Bringing things together on At Home

David Price II

July 18, 2020 8:56 PM

Bringing things together by David Price II

When Deidre had talked about going to reach out to child services, to see if they had heard anything about her daughter in the past year or so, David had experience an unexpected surge of . . . concern? Was concern what that had been? It hadn't been anything as stark as panic, but it could have been concern.

He had been concerned that by contacting them, Deidre might lose her son. David did not particularly like small children, he never had, and this was probably a large part of the reason why he didn't have sons of his own anymore, but he liked Deidre. While David would not mind particularly if his home was no longer occupied by a being who seemed to be able to get smudging finger prints - possibly by magic - onto surfaces David felt reasonably certain no child who couldn't even walk yet ought to be able to reach, he would . . . miss Deidre. And Deidre and Reilly came as a matched set. Without the one, he would not have the other. So it would be best not to lose either.

He told her to wait up on that plan and then used the floo to try to find somebody who could pass a message on to Berta that he wanted to talk to her. He got Duesius, who was probably the best option really. He was moderately on the side of Marcus his father, but no more so than Derwent himself had be before he'd been overstepped. Duesius had also be overstepped, so when he promised not to tell the others that David had flooed, he trusted the young man (yes, nearly fifty did count as young when you were David's age) would honor that promise.

When Deidre returned, he told her he had a lead on finding Mallory. If she could be patient, he was sure he could have them reunited by Christmas.

Duesius arranged a meeting between David and Berta. Berta was a free ranging ghost, not confined to the boundaries of the Pierce lands, but he didn't want her to see what had become of him here in Boston, so he met her in the woods at the foot of Mt. Pierce. This was ridiculous, of course. Berta had always been all but omniscient and death had not changed that.

That was precisely why he was seeking her out.

If anyone knew where Mallory could be found, Berta would. And if she didn't yet, she could find out. David was never quite sure if she'd kept her Sight past death, but then he'd never been entirely convinced she had the Sight in life either, or just a very thorough ghost network of dead gossipers and a great act. Either way, he was sure this was going to work.

And it did.

Given the closeness of the relation, it took longer than it probably should have, but Mallory was going by a different name, and Hamlet had only met her as 'Mab'. It wasn't until he saw the Christmas gift labelled 'To Mallory From Amelia' that he asked after her full name and discovered she was the one Berta had been asking after. Berta reported back to David, and David reported it to Deidre.

So here they were. He just hoped Bel wouldn't curse him as soon as she saw him standing in the hallway.

Deidre rang the bell. From where they boy sat after Deidre had set him down to rub her hands against her pants, and psych herself up for this, Reilly tugged on David's pants leg and held his arms up in wordless but perfectly understandable entreaty. David hesitated but then heard footsteps approaching from inside the apartment. He picked the boy up.

Bel probably wouldn't curse him if he was holding a baby.

1 David Price II Bringing things together 0 David Price II 1 5

Deidre Beales

July 18, 2020 9:37 PM

I hear you have my daughter? by Deidre Beales

When David said he'd find out what happened to Mallory by Christmas, Deidre hadn't been sure if she believed him. Still, she hadn't missed that he had an awful lot of money at his disposal, and figured that could go a long way even if he wasn't some kind of secret kingpin criminal. And if he was, she wasn't going to hold it against him, if it helped her find Mallory.

It was almost Christmas, just over a year since they met, when he came to her with a strange look on his face. "I found Mallory," he told her. Emotions crossed her face as quickly as they crossed her mind, and he was quick to add, "She's alive, she's safe." Deidre had taken a deep breath then, and let it out. There were tears in her eyes, because while she had certainly hoped both of those were true, she knew a runaway eleven year old girl in the poor parts of Boston would not exactly have the best of chances.

"She's living with," he stopped abruptly and frowned in annoyance. He pursed his lips, and took a moment to scowl. He huffed in put-upon irritation. "She's living with my niece," he pushed out all in a rush, like it was something painful to say.

Deidre's mouth fell open. "Your niece?" she repeated in shock, not only because Mallory finding one of David's relatives to live with was a mind boggling coincidence on it own, but also because she hadn't know he had any nieces. David had mentioned his two estranged sons, and his ex-wife, but no other family. Ever.

He just grunted unhappily in response.

"Where does your niece live? I need to see Mallory. I need to make sure she's all right. It's been, God, it's been almost two years."

