Thorne snarled to himself as he tried buttoning his shirt in the dim light of his hotel room. He'd gone too long without heroin and his tremor was getting bad, so that would also mean he'd have to forgo his usual morning tea, since holding the teacup would be nigh impossible.

Shirt eventually buttoned, the doctor stretched, Abigail's pendant hanging from his neck like a millstone, hearing some joints crack, he put on his tie clip and glanced around. His room hadn't changed that much since joining all those months ago. Same desk in the centre of the room, the medical examination bed in the corner. Still no bookcase, Alastor had just kept his smile and offered Thorne a deal in exchange, when the cat demon asked the radio demon to manifest one for him. Thorne wanted somewhere to put his books, but he was not that desperate.

He made his way onto the landing, inhaling deeply his nose tingled at the sharp aroma of cigarette smoke. Thorne turned to the banister and saw Angel. Dressed in his usual pink suit, leaning over the rail, face lost in contemplation.

"Early for you, isn't it?" Thorne asked, standing next to his spider.

Angel's only response was a weak smile.

"Bad dreams?" Thorne inquired, frowning at the thought. He thought he'd fixed that.

"Weren't a nightmare." Angel sighed, "Never went t'sleep… thinking 'bout when I was a kid."

Thorne remained silent and nodded.

"Had a friend." Angel continued, "Luca, did everything together. Broke fire hydrants, fought the boys from the Genovese, snuck into the baseball stadium with Niss and Molly. T'was him who helped me realise who I was and what I 'liked'." Angel scowled.

"What's wrong with that?" Thorne asked, noting the scowl.

"He was the same." Angel said meekly. "When we were 16, he told me how he felt… Pops overheard 'im. So Niss and a few others had to go 'straighten' 'im out."

"Take it this was before you started standing up to your father."

"I broke Luca's nose, because I didn't want to be found out. Pops said he were proud of me." Angel sniffed.

"Most parents project their fears, hatred and insecurities onto their children." Thorne replied solemnly. "But yours wants to and is trying to be better. And you feel bad for what you did, so that makes you a better person to."

Angel forced a smile. "How'd ya manage to keep ya shit together?"

Keep my shit together? Thorne remembered nights in his apartment with Abigail, waking up screaming. Luckily her deafness meant she never saw him weak. To her he was always her strong, smart father who would always keep her safe. Guess he failed doing that.

"Thorney?" Angel asked, gently nudging his boyfriend.

"Oh." Thorne smiled, "There are multiple things, but one really big one."

"Yer?"

"Yer, and I'm dating him, mio topolino."

Angel chuckled, "Wait… what do ya' think ya' called me?"

"My little spider?"

"My little mouse."

"…Well, I am a cat." Thorne muttered, "Mice are tastier."

"Heh… sooooooooooo, breakfast?"

"Can't", Thorne retrieved his watch and reading it. "I have work."

"Awwww. Be on me own all day?" Angel cries in mock distress, his bottom lip jutting out. Letting his eyes get bigger. "What's a spooder to do?"

"Do as Charlie said." Thorne retorted with a smile, descending the stairs. "Get a job. At the very least it would make her happy and she'd stop bugging you."

Angel kept the smile as he watched Thorne leave for the day. His face falling as he was left alone.

"Job?" Angel mocked himself, "Only one thing a whore like me's any good at."

Thorne found the fresh air invigorating. That and the long walk helped wake him up. Entering St Judas', Thorne expected to be greeted by a member of staff, ready to take his jacket. Instead, he was intercepted by the large snake-frame of Sir Pentious.

"Doctor Thorne." The snake cried out, "It is I Sir Pen…"

"I know Pentious." Thorne teased, gently pinching the taller snake demon's cheek. "You did install the hospital's generator."

"Oh, stop it you… well. This is my… good and rather famous friend. Montgomery Python." The Victorian gentleman indicated to the leaner and more muscular snake, who 'stood' slowly turning his flat-cap round in his hands.

"A pleasure to be meeting ya, Overlord Thorne." The muscular snake smiled gently, extending his hand.

"Oh, you can definitely stay." Thorne beamed, taking the python's hand, and shaking it warmly.

"Penny tells me, that ye have a brain. And that I should tell you me problem and get some advice."

"Follow me Montgomery, as for you 'Penny', you have to stay here. And do behave yourself."

