April 3, Gateway Cruises
The door to Helena's room was pulled open and a moment later, Albus was stepping through the doorway to the main living area of the suite. His gaze was focused over his shoulder, back in his daughter's direction, as he looked upon her sitting on the middle of the suite's bed surrounded by an array of toys. "Ten minutes, young lady, and then I want you putting on your shoes. Understood?" He asked her, the statement sounding as though they'd already had this discussion before the bedroom door had opened. He hovered in the entrance, hand upon the door knob, until the familiar voice of Helena replied, 'Kay!' in the chopped way of speech that made Albus cringe lightly. He took in a breath, shook his head, then turned to face out to the entire suite. Once he stepped through into the room, he shut Helena's door partially before moving over to the coffee table.
His hand reached down to pick up the pamphlet that had arrived on their pillows the night before. It was lifted to be glanced at once more by the man. He'd thoroughly thumbed through it the night before, in an effort to try and plan out his upcoming few days, but he hadn't gotten any insight from his elder wards. Venturing out to hunt Pokemon wasn't necessarily something Albus felt an intense need to do, but there was a part of him that thought back to his childhood and how he'd pretended to do so with some of Dudley's children on one holiday. He felt it would be an enjoyable experience...if they took advantage of it.
Of course, he would have been completely understanding if his elder wards decided they didn't feel ready for another excursion.
Tapping the pamphlet against the side of his leg, he glanced towards Credence's door. For a moment, he stared upon it, before moving in it's direction. A swift knock was delivered against the frame. "Credence?" He called out, waiting.
People and conversations were still hard for Credence, although he had been trying. He knew that it was worrying when he completely kept to himself and so he had come out, even if some of that had been sitting on the sofa, we’ll, reclining, watching television and not really moving. It was funny how something like that which he hadn’t had in his own time was something he had so easily fell into.
But right now he was in his room, shirt mostly buttoned as he stared in his closet at vests and other accessories he might wear. He turned around at Albus’s call.
“Yes?” Too soft. “Yes?” He tried again, louder. “You can- you can come in.”
Albus had his head tilted just slightly to try and listen for a response. For a moment, he thought he'd heard the boy speak, but it was faint and he wasn't positive because of the other noises that were happening in the suite. He could hear Helena having her dolls talk to one another, the subtle sound of the water outside the ship, and the hum of the engines. But, soon enough, he heard Credence definitely speak up.
With the invitation given, he reached out and gripped the door handle, turning it so he could push it open and step inside. He didn't go far in his entrance but his hand let go of the handle and his eyes fell to Credence.
He gave a weak but encouraging smile. "We were going to go eat," he stated.
Credence lifted his head and turned around to look at Albus. He still felt guilty - after all none of this was Albus's fault. If anything Credence should likely have gone to the school and left Emmeline to fight on her own. He shrugged away that line of thought and tried to lift his head up a little. It had been easier a month ago to stand up straight, and to feel confident. It felt as if everything had been pulled out again.
"I -" he glanced down, shirt was partially buttoned, but if he finished that and got one of his cardigans out… "Okay," he glanced back up and nodded. "I just need a minute," he chewed on the inside of his lip for a heartbeat before reaching down to finish the buttons. "Where?"
Albus had a minor twitch of a frown form as Credence glanced down and hesitated in his speech. It reminded Albus of the earlier days of Credence's time with him. The frown wasn't allowed to grow, however, because Albus understood why the shift had taken place. Grief was capable of manifesting in many ways. He made his expression shift back to a neutral look. When Credence spoke finally, Albus nodded his head, glad that he was acknowledging the statement.
"Helena is still playing, so you've got time," he stated, trying to convey the underlying message that Credence could take as much time as he needed, before he took in a breath. "I thought I'd let you pick."
Credence nodded, knowing without looking back down that he still needed to get ready. He would get ready, he could get ready. Helena would get hungry eventually even if she were playing right now. That final thought more than anything else urged him towards movement. Helena would need food, and she'd get grouchy if she didn't have it, and that would be hard on all of them.
"I just need to put on a cardigan then," he told Albus. It perhaps wasn't as dressed up as he'd been. He'd been struggling to figure out how to find the energy to do that too. He smiled, it wasn't much, but he felt it was solid enough. "But I think Helena should pick. Why don't you ask her and I'll be right out."
