My tremendous apologies to all of the readers. My computer died, (R.I.P) so I haven't been able to post. I have a replacement now, and I intend to make it up to all of you. To everyone still reading, thank you so much for bearing with me. I will do my very best to make it worth your time.
The dawn breaks clear and bright. Aside from the biting cold, it is a perfect Christmas morning. It is hard to believe that the night before was filled with smoke and tears and uncertainty. Now, the house that only a week ago seemed abandoned is bursting with life. There is a light in nearly every window and Christmas carols are emanating through the walls.
Sophie is shoving a few more mismatched chairs around the table while some other women arrange the place settings. Eliot is managing the kitchen, dashing between the turkey, ham, and yes, a goose too. The ladies try, somewhat unsuccessfully, to stay out of his way as they prepare the side dishes. Parker can be heard jingling by the fireplace. The bells on her reindeer antlers tinkle as she and Kasey finish jamming the last stocking on the already packed mantle. She continues to sing and dance to the music when they move on to the popcorn garland.
"How does it look?" she asks Nate who is pacing and plotting. He has to give the tree a wide berth because of all the presents heaped at the base. In addition to the ones hastily wrapped last night, there are quite a few packages, charred and water logged, that were recovered from the wreckage this morning.
"Hmm? Oh, it looks great!" he replies with a thumbs up to Parker and the little girl. "Like Christmas on steroids…" he adds under his breath. "Hardison, have you got those backgrounds worked out yet?"
"Uh, yeah. Almost." He would be done by now if he hadn't been watching Parker. He shakes his head and turns his attention to his laptop but his mind keeps wandering back to the night before.
"It doesn't have to be a masterpiece," Nate says, now staring at the bulletin board in front of him. "It just has to pass a Google search."
"That's like asking Michelangelo to do stick figures," Hardison retorts with and air of indignation. "Fine, fine," he surrenders to Nate's stern look.
"Time to wrap up," Sophie informs them, walking over to survey the board. "Eliot's carving the turkey as we speak."
"What do you think?" Nate asks, nodding toward their plan.
"It's a bit sloppy, and it's not exactly fool proof, but…we'll make it work."
"Sophie, don't you think it would be better-" Hardison starts, but is cut off with a firm negative from both of them. "Come on, does it really have to be Parker?"
"Yes! We've been through this," Nate exclaims in frustration.
"He likes blondes," Sophie says gently. "No way around it."
"I was just hoping I could go at least one week into our engagement before I have to watch her seduce another man," Hardison grumbles. "If he lays a hand on her, I'm gonna-"
"Is he doing it again?" Parker interrupts. He scowls and turns back to his computer screen as the food begins to migrate to the table. "I let it slide last night, but you can't keep doing this."
"What? Showing concern for your well-being?"
At the sound of the couple's one and only recurring issue, Nate and Sophie slip away to help with the feast.
"Haven't we had this fight before?"
"Yes, but we never finished it," Hardison mentions grumpily.
"Yes, we did."
"No, we didn't," he blurts out, pushing his laptop aside and swiveling his chair toward her. "In the middle of the conversation you jumped off a seventy story building!"
"That was my answer," Parker says plainly.
"That's not an answer!"
"That's a pretty clear message to me," Eliot shouts from across the room.
"Thank you, Eliot," Hardison deadpans. He sighs heavily and leans forward; elbows on knees and head in hands. "Listen, I know you don't need me to protect you," he says to the floor, so quietly that only she can hear. "And, I don't want to hold you back. Not ever, but you scare the hell out of me sometimes." Parker relaxes her shoulders, her defenses lowering. "I'm not like you and Eliot. Fear doesn't give me super human senses and cat like reflexes." She smiles, knowing this to be true, and inches a little closer. "I just get a little stupid when I'm scared."
"A little?" Parker quips. Hardison raises his head to roll his eyes. She plops into his lap and swings an arm around his neck. "I'm not going anywhere," she promises then kisses his cheek.
"This conversation isn't over, is it?" Hardison wonders aloud.
"Not by a long shot." He can't help but return the grin she gives him. "But, I love you….and dinner's ready, so it can wait."
"They are so cute when they make up," Sophie observes from her seat at the table.
"Easy for you to say. You don't have the room right next to theirs," Eliot grumbles.
"You haven't slept in that room since the first night we got here!"
"Where was Eliot last night?" Nate asks, although he's pretty sure he knows the answer.
"And, where did Jordan run off to?" Sophie adds, feigning curiosity.
"She didn't want Erin to be alone in the hospital," Eliot explains with a look that would stop most people from continuing to question him.
"So, you…" Nate isn't most people.
"…may have checked in on them at some point," he adds begrudgingly. "Sophie, not a word or, I swear, I'll throw that goose out into the snow!"
"Spoilsport," she mumbles as he takes his seat.
