Closed Gargoyles and Parents

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Hanna Mitchelle Freecss stood just outside of Kaster Manor, a young girl in her arms. At five years old, Lorelai Philippa Freecss was a shy little thing that held on to the comforts that she, Killua or Abel could provide. After Mitch had gotten pregnant, she had moved in with her brother and his partner in Hawaii where all three of them learned how to raise a child. It had been a long five years where Mitch had spent her hours working as a home-school teacher and a tutor while Killy had taken on odd jobs here and there while Abel stayed home. It had been rocky but they somehow made it work. Of course, the initial trouble had been when she had gotten pregnant. The father, Phillip, was nowhere to be found but Mitch didn't fault him for it one bit. He had not known she was pregnant after all and neither did she until after a month of them splitting up. She had tried to reach out to him then, to let him know that she was having a child. Their child. But upon searching for him at Kaster Manor - the only place she knew to look - she had been met with his mother. His mother who hated her and absolutely refused to help her find Phillip. Absolutely refused to acknowledge that the baby she was carrying could be her grandchild. Mitch had left - brokenhearted for her then unborn child.​

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And now, she was back once again at this dreadful place to once again face this dreadful woman. This was the last year that she was coming to this place, Mitch swore as she glared at the gargoyles that were trying to turn them away. She came here once a year only to be turned away and as the girl in her arms trembled and tried to hide from the gargoyles, Mitch swore in her head. This was the first she had brought Lorelai with her, and she wouldn't have brought the young girl but tonight was not a good night for Abel and Killy had to work. "Oh come on! Fifteen minutes! Just fifteen minutes to talk to Phillip or anyone... Literally anyone that has an idea on where he is!" she called to the gargoyle in frustration. It would not respond of course, but she was hoping that at least someone would hear. Or pay attention. Or if she had any luck at all, Phillip would be home for once. "I'm not even gonna be asking for money, I just want to talk," she groaned out but the gargoyles only glared harder if at all possible, making them all the more threatening. It was at this point where Mitch wondered why she even bothered. But feeling the child's presence in her arms, she already knew why. Lorelai had begun to ask about her father and Mitch would be d**ned before she let this gargoyle win when she has her little girl in her arms. Even if she was going to be arguing with a gargoyle - a gargoyle! - for a while.​

 

[Alfie Kaster]

Alfie had been visiting his parents and siblings at the Manor for the last week. His mother and father were constantly trying to tell him that his career path of choice was going to bring him nothing but trouble and whilst they were right some of the time, as he had come into contact with local authorities more than once in the last few years, he couldn't just let injustices carry on. People needed to be spoken for, they needed protection and he was equipped to offer that. Even his home he had opened up to those in need and though it sometimes meant he was stolen from, or his belongings destroyed, that didn't mean he was going to stop any time soon, because he enjoyed what he did and he enjoyed meeting new people. Living and working in Magical Germany and parts of France meant he had to learn pretty quickly the slight, intimate differences, in culture between the two and though they were similar in a lot of ways, there was a lot that was different about them too and Alfie certainly enjoyed it. He had been out at a summit for a few hours and had decided to walk back to the manor from his apparition point for once, needing the exercise and it was a rare nice day, though it was cold as heck and the snow would be starting soon. Christmas would soon be upon them and though he never usually celebrated it (preferring to send anything he received or bought to orphanages instead) he liked the Christmas period well enough to enjoy its prevalence.​

