dann_0 | PSL: Sentinel AU

"Okay... shit, that's-" He stops and scrubs a hand over his face, brain going a mile a minute as he assesses the situation. "What's he likely t'do if you tell him that?" Because Eliot's racking his brain for anything he might know about paternity laws, but it's never been a particular area of interest for him. "'Cause I'm not sure he's got any damn rights, even if he can prove the kid's his." And if that's the case... well, he might need to make sure Rachel has some good, solid incentive to see the light.

"If I tell him now... He's going to be devastated and will likely confront Rachel about it immediately. She'll deny it of course - regardless if she knows. They've already said they want to move to Vegas for Stan's work. Danny is fighting it in court, but I can easily see her relocating Charlie immediately so Danny doesn't have any possible access."

"Getting the DNA run is easy enough, but explaining why Danny became suspicious to run it will be the problem and she'll make it more about that than whether Danny is the father." As for rights, Steve doesn't think that will stop Danny from seeing his son if Charlie is his. "Danny would move hell and high water for his kids. He'll fight with everything he has, regardless if it's a losing battle." It was one of the things Steve admired most about the other man, and in turn Steve will do everything he possibly can to help him.

Steve knows Danny is going to be upset when he finds out, and would ideally like to have as much concrete evidence and reasoning prepared in advance for when he does. There's no if, Steve will be telling Danny, but not while Grace is visiting. That gives Steve some time to get things moving in Danny's favor.

Eliot listens, texting Hardison as he mulls over both the information and the possibilities it raises. "Guess we're just gonna have t'make sure it's not a losing battle, then." Which it probably would be in the courts, so they'll just make sure it never gets that far.

"Gimme a few hours t'make do some digging an' make some arrangements-" He breaks off for a moment, reading the return text, then adds, "My flight'll get in around eleven. Don't do anything 'til I get there."

Steve blinks. That wasn't what he was expecting. "What are you thinking?"

Not what he was expecting, but he's not complaining either. Having Eliot here and working together could be a good thing. He can get to know the other man better and vice versa. If they're going to be sharing Danny as a guide he'd rather they get along at least than feel like adversaries.

With a look at his watch, he nods, he can tell Danny he has to go in for a case but that they don't need both of them so he can stay with Grace. Nothing abnormal with that. "I'll meet you at the airport."

"Well, first we need concrete evidence he's Danny's," because if Rachel's kept it from Danny on purpose he doesn't imagine she'll be all that cooperative about a paternity test. And even if Danny has no legal rights, and they're not going to be going through a court, being able to shove proof under her nose can't do anything but help.

"An' then, well, we'll just hafta find the right leverage to get her to see things our way." And that, he doesn't expect to be a real problem. Not with what he's seen of the information Hardison dug up. "We'll talk details when I get there."

Running the DNA won't be a problem, getting it might be a bit more tricky. Though they can discuss and figure that out once Eliot arrives. Steve didn't have the time to collect anything when he'd been there earlier. Sadly he's not the best with kids, especially babies and Charlie had started to cry being picked up by a stranger. Rachel had come to investigate not long after.

"Sounds like you may have done something like this before." Steve is resourceful but this is somewhat outside his wheelhouse. The sitting Governor wasn't likely to do him a favor and talk to Stan like his predecessor had. "I'll see ya in a few hours. Safe travels."

"Might have a bit of experience," Eliot concedes. "Sit tight an' we'll sort this out when I get there."

***********

In the time it takes him to pack a bag and get to the airport Hardison's already started pulling up information on Rachel and her husband that might be useful in bringing pressure to bear if it becomes necessary. Hopefully it won't, given that could be a hell of a strain on familial harmony, but Eliot's not about to risk things going south. If Rachel isn't willing to roll over, admit she lied, and let Danny have access to his son because it's the right damn thing to do, well, they'll just have to make sure that she has plenty of incentive to see the error of her ways.

