It's been a handful of days since Hope has heard from Ivan. Which means, naturally, that it is about time for him to pop up and ruin her life somehow. In this particular instance, the annoyance is remote. Solemn, the man dials up Hope's number from an unlisted one that doesn't come up when she checks caller ID. This means that there's no way for her to skip his call.
—
If Ivan were paying any attention to the news, he would probably realize why Hope has been avoiding him and his annoying habits. Still, with the funeral wrapping up, and her staying at Bobby's house for the time being, she answers her phone without bothering to even look at it. YAY for distractions! "Hello?" The single word is spoken very quietly, as though she's trying to keep from waking someone.
—
"Don't hang up," This is the first thing that's breathed out once Hope answers the phone, low and soft in his own rights. It's not a threat. It's a plea. "I need your help. It's Faith. She needs your help, Hope." Soft, barely there, Ivan pauses right there to catch her response.
—
"What did you do," comes the quiet reply. Hope doesn't hang up, but her voice is a bit terse. She has problems in her life too, and she's trying to deal with them without abandoning anyone.
—
Ivan furrows his brows on the other end of the line, through he doesn't immediately snap in the way he might have in the past. Instead, apart from the purse of his lips that she can't hear, he doesn't react. "I wasn't able to keep her safe. I should have kept her inside, I should have locked her in, but I didn't." At least he's not absolving himself of the blame. "I need to see you. I don't want to say it over the phone. I can't…please, Hope. For you sister."
—
"Ivan, do you even have one inkling as to what's going on? We just buried my boyfriend's father." Hope exhales a quiet sigh. "I refuse to leave his side right now, he needs me. Can you meet me at his place?"
—
"I know," Ivan speaks, and there is something strange, almost disconcerting about the severity of his tone. "I know, and I'm sorry about that. It's horrible. I really feel for him. And if this wasn't urgent…if I didn't know you'd kill me if I didn't tell you, then I wouldn't have called, and I would have left you to comfort him." There is a slow pause, followed by what sounds like a sigh. "These are disconcerting times. There's tragedy everywhere. I'll meet you there. Where does he live?"
—
Hope relays the address, and then adds, "Don't sound so maudlin, Ivan. It doesn't suit you at all."
—
"I'll be there in a bit. I have to check on her, make sure she's still sleeping." Ivan then hangs up, without even commenting on Hope's jibe. It's proof enough that something severe, something particularly horrible has happened, as he would normally resort to his usual jests and jeers when it came to Hope. Now, the commute does not take particularly long - especially not in the rush that Ivan is in. And before long, he is outside of the door to Robert's place, looking a bit pale and gaunt as he knocks experimentally on the door, his jaw set stubbornly.
—
The funeral is over yet he has not been able to remove the black suit that he wears. Now that he's mostly sober, it just seems fitting. Word around the home is that they are receiving a guest so he is at the ready. The door opens almost immediately, revealing the sharply dressed Robert. He looks horrible, as he rightly should, and his hand is heavily bandaged. It is awkward, this encounter, so he just doesn't say anything. Instead he steps to the side to allow Ivan entrance.
—
To be fair, Hope hasn't really changed either. She's just removed the jacket from the outfit she's wearing, leaving her in a black pencil skirt, and grey camisole. Her hair is held back from her face, eyes still a little bloodshot. When she hears the door, she tries to run through the house to get the door before Bobby can, yet he does get there first. So she just moves up behind him, setting her arm to his shoulder. "He won't be here long, I promise. This just seemed the easiest place to meet with him, without leaving your side."
—
For some reason, despite the fact that this is Robert's apartment, Ivan hadn't expected to see the man. Brows furrow, and the older man stiffens slightly in an uncomfortable manner. "I heard…about your father. I'm truly sorry. You have my sincerest condolences." And he sounds honest, too, offering Robert a slow nod of his head. "If you need something done within my power, then I can try to make it happen." And then, an even more uncomfortable pause. "I'm not angry with you. For what you did. I forgive you." There. Now that's over and done with, so he can slide into the apartment.
