3.24 Burdens and Determination

"Come on Ellie you've got to get up" Kyle pleaded.

"Leave me here," Elliot mumbled through the pain induced haze in his brain.

"You know I can't," Kyle looked around sensing the eyes of his father upon them "please El."

"Ok ok," Elliot stirred attempting to get to his feet. Kyle grabbed his good arm preventing him from falling again.

The ex-police officer walked over smiling "whenever you say I'll put the boy down. He shouldn't have to suffer so much."

Pulling Elliot close Kyle glared at the man "get away from us. I'll never give you the satisfaction."

"We'll see," he said laughing.

"I'm sorry," Elliot whispered "you should have left me..."

"Never," Kyle growled "the only way I'll leave you is if I die first."

"Don't say things like that," Elliot protested "someone has to survive for the girls...."

Kyle brushed his lips across his cheeks "I love you and somehow we'll get out of this." He looked up to find his father glaring at him.

"Don't count on it," he snarled "he's only around because he amuses me." He pointed towards Elliot "once he loses his entertainment value he's good as dead."

"Why do you hate me?" Kyle asked the man who had made his life miserable since the day he was born.

"It's in my nature," he frowned "it should be in your genes too."

"Well it's not," Kyle told him "quit trying to make me into something I'm not."

"We'll see what happens when you watch your husband suffer and die," he said "we'll see how that effects you. Then we'll start your training."

"My training? Training for what?" Kyle almost shouted near to his breaking point. He ignored the gentle pressure of Elliot's hand on his shoulder no doubt trying to remind him not to antagonize his father.

"You're already breaking," he smiled "imagine how you'll feel after he dies." He pointed to Elliot "imagine the pain and despair you'll feel. The hate you'll have. That's when I'll break you. Then and only then will you be like me." He laughed at their combined shocked faces "welcome to your destiny son. You're children will hate you as you do me."

"Why?" Kyle asked unable to keep the question inside "why are you doing this?"

"Because I can," he turned his back on him "I don't like to lose and you've defied me long enough. It's going to be a long day. I hope you're up to carrying your burden. If not Jerry won't hesitate to eliminate it if it slows us down too much."

"Don't worry he won't have to," Kyle told him "Elliot isn't a burden."

"We'll see," the man tutted walking away.

***

"Gwennie" Kimberly squealed in delight when they walked into the dining room the next morning.

The girl looked down at her plate mumbling "the bad man has my daddies."

Heath frowned looking towards Henry for an explanation "how did Gwen get her?"

Drumming his fingers on the table Henry sighed "Percy called me last night saying he was going to find them. I offered to go with him..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Heath asked feeling miffed that everyone still treated him like a child. He was three years older then Henry even though Henry was his Uncle.

"I thought it'd be better if you stayed behind. Kimberly needed you..." Henry asserted "besides they would have just sent you home like they did me." 

Heath smiled at the boy "it sucks doesn't it?"

"Yeah" Henry looked and smiled "I just want to be treated like an adult and not a kid anymore."

Heath refrained from saying he knew exactly what Henry was feeling. He was usually the one being treated like a child instead of the adult he was. "Do you want to do something about it?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes. It was time he took control and started thinking for himself.

Henry looked up with interest "what do you have in mind?"

"First let's talk in Grandpa's lab," he nodded towards the girls still clinging to each other. "We need to formulate a plan."

Smiling Henry grabbed a couple of plates of pancakes and followed Heath. Handing one of the plates to Heath he said "I thought we could eat while we talked."

"Thanks I'm famished" Heath said taking the pancakes "Grandma won't mind if we eat in here?"

"Naw Dad did it all the time...." his voice faded as a frown appeared across his face at the mention of his dad.

"We'll see him again," Heath assured him.

"That's what mom keeps saying....but when?" he sighed "I hardly even remember him."

"Don't give up hope," Heath put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure Emit and him are doing everything they can to fix the time portal. He'll find a way. I'm sure of it."

Blinking back tears Henry sniffed nodding "back to the problem at hand. Do you have any ideas how we can find Elliot and Kyle?"

"Let's eat while  you tell me everything that happened last night," Heath suggested taking a bite of his somewhat warmish pancakes.

***

Don stirred from where he had slept on the ground the night before. Warm and comfortable on the cold hard ground thanks to the spell Percy had cast. He smiled thinking that would have come in handy all the times he had spent walking in the woods with Silver. "Rise and shine" he spoke loud enough to disturb the gently snoring older man.

Percy moaned blinking upon hearing his voice "it's morning already?"

"Yeah and unless you have a spell that'll make these granola bars in pancakes and eggs this is all we have for breakfast," Don said handing one to his companion.

