Too late

Meet the parents

Alishia's pov

"Is this appropriate?" I asked Kian, swirling around in my dress. It was light purple, went to the knee but had a tight fit, and a few buttons on the top piece at the cleavage. He looked at me and shrugged, buttoning the last button on his dark gray shirt.

"Lisa, it is dinner with Haley and her parents, not the entire fairy court. You could wear a bathing suit and they would find it appropriate," he told me, grabbing my chin so I had to look at him, and gave me a peck on the lips.

"I know, but I haven't actually talked to Haley yet and this seems really formal," I explained when he let me go. He sighed and grabbed his coat holding the door for me impatiently as I collected the last few things.

"You're sure it is a good idea to bring Jack, though?" he asked me, and I saw Jack tense behind us.

"Why not? He is your guard."

Christian shrugged. "I don't know, maybe because Haley hates him? She made that pretty clear already," he answered sarcastically. I thought about it for a moment, we could send Jack home and call Dawn over instead, but he was with Dana tonight and I didn't want to bother them.

"She'll have to deal with it, I am sure she can handle it. He is your guard and that is just how it is," I said determinately. The truth was, I wasn't so sure she could handle it, but I had to take Jack into consideration too. He had been my guard for years before they reassigned him to Kian after we were abducted, and telling him to go because his presence would bring Haley distress would surely hurt him.

When we arrived at the restaurant Haley and her parents were already seated and talking over a drink.

"Princess Alishia, I am so glad you could come!" Brandi gushed, as she was the first to spot us. She was wearing a long silk dress in a hideous pattern that was surely very modern.

"And Kian of course," she added with a kind smile towards Kian which he returned.

"Glad to be invited," he told her politely

"Please come join us," Frederich invited, spreading his arms out in a welcoming gesture. As soon as we took our seats a waiter came with a drink and menus for us. Jack sat beside Kian on the seat closest to the door, as he was on duty for tonight. From there he could easier protect us if we were attacked. I didn't fail to notice several guards were lingering around, Frederich's most likely as Brandi had never had any.

"So, what are you up to these days?" Frederich asked, smiling at me with a smile I wouldn't exactly describe as kind. It was tense. Like he was waiting for something.

I took the napkin and folded it in my lap. "Oh, you know, just the usual, lots of responsibilities. Lady Petunia is having me practice etiquette and politics all the time."

He nodded and seemed sincerely interested. "Yes, how is she? I heard someone tried to assassinate her a while back."

I nodded grimly, it was around the time Haley was… taken. "She is fine, it takes a lot to shake her. The woman is made of steel," I laughed, and he laughed with me while Brandi just smiled politely, and Haley took another sip of her drink.

"Yes, I know. We were just discussing when Haley is going to return to duty." He and Janine both wore tight, yet expecting smiles, as they looked at Haley who was stirring the cocktail stick around in her glass seemingly bored with this entire set-up.

"Really? You're ready to get back?" I asked her, surprised she was already in condition to guard and hurt that she didn't tell me.

She shrugged. "Well, I am done training. My shrink hasn't cleared me yet though, so I suppose I'll be around for a few more weeks, but I expect to return as soon as possible. There is no reason in dragging it out, I'll be filing papers at an office job in the meantime." She finally looked up and smiled at us, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yes, the office job!" Brandi exclaimed with fake enthusiasm and a big smile. "Haley, why don't you tell us about the office job again?"

"Office job?" Kian asked skeptically, voicing my thoughts. Haley obviously didn't pick up on any of it, as she suddenly got a dreamy smile on her lips and her eyes glazed over.

"Yeah, well Mr. Richard pulled some strings. It is great, I'll have my own office, with a new EMP-Proof lock, on the 5'th floor, and you need a special code for each floor, and of course, a key card just to get access to the building. There are really big, bulletproof windows, so you have a great view over most of the court and the front gates. There are surveillance cams, so you can see all the blind angels and check up on the elevator, and they even got sensors in the ventilation system," she told us, and through the safety, details were mentioned as if they weren't anything at all, it worried me she mentioned them at all and not what kind of job she would be doing.

"That sounds… safe," Kian observed, and I sent him a short glare before turning a sympatric look towards Haley.

"Rose, you are safe here now, you know that right?" I asked her worriedly looking her in the eyes the entire time.

She shrugged with a big tight smile. "Yes of course, why wouldn't I be?" she asked seeming a bit neurotic.

"You just seem really… obsessed about the safety level."

She blinked a couple of times, still smiling that plastic smile. "I am not obsessed. I am just really impressed with the level of security they hold at their offices," she said kindly, and Brandi shot me a meaningful look before changing the suspect.

"So, I was thinking, maybe we could all go to brunch this Saturday," she proposed with that fake smile, looking like those perfect housewives. It was weird seeing her like this. Actually, it was weird seeing them all like this. Frederich and Brandi filled the role like a fake happy and successful married couple, while Haley fit perfectly into the role as the pretty daughter who wasn't fulfilling her parents' wishes, though she was doing very well.

"I can't, I am having brunch with Tristan and his family on Saturday," Haley said, looking at her menu.

Brandi looked faltered a moment before smiling again. "Tristan and his family? That is unusual." She commented, words sharp, but Haley didn't even look up.

"His mom invited several family friends, she said it was a great opportunity to meet other elites and maybe get a few connections for when I am ready for work again," she said as if it were nothing.

I looked at her in surprise feeling hurt. "I thought you would go back to being my guard?" I asked her and for the first time, she looked directly at me.

