55. Meeting Parents

" I never thought I would see you again," Galina said in Russian as she smiled through her tears with her hand on his cheek.

Grant took her hand and kissed the back of it, then continued holding it in front of him and replied in Russian "I never wanted to return. But at least this would give me a chance to let you and Pytor know important you were to me. Your kindness meant more than you know."

Galina's Smile widened as her expression showed her delight that he remembered how to speak in her native tongue. the Tears in her eyes she had as she grasped his other hand, pulled the joint arms apart, and step back to observe all of Grant. "You have grown into a handsome young man everything I have always hope you would be."

He chuckled trying desperately not to get caught up in the emotions that were flooding from his memories or more like previous Grant's memories. He needed to maintain his focus "Thank you for everything now you would better take me to see my parents before they get suspicious."

Galina bowed her head in acquiescence and just said for Grant to follow her down the hallway. He could see the kitchen in the backside of the house right before the brown carpeted stairway that the time to get to the second floor. The staircase continued to the third floor (Grant knew that there was where the bedrooms were probably located) but they stopped on the second and entered a formal sitting room where Cortland and Belinda Ward, Grant's parents were standing it had been 15 years from his memories that he had seen them in person but of course he had seen recent pictures so their appearance wasn't a total surprise. But pictures didn't do justice to the difference is that 15 years had brought in them.

(Even if Grant has assimilated all of previous Grant's memories he couldn't see the people in front of him as his parents, hell even the real Grant didn't think so it alone him.)

Court (as his friends called him) looked like a powerful wielder of influence ready to attack any moment then he did a Banker whose biggest task all day was monitoring the stock market. Cort's physic was not as muscle is here more than dark and there were lines on his face that grant didn't even remember seeing in before. Belinda was thicker around the middle than she had been 15 years ago but her expensive clothes hid it well. Har light blonde hair was pulled back into an elegant chignon and there were telltales lines of age but the whiskey-colored eyes that she had bequeathed to Grant were still as big and beautiful as ever. Unlike Cort, she seemed to radiate more power than ever. For the first time, Grant realise that she more than his father was the power behind the throne.

when he had been climbing the stairs he had been able to hear the sound of his parents talking but they fell silent once he and Galina entered the room. They had been facing each other but almost as one to greet him. Grant could tell that they were anxious but trying brilliantly to pretend that they weren't. Christian was nowhere to be seen but Grant sensed him in the room behind them with his Observation will.

"Mr. Grant," Galina said as she gestured for him to enter, then she turned and left.

The room was Deathly still for a moment then his mother's smile and move towards Grant her hands out stressed as if two grasped his. "Grant!" She stopped a few feet away letting her hands drop on her sides after noticing that he hadn't extended his hand to take hers. "Look at you. It's been so long, I barely recognize you!" She paused, her eyes raking him up and down, taking in his muscled exterior and the well-fitting yet casual clothes. Grant knew his lack of formal dress for short to irritate them. After all the appearances to maintain. "Doesn't he look great, Cort?" she asked over her shoulder.

Taking his cue, Grant's father put on a smile and stood to where Balinda was standing. "He certainly does! He is the very image of my father at that age." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Looking as you do, I imagine that you get a lot of attention from the ladies don't you son?"

Grant's facial expression head and change one iota from the blank mask he had adopted when he came into the room Court had never called grandson in private only in public when it could give the impression that he was a warm and affectionate father so his use of the word now was manipulative. "Don't call me son. You gave up that right to 15 years ago when you left me to rot."

His mother's smile dropped off her face but she said nothing they had decided that Court could be the one to deal with his father's face took grave expression, so classic that Grant wondered if he practiced it in the mirror. "Those what difficult times Grant, and I can't tell you how much we regretted our actions over the years. But you are mistaken in thinking that we were going to let you rote. We were just trying to teach you a lesson by letting you spend a few nights. In that place, we were always going to help you. We were in the process of getting your lawyer when you escaped from the facility."

Grant almost struggled to keep the smile threatening to creep onto his face. He knew they experts in lies. After all, Christian first learn how to manipulate and abuse from them. His facial expression still hadn't changed and going, by the way, there is kept scanning his face, this bothered them. "And yet you never bothered to look for me. Or did I just miss the media circus that would have been sure to occur had the son of a prominent family been reported missing?"

"Of course we looked for you!" Belinda exclaimed, inching a little closer to him. He guessed that she was dying to touch him a simple way of getting people to listen and believe her sincerity. "We looked for you for years after that. We consulted the best detective who advised us not to alert the media in case it causes the people who took you to harm you. We kept it quiet in order to keep you safe! You have no idea and the nightmare we have not knowing if you are alive or dead. You cannot imagine our relief when Christian discovered you are working for SHIELD"

"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 you are relief didn't extend to see me in person."