Thatcher's Son Reader X Ela

Thatching the Thatchers part 2.

AN: That's right y'all. I've been able to write this story again ever since I got back into Ghost Recon Wildlands...With the announcement of Breakpoint its given me several ideas for a huge plot point.

Had some trouble with this chappie till a good old commentor FrankieMartin9 came along and helped me out so this chapter is technically his idea. Kudos to him!

In any case, let's get into this lovelies, if you couldn't tell, some parts of this AN are indeed, old.

Your PoV:

Mike wasn't an easy person to find. Granted he was part of the S.A.S, and ran and hid from mom and I for about 30 years. Never mind that. Need to focus on the task at hand...Beginning to patch things up with Mike. Grimacing I made my way to the commissary, preparing for the inevitable rekindling with Mike.

Truthfully? I didn't know what to expect, or how to act regarding Mike and I's...Fractured relationship, for lack of better wording.

I had always wondered why Mike never returned home, and why he never bothered to even check in on us. Always wondered what kept the old man from returning. Danger? Possibly. He had a lot of enemies inside the world who'd do anything to get their hands on him and his knowledge. That much I could understand.

But even this long without a word? It...May have been petty or childish truth be told, but I never understood. In either case, taking a breath, I walked into the trial runs on Hereford, which Mike was overseeing being the oldest Operator in Rainbow.

"Thatcher." I called into the room, causing him to subtly stiffen, something most wouldn't notice unless you worked with the best of the best of the best. Which meant everyone but the Recruits in Rainbow. Turning around to look at me through the lifeless lenses of his gas mask I stared back, nearly the same height as the man who was my father. Coughing awkwardly to break the tension between us, even if it didn't work, I gestured out with one of my hands. "Can we have a chat?"

I asked lowly. Not letting the nervousness seep into my voice. I'm surprised to be truthful, at how calm I appeared on the outside. Standing still and almost at attention as if this was just me talking to Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell or anyone in the Pentagon.

"Course we can, Checkmate." He said, just as tense as I likely was. We walked through Hereford's small hallways, nodding in respect to the other recruits in the halls, we moved silently to his quarters. Faintly I could hear the intercom and Six calling Ela, Thermite, Ash, Montagne, Tachanka, and a few others to the hangar. Mission deployment then, my mind supplied while we entered his quarters.

"I'm...Going to be blunt, Mike. You and I don't have a good basis to talk on. But..I just...I-" Pausing I took a deep breath, calming down. "Why did you never come back? For her or for me? As a kid she always told me stories about you. You were a god damned hero then...But you never even existed to me, so tell me why the hell did you never return?"

And thus...Began the first long talk between my father and I...He began explaining his reasons. Why he never came back...Was fear, ironically enough. I understood it to a degree. And after all was said and explained there was...Silence. A deafening silence. In the room and seemingly in Hereford Base in general. I stared at the man who was my father...A man afraid of being one, who left because not only was he afraid of being my father at that age,but afraid he'd screw it all up with us. Sighing quietly to myself, I knew I needed to say something...Anything to get rid of the deafening silence. So I spoke.

"I don't know if I can forgive you to be completely honest...I don't know if it'll be easy or hard if I ever can. But...This?" I spoke gesturing to us, and the room we were in. Before turning my attention back to him "this is a good first step to patching things up."