"She's here in Boston. I can bring you."

"Yes." Deidre nodded. "Yes. Right now." She looked around David's apartment, trying to decide what she needed to bring. Reilly. She needed to bring Reilly. Oh God, Mab didn't even know she had a brother.

Reilly was taking a nap.

"Right after he wakes up," she waffled. "No, now. Now. We see her now. I'll wake him up." She checked the diaper bag, then went to the crib to pick up the baby. Luckily, he didn't wake, so she cradled him against her shoulder. "Okay. Ready. Where does your niece live in Boston?"

They walked to the subway, rode it North, and got off at the station David said was the closest one. Then they walked some more and wound up in front of a door marked 3A.

Reilly had woken up in the meantime, and she wanted her arms free to hug her girl when she saw Mallory, so she put him down on the floor between herself and David. She took a deep breath. She wiped sweaty palms on her jeans. She took a few more centering breaths.

Then she rang the bell.

After a moment, it opened to show a woman a bit older than Deidre. She was short, only about five feet tall. Her hair was dark and pulled back into a loose ponytail. "Who -?" she started, but then she stopped, and a flash of recognition crossed her face. "Huh." Her eyes darted over to where David stood and surprised recognition flashed again. "Two," she said coolly.

"Bel," he returned in the same tone. He was holding Reilly. That was weird. He almost never held Reilly.

This stilted family reunion could wait. There was a different family reunion she wanted to hurry up and get to. "Is Mallory here?" she asked Bel. "Is my daughter here?"

1 Deidre Beales I hear you have my daughter? 0 Deidre Beales 0 5

Bel Pierce

July 19, 2020 1:04 PM

Well, this was unexpected by Bel Pierce

It was the eve of Christmas Eve. Bel had recently returned home from an early shift at work and was newly showered and changed into more casual clothes when the doorbell rang. She exchanged looks with her wards, but nobody seemed to be expecting visitors. "Delivery?" she guessed. It was the season of gift-giving and she still had a few things being shipped that she hoped would turn up before Christmas. Most of those were coming via owl and the birds would tap on the windows not ring the bell, but there were a few things coming by muggle means.

She opened the door and was surprised to find, not a FedEx person with a cardboard box but a young woman with an old man carrying a baby. Focusing on the woman first, something about her tingled Bel's memory. "Who -" but she didn't finish the question before she slotted the face to the photograph she had sitting in an open Missing Persons file at work. "Huh," she said. This was not how she had expected to close this case.

Her attention moved to the man in the woman's company and Bel's surprise increased and her guard went up as well. "Two," she said coolly.

"Bel," he returned, equally cool, but it was far more acknowledgement of her existence than she had really expected from him. He didn't even call her Belinda, which was a marked contrast from the last time they hadn't spoken. What was he doing here? And, more importantly, what was he doing in the company of Deidre Beales?

Before she could ask, Deidre Beales voiced questions of her own, and they were admittedly probably more urgent ones than any Bel had for her or DP2.

Bel opened the door wider in invitation and stepped aside to let them into the apartment. She made a gesture to come inside. "Mab!" she called deeper into the apartment. "Someone's here to see you!"

1 Bel Pierce Well, this was unexpected 0 Bel Pierce 0 5

Mab

July 19, 2020 1:53 PM

I'm lost and I'm found by Mab

Mab did not think much of the doorbell ringing. Bel figured it was a package getting delivered, and Mab shrugged and went back to reading the book she'd started earlier that morning. After a moment, though, she was being summoned to the front door. Someone was here to see her? Was it one of the Jacksons? That seemed unlikely but the most probable option she could think of.

With a mystified look shot toward Alexander, she marked her place in the book and set it aside. When she moved passed the half wall between the living room and kitchen enough that she could see the door, the book dropped nervelessly from her fingers.

"Mom!" she cried and ran, closing the distance and throwing herself into the arms she had almost come to believe didn't exist in this world anymore. The long lost arms wrapped around her like they'd never been gone, and Mab felt her eyes start to water, then her throat closed up, and soon she was outright sobbing. Which was completely ridiculous because a minute ago, she had all but thought Mom was dead and now she wasn't, so why the heck was she crying now, when the world was finally right again?

She was shuffled back toward the living room, and Mom's voice whispered in her ear, and Mom's hands ran over her hair, and the crying just got worse. She didn't know what was wrong with her. They sat down on the couch, Mab in her Mom's lap like she was a little girl again, and still blubbering like . . .

