Forging New Paths

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Evelyn blinked at Anthony's sudden excitement, not quite startled but worried his voice might wake up their sleeping companions. "That's a great idea," she said with a little smile. "I'm sure Luca would like that." It would probably end up a sort of routine, if they kept going back to the lake. She was sure if he knew he could paint and keep them, he would start looking for rocks with that in mind.

Luca was dozing already, chest rising and falling with calm, even breaths, and for a moment Evelyn couldn't quite believe how unbelievably fond she had become of him in such a short time, enough so that anyone who treated him well earned points towards her favor. ". . . Thank you," she said softly, after a pause, looking down at his sleeping face, "for being so kind to him. It will be good for him, having a friend who isn't a . . . caretaker, I suppose is the word." She brushed a few strands of hair delicately away from his eyes, and finally looked at Anthony again, expression calm but sympathetic still. "I know he can be difficult to work with, sometimes, so please let me know if you ever get frustrated." She didn't want him thinking he had to always be so tolerant, or that he couldn't get upset with the way Luca interacted with the world. Caring for Luca fell primarily on her, and on Garrett. It was all right not to have endless patience all the time.
 
Anthony smiled back gently when Evelyn began thanking him for being so kind to Luca. "You're wel - " he started to say. Then Evelyn continued on and asked him to let her know if ever got frustrated. He couldn't help but blink a few times. ". . . Frustrated?" he asked in surprise. "I mean, I guess I'll let you know, but - Luca's been nothing but kind and patient with me. I'd be hard pressed to get frustrated about anything with him. He never rushes me, never yells, never tries to hit me or anything. He's the nicest person I've ever met, next to Garrett and you."

He eventually shrugged and reached over to give Watson a few more pets. "But I will let you know. It's . . . it's nice having someone new to confide in besides Garrett. Then I can split my stuff up between you both," he added with a soft chuckle.
 
Evelyn looked at Anthony when he seemed so surprised, prepared to explain that Luca didn't always pay attention or understand things, or couldn't properly explain himself, at least, and that it could be frustrating for people - or when he got overwhelmed and tried to shut the world away it could be scary, feeling like you had to find some way to help him, especially knowing that he could very easily kill you if he lost control of his powers for some reason, or was afraid enough to lash out. He wasn't the kind to lash out, really, only to hide, but the sentiment was there.

She wasn't sure exactly what her expression looked like, thinking both of how precious the relationship between the two young men was, and also how sad it was that Anthony's experience with people was often tainted by anger and violence, but she was sure her smile was at least a little bit sad. "If having a listening ear will help," she said softly, rather than apologizing for how much Luca had to be her first priority, "I'm willing to listen."

She was quiet for a moment, lost in thought and simply watching the people in the distance that walked through the park, before finally looking at him again. "It's only fair to warn you . . ." She began, hesitant to share any of her own secrets but having made up her mind finally that Anthony was trustworthy, though he still needed watching over, "I have the gift of Insight. Say too much to me, and I could end up learning things you would rather I not know." It wasn't intentional, in this case, and she did try actively not to think too hard about things she would rather not know about, but she didn't really have a choice. It was only fair to warn Anthony that, while she wasn't against his confiding in her, he may be.
 
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But to Anthony, Luca saving him from an oncoming car far outweighed any other risks that might come with his powers.

His eyebrows went up when Evelyn warned him about her Insight. It was a fair enough warning, and if he had any more secrets the group didn't already know about, he would've taken it a bit more seriously. But he only shrugged and smiled. "Thanks for letting me know. Although you all know basically both my secrets already. The fact I'm a Lombardi, my night terrors. There's not much else there I'd be worried about you knowing."

Sure, there were a few memories that might hurt Evelyn to see - but there was nothing that would make the group mad at Anthony, so he wasn't worried.

He yawned lightly and lay down on the picnic blanket, curling up next to Garrett. "It's way too warm and peaceful out here. I gotta try sleeping outside more often," he murmured with a sleepy smile.
 
There were many things, less tangible things, that Evelyn could think of. His personal feelings, his deepest fears. Things she had no right to know. But she was quiet and let him lay down to sleep in peace while he could.

It was all right, being the only one awake while they rested. She was used to being quiet and solitary. At least now she had all their sleeping faces to look upon, and a sort of purpose in keeping an eye out so they were all safe. She was sure to let them rest a while before finally beginning to shake them all awake.

"Come now," she murmured fondly, helping Luca sit up even as she reached for Garrett with her other hand, "if you sleep for too long you'll never get to sleep tonight. Lying on the ground can't be good for your back."
 
Garrett was more easily roused this time, and as he sat up, Anthony and Watson began waking up as well. It was only a few minutes before the entire group was awake.

