The Mystery Admirer
by Joshua Falken

Thanks to Janet Brayden for beta-read this fic :-)

Chapter 6 - Christmas Eve's Resolution

In the day following the events at the offices of Renquist Software, Gary was in McGinty's thinking hard. In spite of tomorrow being Christmas Eve, his mood was not exactly festive. Marissa noticed that immediately as she entered in the bar.

"Gary, what's wrong?"

He sighed.

"It is that that woman - the mystery admirer - saved me yesterday and she disappeared, and I couldn't at least thank her..."

"Well, maybe you still can." A voice interrupted. It was Crumb, carrying an envelope.

"What?"

"I believe that I discovered the identity of your mystery admirer, Hobson."

Gary was in something close to "total alert".

======

Meanwhile, the subject of the talk between Crumb and Gary packed her things. She wanted to be ready to take on the 26th the airplane that would take her back to New York. The redhead in the black coat cleaned a tear with the backs of her gloved hand.

Her brilliant eyes looked on the Tomorrow's Edition that she had received. Something that in a single blow had helped to save Gary of those thieves, explained what was the mystery of his mystery rescues... and it explained why she didn't deserve him...

"He gave me the choice... and I chose wrong!"

She had decided: the best for him was that she left him alone... I abandoned him... why he would accept me back?

After drying some tears that insisted in rolling from her eyes, she put her pair of dark glasses (so no one could see that she had cried) and she left her apartment.

In the door of the building, she found the manager.

"Will the young lady be leaving?" The woman who rented the apartment 15 was very reserved, but also very gentle and nice.

"Yes, Mr. Abbot. I'm going to the park to clear my head."

He saw when she put her black fedora and left to the cold wind. The snow fell slowly.

======

About half hour later, Mr. Abbot talked to a young man called Gary Hobson.

"Do you mean that young lady that always wears a black coat?"

"Yes! Do you know where she is?"

The building's manager usually would not give that kind of information, but the young man had a honest face and seemed really concerned.

"Well, I shouldn't say it, but I believe that you can find her close to the ice rink in the park. That one with the big Christmas tree."

"Thank you very much, sir!" The owner of McGinty's shook hands in grattitude then turned to run in direction of the park.

======

The people that went for a walk in the park passed at a respectful distance of the woman wearing an elegant long black leather coat and a fedora that hid her red hair that looked sad at the illuminated tree. It was easy to notice someone sad because of solitude at Christmas time.

With a sigh, the mystery admirer looked down, alone with her thoughts.

"Emma? Emma Shaw?" A voice called her. She didn't believe that had heard correctly. She turned and saw that Gary was at her side - the snow had silenced his steps.

"Gary?!?" The art restorer gasped.

"Then it is you, Emma?"

In a panic attack, she tried to run, but Gary held her arm.

"Please, don't run." he asked. "What if we went to that snack bar?" he asked, indicating a near snack bar.

For lack of option, Emma Shaw attended his request and they sat down in a table that was under an awning. They were in silence. None of the two knew very well what to say.

"I wanted to thank you for save me of those two hoods."

"You are welcome, Gary." She said with her voice low. She had removed the black coat and he noticed that the muscles of her arms were very defined, like the ones of an athlete. "How did you find me?"

"Well, I asked a detective friend of mine to discover who was that was sending me those cards."

"I understand. And what more did he discover?"

Gary stayed silent for a long minute, before answering her question carefully so as not to hurt her. "He discovered that you divorced Marco Sanchez two years after your marriage, because he abused you." She stayed in silence, hugging herself - and it was not to protect herself from the cold. "And now, genius??" Gary censored himself. "I noticed that you dyed your hair." It was not the best comment for the situation, but he didn't get to think in something better.

"Yes, I dyed it and I changed the hairstyle. What do you think of it?"

"Well, your appearance changed a lot." Now, Emma Shaw managed give a small smile.

"Yeah, I imagine." She was aware that her "spy gear" was very different from the kawaii style that she used before. But after her relationship with Marco Sanchez, she felt more comfortable with black - it combined with her state of spirit.

Again the silence. With certainty, none of the two imagined that their re-encounter would be in that way.

"Emma... why you fellowed me like this? I mean.. I would be happy in see you again."

"You...aren't happy?"

"No! Of course I'm happy seeing you, Emma, but do you understand what I mean?"

