Leverage Fic - Leverage Reverse Big Bang - Part 2
Title: The In-Between Job, Part 2
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.
THE IN-BETWEEN JOB PART ONE
~*~
Sophie paced the waiting room. She had forced herself to keep it together during the frantic moments at the loft and all through the ambulance ride. Finally alone for a moment, she allowed herself to shake while Hardison stood outside trying to reach the others. Her deep brown eyes glistened as they returned again and again to the double doors at the other end of the waiting room. A tear would streak down her face every few minutes, but she did not wipe them away.
She still had Nate’s blood on her hands.
Her body shuddered as she squeezed her eyes shut tight. So much blood still coated her hands. How much blood could one person lose? The coppery scent, the sticky feel made her nauseous, but she could not bear to leave the room. What if the doctor came in? Or maybe it would be a nurse with an update? She had to be here; she had to know.
“Miss?”
She turned a wide, tear-filled gaze to the speaker. An older woman stood there; a nurse who probably should have been retired by now. Her face seemed weathered and hard with experience, but her eyes glowed with a soft compassion. When she stepped forward and reached for Sophie’s hand with some baby wipes, Sophie choked back a small sob.
“Come sit down, Miss,” insisted the nurse, Bobbi, by her nametag. “Let’s clean you up while you’re waiting. We don’t even have to leave the room.”
Sophie followed her, docile and pliant as long as she could stay. Bobbi helped her remove her jacket and then began wiping the blood off her hands and forearms. The nurse kept her movements slow and gentle, even taking a few extra minutes to get to the red liquid under the grifter’s fingernails. Finally the nurse finished, but she did not let go of Sophie’s hand. Sophie raised her eyes to look into the woman’s gentle brown gaze.
Bobbi gave her a sympathetic smile. “Your friend has the best trauma surgeon in town working on him.”
She huffed out a shaky chuckle. “Of course he does. He wouldn’t be Nate if he didn’t.”
“Does Nate usually manage to get lucky when he’s in trouble?” came the curious question.
“Oh, yes,” Sophie nodded. “It somehow always works that way. He gets lucky or clever in hard times. Disaster always seems to strike when things aren’t in upheaval. Of course, I am not quite sure how that holds up with him being shot right now.”
“Trouble?” Bobbie asked carefully.
Sophie pursed her lips before giving a small shrug. She tilted her head. “We just finished a consulting job, and it had some difficult moments. Plus two of our coworkers are having personal issues.”
The nurse nodded and patted her hand. “Well, perhaps something good will come out of all this and he can keep his lucky streak going.”
“I hope so,” Sophie whispered, looking towards the double doors once more. “I really, really hope so.”
Before Bobbi could speak, the entrance door flew open and a blonde woman rushed in. Her eyes scanned the room before focusing sharply on the grifter.
“Sophie?”
“Maggie!” Sophie sighed in relief. “Thank God!”
Maggie hurried over and sat next to the brunette, wrapping a comforting arm around her.
Bobbi smiled and rose. “Since you’ve got someone here now, I’ll go back to my rounds.”
“Thank you,” Sophie replied, gratitude pouring off her. “I truly appreciate your help.”
The nurse smiled and slipped out of the room. Sophie leaned into Maggie and the blonde’s arm tightened in response.
“How did you get here so quickly?” Sophie asked.
Maggie gave her a small smile. “Alec called me first. He’s still trying to reach the others. Have you heard anything?”
“No,” Sophie answered. Her eyes strayed to the double door before something occurred to her. She sat up and turned towards Maggie. The blonde pulled her arm away and looked at her curiously.
“Why aren’t you in Los Angeles?”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you checked your messages yet? I called yesterday to let you know I’d be in town for a few days helping with a new exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums.”
“Oh,” Sophie sighed in relief. “I thought you were in some kind of trouble.”
“Sophie, not everybody gets into trouble as often as you lot do,” replied the blonde, shaking her head. “Now, Alec told me what happened to Nate. He said he didn’t know the man?”
The grifter shook her head. “I didn’t recognize him either. I have no idea who he was or where Nate might have crossed paths with him. God, I wish Elliot had been there!”
“Where is Eliot? And Parker?”
Sophie gave a sniff. “Oh this has been a ridiculous morning.”
“Sophie?” Maggie prompted.
“Right,” she nodded, giving herself a shake. “Our last job centered on a handful of children, so Nate took it rather badly. In addition, one of the little boys reminded Parker of her brother, so she wasn’t reacting well either.”
“Nate pulled out the whiskey as soon as you got back and Parker left?”
“You’re half right.” Sophie shifted in her seat, glancing at the double doors before focusing on her friend. “Nate pulled out the whiskey, and I got ready to go home. Parker certainly looked like she planned to go on one of her tears, but she didn’t. Eliot seemed to keep her calm.”
“Eliot?” Maggie asked. “Not Alec?”
“I know. Hardison and Parker have been going through some rough spots. I talked to Nate about it, but he seemed to have expected it.”
“Nate always expects it,” the blonde stated with a tiny snort. “He’s uncanny in figuring things out. That’s why it’s so hard when he gets blindsided.”
“He thought they were outgrowing each other.”
“He’s probably right.”
Sophie huffed, throwing a small glare towards the double doors. “I am not telling him that. Getting back to the story, after I left, they made sure Nate made it to bed and probably stayed over if I know them. Sometime this morning Hardison broke things off with Parker.”
“Ouch.” Maggie winced.
The brunette nodded. “Parker thought she did something wrong, and went out the kitchen window to get away. Apparently Eliot came in just then, got the story from Hardison, and he didn’t take it well either.”
“Humph,” sniffed the blonde. “About time he looked under his nose.”
“What?” Sophie exclaimed, staring at her friend.
Maggie smiled. “I’ve watched him watching her. She’s the first one he checks on; the first he picks to protect when he has to make a choice.” The blonde shook her head at the surprised grifter. “Really, Sophie, what did you think was happening?”
“I don’t think I ever actually thought about it,” she mused, remembering scenes and instances that now took on whole new meanings.
“So I see,” Maggie humored her. “Eliot went to look for Parker?”
Sophie pulled herself back to the present. “Yes, he did. I came in a little while later to find Hardison in a daze over the whole thing. He told me about it, and Nate overheard. We talked for a few minutes when that lunatic burst in and…”
Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip. Maggie reached out and took one of Sophie’s cold hands between both of her own. She gave the brunette a stern glare. “Now you listen to me, Sophie Devereaux. Nate Ford is a strong man, and he is not going to let a couple of bullets stop him.”
“But…” Sophie started, tears gathering in her eyes.
Maggie rolled right over her. “I know he drinks too much and goes into dark depressions, believe me, I know. I also know he’s not going to leave this world while he thinks even one person needs him. And all four of you do. He knows that!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” answered the blonde with absolute conviction. “Nate and I still talk you know. He’s still one of my best friends.”
Sophie chuckled softly through her tears. “This is so bizarre.”
One elegant eyebrow lifted sarcastically. “Which part? The part where I am still good friends with my ex-husband, or the part where one of my other best friends is the woman who’s in love with him?”
Dark eyes widened. “I’m not…”
“Don’t even start,” Maggie said in aggravation. “The two of you could drive a saint to drink...and Nathan’s no saint.” Her voice dropped into a whisper. “Never imagined we’d end like this.” She sighed, “I know damn well you’re in love with him. It doesn’t take a genius…or a con.”
Sophie bit her lip in consternation, but Maggie shook her head. “And it also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’s in love with you.”
“You don’t…I mean…well,” Sophie stumbled over her words.
