Title: The Greatest Man She Never Knew
Chapter: 2
Date: May 22, 2004
Rating: PG 13
Spoilers: Everything up until Season 4, Episode 7 "Bad Liver."
Category: Drama/Tragedy
Keywords: Just sad.
Summary: What would have happened if when Andy found out that her father had a degenerative nerve condition that threatened his independence, it turned out worse then it already was?
Disclaimers: I don't own anything and that's all I believe that I need to say.
Dedication: To Megan for loving Strong Medicine!
Author Notes: I hope everybody likes this chapter and it isn't confusing to anybody. Review please!
Feedback: I'll take anything: good or bad. I love reviews!
Andy drove. The radio was on and it was raining. It had been a year since the Generals death and she still remembers exactly what happened. The argument that night had ended tragically and she couldn't get the last words out of her memory. She had told him that she was his daughter and he had raised her to never give up and always do the right thing. He yelled back at her, like he always did, saying that she shouldn't have disobeyed his orders and gone to the military head courters about his problems and the problems of the many men he put in danger. Andy also remembered coming back home from the hospital that night with her family and seeing the table still crushed near the bottom of the stairs. The sight made her and her mother shed more tears. The funeral had taken place in Washington the day after and every military person Andy had ever met showed up. The Generals, Colonels, Majors, and even some plain soldiers who were in town came. Family and friends told stories about her father. He was the man who survived two weeks behind enemy lines with just a canteen of water. The General was a real fighter. Andy's mother described the situation saying that her father had lost the battle but won the war. He had lost to a nerve condition, but went out as a highly respected and honored individual.
Life was different throughout the months after that night. People changed, work for Andy changed, and her home life and marriage had changed drastically. Les had become a stranger through her eyes. A few months after the General died, there was another moment in her life that changed everything. The night when Les hit her was unforgettable. It was one moment that stuck in her life forever. Andy's biggest fear was failure and after she kicked Les out and they had gotten separated, she felt like she had failed at marriage and at life. It had really torn her to pieces. But then she thought about Jessie and Lizzy. They were the result of what was once true love. Even though now, Andy had filed for divorce and was dating somebody else, she would always love Les in a way. No matter what he did and how much pain he caused, he would always be the father of her children and her first real love. He would always be in her heart and in her memories: both good and bad.
Andy had been dating Dr. Milo Morton for awhile now. They had been growing closer over the past weeks though. She had turned to him lately for advice and had finally introduced him to her daughters two and a half weeks ago. They were at a point in their relationship where they had wanted to be more intimate and a few days ago it happened for them. Andy thought of it as an incredible experience that she wouldn't forget. Milo was only the second man she had made love with and it really meant a lot to her. There are a lot of times in a relationship where things just get better such as the first intimate encounter. After that night, roses were sent and pictures were exchanged. Andy had gotten a wallet size photograph of him first. It was in the second plastic frame in her wallet. The first was a picture of Jessie and Lizzy together at Christmas. The girls had taken a liking to their mother's new boyfriend. It wasn't easy, but they adjusted to the fact that Andy and Milo were in a serious relationship now.
Andy's thoughts took her away as she kept driving. The rain kept falling, making it hard for her to see clearly. Eventually, it got so heavy that she couldn't see the road in front of her. Her tires slid off the road and into the grass. She slowed down easily and stopped the car off the road. She sighed and decided that it wasn't safe to drive when she couldn't see anything. She turned off her windshield wipers and put the car in park. Her thoughts had left her mind for a moment when she had run off the road. She didn't really want to go back to thinking about everything so she turned up the radio.
"That was 'Picture' by Sheryl Crow and Kidrock. Now for another good song, here's 'The Greatest Man I Never Knew' by Reba." The voice on the radio said. Andy turned her attention fully to it now. The song sounded familiar. She had probably heard it somewhere before, but just couldn't remember.
The music started. "The greatest man I never knew, lived just down the hall/ And everyday he said hello/ But never touched at all/ He was in his paper/ I was in my room/ how was I supposed to know he thought I hung the moon."
