They all gathered at Rafe and Evelyn's for one last time.

The girls had finally told Evelyn about their transfer back to New York and Sandra had told all of them of her plan not to stay in the Navy when her enlistment was up. She and Danny had set the date for their wedding and wanted everyone to come back the following June.

Danny and Red had informed their friends of their intention to re-enlist and stay not only in the Air Corps but in Hawaii as well. Unlike Barbara and Martha, whose nursing skills were needed elsewhere, Danny and Red were needed in Hawaii for training. As for Gooz, he had decided not to re-enlist. His time in the Air Corps had been bittersweet. He'd had a chance like his fellow pilots to fly combat, but he'd lost some good friends along the way and now he just wanted to go home. He'd already told them his girl was waiting for him and he wanted to marry her. Rafe had not yet decided what it was that he wanted and he'd not been able to discuss it at any length with Evelyn as of yet.

After dinner that night the friends all sat on the back porch and after Rafe and Evelyn had put the kids to bed, joined them. It wasn't the usual raucous evening they had all enjoyed over the last few years. This was the place they had all come to escape the realities of war for awhile and therefore it had rarely been discussed. The boys being flyers and the girls being nurses, they all knew the cost of the fight they were in.

This evening was a quiet one because they all knew it might be a long time before they would see each other again. They'd been through so much together and most of the pilots had come to Hawaii at the same time as the nurses. They'd seen Danny and Evelyn brokenhearted over Rafe being shot down over the English Channel and his miraculous return from the dead. They'd seen Anthony, Billy and Betty die but they'd also seen Rafe, Danny, Red and Gooz return safely from the raid over Japan and then witness Rafe and Evelyn get married and have two kids. They had been based away from the fighting, but their missions had taken them directly into the fray.

It was late in the evening before everyone decided it was time to part and they all made their way to the front porch and down the front steps. They stood huddled together, not talking much and the girls were trying not to cry. This made it all the more difficult for the pilots because they were having a hard time as well.

It was Gooz who finally got everyone moving. "I've got a transport to catch in the morning, so it's time for me to go."

Red put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll walk back with you Gooz. It's been a long day for all of us I think."

"If you hold on, I'll walk back with you." Danny told them and turned to Sandra. "I'll call you in the mornin'." And he kissed her.

The friends looked at each other and smiled. This was the first time since Danny and Sandra had spilled the beans about their relationship and subsequent engagement that they had shown any display of affection.

While Gooz wasn't one for public displays, he did wish the nurses luck back in New York. Red on the other hand hugged Barbara and Martha. "I wish you girls could have stayed here."

"We do too Red." Martha admitted. "But the Navy had other ideas."

"There's nothing stopping you from coming back for a visit now and then, though." Barbara told him.

Red grinned. "Just come back when you can because it sure won't be the same here without you."

Barbara frowned at him with concern. "Are you going to be all right Red?"

"This is the first time since Betty died that we won't all be together. All of you were the biggest reasons for my not drowning in self-pity."

"That's because we wouldn't let you." Martha quipped.

"That's true and I'll always be so grateful to you for that." He admitted.

"Well, before I start bawling like a baby Martha and I need to leave too. We're on the same transport as Gooz and we're not done packing yet." Barbara told the group. "Come on Martha, I'll drive."

"Fine by me." And they made their way to the front walk with the rest of the group. They were having such a hard time parting but they also knew it was time. The war was finally over and it was time for everyone to go.

The girls hugged each other like they would never let go and again trying desperately not to cry. Rafe, Danny and Red were shaking Gooz' hand and giving him good luck pats on the shoulder. "When you decide to get hitched, let us know so we can crash the weddin'." Rafe joked as he stood with his arm around Evelyn.

Gooz grinned at him. "Now why in the hell would I tell you that?" And he laughed as he shook Rafe's hand one more time before he, Danny and Red started up the road back to the barracks.

Martha and Sandra had gotten in the car to wait for Barbara. Martha had had enough of goodbyes and wanted to get back to her room and have a good cry out of earshot of her friends.

"Well sweetie, looks like this is it." Barbara said as she hugged Evelyn.

"I'm going to miss you Barbara and I'm going to miss being able to talk to you every day." Evelyn said as she felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes.

Barbara raised an eyebrow at that. "Evelyn McCawley, there's this wonderful invention called the telephone. Use it." And she laughed as her own eyes filled with tears and then looked at Rafe before she hugged him. "Take care of her, will you? And when you get ready to have that kid, call me. I'll be here on the next transport."

"I'll do that. You were here for her when she had Danny and I couldn't be. Evelyn and I wouldn't want you anyplace else when this one comes." Rafe smiled as Barbara hugged Evelyn again.

She walked around to the driver's side of the car and opened the door but before she got in she took a last look at the house. "We had a lot of good times here didn't we?"

Evelyn smiled at her and the tears started to roll down her cheeks unchecked. "We did."

Barbara gave them one last wave as she got into the car and started the engine. As she pulled away from the curb, Martha stuck her head out the window and waved at them until the car disappeared.

With everyone gone, Evelyn started to cry. She put her arms around Rafe and he pulled her against him and felt her shake with the sobs. He understood how she felt because he felt the same so he sighed and held her as she cried.

After a few minutes, he felt her shaking subside and he leaned away to look at her. "All you all right honey?"

She looked up at him with her tear filled eyes and she managed a shaky sigh. "Is that going to be us?"

"I don't know Evelyn. We haven't really had a chance to talk about this, have we?"

She sighed again. "I thought it was all set, that we would go back to Tennessee."

"If it's all right with you, I'd just as soon talk about this tomorrow. I'm not really in the mood to talk about it right now." Rafe told her.

Evelyn nodded before she kissed him. "I love you Rafe and whatever you decide is all right with me."

He kissed her back and smiled. "You're not gettin' out of it that easy. Whatever happens will be because we made a decision together." And he kissed her again. "I love you too Evelyn, with all my heart." And with an arm around her waist, Rafe walked Evelyn back into the house.

He knew he had put off a decision that needed to be made, but he and Evelyn had always made decisions together. And where he was going to end up was something they would both have to decide.