The Pending Job
*Continuing the Spencer Family Saga (The Family Job; The Low, Low Price Job Extended Ending; The History Job)
"Dillon… can you give me a hand?" Jesse called as she released the knob on the oven. "Dillon?"
No response came. She sighed and began reaching up to the top shelf of the cabinets. The couple extra inches she found herself now carrying around the middle rubbed against the counter. Her fingertips fell short of the bowl she desired.
A knock at the door interrupted her. She shook her head and proceeded toward the door. A quick glance through the peephole gave her a smile. After a turn of the knob, she pulled the door open.
"Well… LOOK who's here," she teased.
Eliot grinned back at her. "Hi… and hello you…" He rubbed his hand in front of her tummy.
"Is it kicking yet?" Parker interjected. Hardison stood next to her and waved.
"No, a little too early for that yet, Parker," Jesse replied. "Come in, come in." She stepped back to allow them entrance.
Eliot led them in, glancing around the room. "Nate and Sophie had to wrap up something so they'll be along later."
"I'm glad to hear you all dropped by… now I know it won't be too much food," Jesse laughed. She leaned back to yell to the living room behind her. "Dillon… Uncle Eliot is here. Parker and Hardison are too."
A faint sound of music and electronic beeps was the only sound to return.
"Guess he didn't hear me…" she sighed. "Well, Flynn had to go in for a few hours but make yourselves at home. I was working on supper." She pivoted on one foot and proceeded back to the kitchen.
Eliot watched her for a moment, taking note of her lack of footwear, before following.
"Barefoot in the kitchen… brave choice," he chuckled.
"Well, the little one here seems to have an issue with shoes… kills my feet and back to wear anything for too long," she replied.
"What about…" Eliot began.
"The blackouts? Fewer and fewer thankfully. It's been a year and a half since Brixton. I've managed them. And this little one doesn't seem to be hurting it," she answered as she returned to her previous task of reaching for a bowl.
"Here, I got it," Eliot scooted her aside and pushed up on his toes to grab the bowl.
"Thanks… I seem to be a little hampered in my reach," she giggled.
He set the bowl down on the counter and proceeded to the sink to wash his hands.
"What do you think you're doing?" she pouted.
"You don't think I'm letting you do all this alone, do you?"
"You're gonna risk that shirt?" Her brow rose looking at the clearly new purchased button down shirt he rolled up.
"Hey, give me an apron; I'm not that way…"
"Bottom drawer, next to the fridge," she answered. He went to retrieve one as she returned to her bowl.
"I'm kinda wanting a bathroom… wasn't using that one at the rental place," Hardison swallowed as he and Parker stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"Down the hall to the left," Jesse instructed.
"Thank you," Hardison nodded and disappeared. Parker rolled her head and followed him out of the room.
Jesse breathed a moment. "Dillon! Could you come here a moment?"
Eliot sighed heavily as he finished tying the apron. "Okay, this is out of hand." He made his way into the living room.
Dillon sat on the couch playing a handheld video game. Earbuds sat firmly planted in his ears, the volume up high enough for Eliot to hear the music. Eliot reached his fingers out and yanked the cord, pulling the earbuds clean out of the ears.
"Hey!" Dillon cried.
"Your mother has been calling you… it's rude to not respond," Eliot growled.
"She ALWAYS calls me to do all kinds of stuff…"
"You ever TRY and… I don't know… DO any of it? You may have noticed she could use a little more help than normal. I seem to remember you promising me you were gonna be a good kid so I wouldn't have to straighten you out."
"I'm going… I'm going." Dillon threw his stuff onto the cushion next to him and trudged off to the kitchen. Eliot shook his head and followed.
"What?" Dillon muttered as he came to a stop in the kitchen doorway.
"Would you be a dear and check the mail? Or I can get the mail and you could put the salad together," Jesse offered.
"Okay," Dillon groaned as he turned and disappeared out the front door.
"What is with him?" Eliot growled.
"He started acting like this about two months ago…" Jesse sighed. "His grades are still good, but his attitude has been very distant and rude. I've been watching for drugs but don't see anything."
"Two months ago?" Eliot pursed his lips. "Is that about the time you told him about the new baby?"
Jesse frowned, "Come to think of it, yeah."
"Somebody isn't overjoyed to be a big brother, huh? I'll have a chat with him later."
"You… you're going to have a 'chat' with my son?" Jesse laughed.