Pentious grumbled to himself as he watched Monty round the corner with Thorne. What was he supposed to do in the meantime? Clean his ray-guns? He blushed at the thought, Nissy had offered that to him last night. But he meant something completely different and Pentious knew that he shouldn't do that in public. After all there was that time at the pier when they were nearly caught…

"Lights" Thorne shouted, as he and Montgomery entered his office. The lights came on, causing the black granite to sparkle.

"Please have a seat Mr Python." Thorne indicated to one of the chairs facing his desk, as he took his seat.

"Me friends call me Monty."

"Well Monty, Pentious said your name earlier as if I should recognise it. And I have to say that aside from the obvious that you are an Irish, righthanded bodyguard who has recently done a lot of writing to your mother. I know little about you."

"But how ye know all tha'?"

"Your accent and charm round your neck tell me you're Irish. Your muscular body and how you carry yourself says bodyguard. And since the muscles in your right hand are more developed than the left, means righthanded."

"But me Ma?"

"The shininess of the cuffs on your right sleeve where they have been rubbing on the desk, indicate that you have done a lot of writing recently. And how many men write letters to anyone other than their mothers?"

Monty nods solemnly, "Penny gave me a message from m'mother. And I wanted y'blessin' to go see her."

"My blessing?"

"Yer, think it's a good idea?"

"Why ask me?"

"She lives in ya district. I wanna go see her. But she only sent Penny a letter… how do I know what to do?"

Thorne remained silent and motionless for a few moments.

"All I can say." The doctor asserted, breaking the silence. "Is that the only right answer is the one you pick. But ask yourself. What can I live with? I can tell that this is a monumental thing you're trying to do and you're conflicted, or you wouldn't have come to see me. Now you don't need to say anything, but I think telling me everything might let me better help you."

The python remained quiet for a moment.

"Ya know how I ended up down here right?", Monty said gently rubbing his temple. The grip on his cap tightening.

"I'm familiar with how suicide sits in a heart."

"So did… you…"

"No." Thorne shook his head, "I crashed my car. But I have… treated patients who wanted to die."

An awkward silence passed between the two, with Monty lowering his gaze to the floor and balling his cap in clenched fists.

"Do you want self-erasure Montgomery?" Thorne asked quietly.

"No, but it don't matter." Monty sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of a hand.

"Do you think that because you fear your mother would not forgive you."

"How'd y'know all this?" The python asked, tears sparkling in his eyes. "Did Penn tell ya…"

"The only things that Pentious and I discuss." Thorne interrupted, "Are the best blends of tea to have snuck in from the living world. I can assure you that we have never spoken about you."

"…do ya think she'd forgive me?"

"If there is one thing I know about mothers, Monty. It's that they are very forgiving of their children."

"I wrote these." The snake demon offered, pulling out neatly folded sheets of paper from his waistcoat pocket and passing them to the doctor.

Thorne unfolded the letters and read them, he could have used the ability of his to process the information faster, but such outpourings of grief should not be rushed over.

"Not manly enough righ'?" Monty huffed defeatedly, his gaze sinking to the floor.

"I think… Monty. That these are beautifully written."

"But will I ever get the blood off my hands?"

"No Monty… But that does not mean that you should not try."

"So, what should I do?" Monty sobbed.

Pentious sniffed at his tea with indignation. Earl Grey his tail! This was more akin to dish water than a proper English beverage. Thorne, as a fellow Englishman should be ashamed to serve this.

Pentious abandoned the luke warm disappointment and was reminded when Niss poured tea on himself in an attempt to seduce. It was, what were the kids calling it now? Nosebleed City.

Pentious jumped as Thorne gave a slight cough.

"Tea not to your liking Sir Pentious." Thorne growled with a knowing smile.

"Just not worthy to be called Earl Grey."

"You should try something a little fruitier."

"I have a boyfriend, thank you very much!"

"I meant drink?"

The Victorian put a finger to his chin, "You mean like a Sauvignon blanc or a nice Pinot Grigio?"

"In the hospital Pentious?" Thorne chuckled, "Wouldn't make sense to have a bar near the rehab centre? Although, it would be fine for the indecisive patients. That way it keeps their options open."

They both laughed at that.

"Wait." Pentious sat up, "Where's Monty?"

"He's… taking a moment."

"Will he be alright?"

"He's in my hospital." Thorne said as if that answered the question. "In all of Pride there isn't a better place to be."

Sorry that this took so long to do. Subject is a little sensitive, and work has me really exhausted after each day.

Please let me know what you think and what you would like to see more/less of.

Many thanks to AxelGear for letting me borrow Montgomery Python.

The scene where Pentious remembers Arackniss pouring tea on himself is from this:

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