Title: The In-Between Job, Part 1
Artist: crescent_gaia
Author: caitriona_3
Fandom: Leverage
Characters: Eliot Spencer, Parker, Alec Hardison, Sophie Devereaux, Nate Ford
Rating: PG13/T
Genre: Drama
Warning: Minor violence
Disclaimer: If you recognize from page, screen, or anything official, then I don’t own it.
Word Count: 12,286 words
Author’s Note: Written for the Leverage Reverse Big Bang - I will attach a link to the fanmix as soon as I can. This was beta'd by an awesome lady named Tory who helped me tighten it up. Any errors that remain are all mine.
Summary: They always said you couldn't choose your family. When things go wrong during their down time between jobs, the Leverage crew learns "they" are sometimes wrong.


I hate it when the job involves kids; they don’t deserve this kind of crap. Plus, it always ends up being a tough job and it does a number on Nate. I really hate these types of jobs.

Eliot’s thoughts wandered as he watched the kids run back to their parents. It had been one of those times when he really wanted to just snap the bad guy’s neck. Nate had talked him out of it, pointing out the troubles the man would have in prison when word got out. A small, almost imperceptible sniff drew his attention around to Parker.

The blonde thief had her eyes focused on the smallest of the boys who was clinging to his dad. The corner of Eliot’s mouth twitched; the boy had been a handful on the way home. He wanted to know how to pick Parker’s padlock, whether Sophie’s diamond necklace was real, and if Hardison’s laptop could play Bugs Bunny. Eliot shook his head.

Forget Bugs Bunny; the kid acts like the Energizer bunny.

As he looked back at Parker, Eliot realized her eyes had a glassy sheen to them. He frowned. He had not seen her this upset since that idiot ghost whisperer wannabe reminded her of her brother. A quick glance towards Hardison found the hacker’s attention completely centered on his computer. Rolling his shoulders, Eliot shifted over to stand next to her. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye.

He gave her a slight smile and put a hand on her arm. He did not say anything.

She bit her lip. In a whisper-soft voice she began speaking. “He reminds me of my brother. Nick had that same kind of energy. He always wanted to know things.”

Eliot moved his hand up to her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She leaned into him for just a moment before pulling herself up and away. As her chin came up, he could see her mask drop down. With a sigh, he let go.

“You know where to find me.”

She gave him one of her real smiles before it dropped away and she moved to stand next to Hardison. The hacker continued his furious typing with barely a pause, and Eliot shook his head. He stepped up to Nate and Sophie.

She smiled at him. “Is Parker alright? She seemed…upset about something.”

“Yeah,” he replied. “She should be good.”

Nate raised a silent eyebrow and Eliot gave a slight shrug. “Nick.”

“Ah,” acknowledged the mastermind, an understanding look filling his eyes as he glanced over to their thief. Dropping the subject, he turned to Sophie. “The parents?”

“The money has been deposited from an ‘anonymous’ donor, and Hardison is finishing up the electronic trail now.”

“Good,” Nate replied, a small, sad smile gracing his lips. “They need a break. As soon as Hardison finishes…”

“And done!” Hardison exclaimed, interrupting their leader. He looked around with a large grin. “Everything’s in place; sometime tomorrow the ‘paperwork error’ will pop up and they get their house back.”

“So, we ready?” Eliot asked.

At the hitter’s question, Nate nodded. “Let’s go.”

The team climbed into the van. Each of them spared a final look and smile for the reunited family before they drove away. If some of those looks held longing or regrets, no one remarked on it. Eliot filtered out most of Hardison and Sophie’s chatter on the drive home. He kept a careful eye on the two members who had suffered the most during this job.

Nate’s eyes had grown dark once more over the past several days as they rushed to rescue the kids. No one mentioned Sam, but Nate’s avoidance of even a drop of whiskey spoke volumes about how close he walked to the edge. Generally Nate had no problem with a drink or two on the job, but when his memories of Sam got stirred, the drinking drifted from simple to desperate. The children needed him sober, so he stayed sober.

Eliot did not wager on that happening once they got home.

