Angst Bingo - Vacation
Dec. 11th, 2011 01:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theroadhouseTitle: A Normal Homecoming
Author:telaryn
Word Count: 3530
Fandom: Leverage/BTVS
Characters: Faith/Eliot
Rating: PG
Warnings: None really
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Eliot takes Faith home to meet his family.
Author's Note: Written forangst_bingo's Round 3, for the prompt "vacations".
Faith was terrified. Nate watched, fascinated, as his daughter paced the floor – ranting and gesturing at no one in particular. “I can’t do it. He’s lost his mind. What the hell does he think he’s doing even bringing it up?” Her eyes widened as she pivoted and caught sight of Nate’s expression.
“You? Are not helping.” She glared at him.
Nate chuckled softly. “I’m sorry. Really, Faith I am – but try and see it from my point of view.” He inhaled deeply, trying to maintain the sober, concerned expression she wanted from him. “You fight monsters – and the idea of going on a vacation with Eliot has you coming apart at the seams?”
“It’s not funny!” Faith wailed – and she looked so distraught that Nate’s chest physically hurt from his efforts to keep from laughing at her. “He wants me to meet his family! I am not the kind of person you can take home to meet your family.” She paused. “Not unless your family name is Manson.”
“Okay, stop.” Nate could see where Faith was heading, and he was determined not to let her go down that road. Again. Closing the distance that separated them, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “There is nothing wrong with you,” he said, making sure each word had its own special emphasis. “No, you’re not going to be able to be yourself around these people, but neither is Eliot.”
Faith blinked, and Nate realized she’d been so caught up in her own anxiety that she hadn’t considered all the secrets Eliot was going to be keeping from his kin.
“He trusts you,” he went on gently. “And you know what a big deal that is for the two of you.” It had been a hallmark of their relationship almost from the start – Faith and Eliot liked each other, but in the beginning Eliot didn’t trust Faith and Faith never saw any reason why he should. That had gradually ceased to be an issue as Faith became more a part of the group and more involved in their lives, but it had caused more than a few problems for them in the beginning.
“That’s true, she sighed. Watching her really consider what Eliot’s proposal meant, Nate was struck by the uncharacteristic softness in his daughter. The trust he’d mentioned to her had grown far beyond just her and Eliot. After the wreck of her childhood and the first decade of her adult years, Faith was finally starting to trust the stability Nate had tried so hard to give her.
“You can do this,” he said, cupping her cheek and looking into her dark eyes. “Watch his back and be there for him. The rest will take care of itself.”
*************
Less than a week later, Faith and Eliot were settling into seats in first class, on a plane heading for Oklahoma. “You okay with this?” he asked, taking her hand.
Faith smiled nervously. “Would you hate me if I said ‘not completely’?”
Returning her smile with one of his own, Eliot shook his head. “Not a bit. Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t completely okay with it either?”
“So talk to me,” Faith said, once the plane was in the air and had reached cruising altitude. “You know my idea of family is pretty warped, and I swear I can’t wrap my brain around the kind of family that would produce you.” She lightly bumped shoulders with him. “Tell me something about what you’ve got me into.”
Eliot looked surprisingly uncomfortable. “Like what?” he asked, glancing at her.
Picking up immediately on his tension, Faith tried to keep the conversation light and easy. “Like who do they think you’re bringing home? And what do they think you do? Let’s face it – some of the stuff we’ve done doesn’t exactly make for good dinner conversation.”
He relaxed immediately, which made Faith wonder what he’d thought she was asking. Secrets, she thought, although the idea was hardly surprising. “Import, export,” Eliot said. “Acquisitions. Usually once I drop those three words their eyes glaze over and they’re not interested in details anymore.”
Faith chuckled. “First time Nate tried to explain me to Maggie, he referred to me as a ‘sort of social worker’.”
Eliot winced, laughing. “I’m sure that went well.”
Faith remembered the hunted look in her father’s eyes when he’d returned from the lunch meeting. “About as well as you’re probably thinking, yeah.”
They were briefly interrupted by the flight attendant looking to take their drink orders. Faith joined Eliot in ordering beer, elbowing him in the ribs when he insisted on asking what brands they carried. “You’re getting spoiled,” she said once Eliot had settled for the closest they had to an American microbrew. “Not everyplace is going to carry Leffe just because it’s your favorite.”
“International flights have decent brews,” he retorted, glaring at the flight attendant’s retreating form as if the woman had personally arranged to deny him his preference.
