Fic: Dream Awake - Pt. 6 [Eli Stone]
Title: Dream Awake
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Eli, Nate, others
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209
For the next few days all Eli did was concentrate on work, avoiding interactions with his family and friends as much as possible. He put off going back to the hospital for a follow up appointment with the psychiatrist, relying on Nate to tell Dr. Fields that he was back to normal. No more delusions about being from the future… not that he admitted to his brother, anyway.
He kept to himself at work, using his need to catch up on everything he'd missed as an excuse to avoid talking to Maggie or Patti. It was also useful in staying clear of Jordan who continued to glare at him every time Eli had to leave the sanctuary of his office. He worked through all the case files and documents Patti brought him, and took all the meetings she arranged without complaint. He hoped that somewhere, somehow, there would be a clue to how he could get back to where he was supposed to be, but so far nothing had shown up.
At night, Eli had taken to writing down all the details of the pro bono cases he'd taken after having a vision - names, dates, places - all the minutiae he could remember. He scribbled furiously as he recalled how he came across the cases, what research he had Patti or Maggie do, what help he got from Nate. Eli wasn't sure of much, but he was certain that he needed to help these people again. He couldn't let things go a different way, like he had with Beth's case. The ramifications for any of the cases going differently were untold. At night, he found himself dreaming about dragons and car crashes and, when the nightmares were at their worst, earthquakes that killed thousands.
Eli was determined to put things right just in case he was unable to get back. If he was going to relive this part of his life he needed to make sure that what happened the first time around happened again. He was reasonably confident that Jordan's friend Mason Andrews would seek out his help on his case against Keith Bennett, and that Jordan would offer Keith a job at WPK when it was all over. He was unsure how he was supposed to get Jordan to bring Taylor into the firm as well, however. Last time it had been her idea. She had wanted to try and make things work with Eli, but he knew he'd probably blown that option now unless he tricked her into thinking they could get back together, she took the job at WPK, Eli broke up with her again, and then he could sit back and wait for Matt Dowd to swoop in. However it happened, Eli knew they were meant to be together and have a baby.
Eli became preoccupied with trying to manage everyone's future. There was Maggie to worry about - trying to convince her that Scott would cheat on her and they needed to break up. He had to get to Angela through Patti to stop her getting into drugs, if he could. And Nate and Beth - Eli knew he would have to be creative there. He had to arrange for them to meet somehow. All these plans he added to the journal.
It wasn't until he'd written everything down that he noticed what he'd been using to capture it all. The journal looked suspiciously like his father's. Eli wondered if anyone reading it would think him insane - the dates revealed he was writing about the future and some of the impressions and memories that he included bordered on raving. He decided to hide the journal under his mattress in case Nate found it lying around and ordered him back to the hospital after all. He wasn't going to do anyone any good there.
Eli had hoped that writing it all down would help clear his mind, and with that clarity would come insight into his situation. But instead he lay awake each night, unable to sleep. The journal was like a beating heart under the floorboards. He couldn't escape his destiny, but nor could he reclaim it, trapped as he was. Eli wondered if he wasn't going insane, after all.
0 0 0 0
At the start of second week back at WPK he was returning from a meeting when Maggie fell in step beside him.
"Mr. Stone. Eli. Hi," she said chirpily.
"Maggie."
Eli looked around for a distraction, something to divert her attention. He wasn't sure how to deal with her yet. He kept walking, lengthening his stride in the hopes of deterring her from keeping up, but she was not to be put off.
"I've been wanting to catch you, to say thank you," Maggie said, oblivious to his mood.
"For what?"
"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez. You were right. I don't know how you were right, but their naturalization papers were bogus. The case is with the Immigration Department but I'm hopeful that because they were up front about it they'll get their proper approval to stay in the country."
"That's great, congratulations," Eli said dismissively. He was nearing his office but Maggie was still following him. He decided to keep going so she wouldn't take it as an invitation to stop and chat, and headed for the upper floor.
