History Fanfic / SunshineThroughTheClouds

--> '''Jim''': I want to just relax and have fun the way we used to. I want to eat normal and not have to worry about everything all the time but I don’t know how! I hate being so stressed out all the time, but I can’t turn it off. I just feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff and the slightest thing will send me over the edge.

* ParentsAsPeople: While Barbara loves Jim unconditionally, the stress of her job combined with the new living situation of being a single parent can be hard enough. Add on the fact that her son (who isn't even in his teens yet) transforms into a troll that DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength and is not allowed to do things other kids his age could do due to the fear of people finding out is another problem entirely. Sometimes when his frustrations boil over into tantrums, she is too exhausted to deal with it and ends up locking him in the basement until he tires himself out. As guilty as this makes her feel about it, it is the closest thing she has to a solution in coping with the situation. In the sequel story, Darci, Mary, and Claire discover claw marks on the basement door, believing they were from Jim. This unfortunately leads them to believe that Barbara Lake is an AbusiveParent who locks her own son in the basement, all because of a DisappearedDad. Toby once mentioned that Barbara told his nana that she found a babysitter for her night shifts, but after calling CPS and eavesdropping on the investigators, he believes Barbara lied and has been leaving Jim home alone. In a way, [[RightForTheWrongReasons he's right, but not because she's isolating Jim]].

** After Jim gets assaulted by Steve and put into the hospital, one of Barbara's colleagues insisted Jim should stay overnight – at risk of his night form being exposed. With no plan, Barbara takes her son ''without being discharged'' in order to hide him when the sun went down. Due to this action, the hospital proclaims that she won't lose her job, bur will be under strict provision, will no longer be Jim's primary care provider, and has to take parenting classes. She also loses a lot of respect from her colleagues for what she did and, as far as they know, view her as an AbusiveMom.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: It is revealed that Barbara's parents were emotionally and psychologically abusive towards her. This brings Barbara's FreudianExcuse more into light as she feared of becoming more like them. Given how she had to treat Jim when his transformations began, it's hard not to understand why Barbara felt immensely guilty for what she's (technically) done to Jim.

''Sunshine through the Clouds'' is a ''WesternAnimation/TalesOFArcadia'' fanfic series by rockymountainvixen.

** James Sr. believes that by trespassing school property to meet Jim, he believes the school will allow him to have a "reunion" and Mary could help him see his son. Mary points out that's ''not'' case at all; Jim, who's now a teenager and has never even seen nor heard from his father for ''ten years'', wouldn't be ''the least'' bit pleased to see him, and, at this point, Jim and Mary are not exactly on speaking terms.

*** Jim and Barbara were allowed to press criminal charges on Steve for battery assault on school grounds. The Palchuks were only lucky the Lakes choose not to after Coach Lawrence decided to ban Steve from basketball indefinitely for his obnoxious lies. Steve is also suspended from school for the rest of the year (but is given school work and is allowed to complete the finals) and banned from other extracurricular activities until the next year.

** During a broad meeting regarding Jim and Steve's incident:
*** Jim and Barbara were allowed to press criminal charges on him for battery assault on school grounds. The Palchuks were only lucky the Lakes choose not to after Coach Lawrence decided to ban Steve from basketball indefinitely for his obnoxious lies.
*** On the same note, Jim must also face consequences for verbally attacking Steve. He is given mandatory therapy sessions for the rest of his freshman year, and likely in his sophomore year as well.

** During a broad meeting regarding Steve's incident, Jim and Barbara were allowed to press criminal charges on him for battery assault on school grounds. The Palchuks were only lucky the Lakes choose not to after Coach Lawrence decided to ban Steve from basketball indefinitely for his obnoxious lies.
** James Sr. trespasses school property in an effort to see his estranged son, Jim, and talk with his ex-wife, Barbara. However, while begging Mary to pass on a message and was implied to become violent towards her, Señor Uhl and Miss Janeth intervene and have him arrested.

** After Jim gets assaulted by Steve and put into the hospital, one of Barbara's colleagues insisted Jim should stay overnight – at risk of his night form being exposed. With no plan, Barbara takes her son ''without being discharged'' in order to hide him when the sun went down. Due to this action, the hospital proclaims that she won't lose her job, bur will be under strict provision, will no longer be Jim's primary care provider, and has to take parenting classes.
** After Jim gets brutally beaten up by Steve, Jim and Barbara were allowed to press charges on Steve for criminal assault. The Palchuks were only lucky the Lakes choose not to after Coach Lawrence decided to ban Steve from basketball indefinitely for his obnoxious lies.
** James Sr. enters the school without a visitor's pass in an effort to see his estranged son, Jim, and talk with his ex-wife, Barbara. However, while begging Mary to pass on a message and was implied to become violent towards her, Señor Uhl and Miss Janeth intervene and call the cops on him.

