Kaira and Eliot got called in to the office for another job. They waited for Nate to fill them in on the job. Kaira was reading a bridal magazine and Eliot was reading a magazine in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. They were sitting on the couch. Then Hardison came over.
"Hey. This looks like an ordinary cell phone, right?"
Kaira bookmarked her page and laid the magazine down on the coffee table. Eliot looked at him and took a sip of coffee. Hardison tapped a button and a high-pitched humming was heard.
"It's not, man. It's a metal detector." Hardison went in front of the coffee table and leaned on it and then sat down on the arm of the couch adjacent to them.
Kaira looked at Hardison as Eliot didn't even blink an eye.
"See, it uses pulse-induction technology that sends out a current that generates a magnetic field, and then - are you even listening?" Hardison said.
Kaira tried not to smile. "I was." Kaira said.
"Yeah." Eliot said.
"Well, what did I say?" Hardison asked Eliot.
"You were explaining how you're still a virgin." Eliot said.
Just then the door opened.
"You can finish telling me about the phone later, Hardison." Kaira smiled at Hardison.
Nate was telling Parker off for being unsympathetic to the client. The client was a woman who worked at a clinic that was shut down because they ran out of money. A little girl had an asthma attack and the father went to the clinic for help. If she hadn't been there, then the girl could've died.
"I told you not to take her." Eliot said amused, setting down his coffee cup. Kaira got up and went to Parker who was in the kitchen.
"Well, you were right. Where's Sophie?" Nate asked.
Kaira grabbed Parker's arm.
"Hey. You have to learn to at least act sympathetic if you want to do better at these jobs." Kaira scolded Parker.
Parker huffed and looked at her friend.
"How?" Parker asked.
"I don't know." Kaira heard Eliot say.
"Well, we're not waiting. Let's go. Let's start." Nate said, sighing.
"Listen to when people tell you something, respond in a way that shows you care. And no laughing and making jokes. You tell them it's going to be okay. That's it." Kaira said.
Parker nodded and she went to get cereal from the fridge. Kaira sat next to Eliot. He placed a hand on her thigh and Kaira smiled. Hardison went up to the screen and got his presentation ready.
"Daniel Fowler, 61, CEO of FTP Fidelity. Now, this is the largest private investment firm in the state, up until about three weeks ago. This whole thing was blown as a big Ponzi scheme, and I'm not talking crooked investments. I mean stone-cold con. There was never any fund, no trades, no real accounts. The clinic lost everything." Hardison explained.
"And nearly cost a little girl her life." Kaira pointed out.
"10 years, this guy wore all the right suits and filed all the right papers with the S.E.C. Nobody looked twice." Nate pointed out.
"Well, as soon as the FBI figured out, they slapped a little house arrest on him, and they froze all his assets - I'm talking corporate accounts, personal accounts, real-estate holdings. Anything on planet Earth with this dude's name on it is on ice." Hardison explained.
Parker sat on the other side of Eliot on the arm of the couch, eating her cereal from the green bowl.
"The FBI's very thorough, huh?" Eliot questioned.
"Extremely." Hardison said sarcastically.
"So what's they miss?" Parker asked.
"Oh. 20 million dollars. They moved it off the books right before the warrants came down." Hardison said.
Kaira whisted. "How does the FBI ignore 20 million dollars missing out of an account of a con artist?" Kaira questioned.
"Probably didn't bother to look." Eliot said.
"Yeah, well, he knew the end was near, and he was getting ready to bolt. Tell me something - where was Fowler arrested?" Nate said.
"Oh, in his apartment, packing for his "business trip" to the Maldives." Hardison said, with quotations around business trip.
Kaira heard the door open again. This time it was Sophie entering.
"You see, he'd need it light, portable, close at hand. That 20 million is in his apartment." Nate pointed out.
"Yeah, but this guy's on house arrest, man. I mean, he's practically living with the FBI." Eliot said.
"The problem is not getting into the apartment but getting them out." Sophie said, grabbing food from the counter, stressed about something.
"Where were you?" Nate asked.
"Oh, I-I was running an errand." Sophie said.
"Weren't you with the boyfriend?" Parker asked.
Kaira glared at Parker as Sophie slammed the tin on the island. Kaira made a note to talk to Sophie later.
"So, what are the terms of his house arrest?" Sophie asked.
"Fowler's confined to his six million dollar penthouse overlooking the Charles River." Hardison explained.
"You're telling me this guy ripped off how many people, caused who knows how many lives to be ruined, and instead of throwing him in jail, he's living in a damn penthouse." Kaira said, upset.
"Yeah, that's a rough punishment, huh?" Eliot commented, agreeing with Kaira.
"The whole place is fitted with 24/7 surveillance so the Feds can keep an eye on him. Now..." Hardison was saying as he pulled up the footage and Sophie went to go sit down.
"We can too. I piggybacked on their wireless feed." Hardison explained.
"Still, for us to get in and search the place, we've got to get rid of Fowler." Sophie said.
"What's the exceptions for house arrest?" Kaira asked Nate.
"There are three general exceptions for house arrest. There's personal safety, death of a relative, and family events." Nate explained.
