Forging New Paths

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Evelyn was quiet a moment, fingers pressing white spots into her skin, a leg tapping almost silently as she tried to think, and tried not to all at once. ". . . There are things you might want to know, when he has to talk to the therapist about them, and when doing that makes him think about them again. . . But you might prefer to be a more neutral third party, to be with him but not one of the people forcing him to relive things he doesn't want to think about."

Truly, she wasn't sure how he would handle some of the things she knew. He knew what the Lombardi's were capable of, but it was more personal this time. The thought of him splitting his time between Luca and Anthony - and he always included her in his words but still she couldn't let it sink in - only made her feel guilty at even the thought of burdening him with the twisted knowledge. He had enough on his plate without seeing into the darkest corners of Luca's past.

It was a welcome distraction, wondering how on earth he would afford a third apartment in this city. "In light of recent events, I should let you focus on him a while. . . I'm sorry for worrying you. Luca and I can walk back to my car."

It was fine. She had held the burden of knowledge by herself for most of her life. Just because these truths were heavier than others in the past didn't mean she could be so selfish as to make someone else carry them in her stead. It was her burden. It was fine.
 
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Garrett raised an eyebrow. "I can know about his past without asking him about it directly, if you share some information with me. In fact . . . it might make it easier for me. Maybe I won't send Luca into quite as many panic attacks if I know more about what specific topics and situations to avoid. Although I am getting better! I think."

He took a breath and patted Evelyn's shoulder again. "In any case, do whatever you think would help both of you the most. I'm here to support you. And while I should check in on Anthony from time to time, he's very self-sufficient. And he'll understand if I need to spend extra time with the both of you," he added gently. "Speaking of which - let me wake him to let him know we're leaving, and then I can head back with you two for a few hours. If you're both up for it, we could even give Watson his new house. Something tells me Anthony will be sleeping for quite some time."
 
"You are getting better," Evelyn reassured softly, because she knew it concerned him but she also didn't know how to answer the rest, to say what could possibly help them both, because she didn't know what would. She would need to tell Garrett soon, and she would need to have the therapist speak to Luca often, at first. Perhaps it would take a while before she needed to explain the darkest corners of his life, and she could spare the both of them a little longer. Whatever happened, it wasn't going to be easy.

A few hours was more than she had asked for, and more than she expected. She stayed where she stood, arms still loosely crossed because she knew if she freed her hands she wouldn't know what to do with them. "You go," she said with a little shake of her head, eyes aimed down towards the floor. "I . . . I'll follow in a moment." She just needed to breathe a little longer, to be quiet and by herself as she regained her sanity. When she thought she looked less like she had just cried, she would follow him back into the room.
 
The detective nodded and smiled gently. Then he took his cup with him out of the room, closed the door, and took a deep breath. "Evelyn's having a lot of emotions," he explained to Luca. "I think today's events were extra stressful for her. We talked for a bit, and once she's calmed down, she'll come back out."

He made his way to Anthony's side and gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Anthony," he said softly.

Anthony slowly opened his eyes, yawning. "Mhm?"

"I'm going to head home with Luca and Evelyn for a bit. Do you need anything before I go? I'll come back tonight," Garrett promised.

The boy shook his head and closed his eyes again. "No, thanks. I just need some sleep."

Garrett patted his shoulder. "All right, bud. I'll come check on you later tonight. Get some good rest." Then he went over to sit quietly by Luca. "How are you doing?"
 
Luca looked up from his mug when Garrett walked back in, catching only a short glimpse of Evelyn standing still through the door as it closed, and frowned at the explanation. Feeling a lot of emotions. Was she feeling bad? He wondered, and hoped she would feel better soon, but he didn't know how to help. She always helped him feel better.

When Garrett sat next to him, Luca shifted his weight uncertainly in the chair, fingers curling around his mug still despite it not being as warm as it had been when he'd gotten it. ". . . I don't know." He wasn't sure how to answer, or what Garrett was asking. He wasn't hurt, and he wasn't 'having a lot of emotions', he thought. He had mostly calmed down since they'd come inside. "Tired. . ." It had been a while since he'd slept, but that was normal. Tired was a feeling he usually had, often enough he almost didn't acknowledge it anymore.
 
Garrett nodded gently. "I don't blame you. It's been a crazy day, and a lot of things happened." He smiled and tilted his head. "Do you think you have enough energy tonight to give Watson his new house with me and Evelyn?"

He glanced briefly toward the door, and sighed softly. "She'll be better soon. Some people, like me, like other people to hug them and comfort them when they feel sad. And some people like Evelyn need their own space so they can calm down and comfort themselves. The best way we can help her is give her space, and ask if she needs anything when she comes back," he added.

Anthony stirred slightly in his sleep, murmuring under his breath. Then he settled again and sighed. There was a slight smile on his face. He was safe, at last.
 
Luca nodded at the idea of giving Watson his house, hesitant only because he worried it would be taken away from him. He didn't want to argue if they couldn't give it to him tonight, if Evelyn needed time to go and rest after feeling bad, but he did really want to see Watson try out the new hideout.

