Two weeks later

His apartment was completely dark.. except for a dim light coming from the kitchen.
That same light had been what coaxed him from above and out of his room.
At this hour there was no telling what could be waiting for him.

"Eliot?" The man was sitting at the counter, back to him, his shoulders slumped, and head down. "What are you doing here?"

A simple shrug had him moving around the counter and sitting across from him. "Is everything alright?"

"It's fine." A glance at Nate's face had him seeing suspicion and soon enough he was clarifying. "I just wanted to go some place I knew I wouldn't be bothered for a while."

"Alright then.. I'll go back up," Nate pointed upward moving to stand.
Eliot looked to be contemplating something and now that he knew there was no threat he'd leave him to it as long as he didn't become a bother.

"Hey Nate," He hadn't made the second stair before Eliot was calling him. "Yeah?"

"No nothin'.." Hesitation was clear. "it's nothin'."

The way Eliot pulled his hand over the back of his head clearly said it was more than nothing and it had him returning to his abandoned spot. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm married Nate." Maybe talking things out would help straighten his thoughts.

"I know." With a statement like that he was intrigued to see where this was going. "I was at the wedding."

Eliot let out a slight laugh as he thought of the way that must have sounded. "I just meant that it's finally sinking in. I'm a married man."

"And that bothers you?" He was only steering things in the direction Eliot had them pointing.

"It just got me thinking ...about what I want ...about what we're gonna do?" His mind had been absolutely crammed with those thoughts over the past few weeks.

"Where's the worry coming from?" Now he got it.
Eliot needed someone to talk to, and Parker obviously wasn't it.

"I've been thinking about quitting the business." Nate's eyebrow rose at that but he stayed silent. "It might sound funny comin' out of my mouth but it just ain't for me anymore."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to get out while the getting's good." He might not completely agree with it but he sure wouldn't tell Eliot what he should and shouldn't do.

"The thing is Parker don't want out." He'd say it was in her blood, she was born for it.

"Did she say that?" Now that was a clear conflict and it was easy to see the one it had started for Eliot within.

"She didn't have to.
I told her retire and she said quit, she doesn't understand.
This life is her life though and I wont make her give it up.. but what happens when I don't wanna live it anymore?" He was tired of playing cops and robbers, it exhausted him, but she seemed to thrive from it.

"Did you ask her?" That sounded like the beginning of a relationship growing apart and he didn't want to see it happen to his friends.

"You know," Eliot took a moment to really think about what he was doing before he shared something they had promised not to. "she thought she was pregnant.. and while we were waiting for those results I told her all of this. I told her and all she had to say was I could stay at home with the baby."

"She's not," He was a bit floored.
That was something he probably should have guessed but it hadn't even crossed his mind. "Is she?"

"No but her saying I could stay at home with the baby got me thinking." It had started eating at him a little after they had gotten back from that appointment. "If she wouldn't quit this job for her own child than why would she quit it for me?"

"You know sometimes people are so set in what they want that there's nothing that'll change their mind." Nate started off as he got up to start a pot of coffee. "And sometimes they're set in not changing their mind because they don't know what they want."

"I'm not following." He did his best to follow the double talk on his good days but today sure wasn't one of them.

"Parker's known what she's wanted to do since Archie took her under his wing right?" Eliot's expression was iffy but it was the theory Nate planned on going with. "There's a thrill in it for her."

"It gave her a freedom she never had." And that was part of the reason he refused to take it away from her.

"It gave her a sense of freedom." Nate agreed as he pulled down a mug. "But was she really free?"

"Again," Eliot shook his head with a questioning look. "not following."

"He raised her as a thief Eliot." He thought it was clear. "A thief.. not as a person but as a thief.
She wasn't raised with the you can do or be whatever you want attitude she was raised with a one set, one track mind. He gave her the glory life, that's the life she knows, but was that the life she wanted?"

"So you're saying that what I think she wants or even what she might think she wants for herself might not really be?" Let Nate read through that because it was the best he could explain what he had figured.

"I'm saying don't you think it's about time she had a choice?" He let Eliot ponder that question as he poured himself a barely finished cup of coffee.

He got what Nate was saying but he didn't know if Nate was getting him.
A question like that could be a make or break it and he didn't think he was ready for where that might leave them.
Where she might leave him.

"Go on Eliot. Give her the chance," The only thing that seemed to be missing was a little push. "her answer just might surprise you."

"Nate," Eliot offered a slight nod as he stood to leave. Despite what had been said he appreciated the ear.

Nate simply lifted his mug with a nod of his own as he watched Eliot leave hoping his advice hadn't been absolute crap.

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He didn't pay attention to much as he walked through the front door but he was careful to step over a few creaky floor boards on the way to their bedroom. By now Parker was surely sleeping and he didn't want to wake her.

Quickly but quietly he stripped replacing jeans with sweats as he let the days exhaustion creep up.
Whether he'd mention something to her or not he had yet to decided but he knew he wouldn't be doing that tonight.
Tonight he was going to try to get some of the rest these thoughts had been denying him.

Slowly he sat on the bed trying not to dip it too much as he pulled his feet up but just as he was beginning to think he had succeeded in not disturbing Parker she rolled into him with a mumbled, "You're warm."

"You cold?" He should have known he wouldn't be able to slip in.

She simply nodded her head slightly before laying it on his chest and he took it as a sign to pull her closer. "You should have gotten another blanket."

"Don't need it now." That had him smiling slightly as she burrowed deeper into his side. "At least I know I'm good for something."

"Plenty Bubba." The drowsy rasp in her voice somehow made it sound endearing.

"No I'm not you crazy girl." She was so self reliant that he doubted he was of any actual use to her.

"That's not true." She lifted her head to look up at him. "I need you."

Those words pulled at something deep within and before he knew it he was asking, "Parker what would you say if I told you we were leaving tomorrow and we might not ever come back?"

For what seemed like hours but couldn't have been more than a long minute she stared at him until finally she tilted her head slightly and asked, "Am I packing cold or warm?"

It was the best he could of asked for and it sparked hope within. "You know I love you right?"

"Of course.." She slithered up a bit more as she rested her head on his freshly sought out shoulder. "So where are we going?"

With a warm heart he placed a cool kiss to her forehead.
It might take a little time but suddenly he felt like he could actually get her to do it.
Like he was higher on her list than the thievery.
Like they'd be okay.

"Go to sleep Sparky." Question forgotten he pulled her even closer with the plan of doing exactly what he had been told.

Yeah.. they'd be fine.
He was sure of it.

E/N: Now I know it's been a good long while but I figured what better way to celebrate my birthday than sharing some crazy girl with you!

Hope ya'll enjoyed!