Disclaimer" I own no rights to the Leverage Characters.
Adult Situations, Language, Violence, Sexual Content
I've always felt like the odd man out. I spent my early years being pushed from one foster home to another. Most of them weren't in the nicest places. I guess that's how I picked up some of my bad habits. At the age of ten I was breaking into cars and hot wiring them in under a minute. At eleven I was driving get away cars. By the time I was twelve I was able to take down a guy twice my size. Which I guess good because there wasn't much to me and my next home was a nightmare.
When I was thirteen I was arrested for stabbing Mr. Goreman. He was suppose to be the man of the house. Take care of those he was gifted with. He has a son of his own and from the moment I was placed in the house I knew he was off. I had always had the ability to read people and he and his son were pure evil.
I endured the daily torture of emotional abuse. That was a good day. On the bad ones they would take turn playing "touch the naughty places." Which was code for rape the thirteen year old. The day I snapped I had met a friend from my driver days. He reminded me that I wasn't a victim and offered to fix my problem for me. That's when I knew if I didn't do something I was dead. Whether it be at the Goreman's hands or my own.
That's when I met what I now consider to be my family. Mr. William Hardison was my public defender. He believed my claims even though the Goreman's said I seduced Joey. I had too many bruises that just didn't make sense unless I was struggling during the sex. Mr. Hardison and his wife Natalie agreed to be my new foster parents. At first I had a hard time adjusting. See he and his family are chocolate skinned to my blinding white.
I think my turning point was when their son Alec was being bullied. See he is a bit of a geek. Right down to the action figure collecting and endless video games. I kicked their asses and made sure they knew there would be more if they didn't stop. That was the best day of my life. I finally had a family.
The second best day was when Alec decided to use his god like hacking skills for good. I knew he had greater things ahead. See he was always a loner. Some days I thought I was his only friend. Then he met what he calls his second family. It filled a void he didn't know he had. I'm pretty sure a lot of it has to do with a blond thief. I've never met her but from what he told me she is his soul mate.
Which brings us to my current visit from my big bro. "So are you ever going to tell her you love her?" We were on my couch eating junk food and watching mindless television.
"It's not that easy. Parker isn't like any girl I know. She lives in her own realm." I liked looking at his eyes when he talked about her.
"Then let me meet her and I will help you. It's not healthy to suppress your manly urges." He threw several gummy frogs at me. "It's true and you know it. Maybe you should to Eliot. Your always saying he's a ladies man."
"Trust me I have and all he said was be more assertive."
"He's right you are kind of a wuss."
He grabbed my foot and started tickling it. "Wuss. Look who's talkin. Your just as assertive as I am in the romantic area."
"Not true I have a boyfriend." He stopped tickling me. "What?" I threw popcorn at him. "Granted it's only been a month but it's better than you." He looked concerned. "I'm fine Hardy Boy. I'm twenty-five now and I can't keep hiding. Marco knows about my past and is willing to take things slow.
"Give me all the info you have on him. It will just be easier than me going behind your back." He pulled out a notebook from his laptop bag. "You know I'm going to check on him. It's my job as your older brother." HE thinks he's so funny.
"Don't make me call mom. You know how she gets when you stick your nose in our business." He was the reason I didn't have a date to the prom. He found out my date had a wrap sheep for dealing drugs. "How would you like it if I hired someone to look in your closet to find out your private shit?" He gave me his just give up face. "Ugh!" I wrote down Marco's name, address and cell number.
"Thank you Popsicle." Now he was gloating.
I love when Alec visits. We never do anything but lounge around but I have a date tonight. I would cancel but since I don't get to him the rest of the week. I just hope he behaves himself. Him grilling my dates never ends well for me.
I was still getting ready when Marco got here. It was too quiet out there and I was afraid what might have happened to Alec. I was glad we were going to something casual. Usually I have to dress up and I hated dresses. I prefer things like UFC or Professional Wrestling. I liked sports with violence and blood spatter didn't hurt either.
"Your being nice?" I gave Alec a questioning look.
"What would I do that you wouldn't like?" I laughed and hugged him before I left. "Now I can't guarantee your place will be this clean when you get back."
"It better be or your floppy disk is going to need rebooted." Simply put I'll kick you in the nuts.
