"Geoffrey! What the hells have you been playing at!"
Mr Aurelius looked upon his wife as they had returned to the mansion. The strange tutu was still on him, and he carefully pried off his clothes until he was standing in his underwear, with the tutu finally off. He carefully put on a robe. God that was embarrassing. But all in all, he was quite lucky. Seems like the Aurelius family luck struck.
He had not spent any time with his wife at all during the weeks he had worked on his project. Things went so badly, and the one thing he wanted from her... the one thing, she had in some way 'taken away'. The sun made his son female, and with that all his hopes gone.
"You know what I wanted Olivia," he said annoyed.
"A son? For your legacy? God damn it! She is still your son!" How could he be so cold to just cut her off like that?!
Mr Aurelius looked angrily at her. "That 'thing' is not my son. 'It' can never be anything! Do you honestly think it can run the things I've been doing? I 'made' Jeff, I didn't 'make' that 'thing'! We didn't abort the first one just so we can have a daughter the second time!"
Mrs Aurelius flinched. She remembered it now, that memory... Jeff had asked her to abort their first child. He claimed it was because they were not ready. Now though, she realised why. He wanted a son, and there was a strong chance from the first scan it was going to be female. She felt anger- a palpable anger from that as if a dam broke. "How... dare... you!" she spat. "Why in the Hell is it so important that you have a son? You killed my daughter for- for- nothing!"
"We didn't kill it you idiot! It was terminated legally. It was just a collection of cells, and believe me that's all we are. We're machines dear, biological machines. That's it. Let me tell you this. If we had a daughter, what do you think would happen? She would just 'lose' all the money! God know I have to keep an eye on 'your' expenses."
Mrs Aurelius tightened her jaw.
"I had a 'plan' to ensure my family would be well taken care of, with Jeff standing proud at the top. Rich, and powerful... influential. All the things we would need, to someday become one of the fortune 500 in generations to come! I was thinking ahead.. generations ahead, decades ahead!"
"But your plans didn't include me did they, you basta-"
"It would have... if you had just played the part of a dutiful wife. You kept on wanting more involvement, more into the business- 'my business!', taking advantage that shouldn't even belong to you! If you want to be on television you earn it, don't use my connections for your benefit!"
There was an awkward silence.
Mr Aurelius shook his head. "Well... I lost my son. I lost even my..." What could he call it? "My... other son," he said in thought. If only he had perfected it. If only he understood the full nature of what he was trying to create. Simply duplicating the mechanics wasn't enough... the spark of life was needed. A spark that he seemed unable to provide with just technology alone.
"What makes you think that 'thing' you made can be considered a son?" asked Mrs Aurelius with coolness in her breath.
"... because 'I' made it...," he said with just enough menace in those words to sting his wife. "Normal procreation is 'failing' miserably- failed me. If sunlight would destroy my heir so easily. I didn't just duplicate what I saw.. I improved it. Made it mine.. nurtured it, willed it to live... and God! Yes! For a brief moment.. I had a son. They murdered him... for being different. They called me Frankenstein... they never read the book." He gritted his teeth. "Over.. all over. However, you and that 'toy' do get something... for saving my life."
"...Oh?" asked Olivia very... carefully.
"Yes... what is my life worth?" he asked thoughtfully.
"Not a damn thing," said Olivia.
"Oh? Offer accepted," he said shaking his head. "Women, always.. so emotional. Go take that toy and get out of here. Your lawyer talk to mine, I'm done with the both of you."
"...can I say something?" Asked Jeff jr, who was looking outside the window.
Both parents glanced out the window. Mr Aurelius struggled to maintain his composure. "What... make it quick."
"... Are you divorcin' cause.. of me?"
Jeff Sr gave another menacing look. "I have no further use, for you.. or her. You can not be what I want. I lost my son! I was going to replace him... and your friends killed him before I could fix what was wrong!"
The little giant looked stunned. "D-daddy..."
"I am not your father, you are not my child..." he spat.
The gentle giant had her special key in her hand. "W-what if I g-gave you my key? Would.. you be my daddy then?"
"Jeff no!" said her mother quickly. "don't even think such a stupid-"
"I have no further use for you." said Mr Aurelius. He opened the front door, to allow his wife to leave the mansion.
The giant clockwork girl looked down at her mother, glad to have her back, but still very sad. Deep down she did know... she could never be what he wanted her to be. It was true. Right now, just to please her father, she would give anything to be back to normal... to keep her parents together... to just... be a happy family again. Like everyone else has... but it just isn't to be. She... she could never have those things.
Never..
