Looking For Ian

[Matthew Turner]

Matt's hands were shaking slightly as he made his way up to the house.
Angel had said she'd take him here, but he knew it was something he had to do alone.
He was anxious, nervous and many other words with a similar meaning, not sure what to expect or what was going to happen.
He knocks lightly on the door, before shoving his hands in his pocket, waiting, feeling like something heavy had lodged itself in his throat.

[Ian Hunt]

I hear a knock on the door.
A long moment passed, which meant Maddie wasn't around or she would have opened it by now.
I set aside the file on Heightington I'd been going over, and make my way downstairs, cautiously, remembering what had happened last time I'd got the door.
There's a completely unfamiliar man on the doorstep, not looking angry or glaring, looking more nervous come to think of it.
I relax again slightly, "Er...hi?"

[Matthew Turner]

Matt felt his throat dry up immediately.
He reminded him of dad.
"Hello." He says slowly, knowing he'd found him but having to check anyway. "I'm looking for Ian Hunt?"

[Ian Hunt]

"That would be me." I nod slowly, "Um...why?"

[Matthew Turner]

"Because-..." He stops, not wanting to appear completely insane within the first five minutes of meeting the guy. He holds out his hand, "I'm Matt."

[Ian Hunt]

I shake his hand, frowning slightly, "I would introduce myself but you seem to already know who I am so the endeavour would be pointless."

[Matthew Turner]

Matt smiles.
He spoke like mum.
"Yes, it would." He pauses, not sure how to say what he was going to say, "Do you have a minute?"

[Ian Hunt]

"Man, I have a fucking eon of time." I snort, stepping out of the house and shutting the door behind me, and lighting up a cigarette. "Not supposed to smoke in the house."

[Matthew Turner]

"Oh," Matt says, watching him for a moment, then looking out at the rest of the street, "You've done pretty well for yourself, I see. Nice place."

[Ian Hunt]

"It's not mine." I laugh slightly, "My girlfriend's."

[Matthew Turner]

"Your girlfriends? Oh right, I see." He says, "What's her name?"

[Ian Hunt]

"Maddie," I say guardedly, "Who are you? Why do you want to know this?"

[Matthew Turner]

"I told you, I'm Matt." He says, knowing he'd have to give a proper answer sooner or later, "Are you happy here?"

[Ian Hunt]

"What!? Yes-...no-...Yes, I am! Why the fuck are you asking me questions? And 'I'm Matt' does not tell me who you are or why you care or how you know who I am and you're going to have to tell me who you are, or I'm going to make you leave, alright?"

[Matthew Turner]

"Okay," Matt says calmly, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
Maybe he wasn't quite like how he'd imagined him.
Claire was right, of course he wouldn't believe, or trust, him at all.
Matt made a mental note to listen to his sister more.
"My name is Matthew Turner. I'm from Brampton, it's a place in Ontario, Canada. I'm 21 years old. I'm here because I'm looking for you and I know who you are because I've been trying to find you since I was 15. I care who you are and I care that you're happy because you're-...I'm-..." He stops again, finding himself unable to continue and just say it.

[Ian Hunt]

"If you've been looking for me since you were 15, that would be 6 years. 6 years ago I was 11. When I was 11, I had done nothing to piss anyone off. So, if you're looking for revenge for something I've supposedly done, like most people who come looking for me, you've either fucked up your arithmatic or you've got the wrong guy." I say in a low voice, then something he says sinks in, My name is Matthew Turner...Turner.
I look at him, "Your name is Matthew Turner."

[Matthew Turner]

"Yes," Matt says quietly, "And your name-...your real name is Christopher Turner."

[Ian Hunt]

"Yes." I say equally quietly.

[Matthew Turner]

"Two days before you were born, your father shot himself. A month later your mother hung herself." I say softly, "You were adopted sometime later...I'm not sure how long..."

[Ian Hunt]

"I was 6, when I was adopted." I tell him softly, "And I was adopted here. I've lived in England all my life. So don't say it." I warn him, "Don't even fucking think about what you're going to fucking say."

[Matthew Turner]

Matt pauses, "But it's true. You know it. You have a whole family, Christopher. Not parents, but...there's a lot of others. You siblings, and a niece and nephews and-...cousins, aunts, uncles...Christopher...you have a home. Where you were born."

[Ian Hunt]

"Don't call me that." I say coldly, "My name isn't Christopher and I'm not part of your family. So don't even say that I am. I don't know who you are, who you're working for or why and quite frankly I don't care, but it's fucking sick to mess with people about their family, didn't anyone ever teach you that, Matt, if that is your real name at any rate?"

[Matthew Turner]

Matt sighs miserably.
Claire was right.
"Does it not strike you as odd that I know what happened to your parents?" He says, thinking of any way he possibly could to prove what he was saying.

[Ian Hunt]

"Any idiot can do research. It wouldn't take much to find that out." I say scathingly.

[Matthew Turner]

"Then how would I know...how would I know...that you're named after your father? Our father. His name was Christopher too, but he spelt it with a 'k'. Your name is spelt with a 'ch' because mother was a Christian. Because she wanted you to have to the Lord's son's name. Of course, when you found out about that you thought it was stupid, you don't believe in God. You're an atheist, just like our father was, just like our sister is. You don't understand how there can be a God if He let's these things happen. I don't know you, or much about how you've grown up or what you think, but I'm willing to bet you're a lot like the rest of the family, even if you don't know it."

[Ian Hunt]

I stop immediately, turning back around to face him because I'd been just about to re-enter the house.
"How did-...?" I stop myself from speaking, this was stupid. "You know what? You're right. You're right about all of that, I guess. I never knew my parents, so I wouldn't be able to correct you even if you were wrong. But you were most right about the fact that you don't know me, you don't know how I've grown up, and you don't know what I think, so let me enlighten you. I think this is stupid. I think you're insane. I think you should stay the hell away from me!"

[Matthew Turner]

"Please...Chris..." He pleads, "Just listen. I'm your brother, I'm not lying. I wouldn't lie about this. I'm your older brother, and you have an older sister, her name's Claire, she's 19. When our parents-...died, you were taken away immediately, you were a month old, of course you were. But Claire and I, we got taken away by relatives. And-...when she was 13, she started asking questions about you, we-...we started looking. Turns out you'd been taken all the way to England, we tracked down your old family. The Hunt's and they said they hadn't seen you since you were 11. She's at home right now, home, Chris. Our home, where you belong. With your family. It's true. I swear to God, it's true. The story makes sense, just stop and think about it. Look at me, our eyes are the same colour, Chris. Just think...please..."

[Ian Hunt]

I pause, stubbing my cigarette out on the ground, "I don't-..." I start to say, then sit down on the steps to the house, "I'm not saying I believe you, but-...tell me about home then. About-...Claire, about you."

[Matthew Turner]

He smiles and sit down next to him on the step, "Well...er...home is pretty nice. Most of us live down the same street. It's real nice and quiet there. Not busy like over here. And Claire...she is the sweetest girl...really is. You two are a lot alike. She told me you wouldn't believe a word. She's got a son, Liam. I guess that makes you an uncle. Oh, and you're an uncle twice more with me. I've got a son and a daughter, Paul and Dawn. See, this here, is Claire and me..." Matt takes out his wallet, showing him the very small picture inside, "That was at her wedding. She's all grown up, see? And-...well, there's a whole load of cousins and aunts and uncles...but I won't list them...And-...well, there's a place for you, if you're interested. Back home, I mean, there's a place for you."

[Ian Hunt]

I look up from the floor, where my eyes had remained fixed while listening to him, "A place for me? What do you mean?"