occupation: Owner of the Mayfair chain
affiliation: Board Member for The Enterprise
Quick Intro:
Only child to the Ortega family, thus automatically the Golden son to Antoine and Julia Ortega.
Grew up fairly well, to a happy family where he could have anything he wanted but was never the kind to ask. Was highly popular in school but it was more because he was kind, caring, funny and got good grades.
Was childhood friends with Penny which eventually turned into a relationship which eventually turned into a pregnancy he found out about via a note.
His parents never liked Penny, nor her family, and tried to distance him from her, but it did not work.
When Penny and her whole family left, he didn't realise at first, and then after he found out Penny did not leave him anything where he could reach her, blamed his parents.
Graduated highschool and moved to LA to get a business degree in UCLA
There he met his wife, got married and had a son
After graduation came back to Tonopah Valley and wanted to begin setting up his business. However, he did not want to seek any support from his parents therefore; he went to The Enterprise.
The Mayfair grew a lot and expanded to LA and New York, making his one of the most successful men.
When he was in New York on a business trip he finally found Penny (as he had been looking for her all that time - with the money he earned, he got a private investigator to look for Penny and to find out information about their child). At the same time, he also found out about Mikayla's existence.
Didn't reach out because he wasn't sure if they wanted to be found, as he had never left Tonopah Valley partly in hoping that she would be able to find him if she was ever looking for him. As they never reached out, he let it be, but looked after them from afar.
Got asked to be the Board Member for the Enterprise eventually, to which he agreed to. But Elliot does not agree with their full vision and makes it known.
Now that he knows Mikayla is in the enterprise, he is definitely not retiring because he wants to protect her.
Divorced his ex-wife when he was forty-two as they had different views. Has a son who is twenty-seven and is working his way from the ground up within the Mayfair.
Headcanons:
Has a good relationship with his son, Marcello, 27 who is working his way up within the Mayfair from ground up.
Divorced, has to pay alimony, while the ex-wife uses his name a lot in New York. Annoying, but he doesn't bother much about it.
Lives with his two Toy Poodles - Itchy & Scratchy
Coffee in the morning - a cognac in the evening kind of ritual man.
Is a really nice guy, with good morals and can be funny.
She took his hand, allowing Elliott to pull her into a hug. Her arms wrapped around him, as tightly as she could muster without worrying that she was hurting him, her head buried into the crook of his neck. It was almost comedic, wasn't it? Like God was playing some clue joke on her, on him. The one weekend in over a decade that she decided to put all sense of responsibility by the wayside, have a bit of lighthearted fun -- and, conversely, the one time in her entire life that she did something so incredibly immoral -- and this was a result? Her boyfriend almost getting beaten to death? "You were worried? Elliott..." She shook her head, pulling apart for a moment to place a hand on his cheek.
"Stop that." Lydia admonished, not wanting him to blame himself for the circumstances he found himself in. After all, she knew the type of person that Elliott was -- she had for years -- and in her mind there would be absolutely so way he could have brought something like this upon himself and his daughter. His hands cupped her face and she instinctively leaned into his touch, her hand resting against his chest. "I --" Lydia swallowed thickly, always the know-it-all -- the busybody -- who was desperate to learn everything she could about a situation the moment it presented itself. But considering the extent of Elliott's injuries, she figured that he simply didn't want to relive that had happened. "Okay." The redhead said softly, nodding then. "Penny's barely left your side, she was giving me updates and everything 'til I was able to get here. Between you and your daughter...I don't know how she does it." A light scoff left her lips. "Do you need me to call Marcello? Or, um, your assistant? What -- what do you need me to do?"
Of course it was hard for her to understand now. She would have to eventually, because frankly, while he thought no harm would ever come to him and his family by staying with the Enterprise, this was too much. It wasn't as if he was going to continue being a part of it. His business had been running well for a long time, and everything he needed to pay back was done... Still, this was a part of his life he had not shared. Elliott felt guilty for trusting the situation so much. For believing that his status meant that certain things concerning his life were off limits. How ignorant was he?
As he looked at Lydia, a sad smile curved his lips. He didn't want to see her so worried. Especially not when she was finally in such a good place. Especially not when the situation with Landon happened not long ago. He didn't want to be that part of her life which brought her to tears. "I'm always worried, aren't I?" He tried to play it off as a joke, moving his hand so he could wipe the tears off her cheeks. "No, you don't need to call anyone. Everyone already knows. I've spoken to them, so it's fine. You don't need to worry about anything. Besides, I'm alive, am I not?" He smiled, putting his hand up. "It's a shitty situation, but I'm here. Should I call for some food? The hospital has really been treating me to some world class porridge. You should try it. It's going to make you never want to leave." An absolute lie, especially since he detested any kind of porridge. "Why don't you tell me how was the festival instead?" He wanted for her to at least calm down. Think of some better events in her life.
Penny didn't know why she was surprised when Elliott asked about her; he had always been the more empathetic of the two of them when they were younger. Maybe it was the fact that he was asking her when he was the one that was in the hospital and had been beaten almost beyond recognition. "I'm fine. I was-- We were at the festival." Admitting it sent a rush of guilt through her all over again and she furrowed her brows, holding in her tears. "I'm here because I still care about you, pendejo," she let out a small laugh, though it only served to force a few tears from her eyes. "The hospital called when Mikayla was admitted, and then Niko said your name... I've been trading shifts with Lydia so she can rest. I'll let her know you're awake."
