A/N: I'm tired—it's late, but I can't sleep until I share this with you. If there are any typo's, please forgive me. Until next time—PCGirl.
They stood there awkwardly looking at each other—unsure of how to say goodbye. In the end it had been Chris and Rafe that had gone with Daniel to see his father on the plane. "I guess this is it," said Ian as he scratched the back of his neck and looked over to the door where his plane was waiting.
"Hey—it's not going to be another sixteen years, right?" laughed Chris.
"Nah—I'm sure I'll be here sooner than that," he laughed back as he saw that Daniel had walked over to the water fountain.
Rafe looked at Daniel also then back at Ian, "Hey—you know he'll be alright here? Port Charles is as much as his home as Ireland is. He's got family here—it might not be by blood, but it's still family--and we take care of our families."
"I know—it's just I've never actually had to be the one to get on that plane and leave," he smiled. "Except for the first time I left Port Charles and that nearly damn well killed me. But then—then I had my son, and I had to start over."
"Well, now he's starting over—exactly where he started from."
"And I'm better for knowing that," he said he and Rafe gave each other a hug and pat on the back.
"I guess the same for what he said," grinned Chris and got a handshake and then pull into a hug.
"Don't be too rough of him, Ramsey."
"I'll try not," he grinned as Daniel came back over and him and Rafe took a step back to let the father and son have a moment.
Ian looked at his son and took a deep breath, "I'm not blaming you when I say this, but do you know how hard it is for me to get on that plane and leave you here? I know this is your home, and this is where you've wanted to be for a very long time, but a separation of an ocean is a pretty far distance."
"I'm going to as far from you as Mom, Eve, is from you and I—right here," he said putting his hand on his heart.
"You're a pretty smart kid, did you know that?" he grinned and tried to hold back the majority of emotions inside him.
"Yeah, I think I've heard that before a few times. Tell Claire and Ma that I miss them."
"I will," he said as he hugged him and turned but then stopped to look back, "Ta gra agam ort."
"I love you too, Da," he smiled as he watched his dad give the agent his ticket and then go through the door to his plane that would take him to his other family and home.
----------
Daniel had accepted the offer by Chris to go back to the hospital, but halfway there he asked if he could take him to the far edge of the park. That he'd walk the rest of the way back to the hospital. Chris hadn't asked questions or argued—just let the young man do what he wanted.
"Hi Ma," he said softly as he stood there looking at the dates on the grave—so many years had passed, so many memories that could have been made, "I'm home," he stopped, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. He leaned down for a moment, "Ma—I love you. And I know you loved me with all your heart. Da would sit there and tell me stories about you—about how you were so scared and protective of me when I was born. Not because of the danger that was still in Port Charles, but he said it was because of your love for me. Your love has made me strong—made me not be scared of danger because you weren't scared of danger when we were younger.
"I came back here because Da kept this place alive for me for the past sixteen years. He never let Port Charles escape my memory—never let me forget you, or anyone else that meant something in our lives. A long time ago I began to believe that angels do exist—and now I know that's the truth because you've been watching over me every step—every test, every lesson, and every word I've had to read in a textbook. I know you'll be with me walking the halls of GH now too—I'll try to make you proud. I better get back before Chris stops being chummy with me and starts calling me a slacker or something worse. I'll bee back soon—whenever I need guidance I know I can find it here through you somehow," he said looking up to the sky and walking away, not noticing the sudden breeze that came through the cemetery.
---------------
Daniel was looking over some papers when he saw her walk off the elevator and look around. She seemed familiar—her hair in tight brunette ringlets pulled back in a ponytail. He figured he must have a memory of her somewhere in the past and decided to reintroduce himself, "Hi—I'm Daniel Thornhart," he said with a smile.
"Danny," she said as she stopped at looked up at him—unable to not smile like some weird freak. "Mom told me you were back in town—I didn't even think about the fact I might see you here. I'm sorry—I bet you don't remember my name, do you? I'm Christina—Lucy and Kevin's daughter."
