Once the three had vacated the office, Mr. Calhoun made his way to the minibar hidden under the entertainment console beneath the large television. He pulled out a crystal decanter and 2 glasses, glancing at his wife to see her shake her head, and a box of cuban cigars. Mr. Calhoun proceeded to pour the 20 year old scotch into the glasses, and set it and the box lid-open near Mr. Hale as he lit his own Cuban and took a few puffs. Mr. Hale, examining a precut cigar, lit it and followed suit.
“So…Jeff…I take it that wild animal told you about his unique situation” stated Mr. Calhoun as he took a quick sip of his drink, never breaking eye contact with the other man, “Yet you bring him here…and with Veronica no less…”
“First of, Joey told both Kat and I about what’s going on; much like Roni, you will refer to him as Joey in front of me and anyone else.” started Mr. Hale, a desire to set the tempo for what they were about to discuss right away. “Second, where the HELL do you both get off speaking to him like that? He’s your son!”
Mr. Calhoun let out an amused scoff while Mrs. Calhoun rolled her eyes. Neither really considered what had just transpired as something of great importance. Sure, Mr. Calhoun had lost control of himself, but even without speaking to each other, neither thought it warranted the reaction Mr. Hale was displaying.
“Come on, Jeff. You know how teenaged humans are” started Mr. Calhoun with a tone of contempt. “It only got worse when this…this smallara thing started and these creatures cropped up all over the place.”
“He’s right, Jeff.” added Mrs. Calhoun in her honeyed voice and smiling slightly to try and disarm Mr. Hale. “It’s just how they are at that age. Him being one of those…things…only exasperated the problem”
“Problem? Underbred or not, he’s your son! You are both meant to protect and love him and…you both just get rid of him?” Mr. Hale spat in disbelief before turning his rage filled gaze to Mr. Calhoun, “Of course Roni has a rebellious streak and talks back to me and Kat. She’s a fucking teen ager!” He paused looking from Mr. Calhoun back to Mrs. Calhoun. “You seriously can both just sit there with these fake expressions and tell me you never once mouthed off to your parents?”
Mr. Calhoun took a quick sip of his scotch then stood up straighter. “Of course we did, Jeff. But we learned to not do it. We tried to make sure our son and that underbred filth kept their opinions to themselves, but Johnny was the only one that listened!”
“Cut the shit, Leo!” shot back Mr. Hale, “Things aren’t like when we were kids! It’s stupid to expect our own children to not have their own opinions and want to express them! You are just too much of a coward and control freak to realize that! That’s why you are where you are today with Joey. If he didn’t want to put a rift between you and Johnny, you wouldn’t have any sons left!”
Mr. Calhoun’s face was bright red with anger. He couldn’t believe the insolence coming out of the other mans mouth. Children needed strict guidance and control in their lives. If they didn’t have that, or any kind of structure at all, they would wander aimlessly without a goal. Neither he nor Margaret wanted that for their kids, yet Joey never once stopped to consider that and just kept pushing. If Joey wanted to be free from them so bad, who were he and Mrs. Calhoun to not help make sure that was done in a way that all but guaranteed it for life.
Finally, through a tight jaw and gritted teeth, Mr. Calhoun managed to speak through his repressed fury. “Just…tell us both why you came here today, Jeff.”
“Fine, I’ll cut right to the fucking chase, Leo….”, spat Mr. Hale, letting some of his repressed anger seep out. “Roni’s a smart kid…resourceful too…not too dissimilar from another 17 year old that’s why I’m going to give you and Marge this chance….” Mr. Hale said as he huffed his cigar. “You’re going to let me adopt the boy as my own…He’ll become Roni’s when he shrinks…and you won’t say a god damn word against it…”
Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun’s eyes both widened in shock, neither used to such direct bluntness. Mr. Hale was clearly upset about something but neither were entirely certain about what. Both turned and tilted their head slightly as they exchanged glances. Could it be about the underbred? Did this man care for someone that is not his own flesh and blood?
“Jeff…” started Mr. Calhoun, “I..don’t think I follow…you want to…adopt..”
