FATHER'S COMFORT
AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER
Comes from my KFTLC marathon. I'm in season three. Belongs to Warner Brothers Unlimited and Warner Brothers Distribution and whoever owns the rights. I only own the plot. Takes place when Peter's a teen. Hey, who's to say that Peter didn't have nightmares about the temple's destruction?
Screaming broke the stillness of the night. Paul Blaisdell made muttering noises and he climbed out bed.
"FATHER! FATHER!"
"Paul, what's wrong with Peter?"
"It sounds like a nightmare." Without a further answer, Paul, with Annie close behind him, ran towards the guestroom, where Peter Caine, a boy who he had recently taken in from the orphanage, was staying. "FATHER! FATHER!" he called again. By this time, Carolyn and Kelly had also awoken and were heading for the room as well. Peter thrashed on the bed. Peter cried out as an explosion filled the temple.
"FATHER! FATHER!" he called. As debris fell, he slowly crawled forward. With a pained grunt, he looked up. "Father," he said softly, seeing the man through a hole in the ruined wall. There was another explosion and more pieces of the ceiling fell.
"FATHER! FATHER!" Peter yelled.
"Peter, Peter! Hey," Paul said, shaking the boy gently.
"No. No," the boy mumbled.
"What's wrong with him?" Carolyn wondered.
"He's having a nightmare," Paul answered. "Go back to bed. I've got this."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Annie." The girls went back to bed. The boy moaned and the man tried to steady his writhing. "No. Please. Father! Father, don't leave me! Father! Father, help me!" With a final cry, the boy jerked awake.
"Peter, are you all right?" The boy averted his gaze. I can't believe I woke him up, he thought to himself.
"That was quite a nightmare. Scared Annie and the girls pretty badly."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake everybody up." Paul took Peter's chin and turned his face so that they were once again facing.
"You never have to apologize for a nightmare." The man looked at the boy in order to make sure that he understood what he was saying. "You want to talk about it?" Peter shook his head.
"I'm okay. You can go back to bed." Paul just stayed where he was. By now, he had gotten to know Peter well enough, where he knew that he sometimes he said he didn't want to talk, but would soon enough open up about whatever was bothering him.
"I was back at the temple." Paul nodded. He was talking about the place he had been raised in. "It was destroyed. My father couldn't get to me."
"You know he would've saved you if he could've."
"I know. I know." Peter sighed. "I just-I still miss him. And I want him back."
"I know, Peter. I know." Paul put a hand on Peter's shoulder, and the boy looked at him, unshed tears in his eyes. Then, in an uncharacteristic move, the teen wrapped his arms around the officer and began to cry.
"Oh. Oh, Pete." He rubbed his back, and just held the boy.
THE END