multipleoccupancy

[multipleoccupancy]

Her kind words earned another tear from him, his eyes sore from crying previously burned with the sensation but it was the good kind. It was quite the compliment from Samantha to be called kind and brave though he did know they were close and she might have been pandering, it was still well received considering he thought much the same of her.

Violet's tenacity had been something to behold and he realised in that moment that Samantha had not seen what he had seen in the ward but she had witnessed it while Sloane had been trying to call down Fire Vampires. "I don't know if that's a good thing," her being like a younger version of him, he had not exactly been careful, hell he still wasn't. "She fought back too, she bit two of them and kicked a nurse in the face, she broke his nose." Despite it all, even how he shivered and kept himself on the floor there was just a note of pride in that statement too. "She's the toughest person I've met." And in part it scared him for what was ahead. She couldn't fight everything.

"I am sure she thinks you're very cool," he commented, Darlene was still very small by his recollection, "There's no one cooler than Mom. I should know." He cracked a smile for Andrea but thought it was true for Samantha too. He was reminded of his parents and he wondered if he would have the heart to tell them now that he could remember their visits and what was said. His heart that bit heavier as he debated with himself about getting off the floor.

She was doing a fine job of easing his worries around what Delta Green might do with his failure. Agents needed breaks he knew that, he went out and saw it for himself often enough, somehow he just struggled to let that apply to him too. "Thank you," he told her, for her reassurance and he was quite sure she really would knock out any handler's teeth that dared to send him anywhere in the meantime. "I have his file on the desk," he pointed to where he had seen Violet place it earlier. He sniffled and started to push himself from the floor again, wobbling a little before he sat back with his head against the desk, taking a moment to look at Samantha, so grateful for her coming to him.

"You know Davidson threatened to return me to the ward if I ever failed?" She likely did know, he didn't doubt it was in his file somewhere. "It's closed down now. He can't do that. Can he?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Samantha looked at him seriously. "Yes, you can get over it again," she assured him. "You're resilient, Killian. You're tough. You've been through a lot, and you've still become one of the kindest, bravest men I know." They had been through a lot together, too. She'd been there right by his side in many of his worst moments. Most of them were haunted by the same, towering shadow. Sloane. But this moment, this horrible moment in the ward, he had faced it without her. Much like Violet, she wished she could have been there for him.

"I know," she chuckled, shaking her head. "She's quite fearless. She reminds me of you when you were younger." She smiled. And even now, you two are very alike." She doubted anyone could tell she was adopted. Violet was so very much like her father—brave and reckless, with a strong sense of justice and an almost dangerous urge to protect the people she loved.

"First pick of Disney movies? Now that's an honor." But of course, Samantha was a mom and would let the kids choose anyway. And as long as it wasn't Paw Patrol, she would indeed be quite satisfied. "I wish there was a cool dog show about HR reps," she laughed, "at least Darlene would think I have a great, exciting job." But then again, she used to have an exciting job. Too exciting, actually.

She shook her head. "Don't be sorry," she corrected him firmly, "you're not the first agent to need a break, ok? It happens to everyone. And I'll knock the teeth out of any handler who tries to give you crap about it." Killian probably knew she meant it. "I sent three agents after him, they're based in New York. I haven't gotten any updates yet. But you did everything you needed to. You warned me fast enough for me to send backup." She hoped it would reassure him a little bit, since he was so much "by the book".

[multipleoccupancy]

He could rely on Samantha to knock him down if he did lose control. They had both learned in the field that it was necessary to know and he trusted her completely to do it for him if the need ever came up. He didn't think he could ever hurt his family but he was not naïve enough to think that he shouldn't have it in the back of his mind, especially with his intrusive thoughts. He had never knowingly acted on them but he'd certainly had his moments where coming to his senses had been quite the shock. He'd be destroyed if he ever hurt his family or Samantha.

"A signature move," he said of his throat punches and thought maybe he would adopt them again in his work, they seemed to be very effective and would no doubt work very well against chanting cultists. They couldn't chant if they couldn't breathe right? She was right of course, he needed to give himself time. He'd bounced back fast in his youth but he also hadn't remembered much of it properly until then. He couldn't be down with it for months, he knew Delta Green wouldn't care and as much as he admired Samantha, he suspected he would be put right back to work whether she liked it or not. "I got over it decades ago, I can again." He tried to convince himself.

He would have to let out all of the emotions, he knew them nearly off by heart after Sloane's betrayal. At least he was not severely injured this time, just mentally and emotionally spent. Would it be harder to recover from that? He was comforted by Samantha's reminder she would be there, understanding it was in an agent's sense of protecting his family from him if needs be. "Thank you," he said without elaboration, it wasn't needed. "Violet can and has picked locks," he reminded her needlessly, Samantha must have known given Violet had turned up to fight Sloane with the gun meant to be in his gun safe in his locked office.

He did manage a smile, it cracked onto his face painfully as she spoke of Darlene and the new movie of the month. "She has good taste." A tear escaped and rolled down his cheek. He was safe and at home and decades away from the ward. "You get to have first pick on Disney movies here," she deserved a break. "Paw Patrol can wait." His cracked smile faded away and he made to sit up a little more, almost reminiscent of the boy in Ophir in the blankets looking at the stars through the window. "I'm sorry about Middle-Sized Tony. I just knew I couldn't finish the mission." Obviously, he still hadn't actually managed to pick himself up from the floor since he texted her but she didn't know that. "What's the likely forfeit?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Samantha would have liked to tell Killian that he would never hurt Violet. But she knew that things were not that simple. She had seen agents turn against fellow agents, friends, and even loved ones. When the mind slipped away, terrible things could happen. It was useless to pretend otherwise, that would not reassure him at all. "I understand," she said instead, "nothing happened earlier, and I'm here now. It's gonna be ok."

"You punched them in the throat, hm?" she then said with an appreciative whistle, to try and lighten the mood, "that sounds like a pretty effective move to me." And, knowing Violet, she had a feeling she had fought back, too. If she wasn't afraid to shoot Sloane, she wouldn't be afraid to attack a mean orderly either.