By the time his plane lands in Hawai'i he has an email waiting from Hardison with preliminary information on some of Stan's more sensitive business dealings, and a cover arranged to get him access to the house so he can collect DNA. It's not guaranteed smooth sailing, but he's feeling pretty confident about working things out when he spots Steve in the terminal and makes a beeline for him.

"Hey man."

In order to keep Danny from getting suspicious, after speaking with Eliot Steve got what he needed and returned home, pretending all was normal. Once Grace went to bed it became more difficult keeping that something was up from Danny. By ten Steve was more than ready to make his exit.

When Eliot arrives off the plane, Steve is there waiting. He smiles and nods when he sees the other man approach. "Eliot. Thanks for coming. How was the flight?"

The marks on Eliot's neck are plain to see and after seeing similar on Danny, there's no doubt in his mind what they are. When his eyes land on one, he's quick to move them off when he realizes. Similar as to what he did to Danny, he averts by looking for the baggage pickup. "Did you check anything?"

"Not a problem, man." Eliot's a little tense at the meeting, a little wary of how Steve's going to deal with him, but the guy called him for help and he's here for Danny, so he'll make it work. He would have noticed the way Steve's gaze flicked to the hickeys on his neck and then pointedly away even if he hadn't been on high alert, and while it's not surprising it does make him hesitate for a moment before offering his hand to shake.

"Nah, I travel light." Which amounts to a duffel and a garment bag, both thrown over his shoulder. "My friend thinks he's a damn comedian, an' he's got me booked into one of the tourist resorts. We can start talkin' business on the drive over." Which is one of the reasons he hadn't waved off the offer of being picked up in favor of a rental car, though he'll have one for tomorrow.

Realizing that Eliot is also nervous is what helps Steve to relax. Danny mentioned Eliot's had his own concerns and Steve can relate to the reasons behind them. It's enough that for the time being he can focus on what's at hand. Well, that is if he can keep his mind off the damn hickeys.

Accepting Eliot's hand in a solid hand shake, Steve smiles. "Let me guess, that's the same friend who introduced himself at the pub? Tell me he didn't prebook you time to swim with the dolphins while you're here?" Steve teases as he turns to lead them out the door. With the late hour he left the Camaro in the emergency services parking out the front so they're not going far. As they approach he uses the fob to open the trunk for Eliot's luggage. "I would have recommended one of the resorts as well mind you. Unfortunately Hawaii is very hit and miss when it comes to non-tourist lodgings."

Eliot's had his senses dialed back as far as they'll go since the airport in Portland, self defense against the stale, recycled air saturated with sour sweat and too many clashing perfumes and deodorants and the stink of anxiety off of stressed travelers, too many voices and just too much. But this close even that's not enough to keep him from catching the way Danny's scent clings to Steve, and it's only a quarter century of hard-earned self control that keeps any reaction from his face as he shakes Steve's hand. His return smile is a little strained, though, and he doesn't look away in time to hide the way his nostrils flare and his pupils dilate as he feels a sharp stab of something caught between jealousy and longing.

"Same friend," he agrees, voice suddenly a little hoarse as he follows Steve out of the terminal. "An' a god damn luau too," he adds, hoping to at least partially cover for his reaction to Danny's scent with generalized grouching about Hardison trying to plan his life.

Seeing the reaction, Steve nods as he lets go of the other man's hand and looks away himself, not taking the reaction personally but offering a bit of privacy for Eliot to regain his composure. It's not like this is a situation either had ever expected to be in. The only way he can think to handle it and make it any better is to try to be as welcoming and reassuring towards Eliot as possible. It's not easy though when his own instincts are screaming warning signals to what they perceive is a threat. It was for that reason that Steve was also keeping his sense of smell as low as possible. He may have also rubbed a small amount of Vicks under his nostrils before leaving the house to help block the scent coming off of Eliot. Sooner or later he was going to have to adapt, but he figured if he could reduce the overwhelming stimuli for even a little bit it might help ease him into it.