"Personal safety - we could burn the apartment down." Eliot said. Kaira looked at Eliot.
"Or we could just pull a fire alarm and use the time to search the place while it's empty." Kaira suggested. Parker raised her hand.
"Or... Death of a relative." Eliot said.
Nate and Kaira ignored him and looked at the footage. There was a woman and a kid arguing with Fowler about a cell phone that went missing.
"Uh, w-who's that?" Nate asked.
"Oh, the kid. Kid's from her first marriage - Widmark." Hardison explained.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Widmark?" Eliot questioned.
"Rich people, man." Hardison said.
"Geez..." Eliot commented.
"Oh, can you, uh, punch in on that, please?" Nate asked.
Fowler yelled at Widmark, saying he doesn't have any respect for him as he bought Widmark the phone. Then the mom left and left the kid in the room.
Kaira flashed back to her own childhood. More specifically, how mean her dad got when he was drunk. He blamed Kaira for her sister's death, citing God knows what bullshit excuse he came up with that week. Kaira teared up and Eliot comforted her. He kissed her head and calmed down some. The team felt bad for the kid and Kaira.
"Wow. Okay. What do we got on the kid?" Nate asked after a moment.
"Widmark Fowler, age 10. No arrests, no outstanding warrants." Hardison explained, feeling bad.
"Hardison..." Nate said.
"He's a fifth-grade student at Dalton Academy, academically unexceptional, no extracurriculars. He's allergic to strawberries." Hardison said.
Parker laughed again.
"Strawberries..." Parker finished laughing, getting stared at by Kaira.
"Judges give out day passes for family events. It's one of the three things, right? So Fowler is going to ask for one so he doesn't miss his kid's big debut." Nate said.
"Okay, I'll bite. What's he debuting as?" Hardison asked, sitting down.
"Nathan, how do we even know that Fowler will even show up? You saw the footage. Fowler does not like Widmark. And Widmark, he just wants his dad to see him." Kaira said, getting slightly emotional, causing alarm with the team.
"How do you know?" Parker asked.
"Because after my sister died, my dad acted the same way." Kaira said, trying not to think about it.
The rest of the team went silent for the moment.
"Yeah, I don't know. But we're gonna go steal his school and find out." Nate said, getting up.
They got to work setting up their covers for the school.
The next day, they got ready. Hardison talked to the headmaster of the school, convincing him that the President of Botswana read his grad school thesis. Nate would be replacing him as Sophie was a teacher and Eliot as the gym teacher. Kaira was a guidance counselor. She watched as Nate walked down the stairs to the group of concerned parents, who were not happy. Nate had a book and a cane in his hand as he met with the parents.
"Guten Tag." Nate said in a German accent.
He sat his briefcase down.
"My name is Dr. Melcher. And I presume you are all familiar with the pre-eminent literature on the children's education - my book, The Melcher Method." Nate was saying before a guy tried to grab the book.
Nate pulled the book back.
"In which case any further, uh, introduction would be redundant. I'd like to begin by speaking about the changes we're going to be making in the curriculum." Nate said.
Kaira then came down and started shooshing everyone so Nate could talk. She was wearing a simple dress with very light makeup and her hair done neatly in a braid and a silver ring necklace.
"Mark Sanford. I'm head of the concerned parents association." Mark said.
"That must be very exciting for you." Nate said sarcastically.
"Yes, I'm sure. Uh, why do we need any changes at all? I mean, this is the best private school in Boston." Mark said, causing the crowd to yell.
The administrator calmed everyone down.
"The Melcher Method involves the education of the whole child - mind, and body. Ja, when a child fails, is it just the brain that fails? Nein. No, the body contains the failing brain, and both are cast into a cruel world of darkness and despair, and even worse - public school." Nate said.
The crowd started getting worked up again.
"Dante's inferno of Mediocrity. Which is why I bring with me three of my most valued associates. Uh, we have mind, uh, and body." Nate said as Sophie and Eliot walked down the stairs.
Sophie was in a simple grey dress with thin flowers on it, and Eliot had on a black t-shirt with a red and white windbreaker jacket and track pants and his hair up.
"Miss Donovan will hone your children's minds, and Mr. Brewer, he will craft your children's bodies into the proper mind-vessels through exercise and nutrition. And his lovely fiancé, Dr. Reynolds, would you explain your role?" Nate turned to each person, finally to Kaira.
"Yes, Doctor Melcher. See, it is important to me that your children understand their brains. This is a very fragile time period for them. A lot of changes are happening. And kids don't always understand why they're thinking the way they are, so they need someone to talk to besides their parents." Kaira said in a slight British accent.
This causes another roar in the crowd.
"Why does that matter? Mental illness isn't real anyway." Kaira heard a female voice say.
Kaira breathed to not get angry.
"Okay, Karen. See a lot of the problems with today's kids is that they have a lot of pressure to conform to society's standards of success. And their parents. My job will be to coach your kids into having healthy mental health practices and to eliminate the taboo of mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, which are some of the most common mental illnesses in children. They need to be able to speak to someone who understands what they are going through and help them. Not just tell them to deal with it." Kaira explained.