Still, he frowned a little when Garrett said she wanted to be alone. "She holds my hand . . . when I feel bad." Did she not want to? Did she want to be alone then, too? Would it not make her feel better if he held her hand now? He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. For most of his life, when he felt bad he just had to curl up and hunker down and hope it went away.
 
The detective's expression softened. He stood up again and waved a hand, heading for the door. "You know, maybe that would help her. Let's ask and see." He went up and knocked softly. "Evelyn? We were wondering if you would like to hold Luca's hand. He would like to help you feel better," he explained through the door.

He glanced at Luca and smiled. "It's very kind of you to offer to help, Luca. I know she'll at least appreciate the thought if nothing else."

Evelyn not wanting his own hand, he could understand. It could be offputting when his powers shut off other people's.
 
Luca looked after Garrett when he got up, sitting forward like he thought he should follow. He didn't want to interrupt her alone time if she didn't want to be near them yet, even though he didn't understand the urge to be alone. All he knew was he liked being with people more than he liked being alone, and thought maybe she would too.

Evelyn was standing at the counter where her cup rested, taking a moment to breathe with her back to the door, when Garret knocked. She was hardly ready to come out, but the idea of Luca asking to hold her hand made her smile, and she couldn't help wondering if it had been his or Garrett's idea. As much as she would rather had hidden forever, she didn't want Luca to feel like she didn't want him near her, and couldn't help being warmed by his desire to help. Her decision made, she took another couple of deep breaths, then smoothed her hand over her hair, straightened out her clothes, and walked back to the door to pull it gently open.

"It's very sweet of you to offer," she said softly, and glanced at Garret before moving a little further into the room. When Luca stood up as if to come meet her, she crossed the distance between them, and gently took his offered hand in both of hers, made a show of holding it up between them and taking a big breath which she let out in a more relaxed sigh, and squeezed softly. "I feel better already."

The small, soft little smile he gave her afterwards went a long way towards making it feel true.
 
Garrett could tell that Evelyn wasn't quite fully ready to take on the group as a whole - but she'd pushed herself, for Luca, and it was admirable. Maybe he could further help by giving her a bit of extra space so she only had to focus on Luca. He cleared his throat and quietly walked up near the boy. "Luca?" he asked gently. "Would you like me to warm up your hot cocoa for you?"

He gave Evelyn a small, gentle smile, hoping it said that he understood, and that he was glad she was feeling even slightly a bit better, and that he would have no problem giving her a bit of space if that's what would help.

Evelyn was always looking out for others. And Garrett had the sinking suspicion it had been a while since she allowed herself to look out for herself, at least since Luca had come into her life.
 
Luca looked torn, pulling his eyes away from Evelyn to look at Garrett, then down at the mug in his free hand. Evelyn answered for him, when he didn't know what to say, and very gently freed a hand to take the mug away and hold it out to Garrett.

"We should get going, right?" She said softly, giving Luca's hand another squeeze. "Watson's waiting for his new hideout."

She was grateful for both of their efforts to help cheer her, and even though she didn't feel back to normal she could endure. Seeing them with Watson would help her feel better, she thought. If they were going to go so Garrett could come back to Anthony faster, they should leave the hot chocolate behind. If Luca wanted more she could make him some at home.
 
But Garrett was in no rush. He knew Anthony would probably sleep until late the next day - and even if he did wake up, he'd always been the sort who could fend for himself well enough, both physically and emotionally. He'd be okay. "There's no rush," Garrett told her with a smile. Besides, no point wasting good cocoa.

He heated the mug up and returned it to Luca when it was safe to hold and drink.

Finally, once Luca had finished and the group seemed ready to go, Garrett led the way to the car, locking the office behind him. "All right. Let's go give Watson his new house. He's going to be so happy to see all of us," he added.

Sure enough, the moment the group walked into the door, Watson meowed loudly and bounced over, tail raised high in greeting. He rubbed against each of their legs in turn, purring loudly. Then he hopped up onto Luca's shoulder and bumped his head into the boy's cheek.

Garrett chuckled lightly. "Evelyn? Would you like to bring out the house?"
 
It was strange, sitting in the quiet while Luca finished off his drink, but somehow the silence didn't feel heavy. Evelyn kept his hand mostly because she didn't want to make him think she wanted to get away from him, and had time to think for a while on what she'd felt and why. She didn't truly want to reflect on how embarrassing it had been, but the way Garrett had reacted to it all would be comforting to think back on, given time.

It was strange how warm she felt when they came inside and Watson immediately came to greet them, despite knowing Luca was his favorite. She had never had pets to be eager to see her before.

"All right," she said gently, giving Luca a guiding nudge towards the living room, "why don't you go sit down and wait to see what he does. You should record it, Garrett."

The house was dry, glued well, and didn't weight much so it was easy enough for her to get it from his office and carry it out, though she didn't manage to get the trees all in one trip.

"Here you go, Watson," she urged, setting it gently down so he could explore. "Your new secret hideout. Don't eat it all in one day, hm?"
 
