A/N: Sorry it's been so long kids. My working life has been hectic of late and hasn't left me much time for writing. It's a problem as well because Danny and Ann keep changing their stories and just when I think I've got them pegged they want to do something different. But I'll do my best to pin them down with what's going to happen so I can continue on a regular basis. So please bear with me while our two young lovers decide just what in the heck they want to do because they sure aren't telling me much.

"You've been awful quiet Annie, what goin' on?"

Ann glanced up from her favorite spot on the porch swing with an open book in her lap to see her father standing in the doorway looking a little worried. "I haven't been quiet Dad. I've been studying, a lot."

"It seems to me that you've been havin' a real hard time with it when studyin' always seemed to come so easy to you." His frown deepened as he sat down and put an arm around her shoulders. She put her head down on his shoulder and couldn't help but wish that she were twelve years old so Dad could solve her problems for her. "I imagine that college is a whole different thing from high school and you're havin' some trouble gettin' your feet wet."

"It didn't start out in the best way that's for sure. Danny was still missing and we didn't have any idea where he was or how he was." She sighed. "It was all that I could think about for weeks and school didn't seem so important."

"I know honey. It ain't overstatin' it to say that your mama was worried about you and we wondered if maybe we should have pulled you out. But we hoped goin' to class and studyin' would help keep your mind occupied so that you wouldn't worry so much. And now it seems that you've lost interest." He was direct as always.

Ann sat up so she could look at him. "I wish I knew exactly what it is that I'm feeling. I seem to be stuck between wanting to be a kid and wanting to be an adult. I want you and Mama to tell me what to do but I know if you try, I'll resent it."

"Sounds to me like you're scared; it's as simple as that. You want to stand on your own two feet but you ain't sure if you're ready yet and maybe I didn't help much with that." His look was serious. "When you first started talkin' about college I hoped that you would go to school here so you wouldn't have to leave us. Mama thought it would have been a good experience for you to live in the dormitory because you would have gotten a feel for livin' on your own but it didn't make sense to me. If you were goin' to go to school here why would you live in a dormitory? But now I'm thinkin' that I should have let you do it because it would have been a good experience for you."

"That's only part of it though Dad."

"I know that. Danny McCawley is a big part of this and that's got you scared too. I don't mind sayin' that things were movin' too quickly for my likin' and I was a little worried that things might get out of hand. But Mama kept tellin' me that I had to trust you and trust Danny. But the way you two were avoidin' each other for awhile at Thanksgivin', I'd say that somethin' did." He said it without accusation, but the disappointment in his voice was evident.

"But not so far that we couldn't put a stop to it." She said it so quietly because she was embarrassed that her father had figured it out.

"If you weren't already eighteen, I'd ground you until you were twenty-one." The tone of disappointment became anger, but he never raised his voice. "Good Lord Annie, this is exactly the sort of thing that we were tryin' to avoid. Or have your mama and I been talkin' to ourselves all this time?"

"No Sir, you haven't. We knew that we were pushing things, but we couldn't seem to help it." She cringed as she finished because it sounded so awful.

"That's because you were reactin' to the closeness of each other instead of listenin' to your conscience. I don't think I've ever been disappointed in you because you've never given me a reason, but I am now. You've never been a girl that doesn't think things through and it seems that you ain't done a lot of thinkin' when it comes to Danny."

"If you thought that things were moving too fast, then why did you let me stay with him when he was in the hospital?" She'd always wanted to ask but never had the opportunity, until now.

"Because he was unconscious and I knew that nothin' could happen. And I knew you wouldn't be bold enough to try somethin' right in his hospital room." He added with a frown.

"Dad!"

"Don't use that outraged tone with me young lady. I was young myself once and I know how hard it is to be with someone you love and not be able to show them the way you want." He continued.

"Dad!" She repeated because she was unprepared for his frankness.

"Don't Dad me again Annie because I'm goin' to start thinkin' that somethin' happened that you ain't tellin' me."

She was mortified that her own father would think that she wouldn't tell him the truth, but she was just as embarrassed that she'd not used her good sense when it came to being so close to Danny. Dad was right about that.

"Should I ask if anythin' happened while we were in Tennessee?" He seemed almost afraid to ask but as her father, he may have felt the need to know.

