Again thanks for the reviews. Love them!

"If you really want to end this now. Here we go. So why have you taken me off the grifts for our cons"? She started with one of her less personal questions.

Chapter 7

It was Nate's turn to look shocked "I wasn't aware that I was doing that." Nate answered.

The grifter jumped up off the couch and started pacing like he always did. "The deal is I talk you listen. Let me help you refresh your memory Nate. Pace, pace. For the last few months Parker and you and you even had Hardison doing my job. Pace, pace. While I was either in the office doing the paperwork or stuck in that smelly van." She stopped in front of him. "If you don't think I can handle my job anymore why keep me on the team? You don't need me. I can't do the computers, I can't repel and I can't be a hitter. I grift it's what I do and you won't let me do even that." She went back to pacing.

Nate sat back ran his fingers though his unruly hair. He took in all she said and he realized she was right about part of it. He had to get her to understand why he did what he did. He grabbed her hand gently as she started pacing again. Pulled her down to the couch beside him. "Please sit and give me a chance to explain. Sophie I am so sorry that you would think that we don't need you. But it was never like that. We couldn't be a team without you." It was Nate's turn to stand up and start pacing. "I thought you liked to switch up the rolls."

She started to say something. "No it's my turn" Nate stopped her by holding his hand up. pace, pace. "I know it wasn't really switching roles since you weren't doing much in the jobs. Alright it was my way of protecting you. I know it's no excuse but those marks were some of our worst and I wanted to keep you far away from them."

Sophie started to stand up but Nate put his hands on her shoulders and sat her back down. He could see the hurt in her eyes. Nate continued "I know you can take care of yourself you've been doing it along time." He knelt down in front of her. "Soph I want to help take care of you but I guess I've been doing it the wrong way."

"Is that why you took me off the last job? I know he was a creep but I had him hooked." She asked somewhat hurt that he didn't think she couldn't handle the con.

He placed his hands along her cheeks. Looked her straight in the eyes and told her "I couldn't stand him calling your sweetheart and darling one more time or him touching you any longer. I know he was pushing to see how far you'd let him take it. Except he already pushed me way to far."

She couldn't look away from those blue eyes of his. "Are you telling me you were jealous?" Her voice raised up a bit and she asked him slightly confused and a little mad. "Is that why you wouldn't let me near the other marks?"

"Yes"was all Nate could say.

Sophie shook off Nate's hands and went to look out her window at the view it always calmed her down. To stand there and looked out over Paris. It usually helped but not right now she was just getting madder.

Nate asked "why are you so mad at me for being jealous and taking you off the grifting part of the cons?"while he walked over to her and looked out at the same view.

She spun to him "why, why, WHY" getting louder each time "you bloody hell have no right to ask me that?" When you've been spending the last two months or more talking to Maggie. Then you don't let me do my job Nate" poking herself in the chest showing her anger as her voice got higher "my job. I'm a grifter that's what I do if you don't remember. The one thing I'm good at and you won't let me do it."

He started to speak. She stopped him "Um no this is my turn to talk you wanted to know what I was thinking so your going to hear it all. "I heard the women's laughter Nate the night I called you because I needed to talk but you didn't have time. Oh I know now it was because you were coming to see me. To take me off the con and have one last remember able weekend to let me down easy."

She was back to pacing. Nate stood there with his arms folded over his chest trying to keep his mouth shut. He watched her go back and forth. He would let her get it all out then he would have his say. She started talking again "for the last few months you couldn't even look me in the eye except for when we were in bed together. How do you think that makes me feel Nate?" Pace, pace. Holding her hand up and not giving him time to answer she continued "you would get phone calls and leave the room to answer them. Or stop talking on the phone completely if I walked by. You spent hours if not whole afternoons somewhere doing what you would say was research on a job you were thinking about taking on."

