Ann's father and Major McCawley had been gone for a couple of weeks and there was little word from either one of them. He had called a few days earlier to let her know that they'd narrowed down the search area and were going to hit the ground with a small detachment from the First Battalions Second Brigade.

It didn't matter to Ann who was helping in the search, just that they would find him.

She knew that Mama was worried something might have happened to Dad because she would flinch every time there was a knock at the door. She was expecting the chaplain and Dad's squadron commander with bad news, of that Ann was sure.

When news finally came, it came in an unexpected way.

He hadn't told anyone that he was on his way home and it surprised the whole family one evening during dinner when the front screen door opened and Ann heard the thud of a travel bag as it hit the floor. She turned toward the door and saw her father standing there looking absolutely exhausted. "I hope you set a place for me honey because I'm starvin' for some of your home cookin'."

"Danny!" Mama was up from her chair and in her father's arms.

"Dad!" Ann's sister and brother were out of their chairs, not far behind her.

She sat and waited for the excitement to subside. Ann was relieved and happy to see her father home, but did it mean that they'd given up looking or had Danny been found?

"I've had a very nice welcome home from the rest of my family Annie, how 'bout you?" Her father smiled at her.

She didn't know how to ask because she didn't know if she wanted the answer.

"We found him honey." And his smile turned to a grin. "It took some doin' because he'd hidden himself real well. The fact is it probably saved him from bein' caught."

"You found him?" She said even though she'd heard her father say it, but she wanted to be absolutely certain. "How is he?"

"I won't lie and tell you that he's fine because the truth is, he ain't. He's got a pretty serious concussion from the crash and his right leg was busted up pretty badly. Other than that, he's doin' all right and he'll be comin' home on a hospital ship as soon as they can stabilize him enough to travel."

Stabilize him?

"Does Mrs. McCawley know?"

Dad nodded. "I stopped over at Rafe's before I came home to let her know that they'll be comin' home together. I would have called you before I left Okinawa, but everythin' happened so fast and Rafe wanted me to get home as soon as possible to tell Evelyn."

"It's all right Dad. The important thing is that you found him. I'm just glad that you came home too." And she was out of her chair and put her arms around her father's neck. "Thank you for what you did."

"If Danny had been my son instead of his, Rafe would have done the same for me." He said as he patted her back. "That's how we've always done things."

"I know." She held her father even tighter and started to tremble. She thought she might cry but no tears came, just the feeling of an overwhelming sense of relief.

"It's all right honey, he's fine." Dad seemed to anticipate that she might get emotional. "It's goin' to take a lot of time for that leg of his to heal, but he's comin' home."

Ann nodded silently and felt the gentle touch of her mother's hand stroke her hair. "Maybe now you'll be able to get a good night sleep."

"That's sure what I could use." Dad's voice was amused. "But first I need to take a shower and change into civvies before I have some supper. So if I'm goin' to do that, you need to let me go."

Ann was smiling as she took her arms from around his neck and her mother and father seemed relieved. "I've waited six weeks for some news, any news really. But this was the best possible news I could get."

Hank! She didn't know if he knew yet and he needed to know.

"Call him Annie. He was just as anxious as the rest of us to know what happened to him." Dad told her. "I think he'd appreciate hearin' it from you."

Ann was on the telephone a moment later and shifted her weight from foot to foot as she waited for Hank to pick up. "Hello, Lieutenant Metcalf."

She smiled into the receiver. "Hank it's Ann."

"Did they find him?" She heard the anxiety in his voice and the hesitation. "How is he?"

"He's hurt, but he's alive. Dad says that he got a concussion from the crash and a broken leg. They're going to stabilize him at the hospital in Okinawa and then send him home on a hospital ship." She explained.

"Your dad got back all right?"

Ann nodded even though she knew Hank couldn't see it. "He walked in the door about five minutes ago. He also told us that Major McCawley would be coming back with Danny."

"Did he say how long that might be?"

"I'm sorry he didn't. I guess it all depends on how quickly they can get Danny stabilized and allow him to travel."

"That makes sense. Have you talked to Evelyn yet? I know that she's been really anxious about this."

Ann took a page out of Danny's book and hoped it wouldn't sound too obvious. "Would you mind calling her?"

She heard Hank sigh and sensed that he really didn't want to. "This is your news Ann; you should be the one to tell her."

"But you both knew Danny back in Colorado and I think she should hear it from his best friend." She countered. "Besides, I don't have her phone number."

"And what makes you think that I do?" He sounded annoyed.

"Lucky guess?" And she tried not to laugh.

"You've been spending too much time with Dan." He sighed again and Ann could almost see him running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I know."

"He's lucky to have you." He conceded.

