Chapter 9
"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Fraser," Danny said patting the hood of the old truck.
"Not a problem, boy," the old man replied. "Good to see you home. You tell Rafe and Evelyn hello for me."
Danny smiled. "Will do."
With a cough and a cloud of smoke the truck continued off down the road. Danny turned to face his boyhood home. He had been trying to get here for months and now that he was finally here he thought his heart might burst with the anticipation. The farm hadn't changed at all. The house, the hay shed, the old barn that was actually the plane hangar - it was as if he hadn't left at all. Of course the day he and Rafe had left for the army had been a warm spring day, the fields green and gold with growing corn and wheat. Now they were barren and muddy, but Danny still had the sense that he had stepped back in time. That any minute now Rafe's mom would step onto the front porch and wave to him to come in, or that Rafe's dad would call him into the barn to help fix the plane.
Danny walked up the road leading past the barn to farmhouse, lost in the past, but anticipating his future. Somewhere, either in the house or nearby, his future was waiting for him. Kate and Grace. He felt like running, yelling their names. Eight months.. It had been eight months since he had last seen them and the pain that he had been carrying around inside of him was beginning to fade with the hope of seeing them soon.
A metallic crash and a muttered "sum'bitch," caught his attention as he passed the barn. Danny smiled. Rafe must be working on the plane. While Rafe was a hell of a instinctive pilot, he wasn't much of a mechanic. That had always been Danny's job. Stepping into the gloom of the barn, Danny could see the old crop duster that he and Rafe had learned to fly on. Someone had kept it in pristine condition, it's paint still as red as he remembered.
More muffled curses let him know that Rafe was at the front of the plane, probably digging around in the engine. He stepped quietly around the tail and wing. Rafe's back was to him, his hand running through his hair in frustration, a wrench hanging uselessly from his hand. God, it felt good to see him again. Danny could feel the smile stretching across his face as Rafe hit the plane with his wrench one more time, swearing at it under his breath.
"You know," Danny said, startling Rafe, "Swearing at it never did fix anything. I thought you'd've learned that by now."
Rafe turned slowly to face his friend, his face draining of all color. Dropping the wrench he took a few hesitant steps towards his friend. "Danny?" he whispered.
"Hey, Rafe," Danny replied, his smile faltering. Rafe looked like he was seeing a ghost and that worried Danny. Rafe should have known that he was alive - Kate should have told him. But if he didn't know, then what had happened to Kate? His stomach began to churn. "Say something Rafe," he finally said as the silence stretched on.
Rafe continued to stare at his friend. His mind swirling with all the fear, pain, guilt and rage that he felt. Before either of them knew what happened Rafe curled his hand into a fist and punched Danny, catching him unaware across the cheek.
Danny staggered back, holding a hand to his eye. This was not the welcome he expected.
Rafe's face turned bright red, his fists clenched at his side as he leaned in towards Danny. "Next time you listen to me you little son of a bitch! When I say find another place to land - you do it! No heroics, no fancy maneuvers. You get to safety. You let me worry about myself, you understand me? Do you Danny?" He began to stalk towards Danny, his fists still clenched. Danny backed away warily. "Because I won't live like this again, do you hear?! Don't ever, ever, make my decisions for me! Got that? I make my own decisions and I don't need you interfering and lying to me. God damnit!"
With a sudden movement Rafe leaped at Danny. Danny flinched, unsure of what his friend was going to throw at him next, but Rafe only pulled him into a tight embrace, all the anger seeming to have faded from his body. Danny stood there stunned for a moment, until he realized that Rafe was no longer yelling at him. He was sobbing. Danny felt his own tears begin to fall, hugging him back. He knew exactly how Rafe was feeling. He had lived through it himself.
"Make you a deal," he told Rafe, his voice hoarse, "next time you volunteer for dangerous duty, you give me a chance to volunteer right along with you. No sneaking around and pretending to be assigned." Rafe snorted and Danny felt the tension leave his body. "I wouldn't change a thing I did, Rafe," he told his friend. "Hate me if you want, but I wouldn't change a thing I did back in China."
Rafe pulled away, wipeing his eyes as he looked up Danny, healthy and whole. "I don't hate you Danny," he finally said, "But, Jesus...I can't live like that again. I spent two years feeling guilty. You took the bullets that were meant for me. I started the fight. It was my gun that jammed. I deserved to be the one to die - not you," he explained, his voice thick.
"It was my choice Rafe," Danny told him quietly, his hand on his friend's shoulder. "And I wouldn't change it."
Rafe didn't seem to hear him. "And then I left you behind," Rafe continued. "That's not easy to deal with, Danny. Especially when, I find out that you didn't die. That you weren't dead. You lied to me." He looked over at Danny, his eyes filled with anger again. "Don't ever make my decisions for me," he threatened, his eyes sparking briefly. "These last seven months have been hell. It was bad enough thinking I left your body behind, but to know that you were alive and I...."
Danny could see the pain in his friends face, but his mind caught on what Rafe had said; 'these last seven months..' Rafe had known that he survived. His heart skipped a beat. "Kate's here," he breathlessly interrupted.
