Re: Sam/Sean
"I want to believe that," Sean said quietly. "But, it's really hard to remember what it was like growing up without you and believe it was for my own good. Sure, I was alive. And, how much work would it take for someone who wanted to know to find out Jenna and I exist, that you have kids? Would we have been safe then? Were we safe from being brought here? We weren't safe from a lot of things that won't kill a person but make him feel dead inside. Life sucks sometimes. You can't protect me from that, never could. I don't want to be shielded from your life or any of this. It won't help me. It never did. This? Talking, feeling like I might actually have a dad to lean on if I want? That helps more than being kept in the dark ever did."
Blinking in surprise, he just sat for a moment. He...hadn't really thought his Dad would trust him quite that much just yet. It was enough to make him forget about insisting he was an adult for a moment. "So, basically, I'm the third chair alto sax making friends with the second chair bari in order to keep an eye on him in case he tries a coup against the first chair bari and reporting to the conductor?" he asked with a smirk. "You should have just said so to start. We have prettier names for it, but spying on the competition is so commonplace in segments of the music community, Dad. Even that dinner everyone was worried about last week? Slightly more stressful version of the fundraising galas where we get put on display to get the school money."
He pulled back a little at the glare. "It was a legitimate question," he muttered under his breath, secretly pleased with the reaction that showed his dad really did want him around. But, he didn't think he was ready to think about that next particular truth and so he just didn't. "I hear something that seems insane to me at least half a dozen times a day if not way more. How much more insane can G's orders be?"