Her friend smiled. “If something had happened while he was married to me? Yes, that would have bothered me. This? This is wonderful.”
Even as Sophie gaped at her friend in amazement, the entrance door flew open again.
~*~
Eliot ushered Parker and Hardison into the waiting room. His eyes scanned the place before settling on the two seated women. He could see tear tracks still fresh on Sophie’s face while Maggie held one of the Englishwoman’s hands. Something subtle relaxed in his shoulders.
Sophie’s okay and Maggie’s both safe and here to help. Just Nate to worry about.
That had been bothering him. Hardison had not managed to be very clear about the whole thing, and even managed to be incoherent altogether during portions of the story. It was clear the hacker still felt rattled. During his talking, Eliot did manage to gather that Nate was shot, Sophie was in the room and Maggie got involved somehow. He turned his gaze to Sophie.
“Anything?”
She shook her head and he gave a grunt of displeasure.
I hate hospitals.
After a few moments of silence he glanced around once more and realized everyone seemed to be looking at him. “What?” he growled.
They shifted and shuffled, but nobody spoke. Maggie gave him a direct glare, one that told him to quit being dense. He frowned at her but took a more careful look at his team. They were shaken. Maggie had Sophie in hand, and Parker had been with him, but Hardison appeared lost. He kept moving, unable to sit down for more than a few seconds before flying up to pace. His frenetic movement kept startling the women just as they would settle back down.
“Hardison!” Eliot snapped out.
The hacker jumped. He turned haunted eyes on the hitter. Eliot took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. With a gentler voice he tried again. “Where’s your laptop?” As his friend glanced down at his bag, Eliot gave a quick nod. “Good; get it out. I need you to pull a picture of the guy who did this and start running a search. We need to know who he is.”
Hardison hesitated. “Look, man, not saying I disagree, but now? ‘Cause really? I think…”
“Hey,” Eliot interrupted, leveling his best “Nate” look at the man. “This guy seriously wanted to do some damage. I need to know who he is if I’m going to stop him from coming back.”
Hardison froze. Sophie went pale. The entire room seemed to hold its breath. With a sudden burst of energy the hacker dove for his bag. Between one breath and the next, the computer genius had his machine humming along, skating through the intricate world of cyberspace.
The room stayed silent. Parker wandered between Eliot and Sophie as if she could not decide who she needed more. Maggie held Sophie’s hand while Sophie’s eyes drifted between the double doors and Hardison. Eliot leaned against the wall and kept watch over his broken team.
An hour passed in the unnatural silence.
“I got him!” Hardison’s usually jubilant announcement came out in a hiss of anger. “Sam DeLuca, former accountant for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.”
Eliot frowned, rifling through his memory. “Fallout from our job last month? The one we finished before taking the kids job?”
The hacker nodded. “Let me look, but I’d bet on it. Probably had a racket going on behind the scenes, and when we took down the fraud scam…”
“He lost his side business,” Sophie sneered. “So decides to shoot Nate? How’d he even find him?”
The hitter shook his head. “Probably through one of the families. We thought we’d caught everyone, but we missed him. They wouldn’t have thought much about an accountant asking.”
Hardison gave a low whistle. “This guy’s got some major debts built up. He’s in hock to half the city.”
“Gambling,” Parker stated. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. “What? It’s all about the money. He’s an accountant with that much debt. It’s gambling and he probably used the art to pay his bookies. With that dried up, he’s in a bad spot. Figured he could take it out on someone.”
Eliot snorted. “He should be running. Even just staying in the same part of the country with your unpaid bookies is suicide.” Hardison handed him a zip drive and he nodded. “This everything?”
“Yeah,” the hacker said. “That’s got the numbers as well as a list of the art that went mysteriously ‘missing’ on the same nights he happened to be in the museum to look at their books.” Hardison snorted. “If you’re going to run a con, you shouldn’t leave such detailed records in your online calendar.”
“No,” agreed Eliot, “but it makes our job easier.”
Without warning the double doors opened. A tall man in scrubs entered the room and looked around. His tired eyes passed over the faces in front of him.
“Nate Ford?”
“Yes!” Sophie exclaimed, half-rising from her seat. She stopped, unsure if she wanted to move closer or not. He moved over and took a seat next to her.
“Mrs. Ford?” he asked.
“No, we’re not married.”
The doctor frowned. They could see the tension in his face. He wanted to talk to them, but the regulations held him silent. Sophie opened her mouth to try and persuade him, but he held up a hand.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I have very strict rules. They’re meant to protect my patient. I cannot just set them aside.”
Sophie shook her head and tried to speak, but Maggie interrupted her. “She’s his fiancée. I’m his ex-wife and this is his team. He doesn’t have anyone else.”
The doctor waivered and Eliot stepped forward, holding out an unfolded piece of paper. “Doc, I hold his power of attorney. Go ahead and let the ladies know, okay?”
He looked at the paper for a moment and nodded. “I’m Doctor McLeod. I did the surgery on Mr. Ford. We’ve removed the two bullets, and he’s still holding on. However, I should warn you, Mr. Ford has lost a great deal of blood. His condition is still critical.”
“But he’s alive, right? And he’s going to be okay?” Parker shot the questions out, glaring at the doctor, almost daring him to contradict her.
“Miss…” Dr. McLeod started, but she jumped up.
“No!” She exclaimed. “It’s Nate. Nate’s always okay. He just is; he has to be.”
She pulled away and stalked over to Eliot. He stiffened as she moved to stand behind his shoulder, but he forced himself to relax. His eyes narrowed on her for a moment before he turned back to give the doctor a nod.
Dr. McLeod nodded back. “Yes, he’s alive, but his body has suffered some extreme trauma. One of the bullets only cracked a rib, but the other one nicked his lung. We’ve got the bleeding stopped, but between blood loss and the lung damage, he is facing a difficult fight.”
Sophie tossed her head with a sniff. “Nate excels in difficult fights. It’s what he does.” Despite her strong tone, tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
The doctor patted her arm. “They are moving him to a private room. In a few minutes one of the nurses will let you know the room numbers. I’m afraid visitors will need to be kept to a minimum.”
Eliot broke in before anyone else could speak. “Won’t work, Doc. Nate’s still a target and needs to be guarded.” As Dr. McLeod started to argue, the hitter interrupted. “This is for his safety and the hospital’s; this guy might come back.”
The doctor frowned. “I’m sorry, but who are you people?”
Maggie cleared her throat. “Leverage Consulting and Associates; they handle a variety of delicate and sensitive jobs for a rather select clientele.” Dr. McLeod’s eyebrows rose, but Maggie continued before he could speak. “Unfortunately this means they have acquired a number of enemies who really don’t care about innocents in the crossfire. I would take Eliot’s warning seriously if I were you.”
He frowned at all of them for several seconds before surrendering with a shrug. “How would you like to handle this then?”
Eliot gave him a faint smirk, but kept his nod respectful. “We’re going to need the visiting hours waived. At least two of us will be with Nate at all times. The other three will be in and out, so I’d prefer to avoid a repetitive argument.”
“I’ll pass the orders along,” Dr. McLeod promised.
“Good; other than that, just keep your people out of our way. Sophie and Hardison need to meet the nurses that’ll be in to check on Nate. No strangers. Any strangers come in and we’ll have a problem.”
The doctor nodded and rose. “I’ll see to it. Someone should be here shortly to take you back.”
As he left the room, Eliot turned towards the rest of the team, pulling Parker around to his side. “As soon as we’ve seen Nate, I’m going to need Maggie and Parker. Sophie, you and Hardison are going to stay with Nate.”
“What are you going to do?” Sophie asked with trepidation.
