Disclaimer: I just checked, they still aren't mine.
Beta Props: To the wonderful Cybrokat. Thank you!
WARNING: This fic is DEPRESSING. It's a TRAGEDY. If that's not your thing, don't read. Stop now. Click the 'back' button. Do it now. You've been warned.
A/N: I am working diligently on Equilibrium, and I should be posting Part 2 soon. But this idea slammed into my head on the way to work on Friday, so I had to get it down. And here it is. You might need a tissue.
"Tell me a story, Daddy," she asked quietly as he tucked her into bed for the evening.
He gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, and walked over to the large white bookshelf against her bedroom wall, scanning the titles for one they hadn't read in a while.
"No, tell me a new story," she stated firmly. "Tell me a story abooout..." She looked around the room, finally focusing her attention on the windowsill next to her small bed. "... ladybugs."
He walked back to her bed, and as he sat down, he glanced at the windowsill. Sure enough, a little red ladybug was slowly walking along the sill. Like father, like daughter, he thought.
"Okay, sweetheart. I'll tell you a story. You comfy?"
"Yup."
"Okay. Once upon a time, there was a little red ladybug that lived in a garden…"
The little girl sighed in contentment, and he smiled deeply at her, his heart soaring at the simplicity of the world of an innocent child.
"This ladybug wasn't the prettiest little red ladybug, but she was very smart and very special. She lived on the far side of the garden, and it was her job to make sure that the other bugs that lived nearby were safe from any harm.
One day, a scarab beetle walked to the far side of the garden. The red little ladybug didn't recognize this scarab beetle, so she walked closer to get a better look. He was very handsome and strong, for a scarab beetle, and his carapace was a bright, bright blue. She had never seen a beetle quite like him."
"Daddy, what's a kar-i-piss?"
He laughed. "It's his shell, like his skin."
"Oh. Blue skin would be neat," she said, looking down at her small hand. He didn't know where she got it from, but the girl had a thing about the color blue. There were no pink girly things for her, oh no. It had to be baby blue. Blue walls, blue bed sheets, blue curtains.
"You ready?" he asked her softly.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to in-ter-rup."
"So," he continued with a smile, "the red little ladybug was fascinated with the bright blue scarab beetle. She was very surprised when the scarab beetle walked up to her, and started talking to her. He wanted to talk with her because the scarab beetle and the little ladybug had the same job. They both protected the other bugs in their neighborhoods. They had something in common, and he came all this way specifically to talk with her and the other bugs that protected her neighborhood.
The red little ladybug and the bright blue scarab beetle became very good friends. They would talk, and laugh, and they had a very good time together. But the scarab beetle had to return to his home, on the other side of the garden. Both the ladybug and the scarab beetle were very sad. But the scarab beetle had to leave, so leave he did. The red little ladybug cried when he left, because she had fallen in love with him.
Many seasons passed, but the scarab beetle and the red little ladybug didn't forget each other. They would send messages to one another by dragonfly mail. They both missed each other, but they had jobs to do, and they were both very, very serious about their jobs.
One day, the bright blue scarab beetle found himself in a predicament. A bad thing had happened with some of the other bugs that worked with him, and he needed help. So he sent a very fast dragonfly message to the red little ladybug, asking her to hurry to his side of the garden. He needed her to help him protect the other bugs in his neighborhood, and it was very, very important.
The red little ladybug really missed the scarab beetle, but it was her job to protect the bugs in her neighborhood. She had grown up in that neighborhood, and she had many other bug friends there. But her love for the bright blue scarab beetle was very strong, so she packed up all her things and moved far, far away to the other side of the garden, to be with the scarab beetle.
The scarab beetle was overjoyed when the red little ladybug finally arrived. He had missed her greatly, and deep down, he loved her so very much. But after a few days passed, the scarab beetle realized that they couldn't be friends. They had a job to do. They had to protect the other bugs. The scarab beetle thought that this was more important than laughing and playing and spending time with the red little ladybug.
So while he and the ladybug would work together, protecting the other bugs, the bright blue scarab beetle wouldn't laugh or sing or play with her. This made the red little ladybug very sad. She thought many times about moving back to her neighborhood. But she loved the bright blue scarab beetle, so she stayed in his neighborhood and worked very, very hard, hoping to impress him so they could be friends again.
In time, the red little ladybug made friends with the other bugs that protected the neighborhood. Soon, she didn't miss her old neighborhood so much. She was happy, but she longed for the friendship and love that she had before with the scarab beetle. And sometimes she would get very upset about the bad things that happened in his neighborhood. It was very sad for her, and some days she was very upset. But she was committed to her job, and she was tough."
