All Notes & Disclaimers are established at the bottom.
(Please leave a comment and enjoy!)
Ch2
Inside Garrett's spaceship, the Black Mercy appeared to grow on Garrett's chest, as he was still sleeping. "Inside" it, Garrett and his family were entering a big science center building, and came across a man near the entrance, who they saw as Michael Ese.
"Grandpa!" Harrison and Abby chanted, seeing Michael and pounced on him with the biggest hug. Making him fall and laugh, "Kids! Good to see you again, haha." The twins hugged their grandfather, who accepted, and was also happy to see his son and daughter-in-law."
"Well fancy seeing you all here." He said to them, standing up. "How is everything?"
Garrett replied, "Everything's been great so far." Then he looked around the science center, seeing every star and model of the planets on the ceiling and walls. Feeling impressed.
"All except for Mr. Gar-umpy here not wanting the 'you-know-what'." Said Jewel, his wife.
Michael chuckled, "Is that so?"
"Not you too." Garrett complained.
"What? You know how much your friends and family care."
"So I've heard. Even though I keep asking not-" Before he finished, a small tremor went off. "What was that?"
"What?" Jewel asked, as though she didn't feel it, and Michael appeared to be the same when he asked, "Something wrong, bud?"
Garrett, "I thought I felt a trem-" He stopped looking at his kids, seeing the big aquatic exhibits close to the entrance doors. Having fun and enjoying the sights. Then he shook his hood. "Uh, nevermind. Maybe I've been working a little too hard lately. Anyway, I heard you won something today?"
"Yeah. Nothing special really, but your mother and I were able to receive a Nobel Peace prize. Helping with the development for the cure for the common cold, and donating to the new children's hospital in our old hometown."
Jewel, "That's fantastic! Oh speaking of whom, where is Marie?"
"She is actually shopping with Danny and his parents. She wanted to help plan the party more."
Garrett, "Yeah. That sounds like Mom."
"The woman I married. Who is no different from the woman you married, to be honest."
"Dad." Garrett sighed in annoyance.
Jewel giggled, "Anyway, since we got here, are you okay if we take a look around the center."
Michael, "Absolutely."
The three started moving, but then another small tremor began to show itself. The rooms and everything were shaking, but Garrett was the only one to respond to it. He felt himself shaking, but tried ignoring it as it quickly stopped. Then looked at his wife smiling as he thought to himself, "What is going on?"
Soon, everything in Garrett's mind passed the way he thought it did. He and his family left the science center, and hours passed before it was finally night, and they were at the place of their celebration.
HT High School was having a big reunion and lit up with colorful bright lights. Garrett was inside the gym, standing by the wall with his wife and mother while viewing everyone else inside. For it was a large crowd. All of them were listening to the fancy music playing, dancing, and laughing together in their big reunion.
The two women were speaking, until Garett heard his mother, Marie Ese say, "So things have definitely been going well?"
Jewel replied, "Uh-huh. Though G-Man may have trouble handling it, life working on a farm is still rewarding."
"Especially when my wife stops giving me a hard time about how I'm trying to do the chores." Garrett joked.
The girls then laughed before Marie commented, "Funny, your father said the same thing about me once. But eventually it does get easier."
"Uh-huh." Garrett smiled.
As he planned to speak further, he heard a different voice reply, "And speaking of rewarding…" Garrett turned and saw another person suddenly come next to them, who they recognized as Danny Silverce. One of Garrett and Jewel's oldest friends.
Danny said to them, "Sorry Garrett, but you okay if we speak to you for a moment, Jewel?"
Jewel, "Only if he doesn't mind me leaving."
Garrett chuckled, "No, go ahead."
Jewel chuckled again, and walked with them to the otherside of the room, making Garrett smile more as he focused again on everyone having fun. Including his kids, who he saw playing with his other old friends at the corner, dancing together. Then he looked at his mother.
"Hmm. You wouldn't happen to know anything about them setting up a surprise party for me, would you?"
"Not any that I know of." Marie chuckled. "And no, I wouldn't say the same thing if I did."
"Right. I guess that means Dad is out of the loop, huh?"
"Maybe. What would you do if they did plan another party?"
"Probably argue with them, saying to you and everyone that I don't deserve it. Then you guys would say 'I don't know, you have a lot of friends that would disagree with that' before I finally would take the gift."
Marie chuckled and paused before saying, "Yep. You're father's son alright. Funny, courageous, and stubborn."
