Chapter 332: Pete's Call
The northern wing of the mansion was as dusty as Dominic had thought.
It had been closed off some time ago, if he remembered correctly, almost twelve years before. The fine wood was covered in dust, the glass bulbs ahead were only half working, but it didn't deter him. He had a Ms. Victoria Hardwick plopped on his lap, his sister beside him, and together, they had stepped through. Dominic had wanted to see if this was where the winter things were stored, but instead, all he found was a hallway full of closed rooms that he and Shayla, and Victoria too, had begun to explore.
In one of the back rooms, Dominic found something he never, ever thought he would.
Lionel's past.
The room was filled with old boxes, some saying what was within the boxes, some not. There was an enormous train set in a corner of the room that Dominic had let Victoria off to play with, and because Lionel had never told him not to go looking... well. He was nosy by his very Irish nature.
The boxes were filled with toys. Rocking horses, wooden toys, record albums, and clothes from the nineteen fifties that were just about the cutest things Dominic had ever seen.
He was covered, head to toe, in dust, but he was happy.
And he lifted up a pair of little slacks in the dust spotted, setting sunlight, and asked his sister, "Did you ever realize Lionel was ever this little?"
Shay was just as covered with dust. This wasn't the way she'd intended to spend her first day home from the hospital, but she wasn't going to argue. She was too glad to be home to worry about much, actually, and she grinned at the size of the clothes in Dominic's hands. "I don't think he ever was," she said with a snort. "He's always been a big, bad motherfucker. Jumped out from his mama fully grown, like that... whatever the hell goddess that did it."
"Couldn't tell you. Lionel could, though," Dominic said, grinning. He'd actually been meaning to look at this wing for some time, and as he'd finished all of his therapy early, Shayla was bored, and Victoria had been irritable, he'd taken them on a small excursion. The rooms were in an extremely private part of the house, far away from everything and everyone, and… comfortable. very comfortable.
All of Lionel's carefully kept Black Sabbath records sat abandoned on a shelf, along with over a thousand others, and Dominic shook his head, rolled his eyes, and grinned. "I brought you over here, love, so you could find a suitable office for your business," he dropped, lightly, then smiled over her at Victoria. "Come along, ducky. Let's keep looking. Care for a ride?" he asked, patting his lap.
"Office? Business?" She looked blankly at her brother. "What in blue hell are you babbling about, brother?"
Victoria shook her head. She was perched on top of an old rocking horse, petting the rope mane as she rocked on it, watching the train run around and around on the tracks. "Don't wanna go!!"
Dominic smiled at the wee girl, ignoring his sister. "Why don't you get the Raggedy Ann, love, and we'll ask Lionel if we might bring these things over to your room?" he said, and pet his leg again. "Come alone, now. Be a good girl."
"OFFICE? BUSINESS?" Shayla bellowed again, sweeping up the protesting girl and dumping her in Dominic's lap. "the fuck?"
Victoria snatched up the Raggedy Ann and the Raggedy Andy doll both from their little perches on one of the doll benches. "I likes the train!"
"I know you do," Dominic said, and couldn't help giving the girl a squeezy hug before smiling up at his sister. "Indeed. For your creative things. You need a proper office, and to be quite honest, the hustle, bustle, and sex sounds from the east and west wings aren't going to bring you many customers. I'll get you a high powered computer with DSL, and an expense account, if you let me become your silent partner."
"... is this a fucking conspiracy?" she demanded, glaring at her brother. "Are you and AJ in cahoots together to make me a recovery project?"
"No, I'm in cahoots to be a part of another business. I want a solid ten--I've been at nine for too long," Dominic said cheerfully, and rolled out of the room with Victoria and two dusty Ann and Andy's in his lap.
"Hell no," Shay said, balking as she closed the door behind them. "Morgan... just no. You want another business? You start it. I'm sure you can find something. Making books on tape or some shit. You've got the voice for it."
Victoria was swinging her legs as she sat on Dominic's lap. "Fucking! Shit! Hell!!" she sang out in rhythm to her feet.
