Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far.
Eliot, Hardison, and Sophie arrived at headquarters two days later in high spirits and ready to help Nate move his belongings to Parker's house, but were more excited about putting phase one of their prank into to place.
Hardison walked in first noticing a plethora of boxes all over the living room, "Damn Nate how much crap do you have?"
"Hello to you too Hardison," Nate stated sarcastically ignoring the man's question, "Thanks again guys for the help."
"Of course Nate. What else is a team for, huh?" Sophie asked a little too happy to be helping him move.
"To cause annoyance," he answered, "but I do appreciate the help even though I'm questioning why you guys seem so eager to do so."
"We're just happy that your and Parker's relationship is going so well," Sophie replied easily cutting off Hardison's stuttering and panicky reply.
Nate shrugged not really caring why they were so quick to help just because it meant that he didn't have to do this by himself.
"I was thinking Hardison could stay at Parker's and put the boxes where they need to go while me and you just take the boxes that are here over there," Eliot suggested hoping Nate agreed that way Hardison could rig the house while no one was there.
"Sounds good to me," Nate nodded impressed they even had a plan in place, 'Maybe I am beginning to rub off on them.'
"Well while you boys are doing the dirty work, Parker and I are going to go out to lunch and maybe go shopping for a few new items for the house," Sophie told them knowing that the success for their prank required Parker to be out of her house.
The thief quickly looked over at Sophie confused because she was under the impression that they were going to help move also, "We are?"
Sophie turned to look at her, "Yes we are. Now let's get going so we're not in the way, shall we?"
Parker glanced over at Nate, "Um you sure you don't mind us not helping?"
He smiled warmly at her knowing her and Sophie haven't spent time together in a long while, "We'll be fine, just bring me something back to eat."
She nodded and walked up to him giving him a quick kiss (causing Hardison to give a face of disgust) before she followed Sophie out of the apartment looking forward to their lunch but could care less if they went shopping afterwards (she was actually hoping they didn't because shopping with that woman was an absolute nightmare).
"Well let's get the show on the road, shall we people?" Hardison declared rubbing his hands together ready to get this part over with.
"Alright let's go," Eliot agreed picking up a box heading out the door to begin packing his car.
Nate was right behind him and noticed that the hitter brought his car and not the truck, "Uh Eliot where's your truck?"
"Damn thing wouldn't start, so we're stuck with this," Eliot lied easily. They decided that the truck would cause them to be through quicker than Hardison could rig the house so they came up with that story so they could use Eliot's car instead giving the hacker plenty of time to put the boxes where they needed to be and get the house ready for the upcoming joke.
"That sucks. Now it's going to take twice as long," Nate sighed and noticed that Hardison drove his car over. "Well I suppose we could load Alec's car too, at least for the first drive over."
Hardison overheard Nate as he brought down another box, "Uh nope no can do boss! Uh-uh."
"And why not?" he asked a little suspicious of Hardison's behavior.
"I uh….. don't have any room. I'm like a terribly messy person. Soda bottles and trash everywhere man," he explained hoping Nate bought it because all the equipment they needed for their revenge was loaded in his car.
"Whatever although I suppose we could use my car too so it won't take all day," he replied heading back up to grab a couple more boxes.
Eliot made sure he was out of ear shot before he turned to Hardison, "You're going to have to move quick man."
Hardison heaved a sigh hating that he was always put under the stress of having to do things quickly, "Yeah yeah. I'm used to it by now. Just stall as much as you can though because I've been to Parker's and it's definitely not a tiny house."
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Hardison waved as Eliot and Nate left him behind outside of Parker's house to take the boxes inside; as soon as they turned the corner though, he ran to his car and began taking some of the equipment out knowing he had about thirty minutes or more before they came back with the next load.
He quickly placed hidden cameras in the kitchen and living room area but decided he should also carry a few boxes in so Nate didn't get too suspicious. Just as he planted the last speaker in the living room and hallway area, he heard them pull up and Nate yell, "What the hell Hardison? What have you been doing the past forty-five minutes?"
The hacker came outside hands raised in defense, "Man I've had to go through some of the boxes because someone, Nathan, forgot to label half of them. So I have absolutely no clue where to put them. Don't go blaming me if your underwear end up in the kitchen and your books end up in the bathroom."
Nate rolled his eyes pointing out where he labeled everything, "I marked every box Hardison. Look harder."
"Well I don't have the best eyesight, I'm just saying," he mumbled picking up a couple of boxes to go ahead and get them out of the way.
"Whatever. Nate let's just head back so we aren't doing this at ten o'clock at night," Eliot stepped in to end the little discussion.
