Ellie stared dumbly at her parents, parsing through possible responses to them. She wasn't sure whether to laugh at the ridiculousness of their claims or cry over the betrayal they were trying to excuse away as if their abandonment was nothing. Her mother's face was an unreadable mask, oddly similar to how Sarah looked when she didn't wish to discuss something. Her father, on the other hand, could barely hide the nervous anticipation over her answer and the barely restrained hope that she would go along with his plan.
Ellie ran her hands over her face before resting them, palm-to-palm against her lips as if in prayer as she gathered her thoughts before dropping her hands slightly to speak. "Okay, so in the off chance I've slipped into the Twilight zone and all of this is real," She took a deep breath, "Are you telling me that you 'accidentally' reprogrammed my little brother's brain?"
"I suppose that's one way to put it," Stephen shrugged, "It was just the base frame work, no real information transfer, so I guess the more accurate term would be reformatted?"
"You're not helping your case, Dear," Mary quietly advised her husband before turning back to her daughter, "I can assure you, that you have not entered the Twilight Zone, but everything we told you is still very real."
"Are you two insane?!" Ellie burst, bolting to her feet and beginning to pace the floor in front of the coffee table that sat between herself and her parents, "No, don't answer that. I know you think that this is all real..."
"Would it help if I showed you my research?" Stephen asked, "Perhaps if you were able to read our project journals, specifically Hartley's and mine, you might begin to understand in a tangible way what I've attempted, badly, to explain to you."
"I don't suppose you have these journals on you?" Ellie gave her father a skeptical look.
"Um, no," Stephen shook his head, "They're in my private lab... in the basement of the old house."
"The old house didn't have a basement," Ellie countered, "It would have come up in the inspection that was done before I sold it."
"It's impossible to find unless you know exactly where to locate the entrance," Stephen shrugged, "There's a biometric scanner hidden in the side of the hearth, it's the only way to get in. I can show it to you, if you'd care to meet us there."
"Dad, did you miss the part where I said I sold the house?" Ellie stressed the last three words, "Even if I believed you, we can't just knock on the door and say 'Hi, we used to live here, do you mind if we access my father's secret underground bunker in the basement your house isn't supposed to have?'"
"We still own the house," Stephen advised his daughter. "Like I said before, I've been keeping an eye on you and your brother. When I found out you'd put the house up for sale, I purchased it through a shell corporation so that you and your brother could get the funds you needed to move on with your lives while I still would have access to the house, and more specifically my lab."
Ellie stared at her father dumbfounded before throwing her head back and letting out a frustrated groan, "Is it too much to ask to just have a normal family?!" She asked no one in particular before returning her gaze to her father. "I don't know what to even say to you right now," She shook her head, "So, for the sake of my sanity, I am going to table all that for a bit."
Glancing at the clock, she noted the time and turned to her mother, "It's your turn, Mom." Ellie sat heavily in her chair again, "Devon, or Dimitri, or whatever the hell his real name is, should be getting off shift in a half hour or so and I want you two out of here by the time he arrives so that he and I can have a much-needed discussion. What I need from you is an explanation."
"I've already given you an explanation," Mary stated, "I sent Dimitri to watch out for you. He was meant to be an undercover protection detail in case Volkov ever remembered that you and Charles existed. Naturally, he had to find a way to insert himself into your life. I'd specifically told him to befriend you, at no point did I intend for him to seduce you."
"And I'm just supposed to believe you?" Ellie gave her mother an incredulous look.
"Yes," Mary frowned, "Do you really think I'd pimp you out in such a fashion?"
"Do you want an honest answer to that question?" Ellie responded flatly.
"Eleanor, think whatever you like about me," Mary huffed, "But believe me when I tell you this; I would do a lot of things to protect the people I love, but that is one level I will never stoop to. find the very idea abhorrent, and everyone who knows me knows this. It's likely that is the reason that, despite all his other black market dealings, Volkov has never gotten involved in human trafficking."
"I don't know what to believe anymore," Ellie shook her head.
The trio sat in silence for a few moments before the elder Bartowskis shared another silent conversation and Stephen spoke. "We've thrown a lot at you tonight, it's no surprise you're overwhelmed." He gave her a look that most would take as being fatherly, but in Ellie's state of mind looked like barely veiled condescension, "We will take our leave, but we'll be around if you need us." He then reached into the chest pocket of the plaid shirt he was wearing and withdrew a small two inch by three-and-a-half-inch card, setting it on the coffee table in clear view of his daughter, "These are our secure numbers, for when you have had time to process and are reading to speak with us again."
Ellie nodded her understanding and rose to escort her parents to the door, but before opening it for them. She turned to face them once more, "Just one more question, if it was too dangerous for the two of you to stick around, why is it safe to show up now?"
"The primary danger is Volkov," Mary informed her, "And I'm not going to lie, he is still a threat, but for now we are safe because he believes I have been seduced to his side of things. I'm allowed a certain amount of autonomy now. He is under the impression that I'm in the states to make contact with some business associates we have over here, and so long as I follow up with updates from time to time, he more or less lets me be."
"But he knows you're married," Ellie pointed out, "Doesn't he suspect the first place you'd go is to find Dad?"
"No necessarily," Mary shook her head, "He's under the impression your father is dead."
"I've had to 'die' a few different times in order to elude those who wish to do me harm or capture me," Stephen shrugged with practiced nonchalance.
