Wall of Disclaimers is up.
The bell rang on one blustery morning, rather odd for June, and he turned to greet the customer.
"Hello, Roddy, my boy." Grandfather Elliot, because he had insisted on that and Mr. Rabe was his son, was removing his hat and scarf. Roddy unwound the long piece of fabric and set it on a hook.
"How are you, Grandfather? Do you need a repair? Monroe's out to get some glue remover."
"Very good, Roddy. Peak o' my health. Besides, I can wait." The old man sat and Roddy invited him to tea.
"Thank you, my boy." The old man accepted the cup gratefully. "This cold spell came outa nowhere."
Roddy poured himself a cup. "You're right."
"If I recall, it started when you two began fighting. And Barry was moping like, excuse the wording, a wounded bear"
Roddy gaped. "You don't mean to say I caused this? That's scientifically impossible."
"Since when have I believed in science? Fairies and unicorns are real. I know. I met one in my younger days." Elliot added sugar to his tea and stirred thoughtfully.
Roddy sipped his. "So that's the reason why you're here?" Frank Rabe had already paid an uneventful visit. There was some asking and not-pleading. Then some promises of getting a law overturned. None of that had been very interesting.
"Roddy, I like you. Cutting straight to the chase." The old man grinned. "I want to understand."
Roddy warned, "Many have tried."
"But, I can succeed." Roddy couldn't help but think if anyone was going to help him get anywhere it was the Elliot Rabe.
"So have any guesses?" Unlike the others, Elliot stirred his tea and thought. He looked at Roddy, the work table, the shop, and everything else. For his part, Roddy waited in silence, sipping his tea and munching on butter biscuits. They went on that way for a good ten minutes. The tension was broken when Grandfather Rabe finally spoke.
"You love him." And that was perhaps the closest guess in a long while. The old man seemed satisfied, but not in his guess. He was satisfied in something else, something Roddy did not know of.
"Yeah, I love him," he heard his voice say. The old man took a sip of his tea.
"I thought so. You aren't afraid for yourself anymore." Elliot seemed more proud of this point as his grey eyed gleamed.
Roddy nodded, sullenly. For once, someone had gotten it right. His frustration was never with how he would be treated. No, it was with himself for doing something like that to Barry. Barry, who brought him gifts, who smiled, who made Roddy smile, was the most important thing in his life.
The old man chuckled. "I guessed as much. The only one too, eh?"
"Everyone thought I was terrified of getting caught."
"Your low self esteem didn't help. Clockwork hand?" Roddy smiled. Elliot had the same thing, except he never wore gloves.
"Barry loves my hands, I didn't want to."
Elliot informed him around biscuit, "He knew. He loved them anyway. All that's left is fear."
Roddy interjected, "But…"
"I mean fear for him," Elliot clarified.
"Yeah, I was more afraid for him," Roddy conceded.
Elliot sipped his tea. "Now, why is that?"
"Barry's sheltered. He doesn't quite get it. I mean: a death penalty? He doesn't realize exactly how much the cost is, what it would do." Roddy's hands were shaking making the cup and saucer clatter.
"Set it down, boy." Roddy did as he was told. "I think you'll find Barry knows better than you think. He loves you enough to ignore it. You have to be a little selfish to do something like this." He gave Roddy an indulgent look. "You fail in that, my boy."
Roddy muttered, "You'd think a street rat like me would be one of the most selfish people in the world."
"Ah, ah, ah." Elliot refilled his tea. "Who said a street rat was selfish? I was a street rat once. Monroe and Nick are selfish."
"How?" Those two were the most selfless people he knew.
"They love each other dearly enough to ignore the consequences, boy, get that in you skull."
"But, they aren't…" Elliot cut him off.
"I know all about it. Don't think I'm stupid. Unless, you're slow and haven't guessed yet."
Roddy chewed on his lip. "They want to me to be quiet about it."
"And who listens to an old man like me? Not even my son, though now he's getting some sense into his skull. Nice to know you aren't a dull tack," Elliot iterated.