Kaira could sense the trio beside her tensing, hoping she didn't cause a fight.
"What makes you qualified to talk about mental illness?" Mark asked.
"Easy. I had a diagnosis of depression and anxiety after losing a loved one at a young age. No older than your own children. See, I never had an outlet to talk to. At least, not a healthy one. I had to take myself out of that environment, but I got help. And now, I am better. I learned to cope. Back then, I didn't have the education I have now. So, I want to share what I learned. And talk about my experiences." Kaira explained.
Eliot put his hands on her neck, massaging her neck to keep her calm.
"If our child comes to you, can we ask what you talked about?" A male asked.
"No. As I have a doctorate degree in psychology and childhood development, what we talk about falls under doctor-patient confidentiality. I aim to promote a safe space where kids can let out any anger, anxieties, or general nervousness." Kaira said, showing her distaste with the question.
"And any questions?" Nate asked as Melcher.
There was some yelling as Kaira groaned. They all tried their best to answer the questions. They heard Hardison and Parker on comms getting an apartment that's near Fowler's apartment. They went into Nate's office, with Eliot shutting the door behind them.
"Hardison and Parker are all set. Now, all we got to do is give Widmark a triumph worthy of a day pass." Nate said in his normal voice.
"A triumph? In what? I mean, in five years, this kid hasn't joined a club, he hasn't played a sport." Sophie said.
"I've got to be honest with you. I don't know how I feel about using a kid to get to a mark." Eliot said. Kaira spoke up.
"I agree. I've been silent because I didn't want to start anything, but you know my rules, Nathan." Kaira said.
"I know. Don't use a kid against a mark, dead or alive." Nate said.
"Yeah. I mean, I want to stick to my rules, but at the same time, I feel like I can take two birds with one stone. I think we can help two victims of Fowlers. The client, and Widmark." Kaira said, honest.
"We're not using him. I mean, every kid is good at something, you know? We Just got to draw Widmark out, give him his moment to shine." Nate said.
"So we'd be like his Fairy Godparents." Sophie said.
"Exactly, and, I mean, come on, look at this - cushy private school. No gunrunners, mob bosses, Interpol. This-this is a breeze. We've got one week before the clinic closes for good. Athletics, academics. Let's go get, uh, Widmark the win, all right?" Nate said.
"Yeah." Kaira said.
They went to leave so Kaira could introduce everyone.
"Hey, Kaira, can you stay a moment?" Nate asked.
"Sure boss." Kaira said.
Sophie and Eliot left as Kaira sat on a desk. Nate turned off his comm, signaling Kaira to do the same.
"Is the reason you wanted to be a guidance counselor for this job because of your own past?" Nate asked.
"Yeah. I mean, these kids, I'm hoping that I can help them to be better. Look at this place, Nathan. You said it yourself, cushy private school. This is a breeding ground for all kinds of trauma and mental illnesses brought on by bullies, toxic parents, and a messed up society." Kaira explained.
"I know. Was school bad for you?" Nate asked.
"Yeah. Worse after my sister died. People calling me a loser and making fun of me for being silent. I didn't know how to defend myself or speak up. I want these kids to grow up knowing that the way I was in school, where it was better to stay silent, is bad. I learned to speak up eventually. I went to grief counselors after Kasey's death and my mom and dad's deaths, but they didn't help me. I was just told that I had to accept what happened and move on. I didn't move on for awhile. Not until the army. And Eliot." Kaira explained.
"I'm sorry your schooling went that way." Nate said sympathetically.
"It's okay. It made me who I am today." Kaira smiled.
"Go." Nate said.
Kaira left and did the introductions. First, she went to Eliot's gym class, where she introduced them.
"Hello, children. My name's Doctor Reynolds, though you can call me Doc for short." Kaira gave a smile.
"This is your gym teacher. Now, I expect your children to give Coach Brewer the respect you would want for yourselves and your cooperation. Understood?" Kaira looked at the kids.
"Yes, Doc." The kids said.
"Good. Have fun." Kaira smiled again.
"Eliot, if any kids give you any problems, send them to me." Kaira whispered to Eliot's ear.
He nodded and she left. She went to Sophie's class after hearing Eliot's class kinda go badly to discuss the expectations.
"Hello again, children." Kaira smiled.
"Now, I want you to give Miss Donovan the respect and cooperation she will give you. Understood?" Kaira smiled.
"Yes, Doc." The kids said.
"Good. Now, if you want someone to talk to, you can come to my office. Just let whoever is in charge of the class your in know you're leaving, and my door is open." Kaira smiled again.
She left, whispering the same thing to Sophie. She tried to get Widmark to win the spelling bee, and he did, but Sophie let him off with easy words. The bell rang again and Kaira waited in her office. She saw Widmark come in.
"Hello, Widmark, right?" Kaira smiled at him.
"Yes, ma'am." Widmark said.
"So polite. You can just call me Doc." Kaira said.
"Okay." Widmark said, chuckling a bit.
"What seems to be the problem, Widmark?" Kaira asked him.