She nodded. "I know. It's all jumbled together for now, but it's gonna get easier. You just have to give it time." Time, Samantha knew, was often the best and only medicine for the mind. Nothing was as efficient as patience. Humans were terribly resilient if you just gave them the time.

"You're gonna have to express all these emotions, to let them out," she also explained, "but I'll be here, ok? I'll help you." And they both knew that, should he snap, she could handle him. It was a strange bond that only Delta Green agents could understand. Trusting someone with your life, yes. And trusting them to stop you when needed, too.

A little chuckle left her lips. "It sure is. I know all the songs, now. I'm impressed that you recognized the ocean landscape, I see you have quite the experience when it comes to baby art." She smiled at the praise. Samantha, like every mother, agreed. Her daughter was amazing at everything. Obviously!

[multipleoccupancy]

Theo nodded for her advice on what to do if he felt himself slipping back into thinking he was in the ward. Little and simple things would be easy to do and he trusted Samantha's advice. After all she did see a lot of very troubled agents in her line of work.

Reassured that Samantha would talk to Violet, he settled himself again, drawing in a deep breath. "I didn't want her alone with me," he said quietly, still worrying for Violet and her own state, wishing he could help and be that support she needed. He was so grateful for Samantha, Violet needed someone who understood what was really going on. "I would lash out at the orderlies a lot, I used to punch them in the throat. I didn't want to risk it with her." If she leaned to hug him or managed to trigger him in some other way. "She needs someone who knows what's happening." He was of no use in the moment, he could at least acknowledge that and if rule breaking meant that Violet would have someone to help her then he would break every rule there was to do so.

Mauve had indeed been in pyjamas and tied her hair up in a strip from the hem of his right leg. She wore her bruised face and sore arm and side. He sighed deeply, lost for how he could help her. "Yeah," he said of Samantha's suggestion on focusing on differences. "It was easier when her face was a blur," he huffed a small false laugh and shook his head on the pillow. Poor Violet, what must she be thinking?

Her confession to being worried about him earned a little glance of apologetic concern her way. But he accepted the folded paper as she offered it out to him, taking it with a shaking hand of his own to look over the squiggly lines and the attempts of circles. "Little Mermaid is the new favourite?" He asked, assuming it was an underwater landscape. He cracked a little smile and genuinely admired the work for a moment, he had always been such a sucker for kids. "She's quite the artist."

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Theo could finally describe how he felt, which, while it was an improvement, wasn't really comforting. Exhausted and afraid. She offered him another encouraging smile. She had noticed his flinch, but she knew it wasn't about her. He was in a state of distress and shock. It still broke her heart a little bit, to think of all the horrible things the orderlies had done to him, to the point where he would flinch, 22 years later.

"That's ok," she said about his lack of sleep, "you can have a nap later, if you feel like you can sleep." She could imagine that closing his eyes revealed all sorts of horrors to him. "And whenever you feel like you are back in the ward, try to list a few things you can see and hear around you. The floorboard, the New York skyline, Violet walking around the flat... It'll ground you back to the present."

Samantha wasn't surprised to hear that Violet blamed herself. While she had probably triggered the episode, it still wasn't her fault. But she knew what it felt like, to be a kid and to see your dad break into pieces. She knew it very well. The guilt, the despair, the helplessness. "She'll be ok," she promised him, "I'll talk to her. About this, and about the therapist too." She already knew about the Star Vampire, Theo had told her this morning. But she didn't point that out, instead nodding slowly. That certainly confirmed her theories when it came to Violet's stained arms. "Andrea patched her up," she reminded him gently, "but I can look at her stitches later, to make sure they're healing properly."

Mauve? Her eyebrows rose up and fell back down when he explained. "That's normal", she reassured him, "to her, it happened a few hours ago, but to you, it's been decades. It's all coming back now. Of course, it's hard for you to tell them apart. Mauve and Violet are the same person, but right now, maybe you need them to be different. It's easier to digest." She paused pensively. "You could try to focus on the differences, like what she's wearing. I'm assuming "Mauve" wore the ward's pajamas, but Violet is wearing her normal clothes."

A gentle smile curved her lips. "I'm worried about you," she replied honestly. "But I'm glad I'm here." She had told Craig the truth, or part of it at least, that her oldest friend was going through a hard time and needed help. Samantha grabbed a folded piece of paper and handed it to him. It was covered in colorful scribbles, nothing but shaky lines, and a few hesitant circles. "A gift from Darlene," she explained with a little chuckle.

[multipleoccupancy]

Samantha's reassurances were welcomed even if it didn't visually seem so. He flinched as she adjusted his blanket, nervous of the feel of contact but settled as she got to his pillow. Samantha, like Violet and Andrea, was not going to hurt him. She asked how he was and he wasn't sure how to answer her again, but this time he at least gave something in the way of an attempt. "Exhausted and afraid," needlessly afraid, logically he knew perfectly well he wasn't in the ward but with everything so fresh in his head, it was hard to make that distinction. "I didn't sleep," he drew in a breath, knowing he had promised he would try.

Violet was of course the preferred topic, she was easier to speak about even if he was struggling with the Mauve side of it all. "She's worried about me. She thinks she triggered this." Which she had but it had not been her fault. "She doesn't want to see the therapist." Which he understood completely even if he wished she would have agreed to go and speak to her, the sooner she did the better. "She was bleeding last night, she fought a star vampire in the ward last night." He shook his head, Violet still needed care and attention too.

"I look at her and I see Mauve," he explained in a quiet whisper in case Violet was listening in. "She used a different name in the ward, now with everything... back, I can remember her face as if it was yesterday because it was yesterday for her." She had literally not aged a day!

He studied Samantha beside him thoughtfully. Sorry to have dragged her away from Craig and her children for his sake and in the middle of a mission no less. "How are you?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Samantha wasn't as rigid with the rules as Killian was. And, as the Human Resources representative of the Program, she knew very well that not many people were. Most agents, like them, became friends after a while. And, unlike them, they never hesitated all that much to bend the rules. But she understood why he was so rigid, and she could imagine that her presence was both a relief and a source of worries.

