Disclaimer: I do not own the following: the characters of this story, or the show.
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CH8
"Please buckle up and put your seats in a full upright position. The plane will be landing momentarely."
Clu had been sleeping, but the woman's voice woke him up. Clu yawned. He had slept on the bus, and now on the plane, but he usually never got up at such an early time. Despit his desire to sleep for an hour or two more, Clu sat up and buckled his seat belt.
Five or so minuets later, the plane smoothly landed. Clu checked his wathed, it was eleven-thirty.
After Clu exited the plane, he went to get his luggage. During the plane ride, before he had drited off to sleep, Clu had carefully planned each day of the expedition. Acording to his cacuations, the fstest way was through the woods that lay ahead.
Clu took out his potable cd player and slung the backpack over his shoulders. Then he started his way through the woods.
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"Firefly come back to me,
Make the night as bright as day.
I'll be looking up for you,
Tell me that you're lonly too.
Firefly come lead me on,
Follow you into the sun.
That's the way it otta be,
Firefly come back, to me.
zzz."
Clu groaned; his backpack seemed to get heaveir with every step. Clu took his eyes off the groung an relized he had just come out of the forest. Clu checked his suroundings. He had come out into an open feild. Soon Clu relized it was not a open feild at all. It was a burrial ground of trees. Burnt trees. Clu gasped. Everywhere he looked was burnt to a crisp. Barely anything was still alive.
"If Fi was here..." Clu said to no one, since no one was around. "She would do something about this."
But Fi isn't here, Clu reminded himself. She's out here some where, just not here. That's the reson I'm here. To find Fi and bring her back. Hopefully she's alright.
On both sides and infront of the ruble was a stream. Ahead of the stream was forest. Rain forest. This puzzled Clu. He wasn't supposed to be here for another day! Clu pulled out his map from his pocket. He carefuly looked at it. Then Clu checked the time his watch had. It was four fifty-six. Wow, Clu thought. I'm like, WAY ahead of schedule. Two days ahead of schedule. That's good though.
The music must have taken my mind off of what I was doing. 'Cause I never walk that fast. Not even for food! Man, I'm not even hungry! Forget that last thing I said, I'm starving. Clu hadn't relized that untill now. Music is always a good distraction. Clu cluched his stomach and his sides; for he also had a server cramp.
Clu stumbed forward. Clu almost fell flat on his face, but luckily he caught himself. He made his way over to a nerby stump. It was very broad, and it would be a good spot to eat dinner. Clu focsed his eyes on the stump, tring to get his mind off the pain and hunger. Since Clu was not paying attention to his sorroundings, he did not see the log in front of him, causing him to trip.
Clu remembered falling flat on his face. And a sharp pain in his right shoulder. Then everything went black.
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"So," Jack said. "Do we go after him, or not?"
"Ya," Carey contributed. "Something could happen to him."
"Carey, could you go see if Clu took his cell?" Irene was obviously worried, though her words didn't show it, and if Clu had his cell they could contact him.
A few minuets later Carey came back with a smile on his face. He sat on the couch and rested one leg on the other. "Well?" Irene asked impationtly.
"He took it," Carey replied.
Imediatly after Carey's response, Irene grabed her own cell phone. Clumsilly she dialed the well known numbers. The phone started to ring, and ring, and ring. No one answered. Irene hung up.
"Mabe he was asleep," Molly said, trying to comfort her friend.
"Asleep? It's not even six!" Ned exclaimed. "That's not like Clu at all," he added, shaking his head.
Molly glared at Ned. Without saying anything she said, 'Well you're not helping.' Molly put her hand on Irene's sholder. "Don't worry," Molly said in a reasuring, comforting voice. "Try calling later. Clu's probally just listening to a cd. You know how he is when he's listening to his music." Then trying to get her to smile she added with a small laugh. "At least it's not as bad as when Carey's listening to, or playing, music."
Nobody smile, or laughed. Jack stood there, blank to the collapsing world around him, thinking about what had happened in the past few days. First mom gets a call saying that the plane Fiona was on went down in smokes. Then he hears a mumbled poem by Clu. He then told Clu the terrible news. Fist he acted sad, then hurt because Fi hadn't told him she was returning to the the tour. When he told Clu that Fi had wanted to supprise him he had almost smiled!
Then at breakfast he accuses everyone of not caring, and not trying. The poem, the smile. And now this. Yep, Clu definatly liked Fi, not just as a freind though. More than a freind. But why had Fi told them she was coming home? Why had she wanted to suprise Clu, and not them? Was it possible that Fiona also liked Clu? Right now thaat seemed like the only logical answere available to him.
