Saint Patrick ☘ (shamrocked_) wrote in nevermore_logs, @ 2011-06-05 07:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | bridget llywelyn, saint david, saint george, saint patrick |
Who: David, Patrick, George and Bridget
What: Getting David back!
When: Saturday afternoon
Where: Bridget's place in NJ
The entire ride to New Jersey, Patrick had been jittering away, threatening the car they had rented with falling away from his wriggling. He had only just stopped being tortured by Famine, and he was by no means up to full strength yet. It would probably take a week or more until he was. He knew he still looked horrible, but he didn't feel it. He only felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. They had found his brother, but he didn't remember them. Their Dewi had been in New Jersey for months, not knowing who he was or more importantly, what he was.
They had arranged a meeting and Patrick had brought dozens of photos to show Dewi to prove they were brothers. He brought photos of Andrew and their pets as well. And he wanted to be there now. He honestly felt like his heart might burst if they didn't get there faster.
"Why did we have to rent this shitty thing, can't it go faster, George?!" Patrick whined, knowing George was feeling the same way he was and it wasn't fair to take it out on his brother.
"My car would have gotten us there faster," George said darkly, glaring at the traffic around them. "If it weren't dead."
They finally reached the place where Sam had said David was staying, and George parked the car on the street, staring at the small house.
"You ready for this?"
"I liked your car," Patrick said nervously, just for something to say.
When they arrived, Patrick stared out the window at the cheerful little cottage with the yellow shutters and the welcome mat. "I'm ready," Patrick said quietly. He was almost vibrating with nerves now. And where he thought he would jump out of the car and run for the door to nearly break it down, he hesitated. "Poor Dewi. He's got to be so confused. And...that's not exactly going to end when we show up." How did you explain to someone that they actually were the Patron Saint of Wales.
George took a deep breath and turned the ignition off. He really hoped this didn't lead to them having to kidnap David like he had Sebastian. If he had to kidnap everyone he loved at least once, he was going to start thinking he was cursed.
Checking to make sure Patrick was behind him, George headed down the path to the door. He raised his hand and knocked on the door, raising an eyebrow at the sound of barking from inside the house.
Iwan- David? He didn't know how to think of himself- could barely sit down, the nerves were so intense. Actually meeting the men he had been informed were his brothers was insane. What if he disappointed them? He couldn't remember himself, after all.
"I still can't think of myself as David Ceredig," he mumbled at Bridget, going back to the window as he heard a car go by. It didn't stop. The dogs were sensing Iwan's agitation and pacing around too, looking up at him and whining. "What if I can't remember anything and they don't want to know me any more?? Oh no, that's them. That's them. I can't answer the door. You have to. I can't!" He watched the two tall figures walk up the path and knock the door. The dogs starting barking, and Iwan looked at Bridget helplessly for a moment.
"Please don't go. Oh I have to know!" He changed his mind all of sudden and made a dash for the door, wrenching it open, his apprehension probably quite clear. The dogs followed him and jumped up at the guests, but he ignored them a moment as he drank in the appearance of the the men. His brothers.
There were no life-changing revelations. Their faces weren't the key to unlocking his memory. He almost wanted to cry.
"Hello. Um- Oh, down, you two!" He herded the dogs back in with his foot. "Come in, won't you? Just through- the living room is just. Um," he said, flustered. "Can I get you some tea?"
George blinked, feeling a giant smile spread across his face as he saw David's features. It really was David; his brother was all right.
"Oh my God," he said, relief evident in his tone. "It's you."
But he could also see the total lack of recognition on David's face, and it was what kept him from launching a bear hug at David. Something was wrong with his memory, then, which would probably explain a lot. He stepped into the house, kneeling down to pet the dogs.
He caught sight of a woman, and his eyes widened a little. This was unexpected.
"Hi," he said to the woman. "I'm George."
It was Dewi. Their Dewi was here and fine and in front of them and alive and...confused and scared. Poor David. Patrick held himself back from launching a hug in David's direction as well, but only by reaching a hand out, lightning quick, to clutch George's wrist. "Dewi. Thank God. We've been so worried." Then he noticed the woman too. She was adorable and blonde and she looked just as concerned as David did. "Er...and I'm Patrick. Hello."
