Darker London

It was supposed to be a joke of course, laughing with Peter's friends on Thomas' journal. And Aly had tried to join in, going along with it. It was what she would have done before-

Before she had attacked him. Before the angelic spirit she used to have in her brain had taken over and assaulted her husband while she was a prisoner in her own body. Now everything was awkward and awful and even though she had let the angelic spirit of her brother go and she was entirely herself again, Peter rarely ever let Aly anywhere near him. Especially not when they were alone. He waited until the kids all fell asleep and he sneaked downstairs to sleep on the sofa and while she understood entirely, it hurt.

So when Peter had stated he was going to take a bath, even if it might have sounded like Peter's normal dry humour to everyone else, Aly knew it was something else. She gently closed her laptop and went to find which bathroom he had slunk off to. She heard the water running in their master bath, and let herself in to find Peter in the tub, almost completely concealed by bubbles yet somehow looking dour. And she very nearly laughed at the juxtaposition, and would have were she not worried about upsetting him further. "Oh, Peter," she said instead. "I'm so sorry."

It had taken far longer than anyone had anticipated - a week and a half - for Peter to be able to get out of his hospital bed. Whether it was all physical, or some of it was just not wanting to face the reality that something in his wife's head had made her beat the shit out of him though was up in the air really.

But he did have to face it.

( The agreement )

Abby had never been afraid of her friend Aly before, but when she entered the secure ward and made her way to Aly's room now, she did so with her hand on the tranq gun at her side. She keyed in the code to Aly's room, admitting herself to find Aly on the bed, chewing the nail of her pointer finger as if it had somehow offended her.

( Shitty conversations )

"If you keep looking like that, your face might freeze that way."

Peter looked up at the voice of his daughter, though the look she was referring to, dour and confused, faded away to a delighted grin. "Tasha! Please! Come save me from accounts!" He slammed his laptop shut and pushed his rolling chair away from the desk with a look of slight glee.

( Just a thing I forgot I was doinnngggg )

There was something up with Peter and Thomas thought he might go out of his mind with worry. Thomas was supposed to be the impulsive one who made stupid decisions and Peter would make his disappointed face and Thomas would either shape up or do the stupid thing anyway.

He wasn't so great when it was Peter doing the stupid thing.

He dashed into the hospital, heading towards Stephie's location. There was nothing about this situation Thomas wanted to face alone, because he had a sinking feeling he knew what this was. "Stephie," he hissed when he found her, his expression grave. "I think he's downstairs."

How they had gotten him this time, Peter didn't even remember. He just knew he was back in that damnable Templar work room, even though he was blindfolded, because he could feel the thumbscrews biting into his fingers as consciousness found him.

( BLAHHHH )

The decision to have their family Christmas in the hospital had been Tasha's own. She was still lucid (still!) and Peter had suggested that she might come home for the family celebration. He had, however, only hesitated for a second when she admitted she wasn't ready but they could come to her. It was still a huge step in a hopeful direction and Peter didn't allow himself to be saddened by the fact that she was afraid to return home. She had very purposely used the word 'yet' and so Peter clung to that word with a vice-grip, and set about decorating his office within an inch of it's life.

( The Kringle Touch )

Halloween was always a difficult time of year for Peter. It was the anniversary of the day he had been rescued from his terrifying ordeal beneath the Vatican at the hands of the Templar. And sure, being rescued had meant his torture was over, but it was also the only date he truly remembered too. While he had been trapped in the dark, never knowing day from night, the days had passed without knowledge or memory.

( Dorks )

Abby opened the door to the Kemp's house and then she glanced at Peter who was standing beside her, swaying slightly. She had found him before he had finished too much of the bottle, but he still wore a hangdog expression as she took his arm and led him into the house.

Aly Kemp was seated on the sofa just surrounded by children. William, Rasputina and Tommy were playing with blocks at her feet and she was reading Lauren a book while the tiny girl fussed in her arms. She looked up when Abby walked in with her husband, and she clearly recognised the look he was giving her immediately. "Oh goodness. Did you have to drive him home?" she asked, rising to her feet and hefting Lauren onto her hip.

( I KNOW SEKRITS )