* PsychopathicManchild: James Lake Sr. While at school, Mary Wang learns for herself how mentally unstable Jim's father is, if he was willing to trespass school property and potentially get physical with a ''[[WouldHurtAChild child]]'' just to try and see his estranged family, it gives Mary a moment of clarity of just [[OhCrap how badly she and her friends screwed up]].

* PsychopathicManchild: James Lake Sr. Mary Wang learns for herself how mentally unstable Jim's father is, if he was willing to trespass school property and potentially get physical with a ''[[WouldHurtAChild child]]'' just to try and see his estranged family, it gives Mary a moment of clarity of just [[OhCrap how badly she and her friends screwed up]].

* PsychopathicManchild: James Lake Sr.'s true nature. Mary Wang learns for herself how mentally unstable Jim's father is, if he was willing to trespass school property and potentially get physical with a ''[[WouldHurtAChild child]]'' just to see his family, it also gives Mary a moment of clarity of just [[OhCrap how badly she and her friends screwed up]].

* RefusedReunion: Jim bluntly admits he doesn't want to meet his biological father, and [[PsychopathicManchild for good reason]].

** At the end of '''Chapter 19''', James Lake Sr., Jim's biological father and Barbara's ex-husband, makes his first appearance.

** James Sr. believes that by trespassing school property to meet Jim, he believes the school will allow him to have a "reunion" and Mary could help him see his son. Mary points out that's ''not'' case at all; Jim, who's never seen nor heard from his father for ''ten years'', wouldn't be the least bit pleased to see him on either occasion, and Jim and Mary were not exactly on good terms at that point.

* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 3 has Jim and Toby hanging out with Claire and her friends at a county fair to help Jim recover from his mental breakdown. Jim admits that he's gotten better since then, until his new friends begin asking him about his super-early curfew.

* RefusedReunion: Jim bluntly admits he doesn't want to meet his biological father, and [[PsychopathicManchild for good reason]].
* TheReveal: When Toby, Claire, Darci, and Mary once again break into Jim's house, they discover Jim in his troll form, ultimately blowing his ten-year-long secret.

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: Toby thought that Jim was [[AbusiveParents in danger from his mother]], but after discovering Jim's secret, [[JerkassBall Toby then believed Jim was never in danger at all]]... Jim's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech says otherwise, that he's ''always'' been in danger ever since his friends called CPS on him, not heeding his warnings.

* InUniverseCatharsis: When Jim hits his RageBreakingPoint and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech rants out at his friends for their actions]] ''after'' they've discovered his secret. It may not seem like it, but this is a good first step in Jim recovering from his depression and reconciling with his friends.

* MoodSwinger: One minute, Jim is rightfully and legitimately angry at his friends for putting him and his mother in danger and tells them to leave him alone, and then when they try to leave his house to give him space, he's suddenly [[PleaseDontLeaveMe begging them to stay with him]]. Toby [[LampshadeHanging internally lampshades]] Jim's mood-swing, wondering if it's because he's ''extremely'' lonely and afraid of losing his friends.

* PsychopathicManchild: James Lake Sr.'s true nature. Mary Wang learns for herself how mentally unstable Jim's father is, if he was willing to trespass school property and potentially get physical with a ''[[WouldHurtAChild child]]'' just to see his family, it also gives Mary a moment of clarity of just [[JerkassRealization how badly she and her friends screwed up with Jim]].

* WhamEpisode: Chapter 22 is when Toby, Claire, Mary, and Darci learn Jim's secret.
* WhamShot: James Lake Sr., Jim's biological father and Barbara's ex-husband, makes his first appearance at the end of chapter 19.

** James Sr. believes that by trespassing school property to meet Jim, he believes the school will allow him to have a "reunion" and Mary could help him see his son. Mary points out that's ''not'' case at all; Jim, who's never seen nor heard from his father for ''ten years'', wouldn't be the least bit pleased to see him on either occasion, and Jim and Mary are not exactly on good terms at that point.

* PsychopathicManchild: James Lake Sr. Mary Wang learns for herself how mentally unstable Jim's father is, if he was willing to trespass school property and potentially get physical with a ''[[WouldHurtAChild child]]'' just to see his family, it also gives Mary a moment of clarity of just [[JerkassRealization how badly she and her friends screwed up with Jim]].

* RefusedReunion: Jim bluntly admits he doesn't want to see his biological father... [[PsychopathicManchild for good reason]].

** James Sr. believes that by trespassing school property to meet Jim, he believes the school will allow him to have a "reunion" and Mary could help him see his son. Mary points out that's ''not'' case at all; Jim, who's never seen nor heard from his father for ''ten years'', wouldn't be the least bit pleased to see him in either occasion, and Jim and Mary are not exactly on good terms.

* InUniverseCatharsis: When Jim hits his RageBreakingPoint and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech calls his friends out on their actions]] ''after'' they've discovered his secret. It may not seem like it, but this is a good first step in Jim recovering from his depression and reconciling with his friends.

