Disclaimer: I own nothing :(

So, this is set after my fic Not Gone Fishin'.

No road trip sorry folks! ;) (Not yet anyhow)

It's gonna be more about the reality of happy ever after I guess.

Let me know what you think, reviews are golden, and feedback the lifeblood of this place!

This could just be a one shot?

/

"That was freakin' awesome." Eliot could not withhold the grin splitting his face as the team walked into Nate's apartment. Things were back on track. He was healed; fighting fit and full of a renewed vigour with each new job. The last had been a particular success since they had managed to get the client payback and also some jail time for the corrupt banker foreclosing on homes in order to make money from the land sale. When a job involved busting heads too, Eliot thrived on the adrenalin and competitive edge such bouts fed and it felt good.

"If you say so Van Damme." Hardison rolled his eyes and usually Eliot would take offence but in this case, he slapped the hacker on the back with a wink.

"You saw those splits huh? Dude's got issues but the classics are the classics bro'." Man he was feeling no pain. Beijing felt like a bad dream, and his apartment was his own again and Parker was...well Parker. Still sexy and frustrating and -wait, gone. He glanced around and tucked his hair behind his ear as Nate and Sophie settled in the kitchen and H logged on to chat to Holly. Where the hell was the thief?

"Anyone seen Parker?" She could vanish between one blink and the next that girl. Had been quite a bit lately he realised, though she was always a law unto herself. It's how they worked. She did her thing and he did his and each accepted the other's quirks. Well, maybe he wasn't quite so tolerant of hers at times. Patience was not his strong suit as a rule, unless the job required it. He frowned thinking back on the job. Parker had been a little crazier than normal, convinced that the land the banker was after had treasure buried in it since Nate made the mistake of saying X marked the spot at some point. Eliot had set her right, and gotten less and less gentle about it as the job progressed. But she didn't take it hard. She never really did. Just smiled at him, with those big blue eyes he loved seeing first thing every morning.

"Weren't you listenin' man? She said she had to go see about a cake." Hardison replied without looking up and Eliot paused. Had she? When?

"A cake? What the hell for?" It was ten o clock at night. Parker's sweet tooth was epic, but even so, he'd have made her pancakes if she wanted. It was always worth the effort too, since Parker was always extremely happy after pancakes. His torso tightened and midriff clenched at the images Parker and pancakes inspired. He had adrenalin to burn and making love with his thief was his favourite way to do so. It had been days since they had-

"Dude it's Parker." Hardison shrugged, concentrating on the screen of his laptop, then the hacker glanced up. "Maybe it's comfort cake since you stole the pirate treasure dream from her pretty hard today man." The hacker raised his eye brows in a disapproving manner, and Eliot bristled.

"Whatever Hardison. Parker's fine." Having his behaviour toward his girl friend questioned pissed him off. He and Parker had their own thing, it didn't need any interference. That said, he could not recall her mentioning cake for the life of him, and that made him defensive. But Parker knew how he got on jobs, and their work had only been compromised a couple of times since they got together. Those occasions had all been to do with Parker taking risks he felt were not necessary. He was a grumpy intolerant bastard but he was confidant that Parker had not taken his harsh words too hard.

Still, he felt awkward with the hacker making judgy faces at him, and looked over at Nate and Sophie, scowling when Sophie caught his eye. Shit they were all doing the reproving thing.

"Did she say anything else?" He tried for nonchalance as he snagged an apple from fruit bowl on the kitchen side but Sophie just offered him a haughty look in return. What the hell had he done? Uncomfortable with the vibe in Nate's apartment he reigned in his temper as he tried to figure where Parker was. Maybe he should let her be? She'd come to him when she was ready, she always did. Something about the team looking at him rankled though.

"You know Eliot," now Nate waded in as he turned and leaned on the bar between them, hands clasped,"seems to me you're having to ask a lot of questions you should already know the answer to."

"What the hell does that mean?" The hitter shoved his hair back with both hands, and rolled his sleeves up before crossing his arms. Sophie leaned on the counter next to Nate, a cup of tea nestled between her palms. She took a sip, cast a sideways glance at Nate who just shrugged and then she answered.

"Well you know Parker's not really been herself for a few days. Obviously you've noticed." She laughed and rolled her eyes. "'Course you have. Not as though you've been completely self centred and wrapped up in your Rambo like tendencies now you're back to full fitness or anything." She smiled so sharply it cut him, and then she took another sip of tea, her eyes big and innocent over the rim of her cup.

"You guys really need to-to-" Eliot floundered as the truth of Sophie's jibe hit home. He grabbed his jacket from the sofa as he made his way to the door, pointing at Nate and Sophie who looked like a matching set of poker faced judges leaning on the counter.

"Forget it." He slammed the door behind him feeling about as dumb as a box of nails. Blunt nails.

What an ass. He got in his truck and palmed his cell, calling Parker. No answer. She rarely answered so it wasn't a weird thing. She just showed up when she was ready. But something tugged at his chest as he recalled her fragile smile when he shot down her treasure chest ramblings. Why did he do that? Cursing himself, he headed off down town, to the 24 hour super market, wondering what the hell Parker wanted a cake for and why he hadn't been listening. The first was a mystery, but the second not that hard to work out. Sophie was right as usual. He had been pretty self absorbed since his rehab had paid off. Parker had helped so much, training with him at his place, driving him to his appointments since his legs weren't up to the constant pressure that foot pedals required, it was too specific and his thighs burned like bitches when he tried. He had been so grateful, but being able to do things for himself again couldn't come quick enough for him. He was who he was. He needed that independence, and assumed Parker did too. She didn't stay every night. He caught himself sometimes, before "Stay" slipped out. In all honesty it made him feel like a chick, being the one to want her around all the time. Since being able to drive himself, maybe he had been making a point. Who to, he wasn't exactly certain. Himself? Parker? The team? Ah shit.

