Drinks In Malta
Series: Respectable Scoundrels
Disclaimer: Uncharted, White Collar, Stargate, and Warehouse 13 belong to their respective owners; I'm just borrowing. No copyright infringement intended!
Author's Note: This is for anyone who caught Nathan Drake's cameo in "My Boss Went to France". I loved the idea of him hanging out in this universe, and there are ENDLESS jokes that I can make between him and Vala because of Claudia Black's involvement in the Uncharted series...makes me happy *wink*.
(Notes about timelines etc: Somewhere after Uncharted 2 for Nate, probably after 3 as well. He and Elena are happily married, and I plan on keeping them that way for this series.)
ooo
Nate does not expect to run into anyone he knows in Malta.
His job there is quick and easy; retrieve an old relic for a collector back in the States. It's the first job in a long time that doesn't take place in the middle of a revolt or a takeover or a zombie invasion and leave him limping back to Elena half dead. It's a bit boring, but he knows that his wife will see this part as a plus. Besides, the pay is good.
He meets them in the market, the dark-haired couple from France who had been considerate enough to leave doors unlocked for him. They are almost as surprised to see him, and after a round of introductions (Neal and Vala, and turns out the guy at least has heard of him. Always nice to have a reputation among thieves.) and a laugh at his description of their grumpy, bearded friend as a teddy-bear, he invites them for a drink. He's heard of Neal, too, and is curious.
Nate orders a beer, and isn't surprised when Neal orders Bordeaux; the fancy suits peg him as a different class of thief (though hardly a greater caliber). Vala asks for a passion fruit martini, which Nate thinks is a girly drink but figures it suits her. They all exchange what passes for polite chit-chat until the drinks arrive; then the stories start.
None of them are too specific about why they're in Malta. Nate says "acquisition job", Neal and Vala say "vacation". He's not sure if he buys that, but Nate lets it slide. There are unspoken rules among good thieves, and knowing when not to pry is close to the first one. Vala asks Nate about France, and if his wife liked the gift (she does, and Nate knows she'll like his souvenir from Malta even better). Nate asks about Neal's art, and is it true he once stole a Raphael?
As they move on to second and third drinks, the talking gets easier, and Neal and Nate compare their best and worst jobs. Vala eggs them on until they start comparing battle scars. When she joins in, her collection is nearly as impressive as Nate's, which says something about what she is capable of. He asks again if they've ever dated, and she laughs until Neal tells him that she only likes law-abiding archaeologists. She gets real quiet after that.
By the time he gets back to his hotel room, Nate has had a drink or ten too many, and there's a number in his pocket in case he ever needs the services of a pair of high-end criminals. He doubts he will, but he saves the number in his phone anyways because he just might have to eat those words later and Neal's lock-picking skills really do seem to be unrivaled.
He knows he's going to be massively hungover on his flight in the morning, but he figures that the stories are worth it. He knows Elena has been interested in Neal Caffrey's case over the years; she's going to be pissed that Nate met him without her. And damn if his wife isn't cute when she's angry.
fin.
Note: Can I just mention how HARD it is having to choose which two fandoms to label for any given story in this series? Almost all of them involve at least 3 different fandoms...it's a struggle, my friends.