Mrs Hannigan quickly musters up a room for Parker and Hardison guiding them upstairs to lessen the tension that has come over the room. Eliot is a bit confused by the presence of Parker and Hardison. He is not sure if he is angry or relieved that they are here with what just happened. The only way they would have end up in Maine is if they had followed him here from DC. The question remains as to why they chose to follow him or sticking with Nate and Sophie.
Eliot walks out onto the porch in a vain attempt to catch Tess but Eliot knows that Tess has vanished. The only thing that he can see are the tail lights at the end of the road. Eliot had often played out the moment that he would see Tess again in his mind so many times in the past. In his wildest dreams, Eliot could not have even imagined the scenario that just happened. Eliot rubs his forehead, the way he does when he is troubled, as he paces the length of the porch, back and forth.
Mrs Hannigan has returned from walking Parker and Hardison upstairs spying her Eliot pacing on the porch in view of the window. She walks out onto the porch to check on Eliot. Mrs Hannigan is very familiar with the story of her Tessie and her Eliot. She knows that neither of them were prepared to see each other let alone seeing each other again without so much as a warning shot. "Give her a bit of time to get over the surprise, Eliot. Your friends are settling in. I gave them the rooms next to you." Mrs Hannigan gives him a gentle touch on the shoulder as she walks back inside.
After a moment of hesitation, Eliot follows Mrs. Hannigan back into the inn heading upstairs to talk with Parker and Hardison. It is now time to figure out what the hell is going on that would prompt Parker and Hardison to follow him all the way to Maine and where the hell did they leave Sophie and Nate. Eliot knocks on Parker's door before walking into the room. Parker is happily unpacking her things as Eliot takes a seat on the bed. As Eliot expected, Parker is acting like this is the most normal thing in the world. "So, you going to tell me what you are doing here, Parker?"
As the words leave Eliot's lips, Hardison appears at the adjoining door. "We were worried about you, man. You know being shot and all." Hardison takes a seat on the bed next to Eliot. Without missing a beat, Parker asks the question that was left hanging in the air downstairs. "So who is the girl, Eliot?" Hardison decides that the question is better asked than trying to explain why they are following Eliot. "Yeah, who is the girl, Eliot?" The best defense is offense.
Eliot gets up and paces which means that he is going to lie to them. "Someone I used to know." Eliot knows that he is not quite ready to explain this whole situation to Parker and Hardison. Honestly, Eliot doesn't even know where to start this story. With the vague statement as to who Tess is hanging in the air, Eliot walks out of the room to sort through the thousand thoughts which are colliding in his head. Eliot walks downstairs and out the back door towards the barns. He needs to walk and get his head together. From his prompt exit and accompanying expression, Hardison and Parker know this woman had meaning to Eliot. It takes a lot to fluster Eliot Spencer and the bakery girl just flustered the hell out of one Eliot Spencer.
In the kitchen:
Mrs Hanngian shoots a knowing look at Paddy as Eliot passes by. "Paddy, let him go, Eliot needs some space." Mrs Hannigan tries to stop her son from following Eliot outside. Paddy relents at his mother's request. Connie offers to go instead. Connie walks out towards the barns, he knows exactly were Eliot will be. As Connie expected to find him, Eliot is standing nose to nose with one of the horses. After Eliot acknowledges his presence, Connie walks up taking a position next to Eliot in the stalls. "Hey." Eliot glances up with a nod and a return response. "Hey." Connie knows if Eliot wants to talk … he will… if he doesn't he won't. Either way, he will be right here ready to listen. They all know the story of Tess and Eliot.
Back in the house, Paddy knows that he has to go and talk to Tess. Tess is going to be pissed as all hell at him. He exchanges the knowing looks with his mother and the Gunny before exiting the house. It is time for Paddy to make amends since his intentions were good but his execution left a lot to be desired.
Tess' House:
Paddy wraps on Tess' door for far more that a moment. "Let me in Tess, you know I have keys." After another moment of silence, Paddy hears the latch as Tess comes into view. She doesn't needs words. Her expression is enough. Paddy attempts to apologize, he had not thought this all the way through to what could actually happen when Eliot and Tess saw each other. "Tess, I'm sorry… I didn't think you would run into each other that fast." Paddy takes a seat at her kitchen counter tossing puppy eyes in Tess' general direction. Tess' only response is a side eyed glance as she continues on with her dinner preparations. Paddy makes several more attempts to get Tess to talk to him. Tess is family and he knows he crossed a line in the wrong way for the right reasons.
Tess knows that she needs to say something or Paddy will just sit there all night staring at her. Tess glances back at him from the stove waving the spoon in admonishment. "Patrick Francis Hannigan… you had no right to do this. This is my life. This is my decision not yours to play with the hand of fate, Patrick." Paddy meets her gaze. "Tess…" Tess turns back towards Paddy again with another wave of a spoon as a warning. "You are dead to me, Patrick." Paddy gives her the same little boy smile that he has used on her since they were kids.