"You won't tell anyone what I say in here, right?" Widmark asked.
Kaira moved a piece of hair behind her ear, turning off her comm.
"Of course. Doctor, patient confidentiality." Kaira said.
"What does that mean?" Widmark asked.
"It means by law, I can't tell your parents or anyone else what we talk about. This room is soundproof, so you're free to speak your mind." Kaira said.
"It was Miss Donovan that suggested I come down." Widmark said.
"I understand. What happened that would have her suggest for you to come here?" Kaira asked.
"I told her something." Widmark said, nervous.
"Hey, you don't have to be nervous here. As you heard me say already, I aim to provide a safe space. What you say in here, never leaves the room." Kaira said.
"We did this spelling bee in class, and she gave me the easy words. I tried, but I didn't do good. No matter what I want to happen, it never happens. I just want someone to like me." Widmark said, sad.
"I understand. You know, it is very common for kids to feel as you do. When I was your age, I wasn't as lucky to be in a private school. I went to a public school. I found myself trying to prove to anyone around me that I could do anything. My school work suffered because I suffered. The only thoughts in my head were not, "Remember this for the test." Instead, "How can I change to get people to like me?" That caused some anxiety for me." Kaira said, honest and softly.
"How does that relate to me?" Widmark asked.
"Because I understand the pressures you're facing. Parents telling you to do better, society telling you how to be successful. It's a lot. And about you wanting something to happen? It's not that you aren't trying hard enough, it's that you haven't found the thing you love. It's hard to try something you don't like. Believe me, I know." Kaira said, softly.
"Let me guess, you've been there?" Widmark asked.
"Yes. Sports, academics, theater, you name it. I did found my love though. Theater and mixed martial arts." Kaira answered.
"Theater and mixed martial arts?" Widmark questioned.
"You'd be surprised. Theater I loved because I could play a character, and just for those few moments, I'm not Miss Reynolds. I'm the character I was playing. And mixed martial arts allowed me to gain some control over my environment." Kaira said.
"Isn't mixed martial arts about beating up someone?" Widmark asked.
"No. It's about gaining control over your opponent. Controlling your environment. Controlling what's in here." Kaira pointed to her head.
"Because that is what'll get you in the most trouble." Kaira told Widmark.
"How did you do it?" Widmark asked.
"Do what?" Kaira questioned.
"Find the balance." Widmark asked.
"A lot of practice and trial and error. Honey, it's okay if it takes a while to find your balance. I never said any of this was easy." Kaira answered softly.
"Is it normal to feel this way?" Widmark asked.
"Yes. You're at an age where not only are things changing biologically but chemically as well." Kaira answered.
Widmark was confused.
"Sorry. See, what makes your brain work are chemicals your body makes. They are activated by nerves, which tells your body what to do. In people who experience trauma or have a mental illness, those chemicals in the brain get changed. That change affects your whole body. It's why when you get nervous, your heart beats faster and you sweat. Right now, your brain in under construction, and the cement that holds the brain together is still settling. Which means, it can move around and change. The trick is learning how to cope with the changes. That's the hard part." Kaira answered.
"How is it hard?" Widmark asked.
"It's hard to unlearn bad habits. For me, it was always shaking my arms when I got nervous." Kaira said.
"Why is that bad?" Widmark asked.
"Well, sometimes my arms would hurt after. And it was embarrassing for everyone around me and to myself. So I found other coping methods, like breathing in and out. Or having a necklace to fidget with instead." Kaira answered, showing Widmark the ring necklace she had on.
Widmark stood up.
"Thank you, Doc Reynolds." Widmark said.
"So polite. You're welcome, sweetie. Come by anytime you need a person to talk to." Kaira said.
She opened the door to let Widmark out and get to his next class. Kaira sat down at her desk and turned her comm back on. Kaira heard that Parker and Hardison stumble through an interaction with Agents McSweeten and Agent Tagert from the Moscone case.
They met back up at the office later and Parker and Hardison reported the incident. Kaira, Eliot, and Sophie were leaning on the counter and fridge.
"All right, you two - you couldn't rig a gym class or a spelling bee?" Nate questioned upset, looking at Eliot and Sophie.
"And you two - you run into the only FBI agents on the planet that recognize you?" Nate questioned, looking at Parker and Hardison at the table.
"I got to be honest with you. I think we broke the kid even more." Eliot said.
"We are the worst fairy godparents in the world." Sophie said.
"I think I actually made some progress with Widmark. He's open at least." Kaira reported, trying to lighten the mood.
"Listen, we still got to get Fowler out of the apartment so we can get in." Nate said.
"Yeah, except now when he leaves, there will be someone waiting to kill him." Parker said.
"What?" Kaira questioned.
"One of his victims wants payback. More than he wants to be paid... back." Hardison said.
"One of you two can identify the gunman, right?" Eliot asked.
"Oh, yeah, sure. He stopped and let me take a picture of him as I was chasing him." Hardison said.
"Hey, you know what, man? I've been around little kids all day. I don't need to come home and do all this crap." Eliot argued.
Kaira groaned as she tried to get Eliot to calm down.
