Face Value

Part 2

TWO:

Astrid twisted her hands in her lap, glancing up at her Uncle. Finn was sitting at her side on the white calf leather seats of his limousine, his expression concerned.

"I am so sorry your Mom is ill," he said genuinely. "When I spoke to her a couple of days ago, she said she was just feeling a bit under the weather but I should have checked again yesterday..." The girl shrugged aimlessly.

"I know you're busy," she said tonelessly. Finn ran his hand over his face, sighing.

"I know you and your mother will never forgive me-but I was as shocked and distressed as you were to learn what had happened," he said quietly. "I wish I could turn back time and not be on that shoot out in Mongolia, not be out of contact until after he was gone. He was my brother, Astrid and I loved him." He sighed. "And I know you blame me for not being there-but I never even knew my brother was sick. No messages got through until after the funeral." Astrid's blue eyes flicked up "I did come home as soon as I could-but it was too late. Your mother told me she wanted nothing to do with me."

The girl inspected his face.

"Is that why you didn't ever contact us?" she asked.

"I rang your mother twice a week to ask if you were both alright and she used to hang up on me. I thought she would block my number or change your house phone...but thank Odin, she didn't quite hate me that much So I kept trying...and over the last couple of years, she has answered and told me you were okay. Not much more-even though I wanted to know how you were doing. It's how I knew she wasn't so well." He shrugged. "I sent cards every birthday and Snoggletog as well." Astrid frowned.

"No you didn't," she said firmly. "There were no cards. No...nothing..." Finn opened his mouth to contradict her and then he shook his head.

"Of course," he said quietly, guessing what had happened and trying to hide the pain and disappointment in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Astrid. But I am here now. And I'm not going anywhere..." She looked up at him.

"I thought you had a big movie filming at the moment," she said warily, playing with her fingers. Finn shrugged.

"Son of Odin is in the middle of principal photography at the moment-but the Director and my Executive Producer will look after things as long as needed," he reassured her. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Even if Mom doesn't want to see you?" she asked pointedly. He gave a small smile.

"Then I will wait outside while you're with her-no matter how long it takes," he sighed. "I don't want you to be left alone, Astrid. My brother always asked me to be there for his family. And I have tried-Gods know, I have tried-but I am here now."

"What makes you think I need you?" she asked him sharply, picking at the zipper of her jacket. He bit back his instinctive response and fiddled with his signet ring, marked with the 'Flightmare' symbol of Fearless films..

"Maybe I need you?" he asked her gently. "Look, Astrid-you are my only family. When our parents died, Ivan had you and your Mom-but who did I have? I know how lonely, how difficult it is to cope with loss when you are all alone. I know how worrying it is to have someone you love sick and have no one else to talk to. I may be a wealthy man but that doesn't make me less human, niece." She inspected him and unwillingly, she flipped open her phone, thumbing swiftly through the photos on her timeline. Every photo with Finn on-and there were a lot, up to the time of her father's death-had him grinning, always laughing and joking with his brother.

"You were very close to Dad," she murmured.

"He was my best friend," he admitted.

"Which was why Mom was so mad when you didn't respond when we phoned you..."