AN: I started writing this story a few days after Robin Williams' death, but it took a while before I was satisfied with it enough to post it. I only own my OC. RIP Robin, I've been a fan of yours for a long time.
Mindy sat on her bed, staring into space. She still couldn't believe it. Her beloved Mork was gone. With a sigh, she picked up his pillow and hugged it close to her body, inhaling the scent that still lingered on it. His scent. "Why, Mork? Why did you leave me like that?"
Mearth poked his head in the door, his eyes red from the tears that he'd been crying. "Mom, why don't you come and join me and April in the living room?" He stepped closer to Mindy. "Please, Mom?"
Mindy glanced at her son, remembering the look of pure joy on Mork's face when Mearth had hatched. It had taken her a little bit longer to get used to the idea, but there was no doubt in her mind that she had always adored her bouncing baby man. He was no longer a baby, of course. He was thirty-three years old –he looked slightly older than his chronological age, but not enough for it to make that much of a difference – and was engaged to be married. She gave him a weak smile. "I'd rather be alone for a little while, sweetheart. Hope you don't mind."
"Kayo, Mom." Mearth gave her hand a little squeeze. "Can I get you anything?"
"No thanks." Mindy shook her head. She reached up and hugged Mearth, then watched as he walked out the door, closing it behind him. She stood up and walked over to her dresser, picking up the framed photograph of herself and Mork on their wedding day. Looking at his smiling face, she couldn't hold it in any longer. Her whole body shook as she sobbed loudly.
"She's in here, Grandpa." Mearth opened the door again and led his grandfather, Fred, into the room.
"Oh, honey…" Fred wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I got here as soon as I could. I'm so, so sorry."
"Thank you, Dad." Mindy sniffled and leaned into his embrace. "Why did this happen? Why Mork?"
"I don't know, Mindy." Fred answered. "I don't know what drives some people to…" He trailed off.
"Was it because of our physical age difference?" Mindy yelled. "Was he afraid of what people would say when they saw us together? I mean, he looked like a teenager, and I'm fifty-eight! Who cares what people thought about us? They could have called me a cougar, a cradle robber or whatever. Hell, they probably were already saying those things ever since Mork started looking younger than me, but that didn't matter as long as Mork was by my side! Now he's not, and it's all my fault." Mindy buried her face into her father's chest.
Fred sighed. "There's no way of knowing exactly why he did it, Mindy, but I know how much he loved you. He would never intentionally hurt you, you know that."
Mearth and his fiancée, April, rushed into the room when they heard Mindy's outburst. "You can't keep blaming yourself like this." Mearth said.
"But I need to blame someone." Mindy insisted.
Mearth shook his head. "I don't think it has anything to do with you or anyone else. Anyway, we might never know the answer, so why dwell on it? I just want to remember Dad for how he lived, not how he died."
April spoke up. "I'm so glad I got the chance to know him. Although it was a bit weird at first. I never thought I'd be with a guy whose father was younger than him!"
Mearth put his arm around her. "I'm glad you weren't freaked out by the whole Orkan thing after I explained everything to you."
"I wasn't born yet when your family was on the news, but at least you put the interview on YouTube. It was interesting to see for myself what your family went through." April grinned. "And you were such a cute baby!"
"Aw, shucks!" Mearth bashfully averted her gaze.
Mindy smiled sadly. "Mork won't be at your wedding. I know how excited he was about it."
Mearth smiled back. "I know. It'll be tough not having him there. Not just for the wedding, but for everything else."
Mindy looked around the apartment. "This place will be so different without him. More than half of my life was spent here with him, and I've treasured every minute of it." She started wandering around. "So many memories…" She stopped at the attic door. "His room was up there for the first few years. Then, when we got married and had you, Mearth, it became your room until you got your own place."
Mearth grinned. "I loved it up there. Lots of space." His eyes filled with tears. "I remember when you and Dad would tuck me in, singing to me and telling me stories."
Mindy went to the table and stared at it. "Did I ever tell you about the time he came down with a cold? I gave him some medicine, thinking it would make him feel better, but it shrank him. He went to another world, where he met an alternate version of me. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but she ended up dying in his arms. When he grew back to his normal size, he told me…" She stopped talking, wiping her eyes as fresh tears began to fall.
Fred took her in his arms again, knowing exactly what she was about to say.
Mindy took a deep breath. "He told me that he hoped he'd leave this world before I did, so he wouldn't have to lose me twice." She wiped her eyes.
Mearth walked over and took her hand, not saying anything.
Mindy looked all around her apartment, fear in her eyes. "I have to get out of here, at least for a short time."
Fred held her and stroked her hair, like when she was a little girl. He knew what the problem was. She and Mork had been together for so many years. It was obvious that every single thing in the apartment reminded her of him in some way. "Tell you what, why don't you stay with me for as long as you want? You can sleep in your old room."
"Thanks, Dad, I think I will." Mindy hugged him.
Fred looked at Mearth and April. "You two are more than welcome to join us."
"Thanks, Grandpa." Mearth nodded in agreement. He and April then went home to get a few things.
Mindy went into her room, took out a small suitcase and started packing. When she was finished, she took her suitcase to the living room, where her father was waiting.
"Ready to go?" Fred asked.
"Almost." Mindy said, remembering something else she wanted to take with her. She ran back to her room, grabbed the thing in question, then they left.
Later that night, Mindy tossed and turned in her childhood bed. She was exhausted, but couldn't seem to fall asleep. She then remembered the object that she had gone back for earlier. She got out of bed and opened her suitcase, smiling when she saw it sitting on the very top. She picked it up and climbed back into bed, finally able to sleep.
Fred went to check on her the next morning, knowing that she'd probably had a rough night. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of his daughter sleeping soundly, a smile on her face. In her hands were a pair of rainbow suspenders.