DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters of Leverage: Eliot, Hardison, Parker, Nate, or Sophie. However, I do own Avery.

For those of you who are reading my Supernatural fic, don't worry, I am still writing it; and will still be writing it just as much. However, my fanfiction account is all wacked still so I had to bribe her into updating it for me the other night by telling her I would start posting a Leverage fic.

It took me a really long time to finally find a start to this story that I liked (5 attempts to be exact), but I think I really like how this one is going. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Nate and Sophie are sitting at one of the booths in McRory's Bar and Grill, waiting for their new client. It was a younger girl, from what Nate could make out on the phone. She sounded upset and a little lost too. The door opens and the two of them look up. A girl, of about sixteen, with long brown wavy hair walks in. She looks around the room and Nate raises his hand to catch her attention. She notices and walks over to meet them.

"You Nate Ford?" she asks in a Southern accent.

"Yes I am. You must be Avery?" Nate asks. The girl nods and glances at Sophie. "This is my co-worker, Sophie."

"It's nice to meet you," Sophie says in her English accent.

"Yeah, here too," Avery says, feeling awkward.

"Please sit," Nate says, motioning to the booth across from them. Avery takes a sit and her blue eyes look at them. "So, on the phone you said you needed our help?"

"Yeah. My mom just died of cancer," Avery says, her voice void of emotion. Sophie can't help but pick up on it.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sophie says.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Avery says as if she's rehearsed it in the mirror numerous times. "But it was the hospitals fault."

"What do you mean?" Nate asks.

"They told my mom they had a experimental procedure to help her. They took her for everything she was worth,"Avery says. "They told her about the procedure. Mom said she'd try it and instead of doing what they said they would, the hospital took her money and pretended to do the procedure."

"How do you know they didn't do it?" Nate asks. Sophie gives him a look.

"What he means to say is, are you sure the procedure just didn't work?" Sophie says in a calm voice.

"Because, I…" Avery starts, but stops, hesitant to tell them anything. Sophie picks up on this.

"Listen, we, the two of us, the rest of our team? We're thieves, anything you did isn't going to look bad to us," Sophie assures Avery, knowing the only way to get the full story is to be completely truthful with her. Avery gives Nate and Sophie a look, but agrees with what Sophie has just said.

"I broke in to Dr. Jameson's office. He was my mom's doctor for the procedure. I looked for her file. She didn't even have one. In fact, I didn't even see anything around that said he was doing anything with an experimental procedure," Avery explains.

"Did you check his computer?" Nate asks. Avery looks at him.

"Yes, I checked his damn computer. There was nothing on it," Avery growls, reminding Nate and Sophie of Eliot. "I even went so far as to calling the FDA. They've never even heard of the treatment."

"We can get you the money back they took from your mom," Nate says.

"That's not it," Avery says, "They might've killed my mom. While she was with them doing nothing, she could've been trying something else. And actually been getting the treatment she needed. And what if they do this to someone else?"

"Don't worry, we'll help you," Sophie says. Nate looks at her. "We will."

"Thanks," Avery says, getting up to leave.

"Avery, dear," Sophie calls out. Avery turns around to look at her. "How did you get here?"

"Um…I walked?" Avery says, confused at the question.

"No, I mean to Boston. You're what? Only sixteen?" Sophie asks.

"Yeah, so," Avery says in defense.
"Where's your father?" Sophie asks.

"Don't know? Never knew him," Avery says.

"So, how did you get here?" Sophie asks again.

"I took a bus," Avery says.

"You?" Sophie asks, "You came alone?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal. Kind of been on my own for awhile now," Avery says, shrugging her shoulders and turning to leave.

"Where are you staying?" Sophie asks. Avery turns back around.

"Uh…I was just gonna go get a room at a hotel," Avery says.

"You know, they don't usually let you get a room without a credit card," Sophie points out, "And the ones that don't, aren't the best places for a sixteen year old to be staying by herself."

Nate looks at Sophie, trying to figure out where Sophie is going with all of this. Deep down he already knows, but he is hoping he is dead wrong.

"It's not like I have a choice," Avery says.

"Come upstairs with us. We'll give you a place to stay," Sophie says. Nate looks at her giving her a look that says, 'Are you out of your mind?'.

"No, really, it's okay. I'll be fine," Avery says.

"You shouldn't be by yourself in the middle of Boston. You don't realize how many crazy people there are out there," Sophie insists.

"What? Like thieves?" Avery asks, looking pointedly at them. Nate smirks, hiding a chuckle. Sophie scowls slightly.

"I know it's hard because we're pretty much strangers, but just trust us, please?" Sophie says, "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I can take care of myself," Avery says, "Trust me."

"Fine then do it for me," Sophie says. Avery watches her, finally sighing in defeat.

"Fine, I'll go," she says as if she's being put out.

"Good," Sophie says, "You'll just love the team."

Sophie grabs Avery's hand and leads her to the back of the bar to where the elevator is. Nate shakes his head and follows the two of them, already knowing what the others are going to say.

"They're going to hate this," Nate says, feeling a sense of déjà vu at the words.

