La Femme Nikita. Adam Samuelle. 049. Club.
Title: Members Only
Fandom: La Femme Nikita
Characters: Adam, Elena, and several OCs; Michael and two canon characters referred to
Prompt: 049. Club.
Word count: 1331
Rating: G
Summary: And a little child shall lead them
Author's Notes: Spoilers through Season 4
*To preserve continuity, this story should actually be read between Southern Hospitality? and You Say Potato…. *
Members Only
Elena was nervous. Apprehensive. She didn’t want to do this. It had been her neighbor, Margrit, who persuaded her. “You’ll meet people. Male people,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
But Elena didn’t want to be any part of “Parents Without Partners.” It would mean admitting Michael was really gone. Sometimes she could do it. Other times, she didn’t want to. Wanted to believe he would pull in the driveway in his Volvo while she was fixing dinner and Adam was watching television.
She still fixed dinner, and Adam still watched television, but everything else in their lives had turned upside down. First her father contacted her after 20 years of silence, only to be shot and killed before her eyes. Just when she thought she might be able to start living again, she and Adam had been whisked away from home by government officials. She’d not been told why, but she could do the math.
Her father appeared, and was killed. Her uncle, a man she’d never even met, came to her house, apparently putting Adam and herself in grave danger. She could only surmise that her father and uncle had been some sort of covert government agents. Her father’s secrecy and reluctance to meet her made sense now. If only Michael, who’d been innocent of everything but being a devoted husband and father, hadn’t been caught in the crossfire.
Elena didn’t like Stettfurt any more than she had liked Alabama, but at least the Americans spoke English. More or less. After eight years in Bordeaux and Paris she still fumbled in French; now the television was in Swiss German, the newspapers and magazines in German, and Elena was all at sea. Adam was so bright, like a chameleon; translating questions and street signs for her. He seemed happy enough.
She looked for Adam now, and spotted him in animated conversation with another boy his age standing next to the cookies and tortes set out for refreshments. With the children still present, the little classroom was crowded; desks pushed against the wall and several metal chairs forming a circle in the middle of the room.
“Adam, come here please. Those treats are for after the meeting.” She checked her watch, still unsure about leaving Adam alone in a place other than at school or with Magrit.
“Meine Mommy spricht Englisch, nicht Deutsch,” he informed his new friend before he returned to Elena’s side. They didn’t have time to speak before a general announcement was made. In German. “The kids are supposed to go in another room now,” Adam informed his mother. “Will you be okay? I can stay here if you want me to.”
Elena smiled. Adam seemed much older than five; so mature and so thoughtful. He wasn’t worried about leaving Elena, he was worried about leaving her alone.
“I’ll be fine, sweetheart. You go with the other children, and when the grown-up’s meeting is over we’ll all be here together for treats.”
“You will be fine.” A masculine voice both startled and reassured her. “I’m Wilhelm Schmid, and this is my daughter, Heidi. This must be your first meeting.”
Elena nodded, relaxing a bit.
“We all speak English,” he added, gesturing vaguely around the room, “so you mustn’t worry about that. The kids have a great time with the care-givers. They have many toys to play with, and even their own little club. Your son will be fine. He can sit with my Heidi if he is shy.”
Elena nodded again in thanks. Adam wasn’t shy in the least, but it was a nice offer.
“I’ll be fine, Adam. You go with Heidi and the other children now, and I’ll see you in a bit. All right?”
Adam looked at Mr. Schmid appraisingly. He wasn’t sure how he felt about him yet, but his mother seemed to be a bit happier now. He nodded and left to go to another classroom across the hall with the other children.
* * * * *
There were several toys in the room, but they were girl toys. Dolls and tea-party tables. Barbie’s Playhouse. The little boy who’d tried to talk him into filching a few cookies earlier was playing with the only truck in the room. To his dismay, Adam noticed that he and Josef were the only boys there; hopelessly outnumbered by seven girls. He rolled his eyes, hoping that his mother’s meeting was short. Since Adam had refused to join Josef in his act of cookie theft, the other boy seemed disinclined to share his truck with him.
Adam bit the bullet and approached Heidi Schmid, who was busy doing girl things with her girl friends.
“What?” she asked impatiently, realizing Adam wasn’t going to take the hint and leave her alone.
“Your dad said there was a club for us kids. What kind of club? What do we do?”
Heidi smirked. “You’re not invited. It’s a club for girls only. No boys allowed.”
Well, that hardly seemed fair. His mother had mentioned earlier maybe coming to these meetings every week. Adam refused to be bored and ignored one night a week for the foreseeable future.
