Elijah sighed as he looked down. The disappointment was clear on his face. "That's what I needed to heart." He kicked the door open to walk in and grabbed the man by the shoulder. "You promised me you wouldn't lay a hand on your children, Simon included. You broke that promise. How could you do it!? It clearly didn't make him suddenly obedient like some dog. You did it because you just wanted to hit him, didn't you?! You could think of no other way and are too stubborn to ask for help!" Elijah said as he clenched his fist, trying so hard to not have the man feel the same as what he caused in his son. "I respected you once, and you let me down. You hurt him and you lied to me."

Ben stepped back and dropped the pipe. He did not resist when Elijah grabbed him or shouted. His cold mask had fallen and he looked at the young man surprised. And now, for once, fear, shock, even hurt were visible, as if the words did get to him for once. Meanwhile, Bram had run to the bed and pushed himself under it and some of the other children had gotten up and were shouting over one another for Elijah to let go. Ben looked at him, still in shock and confusion. Doubt. Then anger and frustration returned to his face and he pushed Elijah away. "You have no idea!" he shouted. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You don't even have a family! You don't know what...!" His volume grew louder as on he went but he grasped to catch his breath and find words.

Elijah ignored the children for now. They didn't know what he was trying to do, that he was doing this for them. He glared at the man that he used to always look up to and adored. "What? Because my parents died? Because I do remember them a little, and I still had my grandparents for a few years. None of them hit me. I see lots of people in town, and I have never thought hitting someone cured a problem! Tell me I'm wrong, Ben. Give me one instant where it worked and didn't just make him scared of you? If I don't know what's what.. You explain to me why it is alright to hit your children just because they don't do what you want."

"And lots of people do!" He took a deep breath. "It's not about them doing what I want! It's about keepin' em safe! Keepin' them from doing stupid things! Makin' em to do what's right rather than wrong and sometimes they need a correction! It works on them!" He gestured at the children. "It worked on me and me siblings and me parents and grandparents! If ye got a problem with it, ye might as well go and visit every home in town! And visit that bloody school! Even yer own lot are not above puttin' a boy straight if he's committed a crime! Now will ye mind yer own!"

Elijah pointed at him. "There is a limit and he isn't a small child who can't listen to reason. He is an adult, and you gave him a black eye. If I could, I would go to every house. I never hit someone to put them straight. I would only to defend myself or another and there is no other way. It is to stop more pain, not to 'correct' someone. And you promised, if you had no intention of keeping a promise you shouldn't have made it. Besides, if it was about keeping him safe how come he isn't here? How come you are not doing anything to help your son. You don't care, do you? You do not care what this has done to him or how he really feels. This is all about just having your way and making sure he stays helping you on the boats. Making him too scared to disobey."

"I've been trying to keep him out of prison!" He took a deep breath. Then he turned to the children. "Go outside." And when they stood and sat still as if paralyzed, he shouted: "Get out!" And they rushed out. Rose crouched to pull her little brother out from under the bed and rushed out as well, not looking at Elijah. When the door fell shut, Ben admitted: "I shouldn't 'ave punched 'im. Alright. That's not right. I lost it."

Elijah started to pace, he was agitated and he wanted to do something but nothing could fix the situation. "You are scaring him away, and it'll be up to him and what you taught him to keep him out of prison. You taught him to hit when he doesn't get his way. He's never hurt anyone as long as I've known him but who knows what the future would bring." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked towards a window.

"And you are still scaring your kids. They love you and you could teach them so much better showing that kindness I know you have in your heart, but.. you keep doing this."

Ben grasped. "Ye think I don't show them kindness!? Ye think I don't comfort!? I love every one of these children and I-," he had to stop himself, for his voice became unsteady. He turned and paced away from Elijah, before he spun round again. He looked at the young man, almost begging him: "I want my children to grow up to be good and responsible... And if I've given them a hidin' I've always made sure they know I love them, and I won't stop lovin' them. But Simon..." He threw his hands up into the air and shook his head. Then he put his hands in his hair. "'e's a stranger livin' under my roof."

Elijah wanted to comfort the man but he was angry how he treated Simon. When the man called him a stranger, he stared in surprise. "Simon is your son. He is growing up and doesn't know what he wants to do with himself. He wants to find a life he can be happy in and you keep beating him down. You call him a criminal when I have had no reports of him stealing or robbing anyone. You get furious if he doesn't want to go out on the boat. It upsets him and makes him want to back away from you. You are only making it worse by the way you react. I tried to beg you to give him time to find himself. You won't give him that because you need his cheap labor."

"Cheap labor?" Benjamin felt his anger rise again. "He's a member of this family! He's got a responsibility! As we all do! He eats from this table and so he will work for it! And what of his siblings!? What if som't happens to me! He'll be responsible for them! But he only thinks about himself!" Benjamin was starting to think again that even the punch hadn't been undeserved.