[The End of Innocence]
[Chapter 2: Saying Goodbye]
[Disclaimer: Characters belong to Randall Wallace. I'm just borrowing them.
[A/N: The first chapter had to be the most intense chapter I wrote since I started writing Pearl Harbor fics. Please review on your way out, it'll mean a lot to me. I'm working on updating my other stories, so stay with me! Thx- Courtney
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*
The funeral for Danny was held the following Saturday. The weather seemed to fit; it was cloudy and it had rained on and off throughout the day. It was to be a small military funeral and only myself, Rafe, Barbara, Sandra, Red and Colonel Doolittle attended. Rafe's parents sent their regrets, saying that they couldn't make the journey and leave the farm unattended. As I entered the chapel with Sandra, I looked around and noticed Rafe standing towards the back, talking in a quiet monotone with Red and Colonel Doolittle. He noticed me come in and gave me a small smile, which I returned somewhat awkwardly. I made my way towards the front with Sandra and sat down quickly in the first row.
"Are you sure you'll be all right for this Evelyn?" Sandra questioned as she adjusted her glasses. Her voice haunted me and I was hesitant in responding.
"I think so," I said shakily.
"Okay," she said to me as she then somberly turned and looked straight ahead. I sighed and placed my hand on my abdomen and stroked it. I had been doing that a lot lately; I guess it made me feel closer to Danny in a strange way. I didn't notice that Rafe had taken a seat next to me until he gently tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped and looked towards him. His face was twisted into a look of concern.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," I returned. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"How've you been holdin' up?" he asked me.
"I'm ok," I answered him. "You?"
"He was my best friend," he answered slowly. I grabbed his hand and stroked it as a tear fell into my lap. He brushed it away and my cheeks flushed. I still had feelings for him, that hadn't changed.
"How's this one doing?" he asked, motioning towards my stomach.
"Fine, only three more months," I said quietly as Rafe smiled.
"That's good," he said quietly as the service began.
I sat there motionless through most of the funeral as the priest gave Danny his burial rights; his wings. The pain of losing him decreased as each day went on, and I was scared that I was losing the memories we shared too. As I passed the coffin, I placed a single rose on it and quickly turned away. Rafe was going back to Tennessee to bury Danny on the farm. He had asked me if I wanted to go, but I told him that I felt like a burden and didn't want to impose on his family.
*~*~*
Two months had passed as June dawned on Pearl Harbor. I sat on my bed, cleaning out my personal drawer, where I kept all my letters from Rafe, Danny, and other keepsakes that were special to me. I flipped through them, and an odd shaped piece of paper fell out into my lap. I picked it up and looked at it, as memories of what Rafe and I used to share came flooding back to me. It was the swan that Rafe said had taken him six hours to fold. I chuckled at the memory and placed it on top of my dresser. I was just about finished when two pieces of paper carelessly fluttered to the ground. I reached down to pick them up and was shocked at what they were. They were two letters; one from Danny and one from Rafe. I began to read them silently to myself. I chose the one from Rafe first. The letter held memories of a better time.
"When he still loved me," I said to myself quietly.
*Rafe's letter*
Dear Evelyn,
It is cold here. So cold, it goes deep into your bones. There is one place I can go to find warmth, and that is to think of you…
I scanned over the letter as a tear rolled down my cheek. I wish Rafe and I still had that love, and I wish he never went to England. A bunch of What If's? ran through my mind at that moment as did a bunch of regrets. I folded Rafe's letter and placed it back into the drawer as I picked up Danny's letter. I scanned it, until I reached the bottom, rereading the line over and over again.
"I love you, and always will."
I sighed and folded the letter back up, placing on my dresser with the origami swan. I placed my hand on my belly and smiled to myself. Only a month before I became a mother. I lazily placed everything back into the drawer and gently closed it. I heard a knock on the doorframe and looked up to see Rafe standing there. I smiled as he leaned lazily on the doorframe.