The little girl smiled at this, a half-sleepy smile. God, she looks just like her mother.
He sighed softly. "A rotten evil stinkbug who was the big boss of all the other bugs also made things difficult for her. He made things difficult for everyone, and all the other bugs would stick their tongues out at him behind his stinky back."
This brought out a soft giggle. She was drifting off, but he was on a roll with this story, remembering the past like it was yesterday.
"The bright blue scarab beetle and the evil stinkbug were never friends. The evil stinkbug was horribly jealous of the scarab beetle, because the scarab beetle was much, much smarter than that stinkbug would ever be. One night, the stinkbug yelled at the red little ladybug and sent her home. The scarab beetle didn't like that at all, and he and the nasty stinkbug got into a big fight. The scarab beetle stood up for the red little ladybug, and told the stinkbug to go stick it up his snoot.
After that day, the scarab beetle was different. He realized that his friendship with the red little ladybug was more important than his job. Some of the other bugs that he worked with noticed the change, but the red little ladybug was so used to spending her time without the bright blue scarab beetle, she didn't notice. She would spend a lot of time with a young green grasshopper, and I can assure you, the bright blue scarab beetle didn't like that one bit.
One stormy night, the red little ladybug and the bright blue scarab beetle were out helping the other bugs, when a very mean bug that nobody knew came out from behind a flower and grabbed the red ladybug right from under their noses. He held her captive and scared her, and the blue scarab beetle saw the whole thing. This scared him too, very much, and some time after that, he sat down and talked with the red little ladybug.
He apologized for not spending time with her, for not laughing and singing and playing like they had oh so long ago. He told her he loved her very much and that he was very sorry he had been mean. This made the red little ladybug very happy, and she cried tears of joy.
Not long after that, the evil stinkbug tried to come between them, demanding that they not be friends, or else he wouldn't let them help protect their neighborhood anymore. Both the bright blue scarab beetle and the red little ladybug fought back, and they made the rotten, nasty stinkbug look like a fool. They even got him to stop being bossy to all the other bugs, and he ran away, disgraced, never to return.
Everyone cheered that the evil stinkbug was gone, and that the bright blue scarab beetle and the red little ladybug were finally friends. It was a happy time for everyone. And soon, the ladybug and the scarab beetle had a big, big wedding where lots and lots of other bugs smiled and clapped and wished them well.
It wasn't long after that when the red little ladybug was expecting a baby bug all her own. The bright blue scarab beetle was extremely proud, and told every bug he saw how he was going to be a daddy. They both were very happy."
He paused before saying quietly, "But sometimes, sweetie, things don't turn out the way we plan."
She murmured in response; she was almost out. He stroked her dark hair softly, smoothing the curls away from her face.
"The red little ladybug gave birth to a bright blue baby bug. Yet, after the baby was born, God called for the red little ladybug, and… she had to go. So she left to go to Heaven, and the bright blue scarab beetle was so very sad."
Two small blue eyes peered up at him from the pillow. "Like when God called for Helix and he went to Heaven, right, Daddy?"
"Yes, sweetie. Just like that. The scarab beetle was just as sad as you were when God called Helix's name. But the scarab beetle had new responsibilities now. He had to take care of the tiny baby bug. He didn't have the first idea how to do that, so his friends helped him. They helped him a lot. The green grasshopper spent a lot of time taking care of the blue baby bug, since his sister had baby bugs all the time, and the green grasshopper knew all about babies. One day the bright blue scarab beetle made the green grasshopper the godfather of the baby bug, and the green grasshopper was so honored, and very pleased.
The blue baby bug grew bigger and bigger, and the scarab beetle loved her so very much. Everyone missed the red little ladybug, but they knew that she was in Heaven, and that part of her lived on in the bright blue baby bug. The scarab beetle knew this the most, and it helped him get over his sorrow.
He and the green grasshopper worked together much more than before, and they became very good friends. They had a lot in common. They both loved the red little ladybug, and they both loved the bright blue baby bug. And they both were, well, pretty geeky. It seemed things would be okay for them all.
But the love of the red little ladybug was very strong, and she missed the bright blue scarab beetle. She wanted him up in Heaven, with her. So one night, she called for him, and he flew to Heaven to be with her. He didn't want to go. He wanted to stay here, with his baby bug and his friend the grasshopper, but when God or one of his angels calls, we have to go. So he flew away, to live happily ever after with …"
He had to stop. It was too much. The memory of that night was still too fresh, too painful. He subconsciously touched the scar along his forehead. Grissom had been talking about how his Annie was just about to walk. He was sure she was going to take her first steps that weekend. They'd been called to a B & E clear across town, past the strip, and into the suburbs.
