Description: Sometimes, in life-and-death situations, being a 'cherub' with superpowers is not enough. In those times, a *lot* of extra help may be required...
__________
East of the Garden
by Snave <snaveandi@comcast.net>
Rated: PG13 (Nature's lethal violence, witnessed by children)
Submitted: November 2005
__________
This story is a sequel to the author's previous story, "Cherub." It begins a month or so after that one ends. While this story contains enough clues and hints that you don't absolutely have to read the previous piece, some things might be clearer if you do.
[WHAM warning]: This story is much darker than the previous one, and contains a double- or triple-WHAMmy, each WHAM darker and more serious than the one before. This story is a death fic -- although not in the strict sense. That is, 'all the toys are returned to the shelf' in at least as good shape as when they were borrowed...all except one: a venerable and well-beloved member of the Kent household is called upon to make the 'final sacrifice' to ensure the survival of several of the others...
(You'll see the reason for the 'smiley' as you read on.)
This story uses the characters of Emma Kent and her sister, borrowed from a story by Lynn M. Lynn was kind enough to loan me the use of Emma's character for my previous story, and I'm hoping that she will do the same for this one
This piece bears a title similar to one written by John Steinbeck. But be assured that any similarities between that one and this, are purely coincidental.
As usual, this story is solely for fun, and not for profit. The characters which are recognizably the property of December 3rd Productions, remain so. Any characters not claimed by Lynn M. are mine.
East of the Garden, by Snave <snaveandi@comcast.net>
Chapter One
"Middleton! My office, *now*!"
Walter jerked his attention away from his computer screen, and caught James Olsen grinning at him from the adjacent desk. "Uh -- how much trouble am I in?" he asked as he began to rise.
"Relax. He's just doing that to spook the new guy. He says he 'loves the smell of fear in the newsroom,' but he's really an old softie. But ya better get a move on anyway," he added.
Walter hastened over to Perry White's door and knocked. He heard an inarticulate grunt from inside and, taking it for permission to enter, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "You wanted me, sir?"
Mr. White set down the copy he was perusing and glanced up. "Took you long enough," he growled. "And don't call me 'Sir,' I work for a living!" Perry stared at the wide eyes of the young man in front of him a moment longer, and then abruptly broke into a guffaw.
"Take it easy, son; I'm just funnin' with ya." He stood up and walked to the door, closing the louvered blinds on it and on the window into the newsroom. "Editing a newspaper gets to be a tense business; you have to take your fun where you can."
Walter glanced around the office, noticing Clark Kent sitting in a corner. Clark smiled slightly, and cast a wink at him.
"Well, how have you enjoyed your first few weeks at The Daily Planet?"
Walter quickly turned back to Mr. White. "Truthfully? I love it. Getting to do research for Lane and Kent, for Myerson -- getting hands-on mentoring by James Olsen -- it's all like a dream come true. I feel like I'm where I belong."
"Good. I'm glad you're starting off with an upbeat attitude. And, you're proving to be everything that Lois and Clark said you were. Keep it up, son. But just one thing -- *don't* call me Sir!" he repeated. "It makes me feel like one of the suits upstairs." He gave an exaggerated shiver, and Walter grinned. "'Perry' will do -- or 'Chief' if you feel the need to be formal.
"Have a seat," Perry went on. "I understand that you have a rather special relationship with Lane and Kent."
Walter was non-plussed. "I -- I do?"
"I'm referring to the fact that their daughter saved your life a few months ago -- using some rather 'unusual' talents."
"You -- you *know* about that?" Walter glanced in alarm at Clark, who simply nodded.
"I've known for a few years that the Kents shared a rather 'special' secret."
"Yeah," put in Clark, "but he didn't tell *us* he knew until last year!"
"Yuh, well -- feller's gotta keep *some* things to himself. Anyway, the reason I 'invited' you in here --" he and Clark shared a grin, "-- is that there's a 'long weekend' coming up in a couple days. I've got this cabin up in the mountains west of Metropolis. I don't use it much, since Jerry and his brother are grown, and Alice and I aren't on the same footing we used to be..." He sighed, and went on. "Anywho, I offered it to Lois and Clark and their family for the weekend. And they suggested that I extend the offer to you and your new wife as well, so that y'all can sorta get to know each other better. I expect that you and -- Karen, isn't it? -- have lots of questions. This'll be your chance to get them to yourselves for a few days, and get some answers.