Much like Nate, Parker tended to focus on the job and then cut loose afterwards. If they did not have another job lined up pretty quickly, she would disappear on them. She would either hole up somewhere to lick her wounds in private or go on a break-in spree. Last time she had slipped the leash on what limited amounts of self-control she possessed, she brought them all presents from the British Museum.

Eliot still could not figure out what to do about that Ancient Egyptian book she decided to bring him.

He shook his head and stared out the window. He had to get some rest if he was going to keep an eye on them when they got back to Boston. Sophie would leave as soon as it became obvious that Nate intended to keep drinking. Hardison would basically disappear into cyberspace to catch up with his various geeky interests. Who knew which reaction Parker would have?

Have to make sure Nate gets safely up to bed. Sophie’ll come by in the morning with coffee, and Hardison’s there all night on the computer anyway. All I’ve got to do is get him upstairs.

With that decision firmed up in his head, he turned to glance at Parker. Her bright eyes stayed focused on the road in front of them. He frowned, narrowing his eyes. Her right hand twitched.

Damn; she’s going to go on a spree. How the hell do I track her after I get Nate squared away?

He could almost, almost, curse the day he had signed on with this crew. Before they came along, he had managed to lock every tender feeling and impulse behind bars of steel and walls of stone. He did his job, collected his pay, and moved on. Nothing touched him because nothing mattered. The only things he ever wondered about centered pretty much exclusively on when, where, and how he would be just a shade too slow, everything would be over, and he could rest.

Things had changed dramatically since meeting these people. Hardison managed to impress him, however reluctantly, with his technological genius. Sophie reminded him of the gentler ways that a job could be done, using grace and charm instead of force and pain. Nate, at least when sober, had earned his trust; despite everything, Nate Ford wanted to do what was right, and he wanted to rehabilitate this motley crew, not imprison them.

And Parker; what about Parker? No one could frustrate him as fast as the blonde thief did without planning it. And yet…she could get a laugh out of him quicker than anybody else. If he did not keep a close eye out, she would steal his bread knife – woman had to have five of them now. No matter who stood closest to danger, he always checked on her first if a job went south. She confused, delighted, flustered, and annoyed him – usually all at the same time. A snatch of a half remembered lyric popped into his mind.

I don’t have a choice, but I still choose you.

He had buried what made him human in the deepest recess of his psyche and padlocked the door. How the hell was he supposed to know he would one day run with a crowd that included the world’s best thief?

~*~

Alec Hardison may have been an easily distracted, geeky technophile, but his Nana had not raised any fool. When something smelled bad, you threw it out. She had taught him to apply that particular piece of logic to all kinds of circumstances…including relationships. In his Nana’s mind, relationships were a part of life; some worth keeping, some worth remembering; others just helped you grow. Sometimes you grew into a relationship; sometimes you grew out of it. When you grew out of it, everything needed to change. You either made a new relationship or you gave it up altogether. Doing anything else? Now that was both foolhardy and stupid.

His Nana could not abide either one.

So, when things started changing between Parker and him, he noticed. He watched as Parker tried to be his girlfriend, tried to stay in one place even when her instincts demanded she move. It hurt, the knowledge that he was causing her to change, but he was not sure how to fix it. How did he tell her that she should not change who she was…that he loved her anyway?

Hypocrite.

The thought stung. He loved her, he really did; just not enough…at least, not in the right way. He wanted a girlfriend. He wanted someone to be there for him. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted them to share at least some of the same hobbies and interests, while both fitting into the rather unique family to which he belonged. He wanted to spend some time together as a normal couple, going to dinner and the movies without having to watch her case the place or worry about what she said or did.

And that’s not Parker.

He winced as the thought crossed his mind. The thief had caught his attention with her quirky behavior and free-spirited ways, but their interests outside of the job did not actually mesh all that well. Parker tried so hard to be what he wanted, but it changed her into…well, into not-Parker. Parker couldn’t be what he wanted; he couldn’t be who she needed.

She needed someone who accepted her without expectations. She needed someone who could work around her quirks and foibles; someone who would make do. She needed someone who could follow her when she decided to run off. She needed someone who would listen as she waxed eloquent over this museum’s collection and denigrated that one’s security system. Most of all, she needed someone that would be her center, allowing her to shoot off into any given direction but always be there for her to come home.

