#and developmental

Aars knew where to find Corbin when Gabriel wasn't around him. Those two were hard to find alone without each other stuck at the hip. Truly, he was happy to see Gabriel so happy. It was such a relief and a huge turn around from the...hostile person he used to be. Aars's heart had never felt so much ease as since the day he realized he could talk with Gabriel again, and laugh, and smile, and trust that Gabe wouldn't lay a harmful hand on him.

The ghost still got...scary from time to time, but it seemed so long as Corbin was around, he was calmer and more likely to use self control to contain his rage. He knew the kid was suffering...and he never deserved it, either. But now it seemed he was getting some sense of peace with Corbin around.

That gardener had a gift. Aars at first thought he didn't deserve someone as dangerous as Gabriel throwing him around, but then when he began to notice the changes, the way the atmosphere in the theater no longer seemed foreboding or uneasy, how the sense of always being watched and feeling scared for his life switched slowly to warm, comforting emotions, feeling like it was safe to hold people inside the theater again. He wanted to cry thinking about it...it was almost as if Gabriel was back to the lively young man he used to be.

Of course, the director knew there was no chance of that happening ever again, even with Corbin there to help lighten his heart. The damage of losing one's life so suddenly like the way Gabe did...nothing, no amount of love, could repair that.

But he had to make sure it stayed this way.

Grabbing a ladder, Dr. Aars climbed up to the 3rd floor balcony. The area was originally just for show, and so no stairs or entrance led up to it. So whenever one of the humans wanted to visit, they had to use one of the larger A ladders to get up there. God he hoped Gabriel wasn't up there with Corbin. God he hoped Corbin was present. He usually was...but with his luck this would be an exception.

Stepping up to the top and onto the glass floor, Aars groaned and rubbed his hands off his pants. "Hey, Corb?" He looked around. "I need to talk to you for a sec."

Please, don't be here, Gabe...Please don't be here...