“Adopt Joey yes….that’s what I and Kat want…” shot back Mr. Hale “and He’ll get a home…a family that cares about him…a guardian that loves him…all the things that he’s needed his entire life…” he said as he took a few quick breaths to calm down, and focus on the retort. Mr. Hale needed to let some steam off somehow, and this seemed to be the best way to do it. Seeing the Calhoun monarch and matriarch exchange confused and distressed looks didn’t only help disarm them. Mr. Hale wanted to keep them on their back foot as much as possible, a trick he picked up from his daughter.
After making a quick adjustment to his coat and seeing his wifes twitching eye, Mr. Calhoun decided to move on the offensive. “So…You came here for the boy? And you think you have some kind of…what? Sway? Influence? Over me!? Jeff, I think you need to remember just who it is you are speaking to! And just who all falls in line behind me! I can make your life hell, Jeff…I can ruin your family, I can ruin your kids future! You’re going to risk that for some god damn invalid?”
“First, you won’t talk about my family like that again” snapped Mr. Hale, eyeing the taller man, “second, you are going to agree to this…without any threat to me, my family, or Joey.”
Mr. Calhoun was taken aback slightly before a smug grin formed on his face “I think you are letting your emotions overtake your reasoning, Jeff … .you forget your place…your position in comparison to my own. I have senator’s and lawyers…public sway…you really think you can just make some grand proclamation and make me shiver in my boots? You are as naive as the boy..”
Mr. Hale never broke eye contact as he took a quick breath. “No, Leonard, I’m not. You see…Joey didn’t have me convinced…until I saw everything just now. You are a staunch defender of your name and reputation…in fact, I’d wager that it’s all you ever have cared about…so much so that should this go public in any way…you’d bring shame to everything your family name has created…and it would ruin you..”
Leonard’s eyebrows furrowed slightly before settling back in a relaxed and in control state of mind. “He’s got me dead to rights on that part” thought Mr. Calhoun, glancing at his wife who was watching with little concern. “However, I have the resources, I have the power. Jeff might talk a big game, but I can bring a real game if I need to. I need to make sure he knows that” he thought, amping himself up as if this was another contract bid against a weaker shipping company.
Taking another puff from his cigar and a small grin forming on his face, Mr. Calhoun starts the game again. “Jeff…I think you underestimate mine and Margertes ability to bury a story…even if you outed Joey as an underbred, so what? I have plenty of contacts that can make this a tabloid post at best! Now…I suggest, for your sake, you drop this and just take Veronica and go…and let me and Margaret deal with that beast”
Mr. Hale didn’t falter, never breaking eye contact. He was much more aware of his options than either of Joey’s parents were, and this only served to empower him. “Lenoard, I don’t think you really grasp how much of this has backfired for you….”
“Excuse me? Backfired?” said Mr. Calhoun with a confused and quizzical look on his face.
Mrs. Calhoun looked just as confused. She had expected Mr. Hale to be shaking in fear once her husband threatened his family. After all, if there was one thing that Jeff Hale had made abundantly clear, it’s that his wife and kids come first in the world. Yet here he stands, not backing down from his beliefs and his request. Her eye twitched slightly and she leaned forward, elbow on the table and her chin in her palm as she looked for any crack in Mr. Hales expression, but she found him to be resolute.
“Yeah Leonard…backfired.” repeated Mr. Hale as he took another sip of whiskey. “You see…my daughter loves Joey a lot, so much so that she exhausted herself the other day looking at this from every angle. In doing this, she actually reached out to Generitech themselves…pretty resourceful if you ask me, guess that’s why she’s at the top of the class in school…anyway, in her digging around, it turns out that you’ve violated a pretty big law that Generitech’s lawyers would be interested in assisting with should I decide to press charges.”
“You’re full of shit, Jeff” spat Mr. Calhoun, glaring at him, “I’ve merely been disciplining my son, and he refuses to learn the way of things!”
