Ok guys. This is the end. I hope ya'll enjoyed reading, and I really want to know if you liked it enough for a sequel. If so, I will name it Love Knows No Future. So look for it, even if you don't message me. Just in case.

Anyway. I had fun writing this for you all. And thank you for sticking with it. Probably not the ending you were expecting. So thank you all again!

Enjoy!

Ch. 24

*Danny's POV*

We were assigned to Colonel Doolittle. The transport had taken us to an air base on the east coast. None of us knew what we were in for.

He was waiting for us when we got off the plane.

We saluted him. He saluted back.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. At ease."

We went into a parade rest waiting for orders.

"We will get to work first thing in the morning. Go ahead and get situated in your bunks."

Rafe and I had started walking towards the barracks with the rest of the guys. We were behind the pack.

"McCawley! Walker!"

We turned around.

"Come with me please."

Rafe and I looked at each other. We had no idea what we were in for.

He led us to his office, and closed the door behind us. We stood at a parade rest. We didn't know what to expect.

He had his back turned towards us, looking out the window.

"I heard about what you guys did at Pearl."

Rafe immediately started to speak.

"Well, we can explain that, sir."

"Explain what? The hula shirts you fly boys were wearing while fighting?"

We stood as still as could be at that. We knew it was against all protocol to wear anything other than our uniforms while flying military aircraft. We didn't even think about it at the time.

"Or the 7 planes you shot down?"

Relief swam over us. Thank God we weren't going to get reamed for our attire that day.

"The army is setting up a top secret mission. I need all my best pilots. Do you guys know what top secret means?"

Rafe spoke again.

"Yes sir. It's the kind of mission you get medals for, only they send them to your family."

Doolittle nodded.

"Well, this is a highly classified mission. You won't be knowing what's going on until we get there. Now, are you prepared for this kind of mission?"

Rafe immediately stepped forward. I didn't want him going. Not after Evelyn told me she was pregnant. But, if he was going, I was going.

"Yes, sir. I'm ready."

I stepped forward as well.

"I'll go too, sir."

He nodded. We could tell he was glad to have us.

"You're both being promoted to Captain. Oh, and McCawley?"

"Yes sir?"

"Here are some of your personal aspects England sent over."

"Thank you, sir."

"Leave your hula shirts at home boys. In the morning, we get started."

The next three weeks were hell. We had to get our planes off the ground fast enough to make it off a moving air craft carrier. We had to lighten the load as much as possible, and, we were losing faith in doing so. That's when Doolittle decided to show us how it was done. After that, we had each been able to do it one by one.

We were heading out on the aircraft carrier. Once we were in open sea's that's when Doolittle really spoke to us.

"Alright, men. I can finally tell you what our mission is."

We were all quiet. This was the moment we were waiting for.

"We are going to Japan. We're going to bomb them like they bombed us."

We all cheered. Some of us had speculated, but we weren't sure.

Later that night, Rafe and I were walking the ship.

"Danny, if I don't come back, take care of Evelyn for me, please."

"Don't talk like that, Rafe. But same goes for you. You take care of Alyssa for me, ok?"

"I will."

We were in the middle of conversation when Colonel Doolittle walked up to us.

"Hey, boys. See these?"

He held up some medals.

"They're friendship medals the Japs gave us. I'm going to attach them to one of the bombs, and send them back."

We laughed.

"Colonel. We've noticed there are only 16 planes. The Japanese, when they attacked us, had at least 300."

Doolittle sighed. Rafe had a point, though.

"Well, we're attacking small farms and such. We won't need all those planes."

We let it be at that.

Over the next couple days, we were painting the bombs, and getting acquainted with our targets. We thought we still had plenty of time before we had to take off.

The next morning, we were 600 miles from Japan. We still had 200 miles to go. The alarms started going off for us to get ready. I looked out the window.

"We're shootin' at something."

We all hurried up and got ready. By the time I had gotten to the deck, everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

"Take everything out that you can. We need to lighten these planes up for more fuel. What's your favorite gun?"

That was one conversation I heard. I ran to my plane. We were using broom sticks as tail guns. It was ridiculous.

By the time we had gotten situated, Doolittle had called us all over to talk to us one last time.

"Alright, men. We're going to be taking off. We're landing in China. There will be Chinese waiting for us when we get there. You need to know, I'm going to be flying with you. Good luck."

We had all ran to our planes ready to go. Doolittle was ahead of us. Rafi and I had already said our good byes.

"Alright, men. When we get in the air, keep radio silence until I say."

We all agreed, and off we went.

We had accomplished our mission with the bombings. We were on our way to China. It was only Rafes plane and my plane that were in sight of each other. Rafes engines had failed and he tried to glide into a land. It was a rough landed, but he managed.

"Danny, we've got Japs everywhere. Find another place to land, now."

I heard him, but I couldn't let anything happen to him. I turned the plane around, and tried to take out as many as I could before we crashed.

When I came to, Rafe was there standing over me.

"Aw, Danny."

I had a piece of medal stuck in my neck. I was terrified.

"Where's Anthony, Rafe?"

"He's dead, Danny. Come on. I have to get this out."

He was trying to get it out when I saw a Jap coming up behind him. He knocked Rafe out.

Some other Japs picked me up, and tied me to this board. They were trying to get Rafe, too. I saw my opportunity to fight back, and I did. The next thing I knew, I was being shot.

Rafe ran over to me while shooting some of the enemy.

"Danny, no. Danny!"

"I'm not going to make it Rafe."

I was choking. It felt like I was dying.

"You have to Danny. I promised Alyssa. Please. She loves you. I love you. Please, Danny."

The last thing I heard was Rafe saying Alyssa's name. I saw a blinding white light. I thought, for sure, that I was dead.

*Alyssa's POV*

Evelyn had gotten a job as a secretary. She had called in a favor to one of the men she saved. She said she was doing it to keep an ear out on the mission. She was scared for them, so was I.

She told me the last thing she heard were the sounds of the planes bombing. Then the radio went dead. She didn't know what had happened. We did nothing, but pray for the best.

It was the day the transport was coming. We were standing behind a barricade as it landed. We were nervous.

We saw Rafe get off the plane, and both Evelyn and I smiled. We were truly happy to see him. He looked right at us and shook his head. That's when he was handed the coffin. It was Danny. I cried for a minute, and before I knew it I had fainted.

When I came to, I was confused with my surroundings. I was back on my couch, in my living room, with the glow from the TV.

"What the hell?"

I looked around some more. I was in a sweat.

"That was a hell of a dream."

I took my left hand through my hair. My hair snagged on something. I looked down. My mouth was agape. I knew then, that everything I just experienced, was real.

I saw the ring Danny gave me, and I cried.