This story takes place while Nate is in prison. I like the pairing of Nate/Sophie and Eliot/Sophie so I decided to try my hand at a story that had some of both pairings. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Leverage

It was late at night and everything was quiet in the prison where Nathan Ford was currently residing. He was currently asleep in his cell, tossing and turning as if he were having some kind of nightmare. All of a sudden he awoke with a start and sat up straight in bed. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and tried to calm his breathing. The dream he had just had couldn't exactly be described as a nightmare as it had been both heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. As he sat on the edge of the bed his mind wandered back to the dream he had just had, and back to her.

He was walking through a forest, nothing around him but trees, when all of a sudden in front of him appeared a little girl. She could not have been more than ten years old, and as she turned around to face him, Nate gasped at what he saw. Standing there in front of him was the most beautiful little girl he has ever seen, possibly the most beautiful little girl in the world. He knows he has never seen this girl before but there is something oddly familiar about her. She has the most beautiful blue eyes and wavy dark brown hair. She looks at him and gestures for him to follow her, and is so fascinated by this child that he just has to. Nate finds himself being led through the forest when suddenly they stop in a clearing. There are benches made out of trees all facing a large projector screen. The little girl reaches for his hand and Nate feels himself being led to one of the benches in front.

"Please sit down, we have a lot to see" the little girl says

"Who are you?" Nate can't stop himself from asking "what are we doing here?"

"You will understand everything after we are finished" she says

"I don't understand what you are talking about" Nate says "what do you have to show me?"

"You are in prison now" she states "and your team wants to break you out but you won't let them"

"Yes" he says slowly "I don't want them to break me out, I got caught and I am doing my time"

"Well I have been sent here to show you exactly what will happen if you stay in prison" she says "how their lives will turn out without you around"

"What do you mean?" Nate says "does something awful happen to them without me around?"

"Let's just watch" she answers "you will understand everything soon"

Nate watches the screen and sees what looks like his apartment, only it has been turned into a headquarters for the team. No one seems to be around until all of a sudden a little boy of about three years old comes running in. He has big brown eyes and brown hair that falls around his face. Nate cant help but to think of Sophie when he sees this little boy, he is sure that this must be her son. Suddenly Eliot comes into the room and scoops the little boy up, getting a delighted squeal out of the boy. Nate breath catches as Sophie comes into view, her long brown hair sweeping around her face in a way that Nate has always loved.

"Hey beautiful" Eliot says "how was your day?"

"Wait!" Nate yells "you mean to tell me that Eliot and Sophie end up together?"

"Yes" the girl answers "without you around Eliot acts on his feelings for Sophie, feelings that he ignores out of respect for you"

"I just can't believe this" Nate says "I have a hard time picturing the two of them together, Sophie loves me"

"You know what, I should take you back so you can see exactly how they end up together" she says "it is actually the second best love story I have ever seen"

"I don't want to see the two of them together" Nate says

"Too bad" she says "I was sent here to show you this, trust me you really need to see this"

Nate forced himself to watch the screen again as the family of three disappeared and there was only Sophie sitting on the couch in his apartment/their headquarters. Eliot then came into view and paused behind the couch just watching Sophie. Nate couldn't help but notice the love in Eliot's eyes as he watched Sophie.

"Hey Soph" Eliot finally said "you okay"

"Oh Eliot" Sophie said, turning around to look at Eliot. Her eyes red from crying "you startled me"

"What's wrong?" Eliot asked, going around to sit next to Sophie "you still thinking about him?"

"I know its silly" Sophie sighed "but why does he not love me enough to let us break him out"

"Nate is a stupid man" Eliot said, reaching up to brush her tears away "any man who passes up a chance to be with you has got to be the biggest idiot in the world"

"Thanks Eliot" Sophie said "I guess I just need to get on with my life and forget about Nate"

"I agree" Eliot said, wrapping Sophie up in a hug "and when you are ready you will"

Then the screen changes and Sophie is on a roof top with a man Nate can only assume is a mark that the team is running a con on. The man has Sophie at the edge of the roof with a gun to her, trapping her. It changes to show Eliot and Parker standing in the doorway of the stairwell that led to the roof. Eliot is about to charge forward but Parker grabs his arm, stopping him.

"What the hell Parker" Eliot hisses

"We need a plan" Parker insists "if you go running over there he will either shot her or hurl her of the roof"

"Well I can't just do nothing" Eliot says "it's my job to keep everyone safe"

"Lucky for you I have an idea" Parker says, smiling

"What is it?" Eliot asks

"Well I have my rope and all the stuff to hang us from the roof, we just have to figure out how to get over by them without him noticing" Parker said

"What do you mean to hang US from the roof?" Eliot asked

"Well part of my plan involves someone catching Sophie when she falls off" Parker explained "which will have to be you"

"Are you crazy?" Eliot asked "what if I don't catch her!"

