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Liz knocked lightly on Lydia's door. Peter was on the floor playing Candyland with Lydia and Anna. "Come in!" He said and then he let out a yelp. "Oh no fair!" Liz entered and raised her eyebrows. "I keep getting stuck in the darn candycane forest! And Lydia said that leaving a trail of gumdrops behind to follow was cheating." Peter said, making his face as serious as possible.
Liz smirked. "Good for Lydia. Peter, I just got a call from Aunt Jane."
"Who?" Peter asked, drawing a card. "Blue! I need a red or a yellow!"
"Haha, Daddy!" Anna chimed before drawing her own card and advancing her red gingerbread kid far beyond anyone else's.
"Aunt Jane, Uncle Gabriel's wife. Mum's half brother. Your namesake?" She continued as he stared at her blankly.
"Oh...right." He hadn't seen Uncle Gabriel since he was 14. He always just assumed that Gabriel stayed away because he felt guilty that he didn't help when Peter's mother was sick.
"While you were in Austria, I started ringing them again. It just felt like the thing to do. Anyway, Uncle Gabriel is fine, but he's in the hospital for his heart condition. She thought we might like to go see him? It could do him good."
Peter furrowed his eyebrows. "Are...are you sure a man that hasn't seen us in over 20 years is going to be thrilled at re-entering our lives with tubes up his nose? Because it's not pleasant when anyone sees you like that, I can vouch for it!"
Liz just shrugged. "I don't know, but we never will until we try, Peter. This way is better than just showing up on his doorstep and saying 'hey, we're related!'.
Peter made a face at her and then he drew another card. "HAH! Yellow! I'm out of the woods!" Peter moved his blue piece to a yellow square and then he turned back to Liz. "When do you want to go, Liz?"
"An hour?" She answered.
"Sure. Just enough time for these lovely ladies to beat me." he said, grinning widely at him. They grinned right back.
*****************
Peter walked beside Liz as they entered the hospital. On his way there, Peter ran into Deirdre, so Liz told Peter where to meet her and she went upstairs by herself. Peter gave Deirdre a hug and inquired as to Kait and Renee's wellbeing, and he was assured that they were fine. He told Deirdre that he'd visit them before leaving.
"I think they'll like that, Peter. You mean a lot to them. To Renee."
Peter smiled at Deirdre and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "They mean a lot to me too, Deirdre. So are you okay then?"
"I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I'm all whole, Daddy Pete!"
Peter chuckled. "That's wonderful. Please never call me that again" he said with a wink.
"You win. Anyway, they're threatening to keep me here unless I leave right now so...ooh how are Thomas and Robert?"
Peter made a face. "They're fine." Peter said flatly. "Anyway, I should go see my uncle. He's okay apparently. Just a visit."
"I'm glad he's okay, Peter. Go visit your uncle I have never heard of!" She hugged Peter tightly and flounced away, Deirdre style. Peter made his way up to the waiting room where Liz was sitting in a chair. She stood when he approached and then, as if from nowhere, a pleasantly round older woman ran up and embraced Liz tightly.
"Oh, Elizabeth! It's SO good to SEE you!" She said dramatically. She pulled away and assessed Liz's face. "My, you're lovely! And who's this?" She smiled pleasantly, indicating Peter. "New boyfriend?"
Liz snorted. "No, Aunt Jane. This is Peter, your nephew?"
Aunt Jane's mouth fell open. "PETER!" She cried and she wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh...hello." Peter said, patting her lightly on the back and wondering what the hell else to do.
"I'm SO glad you're in town, Peter!" Peter opened his mouth to explain that he lived here now, but Jane continued. "Oh, Gabriel will be SO pleased!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the room. "Gabriel! This is Peter, he's visiting and he came to see you!"
Peter felt profoundly silly. There were two younger women in the room with Gabriel who was lying on the bed, but he was smiling around his unfortunate tubes. One of the young woman had pink hair, and she was pointedly ignoring him. The other one waved shyly and he returned the wave just as shyly. "Hello, Uncle Gabriel." Peter finally said as Liz entered the room behind him.
"Ah, you're Louise's boy!"
"That's...that's right." Peter said, glancing again at the two girls who were now both looking at him appraisingly.
"Good to see you again! My goodness, it must be over 20 years!"
"Yep. Over 20. It's good to see you too. How are you feeling?"
"Oh, silly mostly. It's all a lot of fuss for nothing. I'll be fine. Peter, these are my daughters Bianca and Bonnie."
