Forging New Paths

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Insight was hardly enough preparation for being dragged outside to where a little boy was standing, in tattered clothes and with tears in his eyes. It cut her to the heart to see him. So small. So afraid. Like the moment she had first found Luca with her Sight, and now here he was, squeezing her hand and practically begging her to help someone else.

"Yes," He said quickly, nodding a little and looking between them. "Please."

Help. Just help. He clearly didn't even really know what he was asking for, didn't know what Isaac needed, but he knew they would help. That, too, made her feel as if her heart were being torn in two.

"All right," she said gently, using her free hand to give Luca's a gentle pat and taking a moment to look him in the eyes. "Don't worry. You did well, okay? Let me go now."

He blinked down at their hands when he realized he hadn't released her, and slowly loosened his grip until he could wring his own hands together instead of squeezing hers. He hadn't meant to stop her after asking her to do something.

"Sweetheart?" Evelyn said very gently as she turned away from him, looking to the small boy standing in the yard with a small, sad little smile. "It's okay. You don't have to be scared." When she was still a few feet away, she knelt down in the grass to be closer to his height and held her hands out to him, beckoning him gently closer without demanding. "You're Isaac . . . aren't you? My name is Evelyn, and my friend is Garrett. Mr. Emerald has been telling us how much he likes talking to you. . . We were just going to get ready for dinner. Why don't you join us?"

He had to be hungry, she thought, always stealing snacks from the cupboards when he had the chance. He could have her portion, for all she cared. As long as they could get him inside where he could be well fed and taken care of. They would figure out where to go next after that.
 
Garrett cleared his throat softly and let Evelyn take the lead on approaching Isaac; too many people getting close at once might scare him. He decided to hang in the background and offer his help as needed. "Luca? You can hold my hand, if you like," he offered gently.

Isaac swallowed a bit, nodded, and slowly but surely stepped towards Evelyn. She seemed nice, and Luca was nice too. It was probably safe to go near her. "Yeah. He thinks I'm a ghost, though," he said softly. He bit his lip and hesitated when Evelyn asked him to join them for dinner. He was hungry. But then he'd have to go inside. "I can't," he said softly, tears brimming in his eyes. "I'm not supposed to be in there. I don't live here."

Detective Shiver let out a soft breath. "Isaac. It'll be all right. You can come with us as our guests. And if for some reason Mr. Emerald doesn't want you in his house, you can come back with us to the office and eat there. Okay?"

The young boy sniffled and nodded. "I . . . okay." He glanced at Evelyn, and very slowly stretched out a hand to hold one of her outstretched ones. "Okay."
 
Luca shuffled his feet a little, uncertain, but he was nodding anyway. Hesitant because they weren't somewhere like home that felt safe, he moved closer and after a pause curled his fingers tight around the detective's hand with a faint sigh of relief. It was easier to feel less antsy without his Shadow's energy pulsing through his system, even though he was still worried. Garrett and Evelyn would make everything better. They always did.

"I know," Evelyn said softly when Isaac revealed he knew the old man thought of him as a ghost, humor in her voice. "But he liked you anyway." She didn't look back when Garrett spoke, only watching Isaac and waiting for him to come closer, never once taking her offered hands away like their help had a timeline.

When he finally reached her, she gave his hand a brief, reassuring squeeze, urging him closer and reaching very carefully up to brush a few pieces of hair back away from his eyes with the gentlest of touches. "Okay?" She repeated softly as if to confirm, smiling just a little for him still. "Everything's going to be okay. You're safe now. You don't have to worry."

They would take him inside and get him fed, and after his belly was full they would figure out where to go from there. With she and Garrett working together, she was sure they could find his family, or else somewhere safe for him to go.
 
The detective squeezed Luca's hand back. Gently, but just enough so Luca would feel he was actively holding his hand. "I've got you," he said gently. "We're safe here, Luca. It'll be all right. Thank you for coming to get us." Well, Luca had gotten Evelyn, primarily, but still.

Isaac let out a soft breath, and ever so slightly relaxed a bit. He barely blinked when Evelyn brushed his hair, only because he was so focused on her warm, gentle eyes. He squeezed her hand a bit tighter and glanced toward Luca. "You were right," he told him quietly. "Thank you."

"All right. Shall we head inside?" Garrett asked, and he smiled and led the group back into the house in a quiet procession. Thankfully for Luca, the back door being left open meant most of the perfume scent was very much faded.

