced in yard, she went running towards the trees that stood parallel with the water just on the other side of the fence. She stood holding onto the fence, her head tilted up to the sky and allowed the raindrops to wash over her face and body. Ever since she was little her favorite thing was to run in the rain, dancing in the storm. She felt free as a bird, like she might just sprout wings and take off in flight and fly to worlds unbeknownst to her. She counted each drop as it landed upon her already wet skin. Her mind was free from worry and she was flying threw the air alongside all the other mindless birds. She stood there for a long time with her arms stretched out, her head tilted back, eyes shut and a grin on her face. She could hear her mother's voice before she had gotten so tired and worn whispering to her, 'It's not waiting for the storm to pass, my dearest Janet, it's learning to dance in the rain.' There was something about those words and her mother's voice that made everything alright and makes perfect sense. She breathed in slowly, and opened her eyes to lookout upon the Pacific. Smiling to herself she walked to the house knowing everything would be fine.

"Jan," called a concerned Evelyn from the living room. Evelyn had wanted to talk with her all day, ever since Danny broke the news. Janet had thought briefly about ignoring her suspicious questions, but knew that it would be better to face them now.

"Yes?" Janet pondered as if she had no idea what Evelyn might be wondering.

"Jan where have you been? You're soaking wet!"

"Yes, I know. I got caught in the storm, but no harm done. Just a little bit a water is all."

"A little bit of water?" Evelyn questioned the girl's underestimation.

"Ev, its just water, and water never hurt anyone. Don't worry, mother, I'm going upstairs to put on some dry clothes," Janet teased as she began towards her room. Evelyn just shook her head not able to understand what happened to her friend. Then her mind began to race, did Janet know about Rafe? Did Danny ever talk to her? Why was she so… okay? Evelyn was dumbfounded. Janet was never especially open about her feelings, but her best friend was as good as dead and she was so… happy.

Janet decided that a shower after all that rainwater might do her some good. She wrapped herself into her towel and sprinted to her room. Her skin was still hot from the steam, and she was ready to put on her nightgown and just rest. She wandered into her room, and was a little surprised to see his sturdy figure hunched over on her windowsill. She went to speak, but he spoke up just then.

"When you didn't show, I got worried," he voice trembled a bit with concern. He stood then and walked to her. His eyes showed the dark gloom of pity, and they starred her down intently.

"Well," she began looking away feeling a little guilty for the kiss this afternoon.

"I talked to Danny."

"Oh," she stammered, "you did?"

"Janet," He lifted her head up with his hand to stare her in the eye once more, "I know." Her throat tightened, and her mouth went dry. Why would Danny tell him? She couldn't understand why he always had to be so self righteous.

"And it's going to be okay," he reassured her pulling her close to him. Now Janet was just confused. Tommy didn't care that she and Danny had the most passionate kiss ever in the middle of downtown on the sidewalk in the pouring rain. Her face flushed and her cheeks burned as she thought about it.

"Don't worry about a thing, baby. I'm going to be here for you, and I'll never leave you. I know he was your best friend, but these things just sometimes happen," Tommy was babbling on and on, and she just couldn't grasp why he was so easy going about the whole situation.

"Rafe was a great man, and he died fighting for what he thought was right." That's when she stopped breathing, and pushed herself out of his grasp. She had completely let the most important thing slip her mind. Rafe was missing, he could be dead and she's thinking about kissing Danny. She started to shake her head back and forth, walking back until she couldn't go any further. Tommy looked on at her intently, waiting for her to form some kind of words.

"He didn't die!" she all of a sudden found herself shouting, "He didn't die! He's missing, but he's going to come home! He promised and he doesn't break promises!"

"Jan," he moved towards her and placed comforting hands on her arms. "I know you want him to come home, but you have to be realistic…"

"No, don't touch me! Just leave, get out!" Her voice shook as it raised another decibel. She ushered him out the door, and gladly slammed it shut in his face. Locking it, she sunk to the floor and began to cry. She couldn't do this… not on her own. She needed him…