What he was not expecting on his walk home though, was to find someone who seemed to be having a rather heated argument with the transfigured gargoyles at the entrance to the gates and they seemed to be blocking the persons way. From this distance, he could vaguely make out an adult and perhaps a child, but he didn't know who they were or whether they were male of female or anything else. He doubted it was a relative, as they would likely have simply flooed in, so he could only assume it was someone else, perhaps someone who knew them, but did not know the warding marker that allowed access. He shrugged and sped up, jogging up behind the person, whom he soon discovered was a woman, and a child, he could only assume was the womans. It seemed she wanted to talk to someone, and... something about money? Alfie frowned, "who wants money?" He asked, moving around in front of her too look at her. She was pretty, and though it was cold, he could see that her eyes seemed to spark with anger and possibly frustration. "Sorry, are you looking for someone?" If she wanted money, maybe he could help? He had some up in his room she could have, after all, she had a child, he couldn't leave her begging at the gates, if that was what she was trying to do. She was speaking to the Gargoyles in English, so he'd addressed her in kind.​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch had just been about to start yelling at the gargoyle again to let them through or get someone who was an actual person that she could talk to. Of course, she didn't really expect for a person to actually pop up behind her before she could actually do so. So before, she could help it, the woman jumped in surprise and clutched Lorelai closer to her. "No one?" the woman said rather confusedly before realizing that he must have heard her while shouting at the gargoyle barely a minute prior. She finally felt relief though that there was actually someone here that she could talk to, and hopefully help her to actually get Phillip. He didn't seem to be horrid unlike Phillip's mother. The man in front of her seemed rather nice, as a matter of fact. "Yes, actually. Phillip. I need to see Phillip," she said as she glanced at the gargoyles that were still glaring at her and would probably continue to refuse her entry. "Just tell him it's Mitch and that it's really important," she said, now actually nervous that there was the possibility of Phillip and Lorelai meeting. She wondered if he'd be furious at her for keeping it a secret - not that she intended to. "If he doesn't know Mitch, then try Hanna," the woman sighed, faintly remembering that Phillip preferred to call her by Hanna - which she hated considering that it reminded her way too much of the life she left behind. "I'd really, really appreciate it if we could get a few minutes with him if he's here, or at least know how I could contact him," she said, nearly pleading by now, really. She was sincerely hoping that this guy would be able to help her, otherwise she really had no clue how she was getting past the gargoyles.​

 

[Alfie Kaster]

"Uncle Phillip?" He asked, confused as to why the woman would want to see him. She didn't seem like she would be into that sort of thing, not the kind of things his Uncle tended to provide anyway, but then, you never really could tell what sort of a life people lead, his Uncle was a great example of that. He glanced briefly at the child she was carrying before shrugging. "Sure, uh, okay. Let me just get you through the gates here, Uncle Phillip is inside with Grandma." He said, turning and waving his wand at the Gargoyles. They stilled immediately and Alfie gestured for the woman to follow him. "I won't leave you to stand out here, it's far too cold for you and... your little one?" He asked, wanting to confirm if the child was indeed the woman's. "You've gotten here in time actually, Phillip is leaving again tomorrow so today is probably your last day to see him. Grandma has been sick, you see," he told her as they began the long trek up to the Manor, you couldn't apparate inside the gates, family rules, so they would have to walk. "He's moved to New Zealand to help out my Uncle Carter, his brother. It's all very hush apparently, but I managed to overhear my Grandma and my Dad talking about it." He said, making conversation as a way to pass the time. He'd never liked the quiet. "I'm Alfie by the way, it's nice to meet you Mitch!" He assumed it was short for Michelle, or something, though he briefly wondered where the name Hanna might have come into it.​

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When they had finally reached the Manor, Alfie pushed on the doors that opened to reveal the lobby and dropped his big coat on the ground, grinning as one of the house elves immediately appeared to pick it up before they disappeared again. The houseelves didn't like it when he was around, because he kept trying to talk to them about their freedom, but none of them seemed to want to listen. "Wait here, I'll go up and find him for you," he said, immediately making a beeline for the stairs and taking them two at a time to reach the landing before disappearing down the hallway to his Grandma's room.​

 

[Phillip Kaster]

