Things have to change (Peter, Aly and then Liz)

[father-peter.livejournal.com]

It was probably the thing Peter was least looking forward to doing in a long line of shitty things he needed to do. But necessity called for it, and Peter needed to speak to Aly about his monetary situation. He knew Tasha had enough money to support them, and his friends would pitch in if they needed to, but it wasn't right. Peter had his own money, and just because it was in Aly's name, it didn't mean he shouldn't have access to it. He hadn't earned it, but it was rightfully his.

Staring up at the sterile institution his wife currently resided in filled Peter with a cold sense of dread and finality. Just inside, was the woman he loved. The woman who, it seemed, didn't love him back anymore. And he approached her room with an air of a man appriaching the gallows.

When Peter entered Aly's room, she looked up a him in shock, as she had clearly been expecting no visitors. Then she pulled away from him in a way that made his heart sink even further. She looked absolutely horrified by his presence. When she was safely on her bed, she raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Peter...?"

Words hurt. Peter wanted to crawl into bed with her and curl up at her side. And probably sob a lot. But he managed to remain upright, not in bed, and not sobbing. Though the effort to maintain that was monumental, as was the effort to find his voice. "Hello." Peter held his hands up in mock surrender. "I come in peace. I know you don't want me here and I want to respect that, but I needed to see you about a specific issue."

Aly hid her disappointment that he hadn't come to fight for her behind a well-schooled mask of annoyance and she arched one eyebrow at him. "And what's that?"

Peter sighed and he leaned against the wall so he could watch her carefully from her spot, curled up on her hospital bed. It was easier remaining standing if he had something holding him up anyway. "It's about money, actually. So...not the most pleasant topic in the world, but necessary."

"Ah." Money. Of course. Aly spread her blankets over her legs and she glanced up at him expectantly. "Well, let's have it then."

"I understand that when I erm...when my cancer made it look like I had died, my will was enacted and the money I left to people was distributed. I never had any reason to retract that after coming back, so I didn't take the actions necessary to do that. Deirdre was the only one who gave the money I had left her back and she did that manually... Unfortunately that means that all the bank accounts are in your name and I'm in rather a bind now. We do have children to feed and clothe..."

"I...I didn't realise." Aly sighed and then she wrung her hands together nervously. "Am I going to be able to help you?" She didn't know if she would be able to do anything from where she was.

Peter nodded. "I spoke with Joe. I have some legal mumbo-jumbo power of attorney or something which means I can take control of the accounts myself, but I would also have to erm...start divorce proceedings and I'd...I'd just rather do it this way." Peter produced a few forms necessary to add his name to her accounts again. "Your doctors inform me you've been assessed as mentally sound..." He said that last part with a hint of levity in his voice and to his relief, Aly reacted like Aly.

"Ah, but are they mentally sound?" She asked, holding her had out for the forms. "I'm sorry I didn't realise this was going on, Peter..."

"No, it's...okay." Peter felt relief that she had neither exploded in his face, nor made him beg for his own money on behalf of his children. "I didn't really have a problem until Liz made me leave her house."

"Liz made you leave her house?" Aly looked at him questioningly as she filled in the forms with the relevant details.

"Yeah. Long...long story which turned out to be a misunderstanding anyway." Peter shifted his feet because if Aly asked for details he would have to speak about Svetlana and he didn't really want to do that right now... "But I'm still sort of...miffed. So...I can't ask her for money if I'm miffed."

Aly nodded and she added her signature to the bottom of the forms before handing them over again. "There. All fixed."

Peter nodded and he folded the forms to fit in his pocket. "Thank you. You...you look really good." She looked more than good. She looked incredible and she was being pleasant enough and Peter couldn't help but feel hope-

"Thank you, Peter." Aly flushed red and she ducked her head. "I'm feeling better too. A little."

Peter shuffled his feet and he leaned up off the wall to take a step forward. "I...I've missed you."

Aly's lips thinned and she rose from the bed so she was at least standing, though she was still significantly shorter than he was. "I'm sorry, Peter, but I have to ask you to leave. Unless there's something else you need?"

Peter bit his lips together and he shook his head. A moment later a fake smile was affixed on his face, though he could feel his throat contracting over and over again as it tried to keep a stranglehold on the sob seeking to escape him. Peter couldn't speak, lest he set it free, so he just shook his head and uttered an "mmmm" sound.

"I'll talk to you sometime soon, Peter. I promise. I just...I hope you know I don't blame you for this. What's happening with me...it's my issues. But unfortunately that still means some things have to change-"

"Mmmm. Mmm." Peter nodded, as if she was making all the sense in the world. He kept his lips clamped tightly together like a trap.

"Alright..." Aly reached out to touch his arm, but Peter knew that if she did that he would break and all the pain he was caging up inside would flow forth as if he had broken down Misery Dam. He stepped out of her reach, and then out the door again, unable to even say goodbye.

Peter didn't walk home, nor did he walk back to his own hospital. Instead he hailed a taxi and he took it to his sister's house. Once there, he stood on her doorstep and waited, shivering into his coat though it wasn't all that cold out at all. When Liz answered, she gave him one look, and pulled him inside. Anything that had been between them simply evaporated because of the pained look etched into his face. Liz pulled him into the kitchen and she immediately fixed him tea and soup, and when she finally sat down beside him, he leaned against her. "Oh, Peter."

"You love me, right?" Peter asked his voice terribly small, and still quite strained.

"Yes, Peter. A great deal. I'm so sorry about everything I-"

"Whatever, forgiven, blah. Don't care. I saw Aly."

"Ah." Liz's hold on her little brother tightened and Peter realised how very long it had been since they had even been together like this. No wonder she had so egregiously misjudged his character.

"I just...I need to..." And then Peter turned his face to the side so it was buried in her neck, and he let go. The dam succumbed to the force of Peter's sorrow, and he cried desperately in his sister's arms while she held him.