“I think you’re actually proving my point,” Faith said wryly, “so you might want to let it go.”
************
Eliot was still second guessing every decision he’d made regarding the trip when the pilot announced their descent into the Tulsa Airport. He was grateful Faith hadn’t pushed, even though he knew she sensed he was holding something back.
”You need to come, boy.” He hadn’t been surprised to get the phone call from his Uncle Thornhart, but he also hadn’t been prepared to face what it meant. ”The doctors ain’t sayin’ anything one way or the other, but your Aunt Jean’s afraid this might be it.” There was a short pause, and then his uncle had added – almost apologetically, “You know how she gets.”
Eliot did know. And he knew he’d been selfish inviting Faith along without telling her the whole story. Didn’t really expect you to say yes, he thought, glancing at her as they made their way to the baggage claim. He was grateful that she’d agreed to come with him though, and grateful to Nate for what he suspect was a healthy dose of paternal encouragement.
“Uncle Thornhart said he’d meet us here,” Eliot said absently, scanning the crowd. “He’s probably outside with the truck though – he’s not the kind of person to waste money on parking.”
Faith laid a hand on his arm, drawing his attention. “I’ll get the bags. You find your uncle.”
It was the perfect moment to tell her, to fill her in on what she was walking into. And looking into her eyes, Eliot literally couldn’t form the words to say what needed to be said. After a moment, he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. “We’ll be outside,” he said finally.
As expected, Eliot found his uncle waiting at the curb, next to the large red truck Lindsey had bought him some years back. “There you are, boy!” He stepped forward, enveloping Eliot in a quick, firm hug.
“Hey Uncle T,” Eliot said, as soon as they stepped free of each other. “Hope you weren’t waiting too long?”
His uncle shook his head. “Not too bad.” He nodded at the bag slung over Eliot’s shoulder. “That all you bring?” His disapproval was obvious; Eliot quickly shook his head.
“Faith’s getting the other bags,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you knew we were here.”
He realized a second too late how the statement would sound to his uncle. Thornhart’s frown deepened. “Now I know your Mama and Daddy brought you up better than that.” Feeling suddenly like a teenager again, Eliot mumbled an apology and turned back towards the building – just in time to see Faith coming towards them. His duffel was hanging off one shoulder, her suitcase off the other.
Groaning inwardly, he hurried forward to grab his bag. “I told you I’d help,” he said, pitching his voice so that his uncle could hear. Faith blinked, startled, but mercifully caught his panicked glance over his shoulder in time.
“It’s fine,” she said, just as loudly. “They weren’t heavy.”
The statement was comical enough, given Faith’s superhuman strength, but Eliot knew that his uncle would be focusing entirely on her sex and her size. “Thank you,” he mouthed, before turning to escort her to the truck. “Uncle T,” he said, “this is my friend Faith.” He glanced at the woman standing beside him. “Faith, this is my uncle – Thornhart Galliard.”
Before Faith could say anything, Thornhart reached out and took her suitcase from her. “I want to apologize for my nephew’s lack of courtesy, young lady. I assure you he was raised better than this.”
To Eliot’s immeasurable relief, Faith allowed him to take the bag without struggle or comment. “No need to apologize, Mr. Galliard,” she assured him with a smile. “Eliot does fine. It’s good to meet you.”
She’d turned the charm just high enough that Eliot’s normally unflappable uncle was actually starting to blush. Okay, that’s not at all creepy, Eliot thought, barely suppressing a grin. “Call me Thorn,” Thornhart said, taking Faith’s hand between his large ones and smiling at her. “Or if you want, you can call me Uncle T like this troublemaker does.” He glanced at Eliot with an affectionate smile.
“Uncle T it is,” Faith agreed.
Once the bags were loaded, Eliot was immediately and expertly shunted into the back seat. “Your Aunt Jean wants us to go straight to the home,” Thornhart said, making eye contact with Eliot in the rear view mirror. He put the truck into gear and pulled cautiously out into traffic. “After you have your visit, the four of us’ll grab some dinner.”
“Sounds good,” Eliot said, nodding. Slipping his right hand over the seat in front of him, he squeezed Faith’s shoulder. She responded immediately by sliding her hand up over his.
Here we go.
***************
Eliot’s aunt was a short, plump, nervous looking woman. Her smile and her manners when she was introduced to Faith were forced but perfectly correct. “It’s so nice you could come with Eliot,” she said, pressing Faith’s hand between her two.
