Chap. 14

Two days after the impromptu therapy session in the barn Allen finally found what he was looking for. With Alec's help, he had found Eliot's father. After a lengthy phone conversation to explain the situation, Allen now had a much better understanding of Eliot Spencer. Consulting the team, sans Eliot himself, they all agreed to have Eliot's father fly out. Eliot might be pissed that they been digging into his past, but seeing his father would hopefully outweigh any anger he felt.

John Spencer Carroll stepped off the plane and scanned the crowd. Finally finding the man who had contacted him days earlier, he made his way toward baggage claim. He was so nervous, his hands were sweating. Would Eliot even want to see him after all this time? After all Eliot left as soon as he could get out. He no doubt blamed his father for not protecting him from the monster that had destroyed his childhood.

"John? I'm Allen Cummings."

"John Carroll."

"Let me help you with the bags. We can discuss Eliot on the way."

"Alright. Lead the way."

Nate watched Eliot closely. Since his talk with Allen in the barn the younger man had been sad and withdrawn, often staring into space for hours. The only people he let near him were Parker and Hardison. Parker cuddled him to her hearts content and Hardison stuck close jabbering about video games and computer programs and damnit Eliot did chickens have to crow at the ass crack of dawn every day? Eventually the pair got a few smiles and some small giggles out of their favorite retrieval specialist.

"Do you really think this is such a good idea? What if this whole mess sets him back even more?"

"Soph, I honestly don't know. We have to try something. I don't even recognize that man in there anymore. Since he was injured he's been a different person. Something haunts him. I want him to be able to deal with whatever it is."

"What if we hurt him more? He seems so fragile Nate."

"How long have we thought of Eliot as fragile? Sophie, I hate that he feels so alone in this. I told him we weren't friends, and we aren't. We're more like family. I worry about all of you like we were. I know you do."

"Especially Eliot. He won't look after himself. Someone else always comes first. Usually one of us or a client. I just don't want him to run. I don't want to push him away. Out of all of us he's the most in need of family. For the longest I thought it might be Parker, but then I realized, she lets us worry over her, she lets us into her life. Eliot made that possible. No one was there to make that possible for him. Don't you find that sad, Nate?"

Without answering Sophie's question, Nathan Ford glanced out the window at the blue truck that pulled up to the house. Allen was back with the guest of honor. Things were about to get very interesting on the ranch tonight.

"Our company just arrived."

"Oh, dear!"

Hardison grabbed Parker's hand as John walked into the room. The man was just a little taller than Eliot, with the same blue eyes and dark hair. John's dark hair was much shorter than his son's though.

"You must be John. I'm Parker, if you hurt Eliot, I will end you."

Hardison chuckled and introduced himself.

"I would like to tell you she's joking, but she isn't. You've met Allen, this is Sophie and Nate. Allen owns and runs the ranch, he uses it to help his patients. The four of us work with your son."

John spoke with everyone for a few moments before asking about the man in question.

"Meeting all of you has been quite an experience, but where is Eliot?"

Parker looked at the overstuffed couch before sighing.

"Eliot has migraines. When he's stressed, they get worse. He's asleep. At least I hope he is. He said something about catching this one early."

"Parker, he's had them since he was a child. We tried a number of things before we finally found something that worked. When he was fifteen or so headaches got much worse. We were trying a new treatment when he left."

Hardison grabbed the pill bottle from the kitchen.

"This is what he takes now. If you want to take another one over, go ahead. It's time for another one if he's awake."

Allen followed John over to the couch and knelt beside the lump of squishy human currently residing under the covers there. His son. His Eliot was just a few feet away. Leaning forward, John peeled the blanket back to get his first look at his boy in years.

Allen watched as John Carroll held his hand over Eliot's head, unsure of himself.

"I don't want to scare him."

Allen sat just below John, right at Eliot's hip and gently rubbed his hand down the kid's back.

"Just be careful. He's trained to do a whole host of things to defend himself. He seems to be comfortable enough with me and the others, the team, but a new sensation might send him reeling."

Finally Eliot blinked his eyes open. He felt Allen's hand on his back and another one on his head. Who was there? Allen wouldn't let just anyone in here, he knew that. The scent was strangely familiar. The rough hand in his hair was comforting. It almost made him think of his daddy. This migraine must be wreaking havoc with his head if he was imagining his daddy.

"Eliot, someone would like to talk to you, kid. If you feel up to it. Do you need another pill?"

Eliot admitted that he probably did need to take another pill just to knock out the rest of this headache.

"Here, turn over and take this."

John watched as his boy slowly turned over and met his eyes. The panic in those watery blue eyes broke his heart.

"You can't be here. You can't."

"Eliot, son I have searched for years for you. Now that I've found you don't deny me the chance to see you."

"I don't understand why you would want to. I must still be an embarrassment to you."

John reached for his son only to have the boy shy away from his touch. Once he was off the sofa Eliot was pacing, a frantic energy zapping stride.

"Why are you here? Who brought you here?"

"Allen and your friend Hardison found me. I flew in an hour ago. Allen thought you might need someone else on your side."

"I thought you didn't want me anymore!"

John saw his eyes roll back in his head and darted forward, catching his son before Eliot hit the floor.

Allen helped John get Eliot back on the couch and called his doctor. The caplets Eliot usually took weren't going come close to touching this migraine.