Author's Note: Well, I lasted a week until I was unable to resist a huge plot bunny that was gnawing away at my brain. You lucky people with me and my inability to stop writing Eliot/Lindsey fics. This one is mostly angst, along with whumpage of every kind! I shall update whenever I finish a chapter. Sequel to Forgotten Enemies, but you don't have to read that. I would suggest skimming through Old Haunts though.

Rated T for violence and language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage, only Lindsey Spencer. (Don't tell Eliot.)

Sophie was sitting in Nate's living room with the rest of the team when she got the phone call. The whole situation was strange to begin with, staring with the person whom had called her. Sure, she and Lindsey had become fast friends since the woman had moved to Portland in order to live with Eliot almost a year ago, and they called each other steadily throughout the week. No, it was more the timing of the call. It was around mid-morning and Nate had called the team in for a debriefing about their most recently acquired job. Lindsey knew about this, and was very good about not interrupting any process of their cons, including the debriefing. This brought up more than a few red flags in Sophie's mind. She wondered what was wrong, and, more importantly, why she hadn't called Eliot. The grifter shot a look over at the afore-mentioned man, wondering if he had just missed a call. But there was a phone-shaped bulge in his front pocket of his jeans, and Sophie was sure that the man would have felt his phone vibrating.

So Sophie excused herself, gaining several questioning looks from her friends before slipping into the kitchen. She flipped open her phone halfway through the middle of the last ring and answered it, trying to sound normal but unable to keep the worry out of her voice. "Lindsey, sweetie, how are you?"

"Sophie…can you c-come over? It's i-important." Her voice was soft and choked with tears, putting Sophie into panic mode as she remembered what happened last time one of them had received a phone call from Lindsey sounding like that. "What happened Lindsey? Are there strange men in the house? Are you ok? Oh my god, you didn't kill anyone, did you?"

Something that sounded like a small laugh came from the speakers. "No…I-it's nothing like that. I just…need to talk to you right now. And please don't t-tell Eliot."

Sophie peaked around the kitchen doorway and looked at the back of the hitter's head before pulling back into the kitchen. She wondered what could make Lindsey so upset that she couldn't tell her 'husband.' Technically, the duo never got married, but they might as well be. Lindsey had made her new alias have Eliot's last name, and the man had proposed to her.

"Um, ok. I'll be there in five minutes. Hold on." Sophie nodded to herself, quickly disconnecting the call. Every cell in her body wanted to tell Eliot about the call, but Lindsey told her not to tell, so she wouldn't. There had to be a good reason behind it all. Sophie took a few deep breaths before stepping back into the living room.

"I have to step out, some personal matter came up." Sophie said, giving a small smile, not missing a beat. She didn't stop walking, not acting like she was in a hurry, but giving the impression that she couldn't waste time to chat about what that personal matter was. She was out the door and gone before any of them were able to object. Nate just stared at the door as it closed behind her, shaking his head. "There's that voice."

Just as Sophie had promised, she made it to Eliot and Lindsey's apartment in five minutes. She made straight for the third floor apartment, her heart skipping a beat when she found the door unlocked. Sophie half expected to find Lindsey laying sprawled out on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood, and let out a sigh of relief when she realized that wasn't the case.

Lindsey looked up from where she was sitting as she heard the front door opening, giving a small but forced smile to her guest. The forger was sitting curled up on the three-person couch that sat directly opposite of the 40-inch television mounted on the wall. Her arms were hugging her legs, which were folded up in front of her. Lindsey was wearing one of Eliot's large t-shirts and pajama bottoms; her hair was a mess, and her eyes were red and puffy, tearstains running down her face. Sophie instantly ran over to the couch, sitting next to the younger girl and wrapping her arms around Lindsey. The girl leaned in to her touch and they sat there for several minutes in the silence until Sophie's curiosity got the better of her. The older woman withdrew her arms and scooted back a few inches in order to get a proper look at Lindsey. "What happened sweetie?"

Lindsey took a shaky breath, unable to look Sophie in the eyes. She hugged herself tighter, drawing her legs closer to her body before mumbling something incoherently. Sophie frowned, unable to understand what was said. "Sorry?"

"I-I'm pregnant."

The room was quiet for about four seconds. Then, a squeal of delight echoed through the room. Sophie had bounced off the sofa and started to jump up and down, clapping her hands. Then, she leaned down and hugged Lindsey, causing a small smile to crack on the girl's face. "Oh my god! That's wonderful! Congratulations! Oh, I can see it now! I have to babysit!"

"Sophie…. Sophie!" Lindsey yelled, getting the woman to calm down. "It's not wonderful! It's not even ok!" Tears started to well in her already red eyes. "I-I can't do this…I can't be a parent."

Sophie came back to earth, sitting down on the couch once more, protectively wrapping an arm around the other woman. "Of course you will. You and Eliot both. Trust me."

