How could this happen to me

Disclaimer: I don't own anything; I just like to make things up

Chapter 5: The New Beginning

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One week later:

It had been a week since the bar tender had been arrested. It had been a week since Nick had been released. The department agreed that since someone had drugged him, Nick could not be found at fault for the crime.

Now Nick was standing in the Las Vegas airport, trying to find Mr. O'Neill and George. He knew they were leaving for Florida, and he wanted to talk to them before they did.

Suddenly he saw them by the terminal, and shouted their names. When he had their attention he went towards the two.

"What do you want?" George asked with great hostility.

Nick held out his hand. "I just want to say that I'm sorry. If I'd know what had happened I never would have driven. I know you'll never forgive me. I don't expect you to. I also expect you to hate me for the rest of your life. I just want you to acknowledge the fact that I'm sorry. That it's hurting me a lot to know what happened"

Everything was quiet between the two for about ten seconds. Then, very slowly, George reached over, and shook Nick's hand. It was very short, and then the young man went, took his bag, and walked towards the terminal. No words were spoken, but for Nick that was enough.

Mr. O'Neill then turned to Nick. "I want you to have this," and he handed Nick a small school photo of Frankie. "Just to remember her by."

Nick had tears in his eyes. "Thank you"

"The astronauts have done a wonderful thing," Mr. O'Neill told Nick.

"What's that?"

"When they heard what happened, one of them took all of his personal items out of his bag, so there would be room, and said that since Frankie loved space so much, it would be fitting to have her final resting place there as well. He took out his things so that there would be room for Frankie's ashes; we had her cremated two days ago. The astronaut said that he would take Frankie's ashes up to the space station, and since he was the only one going outside, he would scatter her ashes in the atmosphere. I think that's the sort of end Frankie would have wanted."

"That sounds beautiful," Now Nick really did have tears in his eyes, and they were threatening to overflow. "I'll watch the launch from here."

"I would like that very much."

And with that Mr. O'Neill also took his bag and walked towards his son and the terminal. Nick stood for a moment, then took out his wallet, put Frankie's picture in it, then started walking towards his car to go home.

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Two weeks later:

Once again Nick was at the same club with Greg and Sara. Once again the happy couple was dancing. Nick looked around; everything looked the same as when they had come a month ago. Nothing had changed.

The bar tender, another young woman, came up to him. "What can I get for you tonight?"

"A beer please." She walked off to get his drink.

For no particular reason, Nick suddenly reached for his wallet and took out Frankie's picture. He stared at the smiling face of the small child, who at this moment was floating in space above the earth. He couldn't help but smile.

It was at that time that his beer came. The bar tender leaned over and looked at the picture. "Is that your daughter?"

"No. It's the daughter of a………a friend of mine," was the answer.

"Why do you keep her picture in your wallet?" she asked next.

"As a reminder," Nick told her. Then he looked at her. "On second thought, I'd like a Coke please. In a can, and unopened. I want to open it myself."

"Sure thing," and the young woman left, but was back in a matter of seconds with a can of Coke.

Nick opened his drink, and smiled softly at Frankie's picture again as he drank.

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Finally finished. That took a long time. Really hoped you liked it. PLEASE REVIEW