fandomtownies | Luke's, Monday

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Luke's, Monday

Eliot was in a terrific mood at the diner today, as evidenced by his broad grin and his flipping literally everything he picked up. Spatulas, ladles, frying pans, pens, glasses, even a napkin dispenser -- which was an awkward shape to casually flip. Even eventually noticing that members of the waitstaff were surreptitiously following him around and filming all this flipping didn't tick him off today. He just cheerfully shook his head.

"What are you doing?"

"YouTube," said one.

"The kitchen guys have a bet on when you're going to start juggling," said the other.

Eliot flipped the ketchup bottle he was holding with another shake of his head. "No YouTube."

"But --"

"No. YouTube."

"What if I crop out your face?"

Eliot tilted his head, spinning a napkin wrapped silverware set in his hand, then nodded. "Yeah. That'd be okay."

Today's specials
Chicken-fried steak with gravy
Chili cheese fries
Pecan praline cheesecake

Luke's was open.

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So what those specials are saying, then, is "screw your resolution to eat better this year."

And his insufferably good mood.

This Luke's shift brought to you by the fact that, as pointed out by Jonathan Frakes, Christian Kane is physically incapable of picking up a prop without flipping or spinning it.

So the one problem with Eliot taking off after Christmas and not coming back till after the New Year? It meant that Kathy hadn't been able to give him his Christmas present. Which was why she'd shown up at the diner, carrying a flat package about as long as her forearm, wrapped in cheerful holiday paper.

"Well, someone's in a good mood," she teased, watching all the flipping and filming with amusement.

Eliot gave her a broad smile. "Even better, now. How was your holiday, darlin'?"

"Good," Kathy said, in a way that included 'complicated.' "Several friends came over, I went crazy with decorations, it was filled with people and laughter, which a proper Christmas should be. How was yours?"

"Real good," Eliot said. "Christmas and New Years were --" he cleared his throat. "-- active, and headin' home to see Tru and the kids was just what I needed."

And having some prescriptions in case Fandom got super extra weird again was a relief.

Kathy's dimples were in full view at Eliot's throat-clearing. "Glad to hear," she said, impishly. "An active holiday is a healthy and happy one."

She knew from experience.

"Glad you got a chance to say hello to the family."

"Me too. Tru and the girls missed you, you know." Jake and Johnny probably did too, but they were less likely to say it. "Cassie even sent along a present for you."

"She did?" Kathy flushed, pleased to have been remembered. "Oh, now I feel bad I didn't send anything along!"

Eliot shook his head. "Don't even worry about it. I'm thinkin' she was half just tryin' to show up her sister. I got it in the office, let me grab it for you."

"Okay," Kathy said, then held up hers. "I've got mine for you, too."

Her smile twisted, turned nervous. "Hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," Eliot assured her, reaching over to give her a quick one-armed squeeze. "Be back in two shakes."

Kathy ordered a kimchi portobello burger--along with a helping side order of nostalgia for the long-gone Pickle Hut in LA--and tried not to fiddle too much while Eliot was gone. Hardison had told her repeatedly that Eliot would like it, but she still couldn't help but worry.

Eliot came out of the office carrying two boxes, one much longer than the other. The long one was an unwrapped, unmarked carrying case, made of black leather with high quality, stainless steel clasps and a big novelty bow wrapped around it. The smaller one was wrapped in the brightest, sparkliest paper Eliot had ever seen, complete with thin, curled, glittery ribbon.

"I'm thinkin' you can guess which is which," he said. Portalocity had gotten a kick out of Cassie's wrapping job. "Which one you want first?"

"You know me," Kathy said, laughing at it herself. "I can't say no to bright colors."

She reached for Cassie's gift, sliding her own across the table to him.

Eliot huffed a laugh and passed her the box, hanging onto the gift she passed him until she'd finished opening hers.

She'd find a battered Amazon box under all that shiny, and in it, wrapped in what was clearly a couple layers of scrap leather, two hand-forged knives, made from an odd sort of metal that had a natural, rainbow sheen to it, like an oil slick.

"Did she make these?" Kathy marveled, picking one up to examine. "She is so talented, oh my gosh. And look at them when they catch the light!"

She could only imagine her joy to have gotten them as Banzai. Even now, she was excited to get them and she was supposedly 'over' rainbows.

"They fit my grip, look!" she said, showing them off.

Yeah, Eliot had probably seen them. So?

He had -- Cassie had given him a pair of them, too, only in a strange, blue metal. Eliot didn't mind being shown them again. "Thought you'd like those. She says she's got a broadsword she made in the same metal, but the knives came out better." He shrugged. "Ain't sure what the metal is . . . apparently she got it when she was in town visiting? Anyway, we'll see how well they hold an edge, but they're gorgeous either way."

He was extremely proud of his niece, yes.

"Now, let's see what we got here." He slid the longer package towards her, and started opening the one she'd given him.

Edited 2018-01-08 23:32 (UTC)

Kathy was too nervous to open her gift while Eliot was opening his. She mostly fiddled with hers, running her hands over the leather and playing with the snaps.

Under the wrapping, Eliot would find a long manila envelope. Inside that, he'd find a bunch of paperwork, the most important one on top.

It was a forgery, of course. But it was one of Hardison's forgeries, which meant it would hold up to even the most strenuous scrutiny.

Certificate of Adoption

It certified that one Eliot Byron Spencer did formally adopt one Katherine Hana Spencer-Li, January 29th, 2015, several weeks after her seventeenth birthday. Her amended birth certificate lay directly under it and below that was a third document, a consent form, with Kathy's signature already included. His was left blank.

"It's--it's not a hundred percent official yet," Kathy said, playing with her hair. "You have to--if you decide to sign it, then Hardison can finish doing all the things that need to be done so it's in every system."

They could have done it already and just given it to Eliot fair accompli, but Kathy wanted to give him the chance to sign it. Make it official. ~~Back out at the last second.~~ Whatever.

It was a lucky thing there was a chair behind him, because Eliot sat down without checking. He read it over, reaching up to wipe his hand across his eyes -- no real reason, you know, just a thing he did. . . . -- then looked up at Kathy. "You're sure?"

She'd signed it, but he still needed to check. Even if he was patting himself down looking for a pen at the same time.

Kathy let out the huge breath she'd been holding, nodding as tears started down her cheeks. "'Course," she said, thickly, crying and grinning at the same time. "I just wanted to make sure that you were."

"Damn right, I am," Eliot assured her, still patting down his pockets. "If I can just . . . I know I've got a. . . ." Screw it. "I'll sign it in a minute."

Right now he needed to pull her into a fierce hug.

Kathy had actually brought a pen along, she'd just forgotten it from all the wibbling and emotions. They'd figure it out in a second; there was some quality clinging to do, dammit.

"I love you," she murmured.

She still wasn't sure if she'd ever really be able to call him Dad. The word carried a lot of baggage from her old life. But whatever she called him aside, she wanted there to be no doubt how she really felt.

"I love you, too, Kathy," Eliot said. "More'n I'da thought possible."

Considering how much of his life he'd spent with his emotions deliberately shut down completely, his surprise was understandable.

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