Chapter 439: SoHo

Monday, February 13th, Afternoon

The door opened to a SoHo Studio apartment, he looked at the young boy in the door. The young boy looked up at him, and they both smiled.

"Onkel Grant," Ger said.

"Ger, is your mom home?" Grant asked.

"Yes, Onkel Grant, she's in her studio," Ger said.

"May I come in to see her, Ger?" Grant asked.

"Sure, Onkel Grant," Ger said and stepped aside.

Grant walked in and turned to watch Ger close the door. With a nod and a smile, Grant walked the apartment to a room separated from the rest of the apartment by a set of French Doors. Grant smiled as he looked through the windows to see Alex Grasland. Alex stood at her easel, had a brush in hand, and started to trace the lines of some pencil sketches.

With a proud smile, Grant opened the French Doors and stepped inside. He closed the doors behind him and watched as Alex kept working on her latest painting. Grant noticed that her strokes weren't as strong or bold as they had been in the past. Alex's shoulders were slumped, not her usual confident stance.

Once she paused, Grant to the opportunity to speak, "It's good to see you back at your easel," he said, clearly and cooly.

Alex jumped a little and turned to face him. "Grant, you scared me," Alex said.

"That wasn't my intention," Grant said.

"So, what brings you out to SoHo?" Alex asked.

"Seeing how you are doing?" Grant asked.

"Better, but not by much," Alex said.

"That's good, and Ger seems to be doing better," Grant said.

"He is better than me; kids seem to bounce back faster," Alex said.

"Ger at least tends to," Grant said.

"Well, he had to be since his mom passed," Alex said.

"I can hear you both," Ger yelled, "You're talking about me."

"Only good things, Ger," Grant said.

"What did I tell you about eavesdropping?" Alex asked.

"Only do it if it's juicy, Mom," Ger said.

"This isn't going to be that juicy," Alex said.

"Yes, Mom," Ger said.

Alex paused and rubbed her hands down her painted stained older men's shirt. After a moment, Alex sighed and looked at Grant.

"Well, thanks for what you did the other night," Alex said.

"You're welcome," Grant said, "Anyway, what caused all that?"

"Some family drama that hit about the same time as the Windenburg Showing getting canceled kind of knocked me asunder," Alex said.

"Well, as long as you're feeling better," Grant said.

"Thanks, again," Alex said.

"You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome, again," Grant said.

Alex nodded, "Was Fallon here when you came?" she asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Grant replied.

"Ger mentioned her once or twice. He was amazed at how a woman can be so small," Alex said.

"Yeah, well, all shapes and sizes, right?" Grant asked.

"Does she know about Ger?" Alex asked.

"The broad strokes, not the details," Grant said.

Alex nodded, "You don't know how much he means to me," she said.

"Fallon means a lot to you?" Alex asked.

Grant nodded, "How did you know?" Grant asked.

"Your face lights up when you talk or think about her," Alex said.

"That noticeable," Grant said.

"You've been in my life for how long? You don't think I'd noticed these things?" Alex asked.

"No, no, I guess you're right," Grant said.

"I know I am," Alex said.

"My mother is throwing a cocktail party for Breann VanderHout," Grant said.

"She's still on that horse?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, my mother and Sheelagh VanderHout are still plotting," Grant said.

Alex nodded and chuckled, "What is the excuse this time?" she asked.

"Breann just came home from the Middle East and is heading to Eastern Europe," Grant said.

"What day is this cocktail party?" Alex asked.

"Wednesday," Grant said.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Alex asked.

Grant shook his head, "I'm bringing Fallon," he said.

"That's going to go over like a fart in church," Alex said.

"Yeah," Grant said.

"What does she do for a living?" Alex asked.

"She works at the Stafford Foundation," Grant said.

"The Stafford Foundation? Really, Grant, how could you?" Alex said.

"Not everyone that works there is bad," Grant said.

"Oh, Grant, you and your rose-colored glasses," Alex said.

"What?" Grant asked.

"You know the monsters work there; you know what happened there," Alex said.

"I know, believe me, I'm going to try and get Fallon out," Grant said.

"Grant Coyle is strapping on his white armor, again," Alex said.

"If I didn't, you wouldn't have Ger, and he wouldn't be safe," Grant said.

"I know, but there are powerful people tied up in what happened," Alex said.

"Tread carefully, as you asked me to," Grant said.

Alex sighed, "Speaking of Fallon, where is she?" she asked.

"Some function of another, she said she had to head out to Long Island for work," Grant said.

"Oh," Alex said.

"Are you thinking," Grant said, almost in the form of a question.

"That's how it originally started, a few normal runs, then it progressed to worse and worse," Alex said.

"Are you sure?" Grant said.

"That's how Katie said it went with her," Alex said.

Grant nodded, "Which descended from there," he said.

"How did you meet Fallon?" Alex asked and started playing with her blonde hair.

"At a party, I had to escort Carter to," Grant said, "Wait, she did say she was there because of the Foundation."

Alex nodded, "So, it begins," she said.

"We don't know that," Grant said.

"Where is Fallon from?" Alex asked.

"A small town in North Carolina called Tree Hill, it's on the coast," Grant said.

"That sounds like their type," Alex said.

Grant nodded, "I'll talk to her about it," he said.

"Be delicate; you don't want to kill a relationship before it gets started," Alex said.

"I won't," Grant said, checking his watch, "I've got to go; I'll say goodbye to Ger on the way out."

Alex nodded, walked over to Grant, and kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good man, Grant Coyle," she said.

"Thanks," Grant said.

"You're welcome," Alex said.

Grant nodded and left. Alex shook her head and looked to the television that was playing a twenty-four-hour news channel. On the screen, the Waldenburg Defense Minister, General the Graf Von Grasland-Schaften, he was giving a speech in front of the Waldenburg General Assembly. Alex looked towards the back of Graf Von Grasland-Schaften was the at least nominally head of the Principality of Waldenburg, the HSH Walter, First Von Waldenberg.

Alex listened to the speech for a few moments. After the moment of listening, Alex shook her head. "Willem, warum bist du so ein Arschloch?" Alex asked.