Chapter II

Eliot's Apartment

Eliot pushed the door open of his apartment and stepped to the side. Hillary smiled and walked into the dark apartment. He flipped the switch and Hillary saw that Eliot was no stranger to the rituals of living in a messy apartment.

"Sorry, the place is a mess. I've been busy with cases and haven't actually had time to clean." Eliot picked up dirty shirts tossed them in a pile near the hidden dryer and washer set.

"It's alright, El," Hillary said. "Reminds me of that crappy apartment we use to rent when we moved to Texas."

"The one that was falling apart?" Eliot questioned.

Hillary nodded and Eliot laughed.

"Good times."

Hillary laughed a little and looked around the large spacious apartment. She looked at Eliot and he ran his hands through his hair. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"I missed you so much, El." She buried her face into his chest. "Everyday the last year was like living in hell. If I hadn't gotten pulled out of there, Edward would have broken my spirit. But the only thing that kept me going is when I talked to you."

"I wish I could have helped you sooner," Eliot said leaning his head on hers.

Hillary glanced up at him and Eliot leaned forward and kissed her head. He smiled and dried her eyes. It was nice to have his sister back with him. He missed taking care of her and having her always telling him that he was going down the wrong path.

"We got a lot to talk about," Eliot said, "But let's get you settled in."

Hillary nodded and Eliot showed her around the one room apartment. But he promised there would be changes made while she was here.

"This place could use a woman's touch," Hillary joked.

"No, woman in my life that has stayed long enough to do that." Eliot lifted a basket of cleaned laundry.

"I'll keep you in line, Eliot Spencer."

Eliot smiled.

"That wouldn't be the first time."

He cleaned up around and put her suitcases in the bedroom. He made up the couch for her and she looked at him.

"I'll take the sofa tomorrow and you can have the bed room. I've done this before." Eliot looked at her as she pulled back her dark hair.

"I don't want to put you out of your room, El." She took a seat on the sofa. "This is your home not mine. I'm only going to be here for a week or so. And once the trial is over I'll be back in New York."

"Look, Hillary, I don't think going back to New York is the best even after the trial," Eliot said.

Hillary wrinkled her brow at him. She loved New York regardless of what the situation was. She spent four years there after marrying Edward. There was something that kept her mind always busy and away from the distress she was in.

"El, it has become my home," Hillary remarked.

"What about here? What if you stayed in Boston?" Eliot asked. "It's not as big as New York, but you'd be close to family. And I'm sure we can find you a job."

Hillary looked at Eliot and hugged him.

"I've missed this, El." She looked at him.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Eliot smiled and kissed her head. "I got your back, Hill."

Hillary smiled. "And I've got yours, El."

Back at Leverage HQ

"You know that was a low blow you pulled earlier, Soph," Nate walked over and poured her a drink.

Sophie looked at Nate and smiled.

"It wasn't intentional, Nate. It just was meant to give you another look at what you were about to say." Sophie lifted the drink. "Eliot needs this, Nate. He needs family other than us."

"I've looked into Hillary's background. Did you know she graduated top of her class at the Police Academy in Dallas, Texas. She made detective just two months before she got married."

"She's go the law on her side."

"I have a feeling Eliot doesn't know any of this," Nate said as he lifted his drink.

Sophie shook her head and looked away from him.

"She'll tell him when she's ready."

"And I can't shake the feeling that there's something Agent McCoy isn't telling us about the case. Why is an FBI agent who works for White Collar so eager to come to us? I mean I know we're good at what we do, but why suddenly now."

"Hillary of course. And if you hadn't seen the way Grant and Eliot snap at each other it seems like there's a past."

Nate looked at Sophie as she smiled.

"I think Parker has a point, he's got that same style as Sterling. Gives us enough information to loop us into a job then springs new information that we would have said no to if he said it before. Its scary how there maybe two Jim Sterling's in the world."

"Well, I don't think, Sterling is going to bug us this time around. He's got a fiancée now and has Olivia to raise. So, we just have to deal with…"

"Sterling number two," Parker said popping up from the booth behind them.