There was another wave of guilt that came over him. Never did he want anyone to be worried over him, especially because of the life choices he had made. No matter how it all had turned out, no matter the fact that he was in the hospital, he simply didn't want to be the cause of any tears. Elliott took her hand, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry." He said, brushing the hair on the back of her head. "I know you do and I... I'm sorry for everything. You know I always cared for you too. That never changed. And just..." He pulled away from her, breathing out a heavy sigh. "This is just a mess. A mess I have to sort out." With the Enterprise, with Giovanni. It was something he was going to have to deal with head on. "Thank you for your help, too. Thank you for being here and helping Lydia... And thank you for looking after our daughter all these years." After another pause, he looked at her. "I'm sorry for being upset, too. I know it wasn't easy. I'm sorry I've made it harder for you."
where: tonopah valley medical center
who: @elliottortegax & lydia donovan
Her head was pounding. It had been years since Lydia had been this hungover, but it was the intense worry and fear that gripped her since learning that Elliott was in the hospital that seemed to completely shut her down. Still, she wasted no time once it was safe to travel to head on over, actively a play-by-play from Penny on his condition until she was through the doors of the building. Immense guilt sat heavy on on her chest -- firstly, for not checking in sooner after not hearing from him, figuring that he'd probably gotten so wrapped up in his business trip that he'd not had a free moment; secondly, for the kiss she and Will had shared during the festival, the interaction playing on repeat in her head the more she attempted to suppress it. Oh god, Lydia had royally fucked up.
"Oh my god..." The tears were flowing the moment she walked into Elliott's hospital room, seeing his battered and bruised condition laying in the bed. "Oh my god, E. What -- what happened? Are you --" she moved to his side, intertwining her fingers with his. "I should have known something was wrong sooner, I -- Elliott..."
It was as if a heavyweight lifted from his shoulders the moment Lydia walked in. Eve if Penny and everyone else told him she was fine, she wasn't hurt - neither from the Enterprise nor from the storm, he still worried. Because all of it was just words. Until he really saw her, he didn't want to believe it. "Hey, hey..." He turned his body in the bed, trying to reach for her as soon as she came in. Elliott took her hand, pulling her in closer to him. "It's so fucking good to see you. I was so worried..." He muttered, pulling her into a hug, as if to make sure that she really was fine, that she really was there and it wasn't just the painkillers pulling tricks on his mind.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for making you worried. I didn't..." He didn't expect it, he never thought that would happen. It was stupid of him to think that, of course. To think that he had enough security, to think that he could trust everyone he had hired for that exact reason. "No, no, don't say it... It's me who is sorry, okay?" He moved slightly away from her, only so he could cup her face in his hands. "I'm sorry." Elliott understood, he knew he was going to have to tell her everything. The remaining significant detail of his life to her, but... He just wanted to be there with her now. "I will tell you. I promise. Can you just..." He didn't want to ask her to give him time. It wasn't fair, but he felt utterly selfish at that moment.
where: tonopah valley medical centre
who: @elliottortegax & niko dimopoulos
He and Elliott hadn't exactly become the best of friends during their first meeting at his restaurant -- no, quite the opposite, in fact -- but regardless of how they felt about each other, there was no denying that they were each important components in Mikayla's life. At that point in the night, he'd left the room so that she and Penny could have some time alone, knowing that she'd be released in a few short hours once the doctors finished up some tests, and figured that now would be as good a time as any to pay him a visit.
"Elliott." The male greeted as he stepped into the room, nodding to one of the nurses as she made her exit. Hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes scanned the hospital room, a sense of discomfort washing over him. He hated hospitals, ever since he'd pretty much had to live in one for months after his injury. "They're clearing her for a concussion. She should be good to go home in a few hours." Niko informed him, figuring he'd want to know how his daughter was doing.
At least she got to go home. At least there wasn't any significant damage done to her. Though emotionally? He wasn't sure what kind of impact that whole experience would have on his daughter. Nevertheless, Elliott was grateful for Niko, for what he had done. For the man did what he couldn't. "Thank you." He said, not to the nurse, but to the man now standing in front of him. "For it all." He cleared his throat. Elliott knew when there were moments to hold his head high and when gratitude was meant to be portrayed. This one, he really meant. "For everything. For getting my daughter, for making sure she was okay. And also for me, too." Though he understood, this wasn't done for him. "What's the situation now? With Giovanni, with the people there?" Because Elliott wasn't going to let this go.
Yes, he had made mistakes. Yes, he had stayed with the Enterprise because he knew that this way, he could have made Mikayla safe. But now? Now that the man dared to touch his daughter? Dared to lay a single finger on her?
Elliott didn't know what he could do, never being one to turn to violence, but it was still making his blood boil.
Lydia: what??? am I okay?
Lydia: elliot, penny just called me to tell me you and your daughter are in the fucking hospital. im on my way there.
Lydia: what happened???
It seemed like nearly everyone Penny cared about had ended up in the hospital after the festival weekend. She was grateful that Will and Mikayla's injuries hadn't been quite as severe, but she'd be lying if she said her heart hadn't sunk when she discovered Elliott's state. She'd been by to visit the past few days, taking over when Lydia needed to work or be home with her son and sending periodic updates, but every day passed without much change. At least he was stable, the doctors reassured them, but it was little help in easing her concern.