"Hey, man, with all that? I've been in this pink shirt and these tight plaid pants, these old Webster loafers, this girl walking on my back. I don't need this, man." Hardison argued back as Kaira and Eliot looked at a picture Parker was drawing.
Kaira was impressed.
"Is this him?" Kaira asked.
Parker confirmed it.
"See?" Eliot said, tossing the notepad on the table.
Wow. I didn't know you could do that." Hardison said.
"I thought everybody could do that." Parker said.
"Well actually, Parker's right. When you get scared, the brain takes a snapshot of everything to analyze for dangers." Kaira said.
The team looked at her weird.
"What? I'm playing a guidance counselor, I had to do some research." Kaira quipped.
"Okay. All right, all right. We'll keep an eye on him. In the meantime, if they think you're real FBI, be real FBI. I mean, use it to case the apartment." Nate ordered.
"All right, so I'm out of this, and I'm on FBI detail with Parker and Hardison then." Eliot said.
"No, babe. You have to be Coach Brewer." Kaira told Eliot.
"There's an armed gunman out there. You want me in the gym with kids named Skylar and Indigo?" Eliot questioned, not happy.
"Where did Coach Brewer go? I mean, we ought to be..." Nate was saying before Sophie shushed him.
Sophie got excited as Kaira tuned into the footage on the screen, which showed Widmark singing.
"The play is the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of a king." Sophie said.
Kaira smiled. Parker was horrified at the idea of what Sophie was thinking.
"Sophie how long would it take you to stage a musical?" Nate asked.
"Six weeks." Sophie said.
"You have two days." Nate said.
They went home and Kaira was drained. She was in bed and laying down when Eliot came out of the bathroom.
"Hey, Princess, you okay?" Eliot asked, sitting on the bed, rubbing Kaira's back.
"Yeah. I'm drained." Kaira said, tired.
"It's your empath thing, ain't it?" Eliot questioned.
"Yeah. Kids take a lot of energy. Especially those kids. I think I'm actually making progress with these kids. I mean, I got Widmark to be open with me, and I think the other kids are starting to warm up to me. It's a shame I can't be around to see these kids actually use what I tell them." Kaira said, yawning.
"How do you know what to tell them?" Eliot asked.
"I use personal experience as the reason to my knowledge." Kaira answered.
"Huh. I'm just having trouble getting these kids to listen to me and behave. They laughed at Widmark when he failed the fencing lesson." Eliot said.
"I feel bad for the kid. I mean, he is bullied, his dad hates him, his mom babies him, he can't figure out himself. It's no wonder kids these days have problems." Kaira said.
Eliot kept rubbing her back as she fell asleep. The next day, Kaira went to the school and sat at her office. The next day was the musical.
A lot of kids went up to her with their nervousness about the Science-sical that Sophie was getting set up. She was getting some stuff put away when Nate called her up to his office, saying he needed help with the parents who were upset with Sophie picking Widmark for the finale.
"Out of every kid in the entire school, she picks him for the showcase performance? D-d-does she even know who he is?" Mark asked.
"A student..." Sophie was saying before Mark cut her off.
"Whose father ripped off everyone in this school. I'm a money manager. I put millions of my clients' accounts with him. We lost everything, and there isn't a parent in this school who doesn't have the same story." Mark said.
"Dr. Melcher, do you mind?" Kaira asked Nate as Doctor Reynolds.
Nate shook his head no.
"Dr. Melcher doesn't believe in punishing the sons for the sins of the father. Neither do I. Widmark is a wonderful boy. Do you know what he's feeling? I would bet money that you heartless bastards are the reason Widmark doesn't like himself. He doesn't want to be known as Mark Fowler's son, the Grinch who stole Christmas, but as Widmark, a remarkable kid who just had a crappy hand dealt to him. He can't control that. He just wants to be seen. There isn't a single kid who doesn't have the same wants. Now, Miss Donovan and I are confident that Widmark's role in the Science-sical is based on merit. Which I agree with. You may leave." Kaira said, kinda threateningly.
The parents left out the door and Nate shut the door.
"Could you just please try to maybe not make this so difficult you two?" Nate asked in his normal voice.
Sophie was fidgeting.
"I can't take you seriously with that dead cat on your head." Sophie said.
Nate said down and sighed.
"Eliot had trouble adjusting, all right? But he found a way to make his style work in this setting, so..." Nate said as Kaira remembered Eliot standing in the gym, lining the kids up, having them punch the air, then telling them to come after him, laughing as she watched the kids knock Eliot down.
"Look, it's the best I could do under such short notice. The props are made, the kids have memorized their presentations. I'm just setting it to a bit of music." Sophie said.
"Listen, I mean, let's not forget why we're here. Let's not lose focus. I mean, the object is to get Fowler out of the apartment, not-" Nate said before Sophie cut him off.
"What? Not-not Widmark, right, yeah, I get it. He's just the bait." Sophie said.
"Come on, that's not fair." Nate defended himself.
"Nathan, what's not fair is the way people see him. His father thinks he's a loser. His mom still thinks he's a baby. Everyone at this school sees him as the one whose dad stole Christmas." Kaira said, getting upset.
