Chapter Fifty-One

"You're staring." Eliot spoke quietly as he slowly opened his eyes.
The weight of someone's gaze having been what ultimately woke him.

"Sorry" Aaron mumbled as he turned his focus but just as quickly turned it back; he couldn't help it.

"What's wrong?" There was a somber set in his brother's eyes and it was unnerving.

"Nothing" He shook off Eliot's worry as he watched him reposition himself on the bed.

"You never were a good liar."

"I don't know El it's just… I don't know." Eliot stayed quiet knowing Aaron would find his words if given the time but he nearly fell back asleep before finally he did."It's work, and this wedding, and… and it's you."

"Me?" He already knew he'd be on the list but he'd provoke Aaron into opening up anyway. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything you just…" Aaron sighed out in frustration. "I've been worried about you ya know. So I decided to come up and see for myself that it's all been in my head and you're fine."

"I am fine."

"Have you seen yourself Eliot!" He couldn't believe those words had just come out of Eliot's mouth. "You're a twig!"

"So I lost a little weight." He was really getting tired of all the skinny remarks; Sarah had even started calling him boo.

"A little! You're smaller than Ashlee and not just that, you look like hell man."

"And most days I feel it but what can I do?" If there was a magical solution he would have been all over it by now.

"What about that line you got?" Surely that was doing something for him.

"It is what it is." He wouldn't mention the fact that he hated it with a passion and was ready to rip it out.

"Let me see." Sarah had said it looked nasty but she tended to exaggerate.

"What are you four?" Eliot insulted playfully as he undid the button on his wrist before pushing up his sleeve.

"That's…" It was all covered but still he got a good look seeing as the bandaging was clear. "weird."

"That's one way to put it." He had heard many opinions on it but his favorite was still Becca's icky.

"Did it hurt going in?" He couldn't begin to imagine how it would feel to have something actually inserted in your vein.

"Naw, It was off puttin' but it wasn't bad." It left him wondering how it would feel coming out.

"Can you actually feel it in your arm?"

"Sometimes I think I can but that's probably just in my head." He was known for his paranoia.

"Is there restrictions with that or what?" Experimentally Aaron poked at the tubing but Eliot didn't seem to mind.

"I'm not supposed to get it wet, sneeze, cough, puke, breathe too heavily, or lift any real weight."

"What are you supposed to do?" Eliot sounded off put and honestly he didn't blame him.

"That's a good question." If it wasn't his doctor telling him no to something it was Nate. "Usually I sleep or watch TV."

'Sounds awesome." That would drive him mad so he couldn't even imagine what it had to be doing to Eliot.

"The best" Eliot snarked.

"So it's not helping?" All sarcasm aside the worry hadn't budged.

"Aaron don't" That was a tone that left him feeling guilty no matter who it came from.

"Every time I see you you're worse off than the last time Eliot. I'm starting to feel like I'm losing you." To him it was a very realistic fear.

"Aaron" And here came that guilt.

"Sarah called me the other day and I swear I thought she was gonna tell me you were gone." His phone had once rang in the middle of the night and though it had been a wrong number it had left him with an uneasy feeling that left him unable to return to sleep.

"Come here" The man sitting there might have been grown but all he saw was his baby brother. "I ain't goin' nowhere." He gave his brother a quick hug before pushing him back. "That's a promise, now stop being a sappy ass and go give your girl a nice night."

"Reassuring and touching, I'm honored." Aaron spoke sarcastically as he looked into a horribly pale face.

"Go on…" He couldn't bring himself to listen to any more of it. "and tell Ashlee I said happy anniversary."

"Alright," Aaron stood to leave knowing they had stayed way longer than he had promised Ashlee they would. "and you can say the same to Nate about his birthday." Still he had a bad feeling that had him wanting to stay. He doubted it would leave but he had to so he settled on saying, "I love ya."

"Like I said," He could see the unspoken fear in his brother's eyes and it had his burning. "Sappy ass."

"I'll see ya later." Aaron bid with a faint smile as he pulled the door closed behind himself leaving Eliot to his thoughts.

It hurt to know they were all thinking on some level that he was dying or coming close to it when he was right there still very much alive.
Only he wasn't.
He was a shell, had joined the living dead, was no longer useful for anything.

Somewhere within he knew it wasn't true but that's how he felt thanks to the mood swings and depression that had long ago joined him.
The only way he knew to rid himself of the feelings was to leave the thoughts behind and the only way he knew to do that was to keep busy.
That decided he got up to find out where everyone else was, passing his jacket on the way and wondering how it got there. He didn't remember taking it off. "Sarah!" The living room was absolutely empty and it was way too quiet for the seven people that should be there. "Sarah!"

