Chapter Fifty

He hadn't been able to sleep.
Nate was upset with him, he was upset with himself, and it just hadn't been a good night.
For the past few hours though he'd been thinking through his decisions and had come to a few conclusions.

Now he was counting the number of times Nate's bare chest rose as he waited for him to wake so he could share. He reached one thousand and three before the pattern changed and Nate started to stir. There was a jaw breaking yawn and a full body stretch before Nate finally turned his way and took notice of him being awake. "I'll go." He knew Nate wasn't comprehending his meaning through a sleep fogged mind so he further explained. "I'll do the ultrasound and I'll give the blood but I still want this line removed."

"You'll go?" Nate looked for confirmation as he propped his head upon his hand.

"I'll go." He nodded his sincerity and immediately saw Nate's eyes light.
"I might not like it but at least I'll know if anything goes wrong that I went down swinging."

"Thank you" Nate spoke genuinely as he pushed a piece of Eliot's hair back. "That's all I wanted."

"Good because it's the best I've got to give ya right now." In the very least Nate had attempted to make his a good one and he'd do his best to return the favor.

"Why would you need to give me something?" Nate propped himself up just a tad bit more as he tried to figure out what Eliot was talking about.

"Really?" Eliot sat up for that. Nate sounded confused and it was more than just their usual 'skip the presents' that was throwing him off.

"What?" Obviously he was missing something.

"Nothing" Eliot let out nonchalantly.

"No not nothing. What am I missing?" Their schedule was hectic and he didn't know if this was him actually forgetting about something or Eliot's messed up memories reminding him of something that had long ago come or was yet to pass.

"You're not missing anything." Nate didn't look like he was believing him though. "I swear."

"Then don't do that to me." Nate huffed out some exasperation that had been building.

'Do you want me to call off church with Sarah?" He couldn't be positive but it was quite possible Nate had just picked up the tone of the day.

"Your sister barely likes me now. How will it look if I tell her we're going and then you call her up and say we're not?" Nate questioned as he attempted to rid some of the sleep from his eyes.

"Do you really want her to like you that much?" Nate didn't try to impress anyone and the thought that he might be now was off-putting.

"I don't give a rats if she likes me or not but I like you and everyone knows that family trumps relationships every time. That is unless the relationship fits well in the family." He'd get Sarah on his side even if it was the last thing he did because he wasn't losing what he and Eliot had over her bitchy mood swings.

"Well then you better get moving." He'd let Nate do as he wished.
It was good to see that Nate cared about the waves he might create in his family though he could personally care less about that 'family'.
The only ones he did care about were his brother, his sister, and her kids.
Everyone else who had meaning or at all mattered was long gone.

"I don't wanna." Nate sighed with another stretch; he really needed to stop backing himself into these corners.
At least the ones that had him waking up at six on a Sunday morning.

"Well you're on your own then." Eliot stated as he got up.
Nate was weird in the sense that if he stayed there with him he'd consider it hanging out but if he got up and left he'd feel lazy and get up himself.

"I'll be in the shower." Nate barely shared as he dragged himself that way.
He really hated when Eliot did that to him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Whatcha doing?" Parker did her best to sneak up on him though in all honesty he had heard her before her foot left the fourth stair coming down.

"Making breakfast." More like teasing himself but there was no reason why they couldn't eat decently.

"Where's Steve?" The cat was always at Eliot's feet and it was a shock that she wasn't now.

"I let her out with the others." Nate had absolutely forbid them coming in but that didn't stop him from letting Parker put them in the basement most nights and when the weather was bad.

"Good I'm going to go feed them." She informed as she glanced into his batter. Pancakes.

"Already did."

"Well then what am I supposed to do?" She huffed as she leaned against the counter.
That was her routine and she didn't appreciate him messing with it.

"Get some plates, grab some juice, maybe set the table." The suggestions should have been obvious and they probably were but he said them all the same.
By now he knew that Parker tended to crazy it up and dumb it down and she wasn't pulling that on him.

