The Mom job

Darcy woke up at 6 am an started on breakfast for her mom and her team. After everything they had done for her it was the least she could do. Her whole life she had felt like a burden. The reason her mother had almost been killed. The reason the Lewis’s had to settle down and stop grifting. She was relieved truth be told when Mr. Lewis had sent her to the school. At least then she wouldn’t be bothering anyone. She would have just kept kept her head down and graduated. Gone to Culver and become a chemical engineer and never burdened anyone else again. Those ass hats had changed everything, ruined every well thought out plan she had to make her mom proud of her. So here she was in Boston of all places asking her mom for help. She had been terrified of not finding her mom or her mom not helping her and instead she had a whole group of people willing to help her. The team hadn’t made her feel like she was trouble they made her feel at home. Elliot had stopped by her room last night after Nate and her mom had left and they stayed up talking. About the Lewis’s, the school, Mr. West everything. For once in her life she felt like someone had understood her.

Flashback

Eliot cursed himself as an idiot he stood outside of Darcy’s room waiting to knock. It had taken two hours before Sophie and Nate had left, he had waited another half hour before he left the safety of his room to stand outside her door. That was 20 minutes ago. He was a damn fool standing in the dark, hand poised to knock on a 17 years olds bedroom. He needed to talk to her though needed to know just how far that teacher had gone. He may have only known Darcy a day but he knew that she wouldn’t have resorted to violence over something like a suggestion. It had been years since Eliot had killed someone. He didn’t want to break that streak but he would for her.

“You going to knock or just lurk outside her door all night?” Eliot did not jump and if Hardison said he did he would knock him out.

“What are you doing here Hardison?”

“Same thing as you probably or I hope because if you’re here for any other reason Nate ain’t the only one you have to worry about.” Alec’s brown eyes were hard and Eliot smiled a bit at the man he considered a brother. It was easy to forget that Alec was a formidable opponent because he was always such a geek but Alec Hardison knew how to take care of himself. Eliot had no doubt that if he wanted to he would make Eliot disappear digitally if not physically.

“I just need to know. She should talk about it. She wont tell Sophie you saw her. She holds back doesn’t want her to feel guilty. I ain’t gonna lie to you Alec, I was attracted but she’s 17 and I’m not a creep. I’m not going to go after a kid especially one who was terrorized by a fucking staff full of teachers.”

“You know when I first started to talk to Parker it was difficult. Even though she’s a year older than me, she was too young. Her life hadn’t let her grow up right. She needed time to mature. It wouldn’t have been right for us to be together at that point. It took time and we still ain’t where I want to be but she’s worth it. Worth every date where she pushes me off a building or makes me crawl through the vents or case a museum. Because those other days where I can watch Star Wars with her and she doesn’t run when I try to kiss her, makes every second worth it. Your girl got the opposite problems. Life aged her beyond what it should have. She’s young but man it’s worth it, if you’re willing to wait for her age to catch up with the wisdom in her eyes.”

“Alec, I ain’t…” Alec looked at him lips pursed, eyebrow raised and Eliot tugged at his hair and sighed . Dammit it was easier when he didn’t have friends. “Fine something in her calls to me. Something I can’t explain, it ain’t just her body, though damn who would have thought Sophie would have had a daughter that looked like that? Sophie’s a beautiful woman but Darcy she’s like a Botticelli painting.” At Hardison’s look, Eliot scowled. “What I pay attention when Sophie and Nate talk. I ain’t going to do nothing about anything right now. I just got used to you guys. Maybe one day when Nate wont kill me and Sophie wont set me on fire. I’ll see what’s there but for now I just want to know if I got to pick up that gun again.”

Alec looked at Eliot sympathy in his eyes. He more than anyone knew how much Eliot had learned to hate guns and violence. He had stayed up with him many a night commiserating about Parkers lack of response. On those nights Eliot spoke to him about how the service was supposed to help him escape his old life instead had trapped in a new one. How Elliot was afraid that all he had left in him was blood and death. It was the real reason, he hadn’t fought for Amy Martin. He didn’t think he could be a regular man. Didn’t think he was worthy of having a family.