"You forgot damn, dear," Dominic told the little girl, as he glanced up at his sister cheerfully. "I'm already considering writing a book, and I do partially own a business."
"Damn!" Victoria shouted out, then started repeating things again. "Fucking fuck shit hell damn fucking hell!"
"Okay, so, write your book and don't worry about me, brother. I can figure out somethin' to do with myself."
"And ass," Dominic said absently, frowning up at Shayla. "Don't tell me you're scared of starting the business, then?" he asked, as he stopped at one of the doors, pushed at it until it opened, and let it creak open. He looked inside, startled for a moment, before realizing.. "You know, these are Lillian's dresses," he said, in a low voice.
Lillian, before arthritis and cancer claimed her beautiful hands, had been an amazing seamstress--she'd made gowns for some of the worlds most renowned women, and Dominic knew, at all the boxes around the room filled with mannequins, that there were dresses. "Oh," he said, very softly.
"Wow, and double that oh," Shayla said, squeezing past her brother and into the room. What she could see wasn't much, because most of the dresses were tucked in boxes or draped under plaster, but she could see some materials, some hems, some trims peeking out here and there, and it was all exquisitely gorgeous and hand-made.
One in particular caught her attention, a deep emerald green dress that peeked out from the corner, and Shay sneezed twice before she got the mannequin with the dress maneuvered where she could look at it and she pulled off the tarp.
Yards of deep green velvet cascaded down to pool on the floor, the dress longer than the mannequin was tall. The bodice and sleeves were done in gold latticework, beading hand-stitched in intricate patterns of silver and topaz.
Dominic tipped his head, studying the dress, and his voice was oddly flat when he said, "Lillian wore that the night she met President Reagan. I wish you could have seen her, Shayla...she was stunning."
"Mmm," she said, not really listening as she ran her hands over the soft material, still like new after twenty years. There were gloves tossed over the mannequin's shoulders, old fashioned with mother of pearl fastenings at the top, and she studied the beading again as she traced her fingers over the patterns on the bodice. "This is gorgeous."
"Yes, it is." And for the first time, Dominic felt deeply, deeply uncomfortable. "We shouldn't be here. Come on… let's get out of here," he said, and turned the wheel chair around, pushing back out the door.
"No, wait." Shayla looked through the little basket on the back of her brother's wheelchair, and came back with his yellow legal pad and a pencil. Plopping down in front of the dress, Shayla started copying the lines of beadwork one by one.
Victoria, who had been quietly chewing on Raggedy Andy's buttons since nobody had paid her any attention at the screaming, looked up at Dominic. "Wha's she doin'?"
"Not a clue," he said, but shifted uncomfortably. "Shayla, we should ask Lionel, first. He's not going to be happy." And more then that, Dominic felt like he'd trespassed, big time, and he didn't like that. "Come along."
"I'll be out when I'm done copying," she said absently, sketching in to show colors and how the light fell. "I think these lines can be twisted together, in a ring or bracelet or something, because they're distinctively designed, but they're also complementary, they're meant to be worn together. It's... ingenious."
Dominic nodded. "When you're finished, come up to the TV room, all right? Victoria and I are going to settle into a movie. Close the doors after you're done, love."
"I won't be long. And hey, help me remember this place. I want to come back with that camera of Whitney's, see if I can get some good color references."
Dominic nodded, held Victoria to him, and out of the room. He couldn't say why he'd become so uncomfortable--the memories, perhaps, were much too strong. Too strong, and too painful. He frowned to himself as he rolled through the house, down two halls, and then finally to the central one off the stairs, where he took the first right into the huge movie theater room with the couches.
Victoria reached up and tugged on what was growing back on his beard. "Wassa matter?"
"Nothing, ducky." But because she looked earnest, he glanced down at her. "A bit sad. A pretty lady once wore that dress."
"What happened to her?" She looked up solemnly. "Did she go to heaven like mommy?"
Dominic nodded, quietly, and kissed the top of her head. "She went to heaven. She was Baldy's mommy, and he loved her very, very much."