"What do you mean someone is looking for me, be more specific, Alfred." Honestly the fact that his Nephew was ever able to do anything half the time was a miracle. The name that slipped from his lips though, confused him. Mitch? There was something niggling at the back of his mind. He knew that name, but from where? "Sorry, Mitch... what?" The next name that came was more informative, Hanna, Hanna Freecss. He'd been in a relationship with her once, a few years back, just after his divorce from Don. He'd wanted to try something different and they'd gotten along well and he'd enjoyed Hanna's company, but they just hadn't been right for each other, so to hear that she was now here, and apparently looking for him was a surprise. "Yes, alright, see to my mother will you?" He asked, as he quickly left the room and headed down to the lobby, spotting Hanna immediately, though being confused by the child she seemed to have with her. "Hanna?" He called, as he reached the ground he walked towards, her, one hand fixing his cufflink. "This is certainly a surprise, I've not seen you for years, what made you stop by now?" ​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Hanna nodded as the man seemed confused that he was looking for his uncle. So he was related to Phillip, Mitch tended to forget sometimes that Phillip was a decade older than her, perhaps one of the many reasons why they didn't work out. She was infinitely relieved though, when the man had finally let her and Lorelai in. "Thank you," she said with a small smile and she nodded, coaxing the little girl from her hiding her face from the apparent stranger. "This is Lorelai," the woman introduced as the little one gave a small shy wave before hiding her face once more upon the crook of Mitch's neck as the woman adjusted her hold on the child. The woman listened absentmindedly to the man is she tried to mentally prepare for the meeting with Phillip. Sure, she had been trying to get a hold of him to no avail for the past five years so it was sort of nerve-wracking to actually finally get him to meet his daughter. Their daughter. "It's really great to meet you Alfie," the woman said as she tried to disregard her nervousness to make small talk with the man as they walked up to the manor.​

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As soon as they entered the manor, Mitch tried to set Lorelai down only to have the little one hide behind her legs and she had to run her fingers through the young girl's hair to get her to relax just as Alfie left them to get Phillip. Crouching down to speak to her daughter at eye-level, the woman smiled. "You're going to meet Papa now okay? Don't be afraid," she said with a smile before giving her a kiss on the forehead just as Phillip called her by the name that she so hated but was unfortunately still hers. "Phillip," the woman greeted as she stood up and felt Lorelai hug her leg but trying to peek at the man that had now arrived. Mitch's eyes nearly narrowed though at his statement, she'd been trying to get a hold of him for years, figures that his mother would not think to mention her annual visits here. Or at least annual attempts. "I actually stop by here once a year, never managed to catch you though," she said with a shrug. "Charming gargoyles you have," the woman grumbled knowing that at this point she was already stalling. But really, how does one go about introducing father and child. It seemed that Mitch didn't have much time to think though since Lorelai had swallowed her fear faster than her mother could and called out rather unsurely in a soft voice that seemed to echo in the lobby, "Papa?"​

 

[Phillip Kaster]

Phillip certainly wasn't unhappy to see Hanna, but he really didn't know why she was there. The child hiding behind her confused him though. He didn't know why there would be a child with her. He frowned though, as she said she had been stopping by annually, because he'd not heard anything about it. "Oh, have you?" He asked, looking up momentarily in the direction of his mother's room, as she was the only person who would even dare to turn away a guest. Had it been his father or his brother, he would have been informed immediately and they had known how to contact him even when he'd been travelling, so the fact that Hanna was looking at him and telling him that she hadn't been able to talk to him was disconcerting and more than a little annoying. He ignored the comment about the gargoyles, not finding it to be relevant. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Hanna," he said, not really sure what to say, or even if he should be saying anything. She'd obviously come here for a reason and he had a suddenly horribly thought that the child might have had something to do with it. She certainly looked the right age, but the words that came out of her mouth just as he was talking, seemed to confirm his suspicions. Phillip stood stunned, staring at the child and then at Hanna. She wasn't stopping the child from moving towards him hesitantly either, which again seemed to confirm what had just been said, but a child? Him? He was definitely not the type who should be having children. He lived a tumultuous life, in a number of ways, he couldn't prepare for a child. "Uh..." The child, who's name he didn't even know, kept walking towards him and it took everything he had not to skulk away from her. He never wanted children, especially not like this. He knew the only reason Hanna had kept this from him was that she clearly had no choice in the matter as his mother apparently did not believe he should be told he'd a child somewhere in the world and really that angered him. "Hallo, child," he said as she finally reached him and tentatively attempted to hug him around the middle, or she tried anyway, but he was much taller than she was, obviously. "Hanna?"​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch could only shrug at the slight disbelief that Phillip had upon knowing that she had been dropping by. Clearly he had absolutely no clue about the night she had come to Kaster manor almost six years ago as an attempt to tell him that she had gotten pregnant. And clearly he had no idea just how badly that conversation with his mother went. She wasn't really sure what he was apologizing for really. His mother being just as bad as the gargoyles outside, the trouble of contacting him or whatever else. She merely watched silently as Lorelai dislodged herself from her legs and began to shakily walk towards Phillip. For months, the little one would ask about her father, one that Mitch hadn't been able to introduce to her and that broke the woman's heart every single time. She wasn't all that sure how this meeting would go as well but could only hope that the man would not turn away his daughter even though his mother had already turned them away. "I named her Lorelai. Lorelai Philippa Freecss," she said quietly whilst she watched her daughter. Their daughter. "I would have given her your last name but I didn't think that would have gone very well," she said, remembering just how plainly the man's mother stated the Mitch's child would be no Kaster. She didn't have anything then, no power, no money to her name and unborn child. She didn't want to risk the nasty woman's wrath then. "I really wanted to tell you. But you'd already left when I found out but I kept coming back because you deserved to know and well, Lorelai wanted to meet her father," she said as she looked at the young girl, still clutching Phillip as if he would disappear if she were to let go. "I know once a year is not much, but international portkeys and commercial flights can be a bit of pain to obtain," the woman said with a small laugh though it sounded sad even to her ears. Raising a child had not been easy, even with Abel and Killua. They all floundered about and it had been hard and all Mitch could be thankful for then was her little angel and that had not been alone. "I'm really sorry for having popped this on you, five years late."​

