When Eliot Spencer turned sixteen, he took his savings from working in his father's hardware store and bought a new identity as Curtis Elliott, eighteen, a boy with no family.
The escalating arguments between the strong willed Spencer men had Eliot packing a duffle, and heading to the first town where they'd never heard of Spencer's Hardware or Eliot Spencer, quarterback. He walked into the first recruitment office, enlisted in the Army and never looked back.
A mission while stationed in Iraq, left Eliot to wake up in the hospital next to the only other member of his squad to survive a roadside bomb, so when Colonel Eric Byers, CIA liaison to their unit told him and Kenneth Kitsom the extent of their injuries, they felt like Colonel was a godsend as he told them about a cutting edge program, Operation Outcome. The choice between brain damage and wheelchairs, or being returned to full health seemed to be a no brainer. The fact that it was secret and experimental was of little concern as they signed the forms giving their lives to the Program.
By the time Mark Turso and Eric Byers tried to hide their human experimentation by burning Operation Outcome to the ground, Ryan Hanks' tracker disappeared in the Alaskan wilderness, never to appear on the NSA's GPS again.
Eliot never knew if any of the others make it out of the Program, and he never wanted to draw attention by investigating. A few well paying jobs later and the skills of a very talented hacker … Ryan Hanks' fingerprints and DNA was scrubbed from any online system, and Eliot Spencer rose from the ashes.
Leaving Nate to Tara's tender mercies, Eliot bundled Parker and Hardison into his truck. The quicker he got Parker away from Dalton Rand, fake psychic, the greater chance the con man wouldn't die from Eliot beating him to death. Parker sat rigidly between them on the bench seat drawn inside her memories. Hardison was looking a bit pie-eyed wondering how to comfort the skittish thief. His shyness with women … Especially one he had a crush on, and Parker's cluelessness when it came to relationships had the hacker floundering.
Pulling around the back of McRory's, Alec scampered inside to begin scrubbing Parker and Nate out of the station's videos. Parker stared out the windshield.
"Parker …"
Before he could finish, Parker was shivering against his side.
"Do you retrieve people?" Her voice was small against his chest.
"Yeah."
Parker slipped a flash drive into his hand. Part of Eliot was curious at where she stashed these things, the other part was afraid she'd show him.
"I never found out where my brother was buried. They sent me back the same day he died." Her words vibrated against his throat.
"I'll do my best, Sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head. "Now go torment Hardison … And don't forget to eat … Real food, Parker." He admonished as she bounced out of the truck.
She looked back with a sad little smile.
"Thank you."
She disappeared before he could answer.
Knowing if Parker had wanted Hardison in on this retrieval she would have given him the flash drive, Eliot locked any electronics the hacker had given him in the truck's glove box, took a cab to the airport. There was only one place where he was sure Hardison could not find him if he got online.
It was late evening when a cab dropped the retrieval specialist in front of beautifully restored townhouse in the upper west side of Manhattan.
Eliot paused in the foyer … Listening. For all the soundproofing in the house, his enhanced hearing still picked the sounds of Shelley, his buddy from the Army, who was now a personal security consultant, moving around his apartment on the street side of the fourth floor.
The team would be flabbergasted to know that anti-social, paranoid Eliot Spencer allowed people to live in his favorite safe house. The other small apartment on fourth floor he rented to Quinn, the young hitter that had helped Sterling scatter them when they'd gone after Blackpoole the first time.
The townhouse came to Eliot as a windfall during his time with Damien Moreau. Moreau took his entourage to California in hopes of wooing Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries CEO, into the fold. Using his habit of prowling the area when he couldn't sleep, Eliot had slipped away to Tony Stark's Malibu mansion. He had come to an understanding with JARVIS before either of them was too damaged ... He'd given the AI his intel on Stane then returned to Moreau's penthouse before he was missed.
Stark had gifted the retrieval specialist with the 1885 townhouse, and a direct line to him through JARVIS. When Stark Industries got out of the weapons business, Tony used Eliot's services on more than one occasion to retrieve Stark Industries weapons. If pressed, the two men would grudgingly admit to being friends.
When Tony was kidnapped, Eliot had gone through the followers of the Ten Rings like a plague, and was a day away from finding him when the genius rescued himself. Watching from a distance as Colonel Rhodes, with help from SHIELD collected the billionaire, Eliot incapacitated a SHIELD grunt, and stole his uniform in order to watch over his friend until he was safely back in the States.
Once on the ground, he walked up to the agent in charge, Phil Coulson, handed him everything he'd collected during his hunt for Stark, and disappeared into the crowd before Coulson looked up from binder he'd been given.
Eliot had rewarded Rhodes with a teeth rattling punch to the jaw for giving Coulson his name. He refused Fury's offer to join SHIELD, but the stubborn Director paid him outrageous sums of money as his 'consultant'.
Stepping into apartment, he felt the tension he'd been carrying since Sophie left to find herself … Ease. Starting a pot of coffee, Eliot opened the panel under the stairs, swiped his thumb across the biometric lock on the safe and pulled out his StarkPad. Finally settled in an oversized chair with his glasses and coffee, he plugged in Parker's flash drive. Reading through all the information the thief had given him he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"JARVIS?"
"How may I be of assistance, Eliot?"
"How's everyone?"
