Warning: A bit of dark themes ahead.

Chapter 6: A Father's Word

In the morning, Balan had gotten up early and did some paperwork before dawn and just as the sun was rising, he went to Rachel's room and gently knocked. Not getting an answer, he opened the door to find her still asleep, but she was beginning to stir, indicating she had either just woken up or he had awoken her. The tall being chuckled gently. "Good morning, Rachel. Time to wake up, sweetheart," he said, going up to her and sitting beside her on the bed.

Rachel stretched before opening her eyes and looking up at him, sitting up as she rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?" She asked sleepily.

"Almost seven o'clock," he said. "I wanted to deliver the news to you this morning."

She looked up at him in confusion. "News?" She asked.

He nodded before holding up a file in his hand. "This is the case file for your father's death," he said, his voice gentle.

Rachel looked at him. "How did you get that?" She asked.

"Lance overheard us talking the first night you were here and he asked Eis to look into it. Eis talked to the police chief and the policeman decided that you needed to see this file and learn what was decided."

She looked confused. "I don't understand," she admitted.

Balan took her hand in his and gently squeezed it. "My dear, were you aware that there was a camera in the kitchen?" He asked.

She shook her head before realization hit her. "Wait. Are you saying that...the whole incident was caught on camera?"

He nodded before pulling out some papers. "Read these, my dear," he said.

A bit hesitant at first to accept them, she took the papers and began reading them, her eyes widening in shock as she read the jury's verdict.

"We the Jury find the child named Rachel not guilty of any crime," she read before looking at Balan, who smiled at her.

"The Judge ruled that your actions were in self defense," he said. "Lance thought this might bring you some comfort and closure with those nightmares you deal with."

Rachel looked a bit surprised. "Why...Why did Lance decide to look into this?" She asked curiously.

Balan smiled again. "I'm honestly not sure, but I do know that he does care about you and your siblings," he said. "Perhaps because you three weren't afraid of him when you first met him."

"Well, we were a little afraid," the seventeen-year-old girl admitted. "But he didn't hurt us and he did bring us some food at dinner."

The tall man nodded. "You children watch actions over words," he said matter-of-factly. "Due to your pasts."

Rachel nodded. "Yeah," she said.

"Is that why Emma and Leo are hesitant to believe a promise I make until it is kept?"

His eldest daughter bit her lip thoughtfully before sighing. "Yes," she said. "But we have noticed that you've been keeping your word. You got my herbs, you didn't give up on me even after finding out about my PTSD, and you're working to earn our trust." She then paused before looking at him. "I've noticed that you haven't once tried to make us trust you, though it seems you do want our trust."

Balan smiled. "Sharp as a tack," he said, playfully booping her on the nose. "I do want you children to trust me, but I want to earn your trust, not just be given it."

She smiled. "Well, you're on a good start," she said. "You've done more for me, Leo, and Emma than any of our foster families ever did."

He took that as a compliment and smiled at her before gently pulling her into a hug. She at once reciprocated the hug, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes, to which he chuckled. "Come on, little one," he cooed. "It's time to get up."

"Just five more minutes," she said, on the verge of falling back asleep.

The tall being chuckled again. "If you don't fully wake up, my dear, I'll tickle you awake," he said playfully.

She didn't move, to which he grinned. "Alright," he said, his hands reaching for his eldest daughter's sides and gloved fingers wiggled into that spot.

Rachel burst into giggles at that and squirmed, but Balan caught her before she could get away and pulled gently into his lap, going for her stomach now. "Cootchie, cootchie, coo!" He cooed in her ear. "Who is my ticklish captive?"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed out before she managed to curl up to protect her sides and stomach from her father's playful attack, but she squealed again when he nuzzled his nose into her neck playfully before letting her up. She took some deep breaths before giggling again and looking up at him, to which he smiled.

"How about a bargain?" He asked. "You help me get your siblings up and I'll spare you from another tickle torture."

