Forging New Paths

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Evelyn waited a minute or two to give the matter some thought before responding. If you'd like, it's all right if you want to come over, but you don't have to come if it's just for us. I'm sure you must be busy, and we'll be all right. How are things with Anthony?

She was sure Luca wouldn't mind the company, though it undermined a bit about what she'd told him, that they wouldn't see each other every day all the time. But if Garrett was busy they would do just as well with her taking the video call in her bedroom with the door left cracked, and Luca elsewhere on his own. She always told him he could interrupt her if he needed anything.
 
Well . . . we are a little busy, Garrett admitted at last. I can't give you the full details yet, but we may be on the verge on opening a new case. If you and Luca will be all right, I think we'll probably be gone a day or two. But things with Anthony are going well. He told me he was so exhausted he didn't even have night terrors last night.

He paused thoughtfully again and ran a hand through his hair. Suppose we all go to the park tomorrow, for a picnic? Or go swimming at the lake? We still have those rocks to collect.
 
Something to do with last night's security footage? Evelyn inquired, frowning a little to herself and trying not to worry. Don't worry. We'll be all right on our own. I'm glad to here Anthony got some much needed rest. You two be safe.

She blinked in surprise when his next message came before she'd fully replied, and huffed a little breath of laughter. What happened to being gone? Perhaps he meant the day after tomorrow they would go. If you're free, I'm sure Luca would love to be able to spend time with you before you go. We could eat lunch at the lake?
 
Garrett couldn't help but chuckle when Evelyn had already put the pieces together. She always could read him like an open book. Well, yes. But don't worry. It's nothing to do with Luca. I promise I'll explain more once Anthony and I have gotten more details.

There was a few moments, and then another text. It occurs to me that maybe the day after tomorrow might work better for the picnic, if that's all right. But of course, text or call if you need us before then. We'll be standing by, he promised.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Garrett and Anthony returned from their investigation. Both were covered in soot, and as they staggered into the office, Garrett gestured for Anthony to go use the shower first. Then he wiped his hands off and pulled his phone carefully from his pocket. Evelyn, have you got a few minutes to call? A lot happened and it might be easier to talk to you about it. Luca's welcome to listen in.
 
I'll take your word for it. Evelyn texted back, though she couldn't help feeling a bit worried about them anyway. We'll be just fine, don't worry. I'm sure it will be something nice for him to look forward to.

While Garrett and Anthony were busy, she and Luca had a restful day, taking a long walk after lunch but otherwise mostly staying home and relaxing, occasionally doing more work trying to understand what level of education Luca had gotten from the textbooks he'd been given to read. They hadn't wanted a stupid weapon, apparently, and she had to wonder if the Lombardis had thought Luca would eventually start working for them of his own free will.

It wasn't too long before her planned video conference when Garrett texted, and after a quick explanation to Luca she sat them down on the couch together and called.

"That didn't take long," she said when he'd answered, a little frown on her face. "Hope everything's all right. You're on speaker, Garrett." Luca wasn't very used to talking over the phone, but he was at least listening.
 
"Well, we got the evidence we needed," Garrett explained. "It'll still be a day or two before we can meet up for the picnic. But we know enough now that I think we can let you in on the loop." He took a deep breath. "So several of the shopkeepers I talked to the other night said they'd seen someone limping past their store, or walking oddly, or stumbling. Anthony and I reviewed the footage, and uh - "

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "They weren't doing any of those things. They were shifting. I - I mean changing from one form to another. I haven't seen anyone with that power in years. Although . . . well, frankly, I suppose I wouldn't know under normal circumstances. But Anthony and I did some research, and the way this person was shifting wasn't normal. We have reason to suspect they might be hurt, or sick, or have something else going on," he explained.
 
Luca frowned at the idea of not having the picnic for days, but beyond a tiny little sigh the phone's microphone didn't catch he didn't pout much, just leaning over to rest his head on Evelyn's shoulder and staring at the phone like he could see Garrett if he watched closely enough.