The grifter gave a truthful smile, and Lindsey stopped crying, slowly unraveling herself. Her feet hit the floor will a dull thump, and she hugged herself, shaking her head. "I'm horrible with kids, Sophie. This world's dangerous enough! I can't…"

"Lindsey, you're sure, right?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah. I'm sure. I've been feeling really sick for a while, and started throwing up in the morning about a week ago. I had already missed my period, but I just thought it was really late…I was watching TV this morning and a commercial about pregnancy came on and…I thought I would check, just to rule it out, yah know…"

Sophie nodded and patted Lindsey back reassuringly. "You won't be alone. You have Eliot, who's great with kids, and all of us."

Lindsey smiled at that, and wiped her eyes with her arm. "Thanks, but I'm not sure if I want to keep it…"

Sophie did a sharp intake of breath before biting her lip. "Sweetie, don't you want to talk to Eliot about this?"

Lindsey's eyes widened at Eliot's name before she shook her head violently. "No, don't tell Eliot! Not yet…I can't tell him."

"Lindsey, you have to! It's his child too!" Sophie said, shocked. "You can't exactly hide this from him."

Lindsey leaned back on the sofa, her eyes closed as she breathed slowly, trying to calm down. Her one hand covered her mouth, as her other went instinctively to her stomach. Sophie gently smiled at the sight and dug her cell phone out of her pocket. "Go take a shower, get dress, calm down. I'll call Eliot and tell him to come over."

The forger looked like she wanted to complain, but didn't saw anything. She knew that she would need to confront Eliot about this sooner rather than later, when he would find out for himself. She turned to look at Sophie one last time before leaving. "Thanks Sophie…"

The woman smiled. "That's what I'm here for. Now shoo, I'll be leaving."

"I'm gonna teach yah how to fight."

Those words had seemed so simple the first time Eliot had spoken them. How hard could it be, really? Throw a few punches here, a few kicks there, and try not to get hit. In reality, it was so much harder than that. They had spent the first half hour stretching, and the next warming up by going through a series of weight lifting and running exercising, all to 'get the body warmed up.' Lindsey had asked what the point was, since in a real fight you don't have an hour to prepare, but Eliot had just given her a long hard stare before demonstrating the next exercise.

Finally, they were ready to begin the actual fighting. Lindsey was, by this time, pretty tired, and was already sweating. Her hair, which she had pulled back in a neat ponytail, was anything but that; hair sticking out at all angles. Her shirt was almost soaked with sweat and her arms felt like jello. Eliot, on the other hand, looked as if he had just come back from a cool morning walk, his breathing even, and his hair pulled back so it would stay out of his eyes.

They were downstairs at the small gym located below Eliot's flat. It was early on a Saturday morning and the gym was still closed. However, the manager had given Eliot a key, which had gotten them inside.

"Eliot, I don't think I can do this." Lindsey said, wanting nothing more than to go upstairs and curl up in bed to sleep for a few hours. She didn't exactly pride herself in being such a weakling, but she wasn't so embarrassed to the point where she wanted to do something about it.

The man just chuckled. "Of course you can, darlin.' One day somethin's gonna happen and I wont be there."

Lindsey just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What do I do?"

He smirked and got in a fighting stance. "The first thing you need to do is learn how to position your feet. You want to put your left foot forward and point it at your opponent while angling your right foot out."

Lindsey tried to copy Eliot, doing what he said. He nodded. "Bend your knees a bit, don't lock them."

She corrected herself and brought her hands up to her face. Eliot laughed at the sight. "Bring your left hand out in front of your face, your right needs to fall down, level at your chest."

It took several more minutes of Eliot's instructing and re-arranging of Lindsey's limbs, but he finally got her positioned in a correct fighting stance. He stood back to admire his work. "Hey, can we do something here? This is uncomfortable."

Eliot snorted and nodded, taking up his stance in front of Lindsey. "Alright, there are two basic moves you can do with your hands. A jab with your left hand is quick and precise." He demonstrated, his left hand snaking out and withdrawing back in all in one fluid stroke, causing Lindsey to take a step back. She was really glad that she was on his good side. "Then, you have your punch, which is your powerhouse move. You want to put your whole body into the strike, not just your arm."

He extended his right arm, and then tapped his right leg with his hand. "You turn your right foot, putting all your power into the punch."

Then he stood up and crossed his arms, gesturing to Lindsey with his head. "Your turn."

Lindsey shook her head, but did it all the same. Eliot tried not to laugh at the serious look on her face, but failed miserably. Lindsey gave up and stood up straight. "Face it, Eliot. I can't fight."

"Anyone can fight." He said, walking around so that he was behind her. Lindsey just snorted. "Ok. Lemme rephrase that. I can't fight well."