"Hey," I said as I beckoned him inside.
"Hi Ev'lyn," he answered in that Southern drawl of his. "What are you doin'? he asked me.
"Cleaning, but I definitely need a break," I laughed as he smiled at me.
"Wanna go take a walk with me?" he asked. I nodded and followed him out the door.
*~*~*~*
We ended up walking along the beach, catching up on the things we missed. I gazed out towards the horizon. Rafe noticed where I was gazing and interrupted my thoughts.
"Thinkin' about Danny?" he asked me. I shook my head.
"No, just thinking about my future and this little one," I said calmly.
I stopped walking and sighed.
"I'm sorry Rafe," I said to him. He glanced down at me and shrugged.
"Sorry for what Ev?" he asked me. I shrugged.
"For everything. For hurting you, and ruining everything between us," I said shakily. He grabbed my hand and entwined his fingers through mine.
"I have something I want to ask you Ev'lyn," Rafe began as he let go of my hand. He got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. My hand flew up to my mouth as I stood there, shocked.
"Ev'lyn, the day I met you I fell in love with you. I love you with all my heart and soul, and I decided that the day I got back from England I would ask you to be mine always. I want to put our past behind us, Ev, and focus on what's ahead of us. I want to grow old with you Ev, and have children and a house with a white picket fence. But most of all I want you to know that I love you, and I've never stopped loving you. Evelyn Stewart, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked me.
I nodded, and for the first time tears of joy streamed down my face, replacing the tears of sorrow that I had cried so many nights before. He slipped the ring on my finger and I noticed the inscription on it: ES & RM Forever Love. I hugged him as he kissed my nose. Danny still held a place in my heart, and he always would. I would never forget him, and I had a part of him with me always. He gave me the greatest gift of all. A child. I entwined my fingers with Rafe's as he wrapped an arm around my waist. Together we walked back towards the nurses' quarters as the sun set behind us.
*~*~*
(AN: Sorry for the lack of updates!)
[Chapter 2: Saying Goodbye]
[Disclaimer: Characters belong to Randall Wallace. I'm just borrowing them.
[A/N: The first chapter had to be the most intense chapter I wrote since I started writing Pearl Harbor fics. Please review on your way out, it'll mean a lot to me. I'm working on updating my other stories, so stay with me! Thx- Courtney
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*
The funeral for Danny was held the following Saturday. The weather seemed to fit; it was cloudy and it had rained on and off throughout the day. It was to be a small military funeral and only myself, Rafe, Barbara, Sandra, Red and Colonel Doolittle attended. Rafe's parents sent their regrets, saying that they couldn't make the journey and leave the farm unattended. As I entered the chapel with Sandra, I looked around and noticed Rafe standing towards the back, talking in a quiet monotone with Red and Colonel Doolittle. He noticed me come in and gave me a small smile, which I returned somewhat awkwardly. I made my way towards the front with Sandra and sat down quickly in the first row.
"Are you sure you'll be all right for this Evelyn?" Sandra questioned as she adjusted her glasses. Her voice haunted me and I was hesitant in responding.
"I think so," I said shakily.
"Okay," she said to me as she then somberly turned and looked straight ahead. I sighed and placed my hand on my abdomen and stroked it. I had been doing that a lot lately; I guess it made me feel closer to Danny in a strange way. I didn't notice that Rafe had taken a seat next to me until he gently tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped and looked towards him. His face was twisted into a look of concern.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," I returned. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"How've you been holdin' up?" he asked me.
"I'm ok," I answered him. "You?"
"He was my best friend," he answered slowly. I grabbed his hand and stroked it as a tear fell into my lap. He brushed it away and my cheeks flushed. I still had feelings for him, that hadn't changed.
"How's this one doing?" he asked, motioning towards my stomach.
"Fine, only three more months," I said quietly as Rafe smiled.
"That's good," he said quietly as the service began.
