Hell (Thomas, William, Aly)
Thomas knew something was wrong when he rang Peter's house and Peter said Aly had gone to stay with David. Peter seemed to think this was absolutely normal and he had calmly explained that it was so Aly could comfort David in his time of need, but Thomas knew William was with David. And if David needed Aly, it would be easier for David to go to her house instead of moving all of her children and herself to David's. As soon as Thomas ensured that Peter was okay, which was done by finding out Deirdre was staying with him, he drove over to David's quickly.
William opened the door to Thomas and he gave the man a huge smile. "Thomas! Come on in, it's a little crowded! But one more can't hurt."
"It's good to see you." Thomas said, giving William a hug. "Couldn't leave Mary alone down here, could you?" Thomas winked. Mary was his wife, but Mary and William were best friends, considering Mary had lived in David's head for fifteen years of his life. "Well you know I understand. I'd follow her anywhere." And he would too.
"Ah, don't I know it." William slapped Thomas on the back and he smiled. "If you're here to see David, he's at work but he'll be home soon."
For a brief moment, Thomas had a little flail. "Did we have rehearsal!?" If they did, he wasn't there...
"Calm down, Big Guy. I think David just wanted something to distract himself with to be honest. He's doing theatre owner things, not actor things."
"Thank buggering Christ." Thomas breathed. "I didn't want them to fire me. And I actually came to see Aly. Is she here?"
"In Lavannah's bedroom with Lauren." William said, pointing it out though Thomas knew the way. "I'll go back to playing the PS3 with Caleb. My son's kicking my arse!"
"As it should be." Thomas winked and watched as William went to rejoin his son and the rest of Peter and Aly's kids. Then he went down the hall and knocked lightly. When Aly bid him enter, Thomas walked in, goggled at Aly for a moment and then he covered his eyes. "Your...breast is out, Miss Aly..."
"There's a baby on it." Aly said with a laugh. "She was hungry and I forgot the jars of baby food. This is easier than running to the supermarket." It was probably healthier too, though Aly was looking forward to when Lauren moved on to solid foods completely. "It's okay, you blushing violet. I'm not shy or anything."
"I am!" Thomas hissed, and his eyes remained covered. "Left in a hurry, didn't you?"
Thomas didn't see the blush rise to Aly's cheeks, but it did so undoubtedly. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm worried." Thomas admitted. "I wanted to come and see if...is she almost done, it's really hard to talk to you like this..." Thomas peeked over the top of his hand and then he covered his eyes again. He didn't have anything against breastfeeding. It didn't bother him in the least when people did it in public. This was Aly. She was Peter's wife. She was David's little sister. It was sort of a double whammy seeing your best friend's wife's breasts when she was also one of your best friend's little sister. That was so many different kinds of wrong.
"She's almost done." Aly said, and while she normally would have been amused by Thomas' shyness, this was not an amusing day. She watched as Thomas settled down on Lavannah's bed and waited patiently, his face covered the entire time. She had to admit, she thought it was terribly sweet of him that he was male and he didn't try to take advantage of the whole situation. Thomas just wasn't like other guys. She adored him for it. When Lauren was finished, Aly pulled up her shirt and she cradled the little girl in her arms. "You can look now, Pussy."
Thomas lowered his hands just in time to stick his tongue out at her. "At least I didn't walk in and start drooling, give me some credit here."
"Oh believe me, I do." Aly smiled warmly at him and she kissed Lauren on the forehead. "She's going to sleep. I'll just put her in her crib, give me a second." Aly stood and she placed Lauren in the crib she'd set up sort of haphazardly in the corner. "There." Aly stroked her daughter's tiny head before turning back to Thomas. She beckoned him out of the room, carrying the baby monitor as they went. Thomas, signaling that he still wanted to talk to her in private, led her into the guest room. "Why the intrigue, Thomas?" She asked, worried what he might say.
"This situation doesn't make sense, Aly. If you wanted David to have your company, he could have come to stay at your house. And don't try the 'Christina is there' excuse, because I know she's staying with Liz and Emma now. Is everything alright?" Thomas felt then, that it was prudent to add, "I'm asking for you, Aly. I'm worried for you." Just so she didn't think he was here because he was worried for Peter. Peter seemed totally happy with what was happening.
Aly swallowed quickly and she looked down at her feet. "I just...I wanted to be here. That's all."
Thomas lowered his head to try to maintain eye contact, though he was unsuccessful. "Aly. That's not all." He reached out then, to take her arm in what was supposed to be a steadying and friendly way. She let out a pained cry, however, and she backed up quickly. "Did I hurt you?!" Thomas asked, horrified at himself. "Aly, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"It wasn't you!" Aly said, giving up on her front completely. She gave Thomas a devastated look. "Oh, Thomas. It wasn't you."