They were here to take her Iwan away. She just knew it. When the men came to her door, Bridget followed her fiance with a stony expression on her face. "Bridget," she replied when they introduced themselves. "Nice to meet you." No reason to not be polite.
Iwan shot a look of gratitude at Bridget for still being there, and ushered everyone into the house. "Please, please go through. We can talk there. Thank you so much for coming." He shushed the dogs, trying to keeping them from getting too excited. Their little tails were wagging furiously as they looked up at George and Patrick, but at least they didn't bark.
He wondered what they would think of his living room, the books and the crossword puzzles and photos of him and Bridget together. They'd only just had the professional one done, in honour of their engagement. "Was it much of a journey for you? I hope the trip wasn't bad."
"Oh, no, it wasn't bad at all," George said, looking around at the little living room, the evidence of the life David had apparently been building with this Bridget woman. Sebastian's words about David probably being better off than all of them echoed back through George's mind, and he closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to tear David away from what looked like a happy life. But maybe they wouldn't have to. Maybe getting his memories back wouldn't change things for Dewi.
Maybe.
"We live in New York City, so it wasn't too bad a trip," George continued, sitting down awkwardly on the couch and tugging Patrick down next to him. "Where you normally...David, what happened? Sa--er, the police said that you can't remember anything, that you hit your head?"
Patrick plunked down awkwardly beside George and he stared around at the photos as well. One of the cats landed in his lap and Patrick immediately started scratching the cat behind his ears for the comfort it would offer him. The cat purred and set up happily in Patrick's lap.
"He had a bit of a fall," Bridget explained to George and Patrick, smoothing Iwan's hair off of his forehead. "But he's done very well." She gave him a proud smile.
Iwan nodded, and wondered how much they already knew. "They found me in the river," he said, sitting down on the armchair and guiding Bridget to perch on the arm. "I don't remember much. I don't remember you. I'm sorry." And he truly was, because they seemed so nice. He wanted to know them better, even if he never did remember. "I had a head injury. I couldn't speak English when I first woke up. Bridget's been such a help. She's- well, she's the best person I could have asked for to help me." He stopped sort of declaring his intentions just yet, because he didn't know if there was maybe someone else he'd forgotten about.
"Well, hopefully we can jump start your memory," George said, smiling. He tilted his head to look at the woman sitting next to David. "And thank you so much for taking care of him, Bridget. We've all been freaking out that David might be alone or hurt, and it's just really good to know he's been with someone who cared about him."
Bridget was beyond terrified that they would tell her he already had a wife and kids, but surely they would have mentioned it by now? And the tall one thanking her, did that mean their relationship could continue even after his old life had resurfaced? "You're welcome," Bridget said, her words full of meaning. "He's quite adept at taking care of me too." She smiled widely at David and then kissed him on the cheek.
Patrick's eyes widened and he feared he was about to say or do something awkward and stupid. He cleared his throat and looked over at George instead. David was so adamant about living a solitary and chase life. How was this going to affect him!?
"Uhm...like George said, thank you. We have been looking for our brother for months. It's okay if you don't remember, we'll do what we can for you. I'm so sorry if...if you were scared or lonely. And I'm really grateful you're somewhere safe now. Do you want to ask us anything?"
It was weird being addressed as "David". The name didn't fit any more than "Iwan" had at first.
"Well- well..." Iwan looked up at Bridget, flushing slightly at the implications, but not unhappy about it. "Did I- Do I-" He cleared his throat. "Is there anybody else I might have left behind? As in, sort of a prior commitment?" He looked back at his brothers anxiously. "The agents didn't tell me much detail, just my name and birthday. March 1st, right? It's appropriate." He shot a smile at his Welsh fiance.
Well, crap. This was going to be a world of awkward once David remembered everything. He did his best to muster an encouraging smile.
"No, uh, no prior commitments," George said, scratching the back of his neck a little nervously. "Just an apartment full of pets who miss you."
Bridget didn't even bother to hide her relief. She grinned and kissed Iwan again, taking his hand into hers. "I am not surprised you have an apartment full of animals."
"They're all fine too. You live with me," Patrick explained, "and I've been taking care of the pets and your garden."
