HEROES: Part III
Author's Note: I'm the irresponsible nitwit who was supposed to continue this story almost a year ago. Enjoy.
Haiku Disclaimer (I stole this idea from someone else on fanfiction.net):
Borrowed characters
Owned by Bay and Bruckheimer
No profit for me
A.J. sighed in his sleep in the quiet hospital room. His eyelashes fluttered, but he did not wake. Grace dozed fitfully beside him, curled in an armchair.
News of the prevention of an Armageddon had reached worldwide. So had the details of what really happened on the asteroid. Casualties had been heavy; half of the oil-drillers who had embarked on the journey had not returned. NASA was not to blame, however, because Harry Stamper had reportedly insisted on bringing his own crew. The press couldn't put him in a bad light, however, for the man had sacrificed his own life "for all mankind". They soon found a good story, despite all the secrecy and 'no comment's they came across: the relationship between Stamper and A.J. Frost. Stamper had been like a father to Frost. The dispute over Grace Stamper, Stamper's daughter and Frost's fiancé, had been briefly mentioned, and basically ignored. Reporters were now demanding to see the footage of Stamper's farewell address to his daughter, claiming it to be news of national interest. How they even knew there was such footage was beyond anyone at NASA.
It was times like this when Chick wondered if humans really did deserve to be wiped out. He was beginning to feel the absence of Harry. When approached by reporters, he blushed furiously and took on an "aw shucks" country boy manner. What would Harry do? He thought, and then firmly replied "no comment" to nearly every single inquisition. And that would become his answer to every stumper for the rest of his life: What would Harry do? For he had put his friend on a pedestal, and Harry wasn't around this time to knock himself down.
Chick was feeling waves of exhaustion himself, though he absolutely refused to admit it. His ex-wife had graciously offered him stay in the guest room of her house, since he didn't live anywhere near the NASA space center. During the car-ride there, he had fallen asleep and did not wake until he was shaken into consciousness by his ex-wife.
"Hey, are you alright?" She asked him, looking concerned.
"Hhhmm?" He mumbled, waking up. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."
They exited the car with her carrying the sleeping child.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A.J. awoke slowly. He swam from the haziness of sleep to find Grace still sitting beside him in the armchair.
"Morning," she said, then smiled. It was a beautiful smile, one that made him feel a burst of love for her, adding to the steady flow that was always there. He suddenly remembered.
"I...had a dream. About Harry." He paused. "
"What happened in the dream?"
A.J. began telling his dream to Grace, who listened attentively.
"We were back on the asteroid - only it was a little different. There was water surrounding it where there should have been space..."
A.J. Frost stood, bewildered at the bizarre atmosphere. Tiny planets revolved above and stars twinkled, resembling a night sky. There was a constantly shifting barrier where the waves lapped at the asteroid. There was sunlight where there was water, but the asteroid was still and dark. It was a solemn and forlorn place.
A shimmering waded through the water and came through the barrier. It was Harry. He remained dry where the water touched him, and was standing in a dark blue T-shirt, pants and work boots. A.J. now walked towards him, wearing an expression of confusion on his face.
"Hey A.J." Harry spoke to him. His expression was unreadable.
A.J. swallowed a few times, and then said, "Harry?" He walked towards him. "Harry, is that you?" The older man smiled. "What are you doing here?"
Harry smirked then gave a snort of derision.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm here cuz you're here. I used to be over there, you know." He jerked his head towards the shimmering water. "So did you."
"Where are we now?" A.J.'s face contorted with the struggle to understand.
Harry sighed. He looked at the confused young man before him. "Someplace neither of us wants to be." A.J. opened his mouth to speak, but Harry cut him off. "You don't really want to be here, boy. You don't. I know ya don't. That's why I gotta - " He stopped short, realizing he had said too much.
"What, Harry? You gotta what?" A.J. pressed.
Harry sighed again. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Not important," he said dismissingly. "Look, A.J., I just want you to know that it wasn't your fault. I made the choice, and I never regretted it for a second." He paused. "Besides, there was no way you coulda taken me on," he added with a grin. A.J. chuckled a little at that.
"Why did you do it?" The younger man asked the older. His tone was tragic, pleading, almost pathetic.
