The Minister's Daughter
Summary: This very short story is an EE/7th Heaven crossover. When Gary saves Lucy Camden from a hit and run, he learns a valuable lesson from a minister's daughter about the power of faith.
Disclaimer: Early Edition and 7th Heaven characters belong to whoever created them. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.
Author's Notes: 7th Heaven is the story of the Camden family of Glenoak, California. Eric, the father, is a minister. His wife, Annie, a homemaker, recently did a stint as a teacher at her youngest daughter Ruthie's private school. Ruthie is a precocious eleven- year old who surprisingly has a lot of wisdom to impart to her older siblings. The other Camden children include Matt, an aspiring medical student who is hapless in the romance department having enjoyed several romantic flames but failing to find the bright candle of his soul mate. Mary is the oldest rebellious daughter whose irresponsible and selfish behavior ignited turmoil in the family. She was sent to Buffalo to live for a short time with her paternal grandparents. While in Buffalo, she rekindled her romance with first love Wilson, a sensitive single father raising his young son, Billy, and decided that she wanted to become a fire fighter. Mary's immaturity ended up sabotaging both her romance and career aspirations. Middle sister Lucy is the sensitive one, but she also harbors her own insecurities. Deciding that she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a minister, Lucy journeyed (with her fiance, Jeremy) to New York to attend seminary school. A short while later, she returned home under a shroud of mystery. She had broken off her engagement and put her dream of the ministry on hiatus. Teenager Simon, the financial wizard of the family (dubbed "The Bank of Simon" when he was younger because of his penchant for lending money to his siblings) is a high school sophomore on the threshold of obtaining his driver's license. Simon also has experienced an awakened interest in girls and an insatiable desire to "fit in". It is this desire for peer approval that causes Simon to learn some tough lessons, most notably, the perils of teenage drinking. Rounding out the family are twins Sam and David, adorable toddlers who keep the family constantly on their toes.
This story was first published in May, 2002.
Author: Tracy Diane Miller E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com
The Minister's Daughter
Lucy Camden brushed back a stray of hair from her face as she waited for a cab. However, the errant strand was wickedly defiant as it sprung back into her face. In a way, that strand of hair was a personification of her; she had spent her whole life living up to the ideal of the "good" girl, following the rules without question, the perfect daughter of a well- respected minister. But once in awhile, she ached to break free, assert her individuality. She would bury Mom and Dad's lessons safely in her subconscious and when life's challenges overwhelmed her, she would retrieve those lessons just as a person retrieved that special book removed from a shelf as comfort on a rainy day.
This trip to Chicago was just what she needed. It was time for her to get her life in order. She couldn't continue pining after Jeremy. And Robby was never really hers to begin with; maybe there was a small part of her that wanted Robby because he had been Mary's guy. Maybe she wanted to prove to everyone that she could win a guy that had eluded her sister. But Robby was in love with Joy now and neither she nor Mary stood a chance at capturing his heart. Lucy felt that the classes she was taking at community college were ill-suited to prepare her for life. She did enjoy helping people and knew that she had a talent for it. That's why building houses for Habitat for Humanity had been such a profoundly rewarding experience. And deep down, she knew what her true calling was, had always known despite the recent detours her life had taken. The words from many of Dad's sermons burned deep within her soul. To offer people the gift of faith, a beautiful, selfless gift, that's what she wanted to do, that's what she needed to do. Mom and Dad seemed hesitant when she told them that she wanted to check out the religion department at the University of Chicago. But Chicago lay in the back of her mind for awhile now, like a dormant seed thirsty for water. Then she received that postcard from her friend Victoria last week. That post card seemed like a gift from God. Victoria was so enthusiastic about her college experiences in the Windy City. "You have to come to Chicago, Luce." Victoria had insisted. She was just going to look, Lucy said to her parents when she pleaded with them to allow her to take this trip. Finally, Mom and Dad gave their permission. She really didn't need their permission; after all, she was an adult. But what she wanted was their blessing and their support of her ability to make intelligent decisions. Mom and Dad smiled at her then enveloped her in their cocoon of love as they gave their blessing and support yet cautioned her to be careful.
