A Teary Farewell



Mariana looked in the mirror of the bathroom. She was wearing a black silk dress with a layer of black lace over. A silver chocker with black stones clung to her neck. Matching earrings and a bracelet adorned her ears and wrist. She had lightly brushed on eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss. She spritzed on some body spray and walked out of the bathroom where Alexandria and Luka were lined up waiting.



Alexandria walked in, shutting the door behind her. Luka sighed and followed Mariana to the girl's room. He watched as she rummaged in the closet, looking for some shoes. She pulled on a pair of black heels.



"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Luka asked. "Doing the eulogy?"



Mariana looked up at him as she grabbed her small purse and slipped the small silver chain around her shoulders. She nodded, whispering, "Yes."



She walked towards the door and Luka stepped aside so that she could walk out. Sitting on the couch she wearily closed her eyes. There was a knock on the door and Luka ran over to open it.



"Luka!" Abby exclaimed somberly. "You're not dressed!"



"Yeah," he replied. "I'm not used to living with two teenage girls."



Abby laughed. "Haven't been able to get in yet?"



Luka shook his head, "Nope."



The door to the bathroom opened and Alexandria walked out wearing a long black dress that sparkled with dark red glitter. Around her neck hung a ruby necklace. The matching earrings hung from her ears and a bracelet was sitting on her wrist. She was carrying a purse that matched her dress, and wearing dark red heels.



"Alexandria! You look wonderful!" Abby exclaimed as she walked to one of the chairs.



"Thank you," Alexandria replied.



Abby sat down and smiled at Mariana. "You look wonderful too, Mariana."



Mariana looked at her. "Thank you."



Alexandria walked to the other end of the couch and sat down. Mariana looked at her. "Al, are you sure you don't want to do part of the eulogy?"



Alexandria nodded. "Yeah, you do it."



Luka walked out of the bathroom, "Okay, everyone. I'm ready to go."



Mariana and Alexandria looked up and stared at him in shock. In unison they said, "Already?"



Luka laughed. "Yeah. Already."







The ER staff was standing in the church looking around. The Pastor walked up to them. "Hello. I'm Pastor Hart. How do you all know Jack?



Everyone looked at each other. When it was clear no one was going to answer Elizabeth said, "We don't know Jack. We know his twins. We work with Dr. Kovac."



Pastor Hart smiled and nodded. "It's very nice of you to come and show your support. The girls are in the sanctuary with Luka and Abby. When the funeral directors open the doors you can go in."



He walked away to go talk with the other guests who were arriving. The group was silent. This was the first the time they had all gone to a funeral together since Mark had died.



The doors to the sanctuary opened and everyone slowly began to trickle in. When the staff walked in they saw Luka and Abby sitting on a pew next to Mariana. Alexandria was standing in front of it.



People walked up and touched Mariana's shoulder as they gazed at the body before giving Alexandria a hug and whispering words of sympathy to the girls.



The hospital staff slowly walked up. Miraculously the man didn't smell as bad as he had the first time they had seen him.



Luka and Abby looked up and smiled at the staff. "Hi guys," Luka whispered. "Thanks for coming." Elizabeth gave Alexandria a hug and smiled at Mariana. Jing-mei did the same. As the rest of the staff walked on, Romano hugged Alexandria before stepping into the pew and hugging Mariana. After he had done that he followed the rest of the staff as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.







The funeral home directors closed the casket as Luka stroked Mariana's hair. As Abby stroked Alexandria's. The funeral started and the Pastor spoke. But the funeral was awkward. What do you say about an abusive drunk? Who cries for a man who provoked the suicide of his wife, and stabbed his daughter?



That daughter who he stabbed. That's who was sitting in the pew with tears streaming down her face as the man next to her rubbed her back and tried to comfort her.



A few songs were sung, a few words were said, and then the Pastor looked towards that daughter and said, "No one has the right to give the eulogy for Jack more than the two girls who knew him the most. So, it is with that said, that I am going to bring Mariana up."



Mariana stood up shakily and looked to her side where Luka, Alexandria and Abby were sitting, smiling encouragingly.



She walked up to the pulpit and looked out over the parishioners. She was surprised at the number of people there. There were people she knew a little from the Sunday's she had worshiped at the church. A group of her friend's from school had gotten out to come for the service. Her neighbors from her old apartment were sitting in the back two rows, all smiling broadly and waving ecstatically. From the looks of them you'd think they were at a wedding, not a funeral. The ER staff was all huddled together in one of the pews. And there was a slim, older lady who looked somewhat familiar, sitting and staring at Mariana, burning a hole into her head.



Mariana pulled her eyes away from the lady, not knowing what to say. She had thought she had it all planned out, but now she was not so sure.



"What do you say about a man who abused his wife until she committed suicide? What do you say about a man who abused his children? What do you say about a drunk? What do you say about a man who nearly killed his daughter, that wouldn't tarnish his memory?" Mariana started out, looking around before answering her question. "You have to look past all the bad stuff, and see the good. You have to see the man who kissed his wife goodnight every night. You have to see the man who sang lullabies to his children after they woke up from nightmares. You have to see the man who placed a rose on his dead wife's graves every day."



She paused and looked around at the stunned faces. "You have to see the man who left a get well card for his daughter after he stabbed her, a man who signed away his paternal rights so that his children could be adopted into a better home. You have to see the man who died jumping in front of a bullet that was meant for the daughter he had stabbed."



She sighed. "I don't know what else to say. People think my father was a jerk. And he was. But he was a loving jerk," the hospital staff looked at Romano. "And I know he loved Alexandria and I."



Tears began streaming down her face as she looked at the casket and then up at the ceiling. "And I love you too Daddy!"



She smiled quickly and wiped at the tears that still continued to flow freely down her face. Stepping away from the pulpit, she ran down the aisle and out of the doors.



Alexandria got up and quickly followed her sister as the rest of the people at the funeral sat silently, stunned, shocked at the abused daughters loving words for her abusive father.



Luka quickly got up and ran out, Abby following close behind. Pastor Hart stood up and followed. But one thing the three adults didn't realize as they approached the swinging door was that someone else had gone after the twins just a moment before.



A/N: We decided to combine all the episodes into one story, since the story really goes in order. Sorry for any confusion that may have caused.