"Sir was recently diagnosed with Palladium poisoning …"
Eliot startled.
"How …"
"All is well. Director Fury and Agent Romanoff were able to provide a stopgap until we developed an element to stop the arc reactor from poisoning him."
"Why?"
"Sir determined since there was nothing to be done, so no one should know."
Frustration made Eliot want to throw the computer.
"Dammit, JARVIS." He growled.
"I could not go against Sir's wishes."
"I know, Buddy." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, and breathed deep to settle his anger at his idiot friend. "Listen, you seeing what I've got here?"
"I have been searching while we talked. There is no death certificate for Parker Dixon, but there is a social services file for the adoption of five year-old Parker Dixon to Julia and Richard Quinn of Clay, Alabama. I have found pictures, school transcripts, and military records for one Parker Quinn."
"I don't fucking believe this.' Eliot exclaimed, staring at a picture of the young retrievalist that lived upstairs.
A knock at the door snapped Eliot out of his shock.
"Hey, man. Saw the light and brought you back a pie from Ray's." Shelley handed him a pizza box.
"Thanks." Eliot handed him money for the pizza. "Seen Quinn around?"
"Yeah, saw him this morning. Think he's flying out in a couple days."
"Thanks, man. You see him tell him to stop by before he leaves."
"Will do."
"Hey! We have a poker game in the back room at McRory's on Tuesday nights. You're ever in Boston on Tuesday, come by."
"Will do, Brother." Shelley waved as he headed up the stairs.
"This is a fine mess." Eliot sighed as he grabbed a beer from the wet bar.
"Indeed." JARVIS agreed.
Entering the foyer after his morning run around Central Park, Eliot was surprised to see Quinn with coffee and a bakery bag ready to knock on his door.
"Shelley gave me your message."
"Great. Make yourself comfortable while I grab a quick shower."
"Sure."
Quinn wandered back to the breakfast nook while Eliot headed up the stairs.
Sitting across from the younger man, he pinched the bridge of his nose. At this rate he was going to have a permanent bruise.
"Eliot, why are you here instead of Boston?"
"I'm on a job."
He looked up into twinkling brown eyes.
"You're not going to beat me up again are you?"
Eliot rolled his eyes.
"No. We just finished a job taking down a phony psychic. Guy was good. Could do a cold read almost as good as Sophie."
"Who'd he hit?"
"Parker. Shook her bad."
"What's that got to do with me?"
"Once upon a time, Parker had a little brother. He was younger by ten months. They entered the system after their folks died in a house fire. One day, Parker was teaching her brother to ride a bike. He lost control, rode into traffic and was hit by a car. They told her he died, and she's carried the guilt all these years that she'd killed her baby brother. Why she only goes by 'Parker' ... In his memory." Eliot gave Quinn a hard look.
Quinn's brows pulled down in a frown.
"I don't get it."
"Their case worker wanted to split them up. People wanted a cute little boy, but not his strange sister. So the case worker told Parker her brother died, yanked her out of the foster home and moved her to another. Little brother was only scratched and bruised, adopted out to a couple, who then move to Alabama."
Quinn's face went pale.
"My first name is Parker. Parker Quinn from Clay, Alabama."
"'Fraid so, ole son."
"Shit."
"Yeah."
"So scary, crazy Parker is my sister?"
"It looks that way, Hoss. She wanted me to retrieve the location of her brother's grave, but I found you instead."
"It should have been harder to find me."
"I had top shelf help."
"Your kid hacker?"
"That kid is a genius, but no ... Parker's feeling vulnerable right now with Sophie gone, and this ass pushing her buttons …"
"Oh my god, you adopted them." Quinn teased shakily.
"Yeah, well she's your sister. Want to come back to Boston with me?"
The expression on the handsome face fell.
"I can't. I'm leaving tonight for Russia." He looked Eliot in the eye. "I want to talk to my mom. Dad died two years ago, but maybe she'll tell me what happened. I honestly only remember them."
"You were five, and had been in an accident. Parker wasn't that much older." A frown marred the rugged face. "Can I at least tell her?" Eliot's question was soft.
"Not yet. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone. These SHIELD gigs you got me into pay really good but they're some long assed jobs."
"I get it, man. I'll think of something to tell her."
"Was it really bad? Is that why she's the way she is?"
Eliot shrugged. "It's her story to tell, but I think it was 'til Archie found her … Gave her sort of a home … Taught her everything he knows about being a thief. She's scary smart." Eliot's smile was soft.
"You're in love with her!"
"What!? No! You're crazy as she is … Plus Hardison's losing his mind over her. Parker's a little clueless."
"So you're the protective older brother in this con?" Quinn teased.
"I protect them … That's my job … Even if it's from me."
Eliot growled as he stalked out of the room, leaving the younger man gawking.
Eliot was barely in the door of his condo over McRory's when he was nearly tackled by Parker.
"Did you find it?"
"Jeez, Parker. Let me get in the door unless you want the whole building knowing your business. You know Hardison has cameras everywhere."
"Not on this floor." She grinned.
"Come in and sit. I found some stuff out that might surprise you."
Perched on the arm of the chair, Parker twitched like a thoroughbred in the gate.
"Your brother might not be dead."