Steve laughs. "The luaus here are pretty legendary though. If you've not been to one before they're definitely worth being checked out." After Eliot has his bags tucked away into the trunk, Steve ducks into the driver's seat waiting for the other man to join him before heading to the resort Eliot's booked into. "So, you said on the phone you had some experience with this kind of thing...?"

Eliot's not entirely sure if the car's better or worse. It's permeated with both Danny and Steve's scent, overlaying each other with a depth and complexity that makes very clear how much time they spend together here. It's also laced with anxiety and fear that's fresh enough it sets his teeth on edge, makes him want to find Danny right the hell now to try and fix whatever caused the worry. Except he's pretty sure he knows exactly what it was, and there's not a damn thing he can do to make it better.

"Not sure I'm really the luau type," he counters, and doesn't share that Hardison had very pointedly made sure he knew the reservation for the luau--and the damn dolphins--was for two, and that he could make it for three in a heartbeat if Danny wanted to bring his little girl along. That's really not the kind of thing he sees panning out, especially not under the circumstances.

"Yeah, my partners an' I have some experience... helping folks see the error of their ways." Or at least pay the price for them, whether they see the light or not. "Usually it's something a bit more far reachin' than this, but basically we just need to get the evidence lined up so the ex knows she can't wiggle out with more lies. Hopefully that'll be enough, but if it's not, well, Hardison's already got some information that'll help her see the light."

Eyes flicking over to Eliot, before returning to the road, Steve shrugs. "Everyone is the Luau type, there's some part of it for everyone. You... My guess is you'd take extra interest in the food portion. If you've not had Hawaiian Kalua pig before you're in for a treat." There's other aspects that he thinks Eliot would enjoy as well, given the chance. It's on the tip of his tongue to suggest taking Danny with him but there's a difference between being supportive and too supportive and Steve's pretty sure that's going beyond what he really needs to be doing.

Running what Eliot has told him over a couple times in his head, Steve frowns for a moment and bites the inside of his lip, and then runs it through his head one more time. Each time he comes out with the same result - Eliot's a restaurant owner by day and a professional extortionist and blackmailer on the side. Lifting an amused eyebrow, he turns to Eliot when he stops at the next light. "So you dig up something incriminating on the person and threaten them with it unless they cooperate?"

There's no judgment in Steve's voice. At the moment he's more amused than anything else, partially because he does similar things in the line of duty regularly when he needs one criminal to turn on another. Perhaps not exactly the same but close enough. But mostly because Danny, who is a damn good cop and a stickler for the law, is dating a man who skirts the law. It's possible that it's completely on the legal side, but considering one of his partners is a hacker, he's sure it dips over the line from time to time. That's not Steve's problem though, he's got no evidence that any crime has been committed so he's not going to let it bother him, especially if it ends up helping Danny with Rachel. "Does Danny know about this?"

Eliot's taking a risk with this and he knows it, and he's not just risking himself, he's risking Parker and Hardison too. He hasn't even told Danny what they do yet, not wanting to risk exposing the team when he still more than half expects Danny to decide that this is too difficult and inconvenient to follow through on, no matter how much his gut screams to trust the man. But Steve had told him the situation and he hadn't even stopped to think, just set the ball in motion, because even with as little time as he's spent with Danny he knows exactly how important his daughter is to him, and how having this, his own damn son, taken away from him will gut him. Eliot will do whatever he can, whatever he has to, to help make sure he gets to be a real father to his child.

"It's a little more involved than that as a rule, but at the heart of it, that isn't exactly wrong," he admits. "We like t'think of it as providing the little guy with some leverage against the kinda rich, powerful assholes who think they can walk all over anyone who gets in their way." Which, yeah, frequently involves breaking the law, though never in ways that can be pinned to them... which probably won't matter to a pair of cops.