“I’m going to go talk to a man,” he answered in a flat tone. His anger flared as he glanced down at the zip drive he had taken from Hardison. With a deep breath he forced it down. Now was not the time. “Maggie’s going to make a couple of calls, and Parker’s going to find me a door.”
~*~
Before Sophie could say anything else, the door opened and a nurse beckoned them to follow her. All conversation ceased as they streamed out of the room. None of them noticed the curious and half-fearful glances they received as they passed hospital workers in the hallway. As long as no one moved in their direction, their entire focus centered on getting to Nate.
Just outside of the door to Nate’s room, the nurse cautioned them. “He’s unconscious, and hooked up to several machines. Don’t panic; they’re mostly there to monitor his condition.”
“Thank you,” Maggie said, nodding at the woman.
As she walked off, Eliot touched Sophie’s shoulder. “Can I have a minute?” he asked when she looked at him. She gave him a long look before nodding with a faint smile.
Eliot slipped into the quiet room, his eyes immediately focusing on the pale man lying in the single bed. Nate looked…wrong. That was the only word that came to the hitter’s mind. His boss, his friend should not be so frail looking. Drunk, hung over, just flat tired…no matter what, Nate always looked somehow capable. It might be sheer stubbornness keeping him on his feet at times, but it was something. Now, there was nothing; just the slight movement of breathing.
“Hey, boss,” Eliot spoke softly as he walked up beside the bed. “You look like hell.” He broke off and cleared his throat. “You’re going to have to wake up soon, Nate. Ain’t no way in hell I’m doing your job permanently…just going to borrow it for a day or so.”
Leaning his forearms on the side of the bed, the hitter stared at the quiet figure laying there. He could still remember meeting this man; still remember the internal doubts over any one guy being able to keep a group like theirs together long enough to finish a job, especially not the guy that had chased each of them at one time or another. And yet, Nate had actually pulled it off. Memories, snapshots of the past few years flickered through his mind.
Flashback 1
Nate is counting in his ear, “…three,” as Parker runs behind him towards the edge of the roof.
He bites out, “She’s gone.”
“Son of a…” He can hear Nate muttering.
“Yeehaaa!!” Parker yells as she jumps off the roof. He and Hardison run to the edge and watch her fall.
“That’s twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag.”
Flashback 2
The countertop is bruising his back and the damn Butcher is choking him.
“Now I kill you.”
Using a rolling pin he manages to pull the appetizers over to him. Grabbing one he shoves it in the bastard’s eye.
The Butcher starts hollering, “It burns!”
Grabbing a tray he hits the man over the head and knocks him out. “It’s the lemon juice.”
Of course that’s when Nate walks in. “Did you just kill a guy with an appetizer?”
He gives a half-shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Flashback 3
He looks back at Nate one last time before climbing into the helicopter. The man just stood there waiting for the authorities to take him into custody, and he was doing it for his team…his family. Nate’s words burn in his mind.
“You guys are the most honorable people I have ever met in my life. You’ve become my family. My only family. I won’t forget that.”
Flashback 4
They had all told their stories of how they had stolen, or at least tried to steal, the dagger of Aqu’Abi. In the end, none of the thieves had managed to steal the dagger, and their “honest” man knew the entire time. He had even managed to help out by taking Gutman down.
Nate gives him a look. “You’re welcome.”
“So,” says Hardison, “we did all that work for nothing.”
“Not for nothing,” Nate insists. “No. You know, you guys, sometimes it’s easy to forget why it is you stopped working alone and became a team.”
End Flashback
From working with the team for the first time to the family standing in the hallway letting him have his moment, the change startled and surprised him every time he thought about it. They had grown and changed in more profound ways than he had even thought possible, and most of it could be credited to the man in front of him. Despite his problems, whether the alcohol or the control issues, Nate tried to do what was best for them. He was human, he screwed up, but damn if he did not try. Even more, he trusted Eliot to back his play, watch their backs and keep them safe.
For Eliot, that meant more than he could ever put into words. He grew up hard, and lived harder. To be given that kind of acceptance, that kind of trust…words failed him. He rested his forehead on his arms for a moment.
Damn it, Nate. Don’t you dare die on me. I can’t keep them together.
A line from one of his sister’s favorite songs crossed his mind. “What will become of us if there’s no one to watch over us?”
He did not know how long he remained there in the silence before a soft knock drew his attention to the door. It opened and Sophie peeked in.
“Eliot?” Her voice quiet with understanding, she did not enter until he nodded at her.
“Hey,” he said, clearing his voice. “Sorry, I just…”
She gave him a tiny smile and stepped up next to him. As she looked down at Nate, she leaned her head on Eliot’s arm. “It’s okay. You needed it.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a sideways hug before looking over her head to the door. “Where is everybody?”
“Hardison went to get a couple of drinks,” she replied. “Maggie’s in the hall keeping Parker steady.”
“I better go rescue her,” he said humorously.
She raised an eyebrow. “Maggie? Or Parker?”
He chuckled, “Both maybe.”
“Go on with you then. Do what you have to, but get back soon, okay?”
He let her hug him once more before he slipped out the door. Hardison came down the hallway and went straight into the room as Eliot inclined his head towards it. Parker and Maggie looked towards him.
“You two go in and see him before we leave.”
Alone for a moment, he took a deep breath and pulled on every bit of control he possessed. His eyes went flat and his face cold.
Time to pay a visit to Sam DeLuca.
~*~
The door burst open with an explosive burst of splinters. Eliot stormed through the now ruined doorway, rage in his heart and murder in his eyes. His target had jumped up from a large chair when the door had crashed against the wall, but now Sam DeLuca fell back from the feral man stalking towards him.
“Eliot!”
Both men turned towards the snapping feminine voice, one pissed and one hopeful. DeLuca watched as an elegant blonde woman stepped through the door. His hope shrank as her disdainful gaze landed on him. If the first invader’s eyes were fiery, hers were chips of ice.
“You can’t kill him,” Maggie stated calmly. “Sterling actually has to have a living, breathing person to arrest.”
“Wasn’t planning on killing him,” Eliot bit out. “Sterling doesn’t need him in one piece.”
DeLuca shrank away from the furious man. The hitter stalked closer, eyes narrowing. “Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy putting two bullets into my boss?”
“I…I…” DeLuca could only stammer. “He…he ruined my business!”
“Your business?” Now Maggie hissed at him. “Your business was worth a man’s life?”
The accountant could not speak. He had never expected this kind of reaction. His anger and fear had sent him over to Ford’s house in a boiling mad state. Now he realized the outcome would be even worse.
Eliot grabbed DeLuca by the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. Even though DeLuca stood two inches taller, he felt like a poodle in the jaws of a Rottweiler. Eliot shook him.
“Well?” the hitter demanded. “Answer the lady! Was your business worth a man’s life?”
“They were going to kill me! I didn’t have the money!” DeLuca shouted.
“So you decided to put a bullet into someone else?”
“I…I…I don’t…I don’t know…why I…” he stammered and stumbled before going silent. Eliot glared at him and he felt his heart shiver.
His shivers grew worse as Eliot hauled him in close and hissed directly into his face. “You’re going to have a long time to contemplate the mistake you made today; a very long time.”
The hitter let him go and DeLuca tripped. As he struggled to his feet once more, a swift left jab knocked him unconscious.
Eliot sneered. “He should have stuck with numbers.”
“Obviously,” Maggie sighed. “In the meantime, we need to get out of here. Sterling should be here any moment, and while he’s agreed to ‘overlook’ you, he certainly won’t have any qualms about arresting you if he comes face to face with you.”