So, she was touched when he thanked her, even if thanks were not necessary. "You're my best friend," she reminded him gently, "I'll always be there for you." She glanced at him, made sure the blanket covered him properly, then she checked his pillow and sat back down.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. She knew the answer already. He was feeling bad. Very bad. But she wanted to see if he would be able to formulate an answer now that a few hours had passed. "Did you manage to sleep a little bit?"

"How is Violet doing?" It would be an easier question for him to answer, and it would ground him back into the present. She had noticed that Violet's hands and forearms were stained red but hadn't asked why. She could hear the washing machine whirring in the distance, and considering what had happened to her, she could somewhat guess what she was doing. "Did you talk to her a little bit?"

[multipleoccupancy]

Theo pretended to be asleep when Violet returned with a blanket and his pillow. His closed eyes not brining him all that much mercy from the memories and the worry of what might happen to him with his guard down but he stayed still. He was deeply touched when Violet decided to put his head on the pillow anyway, a reassurance that he was actually safe despite what was going through his head.

He heard her walk from the room and opened his eyes again, this time able to stare out of the office window at the building opposite and the sky above. Seeing outside was its own reassurance, blue skies and a soft pillow with a warm blanket. Images and memories still flashed through his mind and he did have to check with twitches and careful touches to make sure he wasn't restrained nor that he was about to be electrocuted or that anyone was going to thunder into the room to attack him. Sleep didn't come though, not that he was trying particularly hard to achieve it.

He heard the doorbell going, another short pull back into the apartment and away from the ward. Samantha was there. He didn't move. He wanted to and was even trying to convince himself to do so but nothing came of it. Samantha was sat down next to him anyway and he eventually managed to move to look to her properly, ashamed of having to bring her to New York like that. "Hey." He said back, his voice still struggling with the delivery of tone, he was pleased to see her as he always was but everything was just too much. "Thanks for coming," he said as his best greeting he could offer in the moment, still so very nervous of the rule breaking going on. "You didn't have to do this."

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Her father seemed to accept her reluctance to see the therapist, but Violet suspected that he simply didn't have the energy to argue. No doubt that he would bring up the subject again later, when he felt better. For now, she relaxed next to him, unaware that it was his fear of the orderlies that had prompted his acceptance. Even though the ward was closed, and he was home, and no orderly could ever see or hurt him again.

"Of course," she quickly assured him as she sprung to her feet. She stood there for an extra minute, waiting to hear the sound of the front door closing. She didn't want her siblings rushing to the office if they saw her walking out of it. Violet heard the familiar pitter-patter of tiny feet running through the corridor, the giggles of Ben, and Klaus' voice as he asked something to their mom. Then, the 'clack' of the front door closing, the jingling of keys, and the clicking sound of the lock.

"I'll be right back." And with that, she exited the office and walked up to the living room, where she picked up a blanket, and his bedroom, where she took his pillow. By the time she returned to the office, her father seemed to have fallen asleep already. She carefully put the pillow under his head, and the blanket over him, and, leaving the door open just in case, she went to her bedroom to see the extent of the damage.

It looked like a crime scene. Violet grimaced, and, rolling up her sleeves, gathered up all the sheets and shoved them in the washing machine. It was good, to have a task to focus on. It took her a few hours to scrub the mattress, and it still looked pinkish by the time she heard the doorbell.

Was it noon already? She went to the front door and looked through the spyhole. Samantha was standing there, holding a suitcase. She opened the door and welcomed her inside. They had a short talk, where Violet explained her father's state with a shaky voice, and Samantha promised her that he would be ok, that he just needed time. Then, she led Samantha to the office and swiftly returned to her room to finish cleaning the mattress.

Samantha walked up to the desk and sat down on the floor, next to Killian. "Hey there," she said softly. She had mastered the art of smiling better than Violet, because even though her eyes were incredibly sad, her smile was gentle and encouraging.

[multipleoccupancy]

An unfortunate misunderstanding as Theo didn't realise his flinch had caused her to back off and was himself surprised she had not returned. Perhaps his therapist suggestion had been too brash? He could empathise though, he'd probably be the same if someone suggested it to him in the moment.

Her reminder about his knife gave him hesitation and he patted his pocket, the knife wasn't there. He'd really been out of it apparently. He looked around the floor near by but had no idea where it was, beyond the office door somewhere. Likely by his side of the bed. Maybe it was best he didn't have it? Violet's traps would be enough. He trusted that. He ran a hand through his hair, gripping at it though he wasn't pulling. He had clearly completely let his guard down, so consumed with the past that he had lost all sight and hold on the present. What if a Hound had turned up? What if one still did turn up? Could or would he move? He wasn't even sure.

Violet's counter was sweet though, and he looked to her with a ghost of a smile in thanks. He certainly didn't feel it in that moment but he couldn't argue either. Even as she insisted she didn't need any help. Yes she did! But again he didn't have the capacity to talk it out and he wasn't about to enter into an argument with her either. He didn't want to be sedated for being 'dangerously upset'.

"Ok," he accepted after a moment, though it wasn't a very convinced one as his eyes landed on the light grey carpet between them. Oh it looked very inviting just to lie back down on the floor again. No one would have any excuse to harm him if he was just on the floor out of the way in his cell. "I am not going to make you do anything." He tried to reassure her but his voice was low, even a little scared as he worried about the orderlies.

He should send Mauve to do something, she liked tasks. Violet. Not Mauve. Theo pressed his hands to his forehead. "Could you find me a blanket or something? I'm cold." Was all he could muster as some excuse. Andrea would be leaving with the other kids soon, Violet should be safely out of the way just in case too. Maybe he could pretend to be asleep and she would prepare the bed for Samantha? He was so afraid of upsetting her or hurting her.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Whatever comfort her father's praise had brought her, it was swiftly undone when he flinched as she went to hug her. Her heart opened in two again, she could almost feel it bleed inside her chest. Why had he flinched? Was he mad at her? Violet had not realized that it was the ward's rule, that stupid and yet violently enforced "no-touching" rule, that had made her dad flinch. She assumed it was her, that it was her hug.