"My garden!" At that, Iwan sat up straight. "Is it a little herb garden on a kitchen window sill? In little terracotta pots?" It was one of the few memories he had. He held Bridget's hand and squeezed it gently.
"Yeah!" George said, perking up. This was a good sign at least. "Patrick, where are the pictures of the apartment and the animals? You've practically got a menagerie."
Patrick pulled the photos out of his bag and he handed them over. "I labeled them all on the back so you would know what they were of," Patrick explained. He had all the animals, and photos of the rooftop garden and David's bedroom and the apartment, as well as their family and friends.
"There's a garden on the rooftop as well. With a huge greenhouse and everything."
Iwan took the photos eagerly and sat back, going through them. As he went, he talked about his life now.
"I'm going by Iwan River at the moment, because I didn't know my proper name. I was in hospital for a couple of weeks -see, there's the window I remember! I don't remember the greenhouse though- and Bridget came in because she volunteers there. Because she speaks Welsh they asked her to speak to me. Then when I was discharged, she invited me to stay, and well-" He smiled up at Bridget a moment. "A bit of Florence Nightingale syndrome perhaps, but she's done so much for me. I get headaches sometimes, but I've been helping out at the Sunday School and I want to start trying to find a job that will be forgiving if a migraine happens. Besides, we have to- we were starting to save up to go to Wales for our honeymoon."
Here he stopped, because he'd got to the end of the photos, but also because he beamed up at Bridget with happiness at the thought, and kissed her fingers. Then he looked back at the photos. "But there isn't a photo of the monastery here. Didn't I spend time at a monastery? Or did my head make that up?"
"You were going on vacation right about the time you disappeared," George explained. "We weren't expecting to hear from you for a few weeks, so it wasn't until you weren't back in time for Patrick's birthday that we realized something was wrong."
Mention of the word "honeymoon" made George stiffen a little, but he tried to keep the tension off his face. They needed to make David remember, and soon. Clearing his throat, George said, "No, no, you spent a lot of time at monastaries. We just don't have pictures. Um, Bridget, would it be okay if we talked to David alone? It's nothing bad, just some personal stuff."
Bridget looked up at Iwan's brothers and then she nodded. "Of course. It really is wonderful to meet you. I'm so glad you managed to track Iw- David down." She kissed him chastely before slipping away, the dogs following after her.
Patrick noticed George stiffening when David mentioned a honeymoon. David was engaged? David. Yes, they had to restore his memory now. "You'll probably remember the monastery soon enough. Honeymoon, hmm? She's really sweet, David." And she was.
Iwan really didn't want Bridget to go, but he'd have to be alone with them eventually. "Yes, she is. Getting engaged was kind of spontaneous. I hope you're not angry." He clasped his hands together in his lap. "You're not about to tell me I'm gay or something, are you? Bridget and I joked about her being my first time." He laughed a little half-heartedly, nervous about what they'd say.
George choked, breaking into a coughing fit. Shaking his head, he muttered, "No, no, it's really great, as long as you love her. Really great." in between trying to clear his throat.
Hmm, there was really no polite way of doing this. So he just leaned over and muttered in Patrick's ear, hopefully low enough so that David wouldn't hear, "You think if we went all glowy and saint-like, he'd remember?"
Patrick had to bite his lip not to exclaim over David having sex. But then George was whispering in his ear and he nodded to his brother. It was worth a try.
Patrick turned to David and he shook his head. "We're not mad, David. And...no, no, you're not gay. Erm...there is something we should show you though." Patrick hadn't shown anyone his saintly side in decades. He wasn't sure if he would remember how, but it was like breathing, simple and natural. It came back to him as he did it, and suddenly he was glowing, a halo ringing his head.
Iwan sat back, eyes wide, but to his credit he didn't yell out in fright. He looked from one to the other in shock.
"What- what are you doing?" he stammered, fingers digging into the chair cushion.
George leaned forward, the blinding halo around his head moving with him. The armor that appeared without fail when he did clanged gently as he moved.
"You're not just a normal person," George said. "You're Saint David of Wales. We need you to remember."
"It's okay, David. Let it come back to you." Patrick let his glow extend out, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. "You're our brother. A saint, just like we are."