Garrett just smiled next, feeling a total sensation of happiness, seeing his mom. Seeing his dad interact with the teachers, and seeing his kids still interact with all his friends. Then he rested his back to the wall and felt a different sensation. He focused on his friends, and to his surprise, he could somehow hear them as if they were close. Hearing every word they said despite them being on the other side of the gym.
He could hear them speak to their other friend, Mikka Doriano, as she said, "Okay. You sure you have the present ready?"
"Totally." Said Danny.
"And Jewel, you sure he's not gonna be too upset about it?"
Then Jewel, "What do you think? You know how stubborn he is when it comes to being given something."
"Fair point…but let's try it anyway. Because we have something that will really immortalize our moment forever."
"Then let's do it."
Garrett felt shocked. He hardly focused and even with all the music on, he was able to listen to everything. As if he was standing next to them. Suddenly, another tremor went up, bigger than the last ones. But stopped sooner, and Garrett saw again that no one noticed. Marie, however, noticed her son's reaction and wanted to say something until Harrison and Abby got his attention.
"Daddy?" They said, and Garrett looked down at them, feeling his nerves suddenly diminish.
Abby, "Are you okay?"
Harrison, "We were wondering if you could take us to the school observatory, please."
Garrett, "Oh that? Sure. Definitely, just follow me." He took his kids' hands, and Marie didn't say a word. But felt okay seeing her son calm down until Jewel, Mikka, and Danny came back to her.
"Hey where's Garrett?" Danny asked.
Marie, "He tooks his kids to the observatory."
Mikka, "And you didn't stop him first? Man, I wanted us to give this to him now."
Jewel, "Don't worry, Mikka. I'm sure he'll be back soon. Besides, at least a present like this will always last."
Marie, "Are you okay if I see it?"
"Well, you helped us make it, so yeah." Mikka handed Marie the box she was holding, and as it was opened, it was revealed to be a painting of them, Garrett, and all their friends together. It was them from their early years in high school, plus the friends that they met later.
"I think he'll definitely love it."
In the school hallways, Garrett was still walking his kids, and felt a small tremor again. Feeling like he was beginning to sense something else. Like the sense of waking up.
Garrett and his kids were then inside the school's observatory, above the building, and he watched his kids. Harrison was looking through the giant telescope while Abby pouted, waiting for her turn. Garrett smiled, but heard a voice echoing.
"Fight it, Garrett."
"What?" He questioned, and once again, the area shook. On his feet it felt a little harder, and he held onto the rails near the telescope. Starting to feel motion sickness until…he finally understood it. His head started sweating and he softly repeated to himself, "Fight it? Fight it." Then he sat down, feeling ashamed.
Abby turned and saw her dad looking depressed, so she ran to him.
Harrison excitedly said, "Hey Dad, look at-" He saw Abby comforting Garrett, so he came to him too. "What's wrong?"
"Daddy?" Abby asked in a frightful tone.
Garrett looked directly at his kids and smiled again as he placed his hands on their shoulders. Then after swallowing the biggest lump in his throat, he said, "Harrison. Abby. Let me tell you something. On the day you were born, it was the happiest day of my life. When I saw you open your eyes. When you both squeezed my hand so tight, like you never wanted to let go. When I saw you take your first step and grow up into the people you've become…" He started tearing. "…you two are everything I want in a son and daughter. This…this is everything I want in a life. But…but I don't think you're real. None of this is real."
Harrison, "What?"
Abby, "Don't say that, Daddy. You're scaring me." She and Harrison hugged him, making Garrett tear up more.
Garrett, "No, no. I could never scare you. I don't mean to. You guys mean the world to me, and…and I wish I could stay and hold on to it. But I have responsibilities. And I…have to go now."
The kids didn't say anything, but looked at their dad, showing in their eyes that they understood what he meant.
Harrison and Abby said, "Daddy?" Then The three hugged each other so tight, and felt the whole planet shake again, but even more destructively. However, the three didn't move at all. The street of the parking lot was crumbling, cars were falling into pits, the trees were on fire, and everything was being destroyed. But the three still embraced each other with their eyes shut.
"I promise you…I'll never forget. I love you all." Garrett finally said, and cried until the whole school fell into pieces. While feeling something finally get off his chest.
Notes & Disclaimers:
• This short story is marked in the DC category because it's based on the episode of Justice League Unlimited: "For The Man Who Has Everything." Which is based on the comic that, I believe, has the same name.
• MLP is Hasbro IP.
• The Gang Stories/Secrets is my IP.
• Some of the characters are based on real people.
• "pounced on him with the biggest hug": Similar to the hug John Hammond received from his grandkids in Jurassic Park.