 

[Phillip Kaster]

Phillip was seriously out of his element. Half of the reason he'd been in a gay relationship for as long as he had been was a lack of desire for children. When he and Don had ultimately broken up and divorced due to the infidelity, he'd met Hanna and they'd gotten along so well he'd decided to try a different kind of relationship. She was attractive, intelligent and she'd made him feel like a good person for the most part, but her age and lack of experience had forced the both of them to see that they simply weren't suited to each other. They'd parted mutually and been very amicable about it all, so he'd never considered Hanna a bad person. He wasn't sure quite why his mother would have allowed this to happen, as she was usually someone who was very strict about family, they were a very family oriented people and their family crest even stated Family above all else, or something of that nature anyway. To say he was disappointed in his mother, or in this development would be to oversimplify his current emotions. He reached down careful to pat the girl on the head, never having been a particularly paternal person, and he'd really hoped to avoid something like this as he didn't generally like children. Knowing that she now existed though, he could not simply turn her away, he wasn't a horrible person despite what his brother liked to think. He had loved Hanna once, for a time and he liked her still. He just didn't want to build a life with her, especially not after this. None of this was her fault, however, as they were both to blame for a child and his mother was to blame for the fact he'd not heard about this until now. He looked up as she mentioned the name and nodded. "I feel sorry for her that she's stuck with a middle name like that, I never liked my name," he said, though he supposed there were worse names than Phillippa, and Lorelai was a very nice name indeed, pure, innocent, as she should be. He did briefly consider the Germanic legend of Lorelei being a beautiful siren who sat upon a rock in the Rhine River and lured sailors to shipwreck and death, and he hoped that was not something his child would have to come through in the future. His child. It was rather a foreign concept. ​

