Summary: Parker and Elliot were stuck . . . and maybe Elliot hasn't *quite* gotten over his claustrophobia . . .

Author's Note: Okay, guilty: I love the Parker and Elliot dynamic . . . I try to give everyone an equal share of my attention but it always comes back to these two.

I'm Not Claustrophobic

"Sooooo . . ." Parker was stroking her chin intelligently, "still tryin' to get over that claustrophobia?"

Elliot was breathing heavily and sweating. "I told you, I got over that when I was a kid." He didn't sound near as positive as the words let on.

They were stuck, no denying it. Hardison's nagging voice in their ear telling them that he would get them out soon had long since died out when the batteries in the coms ran out. Elliot lay on his back with Parker on top of him, hard rock at his back and – you guessed it! – more hard rock at her's. Parker was sneaking through an underground tunnel beneath a mark's house and Elliot was there for backup. That was when the tunnel collapsed.

"Then why are you shaking?" Parker lifted her belly off of the man below her, only managing a few inches before hitting the celling of their little hovel, "It's rather disconcerting . . . and creepy."

"Parker! I am not *gulp* shaking!" Elliot felt a weight on his chest, and not all of it had to do with Parker lying back down. Yup, he thought, still a mite claustrophobic . . . he hated himself right now, if only he had spent just a few more nights locked in that woodshed! Suddenly he felt cool hands on his face. "Parker, what are you doing?"

"You're breathing to hard, you'll use up all of the air we have left," Parker shinnied down until her head was on Elliot's chest, her feet pressed uncomfortably against one enclosing wall of their tomb, "besides, judging by the size of this," she took her hands and put them over her head, testing the size of their hole, her elbows didn't straighten, "we only have . . . like thirty minutes of air left."

Elliot's breath caught and he moaned, taking Parker's hands back and putting them on his face, which at least felt a bit better. "There's somethin' wrong with you."

"I'm a realist," Parker shrugged and hit her shoulders against the walls on her right and left, not much room there either. In the dark she couldn't see Elliot's face but she assumed that it was contorted into one of his classic "Elliot" looks.

*25 minutes later*

"Elliot?" Parker poked Elliot's shoulder, he has stopped shaking, "Are you still alive?"

Elliot scoffed, shifting just enough to let Parker know that he was still alive, "I thought I said to stop talking." Though still scared witless, Elliot had managed to get his nerves under control.

*3 minutes later*

"We're almost out of air . . ." it was Parker again. "I don't think they're coming for us."

Parker wasn't wrong. Elliot could feel the air going slower into his lungs and knew that soon they would both be suffocated, the retrievalist in him quickly tested his arm reach to see if he could reach Parker's neck if worse came to worse, he could make it quick . . .

Before he could think any other stupid thought, Parker moved and had her mouth over his. "I know what you were doing, we aren't going to die." The comment was swift and soon her lips were against his again. As if of their own accord he felt his hands wrap around her waist, it was so slender his fingertips could touch in the center of her back. He stroked her stomach with his thumbs.

He wasn't even aware of the dirt sprinkling down from above them.

"Hey, uh, you're saved . . ." Nate.

"Nate, what are you waiting for? Pull them out!" A panicked Hardison. Pause. "Damnit Elliot!"

Author's Note: I couldn't pick an ending so review and tell me which one you like best!

Ending 1:

Elliot opened his eyes, looking up through Parker's blonde hair and at Nate and Hardison, both of which were covered in dirt and holding shovels. Nate looked confused and Hardison looked pissed.

The hitter used his hold on Parker's waist to hoist her off of him, turning her to face the rest of the team. "Oh, hi Hardison," Parker was not one bit phased by the situation, "help me out?" Elliot grunted as Parker's weight was lifted off of him. The fresh air assaulted his lungs.

Only Nate was left at the hole, "So . . . still claustrophobic hu?"

Ending 2:

"Ack!" with a gasp Elliot shot up in bed, he had had the weirdest dream yet. Being accustomed to dreamless sleeps this one had exhausted him. "Damnit, I have got to stop eating cheese that close to bedtime!" He wiped his hand across his face.

"Honey? What's going on?" a delicate hand grasped his forearm, another reaching around his back to fondle the hem of his boxers.

"Nothin' babe, just a dream," he slid back down under the covers, turning to embrace his partner.

"Must have been a strange dream to make you gasp like that," Parker draped an arm over Elliot.

He shot up, "Parker!?"

Elliot shot up in bed . . . again. Or rather, the couch since he was in Nate's apartment on his couch. He looked around, the room was empty.

Until he turned, Parker was sitting in the chair behind him, her feet propped up on the coffee table. Hardly looking up from her magazine (which she held upside down) she said, "Some dream . . . you musta hit you head harder than we thought . . ."

Elliot remembered the blow and touched his hand to the throbbing bump on the side of his head. Then he groaned and turned to face the couch, lying back down.

"So, still claustrophobic hu?"

Author's Note: So what do you think? Let me know!