HELLO MY LOVES!
GUESS WHO'S BACK! Yes I have returned after 6 YEARS (wtf I am about to be 20 y'all... I'm not 14 anymore lol). I am so dreadfully sorry for the lonnnnnnnggggg wait for updates, but here we are! Back with an update! I took a break from writing so this chapter isn't as strong as previous chapters in this story, but still a needed chapter in the development of Shrek's character in this story. If y'all are still there supporting this story, I hope you enjoy it and please continue to give it love!
Love you all!
- Ava
The trip back to Far, Far Away seemed longer than the trip Shrek just took not too long ago. The same feeling of discomfort and unease overwhelmed him as he thought about hurting Fiona. Barely been a month and I can't go without hurting her.
Riding on a horse with Lord Farquaad into the night seemed strange. He would rather be waiting on the ship to return to the kingdom and hug Fiona tighter than he's ever done before. He could feel the shorter man behind him swaying with sleep and the slight snores were hints that Shrek would be the only one awake soon.
He couldn't sleep. He couldn't sleep when the thought of Fiona and Charming was plaguing his mind. This douche had the nerves to kiss her in front of him in front of hundreds of people, so the idea of what he'd do to her when he was not there killed him.
"What the hell have I done? Getting upset over being a father? What type of human does that?" Shrek asked. He knew that the air was the best listener. "Children make families happier and I bet Fiona was happy when she found out. Why couldn't I do the same?"
He was still grasping onto the idea that he was human and not ogre. He recalls the dinner table fight with Harold.
"And I can expect any grandchildren from you would be…" Harold started as he jerked the lobster towards him just before Donkey could take a bite.
"Ogres… yes!" Shrek pulled the pig to him with the same sharpness he had in his response.
"Not that there's anything wrong with that! Right, Harold?" Lillian responded, trying to calm her angry and condescending husband. Clearly she was embarrassed and it couldn't have been any more awkward.
"Oh, no, no of course not!" Harold grabbed a sharp knife and dug it into the lobster. "That is assuming you don't eat your own young!" The knife had sliced the lobster in half like the piece of meat it was. That poor lobster…
That fight seems funny now, considering that Shrek is a human and Harold learned to accept Shrek for who he is. But Shrek couldn't find the humor in it at this moment. Nothing seemed funny, but everything seemed off. He wasn't himself, especially without Fiona.
His consistent deep sighs seemed more depressing as the horse was slowly getting closer to the kingdom. Shrek knew he was 400 miles away based on the sign they had just passed, but he had no idea what time it was. He wished he could command the horse to sprint to try to beat Fiona back to the kingdom. Granted, he had no idea where she was, but he was hoping to welcome her back.
"I need to apologize to Fiona immediately. Maybe I have a chance of forgiveness for this whole mess that we're in. I just… I just can't believe I am going to be a father."
One loud snore behind Shrek startled him to where he had to look back to make sure Lord Farquaad was still making it. "Everything will be alright… I think so," the short man drowsily said. Drool fell out of his mouth and he could still provide reassurance.
Shrek couldn't help but give him a small chuckle. "And how do you know? You don't truly understand what situation I'm in. I've been married to Fiona for barely a month and I probably win the award of worst husband and father ever. I saw the pain in her eyes."
For some reason, the mention of pain woke Lord Farquaad. His crown was slightly falling and exposing more of his luxurious black hair. "Nice of you to wake up," Shrek said with sarcasm.
Lord Farquaad rolled his eyes and retorted, "Hey, if it weren't for me, we wouldn't have gone hundreds of miles in a short amount of time to get to your wife."
Yes that is true, Shrek thought as he released what seemed to be his one-thousandth deep sigh of the hour.
"No, I do not fully understand the situation you are in, Ogre. But what I can tell you is that giving up on the person you love is not the best decision."
"Yeah, I got that," Shrek shot back as he rolled his eyes. He didn't need to be told what he did wrong… again.
With an annoyed frown, Lord Farquaad gave him a small punch to the shoulder. "You need to face your fears. You can't let the idea of becoming a father prevent you from a happy marriage and more happy memories. Imagine all the good a baby can do for you. Teach you about responsibility, kindness, love, care… and most of all, they can be your best friend."
Best friend… that hung in the air and swirled around in Shrek's thoughts. He could only look ahead of him and see the never-ending road. He swore the more he was listening to Farquaad and his own thoughts were making the road even longer.
"Ogres aren't meant to be parents. Have you ever heard the phrase, as sweet as an ogre or as nurturing as an ogre or you're gonna love my dad. He's a real ogre! No, no one says those." Shrek said with complete disappointment of his classification.
"Look at yourself. Are you an ogre anymore?"
Shrek actually did take a glance at himself. No, he was not a physical ogre. He was human. A handsome male human that made many people love him over Charming in an instant. "No. But think about it, deep down and in myself, I am still the ogre I have been my whole life. For God's sake, I still have and live in a swamp. What human raises their kid and lives with their wife in a swamp?"
Lord Farquaad took a deep sigh. He was actually doing his best to help Shrek here. "That may be true. You can't completely change who you are, but are you going to let your classification as an ogre stop you from being Fiona's and your child's best friend? When are you going to be that someone I saw ruin my wedding and not let anything stand in the way of your feelings?"
Shrek felt a small smile form on his face as he remembers the crashing of Lord Farquaad and Fiona's wedding… by him. He remembers the rush of adrenaline he had when he wanted to show Fiona how he felt. When he was determined to make Fiona his wife and bring her back to his swamp.
Lord Farquaad was right. He needed to be that same Shrek. He needed to take control of this situation and become confident in his ability to be a good father and husband.
"You're right. I need to shut up about being a bad father and figure out what I can do to be there for Fiona and my kid. I'm going to see Fiona and the first thing I'm going to do is tell her that I love her and that I cannot wait to be a parent with her."
Lord Farquaad smiled and gave Shrek a small pat on the back. "There you go. Changing your attitude about the situation can change the whole process. I'm proud of you, Shrek. You can do this."
Out of all the people I've met in my life, the last person I'd expect to take parenting and confidence advice from would be Farquaad.
Shrek actually looked back at Farquaad and exchanged smiles and nods.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I will return to my nap. I need my beauty sleep before we reach Far Far Away. I need to go to the fancy stores to find some more candles for Duloc," Farquaad said as he slightly leaned back and closed his eyes.
Shrek softly chuckled at him and watched the short man doze off into a relaxed nap. When he looked back in front of him, the road didn't seem so long. He finally felt better about himself and his capability to fix his marriage for the first time since he had left. He needed this encouragement. For the first time since he had left, Shrek felt hopeful and happy. He couldn't wait to read the sign that said "Welcome to Far Far Away." He couldn't wait to see Fiona and her beautiful self. He had disregarded the thought of Charming coming in and ruining things. He believed nothing would happen and that Fiona wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt him.
He even felt himself sitting up straighter on the horse as his sense of pride seemed to be there. Shrek was starting to feel like the Duloc Shrek. He couldn't wait to hug and kiss his princess. The one he loves with his whole heart. He couldn't wait to be a father… although he's got a few more months til then. Still, the thought was giving his body chills and goosebumps of excitement. He smiled even wider as the horse kept trotting into the night.
Little did he know that his original instincts about Charming were more accurate than his newfound instincts…