Eliot just rolled his eyes and stepped up behind her, his chest flush with her back. Lindsey opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, but stopped when he grabbed her wrists with his hands, placing them in a protective stance. Still holding on to her wrists, he used his legs to push Lindsey's into place, smirking as she fumbled while trying to follow his lead. Once she was in the correct stance, Eliot let go of Lindsey and stepped back, walking around in front of her. He placed his hands up in place of punching bags and nodded at her. "Hit me."

Lindsey raised her eyebrow but nodded, biting her tongue in concentration. She lashed out with a jab, following it with a punch, turning her back leg like Eliot showed her to. Her fists hit his hands each time, and he rolled his eyes. "Come on, I know you can hit harder that that."

Lindsey smirked and punched as hard as she could. It was a slow punch, though, and Eliot caught her hand in his. Lindsey tried to pull her hand from his, but was unable to budge it. She jabbed with her left hand, but found herself stuck in the same situation, only this time both of her hands were caught in his. She blew out a large bought of air in frustration before relaxing her hands and stepping forward, connecting her lips with his. It took Eliot a moment to respond, but soon she felt his lips moving against hers. Getting greedy, Lindsey stepped forward, feeling Eliot's hands let go of hers and moving up her arms so he could wrap his arms around her waist. Feeling ornery, Lindsey sidestepped and kicked the back of Eliot's knee, causing his leg to give under him, pulling both of them to the ground. He hit the floor with a grunt, followed seconds later by Lindsey, who was on top of him. She propped herself up with her elbows and smiled into his lips. Eliot chuckled and started to kiss Lindsey's ear, whispering to her. "Grapplin's next week, sweetheart."

Eliot grumbled to himself as he hoped in his truck. Sophie and her damn cryptic phone calls. First, she practically runs out of the debriefing without a reasonable explanation, then she texts him, saying that Lindsey needed to talk to him about something. When he texted her back (very slowly and painfully making many mistakes) asking her why, all he got was a strange little smiley face that he didn't realize was a smiley face until he asked Hardison about it. Nate had been perturbed by the whole situation, but let Eliot go nonetheless.

He switched lanes as he came up to his turn, flicking his turn signal on as he rested his left arm out of his rolled down window. Eliot's eyes unconsciously started to scan the people on the streets as he came to a slow stop at a red light. There was a café on the corner, and a bunch of people was sitting outside eating. It was a beautiful day outside, perfect temperature with a small breeze. Eliot leaned forward to turn off his air conditioning when he saw her.

It was just a small glance as the woman was entering the café, but something about the way her long black hair fell on her shoulders before she disappeared into the store caused all kinds of bells to go off in Eliot's mind. The light turned green, but, instead of continuing home, Eliot turned and parked on the side of the street, getting out of the truck and entering the small café. The small bell dinged on the door as he pushed it open, alerting the staff of a new customer. Eliot's eyes squinted as they adjusted to the change in light. His eyes quickly drifted over each and every customer. There was a couple in the corner near the front of the place way too engaged in each other; then an old woman with a powder-white wig sitting alone at a table enjoying a cup of tea; the petite brunette behind the counter had looked up when he came in and gave him a smile, which he dutifully returned. Finally, his eyes came to stop on a woman sitting in the very back of the small place, her long black hair swept back behind her, her long fingernails grasping a cup of hot coffee. Eliot's eyes narrowed and he felt his fingers tightening into fists. He would have gone up to her and killed her right then and there on the spot if it wasn't for all the witnesses. Instead, he waited in the short line and ordered a slushy. Beverage in hand he walked almost mechanically over to her table, his mind going into overdrive. Why was she here? After the little game she played on him and Lindsey a year ago in Davenport, she should know that it would be beyond dangerous to show her face anywhere near Portland. Yet here she was, enjoying a cup of coffee and smirking at Eliot like she knew something he didn't, which was probably the case.

Eliot took a seat at the same table as she was sitting in and leaned forward so his words would not be overheard. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She smirked and leaned back, crossing her arms in a confident and cocky manner. "Just stopping by. Can't a girl tell an old friend congratulations?"

Eliot frowned. "What are you talkin' 'bout? And I am not your damn friend."

She shook her head slightly and gave a few 'tsks.' "Touchy, are we?" She smirked. "You don't know? Well, that puts a small wrench in my plans."

Eliot gripped the edge of the table to stop himself from punching her. She noticed this and gave a small laugh. "You are so predictable, you know that Spencer? You've lost your touch. I mean, you weren't able to peg my men when you walked in…"

She clicked her fingers, and the room grew eerily silent. Gone was the constant chatter of too many people being in one place. The machines had even stopped their humming and random clicking. Eliot tensed; a little worried about what he would see when he turned around. Curiosity got the better of him, and he turned in his seat. The couple in the corner were now paying way too much attention to him, both of them standing up and reaching behind them for something that was definitely not coffee. The sweet girl behind the counter was now holding two very large knives and a not-so-pretty smile on her face. The old woman looked less old now that she was holding a handgun. Eliot spun back to look at the black-haired woman, and found her relaxed in her chair, her fingers playing with a small silver pistol that now lay on the table. "Here's what's going to happen."

