Darker London-Uncover what is underneath...

The party was beautiful. Peter was surrounded by the people he loved, and he couldn't think of anything better than that. After the year he'd had, finding he had terminal cancer, losing the battle and his memories along with it, his death, the Templar...everything. It meant so much just to be here. Just to be with them.

( Everyone has a place to go )

The cruise for Peter's birthday was absolutely perfect. Peter loved it. He loved that he got to spend the time with his friends and family and there certainly were a lot of those around tonight... He was thrilled to hear Spectre and Derek Sherinian playing, and Deirdre sang occasionally too. It was wonderful. Even if he had doubled the amount of pain killers he was taking just to numb his stupid aching head. Once he was headache free, he was able to enjoy himself immensely. He had a wonderful chat with Dimitri and Sergei, and he laughed as Tasha danced with Hope and Fiona all at once. He danced with Aly too. And then with his daughters all in turn. Even Caleb wanted to dance, but only so he could stand on Peter's shoes and get a 'ride'. Lavannah was sitting by the railing chatting with Gavin, though she was watching Johanna with someone else who Peter recognised was Will. Evey kept running up to Will and then darting away again to chat with Deirdre and her girls as well. Every time there was a break in the music, Spectre was followed around by Jacinta and Edward Montgomery, and they proceeded to parent him. He looked oddly pleased. Abigail and Stuart were dancing and looking quite happy. Even Robert looked okay, though he hung back away from the action. Thomas was talking with Mary and Kat who was rolling her daughters back and forth in the stroller as she talked. People were everywhere, dancing and laughing and eating.

And then Peter started to feel a little strange. He excused himself from Aly's presence and he slipped down under the deck into one of the small hallways so he could lean up against the thin wall. It might be that he was just a little motion sick, but the cruise had ended about twenty minutes ago and the boat was now docked. It was gently rocking back and forth, but nothing major. And still Peter felt incredibly dizzy. He put a hand to his head and he crouched down a little, willing himself not to be sick.

Peter was not used to parents. Well, he was used to Liz fussing, but actual parents that flittered around and fussed over your weight and whether or not you had colour in your cheeks and if you were feeling well...that wasn't something he'd dealt with since he was 11 years old. After his sister's death, his mother had cared about little else besides waiting for poor dead Margaret to return to them, and his father had survived in a drunken stupor for the next 3 years. So when Aly's parents came over with the kids in tow and immediately started fussing about how ill he looked, despite that fact that he thought he looked fine...much better in fact, he finally excused himself and slunk in to the library downstairs. It had been his father's office, but it was bigger than Deirdre's library and the books inside hadn't been touched in years. Of course...it was gloomier than Deirdre's library too, and he sneezed immediately upon entering.

( The Journal )

Everything was done, everything was ready save for the last minute dressing. Oh and Peter. He was busy hyperventilating in the corner as he tried not to think about the next few hours. He'd been the celebrant at weddings before. Countless weddings. He'd never been a groom. He never thought he'd ever be a groom. Marriage he could do. A wedding terrified him and he couldn't explain why.

Thomas bounced into the dressing room with a gigantic grin on his face and he gave all the men manly punches in their arms and pats on their backs as he made his way to Peter. He embraced his best friend, crushing the orange blossom in his lapel. "Oh fuck! I smooshed your tiny posy."

( Getting Ready )