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Peter knew it was Jeremy before he even opened the door. Even Jeremy's knock sounded drunk, and no one else would bother to show up here in such a state. They knew Peter was an alcoholic, and surely didn't need a lovely reminder of his addiction thrown into his face. Jeremy, however, didn't find alcoholism to be a bad thing and he wasn't about to avoid his brother because he had been drinking. Peter found he had to grin and bear it. Jeremy was his blood. He wouldn't turn the man away.
He let Jeremy in, and he tried to make it look like he wasn't hovering inches away in case his brother fell over, though he really was. "Jeremy," Peter said, locking the door behind them. "What's wrong?"
"You know...everythin'," Jeremy slurred at his older brother. He threw his hands in the air and swayed on his feet so much that Peter almost grabbed him before the man righted himself. "Whoa. Peter?"
"Yes, Jeremy?" Peter tried to subtly herd Jeremy towards some kind of seating.
"Can I see your kids?"
Well that was weird. Peter paused and his face screwed up into a picture of pure confusion. "Uhm...I...guess? Most of them are asleep." At least the babies were, and bless the fact that they were no longer newborns and slept through the night now. "I'm not entirely sure that it would be best for you to be around them like this, Jeremy."
Jeremy's face crumpled and he looked like he was on the verge of tears, and Peter honestly didn't understand what was going on, even a little bit. "Jere...what's wrong. Specifically."
To his great relief, Jeremy didn't cry. What he did, was look angry as if from nowhere. "I can't have any kids! Not any!" He sat down awkwardly on the sofa, looking like a twenty-nine-year old entrant in a pouting contest.
Peter had to wonder now if this was some kind of awkward situation where he was going to have to talk to his brother about Things He Didn't Want To Know. Like the state of Jeremy's sperm. Peter himself had clearly never had an issue with having kids, which was obvious from having made four of them with three different women and three of them in the space of two years. "Erm...well there are things you can do-"
"Nooooo!" Jeremy looked horrified that Peter would suggest he was somehow infertile. "Peter, fuck. No. I had a kid or I would have, but it's gone. It's just gone." It wasn't fair. Lile could have told him anything, and it wouldn't have shaken him like this had.
"Oh." Peter's heart broke then for his brother. He understood. Aly had originally been pregnant with twins, and then one was gone and there had only been Lauren. And while she was a blessing, there was always the memory of the lost child when he looked at his daughter. It was a pain that lessened, surely, but never went away. "Jeremy, I'm sorry." He moved then, to sit near his brother. It made sense too. Jeremy had been sleeping with Morgana, and from what Peter understood, werewolves had a hard time carrying children to term. "Is Morgana alright?"
Jeremy turned to Peter, his eyes shining and red. "Morgana?" he asked, as if he had forgotten she existed. And maybe he had. "Peter...no. This..." but he clammed up. "I can't tell you," Jeremy slurred. "It was years ago, but I just heard and I can't tell you."
"I know how it feels," Peter said, his voice laden with sympathy. "It's a terrible thing. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Can I stay here?" Jeremy asked quickly. "I can't go home. I can't dear with Rovena, I'll kill her!" If she nagged him about his lack of hunting now, he was going to slap her and this wasn't her business.
"Oh dear, I think you'd better," Peter nodded. "I'll help you downstairs, but first I'm going to get you some toast and some water. And then if you want we can talk some more?"
Jeremy shook his head. "I just want to sleep. Toast. Water. Sleep."
"Alright," Peter said quietly. "But if you need me, you can come get me, understand?"
"Mmm. You're a good brother."
"I try." Peter smiled a sympathetic smile and then he reached out to help his brother off the sofa. He wished he could take the younger man's pain away. It was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. But there was nothing he could do. Jeremy would just have to feel it. And until he was sober, there was little chance of that.
Peter would try to help again in the morning.
He let Jeremy in, and he tried to make it look like he wasn't hovering inches away in case his brother fell over, though he really was. "Jeremy," Peter said, locking the door behind them. "What's wrong?"
"You know...everythin'," Jeremy slurred at his older brother. He threw his hands in the air and swayed on his feet so much that Peter almost grabbed him before the man righted himself. "Whoa. Peter?"
"Yes, Jeremy?" Peter tried to subtly herd Jeremy towards some kind of seating.
"Can I see your kids?"
Well that was weird. Peter paused and his face screwed up into a picture of pure confusion. "Uhm...I...guess? Most of them are asleep." At least the babies were, and bless the fact that they were no longer newborns and slept through the night now. "I'm not entirely sure that it would be best for you to be around them like this, Jeremy."
Jeremy's face crumpled and he looked like he was on the verge of tears, and Peter honestly didn't understand what was going on, even a little bit. "Jere...what's wrong. Specifically."
To his great relief, Jeremy didn't cry. What he did, was look angry as if from nowhere. "I can't have any kids! Not any!" He sat down awkwardly on the sofa, looking like a twenty-nine-year old entrant in a pouting contest.
Peter had to wonder now if this was some kind of awkward situation where he was going to have to talk to his brother about Things He Didn't Want To Know. Like the state of Jeremy's sperm. Peter himself had clearly never had an issue with having kids, which was obvious from having made four of them with three different women and three of them in the space of two years. "Erm...well there are things you can do-"
"Nooooo!" Jeremy looked horrified that Peter would suggest he was somehow infertile. "Peter, fuck. No. I had a kid or I would have, but it's gone. It's just gone." It wasn't fair. Lile could have told him anything, and it wouldn't have shaken him like this had.
"Oh." Peter's heart broke then for his brother. He understood. Aly had originally been pregnant with twins, and then one was gone and there had only been Lauren. And while she was a blessing, there was always the memory of the lost child when he looked at his daughter. It was a pain that lessened, surely, but never went away. "Jeremy, I'm sorry." He moved then, to sit near his brother. It made sense too. Jeremy had been sleeping with Morgana, and from what Peter understood, werewolves had a hard time carrying children to term. "Is Morgana alright?"
Jeremy turned to Peter, his eyes shining and red. "Morgana?" he asked, as if he had forgotten she existed. And maybe he had. "Peter...no. This..." but he clammed up. "I can't tell you," Jeremy slurred. "It was years ago, but I just heard and I can't tell you."
"I know how it feels," Peter said, his voice laden with sympathy. "It's a terrible thing. Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Can I stay here?" Jeremy asked quickly. "I can't go home. I can't dear with Rovena, I'll kill her!" If she nagged him about his lack of hunting now, he was going to slap her and this wasn't her business.
"Oh dear, I think you'd better," Peter nodded. "I'll help you downstairs, but first I'm going to get you some toast and some water. And then if you want we can talk some more?"
Jeremy shook his head. "I just want to sleep. Toast. Water. Sleep."
"Alright," Peter said quietly. "But if you need me, you can come get me, understand?"
"Mmm. You're a good brother."
"I try." Peter smiled a sympathetic smile and then he reached out to help his brother off the sofa. He wished he could take the younger man's pain away. It was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. But there was nothing he could do. Jeremy would just have to feel it. And until he was sober, there was little chance of that.
Peter would try to help again in the morning.
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