The Madison Job Chapter 1, a leverage fanfic

A/N: My first attempt at a full fledge, multi-chapter, actual Job fic. Not sure where the pairings will go just yet, but there will be team interaction, and squabbling, because I love when they bicker, lol. Oh, and this takes place sometime after the first season, but it doesn't really matter. Please review. I'll try and update frequently, I'm far too impatient for one of those months' long fics. :D I hope you like it.

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"Ok, team. We have a new job." Nate made his announcement as he walked into the meeting, late, but apparently sober. Hardison sputtered in surprise; usually he got the info before the general meeting, so he had time to prepare his slideshow. He looked at Eliot and then Parker, who both gave him shrugs in response. He turned to question Sophie, only then realizing she wasn't there, which in itself was odd. Nate continued as if nothing was different.

"The client is Amanda Smith, age 27. Nurse at the county general. Married to Bill Smith, 30, security guard at the same hospital." He paused as Eliot interrupted,

"Bill Smith? Really? Sounds like an alias to me, boss." Nate nodded,

"Getting to that, actually. Now, after talking Mrs. Hark, Amanda's mother, I'm pretty sure it's an alias as well. And I'm pretty sure that Amanda has gotten caught up in something she can't get out of. She's gone off the grid. And that's where we come in." He paused to take in their reactions.

Eliot nodded as he thought, probably about all the ways he could take down guys without any shots being fired. Hardison was already on his laptop, doing whatever it was he did so well. Parker however, was staring at Nate, as something flickered in her mind.

"Wait. You said you spoke to Mrs. Hark? But our client is Amanda? Why would her mother come to us for something like this? Her daughter isn't some teenage runaway; she's a full grown woman. Why wouldn't she just call the cops?" Eliot and Hardison looked at her in surprise, not sure why they hadn't caught that themselves. They really didn't give her enough credit sometimes. Nate smiled kindly at the blonde, pleased she picked up on it.

"Well, Mrs. Hark isn't just concerned about her daughter. She's also concerned about her granddaughter, Madison, age 3."

He pulled out a photo from one of the many folders in front of him, passing it around. The photo was of the small family, one of those professional shots that get taken at department stores. Amanda was a tiny woman, maybe 5 foot tall, with light brown hair and bright blue eyes that shone against her pale skin, even in the photo. Bill was a shade or two lighter than Hardison, with deep brown eyes and a relaxed smile. He was tall, probably a full foot taller than Amanda, and built at least as strongly as Eliot. Little Madison sat between them, arms held on both sides by her grinning parents. Her skin was the color of caramel, and she had her mother's bright blue eyes. Her head was covered in a massive amount of curls, held in place by several little ponytails. In short, she was adorable. Even Parker smiled at the girl's toothy grin.

"They look so happy," she commented, not quite able to hide the flash of emotion across her face. The others pretended not to notice.

"They were happy. For a while anyway," Nate continued, tucking the photo back into the folder. "Which is why we're going to help them. Now, we're not exactly sure what we're up against yet, but Mrs. Hark's insistence has made this case pretty urgent. She's worried that whomever took her daughter, if anybody at all, will come back for her granddaughter. So, we're going to protect her."

This time Hardison caught on first. "Hold up now. What do you mean, protect her? Like, babysit her? We're criminals, not babysitters!"

Nate nodded, at once listening to and dismissing Hardison's protest. "Yep, that about sums it up. Congratulations, Hardison, you're a daddy." Parker snorted out loud as Hardison choked on nothing, and Eliot's smirk was more pronounced than usual.

Nate turned to Parker, smiling still, "Oh, and Parker? You're the mommy." Three identical expressions of shock was his reply. After a moment, Eliot composed himself.

"Nate? Not that I'm against the plan, much. But, these two? Really? With a kid? Hardison doesn't even know what a vegetable is! And Parker… hell, she's Parker!" He smiled at Parker just so she knew he wasn't attacking her, but she was still too dazed to even notice. Nate nodded thoughtfully,

"Yeah. I considered that, trust me. And if I could, I would leave you or Sophie in charge of Madison, but you're both going to be needed for the first stage. Plus, with Hardison and Parker, we have the advantage of Madison being able to pass as their biological child. It will cause fewer questions. Of course, they'll all have to live together for a while, but I'm sure they can handle a few weeks in the same house." Eliot just stared; sure Nate really had lost his mind this time. And finally, Hardison and Parker snapped out of shock as their brains caught up to the information they'd just been fed. At once, they rambled out protests.

"I can't be a mom!"

"I cannot live with Parker! She eats fortune cookies for breakfast!"

"Rivers of orange soda!"

"Too many places to crawl into and scare me in the middle of the night!"

"Up all night…Thinks he's a vampire!"

"Only got one bed, and no kid room stuff!"

"I don't do bedtime stories!"

"She's potty trained, right?"

"Enough!" Eliot stopped them, yelling to overcome their frantic voices. "If this is the best thing for the client, and for the team, we should do it. You two just need to act like real adults for a few weeks. You can do it. Plus, we'll be here to help." He huffed and resumed his slouch.

Nate nodded his thanks at Eliot and turned to the new couple, who still looked torn. "Guys, we need you on board for this one, this little girl could be in real danger. We don't want anything to happen to her, do we?"

At once, they felt ashamed of being so selfish, but also annoyed at the clear manipulation on Nate's part. How could they say no when he gave them that look, the look he always got when trying to save kids; haunted. Hardison sighed.

"Alright, fine! But we're staying at my place. I can't live without my technology." Nate rolled his eyes but nodded his agreement, and then looked to Parker for confirmation. She glared, but didn't say anything, so he took it as a yes.

"Great, then," he clapped his hands once, "Sophie should be here any minute with Madison, and we can get started. I now pronounce you man and wife."

Eliot grinned. This was going to be fun.

TBC

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So that was the first chapter. Hope you like it so far. More to come!