"An' no, it didn't come up. We didn't exactly spend a lot of time together, though." And entirely aside from Eliot's trust issues, there'd been a fair amount of that time spent pretty much non-verbal. Or at least not using a lot of words longer or more complicated than yes and more and harder and please... which is not something he needs to be thinking about right now.

His amusement fades as Eliot clarifies what they do. "You even the playing field so the rich don't win just because they have money. Is that what you're saying?" In principle, he actually has no issue with that. Steve's not a cop. He doesn't look at the world through the eyes of the law, but instead through the morals he's been instilled with. That those with power and money think they can get away with anything they want pisses him off. It's why he enjoys his job. That's mostly who Five-O goes after and for similar reason.

Frowning at being told they barely spent that much time together, as he'd been under the impression they spent most of the last three and a half days together, he thinks about that for a moment. Not a long time in the grand scheme of things, he supposes but he would have thought enough to get into careers. Than again, he can understand why Eliot may have wanted to wait. In any case his amusement returns. "Unless you're hurting people, exploiting them or taking advantage," none of which he's getting the impression is the case, "I'm happy to provide you back up there when you do. I've softened Danny up a bit over the last couple of years, but I expect he'll fall into a rant and turn a bit red when he finds out." While his words may paint the picture of that being a bad thing, Steve's tone and amusement indicate thays it's not as bad as it sounds.

"Close enough. Someone's generally gotta fuck up pretty excessively t'get on our radar, but once they do, well... we handle it." For Eliot three and a half days had felt like no time at all. Barely enough to scratch the surface of what they are to each other and how to make this work... not really enough to make him feel confident that it will work, not when Danny's already so clearly devoted to Steve, and when Steve is so clearly uncomfortable with their relationship, no matter how well he's handling things right now.

"Yeah, well, I guess I'll be findin' out what he thinks sooner rather'n later," Eliot answers. And hopes he doesn't end up regretting... any of this. "An' thanks. I know this, that it ain't easy on you. So thanks."

It's difficult as part of him clearly sees Eliot as a rival, one that has the advantage and he shouldn't be helping the other man. Intellectually he knows that's not necessarily the case. If he helps Eliot, in a roundabout way he's helping himself as well. More to the point, he's helping Danny.

"Probably better that way to be honest. Just... Focus on the helping people aspect more than anything else. Five-O has immunity here on the islands, we're known to... Push the boundaries somewhat, but we get the desired results and Danny's seen that following the book doesn't always work. Those with power and money don't always play the rules, to get them sometimes you can't either." His eyes flick to Eliot's and he bites on his lower lip a moment before shaking his head. He hadn't planned on breaching this topic with Eliot, but since the other man has. "It's not, but I expect it's not on you either. This is about as far from an ideal situation as we can possibly make work, but Danny is determined to try."

He's more than a little surprised at Steve's friendly advice; he hadn't expected the guy to try and use the information he's giving him to fuck him over, not really, but he definitely hadn't expected him to be anything but distantly professional and concerned with his partner. It's not enough to completely take the edge off Eliot's worry, but it's something.

"Yeah." He tips his head back against the seat, letting the situation settle into place in his mind. "I ain't tryin' to take him from you," he finally says, low and steady and not actually looking at Steve as he talks. "His life's here, or wherever his little girl goes, an'... I can travel a lot, but I got people who need me that I can't just up an' leave." Not that there isn't the potential for relocation there, much as they all like the life they've built for themselves in Portland, but it's not something Eliot's even considering as a possibility. "An' for the record, I wasn't planning on tryin' to hide what I do from him, just didn't seem t'be much point getting into it this early in the game." Not when he can't really make himself believe this could work out.