"Parker," Nate and Sophie said.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help listening."

"What are you doing here?" Nate asked.

"Just figure I'd pop in for a bit," Parker said.

"When did you even come in?" Nate looked at her.

"I never left," Parker said with a smile.

"Go home," Nate told her.

"Come on, I'm bored at my place. Eliot is getting Hillary situated and Hardison is being a nerd again. You two are the only interesting people."

Nate rubbed his eyes and looked at Sophie.

"Go home," Nate said.

Parker sighed and slid out the booth behind them. She looked at them and Nate looked at her.

"Alright, I'm leaving," Parker sighed and headed for the door.

"Be safe, Parker."

"Yeah, yeah." Parker waved and headed out.

Nate shook his head and Sophie looked at him. She tapped his glass and he looked at her. She got up and slid beside him. He glanced at her and she leaned forward and kissed him.

"How about we take this upstairs? And we'll just chat," Sophie whispered in his ear.

"I think I could deal with that." Nate kissed her.

Grand Plaza Hotel Bar.

Grant handed Sterling the files on Hillary and her ex-husband. He lifted the Bourbon and poured another half glass for himself.

"So, what does Interpol want with a State side crime?" Grant asked.

"DeVille is part of group we're looking into," Sterling said as he flipped through the file. "This Hillary Spencer is a detective?"

"Yeah, she got married before she could actually get her hands dirty with the force," Grant said.

"And she was your informant for three years."

"I went undercover, but my cover was blown. But she kept feeding me information and we would meet secretly when her husband was out on business."

Sterling looked at him and nodded. "I don't think, Agent McCoy that she's just your informant. I think there's something more to your relationship. But I have to warn you that someone like Ms. Spencer is like drinking poison."

"Sir, all due respect. There isn't anything more than business between Hillary Spencer and myself. So, please keep those kinds of comments to yourself."

Sterling smiled and leaned back into the chair. He looked at his watch and glanced around.

"Am I keeping you from something, sir?" Grant remarked as he lifted the drink to his lips.

Sterling glanced over at the bar and stared at the only woman in the bar that distracted him.

"I believe we will have to talk more about the Spencer girl. But I have a previous engagement with a woman that is waiting for me at the bar." Sterling stood and straightened his tie.

"Don't tell me, you're not the man they say you are over at the office?" Grant looked up at Sterling.

Sterling smirked and looked at cocky FBI agent that reminded him of himself when he was a younger man.

"You do remind me of someone," Sterling said.

"Who?" Grant said.

"Myself." Sterling stepped around the table. "Don't be afraid, Agent McCoy to get your hands dirty and use people. But I think maybe you should ask yourself a question. How close are you willing to go for someone that has already made the job worth while?"

Sterling walked towards the bar giving a back hand wave to Grant.

"Amateur," Sterling remarked.

He stepped beside Coleen and looked at her.

"What did you get from him?" Coleen asked as she lightly brushed her fingers through his hair.

"He's as naïve as they come." Sterling looked over at Grant still sitting there. "But he's our only key to getting Spencer's little sister."

Coleen looked at him and kissed his cheek. "You think there's something more that he's keeping from us?"

"He's not hiding anything, he's in love with the damn girl," Sterling said. "It's written all over his damn face."

Coleen turned his head towards hers.

"What do you think we should do?"

"I think you and I are going to go up to our room and pop a bottle of champagne open and put it on your mother's tab," Sterling said pulling Coleen to him. "And get our minds off this shipwreck of a case."

Coleen smiled and kissed him.

"You and I still need to talk wedding, Jim."

"We can do that too, but I would much rather have one of our talks," Sterling whispered in her ear.

"Jim Sterling, you've had one too many glasses of Bourbon."

"And that's a problem?"

"I don't think there will be much drinking." She patted his chin.

Sterling smiled and slipped his arm around her waist.

"Come on, darling." He guided her away from the bar.

Eliot's Apartment.

Next Day

The loud ringing of Eliot's phone woke him up. His hand slipped from under the sheets and grabbed it. He sat up and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hello," he answered.

