2Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN: There are implied relationships that aren't central, necessarily, but there is implied slash and het.
I also think there needs to be more stories about Carter's past. There's no dialogue here and maybe it's for the best. Comments and thoughts are welcome.
To say that the citizens of Eureka didn't think much of their Sheriff would be a bit of an understatement.
To them, he was something of an adorable pet who needed things explained and their egos were just so that they eagerly did.
Even those like Henry Deacon, Allison Blake and Nathan Stark didn't really think much beyond the man in front of them.
Henry's student.
Allison's friend.
Nathan's… something.
Jo Lupo knew that Jack Carter had a Federal background, but she didn't quite understand until a horrible accident had her boss on his knees in the bathroom for over an hour.
Douglas Fargo had been arguing with Jim Taggart one night when they stumbled over Carter staring unseeingly at the wall.
Zane Donovan had been completely bewildered at the blond's almost desperate clutching when he'd accidently fallen asleep in his lab, the blond having dragged him from slumber and into his arms as he obviously fought an unrelenting night terror.
Carter refused to step foot in Henry's garage the two days after April Fool's.
Allison learned that Carter didn't like restraints.
Henry learned that you didn't touch the blond, especially when he was surfacing from a nap.
Nathan learned to let Carter have some space in bed and that he didn't like the feeling of being pinned.
Carter disappeared on certain days for hours on end, an unexplainable look on his face discouraging speculation.
A visiting scientist with a thick Russian accent blew into town in October and Carter was so jumpy that week that he'd almost ended up shooting several people for sudden movement.
No one could find him on Thanksgiving.
December 13th was the only day that Jo allowed herself to stay at the office to answer the phone, giving up the argument without second thought.
January 18th was the day that Taggart accidently darted Carter by mistake and Henry was there when he woke up in bed-shaking sobs that normally would've stayed hidden.
No one at Café Diem approached him when he had a blueberry filled donut, chai tea and a pastrami on rye in the same order.
Allison knew what medications worked on Carter and what didn't – including the ones no ordinary person should have an immunity to.
Fargo refused to step foot near a particular experiment in fear of setting it off.
Zane and Carter had some kind of Dream Department Adventure, the young genius showing up on Jo's doorstep and curling around her with the kind of silence that Jo didn't break.
Nathan got used to Jack showing up in his office at night, curling up behind the couch across the room to pretend no one could find him.
Got used to a hand holding his when arms were too much.
Got used to a trembling body curling into his lap when they weren't.
Got used to meeting Jo and Allison, Donovan and Taggart, Fargo and Henry and just staring at a file that none of them wanted to touch first.
Got used to deciding it was going to have to wait.
He wasn't sure he would ever get used to being clutched so desperately like he was a lifeline, but he wasn't about to let anyone else do it.
They got used to not having answers, because there are things that Carter just won't talk about.
They got used to thinking that maybe they don't want answers for once in their lives.
Because of a look.
A reaction.
A silence.
A file that sat on a hard drive, a flash drive, a screen, a table.
One of the only files that absolutely no one wanted to read.
The citizens of Eureka had multiple science degrees and were all geniuses in their own right.
Things added up.
Sometimes, when some of them thought about it, they really wished it didn't.
There were some things that no one of any IQ level should experience.
But there were some things that Carter would gladly go through again if it meant that any of his scientists stayed innocent.
If it meant that he could come home to Nathan.
Even if it meant that some of his darkest nightmares had been made possible by the very town he adopted.
He doubted any of them knew or were personally responsible, but just in case.
There were some things he won't talk about.
He just prayed that no one ever thought to ask why.
* END *
