AN:

YAY! Another chapter. The last part is all for fun, since the idea just popped in my head and I could not get rid of it. I'm sure there are many other stories with scenes like that last one, but it's still fun to write/read/imagine happening. The song is "Tighten Up" by The Black Keys.

Unbeta'd, so sorry in advance for any errors.

Disclaimer: Not mine, sadly.

Hope you like! Reviews are love, so give me some love! LOL.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Chapter 10

The 'interrogation' as Charlie liked to think about it, started the moment both women were alone in the car. Sophie didn't waste any time; just jumped to the heart of the matter.

"I know you well enough, little sister, to know that the only reason Nate was able to get you here, was because of me and though I do not agree with you being here, he has made it clear that you will be on our team." Taking a breath she continued talking, "However, what I am curious to know is the 'more to tell' cryptic words from earlier." Then crossing her arms over her chest Sophie stared her younger sibling down, knowing that she would spill everything soon enough.

Sighing loudly and pretending to focus all her attention on navigating the car towards her new home, she started to confess to her sister.

"When Nate said that your life was at stake, naturally I agreed to help. You would do the same thing. Have in fact done it before," Charlie said as she pulled into the car port of a building. Parking her car she turned off the engine and looked her sister in the eye. "However, when Nate showed up with Eliot at my shop, I admit I was… intrigued."

"Intrigued? By whom exactly?" Sophie prodded.

"By Eliot." Charlie looked out the window and remembered the words she had spoken to Nate.

Flashback:

"Who is he Nate?" she said in a pointedly annoyed tone glancing back and indicating she meant Eliot.

"What? You don't already know." Nate looked over at Charlie, confusion written across his face.

"If I knew I wouldn't be wasting time asking." She retorted to Nate in that same annoyed tone.

Shaking her head, as if to come back to the moment, she looked down at her hands.

"He's different, Sophie. Different from anything I've ever come across before." She whispered.

"Different how, love?" Sophie whispered back reaching across the space that separated them to grab hold of Charlie's chin and lean her head up to look her in the eye.

"His mind is quiet. I'm talking total silence. I get nothing from his mind. And when he touches me…" Charlie breathed in a large gulp of air, "when he touches me it's like a lightning bolt struck me and my brain goes clear for that exact moment."

Sophie sat back taking in all that her sister had said. So far Charlie hadn't encountered someone who she couldn't read. Charlie had mentioned that some people had more guarded brains than others, and there was that little masking trick she had briefly told her about, but she could always tell if it was being used. This… this was new. She looked back at her sister as she simply sat there, wondering what to say.

"It gets worse though." Sophie couldn't imagine how worse it could get, "The dream. I mean THE dream, the one I've always had." Sophie nodded, showing her understanding. "I had it last night, again. Only this time the mysterious man was him." At this latest admission, Charlie wiped a lone tear that had traitorously escaped her. Sophie stared at her sister. She didn't know what any of this meant, but she did know that something big was going to happen. Something, maybe, even bigger than the Moreau situation.

"Come here chérie." Sophie said as she opened her arms and enveloped her baby sister, mentally sending out all the love she felt, trying to give whatever little comfort she could.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

Hours later, Sophie was in a cab on her way home. Charlie had calmed down and pretended as if nothing was wrong, but she managed to avoid Eliot's name all evening. Focusing instead of idle chit chat while they moved all her stuff up to her apartment. Sophie knew her sister was a master at putting things aside and never dealing with them, but she felt this was one instance, where she wouldn't allow that. She would help her sister, but in order to do that she needed some help herself first.

Pulling out her cell phone she made a call.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Eliot, Hardison and Parker sat on top of a rooftop across the street from the building that currently housed Charlie. Eliot wondered how Parker had managed to drag him out here with her and Hardison. She had insisted that she 'learn Charlie' as she had put it. Hardison was willing to go anywhere the thief went and somewhere along the line Eliot was recruited as well. Now they sat on a rooftop, using night as their cover, a pair of binoculars each spying on their newest team member. If Eliot was honest with himself, which at the moment he wasn't ready- nor willing- to be, he would admit that he too was curious about her. This woman, with her eclectic taste in music, easy smile and guarded eyes had him enthralled from their first encounter. This was a new feeling for Eliot. If she had been any other woman he would simply pursue her and rely on his southern charm to get her into his bed. However, that was not doable now. He didn't want her in his bed, he wanted her out of his head. Ok, he thought, maybe in my bed wouldn't be so bad.