Taking a deep breath Sophie started again. "I decided to leave early that weekend. I didn't have a job or any other reason to stay anymore." Pace, pace. "Since you weren't letting me do what I do for some bloody lame excuse of you protecting me. Ha" she threw her arms up in the air. "Ha" saying it again "You know Nate I was grifting long before you were an insurance cop. I think I know what I'm doing." Pace, pace. "I have dealt with worst men then those marks ever could dream of being. Trust me on that one Nathan."

Back in forth she went he wasn't sure if she was working off her anger or building up more. If her arm movements were any indication she was working up more he thought. He was trying his best not to smile because that would infuriate her even more and she might actually try and choke him not just smack him. But she was so beautiful when she was pissed off at him. Her face was flushed and her eyes. Well her eyes could probably reduce him to a grain of sand from the lighting she was shooting at him. Ok focus Nate let her have her say the voice in his head was telling him.

"So I'm off the bloody team was that a team choice or just yours?" Sophie said it with such bitterness that when what she said registered in his mind it snapped his mind back to her and what she was saying.

Nate walked up to her "Now wait just a damn minute Sophie" was all he got out when she raised her voice and stopped him.

"Let. Me. Finish." she said in a very stern voice. "I thought I was doing the right thing leaving you at the hotel so I wasn't in the way of the team or in your way of happiness." Pace, pace. "I left so you and Maggie wouldn't have to worry about having me around." She was trying not to let him see the tears building up in her eyes so she kept moving. She could see why Nate liked to pace it help keep the blood flowing but it was draining. "That would be rubbish for everyone involved." Pace, pace.

'But you, you wanker keep following me and dragging me back into this catch me if you can game. Well it ends now I can't take this game anymore. We've been playing it too bloody long we both are getting too old for this." Sophie stopped pacing and looked down towards the floor causing her hair to fall and cover her face. "I just want you to be happy Nate you deserve that" her voice got softer "with or without me cause that doesn't matter." She went to sit on the couch she was emotionally and physically drained.

She had said that last part so quiet Nate barely heard it. He wasn't sure if it was anger he was feeling or was it heartache he was feeling for this woman. "My turn to talk now" he said as more a statement than a question. "I agree no more games that is ending tonight." He stayed over by the window looking out but not seeing the amazing view. Rubbing his hands over his face then running his fingers through his hair. Trying figure out were to start. Taking his time to get his mind on the right place. When all he wanted to do was go over to her and shake some sense into this beautiful grifter. Or maybe he wanted to just hold her he wasn't sure which need was stronger right now.

He decided to let them each take a minute and went into her kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for her. He sat her tea on the table in front of her. She never looked up. She stared at her hands on her lap with her hair hiding her face. He knew she was hiding behind her wall again. He knew that all she said and asked had pushed her and made her feel vulnerable and now she was hiding again. It was like she was planning her escape how and where could she run this time and not be found. Well he wasn't going to let her go anywhere.

Taking a long drink of his coffee Nate then started pacing. "Now I know this will be shocking to you but you are wrong about well almost everything." That snapped her head up to glare at him. That's what he wanted to be seeing from her was to fight not to be giving up. Pace, pace. Nate started "For one you are not off the team you will always have a job as long we are a team. For two I took you off the last con because Hardison had bugged the marks office and heard that creep of a man tell his creep of an assistant what he would like to and planned to do to you." Pace, pace.

Her eyes softened a bit thinking he did it really to protect her. She lifted her head up to watch him pace back and forth.

Taking another drink then continuing. "For three you can let yourself think you were doing the right thing by leaving. But you were running because you were scared and that's what you do you run. Nope my turn." As she opened her mouth to interrupt him. "I know you've been hurt. I may not know why, how or who. You don't have to tell me but if you ever want to I'll be here for you. I know I've hurt you over the years too."

Nate held up four fingers trying to keep track of all the question she asked. "Number four the woman laughter you heard on the phone was the florist when I was picking up your flowers. I gave her a flower and a big tip. It was a thank you for putting your roses together on such short notice. She thanked me and must have laughed honestly I really don't remember because all I was thinking about was getting to see you. For number five yes I have been talking to Maggie."

