"Do you like Eliot?"

Layla looked at Parker the best she could while being under the dash of the black 1979 El Camino Parker had picked out to boost. Layla hadn't asked why she had picked this precise car, and thought it was better if she didn't know.

"What?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that." Parker informed her. "Do you like Eliot?"

"Yeah of course. Wire cutters please." Layla responded.

"Good." Parker smiled handing over the wire cutters. "Cause I think he likes you too."

Layla nearly dropped the cutters as what Parker said dawned on her.

"What do you mean?"

Parker shrugged. "Well you two are always hanging out, and he's always looking at your butt, or your.."

"Parker." Layla stopped her before she could continue, but the thief continued on.

"And you're always looking at his butt…have you had sex with him?"

Layla flushed bright red, grateful it was dark. Parker was more observant than most people gave her credit for.

"Parker!" Layla yelled as much as she could in a whisper. "No we have not had sex, and no we do not like each other in that way."

Layla sighed and sat up. She scooted over into the passenger seat and motioned for Parker to get into the drivers seat.

"Twist the wires together clockwise."

Parker reached down and turned the wires causing the car to roar to life. Parker bounced in her seat she flipped on the head lights and pressed her foot to the gas peddle, peeling off down the road.

________________________________________________________________________

"What the hell are you humming?" Hardison asked turning around to look at the hitter.

"I don't know, why?" Eliot lied. He knew exactly what song he had been humming.

"Cause it's getting a little annoying. You've been doin' it all night."

"I'll make an effort to stop. Happy?" Eliot growled.

"Yes as a matter of fact I am." Hardison replied.

They went about doing their work in silence, Hardison on his laptop and Eliot in the kitchen. Hardison thought he was going to have to take his life into his own hands and throw something at the hitter when he started up again, and was about to until he realized he was singing. It was the same song he had been humming only this time he could actually tell what song it was.

Hardison sat and listened with a smile on his face as the lyrics to a normally bluesy song came out with a bit of a country twang. Hardison turned back to look at the other man again.

"Layla know your singing her song?" Hardison asked with a smirk.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Eliot asked with a growl.

"That song you've been humming to yourself all night, well since the girls left, Eric Clapton's Layla. You like her, man. It's ok to admit it."

"Will you shut up."

"All I'm saying is you like her, she likes you…just admit it." Eliot glared at Hardison causing the hacker to stop whatever he was about to say. "Or not."

________________________________________________________________________

Parker was still bouncing when they got back to Nate's apartment later that night. Layla was staying there until Hardison was finished remodeling the apartment on the other side of the building.

"How'd it go?" Hardison asked looking up as they came in.

"Wonderful." Parker said beaming before flopping down next to him.

Layla smiled and wondered over to where Eliot was sitting at the kitchen island. He raised an eyebrow as she sat next to him. A silent question of how things had gone.

"Car's back where it's suppose to be." She informed him.

He nodded in approval. "Nate called they'll be home in the morning. We've got a job."

Layla groaned dropping her head onto the island surface. Eliot chuckled and gently started rubbing Layla's back.

"You could have told Parker no."

"No I couldn't. And besides look at her she looks like a little kid at Christmas." Layla sighed relaxing under Eliot's gentle touch.

"What are you lookin' at?" Eliot growled as Hardison turned to look at them.

"Nothing man, nothing at all." Hardison chuckled. "Come on Parker I'll take you home and you can tell me about the car."

Hardison helped her up off the couch. Parker yawned and waved her good-byes before grabbing Hardison's hand and yanking him out the door.

"See ya'll." Hardison called closing the door.

Eliot could have sworn he heard Parker ask the hacker something about sex as the door was being closed. He shrugged it off turning his attention to the car thief next to him. Layla had all but fallen asleep next to him.

"Layla," He gently shook her shoulder. "You need to go up to bed."

"Mhmm." She muttered, shifting slightly but staying right where she was.

Eliot chuckled and tried again, earning him the same response. He sighed heavily, knowing if he left her there she'd be sore and still tired in the morning. Getting up he tried as gently as he could to pick her up. She immediately snuggled into him and sighed. He carried her up to the spare bedroom and sat her down. He unlaced and pulled her boots off tucking her feet under the blankets, he had thought about removing her pants as well so she would be more comfortable but that would be too much for him. As it was he wanted to kick off his boots and crawl into there with her, protect her from things that go bump in the night.

Instead he just covered her up and left.