DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, except Susie, but then i stole her name from my Aunt. The title is the title of an Aerosmith song. I fixed the Texas/Tennessee mistake. Enjoy!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I finally fixed the mistake! don't kill me! I saw the movie the night it opened, so my memory is a little of...anyway enjoy:)
Fly Away From Here
…There are those who will say that memories can remain to haunt a person 'til the day they die. The memories of old friends, old loves, and old experiences always seem to find a way to dig their way back into the back of one's mind and hover there- a constant reminder of something which we cannot get back. And so the ghosts of my past hide in my shadows and slink around my life as I struggle to move on, to forget all that I have tried so hard to leave behind, yet somehow cannot afford to lose.
I grew up with one brother, an older one. Not by much though, he beat me into this world by only one year. In any case, we grew up close. I was so fond of Rafe that I almost idolized him. He was strong and determined, and always a lot of fun. Plus, he protected me. I was his baby Susie, his little doll that he could dress up for church or throw into the creek. We had fun, me and Rafe. And then there was Danny.
Danny was my brother's best friend. Him and Rafe were inseparable since they day they met, before I was even alive. He loved planes, I'll remember that. Those two were never more 'en five feet away from a propeller in all their lives. Anyway, he was great. He watched over me, saw to it that I got my work done but had fun. Lord knows they pampered me, no doubt 'bout that!
It was the Summer I turned sixteen that things began to change. Suddenly, things were different...or at least they seemed to be. Rafe got older, got more rebellious--and therefore, so did I. Danny, of course followed suit. There were late nights of sneaking out, drinking, and smoking...but you know what? I'd never change the way things happened. I had fun those times, and, call it what you will, such so-called "defiance" was a thrill for me. Each night I'd wait for Rafe to wake me up and shove me out onto the porch roof. From there, it was no easy task. The job of getting to the ground was a mix of jumping, falling, catching, or apologizing for the unintended bruises of a bad aim. Regardless, it was those steamy July nights that changed everything for me, for better or for worse...
"You know I meant to catch you, Suze," Rafe drawled as we walked down the dirt street to the side road where we often spent our nights.
"Oh I know you did, but still-it hurts!" I responded dryly.
"Come on Suzy, it couldn't-a been that bad," Danny said, cracking a smile and punching me in the shoulder.
"Shows what you know, Walker," I said with a grin.
"I know plenty, thanks."
"Well then you should know enough to stop walking, because the road is right here."
...Stanley Drive was an old dirt road which nobody really paid much mind to. Nobody had ever lived along it, and it lead to a dead end. But there was something special about that road, something endearing in the clearings by the creek and the sitting spaces under the trees from which you could sit back and watch the stars, that set the stage for enchantment as a wind of change blew through the air...
The three of us sat by the creek; myself sprawled out on the grass watching the stars. Rafe was swigging a bottle of malt as he pushed the water around with a stick. Danny sat by my feet, watching Rafe with cynical amusement. I took a long pull off of my cigarette and sighed.
"Something up?" Rafe asked quizzically.
"Nah," I responded quietly, "I'm just thinking about things."
"What kind of things?"
"They're stupid Rafe, you don't wanna here 'em."
"They're not stupid if they're worth thinkin bout Suze. Besides, you know I won't laugh."
"Fine, but I swear Rafe McCawley, no makin fun of me! I was thinkin, are we gonna ever go into space? It's awful pretty from here, but I wonder what it's really like up there. ahh, shit...gimme some of that malt."
"Take it, I'm gonna go take a piss somewhere."
Rafe got up and stumbled off down the road. It was a long stretch, and knowing him he'd walk the entire thing before he realized he had even gone five feet. Drunk as an ass, he was.
Still wonderin' about space, I lit another cigarette and saw Danny sit down beside me and recline against the grass.
"That was a nice thought you had there," he said quietly, "Someday we might get to go up there and see it for ourselves."
"Nah, not me. I'd be too scared," I retorted slyly, turning my head away from the sky and looking Danny in the eyes.
"I'd hold your hand so you wouldn't have to worry..." he winked and grinned.
"Why, do I detect some sarcasm Mr. Walker?"
"None at all. You'd have to go with us."
"Why?"
"'Cause, Suze, look at them stars. They're so gorgeous...I couldn't let you miss out on something like that, now could I?"
"Awe, you're sweet..."
Danny lay out, and offered up his shoulder as my pillow. In the distance I heard a loud "ouch!"--Somewhere, Rafe had walked into a tree.
