Fic #10

[failegaidin]

The End by Harry Gregson-Williams

 

He had died a hero. That fact didn’t surprise her – she had always thought he was a hero. He would run into a burning building to save someone, even if he didn’t know them. He was always the first into a room, his gun drawn, ready and willing to take the bullet if that was what was needed.

 

            But he had always come back to her. As Stella stood in the rain, listening as the priest said the final words over his body, she remembered the relief that always flooded through her when she saw his smiling face again. Hell, even a bomb hadn’t been able to take Don Flack down, and she had been sure that she was going to lose him that time. In time, though, he had healed, and he had come back to her.

 

            The priest’s words faded into the background as Stella remembered. The way he had shyly asked her out on their first date, standing awkwardly in her office. Her first instinct had been to say no, because they worked together, because he was younger than her, for a thousand different reasons. But her mouth betrayed her and she had said yes before her mind had had a chance to step in.

 

            And it had been the most fun she’d had in a long time. The conversation flowed between them easily as they talked about their lives, completely avoiding the topic of work. She remembered the way he had hesitantly taken her hand after dinner, as he walked her home. A slow blush ran up his neck, and Stella’s heart had been warmed by that.

 

            When they finally got to her apartment, they stood there for a long time, neither knowing what to say. Eventually she announced that she should get to bed, and Flack had nodded, murmuring his agreement. And then he had leaned in, kissing her shyly. Stella felt it through her entire body, all the way to her toes, and she had responded immediately. It was slow, and sweet and deep, and she hadn’t wanted to let him go.

 

            They dated for a year before he asked her to marry him. She had been cooking breakfast for them, and when she turned around with two plates of eggs in her hands, she had found him down on one knee, clad only in his boxers and a white t-shirt. The plates had clattered to the floor as he opened a little black velvet box, exposing a perfect diamond set into a white gold band. Tears had streamed down her face as she sank to her knees as well, and she had barely been able to whisper a heartfelt “Yes” before kissing him.

 

            It had only been five months ago that she had revealed to him that she was pregnant with their first child. She remembered the joy on his face, the way his blue eyes had lit up as soon as the words were out of her mouth. He had held her and kissed her and cried happily as he realized that they were going to have a family of their own. He threw himself into getting ready for the baby, building a nursery and buying the baby assorted teddy bears and Yankees gear. Most days Stella found herself laughing at him, overjoyed at his joy.

 

            And it had been only yesterday that she discovered she was having a boy. As the priest ended his prayer and the casket was lowered into the ground, she rested one hand on her swollen stomach and let the tears wash over her. He would have been thrilled to know that he was going to have a son.