And in the next breath, she was suggesting that it might be best if Faith waited with her and her husband while Eliot visited his mother.
Faith looked across at her friend, her teammate…her lover…and waited to see what he would say. Watch his back. Be there for him. This was exactly the type of situation Nate had been talking about; she wouldn’t be doing either of them any good if she pushed Eliot in a direction he wasn’t prepared to go.
“I want Faith to come with me, Aunt Jean,” Eliot said calmly, looking at Faith even though he was addressing his statements to the older woman. “It’s…important.”
Faith’s chest tightened as she realized suddenly exactly how much Eliot was keeping in check. “It’s not a problem,” she said, just as Jean seemed to draw the conclusion Eliot intended. When she looked at Faith again, her smile seemed worlds more genuine.
“She’ll be happy to see you,” she said, taking Faith’s hand again and patting it.
“Thank you,” Eliot murmured as they walked off together.
“It really isn’t a problem,” Faith said. “I wasn’t just saying that.”
He stopped abruptly then, stepping into Faith’s path. “It might be,” he said, reaching out to comb his fingers gently through her hair. Some of the tension that had only been visible in his eyes was starting to bleed into his expression.
“So talk to me,” Faith said. “Let me be the judge.”
Eliot was quiet for a long moment, then he sighed heavily. “It’s Alzheimer’s Faith. I should have told you before, but I was scared. I didn’t think you’d say yes, I didn’t think you’d come, and…” His voice trailed off, and for a moment he looked so lost that Faith’s heart hurt.
Acting purely on impulse, she pulled him into an embrace. “I’m here,” she whispered, gripping him tightly. “Don’t doubt that. Whatever you need, I’ve got you covered.”
He returned her hug for a long moment, before letting go and stepping back. “I’m sorry,” he said, smiling ruefully. “I know this would be easier on both of us if there was somebody to hit – something to fight.”
She knew exactly what he meant. You can do this. Eliot needed her. Nate believed she could do the job. Whatever it takes. “I’m pretty much entirely out of my depth here,” she admitted, “but I meant what I said. I’ve got your back. You just need to meet me halfway and talk to me – tell me what you’re feeling, okay?”
After a long moment, he nodded. “I promise.”
******************
Eliot supposed the visit went as well as could be expected. They sat in the hospital’s day room for nearly an hour, while May Spencer prattled at Faith about her upcoming date with the handsome crew chief from the local mine. “Charlie’s going to take me to the dance at the community center,” she’d cooed, while Faith did her best to look interested and Eliot tried not to be sick.
His father had been dead for two years.
She had moments of lucidity, where she seemed to recognize her son – but those were almost more painful than the delusions. Eliot tried his best to reassure her when she clung to him and called him Lindsey and begged him to take her home, but it was clear that nothing short of packing her things and taking her out of there was going to console her.
Faith provided the perfect distraction for Aunt Jean as the four of them left the hospital. Eliot felt a stab of guilt when she took Faith by the arm and began interrogating her as to the nature of their relationship, but it provided him a much-needed distraction. His uncle, mercifully, seemed to sense his need for quiet and said little on the drive to the diner.
“Eliot, I have to say I’m very cross with you for hiding Faith from us,” Aunt Jean scolded him as he helped her out of the back seat of the truck. “She’s a very exciting girl.”
That’s one word for it, Eliot thought – glancing over his aunt’s shoulder and catching Faith’s holy crap! expression. “You know work keeps me busy Aunt Jean,” he said gently, taking her arm and escorting her into the tiny restaurant. “And I’m sure Faith told you she has her own career to worry about.”
“Yes, yes,” Jean nodded absently. “Social work is an important calling – but…”
Eliot had to tune her out briefly to stop from laughing at the cover Faith had decided to go forward with. Conversation through dinner stayed light and easy, mostly thanks to Faith continuing to run interference. Eliot did what he could, but fitting himself back into his normal life was hard enough under the best of circumstances.
Darkness was crowding close by the time they reached the tiny Galliard farm. Eliot managed to hold it together long enough for Aunt Jean to make it clear that he and Faith would not be sharing the house’s only spare bedroom. Once Faith had started unpacking and his aunt and uncle had retired to their own room, Eliot headed for the backyard.