Now Parker was roaming around in need of cake late at night after he'd been a dick for days, and he had no idea why, or where she was. Great going dip-shit. Parking up in the 24 hour store's car park, he was half hoping and half dreading finding Parker there. If she was, great, but then he was guy who had let his girlfriend wander around Boston at night rather than pay her any attention and give her a ride. If she wasn't, then, he had no clue how to find her and knew the knot in his chest would not unravel till he found her. Just to see her face and make sure she understood he was just readjusting to doing stuff alone again, and he was a grumpy ass who loved her, treasure insanity or not.

Forty five minutes later, he returned to his apartment. She was no where. He had tried every store still open, every jump spot, her place, Nate's...man he had called her about a dozen times. He was probably getting tickets for speeding all over Boston the pace he had driven. He was long past feeling chicked out. He was onto worry for some reason, as his distant behaviour and gruff demeanour replayed over and over with every passing minute. He really needed to be less...Eliot sometimes.

Parker was sat at his breakfast bar, and scrambled to her feet when he closed the door behind him.

Her eyes were swollen and the blue irises so light they pierced him. He tossed his key to the side table and there was a strange hesitation on both sides, before he opened his arms and she launched into them, wrapping her legs at his waist. He recalled the first time she did that for some reason, and how he had been all blasé about it. Truth was that it had floored him back then, that she chose him as her first target on release from rehab, and it floored him now. This time he held her tight, running his hand over her hair. Which smelled of lemons, not coconuts. He gripped her tighter.

"I need a cake. Eliot will you bake me a cake? A little one?" She made the request into his neck, her damp lashes tickling his throat and a lump formed as her small voice reached his ears. He wouldn't ask why. He had not really earned the right to do that with his jerk head on the last few days, hell the last few weeks. She would tell him why she wanted what she wanted in her own time.

"I'll check what I got, but sure. You want it chocolate?" He kissed her, relief flooding him as she kissed back, her lips soft and eager. He was walking a tight rope with her and suddenly he realised it. She broke away and shrugged, resting her head on his shoulder as he carried her to the breakfast bar and sat her down on the counter. She held on.

"Doesn't matter." Now that had him curious as hell. Since when did chocolate of any kind not matter to Parker? She let him loose as he began to gather cake ingredients, and her small sigh as she gripped the counter edge and stared at the tiled floor made him wince.

"You wanna help?"

"I never baked a cake before." She said it warily, as if talking about taking the controls of nuke armed submarine.

"Well lets add cake to your omelette recipe shall we?" He grinned keeping it light, tired, but not about to let her down. Since he had told her how good her eggs were she literally came up with a new variation every time since. The Parker special, you never got the same thing twice. Chillies had been an ingredient he hadn't been expecting to pop up, but it had worked, and her delight at her success was lovely. She hadn't made omelettes in a while either he thought with a twang of worry.

"Okay sure." She shrugged and watched as he laid out the eggs and flower and hopped down to fetch the butter and sugar for him. She seemed fragile in the stark lighting and her black clothes only added to her ethereal pale colouring. He paused at the counter and caught her chin in one hand.

"I was a dick about the treasure thing. You mad at me?" Her answer really mattered.

"What? No. And it doesn't matter cos I found it anyway, wasn't hard." She frowned in reaction to his query and then smiled, all clever thief like.

"You found it?" Astonished, Eliot leaned in and kissed her lips. She was so damn sexy in thief mode.

"Yeah. S'what I do. Find treasure." She did the duh face and he caught her in a hug. They hadn't had a midnight feast for way too long. "I need the cake before midnight. Will it cook?"

"Uhm.." Eliot glanced at the time."We can make cup cakes. Will that work?"She cocked her head and thought about it. He wanted to ask about the treasue. Man she was a puzzle. A twisty gorgeous puzzle.

"So long as it gets icing and a candle."

"Darlin' I don't have any candl-" Parker withdrew a small pack from her shirt pocket, as if she kept them there at all times in case of emergencies. Which may well be the case, her clothes were like Mary Poppins freakin' bag the amount of stuff she squirrelled away. He grinned and kissed her. She bit his lip and tugged, sucking his bottom lip in a way that had his hips rolling. Cake. She needed a cake.

"Parker, first we bake." He pecked her forehead, letting go reluctantly, and then wondered how he became a man who said shit like, Parker first we bake, and be cool with it. He was going to melt her later. Kiss her senseless and slide inside her like-

"Teach me sensai." She nicked a clean cotton tea towel and made a bandanna of it and he almost stopped her, before noting how cute she looked. She was smiling, yet she was not at full beam. He would work out what was wrong. And fix it.

"Okay Parker san. You weighed that? Cool. First, you gotta sieve the flour. Yeah, wait-over a bowl Parker, not just-" He sighed as a flour cloud erupted into both their faces as she poured the flour and banged the sieve at the same time, totally forgetting a bowl to collect it in.

"Oops." His temper flared and dissolved in the same moment as she stared at him, bandanna askew and flour all over her. His heart swelled at her worried expression. Was he such a dick that she assumed he'd bark? Yeah. Yeah he was.

"It's fine, we'll start again." She seemed surprised, and it stung. But her smile in relief was so sweet he kissed her again, harder this time, since his ideas for later were making his pants tight and he groaned as she met his tongue with hers. Foxy, crazy, cake needing Parker. "C'mon, we'll get this done in no time trust me."

"I do."He glanced at her as he re weighed the flour.

Her affirmation should have comforted him. But it didn't. Because he knew, suddenly and without doubt, that she didn't. Not like she once had. Not like before. But she would, he decided as they hustled in his kitchen. He'd earn it back. A freakin' cake at a time if necessary.