"Spencer, its Agent McCoy. I need you and the team to come to the Grand Plaza Hotel for more information."

"Is that an order?" Eliot asked in annoyance.

"Yes," Grant replied. "Got a problem?"

"Yeah, I don't take orders from FBI agents that had their life handed to them…"

"You are being paid by the FBI so you will do what I ask, Spencer. Don't think twice I will pull you from this case and have your record pulled. You are after all a criminal. But for Hillary's sake I won't…if you listen to me."

"Good bye, McCoy." Eliot hung up the phone with a smile of contentment. "Mama's boy."

Eliot got up and grabbed a shirt off the floor and slipped it on. He walked into the living room and found a surprise waiting. He glanced around to see there were folded clothes and put into piles. The floor was cleaned and a floral scent that surrounded the apartment was more than he could take.

"What happened?" Eliot asked.

Hillary walked from out the kitchen and looked at him with a smile. He stepped around piles of cleaned clothes and heard he washer running.

"I did a little cleaning," Hillary remarked.

"A little, I've never seen my apartment so clean," Eliot said lifting his upper lip.

"I made breakfast too." Hillary walked back into the kitchen.

Eliot walked into the kitchen to see dishes done and eggs on two plates. She flipped some pancakes onto them and smiled.

"When did you find the time to do this?" he asked.

"I got up early this morning. I use to help the housekeeper clean the house. I was always bored being that pretty wife so I helped clean." Hillary smiled as she handed him a plate.

"You never change do you, Hill?" Eliot smiled as he took the plate.

"Why should I just sit on my ass and be someone's trophy wife. I've never been able to do that right. Maybe that's why Edward hated how I kept moving around."

Eliot sat the plate down on the counter and looked at Hillary. She stared at the second plate and her eyes became glazed over.

"El," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, Hill," Eliot said walking over and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

She wrapped her arms around Eliot and closed her eyes tight. It was like the old days when he was the only one who took care of her. They were two of a kind.

"McCoy wants to have a word with us. Said something about more information, but I don't exactly know what else he can tell us."

"Well, then I guess we should eat up and head over to wherever he wants to meet."

Eliot nodded and kissed her head.

"Hopefully some useful information will be given." Eliot lifted a fork.

Grand Plaza Hotel

The team met in the lobby of the hotel. Eliot looked at the time on the large clock to see that Grant was running behind.

"Where is he?" Nate asked.

"He's usually good on time," Hillary said.

Grant walked into the lobby and looked at them.

"Good you came," Grant said.

Eliot looked over at Grant as he rolled up his sleeves and slipped his suit coat on. He looked at Hillary as she stared at him.

"Is it me or is there a spark between Agent McCoy and Eliot's sister. She seems to light up when he is around." Sophie wrapped her arm around Nate's.

He led them into the hotel restaurant and Eliot looked at Grant. Hillary wrapped her arm around Eliot's and he looked at her.

"I have two other agents that will be joining us. Please, have a seat and order something. They should be down in a moment."

"Why do I get a bad feeling when he says they?" Hardison mumbled.

Parker shivered and looked at Grant.

"I do have to say I like him better than…"

"Hello, team," Sterling's voice came into the restaurant.

"Sterling," Parker finished her sentence. "Ok, I take that back about Agent McCoy."

"And what do we own the pleasure of your company, Jim?" Nate stood up.

Coleen walked to Sterling's side and stood just inches from him.

"Agent Graham," Nate remarked.

"We've been contacted by Agent McCoy about Edward DeVille's movements. And of course who would be the best for this job." Sterling reached into his coat pocket and handed Nate a paper.

Hillary grabbed Eliot's arm as she stared at the two add ons.

"Who is that?" she whispered.

Sterling looked at Hillary and Eliot.

"And you must be Detective Hillary Spencer," Sterling said knowing exactly how to blow the whistle on someone's secrets.

"Detective?" Eliot muttered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Spencer I didn't know she hadn't told you."

Nate looked at Sterling and narrowed his eyes at him.

