Forging New Paths

Excitable. It was the only way Evelyn could think to describe the young detective as he went on about what all he'd brought home. She helped him keep things from falling off the table first, then picked out which bags were groceries and brought them over to the kitchen counters to look through them. She didn't know where exactly he would usually put his groceries, but he'd asked her to do it so she assumed he couldn't care very much about it and just opened cabinets to start guessing.

"Ah, yes." She glanced over her shoulder a bit sheepishly as she put away the refrigerated goods, thinking he was pleased about the cleaning but knowing some might find it a violation of their personal space. "Sorry for meddling without asking first. I had a lot of downtime." Luca had been sleeping for most of the day, after all. She had brought a few changes of clothes for each of them, as best she could guess what Luca's size might be, but given how happy Garrett seemed to provide things for them, she didn't feel it necessary to mention it.

"I'm sure pizza is fine," she reassured as she closed the refrigerator and started on the dry goods. She hadn't discussed Luca's eating habits with him yet, but most people liked pizza well enough. "Thank you. I can pay you back for the toiletries." It was the least she could do for intruding on his home - though she was beginning to think that he felt their presence was more a gift than a burden.

She glanced in the direction of the room Luca was occupying while she put things away, lowering her voice a bit despite already having intuited Luca's complete and utter disinterest in others talking about him where he could hear. He was probably used to it. "He's more awake now, but he's the quiet sort. It might take a while before he'll come out to see us without being asked."

He was, in many ways, very robotic, she was finding. She'd had to instruct him into getting out of bed, walking, eating, and washing his hands before he did so. The only thing he really did on his own was wander to and from the bathroom, as needed, but she supposed she should be grateful for that much. Time would tell whether those behaviors were permanent, or if he would eventually embrace freedom.
 
"Oh, I don't mind at all. Up until this point, I was at the office more than I was home. This place looks lived in for once," Detective Shiver said happily. Like Evelyn thought, he didn't mind very much where the groceries went. He had a small kitchen; it was easy enough to find things.

He followed Evelyn's gaze towards the room and nodded. "In that case, I'll make it a habit of reiterating that he's more than welcome to do as he pleases here, when he wants to. But that might take a bit to sink in, so in the meantime, I'll make sure to give him extra invitations. To everything."

The detective got a large bottle of soda from the fridge and beamed. "Starting with dinner. I'll be half a moment." He headed for Luca's room and knocked on the door. "Luca? It's Garrett. May I come in?"

It was instinctual, setting up some boundaries for Luca. Garrett was sure that Luca had never truly had a private space before. But he wanted him to know that the bedroom was his private space, and he resolved he wouldn't go in without permission.
 
Evelyn wasn't quite sure what 'lived in' should look like, given her own home was mostly kept so tidy it sometimes looked as if she wasn't there at all, out of habit. She would have to take his word for it.

"Be patient with him," she said in way of warning, but didn't stop him from trying to approach. It would be all right for Luca to interact with them both, as much as she wanted to coddle and shield him from anything that might make him uncomfortable. It wasn't as if Garrett was trying to hurt him.

Luca, sitting on the bed and letting his thoughts wander, took a long moment to register the knocking on the door. It was quieter than he was used to, and usually his door simply opened without any warning. It was only after several seconds of waiting and not having anyone come in that he got hesitantly to his feet and shuffled over to the door to open it, as if wondering if it was locked somehow. When he pulled it open a foot or so, he stood half behind it with his posture hunched as if to make himself smaller, looking at Garrett from behind disheveled hair with eyes still shadowed with fatigue. There had been a question. Was he supposed to answer?

". . . yes?" He managed softly after a moment, as much an answer as a question in return. Was he needed for something? Were there things he was supposed to be doing? He remembered Garrett, and how the older man had carried him away from Davis, and he would do whatever he was asked. Evelyn had told him it was safe.
 
Garrett nodded at Evelyn as he reached Luca's door. "I'll do my best," he promised. He thought he might have a harder time waiting for Luca to realize boundaries were a thing than he would anything else. But maybe Luca would pleasantly surprise him.