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"That makes sense, though, please, should you feel the wish, you may give her my last name. My mother has no power of you as of this moment," he said, reaching out to beckon Hanna towards him. He would take her under his protection if he had to. He would not allow his mother to ruin Hanna's life anymore than she had done. "I am deeply sorry abut this, Hanna, had I known, I hope you know I would never have left you in that situation alone." He didn't want her to think badly of him, though he knew she probably wouldn't, she'd really only ever seen the best in him and was part of the reason he had decided that they didn't work. He was too deep in other things to allow it to stain her with the same brush he had been stained with. "It's not your fault, it is my mothers, and believe me, once we are finished here, I will be having words with her, what she has done to you is completely unacceptable. There is no way my father knows of this, he never would have allowed it." He gestured to the tea room off the lobby. "Please, let us discuss this, perhaps we can ask my nephew Alfie to look after Lorelai for a moment, I don't know if she should be hearing what I would like to discuss, just in case." He certainly didn't want to come out and say he didn't want to be a part of the child's life, because he did, to a degree, but what right did he have to ask of that after five years of nothing? He didn't want to make Hanna into the bad guy and if she wanted nothing to do with him from here on out, then he would allow her to use any narrative she wished with Lorelai, if only to save their daughter from the knowledge that mummy and daddy didn't agree on her.​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch chuckled as Phillip expressed his dislike for his own name and really, she could relate. She had hated the name Hanna, it had been what her parents had called her as they raised her to be a commodity sold to the highest bidder. It was a symbol of the life she left behind, the life she and her brothers had left behind. All of them. Her history had always been one she kept close, one she hadn't shared with Phillip back when they were together. It wasn't that she wanted to keep it a secret for fear of how he'd react, it was more of she wanted to forget that bloody part of her past and though she had not been raised the same as he brothers were, it was still a dark red stain that she'd rather not look back on. Especially now that they were free after they had taken care of their parents and dissolved what was left of the business. It was all long gone and though it marred her soul, Mitch would forever be glad that Lorelai would never be part of that life. "I wanted her to have a part of you," she said with a small, sad smile, the words just in case left unspoken as she walked towards him. "She is your daughter just as much as she is mine. Changing her last name can be done," she said with a nod, already calculating that it was probably for the best that Lorelai was named as a Kaster instead of a Freecss.​

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The woman accepted the apology as it was given. She had suspected long ago that he would never find out that they had a child unless she managed to actually speak to him personally without his mother's interference and though life had been hard as she raised her daughter, Mitch would not trade Lorelai for anything else in the world. Lorelai had been her anchor, her strength and the reason for her growth. Long gone was the girl she had once been after her daughter had been born. If there was anything she feared now however, it would be losing her daughter and if she were being honest, that would really be the only reason for her nervousness in introducing father and child. "Of course," the woman said as she looked at her daughter and gave her a small smile. "You're going to have to go with the nice man from earlier," she told the girl who merely quirked her head to the side in confusion. "The one who made the monsters let us through," she said and Lorelai smiled unsurely and nodded. "Where are you going?" the little girl asked and Mitch gave her a small pat on the head. "Papa and I are just going to be talking for a little bit and it's going to be soooooooo boring and it will be a loooooot more fun with Alfie," she said as she pretended to fall asleep making the girl giggle and nod before Mitch turned back to Phillip. "I'll take her while you get Alfie," she said with a smile as she took Lorelai's hand and led them to where Phillip had gestured earlier which happened to be the tea room.​

 

[Alfie Kaster]

Alfie frowned as his Grandmother kept asking him questions about Mitch as she sat against he pillows, looking paler than he'd ever seen her. She certainly didn't look good, but who was Alfie to say so, he had no healing experience, no way of knowing what was actually wrong with her, especially since she kept insisting she was fine when just looking at her confirmed that she was not. She couldn't even stand up. He almost sighed in relief when he heard his Uncle enter the room and request his help. He immediately jumped out of his seat, ignoring the protests of his Grandmother as she was left to the care of the elderly nursing elf, and followed his Uncle down the stairs and into the tea room to find Mitch and the little girl. "What's going on?" He asked, looking between the three of them in confusion. Once it was explained to him, albeit in the simplest terms possible, Alfie couldn't even take a moment to process before he was suddenly standing outside the tea room door with little Lorelai in his arms. He blinked down at her and shrugged. He loved kids, he could help, he could do this and show his Uncle he wasn't completely useless after all. "Come on, Lore, let's go up to my room and I'll show you some cool magic!" His room still had a lot of his toys from when he was a child, mostly because his parents couldn't bring themselves to change anything. The East wing of the manor was where they lived now, but Alfie had grown up in the South wing, and that was where his room now was, near Uncle Carter's old room. He headed up there and he knew his Uncle Phillip would be able to find him when they wanted Lorelai back.​

 

[Phillip Kaster]

