When They Go (A Foster Family Job)
The first time Jonah comes he carries a trash bag. It's mid summer and he only stays two weeks, hiding behind a snarky persona as his case worker rushes to find a more permanent placement. After the door closes on Jonah's retreating figure, Eliot tells Nate it's the kids first time in the system. His dad ODed, but they're giving him back to his mom. Eliot isn't exactly ok with it, but that's how things work. Nate is furoius, wants to yell and take Jonah back. He doesn't tell Sophie, because she would.
(Sophie gets upset when Eliot says he lost his backpack, but Nate doesn't mention it and buys six. They're on sale, he reasons, and stashes five in the hall closet.)
Colin Mason is there for three months. He's like Parker was, bounching from home to home, and they try. Nate really, really tries, but after Hardison's computer goes missing and Parker admits the new boy said gross things to her, Colin has to go. His case worker doesn't even look surprised when she comes to pick the twelve year old up and he just yells curses at the family. Nasty insults and crude words that make Sophie round the children up and into the house. Nate stays, and watches the car drive away.
(Parker tells him about all the houses she went to. How some were so good in the beginning, but she was so mad, and nothing could have been good enough. How sometimes the mad never went away. She hugs him, tells him how he helped the mad go away forever, and he hides his tears from her and smiles.)
Peggy stays almost a year and a half, her parents in a custody battle. Her mother claims her father is abusive, which Peggy denies in a way that makes Nate actually believe her, but there's not a whole lot they can do. The state puts her in temporary placement with the Ford's. She's a sweet child, a very normal ten year old, and Parker makes it her mission to be friends with her foster sister. Sophie laughs off Nate's worry. After all, what trouble can two little girls really cause?
(Ten months later, when Nate is told to do some yard work by Sophie, he opens the shed to find a literal hoard of cats and kittens. There's eleven, he learns, all with names and all very well fed. It takes several weeks to find them all homes. Nate and Sophie start keeping a closer eye on the girls when they huddle for 'Girl Talk', and Eliot is told to ignore their bribery and big eyes in the future.)
Jonah shows up again, stays four weeks, and is gone. Nate isn't sure how to help Eliot when he goes quiet, but gives the boy his space and an offer to always listen.
(When Hardison mentions that Eliot is trying to learn how to use a computer, like email and facebook, Nate keeps it in mind. When Christmas comes a few weeks later and Eliot opens a new laptop, Nate says it's for school. If he sees Eliot on it late, video chatting with a vioce that sounds familiar, Nate doesn't mention it.)
Mikel is only there nine days. Her parents died suddenly in an accident, and since no immediate family was found she stayed with the Ford's as a caseworker scrambled to find something else. She's older than the other girls, and quiet. Sophie tries to comfort the girl but is met with firm resistance each time. When they're informed she's going to go to her aunt, Nate feels relief that at least there was someone. They all say goodbye at the door when she goes. Eliot blushes when Mikel hugs him, but he hugs her back and ignores Hardison's heckling.
(Nate doesn't mention how he'd heard noises in the backyard the night before, and gone down to see the two teens fighting in the grass. He'd only stopped himself from opening the door when he'd heard the laughter, and seen how the punches were really taps, kicks barely brushing. It goes on, and Nate leaves the two to their violent looking dance.)
When Peggy has to leave, there are tears from almost everyone. Hugs for everyone. It's not all sad. Her dad finally won custody, and he's a good man. Nate believes the now twelve year old when she says it, and hugs her tight. Parker smiles and waves and makes Peggy promise to call. Peggy promises and laughs and says she could mever forget her sister.
(Parker hugs Nate that night when he's washing dishes. She doesn't say anything, but he sees her smile and the tear tracks down her cheeks and knows that they'll always have another daughter, even if she doesnt live there.)
Jonah comes back. He's got a backpack on that has Eliot's name faded on it, a black eye, busted lip, and enough pain in his eyes to last a lifetime. Eliot wastes no time and leads to boy up to his room, where an extra twin bed has been since his first stay two and a half years ago. The social worker is a woman named Tara, who looks into Nate's eyes and tells him exactly what kind of Hell she just pulled Jonah out of. Makes him swear to keep the boy away from anything like that. It's one of the easiest promises Nate ever makes.
(A long while later, after both boys graduate high school, Nate wakes up to the sound of hushed whispers and shuffling feet. By the time he gets up both Eliot and Jonah are down the stairs and almost out the door. He knows what they're doing, remembers all the times Eliot talked about the army, all the times Jonah mentioned recruiters, and doesn't stop them. He watches them leave, backpacks over their shoulders, and smiles. Both bags have Eliot's name on them, a single line of black marker crossing the name out. Printed below are their last names, different but no less brothers. Spencer and Quinn. Nate may not be able to watch them now, but he knows they have each other, and goes back to bed.)