She had dozed off in the chair beside his bed and was startled awake when she heard his voice and the erratic movements as he tried to leave the bed. "Elliott, hey." She stood, grabbing his shoulders to keep him in place in the bed. "She's okay. She's with Niko. You're going to hurt yourself more if you keep pulling out your IVs."
It took Elliott a few moments to understand where he was and who it was talking to him. "Shit." He placed her hands over Penny's, trying to indicate that he was going to try to be better. Yet still, he didn't like the feeling of the IV's sticking in his arms or the simple fact that he was there. "How...?" He wasn't even sure if Penny was the right person to ask. Everything was so messed up and he felt pain not only from the injuries, but from everything which had occurred. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?" Because really, he didn't know if they'd have gone for her, too. After all, she was Mikayla's mother and given what Giovanni had done, he wouldn't have put past him. "Lydia..." He said again, looking around the room before his eyes finding Penny's. "She's okay, too?" He hoped.
"Why are you here?" It wasn't a question to accuse her, he simply wanted to know.
The hours ticked by one after the other, and while Nikolaos Dimopoulos was not the type to stand idly by, he'd recognized the importance of giving the benefit of the doubt from time to time -- at least when it came to his relationship. But at a certain point, at the twelfth hour of no word from Mikayla during her 'business trip' to Las Vegas, the location she'd shared from her phone still stagnant in it's position at the hotel she'd be staying at past checkout, he knew that something had to be very, very wrong. Though concern, worry, fear struck him to his core once the realization hit, he remained calm.
The type of calm that was often unsettling.
The first step was calling the hotel, offering up the name Mikayla typically used as she 'worked' under the guise of her personal assistant in need of an invoice. Thankfully, to his luck or perhaps his uncanny ability to sound convincing over the phone, it only took moments for the detailed receipt to be sent right to his inbox where he saw – Endeavor Property Holdings. Immediately his mind sprung back to the only place where he'd ever seen that name: Mikayla's article.
Jaw clenched tightly, his composure slipping for the briefest moment as he abruptly stood, the kitchen chair he'd been sitting on immediately toppling to the ground from the sheer force. Giovanni. This was all his doing, the silent waiting game they'd been playing for weeks now finally coming to a head.
He should have known, should have suspected this could be a trap. Foolish of him to think Giovanni wouldn't step outside the town line to conduct his sadistic fucking mischief, if only because he rarely did himself in all his years with Los Santos.
Moving to the office, he opened up his laptop and did a quick search for Endeavor Property Holdings, writing down each address registered with the company, cross referencing with the current operations, how long they'd been in business, any particular financials...until he came to an unusual one. A building that'd housed a small furniture store for a few years before closing up shop, and yet the address -- the Las Vegas address -- was still registered to the company.
Even better, Endeavor Property Holdings had been actively making payments this entire time.
This had to be it. And, if not it, then at the very least something.
Moving over to his bedroom closet, the male opened up his gun locker and pulled out two semi-automatic handguns, as well as a bulletproof vest, tactically strapping them to his person before pulling out his phone and dialing the only person he knew he could trust.
There was a temptation for Stef to just let his phone ring, irritation building at the sound of it vibrating as he pulled it from the pocket. Squinting at the screen in annoyance he only answered once he saw the caller ID.
"I need you for a job." Niko said by way of greeting, knowing Stefanos was the last person in the family that would take offense to his urgency. Closing up the gun locker, he pulled a thick shirt over the vest, along with a dark colored jacket, heading out of his room and towards the door.
There's relief rather than offense at the lack of pleasantries between them when Stef always preferred to get to the point. It's shown in his brief response, though part of him considered it something that his cousin should already know. "You got me."
"Small operation, but bound to be bloody. I'll explain on the way." Niko didn't expect Giovanni would house a lot of men wherever Mikayla was being kept. If anything, the less eyes, the better, even if this entire thing was sloppy. Perhaps the CEO was getting desperate.
“Is it gonna be a long one?” Stefanos’ question wasn’t asked out of concern for himself, not when as long as he had time left to give it’d be given to his family without a second thought. Niko could have as much time as he needed, though the urgency in his voice seemed to suggest that time was of the essence.
“It’s ninety minutes out,” Niko replied, “if we’re smart we should be in and out in less than an hour. I’ll be there in five.”
Stef’s mind had gone to his dog, reluctant to leave him alone in case they got tied up, especially when the malinois had taken after his master a little too much with how few people he liked. But a plan was already forming in his mind without really waiting for Niko's response. “I’ll get someone to stop by for Titan.”
Stef fired off a text to his neighbour and with the minor obstacle now taken care of, the man sprung into motion. Vague grunt of acknowledgement was given to the few details that Niko provided, pulling out what he needed from his tightly organised closet accordingly. Nondescript clothes and a bulletproof vest. Guns and rounds were then stashed on his person, even picking up a small knife in case it ended up getting a little more up close and personal.
"And Stef? It's...personal," Niko swallowed thickly, getting into his car. "But I need you to prepare as a professional. Got it?" He spoke as he drove, his mind racing as fast as he sped down the highway as he worked to connect the dots, to strategize with the very limited amount of information that he had. Despite the worry – dare he say, the fear – that gripped at his chest in anticipation for the state Mikayla might be in, the brutality she must be experiencing, he kept a level head, a calm disposition. The last thing he needed was to lose his grip, and he was confident that with Stef by his side he could do just that.
