Heart of a Volunteer
Chapter 5: The Present

A/N: Okay, I just read *thinking really hard and not coming up with a name* someone's review and the whole CD thing, you're right. Lol, I get caught up in my stories and I write stuff that I know when re-reading it that I was wrong(I remembered while taking a walk one day that Red's last name was Winkle so I had to go back in my story Life Stories and change all that). I didn't think anyone read these so even a *bad* review is usually appriciated lol.

November 29, five days after Alex died, was Eric's birthday. He turned 17 on a solemn note. The girl he took to homecoming that year and one of his friends, Mary Beth, gave him a St. Alexander pin. His family gave him the usual gifts of clothes and records. He thanked them all, then walked out into the barn. He climbed up inside the biplane.

He sat in silence, fingering the pin. His whole world had been turned upside down in the duration of ten days, from the time Alex first collapsed. People he had never met walked up to him and asked how he was doing. "If I don't talk to my own mother about it, what makes you think I'll talk to you!" he wanted to scream. But he never did. He smiled and politely said "Fine, thanks," and walked away. From the window in the barn, he had a view of the stickball field. He laid his head on the dash.

"Happy birthday," he heard a voice say. He quickly lifted up his head.

"Geez, you scared me," Eric said to Danny.

"I thought I might find you out here," he said taking a seat in the old cannibalized plane Rafe and he used to *fly* in when they were younger.

"Yea," Eric said, determined not to let Danny see his emotions this time.

"If you don't want to talk, I can wait until later," Danny said.

"No. Just, I don't know. I'm still scared," Eric said.

"Why are you scared?" Danny asked.

"He was my age. We did the same things every weekend. What if that can happen to me?" he asked.

"Alex had a problem with his heart, Danny. He would've died soon anyway. Except it would've been slow and very painful. He's in peace now with God."

"I know," he said. "I understand. But it doesn't make the pain go away."

"Humans are so lucky, Eric. We get people to love. We get friends and family, and eventually spouses. And all of this is what makes our lives truly special. But sometimes, God takes these people away from us. And we have to mourn, it's human, but then we have to accept that Alex is in a better place." Eric sniffed and nodded. "Here, I have something for you. It's a birthday present."

Eric jumped out of the red plane and walked over to the old brown wreck of wood. He leaned on it and took the paper from Danny. It was a tribute to Alex. There was a picture of him as a baby with the date October 5, 1949 next to it. The middle was a picture of Eric and Alex in kindergarden, with their huge toothless smiles and their hair totally messed up. Eric managed a small chuckle at how stupid he looked. The final picture was one of about a month ago with Eric and Alex and a few other guys playing stickball. The date November 24, 1966 was located next to it. "Thanks...dad," Eric said wiping away a few tears.

Danny smiling. "You're welcome son," he said.

"Eric?" a girl asked, freezing outside of their barn.

"Katy, come in. You must be freezing," Eric said ushering her in and closed the door as Danny left.

"I need someone to talk to. And you were the closest person to him other than me," she said shivering. He grabbed a blanket and handed it to her. They both sat on a pile of blanets in the corner. She looked at the picture in his hand. A tear streamed down her face. "I miss him so much."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Shhh, it's okay," Eric comforted. "I miss him too."

"God, I loved him so much," Katy whispered. "I still do."

"He loved you, too. Everyday he told me he'd marry you, if you'd accept."

"We were going to get married when we were twenty. He promised me."

He pulled her in closer. "I remember this one time, just a few years ago, when we were out playing stickball. Oh geez, I think it was Alex, Derrik, and Justin on a team against the twins and me. Justin passed Derrik on the bases, and Alex was so mad. He picked up this trashcan that I had lying around, and I told him you can't throw that! It has the BSA logo on it," Katy shook her head, but a smiled slowly formed on her lips. "He threw it halfway to Mexico in frustration," Eric said smiling. Katy let out a small giggle.

He looked up from the ground and found Katy's face just inches away from his own. He leaned in, and gently kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. He pulled away for a second. He looked into her eyes for permission. Her eyes glossed over and she shook her head no. He nodded, and they sat in silence. But she let Eric keep his hand over her's.

They were so wrapped up in each other and Alex that they didn't notice a figure walking away from the barn, shocked at what he had seen through the window.

***********************************************************************************

"Evelyn, do you remember what happened with us?" Danny demanded.

"Danny, they're children! And Alex is dead, okay? Not maybe, we buried his body. He isn't coming back," Evelyn protested.

"I still think that I should at least tell him what happened."

"God knows that we can't comfort them. They need each other now," Evelyn said.

"That's what we thought," Danny whispered.

"You haven't been a father," Evelyn said.

"What have the last six months been to you then? Because they sure as hell meant something to me. Rafe took care of Danny for twenty four years. And I'm gonna be a father to Eric and Chelsea and Jamie now. And right now, Eric needs his father more than ever. And I know how he feels. And I can help him. So, I won't let you tell me I can't. I will help him. That's what he needs," Danny said.

Evelyn stared at him. "He's a child. He needs the experience of making decisions like these on his own."

"No he doesn't," Danny snapped. "I sure as hell didn't. It will just end up hurting both of them more."

"Do you think what we shared hurt us? I don't. Because I still love you. And we both love Danny. So, do you still love me?"

"Of course I do! Evelyn, I've wanted to marry you for twenty five long years!" Danny exclaimed.

"Well, Captain, if that was a lame proposal. But when you want to try again, this time making the girl feel special, she might accept," Evelyn said, tracing her finger up his arm.

"When I first kissed you, I knew I would never be the same. Because I had found my soul mate. My one true love. And ever since that day, I've known that you're the only woman I want to marry. I want your children to call me dad. I want to lull you back to sleep when you have a nightmare. I want to wake up next to the most beautiful woman in the world. So, Captain Evelyn Stewart McCawley, will you marry me?" Danny asked.

She shrugged then burst out into the biggest smile he had ever seen. "I would be a fool not to, Captain Walker."

He picked her up and twirled her around. Eric walked through the kitchen door. He nodded at them, knowing the proposal was coming. "Way to go dad," he said. He grabbed the keys off the counter. "I'm just gonna ride Katy home. Bye," he said walking back out the door.

"I love you," Danny whispered.

"I love you, too."