Victoria sniffled. "Dat makes me sad for Baldy," she said quietly. "I miss my Mommy. Does Baldy miss his mommy too?"
"Yes, he does. He misses her very much," Dominic said, softly at her, but nudged her chin gently up with his fingertips. "But he knows he's happy, and she can see him from heaven."
She was quiet for a moment, then bit her lip. "Can my mommy see me from heaven too?"
"Well, of course she can. Why else would there be a heaven for, then?" He asked her incredulously, as he helped her sit on the most comfortable couch, and after a moment struggling, plopped beside her with a low sigh.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I didn't know if she would know me. Cause she died, and hasn't never ever gotten to see me. That's why I go and talk to her. So maybe she can her me and find me that way so she can see me."
Dominic bit his lip, tightly, as he pulled the small girl against him. "Of course not, ducky. Your mummy can always see you, and hear you, too--they hear our prayers. And the way that the people who are in heaven talk to us is by letting us remember how much we loved them."
"Okay," she said quietly, snuggling against him with the old dolls tucked up beside her. "Sometimes I wish I had a mommy."
Right afterwards, Shayla came bounding happily into the room, and then frowned as she saw the serious faces. "Whoa. Killjoy."
Dominic glanced up, warning her with a look not to even go there, and looked back down. "I know you do, ducky. Whether God grants your wish or not, you know we care for you, right?"
Shayla mimed zipping her lips, and she plopped down on the sofa, on the other side of her brother and laid her head on his shoulder. "What's the trouble, bubble yum?"
Victoria nodded. "I know. Youse and Clark and Baldy likes me lots. Lionel Man is scary though."
"Lionel Man is always scary," Dominic offered, and kissed her cheek. "We love you lots, sweet heart."
Victoria squirmed a little at the kiss at her cheek, and giggled. "I loves you too."
"Awww," Shayla said from his other side.
"Are we jealous?" Dominic smirked, turning his head to look at the girl and snickering all the more for it.
"Nah, I just think it's cute to see you making googly eyes at a kid that isn't me for a change," she snorted.
"Who couldn't love this little girl?" he said, grinning down at Victoria. He'd spent quite a bit of time with her over the last few days, and it felt...well, odd, yes, but… in a good way, because she was like a color he was seeing for the very first time. He'd forgotten what it was like to be this innocent, and every time she put her tiny hand in his own, he… well.
He got mushy, just like now.
So instead, he smiled and sideglanced his sister. "Sorry I left so quick. I think, before we go back into that wing, that we ask Lionel."
"I think not," Shay said with a panicked grin. "Because he'll be all uptight and pissy and say no, and I really want to get those pictures of the beadwork on that dress before he like, forbids us to ever trundle back over there, so can you please find it in your little heart to hold off on asking permission?"
Dominic arched a brow at her, and kept his amusement to himself. "Thinking about the beadwork?"
"The patterns on it are amazing," she said, pulling out the yellow pad. "See? Look. They're each individual, but they're also meant to be twisted together, like they are where the shoulders join the sleeves."
"Mmm. She made it herself--if I remember right, it took her over a month to do all the patterns, because she wanted it just a specific way. It's a one of a kind gown, you know." He glanced at her. "She loved beads. If I remember correctly, she has a black dress she did with green beads, that's absolutely exquisite."
"Yeah, I can see that it's one of a kind." She sighed, and put the pad back in the back of Dominic's wheelchair. "It's a shame those things stay locked up. You think AJ knows they're there?"
"Oh, yes. He used to sit with his mother every day, while she did her dresses." Dominic frowned. "Probably should have seen the signs, then, that he was gay," he mussed to himself, but shook his head. "I actually didn't know they were still in the house--I thought Lionel had sold them. I wonder if he'd consider doing an auction in her name, for her foundation."
"She has a foundation?" Shay asked curiously, the first skitterings of an idea popping across her brain.
"A cancer foundation, yes," Dominic answered, glancing at her. "She died of it… bone cancer I think it was, about fifteen years ago."
"That's terrible," Shay said, meaning it, but not really paying much attention to anything else her brother was saying.
