Well, if there'd been any doubt about Barney's mysterious fare knowing the group from the hospital, he'd pretty much dispelled all of it by now. He still hadn't stopped staring. Barney was only vaguely aware that his mouth was also hanging open, but he didn't have the foresight or the self-awareness to close it again.
Gabe, he recognised. Gabe was the easy one. The only things that changed about his appearance was the color of the shirt and the addition of a pair of sandals. That and his natural beauty made him easy to pick out, but...
Barney had told Allie about that mysterious fare over their dinner that night. Spun a whole story out of it, just like he'd meant to. And the first thing Allie had asked was whether Barney thought that Gabe might be an angel. Apparently, Ghastly told her he knew an angel named Gabe. Barney had humoured her at the time, but later that night - especially in the face of Dad - he couldn't quite help wondering.
It was far too easy to believe. Especially now, with such a clear reminder of how... angelic Gabe had looked for a few split seconds in the cab.
Skull Pleasant was only recognisable by the sound of his voice. That made sense, as he'd been all covered up last time they met, but Barney was sure he saw a flash of bone-white skin beneath the heavy scarf. He'd assumed it was a carnival act. Of course, Barney reminded himself, he didn't really believe that anymore. He wasn't sure what to believe, but these people weren't carnie folk. They couldn't be. There was something far too exotic about them. Carnie folk knew how to con an audience. This wasn't how cons typically worked. Cons worked off of believable facts, things you could swallow. And they usually involved money changing hands.
Fletcher, Barney only knew by his hair. There was a new air of confidence about the teenager, making him just look different. Maybe it had something to do with the teenage girl next to him - Valerie, if Barney remembered correctly - and how Fletch walked over to take her hand. And Valerie also looked a lot different, now that her face was lit up with a wide smile.
The man who'd been stabbed in the leg was no longer stabbed in the leg.
Barney was still staring at him as the introductions went around. Delirious and in shock less than a few days ago, and now he was wandering around a carnival like nothing had happened?
"Awwww." Tanith smiled warmly down at Allie. "I think you're pretty too, sweetheart."
"I like her," the girl called Valerie decided. "She said I'm pretty. I really like her. Can we keep her?"
"She isn't a stray puppy," Skulduggery reminded her, the laughter in his eyes betraying his serious tone. "Rafe, on the other hand..."
Rafe.
Barney hadn't seen Allie this happy in ages. Cheerful, yes. Smiling, yes. But truly and genuinely happy? It was enough to strike him even more speechless than he already was, and a small part of Barney, somewhere deep down in places he didn't normally go looking, made connections that vibrated with hope. Gabe. Rafe.
Angels.
"I think they should run some tests again. I think their machines were lyin'."
The hope interfered with his better judgment, and Barney had to check himself sheepishly when Mrs Sheldon spoke again. He knew all too well the dangers of false hope. Sure, Dad and Ghastly had been all fun and games in the childrens' ward a few nights ago, but that was then. Sooner or later, you had to face reality.
Barney refocused on the group in time to be startled by Rafe's deeply intense eyes on him. "Aw," the man said. "Have a little faith."
Then he scooped Allie out of the chair and lifted her, laughing with delight, onto his strong shoulders.
She didn't go pale. Her smile didn't disappear. Her heart had to be beating a mile a minute by now, and Allie wasn't complaining one bit.
It took far more mental effort than Barney was used to applying, but eventually, he reached a solid and conscious decision. "Mrs Sheldon, you want us back at the hospital by dinnertime, right? Would you mind leaving us on our own for the rest of the day?"
"What is everyone's problem with my hair?" Fletcher squawked a short distance away.
no subject
Gabe, he recognised. Gabe was the easy one. The only things that changed about his appearance was the color of the shirt and the addition of a pair of sandals. That and his natural beauty made him easy to pick out, but...
Barney had told Allie about that mysterious fare over their dinner that night. Spun a whole story out of it, just like he'd meant to. And the first thing Allie had asked was whether Barney thought that Gabe might be an angel. Apparently, Ghastly told her he knew an angel named Gabe. Barney had humoured her at the time, but later that night - especially in the face of Dad - he couldn't quite help wondering.
It was far too easy to believe. Especially now, with such a clear reminder of how... angelic Gabe had looked for a few split seconds in the cab.
Skull Pleasant was only recognisable by the sound of his voice. That made sense, as he'd been all covered up last time they met, but Barney was sure he saw a flash of bone-white skin beneath the heavy scarf. He'd assumed it was a carnival act. Of course, Barney reminded himself, he didn't really believe that anymore. He wasn't sure what to believe, but these people weren't carnie folk. They couldn't be. There was something far too exotic about them. Carnie folk knew how to con an audience. This wasn't how cons typically worked. Cons worked off of believable facts, things you could swallow. And they usually involved money changing hands.
Fletcher, Barney only knew by his hair. There was a new air of confidence about the teenager, making him just look different. Maybe it had something to do with the teenage girl next to him - Valerie, if Barney remembered correctly - and how Fletch walked over to take her hand. And Valerie also looked a lot different, now that her face was lit up with a wide smile.
The man who'd been stabbed in the leg was no longer stabbed in the leg.
Barney was still staring at him as the introductions went around. Delirious and in shock less than a few days ago, and now he was wandering around a carnival like nothing had happened?
"Awwww." Tanith smiled warmly down at Allie. "I think you're pretty too, sweetheart."
"I like her," the girl called Valerie decided. "She said I'm pretty. I really like her. Can we keep her?"
"She isn't a stray puppy," Skulduggery reminded her, the laughter in his eyes betraying his serious tone. "Rafe, on the other hand..."
Rafe.
Barney hadn't seen Allie this happy in ages. Cheerful, yes. Smiling, yes. But truly and genuinely happy? It was enough to strike him even more speechless than he already was, and a small part of Barney, somewhere deep down in places he didn't normally go looking, made connections that vibrated with hope. Gabe. Rafe.
Angels.
"I think they should run some tests again. I think their machines were lyin'."
The hope interfered with his better judgment, and Barney had to check himself sheepishly when Mrs Sheldon spoke again. He knew all too well the dangers of false hope. Sure, Dad and Ghastly had been all fun and games in the childrens' ward a few nights ago, but that was then. Sooner or later, you had to face reality.
Barney refocused on the group in time to be startled by Rafe's deeply intense eyes on him. "Aw," the man said. "Have a little faith."
Then he scooped Allie out of the chair and lifted her, laughing with delight, onto his strong shoulders.
She didn't go pale. Her smile didn't disappear. Her heart had to be beating a mile a minute by now, and Allie wasn't complaining one bit.
It took far more mental effort than Barney was used to applying, but eventually, he reached a solid and conscious decision. "Mrs Sheldon, you want us back at the hospital by dinnertime, right? Would you mind leaving us on our own for the rest of the day?"
"What is everyone's problem with my hair?" Fletcher squawked a short distance away.