Only once he received a reply did he wave and smile. Luca seemed hesitant, and was hiding behind the door, so he didn't approach him. "I've brought some pizza home for dinner. Would you like to come out and eat with us?" As excited as he was to help Luca get more involved in things, he knew it was more important to teach the man that he had a voice of his own. That he was allowed to say no, if he wanted to. He hoped that presenting Luca with yes or no questions might help in that regard.

He waited quietly for an answer, keeping his distance from the door.

Half of him hoped Luca would say yes, though. He did want to make sure the boy was eating well.
 
Luca was quiet for just a little while longer than could be considered 'normal' before finally giving a little nod. He waited for Garrett to turn and start to walk before following, pausing outside the door and looking at it as if wondering if he should have closed the door, then turned to follow slowly after on quiet feet.

"Over here," Evelyn said gently when he stopped at the end of the hall, coming over to reach a hand out to him, and when he took hold of it with his own guided him over to the kitchen table to pull out a chair for him. "Why don't you sit here, hm? Garrett brought back pizza. Do you like that?"

She got only a nod and a soft, affirmative sound in response, but that was all right. She wouldn't demand words from him. They could work on that some other day.

Slowly becoming more familiar with Garrett's kitchen, Evelyn pulled out three plates to set on the table, as well as glasses afterwards, and served Luca two slices. "Let me know if you want more when you're done, all right? What would you like to drink?"

". . . water," he said, after another pause, in the same soft, hesitant voice, and Evelyn tilted her head just a bit as if listening to something as little bits of Insight floated her way.

"He doesn't like soda," She said automatically, looking at Garrett and wondering idly if he would take issue with her speaking for Luca already, "but I'll take a little, if you don't mind. I'll get the water. I think I'll slice an apple, as well, if you want to share with us."
 
At least it seemed like Luca was considering the fact he had an option, which Detective Shiver was delighted about. He patiently waited for the boy's response and smiled when at last he received one. He was even happier when the boy followed him of his own accord out to the kitchen. The detective smiled wider when it turned out Luca did like pizza - or at least didn't mind it. Pizza was one of his own favorite foods.

Garrett sat down across from Luca in another chair. But he wasn't directly across; he was off to one side, hoping it would help Luca feel like he wasn't being stared at. He smiled gratefully at Evelyn and pulled the cup of soda away from Luca's place. "Ah, good to know. Just as well. Soda's not the healthiest," he admitted with a chuckle. "And I'd love a slice or two of apple! Thank you. I think the fruit wound up somewhere in the fridge."

He settled back into his chair and lifted a slice of pizza to start eating it. "Mm! Got out the oven. Delicious." He took another bite and glanced at Luca. "Oh, that reminds me. Feel free to take as many slices as you want. You can certainly have more than two if your stomach can handle it. Or leftovers later." His eyes glittered. "Have you ever had cold pizza before?"
 
Evelyn did her best not to keep glancing behind her as she pulled out a cutting board and knife, slicing the apple into neat pieces. She didn't want to make Luca nervous by watching him, but he was so used to being watched she had to wonder if it would even bother him.

Luca was silent for a pause, looking at the plate in front of him as if considering for a beat too long, and finally nodded with a quiet 'mm-hm'. He looked up from the table to see Garrett still looking at him, and after a short consideration seemed to decide more words were being expected from him. "I don't like it cold. . ." Too hot was bad, but he didn't like to eat very many cold things, and pizza straight from the refrigerator was distasteful to him.

"Here you are," Evelyn said gently as she reappeared at the table, divvying up the apple slices equally onto their plates and setting a glass of water in front of Luca before sitting down. "Thank you for dinner, Garrett." Perhaps if he was away again the next day she would cook something for them. Takeout was good, but she worried about not knowing what Luca's diet had been and didn't want to upset his stomach.
 
"No? That's all right, we've got a microwave you can use," Garrett said with a nod. "I tell you what, though, I've yet to find another person who enjoys cold pizza like I do. Especially after a long day. Something about the crunch, and the texture. Mm." He smiled and chuckled. "But warm pizza is also good."

His gaze traveled to Evelyn when she spoke next, and he gave her a gentle nod. "You're very welcome! Thank you both for eating with me." He carried on with dinner for a few moments, and then took a long drink of water. "You know - I should probably resume my rounds tomorrow. I don't want to miss any of the news my informants may have picked up."

