This is my first H50 fic, and I'm hoping it's a good one.
Last episode was a powerful one that had me grinning in some parts and bawling in some others. That funeral scene was so frickin realistic and touching and it had me bawling like a girl on her period watching a Nicolas Sparks movie. And then that final scene came around- the look shared between Steve and his team- and it had me perplexed. This story resulted. It will consist of two chapters. This one somewhat short, and the second has yet to be written so I can't really tell you. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to review :)
Oh! And anything marked with an asterisk (*) has an explanation of some sort at the end.
The funeral had ended, but Steve stands at attention next to the dark hole in the ground as the mahogany casket is lowered into it's depths. Out of the corner of his eye, he see's his team still standing a respectable distance away, undoubtedly waiting for him to approach them.
But the tears in his eyes are still far too noticeable.
He feels a hesitant hand touch his left arm and turns to look at Freddie's wife, a woman who's waited far too long to say goodbye. His glance moves down to the little girl at her side, Hope*, who will never get a chance to meet the man who gave her life and made Steve and Kelly's so much better.
She's still clutching the dog tags in her hand.
Kelly gives him a tender smile as she notices the un-shed tears in his eyes and speaks quietly, "We have to let him go, Steve. It's time."
"It's really hard, Kel." He confesses.
"Yeah," Her voice cracks "But he's been watching over us for 3 years. All the things we've been through, all the hurt and anger and fear… he's been right there. But we have to move on. He gave you his blessing the day he died. We can't keep asking more of him. It's not fair."
"Do you think he's still watching over us?" Steve asks in a quiet whisper. He runs his fingers under his eyes.
"Oh, Steve… I know he is. He always will. And we can carry that wherever we go. But today is about letting him- his spirit, whatever it is- go wherever it is he needs to go."
Steve nods his head. He looks down at the front of his uniform, and reaches his fingers to the SEAL Trident that adorns his chest. Pulling it gently away from the fabric, he brings it to his lips before stepping towards the open grave and kneeling next to it. He glances back up at Kelly, who smiles gently in encouragement. Steve sighs as he drops the insignia towards the dark box below him. "Goodbye, Bubba."**
He flinches when the metal hits the wood.
Steve slowly rises to his feet and turns back towards Kelly. Without a word, he hoists Hope into his arms and holds her up on his right side. He places his free hand on the small of Kelly's back and walks the pair to the black sedan waiting a short distance from the burial. He sets Hope down and opens the door to the back seat, a smile gracing his features as the small child hugs his waist before climbing into the car. He holds the door as Kelly moves to get in.
"Kelly," he stops her. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, please call me."
"I will, Steve." She smiles before sitting next to her daughter.
Steve closes the door for her and watches them roll away. Another hand touches his shoulder and he knows without looking that it's Danny at his side. He drops his head for a minute before turning to face his friends, who notice the red around his eyes.
"I know I've been distant the past few days." Steve starts.
"Brah, we understand." Kono gently squeezes his shoulder.
"I know, and I'm grateful for that." Steve nods. "But I was also hoping you'd grab a few beers at my place. There's a lot you don't know about me or anything that happened overseas, and it's time to tell you. You deserve to know."
*: I wanted to give the little girl a name that could be connected to the death of her father, and the bittersweet moment of her birth. By naming her "Hope" I'm trying to portray that she was the beacon of hope that kept Kelly going after Freddie died.
**: Steve called Freddie "Bubba" when they were strapping down on the plane.
2nd chapter to come!