For Marcus the weekend passed by at a slow crawl and even though he enjoyed every minute of it, still hard pressed to believe he got to be so lucky and live with someone like Peter, he was looking forward to Monday and school. He had an uneasy feeling ever since the impromptu night talk in the kitchen and even more so after their ride to Tomas's home. Something changed for the kid during that night and Marcus didn't have a clue what it could've been, but he knew it was nothing good. He needed to talk to Tomas, or at least make sure everything was alright.

He spotted a familiar figure in the hall during lunch break and Marcus headed towards him, but several students walked out of a class just then chatting loudly and before Marcus could pass them, Tomas vanished behind the corner. Through the day it happened twice more. Each time Marcus saw the dark mop of hair and the downcast look, watched the tense set of shoulders and even at the distance spotted the dark circles under his eyes. But each time they made eye contact, Tomas just gave a nod and a fake smile and before Marcus could reach him, he was gone. There was no doubt that he was trying to stay away from Marcus, for what purpose though Marcus didn't know. He also thought it a foolish endeavor, seeing as Tomas had class with him at the end of the day and then a tutoring session.

Marcus shrugged it off for a while, thinking that maybe the kid was just embarrassed for what happened, or his vanishing act was just a coincidence. He would wait till the end of class and then he would ask.

But he knew even before he put his things down on the desk for the last class of the day that something was seriously wrong. Tomas wasn't in class, his desk empty. There was no sign of his backpack either. Frowning, Marcus started the lesson, although his mood was decidedly not in it. When the bell rang it was to the relief of both Marcus and the students who weren't used to seeing him so grumpy and scampered out of the class as quickly as possible. Marcus didn't blame them, but he did pause at the desk of the young girl that seemed to be one of the few who treated Tomas with kindness.

"Mary, just a word please?"

She looked up from packing her bag, a bit surprised.

"Yes, Mr. Keane?"

"Do you know where Tomas is? Or why he wasn't in class today? I'm pretty sure I saw him in school."

Mary blushed a bit.

"I think he went home, sir."

"Home?" Marcus frowned. He really didn't think Tomas would play hooky from school.

Mary bit her lip nervously, obviously wishing she could be somewhere else. What Marcus saw in the gesture though was guilt. His eyes narrowed.

"Did something happen, Mary?"

"I don't want to get in trouble, Mr. Keane... or get Tomas in trouble."

"As long as no one got hurt, no one will get in trouble," Marcus quickly said and gave Mary an imploring look. Of course she balked.

"The guys were giving him a bit of a hard time... for what happened Friday," Mary said sheepishly and Marcus wanted to slap himself on the head. Of course Tomas would be reluctant about school after the fit. All the weekend he was thinking about what happened later in the night and he totally forgot about the scene in the class room and what it would mean to a teenager and his reputation.

"What did they do?" Marcus growled then raised his hand in apology when he saw Mary shrink back. "I'm not angry at you," he said more calmly. "I just want to know what happened."

"They didn't... they didn't really do anything. Mostly they were just taunting him, maybe tossing him around a bit in the hall. Nothing... out of the ordinary," she added, looking away and Marcus grit his teeth, because what she was describing was bullying and the fact she said it was normal made his skin crawl. "I think they were scared to really touch him or anything, in case he got all weird again."

"If it was all so normal, why didn't Tomas come to class?" Marcus asked, trying not to show anger in his voice.

Mary shrugged.

"He really didn't look that good. On the last hour he fell asleep in class. He jerked awake before Mrs. Charles noticed, but then he looked sick to his stomach so she sent him to the nurse. He came back at the end of the hour and packed his things."

"Thank you, Mary," Marcus said a bit absentmindedly and Mary quickly left the class. He leaned against the table, thinking whether he should go after the nurse and grill her or simply call the boy.

Seeing as he was in no mood to face the snappy nurse, Marcus pulled out his cell phone and dialed Tomas's number. The phone rang for a long moment, as if the person on the other side was contemplating whether to pick up or not. Marcus was just about ready to hang up when he heard the soft click and a raspy 'Hello?'