Gloved fingers tickled her neck as he said that and she giggled, scrunching up her neck as she nodded and let him to Emma's room first, motioning him to be quiet before pointing to Emma's knees and her stomach. Seeing what she was telling him, the tall man nodded and gently shook Emma's shoulder. "Emma? Time to wake up, little one," he cooed in her ear.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. "It's too early," she groaned out.

Balan chuckled. "Oh? But it's never too early to show my youngest daughter some much-needed affection," he said before he reached down and gently squeezed her knees. Yelping in surprise, she started laughing, a squeal escaping her when a raspberry was blown right over her belly button.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! RAHAHAHAHAHACH! YOOHOOHOOHOO TOHOHOHOHOHOHOLD HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIM?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Emma laughed out.

"Sorry, Emma," the older girl said with a smile before winking at her. The younger girl knew that if her older sister did that, that meant she had something planned, but they had to wait for Leo.

The maestro let his youngest daughter up from the tickle torture and she giggled before sitting up and she felt a hand ruffle her hair. "Now, let's go see about your brother, girls," he said as they headed to Leo's room.

The boy was sleeping soundly and Rachel tapped Balan's arm, indicating him to lean his head closer to her. He did and she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Leo's ribs are very ticklish, as are his underarms," she said. "But if you hit that first rib right under his underarms, he goes crazy with laughter."

The tall man looked intrigued and went over to the boy, who began stirring at feeling a weight on the bed. "Leo?" Balan said with a smile. "Rise and shine, my boy."

The boy groaned and put the pillow over his head, making the girls giggle and the maestro chuckled. "Come on, Leo," he cooed. "Aren't you hungry for breakfast?"

Leo didn't budge, to which the maestro chuckled. "I think you are," he said before reaching up and his fingers wiggled against the boy's top ribs playfully.

The boy jumped in shock before he burst into laughter and he froze up, unable to move as he was tickled. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!" He laughed out, squeaking as the gloved fingers tickled his underarms and the rest of his ribs, which allowed him to at least squirm around.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Balan teased him playfully as the boy rolled onto his back and the wiggling fingers went for the young one's stomach, making him yelp and laugh some more. "Are you awake, my boy?"

At this question, the tall man stopped, allowing Leo the chance to catch his breath and the boy looked at him with a semi-annoyed look before looking at Rachel, who winked at him and inclined her head at Balan, to which the boy looked at the tall being before smiling and realizing what his older sister was thinking of. "Yeah, I'm awake," he said.

"It's a treat to see you children in the mornings," the maestro said as he motioned the girls closer and pulled them and the boy into a warm hug.

They smiled before Rachel moved her hands to Balan's underarms and tickled him there. Yelping in surprise, laughter burst from the white-suited being as he fell back on the bed. Emma and Leo giggled at seeing their sister tickling Balan.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! MY DEEHEEHEEHEEHEEAR! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHEHERE!" He laughed out. "THAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAT'S MIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHY WOHOOHOHOHORST SPOHOHOHOHOHOT!"

The seventeen-year-old girl grinned and looked at her siblings. "Come on, guys. You want to join in?" She asked.

Emma grinned and nodded, going up and tickling Balan's ribs and sides, making the tall being arch his back and squirm as his laughter grew louder.

Leo also grinned. "Payback," he said before he joined in, tickling Balan's stomach, noting how much the maestro was squirming around, but not stopping them or trying to escape. He grew curious and looked at his sisters. "Guys, we've seen how strong Balan is, right?" He said.

"Yes, we have," Rachel replied as they had witness Balan going through what the others called bouts where the tall being smashed negatized items to keep them from harming a stage or someone. Lance did his best to keep the negative energy in check, but there were times it got to be too much and items would get infused with the dark energy, to which he'd inform Balan, who would handle the situation.

"So why is Balan not trying to get away?"

Emma blinked as she suddenly realized what Leo meant. Balan was just squirming around, but not trying to get away, almost as if he was either enjoying the tickle torture or was being fair with them since he had tickled them to wake them up. "I...I think he's letting us tickle him," she said after a bit.

