Life Unexpected

Nate sighed as he watched Hardison trafficking in his living room. It was in those moment that he wished he were drinking again, instead, since he had been sober for eight months now, he went behind the kitchen counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. He had lost count of how many he already had that day.

"Hardison" he intervened once he heard hammering coming behind him "It's just a football game. There's no need to destroy my apartment in the process"

"Destroy? Destroy?" he shrieked "Do you have any idea what I'm doing to improve your home cinema system? It's going to be awesome, it will be like we're actually inside the game. You're going to love the all 3D experience" he smirked.

"3D?" Eliot had just walked through the front door. "I ain't going to wear ridiculous glasses, Hardison. No way!" he grunted as he put a carried bag on the counter and started taking the groceries out it.

"Hey, don't kill it until you've tried it!" Hardison shouted back at him

Nate watched as Eliot took out bottles of Hardison's favourite orange soda, packets of pop-corn, crisps and cans of coke which he presumed were for Eliot. Nate rolled his eyes and opened the fridge to grab a glass of his homemade cranberry soda that the mastermind had started drinking instead of alcohol before making his way to the couch.

"You could have bought some beer for you" he told the hitter. "it's not like I'm going to punch you for a sip"

"Yeah, right" he chuckled finding the all idea of Nate attacking him and having the best of him absurd. "It's fine" Eliot filled some bowls with popcorn and crisps and then joined the other on the couch after grabbing his coke. "we didn't want you to fall in temptation, especially tonight."

Nate frowned. "Why? What's happening tonight?"

Eliot and Hardison exchange a nervous look. "Well…" the hacker began "… you know, the all Sophie going out with her boyfriend."

"I'm okay with Sophie going out" it was he fast reply. "She can date whoever she wants" he took a sip of drink and turned towards the monitor making sure they understood that the conversation was over. He wasn't going to let them see how it bothered him that Sophie was with someone. When the team had come back into his life, he had hoped that he and Sophie would finally take a shot at starting a relationship. He had been really disappointed when she had turned him down after their first con and told him she had a girlfriend. In one second he saw all his chances blew up in flames.

"Of course" Eliot chuckled in amusement. "Like there's nothing going on between you two"

"There's never been anything going between me and Sophie and there never will be"

"You keep saying that" Hardison teased him like Eliot. "Like you ain't jealous about her man"

"Is it ready?" Nate said annoyed dropping the sore subject again. "Can we watch this match?"

"Yep, here's your 3D glasses" both Nate and Eliot eyed them doubtfully, but then they put them on "Hey, where's Parker?"

The hitter shrugged and grabbed some pop-corn from the bowl. "She said that she had something to do and that she was going to come by later"

"I bet she's stealing something" the hacker smirked.

"She'd better not be!" Nate groaned. When Parker went for one of her stealing adventures, they often had to clean up her mess. Not that she was sloppy. Parker was the best thief around. It was when she put the things she stole back that she could be very… creative.

The three men had been watching the football match for almost half an hour. Eliot and Nate had to admit that watching it in 3D wasn't so bad, actually it was fun. They were laughing and relaxing when they heard a knock on the door. The three looked at each other. Nobody usually knocked.

"Who could it be?" Hardison asked.

"Well, we ain't going to find out by sitting here" Eliot said while turning back to the match.

"Who's going?"

"You are" Nate and Eliot said at the same time.

The hacker sighed and reluctantly he went to open the front door. "Hmm… yeah?" he raised both his eyebrow in shock and the figure standing at the other side.

"Does a Nathan Ford live here?"

"Ah… sure" Hardison let the figure inside.

"Who i…" Eliot stopped mid-sentence and stared at their visitor.

"She's looking for Nate" Hardison went back to sit on the couch figuring that she was just a possible client.

Nate stared at the little girl who was awkwardly standing in the hall. He got up and walked towards her curious about what had brought her there in the first place. "Hi, I'm Nathan Ford." He smiled. He could see that the girl was a bit frightened and he wanted to try to make her comfortable.

The girl eyed him from head to toes, like she was judging him for something "Hi." She gave him a small tempted smile "I'm Amy"

"And what brings you here, Amy?"

"Well… according to my birth certificate you're my father, so that would make me your daughter"

They heard choking sounds coming from the sitting area. Hardison had chosen that moment to take a sip of his drink and he was now coughing orange soda all over the place.

Nate stood there looking at the girl in disbelieve. "I… I …." He stammered.

"You're in shock" she shrugged "That's fine. But could I have something to eat, please? I haven't eating anything since last night"""

Nate took a good look at the child in front of him. He could see that she had taken this journey all alone and he wondered where her parents where. There was obviously some kind of mistake, he couldn't be the Nathan Ford she was looking for. But she looked tired and famish and there was something in her eyes, her deep blue eyes, that reminded him so much of his son.

"Sure" he nodded. "Eliot, could you…?"

"No problem" The hitter got up and went to cook something fast in the kitchen.

"You can have a seat" Nate nodded towards the chairs and then he went to sit on one of them, hoping she would join him.

Amy took off her backpack and jacket and laid them next to the kitchen stool. She sat on the chair opposite Nate's and she studied him.

"So…" Nate said awkwardly "Look kid, I don't know what you believe but I can't be your dad. You are, what? Seven years old?"

"Seven and a half" she paused "Nearly eight"

"That's what I'm saying. There's no way…"

Amy suddenly got up from the table and went to the get something from her bag. She then rushed back and gave Nate a piece of paper. "Look! It says Nathan Ford born in Boston the 16th August 1965. I searched on Google and you're the only one that came up."

Eliot slid a plate in front of her and she quickly dig into her spaghetti with tomato sauce.

"Looks legit man" Hardison peaked from behind the mastermind shoulder who was still looking at the birth certificate stunned.

"How..?" He shook his head. His name. His name was actually printed. "There's no name listed under the mother"

Amy just shrugged and kept eating.

"How did you even get this?" Nate continued.

"I stole it from my social worker's office" she replied with her mouth full.

"Did you say "stole"?" Hardison smirked. "Oh, she's already in the family business."

"Hardison!" Nate snapped frustrated. He was still trying to figure everything. "I don't understand. Eight years ago I was still married to Maggie, how…"

Then the front door suddenly burst open. "So," a female voice shrieked. "what's this emergency that I had to come straight here for?"

Nate head snapped up and gasped. All the piece of the puzzle came together and he finally had a clear picture in his mind.

Hardison and Eliot noticed the realization hit the mastermind and looked between Nate, the woman and the girl.

"Nothing ever happened, huh?" Eliot muttered.

A/N I'm back with another story. I'll try to keep updating. This hot weather definitely killed all my good intention for the summer.

So, I'm pretty sure you've guessed who the woman is :P

How will she react to Amy? And how will Nate react to the fact that she had kept this big secret from him for all these years? More the come soon, if the hot weather collaborates!