"Hey, this is Marcus. I was missing my star student in class today. Any idea where he went?" Marcus tried to keep his voice light and joking. Another moment of silence on the other side then a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I... didn't feel well and the nurse thought it best to send me home."

"Stomach bug? Or something else?" It was clear what Marcus meant by 'something else'.

"Stomach bug," Tomas replied wearily and Marcus was inclined to believe him.

"Is Olivia home tonight? If not, I can pick you up and you can spend the night at our place," Marcus offered, not even thinking about what he was really offering. But he wasn't thinking of Tomas as his student any more. It was very much as if God pointed him in the direction of the boy, nudging him kicking and screaming until he realized there was someone who needed his help, someone he needed to protect. Unfortunately, that realization came at a moment when Tomas seemed to do his best to keep away, whether consciously or not.

"No, Olivia is home, it's okay. I'm fine. Thanks for the offer, Marcus."

Marcus nodded into the phone.

"Of course. Are you coming to school tomorrow or are you staying home?"

There was another silence and a sigh, the sound of a scribbling pen.

"I'm not sure yet..."

"Okay, no problem. If you do, stop by. We can go over some of the material and catch up, okay?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'll do that. Thanks."

Tomas hung up, leaving Marcus with a feeling of someone being sidelined, which was ridiculous. But also very real, as Marcus found out the next day. Oh, Tomas did come to school as Marcus once again saw him in the hall, but just like the day before, the kid seemed to perfect his vanishing act. Marcus expected him to stop by between classes; he even tried to track him down during the lunch break, but no luck. If Tomas was good at something it was staying hidden. By the time the last bell rung and Marcus was free to leave the school he knew Tomas was already gone.

Marcus was sitting in his car, contemplating his next action. He already tried to call Tomas but he only got redirected to voicemail after several rings. Marcus knew he had no right to request Tomas's presence... the kid had a nurse's pass for the last class and the fact he had blown off a private lesson with Marcus wasn't a nice move, but it wasn't really a school matter. If anyone would've been keeping watch on Marcus and his interaction with Tomas it could be cause for concern. If the situation was normal. But it was not. Marcus wasn't just a normal teacher, he was an exorcist. Oh, he might've given up being a priest, but no one could get the exorcist out of his blood. It was who he was, who he will die as and step in front of his God to admit his faults once on the other side. And Tomas... Tomas wasn't just a student, that much Marcus knew. He was his protégé... given to him by God.

With that thought, Marcus turned on the engine and headed in the opposite direction from his house. He wasn't really thinking about what he would say or how he would explain his presence. There was just a feeling deep inside his chest, coursing through his veins, that he must go and do something. So he drove, barely registering the road or traffic, until he parked the car in front of Tomas's apartment building.

He paused at the locked front door and started looking through the buzzers, finding the right name, but the button was broken, just like most of the others. Sighing, Marcus was ready to try his luck and lock picking skills, when the door opened and out came an old lady with a small, snappy dog. Marcus looked down, careful not to step on the dog that looked to be a cross between a Chihuahua and a broom. He put on a friendly smile and tried not to grit his teeth as the little devil snapped at his feet.

„What an adorable little munchkin," he spoke with a chuckle and a charming smile that made the old lady ignore the fact he was putting a hand on the closing door and slipping around her.

„That's Princess. She seems to like you," the lady said, ignoring the fact the dog was yapping. Or maybe it was just what it always did. Marcus bit into his lip, trying not to show the utter disbelief on his face while he pushed past, one foot already in the door. The old lady seemed to pause with a frown.

"Are you new here, young man? I haven't seen you yet. Did you just move in?" She started and Marcus could see she was becoming alert to what he was doing. He could also see the small pepper spray can she had in her hand along with her keychain.

"Oh no, I don't live here. I'm visiting Olivia."

"Ortega?" The name must've worked like a charm, because the lady visibly relaxed, then gave Marcus a quick once over that made him blush.

"Ah, it's time Olivia found herself a nice lad. And from England too! That is very exciting!"

Marcus opened his mouth, trying to protest all the conclusions, but in the end he just sighed and smiled acceptingly. He wasn't here to socialize; he just needed to find Tomas that was all.