Rachel began to realize that too and the three stopped, to which Balan lay on the bed, taking some deep breaths as leftover chuckles continued to spill from him. Golden eyes opened and looked at his three children, who he noticed looked curious and he sat up with a smile. "What's the matter, my dears?" He asked gently.

The three looked at each other before Leo spoke up. "We've seen how strong you are, Balan," Leo said. "So...why didn't you try to escape?"

"Yeah," Rachel said. "Were you...letting us win?"

The tall being chuckled in amusement. "What? You think a maestro can't have some fun with his children?" He asked, smiling at them.

"You mean...you didn't mind?" Emma asked.

"Of course not," Balan said, still smiling.

He noticed the three looked a bit pensive, to which he opened his arms to them. "Come here, my little ones," he said welcomingly.

Rachel at once went up to him, hugging him as his right arm came around her to return the hug. Emma was right beside her sister a moment later as she hugged the tall being. Leo was a little hesitant, but then saw Balan smile warmly at him and hold out his left arm to the boy. "There's room for you too, my boy," he said.

The blue-eyed boy moved towards him and when the maestro held all three of his children in a hug, he heard content sighs from them and leaned back against the headboard of the bed, noting how the three snuggled into the hug. "My, my. You three have turned into cuddlebugs," he said teasingly.

The three smiled at his teasing before looking somber. "It's...It's been a long time," Emma said as she lay curled up on the tall being's chest, her ear pressed against his chest where his heart was.

"Yeah," Rachel admitted softly.

Balan felt a bit sad at hearing that and he held them comfortingly. "Don't worry, my little ones," he said, tightening his hold on them a little as his hands gently brushed over their heads in a fatherly gesture. "You will never be starved of affection here, especially from me."

Leo looked up at him. "You really mean it?" He asked.

The maestro nodded. "I promise," he said before smiling again. "Come. We should go get some breakfast."

Rachel got up to allow him to get up and Emma and Leo went to do the same, but before the two fifteen-year-olds could move, arms clad in white wrapped around them more securely before Balan stood up, still holding the young children in his arms and they were surprised, to which he chuckled. "You three were curious about my strength, were you not?" He asked teasingly.

"Um, kind of," Emma admitted.

Rachel gasped as someone's hands came around her waist and she turned her head to see one of Balan's clones and the clone smiled at her before gently pushing her closer to Balan and lifting her up, placing her on the real maestro's back. The girl quickly wrapped her arms around the tall being's neck, noting that he didn't falter as her weight settled on him. The clone vanished and Rachel felt something secure around her legs to keep her from falling off the maestro's back. "Um, Balan?" She asked.

"Yes, my dear?" He replied.

"Aren't I a little heavy for you to carry while you're carrying Emma and Leo at the same time?"

At her hesitant question, he chuckled. "Heavy? My dears, you three are not heavy at all," he said. "Despite my lanky appearance, I am very strong, more than strong enough to carry you three with no trouble. Besides," he paused a moment before standing straighter and slightly adjusting his hold on the two fifteen-year-olds in his arms. "What better way to show off my strength and spend time with my children than carrying all three of you to breakfast?"

To his delight, all three giggled before Balan headed down the hall to where breakfast awaited them, along with the day.

Later that very day, the three kids were thinking about his words as they went about their activities. Emma headed to Sana's place to help her make more birdhouses while Leo headed for Attilio's place to help him with the carnival, both enjoying helping out while Rachel headed for Lucy's studio for the sculpting class. As the oldest girl was heading down the hallway to go to the Isle of Tims, she happened to hear voices and paused, recognizing Balan's voice and another voice to be Jose, the friendly farmer who the kids had helped out not long after their first night at the theater.

"How are the kids doing, Balan?" Jose asked.

"They're doing better," the tall being said. "They've been so starved of affection that it hurts me when they seem so unsure about certain things."

"Like what?"

"Well, this morning, I tickled all three of them to wake them up and they turned the tables on me," Balan said with a chuckle. "When they were quick to see I was letting them do that, they grew unsure, almost as if they had done something wrong." He paused. "I already knew the three hadn't had good homes in a long time, but still...to be that starved of affection and fear that every action they do might be one where they get punished...,"

He trailed off and Jose nodded. "A very clear sign of abuse," the farmer said before growing curious. "Balan, there's something some of us have noticed too."

