Parker made her way down the darkened hallway, stopping in front of door number seven.
"Lucky number seven," she muttered darkly as she picked the lock.
Eliot straightened up as the door opened but relaxed when he saw it was Parker. Closing the door behind her, the blonde took a moment to study the hitter. To anyone else he would look the very picture of calm and collected but Parker knew better. She could see the signs of exhaustion in his body language and the tiredness in his eyes.
"Hey," Eliot greeted with a wan smile. Parker smiled back and began digging through the bag she had brought with her.
The thief had started worrying about Eliot's state of mind on this job because of the interrogator's questions and the way he was digging into the hitter's past, so she had packed some extra things for him. She knew she'd have to retrieve them before the frat boys came back but it was worth it if it brought Eliot a little comfort.
First, she pulled out the wool jacket with the camera that she had given every other man in the place and tossed it to the hitter before pulling out a thermos of Eliot's favorite tea and offering it to him.
"I figured it would warm you up and keep you calm," Parker told him sheepishly, wondering f she had brought too much stuff but Eliot gave her a real smile as he poured the tea into the lid and inhaled the familiar scent.
"Thanks, Parker. Really." He took a sip as she went to pull something else out of her duffel.
"Brought you one more thing," the blonde told him, turning around with a quilt in her arms.
After working with Eliot for such a long time, Parker had learned some things about him.
One week, the hitter had gotten the flu and Sophie had sent Parker to go check on him while she dealt with an intoxicated Nate. When the thief had gotten to Eliot's apartment, she had found him lying on the couch wrapped up in an old quilt. When she'd asked him about it, he'd told her his grandmother had hand made it for him when he was young. He always brought it out when he was sick or injured because it reminded him of home and better times and brought him a measure of comfort which was Parker's aim when she brought it to him today. This facility was meant to break you so the thief figured if she could give Eliot a small respite from that, he would be able to make it however long the rest of the job lasted.
With a grin, Eliot took the quilt from her and wrapped it around himself.
"You remembered." Parker thought that was the closest she'd ever seen Eliot to looking touched.
"Course I did, Sparky. I have an excellent memory," she told him matter-of-factly. He noticed she was beginning to shiver in the freezing room but she didn't look like she was in a hurry to leave.
"C'mere," Eliot offered, lifting his arm so she could get under the quilt and mold herself to his side.
"I'm worried about you," the blonde admitted quietly.
"I've been through worse."
"Yeah but that's different. That was physical and that pain goes away eventually. Mental scars are different…I know that well."
Eliot's arm tightened around her. The whole team knew that Parker had been through some terrible things, mostly during her time in foster care, even if they didn't know the details. Eliot had considered one day getting names so he could go an exact his own revenge but he had yet to broach the topic. He was almost afraid to find out what she had been through.
"I just don't want this guy to get to you and drag up things you're trying to forget."
"You never forget, darlin'. This guy isn't gonna get to me. He's an amateur compared to some of the people I've dealt with. I'll be okay. This will all be over soon." Parker nodded, mildly reassured.
"Can I stay for a while?" The hitter gave her waist a little squeeze.
"I'd like the company." Eliot moved them to lean against the wall and they sat in comfortable silence, responding to the occasional comment over their coms and for the first time in days, Eliot Spencer was at peace.