"I know that too."

"I'll call Evelyn."

"Thank you."

"I should thank you for calling me. This is something I would have rather heard from you than my squadron commander."

"You just did. As soon as I hear when the hospital ship will be here, I'll call you."

"Thanks Ann."

"You're welcome. I'll call you as soon as I know anything." She reiterated before he said goodbye and she hung up.

"Ann Rachel Walker, if I didn't know better I'd say you were engagin' in some matchmakin'." Her father laughed as she turned to face her parents. "Your mama did the same thing with Red before he met Amy."

"It just made him appreciate her all the more. Besides, I was the one who introduced them." She smiled at him.

"That you were honey." He leaned over and kissed her cheek before he looked back at Ann. "So what's goin' on with those two? He's been keepin' himself scarce around here since he and Sarah stopped seein' each other."

"Nothing's going on because Evelyn won't date servicemen. It's a rule she's had since she was in Colorado and she won't change it."

"Not if Danny and you can help it I gather." Mama smiled at her. "Honestly Ann, if that's her rule you have to respect it."

"If I didn't think that she wasn't more than a little interested in Hank I'd leave it alone. But I've never seen her react to any other personnel around the base the way she does with him. I just don't want her to miss out on something that could be special."

"Our daughter the expert." Dad grinned again. "I don't know if I like this Annie, so take it easy with them and don't push too hard."

"Yes Sir."

"All right then. Honey, if you wouldn't mind puttin' a plate in the oven for me I'm goin' to take a shower and get some sleep."

"Danny, I thought you wanted to eat first?" Mama looked concerned. It wasn't like her father to not eat before he settled down.

"I'm sorry Sandra, I changed my mind. All I really want to do right now is sleep." He shook his head in disagreement. "It's been a hell of a two weeks and I ain't goin' to be able to stay awake much longer."

"All right. Tom why don't you get your dad's bag and take it down to our room. Shelby if you're done, please clear your place and take the dishes out to the kitchen. Ann, make up a plate for your dad and put it in the oven for me if you would."

"Sure Mama." Ann answered as she watched her parents follow her brother back to their room. Dad has his arm around her mother's shoulders and she had her arm around his waist. They walked slowly and she suspected that her father was more exhausted than he was willing to let on. That's why Mama was going with him, among other reasons.

She turned around and walked into the kitchen to make up a plate as her mother asked.

A week later, Ann was standing with her family and Danny's as the hospital ship bound from Okinawa steamed into Pearl Harbor. An ambulance was standing by to transport the young pilot to the Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital and Sarah's grip on Ann's hand was so firm it almost hurt.

She, Sarah, Hank and Evelyn stood in a group as they watched the large ship negotiate it's way through the narrow channel and was assisted to it's mooring by a small tug. It seemed an eternity as the ship dropped anchor and several sailors lashed the ship to its mooring posts with the help of other sailors on board. The gangway was rolled out and it was several more minutes before young servicemen began debarking from the ship with the help of nurses and orderlies.

Ann was beginning to wonder if Danny was even on board when she saw Major McCawley appear at the head of the gangway. He looked behind him and waited as two orderlies slowly carried a stretcher down to the dock where a gurney waited for them and carefully strapped it down.

She felt Hank's strong hands on her shoulders as she tried to get a look at Danny. He was covered up to his chin with a sheet, his eyes were closed and she'd never seen him look so deathly pale. "They probably had to sedate him for the trip." Hank told her as they gurney rolled away from them and to the ambulance.

Major McCawley barely made it to the foot of the gangway before Mrs. McCawley was there and had her arms around him. "I'm glad you're home, the both of you."

His arms were around her and Ann could see how much he'd missed his wife. "I'm glad to be home too honey, and on a hospital ship no less." She heard him laugh and knew it meant something, she just didn't know what.

"Don't think that fact isn't lost on me Rafe McCawley." She smiled back at him.

"We need to get goin' Evelyn. I told the Navy that we would both be ridin' with Danny to the hospital."

"Thank you Rafe." She sighed and kissed his cheek. "There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be."

"We'll meet y'all at the hospital." Major McCawley told them as he walked with Danny's mother to the back of the ambulance and he helped her in before getting in behind her. One of the orderlies that had carried Danny to the gurney closed the door firmly before the ambulance turned on it's lights and rolled away from the small group.

"It's nice to finally have that boy home, safe and sound." Dad smiled. "Hank, if you wouldn't mind takin' Annie and Sarah, I'll take everyone else. You're more than welcome to join us there Evelyn, if you'd like."

"Thank you Major, I'd like that." Evelyn smiled back and seemed relieved to be included.

