“The Greatest Discovery”

Part Five

A short story based on the WB Series, “Tarzan”

By Felicity

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this: the characters, story, series, or part of the idea. I'm not selling, or making any kind of profit off of this story I've written. No infringement is intended. This is solely for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
Want it?: You can have it.. but I'd appreciate it if you'd email me before you take it anywhere. (tfelicity39@hotmail.com).

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John was brought into the courtroom last. He didn’t like the men trying to touch him, he pulled away and kept walking, he walked past Richard, Sam and Jane, past the lawyer and past his seat. Finally Jane intervened and told him where to go, and to sit. She had to tell him when to stand and to face the judge, not her. She was as nervous as him, perhaps more as he didn’t really fathom what was happening today. She knew that it took a lot for him to come here, with shoes on, no less, to face this. Jane could not help feeling that he was doing it more for her than for him, but soon enough she would explain that to him.
John’s mind continued to wander as he watched the drama of the courtroom. People spoke in circles, and he had given up trying to understand, and he knew that Jane couldn’t sit with him and explain things to him. He felt very alone sitting there while the man with the white hair spoke.
The apes system seemed to work for them. When there had been an indiscretion or a transgression, it was taken up with the chief ape. Tarzan had been before him often, as he seemed to be a slow learner in the apes system. Cheetah tried to protect him from the other apes, but like all children, he had to learn the hard way. Tarzan tried to take on the chief when he was still a child. He may have been all of twelve years old in human years, but by this time he had spent half of his life in the jungle. He was adept at fending for himself, except where the ape chief was concerned. They didn’t see eye to eye and Tarzan had decided that he would find out for himself who was the stronger and wise of the two.
Cheetah was terrified for Tarzan and tried to pull him away from the chief, but it was no use. Tarzan had made up his mind, this was it.
After what seemed like forever, but in fact was only a few minutes, Tarzan managed to scrape himself off of the ground and drag his bloody aching carcass away. Thankfully the ape had let him live, not using his full strength on the boy. Tarzan almost felt the mercy that had been shown him. After this incident, he had nothing but respect for the ape chief. He knew that his place was not at the head of the group, but somewhere in the middle. He had learned that he had been accepted by all now, now that he had challenged the chief, even though he had lost. The law and the rules had been laid out in front of him, clearly. There was no other way.
John couldn’t understand this system of justice. He should not be on trial here, it should be Richard on trial for what he had put his family through, or Gene for what he had tried to do to him and to Jane. Jane was protecting him, he was protecting Jane, but the two of them were the ones in trouble. Something seemed amiss. He couldn’t comprehend how being in this room with these people could help the “case” as Jane called it. Many people left their seats and sat beside the man with the white hair. John tried to pay attention, but he kept looking to Jane, who looked worried. Then Donald took the seat up by the man with the white hair. Jane had said that Donald would help, he would tell the truth, but Donald was so nervous, so unsure of himself. This caused John just to become antsier. This and the fact that these shoes were killing his ankles.
Whenever John would look back at Jane, she would motion for him to look forward. She tried to reassure him that things would be all right, but she didn’t seem convinced. Kathleen had a very worried look on her face and Richard looked more smug than usual, behind his bevy of bruises from his encounter with the wild John the evening before. John studied his uncle, then his aunt, then Jane. He needed to understand how everyone could behave so differently toward him. He needed to understand his feelings toward all of them.
Richard continued to watch the fiasco. Someone had tampered with Donald Ingram, but that wouldn’t stop him, hell it wouldn’t even slow him down. There were avenues that still hadn’t been pursued. He would have John at his right hand, one way or another. He would just have to change his tactics.
It was amazing how happy everyone was as the judge dismissed the case. This was only the tip of the iceberg. Richard Clayton had not maintained his status in the business world by sitting idly by and waiting for other people to make the first move. No, this was just a change for his strategy, nothing that he couldn’t handle. John could still be brought over to his side; he would just have to use a different method. He would sink to a new level.
Everyone was happy with what the man with the white hair said, but if John understood correctly, it really wasn’t much of a win. He said that the case against John Clayton would be dismissed because of the lack of evidence. This didn’t mean that he was proven innocent, it just meant that he wasn’t proven guilty. It seemed a hollow win. Looking over to everyone else, Jane and Sam were hugging, and Kathleen leaned over to congratulate John with a kiss. When Kathleen turned away, both she and John could see Richard clearly. He looked a bit defeated, but not completely. Both of them knew that this would not be the end. John didn’t have the heart to say anything to Jane. Jane had tried so hard to get John’s name cleared, she believed that they had actually won here. John knew better. He had tried to explain to her that her rules and laws wouldn’t keep Richard from coming back for more, it wasn’t his nature.
John thanked Jane, and she smiled, calling him Tarzan. This made John happy, he didn’t want to think about Richard right now, he just wanted to live in the here and now, if possible. Tomorrow he would worry about Richard again. Jane took her shoes off, giving John permission to remove his. He was so happy to take them off, that he left them in the courtroom! He pulled his shirt tales from his slacks and followed Jane from the courtroom.
Richard waited in the foyer, and watched as John and Jane descended the stairs. Were they both barefoot? Richard shook his head in disbelief, knowing that John Sr. would not have approved of such behaviour. Kathleen stepped in front of Richard and extended her hand. “Can we let bygones be bygones now Richard?” Richard smiled at his younger sister, she had a lot of the spirit of the Claytons, but she didn’t have the same type of nerve as John Sr. and Richard. “John Sr. would be rolling in his grave Kathleen.” Richard spoke to her, taking her hand gently. Kathleen was confused by her brother, he was not predictable lately. Since John had come into their lives, Richard had been more devious than she could ever remember. “John Sr. would be rolling for sure after what you did to his son.” She pulled her hand away from him. Richard smiled that sly smile and pointed to John and Jane with his chin. “Do you really think that John would have approved of this Kate?” He shook his head as he watched the two of them head toward the door, trying to avoid the cameras and the press. “Those two have made some big mistakes lately. John certainly wouldn’t have abided by his only son doing this to the company, to the family.” Kathleen couldn’t believe her ears. Richard was loosing his mind talking like this. If John Sr. was here right now, he would have applauded the way that John and Jane had stuck it out through this, although she knew that he would have reasoned, if he was here, this would not be happening because John Jr. would have been raised here, in civilization. Richard looked into his sister’s eyes and saw an emotion that was unrecognizable. ‘What Kate, you don’t know how John Sr. really would have handled this right? Because if John Sr. was here, John would not be doing this, he would be groomed for the family business, not swinging on vines in your atrium and murdering police officers.” With that last statement, Kathleen took her leave of the situation. This was a battle she wouldn’t win today, but she would not give up.
Jane and John met Kathleen and watched Richard walk through the revolving doors. John spoke first. “What did he want?” Somehow John still knew that Richard wasn’t done yet, but he would not vocalize these concerns right now. “Just to be smug, nothing to worry about John.” Kathleen took his face into her hands and kissed his cheeks, then pulled him close and hugged him. John smiled. He didn’t mind this kind of touching. He smiled at his aunt as she did the same to Jane. “You have done well Ms. Porter, Jane.” Kathleen smiled at the handsome couple, the handsome barefoot couple and shook her heads. “It’s November out there you two, I would suggest something on the feet.” She smiled at John. “Why don’t we try a shoe store and you can chose something that you would find comfortable. I think you might like moccasins or some type of soft shoe. Please?” she pleaded and Jane smiled, nudging John in the elbow. He agreed. He didn’t like the way that the shoes felt, but he was indeed getting very cold feet lately.