"In the kitchen!" He could have deducted that if he tried but really he hadn't.

"Where is everyone?" She was obviously getting ready to make something but she was alone.

"Well Ashlee and Aaron just left and Pete took Brian out."

A glance at the clock told him he had been sleeping for a few hours. "What about Parker and Hardison?"

"They've been gone a couple hours now and Nate went with 'em." She spoke factually as she pulled eggs from the fridge.

"They just left?" That didn't sound like Nate.

"Yup" Sarah popped as she set a bowl on the counter. "Oh… and Nate said sorry but it was an emergency. Whatever that means."

"He's working." Eliot explained what ironically enough she just had as he tried to figure out what she was doing.
Judging by the ingredients baking was obvious but what was the question.

'You guys and your work. That's all I ever here." The family was full of workaholics.

"Where's Becca?" She had accounted for everyone but.

"She's taking a nap." For a moment she listened a little harder than necessary satisfied with the nothing she heard.

"What are you doing here?" Eliot asked as he squeezed the orange she'd just retrieved.

"Making zucchini bread." Chocolate quickly found its way to the counter.

'You're making some chocolate zucchini bread?" He was skeptical of that.

"Yeah as soon as I find the recipe." She knew about what went in there but not the exact measurements.

"A recipe?" He might as well have said really for how questioning it came out.

"Yes a recipe, unless you know a better way of doing it." She knew that would shut his judgment right up.

"Maybe not better."

It was so open ended that it had her questioning with an, "Oh really?"

"Yes really" He sort of had a recipe but it wasn't on any paper.

"Alright hot stuff you show me how to do it." This was going to be entertaining.

"Alright then" She sounded too cocky to deny.
It looked like his sister was about to learn he really wasn't such a fool in the kitchen.

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"Now would have been a good time for a hitter." Nate heard through his com as he darted through a side door exit.

"Ya think!" His fist was throbbing. "Now shut up and get going!"
These last few cons had gone anything but according to plan and it was really starting to get annoying.

"Touchy aren't we?"

"Hardison!" The fresh air was doing absolutely nothing to help him catch his breath.

"Don't Hardison me. You think anybody else could do what I do?"

He could hear people in passing and he took it as a sign that Hardison was on the move. "Right now yeah… since you're doing nothing!"

"Speak for yourself man I'm there."

"Well be there and be gone." Came a distant reply from Parker who was playing lookout on a roof across the way.

"Five minutes people." Sophie whispered softly.
She hoped between her distraction and Nate's stall that that countdown was accurate.

"Does it look like I need five minutes?"

"Good… because we don't got them." Parker killed Hardison's cockiness. "Nate move!"

"What? What are you seeing Parker?" She sounded completely serious and he wasn't finding the reason.

"Just move man! Move!" She was already running toward him. "Unless you feel like dying today get your butt moving!"

"Par-" He was about to question until he saw what was coming for him around the corner. "Damn it!" The only thought he could manage as he took off running for all he was worth was that dying was an understatement.

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"Where'd you learn how to do this?" In all honesty she had been waiting for the whole charade to blow up in his face only to find it wasn't a charade.

"Is it really that surprising that I know how to do something other than grunt work?" Eliot huffed as he continued to wash his hands.

"But baking Eliot?" She knew both Pete and Aaron would be pulling his chain.

"Yeah baking, I'm not a complete twit Sarah."

"Coming from the man that burns everything." Mentioning burning things had her checking the oven to make sure they were still in the good.

"That was an experiment gone wrong. I do not burn everything." Geeze, he let her believe that cooking wasn't his strongest suit but she obviously thought he was just plain dumb when it came to anything in the kitchen.

"So are you saying you cook?" If so she was going to call him out for lying.

"We've gotta eat." She was too skeptical for something so simple.

"We've?" Skip calling him out; she wanted to know who the plural referred to.

"Me, Nate, sometimes the other three." A sharp pain in his calf had him going to take a seat.

"You cook for Nate?" She found that extremely amusing.

"Yeah I…" He cut himself off feeling like that question was somehow loaded. "No not for…"
It was a near giggle from her that had him catching on. "You… jus-… Shut up!"

"You're like a little homemaker." The dishes would probably be something good to start on but she ignored them in favor of plopping herself down in front of Eliot.

"Sarah seriously, shut up." He could hear the kind of jokes that were on the way and they weren't appreciated.

"Well since you cook does he clean?" It'd be interesting to hear how his day to day went.