"I see that getting shot hasn't changed your cold heart, Sterling," Nate said.

Sterling glanced at Nate and walked over to Hillary.

"I can see the resemblance. The eyes are a perfect match and the hair." Sterling's sarcasm seeped out his mouth.

Hillary narrowed her eyes and without hesitation she threw a punch. Eliot grabbed her before she could go any further. Sterling stepped back and looked at her.

"Nate, you have two attack dogs now." Sterling looked at them. "You are definitely related to Eliot Spencer."

Hillary tried to get out of Eliot's tight hold on her. She was fighting his hold and Eliot pulled her away from the table.

"Nice girl," Sterling said. "But on the topic of nice girl, you are hereby to turn her over to Interpol."

"No!" Hillary shouted.

Nate looked down at the paper that Sterling gave to him. He unfolded it and stared at the letter directed to the FBI and any outside help. He looked at Sterling and shook his head.

"No, we were hired by them," Nate said pointing to Grant. "Agent McCoy, has instructed us to keep Ms. DeVille safe until the trial."

"Yes, but that was before Interpol opened their investigation on Edward DeVille. And as of today, Detective Spencer is a vital asset to Interpol. So, just sign on the dotted line, Nate and we'll be heading to New York."

Nate smiled and stuffed the paper into his coat pocket. "Team, let's go."

"You can't do this, Nate," Sterling said through gritted teeth.

He turned and smiled.

"Don't you have a wedding to plan, Jim?"Nate said.

Sterling narrowed his eyes at Nate.

"Ms. DeVille is our responsibility. Interpol is not paying us to keep her safe. And how I see it the FBI has jurisdiction. So, there for this paper is invalid. When you actually have jurisdiction over the case, then we'll talk. Until then, Jim, good to see you. You look good since you got out the hospital. Agent Graham is taking good care of you."

Hardison and Parker smiled as they got up. Eliot led Hillary away from Sterling and narrowed his eyes.

"Don't try to do that again," Eliot remarked. "You don't mess with family."

Sterling watched them walk away.

"Agent McCoy, you and I are going to talk about what happened." Sterling straightened his tie. "Cause that should have never happened!"

"Jim, calm down," Coleen grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, sir." Grant stood straight.

"Find me away to get that girl back to New York City by this evening." Sterling breathed deep and Coleen wrapped her arm around him.

Leverage HQ

"A cop!" Eliot snapped. "You didn't think to tell me you were a cop!"

"I was going to tell you," Hillary said.

Eliot took a deep breath as his hands balled up.

"Damn it, Hillary! How am I supposed to protect you when you don't tell me everything!"

Sophie stood up and pulled Hillary away from Eliot.

"Come with me, we're going to have a little girl talk. Nate, talk to Eliot."

Sophie walked Hillary upstairs and sat her down on the couch. She took a seat and turned towards her. She smiled lightly and patted her shoulder seeing that everything didn't always go according to plan.

"It's alright, Hillary. Eliot probably should have been eased into it. But Sterling does that to mess with us. If he has anything that might get to us he'll use it to get what he wants." Sophie smiled. "He'll be ok in a couple of hours. But you do have to tell us what you can about yourself."

Hillary looked at Sophie and sighed.

"My ex-husband and I got married when I got out the academy. I met him one night at a bar and we just hit it off. He told me he was an art gallery owner and he shipped art work everywhere. He's even put some of his collection on display." Hillary looked at Sophie. "I had no idea he was an art thief until two years into our marriage. I was checking his books and things just didn't seem right. I found a hidden ledger and that's how I knew."

"And Agent McCoy?"

"Grant came to me one day. He said that he knew of my husband's business. I fed him information when I could and he went undercover as one of Edward's handlers. He would pass entries to me to keep. One day his cover got blown along with two of his men's. He had to fake his own death, but kept my secret. He and I would meet secretly. Sometimes in other states; sometimes in other towns."

Sophie looked at Hillary.