There's a small shake to Steve's head. "I didn't think you were." Eliot doesn't have to try, the way the cards have been dealt, Steve's got a shit hand and Eliot's got all the aces. Really Eliot just needs to bide his time and there's a good chance fate will do all the work for him. "But, if I thought so," Steve grins at the other man, "you know I'd have to kill you. You understand I'm sure." He's joking, mostly. But if Eliot forced Danny to bond or hurt him in any way... Steve doesn't expect either of those to happen purposely or he would be intervening.

"Danny will go wherever Grace is, and Charlie too once we sort that out." Danny's dedication to his kids was one of the things Steve admired most about his partner. He wasn't the perfect father, he messed up just like everyone else, but he put Grace first before every aspect of his life and did the very best that he could to make her life better. Steve would support that any way he could. "I assume you know about the court petition as well...?" His knuckles whiten on the wheel because Danny having to move to Vegas would make things much easier for Danny and Eliot. If Eliot had the ability to influence the court's decisions, there wasn't a damn thing Steve could do about it.

"I'm not judging, or trying to intervene in your relationship." Steve shrugged. "You gotta do things when they make sense for you. Honestly, I'm surprised you came." Chuckling lightly he shrugged. "I called because I thought you may have some ideas on how to get something out there when you shouldn't know that it exists. Being hidden and independent for so long. Also, I needed to talk it through with someone who completely understood my situation and had Danny's best interests at heart. That's an incredibly short list." Eliot was the only one on it.

"Yeah." Eliot huffs a laugh in response to the teasing threat, but there's not much humor in it. "I know exactly what you mean." And he knows that Steve's joking probably exactly as much as he is... which is mostly, but not entirely. The difference is, Steve has years of history and loyalty with Danny, as well as constant access to him and all the time in the world to continue solidifying the bond, however informal, they already share. Eliot's just a stranger he met a couple thousand miles away, and there's no telling how long it's going to be before the inconvenience of trying to conduct any kind of relationship at that distance gets to be more hassle than it's worth to a man with a life and a career, kids he has to fit into his already tight schedule... Eliot's not expecting to be in the picture for long, no matter how strongly Danny feels about it.

"Yeah, I saw that. Doesn't seem like he's too thrilled with the idea, though." And whether it might make things easier for him or not... well, Eliot's never been good at prioritizing his own happiness at someone else's expense. Especially not someone he cares about, and however briefly he's known him he cares about Danny.

"Easier t'handle this kinda thing in person, too many variables t'deal with long distance." And it's too important to not give his full attention. "I'm not sure if we'll really need any excuse other'n Danny not believing her about the kid not bein' his, though, once we've got the proof." It's not like he doesn't have cause, given their history, seems like Danny's just too damn trusting and good-natured to not take her word for it.

"An' yeah... I know what you mean." It's been over fifteen years since anyone knew what he is, and it's still an uncomfortable weight on his shoulders, having it out there.

"Danny's fighting it. Prevented them from moving already, but it's pretty much up to a judge to decide now." Of course Steve didn't want to lose Danny and he was doing what he could to help him. He hadn't told Danny yet, but he was planning to show up at the hearing, dressed in his blues, to act as a character witness. All that being said, if Danny lost, Steve was also prepared to make sure he got a good transfer and position in Vegas.

"You haven't met Rachel. If she can she'll be indignant and try to make Danny feel bad for doubting her word, or play the victim to make him feel for her and back off. Especially if she thinks it will cloud the issue or deflect from what she's done or the truth." Pausing a moment, Steve bites on his lip debating if he should say more. In the end he figures the more information Eliot has, the better. "There's still feelings there. On both sides. Rachel married up and she likes to make Danny's life a living hell, but I think a good part of that is so he'll pay attention to her. As for Danny... He gives into her and accommodates as much as possible. Part of it is because Rachel holds his access to Grace over his head, but he did take her back once already. Them separating was not his idea - either time."

"You ever get used to it? Being on your own I mean... Did it get easier over time?" It's what Steve's looking at now and he'll take any advice Eliot can impart on him from his experience.