And now that she had broken the hug, she was hesitant to hug him again, in fear that he would flinch, again. She wrapped her arms around her knees. At least, her dad was not going to force her to see a therapist. But, then, he insisted anyway. "I'm fine," she assured him. It was a lie. She wasn't fine, obviously she wasn't fine. But she was holding up. She just needed to keep busy.

She noticed the way he checked the corners. "If you have your knife, they can't smell you," she reminded him gently. Not to mention the traps she had installed all around the house. But she understood his fear. She felt it too. Her blood ran colder when she thought about the Hound in the ward. She still didn't know if it was real or a hallucination.

Violet frowned. She didn't like that he had pointed at himself, as if he was a bad example, somehow. "I think you're brave and strong," she countered.

"I don't need help." You're a killer, Dr. Heartland had said, you belong here. "I'm fine, Dad." She didn't like lying to him. But she couldn't tell him that she was too scared to see the therapist. That, even though she knew her and had talked to her before, she was terrified she would still call her a killer, too. That she would call her delusional. That she would end up locked up in a ward, somewhere. If she told her dad any of that, then he would just worry about her. And right now, she was worried about him.

[multipleoccupancy]

She leaned in to hug him, he saw her coming, knew it was her but with the rules refreshed in his head that no one should be touching, he couldn't stop the small flinch as she actually made contact. He was quick to try and fix it though by hugging her back, she needed him. "Thank you." He gave back for the compliment, just accepting it. He didn't have much other choice while he half scanned the door way over her head in case an orderly appeared. None came of course, they were 20 years behind them.

If he had remembered about the blood he'd have protested, for now though Theo had forgotten that Violet's injury from the monster had only been hours ago for her and not 22 years. Trusting her to take care of the sofa bed all the same and forgetting their plan to spare Violet that drama by him sleeping on the couch instead. In truth, Theo wasn't really able to think passed the office door aside from the occasional happy squeal or rushed comment to get ready faster. He could hear them at the door putting their shoes on.

Violet pulled free of the hug and Theo checked the door again. No orderly. He frowned a little in confusion but had let Violet go when she pulled away. He studied her as she claimed to be ok. Well no she clearly was not or she would have agreed to see the therapist, Theo knew it because he was the same. He shook his head, still watching her. "I'm not going to make you go," he reassured her, he wasn't a complete hypocrite, "but your hesitation is sign that you should."

Theo then very suddenly remembered about Hounds and took to checking the corners of the room, once, twice and thrice. He hadn't checked all night! He had been lucky! His hand on his thumping heart he put his head back on the desk and closed his eyes. Bad idea. "They can help," he then insisted. "You should nip it in the bud or you will end up like this." He indicated to himself.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

At her father's praise, more tears welled up in Violet's eyes, and she could not contain the sob that escaped her throat. She didn't feel like a good daughter, lately. Not after she had caused her dad all this pain. But his words were like a balm, healing the open wound in her heart a little bit. "Thank you," she croaked, leaning in to hug him. "You're a great dad. The best."

Violet didn't mind sharing her room with Samantha, but of course, there was the problem of her blood-soaked bed. She supposed she could clean it today, while her siblings were at school and Samantha stayed with her dad. Blood couldn't be too hard to wash out... right? Besides, Violet liked having a task to focus on for the day. She could clean up her room and prepare the sofa bed so that Samantha could sleep comfortably. "I'll take care of it," she assured her dad, still holding him in her arms.

But she let go of him at his question. The therapist. She opened her mouth and closed it again, finding that words had escaped her throat entirely. She thought about Dr. Heartland, and how he had called her delusional. A killer. She thought about the sedatives jabbed into her arms and legs. She thought about the shock baton slammed into her side. She thought about the orderly calling her a bitch and slapping her across the face.

Her hands were sweaty, and her mouth dry. She wanted to tell her dad that yes, of course, she would. But she just couldn't. The words wouldn't leave her lips. They kept hitting her teeth. She didn't want to go see the therapist.

"I-... ah... but- I'm fine, Dad. I'm ok, I swear."

[multipleoccupancy]

He could hear her uncertainty but didn't know how to remedy it, he felt quite helpless himself in the moment and he was sad Violet had to see him in such a state. He still counted himself lucky he had managed to put her to bed before he had let himself fall apart properly. "He would love another dinosaur," Theo agreed, not considering the the potential dangers of a triceratops in the hands of Ben.

Grateful for her offer to help Andrea with the rest of the family, Theo reached a hand out again to squeeze gently at Violet's arm, "Thank you. You're a good daughter." He praised her though he wasn't all too sure how much rest he would be getting she was right, he needed to properly rest at some point.

Ah. Yes. Where was Samantha going to stay? She would be with them. In his home, with his family. He had failed his mission and was breaking all of the rules. Davidson had no power over him anymore but the wording of that deal and just how brutal Delta Green could be wasn't lost on him. He fretted quietly about the consequences but Samantha was coming whether he liked it or not, which he knew would help and take some of the pressure off of Andrea and help Violet too.

"I think we will need to get the sofa bed from your room sorted out." He said, forgetting her room was covered in blood but thankfully he wasn't going anywhere fast and so would be spared that scene. "We don't have many spare rooms these days." Another nervous and shaky breath. His worlds colliding was hardly a comfort, he trusted Samantha but for everything that was going on, he wasn't sure if he should trust himself. He should leave. Theo rubbed his head and tucked his legs up against himself again absently. "She will be here soon." He repeated from earlier, he owed Samantha so very much. "Would you go to speak to the therapist?" He asked out of the blue, worrying for Violet and what she had been through as his mind bounced between his own experiences and what he knew Violet had endured.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Violet could tell that her dad had tried to make a joke, even if his voice was unusually abrupt, especially for a joke. But she smiled anyway, not quite managing a chuckle. "Thirty sounds safe enough," she confirmed, trying in turn to be playful. Of course, her voice, though it wasn't abrupt, was sad and wobbly. "In the meantime, he has the dinosaur I made him. Maybe I'll just make him a new one. A Triceratops." But he could find ways to be a menace with that, too.