“Yeah, I know.” Eliot frowned.
“No,” said Maggie. “You got to look him in the eye, scare him, and hit him. We sent Interpol all the information they need. Let’s go.”
Eliot grinned at her as they left the office. “You’re getting pretty good at this.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thank you, but I believe I’ll stay on the reserve team if you please. I don’t need this much excitement on a regular basis. Now come on, we need to get out there before our driver thinks we need a rescue.”
“You do know she’s listening on the earbuds, right?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. “You do recall this is Parker, right?”
“Hey! What does that mean?” Parker’s voice came over their buds.
Eliot smirked but Maggie shook her head. “It means you might decide I need rescuing from him, or vice versa.”
“Oh, yeah, maybe. It would be a good rescue though.”
Both of them bit back laughter as they heard Parker’s reply. They could hear her singing along with the radio as they made their way out to the van. Maggie thought the song particularly apt for these two, even if they still had a ways to go before they saw it for themselves.
“When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.”
“Come on,” Eliot instructed. “Let’s get back to the hospital.”
~*~
Three months…it’s been three months since I woke up in the hospital.
Nate mused as he walked across the green grass and gravel walks of the cemetery. It had certainly been a roller coaster ride since the moment he woke up looking into Sophie’s tear-filled eyes. He only managed to stay awake for a few minutes, but everyone was there. He saw them and they talked to him. Even drugged he had felt the tension leech out of the room. All he knew was that his family was safe. No one had been hurt.
He winced at that thought. He made the mistake of saying something similar when he could finally speak. The temperature of the room dropped twenty degrees.
Flashback
“Nathan Ford!” Sophie exclaimed, eyes snapping in fury. “What do you mean no one was hurt? You were shot! Twice!”
“Well,” he stammered. “I just meant…” He looked around the room for some support, but the rest of them were glaring just as strongly.
Eliot shook his head. “Don’t look at me, boss. I’m still pissed I had to do both my job and yours for the past while.”
“Hey, man,” Hardison snorted. “If you’re going to be stupid enough to say it, you can deal with the fallout.”
Parker just made a face when he glanced at her.
He sighed and turned back to Sophie. “Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I just remember falling and worrying about you and Hardison being next.”
She rolled her eyes and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “I know, Nate, and I understand. However, you need to understand something as well. You are as important to us as we are to you. You are not an acceptable sacrifice.”
End Flashback
Nate chuckled and tucked his hands into his pockets. They had pulled him out of the hospital as soon as it was medically sound, and proceeded to nursemaid him to death at home. Between his team, Maggie, and a handful of others, he barely had time to shift before someone popped up with medicine, water, new pillows. It was a nice feeling, being taken care of, but cabin fever had set in quickly.
All these months later, he could still sense someone tailing him every so often. He let it be; the family still felt nervous about his brush with death. Sophie still had nightmares about that morning, and none of the “kids” had gotten back to their old routines yet either. Hardison’s insomnia sometimes reached Eliot’s level. Parker could usually be found glued to one of them, hesitant to let them out of her sight. For his part, Eliot hardly ever left. He and Parker would camp out in one of the extra rooms more often than not. Nate sighed. If following him around made them more comfortable, he could live with it. He even expected them to show up here eventually, even though none of them had been to this place before.
Sam’s place.
It had been far too long since his last visit, but he still remembered the way. He made his way slowly to the only willow tree in the cemetery. As expected, he found someone waiting for him.
“Maggie,” he acknowledged as he lowered himself to sit next to her.
She gave him a smile. “Hello, Nate. I see you’ve managed to slip away from your guards.”
“Oh,” he shrugged. “I doubt it. I expect them to come strolling up soon.”
The two of them fell silent as their eyes moved to the simple white headstone. Maggie reached out to brush some dirt away from the inscription: Sam Ford - 1998-2006 - Beloved son lost too soon - “The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling; ‘tis you, ‘tis you must go and I must bide”. Nate put an arm around Maggie as she leaned into him.
“I still miss him.” Maggie’s calm, matter-of-fact statement said more than any tearful declaration ever could.
“I know,” Nate replied. “Me, too.”
They sat there for several long minutes in silence, the broken family recognizing the bonds that still bound them together.
Maggie suddenly gave a small huff of laughter. Nate glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow. She nodded towards a small cluster of trees. “Alec is trying to be sneaky.”
He smiled. “Guess that means Eliot and Parker are around here somewhere as well.”
“Sophie will be walking up shortly then,” she agreed.
Nate stood up and offered her a hand. Both of them turned their heads and caught the brunette coming slowly towards them. She stopped when they looked at her, but gave a graceful shrug and joined them.
Taking Nate’s arm in hers, she turned a gentle smile towards Maggie. “And how have you been?”
“Sophie,” Maggie laughed. “I just saw you two days ago.”
The grifter leaned her head on Nate’s shoulder with a chuckle. “Well, a lot can happen in two days.”
Maggie frowned in confusion. “Did something happen? Did I miss something?”
“Sophie,” Nate scolded with a shake of his head. Despite the scolding tone, his eyes were warm and amused. “Quit teasing her.”
Parker came bouncing up behind Sophie as Eliot strolled along behind. “Did you tell her?” The thief’s voice vibrated with excitement.
“Tell me what?” Maggie asked.
“Sophie hasn’t told you yet?” Hardison asked in astonishment as he walked up. “I didn’t know she’d managed to keep that one.”
Maggie blinked at him before turning a glare on Sophie. Nate threw an imploring gaze at Eliot. The hitter smirked at him but stepped up.
“Hardison, leave it alone,” he said, a finger pointing at the hacker for emphasis. At the same time he grabbed Parker by the waist and anchored her to his side. “Sweetheart, you need to calm down. Let Sophie talk.”
With both of the more hyperactive members under control, Maggie gave Sophie a very direct look. “Tell me what?” she demanded again.
“Well,” Sophie began slowly, seeming to feel her words out before actually speaking. “Nate and I…well, we…” Her words trailed off, and she fumbled for new ones before giving a deep sigh. Letting go of Nate, she held her left hand out to Maggie.
A diamond glittered in the morning light.
“Oh, my God!” Maggie exclaimed, her smile suddenly blinding. “Really?”
Sophie bit her lip, nodding.
“That’s wonderful!” The blonde pulled her friend into a hug. “I am so happy for you!”
Sophie laughed as she returned the embrace. After a moment Maggie let her go and turned to Nate.
“It’s about time!” she said, pulling him into a hug as well. “Congratulations.”
He just gave her a smile when she let him go. Sophie took his arm once more and the members of this most unusual family smiled at each other. Nate glanced around, taking in each face, each person, realizing how close it had come to being over. This tight-knit group had almost lost everything, but they had come out all the stronger in the end. His smile turned gentle as he glanced down at the headstone before turning to the others.
“Give me a minute.”
They walked away with nods and smiles. He watched them for a moment. Sophie and Hardison bracketed Maggie as Sophie told her about the engagement while Hardison tried to break in with the tale of their latest job. Parker and Eliot followed them, Parker wandering to look at stones or flowers that caught her eye before coming back to Eliot’s side. He smiled and knelt down.
Lifting a hand, he brushed his fingertips across his son’s name.
“You know, Sam, I never liked my dad’s legacy to me. It always ended up hurting someone.” He stopped and peered over his shoulder at the rest of the team before turning back. “I hope you’re proud of mine. They are my legacy, mine and yours. I love you; I’ll always love you.”
He rose and began walking away, walking into a future he had almost lost, a future reborn. He could hear a song playing from somewhere. The line made him smile, “What’s worth the price is always worth the fight.”