The song connected with Andy and made her start thinking about her father again.
"The greatest man I never knew, came home late every night/ He never had too much to say/ Too much was on his mind/ I never really knew him/ And now it seems so sad/ Everything he gave to us, took all he had. Then the days turned into years/ And the memories from black to white/ He grew cold like an old winter wind blowing across my life."
As the song played, Andy sat there in silence. The rain was letting up some and she could see around within a hundred feet. There was a sign a little ways up the road that said 'Welcome to Washington D.C.-Your nations capital.'
"The greatest words I never heard, I guess I'll never hear/ The man I thought could never die, has been dead almost a year/ He was good at business/ But there was business left to do/ He never said he loved me/ Guess he thought I knew."
Andy realized the singer was talking about a father as she restarted her car and pulled back onto the road. The song went off the radio and Andy turned the radio off as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Within twenty minutes, Andy arrived at her destination. She grabbed the bouquet of flowers that were in the passenger seat and got out of her car. It had stopped raining completely, but the ground was still wet as she walked through the graveyard. Tombstones were all around, but there was only one she was looking for. The song lyrics from before repeated in her mind.
"The greatest words I never heard, I guess I'll never hear/ The man I thought could never die, has been dead almost a year/ He was good at business/ But there was business left to do/ He never said he loved me/ Guess he thought I knew." The words faded as she approached the grave. The tombstone in front of her was one of the best, of course.
It read,
"General Andy March
Loving Husband, Father,
And Proud Soldier."
Andy knelt down in the wet grass with the flowers in her hand. "Hello General." She said aloud. "Dad." She corrected herself. She started replacing the old flowers on the top of his tombstone with the ones she had brought. "I miss you. I do." She sighed and tried to hold back her tears. "Surprisingly, I miss your orders and your way of having to have everything perfect. I found out that I'm more like you than I thought. You always got through hard times and you taught me to do the same. And like always, you've had to find some way to make it more difficult for me. This time, it's by leaving. Leaving Mom, and me behind. I always thought I could live without you, and now that I have to, I can't. Why does this have to be this hard Dad?" Tears started falling form her eyes. She wiped them away. "A soldier never cries." She said softly. "Isn't that right, General? A soldier never cries." Andy sat in silence for a few seconds.
"I thought I would find you here sometime today." A familiar voice called from behind her. Andy turned around to see her mother standing there.
"Mom." Andy said. Her mother came closer and sat down on the wet grass next to her. "How long were you standing there?" She asked.
"Long enough." Her mother wrapped one arm around Andy. "You weren't just his soldier Andy. You were his daughter. His only child who he loved more than anything." Andy looked at her mother and then at the tombstone. "I remember when you were born. He always wanted to hold you and never let you go. He would take pictures of you whenever he had the chance and then he'd keep those pictures in his bag when he was gone for missions."
"Really?"
"Really. You were his prized possession. His little girl."
"How come he never told me that? How come he didn't know that I needed reassurance about that?" Andy asked confused.
"Nobody's perfect. Not even the General." Her mother answered. "He always cared about you. I remember he used to pace in our bedroom when you started dating. And when you got married, he was so nervous for you. When those two beautiful granddaughters of mine were born, I think I actually saw him cry."
"No way. Not the General." Andy said sarcastically.
"Yes way." Her mother stated. "Just because he never really expressed it, doesn't mean he didn't really feel it."
"I miss him so much Mom." Andy said, bursting into tears.
"I know." Her mother wrapped both arms around her and started crying some herself. "I do to." They paused. "Never forget him Andy."
"I won't. I love you Mom." She responded.
"I love you to sweetie." There was another pause. "Come on. Let's go get some lunch. I haven't seen you in months."
The two women stood up from the wet grass and glanced at the tombstone once more. Then, arm in arm, they turned and walked away from the grave where General Andy March lay to rest.
Aww.....so sad! Tear. Read and Review...this stories done! Hope everybody likes it!