"You're both crazy," Iwan gasped. The mere presence of the pair was calming, though, and warming, making him feel included, whole... complete.
Either that, or his head injury was finally going to kill him. He put his hand to his head, feeling kind of fuzzy, and tried to stand up. He stumbled though, and landed on his knees. "Oh God have mercy," he groaned, shaking his head to try and clear it.
George slid off the couch and onto his knees next to David, reaching out a hand and resting it on his shoulder. Healing wasn't really his thing. He could do certain diseases well enough, but curing head injury-induced amnesia, not so much. But he poured some of his energy towards David anyway, hoping it would help his brother.
"It's okay, David, it's all right. Just try to remember."
Patrick did the same, moving to the other side of his brother, resting his hand on David's shoulder as well. "Breathe, David. It's alright. Just breathe, okay?" He extended his energy out to David as well, not remembering exactly what he was doing. He had healed people before, back in Ireland. There were legends of him bringing people back from the dead. And without meaning to, he gave David his all, hoping that something...anything would help his brother now.
It was like reaching the end of a tunnel, with the light rushing towards him and growing bigger and bigger until it swallowed him up. The energy from his brothers filled him up with it. He whited out for a moment as the glorious Truth came back to him, and once he had it back, he realised just how lost he'd been without it.
His body went boneless and he sagged down with a little whine, taking a few seconds to adjust as his broken brain healed.
"oh, my God," he breathed, pale with shock.
George let himself return to normal, the Holy energy disappearing so suddenly that he had to reach out to keep from slumping over onto the ground.
"Dewi?" he asked, brushing his brother's hair off his forehead. "Dewi, are you all right? Say something, please."
Patrick let his energy dissipate as well, though he didn't slump forwards at all, though he couldn't explain why. He reached out to David, trying to hold him up. "We're here, Dewi. We love you."
David trembled with the knowledge of everything that had happened. He remembered being mugged and falling off the bridge, now. And he remembered the pilgrimage he was supposed to be on, to find his way again. And he'd been here instead.
"Oh Patrick, I missed your feast day," he said, looking up at his brothers and feeling tired all of a sudden, but filled with love for them.
George finally gave into the urge to hug David, squeezing his brother tightly against him and pulling Patrick into the hug as well. David was back.
"We worried something terrible had happened to you," George mumbled against David's shoulder.
Patrick wrapped his arms around both of them, planting kisses on both their heads. "We looked for so long," Patrick whispered. "It's okay you missed my feast day, Dewi. All I care about is that you're okay. I am so happy to see you, so so happy!" Patrick sniffled a little, clinging hard to both of them. "Oh, Dewi, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm alright," David replied, hugging them both back. He was certainly glad to see them, glad to be himself again, but- "What am I going to do now?" he said, pulling away, pain clouding his expression. "Bridget-" He got up, and his gaze fell on the photo on the wall. It felt like he was looking at somebody else's life. He wasn't allowed that kind of thing, it was part of his vows, his worship. And what was he going to tell Bridget, that he was an immortal saint??
George glanced at the stairs. Bridget would have to come back downstairs sometime, and then things would get awkward.
"You don't..." he trailed off, because he knew that David took his vows of chastity deadly seriously. Falling in love with a nice Welsh girl wasn't neccesarily going to change that. "Dewi, whatever you decide to do, you know Patrick and I are completely behind you."
"Exactly," Patrick chimed in. "Dewi, maybe this is what was meant to happen. You went in search of answers and maybe God led you to your answers, even if it wasn't what you were expecting. God has a way of doing that." Patrick smiled at his brother, reaching for David's hand so he could hold it warmly in his own.
"She seems like a wonderful woman, Dewi. She took care of you all this time. She seems like someone who would understand. But it's up to you. And we'll be with you, whatever happens."
"She is wonderful..." David looked towards where she'd gone, and considered for a second just leaving and not telling her why, going back to his old life and leaving everything behind. But he couldn't do that to her. He owed her the truth. But how on earth was he going to explain this? And he should go back with Patrick and George. But the idea of leaving her on her own...
"Thank you both. You have no idea how good it feels to know myself again. But I need to talk to her, and explain... She's not going to believe this." He sighed.