Team: Grifter
Title: Bonds Of Love
Movie Prompt: The Notebook
Rating/Warning: T for one expletive
Word Count: 1, 421
The first time you see him he's leaned up against the duck shooting booth talking as easy as you please to his friends, so comfortable in his own skin you'd think he owned the midway, or maybe just all of Kentucky.
You walk by only half tracking what Haley Millbrook is saying to you. You catch his eye. Maybe its closer to the truth to say you can feel him looking at you. Either way you like it. You have no idea who he is. You'd like too.
You are licking left over cotton candy from your fingers when you feel a hand land lightly on your shoulder. You turn and find yourself staring into the bluest eyes and warmest smile you've ever seen.
"Hey Miss Aimee Martin, Care for a Ferris wheel ride?" he says smile still firmly in place.
"How do you know my name new boy?"
"My buddy Alec told me." he gestures to the lanky black boy who you've known your whole life his Nana works as the cook. "Alec,"
"Aims,"
For some reason you say yes. Maybe it's the warmth of his grin and easy manner. There is something about him that bolsters a feeling of safety within you.
You carry a few things away from your night at the carnival. The soft feel of his letterman jacket on your skin, His name Eliot Spencer, a friendship, and the promise of something more.
-/-/-/-
Eliot's a boy from the wrong side of the tracks but you don't care. You ignore the looks your mother gives the pair of you. Your father gives him a job mucking out stalls and despite your mothers warnings and your best efforts not too you spend a slow, hazy summer falling head over heels in love with Eliot Spencer.
Eliot you soon find out has the heart of a gypsy and guts only possible for the truly crazy.
"I'm joining the Army." he tells you. You stop mid-stride. "Come again?"
"I said I'm joining the army I want out of bumfuck Kentucky." he gives you a measured look.
"What about me?" you stop and turn to face him in the pasture where you'd been walking without aim.
He shrugs long hair tipping into his eyes you want to punch him for his nonchalance. "I'll come back for you." The promise is there in his eyes and you choose to believe it.
-/-/-/-
His letters are filled with dusty faded good intentions, a dreamer's plans, fear and courage, the bloody violence tinge its edges. He never says any of it but you can read between the pretty platitudes to fund the truth.
You are scared for him and rightfully so.
-/-/-/-
He returns but never really comes back. Traumatic brain injury. An RPG blew apart his unit he escaped unscathed except for his mind.
"You see Miss Martin his long term memory almost completely gone. It's a little like alzieheimers in that if you trigger it he might remember something but it won't last more than a day, two at best."
" Doctor Ford, How far back does he remember?"
"January of 1993." The curly headed doctor tapped Eliot's file against the foot of Eliot's bed. Where Eliot placidly sleeps.
"That's six months before we met. What do I do?"
"I'd suggest moving on I'm not saying this to be cruel. Living every day with someone who looses a little of themselves daily is painful."
-/-/-/-
You don't listen to the well meaning doctor or even your own therapist Dr. Deaveraux. Your mother made you seek help when she caught you crying in the tack room.
Instead you write down every tiny detail of your relationship. All the trimmings of it pressed and folded between the pages of the journal. Flowers, letters, lyrics and house plans written by his hand.
-/-/-/-
You find him sitting in the sunroom talking to a young blonde girl who you know has multiple personality disorder. Eliot always seems out of place here with all the other people's personality's wiped clean thanks to thorazine and other anti psychotics.
The nurse tells Eliot he has a visitor. His eyes land on you clear and blue and you think for a mere second he recognizes you. It was there and gone. You realize its more hope than reality but the hope never dies.
You go over and set down "I'm Katie."
"Like The Sons of Katie Elder? I love that movie." he grins at you. You feel your heart flutter as you nod. "This is my friend Parker apparently we've been friends a while." he gestures to the blonde next to him "Parker." is the young woman's dominant personality, she believes she's a world renowned thief. "Hi Parker. Would you like if I told you a story Eliot?"
"Will I like it?"
"I hope.
He groans impatiently at you. You stifle a laugh. "Well alright then." You are glad some things about Eliot never change. You begin the story hoping you can somehow reach him again.
You never know when what why or how you'll reach him. sometimes you don't at all. You'll reach the made happy ending and he'll tell you it was a good a story. He'll head off to bed and you'll come back to try again another day.
Today though you are to the part where Eliot leaves on deployment, he touches your arm stops you mid step on the pond bridge. "Aimee!" there is full recognition in his gaze. "Hi Eliot." you say grinning. The way he cradles your face in his hands looking at you like he spends all that time in his head searching for you makes you want to bawl like a baby.
"Where are we?"
"Healing Springs Sanitarium."
"Why?"
"You were injured in battle and it effects your memory." you go on to explain it all. He looks at you lost then angry. "Why are you here? How often do you do this?"
"All that matters is we made each other a promise and I'm keeping it." he looks so much older than his twenty three years in that moment it makes you ache.
He surprises you with a quick there and gone kiss. Like he's trying to decide weather or not kissing you was a smart move. He shakes his head. "This is no way for you to live Aimee, you need to move on." You've had this conversation so many times with him and varying people you've lost count.
You use your go to standard response. "Let's just enjoy the moment you never have long Eliot it fades fast." he nods like he's decided something. "Okay…tell me what I've missed."
"Well Alec's at MIT he comes and sees you when he's home. Daddy, paid for his schooling."
"Your daddy always was a good man, its your momma that's terrifying." Eliot grins in that old crooked practiced way that makes your heart skip.
-/-/-/-
Night is falling. Visitors hours coming to a close, you want time to stretch on and never end. You know it isn't possible. "I won't remember this morning will I?" Eliot asks.
"No baby,"
"And you'll come back even if I tell you not too won't you?"
"Yes sir." you say playfully. This time he kisses you like he'll never do so again. It makes tears gather at the corners of your eyes. "Well in that case Miss Aimee Martin, I'll be seeing you." Parker runs up and throws her arms around Eliot once you part. "Hi, are you the Eliot with all his marbles today?"
Eliot is stunned. "I think so, and you're Parker?"
"Yup I have forty two personalities you like most of us. Come on, it's almost dinner time." she's tugging him toward the door. He looks over her head, mouthing "Something wrong with her." at you.
You laugh smiling genuinely happy. "You like her I promise." you wave by he waves back. You are grateful today's goodbye wasn't sad as it some times is.
-/-/-/-
In your truck you fight the inevitable despair and sorrow back by reading a torn and tattered note pinned to the visor.
"Aimee, Should something happens to me know that I'll fight to find my way back to you if you'll just have faith and wait for me.- Eliot"
Miraculously Eliot keeps that promise, so you do you. The doctor can't explain it. You always tell him its due to the bonds of love not science. You set the truck in gear.
Tomorrow is another day