Ch 21
But his father was upset as he opened a burlap bag. Fiona then saw her husband walk in through the door. "What's going on?" he asked her. "I don't know. He just brought it out with him. He seems upset." She told him. He watched as his father pulled out something. It was his Mom. Seeing this shocked him. Rage flowed through his body. "What happened to her? Did you…?" Shrek said to him. "No son I… didn't eat her. You see, she wanted to be human so I tried casting a spell to do that being a sorceror but it didn't work out. I'm sorry. I felt lonely after that so I thought that… maybe I could be a part of this family." He told him.
"No dice! I won't let you wreck my family! I don't care if you've changed! You're still the same and I can't let you hurt my kids the same way you tried to with me!" he yelled. Artie watched as his amigo's father went for some fresh air. Fiona watched as her husband was touching his mother in law's body. It hurt him to see his Mom like this.
"Are you going to be okay?" she asked him quietly but he didn't answer. Artie watched as she left him alone. He felt sorry for his friend. He watched as Shrek sat on the floor in a ball.
"Oh man! That must hurt him having to see his Mom like that, cold and limp. I… feel sorry for him. Maybe there's something I can do but I don't know how. He seems sad but he's hiding the feelings inside. Fiona should help me with this dilemma." He thought as he watched his friend grieve in sadness.
He saw his friend's father outside and limped outside. He saw tears run down the guy's face. He understood that he was upset.
"Hey are you… okay?" he said gently to him. He looked up at Artie. "No I'm not! My son resents me for mistakes I made with him, I want to join the family but he won't let me. Plus my wife died because of me. Everything just… seems insane." He explained to him. Artie understood. "It doesn't matter what happened long ago. Maybe you can make up for what happened with him. Right now, he's upset about your wife, his mother. Besides he helped me with my problem of being a loser. If it wasn't for him, I… wouldn't be King." He told him calmly. He stared at him. "I should've know it was you Pendragon. Your father was the bane of my family's existence. I hope you're not like him, are you?" he told him. Artie was confused. He wondered if he was making that up. "But what if he's not? That would be bad for me because I'm friends with his son. I hope it's not true." Artie thought as he limped back inside. Things were getting more better than what it seemed. But Shrek glared at his father as he followed Artie back into the house. He then came over and sat down on the floor beside his son. He felt nervous. "Hey son... I know you're mad at me but I just want to talk to you. Please. Don't shut me out of your heart." he said quietly to him.
Artie was watching this with interest. It made him remember the first time he and Shrek had met and he didn't want to be King. "Maybe I should talk to him dude. We... sort of understand each other." he said to him. But as he began to leave the room, Shrek turned his head around to look at his father. "Fine. L... Let's talk, okay?" he said quietly. His father smiled at that warmly as he sat back down beside him. "I'm sorry about your Mom. I was only trying to help her but it seems I failed her like I did with ya. I was just afraid of being a father so much, I thought if I got rid of the babe, it would make things better but it didn't. It... only pushed you away from me. Don't worry. I won't hurt your kids. I... had therapy for that problem a long time ago. I got it from somebody called Merlin. But I need to ask ya something. Do you forgive me? For what've I done to you and your Mom." he told him. There was a moment of silence after that. Shrek then looked at his Dad for a moment. He then smiled. "Yeah I do... forgive ya but you'd better not be lying about what you said." he said to him. Fiona was watching silently as father and son hugged for the first time in twenty five years. Lillian approved this too.
Artie watched as they sat around the table eating and talking. about old times. Both father and son were drinking beer. For a while, it felt like the family was restored but if only had fate not intervened.