"Mmpfh. What did I miss?" Garrett asked, rubbing his eyes. ". . . What time is it?"

Watson arched his back and yawned. Then he sat up and began grooming his fur, licking himself quietly.

"I think early afternoon? Late afternoon?" Anthony guessed. ". . . Huh. Should we find somewhere to eat supper at? Seems like it's about that time."

Garrett ambled to his feet and cracked his back. "Well, suppose we make supper in the office tonight? We could pick up groceries on the way over there. Unless we had other plans for supper?" he added, clearly still in a bit of a fog.
 
Evelyn was glad they were quick to rise so she could focus on getting Luca ready to go, the cooler already packed up. "It might be fun," she said with a little shrug as she helped him stand up, "making dinner before we go. Do you want to help cook, Luca, or do you want to rest at home until we go walking tonight?"

He was sleepy still, but didn't take much time to think about it, just nodding as he got steady on his feet. "Dinner." He wasn't ready for longer sentences yet, but the thought was still there. He didn't want to miss any time they could spend together, and he liked learning to help in the kitchen. Even if he was a little tired, it would be okay.
 
"We'll probably want something easy to make, and light," Anthony said as the group made their way to the van. "We usually eat a bit on our patrol route, so we don't want to be too full."

"Luca may want some extra protein, though. He's got a higher metabolism than the rest of us," Garrett explained.

"Ah, gotcha. How about ham sandwiches, Luca? Or turkey pot pie? Or breakfast for dinner, with sausages and bacon?" Anthony suggested.
 
Luca was frowning a little, having the decision thrust into his hands, and after just waking up he wasn't ready for choices. He didn't want to upset anyone by not answering, and tugged on the ends of his sleeves as he tried to figure out how to respond. There were too many things, and he didn't know what everyone else would want, and he felt rushed since they were going to leave soon. The words felt stuck in his throat, smothered by memories of being told he would eat what he was given or nothing at all.

Evelyn put a hand gently on his back to soothe him, shaking her head for Anthony though there was no irritation in her voice and her expression was unbothered. "Breakfast for dinner should be easy enough, if that's what you'd like. When we're at the grocery store, I'll grab a few snacks, just in case."

Some eggs, toast, and bacon would keep him going for a little while, since he'd been resting and eaten a decent amount for lunch. If they were also going to eat things as they walked it would be all right for her to feed him an average sized meal and carry snacks she knew he liked for afterwards. Luca was often at his quietest after just waking up, so it was best to give him a moment to recover fully before putting too many options in front of him.
 
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Anthony could already tell the difference in Evelyn's attitude towards him. Even when she was shaking her head, he understood it wasn't in an angry way. And it didn't take him long to realize it was because Luca wasn't prepared for so many choices right after waking up.

He smiled and got to his feet. Then he offered Luca a hand up. "Sounds good to me!"

Once everyone was off the blanket, Garrett set to work shaking it off and folding it up. "I do like a good breakfast. And I can practice making more pancakes! I bet they'll be even better this time."

Watson batted at the corners of the blanket while Garrett tried to fold it, leaping up and hanging off one of the corners at one point. Garrett chuckled and gently reached down to pull him off. "Watson, you're going to get stuck in there. Let me fold it, eh?"

The black cat meowed in protest. But instead of the blanket, he lunged up on Garrett instead, climbing up his jacket and finally settling on his shoulder.

Garrett laughed again. "That'll work."
 
Luca was hesitant to look up at Anthony, not wanting to have disappointed him, but the teen's bright and agreeable tone made it easier. After a moment he managed to peek, then to reach for the hand held out to him and get himself up and out of the way. He stood a bit away from where the blanket shaking was happening, holding Evelyn's parasol when she folded it up and gave it to him, and just watched quietly as she and Garrett made quick work of cleaning up.

When both blankets were folded Evelyn traded Luca for blankets, and put the cooler's strap over her shoulder so she could pop her parasol back up into place in a smooth, practiced motion. "Should we consolidate into one car," she asked, smiling a bit at Watson's antics, "or would you like us to meet you at the grocery store, and park at the office after?"
 
Anthony decided to stand right near Luca, watching Watson with a grin and the occasional giggle.

Eventually everything was packed away, and Garrett nodded to Evelyn. "Might as well ride together. It'll save gas, for one thing, and we'll have more time to spend together."

"Oh! Luca, do you want to sit by me in the car?" Anthony asked hopefully, taking a step towards the vehicle but pausing to wait for Luca. "We can put Watson next to you in his carrier. I know Watson loves sitting by you." He patted his leg and whistled. "C'mere, Watson!"