He's been trying to keep a fairly neutral attitude towards the ex, just on principle, but Steve's explanation is clearly his honest assessment, and Eliot's pretty sure there's only a fairly minimum amount of personal bias to it. The idea that Danny might want her back... well, Eliot's going to set that aside and not think about it, because it's not relevant to any of this.

"We'll just hafta make sure he has absolute proof before he faces her, even if it ain't proof he can show her." Because for all that Danny might trust either or both of their senses, the evidence of a DNA test will be incontrovertible. "It'll be enough to keep him from letting her push him into backin' off." Because there's no way he can see the man just dropping the issue once he knows that kid is his. "An' I got my buddy doin' a little digging around in her husband's background an' financials, pretty sure from what he's found so far, there'll be something we can use as leverage t'get her to back off." Hell, even telling the husband might be enough to seal the deal, if she's been lying about the boy's parentage to keep him from finding out and dumping her. Eliot won't feel even the slightest bit guilty if this ends up imploding her marriage, other than if it adversely effects Danny's kids. They have time to work that part out, though, and it'll mostly be Danny's decision anyway, once they have the proof for him about Charlie's paternity, so Eliot sets that aside for the moment to focus on McGarrett's last question as they pull into the--huge, garish, christ--resort Hardison booked him into.

"Used to it?" He shakes his head and catches his upper lip between his teeth for a moment. "I dunno, man. I mean, I came online when I was probably... twelve or thirteen." Maybe a little younger, it's hard to remember when it all mostly blurs together. "I just didn't know that was what it was, an' no one really paid enough attention t'figure it out. So I'd already been handling it on my own for years before I enlisted an' the military pegged me." And fast-tracked him into black ops. He rubs a hand over the back of his neck and grimaces, thinking back on it.

"Havin' Guides around was... christ, it made the whole damn world finally make some sense, y'know? No matter how fuckin' awful the rest of it was, that... it was a damn revelation." Quieted things down, made it easier to focus and concentrate. Made him feel like there was more to him than the rage and the violence. "An'... after." After getting blown and burned and left to rot, after losing everyone and everything that mattered and managing to drag himself out of hell under his own power despite it. "Well, they figured I was burned out for good an' cut me loose. I figured they were probably right, an' when it turned out they weren't, near on a year later, I, uh, I went pretty much feral. But the crowd I was runnin' with then, no one thought anything of it."

And he'd known enough, even then, to manage to keep himself off the radar. Managed to find anchors to pull him back from zones, managed, eventually, to get himself back under control. "The first year was a fuckin' nightmare." But it was still better than going back. "But yeah, after that... it's never been easy, but it got easier. For a while. You gotta find your own anchors, things you can use to pull yourself back, an' when you can't... you gotta have enough control to at least get the hell away from anyone else before you lose it."

He'd come out of a zone so dehydrated he could barely function more than once in those first few years, but at least he'd always managed to get someplace safe before he got locked too far into his own head. "Routines help. Discipline." He shrugs. "It's been almost fifteen years now." And he knows he's slipping. Has been for a while now. Knows it's just a matter of time before he isn't safe anymore, because his biggest challenge has never been the zoning, it's always been the rage and the blood lust.

'Have your friend cross reference 'Wo Fat', 'Hiro Noshimuri', or 'Pat Jameson' with Stan. Should any of the those names come up you'll be able to find corruption and dirty dealings there." It wouldn't surprise Steve to find out that Stan was involved with at least one of them. He knew Stan was a good man but he had tried to blackmail a dirty commissioner not all that long ago that resulted in Grace and Rachel getting car-jacked and their house ransacked in the process. Danny had cleaned that mess up for him, but Steve was sure there was more.