"For you." Harry replied simply. "For the crew. And for the world."
"But-but I was ready. I could have done it." A.J. insisted.
"I know. All the better, I suppose. I just didn't want anybody else to die. The way I saw it, I was the only one who was expendable. I'm pretty old, anyway. Always wanted to go out with a bang - " He began to ramble.
"That's not true! You're not *expendable*!" A.J. suddenly yelled. "We - the crew - we need you! The name on the boat says Harry Stamper; and you were the guy in charge. Now none of us has jobs because we lost our boss because he was selfish, crazy, and stubborn, just like Chick said! Except, uh, not the selfish part." He stopped and looked down for a minute, seeming to catch his breath. Harry gazed at him warily. "How could you do this to me, Harry?" He finished in a broken voice, on the verge of tears.
"Do I really have to tell you again? It. Was. My. Choice. My decision, kid. Not your fault. Got it?" He stared intensely at A.J., willing him to give up his guilt.
A.J. was crying openly now. "Yeah," he choked out. "Ju-just gimme a minute, okay?" He turned and wiped away the tears. After a moment he turned back and nodded. "Alright. Fine. Not my fault. But what happens now? What are the rest of us supposed to do, with half the crew gone?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know. Up to you guys, really. Me, I'm going back there." He motioned towards the water again, and started to leave. He turned back to A.J.
"Well? Come on." A.J. hesitated, then began to follow. "C'mon, pal. Let's go." Harry urged him. He hesitated again at the barrier. Harry was leading him by hand, pulling, although Harry knew it made no difference.
A.J. let go of the guilt and sadness for one moment, thinking that he was going to be with Harry for a longer time if he did, and that was true in a way. And that moment was enough. He went through the barrier into a brightness that seemed white in its intensity. He could no longer feel Harry's hand in his own, but he did hear the soft murmur on the wind.
Harry's last words to him, the ones he hadn't heard over the sound of his own sobbing:
"My son."
~~~
"And then I woke up," A.J. said to an astonished Grace.
"Do you really that...that he came to you?" She pondered in a half-whisper. "I mean that's incredible, baby. Do you feel any better now?"
"Yeah, a little. I wish I could go back and spend more time with him. Even if it is just in my imagination." Grace suddenly stood and hugged him tightly.
"He was right, you know," she told him. "It wasn't your fault. So don't go blaming yourself for what he did. He was very stubborn, but he had his reasons. He wanted us to be happy together. He gave us his blessing when he was saying good-bye to me. And God know, I hate myself for every argument we had, because it felt like I had wasted the time we had together, but that's not true. Whatever's been said has been forgiven, and his love for us only grew stronger. He loved you, A.J. He loved us."
"He ah..." A.J. cleared his throat. "He gave me his blessing too. I told him that I loved him. I didn't say that much." - he sighed - "But don't you think I should have?" He looked up at Grace, his eyes desperate and inquisitive. But he continued before she could answer. "What if he didn't really know that I loved him. What if he thought I was only saying that just to respond to him saying that he loved me?"
"I think he knew," Grace responded gently. "And for your worry that you didn't say 'I love you.' enough, well...I heard this quote once: 'The rarer the jewel, the greater its worth.' The meaning is that the few times you've said it to each other only made it more special and true. Just because you didn't say it much doesn't mean that he didn't know. I'm not sure if that's the exact phrasing, but you get the idea, don't you?"
A.J. suddenly looked down, realizing how wrong his doubts had been. He tried to push them away, but they kept creeping back. "Yeah, I think I do."
"Good." She kissed him on the forehead and smoothed his hair back before glancing at the clock on the wall. "I have to go. It's this interview...statement thing." She smiled apologetically. "You're not invited because, well..." She gestured towards the hospital bed.
"So who is invited?" A.J. looked up, his gloomy demeanor gone.
"Um...Bear and Rockhound. I heard Chick might be showing up too."
"Okay." He nodded.
"I love you."
"Love you too." A.J. watched her go out the door, which was no longer occupied by hordes of reporters. He settled back down into the bed and wished earnestly for release from it. Soon he was unknowingly falling back into the depths of slumber.