He’d intended to stay close to the house, but finally free of the need to be strong adrenaline drove him to the picnic table near the barbeque pit he and Lindsey had helped their uncle dig when they were fourteen. “Dammit,” he breathed against the unexpected threat of tears. His hands were shaking as he slid up on the table.
It wasn’t supposed to hurt. Not anymore. He and Lindsey had done everything in their power to make their parents comfortable. There was nothing they could have done to anticipate their mother’s condition or stop her downward slide. And yet, when the one person on the planet who’d always been able to tell the twins apart had looked into his eyes and called him by his brother’s name, Eliot had felt something break inside him.
“You needed to come.”
He flinched, hearing Faith’s voice so close. It was the perfect metaphor for the entire day that she’d been able to approach without him realizing it. “Yeah,” he sighed, shifting so that he could see her, “but I didn’t need to drag you down with me. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Eliot.” It was just his name, but Faith sounded so much like her father in that moment that Eliot felt some of his inner turmoil quiet automatically. “You need to talk to me.”
“I’m trying,” he sighed. “I’m trying to admit this was a mistake. I made a big deal about dragging you down here, and…”
“Do you realize you’ve only said one absolutely truthful thing since we got here?” Even in the darkness, Eliot could see the challenge in Faith’s expression. “You told Aunt Jean that it was important I go with you to see your Mom. She wanted to spare me, remember? You’re the one who insisted I go, and I think you owe me the real reason why.”
Reaching out, she wrapped her hand around his. “Talk to me, Eliot,” she said gently. “Please.”
Eliot bowed his head for a moment, trying to sort his impossibly tangled emotions into something Faith could understand. And she waited for him to be ready. Midway through trying to sort feelings into words, Eliot looked up at Faith – realizing that the girl who was never still, never quiet, was standing there willing to wait as long as he needed her to.
“I wanted to see if I still had time,” he said at last, his voice calmer than it had been all day.
**************
“The thing about Alzheimer’s,” Eliot went on after a short pause, “is that you lose the person you’ve known all your life, but they’re still sitting right across from you.”
Faith had seen the effect it had on Eliot when his mother called him Lindsey, and when she’d ignored him for most of the visit to gossip with Faith about her dead husband. “You wanted to see if your mother was still your mother?” she asked – not quite sure she’d plugged into everything he was feeling.
“I wanted to see if I could pretend.” Raising their joined hands to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “For one last time I wanted to be a normal guy bringing his girl home to meet the folks.” Their eyes met, and Faith stopped breathing for a moment. His expression was entirely unguarded, and the depth of emotion in his blue eyes so profoundly real she didn’t know what to do.
“Eliot…” Faith began, then stopped. He reached up, fingers combing through her hair again.
“I think deep down I knew it was going to be too late,” he admitted. “But Uncle T was pushing, and Nate pointed out that I’ve been begging him for a vacation for close to a year now and…” He blew out a sharp breath, laughing bitterly. “What a stupid, fucking mess. I’m not that kid anymore. I’m not normal. Maybe I never was – I don’t know why I thought…”
“Stop,” Faith said softly, squeezing his hand again. “Eliot, please.” Silence fell between them as she racked her brain for the right words to ground him – to make him see himself the way she saw him. Nate would know what to say.
But Eliot didn’t have Nate here in this moment. He just had her. “I wouldn’t have the slightest idea what to do with the kid you used to be,” she said finally. “And think about it – all I’d be to you is the bad girl you slept with under the bleachers one time to increase your street cred.” Eliot snorted softly at the idea, and Faith knew she’d pegged him right.
“I like who we are together,” she went on, forcing the words past a lump in her throat. “You understand me like nobody ever has, and for the first time I don’t feel like I’m all alone in the world.” She reached up to caress his cheek; closing his eyes, Eliot leaned into her touch. “Nate loves me. Giles worries about me.” She drew a deep, shuddering breath. “You get me. And that’s the man you are now – not the boy you used to be.”
“I still wish you could have met her,” Eliot said, opening his eyes to look at her again.
Faith nodded. “I know. But you’ll tell me stories, and you’ll show me pictures and places of that life you used to have. And Aunt Jean and Uncle T will fill in the gaps, when Jean isn’t too busy planning our wedding.” That got a genuine laugh out of him. Faith’s smile broadened. “And when we go back to our other life, you’ll have somebody who understands everything you set aside – everything you used to be.”
Tears finally spilled down her cheeks as she brushed a strand of hair back from his face. “And hopefully you won’t feel so out of place anymore either.”
