Title: Sweet Dreams (Part 1/?)

By: Deanangst aka Blairtime

Rated: PG

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my love of the characters and show. No harm intended.

Summary: Takes place after The Stork Job, the team is on their way home to the states. My attempt at a non AU… AU. G

The return flight from Paris to LA was going to be long and boring. Sophie had lobbied to spend another day in Paris, but Nate insisted that the risks were too great. The kids were safe, that was true, but there had been no time for extensive research on the arms dealers. There was only one flight with available seats within the next 24 hours which meant they were flying coach, something none of them were fond of. The only bright side, besides saving those children, was the fact that she had spent six glorious hours buying the finest shoes on earth. Ah but even that natural high you get when buying an obscenely expensive pair of shoes only lasts so long and now she is glad she'd bought the romance novel at the airport gift shop.

Nate is seated beside her, sleeping off his airport lounge hangover. Eliot, Parker, and Hardison are seated in the row behind them. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that Hardison and Parker have also given into sleep, but Eliot is staring out the window, a scowl on his face at being forced into the inside seat. It is easy to see that the man is tired, after all he had insisted on being the one to stay awake guarding the bus until the children had been safely delivered. Despite the obvious exhaustion every attempt she has made to convince him to take a nap has been met with a deepening of the scowl and a firm No.

Shifting back into place Sophie returned to her novel. The couple have married and the woman desperately wants to have a child but is unable to conceive. Knowing they have a lot of love to give they choose to adopt. The book is amazingly well written for a romance novel and she finds herself easily identifying with the young wife and mother. An hour later, Sophie's eyes have grown heavy and she gives into her body's need for rest. The book makes little sound as it slips from her fingers and falls onto the floor.

Leverage Leverage Leverage

"Nate…. Honey you're going to be late if you don't hurry up." Sophie called out as she closed the lids on the Transformers and Barbie lunchboxes. She placed each meal beside its owners backpack and set about placing breakfast on the table. It sounded like a herd of elephants running down the stairs but instead of a stampede, two wide awake children scramble around the corner.

"Alright you two calm down and eat. The bus will be here in 15 minutes." Sophie kissed Alec and Parker on top of the head as she placed glasses on orange juice on the table. "Momma don't forget you have to take me to gymnastics tonight." Parker reminded.

"Don't worry sweetie I won't forget, but you have to do your homework before we go so no putting it off like last week. "

"What about me?" Alec asks only half paying attention as he is eating and playing with his Nintendo DS at the same time.

Sophie plucked the game from his hand and slipped it into her robe pocket. "Dad is going to take you to soccer and we'll head that way as soon as Parker's class finishes."

Sophie straightens the ribbon in Parkers hair before turning to Alec and correcting the collar of his polo shirt.

Sophie turned just as Nate entered the kitchen, startled at his ability to sneak up on her, one of the qualities that made him a good investigator.

"Look who I caught trying to go over the wall." He said as he deposited a still somewhat sleepy Eliot into his booster seat before giving his wife a good morning kiss.

Sophie broke away from the kiss reluctantly and looked over at the boy in question."Nate we really need to do something, he could hurt himself if me succeeds in climbing out of the crib like that."

Returning to the kitchen she poured her husband a cup of coffee and passed it to him before heading back to place a bowl of pealed apple slices in front of Eliot. So far he was the healthiest eater of her kids, and she was taking advantage while it lasted.

One hand rubbed sleepily at his left eye but Eliot still managed a shy smile at Sophie as he reached out with chubby fingers to snag a slice of fruit. "Good morning peanut." She returned the smile and ran her hand over the sleep tangled nest of curls. Not quite eighteen months and he was already well on his way to being a true flirt. Heaven help them, but she and Nate were going to have their hands full when their brood hit the teen years.

"Yeah you're right, maybe it's time to look into a toddler bed?"

The honking of a horn and ringing cell phone disrupted the conversation. "Bus is here, hurry." Sophie grabbed the packed bags and ushered the two older kids to the front door. It was the same routine each morning; everything was fine until time to leave. Parker and Alec darting fearful looks between her and the door, Sophie giving them each a hug, kiss, and reassured them both that she would be home and waiting for them after school before she ushered them out the door toward the bright yellow school bus. It took a second for her brain to notice three bodies leaving not two and to snag the little tag along in blue footed PJ's

"Oh no you don't." She said swinging the squirming little boy up into her arms.

