Author's Note: Your wish is my command! You will so understand this sentence when you FINISH reading this chapter. Darla, some of it is for you. The school scene with the bully ... I was actually thinking about that when I started the story, and I finally fit it in. If you like, review. If you don't like, review. see a pattern? Constructive criticism needed! Not welcome! NEEDED!!!
Thanks 4 Readin'! (This is longer than the previous chapter.)



"What's with the dress Ron?" Danny's best friend Michael asked as they walked to school.

"It's my birthday tomorrow."

"So what does that have to do with the dress?"

"It's my special dress. It's made from the two hula shirts Daddy and Danny's Dad wore during the Pearl Harbor bombing."

"Oh." Mikey muttered uncomfortably. Ron skipped ahead and picked a few flowers off the side of the road. She poked the stems through her braids and waited for the boys to catch up.



"Your spelling is page thirty four. Do activities A through D for homework. You may go!" The teacher dismissed the second graders for lunch. Ron waited patiently for Casey.

"You are still sleeping over, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yes. My Mama said its okay. What are we going to do, Ronnie?"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME RONNIE!"

Casey smirked. "You want to be called by a boy's name!"

"Ronnie sounds wimpy. Besides, do you want me to call you Case?"

"Okay! I'll call you Ron! Geez!"

Ron pouted. "I was gonna have you meet my Dad, but now I'm not so sure."

Casey looked confused. "But I've met you Dad. Lots of times."

They sat on the steps and opened up their lunches. Ron shook her head and blinked in the noon sunlight. "Nooo. You haven't met my other dad. You've only met Daddy."

"What are you talking about?!"

"I have two daddies."

"No you don't. No one has two daddies."

"I do. And Danny does too."

"Why?"

"Because. Just because. See, his dad died. He's my other dad."

"Is that who you want me to meet?" Casey looked at her friend, horrified. Ron nodded and continued chewing on her sandwich.

"You want me to meet a dead person? Veronica McCawley! I am never speaking to you again!" Casey stood abruptly, took her things and moved them to where the other girls were eating. Ron stared, along with the rest of the playground of kids, at her open mouthed.

"She's mental. Two fathers!" Johnny Gregory, the biggest bully in school, told the kids.

"You shut up! Don't you dare say a word about my sister!" Danny crossed the playground and stood in front of Johnny. He was at least six inches shorter, but so what?

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'm going to have to cave your face in, you big bully!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"I'd like to see you try, you little bastard!"


Danny aimed for his nose. And landed quite on target. Unfortunately, so did Johnny's huge fist. With a sickening crunch, flesh and bone connected with Danny's cheekbone. Ron's eyes widened and she stood up. Blinded by anger, she ran up to Johnny and beat her little fists on his back. He thought it was one of Danny's friends, the other kids supposed, and his arm flew out. Catching the little girl's jawbone and causing her to fall back. Blood splurged out of her mouth all over her dress.

She sat there, shocked for a moment, then sprang back up to her brother's defense. No one had ever hit her before. And she hated Johnny. He was the one who had hurt her. Her and Danny. She kicked the sharp edges of her shoes into the soft flesh under his ankle bone. He howled. Turned to face her.

"Ron, get out of here!" Danny screamed. She stood in front of Johnny, half his size, and punched with her miniature fists. He pushed her back by the shoulder. Turned to Danny. But Danny had already aimed. Again at Johnny's nose. Blood fell, thick as a waterfall, down his clothes and to the gravel.

"Oh my god! Get off each other! What in the world possessed you two?" Miss Stevenson ran out of the school and broke up the fight. "Daniel Walker! John Gregory! I expected more of you two!" She didn't see little Ron, hidden by Johnny's massive figure.

"Miss Stevenson, my-" Danny began.

"No excuses. What you did was unacceptable."

"But-"

"No buts!"

Ron moved out from behind Johnny. Miss Stevenson spotted her.

"Veronica McCawley! My god! Don't tell me you fought too?" Ron nodded. She wiped her mouth with an already bloody hand. She spit on the gravel. Blood.

"Dear god! Go home at once and get your Mama to stop the bleeding. And tell her to come back immediately!" She added eyeing Danny.

"But Miss, I'm bleedin' too!" Johnny moaned. It was true. The front of his white and blue T Shirt was a revolting shade of red. Blood continued to flow freely from his nostrils.

She glared at him. "You'll live."






Evelyn almost fainted when she saw Ron running toward the house, dress stained crimson, hand cupped over her mouth.

"Veronica! What the hell happened to you?!"

Rafe heard her and came into the kitchen where she was sitting his bloodied daughter on top of the kitchen table.