"Let's get movin' then." He took Mama's hand and started toward his car while Ann peeled off with Hank and Sarah to go to his car, while Evelyn walked toward hers.

The ride to the hospital was quiet. All three of the occupants were dealing with their own thoughts and emotions, whether it was as someone's sister, girlfriend or best friend. Danny was finally home, but they had no idea what the future held for him.

Hank was able to find a parking space close to the entrance and when he'd shut down the engine, got out and then helped Ann and Sarah out. He put an arm around each of their shoulders as they walked toward the hospital and Sarah sighed. "We were all born here, except for Joe. Dad missed Danny but he was here for me and rode with Mama and Joe in the ambulance after he'd delivered him."

"Your dad delivered your brother?" Hank was incredulous and Ann was surprised. She thought for sure that Sarah would have told him the story.

"Their group of friends was at the beach that day because it was Dad and Mama's anniversary." Sarah nodded. "If I remember right, Joe was a couple of weeks overdue and they were starting to get a little anxious. But then Mama went into labor at the beach and it happened so fast, Dad didn't have time to get her to the hospital. He had to bring Joe into the world with a lot of coaching from her." She smiled at the memory. "I don't remember too much of it because Danny and I were at the hospital with Annie's parents and their friends, waiting."

"You weren't around yet were you Annie?" Hank grinned at her.

"Dad and Mama were still about a month away from getting married." She shook her head and smiled back at him. "But it was a story I heard more than once while I was growing up."

When they entered the hospital, the girls walked ahead of Hank down to the waiting room and Ann found their families and Evelyn gathered together. Red Winkle and his wife and Barbara Dearborn and her husband had joined them and there was no sign of Major or Mrs. McCawley. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing as Hank didn't hesitate to tell her.

Major Winkle was commenting to Dad about them all being together at Pearl Naval, waiting for news. Once again she knew that it meant something to them but she didn't know what it was.

Ann was anxious to know what was going on but she knew that it could take some time before the McCawley's would want to leave Danny, or when a doctor would come down and tell them what was happening with him. He looked so awful and she hoped that it was because of the sedation and the long trip.

"They'll be takin' him down to surgery in a few minutes." Major McCawley's voice sounded tired as he appeared in the waiting room. "Evelyn's goin' to stay with him until they do and I told her I'd tell y'all what the situation was."

"How is he Rafe?" Dad asked and Ann could see that he was worried.

"The doctor in Okinawa told me that Danny's leg was badly broken in the crash but they didn't want to do anything until the doctors here could take a look at it. They ain't sure if they can save it and if they do, Danny may never fly again." He looked absolutely devastated. "All that hard work for all those years and his flyin' career might be over before it really had a chance to get started."

"Does Danny know about any of this?" Ann didn't know where she found her voice to ask.

"No Annie, he doesn't. He's still heavily sedated and it's a decision he's goin' to have to make if it comes down to it. His mama and I can't make that call any more."

"If he can't fly, will he at least be able to stay in the Air Force?" She pressed.

"There ain't any reason why he can't stay in if he ends up losin' his leg. He'd have to settle for bein' a desk jockey or a flight instructor and I don't know if he'll want to do that." The major elaborated. "But we won't really know anythin' until he comes out of surgery."

"How long do you think it will take?" Major Winkle asked.

"The hell if I know Red. It just all depends on what the doctors find once they get in there and see how bad the damage is."

"How's Ev doing?" Mrs. Dearborn asked him. "She was hanging on by a thread while you were gone."

"I knew it would be hard on her havin' the both of us gone, but she backed me up the whole way if it meant that I could find our son. She's doin' better now that we're both home and alive. I think once Danny gets through this surgery and we know what we're facin', she'll be her old self."

"Is there anything we can do?" Mama wanted to know.

"Just do what you girls have always done, talk to each other. That's the best tonic I can think of." He answered. "I'm goin' back to Danny's room and stay with Evelyn. I have a feelin' she ain't goin' to leave until he comes back and she can see for herself that he came through it all right. Sarah why don't you and Joe come with me and see your brother, it might do him some good to have his family with him."

He started to walk out of the waiting room with Sarah and Joe behind him. Sarah shot her a sympathetic look before her father stopped suddenly, turned around and looked at Ann. "I'd ask you to come with us Annie, but the doctor will only allow Danny's immediate family."

"I understand." She said. "But would you ask the doctor if I could see him after the surgery? I just want to see for myself that he's all right."

"I'll ask him." He nodded. "Don't worry honey, I'll make sure you get a chance to see him."

"Thank you Major."

"Thank you for carin' so much for my son." He smiled at her before he turned around and put his arms around the shoulders of Sarah and Joe and walked out of the room.