darker_london | Talking (Peter, Aly) Rating: PG-13 (Reply)

Peter and Aly had had a lovely dinner out together and Peter had even managed to be relaxed! She'd teased him about the fact that he bought a motorcycle when he didn't know how to drive one, and they'd discussed their children's plans for school and the like. Peter had even explained a bit of his tragic past as well as his family went, though he didn't go too far into it on their first date alone together. It seemed just a tad morbid.

As he drove her home, they lapsed into silence, though it was comfortable. He was watching the road and feeling calm just to have her beside him, and she was looking out the window, just glad to be with someone. Once they arrived at her house and Peter had walked her to the door, however, the uncomfortableness ran rampant.

"Uh...you can come in if you want. Caleb's gone for the night and I have coffee?" Aly said, fiddling with her keys so they jangled about. Peter wanted to go inside. He really really wanted to go inside. But when he'd been with Her, she'd cheated on him before they had the chance to be together and he'd rushed into a physical relationship. Then, it had become about sex and that was it, and he hadn't even noticed. She hadn't really known him and he hadn't really known her, though he had at least made the effort. He didn't want that again. Not another relationship based on sex. That's what he'd had with Her. That's what he'd had with Katherine. They'd used him for his niaevety, and he couldn't handle that. Hell, his relationship with Kiora was the closest thing he'd ever had to an actual relationship and that thought severely depressed him. But to say no, when a gorgeous woman was asking him inside and he didn't understand what the offer implied? That probably made him slightly insane.

"I...can't believe what I'm about to say. Uhm...I'd love to come in but...I..it depends on whether it's coffee, or coffee, do you know what I mean?"

Aly grinned. "Yes, I can translate your amazingly well hidden metaphor for expectations of sex after a caffinated beverage. It's okay, Peter. We've only been out twice. It's just coffee." Peter, who had gone white, instantly felt the colour return to his cheeks as Aly unlocked her door and stepped inside. "So are you coming or not?" She said with a wink.

Peter smiled and he followed her inside. "You think I'm a woman now, don't you?" Peter asked as Aly went to the kitchen to turn on the kettle. She did so and she peeked her head around the corner to grin at him. "No, I think you're an adorable man is what I think you are. Though now you're not going to get out of explaining to me exactly what you were afraid of. I will not have a relationship that starts out with secrets."

That sounded wonderful. Just right. What he'd wanted with Katherine and Her. What he'd never had. "Me either. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Don't worry, we'll start easy." She said, taking his arm and pulling him into the kitchen with her. "What is...your favourite food?"

"Oh, right. Uhm...I suppose anything Chinese."

"Oh, perfect. I like Asian foods. And sometime I'll have to make you all the Spanish foods my Spanish Mama taught me how to make. Now you ask one!"

"Okay. Do you have a hobby?"

"Very good question." Aly said, carrying the mugs of coffee into the living room to settle on the couch beside Peter. "I like to read and write a little. I play with Caleb and I'm am obsessive scrapbooker. All in all, I am plainly boring. You?"

"I read too. Play with the girls...I like to study things, and read Hebrew. Though I am starting to forget that." He smiled. "So I suppose I'm plainly boring too?"

"Not at all." Aly smiled and she took a sip of her coffee. "Why did you leave the priesthood?"

Peter looked down into his coffee and he took a sip as well. "That's a long story. I'll tell you, I just want you to know it's long."

"That's fine. I'm a big girl, and I can stay up late tonight."

Peter nodded. "Good! Oh how to put this?" Peter went on to explain how he hated it there, but he stayed to help people. He told the story of why seeing baby Lydia had sent him to Seminary and how he'd been forced to leave London for Melk. Of course he left out the parts about the demons, but it was easy enough to explain without all that. Then he told her about how The Abbot had hated him and how he looked for an excuse to get rid of Peter. He said that Lydia had gone missing and the Abbot saw the police report and he'd used Peter's daughter as a reason for dismissal. Peter explained that he'd found out about the Abbot's own indiscretions that very night, and he'd decided to adopt Anna to take here away from that terrible place. Once he'd gotten home, he decided that a father was what he needed to be and shortly after, Lydia had been returned to him, Anna arrived and when they offered him his place back, he'd declined.

Aly stared at Peter for a second. "Wait...I get that and what you did for Anna is amazing. But Lydia went missing? Lydia?!"

Peter bit his lip and he nodded. "Yes. She was taken by my ex-girlfriend. Her mother, Katherine. She was angry at me, I suppose. I came back to London, but it wasn't to be with her and she was jealous. I found her on drugs and Lydia wasn't being taken care of, so I took Lydia away from there, only to have her taken from me the minute Katherine got out of rehab. I probably sound like Days of Our Lives."

"I wouldn't know, I don't watch it. Oh, Peter. I'm so sorry."

"My friend Deirdre found her in Paris, even though her hair had been dyed black. It was lucky." Peter finished the coffee and Aly took his mug and minutes later she returned with more. She sat closer to him this time. "Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

Peter went on from there, to explain about his relationship with Katherine and then he moved on to Her. The ballerina. He explained that he wanted to take things slow because he didn't want to mess things up like he had with Her and Aly just stared at him like she'd hit the jackpot.

"I have one final question for you." Aly said with a grin on her face. "Can I call you my boyfriend yet?"

Peter's face brightened considerably at the thought that even after all that, she remained unphased. "Yes! I'd like that."

"Perfect." She scooted closer to him on the couch and she gave his cheek a soft kiss. Peter turned to her and he smiled, and then they continued to talk for a further two hours until Peter had to leave or he'd fall asleep while driving.

The minute she'd said goodbye to him, Aly hurried to her computer to let David know what had happened.