He is the way // fanfic about chip

7

The days in Zero passed quickly and the peace laying on them was a nice change of pace from the adventures past.
After finishing up a letter to Marie, Chip sat in a cozy corner of the living room in the keep, his Bible pressed to his chest and as he was almost falling asleep he felt a blanket being pulled over him, before he felt someone tugging on the book in his arms.

Quickly he pulled it back against his chest, shooting up from his slumber.
Ollie's mum pulled her hand back as her eyes widened. "S- Sorry", Chip said, "I didn't mean to scare you" "And I didn't mean to scare you", she then said and looked at the book and a quiet gasp left her as she read the words The Holy Bible on the cover.
Chip pressed the cover back to his chest and looked up at her almost fearful.
"You're aware what you're carrying with you there?", she asked and a wave of courage swept through him. "Yes.", he said firmly.
"You know I'm supposed to report to RAFT about this?" "I know", he replied and she pressed her lips together, nodding. "Don't get caught with it again", she then whispered, "I don't want Ollie to loose friends like I did"

"Tell me about what happened back when the ban was placed", Chip urged her, leaning forward, "Are you-" "Yes", she said, gesturing for him to quiet down as she sat beside him, "Just not a good one" "He decides if you're a good one or not, not you", Chip whispered back, "And I'm sure you're doing just fine"
"I abandoned my friends and Him when they put the ban in place", she said, tearing up, "There's nothing good about me after that"
"You're a caring mother to Ollie, you're raising him well and so curiously, he is so interested in God without knowing what Christianity even is" "You told him?", she hissed and he nodded. "His soul is thirsty for God and I could feel it in the way he couldn't stop asking a million questions a second", Chip said and smiled at her, "That interest comes from somewhere"

She shook her head and for a moment he saw her muscles twitch in a way that promised her leaving any second.
When she stayed and said: "When they placed the ban they were merciless. They killed those that didn't obey them, took children from their mothers to keep them away from the faith, locked people into prisons until they submitted to their restrictions. It was horrific. I was pregnant with Ollie at the time and I did what I had to, to keep him, to make a safe life for him. I pretended that I had never been Christian, that my child would have no way to be exposed to any of it once he was born and they let me keep him"

Chips eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. His mother hadn't abandoned him. The government had torn them apart.
"I was one of the children", he whispered and she looked at him, gaze filled with sorrow.
"I'm sure your mother loved you very much", she said. "Is there a chance that she's alive still?", Chip asked quietly and she nodded, a little choked up with tears. "Some were able to escape I heard or they convinced the soldiers that they would respect the ban"
Chip nodded and looked down at the Bible in his arms and held onto it tighter.
He could find her, alive or dead didn't matter as long as he could make peace with it all. Something so painful wouldn't be how God would let the story end, he would find her again.

"We'll depart tomorrow morning", he then said quietly, a fire blazing in his chest, thirsting for answers that only God could bless him with. "So soon?" "I need answers, Miss Teach", he replied, "I want to understand the foundation that was set for my faith when I could barely talk. I want God to guide me on every step and right now my steps lead me to my mother. Dead or alive, she set the firm foundation that survived over a decade of pain. I want to honor the work God did through her and give glory to Him and if that's by giving her a hug or by bringing flowers to her grave, those are both ways for God to close this chapter of my story with grace and love."
"His light is so strong in you", she whispered with teary eyes as she took his hands, "I can only hope that it will set the whole world on fire for Him"

Chip squeezed her hands, then hugged her and whispered: "Teach Ollie. His heart craves it, whether on purpose or not you set his cornerstone like my mother set mine"
She started sobbing, held him a little tighter and nodded. "I will"