Was that an actual baby crying right along with her?

She pulled away enough to see that yes, yes, there was an actual baby in the room with them. And Mom was reaching for it and the old guy was rapidly handing it over like it was poisonous.

"Mallory, honey," Mom was saying, tears wet on her own face, too. Good. At least Mab wasn't the only one being an idiot about this. "I'm so glad to see you again, see you safe. I want, this is, Mallory, you have a little brother. This is Reilly."

Mab looked at Mom. She looked at Reilly. She looked at Mom.

She didn't understand. She had a brother? Mom couldn't just make her a brother. Mab already had a brother. She didn't need any more.

She pulled away, her face hot and wet and her breathing still shaking. She rubbed the heel of her hand against her cheeks, trying to get them back to normal.

She already had a brother.

She had imagined this moment so many times, hoped for it, even prayed for it even though she wasn't particularly religious. And not once did it occur to her to wonder what would happen to the relationship between her and Alexander if Mom came back.

This was not going at all how she had imagined it might.

Her mouth moved but no sound came out. She looked at Mom. She looked at Alexander. She looked at Mom. She looked at Reilly. She looked at Mom. She looked at Bel. She looked at Mom. She looked at the Old Guy. She looked at Mom. She looked at Alexander. She looked at Bel. She looked at Mom.

"What happens now?" she asked in a cracking voice. "I have a family here, too. I thought you were dead!"

1 Mab I'm lost and I'm found 1473 0 5

Bel Pierce

July 19, 2020 6:21 PM

Yeah, okay. by Bel Pierce

Mab could get angry. Bel had seen her both lash out and sulk before. She'd seen the girl both shrink into herself and grow larger, depending on circumstances. She'd seen her channel anger and aggression into clean precise moves. She'd seen her become so frustrated that she swung wildly with no precision at all. She'd seen her bottle things back and put on a mild expression.

She'd never seen Mab cry. Until now.

She let Deidre handle it. Deidre was the real mom. Deidre was the one who knew how to handle tears in a way that didn't involve putting on boxing gloves.

But when the tears stopped, when the unexpected introduction was made, when Mab was merely upset and not desolate, when she was confused and therefore angry and starting to lash out, that's when Bel stepped in.

"What happens now is that we're all going to sit down here, and talk about what comes next," Bel stated firmly. She was kind of surprised when even DP2 sat down, but pleased that people were being reasonable. People were not always - or even often - reasonable when emotions were high.

"I am Mab's legal guardian. You," she nodded at Deidre, "are missing and presumed dead. Mab was also legally removed from your custody even before that status was placed on your file. However, you are Mab's mother, and I respect that and would never try to keep you from seeing her unless given outstanding reason to do so. We can work out a visitation and reunification strategy if that's what we all want to pursue. First, though, I need to know, where have you been the last two years, does the state know where you are, and how the H*** do you know Derwent?"

1 Bel Pierce Yeah, okay. 0 Bel Pierce 0 5

Deidre Beales

July 19, 2020 7:05 PM

Back in your life by Deidre Beales

Mallory was here. Mallory was okay. Well, no, she was crying. But she was alive. She was cared for. The apartment she helped Mallory walk through on the way to someplace where they could sit was every bit as nice as David's apartment. She saw the one door with the name MAB written on it. Deidre had never used the nickname for her daughter herself, but she remembered the Halloween costume the one year, and the subsequent use of the name by most of her daughter's classmates. Clearly that use had continued into this home.

Deidre settled onto a couch, pulling Mallory into her lap, wrapping her arms around the girl, whispering all the things she'd wished she'd been able to say over the past nearly two years of separation. Mallory was upset but she was back with Deidre and that made the world feel right again, they way it hadn't since Mallory had been taken away. Emotion overwhelmed her and tears leaked down her own cheeks. She had Mallory in her arms again after all this time.

And then Reilly started to cry, too.

Mallory pulled away, and of course David wanted nothing to do with a crying baby so she accepted the upset boy into Mallory's vacated spot. He settled quickly; Reilly was an empathic crier who cried when other people were crying, and Mallory had stopped now. Plus, he was in Mama's arms again, and that was always a great balm to any 9 month old.

Deidre made introductions. Reilly was obviously not at all phased, but the same could not be said for Mallory.