"I know what it's like to be the big brother. Might be able to get through to him… let him know it's okay to be a little upset and let him know what he has to look forward to…"
"Like dumping beetles into the cereal, pushing 'em down in the mud, and hanging toys from the ceiling fan?" Jesse smirked.
"Yeah…" Eliot laughed. "I was good sometimes."
"The fact that I'm here breathing is proof of that," she smiled and pat his arm before heading to the fridge.
Eliot continued smiling to himself as he surveyed the counters. A stack of pork chops on the end of the island beckoned and he stepped toward them. "What are the plans for these?"
Jesse turned to see what he referred to before responding. "There's a rub on the top shelf of the cupboard next to the breakfast nook over there." She pointed to the corner opposite the doorway. A small table with a bench to either side was tucked into the corner with a couple of cabinets running along the wall toward the refrigerator. Eliot headed for the furthest cabinet.
"Need anything?" Hardison's voice carried in from the living room.
"No, we're good," Eliot called back.
"There is plenty to do if they want to help," Jesse replied.
"You do NOT want Hardison in the kitchen, believe me," Eliot countered. Jesse laughed.
Dillon entered silently, threw the mail on the edge of the island and proceeded to return to his game in the living room.
"Thank you, honey," Jesse called after him. She started to gather the envelopes that had slid across the surface. One caught her eye. The upper left hand corner bore the name and seal of Flynn's company – Raleigh Imagine Marketing and Consulting.
"Something wrong?" Eliot asked as he returned to the island with the rub in his hands.
"No, I think this might be Flynn's bonus… been waiting for it." She ripped the envelope and removed the letter inside. The piece of paper unfolded in her hands. As she read it, her face paled.
"Not a check…" Eliot noted as he watched her.
Jesse dropped the letter, grabbed the phone receiver from the wall next to the outer door and began dialing.
"Raleigh Imagine Marketing and Consulting - Rebecca speaking, how may I direct your call?" the voice on the end of the line answered.
"Flynn Carter's office, please," Jesse barked.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, Mr. Carter is no longer employed at our company. If you can give me your account name, I can forward you to your new account manager," the woman offered.
"What do you mean? When was this?!" Jesse demanded.
"Mr. Carter has been gone for about two weeks, ma'am. May I redirect you to another associate?"
"No," Jesse sniped as she disconnected the call. Her eyes were filled with tears, her face reddened and her bottom lip began to quiver.
Eliot could hear her breathing grow shorter and sharper. "Jesse?" he queried.
She huffed and threw the phone against the wall. "Damn him!" Her rant continued, the curses rising and falling in volume. Her whole body was shaking; the tears streaming down her cheeks.
Parker and Hardison heard her in the living room. They stared at each other a moment. Parker sucked in the side of her bottom lip; while Hardison let his eyes grow wide. Both glanced at Dillon who sat completely oblivious, enveloped in his game and drowned in the volume of his earbuds.
The ranting began to scare Eliot. He could see Jesse's face begin to sweat.
"Jesse… breathe… calm down… breathe…" he insisted as he came around toward her. He held his right hand out around her left bicep, his left hand hovering just in front of her right arm.
"He lied to me, Eliot! He LIED! Damn him! That… that…" she lost her words and began to sway just slightly. Eliot threw his hands in to catch her as her eyes rolled back momentarily and her knees gave way.
"THAT'S what I was afraid of…" he sighed. Her eyes came back forward, but her knees still shook. Eliot maneuvered around behind her, and wrapped his right arm around her lower back. He ushered her over to the nook. His foot kicked the table aside as he let her down gently on the bench.
Jesse muttered incoherently for a moment, her tears still streaming. "El'et," her slurred mangle of his name made him sigh.
"You know the blackouts increase in frequency when you're emotionally strained," Eliot shook his head as he sat next to her, allowing her head to rest against his right arm. He gently stroked the hair from her eyes with his left hand. They sat like that for several minutes as her awareness returned.
Once she was back to her senses, she sniffled, "He lied to me, Eliot. Why are they always lying to me? You were right… I went right back to a Chattum. What is wrong with me? What is it about me?"
Eliot pinned her chin between his left thumb and index finger, lifting her face to look at him. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with you. We're the ones that are wrong. I don't know what's going on here, but I wouldn't call Flynn a Chattum just yet. We'll figure this out."
"I'm so scared, Eliot. I… what if this all goes south? I don't think I can start over again. The blackouts… Dillon… and now the baby… how can I do all of that alone? I can't… I just… I can't…"
"You're not alone. I'm here… whatever happens. We'll get through it. I know you're scared. You've got two lives to watch out for… and Brixton's little remembrance blackouts don't help. I've known you your whole life, Jesse. You can do this - whatever comes. I know you can, with or without me, but I promise you… I'm here."
