Protector's Bond (Two-Shot)

Chapter 36: Coming Home (Will Shane)

iriz_Kimmy asked me to bring Will Shane back, so here you go.

Finally, I escaped the Deep Caverns! Now I can get home to my loving son! I sure do hope he's doing okay. Well, he'd better be ready for my surprise for him! I'm almost home, son! I'm almost home.

But in my excitement I so happened to trip over a slug. Oops. I quickly checked myself and the slug for potential injuries. "Are you alright, little- Burpy?" I was so shocked. Burpy, out in the wild? Why? Eli lets him go out like that? I'd better give him a gentle father-son talk about this. Who knows what might happen to him out here. So I had a happy reunion with him. We were never happier. But his happy face quickly changed into worry. "What happened?" He hopped off my hand, then stopped and hugged my feet. Then he cried. Was it because he missed me? Maybe not, because he hopped away. He showed me a grave. I felt bad for the slinger who died, and for the slugs who miss him so badly. Then I happened to run into Red Hook. The old mechanic welcomed me into his home and helped me get myself cleaned up. Then it was time for lunch. We talked about our stories, like always.

But my world shattered when I mentioned the grave back in Wild Spores Cavern.

"Oh, you saw that grave back there?" He asked. When I said yes, he asked, "Did it ever cross your mind who could that be?" My mind went blank. I had no idea who could be buried in there. One of my closest friends? I honestly didn't know. Then I saw a red mark on his hand. So, being curious, I asked how did he get it. "Oh, man I haven't washed this off yet. It's from an even your son hosted here in the 99 Caverns for his friend who was leaving for the East." My son hosted an event?! I asked what happened. He gave me complete details of the event, ending with "And his friend Junjie won." I remembered him. He was with my son while he was looking for the Elementals.

Then I mentioned the grave again. He had a sad look in his face as he said how the slinger who was laid to rest there died of a sickness. He detailed it, like how he detailed the event my son hosted. "He sacrificed himself for us." He said. Who was the slinger who gave himself up for SlugTerra? Tom Por? Maybe not.

Then he said, "I hate to break it to you, Will, but...the guy who died of sickness and was laid to rest there...is your own son."

My own son?

But how? Why? He has to be lying! He wasn't. My son, the only child I have, is dead. I went out, back to his grave, and wept for him. I was at a loss for words. I had no idea what happened to him but I think Red Hook's details are exactly what happened to him. I think at around this time he should be 18 and looking for his soulmate, the one who will give him a partner and a family. But he died childless (and single, too).

"I'm afraid you're wrong there, Will Shane!"

Who said that? Who is that? Sounds like a girl. Does Eli know her?

A girl with beautiful black hair and piercing hazel eyes (me) emerged from the bushes. "Don't worry, Will Shane," she told me with that gentle, azure voice. "Your son didn't die childless." "How in the world do you know my name and the fact that Eli Shane is my son?" I demanded the truth. "Your son and I fell in love. The Shane Gang may not know it, but I'm his secret girlfriend." The what?! How did my son get other slingers to help him protect the Caverns? "On his first day down here, I met him. We fell in love. I became his girlfriend. Then, one day, in the year after Blakk was defeated by him and his Shane Gang, he wanted more. So I gave him what he wanted without knowing the consequences. I ended up pregnant and wanted to abort, but I didn't want to because this was the child of a Shane. I didn't know my decision would preserve an heir to his throne."

I was in shock. I should be mad because my own son got a girl pregnant out of wedlock but glad because he had a son (or a daughter?) and just in the nick of time. I can't wait to se him/her. Before she left, I asked her name. "Athena. Athena Mitchell." (OC's official name and she's the only one I have and plan to have for now) She led me back to her house and showed me the girl she and Eli had before Eli died. "She's the future Shane of SlugTerra. If you want to, maybe you can help the Shane Gang and wait until she's 15 for her to protect the Caverns." I did want that. She showed me an adorable picture of her. Oh, the beautiful cerulean eyes of my son! She has his eyes! Now I wish he was standing beside me.

Was he?

Oh, maybe I was just dreaming.

He wasn't there.

I don't expect him to be.

He's dead.

My one and only son is dead.