“Maybe we all need time to come to terms with who we are now and what we want. Talk to her one of us should .” Alec brushed Eliot’s shoulder and gave the man a squeeze.

Taking a deep breath Eliot knocked. “Darce darlin you awake?”

Darcy absolutely did not regret buying a my little pony pajamas set when she she heard Elliot knock. Ok she regretted it a little bit, but she loved Pinkie Pie dammit! “Yeah, I’m still up can’t sleep. Who would have thought traveling cross country, finding your long lost mom, losing your pseudo grandfather and best friend wouldn’t be conducive to sleep.”

Eliot huffed a laugh, this girl she was something else, she was a dangerous combination of sweet and sassy that made his hands shake for the first time since he joined the service.

“I think you know why I’m here sweetheart. I know you told us the edited version of what happened at that school.” He held up his hands to stop the protest he saw on the tip of her tongue. “ I know you told us the truth but you left somethings out. I just want you to know you can talk to me. I’m here if you want to say something. I know its hard because you don’t want to hurt your mom with the truth. Maybe her choices were made for a good reason that don’t mean that they didn’t hurt you. You love her, don’t want to use your time with her being a burden.” Darcy looked up at his words. ”But sweetheart you are not a burden not to Sophie and not to me. Let me me help you.”

“I’m good, I’m fine, It’s ok as long we find Jesse nothing else matters.”

“Darce, you matter! You matter to me and to Sophie hell Nate’s probably has Hardison printing up the adoption papers. Parker has never taken to anyone so quickly. You belong with us. You are important to us, we’re going to help you find your friend. You’re not going back there to live. You can stay here with me…and the team. Listen I was 18 when I enlisted, anything to get away from my drunk father. There wasn’t a day that he didn’t make me feel like I owed him for the privilege of my life. He ran a hardware store. Tiny little shop, every inch of it crowded, but he knew where everything was. He wanted me to take it over but all I wanted was to leave. Escape that small town that small life. So I went away, never talked to him again. I was always good with a gun, they said I was a natural. After basics I got recruited special assignment. I did good and they kept sending me on assignments. Soon I was traveling the world. I felt vindicated at least until my team left me to die in Croatia. The girl I was supposed to marry couldn’t handle me being gone so long. She gave me an ultimatum leave the military or she’s gone. She gave me till her wedding to make a decision.” Eliot let out a mirthless chuckle. “I wasn’t given the time make the decision. I was capture and left behind while she married someone else, all the while I was being tortured in Croatia. The US government left me behind, my fiancé left me behind all I had was myself. I got out but I decided from then on I worked alone. I took jobs for bad people did some bad things, never depended on anyone. Nate brought us together, we’re doing good things here but its hard to trust again to realize when shit goes down that I wont be left behind. So I know what its like to think you’re a burden that you’re not worth it . That if your not the best, the strongest that you’ll be left behind.”

Darcy burst into tears and launched herself at Eliot who caught her easily pulling her into his arms. How could anyone leave him behind? How could anyone decide that he wasn’t worth the wait. No one had ever really understood Darcy before, even Jesse. Jesse loved her but she could never understand why Darcy was so afraid to be left. How could she when Darcy had to hide half her life from her. She had to keep her moms cover even from her best friend. But Eliot knew, he had been tortured and left behind too. Even if it was for her good it still hurt.