Another might have paused at Niko's next words, shown some hesitation or surprise at hearing the admission, pressed for details or remarked on the way that his voice seemed to have grown tight with emotion. But not Stefanos. He barely missed a beat before uttering his clipped reply of “Say no more.”
The pair of them had always been similar enough that he felt safe predicting how his cousin might feel. If his twin had been his other half, possessing all the traits that he lacked, then Niko was his mirror image reflecting so much of himself back at him. It was maybe an assumption that the other would feel uncomfortable with his brief display of emotion but Stefanos knew that if their roles were reversed he'd have wanted to move on from the vulnerability of it immediately.
Final check was given to the space around him, ensuring he had what he needed for whatever lay ahead of them. Satisfied he was prepared enough for what they would face, he locked up and waited on his porch. “I’m ready.”
At five minutes on the dot Niko was pulling up to Stef’s place, and only moments later they back on the road and heading west, close to the California border. Silence fell over their drive at first, the former capo attempting to collect his thoughts before deciding it was time to give his cousin an explanation – at the very least, it would provide insight into what they were doing. The why of it all didn’t typically matter; whether it was Stef’s call or his call, there was an innate trust between them where they knew that whatever they were doing was necessary.
“You saw that article that came out a few weeks ago. In the Tribune, about Giovanni Ricci.” It wasn’t a question – of course he did. Stef had his ear to the ground just like he had. “The person who wrote it, she’s my girlfriend.” Niko’s eyes briefly flickered over to the other male, knowing that he’d divulged he’d been seeing someone but leaving it at that. “She went to Vegas last night, was supposed to be back this afternoon. I did some digging. I think he’s got her.”
Niko shook his head. “I don’t think he’s stupid enough to take her for payback alone, I think he’s probably trying to get her to reveal her sources. She’s just stubborn enough not to give ‘em to him.” A slight, humorous scoff fell from his lips, his expression turning dark only a moment later. “I’m not planning on leaving anyone in there alive.”
Stef had little to say in response to Niko's revelations on their drive over, hardly feeling as though there was any need for his additions. Acknowledgement had been given when it was needed, the odd nod or grunt, finally speaking only when his cousin had made his intentions for the kidnappers clear. "You got it."
–
The building was a far cry from the boutique furniture store that was shown on a few old Google photos, but it hadn’t been hard to find. He turned his headlights off and parked on the very edge of the lot, Niko’s Bentley shrouded in darkness as the two of them cased the joint.
Two Escalades parked right beside the building, yet no one inhabited them. Gun drawn, Niko motioned for Stef to follow him toward the back door, pressing his ear against the cool exterior. Immediately he could hear the sound of two men speaking, the aloof, casual cadence of their voices causing him to tense up in anger.
A shoulder against the door frame, Niko held up two fingers to his cousin and then pointed towards the door, before motioning for him to come closer. His finger moved to rest on the trigger, his free hand wrapping around the metal knob, and he nodded towards Stef before swiftly opening the door and shooting the man on the left square in the chest whilst the other took the man on the right.
Swift nod was given in response to Niko's instruction. Stef could practically feel the tension rolling off his kin. The stakes were high and emotions along with them but Stefanos had always been able to play at being the calm in any storm. Shifting so that he could take aim through the ajar door, he lifted his gun and pointed it where his cousin wanted, exhaled and shot. The thud he heard moments later signifying that he'd hit his target.
“Clean.” Niko complimented Stef as he stepped over the bodies, his boots narrowly missing the pool of blood beginning to expand out on the floor.
"Always." Humourless smile tugged at the corner of Stef’s mouth after his quip left it. Taking the life of another maybe should have been a heavier thing - the weight of a life was supposed to be something he carried around with him, wasn't it? - but Stefanos had pulled the trigger enough times it felt almost as natural as breathing. Nothing more than a reflex, an instinct now.
There'd be time for overdue guilt one day but in that moment he only cared about doing what Niko needed.
Niko’s ears perked up upon hearing the sounds of frantic footsteps above them, and he nodded towards the stairs and began to ascend. Obviously these men were pure grunts, no substance by how frantically they seemed to be moving about.
The sounds of gunshots were unmistakable, and they were getting closer. Mikayla should have felt some sort of relief that someone was coming for her, but the man in front of her eyes went wide with fear, a similar feeling taking her over. People did reckless things when they were nervous or afraid, and the gun in his hand and the frantic gaze between her and the hallway was enough to tell her this might not end well for someone. There was nothing she could do, her hands and feet bound to the chair beneath her – though even if they weren’t, the bruises and swelling around her body surely would’ve made escaping past the two men nearly impossible.
“You can get away before they get here,” she murmured in an even tone, hoping to reason with them. “You won’t get out alive if you don’t.”
“Shut up!” the second man hissed. In a few long strides, he made his way across the room to her, slamming the butt of the gun against her head and moving the gag back into place.
Once upstairs, Niko turned the corner to see one of the doors slightly ajar, raising his weapon and slowly pressing forward until he was beside the door frame. Through the opening, a man stood with his gun drawn, facing towards the inside of the room as he shouted commands to what sounded like another person. Brows narrowed and he listened a bit closer, the groans of a woman under duress becoming more and more apparent. He swallowed thickly. Mikayla.
