Over a grave
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything that has appeared on the TV show Pacific Blue. I'm getting soooo good at disclaiming :)
AN: *points to Australia* It's all her fault! Chiquinta beta'ed! No just kidding, well she did actually beta this, for wich I love and adore her and she'll have my eternal gratitude, yours too if you knew how this thing look like before she pulled out ye olde big red pen. And just to complete this insane rant, I just want to add I love and adore her writing also. OK, done with the sucking up, on with the story!
Over a grave
Cassie slowly climbed up the grassy slopes of the burial grounds wondering why her mother had to be buried so high up. Expecting to be the only person there she didn't look up until she heard someone softly talking. A pretty blond woman sat on her knees before her mothers grave, telling her something that seemed to be very important. She turned away, figuring she could always visit her mother another day.
"You are her daughter right?" a voice, she assumed from the same woman asked from behind her. So she turned and nodded.
"Yeah" she shrugged.
"Then I should be the one leaving." The woman smiled, and wiped away the last remaining tears.
"No really, I come here all the time. Did you know her? My mom I mean?" she asked, longing to learn more about her virtually unknown mother.
"Yes I did, for a while she was my best friend." The woman answered.
"I didn't. She sacrificed herself so I could be born." Cassie told her, slowly walking back.
"You feel guilty?" the woman asked. Cassie shrugged
"A little I guess, I mean if it wasn't for me she would still have been alive." The woman flared up
"Well don't, because it wasn't your choice, it was hers, she made it and I doubt she regretted it, maybe only not seeing you grow up, but she left you in the care of a wonderful man. Don't diminish her sacrifice by feeling guilty for it. It wasn't your choice, it was hers." Then the woman seemed to realize the tone of voice she had used.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said it that way." she apologized.
"It's OK." Cassie quickly said "Could you tell me about her?" she asked. The woman nodded and padded the grass beside her.
"What has your dad told you?" she asked.
"Oh he's told me what he knows, but they were just friends and I don't mind hearing things twice or anything."
"Alright then. Let me tell you about the first time I met this mother of yours."
They talked for hours, laughing and crying, until Cassie realized what time it was.
"Oh man! I didn't realize what time it was, I need to go home my dad will freak!" she exclaimed.
"It's only six." the woman said.
"Yeah, but I promised to be home at five thirty. I am supposed to be grounded."
"Well I need to go as well; I have two of about your size at home who need feeding. I can give you a lift if you want."
Cassie was suddenly unsure of what to say, on one hand she had only met this woman this afternoon and she could be a serial killer or something, but on the other hand, she had known her mother and she really needed to get home.
"Yeah, that would be great." She said after a moment's hesitation.
"Alright, come on then, we're lucky it's downhill this time."
===============
TC heard a car door slam shut in front of the house and looked at the clock. A quarter past six, she was in trouble.
It took only seconds before Cassie came running into the kitchen.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, I was just visiting mom and forgot the time. It'll never happen again." Cassie started explaining.
"And your mother decided to drive you home?" he asked sweetly, so telling her she was in real trouble if he thought she was lying.
"No, I met someone there, someone else was visiting her grave. She told me a million things about mom, then she drove me home."
"Who is 'she' exactly?" TC asked, trying to catch Cassie in her own lies.
"Uhm. come to think of it, I never asked her name. She was pretty, blond, she said she was mom's best friend for a while, she used to be a cop too, she had the best stories. Please daddy, you have got to believe me." Cassie pleaded.
"Are you telling me you met Chris?" he asked, feeling like his world had just turned upside down, he hadn't heard from Chris since that fateful day.
"I don't know what her name was."
"Come on." TC said and walked directly to the photo-albums, he showed her a group picture.
"Is the woman you met on this picture?" he asked, he had made sure it was on from after the rookies had joined, then Chris wasn't the only blond woman anymore.
"Yes, I think it was her." Cassie pointed and it indeed was Chris.
"You liked her?" he asked her daughter.