"He promised me that he'd keep me safe. He'd get me out of there before it got to dangerous. He knew about the abuse too and how Edward would lock me up for days without food and water. He tried to break my spirit, but I had comfort from Grant. He knew about Eliot and tried to find a way to get in touch with him. It wasn't until a year ago Eliot and I made contact."

"But Eliot said it had been five years since he'd come to ask for help," Sophie said. "Why?"

"Eliot was approached by Edward to be a guard for his products. Grant couldn't blow his cover so that was why he never asked for his help. And That was when Eliot and I had our last contact with one another. Since then my ex-husband kept a close eye on me and who I called. He didn't want me contacting Eliot. He didn't trust anyone."

Sophie nodded and looked out the window.

"Agent McCoy seems to want to keep you safe. He seems like an honest man," Sophie mentioned.

"He's gotten me out of bad situations. Several to do with Edward and his bad business partners." Hillary looked at Sophie. "He's been my balance when I couldn't go anywhere."

Sophie nodded and looked in the doorway to see Parker standing there.

"Hey, can I come in?" Parker asked.

"Of course, Parker." Sophie smiled.

She walked in and walked to the couch to join them.

"Eliot's pretty pissed," Parker said. "You had to be a cop?"

"Parker," Sophie said giving her a look.

"What it was just an observation?" Parker remarked as she looked at the two women. "So, can I call you little Spencer?"

Hillary wrinkled her brow at Parker. Parker smiled and patted her head.

"Parker, what are you doing?" Sophie asked.

"I just felt like patting her head. So, what was Eliot like in his youthful days?"

Hillary smiled.

"He hasn't changed much. Still the same just a little more independent. He always took care of me and watched out for me." Hillary reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded picture. "I kept this with me."

She unfolded the picture of Eliot and herself. She was fifteen and Eliot in his early twenties.

"He'd always give my boyfriends trouble. And went as far as stalking them too." Hillary smiled.

Downstairs

"Never once did she mention she was a cop," Eliot remarked as he swigged his beer.

"Well, maybe she was instructed not to. Eliot, sometimes when someone is an informant they tend to keep secrets from others that know them." Nate looked at Eliot.

Hardison looked at Eliot. "She is your sister though, Eliot. You got to forgive her. I mean you haven't seen her in years. And what it sounds like she wasn't an active cop."

Eliot looked at Hardison and nodded.

"She was probably going to tell you as soon as things were right." Nate swirled the whiskey in the glass.

The sound of the door opened and Nate glanced up to Grant standing there. He gave Eliot's shoulder a pat and Eliot stared at the beer bottle.

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time, Spencer." Grant stood there.

Eliot took a swig of his beer and nodded.

"Spencer," Grant said.

"I heard you, McCoy, but maybe you didn't see what happened at that hotel." Eliot turned to him and narrowed his eyes.

Grant took a seat on the stool and looked up at the wide screen TV.

"I just got a call from my boss and they said I need to turn the case over to Interpol. I have no other options."

"Did someone serve your balls on a platter, McCoy, because I don't get why you are standing down? You're informant is my baby sister." Eliot looked over at him. "And you spent five years making sure your case got to the top, using my sister. If she didn't talk to you you'd be pushing papers."

Grant narrowed his eyes at him.

"And I think the only reason you are letting this case go is because Sterling promised you a cushy job at Interpol. Which, by the way he can't do. So get off your damn high horse and do your job."

Eliot stood and Grant looked at him.

"I don't want to hand this case over to Interpol at all. I've worked too hard to let someone like Sterling take my case."

Eliot glanced at Grant.

"There's a 'but' in there," Eliot said.

"But it is out of our hands. Interpol found some overseas accounts that Edward has. It shows that he's had other sales in six different countries. And not only that there have been other mishaps that have put him on a list of alerts. FBI is to stand down and let the assigned agents take over."

"Still has nothing to do with my sister. You have put him on trial here."

Grant stood up and shook his head.

"It'll be faster if Interpol does it." Grant threw down some money. "Sterling wants to talk."

"Sterling can shove it up his…"

"Where," Nate said.

"Call him. I'm just the messenger," Grant said. "See you around, Spencer."