"What's that?" The tall being asked.

"Well...when talking to the kids, we always refer you as their dad, but we've noticed that they don't call you 'Dad'."

The maestro nodded. "Due to their pasts, I believe," he said before a sigh escaped him. Rachel moved closer to the slightly-open door of Balan's office, but stayed hidden to hear what he had to say. After a bit of silence, Balan spoke up.

"As much as I would love for them to call me 'Dad', I'm not going to push them to do so. They've been through so much hurt that I fear if I forced them to call me their father, it would do more harm than good." He paused here. "I'm beginning to earn their trust and I will continue to prove to them that they can trust me, by being there for them and reassuring them that they deserve love as much as any child does."

Jose grew curious. "How do they react when you call them your kids?" He asked.

"They soak up the affection like sponges," Balan said, chuckling a little. "Affection that I'm more than happy to give to them."

The farmer nodded. "Maybe they're wondering when it would be okay to ask you if they can call you 'Dad'," he said. "I remember when Eis adopted his son, the little boy was so scared to call Eis 'Dad' that if it slipped out, he was scared he'd be punished."

"I do recall that," the maestro said solemnly. "Took Eis a good while to get the boy to calm down, which gave us a clue that the little one had been through abuse."

Rachel felt her throat tighten up a little. Eis' son was a sweet little boy and to hear he had been through abuse like she and her siblings had hit close to home. No wonder Balan didn't push her, Emma, and Leo into anything. He let them decide and took time to prove to them that they didn't have to worry about being hurt.

She heard Jose clear his throat. "Well, I best get back to my field. Got some weeding to do," he said.

"Of course, my friend," Balan said warmly. "I hope you will have a good harvest this year."

"Thank you, Balan."

Rachel stood back as the doors opened fully and Jose headed out, not seeing her as he walked down the hall to the Isle. Curious, the seventeen-year-old decided to talk to Balan, because Jose had been right about one thing. She and her siblings had been talking about how Balan called them his children, but he never told them that they had to call him 'Dad'.

But one thing Rachel had noticed was that Balan would always look a bit sad when he would call them his children or a term of endearment and they didn't do the same. She bit her lip, wondering if their hesitation to call him their father was hurting him. Tears began to sting her eyes and she swallowed hard, her feet shuffling on the floor.

Balan looked up at hearing a noise and he closed his eyes before they widened in surprise at sensing his eldest child at the doors. "Rachel? Is that you, little one?" He called out.

A gasp from the tall girl indicated he had guessed right and the tall girl quickly wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. "Y-Yes," she said before clearing her throat. "Yes," she repeated a bit more clearly.

Concerned, the tall being got up and went to the door, seeing her standing there and she looked up at him before looking away as her face turned red, which told him she had no doubt heard his conversation with Jose. "Rachel," he said and she flinched before looking up at him. "How much did you hear?"

She took a deep breath. "From when Jose asked you about how Leo, Emma, and I were doing," she admitted truthfully. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have eavesdropped."

Balan smiled gently. "I'm not mad, my dear," he said, his voice gentle as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him, seeing he was being truthful to her before she decided to ask something. "Balan, can you be absolutely honest with me?" She asked.

"Of course," he said immediately.

He saw her take another deep breath as if to steady herself. "Does it hurt you when you call us your children or other terms of endearment and we don't return the affection?"

The maestro felt a twinge of sadness and it flickered briefly over his face, indicating that it did. "Yes," he said softly before clearing his throat. "But I understand why you haven't. You three have been through so much hurt in the past. I don't want to force you to call me 'Dad' if you're not ready to."

"But you'd like us too," she said in a straightforward manner.

Balan sighed gently. "I'm not going to lie, Rachel. Yes, I would," he admitted. "But...I want you three to do that when you feel ready to. I don't want you to call me 'Dad' just to make me happy."

"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion. "If it would make you happy, then why don't you want us to call you that right now?"