Ripping the package open and taking a bite Percy smiled "sorry this will have to do. It's a good idea though I'll have to work on a new spell see if I can come up with something for next time."

"Next time," Don exclaimed.

"Yeah next time," Percy laughed at his expression "haven't you learned yet that this is the ordinary with being part of the Van Winkle family? There's always going to be a next time."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Don mumbled taking a bite. After a moment of silence he said "the spell you cast to track has faded."

"What do you mean faded?" Percy asked looking at him sharply "it should have lasted longer then this."

Shrugging "I looked all over this morning and couldn't find any sign of the trail."

Gulping the last of the granola bar Percy got up and looked around. Frowning he took his wand out and tired to cast the spell again. His brow was dotted with sweat by the time he finished. Dropping to his knees panting "something or someone is blocking my magic."

 

"It worked though," Don pointed to the barely discernible foot prints in the dirt. 

"This time," Percy said staggering to his feet "but it took too much out of me. I don't know if I'll be able to cast it again."

"Then we better hurry," Don put an arm around Percy helping him up.

***

Gwen clung to Kimberly crying "you tried to make me run. I'm sorry. I was too scared to listen."

"It's alright," she gave the girl a firm squeeze "my dad will find your daddy's. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so," Gwen glanced down disheartened "that man is scary."

"I know," Kimberly agreed shivering as she thought of the man's evil eyes "I wonder..." she began thinking out loud.

"You wonder what?" Gwen looked at her with interest.

"When you were in the trunk I tried to comfort you," Kimberly told her "did you feel anything?"

She scrunched up her face in thought "i might have but I was too scared to really feel anything else."

"I know. I felt your fear," Kimberly squeezed her again "I'm going to try to make a connection with Uncle Elliot."

"Can you do that?" the little girl asked in wonder.

"I can if we're blood related," Kimberly asserted "it takes a lot of concentration so you'll have to be quiet." She closed her eyes trying to bring up Elliot's face in her mind.

"Tell him I love them," Gwen pleaded holding her hand hoping that wold burst the signal somehow.

***

"Aw" Elliot gasped as his mind was filled with a sense of well being and love. He smiled a little despite the pain. he didn't know if the sender could receive but he filled his mind with messages of love back for his little girls. He turned to Kyle and whispered in his ear "Gwen has made it home safe and sound."

"How do you know?" he asked almost stumbling more exhausted then he cared to admit.

"Kimberly sent a message to me that our little girl was home and loved us," he had tears in his eyes 

"I'm sorry..."

"For what?" Kyle asked turning to look at him.

"For being a burden," Elliot looked into Kyle's eyes and saw the love they shared shining back at him. "You should let..."

"No" shaking his head "I won't. I don't care how difficult it'll be. I'm not letting you go." He pressed his lips against Elliot's "please don't ask me to give up. I can't lose you. That monster" he nodded towards his father standing glaring at them "is right. If I lose you I'll lose my mind. I'll become what I hate."

"Alright" Elliot nodded mustering up what inner reserves he still had. "If you won't give up neither will I. We'll put to the test that old saying love conquers all things."

"That's what I love about you," Kyle smiled at him "you're never say die attitude."

***

"Did you get through? Did they get my message?" Gwen asked watching Kimberly blink at her.

Nodding "I think you helped amplify it so they got it clearer" she leaned her head back "I'm so tired."

Sitting next to her Gwen put her arm around her "thank you for trying."

"Mmhmm" Kimberly closed her eyes "I need to talk to daddy."

"He's in Grandpa's lab" Gwen reminded her.

"Help me up I need his help to contact my dad," she said opening her eyes "someone is building a magical block around them  and I need to warn them. Daddy will help amplify my thoughts like were able to."

"Don't you think your dad and Percy already know about the block?" Gwen asked her

"They might but it's better to make sure. They've been using Uncle Percy's tracker spell to follow the men who took your dads," Kimberly explained "without that they might become lost and we'll lose both are dads."

"Oh we better go and tell your dad then," Gwen said holding her hand out to help Kimberly up.

***

Heath rubbed his chin deep in thought "from what you've told me it sounds like they plan to hike out of Dragon Valley."

"That's at least twenty miles over mountains," Henry added sounding as if the idea was ludicrous. "I don't think they have the supplies for that kind of hike."

"Our guys don't at least but Mr Lawrence probably has everything he needs" Heath shook his head dismissing the disturbing thoughts "Don always kept a well stocked emergency kit in the car. I'm sure they have a large supply of granola bars that will last several days."

"They also have Percy's magic to fall back on..." Henry said the door opened letting in two little girls.

