The Backyard Lesson

The Backyard Lesson - BillA1

Disclaimer: The Characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman, & Flash their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC Comics are my own creation. This story is based on characters from The Justice League Animated Series episode: Starcrossed written Rich Fogel & Dwayne McDuffie.

Disclaimer in Forum: My regular boring disclaimer that no one reads except the lawyers.

This is in response to Hawkgirl92 challenge which was..." in this fic of yours my lovely writers must be the phrase "You can't handle the truth " and the following items a Lawn Mower, a pair of hedge clippers, and last but not least a family portrait"

The Backyard Lesson

Rating: (G)

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. - Ambrose Redmoon

(Twenty-seven years ago tomorrow - Detroit)

Julia Finch rang the doorbell of the house on Canfield Street. There was nothing special about this house. It looked like every other three story row house in this old neighborhood. The red brick front had lost its natural color years ago and the owner prior to Loretta Thompson had painted the bricks bright red. But now the paint was peeling and chipped in spots, and everyone knew Miss Thompson couldn't afford to have the house repainted, since she'd gained custody of her nephew, John Stewart. John was a big boy and no one envied her as she struggled to maintain a home for the boy and herself.

Julia hadn't come to talk to Miss Thompson. She was there to see John. She liked the thirteen year old boy but she wasn't sure that he liked her as much as she liked him.

No. Loved him. She was pretty sure she loved him even through her mother kept reminding her that she was too young to be so serious over a boy - a boy like John. Julia reminded her mother that she was as old as Juliet of Romeo and Juliet and her mother would always reply, 'Yeah and look what happened to them." Still, that didn't stop her from writing 'Mrs. John Stewart" or 'Julia Stewart" in her diary everyday.

Julia smiled when Miss Thompson answered the door. Thompson returned the young girl's smile as she wiped her hands on her apron.

'Hi Miss Thompson," Julia said. 'Is John home?"

The smile left Thompson's face. 'He's in the backyard. He's got chores. It's Saturday, you know." Julia didn't hide her disappointment. Did this mean she couldn't see John?

Thompson apparently saw the disappointment in Julia's face. She sighed loudly. 'Oh, all right. Come on in." She stepped back and allowed the young teen to follow her in the house.

Like most row houses of this type, it was almost a straight line from the front door to the back door and backyard. In the hall, Julia noticed a little wooden table that had about five or six framed pictures on it. Actually, she bumped into the table in the narrow hallway, knocking one of the pictures over. As she stopped to stand the picture back up, she noticed it was a picture of John with Miss Thompson. They were both smiling at the camera. Julia smiled back at the family portrait before noticing Miss Thompson frowning at her.

'Come on, Julia. Leave the picture alone. I'll get it."

Julia was a little embarrassed. 'Yes, ma'am," she said softly as she followed Thompson through the hallway and into the kitchen.

As she opened the kitchen back door, Thompson called out into the yard. 'John, you have a visitor."

Julia stepped past Miss Thompson and on to the backyard porch. John was in the middle of the yard. His shirt was off and he was leaning against the push lawn mower. The sweat glistening on his shoulders and the soft silvery sheen of his chest kept Julia eyes riveted to the boy. That boy is so fine! If Miss Thompson noticed Julia staring, she didn't say anything. And at that particular moment, Julia didn't care what Miss Thompson noticed.

John grabbed his shirt and pressed it into his face to wipe away the sweat. He held the shirt up in front of him almost as if he were embarrassed. 'Gee whiz, Aunt Loretta. I would have come inside. You didn't have to bring her out here."

Before Julia could say anything, Miss Thompson spoke. Her tone was sharper than before. 'Nonsense, boy! There's a chair here on the porch. She can sit down and watch you work in the backyard because you WILL finish this backyard before you go anywhere. Is that clear, John Stewart?

'This ain't much of a backyard," John mumbled as he bent down to pull some twigs out of the push mower.

'Hush your mouth boy," Miss Thompson said placing her hands on her hip. John looked up at her. 'Don't make me embarrass you out here in front of your young lady."