"Yeah, she was OK, we only talked about mom though. She also told me about some of the stunts you and Victor pulled though." Cassie chuckled at the memory and her father's embarrassed look.
"Why haven't the two of you stayed in touch?" Cassie asked.
"Long story." TC said, then remembered he was supposed to be mad at her and she was supposed to be grounded. But he couldn't hold this against her, he had always encouraged her to ask as much about her mother as she could, how could he punish her for it now?
"We've got time."
"We'll have time some other time, now I have to make dinner."
"You can talk and cook."
"Don't you have homework to finish?"
"No."
"How is Chris anyway? How is she doing I mean?" he asked, changing the subject. She didn't mind dropping it for the moment though. That way she could surprise him with it a little later.
"She seemed healthy, she did have some pretty grave business to discuss with mom though. She was crying when I got there, but I guess that's just what people do there. She mentioned having two kids, but she didn't have a wedding ring. I don't know much else, she didn't tell me a lot about herself, I mean I didn't even know her name."
"Did she happen to mention if she was ever coming back?" he asked, trying not to be too obvious but miserably failed.
"I invited her in but she said she'd better not. You two were a couple weren't you?"
"We were married." TC admitted, not able to lie to his daughter.
"What? Really? Wow, I never knew you had been married. I mean, I knew you and mom were just friends but. Eeeew, if you were married to Chris, and mom and Chris were best friends." Cassie looked up to her father for an explanation.
"Chris had already left me by then." he said, his feelings of guilt written all over his face.
"You weren't divorced yet." Cassie concluded.
"No, and Cory and me. we were beating ourselves up about it, I never blamed her though. It was my fault I shouldn't have let it happen."
"Then you wouldn't have had me." Cassie stated. It drew a smile to her fathers face.
"And I wouldn't want to miss you for the world. I guess everything happens for a reason doesn't it?" he asked her.
"I guess." Cassie shrugged, then continued. "Sometimes, when I visit mom there laid some daisies at her grave, today I saw Chris laid daisies on her grave. I think she goes there more often."
"Thank you honey, but I think it's a little too late now. Dinner however is precisely on time, so if I were you I'd set the table."
=======================
"You're late" Sam said as she saw her mother enter through the back door.
"I brought pizza." Chris answered.
"You're forgiven."
"Would you set the table please?"
"For pizza?"
"I am not getting tomato stains on my couch _again_."
"Right." The girl went to the cupboard and got three plates, then walked a couple more steps to the base of the stairs.
"TOM! FOOD!" She yelled, then casually walked back to the kitchen.
"BE THERE IN A SEC" Tom yelled equally loud.
"NOW!" Chris yelled, not bothering to go to the stairs.
"ONE MOMENT!"
"I WILL EAT YOUR PIZZA!" Sam threatened, two seconds later with a lot more noise then was absolutely necessary Tom came running down the stairs.
"You wouldn't dare." He said.
"Try me." The girl giggled.
"Kids, settle down will you? I'm trying to eat here." Chris said.
The kids smirked and identical smirk, then rushed over to the half set table to get their share of the food.
"So, why were you late anyway?" Sam asked, with her mouth full.
"Just visiting an old friend." Chris shrugged, and then chided her daughter for talking with her mouth full.
"Had a good time?" Tom asked, stealing a piece of salami off of his sister's pizza, who whacked him as soon as she noticed.
"I did actually, I met her daughter, poor girl had to grow up without a mother."
"So your friend is dead?" Sam asked, a bit taken aback.
"Yeah, but it was really sad how that girl just lighted up from hearing just a few stories from a complete stranger about her mother. She was nice though and it brought back some good memories." Chris shrugged.
"Sam, about that, shouldn't we be out looking for a father or something? I mean, isn't that the normal thing to do?" Tom asked.
"Uhm, I thought we were her niece's kids, and that the niece died along with her husband when we were very young." Sam said
"No that was last time, this time you are my adoptive kiddo's." Chris filled them in.
"Oh right, then we should be looking for our birth parents shouldn't we?" Tom asked.