He took a breath and glanced between Evelyn and Luca. "I'll most likely be gone most of the day tomorrow. Will you both be all right until I get back?"
 
No questions really came his way, so Luca ate quietly, slow as he was in all things but without making a mess or exhibiting bad manners. He usually ate by himself, so it was strange to sit at a table with other people, but he liked hearing their voices. It was good to be able to hear Evelyn now, rather than just see her.

"We'll be all right," she assured him with a little shrug, and a faint smile. "I told you, I won't stop you from living your life. Once the right people are in custody, we'll be out of your hair. In the meantime, we'll bother you as little as possible."

This was Garrett's home, and they were just an intrusion, sudden and unexpected. He didn't have to apologize for leaving them alone, as if they were children in need of babysitting. It was a sweet sentiment, but Evelyn could take care of herself well enough, and she could take care of Luca. Being in someone else's house for a few days wasn't going to hurt her. The only thing it was going to do was fill up her mailbox at home.
 
Garrett waved a hand. "No, you're not a bother at all! Honestly. I love having you both here." He smiled, pushing the same hand back through his hair. "Actually . . . once the correct people are in custody, you're more than welcome to visit whenever you want. And as often as you want, too," he added.

He found himself not wanting to think about the pair leaving his home just yet. Though of course he wanted to put the right people in jail. Why, just rescuing Luca out of their hands was sure to at least put a damper in their plans.

But he realized he didn't want to be alone again.

Maybe letting a few more people into his life wouldn't be so bad. Risky, yes. Absolutely risky. Especially with the Lombardi business going on.

But if it meant more conversations over dinner, more people enjoying each other's presence with him, maybe it would be worth it. He already planned to start with just his office though, and other people's homes. He didn't want anyone knowing about his apartment when it was one of the few safe places Luca and Evelyn had.
 
Eager. Again, it was all Evelyn could think. He was much more eager than she was to bring others more consistently into his life - or perhaps they were special. But again, his reasons for staying alone were much more noble than hers. As much as the bitterness of feeling alone could hit her at times, she had always reasoned it away that it was better for her, and Garrett seemed to have convinced himself it was better for others. But Luca could most certainly protect himself, and even if she wasn't a very good physical fighter Evelyn was rather proficient at seeing the danger coming. They, out of any other random people the man might have met, were surely capable of withstanding whatever dangers his personal work might bring into his life.

"We'll be sure to visit from time to time," she promised, even though every instinct and habit she'd formed told her not to. She tried to convince herself it was for Luca. He needed them both. "Maybe we'll have dinner at my place some day." She didn't live anywhere secret, after all. It was her identity she kept under wraps, not her physical location.

Luca was quiet, observing and eating slowly, only participating in conversation if asked a direct question, and only with short answers after attempts were made to be sure they had his attention. His ability to focus was rather weak, Evelyn had been observing, so when he had eaten his fill and simply sat still at the dinner table while she helped take dishes away, she finally went back to him and rested a gentle hand on his arm to urge him up.

"Let's get you in the shower," she directed, getting him up and angling him back towards the hall before letting go. "Why don't you pick something out to wear, and I'll show you where the soaps are."

He nodded and obeyed, with no protest to offer. Whether it was the lingering sedatives, the trauma, or a long-ingrained habit of only doing what he was told, she was going to have to be watchful. For now he was like a doll with no free will, or a small child needing direction for every small step of every day, and she wasn't sure how long it would be before they could work him out of it.
 
So they would come to visit often, at least. That was some solace. "That would be wonderful if you did," Garrett said slowly.

He, too, observed Luca carefully during the meal. It must have been a large change for the boy to go from having no free will at all to suddenly having the entire world thrust upon him. Still, to Garrett, he seemed to be doing a good job of recovery. He at least was engaging in conversation when spoken to - he'd been worried he wouldn't want to talk at all. And he'd at least requested water when Garrett had already put soda out. And he'd only been free one day.

Garrett was hopeful that as Luca's trust in him and Evelyn grew, his trust in himself would grow as well. He made note of the subtle way Evelyn offered him to make another choice - the type of clothes he'd wear. Still routine enough, but novelty enough to hopefully encourage Luca to think for himself.