-Some time later-​

Phillip poured himself another cup of tea, and sent the pot over to Hanna as well, incase she wanted another one. Idle small talk was such a bore, but it was important for him to understand where they both were in their lives right now, as he wanted to be involved in some way with Lorelai, but he didn't want to make assumptions where he had no information to do so. Knowing that his child had been raised with Hanna's brother and her brothers kind of boyfriend, made him feel at least marginally better, though he knew nothing about the boyfriend and his name sounded somewhat familiar. He'd met Killua once or twice over the course of the time he'd been dating Hanna, they didn't really get along, and he had a feeling the brother didn't like him, but he'd never come right out and tried to interfere in their relationship, so he was grateful in a lot of ways for that and for the fact that he'd cared enough about his sister to help her with Lorelai, he would have to thank Killua and Abel for that somehow. But now it was time to move on to some more serious matters, namely, what Hanna's complete intentions were. "I think the real question for now, is what you want exactly to come out of this?" Because if all she wanted was money, then he would provide that. He couldn't in good conscience ask her to leave with nothing, not now that he knew Lorelai existed. Hanna had done a very good job with her and he would like to help out if he could. "I don't mean to suggest you want anything at all, aside from me to know of Lorelai's existence, which you already mentioned, but beyond that, what do you want from me, best case scenario and worst case scenario, what is your hope and expectation?" He asked, sipping his tea and waiting for her response.​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch drank her tea slowly, not because she wanted to savor it - quite the opposite really. She would really rather have a glass of wine right about now but maybe if she was lucky she could have some once back in Hawaii. Really, while the small talk had been particularly pleasant as they she and Phillip caught up about their lives, it was just slightly frying her nerves. Questions popped in her head here and there on whether she had been doing an okay job with Lorelai and she'd like to think that she did great, but hey, it wasn't like she had much reference points when it came to how good her child-rearing skills were. Mitch had almost breathed a sigh of relief when they were finally getting into more serious matters. In all honesty however, Mitch really hadn't thought about what to say to Phillip about her expectations regarding Lorelai, because really, it wasn't even all that long ago when the gargoyles weren't even letting her through. She really didn't think she'd make it past the wards again but here they were. Placing her tea down on the table in front of her, Mitch pondered upon his question for the moment. "I hadn't thought that far honestly since I didn't think I'd actually get in here and talk to you," she started as she looked at him. "Worst case scenario I thought of is that you'd turn her away as soon as you knew. Or that you'd take her away from me," While she always tried to look towards the best of things, she also knew the ugliness of reality, the world and the people in it, and that was what Mitch wanted to protect Lorelai from but she also knew that she wouldn't be able to protect her little girl from the harshness of reality for very long. "Best case scenario, I don't lose my daughter and you'd be willing to spend some time with her every now and then," the woman answered. Lorelai was very precious to her, she didn't think she could stand to lose her daughter, but as Lorelai grew she also began to ask after her father - the very man sitting across from her right now. She had no doubts that if Phillip was agreeable to spending time with the young girl then she'd be very happy indeed, and that's all that mattered to her.​

 

[Phillip Kaster]

