End of Part One- Intermisson
Hey everybody! I'm back! Those other ideas wouldn't leave me alone, so I have to continue. I thought about starting a new story but I really like this back drop so I want to run with it. I have a rough outline but we'll see where this goes. I'm going to try to work a job into the plot, wish me luck!
We're picking up with them a little while down the road. It's now December, almost a year from when the story started. The rest of season three has happen including taking down Damien Moreau. Everything, with the exception of the Christmas episode. I'm kind of replacing it, so I will be using bits of it here and there. I own nothing and i hope you enjoy it. Stick with me! We're getting pretty far off the rails now, but I'm going to do my best to keep the characters realistic.
End of Intermission- Part Two
"Eliot, can I ask you something?"
"Yes, for a straight guy you do own an awful lot of scarves."
"That wasn't what I was going to ask." Hardison scowls at Eliot who grins back unapologetically. "You know what, never mind. I thought maybe you would want to be a part of something beautiful, but no. Next time I have a question I won't ask my best friend, I'll just call the psychic hotline or something."
"I was kidding! What do you want?"
"I need to hide something from Parker."
"What did you do?" Eliot asks, all humor disappearing from his voice.
"Nothing!"
"Damn it, Hardison!"
"Seriously! It's nothing bad!" His hands instinctively rise in defense. "I have to give her -something. I just need to keep her from finding it until we head up to the cabin."
"Is it a puppy?" he questions sarcastically. "Because I don't allow anything that ain't potty trained in my cabin."
The cabin in question is actually one of Eliot's safe houses, and in three days the whole team is taking a Christmas vacation. Two weeks in a cozy cabin on a frozen lake, just the 'family' and no jobs.
"No, it's not a puppy."
"Well, what is it?"
"I don't have time to get into it now. I have to run to the mall and return somebody's Christmas present." Hardison starts packing up his gear as Sophie strolls in.
"No fighting you two," She scolds while peeling off her fake eyelashes. "The job is done and it's almost Christmas."
"Where's Parker?" Hardison asks glancing furtively toward the door.
"She's with Nate. They'll be along in a bit." She puts a hand on Eliot's shoulder to steady herself as she unzips her boots and slips them off. "He insisted on returning that limo we stole."
"Good," he states then motions for Sophie to take her comm. out. She does, but eyes him suspiciously. "What I was trying to tell Eliot is that I need your help." As he speaks he rummages through his computer bag. "I need to make sure Parker doesn't find this until I want her to."
"Is that what I think it is?" Sophie asks, her eyes glued to the jewelry box in his hand. It's a very specifically sized jewelry box.
"Well, it sure as hell ain't a puppy," Eliot comments, now feeling a little guilty for not taking him seriously before.
"May I?" inquires Sophie, cautiously reaching for the box. Hardison offers it up and she takes it as gently as if it were made of paper lace. "Well done, Alec." Even Eliot is a little impressed. "That's an 'old European' cushion cut blue diamond. It's beautiful. Two karats?"
"Almost two and a half." That doesn't include the smaller diamonds that border it.
"Very nice. Is this custom made?" she wonders.
"Yeah, check this out." Hardison reaches over and takes the ring out of the little box. Turning it around, he reveals an elaborate pattern opposite from the stone. The thin band is wound into a knot with another small diamond in the loop. "It's an alpine butterfly knot, Parker's favorite."
"Oh, yeah," acknowledges Sophie, remembering seeing it frequently.
"One of the strongest knots there is," Eliot agrees.
"I just figured…she trusts it with her life," he says shrugging. "I want her to be that sure of me."
"That's very sweet," she says still examining the ring in awe.
"So, you're on board?"
"What do you need?" Eliot says begrudgingly.
"Tell me where to hide it?" The 'duh' is implied with his tone. "I'm going to ask her when we're up at the cabin. I just need to keep it hidden until then."
"Let's think…" Sophie takes a moment to get into Parker's mindset. "We can't put it in a safe. We'd run the risk of her cracking it for fun."
"Anything that is by definition secure is out." Eliot starts to pace. "No lock boxes, nothing like that. And you'll want to keep it close."
