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Nathan’s gaze drifted around the sheriff station, trying to make sense of how things had gone from bad to worse so quickly. He had been happy to see Callister, relieved to see that he was well and seemed happy.
Only he was not as well as he had seemed at first. Somehow, he must have come across a virus somewhere that could affect his systems. He had hoped that changing his primary microprocessor could help but it had not been enough. His son was still dying.
And now Carter and Allison had found out that Callister was not human and his boy had ran off in his car, with no trace where he might have gone.
“Shouldn’t we call the DoD?” Allison asked. “We would have found the car already if it was still in Eureka. They can help if they know an experiment has -”
“Allison!” Carter interrupted sharply.
Nathan clenched his jaw, biting back his reply. Carter’s interruption was too late. He realized what she’d been about to say. She no longer considered Callister to be a person, just an experiment. The thought of what they might do to his boy, what he might have to suffer in his final moments in the hands of the DoD...
“We can find him on our own, I’m sure,” Carter said to Allison. “I was a Marshall, that was my job. We’ve reported the car as stolen, it will be seen somewhere sooner or later.”
Nathan absently noticed the stress he put on ‘him’. He was grateful for his understanding but too distracted calculating the best way to go on. “My brother can help.”
“Your brother?” Carter asked.
“You have a brother?” Allison asked.
“Half-brother,” Nathan elaborated. “We’re not really talking.” He pulled out his phone, gathering all the information on Callister’s condition and the readings he’d taken before he had ran off, and sent it along. Hopefully it would be enough to catch his attention, enough for him to listen. He rang the number he had memorized years ago.
He breathed a sign of relief when the call connected. “Doctor Stark.”
“JARVIS, hello. May I talk to Tony? It’s about the information I have just sent.” He ignored Carter and Allison for now. Their reaction to his being related to Tony Stark could wait. All that counted now was protecting his son.
“Nathan, what do you want?”
Nathan closed his eyes briefly. He had never been so happy to hear his voice. “I need your help.”
“What about? Have your scientists caused a disaster they need Iron Man to solve?”
Nathan winced. Right, Tony was all for taking responsibility since he’d returned from Afghanistan. He’d get along well with Carter there. “I need your help to save my son.” He could not prevent his voice from shaking. It was the first time he had said out loud what Callister was for him. “I sent JARVIS the information.”
Tony was silent for a moment but he could practically hear the gears shifting in his head. “Your son, huh?” His voice was softer now. “I’m taking the suit. Luckily for you, I’m in Malibu, so I should be there in an hour at most. JARVIS will get started on locating him.”
“Callister. His name is Callister.”
“Callister,” Tony repeated gently. “Well, I’m curious to meet my nephew, so let’s find him quickly.”
“Thank you, Tony.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you in an hour or so.”
“Your brother is Tony Stark?” Allison demanded as soon as he ended the call.
“Like I said, half-brother. Howard Stark was not exactly faithful. Nor careful.” He snorted. “I’m actually surprised we don’t have more half-brothers running around.”
“You never mentioned him.”
“I told you, we are not really talking.” He shook his head. “Tony found out he has a younger brother when he was 17 and his parents died.”
He saw Carter wince. Nice to see that at least one of them seemed to understand.
Allison did not seem to. “With Stark’s – Tony Stark’s – means and assistance we could -”
“He’s not interested. If he did, he would already be working at GD or at least consulting.” Nathan shook his head. “I’m not going to leverage Howard not being able to keep it in his pants.”
“We have the car,” Lupo cut in. Nathan could swear he heard Carter sigh in relief. “They found it at a gas station off Interstate 17.” He looked from Nathan to Carter. “The attendant said that there was a red-headed girl in the passenger seat.”
Carter’s eyes widened. “Zoe.”
Nathan watched and listened as Carter and Lupo checked if they had switched to public transport, first under their own names, then under Ajeet Gandhavadi.
“Two tickets on an International Stageline bus leaving out of Summerville. It departs in less than an hour.”
Carter looked to Nathan. “That might be cutting it close with your brother.”
“I’ll call JARVIS. Perhaps he can delay the bus.”
Carter nodded to him. “Okay, do that.” He looked at Allison and Lupo. “You two stay here. Stark, you’re with me.”
~*~
Tony looked around after he’d landed at the bus terminal. “JARVIS?” He followed his directions towards...well, his nephew. And wasn’t that a surprise. Not so much that he had a nephew – he knew his brother had been married – but that Nathan had also managed to create an AI.
“I have managed to contact him. He has agreed not to get on the bus,” JARVIS said.