"Someone's sick?" He asked quietly, concerned but mostly just curious since it wasn't anyone he knew.

Evelyn gave a little frown herself at the description of the person. "I haven't heard of anyone in a while, either." She said with a little shake of her head, expression turning thoughtful as she tried to think back. Changing shapes could put a lot of stress on the body, so shapeshifting wasn't a hugely common ability, nor one that left the person particularly long-lived, though it didn't kill outright to her knowledge. "What kind of sick? Were they hurting anyone?" A mental instability could be part of it, she thought. It was surely too soon to tell. "Be careful, you two. Let me know if you want me to look at anything for you." Even from a distance, maybe Insight could help in some way. Even a name could help a little, in some cases.
 
"Hopefully not, though it's hard to tell for sure," Garrett said gently, and he smiled fondly on hearing Luca's disappointed sigh. "Don't worry, Luca. You'll see Anthony, Watson, and me sooner than you think."

Watson hopped into his lap a few minutes later, and he eased himself back against the couch, stroking the cat's soft black fur. "But no, Evelyn, they didn't seem to be hurting anyone. It was more as though they were struggling to control their own body, specifically walking. Their features kept shifting and changing and I suspect that made it difficult to walk. Either way, we'll be careful." He smiled and nodded. "I'll let you know if there's anything we need you to look at. Thank you, Evelyn."

Anthony made his way to the couch and flopped down on his back, letting his legs rest against the top and resting his head near Garrett and Watson. "We're going after them tonight! We both think we need to get them somewhere safe before a Lombardi finds them. A mean one, I mean," he clarified. "Not me. Obviously."

"Obviously," Garrett agreed, mussing up his hair.
 
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Luca made a displeased face, though he wasn't generally inclined to not believe people. "Tomorrow?"

Evelyn sighed softly at the quiet question and just petted at his hair to soothe him. "Not tomorrow, but not forever either." She shook her head, knowing he would be disappointed, and frowned a bit at the description Garrett gave them. "I would still stay alert. If they're not in control if their body, they may be in pain. People in pain don't make good decisions." If the person's mind was warping with their body, it could still be dangerous.

". . . You'll be okay?"

She grimaced, only because he couldn't see it, and leaned her cheek against the top of his head. "Garrett and Anthony will be very careful," she said, as much a reassurance to him as an instruction for them. "We'll see them again sooner than you think."
 
Garrett couldn't hide his wince when Luca asked if he and Anthony would be okay. The request was so plaintive and heartfelt it was hard not to drop everything and ask if he could go over to see Luca in person. "That's right. Anthony and I will be very careful, and we'll be okay. I promise we'll text you both as soon as we get back tonight. Do you want us to do a video call with you both tomorrow?" he offered.

Anthony sat up straight on the couch. "How soon are we leaving?"

"Probably right after this phone call. The sooner we help that shifter, the better," Garrett said softly. "And we're not the only ones with access to security cameras." He pulled in a deep breath and steadied himself. "Luca, what are you and Evelyn going to do today and tomorrow?"
 
Luca was already nodding, though careful not to dislodge Evelyn's cheek from where it rested atop his head still. "Yes, please." He was getting better about asking for things, and if he got to see them on video, at least, he could see if they were hurt or not. He could have looked if they had any water around, but Evelyn had told him spying was a 'violation of trust' and would hurt their feelings, so he tried to resist the habitual instinct to use his Sight and find them.

When Garrett asked what they were doing the next day, he only tried to look at her without moving his head, and she patted gently at his cheek. "We're not sure. Probably a walk or two, maybe a movie. We bought paintbrushes, a while ago, so we might try our hand at a Bob Ross tutorial." It was simple and light, easy things for them to do while peacefully at home so he could rest. If she kept him busy, he would think about them less. "Maybe we'll go and find you a 'mission success' present."
 
The detective smiled and held the phone close. "Hey, sounds good. I hope you both have a super fun and relaxing time." He pulled in a breath and stood up. "Anthony and I should probably get going soon. Anything else you both want to say before we say our goodbyes? And don't worry. You can always text us."