Well, how about it? Interested?"
"Um -- well, yeah! Of course we're interested! Karen's been dying to talk some more with Lois about all this." He turned to Clark. "But are you sure we won't be putting you out?"
Clark flashed him a warm smile. "We'd love to have you. Lois and I figure that we need to start spending more time with our new friends. What with my 'special' duties, time is a luxury we don't often have a lot of. Anyway, we need you to meet the rest of the family."
"The rest? I thought that Emma was your only child."
"No; we have another daughter, Gracie, who's two years younger than Emma; she just turned five a couple of months ago. And, by the way," he added, "she doesn't know about my 'extracurricular' activities, or about Emma's abilities. You and Karen will have to be careful about when you bring up that subject."
"Well -- it sounds great! I can't wait to call Karen; she'll be over the moon!"
"Okay, get on outta here then; give her a call," said Perry. "Jimmy's covering things this weekend, so you won't be missed."
Walter glanced at Clark. "What about you? Will *you* be missed?" He drew an 'S' on his chest with a finger.
"Don't worry; I'll just slip out every night for a quick 'walk in the woods,' and fly a patrol over Metropolis, so that interested parties will know that Superman's on the job."
"What about emergencies?"
"Even Superman needs some downtime occasionally. Up where we'll be, I won't be able to hear distress calls. The emergency services will have to handle things by themselves over the weekend."
Walter nodded. "I'm going to slip out and make that call. And thanks, Perry, and Clark -- to you *and* Lois!"
As Walter returned to his desk, he heard a greeting from beside him. "Well, did they ask you? Are ya going for it?"
"Yeah, they did. I'll know in a minute, soon as I call Karen. And by the way, James, thanks for covering things this next weekend..."
"Man, ya gotta stop *doing* that! 'James' is for by-lines; around here it's 'Jim,' or even better, 'Jimmy.' Okay?"
Walter grinned. "I'll try to remember that." He reached for the phone.
* * *
Chapter Two
Clark ran through the story once more, surreptitiously using super-speed, and then pressed the key which would send it to the desk of his editor-in-chief. He leaned back in his chair and stretched. "Well, that's it for me; I hope Perry likes it."
"When does he *not* like your stories?" asked Lois from the desk behind him. "It's *my* copy that he keeps sending back. 'Facts, Lane! Substantiated facts!'" she said, in an admirable imitation of Perry's gruff voice.
"Oh, honey, it was just the one time...*this* week." He glanced back at her with a grin.
"Watch it, Kent. Or I won't be as *nice* to you this weekend as I usually am." She grinned at him in turn.
"Oooh. Then I'll definitely watch my step." He frowned. "Lois, I'm still a little worried that we couldn't get the Jeep in for servicing," he said, referring to Lois's beloved Jeep Grand Cherokee. "That wobble in the front wheel worries me a little."
"Well, they said that it was just too short notice, what with everybody going out of town on the weekend. 'Sides, I'm sure it'll be fine. You know what a careful driver I am ... *don't* you roll your eyes at me, buster!"
"But you do need to be careful though, honey, on those mountain dirt tracks. Have you got the instructions from Perry, on how to get up there?"
"Yep, they're safely tucked in my purse. When are you and Walter leaving?"
"In about ten minutes. His four-by-four's all loaded; we've got everything except some items that Karen's bringing, plus the clothes for the kids. How long before your sidebar's done?"
I've got about a half-hour more. Then it's pick up Karen, pick up the kids from school, and we're right behind you."
"Honey, are you sure you don't want Walter and me to wait around, and caravan up with you? I'd feel better if..."
"Clark, we'll be fine! Women aren't the fragile creatures you seem to think we are."
"What was I thinking of? Lois Lane's about as fragile as a -- as a freight train!"
"And don't you forget it! Remember, you're going up early so you can use your special -- talents -- to clean the place up in a hurry, after its not being used for over a year."
"Yeah. I think Perry knows he's getting a good deal letting the Kents use it." He grinned, and then glanced back as Walter wandered over.
