Forging New Paths

Luca nodded a little, thinking over the new information and picking up a couple toys to look back and forth between as he decided. Gradually, he started to add one here and there, including the first one he'd picked that looked like a raccoon with a fluffy tail, a set of mice with string tails, two bell balls that looked like soccer balls, and a fish toy that he thought might be similar to what Watson already had. Whatever looked like the cat might have fun with it, it went in the basket.

Evelyn gave a little laugh at the idea of a tiny cat suitcase, picturing Watson carrying it by the handle with his teeth. "If you'd like to have duplicates, I can make space for most of those things so you don't have to remember to carry them back and forth. Could be useful, if we ever need to babysit without much warning." Luca surely wouldn't mind keeping them in his room. Besides, she had a feeling that if he wasn't extremely busy Garrett would start visiting more days than he didn't.
 
Garrett smiled sheepishly and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess that would make sense. And it would be a lot easier if situations like earlier happen again." It was very kind of Evelyn to offer even more space in her home to him and Watson, especially when she'd done so much already.

Suddenly Garrett remembered the stone he wanted to look into making for Luca. This would be a great opportunity to look into it; Luca was almost done shopping, and the pair would probably be on their way home right afterwards. And the store he was thinking of was close. "Say," he began, "I just remembered there's something I wanted to check on the way home today. A surprise, if you will. Suppose after we finish shopping here, we split up for a bit. I can meet you both at a nearby park in probably an hour or two," he offered.

I know a store nearby that might be able to help me make the stone I was talking about, he texted Evelyn. Do you want me to pick up balloons and cake ingredients as well, and then we can prepare the party once we get home and distract Luca?
 
Evelyn only nodded along, reassuring him that it was all right. It was her idea, after all. "Then it's settled. Pick out whatever you think he'd like." The size or color of his bed didn't matter so much to her since it would be kept in Luca's room and she wouldn't have to see it all the time.

"You're leaving?" Luca asked, curiously, as he placed one last toy into the basket. ". . . I like the park." It would be okay, since Garrett was coming back and he would get to be in the park for a couple hours.

Evelyn only looked at him, a bit confused at first, then glanced down at her phone when it buzzed, as she had a hunch it was him. "That's fine. We don't mind waiting." She hadn't brought the blanket she'd used the last few times they'd gone to a park, but she and Luca were wearing denim so she supposed it was all right to sit in the grass a while.

That's fine with me. We could also do it tomorrow, if you'd rather rest today.
 
"Just for a little bit," Garrett promised Luca. "If you both came with me, it would ruin the surprise." His phone buzzed, and he picked it up and smiled.

I'd love to have the party today, actually. It'll be something positive to end the day on. And to think about when I head to bed, he added. But I don't want to overwhelm Luca. I'll check in with you both at the park, and you can let me know whether you think he could handle a party.

Once the group had checked out with all the toys for Watson, Garrett paid for the purchase and walked with them to the door. Then he waved and gave both Evelyn and Luca a warm smile. "I'll see you both soon," he promised, and he turned and headed off down the concrete.

He made his way into a nearby store. It was one he'd been meaning to check out at some point in time. A delicately carved wooden sign labeled Curiosities and Potions hung above the door. The glass windows were filled almost to the brim with plants and a few display cases that held labeled glass vials, various crystals and stones, and a few pieces of power infused jewelry.

Garrett took a breath and headed inside.

-----

An hour or so later, he made his way to the park to join Evelyn and Luca, carrying a large plastic bag on his arm and a smile on his face. He ambled over to the grass and sat down beside the pair with a soft groan, and they might notice his hair was lightly singed on one side. ". . . Never knock over Lightning in a bottle. It's quite shocking," he said with a chuckle.
 
I'm sure after resting in the park a while he'll be fine. Evelyn sent back, shrugging a little and tucking her phone away. "Come on, Luca, let's help pick out a bed for Watson so Garrett can run his errand."

After they'd collected things for Watson, Evelyn took them to put in her car and let Luca wave goodbye to Garrett. As predicted, once they reached the mostly quiet park Luca relaxed fully, laying down on his back and watching the clouds as they waited. He was perfectly content to lay in silence, and Evelyn played quiet music from her phone but didn't prompt him to converse, letting him drift into a light nap after a while. If she got bored, she could always read something from her phone, and this was his time to decompress.