"We just want people to see him for he really is. He deserves that. Everybody does." Sophie said, leaving.
Kaira sat in her spot. "Nathan, I'm sorry I went off like that. I just - when I look at Widmark, I see me at his age. I was bullied and not happy. My dad hated me because he blamed me for Kasey's death. My mom just wanted to protect me. I mean, she did. I just want to make sure at least one more kid can be happy and not end up like me." Kaira admitted.
"What? A good girl who looks out for the people she loves? Who's engaged to someone who makes her happy? Who wouldn't want that?" Nate smiled at her.
Kaira chuckled. "You mean a hot mess who is a thief?" Kaira questioned.
"That's not what we see." Nate said.
Kaira hugged him. Nate hugged Kaira back.
"Thank you, Nathan." Kaira whispered.
"Anytime, kiddo." Nate smiled. Kaira let go.
"Uh, have you and Eliot finished planning your wedding yet?" Nate asked.
"No. We want to hold off a bit. Enjoy being engaged, you know?" Kaira said.
"Yeah." Nate said, smiling.
Kaira looked at Nate.
"Hey Nate, I've been thinking. When me and Eliot get married, I would like you and Sophie to walk me down the aisle." Kaira said, grinning in anticipation.
Nate smiled and started laughing.
"I would be honored." Nate said, hugging Kaira.
Kaira laughed and wiped a tear that formed.
"Thank you, Nathan. You have no idea how much that means to me." Kaira said.
Nate smiled.
"We should probably help with the set up." Kaira said.
Nate agreed and they left. Parker and Hardison planned to go to the apartment and case it. Kaira was helping set up and help Eliot wrangle the kids as Widmark got nervous and started singing off note. Kaira shushed the kids who were laughing. She went up to Widmark.
"Hey. You know how I told you I did theater?" Kaira whispered to Widmark.
"Yeah." Widmark said, nervous.
"Breathe in." Kaira said, breathing in with Widmark.
"And exhale." Kaira exhaled with Widmark.
"Good. Again." Kaira said.
They repeated the cycle again until Widmark calmed down some.
"Another tip. Jump up and down to get the adrenaline pumping. You won't get scared." Kaira said.
"Why?" Widmark asked.
"Because when you're nervous, your body is telling your brain to either run or fight. You have to get the adrenaline pumping, which tells your brain to fight, making you less nervous, and more focused. It's your body's natural defense system. You'll do amazing Widmark. I just know it." Kaira smiled at him.
"I meant to ask you yesterday, but what does your necklace mean?" Widmark asked.
Kaira held the antique silver ring that was attached to a thin piece of dark leather.
"Oh, this? I was traveling and it was given to me by an old friend. The words on the outside, "Sic Parvis Magna", is Latin for, "Greatness from small beginnings." It was a quote used by a famous pirate named Sir Francis Drake. This necklace reminds me that we can all be great, no matter where we start. I want you to keep it for the show. You can play with it to calm you down." Kaira took the necklace off and handed it to Widmark.
"I can't accept this. You need it more than I do." Widmark said. Kaira smiled.
"You sure? It may help with your nervousness." Kaira said.
"Thank you, Doc Reynolds, but you can keep it. I'll find my own ways." Widmark said.
Kaira smiled and gave him a hug. She left to finish helping set it. Hardison ended up having Parker go with the FBI agents and Hardison was staying behind to search. Hardison asked Parker to walk him through the break-in.
"Hardison, I'm gonna be available too, remember? I am a thief, you know." Kaira said.
"Good point." Hardison said.
"Uh, Sophie, we good to go?" Nate asked after a bit of preparation.
"Uh, uh. No, everything's gonna be fine as soon as I... find Widmark." Sophie said.
Kaira saw her leave.
"Hardison, what's going on? What's your status?" Nate asked.
"I just looped the FBI video feed, so nobody will see me in the apartment, assuming I get in the apartment." Hardison said.
Eliot and Kaira watched the crowd as Nate greeted everybody.
"All right, our man has arrived." Nate said.
"Copy that, boss." Kaira acknowledged.
"The curtain goes up in five minutes, one way or another. Don't wait for Sophie." Nate said.
Kaira heard Sophie calling out to Widmark on the comm.
"You sure you can handle this?" Parker asked Hardison.
"Oh, yeah. What's the worst that can happen?" Parker asked.
"Well, you could tangle the lines." Parker said, just as McSweeten was heard on comms and gave Parker a smoothie.
Parker played off what she was saying. Just then Hardison was heard moaning and screaming.
"I'm good. I'm good." Hardison reported.
"Good." Kaira said.
"Widmark, y-y-you can't let them win. Y-you can't show them that they're getting to you." Sophie said.
"Sophie, no. No." Nate said.
"What?" Sophie questioned.
"J-just talk to him. Don't tell him what to do or who to be. Just talk." Nate told Sophie. Sophie groaned.
"Soph, want me to talk to him?" Kaira whispered.
"No." Sophie whispered.
"Widmark, I'm sorry." Sophie said.
"For what?" Widmark asked.