Which Dominic knew, so he fell silent. It was hard enough to talk about Lillian as it was, and he smiled down at the little girl in his lap. "What shall we watch, Madame?"
Shayla grabbed the pad and plopped down on the floor, carefully turning to a completely new page and starting to scribble.
Victoria blinked at the girl on the floor, and then back up at Dominic. "Whatcha got?"
Dominic's lips twitched. "Bit of everything, actually. Do you care to watch… say... Lion King?"
She made a face. "Eww. No. Lionel man sounds too much like Simba's papa."
Dominic burst out laughing. He couldn't help it--he hugged the little girl tight and grinned down at her, tweaking her cheeks gently. "You should meet Ellie, you know. I think you'd like her, love."
"Who's Ellie?" Victoria asked, swinging her feet. "And I wants to watch the Teletubbies!"
"At least it's not Barney," filtered up from the floor.
"Nooo, no Teletubbies. Ellie is my niece... she's got a rabbit," he said, just to see the little girls reaction. "Why don't we watch Nemo?"
"I WANNA WATCH THE TELETUBBIES!" Victoria shrieked.
He frowned at her. "Victoria, what has Lionel told you about screaming?"
"I DON'T CARE!!! I WANT THE TELETUBBIES!" she screamed, getting ready for a monster-size tantrum.
"Kid, you sure got a set of lungs on you. But if you don't shut up, I'm whackin' you one."
Dominic couldn't help a low snort, and he almost didn't hear his cell phone over the girl's screaming.
But when he lifted it to his ear, and listened to the very calm words of the woman on the other end, he almost lost it.
When he hung up, he was sheet gray, his eyes were wide, and he said, very calmly, "Shayla, I would like for you to take Victoria for the evening, if you could, love."
"Uh... yeah, sure, I got nothin' else planned." She smacked the screaming kid across the bottom then picked her up. "C'mon, missy. You and me are gonna learn how to put on nail polish." She looked down at Dominic. "What's the trouble, bro? you look like you seen a ghost."
"Hmm?" Dominic pushed the breaks off of his wheel chair, and grasped the wheels. "Oh. Nothing. Well, everything. Toni just went into labor. I have to find Lionel."
"WHAT????" Every painting in the room rattled against the wall at Shayla's ten-decibel shriek.
Dominic swallowed. "Yes. In… a day, or so, I'm going to be... and… I'm going to be ill," he said, and swallowing again, and once more, he grabbed the wheels and maneuvered out of the room.
He picked his cell phone back up as Shayla's screeches and Victoria's screams followed him, and dialed Lionel's office.
"Luthor," Lionel answered shortly, typing a blistering email off as he did so and giving only a quarter of his attention to Charlie, who was babbling on about some problem or other with ordering paper clips.
"Its me, beloved," Dominic said in a hollow voice. "Come home, please."
"This is not quite the best time; I'm two moments away from firing half the accounting department, who have been harassing Belinda no end for things she has no control over, and your young pup her is bothering me with paper-clip-ordering issues!" he said, raising his voice to cause Charlie to jump.
"Lionel, you need to come home right now," Dominic said, pleading in his voice as he maneuvered the chair with one hand, bumping and crashing into everything along the hall as he did it.
"What's wrong?" he asked, finally shooing Charlie out of the office as he heard the panic in his lover's voice.
What was wrong? "Huh? Oh. Toni. She's what's wrong. She told me she was upset she wasn't having the baby at home, but how on earth can she have the baby at home? She says she cant now. Well bloody hell, no duh."
Toni. Baby. It took a few moments for Lionel's brain to click and connect the words. "Toni is having her baby?" he asked carefully.
"Yes!" Dominic said, in exasperation, as if he hadn't just been babbling nonsense. "That's what I'm trying to tell you! Come home! Hurry!"
"I will meet you at the hospital. Are Clark and Lex there with you? Please alert them, and have Phillip bring you to the hospital," Lionel said calmly, even as he was leaping to his feet and charging out of his office, jacket and everything left behind.