The mastermind nodded and headed back to his car, "How about actually working this time Alec?"
"Ha ha Nate," he replied stepping out of the house to continue to take boxes back in, but as soon as they left he stopped with the boxes and began bugging the bathroom with a few speakers and three bedrooms in the house not caring if Nate yelled at him again for slacking because what he was doing now was way more important (at least to him, Eliot and Sophie). "Woo! Finally. I am done baby," Hardison said aloud to himself as he positioned the final camera. He walked back outside looking in his car to make sure everything was in fact set up in the house confirming that it was. Pulling out his laptop he made sure everything was in working order so he didn't have to come back later and try to fix it.
Once he made sure all the equipment was in working order, he began toting the remaining boxes into the house thinking to himself that having to wait for another two days to actually begin their prank was just pure torture. Just as he took the last box into the house, Eliot and Nate arrived with the last of Nate's things from his old apartment.
"It's about time you two slow pokes arrive," Hardison stated, "I was about to kick back and play me some Halo, you two were taking so long."
Nate shook his head, "Uh-huh, right. You just got finished didn't you?"
"Who? Me? I don't think so Nate," Hardison replied sarcastically, "I'm like the Flash, man. Super quick."
"Well Flash, how about you finish unloading the cars and putting the boxes inside," Nate suggested.
"On second thought I'm not that quick," Alec answered shaking his head.
Eliot walked up to Hardison when Nate went inside, "Everything done?"
"Oh it's done man. We are definitely ready. All you have to do is say when," Hardison bragged following Eliot inside.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
A few hours later the girls arrived at Parker's house finding the guys piled on the couch beers in hand watching some UFC fight on the television.
"Men," Sophie rolled her eyes walking into the kitchen putting the bags she was carrying on the counter.
"Sophie did we really need to buy all this crap? Nate just moved in, it's not like we moved to a new house altogether," Parker complained placing her own bags onto the counter.
"It'll be nice having new stuff as a couple who has decided to move in together," she replied as she began unloading the things they bought.
"I suppose but I still don't think we need eight pillows for the couch. I mean that's just over kill," Parker pointed out holding up two of the said pillows for emphasis.
"Oh well six of those are for my couch," Sophie stated nonchalantly.
"How many pillows does one woman need?"
"I love pillows!" Sophie exclaimed. "They're just so soft and comfy. You can never have too many."
The thief shook her head in disbelief as she began to unload her own bags so she could put everything up. Afterwards she headed over to the couch and successfully booted Hardison to the chair (eliciting a few grumbles from him) so she could sit next to Nate.
Nate turned smiling at her, "Have fun shopping?"
Parker threw her head back sighing, "Ugh, next time please just shoot me."
He laughed giving her a kiss on the temple before turning back to the fight, "It shouldn't be on too much longer."
"It's fine," she replied cuddling up next to him happy that he agreed to move in with her.
The fight ended soon after, and before Eliot and Hardison got suckered into watching something else, Sophie suggested that they go to headquarters and rearrange how they wanted it to look. "Bye you two," she said giving Parker a hug before leaving.
"See ya guys later and thanks for everything," Nate replied while Parker just waved bye to everyone as they left.
"So what do you think so far?" she asked Nate a little curious as to how he felt about it all.
"I love it and I love you," he whispered leaning in to give her a kiss.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Sophie, Eliot, and Hardison arrived at headquarters but instead of rearranging, they all crashed onto the couch completely wiped out.
Hardison glared at Sophie, "Woman why are you even tired? All you did was eat and shop. I had to completely bug a house while carrying a billion boxes in, might I add."
"Do you know how tiring shopping can be? Especially when you go with Parker; I swear she's worse than a little kid sometimes," she defended.
"Well just be glad it's over," Eliot interjected finding that he was becoming the peacemaker lately.
"True that," Hardison agreed, "Now are you ready to tell us exactly what it is we'll be doing cause if you really don't have anything then I have a totally awesome idea."
"Oh great," Sophie mumbled wondering what his idea would be.
"Don't get that tone with me. Since they did Jason I think we should do...wait for it…," he paused for what he thought was a dramatic effect but only caused Eliot to become aggravated with him, "Freddy Krueger."
"Lame," Eliot told him, "Plus I don't think Nate and Parker would buy that. They would definitely guess it was us."
"Whatever! Let's hear your idea if it's sooo amazing," Hardison argued clearly disappointed and upset that his idea was shot down so quickly.
"Well we'll start it two days from now to get them thinking," Eliot began, "Then a day or so later we'll let the true fun begin. Here's what we're going to do…."
A/N: That's it for this chapter and don't worry the next chapter will begin all the fun. Please review and I hope you enjoyed.