“You.” Niko mouthed to Stef, gesturing to the man in the sliver of the doorway, squatting down low to give him a clear shot. “And then we…” He clenched his fist, motioning towards the room. Once he was confident that his cousin had the shot, he held his head down to allow him to take it, pushing into the room a moment later.
Standing tall, Niko pointed the gun at the forehead of the first man – the only man – that he saw, jaw clenched tightly as he realized that he was pointing his gun elsewhere; right at a bound and gagged Mikayla’s head.
Mikayla was afraid to move, to speak. The instinct to plead for her life grew more with each tense passing moment. She looked at the two men, one unfamiliar but looking so much like her boyfriend he could only be one of his many cousins, and then her eyes locked on Niko’s. She could feel the trickle of blood through her hair down the back of her neck, head swimming from the earlier impact.
“Don’t move a fucking muscle!” The grunt shouted, pushing the gun further against her temple. Quickly, Niko was able to deduce two things: one, based on his body language he could tell that this guy was nervous. He wasn’t told that there was a possibility of violence. In fact, none of this was anticipated – at least not this quickly. Two, there had been more people here only moments ago, judging by the way the room had been laid out. Perhaps Giovanni himself had also been here, perhaps they could even catch him if they moved fast enough.
However, for once in his life Niko wasn’t thinking about the smartest thing to do. He was thinking of what he wanted to do.
Stef moved into the room behind his cousin, instantly coming to a stop as he took in the scene before him. Brief internal debate waged, wondering if he should try to go after the others but the idea was quickly shot down when he caught how jumpy the kidnapper looked. One sharp movement from either of them could end in tragedy.
So he stayed still, reading both the kidnapper and his cousin's body language, never for a second doubting that Niko didn't have the situation under control.
A sigh escaping him, Niko met Mikayla’s gaze for a brief moment, attempting not to fixate on all the pain and anguish evident in her wide-eyed stare. Stay calm. Don’t get emotional. “Close your eyes.” Niko advised her sternly. He looked back up at the man, a cruel grin twitching at the corners of his lips as he shook his head.
“Amateur.”
Niko took the shot, the bullet immediately piercing the kidnapper’s forehead and propelling his body backwards, blood spurting in all directions. Mikayla flinched as the gunshot echoed off the walls, blood and gore splattering across her face. A stillness fell over the room, and Niko quickly cased the area before calling back to Stef. “It’s done!”
Niko let out a large breath, pushing his gun back in his holster before switching gears, immediately moving to tend to Mikayla. “You’re okay, baby – hey, you’re okay.” His tone was soft, calm as he began to undo her binds, removing the one from her mouth first before working on her wrists, her ankles. “I’ve got you.” Once undone, he knelt down, meeting her at eye level and taking her face in his hands, his thumb brushing away the fresh blood that had just been spilled from her cheek. “It’s over, it’s done.”
Mikki’s whole body shook, the adrenaline of the moment coursing through her veins and washing the fear along with it. She had never stared death in the face in the same way she had tonight, and though she knew Niko had blood on his hands from his past, knowing and seeing it for herself were two very different things. He was lethal, and all of the warnings he had given her before about the kind of person he was finally felt real.
A sob ripped forth from her throat and she threw her arms around him, holding on for dear life. “I’m so-sorry. I-I-I shouldn’--” her voice cracked. “I shouldn’t have come tonight...”
Niko shook his head, squeezing her tightly, securely, in his arms. “This isn’t on you.” He assured quietly, his own cheek now stained from the blood that matted her dark locks. “None of this is on you.”
Feeling too much like an intruder to a private moment as Niko's attention shifted to his girlfriend, Stef made his way through the room towards where others might have made their escape. Methodically he checked the rooms finding them all empty - bar one. Two men lay within the last room, one with a gun in his hand, the other tied to a chair looking worse for wear. Decision was made quickly, shot fired at the kidnapper before checking on the man in the chair. There was a vague sense of familiarity that reassured him that he’d made the correct choice, relief felt when he could feel a pulse beating in the other’s neck. With a sigh he threw the man’s arm over his shoulder, balancing his weight before he made his way slowly back towards the lovebirds.
He made sure his footsteps were heavy on his approach, not wanting to startle them or interrupt at the worst possible moment. Clearing his throat as he re-entered, Stefanos cut straight to the point, though the man he was propping up would likely have drawn attention regardless. "Assuming he’s with you?” Brow raised, question aimed at the woman before gaze moved back towards his cousin, confirming that there was no one else left to worry about.
Niko turned to look at Stef, another heavy sigh escaping him as he recognized the man passed out at his side. “Ah, shit.” He muttered.
Hearing Stef’s footsteps, Mikayla looked up in time to see the man dragging an unconscious Elliott into the room. Another sob left her and she nodded, moving to stand and stumbling in the process. “Oh my god, what did they do to him? Is he alive?” She didn’t wait for an answer, instead making her way to them and checking for herself. He was beaten and bloody, probably as much as she was, but he was alive. That’s what mattered.
“He’s breathing,” Niko assured, following close behind Mikayla and wrapping a hand around her arm, pulling her closer to him in an attempt to keep her steady. He could imagine adrenaline was coursing through her at a mile a minute, knowing that she’d more than likely be in absolute anguish once that wore off.
