Revenge is Bittersweet

Chapter 21

Tasha was making lunch for herself and Douglas when she heard a knock on the door. She wasn't told by Donald that he'd be there for dinner so she felt confused as she opened the door.

Standing in the rain, a sad expression on his face, was Chase. He had a backpack on and was soaking wet.

Tasha gasped. "Chase honey! What are you doing here?"

He opened his mouth to say something but Tasha interruped him. "Get in here! You must be freezing!"

He nodded and Tasha pulled him in, immediatly comforting him as they both sat on the couch. "Now , honey. Why are you here?" Tasha asked in a soothing voice, her curiousity getting the better of her.

"Well, since I don't have bionics anymore, I felt like I stuck out at the academy." Chase confessed. "I was jealous that I couldn't go on missions anymore and I heard Bree and Adam talking about how they barely noticed I was gone and that they didn't need me!"

Tasha felt bad for Chase as he explained himself.

"So I thought I could come and live you." He paused. "Do you mind? I really need a place to stay."

Tasha couldn't say anything but she forced a smile and nodded, squeezing Chase's arm. "Why-why don't you go upstairs and take a shower and change? I'll have lunch ready when you come down."

Chase smiled and stood up, heading up the stairs before stopping and turning. "And, by the way, thank you Tasha." And he went upstairs with his backpack.

Tasha couldn't help but feel the urge to call Donald and tell him. But another part of her knew that Chase wanted to stay with her and he wanted to be around people who didn't have bionics, like him. And it wouldn't particularly help being surrounded by bionic teenagers.

She sighed and burried her face in her hands. She snapped out of it and walked over to the kitchen, setting three plates out and she began to make a third sandwich for Chase.

She heard the elevator ding and she saw Douglas come upstairs, an unhappy expression on his face. He'd been nonstop looking for a way to restore Chase's bionics sice they got there, which was two days. But Tasha forced him to eat and sleep, for his own good.

He weakly smiled as he entered the kitchen, pulling out the napkins to set the table.

"Hey Douglas." Tasha said, cutting some bread. "Any new lead?"

He shook his head in frustration. "Nope. Nothing. You know, I tried everything, EVERYTHING, but I don't think there's any way to restore the kids bionics."

Tasha nodded. "Oh, by the way. Chase wants to stay here for a while. He thinks he's sticking out like a sore thumb at the Academy so he's gonna stay with us for a while."

Douglas nodded as he finished setting the table, and he sat down on the couch, flipping through the tv channels. A smile crept on his face. Secretly, he was really happy Cahse was staying. He missed his son, and this might be able to make up for the lost father-son time.

Chase's footsteps echoed on the stairs as he came intothe living room, wearing a blue and grey striped shirt and black jeans, and grey high tops.

He smiled at Douglas as he sat next to him on the couch, his hair still wet from his shower. "Hey Douglas."

Douglas returned the smile. "Hey Chase. So I hear you'll be staying a while?"

Chase nodded. "Yeah."

They both sat in a kind of awkward silence until Tasha called them over for lunch. There wasn't supposed to be awkward moments between fathers and sons, Douglas thought, as he took his seat at the table.

"This looks really good Tasha." Chase raved, taking a bite of his sandwich, smiling.

"Thanks sweetie." Tasha responded, taking a bite of hers. "Now Chase. You can stay in my sewing room upstairs. You can just add a... male touch to it okay?"

Chase nodded.

"Oh, and I have an interview this afternoon for the news with this up and coming actor. His name's... um, I can't remember. But I'll be home at five tonight. Then we'll have dinner. Sound good?" Tasha asked, finishing off her plate.

Douglas and Chase nodded, finishing their sandwiches and getting up to put their plates in the sink.

Chase went up to his new room with Tasha to plan it out. While Douglas planned some father son activities for the afternoon.