"Yes, thank you. But I'm already a bit late and her buzzer seems to be broken. You won't mind if I rush in?"

"Of course not! Say hello for me. I barely get a chance to see that girl, she's working too much lately-" The lady was still speaking but Marcus just gave her a friendly nod and rushed away, leaving the yapping dog and the woman behind as the door closed.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Marcus paused at the mailboxes, trying to decipher on which floor could Tomas be living at. Unfortunately the mailboxes didn't give up any clue so he had to do it the old way. Stepping in the elevator Marcus rode up to the highest floor and from there went down floor by floor. Finally he stood in front of the door, reading the nametag Ortega. He hesitated before knocking, but then felt some invisible nudge. Shaking his head at his own mind playing tricks with him, Marcus finally knocked on the door.

He wasn't sure what he expected. Either Tomas opening the door or maybe a long few minutes standing in the hall without success. He didn't expect the door to open almost instantly, a haggard looking Olivia hopping into a shoe welcoming him with a surprised: "You?"

There was a second of silence then Olivia finally managed to get her foot inside the shoe and stood straight, holding the door open a bit wider.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Marcus asked with a small smirk then his face turned serious. "I'm sorry to come so unexpectedly, but I needed to talk to Tomas. Is he home?"

Olivia frowned then shook her head, taking a step back.

"No, he isn't. I thought... he was supposed to be at your place?" she gestured for Marcus to come inside and he did, looking around the small entry hall. There was barely enough space for a shoe rack and a closet, yet the walls were filled with photos and trinkets, he even saw a cross and a rosary.

"I'm sorry; it's a bit dirty in here... I-I was just on my way to work." Olivia led him towards the living room, grabbing clothing strewn across the couch and throwing it onto a chair in the corner distractedly, then running a hand over her hair, pausing in the middle of the room. "I don't understand. Isn't Tomas with you?"

Marcus could see she was confused and busy, probably way too lost. He walked up to her and gently put his hands on her shoulders in a calming gesture.

"He's not, but calm down. I'm sure he's fine, just... has other things on his mind."

Olivia shook her head.

"No, you don't understand. I talked to him on the phone and asked when he's coming home and he said he's with you, catching up on the tutoring lesson he missed yesterday. Was he supposed to be with you? What if something happened-" she was starting to panic and Marcus squeezed her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. When did you speak to him?"

"About half an hour ago," Olivia said and took a calming breath. Marcus nodded and led her towards the couch. He knew for a fact that Tomas was already gone from school, his last class having ended almost two hours ago. There was no reason why Tomas would head to Marcus's place alone when he knew Marcus was waiting for him at school. That meant Tomas had lied to Olivia. Now they only needed to figure out why and where the hell he was and once they knew he was okay, give him a proper tongue lashing. Because Marcus didn't appreciate being used as a scapegoat and to be honest, he didn't appreciate the crawling feeling of worry Tomas managed to bring out in him either. If this was what parents felt like all the time, Marcus was sure he would rather stick to dogs and cats. Maybe leave the worrying to Peter for once.

"Can you call him?" Marcus turned to Olivia who already had her phone out and was dialing her brother. Just like for Marcus though her call went into voicemail and her panic seemed to deepen.

"He's not picking up. I knew something was wrong..." she muttered under her breath, then seemingly came to a decision and started playing with her phone. Marcus frowned, trying to figure out what she was doing.

"What do you mean?" he asked while Olivia was opening an application on her phone. She spared him a look of anger mixed with worry.

"For the last few weeks he was acting weird. I don't know what's wrong, but his nightmares are getting worse and I caught him being sick to his stomach a few times. I got the note from the nurse about the stomach bug, but that isn't it. Tomas is just... off." She seemed to find what she was looking for and her eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in annoyance.

"The library again? Seriously? He lied to me to go to the library?!" She looked up, almost hurt.

"How do you know where he is?" Marcus asked, puzzled and Olivia showed the phone to him, with a small map and a blinking red dot.

"He's on my family plan. I activated this last week, after... well, after I found out he was at your place." She blushed a little.