But then, his eyes slide to Hope, and not for the first time, he's stricken with how similar she looks to her sister. However, for the first time, this realization sends a jab of pain through his chest. Swallowing thickly, his lips pull back into a tight frown. "She…she snuck out." Now, faced with the reality of having to express to someone else exactly what happened, he is speechless. How is he supposed to put it?
—
If not for the bloodshot eyes and black clothes, they likely would be quite the couple. They still are, just one that is dealing with many heavy issues at the moment. Robert leans over to kiss Hope on the top of the head showing just how little he minds. "I would rather him here than your apartment." Overprotective much? "Besides, if it is important it's my time to be available for you." The man's bandaged hand wipes at his eyes after saying this. Ivan might not make the accurate association but he does look like a man in the midst of a hangover.
Then Ivan has to go and talk. Bobby just stares at him, the anger seen before not really appearing again. "Thanks, man." What else is there to be said? "We'll talk later. Now's not the time." Perhaps they will, perhaps they won't. The main point is that he's here to talk about Rose.
—
Hope is about to remark that she doubts Ivan is truly sorry, what with him spreading the rumors about her being pregnant and all, but she lets it slide. /Only/ because she's trying to be there for Bobby and not cause him more stress. When he says he wants to be available for her, she makes a little choked noise and smiles at him. "My day to be strong for you, and don't you forget it."
Ivan is merely given a look, and she dryly says, "Some habits die hard, Mr. Fontane. But obviously it is more than that, or you wouldn't be here."
—
Now is not the time indeed. This fact is both a blessing and a curse. Ivan would much rather discuss Robert's aggravated assault then the actuality of the situation. And so, to the man, Ivan can only offer a faint, weak smile that disappears just as soon as it had appeared. Appreciative, but at the same time, cursing his 'straight to the point' approach.
"I don't know how to say this. I don't know how to put it…I still don't know the full story. She was too upset when she was telling it…sobbing, and she's been sleeping all day on the floor…" The man shuffles on his feet, frowning darkly. But then, his words take on a bitter undertone. "But I know enough. I know what I'm going to do about it. There was - has she told you? Of that vampire, Hiro." The name is venom on his lips, spitted out as such. "He was the one who bit her, while she was still in the institute. The one who snuck her out of the institute in the dead of night…" Actually, Hiro legitimately did ruin her life. Everything draws back to him.
—
His arm moves to drape over her shoulders in a protective embrace. This is something that calls for it, from the sound of things. Robert should offer Ivan a seat, a drink, anything; instead he just stands there, listening. Most of this is all news to him as he has had no interactions with his girlfriend's twin. So he just is there, for Hope, as Ivan begins the explanation.
—
Bobby is about to see a side of Hope that he generally would never see. The color drains from her face, and she gets /angry/. "A /fucking/ vampire," says the princess of prim and proper. "I knew that one took her from the facility, but you allowed her to associate with a CoD? After /everything/ she's been through?" Fists are clenched and she just glares at Ivan. "Why the /Hell/ is she sleeping on the floor? Stop dodging it and tell me what is going on."
—
And, here it comes. The blame game. Once again, it's all Ivan's fault. Once again, he's to blame. If the situation weren't so dire, if Faith didn't depend on him like she does, then he'd probably crack under the pressure and tell everyone to, kindly, go pleasure themselves. But as it is, he simply accepts the glare and the blame. After all, he does consider himself somewhat accountable, and even if he wasn't, it'd be his duty to suck it up. She needs her sister. If that means suffering to make it happen, then so be it.
"I did not allow her to associate with vampires. In fact, I asked her not to. Particularly not that one. I would have expressly forbidden her, but she cried and ask me not to, and swore to me that she wouldn't associate with them, since I asked her to. I do have blame in this. I should have acted before. I should have killed him, and cast the same deal to give her vampiric protection as before, but I didn't. I fucked up."