"Christina," he smiled. "I should have known," he said taking his wallet out of his pocket and pulling out two pictures. They had been cut down to size so they would fit in his wallet, and the edges were very worn. He handed them too her and she laughed.
"I know this picture, my mom has it on the spare room nightstand. It was taken after the Thanksgiving dinner before you left," she smiled as she looked at the one of her asleep on Rafe's chest and then the other one of Danny and Ian asleep in the chair. "Of course you probably know that, right?"
"Yeah, my dad—he'd pull these out from time to time to look at them. I guess it was his way of remembering those he missed in Port Charles while we were in Ireland. Anyways, when I started med-school I took the pictures with me. When I needed something to push me towards the end I pulled out these because I knew I'd get to come here finally."
"Well, by the looks of the edges you needed a lot of pushing."
"Nah—it was just at the end of it all I was looking more and more forward to seeing this place that I think I pulled out the pictures more just so I could get a sense of where I was meant to be," he said taking the pictures back and putting them back in his wallet.
"So you didn't enjoy Ireland? I've always heard it's beautiful and serene."
"Oh, I loved it—I mean it's like nothing you could imagine. You are an artist right? You would be in heaven there painting the landscapes. My friend Brady—he's a photographer there, I'll get him to send me some pictures so I can show you?"
"That'd be nice," she said as her attention turned to behind Daniel and he turned to see Chris standing there, "Hi Chris," she smiled.
"Hi Christina. Listen, I'm glad you two are having a chance to catch up, but I need this guy to get back to work, ok?"
"Ok. It was great seeing you again Daniel," she smiled.
"Yeah, it was great for me too. I guess what I was trying to get at before is that your home is where your heart is, and mine I think has always been here."
"Well, I'm glad you knew that," smiled Christina as she saw Kevin coming towards them and went running off to see him.
Danny just stood there watching Christina getting picked up off the ground by Kevin and then talking and smiling. He wiped his eyes of the tears that began to form and went off to work—knowing that his dad was never more than a phone call away.
They stood there awkwardly looking at each other—unsure of how to say goodbye. In the end it had been Chris and Rafe that had gone with Daniel to see his father on the plane. "I guess this is it," said Ian as he scratched the back of his neck and looked over to the door where his plane was waiting.
"Hey—it's not going to be another sixteen years, right?" laughed Chris.
"Nah—I'm sure I'll be here sooner than that," he laughed back as he saw that Daniel had walked over to the water fountain.
Rafe looked at Daniel also then back at Ian, "Hey—you know he'll be alright here? Port Charles is as much as his home as Ireland is. He's got family here—it might not be by blood, but it's still family--and we take care of our families."
"I know—it's just I've never actually had to be the one to get on that plane and leave," he smiled. "Except for the first time I left Port Charles and that nearly damn well killed me. But then—then I had my son, and I had to start over."
"Well, now he's starting over—exactly where he started from."
"And I'm better for knowing that," he said he and Rafe gave each other a hug and pat on the back.
"I guess the same for what he said," grinned Chris and got a handshake and then pull into a hug.
"Don't be too rough of him, Ramsey."
"I'll try not," he grinned as Daniel came back over and him and Rafe took a step back to let the father and son have a moment.
Ian looked at his son and took a deep breath, "I'm not blaming you when I say this, but do you know how hard it is for me to get on that plane and leave you here? I know this is your home, and this is where you've wanted to be for a very long time, but a separation of an ocean is a pretty far distance."
"I'm going to as far from you as Mom, Eve, is from you and I—right here," he said putting his hand on his heart.
"You're a pretty smart kid, did you know that?" he grinned and tried to hold back the majority of emotions inside him.
"Yeah, I think I've heard that before a few times. Tell Claire and Ma that I miss them."
"I will," he said as he hugged him and turned but then stopped to look back, "Ta gra agam ort."
"I love you too, Da," he smiled as he watched his dad give the agent his ticket and then go through the door to his plane that would take him to his other family and home.