He kneeled down so that he was about her height and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Because I care about your happiness and your siblings' happiness too," he said honestly. "I want you three to be happy and as I told you before, I want to earn your trust, not just be given it. Forcing you to call me 'Dad' is demanding that you trust me. Allowing you three to decide on your own when to call me that title is me wanting to truly earn your trust." He paused. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

At the gentle question, she nodded. "Yes," she said and looked at him before hugging him. "Jose was right about one thing though."

"He was?" Balan asked.

She nodded. "Emma, Leo, and I have been talking about when it would be okay for us to ask you about calling you 'Dad'," she admitted. "Because we've noticed how it hurts you that we haven't, but yet you've never pushed us to."

He looked surprised, but then smiled. "Just do me a favor, my dear," he said. "Please don't rush your decision. As much as I would love for you all to call me 'Dad', please do so only if it will make you three happy as well."

Rachel smiled and nodded before hugging him again, sighing contently as he rubbed her back while hugging her before she looked up at him. "Balan, will you walk with me to Lucy's studio?" She asked.

"Of course, my dear," he said with a smile as they headed for there.

That evening, before it was time for bed, the three siblings were talking and Rachel told them what she had heard and what she and Balan had discussed. "He is really concerned for our happiness," she said. "He only wants us to call him 'Dad' if it will make us happy too, not just him."

Leo looked thoughtful. "You know, I asked Attilio how he thought Balan would react if we called him 'Dad' and Attilio said that he knows Balan would be absolutely thrilled to be called that title, but he did say that we should only do so if it's genuine and not out of fear," he said.

"Sana said something similar to me today when I asked her that question too," Emma said.

Rachel looked at them. "So...are we all in agreement to ask Balan if we can call him 'Dad'?" She asked. "And we can agree it's not just to make him happy, but because we want to call him that, because in the short time we've been here, he's been like a dad to us?"

They nodded. "Okay, then," the older girl said. "We'll ask him when he comes in to say goodnight."

They played a few games of Crazy Eights, each of them winning one round before Balan came in and he smiled at seeing them all. "Time for bed, my little ones," he said gently.

They looked up at him. "Balan, we want to ask you something," Leo said.

"Yes, my boy?" The tall being asked curiously.

Emma took a deep breath. "We've been talking and we've come to a decision," she said.

Both fifteen-year-olds looked at their older sister, who took a deep breath and smiled up at the maestro. "We've thought long and hard about this and have decided that it's not just for your happiness, but for ours as well and because we genuinely want to do it," she said.

Balan's eyes widened as he seemed to realize what they were leading up to. "Am I right to believe...?" He asked before trailing off.

The three nodded before Rachel smiled as Emma and Leo gathered close to her. "Balan...can we call you 'Dad'?"

"Please?" Emma asked.

"Because you've proven we can trust you," Leo said.

The tall being felt tears sting his eyes and he smiled as the tears spilled over, showing how happy he was. "Yes," he said. "I would be honored if you three called me 'Dad'."

All three teens became teary-eyed and glomped the maestro, who caught them all in his arms and hugged them close, their tears of happiness soaking his shirt as his tears of happiness fell on their heads, but none of them minded that as they were overcome with happiness. After a bit, Balan cleared his throat.

"I promise you, little ones, I'll be the best father to you three and I will never hurt you in any way, shape, or form," he promised.

"We know, Dad," Leo said, smiling.

"We love you, Dad," Emma said, also smiling.

"We couldn't ask for a better father," Rachel admitted as she smiled too. "Thank you, Dad."

Lance watched this with a smile of his own as he nodded, glad to see the children were genuinely happy. He frowned as he suddenly sensed some dark clouds on the horizon and sent his Negati to investigate.

Because something told him that trouble was going to strike and far be it from him to allow that to happen and for harm to come to any of the inhabitants of the theater.

Especially to Rachel, Leo, and Emma.

Oh, dear. Looks like trouble. But Lance is on the case.

And the kids called Balan 'Dad'. :)

I just love heart-melting moments. :)

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418