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[is0latedthinker]

((Backdated to the morning Sam leaves the Castle.))

[Flynn glances over at the closed bedroom door as he sips his coffee] Either he’s sleeping later than usual or he’s up to something in there. [His gaze turns to Alan, eyebrows raised in question.]

[Alan mirrors Flynn’s expression right back at him.] You’re right - he’s not usually this quiet. Should be up and at ‘em by now. [He pushes back from the table and stands, gently knocking twice on Sam’s door.] Sam? You alright in there?

[When there was no answer Flynn’s forehead creased in concern. He crossed to stand at the door with Alan] Hey, kiddo, you awake? [He pauses for a moment, listening. His heart drops as the silence brings one of his biggest worries climbing to the surface. Taking a slow breath he opens the door a crack, looking in.] Sam?

[By now the younger Flynn should have woken up, had he not been awake before. Sam seemed fine-tuned to the sound of his father’s voice, one ear always listening for it. There’s no rustle of covers, no awakening groan. It should be quiet, but all Alan can hear is his heartbeat thudding in his ears; even Kevin’s voice sounds like he’s far away, like Alan’s underwater. He applies a little pressure to the door to open it further, and the bed, immaculately made, comes into view. The older man drags in a deep breath.] No...

[Flynn opens his mouth but no words come out. He stands in the doorway staring at the empty bed - the first time he’s seen it made since he got there - as if Sam were going to hop out from behind the door and shout “gotcha” at any second. But he knows that’s not going to happen. He’s not sure how, but he just knows that his son is no longer there. Tears brim in his eyes as he steps into the room, walking towards the empty bed.]

[The pit in Alan’s stomach intensifies, but he shakes his head to try and clear it. He’d not given up hope on Flynn then, and he certainly wasn’t going to give up on Sam now, regardless of what his instincts were telling him - that dread that meant the worst had occurred.] This’s happened before. When I thought I was Tron, when you went to the mirrored world... We have to make sure. Maybe someone’s seen him.

[Alan’s voice shakes Flynn out of his daze. He nods, turning to look at his friend.] You’re right. I... I’ll go check his other room. [With one final glance at the empty bed he turns to leave the bedroom. As long as there’s that one final shred of hope he has to hold onto it. Until he sees for his own eyes, knows for certain.]

[Alan nods to Flynn and squeezes firmly on Flynn’s shoulder in a consoling manner.] I’ll go too. [He can’t leave his friend alone to face what might be the worst thing to happen to each of them. After Flynn passes him, Alan scoops up his journal and quickly filters a message, trying to keep his voice calm so as not to scare the boy. Nonetheless, his voice shakes.]

(Sam Flynn)
Sam, where are you? Your room’s empty, didn’t tell us where you were going...Your dad and I are really worried.

Please, Sam, answer me.

[That, too, garners no response; hope starts to flicker in Alan’s heart. He keeps his journal open as he quickly follows Flynn to the door.]

[The silence from the journal makes the weight in Flynn’s chest even heavier. He keeps his breathing steady, focusing on the task at hand to keep himself from focusing on the fear he knows both he and Alan share. He glances over at the other man as they head down the stairs. Alan took care of Sam when he couldn’t - longer than he had in fact. If he really was gone he knew they would share that grief equally. He thinks about saying something, trying to be hopeful, but everything just sounds empty. Instead he just reaches out and touches Alan’s shoulder as they pass through the lobby, both to reassure Alan and to remind himself that no matter what happens he’s not alone.]

[Flynn’s touch helps to ground Alan’s thoughts, holding off a stream of progressively negative what-if scenarios. He meets his friend’s eyes to let him know the gesture is appreciated.

As quickly as they can, the two men make it up to Sam’s old room, running as they reach Sam’s hallway. Alan stops short in front of Sam’s door.

The nameplate is empty.

No no no no no. It can’t be. Sam can’t be gone, just like that.]

Sam... [Any hope that Flynn had managed to stir up was crushed by the empty door in front of him. He doesn’t even try to stop the tears that overflow his eyes, coursing down his cheeks as he reaches out to touch the door. His son was gone. He’s gone home to grow up not knowing where he was or how much he loved him. That hurts more than the thought of being without his little boy again. He closes his eyes, his head dropping forward as he mourns the first thing the castle’s taken away from him that truly hurts.]

[Alan’s grief is quiet, subdued. The real mourning will come later, in their rooms up in the Tower. Where every day, he’ll wake up without the lively noises of a young boy who hadn’t yet become as cynical as he would be in twenty years. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes, misting the lenses of his glasses. He can’t speak past the lump in his throat, and he’s powerless to do anything but watch as his friend is overcome with sorrow for his son, the same sadness that’s boring holes into his heart, threatening to drown him.

A few minutes stretch on for what seems like hours before Alan lays his hand once again on Flynn’s shoulder and the two of them head back to their rooms.

Once they’re back and Alan has found his voice, he filters again to the journal, his voice hoarse.]

(Friends of Sam Flynn)
Sam’s gone home.

((Open to action on their way back to their rooms, or over the journal.))

Comments

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[Flynn is sitting on the couch, Sam's TRON figure in his hands. He presses the button, lighting the circuits as be thinks of that fateful night... The last night he saw his son before he was trapped in the Grid.]

[is0latedthinker]

[The action figure is bright and loud in a way the two men aren't.

Sam's with him, he knows, back home. That knowledges still isn't very comforting. He leans back in his own chair, stare blank.]

Well, now they know.

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[He nods slowly, looking up at his friend]

Yeah...

[He wishes he could say more but he's just... numb...]

[is0latedthinker]

[Alan feels the same way. He'd had to turn off the sadness and lock it away, take out little parts at a time. Even so he's still overwhelmed.]