“What if I brought a present?” Heidi reconsidered, as did Josef, who left his truck to see what Adam had to offer. There had been no mention of a gift earlier.
“Show me,” Heidi demanded, curiosity triumphing over condescension.
Adam reached deep in his pocket. He’d actually planned to take his find home before playing with it, but he really wanted to be in a club. He’d never been in one before.
“See?” he replied, holding the still wriggling frog carefully in his hands.
Heidi screamed and ran to the opposite end of the room, the indifferent care-giver barely glancing up from her magazine.
“Wow!” exclaimed Josef.
To Adam’s delight, more girls than not wanted to see, and even hold, his amphibious friend.
“He can be our club mascot,” one of the older girls decreed. “Every club needs a mascot.” Adam wasn’t sure what a “mascot” was, but if it got him in the club, it was all good.
Heidi was more than a little displeased at not being the center of attention. She had formed her club for a reason. “I don’t want that…that thing in my club.” She stamped her foot for emphasis.
“He’s not in *your* club,” Josef told her gleefully, pleased to finally be accepted into the group himself. “We have our own club now.”
“What club?” one of Heidi’s friends ventured. She was anxious about getting too close to the new club’s “mascot,” but didn’t want to be left out.
“Der Frosch-Klub,” Adam announced. The Frog Club. “No sissies allowed,” he added, rolling his eyes in Heidi’s direction. The little girl’s face grew redder as her remaining minions abandoned her, timidity taking a backseat to curiosity.
* * * * *
Elena was thrilled. Not only had she met some rather lovely and supportive people, Adam seemed to have fit in very well with the other children. It sounded like they had even made him president of their club.
Adam was a realist. He doubted his frog would make it to next week’s meeting, and he was scrolling through ideas to maintain his present stature in his new club. He broached the subject with his mother as soon as they got in the car.
“There aren’t many toys to play with,” he informed her. No real toys, anyway; just girl stuff. “Can we bring some of my games and things for the other kids?” He was particularly proud of his ant farm. He bet Heidi Schmid would pee in her pants when she saw all those ants.
“That’s a lovely and very generous idea, sweetheart. I think the other children would like that very much.”
An excellent plan, then. Even Mommy liked it. It was a lot of responsibility, being president of a club, but presidents got perks, like making the rules. Rules to keep Heidi out of his club. It was good to be da king.
My fanfic100 prompt table is here.
Fandom: La Femme Nikita
Characters: Adam, Elena, and several OCs; Michael and two canon characters referred to
Prompt: 049. Club.
Word count: 1331
Rating: G
Summary: And a little child shall lead them
Author's Notes: Spoilers through Season 4
*To preserve continuity, this story should actually be read between Southern Hospitality? and You Say Potato…. *
Members Only
Elena was nervous. Apprehensive. She didn’t want to do this. It had been her neighbor, Margrit, who persuaded her. “You’ll meet people. Male people,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
But Elena didn’t want to be any part of “Parents Without Partners.” It would mean admitting Michael was really gone. Sometimes she could do it. Other times, she didn’t want to. Wanted to believe he would pull in the driveway in his Volvo while she was fixing dinner and Adam was watching television.
She still fixed dinner, and Adam still watched television, but everything else in their lives had turned upside down. First her father contacted her after 20 years of silence, only to be shot and killed before her eyes. Just when she thought she might be able to start living again, she and Adam had been whisked away from home by government officials. She’d not been told why, but she could do the math.
Her father appeared, and was killed. Her uncle, a man she’d never even met, came to her house, apparently putting Adam and herself in grave danger. She could only surmise that her father and uncle had been some sort of covert government agents. Her father’s secrecy and reluctance to meet her made sense now. If only Michael, who’d been innocent of everything but being a devoted husband and father, hadn’t been caught in the crossfire.
Elena didn’t like Stettfurt any more than she had liked Alabama, but at least the Americans spoke English. More or less. After eight years in Bordeaux and Paris she still fumbled in French; now the television was in Swiss German, the newspapers and magazines in German, and Elena was all at sea. Adam was so bright, like a chameleon; translating questions and street signs for her. He seemed happy enough.
She looked for Adam now, and spotted him in animated conversation with another boy his age standing next to the cookies and tortes set out for refreshments. With the children still present, the little classroom was crowded; desks pushed against the wall and several metal chairs forming a circle in the middle of the room.
“Adam, come here please. Those treats are for after the meeting.” She checked her watch, still unsure about leaving Adam alone in a place other than at school or with Magrit.
