An Anniversary For Two

by Seven


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Authur's Note:  Since in the show, it's been about a year since Beckett's death... this is nothing original, though, sadly.



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Starlight fell on the tiny Irish graveyard, illuminating it from the shadow of the nearby buildings. The streets, lit only by the streetlamps, were empty and slick with recent rains.

The starlight was tainted by a sudden burst of purple, as a shuttle zoomed down from the sky, and settled down in the white-lit street. The shuttle's purple glow faded as a tall, lanky figure slipped down, with a lumpy package underneath his long arm.

Liam stood on the threshold of the graveyard, biting his lips as he looked at the white marble marker in the midst of the smaller gray stones. He had to admit it, the Taelons did bury their implants with respect. She didn't deserve to die. Never her, never.

As Liam slipped into the graveyard, into near-darkness, another figure rose from the shadows, a featureless blot that took a single step toward him. Liam's hand went to his belt...

"Major Kincaid."

Sandoval. Liam relaxed at the familiar voice, even though he couldn't see Sandoval's face.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" Liam asked, keeping his voice deliberately casual.

Sandoval shrugged. "The same thing you are, I suspect."

Liam wilted a little, and drew the package from under his arm, and unwrapped it. A cascade of pure white roses fell onto the dark soil, little dots of white against the dark. Sandoval sighed softly, and one hand went out to drop a darker rose amidst the white. "Roses?" the implant asked softly.

Liam nodded, resting a hand on the marker. "I loved her," he said quietly.

Sandoval nodded, put a hand on Liam's shoulder. That startled Liam—his unknowing father had never shown emotion quite like that before. Sandoval's dark eyes glimmered briefly, as if he were holding back tears. "I loved her too," he said quietly.

There was a long pause, and Liam rose and brushed the dirt from his pants. The two wordlessly walked back to the street, to the parked shuttle.

There was a faint glimmer in one of the stars above. A pair of slim hands reached down to the grave, and plucked both the red rose, and one of the white ones. Siobhan pressed the flowers to her heart as the shuttle took off, shooting into the sky like a comet.