Now We Know...Continued
Disclaimer: None mine except the idea.
Warning: You won't expect the ending!
A light breeze caressed his face, and he waded out into the freezing water. Rubbing a hand ruefully over the light stubble that had accumulated over the last two days, Danny recalled another night on this beach, one he'd shared with someone special. As the gentle waves lapped at his ankles, the memory came blasting back with a force strong enough to knock him over. And he did sit down, right in the water, if only to keep from falling over. He remembered everything...
A couple walked along the sandy shore, holding hands and swinging their bags back and forth. The wind was strong, and gusty enough to blow the woman's hat off her head and into the rolling ocean. The man threw back his head, laughing, and darted out into the waves, still fully clothed, to retrieve it. After a few moments of sloshing through the icy waves the woman called something to him, something that was lost in the wind's howl. Danny watched as the man kept wading out, farther and farther into the ominous swells, until his head was but a speck in the distance. He was bobbing up and down like a cork, still laughing giddily...
Danny would never forget the look on the woman's face as her lover faded away, slowly, into the mist of the ocean. There was nothing anyone could do, but it was whispered that the man had purposely swum too far and allowed himself to drift away with the tide. His closest friends had been killed at Pearl Harbor; his own brother had died aboard the Arizona. Danny hadn't been able to comprehend how anyone could take his or her own life. He'd faced so many hardships in his young life, but there had always been something to live for. Rafe...but Rafe was gone, and so it was Evelyn who had kept him afloat. Evelyn, who loved Rafe. Evelyn, who was pregnant with Danny's own child. And here he sat, his own tears mixing with the salt of the ocean. Evelyn must be sick with fear, and grief, and...his thought trailed off as he realized his mistake. He had to get to Evelyn. Had to see her and hold her and comfort her cries. Had to soothe and breathe and just be with her. He had to love her.
* * *
A knock at the door roused Evelyn, bringing her up from her pit of sorrow. She made no move to get up, but called out in a voice raspy from little use, "Come in."
I'm dreaming. She nearly cried out at the sight of his face, so forlorn and forgiving. The shadow of beard that sprinkled his cheeks told her that he hadn't been to see anyone, hadn't talked to anyone. His clothes were dripping, and his shirt was torn. I know he hasn't been flying. His hair was untidy, as if blown by a constant wind, and there were salt crystals dried on his hair, shining in the setting sun.
But he just stood there. He was waiting, she knew, for her to run to his arms and apologize. Apologize for loving Rafe, for lying, for being pregnant. Apologize for things she couldn't control. He clutched a piece of paper in his hand, a crumpled picture. She could see Rafe's face on the upturned corner, smiling that trademark grin.
And she hated him. Hated him for everything that had happened to her, to Danny, to everyone around them. She hated him for being so wonderful, for being so like her, for being so caring and sweet and loving and dead. She hated him for allowing her to love Danny, for having put so much of himself into Danny that she was reminded of him every time she saw Danny's face. She wanted to scream at him, hit him and cry...and then throw her arms around his chest and hug him, fell his arms around her and his breath on her cheek.
But she was left with nothing. Danny had been her fallback, her rebound, but she'd never expected to fall in love with him. Looking at him now, from his posture to his expression, was like having Rafe there with her. This was her chance to tell him how she felt. If not to Rafe, she could have Danny.
"Evelyn," his voice was soft and pleading. He'd seen her eyes go dark, seen her rise and ball her hands into fists. Now she was rocking on her toes, like she was about to jump at him. "Evelyn...I'm..." He didn't even know where to begin. Before he could say another word, though, she rocketed forward, arms outstretched, eyes flashing. She was on him, was pushing him backwards and falling with him to the floor. Her hair was in her face and she was pounding on his chest, his arms, his face, screaming a mixture of words and sounds.
"You left me!" Her eyes burned, but no tears would fall. "You loved me and left me as soon as something else came up!" Her words burned him, because he knew they were true.
Danny was stunned. He did nothing to ward her off, just lay miserably on the floor, taking everything she could give. Her face was inches away from his and her voice was reduced to a whisper. "You gave me everything and then took it all back. You left me with nothing." She was crying now, her head on his shoulder and her arms limp. He eased her off of him and onto the floor beside him and hugged her to his body. She was murmuring into his shirt, sobbing and sniffling.
"Evelyn, I'm sorry." His own words were just a whisper now, barely louder than hers. She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything. And I just want to be with you. Will you marry me, Evelyn?"
She stiffened. Suddenly, she recalled another time, just like this. She had to get away from his confining grip, his probing gaze and his prying tone. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. It was too painful.