Author:
telarynWord Count: 3530
Fandom: Leverage/BTVS
Characters: Faith/Eliot
Rating: PG
Warnings: None really
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: Eliot takes Faith home to meet his family.
Author's Note: Written for
angst_bingo's Round 3, for the prompt "vacations".Faith was terrified. Nate watched, fascinated, as his daughter paced the floor – ranting and gesturing at no one in particular. “I can’t do it. He’s lost his mind. What the hell does he think he’s doing even bringing it up?” Her eyes widened as she pivoted and caught sight of Nate’s expression.
“You? Are not helping.” She glared at him.
Nate chuckled softly. “I’m sorry. Really, Faith I am – but try and see it from my point of view.” He inhaled deeply, trying to maintain the sober, concerned expression she wanted from him. “You fight monsters – and the idea of going on a vacation with Eliot has you coming apart at the seams?”
“It’s not funny!” Faith wailed – and she looked so distraught that Nate’s chest physically hurt from his efforts to keep from laughing at her. “He wants me to meet his family! I am not the kind of person you can take home to meet your family.” She paused. “Not unless your family name is Manson.”
“Okay, stop.” Nate could see where Faith was heading, and he was determined not to let her go down that road. Again. Closing the distance that separated them, he put his hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. “There is nothing wrong with you,” he said, making sure each word had its own special emphasis. “No, you’re not going to be able to be yourself around these people, but neither is Eliot.”
Faith blinked, and Nate realized she’d been so caught up in her own anxiety that she hadn’t considered all the secrets Eliot was going to be keeping from his kin.
“He trusts you,” he went on gently. “And you know what a big deal that is for the two of you.” It had been a hallmark of their relationship almost from the start – Faith and Eliot liked each other, but in the beginning Eliot didn’t trust Faith and Faith never saw any reason why he should. That had gradually ceased to be an issue as Faith became more a part of the group and more involved in their lives, but it had caused more than a few problems for them in the beginning.
“That’s true, she sighed. Watching her really consider what Eliot’s proposal meant, Nate was struck by the uncharacteristic softness in his daughter. The trust he’d mentioned to her had grown far beyond just her and Eliot. After the wreck of her childhood and the first decade of her adult years, Faith was finally starting to trust the stability Nate had tried so hard to give her.
“You can do this,” he said, cupping her cheek and looking into her dark eyes. “Watch his back and be there for him. The rest will take care of itself.”
*************
Less than a week later, Faith and Eliot were settling into seats in first class, on a plane heading for Oklahoma. “You okay with this?” he asked, taking her hand.
Faith smiled nervously. “Would you hate me if I said ‘not completely’?”
Returning her smile with one of his own, Eliot shook his head. “Not a bit. Would you believe me if I said I wasn’t completely okay with it either?”
“So talk to me,” Faith said, once the plane was in the air and had reached cruising altitude. “You know my idea of family is pretty warped, and I swear I can’t wrap my brain around the kind of family that would produce you.” She lightly bumped shoulders with him. “Tell me something about what you’ve got me into.”
Eliot looked surprisingly uncomfortable. “Like what?” he asked, glancing at her.
Picking up immediately on his tension, Faith tried to keep the conversation light and easy. “Like who do they think you’re bringing home? And what do they think you do? Let’s face it – some of the stuff we’ve done doesn’t exactly make for good dinner conversation.”
He relaxed immediately, which made Faith wonder what he’d thought she was asking. Secrets, she thought, although the idea was hardly surprising. “Import, export,” Eliot said. “Acquisitions. Usually once I drop those three words their eyes glaze over and they’re not interested in details anymore.”
Faith chuckled. “First time Nate tried to explain me to Maggie, he referred to me as a ‘sort of social worker’.”
Eliot winced, laughing. “I’m sure that went well.”
Faith remembered the hunted look in her father’s eyes when he’d returned from the lunch meeting. “About as well as you’re probably thinking, yeah.”
They were briefly interrupted by the flight attendant looking to take their drink orders. Faith joined Eliot in ordering beer, elbowing him in the ribs when he insisted on asking what brands they carried. “You’re getting spoiled,” she said once Eliot had settled for the closest they had to an American microbrew. “Not everyplace is going to carry Leffe just because it’s your favorite.”
“International flights have decent brews,” he retorted, glaring at the flight attendant’s retreating form as if the woman had personally arranged to deny him his preference.
