Thanks To MSevenj for the read through and being so supportive... Insomniac-Angel and Cheryl for all the great support and encouragement... will get a hard beta once it's finished... All remaining mistakes belong to me

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Angel let himself be lead out of the room by Sophie. He was having a hard time pegging Parker. Sure she was hostile but he wasn't picking much up in the way of emotions or feelings. Other than her hating him. Very strange not to pick up emotions off someone.

Hardison was angry, protective and worried. Angel guessed it had more to do with Parker. He was worried about her probably because she was so instant about him not being anywhere near Eliot. He wasn't sure where that would leave them.

Both Sophie and Nate projected calm but he could sense the worry for the two of their family in the other room. Angel was under no delusions that the two would back whatever Eliot said. Made him feel sad for the family he'd lost but happy for his Lindsey for finally finding one.

"So what is the plan to win over our Eliot?" Sophie wanted to know. In their business knowledge was power and if they knew what this Angel planned then they could counter plan if need be.

"Right now, I just want to get to know him. See if we can find some kind of common ground. I'm open to any suggestions you might have." He knew he needed to win over the family to get to Eliot.

"I would suggest you go on with us on our next job. When it comes up, of course." Nathan didn't want to give the man to much room to move in their lives, but this would be a good trial by fire. "Until then, talk to him. Go out with him on his next job." At Angel's frown he explained. "You should know that someone like Eliot, or any of us, couldn't handle being on a team without a little freelance ever now and again. We just make sure that we have the information in case of a problem."

"So Lindsey…" At the dark looks from everyone he corrected himself. "Eliot goes out on jobs without back up?"

"Of course, darling, someone as good as Eliot doesn't want or need it. Doesn't mean we leave him high in dry if he ever finds himself over his head. That's why we give all the information to the team anytime we go off on our own." Sophie looked at Nate. "But we haven't done a lot of that since the team became our family. Don't believe there have been any jobs we started out alone that the rest of team didn't get involved in some how."

"That's true. Since the Two Davids job. None of us has started a real job that the rest didn't have a hand in finishing." Hardison sounded surprised. "We all do jobs every once in a while in our area of expertise to keep our skills sharp. Though Eliot seems to like to take on a few heavy hitters to really flex his muscles."

"Scare us to death is more like it." Sophie added.

They surrounded the island in the kitchen. He took a really good look at it. It was a professional kitchen. Lindsey… no Eliot must have done this himself because the apartment wasn't what you'd call upper class much less middle class. So his mate loved to cook. Wonder if he liked people to cook for him? Angel had been monitoring the conversation in the other room and went white at Parker's childhood trauma.

Being the observant people that they were they all saw the man go a deathly pale. Nathan grabbed the man's arm leading him to the kitchen table, shoving him into a chair and his head between his legs. Alec set a glass of water on the table beside him. Sophie had a dish rag on his neck and crouched down in front of him.

She gave him a few moments to catch his breath. Putting her hand under his chin bringing his face level with her's. "We take care of him. We take precautions every time one of us goes out by ourselves on a job." She stood up with the help of Nathan when Angel got a little more color in his face. "We take even more caution with Eliot and Parker because they need it, but we try to give them the space they need at the same time. We would suggest the same approach."

Angel nodded even though he wasn't really listening to the others. His mind was awhirl with what he could do to help show Parker that he wasn't the monster she thought he was. He heard Eliot's heartbeat slow down and his breathing level out. He knew their talk would have to wait but he also knew he needed to talk to Parker, but he just didn't know what he could possible say to her. He looked up as she came in.

"He's asleep. Need to move him and make him comfortable." She watched the vampire in the chair. She knew he heard everything and hoped he'd leave. Even though she knew he wouldn't.

Angel rose from the chair, going to stand in front of Lindsey. The others followed behind him,

Hardison had a light restraining grip on Parker. "You okay now?"

"Nothing will be okay until he's gone. I'm staying in the guest room until he's gone. Have to watch out for Eliot. For all of us." Parker keep watching the vampire.

Hardison gently gripped her chin to get her to look at him. "He's not going anywhere because he loves Eliot. Look at his face Parker."

They both looked as Angels face got a soft sweet smile that went to his eyes as he looked down at Eliot. Watched as he caressed the sleeping man's face. Hardison thought he looked younger than he had earlier. That seeing Eliot relaxed and happy had eased something in him. Or maybe it was just finally getting to see and touch the one he loved.

"Like I said he's not going anywhere. Also if your staying then so am I." Both went into Eliot's living room.

Angel looked at the softened features of his mate and felt the rightness of being here with Lindsey even stronger. He reached down again this time to pick him up only to be stop by Parker. He looked her in the eye. "I won't ever hurt him on purpose. I know I have a lot to make up to him. A lot of explaining that I should have done a long time ago. But the only thing I want now is to put him in bed and for him to be comfortable. You can have one of the others undress him and tuck him in. All of you can stay to keep an eye on him and especially me. But I am not leaving him."

Parker understood that he was trying to make her at ease but she still didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. "Fine. Carry him in there, but you sleep on the couch and I'll be watching you."

Angel nodded and did as he was told. He could see the confusion on the others faces but he was more concerned with Eliot and getting him to bed. He followed Nathan down the hall to the bedroom. He could feel Parker's stare, like an itch between his shoulders. Angel laid Eliot down on the bed and moved away to allow Nathan and Sophie to finish putting the retrieval specialist to bed.

Alec herded Angel out of the room with Parker hot on his heals. "They've done this plenty of times before. The pain meds make him really out of it. Don't know how he survived without the team before to watch his back."

"He didn't take anything stronger than Aspirin before us. He told me that the last time I stitched him up." Parker said as she stopped at the hall closet. "I'll get the stuff for the couch. Where he'll be sleeping."

Angel sat in the same chair Eliot had been sitting in to wait for the others. He didn't have long to wait.

"He'll sleep for awhile so Sophie and I talked about it and agreed that we'll all be staying tonight. After that we'll see." Nate rubbed his hands together. "So sleeping arrangements as usual and Angel gets the couch. We'll take a fresh look at this in the morning. So good night everyone." Nathan made shooing motion. "Let's go. Everyone off to bed."

Nathan waited until everyone but Angel left the room. "I know you're anxious to talk with him but you waited this long."

"A little while longer won't hurt. I can be patient. And for what it's worth thanks." Nathan nodded and head into the bedroom with Alec.

Angel made himself comfortable and listened to everything in the apartment. Nate, Alec and Sophie had gone too sleep but he heard Parker move into Eliot's room. His bed was big enough for several people but it sounded like she had laid on the floor in front of the door. An effected barrier against him. He closed his eyes to try to get some sleep. He had a feeling he'd need it.

TBC…