"Don't worry" Parker says "you will catch her"

"How can you be so sure?" Eliot asked, the confidence he usually has is completely gone

"Because Eliot" Parker says gently "You love Sophie, everyone can see it"

"Everyone?" Eliot asks

"Well everyone but Sophie" Parker says "Now come on lets go get her back so you can tell her"

Nate watches nervously as Parker hooks Eliot up to the rope, then as Eliot gets in position to dangle right under Sophie and the mark. Then after he is ready, Parker runs over to where Sophie and the mark are screaming at him to let her go. The mark is so startled that he lets go of Sophie and she starts to fall, Eliot catching her effortlessly. Parker, who is also hooked up to a rope, jumps off right next to them. They go down a few more windows to where Hardison is waiting to let them in. As soon as they get in Eliot grabs Sophie and kisses her with such force that it almost knocks her over. Then he looks straight into her eyes and tells her he loves her. Sophie's eyes fill with tears as she kisses him back and tells him that she also loves him.

Suddenly the screen changes to show images of Sophie and Eliot go by like snapshots. First there is Eliot and Sophie dancing together at some kind of function. Then Eliot, down on one knee holding out a velvet box with a ring inside, Hardison and Parker watching on the sidelines. Next it shows Sophie walking down the aisle to Eliot who is waiting looking at her like he has never loved anyone more. Nate can't help but think of how beautiful Sophie looks and how much he wishes it were him she was walking towards. He turns his attention back up to the screen to see Sophie sitting on the side of a bathtub holding a pregnancy test in her hand, staring at it like she cannot believe what she is looking at. Then Sophie is showing the test to Eliot, who looks happier than Nate has ever seen. Eliot grabbing Sophie into a big hug and kissing her fiercely on the lips.

"Why do I need to see this" Nate interrupts "it is like torture to watch them together"

"I'm sorry" the little girl answers "but you do need to see it"

"No I get it" Nate says "without me they end up happy, they go clean and they end up with the perfect life"

"I never said anything about them going clean" she says "they still do jobs"

Nate turns to the screen to see Sophie tied up to a chair in a dark room. Her face is bruised as if someone had hit her and Nate realizes with horror that she is pregnant, maybe four or five months. The screen changes and Nate sees Eliot looking furious, screaming at Parker and Hardison.

"What do you mean they got her?" Eliot yelled

"They ganged up on us" Parker said, clearly upset "they knocked Hardison out and grabbed Sophie before I could get there"

"Damnit" Eliot yelled, banging his fist onto the table "I knew this was a bad idea, she's five months pregnant!"

"I know, but you know Sophie" Parker said "she just had to help this poor girl"

"Yeah but I had a bad feeling about it" Eliot said "I shouldn't have let her talk me into it; it's my job to take care of her!"

"Calm down Eliot" Hardison said "we will get her back"

"No I will not calm down" Eliot said "you tell me how calm you would be if this were Parker we were talking about"

"Stop it guys" Parker interrupted "this isn't going to help us get Sophie, we need a plan"

The screen suddenly changed to show Sophie in the dark room again, this time Eliot ran in taking down every guard he passed. He gets to Sophie and unties her quickly, fury filling his eyes as he looks at her bruised face. Sophie is now crying as Eliot picks her up and carries her out of the room. When they get outside Hardison and Parker are waiting in the car.

"Are you okay?" Eliot asks Sophie now that they are safely in the car, Eliot not able to let go of her

"I think so" Sophie says uncertainly "my face hurts but other than that I think I'm okay"

"Are you sure?" Eliot asks "what about the baby?"

"I don't feel any cramping or anything" Sophie says, a hand running over her slight baby bump

"Maybe we should take you to the hospital just to be sure" Eliot says as Sophie rests her head against his chest, suddenly very tired

"I don't know honey" Sophie says, looking up at him "if I show up like this they are going to think that you did it to me"

"I don't care what they think" Eliot said "if you need to go to the hospital then I am taking you"

"I really don't think it's necessary" Sophie insists, snuggling into him "I just want to go home"

"How could he let her work a job while she is pregnant!" Nate asked, interrupting the video again

"Oh come on, you know how persuasive she can be" the girl answered "don't be sure that you wouldn't do the same thing"

Nate scoffed at the idea that he would let Sophie talk him into putting her in danger, but couldn't really find any arguments to fight back with. He turned his attention back to the video screen, knowing that he is not going to like what he sees next.