"It's Kat." The pink haired one said firmly.
"'Lo." Peter said, glancing at Liz for help. She just looked at him, amused.
"Hello there, Elizabeth." Gabriel said, and then he turned back to Peter. "I have to tell you Peter, you're an inspiration to me! I speak of you often at church."
Uh oh. "I'm a-"
"Really, to go through what you went through and to come out of it like you did is incredible. And to go on to become a member of clergy! To make a difference. If only everyone were like you, my boy! I have to ask, why aren't you wearing your collar? And how is that parish of yours? Father O'Neill was very impressed when I told him I had a newphew that is a priest in Melk Abbey!" Gabriel said with an air of importance.
Bloody Hell. "Well-my parish is fine...last I heard." Gabriel looked confused, and the smile slid from Jane's face. Kat, however, lit up like a Christmas Tree.
"What?" Gabriel finally asked.
"I'm...er...I'm not a priest anymore."
"Why not?!"
"Well...they kind of made me leave. Something about having a daughter that they frowned upon. They eventually downgraded my dismissal to a resignation instead, after they asked me back but I refused. I hope you feel better soon, Uncle Gabriel. Excuse me." Peter left the room and he collapsed into a chair in the waiting room. Kat followed him and she stood right in front of him.
"So! You're my cousin the priest, hmm?" She asked, grinning.
"I think I'm more like your cousin the disappointment." Peter said back with a wink.
"Oh, join the club. You think Mr. Hotshot Lawyer wanted a daughter with pink hair?" she asked taking a seat beside him. "I think he only started talking about you so much after Elizabeth started calling because my sister and I aren't exactly what he expected and he wanted someone to rave about to make himself feel important. Don't worry, he'll get over it. He's a good man, just...odd. Besides, he still has your sister to rave about. He talks about her charity work a lot."
"Does he know she's in a lesbian relationship?" Peter asked warily.
Kat's mouth fell open. "No! Bloody brilliant! I'm Kat, by the way. Nice to meet you, Peter."
"You too. I-I didn't know I had cousins..."
"Really?" Kat asked, leaning back to cross one stripey stockinged leg over the other.
"Really."
"Well I didn't know I have a second cousin, so we're even." She grinned. "What's her name?"
"You actually have two second cousins. Lydia and Annaliese. They are 11 and 8."
"Awesome! I love kids. I can meet them right?"
Peter smiled. "Of course! Provided I'm not excommunicated from the family for unclergylike behaviour."
"Oh pfft. So...you were a priest then? But you're not now. Do you miss it?"
"No!" Peter said quickly, and then he felt bad about the speed of that statement. "Sorry."
"Oh don't be! I hate church. I think it's bollocks. You weren't one of those priests who perved on girls in confession were you?"
"No. No I wasn't there to...perv..."
Kat snorted. "Well, good. I like you then."
"That is indeed a relief." Peter smiled.
Liz exited the room with a grin on her face. "Well done then, Peter."
Peter groaned. "Does he think I'm terrible?" He asked.
"No, though I doubt he's going to brag about you at mass again anytime soon. Hello, Kat! It's nice to finally meet you in person." She shook Kat's hand who smiled. "We've been asked over for dinner next week, so we'll be seeing you again soon.
"Brill!" Kat said, standing up. "See you soon then. It was good to meet you both. Bye!" And she walked back into the room to rejoin her family.
"Why didn't you tell me I had cousins?" Peter asked Liz, his voice slightly higher than normal. "I think that's something a person should know! Cousins. I have them. Two."
"You...you didn't know?"
"No! You do miss things when you live far away I guess, but...that's a big thing to miss! It's people! I was missing people!"
"I'm sorry, Peter! They never really came up! I hope now that we can start spending time together more. Be an extended family. Won't that be nice?"
"As long as I don't have a repeat of today, it'll be fine."
"You mean as long as they don't find out your recent soul-destroying breakup and oh yes your chosen vocation deals with demons?"
Peter's shoulder's drooped. "Yeah, something like that." Liz put her arm around Peter and she looked up at him.
"Oh, Peter, cheer up. You're wonderful and they'll see it. And if they don't, screw 'em, we have each other. Also, I'll send them hatemail."
Peter grinned. "You would too, wouldn't you? Liz smiled a wicked smile. "Oh god...Liz! You didn't send HER hatemail did you?!"