"I don't 'cook' how you're suggesting it. If I make something it's because I wanted to or that's what I felt like doing at the time.
It isn't because I have to or someone told me to. Nate's the same way and that goes for cleaning to." He'd laugh in her face if she was expecting him to say he cooked, cleaned, and ironed for Nate like some servant.

"So what if neither of you wants to make dinner but you're both hungry?" Surely one of them would take their annoyance to the kitchen and do it anyway.

"That's when you call for take out." That glint in her eye was clear; she was trying to trip him up.

"Alright, but what if there's no towels and someone wants a shower?" She just couldn't believe it always worked the way he said.

"Well who wants a shower?" His knee cracked with a nasty pop but he ignored both the pain and the sound as he waited for his answer.

"Mmmm… Nate." She finally decided as she moved over to the counter across from him, choosing to sit on it after a seconds thought.

"Then Nate's takin' himself to go do the towels. He's usually the one that uses them all anyway." It was something that annoyed him to no end.

"What about lately?" Thinking about how he'd spent the last few months turned the tone a little more somber.

"I told you already… he's been good to me." Embarrassment and guilt sat heavily in his heart for everything Nate had been doing for him.
Even if he repaid him a thousand times over he knew those feelings wouldn't budge.

"Why does that bother you?" Just by the way he said it she could tell it did.

"It's…" He just shook his head.
It wasn't something he'd explain to her.

"It's what you do when you love someone Eliot." He simply nodded and she let it be.
She couldn't understand why he would need reassurance of that.

"Mommy!" Anything that may have been building between them soon flew the coop as Becca showed.

"What's up kiddo?" Sarah asked as her little girl stepped between them.

"Nothing"

"Nothin'?" Eliot echoed as he tugged on a piggy tail. "Something's got to be up there."

Rebecca looked confused and Sarah felt Sorry. "Tell Uncle Eliot to stop being silly."

"Stop being silly." Rebecca repeated sassily.

"Me? Silly?" He exaggerated his words as he snuck a hand around to tickle her which quickly had her giggling.

"Eliot she's gotta breath." Sarah warned through a fond smile.
She loved watching him with kids and she wouldn't give up on the thought of him having his own just yet.

"I wanna make cupcakes." Becca announced.

"Well good for you miss missy but cupcakes are only for special occasions." She was immune to the puppy pout.

"Tell mama it is a special occasion." Eliot advised Becca as he stared into Sarah's glare.

"It is." Becca pleaded.

"And what is that mister?" She was trying to avoid the situation because she knew in Becca world making cupcakes really meant sitting down and eating a tub of frosting.

"Aaron's got an anniversary." Let her try to shoot that down.

"And that would have been all good and fine had we gotten them done before he left but he's not here so we're without point." It wasn't happening.

"Come here," Eliot pulled Rebecca closer to whisper in her ear. "…you tell mama that."

"It's Nay-Nay's birthday!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Eliot" Sarah looked into sparkling and devious eyes soon being given a shrug and a smirk. "What kind?"

"Chocolate!" Both Rebecca and Eliot let out.
He was all for letting the girl have a cupcake.

"Alright but you can't have any until he gets here." She was hoping that would be long after dinner.

"Spoil sport" Eliot snarked as he got up to help.
No way were they using a box mix.

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"That was too close." Sophie sighed as she tossed her purse to the couch.

"I'll work it better next time." Nate dismissed as he moved to the kitchen.

"You do know that I'm not blaming you right?" He only handed her lines like that when he was looking to silence her.

"Never said you were." After how stressful the day had been a beer would be great but he settled for some water instead.

"Nate you-"

"You guys!" Hardison's voice cut her off and soon he and Parker joined them in the kitchen. "We're going to go have a celebration dinner, you wanna come?" With the absolute scale of con this one turned out to be it was a miracle the four of them had managed to pull it off themselves, nonetheless without needing a trip to the hospital.

"I've got some things to…" Nate shrugged off the rest of his explanation.

"Soph?"

"No thank you, but you two have a nice night." Sophie declined politely.

"Are you sure?" Parker double checked.

"Yeah… and actually we're taking the week so feel free to disappear until next Monday." Hopefully they took that advice and gave him some space.

"Alright then, we're out of here." Hardison didn't even have to speak for Parker who had already left.

"Is there a particular reason you are trying to get rid of us?" Him giving them time off was extremely suspicious.

"Soph why don't you go join them for dinner." He suggested exasperatedly.
He did not need her trying to shrink his brain right now.

"Why don't you?" She tossed the question back.

"I already said that there's a few things looking for my attention." He wasn't sure why but conversation didn't flow as easily between them as it once had.

"Like Eliot?" She knew he was with his sister but had only seen her a few times even though the others seemed to be quite chummy when together.