Garrett smiled and reached for his phone. Evelyn did seem to be feeling a bit better already, and he was glad for it. "All right," he said, turning the video on. He panned around the group and made sure everyone got in the frame. "We're all here at my apartment, and Watson's new house that we made has finally dried. We're going to see what he thinks," he narrated.

Watson was already interested when Evelyn brought the tree house out. He hopped off of Luca's shoulder and walked over to it, giving it a few curious sniffs. Then he realized the main component was a box. He gave a light hop and landed square in the middle of it, his tail twitching.

Garrett giggled and held out a string to Luca. "Luca, here. Wiggle this outside the window. I bet he'll try to catch it and we'll see his little paws stick out. It'll be so cute!"
 
Evelyn stepped back to be a bit more out of the focus of the video so Watson could have the spotlight, only smiling when he hopped right in. She was glad he liked it, if only so Luca and Garrett wouldn't be disappointed.

Ever obedient and mostly immune to cameras, Luca came over when Garrett held the string out to him, and sat down on his knees next to the box to give the string a little wiggle near the windows. It was nice, seeing the others with big smiles when Watson's paw popped out to try and grab it.

"What a good little predator." Evelyn said with a little chuckle, perching on the arm of the couch to let them have their fun. "You'll get it some day, Watson. Keep trying."
 
The detective laughed heartily when, sure enough, Watson stuck his little paws through the window to grab at the string. "Attaboy, Watson! You've got it," he encouraged the cat.

Then Watson peeked through one of the windows at Luca. His eyes were dilated, and seemed to sparkle in the camera light. He purred and rolled over in the box, rubbing himself across it to claim it. He very much liked his new hideout.

Garrett smiled and finally turned his camera off. "I'd say the hideout was a great success!" he announced. "And we still have a few hours before I go to check on Anthony at the office. What would you both like to do?" he asked Luca and Evelyn.
 
Luca tilted his head to look curiously at Watson through the window when the cat looked out at him, which only made Evelyn want to laugh. They were the quite the pair, but at least they made each other happy. While he was content to sit watching Watson roll around, she settled herself in on the couch.

"I have a little more research to do," she said, wanting to give them more time to be together before they had to leave. With Anthony around, she knew it was going to be harder to find time with just the two of them, and she still wasn't sure if she felt safe enough bringing Luca back to Garrett's apartment if Anthony were to be brought to it. She needed to think about it more.

"You could practice finding fingerprints?" A fingerprinting kit had been part of his gift from Watson, after all.
 
"Oh! Say, there's an idea," Detective Shiver said happily. "Luca, why don't you get your fingerprinting kit and we can try it out on Watson's house? I bet we could find all of our fingerprints on it!" he offered.

He planned to keep Anthony only at the office until he heard otherwise from Evelyn. It would do for a transitional house, anyway, and had the necessary supplies for living. Even a bathroom, just down the hall from the other offices in the building. And while it was technically a public office, Anthony had the key and could lock it at night to keep himself safe. He'd be fine.

He texted Evelyn as much, too, telling her he planned to keep his apartment as a safe place for her and Luca, and that Anthony wouldn't know where it is or be brought to it at all.

Watson glanced through a window of the house again, putting his paws up on the edges and poking his face through, trying to figure out what was going on.
 
Luca glanced up from playing with Watson and made a soft, surprised sound when the distraction led to the kitten pulling the string fully into the box. "Oh. Okay." He murmured mostly to himself, and got up quickly to go and retrieve his bag from where he'd left it on the way in. It was easy enough, to find the small box the kit was in, and he brought it back to sit down near Garrett once more.

"You could get a glass from the kitchen," Evelyn suggested as she settled herself in, making a gentle suggestion rather than saying outright that maybe putting the dust on the house Watson was inside of might not go very well, given how he'd been batting at everything that came near. "It would make it easier to practice distinguishing different sets of prints." They could have her, Garrett, and Luca each touch it, then compare fingerprints to see if they could tell which ones were which.

She was very quiet, after that, reading the long message Garrett sent her and feeling for a moment like she might become overwhelmed again, though for different reasons. All she could manage to send back was a Thank you, with a happy little emoji next to it. Perhaps it said something about the people whose company she kept that having someone try to be so considerate to her that they inconvenienced themselves was an unfamiliar shock, or perhaps it was just the past few years of working alone, but it did truly touch her that Garrett was willing to keep someone who was admittedly his friend away from his home just because it bothered her. She didn't know how else she could respond.
 
Garrett smiled gently at the thank you text; it even had a smiley face. He texted back You're welcome :). Then he headed off to the kitchen and grabbed a glass for the group to use for the experiment. He sat on the carpet, spread out a newspaper to keep the dust somewhat contained, and smiled at Luca. "All right. You tried using a fingerprinting kit before, I think, in my office. What do you remember from that experience?" he asked happily.

Watson was still in a playful mood, and he was determined to be included. He hopped out of the house, toddled over, and batted at the cup with his paw.

Garrett laughed. "Looks like we'll have Watson's fingerprints to use, too! Or his pawprints, I suppose. Thank you, Watson."

The cat meowed and climbed up into Luca's lap to try and curl up there. He purred softly and closed his eyes, snuggling against the boy happily.
 
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