The soft touch of gentle fingertips running across the bandage on his chest brought him slowly out of his state of sleep. Opening his eyes he blinked a few times before realizing she was still next to him. He watched as she trailed her fingers to one end of the bandage and back to the other,he stayed quiet not wanting her to know he was awake,that was until she hit a tender spot making him take a deep breath and exhaling it slowly to ride out the pain that had come with it. Taking his hand he quietly grabbed hers not wanting her to hit the same spot. Looking up to him she smiled warmly,just happy in the thought that he came back,much to his doctors surprise.

"What time is it?" He asked playing with her fingers.

Looking over to the clock on the wall,she sighed."Just after seven."

"That's why it's so dark in here." He mused with a smile but not seeing Claire the smile faded. "Where is Claire?"

She could see the panic set in and knew she needed to calm him down."She's with Parker and Hardison,darling relax. She is safe,and so are you." She ran her hand gently through his hair hoping it would have a calming effect and when he sighed contently she knew it was working.

"When can we leave? We can't stay here." His amazing blue eyes fell on her as she smiled.

"Nate,we have everything under control." Shaking his head he sat up slowly groaning as he did. Sophie got out of the bed knowing there was no convincing the mastermind. "Nate,what are you doing?"

Looking to her he pulled the wires off to the heart monitor and the other machines which forced it to give off the sound of a flat line. "Getting out of here."

"Mister Ford,what on earth are you doing?" The doctor asked coming into the room turning off the machine. Eliot was soon to join them giving the mastermind a disapproving look entering the hall again.

"Hardison get the van back here." He said over the com.

"Why? What happened,is everyone alright?" His voice became panicked at the request.

"Just dandy." He said with sarcasm. "Nate is at it again,I give it twenty minutes tops before we are out of here." Hardison let him know they were on the way back as Nate argued with the doctor as the grifter watched shaking her head in disbelief.

"Mister Ford,you were on life support and in a coma for four days,you shouldn't be out of a doctors care."

"That's great and all but,trust me I rather be at home healing." Nate's eyes had defiance in them and the doctor took note in this.

"There is nothing I can do to convince you is there?"

Shaking his head Nate continued to remove the wires as the doctor sighed. "No,but you can get someone to take this IV out my arm."

"Alright,I'll sign the papers clearly stating that you are signing yourself out AMA. I'll have a nurse remove that for you." Shaking his head the man left the room. This Mister Ford had proved to be his most difficult patient yet.

"Nate,this isn't a good idea." Sophie said helping him as he stood up.

"I know,but someone is after Claire and me now.. apparently and this hospital is not safe enough." Tired of the waiting he pulled the IV out his arm forcing blood to trail down his arm as he let her help him so he could change.

After he came out the bathroom she helped him sit back down as she tended to his arm. "You really are a stubborn,arrogant,selfish bastard you know." She couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.

"I know." He said with a smirk watching her as she wrapped his arm where he carelessly pulled out the needle. He let his free hand rest at her hip. "I need help buttoning this thing up." He said once she was done.

"Of course." She began buttoning his shirt for him,when she was done neither made any effort to move from the other.

"What.. is this thing we have?" He asked bringing his other hand to rest on her other hip pulling her closer to him as he looked up at her,his eyes full of questions.

"I don't know Nate,I really don't" She said softly as she gently caressed his cheek with her hand. "Usually I'm the one asking you that question."

"I know." He said quietly but never moving his eyes from hers. Standing up slowly he was eye level with her now. They stayed staring at each other for what seemed like eternity until the space between them decreased and their lips met some where in the middle.

"Oh geez,get a room." Claire's voice came forcing them to both smile as they turned their attention to the twelve year old.

"See kid,you and me are on the same damn page,that is just so nas-tay,you hear me,y'all are just nasty." Hardison said coming in behind Claire.

Nate smiled at Sophie as they let each other go. Eliot placed Nate's arm around his shoulder and supported him as they signed the papers for him to leave,it wasn't long before they were on their way to this safe place Sophie had told them about.

"Dad,are you okay? You look a little,I dunno.. mis-colored?" She couldn't figure out the word she needed so she made her own. Sophie looked to Nate and took note of it as well.

"I'm fine,just a little tired." He gave them a small smile as they pulled up to the safe house. Getting out the van Eliot helped Nate inside and sat him on a couch as Claire sat beside him.

"I'm glad you're okay." She whispered leaning on his side carefully,ignoring his pain he brought an arm around the girl and smiled.

"I wouldn't leave you or your mom like that. Not when I just met you."

As the others prepared the security for the place Sophie smiled looking over to the couch. It was nearly midnight by the time they had finished preparing everything. Nate and Claire had fallen asleep on the couch both exhausted from their previous injuries,but Sophie could tell Nate was uncomfortable sitting up while he was sleeping. Feeling eyes on him he opened his eyes slowly giving her a smile.

