Here's a twist on what happened at the end of The San Lorenzo job. This is my version of how I think it should have went down instead.
Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage
The San Lorenzo Twist
Elliot Spencer was in a rare good mood and given that he and the crew just took down Damien Moreau the previous day, it was fully justified. Elliot strolled past the lift doors of their hotel just as they opened to reveal a smiling Alec Hardison. Hardison was holding a medium sized briefcase and looking very pleased about it.
"Where did you go off to this early?" Elliot asked the hacker who was not known to be a morning person.
"I went to get me some souvenirs baby. We just took down the big D and stole an entire country. I don't know about you man but this is one victory I want to remember and I got me just the thing to help me remember it" the hacker responded whilst patting his briefcase for emphasis.
"Hey where's your souvenir, groucho?"
"Don't believe in them. I always travel light, remember?" Elliot gestured to the small backpack he had on him.
"Whatever dude. Just don't come crying to me when you regret not buying something to remember San Lorenzo by."
"Yeah right, like you actually paid for your souvenir."
"I am deeply offended my man. What are you implying? I am a law abiding tourist here."
Elliot's raised eyebrows indicated he wasn't buying it. There was a reason Hardison was the hacker and not the grifter of the team.
"You know what? Forget it. I'm in too good a mood to mess with you right now. Hey, you seen Parker? I'm off to tell Nate that we need to leave soon."
"Sorry. Haven't seen her since last night's celebration. I'm guessing she's either feasting on cereal at the breakfast bar or obtaining some souvenirs of her own, which I might remind you, you should do before we leave this fine island nation."
"Stop it Hardison before my good mood disappears and you get a free ride in the cargo hold of our airplane."
"Easy there grumpy. Shouldn't you be going to get Nate? I'll just slip down to the lobby and uh...socialize with the hotel staff. They do appreciate someone talking to them you know."
Before Elliot could give a response matching the intensity of his glare, a different, more feminine and mature voice intervened.
"Boys, stop trying to wake up the whole hotel. We don't need to announce to the world that we're leaving." Sophie childed.
The world-renowed grifter was dressed as classy as ever though in addition to her usual ensemble of stilettos, a branded purse, a designer dress and matching jewellery, she also wore a hat with a veil on it so no one could see her face. She was after all, supposed to be dead anyway, at least to everyone in San Lorenzo.
Before Hardison could ask Sophie what souvenirs she had obtained, she stopped him with her hand and waved him downstairs. As he left, he was heard muttering something that sounded like "jeez, that's the last time I try to be all helpful and remind everyone about souvenirs."
The grifter and retrieval specialist both shook their heads before the former turned her attention to the latter.
"Have you seen Parker, Elliot? I didn't hear her come back last night. Her luggage was also missing when I woke up."
The grifter and thief had been sharing the room since Sophie was supposed to be dead and dead women don't get their own rooms.
"Sorry. I just asked Hardison the same question. Look I'll go look for her if you help me wake Nate up. And don't worry about it. It's Parker. She could probably steal everything in the room without waking you up."
"That's not a very comforting thought given that our private jet has a weight limit. And why do I have to be the one dealing with a grumpy Nate? We both know he hates mornings."
"True but I'd rather he wake up to your face than mine. Besides, do you one to be the one dragging Parker away from the breakfast bar?"
"Point taken"
Elliot smirked and ran off in the direction of the breakfast bar to find their resident thief. Sophie shook her head and walked over to Nate's room door. I still don't get why he got to have a suite to himself while the rest of us got stuck with smaller rooms. Elliot, I understand, since he hates suites any how but me? Maybe I'll wake him up using a glass of water just for revenge.
As the grifter opened Nate's room door (she had persuaded the receptionist to give her a spare room card for Nate's room when they first moved into the hotel. She never understand why she did that though), she was vaguely aware of the scent of whisky in the air. In the past this would have been a concern but since Nate had openly admitted to being a happy, drunk thief, the crew had learnt to live with his visits to the alcohol cabinet.