“No sign of anyone else." Stef’s eyes traveled over the room, wondering if there'd be anything useful that they should pick up. But even with the option of evidence he had no desire for them to linger. "We should get out of here."
Niko nodded. “You get him in the back seat, make sure he’s still breathing.” His eyes flickered between Elliott and Mikayla. “They’re both going to need medical attention. We’ll tell the docs in the ER that they were mugged.” As much as Niko preferred to avoid formal hospital settings considering the risk of police intervention, he knew it was warranted here.
Taking one last glance around the room, Niko steeled himself and gently lifted Mikayla up in his arms. He met his cousin's gaze, giving him a knowing look – one that expressed all the gratitude that he wasn’t able to verbalize at that moment – before nodding to the door.
Elliott wasn't sure if he had asked this out loud, not even sure if his eyes had been opened. He could understand where he was, he could smell the bleack of the hospital, could feel various tubes stuck to him and the sound of the evenly beeping machine. Yes, he was in the hospital. He also knew why.
The events may have been somewhat of a blur, but he knew. Giovanni did what he did best - dealt with a situation in cruelty. While in the past, Elliott had only heard about the things the man had done, it was a first for him to experience it. A first to see his daughter being put throguh it while he wasn't able to do anything at all.
He didn't much mind for the torture he had entailed, but he very much minded for what they'd done to her.
With a sudden burst or revenge energy, Elliott opened his eyes, grabbed onto whatever was sticking into his arm and pulled it out. "I need to go." He muttered, still delirious from the pain killers. "I..." He muttered only now realising how much pain he was in, how unstable he was. Breathing heavily, he looked around, "I need to... Where's..." He needed his assistant, he needed to know how anyone on his team allowed this ti happen.
Lydia wrinkled her nose in faux-disgust. "God no. No offense, babe, but there's a reason I work for myself and only myself. We'd drive each other nuts." She was a control freak at best, and had learned early on in her teens and college years that working under others was not one of her greatest strengths. The redhead was always convinced there was a better way to do things, to perform certain tasks, and had a hard time hearing 'no' whenever she'd be shot down. Hell, even working with her mother early on in her first few years at the bakery had been a learning curve, only amended by the fact that Meredith was somewhat of a pushover. Lydia was a lot more like Harold in that aspect, something she didn't always like to think about. "I do, and that's fine. Just as long as you realize that you'll be wrong more often than not."
Brows arched when Elliott covered her mouth with his hand, unable to help the little eyeroll that followed. "Okay, okay." Even though she was dying inside to hear about any updates, to delve deeper into the topic, she respected it was a heavy one and that they'd take it as slow as he needed. "Please, I don't need a winery to get you to do that." She teased, lifting another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "Everything is going well, though. Like, even better than expected if you can believe it." Lydia beamed, excitement overtaking her. "It's to the point where I'm definitely going to need to hire more help, for the tastings especially. I'm also trying to build some relationships with other businesses in town, get some events going -- paint and sips, book clubs, pretty much anything." Busy didn't even begin to cover how occupied she'd been, but one thing was for sure. She was happy. "I surely wouldn't complain if you wanted to take some brochures for the Mayfair, though. Y'know, if you wanted to." Lydia remarked playfully, with a bat of her eyelashes.
There was truth to that. Lydia knew exactly what she wanted and how she wanted things, especially now that she was finally stepping into doing the things she anted. She was really growing into herself and Elliott was mesmerised watching that. He always found her great, but to see her doing the things she wanted? Doing them how she wanted? It was a whole different thing all together. Besides, Elliott himself had his own ways of working. Having built what he had over the years, there were specific things he needed to do. And the Enterprise kept breathing down his neck in any case, a thing he wanted to be out of, but stayed for the sake of his daughter. "Yeah, maybe you're right." But he still wanted to do things for her, whatever she needed because already, Lydia was coming to events with him that maybe she wouldn't have wanted to. But she was still there, at his side, letting him introduce her to all these people.
Instead of answering, Elliott shot a quick glance to see if the kids were focused on themselves before leaning over and gently kissing her on the lips. Just because he wanted to. "I can see that." He smiled, once he settled back into his seat. "Do you need help hiring?" He asked, with a massive grin, obviously still trying to preach his help to her. "If you don't want me anywhere near, I can lend you my assistant. He knows everything best and you won't have to be annoyed by my presence?" James knew pretty much everything and anything. Anything Elliott asked, he got; it would be the same for Lyds. "I wasn't going to ask, but you know I will. I can put the wines on the menu if you'd like?" He didn't want to ask before because of how controversial it could be, given his business was already massive. Yes, of course he'd do it, but this needed to come from her, and Elliott was happy she asked. "Anything you want, you got it."
"Not really. Dances were never my thing." She shrugged again. "Besides, I had nobody to go with and that's pretty much the whole reason for it, right?" It wasn't that she didn't have the occasional crush so much as she never pursued any of them. She was focused on getting the best grades she possibly could, and dating didn't contribute to that goal.
"Are you a hopeless romantic then? I have a tendency for daydreaming, but rarely pursuing things. Mami's always been bolder and more fearless when it comes to what she wants." A sad smile came to her lips at the thought. She wished she could ask for more stories of her parents when they were younger, but she could only imagine how he felt about her now after everything. Would it hurt him to talk about? "He challenges me, in a good way. Dating is new territory for us both, and we're learning things together, what works for us. It's still new, so it's hard to say how things will go, but... I do really like him. Maybe I can introduce you to him sometime soon."
