FIC: Why Do I Get You Wrong? 3B/3
Oct. 5th, 2009 07:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
paulacasTitle: Why Do I Get You Wrong?
Author: YanzaDracan
Fandom: Leverage
Pairing: Eliot/Author’s Choice
Rating: FRM
Summary: Prompt – First fight – Bits and pieces from Season 2 episodes. Finally the muses stopped arguing over how this was going to end.
Part 3B
She left him standing by the empty grave grieving for what died before it reached full bloom, and watching the first thread of his control unravel.
Parker took Sophie’s leaving just as hard as Nate. The grifter was her umbilical cord to normal, and it threw her when the cord was severed. Several conversations that involved a lot of growling on Eliot’s part, and threats of turning her over his knee seemed to settle her.
Leery of Nate’s moods that swung from apathetic to frenzied, Hardison and Parker turned more and more to Eliot.
For someone who until a year ago had been a lone wolf, he tried. Parker was fine, finally. It was Hardison he was about to beat bloody.
After they got the hacker back from the Russians, Parker dragged a fuming Eliot to his pickup.
“What?!” Alec raised his hands in question. “It all worked out!” He yelled after them.
He climbed in the car with Nate. When they didn’t move, Alec turned to see Nate staring out the windshield.
“You asked Eliot how to run the game, then you did the exact opposite. Then when you got your ass in a sling you called Sophie—then Parker and Eliot had to save you from your own stupidity.“ He turned to look at his hacker. “Stop me when you get the point.” Nate sneered.
“I just…” Hardison started, but stopped at Nate’s glare.
“Until we got together you lived a world of 1’s and 0’s, video games, and virtual playgrounds. All of a sudden you’re a better thief that Parker, a better strategist than the world’s best retrieval specialist, and a better grifter than Sophie—who we promised not to bother.”
Nate’s eerily quiet voice was starting to creep out the hacker.
Alec looked down at his fingers twisting in his lap.
“Sorry.” He said quietly.
“Yeah—you are.” Nate started the car.
The mastermind cringed inwardly as the three snickering thieves confronted him about going to London, Eliot teasing him along with others, his blue/grey eyes full of questions.
He ignored them all and re-focused their attention on the job.
When Nate asked Hardison to run a background check on Tara Carlisle, the hacker turned away. If they found out Sophie had called and asked him to set her up, he was dead.
Eliot would never trust him again—if he didn’t kill him—he didn’t even want to think about the things Parker’s twisted psyche would invent for her revenge.
Eliot hated strangers in his territory. He didn’t know or trust her, and for Nate to bring her into places the hitter considered home left him more surly than usual.
Parker hated the beautiful blonde, period.
Nate just wanted the job over.
Since losing Sophie, he’d been tightening his grip on his remaining team to the point where Eliot finally placed himself between him, Parker and Hardison as a badly needed buffer.
Nate brushed against the hitter’s back as he stood at the stove.
“You know you’re mine?” He whispered.
“I’m convenient.” Eliot answered just as quietly. “While Sophie’s not here.” The words held the bite of contempt.
Nate took a deep breath. This was becoming like one of their chess games, which Eliot won more often than not.
When all else fails—tell the truth.
“You know why I really went to London?”
Nate fought down his anxiety.
“For Sophie.” Eliot turned to face him, his expression carefully controlled.
“For a grifter. I already have what I want, he just won’t acknowledge it.” He kept his voice soft.
“Last again.”
“Last—only.” Nate insisted.
Eliot looked at Nate with a jaundiced eye.
“You expect me to just fall into your bed with that little confession?”
“No.” Nate smiled softly. “I like to think you’d give me another chance.”
He covered the scarred hand with his own.
Keen eyes roamed Nate’s face looking for the lie. Finally he gave the older man a brief nod.
Eliot’s heart jumped into this throat as he walked around the forklift and saw the sniper drawing a bead on Nate and Parker.
Without a thought, he yelled Nate’s name wanting to alert the man and distract the sniper. The gunman jerked, missing his shot.
The rock Eliot threw didn’t miss its mark. A few hard punches with elbows, and he easily snatched the rifle, sending the sniper running toward the warehouses. He was able to breathe again when he saw Nate and Parker were fine.
As Nate started to climb in the car to go to the courthouse, Eliot grasped a handful of the slicked back curls and pulled him in for harsh, desperate kiss. Nate gasped a much needed breath when Eliot stepped back.
“Quit makin’ people shoot at ya.” He hissed, giving Nate’s hair a hard tug to emphasize his point.
