Epilogue
The room was small. Plain. Spartan. He was propped up in bed when she got there, deathly pale, seemingly asleep. He looked around, though at her careful tread across the floor.
"Hey Michael." She held up the flowers she had brought. "I thought these might give the place some colour."
"Thanks Michelle." He struggled to sit up, sweating and gasping in pain. He looked at her, trying to form the words, but too out of breath to speak.
"We got her."
"Is she...?"
"Dead? Yes. Ben Franklin and I shot her." She started to arrange the flowers in the vase, staring out of the window.
"You're leaving aren't you?" She looked at him in shock and he laughed, though it swiftly turned into a cough. When he could breathe again, he continued. "You look different. So, when are you going?"
She looked back out of the window. "After the funerals."
The sight of Rose's coffin broke him.
He had cried when they brought Paige's out. But he had pulled himself together. Reminded himself that he was still the Sheriff and he still had a job to do.
That she was looking down on him, and he could not let her down.
And he had been strong, and he had been brave. He had shaken every hand, taken every condolence. He had even started to think that he might get through the day.
Until the time had come to bury his daughter.
Michelle found him, sitting on the ground, facing the graves, a bottle of wine and a packet of cigarettes by his side.
He didn't look round. "Hey Michelle."
Her dress rustled as she sat next to him, her eyes hidden by her sunglasses. "Hey Ben. How are you holding up?
"Do you know how many people have asked me that today?" He took another drink. "I have my crutches." He passed the bottle to her. "I did love her you know. Loved her with all my heart and soul."
"I know."
"You've come to say goodbye, haven't you?"
"Yeah. I'm going back to L.A." She took a mouthful of wine and handed the bottle back to him. "There's some people I've got to see."
"I've just buried my wife and child. Now I'm losin' you as well. Hell of a fuckin' day."
She ignored him and stood up. Walked over to the graves and laid a bouquet of flowers on each one. Then she walked towards her car.
She was almost at it when he spoke again.
"Goodbye Michelle."
"Goodbye Ben."
Michelle drove back through the same scenery that had held her spellbound, scenery that she had made plans to see with Tony.
Scenery that she wouldn't care if she never saw again.
She drove through the night. Pressing her car as hard as she could.
Wanting, needing to get home.
Wanting, needing Tony. Wanting, needing Tony to put his arms around her, to kiss her.
Wanting, needing his embrace, his kiss to drive away the memory of coffins in the Nevada sun.
She drove on through the night towards L.A.
The End
And that's it. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. I know that the formatting has been a bit of a pain, but I couldn't get quick edit to work for me, so I'm sorry about that as well. Any questions? Queries? Comments?
Well, thank you all again for reading and reviewing, especially anybody that reviewed more than one chapter. You guys made checking my emails extra fun!
Hope you enjoyed the story. Bluenose
The room was small. Plain. Spartan. He was propped up in bed when she got there, deathly pale, seemingly asleep. He looked around, though at her careful tread across the floor.
"Hey Michael." She held up the flowers she had brought. "I thought these might give the place some colour."
"Thanks Michelle." He struggled to sit up, sweating and gasping in pain. He looked at her, trying to form the words, but too out of breath to speak.
"We got her."
"Is she...?"
"Dead? Yes. Ben Franklin and I shot her." She started to arrange the flowers in the vase, staring out of the window.
"You're leaving aren't you?" She looked at him in shock and he laughed, though it swiftly turned into a cough. When he could breathe again, he continued. "You look different. So, when are you going?"
She looked back out of the window. "After the funerals."
The sight of Rose's coffin broke him.
He had cried when they brought Paige's out. But he had pulled himself together. Reminded himself that he was still the Sheriff and he still had a job to do.
That she was looking down on him, and he could not let her down.
And he had been strong, and he had been brave. He had shaken every hand, taken every condolence. He had even started to think that he might get through the day.
Until the time had come to bury his daughter.
Michelle found him, sitting on the ground, facing the graves, a bottle of wine and a packet of cigarettes by his side.
He didn't look round. "Hey Michelle."
Her dress rustled as she sat next to him, her eyes hidden by her sunglasses. "Hey Ben. How are you holding up?
"Do you know how many people have asked me that today?" He took another drink. "I have my crutches." He passed the bottle to her. "I did love her you know. Loved her with all my heart and soul."
"I know."
"You've come to say goodbye, haven't you?"
"Yeah. I'm going back to L.A." She took a mouthful of wine and handed the bottle back to him. "There's some people I've got to see."
"I've just buried my wife and child. Now I'm losin' you as well. Hell of a fuckin' day."
She ignored him and stood up. Walked over to the graves and laid a bouquet of flowers on each one. Then she walked towards her car.
She was almost at it when he spoke again.
"Goodbye Michelle."
"Goodbye Ben."
Michelle drove back through the same scenery that had held her spellbound, scenery that she had made plans to see with Tony.
Scenery that she wouldn't care if she never saw again.
She drove through the night. Pressing her car as hard as she could.
Wanting, needing to get home.
Wanting, needing Tony. Wanting, needing Tony to put his arms around her, to kiss her.
Wanting, needing his embrace, his kiss to drive away the memory of coffins in the Nevada sun.
She drove on through the night towards L.A.
The End
And that's it. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. I know that the formatting has been a bit of a pain, but I couldn't get quick edit to work for me, so I'm sorry about that as well. Any questions? Queries? Comments?
Well, thank you all again for reading and reviewing, especially anybody that reviewed more than one chapter. You guys made checking my emails extra fun!
Hope you enjoyed the story. Bluenose