Dark blue eyes went round and grew damp. Eliot suddenly found himself with a lap full of shivering Parker. He held her until in a small voice she asked him what he found.
He told her what he could and when she wanted to meet her brother, he gently explained the man he thought was her brother was working undercover in Eastern Europe. He assured her he had someone monitoring the situation, and as soon as it was safe, he would set up a meeting.
Eliot would never admit it on the pain of death, but he had enjoyed working with Quinn. Every chance he got he encouraged the younger man to talk to Parker. Time was running out, Leverage Associates was coming down the home stretch.
"The money's being wired to your account as we speak." He reached out to shake Quinn's hand. "Thank you."
"You know … About that favor …"
"Favor, huh? How 'bout next time we fight I don't beat you so bad." Eliot growled.
"I think you're a little confused over how that last fight went." Quinn scoffed.
"You weren't even awake for the end of our last fight." Eliot pulled him into a side tunnel. "When are you going to tell her? I've covered for you for two and a half years."
"But she … And Archie …"
"Yeah Archie was the world's worst father figure unless you're Parker, but you're blood, man. We're scattering after this job. Parker finally let Hardison catch her, so it's hard to tell where she'll lead him by the … Nose."
"What about you?" Quinn asked.
"New York. Stark's got some stuff he wants me to take a look at … And you're changing the subject."
"Look, mom died six months ago, and I just got everything settled. I need a little more time to get myself right. Tell you what I'll do … They show up on your doorstep ... I'll tell her."
"This gig isn't going to last forever. I look for Nate to start his and Sophie's exit strategy any time. When that happens, I'll probably use the townhouse as a permanent base of operations.
"Then I'll see you when you get home."
Hearing the others coming, Quinn beat a hasty retreat.
"Chicken." Eliot called softly.
Eliot landed in New York after a whirlwind tour of the Middle East on a job with Colonel Vance. Before heading to the townhouse, he met Agent Coulson at the 34th Street Heliport and passed over a diplomatic pouch with some odds and ends he retrieved on Vance's dime ... It was going to be a VERY NICE payday.
He stepped out of the shower to the buzzing of his StarkPhone.
"Stark, least you could do is let me get the sand out of the places no man should have sand."
"I need you here. I need your war dog brain."
"I'll be there soon as I'm dressed, but there better be food."
Over Chinese takeout, Tony filled him in on the Avengers Initiative ... Thor ... Loki ... The Tessaract, and …
"This is one of SHIELD's Level 7 master assassins, Hawkeye aka Clint Barton. He's right up there with the Black Widow when it comes to skill set. Great tactical mind, sniper that never misses … Loki has him under some kind thrall."
Tony threw up 3D images of Hawkeye. Eliot's chopsticks clattered on his plate.
"What? What's wrong?"
"You say this guy is a SHIELD agent?"
"Yeah, has been for years."
"Twelve years ago, I met a man looks exactly like him ... Name ... Kenneth Kitsom ... Patient 5 ... Aaron Cross ... DOD Program Operation Outcome."
"JARVIS …"
Tony's voice was low to not interrupt Eliot. This was the most the man had ever given away.
"Working, Sir."
"How do you know this?"
"Name ... Curtis Elliott ... Patient 7 ... Ryan Hanks. We escaped the program about the same time. Pamela Landry and Jason Bourne were in the process of burning down the CIA and NSA. A retired Air Force Colonel and an Admiral were trying to cover their asses. Aaron escaped with the one surviving scientist of a live shooter situation at their lab, Marta Shearing."
Eliot scraped his plate in the disposal … His appetite gone.
"I remember SHIELD snatched up Shearing when they picked Barton up in Singapore. Whatever was done to him was put under Fury's personal lock codes. JARVIS and I haven't made it that deep ... Yet. I'd just started consulting on the plans for the Helicarrier."
"They altered chromosomes ... Cognitive ability ... Healing ... Senses ... Stamina … Probably the next best thing to the Super Soldier serum."
"Well damn. Who else knows you survived?"
"You … JARVIS." Eliot stared hard at the billionaire.
"No worries. What I need you to do is get my security people outfitted for what's looking to be a whole lot of property damage. I don't want them on the streets, but I need to protect the Tower. Let's go down to the workshop, that's where I keep all the cool toys."
After the Battle of Manhattan, Eliot made sure the Tower was secure before he disappeared. Thankfully the battle hadn't gotten as far as his neighborhood. He thought Stark forgot him in all the chaos, but he wasn't that lucky when it came to the genius.
Three days later, his phone rang.
"Open the door, Chef!" Tony shouted into his phone.
Eliot leaned his head against the kitchen cabinet. With a sigh he pressed the lock release. He opened the door to his apartment and stepped back.
"Tony." Eliot he kept his eyes on Stark.
"I need a favor, my friend." Tony grinned.
"I'm still nursing the bruises from the last favor I did for you." Eliot crossed his arms over his chest.
"My friends need a place to lay low for a bit … I believe you recognize Natasha Romanoff, and are acquainted with Clint Barton."
Clint's changeable eyes widened when he saw Eliot. Natasha tensed watching Clint for clues.
"Seriously?" He looked at Tony.
"I have to go to California or I'd be begging beds for me, Pepper and Bruce, too."
Eliot gave a resigned sigh.
"Fine." He stuck out his hand to Natasha.