"Ah... Well, I am actually not bad at dancing myself. It's the blood in me passed on for generations, though I'm not sure how you'd like to see that." He was joking, of course, seeing if the two of them could actually do that too. It was like even in this short meeting, Elliott wanted already to know a lot, maybe too many things. Try out different sides of conversations to cover all the times he had missed. "I hope we are going to be able to spend more time together." He smiled at his daughter.
"I guess I am? A little at least?" He grinned. "Flowers and gifts kind of guy. What is it that kids these days say? That's my love language? Words of affirmation?" That had followed him through most of his life. "Ah, yeah. Penny always went for what she wanted. It was how we got together, too. While I would have tiptoed and tested the waters, she was the bold one. I started liking her.. Maybe first? But was too much in my head, not wanting that to ruin our friendship. She was my best friend, you know. But she was the brave one and just went for it. As soon as she did, I didn't care for the worries, as it got me her." He didn't mind talking about it at all.
"Ah, I'm about to go all dad mode on you and want to vet him." But he was joking, of course. Well, party. He had always wanted only the best for Mikayla. "I would be glad to meet him, whenever you're ready to introduce him."
Nate's brow only arched at hearing that a supposed friend knew - sure, he was only hearing Elliot's take and there was always two sides to the same story and then the truth, yet he could only go off on what he was being told here and now, and his instant opinion was that Elliot needed to get himself better friends. He soon chuckled - it's humourless, "Yeah it will." take some time, that was. "It's not something you just get over because other people want you to." which he felt was a fair opinion to share. "She's thirty - an adult, you missed out on a lot and that's fuckin' shit. Does she want to know you, or has that ship sailed?" he wondered if Elliot would even be able to connect with his daughter, considering her age, or whether it'd be more a thing of him having to because she was.
"Easier said than done." He shook his head at that. Everyone wanted him to understand faster, to get through it faster, so he felt some pressure to reach some sort of finish line. He already was making the steps with his daughter, which was great, but then it was her mother, Penny, that he had to understand a little faster. "Don't really..." The man clicked his tongue, shaking his head, he still didn't have an answer. "I did, but I'm going to try to make up the time with her somehow. No, we've already had a meeting which I think is going as well as it could? She doesn't trust me, but that's a given." Then, after a short pause, Elliott started to laugh. "You know she had her boyfriend look into me? Went to see him and it was this whole thing 'I'm protecting her'... I swear, never had that with my son."
Ian scrunched his nose, contemplating for a moment. "Nahhhh, I'm good. Sounds really shitty if I'm being honest." If there was one thing that the male loved, it was letting out a long string of complaints about things he would end up doing nothing about. Well – maybe loved was the wrong word, but it was absolutely a habit he’d gotten relatively comfortable with. “Right. Money, happiness – same thing. I do still want to know where you get your pillows at, by the way. Feels like sleeping on a cloud.” On more than one occasion Ian indulged in one-too-many at the Mayfair’s bar and had to get a room, something he was never unhappy about doing. The man before him knew how to be hospitable, that was for sure. “Mmh, I’ll pass. Human bodies are a lot less complex, I'll stick to what I’m good at. And what I took out a shit ton of student loans for – unless, you’re offering to pay for alien anatomy courses, that is. Prob’ly real expensive, but I’d attribute all my success to you.”
Shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Sometimes, yeah. But it’s not about me, y’know? Not in those situations. That’s not to say I let myself get attached, though – that just leads to disaster.” One he’d seen far too many times happen to his peers. “It’s a balancing act.”
Ian let out a low whistle. “Suing the school? Jesus. You trying to make ‘Elliott Ortega Middle School’ a thing?” he joked, though there was a touch of concern laced in his tone. “You don't think that's a little...I don't know, much? Does Lydia know you're doin' that?”
It wasn't like Elliott could disagree. While maybe money didn't offer the intrinsic happiness, it did offer a comfortable life for his and his loved ones. A life where they didn't have to worry and have things that they wanted. He wasn't so oblivious to the amount he had, nor what he was able to do with it. Just because he never wanted to be anything like... Well, his ex wife, to put it simply. "That's a trade secret. Though if you want, I could get a couple delivered to you? Could do the same for the hospital?" He did participate in a lot of charities, not that he would ever think Ian as one, but it was the whole thing of taking and giving. He liked to give back to the community.
"Ah, Aliens. Sure, go ahead. Why don't we start a trip to the moon while we're at it? I'll get you, Mayfair' uniform so the world would know who supported you. Maybe even throw in some alien hat type thing." He smirked, patting the other on the shoulder.
With the way that Ian handled Marcello's situation, Elliott would always be grateful to the man. That and he saw how capable he was at doing what he was doing. "Which you do well. I feel I still owe you a massive debt for what you did with 'Cello."
Elliott laughed at that, letting out a sigh. "It might sound a bit dramatic, but come on. Someone came in who was new and they just let him take the kid? Are you kidding me? It wasn't as if he was pouched when he was leaving, they let them walk out." It was still something which bothered him and what he wanted was to make sure that it never happened again. That Landon would be able to go to school with ease. That Lydia wouldn't have to worry every time something strange happened. "Hey, it's better than sending the kid with security to school, right?" He tried to ease it. "Yeah, she knows. I don't think there's anything the woman doesn't know. Even if I wouldn't tell her? She'd find out." He was talking with love in his eyes. Yeah, Elliott was back where he was with her all those years ago.