The detective cleaned up the rest of the kitchen. Then he settled back into his own routine, making himself a cup of cocoa and heading to his study to look over some case notes. He'd just realized he could finally put a pin on the Ghost Killer on his cork board.
 
She was making promises she couldn't keep, wasn't she? Their lives and their work could keep them separated, but she would have to follow through. She had imagined caring for Luca would be solely her own job, and now it seemed as if she had dropped herself into some sort of strange joint custody of a young but clearly fully grown man. At least part of her found it funny, while the rest was busy being sleep deprived and overwhelmed.

Evelyn led Luca back to show him which options he had for clothing, let him pick something and then did the same for the toiletries Garrett had purchased and the ones she'd brought herself. When everything was picked out she made sure he knew how to work the shower, then told him not to rush and left him alone.

Idly, wearily, she did a little tidying in the guest room to keep herself on her feet, then wandered out to find Shiver in his study, knocking quietly on the doorframe and leaning there when she had his attention. ". . . You don't, by chance, drink coffee?" She asked, quietly amused at the faint smell of chocolate in the room. "Or tea?" She should sleep tonight, she thought, but a little caffeine might help her make it all the way to bedtime. If he didn't keep any around, she would survive.
 
Garrett glanced up when Evelyn knocked on the doorframe, and he glanced over at her with a soft smile. "I do drink tea on occasion, when I'm exceptionally stressed or sick. I think it's in the top drawer of the - you know what, suppose I just come out and make a pot for you," he decided at last. He set his folders aside but brought his hot cocoa with him.

He sipped on it even while heading to the kitchen and starting a pot of tea on the stove for Evelyn. He asked her what flavors she preferred, and set a tea bag in once the water was ready. "You know, I - haven't had much of a chance to ask yet. But how are you holding up?" he asked softly.

The detective himself was none the worse for wear - and in fact, even felt better than normal from having new friends around. But he knew that Evelyn and Luca may not be used to the taxing emotional spell such traumatic events could have on people.

And should have had on him, frankly, but he'd learned to push those feelings aside when needed to get a job done.
 
Evelyn would have tried to insist that she could do it herself, if he just showed her where it was, as she hadn't found it yet in her brief explorations of his kitchen, but decided it was an argument she didn't need. Garrett was insistent on treating her like an honored guest rather than the unexpected bother her visiting truly made her. As much as she would like to insist he leave her to her own devices and go about his life, she didn't need her gifts to tell her it wouldn't work.

"Hm?" She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, standing leaned against a kitchen counter nearby to keep out of the way, and also to make sure she didn't wobble where she stood. "Holding up?" It was an odd question, she thought, with many others laying just beneath it. The exciting part of the whole ordeal was mostly over, after all, with only the quieter, more difficult results left to be dealt with. Did it seem like she was having a hard time? Maybe she was, and she just hadn't let herself feel it yet.

"I'm all right," she insisted, waving a dismissive hand in the air between them and giving a little sigh. "Just tired. I didn't sleep at all last night. Luca is a good patient." Insomuch as he did what he was told, he was the perfect patient. And it wasn't as if she hadn't known there would be deep psychological issues to worry about, on top of keeping his destructive gifts in check. Still, the day she settled him with a therapist that could actually help him couldn't come soon enough.
 
The detective nodded, grateful Evelyn seemed to be handling the entire situation well. Some of the clients he'd taken on in the past hadn't been nearly as resolute and enduring as she was. That was one less thing to worry about, then; he only had to focus on making her and Luca feel at home before fully returning to his duties.

He picked the pot up when it was ready and poured some into an earthenware mug. "Say, does Luca like tea? It's very helpful you already know him so well. I don't have to overwhelm him with too many questions that way," he added with a smile.

He took another sip of his cocoa, letting the flavors and warmth rest in his mouth a moment before swallowing. Some people were addicted to coffee. For him, it was cocoa. ". . . Or is he more of a hot cocoa person like myself?"
 