I sat there motionless through most of the funeral as the priest gave Danny his burial rights; his wings. The pain of losing him decreased as each day went on, and I was scared that I was losing the memories we shared too. As I passed the coffin, I placed a single rose on it and quickly turned away. Rafe was going back to Tennessee to bury Danny on the farm. He had asked me if I wanted to go, but I told him that I felt like a burden and didn't want to impose on his family.
*~*~*
Two months had passed as June dawned on Pearl Harbor. I sat on my bed, cleaning out my personal drawer, where I kept all my letters from Rafe, Danny, and other keepsakes that were special to me. I flipped through them, and an odd shaped piece of paper fell out into my lap. I picked it up and looked at it, as memories of what Rafe and I used to share came flooding back to me. It was the swan that Rafe said had taken him six hours to fold. I chuckled at the memory and placed it on top of my dresser. I was just about finished when two pieces of paper carelessly fluttered to the ground. I reached down to pick them up and was shocked at what they were. They were two letters; one from Danny and one from Rafe. I began to read them silently to myself. I chose the one from Rafe first. The letter held memories of a better time.
"When he still loved me," I said to myself quietly.
*Rafe's letter*
Dear Evelyn,
It is cold here. So cold, it goes deep into your bones. There is one place I can go to find warmth, and that is to think of you…
I scanned over the letter as a tear rolled down my cheek. I wish Rafe and I still had that love, and I wish he never went to England. A bunch of What If's? ran through my mind at that moment as did a bunch of regrets. I folded Rafe's letter and placed it back into the drawer as I picked up Danny's letter. I scanned it, until I reached the bottom, rereading the line over and over again.
"I love you, and always will."
I sighed and folded the letter back up, placing on my dresser with the origami swan. I placed my hand on my belly and smiled to myself. Only a month before I became a mother. I lazily placed everything back into the drawer and gently closed it. I heard a knock on the doorframe and looked up to see Rafe standing there. I smiled as he leaned lazily on the doorframe.
"Hey," I said as I beckoned him inside.
"Hi Ev'lyn," he answered in that Southern drawl of his. "What are you doin'? he asked me.
"Cleaning, but I definitely need a break," I laughed as he smiled at me.
"Wanna go take a walk with me?" he asked. I nodded and followed him out the door.
*~*~*~*
We ended up walking along the beach, catching up on the things we missed. I gazed out towards the horizon. Rafe noticed where I was gazing and interrupted my thoughts.
"Thinkin' about Danny?" he asked me. I shook my head.
"No, just thinking about my future and this little one," I said calmly.
I stopped walking and sighed.
"I'm sorry Rafe," I said to him. He glanced down at me and shrugged.
"Sorry for what Ev?" he asked me. I shrugged.
"For everything. For hurting you, and ruining everything between us," I said shakily. He grabbed my hand and entwined his fingers through mine.
"I have something I want to ask you Ev'lyn," Rafe began as he let go of my hand. He got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his pocket. My hand flew up to my mouth as I stood there, shocked.
"Ev'lyn, the day I met you I fell in love with you. I love you with all my heart and soul, and I decided that the day I got back from England I would ask you to be mine always. I want to put our past behind us, Ev, and focus on what's ahead of us. I want to grow old with you Ev, and have children and a house with a white picket fence. But most of all I want you to know that I love you, and I've never stopped loving you. Evelyn Stewart, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he asked me.
I nodded, and for the first time tears of joy streamed down my face, replacing the tears of sorrow that I had cried so many nights before. He slipped the ring on my finger and I noticed the inscription on it: ES & RM Forever Love. I hugged him as he kissed my nose. Danny still held a place in my heart, and he always would. I would never forget him, and I had a part of him with me always. He gave me the greatest gift of all. A child. I entwined my fingers with Rafe's as he wrapped an arm around my waist. Together we walked back towards the nurses' quarters as the sun set behind us.
*~*~*
(AN: Sorry for the lack of updates!)