When Garrett came to meet them, she only tilted her parasol aside enough to see him at first, then let it dangle fully behind her, propped over her shoulder, when she caught sight of him. "Are you all right?" She asked, eyes a bit wide and concern in her voice when she reached up to delicately touch his singer hair. "Where the hell did you go?" She'd known trying to infuse an object with his gifts would be difficult, but she hadn't thought he would be putting himself in danger to do it.
 
Garrett chuckled and gave her a lopsided smile. "A place called Curiosities and Potions. Don't worry, I'm not hurt. It's a shop that has power infused jewelry, potions for temporary powers, that sort of thing. There was a bottle of lightning on display that I accidentally knocked over when I went inside the shop. I guess it's a popular purchase for movie effect artists. She never displays it in large enough quantities for it to be dangerous."

He patted the plastic bag next to him and beamed. "More importantly, I found what I was looking for originally. The shop owner was very helpful. After I bought this, I went to a grocery store and got a few other things. Then I went to a party store for the last few items."

His gaze traveled to Luca's sleeping form, and his expression relaxed. ". . . I'm glad to see Luca's had a chance to relax." He glanced back at Evelyn and smiled. "How have you been today?"
 
Evelyn made a face at the name of the shop but just shook her head and sighed heavily rather than saying anything. It wasn't as if she could think of somewhere else he could go, and she would just have to believe his claims that he was all right. Luca was napping still, so it was fine to talk about the 'party' out loud.

"I told you he'd be all right," she said softly, looking over at where he slept. "He's more resilient than we think." He'd survived a decade of hell before they'd found him, after all.

When her own health was asked after, Evelyn glanced sidelong at Garrett, only briefly, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear even as she shifted her parasol back up into place, where it would block the sun but not his line of sight. Even as she did it she could hear her mother's voice, telling her that playing with her hair and looking away were transparent tells. It was never a comment made negatively, but the phrase stuck with her nonetheless and made her feel even more self conscious.

"I'm just fine," she said, with an almost proud lift of her chin, as if to deny the notion that she was ever anything but, even knowing he'd seen her fall asleep during their movie the night before. "I slept through the night."

She could not say that having Garrett around had helped her with Luca, and helped her feel a bit more secure knowing there was someone else around to keep an eye out, for both him and her. That would be revealing too many of the cards she held close to her chest. It would have to suffice to imply that Luca sleeping had allowed her to sleep as well.
 
"I know," Garrett replied, chuckling a bit on seeing Evelyn's face when he gave her the name of the store. "But it's so close to the pet shop." His smile faded a bit. "And the potions and objects inside do seem to work. Quite well. Having such a powerful store near a place where Luca may tend to frequent . . . I just wanted to make sure it was safe. The owner's not a Lombardi, I found that out. And she seems kind. I think it's a good place." He smoothed out his singed hair and wiped the soot off on his pant leg.

He couldn't help it. Every new place Luca and Evelyn went to, he was paranoid it might be dangerous in some capacity. Lombardis were everywhere in the city, and could blend in well. He was terrified that what happened to him with Anthony might happen to Luca or Evelyn.

But as Evelyn gave him a somewhat brushed off answer, he couldn't help but turn his focus towards her. It was the sort of answer that implied she was okay enough to function, but probably had a multitude of other things she was worrying about or dealing with.

That was fair enough, though; so was Garrett. And such things weren't exactly ideal to talk about casually out in the open in a park. He nodded and gave Evelyn a soft smile. "Good. I'm glad to hear that," he said honestly. "I worry about you not getting enough sleep on occasion. I know why, bud still. Sleep is important." Then he chuckled. "This is definitely one of those do as I say, not as I do conversations. We both know I have a horrid sleep schedule, too."
 
Evelyn sighed again, more quietly, when Garrett mentioned his investigating into the store, but verbally let it go. If he was so paranoid about - or, probably more accurately, acutely aware of - Lombardi presence, he was going to drive himself insane. Even if a place was owned by them, it could just be a business or property and not a front for actual crime. He couldn't check every place they went or he would never go anywhere. While she accepted that there was a measure of danger in being out in public, he also would not always be with them, nor would he know every physical space she and Luca entered. But none of that was going to convince him to stop.

