5 Years ago....

[notsharkbait]

"Sit up straight," her Mother hisses in her ear. Erin pulls a face because she really doesn't feel good. But she still had to dress up nicely and sit while her Dad talked with a business associate.

Her arm was still in a sling because she had also dislocated her shoulder during the earthquake. It was obvious to anyone but her parents that she was feeling pretty bad. She didn't understand why but she was thirsty all the time and her head hurt really badly right now. But her parents insisted on keeping her close tonight.

She knew latter she could go up to bed while her Dad and whoever this guy was went into her Dad's office to do business.

Her Father greets his guest with a smile.

Comments

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

Slade walked in, nodding noncommittally to Erin's father and family. He must have looked incredibly intimidating to the sick looking little girl, what with the eye-patch. He took a moment to size up everything. Dirty politician type. All hunger and ambition, but no spine. "What's wrong with your kid? She doesn't look so hot."

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"She dislocated her shoulder in that earthquake the other day... I think the muscle relaxers the doctor gave her upset her stomach," her Mother comments.

Erin looks like she wants to say exactly what she feels but she doesn't. "I'm okay. Just tired."

That's pretty much a big fat lie.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

He can see right through that, even without the enhanced senses. He's good at reading people, comes with the training and the job. "I don't like being lied to." Then, he turns away from Erin's dad, walks over to Erin, and kneels down to her eye level. "Tell me the truth." He has a few kids of his own. He may not be a good father to his own kids, but he can't help but feel bad for this little girl.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

Erin's Dad tenses up because he knew it was bad when Slade paid attention to anyone.


"My head just hurts," Erin mutters. It did hurt pretty badly. And she was pretty thirsty too but that seemed secondary to how bad her head felt.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should go get some water and lay down then." Slade says, trying his best to put on a warm smile.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

Her Mother is agreeable to that idea especially when she sees the way Erin's jaw sets.

"Oh come on sweet heart." she tugs on her daughter's good arm not giving her time to argue pulling her away. "Why didn't you say you weren't feeling good?"

"I did," she almost sulks up at her much taller Mother as she is pulled along.

Her Father gives Slade a strained smile. "Erin has been very fussy. She doesn't like feeling sick. You know how kids can be, I'm sure."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. I do." He gives a look that calls every lie he's heard since he walked into the house. "Trust is important in my line of work."

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Mr White agrees. "It's important with this sort of business relationship."

He looks up when minutes latter his wife sticks her head in. "I think I'll be upstairs, darling. I don't like the way Erin looks right now. I want to make sure she gets to bed.... I think I'll call Doctor Richards tomorrow and have her stay home from school if she's still like this in the morning."

He raises an eyebrow because that was unusual. "If you need me to I'll call her Headmistress instead, dear."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"Very." Slade said, sitting down in a nearby chair. "So why lie to me?"

Slade notices the eyebrow. This kid must usually be pretty healthy, or what ever it is is getting worse. He can't help but feel for the Erin.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

To them it's getting bad. They don't know what's wrong and fear she might be like the others in the news.

"I haven't lied," White says calmly. "I may have left.... a few details out by mistake but I haven't lied."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"Fine. Let's just get down to business. Who's the target?" Slade said. Personally, he never liked doing jobs for politicians. They always left things out.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"I... Of course." His attention is torn between here and where his wife and child are. He goes over the details of the job he wants done. He is mostly out to make sure a much nastier man is taken out of the picture.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

Slade listened intently, nodding a few times. This job should be pretty easy. The guy was nasty, but he was a relative small-fry. Slade noticed the torn attention as he mulled everything over. "I can do this, but I don't exactly come cheap. Go, check on your daughter, then we can discuss the figures."

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"Thank you. I shouldn't be long." He certainly pulled off the concerned father role off pretty well.

He disappeared down the hall way and upstairs.

Erin wasn't doing well at all. Her head was still bugging her and she had polished off four glasses of water. She had noticed she was still very thirsty. Her Mother had gotten annoyed because to her it looked like Erin was seeking attention.

Erin wasn't because she didn't like that.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

Soon as Mr. White had gone up the stairs, Slade followed, like a tiger prowling in the jungle. He didn't make a sound of any kind, but just got within ear-shot and line-of-sight. He didn't buy the concerned father crap for a second, at least not in the way it was intended.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"How is she," Mr White asked while popping up beside his wife.

"She's on her fifth glass of water," Mrs White replies with an agitated tone hitting her voice.

Her Father pauses with concern. "She must be feeling dehydrated.... we were told to look out for this. The others caught in the earthquake manifested earlier on..."

His wife cuts him off. "Don't say that! She can't.... she just can't."

He gives her a stern look. "Dear. Do keep your voice down. We don't need to frighten our daughter and we do not need to alert our guest to any problems we are having. Erin is still our daughter and you will treat her as such. Have I made myself clear," he says in a deathly calm and low tone. He hadn't shown this much backbone before.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

Well, this is an interesting development. Something's got them riled up, and it sounds like it has to do with the earthquake. Manifesting ...? Do they think she's a meta-human?

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

Erin's Mother looks deeply unhappy.

"If she is we can't take her with us when we go see my Mother. You know how she is," Mrs White points out.

Her Father looks ready to grit his teeth. "I don't care right now. We can cover it up if need be. She's my daughter and I.... can over look anything."

Not the nicest thing anyone can say about their kid.

Erin though has surfaced from her need for water. "Dad? Weren't you downstairs?"

He smiles lightly at her. "Just came to see how you were doing, kiddo. How do you feel?"