"Not everything is always about Eliot Sophie. I do have a life ya know."
Mentioning Eliot had him thinking he should call and let him know he was still alive and kicking.

"So you not going to dinner has nothing to do with the fact that Eliot usually makes them when we're celebrating?" She could tell something was up with him. He hadn't as much as cracked half a smirk at their victory.

"No, it doesn't." It had everything to do with the fact that they'd reached such a victory without Eliot and he felt like celebrating it would be the same as saying they no longer needed him. "Alright?"

"If you insist." She'd let it slide. For now. "I'll see you Monday." Perhaps she would join the others for dinner.

"Night Soph" Nate offered, soon after hearing the front door shut.

It was then that his fist reminded him of his earlier actions causing him to rub tender and split knuckles.
Sure he could hold his own when it came to throwing a punch or two but this hard core stuff wasn't for him.
"Eliot," He admired the man in a whole new way. "you're insane."

Or it could very possibly be that he was since there he was talking to himself. "What do you think Steve?"
The trip to the house had been a long one and he was pretty warn out. "Should I go get Eliot?"
The cat was staring at him, but the funny thing was his staring back. "Steve, you're a cat. I'm talking to a cat!"
And now he was stating the obvious. "I've got to get out of here."

Nate lifted his keys as he passed the fur ball on his way out of the kitchen.
The way things went for him the cat would probably start talking back.

"Don't trash the place." Nate found himself saying regardless as he opened the front door. "And stay off the bed!"

With that he pulled the door closed.
He was definitely cracking.

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"They sleeping?" Eliot asked Sarah as she came back down the stairs.

"Brian's griping about sharing a bedtime with Becca but he still knocked out pretty quick." Sarah explained as she stretched out next to Eliot on the couch.

"Was she disappointed that Nate didn't show?" She hadn't seemed it but he wanted to know if Sarah picked up on something he hadn't.

"She got a cupcake Eliot; she could care less if you told her Santa wasn't coming this year."

Eliot smirked at that and though Sarah tried to match it a yawn prevented her from doing so. "You should go to sleep."

"Naw, I've got a few things to finish before I can call it a night." She stretched further annoyed with the knowledge that she needed to get up.

"So do 'em tomorrow Sarah even Pete threw in the towel." There was nothing she could mention to him that he'd believe held such importance and priority that it couldn't be put off a few hours.

"And what about you?" She didn't feel right leaving him on his own.

"I'm fine right here for now." The living room was packed with different kinds of entertainment and there were surely worse places than a plush and spacious couch to doze.

"I meant if you were leaving tonight." With Eliot she couldn't just assume he'd be there come morning.

"I don't know if Nate's coming but if he does then yeah."

Sarah simply nodded at that, standing to head to the stairs. "If you do then call me… and lock up behind yourself!"

Eliot didn't bother with a remark, an eye roll yes, but a remark no.
Like he'd really just walk out the door and leave it wide open.

With a sigh he pulled his feet onto the couch and turned off the table lamp.
It wasn't long before the hall light followed leaving the room completely dark, that was until he flipped the TV on.
He wasn't all that interested in watching it but it served its purpose as filler to keep his mind clear and soon he found himself drifting.

With the comfort of his nose buried in a cool cushion it wasn't long before he was falling to a deep slumber with the television more watching him than he it. Shadows danced across the room in time with a dialogue that could barely be heard through such silence until they were interrupted by a noise from outside and with them Eliot. He didn't know what had woken him but the slamming of a car door had him pretty sure; tires on gravel.

Still he stayed where he was, a sleepy part of his mind hoping it was for the neighbors.
No such luck came though and he was up and to the front door before the second stair even finished its creak.
"I didn't think you were coming." He startled Nate who hadn't been paying much attention.

"Well" Nate sighed as he met him in the doorway. "I wasn't going to."
An earlier thought about all the lights being out had him asking, "Is everyone sleeping already?"

"It was a long day." Eliot offered as he opened the door wider for Nate.

"You can say that again." It wasn't all that late but he was exhausted.

"Becca made you something." Eliot announced with a barely stifled yawn.

He followed Eliot to the kitchen with an, "Oh really?"

"Yeah she wanted to surprise you." Eliot flicked on the light as he gestured to a container on the counter.

"What is it?" Nate asked though he was pretty sure he knew.
After all it was a cake container.

"Open it"

Nate did and his face soon turned to confusion. "What's it say?" He read 'appy day' which didn't make much sense.

"It's supposed to say happy birthday but the kids got at 'em… well them and Pete." Mainly Pete but who was judging.

"Whose birthday?" Nate asked absently as he took in the decoration of the lettering.
No doubt it was Becca's work.

