Author's Note: It might be best, even though this chapter is up, to read Past Lives and Non Regrets first. However, if you don't want to, that is fine as well. I just realized that I pooled my own canon - oops. Sorry about that but please enjoy!
*~*~*~*
Parker thought as she kept a tight hold on the Shawn in front of her. She turned her head a bit, using one of his mirrors to see something behind them. She shook her head as she noticed the van that Hardison used when they were going on trips. "Shawn!" She called to him, remembering not too be too loud so he wouldn't tip them over.
"What?" Shawn called back. "Need a pit stop?"
"Yes!" Parker replied, noting that she did have to go. Plus, she could then really know that it was Hardison's van that was following them or just an odd coincidence. She would rather that it just be the same van but that it belonged to someone else. She sighed softly as they got to the gas station, stretching as Shawn came to a full stop. She hopped off the back, taking off her helmet as she noticed the van had followed them. Along with the two people in the front of the van. "Oh come on," she said quietly to herself.
"Hrm?" Shawn asked as he looked up and saw Eliot and Hardison. "Eliot!" He said happily and waved over to him.
The van made its way over to where the two were, pulling in front of them before Eliot got out first. He went over to Shawn and gave what could be passed as a hug one bro gave to another. "Long time no see, cousin," he said with a grin. "Nate told us to do it."
"Liar," Parker replied as she looked at Hardison.
"It was the only way to let Nate leave the apartment without throwing something at Eliot's head," Hardison replied as Nate got out of the backseat. Hardison moved over to Nate, helping the boss move over to where everyone was.
"Nate, if you're having one of your spells, you shouldn't be out and about," Parker said as she bit her lower lip. "This is Shawn, by the way."
"I know," Nate said with a smile. "Good to see you as well, cousin."
"How – oh right," Parker said as she remember that Nate and Eliot were brothers. She looked up to the sky as she heard the rumble of thunder and then back to Shawn. "That's never a good sign, is it?"
"Nope," Shawn said. "That's the sound of not being able to ride for a few hours."
"Good thing we decided to come along," Nate replied. "The bike can fit into the back of the van and we can go the rest of the way to New York."
"Excellent! But we do need to use the little children room and get popsicles," Shawn said.
"Cones," Parker countered to Shawn with a grin.
"…Why is Parker allowed sugar?" Eliot asked.
"It has to be a popsicle," Shawn countered. "A creamsicle, in fact. Or, if they are out of those, a fudgesicle. Either way, the popsicle must be eaten in order for this to remain a road trip, even if we are getting into a van instead of continuing on the bike."
Nate raised an eyebrow and looked to Eliot. Eliot shrugged and Nate shook his head. "Alright, get what's needed. Hardison, go with them and get something sugary and caffeine filled for me. Just not that Rock Star stuff."
"Right," Hardison replied, a bit amused at being asked to not get a Rock Star. iJust one more over to the Dark Side/i he thought to himself as he followed Shawn and Parker in who were still arguing about what was better in the popsicles or cones department of ice cream.
Eliot looked at Nate. "We should have waited for Cameron."
"Cameron's doing her rotations over at the hospital and she needs to keep up her cover in case we need medical supplies," Nate countered and coughed. "I'll be fine, but thanks."
Eliot nodded a yes at that. "At least we brought your pills."
"Are you going soft on me, Eliot?" Nate asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Not unless you decide to die on me," Eliot countered as his cell phone rang. He flipped it open. "Yeah?" He asked and grinned. "Hey Sophie."
Nate looked at Eliot before taking the phone from Eliot's hands. "Hi," he said.
Sophie paused on the other end of the conversation. "Nate?" She asked.
"You're not returning my phone calls," Nate pointed out.
"I don't like to talk to you when you decide to go back and be a drunk," Sophie countered. "Put Eliot back on. I called to talk to him and not you."
"Love you too Soph," Nate said as he passed the phone back to Eliot. He stalked away from the van, going into the Shop Mart at the gas station.
"Was that really necessary?" Eliot asked of Sophie.
"No, but I really didn't call to talk to him," Sophie replied. "Nobody was at the office."
"Road Trip since we're between cases," Eliot explained. "Shawn showed up and got Parker. We followed in the van and picked them up because it started to rain." He paused. "We're going to New York to see Neal."
Sophie smiled a bit at hearing her nephew's name, even if she knew that Eliot couldn't see it. "Tell him that I send my best, even if I can't be there right away."
"Where are you this week?" Eliot asked.
"New York, actually," Sophie replied. "So I might drop in as well. How's he doing?" She asked and meant Nate.
"Aside from wanting a drink? We're curing him of that," Eliot replied, not touching on the other matter.
"But what about .." Sophie tried to ask, letting her voice fade. She didn't want to name the illness, more for the fact that she thought the name gave the illness power. It was one of the reasons that Nate pushed away from her and one of the reasons that she thought it was best to take a break. It didn't help that she was supposed to be dead either.
"The Lupis?" Eliot replied, sharing his brother's view of an illness not having more power by saying its name. "He's having a bad day today, even if he won't admit it."
"Cameron with you?" Sophie asked.
"No, but she knows where we're going," Eliot replied. "She needs to keep her cover," he added on, his voice getting tense.
"Right," Sophie replied. "I should get going."
"Sophie?" Eliot asked. "Not for nothing, but he'd probably have better days if you came back. When you come back, I know he will. Because you can't stay out there forever, right?"
"Bye Eliot," Sophie replied as she just hung up the phone.
"Right," Eliot said as he snapped the phone closed. He leaned against the van for a moment before getting the bike into the back of the van. It was easy enough as the rest of the group came back with Nate. They got into the van and drove off towards New York.