And that’s not me.

He could not keep up with all of her museums, banks, or getaways. She did not understand his science fiction fandoms. He would get lost in his work and not notice when she needed a steady presence. She would pull one of her vanishing acts when he needed some couple time. Their schedules never matched; they kept coming so close but missing the critical link. They had a wonderful friendship, but the crush had not grown with it. They had grown out of their relationship.

Moving back instead of forward seems to me absurd.

As the line from a favorite song passed through his mind, he realized that he would have to be the one to end things. Parker had never really had a normal relationship. She did not get the chance to go through the usual minor crushes and heartbreaks like every other girl. She would not realize they had changed, changed so much in so little time.

Damn.

He did not want to do this. He hated giving people bad news, hated hurting them.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself some orange soda. Standing at the countertop, he stared into the living area. He watched as Nate began knocking back shot after shot of whiskey. He had known the last case hit home for their leader, but he did not realize it was going to be quite this bad. Sophie gathered her jacket, preparing to leave. Eliot stood leaning against the far wall, his arms folded across his chest and his head down. The hitter might have been dozing except for the intense stare focused on Nate. Hardison shifted his eyes to Parker.

The blonde thief shifted each time Nate took a drink. Her hands twitched slightly as she glanced around the room, and Hardison rolled his shoulders as her eyes moved from the windows to Nate to the door. She kept cycling between the three spots. Her shoulders hunched and gave a twitch.

He put down his glass.

Just as he began to adjust his weight to move, Eliot reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. Parker turned towards the hitter. Hardison watched as their eyes met. He frowned as they shared an entire conversation in that one look. Parker sighed and settled back on the chair.

Eliot.

Hardison contemplated the two of them for several minutes while his brain started piecing together various scenes and instances he had not previously connected. They bubbled to the surface of his mind. His eyes narrowed.

Flashback

They had finished the preliminary plan. They would leave for Newark in the morning to find the children.

“So, lasagna?” Eliot asked as he stood up and headed for the kitchen.

“Cereal.” Parker followed him.

Eliot shook his head. “You had cereal for breakfast and lunch.”

“I like cereal.” The blonde thief protested as she hopped up on the countertop.

He rolled his eyes. “I know. You can have more tomorrow.”

She shrugged and watched him start making everyone a homemade meal. He gave her a small nudge and frowned for a moment when she refused to move. With a sigh he pointed behind her.

“I need the knife.”

She twisted around and pulled it out. She smiled as she gave it to him. “You have a new bread knife.”

He pointed at her. “Yeah, and you leave it here. You’ve already got four of them stashed somewhere. You don’t need a fifth.”

She just smiled. He grumbled and went on fixing dinner, working around her when necessary.

End Flashback

Hardison stared at the pair. Someone who accepted her…worked around her…who let her be all the wonderful, strange and crazy things that made her Parker…who else but Eliot? Hardison had to wonder. Could he do it? Could he go around day-by-day and see them together? If not Eliot, then who else? That was the main issue. Hardison knew he was not who she needed, but would he trust anyone outside the team with her?

No.

He would accept it. Hell, he would even encourage it – because he loved her. Eliot would move Heaven and earth to take care of her. He would stand before the gates of Hell to protect her. Above all else, Eliot took Parker for what she was…with exasperation at times, with amusement at others, but always with acceptance. He steadied her in a way no one else could.

Hardison sighed. He had to talk to Parker.

Tomorrow. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. We’ve got to get Nate past tonight first.

~*~

Parker stared at him with confusion etching across her face. “I don’t understand.”

“Parker…” Hardison started.

“What happened? Did I do something wrong?” The blonde focused her eyes on him. Distress rolled off her. “I tried…I don’t…It’s me, right?”

“No, Parker,” he said. His hands reached for her arms but she jerked away. “It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault. We just don’t fit right.”

“What do you mean? I don’t know what that means.” Her voice quavered.

He heard the lost little girl hidden behind the woman and almost stopped. He nearly gave up in order to comfort her, but he took a deep breath and held on to his resolve. “Parker, sometimes people change, they grow apart from each other. We’re friends, good friends; we thought we were more, but it’s just not the right thing for us.”

