Fracking Apocalypse - a ZNation 10K/Tommy Fanfiction

S8E01: Part 2

"Maybe when you're older TJ." Tommy finally replied. Not only would he feel better if TJ was ten or eleven when he'd take him out with the convoy but it would also give Tommy a few years to warm up to the idea.

"But Pa," TJ began as he stood up and turned to him, "I'd be careful. Really, really careful. And I could help you if there were zombies –"

"You know the rules TJ. When we take you and your sister out there you run from the Z's. You promised me and your mother. You promised you'd do what we told you to do and run and hide with Charlie." He said crouching down to be face to face with him.

"But I don't have to hide! I can fight them! Like with the cans I –"

"A moving target is different TJ. It's very different and you're not ready. You're still too young." He replied his voice getting sterner as TJ became more insistent.

Then he stomped his foot and threw down his sling shouting, "No!"

"TJ!" Tommy shouted after him as he ran off. He couldn't just run after him, so he grabbed the slingshot off the ground and hustled over to where Charlie was as she watched TJ go.

"Where's TJ going?" she asked having heard her brother shout.

"Clean up your chalk Peanut, we've got to go after him."

Charlie did what he asked and put her chalk away in the little plastic baggie and took the handles in one hand as she grabbed her father's hand with her other.

"Is TJ in trouble?" she asked as they walked in the direction he'd gone.

"No." Tommy replied, "Not yet."

«»

He hadn't been worried about where TJ had gone. He didn't check the playground or around their apartment. If TJ wanted to be alone Tommy knew the one place he'd be. It was in a quiet field that ran along the edge of Altura, there were a few small trees and even from far away Tommy could spot the figure sitting in the branches of one. When he'd been a kid he'd loved climbing trees and when he'd get bullied in school he'd go home and sit in one for hours until his mom called him in for dinner. TJ was so like him it hurt sometimes, right now especially. Because Tommy knew what was going through his head, he wanted to be useful, like when Tommy would ask his Pa if he could drive around with him in his ranger jeep. He wasn't allowed for a long time, mainly because a lot of his father's guns were locked in that vehicle. His mom hadn't wanted him around them until he was old enough to understand the responsibility that came with carrying one.

It made it harder that he knew what TJ was feeling but now he also knew what his parents had been feeling in moments like that. Moments where you felt like you had let your child down but in the end knew it was for their own good. It was what made parenting so hard. Tommy wanted to give his kids everything, he wanted them to be happy. But sometimes you had to be tough and even if they hated and resented you for it you had to do what you knew was right. Like a more extreme version of not letting them eat cookies and ice cream for dinner, you knew that's what would make them happy but you never let your kids do it. There was a reason children weren't allowed to make so many decisions for themselves, otherwise every meal would be some kind of sugary dessert.

As they got closer to the tree TJ was in Charlie stopped to pick some little purple flowers that were growing in the grass. It left Tommy to talk to TJ alone which he knew worked out better, he didn't want his son to think he was getting scolded in front of his sister, it would only embarrass him.

"TJ get down here." He called as he walked over but his son ignored him, "TJ get out of the tree. I mean it. . . . . . . Thomas!" he called and saw him flinch but he didn't move other than that. He sighed and took some deep breaths to calm down, yelling wouldn't get through to TJ, it would only make him shut down.