Hello everyone… long time no see? I AM SO SORRY! I have been stressed and busy out of my mind these past few weeks. If you have never bought a house, just take it from me that it is one of the most stressful experiences you will ever go through. I mean, it'll be totally worth it once I get the house since I love it so much. But, the process is just… AHHHHH! Okay, I'm done now. Haha. But, anyway, between the house buying and my career, I have had zero time to write which has been terrible since I love writing SO much and just haven't had time to do it. Since "The Bash, part 2" will be a long chapter and I want to give it all the time and effort it deserves, I managed to find time to write a little something just to thank you all for being so patient with updates. That and it's been a couple weeks and I felt guilty. :( But anyway, this chapter will focus on a conversation between Heather's father and grandfather. And I will say this much for now… this chapter will show just exactly how similar Heather and her grandfather and their kind of sort of dynamic they have together. Hope you all enjoy! :)

({No POV})

Heather's grandfather, Craig senior, was looking on out the window.

Craig senior was already dressed in his white tie attire for the country club event that evening. Despite those affairs not usually being his 'cup of tea' and could think of a great many better uses of his time from his perspective; however, he had other curiosities that compelled him to want to attend the event that evening.

Though he appeared to already be warming up for the event as he sipped on his usual evening drink of whiskey and water.

Craig senior kept up his current task as everyone else was still getting ready for the party… until Heather's father, Craig junior, entered the room dressed and ready in his white tie attire as well.

Craig junior, like in most situations involving his father, approached him with an aire of hesitant trepidation while still keeping his distance slightly.

Though Craig senior saw his son out of the corner of his eye, he kept his eyes looking out the window into the backyard from the secondary den that was more of like a 'posh man cave' used by Heather's father when he wanted to escape during family gatherings.

Craig junior started pouring himself a drink as well as he started, just attempting to make conversation with his father, "Well… it's nice to have you here for Christmas, dad. I'm sure…" "Cut the crap, junior." Craig senior cut in abruptly, turning around and giving his son a look.

Heather's father's eyes widened as he readjusted his glasses, his tone sounding almost fearful, "P-Pardon?"

Meanwhile, Craig senior didn't respond right away as he proceeded to take a sip before expanding on his words, "Look, you should know more than anyone I would rather be anywhere but here. I came back to this useless frozen wasteland of a place for this painfully boring facetime of a hell at your house with your insufferably useless children when I could be at my getaway in Tahiti right now!"

"Then why are you here then?" Craig junior countered in frustrated annoyance at the insults, until he realized he made a critical error.

At that exact moment, Craig senior gave his son a hard glare as he tilted his head and squared up his shoulders, "I'm pretty sure I made myself clear earlier. I came to make sure Don Juan was good enough for the only grandchild I actually like and has any drive to actually do something with her life. Considering your other four are just a bunch of complacent, lazy freeloaders."

Immediately Craig junior, getting another spark of bravery, countered, "That's not true! CJ, Kelsey, and Damien made it to university and two of which are already graduated. Megan married an orthopedic surgeon and is an active member of her club's committee. Heather is 21 and has done nothing but waste her time on television shows and never attempted to go to university much less do anything else. And you're calling my other children lazy?!"

Suddenly Craig senior charged forward and sized up his son with an intense glare through his glasses as Heather's father adjusted his own glasses after jumping slightly from being startled by his father's sudden movement.

Craig senior put a finger to his son's face as he started, sounding almost menacingly threatening, "Don't you dare countermand me again if you know what's good for you, junior. Though to answer your question again, I will repeat myself. Yes… I do think most of your children are lazy. I don't give a rat's ass what schools your children went to, or what jobs they have right now, or what schmucks they ended up marrying… To me, they are a bunch of spoiled, lazy, and entitled little worms who have never had to work for what they've got. Much like you."

Almost cowering slightly, Heather's father tried to speak up until his father cut him off, "Don't deny it, junior. You've never had to struggle one day in your life thanks to me. Everything you have and achieved was all because of me and my hard work. Your education, your career… even your marriage."

"What do you mean? You had nothing to do with it. All you did was bribe me with a sports car!" Heather's father lashed out, not liking how his marriage was brought up for insult and criticism.

Though Craig senior just towered over his son again, his tone radiating knowing intimidation, "Exactly. All you cared about was golf and you would have been living with me and sponging off me your entire life if I didn't give you incentive to do some damn thing for yourself. And look what happened? You actually did something… and eventually got a wife out of the deal. I gave you everything… and you gave mediocrity. You're just like my parents. At age 16, I had to take charge and drop out of school to earn money for the family while my parents sat on their useless hands as the money ran out. But did I wait for any handouts to get what I wanted? No. Instead, I put my ass to work and did anything I had to do to claw my way up through the ranks at a steel mill to get what I wanted and eventually took over the damn place and made it mine. Even after losing everything and your mother leaving me like a cheap slut for my driver when you were 7, I still did everything to buck up and be successful and make the company everything it is today. Something you and my dipshit grandson reaped the benefits of and take for granted."

Heather's father tried to speak up again as he started, "But, CJ's…"

"A dipshit. That boy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth just like you and relied on his name, my name, to keep him on top. Just like you, your boy is a follower. A sheep. And Megan, Kelsey, and Damien aren't much better. You say Kelsey went to university and got a job… a 'job' she didn't earn and you gave her as she spent all her time coasting through school and wasting her time chasing boys for a good time. And Megan never tried ever to do anything for herself in her whole life and just cashed out her looks and life onto that clueless schmuck doctor she married and is using him for every cent he has. Then Damien… Ha! He's got no other redeeming qualities beyond being a decent looking kid that's good at shooting a basketball. Otherwise all he does is waste every other hour of his life in front of a screen with those damn video games he always plays with no desire to do anything else. Useless, all four of them. And the one that actually has any substance, you do little to nothing for. Or need I remind you of who bought Heather those hair extensions when I heard her say on a low-brow reality TV show that her dad was too much of a cheap-ass to get them for her? Something I can still go to the press and reveal if you don't watch it." Craig senior said, a tone of high handed malice to his voice, as he took another sip and gave his son a hard glare.