"You know, I've been thinking lately," Danny began out of nowhere, talking quietly and shyly.
"So I'm not the only one, huh?" I laughed, trying unsuccessfully to be funny.
"No seriously, Susie, I've really been thinking. About things...and how they change...a lot..." He paused and squeezed my shoulder with his hand.
"This feels right. This--being here, with you. It always has felt right to me. I've loved you forever, but never like this. You were always one of my closest friends, you and Rafe have been the best...but now it's more. I feel like we connect and I'm sorry if I'm scaring you but dammit I need to know if you feel the same about me. Things have been gettin' different Susie, and I can't help it anymore. I'm fallin for you. I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" I asked softly.
"'Cause I shouldn't be tellin' you this, puttin' you through this. You deserve better 'en me. I know that. You should want better, too."
"I know what I want, Danny."
"And what's that Suze?"
"I want you to hold my hand, like you said you would."
Danny took my hand and held it tight, raising it to his lips and kissing it gently. Suddenly I felt warm--this was right. I had always needed Danny, but never before like this. I held his body to mine and lay there, burying my face in his neck. It was warm and a 'lil bit sweaty...it smelled good, kinda musky but sweet. He held me tightly and I felt his breath on my ear.
"Danny?" I asked, barely above a whisper.
"Yea?"
"Lemme see your face?"
He pulled his head away from my shoulder and looked me square in the eyes. The lamp we had brought with us illuminated his deep-set brown eyes as I took his face in my hands and pulled it close to my own. Slowly, I ran my lips over his facial features, tastin' for myself what I had been wanting for so long. Suddenly, I heard him sigh and grip me tighter, and before I knew it I had kissed him.
It only lasted for five seconds, but our lips pulled away he hugged me to his body and we lay there in the grass, breathing in each other's aura.
"Guys!" a drunken Rafe called from down the street, "I'm just gonna go sleep down the street by the big tree...thingy...big...thing...ahhhhhhh, you know what I'm talkin 'bout..." and off he went.
I kissed Danny again.
"You sure you want this Suze?" he asked me, cupping my face in his strong palms.
"More sure than I've been about anything else in my life, "I sighed, pulling off his shirt and kissing him deeply.
...That night I gave Danny all of my love, and he gave me all of his. It was beautiful, the way I'd always hoped it would be. Afterwards we fell asleep, not caring if we didn't return home until late. I decided then and there that I loved him, and as I drifted off to sleep in his arms I dreamed about our future...
The sunlight shone down on my closed eyes, and warmed my face.
"Wake up little Susie," Danny sang into my ear quietly, nuzzling my neck.
"Lord, Danny, what time is it?"
"About seven, but we don't have to leave yet. I just wanna lie here with you."
"Should we find Rafe?"
"WHAT IN HELL?!" Rafe bellowed as he stumbled upon Danny and me, still in a hangover but in the right state of mind to see what was going on.
"Rafe I can explain," Danny began.
"Nah...No don't," Rafe drawled, holdin' his head, "I figured this'd happen sooner or later. But she's my girl Walker, and if you hurt her--"
"I swear I won't Rafe. I've always loved her, you know that...and now I just kinda love her more."
"You can't help something like this from happening, but you said yourself you saw it was comin'," i offered.
"Look Suze, I said you don't have to explain, neither of you do. I don't mind it at all! My head just really hurts, so could ya'll please help me walk home before I end up falling in a ditch and dying alone, covered in dirt, with the bugs?" Rafe whimpered, attempting to walk on his own.
Together, like we always had before, the three of us walked home. Only this time, we were all a little bit more grown up. After droppin Rafe off at the drug store in town, Danny and I walked home, his arm around me and his mouth planted firmly on the top of my head.
...That night will never escape me, and I never want it to, either. Time went on, and Danny and I found us in a blissful state of euphoria. At night he'd climb through my window and just lay there with me 'til the mornin' when he'd sneak out but leave me a note saying he loved me or some such thing. Rafe became quite the ladies man, but both focused mainly on airplanes. I'd never been jealous of any other woman who looked Danny's way...I was more envious of those planes which took up most of his time. Finally, he broke the news to me: he and Rafe had joined the air force. My darling Danny had enlisted himself and, should another war occur, I knew he'd have to fight. Likewise, i couldn't bear the thought of Rafe in combat. He was my hero and I liked him just the way he was--at home, safe, with me and Danny on Stanley Drive in the late hours of the night. Rafe left first…
The sun beat down heavily on the front porch of our house. Rafe's suitcases were at the steps, and the taxi was waiting patiently in the drive.
