A/N Lamarquise, you are in no way, shape or form out of line. How else am I going to realize that some point I was trying to make didn't get through unless someone tells me. As a writer, if the motives of the characters are not understandable, and their actions make no sense to the reader; then I have failed in my job. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to point out areas that you felt were lacking. I believe that most of what you had to say will be addressed in this chapter with one exception. The character 'Ruth Camden' from 7th Heaven, is very headstrong and tempramental, that's why I thought Art School would be the perfect place for her instead of Nortwestern or the University of Chicago. The thing is, that for the character as she appears on the show,very little would be more insulting than to have an honest offer of help rejected, and then be told that the person would ratherhave no help from her at all; that she would be more of a hindrance than a help. At least that is my interpretation of her. That is one of the tricky things about writing fan fiction; the things you take from a character will be different from what anybody else takes from that same character. So while I would believe that she would react one way to a situation, based on my interpretation of hercharacter; you might find her actions totally unbelievable based on a different interpretation. In my long winded way, I hope this helps you understand why the characters behaved the way that they did in the story.
I would alsolike toagain thank those people thattake time to both read and review my little tale. Ican only hope that you are enjoying it as much as I am.
POE1911
THE LEGACY – CHAPTER 14
Gary looked over at the young woman sitting next to him, she looked like she was gonna either puke or pass out any second now. "You OK RC" he asked.
She just nodded, still looking pretty grim. "I just wanted to apologize Gary, for snooping and surprising you like that, and for the painting, that was way over the top. Nothing you said merited that level of anger."
Gary was a more that a little shocked, he became even more so when he noticed a tear rolling down her cheek. "No you don't owe me anything kid, I forgot what kind of person you are and made some assumptions based on things that had nothing to do with you, I realized what a mistake I had made after I read your note, but then it was too late. Besides, you're an art school student, I expect over the top."
Ruthie gave a wan smile "I should've kept my mouth shut and just handed you the note, instead of standing there like a landed trout. I was always much better writing than speaking. Anyway, feel free to sell or destroy the painting, whatever you want to do; I don't ever want to see it again."
"Why not?"
"Cause it reminds me of how small I was, how I never thought about how you would feel having your secret found out by a stranger. I was so wrapped up in knowing what was going on that I didn't even consider how you would feel about the whole thing."
Gary thought for a moment "I think it's fair to say that neither of us did anything to be proud of. What do you say; we OK?"
Ruthie shot the older man a smile "yeah Gary, maybe not a hundred percent right now, but we're gonna be OK".
"But I'm keeping that painting" he blurted out.
"Why would you want to keep that hideous thing?"
"Two reasons, one is that Marissa thinks I take people for granted or ignore their need to help and the painting is a good reminder of the consequences of that. Believe it or not, this wasn't the first time I blew off someone that wanted to help with a little more force than I should."
Ruthie thought for a second "Marissa"?
"Marissa" Gary replied "more than once actually."
Ruthie just sat for a second, surprised at the revelation "what's the other reason" she asked.
"Hey it's a Ruth Camden original, I could probably get a couple hundred bucks for it one day, if you ever get any good that is" he said with a twinkle in his eye, having fun barbing the young woman.
Ruthie gaped at him in outrage for a second, then, seeing the look in his eyes, dissolved into laughter. Gary joined her, and they laughed all the way back to the bar.
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"So, how did it go" Marissa asked as the two walked into the office.
"Fine" they both said, but they said it differently; Gary sounded both proud and relieved, Ruth sounded scared and embarrassed.
"So tell me everything Ruth" the blind woman said.
Gary was surprised to see RC blush almost to her roots, they hadn't discussed the actual details of the save, only that the lady had been warned. "Well the first problem was that I was naked" the girl said, looking solidly at the floor. "She was in the whirlpool on the 'clothing optional' side of the spa. I sat down in the thing, and then just blanked, I had no idea what to say or how to approach her, then I saw her nails and remembered some of what Sarah had told me about heart disease"
"Who's Sarah" Marissa asked.
"My sister in law; Matt's wife. She's a doctor, and a heart specialist; so I passed on what I knew and she left. I was so relieved when she left that I couldn't move for about five minutes. I kept seeing her refusing to leave and then dropping dead while she was arguing with me. And you know what; it was worth every bit of pain and discomfort that I went through this past week." The young woman turned to Gary, "how do you handle that every day"?
"It's not so bad after a while, but you never really get over the fear that you might fail. It's just something that you have to live with, the idea that if you screw up, someone gets hurt or dies. Having friends helps a lot" Gary said this with a warm look at Marissa.