Erin looks embarrassed. "Still don't feel good Dad. I've had like.... twenty glasses of water today. I'm still thirsty."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

That was getting Slade ticked off. 'Over look, cover up?' They genuinely think less of their own daughter because she's a meta-human. And then he's lying to her face about it. Slade's hand clenches into a fist from his hiding spot.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

If anything Mr White is good at covering up his feelings for Erin. He reaches over and Erin doesn't notice the second he hesitates before touching her hair giving her a paternal pet.

"Go to bed. You're probably still not feeling well, kiddo. I'll make sure to bring you a picture of water, since you obviously need it."

He withdraws after that motioning to his wife to follow him. Then he mutters to her slowly,"Don't you dare say anything about this in front of her. Not until we know for sure. If she is a meta we don't need it to fully manifest from stress or fear. Keep her calm and happy until we know what to expect. We're still her parents. This changes nothing."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"That sounds like a bold-faced lie." Slade says, stepping out into the hall. He gave a glare that matches the Bat's. "You sound scared. But not for her, oh no, but for you. For your career, your image."

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

They both tense up at his sudden appearance. Mr White has paled enough to mach his last name.

Mrs White just stands tall. "It's not just that. Her future could be in jeopardy. It's dangerous. Not always manageable and..."

Mr White grimaces. "Dear. I don't think you're helping."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"He's right." Slade says in a low, growling tone. "Forgive me if I doubt your honesty here. You're just worried about what mother-dearest and all the other gossipy mothers would think." He knew their type. More concerned with themselves than their kids, and they tried to dress it up and hide it, but it's clear as day if you get passed that front they put up for the world. His eye turned to Mr. White. Slade was going to let him squirm under that gaze just a little bit.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

Mrs White tries to find the words to protest. But she can't. Not at all.

Mr White though stands very firm. "I'm not lying when I say I love my daughter. Not just because families look good for a politician. Erin is a bright and smart girl. If she learns to restrain herself and not show any weaknesses in public she could go far in whatever she chooses. I admire that in anyone, especially my own blood. Hell, she's better organized than I am and I'm a grown man. I almost envy that."

But something about that rings a little false.

Also her parents might not notice the tell take very light squeak behind the door to their daughter' room. The kind of sound that someone makes when they're trying not to be heard. Erin doesn't buy any of this.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"There it is. Weaknesses." Slade said, his eye narrowing. "Almost." He says, detecting that note of falsehood, like a shark smells blood in the water. "You can sing her praises all day, but you'd toss that all aside just because she's different? At least I try to be a good father to my kids."

True, they may not always see it that way, but when Slade gave up Rose, he thought he was doing what was best for her, and the fact that it meant he had to do what he did still hurt him a little.

Then, he hears the little squeak coming from Erin's room. It doesn't look like her parents notice it yet. He continues his glare at the White's, "And it looks like she's getting to see what you really are." If they made a move towards Erin, he could be across the hall in under a second.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"Erin?" Mrs White is about to go poke her head in. But then both of the adult Whites freeze when they hear the tell tale scamper of bare feet on the floor.

"Oh shit," he mutters. Mr White can see this isn't good.

Mrs White looks grim. "Well. She heard us. I suppose we can't change that. We'll just have to make ourselves clear.... latter. Once she's feeling calmer."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"You've made yourselves very clear." Slade snarled. It was a good thing for Erin to know, even if it hurts.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"No. Properly. When we're not nervous. We need to calm down too," Mr White says firmly after a few stressful moments of silence from him. "Obviously neither myself nor my wife are handling this very well. We almost lost her. It wouldn't be so terrible if.... "

Her Mother just shoots him a look. She was not ready to fully accept any meta-human. It's obvious which one of her parents would come around and at least not obviously make Erin uncomfortable.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"What, so terrible if she is different?" He says, his gaze flitting from Mr. White to Mrs. White and back again. Mrs. White couldn't even be bothered to hide her opinion on this. He could see Mr. White was at least willing to make the effort, but it still bothered him.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"No. Of course not. It could be as manageable as being a diabetic. It wouldn't have to change who she is at all." Mr White was more willing to at least try. It still obviously bothered him and he was trying to rationalize it so Erin being a meta-human wasn't evil.

But his wife was getting more annoyed. She was unwilling to bend on this. She had been raised this way and was really unwilling to change.

"Excuse me," she nearly growled before just about stomping off in a fit of disgust.

Mr White watched her with a thoughtful look. "Perhaps.... boarding school. It may be better for Erin's well-being if she spent as little time around my wife as possible. She has never been very good at hiding her opinions."

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

Slade gave that same death-glare to Mrs. White as she stormed past him. At least Mr. White had enough love for his daughter to care. "The further from here, the better." The edge was a little softer in his tone than before. The anger was still there, but it was less intense. At least Mr. White wanted what was best for Erin. Of course, the fact he puts up with his wife's crap is still off-putting.

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

Mr White just gave Slade a slight nod. He did agree with him there.

"And away from her family..... I do know a few schools she might enjoy." He ponders this seriously because he had also gone to boarding schools as a child. He hadn't wanted to put Erin through that too but if it was for the best then he would do what was needed.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

Slade nodded. It wasn't great, but it was the best option. Kids deserved the best their parents could give them. He could see Mr. White was a little conflicted about this. "It's the right thing to do, at least until things can be worked out. It might hurt ... but it's for the best."

[notsharkbait.livejournal.com]

"It is not something I relish either. I do not care for sending children away to school. It stinks of shifting responsibility." He will do what's right for his child though. It is the very least he can do.

[deathstroket800.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes, it's the more responsible thing to do. Like right here, for example." He can understand that.