"Radiate" – part 21

Summary and notes in part 1.

Disclaimer: Do NOT own Degrassi!

-oOo-

When she walked into the house Audra Torres heard laughter. She smiled, genuinely happy that her sons seemed to be in a good spirits. She knew she had been harsh earlier with Adam but she felt a little pain now was preferable to heartbreak later.

He and that girl were too different for it to work between them in the long run. He was only 16 and under the Coyne girl's influence he was making plans to live hundreds of miles away in New York and had already began physically transitioning against her wishes. It was a choice with permanent consequences and Audra wanted Adam to wait until he was 18 to do so. She felt like he was rushing into life changing decisions without figuring out what he wanted first.

However, she could admit part of her resistance was that she hated losing control. Her children were growing up so fast. She wasn't sure if they were ready for the world yet, so she vowed to protect them for as long as she could – even if they resented it.

"You're going down Fi!" she heard Drew say.

"Whatever man! Fi, you've got this," she heard Adam respond.

When she rounded the corner she spotted her sons in the living room along with the Coyne girl. The three teens were fully absorbed in the video game on screen. From the looks of it, Drew and Fiona were playing a boxing game on the Wii. Adam stood nearby, cheering on his girlfriend.

"Yeah! Keep going!" he encouraged. Drew looked annoyed as he frantically moved the game controller. Fiona smiled broadly as she continued to strike her opponent.

"No, no!" Drew protested.

On screen, the referee finished counting to ten and the bell rang signifying the end of the fight. Adam and Fiona celebrated her win with a victory dance.

"Hey, I was going easy on you," Drew told Fiona.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "Right," she said unconvinced.

"He's a terrible loser," Adam informed her. "You should see him when we're playing monopoly!"

"Um, you obsessively control the money when you're the banker! It's annoying dude," Drew fired back.

Despite herself, Audra grinned at their exchange. "Boys, I'm home!" she announced.

The atmosphere in the room quickly turned tense. Adam and Drew shared a quick look before turning to their mother.

"Hey Mom," Drew said brightly, masking the awkwardness he felt. His eyes darted to Fiona. He had to admit, she had a great poker face. She appeared calm and collected. If she was nervous at all he couldn't tell.

"Hi Mom," Adam told her. He was hoping for the best, but preparing for the worse. What happened this afternoon didn't sit well with him, but he would be damned if he was going to tiptoe around his mother about his renewed relationship with Fiona.

"Hello Mrs. Torres," Fiona said politely. The older woman looked at her for a few moments before looking away. Fiona held back a smirk, having recognized a hint of guilt in Mrs. Torres' eyes. She wasn't hoping for an apology, but it was a small victory that even Mrs. Torres understood how she behaved earlier was wrong.

"Hello everyone," Audra said in an even tone. She set her eyes on her younger son. "Adam, I need to speak to you in the kitchen."

Drew rolled his eyes. He was expecting this. 'Divide and conquer,' he thought.

"No," Adam stated.

Drew furrowed his brows his brother's refusal. Did Adam have a death wish?

"That wasn't a request," Audra said sternly.

"I know," Adam acknowledged. "But anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them," he asserted. He swallowed, nervous about holding his ground. He glanced at Fiona and found her looking at him with a small smile. Suddenly he felt much braver. He brought his eyes to his mother's, determined not to back down.

"Very well then," Audra relented. She thought her words would be kinder to say in private, but if he was going to be stubborn he would have to deal with the consequences. "I may have been abrasive earlier and for that I'm sorry."

Adam blinked. "Really?" he said surprised. He would sooner bet on pigs flying then hearing his mother apologize for being rude.

Drew's eyebrows shot up. This turn of event was unexpected. He watched her curiously. However, Fiona kept a neutral expression as she watched Mrs. Torres. She could tell there was more that she was bursting to say and braced herself for the next round of hurtful words.

Audra nodded at Adam. "But, I think things happen for a reason. You're only 16, Adam. To be in such a serious relationship is stressful and maybe that's the reason why you cheated."

"Seriously, Mom?" Drew interjected annoyed. He was angry that she was bringing up Adam's infidelity in front of Fiona, again. "Are you a licensed psychoanalyst now?"

"Drew," Audra stated in a warning tone. "You can go to your room if you'd like."

"Andrew, I can fight my own battles," Adam told his brother.

Drew looked at him confused but held his tongue.

"Mom, I know you never approved of me dating Fiona but that's my choice. Not yours," he told her firmly. "Whatever problems we have, we're going to work it out. Throwing it in our faces isn't going to break us up."

He glanced at Fiona and smiled. His heart skipped a beat when she smiled back.

Audra looked at her son for a long moment. "Despite what you may think, I only want the best for you, Adam."

"I know, but I'm capable of determining that on my own," Adam said softly. He didn't want to fight anymore. Not about this when he was certain of how he felt. "Being with Fiona is what's best for me. I love her. When you belittle our relationship it's hurtful. I'd like it if you'd stop, but we're going to be together regardless."

Audra sighed.

"Can we move past this?" Adam pressed.

She considered his words. As much as she hated to admit it, Adam did have a point. There was little she could do to break them up. Plus at 16, he was old enough to make his own mistakes – and she was certain that Fiona was a mistake. In her mind she thought it was inevitable that Fiona would break his heart. What would happen when the socialite eventually returned to New York City and high society? Adam would seem less like a prince and more like a pauper. She could only hope the relationship would run its course sooner rather than later.

They had reached an impasse. Fiona watched with nervousness in the pit of her stomach while Adam and his mother looked at one another. She thought Adam put forth excellent arguments. It was surreal seeing him stand up to his mom like that, but it was amazing knowing he did it for her.

She had a few choice words she was dying to say to Mrs. Torres but as she watched their exchange she understood how important it was to just let them talk. Drew had come to a similar conclusion and they shared a look or two while Adam and his mom had conversed. Now it was quiet as both parties considered their next move.

"If that's what you want, Adam," Audra relented. Adam grinned. She quickly added, "My feelings on the situation haven't changed."

"You're entitled to feel how you feel, Mom. I just don't want to argue about this anymore," Adam asserted.

"Fine," Audra shrugged. "I'm going to start dinner."

Adam nodded. "Thanks, Mom," he told her as she turned away.

"Thank you Mrs. Torres," Fiona spoke up. Perhaps it was pushing it, but she wanted to make it plain that despite what the older woman thought she couldn't be scared away easily.

Audra turned towards her. "Are you going to stay for dinner?"

Fiona blinked as she registered the sincerity in her tone. She was used to Mrs. Torres having a slight edge in her voice whenever she addressed her.

Adam and Drew also noticed and exchanged another look. Was their mother actually inviting Fiona to dinner?

Fiona quickly recovered and shook her head. "No, I have plans, but thank you."

Audra nodded at her and walked off towards the kitchen.

As soon as she was out of earshot Drew spoke. "Dude, what the hell was that?"

Adam walked over to Fiona and grinned. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but at the moment he didn't care. He had more pressing matters to attend to. He took Fiona's hands in his. "Better?" he asked, still frazzled by their exchange.

Fiona shrugged. "Somewhat."

They both chuckled relieved to be still standing.

.

tbc

A/N: Hmm, Mrs. Torres actually put the knives away! After a few digs of course…

I'll be wrapping this story up soon! I've have a few other works in progress. One that takes place the following month and another which jumps ahead a year. Anyway, I will update my story "On A Mission" tonight. Next chapter is extremely lemony (M for sure!).