Chapter: 2
Date: May 22, 2004
Rating: PG 13
Spoilers: Everything up until Season 4, Episode 7 "Bad Liver."
Category: Drama/Tragedy
Keywords: Just sad.
Summary: What would have happened if when Andy found out that her father had a degenerative nerve condition that threatened his independence, it turned out worse then it already was?
Disclaimers: I don't own anything and that's all I believe that I need to say.
Dedication: To Megan for loving Strong Medicine!
Author Notes: I hope everybody likes this chapter and it isn't confusing to anybody. Review please!
Feedback: I'll take anything: good or bad. I love reviews!
Andy drove. The radio was on and it was raining. It had been a year since the Generals death and she still remembers exactly what happened. The argument that night had ended tragically and she couldn't get the last words out of her memory. She had told him that she was his daughter and he had raised her to never give up and always do the right thing. He yelled back at her, like he always did, saying that she shouldn't have disobeyed his orders and gone to the military head courters about his problems and the problems of the many men he put in danger. Andy also remembered coming back home from the hospital that night with her family and seeing the table still crushed near the bottom of the stairs. The sight made her and her mother shed more tears. The funeral had taken place in Washington the day after and every military person Andy had ever met showed up. The Generals, Colonels, Majors, and even some plain soldiers who were in town came. Family and friends told stories about her father. He was the man who survived two weeks behind enemy lines with just a canteen of water. The General was a real fighter. Andy's mother described the situation saying that her father had lost the battle but won the war. He had lost to a nerve condition, but went out as a highly respected and honored individual.
Life was different throughout the months after that night. People changed, work for Andy changed, and her home life and marriage had changed drastically. Les had become a stranger through her eyes. A few months after the General died, there was another moment in her life that changed everything. The night when Les hit her was unforgettable. It was one moment that stuck in her life forever. Andy's biggest fear was failure and after she kicked Les out and they had gotten separated, she felt like she had failed at marriage and at life. It had really torn her to pieces. But then she thought about Jessie and Lizzy. They were the result of what was once true love. Even though now, Andy had filed for divorce and was dating somebody else, she would always love Les in a way. No matter what he did and how much pain he caused, he would always be the father of her children and her first real love. He would always be in her heart and in her memories: both good and bad.
Andy had been dating Dr. Milo Morton for awhile now. They had been growing closer over the past weeks though. She had turned to him lately for advice and had finally introduced him to her daughters two and a half weeks ago. They were at a point in their relationship where they had wanted to be more intimate and a few days ago it happened for them. Andy thought of it as an incredible experience that she wouldn't forget. Milo was only the second man she had made love with and it really meant a lot to her. There are a lot of times in a relationship where things just get better such as the first intimate encounter. After that night, roses were sent and pictures were exchanged. Andy had gotten a wallet size photograph of him first. It was in the second plastic frame in her wallet. The first was a picture of Jessie and Lizzy together at Christmas. The girls had taken a liking to their mother's new boyfriend. It wasn't easy, but they adjusted to the fact that Andy and Milo were in a serious relationship now.
Andy's thoughts took her away as she kept driving. The rain kept falling, making it hard for her to see clearly. Eventually, it got so heavy that she couldn't see the road in front of her. Her tires slid off the road and into the grass. She slowed down easily and stopped the car off the road. She sighed and decided that it wasn't safe to drive when she couldn't see anything. She turned off her windshield wipers and put the car in park. Her thoughts had left her mind for a moment when she had run off the road. She didn't really want to go back to thinking about everything so she turned up the radio.
"That was 'Picture' by Sheryl Crow and Kidrock. Now for another good song, here's 'The Greatest Man I Never Knew' by Reba." The voice on the radio said. Andy turned her attention fully to it now. The song sounded familiar. She had probably heard it somewhere before, but just couldn't remember.
The music started. "The greatest man I never knew, lived just down the hall/ And everyday he said hello/ But never touched at all/ He was in his paper/ I was in my room/ how was I supposed to know he thought I hung the moon."
