The Road Home

[abrightboy]

Raylan's loose ends had been tied in Kentucky and Malcolm's were as tantalizingly close as they'd ever been. He and Raylan made the trip to New York with the intent of discovering the fate of the girl in the box, so they could head down to Miami without... baggage.

They would have to start with the revelation Jessica and Ainsley had made to Malcolm right before Raylan was shot, sending Malcolm back to Kentucky: that Eve had infiltrated the Whitly family to learn more about the Surgeon's victims.

Malcolm let them into the New York loft - a space he considered theirs now, more than his, since they decided they might weather the hurricane season there after moving to Miami - smiling as Sunshine tweeted greetings. Once the door was shut behind Raylan, he opened the door of her cage. Ainsley would have fed her diligently, but nobody would have let her out to fly. Sunshine took off across the loft and Malcolm grinned, watching her go.

He looked at Raylan. "We can still bring her with us when we leave, right?"

Comments

[tinstar]

Who could argue with being greeted with that face?

"Mm, like a rock once I went back to sleep. A few days sleepin' in and I'll be fully stocked on rest," he answered as he pulled Malcolm into his lap, head tilting to lean against Malcolm's with a heavy, deeply contented sigh.

"Any chance you already got coffee goin'? I suppose we can't linger too long, hmm?" If they could, well - he could easily waste twenty or thirty minutes in bed with his fiancée before catching the shower he no doubt needed.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm lifted his head, but only so he could lean in to give Raylan a lingering kiss, fingers playing at his collarbone. "Coffee is ready." He kissed him again. "But there's no rush." One more time. "We have all morning."

He took a breath, staying in Raylan's space, fingers a little more fidgety.

"If this girl she's looking for is the girl..." He lifted his eyes to meet Raylan's. "We might have to talk to Dr Whitly again."

[tinstar]

Humming softly, it was clear that Raylan was in no hurry to get out of bed. If the circumstances weren't what they were, he'd pull Malcolm into bed and ravage him before greeting the day. But that idea died with the mention of Martin Whitly, like many other things tended to.

His face fell into a soft seriousness and he nodded his head. "I'll try not to punch him this time. I don't doubt that he won't.. see us. As we are." Together, in the way they were, no matter how they tried to hide it in front of him.

"Are you ready to handle that?"

[abrightboy]

The way Raylan liked to make love with abandon in the morning was just the best way to start the day.

At his question, Malcolm lifted his eyes to meet Raylan’s with quiet resolve.

“I don’t care what he says. We’re getting married. None of his mind games can take that from me or make me less happy and proud about it.”

[tinstar]

It was like a bit of hope and life and love to keep in his pockets and carry him warmly through the day. An anchoring before stepping back out into the storm. Malcolm's answer only reinforced that anchor too and Raylan smiled crookedly, nodding again.

"Then I'll do my best there too." To try not to let Martin goad him, though whether he would in front of Malcolm himself remained to be seen. "We're gettin' married," he reiterated with a brief shine of happiness as he leaned in for another kiss.

When it broke, he sighed. "But I suppose we oughta get the day goin' and over with, hmm?" Groaning like the old man he sometimes felt himself to be, Raylan pushed up and ran a hand through his hair with a yawn. "Shower then coffee?"

Maybe he'd get that morning tussle yet. It was stress relief, right?

[abrightboy]

A slow grin creased Malcolm’s face and he took Raylan’s hand as he hopped off the bed, backing towards the bathroom so he could watch Raylan’s face with all the promise in his.

“Absolutely. Start it right, right?”

Malcolm was absolutely up for that tussle. He was starting to see the stress relief value in Raylan’s enthusiasm.

A little over an hour later, they were sitting in a waiting room outside Eve Blanchard’s office, where they’d been for almost twenty minutes. Malcolm looked at Raylan. “She hasn’t gone out the window, right?”

[tinstar]

Raylan grinned at the blinding enthusiasm and let himself be happily dragged along. "Can't think of any better way to start it," he agreed, pleased that Malcolm didn't think he was perverted or greedy in all the places he liked to enjoy him.

The glow wasn't allowed to stay on him in Eve's office and the Marshal had found a magazine to flip idly through, not really looking at the pages as they passed. "Do you think she'd be that rude? To literally run out on you when you already know she's here? I know the last time you guys talked it wasn't.. pretty but. She's gotta be looking for some kinda closure with you and if she's not, you bein' here with plant the seed of doubt that maybe there's more to say."

[abrightboy]

“I suppose...” he allowed. He wasn’t sure what normal would be when a person you wanted information from accidentally almost stabbed you.

He didn’t have to wonder long. She came to the door of her office and gave him a curt, professional nod, though she didn’t approach to offer a hand to shake.

“Malcolm.”

“Eve. I understand you have some... questions. About the girl in the box.”

She considered him, then looked at the man beside him.

“What’s this about?” she asked Malcolm coolly. “I wouldn’t think you’re the one that needs a bodyguard.”

He looked down at the floor a moment, then raised his gaze to meet hers again.

