I usually write Pirate stories but I have all 5 seasons of 21 Jump Street and tonight I watched Chapel Of Love where Tom tells the story of his father's death. I threw in an extra character, his little cousin, Anne just cause I have a compulsion to throw cute little girls into any story based on a Johnny Depp show/movie/what have you.

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“Mommy, please? I want to stay up!” Six year old Anne Hanson’s bedtime was usually eight, which was right when her cousin, whom she adored, would be leaving to pick up his date and her Uncle would be heading off to work. She didn’t live with them, but her single mother was a nurse and she often spent the night at her aunt and uncle’s when her mom had night shifts. It was only six in the evening but her mom had to work from seven p.m to seven a.m. (though usually paperwork kept her later)

“Anne, you know that just because you’re at Aunt Margaret and Uncle Tom’s house doesn’t mean you get to stay up later. They’ll say goodnight before you get tucked in.” She pouted.

“But Mommy, it’s a Friday! Please? I want to see Tommy in his suit!” Her shy cousin blushed a bit as he walked into the kitchen and poured himself some juice.

“It’s not that big a deal, Anne.” She nodded emphatically.

“Yes it is, Tommy!” Finally Julie Hanson relented.

“Alright, you may stay up until they walk out the door, but after your bath and you have your p.j.’s on.” Anne squealed with delight and hugged her mother as she stood and talked to her sister in law. “But only if you help Aunt Margaret out and don’t give her a hard time at bedtime. Why don't you help set the table?”

“Yes Ma’am.” Margaret looked at her son and smiled.

“Help her with the plates and glasses, Tommy.” He nodded, knowing it wasn’t just cause she was young, but because she couldn’t reach the cabinets where the plates and glasses were kept.

“Ok.”

---

When dinner was over and Anne had been bathed and put her night-gown on, she ran down the hall to her cousin’s room.

“Looks like your number one fan is here, Tommy.” Uncle Tommy was in there as well, helping him with the suit.

“I like your suit, Tommy.” He smiled down at her and mussed her hair. “Hey, Aunt Margaret just combed it!”

“That’s what you get, kiddo. It’s not just a suit, it’s a tux.” She nodded, impressed. “Mommy said she wished she could have stayed and seen it.” That made Tommy blush a little bit. “Are you going to dance like Prince Charming and Cinderella?” He chuckled.

“Anne, no one dances like that anymore and I’m not much of a dancer, anyway.” She smirked.

“Your girlfriend’s going to make you.” He blushed again.

“She’s not my girlfriend, she’s just…a date.”

“Whatever, she’s still going to make you dance, Tommy.” She skipped over to her cousin. “She might even make you dance like Cinderella and Prince Charming.” Tom Hanson couldn’t help but smile at his adorable cousin. She had inherited the Hanson dark hair and high cheekbones but her big, round eyes were hazel and right now they looked more green than brown. “How do people your age dance?” Both Tom and his father laughed.

“People my age? You make me sound old, Anne.” She shrugged.

“You are, older than me anyway.” He shook his head.

”Honestly I don’t know how to dance so I don’t really know what they’re doing.”

“Well you should figure it out because she’s going to want to dance and it’s stupid to go to a dance and not dance at all.” He looked at the clock on his bedside table that read 7:45.

”I better get going.” They left his room and followed him downstairs where Anne figured out his real reason for being in such a hurry to get out. Aunt Margaret was holding a camera. “Oh, Mom!”

“Did you really think I was going to let you get away without a picture?” He rolled his eyes and Anne giggled behind her hand, making him smile and his mother took the chance to take a picture of him. She took two more before Anne tugged on her shirt.

“Aunt Margaret, may I take a picture with Tommy?” She looked at her son.

“Got time for one picture with your cousin?” He opened his mouth but his father answered.

“Course he does. Go on, sweetheart.” She ran over, excited and Tommy picked her up and she threw her arms around his shoulders and they smiled at the camera together.

”That’s going to be so cute. Alright, lens cap is going on, Tommy. You’re free.” He smiled and let out a sigh of relief and tried to put Anne down but she tightened her arms and rested her chin on his shoulder as she hugged him.

“Good night, Tommy! We on for cartoons in the morning?” He smiled.

“If I wake up soon enough.” He knew it was a waste of breath. When his Aunt Julie had to work Friday nights into Saturday mornings, Anne would jump on his bed, then jump on his stomach until he woke up. He hated to admit it, but even at sixteen he still enjoyed some of them, though part of it was nice just to spend time with his cousin, who would curl up against his side with her favorite blanket and stuffed Under Dog in her arms.

Tom kissed her cheek and gave her a squeeze before putting her down.

“Alright, but let me sleep in a little bit, cause I’ll be out late tonight.”