* PsychopathicManchild: James Lake Sr. Barbara and Jim are reluctant to reunite with or even speak of James... for good reason. Mary Wang learns for herself how mentally unstable Jim's father is, if he was willing to trespass school property and potentially get physical with a ''[[WouldHurtAChild child]]'' just to see his family, it also gives Mary a moment of clarity of just [[JerkassRealization how badly she and her friends screwed up with Jim]].

* RefusedReunion: Jim bluntly (but hesitantly) states he doesn't want to meet his biological father. Justified that he's learned from his teachers of James Sr.'s "stunt" he pulled on Mary.

* WrongGenreSavvy: When investigating Jim's house for clues to "save" him from his so-called "abusive" mother, Toby, Claire, Mary, and Darci believe that they're in an episode of ''Law and Order'', but they'd have a lot more success if they treated this like an episode of ''Supernatural''.

--> '''Jim:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion ...You think I]] ''[[ArmorPiercingQuestion wanted]]'' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion to be alone?]] You think I ''like'' being stuck in the house by myself all the time? [[SuddenlyShouting Did you think this was fun!? You think this is a game to me!?]] So you’ve been scared for weeks? I’ve been scared every day for '''''ten years!''''' Do you have ''any'' idea what it’s like to have this happen to me every night!? To spend years trapped in your own house? News flash, I don’t just stay inside because I feel like it, I do it because if anyone else saw me like this they’d shoot me on sight!... [[TranquilFury And you guys called CPS on me]]. What do you think CPS and the cops would do if they saw me like this? Things weren’t perfect, but Mom and I made it work... then you guys went and ruined ''everything''. I’ve spent ''every'' night for the past four months wondering if this is the night that someone finds out, that this is the night my life ends. That someone in the police or CPS sees me like this and sends a squad to drag me away to a dissection table in a secret government lab. I told you over and over again. Mom. Never. Hurt me. For the past ten years she’s sacrificed everything just to keep me safe. But no matter how many times I told you mom wasn’t the bad guy here. You. ''Didn’t. Listen!'' And now thanks to you guys, [[SecretKeeper the one person who’s always been there for me]] could go to prison! [[ListOfTransgressions Calling the cops, lying to me,]] ''[[ListOfTransgressions breaking into my house!?]]'' It was never my mom, you guys were the ones putting me in danger! You guys were the ones who ruined my life! You guys didn’t listen when I said my mom doesn’t hurt me, ignored me when I begged you not to call CPS, lied to my face, ''broke into my house!'' For once, just ''once'', can you guys actually listen to me!? Stop prying into stuff that’s none of your business. Stop sneaking around behind my back! Stop digging into stuff that has nothing to do with you and just leave. ''Me.'' '''''ALONE!!!'''''

* AnAesop: Being concerned for someone does ''not'' give you a free pass to violate their boundaries and doing so is just going to drive the person you’re trying to help further away, which Jim (rightfully) [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech calls his friends out on]]. '''On the other hand''', when people come to you with ''legitimate'' concerns, evading their questions is going to scare them even more and drive them to more extreme action, which Darci also points out.
** WordOfGod assures that both of these lessons are perfectly valid and ''should'' coexist when in Jim and his friends' situation, and [[BothSidesHaveAPoint both sides have very rational points in this subject]]. Of course, it's ''because'' of these actions that Toby, Claire, Darci, and Mary figure out Jim's ten-year magical secret.

** Unfamiliar with the existence of magic at this particular point, Barbara had absolutely no reason to suspect that a simple bath bomb would ''ever'' alter her ''only five-year-old son'' in such a [[AdultFear scary, unexpected way]].

* AdultFear: The fact that your child winds up with an ''unnatural'' condition that severely limits his ability to just be a normal child like everyone else (especially when one could argue that it is ''your fault'' that it happened) must have been a frightening reality to face for Barbara.
** When Barbra catches Jim eating a raw, freshly dead rabbit, not only does the sight sicken her, but the fact that Jim has been trying to suppress this new, sudden urge for weeks worries her.

* MoodSwinger: One minute, Jim is rightfully and legitimately angry at his friends for putting him and his mother in danger and tells them to leave him alone, and then when they try to leave his house to give him space, he's suddenly [[PleaseDontLeaveMe begging them to stay with him]]. Toby [[LampshadeHanging internally lampshades]] Jim's mood-swing, wondering if it's because he's ''extremely'' lonely snd afraid of losing his friends.

* AnAesop: Being concerned for someone does ''not'' give you a free pass to violate their boundaries and doing so is just going to drive the person you’re trying to help further away, which Jim (rightfully) [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech calls his friends out on]]. '''Also''', when people come to you with ''legitimate'' concerns, evading their questions is going to scare them even more and drive them to more extreme action, which Darci also points out.