“What did I do?” she demanded, her voice rising.

“You didn’t do anything,” he answered. Frustration furrowed his brow. She stepped back from him and sorrow darkened his eyes once more. “That’s just it Parker. We’ve changed. We’re not the same as we were a couple of years ago. Outside of work, we don’t have a lot in common; we don’t have things we share or do together.” He blew out a sharp breath. “We make good friends, great even. We just don’t make a good couple anymore.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes for a moment before a cold mask settled over her features.

He reached out. “Parker…”

“No,” she interrupted, voice rough with suppressed emotion. “You don’t…you can’t…” She stopped, visibly trying to pull herself back under control. He was watching her carefully, but between one breath and the next she dove for the nearest window and slid out it.

“Parker!”

She heard him calling after her, voice thick with concern. Instead of going down as might be expected, she scaled the wall to sit on the window sill above. Perched there, tears running in silent rivulets down her cheeks, she watched Hardison stick his head out the window and look down. He swung his gaze from left to right on the street trying to spot her. As he pulled his head back in the window, she could hear Eliot talking to him.

“What are you doing?” Eliot asked humor evident in his tone of voice.

“Looking for Parker,” Hardison replied.

She heard Eliot give a soft snort. “Out the window?”

“Yeah, man, well,” the hacker mumbled. “She was upset.”

No sound came from the window below for several long moments. Then she heard Eliot once more, but now the tone took on a darker feel. It was Eliot’s ‘don’t make me come over there and kick your ass’ voice. “What did you do?”

She wiped some tears away as she waited to hear the response.

Hardison took a deep breath and muttered. “Heart for a bullet.”

“What?” Eliot asked.

“Never mind,” Hardison replied. “I broke up with her.”

“Why?” came the incredulous question from their hitter.

The sound of a throat being cleared reached her ears. “We don’t fit right anymore.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Hey, man, what the hell do you think it means? Do you think I want to hurt her? We’ve been drifting, falling apart for a while now, and I figured I better do something about it. Parker wouldn’t know we were having problems…she’s never really done a relationship before.” Hardison’s voice had become defensive.

Eliot scoffed. “Having problems does not mean you just dump her! Did you even try to work on the problems? Or did you just go straight to the ‘moving on’ part of the talk?”

“Don’t you get it?” The hacker’s voice rose and fell in volume. He seemed to be pacing the kitchen. She tilted her head to try and hear better. “We’ve gotten too different. I’m not what she needs.”

“And that was the only reason?” Eliot’s sarcastic tone soothed her, giving her the sense that someone was totally on her side.

“I’ve gone over it again and again. Hell, man, I made lists! I need someone who fits with me, who likes what I like, does what I do. Parker needs someone to be her rock, to give her stability…someone who takes her exactly like she is and doesn’t want her to change.”

A long drawn out sigh drifted out the window. Eliot spoke in a soft, deadly voice. “I’m going to find Parker. You are going to wait for Sophie to get here and tell her about all of this.” Hardison tried to interrupt but Eliot steamrolled right over him. “I don’t care whether you want to tell her or not. Let her make the coffee and then you tell her. She’s going to have to help with Parker, and I’m not explaining your idiocy.”

“Look…” Hardison started.

“No,” Eliot interrupted. “I’m pissed at you, and if I thought it’d do any good you’d be down for the next few days. I don’t have time for you right now.”

A door slammed and she heard Hardison toss something across the kitchen. He looked out the window one more time before muttering to himself as he turned away. “Oh, that went well.”

She waited until he moved out of the kitchen before she made her way down the side of the building and began walking. She hugged her arms tight around her cold frame.

Why? Why do I screw up everything I touch?

Her tears started falling once more. Tucking her head down, chin resting on her chest, she struggled to walk to the nearby park. Once there she fell, more than sat, into one of the swings. Making scuff marks in the sand with the toe of her shoe, she rocked forward and back on the swing ever so slightly.

I just wish I knew what I did wrong?

As she sat, she thought about everything Hardison had said. She knew she had difficulties picking up social cues. It had never been important to her. While the scene played out in her head again and again, she wondered about her reactions.

Am I upset about the break up? Or is it because Hardison broke up with me?