"Lionel, the baby's coming too soon… she wasn't due for another month, what...what are we..." Dominic's voice was panicked as he banged into something, heard it crash in his wake, and made it into the elevator without problem.
"Dominic, remain calm," Lionel said. "By the eighth month, Aurora will be all right, and able to live outside of Toni's body," he said, believing it as hard as he could even as he tried to convince his lover of it. "She will be small, though, I am sure, and the doctors will take care of her. Do not panic."
"Oh, love, I'm beyond panic. I'll have Lex drive me, all right? Yes. Please, for the love of God, call me if you get there first." And then, as his heart, though terrified, soared, he said in a soft voice, "Christ, I love you."
"That's fine, I'll have one of the cars from the office drop me off at the hospital." He smiled at the phone. "We'll likely arrive there at the same time, but yes, I will call you. I love you, little cricket. Be calm, and don't despair."
"Okay. See you in a bit, love," Dominic said, and hit the off button as he set the phone in his lap and charged out of the elevator. he almost tipped over when he hit a chair, but ignored it as it clattered behind him, instead roving around the front of the staircase, and stopped, in surprise.
"Who the fuck are you?"
Andy McMillian arched a brow, turning to look at-- "Oh. Mr. Luthor, hello. We're here to get an interview with your step son and his...boyfriend."
"Oh." He looked up the stairs, and roared, "LEX!"
Oh, thank God and mother fucking Mary, was Lex's very first thought. He was ready to shiv these people in the kneecaps and run like a motherfucker. "Yes, Dominic?" he said calmly, coming to stand in the doorway beside Mr. McMillian. "Keep your voice down, and Mr. McMillian, if you refer to Clark in that tone of voice one more time, I will personally make certain that the only job you get is writing a list of ingredients on a dog food bag, do I make myself clear?"
Dominic didn't have a chance to hear this McMillian bastards words, because his voice was strained and thick to the point of heart attack. "Toni. She... and we have... she's having the baby, right now, and Lionel's on his way, and Phillip went home for the evening and... I have to get to the hospital," he said, helplessly, not catching the eyes of the man beside Lex who looked like he'd just won the jackpot.
"Don't worry, Dominic. Clark and I will take you to the hospital." He turned to the man beside him, and arched an eyebrow. "If there's a word about this written that my family hasn't released, I'll be holding you personally responsible."
Dominic watched as the man nodded, though there was an odd gleam in his eye, but Dominic really couldnt get beyond, 'daughter, being born, right now'. "Thank you," he said, jerkily, and ran his fingers through his hair.
Clark came to the door, peering out. "What's going on? I thought I heard something about--" He stopped at the look on Dominic's face, and his lips spread. "She's coming, isn't she?"
Dominic nodded, shuddering. "Yes. Hurry, okay?"
"No problem." Lex put his hand on Clark's shoulder. "Go out to the garage and crank the Cayenne; that's the fastest car that Dom's wheelchair will fit into," he said. "Take Dominic with you; Mr. McMillian and I have a bit to... wrap up together."
Dominic nodded, shuddering again, and Clark took hold of his wheel chair after glancing over Dominic's shoulder.
Dominic looked back himself, saw the wreckage he'd left, and thought it best that Clark steer him into the garage.
When they'd gone, McMillian smiled. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Lex said, turning around to glare at the man. "I meant what I said. Both times. You're not going to talk about Clark like he's a piece of shit under your boot, and you're not going to write anything about my sister until our family releases a public statement. Do I make myself clear, or do you need further persuasion?"
"No, you've made yourself clear," he said, and just to be spiteful, smiled cheerfully. "My office will contact you about setting up the photo shoot, for yourself and Mr. Kent."
"Right," Lex said, fully skeptical. "When you get back to your office? I'd be careful about what I said and who I said it to, Mr. McMillian. My father has a long reach and mine is just a little bit longer. If I have to solve this problem, it will stayed solved."
"Sure thing, Mr. Luthor," McMillian said, and waved to the boys, who started packing everything up. "We'll be out of your hair in just a few minutes. Thanks for your time."