"For trying to con you into being brave, and... that's what I do. I'm a bloody con artist. Look, I'm not very good at being honest, not even with my friends." Sophie said.
It was a moment of silence.
"Do you have a lot of friends?" Widmark asked.
"No. No, I-I never used to have any. But, um, now, yes, I-I do - a few." Sophie said.
"I used to have friends. They don't talk to me anymore because of what my stepdad did." Widmark said, sad.
"That's got nothing to do with you. You know that, don't you?" Sophie said.
"Then why did they make fun of me?" Widmark asked.
"Cause when they look at you, they see him. They're not really seeing you for who you really are." Sophie said. J
ust then Hardison came on comms.
"How much time do I have left, Kaira?" Hardison asked.
"30 seconds, Hardison." Kaira answered as Parker tried to talk to McSweeten.
"You have to override and cut the output blue wire." Kaira said.
"Did you know I was an actress?" Sophie said.
"No." Widmark said.
"Mm-mm." Sophie breathed.
"Are you good?" Widmark asked.
"Well, others don't seem to think so." Sophie said.
"Maybe they just can't see you for who you are." Widmark said.
Kaira smiled as Sophie chuckled. If only he knew.
"Do you know what they say about acting? They say it's about telling the truth, about - about sharing a little part of yourself that people don't normally see. But if you don't - if you don't really know yourself, then they think you're lying. And... I think that's my problem. I've been lying for so long, that, um, I don't even know what the truth is anymore." Sophie admitted, softly.
Kaira sensed the emotion. She just wanted to give Sophie a hug.
"I don't want to lie to anybody." Widmark said.
"No. No, you don't have to, Widmark. What you need to do is, you just have to go out there and be Widmark. Just tell the truth. Be - be who you really are. If you do that, then I promise you, people will believe in you." Sophie said.
Kaira smiled. Sophie told the truth. It was kinda ironic. The grifter telling the truth.
"Hardison, what is taking you so long?" Kaira whispered into the comm.
"E-excuse me for interrupting prom night with my annoying felony burglary. She's ungrateful - just ungrateful. Aha!" Hardison said.
"Come to papa." Hardison said.
Kaira got anxious.
"What is it, Hardison?" Kaira asked.
Sophie went up behind Eliot and Kaira.
"Widmark okay?" Eliot asked.
"Guess we're about to find out." Sophie said.
Just then Hardison started laughing.
"Yeah! Hacking, rappelling - whatever, put me in a dress. I can do all y'all's jobs." Hardison said, excited.
"No way in Hell am ever seeing you in a dress, Hardison. And you can't fight worth a damn." Kaira quipped.
Hardison scoffed.
"It's empty." Hardison reported.
"What?" Kaira questioned.
"What do you mean it's empty?" Nate asked.
"I mean it's empty, like somebody cleaned it out." Hardison reported.
Then Eliot started staring up ahead of them. Kaira looked the same way and found the shooter Parker described.
"I hate to tell you this, but that ain't our biggest problem right now." Eliot said.
"We got company." Kaira reported.
"Yeah, but how'd he know Fowler was gonna be here? Only ones that knew were us and the FBI." Eliot said.
"And Fowler." Kaira added.
"Maybe we were wrong. Maybe Fowler isn't the target." Nate said.
"What? Then who?" Kaira questioned.
Kaira thought a minute. She couldn't see Fowler to read him.
"Shit. The lights are bright from here. I can't tell where Fowler is." Kaira said.
"His FBI handlers - Fowler's arranged to have them killed. He's about to run." Nate reported.
"No, there's no way he could arrange that, man. He's under house arrest - no phone calls, no internet. They're even reading his email. How could he arrange a hitman?" Hardison asked.
"Let's ask him." Eliot said.
Kaira saw the hitman coming down the steps. Kaira was also thinking. She remembered the argument between Fowler and Widmark.
"Hardison, you found Widmark's phone, didn't you?" Kaira asked.
"How? I'm not even gonna ask." Hardison said.
"What?" Nate questioned.
"The Feds didn't take Widmark's phone, just Fowlers. That's how he arranged the hit man. He took all his cash he had on him. That's why the case was empty." Kaira said.
"I think I know where to look." Nate said.
"Wait, didn't you search Fowler before he left?" Parker asked McSweeten.
"Of course. Nothing on him except for that camera and some tapes." McSweeten said.
"Yeah, well, there's something in that bag. Or on those tapes." Nate said.
"Sophie, me, Eliot, Hardison, and Parker are out of position to swipe the bag." Kaira reported. Sophie introduced the next act.
"Has anyone seen Widmark?" Sophie asked.
"Sophie, the job's over. What happens from here on is not our concern." Nate said.
"No way." Kaira said, going to search for Widmark.
"We have our priorities." Nate said.
"The clinic isn't the only victim here, Nate. I-I didn't just prop up this boy just to see him fail. No way. I'm not letting that happen." Sophie said.
Eliot got into position to take on the hitman as Kaira joined him.
"Yo, what's up?" Eliot said, the hitman drew a gun, but Eliot quickly disarmed it as Kaira kicked him.