Sophie had told her once about being in love and how it differed from being in love with the idea of love. The grifter had told her love meant taking the good with the bad, learning how to balance both sides. Parker knew Sophie loved Nate. Despite Nate’s drinking and occasional bouts of depression, Sophie kept coming back to him, kept trying to help him.

Did she love Hardison? Was she in love with love? Or just wanting something normal?

Nate told her one time that love would let you walk through any danger; it would let you trust beyond any limit. If that was love…to trust without question…did she love Hardison? Was she in love with Hardison?

Or did I just want to be?

~*~

Eliot took a deep breath as he spotted the blond hair and slumped shoulders. It had taken him a couple of hours to find her. There was a flash of anger in his eyes before he managed to push his irritation aside. He did not need to take it out on her. He walked over and crouched down in front of her, resting his arms on his thighs. He waited for her to look at him. As her red-rimmed eyes focused on him, he gave her a small smile.

“Hey, Crazy Girl, what are you doing out here?” he asked, keeping his voice low and his eyes soft.

“Hardison told you,” she replied, sorrow etched on her face. He just raised an eyebrow and she shrugged. “I went up.”

He nodded, needing no explanation to understand her words. “Sat on the windowsill above the kitchen to listen?”

“Yeah.”

“You want me to break his fingers?”

She gave a small sniff, but one corner of her mouth lifted. “No, not today.” He nodded.

Silence returned to the park for a few minutes. Eliot did not move. He stayed in his crouch, waiting for her to make the first move. She tilted her head as she stared at him. His lips twitched and she frowned in question.

He reached out and brushed her hair out of her face. “You reminded me of a kitten just now, all big eyes and curiosity.”

One corner of her mouth pulled up. “I like cats.”

“Of course you do, Miss Cat Burglar,” he teased lightly. “You’re a lot like them, sneaky, quiet, and you always land on your feet.”

“Not always,” she said, shaking her head.

He shrugged and ran one finger over her cheekbone and down her jawline to tap her chin. “Then I’ll be there to catch you.”

Her eyes focused on him for long moment before she stood up and began walking towards the picnic tables. As she passed him he rose and followed her. They sat in silence. A breeze came up, catching her fine hair, a few tendrils dancing in the air. She drew invisible, abstract patterns on the table with her finger as he waited for her to say something. His patience paid off when Parker finally looked at him as she propped her chin on her hand.

“I don’t understand.” Confusion and hurt etched across her eyes.

“I know,” he murmured, taking hold of her free hand.

She looked away from him. “I thought he liked me.”

“He did,” Eliot said. “He does.”

“Then why?”

He winced at the pain in her voice. He knew Parker’s past was less than ideal. The relationship with Hardison had been her first serious romance.

Damn it, Hardison, I am going to kick your ass for this. Where is Sophie when I need her?

He suppressed his irritation, not allowing anything to show on his face. Sophie was not here, and he would have to suck it up and deal with this. She started to pull her hand away, and his grip tightened. She lifted a moist gaze to meet his eyes.

He gave a half shrug. “I’m sorry sweetheart, but sometimes that’s how it goes. People change and they don’t fit so well anymore.”

“That’s what Hardison said, but I don’t know what that means.” The childlike expression on her face threw him for a moment. Parker may be naïve about social stuff, but she had never given off a sense of helplessness. Whatever her shortcomings, she always stood tough and stoic in the face of everything life cast at her.

He huffed out a breath. “It means you’re changing, and so is Hardison. The two of you just don’t match up anymore.” As she frowned, he shook his head. “Think about what you were like three years ago and look at you now.”

Her frown softened into a pensive expression. He began rubbing his thumb across her palm, trying to soothe her. After several long moments of silence she nodded. “We work together now, while I was always alone before.”

“Uh, huh,” he agreed. “What else?”

“Nate asked me to keep my extracurricular stuff to a minimum, and I actually do it,” she answered, a half-surprised, half-resigned look on her face.

He grinned at that one. “I think Nate asked all of us to do that.”

“Yeah, and it’s kind of funny that we listen.”

“Or don’t, as the case may be.” He lifted his eyebrows in emphasis. “Pretty sure Sophie and Hardison haven’t given too much ground. I don’t think Nate chose that subscription to Imbibe Magazine, do you?”