Reviews are always welcome.
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.
THE IN-BETWEEN JOB PART ONE
~*~
Sophie paced the waiting room. She had forced herself to keep it together during the frantic moments at the loft and all through the ambulance ride. Finally alone for a moment, she allowed herself to shake while Hardison stood outside trying to reach the others. Her deep brown eyes glistened as they returned again and again to the double doors at the other end of the waiting room. A tear would streak down her face every few minutes, but she did not wipe them away.
She still had Nate’s blood on her hands.
Her body shuddered as she squeezed her eyes shut tight. So much blood still coated her hands. How much blood could one person lose? The coppery scent, the sticky feel made her nauseous, but she could not bear to leave the room. What if the doctor came in? Or maybe it would be a nurse with an update? She had to be here; she had to know.
“Miss?”
She turned a wide, tear-filled gaze to the speaker. An older woman stood there; a nurse who probably should have been retired by now. Her face seemed weathered and hard with experience, but her eyes glowed with a soft compassion. When she stepped forward and reached for Sophie’s hand with some baby wipes, Sophie choked back a small sob.
“Come sit down, Miss,” insisted the nurse, Bobbi, by her nametag. “Let’s clean you up while you’re waiting. We don’t even have to leave the room.”
Sophie followed her, docile and pliant as long as she could stay. Bobbi helped her remove her jacket and then began wiping the blood off her hands and forearms. The nurse kept her movements slow and gentle, even taking a few extra minutes to get to the red liquid under the grifter’s fingernails. Finally the nurse finished, but she did not let go of Sophie’s hand. Sophie raised her eyes to look into the woman’s gentle brown gaze.
Bobbi gave her a sympathetic smile. “Your friend has the best trauma surgeon in town working on him.”
She huffed out a shaky chuckle. “Of course he does. He wouldn’t be Nate if he didn’t.”
“Does Nate usually manage to get lucky when he’s in trouble?” came the curious question.
“Oh, yes,” Sophie nodded. “It somehow always works that way. He gets lucky or clever in hard times. Disaster always seems to strike when things aren’t in upheaval. Of course, I am not quite sure how that holds up with him being shot right now.”
“Trouble?” Bobbie asked carefully.
Sophie pursed her lips before giving a small shrug. She tilted her head. “We just finished a consulting job, and it had some difficult moments. Plus two of our coworkers are having personal issues.”
The nurse nodded and patted her hand. “Well, perhaps something good will come out of all this and he can keep his lucky streak going.”
“I hope so,” Sophie whispered, looking towards the double doors once more. “I really, really hope so.”
Before Bobbi could speak, the entrance door flew open and a blonde woman rushed in. Her eyes scanned the room before focusing sharply on the grifter.
“Sophie?”
“Maggie!” Sophie sighed in relief. “Thank God!”
Maggie hurried over and sat next to the brunette, wrapping a comforting arm around her.
Bobbi smiled and rose. “Since you’ve got someone here now, I’ll go back to my rounds.”
“Thank you,” Sophie replied, gratitude pouring off her. “I truly appreciate your help.”
The nurse smiled and slipped out of the room. Sophie leaned into Maggie and the blonde’s arm tightened in response.
“How did you get here so quickly?” Sophie asked.
Maggie gave her a small smile. “Alec called me first. He’s still trying to reach the others. Have you heard anything?”
“No,” Sophie answered. Her eyes strayed to the double door before something occurred to her. She sat up and turned towards Maggie. The blonde pulled her arm away and looked at her curiously.
“Why aren’t you in Los Angeles?”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you checked your messages yet? I called yesterday to let you know I’d be in town for a few days helping with a new exhibit at the Harvard Art Museums.”
“Oh,” Sophie sighed in relief. “I thought you were in some kind of trouble.”
“Sophie, not everybody gets into trouble as often as you lot do,” replied the blonde, shaking her head. “Now, Alec told me what happened to Nate. He said he didn’t know the man?”
The grifter shook her head. “I didn’t recognize him either. I have no idea who he was or where Nate might have crossed paths with him. God, I wish Elliot had been there!”
“Where is Eliot? And Parker?”
Sophie gave a sniff. “Oh this has been a ridiculous morning.”
“Sophie?” Maggie prompted.
“Right,” she nodded, giving herself a shake. “Our last job centered on a handful of children, so Nate took it rather badly. In addition, one of the little boys reminded Parker of her brother, so she wasn’t reacting well either.”
“Nate pulled out the whiskey as soon as you got back and Parker left?”
“You’re half right.” Sophie shifted in her seat, glancing at the double doors before focusing on her friend. “Nate pulled out the whiskey, and I got ready to go home. Parker certainly looked like she planned to go on one of her tears, but she didn’t. Eliot seemed to keep her calm.”
“Eliot?” Maggie asked. “Not Alec?”
“I know. Hardison and Parker have been going through some rough spots. I talked to Nate about it, but he seemed to have expected it.”
“Nate always expects it,” the blonde stated with a tiny snort. “He’s uncanny in figuring things out. That’s why it’s so hard when he gets blindsided.”
“He thought they were outgrowing each other.”
“He’s probably right.”
Sophie huffed, throwing a small glare towards the double doors. “I am not telling him that. Getting back to the story, after I left, they made sure Nate made it to bed and probably stayed over if I know them. Sometime this morning Hardison broke things off with Parker.”
“Ouch.” Maggie winced.
The brunette nodded. “Parker thought she did something wrong, and went out the kitchen window to get away. Apparently Eliot came in just then, got the story from Hardison, and he didn’t take it well either.”
“Humph,” sniffed the blonde. “About time he looked under his nose.”
“What?” Sophie exclaimed, staring at her friend.
Maggie smiled. “I’ve watched him watching her. She’s the first one he checks on; the first he picks to protect when he has to make a choice.” The blonde shook her head at the surprised grifter. “Really, Sophie, what did you think was happening?”
“I don’t think I ever actually thought about it,” she mused, remembering scenes and instances that now took on whole new meanings.
“So I see,” Maggie humored her. “Eliot went to look for Parker?”
Sophie pulled herself back to the present. “Yes, he did. I came in a little while later to find Hardison in a daze over the whole thing. He told me about it, and Nate overheard. We talked for a few minutes when that lunatic burst in and…”
Her voice trailed off and she bit her lip. Maggie reached out and took one of Sophie’s cold hands between both of her own. She gave the brunette a stern glare. “Now you listen to me, Sophie Devereaux. Nate Ford is a strong man, and he is not going to let a couple of bullets stop him.”
“But…” Sophie started, tears gathering in her eyes.
Maggie rolled right over her. “I know he drinks too much and goes into dark depressions, believe me, I know. I also know he’s not going to leave this world while he thinks even one person needs him. And all four of you do. He knows that!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” answered the blonde with absolute conviction. “Nate and I still talk you know. He’s still one of my best friends.”
Sophie chuckled softly through her tears. “This is so bizarre.”
One elegant eyebrow lifted sarcastically. “Which part? The part where I am still good friends with my ex-husband, or the part where one of my other best friends is the woman who’s in love with him?”
Dark eyes widened. “I’m not…”
“Don’t even start,” Maggie said in aggravation. “The two of you could drive a saint to drink...and Nathan’s no saint.” Her voice dropped into a whisper. “Never imagined we’d end like this.” She sighed, “I know damn well you’re in love with him. It doesn’t take a genius…or a con.”
Sophie bit her lip in consternation, but Maggie shook her head. “And it also doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’s in love with you.”
“You don’t…I mean…well,” Sophie stumbled over her words.
