Forging New Paths

Luca was focused on very carefully getting a spoonful of his food to blow on, so as not to drop anything or accidentally knock it off the utensil, but when Garrett praised 'them' for their work he did smile a little. It was always reassuring, having someone tell him he'd done well. At least now when he heard 'good job' it wasn't because someone had made him hurt people.

"That's good," Evelyn said, glad that no one was being left unattended while Garrett was away and that Anthony was capable of not burning the office down. "It will be helpful for them to learn to cook at least a few things."

Luca's attention was immediately back when Garrett mentioned stargazing, and he looked between them both with slightly wide eyes before focusing on Evelyn, waiting for her answer. He still went and looked at them sometimes, from the window or from outside, and Evelyn would come and sit with him so he wouldn't be lonely, but it was different. That was normal now; having Garrett come with them felt special, especially after he'd spent a few days away doing work before.

She looked back at him for a moment, then just gave a soft, amused huff. "Of course we can. You don't have to ask for permission to go in the backyard. . . That would be nice, actually. It's supposed to be a clear night." She gave Garrett a knowing smile, looking at him sidelong. "We could even make hot chocolate."

It earned her a bigger smile from Luca at least, one that even showed a little hint of teeth when usually his expressions were always muted and close-mouthed. As tired as she was from not sleeping well the night before, she wouldn't mind staying up a little late if it meant getting to spend some time together, and seeing them both smile again. If it got too late, she wouldn't mind letting Garrett crash on her couch like 'old times'.
 
"Helpful, and a good sign they'll settle in well to their new lives," Garrett added. "I really hope the lighthouse gig works out for them. It would be great if they found both a job and a home in one fell swoop, you know? Those two deserve some peace in their lives like the rest of us."

His eyes twinkled when the idea of watching stars got Luca to smile more than he'd see him do all afternoon. Then Evelyn mentioned hot chocolate, and it was Garrett's turn to light up in delight. "Ooh! Stars and hot cocoa? Sold! Which blanket should we use to lie on?" he added.

Once the group had finished eating, Garrett offered to help with the dishes while Evelyn and Luca made the cocoa. Eventually it was time to head outside. Garrett scooped up the blanket Evelyn pointed out, and then held the door open so the pair could carry the drinks outside. "All right, Luca. Where would you like the blanket to go?"
 
It felt almost normal now, the three of them puttering around in her kitchen. It was easier for Evelyn to allow Garrett to wash the dishes instead of insisting on doing them herself, where only a week or so ago she would have fought much harder. He moved freely in her home and was learning where she kept things, and how tidy she liked to keep it, and it was strange to feel as if anyone but herself truly belonged in this space that was just hers. But for now, it felt right. She would let it.

Once they were outside with a couple of blankets to be sure no one got cold, Luca was quick enough to gesture to a spot in the grass with the hand not holding his hot cocoa, a decision that was easy for once because it was where they always put it when they sat outside. "Over here. . . I think."

Evelyn gave him a little smile and a light bump with her shoulder since she was holding both hers and Garrett's mugs while he handled blankets, wanting to reassure him since 'I think' usually meant 'if that's okay'. "Perfect. Why don't you two settle in and take these mugs from me, and I'll go grab a couple of pillows." There were a few meant for outdoors that she kept with her small patio furniture set, clean enough to use, and especially well cared for now that she had Luca with her and he always liked being outside. If anyone wanted to lie down instead of craning their neck, it would be nice to have somewhere to rest their head.
 
Garrett nodded and happily brought the blanket over to what he, too, recognized as their usual place. It was oddly comforting to settle back into what he realized had become almost a sort of routine. Eating dinner together. Going out to look at the stars. A small routine, maybe, but an important one nonetheless.

Then he sat down on the blanket and carefully took his and Evelyn's mugs. "Oooh. Pillows, too? We're getting awfully spoiled tonight. Someone wake me up if I fall asleep on one," he added with a light laugh.

He sighed deeply and smiled when Evelyn went back inside, glancing over at Luca. "I've missed this. Being here with you and Evelyn. It's good to be back." He leaned back a bit and nodded to himself. "I think next time I come to visit, I should bring Watson with. I know he'd love to see you again, too."
 
Luca looked after Evelyn as she went in, then came and sat down next to Garrett, very careful not to spill anything from his mug. He blew on it as he settled in, but misjudged the temperature and winced a little when the first sip was too warm, and only looked at Garrett when he spoke again.

"I miss him. . ." He said softly, almost sadly. Evelyn always told him there would be days he couldn't see everyone, but he had gotten used to having Garrett and Watson around, and when they weren't it made him feel sad. He wasn't supposed to say that though, he thought. He wasn't supposed to ask anyone to stop doing things and working, and only spend time with him. He'd just had so few people to spend time with before that he had latched rather firmly onto the ones that were nice to him now. It was difficult, learning to be alone again.