Lucy drummed her foot impatiently on the pavement at Wabash and Chestnut as she waited for what seemed like hours for a cab.
* * * * * * *
Breathing heavily, Gary rushed towards Wabash and Chestnut determined to avert tragedy. He removed The Paper from the back pocket of his jeans and read the story out loud: "Shortly before 1:00 p.m. yesterday, a car being driven at a high rate of speed careened onto a pavement on Wabash and Chestnut and fatally struck a young woman before fleeing the scene. The victim has been identified as Lucy Camden, 18. Ms. Camden was pronounced dead on the scene. An investigation is ongoing."
Gary rolled up The Paper and placed it back in his jeans. He had to prevent this young woman's death. He knew that he couldn't handle it if he failed to save another life...not after this morning. He could still see in his mind that stroke victim as the coroner removed the man's body from that apartment building. God, why hadn't he been able to save that man's life? Why had he failed again? Even after several years, he could still see the faint traces of Jeremiah and Earl's blood on his hands. He had never really forgotten nor forgiven himself for these failings, but he learned to count the living, taking solace in the lives that he had saved and the futures that he had offered. When the story this morning in The Paper mentioned that an elderly man would die following a stroke because the man had no family or friends to check on him, Gary rushed to that apartment on Lake Shore Drive. He wasn't sure how he would convince the man to get to the hospital before the man had the stroke (the guy would think that he was a lunatic), but he had to do something. However, when he arrived, he pounded frantically on the door, but there was no answer. He knocked on some neighbors' doors, but they ignored him. Finally, one woman permitted him inside her apartment to use her phone to call for help. He was so stupid...he should have thought of calling for help earlier. By the time help arrived and had broken down the door, it was too late. The man had died.
And now he couldn't even remember the man's name.
But there was no time for falling into an abyss of guilt and self-loathing as he had done when Jeremiah died. He had to save this young woman's life.
Gary dashed across the street and pulled Lucy out of the way just as the car careened onto the sidewalk and sped out of sight.
Gary helped Lucy off of the ground. "Are you okay?" He asked, his mud green eyes glazed with concern.
Lucy was shaken, but unhurt. "I-I think so. Oh My God, that car.... It....you saved my life. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Are you sure you're okay?" He repeated.
"Yeah. But if you hadn't shown up when you did. How did you...."
"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." He offered clumsily. "Anyway, since you're okay, I should be going." He said as he started to walk away.
"Excuse me. What's your name?" Lucy called out to him.
Gary turned back around. "Gary. Gary Hobson."
Lucy smiled at him. "I'm Lucy Camden. I'm new to Chicago. I came here to Chicago to check out colleges. I wanted to stop for a bite to eat, but I couldn't get a cab. Do you know of some good, reasonably priced places to eat?"
What are you doing Camden? Flirting with a stranger while you're in a strange city? He could be an ax murderer for all you know. Lucy's inner voice chided.
He is not. I can't explain it, but I have a good feeling about this guy and it's not just because he's cute, either. Lucy argued with her inner voice.
Gary studied the young woman. He wasn't sure whether to chalk it up to naiveté or stupidity, but announcing to a stranger that she was a newcomer in a strange city could be a recipe for disaster. It was a good thing that she made this announcement to him and not to someone else.
"You know, Ms. Camden..."
"Lucy."
"You know, Lucy, you really shouldn't advertise that you are new to Chicago. It's not the smartest or safest thing to do especially if you're traveling alone."
She blushed slightly. "I know, normally I wouldn't do that, but you did save my life and you seem like a nice guy. And I feel safe around you. I mean, you remind me of my brother, Matt."
That was brilliant, Camden! Lucy's inner voice said sarcastically.
Gary smiled in spite of himself. "Your brother, huh? Well, there is a place that I know that you can get some good food very reasonably." Since his next save wasn't until late afternoon, Gary decided that it would be a good idea to keep an eye on this girl to make sure that she didn't land in any more trouble.