Anthony waved at the phone on instinct. "Oh! Were there any specific foods in particular we should bring to the picnic?"

-----

Once the pair had said their goodbyes and hung up, it was off to search for the shifter. They followed the trail from yesterday and eventually ended up underground inside an abandoned portion of the subway tunnels. Garrett swallowed and swung his flashlight around. It was bleak, dark, and full of rubble. There were far too many places to hide. And the visible trail had vanished.

He pulled his phone out and texted Evelyn. Hey, it's Garrett again. Could you help me narrow down a few hiding spots? We're in the abandoned subway tunnel and having trouble picking up the trail.
 
"Just be safe." Evelyn said softly, after a moment to think, to try not to say anything else that might make Luca worry. "Come home."

"Come home." Luca parroted with a little nod, agreeing and also a bit terrified of the idea of them not doing that. He hadn't thought of what might happen if he never got to see them again. He had started to get used to being able to keep the things he liked.

"You just focus on the case. Let me worry about food."

*************

Evelyn and Luca were at home watching a movie when Garrett texted, and with Luca mostly asleep with his head in her lap she was quick to notice and respond. Send me your exact location on a map, even a screenshot will do. Also as many pictures of the area as you can, and a screenshot of the security footage if you've got it. A name, even.

Anything at all for her to focus on that might trigger something. Once she had all those things, she studied the pictures for as long as she dared, then poured some of the water from the bottle sitting at her side into a hand and did her best to push her sight towards the area, searching for any source of water nearby, as deep as she could go. Her eyes occupied, she used her abilities to send messages to Garrett as she came across notions of fact.

He's not much older than you. 6'3", walking with a limp. It was probably something he already knew, but she was messaging as it came to her with little time to think in between. Towards the cave-in, there's a small space to slip through, relatively stable but be careful. There's a maintenance access not far from there, he's gone through.

She gave her head a little shake to ward off a forming headache, trying to push her gifts too hard when usually she let them come to her slowly. Be careful, Garrett. He's afraid. Don't let him scratch you. Something about it was dangerous, even if she hadn't gotten to what yet. She needed more time, and they were in too precarious a situation to wait.
 
Anthony smiled warmly and nodded. "We'll come home," he promised. And it really did feel like home already. There were people here who cared about him and wanted him to be safe, and the feeling sent a warmth through his chest.

*******

Right away, Garrett replied, and he sent Evelyn as many pictures and as much information as he could about the abandoned section of subway.

He was relieved when only seconds later, Evelyn began sending him information, which he quickly relayed to Anthony.

"Near the cave in, huh?" Anthony asked at last. He nodded and headed over. "Let's go." He was the first one to carefully crawl through, followed closely by Garrett.

The detective called out softly. "Excuse us. We don't mean to intrude. We noticed you were hurt, and we'd like to help you."

"N - no! Stay away!" a panicked voice called. "Please! It's not safe!"

"We know. We're coming to get you out of here and to a safe place," Anthony explained gently.

"No! I'm not safe!" a voice within the access tunnel called.

Anthony sighed and rolled his eyes, smiling. "Not yet. But you will be. Come with us. We can protect you," he added, stepping into the tunnel.

"Anthony, be careful," Garrett warned.

"I am! Don't worry."

******

A good half hour passed before Garrett texted Evelyn again. Sooo . . . I have good news and bad news. Which one would you like first?
 
The small puddle Evelyn had managed to find was in a corner of rubble, and she lost sight of them almost instantly as they started to move. After that, she could only wait anxiously for more news and fight down the urge to message Garrett over and over again, in case the sound or sight of his phone would ruin anything for them. It was difficult, after being alone so long, to leave the fate of those she had begun to care about out of her range of influence.

She had gotten up to attempt preparing dinner just to keep herself occupied when he finally responded again, and brushed her hands off on a towel immediately to be able to pick up her phone and answer. The flippant tone had her thinking they were okay, but the idea of bad news didn't sit well with her. Just tell me what happened >:/ She sent back, with a little angry-faced emoji to communicate her displeasure when she could only assume he wasn't able to call in order to tell her faster. No him-hawing. She wanted answers and she wanted them now, thank you.
 