Albus hesitated for a moment before nodding his head in response. "I'll let you do that, then," he said, quietly, returning the small smile in Credence's direction. Then his hand released the door knob and he backed out of the room, shutting Credence's door partially as he did. With a turn, he made his way back in the direction of Helena's room.
Stepping inside, he looked to his daughter. "Credence is going to join us," he informed her and her eyes moved up from her dolls to look at him. He gave her the small small smile he'd just given Credence. "Where would you like to go?"
She set her dolls down and scooted to the edge of her bed in order to stand. "Credence likes crepes. Let's get crepes," she decided, as though it was the easiest decision in the world.
April 9, Potter Residence
It had been months since his birthday, except apparently somehow all of the banners had been left up, and Credence had decided that he was going to take them all down. But he was beginning to think that had been a terrible decision because he kept turning the crepe banners into mush with tears, and it was just reminding him of how amazing his birthday had been, and how so much of that had been Emmeline.
He'd thought that things had gotten some better. While he hadn't kept any of the Pokemon he had caught, he'd had fun with them. He'd only felt a little guilty for enjoying himself on the Island, and although on the ship all he'd thought he'd wanted was to return home - the truth was that he just wanted to be back there now. Because home had memories he hadn't counted on, things he hadn't even considered back on the ship.
So right now he just sat in the middle of the room, cross legged, and sort of hunched over, rolling the crepe banner in his fingers, the part of it that hadn't dissolved. He wasn't crying now, he just… hurt in a sort of exhausted way that he didn't know what to do with. The feeling that he wasn't alone snuck up, and he looked up, turning his head. "Oh. Hi Albus."
Albus hadn't thought anything of the banners when he woke that initial morning. He'd noticed them and made an acknowledgement, but he had moved quickly to trying to figure out what was happening in the community and where his assistance was needed. While he had offered to assist with the forging of identification, there were already too many hands on deck, and he'd felt as though he would simply get in the way on that effort.
He was just coming out of his office, intent on heading to the kitchen to get another cup of tea, when he slowed to a snails crawl to look at Credence. His face fell and eyes leapt from the young man to the place on the wall where the banners had just been. And, standing there, his lips parted as though he were going to say something once Credence acknowledged him. Instead, he set the cup down on the hallway table and moved towards Credence.
He lowered himself down to his knees and then into a sitting position beside him. "Maybe we should keep that," he said, quietly, though he did not reach out to take the banner. It wasn't much but it had been entirely Emmeline's idea. And it was something Credence could hold onto of her.
Credence glanced up to acknowledge the man sitting beside him, then his eyes fell back to the banner in front of him, his fingers running across it. It seemed foolish to keep it - what would he ever do with it? He could put it up in his room. Although he wasn't certain he could. He pulled in a shaky breath. "It was the best birthday I've ever had," he followed the admission by a hard swallow and a sigh. "Maybe we should."
Albus didn't doubt that. He'd known how important it felt to Emmeline to ensure that Credence had a memorable birthday party. Albus himself had wanted to make sure the day was celebrated but he wasn't one for creative ideas or planning. She'd put in so much time for that event. "That's what she wanted," he spoke quietly. He glanced up from the banner to look at Credence now. "We could put it in a shadow box. Hang it on the wall." If they did that, then it wouldn't be susceptible to damage, and he could think of her when he looked upon it. Which might be hard in the beginning but, well, eventually? Eventually that might be a sought after feeling.
Credence looked over and chewed on his lower lip. Right now looking at the banner was just a reminder that Emmeline wasn't there and he couldn't have another birthday party like this ever again. But maybe it wouldn't always be. And if he kept it, well, it wasn't exactly like having something of Emmeline there, but it might be as close as he thought he could get here and now.
"I don't know what a shadow box is, but…" he looked down and nodded. "Maybe."
For a moment he was quiet and then he looked back over at Albus. "I miss her."
"It's like a picture frame," Albus replied, softly, though he knew that the fact wasn't really important. "It'll keep it safe," he added for good measure. His gaze shifted to look to Credence when he noticed him look to him.