Her friend smiled. “If something had happened while he was married to me? Yes, that would have bothered me. This? This is wonderful.”
Even as Sophie gaped at her friend in amazement, the entrance door flew open again.
~*~
Eliot ushered Parker and Hardison into the waiting room. His eyes scanned the place before settling on the two seated women. He could see tear tracks still fresh on Sophie’s face while Maggie held one of the Englishwoman’s hands. Something subtle relaxed in his shoulders.
Sophie’s okay and Maggie’s both safe and here to help. Just Nate to worry about.
That had been bothering him. Hardison had not managed to be very clear about the whole thing, and even managed to be incoherent altogether during portions of the story. It was clear the hacker still felt rattled. During his talking, Eliot did manage to gather that Nate was shot, Sophie was in the room and Maggie got involved somehow. He turned his gaze to Sophie.
“Anything?”
She shook her head and he gave a grunt of displeasure.
I hate hospitals.
After a few moments of silence he glanced around once more and realized everyone seemed to be looking at him. “What?” he growled.
They shifted and shuffled, but nobody spoke. Maggie gave him a direct glare, one that told him to quit being dense. He frowned at her but took a more careful look at his team. They were shaken. Maggie had Sophie in hand, and Parker had been with him, but Hardison appeared lost. He kept moving, unable to sit down for more than a few seconds before flying up to pace. His frenetic movement kept startling the women just as they would settle back down.
“Hardison!” Eliot snapped out.
The hacker jumped. He turned haunted eyes on the hitter. Eliot took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. With a gentler voice he tried again. “Where’s your laptop?” As his friend glanced down at his bag, Eliot gave a quick nod. “Good; get it out. I need you to pull a picture of the guy who did this and start running a search. We need to know who he is.”
Hardison hesitated. “Look, man, not saying I disagree, but now? ‘Cause really? I think…”
“Hey,” Eliot interrupted, leveling his best “Nate” look at the man. “This guy seriously wanted to do some damage. I need to know who he is if I’m going to stop him from coming back.”
Hardison froze. Sophie went pale. The entire room seemed to hold its breath. With a sudden burst of energy the hacker dove for his bag. Between one breath and the next, the computer genius had his machine humming along, skating through the intricate world of cyberspace.
The room stayed silent. Parker wandered between Eliot and Sophie as if she could not decide who she needed more. Maggie held Sophie’s hand while Sophie’s eyes drifted between the double doors and Hardison. Eliot leaned against the wall and kept watch over his broken team.
An hour passed in the unnatural silence.
“I got him!” Hardison’s usually jubilant announcement came out in a hiss of anger. “Sam DeLuca, former accountant for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.”
Eliot frowned, rifling through his memory. “Fallout from our job last month? The one we finished before taking the kids job?”
The hacker nodded. “Let me look, but I’d bet on it. Probably had a racket going on behind the scenes, and when we took down the fraud scam…”
“He lost his side business,” Sophie sneered. “So decides to shoot Nate? How’d he even find him?”
The hitter shook his head. “Probably through one of the families. We thought we’d caught everyone, but we missed him. They wouldn’t have thought much about an accountant asking.”
Hardison gave a low whistle. “This guy’s got some major debts built up. He’s in hock to half the city.”
“Gambling,” Parker stated. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. “What? It’s all about the money. He’s an accountant with that much debt. It’s gambling and he probably used the art to pay his bookies. With that dried up, he’s in a bad spot. Figured he could take it out on someone.”
Eliot snorted. “He should be running. Even just staying in the same part of the country with your unpaid bookies is suicide.” Hardison handed him a zip drive and he nodded. “This everything?”
“Yeah,” the hacker said. “That’s got the numbers as well as a list of the art that went mysteriously ‘missing’ on the same nights he happened to be in the museum to look at their books.” Hardison snorted. “If you’re going to run a con, you shouldn’t leave such detailed records in your online calendar.”
“No,” agreed Eliot, “but it makes our job easier.”
Without warning the double doors opened. A tall man in scrubs entered the room and looked around. His tired eyes passed over the faces in front of him.
“Nate Ford?”
“Yes!” Sophie exclaimed, half-rising from her seat. She stopped, unsure if she wanted to move closer or not. He moved over and took a seat next to her.
“Mrs. Ford?” he asked.
“No, we’re not married.”
The doctor frowned. They could see the tension in his face. He wanted to talk to them, but the regulations held him silent. Sophie opened her mouth to try and persuade him, but he held up a hand.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I have very strict rules. They’re meant to protect my patient. I cannot just set them aside.”
Sophie shook her head and tried to speak, but Maggie interrupted her. “She’s his fiancée. I’m his ex-wife and this is his team. He doesn’t have anyone else.”
The doctor waivered and Eliot stepped forward, holding out an unfolded piece of paper. “Doc, I hold his power of attorney. Go ahead and let the ladies know, okay?”
He looked at the paper for a moment and nodded. “I’m Doctor McLeod. I did the surgery on Mr. Ford. We’ve removed the two bullets, and he’s still holding on. However, I should warn you, Mr. Ford has lost a great deal of blood. His condition is still critical.”
“But he’s alive, right? And he’s going to be okay?” Parker shot the questions out, glaring at the doctor, almost daring him to contradict her.
“Miss…” Dr. McLeod started, but she jumped up.
“No!” She exclaimed. “It’s Nate. Nate’s always okay. He just is; he has to be.”
She pulled away and stalked over to Eliot. He stiffened as she moved to stand behind his shoulder, but he forced himself to relax. His eyes narrowed on her for a moment before he turned back to give the doctor a nod.
Dr. McLeod nodded back. “Yes, he’s alive, but his body has suffered some extreme trauma. One of the bullets only cracked a rib, but the other one nicked his lung. We’ve got the bleeding stopped, but between blood loss and the lung damage, he is facing a difficult fight.”
Sophie tossed her head with a sniff. “Nate excels in difficult fights. It’s what he does.” Despite her strong tone, tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
The doctor patted her arm. “They are moving him to a private room. In a few minutes one of the nurses will let you know the room numbers. I’m afraid visitors will need to be kept to a minimum.”
Eliot broke in before anyone else could speak. “Won’t work, Doc. Nate’s still a target and needs to be guarded.” As Dr. McLeod started to argue, the hitter interrupted. “This is for his safety and the hospital’s; this guy might come back.”
The doctor frowned. “I’m sorry, but who are you people?”
Maggie cleared her throat. “Leverage Consulting and Associates; they handle a variety of delicate and sensitive jobs for a rather select clientele.” Dr. McLeod’s eyebrows rose, but Maggie continued before he could speak. “Unfortunately this means they have acquired a number of enemies who really don’t care about innocents in the crossfire. I would take Eliot’s warning seriously if I were you.”
He frowned at all of them for several seconds before surrendering with a shrug. “How would you like to handle this then?”
Eliot gave him a faint smirk, but kept his nod respectful. “We’re going to need the visiting hours waived. At least two of us will be with Nate at all times. The other three will be in and out, so I’d prefer to avoid a repetitive argument.”
“I’ll pass the orders along,” Dr. McLeod promised.
“Good; other than that, just keep your people out of our way. Sophie and Hardison need to meet the nurses that’ll be in to check on Nate. No strangers. Any strangers come in and we’ll have a problem.”
The doctor nodded and rose. “I’ll see to it. Someone should be here shortly to take you back.”
As he left the room, Eliot turned towards the rest of the team, pulling Parker around to his side. “As soon as we’ve seen Nate, I’m going to need Maggie and Parker. Sophie, you and Hardison are going to stay with Nate.”
“What are you going to do?” Sophie asked with trepidation.
