darker_london | Help me! (Thomas, Peter, Stuart)

Peter wasn't too proud to admit that he was hiding. In fact, he was quite open about it and everyone at the hospital, meaning Rolf, Katia, Abby and Stuart knew that Peter was in his office studying because he didn't want to be at home studying. Why? Because Lydia was at home. And lately, whenever Lydia was at home and Peter was at home, Lydia either ignored Peter in the loud way where it's obvious you're being ignored. Or she yelled. Which was also rather loud. And Peter wasn't particularly fond of any of it.

Stuart entered Peter's office and he placed a small blueberry muffin in front of Peter's open books. Peter was well known for forgetting to eat, especially when he had a lot on his mind. Unless people put food in front of him, he got thinner and thinner until the stress passed...and there was always more stress. Peter Kemp was already far too thin, he didn't need to push it. "Brunch!" Stuart announced loudly, and Peter looked up at him from under heavy lashes, his eyes taking a second to focus as they were tired from reading.

"You know...I still can't eat anything blueberry without thinking about Thomas' nose."

Stuart blinked, in utter confusion. "So...what you are saying is that I brought you a failmuffin. That makes you think of noses for some reason."

"Thomas shoved a blueberry up his nose to make me laugh once." Peter explained dryly.

"Right..." Stuart nodded, as if that made perfect sense. As if shoving a blueberry up one's nose was a perfectly logical way to make someone laugh. Though really, when one knew the Littletons as long as Stuart had, almost anything could seem logical... "Of course he did. Well...I'll just leave Thomas Nose Muffin with you and you can ponder the meaning of nasal passages or eat it later." Stuart cleared his throat. "How's it going?"

"Apparently in Constantinople, there was an 'angel' with dark wings, who turned the sun off." Peter pointed at the script he was reading, which was a copy of an ancient Hebrew scroll. "Or that's how it's translating. In my opinion, it was a demon who terrorised the people during an eclipse. Or even a sandstorm, who knows. It doesn't say what happened to the demon though. It's just a line in this scroll which is mostly about...well...crops."

"Crops?"

"The sun turning off was bad for crops." Peter shrugged. "Or they blamed a bad harvest on it when it probably had very little to do with that, but that's why it was mentioned. Crop consequences."

"Crop consequenses and Thomas Nose Muffins. This is a strange morning, am I yet dreaming?" Stuart pinched himself and Peter chuckled.

"You know...I think I've been asked that more than most people..." Peter turned back to his Hebrew and then he sighed. "At least this isn't in Aramaic." He said, before closing the book and resting his arms on it. "Though translating Aramaic would still be preferable to...you know...things."

"You have me terrified now that Mara is going to hit thirteen and start screaming that I am not her real father and therefore, my opinion means nothing... At least Lydia can't say that to you, hmm?"

Peter groaned and he hid his face in his hands. "No, she can't say I'm not her real father, though oddly enough, if she weren't so much like me I wouldn't blame her for wondering if I was or not. Katherine wasn't strictly...monogamous." Peter glanced up at Stuart. "Not that I knew that at the time. Stuart, Mara is not going to yell at you for not being her real father. Her real father is a twat. As for Lydia...I still can't figure out why she's upset with me. I know her too well to think she's just angry about nothing. There has to be something behind it, but every time I ask, I get yelled at for being nosy. I am nosy, that's my job!!"

Stuart reached out to pat Peter's hand just as Thomas walked in, juggling several cups of take away coffee. "Hey, my bruthas!" Thomas grinned at his fellow ex-monks. "Abby told me you were up here hiding! I brought you latte. Why is there hand holding. Did I miss a love-in session?"

"You missed your nose muffin." Stuart commented lightly.

"Blueberry?" Thomas danced across the room, depositing the coffee on the desk.

"Quite." Stuart replied, a twinkle in his eyes. "Peter was talking about Lydia."

Thomas' face became quite serious and he frowned a little. He was worried about Lydia too, but Lydia wasn't yelling at him every second she possibly could. "Has she gotten any better?" Thomas asked, setting himself down on Peter's desk just because he knew he could.

"Not a bit." Peter shook his head. "Well actually, this morning she asked me if I learned my 'interrogation techniques' from the Templar..." Peter looked particularly perturbed by that. He had been interrogated by the Templar. Twice. And Thomas had too. It was not something he felt his daughter should be using like that. Not at all.

Thomas winced at the memories and the harsh words and he shifted a little in his seat, remembering the pain the Templar prided themselves on causing. Even Stuart, who had gone undercover and had witnessed firsthand the things the Templar did, looked uncomfortable. "What did you say to get a reaction like that!?"

"I asked how she was this morning." Peter said, looking quite annoyed.

"Well...yeah." Thomas crossed his arms over his lap. "Clearly...that's evil."

"Something's wrong with my baby, and she won't let me help her!" Peter wailed. "I help everyone, or I try my best at it... It's what I do! And she won't let me! Even bloody Razvan the git lets me help him! And when Aly or Tasha tries to ask if Lydia needs anything, she bites their heads off too!" Peter buried his face in his hands yet again. "I wish I knew whether or not this was just a teenager thing that'll pass with...you know...years...or if it was something deeper. Then I would at least know how to start approaching it... And god, I don't have parents to ask what to do." Peter looked up at Thomas and Stuart with a grimace. "Well, I have Liz. But she's got more than enough to deal with at the moment. Besides, I think I was hardly a typical teenager...she used to try to get me to break the rules just to make me normal, and I always told her to shut up, I was studying..."

Thomas snorted and then he covered his mouth with his hand. Yep. That sounded just about right. "Peter...talk to Mums." Thomas soothed. "She had five kids and, you know, granted we happen to be ace individuals, thanks very much, she'll still have advice for you. Ellie wasn't the easiest teenager in the world... And she survived living in a house with three teenage sons... She'll love that you asked."

Stuart nodded his approval. "Lavinia is always my first port of call when I need something."

"I thought that was Abby." Thomas said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Stuart raised his eyebrows. "I must remind you that you just made a dirty joke about your younger sister. And sort of about your mother as well, by consequence."

"Ew!" Thomas shuddered.

Peter laughed and he allowed himself to relax a little. Thomas and Stuart were his oldest friends and he appreciated just being able to talk to them like this. It was so wonderful having Thomas here again, full-time. "You're right. I'll go see Lavinia. Thank you! I just...hope we figure something out soon. I miss my Lydia."

"Lydia's a smart girl, Peter. And you're no dummy yourself." Thomas winked. "You'll figure it out."

Peter nodded, with a smile. "Good to know you don't think I'm a dummy. Now eat your nose muffin."

Thomas cackled, and did just that.