“I think you’re actually proving my point,” Faith said wryly, “so you might want to let it go.”
************
Eliot was still second guessing every decision he’d made regarding the trip when the pilot announced their descent into the Tulsa Airport. He was grateful Faith hadn’t pushed, even though he knew she sensed he was holding something back.
”You need to come, boy.” He hadn’t been surprised to get the phone call from his Uncle Thornhart, but he also hadn’t been prepared to face what it meant. ”The doctors ain’t sayin’ anything one way or the other, but your Aunt Jean’s afraid this might be it.” There was a short pause, and then his uncle had added – almost apologetically, “You know how she gets.”
Eliot did know. And he knew he’d been selfish inviting Faith along without telling her the whole story. Didn’t really expect you to say yes, he thought, glancing at her as they made their way to the baggage claim. He was grateful that she’d agreed to come with him though, and grateful to Nate for what he suspect was a healthy dose of paternal encouragement.
“Uncle Thornhart said he’d meet us here,” Eliot said absently, scanning the crowd. “He’s probably outside with the truck though – he’s not the kind of person to waste money on parking.”
Faith laid a hand on his arm, drawing his attention. “I’ll get the bags. You find your uncle.”
It was the perfect moment to tell her, to fill her in on what she was walking into. And looking into her eyes, Eliot literally couldn’t form the words to say what needed to be said. After a moment, he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. “We’ll be outside,” he said finally.
As expected, Eliot found his uncle waiting at the curb, next to the large red truck Lindsey had bought him some years back. “There you are, boy!” He stepped forward, enveloping Eliot in a quick, firm hug.
“Hey Uncle T,” Eliot said, as soon as they stepped free of each other. “Hope you weren’t waiting too long?”
His uncle shook his head. “Not too bad.” He nodded at the bag slung over Eliot’s shoulder. “That all you bring?” His disapproval was obvious; Eliot quickly shook his head.
“Faith’s getting the other bags,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you knew we were here.”
He realized a second too late how the statement would sound to his uncle. Thornhart’s frown deepened. “Now I know your Mama and Daddy brought you up better than that.” Feeling suddenly like a teenager again, Eliot mumbled an apology and turned back towards the building – just in time to see Faith coming towards them. His duffel was hanging off one shoulder, her suitcase off the other.
Groaning inwardly, he hurried forward to grab his bag. “I told you I’d help,” he said, pitching his voice so that his uncle could hear. Faith blinked, startled, but mercifully caught his panicked glance over his shoulder in time.
“It’s fine,” she said, just as loudly. “They weren’t heavy.”
The statement was comical enough, given Faith’s superhuman strength, but Eliot knew that his uncle would be focusing entirely on her sex and her size. “Thank you,” he mouthed, before turning to escort her to the truck. “Uncle T,” he said, “this is my friend Faith.” He glanced at the woman standing beside him. “Faith, this is my uncle – Thornhart Galliard.”
Before Faith could say anything, Thornhart reached out and took her suitcase from her. “I want to apologize for my nephew’s lack of courtesy, young lady. I assure you he was raised better than this.”
To Eliot’s immeasurable relief, Faith allowed him to take the bag without struggle or comment. “No need to apologize, Mr. Galliard,” she assured him with a smile. “Eliot does fine. It’s good to meet you.”
She’d turned the charm just high enough that Eliot’s normally unflappable uncle was actually starting to blush. Okay, that’s not at all creepy, Eliot thought, barely suppressing a grin. “Call me Thorn,” Thornhart said, taking Faith’s hand between his large ones and smiling at her. “Or if you want, you can call me Uncle T like this troublemaker does.” He glanced at Eliot with an affectionate smile.
“Uncle T it is,” Faith agreed.
Once the bags were loaded, Eliot was immediately and expertly shunted into the back seat. “Your Aunt Jean wants us to go straight to the home,” Thornhart said, making eye contact with Eliot in the rear view mirror. He put the truck into gear and pulled cautiously out into traffic. “After you have your visit, the four of us’ll grab some dinner.”
“Sounds good,” Eliot said, nodding. Slipping his right hand over the seat in front of him, he squeezed Faith’s shoulder. She responded immediately by sliding her hand up over his.
Here we go.
***************
Eliot’s aunt was a short, plump, nervous looking woman. Her smile and her manners when she was introduced to Faith were forced but perfectly correct. “It’s so nice you could come with Eliot,” she said, pressing Faith’s hand between her two.
