Eleven

He can just resist rolling his eyes when he hangs up on Tom because yeah, in the end, he hadn't disappointed him and – true to himself and training – hadn't even asked a single stupid question regarding the security breach and simply agreed to be here in thirty. And when Moore agrees to be somewhere in thirty, he is there in thirty. Alright then. Time to get back to the problem at hand.

Entering the apartment's living room, he nods into the round and says, "Reinforcements will be here in about thirty minutes. I'd like to go over everything you have so far so I can brief them when they get here." Again, Ford's people don't look happy but at least Spencer seems to have accepted that he isn't in the mood to sugarcoat anything and rather handles the situation soldier style. Before anyone of them can say anything, though, he adds, "Laura… can I talk to you for a moment?"

Something in the look she throws him tells him that she knows that whatever is coming now just can't be good and he'd shortly debated to ignore Tom's jab about Laura's mother going off the deep end, thinking he was just exaggerating it but the thing is, he got to know Laura's mother pretty well over the last six months and… he's pretty sure Tom wasn't exaggerating. She doesn't say anything, though, apart from that look and just comes over to him. He maneuvers her into a corner by the window and then says in a low voice, "I just talked to Tom and… your mom's not happy. He said something about harassing both Jennifer and Maureen and quite frankly? I don't think he was exaggerating."

She looks down and rubs her forehead, apparently not much surprised about the news. Yeah, well, the wedding is four days away and that isn't exactly beneficial to the development of the relationship between her mother and her. "You know, the scary thing is that I believe you, no further questions asked. It's just that this definitely takes precedence over seating arrangements and decorations and stupid, stupid dresses."

Dammit, he should never have just given in and accepted the stateside wedding their mothers had forced on them. They are married, and very happily so and who did they think they are, forcing this onto them? There had been a reason they'd agreed on a small wedding, and not wanting to see Laura as stressed out as she is at the moment was one of the most prominent ones. He reaches out and rubs her arm. "You're right, it does. It's just… I mean, I won't ask you to leave now but… just call her? You're even allowed to shout at her, if you have to."

At least, it makes her snort and grin a little strained half-grin. "As if I need your permission to shout at my mother." Yeah, right, of course she doesn't. And she'd do it anyway, regardless of what he'd tell her… and anyway, this time, he's even inclined to encourage her.

However, it would probably destroy the imagine of the picture perfect son-in-law he'd tried to build up in the last six months, so he just sighs and says, "Just call her? Please?"

She takes a deep breath. "Yeah. But don't start the fun without me." Why did she just have to do this thing with the pointed look and the hinted pout? That's just not fair.

"Promise I won't. Now go and call her." There's the raised eye brow now.

"You're starting to sound like a broken record." He wants to reply something to that but she just rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Give me that phone." Trying to look stern, he puts his cell into her outstretched hand and expects her to excuse herself which she does… well, almost. Because just before she finally turned to walk away, she turns back and grins at him, a little suggestive. Uh-oh. "By the way, you know, you're kind of hot when you're all pissed off."

She's… evil. Evil, evil, evil. But he thinks he has just the right thing to answer. "And you're kind of hot when you're threatening hackers."

Dammit, he shouldn't have said that because she just took a step towards him which brings her close enough to let her tug at his belt without the others actually seeing it and whisper, "Mh, can't we just…"

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. Which is, ironically, exactly what he wants to do with her now but yeah, Level 3 security breach. Need to deal with that first. He clears his throat. "Go talk to your mother, Laura."

She makes a face. "Spoilsport."

Right. As if she were the only one who'd rather be somewhere – anywhere – else right now. But yeah, he's pretty sure they won't stay here all day, so he tries to look apologetic and says, "I'll make it up to you."

Again, the raised eyebrow, now questioning. "Promise?"

What kind of question is that? Huh, as if he'd ever refuse to make something up to her. But yeah, maybe confirming it will get her to call her mother so they can get it over with this as fast as possible. "Absolutely."

She takes a step back again, looking like she finally resigned herself to her fate as the bride…, barely able to keep herself from shooting her mother the next best moment she gets but trying to grit her teeth and make it through this like a true Marine. "Okay, be back in an hour… or however long the batteries hold."