But…there's no more dancing around the subject. There's no time to do anymore. His eyes become surprisingly glassy, blank. "He called her, said he had information on the vampires that had kidnapped her before. She waited until I was asleep and then left to meet with them. She was fed from, once again, and then raped. Hope. Your sister needs you. She's…God, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help her, but you…you can. I need to get you to her. Please. Not for me, for her. Please."
—
That is cue. Perhaps it isn't but he is going to pretend like it is. Bobby repositions himself so that he's actually standing between Ivan and Hope, even if off to the side to allow her to see him clearly. The man is in no shape for a fight on so many levels but is not afraid to step in if things come down to it. It is difficult for Robert to hear everything that he does because he honestly is not used to dealing with vampires in such a way. He is about to lecture Ivan on his choice language but then he hears the full story. Even the hungover, beaten man standing before Ivan knows that this is not what needs to be said right now. So he turns his back to the visitor, instead looking to Hope. He has no idea how to react for now, waiting to see her reaction before he moves.
—
The decision is made to get between her and Ivan, and truthfully, it's probably the best thing Bobby can do. Because her reaction? Is to lunge forward to make a grab for Ivan. Only, she hits Bobby's back again, then falls down to the floor behind him. "You did. You really did. First, you demanded that she not be in the facility /where she was safe/ to go live with /you/, where you promised she'd be safe, and she obviously wasn't." Hope starts to pick herself up and bites her lip. "She needs a doctor, Ivan. She needs to be checked to ensure she's not more physically damaged. She needs /psychological/ help." Not because she's mentally damaged or anything, but because she's a victim of something like that. "I can't leave Bobby. So he either comes with me, or you can bring her here."
—
"She was never safe at the facility. She's never safe anywhere. But I'm not here to pick a fight, Hope. That's fine. I'll…I'll take responsibility. It's my fault. It's all my fault. But I just…" Ivan doesn't know what else he can do, what else he can say. And the feeling of being helpless, of dealing with catastrophe, it's building up within him. His eyes close, and as he fights back the wetness that threatens to spill over, his voice cracks. "I-I'm begging you. I'll get down on my knees if you need me to…"
But she's agreed. And then his eyes flash open with clear relief as he stares at the two. "It's fine. You can come. I trust you. We need to go - to my place. She refuses to leave the apartment. That's good though, nothing can happen to her in there. C'mon, we have to go. She should still be asleep, but I don't want to leave her untended to."
—
His reaction is too late. A failure just as he claims to be. Still Bobby is on his knees without a blink of an eye, his arms reaching out for Hope. This is done partially to comfort her, yet also partially to keep her from scratching Ivan's eyes out. Hell hath no fury and all that. "What the hell? Are we really talking about this?" Murdered parents, raped siblings, it all seems so unreal. It all adds to the idea that their kind really is the minority, the toys. It isn't his place, but he does have to calm his girlfriend. "Hope? Hope, we can't go blaming him right now. We have to be supportive now. Blame can wait." It's hard being in the middle because Bobby isn't quite sure if he wishes to blame Ivan at all. "Don't worry about me, honest. I'm here for /you/." Even though they just lowered his father into the ground. "For you and your sister." A glance is offered over his shoulder at Ivan, just to assess the current appearance of the man. Reactions tell all, after all.
—
There is a bit of a snap in Hope. She's ready to lash out and kill Ivan, and she wants to get up to do it. Yet, the comforting touch causes her to stop, and she just nods. "Yes, okay. Let's go. But I'm not going without you, Bobby. If there's vampires involved… it's just safer with you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that this had to happen /today/." Yes, she is apologizing for her sister being damaged yet again.
—
The interaction between the couple is not commented on, as Ivan has cast his gaze away from them respectfully once it began. He will not even comment on Hope's general hatred of him. As it is, the man is antsy, uncomfortable with standing there and not moving. "Please. We ought to hurry. I'll drive." And with that, he waits for them to join him and leaves.