"No falling asleep outside," Evelyn said as she came back out, closing the door quietly behind her and coming out with a couple of long lumber pillows to share as headrests. She plopped them down on one end of the blanket and lowered herself carefully down to sit next to them, smiling when Garrett handed back her mug. "Thank you. I hope you know I had to start keeping my cabinets stocked because of you," she teased as she took a small, careful sip. She didn't usually keep much hot chocolate in the house and hadn't paid it much attention before, but with Garrett around she'd started making sure it was always there.
 
"Yeah?" Garrett asked softly, glancing over at Luca and blowing on his own hot chocolate to cool it off. "I know he misses you, too. And I miss you, when I'm not here." He took a sip of his drink thoughtfully. "Y'know, though, after a few days apart, it made seeing you feel extra special. Just imagine how excited Watson will be the next time I bring him over," he added with a smile.

He glanced over and laughed when Evelyn told him not to fall asleep on the pillows. "Aww. Not even a short cat nap?" he protested. He held her mug out to her once she'd sat down. Then his eyes sparkled. "You're keeping hot cocoa around because of me?" he asked softly. He scoffed lightly, running a hand through his hair. ". . . That's one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me. Thank you." It was endearing that he'd made that much of an impact on Evelyn - and that she clearly wanted him to keep coming over if she was keeping cocoa stocked just for him.
 
Luca only blinked at Garrett in surprise while the man's attention was pulled away from him. Was it really okay to say he missed someone when they weren't with him? It wasn't bad to always want someone with him, even if he knew it couldn't always happen? It was strangely overwhelming, hearing that Garrett missed him just liked he missed Garrett. As Evelyn came back and sat down, Luca could only sit quietly and think over the complicated feelings.

The way Garrett's tone went soft and surprised had Evelyn's eyes straying down towards her mug, a faint pink rising to her cheeks in the dim lighting. She hadn't thought much of saying it - Garrett was around often, and since the moment she'd stopped fighting the reality of it she had tried to make her home somewhere comfortable. Keeping the detective's favorite snacks around just like she did Luca's hadn't seemed like such a big deal until he said it like that.

"Well," She said primly, struggling for a moment for the words despite her voice remaining relatively calm, "You should up your standards of company, then." Garrett deserved to have people that thought of him, and that complimented him even if it hadn't truly been what she'd intended to do right then. If he wasn't spending time around people that appreciated him, he should. There was a lot to appreciate.

With a little shake of her head to dismiss the thought, settled in a bit more leaning back on one hand for balance to look at the distant sky, as far forward as she could for now to avoid craning her neck while trying to drink. "Will there be any planets tonight, Luca?" She asked instead, wanting to prompt him back into the conversation but also just to get him to speak at all.

He was thoughtful for a long moment, trying first to remember what the date was, and then what the time of year and their location on the earth meant. "Mmm . . . no . . ." He murmured quietly, with a little frown of concentration. "Not with just eyes. . ." Maybe if they had a telescope, he thought, but with eyes it was too hard to tell.
 
Garrett chuckled a bit and took another sip of his cocoa. "I doubt other company could compare to the quality of yours and Luca's. But perhaps you have a point. In any case, I very much appreciate the stash of cocoa powder. It's very kind of you to have it on hand."

Besides, he had plenty of company to enjoy with Milo, Anthony, Shiloh, and Beckett. And when he wasn't spending time with them, he had his cases to work on. His life hadn't felt so balanced in a very long time.

He went quiet for a bit, enjoying the pair's company and the warmth of the mug of cocoa in his hand. But then Luca's words drew his attention back to the conversation. "Oh! Luca, what about the little telescope you have? That might work in a pinch. Although frankly, I can't remember how powerful it is. But there'd be no harm in trying if you're willing."
 
Luca was content to be quiet for a while, looking up at the stars and sitting close enough to feel Garrett's warmth in the slight chill of evening. When the older man mentioned the spyglass he'd been given, Luca blinked back to earth and considered for a moment, looking at the hot cocoa in his hands.

Usually Evelyn would give him time to answer, but when he debated for a little too long she shifted forward to look at him. "You don't have to use it if you don't want to." She reassured gently, not knowing if the things that made him hold it without looking through it would stop him from wanting to go retrieve it at all.

Finally he gave his head a little shake, body language curling inwards as if ashamed. "No. . . not right now. . ." There had been too many bad feelings lately, and he never knew if thinking of watching the stars through a telescope would be good or bad but it was always a lot. He didn't want Garrett to be upset about him saying no, or about not using the man's gift to him.
 
