Danny's Story [What If?]
Chapter 10: Here's To Goodbye, Tomorrow's Gonna Come Too Soon
A/N: I know, I am using another part of Here's To The Night as a chapter title again. But that song RULES! Lol. So the last chapter, eh? That's sort of sad. This is now the only story on ff.net with chapters that I have finished. Isn't that weird? Probably not. And you probably didn't read this anyway. Bye bye bye!
Danny lifted Betty into his arms. It was hard to move back to New York. But Tennessee didn't promise any jobs. Danny didn't want Betty growing up like he did. They had bought Rafe's old house and barn. They had buried Rafe in the back yard. That was the most difficult decision. But Rafe was too special to bury in a cemetary where he would be forgotten. He needed to be near where he had learned everything about life. How to live, how to love, how to fly.
"Hey buddy," Danny said as he approached the tombstone. "We came down for a visit. I asked Evelyn if I could come out here alone for a while. Look at Betty. Look how she's grown! I really wished she knew you, Rafe. I really miss you."
"What dat?" Betty asked her father as he let her down. She touched some of the lettering.
"That's my friend Rafe," Danny answered.
"Where is he?" she asked.
He looked down at the toddler. 'Is she ready,' he thought. "Sweetie, my friend died. That is just where his body sleeps."
"Oh," she said trying to understand it. He knew she didn't. She ran around the yard a couple of times and gave Danny a little privacy. He would save the lecture for another day.
"Damn it, Rafe. Why did you have to die? We coula worked things out! But you had to go and die! Now I ain't gonna have any regrets, you hear me Rafe? I ain't gonna be sad about anything. You went and died and now I have to get on with my life," he said to the rock. "Shit, you loved her. I knew that. I went and stole your girl."
"Danny, I am a big girl. I didn't have to go and fall in love with you. But I did," Evelyn said approaching Danny from behind.
"Evelyn, Goddamnit! I asked for some privacy here," Danny cried. "Sorry, but you know?"
"Yes, I know. When we were here before I would come out and talk to the stone for hours during the night. It still hasn't really sunk in that Rafe is dead. I sometimes run over to his apartment and almost bang on the door, but then I realize I don't have much to say to the Jackson's," she said smiling. "If you want me to leave, I will."
"No. Come sit with me," he said as she sat next to him on the grass.
He kissed the top of her head as Betty came to a stop. She sat down next to her parents for a moment.
** ** ** ** ** ** **
Danny Walker's Final Tribute to Rafe McCawley
Tomorrow I will wake up
Feeling empty, feeling blue
If I had only one wish
it would be to spend one more day with you
I miss you dear friend
More than you will ever know
But somewhere in my heart
I know I have to let go
Under the earth
your body is saved
but the sky
will be your ultimate grave
So long my friend
For you aren't coming back
Your spirit will live on
Even if a body it lacks
Dedicated to: Rafe McCawley
The sky will always be your ultimate grave.
Fly on, my friend. Fly on.
Chapter 10: Here's To Goodbye, Tomorrow's Gonna Come Too Soon
A/N: I know, I am using another part of Here's To The Night as a chapter title again. But that song RULES! Lol. So the last chapter, eh? That's sort of sad. This is now the only story on ff.net with chapters that I have finished. Isn't that weird? Probably not. And you probably didn't read this anyway. Bye bye bye!
Danny lifted Betty into his arms. It was hard to move back to New York. But Tennessee didn't promise any jobs. Danny didn't want Betty growing up like he did. They had bought Rafe's old house and barn. They had buried Rafe in the back yard. That was the most difficult decision. But Rafe was too special to bury in a cemetary where he would be forgotten. He needed to be near where he had learned everything about life. How to live, how to love, how to fly.
"Hey buddy," Danny said as he approached the tombstone. "We came down for a visit. I asked Evelyn if I could come out here alone for a while. Look at Betty. Look how she's grown! I really wished she knew you, Rafe. I really miss you."
"What dat?" Betty asked her father as he let her down. She touched some of the lettering.
"That's my friend Rafe," Danny answered.
"Where is he?" she asked.
He looked down at the toddler. 'Is she ready,' he thought. "Sweetie, my friend died. That is just where his body sleeps."
"Oh," she said trying to understand it. He knew she didn't. She ran around the yard a couple of times and gave Danny a little privacy. He would save the lecture for another day.
"Damn it, Rafe. Why did you have to die? We coula worked things out! But you had to go and die! Now I ain't gonna have any regrets, you hear me Rafe? I ain't gonna be sad about anything. You went and died and now I have to get on with my life," he said to the rock. "Shit, you loved her. I knew that. I went and stole your girl."
"Danny, I am a big girl. I didn't have to go and fall in love with you. But I did," Evelyn said approaching Danny from behind.
"Evelyn, Goddamnit! I asked for some privacy here," Danny cried. "Sorry, but you know?"
"Yes, I know. When we were here before I would come out and talk to the stone for hours during the night. It still hasn't really sunk in that Rafe is dead. I sometimes run over to his apartment and almost bang on the door, but then I realize I don't have much to say to the Jackson's," she said smiling. "If you want me to leave, I will."
"No. Come sit with me," he said as she sat next to him on the grass.
He kissed the top of her head as Betty came to a stop. She sat down next to her parents for a moment.
** ** ** ** ** ** **
Danny Walker's Final Tribute to Rafe McCawley
Tomorrow I will wake up
Feeling empty, feeling blue
If I had only one wish
it would be to spend one more day with you
I miss you dear friend
More than you will ever know
But somewhere in my heart
I know I have to let go
Under the earth
your body is saved
but the sky
will be your ultimate grave
So long my friend
For you aren't coming back
Your spirit will live on
Even if a body it lacks
Dedicated to: Rafe McCawley
The sky will always be your ultimate grave.
Fly on, my friend. Fly on.