She nodded at her dad's explanations about Samantha. Violet knew that she did not work for the FBI, but her mom believed that she did. It was only half a lie. Samantha really was her dad's colleague. Just, she worked for another organization.

"Of course," she promised her dad, attempting another little smile. "and I'll help mom with everythin', too. You don't have to worry about any of it." She breathed in. "You just need to rest." And get better. Please, Dad, get better, she pleaded silently.

"Is she goin' to stay here? I'm glad I'm goin' to meet her properly." The first time she had met Samantha, she was in another timeline. And the second time she met Samantha, they were both fighting Sloane and trying to rescue her dad. And sure, she wasn't exactly going to meet her under normal circumstances this time either, but Violet wasn't sure normal circumstances were part of her life anymore.

[multipleoccupancy]

Maybe if he could trigger an episode, he would be distracted enough by that, the apparently mundane that he wouldn't have room to think about the ward. He could certainly feel as if one was coming on but he didn't know how and worried that it would be an angry episode which Violet absolutely did not deserve to see. He considered sending her away but in some part of his mind he knew even though he wanted space, being alone would make it much harder to keep his head.

Beyond the door the rest of the family were clearly getting ready for school. The tell tale sound of Ben hurtling down the hallway, stomp, stomp, stomp passed the closed office door. Lou no doubt a moment later walking sensibly and quietly towards the breakfast table. He felt awful for leaving Andrea to deal with them all, but he couldn't do it. His eyes drifted back to Violet, uncertain and a little worried that he was going to only see Mauve looking back at him, which of course he did, they were the same person.

"Your Mom is right," he said of Ben accidentally breaking a window. "Maybe in a few years." He tried hard there to think of some humour to put in, to make Violet laugh, to try and convince her he was ok and still in there. "maybe thirty or so." he offered out but the bluntness of his tone might have made it too harsh. He could even hear himself over the humming of the machine and the quiet cracks of the device as they tested it beside him. He rubbed his wrists with his hands, he wasn't stuck.

"Samantha will be here soon," he pointed out, a few hours away mind but what was a few hours to him right now? "She works for the FBI, in HR." He told her so she understood what to tell her mother. "You might have to protect her from Ben." He said, managing a flash of a smile that didn't quite stick as fresh tears finally formed and fell, starting to lift that horrible ache in his chest as they did. "Will you do that for me?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

One day, Violet repeated in her mind. After high school, and after college. It seemed so distant. She couldn't imagine what her life was going to be like, at 23. Would she still travel in her sleep? Would the Horned One still torment her?

She used to know exactly what the future had in store for her. Or so she thought, at least. She used to plan it all. Becoming an engineer and building machines. But now, the future seemed uncertain and scary. Time didn't make a lot of sense anymore, either. She had met her father in the past. A few hours ago for her, 20 years ago for him.

"Of course," she assured him hurriedly. Violet didn't care what they talked about, as long as it helped her dad. As long as it kept him away from the ward. "We have plenty of time." She was just 14, after all. The FBI wouldn't be for another 9 years, since they had some decency. Unlike the Program.

More tears welled up in her eyes. "We would," she confirmed. They already made a great team. But she kept that thought to herself. She didn't want to bring up the ward. She had to swallow it all and keep it buried in her chest. The good, and the bad.

Violet would have recited the periodic table if her father had asked her to. But talking about her inventions of course came easier to her. "Oh- yes," she stammered, "I was goin' to build a helicopter for Ben and Lou, but mom thinks Ben is too young still. She's worried he'll break a window with it." That, and her mom thought she had injured herself building said helicopter, which of course wasn't true. "But it's ok, I've got other things I want to work on." Traps, mostly.

[multipleoccupancy]

Unaware of the extent of Violet's worrying over him and the guilt she was carrying with it, Theo tried to focus on her wanting to join the FBI, trying to set his mind into motion on what she had to do to get into the academy. However, he only heard Davidson's voice telling him the conditions of his deal. His shoulders fell a little but he tried once again to pull himself together as he spoke to Violet.

Her tears tugged at his heart and he reached out an uncertain hand to land on her arm. Just a comfort, something for her to use to ground herself while he couldn't work it out himself. "One day." He said in something of a promise, he could help her get into the academy. He'd done it before, she could do it too she was more than capable. She'd not risk failing and plunging her family back into severe poverty or back in the ward. His head twitched and his eyes closed to cast the thought away but oh, how it welcomed the images of the therapy room. He opened his eyes again and rubbed his forehead.

"We can talk about it all later, huh?" He nearly pleaded. His lip quivering as he flinched at the sound of a machine that wasn't even there turning on. He rubbed his head again, there was nothing there. "We'd make a great team," he said in some reminiscence of their previous discussions from all that time ago, fresh for Violet of course. He had to think of something to do, he could feel he wanted to go back to the floor again but couldn't do that in front of Violet. "Why don't you tell me about your latest invention? Helicopters right?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

"She was," Violet confirmed with a little smile. It still felt alien on her lips, smiling. It hurt her cheeks and her lip, which was still uncomfortably sore. But it was good to smile anyway. Even if it was difficult, even if she wanted to cry and scream instead.

The box was full of so many memories. Magnets, snow globes, and keychains from roadside attractions. Necklaces and bracelets she'd never seen before. A whole life, in a little box. And in this box, her drawing. She unconsciously covered it with the photo, and then with a few other things too. As if she wanted to bury the memory in her dad's mind again. She worried that had she had broken would never be fixed, and it terrified her so much that it made it hard for her to breathe.

She nodded. "That sounds kind of nice," she said, trying to picture herself running and shooting, or studying in a big, imposing library. Maybe she'd like that. Yes, she thought she would. But unfortunately for Violet, she would never get the chance to find out.

Her revelation did seem to cheer up her dad a little bit. His smile couldn't quite be heard in his voice, but he was smiling, and that was still a good start. The last time they had talked about the FBI, it had ended up in a terrible fight about Delta Green. But no fighting this time.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I would like that very much too." It was all she'd ever wanted. Working with her dad. She thought about Theo- no, her dad. Her dad, as a teenager, telling her that they should work together in the FBI, in a special monster-hunting branch. More tears piled up in her eyes, pushing the other, and soon her cheeks were wet again.

