A/N: Okay, here it is. My first fan fiction. I hope I did a good job, but I'm not really sure, so that's what I'm depending on your guys for. Reviews are the only way I can get better. I've never really tried writing a story, before, either. I absolutely LOVE to read, and I spend nearly every free minute doing that, but writing my own is a first. Please, be kind. If you have suggestions for improvement, don't hesitate to tell me, even if it's something as little as a missing letter in a word. I want to know so I can fix it A.S.A.P. I would ask that you don't leave unnecessarily nasty or harsh comments, though. I'll do my best to answer reviews, as well. Right, then. I'll just get to it. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Unseen Tears
The sun was just beginning to set in Washington, D.C. The city itself was still a flurry of activity, but elsewhere things were quieting down. The last few guests were being chased out of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. "I'm sorry, sir," a guard said gently to a man seated in front of one of the exhibits, "but we're closing now. I need you to leave. You may feel free to come back tomorrow."
The man looked at the guard and smiled sadly. "Thank you for telling me. I didn't really mean to stay so long. I need to get home. I'm late for work as it is." He stood up and gave one last, sorrowful glance at the plane in front of which he had been sitting for hours, a vacant expression on his face. He thanked the guard and hurried out of the building.
Once again the guard wondered at the pain he saw in the man's eyes. It was the pain of loss, as the guard knew well from his own experiences, but what did the plane have to do with it? He read the placard in front of it. It told him that the plane had been flown across the Atlantic Ocean by Amelia Earhart.
Suddenly he guard wondered if the pilot, rather than the plane, was the source of the man's sorrow. No, of course not. How could she be? Amelia Earhart had disappeared years ago on her flight to circumnavigate the globe. The man's monthly visits to the museum had only begun recently. In fact, the first time he had come was five months ago, exactly one month after some mysterious vandals had caused a great deal of damage to the Smithsonian museums and the Archives underneath them That was one case the local police force never managed to solve.
"Ah, well," the guard said, shrugging. "S'pose it ain't none o' my business anyhow," he muttered to himself. He headed for the exit, flicking the lights of and locking the doors before he left.
Everything was quiet in the museum. The sun sank below the horizon. A curious squirrel hopped up to a window and peered into the building. Suddenly, the creature froze and bolted away. Something had moved inside and frightened it! The door to the basement and the Archives creaked slowly open, and a head with short, curly red hair, bright blue eyes, and an aviator's cap and goggles poked around the corner. Seeing no one, the woman walked out into the museum. She headed over to the red plane that had so fascinated the man earlier. In her hand was a large case, which she opened upon reaching her destination. It contained oils, polish, grease, cloths, and all of the other necessary items for maintaining a small aircraft.
After giving the plane a thorough polishing and cleaning, the woman looked around for something else to occupy her time. Seeing nothing readily available, she decided to go for a jog around the museum to take her mind off of things. The jog, however, quickly turned into a full out sprinting race against the demons of her memories. She ran as long as she could, but finally she collapsed, unable to take another step. There was nothing more she could do. Every night ended this way, trying desperately not to thin about HIM. She couldn't take it any more. She made her way slowly back to her plane, and as she sat down beside it, for the first time in six months, Amelia Earhart let herself cry for Larry Daley.
A/N: Sorry it's a short chapter. I'm also sorry to say that they probably won't get much longer than this. I'm just not into writing huge novels or anything, nor do I feel that I'm good enough for that yet even if I COULD think up that much to write about. I hope you all bear with me. I'm doing my best here! Thanks for reading, and reviews are welcome.