“I remember everything you know, it was my fault my mom had turned around she was casing a museum. This man offered me a gelato. He was so nice so I went with him. I don’t even know how long I was there they threw me in a dark room and didn’t feed me for days. I was so hungry at first like even the thought of food was enough to make me cry. Then one day the hunger just left. That was worse because thinking of food kept me distracted from what was going on. After that I could only think about how scared I was. Alone in the dark, I could hear them talking about how they were going to get rid of me and all I wanted was my mom. She didn’t come and for a little I worried that maybe she wouldn’t. That I was more trouble than I was worth. I was always loud and curious and getting into things I shouldn’t have. I know I frustrated her so much. Having a kid held her back. They broke my fingers the pinky never healed right.” She held up her right hand. The pinky was pointed slightly to the right. It could have been fixed but they would probably have to re-break, do an invasive surgery. He didn’t blame Sophie for not putting her through all that after what she had been through.

“They tried to kill her even when she gave them everything she owned. Somehow she managed to stop them and get to me. The moment she came though the door was the best moment of my life. She was never more beautiful covered in blood limping. I promised I would be good never give her a reason to worry about me again. But as soon I was out of the hospital she left me with the Lewis’s.”

“Darcy Lou you are the strongest person I have ever met! You were just a kid, those bastards hurt you. Made you doubt your mother but she loved you. She gave them everything she had and it was worth it to her, because you were more important.”

“Darcy Lou?”

Well you’re not really a Lewis are you? but you should get to keep that bit of your life, so Darcy Lou is that ok?”

“Yeah, I love it actually. I never had a nickname before.” Darcy blushed suddenly aware that she was snuggled in his arms and sitting on her bed in her pinky pie pajamas.

“Now don’t think this means that you can get away with not telling me what happened at that school.”

******Trigger Alert*************************************************************************************

“It wasn’t that bad, I may be a loud mouth naturally but after what happened I learned when to keep my mouth shut. The PE teacher pushed a freshman she hurt her. Emily was just a kid. Her parents sent her away because they are super religious having a lesbian daughter didn’t fit in with their ideals. The school said they could cure her, Fuckers. Like that can be cured. Emily is the shyest sweetest person you will ever meet. I couldn’t just let them keep trying to beat the gay out of her. I stood up sassed them, drew attention to me. It worked Mrs. Hanigan stopped picking on Emily but I became her new favorite target. They strapped me to a chair, shaved my head while I screamed and fought, cursed their ancestors. I tried to be brave and act like I was angry but I was so scared it was like I was in that dark room again waiting for Armando and his goons to come kill me. When I went home for the summer. Jesse saw that something was wrong, saw the bruises and knew I would never willingly cut my hair. I didn’t know she was planning on enrolling into the school. She wanted to watch out for me because of me she’s missing. I would have done anything to get Jesse back and that ass monkey knew it. He acted like he was nice but I knew the truth so he dropped the act. He pushed me against his desk, shoved his hand up my skirt. I didn’t want that! He had no right, he didn’t care that he was hurting me that I was crying. He laughed Eliot thought it was funny that I was crying for my mom. He left bruises, he was so rough I bled. That bastard was so happy that he was the first one to touch me, that he had drew first blood! and I was just enraged. Do you know what its like when you get these things at thirteen. You suddenly become property of every man in the streets. They think you owe them something that its ok to cat call you. Whistle at you, touch you! I have big tits so I must be easy. I spent the past four years fighting off men. I have held on to my virginity by the skin of my teeth and the sass of my tongue, this guy thought he was just going to take it from me. So I hit him and I hit him again and again. I wanted him to die Eliot! I was so goddamn mad that he didn’t just die. How do I tell my mom that? That I wanted to kill someone, that I don’t think I would have regretted it.”

******************Safe*******************************************************************************

“I’ve done bad things for bad reasons sweetheart but what you did was self defense. Ain’t no one has the right to touch you without your permission. I’m sorry that happened to you. We’re going to teach some things to protect yourself. I know damn well that Parker has stashed more than three tasers in here for you. You have us now, we’re going to make sure you know how to get out get safe and start new if you need to. You don’t have to tell anyone what you told me but Darcy Lou if you need to talk, you can come to me day or night. I uh got you this phone. I know Sophie has one she’s going to give you but this one is untraceable on a secured line. It’s nothing fancy but you can text or call me whenever.”

End flashback