Folie à Deux [Yandere Guardian x Abused Female Reader]

20. The Zoo.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny, and even though nearly all the leaves had fallen from the trees, it promised to be a warm day perfect for going to the zoo. Y/N was so excited that she practically sprang out of bed to get ready for the day and after throwing on a gingham dress with a pink cardigan and thigh-high white socks for warmth she dashed down the stairs two at a time, nearly slipping as she skidded to a stop on the tile floor in the kitchen.

There she found Eamon eating a bowl of cereal and reading the Newspaper while Annie bustled around making them a picnic lunch to take with them to the zoo. Once it was all packed away in a basket she handed it over and after they finished their breakfast they headed to Eamon's car and climbed inside.

After about a half-hour on the road, they pulled into the parking lot outside the visitors center of the zoo. Walking inside of the visitor center Eamon hurried to pay for their tickets once they caught sight of a familiar blonde man and young child admiring the colorful tropical fish in the aquarium across from the office.

"Hello Eamon, Y/N," Julien greeted them with a smile, as he turned around the two noticed that his second child was in a carrier on his chest looking around the room with awe at everything and occasionally babbling nonsense. "perfect weather today, isn't it?"

"Y/N Y/N Y/N!" Rowan burst out when he saw her. He rushed away from his father and reached up to latch onto Y/N's hand with a surprisingly tight grip for such a young child. "I wanna walk with Y/N!"

"Ok, bud," his father agreed with a chuckle as they all started walking towards the doors that would lead them to the outdoor animal enclosures. "How about we all walk together then?"

After that, they walked around for a while, admiring all sorts of different animals while they went. Y/N was just about as amazed by everything as the baby, having never seen any of these exotic animals in person before.

"Y/N what's your favoritest part of the zoo?" Rowan asked after several minutes as he looked up at her with a grin that spread from ear to ear. "Mine's the Zebras!"

"I-I wouldn't know," she responded, feeling rather overwhelmed at the idea of having to pick a favorite on her first visit. "Today's my first time ever coming to the zoo, silly right?"

"No way!" Rowan gasped in disbelief before he began trying to run off with her. "Come on! I'll show you all the best stuff here!"

Y/N sighed and let him show her his favorite parts of the zoo, being mindful to stay close to Eamon and Julien. Despite their large age difference, Y/N found herself enjoying the company of the boy much more than that of most of her pears. Eamon and Julien were both glad to see that they were getting along so well.

After they had eaten the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that Annie had made for them all Eamon suggested that they get ice cream from a nearby stand. "You two wait here for us," he told the two children who stood watching the Zebras and Gazelles graze. "We're going to wait in line to get some ice cream alright?"

"Rowan listen to Y/N," Julien instructed his son, bending down to be on the same level as him. "She's in charge until we get back, ok?"

"Ok..." The little boy agreed reluctantly.

Once the two fathers were in line at the ice cream cart and long out of the earshot of their children Julien sparked a more serious conversation. "So Eamon, how've you been?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder to where Y/N stood looking at the zebras with Rowan. "Looks like a lot has happened since we last spoke."

"Oh, well enough I suppose, managing at least," Eamon replied with a light laugh. "And your right, a lot has happened." He thought about all the unlikely events that had brought Y/N into his life.

"What'd the story with Y/N if I may ask?" Julien queried.

"Well, after Sean passed Y/N would bring food over now and then, she was one of Sean's good friends, she said that her mom made the food but eventually I found out that she had actually made it and that she was being abused at home." Eamon's lips pressed into a thin line and his brows furrowed at the mere thought of Y/N being hurt in any way. "I couldn't let the situation continue, I just couldn't. So I took her in and went through the legal effort to adopt her."

"I see," His friend mused, his murky eyes alight with intrigue. "I was wondering if she was the same girl that Sean would mention in his sessions with me so often, he really liked her you know?"

Eamon bit his lip. Of course, he knew that Y/N had been closer to Sean than anyone, he was his father after all. "... I know."

"She's so skittish and shy," Julien remarked after several moments of silence between them. "I'm assuming that it's due to childhood trauma."

"I wouldn't know much about that," Eamon said, chuckling to mask his anger at the thought of Y/N's bad childhood. "Matters of the mind are your specialty, not mine."

"You do have a point there old friend," He laughed along with him as they at last stepped up to the ice cream cart. "four ice creams please - thank you, have a nice day," Julien ordered and paid for everything before Eamon had the chance.

"Thanks," Eamon told his friend as he accepted two of the four soft-serve ice creams.

"Don't mention it," Julien suddenly lit up in the way that his friend knew meant one thing, he was about to start talking about psychology. "Hey, I don't know if you want my professional opinion but, I think you should really get Y/N evaluated sooner rather than later. I'd be more than happy to do it, but the sooner it's done the sooner Y/N can heal from any trauma she's carrying with her." Noticing his friend's less than excited expression he continued, "We could even have the sessions at your place if that would make things easier for her."

"I don't know-" Eamon began to answer not sure if he wanted to put Y/N through that. Before he could finish he was interrupted by a sudden call.

"-Hey Eamon!" He saw Y/N grinning brightly at him, balancing Rowan on her hip so that he could better see his father returning with the ice cream.

Eamon froze at the sight, all at once his legs felt like they would give way beneath him and his heart felt like it was about to burst from his chest. Her smiling face and the laughing boy in her arms. All at once, Eamon was standing in the same spot but was looking around at a decade-old memory of when he had visited that very zoo with his wife and son.

"Come on Eamon sweetie!" Ann smiled at him, her dark permed hair swaying in the breeze as she supported their son on her hip. "Sean wants to see the sea lions, isn't that right?" She asked rubbing her nose against her the young boy's.

"Yeah, mommy!" He giggled in delight, playfully tugging at his mother's hair.

The sight of how happy his family used to be made Eamon want to howl in anguish, but all he could say was "Alright, alright, I'm coming," just as he had when he had actually been there.

He snapped back to reality with a start. He felt dizzy and unsteady, he had never had such an intense flashback before, but the sight of Y/N's smiling face seemed to steady him for some reason. "I-I don't know Julien," He told his friend in an undertone, badly shaken. "She looks so happy now, and I don't want to put her through unnecessary pain." As Eamon watched her fully laughing for the first time he had seen his heart swelled with warmth, he wanted to protect that smile forever.

"Whatever you say," Julien shrugged, and had Eamon not been so lost in his thoughts in the similarities of the present day and that memory he may have noticed the unconvinced tone in his voice.

A/N

Oh boy... It has begun.

Also, cheers to actually remembering to post today's chapter. ^~^

Until next time I'll see you on the other side

~J. C. Coltt.~