(for Daniel)

[jamesthorn]

James returned to the disorganized mess of paperwork on his desk following lunch and a staff meeting with his supervisor, only to find that his office phone was lit up with voicemail messages and so was his cellphone. He had missed call after call, several text messages, and even emails urging him to go to Thornton Estate now. Something was wrong. 

He figured their father was summoning them, but all the phone calls was strange. He informed the office assistant he was headed out for the rest of the afternoon and drove out to the edge of town where Thornton Estate sat primly on its acres of manicured lawn, surrounded by tall trees and flanked by the ocean. Despite the fact that he never came home unless forced, James had a fondness for this place. It reminded him of his mother. 

There was a confusing deluge of staff and family lawyers gathered in the foyer when he walked inside, and he was quickly ushered into the family library, behind closed doors where his father's most notable assistant, Phillip, broke the news to him in a business-like voice. 

William Thornton had a heart attack shortly after breakfast, and he didn't make it. 

Their father was dead. 

Comments

[under_the_radar]

"Get..." Daniel was kinda annoyed that he'd been summoned like this. "Get out of the way, asshole." He mumbled as a guy he recognised as his fathers property lawyer wandered into his path like he was lost.

He found James eventually in the library, he and Philip deep in conversation.

"There you are." Daniel said, giving Philip a frosty smile. "Now, tell me why i'm here?

[jamesthorn]

James looked up when the door to the library opened. Lawyers and other business types had been shuffling in since his arrival, and he was relieved to see Daniel standing in the doorway. Even though it was bad news, he hadn't hated being here all alone to make these decisions and answer questions that he didn't have much desire to answer.

He gestured at the plush leather seat across from him so Daniel could sit. "Maybe you should sit down, Daniel," he said.

[under_the_radar]

"Alright, I'm sitting." Daniel said moving over and frowning as he sat down. James was acting strangely. Normally his big brother would have given him a mouthful for being so cheeky but he was somber and serious. "James, you're scaring me. Call me an asshole or something will you? Just so I know I haven't entered the twilight zone."

[jamesthorn]

James didn't know what Daniel's reaction would be. He wasn't even sure of his own reaction. He felt a combination of many things, complicated because of William's nature. No matter how bad the man could be, no one wanted to hear their parent had died. He gave Daniel a half-hearted smile. "It's Father. He...died. Earlier this morning---" He glanced at Phillip as if checking for confirmation, as if still not quite believing it all.

"He had a heart attack, and it was too late when the paramedic arrived."

[under_the_radar]

Daniel blinked at his brother. His father was dead. His father was dead? It didn't sound real even in his own mind. Someone like William Thornton didn't just die like that. But James was saying it and James didn't lie, not about things like this. As unreal as it sounded, it had to be true.

"Shit." Was all he could manage.

[jamesthorn]

"That's what I said."

They had other family, aunts and uncles, a few cousins, but it was just the four of them now. They had always been close, but now they had neither parent. That didn't feel possible yet. As he looked at the expression on Daniel's face, James imagined he was still in shock himself. How could William be dead? Just like that.

He took a breathe. "I already spoke with June. She'll be home tomorrow from school...she's not taking it that well," he offered. Their sister was compassionate, and William was not the best but he did dote on her as the baby and his only daughter. "And Demetri, I think, is...doing cartwheels."

[under_the_radar]

That was something at least. Daniel had always wanted Demetri to be free to be himself, to live the life he wanted, love who he wanted. Now with their father gone, he could finally do that. In amongst the shock, that fact made Daniels heart a little lighter.

"We're going to have to watch June. Do you want me to take her back to mine when she gets here?" Daniel asked, falling back on duty for the bedrock that it was.

[jamesthorn]

James nodded, grateful for Daniel's presence suddenly. Someone else here made all of this easier to deal with, rather than just hearing from all the lawyers. "Yes, I think keeping June with you is for the best. Though...Phillip asked me to stay here for a few days. At the estate. There will be inquiries."

People would come to pay respects to their family. Someone had to be here.

"But we have some time," he told Daniel. "It's been suggested we release the news later tonight to the Siren. I suppose we have to..."

[under_the_radar]

"You don't have to stay here, James." Daniel said, giving Philip a severe look. "If you have to then we all will." He reined in the flare of temper and stood, walking around the library. "June and I can handle any visitors. You can deal with the official inquiries. Demetri can handle the politics." He looked at his brother and lifted his chin. "I guess father got what he wanted from his children in the end."

[jamesthorn]

James was startled by Daniel's shift in mood, but he understood his brother's concern. All his kids racing home to play good little Thorntons would've pleased William a good deal, as would all of them staying here again on the property. He always wanted them all underfoot, and now he had it.

He held up a hand meaning to calm Daniel down. "I wouldn't be coming to live here. I have a house. It'd just be until things are settled," he said frowning. "I'm the eldest. I'll take my responsibilities. If you all want to stay, I won't stop you."

[under_the_radar]

"Well then we'll stay." Daniel said firmly. James was good at taking the responsibility but he didn't need to take it all, not like this, not now. And Daniel knew what he was - he was a jackass - but it wasn't all he was.

