Chapter Five

After sitting for what seemed like hours Eliot finally figured he had gotten a good enough hold on his thoughts and emotions to continue, "After Aaron was old enough to start school we barely even saw our parents, Dad would be gone long before anyone else woke and my Mom would sleep in until after we left. I got up every morning and made sure they were fed and dressed before I'd drop them at the bus stop and start the walk to get myself to school. I'd be waiting for them when they got out and we'd go to Bubbys to get our homework done before going home for the night."

"What about weekends? You didn't go for family trips?" Nate wanted to hear that Eliots parents weren't as cold as he was portraying them to be.

"If there was a dinner party we'd essentually be displayed but usually I just got them up early and we'd go fishing or to the park, sometimes I'd just follow them as they went out further than we'd been before to explore something new."

"That doesn't sound like the perfect children to me. No one noticed this?"

"They saw what they wanted," It wasn't something you announced and what could really be done anyway? How much better would it really be to be removed from the only home you knew, taken away from your siblings and placed into the unknown with a very likely chance of it being worse than before. "The star football player, the cheerleader, best pitcher, children of the prom queen and head quarterback. They started going on play dates and I'd go hang out with my buddies without worrying what trouble they'd be gettin' into." The hem of his shirt had become a toy as he tried to figure out what it was he wanted.

"Now I understand why you said you were Aarons dad." Nate realized that even if he had both his parents Eliot had indeed had a great part in raising his brother and sister.

"By the time I was seventeen I had them enrolled in so many after school programs that they didn't even have time to sneeze. The next year my Dad kicked me out the house without any sort of an explanation." Eliot gave in deciding he didn't care if he let everything out to be seen. Lying down he dragged Nate with him, right now he wanted to feel the love he spent his whole childhood craving and was glad that Nate seemed to understand this as he pulled him closer wrapping his arms around him in a comforting embrace.

"What did you do?" Nate asked feathering light kisses to the back of Eliots head.

"I tried to find a chance to explain things to them but between my parents and the teachers one never came up, I didn't have a job let alone any money so eventually I made my way to a recruiting office and before I knew it I was another soldier being shipped over seas." Eliot recalled also recalling the silent tears he had fought.

"And they didn't know?" Nate hadn't known this was going to become as deep as it had but he knew he would make sure Eliot didn't regret telling him.

"I ended up being wounded two years after that and I finally managed to make contact in the hospital, Aaron refused to talk to me and Sarah barely managed a few words before she was in tears. After that ma got on the phone, asked me not to call back, I gave them the love our parents refused to, I spent thirteen years watching out for them and it was as if they turned their backs on me." Eliot admitted not letting the tear he felt fall. "My siblings were my life and suddenly I didn't have that anymore."

"You started building the Eliot Spencer the rest of the world knows." Nate offered seeing what was probably a big piece of what had caused Eliot to become a hitter.

"It's easy to close your heart when the only two people in it hate your guts." Eliot shrugged off the beginnings of exhaustion.

"How does Amy work into this whole thing?" Nate knew she hadn't even been mentioned but he was curious as to where that piece of Eliots puzzle fit.

"I took some of the vacation time I had coming my way and you know me I like to keep busy, I ended up working for Willie and eventually me and Amy started dating." Eliot shrugged.

"And?" Nate knew he wouldn't be getting any awards for his patience but he honestly didn't care.

"I got an offer from a commander I knew to be part of this op he was going on, all I knew was it was better than what I'd be going back to after my leave and that was all I needed to know before I was itching to go. I promised Amy I'd be back and I was off, but something kept nagging at the back of my mind to go home, to go see if everyone was alright. So I went, it was Sarahs graduation ironically enough." Eliot laughed. "Dad was pissed, Mom didn't even bother to care and to my surprise Aaron and Sarah were actually happy to see me. I spent my last two hours on American soil with them glad that even if they were mad at me I hadn't lost them like I thought."

"Why didn't you stay?" Nate wondered as he started rubbing his thumb lightly over Eliots upper arm.

"Between the disgusted stare my mother was giving me and the lecture from my father on how disappointing I was I knew it wasn't an option, besides I had found something I enjoyed doing and was good at, I didn't want to give it up. Aaron wished me well before I left and Sarah begged me to come back and off I went actually believing that I could keep all three of the promises I had made." Eliot rolled to his back staring at the sky that was sparkling.

"What happened from there that turned you from a soldier to a goon, or better yet how'd you become the expert I started chasing?" Ok that had nothing to do with Eliots family but while he was sharing why not try and get him to clarify other things.

"It was one hell of an op, lot of things went wrong, lot of men died, I had a lot of crap I needed to sort out and I learned some lessons the hard way," Eliot summed, his admitance was reluctant at best. "But that has nothing to do with this and now is not the time to delve into those demons."

"What about the whole guns thing?" Nate quickly moved on acting as if his window of opportunity was about to close.

"Nate, please don't"

"Alright" He was still curious but the vulnerability in Eliots voice told tales of there own on how painful those memories were and no matter how curious he was he wouldn't willingly bring back something that bothered Eliot so. "Eliot" Nate whispered after a moment to the man that was beginning to doze on his chest.

"Hmm," he mumbled not really caring what Nate had to say at the moment.

"I think you should go to church with your family tomorrow." Not even bothering to voice his opinion he just shook his head curling tighter into Nates side. "I understand that you don't like your parents, hell I don't even know them and I feel the same but it's time for you to stand your ground. They've been chasing you away your whole life and I think it's time you put your foot down." Nate lifted his foot before slamming it back down for emphasis.

"Come with me?" Eliot asked as he lifted his head to look Nate right in the eye.

"What?" Nate spluttered sitting up, had Eliot really just invited him to join the nut case of a family he'd been describing?

"That's what I thought." Eliot huffed lying back down on Nates legs.

"I'll go" Nate said not believing he was actually agreeing to do this.

"You'll go?" Eliot got back up looking very skeptical.

"Yes I'll go to support you, to be your friend, anything you need I'll be." Maybe if he did this he wouldn't feel like he owed Eliot so much from the Sophie thing.

"I guess we go then."Eliot started getting up, he was shocked at himself for actually agreeing.

"Right now?"

"Church is at eight." Eliot extended a hand to pull Nate up.

"But it's barely four." He protested, he was tired and he had been comfortable with the idea of lying here with Eliot for a couple hours.

"And it's two and a half hours back and probably another half hours walk back to the truck." Eliot calculated trying to remember exactly which way they had come from.

"Great. Next time talk to me in the hotel so we don't have to come all the way out here." Nate grumbled knowing Eliot was somewhat lost even if he would never admit it.

"That was your damn idea!" Eliot barked.

"Love ya'!" Nate threw over his shoulder as he started for the way he was almost positive they came.

"Me too, ya jackass." Eliot mumbled as he followed Nate knowing that he had heard the second he started laughing. Continuing to follow Nate down what he now knew to be the wrong path Eliot smiled, this was going to be one interesting Easter.