"I never was your guard Lisa, getting assigned to you is unlikely, besides it is a good idea to keep options open," she said plainly, ignoring the daggers Jack shoot at her with his eyes.

"Then how about a late lunch or dinner?" Brandi asked instead, trying to lighten the mood.

Haley shook her head. "I am expecting a guest in the afternoon, and we will be going out for dinner, but maybe we could eat brunch on Sunday?" she asked innocently. We all looked at each other while she was occupied by the menu.

"You are expecting a visitor?" Brandi asked surprised but innocently, and Rose nodded.

"And who might that be?" She asked while Haley's eyes flickered up to scan the room.

"Calvin Mercury. I meet him at La Croix. He is a Lieutenant guard," she told shortly not giving too much info.

I had no clue who he was, but Kian looked impressed. "I heard about him, he graduated on top of his class. They said he was the best since… well you." He admitted and Haley nodded, obviously not new to this info.

"Yeah, made him extremely arrogant but whatever. He helped me train and we hung out, so he'll steep by since he is at court anyway," she told us shortly. The waiter came to take our order, giving me a small pause to think. Haley seemed nonchalant about almost anything except security levels, but this Calvin might be more than she let on. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Isn't it a bit soon to date?" Fred asked meaningfully, and Haley looked at him funnily and gave him an amused smile.

"Calvin is just a friend, dad, you don't need to castrate him. I am not seeing anyone, nor am I planning to, so you can calm down," she told him matter-of-factly with a smile, yet he frowned.

"Shame, I kind of liked that Cayden kid, treated you well, seemed to really care, but undoubtedly not as strong as a man should be. His character wasn't weak though, I'd give him that, he could be trained, or maybe a strong insider."

Haley laughed. It was the first time I heard that since she came back. "I see you already planned out my future, including partners. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am very confident Tristan has his own life now," she smiled at him and it seemed real.

"Yet he has invited you to brunch with his family on Saturday," Fred noted and her smile got more secretly.

"His mother, Hillery, invited me to brunch. She heard about everything and after all Tristan and I did date before… So, she is trying to help me back on my feet, which is very kind of her, considering how they felt about our relationship." I noticed Jack stiffen at the mention of the relationship she had shared with Tristan before everything happened. I wasn't aware Fred had liked Tristan that much.

"Anyway, Brunch on Sunday?" Brandi asked us kindly and we nodded.

"Sounds great, I don't think we got any plans, do we, Kian?" Kian shook his head, occupied by the plate that was being placed in front of him.

"Great, then that is what we'll do. Do you want to bring your friend?" She asked Haley, who nodded.

"Sure, and maybe Tristan too since dad apparently likes him so much," she said, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips. The rest of the dinner went quietly, small talking and catching up, Haley and I ended up arranging a day to hang out and have some quality time, much pressured by Brandi, and then we split up.

"Haley, dear, do you need a guard to follow you home?" Fred asked, and I knew it was a test. If she said yes, she was really scared and we needed to get her some help. If she said no, then maybe she really was recovering. She laughed as if the thought was absurd.

"Dad, I didn't train three months for nothing. I am perfectly capable of walking home by myself, thank you," she told him off with a smile.

I felt relieved until Kian spoke up. "Why don't you go with Lisa and me? We'll be going past the guest housing anyway and that is where you are staying right?"

She nodded and pretended to think about it. "Sure, why not? Night mom and dad, thank you for tonight." She told them, hugging Brandi and placing a kiss on Fred's cheek.

"Anytime darling," he told her giving her shoulders a squeeze.

"Yes thank you for tonight, Mr. Steinfield and ms. Laney," Kian bit in before I could, so I just nodded and they smiled at us kindly.

"It has been a pleasure, please get home safe and take care of our little girl," Brandi said, mocking Haley a bit.

"Mom!" she groaned, already starting to head back. Her parents just laughed and waved us goodbye, so we could head after Haley.

"You seem to be having a great relationship with your parents," Kian noted. Haley used to go nuts over them all the time, claiming they were ruining her life. What was up with her?

"Yeah, they have really been there since I got back, though they don't like the office thing."

I looked pointedly at Kian and he took the hint to take the lead. "How do you really feel about the office thing?" He asked her and she looked at him weirdly.

"Great, I already told you. It is temporary, though," she told us simply.

"So Uhm, what will you be doing exactly?" He asked again and she turned to look at us as we walked.

"I'll be going through reports to check up on the details of operations and such. As I said it is temporary, so nothing too advanced." Her eyes focused on something behind us.

"So, who is your secondary guard Lisa?" She asked, but we both knew what she really wanted to know – when did Dimitri become my primary guard?

"Viola Smith, she isn't around. And Mitchel Canavan is my primary guard, but they are both appointed elsewhere while we are at court. Jack is Kian's guard, he was reassigned after the incident a year ago," I offered in explanation. She just nodded, and then I noticed we had reached the guest housing. She leaned over and hugged me first, then Kian.

"Thank you for tonight, I'll see you Sunday, get home safe!" She told us, ignoring Jack and then disappearing into the foyer.

I looked at Kian, once she had strolled past the receptionist. "What do think?"

He made a humming noise like he was thinking hard. "I think Haley needs a better therapist. Also, I am going to crash Calvin's visit: Two of the most kickass guards in the same room is an event I am not missing out on." I smacked his arm but couldn't help but smile. Of course, he was going to take advantage!