"What are you doing today?" The thief asked as she pulled down three glasses.
She doubted they'd be seeing Hardison for another hour at least.

"I'm going to church."

"Can I go!" He was expecting her to ask why he was going not if she could join.

"Why?"

"Because I want to." She crossed her fingers, hoping for a yes.

"Alright I guess." She seemed a little too happy with that answer and he was going to get to the bottom of it. "Now why do you really wanna go?"

"Because it's either sit uncomfortably for an hour or stay here and have Sophie drag me off shopping for the next twelve." And she would too because they honestly had nothing to do until about eight that night. "I'll take the church any day."

"Well as long as your reasons are good and modest." Eliot spoke sarcastically as he platted his fourth set of pancakes.

"You try shopping for a dress with Sophie when there's twenty you haven't worn yet sitting in the back of the closet and then tell me how good and modest your reasons should be." She threw back as she snatched herself a pancake.

"Point taken" Eliot relented as he turned off the flame.
Sure he loved Sophie like a sister but like his sister he could only spend so much time with her before he wanted to pull his hair out.

"Who's taking point?" Nate wondered aloud as he walked into the kitchen fully dressed, complete in suit.

"Parker's coming to church with us." Eliot offered as he sat with a glass of juice.
He knew it wouldn't be long before he regretted drinking it.

"Why?" Nate asked as he sat next to them.
Hopefully she had a better reason than wanting to visit Santa.

"Because she wants to." He had accepted that explanation so there was no reason why Nate shouldn't.

"Why don't you just invite Hardison while you're at it." He had meant it sarcastically but knew he was done for when Parker let out an eager, "Alright" before grabbing herself another pancake and disappearing.

"You brought that on yourself." Eliot shook his head at Nate's disbelieving face as he passed over a newly fixed plate.

"You just…" Eliot was looking way too smug for his liking but he couldn't seem to find the words that would wipe that look away. "Stuff a pancake in it!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

He was glancing through the closet trying to figure out if Eliot had anything decent to wear and adamantly ignoring the sounds coming from the bathroom.
Whether he like it or not this had become their new normal and he was a bit ashamed to say he was growing used to it.
In a few minutes Eliot would walk out that door and they'd both pretend for a little while that he hadn't just barfed his brains out.
Like that was a normal way to start the day.

"We're out of mouthwash." Eliot spoke vaguely as he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

"Alright" Nate looked over to Eliot who was more propped than leaning on the bathrooms door frame. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The rasp in his voice was an annoyance he found himself trying to clear. "I'm good."

"Well then you should get dressed." He knew enough to know Eliot wasn't being open but he wouldn't call him out on it.

"If I can find something that fits." Carefully he made the short walk over to the closet to start his search.

"What happened to all that stuff Sophie just got you?" He'd gladly let Eliot borrow something, he had numerous times before, only problem was it would drown him.

"She took it back." A black button down was what he ultimately pulled, it was the smallest thing he had.

"Why?" Sophie was the only one of them that didn't purposely avoid clothes shopping which left Eliot with draw string sweats and over sized T-shirts.

"Nothing fit." Eliot shrugged off as he grabbed a pair of jeans from the dresser.
That's what he told her to do.
There was no use in him keeping even more clothes that he couldn't use.

"What do you mean nothing fit?" Nate questioned as he tossed an undershirt on the bed before entering the bathroom.

"I mean…" A near growl had him setting down his toothbrush. "Dammit!" With that he walked back out of the bathroom to find Eliot sitting on the bed glaring at some blood on his forearm. "How did you-"

"Don't ask." It was safe to say his skin was paper thin.

"Here… let me see." Eliot rolled his eyes at that but Nate grabbed the first aid kit from the dresser and moved to look none the less.
After seeing it wasn't much more than a scratch he started to laugh slightly.

"What?" Of course he was annoyed, Nate was laughing at him.

