Leverage fic: The Golden Floor, Sophie
disclaimer: not mine
rating: g
length: barely 1000
notes: this is sort of spoilery for the preview to next week's episode. I blame it entirely upon tinylegacies eta: the worst thing about waking up so early is the brain's tendency to spout helpful things like "It's Sterling, not Stark." when you're staggering around to turn off the alarm.
The Golden Floor
by ALC Punk!
Sophie hung up the first time, trying to convince herself it was a wrong number. It seemed ridiculous and stupid to even consider that she'd call. Perhaps she wasn't looking for whom she'd found.
It was easy to step onto another plane, leave the desert behind.
-=-
The second time was a day later (thereabouts), and Sophie wonders if Maggie had been giving her time to think.
"I don't know where Nate is," she lied through her teeth.
There was a moment of silence, and then Maggie laughed, just a little. "Boston, but it's not him I'm looking for."
It seemed easier to hang up before calling a cab. Sophie decided rather ferociously that it was rather too warm and wet in India to suit her now.
-=-
"Please don't hang up."
Maggie said it almost imploringly, and Sophie had to give her fairly high marks for persuasion. "What happens if I do?"
"I steal something and utterly fail at it."
That made Sophie pause. A part of her is still Sophie, still interested in things like that, even if they're tangentially-related to Nathan Ford (whom she is not thinking of). Even if they were not in the best interests of her own personal twelve-step (or should that be name?) program.
"How did you get my number?"
"Parker. I told her that I was confused, and she said something about you being helpful." Maggie sounded breezy and confident now. As though she knew she would get what she wanted.
"How did you get Parker's number?"
"I rifled Nate's phone."
Sophie hangs up.
-=-
It wasn't hard to find Maggie--even Sophie could use cell phone trackers. Hardison might be good at what he does, but Sophie was better at what she did, and learning on the go had always been a useful tool for a grifter.
Getting there was even less trouble, and Sophie had a brief moment where she wondered if Maggie led her some disturbing, merry dance. But then again, Sophie hadn't even been aware she was going to end up in Tanzania at the drop of a hat. Maggie looks tired, sitting on the little terrace of the hotel, hat perched on her head as she read from what looked like an entirely dreary novel.
Appropriating a mug of tea from a passing waiter, Sophie dropped into the chair opposite her. "It gets so hard to find decent tea these days," she managed, after sipping and nearly burning her tongue.
"Should I even ask how you found me?"
There'd be no point in telling her, and Sophie wasn't Hardison. "What were you planning to steal?"
"Crown jewels. Bric-a-brac--" Maggie looked up, and the circles were deeper before she smiled. "I've bothered you for nothing, of course."
"Oh, of course. That's why you called four days in a row."
"Three."
"Four," Sophie contradicted. "I didn't bother answering this morning."
"You saved me another dial tone."
They don't say anything else for a while, and Sophie wondered about the oddly comfortable feeling of sitting in a foreign locale, with her sort-of-boyfriend's ex-wife across the table from her. Maggie passed over the papers she'd had in her lap, and Sophie settled down with the news of the day, perusing the columns for marks out of habit.
A very likely one popped out at her, and she considered taking up the challenge before reminding herself that she was getting out of this sort of thing.
"There's already a theft being planned." Maggie dropped the words into the quiet between them, as though waiting for something to explode. When nothing did, she continued. "I want to stop them, but the easiest way to do that, is--"
"Steal it first."
"Yes."
Maggie looked at Sophie. A slight smile appeared on Sophie's lips. "Why don't we go up to your room and have some more tea?"
-=-
It had been a while since she'd had to run something on her own. Even then, Maggie had suggested Sophie stay behind.
"Parker said you were trying to forget some things," Maggie explained as she hunted in her bags for the small broach Sophie had suggested.
From where she was seated on the bed, studying plans of the museum, Sophie frowned. "Just how long was your conversation with Parker?"
"Long enough. There." Tossing it on the bed, Maggie looked at her expectantly.
Sophie looked back, and thought of all the things she could say. She dropped her head, eyes resting on the plans. "Let's go over this one more time. I shudder to think what we'll do if you get caught."
"I'm not going to get caught."
"Maggie, this plan--there's too many variables. You have no one to watch your back."
Some of Maggie's confidence slid away, and she nodded. "I know. But I can't not do it, Sophie."
"I know."
-=-
"Promise me something."
The night was perfect, and Sophie was almost regretting not going with Maggie, swathed in a dress and perfect heels.
"Promise you what?"
"Don't tell Nate."
It seemed an easy promise to make. Maggie knew the plan backwards and forwards, there were only so many ways it could go wrong, and Sophie had confidence in Maggie. And confidence in the night guards.
"Are you sure you don't want me there?"
"Do I have your promise?"
Sophie sighed. "Yes."
-=-
The problem was, Sophie couldn't keep herself away. Just a little peek, a swirl on the dance floor, some champagne, maybe even a canape. Anything to check on Maggie's progress.
Which meant that the museum's director happened to catch a glimpse of her, and that in turn, led to a change in security.
Sophie had only herself to blame, and she hoped Maggie was, too.
-=-
The problem with making a promise (a stupid one), was that Sophie had turned a corner. She kept her word now.
Which left her only one option.
"Sterling. It's Sophie--look, don't hang up. I made a promise, so you're going to have to tell Nate." Sophie snorted when he rattled something about a lack of interest at her. "Don't be an idiot. I mean the part where she's gotten herself arrested."
Even with all of the confidence she had in herself, Sophie knew she had no way in hell of getting Maggie out. Not on her own, at least.
