The Boyers were invited to a gala event for military echelon and a host of foreign dignitaries. It was there that Dani met Louisa, a woman that would become a driving force in her life. Louisa was a renowned scientist and Dani expressed her passion for research. Louisa offered Dani a tour of her lab so that she could see the inner workings of her most recent project. It was just what Dani needed to take her mind off of the whirlwind of turmoil that had crept into her life. Dani took to the lab like a duck to water and spent most of her time there that summer. Louisa found chores for Dani, such as sweeping the floors etc. and paid her a minimal fee. It gave her the opportunity to look over Louisa’s shoulder and drink in the experience. She was saving every penny that she earned from the Institute, so that she could purchase a plane ticket back to Springfield for her secret rendezvous with Tommy. Though she also was enrolled in college for the fall, she did not plan on following through with it. If she had to choose between eloping with Tommy and fulfilling her life long dream, she was choosing Tommy. The concept of cell phones was not yet in existence and they had virtually lost all contact. They both were counting the days until they would be together and nothing and no one could sever the love they had for each other.
The manhunt continued for Demeitre and Mad Dog, which turned out to be nothing more than that a fast and furious roller coaster ride. Demeitre knew that they were hot on his trail and he taunted and toyed with them. He was the master of disguises, sometimes deliberately parading himself right under their noses. All too often he would let the FBI get close to him and then vanish into thin air.
Dani had spoken to Kelly only twice since her departure, for international phone calls were quite expensive. They wrote each other frequently and at times she wanted to confide in Kelly, but she dared not jeopardize the secret plan. Dani started college but her heart just wasn't in it anymore, being with Tommy was all she could think about. She did however meet a girl named Rosa that she befriended. She brought her new friend home for dinner, because Rosa would be her cover while slipping back to Springfield. Tommy also began his fall schedule; his major was law enforcement with a minor in computer science. Computers were the wave of the future and the world was well on its way to becoming electronically linked. Tommy was an extremely intelligent man but he found it difficult to focus, given the situation.
September 23rd, 1982
Dani never traveled alone before, and the very thought of it was both frightening and exciting. In three days she would board a plane from Vicenza to London, with a connecting flight back to the U.S. She told her parents that she would be staying at Rosa's, and that they were going to travel to Pisa in the morning to visit with her family. She hadn't slept a wink the night before her big day. She still had no explanation for why Tommy had left her, but she was about to find out. The anticipation was more than she could possibly bear, and the same was true for Tommy. Dani landed safely in London only to find her flight was being delayed two hours, due to engine trouble. She frantically went from one airline counter to another hoping to change her flight. There were no other departures to Springfield that fit her time line. She had never shared with Kelly their plan to elope; only that Tommy needed some time away. Desperate to get word to him, she ran to the nearest pay phone to call Kelly, hoping that she could meet Tommy at the lake. No one answered the phone so she called Brian, again no answer. Suddenly she was enveloped in a blanket of panic and doom, as the room began to swirl. Why was this happening? She had no choice, but to wait until the plane was ready for take-off.
With a spring in his step Tommy arrived early, envisioning their reunion. She was, is and always will be the love of his life and soon they would be together, never to be apart. Darkness fell as the minutes and hours ticked away, with eager anticipation he waited and waited and waited. He had no idea that she also had been relocated. Three hours had passed and he started to question her love. Maybe... she moved on, maybe... she doesn't love me anymore, maybe... she never really did. Devastated and bewildered, he put the ring box back into his pocket and placed the single yellow rose at the entrance to the grotto. Before heading back to the airport he walked past Dani house, keeping his head down so not to be noticed. Once again the house at 713 Sycamore was dark and deserted, had Demeitre gotten to her he wondered? He thought about contacting Kelly but he didn't want to put anyone at risk. His heart was shattered as he made his way back to the airport, he stepped into the restroom to splash his face with cold water at exactly the same time; Dani was disembarking the boarding ramp. They missed each other literally by seconds, as she plowed past other passengers to hail a taxi. Alas she ran toward the lake, it was ominous, dark and eerie. She reached the grotto and collapsed not from exhaustion but from emotion, he was gone. With her trembling hands she clutched the rose to her heart and was paralyzed with sadness, she vowed never to give her heart to another.
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