Ann put her head back down on her father's shoulder and she felt his arm settle around her shoulders in comfort. "We kissed but nothing else happened. We also talked a lot because we knew that we'd crossed a line that we shouldn't have and we were trying to figure out how to back away without feeling as though we couldn't be alone together."

"Have you figured it out?" His voice gentled and she felt his hand pat her arm in reassurance. "Can you be alone together without things gettin' out of hand?"

She nodded. "When we found ourselves alone a few times during the last couple of days, there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between us that we would keep things under control. And we did."

"Now there's the sensible young woman I know my daughter is." He sighed. "The plain truth is that I ain't quite ready for you to be grown-up yet and it's goin' to take me some time to get used to it. Especially when you've got a young man in your life that means so much to you."

"I love him Dad."

She felt him nod. "I know you do honey and it's goin' to take me some time to get used to that too. You ain't my little Annie anymore and that's a fact I can't ignore."

She nodded in response and then sighed. "That scares me sometimes. I'm so used to living here with you and Mama, Shelby and Tom and it never used to occur to me that there would come a time that I wouldn't live here anymore."

"You're growin' up and gettin' your first lessons on what that is. When Rafe and I were your and Danny's age, we were already away from Tennessee and learnin' to fly at Mitchell. We didn't know it at the time but we were gettin' ready to meet your mama and Evelyn and fight in a war. We had to grow up faster than we should have, but that's how it was in those days. That's why it was important to Mama and I that you have the time to be a youngster and do all the carefree things that we didn't have time to do."

"Danny didn't have that time."

"That's true, but it was also his choice. He didn't have much time to do the goofy things that kids do and I always felt bad about that, but it got him where he wanted to be."

"And I'm not so sure that it's what he wants anymore." She mused.

"He was workin' awfully hard over Thanksgivin'. But Rafe says that's how Tom is when he's got somethin' on his mind. He works his body, so he can work his mind and wrestle with whatever the problem is. If Danny's tryin' to decide if he's goin' to stay in the Air Force or not, that was probably his way of dealin' with his decision."

Ann sat up again and looked at her father. "Do you think he's made the decision to leave?"

Dad shook his head. "I didn't say that. I just said that he might have been wrestlin' with the problem. Whether he's decided to leave that's anyone's guess because he ain't said anythin' to Rafe or his mama, or you I'd wager."

"He hasn't said much of anything to me since we got back. I've been trying to catch up on my classes and he's been busy as a flight instructor."

"Is he still takin' you to the squadron Christmas party? It's next weekend, isn't it?"

"As far as I know he is because Mama's promised me that she'll take me shopping for a formal."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Why do you need a formal? You've got a perfectly good formal from your senior prom hangin' in your closet that you've only worn once, just wear that."

"Dad, his squadron party is only going to be at the swankiest hotel on the island and my high school formal just won't do." She explained to him and was more than a little annoyed that he didn't seem to understand.

"And I suppose tellin' you no won't make a difference."

"It was Mama's idea so you'll have to tell her no. And I don't think you've ever told her no to anything." Ann challenged him.

"Well, you do have a point there. I've never refused your mama anythin' and if this means so much to her than I guess you're gettin' a new formal." He sighed in resignation and took his arm from around her shoulders before he stood up. "I suppose that there are goin' to be rooms available to the squad?"

"Yes." She answered hesitantly knowing where he was going.

"I ain't in the position to tell you that you can't go, but I would remind you that there ain't any reason for the two of you to make use of one of those rooms."

That was fair.

"We won't." She tried to reassure him. "We've been tying ourselves into knots over things that could have happened but didn't, so we're not about to see anything through and make things worse."

"I appreciate that honey. I also appreciate the fact that you've been so honest with me. You ain't obligated to tell me anythin' but I'm glad you do." He said as he headed for the front door.

Ann shrugged her shoulders. "We've always been that way. We've always talked things through and seen things through together as a family."

"And one of these days our family could be expandin'."

She felt her face flush and smiled self-consciously. "I wouldn't worry about that just yet Dad. Things are so up in the air for both of us that it's the last thing either of us is thinking about."

"Whatever you say honey." His smile seemed to be a knowing one as he walked into the house and left her alone to ponder what it meant.