Mr. Emerald poked his head out of the kitchen worriedly. "Is everything all right?" he asked. "You all rushed out in such a manner. Someone hurt?" He couldn't see Isaac yet, standing behind Luca and almost glued to Evelyn's side now.
 
Luca managed a little nod as he watched Isaac and Evelyn, his free hand curled loosely against his stomach like he was so nervous he might feel sick. "I didn't know what to do. . ." He said, in a faint, almost apologetic voice, glancing back and forth between Garrett and the others. He had only known he could go to them for help, and ask for the things he needed, known he could ask and that both of them would follow. Isaac needed them, just like he needed them.

When Isaac spoke to him he looked over again, managing a little nod and a hesitant 'You're welcome'. He was beyond relieved that Isaac could feel safe again, he just didn't know how to say it. He was grateful to let someone else lead him again, even though he did look back over his shoulder at the others as he was led inside.

Evelyn gave Isaac another warm smile when he held her hand a little tighter, and when he was ready she got to her feet with her hand in his and led him gently to the house, pausing at the door to be sure he was ready before going inside. It was all right for him to hide behind her. He could cling to her all he liked.

"Mr. Emerald," she said with a little smile, keeping Isaac's hand in hers but not forcing him forward. "I believe we've found your ghost. . . Isaac? Do you want to say hello? He hasn't had a chance to really meet you yet."

Luca only shifted a little closer to Garrett, eyes dropping towards the floor. "Sorry. . ." He managed quietly, uncertain. He hadn't meant to cause trouble. He knew he was being bad by interrupting, and by pulling Evelyn away without being able to explain himself, but he'd panicked. He hoped no one was irritated with him, even if only for Isaac's sake.
 
Garrett gently ruffled Luca's hair. "There's no need to apologize. We should thank you. In fact, I will. Thank you, Luca, for coming to get us so we could all help Isaac together. I really appreciate it."

Isaac swallowed and hesitantly stepped out from behind Luca, letting go of Evelyn's hand and folding his hands in front of him. ". . . Hello," he murmured, his gaze on the floor.

Mr. Emerald shuffled slowly over and knelt down near the boy. His expression softened, and he stretched out a hand to gently cup the boy's cheek. ". . . I'll be darned. You're real."

At first, Isaac stiffened and glanced up in alarm. But Mr. Emerald didn't seem angry. He gulped and blinked back fresh tears. "Y - yeah. I'm sorry I snuck in your house and ate your food. I - I can go, I - "

"Go? What for?" the older man asked. "I like having you here. It's been . . . it was so quiet, before you came. But I understand if you need to leave. I'm - I'm sure you have family and whatnot."

Tears rolled down Isaac's cheeks. "Um . . ."

"Well, but listen. Do you at least want to join us for dinner before we figure that out? You look like you could use a good meal."

Isaac sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Y - yeah. Let's do that."

"Excellent. Why don't you all relax in the living room? I'll go finish up the dinner," he added, and he patted Isaac's shoulder and went back to the kitchen.

The younger boy ran right back to Luca and hugged him tightly.
 
Luca ducked his head a little when Garrett touched his hair, almost deflating beneath the reassurance, but afterwards looked at him with something not unlike awe sparkling in his eyes. He'd done good? He'd helped? He liked that idea, all of them helping together. It made him feel good inside, even if he couldn't think of the words to describe it.

He was so distracted by the idea that he didn't notice Isaac until the boy flopped into him, and was startled into letting go of Garrett to 'catch' the boy with both hands. He blinked down at the top of Isaac's head, fingers curling gently into the boy's hair, and slowly melted into holding a little tighter to him. Did it feel better, holding on to him? Isaac was little, and since he wasn't a threat and his powers weren't meant for offense Luca didn't think his Shadow would mind. It was okay for someone like him to help, wasn't it?

Evelyn had let Isaac say hello on his own, standing nearby so he wouldn't feel as if she'd left him but thinking that he was likely more used to Mr. Emerald than her anyway. But the way he clung to Luca made her smile in a way that was both proud and a little bit sad. Luca was doing so well, even if poor Isaac's circumstances weren't looking bright in the moment. Soon, she was sure, they would both have a little more light in their lives.

"Let's go sit somewhere more comfortable," Evelyn urged gently, brushing a hand over Isaac's shoulder but not trying to pull them apart. "You can sit next to Luca on the couch, okay?"
 
Garrett wished he could've taken a photo. The way Luca looked up at him melted his heart all but completely, and he resolved to give Luca compliments and thank him more often. It clearly meant a lot to him. He smiled back at the young man and nodded subtly, as though to reaffirm that, yes, Luca had done a good job.