“That is where you are wrong, Leonard. In California, the abuse of a wild underbred doesn’t just apply when they are reduced, it starts from the moment they get their diagnosis. It’s actually pretty well spelled out in a lot of detail in the Limbo Statue” Mr. Hale stated nonchalantly, despite having only found out about it last night. “The point is, Generitech and the state want to make sure that all citizens are treated correctly and appropriately, and based on the fact that Joey’s been kicked out of the house by you and Margaret as a minor, and it’s safe to assume that the hitting that I’ve seen isn’t a first time encounter..in fact, I’d wager a investigation and staff interview would corroborate that theory…”
Scoffing, Mr. Calhoun doesn’t look phased. “And? So what? You gonna ask them, Jeff? They’re well paid…don’t bite the hand that feeds and all that…besides, you know that I have friends in high places that won’t let any kind of formal happen or even go public”
“Well, Leonard, that may be true…but you forget that my company has their own friends…generitech friends to be precise, them being the parent company to Condence and all that and offering legal retainer as benefits…and on top of that, as it turns out, Generitech offers it’s own legal protection for underbreds in California. So in reality it wouldn’t be me picking a fight, it’d be Generitech protecting it’s investments….which I believe would be a pretty public matter for you”
Mr. Calhoun, and to a slightly lesser extent Mrs. Calhoun, were seething at this, their own ignorance to all things Smallara and Underbred having put them in a position of weakness to which they weren’t accustomed.
“So…what? You’re going to extort us for an animal? An animal I might add you won’t even be able to afford!” spat Mr. Calhoun
“He’s right, Jeff! Think of the financial burden you’d be taking on, the weight of that resting on your own families shoulders” added Mrs. Calhoun, her honeyed voice full of mock sympathy
“Actually, Joey offered to cover it” flatly responded Mr. Hale
“Like hell he is!” shouted both Calhouns this time in a fit of rage, “We cut that little shit off. He only has that stupid pickup truck to his name and whatever he can manage to get out of his room!” continued Mr. Calhoun
Without ever breaking eye contact, Mr. Hale calmly explained to the two “Well…from what it sounds like, Joey got a sizable inheritance from your father” Mr. and Mrs. Calhouns eye’s widen in both shock and remembrance. “Joey was pretty smart with it too…made sure to keep it separate from all of your banks so it stays solely in his name and he has access to all $300,000. From my understanding, that should pretty much cover it and leave some for Roni”
Neither Calhoun could speak at this point. The gravity of the situation was really setting in and they didn’t have any idea on how to get out of it unscathed. Both looked at eachother as if trying to speak telepathically.
Mr. Hale saw this and let out a long sigh, “Look….I’m not going to pretend to understand this family dynamic but…whether or not you like it, Joey’s still your son. You might find the idea of underbreds even existing being repulsive but, it’s the truth, and nothing about him has changed. I’m not looking to extort you two or anything like that. Just….let me and Kat adopt him…please…let the boy have some time with people that love him as if he was their own. You three may have a strained relationship beyond repair, but…well…you still have a chance to do ONE thing for his benefit…and I’m offering to let you take that chance without any legal battle and keeping it under the rug. Please don’t force me to press charges…just…let him go to a home where he’s guaranteed to be loved as both a person and a little.”
Both Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun listened to this plea and, for the first time in a very long time, thought about their son, and not just a underbred.
1) I love how Leonard is trying to show off with the expensive alcohol and cigars and Jeff is just not impressed by any of it, and immediately rips into him the first chance he gets.
2)“this smallara thing started and these creatures cropped up all over the place.” technically the creatures were always there, the smallara virus only started mutating their one specific gene, a gene which clearly runs in the Calhouns.
3) “Underbred or not, he’s your son! You are both meant to protect and love him” fucken’ tell ’em Jeff.
4) “We tried to make sure our son and that underbred filth kept their opinions to themselves” not even referring to Joey as their kid is sickening.
5) “. If he didn’t want to put a rift between you and Johnny, you wouldn’t have any sons left!” I love a well made threat. (also I think it’s meant to be “did” not “didn’t”)
6) “Did this man care for someone that is not his own flesh and blood?” yeah he does, that’s actually an option nowadays (Technically been one the whole time but it’s a lot more socially accepted now)
7) “Calhoun monarch and matriarch exchange confused and distressed looks didn’t only help disarm them” love that he’s got them flailing.
8) Jeff not flinching at Leonard’s threats is awesome to read.
