Eliot walks back towards the window. He leans against the frame staring into the blackness of the night once again. Eliot's voice is oddly forlorn as he speaks. "I don't even know their names." Hardison can see how much this small detail is troubling Eliot. Hardison pulls out his phone and looks up Tess' Facebook account. This is an answer that Eliot needs and this is easy to find. Hardison had already come across the answer to this particular question. "Jake and Jack." Hardison slips the phone back into his pocket after providing the answer to his friend. Eliot turns around with a puzzled expression on his face like he only half heard what Hardison had said. "What did you say?" Hardison has grabbed Eliot's attention with this detail in a very odd way, he repeats the names he saw on Tess' account. "Jake and Jack. Their names are Jake and Jack, Eliot."
A look of shock and awe crosses Eliot's expression as the names sink into his brain. "What's wrong?" Parker is curious as to the root of this particular expression on Eliot's face. "Jacob and John, Tess named them Jacob and John. I have to go." Eliot turns from Parker and Hardison heading to the door grabbing his coat on the way like a man on a mission. Parker tries in vain to stop Eliot with a shout of his name. Parker turns back towards Hardison. "What should we do?" Hardison shakes his head. "Let him go, do you think that I should have mentioned that their last name is Spencer?" Parker gives Hardison a gentle smack to the back of the head. "Why didn't you lead with that?"
Eliot heads back to Tess' house. He knows this has the potential to go completely wrong but he has to do this. He has to. Eliot pulls up to the curb right in view of the front windows of the living room and sits in the truck. Tess' house is just how he remembers it. He was in such a rush on his earlier visit that he forgot to take a moment and take it all in. It is a small craftsman style house that her parents left her with big front and back porches. He spies the tree house bikes and toys in the backyard. How did he miss all of this when he rushed to the back door a few hours earlier?
Eliot can see living room lights on through the window, he knows that Tess must still be awake. He sits with one hand on the wheel and the other draped over the seat lost in his thoughts and memories. The names rattle through his head on an endless loop. Despite everything he did to her or didn't do for her, Tess named the boys after his father and grandfather just as he would have done. They had talked about having kids when they were planning a life together. She remembered and honored the conversation. Tess knew how much it meant to him. She could have named them anything yet she named them after his family. He obviously left her pregnant and alone and Tess still honored his family with their names.
After about an hour and a half, Eliot is startled by a knock on the window from the barrel of a .380. Apparently, his presence has attracted Tess' attention. Eliot rolls down the window revealing Tess standing in her pajamas wrapped in a blanket with a handgun in her hand. "Eliot, you are still the most infuriating person I have ever met. You are going to stalk me until I talk to you, aren't you?" Tess sets the safety on the gun as she eyes Eliot through the window of the truck.
"That was the general plan." Eliot smiles at Tess hoping to temper her annoyance with charm. The scene reminds him of a fight that they once had which ended with him sitting outside of the house until she relented though that particular time did not actually involve a firearm. "I thought you didn't make plans… the whole ninja thing and all." Tess waves her hand dramatically before folding her arms again. "Come on. I don't want the neighbors to gossip any more than they already do." Tess rolls her eyes at Eliot as she waves him towards the house.
Eliot gets out of the truck and follows Tess into the house. He walks in through the front door taking the time to take in the whole scene. Tess has a fire going which is beginning to falter. The room is warm and inviting. Tess's taste has become more refined over time. The house is beautifully decorated with old world treasures. This is a wonderful place to raise children and Tess is raising their children in the house she grew up in.
Eliot walks over to tend the fire after taking off his coat and dropping it over the back of an overstuffed leather chair. He has to smile at the sight of the chair. It is Tess' chair. It is the chair she would always curl up in with a blanket and a book with her glasses sliding down her nose. In a few moments, Tess returns to the room with two mugs of tea. The smell of tea is a mix of sage and blackberry with a hint of brandy, Tess hands one to Eliot and strategically places herself in a chair to shield herself from Eliot's charms. Eliot has always been her kryptonite but not tonight. Tess is taking all necessary precautions to resist the charms of one Eliot Spencer.