She gave a small gurgle of laughter before catching herself and frowning at him. He gave her a challenging look. “What else Parker? How else have you changed?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, glancing around.

He gave a soft sigh. “Sweetheart? What is the most important thing to you?” She frowned at him and he shook his head. “Seriously, Parker, think about it for a moment and don’t just throw out an answer. What was most important to you three years ago?”

“Money,” she replied, voice strong and sure.

“And now?”

She opened her mouth, but closed it again after a moment. Her eyes shifted away from him and she began to worry at her lower lip with her teeth. He could see various thoughts and emotions flicker across her face as she thought about the changes she had been through, the bonds she had formed in the team. Confusion, a dawning understanding, and an instinctive panic all passed through her eyes. As the panic crossed her mind, she began to shift, and he tightened his grip on her hand once more. Her eyes met his.

He gave her an intense look. “It’s not a trap…just a question.”

They sat in silence, their gazes locked. Parker’s hand trembled in his. She tried to speak more than once only to snap her mouth shut before a sound could escape. A glimmer of tears glazed her eyes once more. He stood up.

“Let’s walk.”

She rose and they walked out of the park side by side. He never let go of her hand. They wandered aimlessly through the streets in a shared silence. She put her head back and took in a few deep, cleansing breaths, trusting him to lead her while her eyes were closed. Being in motion always made her feel better, more free; it cleared her head.

“Family.”

Her voice came out of nowhere. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye but kept walking silently. She did not say anything else for several minutes, but began to hum softly. Finally she whispered quietly, “I’m so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childhood fears.” His hand tightened around hers and she glanced up at him but did not speak. He began to angle them back towards the bar. She had to be hungry by now, and they could always walk past if she was not ready.

~*~

Sophie Devereaux sighed as she reached for the doorknob. She could never stay after Nate began drinking in earnest. It hurt her too much to watch him implode. Eliot always took responsibility for putting him to bed.

I handle the morning after so much better. It’s easier to watch him put himself back together.

The silence struck her as soon as she entered. Her eyebrows lifted in a graceful arch as she stepped into the living room. Hardison sat on the couch, staring at the muted television with glassy eyes. The kitchen was empty and Parker nowhere to be seen. She looked back to the hacker.

“Hardison?”

He lifted a hand to acknowledge her, but never looked up, never spoke. Sophie frowned.

What on earth is going on?

She walked into the kitchen, her frown growing as she noticed the dishes still in the sink. Eliot never left without cleaning up. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Parker’s scarf. She dropped her purse on the countertop and started the coffee. She opened the refrigerator and, upon finding Eliot’s orange juice, poured herself a glass before walking back into the living room.

As she sat down on the chair she looked Hardison over carefully. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

He started in surprise and blinked at her. After opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, he finally slumped back against the couch. “What do you want to know?”

Sophie stared at him for a long moment, but he refused to meet her gaze. “All right, let’s start off easy, shall we? Where is Nate?”

“Upstairs…he hasn’t started moving around yet.” The hacker’s nonchalant shrug did not match his downcast eyes.

“Good; then he’ll be in time for coffee,” she replied, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth for a moment before she focused once more. “And where is Eliot?”

Now he truly slouched, his shoulders hunching slightly. “Looking for Parker.”

“Is something wrong with Parker?” she asked gently.

He took a deep breath before sitting up. He lifted his eyes, and hers widened at the sorrow deep within his gaze. “She took off out the window this morning.”

She put her glass down and reached out to place a soft hand on his forearm. “We knew Parker was going to go on one of her sprees.”

He shook his head. “Not like this.”

She frowned. “Alec?” His head jerked up at her use of his first name. She continued in her softest voice. “What happened?”

He sighed. “I broke up with Parker.”

She sat back surprised, but not truly shocked.

I didn’t think this was going to happen quite so soon.

Over the past few months, she had watched as the pair drifted apart. Parker’s need for unfettered freedom clashed with Hardison’s tendency to go to ground. What he thought homey, comfortable and safe; she found to be a stifling, dark entrapment. Sophie had talked to Nate, but he counseled her to stay out of it.

