Hello again. So yeah, this one is rather sad. The only regular characters in it are Jodi and Larry. Rumpy insisted the second story we did had to be JoLa. It came out a bit sadder than I think we'd kinda planned...I can't remember, do you have any idea how long ago we wrote this?!

*DISCLAIMER* RV makes no claim to own Tremors or its characters. They are the property of S.S. Wilson and ScyFy Entertainment.

The Letter

It was pleasantly quiet this morning in Jodi Chang's store as she began to set up for today's prospective customers. She propped open the door to air out the humid market, letting in some fresh air. As the store owner started to straighten some things up, she got the nagging feeling something was missing. She scanned the small building when she realize what she was looking for.

As Jodi walked outside, she instinctively looked to the sky. There she saw a large shape circling high above. She soon found herself at Larry's trailer, and she knocked loudly. "Larry, you in there? You are supposed to be helping me with the store."

The faint sound of a movie playing could be heard through the door but there was no answer from the sci-fi fan.

Jodi's brow furrowed as she rapped on the metal door again. "Larry Norvel! If you don't open the door, I'll just have to let myself in," she threatened, pulling a ring of keys out of her pocket.

Still nothing.

Jodi mumbled to herself, unlocking the door. She pushed it open, honestly confused by what was going on. Larry wasn't exactly one to be anti-social. That was Burt's specialty.

The inside of the trailer was dark, not that that was a surprise. Larry always insisted that you couldn't truly enjoy a movie unless it was in the dark, otherwise it took away from the effect. 'Why else do you think they turn the lights off in movie theaters? It's not just to keep the glare off you know.'

What *was* a little surprising was Larry himself. He was sitting on his couch, curled up in a blanket and watching his favorite sci-fi movie, Jurassic Park. But he barely seemed to be registering what was happening on the film, his eyes looking red and unfocused. Next to the couch beside him was an opened envelope.

Jodi frowned worriedly. "Larry, you okay?" she asked, stepping towards him.

Larry looked up at her in slight surprise, as if just realizing she was there. He turned his face away quickly and shrunk into his blanket a bit more, his whole demeanor saying he just wanted to be left alone.

Jodi was surprised when she found she was overcome with worry. She had never seen Larry this visibly upset, even when his own life was threatened. She moved a little closer, sitting on the edge of the couch. "Are you okay? What's the matter?" she asked.

Larry just pulled the blanket closer to him, causing the envelope to fall to the ground.

Jodi leaned down, picking up the envelope. She looked over the outside. It was addressed to Lawrence R. Norvel- she found herself wondering what his middle name was- at his P.O. Box in Bixby, from Darwin J. Norvel from an address in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The store owner looked to Larry, then took out the letter inside.

Dear Lawrence,

I know how excited you were about having your mother and I come visit you in your new home for our anniversary this year. But I'm afraid that won't be happening now. I'm sorry for writing this in a letter but I didn't think I could find the strength to say it out loud over the phone. We finally went to see a doctor about your mother's headaches. Turns out she had a brain tumor. A big one. Apparently it's been growing for years but we never noticed it. If it had been found sooner then perhaps they may have been able to remove it without consequence. But it was too late. Shortly after we found out your mother suffered a terrific seizure and was rushed to the emergency room. She lived just long enough for me to say goodbye but I don't think she recognized who I was. I wanted to call you but there wasn't any time, it all happened too quickly and I didn't want you to feel guilty for arriving too late. I made sure to tell her you loved her and that we would miss her. She passed peacefully and painlessly at least. I am thankful for that. I know this will be hard for you, the two of you were so close. But know that she is in a better place now, watching over us, and you as you go on your many adventures you're always telling us about. She always loved those stories. Now she can see them as you do. I know that will make her happy.

~Love,
Dad.

P.S.-the funeral will be this weekend on Sunday at 3:00. I hope you can make it.

"Oh, Larry," Jodi gasped softly. "I am so sorry," she almost whispered. She wiped her own eyes, surprised to find that she herself was crying at her own grief over her own loss. She was thinking of her uncle, but quickly whisked away the tears- this wasn't about her.

Larry was silent, although his own eyes were flooding with fresh tears. He never was one to handle deaths well but this was his mother. They'd been closer than any mother and son and her sudden death was like a hole had just been punched through his chest.

Jodi instinctively reached out and took his hand, not really knowing what to say at the moment. Comforting others had never really been one of her strong suits. In fact, she always went to her sister when a tragedy had befallen the family. Jodi tried to think of something she might have said.

