Chapter Eleven: The Villain, The Princess, The Hero
"I'm Stiles, Ares. Your father." the man stated as if it he were
just my father, as if he'd been there all my life and helped me with my girlfriend or grades. Stiles never came to watch me enter the world, he never came to visit and see my first steps or hear my first word. He didn't even come to my birthdays or comfort me when Christopher died. My father never once entered my life, he only left to be two towns away just to get fired and never come see me.
"You think you can just come up here and expect me to take you in as my father? Why are you really here?" I jabbed at his chest.
"Whoa, slow down, son. I just wanted to apologize..."
I didn't trust him, not after everything he had done. Not after all the heartache and stress he had forced upon me.
"I don't want an apology. I want an explanation. You never called, you never showed up. You didn't even bother to come watch me be born."
"I was busy, Ares."
"With what? Being drunk, depressed, and getting fired?"
"I had a life, Ares. Your mother threw me out. I was going to marry her! I was going to move in and we were going to have a good life together. We were going to raise you together." he pleaded with me.
"I don't believe you. Mom said you sounded desperate. She was only a one-night stand to you." I turned away, his face disgusted me.
"She was a wonderful woman. I had never connected with someone like I did with her. When she turned me down...I didn't know what to do. I felt alone and she carried my child, you, inside of her. I couldn't convince her to let me stay so I left. I even sent some money to help her out too. When I tried to visit, she had always moved to a bigger home."
"That's not true. We lived in the same house until Asclepius and Apollo were children. You could have come visit us then, but you didn't! You stayed away, as far away as possible. I'm glad I listened to Mom and stayed away from you."
"Well fine. Ares, but I am sorry for everything I've done."
This man, the man who created me and abandoned me wanted to make amends. I couldn't trust him, he had lied and cheated his way to where his is now and he still continues to lie by saying empty apologies to me. I didn't understand why he had even come here or what he
really wanted from me, but I had to find out, even it meant spending more time with him.
"Fine...what do you want, Stiles?" I refused to call him "dad."
"I have an investment in the corporation, as you know, and its growing...fast. I was wondering if you'd want to partner up with me and share in this profit."
My blood boiled, he wanted to share his stolen money with me?! What next, did he want me to kill Zelda and then run away with him to Bridgeport and live happily ever after with him?
"Why do you want me to share this with you?" I eyed him carefully. I didn't want any sudden act of defense or slyness to slip by me.
"I've got something great planned for the profit I make from the Doo Peas Corporation real estate."
I hesitated. He had planned to do something worse with all of his stolen money. I thought back to the conversation Bella and I had after Zeus and Poseidon had been born...something about buying out all of the big corporations in town.
"What are you trying to do, Stiles? Run everyone out of business?" I folded my arms.
"Well, not exactly. Just one business in particular." he smirked evilly at me. I didn't like where his plans were headed and considered pressing the record button on my phone.
"What business...?" I wearily asked. I thought of all the businesses in town that could easily be taken over: Hogan's Diner, the theater, the grocery store or bookstore, or even the fitness center. Then, before he spoke it hit me...
"The theater, of course." he laughed, "I already own it, but if I invest in my own business, then I'm getting a bigger share of the profits and I have full control of the company."
He made it sound like he just wanted the money, but I knew something hid beneath...
"Why are you really wanting to have complete control of the theater, Stiles?"
"I have my reasons, Ares. If you invest, I'll fill you in." he smiled bitterly sweet.
"No. I won't do it. I won't invest."
"There will be large profits in the near future though, Ares. You can be rich. You can provide for your family like you never have before! Please invest." he practically begged me, but still unsure, I declined.
"No, I can't. I don't know what you have hiding up your sleeve..."
"Then I'll just have to take over the theater by myself. You'll see, you'll all see why you shouldn't cross my path." he sounded angry and I feared what he'd end up doing.
"Stiles, don't do this! You're making a big mistake! I'm begging you!"
"No. I'm going to carry out my plan and you'll pay for denying this great opportunity, Ares. You'll pay."
