I wrote this story at 4 a.m because it was hauting me, I hope you like it…
She left them again, however this time she explained to them why and they understood her. Parker hugged really hard and thanked for not getting rid of the baby, she knew what that was, not to be wanted... Hardison insisted he'd always keep tags on her just to make sure she was ok and Eliot, well she had real troubles convincing Eliot not to kill Nate.
She was pregnant and she wanted to keep the baby yet, Nathan Ford, the father, didn't seem to have the same opinion as hers so she decided to go back home.
Her mom got trilled when she found out she was going to be a grandmother for the third time and her sisters were really helpful giving her useful advices and making her feel calm. She was home and surrounded by her family it all seemed less scary... Even "auntie" stopped being so inconvenient and she never asked about her line of work or the father of the child...
There she was now, eleven months later, Clarice was two months old and she was a beautiful healthy baby. She had blue eyes, his blue eyes and that was probably the thing she hated and loved the most about her, the way she'd remind her of him...
Clarice was a strange baby, she was almost always crying, even when she wasn't hungry or wet, even when it seemed to be nothing wrong would her, there was... The girl would just cry herself to sleep, raising questions the doctors didn't know how to answer and making Sophie's mom and sisters crazy; "there isn't a baby I didn't manage to calm down" they all said while rocking the exasperated child. They all tried everything, rocking her on their arms or on the crib, playing music, singing, tickling her, reading aloud, whispering and finally begging. It didn't work and finally they admitted the toddler had won all of the battles and the war, there was absolutely nothing they could do about it...
Sophie even thought of medicating her, but of course he immediately discarded that idea and tried to make the child go to sleep again by rocking on her arms... That day when Clarice finally fell asleep Sophie did the same. They both slept for hours, as exhausted as they were and then, the grifter started dreaming.
She heard a distant cry that would soon become louder until, out of nowhere it stopped, it stopped and everything become peacefully silenced again. That was the moment the young mother realised that was not a dream; that was when she understood there was more up to it than what she first thought. She had heard noises before Clarice's crying, they were soft, but she could now recognise them, someone had broken into her place.
The brunette got out of bed and grabbed the gun she had on her bedside table (it was the one she had shot Nate with), she went downstairs, her heartbeats raising, blood pumping into her ears, several fearful horrid thoughts crossing her mind and then she saw it: Clarice's door was open and inside there was a man rocking that now silent child; it was Nate, she'd recognise those curls everywhere...
-Nate, how in the hell did you get in here? - She hissed causing the baby to cry again...
-Shhh, it's okay sweetie, daddy's here, he isn't going anywhere, shh... -She stopped and moaned softly closing her eyes to Sophie's amazement since that had never worked before - Well, Eliot punched you doorman unconscious before he even saw it coming, Hardison hacked all the security cameras and your alarm and even though your lock door was a pretty good one that wouldn't stop Parker... They're downstairs in a van waiting for my call. I want you to come back home with us, we're your family.
-No! My family lives here in London; they were the ones supporting me through this pregnancy while you just wanted me not to have her. -He looked at her very seriously while still rocking Clarice; he was quite good at it.
-I never said it... I just... Look, it was hard for me Okay? I wanted to be as thrilled about it as you were, but I got scared, I couldn't stop to think about all the things that could go wrong and I wasn't prepared for that, if anything would happen to you or the baby I wouldn't survive it...
-Why did you come for me than? Why now?
-I realised it was even more scary to live the rest of my life without you, in fact it was unbearable. -He offered a smile she didn't return
-Nate, this isn't about me anymore, this isn't even about us. It's about her so I guess the question is: do you want to be her father?
-Yes, I do. Very much. - He smiled and placed the girl on the crib, she started crying again, he spoke softly to her and the little baby stopped, once again to Sophie's amazement. He turned around and realised Sophie was crying.
Nathan moved towards her and hugged her tight, his arms around her waist, her tears wetting his shirt. He stroked her hair while she trembled and kissed on the head.
-I love you, Soph and I won't leave without you two. - She looked up to him and he cleaned her tears with his tomb.
-I love you too! I'm coming back home, but not today; I am too tired for that.
The mastermind broke the space between the two of them and took an ear-bud from his front pocket. He put it on and warned the team they were leaving the next day, after that there was about discussion about which Hotel should they stay in until Sophie ended it by stating there were two spare bedrooms in her apartment. The man next to her smiled and gave her the ear-bud so she could hear the discussion that was going on:
-...Parker you don't have to that, seriously, I would never...
-Yeah, darlin' you can take one of the bedroom and I just sleep on the couch, you don't have to share a bed with Hardison.
-But I want to, I want Pretzels...
-Well I'm sure the stores are closed- Maybe Sophie as some... Oh! OH! Come on guys! Couldn't you just wait for me to leave the van? Damn it Hardison!
They were all installed and in bed, Clarice hadn't cried since her daddy kissed her and whispered "see you tomorrow" before he left the room.
Nathan was kissing Sophie passionately when someone knocked on the door. It was Parker.
-Hey, hum... Sorry to interrupt you. Alec refuses to sleep with me naked for some reason - She said rolling her eyes, she didn't seem to understand why. - And I don't have any bras with me so can you borrow me night gown or big shirt?
Sophie just giggled on Nathan's chest; she was with her family again.
What do you thought of the fact Clarice only stopped crying when her daddy came back for them?