Not for the first time, she wondered if she should move. This was the place she had an established presence in, where work came to her rather than her having to seek it out. Though she knew that it was dangerous to remain, this was also where Luca was beginning to put down roots, learning the city and making friends with Garrett. She didn't want to pull him away so quickly. She would just have to stay alert.

She did give Garrett a pointed look when he questioned the amount of sleep she was getting, even though the honest concern made her feel strangely touched. "It'll get easier with time," was all she said to excuse it, thinking that once Luca settled in more and she was less worried about him needing her every second of the day and night she would sleep easier.

". . . I'm going to have a therapist for him to speak to soon," she said after a short silence passed between them, thinking he had a right to know. "It will only be over video chat, but once I have them pinned down I'll let you know who." Despite her own thorough vetting of the person, she had a feeling he would want to look into them as well, whether she wanted him to or not. She knew she had to find someone, though. There were going to be things buried in Luca's psyche that, despite her mother's passed on wisdom, were far beyond her ability to deal with. It would be expensive, probably, but she would pay anything to know he was getting the help he needed.
 
The detective blinked a few times in surprise. Pleasantly so. Evelyn wasn't the type to trust others easily, he knew that. And he knew that once she selected a therapist it would be someone she trusted her and Luca's entire lives with. Garrett wouldn't need to vet them if Evelyn did; she was even more thorough than he was when it came to investigating a particular target. He smiled and nodded. "That's wonderful," he said at last. "I'm sure it'll help Luca a lot. Have you told Luca yet?"

He messed with his hair a bit more to get some of the soot and singed parts out of it. "I'd be more than happy to be put down as an emergency contact for the therapist, if that's something they require. But I can't imagine I could do a more thorough job researching them than you could. I trust your judgment." More than his own, sometimes. He didn't have Insight; and what's more, he knew he was sometimes too stubborn or narrowly focused to understand the larger picture. His attention to specific details could be a problem as much as a blessing in his work. But Evelyn was well balanced in checking both small details and larger ones as well.
 
The silence was unexpected, and she tried not to let it get to her. At first, she was worried Garrett would try to insist that no one could talk to Luca about what he'd been through, not without incriminating himself or putting them in danger. Those were things she had considered already, and would be part of what she looked out for in the process of deciding who was trustworthy enough. She had been expecting an argument, not words that felt like praise, and it threw her for a loop.

"No, I . . . I haven't told him yet." She said finally, after an uncertain pause, which she hoped could be interpreted as worry over how to explain to Luca what would happen. "I was going to talk to him about it once I knew who it would be. I don't think he'll say no, once he knows that talking is supposed to help him feel better, but I know it will be rough. As far as I can tell, he's survived this long by not thinking about things."

More than once already, small incidents, questions, or just his own thoughts had driven him to similar episodes as he'd had in Garrett's office after they'd freed him. Curled up wherever he happened to be, eyes shut tight, hands pressed over his ears like it could make the whole world go away. As much as she hated the thought of him in pain, she knew it would get worse before it got better.
 
Garrett nodded slowly. "That's a good idea, too. Luca's got questions in him, and I'm sure he'll want to know about his therapist before he gets introduced to them." He ran a hand slowly through his hair. Like Evelyn, he knew that Luca's panic attacks were currently inevitable. And Garrett definitely knew he didn't have the tools to help Luca process his painful past.

But a therapist would.

"I get the feeling the first few weeks of therapy will be the hardest," he added. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes. "You know I hate to impose. But would it be helpful for me to stay over during that time, just so Luca has extra support in easy reach?"

What he really didn't care for was the feeling of overstaying his welcome. It was a feeling that he'd never quite experienced yet, but it was always looming in the back of his mind. Sure, when people visited his apartment, he'd have no problem with them staying as long as they wanted - even permanently, if they were kind house guests. But he knew for a fact other people didn't feel the same way about their homes. And he had no idea how Evelyn felt about it for sure. She was patient and polite to the point he couldn't tell if she actually liked having him stay over for longer periods or not.
 
Her first instinct was to say No. She was independent and didn't need anyone, didn't need babysitting. But how cruel of an answer would that be? Garrett cared for Luca just as she did, and keeping them from each other just because she didn't want to have to admit again that she needed help was not simply unkind, but actually hurtful.