"I... I can only imagine how this would feel," she said. She just wished he would say something.

He didn't, although his hand tightened around hers as if it were a lifeline.

Jodi peered around the small room, finding a box of tissues on a table and handing them to him. "I'll be right here if you want to talk," she offered him with a small smile.

For a long moment, Larry didn't answer. But finally he moved, sitting up and leaning against Jodi's shoulder. He still didn't speak though, too choked up to be able to get any words out.

Jodi gently fixed his messy hair, frowning with worry. His lack of speaking actually unnerved her, surprisingly, but she tried not to show it.

"What did she look like?" the Asian woman asked tentatively, and offered him a small smile.

Larry gestured to a picture hanging on the wall behind them. In it was a man and women standing together in front of a large house. The man was about 6 foot, with light brown hair and brown eyes. The woman was about the same height as Larry, and had black hair and kind blue eyes. She was wearing beautiful blue dress that when just below her knees and had one hand on her stomach.

"That was her favorite dress," Larry said quietly, speaking for the first time. "Dad bought it for her the day they found out she was pregnant with me."

Jodi smiled at the picture, then back at him. "You look like her," she said. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I was supposed to have a big sister but Mom miscarried when she was four months. She was always super protective of me because of that."

"Oh," Jodi said. "What was your mom like. Did she like science fiction like you," she teased gently, trying to lighten the mood.

Larry nodded, sniffling.

"What was her favorite movie?" she asked.

"The Day the Earth Stood Still."

"The old one or the new one?" she asked curiously, trying to keep him talking.

"Old one. She hated the new one."

"I guess that's the story of movies," Jodi joked, "People love the originals and hate the remakes." She grew more serious. "Are you going to the funeral?"

"I want to, but..." Larry looked down at his hands. "I don't know if I can."

Jodi took one of his hands again. "If you don't go, you'll always feel guilty about it. I know I do, I didn't go to my uncle's funeral," she told him.

"I know," Larry still looked uncertain.

"You don't have to go alone," Jodi said softly.

"Well, yeah, I know Dad'll be there," Larry replied tiredly, missing the offer in Jodi's words.

Jodi rolled her eyes slightly. "I meant, someone can go with you. So you're not travelling alone and stuff," she offered.

"Like who?"

"I don't know, like, me, Larry," she said, poking his chest for emphasis.

Larry straightened in surprise, "You'd do that?"

"Of course," she nodded. "You'd do it for me, right?"

"Yeah," Larry wiped his eyes with his sleeve and smiled slightly. "Thanks Jodi."

"You're welcome. It's this Saturday, right? That's three days," she said, and you could see she was already working out the details in her head.

"Sunday, actually," Larry said with a small smile. "But we'd probably have to leave by Saturday to get there in time."

"I'll have to scrape up some money for a plane ticket," she said, nodding.

Larry shook his head. "I can have Dad wire us some money, you don't have to worry."

"I couldn't take money from your dad," Jodi insisted.

"Trust me, he won't mind," Larry assured her. "He has more money than he knows what to do with."

Jodi gave him a confused, slightly surprised look.

He chuckled. "Yeah, my family's kinda sorta rich."

Jodi gaped. "Since when?"

"Um..." Larry looked up in thought. "About 1893 I believe. My great Grandpa's family struck oil. And they were really smart investors."

Jodi blinked. "Wow. I guess that explains a lot."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to come to the store so you can call you dad?" she asked gently.

He nodded, slowly untangling himself from the blanket and standing up. He might as well do something other than sit in his trailer in the dark. Besides, being the very hyper person he was, the lack of movement was making him antsy and paranoid. And he didn't like being antsy and paranoid. That was Burt's thing. And as much as Larry admired him, he didn't want to feel like him. He'd stick with the hyperactive way of life.

Aw. hehe. Yeah, sad. And kinda hits home for me 'cause I lost my grandmother to cancer a few years ago. It was bone cancer though, but still cancer. And my Sophomore English teacher had a seizure during my Junior right in front of her class and they found out she had a brain tumor. She didn't die though, but I don't know how her recover is/did go. I'm not sure if she came back before the end of the year either. But yeah. Coo cancerness. Anywho, second chapter up next, then on to the next story. There's only gonna be two chaps., it's not that long. We were takin' a break from longness lol. See ya.