CHAPTER 21
Serious Talks

"Riley, I can't even express how disappointed I am in you right now."

Riley cringed quietly at Optimus's words, they stung through his heart like a knife had torn into it. Riley had done a lot of things so far, but disappointing the mech who'd taken him in had not been one of them. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Optimus questioned "I've called every one of your friends, and one of them claimed to be "wasted"?" He questioned.

"Dad, look, I'm sorry. The party got out of hand and-" He began.

"You should have turned around the second you realized you had forgotten your phone."

Optimus was staring down at Riley with a firm look. Without a doubt, he was disappointed, but he seemed to be trying to keep his calm. The mech was just trying to remind himself that what mattered was that Riley was okay. That was easier said than done when you were a parent, like it or not. "I know." Was all that Riley could manage to reply with.

Venting out some air, Optimus took a deep breath, calming himself down relatively quickly. Despite short spurts of anger, Optimus rarely found himself in a position where he became furious and now was no different. "Does this mean I have to go back?" Riley questioned, though he was convinced that he wouldn't likely take him back, it wouldn't be the first time "I mean, I know-" He began.

"Hardly." Optimus shook his head a bit "I've already calmed myself down." He explained "But you are forbidden from ever being with David again. I'd hope you'd have better judgement than to ever trust a drunk driver again." He crouched low, leaning in close "You could have been killed Riley, do you not understand that?" Riley nodded his head slowly "You're grounded, I hope you know that. Two weeks, no life outside of school and home." He noted.

"That's fair." Riley muttered.

Optimus nodded his head a bit, allowing himself to calm down a bit more. It was clear that he had without a doubt never expected this to happen, and the fact it had had, without a doubt, unnerved him. "I'm not trying to upset you. But Primus, Riley... If I had lost you due to a decision such as that..." He peered down at him "I would never have been able to live with myself following such a tragic event." He explained.

Riley let his eyes hit the floor quietly, guilt pouring over him in waves. He hadn't even thought about what it would do to Optimus if he had died in that car, but he should have known. He had someone who cared about and loved him now, and the last thing someone like that would want was to see him dead and he knew it. "I'm sorry Dad." He replied finally "I know it was stupid and crazy, I should have found someone with a phone." He shook his head "I was just afraid you'd be pissed I was at a party with booze." He explained.

"I wouldn't have minded that. You clearly weren't intoxicated." Optimus shook his head "Did you walk all the way here?"

Riley shook his head, though he looked uncertain as to whether he should tell him how he got home or not. "No... Uh. Breakdown, he found me standing on the side of the road and gave me a ride home." Optimus looked curiously at him "He didn't hurt me or anything, I swear. He's actually a pretty nice guy, he seemed friendly at least." He explained.

Giving the boy a once-over for any signs of a tracking device, Optimus was relieved to find none. It was odd, however, to think of a former enemy of his even considering to stop on the side of the road to give his son a ride. "Well then, I should give him my thanks next chance I get. It's dangerous to be alone out there. Especially for someone your age." He explained "Are you alright? I can tell you were shaken by the event." He noted.

Riley nodded his head, biting his lower lip, uncertain for a moment. He could still feel a little tense after all that he went through, without a doubt, he was shaken, but he was definitely "okay". "Yeah, I'll be fine." He finally replied "But it wasn't exactly the ideal way I wanted to spend my evening, y'know?" He added "I'm sorry I scared you so much, I never meant to." He added.

"Apology accepted." Optimus nodded, pointing at him so as to prove a point "Never do that to me again."

Riley smiled with a nod of his head, knowing there was no way around that promise. "I swear Dad, never again. I learned my lesson, even Breakdown thinks I should get better friends. And coming from a former Decepticon, that's saying something." That earned a small chuckle from the mech "To tell you the truth, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not hanging out with him ever again." He added "But can we talk about this more tomorrow? I'm really tired and I think I need some sleep." he explained.

"Very well, I've said all I've had to anyway." Optimus nodded his head with a smile "Goodnight, son."

