Chapter Nine: Voices of Support
------------------------------------------------------------------
Staring at the headstone in front of him, Danny hugged his knees closer to his chest. He still didn't know why he had chosen to come to the cemetery at that exact moment. Maybe it was because he needed comfort and reassurance that there really wasn't anything more that he could have done to stop the guys from taking Ed. With a slight sigh, he gently ran his fingers over the name of his mother, who had died when Danny was only a child. He smiled slightly as he realized that he may be joining her in the afterlife soon enough.
"She'd be arguing with you, telling you not to go through with it." a voice said from behind Danny. He turned his head to see an older man with dark hair standing not too far off. He smiled gently at Danny before walking over, and putting a hand on the ex-Marine's shoulder. It was his father, Larry McCoy. "Jillian called and told me the whole story."
"Do you think I should go?" Danny asked, looking up at his father.
"Would you actually listen to me if I said no?" Larry asked with a knowing smile. He squeezed Danny's shoulder as he decided to change the subject. "I guess Delinda is pretty upset with you."
"Yeah." Danny nodded as he got up from the ground. "Thinks that I didn't do enough to stop them from taking Ed." He sighed slightly. "I guess I kind of think that she might be right. Maybe I didn't do enough."
"What more do you think that you could have done?" Larry inquired.
"I could have watched monitors more." Danny replied with a shrug. "Fought back harder."
"You fought as hard as you could, Danny." Larry replied, looking at his son. "I don't even need to see the tape of the incident to know that." He patted Danny's shoulder. "And as for watching the monitor, you had no idea that that was going to happen. You did everything that you could do. It just wasn't enough this time."
"I guess." Danny shrugged. He was feeling a bit better about the whole situation now. He looked sincerely at his father. "I only wish that I could promise you that I'm going to be fine, but I can't do that. I'm probably walking into my own grave."
"I couldn't be prouder of you, Danny." Larry smiled as he reached into his pocket. "I wanted to give you this before you left."
He handed Danny a small box, which the ex-Marine opened immediately. A diamond and gold ring glinted back up at him, and Danny looked back up at his father. A puzzled look present on his face.
"Mom's engagement ring." Danny said.
"I thought you might want it." Larry explained before embracing his son. "You take care of yourself, kiddo. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
"I'll be as careful as I can." Danny agreed with a smile. He found it strange that this was the longest conversation he had with his father in a long time, and that it just might be their last.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Opening the door to his home, Danny was greeted by the delicious smell of something cooking in the kitchen. He wandered in to find Mary with her back towards him, chopping some sort of vegetable.
"Something smells good." he commented, sitting down at the kitchen table. To his bewilderment, Mary remained silent. "That doesn't rate a comment?"
"Don't go." Mary said softly, not turning around.
"Don't go?" Danny repeated before hearing quiet sobs escape his best friend. He got up instantly and went to her side. "Mary?"
Silently, Mary quit chopping and turned to face him. Her eyes were red and tears were running rapidly down her cheeks. Danny understood what she was thinking with one glance.
"You don't think that I'm going to come back."
"God, Danny!" Mary sobbed, throwing her arms around him. As she cried, he wrapped his arms around her too. "Just don't go! Please don't go! It's too dangerous."
"I have to go, Mary." Danny replied gently. "Ed's counting on me."
"Just tell Luis what you know, and he'll contact the right people." Mary suggested in between tears. "There's no reason to put yourself in danger." She looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Danny. I don't think I could bare it."
"Hey." Danny said, stroking her hair. "I'm your knight in shining armor, remember?" He shook his head. "No way would I ever leave you. I'm going to come back, Mary. I promise you that."
As someone was heard coughing, both Danny and Mary looked up. Sam stood in the entryway to the kitchen. She appeared to be reluctant to interrupt what was happening in front of her.
"The plane's ready to go." she reported, "Mike and Nessa are waiting for us at the airport."
"I'll be right there." Danny said as Sam nodded and walked away. He turned his attention back to Mary. "You going to be okay?"
"I wish that you wouldn't go," Mary replied, hugging him closer. "But I know that I can't stop you." She stared into his eyes. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, and that you'll keep an eye on the rest of them."
"I will." Danny said with a smile.