Rafe paused, seeing the look on Danny's face. He found his first smile. "Yeah, Kate's here," he told him. "She and Grace showed up in July." He could see that Danny was anxious to get to her. "She's in the house," he offered. Danny turned to go, a grateful smile on his face. "Hey!" Rafe called after him. "Do me a favor - don't startle her, okay?"
Danny turned back to ask a question, but before he could get it out Evelyn walked into the barn.
"Rafe? Are you okay? I thought I heard yelling. Did you finally break the plane?" she joked. Danny turned back to the entrance, seeing Evelyn for the first time.
"Hello Evelyn," he said, causing her to jump.
Her heart pounding, Evelyn squinted, trying to get her eyes to adjust. She could make out two figures standing near the front of the plane. She walked hesitantly around the wing. Rafe's figure was easy for her to recognize, but the other came to her from her memory. Danny. He didn't move as she walked towards him. She stopped a few feet in front of him, staring at him. So many thoughts and emotions were rolling through her. He hadn't changed, was her first thought. He looked exactly as he had when she had last seen him. Slowly she took a step towards him, looking up into his eyes, his wonderful, warm, brown eyes.
"Danny," she whispered as she moved to hug him. His arms enveloped her once again. Evelyn marvelled that even the smell of him hadn't changed. She looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears that hadn't yet fallen. "It's good to have you home," she finally said.
Danny smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. "It's good to be home."
Evelyn pulled away. "I know there are a couple people up at the house who are dying to see you," she told him. Danny smiled and she had to catch her breath. The love that was in his eyes was obvious to her. He had never looked at her like that. She smiled in return, a weight lifted from her heart to see him so happy. She knew that she had hurt him, but now he had found someone to love. Someone who loved him as he deserved.
"Grace and..." she hesitated, glancing over at Rafe. "Grace is taking a nap," she corrected herself. "And Kate's asleep on the couch in the living room," she told him.
Danny caught the look that passed between his two friends, but decided to let it pass. "Kate's napping?" he asked instead. He had never known her to take naps. She was alwasy too busy. "Is she okay?"
Evelyn smiled. "She's fine. Just don't startle her."
Danny looked at them strangely. "That's what Rafe said," the concern evident in his voice.
Rafe laughed. "Nothings wrong with her. She's just worn out waiting for you," he joked. "Now go see your lady. She's been waiting long enough." Danny smiled at them and turned, jogging towards the house.
"Thanks for the ride, Mr. Fraser," Danny said patting the hood of the old truck.
"Not a problem, boy," the old man replied. "Good to see you home. You tell Rafe and Evelyn hello for me."
Danny smiled. "Will do."
With a cough and a cloud of smoke the truck continued off down the road. Danny turned to face his boyhood home. He had been trying to get here for months and now that he was finally here he thought his heart might burst with the anticipation. The farm hadn't changed at all. The house, the hay shed, the old barn that was actually the plane hangar - it was as if he hadn't left at all. Of course the day he and Rafe had left for the army had been a warm spring day, the fields green and gold with growing corn and wheat. Now they were barren and muddy, but Danny still had the sense that he had stepped back in time. That any minute now Rafe's mom would step onto the front porch and wave to him to come in, or that Rafe's dad would call him into the barn to help fix the plane.
Danny walked up the road leading past the barn to farmhouse, lost in the past, but anticipating his future. Somewhere, either in the house or nearby, his future was waiting for him. Kate and Grace. He felt like running, yelling their names. Eight months.. It had been eight months since he had last seen them and the pain that he had been carrying around inside of him was beginning to fade with the hope of seeing them soon.
A metallic crash and a muttered "sum'bitch," caught his attention as he passed the barn. Danny smiled. Rafe must be working on the plane. While Rafe was a hell of a instinctive pilot, he wasn't much of a mechanic. That had always been Danny's job. Stepping into the gloom of the barn, Danny could see the old crop duster that he and Rafe had learned to fly on. Someone had kept it in pristine condition, it's paint still as red as he remembered.
More muffled curses let him know that Rafe was at the front of the plane, probably digging around in the engine. He stepped quietly around the tail and wing. Rafe's back was to him, his hand running through his hair in frustration, a wrench hanging uselessly from his hand. God, it felt good to see him again. Danny could feel the smile stretching across his face as Rafe hit the plane with his wrench one more time, swearing at it under his breath.
"You know," Danny said, startling Rafe, "Swearing at it never did fix anything. I thought you'd've learned that by now."
Rafe turned slowly to face his friend, his face draining of all color. Dropping the wrench he took a few hesitant steps towards his friend. "Danny?" he whispered.
"Hey, Rafe," Danny replied, his smile faltering. Rafe looked like he was seeing a ghost and that worried Danny. Rafe should have known that he was alive - Kate should have told him. But if he didn't know, then what had happened to Kate? His stomach began to churn. "Say something Rafe," he finally said as the silence stretched on.