Evelyn was quiet for a pause, both waiting to see if her gifts would tell her anything pertinent and debating with herself whether or not she wanted to tell him that it might. Their lives were likely going to be become linked in places, if not completely intertwined, so it wasn't as if it would stay a secret forever, but given what she did for a living and simply how she was as a person, she didn't often like to freely volunteer information about herself.

". . . I would have to ask," she said finally, taking the tea from him when offered and simply standing still to feel the warmth of it through the mug, watching the liquid sloshing gently back and forth. Eventually, she shrugged. "I don't know him very well at all. We've been communicating mostly through Yes and No questions, written on a notepad and seen through a medium with Sight we both happened to share. Most of what I know about him, his history, or his likes and dislikes has come from Insight. Claircognizance, if you'd like the scientific word. Sometimes it comes to me. Sometimes it doesn't."

The uncertainty wasn't something she truly liked to admit, but she supposed it was important that Garrett understand she knew very little about Luca. She knew what his gifts were and how dangerous, and she knew that he had been forced to use them for a long time and wasn't doing any of it on purpose. She knew that he had needed saving, and that no one would ever find him if she didn't. Little things like what he liked to eat, what games he knew how to play, or how much schooling he had gotten before they took him hadn't been so important as the rest. Those she would have to learn over time, either by speaking to him or waiting for her Insight to give her something useful.
 
"Ohhh, that's what your power is. I was having the darndest time placing it," Garrett said, smiling and drinking half his cup in one gulp. "That makes sense. I wasn't quite sure how much you knew about Luca, but since you knew he didn't like soda earlier I guess I assumed you knew quite a bit."

He set his mug down for a moment before heading to the cabinets to find a snack to go with it. "It's nice that we'll all get to know each other at sort of a similar rate, then. I thought I had a steeper learning curve." After rifling around for a few minutes, he settled on a package of Oreo cookies, which he opened the wrapper of before holding the box out to Evelyn. "You want some of these? Nothing like a few cookies to go with a drink. I think there are also nuts somewhere in the cupboard if you want something healthier."

Garrett was already looking forward to testing his new relationship building skills with his informants tomorrow. Sure, he had the basics down; he had to, in order to interact with clients and suspects and the like. But he wanted to form a few actual relationships and friendships, and now he had a better idea as to how.
 
Evelyn gave only an affirmative little hum around the rim of her cup of tea as she took a careful sip, and for now did not expound upon what her gifts were or were not. She was not, compared to someone like Luca, very powerful, but having three separate abilities was rare enough in itself. As much as she valued her anonymity, parting with the fact that she had such varied 'talents' didn't feel quite right. Perhaps some other day.

When he chugged his hot cocoa she only raised an eyebrow, taking small, careful sips of her own hot drink, and giving her head a little shake at his offer of cookies. "No, thank you. I try not to eat sweets too close to bed. I do hope to actually sleep some, later on." It wouldn't do to load up on sugar and hurt her stomach before she tried to settle in, despite thinking she wouldn't sleep for a couple of hours yet. "If it's all the same to you, I won't kick you out of your bed. The couch will do just fine."

If she was out in the living room, with only one open door between them, she thought Luca might be more likely to come to her if he needed anything. As long as he had slept during the day, she had a feeling it might take him a while to drift off, and she didn't want him to feel like he was alone. Garrett would need his sleep for whatever work he had to do the next day. It wouldn't kill her to sleep on a couch for a couple of nights.
 
Garrett nodded and took a few cookies for himself, balancing them between his teeth while he put the rest away. Then he scarfed them down and nodded. "That works for me. The couch is a pull out one, too, so you won't have to go without a bed either." He finished his drink and Started cleaning it in the sink. "This probably goes without saying, but - if either of you needs anything, don't hesitate to wake me up. I'm used to a sporadic sleep schedule, what with detective work. I never know what hours I'll be awake anyway."

The detective was perfectly content with whatever knowledge Evelyn did happen to share with him. It wasn't case related now; it was information volunteered to him, as a friend. And while he loved learning about people, it was nice having the chance to do so at a slower pace for once.

He finished cleaning his cup a few moments later and put it away in the cupboard. "Speaking of which, I might as well turn in soon. Been an exciting few days. Do you want me to show you how to convert the couch, or have you got a handle on it? The blankets for it should be stored right underneath."
 
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