To be continued....
------------------------------------------------------------------
Staring at the headstone in front of him, Danny hugged his knees closer to his chest. He still didn't know why he had chosen to come to the cemetery at that exact moment. Maybe it was because he needed comfort and reassurance that there really wasn't anything more that he could have done to stop the guys from taking Ed. With a slight sigh, he gently ran his fingers over the name of his mother, who had died when Danny was only a child. He smiled slightly as he realized that he may be joining her in the afterlife soon enough.
"She'd be arguing with you, telling you not to go through with it." a voice said from behind Danny. He turned his head to see an older man with dark hair standing not too far off. He smiled gently at Danny before walking over, and putting a hand on the ex-Marine's shoulder. It was his father, Larry McCoy. "Jillian called and told me the whole story."
"Do you think I should go?" Danny asked, looking up at his father.
"Would you actually listen to me if I said no?" Larry asked with a knowing smile. He squeezed Danny's shoulder as he decided to change the subject. "I guess Delinda is pretty upset with you."
"Yeah." Danny nodded as he got up from the ground. "Thinks that I didn't do enough to stop them from taking Ed." He sighed slightly. "I guess I kind of think that she might be right. Maybe I didn't do enough."
"What more do you think that you could have done?" Larry inquired.
"I could have watched monitors more." Danny replied with a shrug. "Fought back harder."
"You fought as hard as you could, Danny." Larry replied, looking at his son. "I don't even need to see the tape of the incident to know that." He patted Danny's shoulder. "And as for watching the monitor, you had no idea that that was going to happen. You did everything that you could do. It just wasn't enough this time."
"I guess." Danny shrugged. He was feeling a bit better about the whole situation now. He looked sincerely at his father. "I only wish that I could promise you that I'm going to be fine, but I can't do that. I'm probably walking into my own grave."
"I couldn't be prouder of you, Danny." Larry smiled as he reached into his pocket. "I wanted to give you this before you left."
He handed Danny a small box, which the ex-Marine opened immediately. A diamond and gold ring glinted back up at him, and Danny looked back up at his father. A puzzled look present on his face.
"Mom's engagement ring." Danny said.
"I thought you might want it." Larry explained before embracing his son. "You take care of yourself, kiddo. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
"I'll be as careful as I can." Danny agreed with a smile. He found it strange that this was the longest conversation he had with his father in a long time, and that it just might be their last.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Opening the door to his home, Danny was greeted by the delicious smell of something cooking in the kitchen. He wandered in to find Mary with her back towards him, chopping some sort of vegetable.
"Something smells good." he commented, sitting down at the kitchen table. To his bewilderment, Mary remained silent. "That doesn't rate a comment?"
"Don't go." Mary said softly, not turning around.
"Don't go?" Danny repeated before hearing quiet sobs escape his best friend. He got up instantly and went to her side. "Mary?"
Silently, Mary quit chopping and turned to face him. Her eyes were red and tears were running rapidly down her cheeks. Danny understood what she was thinking with one glance.
"You don't think that I'm going to come back."
"God, Danny!" Mary sobbed, throwing her arms around him. As she cried, he wrapped his arms around her too. "Just don't go! Please don't go! It's too dangerous."
"I have to go, Mary." Danny replied gently. "Ed's counting on me."
"Just tell Luis what you know, and he'll contact the right people." Mary suggested in between tears. "There's no reason to put yourself in danger." She looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Danny. I don't think I could bare it."
"Hey." Danny said, stroking her hair. "I'm your knight in shining armor, remember?" He shook his head. "No way would I ever leave you. I'm going to come back, Mary. I promise you that."
As someone was heard coughing, both Danny and Mary looked up. Sam stood in the entryway to the kitchen. She appeared to be reluctant to interrupt what was happening in front of her.
"The plane's ready to go." she reported, "Mike and Nessa are waiting for us at the airport."
"I'll be right there." Danny said as Sam nodded and walked away. He turned his attention back to Mary. "You going to be okay?"
"I wish that you wouldn't go," Mary replied, hugging him closer. "But I know that I can't stop you." She stared into his eyes. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, and that you'll keep an eye on the rest of them."
"I will." Danny said with a smile.
To be continued....