"Eliot Spencer."
It was her turn for her eyes to go wide as she took his hand. He turned to Clint.
"You were in the 'Program'." Clint's tone was flat
"Yeah. I left the cabin a couple days before it went boom. My tracker just happened to take a different route. If they followed it, they'd have found a really pissed off grizz … Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep. There're a couple guys on the fourth floor. Shelley works personal security, Quinn does some work for SHIELD among other things."
He stopped at the top of the stairs.
"There're four bedrooms. You're welcome to any of them except the master. Towels in the bathroom, dojo in the basement, library and whatnot on the garden level. Place is soundproof so don't worry about the noise."
He left the assassins to sort themselves out while he went back to his dinner preparations, cursing Tony Stark down every step.
The first few days, Eliot would fix breakfast then join the work crews at Stark Tower. Before he left for Los Angeles, Tony tasked Eliot and JARVIS with supervising the work crews. Eliot rarely saw his house guests, but made sure the pantry and fridge were well stocked. Clint looked thin and worn. Apparently Loki didn't take very good care of his toys.
After a week, the two assassins joined him for meals. Natasha had been going to the Helicarrier, which was docked in the harbor, to help as she could. Clint met him at the door one morning, and asked if he could tag along.
"Your house is great, man, but I'm about to climb the walls."
"Sure, if you don't mind riding the back of my bike. It's the easiest way to get around besides walk."
"I don't mind at all." Clint gave him a suggestive wink.
While the debris was being cleared, Eliot remembered what Tony said about Clint's tactical talents, so sat with the archer and JARVIS and went over the plans for the Tower renovations. They tweaked and fiddled until the building was as secure as they could make it. Housing research labs, Iron Man and the Hulk in one Tower was a set of worries Manhattan didn't need. JARVIS linked them with Tony who approved the AI to send the new plans to his general contractor.
With JARVIS monitoring all the floors, Eliot and Clint could be where they were most needed. Along with the progress on the Tower, a friendship began to build between the archer and retrieval specialist.
Many nights Eliot would hear Clint moving to Natasha's room when nightmares woke the archer. When his own nightmares drove him from his bed, he'd have JARVIS check on his team mates and house mates if Shelley and Quinn were on a job then spend the rest of the night cooking, reading or doing maintenance on his weapons closet.
When Clint realized someone else was awake, he'd join Eliot. They talked about their changes from the Outcome experiments, played chess ... Clint told stories about missions with Coulson and Natasha, and talked about Phil's death and Loki. Eliot talked about the Leverage team, how he'd met Stark, and being a contractor for Fury.
Six weeks after the Battle of Manhattan, the structural repairs were finished, and the deadly assassin, Black Widow, stood with a soft smile on her face as she watched Clint and Eliot asleep on Eliot's sinfully comfortable couch.
"Tell me you started the coffee before you got lost in your 'awww' moment." Eliot kept his voice low.
"It's probably too late to warn you he cuddles." Green eyes twinkled.
Eliot extricated himself from Clint's grasp, stopping by the powder room on the way to the kitchen. Before he could grab a mug from the cabinet, Natasha grabbed his cheeks and planted a kiss on each one.
"Welcome to the family, moy volk. Remember, you hurt moy yastreb, I will introduce you to my Widow's Bite."
"Yeah … Yeah … You assassins always think you're such bad asses." Eliot growled into his coffee.
"Because we are." Natasha smirked.
Eliot pulled breakfast fixings out of the refrigerator before he answered.
"Never tell a Chechen his sister has a pretty smile." His tone was smug.
"Prizrachnyy volk!" Natasha gasped.
Clint woke from the best night's sleep he'd had since Loki to Russian and the smell of breakfast. He rolled to his feet and looked back at the couch with a frown. The last thing he remembered was The Maltese Falcon on TV ... His feet tucked under Eliot's thigh.
Coming down the stairs, he passed Eliot on his way up.
"Better get to the kitchen before Nat eats it all."
His expression was puzzled as he poured his coffee.
"Why so confused, Yastreb?"
"Since when does Eliot call you Nat?"
"Since I found out he is prizrachnyy volk."
"Ghost wolf." His plate clattered on the counter. "THE Ghost Wolf?"
"Da. He helped me out of a bit of trouble in Chechnya. Now tell me how long you two have been an item."
"What?"
"You were twined around him like a creeping vine."
She laughed at his blush.
When Eliot came into the kitchen, Natasha was still making fun of her partner. Pale eyes met Eliot's.
"Are we dating?"
"If you need a label … Friends sliding toward lovers." Eliot shrugged as he set his favorite tea to steep.
"How do I not know these things?" He mumbled into his eggs.
"We're guys … You know … We're stunted when it comes to talking about our softer feelings. Plus you keep saying you see better from a distance. Maybe you need glasses close up."
Taking advantage of Clint's parted lips Eliot bent down and collected a soft kiss before going to the stove to fix a plate.
Clint held up a finger to Natasha.
"Not one word." He growled.
It was done.
Nate and Sophie were on their way. Parker and Hardison were looking at him like he had all the answers. Well … He did have a couple. Quinn was home healing from a job gone sideways, Clint recently returned from a mission, and he wanted to see with his own eyes that Tony and Pepper were back to as close to normal as they would ever get. Besides that ... He was exhausted. If not for his accelerated healing he'd look like he went a few rounds with the Hulk.