She stood up and grabbed the pistol, playing with it in her hands as she leaned against the wall. Even though she was pushing off waves of relaxation and calm, Eliot noticed how her finger never strayed far from the trigger, and how her eyes never left him. "You are going to come peacefully with me to an undisclosed location, where you will get to see Lindsey. Then, lots of fun things will happen…for me, at least."

Eliot stood up from his seat and turned his back so he was able to watch all the people in the café. He got into a fighting stance and shot her a smirk. "Don't think so, darlin.'"

She frowned and nodded to the girl behind the counter. "The hard way, then."

Eliot watched the woman with the knives come toward him and he looked around, his eyes darting from table to table. A few feet in front of his a plastic knife was sitting on the table on top of a neatly folded napkin. Eliot lunged forward and grabbed the knife before dropping to the ground in order to avoid the jab from the counter girl. He lashed out with the plastic knife, causing the girl to jump backwards, giving Eliot the time he needed to recover and stand back up. He was ready for her next lung, grabbing her wrist and snapping it. The metal knife clamored to the floor, and the woman grasped her wrist in pain. Eliot took advantage of the situation and punched her in the face, watching as her head snapped back, the woman unconscious before she hit the floor. Next up was the old woman in the corner, who was aiming her gun at Eliot's head and pulling the trigger. Thinking fast, Eliot dived onto the ground; rolling and grabbing the knife the counter girl had dropped, releasing it as he stood back up. The knife spun through the air and imbedded itself deep in the old woman's shoulder. She screamed and dropped the gun, out of commission. Eliot turned around just in time to see the couple that was in the corner approaching him, a little caution in their steps. Eliot smirked, laughing a bit as he spun the plastic knife around in his hand before gesturing to the two people. "Show me whatcha got."

This threw them off guard. Eliot saw this hesitation and jumped into action, faking a lunge with the knife then following up with an elbow, which connected nicely with the woman's nose. She dropped and Eliot faced the man. They traded a few blows until Eliot threw in a dirty kick low to the shin, hearing a satisfying yell as he grasped his leg in pain. Eliot went to knock him out when a jolt of pain shot through is leg. The woman whom he had elbowed had grabbed a chair and rammed it into his leg. Eliot fell to the ground, immediately getting attacked by the woman, who started to punch him face. The hitter grabbed his plastic knife tightly and plunged it deep into the woman's neck. She howled and backed off, grasping her neck as she slowly went limp. Eliot, now breathing hard, jumped up to his feet once more, surveying the damage. One of the men on the floor moved and Eliot brought his boot to the man's face, taking care of that problem.

Then, he did a quick injury check. His right leg was a little slow to respond to his commands and a sliver of pain shot up it when he stepped on it. There was a cut under his left eye that was bleeding and the eyelid was already swelling. Other than that he was good to go.

The sound of hollow clapping met Eliot's ears. The man spun around to face the black-haired woman, who was still leaning against the wall. She stopped clapping and aimed her gun at Eliot's chest. "Fun's over."

He smirked and took one step forward, then two. The woman cocked her gun, causing Eliot to stop in his tracks. "You won't kill me."

She shrugged. "I guess you're right." Then, she moved the gun lower so that it was aiming at his leg. "Nothing against maiming you."

Eliot growled and looked around, trying to figure out a way to get closer to the woman. There was a small bookshelf about an arms length away on his right, full to the brim with heavy, damaging-looking books. Eliot made a small sidestep right, grabbing a book and throwing it at the woman. She had to duck in order to avoid the book, letting Eliot close the gap. The man leaned down and grabbed her by the hair, yanking her upright and grabbing the gun out of her hand before unloading it with one hand and chucking it off to the side. Then, he slammed her against the wall, his hand around her neck. She started to choke and clawed at his hand, but he didn't let up. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "Good thing I don't care about killin' you."

She let out a choking laugh and stopped fighting against Eliot's grip. "You'll never find her."

Eliot growled. "I'm a damn retrieval specialist. Finding things is my job."

She smirked, the light in her eyes starting to fade away as she drifted in unconsciousness. "And hiding things is my job…"

Her body went limp and Eliot let go, letting her body hit the ground with a thud. He kicked the wall in anger before getting to work tying her up. He took out his cell-phone and dialed Lindsey's number, grunting in panic when she didn't answer. He went to throw his phone against the corner but decided against it, dialing Nate's number instead. The man picked up on the third ring.

"Nate, can I borrow one of you spare rooms?"

She's Back! -evil music- So, what do you think? Let me know and review!