Taking his mind off the romance subject, he swichted back to reality. The hard facts. First it had just benn Fi who was mising. Now, out of love, or mabe it was just out of sheer friendship, Clu had gone off in search of Fi. And what lead did he have? A dream. A dream! It made him mad. Clu was putting his life at risk, and Fi was probaly already dead. Jack wiped a tear that had fallen. It was stupid.
Stupid was the thing Clu was doing. Stupid that he hadn't even made an effort to help. It was stupid that Clu hadn't asked him to come. They were best friend. Yes, he had already made up his mind that going was just to dangorous, but he might have come if Clu'd just asked. After all it was his sister. His baby sister.
He was supposed to be Fi's protector. What were big brother for. When had his title of Fi's protector changed to just Fi big brother. When had Clu taken over the job of protecting Fi. He knew Fi was just growing up, but...
Jack left the room, wanting to be by himself. "Jack, honey. Where you going?" But Jack did not hear her. He barely felt it when Carey put his hand on Jack's sholder, only to have it brushed off. Jack closed the door to his room. He climbed to the top bunk, and lay down. Only then did he let the tears flow. He wasn't ready to give up his sister to some one ealse. He wouldn't be ready until the right person came along.
Clu obviously cared for Fi. First, it had benn just Fi who was lost. Now, thanks to love, so was Clu. He seemed to be just right for Fi. She did seem to like Clu too. Still, something about it was just not right.
The right person for himself he knew. It Annie. They had been dating befor she left. She didn't want to leave, but her parents had wanted her home. They were parents. They had missed her. They had a good reson to want her home. Mabe she'll come back some day. Then he could be with her, and Fi could be with Clu. They would all be happy then.
But that wouldn't happen if they didn't return. it started with Fi, then Annie. Now Clu. Three people gone, and no one would be happy if they didn't all return.
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Everyone left the fact that Jack had left the room alone. The knew that he wanted to be by himself. He would be no help anyway, just standing there. Carey thought he should stay, though he wasn't much. So two seconds tater he went ouside.
Now only the responsable, mature adults were left. They decided to wait an hour, and then they would try calling Clu again.
Each adult were thinking similar but seperate thoughts. Molly and Irene had begun to softly cry.
Irene was half angry with Molly and Fi. It was the half of her that thought of her children, and nothing ealse. It told her that Clu had gone because of Fi, to help her. It was recless.
The other half of her told her that it wasn't Molly's fault Clu had gone after Fi. Or that the plane crash wasn't Fi's fault. It was no ones fault that this had happend. Oh wait, it is. It's the high jacker's fault. Dam him!
Molly's eyes were now red from crying. She was trying hard to be strong for Jack. It was useless though. No mattwer hard she tried, until Fi was safe in her arms she would not be okay. She had to try though. For Jack. He had already lost his dad. Jack would probably never be happy if Fi left him to join their dad.
Molly knew that they allways fought. She also knew that under all the crItism was love. They love each otherlike crazy.
Again Molly thought about how she had lost Rick. Now she was about to loose Fi. Another thought hit Molly. If something happened to Clu, Irene would never forgive her. Molly prayed that with all her heart that Clu AND Fi came out okay.
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Carey leaned against the bus. At fist, at the beginning of this mess, he had thought everthing would come out okay. Now it was only a hope. His brother was now invoved. Things were diferant now. He wished he could have come with Clu. He could have helped him. It made him mad that Clu hadn't even asked.
What reason did Clu have not to ask. Fear of him saying no, and telling mom? Probably that and that he wanted to be a hero. Yeah. He wanted to be Fi's big brave hero. Though he was mad he still had to hope that his little brother returned. Hopefuly with Fi.
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Clu's eyes flickered open. For a moment, he forgot where he was. He didn't usually see a giant mass of burnt trees when he woke up. The he remembered where he was, why he was there. He graoned, but not becase he regreted coming. He would never regret that. It was becase, when he had fallen and had become unconsious, he had landed on a pointed stick. Also, he was starving. Those two things alone almost made Clu faint.
Clu's hand moved to his trobing right shoulder. He felt a sticky substance. Removing his hand he relized it was blood. Clu looked around for something he could wash it off with. Bingo, Clu thought, sighting a stream.
Clu moanded and groaned as he got up. Each step he took toward the stream hurt; the fall had left him with several bruises. Sitting down on a rock next to the stream, Clu took off his shirt. despite it being evening, it was quite hot out.
Clu dipped the shirt into the cool waters of the stream stream. Using the shirt as a wash rag, Clu wiped the blood from his hand. Next he began to dab the wound with it. Clu would have just wiped it off if it weren't for the big bruise surronding it. Each time Clu touched the wound, he wanted to scream.