"Who was it?" Thomas asked, his tone darkening. If someone had hurt Aly... He stepped forward and he bit his lip. Gently, he lifted the sleeves of her shirt and she didn't stop him. Thomas' eyes narrowed as he surveyed the dark bruises on her arms and he shook his head. "Oh, Jesus. Aly... Did...did he-" Thomas couldn't even say it. His stomach had seized up at the possibility that his best friend had done this to dear, sweet Alyona and he felt positively ill.
"It wasn't his fault." Aly said, her voice sounding devoid of life. "He was having a fit."
"A seizure?"
"No, a...I don't know what it was. He was confused. He didn't know what he was talking about or what he was doing. It wasn't his fault, Thomas!" Aly was desperate for Thomas not to blame Peter. She needed him to know this wasn't her husband's fault. Peter wasn't a bad man. He was the best man. Which was why this was so heartbreaking. "It wasn't his fault, but I couldn't leave the kids there. I didn't...I couldn't..."
"Oh, Alyona..." Thomas wrapped his strong arms around her then, careful not to harm her as he did so. "This is...this is worse than anything I imagined..." That Aly would flee her home with her children for fear of Peter...that was something that never would have occurred to Thomas. It made his heart ache. Peter's happiness was his family. His wife. His children. And now it had been taken from him to keep them safe and Peter didn't even realise.
Aly began to cry into Thomas' chest because she was safe there and he could share her grief with her. Aly hadn't told William because William would blame Peter and she hadn't told David because David had enough to deal with, but Thomas she could trust. "I'm going to lose him Thomas!"
Thomas didn't have any comforting words. There were no, 'he'll pull through this' or similar platitudes left to say. It was clear that it wasn't true. Peter was getting worse when he was supposed to be getting better and that was that. If it hadn't been for the vision that caused his seizure, maybe he would have survived. But now it was far too much to hope for. "He won't be lost forever." Thomas whispered then, knowing that it was hardly a consolation, but it was better than nothing.
Aly balled up her fists in Thomas' shirt, wanting to lash out at him and everything, but she didn't. She just clung and cried. To know that the only comfort Thomas had left was to tell her she'd be with her husband again when she died too...it made her feel hollow inside. Absolutely hollow. "I know." She whispered. "But fuck."
"Yes." Thomas agreed. "Fuck." And he buried his face in Aly's short hair, feeling quite hollow himself.
William opened the door to Thomas and he gave the man a huge smile. "Thomas! Come on in, it's a little crowded! But one more can't hurt."
"It's good to see you." Thomas said, giving William a hug. "Couldn't leave Mary alone down here, could you?" Thomas winked. Mary was his wife, but Mary and William were best friends, considering Mary had lived in David's head for fifteen years of his life. "Well you know I understand. I'd follow her anywhere." And he would too.
"Ah, don't I know it." William slapped Thomas on the back and he smiled. "If you're here to see David, he's at work but he'll be home soon."
For a brief moment, Thomas had a little flail. "Did we have rehearsal!?" If they did, he wasn't there...
"Calm down, Big Guy. I think David just wanted something to distract himself with to be honest. He's doing theatre owner things, not actor things."
"Thank buggering Christ." Thomas breathed. "I didn't want them to fire me. And I actually came to see Aly. Is she here?"
"In Lavannah's bedroom with Lauren." William said, pointing it out though Thomas knew the way. "I'll go back to playing the PS3 with Caleb. My son's kicking my arse!"
"As it should be." Thomas winked and watched as William went to rejoin his son and the rest of Peter and Aly's kids. Then he went down the hall and knocked lightly. When Aly bid him enter, Thomas walked in, goggled at Aly for a moment and then he covered his eyes. "Your...breast is out, Miss Aly..."
"There's a baby on it." Aly said with a laugh. "She was hungry and I forgot the jars of baby food. This is easier than running to the supermarket." It was probably healthier too, though Aly was looking forward to when Lauren moved on to solid foods completely. "It's okay, you blushing violet. I'm not shy or anything."
"I am!" Thomas hissed, and his eyes remained covered. "Left in a hurry, didn't you?"
Thomas didn't see the blush rise to Aly's cheeks, but it did so undoubtedly. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm worried." Thomas admitted. "I wanted to come and see if...is she almost done, it's really hard to talk to you like this..." Thomas peeked over the top of his hand and then he covered his eyes again. He didn't have anything against breastfeeding. It didn't bother him in the least when people did it in public. This was Aly. She was Peter's wife. She was David's little sister. It was sort of a double whammy seeing your best friend's wife's breasts when she was also one of your best friend's little sister. That was so many different kinds of wrong.
