This one's for Ancilla89! Thanks for the request! In this chapter, we learn more about Tony O'Shea and why he is the way he is. Sorry if the first part is a little slow- I had to force that out before the Muse decided to show up

"Hey!" Danny frowned, "why so sad? It's graduation! We're finally free of this dump!"

"You are, but I'm not. I've got one more year," Linda sighed. "Danny, what's going to happen to us?"

"Whaddaya mean?"

"I mean, after I start school again. Yeah, sure, maybe we'll date my last year of high school, but then what? You'll be in college- or doing something else- and I'll be in college, studying nursing. What's going to happen to us?"

"Nothing's going to happen to us, Linda. I don't plan on breaking up with you-"

"You don't plan it, Danny. It just naturally happens!"

He brought her into a hug, "we'll be fine, I promise."

Linda and Danny sat on her couch, staring at the tv, not knowing what to do now that school was over. It was July, a week after Linda's birthday; they had done everything since graduation, and now they were out of ideas. They had been to the beach, the pool, the mall, Coney Island... and after all that excitement, they were strapped for ideas.

Linda leaned against Danny, playing with the end of her hair. They had just had lunch together, "what do you wanna do today?"

"I dunno. Whadda you wanna do?"

"Dunno."

"When do you go to the retirement home?"

"Not till next week. Wednesday through Friday."

"Oh." He didn't know what else to ask her. "What are your plans for after graduation?"

"I don't know. I'm definitely going to college, and getting a job."

"Where will you work?"

"I don't know. It depends. Maybe at the retirement home I volunteer at... what are you going to do?"

Danny shrugged, "I don't know."

"Do you want to go to college?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because the career I'm thinking about going into doesn't really require a college education."

"The police force?"

"Yeah."

"You have a few years until that can happen, though, right? What are you going to do till then?"

"Odd jobs, I guess. I don't know."

"Well what do you like doing?"

"When? And where?"

Linda smirked, "I mean what are your interests? Like I like helping people, so I'm going to get a job at the retirement home. And then, in college, I'll be working my way to a nursing degree. So what do you like doing?"

Danny thought for a minute, before smiling wickedly. "I like kissing you. That's what I'd like to do."

She shifted towards him, while he scooted towards her. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"You gonna stop me?"

"No," she pressed her lips to his, her arms winding around his neck.

He shifts them, guiding her to his lap, and putting his hands on her hair. She always tasted like chocolate and oranges, sometimes much too sweet coffee. When she moaned, he took the opportunity to slide his tongue in her mouth.

Linda hummed her approval, shifting ever so slightly in his lap. She didn't know where life would lead her boyfriend- or herself, really, for that matter, but at least she had a plan- but wherever life led him, she hoped it would be with her. She hadn't known Danny for very long- despite knowing him for an entire school year- but she definitely knew she was never going to find another love like Daniel Reagan.

The door opened and closed loudly- Linda figured it was just Jimmy, so she continued kissing her boyfriend.

"Linda!" A drunken voice boomed at her, and she had never gotten off a boy that quickly- not even Mark.

She turned around, stood straight, with her hands clasped behind her back. "Yes, Papa?"

"What're you doing?"

"Umm," she looked to Danny. Maybe she could lie? He was drunk enough to believe she was practicing CPR- wasn't he? "That's my boyfriend, Papa. We were just kissing."

Tony looked at Danny, who was deftly still on the couch. He knew what Tony did to Linda when he was drunk. "Well?!"

Danny stood up behind his girlfriend, "we were only kissing."

"Why are you so angry, Papa?" Linda ventured to ask, still standing ramrod straight.

"Sal died."

"Sal?" Danny questioned.

"Sal was Nonno's best friend. They both served in the Marines," Linda explained. "Nonno came back... with a lot of post traumatic stress. Sal did too, but he was the only one left of their... unit once Nonno died."

"How did Nonno die?"

Linda looked at her father, checking his reaction. He wasn't having any- which meant he passed drunk two hours ago. She licked her lips and swallowed, "he killed himself. Got drunk and drove off a Cliff."

Tony seemed like he was going to yell at Linda telling this low life the family secrets, but instead he asked, "and you? What're you gunna do with your life? Hm? Live on my couch the res' of your life?"

Linda wanted to tell him that it wasn't his couch anymore, but she didn't want to get a beating- especially not in front of her very protective boyfriend.

"Well... I was thinking about joining the Marines."

"What?!" The father and daughter both exclaimed, different reasonings behind their exclamation.

"Why?" Linda whispered, looking almost like she was lost.

When Danny didn't answer right away, Tony slapped him on the back of his head. Linda finally moved from her ramrod position, ready to protect her boyfriend even if it meant getting hurt herself.

"Out with it, boy!" Tony yelled, ready to hit him again.

"My Dad and grandpa were both in the Marines, in Korea and Vietnam. They were heroes, won lots of bravery metals and such. I'm following in their footsteps. Only I'm not going to be an officer because I'm not going to college."

"You'll be better off livin' on my couch." He stumbled to to kitchen, making Linda cringe.

"I don't know why he always ends up here when he's drunk," her voice was quiet. "Or why he still thinks he owns the place."

"You don't look too happy," Danny observed simply, after dropping that bombshell of a plan on her.

"What's going to happen to us?"

"I told you-"

"No, I mean now that you're going away. What's going to happen to us? I know I'm only seventeen- I don't know anything- but... I don't-" her voice cracked, and tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't-" she only shook her head, and ran up the stairs.

"Linda!" Danny followed her into her very neat room. He ignored the posters on her wall of her favorite boyband. "What was that? Why'd you run away like that?"

"I don't... don't go. You shouldn't go. You should stay here."

"That's just your opinion."

"It's a right fact."

"An opinion can't be fact, Linda."

She laughed humorlessly. "You just don't get it. What's going to happen to you when you come back? If you come back? You're gonna end up like my Nonno- mean, bitter, drunk, abusive! You can't just come back from war and expect everything to be fine and the way it was before!"

"I'm not expecting that, Linda. I know it's going to change me. But I just have to do it."

Linda picked up the stuffed elephant her grandmother made her, and twirled the string tail around her finger. "Have you told your family?"

"Not yet."

"Maybe you should go do that."

He knew a dismissal when he heard one, "will I see you tomorrow?"

"Probably."

He sighed, "bye, Linda."

"See ya." She turned around and tried a smile.

They both knew this conversation wasn't over, but he could tell she didn't want to discuss it further. "I have to do this, Linda."

"I know. I don't agree with you at all, but... well... I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to."

"Thanks. You're a good person, you know?"

She shrugged, "when do you leave?"

"Week after my birthday."

"Then we have a lot to do in a short amount of time. Meet me in the park tomorrow at lunchtime."

He wondered what she was planning, "okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

She walked up to him, her elephant still in her hands. "Tomorrow." She kissed him like she had been doing on the couch. "I love you, Danny."

He smiled at her and teased, "I love more."

She shook her head, "I love you most."

They walked down the stairs together, and Linda waved goodbye, hoping it wasn't one of the last times.