9) Threatening his reputation is good, now threaten him physically.
10) “He was much more aware of his options than either of Joey’s parents were, and this only served to empower him” Fucking Go Jeff you good thing!
11) “if there was one thing that Jeff Hale had made abundantly clear, it’s that his wife and kids come first in the world.” well that hasn’t actually changed now, has it?
12) “the abuse of a wild underbred doesn’t just apply when they are reduced, it starts from the moment they get their diagnosis. It’s actually pretty well spelt out in a lot of detail in the Limbo Statue” Someone’s done his research (more than just what Roni told him)
13) Genritech backing sounds good for them.
14) “it’d be Generitech protecting it’s investments” Technically he’s not a Genritech investment, it sounds like Preema tech may be looming around waiting for Joey.
15) Revealing Joey’s money may prove to be a mistake.
16) a legal battle and court hearing would also definitely be noticed by Johnny.
17.1) “for the first time in a very long time, thought about their son, and not just an underbred.” well I wasn’t expecting that.
17.2) “Very long time,” Didn’t they find this out Monday? this sounds even more like they’ve known longer than Joey.
1) good sign of curtual differences. Even though Leonard had to do basically everything his company’s employees do just better understand things, he was still born wealthy and only had to work to maintain it. Jeff was always middle class and busted his ass to get more in life, especially for his family
2)they will never acknowledge that lmao
3) dudes ready for a fight
4) I liken it to how madisons looking at her parents right now, albeit way, way more extreme and filled with disdain. They just have been refusing the reality that Joey was ever their child because of the diagnosis
5)i think you’re right. I do like half the dialog out loud to hear how it sounds and it just felt like it was correct lol
6) just hard for people to realize you can care for someone that much even though you aren’t related
7) it’s their own fault. They didn’t think anyone would push back like this and didn’t do enough research on the matter, thinking they were safe behind their influence. Had they done so, this would be a lot different
8) he’s armed with knowledge lol plus he knows he’s got them more off balance than they think they are showomg
9) lol that’d backfire. You can be charged with a crime if they did so, and the Calhoun would be able to get that expedited. Plus security would be in their if the Calhouns needed it
12) absolutely he has. Roni may have opened the door, but having first hand information makes it a lot easier of a sell
14) I think in instances of law violations like this, generitech would have all the authority. If it was just a pre-registerstion dispute, I could see it going up in the air.
15) potentially. Leonards probably pissed that he forgot his dad left Joey and Johnny an inheritance
16) yup, and it’s be high profile and get media outlets involved.
17) they were his parents. And they did genuinely love him and care for him. It’s just they hate his outspokenness and handled it very poorly. Id say as soon as Joey learned about Littles is when things went off the deep end as he would have wanted to use the company to help generitech and Littles, and he and his dad would never have agreed on that.
As for knowing ahead of Joey, I think it could be plausible. I’m unsure what’s needed for the testing, but it would be wild for them to have tested him without him knowing. But for the most part, id call it a moments of clarity for them. Like they’re remembering that after all of the shouting and yelling and arguing and threats of military and boarding school, at the end of the day Jeff’s right and he is their son.
Mr. Hale’s quick change of heart about little ones changed very quickly, is $300,000 the reason or did he really sympathize with Joey?
It’s real sympathy and empathy, the money just helped push him over the final hurdle as all of the registration fees and training can be like about 65,000 at least from how I understand it, on top of the stuff he’d need for just day to day living. That being said, Roni really hit her dad hard bringing up his sister. It would have been a lot more difficult if she and Joey hadn’t explained that his youngest sister who is her guardian lied about Littles and that his sister had a chip that repressed memories. That really through him for a loop. Did it completely change his view on Littles as far as purpose and what not? Not entirely. But it did make him way more receptive to what roni wanted to say. And once that was broken down, he really does want Joey’s life to be better, just still has a lot of main stream media beliefs instilled in him. Those may or may not change depending how often he is with Joey once he becomes his little form. From a writing pov, I’m unsure how frequently they’ll really interact with each other since roni will be the one taking care of him.
. I know some people have been curious about Jeff and his sister so I’ll do a chapter or 2 on that at some point