"I think you've got to be pretty special to begin with" Marissa said, with her face in Gary's direction, "otherwise everyone would be helping out and the paper wouldn't be needed."
Further discussion was cut off when Brent stuck his head in the office door "Hey Mr. Hobson, there's someone out here looking for RC, do you . . ." his voice faded as he realized who else was in the room with his bosses "RC" he yelled, and then came in and scooped the startled girl up in a hug and spun her around "where've you been kiddo, everyone's been missing you, you just kinda dropped off the face of the earth for a week?"
"Sorry Brent, I had some issues to deal with, but its cool now, who's looking for me?"
"Oh, a couple of reporters from the Sun-Times, they said something about a drawing."
Ruthie just rolled her eyes "I wish they'd call for once instead of just showing up and telling me they needed it yesterday." She heaved a sigh and looked back at Gary, "any problem talking more later" she asked.
"Nah" Gary said, shaking his head "besides I owe you a beer".
Ruthie just smiled at him "make sure it's a good one and not that junk you pawn off on the customers."
Gary and Marissa just laughed, and Ruthie and Brent went out into the bar.
When the pair of them were gone Gary turned to Marissa "she's a good kid, through and through; you know Marissa, I'm starting to wonder if I should have picked Lindsey."
"You're thinking you'd want to pass the paper on to Ruth?"
"Maybe, maybe I'm just second guessing myself."
"And maybe all of this has a purpose to it that you can't see."
"Maybe it does Marissa, maybe."
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When she saw who was looking for her, Ruthie almost went back into the office, but being raised in the Camden house rendered her nearly incapable of being that rude. So she walked up to the pair "you were looking for me" she asked.
The man stood up and extended his hand "Steve Phillips with features and this is Janet Aguilera."
"In investigative" Ruthie finished for him "we've met". Then she turned back to Steve "what can I do for you?"
Steve looked a bit confused but continued "we're working on a story about the McCormick's fire back in September, you remember that?"
"Yeah, wasn't there someone talking about turning it into some sort of urban mall and entertainment venue, like 'Water Tower Place' but with plays and stuff right."
'That's the place, anyway what we're doing is trying to look at what it would have been like if it had been done, what it would have done to the area."
"So that's why you've got features and investigative, now it makes sense."
Steve looked down at the silent Latina "we are kind of an odd pair for a story, that's true."
"So what do you want from me?"
"An artist's conception of what it would have looked like on the inside" Aguilera said, speaking for the first time.
"Didn't the designer do the interior renderings?"
"Just the mechanicals, the place burned before they could do anything more elaborate."
"Do you have the mechanicals or are you gonna describe it to me?"
"Just describe" Steve said "that is how you prefer to work, right."
Ruthie just nodded "hang on a sec while I get my stuff"; she walked back into the office, where she had stashed her sketchbook and pencils before the save. Ruthie would no more leave without her sketching materials than she would her pants.
"What's going on Ruth" Marissa asked.
"Just some stuff for the Sun-Times" the girl replied. She walked back out into the bar, picked up a Bell's Oberon Ale from Brent, who knew what she liked when she was working and walked back to the two reporters.
"OK" she said "picture in your mind what you want this drawing to look like. Once you've got it in your mind, just start telling me what you see, I'll do the rest."
Steve sat back with his eyes closed, but Janet leaned forward a bit "that's all you need" she asked.
"Yep, just that" Ruthie replied.
The young reporter just snorted in obvious disbelief "and when will this be done, next month"?
"Nope, you'll leave here with it" Ruthie said, sipping her beer.
Steve started talking and Ruthie started sketching. Janet sat silently, she had been asked to come along because of her involvement in the story, but when she recognized the artist she had vowed to herself to get some answers, and maybe a little payback.
Ruthie asked a couple of questions while she was working, about the building, its north/south orientation the neighborhood, stuff like that. Janet fielded these questions, but she was left wondering why the girl needed to know the answers to just draw a picture. Finally Steve stopped talking, Ruthie asked him a couple of questions as well, and then went back to her sketch.
"Would it bug you if I asked you a couple of questions" Janet asked the younger woman.
"Nah" Ruthie replied "I can multitask; besides now it's just filling in the details."
"So what were you doing at the Melrose Park Spa earlier today?"
Ruthie never flinched, she didn't even look up from her drawing, the sneaking she had done all her life had taught her a couple of very good rules, and one was 'always have a cover story, just in case'. "I was delivering a message for my brother, she needed some information today, and she wasn't answering her cell."
"Your brother?"
"Simon Camden, he's an actuary with Briney/Anderson, I guess he needed her to know something or some information she had; since he couldn't go into a place like that, I did." Ruthie frowned at her sketch a second, and then started up again.