He sat down next to her when her eyes went back to looking at her lap. "I was talking to Maggie about you." He lifted her head up with a finger to her chin and looked her in the eyes. "I was telling her I finally realized how I felt about you and she was happy for me and for us. Then she said I was stupid for taking so long when everyone around us but the two of us of already knew." They both smiled at that. "I also been talking to Maggie to help with a plan I was putting together and needed a woman's opinion on. I only know three women well enough to ask."

He put his hands on her shoulder and turned her until she was completely facing him. "One is you and well I wanted to surprise you. Two is Parker and she knows nothing about what women like." Causing them both to laugh a little because it was so true. "Three is Maggie and since she had helped us out on cons I thought I'd try her. But the problem was I was so wrapped up in my plan for you. I guess I forgot to tell you how I felt."

"I forget what number I was on" he said jokingly "but that's what the phones calls and lost hours were about. You know how I am when I get started on a plan everything else gets pushed aside." Nate looked into her eyes hoping she would understand. "Well this plan was all about you and I just forgot that you were right there watching everything I was doing."

"As for not looking you in the eyes these last few weeks. Well that was because I thought for sure you would figure out what I was up to." He laughed at that. "You did know I was up to something but you weren't quite right about what." Every time I looked at you I could tell you were trying to figure it out so I just didn't look into those beautiful eyes of yours." He took her face in has hands "you see you're the best at reading people and especially at reading me. So instead of just telling you what I was thinking and feeling. I tried to con you and surprise you and we both know that's impossible. I know now I handled it all wrong and I'm sorry." He gave her a small tender kiss. When she didn't pull away and actually kissed him back he was hopeful that he was getting through to this stubborn woman.

"Let me explain what set off all this secrecy and planning. Sophie do you remember about three months ago when we meet the client who's husband had been killed in a plane crash?" Nate asked her.

"Yes of course I do her husband was a pilot and was killed in a horrible crash caused mechanical failure." Sophie answered sadly "We took down the mark that was behind it."

Nate said "Right, then after the con we meet her in the brew pub to give her the news. She told us she hoped we were as happy as her and her husband use to be." Nate had turned to look across the room and continued. "You answered her by saying something like oh no we aren't together. I was taken back by what you said because I was thinking that we were together." He turned back to look at her.

"It hit me then you had no idea what I was feeling or where I thought we were headed. You know for being one of the greatest grifters sometimes you don't see what's right in front of you." He laughed when he saw the look on her face. "Calm down I'm trying to explain what I was thinking at the time. I then started putting my plan together to show exactly how I felt and how much you mean to me."

Sophie was surprised by what he was saying and she could see the hurt in his eyes by what she had said that day. "Nate I said that because I didn't want you to feel like I was pressuring you into something you weren't ready for." She tried to explain why she said it.

"I know understand that now. I had finally realized I was done screwing us up and put my crazy plan in motion. Then I realized this morning that all I was doing by keeping this all a secret from you was screwing us up more. You read me to well darling. Soph I don't want to be "friends with extras" anymore."

She tried to turn away from his startling blue eyes but Nate wouldn't let her he held her hands tight and held her still so she couldn't turn to far away from him. "You were right about me being happy. I do want to be happy but you were so wrong on who I chose to be happy with." Looking into her deep brown eyes there were tears rolling down her cheeks. I love you Sophie Devereaux. You are the most smartest, talented, stubbornest, most beautiful women I have ever met and I love you with all my heart."

Sophie said with tears rolling down her face not caring anymore about him seeing her cry. "I love you Nathan Ford. Even though you are the most hard headed, oblivious man I know. For being the smartest man I ever meet you sure can be an idiot Mr. Ford and I love you so much my heart aches when I'm not near you.