The hitman got back up and punched Eliot, but he blocked it. Kaira grabbed his head and banged it on a table nearby. Eliot then flipped him in to another room.
"Uh, Nate... this phone has sent a bunch of text messages in the last 48 hours to some guy named Skylar." Hardison reported.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Skylar's a kid at the school." Nate reported.
"Why would Fowler be texting a middle-schooler?" Hardison asked.
"He wasn't texting Skylar. He was texting Skylar's dad. Mark Sanford's an accomplice. He set up the gunman. He just traded bags with Fowler." Nate reported.
"No, man, why would Sanford help Fowler? Isn't he one of the guys who invested in him?" Hardison asked.
It went silent as Kaira heard Widmark and Sophie get ready for his performance. Eliot and Kaira both kicked the hitman in the chest, sending him flying. Eliot then grabbed him and threw him against the wall as Kaira kneed him in the stomach. Eliot went to punch him, but the hitman blocked it and caught Eliot in the stomach. He punched Eliot and elbowed him in the face. Kaira then got under the hitman and flipped him on the table, yelling. The table broke. Kaira punched the hitman in the face, but then the hitman flipped her, landing on her back. Kaira groaned as Eliot punched him. The hitman flipped him over, sending him to the wall, groaning. Kaira and Eliot and the hitman got up and exchanged many punches.
Sophie shushed them as Widmark was singing on stage. Kaira got the hitman out of Sophie's sight, but she was still grunting, so Sophie yelled at them to be quiet. The temporary lack of focus caused the hitman to tackle both Kaira and Eliot, landing on the floor. Eliot clocked him in the face and got up. The hitman went down. Kaira grabbed his shirt and kept jabbing him in the face until he was knocked out. Kaira and Eliot checked each other over and then dragged him to a closet and locked the door. Then Kaira and Eliot heard the crowd cheer as Widmark had finished performing.
"Uh, Hardison, are you at your computer? I need you to check a name for me." Nate asked.
"Go ahead." Hardison said.
"Doug Fineman." Nate said before Sophie handed out awards, first place being Fowler. "Sanford is providing Fowler with a new identity and a new life waiting for him in...Bogotá." Nate said. Kaira and Eliot waited for Mark to show up backstage. Eliot dragged him in.
"Oh, Coach Bewer! Doctor Reynolds!" Mark exclaimed as Eliot threw him against a beam.
Kaira grabbed the bag he was holding.
"Thank you." Kaira quipped.
She sat the bag on the table and grabbed a tape out of the bag. She put it in the music control box and hit play.
"I'm just saying you can't make the returns too consistent. 10 percent growth every year, no matter what the market does? The S.E.C is going to ask questions." Mark said in the recording.
"Let me worry about the S.E.C Mark." Fowler said in the recording.
"But we have to be careful." Mark said in the recording.
"My job is to buy off the regulators. Your job is to bring in new money. Now, this whole thing goes off the rails when you stop doing your job." Fowler said.
Mark freaked out and then tried to attack Kaira, but McSweeten grabbed him and put the cuffs on him as Parker showed up behind as Taggert arrested Fowler.
"Now that is no way to treat a lady." McSweeten said as Kaira followed Eliot out.
"You okay, Cowboy?" Kaira asked.
"Yeah. Nothing I can't handle. You?" Eliot turned to Kaira.
"I'm fine. I was just gonna elbow Mark if McSweetheart didn't show up." Kaira chuckled.
Eliot kissed Kaira. Just then they heard a gasp and looked at the source. It was a female student.
"What are you looking at?" Eliot asked her.
The poor girl looked horrified as she walked away. Kaira laughed.
"You got to watch that look, Cowboy." Kaira teased.
"Really? Why? Cause you like it?" Eliot teased.
"Oh shut up. We're in school." Kaira quipped, kissing Eliot again.
They walked out and ushered the parents and students out. Kaira and Sophie got a moment alone at the door as Nate and Hardison worked to do the cleanup.
"Sophie, I have a favor to ask of you." Kaira said, nervous.
"What is it, Kaira?" Sophie asked.
"So, as you know, me and Eliot are planning our wedding.
I would like you and Nathan to walk me down the aisle." Kaira said.
Sophie and Kaira started grinning as Sophie shook her head yes.
"Of course, my dear." Sophie said.
Kaira saw Nate and Eliot walk up. She hugged Eliot and they walked hand in hand back to the car.
"So, Eliot, are you okay with both Sophie and Nathan walking me down the aisle when we get married?" Kaira asked Eliot.
Nate turned.
"That sounds like an amazing idea, Princess." Eliot smiled and pecked her cheek.
Nate and Sophie both smiled at the couple as they made their way to the cars. Kaira was happy. The man she viewed as a father and mentor was walking her down the aisle and the woman she viewed as a mother and mentor was also walking her down the aisle to marry the love of her life. The man she had always pictured getting married to. The next day, Nate and Sophie gave a check to the clinic. Eliot and Kaira looked at the pages of things in front of them. They talked all night about wedding plans. Kaira was so happy. So was Eliot. They were content for once in their lives.