DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters, only Susie. The title is from the Beatles' song "In My Life". :)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is more detail of what happened when Susie visited Danny in Hawaii right before the war, as requested! Keep the ideas coming, i'm open to anything. -dana-
There Are Places I Remember
...I will never forget Hawaii. I'm not sure if it was the beauty of the ocean and the mountains, or if it was the fact that I got Danny and Rafe back at the same time. I was only there for a few days, but it was magical. Sure, it was a little bit awkward between Danny and I when I first got there, but things like that have a way of working themselves' out...
We walked slowly away from the airport, unsure of what to say to eachother. It seemed that once again, thigns had changed. Maybe for good this time-- and I wasn't sure I could handle that.
"Where are we going," I asked dryly, looking straight ahead at the impending shoreline.
"For some drinks, my treat," he shrugged, talking quietly.
"Are they any good down here? Or is it all pina coladas?"
"Nah," he laughed, his eyes crinkling up, "It's actually damned good around here."
"I wanna meet your friends. Might find myself a prospective husband in thre somewhere."
Danny stopped short then. My guess is that he figured I was serious, that I had made it final that our relationship was over. He looked a little scared and even angry, and there were some tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
"I'm joking, smarty," I laughed, turning and winking at him. Finally, his mouth cracked a grin and he resumed walking.
In a few minutes we had arrived at the bar on the island. It was virtually empty, save for a few soldiers here and there. A carrot-top came up and patted Danny on the back.
"Th-th-this your sister, W-w-walker?" he asked, smiling sweetly at me.
"Nah, this is my...well...my fiance. From back in Tenn. Suze, this is Red," Danny responded, looking extremely nervous.
Red got an awfully confused look on his face, but recovered in time to introduce himself. He shook my hand readily.
"And wh-wh-what's your name, m-m-ma'am?" he inquired, grinning.
"Susanna McCawley, but call me Susie," I answered shyly.
"Shit Danny, is she Rafe's Susie?" Red asked, pulling Danny a few feet away and preparing to interrogate him. I could easily hear their conversation, though hushed, and the whole ordeal made me even mroe upset.
"Yea she's his baby sister," Danny answered impatiently.
"Does she know? 'Bout Evelynn?"
"She does, and I'm tryin' to work this out."
"Well who do you love more?"
"Susie. I've known her almost all my life. But I can't hurt Evelynn, she's been through too much shit lately, what with Rafe dyin' and all."
"Well think about his sister, don't you think she's felt the most pain of all?"
"I'm thinkin', Red. I can't be rash about it, though, I just can't."
I'd heard enough. Picking up my purse, I stood up and left the bar, not sure if either of them had noticed my departure. So he really did care about me more than her? That was good, I felt relief after hearing that. But still--why couldn't he just end it now? I couldn't bear much more pain, and I needed Danny to be there with me.
I sat down on a bench in a garden and thought. Not really about anything in particular, just Danny and Rafe and our childhood, and what we had thought would be our future. Glancing around, I saw that Red was leaving the bar with a pretty young blonde. He and Danny had finished their little talk.
"Suze?" I heard a deep voice callin' me.
"Over here," I responded quietly.
Danny approached me slowly and sat down next to me on the bench. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
"I'm sorry about that," he offered shyly, referring to the long discussion in the bar.
"It's okay," I answered, nearly whispering, "I wasn't upset by it."
"If I'm doing something wrong, please tell me?"
"Of course you are. I f you really gave a damn, you'd tell Evelynn about me. You'd end it with her."
"I know, but--"
"Don't give me anymore excuses, I can't take the pain for much longer. I love you more than life itself, but i can't be put through this anymore Danny."
I stood up and faced away from him, my arms folded. I told myself not to cry.
"I love you too, Suze, more than you'll ever know. I just need time to make it easy on Eve. Tonight though, tonight I'll take you walking on the beach." He came up behind me and stood there wth his arms around me. He lay his chin on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. "It'll be like the old days. We'll just sit and watch the stars. Remember that?"
"Yea," I turned around and held his hands, looking him square in the face, "I do. That'd be nice."
"I'll pick you up at 7," he said quietly, pulling me close and kissing me strongly. I returned the kiss and then broke away.
"I love you little Susie," he called as I walked away.
Turning, I smiled and winked.
"Love you too, Danny Boy."
