It seemed like any other Saturday morning at first.

Danny Walker woke up in his narrow Army issue bunk and wondered what he was going to do with his day off. It didn't take him long to realize that he had big plans that day because he and Sandra were going to get married.

He lay in the quiet, the other pilots were still asleep and he couldn't believe that the day had finally arrived. Who would have guessed that a conversation in a night club five years earlier with a shy nurse would have led him to this, certainly not Danny. He didn't remember at what point he had fallen in love with her but he suspected that it had happened early on in their relationship, though she had actually been the one to admit it first.

He didn't know that one person could get so used to another person as quickly as he had Sandra. And he'd known from the beginning what a good listener she was because he'd talked her ears off the morning Rafe had left for England.

He remembered how he'd felt that morning as he watched Rafe head for the platform that would put him on a train bound for Canada. From there he would board a steamer that would carry him across the Atlantic to the Eagle Squadron in England.

It had been a difficult morning and all he wanted to do, he remembered, was go back to bed. He was exhausted because he hadn't slept all night and when Rafe had called to ask if he would meet him at the train station, he pulled himself out of bed and got dressed.

After the train had pulled out, Danny took a cab back to the hotel. When he opened the door to the room, Evelyn and Barbara were in the parlor and Evelyn looked upset. She had a coat on and he wondered if she had tried to see Rafe before he left. "He's on his way." He had told them "I hope he knows what he's doin'." He'd added before he went back to the room he'd shared with the other pilots.

When he'd walked back into the parlor a couple of hours later, it was still quiet. But instead of Evelyn and Barbara, Sandra was on the sofa. Her legs were tucked underneath her and she had an open book on her lap.

"I'm sorry." He apologized to her. "I didn't know anyone else was up."

"It's all right. It was so quiet and I thought I'd do some reading."

"Well don't let me interrupt you. I'll just go back in there." And he started to turn around.

"Don't be silly Danny. Please come in and sit down." She told him before she closed her book and put it on the coffee table in front of her.

"If you don't mind." Danny hesitated before he walked into the room and sat down on the sofa next to her.

"Are you all right?" She looked at him and seemed concerned.

"I don't need to bother you with this." He told her before he put his head in his hands.

Sandra touched his shoulder. "Something is on your mind and I'm a good listener."

He sat up and then leaned back against the sofa. "Rafe's gone to England."

"What are you talking about?" She looked confused.

Danny looked at her. "Major Doolittle got him assigned over there. Rafe calls it trainin' and it ain't that simple because he'll be flyin' in combat. The Brits are really gettin' pounded and there's a damn good chance that he might not come back." He sighed. "I don't know that he really understands what he'll be up against."

"And it doesn't bother you in the least that he went without you."

Sandra had hit on what really had him bothered. "Yea it does. We've always done everythin' together and been through so much and when he gets a chance to fly in combat, leaves me behind."

"I don't understand you boys. Why on earth would you willing go into a combat situation when we aren't even at war?" She frowned at him.

"That's what we're bein' trained for." He told her simply.

"But we're not at war. Why get involved in something that isn't our fight?" She said reasonably.

"Because they need our help."

She sighed. "I'm sorry Danny."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry for botherin' you with all of this. I'm just mad as hell at him for goin' and scared out of my mind that he won't come back. He's the closest thing I ever had to a brother and if anythin' happens to him..." He couldn't talk anymore and leaned forward to put his head back in his hands.

Her hand was on his shoulder again and he felt that she wanted to try and comfort him in some way.

That was something that Danny had always been thankful for, her quiet voice and her gentle touch. He couldn't help but think that he would find out that night just how gentle a touch she really had.

Their wedding night was something that he'd thought a lot about since she'd accepted his marriage proposal and because they had both decided to wait, he worried that he might disappoint her. But he also knew her well enough to know that she probably had the same worries about him.

He glanced at his wristwatch and it was almost eight o'clock. He had told Rafe and Evelyn that he would be over at their house by nine and he would get dressed for the wedding there.

He lay in bed for a moment longer before he stretched and threw the blankets back. He sat up and ran his hands through his hair before he stood up and decided to take advantage of the fact that his fellow pilots were still asleep and he took a shower.

It didn't take him long and he dressed quietly so he wouldn't wake the other pilots. Most of what he had was already at Sandra's and what little he still had with him he packed into his duffel. His dress uniform was already at the McCawley's, so he picked up his bag and walked down the aisle between the row of bunks. He stopped at the door for a moment and looked at the place that he had lived since he, Red, Gooz, Billy and Anthony had come to Pearl Harbor in the summer of 1941.

Anthony and Billy.

All of the pilots had survived accept for them and today of all days, Danny wished so much that they could have been there. It was a special day for him and he was thankful that Rafe, Red and Gooz would be able to share it with him.