"Why?" Chris asked, it would mean she would have to make up files again and get those into the system without anyone noticing and doing that once a year was enough for her.
"Well, don't adopted kids normally do that?" Tom asked.
"Well, let's just say you won't cause it would take a lot of time for me to plant things you can 'find'." Chris closed the matter.
"Right mum, then it's just going to stay you and us." Sam said, quite happy about not having to go on a fake search.
"Yippy, now don't forget to drink that orange juice, it's healthy."
"Orange juice is supposed to go with breakfast." Tom commented "Not with pizza."
"Well, if you two lazy bones weren't always late in the morning you might have the juice then, but as it is now, you will drink it."
"I don't even like orange juice."
"Drink it."
=====
The girl twisted and turned on her bed, entangling herself with the sheets, uttering soft pleading sounds. It didn't take long before she shot up, awake, panting. Then let herself fall back onto the bed. She hesitated for a moment, then got out of her bed completely and walked over to her mother's room.
Seeing her mother asleep she almost turned back, but then pressed on and lay into the bed with the other woman. Just for the sense of security, she had always done this when she had gotten the nightmares when she was a little kid, and her mother would hug her and protect her and then the nightmares would stay away.
"Hey honey." Chris groggily said when she noticed someone stepping into bed with her. "Did you have another nightmare?" she asked, softly caressing the girl's hair.
"Yes. I was the closet again." Sam stammered. Chris took her daughter in a protective hug.
"I know sweetheart, but I will protect you now, you know that right? I will never let anything bad happen to you."
"I know mom." Sam whispered back.
==
When Tom saw the dark circles around his sister's eyes he knew almost immediately she had had another of the nightmares. A look at their mother confirmed it, though it was more then eleven years ago Sam was still dreaming about what she had seen as a little girl.
Samantha saw her twin staring at her worriedly so smiled at him, letting him know she really was alright.
"Come on, we've got to go or we'll miss the bus. Bye mom." Sam kissed her mothers cheek then grabbed her bag and rushed out of the door, closely followed by her brother, who was only called back to give his mother a kiss as well.
Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything that has appeared on the TV show Pacific Blue. I'm getting soooo good at disclaiming :)
AN: *points to Australia* It's all her fault! Chiquinta beta'ed! No just kidding, well she did actually beta this, for wich I love and adore her and she'll have my eternal gratitude, yours too if you knew how this thing look like before she pulled out ye olde big red pen. And just to complete this insane rant, I just want to add I love and adore her writing also. OK, done with the sucking up, on with the story!
Over a grave
Cassie slowly climbed up the grassy slopes of the burial grounds wondering why her mother had to be buried so high up. Expecting to be the only person there she didn't look up until she heard someone softly talking. A pretty blond woman sat on her knees before her mothers grave, telling her something that seemed to be very important. She turned away, figuring she could always visit her mother another day.
"You are her daughter right?" a voice, she assumed from the same woman asked from behind her. So she turned and nodded.
"Yeah" she shrugged.
"Then I should be the one leaving." The woman smiled, and wiped away the last remaining tears.
"No really, I come here all the time. Did you know her? My mom I mean?" she asked, longing to learn more about her virtually unknown mother.
"Yes I did, for a while she was my best friend." The woman answered.
"I didn't. She sacrificed herself so I could be born." Cassie told her, slowly walking back.
"You feel guilty?" the woman asked. Cassie shrugged
"A little I guess, I mean if it wasn't for me she would still have been alive." The woman flared up
"Well don't, because it wasn't your choice, it was hers, she made it and I doubt she regretted it, maybe only not seeing you grow up, but she left you in the care of a wonderful man. Don't diminish her sacrifice by feeling guilty for it. It wasn't your choice, it was hers." Then the woman seemed to realize the tone of voice she had used.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said it that way." she apologized.
"It's OK." Cassie quickly said "Could you tell me about her?" she asked. The woman nodded and padded the grass beside her.
"What has your dad told you?" she asked.
"Oh he's told me what he knows, but they were just friends and I don't mind hearing things twice or anything."