Heather's father tensed up, remembering that whole scenario, as he stuttered, "W-well, I just didn't see the point in buying them when her hair was going to grow back anyway and…"

Craig senior gave his son a stern look as he accused, "She was practically bald for an entire year! And her hair was slow growing! Yes, she took a risk and ended up getting screwed over by that slimy shyster of a host on a technicality. Bastard was just lucky he had very good lawyers who were good at making contracts or I would have handed and ruined his sorry ass. But, in all that horse shit, what did Heather really want? Hair. She just wanted hair until her own grew back. Your then teenage daughter, who was probably mocked and ridiculed by her peers, was bald and what did you do? Nothing. Your stingy ass was apparently too above putting money toward your daughter's self-esteem and dear old grandad stepped in and paid for it. Now, I know… I was never a great father, but I was always a generous one. I always gave you everything you wanted but you couldn't even do that for your own daughter. Pathetic."

Heather's father kept backtracking until he tripped over a chair leg and fell on the floor on his rear-end.

He had no other time to do anything else as Craig senior pointed his cane in his face, "Honestly, it would do you some good to look at your daughter. She's the only child you have who will do anything worth a damn with her life. And I have no doubt she will. I know you and your wife see Heather differently, but to me… that girl is going places. She always has been. She's determined, she's intelligent, she's ruthless… Heather is a 'go-getter'. Honestly, every time I look at Heather… I see myself at her age. She is young and hungry when it comes to getting what she wants. Hell, she put her own feelings aside and managed to take her little lover boy's guard down long enough to literally shove him aside to get what she wanted. And honestly that's where I will give her boyfriend some credit. Sure the boy needs a good haircut and I still don't think he's good enough for Heather, he didn't seem to get put off by what she did to him so I will give him points there."

Though Heather's father was thoroughly confused and insulted as he took in everything his father just spouted at him, a thought managed to strike as he questioned, quirking up an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Alejandro isn't good enough? If anything I don't understand why he…"

Craig senior cut him off yet again as he interjected, "I've looked into the boy since the moment it seemed like Heather was taking an interest in him on the third season of that damn show. You don't think I'd keep tabs on the first young man my granddaughter seemed serious about? And I will admit… he is impressive at a glance of a theoretical studbook perspective. Descended from a well born family of Spanish aristocratic standing, educated, plenty of money, and a successful lineage. But he himself?… I am not impressed in the slightest from what I saw on that show. The boy is a slave to his own arrogance. He allowed his ego to get in the way on his own victory as he mocked Heather the entire way up the volcano. But right as he was about to win… he played right into Heather's hand and allowed her to play him for a total chump before she threw him aside and outwitted him to completion. He proved to me he wasn't good enough for Heather the moment I witnessed that whole outcome. But... I guess there's no accounting for being young in some respects. And I always thought Heather was too smart to let herself get distracted by boys. But, she is young and he's just lucky he has a handsome smile and enough charisma to make himself 'charming'. Though if you ask me if he is good enough for Heather? Ha! Not a chance. It'll be a cold day in hell before I think anyone is good enough for Heather."

Unbeknownst to Craig junior and senior right outside the room, Alejandro was standing right outside the doorway and listened in on the entire conversation while he waited for Heather and everyone else to come downstairs.

His expression was unreadable at first until he casually started walking away from the doorway as silently as possible to avoid being noticed.

As he walked toward the foyer; however, Alejandro's eyebrows knit together slightly as his fists clenched at his sides, showing his offense to the comments made by Heather's grandfather about him.

He silent for a few moments before Alejandro said, his tone sounding offended yet also very determined, "Not good enough? Hmph, we'll see about that... señor."

So… Craig senior is 'quite' cold blooded isn't he? But, I just really wanted to hammer the point home that Heather's grandfather is an intimidating no nonsense man who will do anything to what he wants. Like grandfather like granddaughter! Haha. But, really, ever since we first got a glimpse of Heather's parents… yeah, they didn't seem like 'great people' of course but I just didn't see either of them being 'ruthless' like Heather is. And it made me curious… just where exactly did Heather get her ruthlessly determined nature and strong personality from? That was why I decided to make her grandfather the way he is and why he seems to have a bit of a bond with Heather. Mainly because he sees himself in Heather and would of course 'favor her' due to that reason. As you could also see since I showed he was also the one who bought Heather her hair extensions she had by season 3. And to add to the drama and make things more interesting, I also wanted to make him be 'very' critical of Alejandro and think he 'isn't good enough' for Heather since he just sees him as an arrogant 'pretty boy'... which kind of isn't wrong if we're all honest. We love you Alejandro and we know you are SO much more than that. Lol. XD But, still I wanted to make the dynamic fair and interesting if Alejandro had a challenge with needing to 'prove himself' in a way to someone in Heather's family. Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too much of a let down to you guys. Just know that I am still determined to finish this story and I am so grateful to all of you for staying with me and this fanfic project of mine. Many thanks to you all and constructive feedback is always VERY much appreciated.

Stay safe and see you all next time!

Dexter1995

P.S. Btw… is anyone else excited about "Total Drama" getting some new seasons?! :D Let's hope its gonna be a good thing! Either way it will still be better than the 'most recent spin off' on TV in my opinion... I'll just leave it at that. Haha. XD Take care everyone!