Soon enough, the trio are standing outside of Ivan's quaint apartment, watching him fumble around with the keys as he hurries to throw open the door. As a result, he is making quite a bit of noise - probably enough for anyone within the apartment to hear. And when he does open the door, looking around the apartment to see that everything is set the way it was supposed to be, the way he left it, he lets out a sigh of relief. "I don't know if she's up yet."
—
It may be something that Ivan is not willing to view but Bobby will not move from Hope's side. He will help her up; he will be right beside her as they finally leave. Even as they stand outside of Ivan's apartment he's there. In fact, Robert stands between Hope and the door as if protecting her from whatever might be seen once it finally opens. The man has never been close to this apartment but can only wonder what horrors might be inside based on the stories that he's been told. Again he falls silent, going instantly into protector mode.
—
Hope hasn't bothered to grab her jacket, thus she's still in her camisole and skirt. She doesn't want to get into Ivan's vehicle, but she does because Bobby is at her side. When they get to the apartment, she walks right in. She doesn't care that it's someone else's home. Doesn't care that she doesn't know the layout. She just enters, and calls out, "Faith? Faith, where are you? Stop laying on the floor and get up."
—
It's unclear if the jingling of keys, the sound of the door, any of it is heard. When the door opens they will not see Faith anywhere about. She's currently in the bedroom, fast asleep. Sleep is something that she can't seem to get enough of. Instead of sleeping on the bed, she's chosen a nice comfortable spot on the floor. Not only is Rose on the floor, but she's also in the most secure corner of the room. Her back is to the wall, her face towards the entrance. It's as if she's anticipating something or is attempting to avoid something.
—
If Bobby had been expecting shrines to Satan, or bondage gear hanging from the walls, or the corpses of dead puppies that Ivan likes to kick, he will be sorely mistaken. The apartment is very much your average, typical bachelor pad. Nicely furnished, with all the staples of a home. In fact, the only odd thing about the apartment is the fact that it is perhaps too clean for your typical guy's place. It's actually quite nice, homely even.
When Hope barges in and calls out for her twin, Ivan glances over to her with reprimand in his eyes. He wants to tell her to stop bossing, to be delicate because it's a hard time for Faith. But, he doesn't. "She's in the bedroom." He murmurs softly, nodding towards the door at the end of the apartment helpfully. And though he is quite uncomfortable, though he wants to barge in there to make sure Faith is fine…he doesn't. He recognizes the fact that the sister might need some time to herself. And so, he sits back, turning to Bobby. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat…drink?"
—
Or she can walk right in without him. It doesn't really surprise him in the end but it does cause him to push in as well. He's not about to go looking for Rose. She's hurting, emotionally unstable and quite possibly crazy. Even if Robert has a death wish he isn't that stupid. It's awkward and uncomfortable for him to just stand inside of the apartment, but here he is. It actually is a welcome distraction, the conversation that Ivan offers. "I would love a beer right about now." It isn't intended for Hope to hear but he'll see how things play out. "I'd even pay you."
—
"I heard that," she says from the hall. "But it's fine because Ivan is driving. Just don't overdo it? Please?" Hope then ducks into the room and sighs. "Faith, come on. Don't let yourself be a victim. I know it was horrible, and I know you're scared, but you're not a wuss. Come on. Get up, and we'll get something done about this, okay? I'm not going to let one of those.. those… damnable creatures get away with doing this to you."
—
The sound of someone at the bedroom door -does- waking up the sleeping Tyler. What she hears is not Ivan so she immediately sits up and presses herself into the corner. There is fear in her eyes even at the sight of her sister. "You're going to burn me." Illogical, to be sure, but she's not exactly thinking clearly. Even as she's sitting there, she's hugging onto herself, holding tight. "No. I was wrong, and I'm just going to stay here." Faith Tyler, going batshit crazy since 2003.
