He said. . . "Speak Now"
An Eliot/Parker Story
By Brown Eyes Parker
Summary:
Eliot's getting married, but Parker thinks it's to the wrong girl. Will she speak now, or forever hold her peace? Based on "Speak Now" by the incredible Taylor Swift.
Disclaimer:
I don't own anything except for a handful of siblings, one of which introduced me to "Leverage" and the beautiful Eliot. I don't own "Speak Now". . . . well, I do own the CD, but that's not what you were wondering about.
Author's Note:
This is my first Leverage fan fiction, and I've only watched two episodes so far. But I am quickly becoming addicted to the Eliot/Parker fandom. So, I needed to write this story. At first, it was going to be Parker getting married to Hardison, but I nixed that idea, because I couldn't see how to make it work. (Although, in my mind, Eliot stopping Parker's wedding would be incredibly. . . hot).
Anyways, I'm rambling, and the point of this note was to apology for how incredibly out of character everybody is going to be, because I haven't watched the show long enough for them to be in character. So, I am sorry. And I hope that you'll give me some feedback when you're finished reading this. . . like tell me if I should NEVER write Eliot/Parker fan fiction after this, or if I should wait until I watch more episodes.
Anywho on to the story.
Holly, July 11, 2011_
P.S
I lived in New Hampshire (near Massachusetts) for fourteen years, it's my home. . . and we get snow in November. On that, I am accurate, I promise.
.
"So, how'd it go last night?" Nate asked as Eliot came into the office one snowy morning in November.
"She said yes," Eliot answered, smiling slightly.
"Congratulations man!" Hardison said, slapping him on the back.
"Wait! Who said yes to what?" Parker asked as she came out of the kitchen with a mug of something hot in her hands.
"Eliot's girlfriend Stella accepted his marriage proposal," Sophie answered, coming in and taking her coat off.
"I didn't even know you were dating somebody," Parker addressed Eliot.
"Yeah, I have been. . . for almost a year now, actually."
"Oh. . ." she trailed off, unsure of what to say. She guessed she should say congratulations, but she couldn't force it past her lips. In fact, most of the terms for congratulations were lost on her, she couldn't even bring herself to say I'm happy for you. Because she wasn't. How could she be, when she had been in love with Eliot for years?
"Are you okay Parker?" Eliot asked, noting her pale cheeks and pinched expression.
"Sure," she put her drink down on the coffee table. "Um. . . I, um, need to think. I'll see you guys later."
She grabbed her coat and slammed the door shut on her way out of the office, obviously trying to hide that something was wrong with her, but failing miserably.
.
Six Months Later:
"You can invite whoever you want babe," his fiancée Stella said, going over Eliot's list of guests. "All of your friends from work. . . except for Parker."
"Why not?" Eliot asked, taking off his glasses and laying them next to the invitations he had been addressing.
"Because, I don't like the way she looks at you," Stella answered.
"I've never noticed her looking at me."
Hardison snorted as he came into the conference room. "Are you kidding me? You've never noticed her looking at you?"
"Alec. . . please!" Stella said holding her hand up in annoyance. "I can handle this by myself."
"Eliot, you have to invite Parker," Hardison addressed his friend. "She'll be so disappointed if you don't invite her—"
"Shut it Nerd!" Stella grabbed a pen and made deep lines through Parker's name. "She's uninvited."
"And you're a nightmare," Hardison muttered, hoping that Eliot would come to his senses and dump the witch before their wedding day. He couldn't see what he saw in her anyways, she wasn't even that attractive.
.
A year and one month later:
Parker was hiding in the curtains in the back of the church, watching the hustle and bustle of last minute preparations. She watched Eliot hug Sophie and shake hands with Nate. She listened as the orchestra tuned their instruments up, preparing to play the Wedding March. . . (to Parker, it sounded more like a funeral march to her.) She wasn't supposed to be there, Eliot's bride had uninvited her months ago, but that morning Hardison had called and said she better be at the church, or Eliot was going to make the biggest mistake of his life.