"I love you, Evelyn. And when I come back from this war I'll marry you. So help me if I don't." It had been so real for her, not a dream or some distant image. She could see it all so clearly, their whole happy life planned ahead of them. And then he'd died. And he'd taken her spirit, her will to live. But Danny had nursed her back, and rebuilt her ability to love. He knew her so well, understood her completely. And loved her more than anybody else ever had. And so she had to save him.
Danny could see the change in Evelyn's attitude instantly. It was as if she coiled into herself. Now she was pushing away from him, shoving at his embrace. "Get off me!" She was hysterical, choking on dry sobs. He stood up and reached down to help her, but she leaned out of his reach. Jumping to her feet, she started backing away. Her eyes had taken on a glazed look, and he could tell she wasn't seeing him. She wasn't comprehending anything. She was past all rationalization. He'd struck a nerve, and he didn't know how.
"Don't touch me! Don't come any closer! Just stay away from me!" She was walking backwards, inching slowly away from him. "I don't want anything to do with you! You liar!" She hurled her words at him in a spray of spit. His eyes told her that it was working. Better to ward him off. No one could love her. For his own good, she told herself. If you love him, Evelyn, let him go. She picked her words carefully; rooting through her brain until she found the ones she knew would work. "Just stay away, Danny! I don't love you!" No tears, Evelyn. Straight face. "I never loved you. I loved-I love-Rafe. Always." She saw his body sway, saw his eyes tear. And then she saw him straighten up, applying the years of military discipline, and clear his face of emotion. He looked her straight in the eyes and opened his mouth to speak. When no words came out he closed it, and nodded instead. With one last look at her quaking body he turned sharply and walked out the door. She watched his retreating back, now shaking violently, and nodded to herself. "For your own good, Danny."
Danny waded into the surf again, up past his ankles, then his thighs and finally up to his chest. His tears were falling again, making tiny splashes in the starry water. They mingled perfectly, mixing and becoming part of the ocean. And he realized that it all worked out in the end. He was where he was supposed to be. And, just as his tears had become a one with the stinging salt water, Danny allowed himself to drift. It wasn't cold anymore, not to him. All that he could feel was the peace, an inner peace he hadn't felt since he was ten years old. And Danny became the sea.
Disclaimer: None mine except the idea.
Warning: You won't expect the ending!
A light breeze caressed his face, and he waded out into the freezing water. Rubbing a hand ruefully over the light stubble that had accumulated over the last two days, Danny recalled another night on this beach, one he'd shared with someone special. As the gentle waves lapped at his ankles, the memory came blasting back with a force strong enough to knock him over. And he did sit down, right in the water, if only to keep from falling over. He remembered everything...
A couple walked along the sandy shore, holding hands and swinging their bags back and forth. The wind was strong, and gusty enough to blow the woman's hat off her head and into the rolling ocean. The man threw back his head, laughing, and darted out into the waves, still fully clothed, to retrieve it. After a few moments of sloshing through the icy waves the woman called something to him, something that was lost in the wind's howl. Danny watched as the man kept wading out, farther and farther into the ominous swells, until his head was but a speck in the distance. He was bobbing up and down like a cork, still laughing giddily...
Danny would never forget the look on the woman's face as her lover faded away, slowly, into the mist of the ocean. There was nothing anyone could do, but it was whispered that the man had purposely swum too far and allowed himself to drift away with the tide. His closest friends had been killed at Pearl Harbor; his own brother had died aboard the Arizona. Danny hadn't been able to comprehend how anyone could take his or her own life. He'd faced so many hardships in his young life, but there had always been something to live for. Rafe...but Rafe was gone, and so it was Evelyn who had kept him afloat. Evelyn, who loved Rafe. Evelyn, who was pregnant with Danny's own child. And here he sat, his own tears mixing with the salt of the ocean. Evelyn must be sick with fear, and grief, and...his thought trailed off as he realized his mistake. He had to get to Evelyn. Had to see her and hold her and comfort her cries. Had to soothe and breathe and just be with her. He had to love her.
* * *
A knock at the door roused Evelyn, bringing her up from her pit of sorrow. She made no move to get up, but called out in a voice raspy from little use, "Come in."
I'm dreaming. She nearly cried out at the sight of his face, so forlorn and forgiving. The shadow of beard that sprinkled his cheeks told her that he hadn't been to see anyone, hadn't talked to anyone. His clothes were dripping, and his shirt was torn. I know he hasn't been flying. His hair was untidy, as if blown by a constant wind, and there were salt crystals dried on his hair, shining in the setting sun.