Maggie matched his stride. "I just wanted you to know that I appreciated your advice. You saved them from potential deportation. If we'd proceeded with the case against Gro Plus…"
"But you didn't, happy ending, let's leave it there." Eli stopped briefly to put a hand on her shoulder and give her a forced smile in the hopes of ending the conversation. But when he started walking again she doggedly stayed with him.
"I was wondering if you needed help with anything? Mr. Posner has all the associates he needs for research. I thought maybe you were working on something I could assist with."
"Not right now, but if anything comes up I'll be sure to let you know."
"Really, I don't mind. To be honest I'd appreciate the work. If I have to read one more case history on car manufacturing I think I'll…"
Maggie was not able to complete her sentence because she crashed into Eli's back. He had stopped dead in his tracks as they passed the conference room.
"Oompf," she said, unable to avoid the collision. She followed his gaze into the room where Jordan and Matt Dowd were meeting with a client. "Is there something wrong, Eli?"
"It's her," he gasped.
Eli stared in disbelief at the middle-aged woman sitting in the conference room - her short, dark hair, her tight-lipped smile as she responded to something Jordan was saying. He couldn't believe it. Eli frowned as he stumbled forward like he was sleepwalking and pushed open the door.
"It's you!" he cried, pointing a finger at her.
Jordan stopped mid-sentence at the interruption and looked less than pleased. Matt shook his head and smiled apologetically at their client but she was gazing serenely at Eli.
"Mr. Stone, is there something you need?" Jordan asked with barely concealed anger. He turned his attention to the woman. "I apologize, Mrs. Calhoun."
"That's quite alright," she responded graciously, her eyes not leaving Eli's. She smiled again.
"W- what are you doing here?" Eli stammered, breathing heavily.
"Mrs. Calhoun is considering signing with the firm," said Jordan. His glare disappeared when he faced her again. "Mr. Stone is one of our, er… senior associates. Eli, perhaps you and I can continue this at a later time."
Jordan got to his feet and walked Eli smoothly to the door. "Please excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Calhoun."
Jordan pushed Eli into the corridor where Maggie was waiting, wide-eyed at the appearance of the managing partner and Eli's apparent lack of awareness at the fury darkening Jordan's features.
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, keeping his voice low. "Vera Calhoun's family has a philanthropy portfolio of half a billion dollars, Mr. Stone. Needless to say we want their business, and bizarre interruptions like yours are hardly the image of WPK we wish to portray."
"But it's her," Eli replied in bewilderment.
"I suggest you get back to work. You and I will talk later." Jordan's eyes narrowed even further before he returned to the conference room.
"Eli, are you okay?" Maggie asked when he hadn't moved.
He turned his blank stare on her, not really seeing her, before walking blindly back to his office. After days of confusion and disorientation, uncertainty and doubt, he finally had a lead. He didn't know what it meant, but it was still a lead.
Now all Eli had to do was work out why the Fiduciary was at Wethersby, Posner and Klein, and how he was going to get her alone to talk to her.
0 0 0 0
"You want me to do what?" Patti replied in her best indignant tone.
"Just talk to Jordan's assistant - I need Vera Calhoun's phone number. Her address if you can get it. Just don't advertise the fact to Jordan."
"Who is Vera Calhoun?"
"Just a prospective new client," Eli explained hurriedly. He urged Patti out of her seat.
"And why the secrecy? Does Jordan know you're going to contact her?"
He considered lying, but he knew he wouldn't get away with it with Patti. "Not exactly, no."
"Eli..."
"It's nothing untoward, I promise. I just need to talk to her."
Patti sized him up, thinking it over, before reluctantly agreeing.
"Now would be best," he said quickly, all the while scanning the office for any sign of Jordan.
He waited until she was gone before running back up the stairs to the conference room. He snuck a peak through the glass to see if the Fiduciary was still there, but the room was empty. Cursing under his breath, Eli ran back down the stairs towards the elevators, scanning the floor for the pale blue outfit she was wearing. He couldn't see her anywhere, or Jordan or Matt. He swore again.
Rather than wait in his office like a sitting duck for Jordan, Eli hovered around the legal secretaries' section where he could watch for Patti's return. He hopped from one foot to the other impatiently until he spotted her.