“But we’ll miss the Smurfs!” Aunt Margaret pulled her away from Tommy and put her down before hugging and kissing her husband.

“Anne, I’ll get up with you tomorrow if you really want to see the Smurfs that badly.” As she hugged and kissed her husband she smiled up at him. “Good night Tom, be safe.” She worried every night he went out to patrol but something in her gut warned her about tonight but she didn’t want to show it in front of her son and young niece. He broke out of the hug and kiss as he smiled reassuringly to his wife, son and precious niece. Because her father ran out before she was born, he had no problem looking after his sister’s little girl as if she were his own and having her over so Julie could work.

“Oh, I’ll be fine. You listen to your Aunt Margaret, young lady.” Anne smiled and hugged her uncle, enjoying his strong bear hug until he put her down. Even though she didn’t know why, or what the feeling was, she ran after him and hugged him once more around the leg.

“Be careful, Uncle Tom!” He patted her hair and smiled.

“I will be.”

---

The next morning, Anne woke up to the smell of coffee, a familiar smell when your Mommy’s a nurse. Coming out of her room, she could hear the shower running and Tommy’s door open but he wasn’t in there. Then she heard sad voices coming from downstairs and recognized them as her Mommy and Aunt Margaret’s voices. The clock on the wall said it was six am! Why was everyone up so early on a Saturday? Why wasn't her Mommy at work? She knew why she usually got up that early but she was always the first out of bed.

“Morning, sweetheart.” Her mommy held open her arms and Anne ran into them, letting her mommy fold her into her arms and hold her tight. Then her Mommy started to sniff and shake. Looking up, she was upset to see her Mommy and Aunt Margaret crying.

“What’s the matter, Mommy? Aunt Margaret, why are you crying?” She looked around. “Who’s in the shower?” Aunt Margaret was the first person to stop crying.

“It’s Tommy, sweetheart.” Anne frowned.

“He’s never up before me. Where’s Uncle Tom?” Her Mother cried harder and even though she was six, she understood that meant something happened.

“Is he sick? Is he hurt?” Her Mommy lifted her off her lap and ran upstairs, unable to control herself and Anne, upset to see her Mommy so upset, started to cry. “Aunt Margaret, why is Mommy crying? She never cried like that before.” Her aunt picked her up and carried her into the den, sitting on one of the chairs with Anne in her lap.

“Sweetie, last night your Uncle Tom was in a diner getting some coffee with Officer Charlie. They were just joking around but when Officer Charlie went to the bathroom, he got shot.” Anne, the niece of a police officer, knew it was one of the risks of the job.

“Is he okay?” Her aunt Margaret nodded.

“He will be once he gets out of the hospital. The man who shot him came out and Uncle Tom shot the man but before the man fell, he fired his gun at Uncle Tom.” Her aunt paused and clamped her lips, closing her eyes. “Hand me the tissues, sweetheart.” Anne obeyed quickly and watched as her usually happy, laughing Aunt dabbed her dark eyes.

“Did he hit Uncle Tom?” she asked quietly.

“He did, Anne, a couple times.” Anne hugged her aunt.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Margaret, but he’ll be alright.” When her aunt didn’t answer, Anne frowned. “He will be alright, right?” Like her Mommy, Aunt Margaret started to shake.

“They took him to the emergency room, Anne, but he didn’t make it.” Anne shook her head, tears finally stinging her own eyes.

“What-what do you mean he didn’t make it?” Death didn’t even enter the little girl’s mind because to her, only really old people and dogs died. She remembered when her Mommy’s favorite lab, Boris, died and she cried so much but said it was okay cause he was so old. Uncle Tom wasn’t too old, not as old as Grandpa Hanson was when he died.

“Honey, your Uncle Tom died early this morning. The doctors couldn’t help him.” Anne shook her head in disbelief. He couldn’t be dead!

“No, he can’t be! Doctors can help anyone! Doctors are our friends! My teacher, Mrs Dobbin said so!” Her aunt nodded as she cried.

“I wish that were true, sweetheart, God do I ever wish it were true, but there are some people even doctor's can't help and Uncle Tom was one of the ones they couldn't help. They tried, Anne, they tried so hard but they couldn't save his life so he died."

“No! He can’t be dead! He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a Daddy! He can’t be dead, NO!” She jumped off her aunt’s lap and ran towards the door, slipping a bit as she did so. Before she would wrestle the door open, Tommy came downstairs and picked her up, holding her tighter than usual.

“They told you?” She nodded as she sobbed into her cousin’s shoulder. He carried her to the room she usually slept in and sat on her bed, rocking her as she cried. He didn’t try to shush her, just let her cry until she fell asleep and he laid her down and tucked her in.

One thing was certain.

Tom Hanson would always hate Valentine’s day.