She saw Nate still in bed with several suitcases already packed and ready to go. A bottle of whisky stood on the nightstand beside Nate and his jacket hung on the chair next to the study table.
"Nate, wake up. We've got to leave soon," she whispered into his ear. Actually she would have liked to wake him up some other way but this was neither the time nor the place. She also decided that since there was a fifty percent chance of Nate being hung over, she would be merciful and not give him the morning shower in bed she planned.
To her surprise, Nate woke up showing no effects of a hangover. He was also topless. The grifter couldn't help but admire Nate's tone body as the covers dropped down to his waist and revealed his tone but not chiselled torso.
"Sophie, I'm not even going to ask how you got in here. Just give me about fifteen minutes to freshen up and get changed and I'll meet you guys downstairs," came the soft but firm response.
"Why don't I stay and help you? We've got a little while since the boys are looking for Parker. And why are you talking so softly?"
Before Nate could respond there was movement in his King-sized bed; movement that caught Sophie's eyes immediately. Slowly, what at first glance was a lump of pillows besides Nate slowly stretched itself up to reveal...Parker in Nate's shirt?
Sophie stood there stunned. She had many scenarios in her head about waking Nate up and having some morning fun with him but finding him in bed with a beautiful woman that was not her was not on her list. As Sophie scanned the room again, she realized that Parker's shirt from the night before was hanging on another of the chairs in the corner. Parker's luggage was also in Nate's room. As the pieces fell into place, Sophie started to get a sickening feeling in her stomach.
The thief meanwhile didn't seem to notice the tension in the room. She just stretched out and rubbed her eyes as if she was waking up on a perfectly normal day.
"Morning Nate." She intoned cheerfully to the Mastermind beside her. "Oh, morning Sophie. Is it time to go already? Lucky I packed last night," she said in an equally cheery tone towards the grifter whom she had just noticed was now standing in the room and staring at them.
To Sophie's horror, neither Nate nor Parker acted like them ending up in bed together was unusual. Parker, PARKER, seemed perfectly happy with waking up in bed beside Nate. Heck, she was positively beaming whilst Nate was also smiling back at her.
Part of Sophie wanted to scream at Nate and wring his neck for cheating on her but the other half knew that she had no claim to Nate and she only had herself to blame for that. She kept pushing Nate back, wanting to play her little game of 'guess my name' to try and arouse Nateand keep up the intrigue, much like it was when they were playing their game of cat & mouse all across Europe. Only this time, Sophie took too long and the cat had found a different mouse.
Sophie smiled a little bitterly as a tear fell down her cheek. How ironic it was that the woman who seemed to have stolen Nathan Ford's heart was literally the greatest thief in the world. As she observed the two in bed (she even cringed at how that sounded), memories of their recent cases flooded her mind and she started seeing things that she should have seen earlier. She remembered when Nate was explaining to them why they had to listen to the Italian and follow her lead. Everyone had been pissed at Nate and told him that he could go back to jail for all they cared. Parker had even mentioned that Nate had looked pretty cute in a prison jumpsuit. THAT should have started the warning bells. Since when the heck did Parker find Nate cute, period? Everyone had brushed off the comment as Parker being Parker at that time. How wrong they were.
Sophie shook her head as she also recalled how when they were talking about the dagger of Aqu'abi that it was Parker who ran to get Nate to break up the fight. It was Nate who realized that Parker was hiding the fact that she had a hand in the dagger stealing escapades and it was Parker who realized that Nate was hiding his own part of the story in return. They had read each other so perfectly with their eyes that it should have sent her grifting senses into code red but she had been too preoccupied with the story of the dagger to think too much of it.
Then there was the time they were pulling the Cuban sandwich scam on that ex-hockey player. Through the comms, she had heard Nate mentioning to Parker about a set of climbing gear he had in his closet that she could use to climb down the side of the building instead of going out by the front. Nate hated climbing gear. He would never ever have any. It had to be Parker's. Why was her stuff at Nate's?