Liz looked at him innocently. "Of course not, Peter." She batted her eyelashes. "I sent her truthmail."
"Oh, you're diabolical."
"I am protective! It's different!" She took him by the arm and led him out the door and towards the car and home.
Liz smirked. "Good for Lydia. Peter, I just got a call from Aunt Jane."
"Who?" Peter asked, drawing a card. "Blue! I need a red or a yellow!"
"Haha, Daddy!" Anna chimed before drawing her own card and advancing her red gingerbread kid far beyond anyone else's.
"Aunt Jane, Uncle Gabriel's wife. Mum's half brother. Your namesake?" She continued as he stared at her blankly.
"Oh...right." He hadn't seen Uncle Gabriel since he was 14. He always just assumed that Gabriel stayed away because he felt guilty that he didn't help when Peter's mother was sick.
"While you were in Austria, I started ringing them again. It just felt like the thing to do. Anyway, Uncle Gabriel is fine, but he's in the hospital for his heart condition. She thought we might like to go see him? It could do him good."
Peter furrowed his eyebrows. "Are...are you sure a man that hasn't seen us in over 20 years is going to be thrilled at re-entering our lives with tubes up his nose? Because it's not pleasant when anyone sees you like that, I can vouch for it!"
Liz just shrugged. "I don't know, but we never will until we try, Peter. This way is better than just showing up on his doorstep and saying 'hey, we're related!'.
Peter made a face at her and then he drew another card. "HAH! Yellow! I'm out of the woods!" Peter moved his blue piece to a yellow square and then he turned back to Liz. "When do you want to go, Liz?"
"An hour?" She answered.
"Sure. Just enough time for these lovely ladies to beat me." he said, grinning widely at him. They grinned right back.
*****************
Peter walked beside Liz as they entered the hospital. On his way there, Peter ran into Deirdre, so Liz told Peter where to meet her and she went upstairs by herself. Peter gave Deirdre a hug and inquired as to Kait and Renee's wellbeing, and he was assured that they were fine. He told Deirdre that he'd visit them before leaving.
"I think they'll like that, Peter. You mean a lot to them. To Renee."
Peter smiled at Deirdre and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "They mean a lot to me too, Deirdre. So are you okay then?"
"I'm fine. I'm better than fine. I'm all whole, Daddy Pete!"
Peter chuckled. "That's wonderful. Please never call me that again" he said with a wink.
"You win. Anyway, they're threatening to keep me here unless I leave right now so...ooh how are Thomas and Robert?"
Peter made a face. "They're fine." Peter said flatly. "Anyway, I should go see my uncle. He's okay apparently. Just a visit."
"I'm glad he's okay, Peter. Go visit your uncle I have never heard of!" She hugged Peter tightly and flounced away, Deirdre style. Peter made his way up to the waiting room where Liz was sitting in a chair. She stood when he approached and then, as if from nowhere, a pleasantly round older woman ran up and embraced Liz tightly.
"Oh, Elizabeth! It's SO good to SEE you!" She said dramatically. She pulled away and assessed Liz's face. "My, you're lovely! And who's this?" She smiled pleasantly, indicating Peter. "New boyfriend?"
Liz snorted. "No, Aunt Jane. This is Peter, your nephew?"
Aunt Jane's mouth fell open. "PETER!" She cried and she wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh...hello." Peter said, patting her lightly on the back and wondering what the hell else to do.
"I'm SO glad you're in town, Peter!" Peter opened his mouth to explain that he lived here now, but Jane continued. "Oh, Gabriel will be SO pleased!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the room. "Gabriel! This is Peter, he's visiting and he came to see you!"
Peter felt profoundly silly. There were two younger women in the room with Gabriel who was lying on the bed, but he was smiling around his unfortunate tubes. One of the young woman had pink hair, and she was pointedly ignoring him. The other one waved shyly and he returned the wave just as shyly. "Hello, Uncle Gabriel." Peter finally said as Liz entered the room behind him.
"Ah, you're Louise's boy!"
"That's...that's right." Peter said, glancing again at the two girls who were now both looking at him appraisingly.
"Good to see you again! My goodness, it must be over 20 years!"
"Yep. Over 20. It's good to see you too. How are you feeling?"
"Oh, silly mostly. It's all a lot of fuss for nothing. I'll be fine. Peter, these are my daughters Bianca and Bonnie."
"It's Kat." The pink haired one said firmly.
"'Lo." Peter said, glancing at Liz for help. She just looked at him, amused.
