As soon as Eliot caught up with Monroe and Nick, he was verbally set upon by his old friend.
"What the hell, man?!" Monroe was more animated than upset, and Eliot was used to the sight. "You settle down, you get a team and you move to Portland, and I'm the last to know!"
Eliot smiled with fond amusement at Monroe's arm waving. When he was sure the Blutbad was listening, he spoke. "I was gonna call you, alright? I just wanted to get settled first. Make sure it was permanent. Besides, it seems like if I'd shown up at your place, I'd be in cuffs right now."
Monroe looked nervously at Nick, who was stood next to him and smirking at the exchange. "I don't know what kind of cyborgs all criminals seem to think the police are," Nick said with a laugh. "But I don't have the name and image of every wanted man in the country etched into my brain."
"Do me a favour?" Eliot asked, and Nick tilted his head in query. "Don't look me up." The look in Eliot's eye told Nick he was serious, and Nick gave a short nod. Turning back to Monroe, Eliot made a motion back towards the stairs. "I should probably go talk to Parker and Hardison; we'll talk tomorrow?"
"Yeah, yeah," Monroe assured him. Eliot nodded with a smile and headed back down.
"Do I even wanna ask?" Nick said, stepping closer to Monroe.
"Probably best if you don't," Monroe replied with a smirk, trying to ignore Nick's closeness. They stood together for a while before Monroe found it too hard to be silent. With a quick "night Nick" he headed quickly into the guestroom he'd chosen. Nick stood there for a little longer, a contemplative expression on his face, before he too retired to his bedroom for the night.
(~*~)
Eliot was only a little surprised to find both Hardison and Parker waiting in his bed. An unbidden smile crossed his face at the sight, and he wasted no time in shedding his clothes and joining the two. Parker quickly snuggled down into his chest, while Hardison rested an arm across his shoulder and his head against Eliot's own.
"Wanna talk about it?" Hardison eventually asked.
Eliot's eyes flicked up to Hardison's and down to Parker's in quick succession. They were wearing very similar expressions. Curiosity, trust, and very little else. No fear or judgement, as Eliot had been fearing. Taking a breath, Eliot closed his eyes and began to speak.
"I was raised in a peaceful household. These days it's called Wieder, but back then it was just the way we were. Ma wouldn't stand for any undue violence from the start, and my Daddy's love for her is what kept him calm. When I decided to join the army, my parents weren't exactly pleased. I saw it as serving my country and protecting people. I didn't really know what the thing inside me was capable of. They knew. They didn't want me to feel like a monster, but they knew what could happen. I didn't listen. Thought I knew best, just like every other teenage boy."
"Being in the army messed you up?" Parker asked timidly.
"No. Being at war is what messed me up. PTSD is bad enough for regular guys, but Wesen? I couldn't control it when I was in battle, and the flashbacks put my right back in that position. I… I hurt people. Innocent people."
"It wasn't your fault." Hardison almost whispered.
"I know," Eliot smiled at Hardison's concern. "I got help and it all settled down. Problem was; I got a taste for it. A young man with no degree but skills for hurting people and keeping secrets? The easy money for easy work. It was all too much to resist. I got in deep, and I didn't realise how bad it was until Damien."
Eliot felt his two bed mates tense at the mention of Damien Moreau. He'd made Parker promise never to ask him what he did, and he wasn't about to tell her now. He didn't think he could stand the way she would look at him.
"Monroe came along at just the right time," Eliot continued, trying to lighten the story. "He was struggling with who he was just as much as me. The first night we met, we damn near ripped each other's heads off. Didn't take long for either of us to realise we were really fighting ourselves. Once the whiskey wore off, we found we had a lot in common. We supported each other. For almost a year, Monroe was the only friend I had. I was too ashamed to go home, and his family weren't supportive of the Wieder lifestyle. We took care of each other. Even now we check in once in a while, although obviously we've been slipping, since I didn't know he was hanging out with a Grimm and he didn't know about the team."
"You need to learn to email, man," Hardison said with a laugh.
"I don't think Monroe even owns a computer," Eliot mused.
The silence from Parker soon drew the attentions of the two men, and each looked down to see their thief sleeping soundly. With a soft chuckle, Eliot rearranged them so that each could get comfortable without waking Parker. Eliot smiled at the kiss Hardison placed on his neck before mumbling "goodnight" and settling down. It took Eliot longer to fall asleep than the other two, but for once it wasn't a negative thing. He was just enjoying the feeling of being there, with the two people he loved, too much to let it go.