His heart almost couldn't stand it when Isaac chose Luca as the person he trusted the most to hug. The pair were so sweet together.

Isaac glanced up when Evelyn brushed a hand over his shoulder, and then sniffed a bit and smiled. "Mhm," he murmured. He reached for Luca's hand next, following him towards the couch and gazing up at him. "I'm glad you came to Mr. Emerald's house today," he said quietly. "Y - you were right. You and your friends helped a lot."

He climbed up onto the couch and then sat quietly, tapping his shoes together. ". . . I wonder if he'd let me stay."
 
When Isaac reached for his hand Luca let him have it, following Evelyn to the living room where they were supposed to sit down and settling on one end of the couch so there was plenty of room for Isaac to sit next to him. They could sit together still, even though they were inside now. He wasn't sure what to do with the off and on crying. It had been so long since he'd last cried, he almost couldn't remember what it felt like.

He nodded along as Isaac spoke, at least, letting the little boy keep his hand if he wanted to and sitting forward a bit like he couldn't quite relax with everything going on. "They always know what do to," he murmured quietly, feeling better now that they were around and Isaac was somewhere warm and soft. Everything would be okay.

Evelyn sat down nearby, close without crowding them, in case either of them needed anything, and offered a small, almost sad smile for the boy. "I'm not sure if he can," she said gently, knowing a truth delivered carefully would always be better than the false hope of lies, even if it stung a little at first. "But we won't know for a little while still. Even if you can't stay, I'm sure he would let you come visit as often as you wanted."

She paused for a moment, held in the sigh that wanted to come out, and pressed carefully onward. "Do you have a family, Isaac?" She asked, tone supportive and warm, trying not to pressure him but seeking more information. "Is there anyone that's looking for you?"
 
Isaac snuggled up against Luca's side, curling there and letting the tears roll freely down his cheeks. "N - n - not any more," he choked out at last.

Garrett frowned and folded his hands while he sat in a nearby chair. "I'm so sorry. I know this must be difficult for you. Could you . . . could you give me any details on what happened?"

The young boy winced and gritted his teeth. "We were just out for a walk," he murmured. "Th - that's all. And suddenly these people came out of a van, and - and there were guns, and I . . . I went to go hide behind a dumpster. Wh - when I came out - " He choked a bit. "I couldn't see my parents. But I could see the bullet holes."

The detective held a hand over his heart. ". . . Isaac. Isaac, I don't even have words to express my apology. How long ago was this?"

"Mm . . . a few months ago?" Isaac guessed, staring blankly at the floor.
 
Luca didn't know what to do, but Isaac's pain was clear. He curled his arms around the boy as if there were danger in the room with them, holding him close and cradling the boy's head gently to his chest. It wasn't fair. Luca knew that he had suffered, that his family was gone and he had been taken from home, but he had imagined it was only him. He was special, they told him. A useful tool. Isaac was just a little boy.

It didn't occur to him, in the moment, that he had also only been a little boy when the suffering began. But he didn't know how to keep it away from the child clinging to him on the couch.

"I'm so sorry," Evelyn managed faintly, mirroring Garrett's words and reaching out to rest a hand both on Isaac's back and Luca's arm, trying to soothe them both. She didn't like the far away look on the older boy's face.

"You're safe now," she offered, even though she knew it wasn't enough, that it wouldn't cover his loss or make anything better. "We're going to make sure you're safe." If they couldn't find anywhere for him to go that same day, they would house him themselves. Give him a change of clothes, a bath, food and water and a warm place to sleep. It was difficult, being so physically close to the case at hand, with a crying child right in front of her instead of existing beyond a screen. She didn't know how Garrett managed it.
 
"Oh, lad," Garrett murmured gently. A few months. Isaac had been on his own for a few months, and he was only eight. The detective imagined he'd had to sneak into houses to feed himself and take naps where he could, and he wondered how many jokes he'd crept into besides Mr. Emerald's.

And he wondered who'd killed the boy's parents, and why.

But such questions could wait until Isaac was more settled, and maybe Evelyn's Insight could answer them so he wouldn't have to bring it up with Isaac again. For now, closing out the case with Mr. Emerald and caring for Isaac was more important.

Garrett cleared his throat and nodded. "Don't worry. Evelyn's right. You're safe now, and we'll make sure you get fed and have a nice place to sleep. All right?"

Isaac sniffled and nodded back, wiping his eyes.

"All right!" Mr. Emerald called out from the kitchen. "Come and get it!"