----------
Daniel had accepted the offer by Chris to go back to the hospital, but halfway there he asked if he could take him to the far edge of the park. That he'd walk the rest of the way back to the hospital. Chris hadn't asked questions or argued—just let the young man do what he wanted.
"Hi Ma," he said softly as he stood there looking at the dates on the grave—so many years had passed, so many memories that could have been made, "I'm home," he stopped, he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. He leaned down for a moment, "Ma—I love you. And I know you loved me with all your heart. Da would sit there and tell me stories about you—about how you were so scared and protective of me when I was born. Not because of the danger that was still in Port Charles, but he said it was because of your love for me. Your love has made me strong—made me not be scared of danger because you weren't scared of danger when we were younger.
"I came back here because Da kept this place alive for me for the past sixteen years. He never let Port Charles escape my memory—never let me forget you, or anyone else that meant something in our lives. A long time ago I began to believe that angels do exist—and now I know that's the truth because you've been watching over me every step—every test, every lesson, and every word I've had to read in a textbook. I know you'll be with me walking the halls of GH now too—I'll try to make you proud. I better get back before Chris stops being chummy with me and starts calling me a slacker or something worse. I'll bee back soon—whenever I need guidance I know I can find it here through you somehow," he said looking up to the sky and walking away, not noticing the sudden breeze that came through the cemetery.
---------------
Daniel was looking over some papers when he saw her walk off the elevator and look around. She seemed familiar—her hair in tight brunette ringlets pulled back in a ponytail. He figured he must have a memory of her somewhere in the past and decided to reintroduce himself, "Hi—I'm Daniel Thornhart," he said with a smile.
"Danny," she said as she stopped at looked up at him—unable to not smile like some weird freak. "Mom told me you were back in town—I didn't even think about the fact I might see you here. I'm sorry—I bet you don't remember my name, do you? I'm Christina—Lucy and Kevin's daughter."
"Christina," he smiled. "I should have known," he said taking his wallet out of his pocket and pulling out two pictures. They had been cut down to size so they would fit in his wallet, and the edges were very worn. He handed them too her and she laughed.
"I know this picture, my mom has it on the spare room nightstand. It was taken after the Thanksgiving dinner before you left," she smiled as she looked at the one of her asleep on Rafe's chest and then the other one of Danny and Ian asleep in the chair. "Of course you probably know that, right?"
"Yeah, my dad—he'd pull these out from time to time to look at them. I guess it was his way of remembering those he missed in Port Charles while we were in Ireland. Anyways, when I started med-school I took the pictures with me. When I needed something to push me towards the end I pulled out these because I knew I'd get to come here finally."
"Well, by the looks of the edges you needed a lot of pushing."
"Nah—it was just at the end of it all I was looking more and more forward to seeing this place that I think I pulled out the pictures more just so I could get a sense of where I was meant to be," he said taking the pictures back and putting them back in his wallet.
"So you didn't enjoy Ireland? I've always heard it's beautiful and serene."
"Oh, I loved it—I mean it's like nothing you could imagine. You are an artist right? You would be in heaven there painting the landscapes. My friend Brady—he's a photographer there, I'll get him to send me some pictures so I can show you?"
"That'd be nice," she said as her attention turned to behind Daniel and he turned to see Chris standing there, "Hi Chris," she smiled.
"Hi Christina. Listen, I'm glad you two are having a chance to catch up, but I need this guy to get back to work, ok?"
"Ok. It was great seeing you again Daniel," she smiled.
"Yeah, it was great for me too. I guess what I was trying to get at before is that your home is where your heart is, and mine I think has always been here."
"Well, I'm glad you knew that," smiled Christina as she saw Kevin coming towards them and went running off to see him.
Danny just stood there watching Christina getting picked up off the ground by Kevin and then talking and smiling. He wiped his eyes of the tears that began to form and went off to work—knowing that his dad was never more than a phone call away.