The grifter leaned into kiss him and slowly pushed her mastermind backwards until they were both laying on the couch. She didn't wasn't to hold back anymore she had been holding back all her life. She leaned up on her arms to look down at him and told him "I can't believe after all these years you finally said it to me. I really thought you were here to end it, to end us." She wiped away some of her tears that were still rolling down her checks. "You know this isn't going to be easy. Nothing ever comes easy for me or for us for that matter."

That's what makes us, us Sophie. You wouldn't really want it too easy would you? That would be boring for a woman like you." Nate said as he wiped her tears off her checks. I don't want to make you cry anymore Soph. It breaks my heart to see you like that. You said you want me to be happy. Well what would make me very happy is to see you happy."

Sophie dried her cheeks off and crossed her arms on Nate's chest then rest her chin on her arms and looked down at him and asked. "So where do we go from here?"

"Why don't we take a nap? No I mean it a real nap Sophie." He told her as she smiled and lifted an eyebrow.

Pulling her lower lip in with her teeth, sat up and was thinking. "Maybe you right. I am exhausted still. It's been a long couple of weeks well a long couple of months actually."

Nate took her hand in his and helped her stand up pulling her with him as he made his way to her bedroom.

"Maybe letting you take care of me once a while would be OK. I think I could get use to this." She said as she walked up to him gave him a quick kiss and one of her brilliant honest smiles.

"You gonna have to beautiful I'm not going anywhere and I owe you. Now hop in bed." He swatted her on the butt and she laughed and did what he said. "I have big plans for us tonight so you'll need your rest"as he laid down next to her in bed wearing only his boxers.

Sophie had changed into one of his t-shirts. He lifted on eyebrow at her as she changed. "What they are very comfortable. Oh wait I'll be right back." She climbed out of bed and left the room coming back with one of the many vases of roses and placed them on her dresser. I didn't want to bring any in here before because they made me sad. But now the smell makes me happy." She said taking one white rose with her as she crawled into her bed next to Nate.

"Did you really mean it when you said that after tonight you would give up some control and let me decide when and where I want to go?" Sophie said as she laid on her side with her head held up by her hand and elbow. Her other hand held her flower that she was playing with on Nate chest. She didn't look to him when she said the next part. She couldn't look at him for the fear of his answer. She had to know though. This is something she never would have asked him before today. "When you said when and wherever I wanted to go you did mean we right? That you would be with me?"

"Soph" he said her name so seriously that it caused her to look up at him. He also turned to his side leaning up on his elbow and head leaning in his hand. Getting close to her and wrapping his leg over her hip and pulled her so close that they were face to face, chest to chest and hip to hip. "Sophie have you not figured out by now in that wonderful, confused, brilliant mind of yours that I'm not letting you go anywhere without me. I meant every word I said. You can pick the cons, where we eat, vacations if we ever have time for one and anything else. Of course I'm sure I'll have an opinion though."

He leaned in to kiss her and run his fingers through her hair. "But get one thing straight when your choosing it will be for two. I will always be by your side Sophie." Nate laid back down taking her with him. "Now we need to get some sleep."

She snuggled up to him with her head on his chest and his arm wrapped around her to rest on her shoulder. As she lay there thinking how different this day turned out to be. She was sure that earlier today could have been her last time seeing Nate and being with him. He surprised her yet again. The grifter slowly fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her face while smelling her rose.

Nate knew the moment Sophie fell asleep he could feel her body completely relax. He looked down at her the rose had slipped from her hand and it now laid on his chest. He picked it up and smelled it smiling. Nate looked down at her again she had the smile that he loved on her face while she dreamed. Nate's phone vibrated on the nightstand by her bed. He carefully looked at it not wanting to wake her. It was a text from Hardison all it said was with dinner.

Sorry it took awhile to finished this chapter it was hard to get the dialogue right with these two and stay true to Nate and Sophie. Even though I made Nate into a romantic. I could see him planning this in season 5. He was understanding what Sophie meant to him. Working on Chapter 8 now.