He couldn't believe the sincerity he was hearing from Nate. "Yours! She made them for you!"

"Me?" He had to let those words sink in. "It's not my birthday."

"Yeah it is you idiot!" Eliot couldn't help but laugh at him.
He didn't see how he'd made it through the entire day without figuring that out.

"No it's…" He pulled out his phone to get a date and sure enough, "it is."

"I know" He could see the embarrassment Nate was starting to show and he was greatly amused.

"Well you could have told me."

"I did" Eliot reminded as he moved closer. "You were just too stubborn to listen."

"Well maybe you should have been more persuasive." Nate raised an eyebrow with a smirk and Eliot offered one of his own with a slight hello kiss.

"Let's get out of here and I'll show you how persuasive I can be."

"Will you now?" Such a line from Eliot was rare as of lately and he planned on taking full advantage of it.

"Mhmm" He was in an all around good mood.
Not only had he not started the horrible process of herxing like they thought he would but he had actually eaten a bit for dinner and had it stay down.

"Well then it's a good thing no one's at the house. As a matter of fact it's just ours for the next week."
Well at least it had better be. He had all but told the others to buzz off.

"They can have it." Eliot shrugged as he pulled at Nate's tie to get it off.
Sure the guy looked good dressed up but he preferred things a little more simple, down to earth even.

"They can?" Not to complain but Eliot was kind of killing the illusion.

"Yeah…" After sharing a home with three others the appeal of going to it just wasn't the same.
"I've got a place in mind that will give any of your ideas a run for their money."

"And what kind of place is that?" With Eliot there was no way he'd guess.

A devious look and a languid kiss accompanied Eliot's near whispered, "Does it matter?"

Nate just shook his head at that.
He didn't know what had gotten into Eliot but he didn't plan on spoiling it.
They could go to the moon for all he cared.

"Then lets go." With a last longing look Nate went to the door to wait as Eliot made a detour to the bedroom to grab his shoes and coat.

"You ready?" Nate asked with a waiting hand on the light switch.
The last thing he needed was Eliot stumbling over himself in the dark.

"Yeah I…" His words stopped as he got a glimpse of something that started up a slow anger. "What happened to your hand?"

Nate didn't need to look down to know what Eliot was talking about; his protective nature was definitely shining through.
"Like you said," The job was done and he didn't plan on bringing it back up. "it was a long day."

Eliot let out something close to a growl but didn't question it.

"So about this place of yours…" Curiousness set in as he waited for Eliot to pull the door closed.
"Are we talking five stars or below the stars?" Steps were next but he took lead once Eliot downed them.
A slightly amused huff had him continuing to pry as he turned to the truck with his keys.
"A skylight or moon light?" He heard Eliot move around the truck just as he got his side open.
"What? No comment?" He looked over expecting to see some kind of look or gesture from Eliot, instead he saw no Eliot.

"Babe!" Nothing. "Eliot?" The silence he got had him moving to the other side. "How did you fall over!"
The half attempt Eliot was making at getting up was slightly amusing, that was until his arm went out and he went limp. "You want help?"
Eliot didn't seem to care he was near kissing rocks. "Come on, give me your hand and I'll help you." There was no movement which had him immediately squatting next to Eliot. "El?" He shook his shoulder but got nothing. "Eliot!" In no time he flipped him seeing a face void of any awareness. "Eliot" Tapping his face got Nate nowhere. "Eliot… Eliot don't you do this to me!" All that he was getting from him was shallow breaths. "No! We are not… do you hear me? We are not doing this again!" He pulled out his phone with urgency as he waited for a response he knew wasn't coming. "Damn it Eliot! You get your ass up." Once again he was sitting there uselessly with Eliot's head in his lap. "Eliot… Eliot please…" The words were so thick with suppressed tears that he could barely answer when he finally heard that operator ask, "911 what is your emergency?"


E/N: Happy Birthday Nate?
Anyone? Anyone at all? I didn't think so... I'm sorry Eliot;_;
I just figured that as nice as Eliot's birthday was that Nate needed to share in that fun
Plus Tim's birthday is coming up too so there had to be a little something extra

Who else finds it funny that Nate was born on the 12th and Timothy on the 16th of August?
Had I known that at the time I would have just made it the same dang day lol

It's also weird how this update lined up perfectly with the correct date, well besides the fact that it's a year behind (August 12th 2012) though if you've been paying attention to the story you've probably caught the irony in updating today anyway.

Ya'll remember what will happen on August 12th 2013 in the Neliot verse don't ya?
I'm sure you'll let me know and once more I'm sorry but I just had to; remember though if you hurt me I hurt Eliot!