Garrett stood up and led the way, waving a hand with a smile.

They all walked in to find not only chicken noodle soup, but gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, cool glasses of water, and a side of crackers and carrots.

Mr. Emerald gestured a hand and sat down. "Hope you all are hungry. I thought maybe you'd like a little something besides the soup."
 
Evelyn only nodded along with Garrett, her hand still resting lightly against Isaac's back but her eyes on Luca. She was hoping the contact would give her something about the murder, but for now she only had sad little glimpses of his life surviving on his own. It was difficult, keeping herself separate from the memories so that they didn't hit her as hard as they could some others, letting the information come to her and slide away to be analyzed later. She was glad, not for the first time, that she had been forced to spend her entire life learning how.

Luca needed some gentle encouragement to let go of the boy when they were called for dinner, but once she'd spoken to him gently he came back to them and could be urged to his feet. While they marveled at the spread on the table she pulled out a chair for Isaac and made sure Luca was next to him, and then her next to Luca. Breakfast didn't feel like so long ago, to her, so it would be fine to give Luca half of her food if he was hungry and needed more.

"Thank you very much," she said gently for them all as they got situated, giving the older man a small, grateful smile. "That was very nice of you." And it must have taken some work, suddenly feeding them all. She was grateful for the sentiment

Even Luca, as he settled in, managed a faint 'thank you', fidgeting a bit in his chair as he adjusted to being in a new house, with new people. He took a sip of his water first, but only after Evelyn had, like he wasn't sure it was okay to start eating before anyone else, then finally picked up a carrot to nibble on first.

"Have you lived here long, Mr. Emerald?" Evelyn asked, prompting the man to speak despite knowing the answer herself already. She was sure Isaac would appreciate not just sitting silently around the table.
 
Mr. Emerald settled in at his spot and took to eating right away, if only to convince the group it was all right to do so. He nodded to group and smiled. "You're all very welcome." He took a drink and leaned back in his chair a bit. "Well, let's see now. I've lived here . . . at least thirty years. Maybe more. Used to be me an' my wife until a few years ago, but - I like to think she hangs around, in small ways. A whisper here. A beam of sunlight there. Ya know."

Isaac glanced up from his spoonful of soup, meeting Mr. Emerald's eyes briefly. He did know. Or he would. Right now it hurt too much to even think about his parents.

"Mhm," Garrett said softly, nodding. "That's a good way to look at things."

Mr. Emerald nodded and smiled. "Yes. Well, in any case, I'm very glad you all came to visit today. Garrett? Evelyn? Would you mind if I spoke to you both after supper?" he added, nodding his head subtly towards Isaac.
 
Luca didn't understand what the old man meant by 'still here'. When people were gone, they were gone. That was that. Even when he'd been held against his will as a child he'd been told that, though he still hadn't really realized that it was meant to keep him from having a reason to run away. Were ghosts actually real? He didn't really like that thought.

Evelyn offered a small smile but didn't comment on the idea, knowing that while some reality checks were necessary, or even healthy, too much doom and gloom would only lead to Isaac being upset. "That's a very long time. I'm sure you have a lot of pleasant memories here." She'd seen some of them, in fact, but as was her habit with most clients she didn't speak up about things she knew that weren't entirely relevant in the moment.

"Of course," she said in response to his request, thinking it wouldn't take them horribly long to hear what the man wanted to say about Isaac, and that Luca would be okay left alone with him for a few minutes. He had done well enough when they were alone outside, after all. "We don't have any other appointments today." While she wouldn't want to stay all day, they had no strict timetable to follow. They at least had enough to give the client closure.
 
Garrett's eyes twinkled when he saw the look of confusion on Luca's face. "He means it metaphorically," he explained. "She's not actually here, of course. But there are things that remind him of her. Things that make him happy and sort of, in a way, brings her memory back."

"Yes. That's exactly right," Mr. Emerald agreed. "It's good to remember the people you love. Even if they're not with you any more." He ate some more of his soup and sighed happily. "And you know, I know you've all come over to help with a case, but - I think I'd like to be friends with you all."

Garrett beamed. "I'd like that, Mr. Emerald."

"Please. Call me Stan," the older man replied.

The detective laughed and nodded. "Right. Stan, then."

After a hearty meal, Garrett left the table and quietly followed Stan into the other room. "So, Stan. You wanted to talk to us?" he asked once Evelyn had arrived.

"Yes. Little Isaac . . . I don't know his situation. But if he needs someone, do either of you know the legal process I could take to, you know - adopt him?"
 
