Disclaimer: Once again I don't own TaleSpin. Disney people own it. If they sue me they have no lives at all and should be ashamed of themselves. Dedication:To all my friends past, present and future who know where the daisies grow. Note:None this time. Just enjoy. ************** Gentle breeze and quiet mist Tell of joys and mindless bliss How I remember the brilliant past As I let the stem fall at last And my memory will never fade My debt to you never paid I'll keep you forever in my mind And hope that joy one day to find A pile of petals on the ground And in the air a soothing sound The words at last "I love you so" Bring me to where the daisies grow ********** Baloo was numb. Rebecca, his boss, his friend, his....? It didn't matter anymore. She was gone. Dr. Cadeever had given his condolences and asked if there was anything he could do. Baloo remembered shaking his head, picking up Molly and Kit and leaving. How he got home he had no idea. Molly sobbed on his lap and like him, Kit stared vacantly into space. Gone. Never again would he hear her yell at him, or nag him for being lazy. Never again would he have to put up with her hair brained schemes. Never again would he see her smile or the bright flash of her eyes. Oh to be yelled at once more! To hear her voice echo through the docks. Never again. Gone. Never again to see her mother's smiling face. Never to hear a whispered lullybye or her delighted laughter. Never again to feel her embrace. Oh to be held forever there! Safe and warm. Never again. Gone. Never again to see her pride in him. Never again to hear those words of encouragment. Never again to know she's standing by his side. Oh if she were only there! Comforting him. Never again. "Baloo?", Molly broke the silence. "Yeah Button-nose.", Baloo answered. "I miss Mommy", she sniffled. Baloo wrapped his arms around the little cub and kissed the top of her head. "I know you do Molly. We all do." Molly was quiet for a while then, "Baloo...you're not going anywhere are you?" Kit looked up in horror as if the thought of Baloo dying suddenly occured to him too. Baloo picked up Kit and held both him and Molly in a tight hug, "No. Baloo's going to be here as long as possible. I can't live forever but I can sure try my hardest to live for a long long time." *********** That night Kit fell asleep quickly. He was emotionally exhausted. Molly on the other hand was harder to deal with. "Baloo? Are we going to be okay? Without Mommy?" Baloo scratch the back of his neck and looked down at the small cub, "Molly, I'm going to try my hardest to take good care of ya. I know I'm not your mother and I can't replace her. All I can say is I hope I do as good a job as she did" Past tense. They had both noticed it. "She's really gone. Isn't she?",Molly asked so softly Baloo barely heard her. "Yeah, pig-tails I'm afraid she is. But I'm still here, and Kit and Wildcat and Louie and we're not leaving. One of us will always look after you." Molly's eyes drooped. "Thank you", she whispered and shut her eyes. Baloo sighed and walked away from the bed the two cubs slept in. He heard a small voice. "Baloo?", it was Molly. "Yeah Button-nose?" "Can I call you Papa Bear?" Baloo turned and gathered the girl in his arms. "Sure Molly. I loved for you to call me Papa Bear", he whispered to her but she was already asleep. Baloo walked down to the office and sat down at the desk. He opened up the desk drawers and pulled a pile of business papers out. He and Kit would have to go through this. He wasn't a business man but he couldn't let Higher for Hire go out of business. He had to keep it running. For her and for the kids. He was surprised to find a framed picture in one of the other drawers. It was a picture of her and him at the Pilot's Ball. He smiled at the picture, surprised and touched she had kept it and deemed it worthy of a frame. He touched the photograph. She had looked beautiful in that dress. He didn't look that bad either considering he had just broken out of a Thembrian prison camp. A tear hit the glass. Baloo sobbed over the picture. His Becky was gone and it hurt. It hurt so much. Despite all the arguements he had cared deeply for her. The tears continued for a good portion of the night and the next morning Kit and Molly found Baloo asleep at the desk clutching a picture to his chest. *********** The funeral was small. A casket stood surrounded by daisies in the front of the room. Rebecca hadn't had many friends and no family besides Molly. Baloo spotted a few of her business associates looking somber. 'They're probably happy to be rid of the competition', he thought wryly. The priest was still talking about how a gentle and delicate creature had been lost and part of Baloo wanted to look around and see if there was another funeral going on. Becky? A gentle and delicate creature?? Despite himself Baloo chuckled softly. He could just imagine Becky's reaction to that. Slowly the small smile on Baloo's face faded and was replaced by a look of pain. She wouldn't be reacting to anything anymore. He stared at the coffin. No matter how hard he tried not to look he always did. He was holding Molly and Kit in his lap. Both were crying. The priest finished up and asked if anyone else would like to say a few words. All eyes turned to Baloo. 'Why me?', Baloo wondered. They'd all known her too. Baloo sighed and walked over to where the priest was standing. "Um...I-I want to thank all of you for coming here. I'm sure Becky would have appreciated it.", he began shakingly. He looked down at the coffin. Her coffin., "Becky was one of my best friends. She meant... so much to me. She wasn't perfect no...I remember one time..." And Baloo launched into a long set of stories. Stories of get rich quick schemes, arguements and a few of their disastrous dates. People laughed and Baloo thought he even saw Molly and Kit smile a few times. It was then that Baloo realized that Rebecca would never truly be gone cause she'd always remain in their memories and in their hearts. Later Baloo, Kit and Molly stood in the graveyard. A small stone marked the place she was buried and a thousand daisies protected it from harm. The stone's inscription had been Kit's idea and Baloo and Molly had both agreed to it. Rebecca Cunningham Mother and friend May you find peace where the daisies grow The small family walked away hand in hand towards Higher for Hire, a picture of Rebecca etched in their souls. They would never get completely over their loss but they could continue on. For each other and for her. THE END