"Psst, Patti! Over here!" he called out, then slipped into the copy room.
Patti rolled her eyes and huffed as she made her way across the floor to join him.
"Eli, what in the world are you up to? Acting like you're in a bad spy movie."
He ignored her, holding out his hands expectantly. "Did you get it?"
"Of course I did."
She withdrew a piece of paper from a folder - a print out of Vera Calhoun's contact details.
"Patti, you're a star."
"Hmm, remember that when it's time to talk pay rises. And I'd better not get into trouble for this, Eli. According to Rebecca, Vera Calhoun's grandfather was some oil tycoon. The family's worth a gazillion dollars and Jordan and Posner have been courting the family for years. Although I've never heard of them before." Patti didn't like it when she missed something like that.
Eli smiled down at the paper, not looking at her. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing.
"Aren't you going back to your office?" asked Patti.
Eli glanced around again. "No, not right now. If Jordan comes looking for me tell him I'm seeing a client. Don't mention Vera Calhoun."
"That would require me to know what's going on," Patti muttered as Eli continued his furtive looks, cell phone pressed to his ear. She left him to it.
The number rang for a long time, but no one answered and it did not go to voicemail. Eli waited until it rang out and snapped his phone shut in frustration. The address on the piece of paper was in Pacific Heights - not far by cab, but then the Fiduciary had not long left the office, if indeed she was gone. He decided he'd have to wait for a while before going to find her.
All he had to do was avoid Jordan for a few hours and try to work out what her being there really meant. Eli's spirits rose with the thought that he may be able to go home after all.
0 0 0 0
Eli managed to stay out of Jordan's path for the rest of the day, using the law library as cover. He tried calling the number listed on Vera Calhoun's file all afternoon but there was never any answer. He tried Googling her but found little of substance, just a few photographs from charity dinners and mentions of substantial donations. The Fiduciary looked the same in each of the photographs, smiling that small, knowing smile and looking straight into the camera until Eli got the impression she was looking right at him.
He chanced a return to his office and got Patti to find out that Jordan was tied up in other meetings for the rest of the afternoon. Eli was glad of the reprieve, but it didn't stop Matt Dowd from dropping by to call him on his behavior.
"So, just a heads up, Stone - Jordan is pissed," Matt said as he entered Eli's office uninvited.
"Gee, thank you, Matt, I never would have guessed," Eli replied.
"What's with the weirdo behavior? Do you know Vera Calhoun?"
"No. Kind of. I thought I'd met her before."
"Well, if you've ruined Jordan's big chance to sign her I'd enjoy this office while you still have it, buddy." Matt looked around. "Actually, you know I wouldn't mind this one myself. You've got more light than I do."
Eli ignored Matt while he mentally redecorated his office. It was getting close to the end of the day and he decided it was time to pay the Fiduciary a visit. Matt laughed when Eli started packing up his briefcase, and went back to his own office to continue working.
Eli almost ran through the car park, thankful that one of the benefits of being back was that he still had his Millennium Falcon. The car's engine purred to life - a sound that Eli loved. He drove quickly to the Pacific Heights address on Vera Calhoun's file, pushing the speed limit when traffic allowed. He needed answers and his patience was growing thin.
"You have arrived at your destination," intoned the GPS as Eli drew to a slow stop.
He stared at the children's park which was full of kids running and playing. Eli checked the address on Patti's paper but it was correct. He got out of the car, thoroughly confused, and scanned the park for any sign of the Fiduciary. But she wasn't there. It was a dead end. The address, just like her phone number, was fake. Just like the photos on the Internet, as well.
Eli felt cheated as he scrunched up the paper in anger and threw it into the gutter. He wanted to yell but that would only draw attention. He slumped against the side of the car, defeated and even more lost than before. He had pinned all his hopes on confronting the Fiduciary and finally getting some answers, but now he would get none.
Eli bent wearily to pick up the useless piece of paper and got back behind the wheel. The low rumble of the car engine just seemed to mock him this time.
