Reading of the Will

"You find anything?" Malachi asked as he pulled his shirt over his head. Cameron shook his head moving to grab clothes that were on the hood of the black car. They had been roaming the grounds as wolves searching for a scent or something they could use.

"No, it was hard to pick up scent with all the water and ash mixed everywhere. Not to mention the firefighters and police." Malachi also gave a nod. All he'd gotten was a whiff here and there, and then a car not much else.

"So much for superior senses." He grumbled sliding into the drivers side and Cameron got in the passenger.

"Yeah, but at least it helped when you and your dad were attacked. Tracked them down and had faster reflexes than they were prepared for. Sometimes it's great to be a freak." Cameron gave him a smile.

"Says the man who's never been shot." Cameron laughed.

"I'm just that unimportant. See when you're the son of the man who's only in charge of security in a city, no one cares." Malachi smiled at him as he pulled out of the standish driveway, leaving the ruined house behind them, a charred skeleton. It was tapped off but the couple officers left to watch were like them, so they let them pass. There weren't any houses that were too close, and the ones that were nearby didn't have a good view of it. So there really wasn't evidence of what happened.

"How are they handling it?" Cameron asked.

"That depends on which one you are talking about." Malachi responded. "Natasha was an uncontrollable mess yesterday. She attacked Ariel blaming her for god knows what reason." Cameron just made a sound.

"Ariel on the other hand was more silent, she seems a silent griever rather than the extreme that Natasha goes to. But after Natasha attacked her, Ariel lost it way more. Even at home she was sobbing uncontrollably."

"Sally was the same way, she was quiet at first like she thought it bad if others saw her grieving, but alone at home… then she sobbed the whole night. I'll tell you it was pretty awful to just sit there with her and have nothing to say to make it better."

"Tell me about it, and there were two of them. Though I was with Natasha most the night. Ariel had locked herself in her room and refused to let anyone in until Darcy talked her into letting at least her come in. This morning Natasha was extremely composed, though puffy eyed and quieter. Ariel, well you would have done better to get a dead person to talk than her."

"I'll tell you one thing, if I was Ariel I would be absolutely relieved. Think of the freedom, no more punishments at their hands. She's what twenty two or three? The number they have done to her."

"I know." Malachi said. He and his dad had talked about Natasha and Ariel early this morning. They would give Ariel a place to stay no matter what Natasha said, because they really didn't think that she could function alone in normal society. That was if she even had anything to her name that her parents had left her.

"They have the will reading to go to today."

"That soon? They just passed away." Cameron said.

"Apparently one of the constraints on the will was that should something happen to them, they were to present the will immediately. Some deal they made with the attorney who doesn't get paid unless it was prompt and immediate or something."

"Wow, can't say they weren't organized." Cameron gave a sigh as they drove hitting a more main road and drove on back toward his house.

"So besides this, how are things with you and Natasha? Any better yet, yesterday she didn't seem put off by you or anything. Must have done something right."

"That's because she's not. I'm the one that's put off by her. Sometimes I can get along with her fine and think that it won't be such a bad thing. Other times I want to throw things out the window, she's unbelievably spoiled. Wants everything her way and can be extremely vindictive."

"Lucky you. I'm sure she's excited about the status of being your wife. Now she's heir to a good fortune of her own plus the stocks and land. She doesn't seem like she'd even know how to run it."

"I doubt she does, her father did most the paper work and what not. It'll probably fall on me or my father unless we hire someone to do it for us. Though it won't belong to us. Not with the prenup we will have, it's just to keep Ricardo at bay and from overtaking too much."

"He's an asshole for sure. A prenup you say?" Cameron said with a smile. "Sounds like you don't plan on staying married to her."

"It was arranged for this anyway. But no I don't, at least if something doesn't change with her. Like you said status and money are the things she looks at. Look at those she hangs around with, all of them rich prominent families. I've never seen her even talk to someone that might be considered common."

"Should just buy her a crown." Cameron said with a smile.

"I'm about to." Malachi responded and Cameron laughed.

"Bet that doesn't stop you from doing her." This time Malachi had a real smile and gave a slight laugh.

"She's not as good as she looks." Cameron really laughed this time and slapped his knee.

"We're horrible people, but I love it. How disappointing, I was hoping that would be a redeeming quality. Something you'd enjoy about her so I don't have to hear you bitch so much." Malachi gave a slight laugh. They were pulling up to Malachi's house. It was large with a gate that opened as they approached.

There was a garden area in front that had a horseshoe shaped driveway. He pulled over to the garage on the right and parked the car. The house was two stories and long. There was a basement that was just as long as the rest of the house and done up as well. Something to be said about a family that came here first and made their riches the hard way. Now they fought tooth and nail to keep it.

"Hey I'll see you later." Cameron said, moving over to his car.

"Give my regards to Sally." Cameron gave a nod. "Oh and your sorry ass better be standing next to me in May. So help me god if I have to put up with Kyle or Nick. I'll shoot everyone." Malachi warned his best friend.

"That might be fun to see." Cameron said. "Don't worry, I figured you were more expecting me to just know rather than actually telling me."

"That's why you're the best man." He said with a smile and half shout as Cameron got in the car. Malachi walked up to the house. He found his father and told him what they had found. He just gave a nod as he was sitting in the study with papers everywhere and two computers running, plus a held phone call.

"Busy?" Malachi asked him, and he gave him a look.

"Take the laptop and do the ledger would you? Be useful for once, when you finish with that there are two shipments of tools and seed stock, both for feed and planting. We need that distributed first, for those that buy for the winter yield."

"Yes oh master. Would you like a vial of my blood while I'm at it?"

