We love you (so please don't go) [EXTRA EDITION!!!]

Penelope's concern

TW: Implied parent d3@th, small mention of gvnf!ght$, (kinda) detailed depictions of child @bv$3, d3gr@d!ng, externalized and internalized $3x!$m, attempted [sewerslide], drvg overdose, @lc0h0l,

Penelope was sitting on her room's balcony, drawing something on her IPad with her Apple Pencil, humming Strazh as she did so.

"Privet." Penelope turned to her great-grandfather.

"Hiya, praded!" Penelope cheerfully greeted.

"I'm sorry if I may have startled you, but may I join you?" Krus inquired. "You and your family members have lovely singing voices, by the way."

Penelope giggled. "Thanks, and of course you can join me!"

Krus smiled and stood beside her, noticing what she was drawing on her IPad; it was a picture of them and their family. It clearly wasn't finished, but it was gorgeous either way.

"You're excellent at drawing." He complimented.

His great-granddaughter turned to him and smiled. "Thanks dedushka. I really wanna be a digital artist when I grow up so I've been practicing a lot."

Krus couldn't help but chuckle at the 8-year-old girl's response.

He saw traces of his current self in the girl's aunt (Essie) and mother (Affie), and when he looked at the girl and her cousin (Melody), he saw his younger self in them, which was part of the reason he easily warmed up to them as soon as he met them.

"Then go for it." He spoke. "You're very good at it, and if it makes you happy, then why not? Working in a job that involves what you love is better than picking a random job just for the sake of it, after all."

Penelope smiled. "Thanks. What about you? Did you like working as a police officer?"

Krus made a bittersweet smile. "I did. It was hard, but I loved my job. I loved protecting others who couldn't protect themselves and making sure citizens followed the law. Sadly, my fellow officers had other intentions...bad, twisted, intentions."

"That's sad." Penelope remarked. "Corrupt officials suck."

"Agreed."

They were silent for a couple minutes until Penelope turned to him.

"What shade of blue is prababushka's (Russian for great-grandmother) jacket?"

Krus looked at the color palette on the screen of Penelope's IPad carefully before clicking a certain shade of blue. "This one."

"Okay! Thanks, praded!" Krus chuckled and replied with a "You're welcome" as she went back to drawing before looking up at the starry night sky.

Flashback...

"Do you see those stars over there?" A woman with lavender hair and skin asked, pointing to a group of stars in the sky that resembled a heart. On her lap was a 10-year-old Krus.

"I do." The young Krus answered, looking at where the woman was pointing.

"There will be a time where me and papa won't be here, physically, anymore." The woman started. "But we'll always be with you, even if you won't be able to see us. In the spirit, and in here."

She lightly poked the area where his heart was as he turned to look at her. "So whenever we're at work and when the time comes that we leave this world, and every day after that until you eventually leave this world as well, look at those stars and remember what I just said, alright?"

"Okay, mama." Krus said. The woman, his mother, smiled and hugged him.

Little did he know that this would be the last night he'd spend with his parents.