Rating: T
Characters/Pairings: Eli, Nate, others
Summary: After the fight with his brother, after the nosebleed, Eli wakes up in hospital. He's not prepared for what happens next. Post episode 209
For the next few days all Eli did was concentrate on work, avoiding interactions with his family and friends as much as possible. He put off going back to the hospital for a follow up appointment with the psychiatrist, relying on Nate to tell Dr. Fields that he was back to normal. No more delusions about being from the future… not that he admitted to his brother, anyway.
He kept to himself at work, using his need to catch up on everything he'd missed as an excuse to avoid talking to Maggie or Patti. It was also useful in staying clear of Jordan who continued to glare at him every time Eli had to leave the sanctuary of his office. He worked through all the case files and documents Patti brought him, and took all the meetings she arranged without complaint. He hoped that somewhere, somehow, there would be a clue to how he could get back to where he was supposed to be, but so far nothing had shown up.
At night, Eli had taken to writing down all the details of the pro bono cases he'd taken after having a vision - names, dates, places - all the minutiae he could remember. He scribbled furiously as he recalled how he came across the cases, what research he had Patti or Maggie do, what help he got from Nate. Eli wasn't sure of much, but he was certain that he needed to help these people again. He couldn't let things go a different way, like he had with Beth's case. The ramifications for any of the cases going differently were untold. At night, he found himself dreaming about dragons and car crashes and, when the nightmares were at their worst, earthquakes that killed thousands.
Eli was determined to put things right just in case he was unable to get back. If he was going to relive this part of his life he needed to make sure that what happened the first time around happened again. He was reasonably confident that Jordan's friend Mason Andrews would seek out his help on his case against Keith Bennett, and that Jordan would offer Keith a job at WPK when it was all over. He was unsure how he was supposed to get Jordan to bring Taylor into the firm as well, however. Last time it had been her idea. She had wanted to try and make things work with Eli, but he knew he'd probably blown that option now unless he tricked her into thinking they could get back together, she took the job at WPK, Eli broke up with her again, and then he could sit back and wait for Matt Dowd to swoop in. However it happened, Eli knew they were meant to be together and have a baby.
Eli became preoccupied with trying to manage everyone's future. There was Maggie to worry about - trying to convince her that Scott would cheat on her and they needed to break up. He had to get to Angela through Patti to stop her getting into drugs, if he could. And Nate and Beth - Eli knew he would have to be creative there. He had to arrange for them to meet somehow. All these plans he added to the journal.
It wasn't until he'd written everything down that he noticed what he'd been using to capture it all. The journal looked suspiciously like his father's. Eli wondered if anyone reading it would think him insane - the dates revealed he was writing about the future and some of the impressions and memories that he included bordered on raving. He decided to hide the journal under his mattress in case Nate found it lying around and ordered him back to the hospital after all. He wasn't going to do anyone any good there.
Eli had hoped that writing it all down would help clear his mind, and with that clarity would come insight into his situation. But instead he lay awake each night, unable to sleep. The journal was like a beating heart under the floorboards. He couldn't escape his destiny, but nor could he reclaim it, trapped as he was. Eli wondered if he wasn't going insane, after all.
0 0 0 0
At the start of second week back at WPK he was returning from a meeting when Maggie fell in step beside him.
"Mr. Stone. Eli. Hi," she said chirpily.
"Maggie."
Eli looked around for a distraction, something to divert her attention. He wasn't sure how to deal with her yet. He kept walking, lengthening his stride in the hopes of deterring her from keeping up, but she was not to be put off.
"I've been wanting to catch you, to say thank you," Maggie said, oblivious to his mood.
"For what?"
"Oscar and Blanca Ramirez. You were right. I don't know how you were right, but their naturalization papers were bogus. The case is with the Immigration Department but I'm hopeful that because they were up front about it they'll get their proper approval to stay in the country."
"That's great, congratulations," Eli said dismissively. He was nearing his office but Maggie was still following him. He decided to keep going so she wouldn't take it as an invitation to stop and chat, and headed for the upper floor.
