New and Strange Book 2

The Unlikely Deal

"So how long do you think it'll be until Alastor just kills his dad." Nifty asked, helping Husk wash out the glasses at the bar.

"I give it a week." Husk said, stacking a glass away with the others.

"Wow Husk, you really think this'll last that long?" Nifty joked, making the feline crack a smile.

"Just because I think he really is trying to give the guy a chance to make things up with his mom." Husk meant what he said, having some history with the deer to back up his statement. Alastor wasn't one to say things that he didn't mean, and he probably really did want to give William a chance to get back in his mother's good graces, but Husk knew Alastor must have been hiding a lot more anger and frustration that he wasn't showing to the rest of them.

Alastor absolutely adored his mother, they'd known that since before Elizabeth had ended up at the hotel with them. Knowing that there was someone in this hotel that had not only abandoned his mother, but had left her to raise their child on her own, it must have made Alastor's blood boil. There was no doubt in the bartender's mind that something would happen that made the Overlord snap at Will. It was only a manner of when that would be, and what would happen to cause Alastor to loose it.

"Yeah, he seems like he really wants to make things right with Eliza too." Nifty was referring to William, who was currently talking with Charlie on the other side of the room. The princess has made a deal with William that he could stay at the hotel if he took over book keeping for them. That would help make it so that Alastor and Charlie didn't have so much work between the two of them As partners running the hotel together, the both of them ended up with a lot of paperwork that they had to split between themselves.

"William ain't a bad guy, he's just spineless." Husk said with a shrug. He didn't even sound like he was trying to be insulting, he was just speaking the plain truth. It didn't take them very long to see that Will was a coward, which explained why he'd been manipulated to abandon his family so easily.

"You think she'll ever forgive him?" Nifty asked, sipping the Shirley Temple Husk has handed her.

"I think she wants to." Husk admitted, "But I can't say for sure if she ever will."

"I think she will." Nifty said with a smile, "It'll take awhile, but I really think the two of them can find whatever spark made them fall in love in the first place."

"Considering that you write fanfiction about everyone in this hotel, I think you just want to write more about these two."

Nifty chuckled, "You know me so well, Husky~"

———

Eliza was back on the balcony, leaning to look out at the city below, a cigarette in her hand. She let out a long sigh, trying not to have an emotional breakdown as she thought about everything that had happened in the last few days. Part of her was glad to see William, but a larger part was still so upset with what he did, and honestly couldn't believe that he was in Hell. William wasn't an inherently bad person, but then again, she hadn't seen Will in years, who knows what he could've gotten up to while they were apart.

She knew Will really was sorry for what he did, but it wasn't that easy to forgive being abandoned to raise a child on your own. When she had been alive, it had been hard enough for a woman to get a good paying job, let alone a pregnant black woman. After calling in a few favors, she'd managed to get a few low wage jobs cooking, cleaning, and working to make clothes. Elizabeth had absolutely refused to rely on another man, and there had been other men who wanted her, but all had been refused. She'd been hurt by a man once, and she'd be damned if she would let a man hurt her again, especially once she'd had Alastor. Her son had been the only reason she'd found the strength to recover from William's abandonment after he'd made her so many wonderful, yet empty promises. There had been no way she would allow that child to have anything less than the absolute best that she could provide.