"Don't leave me Rafe," I cried, the tears streaming down my face, "I can't lose my big brother and my love in the same week!"
"Suze, you know I'll be nearby. I'll write you every day and have you come and visit when you can," Rafe replied, holding back tears.
"But...please...don't go! I'll be by myself!"
"I don't wanna leave you, baby girl, you know that. But I was born to do this."
"I don't care. You were born to stay here with me, too!"
"I have to leave now Susie, but remember I love you, more than anything in this world. And you love me too, right?"
I turned my back and left his question unanswered as I waited for him to leave. I heard him sobbing as he closed to taxi door, and as it began to pull out of the driveway, I ran to it, screaming.
"Rafe! I love you Rafe, so much, please don't go! Don't leave me, please!!!"
The car stopped and he got out and picked me up in a giant hug. Together we stood there, brother and sister, and cried.
"I love you Rafe, don't forget to come back to me."
"Oh, Suze...I could never leave you for good."
Next was Danny. I had been dreading this moment for weeks, and now it had finally arrived.
"You won't go and forget about me, will you?" Danny asked as he choked back tears.
"'Course I won't, you're it for me," I replied sobbing.
"And you're all I need, little Susie."
"Don't get hurt baby, I need you to come back to me as soon as you can..."
"You'll be my motivation, I'll come home to you the second I get the chance."
"You'll watch over Rafe, won't you? Oh...the taxi's honkin' at you...oh Danny I love you!"
"I love you too darlin', and I'll be back so I can marry you!" He grabbed me tightly in his arms and sobbed against my shoulder as my tears fell from my cheek to his chest, marking his new uniform. As he got into the taxi and drove down the street, I waved and blew him a kiss. Danny winked at me through the back window. "I love you," he mouthed as the car disappeared down the street and out of sight.
...Like that they were gone. Within months they had been transferred to the base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I got letters from 'em both every day, as they likewise received letters from me. Rafe fell in love with a nurse named Evelynn...but before long he was shipped off to England for a special mission. I was excited for him, but also scared. Soon after, I received a gentleman at the door who handed me an envelope. Rafe was dead...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I finally fixed the mistake! don't kill me! I saw the movie the night it opened, so my memory is a little of...anyway enjoy:)
Fly Away From Here
…There are those who will say that memories can remain to haunt a person 'til the day they die. The memories of old friends, old loves, and old experiences always seem to find a way to dig their way back into the back of one's mind and hover there- a constant reminder of something which we cannot get back. And so the ghosts of my past hide in my shadows and slink around my life as I struggle to move on, to forget all that I have tried so hard to leave behind, yet somehow cannot afford to lose.
I grew up with one brother, an older one. Not by much though, he beat me into this world by only one year. In any case, we grew up close. I was so fond of Rafe that I almost idolized him. He was strong and determined, and always a lot of fun. Plus, he protected me. I was his baby Susie, his little doll that he could dress up for church or throw into the creek. We had fun, me and Rafe. And then there was Danny.
Danny was my brother's best friend. Him and Rafe were inseparable since they day they met, before I was even alive. He loved planes, I'll remember that. Those two were never more 'en five feet away from a propeller in all their lives. Anyway, he was great. He watched over me, saw to it that I got my work done but had fun. Lord knows they pampered me, no doubt 'bout that!
It was the Summer I turned sixteen that things began to change. Suddenly, things were different...or at least they seemed to be. Rafe got older, got more rebellious--and therefore, so did I. Danny, of course followed suit. There were late nights of sneaking out, drinking, and smoking...but you know what? I'd never change the way things happened. I had fun those times, and, call it what you will, such so-called "defiance" was a thrill for me. Each night I'd wait for Rafe to wake me up and shove me out onto the porch roof. From there, it was no easy task. The job of getting to the ground was a mix of jumping, falling, catching, or apologizing for the unintended bruises of a bad aim. Regardless, it was those steamy July nights that changed everything for me, for better or for worse...
"You know I meant to catch you, Suze," Rafe drawled as we walked down the dirt street to the side road where we often spent our nights.
"Oh I know you did, but still-it hurts!" I responded dryly.
"Come on Suzy, it couldn't-a been that bad," Danny said, cracking a smile and punching me in the shoulder.