[multipleoccupancy]

Theo thought back on Niagara Falls, remembering when it is they went, it was years ago now of course but the distraction was working while he thought of the details and replayed them in his head, slowly displacing the other fouler memories. "We were four months into our relationship," he explained, his voice still a little unnatural but there was that warmth in there too, tucked up but present. "She was very beautiful," he said of Andrea rather than the falls themselves.

Next he was being handed his old ID, the print on the card fading a little and the blue signature of his coach all but gone. His photo was in great condition though and he looked over his face in thought, unable to stop as he pressed his fingers to his burned cheek. "I was twenty three," he told her truthfully, understanding what she was doing and he was grateful for it as he twigged, though it was hard to joke. "I suppose it was a little like that, lots of running and shooting and long nights in the dark library studying." He could not fail. He could not go back to the ward. He had to work hard and pass with flying colours.

It again took longer than it should have for him to register what Violet was saying. She wanted to join the FBI? Did that mean she no longer wanted to join Delta Green? If he had just waited it out without fighting her about it would he have spared the pair of them all that drama in his own insistence? "That's great." He said, his face a shade brighter even if it still didn't hit his voice. "That's really, really great."

He turned a little to face her, still mindful not to close his eyes for too long or let his thoughts drift but her face was something of a paradox, he wanted to comfort her but right now she was only reminding him of the ward. He forced another unconvincing smile but his eyes found water from somewhere. "I'd love to work with you in the FBI." A genuine comment, he really would love to work with her there, it was so much safer than Delta Green work and of course actually paid off.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Unaware of the intrusive thoughts that plagued her father's mind, she continued to rummage through the box, looking for things she could use to shift his focus. When the photograph seemed to work, Violet managed her first proper smile of the day. "Niagara Falls," she repeated softly, "it must have been beautiful. When did you go?" She took the photo when he handed it back to her, and put it in the box, hoping the memory would help him.

Then, she plucked his FBI Academy ID and inspected it for a few seconds. "How old were you when you joined the Academy?" she asked, handing it to him, "how was it? Was it like in Silence of the Lambs?" She was teasing him, of course. Violet wasn't sure jokes would land right now, but his voice was a little bit warmer than before, and she wanted to try and keep him as far away from the ward as possible.

"I've been thinkin' about the FBI," she admitted, still trying to talk about anything but the ward. "I think maybe I'd like to do somethin' like you... catchin' bad guys."

Her meeting with Agent Davidson had put a damper on Violet's ambitions of joining Delta Green. She wanted to help people, but did she really want to work for an organization that didn't hesitate to lock up children in a psychiatric ward? But maybe if she worked with the FBI, she could catch bad guys and still hunt monsters on her own. She hadn't needed Delta Green so far! Why would she need them then? It wasn't a thought she was completely formulated, until now. And while she knew it wasn't the time to talk about her future, she was really just trying to keep her dad's mind grounded in this moment, now, in his office. And not in the ward, 20 years ago.

[multipleoccupancy]

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Theo had noted that Violet would have liked for him to draw another design for a pendant for her. It had registered despite everything that was happening even if he didn't have any ideas in the moment, the way his mind worked with his disorders, he would undoubtedly be reminded eventually. Maybe he'd even obsess over it, who knew. He caught how her words didn't sound right from her either and glanced her way as she went for the box. Concerned but unable to put the pieces together to fix it either.

Letting her see her own art work from what had been over twenty years ago for him, Theo just busied himself staring at that orchid. His mind throwing reminders of behind slammed onto a table by Cecil. He startled just a little and blinked to try and get the image away. He envisioned smashing Cecil's face into the brick wall, a bloody mark on the peeling white paint and dark red spots on both of their pyjamas. He rubbed down his face, knowing it was an intrusive thought which quickly morphed into using a chair to smash him into the ground.

The next thing he knew he was looking at himself and Andrea, smiling into the camera. Oh god he looked almost goofy! He blinked before gently moving to take the image with a shaking hand and look at it properly, clinging to it mentally as his head was finally given a break after hours of torment. He looked at Andrea's face, her smile and eyes and let out a slow breath, studying it carefully. "Niagara Falls," he answered her, again not quite right. "A man offered to take our photo," he sputtered what might have passed as a laugh as he remembered. "He put the focus completely on us, not the falls in the background. It's my favourite. Nothing else mattered. I don't remember the falls very well, I just remember her. It's perfect." His voice had regained some of its warmth as he kept looking over it. Maybe he should tare it up. Theo handed the photo right back to Violet.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Violet smiled, but her smile would have been bigger and more convincing if her dad hadn't sounded quite so robotic, as if trying to recite the words from memory. "Thanks, Dad," she said, and she found that her own words came out of her lips all broken into little pieces, "I'd like that very much."

And she would like that. A lot. But it was hard for her to picture a moment where her dad would feel good enough to draw her anything. As she looked at him and heard his voice, she feared he would stay this way forever. The thought made all the blood turn to ice in her veins.

With his authorization, she stood up and walked up to the cabinet to retrieve the box. She walked back to the desk, sat down, and opened the box next to her dad. If it was full of treasures and precious memories, maybe they would help him. And indeed, she found a photo of him and her mom and his FBI ID badge. She also found the drawing, which had faded, just like he'd said. But here it was anyway. She had drawn it only a few days ago, and yet she had also drawn it 20 years ago. It certainly looked 20 years old. That made her head hurt a little bit.

Again, her father's words didn't sound right. Violet didn't doubt that he meant it, but the way he spoke worried her. Like he was broken, somehow, and had forgotten how to talk. She plucked the photo from the box and showed it to him. "Where was this taken?" she asked, trying to ground him into a happier memory. A happier time.