“I’m going to go talk to a man,” he answered in a flat tone. His anger flared as he glanced down at the zip drive he had taken from Hardison. With a deep breath he forced it down. Now was not the time. “Maggie’s going to make a couple of calls, and Parker’s going to find me a door.”
~*~
Before Sophie could say anything else, the door opened and a nurse beckoned them to follow her. All conversation ceased as they streamed out of the room. None of them noticed the curious and half-fearful glances they received as they passed hospital workers in the hallway. As long as no one moved in their direction, their entire focus centered on getting to Nate.
Just outside of the door to Nate’s room, the nurse cautioned them. “He’s unconscious, and hooked up to several machines. Don’t panic; they’re mostly there to monitor his condition.”
“Thank you,” Maggie said, nodding at the woman.
As she walked off, Eliot touched Sophie’s shoulder. “Can I have a minute?” he asked when she looked at him. She gave him a long look before nodding with a faint smile.
Eliot slipped into the quiet room, his eyes immediately focusing on the pale man lying in the single bed. Nate looked…wrong. That was the only word that came to the hitter’s mind. His boss, his friend should not be so frail looking. Drunk, hung over, just flat tired…no matter what, Nate always looked somehow capable. It might be sheer stubbornness keeping him on his feet at times, but it was something. Now, there was nothing; just the slight movement of breathing.
“Hey, boss,” Eliot spoke softly as he walked up beside the bed. “You look like hell.” He broke off and cleared his throat. “You’re going to have to wake up soon, Nate. Ain’t no way in hell I’m doing your job permanently…just going to borrow it for a day or so.”
Leaning his forearms on the side of the bed, the hitter stared at the quiet figure laying there. He could still remember meeting this man; still remember the internal doubts over any one guy being able to keep a group like theirs together long enough to finish a job, especially not the guy that had chased each of them at one time or another. And yet, Nate had actually pulled it off. Memories, snapshots of the past few years flickered through his mind.
Flashback 1
Nate is counting in his ear, “…three,” as Parker runs behind him towards the edge of the roof.
He bites out, “She’s gone.”
“Son of a…” He can hear Nate muttering.
“Yeehaaa!!” Parker yells as she jumps off the roof. He and Hardison run to the edge and watch her fall.
“That’s twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag.”
Flashback 2
The countertop is bruising his back and the damn Butcher is choking him.
“Now I kill you.”
Using a rolling pin he manages to pull the appetizers over to him. Grabbing one he shoves it in the bastard’s eye.
The Butcher starts hollering, “It burns!”
Grabbing a tray he hits the man over the head and knocks him out. “It’s the lemon juice.”
Of course that’s when Nate walks in. “Did you just kill a guy with an appetizer?”
He gives a half-shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Flashback 3
He looks back at Nate one last time before climbing into the helicopter. The man just stood there waiting for the authorities to take him into custody, and he was doing it for his team…his family. Nate’s words burn in his mind.
“You guys are the most honorable people I have ever met in my life. You’ve become my family. My only family. I won’t forget that.”
Flashback 4
They had all told their stories of how they had stolen, or at least tried to steal, the dagger of Aqu’Abi. In the end, none of the thieves had managed to steal the dagger, and their “honest” man knew the entire time. He had even managed to help out by taking Gutman down.
Nate gives him a look. “You’re welcome.”
“So,” says Hardison, “we did all that work for nothing.”
“Not for nothing,” Nate insists. “No. You know, you guys, sometimes it’s easy to forget why it is you stopped working alone and became a team.”
End Flashback
From working with the team for the first time to the family standing in the hallway letting him have his moment, the change startled and surprised him every time he thought about it. They had grown and changed in more profound ways than he had even thought possible, and most of it could be credited to the man in front of him. Despite his problems, whether the alcohol or the control issues, Nate tried to do what was best for them. He was human, he screwed up, but damn if he did not try. Even more, he trusted Eliot to back his play, watch their backs and keep them safe.
For Eliot, that meant more than he could ever put into words. He grew up hard, and lived harder. To be given that kind of acceptance, that kind of trust…words failed him. He rested his forehead on his arms for a moment.
Damn it, Nate. Don’t you dare die on me. I can’t keep them together.
A line from one of his sister’s favorite songs crossed his mind. “What will become of us if there’s no one to watch over us?”
He did not know how long he remained there in the silence before a soft knock drew his attention to the door. It opened and Sophie peeked in.
“Eliot?” Her voice quiet with understanding, she did not enter until he nodded at her.
“Hey,” he said, clearing his voice. “Sorry, I just…”
She gave him a tiny smile and stepped up next to him. As she looked down at Nate, she leaned her head on Eliot’s arm. “It’s okay. You needed it.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a sideways hug before looking over her head to the door. “Where is everybody?”
“Hardison went to get a couple of drinks,” she replied. “Maggie’s in the hall keeping Parker steady.”
“I better go rescue her,” he said humorously.
She raised an eyebrow. “Maggie? Or Parker?”
He chuckled, “Both maybe.”
“Go on with you then. Do what you have to, but get back soon, okay?”
He let her hug him once more before he slipped out the door. Hardison came down the hallway and went straight into the room as Eliot inclined his head towards it. Parker and Maggie looked towards him.
“You two go in and see him before we leave.”
Alone for a moment, he took a deep breath and pulled on every bit of control he possessed. His eyes went flat and his face cold.
Time to pay a visit to Sam DeLuca.
~*~
The door burst open with an explosive burst of splinters. Eliot stormed through the now ruined doorway, rage in his heart and murder in his eyes. His target had jumped up from a large chair when the door had crashed against the wall, but now Sam DeLuca fell back from the feral man stalking towards him.
“Eliot!”
Both men turned towards the snapping feminine voice, one pissed and one hopeful. DeLuca watched as an elegant blonde woman stepped through the door. His hope shrank as her disdainful gaze landed on him. If the first invader’s eyes were fiery, hers were chips of ice.
“You can’t kill him,” Maggie stated calmly. “Sterling actually has to have a living, breathing person to arrest.”
“Wasn’t planning on killing him,” Eliot bit out. “Sterling doesn’t need him in one piece.”
DeLuca shrank away from the furious man. The hitter stalked closer, eyes narrowing. “Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy putting two bullets into my boss?”
“I…I…” DeLuca could only stammer. “He…he ruined my business!”
“Your business?” Now Maggie hissed at him. “Your business was worth a man’s life?”
The accountant could not speak. He had never expected this kind of reaction. His anger and fear had sent him over to Ford’s house in a boiling mad state. Now he realized the outcome would be even worse.
Eliot grabbed DeLuca by the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. Even though DeLuca stood two inches taller, he felt like a poodle in the jaws of a Rottweiler. Eliot shook him.
“Well?” the hitter demanded. “Answer the lady! Was your business worth a man’s life?”
“They were going to kill me! I didn’t have the money!” DeLuca shouted.
“So you decided to put a bullet into someone else?”
“I…I…I don’t…I don’t know…why I…” he stammered and stumbled before going silent. Eliot glared at him and he felt his heart shiver.
His shivers grew worse as Eliot hauled him in close and hissed directly into his face. “You’re going to have a long time to contemplate the mistake you made today; a very long time.”
The hitter let him go and DeLuca tripped. As he struggled to his feet once more, a swift left jab knocked him unconscious.
Eliot sneered. “He should have stuck with numbers.”
“Obviously,” Maggie sighed. “In the meantime, we need to get out of here. Sterling should be here any moment, and while he’s agreed to ‘overlook’ you, he certainly won’t have any qualms about arresting you if he comes face to face with you.”