"If it were any other woman, you could just slip it in you pocket, no problem," Sophie says regretfully.
"She steals my wallet once a week," Hardison informs them.
"Mine too," Eliot growls. Their grifter tries and fails to suppress a smile.
"If it were any other woman," he sighs heavily, "I wouldn't be proposing."
"We need to do a 'rolling blackout'," Sophie decides with a glint in her eye. At their lack of recognition she scoffs in exasperation. "Honestly! I should write up a handbook or something."
"What's a 'rolling blackout'?" the boys ask looking nervously toward the door.
"Basically, we just keep constantly moving it. No real plan, no patterns to pick up on. Passing it between the three of us-"
"And Nate," Hardison is sure to add.
"We can conceal it in random objects, everyday things that she wouldn't notice or be interested in digging into."
"You sure it'll work?"
"Of course!" Sophie promises and starts eyeing up Nate's book shelves. Her delicate fingers drift over the spines before landing on a thick leather bound volume. She tosses it to Eliot then rearranges the other books so its absence is inconspicuous.
"The Art and Artistry of Alpine Skiing?"
"It's thick enough and Parker would never pick it up," she reasons.
"Yeah, there's no pictures," Eliot quips while paging through it. "Hope it's not Nate's favorite," he adds, snapping it shut and producing a knife.
"I'm pretty sure it came with the shelf."
"It's for a good cause," Hardison rationalizes as Eliot starts hollowing out a small compartment.
"I'll take it first," Sophie volunteers. "And, I'll pass it off if she gets too close." She holds out her hand for the little leather box and the hacker reluctantly gives it up. "Hardison is our last resort. Under the circumstances, he'll have the worst poker face."
"As opposed to all those other times when he's James Bond," mutters Eliot, still slicing into the old book. Sophie ignores the squabbling that ensues in favor of gazing at the ring again.
"Shh!" she exclaims getting their attention. They all freeze, hearing voices outside the door. Eliot shoves the book at Sophie and the ring disappears within it. Then he and Hardison scramble to get rid of the scraps of paper just as the door opens.
"He wasn't in a crosswalk!"
"Parker, that doesn't give you the right to hit a pedestrian," Nate says, massaging the bridge of his nose.
"I only almost hit him," she explains, trying to get the others on her side. Hardison grins but Eliot and Sophie just shake their heads. "I would have swerved if he hadn't moved."
"Limos don't really handle all that well."
"I've never had a problem before," she states, hopping onto the nearest countertop. Everyone looks at her wondering if that was in her days as a getaway driver or a car thief. Or possibly from another chapter of her criminal life that hasn't yet been illuminated.
"Ok," Nate interrupts their thoughts. "I agreed to go away for the holidays but I've had enough of you guys for one day." He waves over his shoulder heading upstairs.
"What's that?" Parker asks Sophie, ignoring Nate's request for solitude.
"Oh, just a little reading material for the trip." Cool as a cucumber, she turns the book over in her hands and holds it out to Parker. Hardison holds his breath as the girl leans forward. She reads the title then sniffs it suspiciously, but never actually touches it. He sighs in relief when she loses interest.
"Eliot, are you sure there's going to be snow?" Parker has been asking at least once a day since the trip was planned.
"Yes," he replies in exasperation. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's Minnesota, there will be snow!"
"Hardison, bring up the forecast for- Where is it again?" Sophie says pointing toward the big screen.
"Excelsior," Eliot reminds her. "It's right on Lake Minnetonka." Hardison does as he's told and in seconds two different weather reports are being shown.
Parker grins. Not only is it snowing there, right now, but there's more in the works for the upcoming week.
"Happy now?" Hardison asks. She nods and hops off the counter.
"Come on," she says, grabbing his hand. "We still have time to get to the mall. I want to get my picture taken with Santa!"
He lets her tug him out of the apartment, but glances back at Sophie and the book in her hands. She pats the cover and waves him off.
"Eliot, do you suppose that was code for-"
"Nope," he states with certainty. "She actually wants a picture with Santa Claus."
More to come, hopefully soon.