The Holly and the Ivy
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Summary: They are like the holly and the ivy, no matter how harsh the circumstances are, they would always persevere.
This is a post "The Man from the Other Side" story with a little twist which may not be quite original but has been bugging me for a long time now and now that Christmas is almost here it took a definite form with a holiday setting.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
It was snowing heavily down on Boston and Peter had to pull his coat tighter around him to block out the cold wind that accompanied it. It seemed that this year they were having a white Christmas.
And it seemed that the mere fact of that gave some extra energy to the people and some otherworldly warmth because they were going up and down the white streets as if they had been unaware of the biting cold. The night before Christmas was filled with children's laughter as they were running and playing in the streets, enjoying the snow, and it was filled with the merry chatter of adults who enjoyed their time outdoors.
It was early in the evening but darkness had already crawled on the city a long time ago.
From across the street Peter watched as a group of carolers knocked on the door to Walter's house… their house, he thought bitterly but at the same time a warm feeling filled his heart. He was nervous. He hadn't talked to the man for more than a year now and truth to be told, he wasn't sure that he was ready just yet. But he had to come home. He had to come home to her because, if after all that crazy things that had been going on in his life, one thing was sure, it was that he belonged with Olivia.
He had already known that that morning when he walked out of her door, leaving the sleeping woman behind in an effort to try and make sense of everything in his life. He knew that he loved her and after their talk, he knew that his feelings were reciprocated. When, after leaving the hospital, he confronted Olivia about the glimmer she must have been seeing around him, she didn't hesitate to tell him that her feelings were the main reason of her silence regarding his origin. She was afraid of losing him. First he was taken aback by the open honesty Olivia offered him but after all, in the shadow of Walter's betrayal it was the only thing that was able to make Peter put his own hurt aside for a moment and try to see things from a different angle.
He understood her and he forgave her. They spent that night, which seemed so long ago now, in each other's arms and he did everything to show her that whatever had happened and whatever would happen, he did belong with her. At that time it was the only thing that kept him from going insane, Olivia's love provided the only anchor in his life. It was the only thing he could call his own.
But he left the following morning, hoping that Olivia would understand… and would wait for him. He knew his feelings for her and he knew Olivia, and these two things gave him confidence that whatever was waiting for them in the future they would persevere. He knew that being apart wouldn't be easy on either of them but in the end it wasn't enough for him to know that no matter in which universe he belonged, Olivia would always be his own universe. No, at that point, almost a year ago, he needed something else, too. He needed to come to terms with himself and Walter.
Now, standing in the falling snow and watching as Walter was listening to the carolers with pure enthusiasm, he knew who he was… and he knew who Walter was to him. He spent many a sleepless night wondering about things that had been and about things that could have been but at the end of the day only one thing remained that mattered: Walter was his father. It didn't make things easier, though. There were still many things they had to work on but they had to work on them together and he was the one who had to make the first move.
He chuckled to himself when he saw Walter turning slightly in the doorway as he told something to the person who must have been standing behind him. He wore that stupid grin that always appeared on his face when he was particularly excited and happy. And with this grin came that incessant fidgeting that always reminded Peter of a little kid from pre-school who had just stepped into a toy store. In those moments it was so difficult to see Walter as the amazing scientist who, as brilliant as he was, had committed awful things during his career.
Peter's attention shifted to the person who was standing behind the old man but no matter how hard he tried to take a look at her – because he was sure that it was Olivia – he couldn't see her. Before coming to see Walter, he had tried to find Olivia and talk to her but no one answered the door. He hoped to find her here and now that he could spot her SUV in front of the house and saw Walter talking to her, he felt happy… and relieved. It was good to know that neither Olivia, nor Walter was alone on Christmas Eve.
At once the carolers left and Walter disappeared behind the door, leaving Peter longing for the warmth of the house that only moments ago, even just for a little time, had filled his heart with the sense of belonging. This was the feeling that told him he had done the right thing by coming home. He was ready to forgive and to accept… he was ready to live his life even if it meant a life in a universe that wasn't his.
But it didn't mean that it was easier to face the people he had left behind without a word.
He kept standing in the falling snow just watching the house. He saw the lights of the Christmas tree shining from the living room window. Peter wondered whether Walter was making Olivia watch the holiday specials on TV or they were playing Monopoly. It was a strange concept for him imagining Olivia spending some quality time with Walter. He knew that the old man adored the young woman but Olivia always seemed somewhat reserved with him. Maybe they had got closer during the last year, he chuckled. He'd like that. Peter watched as the light dimmed in the living room, letting the Christmas lights light up the room and saw a pale light appear in the background. He supposed that they retired to the kitchen to have dinner. After a little time the light was on again in the living room but at the same time it came up upstairs, too, in the room Peter remembered to be some kind of storage. There was some movement there then it became dark again just for the light to appear in another room, his room. It didn't last long and again everything was dark upstairs.
Finally, it was time to face the inevitable. After all, he realized, there was no point in standing in the freezing cold when he could spend Christmas Eve with his family. He slowly made his way across the street and towards the front door but suddenly it became dark in the living room again. It made him stop just in front of the door, thinking that Walter had gone to sleep and Olivia was most likely ready to leave. The front door didn't open, though.
For some time Peter contemplated knocking but then he decided against it and used his own key to get into the house.
It was strange being home, standing again in the foyer of the old house. After discarding his soaked winter coat, he took his time to savior the moment and quickly realized that the strange feeling was not the result of his long absence. Something had changed in the house, he noted. He had a feeling that even without the colorful glow that the Christmas lights shed on the room, the place would feel warmer than he remembered. It even smelt different which was curious in itself because Walter's experiments, culinary or otherwise, and his experimental drugs had always seen to it to have a curious and very peculiar scent linger in the air.
In the silent house, he could hear shuffling coming from the kitchen so he made his way there silently. The scene that greeted him there made him smile. Olivia, not looking the slightest out of place, was standing in front of the sink, washing the dishes while she was softly singing to herself in her beautiful deep voice.
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all trees that are in the wood:
The holy bears the crown.
Peter recognized the words of the old Christmas carol, "The Holly and the Ivy". It took him back to his previous musings back in the street about Olivia and himself as the meaning behind the words reminded him of the two of them and the situation they found themselves in. The evergreens of the song that had come to symbolize man and woman from ancient times were strong and they never let the cold of winter wither them; they preserved their green color regardless of the harsh circumstances.
Peter hoped that they would survive, too, what had happened to them and what was lying in front of them. He hoped against hope that Olivia still felt what he was feeling… that she felt, too, that they were meant to be.
"Dad, I thought you went to bed," Olivia, feeling a presence in the room, noted with a warm smile as she dried her hands and turned around, fully expecting to see Walter, but as soon as she laid eyes on the figure standing in the door, her smile froze on her face and she looked at the man shocked. "Peter," she breathed in her sudden surprise.
"Hello, 'Livia," Peter gave him a warm, though a little unsure smile. Silence settled on the room.
TBC