"Who gets hurt changing their shorts?" He wasn't laughing at Eliot as much as he was the situation but still.

"The same person that gets hurt changing a band-aid."

Inadvertently Nate looked down to the one he was pulling the backing from.
Once the threats came it was probably best to move on. "Alright… you're good."

"Good" Eliot smirked at the sudden seriousness coming from Nate; it may have been a little funny.

"Are you sure you want to go?" An accident first thing usually indicated there'd be quite a few more before the day's end.
That's how they ended up needing a first aid kit right on the dresser to begin with.

"I'm already up and getting dressed." Eliot huffed as he pulled a pant leg over his socked foot.

"Did you take your temperature?" Sure he nagged but he wouldn't take chances when it came to Eliot's heart.

"It was in the normal range." Eliot provided as he carefully worked his sleeve over his PICC line.

"Does that mean it's risen since last night?" Automatically he placed a hand on Eliot's back as he caught the beginnings of a sway. His balance had been absolutely shot as of lately.

"It's fine Nate." He never did tell Nate exact numbers or else he knew the man would calculate degrees.

"You sure?" He questioned as he watched Eliot fasten the last few buttons that would cover his black tank.

"Positive" Eliot spoke absently as he looked around for his boots.

"They're under the bed." Nate answered the unspoken question as he shut the kit and stood, moving back to the bathroom.
He had a niggling feeling that Eliot wasn't being completely honest.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Where are you going?" Hardison whispered harshly as he followed Nate up the side aisle.
This wasn't exactly his scene and he had nearly avoided coming until Sophie showed.

That wasn't the problem but a devious look and her suggesting he join her shopping trip had him stumbling over his own feet to be first seated in the car.

"To sit" Eliot spoke the obvious since it didn't seem like Nate planned to answer at all. "Something you can do at any time." He added when Hardison continued to follow.

"Well alright then…" Hardison huffed at the unspoken message. "Come on Parker." Only when he turned around she wasn't there. "Where the…" It was Nate that spotted her first and he pointed her out before turning into the next pew. His best guest was she had cut right up the middle because she already looked settled in her seat next to Rebecca.

"Hey" Eliot poked Sarah in the shoulder to let her know he was there before sitting directly behind her.

"About time" He ignored the attitude; she was always like that first thing.

"Hi Uncle Eliot" He smiled at Brian as he indicated for him to be quiet and turn around though he was pretty sure it was Becca and Parker that would have the trouble doing so, they were already suppressing giggles in the corner.

"So when's this going to be done?" Hardison asked over Nate from the very end of the pew.

Yup, it was going to be an interesting hour.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Excuse me" Nate turned a confused head to see what had been said. "Let me pass."

The urgency in Eliot's eyes had him turning to tell Hardison, "Step out a minute."

"What?" Hardison whispered. He had chosen to tune out everything that wasn't coming from the front after some rude comments had been overheard from an older woman behind him about his height.

"Move!" Nate whispered harshly as he pushed Hardison to do so.

"Is he alright?" Hardison wondered as Eliot rushed past him and he stepped back into the pew.

"I don't know," Nate watched until Eliot disappeared, deciding not to follow as he ushered Hardison to move over so he could step back into the pew himself. "but I'm sure he's fine."

There couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes left in the service but each felt like five for the worry that started to build.
Eliot hadn't returned and for every reason that he came up with a worse one followed.

Just when he had decided he couldn't stay there any longer he heard a variation of those endings he had long ago learned and was soon telling Hardison, "I'll be back, wait here."

"Alright" He heard Hardison agree as he made his way through the now dispersing crowd.
Within a few minutes he was entering the bathroom with a called out, "Eliot!"
There was no answer as he started pushing open stalls. "Eliot!" Still nothing. "Eliot!"

"Yeah?"

That slight yeah had him letting out a breath he hadn't known he was holding as the last stall door slowly opened. "No… nothing… I just…" He didn't know what to say as he followed Eliot to the sink. "Mass is over."