"Alright then. Let me tell you about the first time I met this mother of yours."
They talked for hours, laughing and crying, until Cassie realized what time it was.
"Oh man! I didn't realize what time it was, I need to go home my dad will freak!" she exclaimed.
"It's only six." the woman said.
"Yeah, but I promised to be home at five thirty. I am supposed to be grounded."
"Well I need to go as well; I have two of about your size at home who need feeding. I can give you a lift if you want."
Cassie was suddenly unsure of what to say, on one hand she had only met this woman this afternoon and she could be a serial killer or something, but on the other hand, she had known her mother and she really needed to get home.
"Yeah, that would be great." She said after a moment's hesitation.
"Alright, come on then, we're lucky it's downhill this time."
===============
TC heard a car door slam shut in front of the house and looked at the clock. A quarter past six, she was in trouble.
It took only seconds before Cassie came running into the kitchen.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, I was just visiting mom and forgot the time. It'll never happen again." Cassie started explaining.
"And your mother decided to drive you home?" he asked sweetly, so telling her she was in real trouble if he thought she was lying.
"No, I met someone there, someone else was visiting her grave. She told me a million things about mom, then she drove me home."
"Who is 'she' exactly?" TC asked, trying to catch Cassie in her own lies.
"Uhm. come to think of it, I never asked her name. She was pretty, blond, she said she was mom's best friend for a while, she used to be a cop too, she had the best stories. Please daddy, you have got to believe me." Cassie pleaded.
"Are you telling me you met Chris?" he asked, feeling like his world had just turned upside down, he hadn't heard from Chris since that fateful day.
"I don't know what her name was."
"Come on." TC said and walked directly to the photo-albums, he showed her a group picture.
"Is the woman you met on this picture?" he asked, he had made sure it was on from after the rookies had joined, then Chris wasn't the only blond woman anymore.
"Yes, I think it was her." Cassie pointed and it indeed was Chris.
"You liked her?" he asked her daughter.
"Yeah, she was OK, we only talked about mom though. She also told me about some of the stunts you and Victor pulled though." Cassie chuckled at the memory and her father's embarrassed look.
"Why haven't the two of you stayed in touch?" Cassie asked.
"Long story." TC said, then remembered he was supposed to be mad at her and she was supposed to be grounded. But he couldn't hold this against her, he had always encouraged her to ask as much about her mother as she could, how could he punish her for it now?
"We've got time."
"We'll have time some other time, now I have to make dinner."
"You can talk and cook."
"Don't you have homework to finish?"
"No."
"How is Chris anyway? How is she doing I mean?" he asked, changing the subject. She didn't mind dropping it for the moment though. That way she could surprise him with it a little later.
"She seemed healthy, she did have some pretty grave business to discuss with mom though. She was crying when I got there, but I guess that's just what people do there. She mentioned having two kids, but she didn't have a wedding ring. I don't know much else, she didn't tell me a lot about herself, I mean I didn't even know her name."
"Did she happen to mention if she was ever coming back?" he asked, trying not to be too obvious but miserably failed.
"I invited her in but she said she'd better not. You two were a couple weren't you?"
"We were married." TC admitted, not able to lie to his daughter.
"What? Really? Wow, I never knew you had been married. I mean, I knew you and mom were just friends but. Eeeew, if you were married to Chris, and mom and Chris were best friends." Cassie looked up to her father for an explanation.
"Chris had already left me by then." he said, his feelings of guilt written all over his face.
"You weren't divorced yet." Cassie concluded.
"No, and Cory and me. we were beating ourselves up about it, I never blamed her though. It was my fault I shouldn't have let it happen."
"Then you wouldn't have had me." Cassie stated. It drew a smile to her fathers face.
"And I wouldn't want to miss you for the world. I guess everything happens for a reason doesn't it?" he asked her.
"I guess." Cassie shrugged, then continued. "Sometimes, when I visit mom there laid some daisies at her grave, today I saw Chris laid daisies on her grave. I think she goes there more often."
"Thank you honey, but I think it's a little too late now. Dinner however is precisely on time, so if I were you I'd set the table."