"She loved you a great deal," he offered up, instead of stating 'I know' or something similar. While he hadn't been entirely close, he knew this to be true because she'd made it very clear to Albus himself. It was an understanding that they had among one another. They both loved Credence as a son. "I wish she was still here with us."
Credence could feel tears pricking at the edges of his eyes again, and he just nodded. Not sure that he trusted himself to try to say something. Maybe he could, but maybe it would all just fall apart again, and even if it was just Albus he didn't want that. It took a moment for him to feel confident saying anything, and when he was, it was after a deep breath.
"I wish she was too." He ran his finger again over the banner. "Let's do the shadow box thing," he looked up at Albus and half smiled. "I - yeah. Let's do that."
April 17, Potter Residence
Albus stepped inside the house and set his keys up on the hanging key rack by the entrance, watching as Helena sprinted off through the hall away from him. His briefcase was set down by the end of the hall as he moved further inside, eyes peering down every direction as he walked, intent on finding Credence.
Once he did, he gave a slight knock against the wall. "Hey, you got a minute?" He asked, with the lightest of smiles in his direction.
Credence looked up from the book he had on his lap. He'd managed to get through more pages today than he had for the past three days, which felt good. Somehow he'd been able to concentrate better today. This fact meant that when Albus interrupted him his eyes brightened a bit. He could tell him about that, maybe there would be less of that worried look that Credence knew had been somewhat presence since the ship.
"Yes," he reached for a bookmark. "Do you need help with Helena?"
"Oh," Albus began with a pause following the word before he proceeded to shake his head before adding, "No." Helena had been talking about going outside to play with the Growlithe ever since he'd picked her up from daycare after school. Looking to Credence, he motioned towards the door behind him.
"One of my coworkers came to me today. His pet recently had some kittens?" Another pause. "And he wanted to know if you'd like to come meet them."
Credence had maybe been hoping that he did need some help with Helena. While nothing was exactly what it had been, he felt best when he was helping, and Helena always made him feel like he was doing something, but Albus' question pulled his gaze back up again. They'd talked about pets once before, before the cruise, but nothing had ever been done with it.
"Oh?" He chewed on his lower lip. "Maybe? Do you think it would be all right with Helena's Growlithe?"
"I think so." Albus had noticed how the pokemon was bonded already with his daughter. It followed her around whenever she was home. It didn't rush off to chase any creatures such as birds or squirrels when they were in the yard. It just seemed content to be focused on her. "And we'd already planned on getting you one," he added. He didn't want Credence to think that he'd forgotten the discussion even if they hadn't had the opportunity to before the Cruise.
Credence nodded. He hadn't forgotten that, even if it felt so very far away right now. Before the cruise it had been his birthday, and Emmeline had be- he stopped that line of thought and looked down at the book in his hand. It felt as if he'd forgotten about lunches with her. But he hadn't forgotten, he remembered every day, he just hadn't been, because.
"I'd like a cat," he declared, certain, even as his thoughts swirled back around to Emmeline. Maybe someday they'd stop doing that? He looked up to Albus and offered a small smile back. "If there's one they'd like to find a home for. I could take care of it."
"Mr. Waugh sounded as though they were intent on finding homes for them," Albus stated, though there was a look of hesitation following the statement, as if there was more that could be said. He glanced around for a moment, as if deciding, and then, "He told me Emmeline was going to take one. They were friends I think."
A pause.
"He thought you should have one now. If you liked one of them, at least."
There was that tightness in his chest that always happened when Emmeline was mentioned, but it was less difficult to breathe than it had been at first. Credence nodded. If one of the kittens had been Emmeline's, or was going to be, then Credence would happily take one for her. "I would like to, I think. Can we see them?"
"We can. He invited us to come over whenever you are ready." Albus didn't know how long it would be until the kittens were free to go to New homes but he assumed Eliot would give them an idea. "Did you want to go tonight? James can stay with Hels."
For a half second Credence almost said 'Helena could come to'. It was such a natural statement for him to make, and he nearly always wanted her to come, but he caught his tongue and instead he found himself nodding yes, without the offer. Helena could meet the kitten later, and she had her own Pokemon now anyway. And the idea of something with just Albus was nice. "Yeah, let's do that," he smiled. "I'd like that a lot."