Parker and Hardison, looking just as happy as ever, are the last to squeeze around the table. As soon as they sit, Jordan stands and clears her throat.
"I know we're all starving and the food looks amazing but I just wanted to say something before we dig in," she says a bit nervously. "This Christmas hasn't turned out how any of us imagined. Some bad things have happened and the future is more uncertain than ever, but what really matters is that we are all safe and together. We are still the Dublin Street family, no matter the address. The people around this table are some of the strongest and most resilient souls I have ever met. It is an absolute gift just to know you."
"Here, here," Nate cuts in when Jordan starts to choke up. He raises his glass and everyone toasts.
"And, a special thanks to our newest members," Jordan continues, regaining her composure. "They made room for us in their holiday, in their home, and at their table. To Nate, Sophie, Parker, Alec and Eliot."
There is an outburst of 'cheers' and glasses clinking then the feast begins. The food is passed and piled onto plates. Wine is poured and drank. Conversation flows and laughter erupts frequently. By the time the plates are cleared, more than a few belts have to be loosened.
"What's for dessert?" Parker asked excitedly. She seems to be the only one not drifting into a food coma.
"There's more food?" Sophie says in disbelief.
"There's six different kinds pie." Parker exclaims, but gets only groans in response.
"Why don't we open presents first?" Hardison suggests. "Then, dessert later."
"Much later," Nate adds.
"Did somebody say 'presents'?" Kasey chimes in.
"Yes, but there's one very important thing we have to do before we can open the presents," Sophie says seriously.
"What?" both Parker and Kasey ask in rapt anticipation.
"We have to pick a Santa," she informs them dramatically. "It was always a tradition in my family to pick one person to be Santa every year, and they get to pass out all the gifts."
"I nominate Kasey," Hardison announces.
"Seconded," Nate and Eliot say in unision.
"All those in favor?" Parker asks, raising her hand. The rest of the table copies her as the little girl starts the blush. "It's unanimous! Kasey, I hereby crown you: Santa Claus!" She produces a Santa hat from somewhere and hits the button on Elvis, the snowman. Fittingly, he starts to croon 'Here comes Santa Claus,' and Parker dances Kasey over to the tree.
The group forms a lumpy circle around the room. Some sit on the couches, others on ottomans, or the floor and a few simply turned their chairs away from the table toward the action. The Leverage Team got four gifts apiece, one from each of their teammates, while the rest of the women ended up with two three, at least one of those being scarred by the fire. Kasey made out the best, hauling at least a dozen to her pile. The calm that had settled after dinner is shattered by the sound of paper ripping and squeals of excitement.
"Parker, these are beautiful," Sophie gushes looking between the four framed sketches she's just unwrapped. They are a fashion designer's drawings, but it's the signature that shocks her. "Are these originals?"
"Yeah, you wouldn't believe the security on those things. Who is Coco Channel anyway?" Parker asks, mispronouncing the name.
"Chanel, Parker. Coco Chanel," Sophie corrects her, as if the name itself were sacred. "She's a designer, a very famous designer."
"So, you like them?"
"I love them!" She continues gazing at each of them in turn until she notices the disapproving look she's getting from Nate. "I'm not giving them back! I don't care how Parker got them, they're mine now!" She puts them back in their box, out of his reach, and shoves one his presents into his lap. "Come on, let's see what Parker got you?" Sophie hopes it's something equally amazing and illegally obtained so he can't try to guilt her.
As he pulls out the hideous Christmas sweater and matching socks, she has a fleeting moment of disappointment, but seeing his face makes up for it. They haggle for few minutes as Sophie convinces him to try it on, while stealthily grabbing her camera.
The look on Nate's face is very similar to Eliot's as he holds up the t-shirt Hardison gave him. 'I don't need a weapon, I am a weapon,' it proclaims over the image of Chuck Norris.
"It's so you!" the hacker jokes. "And, it's still better than what you got me."
"I put a lot of thought into that," Eliot retorts. "It's useful and it shows that I care."
"You gave me pepper spray and a rape whistle!"
"I hope you think of me every time you use them," He says with false sincerity. Hardison is about to use the pepper spray on Eliot when Parker comes flying at him. As usual the hug nearly knocks him over but he wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love it," she whispers in his ear and squeezes him a little tighter.
"Since when does Parker like Spiderman?" Eliot asks, not understanding why she should be so pleased by an old comic book.
"Long story," Hardison gasps after Parker releases him. He cringes slightly as she removes the collector's item from it's plastic protection. She pages through it like it was last week's People Magazine just as he knew she would.
Meanwhile, Sophie is trying on the bracelet from Nate and watching him out of the corner of her eye. As he unwraps the small box, he is impressed with the antique pocket watch but nearly chokes when he sees the engraving. He reads it three times to make sure it's not a trick of the light before looking up at Sophie.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Huh..."