"NOOOOO… me go." Eliot fought to get down and follow his brother and sister. Heading back inside she prepared herself for the inevitable temper tantrum. The screaming grew louder as the boy arched his back struggling to break Sophie's hold. Using all her strength she held on tighter with one arm and grabbed the remote off the coffee table. She flipped on the TV, bypassing the cartoon networks and settling on the western channel. She was greeted by the blessed tones of the opening theme to Bonanza.

Eliot settled almost immediately. "Howsie" he pointed to the men riding up on horseback. Tears were still falling but the struggling had stopped. Nate appeared in the doorway, cell phone still pressed to his ear he mouthed an 'I'm sorry to his wife. It was his job to distract Eliot while she got the older kids out the door. Once she was sure that Eliot's attention was focused on the TV she placed him in the playpen. She didn't like using this tactic but it would hopefully prevent another incident when Nate left for work and give her enough time to shower before he grew bored. They would attempt breakfast again later.

"Sterling called." Nate said as he placed the cell phone back in his inside jacket pocket. "The Berrisford theft has been solved; they caught the guy trying to board a plane to the islands at 4:00 this morning."

"Good that means you are all ours this weekend." Sophie grinned as she straightened Nate's tie. "Which, leads me back to the earlier conversation. I'm not quite sure we are ready for a new bed; maybe you can just lower the mattress on the crib. After all we are still trying to get a handle on Parkers sleepwalking and I'm not sure how wise it would be to have an 18 month old with free reign to wonder around at night. "

Nate's heart clenched in memory at the mention of Parker's incident. The sleepwalking had started ten months ago, the same time Eliot had come into their family. He doesn't like to think of what could have happened if he had not heard the bumping and gone to investigate only to find the window raised and Parker crawling out onto the roof. Needless to say there are now security bars on all the second floor windows.

They had gone thru a similar situation when Parker had joined them, only with Alec the late night strolls had ended with a small body snuggled between he and Sophie at night. A structured routine that insured each child received the undivided attention of he or Sophie for an hour or so each day was helping but there were still slips.

"Yeah your right, it will have to wait until tomorrow, we won't make it home in time tonight." Looking at his watch Nate grimaced. "I'm going to be late."

"I guess it's a good thing you are the boss."

Leverage Leverage Leverage

It is nearly 11:00am; Sophie sits at the picnic table, shaded from the sunlight by the umbrella. She diverts her time between breaking down the script and watching Eliot play. Rehearsals for the next community playhouse production start in less than two weeks and she knows she needs all the time she can get to memorize her lines but she can't help herself, every time her boy squeals in delight she looks up from making notes in the margins.

It amazes her how different each of her children are. Alec, he loves games and cartoons, it had worried them at first because he never wanted to go outside and play. Knowing that he needed exercise they had set out to find an afterschool activity. It had taken months of trial and error before they had landed on soccer. As Alec grew better at the sport his enthusiasm increased and it wasn't uncommon now for him to beg Nate to practice with him in the back yard after dinner.

Parker, well Parker is her little princess, she hates being dirty, loves to play dolls and dress up. Sophie had dreamed of ballet classes and dance recitals, but Parker showed more interest in gymnastics, and she was a natural. Her coach tells Sophie that each week and she has to agree.

Eliot, well to put it in simple terms, Eliot is all boy. Rough and tumble, just give him a toy truck and a pile of dirt and he is happy. The relatively clean sandbox has been abandoned for a puddle of mud or what once was a puddle as most of the mud has found its way onto the boy. She shakes her head and smiles as she watches him flop backwards into the mess and contemplates hosing him down to get most of the grime off before taking him in for a bath before lunch and naptime.

She is still lost in thought when she hears Nate call her name. Turning toward the house she tries to get her eyes to adjust to the bright light. "You're home early." She says smiling at her husband.

Nate gives her a strange look. "Sophie, are you okay?"

Blinking Sophie realizes that the bright light is that of the overhead being switched on and not the Sun. Rubbing her eyes she doesn't try to explain her earlier comment. "What is it Nate, are we almost there?"

"No it's too early, something is wrong."

Looking around she noticed the hurried pace of the attendants and buckled her seatbelt, whatever was going on wasn't good. She spared a glance over her shoulder to be sure the others were awake and aware at the same time the speakers crackled to life and the pilot broke the silence.

TBC