You Are On My Mind

Telling Of The News

*follows the chap Are You Mad?*

Danny gripped Linda's hand as they walked home, Linda still in silent tears. Her heart was aching for her boyfriend, she had heard many a war story at the veteran's home where she volunteered. She'd also heard more stories from the retirement home where she also volunteered. She wasn't stupid, she saw the anger and fear and sorrow rolled into their eyes as they recounted their horror stories. She hated war, even domestic war; and even as she realized she cause a lot of the mini wars in her house, she still didn't like them. They always ended in her Dad hating her even more and her sobbing for hours.
As the pair approached the Reagan house, Linda realized she had been being selfish. All she could think about was how her world was going to be upside down, but she should've been concerned for Danny's world. His was going to do a complete one-eighty, and possibly even... she forced the thought out of her head. She wouldn't think about that.
"I'm home," Danny called out half heartedly. He felt Linda squeeze his hand in support.
"Hi!" Seven year old Jamie Reagan bounded down the stairs. "Mama's makin' fried chicken tonight. Your favorite!"
Danny wanted to scream. Why today, on all days, did his Mom want to make his favorite meal? "That's great, kid."
"I'm not a kid!" Jamie protested.
"You're seven."
"I'm seven and three quarters!" Not that he knew exactly what that meant. He just knew he had a birthday coming up very soon.
"Is Dad home?"
"He's still at work, Dan," Joe informed him as he walked past his brothers and Linda. "Hey, Linda." He smiled at her, vowing to never tell a soul he had the biggest crush on her.
"Hi, Joe. How're you?" She rested her free hand on Danny's arm.
"Hungry." He smiled when she chuckled. "You?"
She wanted to tell him how she was in pain, pain from cramps and pain from the love of her life leaving to fight. "I'm okay."
"Good." Joe bounded up the stairs, retreating to his room.
Danny squeezed Linda's hand and walked into the kitchen where he found his Mom frying chicken legs. "Hello."
"Oh, hi, honey!" She smiled over her shoulder at him. "Nice to see you, Linda."
"Same to you," Linda managed a smile, gripping Danny's hand tighter.
"Do you know when Dad will be home?" The teenager wondered.
It was then Mary knew something was up. She observed the two teens; her son looked like he wanted to yell and scream all while dying. Linda looked like that, too, but the mother saw fear in her boy's eyes. "Everything okay?"
No. "I just need to talk to him."
"He'll be home soon."
*************
Frank sat next to his wife, wondering what was going on. His daughter was on the couch next to Mary, Joe occupied a chair, Jamie sat in front of Joe on the floor, and Danny and Linda sat on the coffee table.
"You're not pregnant, are you?" Joe raised an eyebrow at Linda.
"I'm being punished right now for not being pregnant." Linda snarked, appalled that he would ask that. Danny's family knew she wanted to save herself for her husband. Inwardly she prayed it would be the young man sitting next to her.
"What's the problem, then?" Erin wondered, holding a pillow in her lap.
Danny didn't say anything for a while. He just looked at his and Linda's conjoined hands.
"Danny's, uh, Danny's made a decision on where to go for college." Linda offered, squeezing his hand for support.
"It's not far away, is it?" Jamie wondered, furrowing his brow. He didn't understand why everyone was so serious.
"Yes, Jamie, it's far," Frank said almost monotonously. "It's very far." He looked at his son, who still had that scared, sad look upon his face. Frank knew what was coming. He wasn't sure how, but he knew.
"Like in LA?"
"No. Like across the world." Danny answered weakly.
"But why go across the world when there are perfectly good colleges an hour away?" Erin questioned; she was confused as well as her brothers.
"I didn't get into any colleges. They didn't want me." Danny started again, still quiet. "I've thought and prayed a lot about this, and I think it's the right thing to do."
"To go to Europe?" Jamie was still very confused. "What's the big deal? Danny is smart- he can apply to other colleges! Can't he?"
"I'm enlisting. Tomorrow. I signed up for a whole tour. Marines."
"What?!" Mary's face went pale and she stood up, "you what?!"
"I need to do this."
"You- you can't-"
"Mary," Frank calmly chided, looking up to her.
"No. No. You can't! You shouldn't! You mustn't!"
"I don't need a speech on how dangerous it is or how I'm throwing my life away.  I know what I'm doing. I have to do this." Danny's voice was steady, with angry determination.
"No!" It was Jamie who stood up this time. "No! You can't leave! You can't!" He ran out of the room, almost in tears.
Erin looked forlornly and angrily at her older brother. She practically seethed with anger, "how could you?" She was about to go after Jamie when Linda spoke up.
"How could he? How could you?" Linda stood up.
"I- I beg your pardon?"
"Not mine. His!" She pointed to Danny. "I understand Jaime getting upset. He's seven, and he doesn't understand. He doesn't know who to blame. But you. You two know this is a hard decision." She referred to the two Reagan women. "You know this is hard. Mrs. Reagan, you e experienced it first hand! And, Erin, I know you're stubborn and strong headed, but you're also compassionate and usually understanding.... I thought you'd two be more understanding than this." Linda shook her head, "come on, Danny. We know where they stand on this."
Danny, agreeing with every word his girlfriend had said, followed her out, but not before giving his family a dirty look.
"They could've been more supportive," Danny almost whined to Linda as they laid in the grass in the backyard. The sky was a little dark, the sun barely up. Within minutes of being out there, the sun went down. Now the teens laid in the darkness.
"I know. They should've been." Linda snuggled next to him, figuring he needed the support. She smiled when he wrapped his arm around her.
"I wanna thank you."
"For what?"
"For being here for me. For sticking up to them. I know it's hard for you to defy authority."
"Erin's not authority. But, yes, it was hard calling out your mother like that."
Danny heard the screen door swung shut and he sighed, not wanting to talk to whoever it was walking towards them.

A/n
Part three coming. Maybe I'll just make a short story of all these chapters. I think it's going to become an ongoing thing
Happy reading,
Cass