A/N – I hate giving Marco, Cassie, and Tobias last names, since they never told us what they were in canon, but sometimes there's just no way of getting around it. For the sake of the piece, Cassie's surname is Jacobs – please don't hold it against me!
#48 – Not Enough
The man seated on the loveseat across from Michelle and Walter smiled indulgently at the aging couple. His smile said, 'Oh, you people are ignorant. You don't understand. But you will.' It was a look both Michelle and Walter knew well; they were both educated people, highly regarded by the community all their lives, and even more so after the secret of their daughter's involvement in the Animorphs came to light. They also came from lower, working class families – both of them the children of poor farmers. Walter had seen this smile on the faces of investors ready to pull funds from his Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Michelle had seen it on the faces of branch managers getting ready to explain why she did not qualify for a loan when she knew otherwise.
The bespectacled, slender man on their couch punched numbers on his PDA so quickly his fingers were a blur. "Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, I won't waste your time. I don't want this to become a squabble about money, and it doesn't need to be. When I say that the Republic of California will pay you any reasonable sum for this property, I mean that. But you must understand that the people would consider any sum reasonable. There can be no mistake about that – we are handing you a blank check. How much will it take?"
Walter didn't even bother to look at his wife for confirmation before speaking – he knew she felt the same way as he did. "It isn't for sale, Mr. Greening. It just isn't."
Greening visibly suppressed an eye-roll, and his expression was clearer than words would have been. 'You silly man, everything is for sale. The only matter is price.'
Michelle tried to make him understand. "This farm and the home which stands on it will be passed down to our daughter, Mr. Greening. You might try again with her after Walter and I are gone, but I can guarantee you that you'll have the same results with Cassie. She understands the value of something earned and kept in the family."
Greening looked genuinely confused. "Why would your daughter not bequeath this property to the people as a historical landmark? She owns tax-free property in New York, Malibu, Washington D.C., and Wyoming – just outside of Yellowstone Park, if I understand it correctly."
"Her grandmother was born here. In this very room," Walter said quietly, and was a little pleased to see Greening look around and squirm. "Both her grandfather and great-grandfather died in this house. I grew up here. She grew up here. Surely you see the sentimental value it holds for her – for us."
Greening tried a different tactic. "You must see how selfish that is! I'm not asking for the land and structures in order to demolish them and put up a strip mall, for God's sake. I'm talking about preserving them. Sharing them with the human race. Your barn is quite possibly the most important structure on planet Earth. Do you know how many missions your daughter and her friends planned there? She performed brain surgery to save Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill's life there! They acquired many of their morphs in that very building! You must see that something of such significance deserves to be shared with the world, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs!"
"We don't disagree with anything you've said, Mr. Greening," Michelle said. "And we have no problem sharing it with the people. Do you have any idea how many photographers, journalists, tourists, and historians visit that barn?" She gestured to the window, beyond which Greening could see the grass worn to bare earth by thousands of footsteps. "We've never once turned anyone away, as long as they respect our visiting hours."
Greening could feel it slipping away; all of his plans for museums, tours, and fancy historical plaques. He decided to try one more time before he was completely shut down. He spoke in his most official tone of voice. "Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, the Republic of California is prepared to offer you five hundred million dollars for the property. Tax-free, of course." He waited for the final figure to sink in, to knock them out. Their expressions never changed. They didn't even flinch at hearing such an astronomical amount of money.
Walter stood and stuck out his hand to shake with Greening, a clear sign that they were done. "No thank you, sir. But please feel free to visit anytime."
Greening shook the hand that was offered, but he felt nothing but shock. "How can you not even consider the offer?"
Walter gave him the smile he'd been on the receiving end of – a smile that said, 'You could never understand.' But to his credit, he tried to explain, anyway. "Because it's not enough, Mr. Greening. There's not a number you could say that would be worth more than the memories and the sense of belonging that we and our daughter have here."
"Five hundred million dollars is not enough," Greening repeated, dumbfounded.
"It's not enough," Michelle confirmed, smiling. Her husband kissed the corner of her grinning mouth, and Greening showed himself the door.