Title: Her Voice
Author: Tearsofamiko
Rating: K
Disclaimer: Not in this version of reality.
Spoilers: Requiem
Summary: He remembers and it saves him.
A/N: OMG, don't let me write late at night anymore...
"Daddy!" she shrieks as he picks her up and swings her through the air, her red curls tumbling around her face.
...dry desert heat, baking away color and moisture...
"Daddy," she mumbles, half-asleep, as he closes the book and leans down to kiss her forehead, running a hand through her hair.
...the smell of the dust, rising thick and oppressive, choking the air with its abundance...
"Daddy," she warns with a giggle as they stir the pancake batter, a special surprise for Mommy.
...tired aches and sore muscles, testament to his advancing age and dedication to the job...
"Daddy," she whimpers, tears filling her eyes as he runs over, as he puts a bandage on her skinned knee, as he pulls her close and tells her it's all right.
...the burn in the back of his throat and eyes, the physical reaction to news he can't make himself accept...
"Daddy," she whispers in his ear, sadly but with a smile, as he hugs her tight, a hug to last as long as he's gone.
...the cold damp weight of the dirt in his hand, tangible proof that it's not just a nightmare...
"Daddy," she moans, and his heart is in his throat as he rushes through the darkness to her room, her knight in shining armor come to banish the monsters of a little girl's dreams.
...the heavy hollow thump of dirt on wood, a death-knell in his mind, the only sound of his heart breaking...
"Daddy, wake up! Go back, Daddy, I love you, go back!" she calls and he obeys, one of the hardest things he's ever done.
A cold wind bites through his sodden clothes, awakening a myriad of little aches and pains. He vaguely realizes he's laid out flat on a hard surface, arms outstretched and exhausted. He's not quite sure what's happened, why he's so cold and wet and tired; he's more concerned with keeping the old memories close than trying to remember why he was here. He lays there, unmoving, staring at the sky.
...cold fingers twine with his, tremors running into his hand with the touch...
With an effort, he turns to stare straight into her eyes and everything comes back. All the memories and reasons, the bad guys and the good guys, and the sickening space in time when the car had been airborne before sinking into the water. As a tired smile flirts with the edges of her lips and her fingers curl themselves around his, he remembers it all and knows why he did it.
He wants to smile, can feel the barest hint of it touch his mouth, because he can see his daughter smiling back out at him from deep within her best friend's eyes.
I love you, Daddy!