"I kind of figured." He was soon splashing water on his face but it didn't do much to wash away his ill feeling.

At times like these there never was a good thing to say so Nate stayed silent as he passed over some paper towels.

"Thanks" Eliot nodded his appreciation as he took a few breaths to ground himself.

"Let's get out of here." He knew that look and he knew it hadn't been a good idea to come.
When that unfocused glance set in Eliot's eyes it wasn't long before he was out of it, losing all energy, and sleeping for hours.

"I've got to find my sister." He too was ready to leave but he couldn't go without talking to her.

"Okay" Nate agreed as he opened the door.

Thankfully they didn't have to look very far because she was there to greet them as soon as they walked out. "I've been looking for you."

"Sarah we're going to get going." That was all he wanted to say and now that he had he was good to go.

"To the house cause Aaron just texted me that he's coming and I already invited your friends so we're just going to make a lunch out of it."

"Sarah it's not a good day." Nate explained something he knew Eliot wouldn't.

"But Aaron's coming." She near pouted.
It was usually her and Aaron complaining about Eliot having forgotten them but this time Aaron was claiming the role for himself.
She hadn't seen him in over a month and it had been even longer for Eliot.

"Give me twenty." Eliot caved.
He almost always did when it came to her.

"Good… and don't be late." She gave him a quick hug before taking off.

"Eliot in twenty minutes you'll be passed out on her couch." Nate tried to reason because apparently excitement had flown Sarah's out the window.

"It's as good a place as any." Eliot shrugged as he moved back toward the main hall.

"Eliot you're supposed to set your bulb in an hour." The whole schedule had to be followed to the T.

"I don't care."

"Eliot!"

"Nate!" Eliot stressed trying to show how annoying that could be. "I'll do it when we get back."

"If you don't follow the routine you're going to end up herxing hard." Nate stopped him right outside of the entry way.

"So I herx." Eliot sighed as he looked over to where Hardison and Parker were looking back at him.
"If you don't want to go you don't have to but I want to see my brother."

"If that's what you want I'll go." Nate relented.
He knew it was wrong but so was leaving him and two wouldn't make a right.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What do you think they're talking about?" Parker asked as she caught eyes with Eliot for a second before he looked back to Nate.

"I…" Seriousness was the only thing Hardison picked up as he looked over to the entry way. "don't know. Knowing them it's probably con related."

"I don't think so." Parker shook her head. "See how Nate's got his arms crossed?"

He couldn't see much of Nate from where he was sitting but still he nodded.

"Obviously he doesn't agree with whatever Eliot's saying, but do you see Eliot's face?
He's clearly telling Nate that right now his opinion doesn't matter."

"And you got all that from looking at them?" He didn't believe her.
Nate constantly crossed his arms and Eliot was looking as grouchy as always.

"Don't believe me, but clearly…" She gestured over to where they had just turned to the back row of candles. "Nate got the message."

"Do you think he lights one every time he comes?" Hardison switched topics.

"I would." Parker watched as Nate lowered the flame onto the wick of a prayer candle.
"It's a remembrance of what once was and a belief that it can once again be."

"Alright now, where did Parker go?" She was coming off as observing and caring and he was wondering who had spiked her orange juice.

She didn't bother answering Hardison as she watched Eliot. "Who do you think he's lighting one for?"

Hardison looked over to Eliot who didn't extinguish the flame instead moving it to light a second candle. "For Eliot that list could be endless."

"Hey!" Nate pulled their attention off of Eliot and honestly?
Hadn't he just been standing next to the man? "Let's go."

"What about…" Hardison cut himself off as he saw Eliot leaned up against the wall, apparently waiting on them.
Those two moved too quick for him. "Come on"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 -

"Where's Eliot?" Aaron asked as he sat on Sarah's couch.
Everyone but Eliot was in the living room.

"He went to drop his coat in the bedroom." Nate offered with a smirk he didn't really understand.