"You're following your brother?" Marcus raised an eyebrow and his tone was a mix of disbelief and admiration.

"I have to. With his condition... anything can happen."

"I'm not judging you, Olivia," Marcus said, returning the phone to her with a smile. "Quite the opposite. It's a really smart move."

"Thank you. The library would explain the voice mail... he always turns the sound down. I just don't understand why he couldn't simply tell me. And why is he spending so much time there..."

"What do you mean? So much time?"

"When he came home Saturday he just let me know he's going to the library and was off again. I didn't mind, I was going to sleep anyway, but then he brought back all those weird books. When I tried to take him out on Sunday for a walk and a movie, I almost had to drag him away. And yesterday he was back in those books even though he was sick."

"What books? Can I see them?" The crawling feeling of unease was back in full and Marcus worried what he might find. He really hoped Tomas didn't start dabbling in things that could get him in trouble.

"I don't know what they are... the titles are mostly in Latin. I thought they were something for that Certamen thing..."

"They might be, but I'd like to see them anyway. Might help us figure out what's on his mind lately."

Olivia seemed hesitant for a second, but she looked back at the phone with the map still on and it seemed to help her decide.

"I'll show you to his room."

Marcus was used to investigate rooms, to search for clues, but entering Tomas's room felt different. It felt somehow wrong, as if he was breaking the boy's trust, and so Marcus refrained from touching everything. His eyes still took in every detail, the posters of Mexican football clubs covering the walls, a photo of Tomas and an older woman, possibly his Abuelita on the bed stand. There were a few photos with Tomas and Olivia as children, but not one picture of his mother or father. Marcus put that detail away for future reference. He noted the made bed and the fact everything seemed to be in its place. Tomas was either very conscientious or OCD about keeping his room clean. In either case, it didn't leave that many clues for Marcus to work with... except of course the two books lying on the table. He ruffled through the pages of a Bible and put it aside, more interested in the other book. It was a title he knew well. Minor Exorcisms and Deliverance Prayers: In Latin and English. Marcus had a copy of the book somewhere, although it was only in Latin. He could have waved it off as coincidence, just a book Tomas picked because it had both Latin and English in it, but Marcus knew that would be just lying to himself. Tomas somehow must've figured out Marcus was an exorcist or - which wasn't any better - he figured that the fits were caused by something that was far from natural. In either case, the boy was probably freaking out and spent all those days researching. Marcus knew it was time he told Tomas the truth, however scary it might've been. Returning both books to their original place, Marcus looked up. Olivia was standing in the door, still worried but at the same time throwing impatient looks at her watch.

"You need to go?" Marcus asked and she nodded, biting her lip.

"I do, but... I am worried. I don't know what to do anymore." She looked on the verge of tears and Marcus was quick to step close and offer a hug. She accepted it; latched onto him like a drowning person and Marcus realized how young she really was and how much responsibility she got handed over to her.

"Shh, it's okay, love. You're not alone in this. I'll do everything I can to help Tomas."

Olivia sniffled then pulled back a little, blushing.

"Sorry. I'm just... I haven't slept all that much. Tomas kept waking up from nightmares, screaming or calling for someone and I don't know who Gabriel even is, but none of us got enough sleep and I'm a mess-" she rambled and didn't note the sudden tension of Marcus's body until he stuttered.

"G-Gabriel?"

She looked up with a frown, taking note of the look of shock on Marcus's face.

"Yes, Gabriel. He keeps calling that name, but... it's all wrong. Painful. And I know he doesn't go back to sleep afterwards."

"When... when did this start?" Marcus asked, his throat suddenly dry and slightly shaking. Olivia's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"He's having nightmares since mom died, but... he mentioned Gabriel after coming back from your house. You know who that is? Did something happen Friday?" Now it was her who stepped into Marcus's personal space, but it wasn't to offer comfort but rather a threat. There was that fire of protectiveness in her eyes Marcus saw few days back when they first met and he would have admired it, were it not for the fact he was too busy trying to figure out what happened to Tomas.

"Gabriel... Gabriel was a boy I was trying to help, back in the day. In Mexico. I don't know how Tomas knows about him... maybe it's not even him-" Marcus shook his head, now rambling himself.

