A/N: Hello my dear readers, here comes a new chapter and I really, really hope you like it *smiles hopefully* I had fun writing it so I really hope you have as much fun reading it *sheepish smile*

And I'm still overwhelmed how much you seem to like the story *dances around happily* I hope you still will after this chapter... *g* And I so suck at writing long, hot kisses, so I better don't even try...

I'm also a little amused that some of you loved the line "team- former pain in the ass, former pain in the ass- team" because that actually was the first thing that came to my mind for the last chapter and made me write it *smiles*

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Of course thank you so much to Jesco123, McCoy's Secret Lover, SlytherinQueen020, msdarque, Eluvcuddles, Karone Evertree (I don't mind the rant at all *g* and I'll try to keep Eliot as in character as possible *smiles*), TerrorThatLurksInYerBathtub X3, whovian42, love kane, fro-chan, ThexBrokenxMirror, shinigami sakura2000 and WalkingInDarkness737 for all your kind comments *hugs you all* they really mean a lot to me *hugs you all again*

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Warnings: This is sort of an AU and it has SLASH (Nate/Eliot as a current pairing and a love triangle with Angel) just so you're warned

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Disclaimer: None of the Leverage and Angel characters belong to me, I just borrowed them for this little story and I intend to give them back sometime... this is just for fun and not for money...

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Chapter 4

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The kiss was as unexpected as it was passionate and bruising and for a moment Eliot felt himself responding to the kiss, because, damn, that vampire knew how to kiss. Okay, he had about four hundred years more experience than Eliot, but still. And, as hard as it was to admit for the hitter, there was this tiny part of Lindsey that had still survived, buried deeply away, that had been longing for that kiss, ever since the day he had first met Angel, when the vampire had come into the conference room and thrown Lindsey's client out of the window. They had then shared that intense look, that he still didn't know what it meant and if Eliot hadn't had an enormous self-control, then he would have been lost right then and there.

But like this he had been able to bury that desire deep within him, but right now, with him injured and the stress of the past hours catching up with him, his self-control was a little weak and that part had come to the surface to enjoy the kiss.

But when Eliot felt Angel's hand tangle itself into his hair, his brain kicked in again and reminded him, who exactly it was that was kissing him and what kind of situation he found himself in right now.

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And of course there was that thought about Nate and the last thing Eliot wanted, was to hurt his lover, especially after everything Nathan had been through and about what they had already been through together...

In addition to that, Eliot hated when people got all possessive over him, especially someone like Angel. The vampire had had enough chances to tell Eliot how he felt, but this situation right now was just too bizarre. It was almost like Angel was annoyed that someone else was now playing with his favorite toy. Only that Eliot wasn't a toy, he was a human being and he was done being toyed around with by the souled vampire.

So he used all the strength he could find in his still aching body and pushed Angel away and before the vampire could react, pulled his arm back, punching Angel so hard in the nose that the vampire staggered a little. Eliot smirked and with one swift movement, he kicked Angel's legs out from under him, making sure that the other hit the ground hard, just so the vampire knew that he wasn't the weak lawyer, who hid behind his books and his bosses anymore, but that he was more than capable taking care of himself.

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With satisfaction he noticed that Angel seemed to be in real pain and he was looking at Eliot with an expression that was a mixture of shock, anger and respect.

"Don't ever do that again, Angel, or you see what else I learned in those eight years you haven't seen me," he growled, before he slumped back into his chair, feeling tired once again. He hated that the vampire at Ryder's had obviously drunk so much from him that he was still feeling the after effects. Before Angel could say something to Eliot's words, the door to the office was pushed open and Nate, Parker, Sophie, Hardison, Cordelia and Fred burst into the room, Cordelia and Fred of course quickly running to Angel, while the Leverage crew looked at Eliot with concern..

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As soon as Eliot, or Lindsey, depending on which group you asked, was out of the room, the tension rose between the Leverage team and Angel's gang. And that wasn't too surprising, because the former lawyer, now hitter, was something like the common topic between the two groups.

Nate was too fixated on what was going on in Angel's office to really care about his crew right now.