“Meine Mommy spricht Englisch, nicht Deutsch,” he informed his new friend before he returned to Elena’s side. They didn’t have time to speak before a general announcement was made. In German. “The kids are supposed to go in another room now,” Adam informed his mother. “Will you be okay? I can stay here if you want me to.”
Elena smiled. Adam seemed much older than five; so mature and so thoughtful. He wasn’t worried about leaving Elena, he was worried about leaving her alone.
“I’ll be fine, sweetheart. You go with the other children, and when the grown-up’s meeting is over we’ll all be here together for treats.”
“You will be fine.” A masculine voice both startled and reassured her. “I’m Wilhelm Schmid, and this is my daughter, Heidi. This must be your first meeting.”
Elena nodded, relaxing a bit.
“We all speak English,” he added, gesturing vaguely around the room, “so you mustn’t worry about that. The kids have a great time with the care-givers. They have many toys to play with, and even their own little club. Your son will be fine. He can sit with my Heidi if he is shy.”
Elena nodded again in thanks. Adam wasn’t shy in the least, but it was a nice offer.
“I’ll be fine, Adam. You go with Heidi and the other children now, and I’ll see you in a bit. All right?”
Adam looked at Mr. Schmid appraisingly. He wasn’t sure how he felt about him yet, but his mother seemed to be a bit happier now. He nodded and left to go to another classroom across the hall with the other children.
* * * * *
There were several toys in the room, but they were girl toys. Dolls and tea-party tables. Barbie’s Playhouse. The little boy who’d tried to talk him into filching a few cookies earlier was playing with the only truck in the room. To his dismay, Adam noticed that he and Josef were the only boys there; hopelessly outnumbered by seven girls. He rolled his eyes, hoping that his mother’s meeting was short. Since Adam had refused to join Josef in his act of cookie theft, the other boy seemed disinclined to share his truck with him.
Adam bit the bullet and approached Heidi Schmid, who was busy doing girl things with her girl friends.
“What?” she asked impatiently, realizing Adam wasn’t going to take the hint and leave her alone.
“Your dad said there was a club for us kids. What kind of club? What do we do?”
Heidi smirked. “You’re not invited. It’s a club for girls only. No boys allowed.”
Well, that hardly seemed fair. His mother had mentioned earlier maybe coming to these meetings every week. Adam refused to be bored and ignored one night a week for the foreseeable future.
“What if I brought a present?” Heidi reconsidered, as did Josef, who left his truck to see what Adam had to offer. There had been no mention of a gift earlier.
“Show me,” Heidi demanded, curiosity triumphing over condescension.
Adam reached deep in his pocket. He’d actually planned to take his find home before playing with it, but he really wanted to be in a club. He’d never been in one before.
“See?” he replied, holding the still wriggling frog carefully in his hands.
Heidi screamed and ran to the opposite end of the room, the indifferent care-giver barely glancing up from her magazine.
“Wow!” exclaimed Josef.
To Adam’s delight, more girls than not wanted to see, and even hold, his amphibious friend.
“He can be our club mascot,” one of the older girls decreed. “Every club needs a mascot.” Adam wasn’t sure what a “mascot” was, but if it got him in the club, it was all good.
Heidi was more than a little displeased at not being the center of attention. She had formed her club for a reason. “I don’t want that…that thing in my club.” She stamped her foot for emphasis.
“He’s not in *your* club,” Josef told her gleefully, pleased to finally be accepted into the group himself. “We have our own club now.”
“What club?” one of Heidi’s friends ventured. She was anxious about getting too close to the new club’s “mascot,” but didn’t want to be left out.
“Der Frosch-Klub,” Adam announced. The Frog Club. “No sissies allowed,” he added, rolling his eyes in Heidi’s direction. The little girl’s face grew redder as her remaining minions abandoned her, timidity taking a backseat to curiosity.
* * * * *
Elena was thrilled. Not only had she met some rather lovely and supportive people, Adam seemed to have fit in very well with the other children. It sounded like they had even made him president of their club.
Adam was a realist. He doubted his frog would make it to next week’s meeting, and he was scrolling through ideas to maintain his present stature in his new club. He broached the subject with his mother as soon as they got in the car.
“There aren’t many toys to play with,” he informed her. No real toys, anyway; just girl stuff. “Can we bring some of my games and things for the other kids?” He was particularly proud of his ant farm. He bet Heidi Schmid would pee in her pants when she saw all those ants.
“That’s a lovely and very generous idea, sweetheart. I think the other children would like that very much.”
An excellent plan, then. Even Mommy liked it. It was a lot of responsibility, being president of a club, but presidents got perks, like making the rules. Rules to keep Heidi out of his club. It was good to be da king.
My fanfic100 prompt table is here.