This is fiction that has inspiration from fact. The fact was changed to fit the story but the player was real, despite what some may say. I imposed him (and others) on some of my favorite fantasy world characters and created what I hope will be a unique story. The CSI characters aren't mine...well maybe in my fantasies. Kudos to those who created them and give them life so that we may all share them. That said...here goes:

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March 1962

Libby woke with a start. The not quite six year old stared into the darkness, confused. Where was she? As her eyes adjusted, her surroundings became more clear. Grandma's house...the spare room. Memory came back. She was staying with Grandma. Her older brother, Guy, had been in an accident at college and her parents had gone to see about him. Her other brother, Sammy, was staying with his friend Paul. Sammy had a job and needed to look after the house too while the folks were away. But she was too little and needed watching. So she was at Grandma's. That was okay. Grandma's was a good place to be. But right now, she was frightened. What if Guy was hurt bad? She loved her brothers, each adding a special happiness to her otherwise sad life. Her Dad was sick, very sick. And Mom worked all the time to make ends meet. There wasn't much joy around their house, but Guy and Sammy always seemed to find ways to make her happy.

She tried to go back to sleep but she couldn't. Tears began to flow down her face and soak her pillow. All she could think of was Guy. She imagined horrible things...even that he was...dead. She understood dead, even at her young age. Her sister, Anna, had died last year when a car ran over her as she walked home from school. And of course, there were the stories of her grandfather; the one she never met. He had been murdered when her mother was a kid. But it always seemed real to Libby. Especially the way her grandmother looked whenever he was mentioned. Thirty years later she still cried. Mom had told Libby to quit asking so many questions about him; it hurt Gramndma too much. But she wanted to know about him because whenever anyone did talk about him, the aunts and uncles and other family, they always laughed. Laughter was a mystery to Libby and she wanted to learn more.

Slowly her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off, thinking of him.Sometime later, she saw the door open. There was a great light behind the door; she sensed it even before the door opened. As it swung wide, the room was illuminated with a soft glow from the direction of the door. As she watched the entrance a form appeared. He moved slowly toward her. At first she couldn't tell much about him but there was something familiar. As he came closer, one feature overpowered the illumination...the bright blue of his eyes. He moved closer and closer. She thought she should be afraid but she wasn't. Something about him gave her comfort. Finally he stood at the foot of the bed. "Don't be afraid, little one. I won't hurt you. I'm here to tell you that your brother will be alright. I've been watching over you and I won't let anything else bad happen. At least until I have to leave." He looked across the hall at her grandmother's door. "One day I'll have to go but until then, nothing bad will happen." Then slowly he began to move away, back throught the door. The light left with him and the room grew dark as the door gently closed. Libby sat up in the bed. It must be a dream, she thought. But I'm awake. She laid back down and thought about her visitor until the light of dawn peeked through the window.

Later that morning, Libby heard the phone ring. Grandma talked briefly and then hung up. She stood quietly for a minute and then turned to Libby. "That was your mother. Guy will be fine. It was a bad accident but Guy will be out of the hospital tomorrow." What her grandmother didn't tell her but she found out later was that Guy had been the only one to survive. Five of his friends had died in the wreck that night.

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October 1964

"Libby" called her mother. Libby was at Billy's house, next door. She ran home, sensing that her mother was upset.

"I'm here, Mom," she called out as she ran in the back door.

"Back here," yelled her mother.

Libby ran down the hall to her parent's room. Her daddy was sick again. He looked worse than usual. "Honey, I need your help. We need to get him to the car. Then I need you to ask Billy's mother if you can stay there for awile. Call Grandma and ask her to come stay with you tonight.Please, Honey, I need you to do exactly as I say."

Libby nodded that she understood and tried her best to help with Dad. He was very weak, she could tell. She watched Mom pull the car out of the drive as she sped off toward the hospital. Libby ran next door and followed her mother's instructions. Grandma was there within the hour and Libby went back home.

Later Mom called from the hospital. They were helping Dad but he had to stay for a few days. Mom would be home later. Grandma let Libby stay up a little later than usual but finally sent her off to bed. Libby was feeling better now that she knew Dad would be okay. She drifted off to sleep.

The house ws quiet. Libby sensed that Grandma had gone to bed. She listened but heard nothing. So what woke her up? Then she saw the light begin to grow. This time it was behind the closet door. Once again, it opened and he entered. His blue eyes once again dominated the room. She sat up but remained quiet. "Your father is alright for now. But Libby, I won't be able to help him much longer. I can't keep my promise. I'm sorry, little one. But you need to spend time with him...all that you can because he doesn't have much time left." He looked sadly at her and then again begin to withdraw, taking the light with him.

Three months later, he visited again on the night of her father's funeral. "Little one, I'm sorry but I couldn't protect you from this. He was very sick. Now he is free from the illness and the pain. Think of him like that. He loves you very much, you know. And he wants you to be happy."

Libby watched his face. "Grandfather?" But he was leaving again and taking the light away.

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July 1968

Libby was sitting on the front porch when the strange car pulled into the drive. She ran inside to her mother. "Mom, someone's coming up the drive."

Mom went to the door and was visibly shaken by what she saw. It was an official car from the Navy base. She recognized the men inside. One was Col. Harris, her late husband's squadron commander before illness had ended his career. The other was Chaplain Partin. Which of the boys was it, she wondered to herself.

She opened the door, unable to speak. The men entered and sat with her in the living room. Libby sat next to her Mom.

"Liz," began Col. Harris, "I wanted to come with Chap here because I remember the night Sammy was born. He's always been such a special young man. The report came into the base today that he's MIA. "

"MIA" whispered Liz.

""Yes," said the Chaplain. "He's missing but we believe he is alive."

"Alive?"

"Yes, his squad got caught behind the lines. If they can lay low until the line shifts, we may have him back soon."

"And if the lines don't shift? What then?"

"Then he could be taken prisoner..."

Liz digested the news as did Libby.

In the early morning hours, Libby was once again visited by her grandfather."Honey, he's safe. He's hiding with two of his friends. They aren't hurt but they have to be very careful. It will be awhile before there is news but he will be safe and home by Christmas."

That was the best Christmas the family had enjoyed in years. Sammy had returned to them the week after Thanksgiving, thinner but alive. Guy had finished his tour in October and was also home for ther holidays.

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He appeared to Libby at various times over the next few years althought their lives seemed to have settled into a routine. Sometimes he came to remind her that he was watching. Sometimes he would tell het that he ws proud of the young woman she was becoming. And then he appeared the night before her wedding to wish her happiness. She was happy. Life as an adult seemed to be much smoother than her early years. Her first child was born in 1980. The second followed two and a half years later. He was born deaf. Libby cried for a week before her grandfather came. "Honey, I know you're sad. But he will be fine. Treat it like a handicap and you'll cripple him. Treat it as a fact of life and he'll overcome it. This is my last visit. I'll be going home tonight. The time has come. You'll be okay. You're a good mother and wife. And your life will be full. Just remember the lessons of your lifetime and the lives of those that came before you. We're proud of you, your Grandmother and I. Remember that. And when it's your time to go home, we'll be waiting." And he was gone.

Her phone rang at 6:30 the next morning. It was her mother. Grandma had slipped away during the night. The nurse had told Mom that Grandma talked of nothing but going home all afternnon. She was animated and happy. They had waited fifty years to be together again and now both were home.