Free Bird - Morgan Wallen

Fifteen

Hardy's sitting outside on a bench, probably writing down some song ideas. His heart broke when he witnessed her tough exterior fall apart, that stone wall shattering around her. He had to leave the room so he didn't make a scene.

Morgan finally gets Daniella to move off the chair in the hospital room and go out to her car. "I'll drive home, okay?" He says. She nods, her chest heaving and her lip trembling as she keeps her sobs in. "Let me go find Hardy." She slides into the passenger seat, her head in her hands as she cries in peace. "Hey, we're leaving. What's that?"

"This is for her dad." He whispers, showing him. "Give Heaven Some Hell."

"Fuck you." Morgan whispers as he tears up, he's never seen this emotional side of the goofy country boy. "We should get going." He mutters as he looks away to wipe his eyes.

They get back to the car and see Dani passed out in the passenger seat. Her face is puffy and the area around her eyes are red and smudged black from her mascara. Morgan smiles sadly at her, taking the jacket she was wearing to put over her as a blanket. He pulls the keys from her outside purse pocket, starts the car, reverses then heads back to his house. "Sorry you had to witness all that, bud." Morgan whispers to Michael. 

"Life happens." He shrugs. "It sucks she lost her dad and all but she has 'nother guardian angel now." He says sadly.

Morgan sighs as he drive the painful half hour long drive back home.

+++

Morgan sighs as he carries Daniella up to their bedroom, laying her down on their bed. Hardy gets the car locked up before heading to the house, shutting the front door quietly. "Is it still cool if I stay here or should I leave?"

"She'll need you here. I don't think I can handle it alone, man. I've never seen her like this before, not once in the twenty somethin' years I've known her." He admits, standing at the kitchen counter. "Shit, the food's been settin' out." He wraps the pot pie up before sliding it in the fridge, clearing the table to wash the dishes. "She don't deserve this. No one does."

Hardy puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'll do this, man. Just go up and be with her." He pats his back before going up to the bedroom.

+++

It's been almost a week since John passed, Dani refuses to get out of bed so they've all been hanging out with her in the bedroom and she's beyond grateful for that. Hardy's sitting on a dining room chair with his guitar while Morgan is laying with her on the bed. The funeral is tomorrow and she has to make a speech and basically run the whole damn thing. Morgan has not left her side unless it to get her some food or drink or anything else she needs.

"Is it okay if I do somethin' tomorrow at the service?" Hardy asks quietly, Dani nods before rolling onto her side. "Thanks." She nods again. She's been pretty quiet these last couple of days.

"I gotta take a shower and find my dress." She croaks, sitting up slowly. Her face is pale and thin and her hair is messy and greasy. Morgan helps her up and into the shower, closing the door behind him.

"She does not look good, man."

"She's not really eatin'." He runs his hand through his hair. "I gotta get a haircut. Her old man always hated my mullet."

"I'll do it." Hardy says. "Yeah, I can clean it up for ya." Morgan grabs a pair of scissors from the drawer and hands it to him. "Can't believe you trust me this much."

"Don't make me regret it." Hardy cuts a lot off, chuckling darkly to himself as he drops clumps of hair to the wood floor.

"All done." Hardy grins. Morgan grabs a broom from the closet down the hall, sweeping up the mess. "She's been in there for a long time."

"You okay?" Morgan calls as he knocks on the door. She doesn't respond so he lets himself in, frowning when he sees her slumped on the floor of the shower. "Hey, c'mon out." He gets her to stand and he dries her off.

"Your hair." She reaches up to touch the short ends of it, it looks more like a Mohawk than a mullet. "You look good."

Morgan smiles. "Thanks darlin'." He hands her some of his clean clothes, leaving her to dress herself. He's taken over the typical household duties; cooking, cleaning, laundry. He's just glad he can help her out. He knocks on the door again, "you alright, darlin'?"

"Yeah." She sighs heavily as she opens the door.

"There she is, that beautiful girl." Hardy says, smiling at her.

"Shut up." She scowls as she sits on the bed.

"Where're your dresses?" Morgan asks from her closet.

"Trash bag on the right side." She says as she lays back. Morgan brings the bag out, opening it to go through her dresses as Hardy sits with Dani on the bed.

He filters through them, pulling out the black dresses before further separating them into different piles. He pulls up a knee length dress with an open back. "How's this one?"

"No." She mumbles as Hardy plays with her clean hair.

"Okay." He lays it back down. "This one?" She shakes her head. "I'll just pick for ya." He huffs as he pulls a random one out and hangs it up on the bathroom door. "You'll look beautiful, like always."

"Hey." Hardy whispers. "I know this is hard for you, but you are handlin' it like a champ."

She looks at the upside down version of her best friend with glossy eyes. "Thanks."

"You're gonna have Morgan and me there with you the whole time tomorrow okay?" She nods. "We love you, darlin'." She takes a deep breath as she sits up.

"It's harder 'cause it's just me dealin' with it by myself, alone."

"But you're not alone, baby." Morgan says, sitting next to her.

"Thanks." She stands and heads downstairs.

"What're you gonna do?" Morgan calls after her.

"I'm gonna cook somethin'."

+++

Daniella has to put on a brave face as she greets crying friends, a couple fellow servicemen and firefighters from his previous jobs, and extended family. She thanks them all for coming before sitting in the front row with Morgan and Michael on either side. Morgan's dad, the preacher at the church, offered to take over of the service, knowing how hard this is for his future daughter in law. Morgan keeps a hold of her hand the whole time, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. When he finishes his speech, Hardy stands and heads to the front, his acoustic in his hand. "Hey y'all. I'm Michael, I'm Daniella's best friend and she has graciously agreed to let me play a little song for all y'all."

"It's a song?" She whispers to Morgan who nods.

"Here we go." He starts playing his guitar, he's mastered it over the week just for Dani. He gets one line in before she starts crying again.

He finishes his song and there's light applause, not a dry eye in sight. Dani stands and gives him a tight hug, thanking him. He nods and sits back down, wiping tears of his own. "Thank you for that, Michael." Morgan's dad says, taking a deep breath before he continues with the service.

+++

Dani is sitting in a chair at the back of the church, staring at the pew in front of her with her hand on the cross necklace her dad gifted her all those years ago. "There you are." Morgan says, crouching next to her.

"He won't be able to walk me down the aisle on our wedding day. He won't be able to hold his future grandkid some day." Her voice is barely audible.

"Hey, he'll still be there, right by your side." He puts his hand on her knee. She nods and wipes her eyes before patting his hand. "You did great today, by the way." He tells her as she stands, he puts his arm around her shoulders as the exit the church.

"Oh, Michael, that song was beautiful." She says, giving him another hug. "I'm glad you got to meet 'em."

"Me too." He nods, walking with the couple to Morgan's truck to return to the house.