She looked closely at Eliot's face, she hoped it wasn't just her imagination, but he looked miserable. He looked like life with Stella wasn't exactly what he thought it would be. For the first time in a year, something in her fragile heart began to bloom. . . hope.
Finally, everything was in place and Stella was floating down the aisle on her father's arm, in a dress that was totally unflattering. When she was safely at the end of the aisle, Parker ducked out from behind the curtains and took a seat in the back pew.
It started out like any other wedding started out, with the pastor addressing the sanctity of marriage, and how important it was to love and cherish the one you were with. To keep your marriage vows sacred. She tried to concentrate on what the minister was saying, she really did. But she only had eyes for Eliot, and his eyes. . . searching out the church sanctuary, like he was looking for somebody.
Finally, the preacher reached the part where he said, "If anybody knows why this couple shouldn't get married, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
Parker knew it was just a formality. . . that you weren't really supposed to stop somebody else's wedding. But she didn't care, she knew it was her last chance to tell Eliot how she really felt about him. So, with shaking hands she stood up and cleared her throat. Her heartbeat was erratic, as the guests (minus the Leverage team) all glared at her, or exchanged horrified looks. She didn't care though, she was only looking at him.
There was a beat and then the pastor asked, "Well?"
"You're not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl Eliot," she said. "And I think that Stella is the wrong girl for you."
Stella let loose a few explicits, her face flaming red. "Who let her in? I thought that we crossed her off the guest list!"
Parker cringed, but she continued. "Hear me out, don't say yes. . . because I love you."
Hardison's, You go girl!,paired with Nate and Sophie's encouraging smiles gave her the courage to go on.
"If you love me too. . . you won't say yes, you'll run away, and then meet me at the back door of the church."
There was more silence, and then applause from a few people in the church who wished they had had the courage to do the same thing when the pastor had said speak now. But Eliot didn't say anything.
Parker's cheeks went red, and she turned away, ready to leave. She whirled around and looked at Eliot one last time, trying to force out I'm happy for you, if this is what you want then I'm happy for you. But she couldn't make out the words, so she just left without saying anything else.
Stella smirked, because she had won. "Good, she's gone! Now we can continue on with the ceremony."
"No," Eliot said quietly.
"NO!" She screeched. "YOU'RE CHOOSING HER OVER ME!"
"Yes!"
Stella swore again and threw her bouquet on the ground. "But you don't even love her! You never looked at her before in your life!"
Eliot didn't really think he should give her the benefit of a response, but he did anyways. He untied his tie and said, "That's just it. . . I think I have seen her my whole life, and I just didn't know it."
Stella screamed some more and threw her engagement ring at him as he ran to catch up with Parker.
A man stood up and said, "I have something to say too. . . Stella—"
.
"Parker!" Eliot yelled, running out of the church and into the snowy twilight. "Parker, where are you? This isn't time for your little games—"
"Here I am," she said, stepping out from behind the limo. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her mascara was running slightly. "What are you doing here anyways? I thought—"
"I didn't say yes darlin'," Eliot answered, anticipating her question. He took a step towards her. "I'm so glad that you said something. . . I would have made the biggest mistake of my life if you hadn't. So, thank you."
"Stella's pretty mad, isn't she?"
"Yeah, I don't think she'll ever take me back."
"You'll find somebody else, you're gorgeous. And you're a musician, and you're quite sweet when you want to be—"
Eliot cut her off with his lips. "I don't want anybody else though. I just want you, because I love you too."
And Parker was so happy that she had said something instead of holding her peace.
_The End_
Author's Note II:
So epic failure? Or would you read more by me, because I've been inspired to write more Eliot and Parker stories to other songs on "the Speak Now" album, and maybe an Ingrid Michaelson song here and there. Please read & review, and I'll try to return the favor if you have any stories posted on
Holly, July 11, 2011_