I apologize for the lateness! I have no excuse…. At least nothing worth repeating. I used my last good ones last week. Aparently 'I was abducted by ice cream men' only works once. Oh well. I have recently realized I forgot to put my disclaimer up on my more recent chapters. To make up for that:

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR CON, TRISTAN, AND THE EVIL DOERS!!!!!!!!!!

Please forgive me! Thank you all who reviewed and favorited "I Guess It Runs In the Family'!

I will try and update more frequently put no promises.

Plans take action

"Nate, we're at the front gate. The fake invite worked like a charm." Eliot led Sophie through the doors into the well lit party room. "Woah, this is pretty fancy, very feminine." The jibe at Morgans's masculinity was not lost in transition over the headset and Hardison had to cough to cover a chuckle. Nathan's voice carried over Sophie and Eliot's headsets almost as if he were standing not three feet in front of them instead of a good several miles away at Leverage HQ. "Yes, it seems Morgans's girlfriend was in charge of decorating." Hardison clicked several keys on his keyboard and pulled up Mr. Morgans's personal finances. "Looks as if she charged most everything, the girl has got to be a little trigger happy with the Visa."

"She has good taste, sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot." Sophie commented on the females design taste while ignoring the look Eliot shot her. No doubt he was doing what most men spent years of their life doing, attempting to fathom the inner workings of the female mind.

"Incoming. There's Jason Doyle, he's in charge of finances and any and everything involving money. Legal or not, he's Morgans's right hand man. The light haired man approaching the two couldn't have been more than thirty. His eyes narrowed in on Eliot, and the gap between them was quickly overcome.

"Ah, yes. Hello! I am terribly sorry but it is my job to converse all of our newest potential business partners, your name however seems to have slipped my mind." His eyes roamed up and down Sophie, causing Nate to clench the desk he was sitting at a little tighter than necessary in Hardison's opinion.

"Stick to the plan, make friends and play nice Sophie. You've dealt with pigs before, just try and keep him busy. We need him to stay away from the office for as long as possible." Several rapid fire clicks and Hardison had another window open on his monitors. "You'll want to find his brother too, Morgans hired the two together, Jason as his Chief of Finances, Sean as his Chief of Security."

With an imperceptible and nearly unnoticeable nod that would not have been noticed unless you were actually watching for one, the con had begun.

"Oh, don't you worry sugar! We got our invitations last minute.I'm Caroline Matthews and this is my man Carson Matthews." A warm southern accent overtook Sophie's usually crisp British tones. "We weren't even sure if we were going to be attending, but we've heard wonderful things about Mr. Morgans work and facilities and my man here was just dying to see for himself." Curling her arms around Eliot's own well muscled appendages she gave a flirtatious wink towards Jason.

"I don't know about dying, but I can't say I'm not interested." Eliot's own accent flowed fluidly, adding substance to the con. Jason's lips turned up at the corners, his features taking the form of a hungry fox having just caught scent of a three course meal on a silver platter.

"Ah, yes I see. Well I can assure you that we are one of the foremost members of our field. We are the second best in Unites States, but that is merely because we are a newer business. Give us a month or two and we will be number one without a doubt."

He sidled up next to the posing couple and began to lead them away to do his best to empty their bank accounts and pockets while keeping the friendly business like smile on his face.

"Good, things are going great. Keep him smiling but don't promise any money. We just want to try and get all kinds of attention on you two so as to keep as much attention away from the security screens around the HQ." Nathan nodded to himself after his piece was spoken. He spun around in his swivel chair and scanned his own HQ.

Nothing seemed out of place, Hardison was busy clicking at his keyboard and surfing for dirt on the target. On the screen nearest to him a blonde haired thief was playing with her own button cam, skulking around the perimeter of the factory waiting for the go ahead to make her foray into enemy territory. The room was dimly lit but nothing else seemed off, except for the extra dark form in the farthest corner that for the longest time had not registered at all to Nathan.

"Are you going to stand back there all night Tristan?" The figure moved ever so slightly and then a soft sigh escaped from his corner. Nathan swung back around to face his own section of the monitors; the brief conversation hadn't been noticed by Hardison in the slightest.

Tristan sulked towards Nate, downcast about having been discovered. Out of the Corner of his eye Nathan watched as the sullen teen's mood did a 180 and a sly grin pulled at his lips. Padding across the floor like an alley cat, making next to no noise while doing it, he snuck up behind his 'dear uncle'.

"HARDISON!" The out cry startled even Nate who had been bracing himself for it the whole time. What it did to Hardison however was more than cause a slight jump, with a yelp he swung his arms up and around attempting to smack down whatever the hell had snuck up on him while he had zoned out into the virtual world. Luckily for Tristan living with Con ha trained him to duck and he had escaped with only his hair being slightly ruffled.

"What the HELL? Where did you come from?" Hardison was gripping onto his desk trying his hardest to stay upright. "Well, uncle, if you would really like to know I am sure there is a class or something you could take. I had always thought they taught sex ed when you were in school but since I'm wrong I'm sure they offer those kinds of classes at the local YM-" This time however he wasn't able to duck quite fast enough and gained a slap upside the head.

"You know what I mean. Stupid genius brats always thinking they need to be a smart aleck." Grumbling Hardison abandoned his questions and returned to his computing.

Tristan chuckled and slapped him on the back with a quick apology. "Sorry man, I was taking out my boredom out on you. Tessa's decided to do this thing on her own and refuses to let me help." Now it was Tristan's turn to start grumbling. "She kicked me out of the apartment because I was apparently 'underfoot'? What is that supposed to mean? A man can't offer to go buy her some more soldering wire without trying to 'meddle into her affairs and ruin her pay back for that arrogant old egotistical little-" Tristan caught himself and flushed ever so slightly as he glanced at Nate whose eyebrows had been inching further up as his title had become even more colorful.

