All Seven Of The Deadly Sins (Richard Z Kruspe Fan Fic)

Chapter 43 - Wonderland

Katie's P.O.V

It was like a movie, walking in a line, up the stone steps, where Archie and Richard pushed forwards, opening the doors for Bonnie and I, following in behind us.
The line was building up, tourists flooding in for the day. We moved to join the line, when the owner of the museum came over to us.
"Miss Lace, we weren't expecting you. Please, join us. I'm sure your father will be glad to see you." He smiled at us, motioning for us to cut the line.
"My what?" I stared at him.
"Your father... Frank Lace is here." The man held his smile.

I went ahead, and marched into his room, seeing him standing in the centre, looking around at all his works. He cleaned up well... I had to give him that.
A white dress shirt, with a black waist coat, with black trousers and black shoes. His black hair a casual mess, with the iconic black make up around his eyes.
"Dad?" I stared at him.
He looked over at me. I don't have a clue if anyone else was in the room with us, but nothing stood between us.
"Katie?" He frowned.
I walked up to him. "What are you doing here?"
"Admiring my work." He lied.
"Bullshit." I called him out.
He huffed a laugh, knowing I saw through. "Realising all the bad choices I have made..."
"Jesus, don't tell me you're dying or something..." I got scared.
"Christ, no!" He laughed. "I saw you on TV, last night, at the Need For Speed... You were only seen for a brief second, but you were so happy... I let you down, kiddo. I don't know how you feel... Abandoned, depressed, hurt... I don't know... Everything here, is you." He motioned around the room. "My whole life, it's always been you." He looked at me.
"Dad, stop..." I frowned. "We can talk about this..."
He looked down at me, not knowing what to say.
"The Plague..." I started, talking about the painting. "You're standing over her grave." I looked up at him. "Looking down at me..."
The painting over to my right, his left.
"Mum got sick... That was not your fault! There was nothing either of us could do! Everything you did, you did to protect me. I'm the one who let you go, of course you were gonna turn to drinking, but I saw it the wrong way and pushed away, because you were hurting yourself. That's partially on me!" I pointed to myself, hand over my heart. "I quit my job because of you, you inspired me! I've written a play for Broadway, inspired by all your work! The weird creatures, the illusions, the stories you tell! Dad, I left you at the bar, and I hate myself for it..." I started to cry. "I should of stayed... I get it now, you thought I was mad at you, so you stopped calling... I want my dad back... The guy that would make a joke of everything and tell me we're going to be alright... The guy who brought me to New York City..." I whispered.
He cried, staring down at me, before he pulled me close, hugging me tight.
I held onto him tightly, hearing the room applaud.
We didn't care for it, just neede each other.

"I haven't had a drink all day..." He gave a small smile, proud if himself.
"Nice..." I nodded, stepping out the hug. "Think you could do it again, for... I dunno... forever?" I shrugged.
He huffed a laugh. "If you help me, yeah."
I nodded, wiping my tears away, with the sleeve of my Emigrate hoodie. "Yeah."
We stood in a silence, both thinking.
"You wrote a play, huh?"
I nodded.
"Can I read it?"
I huffed a laugh. "Once it's finished... It's gonna be a musical. Richard's gonna write the songs for it."
"Richard?" Dad asked.
"Oh, fuck." I took a step back, realising what had to go down. "Yeah. He's... Uh, I hate this... He's... Richard's my.... AH! I've not said this out loud, yet!" I struggled.
"I mean I get it, by the way you're acting, but do go on!" Dad laughed at me.
"No!" I pouted, laughing at myself.
"Say it!" Dad laughed. "Roxy and Christoph!"
"Ah..." I laughed, tipping my head back. "He's my boyfriend, OK?!" I said in one breath.
"See, not so difficult... One of the seven sins." He joked, bursting out laughing.
"We were so close to a happy reunion." I joked, seeing my friends in the corner of my eye.

I looked over at them, Bonnie, Archie, and Richard all smiling at me.
Bonnie came over, the guys hanging back. She stood on my right, holding my hand, smiling at me, before she turned to my dad. "It's great to see you again, Frank."
"You too, Bonnie." He smiled at her.
They shared a hug, and Archie and Richard came over, officially meeting my dad.
If I hadn't of gone to Need For Speed, my dad probably wouldn't be here, in the museum, today...

. . .

"Isn't Avery, like, sixteen?" Dad asked, as Bonnie explained the plans to the museum staff.
"She was, like, ten years ago." Archie chuckled, standing on dads right.
"Don't drink. You lose all track of time." Dad gave a soft laugh, laughing at himself.
"We've got you, man. You're alright now." Archie smiled at my dad.
They looked to each other, my dad seeming proud. "I know." He nodded.
"Avery's actually twenty four. The guys a bit dim, but he's the lucky one." I explained.
"None of you like the guy." Dad outed it.
"No! Yeah, no... Yeah... I don't... No. I don't." I gave in.
Dad laughed, the arrangements sorted.
"Right, now all we need is dresses, and to arrange arrival times for the cars." Bonnie came back over to us.
"On it." Archie gave a nod, before he left, taking his phone out his pocket as he did.

I turned to my dad. "So, where ya headin'?" I asked him.
"Home... Got a new painting I'm working on." He smiled at me.
"Nice..." I nodded, giving a soft smile. "It's good you're painting again."
"I never stopped... I only stopped selling them." He told me, following behind the group, to leave the museum.
"Oh, right... How come?" I asked him.
"Because I lost my inspiration...What was dreams of your life, became nightmares of mine. You ever stopped and looked at my work, though the order I painted them... How they just got darker, to the death?"
"Jesus, dad, I never saw it like that." I frowned, realising it all now.
"I'd invite you round, but it's a mess." Dad gave a chuckle.
"Oh, like my mind is. Yeah, it's fine. I get it." I huffed a laugh.
Dad laughed. "How about dinner?"
"Sound great. I like Italian food, but you already knew that." I smiled.
"You know where to go. See you tomorrow, at seven." Dad grinned, as we got outside.
"It's a date." I saluted him, before I went after my friends.

"Never thought you and your dad would share the same vibes, like that." Archie chuckled, as we all climbed back into his car.
"I know... Look, I'm catching dinner with him tomorrow. Can one or two of you join us, in case he backs out of this?" I pleaded.
"I'll come." Richard looked at me. "Gives me a chance to meet him properly, as well as you two reconnecting."
I fell into his lap. "This is why I like you so much!"
Everyone laughed, and Archie drove us back to my flat.