~~~
After hearing the two immortal words, he took another step in the brightness. His surroundings transformed into an oilrig ship. He found himself standing on the railing of the side of the ship with one arm curled around something that helped him maintain a seemingly impossible balance. He felt light, as if he were merely watching, and not existing at this place.
Everyone was there: Chick, Oscar, Max, Bear, Rockhound, Noonan...and Harry and A.J. It was a piece of the past; the way it had been before the asteroid.
"Hey, Harry - " the other A.J. began.
In the far off conversation, A.J. told Harry a corny joke he had made up about oil drilling. The A.J. on the railing of the ship remembered the joke. Harry had laughed at it although it really wasn't that funny, and A.J. had sauntered off, pleased that he had made Harry laugh. That had been a good day. It felt like a long time ago to A.J. It was before their relationship became strained, before he began seeing Grace, and before he started to long for independence.
Chick turned to Harry and asked: "You figuring on keepin' him?"
Harry chuckled. "Damn right, I am. That boy's gonna make a fine oil driller someday."
A.J. smiled at the compliment. He hadn't thought that Harry had that much faith in him. He pivoted to face the ocean waters. He didn't need to watch anymore. A.J. felt he knew what he was supposed to do. He turned back to Harry on the rig one more time to say something. He could no longer hear the conversation.
"I love you, Harry. We'll miss you."
A.J. dove off the ship
~~~
He awoke and found it strange that he never landed. He would tell Grace about this later.
~~~
Tidbit from the author:
This song is by Shawn Mullins. I discovered it when I was 3 quarters of the way through with Heroes 3. It relates amazingly well to the A.J./Harry relationship.
Soul Child
like fallin' rain
the days go by
can't kill the pain
and you wonder why
be strong
hold on
lotta love to go around
stay wild
my soul child
don't you let 'em bring you down
it's like a dream
wake me when it's over
somewhere in between
enemy and lover
walk proud
sing out loud
it always hurts to wonder why
one more mile
my soul child
you'll never know until you try
If you enjoy this story, please consider writing your own Armageddon fic. Just imagine! You could give that good feeling to someone else in need of Armageddon fan fiction. Like myself...
Just out of curiosity, do you think Harry really knew that A.J. loved him? Put it in the review.
Author's Note: I'm the irresponsible nitwit who was supposed to continue this story almost a year ago. Enjoy.
Haiku Disclaimer (I stole this idea from someone else on fanfiction.net):
Borrowed characters
Owned by Bay and Bruckheimer
No profit for me
A.J. sighed in his sleep in the quiet hospital room. His eyelashes fluttered, but he did not wake. Grace dozed fitfully beside him, curled in an armchair.
News of the prevention of an Armageddon had reached worldwide. So had the details of what really happened on the asteroid. Casualties had been heavy; half of the oil-drillers who had embarked on the journey had not returned. NASA was not to blame, however, because Harry Stamper had reportedly insisted on bringing his own crew. The press couldn't put him in a bad light, however, for the man had sacrificed his own life "for all mankind". They soon found a good story, despite all the secrecy and 'no comment's they came across: the relationship between Stamper and A.J. Frost. Stamper had been like a father to Frost. The dispute over Grace Stamper, Stamper's daughter and Frost's fiancé, had been briefly mentioned, and basically ignored. Reporters were now demanding to see the footage of Stamper's farewell address to his daughter, claiming it to be news of national interest. How they even knew there was such footage was beyond anyone at NASA.
It was times like this when Chick wondered if humans really did deserve to be wiped out. He was beginning to feel the absence of Harry. When approached by reporters, he blushed furiously and took on an "aw shucks" country boy manner. What would Harry do? He thought, and then firmly replied "no comment" to nearly every single inquisition. And that would become his answer to every stumper for the rest of his life: What would Harry do? For he had put his friend on a pedestal, and Harry wasn't around this time to knock himself down.
Chick was feeling waves of exhaustion himself, though he absolutely refused to admit it. His ex-wife had graciously offered him stay in the guest room of her house, since he didn't live anywhere near the NASA space center. During the car-ride there, he had fallen asleep and did not wake until he was shaken into consciousness by his ex-wife.
"Hey, are you alright?" She asked him, looking concerned.
"Hhhmm?" He mumbled, waking up. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine."