"What happened to him?" Olivia pushed, though she already seemed to know the answer.

"He was sick... he died. I couldn't save him. But Tomas..."

Olivia's eyes widened.

"What does that have to do with Tomas? And why would a priest be called to help a sick boy?" Her voice was raising and Marcus knew he had to diffuse the situation, to calm her down or any future contact with Tomas would be made all the more difficult.

"I was there to offer comfort to the boy and the family. I failed and Gabriel died. I can't explain what happened and I don't have a clue how Tomas found out about it, but I promise it has nothing to do with Tomas. I won't let anything like that happen to Tomas," Marcus promised, looking Olivia straight in the eyes, his voice sincere. They stood there for a moment, Olivia sizing him up, trying to find a lie in his words but encountering only truth.

"Can you stop those nightmares?" She asked after what felt like eternity but lasted only seconds. Marcus gave a shaky nod.

"I think so. I need to talk to him first, explain about Gabriel, and figure out how... what even happened. Then... then we can try and stop the nightmares."

"He likes you," Olivia said suddenly, catching Marcus by surprise. "He trusts you. Tomas doesn't trust easily... he was hurt by too many people he loved. Please... don't be one of them."

Marcus swallowed, feeling as if the weight of the world was just put on his shoulder, instead of a well being of a fifteen year old boy he barely knew. Still, he nodded.

"I will do my best to not disappoint that trust."

"You better. Or God help me, I will hunt you down and hurt you." Olivia said, her voice equally firm, her eyes fierce and Marcus couldn't help but smile.

"Good. Tomas needs someone like you on his side."

With that he headed for the door then turned.

"I'll call you when I find him... will you be home tonight?"

Olivia grimaced then shook her head.

"I can't. If I don't take this shift I'll get in trouble. I already stayed home last night because he was sick."

"He'll stay at our place then, if it's okay."

Olivia shrugged.

"As long as you can get him to sleep... and stop lying about his whereabouts, I'm fine with that."

"Good. Don't worry. It'll all work itself out."


Marcus reached the library without even remembering the road there. He was moving on autopilot, his mind somewhere else. He was thinking back to that Friday night, remembering catching Tomas on the stairs just after his nightmare. Could it be Tomas was eavesdropping to him and Peter?

Marcus frowned even as he entered the library, thinking hard what he said that night, but it was all a blur to him. He remembered talking about Gabriel a bit, remembered the too real fear and pain of the nightmare, though it was all wrapped in a warm embrace of Peter. He didn't think anything that was said would make too much sense to Tomas even if he overheard however. Which posed a question - what did Tomas know about Gabriel and how did he find out? Based on the bible and the book of exorcisms in Tomas's room, he knew enough to get scared.

Shaking his head a bit Marcus tried to get his head back in the game. Right now he needed to find the kid, which, he realized when looking around the huge library, might take a bit of time.

"Can I help you, mister?" asked a stern looking woman behind the counter as Marcus walked up to it. He put on a sheepish smile, his hand automatically touching the pamphlets lying on the counter.

"Actually, yes, I think you can. I'm sorry, I don't have a card, but I need to find someone who is inside the library."

Her eyebrows went up, while at the same time she looked sternly at Marcus's hand which was obviously making a mess on her counter. Marcus pulled it back, suddenly hit with a memory of a stern nun at the boy's home who liked to whack him across the fingers with a ruler any time his hands weren't on the book or writing. Marcus was anticipating the swish of a ruler at any second.

"Well, you can go in without a card as long as you don't borrow anything."

Marcus nodded, happy that he won't have to deal with bureaucracy. He ventured inside the library and started going through the aisles. The room was huge and Marcus quickly realized finding Tomas even if he was in there could be a real problem, especially if he was moving around. It was something of a labyrinth really, with many nooks and corners to hide in. Marcus managed to startle a pair of teenagers making out in one such place, and found another student just sleeping with his head burrowed in a book. And he was still just on the first floor, the damn library had several of them.

Realizing he might in fact need a bit of help, he reluctantly returned to the counter with the librarian. He waited impatiently until she finished pestering a man for late fees then turned towards him.