"Do you want to stay in Portland?" He asked.
"I've already promoted Amy to General Manager of The Brew Pub." Hardison grinned.
"What do you think of New York?" Eliot asked.
Next thing he knew Parker was hanging off his back. As he set her gently on her feet, he slipped a note in her pocket.
Quinn told him he was finally ready.
"When you get your business settled, come to this address." He handed Parker a business card.
Hardison let out a whistle.
"This is in the historic district. How much do you make on a job?"
"Let's just say my clients tip well." Eliot smirked. "Now, I have a plane to catch and a hot date when I get to New York." Parker pulled them into a group hug before Eliot could get out the door.
Dozing on the plane did not make up for no sleep in the past 36 hours. Eliot stood on the sidewalk eyeing the steps to the front door. With a growl that was more groan then growl, he forced his body to obey. Up the steps … In the door … Up the stairs … Duffle set to the side … Clothes shucked next to hamper. Trying to be quiet so as to not disturb the lump in the middle of his king sized bed he took a quick shower to rid himself of the days' grime.
Settling into bed, he pulled Clint against him, causing the archer to grumble at being disturbed.
"Either the honeymoon is over or it's true love." Eliot grumbled.
"Door Number Two." Clint muttered as he rolled toward Eliot. "I've only been here about an hour."
"Aliens, bad guys or Stark wannabes?"
"I think it was a combo plate. Some egghead took home Chitauri tech and thought it made him Dr. Doom."
"Everyone okay?"
"Bumps and bruises, and while the mind is willing the flesh is already sleeping." Clint finished with a whine.
"Good thing we've got nowhere to be."
It was near dinner time when still damp from their shower and a new set of bruises later, Clint and Eliot came downstairs, and headed for the kitchen.
"Did Natasha move to the Tower?" Eliot asked as he pulled a couple bags from the freezer.
"Partially … We all keep our safe houses."
"How bad's Quinn?"
"Dislocated shoulder, cracked ribs, but took his client to school on trying to re-negotiate after taking delivery."
Eliot paused … Took a breath, and asked the question he'd been waiting until now to ask.
"Are you moving to the Tower?"
"I …"
Clint turned to see Eliot busying himself at the stove trying to be nonchalant. He laid the salad fixings on the bar and rested his forehead between Eliot's shoulder blades.
"I … We … The team do things together … Dinner and movies … When we're beat-up after a fight, or when I don't want to be alone. Nat lets me hog half her bed, but with all the photographers, appearances and stuff when The Avengers are on the street … You being on the down low … I want to keep … Us, but …" He confessed to Eliot's back.
"We'll probably work out of the house until we find a good office front for Leverage International." Eliot kept his voice even.
They stood quiet for a few minutes.
"So when do the kids get here?" Clint let the situation lie between them as he turned back to making salad.
"Considering the note I left in Parker's pocket, Hardison will be lucky if she allows him to sleep. I give it a week."
Five days later a black van parked in front of the townhouse. Quinn was sprawled on the couch, his dislocated shoulder still requiring a sling along with cracked ribs slowed his movements. Shelley was traveling with Pepper so the house was quiet.
His homemade marinara sauce was simmering so Eliot poured a fresh glass of sweet tea and set it at Quinn's elbow. Looking out the window he saw a van that reminded him of Lucille. Quinn noticed the slight tensing of muscles in the older man.
"Eliot?"
"They're here." He headed for the outer door.
Standing on the stoop, arms crossed over his chest, Eliot watched Parker and Hardison squabble until she bodily pulled the hacker from behind the wheel. When Parker spied Eliot she nearly levitated up the steps.
"This our new house?" She beamed. "Does it have secret passages? Is your girlfriend here … My brother?" She whispered in his ear when she hugged him.
"I don't have a girlfriend, Parker." Eliot continued to hold her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
"But you said you had a hot date." She insisted.
"Never said it was a girl." He smirked.
"It's not my brother … Is it?" Her eyes went wide.
"No."
"Oh. I thought we might be real family ..." She slipped from his hold.
"We are a real family, Girl." Hardison said as he pulled Eliot into a hug. "Got room for a couple more?"
He led them into the foyer.
"Fifth floor, biometrics already programmed."
He pointed to the door of his apartment.
"My place. You're programmed in there, too, so come on in when you get settled."
Hardison looked at the staircase.
"Elevator?"
Eliot almost told him 'no', just to listen to the hacker bitch, but he could see they were genuinely tired. He pointed to the door under the stairs.
"Thank you, Jesus."
Hardison turned to go back out to the van when he saw Parker disappearing up the stairs. His smile was indulgent.
"I'll give you a hand, Bro." Eliot's slap on the shoulder nearly tumbled him down the steps.
Eliot rolled his eyes at Quinn when he entered his apartment trailed by Parker and Hardison.
"You guys sure travel light." The young hitter quipped.
"That was just our favorite gear." Parker said absentmindedly as she poked in corners, looked up the chimney and knocked on the wainscot panels.
"We shipped the rest. It'll be here next week." Hardison threw over his shoulder as he headed to the kitchen.
