Eliot looks over his shoulder to see Parker in the doorway. She motions to him as Aria tends to Shelley. "Hey, there are a couple people listening to a bedtime story." Eliot gives her a curious look for a moment as it hits. He needs to hear the conversation going on downstairs.
Sophie is not satisfied with Lexi answers and decides to push for more of the story. "By calling her a bloodline Romanov… are you referring to what I think you are referring to? That Aria is a Romanov as in the legend of Russian royalty?" Lexi can see the dazzle in Sophie's eyes. "There were survivors, Sophie… and now there is only one with a direct bloodline." Nate's eyes light up with sparkle of a debate. "So none of Aria's life was random chance?" Paddy answers for Lexi. "There is always free will even in these matters only so much of someone's life can be planned, Nathan."
Lexi stands to refill is glass from an elegant crystal decanter. Eliot is stunned by the revelations. "My enemy's enemy is" Nate finishes the statement. "Is my friend. The best place to hide a Russian treasure… was to give her to an…" Lexi continues. "To an American. Maive was not Irish by birth… she was Russian with a name lost to the annals of time. Maive was married to an American." Lexi supplies a critical detail from Aria's history.
Sophie is intrigued. Lexi can see it in her eyes as Paddy continues. "Yes, Sophie, the American government always knew who Vivian was… or rather Vivienne was…" Nate starts to pace. "A little tweak here…. A tweak there and Russian royalty becomes the daughter of the Irish mob." Lexi laughs at Paddy's summation. "Yes… they hid her in plain sight. It was so simple yet effective."
Those close to Aria are obviously stunned. "She knows who she is?" Lexi turns towards Vance. "Yes Michael... she has known for a very long time." Eliot speaks up. He paces back and forth as he speaks. "So when her mother and sister were killed." He pauses for a moment knowing exactly where this is going but suddenly realizes his tone in front of Paddy. Paddy lost his wife and his own child. "Our secret was compromised." Lexi gets a pensive look and a painful expression passes over Paddy's face. "Yes, Eliot, that changed everything. I had to protect my child. The one I had left. I made Aria into what she is today... to protect her." Paddy breaks his gaze with the others lost in his memories.
As Shelley wakes, Aria comes into view in his hazy vision. Aria is filling a syringe, as she reaches for his arm. "No. Please, I don't need it." Shelley doesn't want anything clouding his thoughts. He takes Aria hand. She sets down the syringe relenting to his request. Shelley slowly drifts off again, holding onto Aria's hand. After she is sure that Shelley is asleep, Aria kisses him and leaves the room. Parker takes her place at his bedside as she promised with Shelley's hand in her own. Aria has unfinished business. She walks down the stairs into the main room.
The conversation abruptly stops upon Aria's entry into the room. Aria cannot help but notice that she has rendered a room full of people silent with a single footstep across the threshold. Mack knows this look on Aria's face as she approaches him. She looks him over as she pushes a scope and bag into his into his chest. "You good?" Mack shakes his head in affirmation. The realization hits Mack that this day is not over, he hands Aria the rifle in return. Aria slings the gun over her shoulder as if it is an extension of her own body. Lexi tips his glass towards Aria as she exchanges an intense look.. Paddy walks up to his daughter, placing a kiss on her forehead which softens the intense expression on Aria's feature . Eliot makes a move towards Aria but is stopped by Nate's arm.
Lexi walks up to Eliot as Mack and Aria exit the room. "She is paying a debt owed by your government to mine. You are not in this game Mr. Spencer. You are a father now. There is no need for blood on your hands." Vance enters the offer clarification. "Eliot, Aria and Mack are "Reapers"." There is a mild expression of shock on Eliot's face. He looks towards Vance. Nate knows exactly what this phrase means. Sophie however does not which Lexi notices.
Nate beats him to the explanation. "Sophie, Reapers, they are basically the "adjustment" bureau for their government. Sometimes they are loaned to handle issues for other governments." Paddy adds. "It is as black as black ops gets. Almost no one knows who they are. Sophie…the things they do are the things that end up in history books."