Reaching for the backpack that Clu thought he had put right next to the rock, he found it not there. Looking back at the spot he had just come from, Clu spotted the pack. Clu could kick himself for not remembering to bring it.
Sighing, Clu got up and slowly made his way back to the back. Once there, Clu bent down and picked up the pack, slinging it over his left shoulder. Clu then made his way back to the rock by the stream.
Clu sat down on the rock and opened his pack, taking out a red first aid pouch. Setting down the pack, Clu unzipped the pouch and took out a band aid. Clu dipped the shirt into the stream once again, and got the last bit of blood off his shoulder. Then he drien it on the part of his shirt that he had not gotten wet.
Clu put the pouch back in his pack. Then e took out Some cheese and a slice of bread. When he finished eating the food, he was still hungry. But he ddn't get anymore. Clu wasn't sure if he had brought enough, and if Fi was consious when he found, if he found her, she would be hunrgy. At least his hunger hqad subsuded.
Now that he was no longer starving, Clu notice that the area around the stream was a whole lot greener than the burial ground. Clu hadn't noticed it earlier because of the pain. It was nothing big, Clu just found it odd that It was not also burnt.
Clu looked at his watch, It was Five o' eight. Clu rummged through his pack in search of his cell. Upon finding it, he turned it off. Clu did not want his mom calling him every minuet or so, asking if he was alright. Yep, he had a job to do, and he did not need over protective parents on top of that. Then he put thhe cell back in the backpack.
Clu wiped his forehead. It was getting quite hot. He wanted to Go a mile or so more befor setting up camp, but the blue water looked very inviting. Clu couldn't resist. He slowly, so he wouldn't slip on the moss covered rocks, he got in the stream. Clu lay in the stream, letting the refreshing water flow over him.
A few minuets later Clu reluctantly got out of the stream. Clu hung the wet shirt around his neck, and put the backpack on both sholders, despite the pain.
Clu started to cross the stream, wich was at least ten yards long. Clu had to take it slow, or he'd slip. Clu started to wistle happily. He didn't exactly know why he was happy. The stream just seemed to have claered his mind.
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"No answere," Molly told the rest as she closed the cell.
"I'm calling the police," Irene declared. She took the cell from Molly and dialed the three numbers.
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CH8
"Please buckle up and put your seats in a full upright position. The plane will be landing momentarely."
Clu had been sleeping, but the woman's voice woke him up. Clu yawned. He had slept on the bus, and now on the plane, but he usually never got up at such an early time. Despit his desire to sleep for an hour or two more, Clu sat up and buckled his seat belt.
Five or so minuets later, the plane smoothly landed. Clu checked his wathed, it was eleven-thirty.
After Clu exited the plane, he went to get his luggage. During the plane ride, before he had drited off to sleep, Clu had carefully planned each day of the expedition. Acording to his cacuations, the fstest way was through the woods that lay ahead.
Clu took out his potable cd player and slung the backpack over his shoulders. Then he started his way through the woods.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Firefly come back to me,
Make the night as bright as day.
I'll be looking up for you,
Tell me that you're lonly too.
Firefly come lead me on,
Follow you into the sun.
That's the way it otta be,
Firefly come back, to me.
zzz."
Clu groaned; his backpack seemed to get heaveir with every step. Clu took his eyes off the groung an relized he had just come out of the forest. Clu checked his suroundings. He had come out into an open feild. Soon Clu relized it was not a open feild at all. It was a burrial ground of trees. Burnt trees. Clu gasped. Everywhere he looked was burnt to a crisp. Barely anything was still alive.
"If Fi was here..." Clu said to no one, since no one was around. "She would do something about this."
But Fi isn't here, Clu reminded himself. She's out here some where, just not here. That's the reson I'm here. To find Fi and bring her back. Hopefully she's alright.
On both sides and infront of the ruble was a stream. Ahead of the stream was forest. Rain forest. This puzzled Clu. He wasn't supposed to be here for another day! Clu pulled out his map from his pocket. He carefuly looked at it. Then Clu checked the time his watch had. It was four fifty-six. Wow, Clu thought. I'm like, WAY ahead of schedule. Two days ahead of schedule. That's good though.
The music must have taken my mind off of what I was doing. 'Cause I never walk that fast. Not even for food! Man, I'm not even hungry! Forget that last thing I said, I'm starving. Clu hadn't relized that untill now. Music is always a good distraction. Clu cluched his stomach and his sides; for he also had a server cramp.