Devon just kept quiet, not wanting to feed his regret. He was especially good at finding people but Penny hadn't been that hard to find. He didn't want to share that with him and make him feel worse but it made him wonder if Elliott had tried in a way that would actually yield real results. But it was far in the past now and he didn't think the finer details of that were worth spending time on. He listened to Elliott process his feelings, understanding what it was like to want time back. To wish different choices had been made. It was easy to think about what could've have gone differently now that they were on the other side but Devon was learning that no matter the past, the present was still the present. "The truth is that no matter what, there was probably never a way you could have had that and still have had everything you have now. Good or bad. Doesn't make it right, doesn't mean you can't be sad or upset about it. But you're here, now, so what are you going to do with it?" He didn't say it harshly, rather in an encouraging way that told his friend he believed he could make the most of it once he had processed his hurt.
Devon let out a soft laugh, "Who says I've forgiven myself?" He shook his head. "I mean I'm working on it but I can't say I've succeeded just yet. Just that I'm trying. I think all of this shit takes time." In all honesty Devon felt like the guilt was eating him alive but his family and friends were what was keeping him afloat. "I guess I'm just taking it day by day man. Keeping myself busy. Letting it sit when it needs to and then keep moving. If I let it sit for too long, I think it'll take over and I'll never forgive myself," he admitted, not wanting Elliott to think he had it all figured out. "But I guess that's what growing up is,man. Fucking sucks,"he joked.
Devon was right, of course he was. Elliott understood that fully. There was nothing that dwelling on the past would bring him, nothing at all. What happened was already things that nothing could change and he needed to live in the present. Be happy that things had ended up the way they had ended. It could always have been worse, right? Shouldn't that had been the thought he always went on? "You're right, I know you are," he agreed. Maybe this was exactly what he needed to hear. Not that Penny didn't tell him exactly that, but most likely she just wasn't the right person in that moment to tell him that. Hearing it from Devon? Somehow, that made his brain click. "I think I got caught up in the past too much. Just thinking of all those moments I didn't have and trying to imagine of how things could have been. But yeah, you're absolutely right." He probably needed to call Penny, too. Apologize and start moving away from the past and into the present.
"Don't all things?" Everything in life wasn't just handed to them on a silver platter. "You working towards that is a big step already. Just don't let it eat you alive." While Elliott couldn't have understood how Devon was feeling, he didn't want to see his friend suffer. "At least now, I'm just a phone call away. Whatever you need." It felt strange to say, after so many years, always being at a distance. "What are the things that let you take your mind off it?" Yet, he grinned, letting out a low chuckle. "Yeah, it fucking sucks. I miss the days we didn't have to worry about shit."
Nate nodded lightly along as Elliot spoke, wanting to just give him that chance to say what he needed to. "Yeah I get that." He felt for him and he could understand the way he did feel. Sure, maybe eventually he'd push through and settle with it, but that didn't mean the thoughts of not being worth it would disappear. Nate figured that eventually they would, though these things didn't just vanish because you willed it to. "Do they know you, the people that knew?"
Elliott nodded, an almost sheepish smile curving his lips. "Yeah. One of them had been my best friend for years. Well, kind of from childhood. We were a group and then we kind of separated but kept in touch." Yet, of course, he understood Devon, didn't blame him, It wasn't his secret to tell, wasn't his thing to say. "Guess it's just shit. The only answer I'll ever get for it will be I didn't know how you'd react and I was scared and it was hard for me. It's not something I can say anything against, but the clarity just isn't ever going to be there. I just need to get over it but... It's taking some time now."
He nodded lightly as Elliot spoke, while he did take it all in, he didn't feel any real need to add anymore. It wasn't as if it was warranted either, it felt like a nice conclusion to why they were even talking in the first place, so they had that going for them.
Nate smiled; knowing Elliot for the man he had always been with his sister. He wasn't questioning him. However, he does feel slightly surprised by the news he had shared - his brows rose briefly in surprise before he shook his head, there was a clear look of disapproval on his expressions. "Yeah, it's shit." while Nate was past his shock when it came to Mia, he still sometimes found himself missing all the parts of her life he could have been there for. Sure, he was always there in the background, yet that wasn't quite the same.
"How'd you feel about it?" he asked, and it was genuine too. He thought Elliot was entitled to his own thoughts and feelings, knowing that they shouldn't be suppressed because he should just be a man about it. Nate struggled to start with when Olivia had told him about Mia, he couldn't even begin to think about how he'd feel if Mia was - however old - and he was only just finding out.
The acknowledgement made him feel slightly... Better? Maybe understood? There wasn't really a right word to describe it but he was glad it wasn't just you need to understand all sides. Not that he didn't try, not that he didn't want to settle on some sort of emotion... It just felt good to hear the simply it's shit. It's how he felt.
"Honestly? I feel like I missed thirty years of my daughter's life. I feel like somehow I wasn't worth contacting, wasn't worth meeting her." He sighed, running his hand through his hair. It felt heavy, still. And while he was getting to know his daughter, the simple fact was still there; he was never going to get those years back. "To know others knew, and I didn't? Well, shit, that makes me feel like a piece of shit."
