A/N: There is a little prologue to this that I wrote a while ago. It's really short and you don't have to read it but it helps with the plot line a little bit. It's "I always knew it would come back to haunt me" Also the first part Nate says is from the end of a song. I don't own Leverage!
Just Give Up
"What the fuck can I say to you to make you see my fucking point of view? How could I care when you could care less?" Nate yelled at Sophie as he loomed above her.
"There is nothing. Nothing you could say." Sophie's voice was strong but the tears in her eyes caused her voice to waver horribly.
"I want empathy, sympathy, something!"
"You've gotten all that and more so I wouldn't be complaining. So shut the fuck up! I'm so sick and tired of your shit and your whining-you know what I'm going to walk away." She stormed away, muttering under her breath, "fucking asshole."
Nate swallowed hard, Sophie never swore like that at people let alone talked like that. He watched as she stormed off and then slowly slumped back to his place on the ground. Gunshots and breaking glass rang through the air as he shot the glasses with his fathers gun.
Sophie furiously tried to keep the tears from spilling over her eyes when suddenly she heard Parker behind her.
"Do you ever wonder what goes through his head?" Her voice was jaded. She walked around and took the seat across from Sophie
"No. I could care less what he thinks," Sophie snapped back harshly. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she brought her hand to her mouth. "He was right!"
"Maybe you should care," Parker suggested.
"Why? Why should I?"
Parker noticed the anger was back in her voice. "Well, we were walking to the elevators through the hotel lobby and he just stopped. In mid-stride he just stopped walking. Then he closed his eyes and hung his head. He stayed like that for a few minutes. I said nothing."
"Ummm, what exactly am I supposed to get from that?"
"I didn't even know what he was thinking. I wanted to know..." She trailed off for a few seconds. "I wanted to help him."
"I tried to help him, Parker," Sophie replied cooly, her jaw clenched slightly. "He got drunk and spent the rest of the night being a monster."
Parker then reached out to touch her cheek. She winced slightly as Parker pressed a little harder. She kept pressing harder and Sophie pushed her hands away.
"What was that for?" Sophie demanded.
Parker frowned slightly and was about to reply when she felt a shiver go straight through her. "It's cold in here! Can I barrow your jacket?"
"Ummm..." Sophie bit her lip, looking over at Nate and then her jacket. "Sure."
"Thanks," Parker smiled. Sophie took off her jacket gingerly and handed it to her.
Parker took the jacket but then her eyes went wide. "What happened to you?"
Sophie crossed her arms, uncomfortable without her jacket. She had cuts and bruises all up her arms from where Nate had hit her the night after his father had died. "I fell in the dark"
Parker wasn't stupid. The way she looked at Nate then he jacket and the way she winced when she touched her cheek. Suddenly Parker got out of her seat and angrily walked over to Nate. He was reloading the bullets to his fathers gun and she ripped it out of his hands, threw it on the ground, and grabbed him by the throat. She was a lot stronger then she seemed and she hoisted him off the ground and pushed him up against the wall behind him.
"Parker!" He managed to choke out.
"What are you doing?" Sophie asked in a nervous voice.
"You must be really in love with him Sophie," Parker shook her head sadly, her grip tightening more and more.
"Parker, let go of him!" Sophie begged, panic starting to set in.
"He hurt you Sophie!"
"He didn't know!"
"I don't care if he didn't know!" Parker barked at her, "you fight back!"
Parker pushed Nate to the ground, causing him to be knocked unconscious from lack of air.
Sophie went over to him but Parker yanked her back. "I've seen men abuse women. I saw it when I was only 6 years old. I. Do. Not. Like. It."
Sophie pushed Parker away, a few tears escaping her eyes. "He was drunk!"
"What's the difference?" Parker shouted, "what did he call you?"
Sophie tried to respond but the burning in her throat was cutting off any chance of her talking.
"What did he call you?" Parker screamed.
"P-p-p-please s-s-stop," Sophie begged.
"Why haven't you given up on him? What if he doesn't change after they're dead?"
"I will stay with him no matter what happens! Through death, loss, jail, blood shed, and more I will always stay there with him." She took a deep breath, "you would do the same for Hardison, wouldn't you?"
Damn her! She always knew what to say and the right buttons to push. Slowly she walked over to Sophie and gave her a stern look. "I swear if he ever hits you again I will personally make sure Eliot breaks every bone in his body."
"Please don't tell Eliot!"
Parker thought about it for a while. "I-I won't on one condition."
"What's the condition?"
"You keep him in line. He may view us all as a family and sure we could stop him but he only trusts you enough."
"What do you mean only trusts me enough?"
"You've seen Nate at his most vulnerable state. He would never tear down the walls he puts up in front of us. He would only do it in front of you Sophie because he's fallen in love with you." Parker said with conviction even though her voice had become soft.
Sophie recognized the younger girls words. "You remembered?" She paused, studying her face, "now you see why I haven't given up."
"Is it a deal?"
"Deal." Sophie firmly shook Parker's hand. With that Parker left so Sophie could be alone with Nate.
She didn't talk to him much after he woke up. He asked her what happened and she said she'd tell him later. As usual he went back to planning and she went back to mourning the loss of the old Nate. All that was left was a shell filled with blind rage and hatred. And all she could hope for was that once this was all done and over with he would come back.
Sophie walked into her hotel room to see Nate sitting on the ground, his back against the bed. He was twirling a pen around in his fingers.
"Did I hit you?" He asked bluntly
Sophie sighed. "Yes, and you called me names and told me everything you've ever thought about me."
Nate looked at her with those distant blue eyes, a small frown on his face. "Like what?"
"I would rather never say nor hear them again," Sophie said quietly.
"I'm just curious but is the reason I hurt you why you've been giving me the cold shoulder these past few days?"
"I wasn't giving you the cold shoulder-"
"-but you haven't seemed happy with me. Like when I asked you if you were going to take away my gun and you said that I'd find another one. I don't know it was just the way you said it." Nate shrugged slightly, his eyes drifting over to the blank wall in front of him.
"Yeah. A bit I guess. That's why I've been wearing a jacket and that's how Parker figured it out."
"What happened after I passed out?"
"Parker and I had a small fight. She asked me why I hadn't given up on you I told her I would never leave you. She said she wouldn't tell Eliot if I agreed to keep you in line. Parker said I'm the only one you feel comfortable being vulnerable around and that I'm the one the can keep you in line..." Sophie trailed off, looking down at her feet.
Nate stood up and hugged Sophie tightly. "I don't know what I did. I don't know the pain you went through. But I want you to know that I'm sorry and I love you."
Sophie buried her head into his shoulder, hugging him tighter. "I love you too Nate."