Lexi finishes it off. "Your friends there… they have toppled governments, changed the courses of battles…and even history from time to time." Sophie interrupts him. "How did you know Mack and Aria were… as you call them "Reapers?"" Lexi takes a drink. "It isn't always who you know. It is often how you know them." His meaning is clear.
Eliot knows from Lexi's tone who Mack and Aria are going after. Aria is settling the Damian issue once and for all. She set him up and forced a sanction. She is going to make him pay for what he did to her and what Damian did to him. Eliot knows that this is how this has to play out. He has to allow Aria to settle this score and it is killing him but it is the only option. Nate and Sophie have also figured this out.
Hardison checks on Parker. She is dutifully staying with Shelley as Aria had asked her to. "How is he?" Hardison embraces her from behind. "He is sleeping. I think. Aria really cares for him." Hardison watches over her shoulder. "I believe she does." Parker puts her hands on his hands. "Do you think she loves him?"
Hardison is wondering where this line of questions is going. Hardison looks at the sleeping figure. "Yes, I think she does, Parker." Shelley starts to stir again from the commotion. Hardison kisses Parker on the cheek as he quietly leaves the room. Shelley's eyes begin to flutter. He looks up to see Parker next to him. He attempts to speak but Parker answers his question before it can be asked. "She will be back soon. Aria and Mack had to take care of something. Can I get you something? Water?"
Shelley nods for some water. Parker gets a glass and pours him a drink. She helps him sit up. "Why are you here, Parker?" Parker smiles. "Aria asked me to take care of you while she was not here." Shelley is still groggy and weak. "Why?" All Parker can think to say is what she just discussed with Hardison. "Because she loves you." Parker's words make him smile as he lies back down. Parker holds his hand the way that Aria does. Shelley drifts back to sleep.
Eliot has been pacing for hours. Lexi, Sterling and Nate have settled into chairs and a bottle. Hardison has drifted off to sleep on his computer. Sophie leans on the other side of the window frame as Eliot stares. "They will be alright. This is what they do." Eliot looks at her with an intensely solemn look. "I know." Sophie continues. "This is not what you do anymore Eliot. Aria does not want this life to touch you." He returns his gaze to the window. "I know but it is not for her to protect me."
Sophie touches Eliot's arm so that he will face her. "She loves you. She wants you to have your chance at your dreams." Eliot acknowledges Sophie's touch.
"Sophie, it is not for her to decide." Eliot attempts to contain his tells that Sophie knows so well. "Eliot, it is her job. This is who she is and what she chose. You can't change that. You are the one who told me that Aria has only killed to protect. She is protecting you." Eliot returns his gaze out the window again. "I don't have to like it." Sophie smiles at Eliot's stubborn streak. She leaves him be at his post.
Damian enters the elegantly appointed room. He pours a drink and approaches the fire. "So my sweet is this business or social." Aria is sitting with her feet up on an ottoman. She is dressed completely in black tactical clothes with the exception of her jump boots, her lucky jump boots. Damian continues his observations. "From your ensemble it would appear you have been sent here on business."
Aria pauses with a coy smile which matches Damian's expression. "I am not armed my dearest." Aria pyramids her fingers in front of her lips. Damian narrows his eyes as surveying what he can see of Aria in her seated position. "Unarmed does not lessen your rather lethal nature my darling." He takes the chair next to Aria with a gentle laugh.
"So what brings the pleasure and privilege of your company my dearest Tsarevna?" Damian gets comfortable and sips his cognac. "Damian, I told you to leave him. Yet, you have again disregarded the terms of our bargain." Damian laughs. His tone clearly illustrates that he is feeling a bit bullet proof at this moment. "Darling, I no longer think you are in a position to bargain." Aria realizes that Damian has not yet heard of the fate of Quinn, Moriarty or his redirected arms shipment.
Aria rises from the chair which puts Damian on his guard. "I told you to leave him and you pulled him in… I told you to leave him and you went after his team. I told you to leave him and here we are. I will only say this once my darling… Leave him or else." Aria turns leaning against the mantle. Damian laughs again. "My Tsarevna, you should not speak so boldly." Aria turns to walk out the door. "Mark my words, my Darling, and remember them." Her voice gently echos off of the stone walls.