"You should be laying down Nate,not sitting up like this,I know you are in pain."

He would have disagreed with her but she was right. "She's still sleeping. I don't want to wake her." He said quietly looking to the twelve year old he still had an arm around.

"Darling,she will understand." Sophie said with a smile as Claire began to stir.

"Dad,are you okay?" She asked moving her blue eyes to his.

"Your dad needs to go lay down sweetheart." Claire nodded and stood up,Eliot moved to help but Sophie stopped him letting him know she had it.

Helping Nate up she walked him to one of the rooms and opened the door laying him down on the bed. Claire helped fixing the pillows and soon left the room leaving the two alone. The grifter helped him remove his shoes,helping him get comfortable. The grifter went to leave since he appeared to be asleep already but he grabbed hold of her hand and she knew he wanted her to stay,and she did until she was sure he was asleep.

"How long have they known each other?" Claire asked the other who had been sitting around the table.

"A long time." Parker said not offering much detail.

"What Parker means is,none of us really now,a long time before we all met is all I can tell ya kid,your mom and dad were both legends." Hardison offered and watched as the girl grew excited.

"Legends?!" She asked excitedly as Eliot picked up.

"Your mom was and still is the best.. grifter known,everyone knows the Great Sophie Devereaux. Now your dad was the good guy,everyone knew when Nate Ford was after someone or something but then something happened,and he disappeared for a long time." Eliot wasn't willing to give up details about the brother she would never get to know.

"What happened? Was it bad?" She asked fully interested in the story.

"It was really bad." Sophie said emerging from the room and joining the others. "He is asleep,but I don;t know for how long."

"Mom.. what happened,why did he disappear." The twelve year old prodded as Sophie shot a glare towards the other three.

"Sweetheart,that is something your Dad will have to tell you on his own.

"But I want to know." She said quietly. What they didn't know is that Nate wasn't asleep. After Sophie had left the room he got up feeling restless and stood in the doorway.

With a sigh he came out of the shadow the light over the table didn't cover. "Your brother." He said quietly as all eyes in the room fell on him.

"I have a brother?" Claire asked confused as Nate came to the table.

"Had." He said quietly as Claire's eyes widened.

"Dad. I-" He stopped the girl and took in a deep breath.

"You had a little brother,his name was.. he name was Sam." He closed his eyes feeling all the emotions he'd been holding in coming back to him. "He got really sick,it was cancer,and the company I worked for wouldn't pay for a treatment that could have saved his life."

Claire's eyes began to tear up,all the others could do was look on. Sophie wrapped an arm around the girl. "They didn't pay? They wouldn't save him?" She asked as the mastermind shook his head.

"He was eight,he loved baseball,you would have loved him and I'm sure he would have loved you,he would be ten this year,ten years old." Nate's eyes reflected his sadness as he closed his eyes.

"Dad,I-I'm sorry." Claire said getting off her chair bringing her arms around the mastermind he brought his arms around her as well.

A loud banging on the door brought all their attention to the door as it was kicked down and several men with guns pooled into the room. Nate put himself in front of Claire and Sophie as Eliot began calculating how well the situation would go,the odds were not in their favor.

"Well well,if it isn't Daddy protecting his little girl,ah wait a minute is this mommy?" Trevor asked coming from behind one of the men.

"Touch her and we will see who gets hurt this time." Nate said forcing Trevor to laugh.

"Threats? Look at you,you can barely stand,it's a pity I let you live isn't it?"

Eliot went to move but one of the other men pointed the gun at him. "What do you want?" Nate asked keeping Claire behind him.

"Oh you know,just my princess back." Trevor said with a grin.

"Stop calling me that!" Claire yelled as Nate stepped forward.

"Take me instead. She doesn't know anything about your case,I know everything." Eliot's eyes shifted to Nate.

"Oh,you better not being lying to me." Trevor said stepping forward grabbing Nate by the front of his shirt. Eliot moved in front of Sophie stopping her from going after Nate.

"If any of you move,then Daddy here is dead and by the looks of it,that won't take much Princess you are very lucky to have a daddy willing to sacrifice himself for you,but don't think we won't come back for you." Thinking for a minute he smirked. "Actually you're coming with me too." One of his men grabbed the girl by the arm as Sophie held on to her not wanting to let her go.

"Oh Mommy,we will kill him and her if you don't let go." Sophie's hands left Claire as she fought the man to let her go. "If any of you move before our cars are gone,they are both dead."

As they left the safe house Sophie watched as Nate brought Claire close to him,by the time they made it outside and to the cars Eliot was already out the door. "Dammit Hardison! What happened to the security?!" He yelled watching the cars speed away.

"I don't know! Somehow something tripped the system,blocked the signal,it was top notch work,CIA stuff man! " Hardison yelled back.