"So you didn't understand what you told her?"
"No, I simply told her to call the office; I guess they worked everything out."
"And your brother sprang for the green to get you in; that place ain't cheap?"
"I guess he's on an expense account or something, they must have needed her pretty bad."
"I suppose, so why were you at the paper a month or so back?"
"I was researching the transition of things, specifically how the paper has changed in the way it's printed."
"How does that apply to art, you are an art student; right?"
"Transition is a major theme in art, and it was something I was interested in; and yeah, I'm an art student."
"So is this your last year?" Ruthie just nodded. "So what are your plans after graduation?"
"I'm not really sure yet, maybe something like this." With that Ruthie turned her sketch towards the two reporters. Surprisingly it managed to shut up the Latina, only Steve managed to find words.
"That's incredible" he said. "All that from just my description." His voice was filled with wonder.
"Thanks" Ruthie said, and sipped some more of her beer. "If you run it, just have the paper send the fee to the usual place, and if you need another, well you could probably find me here." She got up to head back to the office.
"Thanks" Steve said as both reporters stood up. Janet watched the girl head back to the office part of the bar. She didn't have much to say as she and Steve made their way back to the Sun-Times, Janet was playing the conversation over in her mind. Something was up, she was sure of it, but she had no idea what it was.
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Ruthie headed back to her dorm that evening; she had been talking with Teressa, and joking around with Crumb the whole time. For whatever reason, painting just didn't seem that important at the moment. 'What was she gonna do with herself' the reporter had asked. Ruthie hadn't answered because she honestly had no idea. What could she do, after all? She could sell a painting a year and live quite nicely off of that, except that would compromise her principles, something she refused to do. She could work for the Sun-Times doing sketchwork, although that was a bit more precarious a living it didn't compromise anything. She thought back to earlier today, remembering the feeling she got when that woman, Ruthie could no longer remember her name, had gotten out of the tub and Ruthie realized that she had saved a life. Reluctantly she admitted to herself that she wanted that feeling again. She knew what she had told Gary, about not wanting the burden and stuff, but she was reconsidering. It wasn't as though she couldn't see the havoc that the paper had created in Gary's life, but for a moment or two, she had also glimpsed the rewards that came with the job, and that was something she wouldn't mind having. 'I want to do what Gary does' she admitted to herself, finally. 'That's what I want to do with my life, help people; but I want to do it directly'.
But how, that was the question wasn't it. She couldn't just take Gary's paper, or just ask him to hand it over to her when he got tired; somehow she knew that wasn't right, it wasn't the way the paper got passed on. She wasn't exactly sure how it happened, but she was sure that it wasn't some voluntary choice. So how to do what Gary does, but without knowing what will happen tomorrow. No way that could happen, she admitted to herself. What to do after school swirled around in the young girls head until she fell into a restless sleep.
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Ruthie was in her studio on Saturday, she had decided to work on her 'Beach at Sunset' picture that she had started the day before, It was looking pretty good, but after a steady diet of the 'Beach Boys' and 'Jan and Dean' all day, she was thinking about adding a surfer or two to the painting.
"Hey Camden, what's up" Ruthie heard from behind her.
"Not much Teressa, trying to decide if I want to add a surfer or two, or maybe something else. It needs something; I'm just not sure what."
"You wanna go get a couple of coffees with me and think about it?"
Ruthie turned to the other girl "sounds like a plan, just give me a couple of minutes to straighten up." The younger girl left, while Ruthie cleaned up her palette and brushes. Five minutes later, she and Teressa were out of the building and headed for the 'Adams Street Coffee Joint' which was about a block away from the Sears Tower. On the way the two friends talked about the holidays and the fact that it was Ruthie's last semester. They ordered their coffees and sat down, as far away from the live music as they could get, neither of their tastes ran to modern Jazz.
"Can I ask you a question Camden?"
"Sure"
"What was that dust up with you and Gary all about?"
Ruthie paused, she wasn't sure how to answer her friend, but she didn't want to lie either. "Well, mostly it was that Gary was keeping something secret, and I found out about it, and then I was kinda tactless in letting him know."
"It must have been pretty bad, the dust up I mean; I've never heard you listen to the kind of stuff you did. You must have been some kind of pissed."
"I was, Gary said some stuff that just wasn't true, he was mad, and when he just spouted off and I got angry."
That was something Teressa understood, she had seen Camden's anger once or twice, but never aimed at her thankfully; "so what was the secret?"
"That's where it gets tough, I think it's something you should know, but I promised Gary I wouldn't tell anyone." Ruthie thought for a moment "tell ya what, I'll hint and let's see if you can come up with it."
