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"Bovine Parents"

CHAPTER 28

Tommy's fourth month home began with little fanfare. His parents invited him over for a family meal. A chance to catch up on all matters Reimond. These past few weeks he and his mate Jen had toiled alone, their blossoming relationship strengthened by the farm work shared between just the two of them.

The atmosphere that evening was positive, and he enjoyed himself. His parent's event was missing two: Lacey, presumably working late, and Jen -- who was recovering in bed from a bad cold she caught, and preferred to sleep it off. His mother's cooking was always a welcome treat whenever he found the time to visit his dad's herd.

Afterwards his father brought him for a walk, his mother and sisters still eating. They moved away from the noise to find a more peaceful site. Eric seized the opportunity for an intimate conversation.

"This is the first time in a while we've had a talk like this."

"Guess so."

Eric sighed. "Just when things were improvin' between us you go and throw a spanner in the works," he grumbled, his anger levels rising.

"What...what are you talking about dad?"

From where they sat they could see the assorted outdoor furniture currently being used by the rest of the Reimond family. Sandra sat at the head of the table, trying her best to control the twins -- who were using the remnants of their meal as ammunition in a fierce artillery duel across the table. Daisy's pet rock had its own spot, placed carefully on the ground by the excitable calf, a untouched saucer of water beside her mineral minion.

Seeing all this from afar brought a smile to Eric, but pained him also. He grabbed his son's muzzle and pointed out one person in particular. One whom Tommy had not seen nor spoken to in some time.

"See your handiwork yet?"

Lacey had just entered the scene, likely having finished her work for the day. She too had a seat prepared for her. Eric watched his mates greet each other with a loving hug. Lacey no doubt excusing her late arrival. The twins ignored them, content to fling their food in battle against their rambunctious counterpart.

Ms. Cain.

They hadn't worked together in over a month, Tommy was preoccupied with running his own farm; he'd found his time with Bovinex limited since he mated with Jen. He was confused. There was little context to what his father was pointing out.

Until...he saw it...

Her belly.

The soft bulge visible beneath her fur could only mean one thing...

She was pregnant.

Tommy was gobsmacked. He'd almost forgotten what had transpired between them, did this mean...? Eric spied the change in his son's expression, watching the truth dawn on him.

"Right about now you've realised she's carryin' your calf, huh?"

"I--"

"Thought I was mistaken, but when she started to show...when she started to show...the dates we fucked didn't quite add up."

"This isn't happening," Tommy cried.

"I didn't realise it for a while, see, but then I remembered that day I ran into you in the woods. After I spoke to Lacey."

"Please tell me this is some kinda joke." Tommy was panicking as his father laid bare his transgression.

"I remembered you lookin' so...surprised, so terrified to see me. I was so confused by it...then it clicked. You were dripping with her scent. And she had yours all over."

"No, nonono..."

"I was an idiot not to see it sooner," he chuckled darkly, "I mean, was I blind!?"

Tommy buried his head between his arms, covering his conscience-stricken face entirely. His hands gripped tufts of fur atop his head, pulling the hairs 'till they were almost ripped from his skull.Please,_he pleaded to no-one in particular, _please don't do this to me now! Things were going well. I was happy!

I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...

Why can't I say anything!? Why can't I speak!?

Looking down at his cowering son, Eric raised his voice: "you've no idea how much I want to BEAT the living SHIT out of you right now!"

"Dad...dad, It was a mistake--"

"No wait. You do. You know_exactly_ what you deserve!"

He growled. Deep, barbarous tones. The sound of an enraged beast fighting to hold back his savage retribution. Tommy sat there, in shock, struggling to think of what to say. Something, anything to explain himself. Anything to apologise.

The older bull considered rising up and visiting his stated punishment upon the young miscreant. But he did not. He sat alongside his guilty progeny, composing himself.

"Been fightin' these animal instincts for years, all these raw emotions. Sandra...Lacey...them too. The twins...heh, they've been born into it. We've had to fight every day to stay civilised. To stay_human,_" he laughed at that remark, "can you believe it? Five years, is that how long it's been? Five years clinging on to a shred of 'normal'."

Tommy stayed silent.

"I'm mad as hell," he grumbled, "mad as all fuckin' hell. Knew you'd shit bricks the moment I told ya. Better the two of us hashing it out alone than causin' a scene for anyone else. No-one else knows. Lacey probably suspects, but I reckon she's too busy these days to piece it together."

Eric flexed his fingers. "Will Daisy and Clara cope better? I wonder. This anger. This animal_rage._ To let it take over is amazing, like being drunk or high or on hard drugs. I felt it before, y'know, that day I hit you."

Tommy dared not move a muscle. His vision obscured as he listened to his father's erratic monologue; unable to see his face, to gauge the severity of his anger...

"Right now it's that feelin' times a hundred!"

"Tommy...you there?" He poked and groped at his son's guarded form, still hiding his head in his arms. "Scared shitless huh? You better be."

"I asked for you to forgive me, way back when. That's all. I never thought you'd decide to come home as a hybrid your god-damned self, and FUCK WITH MY HERD!"

