AN: Guess who's finally done with the really stressful RL stuff?…For this month at least. *tears hair out* Anyway, I was going to go to bed but got up again and decided to post a new chapter. Because I'm awesome, that's why. Either that, or I have an inflated opinion of myself by thinking that this will make people happy. I will also finish replying to all those wonderful reviews and PMs that I didn't get to answering yesterday. *guilty* *shame-face* But I had so many in my inbox because you've all been so very nice to me by reviewing and replying to my longwinded Review Replies.

Thanks! And happy Wednesday!

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Fly on the Wall

They spend the rest of the day at the zoo.

Eliot comments, "I haven't been to one of these since that time I had to steal a monkey. Stupid monkeys. Hate 'em. Alla them."

The dark glower on his little face keeps them from asking why (and makes Sophie steer them away from the primates section of the zoo), although Parker does voice her curiosity about which zoo it was.

"It's classified," Eliot says mysteriously.

Parker nods. "I stole a boa constrictor once from the San Diego Zoo when I was fourteen. I named him Suzie. I was mad when he ran away. He ate Gerry the Gerbil before he poofed, too. You think he's in gerbil heaven? Gerry, I mean, not Suzie. Because that would be bad. Or really, really cool."

No one has an answer to that. Really.

They don't make it back to Nate's in time for lunch (which they eat at a ridiculously overpriced and noisy children's café at the zoo), so they have the cake for dessert after dinner instead, complete with seven candles. Eliot doesn't even grumble about the missing thirty-one. He does, however, clap delightedly and make a wish.

It's adorable. No it's not. No, that's right. It's not adorable at all.

The wish? Well, don't tell anybody (or else you might get a hard kick in your family jewels), but he wishes that his brother could be here with him. They haven't spent a birthday together in ages.

Sprout follows Eliot to bed, and no one says anything. No one, not even Hardison. He doesn't. Not a word. Nuh-uh. See? No pictures, either. Mm-mm. Except for that one, and the other one when he wasn't looking…And then the one with the cuddling, but only 'cause it was so damn cute…

What? Someone's gotta make him a scrapbook for when he gets big again. And is it gonna be Nate? Or Sophie? Or Parker? Hell no. It's gonna be him. 'Cause he's the only one around here who cares enough to do it.

Yeah. Eliot's gonna kill him if he ever finds out. When he gets big again, because that little boy ain't killing anyone unless it's by being so cute that you're adorabled to death.

Parker says something about bringing Bunny over to meet Sprout and disappears into the night.

Sophie kisses Nate on the cheek and departs, saying that she's not needed tonight. Nate isn't exactly sure who she means, him or Eliot. There's a look in her eyes that tells him that maybe she means the both of them.

Nate sits back with his nightly glass of whiskey and watches a balloon move slightly in the breeze from the air conditioning. There's wrapping paper and magic confetti all over his floor, and the dinner and dessert dishes are still in the sink.

He's not quite sure how all of this makes him feel; he misses his son, but he feels like a dad again, now more than ever. And then he thinks, no, not just these past two months, it's the past four years. His team, they treat him like some sort of patriarch, and it hasn't fully registered until now. He's the team leader, sure, he's noticed that, but their dad? He's been that for a while now, and on deeper reflection, he finds that he doesn't even mind all that much.

That's when he hears the click of Eliot's door opening.

"Nate?"

Eliot pads in, Sprout dangling from one hand and his cell phone clutched in the other, "I was gonna call Lindsey, but I couldn't remember the right number."

Eliot doesn't ask for help very often, but the frustration in his face and body language tells Nate that he's been trying to figure out how to call Lindsey since he'd retreated to his bedroom a full hour ago.

"Let me see," Nate says, and takes the phone. "You got the first five numbers right. It's these last ones at the end that are shuffled around. There you go." He gives it back. "It's ringing."

Eliot climbs up onto the chair next to Nate's and grins brightly when Lindsey picks up. "Linny! Happy birthday, Linny!"

Nate listens to the conversation at this end, smiling a little at the childish innocence in Eliot's expression.

"Uh-huh. Yuh-huh. Yeah, I got him now…You can see? Waddaya mean?"

Nate becomes aware of a buzzing sound, and he's about to swat the fly when Eliot stops him.

"Nate! Don't kill the fly! It's Lindsey!" he exclaims.

"Lindsey's the fly?" Nate asks, confused. Is that even possible? Of course it's possible. He's sitting here with a seven-year-old Eliot; anything's possible.

