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Prompt #13: Gentle - For all her knowledge of breaking into secure buildings and stealing millions in art and jewels, it's hard to remember that she'd still just a child in mind and spirit.

Words: 1,058

It's a phrase you usually hear mothers telling their small children when they get too rough. "Gentle, gentle," the mother will say in a soft voice, stopping the child from breaking whatever's in their grasp.

Some people need to be treated gently too.

And sometimes, they're the most surprising of folk.

It's after a sensitive job that Sophie pulled Nate aside and said, "I don't think you should snap at Parker so much."

He groaned as he sighed. "Soph, she tried freelancing again. She nearly blew Eliot's cover."

"But she didn't know what was happening. Remember, you clearly didn't explain what you were hoping for," she reminded the mastermind. "She went off-script because she didn't have a clear picture. You know Parker."

Nate nodded wearily. "I did snap at her a little harshly," he admitted.

"Remember, Parker didn't have such a great childhood," Sophie said. "Then again, all our upbringings were rather...unorthodox, to say the least," she hedged, recalling just how varied they actually were - Parker and Hardison in the system, Nate's father being a crook, Eliot's possible abuse, and her own colorful past. "But even by our standards, Parker's awfully sheltered for her age. She's still innocent."

Nate shot her a loaded look, and she rolled her eyes. "Not innocent, like, as in act or deed. I meant, innocent in mind. She's still a child, Nate. You can see it sometimes, can't you?"

The ex-insurance investigator sighed again, knowing he was dead to rights. He looked after Parker like she was his own daughter, and he always noticed that air of childlike innocence that surrounded her. It seemed out-of-place on her, a world-class thief who was taught by the best, but when he thought about it, it made sense. Thieving was her life. She wasn't aware that there was a world outside of robbing banks and museums and private collections.

Sometimes he forgot that she was so...young. He expected her obedience, her compliance with whatever scheme his mind cooked up to take down their next mark. He didn't expect her to not understand the subtle hints that the others got. Sometimes, he forgot about that.

Eliot always did. Eliot never missed a chance to say that something was wrong with Parker, or that she was crazy. Nate knew he didn't mean it; not seriously, anyway. Those two were more alike than Nate was sure they were sharing.

Sophie tried to help. She understood that Parker had very little female upbringing, so she tried to teach her things about clothes and shoes and society. And when that fell flat, she taught Parker how to grift better. But she understood that Parker tried to learn, and she was never harsh with the thief.

But Hardison was really the one who got Parker the most. He never was cross with her, and never got angry unless she disappeared off-coms. Then he was worried and unable to focus on his own job, too worried about her safety. It might've been because of their similar upbringings, or maybe because the hacker had the oh-so-slightly-gargantuan crush on the blonde thief. Either way, whenever Parker was in trouble and she couldn't get to Nate, she always went to Hardison.

Nate rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb, thinking. "Soph, she has to learn eventually."

The grifter nodded. "I know that, Nate. I think she does too. But this is Parker. She's great at dropping from crazy heights with just a harness or casing a bank on the weekend. She can tell you how to steal the Hope Diamond and teach you how to dance through a laser grid without tripping an alarm. But that's her strength." She leaned forward to lower her voice as the rest of the team plodded inside. "But Parker is not the best at learning about life. Just remember to be gentle with her."

Sophie walked away, and Nate took a look at the team as they sat on his living room furniture to unwind after the job. Hardison was clearing their files and saving them to wherever he put his copies, should they ever need to check back on the job. Sophie was examining Eliot's bleeding head wound, which had occurred during another one of the hitter's "errands" during the job. And Parker was...heading right for him.

She looked awkward, and shy, and very nervous. The last time she'd looked this nervous, she'd blown the con to a car thief that had nearly gotten the whole team killed. Nate put a reassuring smile on his face and said, "What's up, Parker?"

"I'm sorry for going off-script," she mumbled. For all her anxiety, she stared him right in the eye. "I didn't know what was happening; nobody told me. But I should've waited for your signal. I'm sorry." Apology given, she rocked on the balls of her feet and dropped her gaze to the floor.

Nate saw, once again, what Sophie had meant by "childlike innocence". Parker was waiting to be scolded for doing bad. Just like a child. This deceptively strong woman who could quite possibly drop him in a chokehold was waiting for Nate to pass judgment.

The mastermind rolled his tongue in his mouth before answering. "Parker, I accept your apology. I understand that we were all partly to blame for it; you didn't understand what was going on, and I accept responsibility for that. Next time, just ask someone to help you out, okay?" She didn't look up, but the blonde head nodded. With a fond smile, Nate ruffled her hair. "Good girl."

Parker looked up, smiled at him, and went skipping back to sit next to Hardison as he organized his computer. The hacker immediately scooted over to make room for her, and she leaned to rest her head on his shoulder. Nate grinned for a moment before heading to the freezer to get a bag of peas for Eliot's head wound.

"Gentle," he murmured to himself. "Have to be gentle."

It helped to remind himself from time to time.

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