"It's very nice of you to offer," she said finally, after a pause with only a thoughtful little hum in response. "I don't know yet whether he'll want to be alone or want to have company to cling to, and I don't want to get in the way of your work, but when the time comes I'll ask him." She smiled just a little, looking over at where Luca slept. "I'm sure he'll say yes."

He would never say no to having Garrett and Watson nearby for such a long time, though she thought he might be sad whenever that time ended. Not having time to be by herself without the effort of interacting with others wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't something so burdensome she would object to it. It wouldn't be forever. And as much as she hated the thought of imposing on Garrett's time, and being in the way of him living his normal daily life, their lives had both changed when she had brought Luca into them. It was also possible that, given she was the one making him speak to the therapist, Luca might be angry with her when the bad feelings came. If there was someone else nearby to hold his hand when he was upset, she was sure it would help him feel better.
 
The detective lifted his head to offer Evelyn a grateful smile. It was a gracious answer. Evelyn had a point that Luca might unexpectedly want more alone time as he learned about his independence, but they both knew Luca would probably still want some kind of additional comfort after working through things with a therapist. "Thank you," he said quietly. "But you know, you and Luca don't get in the way of my work whatsoever. In fact . . . after spending time with both of you, I've found it easier to work through specific parts of cases. I'm more resilient now."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I had no idea having friends would have such a positive impact on me. It seems obvious now, but . . . I guess having friends brings more pros than it does cons. And it's worth any of the pain it might bring," he added, thinking of the loss of his parents.

Of course he missed them. But he was finally realizing that shutting people out of his life was more harmful than helpful. And if he was going to have anyone in his life, Evelyn, Luca, and Watson were some of the best people he knew.

He smiled and held up the bag. "So, um - I wasn't sure what color of stone Luca might like. I bought him a few different ones. Would you like to hold one and see if it works? It's meant to turn off your powers while you hold it and turn them back on the minute you let go, like a light switch." He blushed and cleared his throat. ". . . I also had her make a plush turtle version, in case he wanted to sleep with one. I figured the rocks wouldn't be very comfy."
 
Evelyn wanted to protest, to point out that if he was sitting in her house he wasn't out solving cases, but for a moment it was like he'd stolen the breath from her lungs, so accurate were his ramblings on friends. As jaded as she had become about 'friends' and how they might use her gifts for their own benefit, how long had she let it keep her isolated? She had lived by herself for years, with acquaintances rather than friends, only letting each person see so much of her. Part of her still wanted to believe that she was happy that way. But how would she scoff if Garrett had told her he didn't need friends? How many times would she have told him he needed someone, that people weren't meant to be alone?

Hypocrisy was one of her faults.

"Why do I feel like a lab rat?" She asked dryly when Garrett showed her the things he'd purchased, letting the rest of what he'd said brush past without any true acknowledgment. "I suppose we should make sure none of them explode."

It was only a playful dig - someone had to test them before Luca touched them to be sure it was safe, and as much as she disliked losing access to her gifts she was the only other person present that the things would work on. When Garrett gave her one to try she held it a moment to be sure she couldn't reach her nearby phone with her senses, then set it down to be sure she regained the ability to do so once out of contact. Surprisingly enough to her, it actually worked.

"He might like having different ones, depending on his mood," she said, holding her hand out for another with the intent to test them all. "Though I don't know that he would feel safe sleeping with one. After all," she added with an amused little smile at the flush on his cheeks, "he only feels safe holding your hand because it means you're there to watch over him while he's defenseless."
 
Garrett burst out laughing. "Well, I'd test them myself, but - I really don't think they'd do anything to me," he admitted. He watched intently while Evelyn held the different stones, making sure they didn't seem to cause her any discomfort. He was relieved when the stones seemed to work harmlessly as intended.

He let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and passed her the plush turtle. Then he glanced up in surprise. "That's the reason he feels safe?" he asked softly. "I thought he relaxed because he didn't have to worry about his power buzzing too loudly. To hear it's only because I'm protecting him - " He smiled and glanced over at the boy's sleeping form. ". . . That means a lot. More than he'd ever know."