[multipleoccupancy]

"Oh," Theo recalled his drawings though how they had actually looked escaped him, he certainly remembered trying to draw them in crayon, possibly the most unfriendly medium that existed. "I can draw you another one," he had meant it fondly and he would indeed be happy to draw her another one, but his delivery was nearly robotic, his emotions jumbled up in his head as he started to fixate on Davidson's deal. His heart rate starting to rise as he heard the threat over in his head.

"Sure." He answered and released her from the hug as she asked to look for the box, there were a few 'treasures' that shared the space with the drawing. His FBI academy ID badge, a photo of him and Andrea from early on in their relationship, some jewels he had obviously picked up from broken items he intended to fix, the occasional random but ugly souvenirs from attractions across the country.

Theo sat and wrung his hands together in front of him, nervous and twitchy but still thankfully present. Whatever memory might want to haunt him next was confused with his worry of what might happen to him now that he had failed his mission and there wasn't a ward to send him back to? Was his family in danger? Should he evacuate? No. No he should definitely wait for Samantha. "Yeah, yeah you have." he said nervously of Violet's traps, out of Davidson's reach. "Saved me multiple times." He added on as praise though again his tangled emotions made it come out strangely as if he was reading it from non-existent paper.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Violet didn't know if "shock" even began to describe her father's state, but she nodded slowly anyway. He was in shock. And she couldn't do anything about it, except sit here, next to him, and stare at the wall. She wished she could have had the right words, but right now they were eluding her. Maybe there weren't any right words.

She turned her head to look at her dad. "I'm happy you kept it," she said sincerely, "I wish I could have kept the drawings you made for me. The street, in New York. And the necklace, too." She would have liked to have it made, so she could wear it every day.

"Can I go look for the box? I'd like to see it." It would help her to move around a little bit, but the drawing was also one of the rare good memories her dad has. It would be good to focus on it.

A little frown troubled her face. "Of course, he did," she muttered angrily, "he probably took credit for it, too." Agent Davidson was a wicked man, cruel and despicable. That, she already knew. But that he would steal her work, only to leave her to rot in the ward (as far as he knew), now that was a new low. Even for him. She shook her head. "I'm sorry you didn't get to keep it. I was hopin' it could help you. But now I've built a lot of traps for you, and Davidson can't get those."

[multipleoccupancy]

He listened to her and let a short silence fall as she reassured him she was ok, just enough room for her to correct that statement if she decided to. She seemed ok in the moment and Theo trusted that perhaps when Samantha came if she was showing signs of needing more help, Samantha would notice what he just couldn't in the moment. Violet asked how he was feeling and he opened his mouth and then closed it again quietly, letting his eyes drift back off to that orchid opposite. "I'm just in shock," he confessed so that she at least had an answer, it was as much as he could work out he was suffering anyway.

She offered to talk with him about the ward in return and he nodded, but wasn't sure that he ever would either. She of all people would know what it was like in there or at least have the best understanding of what he went through compared to anyone else. It was just a confusing and complicated revelation that she was his fourteen year old daughter. She should never have been there in the first place. How could he cheer her up though? What could he say while all that was stuck in his head was the ward and everything from it all fresh in his mind as explanations, reminders and nightmares all occupied his thoughts.

"I kept your drawing all these years," he said after a moment and then pointed without looking to the bottom cupboard in that cabinet he had stored the painkillers. "It's faded and frail now but it's in there in a box." He told her plainly and frowned, "Davidson took the trap sketch." He recalled with a small bite in his tone.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Her dad reminded her that she hadn't done anything wrong, and Violet clung to the words like one would cling to a life preserver in the middle of the storm. But she could tell that her dad was still rattled. He was restless and twitchy, and she felt powerless in the face of all his distress. She couldn't help him, she couldn't do anything to make it better.

She nodded miserably, mostly so her own guilt wouldn't be yet added worry for his dad. He was right, of course. She couldn't have known what would happen. But she should have been more careful. She knew, even at her young age, how little things could trigger painful memories. Violet never stood near the large windows in the living room. She avoided them carefully and instinctively, because all it took was a step too close, and the memories of the fall came flooding.

"I'm ok," she repeated, and though it wasn't the truth, it wasn't a lie, either. The ward had not had time to leave a lasting imprint inside her flesh. It was like a fresh burn, for now. Hot and painful, but only on the surface. With time, it would settle inside her, and fester. "The painkillers helped," she then added, even though his question hadn't only been about her injuries. "How... how are you feeling?" She regretted her question instantly. What a stupid question, she thought harshly, of course he's not feeling well.

"I know..." But she wouldn't talk to him about it, not now, not ever again. Not when it had caused him so much pain. "You can talk to me about it too, you know. Maybe it can help." After all, she had been there, and while it seemed to be part of the problem, she could understand how he was feeling. At least a little bit.

[multipleoccupancy]

He looked back to her, though he struggled in some sense, her face was able to bring back the memories of that particular week in the ward. His shoulder ached from the bite and his face, arms and ribs were sore from bruises from over twenty years ago. She was worried about him and he managed a small touched smile for it. "You didn't do anything wrong," he reminded her of his promise from earlier. There was not an ounce of blame on her shoulders for what was happening.

"You couldn't have known what would happen, I didn't even know what could happen." He explained and drew in another breath, still trying hard to stop shaking and to keep the visuals and sensations of those memories at bay, to little avail. He could almost hear Heartland mocking him as if he was stood right behind him. He covered his eyes with his free hand, only to remember it was a bad idea and removed it again. Restless in his own way despite his best efforts to ground himself, he sensed that would not be coming for a while.

"You saw it too," he said carefully, wishing he could have protected her, Mauve or Violet so much better than what he had. But he was a sixteen year old boy, there wasn't much he could have done against anyone else in the ward, let alone a monster. "How are you feeling?" He checked again, trying to reassure himself she was indeed ok. He worried about the amount of blood she had lost and all she had seen and been through in the ward. "You know you can talk about it with me," which granted probably wasn't the best idea in the moment but he wanted to help her too.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Violet didn't mind at all. Not only was she eager to help, in any she could, but she also wanted to stay with her dad. She couldn't bear to leave him alone in his current state, and while she wasn't sure he would even want to talk about the ward with her, she had been there with him and knew what it was like -at least to an extent. "Of course," she replied immediately, attempting what she hoped would be an encouraging smile, but it ended up looking wobbly instead. "I'll stay with dad."

