"I can't believe she's actually gone." Taylor said staring over the
balcony.
"Of all of us she was the strongest." Eric said taking her hand and watching as Wes sat in a corner with his children. Ariel curled up with her head on his knee and Justin cuddled close into his shoulder. Eric's thoughts turned to guilt for convincing Wes to come inside Wes looked miserable and uncomfortable. But, in his heart he knew it would be best because Wes needed the comfort of his comrades.
"Penny for your thoughts." Taylor said waking him from his reverie.
"I just feel for Wes. I can only imagine what it would be like if I lost you."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I know. But when someone close like this dies. It was too soon." Eric stammered barely keeping his composure.
Taylor put his arms around her and put her head on his shoulder. "Then it is the moments like this we should live for."
"Wes" Anthony Collins said coming up beside his son. "The children are tired. What if Ari and I take them upstairs?"
"All right."
"But daddy I don't want to go." Ariel protested.
"Angel, it's better. Your mother wouldn't want you to be with all these sad people." Wes said gently kneeling down in front of his daughter. "I'll be up in a while and I'll read you your favorite story."
"Will you do the voices?" She asked.
"It wouldn't be the same if I didn't." Wes said pulling her into his arms. "Now go with Grandpa and Grandma and help them take care of your brother."
"All right daddy, I will." Ariel promised taking Mr. Collins' hand.
Wes watched them go.
"You have beautiful children." Andros said quietly. "I can only dream of the day that Ashley and I are as lucky."
"It's not about luck Andros. It's about love. You give the children all the love you can possibly have in your heart and just when you think you are out of love. Somehow you find some more."
"That's a good way to put it." He said.
"Thank-you so much for coming. It must have been a long trip from KO-35"
"We were actually in orbit around earth. Ashley was spending some time in Angel Grove with her family."
"How are the wedding plans coming?"
"Slower than the date is approaching." Andros said smiling at him.
"Jen was looking forward to going." Wes choked rubbing a tear away with his hand.
"Wes, I'll understand if you don't want to come with all that has happened. But you are welcome there. If you can be there we would like you in the wedding party." Andros said his voice full of compassion.
"No, I'll be there. Jen wouldn't want me to end life just because hers ended." Wes said shaking his head.
"Then we'll see you in Angel Grove in a few weeks then?"
"I'll be there." Wes promised.
Andros walked away from Wes.
"Jen, How can I do this without you?" He thought.
"Because you are strong. You always have been." He could almost hear her say.
"Wes, do you need anything?" Carter asked breaking into his thoughts.
"I need Jen."
"I know. We all miss her." Dana said gently taking his hand. She could feel him trembling.
"Is everything all right?" Eric asked coming up to the small group of friends.
"I think we should get some air. How does that sound Wes?" Carter asked.
Wes nodded. He couldn't be around people now. He felt like they were all watching him waiting to see what he was going to do. He felt like he was in a fishbowl with the reporters that had been crawling all over the estate since they had found out Jen was dying.
"Jen, He's beautiful."
"He'll be a great man, like his father." Jen said wincing in pain her breathing becoming heavy and labored.
"Jen are you all right?" Wes breathed knowing the end was coming.
"Wes, promise me you won't change. You'll be the same man I know and love. The same father that Ariel knows and loves." Jen gasped.
"I don't know if I can." He had said with tears streaming down his face. He picked up her hand and kissed it.
"You have to go on. For Ariel and Justin, and for me."
"All right Jen, I promise."
"I love you Wes." She whispered and breathed her last.
Tears came to Wes' eyes as he remembered Jen's last moments of life.
"Wes, come on let's go." Eric urged knowing where his friends' thoughts were.
Wes let Carter lead him out onto the beautiful verandah overlooking the garden. It was a place Jen liked to go to watch the sunset over the gardens. He felt close to her here. He breathed in the night air and let its freshness wash over him. Slowly the color came back to his face.
"Better?" Dana asked.
"Yes, thank you." He said walking to the railing. He turned around. "Dana, Carter, Eric. I would like to ask you to be Godparents to Justin."
"Wes, why don't we worry about this later." Dana suggested.
"No, I've thought about it a lot. It's what Jen would have wanted. She loved all of you so much."
"We'd be honored." Carter said approaching him and shaking his hand.
Wes looked at Eric who nodded and then Dana who did the same. Just then a flash lit up the balcony. Wes spun around to see a photographer hiding in the shadows of the verandah. A white flash spun out of the shadows grabbing the surprised photographer.
"Don't you guys have any respect for anyone? Especially on a day like today."
"Alex?" Wes said staring at the angry Time Force officer. "What are you doing here?"
