A/n: This starts the next morning right before Danny leaves. I'm making him leave so that it will give Evelyn a chance to reflect on her feelings toward him.
It was chilly that morning. Not cold, though, it never got too cold there. Evelyn stood with the rest of the group and watched Danny as he talked to the fellow men also going overseas. He walked over to her, grabbing her hand, and leading her away from their friends. "We gotta go in about 5 minutes." He said to her. She looked down and then back up at him. Evelyn could think of nothing else to do but hug him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her tip-toes to embrace him. She then pulled back just enough to kiss him gently on the cheek. She stepped back a bit, not taking her arms away from him. "Good-bye." She whispered softly. "Don't say 'Good-bye.'" He said, "I hate good-byes. They always seem so permanent. Any time I ever leave, it's never for more than temperary." Evelyn had told herself earlier that she wouldn't cry. She hadn't yet, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep the tears back. "Come on, Walker!" One of the crew members of the plane yelled. Danny looked toward him for a second, then shifted his gaze back to Evelyn. "Be careful." She said. "Always." Danny said, smiling. He picked up her hand and gave it a light kiss. Then he backed away from her, not letting go of her hand until she was out of his reach. He turned away from her, walked to the plane and got on. Betty walked over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They'll be alright." She said. Evelyn hoped she was right.
Over the next few weeks, Evelyn tried to keep herself as busy as possible. That way, she couldn't think of all the horrible things that could be happening to Danny. It wasn't working well. Every night before she fell asleep, her mind was consumed with thoughts of him. What if he was cold? Or scared? What if he was hurt? Maybe even dying? Questions like these flooded her mind. She hardly said a thing to anyone. At least she had heard from Rafe while he was gone. She got letters from him constantly. She hadn't expected Danny to write her, but she just wished she knew if he was ok. She didn't like comparing Danny to Rafe. They were so different. Rafe was charming and romantic. He had made her feel truly alive. Danny, on the other hand, was quiet and mysterious. That's what made him so attractive. She hated thinking of him as more than a friend, but sometimes that's all she could think of him as. He was so sweet and caring. She understood him, and he understood her. She wasn't ready to move on from Rafe, but it was nice to feel that way about someone else besides him. Or was she ready? It had been over 2 months since Rafe's death. She'd grieved plenty for him, hadn't she? She wasn't like Danny, she couldn't keep her feelings locked inside of her. It had taken her weeks to get him to open up. Once he did, she realized just how much Rafe's death had affected him. She comforted him as best she could. After awhile things became more loose between them. They no longer spent their time grieving. They spent their time together laughing and having fun. He was the first person she could do that with. If he didn't come back, she would never forgive herself for not telling him how much she cared for him. And what if he did come back? Would she tell him then? She wasn't sure. She was still in love with Rafe, she felt she always would be. But there was something about Danny. There was something she saw in his eyes. Something she saw in those deep brown eyes that made her heartbeat quicken. Damn, he was handsome. Everything about him she found attractive. And the things he said were so deep and passionate. He was so complex. Unlike anyone she had ever met before.
The days seem to creep by. Evelyn waited for news, any news, on when they would return. Nothing. Nothing for 3 weeks. Then, one morning, while Evelyn was sitting at her desk finishing some paperwork, Betty rushed in, her face beaming. "I got a letter from Red!" She blurted out, "He says that their alright and'll be home Wednesday!" This was the best news they could've possibly have gotten. They were alive. Danny was alive. He was coming home.
A/n: I couldn't hurt him, he's just too cute. Although, when cute guys get hurt, it just makes them even hotter…