"Fine. Go about and get arrested, Stiles. I will never go along with this. Its ludicrous. You're going to get charged with fraud." I knew this plan wouldn't be carried out successfully. I feared the worst for the theater though; everyone there would be so unsuspecting.
"I will. You'll see Ares and you'll regret this decision. I'll be sure to make your life as miserable as possible. You're not my son, you're just a scared man with no backbone."
He then stormed off and my heart bubbled with hatred. I hated the man, I never wanted to see his face again. I should have calmed down before I went back inside, but I didn't and Bella could see my anger right through me. Not as though I had been trying to mask it though, I had slammed the front door shut when I went back inside.
"What happened? Who was that?" she looked up from washing the dishes.
"That, my wife, was Stiles." I, still fuming, pointed out. She dropped the plate in the sink and it shattered with a ear piercing crash.
"
That was Stiles?!" she dropped the dishrag she held and had to pull out one of the kitchen chairs to sit down. Amazed, she rested her hand over her mouth.
"Yes and you'll never believe what he asked me."
She looked up at me.
"He wanted to me to share in his investment in the Doo Peas Corporation. Apparently once he gets enough cash, he's going to buy out the theater and do gosh knows what..." I wiped my brow, my frustration had caused me to sweat.
"You denied right?"
"Of course. You don't actually think I'd partner up with him, do you?"
"I'm just so amazed..."
"Me too..."
I pulled out a chair next to Bella and rested. I didn't even get a chance to fully wrap my brain around the fact that he had showed up at my house. He had spoken to me and I replayed his voice over and over in my head. A man who should have been there all my life finally showed up and then just as he had been again, he went away...
I then unexpectedly started to cry. My anger finally settled, my fear and heartache resurfaced.
"Oh, Ares..." Bella embraced me and I wept on her tender shoulder. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to show up, just to ask me to commit fraud and ruin the futures of the theater employees. My own father, the man who gave me half of him and joined with half of my mom, the man who made me in the deep night. I continued to cry and held Bella, too, as she stroked the back of my neck.
"Come on, its time for you to go to bed. You don't need to worry about this right now." she kissed my ear, then led me to bed and laid me in bed. After a couple of hours, I let sleep conquer and drifted into a dream about my family...
In the morning, I woke and entered the living room. Hades and Athena sat in the floor reading their books. They looked so adorable as they flipped the pages with their tiny hands.
My life felt like the books they read; just pages flipping away and sometimes I felt like I didn't read everything I wanted to on the page. I kissed Hades head and started to get ready for work. I knew a promotion to be on the horizon and I couldn't have been more eager to finally get a raise. We needed a bigger house since Hades' and Athena's birthdays would be coming up soon.
Bella went about cleaning the house and I headed off to work as the boys started to get ready for school. I hadn't gotten over the previous night and all day at work I kept wondering what he planned to do with the theater when he had it in his evil clutches. As I did my exercises and chatted with the boss, I had a sudden realization: Mom worked at the theater!
I wished my head hadn't thought it, but I continued my daily work worrying about Stiles getting closer to my mom. Even though I remembered Mom worked there, I still didn't fully understand why he wanted full control of the theater. Still nothing fully added up; the man had a way with leaving holes in his explanations.
As predicted, I earned a promotion to the Squadron Leader and it of course came with a handsome raise.
I went inside to find Bella in our bedroom and the twins still in the floor reading different books. I knocked on our bedroom door, and peeped inside. Bella stood at the edge of our bed smiling ear to ear.
"Uh...what's going on? Why do you look like you killed Stiles?" I walked in and shut the door behind me.
"Because, Ares. I just found out something today!"
"What's that?" I approached her and leaned against the foot of the bed.
"I'm pregnant!" she announced happily.
I took my hand and wiped my forehead, running my palm over my eye. Another baby would be added to the family soon...
My stress level increased tenfold. I didn't know what to do; Stiles surely had devious things planned for my mother, I didn't know how to confront him about his fraud, the twins' birthdays would arrive soon, and now we were expecting a new baby.