Roddy grimaced but said nothing. "So what do I do?"
"Tell him, boy."Elliot scoffed. "And, I thought you were sharp. Never mind. I retract my compliment."
"I'll see him whenever."
"Whenever? You should…" The old man was interrupted by a hacking cough.
Roddy was by his side in a moment. "I thought you said you were in perfect health."
"I am," he wheezed. Another round of coughing interrupted his protests and wracked his frame.
Perfect health was did not wheeze! Roddy thought and his brains supplied the rest.
Oh, heavens, the old man would die on his floor!
"I'll get you to Rosalie's." He darted out into the street. There was never a cab when you needed it and Elliot hadn't kept the coachman waiting. He called to the neighbor boy.
"A pound if you get me a cab and fiver if you get it here in less than a minute." The boy, enticed by money, pelted down the street.
Roddy went back inside in time to help Elliot to his feet.
"Come on, you are not going to die on me."
Monroe, chose that moment to appear in the door way. Dropping his bag, he rushed to Elliot's other side.
"What happened?" Monroe inquired. He was taking most of the old man's, who was surprisingly heavy, weight.
"He started coughing and wheezing." Monroe had studied medicines but never kept any on hand. The nearest stop would be Rosalie's.
"I got you your cab." Roddy dug his hand into this pocket and stuffed a handful of coins at the boy. The driver got down and helped them into the cab.
"The apothecary's. As fast as you can." Monroe stuffed bills into the man's hand.
"There's more where that came from." If the speed the carriage was going was anything to go by, the man had an empty wallet. When it skidded to a stop, Monroe paid the driver while Roddy dragged Elliot into the shop. Holly was in the door way the moment the cab stopped
"Holly, get Rosalie." She was off before he finished the sentence.
"Come on. You're going to make it." Elliot coughed when Roddy set his down in a chair.
Rosalie came out in her cleaning apron, a harrowed look on her face. "Mr. Rabe!" she started running diagnostics and telling Holly to add things to a pot of water. On her part, Holly was effictient starting a Bunsen burner and boiling water while adding a plethora of herbs and powders. Roddy stayed out tof their way and watched as the water turned into thick sludge and finally clear syrup. Holly started cooling a ladle immediately.
There was the sound of hoofs as the Elliot took the first sip. They watched him drink the whole ladle and settle. He breathed deeply and seemed to be exhausted by the whole scare.
"Is he alright?" Nick had arrived sometime in the maelstrom.
"Looks like it." The door slammed open then.
"Grandpa!" Barry pushed past them eyes on the frail figure in the chair.
"You're being too darn loud!" The old man huffed, clearly back in health.
Barry sighed, deflating in his relief. "Father told you not to go out."
"I had to. You weren't going to. And look, where are your manners? You just pushed by your boy right there!" Barry spun around catching Roddy in one of his attempts to hide behind Holly.
"Roddy? I…" He took a tentative step forward.
Roddy interrupted, "Grandfather Elliot told me everything."
Barry closed the distance. "And?"
"I feel the same way."
Barry's arms were around him in a rib crushing bear hug.
"I can't breathe."
Barry let go and settled on stroking Roddy's hair instead.
There was a breathy chuckle from the chair. "Now was that so hard?" Elliot beamed proudly at them.
Barry seemed astounded. Roddy grabbed Barry's face. "Come here."
He pulled the larger man into a kiss. Rich, warm, and, oh, so right.
When they finally parted, Rosalie smiled winningly at Nick. "You won't report this, will you?" Except he was already getting his face sucked off by Monroe.
Holly smirked. "I guess not."
Monroe stopped long enough for Nick to reply. "Huh? What? Oh! Yeah, can't report it. Didn't see a thing." They went back to sampling each other's mouths.
"So, I guess this is our happy ending?" Barry asked.
Roddy kissed him again. "God, yes."
Barry kissed him back.
"Don't bring God into this."
I'll get the epilogue up tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me so far.