Legacy

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan-fiction. The here fore used characters belong rightfully to MGM/UA and I just borrowed them. The only profit I hope to achieve with this is the pure pleasure of the reader, so no copyright infringement intended. Please do not sue me, I don't have money and won't be getting some from this story.

Author's notes: The story takes place some time after the final episode of the show "The Beast within" and after destruction of the mansion on Angel Island. The story changes in storytelling between the story and the thoughts of a person, the change in font marks this change. Second part of the "Poltergeist" storyline and again as in the first part, this is not an attempt to write anything like a fifth season or something - I have seen people do that better than I could do – so again, just a glimpse into the minds of the different members of the Legacy team as this series will continue further and how the events of the final episode affected them. Please let me know what you think of this one, feedback and everything is as always greatly appreciated and can be sent to LadySet@gmx.net

I am grateful for your opinion, it means a lot to me.

Legacy

by Belladonna

„People might die, they might be gone forever for us, but in our memory, in our hearts they will live on as will their legacy through us."

The skies were clouded on this day and black. It rained, gently and silently heaven also was weeping down onto the guests that had come to attend this funeral and to mourn the loss of a special man. Heaven itself showed his mourning to all those who had gathered underneath it to pay their last respects to one of their own.

Underneath the dark umbrellas they all wore black as a clear sign of their mourning and completely stunned and full of pain they glanced over to the coffin that had been put up next to the priest to be let down later into the grave where the deceased would find his final resting place.

They stood on the part of the island that was secluded to the bay, the part of Angel Island that was turned towards the open ocean and the horizon. Behind the hills there still were standing the burnt down ruins of the mansion that once had stood there, not such a long time ago. But all that was left of the mansion that once used to rise majestically behind the trees were only a few parts of the walls between which the ashes had settled down, the ashes of the House of the Legacy to which it had burnt down to.

The ruins couldn't be seen from the place the mourners were standing but every single one of them knew that they were there, that the ashes had not finally settled down yet there. Every one of them knew exactly what had happened; the picture of the explosion had burnt itself into the memories of those who had been there on that day, on the day they had lost their precept.

It had been his wish to be buried on the island and it was a wish that the mourners were trying to fulfil with very mixed and especially stirred up feelings. The grief and the pain of his loss sat too deep inside, the pain over the loss of a man who was not only their precept and colleague but had also been their mentor and especially their friend.

Some were praying for his soul and crying silently, others simply looked with petrified faces over to the coffin that contained the dead remains of Derek Rayne, the precept of the House of the Legacy here in San Francisco.

They had believed for several times now in the past to have lost him, way too often to make it this time even more painful for this time he truly was gone forever and he would not be coming back. And there was nothing else that showed this more clearly and painfully to them than the ring of the precept that was now lying heavily in the hand of one mourner.

One man stood apart from the others. He also wore black and his light eyes, otherwise so joyful and full of life were clouded with mourning and grief. Too clearly the pain he felt now was showing itself inside them; too deep sat the loss that had hit him just like it had the other members of the House, directly inside his heart.

The ring of the precept was lying on the stretched-out hand of Nick Boyle, the ring that Derek had entrusted him with and this way given over to him in the night of the explosion, the night that Derek had died.

Nick had not put it on since it was in his possession, he hadn't been able to. His sad eyes now were glancing by the priest over to the coffin in which Derek had been put for his final rest and again the pain was crawling over him and remained in his eyes and in his heart. He was looking to the coffin but he did not see it, just like he was listening to the funeral oration of the priest and the same time did not hear it, for his thoughts were too far away for that.

~/~

I have always known that this day would be come one day, we all had known it just like you have; the day on which we would be forced to make sacrifices for our work, for the Legacy; the ultimate sacrifice. That knowledge is a part of our lives, our work but it does not make the day easier when it finally comes, for none of us.

You always have been an example for me, the man I always was looking up to even though I never told you that I always strived to gain your respect and appreciation. I have always looked up to you for you had been like a father to me, the father I never had or was allowed to have.

I know you never had it easy with me and that it never was very easy with me for I was young and inexperienced, a real hot-head but you had patience with me, at times even more that I'd have had with myself. You have trusted me and in a certain way helped me to grow up that way and I will always be grateful for that even though you now will never know that. But I know that you have known it, known how much you meant to me though we often clashed for no reason. You and I had been so different and yet we were so much alike and now I realize that.

I can remember the last time when we thought to have lost you; I remember it well as I do the many other times when it seemed that we'd loose you. You have trusted me and confided in me then, asked for my help and I never had the chance to tell you how deeply this touched me that you had this confidence in me, how much it made me proud to be your friend then and still does.

We have met the first time to work together when I was there to take my fathers place in the Legacy, his legacy for me and I had been very young and without any real experience about life or what would await me here. I had been without the knowledge I have now and you have helped me, took me under your wings even if I have to admit now that I myself have never made it easy for you. But you have never given up on me, you believed in me and helped me master this responsibility that awaited me and that I had no idea of. I am not sure whether I would have been able to master it all so well without your help and your support, your friendship and it means so much to me.

Today I am standing here, on the day we all know that will come for us and yet we still fear it secretly; I know that I do. I am looking down on your coffin and have to think of all the people I have lost in my life and who meant a lot to me. But I also have to think that I had to experience this day much too often.

I have grown up since our first meeting, I have become wiser and I owe this all to you.

Now you have trusted me again and entrusted me with your ring but I have not been able to put it on yet. Too heavy lasts the responsibility with it upon me and I am not sure if I am grown up enough for this. I am not sure whether I am grown up to the weight that your ring means for me but that you have given it to me makes it clear to me that you have believed in my strength just like you have always done. And I am grateful for your faith in me, that you were able to see so much more in me, that you have seen me becoming so much more.

I don't know whether I can make it, never before I have been insecure in my work or never felt this insecure before about anything. I don't know if I can stand this new responsibilities but I also do not want to disappoint your trust in me, the faith you have put into me; I don't want to disappoint you. But I also know that if you believed in me and my skills so can I and it honours me that you always have seen more in me than I was able to see myself. I only hope that I am strong enough for all this.

I will not disappoint you, Derek for this I vow here today. I will continue your work and always honour your memory as high as you have honoured me with your friendship and trust. Once this day will come for me I will pass this memory on with the ring like you have passed it all on to me.

I have to thank you for the support you always have given me, for which I will always be grateful and for your trust that I am worthy enough to accept your legacy. I will do it with pride even though the pain and sorrow about your loss are too deep now. I hope that I will overcome this pain and that I also will be able to become a good precept as you have been for us.

I have stood too often on this place, on this special day to honour the sacrifice of others for I have lost too many people who meant a lot to me and today I not only have lost a precept but also someone who was very close to me, a good  and true friend. Goodbye, Derek, I will miss you and always honour your memory and the legacy you have entrusted me with.

~/~

Nick glanced down at the ring in his hand, Derek's ring which he had given to him in the night of his death. He had not been able to put it on yet and the responsibility it brought with it lay in its full weight in it. But now he was not that heavy anymore as it had been before for Nick knew now and had finally accepted the trust Derek had placed in him with the ring in his hand. He knew that he would not fail this trust in his skills and knowledge, all that Derek had left him. He vowed never to fail Derek as long as he would live for his memory and his friendship.

The ring that had been so heavy in his hand before now no longer was that heavy anymore when Nick slowly pulled it onto his finger and with that took up and accepted Derek's legacy to him.

~fin~