Clu stumbed forward. Clu almost fell flat on his face, but luckily he caught himself. He made his way over to a nerby stump. It was very broad, and it would be a good spot to eat dinner. Clu focsed his eyes on the stump, tring to get his mind off the pain and hunger. Since Clu was not paying attention to his sorroundings, he did not see the log in front of him, causing him to trip.
Clu remembered falling flat on his face. And a sharp pain in his right shoulder. Then everything went black.
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"So," Jack said. "Do we go after him, or not?"
"Ya," Carey contributed. "Something could happen to him."
"Carey, could you go see if Clu took his cell?" Irene was obviously worried, though her words didn't show it, and if Clu had his cell they could contact him.
A few minuets later Carey came back with a smile on his face. He sat on the couch and rested one leg on the other. "Well?" Irene asked impationtly.
"He took it," Carey replied.
Imediatly after Carey's response, Irene grabed her own cell phone. Clumsilly she dialed the well known numbers. The phone started to ring, and ring, and ring. No one answered. Irene hung up.
"Mabe he was asleep," Molly said, trying to comfort her friend.
"Asleep? It's not even six!" Ned exclaimed. "That's not like Clu at all," he added, shaking his head.
Molly glared at Ned. Without saying anything she said, 'Well you're not helping.' Molly put her hand on Irene's sholder. "Don't worry," Molly said in a reasuring, comforting voice. "Try calling later. Clu's probally just listening to a cd. You know how he is when he's listening to his music." Then trying to get her to smile she added with a small laugh. "At least it's not as bad as when Carey's listening to, or playing, music."
Nobody smile, or laughed. Jack stood there, blank to the collapsing world around him, thinking about what had happened in the past few days. First mom gets a call saying that the plane Fiona was on went down in smokes. Then he hears a mumbled poem by Clu. He then told Clu the terrible news. Fist he acted sad, then hurt because Fi hadn't told him she was returning to the the tour. When he told Clu that Fi had wanted to supprise him he had almost smiled!
Then at breakfast he accuses everyone of not caring, and not trying. The poem, the smile. And now this. Yep, Clu definatly liked Fi, not just as a freind though. More than a freind. But why had Fi told them she was coming home? Why had she wanted to suprise Clu, and not them? Was it possible that Fiona also liked Clu? Right now thaat seemed like the only logical answere available to him.
Taking his mind off the romance subject, he swichted back to reality. The hard facts. First it had just benn Fi who was mising. Now, out of love, or mabe it was just out of sheer friendship, Clu had gone off in search of Fi. And what lead did he have? A dream. A dream! It made him mad. Clu was putting his life at risk, and Fi was probaly already dead. Jack wiped a tear that had fallen. It was stupid.
Stupid was the thing Clu was doing. Stupid that he hadn't even made an effort to help. It was stupid that Clu hadn't asked him to come. They were best friend. Yes, he had already made up his mind that going was just to dangorous, but he might have come if Clu'd just asked. After all it was his sister. His baby sister.
He was supposed to be Fi's protector. What were big brother for. When had his title of Fi's protector changed to just Fi big brother. When had Clu taken over the job of protecting Fi. He knew Fi was just growing up, but...
Jack left the room, wanting to be by himself. "Jack, honey. Where you going?" But Jack did not hear her. He barely felt it when Carey put his hand on Jack's sholder, only to have it brushed off. Jack closed the door to his room. He climbed to the top bunk, and lay down. Only then did he let the tears flow. He wasn't ready to give up his sister to some one ealse. He wouldn't be ready until the right person came along.
Clu obviously cared for Fi. First, it had benn just Fi who was lost. Now, thanks to love, so was Clu. He seemed to be just right for Fi. She did seem to like Clu too. Still, something about it was just not right.
The right person for himself he knew. It Annie. They had been dating befor she left. She didn't want to leave, but her parents had wanted her home. They were parents. They had missed her. They had a good reson to want her home. Mabe she'll come back some day. Then he could be with her, and Fi could be with Clu. They would all be happy then.
But that wouldn't happen if they didn't return. it started with Fi, then Annie. Now Clu. Three people gone, and no one would be happy if they didn't all return.
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Everyone left the fact that Jack had left the room alone. The knew that he wanted to be by himself. He would be no help anyway, just standing there. Carey thought he should stay, though he wasn't much. So two seconds tater he went ouside.
Now only the responsable, mature adults were left. They decided to wait an hour, and then they would try calling Clu again.
Each adult were thinking similar but seperate thoughts. Molly and Irene had begun to softly cry.
Irene was half angry with Molly and Fi. It was the half of her that thought of her children, and nothing ealse. It told her that Clu had gone because of Fi, to help her. It was recless.
