Author's Note: So, I was stuck in Journalism when I wrote this. I had all of my stories done and I had nothing to do for a 50 minute period. I already had this idea in my head thanks to Jules (Julialein) so I started to write this. This takes place when Riley is 12 and Natalie is 11. Isabella and Kayley are out of the house. This scene may seem familiar at the beginning but it is like an alternate universe of the scene from the show. The scene from the show is where I got my inspiration from. If you know what scene and what episode it is, tell me. Read and review. Enjoy!
"I cannot believe you did that. Riley Damien Shephard, why would you do that?" Kate rambled, dragging her only son into the house. She shut the door behind her and then pushed him into the living room. She was pissed that he had gotten involved; Riley was never a violent person and Mrs. Shephard did not know what had inhibited him to get involved in the fight.
"I told you, Mom. He was beating up Nate. I couldn't just stand there and let it happen. There weren't any teachers around so the fight would've gone of for a long time if I didn't try to stand up for Nate and try to stop it. I thought I could take him on; I thought I was strong enough. But I wasn't strong enough; I failed, Mom. I failed," Riley said, sitting on the couch and looking up at his mother with a frown. His left eye was black and there were a few bruises on his arms.
"Like father, like son," Kate murmured, frowning also. She sat next to her son on the couch and then added, "Riley, you are exactly like your father. He needs to protect everybody all the time. He feels like he needs to stand up for the people that he cares about, no matter what it will cost him. Now, go upstairs and do your homework. I'm sure that your father will want to talk with you when he gets home after dinner."
Riley listened to every word his mother said, and then when she was finished speaking he stood up and headed up the stairs to his room. He sat upstairs at his desk in his room and did his homework obediently.
As Riley was eating dinner with his parents and his younger sister Natalie, he noticed that his father did not talk to him at all. Riley figured that his father would cause a scene and yell at him right at the table. But to Riley's surprise, he didn't.
Natalie chatted happily about her day in sixth grade and Mrs. Shephard nodded and said things at all the right moments.
After eating dinner, Riley was sitting on the couch watching television. He had finished all of his homework and he was just planning on relaxing the whole night. Halfway through the show that he was watching though, his mother came up behind Riley and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Ri, your father wants to talk to you," Kate Shephard said, frowning. "And he said he wants to talk to you now. No excuses," she added.
Riley looked up at his mother with a worried and scared look on his face. "Is it about the fight?" he asked, standing up. He was the same height as his mother and he could look her straight in the eye.
Kate shrugged. "I dunno, sweetheart. I think so, but I'm not positive. Juts go in there and do not get a temper. Okay?" she begged.
Riley nodded and said, "Fine," before turning on his heel and walking down the hall to his father's study. Once he was outside of the room, Riley knocked on the closed door and heard his father's voice telling him to come in. Riley cautiously opened the door and stepped inside, knowing that he had to shut the door behind him. Then Riley walked up to his father's desk and just stood there, waiting.
"Mom told me you got into a fight today," Jack said, eyeing his son's black eye. "What does the other guy look like? Did you win?"
Riley looked into his father's eyes and frowned. "No, Dad. I failed. I wasn't able to stop the other guy from beating up Nate and I wasn't strong enough to take the other guy down. I wasn't strong enough," Riley said, pausing. After a moment, tears began to cloud his vision and Riley added, "I failed, Dad."
Jack saw the tears in his son's eyes and he frowned. "You're like me, Ri. You know that?" he started slowly.
The tears escaped Riley's eyes and the twelve-year-old nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know. That's what Mom said earlier," he sobbed.
"You did fail, Riley. You failed in saving Nate. You let Nate down. There's nothing you can do to restart this day and make different choices so that you would be able to win the fight. You have to deal with and accept the fact that you failed. And that fact is going to hurt you so much. You will feel like the world is ending when you fail. Trust me, I know the feeling. But you know what? You will be able to deal with the fact that you failed. You have what it takes to get over that fact and you will learn from your failure and become a great person," Jack said, placing his hands on his desk and looking up at his only son. He looked into Riley's eyes, which were identical to his.
"How do you know that I will be a great person, Dad? I mean, I failed this time; what if I fail the next time? Then what will happen?" Riley said. He had listened intently to every word his dad told him, but he was still confused. How could he fail just once and then be able to become a great person? Didn't people have to fail multiple times?
"You might fail again, Ri. But you will continue to learn from all the mistakes that you made and become a better person. I know you will be able to. You are like me in many ways, Riley. But you have what it takes. When I was your age I didn't have what it took. I know you will be able to deal with the hurt that is in store for you. I have faith in you, Riley," Jack said, getting out of his chair and walking over to Riley.
Riley looked up at his father and said, "You have faith in me, Dad? No matter what I do you will always believe in me? Really? You really think that I will be a great person and everything?"
"Yes, Riley. I will believe in you forever and always. I always have believed in you, buddy. I know you can do it," Jack whispered, pulling his only son into a tight hug,
Riley hugged his dad back and murmured, "Thank you, Dad. Thanks for not being mad at me and believing in me."
"Anytime, Riley. I love you. I love you so much," Jack whispered, kissing the top of his son's head.
"I love you too, Dad," Riley said, pulling away slightly and looking up at his father with a grin on his face. Deep down Riley knew that he wasn't a failure. It took a lot of persuasion from his father, but Riley knew that he was going to be able to achieve everything he would try and do. And deep down Riley knew that his father learned from all the mistakes that he had made and he knew that his father was a great man.