"I certainly do not wish to deprive Lorelai of her mother, she doesn't know me." He said, shaking his head and crossing his legs. To be honest, he hadn't even considered it. He was a Kaster after all, even if he was considered the black sheep of the family, he still believed in loyalty of that sort and he wasn't about to break up the little family she had made for herself. "Well, your worst case scenario you be rest assured will never happen. I would never allow you to be treated like that, and I apologise that it happened before I was aware of the situation. I assure you, Mother will be nothing, if not civil to you and your-our daughter will have access to all the rights and inclusions the name of Kaster will afford her. I am the youngest, so it is not much, but what is mine is hers and by extension, yours." He said, hoping it was at least in some way a repayment for all she'd been through in the last five years. "I want to get to know her," he said, after some thought. And it was a strange feeling, admittedly, because he knew he had never wanted kids, he still didn't think he did, but now that he had one, he didn't think it would be right to ignore her existence, she didn't deserve that. "If that is okay with you. I will of course be helping you with expenses, no questions asked and you can do with the money as you wish, I won't take no for an answer on this." Whilst he thought Hanna was perfectly capable of providing Lorelai with the essentials, it was everything else he was worried about. He would like Lorelai to spend some time with him either here at the manor or at his modest estate in Kiel, either way, whilst there she would grow accustomed to a certain way of life and he wanted for Hanna to replicate that if possible in her own living space, wherever that was now. "You'll forgive me if this is all still hard for me to understand. I think I may still be in a bit of shock," he admitted, shaking his head.​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch nodded, grateful that Phillip hadn't even so much as entertained the thought of splitting her and Lorelai up. Of course, she knew that her daughter would not go quietly if that happened, she was also still young and will eventually adapt. Mitch willed the thoughts out of her head, there was no sense of dwelling on that fear when she had already been assured that it would not come to pass. "Thank you." She didn't expect this really, the level of trust that Phillip was giving. Even if he was still in shock - which he likely was, she'd be shocked if someone suddenly came to her after half a decade and told her they have a kid - he was still being very nice about all this. The woman smiled after he finally decided that he wanted to get to know he-, no, their daughter. And that was all Mitch could ask for, anything else was too much in her opinion. She wanted to say no to the money of course, but he had already said that he was not taking no for an answer so really, there was no point in arguing with him about it considering that he could be stubborn if he so wished. Besides, maybe it could be the final push that she and Lorelai needed to move out. While Killy and Abel had been nothing but gracious, they did need their house back to themselves and Mitch had been saving up for that for years. "This is really more than I could ask for. Thank you Phillip," she said and could only offer a smile as he admitted that he was still in shock. She couldn't blame him really. "I know. I had more time to process this whole thing, you had about a few minutes. Sorry," she said with a grimace but also a small hint of a smile. "You'll manage... Eventually," she offered before taking her cup of tea and drinking it once more.

 

[Phillip Kaster]

"Yes, quite," He said, sitting back slightly. This was not the sort of business he was used to conducting in this, or any, room, so having Hanna here was actually a bit nice. Though he had thought of her infrequently in the time after they broke up, when he had done so, he had remembered their time together quite fondly, though he was trying to ignore it, having her back in the same room as him was dragging up old feelings and memories he'd long thought he had gotten over. It was disconcerting to say the least. "Don't thank me yet, Hanna, you should know how horribly stubborn I am, this could all go so very wrong," he said, shaking his head and taking a sip of his tea. "But I am glad you agree. I don't want to force you into anything of course, but I would definitely like to have Lorelai around a little bit, especially if I am to get her name down in the inheritance. It is up to my Grandfather of course, and I don't think he will mind too much since he is not as arrogant as my mother," he sighed. "But it will mean you will need to stick around for a while. I don't want my mother to be able to appeal on the grounds of ineligibility. She won't be able to appeal on grounds of illigitimacy or on the grounds of her not being my child, because even if she was not related to me by blood, which I know she is because I don't believe you would lie, if I say she is my child, then he must accept it. That is how my brother Carter has ensured that Lyra, Jemma and Link, his late wife's kids, will be included in the inheritance even if they are not related to him by blood." It was a bit confusing to run through at the moment, but it was good enough of an explanation for now he thought. "Do you mind staying here in the manor for a while? I was supposed to leave for Kiel tonight, but if you will stay here, I will stay as well. Otherwise you are welcome to join me in Kiel. I bought it not long after we went our seperate ways. I may actually have some of your old stuff there that I never returned," he realised, thinking about it. It had been a fairly rushed break up after all and he'd had to rush off to do some business elsewhere. He hadn't had time to track her down and send her things back to her and then he'd simply forgotten.​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch chuckled at the reminder of his stubbornness, as if she needed any more reminders. She could see it clearly even if it had been quite some time since they had last seen each other. "Well, it could all go very wrong or it could all go very right or it could go somewhere in the middle. But at least we tried," she said with a smile and really that's all they could do. Really, that's all Mitch has been doing for the last five years as she raised Lorelai. Do what she could and hope for the best - hope that it was enough. The woman listened attentively to everything that was being said, she understood enough of it, remembered the intricacies of inheritance in a large and old family. Well, at least Phillip's family seemed less complicated than hers would have been in another life. Everything that he had been saying was within reason after all, though she wasn't really sure about how she felt with staying in the manor considering that his mother was here. Sure the woman was sick as Alfie had already mentioned early on and Phillip had already assured her that his mother could do no harm to her or Lorelai, but still it was more discomfort about being near the woman in general than actual hatred. "I think I'd rather have Lorelai and I stay with you in Kiel if that's alright," she said with a hint of hesitation. She didn't want to be a bother so if she really had to they could stay in Kaster manor, but really she'd rather not right at this moment if given the choice. "You still have my stuff?" Mitch asked in surprise however, she didn't think that he would have kept it considering that there had been no assurance that they would have crossed paths again. Of course she kept the few things of his that she had - mostly clothes that she had not bothered to return when they were together and after they had split up - she just didn't think he would have done the same. "I think some of them might be useful if we're staying a while. We didn't exactly plan an extended trip." And really, Mitch only had enough belongings with her for a night of stay and nothing more, so at the very least all they'd have to worry about is Lorelai.​