And in the next breath, she was suggesting that it might be best if Faith waited with her and her husband while Eliot visited his mother.
Faith looked across at her friend, her teammate…her lover…and waited to see what he would say. Watch his back. Be there for him. This was exactly the type of situation Nate had been talking about; she wouldn’t be doing either of them any good if she pushed Eliot in a direction he wasn’t prepared to go.
“I want Faith to come with me, Aunt Jean,” Eliot said calmly, looking at Faith even though he was addressing his statements to the older woman. “It’s…important.”
Faith’s chest tightened as she realized suddenly exactly how much Eliot was keeping in check. “It’s not a problem,” she said, just as Jean seemed to draw the conclusion Eliot intended. When she looked at Faith again, her smile seemed worlds more genuine.
“She’ll be happy to see you,” she said, taking Faith’s hand again and patting it.
“Thank you,” Eliot murmured as they walked off together.
“It really isn’t a problem,” Faith said. “I wasn’t just saying that.”
He stopped abruptly then, stepping into Faith’s path. “It might be,” he said, reaching out to comb his fingers gently through her hair. Some of the tension that had only been visible in his eyes was starting to bleed into his expression.
“So talk to me,” Faith said. “Let me be the judge.”
Eliot was quiet for a long moment, then he sighed heavily. “It’s Alzheimer’s Faith. I should have told you before, but I was scared. I didn’t think you’d say yes, I didn’t think you’d come, and…” His voice trailed off, and for a moment he looked so lost that Faith’s heart hurt.
Acting purely on impulse, she pulled him into an embrace. “I’m here,” she whispered, gripping him tightly. “Don’t doubt that. Whatever you need, I’ve got you covered.”
He returned her hug for a long moment, before letting go and stepping back. “I’m sorry,” he said, smiling ruefully. “I know this would be easier on both of us if there was somebody to hit – something to fight.”
She knew exactly what he meant. You can do this. Eliot needed her. Nate believed she could do the job. Whatever it takes. “I’m pretty much entirely out of my depth here,” she admitted, “but I meant what I said. I’ve got your back. You just need to meet me halfway and talk to me – tell me what you’re feeling, okay?”
After a long moment, he nodded. “I promise.”
******************
Eliot supposed the visit went as well as could be expected. They sat in the hospital’s day room for nearly an hour, while May Spencer prattled at Faith about her upcoming date with the handsome crew chief from the local mine. “Charlie’s going to take me to the dance at the community center,” she’d cooed, while Faith did her best to look interested and Eliot tried not to be sick.
His father had been dead for two years.
She had moments of lucidity, where she seemed to recognize her son – but those were almost more painful than the delusions. Eliot tried his best to reassure her when she clung to him and called him Lindsey and begged him to take her home, but it was clear that nothing short of packing her things and taking her out of there was going to console her.
Faith provided the perfect distraction for Aunt Jean as the four of them left the hospital. Eliot felt a stab of guilt when she took Faith by the arm and began interrogating her as to the nature of their relationship, but it provided him a much-needed distraction. His uncle, mercifully, seemed to sense his need for quiet and said little on the drive to the diner.
“Eliot, I have to say I’m very cross with you for hiding Faith from us,” Aunt Jean scolded him as he helped her out of the back seat of the truck. “She’s a very exciting girl.”
That’s one word for it, Eliot thought – glancing over his aunt’s shoulder and catching Faith’s holy crap! expression. “You know work keeps me busy Aunt Jean,” he said gently, taking her arm and escorting her into the tiny restaurant. “And I’m sure Faith told you she has her own career to worry about.”
“Yes, yes,” Jean nodded absently. “Social work is an important calling – but…”
Eliot had to tune her out briefly to stop from laughing at the cover Faith had decided to go forward with. Conversation through dinner stayed light and easy, mostly thanks to Faith continuing to run interference. Eliot did what he could, but fitting himself back into his normal life was hard enough under the best of circumstances.
Darkness was crowding close by the time they reached the tiny Galliard farm. Eliot managed to hold it together long enough for Aunt Jean to make it clear that he and Faith would not be sharing the house’s only spare bedroom. Once Faith had started unpacking and his aunt and uncle had retired to their own room, Eliot headed for the backyard.
He’d intended to stay close to the house, but finally free of the need to be strong adrenaline drove him to the picnic table near the barbeque pit he and Lindsey had helped their uncle dig when they were fourteen. “Dammit,” he breathed against the unexpected threat of tears. His hands were shaking as he slid up on the table.