"No," Eliot explains, as if speaking to a seven-year-old, "Lindsey's using the fly to see me." He waves at the insect, which makes lazy circles around his head. He laughs gleefully when it lands on his nose.

Nate blinks, first unsettled by the lack of hygiene in what he's seeing, then by what he's hearing. "Lindsey's using a fly for surveillance. A literal bug." He holds his head in his hands. Okay, that's a little too much for him.

Eliot pats his arm. "It's okay, Nate. Linny says the spell will wear off when the fly dies nat'rally. He won't watch us with it after that happens. 'Cause then it'll be a zombie fly and that's a whole 'nother story."

"Oh, that's good," Nate says, and takes a gulp of his drink.

"No, Nate. A zombie fly would be bad," Eliot explains slowly.

"Okay." Nate rubs his head. Magic is real.

"Ooh, Nate, he wants ta talk to you. Here." The phone is handed to him, and he takes it gingerly.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Nate," says the familiar voice with unfamiliar inflections. "Listen, I wanted to thank you for what you did for him today. You didn't have to do that, and I'm grateful you did."

"Of course we did. He's family," Nate says automatically, then remembers that he's talking to Eliot's only remaining blood family member. "Practically family," he adds with a wince. "Metaphorically."

There's a short laugh on the other side. It's not altogether unfriendly, so he counts it as a win. "I know. He's told me that enough times. Seeing it in action, though. I get it. Thank you."

Nate clears his throat. "That box you sent was a big hit. Of course, you know that, having seen it all," he says, waving in the general direction of the bewitched fly.

Lindsey scoffs. "It was nothing. A trip to storage, a couple of minor spells; it was easy."

Nate smiles. "You know it means more than that." He looks at Eliot, who's watching him with a sleepy expression. Sprout's in his arms, and he doesn't look like he'll be letting go anytime soon. It's an anchor, something familiar, something from his brother that makes him feel safe in a world that's suddenly so very big and different.

There's an uncomfortable silence from Lindsey's side. "Thanks again, Nate," he says, "and pass the message on to the others."

"I will," Nate says, and is about to give the phone back to Eliot, who's holding his hand out for it impatiently.

"Wait," Lindsey says suddenly, "I- I have a spell. It's…slightly unconventional. But it should work. It'll take me a while to get back to Boston because I need to pick up a few things before I get there."

"That's good," Nate says, feeling an odd sinking feeling in his gut. "That's good news."

"A few days, then," Lindsey repeats.

"We'll be seeing you. And uh, happy birthday."

"Thank you," Lindsey says, sounding startled. Then he laughs softly, "I don't think anyone apart from Eliot has said that to me since I quit having a steady day job. Thanks."

The small confession and quiet yet heartfelt thanks bring a small smile to Nate's face. "You're welcome."

He gives Eliot the phone, and the boy heads back to his room, chattering excitedly to his brother about the distinct differences between alligators and crocodiles.

He leans back in his chair, the glass in his hand. "What are you up to, Lindsey?" he asks the fly. It buzzes in the air for a moment before landing next to his hand. It washes its face and multifaceted eyes industriously with its front legs.

"What are you planning?"

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AN: I forgot to reply to anon reviewer kkatee's comment in the last chapter (mea culpa!), so here it is now:

Hmm, that's a good point you make about Eliot not being on any official lists for truancy, but a lot of cons take place during the day, and it has to be inconvenient for them to have Eliot stay inside (with an adult supervisor) during school hours. Nate's neighborhood: True, it might not be suspicious there, haha. And Eliot does have a high school degree already, so there isn't a need for school. But seriously, wouldn't a scene with the schoolyard bully be awesome?...I was busy the last couple of weeks, hence the lag in updating, but I'm okay now. And I have the next medium-length story in this verse finished, along with a Christmas one-shot. Don't worry, you're good. I wouldn't want you to be a permanent grumpypants with no updates for ever and ever and ever *deep breath * and ever and ever and ever, now would I?…You fanfic my fanfic? That is so cool. Thank you!If you want to write something in my verse, feel free to. Let me know and I'll even mention it in the AN of the next chapter I update after you tell me. Because there can never be too much deaged Eliot, nor too much Leverage/Angel fanfic. I mean it. Go ahead and write it!…I have some Eliot backstory up ahead that talks about his parents, so thanks for mentioning the way he reacts to Nate as a dad and being in a kid's shape…Outsmart Nate? Hmmm. How about outsmarting Lindsey? I can do that one.

Thanks!