"We had no choice,we had to let them go." Sophie said quietly. It was a choice none of them wanted to make,and with Nate injured there was no way of knowing how long the two would last.

Claire opened her eyes again to find herself stuck in a room hand cuffed by her wrist to a pole against a wall. It was dark and damp with no light. Letting her eyes adjust to the dark she saw Nate not to far away, "Dad!"

The sudden yell brought Nate to as he tried to move to find himself cuffed to another pole as well. "Claire,are you okay?" He asked trying to regain himself.

"I'm fine.. dad you're bleeding." Claire said quietly as Nate looked down to his chest to see blood seeping through his shirt.

"I'm fine,don't worry about it" He lied. "Can you move at all?" Jiggling the cuff she sighed.

"No I'm stuck,but there is this sharp metal skinny thingy over here." She picked it up showing it to him.

"Good,listen stick it in the keyhole of the cuff and turn it to the left at an angle and then force it down." Doing as she was told it took her two tries to get the cuffs unlocked before she found her way over to Nate doing the same.

"Dad where are we?" She ask as he stood up slowly.

"I don't know." He said quietly moving for the door,it wasn't locked which only proved he was right about Trevor not being so bright. Leading the way he found his way up some steps and into a cabin. "A cabin? We have to be in the middle of no where." he said walking to the front door.

As the reached the door the handle began to turn and he quickly pulled her away towards the back of the cabin and out the back. Looking around he had no idea where they were as he pulled her towards the direction of the thickened wooded area making his way deeper into the forest.

"Dad where are we going?" She asked keeping up with the mastermind who was quickly wearing down.

"Far enough away from them." He said as they came to an are with rocks. "Up." He said as they climbed. Nate was struggling as more blood seeped through his shirt from his chest,giving him the indication that something was very wrong.

"Dad look,an opening if we hide in there,they wouldn't be able to see us unless they climbed up here,and that Trevor guy is an idiot. He will think you are too weak to get up this high." With a little help from his daughter he was able to get into the small opening he placed her at the farthest end putting himself near the opening. Claire noticed there was more blood on his shirt and looked up to see he had gotten slightly pale. "Dad?"

Looking over to her,he gave a smile. "I"m fine,the others will find us,you still have your com?" The girl nodded turning it on.

"Lots of static." she said as Nate nodded,consciousness was slipping from him and fast. "Dad,you don't look to good."

"I-I'm fine just stay hidden,and no matter what,do not leave this area." He said before letting his eyes fall closed and with looking at him she knew it wasn't just sleep this time.

"Dad? Dad! Open your eyes. Come on,I don't want to be alone," She cried burying her face in his shoulder.

The others where struggling to pick up a signal,it was after two am and they were beginning to give up hope until a spark from a com came across the screen,it was a weak signal but Hardison was working to clear the signal as they caught bits of Nate talking.

"I-I'm fine.. hidden., do not leave." They were getting bits of his side but when the signal finally cleared they caught all of what Claire had said

"Dad? Dad! Open your eyes. Come on,I don't want to be alone." They could hear her crying as Hardison handed a com to Sophie.

Afraid of what she would be told she began to talk to her daughter. "Claire,sweetheart are you and your dad okay?"

Looking up to Nate,Claire's eyes began to tear up more. "Mom,he isn't okay,there is blood and.. and he won't open his eyes."

"Where is the blood sweetheart?" Sophie was finding it hard to stay calm.

"His chest,where the bandage is,it's all coming through his shirt,and Trevor is out there and he is probably looking for us." Claire looked back to Nate. "Come on dad,please?" Sophie listened as her heart began to break.

"Claire.. is he breathing?" The question they all held their breath for as the com went quiet.

"Y-yeah he is,but it looks weird,like slow." She finally said after a few minutes.

"Got it,that girl has the come under wraps,we can track the signal in Lucille,the closer we get the stronger the trace will get." Hardison said as they hurried outside to the van climbing in.

"We are coming for you Claire stay put." Sophie said as static took over the com.

Claire could hear the shouts of Trevor and his men as they searched the forest for her and Nate. She new Hardison would find them,they had to, Doing her best she tried to pull Nate further into the small opening and after much effort she succeeded. Looking up to the mastermind she watched as the blood stain on his shirt grew slowly,so she took off her jacket tying it around his chest to put pressure on it hoping it would help.

"Everything is going to be okay dad,they are coming," She said quietly as she listened to the static on the com and the shouts of the men that were out there looking for them,she could only hope that they were safe enough until help arrived.


[A/N: End of chapter 11,Nate is having the worst time ever,the question now is,who will find them first? Will it be Trevor and his men,will they ever find who is really behind it all or will the team find them first? To many questions? lol answers to follow! thanks for all the reviews as well! ]