A/N: I own nothing. (that was suppose to be on the first part) This part was really suppose to only be a small something that would have gotten attached to the next part but someone had to say something in the review that kicked my muse in the bum. **cough**KausingKayne**cough** So I hope you like. Review please

Nate's head throbbed and he could feel blood ooze from the left corner of his mouth. He still managed to smile and look up at the blond standing in the corner of the small room. He recognized her the second the guards had pulled the black hood off his head. That's why he knew the only reason they were beating him without asking any questions was because it was a personal vendetta.

A fist connected with Nate's stomach and he felt the wind leave him. He regained his composure quickly and smiled again. He could tell her stone facade was starting to crumble as Nate refused to be broken. Another hit and Nate continued to smile. With a loud snort she spun on her heal and stalked off. A final blow came and Nate saw nothing but darkness.

He woke with his head cradled in Sophie's lap. She had been crying and was using the hem of her dress to dab at the corner of Nate's mouth.

"You're going to ruin your dress." He rasped out.

"It's already ruined." She murmured kissing his forehead. "Why are they doing this?"

"Revenge." Nate groaned as he rolled over and stood up.

He walked the perimeter of the cell slowly. He didn't see any weakness to the surrounding chain-link. The chain and lock on the door seemed easy enough that either one of them could pick it.

"Nate don't."

Sophie tried to warn him but was too late. Nate yanked his hand away from the door as a current of electricity flowed through his hand and up his arm. He doubled over in pain and swore loudly. He felt Sophie wrap an arm around him and guide him over to one of the chairs. She knelt in front of him and held her welted right palm out for him to see.

"I already tried that." She told him softly. "So revenge? Is this something we're going to be blaming you for later?"

"Probably." Nate chuckled and flexed his numb hand. "If we make it that long. I have a feeling we're not here to be house guests." He looked down into her beautiful eyes and smiled sadly.

"And that you would be right Nathan." The tall blond woman walked out from the shadows. "You're stay with us is going to be short, long enough to settle on a price for your removal."

"Always such a pleasure to be around." Nate told her with a smile. "Insurance investigation not your thing?"

"You would know. After your slandering review no other insurance company would hire me. So I had to do my own thing as it were, and I seem to have found my nitch after all." She smiled coldly at them. "It doesn't really surprise me to see you've fallen in with someone of her ilk."

Sophie puffed up a bit at the insult. She was one of the best at her job. Nate being the only one to ever come close enough to catch her, until now. Sophie shivered. The woman had no soul she could tell just by looking in her eyes.

"Now I'm hired to take care of a company's internal affaires." She said smiling once again.

Nate nodded. Things were starting to fall into place. The misgivings their client's husband had felt about the company's work. His want to go the police about it. He had been making noise in the company and even if he had just gotten fired he would still have had enough to go to the cops about.

"You must have a very lucrative business then." Nate replied.

"I do, and you two will just make it that much more. I expect Pulson to pay 2.5 million a piece for you." She stopped as the Blackberry beeped on her hip. "I do so hate to end our conversation, but I have a phone call to take.

With that she turned and left the two alone in their cell.

________________________________________________________________________

He woke with a start. He didn't even mean to doze off, but somewhere between the stress and worry he had. A familiar weight was pressed deeply into his side. He looked down only to have pale blue eyes meet his. Eliot mouthed an apology which caused Layla to shrug. She must not have been sleeping or not sleeping soundly. He untangled himself from her and stood up. The clock on the wall read 2:30 am. He sighed, they had barely been laying on the couch an hour. Parker was curled up in a chair, moving every few seconds to try to find a better spot. Hardison was still sitting at the large round table pouring over anything he could think of to help them find Nate and Sophie.

"I don't have anything yet." Hardison said as he stretched tired muscles.

Eliot just shrugged, pulling a chair over to sit next to the hacker. Something was bothering him. Something he knew he should be remembering. Some small little detail that could mean life or death for his friends. That's when it hit him and he was suddenly wide awake.

"Pull up security feed from the party." Eliot informed the hacker.

He slipped on his glasses and watched as Hardison pulled up the video. He watched as Nate and Sophie entered the room and started to mingle among the other guests. Half an hour later he watched himself and Layla enter.

"Now we stayed on that side of the room most of the night." Eliot murmured mostly to himself. "There."

"Where?" Hardison asked trying to see what the hitter was pointing to.

"The tall blond with the two goons." Layla said from behind Hardison, causing him to jump out of his chair.

"Damn it, Layla." Hardison swore before sitting back down. He zoomed in on the tall blond woman standing with two other men.