"Bella, I need to talk to you..." I grabbed her hand and led her to the living room and sat her on the couch.
"What's this all about, Ares?"
"I found out why Stiles wants to take over his theater."
"Why's that?" she looked at me, but as if she were trying to put the pieces together in her head.
"Mom works at the theater. If he gains control, then who knows what he'll try to do!"
"Oh no..."
She paused then looked at me.
"Maybe he'll die soon, he is getting old Ares."
"Not likely. The man is full of spunk and oozes energy. He's too pumped about his scheme." I scratched my head, my stress continued to increase, "Bella, I don't know if I want this baby..."
She quickly turned to me with pure devastation in her eyes.
"What do you mean you don't want this baby?!"
"We've got so much stuff going on! I'm scared, Bella! I'm really scared!" I glanced back at her and she looked as if she would cry.
"I...I....I don't know what to say, Ares. I didn't know you felt this way...I thought you'd be excited."
I put both hands over my face in distress.
"I am excited--but I'm scared too! How are we going to handle 5 kids, a horse, and a crazy man who's out to get me?!"
"I don't know Ares...look. How about I move out and give you some time to think about all of this? I'll let you know when I have the baby..."
"Bella..."
"No, you need time away from thinking about my pregnancy..."
She then got up, headed into the kitchen, and called our agent on the phone.
"I just need a temporary house, something cheap...yes....oooo, yes, that one will do nicely. Yes...yes, thank you so much. Bye."
"Please don't leave, Bella..."
She smiled so sweetly at me, my heart sunk at the thought of her leaving me in the house alone.
"I'll always be your wife, Ares, but for now. You need things to get your mind off of this chaotic mess. I love you." she kissed me on the lips and then walked out the door, taking nothing but the growing baby in her tummy."
I went back into the living room. I now had to look after two toddlers, two children, and a horse by myself. I didn't know how I would do it, but maybe it wouldn't be too difficult. I fretted over Bella, I worried that something would happen to her and our unborn child. It wasn't as if I really didn't want the baby, but I didn't want to imagine the horrible things Stiles would attempt to do to her or our family.
I decided to feed Hades and Athena and put them to bed. My first night without Bella began and with Zeus and Poseidon being well behaved, it turned out alright. I still missed my beautiful wife, even if she had only been gone for a couple of hours. I loved her and wondered how I would vent my feelings with her gone.
The next morning, Saturday, I fed Hades and Athena and changed their diapers, ate breakfast, then watched some television as the boys played. Zeus and Poseidon spent the day playing with the baker's oven, which they mastered, then Poseidon went out to tend to Epona, who had already reached her halfway mark to her racing skill. She turned out to be a strong horse with a lot of endurance. She would be more than ready by the time Poseidon would get to enter her into the races.
I changed Epona's face to make her look more like the real EponaMy second day without Bella winded down; Zeus ended up using his telescope most of the day after finishing his homework and Poseidon cleaned up the house, did his homework, then headed to bed. The twins read their books, used the potty chairs, then I placed them in their cribs. I went outside and told Zeus to go get his pajamas on and go to sleep.
"Dad." he told me as we headed inside together.
"What son?" I held the door open for him.
"I want to be an astronaut just like you when I grow up." he then raced off to his room.
I smiled, my son looked up to me as a role model and wanted to be like me. Zeus had always shown good traits to be in the military: athletic and great at making friends. He would have no problem going into the army.
I missed Bella constantly, but working with the children most of the day helped to take my mind off Stiles. In a few months, Bella and I would have a new baby added to our family and I would ask her to move back in. For once, I didn't want our new baby to be named after a Greek god or goddess. I decided if the new baby were to be a boy, his name would be Jack and if the baby were a girl, her name would be Samantha.
I grinned to myself then drearily dozed off to sleep...
I dreamed of my children that night and what their futures held in store for them. Even in my sleep, Zeus made me smile when he announced he wanted to be in the military.
It had been a good day...