"Would you like to peruse a library card now, mister?" she asked with a smirk and Marcus barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

"No. I just really need to find the boy. His sister is looking for him but he isn't picking up his phone. It's a medical emergency. Can you... can you at least tell me if he's even there or call him through the PA system or something?" Marcus rushed out, and he must've looked desperate enough to break through the woman's walls. Or maybe it was the use of the words medical emergency that made the trick.

"We don't have a PA system set up that way, I'm sorry," she said and this time she looked like she meant it. "But maybe I can help. It is pretty quiet here today. What's the boy's name or description?"

Marcus sent a quiet Hail Mary to the man upstairs and allowed himself a grateful smile.

"Tomas Ortega. He's fifteen, about neigh high, dark hair, brown eyes-"

"Oh, Tomas?" The woman's eyes softened and she nodded. "I know the boy. He's here almost every day, especially the last few weeks. I'm sorry, you missed him. He left just a few minutes before you came."

Marcus cursed under his breath.

"Do you know where he was heading?"

"No. I hope it was home though. He looked about to fall asleep on his feet."

Marcus nodded his thanks and left the building, looking around as if hoping to catch sight of the boy, but knew he was already late. He once again tried his cell phone, hoping the kid would've turned on the ringing once he left the library, but it went straight to voicemail this time.

Marcus paused on the steps of the library, taking in a deep breath. He was panicking but there was no reason to panic. Tomas was most probably already on his way home and Olivia still had the app so she could find him again. All Marcus needed was to call her back and possibly head back to Tomas's house. He started walking towards his car when he changed his mind. Tomas was on foot, his apartment was only a few blocks away. Maybe he could catch up to him yet. So Marcus started walking down the street, his eyes looking for a familiar mop of head. He was still playing with the phone idly and as someone knocked into him on the busy street it almost went flying from his grip. Cursing after the guy, Marcus put the phone away and noted he was actually standing right in front of a church.

Something inside him stirred. That familiar longing and he didn't even know where his feet were leading him until he stepped inside. The coolness and semi darkness of the church felt like a balm on his soul. He hadn't visited a church for far too long. Even though he wasn't excommunicated but rather left on his own volition, he had a feeling he didn't belong, that he didn't have the right to be there. But maybe he was mistaken. Putting his fingers in the holy water and taking a knee before crossing himself, Marcus muttered a silent prayer and asked for forgiveness. Maybe sometime in the future he might even find enough courage to go to confession. Right now though he needed to help someone else to find their way.

Marcus was about to turn when he noted a familiar figure sitting in the last pew, head bowed, lips moving in prayer. Marcus blinked then looked at the figure of Jesus on the cross that was hanging from the ceiling in front of him.

"You do love working in mysterious ways, huh?" he muttered and felt awe settle over his soul, along with a wave of warmth. Marcus sat down in the last pew as well, only a feet or two away from Tomas, who seemed to be lost in thought. Marcus gave him a quick once over and wasn't happy with what he saw. Tomas's skin looked grayish and his hands holding the praying book were shaking slightly. The fact it took the boy a whole minute to realize someone was sitting right next to him even though the church was mostly empty was also alarming.

Tomas looked up shortly then froze as it took him a second to register Marcus. When he did, he visibly jerked and swallowed, his whole posture stiffening. Marcus could've sworn he saw a glint of fear in those brown eyes but it was gone too fast for him to be sure. Still, he frowned, disliking the idea that Tomas could ever have a reason to fear him.

"Hey," Tomas quietly said and Marcus replied "Hey yourself," in an equally hushed tone.

Tomas looked around as if searching for the presence of someone else, taking in the few people sitting sporadically in the other pews, not paying them any attention. He cleared his throat and put the praying book in his hands aside, as if ashamed of being caught in prayer.

"What... what are you doing here?" he asked, eyes only sweepingly catching Marcus's sight then quickly turning front and center, focusing on the statue of Jesus on the cross.

"I could ask you the same thing," Marcus said, keeping his voice soft, trying not to spook the boy. "We were supposed to catch up on some Latin if I'm not mistaken."