Quinn listened carefully for a few minutes. When it looked like Hardison was going to stay in the kitchen, he turned his attention back to Parker, who was examining the window seat where Eliot had hidden an escape hatch that led to the garden level of the townhouse.
"Parker?"
"Hmm."
"Eliot told me you sent him to retrieve something a few years back."
The blonde turned so fast she nearly overbalanced. Her expression guaranteed retribution.
"He never tells."
Quinn wanted to squirm under her glare, but he was a top retrieval specialist for crying out loud. He forced himself to stay still.
"There was a reason he told me." He watched the storm clouds clear from her beautiful face. "When I was five, two wonderful people became a part of something not so wonderful. I was adopted by these wonderful people, who took me to their home in Alabama."
Midnight blue eyes went wide as the thief sank down on the coffee table.
"According to Eliot, before my name was Parker Quinn it was Parker Dixon, and I had an older sister…"
He watched those amazing eyes get misty, but no tears fell.
"He wouldn't tell me who you were. I should be very angry with him." Parker eyed the spot next to him on the couch.
Quinn patted the cushion.
"Easy, my ribs are still sore." Parker eased onto the couch and snuggled into his side. "I made him promise to let me tell you. I was leaving on a job when he told me. My mom died right after I got back, and I was dealing with a lot of stuff so I held him to his promise. You know how Eliot is about promises …"
"Yeah, he's real touchy about promises, so don't ask him to do that anymore."
She poked his bruised ribs to make her point. Ignoring his grunt of pain, but being careful of his shoulder she wrapped around him and squeezed, resting her head over his heart.
"They broke something when they told me you died." Parker whispered.
Quinn pulled her close with his good arm.
"I think you're fine just the way you are, and we found each other again."
"You live in New York?" She smiled like he'd handed her a wad of cash.
"Better. I share the fourth floor with Shelley."
"Eliot got you, too."
"He's very persuasive." Quinn quipped.
Parker's expression turned sly.
"We try not to take jobs at Christmas." She hinted.
"I always take Christmas off, too, but I think Eliot might have obligations."
"He didn't have any …"
Parker trailed off until she realized the crew had never been together on Christmas day. Nate had given them their gifts after they caught Chaos and the fake Santas then disappeared with Sophie. She'd hung out with Alec, but had no idea where Eliot had gone.
"Eliot has some very interesting friends."
"Not that Colonel Vance guy. I don't like him. He got Eliot hurt."
"Oh no. Much better than Vance." Quinn laughed.
Hearing dishes rattle, Quinn let the conversation hang.
"Come on … Sounds like Chef has food."
"Oooo Eliot taught me all about food." Parker bolted for the dining area.
The rest of their things arrived and they got caught up in converting the garden level into work space for Leverage International. Hardison had been near orgasmic when Eliot had taken them to their public office in Stark Tower.
"You got us an office in Stark Tower! This is almost better than the bat cave Nate got me."
From there he descended into a river of geek babble while Parker explored and Eliot stood leaned against the wall. He'd had JARVIS help outfit the office with first market Stark Tech.
When he saw Parker pouting, he handed her a duffle. Her face lit up when she started pulling out the Tony Stark version of her favorite tools. Feeling Clint come up behind him, Eliot leaned back into the welcome warmth.
"So, the kids happy?"
Eliot could feel the archer's smirk.
"What do you think?"
"I can think of ways to make big brother happy."
Clint slid his hand in the front pocket of Eliot's jeans.
"Just don't let Hardison see you. He'll stalk your ass until he meets all the Avengers, especially Tony and Bruce."
"I'll invite him to the Avengers Christmas dinner cooked by our own infamous Chef Eliot."
He felt the archer slip away as Hardison bounced out of their small conference room.
"E, you did good … Man. The only way it could get any better was if we got to meet the Avengers. Stark is truly a geek's god."
"So, we're open for business?"
"Not just yes, but hell yes." Hardison danced Parker across the room.
Their days were full as they sorted through the information on the Black Book hard drive. Parker and Quinn slowly got to know each other. If Quinn wondered why Clint and Natasha were hardly at the townhouse, the glare Eliot gave him any time he started to ask kept the question behind his teeth.
Eliot smiled indulgently as Parker, Quinn, Hardison and Shelley sorted through boxes and bags of holiday decorations. A cart loaded with hot chocolate, mulled cider and assorted finger foods sat by the fireplace. He'd barely settled in his chair when his phone rang.
Thirty minutes later he was walking into SHIELD medical.
"Barton?" He asked the nurse at the desk.
"Treatment room six. He's free to leave as soon as he's dressed."
"Anything I need to know about his injuries?"
She gave Eliot a smile.
"Mostly scrapes, cuts and bruises, but he took a knock to the head. Scan was clear of concussion for a change."
"I'll take over from here." He gave her a wink as he headed down the hall.
Walking in the room Eliot was met with the sight of a supposedly dead Agent Phil Coulson attempting to examine Clint's tonsils with his tongue. He tossed the bag with Clint's clothes on the bed, interrupting the kiss.
"Guess you found your own ride." He snarled before he carefully blanked his expression and left the room.
The rest of the Avengers gave him an odd look as they passed him in the hall. Whatever Natasha saw in his body language had the assassin hurrying toward Clint's room. They poured in the door to see Coulson holding Clint's shoulders trying to calm the archer.