—
Ivan nods faintly to Robert, lifting a hand to scratch at the back of his head, almost gingerly, as he hears the interchange between Robert and Hope. "Alright. Give me a moment." And with that, he walks forward, dipping into the refrigerator to produce two cans of Miller draft. One of them is offered over to the man thoughtlessly as Ivan merely stares at the door to his bedroom, with something akin to fear and longing. "I don't know if I should go-…" He laments to Robert, only to freeze halfway through the sentence and drop his unopened beer onto the sofa as he steps forward. He recognizes that desperation. His Tyler needs him. "Faith? Faith, it's alright! It's alright - no one's going to burn you. They just want to help you, Pretty girl…please…"
—
"I don't think you need to worry unless I'm drinking him out of house and home." Still, he eager takes the beer that is offered to him. It's a bit of a pain to open with the way one hand is bandaged but Robert manages and takes a quick swig. It really is what he needs in this situation. He hears what is going on inside of the bedroom but doesn't think much of it. His siblings yell and fight all the time and when push comes to shove will be there for each other. "I'm sure that it will" There he goes, too. Leaving Robert alone with now two cans of beer. Even so he watches, not for amusement but to see how Ivan is handling things.
—
"Faith, sweetie…" Hope shakes her head, leaning against the frame of the door. See? She's not advancing on her sister. She doesn't have any intent to kill her. "I'm not going to burn you. You're not a vampire. You're my sister." She exhales a sigh. "I've had a really bad week, and I'm worried about you. If you really don't want me here though, I'll go take care of Bobby, because his daddy just died and he needs me." Hope just /blinks/ at Ivan. "Pretty girl? You treat her like a parrot? If you ask her if she wants a cracker next, I'm going to hit you."
—
"No!" The cry is unusually loud, pained even. "Don't hurt him. He was right and I didn't listen." Slowly Faith begins to peel herself away from the wall, to look at Hope and to look past her and try to see Ivan. "I'm not a vampire. I know that. But one of them" No, she's not going to say it. It does bring tears to her eyes but she's not actually crying yet. "I did this and now people think I'm dumb." Still Rose looks out the door, to the third voice. It's one she doesn't know and keeps her on edge. "He died?"
—
Ivan doesn't even look to Hope. In fact, he brushes right past her, brows furrowed thickly and an uncomfortable frown on his features. He's used to her threats, and if he's to be completely honest, he's become completely immune to her. Instead, he eases forward into Faith's line of vision, hands up in a careful, cautious manner. "It's okay, baby," he soothes, voice low and easy as he licks his lips. Slowly, he attempts to walk closer to her. "She's not going to hurt me. No one's going to hurt you." Then he notices her terror at the other voice, and he is quick to explain. "It's Hope's boyfriend. Robert. It's alright, he's a good guy. Are you…are you okay? I'm worried about you."
—
Oh, yeah. Awkward. Bobby actually chugs the beer he's been given and flattens the can easily enough. Then he hears someone talking about him so he decides to stay quiet. If his presence is going to make things worse he might as well not be present, so to speak. With nothing else to do, he retrieves that beer that Ivan dropped. It isn't as if anyone is going to notice, anyway.
—
"I don't like that he treats you like a parrot," Hope says, but it holds a lot less of the venom than it normally would. "You are /not/ a victim, Faith. You were used and abused. You were taken advantage of. You are /not/ a fangbanger. You aren't that dirty, and you didn't do it willingly. No one thinks you're dumb. People are just worried for you. Concerned. You should go see a doctor and make sure you're not damaged really badly, and you should talk to one of your psychologists about it. It will help."
As for noticing another beer? Hope will, but she'll realize it later. And slap him again. "Yeah, it's my Bobbyguard. He won't touch you." 'least he better not. "And yes, his father passed away."