Maggie matched his stride. "I just wanted you to know that I appreciated your advice. You saved them from potential deportation. If we'd proceeded with the case against Gro Plus…"
"But you didn't, happy ending, let's leave it there." Eli stopped briefly to put a hand on her shoulder and give her a forced smile in the hopes of ending the conversation. But when he started walking again she doggedly stayed with him.
"I was wondering if you needed help with anything? Mr. Posner has all the associates he needs for research. I thought maybe you were working on something I could assist with."
"Not right now, but if anything comes up I'll be sure to let you know."
"Really, I don't mind. To be honest I'd appreciate the work. If I have to read one more case history on car manufacturing I think I'll…"
Maggie was not able to complete her sentence because she crashed into Eli's back. He had stopped dead in his tracks as they passed the conference room.
"Oompf," she said, unable to avoid the collision. She followed his gaze into the room where Jordan and Matt Dowd were meeting with a client. "Is there something wrong, Eli?"
"It's her," he gasped.
Eli stared in disbelief at the middle-aged woman sitting in the conference room - her short, dark hair, her tight-lipped smile as she responded to something Jordan was saying. He couldn't believe it. Eli frowned as he stumbled forward like he was sleepwalking and pushed open the door.
"It's you!" he cried, pointing a finger at her.
Jordan stopped mid-sentence at the interruption and looked less than pleased. Matt shook his head and smiled apologetically at their client but she was gazing serenely at Eli.
"Mr. Stone, is there something you need?" Jordan asked with barely concealed anger. He turned his attention to the woman. "I apologize, Mrs. Calhoun."
"That's quite alright," she responded graciously, her eyes not leaving Eli's. She smiled again.
"W- what are you doing here?" Eli stammered, breathing heavily.
"Mrs. Calhoun is considering signing with the firm," said Jordan. His glare disappeared when he faced her again. "Mr. Stone is one of our, er… senior associates. Eli, perhaps you and I can continue this at a later time."
Jordan got to his feet and walked Eli smoothly to the door. "Please excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Calhoun."
Jordan pushed Eli into the corridor where Maggie was waiting, wide-eyed at the appearance of the managing partner and Eli's apparent lack of awareness at the fury darkening Jordan's features.
"What do you think you're doing?" he hissed, keeping his voice low. "Vera Calhoun's family has a philanthropy portfolio of half a billion dollars, Mr. Stone. Needless to say we want their business, and bizarre interruptions like yours are hardly the image of WPK we wish to portray."
"But it's her," Eli replied in bewilderment.
"I suggest you get back to work. You and I will talk later." Jordan's eyes narrowed even further before he returned to the conference room.
"Eli, are you okay?" Maggie asked when he hadn't moved.
He turned his blank stare on her, not really seeing her, before walking blindly back to his office. After days of confusion and disorientation, uncertainty and doubt, he finally had a lead. He didn't know what it meant, but it was still a lead.
Now all Eli had to do was work out why the Fiduciary was at Wethersby, Posner and Klein, and how he was going to get her alone to talk to her.
0 0 0 0
"You want me to do what?" Patti replied in her best indignant tone.
"Just talk to Jordan's assistant - I need Vera Calhoun's phone number. Her address if you can get it. Just don't advertise the fact to Jordan."
"Who is Vera Calhoun?"
"Just a prospective new client," Eli explained hurriedly. He urged Patti out of her seat.
"And why the secrecy? Does Jordan know you're going to contact her?"
He considered lying, but he knew he wouldn't get away with it with Patti. "Not exactly, no."
"Eli..."
"It's nothing untoward, I promise. I just need to talk to her."
Patti sized him up, thinking it over, before reluctantly agreeing.
"Now would be best," he said quickly, all the while scanning the office for any sign of Jordan.
He waited until she was gone before running back up the stairs to the conference room. He snuck a peak through the glass to see if the Fiduciary was still there, but the room was empty. Cursing under his breath, Eli ran back down the stairs towards the elevators, scanning the floor for the pale blue outfit she was wearing. He couldn't see her anywhere, or Jordan or Matt. He swore again.