“Thank you.” He turned a corner, then stopped when he caught sight of the two. His let his faceplate lift out of the way so they could see his face. “Hey, kids,” he said gently.
“You’re Tony Stark,” the girl said.
“Yep.” He looked at the boy, Callister. “Didn’t JARVIS tell you I was coming?”
“He did,” he confirmed, still leaning heavily against the girl and the bus. “I’m not sure why though.”
“Because you’re family and I told your dad I would.”
“He’s... Nathan’s...”
“He’s your dad,” Tony interrupted. “He told me so himself when he called me. He’s on his way.”
“He’s coming?”
Tony’s heart broke at the soft question. The way he sounded like a scared, little boy. “Yes, he should be here soon. Will you let me take a look at you? JARVIS and I have been discussing how we can help you on the way here.”
“And have you found a way?” Callister asked.
“We have but we’ll have to take you to New York. I need access to my resources there.” His lab in Malibu was good but not enough to help Callister.
“I don’t think I have that long.”
“Callister, no! Don’t say that!” the girl protested.
“Listen to...”
“Zoe, Zoe Carter.”
“Listen to Zoe, Callister, don’t just give up. JARVIS and I can put you in what’s basically a kind of medical coma. That will buy us time.”
“Callister!”
“Zoe!”
Tony turned, seeing Nathan and a man in sheriff uniform coming running.
“Dad!” Zoe threw herself at the sheriff. He led her away a few steps, giving Tony, Nathan and Callister some privacy.
“Nathan, I can help him but I need to put him in medical coma ASAP,” Tony said. He had questions but there was no time now.
“Right, you hear that, Callister? You’ll be okay,” Nathan told him, kneeling down beside him. Tony glanced at the sheriff. They silently agreed not to draw attention to the way Nathan’s voice was shaking.
“I’m scared, Dad.”
Nathan cupped his cheek. “You’ll be fine. Your Uncle Tony will help.”
Callister looked at him, then turned his head slightly so he could see Tony as well. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Okay. Your... your cousin JARVIS is going to help me make you... sleep now.” They all watched carefully as his eyes slipped close and he went lax. Nathan stayed beside him, running his hand through his hair even after they knew he was no longer awake.
“JARVIS is sending a second suit,” Tony said quietly. “I’ll take him to New York in it, to protect him during the flight. It will probably be a while before we can wake him again. We’ll have to make sure first that we’ve found all traces of the virus.”
“Thank you for your help.” The sheriff had joined them again and held out his hand for Tony to shake. “I’m Jack Carter.”
“Tony Stark.” He carefully shook his hand, remembering just in time that he was still in the suit. “You’re welcome.”
“Do you want us to wait with you?” Carter offered.
“You don’t have to. It’s ready nearby.”
“Then I’ll take Stark – Nathan – back to Eureka.” He rested a hand on Nathan’s shoulder. “Come on, scientist. Let’s go home. Your boy’s in good hands.”
Pet names? Now Tony had even more questions. But he could also see that Nathan was in no state to answer them now. “I’ll keep you informed,” he promised.
“Thank you, Tony.”
~*~
Nathan shuffled the papers on his desk, preparing to leave the office for the day. Only two weeks had passed since Callister had returned to Eureka and yet so much had changed. He had been talking to Tony more in the past two weeks than in the whole past twenty years.
He had also signed the divorce papers at last. Allison did not seem to understand that, to him, Callister was his son and that he wanted and needed to be there for him when he woke up, the same way Allison would always want to put Kevin first. It was better for both of them to put an end to their romantic relationship and admit that they were only friends now.
“Hey, Nathan, are you ready to go?” Jack asked from the doorway.
Their relationship had changed as well. The understanding and compassion Jack had shown him had finally opened his eyes about the good sheriff. He might not have as high an IQ as the other inhabitants of Eureka but he brought something they had been missing without even being aware of it.
He put the divorce papers in the envelope he had prepared already. “Yes, I’m ready. Café Diem?” They tried to manage dinner together at least twice a week.
“Sounds good.”
“Do you and Zoe have plans for the weekend?” Nathan asked as they walked the corridors together.
“No, nothing yet.”
“Would the two of you like to come to New York with me? Tony called, he’s ready to wake up Callister.” It was not just that Nathan wanted a buffer between him and his brother, he wanted to share the moment with them and to just spend time with them.
“We’ll come.” Jack grinned. “Though I’m not sure Eureka will survive if we’re both gone.”
“I’m sure we can convince Henry to keep an eye on Eureka for us.”
“Even Fargo?”
“You could always arrest him.”
“I don’t think Jo would forgive me.”
They kept bickering as they made their way to their cars, content to relax and ignore the stares they were still getting from the people at GD.