What feels like an eternity passes before Aria and Mack return. They silently enter the house and have been gone for over a day. Everyone has drifted off including Eliot after such a restless wait. Mack links pinkies with her as he heads to find a place to crash. He is so tired that he can no longer even form a full thought in his head. Aria walks into the bedroom to find Parker fast asleep in the chair. Aria leans over and kisses Shelley on the forehead before taking a seat on the floor, quickly drifts off to sleep.
The next morning:
Damian is preparing to leave his house for a meeting. He sends his butler out to start his car on this chilly morning. The butler holds his breath as he turns the key. There is an audible sigh as he gets out and holds the door for Damian. Damian gets in the car and as he is a creature of habit, he presses the lighter as he pulls out a cigarette. The lighter gets his attention as he watches it. Within a moment an Azrael card drifts down from the visor a moment before the car explodes around him.
The morning light reveals a very dirty and disheveled Aria asleep with her head on the bed with the remnants of full face black out from the night before still smeared across her eyes and the sniper hood still around her neck. Parker wakes to see Shelley playing with Aria's hair. Eliot walks in to check on them. He sees Aria's sleeping form with her head on the bed and the rest of her sprawling towards the floor. He doesn't know how she got passed him last night. Shelley puts his finger to his lips for Eliot to be quiet. Eliot laughs. "She was up for 3 days. You could detonate a nuclear warhead in here and it wouldn't wake her. You good?" Shelley gives him a thumbs up that he is doing better. Shelley looks at the condition of Aria's clothes and touches the blackout around her eyes. "Where the hell was she?"
Parker excuses herself as Eliot takes her chair. "Aria and Mack went after Moreau." Shelley looks at her then at Eliot. "Well, they are back so I guess we know who won that knife fight." Eliot watches her sleep. He knows what she meant by freedom. Aria has freed him of his past and of his demons but it came at a price. "She was worried about you." Shelley smiles at the thought. "Her Russians seem to know their way around a gunshot wound. Who were they?"
"Apparently, our girl really does have friends in high and low places. It's a long story that you can ask her about when the dead rise again." Both of them suddenly hear Aria mumble. "You two pull that shit with me again, the only thing that is going to beat you to the hospital will be the headlights of the ambulance you are in." Aria stands up and heads out of the room to crash with Mack. Eliot can't help but smirk. That's their girl. Aria nudges Mack and cuddles next to him. Eliot sits down to have a long overdue talk with Shelley about Aria.
Nate and Sophie wake to find that Lexi and Paddy have evaporated with the rising sun. Hardison and Parker are in the kitchen. Mack is sleeping like the dead in another bedroom with Aria cuddled up under the crook of his arm.. He, like Aria is still in full battle dress with complete with the blackout smeared on his face. Sophie is relieved that both of them have returned. Vance is drinking his coffee as he heads to check on Shelley and Eliot. He lingers for a moment at the threshold of the room where Aria and Mack are sleeping.
Sophie knows he is checking them over to make sure they are ok. It brings a smile to her face. She has seen these five like this before, when she watched them walk up from the ocean together after their very first encounter with this crew. They are truly bonded for life in a very rare way. "So what has captured your attention this morning?" Nate is standing behind her watching her watch them. "Just find it interesting how they truly would lay down their lives for each other in without a thought." Nate understands why she finds it fascinating. She is ever the romantic.
"Soph it is the soldier in all of them. You fight for the one fighting next to you." She turns towards him with a smile. "and us?" She is interested in his theory. And there is always a theory. "We are more a merry band of misfits. Though our stakes were high, they weren't their kind of high." They walk to the living room and sit for a while. "So what now? It would seem that there are changes a foot." Nate surveys all of them. "I don't know, Sophie, these are unchartered waters." They know nothing will be the same. Eliot has a child. She and Nate, well it might be time to retire from this game and it may be time for Hardison and Parker to begin their own journey.