Flashback

“But Nate…” she protested, wanting to spare her friends the heartbreak.

“No, Sophie.” He shook his head before looking into the living room. “Parker and Hardison are good friends, and it was a good first relationship for Parker, but it’s not a long term thing. He wants something more permanent, someone waiting for him. That makes her feel trapped, so she flies off into one of her sprees. It leaves him feeling abandoned. On the other hand, his very hyperactivity doesn’t give her the stability she needs to truly feel safe. Until she feels safe enough to stay, she won’t and he’ll continue to feel that abandonment.”

She sighed and stirred her tea. “I know, I know. I just hate romantic break-ups. Besides if not Hardison, then who would ever manage to make Parker feel safe?”

He turned an amused gaze on her. “Oh, I’m sure there’s someone.” He turned and began walking away.

“Nate? Who are you talking about? Nate, you come back here!”

He just threw her a smile over his shoulder.

End flashback

She turned back to the hacker. “And she didn’t react well?”

He snorted. “I tried to be as gentle as I could, but she took it pretty badly. She asked me what she did wrong.”

Sophie winced. “What did you say?”

“What do you think I said?” he exclaimed, bouncing to his feet and beginning to pace. “I tried to explain it to her, tried to show her that she hadn’t done anything wrong and we’d just grown apart, but she just went right out the window.”

“And then?”

Hardison shrugged. “I looked outside the window to try and see her, but she vanished. Then Eliot came in.” He grimaced.

“Oh?” she inquired.

“Yeah,” he replied, walking over to fling himself back on the couch. “And he was pissed.”

“Why on earth was he angry?” she asked in confusion.

“Parker was upset.”

“So?”

“I don’t know, but there’s something there.”

A voice from the stairs interrupted. “Acceptance.”

They looked up to see Nate leaning against the bannister. Although his bloodshot eyes showed the remnants of his hangover, his face showed no signs of his dark night. As he lifted an eyebrow at their surprised looks, he continued down the stairs and strolled into the kitchen. Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he stared into the living room where the other two sat silently, waiting for him to speak. With a quirk of a smile he took a seat across from Sophie so he could see both of them. He took a long swig of coffee and then put the cup down on the table.

Leaning backward he focused on the two of them. “If you want my opinion, Eliot gives Parker the one thing she truly needs…acceptance. He takes her as she is. Even when he complains about something being wrong with her, he still accepts her. He doesn’t ask her to change; he just tries to catch her when she falls.”

Sophie’s eyes widened as she realized what he meant. “Stability,” she said.

Nate tilted his head towards her as he picked up his cup. Hardison leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. “And I didn’t.”

Nate rubbed his forehead and muttered, “There’s a curse between us.”

“What?” Hardison asked, looking up at him in confusion as Sophie directed a frown towards the leader.

“Nothing,” Nate replied. “Just a line from a song, so beside the point.”

Sophie leaned forward and patted Hardison’s arm. As the hacker turned to look at her, she gave him an understanding smile. “If you’re asking whether you were good for Parker? Yes, at first. You were exactly who she needed for her first romance. For the long term though, you two are too different.”

Hardison gave her a sad smile. “I know. That’s what I told her.”

Sophie opened her mouth to answer him, but her voice cut off as someone kicked in the door. A dark-haired man strode through the door and focused on Nate. Sophie flinched back from the crazed look in his eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Hardison typing a code into his handheld.

“You bastard!” The man roared even as Nate rose to his feet. Nate’s honest confusion seemed to infuriate the man even more. “You ruined everything! I almost had everything in my hands, but you interrupted my work! Two more shipments…just two more and I was set for life!”

Nate stepped forward. The man growled. He pulled a gun. Nate froze. Sophie’s breath caught.

“You ruined me,” hissed the invader. “Now I destroy you!”

The gun bucked in his hand twice. Sophie watched as everything went into slow motion. Nate’s body jerked as the two bullets slammed into him. It seemed to take forever for him to fall. As he hit the ground, everything sped back up.

“Die, you bastard!” The stranger spat at his fallen foe and strode out of the room.

Sophie found her voice at last. “Nate!”

~*~
Go to THE IN-BETWEEN JOB PART TWO


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