Then the older woman - David's niece, whose name was evidently Bel - was making authoritative statements and asking probing questions.

Deidre was opening her mouth to start answering the first two when the third one made her stop abruptly and look confused. Before she could ask who Derwent was, though, she was provided the answer.

"David," David interjected. "I go by David now."

Bel gave him a dubious look that went a long way toward informing Deidre that 'David' was absolutely not the name his family knew him by. That was evidently 'Derwent'.

"Amelia got me the papers," he stated irritably. "I would have though she'd tell you."

"DISCUSS business is confidential," Bel told him, which Deidre did not understand at all. If it was discussed business wasn't that not confidential by definition? And who was Amelia now? "And even if she gave you the papers, you're the one who fills them out and turns them in. But David? You went with David?"

David just scowled at her. "Hamlet always told me my greatest failing was a lack of originality."

Bel burst out into laughter. Deidre didn't see what was funny, and by the way the others looked at her, this also seemed like an uncharacteristic response. She sobered quickly and made a dismissive gesture. "Yes, okay, granted. Fair point. So, David, how are you mixed up in all of this?"

Deidre turned toward him, glad for the reprieve from her own interrogation, and letting David handle the initial explanations.

1 Deidre Beales Back in your life 0 Deidre Beales 0 5

Alexander Pierce-Beales

July 20, 2020 12:47 AM

I don't know what to think. by Alexander Pierce-Beales

A lot happened all at once and Alexander tried to feel all of it and none of it. He'd never seen Mab like this and he couldn't really blame her. He was 110% sure he would never have reacted to Claire's arrival on their doorstep like that, but then, he hadn't grown up with the woman. It was good to see Mab get a little piece of her heart back and find out that it had been roughly taped together but was largely whole regardless. Functionally, though . . . well, things didn't seem to be cut and dry. Mab was looking around a lot and having a lot of thoughts in her eyes, and Bel seemed not to be so much in favor of this woman taking Mab away, which Alexander thought was a great idea because he didn't want Mab to go away and he didn't trust this woman who abandoned her child, whether or not she'd wanted to. Parents who abandoned children weren't really parents at all, and Bel was their mom now. It was the island of misfit toys and Bel was Thomas the Train, bringing them all in safely.

He was quiet as things unwound, or perhaps as they smushed altogether. In any case, he was quiet during the chaos of everything that was happening in front of him. He felt pretty good when Mab said she had a family, and that stuck with him even when it sounded like Mab's mom wanted to take her away and when it sounded like this David/Derwent (what kind of name was Derwent??) guy was Bel's relative? Friend? The latter seemed unlikely.

As things settled and it became David's turn to speak, Alexander moved from the seat he'd been occupying to a place nearer Bel and Mab. Nearer his family. He didn't say anything just yet, but he listened, and he stayed close in case Mab wanted him. The thought crossed his mind that she wouldn't want him, because why would she want him? But he pushed it aside in favor of the reminder that they were family. That he was wanted. He hoped that his presence conveyed the same thing to Mab, because he knew for sure that she was wanted. After all, he was one of the ones who wanted her around.

22 Alexander Pierce-Beales I don't know what to think. 1475 0 5

David Price II

July 20, 2020 7:17 PM

Nobody does, kid. by David Price II

David winced slightly when Bel decided to call him 'Derwent' instead of 'Two' again. He had never liked being called 'Two' but under the circumstances, he preferred it to 'Derwent'. Sure enough, when he looked over at Deidre she was starting formulate a question, so he cut her off before she could voice it. "David. I go by David now."

Bel reacted to that about as well as he would have expected. Then she laughed when he admitted to being unable to think of a better name, which he thought was a bit rude of her really, but she accepted the name. She also turned on him to provide the answers to her questions, and another glance over at Deidre showed she wasn't going to take this one for the team. Not that he expected her to. They were not a very closely knit team to begin with, if they could be called a team at all. They just shared a living space and helped each other survive.

He didn't know how to explain that to Belinda however. Even the start of everything sounded like a plot device to some terrible play.

"I hired her to cook for me because I no longer have my normal servants," he said instead. This statement earned him a scowl from more than one person present, but he thought it was more sensitive than explaining that he ran across a suicidal pregnant lady and wanted to make sure she didn't off herself. Particularly in front of her already upset daughter. Bel probably wouldn't believe that anyway. Belinda had never had a very high opinion of him.