Watson bounded over across the grass, hopping into Anthony's arms for a snuggle, who kissed his head and received a lick on the nose in return.

"Aww. Good boy, Watson," he murmured.

Garrett's eyes sparkled, and he glanced back at Evelyn. "Then we'll probably be sitting near each other. Do you want to sit in the passenger seat, or drive?" he asked.
 
Luca was mostly oblivious to Anthony's effort to be near him, only thinking that the younger man had wanted to be out of the way, too. Feeling sleepy, his thoughts had drifted towards the many times he'd woken up from sedation, how hard it could be to get his brain working again and how he had gotten used to feeling nauseated the second he woke. He wandered automatically after them when they walked to the car, and finally started bringing his attention back when Anthony's voice said his name.

It took a moment of staring not quite groggily at Anthony for Luca to finally realize what he had asked, then another for him to look at the car and figure out what it meant. ". . . Okay." He agreed quietly with a little nod, and watched with a bit more interest as Watson jumped into Anthony's arms. The cat seemed happy, at least, so that was good. He wondered if they could take him into the grocery store with them.

Evelyn's expression was carefully neutral as she considered how Luca's attention was drifting to and fro, but eventually she decided not to fight it. He would be all right without being right at her side, and if he wasn't she would just have Garrett pull over. "I can take shotgun," she said with a little shrug, putting the cooler and blankets in the trunk and holding the back door open for Luca. "Buckle up, okay?"

He nodded and got himself in without hitting his head, quietly fiddling with the seatbelt until he was strapped in and watching everyone else get settled in the car.
 
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It didn't take long for Anthony to realize that Luca was probably still sleepy - or maybe just feeling a bit out of sorts, for whatever reason. But no one seemed concerned, so it was probably okay. He smiled and gently patted Luca's shoulder after he'd gotten buckled up and stuff. "Hey. Thanks again for letting me hang out with all of you," he said with a smile. "You're all so nice. And I always have so much fun."

Watson meowed from inside the carrier and pawed at the door.

Anthony giggled. "Are you excited for the walk tonight, Watson? It'll be so much fun, I bet!"

"I hope so," Garrett agreed with a nod. He buckled up and started the car once everyone was settled, and then headed for the grocery store. Hopefully the grocery store wouldn't be too much for Luca. It was large, sometimes crowded, and even with a list, there would probably be a lot of decisions involved. He decided he'd let Evelyn lead the grocery store outing. She'd probably pick up faster on Luca's cues than he could.
 
Luca blinked, attention drifting over to Anthony when the younger man patted his shoulder, as if wondering why. He didn't quite smile, but his expression was pleased even as he focused more on Watson in his carrier, petting gently at the little cat's cheeks through the mesh when he pressed up against it.

"The picnic was . . . nice," he said with a little nod, unsure how else to express that he liked having Anthony around. It wasn't the same as having Evelyn and Garrett with him, but it was a good kind of different.

Evelyn only smiled a little at their gradually blossoming friendship, hoping that some day Luca would be comfortable enough with Anthony, even, to be alone with him for a while. It would likely be a long time before he was ready, and perhaps longer until she was, but some day.

"I'm glad we're not too boring for you." She said, thinking that most of what they did had to be boring, mostly for Luca's sake. She didn't mind, but someone Anthony's age, with his friendly disposition, was usually up for more excitement.

When they got to the grocery store, even the parking lot was a little more lively than Luca was used to, she thought, and would be sure to hold Luca's hand as they walked, but they didn't make it a step away from the car before the first snag in their plans popped up.

"What about Watson?" Luca asked, standing next to his open door and looking in at the carrier with a frown.

Evelyn considered the weather for a moment, and the inside of the car, and looked over at Garret for an opinion. "Do you think they'd let us bring him in if someone's holding the carrier the whole time?"
 
"It was a nice picnic," Anthony agreed. "Really nice nap, too! I haven't slept like that in . . . I don't even know how long. I finally felt safe again," he added softly.

Then he scoffed a bit at Evelyn's statement, smiling and shaking his head. "Believe me, after everything I've been through, I could use a bit more boring in my life. I don't think that's how I'd describe this group, though. Probably more relaxed than boring. And safe. And friendly."

Detective Garrett smiled gently when Watson was brought up. "I don't think so, but - he'll be walking with us tonight, and he's going to need some rest. Why don't we leave him in the car with the air on, and he can take a nap while we're in the grocery store?"

As though to side with Garrett, Watson gave a long yawn and stretched his front paws out before curling up in the carrier.
 