Lex raised a brow at the hair comment, and ran his hand over his bald head. "I don't believe I need to count the silver, do I?"
At that, McMillian finally grinned. "We're not Diane Sawyer, Mr. Luthor."
"You'll have to forgive me for being skeptical, Mr. McMillian. Our family's track record with the press has been... less than stellar."
"Don't I know it. People isn't a rag, though, you don't have anything to worry about." As it was, he saw his guys packing a little faster, and five minutes later, as soon as everything was in cases and all the paperwork gathered but for Lex's copy, he nodded and shook the mans hand. "Thanks again, we'll be in touch."
"We'll look forward to it," Lex said, returning the handshake as he watched them packing and getting ready to move out.
Dominic was nearly having conniptions.
Clark had helped him into the SUV's front seat, and from there he was twitching, drumming his fingers on the door, shifting, a ball of tense, nervous energy.
And Clark wasn't stupid--he knew when a guy was about to lose his temper, so he said, as soon as he'd gotten Dominic's wheelchair in the trunk, "I'll go get Lex."
He turned, closing the door after putting the car on to make sure Dominic didn't suffocate or anything, and jogged back into the house, sticking his head into the hall. "Lex?" he called.
"The gentlemen are just leaving, Clark," Lex called out, sweeping the paperwork left to him up with one hand as he gave his lover a smile over his shoulder. "I'm just waiting to see them out."
"Okay. Well, you better hurry--Dominic's about to lose it."
"Don't worry. I'll be there shortly." Lex held the papers out to Clark. "Can you take these for me? Just tuck them into the back pouch of the passenger seat, and I'll get them out when we get to the hospital."
"Check," Clark said, got the papers from him, and walked back out into the garage.
...To find the SUV gone.
He raced to the door of the garage to find the SUV tearing up the road, and his mouth literally dropped as he watched it drive away.
He turned back to the house, walked in, and said, "He...erm. Lex?"
"Yeah?" Lex asked, watching the last of the People personnel leaving.
"Dominic's gone."
To his credit, Lex didn't dissolve into laughter. He just shook his head. "Come on. Let's go and find him, and hope he hasn't crashed the fucking thing by the time we get there."
Clark's eyes were still wide, but he nodded, swallowing as the People guys finally left, and grasped his lovers hands. "Car or me?"
"You, because you've got a better chance of catching up to him faster in case anything does happen."
"Got it." He made sure the men had really left, and easily swept his lover up into his arms, tearing out the back door.
Rather then going on the main road he cut through the orchard, and then across route twelve where, right in front of them, the SUV was driving along, a little slower then the other cars, but not shaking too badly.
Clark didn't dare jump out in front of the car with Lex in his arms and Dominic of all people behind the wheel, so he waited until Dominic had stopped at a stop sign to stop running, and knock lightly on the window.
Dominic glared at the two of them, and unlocked the doors. "Get the fuck in!"
"Move over," Lex said calmly, hand shooting through the window to yank the keys out of the ignition. "And pray to God that I don't tell Dad what the fuck you just did."
Dominic glared furiously at him, but undid the seat belt and moved over on the wide seat, using the break like he'd done to get over in the first place to pull himself over into the passenger chair, and glared, all the angrier, as Clark grinned at him. "My bloody daughter is about to be born, and you both are taking your sweet arse time about it!"
"No, I'm making sure that the writers from People magazine don't do anything to present this in a bad light," Lex growled, pulling himself behind the wheel and cranking it with a single motion. "He looked like he'd just had the best fuckin' Christmas ever."
"Of course he did. Drive," Dominic pointed at the road, crossing his arms across his chest and ever so glad he'd worn a warmer sweater that afternoon. He lifted his phone back up, dialing Lionel's cell, and put it to his ear.
"Yes SIR!" Lex barked, rolling his eyes as he put the SUV in gear and shot through the intersection.
Lionel was sitting in the back seat of a LuthorCorp car as his phone rang, and he fished it out of his pants pocket. "Luthor."
"It's me. We're on our way, love, nearly there."