"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Paddy gives Tess another wide grin much to Tess' annoyance. "Get out of my house Patrick Hannigan." Paddy gets up, kissing Tess on the cheek before winking at her as he exits. "See you tomorrow?" Paddy turns back towards her a final time at the threshold of the door. Without looking back at Paddy, Tess answers. "See you tomorrow." Paddy smiles at her response. "Love you, Tessie." Paddy hollers as he walks away into the night pulling the door closed behind him.
A long while passes as Tess hears another wrap at the door. She is in no mood to deal with Paddy again tonight. This time Tess throws the door open and is rendered speechless by the presence of Eliot Spencer standing at the threshold of her back door. Eliot takes in the sight of pure surprise across Tess' face for the second time in a few hours. Tess is as beautiful as he has always remembered her to be. Her eyes were always his favorite. Tess had and still has the warmest eyes he as ever seen.
"Hello Tessie." Out of pure shock, awe and a touch of panic, Tess attempts to slam the door but Eliot stops the door with his hand. "Tessie… please. Can we talk." The ruckus rouses the attention of Tess's boys who are now peeking into the kitchen in plain view behind Tess, Eliot sees two pairs of eyes. He is stunned to see what is basically his own eyes staring at him. Eliot takes in the look of the boys as their faces poke into full view prompted by their curiosity as to what is going on in the kitchen. Before him are a pair of tow headed twins about the age of seven. The sight of them is like looking at a long lost photograph of himself at the same age. Tess doesn't speak. She is at a loss for words. Her secret is no longer a secret and Tess knows it. Tess knows Eliot figured it out instantly, how could he not it has been her curse for the last eight years. The boys are the spitting image of their father which is something that has been a double edged sword for Tess.
Eliot stands at the threshold stunned into silence by the scene before him. Tess turns towards her sons mustering all the calmness she can into her delivery. "Boys, would you mind giving Mommy a moment." The pair ask in unison if they can play their xbox. Tess nods as the pair fight their way to back to the living room as brothers do to get to the controllers first. With an obvious look exchanged at the sight of the boys, Tess escorts Eliot out to the porch for privacy.
Tess leans against the railing with no idea of what to say. She honestly cannot believe that Eliot is standing two feet from her. Eliot runs his fingers through his hair as he paces behind Tess, the shock of seeing the boys has subsided a bit as Eliot begins to speak. "Why Tess…why didn't you tell me?" Eliot did the mental math. Is it even possible? Eliot knows it is possible. He loved Tess. They were in love and made love with the frequency and vigor of their youth. It is more that possible that those boys are his.
Tess remains silent turning away from Eliot. Tess looks off into the darkness of the backyard, truly at a loss, she never thought this moment would happen yet here he is and now he knows. After several silent moments, Eliot's tone becomes more aggressive. "Tess." Eliot physically turns Tess into him so that they are face to face. "Tess is it... are they."
Tess breaks free from Eliot's grasp. "You knowing would not have changed anything, Eliot. You were already gone." Now Tess paces in front of Eliot, the edge in her voice is clear and deserved. Tess spoke the truth. He left when the darkness had begun to surround him. Eliot moves towards Tess again, this time with tenderness. "Tessie." Eliot touches her arm, Tess does not look at Eliot and turns away and out of his grasp. Eliot moves behind Tess to pull a move that always worked when they were together. Eliot leans down placing his head in the space between Tess' shoulder blades. Eliot places each of his hands on her arms so that she cannot move away from him. "Tess I am sorry. I am so sorry. If I had known..." Eliot acknowledges that these words are the beginning of his penance. Eliot attempts to wrap his arms around Tess in a hug.
Tess does not want to face Eliot. This gesture is all too familiar, it was Eliot's version of an unspoken apology. It was "I am sorry" without words. This is simply too much to process without preparation. Tess is beyond any reasonable threshold of emotion. "Eliot… I just can't tonight… just…" Tess whips around in Eliot's grasp. As her face passes in and out of focus the dim light, Eliot can see the tears streaming down Tess' face. She will be damned if Eliot Spencer is going to get the upper hand. She will not allow it.
"I know you where you will be, we can talk tomorrow. I just can't deal with this right now, Eliot." Tess' voice is soft and quiet. She hesitates for a moment raising her hands toward her face. "Please, Eliot" The look on Tess' face breaks Eliot's heart. He always hated when Tess cried even more so when he was the cause of the tears. Eliot leans in to brush a stray tear from Tess' cheek, he places a tender kiss where the tear had been before walking away. Eliot knows that Tess needs time and right now, he will give her all the time in the world. With what he just saw, he is not going anywhere.
Tess walks into her house and tries to compose herself as she engages her evening routine. The sight of Eliot Spencer has the last 8 years banging around in her head to the point at which she can barely focus on getting dinner to the table without burning the house down.
Eliot walks back to his truck to find the Gunny leaning against the driver's door. Gunny knows from the shell shocked look on Eliot's face that he now knows. "Eliot." He acknowledges the obvious. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" Eliot leans against the truck next to Gunny. His statement was not entirely a question as much as it was a statement of the experience with Tess. "Eliot… go back and rest. Tomorrow is another day… and now you know." The Gunny gently touches Eliot's shoulder as he walks towards his own truck.