"You sure, I mean if Gary told you not to say anything, he's probably got a reason."
"Maybe he does, but I don't think you knowing will hurt anything. So, first hint what does Gary always have with him?"
"That's an easy one; he's always carrying the newspaper."
"Number two, have you ever been in a situation where Gary just happens to show up in the nick of time, knowing stuff he couldn't possibly know?"
"Sure, heck there was the time when he warned me and Marissa about my dad being outside waiting to jump us, and another time when I was being mugged and all the sudden Gary is there with a baseball bat and knocks the guy out". The girl thought for a second "what are you saying Camden?"
"Come on Walters, put it together."
"You're trying to tell me that somehow Gary knows what's gonna happen and somehow the paper has something to do with it?"
"I'm not saying that, you are."
"But it's what you're hinting at."
"Of course"
"You've lost it Camden."
"I know how it sounds, but you know me, would I lie?"
"No, you wouldn't lie, but you could be either mistaken or . . . . . ."
"Crazy, I believe is the word you're looking for."
"That's a little harsh, but not entirely wrong."
"Like I said before Teressa, you know me, am I crazy."
"You don't seem it, but you never can tell."
"Fine, don't believe me, but at least think, you yourself told me that there was some huge secret between Gary and Marissa, a secret that you weren't in on. You've been in situations where Gary saved you when he couldn't have possibly known you were in trouble. You've seen him come in looking like the wrath of God, with no explanation, think about it Teressa, can you come up with another explanation."
"Not really, but knowing the future, that's pretty out there."
"Yeah, it is out there, but do you think it's true, or am I three fries short of a Happy Meal."
Teressa laughed at that one, "no, I don't think you're nuts Camden, I'm not saying you're right, but you're not nuts."
"Then check it out and if worst comes to worst, ask Marissa. If she says 'no' right away then I'm wrong, if she says something like 'why do you ask' then I'm right."
"You're pretty darn sneaky Camden."
"All my life Walters, all my life."
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"So how is your family" Gary asked.
"Mom's not doing too well, but Anthony and Sophie are right down the street. Gina's moved to Kentucky of all places because she fell in love with some veterinarian that specializes in horses, in that biz I guess ya gotta go to where the action is."
"How'd she meet him?"
"She was workin security at some convention and stopped the guy from getting mugged, and now they're in love."
"I thought you said she was still married to Richie."
"Nah, apparently they got divorced about three months ago. Marie hadn't seen her since the divorce, so she didn't know. Hey, why twenty questions Hobson?"
"I've just missed the sound of your voice" Gary answered. Toni looked over at her husband, the guy was a total sap factory, but every sappy line was completely sincere. She still had trouble believing how often, and how far he would put his heart on the line for her. The couple continued to chat about Toni's trip to Michigan until they got to McGinty's. As Gary was opening the door to the loft, he remembered that there was a new piece of décor that he would have to explain. Before he could even start to say anything, Toni was past him and in the loft, Gary squinted his eyes in anticipation of the blast.
"Good Christ Hobson, what the hell is that and what's it doing in our place."
Gary opened his eyes to see his wife gazing at the painting with all her attention, horrible as it was, it seemed to have that effect. "Well, we had a bit of an incident while you were gone."
"So RC figured out about the paper and you read her the riot act, in spades"
"You could say that."
"And then she hit you with this, boy she must have been some kinda pissed off."
"That's a fair statement."
Toni turned to her husband the ghost of a smile on her face, "so tell me everything".
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"Ms. Camden, could I see you for a moment please" Dr. Pearson said right as the bell rang.
Ruthie walked to the front of the room, Dr. Pearson looked like a kindly old country doctor, but he could be as gruff as a Grizzly with a toothache, with a razor sharp tongue and the wit to use it with devastating effect. You didn't relax around Dr. Pearson. "Yes sir".
"I was curious whether or not you had chosena career path to follow?"
Ruthie was a bit confused as to why Pearson was asking her this and answered "not really sir".
"Would you be interested in staying in Chicago?"
"Yes sir, I love it here."
"Good, because the administration is considering offering you a job as an associate professor in the painting department."
Ruthie was rendered speechless for all of ten seconds, finally she said "I'm sorry, my bionic circuits must have failed just then, I thought you just offered me a professorship, and that couldn't be right."
"You heard me correctly Ms. Camden, now the offer isn't official just yet but, unless some serious snag presents itself, it will be."
Ruthie just looked at the professor that had challenged and terrorized her for five years, and had no idea how to react. For the second time in a month, her reserve just collapsed and she hugged the old man and floated out of the lecture hall, 'that settles the future' she thought to herself.