"Night."

As Riley left he found himself reflecting upon his own stupid actions, smacking himself upside the head slightly. Not just because he had gotten in the car with a drunk driver, but the fact he had disappointed Optimus so much. And quite frankly, that stung worse than his own stupid actions, the look on Optimus's face, the guilt he'd felt. He made a mental note not to ever do anything to make Optimus that disappointed again, even if, as a sixteen year old, he had a feeling he would at one point or another.

For now, his bed was calling to him, and as they often said, tomorrow was a new day.

...

The rehab center was even more depressing inside than it appeared at Optimus's first glance. The halls were long, and dark, the sights in the rooms, of the patients, dark and moody. Optimus shook his head a tiny bit, following the doctor who was leading him towards the room he was looking for: Mason Darrow. "Make it quick, visiting hours end soon." He explained.

Optimus nodded as he opened the door calmly, allowing the Autobot leader inside. Mason relaxed against a wall, peering out the window of his room quietly. Peering out of the corner of his eyes, Mason scoffed at the mech's holoforms presence. "What do you want, Prime?" Mason questioned "You got me in rehab, you won." He added.

"There's no reason to be hostile, Mason Darrow." Optimus commented as he sat in a spare chair "I do not come here as your enemy."

Mason looked as though he wanted to laugh, badly, but decided against it. The half grin on his face almost seemed creepy, but the normal looking man didn't quite reach that level before it fell. "You're taking my only living family away from me, and yet you don't want me to be hostile?" Mason laughed that time, rolling his eyes absent-mindedly "You're lucky I'm stuck in this shithole." He muttered.

Optimus frowned a bit, unamused by the fact that Mason was being openly hostile. "I'm not taking him away. I've told you that I want you in his life as well. There's room for both of us in it." Optimus looked Mason dead in the eye "But I was not about to let a man who refuses to get help for his alcoholism in his life. Do you not realize that many alcoholics are prone to abuse?" There was a silence "My Father was once living proof of that, "cliche" as you humans say." He noted.

"I never hurt him!" Mason snapped.

"And never once during your drunken nights did you think of hurting him?"

Mason fell completely silent at that question, which was all the answer Optimus needed. He took a deep breath, his eyes locking with Mason's as the man turned to face him as well. "He got into a car with his drunken friend, Mason. And even then he was smart enough to drop the boy as his friend immediately." Optimus told him flatly "And you wonder if he'd trust you to take care of him?" He questioned.

"I'm getting help!" Mason was on his feet, anger rose in his chest "Once I'm out of here-"

"Your rights to take custody of him were terminated by the state due to your repeated lying to Child Protective Services." Those words cut through Mason like a steak knife "I became his legal guardian in order to keep him from becoming a ward of the state, because I feared I may lose him." He explained, his voice remaining as calm as possible "If you have any hope of being a part of his life, it will need to be with my permission." He noted.

Optimus cringed at the tears in Mason's eyes, it was the last thing he wanted to see. As much as he disliked the man, whom he had found no reason to like quite yet, he didn't want to hurt him. All he wanted, the only point of this entire confrontation, was to beat some reality back into him. "Why did you come then, to rub it in my face?" Mason gritted his teeth, trying to keep up a strong front "You won Prime, he's yours in a few months if that's the case." He scoffed.

"That may be true. But you had a right as his only living family to know." Optimus stood up slowly as the door to the room opened "He still loves you, Mason, very much. And you have no idea how much he wants you to remain in his life." He paused a moment "Stay in this center, get the help you need. And I promise you will have my full co-operation for any visitation you wish." He noted, making his way to the door, he glanced back once "Think it over." He added.

As Optimus left, Mason clutched his hair slightly in frustration. What could he do now? He was losing Riley and the only way he would be able to see him was if some Autobot told him he could. He hated it, he hated what was happening, he hated this center. And most of all, he hated to admit that the longer he stayed in the center, the more sense the mech was beginning to make.