Chapter Text
It was the third Saturday of the month, which was designated as Family Movie Night.
As per usual, Bill had taken the kids to Block Buster and had them pick out one movie each. They stopped off for food on the way home. Since the kids got to choose the movies, Peg got the night off from cooking.
Their dinner went well enough, though Peg had noticed Edward staring into space as everyone else ate. He’d been tired lately, but when asked about it he never had an answer.
As the meal wrapped up, Kevin and Kim went to set up the VCR while Bill did the dishes, and Peg did her best to get Edward to at least eat something. He’d allowed her to feed him a few bites of meat and potatoes, but had lost interest in the meal after that. It worried her that he didn’t seem to eat much, but she tried to push her fears away. Perhaps he had a small appetite because there had been so little to eat up in the mansion, or perhaps he simply didn’t need to eat at all. She’d yet to ask about that.
“Movie’s ready!” Kevin called out, breaking Peg from her thoughts.
She smiled at Edward and picked up his plate.
“Why don’t you go grab a seat on the couch. I’ll be right in.”
Edward nodded and stood up, then slowly shuffled to the living room.
00
“What did you pick?” Peg asked, as she sat down next to Edward. Bill was in his chair, and the kids were sitting on the floor.
“I got Friday the Thirteenth and Kim got The Breakfast Club,” Kevin answered. “Can I start the movie?”
“Go ahead,” Peg told him.
Kevin got up, killed the lights, pressed play, then sat back down.
00
Edward tried to focus on the movie, he really did, but there was a lot of violence, too, and it made him uneasy.
“I think this might be a bit much,” Peg remarked after Mrs. Voorhees was decapitated, surprised that her husband had allowed Kevin to pick such a film.
“Shh, we’re okay,” Kevin said, before directing his attention back at the television.
When Bill said nothing, Peg dropped the subject. Yes, Kevin and Kim could probably handle it, but she had noticed Edward flinch a few times and she hoped it wasn’t bothering him too much.
When it happened for a third time, she frowned and turned to him.
“You can close your eyes if you want,” she whispered. “Or if you want to go in your room until the next movie’s on, that’s fine too.”
Edward looked at her, a nervous expression on his face, but said nothing. He didn’t want to ruin the evening by going off on his own. Instead, he tried to think of other things to distract himself from the scenes playing out in front of him. He spent the next couple of hours stuck in his memories of being with his father.
00
Edward yawned as the movie ended, having barely even noticed that it was over. It was getting dark outside and any light that had come in through the windows was now gone. He wished he could sleep for a bit, but he didn’t dare speak that thought. They still had another movie to get through after all.
Bill got up to make some popcorn while Kim made hot cocoa for everyone. The smell of the cocoa calmed Edward somewhat. It reminded him of the chocolate chip cookies that were made in his old house. It tasted great, too, and he surprised Peg by drinking the entire mug of it.
But, having a warm drink and being in the dark was taking its toll, and he was starting to have difficulty keeping his eyes open. He tried to tap his leg to keep himself awake, but it didn’t do much good. By twenty minutes in, he was starting to slump over.
“Here,” Peg whispered, as she pulled a throw pillow from behind the couch and placed it on her lap. “Lie down.”
Edward blinked, but decided to do as he was told. He on his side, his head on the pillow, doing his best to ensure his scissors didn’t touch him or anyone else. Then he felt Peg place a blanket over him. It was Peg’s fingers in his hair that was the last straw. It felt so good, and calming. He was asleep within minutes.
00
Edward’s dreams tended to be disjointed, containing patches of memories and various ideas based on things he’d seen. Rarely did they ever tell a story. This time, he’d dreamed that he was back in the mansion, listening to his father read to him, when Jason Voorhees crashed through the door and cut his father’s head off.
Of course, Edward did his best to attack Jason, but for some reason he was unable to move. It was as if his feet were stuck in place, and any movement he made was useless. He watched as Jason krept closer to him and he raised his scissors in defense, breathing heavily as he panicked.
And then, someone called his name.
“Edward!”
The voice said, loudly.
He stopped trying to move, and tried to focus on the voice.
It called out again, louder and more insistent this time.
“Edward! Wake up!”
He felt something tap his shoulder and his eyes flew open, only to see Bill, Kevin and Kim all staring at him. The lights were on, and everyone looked concerned.
“Are you okay?” Peg asked.
He turned onto his back and looked up at her.
“You were moaning and breathing real heavy,” Kevin said, “Were you having a nightmare?”
Edward’s heart was still racing, and he tried to calm himself before sitting up.
“I dreamed about Jason, and my father,” he muttered, looking around again. It helped him to see that he was really awake, that everything he’d dreamed was just that - a dream - and that he was safe.
Peg sighed.
“I knew that movie was too violent! Well, you’re safe, Edward. I promise. It was just a movie, none of it was real.”
“I know,” he said softly. Now that he wasn’t quite as terrified, he felt somewhat embarrassed. Kim was looking at him as if he had three heads.
“I’m sorry,” he added.
“Don’t be,” Peg replied. “We should’ve been more careful. You’ve never seen movies like that.”
“Movie night’s over anyway,” Kim added, forcing a smile. She felt bad for her adopted brother.
“I’m sorry I missed the rest,” he repeated.
“It’s absolutely fine. It’s getting late, anyway. No wonder you were tired,” Peg told him. “I think it’s time for all of us to get to bed.”
“Hopefully you can sleep tonight after all that,” Bill said.
Edward kept quiet. He was still very tired, but he wasn’t so sure that he could sleep.
00
Peg sat on the edge of the bed as she tucked Edward in. Kevin was in the top bunk, reading a book with a small book light. Edward looked as if he was exhausted but trying to fight falling asleep.
“Now, you don’t have anything to worry about,” she told him. “That movie was fake, and we’re all completely safe here. The front door is locked, the windows are locked, and no one is going to hurt any of us, okay?”
Edward couldn’t help but smile. Peg’s words did help a little.
“Okay,” he responded.
“I promise you, everything is fine,” she went on.
Edward nodded and yawned again, feeling much more relaxed. If Peg said that they were safe, then they were.
“You just get some rest and if you need anything at all, come get us, alright?”
“Alright,” Edward whispered.
He smiled again as Peg kissed him on the forehead.
“Sweet dreams, son.”
That night, Edward didn’t have any more bad dreams.