"She's almost done." Aly said, and while she normally would have been amused by Thomas' shyness, this was not an amusing day. She watched as Thomas settled down on Lavannah's bed and waited patiently, his face covered the entire time. She had to admit, she thought it was terribly sweet of him that he was male and he didn't try to take advantage of the whole situation. Thomas just wasn't like other guys. She adored him for it. When Lauren was finished, Aly pulled up her shirt and she cradled the little girl in her arms. "You can look now, Pussy."
Thomas lowered his hands just in time to stick his tongue out at her. "At least I didn't walk in and start drooling, give me some credit here."
"Oh believe me, I do." Aly smiled warmly at him and she kissed Lauren on the forehead. "She's going to sleep. I'll just put her in her crib, give me a second." Aly stood and she placed Lauren in the crib she'd set up sort of haphazardly in the corner. "There." Aly stroked her daughter's tiny head before turning back to Thomas. She beckoned him out of the room, carrying the baby monitor as they went. Thomas, signaling that he still wanted to talk to her in private, led her into the guest room. "Why the intrigue, Thomas?" She asked, worried what he might say.
"This situation doesn't make sense, Aly. If you wanted David to have your company, he could have come to stay at your house. And don't try the 'Christina is there' excuse, because I know she's staying with Liz and Emma now. Is everything alright?" Thomas felt then, that it was prudent to add, "I'm asking for you, Aly. I'm worried for you." Just so she didn't think he was here because he was worried for Peter. Peter seemed totally happy with what was happening.
Aly swallowed quickly and she looked down at her feet. "I just...I wanted to be here. That's all."
Thomas lowered his head to try to maintain eye contact, though he was unsuccessful. "Aly. That's not all." He reached out then, to take her arm in what was supposed to be a steadying and friendly way. She let out a pained cry, however, and she backed up quickly. "Did I hurt you?!" Thomas asked, horrified at himself. "Aly, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"It wasn't you!" Aly said, giving up on her front completely. She gave Thomas a devastated look. "Oh, Thomas. It wasn't you."
"Who was it?" Thomas asked, his tone darkening. If someone had hurt Aly... He stepped forward and he bit his lip. Gently, he lifted the sleeves of her shirt and she didn't stop him. Thomas' eyes narrowed as he surveyed the dark bruises on her arms and he shook his head. "Oh, Jesus. Aly... Did...did he-" Thomas couldn't even say it. His stomach had seized up at the possibility that his best friend had done this to dear, sweet Alyona and he felt positively ill.
"It wasn't his fault." Aly said, her voice sounding devoid of life. "He was having a fit."
"A seizure?"
"No, a...I don't know what it was. He was confused. He didn't know what he was talking about or what he was doing. It wasn't his fault, Thomas!" Aly was desperate for Thomas not to blame Peter. She needed him to know this wasn't her husband's fault. Peter wasn't a bad man. He was the best man. Which was why this was so heartbreaking. "It wasn't his fault, but I couldn't leave the kids there. I didn't...I couldn't..."
"Oh, Alyona..." Thomas wrapped his strong arms around her then, careful not to harm her as he did so. "This is...this is worse than anything I imagined..." That Aly would flee her home with her children for fear of Peter...that was something that never would have occurred to Thomas. It made his heart ache. Peter's happiness was his family. His wife. His children. And now it had been taken from him to keep them safe and Peter didn't even realise.
Aly began to cry into Thomas' chest because she was safe there and he could share her grief with her. Aly hadn't told William because William would blame Peter and she hadn't told David because David had enough to deal with, but Thomas she could trust. "I'm going to lose him Thomas!"
Thomas didn't have any comforting words. There were no, 'he'll pull through this' or similar platitudes left to say. It was clear that it wasn't true. Peter was getting worse when he was supposed to be getting better and that was that. If it hadn't been for the vision that caused his seizure, maybe he would have survived. But now it was far too much to hope for. "He won't be lost forever." Thomas whispered then, knowing that it was hardly a consolation, but it was better than nothing.
Aly balled up her fists in Thomas' shirt, wanting to lash out at him and everything, but she didn't. She just clung and cried. To know that the only comfort Thomas had left was to tell her she'd be with her husband again when she died too...it made her feel hollow inside. Absolutely hollow. "I know." She whispered. "But fuck."
"Yes." Thomas agreed. "Fuck." And he buried his face in Aly's short hair, feeling quite hollow himself.