"Shit." Tony spat. "Wonder what it's going to take to convince Chef to still cook Christmas dinner."
The Avengers' entrance had distracted Coulson enough that when the punch connected, Phil ended up sitting on the floor rubbing his jaw. Clint sat up and grabbed his clothes trying to get dressed to follow Eliot. He stopped when Bruce finally entered the room, a look of shock on his face.
"Eliot?" Clint asked.
"Probably halfway home at the rate he was moving." Bruce answered.
"Fuck."
He finished changing while the others questioned the resurrected agent. Phil was still trying to explain when Fury barged into the room. Stark and Rogers turned on him before he uttered a word.
While they yelled and argued, the two assassins slipped from the room.
"Where do you want to go?" The Black Widow asked her partner.
"Tower." He answered wearily.
Clint and Eliot hit a rough patch when Clint told the retrieval specialist he wasn't ready for anyone other than The Avengers to know about them. He and Natasha moved from the townhouse to the Tower to keep Eliot out of the public eye, and with the arrival of Parker and Hardison, their relationship slowed to spending a few evenings a week together at the Tower.
Clint had planned to make an announcement at Christmas dinner ... That was why he suggested bringing the thief and hacker, but Coulson's return from the dead to lay claim his former lover shredded all Clint's plans.
A soft knock startled him out of his thoughts.
"JARVIS?" Clint asked.
The AI always announced visitors. He reached under the couch for the pistol he kept strapped to the frame.
"It's Eliot's friend, Miss Parker. She threatened to jump off the roof and hang in front of your windows unless I let her into the Tower." The AI sounded apologetic.
"It's okay, J."
Clint holstered the gun and opened the door.
The glare that met him reminded him a lot of Natasha when he'd done something stupid, and he knew better than to underestimate someone Eliot trained, especially Parker.
"Come on in. That way the whole Tower doesn't have to listen to you yell."
"Why would I yell? I just came to find out what you did to Eliot then I'll decide if I need to get my brother and boyfriend to do bad things to you."
After that statement, her innocent smile caused a shiver down his spine as he watched her bounce into his rooms.
"How do you know I did something?"
"Please. I keep in practice by following Eliot. I can never sneak up on him … Unless he's nervous, but he only gets nervous when he sings in front of people." She did a pirouette to face him. "He always comes here plus he and my brother argued about something that they don't want me and Alec to hear."
"Your brother?" Clint asked.
She huffed out her irritation.
"Quinn … Quinn is my brother."
*Well shit.*
"Eliot saw something today that upset him, and I haven't been able to explain." Clint answered truthfully.
"I know that. He left, came home too soon, beat up stuff in the basement, beat up Quinn and Shelley, then acted like everything was fine ... Except for the part where he didn't eat supper 'cause he said he had to leave on a job."
Clint ran his hands through his hair. The day just kept getting better.
"Agent Barton, Agent Coulson is requesting access." JARVIS interrupted.
"No, and don't answer any calls from him. His new team has a hacker. She could piggyback something on the signal."
"As you wish."
"What are you going to do about Eliot?" Parker insisted.
"I'll give him a call ... See if I can get him to meet me to explain."
"Can't call him." Parker wandered the room. "Phone's off. Hardison already tried to track him."
"Did he say when he'd be back?"
Parker shook her head.
"Okay. I think I know where he might be. I have to fix the mess here then I'll find him and try and fix that mess, too."
Parker gave him a narrow-eyed look that made the hair on his neck stand up, but she nodded and headed to the door.
"He better not miss Christmas 'cause you messed up."
"He won't. Come on … I'll ride down with you and get rid of the mess in the lobby." He growled.
*Damn Fury and his games.*
He was drawn out of his thoughts when the elevator stopped.
"Show time, JARVIS." Clint straightened his shoulders.
"I'll hold the elevator."
"Thanks, J."
He walked Parker to the door before turning on Coulson.
"Haven't you caused enough trouble today?"
"We happened to be in the HUB when you and Tasha came into Medical. I had to see you … I didn't know when we'd both be in the same place again." Coulson dropped his eyes.
"And the kiss?"
"Now that you know I'm alive, I want you … Us back. I've missed you, Clint."
"It's been almost three years, Phil. You must not have missed me too damn much." Clint scoffed.
"Maria said The Avengers didn't have the clearance to know I was alive … To know about the team."
Clint's laugh was bitter.
"They told me after the Battle you were dead. Three months later, Fury came to tell us you were alive, but the trauma had left you in a coma. Six months passed, Fury tells us you're in Tahiti at a SHIELD rehab facility. Nine months after Loki, he says you're back, but not healthy enough to take the abuse of being The Avengers' liaison so he tasked you with building new team to investigate reports of the weird. He told us you wanted to concentrate on building a solid team and that The Avengers including Natasha and me were a distraction you didn't need."
"Clint …"
Phil reached for him, but Clint stepped out of reach.
"So I pulled myself together became full-time Avenger, part-time SHIELD Level 7 asset. Tony introduced me to this guy that I recognized from a mission. He gave us a place until the Tower was rebuilt, does some jobs for Fury, Stark, and has his own crew, and loves me unconditionally ... Even though I've been an ass lately."
Clint's expression was hard when he looked Coulson in the eye.
