Of unknown ties and repressed memories
The night was clear, a warm breeze flowed over her, so she could stay here and watch the bright stars shining in the night sky. The small dots that spread across space always made her think, each one of them had a story, particularly in Greek mythology of which she knew and adored, but tonight they were just some twinkling dots so far away who brightened her darkest hours of the year. Every time she got lost in her dark thoughts they showed her, the way back.
"What are you doing up here?" A voice came from behind.
Surprised Sophie turned around, she hadn't heard anyone come out onto the roof but then again when did Parker ever let herself be heard, that girl managed to appear out of nowhere every time. Expecting an answer Parker walked straight to Sophie, watching her intently.
"I could ask you the same, what are you doing here?" Sophie replied. Instead of an answer Parker gave a shrug of the shoulders.
"I always come here. It's where I can think and let go. It's the tallest building in the city. It makes me feel like I can jump to every roof from here." Sophie smiled at the childlike explanation, it was so Parker.
"Of course. What was I thinking, I should know this is your world." Sophie replied with a laugh.
"So, why are you here?" The grifter turned around, away from Parker, so she didn't have to lie into her innocent blue eyes.
"Pretty much the same, just without the roof jumping part."
"But it's the best way to really let go." Parker explained excited and Sophie immediately had to laugh again.
"Maybe for you Parker, but I like to have solid ground beneath my feet in the process of letting go. I think falling from a building wouldn't really help me." Sophie could swear she heard something like: "You'll never know without trying." but decided to ignore it. The older woman watched how the young thief lean over the handrail to look at the street below and for a moment Sophie wanted to scream, run to her and hold her back for fear Parker would fall over the edge, but then she remembered who was standing in front of her, not a little girl but the world's greatest thief and adrenaline junkie that ever lived. Sophie had to smile at the emotions Parker awakened in her again, after so many years of thinking they were buried so deep within that they would never come to the surface again, but the lively blonde proved her wrong. Parker really was the greatest thief of all time, the girl who managed to steal her heart without Sophie noticing until it was too late.
"Aren't you ever scared when you jump from a height like this? I can barely look at the streets down there without getting dizzy and you just jump without a second thought."
Parker leant out a little more over the edge to get a better view of the streets as she tried to understand Sophie's fear. After a while Parker just shook her head and decided that she couldn't understand it so she leant back, much to Sophie's relief, and turned around.
"You're wrong, I'm scared every time I jump, but that's a part of the letting go for me." Parker explained calmly and looked Sophie in the eyes, as if it would help the grifter to understand the answer better. "You have to know, when you jump, you have to focus all your thoughts on this one task or you'll die, plain and simple." Sophie flinched a little but Parker ignored her and continued. "When I jump, I leave everything that bothers me on the edge where I jump from so it can't follow me down. It stays there and I fly away." Parkers shining eyes were everything the grifter needed to truly understand that the blonde loved it, if it were possible for humans to fly Parker would probably never touch the ground. A bird, bound to the ground. "Fears can't follow you into the sky so they don't have any other option than to leave you. That's the why you'll never see a scared bird, not even in the toughest of times." Sophie couldn't help but be impressed about the thief's logic, it seemed so simple. "Archie once told me that nothing will happen to me if I focus and respect gravity. Obviously I know that there's more behind it, but with what he said, I was able to jump for the first time. Though it's not like he needed to push me." She had to smile at the memory, that was so long ago and what had happened to her since then? It seemed like an eternity ago. "Fear means you have something to live for, something you're scared to lose if you don't make it. So if I realize someday I'm not scared to die anymore, I know I've got nothing to live for." The grifter was stunned. Parker never talked this much of her thoughts to anyone and Sophie was grateful she was there to hear it.
"That's very wise Parker."
"You think? I found it in a fortune cookie once and I liked it. So the fortune-cookie maker has to be a pretty wise guy." Sophie chuckled at Parkers total seriousness about the wisdom of a fortune cookie maker.
"Yes, absolutely."
For a while neither woman said anything, they just enjoyed the comfortable silence and adored the fantastic skyline of Boston.
