Unproven Chapter 103 "Father/Son Fight Club"

Grayson charged, throwing a punch that James blocked, then coming in with another right behind it, but James was prepared and grabbed him around the waist. They crashed to the ground but Grayson twisted landing on top. The two men started toward them.

"No," James ordered as he struggled with his son, "this is between us."

Grayson finally landed a punch to his father's kidney but his dad moved into it stealing the impact and got a hold of Grayson's wrist pushing up with his legs and throwing him to the side. Grayson jumped to his feet and came at him, intending to stomp in his guts, but his father rolled out of the way then quickly rolled back, grabbing Grayson's legs and crashing him to the floor. James was on top of him before he could react, pinning him face first with his full body weight.

"Are we done now?" James panted.

Grayson continued to struggle, fury and fear not allowing for surrender. "Where is she?" He demanded wildly.

"Is that what it will take to make you rational? You need to see her?"

"YES!"

James sighed and turned to the men, "Get the girl."

James stayed on top of him until they returned, then stood and backed away quickly in case his son came back at him.

He needn't have worried. The moment Grayson was on his feet he went straight to the girl, cupping her face.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked, his voice shaking with emotion.

She shook her head but tears began tracking down her cheeks. He gathered her into his arms, stroking her hair. "I got you," he said in a choked voice, "No one's taking you from me again."

"I thought I was going to die," she stammered out.

He held her tighter, burying his face in her hair and when he finally looked up at his father, his eyes were wet.

"Wait outside," James told the men as he stared at his son in resignation. When they were gone his shoulders sagged.

"No one is going to die," he said wearily, "so if you two can get yourselves together and have a seat, perhaps we can discuss what is going to happen." He pulled a chair over for himself and sat, waiting while Grayson arranged two chairs side by side across from him.

They sat, Grayson holding her hand tightly in his.

James eyed the two of them, trying to understand what it was his son saw in this girl that would warrant leaving his life behind. He took a breath, "So you were going to give everything up, your inheritance, your future, for this one girl...Was it because of the fire or were you planning to leave all along?"

Grayson met his father's probing look steadily. "We were going to leave the week after graduation," he said flatly. "Your attempted murder just sped things up. Unfortunately it also put you on guard, or we wouldn't be sitting here now."

"You're so convinced I had something to do with it?"

Grayson glared at him, "If you're going to lie what's the point of having this conversation? I won't be able to believe anything else you say."

James made a dismissive noise. "It's no longer relevant. It's plain to see I will lose you if you lose her. I must applaud you for your nearly flawless act these past few months. If not for Jason it's possible you would have made your escape when the time came. And though I have every faith I would have located you, I'm sure it would have been a great deal more difficult, taken a lot more time. But truly, your performance was masterful. I had every reason to believe you were dedicated to your future. And to learn you did all of that just to deceive me, to lull me into complacency, so you could throw it all away for...Love is it?"

Grayson didn't respond, just stared at his father evenly.

James sighed. "Love. Is your ‘love’ aware of your activities in Germany?"

Grayson flinched, but Ary squeezed his hand. "I am," she answered for him.

"So I assume she also knows the reason for them?"

Grayson squeezed Ary's hand this time. "There's nothing I need to hide from her. I'm well aware of your feelings on the matter, how dangerous you find that information, and I'm sure you think I'm a fool for trusting her. But I disagree. With that, and with your take on human emotion. You asked me to find the source, and I did. The source of all things is love. So, yes, I would give it up. The money, the power, and the so-called endless opportunities those things afford me. Because I've seen that life, that future, and it's hollow, absent of all the things that really matter. Love certainly, but also any form of true happiness. I've looked ahead, all the way to my death, and one thing I know for sure-I can't take things with me when I go. All of those material things that your precious money can buy. But love, love will go with me. It was there before I was even born, it just took Ary to help me remember. You may call that zealous, may think I've bought into her faith. But I say you're equally zealous, you just practice a different kind of religion. You claim to have faith in nothing, but I say there's no such thing. If it has a name, then it's something." Grayson leaned back and waited for the rebuttal.

James gazed at him thoughtfully. "Is that how you see my life, hollow?"

Grayson saw something in his father's face that caused him to respond carefully. "I can't answer that. Perhaps you're fulfilled by the things you do. Perhaps the reason you don't believe in love is because you have no need of it. I can only speak for myself, and I know that your life would not be enough for me."

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