"After all these years, you finally know my real name and all you have to say is 'huh'?" she asks in disenchantment. "Men!" she scoffs as he stammers on and turns back to the rest of her gifts. "Oh, Eliot, this is gorgeous!" she says holding up the cashmere sweater. "The color's perfect, thank you."
"And, thank you," he replies nodding at the top of the line kitchen gadget she gave him.
"Is that shampoo?" she asks, noticing the huge bottle with his other presents.
"Yeah, it's from Parker, to replace what she 'borrowed' when she used to break into my place." He scowls when she laughs at this, but then a thought occurs to him. "She used to break into your place too."
"Used too? I'm sure she still does," Sophie shrugs indifferently. "You want her to stay sharp, don't you?"
"So, you don't care that she used to steal your leftovers?"
"Eliot, please," she says mockingly. "Do I look like the kind of woman who eats leftovers? You know I hate the phrase 'doggie bag'." Eliot stares at her in disbelief. "What? I didn't want our little thief to be malnourished."
"This is the strangest family I have ever been a part of."
"Yes, and the very best," she points out. He's about to agree, but stands abruptly instead. "What is it?"
"I have to go break the DVD player," Eliot says simply.
"What? Why?" Sophie asks in alarm. He doesn't reply, but nods toward Hardison who just unwrapped a box set of Doctor Who. "Oh, I see. Break away." He grabs the Katana sword that Nate had given him and stalks off.
As the evening starts to wind down, Sophie sits back and surveys the room. Everyone seems to be floating in a sea of crumpled wrapping paper as 'Thank-you's and 'Merry Christmas's crisscross the room. First she glances at Nate. He's testing out his noise-canceling headphones, courtesy of Hardison, and setting the time on his new (well, antique) pocket watch. Parker is recoiling the climbing rope from Eliot while Hardison shows her something on the new techno-gizmo Nate gave him. Sophie isn't sure where Eliot went, but after seeing Jordan slipping out the back door she has a pretty good guess.
Lastly, she takes in the women, some with bruises still shadowing their faces, smiling and laughing without a care in the world. Tomorrow the spell of Christmas will break and these women will have to face the cold world once again. Sophie's eyes are drawn to the bulletin board in the corner, knowing now, more than ever, what is at stake.
Eliot Spencer is not an easy man to sneak up on, but even without his heightened senses, the crunch of snow is impossible to miss. He stops his attack on the DVD player and sheaths the sword as Jordan approaches.
"So, do you have homicidal tendencies towards all electronics or just DVD players?"
"…Preemptive strike," he explains gruffly.
"I see. You wanted to keep the stereo from getting any ideas," Jordan suggests, narrowing her eyes at the now mangled device. Eliot smiles, happy to see a glimpse of her sense of humor. "You're going to have to tell me eventually, you know," she adds, catching him off guard.
"Tell you what?"
"I know you talked to the Fire Marshall this morning." He drops his head, unable to look her in the eyes. "Just tell me. How bad is it?" She asks heavily.
"It started on the south side of the building, your office. There are traces of accelerants, probably lighter fluid." Eliot tries to find a gentle approach to convey the information, but there's no nice way to put it. "Most of the second floor is gone and the third collapsed on top of it. The North side is still there, but the water damage is pretty extensive."
"Unsalvageable?" she asks, finding the answer in his silence. Jordan takes a few deep breaths, letting the word sink in.
"That may have been the term he used," Eliot says, carefully leaning the sword against a nearby tree. He sees the tears welling in her eyes, but before he can reach her, she strides forward and stomps on the DVD player. She continues to kick at it madly until her grunts become sobs and her rage is spent. When she is about to crumple into the snow, Eliot's arms brace her, holding her up.
"I always knew he was a jerk," Jordan utters quietly, letting him guide her to the back porch. They sit down on the steps, his arm still around her. "I've known for years. Hot-headed, selfish… mean." Eliot doesn't need to ask to know she is talking about Evan James. "Hurting Sarah, and trying to shut us down…that's just more of the same. But, setting fire to a house full of people…that's evil.
"What kind of man does that?"
Eliot wonders what she might have to say about some of his darker deeds, but says nothing.
"He could have killed us," Jordan says trying to comprehend the idea herself. "I've helped abused women, counseled them for years….but, this is the first time I've felt like one."
"What do you usually tell them?" Eliot asks pointedly.
"That it's not their fault," she replies. "They didn't bring this on themselves. They're strong, they deserve better and there's a way out."
"That's good advice."
Ok, i hope you enjoyed the little slice of Christmas in July. The next few chapters get a little job heavy, but stick with me. Once that's wrapped up it will be more focused around Parker and Hardison again. I plan to take them all the way to the wedding and beyond...