The detective paused for a moment, fidgeting with one of the stones as it was handed back to him. "I couldn't protect my parents. I'll be damned if I let anything get in the way of me protecting you and Luca," he announced with a nod.
 
Evelyn held the turtle in one hand, smiling a bit to herself both at the fact that it worked and that Garrett had thought to get Luca something soft. It was endearing, really, how thoughtful he could be when it came to others. Now if only he would take care of himself, as well.

She wanted to tell him how Luca's gifts were like white noise he felt in his whole body, that after they had built up it made it hard to focus on anything else, and hard to relax enough to sleep. Turning them off gave him rest, but also took away the thing that had kept him safe from injury all his life. But when he went on, all words left her.

There was a heavy silence between them for a moment, before she finally set the turtle safely back in the bag and reached out to rest her newly freed hand gently over one of his. "I'm so sorry, Garrett," she said softly. She could give him no reassurance, nothing that wouldn't be only empty words without knowing all the facts, and it pained her knowing that was how he had felt the whole time. "You don't have to worry about us. We're always together, and nothing can get past his defenses." Not unless he had one of his new toys, she thought, but would never say it aloud. She would just have to keep them in a special box so that he only touched them when he really needed to.
 
The detective didn't want to point out that something clearly had gotten past Luca's defenses, or he wouldn't have been able to be contained all those years and ordered around. Physically, yes, he and Evelyn were perfectly safe. But there were other ways to get to people, and it was why he was so intent on vetting every place they tried to visit - in a vain attempt to keep them from trusting the wrong people.

Out loud, though, he only gave a soft sigh and smiled. "I - I know. In the back of my mind, I think I know you're both safe. I just . . ." He fell quiet and thought about it for a moment. Maybe what he really wanted was a second chance. A chance to protect someone else, to save their friends and loved ones from going through the pain he had. "I just want to be sure," he said at last. "It never hurts to have an extra set of hands and eyes around."

He smiled gratefully when he realized Evelyn had set her hand on his again. He pulled in a deep breath, and then slowly let himself relax. "I think what I'm most worried about is how trusting Luca is. It's endearing, but - I'm hardly trusting of new people, and I still got fooled by Anthony."
 
Evelyn was quiet, listening closely and giving Garrett the time he needed to say the things he wanted to say. Continued insistence that they were fine would be unhelpful, and perhaps imply that she didn't think they needed him, so she let it go, only giving his hand a small squeeze and finally drawing it back into her lap.

"Mm, I think he's smarter than we give him credit for." She said softly, looking at where he dozed. "He trusts us because we freed him, and because we take care of him. Anyone else he's met, we've approved of, whether in explicit words or not. We just need to help him learn how to say no again."

As it was, unable to control his own life and daily existence for so long, Luca was clearly convinced he had no say in what happened to him. If they taught him to say no to things he didn't want, learning to tell when a stranger was lying to him would follow soon enough. Luca was quiet, and broken in many ways, but he wasn't stupid. They could teach him.

He stirred finally, turning sleepily onto his side to face them, and gradually blinking his eyes open as he realized they were both there. He didn't get up yet, comfortable lying in the sun even just on the grass, a hand tucked comfortably enough under his head. ". . . you're back," he murmured groggily, eyes only half open still like he might drift off again. Was it time to go now?
 
"Oh, I've no doubt he's smart," Garrett said gently, nodding and setting the surprise gifts back inside the bag. "You don't have to be inexperienced in order to trust the wrong people. It doesn't matter how smart you are; it can happen to the best of us." He closed the bag and took a breath. "But yes. Learning to say no, and to ask for what he really wants - those will be important skills that will probably unlock others."

He glanced over when he heard Luca stir. He smiled warmly, instinctively waving a hand. "Hey, Luca. Yes, I'm back." The boy looked far too comfortable for him to even think of suggesting the group leave. Instead, Garrett laid down in the grass as well, heaving a deep sigh. "It's very peaceful here. I can see why it's a good spot for a nap."

He glanced at Evelyn and smiled. "And depending how everyone feels, provided we have enough time - I suppose we could have a second one." Sure, they were all out in the open in the middle of a park. But they had Luca's shadow, and Evelyn's Insight and wit, to protect them all. Maybe they really would be safe.

Garrett was willing to try it.
 
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