Garrett was just relieved Luca had eventually decided on an answer. "No worries," he replied, his voice just as warm and gentle as before. "Say! I think I brought my magnifying glass with. Should we take turns looking at the sky through that? Just for fun?" He pulled it out and glanced through it himself with one hand. ". . . Hm. Didn't quite work."

Then he turned towards the pair, still looking through the magnifying glass. He burst out giggling and grinned. "Oh! But it works on both of you! Reminds me of Anthony's house of mirrors from his carnival. Here, you both want to try?" he offered, holding it out towards Luca first.

He smiled gently and tilted his head. Hopefully the magnifying glass would be an acceptable substitution. "Or we could just use our regular old eyeballs. Those work just as well!" he added, just in case the magnifying glass was a little too similar to the telescope.
 
Luca was fidgety, nervous, but he looked over when Garrett looked through the magnifying glass, relaxing gradually when no one was irritated with him. When Garrett turned to look at them and the magnifying glass made his eyes look too big for his face, it even got the younger man to smile a little. Like Anthony's funhouse mirrors, he agreed mentally. It made people look funny.

Evelyn gave a soft, almost surprised little chuckle at Garrett's antics, taking a sip from her drink and looking back up at the sky. "I think I'll just use my eyes."

Luca was hesitant, but after a pause to wring his hands a little he did finally detach them from each other to take the magnifying glass, and curiously held it up to look up at the sky, blinking in surprise when it almost made the stars feel smaller. That wasn't how that was supposed to work, and he gave it a little turn in his hands as if to find its secrets, then after a thought held it up to look at Garrett through it and gave another little smile. "It looks strange." Trying to look at things from far away with the magnifying glass held close to his face was a silly concept. He thought maybe it was okay to like silly things.
 
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"It does, doesn't it?" Garrett asked Luca with a laugh. He made a few funny faces for Luca to see through the glass. Then finally he finished his drink, set the mug aside, and laid down on the blanket with his head against a pillow. He pulled in a breath and sighed deeply. Just yesterday, it seemed, he'd been hell bent on taking down the Lombardis. Keeping the city safe. But his priorities had shifted now.

He still wanted to keep the city safe. But he realized that not every Lombardi was connected to the mafia by more than a name, and that he could learn to trust the people around him. More importantly, he wanted to keep Evelyn, Luca, and his friends safe, and help them to heal and grow.

He smiled and nodded to himself. "I could get used to taking more frequent breaks like this. You know, I used to forget to take breaks sometimes. But you two have reminded me very well, and I appreciate it."
 
Evelyn watched the two of them more than the skies, feeling warm in ways she hadn't always been used to as Garrett's antics made Luca smile widely enough for his eyes to crinkle. After a moment he did return the magnifying glass so he could look up at the sky again instead of things up close, and when he was mostly done drinking his hot cocoa he looked at Garrett with a considering expression, then laid down next to him close enough for their shoulders to brush.

"I need to take less frequent breaks," Evelyn murmured, sitting up for now and sipping much more slowly at her own drink. "I should be getting back to work soon." As much as she appreciated the sentiment, and was glad Garrett was relaxing more now, her savings wouldn't last forever.

"Breaks are important," Luca said softly, with something in his voice that made it sound like he was quoting someone, though Evelyn looked away with a little smile as if to hide that it was her. "So . . . your brain can rest. . ." Like his body needed sleep and was upset when it couldn't have it, she told him. Every part of him needed time to do things and time to rest. He was still getting used to the idea, but he didn't want Garrett to have a body and brain both tired from never taking breaks.
 
Garrett raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Evelyn. ". . . Hm. You know, it's just now occurred to me - I never asked what you do for work," he said. "What sort of job do you have, eh?"

Mostly he wanted to know so he could figure out how to help out more if needed. If Evelyn's job was an in person one, he thought he should ask whether someone - either himself or Anthony - should stay with Luca to keep him company, or whether Luca would be all right being on his own even though he hadn't started therapy yet.

He glanced over at Luca and smiled widely. The phrase sounded familiar, though he couldn't quite place why. Then he caught Evelyn hiding her smile and knew exactly where Luca had heard the phrase from. "Ah," he said softly. "Yes, you're quite right, Luca. Quite right. And I'm very glad I've gotten the chance to do that more often."
 
"I'm in the business of information," Evelyn answered with an amused twinkle in her eyes as she watched the stars. "Remember? People pay me to know what no one else can know." It had been a while since she'd been anything other than Evelyn to him, she thought, apparently long enough for him to forget she had first approached him as the anonymous entity known as the Informant. She had been putting off checking her 'inbox' of sorts, a heavily encrypted website created for her by a friend that had slowly been passed around by word of mouth and which only she could check. It was about time she started taking commissions again.