Sophie tried to stop Parker from stealing anything within reach, something the blonde thief made a habit of when she was nervous or worried. And Hardison once again had booted up his laptop to find something about Lindsey McDonald, because it was a bit hard for him to accept that Eliot had indeed managed to hide his former identity from him.

Gunn had left the room to go somewhere, grumbling under his breath the whole time, Fred and Cordelia guessed that he was going to tell Lorne and Spike what was going on here.

Cordelia was keeping an eye on Parker, because she didn't want her necklace and purse going missing again.

And Fred... Fred was the one who finally broke the tension a little. She smiled at Nate, Sophie, Parker and Hardison and asked: "Do you maybe want something to drink while we wait?"

They always served their clients drinks when they needed them, so why not Lindsey's friends?

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But before she could get an answer, Nathan Ford's face twisted in rage and he only bellowed a "Parker".

The blonde thief was startled from letting a shiny looking letter opener with a few small rubies on the hilt, that she knew Eliot would like as a present, because it looked like a little like a dagger. And in Parker's opinion Eliot needed something nice, because he had been hurt. Right now the letter opener had to wait and she turned towards Nate.

The man's yell had alerted all of them and they all looked into the office, all not sure what they were witnessing right now, but Parker immediately knew why Nate had called for her. And without hesitation she knelt in front of the lock to pick it, which wouldn't take more than a few seconds, and that was probably why Nate had asked her to do it, even though he could do it himself, but not as fast as Parker could . And when she had done so then she would show this Angel guy that nobody messed with her hitter.

"Done," she said and pushed open the door, storming into the room, a satisfied smirk on her face when she saw that Angel was lying on the ground, holding his nose, Eliot once again slumped in the chair, looking a little shaken, but with a satisfied smirk on his face.

They had all been so busy watching Parker pick the lock that they hadn't seen what had happened in the office, but Nate couldn't help the proud smile on his face, before he stepped past Angel towards Eliot, looking him over, checking for any new injuries, pointedly ignoring the slightly swollen lips of his lover, where Angel had kissed him before.

"Are you okay?" he asked the question he had asked one too many times in the past hour, relieved when Eliot just nodded, not sure what else to say. Nate put a hand on the hitter's shoulder, because he felt the urge to touch his lover.

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Angel, who had stood up again, his normal face back on, something Eliot was grateful for, snarled at Nathan, his anger and the humiliation that an injured Eliot had been able to overpower him.

"Get your hands off him," he demanded, taking a threatening step closer and Eliot knew the souled vampire well enough to see, that his game face would be coming out again and Eliot really didn't want his team to see all this... at least not until Eliot had figured out how to best tell his team all about vampires and demons and what else was going on in this city.

"Angel," he said, trying to sound threatening and soothing at the same time. Nate stared at the vampire in confusion.

"And who are you to tell me that?" he questioned, not ready to back down right now. This Angel guy had dared to kiss his lover and now he even demanded that Nate stopped touching him and that was something Nate wouldn't just accept.

"Nate," Eliot now turned towards his lover, hoping to calm him down, because he really didn't have much hope with Angel. And a fight between the two was the last thing Eliot wanted, because that would not only result in serious injuries for Nate, but it would also reveal too many truths about his and Nate's relationship and about Angel, and of course about his past.

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Luckily Angel seemed to have calmed himself by now and Eliot could see the lines of tension on his forehead ease a little. But the souled vampire squared his shoulders and took a step towards Nate and Eliot and put his hand on the hitter's other shoulder. And Eliot was reminded of two alphas from any not-human species fighting for their designated mate. And the hitter really resented that situation, because Eliot had always seen himself as an alpha male too, so this was really irritating him, because he was a free human being and could choose who he wanted to be with and he growled in frustration, especially when both hands on his shoulders tightened their grips. He was about to say something, but Angel was finally answering Nate's question: "Me? I'm responsible that you have even gotten to know Lindsey."

The vampire once again deliberately stretched Eliot's former name just to piss Nate off. Eliot growled at Angel again and shook his shoulder a little to dislodge the vampire's hand, but Angel wasn't ready to let go.