[perfectisnteasy]

[Sam's gone home.

... Sam's gone home?!

CLU's mood rockets up through the roof at those three words... and then just as quickly, it starts to slide back down. he'd admitted to himself, just the other day, that he knew how other people probably felt when someone disappeared, because of Flynn.

only, now, that "other person" IS Flynn, and the one who's disappeared was ... well, the only person who could take his User's attention from him. he remembers Flynn's face, back in the Grid, the strange hoarseness in his voice when he told CLU why he'd chosen the boy over him: "He's my son".

CLU still doesn't completely understand what that means, but at the same time, there's an echo of the feelings and the memories that the castle thrust on him when it had turned him into a child: that somehow, they were a family. and thanks to that week, he knew what that meant a little more. there's too much thinking going on here, too much.

thinking. ... finally, he gets it, and he's able to label that, and let it go. he breathes out, slowly, and returns to what matters: the directive, or what remains of it. that he's still Flynn's program, no matter what any of this means]

Flynn. ... Do you ... do you need me right now?

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[That voice. Different words echo through his head: "am I still to create the perfect system?" Such an innocent question as the start of everything going horribly wrong. One simple question that turned his world upside down and snatched him from his son.

He closes his eyes, images flying unbidden through his mind. CLU as they discovered the poisoned Sea of Simulation, the look in his eyes before he turned on him and TRON. The moment when Sam realized how CLU had played him, twisted him to get what he wanted... How cynical and reckless Sam had become in the long years he'd been gone. It was CLU's fault Sam went through so much pain in his life... CLU's fault he missed out on over 20 years and would never see Sam again.

He shakes his head. No. He can't let himself think like that. He's letting his emotions dictate his thoughts and taint his reason. He takes a deep breath, leaning back into the couch and redirecting his thoughts. He was the one to blame for CLU's actions. Even if that weren't the case he was CLU was TRYING to be better. He was changing for the better. The fact that HR even asked speaks volumes.

He really doesn't want company, he just wants to be alone in his grief. But on the other hand he doesn't want to push CLU away. He looks out the window. He spent over 20 years in near solitude. He shouldn't let himself fall into that again.]

I wouldn't be opposed to some company.

[perfectisnteasy]

Okay. ... Where are you?

[he knows this could be a very, very bad idea. but ... Flynn sort of told him he needed him. kind of. if you looked at it just right. which, honestly, was all he needed to hear, at this point. he'd decided that without a concrete, achievable directive, his default went back to "whatever Flynn needs". it's not half as elegant as a proper directive, and inefficiencies abound, but ... it will have to do until he can talk Flynn into giving him one that'll actually work here]

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

Room 2108 in the Ira tower. [a pause] The room I've been sharing with Alan.

[He takes a breath, closing his eyes. He was going to have to face these emotions and holding them in wasn't going to do anyone any good. Being around CLU now that he's changed so much could either be a boon or a hindrance. He could only hope it was the former]

[foughtfortheusers]

[Have a soft rumbling noise. It's almost mournful. He remembers the little user too well. The reunion. The time he was a cat... As much as Sam Flynn had caused problems at home? He liked the little user he met here.] Gone?

[is0latedthinker]

[The rumble is quieter than usual, and Alan's grateful that Rinzler reacts to the news - not just continuing on with business as usual.]

Yeah.

[foughtfortheusers]

[The rumbling continues.] Will miss him, user.

[is0latedthinker]

[Alan's touched that despite what will happen between Rinzler and Sam once the latter's older and CLU's coding, his program had managed to forge some sort of friendship with his foster son.]

Me too, Rinzler. Me too.

filter } { idk if he counts, but.

[imnot_likeyou]

[frowns]

I'm sorry to hear it. He was a good kid.

I bet he does :) [Filter]

[is0latedthinker]

He is.

[imnot_likeyou]

Never know. He might show up again someday.

[is0latedthinker]

I don't know if that'd be better or worse. [For all three of them.] But thank you.

[mom_to_us_all]

Little Sam? Founder of the Sun Club?

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[It takes him quite a while to notice the writing but eventually he dictates back]

The Sun Club? I'm afraid I don't know what that is.

[mom_to_us_all]

I wouldn't be surprised, there were the only two members, Sam and me. I'm sorry he's gone though, he's one of the sweetest kids I've ever met.

Action - Meant to reply to this ages ago, oops

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine is walking down to the kitchen, hoping for some snacks, when she notices Alan and Kevin coming up the stairs towards her. Her favorite neighbors! Grinning, she starts to wave at them--

Then she sees their faces and suddenly stops. Oh no. No, no, no. She knows that look. She knows what it means. They’ve lost someone important.

And there’s only one person she can think of who’s that important.]

Damn it. [Dairine runs down the stairs, taking two at a time in hopes of catching them before they reach their room.]

Action - no worries! :)

[is0latedthinker]

Hello, Dairine. [Alan sounds tired and his voice is more of a subdued croak than anything. His eyes look glassy.]

Sorry so late /sob

[messin_with_my_zen_thing]

[Flynn doesn't look up, tears still threatening to spill from his eyes. His voice is soft, barely more than a whisper]

He's gone.

[antichauffeur]

[He'd woken up to find a toy tiger that is definitely not his left behind]

I...thought so. He's--I mean, it's better he's back home, right?

[is0latedthinker]

[He shakes his head at the journal.] I couldn't say.

It's not the Castle, but...it's not an ideal life, back home.

[antichauffeur]

Yeah...

Alan, I'm sorry. He was a good kid you know. He'll be okay.

He uh--heh, he left me the toy tiger.