As he walked to his car, he understood what Sandra had felt when she'd left the hospital the night before. Things were about to change for the both of them and though he was happier than he'd ever been, it was a big change. After today, he was going to be responsible for someone other than himself. And when the time came for them to have children, it would be even more. But he knew that as long as he had Sandra in his life, nothing would be too difficult.

The drive to Rafe and Evelyn's was short and when he pulled up in front of the house he looked at his wristwatch and it was nearly nine o'clock. He got his duffel from the seat next to him and got out of the car. As he walked up to the front of the house, Rafe came out and stood on the front porch with a grin on his face.

"Well Danny this is it, are you ready?"

"That's a hell of a question to ask." He answered with a grin of his own. "I've been ready for this for a long time."

"Come on in then. My folks are here and Mama and Evelyn are makin' breakfast."

"That's good because I'm starvin'."

They walked inside and Rafe took his duffel and headed to the back of the house. Sarah McCawley came out of the kitchen to give him a hug. "How are you feeling son?"

"A little nervous and a little anxious." He admitted and hugged her back.

"That's only natural Danny. The nerves go away the first time you see her and the anxiety goes away when the ceremony is over." Thomas McCawley told him as he got up from the sofa to shake his hand. "You couldn't have picked a nicer girl and you're goin' to be real happy."

Danny nodded. "It means the world to me that you and Mrs. McCawley could be here for this." He smiled.

"We wouldn't be anywhere else but here today Danny. And it means the world to us that you wanted us here." Sarah told him.

"Breakfast is ready if you want to sit down." Evelyn announced as she walked in from the kitchen. "Danny, if you would go find that husband of mine and have him get the kids, we can eat."

"Sure thing Evelyn." He said and went in search for his friend and the children. He found Danny and Sarah in his room and he told them it was time for breakfast. Without even a hello they were out the door and while Danny ran, his sister could only toddle behind him.

He found Rafe in his room. He stood by the bassinet with his arms folded across his chest.

"Rafe, Evelyn says that breakfast is ready."

"He's really a miracle, you know? After Evelyn miscarried, we waited to have this one here and we had no idea it would happen so soon after we started to try."

"You all right Rafe?" Danny asked him.

"Everythin' with Evelyn happened so fast and here we are with three kids and we're headed home. It never crossed my mind our kids would grow up anywhere else but here. But I think that was because the war seemed to go on for such a long time without any end in sight. And now you're getting' married."

Danny thought he understood. "It was you and me for a long time Rafe. We grew up together and went through so much together and it never occurred to me that we wouldn't see each other everyday for the rest of our lives."

"It's goin' to be real strange to be home and not have you nearby."

Danny put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It will be for me too, so we'll just have to call each other. That way you can tell me how you, Evelyn and the kids are doin'."

Rafe turned to him and grinned. "I'm happy as hell for you Danny, I hope you know that. And I know how hard it's been on you this last year waitin' for the war to end. But your weddin' day is finally here and I know you're goin' to be as happy with Sandra as I've been with Evelyn."

"Thanks Rafe, that means a lot. But in the meantime, your wife and your mama are waitin' on us so we can eat."

"Well let's go then." He said and after Rafe checked to make sure that the baby was still asleep, he followed Danny out to the dining room.

When they got there, everyone had taken their seats and Evelyn had Sarah in a highchair next to her. Young Danny sat between his grandparents and they filled his plate.

Evelyn smiled at Rafe. "Is the baby still asleep?"

"He is and hopefully will stay that way through the weddin'." He grinned at her.

She looked at Danny as he sat down. "Are you sure it's all right that I bring the baby?"

Danny nodded. "Sandra and I wanted all of the McCawley's there and that includes the youngest McCawley."

She shrugged her shoulders. "All right, we'll all be there." And she began to cut Sarah's pancake for her.

The rest of the morning passed quickly and before anyone knew it, Evelyn had to leave for the Hickam Chapel. She was going to meet the other girls there and they were going to help Sandra get ready. Sarah had told her not to worry about the kids because she and Tom would get them dressed and to the ceremony.

"Thank you Sarah, I'd really appreciate that." She told her mother in law as she picked up her dress from the back of the sofa and the small bag that held everything else she would need. "I'll see you soon." And she was out the door.

"All right you two, it's time to get ready." Sarah smiled at her grandchildren.

"Why don't you take them into our room? Evelyn laid out their clothes on the bed and they can get cleaned up in our bathroom." Rafe told her.

"Thank you son."

He grinned. "You can thank Evelyn later, Mama. She's the one that thinks of things like that."

Tom smiled at his son. "I'll help your mama with the kids and you help the groom. Your uniforms are in Danny's room." And he followed Sarah back to their son's room.

Danny grinned at his best friend. "You heard the man Rafe."

And they went back to his godson's room to get dressed for the wedding.