FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 54 ~~~~~

Elija wanted to protest but then looked to Amalie who was sitting on the couch talking with Anthony explaining the show to him. He was silent for a moment before looking back to Alastor. "Well, I am a bit curious, I've never heard of it before." Then went into the living room and sat in an armchair across from Amalie, who made it no secret that she didn't like the man, and moved to sit near Anthony.

Alastor didn't like that this man used his daughter as an excuse to talk to him in a somewhat private setting, but he would let it slide, for now.

"I think this is the first time I've heard your last name when we met three years ago at that charity function with my in-laws, I had no idea you were an F.B.I agent. I thought you were in the military."

Jeremiah merely stared at the man across from him. "I don't like to boast about my job, doing such things could get someone or myself killed."

"A natural thing to be worried about," Alastor eyed Elija. The young man seemed to be trying to talk to his daughter but Anthony was being a rather strong barrier for this. Good.

"Amos..." Alastor spoke in almost a whisper, changing the topic back to the man's last name. "It's derived from the Hebrew word 'amas' meaning load or burden. Is this correct?"

"It is," Agent Amos said, rather surprised. "Not many know that."

"Mmm," Alastor mused. "I've always found the bible fascinating, though I'm not religious by any means. It's still a rather intriguing read. The fact alone that you decided to work for the FBI says that you follow your name's sake rather well."

"Not many would think that," Jeremiah eyed the younger man. "Your first name isn't common either. I wasn't able to ask this before, it's Greek, isn't it?"

Alastor's smile grew. "Ancient Greek," he corrected the older man. "I take it you know what it means?"

"Avenger, it's an epitaph of Zeus as well as other Greek mythological gods," answered without so much as a second to pass. "I can't help but wonder why your parents would name you as such."

"They had their reasons," Alastor chuckled as he rose from his seat. "More coffee?"

"Oh, please, thank you." He watched from his seat by the island as Alastor worked on making another cup. "Your daughter looks as though she's doing well."

"Amalie is doing the best she can," Alastor admitted before bringing the man the same mug of fresh black coffee. "After everything that's happened, I grow wary of letting her out of my sight even for a moment."

"That's understandable," he says as he takes it. "I heard about the funeral for your wife, my condolences."

"None needed," Alastor says as he sits back down. "This was merely inevitable, such things happen when a person has disappeared for so long without a trace. Regardless if she is alive or dead it matters little to me. I have my daughter and that's all I need."

Jeremiah was silent for a moment. "Have you spoken to Jean at all since that incident?"

Jean-Louise d'Orléans, Amalie's paternal grandfather and Marie's father. "No, I have not, at least not recently. Why have you heard from him?"

"Yes, he often keeps in touch. He'll be back in the country soon; he's heard about what happened to your daughter and the girl who was with her."

Alastor had received a call from the man not long after Jean heard the news, asking if there was anything that was needed. All Alastor asked was for the man to just keep texting/calling his granddaughter like he normally did, as that sense of normalcy would help her more than any expensive gift.

"Is there another reason you're asking me this?"

was oddly quiet before glancing to the living room where Elija was chatting with a rather wary Amalie who was sitting away from him and near Anthony who just looked like he wanted to punch him.

"I just thought to mention it, since he is planning on coming back this December."

Alastor knew exactly who Jeremiah was referring to. "And what's Christophe planning this time?"

"Word of mouth is that he plans to try and oust you from the family tree." When Alastor married Marie, it meant that he was subsequently added to the family, and with it could very well come to have even more considerable wealth passed to him as trustee until Amalie was twenty-one. Not that Alastor cared about all that.

He gave a tired sigh. "Again? And what's his crazy scheme this time? Will it be like the last fiasco where he made some false claim that I had a secret lover and a hidden bastard child before Marie disappeared? Or that I have an identical twin stashed somewhere in Alaska?"

Jeremiah didn't even remotely seem phased at Alastor's jabs at the man he was forced to call his brother-in-law. "No, from what I heard in his circle of friends was that he plans to claim that Amalie isn't related to Marie."

Alastor's smile froze on his face as if his whole body stopped all brain function for a solid five seconds. "What?" was all he could respond with.