As much as she disliked the idea of putting Luca in any danger, she had never thought of leaving him home instead of simply taking him with her. Since she was anonymous and never showed her face to anyone but Garrett, her job consisted mostly of research, most of which she could do from home with occasional trips out to glean information from relevant locations around the city. What had happened to them made her hesitant, but she hadn't come to the point where she could bear the thought of him being out of her sight - and, really, he had saved her when things went wrong. She was confident they would do just fine going on walks together, even if she was trying not to let it make her nervous.

Luca smiled a little at being praised, happy that Garrett was resting properly, and settled in with his eyes roving over the stars and his mind beginning to wander. Even if he couldn't still watch them with his father, he thought it was all right to still to enjoy laying outside and imagining their stories.
 
"Oh! That's right. That's right. I'd nearly forgotten," Garrett admitted with a chuckle. "I suppose we're in similar departments then, as it were." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, if you ever need help or backup on your cases, you just let me know. I'm only a text or call away," he added.

He yawned a bit and folded his arms behind his head. Then his gaze, too, began drifting towards the stars above. How he'd gotten so lucky as to find Evelyn and Luca in his life - and Anthony and the others, for that matter - was beyond him. He smiled and relaxed so much it felt as though he might melt into the blankets.

The chirping crickets and soft wind rustling his hair lulled him into a further calm. And as a few more moments passed, his head nodded a bit, and he very nearly fell asleep once or twice. "Mm. Nothing like stargazing," he murmured.
 
Evelyn made a soft, thoughtful sound as she sipped from her mug, not quite looking back at him. "Thank you. I'll be sure to keep you in mind."

It was a nice gesture, really, just one she knew she would have a hard time accepting. She would have to make herself think about it more, once Garrett eventually went home. Some day, he would have to accept that every once in a while she needed help.

After a little while, she set her mug aside and laid carefully down next to them, glancing at Garrett's closed eyes and Luca's wide open ones as she did. As strange as it felt to fully lay down on the ground, blanket or no, she did find herself strangely relaxed. She supposed there was something to say for good company.

"If you fall asleep," she cautioned with a bit of laughter in her voice, "You won't see them at all. I don't promise not to leave you out here."

Luca frowned a little, as if unsure if he should say anything. "No sleeping. . ." She'd said that, hadn't she? Maybe it was bad for Garrett to go to sleep outside.
 
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Garrett yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hm? Oh. Yes. Excellent point," he murmured softly. He pushed himself up into a sitting position to better observe the stars and to try and wake up a bit. But he could already tell it wouldn't be the best idea to drive home when he was this sleepy.

He smiled and glanced over at the pair. "Say. I don't suppose you two would mind terrible if I stayed the night, would you?" It occurred to him that Luca might worry about Watson, so he added, "I know Anthony and the others will take excellent care of Watson in the meantime."

As though to prove his point, his phone buzzed again, and he smiled when Anthony texted him another picture. "Ohh dear. Would you look at this," he murmured softly.

After a full day of fun, Shiloh and Beckett had fallen asleep curled up in a pile in a corner of the room. Watson had climbed on top of them and curled up in a loaf as well with his eyes closed contently.
 
Evelyn only gave him a little smile when he sat up, lying down with her knees raised and her hands folded neatly over her stomach, both amused and concerned about his inability to stay awake. "Of course. You're welcome to stay." She chuckled when he showed her the picture, shaking her head at the end result of their spa day. "At least they're all relaxed."

Luca reached a hand out when Garrett brought his phone closer so he could see it without straining, still at least used to Evelyn always letting him hold hers when he wanted to. "He looks comfortable. . ." It was strange to feel jealous of other people, wanting to have Watson with him instead, but he liked that people were happy, and that Watson looked happy. He just missed his little friend, even though they'd seen each other the day before.
 
"Marvelous," Garrett said with a warm smile. "Say, have you two got plans for tomorrow yet? If it isn't too much strain on you both, I could bring Watson over for a visit. Maybe we could even go on another walk around the city," he added.

He was a bit curious when Luca was going to start therapy. But with everything else going on, he didn't want to pressure him or Evelyn into getting started. It was important to get a few days to rest and relax.

Especially when the lab had probably been terrifying.

It was a miracle on its own that Beckett was so well adjusted after the event - although it helped that he already knew Shiloh.

He couldn't even imagine what Evelyn and Luca were going through.

Eventually, after a while longer of stargazing, Garrett ambled to his feet, yawning and stretching. "Mmpfh. I think I might start getting ready for bed," he announced. "But as always, feel free to wake me if either of you needs anything, all right?"
 
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