"Did you guys just get here?" Ashlee wondered as she, unlike Aaron, chose not to squish herself someplace she wouldn't fit. Instead she sat politely on the coffee table.

"Nope" Parker popped the word without much attention.
She was too busy helping Brian and Becca with a puzzle.

"Then?" Aaron was looking the way Eliot should be appearing from but he wasn't seeing or hearing anything.

"He's not coming back." Nate answered his questioning gaze. "He passed out before he even got the coat off.

"Oh" Now he understood the smirk; it had been an inside joke of sorts.

"Well don't just oh people, what have you been up to mister?" Sarah was looking for a good reason for having been ignored for a month.

"You remember that ranch house I was telling you and Eliot about Pete?"

"Yeah, the witch right?" Immediately Pete saw where this was going.

"She's earned that title tenfold and that's no joke."

"What she do?" Everyone else was listening as they tried to find the tales point but Pete was actually interested.

"She couldn't get it together so instead of starting first thing in June we just barely did like three weeks ago and that's when she realized she still has to pay for June. She threw a fit but what was I supposed to do with all the guys we scheduled? They cleared that month and I'm not gonna not pay 'em for it but them checks sure ain't comin' out of my pocket either." Not with a wedding to pay for.

"Some nag has been why you've ignored me!" She should have known.
Her brothers didn't put anything before work.

"Ignored you?" Ashlee laughed at that. "I've barely seen him and I live with him!"

"Me and some of the guys are on overtime to try and get this train wreck back on schedule.
That and the sooner we finish the sooner we rid ourselves of this she devil." Every time she showed it was with a pointless complaint.

"You see…" Pete laughed at the remark. "I told you, that's why I work with computers."

"You do!" Hardison immediately perked up with that. "What do you do?"

"I'm an automotive designer."

"Really!" Now that was interesting. Eliot had a geek in the family!

"You're drooling." Nate mock whispered.
Ten seconds ago he had looked ready for a nap.

"Do you work with computers too?" In this house he was always teased for liking them.
If anyone did talk to him it was strictly for the cars.

"You could say that." Hardison said with a devious smirk.

"What do you do?" Pete's question got a few exaggerated sighs but he didn't care.

"I don't have a specialty per say but I've dabbled just about everywhere. I've seen my fair share of security and hijacking systems too." It was Pete's turn to 'Really!' which earned him another set of sighs and Parker's mumbled, "Get a room already."

"Do you work for Nate too?" Eliot hadn't been specific and she hadn't bothered to ask.

"Yup, I'm just another employee over here." Hardison answered as he gave Nate a stank look. "No respect, no appreciation, I'm just a dime a dozen."

"What he is is an exaggeration," Nate threw back. "and technical support."

"Technical support! Technical support is all I am to you!" He'd let them all know how under appreciated he was.

"Well at least until you buy me dinner." The discomfort Hardison was showing was priceless, not to mention the shared look between Aaron and Sarah.

"Ungrateful" He'd let Nate have the sarcasm; they knew.

"Do you offer anything other than complaints?" Nate sighed.

"Technical support" Hardison's grin was absolutely cocky not to mention cheesy and it had Nate smirking slightly.

"You guys have worked together a long time haven't you?" Ashlee knew that type of bickering.
She had heard it plenty between her father and his friends growing up.

"What's it been now?" Hardison asked in general.

"It's been five… maybe a little over five years." Nate answered distantly as he tried to do the math.

"Yeah about five years now." Hardison agreed. "I've taken some time in between. You know… do a little free lancing, but I like the group I work with so I try not to stray too far."

"And Eliot's worked with you that entire time too?" She knew Eliot had said something about it but she couldn't be sure.

"Before I started this business I just needed help with the one job which is how I first met Eliot, Hardison, and Parker.
Then a little ways down the road I decided why not turn that job into two or ten even.
So yeah, that was about how we got started and they've been with me since that first day." It seemed like a forever ago.