They exited the car with her carrying the sleeping child.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A.J. awoke slowly. He swam from the haziness of sleep to find Grace still sitting beside him in the armchair.
"Morning," she said, then smiled. It was a beautiful smile, one that made him feel a burst of love for her, adding to the steady flow that was always there. He suddenly remembered.
"I...had a dream. About Harry." He paused. "
"What happened in the dream?"
A.J. began telling his dream to Grace, who listened attentively.
"We were back on the asteroid - only it was a little different. There was water surrounding it where there should have been space..."
A.J. Frost stood, bewildered at the bizarre atmosphere. Tiny planets revolved above and stars twinkled, resembling a night sky. There was a constantly shifting barrier where the waves lapped at the asteroid. There was sunlight where there was water, but the asteroid was still and dark. It was a solemn and forlorn place.
A shimmering waded through the water and came through the barrier. It was Harry. He remained dry where the water touched him, and was standing in a dark blue T-shirt, pants and work boots. A.J. now walked towards him, wearing an expression of confusion on his face.
"Hey A.J." Harry spoke to him. His expression was unreadable.
A.J. swallowed a few times, and then said, "Harry?" He walked towards him. "Harry, is that you?" The older man smiled. "What are you doing here?"
Harry smirked then gave a snort of derision.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm here cuz you're here. I used to be over there, you know." He jerked his head towards the shimmering water. "So did you."
"Where are we now?" A.J.'s face contorted with the struggle to understand.
Harry sighed. He looked at the confused young man before him. "Someplace neither of us wants to be." A.J. opened his mouth to speak, but Harry cut him off. "You don't really want to be here, boy. You don't. I know ya don't. That's why I gotta - " He stopped short, realizing he had said too much.
"What, Harry? You gotta what?" A.J. pressed.
Harry sighed again. He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Not important," he said dismissingly. "Look, A.J., I just want you to know that it wasn't your fault. I made the choice, and I never regretted it for a second." He paused. "Besides, there was no way you coulda taken me on," he added with a grin. A.J. chuckled a little at that.
"Why did you do it?" The younger man asked the older. His tone was tragic, pleading, almost pathetic.
"For you." Harry replied simply. "For the crew. And for the world."
"But-but I was ready. I could have done it." A.J. insisted.
"I know. All the better, I suppose. I just didn't want anybody else to die. The way I saw it, I was the only one who was expendable. I'm pretty old, anyway. Always wanted to go out with a bang - " He began to ramble.
"That's not true! You're not *expendable*!" A.J. suddenly yelled. "We - the crew - we need you! The name on the boat says Harry Stamper; and you were the guy in charge. Now none of us has jobs because we lost our boss because he was selfish, crazy, and stubborn, just like Chick said! Except, uh, not the selfish part." He stopped and looked down for a minute, seeming to catch his breath. Harry gazed at him warily. "How could you do this to me, Harry?" He finished in a broken voice, on the verge of tears.
"Do I really have to tell you again? It. Was. My. Choice. My decision, kid. Not your fault. Got it?" He stared intensely at A.J., willing him to give up his guilt.
A.J. was crying openly now. "Yeah," he choked out. "Ju-just gimme a minute, okay?" He turned and wiped away the tears. After a moment he turned back and nodded. "Alright. Fine. Not my fault. But what happens now? What are the rest of us supposed to do, with half the crew gone?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know. Up to you guys, really. Me, I'm going back there." He motioned towards the water again, and started to leave. He turned back to A.J.
"Well? Come on." A.J. hesitated, then began to follow. "C'mon, pal. Let's go." Harry urged him. He hesitated again at the barrier. Harry was leading him by hand, pulling, although Harry knew it made no difference.
A.J. let go of the guilt and sadness for one moment, thinking that he was going to be with Harry for a longer time if he did, and that was true in a way. And that moment was enough. He went through the barrier into a brightness that seemed white in its intensity. He could no longer feel Harry's hand in his own, but he did hear the soft murmur on the wind.
Harry's last words to him, the ones he hadn't heard over the sound of his own sobbing:
"My son."
~~~
"And then I woke up," A.J. said to an astonished Grace.
"Do you really that...that he came to you?" She pondered in a half-whisper. "I mean that's incredible, baby. Do you feel any better now?"