"So you what... stalked me?" Tomas frowned, fidgeting nervously.

"No, of course not. But you know how the saying goes, if the mountain doesn't come to Mohamed, Mohamed goes to the mountain."

"Still doesn't explain how you found me."

"I went to your place, met Olivia. Your sister was rather surprised you weren't with me, actually."

At the mention of his sister's name Tomas looked up, startled.

"I'm not sure how I should feel about the fact you lied about me to your sister not once but twice." Marcus didn't even have to pretend, the slight hurt was obvious in his voice. Tomas had the decency to look a bit ashamed at least as he ducked his head.

"That wasn't my plan," he muttered under his breath.

"Lying right inside the church? That's ballsy," Marcus said with a bit of humor and watched as Tomas clenched his teeth and shook his head, but didn't say another word. Marcus let out a heavy sigh.

"We really do need to talk, Tomas," he said seriously and for the first time since their parted ways on Saturday morning Tomas turned to fully face him, unblinking. Marcus was taken aback by how weary the kid really looked. This wasn't just physical weariness either. It was as if the weight of the whole world was on his shoulder and he was slowly but surely crumbling under it, bit by bit. Marcus couldn't stop the worry from showing on his own face and he reached out, putting a hand on Tomas's arm, wishing to take away some of that weight, to offer any help possible.

"Tell me how I can help." Marcus said and it sounded almost like a plea. Tomas gave a small, barely perceptible nod.

"Are you an exorcist?"

The question shouldn't have been surprising, not after Marcus found the books in Tomas's room. Yet it still caught him by surprise, the suddenness of it. No playing around anymore. Tomas seemed to go straight to the main topic. Marcus closed his eyes for a second then gave a nod, feeling Tomas's eyes boring into him.

"I used to be one. I'm not anymore... not by the church's standard."

Tomas nodded as if he was expecting that answer, yet still Marcus noted his breath quickening, the fingers on his right hand fidgeting, curling into a fist then relaxing repeatedly.

"You believe in God and the Devil," Tomas drily stated. "Do you also believe in demons?"

Marcus threw another look toward the Jesus on the cross, as if asking him for help or strength to continue this conversation, to not botch things up.

"Yes, I do," he said simply. There was no sense in lying about it to spare Tomas's feelings. "It is kind of a requirement to being an exorcist actually," he said, trying to ease the conversation with a bit of humor, but Tomas didn't even crack a smile. His face was set in stone.

"Was Gabriel real?"

Marcus knew there would be a question about Gabriel, was inwardly preparing for it ever since he left Olivia's place. Still, when it came, he felt ice in the pit of his stomach and knew his face must've shown some emotion, because Tomas blinked, startled.

"Yes, he was real. How... how do you know about Gabriel?"

There was a moment of silence and Tomas looked to be fighting down sudden nausea. Marcus could feel him trembling under his hand and he gave Tomas's shoulder a supportive squeeze.

"Tomas? Did you hear me talking about him last Friday night?" Marcus tried and was becoming more and more worried by the way Tomas's whole form started shaking. His eyes glistened with sudden tears even as he gave a small shake of head.

"Tell me, Tomas," Marcus said, his hand moving to cup the boy's face. Tomas seemed to get lost in that touch, some invisible barrier falling.

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," he whispered. "I had a dream and I got sick-"

"It's okay. Whatever you heard, I can explain..." Marcus said but Tomas shook his head.

"It's not what I heard, Marcus. It's... what I saw."

Marcus froze, trying to make sense of the words.

"I don't understand. What did you see?" Marcus asked with a frown on his face and Tomas took in a breath, bracing himself. Then he told him, his voice barely above a whisper, but Marcus didn't really need to hear every word to know. He lived through it after all and judging by Tomas's words, he did as well. The boy described every detail of the room Gabriel was held in. He recounted things Marcus never spoke about, not even to Peter. There was no way the boy could've known, except he did.