—
It's so much so fast, going from dead sleep to three people. Faith just watches everyone, remaining firmly planted on the floor of the bedroom. Amazing how she has no desire to actually stand up at the moment. Her current t-shirt and jeans outfit will show off her fresh bite mark, not bruised but certainly worse than the last. "People think I'm an idiot." This is something that she insists most likely because someone did call her one. "I -am- a victim. I'm always a victim. You're always looking after me, always upset, he's always looking after me." At least she can admit to it. "I'm making things hard for you." Both.
Rose looks up to Ivan as he steps in, not actually shying away from him just yet. "They're going to lock me up." That point is a plea, a cry to make it not happen. "I don't want to be locked up. I'll just stay inside and not get into anymore trouble. I promise." As scared of the whole situation as she is, she's not showing to actually be afraid of the people in the room. Again she peers past them to try and see Bobby. "That's sad. He's lucky to have you."
—
Why is it all so difficult? So impossible to cope with? How can Ivan insist she seek out professional help when he knows her past with them, when she's looking at him in that way, and pleading with him? Ivan doesn't have the answer to any of these difficult questions, and so he swallows to deal with the situation now, continuing to move closer. "C'mon…lets get you off the floor, okay? We don't think you're dumb, Faith. I don't. You just made a mistake. Everyone does." He reassures her, approaching the woman and holding a hand out in an attempt to lift her off the floor. "They're not going to lock you up. I wont let them lock you up. I wont let anything else happen to you, I swear."
—
If his sister ever claims to be crazy again he will have to tell her what crazy is all about. It isn't that the crazy part is making him uncomfortable; it's more the fact that he's clearly not needed in this situation. He is one that is built to protect, not stand aside doing nothing. So that second beer is finished off as he just wanders around the apartment, being as silent as possible. Robert will be very happy to take his sane girlfriend home in the end.
—
Hope moves into the room, trying to get to her sister. Ivan asked for her help, and so she's going to try to help. "/I/ don't think you're an idiot either. I think you got mixed up in stuff, and got in way over your head, but we /all/ do that from time to time. I'm not going to let you be a victim. You been through so much already, sweetie. We're going to make you stronger. Let's take kickboxing, or tae kwon do, or something. Just you and me, whenever you're ready to come out and do something again." If Faith allows her to get close enough, she goes to give her sister a hug. "It's my job to look after you. That's what sisters do, okay? And no one is going to lock you up. If mom and dad try, I'll fight them tooth and nail. Lawyers and everything." She glances out of the room, trying to spy Bobby. "He is, but I'm more lucky to have him." She bites her lip. "I think he's afraid of frightening you though, and he doesn't want to make matters worse."
—
People are creepy closer to her, ever closer. If she didn't know better, she would insist that they were going to tackle her and tack her to the hospital. They tie people to beds there. Wide eyes watch them both, contemplating what to do. Despite her growing paranoia Faith does not pull away from her sister. She's hugged and she calms down slightly. Hope so far is the first person to really get that close to her since the whole thing happened. Suddenly Faith dives forward, nearly knocking her sister over with a hug. "I don't want you guys to fight anymore. I love him and he's very patient with me, even though I'm crazy." Okay, so she may not be -crazy- but she's well on her way at this point. "I just want to be us again, from way back." Once she actually agrees to leave the apartment.
But he's there, too, and again she's feeling torn. Faith looks between her lover and her sister, almost as if she's waiting for things to come to blows. "They'll think I made the whole thing up. No one ever believes me." Finally she looks to Ivan and stretches out her hand. She's not actively standing, or really taking his so much, but she's giving him the chance to get closer. "I'm sorry." It's something that she's been saying since she told him. "I'm sorry to do this to you." But there's one more person involved. "I-I don't know." She's so untrusting of everyone right now. "I guess if he's with you then he has to be a good person."
—
When Ivan sees Hope's intentions to hug Faith, he retracts his arm, pulling back a tad bit so that he can give the sisters there moment. It leaves him there, standing a bit awkwardly, but hell, this is what he wanted. This is what he asked for, and when he sees that Faith even welcomes the embrace, he knows he did the right thing. It powers him to nod in approval, only freezing slightly when he hears the crazy's plea for them to stop fighting. And her admission of her feelings for him? Well…it's all he can do to stand there, licking his lips. Oh, he is expecting to be yelled at quite a bit by Hope.
