Strange Relations

Chapter 24

Mintha glanced up and sighed. This was not going well at all. It was Balthazar's first visit with Laurel and they hadn't said more than three or four words to one another. As much as she'd love to remain in her dark corner with her tablet and Netflix, it wasn't going to happen. If she remained where she was Balthy would leave and Laurel would still believe he hated her.

With a deep sigh, she hit pause, set aside her tablet and rose. Another sigh, and she started across the room to where they sat at the table. "You know, you'll never learn a thing about one another unless you actually speak to each other."

Laurel sank in her chair. "What do you want me to say?"

"It's not what I or anyone else wants, Laurel, it's what you want to say to your father." She indicated Balthy.

"He's not my father, father's don't abandon their kids on the steps of a church," she muttered.

"Believe me, if I'd thought there was another way to keep you safe, I would have done it differently. It hurt me a great deal to leave you behind," he insisted.

"Sure it did." She glanced at Mintha. "Thanks for the thought, but I don't think these visits are going to work out, I'm going to my room." She stood and wandered from the library.

Balthazar groaned. "She hates me."

"Mmm, yes she does and look at that she doesn't even know you yet. Wait until she gets to know you, then she'll happily loathe you like the rest of us."

"That's not funny," he grumbled.

"I wasn't trying to be funny." She took a seat beside him. "Look, you're going to have to give her time, she feels abandoned, it's going to take a bit to convince her otherwise."

He nodded slowly before looking at her. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I care deeply about repairing your relationship."

He snorted. "No, really, why?"

She shrugged. "Maybe if you fix this she'll stop trying to steal everything she can get her hands on."

He burst out laughing. "Like father like daughter."

She grinned and shook her head. "What you took from Heaven you took for a reason."

"Mmm, yes, greed, the best reason."

"Don't try and play me, Balthy, I know you. You took those things to keep them out of Raphael's hands, to prevent all out war between Raph and Michael."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, I was going to slowly sell it all off to the highest bidder." He pushed his chair back and stood.

"Right, and you got right on that, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "Just biding time."

"Uh huh, sure you were."

"I'll see you next time." He vanished before she could respond.

"Soooo, how did it go?"

She glanced up at Sam. "Not well, but not an all out disaster."

"I guess it's a good start." He took the chair Balthazar had vacated. "Wyatt needs more field experience, he also needs to learn to defend himself. Dean tried to convince him he needed to learn to shoot and ... it didn't go well."

"Your brother isn't exactly people friendly."

"No, not really," he said with a chuckle. "I was hoping you could help convince him to do some training."