“This is my fiancé. He’s a United States Marshal. He’s helping me with my investigation into the victim I found in the basement when I was ten,” he replied evenly. “If I’m not mistaken, you have a personal connection to the person you think might have been attacked by the Surgeon. Let’s just keep this transactional. And let’s not pretend you went out with me because you wanted to go out with me. I attacked you by accident, you lied to me on purpose. Let’s just set all that aside.”

She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something in protest, but closed it again. She held the office door open, giving Raylan a wary look, but gesturing for them both to go in.

[tinstar]

There wasn't a normal for that situation but Raylan would still bet on her letting them in anyway. His idea still stood. Hard rejections meant they were running from something - He didn't think that was really the case, based on what he'd heard.

And Eve came through, as expected and Raylan simply looked up from the magazine he'd been flipping through. It was set down slowly and he got up to join Malcolm on his feet the same way. He didn't flare his jacket back or draw attention to the firearm on his hip, but silently let Malcolm drive this, face schooled into a professional attentive look.

He did have to fight a small curl of his lips at the title Malcolm so honestly gave out though, charmed that he would be so blatant about it to the people in his life. A braveness Raylan envied.

Raylan nodded his thanks and followed in behind Malcolm.

[abrightboy]

“Have a seat,” Eve told them, moving behind the desk to keep a comfortable barrier between her and them, not waiting for them to sit before taking a seat herself.

Malcolm settled in one of the two chairs facing her, looking at Raylan almost like he could draw strength from him, before looking at Eve.

“My sister says you infiltrated my family to find information about one of the Surgeon’s victims. Let’s pretend you just... knocked on the door and asked. What’s the question?” he asked, his hands gripping the arm rests of the chair belying his cool tone.

She looked down at the desk, then glanced at Raylan, then looked at Malcolm.

“My sister went missing in New York shortly before Martin Whitly was arrested. I thought she was a victim of human trafficking for a long time, but then I saw a documentary that suggested he had more victims than are known. I thought your mother might know about them, but it was quickly evident that she didn’t. But then you showed up and... it was obvious that you’d... seen something terrible.”

Malcolm shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Show me her picture,” he said softly.

She looked at him for a long moment, then looked at Raylan, then looked at him.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.

“I think it’s much too late for anyone to ask that question.” He held his hand out.

She took a photograph out of a file and passed it to him.

He stared at it for a long moment. “What’s her name?” he asked.

“Sophie,” she replied.

He looked up at her. “I’m so sorry,” he said sincerely.

Her lip quivered, but she mostly held it together.

“Can I borrow this?” he asked, holding the picture up.

She frowned faintly. “What for?”

“I’m going to try to find her.”

[tinstar]

Raylan almost thought about not sitting down, but looming wasn't going to do anything to dissuade her from thinking he was a bodyguard and support did not include harassing the target, even passively. He sat with a soft nod of encouragement to Malcolm's long glance, hands draping over the arms of the chair as he crossed his legs and settled his steadfast gaze on Eve.

Okay, maybe a little passive harassment. But it didn't last long as they got into it; they were both being kind about it, as kind as they could be and Raylan could almost see where they would have fit together very well. Exactly the kind of girl that Jessica would want Malcolm to marry.

"And if he does, I'm going to do my best to keep the law out of it." But Malcolm wasn't going alone. Raylan could look the other way for personal business; he asked it of his partners enough and he wasn't marrying any of them.

[abrightboy]

Eve looked at Raylan a moment, then looked at Malcolm, then nodded.

"I'm not going to halt my investigation," she warned them.

Malcolm pressed his lips together, tucking the picture into his jacket.

"This will work better if we share information."

She looked at him a little defiantly.

[tinstar]

"No one is askin' you to," Raylan said, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward, his face a little softer for the lift of his eyebrows and the way his hat lifted with it.

"You both want the same answers. Why take the chance that you know somethin' that helps him put something together or vice versa?"

With the hint of resource that Raylan offered on top of it, it seemed like a sweet deal from where he was sitting.

[abrightboy]

Eve considered Raylan for a moment, then looked at Malcolm.

“If all the cards are on the table, why don’t you just ask him?” she said coolly.

“I intend to, but don’t expect much from that,” Malcolm told her. “I’ve been asking him about her for twenty years and he’s never even admitted she exists.”

Eve looked at Raylan again. “So make him talk. That’s what you do, right?”

[tinstar]

"The US Marshals Service is meant to catch fugitives, not investigate. I can press him, and will, given the chance, but I don't expect a beating or an interrogation to mean much against a man we got no leverage against," he offered reasonably. If he could beat Martin into confession, he would do it; happily so.

"But even if he did tell me, we can't be sure it ain't a lie on it's face. He's got no reason to tell us anything."

Raylan wished he could be more helpful, but there were limitations in the reality of the situation that he had to abide by.

"Which means if you find somethin' he hasn't admitted to, we can use that and what we learn.." He gestured towards her. What they learned, they'd share as suggested and hope the cycle continued.