Parker snickered and leered while Nate just stared as Eliot stalked away.
It was a relaxed team that entered Nate’s condo the morning after wrapping up their ‘lost heir’ job. Everyone stopped except Eliot who placed himself between the team and Tara Carlisle. Even after reading Sophie’s letter, the hitter remained tense.
Parker glared at being called adorable while Eliot just glared.
Nate gave her a cursory, ‘Welcome Aboard’ as they watched her sashay toward the door.
“This should be fun.” She chirped.
Hardison shivered at the glares from the hitter and the thief. He prayed to all his virtual gods they never found out he’d been the one to let her in based on Sophie’s word.
After Tara came onto the team, Nathan Ford’s operative word was control. He controlled his alcoholism, his clients, and he tried to control his team.
Eliot just smirked, said, “Sure Boss.” And did what he thought best.
Parker wrinkled her nose and came up with new and inventive ways to sneak up on and startle the mastermind.
Alec tried to keep his head down and distract Parker from tormenting Tara and Nate.
The only time Nate didn’t try to be in control was when he was with Eliot. With Eliot he just let go knowing the hitter would always catch him, so when Eliot finally pulled him up the spiral staircase by his belt, Nate’s life finally clicked in place.
Two months later, Eliot answered the knock on the condo door.
“Sophie?”
“For now. That’s a good look for you, Eliot.” She leered at the retrievalist.
Bare-chested, bare-footed, wet hair falling in waves down his back, he blushed while leering back.
“Back atcha, darlin’.” He stepped back to let her in the door.
“Just visitin’ or ya back?” He asked cautiously.
“Almost back.” The grifter hedged. “How’s Tara?”
“Not you.” Eliot growled and went into the kitchen.
“Eliot and Parker don’t care much for your friend.” Nate added as he came down the steps.
He gave her a peck on the cheek before following Eliot into the kitchen. He dropped a kiss on the younger man’s shoulder before picking up the coffee cup Eliot filled. He handed Sophie another.
Curiosity peaked at Eliot’s reaction to Tara--Sophie prodded.
“I thought she’d be a good fit.”
“She doesn’t have your touch.” Nate said diplomatically.
Eliot gave a snort of contempt. “She uses a sledge hammer to swat a fly.”
Before Sophie could comment an ear piercing squeal came from the loft.
“SOPHIE!” Parker squealed practically sliding down the banister to hug the grifter.
Sophie’s eye grew wide at what that implied. Eliot rolled his eyes while Nate blushed and sputtered.
Sophie’s return helped Nate relax. As soon as she got sorted out things would be back to as close to normal as things got with this crew.
Sophie found a new place with a view of the harbor and was getting settled. For Nate everything was perfect…except Eliot. Nate frowned at the back of his head as the hitter stood at the window, brooding.
“Eliot?”
At the soft call he ran both hands through his long hair and turned.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s…” he waved a hand, “…something…I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something’s just not right.”
“Leftovers from the job?”
“Naw, already had Hardison check. I just need some time to figure it out.”
Eliot flopped down against Nate on the couch to watch the game.
Sophie looked around her new apartment, a smile of contentment on her face, her team-mates and Tara relaxing with drinks after one of Eliot’s excellent meals.
Eliot leaned against the counter between the kitchen and dining area savoring the fine red wine from Sophie’s collection. The dark haired grifter refilled her glass and leaned against Eliot’s side.
“If I could have your attention?”
Everyone turned to Sophie.
“First—Thank you for giving me the time I needed to sort myself.”
She smiled at the leggy blonde across the room.
“Tara. We’ve been friends a long time. Thank you for stepping in and helping. Now that I’ve gotten everything squared away, you can get back to your life.”
“Glad to pitch in. I haven’t had this much fun plus made a pile of money in a long time.”
“Does this mean we’re going to steal stuff together again?” Parker gushed.
“Yes, Parker, we are.” Sophie smiled softly at the younger woman.
“Yes!” She pumped the air with her fist.
The chaos caused by Sophie’s announcement quieted when they heard the metallic click. Eliot was already glaring at the intruder when the others spun around to see Colin Mason standing at door with a silenced pistol.
“Mason! What are you doing?” Hardison yelled.
“You ruined everything!” He waved the gun frantically. “That score would have me set for life.”
Everyone but Eliot gaped in surprise.
“How’d ya get out?” Eliot drawled.
“It’s amazing what you can do with a little of this, a little of that, and a lot of money.” The crazed hacker sneered.
Chaos was squeezing the trigger when Eliot moved. Silver from Eliot’s hand flashed at the same time the pistol discharged.