Eliot sits in silence for several minutes taking random sips from the mug. He thought he knew what to say to Tess. He spent the stakeout going over what he would say in his head. Despite her anger, Tess sits before him. She has allowed him a chance to say what is on his mind. He cannot screw this up. It might be his only chance. "Jacob and John?" Eliot stares down into the mug as if it were a crystal ball as he allows the names to bridge the distance between him and Tess.
"Eliot, you saw them. I know you know. I am not going to tell you they are not yours but why are you here? It has been eight years." Tess' voice is again soft as she responds to Eliot. Tess' confusion is warranted as is his own. This is most definitely uncharted territory for both of them. "Tess, I didn't know. I…" Eliot stops himself. Tess knows the story, she lived it. Eliot knows it is time enough to let go of any excuse. "I am sorry that I was not there." Eliot looks at Tess with the weight of who she now is to him becoming so very obvious. This is the mother of his children. Tess is no longer a long lost love. She is the mother of his children. The phrase repeats in his head as he watches her every movement.
Tess stands up and begins to pace. "Eliot… just stop. You made a choice and it was not me. You need to live with the consequences." Eliot can feel the waves of emotion crashing off of Tess on to him. Eliot does not know what to do. He watches Tess pace back and forth in front of him. He needs to allow her to do this no matter how much it hurts him. She has earned that right. Eliot cannot even fathom what Tess has gone through in the time they were apart. He saw the living proof a few hours ago. He takes in the look of Tess. She has grown up and she is no longer the girl he fell for. She is a mature woman who has raised a family on her own. Tess finishes her triad which Eliot only half heard. He could not stop thinking as to how beautiful she looked as she vented the pent up frustrations in his direction.
"Tess, can I meet them?" Eliot stands physically stopping Tess halfway across the room mid sentence. Tess looks up at him totally dumbfounded. Eliot knows his ask is huge and he truly has no right to ask. He does know what to expect as the words leave his lips. He just threw a crazy Ivan into this conversation. Tess can feel the warmth of Eliot's hands on her shoulders. She looks into those blue eyes that always made her melt to a puddle in their presence. Tess knows what she should do but this is hard and she completely forgot the next thing she wanted to say. Eliot has managed to stop her cold. This is a lot harder than she expected.
"Eliot, this is complicated." Tess is distracted and quiet. Eliot was expecting for Tess to say no. It suddenly occurs to him that he never bothered to ask or to check to see if Tess is in a relationship or if she is married. Paddy has left out a lot of details lately. Eliot wonders if Paddy left out that detail too. "Tess…" Tess interrupts him. "Let me finish." Tess pauses to sort her thoughts. She is quiet for more than a moment. Eliot waits for Tess to speak with the knowledge that Tess could shatter his heart with a single word.
"You are their father, I would never deny my children their father but…" She leans up against the mantle letting the warmth come up through her legs. She suddenly feels Eliot standing behind her. "But?" Tess takes in the scent of Eliot as he move closer to her. The presence that she has missed on so many nights. This was a man she loved. This was a man she saw forever with. This is also a man who ripped her heart from her chest while it was still beating. This was a man she never thought she would see again. Tess runs her hands through her hair as she turns her gaze toward Eliot.
"Remember, they are only 7 years old, Eliot and they do not know who you are." Tess's simple words hit him like a sledge hammer. Eliot knows Tess is right and he will respect any demand she makes of him without a thought or a questions.
"We will see you at the farm." Tess pauses taking a deep breath. " Now, it is time to go. I need to be up in a few hours for work." Tess is firm but still kind she escorts Eliot to the door. Tess had a kind heart. It was one of the traits that Eliot always loved about her. He is glad to see that this has not changed. Eliot slips on his jacket as Tess opens the door. Before he leaves, he leans down and kisses Tess on the forehead as he whispers. "Thank you." Tess shuts the door and leans against it with a long exhale. She has managed to survive her first one on one encounter with Eliot Spencer.