"Please don't leave us again Sophie." Parker whispered just loud enough for Sophie to hear who was standing right beside her.
"Why do you think I would leave Parker?" Sophie asked, surprised by Parkers plea. Even if Sophie had turned around to look at her friend, Parker would have continued to watch night sky.
"I know that look you have. I had that same look when I was a kid, that's probably why I can figure it out the easiest. You're feeling lost, you want to run away, right?" To say Sophie was surprised would be an understatement, Sophie had held her composure since Parker had made her presence known on the roof. How could this girl decipher her that easily?
"I...I really don't know what to say Parker."
"Then don't say anything, just listen to me." Parker still didn't look at her so Sophie just watched the girl watching the city. "If there's something that bugs you, if someone threatens you or you're afraid of anything, just tell us. We can help you, me and the others. We're more than a team now, we're a family. Hardison and Eliot are always saying that families look after each other." During her last words Parker turned abruptly to Sophie and met her eyes with such an intensity that now Sophie was the one who had to look away, afraid Parker would see what was buried deep into her soul.
"You could be a great grifter Parker, you have talent." Sophie said nonchalant but Parker didn't grant the grifters wish of changing the topic, if she even noticed it. This was too important to be left unsaid, she gave Sophie a little space by walking to the railing again and watching the skyline of Boston.
"I won't bug you to tell me what's wrong, you know that, I just want you to know that I'll be there for you if you ever want to talk, about anything I'm a pretty good listener." If Sophie didn't know it any better she was sure that the young blonde was on the edge of crying. Did her time away really affect the girl so much? Sophie took a small step in Parker's direction to soothe her but stopped when she realized the thief was struggling not to run away. This was an unusual situation for Parker and she didn't like people to see her weak, so Sophie stayed at her place. She knew how hard this was for Parker and she didn't want to make it any harder for her.
"Parker you..." Sophie started but stopped again. What should she say? What would calm the young blonde and wasn't a complete lie? How could she make Parker understand what bothers her without worrying her more? "Parker I promise you, I won't leave again. You have my word! So please don't be so scared that I will. If I knew it would hurt you this much I wouldn't have left in the first place." Sophie answered truthfully but with total knowledge that she was completely avoiding Parkers question, she hoped Parkers need for reassurance would be more important for the girl, fortunately she was right. Parkers small laugh was proof enough.
"If you asked me who you are I could have told you. There was no need for a trip around Europe." Sophie had to smile a little now herself, obviously Parker was getting better. "You're the one who keeps saying that talking can solve everything right? You need to listen to your own advice."
"Perhaps you right. Let's assume I had asked you, what would you have said?" Sophie asked curiosity getting the better of her. Instead of answering her right away, Parker just shook her head wildly and turned around happily.
"I would have said, regardless of your real name, you're Sophie Devereaux, the best grifter in the whole world. One of a few people who have my respect because of who they are. Someone I'm afraid to lose and the best friend and mother figure someone like me could ever hope have." Parker exclaimed with a wide smile on her face.
Sophie was too shocked to answer right away. Parker's words moved her deeply and she didn't even know how to answer. So she said the only thing she knew the blonde really wanted to hear.
"Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting?"
The joy Parker felt at her statement was obvious for Sophie's trained eyes and warmed her heart deeply. Even if Sophie knew she couldn't take Parkers fears away, she could give her at least the reassurance that she would still be there tomorrow and if she needed to, Sophie would give her this reassurance every day.
"Okay, see you tomorrow." Parker said and with that she jumped off the roof with a loud and happy scream. She must have linked herself with rope without Sophie noticing it so the grifter ran to the railing just in time to see Parker fly downwards for a short time before she throttled her fall and landed unharmed and unseen at the sidewalk.
"Your way of letting go seems to really work for you little one. I wish it was that easy for me." Sophie whispered into the now cold night, besides everything that brought her to this roof the grifter still had to smile at Parkers heart melting words. "Thank you Parker. You're the best daughter I could've ever asked for."