"Dominic, be calm. I'm only halfway there myself, don't worry, it's been less than ten minutes since you called me the first time, and believe me, these things do take time to happen," he said with a bit of an indulgent grin.
"...I know. But still!"
"But nothing. Remain calm, do nothing rash, and I will see you when we arrive."
"I'm not rash!" Dominic said, clearly, glaring at Lex and daring him to say anything.
"Yes you are," Lionel supplied.
Lex held out his hand. "Give me the phone."
"No," he said to Lex, and to his lover, "We'll see you in a few minutes," and hung up the phone.
Lex reached into his pocket and picked up his own, dialing with one hand as he drove with the other.
No sooner had Lionel hung up the phone than it started ringing again. "Luthor."
"You little shit!" Dominic yelled.
"Hello, Dad. I just wanted to let you know that despite Dominic trying to steal the SUV by himself, we're nearly there, and he's in one piece," Lex said over the yelling.
Lionel pinched his nose. "He tried to steal the SUV? Lex... I don't want to hear it. Tell me when I get to the hospital." He hung up the phone, and put it back in his pocket.
- = - = -
Dick was actually supposed to be doing his homework.
Technically, he was. Or, well, he had been.
But then he'd gotten itchy. And since Bruce was busy as Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises, Dick had deserted the books for the bars.
Currently, he was benching 230 with a hydraulic emergency spotter that Bruce had invented solely for individual workouts and those times you couldn't have a spotter.
and he was also rambling. He grunted a few times, his shoulder still tugging a little painfully despite the knife wound being nearly healed, and he almost missed the phone ringing.
He pushed the weights back up into position on the rack and turned off the weight machine entirely as he walked over to the phone, stretching as he put it to his ear. "Dick Grayson."
"Hey," Pete said.
He was sprawled out on his bed, about eighty pamphlets and books spread out around him, and he cleared his throat a little, trying not to sound so… well, nervous.
"Pete!!!!" Dick grinned as he went to the little fridge and got a bottle of water. "What's up in my favorite little cow town?"
"Ahh, nothin' much, you know how it is. What's up?" he asked, hoping to sound cool and collected as he flopped backward against his pillows and toed off his tennis shoes, to wriggle his toes.
Dick gulped down a few drinks from the bottle as he picked up a towel to blot his face. "Nothin' here either, just doing a little weight training before I go back to crackin' the books for the midterms this week."
"Sounds cool. What class is it for?" Pete asked.
"Medieval History and Political Science. Both boring as fuck, but what can you do?" He threw himself down on the weight bench again, getting comfy. "What's up?"
"Little bit of everything, I guess. How's Bruce?"
"Big, dark, silent and broody. Which in his case? Means he's fine and dandy. How's everyone's favorite pink-haired wonder?"
"I wouldn't know," Pete said, quietly. "Listen, Dick… I wanted to ask you something."
"Ask me anything, and I'll be as graphic as possible in the answer," Dick answered with a leer.
Pete didn't respond to that, though--instead, he asked, "Is your offer still open? To come to Gotham?"
"Yeah, course it is," Dick answered, seriously this time. "Pete? What's wrong?"
Pete bit his lower lip, as hard as he could, for a moment. "I need to get out of Smallville for a while. It's...there's more out there for me, you know?"
"Yeah, I know that. You ain't runnin' from anything, are you? Cause I can tell you from experience, it doesn't solve anythin'."
"No. Not running." He quieted, but just a second. "Shay dumped me. Said… I have to find out what I want before.." He sighed, his voice a croak. "No one knows I'm here anymore. I need to get out of here."
"Oooh." Suddenly Pete's reluctance to answer his question about her made perfect sense, and Dick felt like an idiot for not having figured it out sooner. "Yeah. Come on. We'll hook you up here at Bruce's until you can find a place to stay. I'll start lookin' for apartment listings and Bruce'll help shake down and get you a good rate."
Pete exhaled a slow, even breath. "Thanks, Dick. It means a lot to me... I just need..." he needed someone to pay attention to him, for once. "Just… thanks."