"I thought they were hired security." Eliot said.

"How could you tell?" Hardison squinted at the picture.

"Do they look dressed for this type of event?" Eliot replied pointing to the trio, who were dressed down compared to the other guests. "Besides they were armed."

"Look at her." Layla commented as she watched. "She never takes her eyes off of Nate."

They watched another twenty minuets and sure enough the blond kept her eyes on the Mastermind the entire time.

"I'll run her face through my system. It still may take a while." Hardison replied.

"Yeah but at least we've got something." Eliot replied running a hand over his face.

Layla squeezed his shoulders before returning to the couch. She took a moment to look over at Parker. The petite blond thief was awake and listening, but not moving from her spot in the chair.

"Want to make a food run?" Parker asked.

Layla sighed and nodded. Going on little sleep and no food was not an option for any of them. They had no idea what they were going up against and it was better to at least try to keep their strength up.

"I'll even let you drive." Layla told Parker as they stood up.

Hardison's head shot up and almost spun completely around.

"Remember that's a rental." Hardison yelled after them. "I can see it now explaining to the rental place how their car got damaged. 'Sorry but our car thief was teaching our other thief how to drive and neither one of them know the concept of slow.'"

Eliot chuckled. Hardison was right, to a point. But Hardison was being Hardison and over dramatizing everything.

"She's your woman…"

"Wife."

"…you could…what?"

"Wife." Eliot repeated slowly with a sigh.

"No." Hardison laughed then stopped as he took in the serious look on the hitter's face. "I'll be damned. When the hell did that happen?"

"Right before this job." Eliot refused to look at Hardison, instead concentrating on the faces flying by on the computer screen.

"What did you guys do, wake up one morning and decide today was a good day to get married? People just don't do that. You propose, then the girls get all giggly and fuss and fawn over the engagement ring. Then you set a date, send out invitations…dude you let your best friend throw you a bachelor party. I would have too, strippers, the works, but no." Hardison rambled.

Eliot continued to stare at the computer screen. He was trying not to feel guilty about not telling anyone what they had done. Hardison had been right, it had been a spur of the moment decision on their part. Nate had given them a weekend off, so he and Layla had packed a bag, hopped in the truck and took off. They had started out on the highway, but a major accident that had them stuck in traffic caused Eliot to take the first exit he came to. They drove on back country roads for a good ten miles before they found the small bed and breakfast.

The older woman that had greeted them asked if they were on their honeymoon. Layla had smiled politely and told her no. The woman had frowned at that, obviously old fashioned in her views, but somehow Eliot found comforting. Still the woman put on a smile and gave them a room key before informing Layla that her husband was the local minister and was used to doing unions at a moments notice. Layla smiled again and thanked the woman. He knew just by watching her face and the uneasy smile she gave him, what Layla was thinking. They had never talked about getting married. They really had never talked much about the future. Before he even realized what he was doing he was asking her if she wanted to get married. It wasn't a typical proposal. He didn't get down on a knee and ask like most men do. In return she had just smiled, shrugged and said why not. They didn't even have rings

The computer beeped loudly pulling Eliot of the memory. Hardison smirked as he looked at the name that now went with the face. Things may just have taken a turn in their favor.

________________________________________________________________________

"Hardison wants more orange soda." Parker informed Layla as they wondered through the twenty-four hour mini mart.

"Huh?"

"Hardison just text me. He wants more orange soda."

Layla nodded pulling a couple two liters off the shelf and into the cart. The car thief sighed as Parker's phone beeped with another text. She looked over at the blond thief, stopping when she noticed the wide eyed look on her face.

"What?" Layla asked suddenly scared.

"When were you going to tell me that you and Eliot got married?"

"Parker," Layla tried to find the words so her friend wouldn't be so hurt.

"You said we were best friends and this is defently something you share with your best friend…"

"Parker," Layla grabbed her gently by the wrist. "We didn't tell anyone."

"Then how does Hardison know?" The blond thief sniffed.

"Eliot must have told him." Layla shrugged. "We were going to tell everyone after we found Nate and Sophie. We didn't mean to hurt anyone, its just," Layla sighed this was not how she had wanted to have this conversation with Parker. "you know how when you see just the right painting and you know you just have to steal it?"

Parker nodded.

"Well that's how it was for us. We just knew it was the right time. We didn't plan on getting married, but it happened anyway."

Parker thought it over for a bit and then smiled. "I understand. I still would have made a great maid of honor though."

Layla laughed and nodded. "Come on let's finish up and get back. Hardison has to have something by now."