...I spent that afternoon getting ready. I knew that I had to impress him, but I didn't want to act too fake. Instead, I put on a sundress and a litl ebit of makeup, and I sat there at the table for 3 hours, waiting for him to pick me up and take me to the beach, where we'd watch the stars together as we did when we were little...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is more detail of what happened when Susie visited Danny in Hawaii right before the war, as requested! Keep the ideas coming, i'm open to anything. -dana-
There Are Places I Remember
...I will never forget Hawaii. I'm not sure if it was the beauty of the ocean and the mountains, or if it was the fact that I got Danny and Rafe back at the same time. I was only there for a few days, but it was magical. Sure, it was a little bit awkward between Danny and I when I first got there, but things like that have a way of working themselves' out...
We walked slowly away from the airport, unsure of what to say to eachother. It seemed that once again, thigns had changed. Maybe for good this time-- and I wasn't sure I could handle that.
"Where are we going," I asked dryly, looking straight ahead at the impending shoreline.
"For some drinks, my treat," he shrugged, talking quietly.
"Are they any good down here? Or is it all pina coladas?"
"Nah," he laughed, his eyes crinkling up, "It's actually damned good around here."
"I wanna meet your friends. Might find myself a prospective husband in thre somewhere."
Danny stopped short then. My guess is that he figured I was serious, that I had made it final that our relationship was over. He looked a little scared and even angry, and there were some tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
"I'm joking, smarty," I laughed, turning and winking at him. Finally, his mouth cracked a grin and he resumed walking.
In a few minutes we had arrived at the bar on the island. It was virtually empty, save for a few soldiers here and there. A carrot-top came up and patted Danny on the back.
"Th-th-this your sister, W-w-walker?" he asked, smiling sweetly at me.
"Nah, this is my...well...my fiance. From back in Tenn. Suze, this is Red," Danny responded, looking extremely nervous.
Red got an awfully confused look on his face, but recovered in time to introduce himself. He shook my hand readily.
"And wh-wh-what's your name, m-m-ma'am?" he inquired, grinning.
"Susanna McCawley, but call me Susie," I answered shyly.
"Shit Danny, is she Rafe's Susie?" Red asked, pulling Danny a few feet away and preparing to interrogate him. I could easily hear their conversation, though hushed, and the whole ordeal made me even mroe upset.
"Yea she's his baby sister," Danny answered impatiently.
"Does she know? 'Bout Evelynn?"
"She does, and I'm tryin' to work this out."
"Well who do you love more?"
"Susie. I've known her almost all my life. But I can't hurt Evelynn, she's been through too much shit lately, what with Rafe dyin' and all."
"Well think about his sister, don't you think she's felt the most pain of all?"
"I'm thinkin', Red. I can't be rash about it, though, I just can't."
I'd heard enough. Picking up my purse, I stood up and left the bar, not sure if either of them had noticed my departure. So he really did care about me more than her? That was good, I felt relief after hearing that. But still--why couldn't he just end it now? I couldn't bear much more pain, and I needed Danny to be there with me.
I sat down on a bench in a garden and thought. Not really about anything in particular, just Danny and Rafe and our childhood, and what we had thought would be our future. Glancing around, I saw that Red was leaving the bar with a pretty young blonde. He and Danny had finished their little talk.
"Suze?" I heard a deep voice callin' me.
"Over here," I responded quietly.
Danny approached me slowly and sat down next to me on the bench. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
"I'm sorry about that," he offered shyly, referring to the long discussion in the bar.
"It's okay," I answered, nearly whispering, "I wasn't upset by it."
"If I'm doing something wrong, please tell me?"
"Of course you are. I f you really gave a damn, you'd tell Evelynn about me. You'd end it with her."
"I know, but--"
"Don't give me anymore excuses, I can't take the pain for much longer. I love you more than life itself, but i can't be put through this anymore Danny."
I stood up and faced away from him, my arms folded. I told myself not to cry.
"I love you too, Suze, more than you'll ever know. I just need time to make it easy on Eve. Tonight though, tonight I'll take you walking on the beach." He came up behind me and stood there wth his arms around me. He lay his chin on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. "It'll be like the old days. We'll just sit and watch the stars. Remember that?"
"Yea," I turned around and held his hands, looking him square in the face, "I do. That'd be nice."
"I'll pick you up at 7," he said quietly, pulling me close and kissing me strongly. I returned the kiss and then broke away.
"I love you little Susie," he called as I walked away.
Turning, I smiled and winked.
"Love you too, Danny Boy."
...I spent that afternoon getting ready. I knew that I had to impress him, but I didn't want to act too fake. Instead, I put on a sundress and a litl ebit of makeup, and I sat there at the table for 3 hours, waiting for him to pick me up and take me to the beach, where we'd watch the stars together as we did when we were little...