With her head low, she answered. "Yes, I understand Gary. I... I wanted to be at your side, Gary. But I was afraid. Afraid that you rejected me. That you thought I just returned because I divorced Marco. That you thought I considered that you were just a second option..."

Gary noticed the pain immediately in her voice, understanding her disillusion with her ex-husband should have hurt her. "Emma..." he said. What he would have said soon next is a matter of speculation since he was interrupted.

"Meow!" The Cat appeared well beside Emma, going for a walk among her legs, as if she were an old friend. Surprised with the appearance of the feline and embarrassed for its behavior, Gary apologized immediately.

"All right, Gary. I know that he is special." Seeing the confusion in the face of black-haired man, she sighed and explained. From a internal pocket of her coat, she caught an edition of Chicago Sun-Times. "He appeared in my apartment and gave me this. A newspaper with tomorrow's date."

"Emma, I can explain..."

She interrupted him. "You don't need to explain to Gary. This explains how you knew that I would have problems with that thief, when we met each other. The why of the lateness in our dates. And what happened on that day in the Opera: did you know that I would re-encounter Marco, is not?"

"Yes." He answered in a whisper.

"You left that I had the right of choose... and I choose wrong." Suddenly, Emma got up and put her fedora. "Don't worry, Gary. I won't bother you anymore." She has just donned her long coat, when Gary spoke:

"Huh... Emma, tomorrow in McGinty's we will be having a Christmas Party, and if you appear you will be welcome. That is, if you want appear. I would be really happy if you went in the party."

The woman in the black cold asked, timidly. "Would you like it if went?"

"Yes, I would like."

"I will be there." She said, in a whisper in his ear.

Then, she ran off in the snow that began accumulating. Gary looked at the Cat, that he swore that was smiling. He didn't know how, but the Cat was smiling.

======

In the next day was Christmas Eve and McGinty's was celebrating. Lois and Bernie had come from Hickory to pass the holidays with their son - to much to his surprise. Chuck was in the middle of the production of a science fiction movie (something like "Frankenstein at the Phone"...) with his wife Jade, so could not attend the party - in compensation he sent his greetings by the telephone and a gift to Gary by mail: a Spider-Man costume... Chuck and his sense of humor...

Lois noticed immediately that her son didn't stop looking at the door.

"What's up, Gary? Are you waiting someone?"

"Well, not exactly..."

"Ah... you found a girlfriend." Bernie commented with a smile.

Gary was literally saved by the bell. The door opened up and an elegant short red-haired woman, dressing a long black coat, entered.

"I am happy that you came, Emma."

"Thank you, Gary." she said, still a little shy. They just stood looking in each other's eyes.

"Gary, won't you tell us who is your friend?" Lois Hobson asked in an gentle tone.

"Well... huh... Emma, this is my mother, Lois. Mom, this is Emma Shaw."

The owner of McGinty's noticed the way with that his parents looked at Emma, in approval. Resigned, he understood that that would be a long night... But when his eyes met Emma's, he decided that would not be that bad...

One year later...

Gary Hobson entered in McGinty's, has just completed the last mission of the day and carrying a gift. He went up to his apartment, opened the door and was surprised in see that everything was dark. What could have happened with... In that moment, somebody seized him from the back and closed his mouth with a black-gloved hand. "Merry Christmas, Gary!", the attacker's voice said.

"Emma..." he said grumpy.

"Excuse me, I didn't resist it!" she excused with a smile that disarmed him.

"Well... Merry Christmas!"

They went until the sofa to find the cat sitting there. Gary looked at Emma.

"You let him to be in the sofa..."

"Hey, since Lois Lane is waiting kittens, I can't let her stay in the ground, can I?"

"Lois Lane?! Kittens?!"

The art restorer had to hold for not laughing of the really comic expression of surprise of her boyfriend. "Did you never notice that the Cat was female? And after all, Lois Lane is a good name for a cat journalist..."

"Will we sit down, please?" He asked, embarrassed. He never had worried with that detail.

Lois Lane was in Emma's lap when they sat down. The cat purred satisfied with the caresses of the Protector's girlfriend.

Then, slowly, Emma and Gary's lips touched and kissed each other passionately.

The End...? ^_^

Disclaimer: Early Edition and its characters are property of CBS. No copyright infligement is intented. This is a fanfiction work, created for fun.

Special Thanks: I'm deeply grateful to Tracy Miller and Janet Brayden for the kindness and patience in beta-reading this fanfic. Thanks :-) And I aslo want thanks everybody who read this fic.

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