Take a Step (Peter, Evan)

[father-peter.livejournal.com]

Another Monday passed and Peter already noticed a difference in his wife, thanks to her new friend. Aly had known Bria only a week now, but already she was acting happier and more energetic than she had in a long time. Peter had known Aly was suffering because of her condition and the limitations it put on her life. That combined with back-to-back pregnancies had taken a lot out of her. Now she was doing things with her life beyond being a wife and a mother. She was getting out. Peter was so grateful for it. He loved seeing the twinkle in her eyes. And the fact that just this morning she had pounced on him the second he had stepped out of the shower, dragged him back to bed, and done things to him that made another shower quite necessary didn't hurt either...

Peter had a definite bounce in his step himself as he entered the hospital, but as soon as he walked in the door, he tried to concentrate on the day ahead of him. Even when Abigail saw him and gave him a knowing nudge at the flush in his cheeks and the smile he couldn't quite wipe off his face.

Why were women so damn psychic?!

Luckily, the demon Peter was visiting was neither female, nor psychic. Evan looked up from the corner of his room and he smiled a thin, translucent smile that faded almost the second it had appeared. But it was for Peter alone and it was more than anyone else ever got. "You're happy." He commented, though he did so quietly, as if he was talking to himself. That was generally how it went with Evan.

"I am." Peter nodded. "Can I sit."

Evan nodded though he never looked up. He was fiddling with the too-long sleeves of his jumper, pulling them over his hands because he liked to make it look like he didn't have any. Without hands you couldn't hurt people. He wished his mother hadn't had hands. His life would have been a lot better.

"How are you feeling today?" Peter sat in a chair that was far enough away from Evan that he didn't feel invaded, but close enough that he didn't feel isolated.

Evan shrugged. "Shiny." He admitted, holding his arms up so Peter could see his 'lack of hands'.

"Shiny?"

"The moon is shiny." Evan elaborated, mostly unhelpfully.

"It is indeed." Peter nodded, wondering what that had to do with how Evan was feeling. But his thoughts were rarely congruent.

"But it doesn't shine itself. It's reflecting."

Peter frowned. Now that was getting somewhere. "Who are you reflecting, Evan?"

"Everyone." Evan finally looked up at Peter. He didn't do it often, but when he did, his pale eyes latched on and they didn't let go. It was like he was looking right through any facade you might have and into your very soul. There were no secrets from Evan. He knew if someone was lying before the words even left their lips. Not psychic, but you couldn't fool him either. "I'm a moon."

"I think the moon is beautiful." Peter replied, with a small smile. "Much nicer than the sun. But I think you do more than reflect too, Evan."

"Never been out." Evan kept his eyes trained on Peter's, but Peter was used to it and he didn't have anything to hide from Evan anyway. To anyone else, it would have been incredibly disconcerting. "Never been anything."

"Would you like to go out?" Peter asked carefully. Before today Evan had hidden under his bed when the very topic was mentioned. But Evan was no longer dangerous. Any anger he had for his mother had long since dissipated and he had absolutely no urge to harm anyone else as his mother had harmed him. He was as safe a demon as Deirdre was, if a little worrisome because his experience with the outside world was limited.

"It's big." Was Evan's only response, but he didn't look away.

"It is big. But you wouldn't be alone. I could go with you, Evan. Be with you the whole time. That wouldn't be so scary, would it? If I was there?"

"You were with your kids earlier." Evan remarked, and Peter was too cluey to think that wasn't a reply to the question he had asked.

"I was. We got lots of places together. I take them to the park so they can play, but it's too cold nowadays to do that. Today I took the younger ones to school and afterward we might go to a movie and then out for dinner."

"Caleb, Anna, Lydia." Evan rattled off the names of Peter's children. He knew them well, as Evan liked to listen more than he liked to talk. And when Peter talked, his children were at the top of his list of topics. "Tasha, Thomas, Lauren, Rasputina."

"That's right. It'll only be Caleb, Anna and Lydia coming to the movies. Tasha's working and the babies are with their mothers."

"Alyona." The name felt funny in his mouth and Evan liked to say it with an accent. "Alyona and Svetlana."

"That's right. So it would just be myself and three of my children. You're welcome to come, Evan."

"Movies in the dark." Evan shook his head firmly, but he still wasn't hiding. "I don't like the dark.

"You like dinner."

"Pie." Evan corrected. "I want pie."

A small grin twisted Peter's lips. "I want pie too." He didn't want to make Evan ask to be let out because he knew Evan never would, so he stood slowly and offered Evan his hand. "There's some pie downstairs. Would you like to come with me? I can bring it back for you if you'd rather, but I would enjoy the company. I assure you, it's perfectly safe. No one is going to harm you."

"Mother's gone?" Evan said warily. He hadn't see his mother since he was five, but he still needed to be reassured. That was how it when when you watched someone kill your father in front of you and then proceed to beat you until you should have died yourself. Of course Evan hadn't. He was a demon. He had lived in a state of fear and torment until now. Peter had met him seven years ago when he had been 16. And only now was he making a difference. Still, the difference was great.

"She's gone, Evan." Peter nodded. "She can't get you here."

At that, Evan extended his hand to Peter and he allowed Peter to help him up. "Big pie?" He asked, his voice hopeful.

"Oh, Evan. You can have as much pie as you want." Peter grinned. And then he helped Evan take the first step outside his room since arriving here years ago. They didn't leave the hospital, or even go outside, but it was still a monumental breakthrough, and Peter was proud of him.