"Go back to your team, Agent Coulson. I don't have anything left to give you. What the rest of the team does is their business." He crossed his arms over his chest.
Phil was pale and his expression was angry, but Clint found he didn't care. He almost felt sorry for Fury, but he made this bed.
"You can show yourself out, Agent Coulson. I have a wayward lover to find and hope he'll forgive me before his blonde thief does something to me that will even make Natasha smile."
Turning to the elevator, the weight on his heart lifted to see Eliot standing in the car out of Coulson's line of sight. Before he got two steps, Coulson called out.
"Clint, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Clint looked back.
"I've had a lot of time to think about it after I got past the guilt and grief. When I used my tactician brain ... I realized it would have happened eventually. You're first loyalty was always to Fury. Good luck with that by the way."
The elevator door closed behind the archer. Coulson waited until security started to get antsy about his lingering before he left to slide behind the wheel of the classic red Corvette, parked at the curb. Phil took a moment to grieve for what he'd lost. He never considered that Clint would turn to someone else … Trust someone other Natasha. He thought the archer would be there waiting when Nick released him to 'read in' The Avengers. Squaring his shoulders, he pointed Lola toward the BUS. Nick still needed him to be his one good eye.
The silence in the elevator was heavy as JARVIS carried them to Clint's floor. Eliot leaned against the wall as though it was just another night while Clint tried to find the words to start a conversation he didn't want to have because he was afraid of how it would end.
"I didn't kiss him!" Clint finally blurted out.
An arched eyebrow was the only response.
"He came charging in the room and laid a lip lock on me, you came in before I had a chance to push him off." He ducked his head like an errant schoolboy. "I punched him in the jaw when the others pushed through the door. By the time I got dressed, and Nat and I slipped out ... You were already gone."
"You know I only use violence as an appropriate response. Wasn't sure how appropriate it was to punch out your not quite dead ex-lover." Eliot's voice was quiet … Too quiet. "Plus you've been putting distance between us. You don't want to stay at the house ... You don't want me around the team. Tony was my client and friend long before you. He and Quinn are making me nuts with questions. If this is over, just put me out of my misery instead of stringing me along."
*Shitshitshit.* It was worse than he thought. Eliot thought he was trying to break up with him, Parker and Natasha were going to make him pay painfully …*How the fuck did he get himself in these situations? Oh yeah. He wanted to surprise Eliot by making a grand announcement and Coulson had decided he was the consolation prize for coming back from the dead. Suck it us Barton ... You're an Avenger and Level 7 sniper/spy/assassin.**
Clint prayed JARVIS didn't open the elevator door until he finished. He took a breath and settled his body and mind.
"One. I love you. I do not want to end our relationship. Coulson, Hill and Fury are all asses and fucking liars who lie, or as they say, 'It's need to know.' Two. I know that in attempting to make a grand gesture I've acted like an ass and sent out a Helicarrier load of mixed signals. Finally, I was going to invite everyone from your house to the Tower for Christmas dinner so I could announce to everyone that I was going to be moving in with you."
Eliot straightened from against the elevator wall. Clint held his breath as Eliot reached for him. He closed his eyes and relaxed letting Eliot have his way with him.
His eyes flew open as lips closed over his … Soft … Gentle … Loving … Asking …
Clint parted his lips allowing Eliot access. The kiss deepened. Lust mingled with love as Eliot pulled Clint against him one hand buried in his hair the other pulling on his belt loop.
Just as they were getting to the point of no return, JARVIS opened the elevator door on the communal living room. Whistles and catcalls caused Eliot to slowly end the kiss with a limp, lust addled Clint burying his face against his neck.
"Thank God." Tony commented. "Now I don't have to find another chef for Christmas dinner."
"Shut up, Stark." Clint growled.
Setting the last bowl on the table, he took a step back. It looked like something out of Tasha's magazines.
"It's too pretty to let the horde at it." Clint commented when he felt strong arms wrap around his waist.
"Don't let Parker hear you. She even promised not to steal anything." Eliot's chuckle was low and rough.
"They might not notice over all the geek talk and war stories."
"When you ring the dinner bell you better step aside. You could get crushed in the stampede."
They lingered another few seconds enjoying each other and the results of their labor. Candles sparkled off crystal, silver and fine china. The scent of fresh pine, cinnamon and bayberry merged with the smells of dinner to truly make it a postcard moment.
Life after the confrontation between Coulson, Fury and The Avengers settled as much as the Avengers ever settled. After his initial flailing like a teenage fanboy, Hardison also settled around his geek heroes, and Eliot's two families merged with only a few speed bumps.
Leverage International swung into action by pointing out to Pepper and Tony that some of their alliances would soon be very unhealthy for the Stark Industries conglomerate. As SI worked to become self-sustaining, and some of the information that Hardison had put on the Dark Web began to gain traction, fear began to bring change across the corporate world.
Clint and Eliot lived at the townhouse, but went to the Tower for 'family activities', or when any of them were injured. Though Tony added a cutting edge clinic to the Tower, Clint and Natasha would only rest with Eliot as their caregiver.
Quinn and Parker's relationship settled. Quinn became an official member Leverage International stepping in when Eliot wasn't available.
As they gathered around the table, they exchanged smiles and banter, amazed at the family they had made.
~ Fini ~