The song connected with Andy and made her start thinking about her father again.
"The greatest man I never knew, came home late every night/ He never had too much to say/ Too much was on his mind/ I never really knew him/ And now it seems so sad/ Everything he gave to us, took all he had. Then the days turned into years/ And the memories from black to white/ He grew cold like an old winter wind blowing across my life."
As the song played, Andy sat there in silence. The rain was letting up some and she could see around within a hundred feet. There was a sign a little ways up the road that said 'Welcome to Washington D.C.-Your nations capital.'
"The greatest words I never heard, I guess I'll never hear/ The man I thought could never die, has been dead almost a year/ He was good at business/ But there was business left to do/ He never said he loved me/ Guess he thought I knew."
Andy realized the singer was talking about a father as she restarted her car and pulled back onto the road. The song went off the radio and Andy turned the radio off as a tear rolled down her cheek.
Within twenty minutes, Andy arrived at her destination. She grabbed the bouquet of flowers that were in the passenger seat and got out of her car. It had stopped raining completely, but the ground was still wet as she walked through the graveyard. Tombstones were all around, but there was only one she was looking for. The song lyrics from before repeated in her mind.
"The greatest words I never heard, I guess I'll never hear/ The man I thought could never die, has been dead almost a year/ He was good at business/ But there was business left to do/ He never said he loved me/ Guess he thought I knew." The words faded as she approached the grave. The tombstone in front of her was one of the best, of course.
It read,
"General Andy March
Loving Husband, Father,
And Proud Soldier."
Andy knelt down in the wet grass with the flowers in her hand. "Hello General." She said aloud. "Dad." She corrected herself. She started replacing the old flowers on the top of his tombstone with the ones she had brought. "I miss you. I do." She sighed and tried to hold back her tears. "Surprisingly, I miss your orders and your way of having to have everything perfect. I found out that I'm more like you than I thought. You always got through hard times and you taught me to do the same. And like always, you've had to find some way to make it more difficult for me. This time, it's by leaving. Leaving Mom, and me behind. I always thought I could live without you, and now that I have to, I can't. Why does this have to be this hard Dad?" Tears started falling form her eyes. She wiped them away. "A soldier never cries." She said softly. "Isn't that right, General? A soldier never cries." Andy sat in silence for a few seconds.
"I thought I would find you here sometime today." A familiar voice called from behind her. Andy turned around to see her mother standing there.
"Mom." Andy said. Her mother came closer and sat down on the wet grass next to her. "How long were you standing there?" She asked.
"Long enough." Her mother wrapped one arm around Andy. "You weren't just his soldier Andy. You were his daughter. His only child who he loved more than anything." Andy looked at her mother and then at the tombstone. "I remember when you were born. He always wanted to hold you and never let you go. He would take pictures of you whenever he had the chance and then he'd keep those pictures in his bag when he was gone for missions."
"Really?"
"Really. You were his prized possession. His little girl."
"How come he never told me that? How come he didn't know that I needed reassurance about that?" Andy asked confused.
"Nobody's perfect. Not even the General." Her mother answered. "He always cared about you. I remember he used to pace in our bedroom when you started dating. And when you got married, he was so nervous for you. When those two beautiful granddaughters of mine were born, I think I actually saw him cry."
"No way. Not the General." Andy said sarcastically.
"Yes way." Her mother stated. "Just because he never really expressed it, doesn't mean he didn't really feel it."
"I miss him so much Mom." Andy said, bursting into tears.
"I know." Her mother wrapped both arms around her and started crying some herself. "I do to." They paused. "Never forget him Andy."
"I won't. I love you Mom." She responded.
"I love you to sweetie." There was another pause. "Come on. Let's go get some lunch. I haven't seen you in months."
The two women stood up from the wet grass and glanced at the tombstone once more. Then, arm in arm, they turned and walked away from the grave where General Andy March lay to rest.
Aww.....so sad! Tear. Read and Review...this stories done! Hope everybody likes it!