Eric rubbed his forehead, he was glad they were far enough away from the others to not be noticed.

"Dumb kid," he snorted.

Shutting his eyes, he tried to concentrate.C'mon Eric, keep your cool. You have him scared. Fuckin' terrified by the looks of it.

Good.

Knew he was a little shit all along. He was bad news for the herd. I knew it...

...

NO!

Stop! No more! I'm not gonna fall down that hole again.

Breathe. Breathe god-dammit!

Okay, okay...how's he doing?

He opened an eye. Nothing had changed.

Silent. Okay. Ashamed. Okay. I can work with this.

He clearly regrets it. I don't think he deliberately...

"Aagh!" Eric hollered as he shook violent thoughts from his mind.

"Listen..." He nudged Tommy again, this time with greater care. "Listen here...son..."

The young bull emerged slowly from his defensive posture. Dropping his arms to his sides, he looked to his father. Eric saw those remorseful eyes and stared back with his own softening gaze.

"Dad...I fucked up."

"That you did," he replied half-jokingly. "That you did. Musta been somethin' eh? Deep into her heat. Years of avoiding pregnancy just adding to her desire..."

Tommy tried to hide from his father's scrutiny, to no avail. "Moo. Couldn't have picked a better first time. I can understand the temptation. I wouldn't have turned it down either."

"Please don't say anymore--"

"Why not? Why should I shut up? Hmm? You can't 'say sorry' to this. You made a mockery of my herd. You slept with one of MY mates," he emphasised the possessive as he railed against his wayward son.

"You got her pregnant! You think sleepin' around like that is gonna impress anyone?"

"That's rich coming from you." Tommy finally mustered the courage to respond. His retort was faint, stammering, but defiant.

"Excuse me!?" Eric glared at his son. His hand balled into a fist. Tommy adopted his own impromptu fighting stance, anticipating an altercation.

Both quickly rose to their feet. A standoff ensued.

"Sleeping around is the reason you're so pissed in the first place," Tommy said, "none of this is a problem until you decided to take another wife...mate...whatever-the-fuck!"

"Tommy, you know full well this is how we do things."

"Doesn't mean it's not fuckin' ridiculous!"

They stomped right up to each other's faces. Eric was taller than his son, but not by much. Tommy's broader musculature tensed as he snorted. The two bulls sized each other up. One wrong word and things would get nasty.

Neither spoke. Words were no longer necessary. A million arguments were written on their muzzles. Deep snarls and livid glares communicating every relevant detail of their thoughts.

They circled each other, two bulls competing for dominance.

Tommy's primal side taunted him. Why should he bow to this older bull? Consciously he was aware Eric was his father, and cared for him, but his instincts screamed otherwise. Fight! Defeat! Dominate! Why should he take shit from him for enjoying life? A bull fucks his cows. A bull breeds his cows. That's what nature demanded of them. If a bull can't keep control of his herd then what good was he?

I've seen you in action old man, the voice in his head barked, I'm stronger in every way. I take what I want, when I want. If that means I'm fucking members of your precious herd then so be it.

Try and stop me!

Eric's own instincts psyched him up for a fight. Who was this young upstart? His own son trying to muscle in on his territory!? How_dare_ he.

You wanna start somethin' here kid then go right ahead.

This here...is my land. I built this place from the ground up. I made sacrifices you could only dream of to support this family! You may be full of piss and vinegar, ridin' the high of rebellious youth, but I've built an empire with these hands.

You wanna take me on, son? I'd knock your ass flat on the ground in under a minute. You think your recently-transformed body of a few measly months could match up to five, I say five, straight years of hard manual labour? Five years of perfecting this temple!

The hybrids stamped their hooves impatiently as they moved, measuring themselves up. Eric brandished his mighty form like one giant weapon. Every fibre of his being itching for action. Ready to lock horns and do battle with his junior challenger.

Tommy growled as he slammed a hoof down, stopping Eric in his tracks. The line in the sand had just been drawn. The two bulls preparing, their minds racing with all manner of concern.

Tommy's father drew in a long breath, wary of any moves his son had the potential to pull. His horns would be bloodied, his inner bull saw the red mist descend -- languidly filling his field of view.

Eric grew worried for a second. His younger rival was well-built, sure, but was he stronger? Eric may have been eleven feet tall and bulging with bovine muscle, but compared to his son standing in front of him -- he began to doubt himself. Could he lose this? Unthinkable! Tommy was inexperienced in using his strength, but...if it came to blows his son might overpower him.

Tommy watched his father for any tell that might divulge his intentions. Could he do this? What were they even thinking? His father had the height advantage, was that enough to shift the balance in his favour?

Eric paced opposite his son as he wondered the same. Teetering on the precipice of madness.

Fuck, this could end badly, the pair concluded.

Eric had to say something. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't sit back and let his emotions get the better of him again! He'd be handing victory over to his feral side, the same brutal impulses that nearly cost him his son. Dear God, even thinking about it appalled him! He didn't want to tear apart his family again. He wanted - nay, he needed - to control his anger. He would get over what happened between his son and Ms. Cain. He would, time can mend that offence. He'd never forgive himself for resorting to violence.