Rather than wait in his office like a sitting duck for Jordan, Eli hovered around the legal secretaries' section where he could watch for Patti's return. He hopped from one foot to the other impatiently until he spotted her.
"Psst, Patti! Over here!" he called out, then slipped into the copy room.
Patti rolled her eyes and huffed as she made her way across the floor to join him.
"Eli, what in the world are you up to? Acting like you're in a bad spy movie."
He ignored her, holding out his hands expectantly. "Did you get it?"
"Of course I did."
She withdrew a piece of paper from a folder - a print out of Vera Calhoun's contact details.
"Patti, you're a star."
"Hmm, remember that when it's time to talk pay rises. And I'd better not get into trouble for this, Eli. According to Rebecca, Vera Calhoun's grandfather was some oil tycoon. The family's worth a gazillion dollars and Jordan and Posner have been courting the family for years. Although I've never heard of them before." Patti didn't like it when she missed something like that.
Eli smiled down at the paper, not looking at her. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing.
"Aren't you going back to your office?" asked Patti.
Eli glanced around again. "No, not right now. If Jordan comes looking for me tell him I'm seeing a client. Don't mention Vera Calhoun."
"That would require me to know what's going on," Patti muttered as Eli continued his furtive looks, cell phone pressed to his ear. She left him to it.
The number rang for a long time, but no one answered and it did not go to voicemail. Eli waited until it rang out and snapped his phone shut in frustration. The address on the piece of paper was in Pacific Heights - not far by cab, but then the Fiduciary had not long left the office, if indeed she was gone. He decided he'd have to wait for a while before going to find her.
All he had to do was avoid Jordan for a few hours and try to work out what her being there really meant. Eli's spirits rose with the thought that he may be able to go home after all.
0 0 0 0
Eli managed to stay out of Jordan's path for the rest of the day, using the law library as cover. He tried calling the number listed on Vera Calhoun's file all afternoon but there was never any answer. He tried Googling her but found little of substance, just a few photographs from charity dinners and mentions of substantial donations. The Fiduciary looked the same in each of the photographs, smiling that small, knowing smile and looking straight into the camera until Eli got the impression she was looking right at him.
He chanced a return to his office and got Patti to find out that Jordan was tied up in other meetings for the rest of the afternoon. Eli was glad of the reprieve, but it didn't stop Matt Dowd from dropping by to call him on his behavior.
"So, just a heads up, Stone - Jordan is pissed," Matt said as he entered Eli's office uninvited.
"Gee, thank you, Matt, I never would have guessed," Eli replied.
"What's with the weirdo behavior? Do you know Vera Calhoun?"
"No. Kind of. I thought I'd met her before."
"Well, if you've ruined Jordan's big chance to sign her I'd enjoy this office while you still have it, buddy." Matt looked around. "Actually, you know I wouldn't mind this one myself. You've got more light than I do."
Eli ignored Matt while he mentally redecorated his office. It was getting close to the end of the day and he decided it was time to pay the Fiduciary a visit. Matt laughed when Eli started packing up his briefcase, and went back to his own office to continue working.
Eli almost ran through the car park, thankful that one of the benefits of being back was that he still had his Millennium Falcon. The car's engine purred to life - a sound that Eli loved. He drove quickly to the Pacific Heights address on Vera Calhoun's file, pushing the speed limit when traffic allowed. He needed answers and his patience was growing thin.
"You have arrived at your destination," intoned the GPS as Eli drew to a slow stop.
He stared at the children's park which was full of kids running and playing. Eli checked the address on Patti's paper but it was correct. He got out of the car, thoroughly confused, and scanned the park for any sign of the Fiduciary. But she wasn't there. It was a dead end. The address, just like her phone number, was fake. Just like the photos on the Internet, as well.
Eli felt cheated as he scrunched up the paper in anger and threw it into the gutter. He wanted to yell but that would only draw attention. He slumped against the side of the car, defeated and even more lost than before. He had pinned all his hopes on confronting the Fiduciary and finally getting some answers, but now he would get none.
Eli bent wearily to pick up the useless piece of paper and got back behind the wheel. The low rumble of the car engine just seemed to mock him this time.