Fight

Neither man knew how to respond to Ryan, and both watched helplessly as she went to her room. Only then did Eli look back at Tal, irritation in his gaze. "Really? That's how you decided to handle it?"

"Hey, don't blame me." Tal held up his hands. "I'm not the one who pretended to like someone, all while I loved another."

"It wasn't like that!"

"Wasn't it?" Tal shook his head. "Her and me...it's been an uphill battle from the beginning. Sue me for being tired of constantly competing with another man. She wouldn't have reacted this way to his death if she hadn't still been in love with him - you know that."

By now, Eli was glaring at him. "So the honorable thing to do is kick her when she's down then, is that it? Wait until she has a breakdown, then call things off."

"I didn't know before! I should have, but I was an idiot, okay? If you found out Scarlet loved another man, would you stick around?" 

"That's not fair."

"Why? Just because Ryan is your sister? She can lead me on all she wants and it's okay because you can beat up anyone who challenges her intentions?"

Eli's hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Don't push me, Tal," he warned. "You should have talked to her before storming out, and you know it."

Tal scoffed. "So she could say what? That I had my 'own spotlight'? Sure, I did. On a stage with Alec's name all over it."

"She cares about you, and you're throwing it away."

"My love means nothing to her!" Tal's voice finally rose. "She has been in love with someone else this entire time - not only that, but with a man who wanted me dead. How is that supposed to make me feel?! I know he's dead, but none of this has been real! So tell me what I'm throwing away!"

"You're throwing away a woman who has been hurt, and I cannot believe you have such poor timing!"

"It's not my fault she's been seeing a ghost!"

Eli held up a warning finger, pointed right at Tal. "Make light of what she's going through, and so help me..."

"What? You gonna slug me?"

Eli ignored the question. "Ryan can't help how she feels and you're punishing her for it. That's not something that sits well with me, so get your head out of your butt."

Tal straightened in order to distance himself from Eli. Anger and hurt burned in his eyes. "I never said it was her fault," he hissed. "But that doesn't change the fact that I've been made a fool...by her and by you, because you knew, yet said nothing. I guess counting on you to have my back was my second mistake."

Eli's hand reached quickly for the door and he yanked it open. "Don't stick around for a third one."

Tal could hardly believe this was happening. He was losing his girl and his best friend all at once. He held Eli's icy stare with his own before finally giving in and walking out. He didn't slow until he'd reached his car, and only when he was safely behind the wheel did he let a tear run down his face. 

Back inside, Eli closed the door and just leaned against it for several  moments, trying to regain control. He had no idea what would happen now. How this would affect Ryan. What this meant for him and Tal. Any of it. How had things gotten so messed up?

Supper was completely forgotten as Eli ambled down the hallway. He tapped lightly on Ryan's door before gently pushing it open. Leaning on the doorframe, hands tucked in his pockets, he just looked in at her and sighed. "You okay?"


Reese had a hard time determining if Victoria was telling the truth or not, and wished Justin was here. But all he could do tonight was work from a distance. As if on cue, Reese's cell phone buzzed in his pocket. A quick look revealed a text from Justin:

Tough call. No distinctive body language on Victoria tho that I can see. Lying? Can't tell. I'd guess genuine confusion at Garret's visit tho, and genuine affection. Garret - my observations stand. Think he's telling the truth. Multiple visual cues when asked about his past tho, so heads up on possible hidden intel.

Reese sent a quick thanks, then a short text to Nate:

Beware Garret's truthfulness. Stay sharp.

He then pocketed his phone again and returned his focus to Victoria. "You say to do what Aaron wants, and what he wants is to be given you and Garret in exchange for our agent. Seems a pretty handy way for you and Garret to get out of here with stolen intel. So since we're backed into a corner here, just be honest - was this your escape plan?"


Garret looked up quickly as Nate entered the room, hoping to finally be let in on what was going on. Nate's apology for the cuffs made one of his eyebrows arc. He knew Nate wouldn't have put him in cuffs himself, but he hadn't expected anyone to take note. 

Hearing about Aaron, his lips pursed. This wasn't good. He'd been afraid of something like this. At least it was Aaron and not Victoria trying this kind of scheme, but it was no less dangerous for whomever he'd taken.

"I don't know anything about this," he answered steadily. "I don't know about Victoria, but I think she would have told me if she'd been in on a further plan, and she didn't." He cocked his head. "Aaron is most likely just trying to get us back. He doesn't know I brought myself here, so he's trying to rescue us, and save his hide in the process. If he went back without us, he'd pay dearly."

His brow furrowed as he tried to calculate what Aaron might do. "Has he made any demands? Who does he have? If he asks for a trade, you should say yes. He'll kill without blinking in order to prove a point. He's not a murdering maniac - he's just a loyal soldier doing his job. I'm not saying what he's doing is right, I'm just saying that's what his frame of mind is."


Troy nodded at Stacy, though still felt a strange sense of stress that kept him alert. "Thank you." He followed her to the office where he was introduced to Mick and Rosetta - Eric's sister. "Oh good, I'm glad there is some immediate family here since I was just told Eric is away on business." He proceeded to give them the same speach he had to Stacy, presenting the paperwork even before being asked, since he sensed the same disbelief in this couple. 

Mick's eyes had gone wide, and his surprise only intensified as he read over the papers. Standing next to the desk, he then looked to Rosetta and just blinked. Eric...had two children? He looked back to Troy. "So you're telling us you have these two babies with you now? Dana actually hired you to bring them so she wouldn't have to?"

Troy cleared his throat. "Well, there are many situations where a mother may not want direct contact with the father, but still would like to offer full custody, as in this case." He paused and looked at the three again, trying to read their faces. "I'm...sorry. My client didn't give me many details, but I guess I assumed Eric knew about the babies."

Mick's surprise turned into a frown. "No...no he didn't. None of us did. So what's keeping Dana from changing her mind and reporting a kidnapping?"

"Oh, that's what these documents are for. They ensure Eric's innocence...as well as mine, for that matter. I do apologize for what must be a shock. I really didn't know, but... I do need to be told what to do now. Since Eric didn't know, I guess there's question as to whether or not he would want to keep them?" His eyes continued to try and read their reactions. "If he or a family member can't or won't sign for them, my next stop is social services where I'm sure they will be adopted in no time."

Mick gazed at Rosetta once more. There was always a chance this was a ploy - either Agency or just Dana's way to ditch unwanted children. And Eric wasn't here to make the call, nor could he make such a decision over the phone. But...could they really let his man take two innocent babies to social services? Could they really let that happen? He didn't need to voice anything to his wife - he knew she'd be able to read his eyes. They couldn't send two children to such a risky fate, let alone their own family, if this were indeed true, which it appeared to be. "What do you think?"