"Are you crazy?" Eliot growls at Sophie.

"She was by herself," Sophie argues, "What was I supposed to do?"

Nate stands off to the side and watches the proceeding argument. Hardison and Parker are standing next to Eliot. They had left Avery in the living room while they escaped to the hallway.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe let her go," Hardison says.

"She's sixteen years old. Where was she going to go? The only places she would be able to get a room are no place for a girl like her to be," Sophie says.

"Where are we going to put her?" Parker asks, "She can't really stay with me."

"She can't stay with me either. I've got computers and stuff everywhere, and…." Hardison says, trying to find a logical reason.

Sophie rolls her eyes and looks at Eliot. Eliot glares at her.

"No way," he says, "You created this mess, she can stay with you."

"I'm just thinking safety wise," Sophie says, "I mean who safer to stay with that you."

"It's not happening," Eliot says as the door to their headquarters open up. The team turns around and sees Avery standing there.

"Really guys, it's not that big of a deal," Avery says, "I didn't even want to do this. I only did it to get her to shut up. I'm fine just going to the motel down the road."

"What? Sunrise?" Eliot exclaims, "Are you nuts? No way are you going there!"

Avery raises an eyebrow.

"Okay," she says slowly, "Well, then I'll just find a motel not there."

"Where?" Eliot asks.

"What about the place a few blocks over," Avery says.

"No. Nuh-uh," Eliot says, shaking his head, "That's almost as bad as Sunrise."

"Well, you mind telling me where I can go?" Avery asks frustrated.

"I'll find someplace," Eliot says, heading inside the apartment. The team looks at each other and follows him inside. Avery doesn't really know what has just happened but follows them into the living room nonetheless, shutting the door behind her.

"You really didn't have to let me stay here," Avery says, setting her bag on Eliot's floor. "I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that," Eliot says, studying her. He had been doing it all afternoon and evening. She had seemed very familiar to him, and she definitely held herself like she knew how to look out for herself. And after hearing her story via Hardison and Nate, he had started growing a soft spot for the girl.

"Why'd you let me stay here anyway? From what I heard, this was never gonna happen," Avery calls Eliot out.

"Yeah, well…" Eliot says without really answering the question. "So, you came up here from?"

"Texas," Avery answers while Eliot begins sifting through the fridge to find something for them to eat.

"You came up to Boston from Texas by yourself? Where's your dad?" Eliot asks, curious as to why he would let her travel this far to the city by herself.

"When I find out I'll let ya know," Avery says, sitting on the stool at the eating bar. Eliot pulls out leftover lasagna and, setting it on the counter, looks at Avery.

"You don't know where your dad is?" Eliot asks.

"I don't know my dad period," Avery scoffs.

"Oh," Eliot says, opening the container. "Lasagna okay with you?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Avery says, "I mean , mom talked about him. Especially when she was really drugged up from the pain medication."

"Yeah?" Eliot says, not wanting to push her to talk but willing to listen if she wanted to. Avery still felt really familiar to him.

"Yeah," Avery says, biting her thumbnail. "I guess he was in the military. By the time she found out she was pregnant, he had left to go overseas. She tried writing him, but I guess he was in some sort of special forces and at the time they couldn't get any mail. It got returned."

"I know the feeling," Eliot says cryptically, watching her bite her fingernail as the lasagna heats up.

"And she always said I looked and acted a lot like him," Avery says.

"Like what?" Eliot asks, genuinely interested and seeing that Avery wanted to talk to someone about this.

"Like my eyes. She said my dad had the same blue eyes I have. And his hair. And she always said I had his temper and that if she saw him again she'd kick his ass for giving me that," Avery says, smiling. Eliot smiles slightly himself. The microwave beeps and Eliot pulls out the two plates and sets one in front of Avery and one in front of himself, sitting in the stool opposite her. Avery takes a bite and her eyes widen in surprise.

"This is awesome," Avery explains, looking up at Eliot, "Did you make this?"

"Yeah," Eliot says chuckling. He looks up and this time, he really looks at her. Her blue eyes did look familiar. As well as everything else. "Hardison and Nate never said your mothers' name. What was it?"

"Uh…Brie Hannigan," Avery says. Eliot startles. "What?"

"Uh…how old are you again?" he asks.

"Um…I just turned sixteen," Avery answers, confused at Eliot's sudden change in demeanor. Eliot chuckles nervously. Avery looks at him curiously.

"She ever tell you anything else about your dad?"Eliot asks.

"Well, um…she did mention one thing," Avery says hesitantly.

"Yeah? What's that?" Eliot asks, watching her closely.

"She said she went to school with him," Avery says, watching Eliot just as closely.

"Right," Eliot says, nodding his head, "I gotta make a phone call."

Eliot gets off his chair and walks down the hall to his room. Avery watches him leave, completely confused by the sudden change of events.

Please, please review and let me know what ya'll think! I would really appreciate it! As I've said in my Supernatural fics, I welcome constructive criticism; it's only going to make me better. There have been a few times people have pointed things out to me and I didn't even realize it. Thanks for reading! And please review!