My Love; My Life: Slipping Through My Fingers

K: Berry

*Berry Kripke born December 31 2034*
*Never Enough from the greatest showman*
Setting: January 1, 2035; no particular place...

     Things around Tina go about like a film without sound as chaos rears it's head, from her brother trying to convince their father & dead mother into letting his pregnant & abandon friend stay with them, to her sisters acting strange. Their parents clearly against her brother's idea due to the secret of their mother, walking through the school halls, she ignores everyone & is avoided by everyone. Tina just spends her time observing everyone around her, & due to this, she never said anything about her sister sneaking off with the Howlett boy at the dance, or at the strange sight of her cousin talking to the cousin that was supposed to be in the country's capital. She never says a word about anything she sees, whether it be strange, normal or just odd...

"TINA!"

"Hm?" She replies now looking towards whoever it is

"They'll be home from the hospital soon," Louie repeats to her

"Alright," Tina replies quietly & waits, expecting more

"Bobbi's dead," Louie continues, "and dad says that mom disappeared..."

"She'll turn up," Tina replies, "she always does."

"..." the two girls go quiet for a moment

"I'm gonna go help Tuck and Gg finish the last minute stuff in the nursery-"

"Alright," Tina says, "I'll wait here and see if mom comes back before dad gets back with the baby."

     That said, Louie goes upstairs & Tina goes back to her book, she use to hangout at Carl's place when she was still a boy, but she stopped it long after Halley came into the picture. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Bay has made herself invisible to Barry's sight as Bobbi's ghost appears next to her...

"What's going on?"

"You're dead."

"You-you killed me."

"The delivery killed you-not me."

"Wha-"

"How could someone hate such a precious gift?" Bay asks as they suddenly disappear from E. R. where doctors are trying to save Bobbi's life & appear in the delivery room where Barry hold his new daughter, "one never knows how good theys got it-until it's gone."

"What would I want with a sniveling, drooling, disgusting brat?" Bobbi huffs, "my career-"

"Money, money, money," Bay mutters, "it's perfectly fine ta not want kids, ta wanna focus on yer career," she explains, "it's even fine ta not like em-but y'all don't gotta belittle those who do want and love kids,. She goes on, "and I think that y'all ferget that y'all were a kid once too-"

"And I was a brat-"

"That babe right there," she says pointing to the newborn in her husband's arms, "has done nothin ta ya, that baby is innocent of any crimes...so why do ya seem ta despise er so?"

"That thing just robbed me of my life-"

"..." Bay falls silent as her temper starts to boil

"It ain't never enough fer ya is it?"

"What?"

"Nothin'll ever be enough fer ya?-will it?" Bay asks her, "ya want money ya got it, ya want a family, ya got it-but it still ain't enough fer ya is it? All the money in the world ain't able ta satisfy people like you in the world-ya make that damn well clear just by bein able ta blame a baby even existin. Well honey if ya didn't want kids ta begin with y'all shouldn't ave married a man who 'as em and ya sure as hell should made sure ya use a condemn!"

"..." Bobbi falls silent then quietly asks, "so now what?-y'all taken me ta St. Peter?"

"Nope," Bay replies, "In special cases like this, I-as a grim reaper-get to make the executive decision of where y'all end up."

"..." Bobbi wide eyed & silent at these words

"Let's take a look at yer record shall we?" Bay asks as a case file appears in her hand, "Bobbi Sparks: the usual, trivial & meaningless general information ," she starts in reading, "bullied my baby brother Sheldon L. Cooper," she lists, "verbally and physically abused and or harmed my children...blamed an innocent child for taking your own life... embezzled money from your own law firm...padded files and made false documentation to win client cases...didn't bother showing up to anyone in her family's funeral," she goes on, "and pissed off the wrong grim reaper," she finishes, "there is a list of good things y'all've done, but it's so short I ain't even gonna waste my breathe readin it-just as I ain't gonna waste it finishin all the bad shit."

"..." she remains quiet, worry clear as day in her face

"Looks like y'all got yerself a one way ticket ta hell," Bay sighs out, "tell satan I said ello and that I'll bring 'im what e wants later."

     With a snap of Bay's fingers, Bobbi & her file disappear before there's a chance to beg or argue with Bay-not even a chance for any last words of regret. Once gone, Bay remains in the shadows as she quietly watches the smile on her husband's face, a bittersweet sadness growing over her at the sight of the joy this new child is bring to him. How she yearns for the happiness to be hers as well, that the babe was 'theirs' instead of his alone-but the child hadn't seen it's mother's face or felt her embrace, so with having taking back her house, she could be it's mother...

"What wiww I caww you," Barry says to the little blue eyed brunette in his arms

"How's bout we calls er Berry hotshot," Bay whispers in his ear now tangible & resting her headed against his shoulder while she eyes the beauty that coveted for one of her own

"Don't stawtwe me wike that," Barry tells her quietly

"Sorry tooty-fruity," she laughs lightly, "she's ours now...our little Boo-Berry."

"Bewwy?" He asks having just heard her

"After er daddy," she whispers with a happy sigh, "ya auta taker home now-"

"What about you?"

"I won't be long behind," she tells him, "I've gotta tie up loose ends."

"Wight," Barry replies in understanding

With that, Bay disappears from sight, taking her leave & Barry with his new daughter, takes leave of the hospital as well & heads home, still too happy for words. The drive is quick & easy with Barry occasionally glancing back in the review mirror to check on the precious cargo he carries with him. Little Berry sleeps peacefully from the motion of the car, which soon comes to an end & Barry is soon bringing her into the house. He signals for Tina to quietly go get her siblings & all his other daughters coo over their new found sister as she sleeps. Bay stands invisible in the doorway of the nursery, watching Barry with baby Berry & her own children...

"Just watchin over em..." she whispers to herself despite knowing that none of them can currently hear her, "ain't never gonna be enough."