Chapter 35

Nate came back to consciousness three hours later to find Sophie asleep at his bedside his hand firmly gripped in hers and her head resting on the bed. Nate decided to let Sophie sleep. He knew she was safe and that was good enough for him. He swung his eyes around the room and they landed on the figure standing at the foot of the bed.

"How you feeling?" Eliot said as he met the Mastermind's eyes.

"Go…" Nate swallowed hard and tried to clear his throat. "Good…" He finally got out. Eliot moved to the other side of his bed and poured him a glass of water and helped held it for him as he drank.

"Thanks…" Nate said after draining the glass through. "Penelope…?"

"Dead…"

Nate stared at the Hitter and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not me…she shot herself." Eliot said reading the unspoken question.

"Nate…" Sophie said as she came awake to find her husband awake and talking to Eliot.

"Hey Soph…" He said squeezing her hand gently.

"Oh Nate…" Sophie said tears of happiness suddenly filling her eyes.

"Hey hey…" Nate said wiping away his wife's tears.

"I'm just so…Oh Nate I nearly lost you…" She said leaning in and giving him a kiss.

"Hey looks who's awake…" Hardison said as both he and Parker came awake.

"About time…" Parker said bouncing over to the bed.

"Hey guys…" Nate smiled at them.

"It's over Nate…" Sophie said running her hand through his hair. "Penelope is gone…it's over."

"So when do I go home?" Nate asked. He hated hospitals and he felt fine, tired but fine.

"Not so fast mister." Sophie said pushing him back onto the bed as he tried to sit up. "You are staying right where you are until the doctor tells you that you can go home." She told him.

"I feel fine Soph…" Nate argued. "I just want to go home, to my house. I want to see my daughter."

"Kate is fine, Maggie is with her and besides I am sure she is sleeping by now so you might as well just get comfortable because you are going nowhere."

"But I think we will be going…" Eliot said feeling that Nate and Sophie needed some time alone.

"Yeah…yeah man…" Hardison said picking up on Eliot's signal that they should leave the Grifter and the Mastermind alone. "Come on girl let's go home." Hardison said taking Parkers hand.

"Ok…" Parker said although she did not want to leave Nate. "But we will be back first thing in the morning."

"Of course you will…" Nate smiled at her. "And then we will all go home."

"Ok…" Parker said softly. She wanted leaned in and hugged the Mastermind tightly. "I'm glad you are alright." She told him.

"Thanks Parker…I'm glad too." Nate said gently returning her hug.

The three of them then left and once they had closed the door leaving Nate and Sophie alone, Nate moved over on the bed and patted the one side. Sophie smiled at him and then kicking off her shoes she climbed onto the bed snuggling up to Nate.

"I almost lost you…" Sophie whispered to him. "I thought I had lost you."

"But you didn't." Nate said turning his head and kissing her head.

"How is our daughter…?" Nate asked as they snuggled closer to each other.

"She misses her Daddy…" Sophie told him wrapping her one arm around the Mastermind and resting her head on his chest.

"Not as much as he misses her…" Nate said. "Or her mother…"

"Oh Nate I love you so much…I…I…"

"Don't Soph…it's over, we are safe and tomorrow we are going home." Nate said pulling her impossibly close to him. "You and me and our daughter safe and well…"

"Yes…" Sophie said but could not stop the tears of relief falling. It had been a long hard few weeks with so much emotional turmoil, for all of them and now that it was finally over and Nate was here with her, holding her, it all suddenly started to overwhelm her.

"Shhhh…" Nate soothed her. "Let's get some sleep and then tomorrow we can go home." He said kissing her head again.

Sophie nodded and closed her eyes as she lay with him. Within minutes they were both asleep, safe in each others' arms.

The next morning the doctor gave his consent to Nate being discharged and Nate called Eliot early to collect them and take them home. He told him to tell the others not to come to the hospital but to meet them at the house.

Eliot pulled up at the house and Nate and Sophie climbed out of the car.

"Mommy….Daddy…." A little voice called out and a small girl raced towards them as the house of the door opened.

"Kate…" Nate smiled opening his arms and bending down catching the running child in his arms and lifting her up hugging her tightly. "Hello baby girl…" He said kissing her forehead.

"Hello Daddy, I'm glad you home…" Kate said happily. Then the girl looked over to her mother who took her from her fathers' arms and hugged her tightly. Nate put his arms around Sophie and his daughter and they made their way into the house.

The rest of the day was spent catching up on everything that had happened while he was sedated and going over everything. Bonnano joined them all for a lunch which Eliot prepared and then at around seven that evening everybody took their leave, leaving the Ford family alone. Kate had drifted off to sleep in Nate's arms as they sat in the living room listening to music and just being with each other, something both of them had missed.

"Let's put her to bed and then…" Nate kissed Sophie gently. "I would like to go to bed with my beautiful wife."

Sophie smiled back at him and nodded standing up and watching as Nate carried their daughter to her room. Together they got her into her pyjamas and then Nate tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead gently wishing her sweet dreams. Sophie then also kissed her and made sure she was warm and snug.

They both walked to the door and then turned to look at their daughter sleeping peacefully in her bed. Nate smiled and then turned out the light. He took Sophie's hand and led her into their bedroom.

"I missed you…" He said kissing her passionately as they made their way to their bed.

"Me too…" Sophie said between kisses.

"You know Nate…"

"Mmmm…" Nate said kissing her as he slipped her blouse off of her.

"I have to tell you something…" She said unbuttoning his shirt and letting it slip off of him.

"Can it wait…?" Nate said as he rolled her over so that he was poised above her.

"I think you should know…" Sophie smiled at him running her hand over his face and then lifting herself up off the bed and capturing his lips again.

"Know what…?" Nate said as he helped her out of her skirt.

"You are going to be a Daddy again…" Sophie said her eyes locking with his. She saw his eyes widen and then she saw the smile that made her heart sing.

"Oh Soph…" He said kissing her gently. "I love you…" He said pulling her into a hug as he felt tears prick his eyes.

"Mommy…" A little voice interrupted them as they heard Kate call for her mother.

"Yes baby…" Sophie said quickly getting up and throwing on her nightgown before opening their door.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Kate said, she was still half asleep as she moved to her mother.

"Of course you can." Nate said walking over to them and taking Kate into his arms carrying the child over to their bed. Sophie followed watching as he laid her gently on the bed.

Sophie climbed into the bed beside her daughter and covered her with the duvet. Nate smiled as he watched his wife and his daughter, then he quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before climbing into the bed with them. Kate snuggled against her mother and Nate lay on his side smiling at his wife and daughter. Sophie and Kate drifted into sleep and Nate leaned over kissing first Kate on the head and then Sophie.

"I love you Sophie Ford…you and our beautiful daughter… and I will love the new addition to our family just as much." Nate whispered to the sleeping woman. Then he lay back and closed his eyes drifting into sleep with a contented smile on his face.

I know a bit of a corny end…but hey it's my story. Hope you all enjoyed and thank you all for your support. Thank so much to Farrago42, Sandy-wmd, msj12991, Leveragus, Stellaru, SusieDevereaux, KendraBC, huttonfan, leverageobsessedgrifter, Zee Zee Magee and Sphinxius your continued and loyal support are greatly appreciated. To everybody else who followed or favorited the story and to the others who also took the time to leave reviews or simply read and enjoyed thank you all… Until next time…