Parking the car in a spot by the door, Steve turns in his seat to look at Eliot. At first Steve shakes his head in the negative. "Not really. I came online at the Army Navy Academy when I was fifteen. Zoned out in the middle of a football game. One minute I was out on the field and the next waking up in the infirmary being introduced to my supposedly new best friend." He'd been feeling off for the couple of weeks prior but hadn't said anything because he didn't want to be removed from the football team. It had been the only time he felt like himself... Until that had happened. "After that, the only time I was without a guide was when they got themselves killed on a mission," usually trying to control Steve which never seemed to work in their favor. Eventually they stopped sending him on certain missions with a guide because of it, one would be on comms or waiting for him to return. "Or when they were purposely taken away." Steve shrugged. Guides helped to calm and focus him, gave him something to hang on to in what could otherwise be an overwhelming flood of sensory information but not the way it sounded like Eliot experienced in the beginning. But then, Steve's not sure the world ever has made complete sense to him. The most he's found that is with Danny... He shuts that thought down before it can fully take hold.

"It took you a year?" Steve frowns at that and wondered if his experience was a pattern or just a coincidence. "When I lost mine, that's about how long it took for them to come back. I don't think the military realizes..." He lets that sentence hang at the implication it could mean if they didn't. That's not something Steve wants them to learn if they are currently in the dark. When his abilities had come back he'd been working with Danny for almost that entire time. It had been another few months though before he'd zoned and Danny had found him, changing their relationship from best friends to something Steve didn't have a label for. It was that best friend relationship he was trying to get them back to.

"What kind of things did you find you were able to use as anchors?" Steve had a few things that he knew helped him, but he'd never been encouraged by the military to build his own supports. He had always been pushed to rely as much on a guide as possible. At times, Steve could cope with one sense out of whack until he could get himself to somewhere safe - it was often how he managed on missions, but that hadn't been using an anchor, it was more focusing on his other senses and ignoring the one he couldn't control. Then he nods. "Routine and discipline definitely help me as well. Danny doesn't always get it, why things have to be a certain way or done in a particular order." Steve huffs out a laugh at the thought of some of their discussions on those. It's a bittersweet feeling at the moment.

Then, he focuses on Eliot. "Fifteen years is a long time. I give you a lot of credit, man. I honestly didn't think it could be done." Eliot's story gave Steve some hope that he could accomplish the same if others could.

"Wo Fat and Noshimuri?" Eliot's eyebrows arch a little at the names. "Yeah, he's mixed up with any of their shit an' we shouldn't have any trouble getting something on him." He sends off a quick text to Hardison with all three names before shifting his attention back to Steve.

"Yeah, first few times I zoned there wasn't anyone around." Not who'd notice or care, anyway. They'd all been in the middle of beatings from his old man, and he'd honestly just assumed at the time that the bastard had beaten him unconscious. Either way, he'd been grateful for the reprieve more than anything by the time he managed to scrabble his way back to consciousness. "An' most of the other shit-" Lack of impulse control, hair trigger temper, especially when over-stimulated. "Well, it just got chalked up to bein' a punk ass kid." The kind of people willing to turn a blind eye to old Bill Spencer whaling on his kids weren't going to notice the clues, no matter how clear they were... which is all water under a bridge that's long since collapsed.

"Ten months, seventeen days from when I woke up with everything gone quiet," he clarifies. "An' nearly thirteen months from then 'til I got back some kind of control. Used my kid sister as an anchor for a long time, remindin' myself that I had t'keep my shit together so I could keep sendin' her checks. She's never been willing to take much, but back then she needed every penny of it. An' simple or hokey as it might seem? An old fashioned watch with a reliable movement, a hanky spritzed with the perfume I remember my mom wearin' when I was a kid.

"Those, uh, they stopped workin' so well over time, though," he adds, quieter, looking out the window at a cluster of tourists heading into the lobby. "It's been people for a while now. That an' keepin' to a routine as much as I can." And he's not going to mention how close to the edge he's been riding for a while now. How much harder it's been getting to keep it together, and how he can feel himself slipping. "Nothin' like havin' a Guide t'help, though."

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