CHAPTER FIVE:

CHAPTER FIVE: "Great Grandson of Daniel Walker"

"You know what I love about Grandpa Walker?" Meg grabbed Danny's arm, leading him to their usual table right in the center of the school's courtyard. She grinned cheerfully at Daniel, who only tried to shrug off her delightful demeanor.

The bell that signals the end of Monday's Period four classes was also the bell that signals the beginning of the school's lunch period. If anything, Meg extremely enjoyed lunch period it was her favorite subject after all!

Daniel attempted to escape Meg's grasp, in order to perhaps hang out with his fellow Varsity football teammates. Unfortunately, Meg made him promise to spend at least one lunch period per week for just the two of them. Usually that hour would be on a Thursday, but Meg couldn't wait to talk to her Danny. At least the sacrifice worked two ways, Danny would constantly tell himself. Just as much as Danny enjoys downtime with his football crew, Meg adored gossip hour with her gal pals.

"No. What do you love about my grandpa Danny?" He asked after he was placed down on the concrete seat of their table.

"His memories. His stories about his parents' involvement in World War two. He could go on for hours, couldn't he?" She spoke wistfully upon the past.

Danny nodded, recalling the times of innocent childhood. Times where he and young Meghan would sit together on the carpet as his aging, yet still youthful, grandfather Danny Jr. would captivate the past with his gift for story-telling. Great uncle Anthony, Danny Jr's younger brother, would comment that their mother would beam proudly on the fact that he, Danny Jr., got that gift for words from his father.

"Here, check this out." Meg placed a piece of paper in front of Danny. He blinked at it, confused.

"What's this, Meg?" He picked it up, examining it. Instantly, he began to regret having taken a look at the paper.

"It's a timeline tracing back to your great grandparents. At least, the names that I could remember from Grandpa Danny's stories. I thought it would be neat, y'know? So, can you check its accuracy for me?" She asked him, unaware of how shook up Danny became.

He just stared at it. Stared at the names make that, at one name on the very top of that piece of paper. "Rafe"

"Yeah Rafe McCawley" Meg bit her lower lip in thought, "He's your great grandfather grandpa Danny's father."

"No no, he wasn't." Danny spoke in a voice that wasn't exactly his own. It was more deep, and with a more Southern accent to it.

Meg looked at Danny, startled by his voice. "Danny?"

His eyes a bit glazed, and his voice still rich with that Tennessee accent, "Daniel Walker was Danny Jr.'s father. Rafe McCawley, Daniel's best friend, helped Evelyn raise Danny Jr."

Something click inside of Meg as realization sank into her. "Oh yeah I remember now! You're right, Danny. Rafe was Danny the second's stepfather. Your real great grandfather, Danny the first, died in 1942 during the Jimmy Doolittle raid over Tokyo."

Danny shook his head, trying to remove the voice outside of his head. Trying to remove this person giving him these memories that wasn't his own. He looked back at Meg, noticing her take out another piece of paper and began to scribble on it.

"What're you doing now, Meg?"

She glanced at him, beaming, "You think Mr. Omiat might give me extra credit for writing a paper on your family's history and their involvement in the start of America's involvement in World War two?" She blushed a bit, "I mean, your family's past sounds much more interesting than mines. All I know is that during World War two, half of my family refused to get involve due to political reasoning and the other half was breed in the Aussie outback I don't know" She shrugged, mumbled, and babbled. Meg gazed up at him, "And besides, I'll need the extra credit more than you. Mr. A versus Miss struggling to maintain a B in AP History." She smirked.

"Meg" He began, but was cut off by the approach of another presence.

"Hey, James!" Danny felt a hand slap his back playfully. He spun around and began to glare at the six foot one Senior Varsity football Quarterback.

"Watch that hand of yours, Mikey." Danny growled at Michael Casco, Nathalie's twin brother.

"Man, where's that aloha spirit towards your soul brother?" Michael sat down next to Meg, grinning at Danny. He glanced at Meg, giving her a sweet smile. "Hey, Meggie."

"Soul brother my ass, Casco." Danny replied, his nerves practically tight with anger. Indicating to Meg, "Shit, if it weren't for Meghan here standing up for you and practically pleading with me to save our damn friendship, I'd have kick that player-player bastard butt of yours into the next Millennium!"

"Danny" Meg sighed, giving him this tired look.

Months and months ago, Meg and Michael were a pretty hot couple in school and out. Danny had somewhat mixed feelings towards that pair. He loved the fact that Michael, who he had considered as a brother, was seeing a girl that Danny actually could tolerate. Not to mention that Meg was finally seeing a guy who Danny knew he could honestly trust. However, Danny always considered Meg as his and hated having to share her with Michael.

Unfortunately, one day, Danny caught Michael cheating on Meg with a petty cheerleader from a rival school. Filled with disbelief and utter rage, Danny was so close to literally killing Michael. However, much to Daniel's surprise, Meg wasn't as pissed about it as he was. She wasn't heartbroken about it, and dumped Michael the next day. Meg had to keep Danny from killing Michael, and to try giving their friendship another try.