-f-
rating: g
length: barely 1000
notes: this is sort of spoilery for the preview to next week's episode. I blame it entirely upon tinylegacies eta: the worst thing about waking up so early is the brain's tendency to spout helpful things like "It's Sterling, not Stark." when you're staggering around to turn off the alarm.
The Golden Floor
by ALC Punk!
Sophie hung up the first time, trying to convince herself it was a wrong number. It seemed ridiculous and stupid to even consider that she'd call. Perhaps she wasn't looking for whom she'd found.
It was easy to step onto another plane, leave the desert behind.
-=-
The second time was a day later (thereabouts), and Sophie wonders if Maggie had been giving her time to think.
"I don't know where Nate is," she lied through her teeth.
There was a moment of silence, and then Maggie laughed, just a little. "Boston, but it's not him I'm looking for."
It seemed easier to hang up before calling a cab. Sophie decided rather ferociously that it was rather too warm and wet in India to suit her now.
-=-
"Please don't hang up."
Maggie said it almost imploringly, and Sophie had to give her fairly high marks for persuasion. "What happens if I do?"
"I steal something and utterly fail at it."
That made Sophie pause. A part of her is still Sophie, still interested in things like that, even if they're tangentially-related to Nathan Ford (whom she is not thinking of). Even if they were not in the best interests of her own personal twelve-step (or should that be name?) program.
"How did you get my number?"
"Parker. I told her that I was confused, and she said something about you being helpful." Maggie sounded breezy and confident now. As though she knew she would get what she wanted.
"How did you get Parker's number?"
"I rifled Nate's phone."
Sophie hangs up.
-=-
It wasn't hard to find Maggie--even Sophie could use cell phone trackers. Hardison might be good at what he does, but Sophie was better at what she did, and learning on the go had always been a useful tool for a grifter.
Getting there was even less trouble, and Sophie had a brief moment where she wondered if Maggie led her some disturbing, merry dance. But then again, Sophie hadn't even been aware she was going to end up in Tanzania at the drop of a hat. Maggie looks tired, sitting on the little terrace of the hotel, hat perched on her head as she read from what looked like an entirely dreary novel.
Appropriating a mug of tea from a passing waiter, Sophie dropped into the chair opposite her. "It gets so hard to find decent tea these days," she managed, after sipping and nearly burning her tongue.
"Should I even ask how you found me?"
There'd be no point in telling her, and Sophie wasn't Hardison. "What were you planning to steal?"
"Crown jewels. Bric-a-brac--" Maggie looked up, and the circles were deeper before she smiled. "I've bothered you for nothing, of course."
"Oh, of course. That's why you called four days in a row."
"Three."
"Four," Sophie contradicted. "I didn't bother answering this morning."
"You saved me another dial tone."
They don't say anything else for a while, and Sophie wondered about the oddly comfortable feeling of sitting in a foreign locale, with her sort-of-boyfriend's ex-wife across the table from her. Maggie passed over the papers she'd had in her lap, and Sophie settled down with the news of the day, perusing the columns for marks out of habit.
A very likely one popped out at her, and she considered taking up the challenge before reminding herself that she was getting out of this sort of thing.
"There's already a theft being planned." Maggie dropped the words into the quiet between them, as though waiting for something to explode. When nothing did, she continued. "I want to stop them, but the easiest way to do that, is--"
"Steal it first."
"Yes."
Maggie looked at Sophie. A slight smile appeared on Sophie's lips. "Why don't we go up to your room and have some more tea?"
-=-
It had been a while since she'd had to run something on her own. Even then, Maggie had suggested Sophie stay behind.
"Parker said you were trying to forget some things," Maggie explained as she hunted in her bags for the small broach Sophie had suggested.
From where she was seated on the bed, studying plans of the museum, Sophie frowned. "Just how long was your conversation with Parker?"
"Long enough. There." Tossing it on the bed, Maggie looked at her expectantly.
Sophie looked back, and thought of all the things she could say. She dropped her head, eyes resting on the plans. "Let's go over this one more time. I shudder to think what we'll do if you get caught."
"I'm not going to get caught."
"Maggie, this plan--there's too many variables. You have no one to watch your back."
Some of Maggie's confidence slid away, and she nodded. "I know. But I can't not do it, Sophie."
"I know."
-=-
"Promise me something."
The night was perfect, and Sophie was almost regretting not going with Maggie, swathed in a dress and perfect heels.
"Promise you what?"
"Don't tell Nate."
It seemed an easy promise to make. Maggie knew the plan backwards and forwards, there were only so many ways it could go wrong, and Sophie had confidence in Maggie. And confidence in the night guards.
"Are you sure you don't want me there?"
"Do I have your promise?"
Sophie sighed. "Yes."
-=-
The problem was, Sophie couldn't keep herself away. Just a little peek, a swirl on the dance floor, some champagne, maybe even a canape. Anything to check on Maggie's progress.
Which meant that the museum's director happened to catch a glimpse of her, and that in turn, led to a change in security.
Sophie had only herself to blame, and she hoped Maggie was, too.
-=-
The problem with making a promise (a stupid one), was that Sophie had turned a corner. She kept her word now.
Which left her only one option.
"Sterling. It's Sophie--look, don't hang up. I made a promise, so you're going to have to tell Nate." Sophie snorted when he rattled something about a lack of interest at her. "Don't be an idiot. I mean the part where she's gotten herself arrested."
Even with all of the confidence she had in herself, Sophie knew she had no way in hell of getting Maggie out. Not on her own, at least.
-f-