This takes place after the end of season 5. Five years from then.

Please read and review. I will try to get back to my other story soon. Writers block :/

Eliot sighed. Dammit, Hardison.

The con had been going well. Considering. But Tara wasn't as good as Sophie, and there was no clear 'mastermind' on this team. Everyone sort of made their own part and Parker just made sure that key things got done.

Eliot guessed that Nate was trying to groom Parker to fill his shoes, but in reality, Parker couldn't communicate like Nate could, and that didn't make her a better leader than the rest of them.

After Sophie and Nate left five years ago, Hardison's first move was to get them a new grifter. The three of them were good, but they knew they needed at least one more person to run half the cons they would need to to take down all the groups on the black book.

So they called in Tara.

Granted they didn't like her that much, and she wasn't as good and lovely as Sophie, but the three of them sucked it up for 'the greater good'.

So for these five years the four of them have been trying to get a rhythm. They looked at the black book frequently, but when they tried years ago to take down a name on the list, they almost got killed. Now they are back to square one, trying to get used to not having a leader with good communication skills, and a new grifter that no one seemed to trust fully. They took clients and their little 'petty' cons, the type that didn't require much planning or complex elements, the ones that could be done in a couple of days.

And even though the three of them got a sizable check during one of their first jobs together, the money would become an issue soon.

"Eliot! Go! Now!" Parker's voice screamed over the comms, bringing him back to reality.

Eliot ran down the end of the hallway, to the planned exit route. As he turned the corner, he was greeted by two rent-a-cop guards, who looked more terrified than they should have been.

"I really hate to do this," Eliot growled. "Get outta my way."

The guards glanced at each other before taking a fighting stance pulling out their glocks hesitatingly. Eliot sighed again, before reaching out and swiftly knocking the glocks out of both guards hands. He knocked out one with a firm punch to the face, and the other with a few kicks to the ribs and the temple.

Eliot emptied the guns and slipped the magazines to the floor, before throwing the guns behind him as he continued down the hallway.

Black Lucille 4.0 was parked in the back away from the cameras, with Parker and Tara in the back urging him forward. Eliot jumped into the van, slamming the two doors behind him as Hardison sped Lucille forward onto the Los Angeles streets.


Parker liked Los Angeles better than Portland.

After Sophie and Nate left, the bar felt too big and empty without them. So Parker's first decision was to move Leverage Consulting and Associates to a warmer, less rainy place: Los Angeles.

Lucille 4.0 pulled up to their new headquarters. The place Parker picked followed the pattern of the others, either above or next to a bar, but this time, she was careful not to be next to any banks. The older red brick building had been built a little over twenty years ago, with their loft workspace above the bar. Eliot picked the menu again here, pouring his heart into the food that was served below them.

They had been in this new place for a little under five years, the longest Leverage headquarters to date. Parker had Hardison send Nate and Sophie their new location right after they moved in, but after their quick note of thanks it was radio silence.

Since the Leverage briefing room and living quarters were above the bar, and sometimes, when there was a game on, or a party for some holiday, Parker could hear the music shake the floor. She loved it. It made her feel warm inside, and it reminded her of Nate, how just his presence made her feel like the room was giving her a hug. He and Sophie got her in touch with her emotions, and the music from below helped her stay in touch with them. It kept Sophie and Nate alive.

Tara collapsed on the black leather couch next to Parker, who had already kicked off her shoes and threw them half heartedly behind her, liking the clank they made as they hit the light grained wood floor, while Hardison went straight to the fridge for a Squeeze Orange Soda. Eliot sulked in behind them, clearly not pleased with their performance today. He dropped into a chair at the dining table, bowing his head on the table.

"Here you go ladies," Hardison said, passing Tara a bottled water and Parker an Orange Soda. He sat next to Parker as she leaned into his side, her head on his shoulder.

The three sat in silence for a while, watching the black and white surveillance feed from the bar below.

Parker liked these moments. It seemed to be the only thing that the group did now and when Sophie and Nate were here. She missed these small moments of relaxation before Nate would crack a sarcastic remark while pouring himself yet another drink, or Sophie telling them about the time that she did a con like this.

Parker missed the moments when they were all a family. Now, with the stakes and the tension so high, these moments were becoming less and less relaxing and more and more worrying. Parker hated worrying. She hated everyone acting like this.

But in a way it was her fault. If she would have fought for Nate to stay, if she would have communicated better in those tough first few months, maybe they wouldn't have done this bad. Maybe they would have been halfway down the black book list by now and maybe they would have had a better routine then this.

Tara then leaned forward and asked, "Who's that?"

Parker and Hardison looked onto the same screen Tara was, watching a young girl pace back and forth at the entry to the second floor access.

"Hey, Eliot, man, do you know her?" Hardison asked, as he pulled his keyboard from somewhere around the couch.

As Hardison zoomed in on the girl, Parker found her oddly familiar. The way she held herself, the way she walked, the brown wavy locks that ended at her shoulder. She didn't turn to face the camera for a few minutes. She stood still for a while, then turned to face the camera, and said something that Parker knew was directed for them.

Hardison saw this too, and then proceeded to back up the footage and turning up the volume.

"I know you are here. I need to talk to Parker, Eliot and Hardison. It is urgent."

Please let me know what you think!