Chapter 19

Parker outstripped them all in the race to get to Nate and threw herself at him. She jumped up wrapping her arms and legs around him and nearly knocked Nate to the floor.

"Parker." Nate said wrapping his own arms around her and then nudging her to climb off of him. "I am happy to see you too." He smiled at the young woman.

"Nate." Sophie her voice laden with emotion.

"Sophie." Nate said looking at her from head to toe drinking her in. "Well, ah guys, maybe we should get out of here before Trevor decides to come back." Nate said breaking the spell.

"Yeah we can talk back at the pub." Eliot said holding out his hand to Nate who shook it holding the Hitters gaze and acknowledging the silent thank you that passed between them.

"Yeah, yeah Nate back at the pub." Hardison said pulling Nate in to an unexpected hug before heading towards the van.

Nate watched them all walk towards the van and smiled to himself. He had missed them all. Then he followed them and climbed into the van. Parker was babbling to him telling them everything that had happened in the last six months and how they had taken which clients and everything else that came into her head. Nate sat quietly and listened, but his eyes remained locked mostly on Sophie who held his gaze. Eliot listened and smiled to himself as he dove with Hardison sitting next to him with a huge smile on his face. Eliot wondered how long this happiness would last. Was Nate staying?

Arriving at the pub they piled out of the van and entered the premises. Parker headed straight into the back, a public place was no place for the reunion with Nate. The rest followed. Nate stopped at the door to look at the place and took it all in. It had been six months and he had missed the place. Missed home. Then he followed them into the back offices.

"So Nate. Thanks for the save." Sophie said walking to the bar and pouring him a glass of his favourite whiskey. She always kept a bottle there just in case.

"Thanks." Nate said taking the glass and saluting her before sitting down. "It was nothing."

"Can I ask how you knew we were there, how you knew we were in trouble, and how you had the goods to get us out of said trouble?" Eliot said taking a seat opposite him.

"Well…"

"He was keeping tabs on us just like he did with Sophie when he left IYS." Parker said happily, again she had been right about what he would do.

"Well it don't matter, he saved us." Hardison said sitting down at the table as well.

"Yes and now he is back." Parker said happily.

Nate looked at the woman, then at all the other members of his team, his family. Was he back? Was he staying? He had not really thought about that. The last three weeks was spent desperately trying to make sure they got out of this job that they had taken without even knowing who they were really dealing with alive. That was his priority, getting them out safely, and to be honest he had imaged he would not be getting out of this alive, Trevor Dullas was a dangerous man and he had taken a big risk, but it had paid off. Yes Parker was right he had been keeping tabs on them. He had to. They were his responsibility to keep safe.

Sophie cast her eyes to Nate and saw he was deep in thought after that comment. Oh my God she thought, he is not coming back, he was just looking out for us. No he can't leave again she would not be able to take that. She could see Eliot had the same thought. Eliot watched the Mastermind carefully, what if he was not staying? Hardison and Parker would not handle that too well, and dammit neither would he, and he was sure it would kill Sophie if he did not. Before anybody could say anything else Nate's phone rang making Sophie jump as it pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Bonano." Nate said recognising the man's number.

"We picked him up but Nate, he's gone, his boys shot their way out. Take care Nate he was as mad as hell."

"Ok thanks." Nate said putting the phone down. "Guys, I have to go." He said standing up and downing the last bit of his drink. "It was good to see you all."

"Wait where are you going?" Hardison asked confused. They had just got home and there was so much to talk about and Nate was back, wasn't he?

"I, ah, I have to go see Bonano." Nate said. He wanted to get out of here. Trevor was out and that meant he would come looking for him. He had no illusions about that, he was surprised at how easily he had extracted them, he knew he had taken a big risk, but he had been pushed with them being in the position they had been in and he had not had time to get any other contingency plans in place. He was not under any illusions as to the severity of the situation now, he had hoped Bonano would take care of Trevor, but that was not happening and now Trevor had not only given up his prize of the team, but Nate had turned his world upside down and he was a fugitive not only from the police but more than likely from his own people too, Nate had not only let the police know about Trevor's nefarious activities, he had nothing to lose by coming after him and then his team. "I'll be back a little later and we can have dinner." He said calmly showing not of the angst he was feeling.

"Oh ok." Parker said nodding happily.

Nate smiled at her and then nodded to the rest walking out the door and leaving. Once he was outside and in his car he took out his phone and dialled a number.

"Nate." Eliot answered his phone immediately.

"Eliot. Take care. Trevor is out. He might come after you guys." Nate said quickly then hung up before Eliot could respond, he needed to give them the heads up, now if Trevor came after them Eliot would be alert to it.

"Son-of-a-bitch." Eliot said turning to look at the rest of the team.

"What? Eliot what's wrong?" Sophie asked alarmed.

"Trevor is out. Obviously Nate had him picked up by Bonano and Bonano phoned to let him know he was out." Eliot said softly. "That is why he took off. He's done it again, run off to protect us and put himself in serious trouble and trying to deal with it alone."

"Trevor is going to go after him. Oh, Nate is in trouble man." Hardison said. He had no illusions about how mad Trevor would be, not to mention vengeful and with the means to extract that vengeance.

"Hardison." Eliot said looking at the Hacker who was already on his computer checking all the traffic cams and anything else he could think of to try to figure out where Nate had gone. He too had realised what was happening. Nate had saved them and now he was in danger and he was alone, the damn man would never learn.

"Ok, ok." Hardison said breaking into his thoughts.

"You have him."

"No I don't." Hardison said softly. "But I got what happened with Trevor." He said turning the television set on.

All eyes turned to the screen to watch the report of the breakout that happened. Two cops killed and the man Trevor Dullus, a notorious mobster had escaped after being arrested on numerous charges and was now a fugitive from the law and considered armed and dangerous.

"Hardison we need to find Nate." Sophie said anxiously, she too knew that Trevor would go after Nate that was a certainty.

"Yeah man. Look I have him here leaving the Pub, then here, but after that he's gone man. I don't… I just don't know." Hardison said shaking his head in despair.

They all looked up when Eliot's phone rang again all hoping it would be Nate.

"Patrick." Eliot greeted the cop come friend.

"Eliot, do you know where Nate is?" Bonano said not even bothering to greet. "I have been trying his phone but he is not picking up."

"No I don't. Patrick give me his number."

"You don't know his number?"

"It's a long story Patrick."

"I don't doubt it." Bonano said giving Eliot the number. "If he is not with you, you need to find him, there is a guy after him and this guy is bad news."

"Yeah thanks Patrick."

"Ok well let me know if you need any help." Bonano replied then hung up. He was not sure what was going on. He had been surprised when Nate approached him, and there was no mention of the team when they had spoken. Now Eliot did not have the man's number.

"Hardison?"

"I got it Eliot, phones on and I got a trace." He said before Eliot could speak. He picked up his computer and grabbed his coat and headed out to the van with the rest following hard on his heels.