Dancing With The Devil (part two)

Chapter 11: Father's Daughter

The gates slowly opened and Astrid pulled into the large drive. She stopped the car in front of the door and got out. Astrid found herself unable to move. She looked at the door and took a deep breath, before finally moving. Before she could knock on the door, it swung open, revealing a small skinny man standing there. He gestured for her to come in and she stood in the same entrance hall that she stood in a good year or so before.

After a few seconds she heard a door in front of her right click open and she flicked her head around to face whatever was there. Slowly but surely, the door opened and standing behind it was the man that Astrid was so anxious to see. She saw his eyes float around the room like he was looking for his prey. They finally set on Astrid who was stood in the corner. He smiled and approached her.

"Miss Hol-" he began.

"Let's cut the bullshit shall we," Astrid sighed and tilted her head, "you know who I am."

The man stopped in front of her as she folded her arms and looked up into his eyes, full of hatred. He smirked and walked into a room behind Astrid, motioning for her to follow him. Astrid reluctantly followed him into what could now be labelled as the kitchen. He walked behind the bar and Asrtrid leaned on the white counter.

"I'm surprised you're not curious about how I found out where you live." Astrid shrugged her shoulders.

"I would have been," he smiled, "but my wife told me that you once came over when I wasn't here."

"That was a while ago."

"Indeed," he smirked and turned around to do something in the kitchen, "I believe you were here with James Moriarty- how is he by the way?"

Astrid froze on what to say.

Should she tell him?

Unable to make a quick enough decision, she stuttered and answered.

"H-he's in a bit of a bad place right now." Astrid improvised as the man briefly turned his head to look at her before carrying on.

"Well, send him my condolences." He said before turning around and presenting two elegant glasses of bubbling liquid and smiled. He waled over to her and handed her the drink before taking a sip of his own. Astrid lifted the glass up a little, but was hesitant to taste it. Hansel clearly noticed this and smirked.

"Astrid." he stated. The Scandinavian name sound perfect coming off of his accented tone, it was as if it was meant to be, "you think I've poisoned it?"

Astrid looked down at the glass before looking back at him and weakly smiled.

"I do."

The man laughed. Causing Astrid to grimace and look away. Her eyes imminently wandered around the edges of the room where they immediately landed on a door in the corner of the room. She wondered to herself as to what was beyond the door when she was drawn back into reality.

"I'm not going to try and kill you," Hansel said, seriously, "you're my daughter, I would never."

Astrid took a deep breath in as he said it...

Daughter

It made her entire body shiver, she slowly tilted her neck to the side causing the man to smirk even more.

"I'm sorry that I killed your mother."

Astrid scoffed, "no you're not."

"I am," Lucas nodded, "but you have to admit that her protecting you from me, was just delaying the inevitable."

Astrid knew he was right, yet she shook her head, "I would never have gone with you. And I never will."

"You can't hold on to that ghost for ever," hi said quietly, "you must accept who I am."

"After what you did to my mother, there is no way that I can look at you any other way than as a monster." Astrid snarled.

"Yet, I'm still your father." He said as Astrid nervously stepped back.

"Yes, that is true," Astrid slowly began to shake her head, "you weren't a very good one."

The man chuckled again set his glass down on the table. Astrid continued to look up at him with more and more hatred growing. She tilted her head curiously.

"You have questions for me." the devil stated and Astrid nodded.

"Do you regret killing my mother?"

The man frowned for a few seconds before replying.

"No." he sated and Astrid stirred uncomfortably.

"Why not?" she asked, blinking back the tears that were ready to spill.

"You said it yourself." he shrugged his shoulder, "I'm a monster."

"Doesn't mean you can't have regrets."

"Maybe not."

"You killed Ana too."

"I did."

"She was innocent, she did nothing wrong."

"Again, I'm a monster."

"She told you where I was."

He chuckled again and walked around Astrid to stand on the other side of her, She turned around to face him again. He slowly took the glass out of her hand and raised it up and looked at it, as if he was deducing something from it.

"You're right to be cautious."

"How?"

"I could have put anything in it; Botulinum toxin, Maitotoxin. Or perhaps even my own creation." he shrugged his shoulders, "I bet you know all about that don't you."

Astrid snarled and stared at him, eyes full of fury, like she could pounce at any moment and slit his throat with that glass.

"That thing ruined my childhood."

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration." the devil stated. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was stopped by an unexpected text alert coming from Astrid's pocket. Astrid tried to ignore it but Hansel raised his eyebrows "Why don't you answer it?"

Astrid reluctantly reached into her pocket and took out her phone. The text was from the same unknown number as before.

You promised.
MH

Astrid read the text and sighed. She looked back up at her father and turned off the phone before putting it back in her pocket.

"Not good then?"

"None of your business."

"Didn't expect my daughter to be so scornful."

"I think you'll find that's your fault." Astrid said flatly and continued the previous conversation, "as you were saying..."

The top corner of the man's mouth twitched up into a small grin.

"I find it ironic."

"How?"

"All of this misfortune would not have come to you, if you had just decided to come with me. Well,  you ended up back on my side of the line after all." He smiled sarcastically, "I bet mummy would be so proud"

Astrid laughed half-heartedly and shook her head. Hansel looked at the glass in his hand again before taking a small sip of it. He set the glass down on the side and clicked his tongue.

"Like father like daughter."