"Would you? I'd like to test if you really are my son. Sometimes I wonder with that attitude you possess." They were both joking with each other of course.

"Definitely all you. Also are you going to the will reading at two?" Vento looked up at the clock and sighed. That was in three hours.

"Yes, best to make sure." Normally it was just the family and others included in the will that went to that. However technically with the agreement that had been done and the fact of the engagement. Malachi took the laptop and moved over to sit at the window seat and worked away at the computer before making a couple calls while his father did the same.

There was a very soft knock on the door and then it opened. Ariel was standing there and glanced at them both. Her green eyes a bit duller at the moment and red rimmed.

"I came to see if either of you were going to join me and my sister to the attorney's office. Jeremiah said he would give us a ride as neither of us are really fit to be driving yet."

She sounded almost robotic as she spoke. It was the first words either of them had heard her say since the hospital. They looked at the clock and it was one already. Malachi put the computer down and got up, he moved toward Ariel.

"Yes we'll be taking you." Vento said and moved around his desk and toward Ariel as well who gave a nod. She was wearing black pants and a dark blue shirt. Her hair was pulled back at the moment in a haphazard bun that wasn't doing much but she didn't seem to care nor notice.

The three of them went down the hall and to the entrance where Natasha was standing with a dark purple dress and her hair back as well. It was swept up and neat. Her eyes were still a bit red but not as bad as Ariel's were. Darcy was standing there with Jeremiah and looked about ready to leave.

"It's not necessary Jeremiah, we'll take them." Jeremiah gave a nod and Darcy patted Ariel's arm in a comfort. She didn't say anything as they left and got into a dark green car. Both sisters sat in the back and Malachi in the passenger seat.

It took about forty minutes to get to the attorney's office and then they went in and were ushered right up to a sitting room that was airy and light. Considering what they were there to discuss, Ariel and Natasha sat in the two chairs before the desk. Both Ventos chose to stand behind them.

"Hello." Said an older man with grey hair glasses and brown eyes. He had on a nice suit and took Natasha's hand first and then Ariel.

"I'm Patrick Senspat. I'm sorry for your loss." The two of them nodded and he went and sat down behind the desk setting down a folder before him.

"Now this is rather cut and dry what your parents have left the two of you. To Natasha Phoebe Standish. Our eldest and much loved daughter, we leave the entirety of our valuables, stocks, land and company standings. Also with the previous agreement with Lord Aaryn Vento and his son Malachi Vento, would be fulfilled as previously agreed." It was hard to tell if Natasha was upset or ecstatic at what had just been read. He read a few more business ends and matters as well.

"To our second daughter, Ariel Mercedes Standish we leave a lump sum of four million, in the hopes that she not…" Patrick cleared his throat looking uncomfortable. "burden her sister nor her husband. Should she be unable to do so on her own, then half of what we have left her would go to those who have taken her in."

"Should something have happened to either daughter as listed below, the entirety of all assets would then be handed to them. Seeing as you are both alive and well then we will do as first directed." He said looking at them. "Cut and dry, we can moved forward rather easily. There is an account already with your name on it Ariel. The rest will be transferred to Natasha. We just have a few papers to sign and what not and you can be on your way." It was rather quiet as they did the necessary paperwork.

Ariel and Natasha stood after all was said and done. Ariel was shocked that she had been left anything at all. However it looked like she was going to have to give up half of what she had because she didn't have anywhere to go. She'd never even been given a chance to look for somewhere else to live, and she was sure that Natasha didn't want her around. Before they could leave, a couple more documents needed to be signed.

They signed the papers and went over a few legal things and then they were allowed to go. It was a lot faster than anyone had expected. Natasha looked in rather good spirits and Ariel felt an angry and jealous stab at her sister. Always, she always got everything handed to her. She was going to get a great husband, have everything that their parents had, and even beyond the grave they loved her more. At least they hadn't hated Ariel. At least not completely or they would have tossed her out.

Natasha walked alongside Malachi, Ariel felt a fresh wave of tears. Here she was angry at her sister because she had it easier, and her parents had just died. There she was being jealous and petty and she felt ashamed. Ariel paused for a second in the hallway looking back at Lord Vento who was speaking with the attorney about something. The attorney nodded and went back in the room and closed the door.

"Lord Vento, I'm sorry to ask but I…" Ariel started wringing her hands together.

"Don't worry about it Ariel." He said looking down the hall to where his son and Natasha stood talking softly. "You will have a home with us as long as you like seeing that you and your sister will soon be family and spend much time with Malachi and myself."

"Oh. Thank you, that's very kind of you." She said feeling relieved. They were such good people, and she thought she and her sister lucky. Most in power were rather pompous.

"You'll also keep all that was left to you." He said and she looked up at him.

"But the will, and it isn't right of me to keep something that should go to you for housing me." He gave her a severe look.

"Just what do I need two million more for? Neither me nor Malachi need more added to our name at the moment, neither does your sister. Might I suggest that you not mention this to your sister?" Ariel gave a nod and quickly hugged Vento.

"You're a good man. Malachi's good like you as well." He hadn't expected her to do that and it was quick and rather fierce. She was looking at the floor a bit red faced and he straightened himself. Hugging wasn't something that he did. His family wasn't really known for being touchy like that and who in their right mind would actually hug him anyways?

He glanced down the hall toward Malachi who seemed to be fighting off a smile. Vento figured he looked a bit more awkward than he thought.

"No one's ever given me things for free before like the two of you do. Nor complimented me either like Darcy and Jeremiah have." She was ringing her hands together. "Just thank you so very much. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"I'll let you know if something comes up." She gave a nod and turned to walk down the hallway toward the others so that they could leave.