=======================
"You're late" Sam said as she saw her mother enter through the back door.
"I brought pizza." Chris answered.
"You're forgiven."
"Would you set the table please?"
"For pizza?"
"I am not getting tomato stains on my couch _again_."
"Right." The girl went to the cupboard and got three plates, then walked a couple more steps to the base of the stairs.
"TOM! FOOD!" She yelled, then casually walked back to the kitchen.
"BE THERE IN A SEC" Tom yelled equally loud.
"NOW!" Chris yelled, not bothering to go to the stairs.
"ONE MOMENT!"
"I WILL EAT YOUR PIZZA!" Sam threatened, two seconds later with a lot more noise then was absolutely necessary Tom came running down the stairs.
"You wouldn't dare." He said.
"Try me." The girl giggled.
"Kids, settle down will you? I'm trying to eat here." Chris said.
The kids smirked and identical smirk, then rushed over to the half set table to get their share of the food.
"So, why were you late anyway?" Sam asked, with her mouth full.
"Just visiting an old friend." Chris shrugged, and then chided her daughter for talking with her mouth full.
"Had a good time?" Tom asked, stealing a piece of salami off of his sister's pizza, who whacked him as soon as she noticed.
"I did actually, I met her daughter, poor girl had to grow up without a mother."
"So your friend is dead?" Sam asked, a bit taken aback.
"Yeah, but it was really sad how that girl just lighted up from hearing just a few stories from a complete stranger about her mother. She was nice though and it brought back some good memories." Chris shrugged.
"Sam, about that, shouldn't we be out looking for a father or something? I mean, isn't that the normal thing to do?" Tom asked.
"Uhm, I thought we were her niece's kids, and that the niece died along with her husband when we were very young." Sam said
"No that was last time, this time you are my adoptive kiddo's." Chris filled them in.
"Oh right, then we should be looking for our birth parents shouldn't we?" Tom asked.
"Why?" Chris asked, it would mean she would have to make up files again and get those into the system without anyone noticing and doing that once a year was enough for her.
"Well, don't adopted kids normally do that?" Tom asked.
"Well, let's just say you won't cause it would take a lot of time for me to plant things you can 'find'." Chris closed the matter.
"Right mum, then it's just going to stay you and us." Sam said, quite happy about not having to go on a fake search.
"Yippy, now don't forget to drink that orange juice, it's healthy."
"Orange juice is supposed to go with breakfast." Tom commented "Not with pizza."
"Well, if you two lazy bones weren't always late in the morning you might have the juice then, but as it is now, you will drink it."
"I don't even like orange juice."
"Drink it."
=====
The girl twisted and turned on her bed, entangling herself with the sheets, uttering soft pleading sounds. It didn't take long before she shot up, awake, panting. Then let herself fall back onto the bed. She hesitated for a moment, then got out of her bed completely and walked over to her mother's room.
Seeing her mother asleep she almost turned back, but then pressed on and lay into the bed with the other woman. Just for the sense of security, she had always done this when she had gotten the nightmares when she was a little kid, and her mother would hug her and protect her and then the nightmares would stay away.
"Hey honey." Chris groggily said when she noticed someone stepping into bed with her. "Did you have another nightmare?" she asked, softly caressing the girl's hair.
"Yes. I was the closet again." Sam stammered. Chris took her daughter in a protective hug.
"I know sweetheart, but I will protect you now, you know that right? I will never let anything bad happen to you."
"I know mom." Sam whispered back.
==
When Tom saw the dark circles around his sister's eyes he knew almost immediately she had had another of the nightmares. A look at their mother confirmed it, though it was more then eleven years ago Sam was still dreaming about what she had seen as a little girl.
Samantha saw her twin staring at her worriedly so smiled at him, letting him know she really was alright.
"Come on, we've got to go or we'll miss the bus. Bye mom." Sam kissed her mothers cheek then grabbed her bag and rushed out of the door, closely followed by her brother, who was only called back to give his mother a kiss as well.