A short while later, they arrived at McGinty's. Gary informed Lucy that he was a co-owner of McGinty's and told her that she could order whatever she wanted to eat, on the house. Lucy smiled again at his generosity. She ordered a hamburger, French fries, and chocolate milkshake. Gary watched in awe as she inhaled her food.
Later, he was surprised when she told him about her family. As an only child, he always wished that he had siblings. And some of the stories Lucy shared about the antics of the Camdens offered Gary much needed laughter. However, when Lucy mentioned that her father was a minister, Gary became pensive.
"My friend, Marissa, always says to have faith, even in the darkest moments. She believes that faith can help you survive anything."
"It's true. It is so easy to forget. A lot of my Dad's sermons talk about the power of faith, how it is the most special present that God has given us. I guess what makes it so hard for most people to believe that faith is so wonderful, so powerful, is because they can't see it or touch it. And when bad stuff happens, they become so angry that it's easy to blame God. But I think that in bad times is when God's love is the strongest and when faith needs to be the strongest, because why would you want to go on, to continue, if you didn't believe that things would get better or that you didn't learn something about yourself and others through heartache and tragedy?"
Lucy said with strong conviction in her voice.
Gary had heard Marissa utter similar words, but hearing them now from this young woman he hardly knew, someone so young and seemingly unspoiled by life's difficulties, made a tremendous impression on him.
"You seem very sure of that." He finally managed to say.
"I am. Even when I forget sometimes, when I feel lost, faith always finds me and then I realize that everything will be okay. I want to be a minister just like my dad. I want to be able to give people the power of faith."
Gary smiled at her. "You already have."
Perhaps God was watching, Gary realized, for in his save of this young woman, he had given her the gift of life while she had put him on the path towards the gift of faith. And with faith, maybe he would find a renewed understanding of what his role in this universe truly was, and that he would truly learn how to accept the responsibility and the loss without holding on to the guilt.
The End.
Summary: This very short story is an EE/7th Heaven crossover. When Gary saves Lucy Camden from a hit and run, he learns a valuable lesson from a minister's daughter about the power of faith.
Disclaimer: Early Edition and 7th Heaven characters belong to whoever created them. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.
Author's Notes: 7th Heaven is the story of the Camden family of Glenoak, California. Eric, the father, is a minister. His wife, Annie, a homemaker, recently did a stint as a teacher at her youngest daughter Ruthie's private school. Ruthie is a precocious eleven- year old who surprisingly has a lot of wisdom to impart to her older siblings. The other Camden children include Matt, an aspiring medical student who is hapless in the romance department having enjoyed several romantic flames but failing to find the bright candle of his soul mate. Mary is the oldest rebellious daughter whose irresponsible and selfish behavior ignited turmoil in the family. She was sent to Buffalo to live for a short time with her paternal grandparents. While in Buffalo, she rekindled her romance with first love Wilson, a sensitive single father raising his young son, Billy, and decided that she wanted to become a fire fighter. Mary's immaturity ended up sabotaging both her romance and career aspirations. Middle sister Lucy is the sensitive one, but she also harbors her own insecurities. Deciding that she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a minister, Lucy journeyed (with her fiance, Jeremy) to New York to attend seminary school. A short while later, she returned home under a shroud of mystery. She had broken off her engagement and put her dream of the ministry on hiatus. Teenager Simon, the financial wizard of the family (dubbed "The Bank of Simon" when he was younger because of his penchant for lending money to his siblings) is a high school sophomore on the threshold of obtaining his driver's license. Simon also has experienced an awakened interest in girls and an insatiable desire to "fit in". It is this desire for peer approval that causes Simon to learn some tough lessons, most notably, the perils of teenage drinking. Rounding out the family are twins Sam and David, adorable toddlers who keep the family constantly on their toes.
This story was first published in May, 2002.