"Are you okay, angel? Did World War Three happen without me?" Rafe took a towel, wet it with cold water, and wiped her hands and neck. Her mother carefully examined her mouth.

"Teeth?" She asked Ron.

Ron cupped her hand and spit two out. Her mother grimaced.

"Are you still bleeding?"

Ron nodded, her mouth too full of blood and saliva to speak. Instead, she hopped off the table. She limped to the sink and spit. Her mother gave her a glass of water. "Rinse."

Another river of scarlet gore. "Here, now rinse with this." She did. It stopped bleeding. Rafe sat her back on the table and examined her carefully.

Split lip. Two teeth knocked out (baby teeth, thankfully). Tongue cut on her tooth. Bruises the size of Tennessee on her shoulder and chin. The numbness of the hits was long gone and pain had filled its place.

"You'll live." Rafe concluded.

"How did this happen?" Evelyn asked, suspicious.

"Well, I told Casey I wanted her to meet my dad, and she said she already met him. So I said my other dad, who died, and she got mad at me, and then Johnny Gregory said I was mental. And Danny stood up and punched him in the nose. And Johnny punched Danny. I got up and I started punching Johnny and he whacked me across the jaw. Then I started stepping on his feet and he pushed me by the shoulder. And then the teacher came and told me to go home and tell you to go to the school and talk about Danny." Ron stared at her knees, knowing full well that she was in for a lecture.

To her surprise, it didn't come. Not then anyway. Her mother just took her purse and went out the back door. She headed down the road to the school. Ron glanced at her father. He looked sad.

He didn't say a word as he examined her palms. Little stones had set within the soft childish flesh. He took her to the living room, set her down on the couch and carefully tried to remove the pebbles. He picked them out, spread ointment, and bandaged her hands with gauze. She sat silently through the whole procedure.

He sat down next to her, and they stared at each other silently. Ron had a hard time keeping her tears from falling. Her mouth hurt so much!

"I-I—I ruined my dress." She couldn't stop them any longer. They slid down her cheeks. Her precious dress. Her two daddies' shirts!

"It's okay. Thank god you weren't hurt. Angel, what were you thinking? He could have killed you! You could have fallen, hit your head." Rafe hated to see her hurting so much. He wanted to pulverize that Gregory boy. Hitting a little girl like that! He swore in his mind.

"I'm sorry Daddy, but he was hurting Danny! And he thought I was lying!" She couldn't stop sobbing. It hurt her to talk even.

He carefully hugged her, and she soaked his shirt. "Let's get you into your overalls and wash the dress. Okay?" He carried her up the stairs and into the bathroom. He filled the tub and fetched her favorite clothes. Then he carefully washed the blood off of her while she stood with her hands up, not to wet the gauze. She dried off and slowly got into her clothes. He took her dress and soaked it. Then he carried her into her room and set her on the bed.

"Casey hates me too. This is the worst birthday ever!" Ron muttered before sleep took control of her senses. He kissed her softly and covered her with a sheet.

"Happy Birthday, angel."






Her dreams were filled with a white light and laughter. She was angry at the laughter. She kept wailing desperately: "It's not funny! It's not funny!" But the laughter continued.

She opened her eyes. Someone was touching her shoulder. "Daddy?" She half whispered, half yawned.

"Close enough." A soft voice spoke next to her head. She turned to face the person, afraid. Who could be in their house?

She blinked. Again. And again. He smiled at her. She smiled back. "Danny?"

He nodded. "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

"T—Thank you." She stammered.

"And I want to thank you for all the pretty flowers you leave me. I love hearing you talk to me. You're the only person who does that. The rest are too afraid. Even Danny. I love you Veronica. Or Ron is it?"

She nodded. "I love you too. But do you wish . . . Well if you hadn't died, then I wouldn't be here."

"I don't regret dying. I regret not being able to take part in the world. And Danny thinks I left him. That's why he doesn't speak to be like you do.But I love our talks. Please keep talking to me. I love to hear you."

She nodded again. "Can you see us all the time?"

"Yes."

"Are you? Are you my angel?"

"Sort of. It's complicated. But, yes, I suppose you could say that I'm your angel. But I have to go. I wasn't supposed to let you see me, but . . . With the fight and everything. Tell your parents I love them. And tell Danny I love him and that I'll always be with him, no matter what."

"You tell him."

"I can't! I mean, I have already broken the rules!"

"What are they going to do, expel you from Heaven?"

He laughed. "You're right. But not now. I'll give you a sigh when I decide the time is right."

"Don't wait too long! I love you."

"Love you too!"

When she blinked, he was gone.




Awwww! Ain't that sweet?! Tell ME!