"Hey, Walter. Ready to head out?"
"Any time you're ready, Clark. Jimmy said he's got everything he needs to hold down the fort. Oh, and Karen called; she wants to bring a sack of treats for the kids, if that's okay." He glanced at Lois.
"I'm *sure* it'll be okay with them," she muttered. Then she smiled. "Of course it's okay, Walter. I'm looking forward to the trip up with Karen. She and I'll have lots to talk about -- once Gracie goes to sleep." She winked at him.
"Oh, she does. I'm surprised she hasn't started a notebook with all her questions."
"I still can't get over how she got so far off the track last month -- thinking Emma and I were *ghosts*!" she chuckled, shaking her head.
"Well, the whole thing was a big misunderstanding. I think she'd just prefer if the whole episode were never mentioned again. And anyway, that's no worse than me thinking I was being saved from drowning by an *angel*," he said somewhat ruefully.
Lois thought it wise to change the subject. "You told us once that she's just finished up her college degree. What did she major in?"
"She graduated as a nurse -- an RN, not an LPN. She's actually pretty well qualified in her field," he added, looking a little uncomfortable.
He seemed about to add more, but Perry's voice bellowed from his office door, "Lois? I need that copy *pronto*."
"On it, Chief!" She looked back at them. "Well, you two 'woodsmen extraordinaire' had better head out. Don't worry; we'll be right behind you." She glanced at her watch; there was still barely time to finish the sidebar and then pick up Emma from school before heading over to Karen's.
* * *
"Well, sweetie, are you looking forward to seeing the Middletons again?" Lois asked Emma over her shoulder.
"Yeah! I want to talk to 'em some more; 'specially Walter."
"Maybe you can ask him when he's going to take his boat out again. He still keeps your 'favorite' life jacket in it."
"Well, he *said* I could have a ride any time I wanted..."
"I know, honey. But he said it just because he's grateful you saved his life. It's a special gift he's offering...the gift of gratitude. You don't want to abuse a gift like that. There was a guy, once, who got Superman's powers for a while, and he went around charging people for all his rescues. It didn't take people long to start not trusting your father anymore. They figured that, if superheroes always wanted something for doing a good deed, they'd better just try to save themselves. Things weren't so good for Superman around Metropolis, until people realized that *he* wasn't like that."
There was silence for a few moments. "Does that mean I should *never* ask him?"
"No, of course not. Just be friends with him, and with Karen. Then they'll be comfortable around you, and they'll invite you lots, without you ever needing to bring it up." She slowed the car, and they pulled into a driveway. "Here we are. Let's go get Karen, and load up her stuff."
As they were walking up the front steps, the door opened and Karen Middleton stepped out onto the porch, her arms loaded with random items. "Hi! I saw you pull in, and I couldn't wait. There are a couple more things inside; then I'll be ready to go."
"Hi, yourself. You *are* an eager beaver. You must like the great outdoors."
"Nah. My idea of roughing it is spending four years in a college dormitory. I'm just really looking forward to spending time with you and Clark. *And* Lara." She winked at Emma.
"Um, better not call me that," said Emma. "I already got in trouble for telling it to Walter."
"It's just that it's a Kryptonian name; we try not to advertise the fact that it's Emma's middle name," added Lois by way of explanation.
They loaded the items which Karen had brought out into the back of the Cherokee behind the rear seat, then they all trooped into the house for the final load. As they passed an end table in the sitting room, Karen gestured to a portrait photo of Emma, wearing a dress of immaculate white. "See, there's Walter's 'angel.' I think he'll keep that picture forever." She smiled at Emma, who blushed slightly.
"It wasn't a big deal."
Karen sobered. "Oh yes it was. You saved my husband's life. *That's* a big deal." She put an arm around Emma's shoulders as they walked into the kitchen for the final pile of gear.
At the door, Karen turned to lock up the house while Lois and Emma placed the final items in the Jeep and closed the hatch. "Now we just pick up Gracie, and we're on our way."
"I can't wait to meet her. If she's like Emma, she must be adorable."
"She's *not* adorable. Sometimes she can be a --" Emma stopped at a look from her mother.
"Oho!" grinned Karen. "Definitely sisters, hmm?"
* * *