Author: Tracy Diane Miller E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com
The Minister's Daughter
Lucy Camden brushed back a stray of hair from her face as she waited for a cab. However, the errant strand was wickedly defiant as it sprung back into her face. In a way, that strand of hair was a personification of her; she had spent her whole life living up to the ideal of the "good" girl, following the rules without question, the perfect daughter of a well- respected minister. But once in awhile, she ached to break free, assert her individuality. She would bury Mom and Dad's lessons safely in her subconscious and when life's challenges overwhelmed her, she would retrieve those lessons just as a person retrieved that special book removed from a shelf as comfort on a rainy day.
This trip to Chicago was just what she needed. It was time for her to get her life in order. She couldn't continue pining after Jeremy. And Robby was never really hers to begin with; maybe there was a small part of her that wanted Robby because he had been Mary's guy. Maybe she wanted to prove to everyone that she could win a guy that had eluded her sister. But Robby was in love with Joy now and neither she nor Mary stood a chance at capturing his heart. Lucy felt that the classes she was taking at community college were ill-suited to prepare her for life. She did enjoy helping people and knew that she had a talent for it. That's why building houses for Habitat for Humanity had been such a profoundly rewarding experience. And deep down, she knew what her true calling was, had always known despite the recent detours her life had taken. The words from many of Dad's sermons burned deep within her soul. To offer people the gift of faith, a beautiful, selfless gift, that's what she wanted to do, that's what she needed to do. Mom and Dad seemed hesitant when she told them that she wanted to check out the religion department at the University of Chicago. But Chicago lay in the back of her mind for awhile now, like a dormant seed thirsty for water. Then she received that postcard from her friend Victoria last week. That post card seemed like a gift from God. Victoria was so enthusiastic about her college experiences in the Windy City. "You have to come to Chicago, Luce." Victoria had insisted. She was just going to look, Lucy said to her parents when she pleaded with them to allow her to take this trip. Finally, Mom and Dad gave their permission. She really didn't need their permission; after all, she was an adult. But what she wanted was their blessing and their support of her ability to make intelligent decisions. Mom and Dad smiled at her then enveloped her in their cocoon of love as they gave their blessing and support yet cautioned her to be careful.
Lucy drummed her foot impatiently on the pavement at Wabash and Chestnut as she waited for what seemed like hours for a cab.
* * * * * * *
Breathing heavily, Gary rushed towards Wabash and Chestnut determined to avert tragedy. He removed The Paper from the back pocket of his jeans and read the story out loud: "Shortly before 1:00 p.m. yesterday, a car being driven at a high rate of speed careened onto a pavement on Wabash and Chestnut and fatally struck a young woman before fleeing the scene. The victim has been identified as Lucy Camden, 18. Ms. Camden was pronounced dead on the scene. An investigation is ongoing."
Gary rolled up The Paper and placed it back in his jeans. He had to prevent this young woman's death. He knew that he couldn't handle it if he failed to save another life...not after this morning. He could still see in his mind that stroke victim as the coroner removed the man's body from that apartment building. God, why hadn't he been able to save that man's life? Why had he failed again? Even after several years, he could still see the faint traces of Jeremiah and Earl's blood on his hands. He had never really forgotten nor forgiven himself for these failings, but he learned to count the living, taking solace in the lives that he had saved and the futures that he had offered. When the story this morning in The Paper mentioned that an elderly man would die following a stroke because the man had no family or friends to check on him, Gary rushed to that apartment on Lake Shore Drive. He wasn't sure how he would convince the man to get to the hospital before the man had the stroke (the guy would think that he was a lunatic), but he had to do something. However, when he arrived, he pounded frantically on the door, but there was no answer. He knocked on some neighbors' doors, but they ignored him. Finally, one woman permitted him inside her apartment to use her phone to call for help. He was so stupid...he should have thought of calling for help earlier. By the time help arrived and had broken down the door, it was too late. The man had died.
And now he couldn't even remember the man's name.
But there was no time for falling into an abyss of guilt and self-loathing as he had done when Jeremiah died. He had to save this young woman's life.