I finally feel safe again. It was funny, wasn't it, just how small a sentence could punch the air from her lungs? It hit Evelyn with a wave of sadness and sympathy she hadn't expected, and she couldn't find a response that felt adequate, only a soft, acknowledging hum. Guilt curled in her stomach at the idea of having ever seen and treated Anthony as a dangerous enemy, when he had only ever been a scared, traumatized child. It wasn't fair. The way he had likely grown, he deserved every drop of sympathy she had left in her - and she had to scribble those thoughts out of her mind quickly before she could learn more than she meant to.

Once they were out of the car, Watson was a welcome distraction. Luca was frowning still, but relaxed at the idea of leaving the air conditioner on, and finally began to shuffle a bit further away from the open doorway. "Okay. . ." he said softly, a bit reluctantly still but taking in how relaxed Watson was, and how unworried Garrett was. "Have a nice nap. . ."

Evelyn smiled for him and gently closed the door so as not to make too much noise, holding a hand out for Luca and only walking around to be next to the others once he had agreed to hold hers. "I'm sure he'll be all right. We can get him a snack for later too, all right?"

That helped encourage Luca to want to go into the store, at least. Evelyn retrieved a shopping cart on their way in and, with the ease of someone used to multitasking, steered it one-handed so she could still make sure Luca stayed close.

"Let's start with snacks," she said when no one else seemed keen to take the lead, "since they don't need to be refrigerated. Then we can go look at breakfast foods."

There were more people and more aisles than Luca was used to, and his hand stayed firmly in hers even though his eyes wandered here and there as they walked. They were a lot of things around, and he didn't really like the music that was playing, but everyone was with him so it was safe. He just had to stay close to Evelyn so the bad thoughts would stay away.
 
Anthony could tell, just from a glance, that Luca seemed a bit uncomfortable in the store. He walked on his other side and gently tapped his shoulder. "Hey," he said softly. He waited until he was sure he had Luca's attention. Then he nodded and smiled. "If you want to leave the grocery store and go to the car, you can tap my shoulder. I'll get the car keys from Garrett and we can go relax with Watson. Okay?" he asked gently.

Garrett beamed and nodded to himself. He was consistently proud of how kind Anthony was and how different he was to the family he'd come from.

There was already a lot of information for Luca to take in, so when Evelyn brought up snacks, Garrett led the way towards the snack aisle. "Luca? Do you like sweet or salty snacks better?" he asked gently. Once he narrowed that down, he could pick out one or two healthy options for Luca to choose from.
 
Luca's fingers tightened around Evelyn's for a moment when Anthony tapped him, as if he expected to see someone else when he turned, but relaxed again when all he saw was Anthony's kind face. His voice was soft and his words meant kindly - even if Luca wasn't sure how he felt about going so far away without Evelyn or Garrett, he knew Anthony was trying to make him feel less bad. Someone trying to help how he felt inside was a strange and unfamiliar concept, still, but it was nice.

"Okay," he managed with a little nod back, not wanting to say no but unsure if he would take the teen up on the offer or not. It was nice to have the option laid out in front of him, though, and it did help some of the tension in him relax, if only just a little.

Evelyn was smiling a little to herself, touched by Anthony's very kind offer, and did her best to leave their conversation alone despite wondering if Luca would feel comfortable going somewhere alone with Anthony. Maybe he would surprise her.

At Garrett's question, Luca's brow furrowed a bit in concentration as he tried to focus on making the decision with so much stimulus around. ". . . Salty." He said finally, quiet as he often was when presented with choices, as if there was a wrong one that would get him in trouble. If he ate too many sweet things, it made his stomach hurt, and he wasn't supposed to have candy at night or it might keep him awake.

Evelyn nodded along and just angled the basket along with Garrett. "Let's look at the fruit and nuts first, then." Dried fruit was a bit sweet, but not to much if they got the kind without added sugars, and nuts were also a source of protein so he wouldn't get hungry later. They could add sweets later if they felt like they wanted it, but healthy snacks first.
 
Garrett knew from his years of cases that fresh cranberries also contained a bit of salt. Those were an option, too. But he didn't want to overwhelm Luca with choices when there was already so much going on.

He had an idea, though. If Luca picked from two of the same thing, maybe it would make the choice less stressful. Garrett walked over to two brands of nuts and held one bag of each up. "We can start with these. Which nuts would you like, Luca?" he asked gently.

If even that got to be too much, Luca would hopefully enjoy walking with the group as they picked out the groceries instead. But for now Garrett wanted to expand his choices a bit.

Anthony, meanwhile, gasped and pointed. "Ohh! They have animal crackers!" he whispered. "Garrett, could we get animal crackers? I can pay you back once I get a job!"

Garrett smiled gently and shook his head. "Don't worry about paying me back, kiddo. Of course we can get animal crackers. My treat."
 
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