“Yeah, I know.” Eliot frowned.
“No,” said Maggie. “You got to look him in the eye, scare him, and hit him. We sent Interpol all the information they need. Let’s go.”
Eliot grinned at her as they left the office. “You’re getting pretty good at this.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thank you, but I believe I’ll stay on the reserve team if you please. I don’t need this much excitement on a regular basis. Now come on, we need to get out there before our driver thinks we need a rescue.”
“You do know she’s listening on the earbuds, right?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. “You do recall this is Parker, right?”
“Hey! What does that mean?” Parker’s voice came over their buds.
Eliot smirked but Maggie shook her head. “It means you might decide I need rescuing from him, or vice versa.”
“Oh, yeah, maybe. It would be a good rescue though.”
Both of them bit back laughter as they heard Parker’s reply. They could hear her singing along with the radio as they made their way out to the van. Maggie thought the song particularly apt for these two, even if they still had a ways to go before they saw it for themselves.
“When everything’s made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.”
“Come on,” Eliot instructed. “Let’s get back to the hospital.”
~*~
Three months…it’s been three months since I woke up in the hospital.
Nate mused as he walked across the green grass and gravel walks of the cemetery. It had certainly been a roller coaster ride since the moment he woke up looking into Sophie’s tear-filled eyes. He only managed to stay awake for a few minutes, but everyone was there. He saw them and they talked to him. Even drugged he had felt the tension leech out of the room. All he knew was that his family was safe. No one had been hurt.
He winced at that thought. He made the mistake of saying something similar when he could finally speak. The temperature of the room dropped twenty degrees.
Flashback
“Nathan Ford!” Sophie exclaimed, eyes snapping in fury. “What do you mean no one was hurt? You were shot! Twice!”
“Well,” he stammered. “I just meant…” He looked around the room for some support, but the rest of them were glaring just as strongly.
Eliot shook his head. “Don’t look at me, boss. I’m still pissed I had to do both my job and yours for the past while.”
“Hey, man,” Hardison snorted. “If you’re going to be stupid enough to say it, you can deal with the fallout.”
Parker just made a face when he glanced at her.
He sighed and turned back to Sophie. “Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I just remember falling and worrying about you and Hardison being next.”
She rolled her eyes and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “I know, Nate, and I understand. However, you need to understand something as well. You are as important to us as we are to you. You are not an acceptable sacrifice.”
End Flashback
Nate chuckled and tucked his hands into his pockets. They had pulled him out of the hospital as soon as it was medically sound, and proceeded to nursemaid him to death at home. Between his team, Maggie, and a handful of others, he barely had time to shift before someone popped up with medicine, water, new pillows. It was a nice feeling, being taken care of, but cabin fever had set in quickly.
All these months later, he could still sense someone tailing him every so often. He let it be; the family still felt nervous about his brush with death. Sophie still had nightmares about that morning, and none of the “kids” had gotten back to their old routines yet either. Hardison’s insomnia sometimes reached Eliot’s level. Parker could usually be found glued to one of them, hesitant to let them out of her sight. For his part, Eliot hardly ever left. He and Parker would camp out in one of the extra rooms more often than not. Nate sighed. If following him around made them more comfortable, he could live with it. He even expected them to show up here eventually, even though none of them had been to this place before.
Sam’s place.
It had been far too long since his last visit, but he still remembered the way. He made his way slowly to the only willow tree in the cemetery. As expected, he found someone waiting for him.
“Maggie,” he acknowledged as he lowered himself to sit next to her.
She gave him a smile. “Hello, Nate. I see you’ve managed to slip away from your guards.”
“Oh,” he shrugged. “I doubt it. I expect them to come strolling up soon.”
The two of them fell silent as their eyes moved to the simple white headstone. Maggie reached out to brush some dirt away from the inscription: Sam Ford - 1998-2006 - Beloved son lost too soon - “The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling; ‘tis you, ‘tis you must go and I must bide”. Nate put an arm around Maggie as she leaned into him.
“I still miss him.” Maggie’s calm, matter-of-fact statement said more than any tearful declaration ever could.
“I know,” Nate replied. “Me, too.”
They sat there for several long minutes in silence, the broken family recognizing the bonds that still bound them together.
Maggie suddenly gave a small huff of laughter. Nate glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow. She nodded towards a small cluster of trees. “Alec is trying to be sneaky.”
He smiled. “Guess that means Eliot and Parker are around here somewhere as well.”
“Sophie will be walking up shortly then,” she agreed.
Nate stood up and offered her a hand. Both of them turned their heads and caught the brunette coming slowly towards them. She stopped when they looked at her, but gave a graceful shrug and joined them.
Taking Nate’s arm in hers, she turned a gentle smile towards Maggie. “And how have you been?”
“Sophie,” Maggie laughed. “I just saw you two days ago.”
The grifter leaned her head on Nate’s shoulder with a chuckle. “Well, a lot can happen in two days.”
Maggie frowned in confusion. “Did something happen? Did I miss something?”
“Sophie,” Nate scolded with a shake of his head. Despite the scolding tone, his eyes were warm and amused. “Quit teasing her.”
Parker came bouncing up behind Sophie as Eliot strolled along behind. “Did you tell her?” The thief’s voice vibrated with excitement.
“Tell me what?” Maggie asked.
“Sophie hasn’t told you yet?” Hardison asked in astonishment as he walked up. “I didn’t know she’d managed to keep that one.”
Maggie blinked at him before turning a glare on Sophie. Nate threw an imploring gaze at Eliot. The hitter smirked at him but stepped up.
“Hardison, leave it alone,” he said, a finger pointing at the hacker for emphasis. At the same time he grabbed Parker by the waist and anchored her to his side. “Sweetheart, you need to calm down. Let Sophie talk.”
With both of the more hyperactive members under control, Maggie gave Sophie a very direct look. “Tell me what?” she demanded again.
“Well,” Sophie began slowly, seeming to feel her words out before actually speaking. “Nate and I…well, we…” Her words trailed off, and she fumbled for new ones before giving a deep sigh. Letting go of Nate, she held her left hand out to Maggie.
A diamond glittered in the morning light.
“Oh, my God!” Maggie exclaimed, her smile suddenly blinding. “Really?”
Sophie bit her lip, nodding.
“That’s wonderful!” The blonde pulled her friend into a hug. “I am so happy for you!”
Sophie laughed as she returned the embrace. After a moment Maggie let her go and turned to Nate.
“It’s about time!” she said, pulling him into a hug as well. “Congratulations.”
He just gave her a smile when she let him go. Sophie took his arm once more and the members of this most unusual family smiled at each other. Nate glanced around, taking in each face, each person, realizing how close it had come to being over. This tight-knit group had almost lost everything, but they had come out all the stronger in the end. His smile turned gentle as he glanced down at the headstone before turning to the others.
“Give me a minute.”
They walked away with nods and smiles. He watched them for a moment. Sophie and Hardison bracketed Maggie as Sophie told her about the engagement while Hardison tried to break in with the tale of their latest job. Parker and Eliot followed them, Parker wandering to look at stones or flowers that caught her eye before coming back to Eliot’s side. He smiled and knelt down.
Lifting a hand, he brushed his fingertips across his son’s name.
“You know, Sam, I never liked my dad’s legacy to me. It always ended up hurting someone.” He stopped and peered over his shoulder at the rest of the team before turning back. “I hope you’re proud of mine. They are my legacy, mine and yours. I love you; I’ll always love you.”
He rose and began walking away, walking into a future he had almost lost, a future reborn. He could hear a song playing from somewhere. The line made him smile, “What’s worth the price is always worth the fight.”
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