Gary dashed across the street and pulled Lucy out of the way just as the car careened onto the sidewalk and sped out of sight.
Gary helped Lucy off of the ground. "Are you okay?" He asked, his mud green eyes glazed with concern.
Lucy was shaken, but unhurt. "I-I think so. Oh My God, that car.... It....you saved my life. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Are you sure you're okay?" He repeated.
"Yeah. But if you hadn't shown up when you did. How did you...."
"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." He offered clumsily. "Anyway, since you're okay, I should be going." He said as he started to walk away.
"Excuse me. What's your name?" Lucy called out to him.
Gary turned back around. "Gary. Gary Hobson."
Lucy smiled at him. "I'm Lucy Camden. I'm new to Chicago. I came here to Chicago to check out colleges. I wanted to stop for a bite to eat, but I couldn't get a cab. Do you know of some good, reasonably priced places to eat?"
What are you doing Camden? Flirting with a stranger while you're in a strange city? He could be an ax murderer for all you know. Lucy's inner voice chided.
He is not. I can't explain it, but I have a good feeling about this guy and it's not just because he's cute, either. Lucy argued with her inner voice.
Gary studied the young woman. He wasn't sure whether to chalk it up to naiveté or stupidity, but announcing to a stranger that she was a newcomer in a strange city could be a recipe for disaster. It was a good thing that she made this announcement to him and not to someone else.
"You know, Ms. Camden..."
"Lucy."
"You know, Lucy, you really shouldn't advertise that you are new to Chicago. It's not the smartest or safest thing to do especially if you're traveling alone."
She blushed slightly. "I know, normally I wouldn't do that, but you did save my life and you seem like a nice guy. And I feel safe around you. I mean, you remind me of my brother, Matt."
That was brilliant, Camden! Lucy's inner voice said sarcastically.
Gary smiled in spite of himself. "Your brother, huh? Well, there is a place that I know that you can get some good food very reasonably." Since his next save wasn't until late afternoon, Gary decided that it would be a good idea to keep an eye on this girl to make sure that she didn't land in any more trouble.
A short while later, they arrived at McGinty's. Gary informed Lucy that he was a co-owner of McGinty's and told her that she could order whatever she wanted to eat, on the house. Lucy smiled again at his generosity. She ordered a hamburger, French fries, and chocolate milkshake. Gary watched in awe as she inhaled her food.
Later, he was surprised when she told him about her family. As an only child, he always wished that he had siblings. And some of the stories Lucy shared about the antics of the Camdens offered Gary much needed laughter. However, when Lucy mentioned that her father was a minister, Gary became pensive.
"My friend, Marissa, always says to have faith, even in the darkest moments. She believes that faith can help you survive anything."
"It's true. It is so easy to forget. A lot of my Dad's sermons talk about the power of faith, how it is the most special present that God has given us. I guess what makes it so hard for most people to believe that faith is so wonderful, so powerful, is because they can't see it or touch it. And when bad stuff happens, they become so angry that it's easy to blame God. But I think that in bad times is when God's love is the strongest and when faith needs to be the strongest, because why would you want to go on, to continue, if you didn't believe that things would get better or that you didn't learn something about yourself and others through heartache and tragedy?"
Lucy said with strong conviction in her voice.
Gary had heard Marissa utter similar words, but hearing them now from this young woman he hardly knew, someone so young and seemingly unspoiled by life's difficulties, made a tremendous impression on him.
"You seem very sure of that." He finally managed to say.
"I am. Even when I forget sometimes, when I feel lost, faith always finds me and then I realize that everything will be okay. I want to be a minister just like my dad. I want to be able to give people the power of faith."
Gary smiled at her. "You already have."
Perhaps God was watching, Gary realized, for in his save of this young woman, he had given her the gift of life while she had put him on the path towards the gift of faith. And with faith, maybe he would find a renewed understanding of what his role in this universe truly was, and that he would truly learn how to accept the responsibility and the loss without holding on to the guilt.
The End.