"Of all of us she was the strongest." Eric said taking her hand and watching as Wes sat in a corner with his children. Ariel curled up with her head on his knee and Justin cuddled close into his shoulder. Eric's thoughts turned to guilt for convincing Wes to come inside Wes looked miserable and uncomfortable. But, in his heart he knew it would be best because Wes needed the comfort of his comrades.
"Penny for your thoughts." Taylor said waking him from his reverie.
"I just feel for Wes. I can only imagine what it would be like if I lost you."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"I know. But when someone close like this dies. It was too soon." Eric stammered barely keeping his composure.
Taylor put his arms around her and put her head on his shoulder. "Then it is the moments like this we should live for."
"Wes" Anthony Collins said coming up beside his son. "The children are tired. What if Ari and I take them upstairs?"
"All right."
"But daddy I don't want to go." Ariel protested.
"Angel, it's better. Your mother wouldn't want you to be with all these sad people." Wes said gently kneeling down in front of his daughter. "I'll be up in a while and I'll read you your favorite story."
"Will you do the voices?" She asked.
"It wouldn't be the same if I didn't." Wes said pulling her into his arms. "Now go with Grandpa and Grandma and help them take care of your brother."
"All right daddy, I will." Ariel promised taking Mr. Collins' hand.
Wes watched them go.
"You have beautiful children." Andros said quietly. "I can only dream of the day that Ashley and I are as lucky."
"It's not about luck Andros. It's about love. You give the children all the love you can possibly have in your heart and just when you think you are out of love. Somehow you find some more."
"That's a good way to put it." He said.
"Thank-you so much for coming. It must have been a long trip from KO-35"
"We were actually in orbit around earth. Ashley was spending some time in Angel Grove with her family."
"How are the wedding plans coming?"
"Slower than the date is approaching." Andros said smiling at him.
"Jen was looking forward to going." Wes choked rubbing a tear away with his hand.
"Wes, I'll understand if you don't want to come with all that has happened. But you are welcome there. If you can be there we would like you in the wedding party." Andros said his voice full of compassion.
"No, I'll be there. Jen wouldn't want me to end life just because hers ended." Wes said shaking his head.
"Then we'll see you in Angel Grove in a few weeks then?"
"I'll be there." Wes promised.
Andros walked away from Wes.
"Jen, How can I do this without you?" He thought.
"Because you are strong. You always have been." He could almost hear her say.
"Wes, do you need anything?" Carter asked breaking into his thoughts.
"I need Jen."
"I know. We all miss her." Dana said gently taking his hand. She could feel him trembling.
"Is everything all right?" Eric asked coming up to the small group of friends.
"I think we should get some air. How does that sound Wes?" Carter asked.
Wes nodded. He couldn't be around people now. He felt like they were all watching him waiting to see what he was going to do. He felt like he was in a fishbowl with the reporters that had been crawling all over the estate since they had found out Jen was dying.
"Jen, He's beautiful."
"He'll be a great man, like his father." Jen said wincing in pain her breathing becoming heavy and labored.
"Jen are you all right?" Wes breathed knowing the end was coming.
"Wes, promise me you won't change. You'll be the same man I know and love. The same father that Ariel knows and loves." Jen gasped.
"I don't know if I can." He had said with tears streaming down his face. He picked up her hand and kissed it.
"You have to go on. For Ariel and Justin, and for me."
"All right Jen, I promise."
"I love you Wes." She whispered and breathed her last.
Tears came to Wes' eyes as he remembered Jen's last moments of life.
"Wes, come on let's go." Eric urged knowing where his friends' thoughts were.
Wes let Carter lead him out onto the beautiful verandah overlooking the garden. It was a place Jen liked to go to watch the sunset over the gardens. He felt close to her here. He breathed in the night air and let its freshness wash over him. Slowly the color came back to his face.
"Better?" Dana asked.
"Yes, thank you." He said walking to the railing. He turned around. "Dana, Carter, Eric. I would like to ask you to be Godparents to Justin."
"Wes, why don't we worry about this later." Dana suggested.
"No, I've thought about it a lot. It's what Jen would have wanted. She loved all of you so much."
"We'd be honored." Carter said approaching him and shaking his hand.
Wes looked at Eric who nodded and then Dana who did the same. Just then a flash lit up the balcony. Wes spun around to see a photographer hiding in the shadows of the verandah. A white flash spun out of the shadows grabbing the surprised photographer.
"Don't you guys have any respect for anyone? Especially on a day like today."
"Alex?" Wes said staring at the angry Time Force officer. "What are you doing here?"