Ellie stared at the two of them blankly for a moment before shaking her head, "I don't even want to know anymore."
"I guess we'll be on our way then," Stephen gave her a small smile, "It was good seeing you again, Eleanor, I do hope you'll consider my offer."
"Dad," Ellie sighed in exasperation and closed her eyes with a shake of her head.
When Ellie's eyes opened to meet his again, Stephen nodded and took his leave. Mary paused as if she was going to say something before changing her mind and following her husband.
As soon as the door closed behind her parents, Ellie took a moment to herself, breathing deep a few times to recenter herself and calm her nerves for the conversation she would be having with the man she had once known as her fiancé. In an effort to distract herself from everything that had happened and the difficult moments and days ahead, she reverted to her normal default of cleaning. She collected the wine glasses and half-drunk bottle of beer and went into the kitchen. After emptying the beer into the sink and disposing of the bottle in the recycling bin, she set to work cleaning the wine glasses by hand and setting them in the drying rack as she retrieved a towel to dry them with.
Once the glasses were dry and free of spots, she returned to the living room, straightening the pillows and blanket on the couch and making sure the nick-knacks on the coffee table were all in their proper place. She gave a passing thought to pulling out the vacuum to take care of the throw rug, but thought better of it, not wanting to miss the knock heralding the moment she had been anticipating and dreading for the last month.
Just as she was running out of nearly silent chores, she heard the firm knock she knew belonged to 'him.' She made her way to the door and pulled it open to reveal the handsome man with whom she had lived for the better part of the previous six or seven years. Although now, he seemed no more familiar to her than a stranger would.
"Come in," She invited, stepping back and allowing him space to pass.
He nodded silently and made his way to the couch, pausing a moment in consideration before taking the chair, allowing her the corner of the couch she tended to favor. Ellie gave him a small smile of appreciation for his silent gesture and took her seat.
They sat in awkward silence, staring at each other for a few moments, neither knowing how to start the long-overdue conversation. He began to open his mouth as Ellie took a deep breath and broke the silence.
"What do I even call you?" She asked quietly.
"Whichever makes you more comfortable," He shrugged, "Dimitri may be the name I was born with, I've been Devon since I was 26. It's what you've called me for the past 10 years or so. It's the name on my medical license."
Ellie nodded, "I don't even know where to start."
"I know you've got to have a lot of questions," Devon gave her and awkward half smile, "I guess, just ask what you need to ask and I'll do my best to answer what I can."
"Why did you do it?" Ellie asked.
"For one it gave me the opportunity to go to medical school in the United States," Devon shrugged, "It also helped that I had a better grasp than the other guy your mom considered on the English language. I was more than a little obsessed with bootleg American surfer movies."
"Which explains the accent, I'm guessing?" Ellie smirked.
"Guilty," Devon nodded.
"I have to say, you learned the accent well," Ellie admitted. "Are Woody and Honey really your parents?"
"No," Devon shook his head, "They're actually former KGB operatives, the emigrated here in the 80's or 90's. I was never clear on if they were contacts of Frost's or associates of Volkov, all I know is that I was told that if I needed people to pose as my parents for a day or two to use them."
"If they aren't your real parents, then why were they putting so much pressure on us to have some big, fancy wedding, and why did you go along with it?" She asked.
Devon didn't answer, only dropped his head with a slightly embarrassed look on his face. His expression akin to a child being caught doing something he knew he shouldn't be doing.
Suddenly it dawned on her, "You were hoping that by pushing for a big wedding, I'd call the whole thing off, weren't you?"
Devon looked uncomfortable and gave a half shrug.
Ellie watched him squirm before asking, "Was any of it real?"
Devon took a deep breath and let it out slowly before answering, "I know the reason and how we met was contrived, but I did grow to care for you."
Ellie noted his words, and nodded, "Did you ever really love me or was everything between us just convenient?"
"Elle..." Devon started; sorrow clear in his voice.
"Don't," She whispered, barely holding it together, "Just don't."
"I'm sorry," He said softly, "I never wanted to hurt you."
"A little late for that, isn't it?" She gave him a sharp look.
"I suppose it is," Devon admitted.
"How are we going to work this?" Ellie asked.
"You can keep the furniture, bathroom, and kitchen stuff, I just want the blender for my shakes," Devon gave her a small shrug.
"Okay," Ellie nodded, "What about the rest of your things?"
"Gavin and I came over a couple days ago when you were at the hospital with Chuck," Devon admitted, "Packed up most of my things, really all that's left is my stationary bike because we ran out of room in his truck. I can come by tomorrow to get it."
"Okay," Ellie sighed, "I guess this is it, then."
"Yeah," Devon nodded, "I am so sorry, Ellie, I really did grow to care for you."
"I cared for you too, but I think we both know that cover or not, this wound up just being convenient for the both of us," Ellie gave him a small smile as they stood and headed towards the door. They exchanged a hug and wished each other well before Devon opened the door to go.
"Dimitri?" Ellie caught his attention just as he was about to close the door behind him. Pulling the ring off her finger she handed it to him, "I don't know if the story about your great grandma was true or not, but by all rights, this belongs to you."
"Thanks," He took the ring from her hand and slipped it into his pocket. He started to leave again but paused and turned back once more, "You know, when you find the right one for you, he's going to be a very lucky man."
"Thank you," Ellie smiled, "I hope you find someone awesome someday, too."
Dimitri nodded in acknowledgement and with one last smile and a wave, he took his leave.