"Yeah, a little. I wish I could go back and spend more time with him. Even if it is just in my imagination." Grace suddenly stood and hugged him tightly.
"He was right, you know," she told him. "It wasn't your fault. So don't go blaming yourself for what he did. He was very stubborn, but he had his reasons. He wanted us to be happy together. He gave us his blessing when he was saying good-bye to me. And God know, I hate myself for every argument we had, because it felt like I had wasted the time we had together, but that's not true. Whatever's been said has been forgiven, and his love for us only grew stronger. He loved you, A.J. He loved us."
"He ah..." A.J. cleared his throat. "He gave me his blessing too. I told him that I loved him. I didn't say that much." - he sighed - "But don't you think I should have?" He looked up at Grace, his eyes desperate and inquisitive. But he continued before she could answer. "What if he didn't really know that I loved him. What if he thought I was only saying that just to respond to him saying that he loved me?"
"I think he knew," Grace responded gently. "And for your worry that you didn't say 'I love you.' enough, well...I heard this quote once: 'The rarer the jewel, the greater its worth.' The meaning is that the few times you've said it to each other only made it more special and true. Just because you didn't say it much doesn't mean that he didn't know. I'm not sure if that's the exact phrasing, but you get the idea, don't you?"
A.J. suddenly looked down, realizing how wrong his doubts had been. He tried to push them away, but they kept creeping back. "Yeah, I think I do."
"Good." She kissed him on the forehead and smoothed his hair back before glancing at the clock on the wall. "I have to go. It's this interview...statement thing." She smiled apologetically. "You're not invited because, well..." She gestured towards the hospital bed.
"So who is invited?" A.J. looked up, his gloomy demeanor gone.
"Um...Bear and Rockhound. I heard Chick might be showing up too."
"Okay." He nodded.
"I love you."
"Love you too." A.J. watched her go out the door, which was no longer occupied by hordes of reporters. He settled back down into the bed and wished earnestly for release from it. Soon he was unknowingly falling back into the depths of slumber.
~~~
After hearing the two immortal words, he took another step in the brightness. His surroundings transformed into an oilrig ship. He found himself standing on the railing of the side of the ship with one arm curled around something that helped him maintain a seemingly impossible balance. He felt light, as if he were merely watching, and not existing at this place.
Everyone was there: Chick, Oscar, Max, Bear, Rockhound, Noonan...and Harry and A.J. It was a piece of the past; the way it had been before the asteroid.
"Hey, Harry - " the other A.J. began.
In the far off conversation, A.J. told Harry a corny joke he had made up about oil drilling. The A.J. on the railing of the ship remembered the joke. Harry had laughed at it although it really wasn't that funny, and A.J. had sauntered off, pleased that he had made Harry laugh. That had been a good day. It felt like a long time ago to A.J. It was before their relationship became strained, before he began seeing Grace, and before he started to long for independence.
Chick turned to Harry and asked: "You figuring on keepin' him?"
Harry chuckled. "Damn right, I am. That boy's gonna make a fine oil driller someday."
A.J. smiled at the compliment. He hadn't thought that Harry had that much faith in him. He pivoted to face the ocean waters. He didn't need to watch anymore. A.J. felt he knew what he was supposed to do. He turned back to Harry on the rig one more time to say something. He could no longer hear the conversation.
"I love you, Harry. We'll miss you."
A.J. dove off the ship
~~~
He awoke and found it strange that he never landed. He would tell Grace about this later.
~~~
Tidbit from the author:
This song is by Shawn Mullins. I discovered it when I was 3 quarters of the way through with Heroes 3. It relates amazingly well to the A.J./Harry relationship.
Soul Child
like fallin' rain
the days go by
can't kill the pain
and you wonder why
be strong
hold on
lotta love to go around
stay wild
my soul child
don't you let 'em bring you down
it's like a dream
wake me when it's over
somewhere in between
enemy and lover
walk proud
sing out loud
it always hurts to wonder why
one more mile
my soul child
you'll never know until you try
If you enjoy this story, please consider writing your own Armageddon fic. Just imagine! You could give that good feeling to someone else in need of Armageddon fan fiction. Like myself...
Just out of curiosity, do you think Harry really knew that A.J. loved him? Put it in the review.