When the grifter returned it was to a full room. The hacker was carrying a DVD and a large packet of paper. He had files stacked neatly upon the kitchen counter and his computer was beneath his fingertips. The thief was fiddling with a few padlocks, each and every one of them unlocking and locking within her hands. The hitter was unconsciously scooting her feet away from the food he was preparing. An entire meal meant for five was boiling in a pan while he sliced, diced and filleted away.
The mastermind's bright blue eyes followed the grifter as she observed the team's interactions. He watched as she absorbed the information and filed it away for later. The surprise on her features quickly disappeared when her black eyes registered he was watching. She gave him a flirty wink and dared to walk towards him. Nate met her half-way, both ignoring the looks coming from the other three.
"Here's your phone back," she said with a warm smile on her face.
The mastermind took the phone and bowed his head in acknowledgement. Then he motioned towards the dinner table.
"Will you help me set the table?" He asked.
The grifter flashed him a playful smile and immediately nodded in agreement. Together they set places for every single person in the household, the brunette woman having the seat furthest away from the door and perfectly surrounded by everybody else. Eliot plated their food with a quick flick and flourish of his wrist. Then they dug-in to a noteworthy meal. The air was heavy and filled with tension. But nobody complained about their captive dining with them.
"So does this mean we can let her out of the room all the time now?" Parker questioned softly.
The hitter and hacker stiffened. All eyes moved towards the mastermind for an answer. The grifter just continued to eat her food as if nothing had ever happened. The meal from before was obviously not enough. She had been skipping meals too much and was working on catching up. That would have to stop before she made herself sick.
"If she behaves," Nate replied. Then he turned his attention towards the grifter beside him. "You should probably stop eating now. You'll get sick if you keep going."
Charlotte's eyes grew dark with anger at his words. She sent him a glare that would have killed any normal man. Then she dropped her fork, pushed away from the table and bowed her head. Eliot stood and took care of the grifter's plate while she waited for orders.
"You can go to your room whenever you wish," the mastermind explained. He picked up his and the hitter's dishes to take care of them as well.
The thief and hacker watched as the grifter eyed the door. Hardison sent glares her way while Parker observed her constant exit assessment. Charlotte stood to her feet, taking two steps towards the door. Then she took a breath, twirled around and went straight into her designated bedroom.
"She's house trained," Parker giggled, "Nate, can we keep her?"
"It's just one job, Parker," Eliot growled from his position at the kitchen sink.
Nate smiled and chuckled at the familiar phrase. His team was still the same when it came to denying what they enjoy. They refused to admit that they enjoyed working together. It was just like old times.
"She's not a dog, Parker," Hardison added for good measure, "She's the Queen of Evil. We don't keep evil people on our team."
"Are we a team?" The thief demanded softly, "Teams eat together, right? I mean we're hanging out and everything."
"Yes, Parker," Nate replied, "We are a team."
"A temporary team," the hacker called.
"Just this one job," the hitter agreed.
"Agreed," Parker nodded, "Unless Nate can find us another job."
"I could maybe find a few," the mastermind smiled at the thief.
"I would like to just be paid for this one first," Hardison grumbled, "I'm only doing this one because the Moreau's have information I need."
Nate stared at the hacker in surprise. The young man's voice had changed completely. It sounded vicious, haunted by dark events of the past. There was even a twinge of hatred in that once sweet voice. He almost sounded like he wanted revenge in the worst possible way.
"What information?" He asked.
The hacker darted down to hide away. It was his tell that he felt guilty. He just turned to his computer and pretended to fiddle with it. He wasn't really fooling the mastermind though. His work was already finished.
"Hardison," Nate sighed, "Who did they take?"
The hacker's sad eyes turned to him. Guilt covered his features and he looked downright terrified. There was even a subtle touch of regret.
"My Nana," he explained, "They took her because I stole money from them a long time ago. Charlotte was the one who informed me."
"Is this going to be a problem, buddy?" Eliot demanded softly. He was the expert on what Moreau would do. He knew each and every scenario Nana would experience as punishment.
"Naw," Hardison replied, "I just need information."
"You'll get it," Nate promised, "but not now. She's not going to do anything until she has her son. We'll give him to her and you'll find out everything you need to know. Moreau's downfall will give us everything."
"You still think she'll turn with her husband gone?" Parker asked.
"She's already half-way there," the mastermind replied, "You've seen the way she's changed already."
"Yeah, she's not throwing herself at you anymore," the thief giggled.
"And she hasn't made a move to leave," Eliot agreed.
"She kidnapped my Nana within an hour of me hacking into her mainframe and stealing ten thousand dollars from her account," Hardison growled, "She's also the best damn grifter in history. We can't know if she's changed."
"You're right," Nate nodded, "We can't until her husband's gone."
"So what do you want to do about it?" Parker asked.
"Take out her husband and worry about the rest later," the mastermind replied, "I promised you a lot of money and the take down of a century. That's our first priority. Turning Charlotte Moreau is second."
The team broke apart to do their own separate things. They had absolutely no idea what kind of hole in their plan was about to develop.
