Chapter Text
An Altered Family
Family /fam.i.ly/
/ˈfam(ə)lē/
Definition: The people in your life who are close to your heart. Those who bring out the best in you. Those who laugh, celebrate and dream with you. Those who love you indefinitely.
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“Well, well, well,” the dark haired man said as he took a seat in the visitation area. “Forgive me for saying, Dominique, but you are probably the last person I expected to see so soon after my unfortunate incarceration.”
Dominique fought the urge to roll her eyes at David Xanatos. It had been a month since he’d been arrested for his part in the underground laboratory that had been found to be working on some… questionable experimentation.
Luckily for all involved, on the night that Dominique had helped her ex husband, Goliath Mason, navigate the secret laboratory in search of their daughter who had been kidnapped, she’d had the forethought to retrieve the audio recordings that the lead scientist had made. If someone else had gotten their hands on those tapes and listened to them, Everyone who had been arrested would have been looking at much longer sentences than they’d gotten.
As it was, the wheels of justice turned slowly and after a few weeks of investigation by the local police, everyone involved were looking at months for the “implied applications” and “hypothetical experimentation on humans”.
Gods help them if the recordings had been found about working on a gargoyle female with wings and tail.
There would have been psych evaluations and straight jackets involved, Dominique thought with a smirk.
For now, it was bad enough to have to come and try to get the information she needed by way of visitation days in the plush minimum security correctional center.
At least it wasn't one of those state run facilities, Dominique thought It would have been hard to look dignified and in charge while seated on a cheap, bright orange vinyl covered chair talking via phone through security glass.
“And why is that?” Dominique asked, crossing her arms. On the table in front of her and leaning forward just a bit. “I have a small interest in what was going on with your little pet project, after all.”
“Yes,” Xanatos said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Though that does raise the question on why I am in here and you are not.”
Dominique shrugged. “With my home base being on the other side of the country, it was easy enough to convince the law enforcement officers that I was an unwilling participant, having been lied to about what I was investing in.”
Xanatos lowered his handcuffed arms to the table in front of him and smirked at her. “you bribed someone."
"Multiple someones, actually," Dominique stated casually. She sent her gaze pointedly around the room before looking back at Xanatos, "You greased some palms as well, it appears. This isn't exactly Ryker's."
"No," Xanatos said, leaning back in his chair. "But while they found out that I had funded some of the rather … questionable and highly improbable experiments that were going on, there was no proof that I had personally had a hand in anything."
"Sixty days in this country club isn’t exactly a hardship."
Xanatos sent a look around the room himself, giving the single guard an almost imperceptible nod.
"What?" Dominique asked sarcastically. "Am I making you late for your tennis match?"
"Just making sure that we're undisturbed," Xanatos said as the guard moved to the far side of the room.
"Any word on your potential houseguest?" Dominique asked with only the slightest emphasis on 'houseguest'.
"Sadly, that invitation was declined shortly before my court mandatory stay here," Xanatos said with a shake of his head. "It seems that she has decided to remain in her current situation."
"Imagine that," Dominique practically snarled.
So, the gargoyle was still hanging around her ex-husband and daughter.
For now
She'd see about that. Despite numerous attempts through emails, phone calls and even a few obnoxious greeting cards through the mail, her attempts to connect with Angela had been rebuffed.
No matter.
She would make it her mission in life to make her daughter see the truth and keep her daughter away from that monster.
Even if it meant going against Goliath and his high moral code that he held so tightly to. If he wouldn’t protect their daughter, she’d find a way to do so herself.
Dominique raised a brow, but didn't say anything else.
After a moment, the silence broke.
"They never found the dictation tapes, or the transcripts for the Nightshade project" Xanatos said casually.
"Imagine that," Dominique said blandly. "Someone must have secreted them away."
"That's what I was thinking," Xanatos said with a small smile before leaning back into the chair. "And I have a strong feeling that the same person who grabbed those may have had the forethought to also have taken the samples that also went missing from the labs pertaining to that project as well."
"Of course," Dominique smirked. "Anyone who had invested that much time and energy into that project would, of course, have an interest in not having those things disappear into an evidence locker or destroyed."
"Of course," Xanatos agreed with a nod. "And rumor has it that a certain scientist went missing before he could be arrested."
"Imagine that,” Dominique said, closely inspecting her fingernails.
"Excellent," Xanatos said.
"So," Dominique drawled out, "you have a few more weeks here?"
"Unfortunately, my calendar is full for another few weeks here, but then I will be able to return to work."
"Good, because work has continued in your absence," she said, getting to her feet and smoothing her skirt back into place, "and I think that you will be rather pleased."
With that, Dominique walked back to the door that would lead her outside.