But he just stood there. He was waiting, she knew, for her to run to his arms and apologize. Apologize for loving Rafe, for lying, for being pregnant. Apologize for things she couldn't control. He clutched a piece of paper in his hand, a crumpled picture. She could see Rafe's face on the upturned corner, smiling that trademark grin.
And she hated him. Hated him for everything that had happened to her, to Danny, to everyone around them. She hated him for being so wonderful, for being so like her, for being so caring and sweet and loving and dead. She hated him for allowing her to love Danny, for having put so much of himself into Danny that she was reminded of him every time she saw Danny's face. She wanted to scream at him, hit him and cry...and then throw her arms around his chest and hug him, fell his arms around her and his breath on her cheek.
But she was left with nothing. Danny had been her fallback, her rebound, but she'd never expected to fall in love with him. Looking at him now, from his posture to his expression, was like having Rafe there with her. This was her chance to tell him how she felt. If not to Rafe, she could have Danny.
"Evelyn," his voice was soft and pleading. He'd seen her eyes go dark, seen her rise and ball her hands into fists. Now she was rocking on her toes, like she was about to jump at him. "Evelyn...I'm..." He didn't even know where to begin. Before he could say another word, though, she rocketed forward, arms outstretched, eyes flashing. She was on him, was pushing him backwards and falling with him to the floor. Her hair was in her face and she was pounding on his chest, his arms, his face, screaming a mixture of words and sounds.
"You left me!" Her eyes burned, but no tears would fall. "You loved me and left me as soon as something else came up!" Her words burned him, because he knew they were true.
Danny was stunned. He did nothing to ward her off, just lay miserably on the floor, taking everything she could give. Her face was inches away from his and her voice was reduced to a whisper. "You gave me everything and then took it all back. You left me with nothing." She was crying now, her head on his shoulder and her arms limp. He eased her off of him and onto the floor beside him and hugged her to his body. She was murmuring into his shirt, sobbing and sniffling.
"Evelyn, I'm sorry." His own words were just a whisper now, barely louder than hers. She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything. And I just want to be with you. Will you marry me, Evelyn?"
She stiffened. Suddenly, she recalled another time, just like this. She had to get away from his confining grip, his probing gaze and his prying tone. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. It was too painful.
"I love you, Evelyn. And when I come back from this war I'll marry you. So help me if I don't." It had been so real for her, not a dream or some distant image. She could see it all so clearly, their whole happy life planned ahead of them. And then he'd died. And he'd taken her spirit, her will to live. But Danny had nursed her back, and rebuilt her ability to love. He knew her so well, understood her completely. And loved her more than anybody else ever had. And so she had to save him.
Danny could see the change in Evelyn's attitude instantly. It was as if she coiled into herself. Now she was pushing away from him, shoving at his embrace. "Get off me!" She was hysterical, choking on dry sobs. He stood up and reached down to help her, but she leaned out of his reach. Jumping to her feet, she started backing away. Her eyes had taken on a glazed look, and he could tell she wasn't seeing him. She wasn't comprehending anything. She was past all rationalization. He'd struck a nerve, and he didn't know how.
"Don't touch me! Don't come any closer! Just stay away from me!" She was walking backwards, inching slowly away from him. "I don't want anything to do with you! You liar!" She hurled her words at him in a spray of spit. His eyes told her that it was working. Better to ward him off. No one could love her. For his own good, she told herself. If you love him, Evelyn, let him go. She picked her words carefully; rooting through her brain until she found the ones she knew would work. "Just stay away, Danny! I don't love you!" No tears, Evelyn. Straight face. "I never loved you. I loved-I love-Rafe. Always." She saw his body sway, saw his eyes tear. And then she saw him straighten up, applying the years of military discipline, and clear his face of emotion. He looked her straight in the eyes and opened his mouth to speak. When no words came out he closed it, and nodded instead. With one last look at her quaking body he turned sharply and walked out the door. She watched his retreating back, now shaking violently, and nodded to herself. "For your own good, Danny."
Danny waded into the surf again, up past his ankles, then his thighs and finally up to his chest. His tears were falling again, making tiny splashes in the starry water. They mingled perfectly, mixing and becoming part of the ocean. And he realized that it all worked out in the end. He was where he was supposed to be. And, just as his tears had become a one with the stinging salt water, Danny allowed himself to drift. It wasn't cold anymore, not to him. All that he could feel was the peace, an inner peace he hadn't felt since he was ten years old. And Danny became the sea.