When Tomas quoted the nursery rhyme in Spanish at him, Marcus felt his own stomach churn. When Tomas spoke about the shadow taking over Gabriel's whole body just as the third pupil appeared, Marcus felt as if time stopped. He was back in that room himself, Tomas's shaky voice whispering the words from far away as Marcus saw Gabriel losing his fight. He could feel the darkness taking over, but he could never see it... not until now with Tomas's description. This was the moment he truly lost Gabriel. Everything else... the following hours spent in prayer were just the demon playing games with him.

"-he bent over and there was a crack and then... then his head started turning-" Tomas's eyes were wide with horror, filled with tears and sickness and Marcus was pulled back to reality as if he got slapped on the face.

"Stop!" he said, louder than he should've, getting several people turning towards them. He didn't care. The only important thing right now was Tomas. Tomas, who was obviously too lost in his own mind, his face screwed up in horror as he couldn't stop, his mouth moving silently, like a fish out of water.

"Stop it, Tomas," Marcus pleaded, both hands holding Tomas's face, his thumbs wiping away the silent tears on the boy's face.

In his peripheral vision Marcus noted the approach of a priest and he chanced a look up from Tomas, giving the man a resolute shake of head. The priest stopped a few feet from them.

"Do you need any help, son?" he asked, not dissuaded by Marcus's glare. He logically knew the priest was just worried and trying to offer help, but Marcus felt a strong wave of territoriality sweep over him. Tomas was his to protect, his to offer spiritual guidance. Tomas just opened up to him and Marcus would be damned if he let some other priest swoop in and let that progress get lost.

"We're alright, father." Marcus spoke, his voice steel, but the priest was nothing if not persistent as he reached out and touched Tomas on the shoulder.

"Are you sure?"

The stranger's touch did what Marcus didn't manage... it pulled Tomas back into reality, even though it was a rather violent comeback. Tomas jerked away, eyes wide and unblinking as he scooted back, towards Marcus. The priest realized his mistake and put his hands up in a gesture indicating he meant no harm. Marcus wanted to growl at him but was surprised by Tomas backing up into him, so all he could do was grab the teenager and steady him.

"It's okay, calm down. You're safe," Marcus said, repeating it several times until Tomas finally took in his surroundings.

"I-I'm sorry, father, I... I need to go," Tomas stuttered, embarrassed by being once again the center of everyone's attention as well as still looking shaken from his recounting. Not giving any of the men a chance to speak, Tomas bolted, running out of the church. Marcus cursed.

"I've got this," Marcus said to the priest who looked to be intent on following the boy out of concern, even as Marcus was already on his feet. He didn't look back to check if the priest got the memo, he was just hoping that Tomas in his confusion didn't run out into the traffic.

Luck was on his side though. Tomas didn't make it far, barely to the corner of the church, where he was now bent over, one hand leaning against the cold stone of the building, while the other was clutching at his stomach. His eyes were closed and he was breathing hard, fighting off another bout of nausea.

"Oh kid," Marcus put a hand on his back, getting a wince in response before Tomas recognized his voice.

"It was real... all of it," Tomas said between bouts of dry heaving and Marcus knew it wasn't a question but a statement.

"I'm afraid so," he still said and cringed when he heard Tomas's breathing quicken.

"Hey, let's go. You need a break, kid."

Marcus took hold of Tomas's arm when it looked like the heaving stopped. He was still startled by the flinch and the look of fear in Tomas's eyes as he led him back towards his parked car.

"Olivia knows I'm taking you home with me," he soothed the teen, reminding himself to actually send a message to Olivia once he got the chance and to update her. "Come on, you need to lie down then we need to talk."

The drive to Marcus's house was spent in total silence. The only words Tomas uttered were "I can do it," when Marcus navigated him into the passenger seat and was about to secure the seatbelt. He let Tomas do it, then got into the driver's seat and started the car. He looked over towards Tomas, noting his pallor with worry. The teen was looking out of the passenger window, squinting as if it was too bright, even though the weather was downcast and the sun was hidden behind dark clouds. At one point, while the car stopped at a crossroad and a group of people passed by, Tomas visibly flinched and grit his teeth, then he shut his eyes firmly, fists clenched. Marcus let him rest, wondering just what was running through the teens head causing all that anguish and what could he do to stop it.