DECEMBER 9

DECEMBER 9, 2001

Eighteen year old Danny Kawika Walker James was tired. No—he was drained yep, that sounds about right.

As soon as he entered his bedroom, Danny just collapsed on his bed in a tired heap. He found himself gazing up at his ceiling, contemplating everything that had happened to him on Oahu on the events that had happened even *before* the sixty anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

"Man oh man" He chuckled to himself, smiling deliriously. "Well," Danny sighed, "At least knowing that Meg believes me might make this whole great grandfather thing more easier to swallow."

At the thought of Meg, his whole body shivered in complete bliss over his one and only love. "God I love her I really really love her." He murmured to himself.

Danny could go over every single thing about his Meg that he loved about her but that would take an eternity! The ultimate point is that he, Danny Kawika Walker James, was in love with his very best friend, Meghan Kahealani Conner. And what made it extremely ultimate was the fact that she returned the feelings as well!

"Love rocks!" Danny proclaimed, feeling like a total blissful moron!

He wanted to talk to her. To hear her voice. To be in some kind of contact with his Meghan. "I gotta call her!" He sat up on his bed. Danny checked the time. "Damnit, it's nearly midnight" After a few seconds, Danny shrugged, "Oh, what the hell"

Danny reached over for his cordless phone, when he caught sight of them

"Walker" He recalled with much fondness. He clutched onto the leather army flight jacket and the glistening dog tags with such delicate care. Danny laughed, "Man, almost forgot about you, Walker"

Danny cautiously slipped the jacket and the tags on. Everything about it felt so natural so real

He walked over to his tall mirror, wanting to check out how Walker's jacket and dog tags looked on him. Danny grinned, loving how he looked almost like, well like his great grandpa Danny.

A chill ran through him at the comparison. Quickly, he dug through his belongings until he found what he'd been looking for. It was a picture of his great grandfather Danny Walker Danny Walker Walker

"I know how you feel, Danny. But nothing's gonna happen to her. I remember a time where I thought I almost lost my best friend."

"What happened?"

Walker's eyes began to glaze over wistfully. "A bad crash" Was all he said as he turned his head away at the painful memory.

A faint memory of Danny Walker's appeared to him. Emotions of loss and despair. Hating the sea for taking someone that meant family and brotherhood to him.

"Evelyn and Danny thought Rafe had died in a crash when he was overseas fighting in the war" Danny recalled to himself.

Danny sensed that his friend's near death was an awful experience that might be best to leave in the past. To Walker, "I'm sorry, Walker. You don't have to tell me"

Walker nodded, then met eyes with young Danny. "Maybe someday, Danny. If you want maybe someday I'll tell you."

Flashes of memories began to flood Danny's brain again. Deep emotional feelings engulfed him once more as he regarded all of Danny Walker's memories. He did keep his word

His image flashed before Danny. His young, kind face smiling at Danny. Smiling and nodding at Danny right before the ambulance doors closed on him.

"Are you an angel?" Danny asked, though he felt his head was still swimming with soaked up seawater.

Walker chuckled, "Sorta"

Danny slowly eased up into a seating position, despite Walker's gentle protest. "Jeez, Walker you sound like my dad"

"Can't help it, Danny"

Danny stretched a bit, hearing a faint jingle sound coming from him. He gazed down and caught the dog tags shimmering in the sun light. He turned to Walker and began to ease the dog tags off.

"You keep it, Danny." Walker stopped him, smiling at the young man. "You hold on to my tags and that jacket for me, okay? Call it as a way for repaying me for saving your life."

Danny laughed, despite feeling the evident pain in his chest. He met eyes with Danny and was startled to see just how familiar they looked. It almost seemed as if he was looking into himself in Walker's eyes

"I was looking at myself in his eyes my great grandfather's eyes my eyes" Danny smiled, looking at the mirror once more.

Danny stood tall, dusting off and straightening the flight jacket. He gazed down briefly at the shimmering dog tags, feeling the intense connection to them. After all, his name was inscribed on it.

"I'm proud of you, Danny. Real proud don't you forget that, okay?"

Danny gasped as he felt a hand lightly land on his shoulder. He looked up at the mirror, joy filling his heart at the sight of his guardian angel.

"Real proud of you, Danny extremely proud" He whispered to his great grandson with such fierce pride and love in his eyes and in his voice.

Danny began to feel a bit choked up at the sight of him. He placed a hand on his great grandfather's hand, giving it a gentle assurance that he saw him.

Danny Walker gave his shoulder a fond squeeze before fading away. His smile sketched in Danny's own memory.

"Proud of you too, Captain Walker I'm proud of you too, Danny"

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THE END