Tommy had to say something. He couldn't let this happen. He couldn't attack his father. He'd seen what the transformation had done to his dad, how it twisted his mental state. Enslaved to primal emotion. The same fate he'd consigned himself to. He knew they both could rise above their heightened animal proclivities. Their raw drive surging like a tempestuous ocean, its immense waves crashing onto the shore, destroying all in its path. He didn't want to ruin his family, the one thing in the world he could be proud to say he belonged to.

The moment of decision was fast approaching. A runaway freight train of anger, shame, pride, rage and all the ambivalence in the world; barrelling down the tracks towards them.

Savagery or sanity. It was theirs to decide.

"ENOUGH!" they both shouted, catching the other by surprise.

Eric spun around, turning away from his son, breaking off the confrontation. "I'm not gonna do it. I'm better than this."

"We both are."

"Shit!" Eric swore, "take a breath. Inhale, exhale, inhale--"

"Gotcha, breathe," Tommy affirmed, taking a moment to calm down.

The pair managed to de-escalate their dispute through controlled breathing. The longer they stood there the more they understood the futility of violence between them.

"Things nearly got out of hand there," Tommy said, "you're right about the instinct stuff, dad. It is intoxicating."

Eric laughed nervously. "Must say, it's good that we've split the land; two herds instead of one. A pair of hot-blooded males vying for control of a single herd would have us both turn into beasts. I ain't keen on seein' me and you come to blows -- as hard as what you've done has pissed me the fuck off. Big time."

"I know. Dad, I'm--"

"Mooh," Eric raised his hand to cut Tommy off, "what's done is done. You know what this means right?"

"What?"

Eric grinned, a sinister look about him. "When are you bringing sweet little Jen round to my place for a pounding?"

Tommy's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He hadn't thought of that. But his dad wasn't serious...was he?

Oh no, nonononono...he actually means it!?

He had sinned against his father's herd. An eye-for-an-eye would be just. He couldn't believe his ears but at the same time, he had no choice but to acquiesce. He couldn't argue...not after what he did...the herd was sacrosanct...

Tommy's fretting fit was broken by his father grappling with his shoulders. Eric shook him.

"Hey! HEY! Snap out of it.I was kidding."

"You mean--"

"That moment of fear. That gut-wrenching panic right...right there, that's enough for me."

He looked his son dead in the eyes. "That's punishment enough for me. I won't let myself become a monster."

He collapsed to his knees, dejected. Suppressing his remaining anger as best he could, Eric bellowed as he beat his fists against the soil, throwing up clumps of dirt around him.

Calming down, he remarked to his son: "I hope no-one heard that!"

Tommy sat down beside him. "Can you believe we almost--?"

"I can, son. I can. Mooh. I've been through this whole shitty charade before. Giving in fixes nothing."

"We have to think of some way of avoiding this type of conflict. If we ever expand the herds...if there's ever more males..."

"Tommy -- son -- now is not the time to worry 'bout that shit. That's a problem for another day. But I can tell why you're asking."

"I know," he answered.

"If it's a boy, do you want to suggest a name?"

"Whuh? You've gotta be kiddin' me!?"

"Geez, it's a joke." Eric surveyed the countryside. His small corner of the Earth. His demesne. "You made a huge mistake. Better you made it sooner rather than later."

"It was once, dad. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Yeah yeah. I gotcha. We can move past this, there's worse shit in the world to deal with. As far as the rest are concerned, the calf's mine. Let's make things right again son. Clean slate. On one condition..."

"Which is?"

"You promised to provide a better life for us. That's what you said when you came home, remember? You work your ass off to get us there, fulfil your promise, we're square. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Truce?"

"Truce."

"We'll all pitch somethin' in, so don't think you're alone. Though I'm sceptical you'll get much further than your current role as Ms. Cain's deputy."

"Is that a challenge?"

Eric smiled. "Might just be. You reckon the folks at Bovinex will let you climb that ladder?"

"I hope so. I'm taking 'em on either way."

"So what's the next career move?"

Tommy sat for a minute thinking. His father patiently awaited an answer, proud that his son had set himself such a goal.

"Dr. Trimble and Mr. Redweather. They both have high-level security clearances. A position that grants me the same privileges is the next step. Then from there...I don't know yet...try and enter management? That'll be a challenge," he sniggered, "after the ruckus Ms. Cain apparently caused when she showed up all Amazon cowgirl they won't have the highest opinion of us hybrids!"

"And who's minding the farm while your away? Not leavin' Jen alone all day are you?"

"No. No, I'll still tend to it as well."

"Don't stretch yourself thin. You'll burn out fast."

"Moo. Thanks for the advice, dad."

"Hey," he slapped his son on the back, "speakin' from experience here. Don't end up a fuck-up like me eh?"

"You're not."

"Oh, I am son. I've messed up a lot in life. The upside is, you can stop being a fuck-up. Just takes effort."

"Then let's be fuck-ups together dad."

"Attaboy."