Time can heal all wounds but it would be a very long time.

"So, what do you want, Mikey?" Danny asked, his patience somewhat thin but, for Meg's sake, still there.

"Just came here to hang with two of my favorite classmates." He placed a friendly arm around Meg. A growl from Danny, though, caused him to remove that arm.

Meg, who was extremely amused by their interaction, smirked at Michael. "Your teammates kicked you off their table again because you flirted with Zack's girlfriend again, huh?"

"What?!" Michael shook his head, "No no, no, no!" He defended himself, then paused. Finally, he hung his head, "Well yeah"

"Thought so." Both Meg and Danny replied.

He blushed, then managed to change the subject with, "So what are you guys doing?"

"Just trying to trace Danny boy's blood lines all the way back to World War two." Meg passed the paper to Michael, letting him look it over.

"It's just a waste of your time, Meg." Danny sighed, placing his head down on the table in a tired heap.

"Hey, this is pretty cool. And look, you don't have to go that far at least all the way to your what? Great grandparents?" Michael grinned at Danny, returning the paper back to Meg.

"Exactly!" Meg also formed the same grin.

"Guys" Danny groaned, not wanting to uncover any skeletons he himself wasn't ready to face.

Meg glanced at Michael, "Did you know that Danny's great grandparents were actually stationed here in Hawaii, on Oahu, during the Pearl Harbor invasion?"

"Really? They were actually survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack?"

Danny didn't answer Michael. He couldn't answer Michael, for the second he closed his eyes, Danny saw and felt images that brought heart-pounding emotions to his very soul.

"How many on you?!"

He knew that voice. Knew it the very second he heard him. It was Rafe. Rafe calling for him. Rafe by his side, through and through.

"Four, I think! You?"

"I don't know" There was this immense second long pause, then "Danny! Let's play some chicken."

Danny regarded the images around him. Felt the power of the P-40 under his control. Felt the fear rising within him in knowing that this was the very first time that he was in combat. Yet he also felt safe in knowing that his brother Rafe, who had experienced combat before, was guiding and protecting his ass out on that battle field in the sky.

He knew that the Zeros were on his tail, and chasing him with full confidence. Danny made a tight and hard turn, but the four Zeros only made their turns tighter. Once his course was straight did he realize that the Japs that were chasing him had broken off from the other Zeros, whom might very well be on Rafe.

That's when the miracle of Rafe's and Danny's friendship and skills emerged. Danny looked straight ahead and saw into the eyes of Rafe, as the P-40s headed nose to nose towards each other. The two hotshot pilots were aiming towards a collision but not of their own.

Suddenly, at a quick of an instant, Danny followed in suite of Rafe as they each snapped a quarter spin to their right, making their P-40s flash by each other, belly to belly.

Only two of the Japanese Zeros collided but that was a small victory in itself for the Americans and for the two young men.

"Land of the free" Danny heard Rafe's voice.

"Home of the brave" He heard his own voice, and smiling as he felt the pride emerge within him.

Those words those very two statements brought so much pride and honor into his heart. Rafe proclaiming "Land of the free" and Danny echoing the sentiments with "Home of the brave." Of course they meant their homeland, their nation, that is the United States of America but there was more to it. It was their very own battle cry. Their own military "Hurrah." Their own proclamation to everyone that there was no stopping them. Nothing in heaven, hell, or earth could divide this special duo. Not as long as they're living and breathing together in the "land of the free" and "home of the brave."

"Danny?"

Daniel shook himself out of his reverie, gazing up to meet the worried eyes of his Meghan. She smiled nervously at him, "Hey, big guy. You were kind of out of it for a while there" Meg glanced at Michael, who only shrugged in confusion. "We called your name a couple of times how zoned out are you?"

He gave them a sheepish grin, though his eyes were as concerned as Meghan was over his state of being. "It's nothing, Meg. Really I'm okay."

"Danny" She began, but he interrupted her as he stood up to leave.

"Listen, Meg, I need to go well, to go talk to Mr. Omiat about the trip to Oahu. My dad guys have some questions about it so, I gotta go."

He gave Meg a somewhat sad smile as he picked up his backpack. Before he left, and before Meg could protest further, Danny went to her and gave her a reassuring hug from behind. Danny placed a friendly kiss on her cheek, "I promise to call you later, kay?"

"With your heart?" She replied with a loving grin as she watched him walk away. Whenever one of the two made a promise, they made a pact that gave the other reassurance that the promise will be fulfilled.

Knowing their secret promise code, Danny placed two fingers over his heart, then held them up like a Boy Scout on his honor, all the while saying, "With my heart and on my honor."

As he walked away from Meg, he heard a ghostly whisper beckoning to him from beyond time itself.

"Land of the free, Danny Land of the free"

"Home of the brave, Rafe Home of the brave" He murmured into the air.

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