#scarsdale

"THANK you" his mother says, releasingsome of her own anger I am so gawdamn tired of being bullied and dictated to by my own son

"Well lovely" Bondraste smiles

"You're welcome." Quietly. "GrandDame, did you want to keep going on with the lesson?"

Brenda goes to the kitchen to start work on dinner

Bondraste says "We need to talk." She motions him to follow

He does.

SHe turns "Adam...your mother is angry at you, and I"m not sure I blame her. Is that always how you treat her? Giving her orders like that?"

"What?" Thunderstruck.

"Adam. I heard enough to know she has reason to think you were demanding your way or no way at all. I love you, my boy, but we Fiona don't tyrannize... that's Ailil bullshit" a pause "Pardon to Dame CLaire"

She puts a hand on his shoulder "Even the high King cannot command people to do every little thing every little way he wants or thinks is right. If you ever learn Sovereign, you must learn that, or you'll become a monster. Why don't you tell your mother your scared of losing the family? Fiona are not fearless when it comes to love..."

He takes a deep breath. "I asked if we could have Thanksgiving as a family, in New Jersey. That's it. I did say I didn't want it to be a thing, that if it was going to be a fight or turn into an awful memory I'd rather not. I was honest and polite about what I wanted, I tried to be anyway."

"If they don't know how bad I want my family to stay together, then it's already over because they don't care to see it. And yes, GrandDame, I've told them."

"Adam... you're stating opinions as facts. How are they to KNOW or SEE anything when you distance from them so hard, then come out angry when you do meet them? And what you THINK you said, and what came across are not the same. She wanted to have it here..with the family.But you wouldn't compromise on that at first.. you made her FIGHT for that. You acted like you were in charge, or it wasn't happening. Do you not see that?"

"No, GrandDame, I really don't. I was trying to be honest and polite about what I wanted. Being in Jersey for this is important to me, but it's not going to happen like that. At least it -will- happen. Maybe I spent too much time imagining it, building it up." A shrug.

"A family isn't it's location, Adam. A family is... the love felt" She says

A long pause.

"I'll try to remember that, GrandDame."

"It's hard. Look, Adam, your mom is not in a good spot mentally.. in fact I worry about her almost as much as I do you. For you, a lot of the fae world has been wonderful. But for her... it's meant misery. Do you know what a Dauntain is?"

"Yes? What I was taught. Someone who is Fae but rejects it and manages to use Banality to harm other Fae."

"Yes. RIght now, you and your mother seem in a very dangerous race to see which of you might fall into that chasm." She leans forward "But a Dauntain is in pain, darling. Terrible pain.. and they spread the hate and the pain. So... understand , and I say it with love. If either of you became Dauntain, out of the love I bear for you both. I'll do my best to kill you and spare you that existence."She strokes his face

"Do you understand?" Gently despite her terrifying sincerity

He blinks... repeatedly. "Yes, Ma'm." He whispers.

"I don't want my mom to have that happen. To do that."

"What can I do to help her?"

"I've already told you.. so has she. Listen. Really listen. Not with your ears. But with her heart. It's not easy, but it can make adifference"

"I can try... but I'm angry so much and it hurts and... and it's like... when I think about them breaking up I want to run away. I want to cry."

"Then cry. No shame in it. Sidhe men look glorious when they cry... now trolls? God help them, they puff up like blue tang fish" A sigh "And we won't even get into nockers. If a nocker is crying, make sure they don't have anything that fires at range on thier person.They tend to want to eliminate witnesses"

Adam sniffs, a little wet sound. "I'll remember that if Betty's upset."

"Good advice. Oh, an there is Kylie now. Fantastic legs for a nocker"

"Don't think I've met her."

"Vince found two new fledges . I'm sure you'll see them around"

"I heard about that, a little. One a nocker?"

"Right. The other is a pooka of some..Asian Leopard Cat? Shy thing but opening up"

Adam nods and scrubs at his face.

SHe hugs him

Adam gasps and then fights a sob.

He swallows it down hard and clears his throat.

"It's okay... it's okay" She says

"Adam? I.." his mothers voice "It's all right, Adam."She comes to the other side "It'll be okay. "

He shakes his head in the negative. It won't be ok

"It will. WHATEVEr happens," his mom says "We'll get through it, and we'll always be family. It maybe different, but I promise. You'er my son"

"I don't want you to be hurt, mom." His voice is rough.

"Me neither.. but it happens..and I don't want you hurt either..but apparently that happens. We can't be so afraid to live that we're... it'll be okay" She says

"I think both of you should feel free t o dcry to each other. Anger is not all you have" The old sidhe says "Trust me. Bottled sorrow is it's own kind of pain"

"Promise you won't go away?" he asks Brenda.

"Unless I think I'm hurting you by being in your life, I'm in it" she says

"No, even if you -think- that. Don't go away."

"Please."

"Adam... I promise I'll try" She says

"Ok. I promise the same thing."