Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode 5: Adam #21

Lannister wasn't sure what Christmas morning was supposed to be like, but this certainly wasn't turning out to be a Hallmark moment. It had started with stockings and gone downhill from there.

Only the kids got stockings, and it would have been better if they'd simply counted Adam as an adult, but Linda wasn't quite ready for that. She also wasn't quite ready to deal with the whole "Adam" thing, seeing as she had included makeup in hir stocking. And someone, Frank Senior being the only real suspect, had shoved a small Gideon Bible in as well.

Frank Junior was thrilled with his stocking, at least. He'd picked up a slate yesterday, and Adam had loaded a data cube with action shows for him. Lannister gave him a toy ship and a data cube with a space-pilot simulator game. His excitement helped to mask Adam's obvious attempts to cover how hurt zie was by hir parent's lack of acceptance.

Presents went mostly the same. Grandma gave Adam jewelry. Linda had found an outfit, a decidedly feminine one, that she thought would look good on "Brooke."

But the real fireworks didn't start until after lunch. Lannister was talking to Dad at the back of the room. He didn't catch what started it. It hardly mattered. Frank Senior had been sniping, making snide comments all morning. It was clear he was trying to pick a fight, and Adam had done hir best to blow off them off, but finally something had made hir crack and the two were screaming at each other.

"When are you going to give up this silly delusion and come home?" Frank Senior demanded. "It's not right, and it's not possible."

"It's not a delusion. And I won't," Adam yelled back.

"I should have put my foot down years ago. Not let you carry on like this. It's a disgrace," he spat.

"You've tried plenty," Adam snarled back. "I've spent my entire life under your goddamn foot. I can't ever do a damn thing right." Zie was near to tears, but masking it in anger. "I've tried and tried. It's killing me. That's why I left. It's killing me." Zie turned away. "I'll just leave."

"No," Lannister commanded. He found himself on his feet, though he couldn't remember standing. He approached Frank Senior, nearly shaking with anger. "I won't have this..." piece of shit drive you away. "I won't have a member of my family driven out. Loyalty means something in this family." He rounded on Frank Senior, "And zie's trying. God knows. But you! You've taken every opportunity to needle away at Adam. I'm sick of it. This is my home. If someone goes, it will be you, not Adam."

"God knows? It's against God," Frank Senior complained.

"And I'm to believe that this is your deeply held belief? The only church service you've seen in the last ten years is when they pray before sports matches. And you attend those in bars. So don't give me the church crap like you believe it."

"Sherman," Linda started.

"No. Listen to me. I know you love your child. But you need to respect hir, too. We could debate endlessly whether zie is really this or really that. We could argue about what religion does or does not say on the issue. But at the end of the day, it comes down to this. Zie's told you what zie wants to be called. You've known hir for years, you know what things zie likes and doesn't. And yet you choose to ignore that and buy her makeup and jewelry?"

Linda blushed and looked down. "I just..." and then "Sorry."

Frank Senior glared at all of them, as if daring them to expect an apology from him. Lannister met his glare. Frank Senior broke the staring match first. "Fine," he snapped. "I'll be at Tully's if anyone needs me." Tully's was a pub that had opened on 15 below for the tourists. Frank stormed out of the room.

"Well," Mom started and stopped at a look from Dad. Everyone suddenly became interested in something else. Adam went to help Frank Junior with one of his presents. Linda muttered an apology and turned away, tears in her eyes. Lannister, his anger spent, went back to his seat and slumped into it.