"Daddy" Kimberly said coming into the room "someone is building a magical block around Uncle Elliot."

Heath held his arms out to her and she climbed into his lap "how do you know that?" he asked her.

Gwen replied for her "I asked her to contact my daddy's and tell them I loved them."

"I could barely break through," Kimberly yawned "if it weren't for Gwen I wouldn't have been able to." She leaned on her dad's shoulder "I need to warn dad. I need your help to break through the barrier."

"Ok baby girl we'll do that in just a moment," Heath assured her "I need you to rest first though. Think you can do that?"

"Ok," she replied as her eyes closed. Lifting her from his lap he laid her on the floor. "Gwen stay 

with her please." The girl nodded and curled up beside her.

Motioning for Henry to follow him. Heath spoke in hushed tones "I've hiked through those mountains when I was kid."

Henry nodded "so have I." He looked at Heath "what are you thinking? That they have transportation on the other side of the mountains?"

"Yeah I do. It makes sense," Heath told him "Do you think Grandma will watch the girls for us? We need to drive out there and check for likely spots they could come out of the mountains at."

"I'll go and ask her," Henry volunteered "I'm sure she will though."

"I don't want to assume though," Heath told him.

"I'll ask," Henry walked from the room unable to contain his excitement at being included in a plan. 

After Henry left Heath went and sat on the floor beside the girls "Kimberly are you ready to contact your dad?"

She sat up rubbing her eyes "ok I'll try." She reached for her daddy's hand.

"Just tell him about the magical block," he instructed "I don't want to over strain your abilities."

She nodded taking a deep breath reaching out with her mind "Dad, dad" she called. His response when it came was faint but clear. She opened her eyes "I did it."

"Good," Heath smiled down at her giving her a hug.

"Daddy?" she asked pulling away from him "does dad love you?"

"Of course he does sweet heart," he responded without thinking until the full import of her question sank in. She could sense things. Did she sense the growing rift between him and Don? It wasn't just his imagination after all. "Honey what makes you ask that?"

She looked down "the link between you and dad isn't as strong as it used to be...."

He pulled her close "it's ok sweetie. I understand." He didn't want her to dwell on it too much. It wasn't up this five year old little girl to figure out his love life. He stored the information away in the back of his mind. What she said only confirmed what he had thought for a while. Don was pulling away from him. Once they got Elliot and Kyle home he would concentrate on their own problems. He had the uncomfortable feeling he had to show Don how much he loved him. Some grand gesture and Heath had a feeling he knew that he had to do. Something he had hoped Don would have down a long time ago but hadn't.

***

Percy looked over at Don when he seemed to stop dead in his tracks and shook his head. "Are you alright?" he asked reaching out a hand to support him.

Jerking away from his touch "I'm fine," he muttered "my little girl was trying to make contact with me. She wanted us to know about the block." He continued to walk following the faint foot prints in the dirt. The little sneak had tried to search his mind to find his true feelings for Heath. He wondered what she found before he was able to stop her from digging around in his head. She shouldn't be doing that. He knew he would have to have a stern talk with her when he got home about respecting people's privacy.

As if reading his mind Percy asked "is something up between you and Heath?"

"What makes you think that?" he asked.

Shrugging "you don't seem as close as you used to be."

Sighing Don stopped and looked at the older man "it's not good," he finally admitted "I think Heath regrets getting involved with me..."

"How do you know? Have you asked him?"

"He was so young and we were forced together. Maybe it's just not supposed to be." Don ran his fingers through his hair.

"It sounds like your the one with the problem."

"Me?" Don shook his head "Heath's the one who asked for time not me..."

"Asking for time to sort out his feeling isn't a bad thing," Percy countered "maybe you need to do the same thing."

"I've always known I was gay. That I wanted...I mean I liked Heath I...." he stammered digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole.

"Do you feel guilty? That somehow you manipulated him into a relationship with you?" Percy asked him.

"Of course not," he was quick to deny "that's ridiculous I would never....What if I did without meaning too?"

"Don you were pretty sick when you were in the bubble universe weren't you?"

"At first," Don admitted "I was pretty embarrassed that Heath had taken care of me. I tried so hard not to give in to my feelings for him but he broke through my reserves." 

"What did you say?" Percy asked him.

"He broke through me reserves," Don smiled in relief "I didn't manipulate him into having feelings for me."

"No you didn't," Percy confirmed watching the younger man give him a goofy grin.

"I've been so worried about being like my twin that I've been building a wall around my heart without even realizing it. I didn't want to push Heath away I just wanted to give him the space his needed." Don walked following the foot prints his mind on Heath and what he knew he had to do as soon as he saw him again. Something he should have done a long time ago.