Rafe continued to stare at his friend. His mind swirling with all the fear, pain, guilt and rage that he felt. Before either of them knew what happened Rafe curled his hand into a fist and punched Danny, catching him unaware across the cheek.
Danny staggered back, holding a hand to his eye. This was not the welcome he expected.
Rafe's face turned bright red, his fists clenched at his side as he leaned in towards Danny. "Next time you listen to me you little son of a bitch! When I say find another place to land - you do it! No heroics, no fancy maneuvers. You get to safety. You let me worry about myself, you understand me? Do you Danny?" He began to stalk towards Danny, his fists still clenched. Danny backed away warily. "Because I won't live like this again, do you hear?! Don't ever, ever, make my decisions for me! Got that? I make my own decisions and I don't need you interfering and lying to me. God damnit!"
With a sudden movement Rafe leaped at Danny. Danny flinched, unsure of what his friend was going to throw at him next, but Rafe only pulled him into a tight embrace, all the anger seeming to have faded from his body. Danny stood there stunned for a moment, until he realized that Rafe was no longer yelling at him. He was sobbing. Danny felt his own tears begin to fall, hugging him back. He knew exactly how Rafe was feeling. He had lived through it himself.
"Make you a deal," he told Rafe, his voice hoarse, "next time you volunteer for dangerous duty, you give me a chance to volunteer right along with you. No sneaking around and pretending to be assigned." Rafe snorted and Danny felt the tension leave his body. "I wouldn't change a thing I did, Rafe," he told his friend. "Hate me if you want, but I wouldn't change a thing I did back in China."
Rafe pulled away, wipeing his eyes as he looked up Danny, healthy and whole. "I don't hate you Danny," he finally said, "But, Jesus...I can't live like that again. I spent two years feeling guilty. You took the bullets that were meant for me. I started the fight. It was my gun that jammed. I deserved to be the one to die - not you," he explained, his voice thick.
"It was my choice Rafe," Danny told him quietly, his hand on his friend's shoulder. "And I wouldn't change it."
Rafe didn't seem to hear him. "And then I left you behind," Rafe continued. "That's not easy to deal with, Danny. Especially when, I find out that you didn't die. That you weren't dead. You lied to me." He looked over at Danny, his eyes filled with anger again. "Don't ever make my decisions for me," he threatened, his eyes sparking briefly. "These last seven months have been hell. It was bad enough thinking I left your body behind, but to know that you were alive and I...."
Danny could see the pain in his friends face, but his mind caught on what Rafe had said; 'these last seven months..' Rafe had known that he survived. His heart skipped a beat. "Kate's here," he breathlessly interrupted.
Rafe paused, seeing the look on Danny's face. He found his first smile. "Yeah, Kate's here," he told him. "She and Grace showed up in July." He could see that Danny was anxious to get to her. "She's in the house," he offered. Danny turned to go, a grateful smile on his face. "Hey!" Rafe called after him. "Do me a favor - don't startle her, okay?"
Danny turned back to ask a question, but before he could get it out Evelyn walked into the barn.
"Rafe? Are you okay? I thought I heard yelling. Did you finally break the plane?" she joked. Danny turned back to the entrance, seeing Evelyn for the first time.
"Hello Evelyn," he said, causing her to jump.
Her heart pounding, Evelyn squinted, trying to get her eyes to adjust. She could make out two figures standing near the front of the plane. She walked hesitantly around the wing. Rafe's figure was easy for her to recognize, but the other came to her from her memory. Danny. He didn't move as she walked towards him. She stopped a few feet in front of him, staring at him. So many thoughts and emotions were rolling through her. He hadn't changed, was her first thought. He looked exactly as he had when she had last seen him. Slowly she took a step towards him, looking up into his eyes, his wonderful, warm, brown eyes.
"Danny," she whispered as she moved to hug him. His arms enveloped her once again. Evelyn marvelled that even the smell of him hadn't changed. She looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears that hadn't yet fallen. "It's good to have you home," she finally said.
Danny smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. "It's good to be home."
Evelyn pulled away. "I know there are a couple people up at the house who are dying to see you," she told him. Danny smiled and she had to catch her breath. The love that was in his eyes was obvious to her. He had never looked at her like that. She smiled in return, a weight lifted from her heart to see him so happy. She knew that she had hurt him, but now he had found someone to love. Someone who loved him as he deserved.
"Grace and..." she hesitated, glancing over at Rafe. "Grace is taking a nap," she corrected herself. "And Kate's asleep on the couch in the living room," she told him.
Danny caught the look that passed between his two friends, but decided to let it pass. "Kate's napping?" he asked instead. He had never known her to take naps. She was alwasy too busy. "Is she okay?"
Evelyn smiled. "She's fine. Just don't startle her."
Danny looked at them strangely. "That's what Rafe said," the concern evident in his voice.
Rafe laughed. "Nothings wrong with her. She's just worn out waiting for you," he joked. "Now go see your lady. She's been waiting long enough." Danny smiled at them and turned, jogging towards the house.