I was on cloud nine when I got back. My cab stopped next to a moving van. I grabbed the bag full of gummy frogs and orange pop. It was nine at night who would be moving this late? Plus I don't remember any of my neighbors saying they were moving. I had just started walking up the steps when I saw Alec with a box.
There were several guys following him. "Can you take this?" The guy grabbed the box.
"Which of my neighbors is moving?"
He pulled me into a hug. "Lets go to your apartment." I followed him and it didn't take long to figure out that they were coming from my apartment.
"Alec why are they taking things from my apartment?" I had stopped walking.
He walked back to me. "Poppy we don't have time for you to argue. Marco isn't who you think he is."
"What are you babbling about?"
"Look do you trust me?" See he has a tell. His eyes tell you everything he is thinking. Right now they were filled with fear.
"With my life." I hadn't seen him this scared since the Feds busted him for identity theft.
"Then I need you to help me get your things into the van. I'll explain everything as we drive." He kissed my head and went back into my place.
I didn't argue since there wasn't much left in my apartment. My kitchen and bathroom was all that was left to pack. He said only the important furniture was going. Which meant anything light and required little effort to move. That or computer related.
I leaned my head against the window as he drove away from my apartment. I watched the scenery pass by like it was just a random place. I closed my eyes and prayed that when I woke this was just a nightmare.
I jumped at the sound of a car door slamming. My first instinct was to punch in that direction. My fist connected with something. "Damn Poppy!"
I turned to see Alec pulling his hand away from his lip. He was bleeding. "Sorry you scared me."
He started driving again. We sat listening to the music but I could tell he was tired. "Are you going to continue to ignore me?"
"I'm not ignoring you. I just have nothing to say."
He smacked the steering wheel. "Then you can listen." He turned down the radio. "Marco wasn't who you think he was. I took a pic of his face and ran it through my facial recognition programs. His last name isn't Powers but Sarducci. The police think he is involved with the mob. Every time they think they have proof to put him away it disappears."
"What crimes? What right do you have to pack up my shit and force me to leave my life?"
He pulled over and slammed on the breaks. "What right!" He got out and so did I. "He could turn on you or you could get caught in the cross fire." His phone rang but he ignored it.
"Like your life is any safer. You put yourself out there knowing you could get hurt or worse. That's part of life." His phone rang again.
"What!" He screamed into the phone. "No I can't." He was pacing now so it had to be one of his crew. "Eliot!" He kept saying his name over and over. He stopped and held his head in his hand. "If I drive straight through maybe by morning." Another pause. "I told my new tenant I would drive the moving truck for her. They talked for a few more minutes before he hung u.
"I can drop you off at a airport if yo need to get there sooner. I can drive the truck it's got GPS."
He put his phone away and hugged me. "No your more important. I am going to take a nap though." He went back to the van getting in the passenger side.
I got in but couldn't believe he was letting me drive. "Are you sure you want me to drive?" He doesn't like the way I drive. Something about driving like it's a NASCAR race. Even in rush hour traffic.
"No I'm hoping you care about my life as much as I do yours." He pulled his ha over his eyes.
"Ouch." I know he's mad but it's not his life that just got uprooted.
I drove until we reached Massachusetts. He lives in Boston so I let him take over. He pulled up behind a brick building and parked the truck. Would have checked the time on my phone but he threw it out the window shortly after we left. So I followed his lead and grabbed some boxes.
There were two doors to the building and he took the one on the left. We went up a flight of steps and I waited for him to unlock the door. He turned on the light and set the boxes down on the floor next to the kitchen. It was an open floor plan with a staircase going up next to the kitchen. "It needs furniture but it's yours until you decide to kick my ass and leave." He pointed to the door on the wall to my right. "Tat leads to the hallway. Nate lives in the apartment next to the steps."
"Does this mean I get to meet them?" I was finally excited about something since I left.
"Yeah but I'm not sure it's a good idea to tell them who you really are." I looked down. "Until we know your safe."
"Fine but if I think they need to know I will tell."
He was happy I agreed. "I'll have your new identity ready before the day is over.
He explained a few places he thought I should visit or not visit. He never said to avoid the bar downstairs and I know that's where they meet clients. I decided to take the private stairs and go in the front doors.