"She told me her of her missing daughter, and I made inquiries with Berta. Hamlet saw Mallory's name on a Christmas gift from Amelia. And so we are here."

"Berta," Bel repeated, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Why did I never think to ask Berta?"

"It has been a long time since you left the mountain," David pointed out. She glared. He did not fault her. He was mostly just glad she did not unsheathe her wand at the veiled reference to her disownment.

Instead, she decided to ignore him, and turned back to Deidre. "So does the state know you're alive? And where have you been for two years? Other than doing DP2's chores?"

1 David Price II Nobody does, kid. 0 David Price II 0 5

Deidre Beales

July 21, 2020 2:26 PM

I'm pretty clear on my thoughts by Deidre Beales

Deidre glowered at David as he reduced their relationship to 'domestic help and employer'. Granted, he wasn't wrong. He was paying her room, board, and a small salary to cook and clean for him, and she counted it as one of her better jobs ever given that she could live on the proceeds of just this one employment. She'd had jobs that paid better money, of course, as she only had a small stipend that covered things like diapers, wipes, formula, and maybe a little beyond those basic necessities, but having room and board included was a very big deal, as enough food and decent housing had always been a struggle for her to provide to Mallory.

Still, the word 'servant' rankled.

David's explanation of how he had found Mallory was more than he had given to her as well, and seemed to mean more to this Bel woman than it did to her. Was Bel involved with his mob connections? She certainly seemed to recognize the names he dropped and seemed angry at herself that she hadn't thought to use the same methods. Deidre gathered there was a lot being said that you needed the mob lingo to really understand. The mountain? What was that supposed to be? Mallory and the other boy seemed equally lost.

At least that implied she was keeping them isolated from her own criminal ways.

For that matter, who was the other boy? He seemed close to Mallory. They were sitting together now, and Mallory had taken his hand in hers. Boyfriend, maybe? Mallory was still a bit young for one of those yet, wasn't she? Two years, though. She wasn't eleven anymore. Thirteen now, or very nearly. He could be a boyfriend.

Then Bel was refocusing on her and Deidre really did not want to do this. However, she did understand the importance. It was a good thing, really, that Mallory had found a woman who would look out for her like this.

"I . . . dropped off the grid for a while," she admitted carefully, not wanting to say exactly what had happened with Mallory right there. "I ran across David about a year ago, and have been stable since then, but . . . I did not want to risk them taking Reilly and losing him, too, so I haven't really checked in with CPS lately. I was going to, though, when David offered to do his own investigation into where she might have wound up. I'm . . . glad he found her here and not," she stopped momentarily, forcing words past the choked stickiness in her throat, "somewhere worse."

1 Deidre Beales I'm pretty clear on my thoughts 0 Deidre Beales 0 5

Bel Pierce

July 30, 2020 9:53 AM

So am I by Bel Pierce

Bel was not particularly impressed with the answers given to her by either Derwent - David, rather - or Deidre. Her spidey sense was telling her they weren't telling her something important. She glanced over at Mab. Or maybe it wasn't Bel they were keeping secrets from, but it came out to the same thing. They were not being honest and there was something to hide here. That did not bode well at all, especially since they both seemed to think it was probable Reilly would be taken away despite Deidre being 'stable' right now, for whatever value of 'stable' they were talking about.

She didn't like it and she didn't want Mab involved in whatever was going on there.

"Alright. Here's what's gonna happen," she said authoritatively. "You have two options. Either Mab stays with me until you can legally go through all the reuinification steps you need to do through CPS, or she stays with me permanently, but we can work out some kind of visitation schedule. She is my legal responsibility right now, and I will not send her back into an environment that historically has not been good for her. You need to prove, with home studies and paperwork filled out in triplicate and judges' orders, that you're ready to take care of her again before I let her leave this home."

She looked over at Mab to see how she was taking that ultimatum. "I'm not trying to keep you from your mother. She can visit us here as much as she wants. But she's been gone from your life for two years, legally missing and assumed dead for most of that time, and as your legal guardian, I need more than an unverified 'I'm stable' before I'm comfortable letting you go live with her again. Especially with . . . him there," she made a non-specific gesture that could have meant either the baby brother or Derwent. Neither was good news by her book.

1 Bel Pierce So am I 0 Bel Pierce 0 5