Nate only chuckled humorlessly.

"And why exactly does this give you claim over Eliot?" This time it was the mastermind, who stretched the "Eliot". And that finally was enough for the hitter.

"Could you two just stop that little pissing contest?" he demanded, before he turned to Angel.

"You had your chance all those years ago and you blew it... big time," he informed, not wanting to elaborate. Angel however, only shrugged his shoulders.

"You know I'm a firm believer in second chances," he shot back and at those words Eliot only rolled his eyes.

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"And why did you never give me one?" His voice was almost emotionless, but Nate and Angel too, who both were very attuned to the hitter could hear the hurt in there. And the vampire even had the decency to look a little guilty.

"I was young and stupid back then," he offered as a way of apology without really apologizing, and Eliot couldn't help but snort at that.

"I'll give you stupid, but young... nah... not so much," he replied and was reminded of the old times when he and Angel had been sparring verbally almost every day, which had mostly ended with Lindsey being shoved into a wall or thrown against something solid when Eliot had gotten to a sore point for the vampire.

Unfortunately this time it was Angel, who touched on a dangerous subject and dealt a low blow.

"Well, regarding your current lover, I'm not sure that not being seen as young is a bad thing," he snarled, looking pointedly at Nate and Sophie and Hardison and even Parker now looked at Nate and Eliot.

"You're sleeping together?" Hardison asked, not sure what else to say. Eliot could feel Nate stiffen beside him and he himself had no idea how to react right now. This really wasn't how he and Nate had planned to tell the team about their relationship. And Eliot desperately wished for something to happen, so that he didn't have to answer that question right away.

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Help came from an unexpected source, because Gunn suddenly also burst into the room, followed by Lorne and now Eliot knew that he had new problems, well not exactly new problems but different ones than just seconds before. Without hesitation Lorne ran over to Eliot, completely ignoring Angel and Nate, crouched down in front of the young man and said with a shaking voice: "You need to sing for me right now, Sugar."

Eliot only stared at the demon, not sure what to say or do now and the silence in the room was almost deafening, because Cordelia, Angel, Gun and Fred were waiting how the Leverage crew would react to seeing the demon. And Sophie, Nate and Hardison were too stunned to say much. In the end it was Parker, who once again broke the silence by turning to Hardison with a frown on her face: "He looks like one of those characters from one of your computer games. Is he role-playing? I mean like this LARPing you explained to me a few days ago?"

Eliot didn't even want to know when and why exactly Hardison and Parker had talked about LARPing, and yes, Eliot knew what that was, he had a young nephew after all, and even though he would never admit it out loud, he listened to what Hardison talked about to get to know more about is younger teammate. But Parker had also unintentionally given him a good excuse to explain why Lorne looked how he looked without having to tell them about demons and vampires.

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Lorne, however, had other plans. He turned his head and glared at Parker, an offended look on his face that Eliot had seldom seen.

"I resent that comment. I'm Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan and not a human in a silly costume, but that's not important right now," he said, sounding a little angry, before he turned back to Eliot, who raised an eyebrow at the demon, not sure if he should laugh at the offense Lorne seemed to take from Parker's words, or scream in frustration, because he had effectively ruined any chance to get out of this without revealing everything. But the concerned look in Lorne's eyes made Eliot's gut twist for a second.

"What?" he questioned and Lorne repeated: "I need you to sing for me."

Eliot shook his head vehemently.

"I don't do that anymore," he informed, trying to avoid to look at any of his team. Lorne took one of Eliot's hands in his and the hitter felt a little crowded right now with all those people so close to him, but he decided to just focus on Lorne.

"Then you need to rethink that, because I need you to sing," Lorne told him and there was an urgency in his voice that made that knot in Eliot's stomach grow even more.

"Why?" he questioned anxiously, not sure if he would like the answer. And indeed he really didn't want to hear what was said next, surprisingly by Cordelia, who pressed a hand to her forehead, looking sick all of sudden and Eliot immediately realized that she had had a vision only seconds ago.

"Because Wolfram and Hart know that you're here and they want you back..."

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to be continued...