"No problem. Can you get up here, or you want me to come down and pick you up? I've got a new Camaro, and we can hitch up a U-Haul for your stuff."
"Could you? I'm gonna sell my car."
"Yeah. No problem." Dick sighed. "Look, Pete... none of my business or anything, but you tellin' anybody that you're leaving?"
"No."
Dick nodded. "Okay. I'll talk to Bruce, and I'll be down there about eleven in the morning on Saturday. Hate to make you wait, but the weekend's as soon as I can get there cause of my classes."
"No problem. It'll give me time to tie up some loose ends," Pete answered, and then after a long silence, said softly, "Thanks, Dick."
"No problem. Look... don't sell your car. We'll tow it behind the hauler, cause you're gonna need a car or somethin' to get around town in. I'll give you a loan or something to get you set up and you can pay it back or whatever."
Pete's jaw set. "No. It's all right, Dick--I need to pay my own way. Thanks, though."
"Okay. We'll work out something when you get here, then. Like I said, we'll find you a good deal on a place to stay, and I'll scope the boards at school and see if they've got a good car for grabs here."
"Thanks, Dick," Pete said, very quietly. "Means a lot to me, man. Things have gotten pretty bad around here."
"Yeah... I kinda figured." Dick sighed, and rubbed his temples. "Let me make a few calls, and I'll tell you when you can pick up the hauler. I'll put the deposit on my credit card, then after you've sold your car and we've got you settled, you can pay the balance when we turn it back in, okay?"
"Sounds good." Pete looked at his feet. "I'll call you again later in the week."
"Okay, good. You got the house and my cell, right?"
"Not your cell," Pete said, and sat up to get a pen. He bit hard at his lower lip, his eyes filled with tears, as he looked down at his paper.
"Okay. It's 214-555-3785," he said. "And if you get the voicemail, after you leave a message, type in *99 to flag it as priority, and I'll get it first, no matter when you leave it."
Pete nodded, rather then speak--if he said anything, he was going to burst into desperately unmanly tears, and that was the last thing he wanted right now. So he grunted softly in his throat, trying to clear the lump out of it.
"Yeah, okay." Dick grunted too, and then heaved a sigh. "You wanna come earlier? I can probably blow off classes midweek, after the midterms."
Pete shook his head, realized Dick didn't see it, and cleared his throat gruffly. His voice was like sandpaper when he spoke. "No, it's okay. I need to take care of a lot of stuff."
"Okay then. I'll be there Saturday. You change your mind, you give me a call and a few hours notice, and I'll be there."
He nodded, tightly. "Thanks, Dick. Means a lot to me."
"Means a lot to me that you call me, man. Know I'm always here." He coughed a little in the phone. "Anything else you need off your chest?"
Wrong thing to say.
Pete nearly lost it, pressing a fist into his mouth for a moment as he squeezed his eyes shut, nd he fought to breathe, fought for it with every fiber of his being.
"N-no. I'm… it's okay."
"Dude, it ain't okay. Okay? You're leavin' home, movin' away, your girlfriend dumped you, cunt that she is, and I don't have to be Miss Cleo to know that shit ain't okay," Dick said.
"Shit i-isn't okay," Pete said, voice tight, "But if i go, I can make it right. I need to go, right now, Dick."
"Go where, Pete? Back to the girlfriend? Back to the people who I'm guessin' have gone back to their barely knowing Pete exists ways?"
Pete bit his lip so hard he thought he tasted blood. "I need to leave Smallville."
"Yeah, I'm agreein' with you there. Sure you can hold out 'til the weekend, Petey?"
"Yeah. I can hold out." No one would even realize he was there.
"Okay. I'll see you then. Call me if you change your mind and wanna come up early, or if you just wanna talk shit out until you get outta town," Dick answered back with another sigh.
"Thanks, Dick," Pete said, softly, and hung up.
When he rolled over, he grasped his pillow and sobbed into it.
Dick hung up the phone, stared at it for a few minutes, then picked it up again to dial Bruce's number, and let him know that they were gonna have a guest over the weekend.
-fin-