Disclaimer: I don't own Leverage…
A/N: Here it is, the last chapter. And, if anyone asks me to do a chapter for Agent Nevins, I'm sorry, you aren't going to get it because I hate her guts so much, the chapter would involve me appearing out of nowhere and stabbing her with a pair of scissors. Yeah, I hate her that much.
The Hard Way
Chapter 7: Sterling
If someone were to look at him, they would say that James Sterling pretty much had it together. He had been able to manipulate his way into INTERPOL and had been extremely close to catching four of the world's most wanted thieves. But you know what they say; close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not international crimes.
But of course, when he had been so close, one man had gotten in his way. One man who used to be his friend. Nathan Ford.
The man is handcuffed to the railing of a cargo ship, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his side and he still had won! He had still bloody won!
Two FBI agents approach and ask him who Nate is and Sterling gives the only honest answer he can. "I don't know." And that is the simple truth of the matter. The Nathan Ford he knew would never let himself go to jail so four known thieves got away. He would never have called them honorable and he definitely would not have called them his family.
But he doesn't need to expand any further. Nate does that for him. "My name's Nate ford…and I am a thief."
Sterling had thought he still knew who Nathan Ford was, but now he realizes just how wrong he was. He knew Nate Ford the white knight, not Nate Ford the black king, and he didn't think he ever would.