Garrett couldn't help but chuckle a bit when he saw the angry face Evelyn texted back, and he pressed the button to call instead. "Hey," he greeted warmly. "So, uh . . . good news is, everyone's here at the office. We managed to convince Shiloh to come back with us. Bad news is, Anthony's got a case of shifter flu."

He clicked his tongue. "As I understand it, Shiloh accidentally scratched him while he was helping him out of the rock piles. So Anthony has temporary - we think - shifting powers that he can't control, and both of 'em are sick with flu symptoms. I put them both straight to bed. I haven't been contaminated, but I am a bit at a loss. Do you know anything about being infused with powers rather than born with them? That's what Shiloh keeps saying."
 
Evelyn was quick to answer when Garrett called, and couldn't fight down nerves despite the mostly relaxed tone in his voice. "Shifter flu?" She repeated, almost incredulous as if he was playing some sort of joke on her, and only frowned deeper when he went on. "I've never heard of that before in my life."

She shook her head, resting a hand to her forehead and letting out a soft sigh. "Are they all right? Does 'Shiloh' know where he picked it up?" It had to come from someone, didn't it? "I can try and do some research on the phenomenon, but I don't know how much I'll be able to dig up. Will you be all right?" Garrett was largely immune to all powers, so she was sure it as safe to think that even being scratched wouldn't do much to him.
 
"Well, that's understandable. Up until now, I've never heard of people being infused with powers instead of born," Garrett added. "It's - well, I think what happened was after he escaped, his powers became more unstable." He took a long breath in. "The important thing is, we're all relatively safe and sound. Just a little sick. I'm fine, so far, but if the shifter flu can affect Anthony there may be a chance it could get me, too. I'll call again once they're awake."

He strolled over to the couch and sat down, folding one leg over and petting Watson when the cat immediately jumped into his lap. "How are you and Luca doing? I imagine it's been unusually peaceful there without me," he added, chuckling lightly. He already missed the pair, and it had only been one day. Giving each other breathing space was harder than he'd thought.
 
Evelyn raised her eyes heavenward for an exasperated moment, always surprised by how cavalier Garrett could be about things that the average person would balk at. For now, she tried to just let it go and determined to do her own research as she could.

"Don't worry about us," she said with a shake of her head, not wanting him to get distracted when they were just fine on their own, but after a pause she did sigh softly, glancing towards the living room where Luca was quietly reading on his own, the tv playing quiet music in the background. "He misses you, but it's good for him to spend some time away, so he doesn't start thinking we can always be together every day. He'll be all right."

While she wouldn't say that she had been quite sad about being apart, it wasn't as if it made her happy either. She had spent so many years on her own that being alone was normal enough, but she did have to admit that it felt a bit strange to have her home so quiet now, after so many days spent in each other's company. She wasn't going to tell Garrett that Luca had already asked once when they would see him again. She didn't want to upset him.
 
Garrett smiled warmly. "Awww, I'm not worried. Just making small talk. Normally I'd talk with Anthony, but he's sleeping." He pulled in a breath. "So, ah . . . about the picnic. I'm planning on still being able to make it. I'm not contagious. Anthony may or may not go, depending on how he's doing. Shiloh will probably stay at the office. But I have no clue for sure; I've only been able to calmly talk to him for about half an hour. But don't worry! I'll ask Luca whether he's ready to meet Shiloh before I just randomly introduce him."

Watson meowed and batted at the phone, and Garrett laughed. "Watson says hi, by the way. And he's also not contagious, so he'll come to the picnic as well."

Somebody shuffled out nearby. ". . . Oh. Hey, Shiloh. Did I wake you?" Garrett asked apologetically. Shiloh's voice was too quiet to hear. "No? Okay, good. Do you need anything? Water, huh? In the kitchen fridge. Go right ahead and help yourself. You're welcome."
 
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