A Complex Journey (Completed)

Breaking Silence

Ely stared at his therapist. She knew him pretty well by this point. He had seen her for four years now. "What? You can't be serious!"

Charlene laughed. "I am serious. I can only help you so much, Ely. You know that you have to go and face your fears."

Ely laughed. "You are telling me that I have to move back to Colorado? Go home?" He covered his face and rubbed it. "Move back! Look, I go and visit like you tell me but to move back?"

"I know. It's a tough assignment but I can't take you farther, Ely. You have a lot of healing to do. You have to talk to him." Charlene smiled.

Ely shook his head. "I don't want to, he will never talk to me!"

"You are going to have to put effort into it and see this from his point of view." Charlene coached him.

"I know. He saved my life. I know that. I know that I hurt him." Ely sighed. "What if...."

"Don't start with what if's! Those are not real. You have to deal with what is real. Start with only the things you can control. He lives there. He won't come see you or talk to you on the phone. You move to town, he will have to see you. Talk to you even. You will have to be in the same room eventually." Charlene watched panic spread over Ely.

"Yeah, in the mortuary. I will be in my coffin when he sees me!" Ely sighed. "Charlene, he will never talk with me. He will punch me. I know that."

"Are you the same person you were then?" Charlene glared.

"No. I'm different."

"So is he." Charlene smiled at the clock. "This is our last session, Ely. Pack up and move. Go and live your life. Talk to Darwin. Say his name. Find forgiveness and go. Let him forgive you." She stood and opened her door. "Call if you need anything."

Ely nodded. He walked out.

There were fourteen years of silence but Ely was moving back home. He was nervous. He had stayed in touch with his dad and Hillary, Darwin's mom. He even visited once in a while but never on a holiday. He spent them alone. He wanted to stay away from Darwin.

Ely inhaled as the door closed in his new place. His loft apartment. He looked around. He couldn't believe he was back in Colorado. He unpacked all of his boxes and tidied up his place. He made it his home. He had to have neat. Tidy. Control. Who would love that?

He spent years trying to figure himself out and became a cop. He loved it. He got interested because a cop always visited him in the facility and even after. They even dated for a while.

He joined the force in Montana, where he settled. He was there for fourteen years and a cop for eight. His therapist told him it was time to go home and work on his family. He cursed Charlene. He got his transfer and met his new partner, Eragon Russo. He knew him from high school.

He worked a month before he visited his dad and Hillary. He got his routine down. He got more control over this new life. He wanted to get settled in before he had to deal with Darwin. He killed their relationship before it started and he hated himself for it.

"Well, I have dinner tonight with the family." Ely sighed.

Eragon Russo smiled. "Ely Stephens, you'll be fine. Arrest a few people and you will feel better. It always cheers you up!"

Ely smiled. Eragon was a wonderful partner and loved to use his first and last name. Eragon was talkative, but the right amount. Not too annoying. He was smart, funny, straight and Ely liked to tease him about being non-gay.

He was taller than Ely and thin. He had been a great friend that Ely needed as he arrived. Eragon was someone that remembered but he still talked to Eli. They were in school together but Eragon was a year younger.

Ely laughed. "Sure. But later, I may need to take some riot gear. I am having dinner at home. He will be there."

Eragon smiled. "How long since you were back?"

Ely sighed. "Three months ago. I visited two months before I moved here but Darwin wasn't there. He will be tonight. I haven't seen him in fourteen years. He hasn't seen me since that day."

Eragon nodded. "I see." He knew the details because Ely told him. He heard the rumors in school but that was years ago. Life had moved on. Eragon was supportive of Ely and his quest. Ely didn't call it a quest but Eragon did.

"Darwin will never forgive me." Ely was talking to himself.

"Show him that you are different. You aren't the same lost kid you were then. That was a long time ago. Everything has changed since then!" Eragon smiled. "Thank goodness! I was a scrawny little brat then. I'm all hot now!"

"Right. You know that my...Darwin never forgave me. He will think that I became a cop just so criminals can kill me instead. He never talked to me again. The last thing I said to him was a lie. I told him I didn't feel well and was staying home. I hate what I did to him." Ely sighed. He would pay for the rest of his life. "He found me."

"Tell him that, Ely. Ask him out!" Eragon smiled.

Ely laughed. "Calm down. You have a date tonight?"

"I do. A very straight date. Thank you. I know you want me!" Eragon smiled and saw Ely glare. He was trying to make Ely smile. "Just tell him you are in love with him."

Ely glared. "Don't make me shoot you!"

Eragon laughed. "Go and see your family and rebuild your life. It's going to take time, Ely. This will work out. Just enjoy your life and let's pull someone over." He flipped on his lights and pulled over a person who didn't use their turn signal three times. He was letting Ely take this one. Ely loved bossing people around.

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