It was something that Danny and Sandra never thought they'd have the chance to do; host a wedding rehearsal dinner for Red Winkle. They weren't doing it alone though because the McCawley's were going to be helping them. And because the reception was going to be at Rafe and Evelyn's the following day Danny and Sandra would return the favor.

Red made the announcement of his engagement on New Years Day. He told them that he presented a ring to Amy the night before and proposed. He told her that he wanted to start the New Year off right and he couldn't think of a better way than beginning a new life with her. She accepted and they both agreed that they wanted a short engagement.

Danny smiled at his best friend that morning as he joked that not everyone was as slow to tie the knot as Sandra and he had been.

Red explained that he wasn't particularly superstitious, but he felt that after losing his chance with Betty he didn't want to waste any time with Amy. He asked Gooz that same morning to be his best man and he accepted. Amy had asked her best friend from nursing school to be her maid of honor and she also accepted, but wouldn't be able to get there any sooner than the wedding rehearsal.

When the night finally came, Danny and Sandra sat with Rafe and Evelyn and Barbara and Martha as Gooz stood next to Red. Amy's friend stood next to her and they listened intently to the minister's instructions.

It seemed to Danny that Gooz was a little distracted and he leaned over to ask Sandra if she knew anything. "He ain't been himself since he got here."

"I noticed it too and I asked Red if he said anything." She answered quietly. "Apparently, his daughter is sick and he didn't want to come and if it hadn't been Red's wedding he wouldn't have."

He nodded. "Well that explains why his wife didn't come with him. He was real excited about gettin' her out here to see where he'd been stationed."

"I know. He wanted her to come out for New Year's, but she wanted him to spend some time with us."

He laughed softly. "And he probably told her that he's seen enough of Rafe's, Red's and my sorry faces to last him a lifetime."

"That sounds like Gooz." She smiled back at him.

"Stop that whisperin' over there. In case you hadn't noticed there is a weddin' rehearsal goin' on." Rafe leaned over with a grin and whispered to them.

Danny grinned back. "Yea I know, so stop whisperin'."

Sandra looked at Evelyn and the girls smiled at each other, some things never changed. "All right you two that's enough." Evelyn shook her head. "Sometimes you're worse than the children are."

Danny looked at Rafe and his grin got wider. "We ain't as bad as the kids are we?"

Sandra tried not to smile at her husband as she admonished him. "Yes, you are as bad as the kids are and it's time to be quiet."

"Yes ma'am." He answered and tried to look serious as he sat back in the pew, but not before he saw Rafe try to look equally as serious as he also sat back.

"Honestly, Ev. The older they get the worse they get." Sandra commented to Evelyn and both girls sat back and listened to the minister.

As he talked to Red and Amy, Danny couldn't help but think back to his own wedding rehearsal and remembered how nervous he was. They had gone together for so long and it had taken even longer to work up his nerve to propose. To have Sandra at his side in front of the minister that evening, he had seriously considered asking him to marry them right then and there. But he wanted her to have the wedding that she'd always wanted. Ultimately he didn't think it was fair that the memory of her wedding day would not be of her in a wedding dress and him in full dress uniform, but of her in a sundress and him in civvies.

His wife brought him out of his musing with a touch on his arm. "The minister's all done Danny."

"I'm sorry honey. I was just rememberin' when we were here." He smiled at her and noticed that they were sitting alone in the pew. Barbara and Martha were gone and Rafe and Evelyn were standing at the altar, talking to Gooz.

"So was I. I don't ever remember being so excited and so nervous at the same time. I kept imagining all the things that could go wrong and prayed that nothing would."

"I kept thinkin' that I didn't want to wait and wondered if the minister would marry us right there." He admitted.

"You never told me that." Her face flushed at his words. "Why didn't you ask him?"

"Because as much as I would have loved to marry you that night I wanted you to have a proper weddin' that you could look back on and remember. And I wanted to be able to look back and not wonder if you married me because it was what I wanted."

