President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had summoned Colonel James H. Doolittle and his surviving Raiders to a ceremony at the White House.
It still rubbed the Colonel raw about the outcome of the mission, but the president had assured him that it had been a success because of what it had done for the morale of the American people. After such a devastating defeat at Pearl Harbor, it helped to know that the Japs had gotten a dose of their own medicine.
Before they even set foot in the White House, though, the Colonel wanted to go see Anthony's parents because he wanted to talk to them and let them know what he had meant to them. This was a particularly difficult visit for the Colonel because he'd not been able to make it back to Brooklyn for the funeral.
Danny wondered if he would be late as he, Rafe, Red and Gooz sat in the outer office of the Oval Office with the other flyers, nervous as hell because they were going to meet the man who had been their president for the last ten years.
When the Colonel finally arrived he looked tired and worn. He didn't tell them how his trip had gone and it never occurred to Danny to ask. They all stood at attention as he approached them.
"At ease gentlemen." He said as he looked them over and smiled. "All right, who's going to accept the Medal for the group?"
It was Rafe who spoke up. "We thought you were going to Colonel."
Colonel Doolittle shook his head. "You boys are the ones who trained for the mission and acquitted yourselves as Air Corps officers, so it's only right that one of you should do the honors."
They all looked at each other not wanting to be the one and the Colonel could see he wasn't about to get any volunteers, so he made the choice. "McCawley, you do it."
Danny looked at his friend and saw a flush start to creep up his neck. "Me sir?"
"Yes Captain McCawley, you."
Rafe sighed. "Yes sir."
Gooz tried to lighten the moment. "It's only fair McCawley, you're the prettiest one of this group."
The other men laughed good naturedly, but Danny only sighed as the flush reached Rafe's ears. He knew how much he hated to be singled out and this must have been an uncomfortable reminder of their schooldays when a teacher would pick him out of a sea of raised hands to spell out a word that he could not spell.
"Colonel, let me do it." Danny volunteered.
Rafe looked at him with gratitude but shook his head. "That's all right Danny, I can do it."
"All right gentlemen if that's settled, let's go."
Danny and Rafe looked at each other just before they followed the Colonel into the Oval Office and tried not to grin. They were going to meet the President.
For the second time, Danny and Rafe landed in Hawaii. And for the second time Sandra and Evelyn were there to meet them.
Because of Evelyn's obvious condition, she and Rafe had planned a small wedding but had had to postpone it because of the trip to Washington D.C. She could not have gone with them and Rafe had told Danny that there was no way he would be separated from Evelyn just after they'd gotten married.
Danny and Barbara stood up for the pair the day they got married and he was so happy for Rafe and for Evelyn. There were no two people who were more right for each other than they were and now they were going to have a baby. When Rafe had talked to Danny about it, he was walking on air. The baby had been a surprise but it had not been unwelcome, just a lot sooner than either had planned.
Danny and Sandra had talked about it when they'd gone for a walk before the ceremony. "Ev's been trying to get the house in order and she's really not feeling well enough to do it." Sandra commented as they walked near the chapel, holding hands.
"Rafe's been tryin' to help, but she wants to do so much by herself." Danny shook his head.
Sandra frowned. "We've got to help them Danny, but how? They're going to be spending their wedding night at the house."
He looked at his watch and pulled her back toward the chapel. "We'll figure out somethin', but for now we've got to get back. The weddin' is goin' to start in about ten minutes."
It was something that Danny had on his mind after the ceremony was over and wondered what he could do to help. Apparently Sandra had been thinking about it too because she'd called everyone together out of Rafe and Evelyn's line of sight. "If we go over there in pairs and take care of one room each, everything should be in place by the time they get there."
Danny looked at Sandra and smiled. "That is a great idea."
"Who'll take care of the bedroom?" Gooz grinned at Danny and Sandra flushed at the innuendo.
"Martha and I will take care of that detail." Barbara shook her head and they all laughed.
So over the next few hours they unpacked and cooked and dusted and swept. All without their newly married friends any the wiser, or so they hoped. Danny and Sandra had drawn the baby's room to make ready and she felt so strange being there with him, wondering if this might be them someday.
"We've never really talked about it have we?" Danny seemed to read her mind as he stood behind her, his arms around her waist.
She leaned against him as she shook her head. "We really haven't had time with everything that's been going on."
"What do you think about it?" He asked as he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"If we did decide it's what we want to do, I would prefer to wait until the war is over. Ev and Rafe did what they wanted to do and that's fine for them."
"Are you sayin' that you'd marry me?" Danny let go of her to turn her around so he could see her face.
"Are you asking?"
"Not if you don't want me to."
"I love you Danny, but I don't want to get married in the middle of a war. Especially if you aren't coming back."
"I love you too and there is no guarantee that I'll make it back. But it doesn't mean I won't." And he put his arms around her.
"Would you mind if we didn't talk about this anymore?"
"Of course not honey." And they finished with the baby's room before heading back to Hickam.
By the time Rafe and Evelyn were ready to go, the friends were all back together on the lawn of the chapel. Their mission was complete and they hoped it would be a surprise.
As the couple ran for their car, their friends threw rice at them and waved as the car drove away.
Once they were gone Sandra, Barbara and Martha were invited by Danny and Gooz to toast Rafe and Evelyn with a belt at the Hula-La. They accepted.