"All she does is clean!" Parker's exclamation brought Eliot back to the here and now.

"She just moved in Parker that's what people do." Hardison replied.

As they watched, Charlie stopped in the living room, did a 360 degree turn and verified everything was in place. Then she methodically opened all the windows in the apartment. The fast tempo of the music she was listening to booming out from the place.

"No wonder the place is so out here. With that much noise neighbor's would complain." Hardison mentioned, bringing attention to the peculiar area her apartment was in. This part of town was commercial; at 5pm all of the neighboring businesses closed and at night only Charlie seemed to be in the area.

As she walked towards the radio, she stripped off her shirt, leaving her in a tight fitting lace and silk camisole and the pair of low slung jeans she'd been wearing. She switched to a slower tune and made her way into the kitchen, picking up her hair in a messy bun along the way.

In the kitchen she pulled all sorts of things out of cabinets and then from the fridge as she slowly swayed to the music. From the first notes of the song, Eliot was glued to his binoculars. Once the t-shirt was shed, he saw how well her jeans fit, tight in all the right places and now in only the itty bitty thing she called a camisole it was obvious she hadn't been wearing a bra all day, she'd been with him. Then she started swaying and gyrating her hips to the music and Eliot was stuck. He saw that she was mouthing the words of the song as she started to prepare something in the kitchen.

I wanted love, I needed love,
Most of all, most of all
Someone said true love was dead
And I'm bound to fall, bound to fall
For you

But what can I do?

Take my badge but my heart remains
Lovin' you, baby child
Tighten up on your reigns
You're runnin' wild, runnin' wild
It's true

She kept tempo with the music; her hips swaying harder and softer as the song demanded.

Sick for days in so many ways
I'm achin' now, I'm achin' now
It's times like these I need relief
Please show me how, show me how
To get right

When I was young and moving fast
Nothing slowed me down, slowed me down
Now I let the others pass
I've come around, come around

'Cause I've found

She went over the oven and slid in her baking sheets. But just before she closed the oven, she gave her butt a nice little shake.

Living just to keep going
Going just be stay sane
All the while never knowing
It's such a shame

I don't need to get steady
I know just how I feel
I'm telling you to be ready
My dear

She finished off the song by swaying hips all the way down, until she was in a squat position, then swaying them all the way back up. The song finished and another started, but she was already putting stuff away and then made her way into what he figured was the bathroom; and out of sight.

"That was so hot." Whispered Hardison, as though not to break the trance they'd been under. Parker huffed and slapped his shoulder, hard. Eliot just turned his face to watch them and tried to get himself under control.

"What was that for!" He complained as he rubbed his shoulder.

Parker just stomped her foot and walked away. Hardison ran after her, apologizing quickly to the thief. Eliot just looked back to the apartment and to his teammates that were making their way towards the door that would lead them down and out.

In the other building, Charlie closed the bathroom door and leaned back against it, her hands coming to her cheeks to cover the blush. Can't believe I just did that! Charlie had felt them the moment they reached the rooftops. Being in the comfort of her own home, her shields were down. Not to mention the fact that two distinct minds thinking about her at the exact same time, was the equivalent of a scream in her head. When she realized who it was she relaxed slightly. An occasional thought would reach her, and soon she realized that Eliot was up on the rooftop as well. What could they all be wanting? After her earlier confession to her sister, she had decided to not think about the man anymore, but here he was; spying on her. She continued her chores and pretended that he wasn't there but, after the apartment was accommodated to her taste they were still there! Charlie hoped they had had their fun, because now it was her turn. That little dance was all for Eliot as far as she was concerned. The man confused her to no end, but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with him. She might not have been able to read his mind, but she was aware that Hardison was completely entranced and since the thoughts seemed to focus on her solely, she figured that Eliot enjoyed the show just as much as Hardison did. She smiled softly at how mad Parker was at Hardison. That should be an interesting relationship! Letting out a laugh she started to get ready for her shower, mentally preparing herself for the next day.