A/N: Wow, I would never have thought that I'd get so much feedback for this little story-idea.
I hope you will like the second chapter as much as you like the first one *hopeful smile*
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And I have a question for all of you: Would you prefer for this story to be a Nate/Eliot Slash or a Nate/Eliot father/son story? I have two versions of this in my head, but I'd really like your opinion...
Actually, there's a second question: I'm thinking about writing an Angel/Leverage crossover and I was wondering if any of you might be interested in such a story?
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Comments would of course be most appreciated *smiles*
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Thank you to wnhill, Jesco123, a friend, fanficalicious, WickedMagic, TerrorThatLurksInYerBathtub X3, fro-chan, TheNaggingCube, Nascarfan14, The Girl In The White Scarf and sessysbaby666 for all your kind comments *hugs you all* That really means a lot to me *happy grin*
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Please keep in mind that English isn't my native language *sheepish smile*
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Warnings: This story is totally AU, because Sam is alive in the story and so the team coming together will be under a little different circumstances, which will be explained throughout the story
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Disclainer: None of the Leverage characters belong to me and I just borrowed them for this little story... this story doesn't mean to offend anybody… this is just for fun… and not for money either...
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Chapter 1
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Flashback 2006
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"I need you to retrieve my son."
For a moment there was complete silence between the two men, Nate was waiting for an answer, hoping that Eliot would take the job.
And the Hitter tried to figure out if this was some sort of trap, but one look in Nathan Ford's face assured him that the older man was serious.
Eliot's eyes traveled between the picture that Nathan had put on the table, a young boy smiling at the camera, the same unruly brown hair Nate had.
"Retrieve your son from where exactly? And how on Earth did you even lose your son in the first place?" the young Hitter asked cautiously and Nate thought he heard a little disappointment in the other man's voice.
And Nate had to admit that it was kind of weird to talk about his son in this context, but he just had no idea what else to do... all he wanted was his son back.
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And of course Nathan could understand that Eliot was wary and cautious, because yes, he was Eliot "fucking" Spencer, one of the best Retrieval Specialists in the world, but that also meant he had a lot of enemies.
So Nate really couldn't blame the young man that he was still wary concerning Nate's case.
And Nathan once again found himself intrigued with the man sitting across from him.
He knew Eliot Spencer's file, well from when he had started to become a Hitter, but there was slim to none information about the younger man until he turned sixteen and joined the military.
Nate was asking himself what had happened in Eliot's youth that he had chosen such a life.
The insurance investigator shook his head a little to shake off those thoughts and to focus on why he was here.
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He once again studied Eliot Spencer.
Nate and the young man didn't have the best history, but they both respected each other and that gave Nate the hope that Eliot would actually accept the job.
He sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair.
"Maybe the more interesting question is not where but who," Nate finally said, a little worried what Spencer would do when he explained everything, because he knew that Eliot would be familiar with the name he was about to say.
Eliot only raised an eyebrow and took the second beer a pretty, brown haired waitress, according to her name-tag her name was Linda, handed him with a slight smile.
"Thanks Darlin'," Eliot told her and gave her such a charming smile that the young woman blushed before she left the table.
And for a moment Nate was amazed how a genuine smile changed everything about Eliot Spencer.
When he was smiling like that, it was hard to imagine Eliot as the hard, ruthless Hitter he was known for.
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As soon as Linda was out of sight, Spencer's whole demeanor changed and his face hardened immediately and the warm smile was gone.
"Who did you piss off this time, Ford?" he asked after taking a sip from his beer.
Nathan sighed again and pulled a crumpled file out of the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to Spencer.
He figured it was easier for Eliot to read it than for Nate to say it.
Eliot's other eyebrow rose and he took the file from the insurance investigator.
He opened it and at first there was no reaction, he just stared at the piece of paper in front of him.
Eliot didn't even breath and for a second Nate was really worried that the Hitter would just get up and leave.
But after what had seemed like an eternity to Nate, but in reality was only a few moments, Eliot finally looked up from the file.
"How did you manage to piss that guy off? He's not exactly insurance-business."
There was a mild curiosity in the young Hitter's voice, but other than that it betrayed no emotion.
Nate scratched the back of his head for a second.
"It would take too long to explain it to you right now. I wrote down all you need to know about it in the file," he told Eliot and left out that he really didn't want to talk about it.
Eliot took another sip of his beer and tossed the file back onto the table, not saying anything else.
And Nate feared that the Hitter was about to say no to the job, so the insurance investigator once again reached into a pocket of his jacket and pulled out a think envelope and tossed it on the table on top of the file.