"What does your business entail exactly?" Aaron looked to Nate to see how he was going to go about answering Sarah's question but Nate didn't seem even a little fazed.

"Well we're a self reliant business, there's nothing worse than announcing yourself as a fish in a room full of sharks if you know what I mea-" He was cut off mid word by his phone going off. "Sorry about this." Nate apologized as he stood from his seat.

"It's fine" Sarah assured as she watched him move away to answer the call.

"So, have you lived here long?" Hardison asked to change a touchy subject.

"In the house or the state?" Sarah questioned as she peeled her eyes from Nate.

"Either, or both" He honestly didn't care what her answer was because he was pretty sure he knew what Nate's call was about.

"I've lived in Oklahoma my whole life but we got this house a bit before Becca was born."

"Well it's a nice place."

"Why thank you." The compliment added to the pride she took in her home.

"Sarah did you call Megan?" Ashlee asked partly because she wanted to know and partly because she didn't like the odd silence that was settling. Aaron was looking down the hall clearly spaced, Pete had just left to do she didn't know what, and Parker was still intent on the kids' puzzle so the conversation was left to flow between the three of them.

"I didn't but I did make that appointment with Dan for you and he said he might have found you the wedding band."

"You know I DJ'd at a wedding once." Hardison threw in just to do so.

"Really? You've been in the wedding business?" Now that was a shocker.

"Naw, but I've got connections. If you need something just call me and I guarantee I can get it for ya'."

"That's a generous offer." Ashlee replied humbly though she knew she wouldn't accept it.
She didn't know him well enough to.

"That's what you do for family." They both gave him strange looks so he went on to explain. "Eliot's like a brother, hell he is a brother so that'd give ya'll in the very least a cousin rating. Besides a wedding don't come along all that often so why not make sure you get a decent one." He had to admit he had a soft side for stuff like that.

"I'll keep that in mind."Ashlee wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about being so welcomed into a near strangers family but it looked as if she had just earned herself another cousin.

"Good I-"

"Hardison!" Nate cut off as he moved back over to them. "Change of plans."

"What now?" That saying usually meant they were going to try and pull some half baked scheme that would just barely work. If they were lucky.

"We've lost about six hours." Nate spoke nonchalantly.

"You're kidding!" Of course Nate sounded at ease he wasn't the one left scrambling.

"Not likely" Nate offered seriously. "Parker let's go."

"But I just found the tail." She showed him the mentioned piece with an exasperated sigh.

"You're leaving?" Both Sarah and Ashlee asked in variations.

"Yeah" Nate barely notified as he urged Parker to the door before a thought suddenly dawned on him. "Is it alright if Eliot stays here?"

"Of course." That answer should have been an obvious.

"Thank you" The other two had already exited but once again he stopped himself from doing so. "Just umm… tell him it was an emergency… and…" Looking at three different faces had him thinking of what he could say judging by who knew what but honestly, he didn't care right now. "That I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Pete asked as he entered the room glass in hand.

"Nothing" Both Sarah and Ashlee let out quickly before looking at each other the same way.

If only they knew.

E/N:Wow ya'll I never expected we'd be reaching fifty chapters!
That's a huge milestone for me and though I would say here's to fifty more I'm not quite ready to set myself up for that kind of down fall LOL

What do you think about Eliot giving in so quickly?
Personally I'd say I like the rebellious Eliot better but that's probably because it brings out a more dominant and aggressive Nate which I love!
Seriously, last chapters blow up? My mind nearly exploded... I was like 'Hold up a minute Nate, I'm trying to write all this down!' I swear had it been a different story that would have gone a whole other way (sexual tension anyone)

Anyone else loving how Pete and Hardison starting geeking it out?
That was just too adorkable to pass up... I love this thing, and I love all of you so I'll stop with the rant before this note gets longer than the chapter (though another glance at it has me doubting that possible)

I'm not sure if I should be boasting or apologizing for the length, what do you think?