"I believe you. And I…I don't want to fight. I'm not fighting with her, baby. You don't have to worry about that. You don't." Finally, he reaches his hand over to clasp at her much smaller one. And then, he smiles faintly, quirking his head to the side. "You're not doing anything to me. You're not. Stop apologizing." Ahem. Now, to change subject. To do something else. "…Do you think you'd want to meet him? Are you feeling strong enough?"
—
Good thing the beer is gone, apparently. He tosses the evidence as quickly as he can, wishing that no one actually questions him about it just yet. Hopefully they'll realize that the people who need concern are the twins. Bobby continues to pace until he hears yet more conversation about it. This causes him to dare venture closer to the bedroom, to this twin that he's really only seen on the television. It's not that he's peeking his head in but he is right outside and lets that fact be known by clearing his throat.
—
"Gack!" Hope is hugged, then tackled to the floor. She laughs a little. "I can't promise not to fight with him. We have different views on things." For one, Ivan is a vampire supporter. "But if he promises to stop being so antagonistic, I'll try not to get angry at him." No promises though! She knows herself to know that she'll always argue with him on the vampire issue. She hears the throat clearing, and she smiles. "Faith, he really is a /great/ person. You know I wouldn't date anyone that wasn't." To her, he's better than Tripp even, which is saying a lot. But not something she'll voice in front of her boyfriend.
—
It's not something that she should voice in front of Faith at this moment, either. Not after what happened the other night. It isn't as if the two of them in one room has just magically cured the woman of what all ails her. That is far from the case. She is at least trying, if only for the fact that she's not really been able to get them both in the same room without the police being involved. Negative comments aren't needed and she's not going to go fishing for promises that they can't keep. So for now Faith is just taking them for what they're saying.
With her hand in Ivan's, she tugs slightly. As she does this, she slowly gets to her feet, her legs wobbly. Once she stands she actually disappears behind Ivan as she peeks out at Bobby. As if Ivan is going to be able to save her from him if need be. Then again, she knows something about him that she hasn't told her sister. "He's cute," she whispers to Hope, as if no one else can hear her. "I'll just stay right here."
—
This is heartening. Ivan smiles kindly, all warmth happiness as he is met by Faith's hand. Pulling her up onto her feet, he attempts to judge just how comfortable with his presence she actually is by lacing his fingers in between hers and pulling her closer. "Okay. Oy. Bobby. You can come in now."
—
Hello! Right here. He'd like to say that but he at least knows enough not to. Instead Bobby just stands there, waving with his bandaged hand. He's not exactly in the best condition to be called anything related to attractive but if it is getting Rose off of the floor he won't correct her. "Hi, F Rose." The last time he used her actual name Ivan had to correct him. Robert also knows that Ivan isn't all that he appears to be but again the secrets are not spoken. His sister trusts him so he can't tell. Slowly he attempts to enter the room, ready to back off if need be.
—
"He is cute, isn't he?" Hope smiles proudly at that, and then nods to Bobby. Yet she stands in front of her sister, not blocking the view, just adding her 'protection'. When Bobby comes into the room, she moves over to him and leans against his arm. "Faith, this is Robert. Bobby, this is my sister Faith." Yes, she's correcting him again which is likely confusing, but she's always refused to call her sister Rose, and she will continue to refuse to do so.
—
"He kinda looks beat up." It's an honest response now that she can see him better. Still she tenses when he enters the room, almost folding in against Ivan as he does so. He might take that as a signal that she's completely okay and he can do as he wishes, but right now she'd rather take her chances with him. If she runs off then she'll be committed. Faith doesn't actually talk to him when he enters but she's not screaming so that's likely a good thing. "No one else, right?" It's as if she's expecting someone else to come walking through the door.