Colin Mason and Eliot Spencer collapsed in a blood soaked heap.
When Parker and Hardison rolled Mason, they saw the throwing knife protruding from his chest while Nate and Sophie went to Eliot.
Eliot was unconscious, blood running down the side of his face from a deep furrow gouged across his forehead.
Sophie, Tara and Alec dealt with the police while Nate and Parker went to the hospital with Eliot.
Parker was strangely quiet as she pressed closed to Nate’s side in the waiting room.
“He’ll be ok, right?” She gnawed at her bottom lip. “He’s Eliot. He was doing his job.”
She was practically sitting in Nate’s lap by the time she’d rolled those thoughts through her jumbled brain.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Parker. You know Eliot’s awful hard-headed?” Nate closed his eyes as he fought to control his own demons.
Parker, bless her heart, squirmed enough to keep Nate from getting lost in his own memories of waiting rooms, beeping monitors, and shouted orders.
A tired looking woman appeared with a clip board in her hand.
“Tom Baker?” She called.
Nate and Parker practically sprang from their chairs.
“I’m Tom Baker. How’s my brother?”
“A very lucky man, Mr. Baker. Where the bullet grazed his forehead caused a hematoma, but it’s stabilized.”
“Is he awake?” Parker peered around Nate.
“No we’re keeping him sedated…a light coma, to give him a chance to start to heal.”
“But he’ll be okay?” Parker nudged Nate in the ribs.
“Barring complications, he should be fine, other than a headache in a few days. They’re moving him to a room now. The nurse will let you know.” She started to turn away, then turned back.
“This may seem like an odd question, Mr. Baker, but your brother, does he have a high pain tolerance?”
Parker pinched Nate to get him to answer.
“Why yes he does, Doctor. He’s something of a daredevil.” Nate glowered at his thief.
I thought so. He started to regain consciousness several times. He became quite combative.” She unconsciously rubbed her wrist.
“I’m sorry, Doctor. He has a thing about strangers touching him. I can usually calm him down.” Nate gave the doctor a quick once over. “He didn’t hurt anyone, did he?”
“Not really. He said something I didn’t understand, grabbed my wrist, apologized but by then the sedative had taken effect.” The doctor shook her head in amazement. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
An hour later, the nurse took them to Eliot’s room. A silent Nate and subdued Parker sat with the hitter until the vibrating of her phone nearly launched the blonde out of her chair.
“What!?” She whispered harshly.
“Why are you whispering?” Hardison asked.
“Eliot’s asleep…well technically they drugged him into a coma…” She trailed off.
“They did what?” The hacker’s fingers flew over the keyboard.
“They drugged him ‘cause he kept waking up. Oh and Nate’s creepier than usual.”
Sophie and Alec exchanged concerned looks.
“Parker I’m in the hospital’s system. What room are you in?”
“352. How’d it go with the cops?” Parker continued to whisper.
“Smooth. The fact they let Mason escape probably didn’t hurt, but between Tara and Sophie, the cops didn’t know what hit ‘em.”
“You guys coming over?” Parker sounded really small.
“Just getting ready to head over. You need anything?” Hardison asked.
“Bring Nate some stuff. He’s still wearing Eliot’s blood. I think maybe that’s what’s making him creepier.”
“Creepier how, Parker?” Sophie asked.
“He just sits and stares. I had to pinch him to get him to answer the doctor’s questions.”
“He’s worried about Eliot, Parker.” They cringed at that image.
“Is he going to drink again?” Parker was blunt.
“No! I mean we hope not. We’re all going to help. Didn’t the doctor say Eliot was going to be fine?”
“Yeah.”
The second day, Sophie cajoled, browbeat, and badgered Nate until she got him home to shower and sleep.
Leaving him in the shower, the grifter went to pick them up some dinner. When she returned Nate sat at the counter with bottle of scotch and a shot glass. Hearing her gasp, Nate held up his hand for her to stay silent.
He inhaled the aroma of the aged single malt.
“Nate.” Sophie started.
He held up his hand again as he continued to savor the smell of the expensive scotch.
“Eliot bought me this bottle of scotch.” He told her softly as he poured the scotch back in the bottle. “No one knows more about breaking and control than Eliot.”
Sophie looked around Nate’s condo, content. Parker was irritating Alec, distracting the hacker from his computer with her antics.
She set down her book and with a smile headed for the kitchen to rescue Eliot from Nate’s hovering over the recovering hitter—or maybe she’d be rescuing Nate.