Her eyes stared at him a moment before rolling to the floor. She swallowed and sniffed. A small nod of her head and a deep breath came before she attempted to speak again.
"I'm sorry," she rubbed her arm across her face, "I don't know why I'm such a mess."
"Hormones…" Eliot spat before thinking better of it.
Jesse laughed, "You're right." She began to wipe the tears off her cheeks.
"Let's get you cleaned up and get this food taken care of before something else happens." Eliot stood and held out his hand to pull her up on her feet. She took his hand and rose.
The front door opened a few minutes later. Flynn entered, noticing the receiver on the floor - the battery hanging loose out the back. He scooped it up and continued into the living room, pressing the battery back into place.
"Hi everyone… I managed to talk them into letting me out a little early so I wouldn't miss too much," he grinned.
Parker narrowed her eyes and pursed her face. Hardison stared at him wide eyed.
"Did I miss something? Is something wrong? Did someone get hurt?" Flynn panicked.
"Or someone's about to…" Hardison replied rolling his eyes toward the kitchen.
Flynn glanced over his shoulder as he put down his briefcase. He turned and walked into the kitchen.
Jesse and Eliot both went silent as Flynn entered.
"What's going on?" Flynn asked as he replaced the receiver on the wall, passing into the kitchen.
"That's what I'd like to know," Jesse sniped. Eliot nodded at her and began walking toward the living room. He paused a moment next to Flynn.
"Hurt her, and they won't find you," he growled. Flynn swallowed as Eliot glanced back toward Jesse. "Remember, breathe, I'm right in there if you need me." Eliot disappeared.
"What's going on?" Flynn repeated.
Jesse grabbed the letter and threw it on the corner of the island in front of him.
"You've been lying to me. You haven't worked at RIMC in two weeks and they're sending cease and desist letters. What the hell is going on?" She stared at him expectantly.
Flynn bowed his head and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you. I hoped I could get it straightened out but it looks like they figured it out."
"Figured WHAT out?" Jesse demanded.
"All this time, I've been going to the library, the colleges… anywhere with a computer bank. I've been trying to access the servers and get evidence to clear myself…"
"Clear yourself? What the hell is going on?!"
"They fired me. They framed me…" Flynn twitched his lip. "I caught a coworker selling plans to some of our client's products, but when I brought it up to the supervisor, they fired me. They threatened to frame me for it if I fought the firing. I can't have that on my record. I'd never be able to go near another office, not to mention the possibility of real jail time. I thought if I could get the evidence to prove I didn't do it, I could get back in."
"Why didn't you tell ME?"
"I didn't want to add to your stress. I know it's been a lot to deal with between what happened in Oklahoma, the engagement, the baby, your blackouts… I didn't want to worry you until I had an answer for it," Flynn sighed.
"And THIS worked out SO much better? What were you going to do when the rent check bounced? I can't support all of us in this place by myself. You should have told me. We're in this together… you understand that? I've been open with you, Flynn. Everything is out there… my family, my ex-husband, the abuse, the lies… everything. You KNOW all of that and you know how much I need trust. How can I trust you now?"
"I can't fix what I've done… all I can say is I did it with the best of intentions. Maybe it turned out wrong… and for that I'm sorry. I know that doesn't begin to correct it, or restore your faith in me, but it's all I can offer you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Flynn stared at the floor in defeat.
Jesse closed her eyes and swallowed. "So for argument's sake, say you're being honest now. What about getting your job back?"
"I couldn't get what I needed. If the supervisor is in on it, he can change whatever paperwork he wants to frame me. And that letter proves they know I've been snooping. I don't know what to do anymore."
"Ahem…" the throat clearing echo from the doorway drew their attention. Eliot stood front and center, Parker behind his right shoulder grinning and Hardison over the left shoulder.
"You DO know this is what we do, right?" Hardison interrupted.
"No, I can't get any more people involved. Who knows what might happen," Flynn declined.
"They took your job and threatened your livelihood, your family's livelihood… MY family's livelihood. That's all we need to know," Eliot rumbled.
"But…" Flynn argued.
"Do you want this fixed, or don't you?"
"Yes, but…"
"Then let us help. Hardison's right, THIS is what we do. We'll fix it." Eliot nodded his head ever so slightly to reassure Flynn.