"Hello there, Elizabeth." Gabriel said, and then he turned back to Peter. "I have to tell you Peter, you're an inspiration to me! I speak of you often at church."
Uh oh. "I'm a-"
"Really, to go through what you went through and to come out of it like you did is incredible. And to go on to become a member of clergy! To make a difference. If only everyone were like you, my boy! I have to ask, why aren't you wearing your collar? And how is that parish of yours? Father O'Neill was very impressed when I told him I had a newphew that is a priest in Melk Abbey!" Gabriel said with an air of importance.
Bloody Hell. "Well-my parish is fine...last I heard." Gabriel looked confused, and the smile slid from Jane's face. Kat, however, lit up like a Christmas Tree.
"What?" Gabriel finally asked.
"I'm...er...I'm not a priest anymore."
"Why not?!"
"Well...they kind of made me leave. Something about having a daughter that they frowned upon. They eventually downgraded my dismissal to a resignation instead, after they asked me back but I refused. I hope you feel better soon, Uncle Gabriel. Excuse me." Peter left the room and he collapsed into a chair in the waiting room. Kat followed him and she stood right in front of him.
"So! You're my cousin the priest, hmm?" She asked, grinning.
"I think I'm more like your cousin the disappointment." Peter said back with a wink.
"Oh, join the club. You think Mr. Hotshot Lawyer wanted a daughter with pink hair?" she asked taking a seat beside him. "I think he only started talking about you so much after Elizabeth started calling because my sister and I aren't exactly what he expected and he wanted someone to rave about to make himself feel important. Don't worry, he'll get over it. He's a good man, just...odd. Besides, he still has your sister to rave about. He talks about her charity work a lot."
"Does he know she's in a lesbian relationship?" Peter asked warily.
Kat's mouth fell open. "No! Bloody brilliant! I'm Kat, by the way. Nice to meet you, Peter."
"You too. I-I didn't know I had cousins..."
"Really?" Kat asked, leaning back to cross one stripey stockinged leg over the other.
"Really."
"Well I didn't know I have a second cousin, so we're even." She grinned. "What's her name?"
"You actually have two second cousins. Lydia and Annaliese. They are 11 and 8."
"Awesome! I love kids. I can meet them right?"
Peter smiled. "Of course! Provided I'm not excommunicated from the family for unclergylike behaviour."
"Oh pfft. So...you were a priest then? But you're not now. Do you miss it?"
"No!" Peter said quickly, and then he felt bad about the speed of that statement. "Sorry."
"Oh don't be! I hate church. I think it's bollocks. You weren't one of those priests who perved on girls in confession were you?"
"No. No I wasn't there to...perv..."
Kat snorted. "Well, good. I like you then."
"That is indeed a relief." Peter smiled.
Liz exited the room with a grin on her face. "Well done then, Peter."
Peter groaned. "Does he think I'm terrible?" He asked.
"No, though I doubt he's going to brag about you at mass again anytime soon. Hello, Kat! It's nice to finally meet you in person." She shook Kat's hand who smiled. "We've been asked over for dinner next week, so we'll be seeing you again soon.
"Brill!" Kat said, standing up. "See you soon then. It was good to meet you both. Bye!" And she walked back into the room to rejoin her family.
"Why didn't you tell me I had cousins?" Peter asked Liz, his voice slightly higher than normal. "I think that's something a person should know! Cousins. I have them. Two."
"You...you didn't know?"
"No! You do miss things when you live far away I guess, but...that's a big thing to miss! It's people! I was missing people!"
"I'm sorry, Peter! They never really came up! I hope now that we can start spending time together more. Be an extended family. Won't that be nice?"
"As long as I don't have a repeat of today, it'll be fine."
"You mean as long as they don't find out your recent soul-destroying breakup and oh yes your chosen vocation deals with demons?"
Peter's shoulder's drooped. "Yeah, something like that." Liz put her arm around Peter and she looked up at him.
"Oh, Peter, cheer up. You're wonderful and they'll see it. And if they don't, screw 'em, we have each other. Also, I'll send them hatemail."
Peter grinned. "You would too, wouldn't you? Liz smiled a wicked smile. "Oh god...Liz! You didn't send HER hatemail did you?!"
Liz looked at him innocently. "Of course not, Peter." She batted her eyelashes. "I sent her truthmail."
"Oh, you're diabolical."
"I am protective! It's different!" She took him by the arm and led him out the door and towards the car and home.
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