Greg still heard the squeal of tires and the grinding crunch of metal upon metal in his dreams. He'd been thrown hard into the passenger side door, slicing his head on the glass, the impact rendering him unconscious. He woke in the hospital, with a shattered hand, a broken arm, a broken leg, and a severe concussion. He'd asked where Grissom was, and who was watching Annie. Where was Annie? Where was Gil?
Catherine and Nick had been there, and they'd calmed him and told him to rest. A nurse hooked him up to a morphine drip, and he was zonked out of his mind for four days. When he woke again, he knew Grissom was gone. The faces of his visitors bore the message to him before they'd said a word.
"Who'll care for Annie?" he asked Catherine solemnly. "Who will teach her about bugs, and plants, and bounce her on his knee? Who's going to do these things, huh?"
"She's in foster care, for now. They haven't read Gil's will yet, so the state has her."
"Foster care! Get her out of there! She's about to take her first steps, and I'll be damned if that's going to be at some shelter!" Greg couldn't help it; he started to shake. His body shook uncontrollably into silent sobs, as the reality of the loss hit him. Losing Sara almost killed him. Losing Grissom…..
"Greg, you need to rest," Warrick had said. "Just take it easy, okay?"
"Get me out of here," he spoke in a choked voice. "I'll go get her and bring her to my place. I know what she eats, and I can take care of her." He pushed himself up, and stopped as the pain in his head stabbed him, forcing him to lie back down.
"We'll handle it, Greg. You need to rest and get better. She'll be okay." Both Warrick and Catherine had tears in their eyes, and they looked like hell. He knew they'd do everything they could. Greg sighed and accepted his fate.
A week later, after numerous MRIs and x-rays, he was released. He had a limp, but it eventually faded away with physical therapy. His arm healed fine, but his right hand was never the same.
He missed the reading of the will. But he knew Grissom had prepared for his own death when Sara had died. He gave Annie had a sizable trust fund in her name, enough to care for her and send her to whatever college she desired. Another portion went towards research for deafness.
The surprise was that Gil had entrusted Annie's care to him, Greg Sanders. He'd willed him the townhouse, the car, everything he'd need in order to care for her. Greg remembered reading the paperwork over and over again; not believing what was happening, or how much his supervisor trusted him. No. Not his supervisor, his friend. It was an honor, and he wouldn't let Grissom or Sara down. He would do this right.
Greg would sign numerous forms, and fight with three daycare facilities before finding one that would treat Annie the way he wanted. He'd argue with pediatricians. He'd just about pummel anyone who dared to disturb one pretty hair on Annie's head. He was over-protective and obsessed with everything being perfect for her.
He demanded to be switched to days, threatening to quit if they didn't move him. He'd become an excellent CSI, and he knew it. They couldn't afford to lose him. So he was transferred instantly. He found himself working under Catherine rather than Sofia, and he spent a lot of time talking with her about potty training and first words. He grew ten years emotionally in the time span of three. He became a parent.
Now, as he looked down at Annie, the genetic combination of two of the most important people in his life, he smiled as a tear ran unheeded down his cheek. She was breathing softly, dreaming her sweet, innocent dreams. Annie was a delightful handful, as Sara's spirit burned bright in her daughter. She had both her mother and father's intelligence; there was no doubt about that. And Greg had marveled that Sara was able to have a blue-eyed child. The recessive gene had won, and Gil's intense blue stare would live on his in daughter.
Greg had a tough time when Annie would give him that stare, the same one her father had given him on numerous occasions. Like when he'd caught Greg playing video games, or dancing with the evidence, or when he was training to be a Level 1 CSI, and he couldn't do anything right. He'd always had a tough time standing up to that stare. This might be why Annie's whole bedroom was blue, and she owned every stuffed pony that was on the market today.
He rose softly, not wishing to disturb her. He drew the shade down on the window; the ladybug had since moved on. As he went to shut the door, he heard her small voice from her snug little blue nest of a bed.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"That was an okay story, but maybe tomorrow night you can tell me one about a blue pony that can fly, okay?"
"Okay, sweetie. Goodnight, Gillian."
"G'night, Daddy."
the end
A/N: Hi everyone. Clearly my play on words is confusing. My apologies. 'Annie' is meant as a nickname for 'Gillian'. 'Jill-ee-Ann' This will teach me to be clever with words for my own entertainment. Again, many apologies for confusing everyone - and I appreciate the feedback! I am going to keep it the way it is - as it is already canon - but I promise I won't do cute plays on words in the future:)