"We had our family and our friends with us that night and even though we weren't exactly dressed for the occasion, we still would have been properly married. But having said that, our wedding day is one of the happiest memories I have."

He wanted to mention one of his happiest memories, but since it didn't occur until they got to their honeymoon suite he figured he'd spare her the embarrassment and himself a well deserved admonition. But he also should have known that she would guess what he was thinking.

"Me too Danny." Sandra smiled at him as she took his hand. "And it was a romantic thought."

He grinned. "How do you do that?"

"Because I've known you for so long and you're too much of a gentleman to come right out and say it." She answered before she stood up and held her hand out to him.

He stood up next to her and took it. "It's the way the McCawley's raised me after all."

Sandra leaned up and kissed his cheek. "And I've always been thankful for that."

Danny could feel his face flush at his wife's sincere compliment and he smiled at her. "We're goin' to have a lot of people at the house pretty quick, so we should think about headin' home."

She glanced at her watch. "Oh my gosh! It is getting late."

They stepped out into the aisle as Rafe and Evelyn came back to the pew and sat down. "Rafe we need to get movin'."

"Don't worry Danny, we've got time." His friend replied as he took Evelyn's hand. "We ain't been here since you and Sandra got married."

"We won't be long." Evelyn smiled at them.

Danny and Sandra looked at each other and he knew it would be useless to say anything else. "All right Rafe." He took Sandra's hand and walked down the aisle to the back of the chapel and he stopped mid-stride. "Remember the last time we did this?"

"I do."

"And that's just what I said." Danny smiled at her and leaned over to kiss her before they walked out of the chapel.

Red's wedding day was beautiful.

The ceremony went without a hitch and Red was now married to a wonderful girl. They stood together among family and friends in the McCawley's backyard later that day and ate and talked.

Pictures were taken and toasts were made for their happiness and a long marriage. As had become the tradition from the other weddings, the friends that had been in Hawaii together had their picture taken together.

Gooz' mood was greatly improved from the night before because his wife had shown up in time for the wedding. Their daughter was feeling much better and her parents had urged her to fly out to surprise her husband.

Before he and Amy left for their honeymoon, Red pulled Danny aside and had a smile on his face that Danny swore had gotten bigger as the day progressed. He remembered the feeling. "She was at the wedding. And Tony and Billy too."

"You saw Betty?"

Red smiled at him and nodded. "She was wearing the dress she had on that night in New York and Tony and Billy were in their dress Air Corps uniforms."

"It don't surprise me. They were probably as anxious for you to get married as we were." He said with a smile.

"I'm not going to see her again. Now that she knows I'm happy she isn't going to worry about me anymore." Red explained.

"We won't either Red because now you've got Amy."

"Sometimes I wonder how I could have gotten so lucky."

"Did you ever consider that maybe Betty had somethin' to do with this?" Danny asked.

He smiled. "It would be like her to do something like that."

"Well, there you go. You once called Betty your angel and it seems to me that your angel sent you another angel. It would explain why she wanted you to give Amy a chance."

"It would, wouldn't it?"

"Danny, everyone is ready to throw the rice." Sandra walked over to the two friends and linked her arm through her husband's before she looked at Red with a smile. "And your bride is waiting for you."

Red stuck his hand out and Danny took it and shook. "Thank you for everything Danny. If you and Sandra hadn't stayed after the last war was over the last few years here wouldn't have been nearly as nice."

He then hugged Sandra. "Thank you for caring as much as you did about my happiness."

"She's a wonderful girl Red." She hugged him back. "Let us know when you get back and we'll have you over for dinner."

"We'll do that Sandra." He promised as he left them to walk over to his new wife.

Danny put an arm around Sandra and smiled at her. "What do you say we go throw some rice?"

"I'd love to." She answered as they headed to the front door to grab a handful of rice.