darker_london | Don't look for solace (Emma/Peter)

Peter was holding a wiggly little Thomas when he answered the phone and it wasn't exactly easy to juggle both of them at once. He headed over to the sofa to sit, shifting Thomas to his lap. "Hello!?" He asked his voice sounding appropriately busy.

There was a pause on the line. And then a soft, "Hi, Peter."

Peter stood up again, shifting Thomas to his hip. "Emma." He mustn't yell. He mustn't freak out. He stayed as calm as possible, which mean clutching the phone dangerously tight so he didn't end up squeezing his son at the same time.

"Uhm...yes."

"What...er." Peter took a deep breath. Emma had left his sister without so much as a consideration to take Liz's feelings into account. She'd left Hope. She'd left Zoe. "What do you want?" He asked, his voice slightly more cold than he intended it to be.

Emma sighed. "I got a letter. From Hope."

"Yes. She told us she sent one." Peter tried to imagine all the choice things Hope had to say to the mother who had run out on her. Hope did have an incredible imagination. And it made him smile a little as Thomas reached up to play with Peter's unoccupied ear.

"She...did. Peter. I made a mistake."

"I already knew that part." Peter informed her. "Keep going."

Emma took a deep breath. She'd expected Peter to scream at her, so the being short with her...that she could take. "I don't know what to do."

"I can't tell you what to do, Emma." Peter said, leaning down to put Thomas on his play blanket and then he sat beside his son, hand on the little boy's back. "You need to figure that out."

"I want to come back."

"Then come back. And get ready to grovel like you've never grovelled before..."

"But I have grovelled before! Peter...what if Elizabeth doesn't forgive me?"

"That's her right." Peter said simply. If that's what she chooses, then you have to accept it. But if you don't try, then you'll never know if you could get through, will you?"

"I..."

"I am not going to make you feel better, Emma. I can't reassure you. You walked out on my sister. And your children. There's only one thing you can do that will redeem you in my eyes."

Emma took a steadying breath. "Okay. I want to do that! Help me?"

"No." Peter said, but then the added, "but I'll help them." And he hung up the phone.