Page 488 of Chaos has a Name
So, yeah, she had time.
“Come on, Callen and Takoda. Let’s give Ethan some space to just talk about the library with Gene.”
As they walked away, Gene held his husband.
“When are you going to tell her that you’re not leaving?” he asked.
Immediately, Ethan tensed.
Gene kept it direct and to the point.
“I know you, EJ. If she wasn’t distracted, she would have figured it out too. You don’t plan on leaving here, do you?”
He shook his head.
Last night, he’d made up his mind. His soul needed to be here. He wanted to see what drew him here, and had been trying to get him here for so long.
“I know I have to tell her.”
Well, yeah.
She hated it here, and so did Chris and Callen. This was going to be huge.
And problematic.
“You need to do it sooner rather than later. You need to just say it.”
He was aware.
“I’ll tell her,” he said. “Will you stay with me?” he asked, staring into his husband’s eyes. “If she won’t, will you?”
He rested his forehead against Ethan’s. Somehow, he knew this was going to be asked of him. There was no doubt in his mind, this had the potential to fracture their family.
All he could hope was it didn’t.
“Please?” Ethan asked. “Don’t leave me behind.”
That was all he had to say. No matter how twitchy this made him about the upcoming explosion of their family, he knew if he ever abandoned Ethan again, it was done.
“Yes, I will.”
That helped him relax.
“Do you think she’ll stay?”
He hesitated.
What he wasn’t saying was that he absolutely, positively didn’t believe she would.
“Just be honest,” Ethan said. “I need you to be my compass again.”
If that was what he wanted, he’d do it.
“No. I don’t think she will. Being here is more difficult for her. The children are at risk, even if Callen bought a house. Our team is divided, and so is security. If things were different, she’d stay. She’s not just Elizabeth Blackhawk anymore. She’s the Deputy Director of the FBI, the president’s right-hand weapon, and a mom. At some point, something will have to give.”
He had tears in his eyes.
That was what he feared.
