Clearing the Air

by Merry Amelie

Title: Clearing the Air
Author: Merry Amelie
Archive: MA only
Category: Alternate Reality, Qui/Obi, Romance, Series
Rating: G
Summary: Quinn has a long-overdue conversation with his parents.

Series: Academic Arcadia -- # 176
A chronological list of the series with the URLs can be found under the header 'Academic Arcadia' at the Master Apprentice ML.

My MA story page is here.

Feedback: Is treasured at MerryAmelie@aol.com.
Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.

For
My beta team: Nerowill, Emila-Wan, and Carol
Mali Wane for posting
My former betas: Alex, Ula, and Padawan Sue

To Sue

"Hello, Son. Thank you for coming." John opened the door with a smile.

Quinn had just arrived at his parents' apartment to take them to Dr. Terzarkanian's office on Friday morning for their 9 o'clock appointment. He had borrowed Ian's Audi Gallia, so there would be room for his father in the back seat. Although the Audi handled well, he missed the sweet stick shift on his THX. Since there was less traffic than he'd anticipated, they had roughly half an hour until they needed to leave, in order to make it there on time.

"No problem, Dad," Quinn answered with a grin.

His mother walked out of the kitchen, carrying a yogurt shake that looked Quinn-sized.

"You skipped breakfast to get over here by 8, didn't you?" Ginny said with a maternal cluck.

"Must've gotten my psychic powers from you, Mom," said Quinn, taking the drink, then hugging her.

"This is the first time we've seen you since you gave us the good news about you and Ian." Ginny hugged him back. "Congratulations!"

As recently as two years ago, John would have just clapped Quinn on the shoulder at this. Now, he joined in the hugs. "Yes, congratulations to you both!"

"Thank you so much, Mom and Dad!" Quinn was mindful not to crush his parents to him in his enthusiasm. "That means the world to me."

They sat at the kitchen table, with Quinn relaxing in his usual chair by the sink. He beamed when he saw a new photo of himself and Ian among the family pictures on the refrigerator across from him. He remembered his father taking it at their Fourth of July cookout in Padua. He and Ian were grinning as they sat on the bank of the brook, which they had dubbed 'The River of Light' in a shared private whimsy, that was the boundary of the Prentices' property. His dad had made them grin all the more by saying, "Gorgonzola!" instead of "Cheese!" when he snapped the picture.

"We're honored to be part of your celebration this time," Ginny said, beaming at her only child.

John nodded, then steeled himself to tell the truth about the past, so they could all clear the air for a happier future. "Unfortunately, you were right back in 2005. We wouldn't have come to your wedding in Massachusetts, even if you had invited us." He looked down at the golden band on his finger. Oh, was it hard to admit all this to his son; so much easier to sweep it under the rug, but he forced himself to continue. "I'm afraid your parents still had a lot of growing up to do."

Ginny patted her husband's hand, proud of him for having the courage to broach this thorny subject, when she would have happily continued to ignore it. "We just couldn't handle it back then."

Quinn couldn't believe his folks were finally talking about their former prejudice against homosexuality. He never thought that they'd all come to terms with the near-permanent rift in their relationship -- that his parents would openly acknowledge it and explain their reactions to him -- whereas before they'd been willing to paper over their differences, in their eagerness to get back together as a family. This was difficult territory for all of them, and he tried to make it easier with his knack for diplomacy.

"I know, Mom," Quinn said earnestly. "And I didn't want you to have to deal with it at all." It was his turn to gaze pensively at his own wedding ring. "I couldn't handle telling you, either." He could barely handle talking about it now, he thought ruefully. "I couldn't stand to see the looks on your faces when you found out." A few drops of his drink spilled when his hand started to become a bit wobbly.

"Oh, Quinn, we're so sorry!" Ginny was crying now, remembering how happy she'd been when she'd told her folks about her own engagement, a lifetime ago now, her baby boy's lifetime.

Quinn curled his arm around his mother's shoulders. "I never thought I'd hear you say that," Quinn said incredulously. "It makes all the difference to me."

John tenderly wiped away Ginny's tears, whispering reassurances in her ear.

"I know how hard it's been for you, too," said Quinn, his ever-present empathy easily letting him feel his parents' struggle.

"Yes," Ginny said simply, then took a calming breath. "When we finally found out, it felt like we had to choose between you and the church." She unconsciously fingered the cross around her neck.

"A choice I never wanted you to have to make." Quinn sighed, remembering his own struggle to break free from the strictures of his conservative upbringing.

"We realized that later," said John. "At first, I was furious at you for lying to us for all those years. But then I realized that you were trying to protect us all along, fighting for our family to stay together, in the only way you knew how."

It was hard for Quinn to speak in the grip of such overwhelming emotion. His voice was almost unrecognizable as he choked out, "I didn't have any choice. I couldn't bear it if I never got to see you again."

As one, Ginny and John rose to hug Quinn from either side. They stayed just like that for a good long while. When they finally returned to their seats, there were no dry eyes in the apartment.

Quinn took a fortifying sip of his shake. "I'm just so relieved that you'll be there this time. And so is Ian. He's the one who told me not to give up on you, that you'd come around because you love me."

"We owe him a debt of gratitude, then," John said. "It would've been so easy for both of you to start hating us."

"That would never happen," said Quinn, clapping his father on the shoulder, his hand cool from the condensation of his drink. "We knew you were only doing what you thought was right, what you'd been taught all your lives."

"Well, you've given us another chance to give Ian a proper Masterson welcome to the family on August 20th, that's for sure." John gave his son an anticipatory smile.

"We can't wait!" Ginny said enthusiastically.

'Neither can I,' Quinn thought. And as they left for the doctor's appointment, he looked forward to his next appointment -- with the ballroom staff at the Sunset Tower, Ian by his side -- a tantalizing taste of their wedding day to come.