darker_london | To Guide the Way (Deirdre, Peter)

Peter had entered Victoria Lane even though it was a bit late. Sometimes it seemed like the place that never slept. He walked past the crowds to people standing or sitting or dancing about. He received a drive by hug from Kat, but he had a particular destination in mind. And when he reached the top of the stairs, he could already feel his 'destination' quite potently. She was angry and it was simmering, ready to boil.

Peter knocked on Deirdre's door, which was open, but he was polite. Deirdre grunted in response and Peter stepped into the room. "Deirdre?"

Deirdre looked up at Peter in surprise and then she threw the book she'd been reading to her side and jumped up to hug him so tightly he actually squeaked, "erreep!"

Upon pulling back, Deirdre looked into his eyes. "Did..did you find out anything?!" She asked desperately. So far? All they knew was that Abby had hit her head and now she was wearing what looked like a badly woven fishing net on it. Their balcony door had been smashed, and Spectre and Mary were missing. So...not a lot.

Peter shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Deirdre. Dr Tracey says that Abby's head is all...swelly. And she needs to stay asleep for a few more days. The swelling has to go down. And as someone who's lived through a swelly head...I'm sure he's right."

That was not the news Deirdre wanted, dammit. But of all people, Peter was one of the messengers she was least likely to maim. She couldn't shoot the messenger because she was never looking at a gun again. Evil. Bad. Maiming was good, she could do maiming. "Dammit." She finally uttered.

"I know...what were you reading?"

"The history of the Templar!" Deirdre shot back, looking murderous.

"Er..." Peter shifted. "You know they're not...directly the same, right?"

"Yeah. But they share names so I can read about them an glower. And I thought I might be able to learn something about them anyway, but so far it's been crusades, catholics blahblahbiddyblah..."

Peter looked fondly amused. Only his Deirdre could be 'blah' about the crusades. "I suppose so."

"Hey, Peter?"

"Yes, Deirdre?"

"Why'd you come see me? Was it to see if you had to lock me in a room with you again?" Deirdre asked, looking up at him because then she'd know if he lied.

Not that Peter ever did that. Not...really, anyway. And not to Deirdre. "Yes." He said with a nod, and then he stepped over to take her hand into his. "I know that Adrian is special to you. He's special to me too. And I know that you two have become...almost more than close." He said with a cute little smile. "Sometimes you remind me of Thomas and I, actually. Except that Adrian is a girl." He said with a wink.

Deirdre snorted. "Well you're a girl too!"

"I am that." Peter conceded.

"And there's certianly not all the sexual tension considering he's a gay man and I'm a floozy apparently if you ask my grandmother.

"Yes yes, sexual tension and...that old bag called you a floozy?"

"Yes." Deirdre nodded. "But it was totally worth it to hear you call her an old bag!" He was helping, and the funny think was that he knew exactly what he was doing too. Peter always helped. And this was far better than being locked in a room with him and nearly cutting off his head just so she could deny the rage inside.

"You're no floozy. You're gorgeous." Peter sighed and he looked at her sadly. "I know this is hard on you."

"I know you do. It wasn't so long ago it was Thomas. And you went all...blhhaaahhhhhrrrggghhh." Deirdre illustrated her point with manic hand-motions.

"Yes...yes I did..." Peter took a deep breath and then he reached for her hands once again. "But, Sweetie...when I go....blhhaaahhhhhrrrggghhh, people don't end up dead."

"Except Dragonetti." Deirdre reminded him helpfully.

"Hey! I so called Rolf and brought him back to lif...you know what...fine. Except Dragonetti." Peter stuck his tongue out at Deirdre which only made her smile again. "Either way...I'm just checking on you. You know...because it's important."

"And you like people alive?"

"And I like people alive."

"And you like me sane."

"That too."

"And you wanted to see if you could catch me naked in my bed?"

"And I...no! No I did no...oh you're having me on. Deirdre..."

"Yes, Peterface?" Deirdre shifted from side to side and then she put her pinky in her mouth cutely, chewing the nail.

Peter just shook his head until he was laughing. "Oh, nothing. I wouldn't want you to change a thing." That was, of course, the point of his stopping by. If she lost her hold on who she was, he would lose Deirdre. He could not lose his Deirdre. They'd grown apart a little, over the past year. Just enough so that Deirdre didn't need Peter's presence every second of every day like she had. And he was so proud of her for that, and so many other things. But they still talked every day, even while she was on tour, even if only for five minutes. They needed each other even if the need was less immediate. "And if you feel like you're erm...in the mood for a change...you'll still ring me, right?"

Deirdre walked over and she kissed his cheek. "Of course, Peter. You're still speeddial one. On the house phone and on my mobile and even on the little phone on my laptop computer. I sort of think you always will be."

"Good then." He kissed her forehead in return and she sort of melted against him in to an embrace. "Do you want me to get you anything, Deirdre?"

"No." Deirdre said, wrapping her arms around him and clinging for dear life. "I want to go out looking again later. Until then...maybe just you...?"

Peter nodded against her shoulder. "You always have that."

And Deirdre knew it too.