56. Negotiations

"I am sure SHIELD would have let me know if you are trying to get in touch but I never heard a word. I guess your relief didn't extend to see me in person." Grant said steadily.

"Son... I mean Grant" Cort said, stumbling over his mistake, "we agonized over what to do. We didn't know what happened to you or if you would even be happy to see us. In the end, we decided that it was best if we let you come to us." He smiled, in what Grant was sure he thought was a winning way. It probably works well on Titans of industry and politicians. "And here you are!" He gestured to the couches behind him. "now why don't we sit and have a drink to celebrate. What can we get you?"

Grant nodded shortly and choose to sit in a single chair in the middle of the roof with its back to the wall. "Nothing for me thank you!"

"Oh? What a shame?" his mother said lightly as she pressed a button on your watch. Grant guessed it informed Galina that she was needed both his parents sat down on an uncomfortable-looking couch directly facing him, "I hope you don't mind if we have a celebrity Cocktail, after all, it is every day that your long lost son returns home."

"No, I suppose not. Please, feel free to have as many as you like" Grant responded drily. For his purposes having his parents drinking would be helpful. He needed acquiescence and removing their usual filter would be good.

His mother gave him a sharp look just as Galina came into the room. "Did you need something mam?"

" Oh yes Gelina I will have a Martini and Mr. Ward will have in his usual Scott and soda," Belinda said regally.

Galina nodded, then hesitated and looked over Grant. "What about you? Can I get you something?" she asked in Russian.

He smiled at her. She always did have a rebellious streak "No nothing for me thanks and you really shouldn't push their butterfly this they are already on age by having me here." he said in her native tongue while looking at his parents. He noted his parent's momentary frowns of displeasure at not knowing what was being said between Grant and Galina but they quickly put their pleasant expression back on.

Belinda followed Galina's progress out of the room then, turned to Grant. "How nice that you have kept up with the lessons Galina give you all those years ago?" she is said evenly. Grant smothered a grin. "I suspect that it's one of those useless skills that that people put on resumes or do you actually use it on your line of work."

"I speak 6 languages and used all of them quite frequently" he answered in the same tone.

"Well, that's wonderful," Cort said heartily. "I always said you had great potential!"

"Did you?" Grant asked. "You never said that to me the only person who ever encouraged me was Grams."

Cort nodded trying to look sentimental "Mother always was an excellent judge of character."

Grant hid his smile as he watched Belinda try to conceal her dislike of his grandmother she was well aware of how much grams disliked her "She certainly was" he said gaily, looking directly at Belinda who flushed.

"But you are wrong that we never encouraged you." Cort continued on earnestly "Maybe we never said it to you directly but you must remember that all the special tutors we hired to help cultivate your gifts."

Grant shrugged and sat back in his chair, "I remember that you but what I recall is that they were hired only for those times when Christians had beaten me so badly that I couldn't go to school he smiled nastily we couldn't let people know that I was being abused after all appearances must be maintained."

There was a horrified silence as Galina came in to deliver the drinks. Grant supposed that this was the first time something like this had been spoken aloud. It was easier to keep up the facade so long as no one talked about what was actually going on. He wondered that if these parents of his convinced themselves of the lie or if they just didn't care watching their faces he guessed that their self-delusion had only been strengthened throughout the years.

Belinda's face was stripped of expression as she took a sip of a martini "You must be miss remembering what happened Grant" she said coldly. "You were....a.... umm.... difficult child from the first and unfortunate methods have to be taken in order to keep you in line but no one in this house has ever been abused that to be appalling."

His father opened his mouth to speak but as a phone Kyon Christian store into the room drink in hand seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere "Please excuse my tardiness but I had some important business to complete I hope I didn't miss too much" he sat down in a chair just to the right of the couch where their parents were sitting.

"We were just discussing how our parents are abusive as***** but as you mentioned, the other day that's not news to You. So you didn't miss much by finalizing your plans for the weekend with your mistress." It was all Grant could do to maintain his neutral expression as he observed there are outraged expressions. As Christians outrage morphed into fear and betrayal Grant allowed himself a small smile. Christian couldn't engage Grant about spying on him without letting on that he was indeed talking with his mistress so Grant had him over a barrel. Grant's smile let Christian know that they both knew it.

Grant's smile dropped off his face as he turned to face his parents. "Now that we have dispensed with all the pleasantries, we need to talk about the issues I came here to discuss the first item of business has to do with the SHIELD. I am tasked with ac each one of you to condemn Hydra and support Shield with the money connection and statements to the medium"

"And why would we do that. Your brother has gone on record labeling SHIELD as a terrorist organization and going to destroy it. As his family, we must support him and while we have no love for Hydra at least it hasn't been receiving the negative press that SHIELD has."