Luca looked thoughtful still, but at least wasn't frowning for the moment. It made a sort of sense, if he thought about it that way. Was it okay to feel happy still, when he thought of childhood memories that were good at the time? It didn't feel like that was right, but maybe it was. Even if the way that they died . . . He didn't want to think about it then.

Evelyn smiled politely but let Garrett do the talking, not sure how to feel about calling a total stranger a friend. Most friends started as total strangers though, she supposed. She was just a very cautious person by nature, and preferred to keep sentiment to herself rather than speak it aloud.

When dinner was over and Luca and Isaac were sat in front of the television to keep them occupied, she followed Garrett to the other room with Mr. Emerald, and listened to his plea with as much of a poker face as she could manage.

". . . That's very kind of you, Mr. Emerald," she said, gently to lessen the blow, "but there are a lot of hoops to jump through, if that's what you'd like to do. The police handle missing children's cases very carefully, and a judge will always want to look for next of kin before a total stranger. If he has none, or they can't care for him, you can apply for temporary guardianship, at least, and see what happens from there." She paused for a moment, biting back a sigh with a great deal of effort. "If you would like to expedite the process of being eligible as a legal guardian, I do happen to know a very good lawyer who could be convinced to come and assist."

Speaking to her father after months of radio silence was likely going to be very awkward, was all.
 
Mr. Emerald waved a hand. "No, no. If he has next of kin, I'm sure he'd much rather live with them. But I'd like to be an option for him if he needs me," he explained softly. "And, if he needs a place to stay during the process, I'll gladly let him stay here. Would you all like to come to the police with me?"

Garrett bit his lower lip. "Well - " Luca probably wouldn't feel comfortable going near the police. And the police would really only need to speak to Isaac, Mr. Emerald, and maybe Garrett. "I was thinking, suppose you, Isaac, and I go to the police, and we could meet up again with Evelyn and Luca afterwards? Would that be agreeable to everybody?" he added.

In the other room, Isaac took another few bites of food and sighed deeply, cleaning the last of his plate. ". . . Whoa. I'm actually full," he said softly. He smiled at Luca and beamed. "I haven't felt full for a long time."
 
Evelyn was glad for Garrett's mediating, knowing that it was still likely not a good idea for Luca to be in a police station. Even if, somehow, he wasn't wary of the police themselves, being somewhere with an abundance of handcuffs, guns, and potentially visible holding cells would be bad enough on its own. It was better for everyone if he just didn't go.

"Luca and I can go home and do some digging on our own," she acquiesced with a little bow of her head, as if apologizing for not going with them. "If you change your mind about wanting a lawyer, let Garrett know. He knows how to get in contact with me."

Even if she wanted to give the man her phone number - something she wasn't sure if still - it wasn't as if she'd gotten it back yet. Perhaps Garrett could pick it up for her while he was there, if it was free of the evidence lockup.


Luca only made a soft, agreeable sound, leaning back into the couch cushions and relaxing gradually. Isaac was safe, Garrett and Evelyn were nearby, and Mr. Emerald didn't seem violent or angry. It was okay to relax.

"It's . . . nice," he said softly, uncertainly, after a little pause, "to be full all the time. . ." It was starting to not be strange anymore, being able to eat enough at each meal that he wasn't hungry an hour later, and being able to eat in between if he did feel hungry for some reason. Isaac was younger than he had been when he was taken away from home, but Luca remembered what it was like to always feel hungry when he was still small and growing. He was glad Isaac was safe now. His friends would help the boy be safe now, just like him, just like Beckett and Shiloh.
 
Mr. Emerald smiled warmly and nodded to Evelyn. "Thank you kindly. I really appreciate it." He clapped his hands softly together, pulling in a breath. "In that case, I figure we'll let everyone's stomachs settle a bit, and then I can take Garrett and Isaac to the station."

"That sounds good to me," Garrett replied. "You want any help with the dishes?"

"Oh! Well, sure. Thank you kindly," Mr. Emerald replied.

In the living room, Isaac mirrored Luca and sank against the couch, sighing deeply and patting his stomach. "Yeah. It is nice," he murmured. He let his gaze wander around the room again and smiled to himself. It was odd, how different it felt being inside the house. Usually he had to move quietly, hide, and remain tense the whole the time he was invisible.

But now he was welcome.

He glanced over at Luca with a smile, tilting his head. "Hey. If . . . if Mr. Emerald lets me live here . . . do you and your friends want to come visit sometimes and play?"
 
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