1944 was just around the corner and Rafe and Danny were on their way home.

Their latest mission had been a success and they were both anxious to get back to Hawaii. For Rafe, it was to celebrate a belated Christmas with his family and for Danny, it was to see the New Year in with Sandra. She'd told him she would be going home to her family and would be back before the New Year.

When the transport finally landed, it was early in the morning and it was New Year's Eve. All Rafe wanted to do was get home and sleep in his own bed, with his wife. He hated to sleep in those Army issue bunks because they were about as comfortable as a bed of nails.

A military bus sat just outside the gate and Rafe and Danny boarded it as they gave the driver their destinations. They sat next to each other and as the bus got closer to the house, Rafe started to get anxious. He always got that way before going out a mission and when he came home. He didn't like being away from his family for weeks at a time because the kids seemed to change so much every time he came home. But at least he did get to see them.

An elbow in his side told Rafe he needed to wake up. He hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep until he opened his eyes to see Danny with a grin on his face. "I forgot that you could fall asleep anywhere. You're home Rafe."

He looked out the window and sure enough, there was the house. "Shake a leg Captain. I've got other men to drop off." The driver called back to him.

He stood up and grabbed his travel bag from the overhead rack. "I'm comin'." He looked at Danny and grinned. "Ya'll goin' to come over tonight?"

"If Sandra ain't home yet, I'll come by myself. Anyone else comin'?"

"Evelyn would know that so I'll call you later and let you know."

"Thanks Rafe. Get some rest, you deserve it."

He smiled at his best friend. "You did a hell of a job yourself Danny." And he walked to the front of the bus and raised a hand in farewell as he stepped off and headed up the front walk. When he reached the front porch, he opened the front door and the first thing he saw and smelled was the Christmas tree in the front window. Underneath were the Christmas presents and Rafe sighed because it was obvious that she'd not opened anything.

He found the light cord and plugged it in to take a look at the tree; she'd done a wonderful job. He stood and looked at it and didn't hear the footsteps of his one year old come down the hall. It wasn't until he looked down to see his son as he looked at the tree. Rafe put a finger to his lips and hoped Danny would understand that he wanted him to be quiet. The boy looked at his father with a sleepy grin on his face and Rafe picked him up. "Mornin' son. What are you doin' up?"

Danny put his head down on Rafe's shoulder and promptly fell asleep. He grinned because his best friend had just told him he could fall asleep anywhere and the same seemed to hold true for his own son. Rafe carried the boy down to his room and put him back to bed. He tucked him in and watched the boy for another moment before he turned and left the room to go back out to the living room. He unplugged the tree lights, picked up his travel bag and walked down the hall to his own room.

He put his bag down just inside the door and smiled as he saw Evelyn curled up on his side of the bed; she was sound asleep. He checked on Sarah, who was in the bassinet next to Evelyn's side of the bed, she too was asleep. He was so tired and all he wanted to do was hit the sack, but what he wanted even more was a hot shower.

Evelyn was roused from her sleep because she thought she heard the shower. She glanced at the clock on Rafe's nightstand and it said five o'clock. It must be a dream, she told herself as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

When she woke a second time, she knew it wasn't a dream because she felt the bed dip and an arm curl around her. He needed to sleep, but she wanted him to know that she was aware that he was there. "Welcome home Rafe." She whispered and curled her arm around his.

"I've missed you Evelyn." He said as he pulled her against him. "I've missed this too." He added.

"Me too." She told him and they both fell asleep.

Evelyn had no idea what time it was when she woke again, but she knew that Rafe wasn't there. When she opened her eyes, he was in the rocking chair with Sarah in the crook of his arm. She was such a good baby and Evelyn lay quietly and watched him give his daughter her morning bottle.

He seemed to sense that he was being watched because he looked up at her and smiled. "Hey sleepy head."

"Hey yourself Captain. How long have you been awake?"

"Not long. I heard her startin' to fuss so I thought I should take care of her before she woke you."

She smiled back at him. "You should have said something; I would have gotten up. You need your rest." She finished and started to get up.

"You stay right there Mrs. McCawley; I've got it covered. Besides, I haven't had much of a chance to do this."

Evelyn settled back in bed. "If you insist."

"I insist."

"What time did you get in?" She asked him.

"About four thirty. I noticed that none of the presents are open."

She nodded. "I know. But I just didn't have the heart to have Christmas without you. Danny's still little enough that he doesn't understand about Santa Claus and I didn't think it would matter. Next year might be a different story though."

"I may not be home next Christmas either." He pointed out.

"I know that and that's something we'll deal with when the time comes. But for now you're home and we can have Christmas as a family."

"That we can Evelyn." And he turned his attention back to his daughter who had finished her bottle. He checked to see how much she had taken and grinned. "She took the whole thing, that's my girl."

"She's missed you."

"How can she miss me when she's only three months old?" Rafe asked her.

"Because I know how she feels."

His grin got wider as he made sure that Sarah was done before he put her back in her bassinet. "Well, I guess now that I've taken care of one of my girls it's time to take care of the other one." And he got back into bed and lay down next to her.

"I'd appreciate that." She smiled as he pulled her to him and kissed her.

They sat all together later that morning as Rafe and Evelyn opened the presents that had sat under the tree and Danny's eyes got wider and wider as each gift was opened. Evelyn thought it was more about the shiny paper that crinkled as Rafe helped his son open a gift from one his grandparents.

Rafe had called Danny after he and Evelyn had gotten up. He told him that Sandra was back in Hawaii and they were both expected at the house to see the New Year in. The other girls would be there as well and he asked Danny to invite the other pilots to come if they didn't have any other plans.

He told Rafe that they would all be there and thanked him. "There's nothin' as sad as a bunch of pilots on their own on New Years Eve."

It was to be a casual affair and later that day, the nurses and pilots started to show up.

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were on the radio with their New Year's Eve broadcast. As everyone ate and Rafe cracked open a bottle of champagne, they began to wonder where Danny and Sandra were.

"Leave them alone." Evelyn admonished them. "They haven't seen each other in over a month and I'm sure they want some time together before they come over and have put up with all of you."

"What are you saying Ev, that we're nosy?" Martha grinned at her.

Evelyn smiled back. "Very nosy."

"Ev..." Barbara started but she was cut off.

"Leave them alone Barbara."

She smiled. "You were a lot more fun."

"That's because I told you everything."

That got Rafe's attention. "Everything?" He asked as he filled the champagne glasses.

Evelyn flushed as she looked at her husband. "I didn't mean that."

Barbara laughed out loud. "She never gave details Rafe, she just did that." She told him, in reference to Evelyn's pink cheeks.

Evelyn was saved from further embarrassment by a knock at the front door. She walked over to answer it and when she opened it, Danny was there with Sandra. She noticed that he had tried to drop her hand before Evelyn saw, but she ignored it. "Come on in you two, we've been waiting for you."

"I'm sorry we're late Ev." Sandra apologized to her.

Evelyn shook her head. "There's no need to be sorry Sandra, I'm just glad you made it." And she ushered them inside as she closed the door and followed them back into the living room.

Before any of them realized it, the New Year was upon them and Rafe refilled their glasses as the countdown began. Five, four, three, two, one... Happy New Year!

They each took a sip from their glasses and hugged each other as they welcomed in the New Year.

They stood together and sang with Guy Lombardo's orchestra, "Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind, should auld acquaintance be forgot in days of Auld Lang Syne."

As they always did during the holidays, they remembered lost friends and celebrated being together. The war had been costly to them so far and they hoped that no one else would be lost.

That was their wish for 1944.