Still unaware that her dad could only see Mauve when he looked at her, Violet glanced at him, her smile still there (but still wobbly). Her eyes were shiny, and her lip was still red and swollen. "I'm just worried, that's all," she replied sincerely, "I didn't mean to..." To bring back all the memories from the ward? To hurt her dad in a way that seemed irreparable?

"I didn't think your memories would all come back like that."

She didn't know what else to say, how to comfort him. Violet understood better than most the horrors of the ward, even if it was all still too fresh for her to have realized how much they had hurt her. In the ward, it seemed easier to help. But here, she felt inadequate.

[multipleoccupancy]

Theo at least was feeling very loved in the moment, being hugged by his wife and daughter on the floor of his office. He didn't want them to worry about him, but he knew he couldn't face what was happening alone either. It was going to be its own journey and he was going to need support, though he would do his best not to lean on Violet. He knew she wanted to help but she was just fourteen and she had more than enough already happening in her life without him having a break down too. He held her that bit tighter, ignoring the flash of a memory of being grappled to the floor by an orderly from a similar angle. Another shudder.

Andrea pulled away and brushed his hair back out of his face again, catching his eye lovingly but she knew he wasn't going to settle where he was, that the memories were just going to plague him regardless. He couldn't stay on the floor despite his insistence and she had five other children she would have to take care of in under an hour. She looked to Violet thoughtfully for a moment, she couldn't go to school after the night she had, but could she leave her with Theo while she got the others ready? Samantha would be there soon too. "Sweetie, would you mind keeping your Dad company? I'm going to go and fetch a blanket and a pillow, he's going to stay in here for a bit for some peace."

It wasn't ideal, Theo felt he needed space but he knew Violet was upset and he'd be wracked with worry and guilt if he didn't find some way to reassure her. He didn't even know if he would be able to find the right words to help her in turn. All he could see when he looked at her in the moment was Mauve. Andrea stood up and excused herself to go and look for a way to set Theo up in his office and keep the other children oblivious to what was going on. She closed the door as she went, figuring she would get them up and ready for school as normal and they were best being none the wiser that morning at least.

Theo let out a shaky breath and put his head back against the wood of the desk, staring absently at the opposite wall, glad that there was an orchid there to at least have something to stop the images appearing on the blank wall. "I didn't mean to scare you," he said quietly to Violet, knowing she must have been worried both in the night and that morning.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Violet wanted to believe her father's words. That she had no reason to be sorry. He sounded calm enough, but she could feel his legs twitching. It was his words against the Hound's, the one roaring in her chest, tearing her heart into shreds. The one repeating that it was all her fault, that she should have never told her dad the truth. That he was in pain because of her.

But her dad promised her, and so she closed her eyes and tried to ignore the Hound as it clawed its way through her ribcage. She focused on her father's arms and the way her mom hugged her too. She focused on those three words, I promise you.

Most problems, Violet found, had a practical solution. It was how she navigated how complicated her life had gotten. Locked doors could be picked, and monsters could be fought. Even Sloane, as dangerous and unhinged as he was, could be tricked. For every problem, there was a solution. A plan, or an invention, or a trap.

But not this time. There was no machine she could build, that would close the door she had opened in her father's mind. There was no plan she could come up with, that would help her dad feel better. There was no undoing what she had done. Maybe it was just a matter of time, she hoped. But in the meantime, she felt helpless. There were only so many glasses of water she could give her dad. So she hugged him tight, because she didn't know what else to do. She didn't know how to help him.

[multipleoccupancy]

Theo and Andrea were both watching Violet as she stood by the desk awkwardly, the pair of them were worried about her too as parents should be when their daughter was hurt and shaken. There was a relief when she accepted Theo's invitation to a hug and once she was in reach, his arm wrapped around her in turn, trying to reassure her in what way he thought he could in the moment. Words were going to fail him and he couldn't say much in front of Andrea regardless but a hug? A hug was very effective in the moment he was sure.

His shaking was relentless and he did his best not to close his eyes for too long, even fearful of what he might do if he truly let it all go and just tried to wade through the memories. He knew what he was capable of if he wasn't in control. Home was the last place he wanted to be if he properly fell apart but thankfully, so far the weight of the revelations certainly felt physical as well, he still felt his legs wobbling, twitching even though he was sat down. No, he thought he was probably more harmless than he had ever been.

Violet's croaked apology gave both of her parents some pause, Andrea reaching across Theo so she could pull her into the hug that bit tighter herself too. "You have no reason to be sorry," Theo said calmly, though he still couldn't put the words in place properly, he did squeeze her tighter into the hug too. "I promise you." None of it was her fault! It was The Horned One and indeed Delta Green's Agent Davidson in his own right. Theo knew and understood that now!

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎 & 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 @multipleoccupancy

Did her dad think he was back at the ward? Violet swallowed, hard, but unlike the pill, the rock in her throat wouldn't budge. It stayed right where it was, big and uncomfortable. She could still smell it, the metallic taste of blood that had soaked through her grey pajamas, drenching the floor and staining the blanket put over the monster's body. Then, she realized that she had been biting her lip too much, and the blood was in her mouth.

Violet knew very well that she was home, that she wasn't in the ward anymore. But Violet wasn't haunted by the memories. To her, it had happened just a few hours ago. It was fresh, and while it was all shocking and painful, it was much easier to brush away. She found herself thinking about the file again, about Medium-sized Tony and his pinstripe suits. What a weird name, she thought, as she felt tears welling in her eyes. Bodies were difficult to trick.

When she noticed her dad patting the floor next to him, on the opposite side to her mom, and opening his arm to welcome her in a hug, Violet immediately walked up to him and sat on the floor to hug him, too. She was comforted by it. If he was hugging her, then he wasn't mad at her, right? But the guilt and the worries were still there, gnawing at her like termites eat at an old house's floorboards. "I'm sorry," she croaked under her breath, barely a whisper.