"This is just an advance, you'll get the rest once you get me back my son."
Eliot Spencer was a retrieval specialist who got paid to retrieve stolen items, so Nate figured that the amount of money he was willing to pay would convince Spencer to take the job.
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But Nathan really hadn't counted on the younger man's reaction.
The whole face twisted into an angry mask and he slammed the bottle of beer down on the table that for a moment Nate feared it would burst.
"I don't want your money, Ford, not for a job like this," Eliot growled and Nate got the distinct feeling that he had personally insulted the younger man, even though he had no idea how.
Eliot was in this for the money, wasn't he?
So why wouldn't he want to take Nate's money and why on Earth should he feel insulted that Nate had wanted to pay him?
This meeting only brought more questions about the young Hitter than it answered for Nate.
But Nathan still feared that Eliot wouldn't take the job, so he needed something else to bargain with.
"What else do you want? Just name it and I'll try to get it," he pleaded, hoping he sounded desperate enough, because he was desperate.
He wanted his son back, unharmed and as fast as possible and he needed Eliot Spencer for that job.
Sure, he could try to find another Hitter for the job, but that would take too much time, time Sam didn't have...
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Eliot snorted and emptied the bottle of beer, before placing it on the table again.
"We'll talk about that when I've retrieved your son, Mr. Ford," was all he said, before he almost jumped up from his chair, the file in his hand, startling Nate with the sudden movement.
"But..." Nate started and stood up too.
"No buts, Ford. I'll contact you once I've finished the job. If you haven't heard from me in four days I'm probably dead and you should look for another man to do the job."
After those words Eliot just walked away from the table and Nathan could only look after him in astonishment, not sure how to feel about this meeting.
The only thing he knew for certain was, that Eliot Spencer was going to try and free his son... and if anyone could do it, then it was this young man.
Nate just hoped he'd see the young man again... and he knew the next days would be the hardest days of his life...
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Present Time
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"Nate?"
Sophie's voice stopped Nate from thinking about that fateful meeting with Eliot a few years ago.
He looked at Sophie, who had come to stand beside him.
"Sorry, Soph, I was just lost in a memory for a little while."
Nate answered her unspoken question if he was okay and smiled at the Grifter.
Sophie just nodded and pointed towards Parker who had fallen asleep on the windowsill and to Hardison, who was trying to figure out how to carry the petite thief without waking her up.
"We'll take Parker home. Do you want to come with us?" Sophie asked, even though Nate was pretty sure that she already knew what he would answer.
"No, I'll stay here, but could you maybe take Sam with you? Maggie should come to pick him up in about half an hour anyway."
Sure, he really didn't want to leave his son alone, but his visiting weekend was over soon anyway and Maggie would expect to find a happy boy waiting in Nate's apartment, bursting to tell his mother about the fabulous weekend he had had with his Dad and Uncle Eliot.
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Nate hadn't called his ex-wife and told her about what had happened with Eliot, because he didn't want to worry her too much.
He'd call her tonight and explain everything.
Nate's eyes traveled to the sleeping boy on his lap and he knew it would be better for Sam to be with his mother.
She could console him better, because Nate knew he was too worried about Eliot right now to be of much help for his scared son.
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Sophie nodded and held her arms out and Nate placed Sam in the waiting arms and kissed the boy's forehead.
"It'll be okay, Sammy," he whispered, hoping his son would hear the reassuring words.
Sophie smiled at Nate and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, before she turned and started walking towards the door of the private room they had put Eliot in.
"Call, if something changes, no matter what time, okay?"
Hardison looked at Nate, his eyes blurred with unshed tears, because he wanted to be strong for Parker, who he held securely in his arms.
"I will," was all Nate said, before he turned his attention back to the unconscious man in the hospital bed, sighing deeply when he heard the door to the room close behind Sophie, Sam, Parker and Hardison.
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Nathan watched Eliot again, the man was just so still that it was painful for Nate to see it.
"You need to make it through, Eliot. You need to make it through for Parker, Sophie and Hardison... but most important you need to survive this for me and Sam," Nate whispered.
H pulled his chair a little closer to the bed and gently placed a hand on top of Eliot's arm.
"You need to make it through for your family."
Nathan's hand unconsciously found the faint scar on Eliot's forearm.
You could only find it if you knew it was there... and Nate knew it was there even though he wished he didn't...
He knew, because he had been there when Eliot had gotten that scar...
And against his will Nate's thoughts once again drifted to a memory he had pushed to the back of his mind before... it had been three days after Eliot had taken the job to retrieve Sam... and the Hitter had contacted him...
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to be continued...