He looked at Philip. "I'd like to talk to my brother alone." He said and it wasn't a request. Philip looked like he might have put up and argument, but Daniel didn't let him. "Get out. Now. We'll come get you when we want you."

Philip took the better option and left the room. When he'd gone Daniel turned to his brother. "Never liked that guy."

[jamesthorn]

James watched Phillip leave the room and then glanced up once the room was empty. He stood and headed straight for the bar and poured two glasses of their father's bourbon. He held out the crystal glass.

"There was already an army of lawyers here before I arrived. I suspect things will be messy regarding the money," he told Daniel, taking a long sip.

[under_the_radar]

"Aren't they always when money's concerned?" Daniel said, taking the glass and knocking back half of it in one swallow. Their father would be-...would have been mad if he'd seen him wasting good bourbon like that but that thought only made him do it again, a little more shallow this time, but still wasteful. Some things never died and apparently Daniels barefaced defiance of his father was one of them. "So the vultures were circling before he was even cold. I guess we know which ones to watch out for." He said.

[jamesthorn]

Money did complicate matters. William often used it as a way to hold influence over them, and to a point it worked, until they'd all managed to move out of the house. But it'd be a lie to say the trust funds didn't help. Now there would be a large inheritance to split amongst themselves, assuming William didn't leave everything to some untouchable entity just to spite them.

James wasn't sure which he even preferred.

"It's the four of us, Daniel. Those are the family lawyers, but they are loyal to William. But most of the arrangements have been left in his will, according to Phillip," he said, swallowing down another sip. "For the...funeral, I mean. There's little for us to decide."

[under_the_radar]

"Good. I don't want to have to deal with that." Daniel said honestly. "Philip and the others can handle the arrangements. It'll keep them busy while we decide between us if we want someone new to handle the rest of it. I do. Like you said: they're fathers people and now he's gone, they're out for themselves."

[jamesthorn]

"I don't think it's that simple. What do any of us know about the family's holdings? About his business?" James asked looked at his brother with a sad smile. "I can count on one hand the amount of times I've spoke to him in the past year, and certainly none of those were about his money."

Most of the conversations were disappointment with James' romantic entanglements. But since he and Davin had already broken up the last time they spoke William had to settle for poking at his career choice instead.

"Maybe it doesn't matter. It's his money. Do you really want it?"

[under_the_radar]

James had a point. Demetri probably knew more about the family business than all of them, but father wouldn't have shared it all with him. He probably wouldn't have shared it with anyone, if Daniel was honest.

He sighed. "Honestly, if it was just his money, no. But the trusts were partly Moms doing. She wanted us to be comfortable and given that father made us decidedly uncomfortable, maybe we kinda deserve it."

[jamesthorn]

It's the mention of their mother that made James wince. Their mother's funeral had been difficult. William had been devastated, grieved and at times even drunk for the days before and weeks after. James had kept as strong a face as possible for his brothers and sister. They were young and confused. He was too. It didn't help that William just grew even more distant and cold in the years to follow. Nothing was the same after that...

He sighed again. "Maybe you're right. She wouldn't want us to be pushed out of here," he said. He meant the Estate. It was their home. And she would want them all taken care of as best as possible, to live how they wished.

[under_the_radar]

"She really wouldn't." Daniel said. "So what now?" He asked, looking into the bottom of his glass.

[jamesthorn]

James walked over to Daniel and patted him on the shoulder, giving him a somber smile. This hadn't been how he intended to spend the day. "Let's just get through the next couple days with the press and the funeral, and we'll go from there..."

[under_the_radar]

Daniel nodded and gave his brother a half smile. "I have to be polite to the press, right?"

[jamesthorn]

"Yep," James said, giving Daniel another pat on the shoulder. "Extremely polite."

[under_the_radar]

"I can't promise June will be. You know what she's like." Daniel said, huffing a laugh.

[jamesthorn]

James managed a small laugh. In spite of everything, he still had his siblings, that's all that mattered. They would get through this funeral together. "I know what the two of you are like together," he said.

[under_the_radar]

"I resent the implication." Daniel said, falling back on a mild form of their usual bickering. It was comforting in a way he hadn't realised he'd needed. "And besides, you know Demetri is the proper face of the family. June and I are tabloid faces at best."

[jamesthorn]

"At best..."

Chuckling, James reached out to pull Daniel into a hug. Between the funeral and everything else, it was going to be a long few weeks. He hadn't expected to hear this news today, but he was glad that he had his siblings around to make it a little less harrowing. He released him, patting him on the shoulder. "Well, I suppose we can't hide in here any longer. Phillip is probably pacing by the door," he said.

[under_the_radar]

The hug surprised him, but Daniel found himself leaning hard into it. They weren't a demonstrative family, really, but occasionally they remembered that they loved eachother and could show it without punishment. Actually, now they'd never have to worry about it again.

Nodding Daniel took a breath. "Fine. Lets do the family image thing." He said, putting on his 'dealing-with-family-business' face. "But after this we're getting pizza delivered to the house and drinking at least a bottle of fathers best."