"He-he, well you get the picture, I decided to let her have some space." For a second all three of them men nodded to themselves and stared at the screens and watched the Doyle fellow pile blandishments upon blandishments in order to try and cajole moula from Eliot and Sophie.

"Whipped." With a start heads swiveled towards the screen that had previously shown the factory. Parker had picked up the button cam and was now smirking at the camera. "You are so totally whipped dude."

Tristan choked on the air he had been breathing and coughed. Whilst he was trying to gain enough oxygen to defend himself Hardison cut in.

"Nah, he ain't whipped. To be whipped you have to have first been something that needed to be broken. Tristan here has always been a pansy. Not once can I remember a girl that hasn't had him wrapped around her little fingers."

Parker's grin turned from mocking to appraisingly mocking. Not much of an improvement for Tristan. "Oh is that so? Is Con the worst he's had or not then?"

"Oh definitely not! There was this one girl who would call him every morning and pick out what he was going to wear that day so that they could match just like every perfect couple should. God I hated her."

"You aren't the only one! The only reason I put up with that was because she was my teacher's daughter and he was very protective. It was either let her dress me up like one of those little prissy Chihuahuas or fail the semester." Tristan pointed a finger dramatically at the screen Parker had taken over in order to tease the poor boy. "And I am not whipped!"

Nathan leaned over the arm of his swivel chair in order to stage whisper towards Tristan, "You do know that she can't see you, right?" Embarrassed that he had gotten so worked up Tristan quickly dropped the hand and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I knew that." He muttered more to himself than the others. Snickers from his uncle, Parker, and Nathan were poorly masked by coughs and it took a moment or two to bring the room back under control.

"As hilarious as this all is, do you mind telling exactly why you are here Tristan? I understand that you've been kicked out but why did you choose to come here of all places?" Cooling off from the heckling Tristan settled into one of the remaining chairs and propped his feet up on the table. He turned to face Nathan, a smile on his face that was not at all the kind of good natured grin a boy of his age should have, it was darker, masking cynicism far to well practiced for one so young.

"Well it was either come here or go to Candy Mountain. And because I went to Candy Mountain last time Tessa needed a break I thought I would come play with my favorite uncle and his friends. I was going to bring snacks but it turns out that cashiers don't take monopoly money. The whole world just seems to enjoy raining on my parade."

A dark chuckle was pulled from Nathan, accompanied of course by his in-charge-of-the-situation-look that was spelling out rather pointedly, 'funny-ha-ha-now-cut-the-crap-son'.

"Fine, fine, don't give me that stare I can't stand it. You and Tessa have got to be related. Two people so full of authority, stubbornness, and glaring skills of that magnitude can not possibly have absolutely no relation to one another."

Putting all joking aside Tristan settled in, boredom taking over his formerly jovial features. "I was bored. Tessa's doing all of this by herself and not letting me help at all. We always share toys, and ever since she decided to come here she's been so consumed with doing better than anything and everyone having to do with Eliot that she won't play with me anymore." He pouted, and his eyebrows were pulled together showing his irritation. With another sigh he lifted his head to the two not quite gentlemen in front of him. With his bangs falling into his eyes they almost missed the mischievous glint sparkling in his dark orbs. Almost, but not quite.

"It irks me, and because I have nothing better to do and no where more entertaining to go I have decided to irk you. Seeing that it is indeed your fault it only seems fair that you shall be the one to receive the forms of torture I specialize in. Tessa's version has always seemed to straight forward for my tastes." Smugly he laced his fingers behind his head, the picture of ease. His grin let his ever so slight sadism seep out into the room, causing Hardison to twitch with the cold aura sending shivers down his spine.

"I prefer psychological torture." Hardison stared at his sick minded nephew.

"You have got so many issues, you make Parker seem normal. You and Con need to go to some kind of therapy for demented teenagers." Nathan brought his attention back to Eliot and Sophie, his chair squeaking with the sudden turn. "Yes well, we all should probably go, we could probably get a discount for a group therapy session."

"I don't like therapists, they scare me." Parker interjected her opinion on the matter with an air of mystery to it. Tristan pursed his lips in thought. "One day you and I are going to have to have a chat Parker, somehow I feel that you have got some interesting stories to tell." Far off at the factory it was Parker's turn to twitch. "I doubt that they would be that interesting, and you scare me too kiddo. A lot."

Tristan grinned at the recognition of his frightening abilities but was not allowed to respond, for at that moment another player had showed up on Eliot and Sophie's monitor screen, flanked by a man who looked very much like Jason, except for the fact that his hair slightly darker and his build somewhat stockier. No doubt that this was Sean, Morgans's head of security. The other man was definitely not one who was low on the corporate ladder however. He carried himself in a whole other kind of creepy, much like an alpha wolf with his dark blue eyes on a huge ole chunk of meat.

"Hello there, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. It is a pleasure to meet such fine people who have such wonderful taste. I am looking forward to making the two of you some of our most valued members of the Morgans Motor family."

Mr. Jonathan Morgans had come with his Chief of Security to examine the credibility and most likely the credit of the newest and freshest meat. By the look in his eyes he was just waiting to sink his teeth in, to either enjoy the spoils of a new customer, or to rip the throats out of low class wanabes who had bit off more than they could chew.

"No turning back now. Eliot, Sophie, do your stuff. Parker, it's time to get to work." With a yippe from Parker and a charming smile from Sophie the time for quick thinking and fast action had arrived.

"Let the games begin." Tristan chuckled darkly and began to hum a tune he heard passing a carnival one day. In the silence that comes before every storm the eerie music only added to the excitement. The games had begun.

Again so sorry for the late update…..

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-Rat