"We're on the same side here. The side that finds out what happened to your sister, no matter what that answer is."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm watched her for a moment, while her gaze was on Raylan.

“You’ve already decided it’s the only way. We shouldn’t waste any time,” he said, standing up.

“I really did like you, you know,” she informed him.

He shook his head, jaw tightening a little. “Don’t,” he requested only looking at her sidelong before turning and heading out the door.

By the time they were in the elevator, the wheels in his head were turning as he stared at the photograph.

[tinstar]

Raylan stood up after Malcolm, knowing his cues and following them, letting Malcolm have his last word and closing the door on Eve's stunned, pained face. Raylan was smart enough to stay silent until they got into the elevator, but his eyes stayed locked on Malcolm's face as the door closed beside them.

"You okay?"

First things first. He didn't much care about how Eve felt - she made her decisions, she would have to live with them. His only concern was the man next to him.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looked up at him, then slowly nodded.

“I just keep… wishing I could regret what happened, but I think my night terrors did me a favour for once. When she came back that night, after the date went so badly, I thought… wow, she must really like me. But she didn’t. And I keep thinking about what my life would have been like if I was with her when I met you. And then I think… shut up, Malcolm. It didn’t go that way and you’re getting married. Married. To someone who does really like you. So focus and solve the case,” he explained, eyes drifting back to the photo.

[tinstar]

"It didn't go that way," Raylan echoed, stepping over to bump their shoulders together so he could look at the photo too.

"And if it had, who knows. Maybe she would have broken up with you when she found out what she wanted and you could have still had this. But you do. Have this," he expressed with a glance over.

"So what's our next move?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looked up at him.

God, he wanted to throw his arms around Raylan and kiss him breathless. But maybe not in Eve’s elevator.

“I have to talk to my father,” he said with a hint of trepidation. “He’s the only one that really knows.”

[tinstar]

He took a deep breath through his nose and nodded, resisting a similar urge to wrap himself around Malcolm and silently promise to be a bastion against the bullshit of his family. But definitely not in a place where it could be used against the profiler. This wasn't friendly ground.

"Then we go to Clairmont. Together. I can't promise I won't punch him again but I can promise that I will try not to." They needed Malcolm's answers before they could go to Miami. Raylan would do whatever he had to, including controlling himself, to get to that end. To get Malcolm away from the dark hell that New York and his Family seemed to bring.

"We can make it through a conversation, I'm sure."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiled up at him.

"The things you do for me," he teased lightly, but he also meant it. Raylan didn't have to be here at all. He didn't have to agree to this. He could have been like everyone who ever told him she wasn't real or that this was all so far in the past it couldn't matter anymore. He could have told him he was going to Miami and to take it or leave it. But he came here to do this. For Malcolm.

When they reached Claremont, Malcolm took a deep breath before walking into the building, centring himself, straightening his tie.

When they reached Martin Whitly's cell, he took one more deep breath before Mr David unlocked the door and they stepped inside.

"My boy," Martin said with delight. "I didn't know you were back in town. And Raylan. I know we've had our differences, but with you joining our family, I'm glad you've come by to put them behind us."

[tinstar]

Raylan bobbed his head to the side and down, smiling bashfully before looking up at the elevator floor number. "I ain't done it yet, don't let me get ahead of myself."

He might still punch Martin, depending on how the man acted but he would honestly try.

Once in the parking lot of Claremont, Raylan watched Malcolm prep himself, hating that he had to. If only he could give the smaller man some of the raw, inarguable fury for Arlo that let Raylan cut off his heartstrings for the man that had helped create him. But he couldn't. He could only support Malcolm as he went through this.

Raylan kept his expression civilized, sliding on a shallow smile over a faint lift of his eyebrows and a shrug of his lips. In truth, hearing Martin say his name that way made his skin crawl but he wasn't going to give the man the satisfaction of knowing that, in any way. "I can assure you that is not why I'm here. Malcolm's got a few questions for you and I'm here for moral support."

Moral support and a peek into how Martin and Malcolm interacted together over one of the most important issues of their relationship.

Raylan ambled over towards Martin's 'library', utterly ignoring the line or if his foot stepped over it as he peered in to look at the spines.

[abrightboy]

Martin’s body language remained completely oriented towards Malcolm, but his eyes tracked Raylan’s movements.

“My boy always has questions. He has a curious and active mind, just like his old dad.”

“I’ve discovered the identity of the girl in the box,” Malcolm says coolly. “Sophie Sanders. What did you do with her?”

Martin laughs, looking from Malcolm to Raylan and back.

“The girl in the box. You’ve been going on about that fantasy for years.”

[tinstar]

Raylan hummed noncommittally in response, not acknowledging the statement otherwise as he let the two of them get on with it, but he couldn't help the petty, nosy, assholish part of himself that pulled a book off the shelf. Opening it up, Raylan wandered back onto his side of the line and took to leaning near the door, flipping through the pages, eyebrows lifting in surprise at the detail he found within.

Most sophisticated picture book with collage level notes he's ever seen in his life.

Oh don't mind him over here, casually flipping through Martin's shit.