The past few days were quite awkward to say the least. Eliot and Parker were Nate and Sophie's kids. They had a lot to talk about and almost no time to do it. The hitter would start a conversation about his past and failed miserably every time. The thief tried to get her parents to do all of the things she wanted to do when she was little. Half of the list was still unfinished. That hacker didn't even feel like an outsider as he learned and listened to the stories he thought he knew.

"I still can't get over the fact that Prince John was your brother," Hardison said.

They were packing the rental van, Lucille 5.2. The suitcases didn't seem as endless as they were before. The hacker thought it was odd but Sophie always took forever to pack. It didn't matter that she had magic now. She was still going to make Nate do it. Of course, his suitcase wasn't packed away yet either. Odd, he was usually the first.

"Hey," Hardison gasped, "Nate, your suitcase isn't in here."

"What?" Parker looked absolutely shocked. Her hair was braided off to the side with flowers intertwined. It was a touch her mother thought worked nicely with her purple outfit. The hacker that it worked as well.

"That's impossible," she said, "He's always the first."

"Maybe he forgot?" Eliot suggested softly. He was still fussing with his hair. He was still mourning the loss of his long luxurious hair. It was now shorter and far more wild to tame. Apparently he really did have his father's hair.

"Nate," Parker called, "You forgot to pack!"

The mastermind and grifter stood in front of the diner with sad smiles on their faces. They weren't carrying any bags. They weren't even acting as though they were leaving. They were just standing there, watching.

"Come on," Hardison called, "We've got a whole bunch of bad guys to chase."

"Those bad guys just need a righteous man to take them down," Eliot agreed.

"Well that man's not going to be me," Nate replied. He looked towards Sophie and she gave him a tiny, curt nod. "We're out."

Hardison moved to the front of the diner instantly. Parker was at his side in seconds flat. Even Eliot stopped leaning on the van and stood up. The older pair kept their eyes glued and the three youngsters. Tears were in Sophie's eyes and he knew.

"We?" Parker hissed. Apparently she was teary-eyed as well.

"Yeah," Sophie nodded, "Your father finally decided to make an honest woman out of me."

"Again," Nate shrugged, "We're getting married again. Just to be safe."

"But," Parker looked highly distraught, "We just found each other again."

The mastermind and grifter shared a sad, helpless look. Their eyes glazed over, their fingers trembling in each other's grasp. The hacker knew they'd been hiding something. He'd secretly feared this was coming. Now he knew why Eliot was trying so hard to bring them up to speed.

"It's the curse," he said, "That's why you can't come."

"Yeah," Sophie sighed, "The only reason our memories returned was because we were in the domain of the cursed area."

"But you weren't cursed like they were!" Parker huffed in dismay, "You were cursed differently."

"Differently, yes," Nate agreed, "but by the same curse. I'm sure your mother can leave without losing her memory. She was the first one affected by the curse and has that whole magic thing on her side."

"But your father is stuck," Sophie finished, "If he leaves the town border he will lose his memory."

"That doesn't' matter," Parker argued, "You don't have to know who you are. We'll remind you every day. You're Robin Hood and his Maid Marian. You're awesome."

"They're not going to do that, Parker," Eliot said.

"Why not?"

"Because we're not losing you again," Nate explained, "You saw what your mother went through. We're not doing that again."

"Besides," Sophie said, "We've got to find a way back home. We've got so much to do here. Leaving feels like a bigger betrayal than staying. And you'll always be able to come back."

"We'll visit you as soon as we can cross that border," Nate winked.

"You know this was crusade," Eliot replied, "Now it's our war."

"Promise me you'll keep them safe," Sophie grabbed his hand and squeezed tight. "You're her big brother and I expect you to take that job seriously. And take care of Hardison too. I'm rather fond of him."

Eliot winked. "Til my dying day."

"Eliot," Nate grinned, "Call if you need anything. Of course you've never needed anything but-"

"Yeah I did," Eliot replied. He smoothed back his hair and squeezed Sophie's hand in return. "And because of you I've found it again."

"Hardison!" Nate called.

The hacker stood to attention immediately. He carefully stepped forward with Parker and fought back the emotions welling in his chest. He nodded towards Nate and tried to crack a joke.

"I know, I know," he said, "She's your little girl and if I hurt her you'll sick Eliot on me. But can I be the first to say that your little girl can kick my ass. I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"You're the smartest man I know," Nate replied, "Don't get cocky."

The hacker laughed in relief. That was the closest thing to praise he'd ever gotten. Pride and acceptance were clearly in his mentor's eyes. He was fighting back the tears to stay strong. This was his family, even if none of them were his actual blood.

"Too late," he said.

"And screw Eliot," Nate called, "I'm the one you should worry about."

"So this is it?" Parker asked, "You're really leaving? This is good-bye?"

"Not forever," Nate said.

"Never forever," Sophie pulled the tiny thief into a firm hug. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She was rubbing both of her children's arms as if her life depended on it. "You come by to see us whenever you can. You don't have an excuse. We expect to be visited constantly."

"But not too constantly," Nate laughed, "We've got a town to save and everything."

"So you're leaving then," Parker nodded.

"How does that make you feel?" Sophie asked, tears falling freely from her eyes now. Her children held onto her hands as hard as they could.

"I think I'm okay with that," Parker cried, "Yeah. I'm okay with it."

"And that's why we can go," Nate winked.

They all shared on last longing look. Then the hands were released and the tears were told to go away. The three youngest members of the team stepped away. They boarded into their van. There were several waves and demands for calls as soon as they were home. Then they were all carefully watching the rearview mirror as they left their grifter and mastermind behind.

"So," Parker said, "Where to next, Icky?"

"You're not calling me that," Eliot growled, "Snow Pea."

"Okay," Hardison interrupted, "We are not having any of those brother sister fights in the van. If you want to engage in those kinds of fights, you can do so in the privacy of your own car."

%%%%%%%%%%%

It was the darkest moment of night, right before the dawn. Everybody was sleeping. Nobody knew there was a stranger in their midst. Nobody truly cared at the moment. They were under the impression that everything was fine. Soon they would be able to return home. Nobody thought somebody would break into the nunnery. Mother Superior was the Blue Fairy. She had it under the greatest of protection. The thief used that to his benefit.

He raced out of the building without really causing much of a fuss. The fairies on duty were easily put to sleep with the powder. They wouldn't realize the theft took place until h was well and safe. Nobody noticed him slipping through the window he entered. They didn't notice the rising sun in the distance or the vase in his hand. Even the most well-trained eye would have missed the glimmer of the sun glinting off the man's hook of a hand.

Hook had Cora now.