John stood up and put his shirt on. 'Yes ma'am."

Julia looked back and forth between Miss Thompson and John. Suddenly, Miss Thompson smiled at Julia and casually waved her hand in front of the young girl. 'Julia, honey, don't mind me. You see this is my house and this little piece of dirt out here is mine. I own it and it isn't bigger than my living room. There ain't a lick of grass out here. It's all weeds, but child, it's my weeds and it's John's responsibility to keep this yard cut. Isn't that right, John?"

Julia didn't think Miss Thompson was asking John for confirmation as much as telling John what she expected from him.

'Yes ma'am," John answered, letting go of the push mower and watching it fall over. 'But there's nothing out here to cut but dirt and weeds. And this mower doesn't cut anything. All it does is throw dirt back in my face."

Thompson folded her arms across her chest. 'That's good Detroit dirt, boy. I pay for that dirt every month." She suddenly turned to Julia, unfolding her arms and smiling again. 'Sweetheart, would you like something to drink. We have some red punch if you want some."

'Yes ma'am. Punch will be fine. Thank you."

Thompson glanced at John. 'She's such a nice girl with good manners." She cast another small smile at Julia and went into the kitchen.

John walked up to the steps but didn't come on the porch. Julia made a show of smoothing out her puffy dress as she sat down in the chair that Thompson had pointed out. It was a folding straight back chair with a little round red pillow in the seat. Julia thought that since there was only one chair out here, maybe they didn't spend a lot of time together in this backyard. Why'd he put the shirt back on? Do I cross my legs? Am I sophisticated if I cross my legs? At the knees or ankles? Why'd he put the shirt back on? She took a deep breath.

'John," she asked. 'Have you finished the history assignment yet? I picked Woodrow Wilson."

'Haven't started."

'Haven't started?" she exclaimed. 'It's due Monday. When were you doing to start? Sunday night?"

'Maybe," he answered. 'Anyway, hand me that pair of hedge clippers next to you." He pointed to the clippers under her chair.

She reached under her chair for the clippers, glad for the moment that she'd decided to cross her legs at the ankles. 'Here," she said as handed them to him. She looked around the small yard. 'What are you going to cut with those?"

John wiped his hand across his brow and pointed to a small bush in a corner near the chain link fence gate. 'That!" The small growth of green was almost hidden by the trash cans near the fencing.

'Oh," Julia said exchanging glances with John. She cleared her throat. 'So who are you going to write about? Maybe you should pick Washington. I mean there's lots of stuff about him in the encyclopedia."

'Write about what?" Miss Thompson asked coming out of the kitchen with two glasses containing red liquid. 'Here you go, Julia," she said as she gave the girl a glass. 'John, this is for you," she said as handed the other glass to him. Julia took a sip of the drink not wishing to spill any on her dress. John greedily drank half the glass in one gulp.

Miss Thompson watched her nephew and shook her head. Then she looked at Julia, 'So what was this writing assignment?"

'It was to write five hundred words on the most courageous American President. I picked Woodrow Wilson. He led us into World War One."

Thompson smiled. 'Yes he did." She then looked at John. 'Who did you pick John?"

John set his glass down on the porch step and shuffled his feet. 'I'm going to do Washington because he was the first and it takes courage to be the first at anything. Besides there is probably lots of stuff on him so it will be easy."

Thompson frowned. 'So you're going to do Washington because he's easy? Why not do someone else? Why not challenge yourself a little? Pick a President who did something that took courage and it cost him dearly."

'Who?" John asked. Julia thought the tone of John's voice was a little confrontational. She raised her hand as if she was in school and then remembering that she wasn't, lowered her hand and said, 'I know. Was it Lincoln? Am I right?"

Thompson gently shook her head. 'Lincoln had courage," she said softly, 'but Lincoln wasn't who I was thinking of. To be truthful, the man I'm thinking of had more courage than Lincoln."