The other half of her told her that it wasn't Molly's fault Clu had gone after Fi. Or that the plane crash wasn't Fi's fault. It was no ones fault that this had happend. Oh wait, it is. It's the high jacker's fault. Dam him!
Molly's eyes were now red from crying. She was trying hard to be strong for Jack. It was useless though. No mattwer hard she tried, until Fi was safe in her arms she would not be okay. She had to try though. For Jack. He had already lost his dad. Jack would probably never be happy if Fi left him to join their dad.
Molly knew that they allways fought. She also knew that under all the crItism was love. They love each otherlike crazy.
Again Molly thought about how she had lost Rick. Now she was about to loose Fi. Another thought hit Molly. If something happened to Clu, Irene would never forgive her. Molly prayed that with all her heart that Clu AND Fi came out okay.
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Carey leaned against the bus. At fist, at the beginning of this mess, he had thought everthing would come out okay. Now it was only a hope. His brother was now invoved. Things were diferant now. He wished he could have come with Clu. He could have helped him. It made him mad that Clu hadn't even asked.
What reason did Clu have not to ask. Fear of him saying no, and telling mom? Probably that and that he wanted to be a hero. Yeah. He wanted to be Fi's big brave hero. Though he was mad he still had to hope that his little brother returned. Hopefuly with Fi.
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Clu's eyes flickered open. For a moment, he forgot where he was. He didn't usually see a giant mass of burnt trees when he woke up. The he remembered where he was, why he was there. He graoned, but not becase he regreted coming. He would never regret that. It was becase, when he had fallen and had become unconsious, he had landed on a pointed stick. Also, he was starving. Those two things alone almost made Clu faint.
Clu's hand moved to his trobing right shoulder. He felt a sticky substance. Removing his hand he relized it was blood. Clu looked around for something he could wash it off with. Bingo, Clu thought, sighting a stream.
Clu moanded and groaned as he got up. Each step he took toward the stream hurt; the fall had left him with several bruises. Sitting down on a rock next to the stream, Clu took off his shirt. despite it being evening, it was quite hot out.
Clu dipped the shirt into the cool waters of the stream stream. Using the shirt as a wash rag, Clu wiped the blood from his hand. Next he began to dab the wound with it. Clu would have just wiped it off if it weren't for the big bruise surronding it. Each time Clu touched the wound, he wanted to scream.
Reaching for the backpack that Clu thought he had put right next to the rock, he found it not there. Looking back at the spot he had just come from, Clu spotted the pack. Clu could kick himself for not remembering to bring it.
Sighing, Clu got up and slowly made his way back to the back. Once there, Clu bent down and picked up the pack, slinging it over his left shoulder. Clu then made his way back to the rock by the stream.
Clu sat down on the rock and opened his pack, taking out a red first aid pouch. Setting down the pack, Clu unzipped the pouch and took out a band aid. Clu dipped the shirt into the stream once again, and got the last bit of blood off his shoulder. Then he drien it on the part of his shirt that he had not gotten wet.
Clu put the pouch back in his pack. Then e took out Some cheese and a slice of bread. When he finished eating the food, he was still hungry. But he ddn't get anymore. Clu wasn't sure if he had brought enough, and if Fi was consious when he found, if he found her, she would be hunrgy. At least his hunger hqad subsuded.
Now that he was no longer starving, Clu notice that the area around the stream was a whole lot greener than the burial ground. Clu hadn't noticed it earlier because of the pain. It was nothing big, Clu just found it odd that It was not also burnt.
Clu looked at his watch, It was Five o' eight. Clu rummged through his pack in search of his cell. Upon finding it, he turned it off. Clu did not want his mom calling him every minuet or so, asking if he was alright. Yep, he had a job to do, and he did not need over protective parents on top of that. Then he put thhe cell back in the backpack.
Clu wiped his forehead. It was getting quite hot. He wanted to Go a mile or so more befor setting up camp, but the blue water looked very inviting. Clu couldn't resist. He slowly, so he wouldn't slip on the moss covered rocks, he got in the stream. Clu lay in the stream, letting the refreshing water flow over him.
A few minuets later Clu reluctantly got out of the stream. Clu hung the wet shirt around his neck, and put the backpack on both sholders, despite the pain.
Clu started to cross the stream, wich was at least ten yards long. Clu had to take it slow, or he'd slip. Clu started to wistle happily. He didn't exactly know why he was happy. The stream just seemed to have claered his mind.
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"No answere," Molly told the rest as she closed the cell.
"I'm calling the police," Irene declared. She took the cell from Molly and dialed the three numbers.
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