His Grace, His Excellency, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes paced his living room, his brow creased in thought. Lady Sybil sighed.

"Just go Sam. No one's going to miss you for half an hour."

"Are you sure, dear?"

"You can take Sam if you want. I'm sure he'd enjoy a walk."

Vimes hesitated. He was perfectly happy to change nappies, get up in the middle of the night, and even clean up various bodily fluids. But he drew the line at pushing the huge black pram down the street. He preferred to carry Sam around with him, but it was a long walk to the Small Gods Cemetery. Sybil smiled slightly and solved his dilemma. "I tell you what, we'll all go," she said.

A few minutes later the Vimes family were walking slowly up the road towards the Temple of Small Gods. Sybil halted outside the gates. "I'll just be walking through the grounds," she said. "You can meet us here when you've finished."

"Thanks Sybil," said Vimes, planting a kiss on his wife's cheek, "I won't be long." He made his way carefully towards the grave. There was a figure standing in front of it, dressed in a long cape and bonnet. She turned as Vimes coughed politely behind her.

"Sam!" she said warmly, "It's been a long time."

"Janie,"said Vimes, hugging her, "It's good to see you."

"I thought you would have bought your son," said Janie.

"I have," said Vimes with a touch of pride, "He's with my wife at the moment. She thought I might like some time alone."

"We've come a long way, haven't we Sam? It's been twenty five years..."

"I know," said Vimes, thinking how far he had come.

After Iffy's death he had started drinking, although it hadn't been until the death of Corporal Curry that Vimes had really hit the bottle hard. Iffy's death had been a marker stone in the history of the Watch, the beginning of the end in Vimes's eyes. After Iffy had gone the job had lost some of its meaning somehow, and slowly numbers had dwindled and men had died and eventually there had just been three of them left. Then, of course, he had met Lady Sybil (a fairly major milestone in his personal history) and Carrot had joined the Watch (more of a milestone for the Watch itself). After that things tended to brighten up, for both of them standing by the grave. The beginning of the Widows and Orphans Fund meant Mrs. Scurrick had more money than the four dollars a week Vimes had given her on his measly Captain's pay. And Vimes had so much more than he could ever have hoped for, a wife, a son, power, money, comfort... he wished Iffy was here to see it all, and share it.

Lady Sybil was waiting for him, and Janie smiled at him and took her leave. But Vimes stayed for just a few moments longer, waiting for he didn't know what. A shaft of light broke through the clouds that filled the sky, it played on the name on the headstone. Iffy Scurrick, Beloved Husband, Son and Brother. Vimes had added the last bit himself, paid for the lettering out of his own pocket. He thought Iffy would appreciate it.

"I wish you were here, mate," Vimes muttered, "I wish you could have seen it all. I really do."

Then he turned away from the grave and walked slowly back to Lady Sybil and the smiling face of his future, ignoring that tiny part of his heart that remained still weeping for those buried along with the past.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Finished! Hope you enjoyed it... I have to confess a fascination for delving into our beloved Commander's past so rest assured some more fics will be coming... I have a little series planned investigating just how Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil ever managed to get together! Thanks for reading, please REVIEW ('cos I love feedback so much!) and thanks to those who've reviewed all my previous fics, your input it greatly appreciated - Lunar.