The Invictus - Chapter XXIII
Short, but does get the story moving again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When he saw Lens slink out of the house with a certain air of shame about her, Positron stepped into Prowl’s room. The dark youngling was straightening his covers as if nothing had happened. “Prowl, explain what just happened,” he said simply.
“Nothing,” Prowl replied levelly.
“Really? From where I stood, it looked as though you were trying to bond to your sparkmate,” Positron icily observed.
“We weren’t doing anything, Grandfather,” Prowl said tartly.
“You had your hands in her chestplates, and she you,” Positron announced hardly.
“I know,” Prowl answered. “We were just fooling around a little-we never bonded.”
“’Fooling around a little’ is what got your mother to carry,” Positron snapped.
“I’m not like Mom was,” Prowl said hardly. “I’m not some loose tramp.”
“Prowl, I will thank you not to speak about your mother in that manner,” Positron ground out. “She made a mistake, but she is-“
“So I was a mistake, is that it?” Prowl snapped.
“I never said such a thing-“
“You said she made a mistake!” Prowl cut off. “She made me, didn’t she?! I. Am. A. Mistake! Just be honest with me for once!”
“You’ll not use that tone with me, Prowl,” Positron warned. “What’s the matter with you tonight?”
“Why did you walk in on us?!” Prowl cried. “You’re supposed to be in bed asleep!”
“I can move about this house-my house, as I recall-as I see fit, Prowl,” Positron began slowly, “and I was going to ask you where you had moved the kettle. I had hoped to bring you and Lens tea. Instead I have to see my grandson wrist deep in the femme who will be carrying his sparkling!”
“I never bonded with her! Our sparks never touched!” Prowl snapped.
“I know only what I saw, Prowl,” Positron replied levelly. “All I know is that now I’ll have to pray for you and for you to be spared your mother’s path.”
“You’re overreacting to nothing, Grandfather!” Prowl cried. “If Grandmother was still online she wouldn’t have cared!”
Positron stiffened, his optics wide. “You will not bring your grandmother into this,” he warned, “and I’ll have you know she would want the best, safest thing for you-as do I.”
“Then why won’t you let me-“
“I hold rules over you and enforce said rules because I love you,” Positron said levelly.
“You don’t love me!” Prowl snapped. “You’re not even my father!”
The room was deadly silent. Prowl looked at Positron with hatred etched on his face; Positron looked wounded as he considered Prowl. “Indeed…” Positron said softly. “I am not your father; you are not my son… but I loved you and raised you as such when I could have so easily turned away. But perhaps that doesn’t mean as much to you as you claim.”
“That’s not true!” Prowl cried.
“Your actions seem to contradict your words, Prowl,” Positron observed. “I want nothing but the best for you, and to protect you, and yet you push that away.”
“It’s not true!” he cried again.
“I will give you a moment to calm yourself, Prowl,” Positron replied levelly. “I will be in my berth resting. When you have calmed yourself, come to me and we will discuss this.”
“Yes, Grandfather,” Prowl mumbled as Positron left the room.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When he saw Lens slink out of the house with a certain air of shame about her, Positron stepped into Prowl’s room. The dark youngling was straightening his covers as if nothing had happened. “Prowl, explain what just happened,” he said simply.
“Nothing,” Prowl replied levelly.
“Really? From where I stood, it looked as though you were trying to bond to your sparkmate,” Positron icily observed.
“We weren’t doing anything, Grandfather,” Prowl said tartly.
“You had your hands in her chestplates, and she you,” Positron announced hardly.
“I know,” Prowl answered. “We were just fooling around a little-we never bonded.”
“’Fooling around a little’ is what got your mother to carry,” Positron snapped.
“I’m not like Mom was,” Prowl said hardly. “I’m not some loose tramp.”
“Prowl, I will thank you not to speak about your mother in that manner,” Positron ground out. “She made a mistake, but she is-“
“So I was a mistake, is that it?” Prowl snapped.
“I never said such a thing-“
“You said she made a mistake!” Prowl cut off. “She made me, didn’t she?! I. Am. A. Mistake! Just be honest with me for once!”
“You’ll not use that tone with me, Prowl,” Positron warned. “What’s the matter with you tonight?”
“Why did you walk in on us?!” Prowl cried. “You’re supposed to be in bed asleep!”
“I can move about this house-my house, as I recall-as I see fit, Prowl,” Positron began slowly, “and I was going to ask you where you had moved the kettle. I had hoped to bring you and Lens tea. Instead I have to see my grandson wrist deep in the femme who will be carrying his sparkling!”
“I never bonded with her! Our sparks never touched!” Prowl snapped.
“I know only what I saw, Prowl,” Positron replied levelly. “All I know is that now I’ll have to pray for you and for you to be spared your mother’s path.”
“You’re overreacting to nothing, Grandfather!” Prowl cried. “If Grandmother was still online she wouldn’t have cared!”
Positron stiffened, his optics wide. “You will not bring your grandmother into this,” he warned, “and I’ll have you know she would want the best, safest thing for you-as do I.”
“Then why won’t you let me-“
“I hold rules over you and enforce said rules because I love you,” Positron said levelly.
“You don’t love me!” Prowl snapped. “You’re not even my father!”
The room was deadly silent. Prowl looked at Positron with hatred etched on his face; Positron looked wounded as he considered Prowl. “Indeed…” Positron said softly. “I am not your father; you are not my son… but I loved you and raised you as such when I could have so easily turned away. But perhaps that doesn’t mean as much to you as you claim.”
“That’s not true!” Prowl cried.
“Your actions seem to contradict your words, Prowl,” Positron observed. “I want nothing but the best for you, and to protect you, and yet you push that away.”
“It’s not true!” he cried again.
“I will give you a moment to calm yourself, Prowl,” Positron replied levelly. “I will be in my berth resting. When you have calmed yourself, come to me and we will discuss this.”
“Yes, Grandfather,” Prowl mumbled as Positron left the room.