Julia eyed the woman sharply. 'No, that's not true," she said firmly. 'Our teacher said Lincoln was the most courageous and bravest man ever to be President."

Thompson smirked at the young teen. 'Yes, I'm sure your teacher was telling you the truth. But you know, there are many truths, Julia. Never become so locked in a single idea or truth that you can't handle the truth or another idea that conflicts with your own preconceived notions." Thompson paused and added gently. 'You may not always be right, child."

Julia started to say something but changed her mind. Can there be more than one truth?

'The man I was thinking about," Thompson continued, 'was John Tyler. He was the tenth president. He was elected Vice President under William Harrison. Harrison died in office after 30 days and Tyler was the first Vice- President to become President because of a death. And that's when his problems started."

John sat down on the porch steps. 'What problems?" he asked. Julia had to admit to herself she also wanted to know what happened. She leaned forward to listen.

'Well you see, kids, people kept calling him Mr. Vice President and he kept correcting them saying he was the President. He even had a swearing in ceremony and delivered an inaugural address even through very few people came to hear him. The people who didn't like him, and there were many, started calling him 'His Accidency." After he vetoed several bills his political party sponsored, they kicked him out of the party and his whole cabinet resigned. They even tried to impeach him. But he hung tough because he was convinced it was the right thing to do and in doing so he made the Presidency stronger. When his term was over, he wasn't even offered the nomination of his party for a second term. All of this because he was convinced that he was right and wasn't afraid to act. And now if a president dies in office, we accept and expect that the Vice President becomes the President but it was Tyler who showed us that first."

'Wow," John said.

Thompson smiled. 'To me, John, that's courage. It's doing what you think is right even if it makes you unpopular, knowing you can lose everything if you remain steadfast to your conviction, but doing it anyway and being prepared to pay the price when due."

Thompson opened the kitchen door and stepped inside. She glanced over her shoulder and said, 'Anyway, why don't you look at John Tyler. You might be surprised at how courageous he really was. Oh, and John, you missed a spot over there near the gate."

'Yes, ma'am."

Julia was silent for a long moment and then almost squealed. 'Wow! Your aunt is real smart."

John grinned as he finished his drink. 'I know. Maybe I'll do a report on John Tyler after all. Besides, if I do, Aunt Loretta will have to help me since she suggested it."

Julia grinned as John took off his shirt again and walked over the push mower lying on the ground. John Stewart, you are pretty smart and devious too.

(Wayne Manor - The day the Thanagarian fleet withdrew from its failed invasion.)

The pain in Stewart's hand was intense. The stabilization device he wore put pressure on his shoulder and now it throbbed and ached as well. The other five Leaguers seated at the table with him didn't appear concerned about his pain. No, they weren't callous. It wasn't the pain in his hand, or shoulder or heart that was their issue at the moment. It was the pain of dealing with the 'Shayera Hol question" that they were immediately concerned about.

The Flash sat across from him and but looked at Diana and Superman, who were seated next to each other. 'She was in the ultimate no win situation. But when push came to shove, she came through for us, just like always."

Shayera did lose everything doing what was right for us, didn't she?

J'onn also looked in the direction of Superman and Diana as he added, 'She's a pariah to her people. We're all she has left."

'I did what I thought was right then and that's what I'm doing now." That's what she said when she gave me back the ring. It took courage to come to the cave that night, to face us all, to fight Talak, to risk dying with us. My God. She did risk dying with us, didn't she?

Superman looked at J'onn. Stewart couldn't read his face. 'Believe me, J'onn. I feel for her, but after everything that's...."

Stewart tuned out the discussion. It wasn't important anymore. He wasn't going to vote. He'd already told them that. But now he knew how he would vote, if he could.

It took great courage for her to risk everything, to risk dying with them ... to risk being killed by them. He suddenly thought back to his youth and his Aunt Loretta.

He could see his Aunt's face in his mind. It was as if she was standing in front of him. He could hear her sweet voice as she said, 'Son, she has John Tyler courage, doesn't she?"

He nodded his head. Yes, ma'am.

She does.

END