How to Choose a New Car
By: Santana
Summary: The team needs a new car and discovers that even this task can't be simple.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the concept of a deaged Eliot. Written for fun to make my sister happy. No money has been made. Posted to my LiveJournal page Ccacolakid
"You do know that we can do all of this online right? I mean, you can choose your color, make, model, new, used, fully loaded, plain jane, stock, and even modified." Alec Hardison said, frowning as he had to dodge puddles to keep his new Nikes as pristine as possible. "I'm just sayin', that this hands on thing is highly over-rated. I wish you would let me just order something custom made for you."
"In case you haven't noticed, we kind of need something right now." Nate said, slightly irritated. He had been listening to the hackers grumbling for the last half hour.
Rolling his eyes, Hardison pulled out his ipad. He noticed the look Nate shot him as he turned the device on. "What?...I ain't hackin' Nate. I'm just pulling up their web site to see if they have online inventory to narrow our search a bit."
"Yeah, you do that." Nate mumbled. He was overdue for a stiff drink and his mood was beginning to show it.
Feeling the tension, Sophie spoke up. "Let's just keep it simple. We need enough room for all of us to ride comfortably."
"Let's get something in pink." Parker smiled, her eyes wide with excitement...almost manic.
"No...There's absolutely no way I'm riding in a pink van." Alec said, emphasising every word with his finger. Parker stuck her tongue out at him in response.
"Alright kids. Why don't you go look around while 'mom and dad' do some shopping." Nate said.
Alec looked up to the heavens and shook his head, holding his hands out to his side as if saying, "why me?".
Parker skipped away in search of her pink car.
Eliot wondered away silently while Nate and Sophie looked across the lot at the rows of mini vans, suvs, and crossovers, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with the sheer number of choices before them. "Let's get started." Nate said.
"Not enough seats, too small, no portable power ports, no dvd player and are you serious? I'm not driving a purple suv." Were among Sophies comments as they went through the first isle of vehicles.
"Ohhhh..I quite like this one." She said smoothly, practically purring as her hand ghosting over the clean lines of the black suv. The dark interior met with her approval as well. "The seats have a fabric protector on it, that will come in handy." Just as she said the words, she began looking around almost in a panic. "Where's Eliot?"
Now Nate was looking around too. "Eliot!" he called. Then pulling out his phone, he turned to Sophie as he dialed. "He's probably with Parker and Alec...Parker, is Eliot with you?" He asked when the theif answered.
Parker looked around and made a face when she didn't see the toddler. "No. I thought he was with you. Maybe he's with Alec."
Nate didn't even say goodbye, he merely hung up and hit Alec's speed dial number. "Alec, is Eliot with you?" he asked cutting the hacker off mid "hello".
"Naw man, I haven't seen him."
"We've got a problem. Find Parker and start looking. Sophie and I will take this side of the lot." He hung up and took a worried Sophies hand, leading her to the first isle of vans and such.
Sophie and Nates calls for Eliot attracted the attention of serveral sales people, who were quickly enlisted to help in the search. Each car and truck was searched, and Sophie was becoming frantic as they were reaching the end of the last isle. "We'll find him...don't worry." Nate soothed, wrapping an arm around the woman.
The last suv was red, with flames painted on the hood, and huge tires. "There's no way he could have gotten in that thing." Sophie said in a hiccup, tears streaming down her face. "Where could he be?...Oh Nate...where is he?"
As if in response, the horn of the red suv honked, and then honked again. They looked up to see a grinning toddler sitting in the driver seat, bouncing and playing with the steering wheel. "Eliot!" Sophie cried, snatching open the drivers side door and scooping the toddler into her arms. "You don't leave mommy and daddy! You stay with us always...do you hear?"
"But me finded de caw. Me wikes it...hims pwetty."
Sophie and Nate looked at the monster before them. Large, roomy, power ports, dvd, and red...very red. "You like this one?" She asked, and Eliot nodded enthusiastically. "me wats me toons." he said, pointing to the dvd screens.
"Yeah, while we watch the gas prices go up at the pump...this thing is going to guzzle gas." Nate said, just as Parker and Alec came up.
"Hey, you found him!" Parker said, ruffling Eliots curls. "Cool truck!" She added as she and Alec walked around the vehicle, giving it a once over.
"We take hims home. Mines." Eliot told Nate, his blue eyes serious. Sophie only shrugged.
Sighing, "Let's go do some paper work then. We're going to have to do extra jobs to keep this thing in gas." Nate said, as he ushered Sophie and Eliot to the sales floor.
Later, once they were back at the house, Nate's curiostiy was about to get the better of him. Before they went in, Nate sat Eliot down on the ground. "Show me how you get in." Getting a grin from Eliot in return, the toddler ran up to the truck and used the tips of his cowboy boots to get purchase on the tread of the tires, and began climbing and making little grunting sounds as he pulled himself upwards. Once high enough, he streched his right foot out to the running board, inched his way across and reached up, stretching up on tip toes, and pulled on the door handle. The door popped open easily, causing him to inch back a bit on the running board. Once the door was out of the way, he shimmied himself up into the seat, before flashing a devilish smile at everyone. "Wewes me keys...me dwive."
"Oh...we are going to have to make sure the doors are locked at all times." Sophie said in amazement.
Then Parker said with a smile, "And hide the keys."
"voom...voom. Beeeeep. get outta way cwazy dwiver! voom voom." Eliot said, jerking on the steering wheel and swaying from side to side.
Suddenly, everyone but Eliot was staring at Parker. "What?" She asked innocently.
end