It wasn’t supposed to hurt. Not anymore. He and Lindsey had done everything in their power to make their parents comfortable. There was nothing they could have done to anticipate their mother’s condition or stop her downward slide. And yet, when the one person on the planet who’d always been able to tell the twins apart had looked into his eyes and called him by his brother’s name, Eliot had felt something break inside him.
“You needed to come.”
He flinched, hearing Faith’s voice so close. It was the perfect metaphor for the entire day that she’d been able to approach without him realizing it. “Yeah,” he sighed, shifting so that he could see her, “but I didn’t need to drag you down with me. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“Eliot.” It was just his name, but Faith sounded so much like her father in that moment that Eliot felt some of his inner turmoil quiet automatically. “You need to talk to me.”
“I’m trying,” he sighed. “I’m trying to admit this was a mistake. I made a big deal about dragging you down here, and…”
“Do you realize you’ve only said one absolutely truthful thing since we got here?” Even in the darkness, Eliot could see the challenge in Faith’s expression. “You told Aunt Jean that it was important I go with you to see your Mom. She wanted to spare me, remember? You’re the one who insisted I go, and I think you owe me the real reason why.”
Reaching out, she wrapped her hand around his. “Talk to me, Eliot,” she said gently. “Please.”
Eliot bowed his head for a moment, trying to sort his impossibly tangled emotions into something Faith could understand. And she waited for him to be ready. Midway through trying to sort feelings into words, Eliot looked up at Faith – realizing that the girl who was never still, never quiet, was standing there willing to wait as long as he needed her to.
“I wanted to see if I still had time,” he said at last, his voice calmer than it had been all day.
**************
“The thing about Alzheimer’s,” Eliot went on after a short pause, “is that you lose the person you’ve known all your life, but they’re still sitting right across from you.”
Faith had seen the effect it had on Eliot when his mother called him Lindsey, and when she’d ignored him for most of the visit to gossip with Faith about her dead husband. “You wanted to see if your mother was still your mother?” she asked – not quite sure she’d plugged into everything he was feeling.
“I wanted to see if I could pretend.” Raising their joined hands to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “For one last time I wanted to be a normal guy bringing his girl home to meet the folks.” Their eyes met, and Faith stopped breathing for a moment. His expression was entirely unguarded, and the depth of emotion in his blue eyes so profoundly real she didn’t know what to do.
“Eliot…” Faith began, then stopped. He reached up, fingers combing through her hair again.
“I think deep down I knew it was going to be too late,” he admitted. “But Uncle T was pushing, and Nate pointed out that I’ve been begging him for a vacation for close to a year now and…” He blew out a sharp breath, laughing bitterly. “What a stupid, fucking mess. I’m not that kid anymore. I’m not normal. Maybe I never was – I don’t know why I thought…”
“Stop,” Faith said softly, squeezing his hand again. “Eliot, please.” Silence fell between them as she racked her brain for the right words to ground him – to make him see himself the way she saw him. Nate would know what to say.
But Eliot didn’t have Nate here in this moment. He just had her. “I wouldn’t have the slightest idea what to do with the kid you used to be,” she said finally. “And think about it – all I’d be to you is the bad girl you slept with under the bleachers one time to increase your street cred.” Eliot snorted softly at the idea, and Faith knew she’d pegged him right.
“I like who we are together,” she went on, forcing the words past a lump in her throat. “You understand me like nobody ever has, and for the first time I don’t feel like I’m all alone in the world.” She reached up to caress his cheek; closing his eyes, Eliot leaned into her touch. “Nate loves me. Giles worries about me.” She drew a deep, shuddering breath. “You get me. And that’s the man you are now – not the boy you used to be.”
“I still wish you could have met her,” Eliot said, opening his eyes to look at her again.
Faith nodded. “I know. But you’ll tell me stories, and you’ll show me pictures and places of that life you used to have. And Aunt Jean and Uncle T will fill in the gaps, when Jean isn’t too busy planning our wedding.” That got a genuine laugh out of him. Faith’s smile broadened. “And when we go back to our other life, you’ll have somebody who understands everything you set aside – everything you used to be.”
Tears finally spilled down her cheeks as she brushed a strand of hair back from his face. “And hopefully you won’t feel so out of place anymore either.”
no subject
Date: 2012-08-14 02:31 pm (UTC)