—
"No one else," Ivan confirms, and he practically beams. Faith's proximity has him ecstatic. This alone makes the trip of Bobby's place worth it, makes calling Hope okay and swallowing his pride appetizing. For really, this is much different, a big improvement to the girl that had been wincing away from him and cringing from his touch. As a result, he holds her close, almost allowing his hand to rest upon the small of her back intimately.
"Mhmm. Yeah. Well…anyone. This…has been sufficiently awkward, I think." He voices, furrowing his brows slightly. "Hope. Robert. I want to…to thank you. Alright? For coming. I think it did good. I think we did good."
—
Thankfully his girlfriend comes to his side. Robert smiles down at Hope, mindful not to actually appear to be possessive or harmful of her. All he does is once more place a tender kiss on the top of her forehead. "That is a story for a different time," he says, offering her one of his award winning smiles. "Next time, okay?" For a moment it's as if he's speaking to his baby sister and that's when a sudden flash hits him: if this happened to his sister he'd be out for blood. A knowing glance is offered to Ivan before Bobby nods. "I can go if you'd like. In the name of progress, after all."
—
"We can both go, if you want, Faith." In fact, despite the rain and the chill in the air, they can walk. It will do them both good. Hope glances up at Bobby, and smiles. "And you can call me whenever you want to talk. I'll have my phone with me, but I'm staying in Bobby's guest room for a while, since he needs the company." She's babbling a bit, so she clears her throat. She looks at Ivan, "I trust you'll be doing your work from home for a few days?" At least to give Bobby some time to get over his grief. "Or using vacation days?"
—
Normally in a similar situation she would huff and puff about actually being in the room. Truth be told, Faith really isn't paying all that much attention to what is being said, not all of it. She's overwhelmed but trying her best to not get taken off to see the men in white coats. The distraction of these thoughts mixed with meeting Bobby is what has enabled Ivan to get anywhere near her. It's familiar, it's comfortable and that is why she hasn't freaked out yet. She furrows her brow when they mention leaving but she just nods. "Yes, yes. Phone. I'll call, yes." She'd be embarrassed of her behavior if she really was in the frame of mind to be. "I miss you."
—
Ivan nods faintly, not shoving the pair out, but at the same time figuring that less stimulus might be the best thing to do right now. When Hope fixes her attention on him, he automatically sobers and straightens up, subconsciously sitting up in under her inspection. "Uhh, yeah. I plan to. For the next couple of days, as long as I can." It's funny. Were he anybody else, he would have been kicked out of work by now, but he's banking on his influence to save him. "Do you two need a ride back? I could drive you. Or…" His eyes flash back to Rose. "I could give you the money for a taxi. I know I practically kidnapped you two."
—
"I think I might have given you a good enough excuse to get out of work for a little while." It isn't the best moment of his life but there's still a little bit of pride there. Then again, Robert's been drinking on this day of his father's funeral so it's hard to keep things sane. The then moves an arm to snake around Hope's lower back. "We can walk if she's up for it, if not I'll get us a cab. Seriously, man. It's okay." Some fresh air might even help him. Robert slips off the suit jacket he's wearing and hangs it on Hope's shoulders. "We'll catch up later."
—
Hope laughs as her boyfriend reads her mind. She accepts the jacket, holding it about her shoulders. "I don't mind walking. It'll give us time to talk. But Faith, if you need anything at all, just call alright? We'll come right back if you need us." She moves forward to give her sister another hug then. "I miss you too. We'll get you through this, and then we'll go out somewhere." She turns back to Bobby, and heads toward the door.
—
It dawns on her that they really are leaving and Faith just stares for a moment. She gives her sister a very big hug, pulling away from Ivan in order to do so. When it's over she just kind of stands there, holding onto herself. She still has a long way to go before she's back to where she was. "Be careful. It's dangerous out there." Ironic that she would be the one giving such warnings after so many months of ignoring them. Still she just stands there as the company leaves, doing her best not to fall back onto the floor.