That had been earlier signs too. When Nate had started to gravitate more towards crime and become a little more 'evil' when dealing with the bad guys, Parker had mentioned her liking this new Nate. Sophie had agreed wholeheartedly at that time, not realizing the consequences of that statement.
Sophie sighed. She had lost because she failed to do the one thing grifters should always do, take note of everything around them. She resolved to be the bigger woman about this and not make a scene, at least for their sake. If anyone deserved happiness, it was those two. They both had a troubled past.
"I'm sorry for intruding. I'll see you guys in the lobby." Sophie rushed out before Nate could stop her and slammed the door behind her.
Nate winced at the sound of the slammed door. Had Sophie stayed longer, she would have realized that Nate was fully clothed from the waist down, as was Parker. Parker glanced at the crestfallen Nate and pushed him out of bed.
"Ow. What was that for?"
"Making Sophie cry. Now go and apologize."
"I didn't...oh nevermind. I suppose I need to go and clear this up with her anyway."
Nate rushed to wash his face and then retrieve his shirt from Parker who had in the meantime taken it off and changed back to her original one. After putting on his shirt and making sure he looked presentable, he started to rush out but turned back to Parker.
"Wish me luck."
"For what?"
"Nevermind."
"Nate wait."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for last night."
"Don't mention it."
Meanwhile Sophie had rushed out to the lobby to clear her head and had bumped into Elliot halfway.
"Shit man. Parker's not at the breakfast bar and Hardison hasn't seen her around either. We're in trouble Sophie."
"Don't worry Elliot. I happen to run into Parker just now. She's fine. She'll meet us at the lobby."
"Was she stealing something?"
"You could say that." She replied cryptically. ShewasbusypilferingtheheartofMYNathanFord.Wellhe'snotmineanymore,apparently,Sophie added bitterly to herself. Luckily her veil prevented Elliot from seeing her tears.
"Dammit. She should know better. Just because we're the president's special guests doesn't mean we can get away with something like that."
"It's ok. She won't get caught. Now you'd best run along and prevent Hardison from being sued for sexual harassment. Last I saw him he was laying it on pretty thick with some receptionist."
"Alright, if you say so Sophie. Oh, hey, where's Nate?"
Just then, Nate himself ran down into the lobby. He ran over to the grifter and hitter before either saw him.
"Oh hi Nate. Was just talking about you. Had one too many to drink?"
"Hi Elliot, well I..."
"Just kidding with you man. You got nothing to worry about, which is more than I can say for Hardison once I find him."
"I don't even want to know. Just go. I need to talk to Sophie alone anyway."
"See you later."
As Elliot went off in search of the soon to be hacked into pieces hacker, Sophie turned to leave as well but Nate caught her arm.
"Regina, please, we need to talk."
Sophie swallowed a tear. It figures that the one time he called her by her real name it would be in this kind of a situation.
"Regina look..."
"No Nate. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snuck into your room. I should have realized you would have had company. I mean, I didn't expect it to be Parker but the more I think about it the more it made sense. The signs were all there and I should have seen it earlier. You have nothing to be sorry about. I wish you and Parker all the best, and don't worry your secret is safe with me. I won't tell if you guys don't want me to."
"What the hell are you talking about? Parker and I aren't together."
"I just saw you two in bed."
"With all our clothes on, alright in my case, minus my shirt, but still!"
"That's still not very comforting or persuasive Nate."
"Look I'd kiss you right now but I don't want to lift the veil and spoil your cover."
"Better that you don't. You shouldn't cheat on Parker."
"I can't cheat on Parker because there is nothing going on between Parker and me."
"I don't believe you."
"Look, Parker being in my bed is no big deal. She's slept with me a few times before."
Sophie merely arched an eyebrow at that. Nate couldn't see her eyebrows but he knew Sophie well enough to know what kind of look she was giving him after a statement like that.