"Shows what you know, Walker," I said with a grin.
"I know plenty, thanks."
"Well then you should know enough to stop walking, because the road is right here."
...Stanley Drive was an old dirt road which nobody really paid much mind to. Nobody had ever lived along it, and it lead to a dead end. But there was something special about that road, something endearing in the clearings by the creek and the sitting spaces under the trees from which you could sit back and watch the stars, that set the stage for enchantment as a wind of change blew through the air...
The three of us sat by the creek; myself sprawled out on the grass watching the stars. Rafe was swigging a bottle of malt as he pushed the water around with a stick. Danny sat by my feet, watching Rafe with cynical amusement. I took a long pull off of my cigarette and sighed.
"Something up?" Rafe asked quizzically.
"Nah," I responded quietly, "I'm just thinking about things."
"What kind of things?"
"They're stupid Rafe, you don't wanna here 'em."
"They're not stupid if they're worth thinkin bout Suze. Besides, you know I won't laugh."
"Fine, but I swear Rafe McCawley, no makin fun of me! I was thinkin, are we gonna ever go into space? It's awful pretty from here, but I wonder what it's really like up there. ahh, shit...gimme some of that malt."
"Take it, I'm gonna go take a piss somewhere."
Rafe got up and stumbled off down the road. It was a long stretch, and knowing him he'd walk the entire thing before he realized he had even gone five feet. Drunk as an ass, he was.
Still wonderin' about space, I lit another cigarette and saw Danny sit down beside me and recline against the grass.
"That was a nice thought you had there," he said quietly, "Someday we might get to go up there and see it for ourselves."
"Nah, not me. I'd be too scared," I retorted slyly, turning my head away from the sky and looking Danny in the eyes.
"I'd hold your hand so you wouldn't have to worry..." he winked and grinned.
"Why, do I detect some sarcasm Mr. Walker?"
"None at all. You'd have to go with us."
"Why?"
"'Cause, Suze, look at them stars. They're so gorgeous...I couldn't let you miss out on something like that, now could I?"
"Awe, you're sweet..."
Danny lay out, and offered up his shoulder as my pillow. In the distance I heard a loud "ouch!"--Somewhere, Rafe had walked into a tree.
"You know, I've been thinking lately," Danny began out of nowhere, talking quietly and shyly.
"So I'm not the only one, huh?" I laughed, trying unsuccessfully to be funny.
"No seriously, Susie, I've really been thinking. About things...and how they change...a lot..." He paused and squeezed my shoulder with his hand.
"This feels right. This--being here, with you. It always has felt right to me. I've loved you forever, but never like this. You were always one of my closest friends, you and Rafe have been the best...but now it's more. I feel like we connect and I'm sorry if I'm scaring you but dammit I need to know if you feel the same about me. Things have been gettin' different Susie, and I can't help it anymore. I'm fallin for you. I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" I asked softly.
"'Cause I shouldn't be tellin' you this, puttin' you through this. You deserve better 'en me. I know that. You should want better, too."
"I know what I want, Danny."
"And what's that Suze?"
"I want you to hold my hand, like you said you would."
Danny took my hand and held it tight, raising it to his lips and kissing it gently. Suddenly I felt warm--this was right. I had always needed Danny, but never before like this. I held his body to mine and lay there, burying my face in his neck. It was warm and a 'lil bit sweaty...it smelled good, kinda musky but sweet. He held me tightly and I felt his breath on my ear.
"Danny?" I asked, barely above a whisper.
"Yea?"
"Lemme see your face?"
He pulled his head away from my shoulder and looked me square in the eyes. The lamp we had brought with us illuminated his deep-set brown eyes as I took his face in my hands and pulled it close to my own. Slowly, I ran my lips over his facial features, tastin' for myself what I had been wanting for so long. Suddenly, I heard him sigh and grip me tighter, and before I knew it I had kissed him.
It only lasted for five seconds, but our lips pulled away he hugged me to his body and we lay there in the grass, breathing in each other's aura.
"Guys!" a drunken Rafe called from down the street, "I'm just gonna go sleep down the street by the big tree...thingy...big...thing...ahhhhhhh, you know what I'm talkin 'bout..." and off he went.
I kissed Danny again.
"You sure you want this Suze?" he asked me, cupping my face in his strong palms.
"More sure than I've been about anything else in my life, "I sighed, pulling off his shirt and kissing him deeply.