 

[Phillip Kaster]

The fact that the old banter was still there was a little surprising for Phillip. He would have thought that after five years of nothing, he wouldn't remember much about Hanna, or about what she liked or disliked, he even remembered that she didn't actually like tea, but was drinking it more as a favour to him than anything else. He nodded his head then, and waved the tea away, immediately walking over to the bar and pulling out some brandy for himself and then a bottle of wine for Hanna. "Sorry, Dear, I forgot completely." He said, pouring the glass of wine for her before waving his hand for it to appear beside her. He then poured himself a glass of brandy before joining her again. "Kiel is a very nice place, it's a port city with lots of boats, there's a slowly emerging magical community there." He told her, nodding. "I would be happy to accommodate the both of you, I certainly have room. Admittedly, it's not the Manor, but it's a moderate estate with half a dozen or so bedrooms. I'm sure we can make the both of you quite comfortable." He rather liked his estate, it was on rather large grounds, with enough room for his horses and a lovely garden. Which is all he really needed. He always had a small quidditch pitch. Not much, but enough to play amateur games. He didn't need a whole pitch for that. He was heading back to Australia soon, so she would have the estate to herself to do with as she pleased as well. "Some of it, I think. I haven't had a very good look at it all, so I'm not sure what I do have." He knew it had to be hers as he hadn't been with anyone else since, and she was one of the only women he had been with, he'd been married to Don for nearly ten years after all. "I have a house elf at home that can make some clothes for her, I'm sure she would be delighted, she's had nothing to do for a while now so I think she would appreciate the distraction." Phillip wasn't even sure why he had Rema, since she was what one referred to as a nanny or a nurse, so she looked after children, he'd managed to inherit her from Don though, and had kept her on since she had no where else to go and she was a lovely little old house elf. She mended his robes for him usually, which didn't give her much to do admittedly.​

 

[Hanna Mitchelle Freecss]

Mitch raised an eyebrow as the pot of tea along with the cups vanished and watched as Phillip made his way to the bar and grabbed some brandy and wine. The woman smiled as he apologized and the glass of wine appear beside her. "It's quite alright. The tea was nice although this is really preferable," she said as she raised her glass to him before taking a sip and deciding that this was some really good wine. The woman listened as Phillip described Kiel and decided that while it's only temporary, it would be a big change from Hawaii. She doesn't think Lorelai would mind all that much right now considering that she finally got to meet and would be able to spend time at her father's place. She had to suppress a snort though at the words moderate and half a dozen or so bedrooms in the same sentence that she had to wonder what he would constitute as tiny. After all, she lived in Killy and Abel's three-bedroom house with two stories plus a basement. "Pretty sure we'll manage to fit nicely if you have half a dozen or so bedrooms," she said with a smile as she took another sip of her wine. "I think Lorelai would be delighted in any case." The woman was grateful that at least they didn't need to worry about stuff for Lorelai or much of hers. "When are we leaving? I'll have to get our stuff from the hotel and send a letter to Killy informing him of the situation," the woman asked as she pondered what to put in the note that she'd be sending off to her brother. She just didn't want him or Abel to worry since she and Lorelai would be gone for a while and without much warning prior. Besides, Killy would be having his hands full with taking care of Abel in the next few days that he didn't need more worry on his plate.​