"Regina wait. That didn't come out right. Look, Parker's been having nightmares again, like the ones she used to have when she was in a 'facility' years ago before she joined the team. She snuck into my room one night and told me as much and she told me that she was afraid to go back but that without the meds, the nightmares wouldn't stop. She didn't know who else to turn to since you, Elliot and Hardison were all out of town that night. She also mentioned that you told her about my nightmares regarding Sam so she thought that I had some experience in the area. We talked for hours and then she fell asleep in my bed that night. Since then, she's always come to me when the nightmares show up and I cuddle her to sleep with me so that she feels safe."
Nate paused to take a breath and a sip of brandy out of the flask he carried with him.
"As far as the signs you talk about, I'm sure it has something to do with signs of Parker and I getting closer. There's good reason for that. Whenever she came over to sleep beside me, she and I would also talk. We would confide in each other and help each other overcome our past demons. It has been a sort of therapy session for both of us. During which, I guess you could say that we have become closer, not in a romantic way; more of a platonic, brother-sister type way. Last night was no exception. She came over in my room for a talk after the celebration and figured that she'd bring her luggage to my room to save her the trouble of going back for it in the morning since she probably would be falling asleep in my bed again."
Sophie was silent for a moment before responding. "You're far too old to be her brother Nate."
"Hey! I'm not that old." Despite his protesting, he was glad for the jibe because Sophie only showed her playful side when she wasn't upset.
"That still doesn't explain why she wore your shirt last night or why her climbing gear was in your closet."
"Climbing gear? Oh you mean during that Cuban sandwich con. Yeah, remember I told you she snuck into my room that first time? That was the gear she left behind. She decided to keep it in HQ since it would come in handy and she was right. As far as the shirts go, she spilled some water on herself by accident when she came into my room so I let her have mind for the night whilst hers dried out. That was all there was to it."
"Nate, I don't know what to say. I'm starting to feel like a bloody ass for the second time today."
"Don't Regina. You have nothing to be sorry about." He moved into hug her as he said this
"Nate, you don't know how upset I was when I thought I'd lost you to Parker."
"You will never lose me. Parker might be the world's greatest thief but you were the one who stole my heart, and you did it seven years ago in Paris. I was still faithful to Maggie then so I didn't act on it and when we worked as a team, I still didn't act on it because I was an idiot still upset about Sam and too blind to see what was in front of me. If anything, I should be apologizing."
"Well then, don't let me stop you. Apologize away."
"Hey wait, what's with this change in tone?"
"I'm waiting Nathan Ford. Some time today? Preferably before the others get here?"
Nate growled. He and his big mouth. Oh well. Why not?
"Regina Sophia Carlise, I apologize for not telling you how much I love you when I first had the chance. I apologize for all the frustration and mixed signals I sent you and for nearly breaking your heart because I was too much of a coward to return the love you wished to give me. Let me tell you know Regina, I, Nathan Samuel Ford, am totally and irrevocably in love with you."
Sophie was crying again but this time because of sheer joy. She once again wrapped around Nate in an embrace and carefully lifted her veil such that his was placed in it so that they could kiss. And what a kiss it was...seven years in the making. All that frustration and unexpressed love came pouring out into the kiss. Time seemed to stand still. That is until they were unceremoniously interrupted by a certain hacker.
"Ahem. You two are shameless you know that. We in public right now in case you forgot and I'm pretty sure that San Lorenzo has a law against making out in public."
"HARDISON" both Sophie and Nate shouted at him.
"Ok ok. It's not that I'm not glad you two have finally stopped dancing around each other. Just do me a favour and don't start trading tongues in front of the rest of us, or worse. I'm just saying I don't plan on going blind anytime soon."
"HARDISON, enough." Sophie and Nate all but yelled.
The pair turned to see Elliot also standing there. He gave a nod to them and dragged Hardison away. That was all the affirmation they needed.
As they strolled off towards their limousine, Sophie discreetly turned to Nate and whispered into his ear.
"Be sure to talk to Parker. While what you are doing for her is sweet, I would hate for her to drop in on us while we are 'catching up' on old times."
Nate couldn't help but laugh.