...That night I gave Danny all of my love, and he gave me all of his. It was beautiful, the way I'd always hoped it would be. Afterwards we fell asleep, not caring if we didn't return home until late. I decided then and there that I loved him, and as I drifted off to sleep in his arms I dreamed about our future...
The sunlight shone down on my closed eyes, and warmed my face.
"Wake up little Susie," Danny sang into my ear quietly, nuzzling my neck.
"Lord, Danny, what time is it?"
"About seven, but we don't have to leave yet. I just wanna lie here with you."
"Should we find Rafe?"
"WHAT IN HELL?!" Rafe bellowed as he stumbled upon Danny and me, still in a hangover but in the right state of mind to see what was going on.
"Rafe I can explain," Danny began.
"Nah...No don't," Rafe drawled, holdin' his head, "I figured this'd happen sooner or later. But she's my girl Walker, and if you hurt her--"
"I swear I won't Rafe. I've always loved her, you know that...and now I just kinda love her more."
"You can't help something like this from happening, but you said yourself you saw it was comin'," i offered.
"Look Suze, I said you don't have to explain, neither of you do. I don't mind it at all! My head just really hurts, so could ya'll please help me walk home before I end up falling in a ditch and dying alone, covered in dirt, with the bugs?" Rafe whimpered, attempting to walk on his own.
Together, like we always had before, the three of us walked home. Only this time, we were all a little bit more grown up. After droppin Rafe off at the drug store in town, Danny and I walked home, his arm around me and his mouth planted firmly on the top of my head.
...That night will never escape me, and I never want it to, either. Time went on, and Danny and I found us in a blissful state of euphoria. At night he'd climb through my window and just lay there with me 'til the mornin' when he'd sneak out but leave me a note saying he loved me or some such thing. Rafe became quite the ladies man, but both focused mainly on airplanes. I'd never been jealous of any other woman who looked Danny's way...I was more envious of those planes which took up most of his time. Finally, he broke the news to me: he and Rafe had joined the air force. My darling Danny had enlisted himself and, should another war occur, I knew he'd have to fight. Likewise, i couldn't bear the thought of Rafe in combat. He was my hero and I liked him just the way he was--at home, safe, with me and Danny on Stanley Drive in the late hours of the night. Rafe left first…
The sun beat down heavily on the front porch of our house. Rafe's suitcases were at the steps, and the taxi was waiting patiently in the drive.
"Don't leave me Rafe," I cried, the tears streaming down my face, "I can't lose my big brother and my love in the same week!"
"Suze, you know I'll be nearby. I'll write you every day and have you come and visit when you can," Rafe replied, holding back tears.
"But...please...don't go! I'll be by myself!"
"I don't wanna leave you, baby girl, you know that. But I was born to do this."
"I don't care. You were born to stay here with me, too!"
"I have to leave now Susie, but remember I love you, more than anything in this world. And you love me too, right?"
I turned my back and left his question unanswered as I waited for him to leave. I heard him sobbing as he closed to taxi door, and as it began to pull out of the driveway, I ran to it, screaming.
"Rafe! I love you Rafe, so much, please don't go! Don't leave me, please!!!"
The car stopped and he got out and picked me up in a giant hug. Together we stood there, brother and sister, and cried.
"I love you Rafe, don't forget to come back to me."
"Oh, Suze...I could never leave you for good."
Next was Danny. I had been dreading this moment for weeks, and now it had finally arrived.
"You won't go and forget about me, will you?" Danny asked as he choked back tears.
"'Course I won't, you're it for me," I replied sobbing.
"And you're all I need, little Susie."
"Don't get hurt baby, I need you to come back to me as soon as you can..."
"You'll be my motivation, I'll come home to you the second I get the chance."
"You'll watch over Rafe, won't you? Oh...the taxi's honkin' at you...oh Danny I love you!"
"I love you too darlin', and I'll be back so I can marry you!" He grabbed me tightly in his arms and sobbed against my shoulder as my tears fell from my cheek to his chest, marking his new uniform. As he got into the taxi and drove down the street, I waved and blew him a kiss. Danny winked at me through the back window. "I love you," he mouthed as the car disappeared down the street and out of sight.
...Like that they were gone. Within months they had been transferred to the base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I got letters from 'em both every day, as they likewise received letters from me. Rafe fell in love with a nurse named Evelynn...but before long he was shipped off to England for a special mission. I was excited for him, but also scared. Soon after, I received a gentleman at the door who handed me an envelope. Rafe was dead...