Wait a moment, he knows that look… she's up to something. Frowning, he feels compelled to add, "No cheating, Laura."

Looking a little mock-appalled, she just answers, "Never."

Yep, she still has that look on her face. "Laura…"

"And I'll tell her you'll talk about the seating arrangements with her." Right. So that's what she was up to. He should have known that.

Still, he can't help glaring at her. "Laura!"

Shrugging, she replies, "It's only fair, Mr. "I promise I won't leave you alone with this crap"." Yeah… yeah, he did that. And she's right, he can't make a promise and then refuse to keep it. Besides, he really owes it to her for not stepping up and join her in her outright refusal of this wedding.

He sighs and nods. "Of course it is. Sorry, Buttercup. Come on, now, go."

There's a smirk now, and even a smart-ass salute and then she even dares to add, "Sir, yes, sir."

She walks past the merry band of non-thieves and did Spencer and that hacker guy and even Ford just watch her every step, complete with turning their heads in unison and everything? And that grifter lady… she looked a little bit too interested, too.

Oh, wait, not jealous here. Totally. Not. Jealous. He's married to Laura, he's used to other men – other people, really – finding her attractive and he can't even blame them for that. And this is just not the right moment to get jealous. He clears his throat. "Well, then… I promised her I wouldn't start the fun without her. So what are we going to do now?"

Mh. That came out kind of wrong, as can be seen in the looks everyone – including Charlie, thank you very much – is throwing him. After another moment of awkward silence, it's the blond thief who's the first one to speak, "You know, we don't actually have to tell her we already started with the fun," to which she adds a look from beneath her bangs and a grin that looks just a little bit… scary. And cue hacker guy chocking on that orange stuff he'd been drinking and Spencer smirking. Well… this is starting to get interesting.

Damn, he also can't help giving back, "Fine, for all I care, go ahead, knock yourself out. Only, you are going to be the one doing the explaining to her here."

She's about to reply something but this time Ford's faster. "Alright, now that we got that settled, let's get to work, huh?" For a moment, all his instincts rebel and he wants to make it very clear to Ford that he expects to be in the lead in this. Until the man sends him a look that says very clearly 'this is my show, and you do not want to interfere with that' and something in that makes him comply instantly. There's something about Ford that… it doesn't really rub him the wrong way but yeah, that man is intimidating, in a strange, subtle way he can't remember ever having encountered before.

However, just a moment later, it's as if the look never happened and Ford is all joviality again. "Well Majors, I did a little thinking and… there's something I'd like to run by you." He exchanges a look with Charlie and he just shrugs. Right. "So… how about we steal us a secret government agency?"

What the…? He actually does a double-take and practically blurts out, "Did he just say what I think he said?"

It's the grifter lady who answers, in a posh British accent he only now actually registers, "Oh, don't worry. It's just his trademark. You know, like 'let's steal us a movie set' or 'let's steal us a wedding' or 'let's steal us a miracle'…"

Shooting her a borderline annoyed look, he waves his hand and grumbles, "Yeah, I think I got it, thank you." And then almost another double-take. "Wait, you stole a miracle?" Grifter lady – okay, he really needs some names, can't go on calling them like that – wants to answer, probably to actually elaborate. "No, wait, on second thought, I don't think I want to know."

"Good, because it means we can get down to business faster." Well, at least Ford is not one to waste time. He thinks he actually likes that about him. "I'll just give you a short introduction to my team, if you don't mind, though." Oh, okay, yeah, that would be nice. He nods, since Charlie apparently already knows who's who on this team. "Right. So… you already know Eliot Spencer and you had a very charming short conversation with Alec Hardison over there. The lady who was so nice as to point you out to one of my catch phrases is Sophie Devereaux and there on the couch we have Parker." Parker what he wants to ask automatically but Ford made it sound like… that is her name. Just that. Huh, that's weird. But then again, the whole person seems to be weird.

Right, so at least he now has names to faces. And names he can run through databases. Databases he has access to but Charlie doesn't. Yeah, good plan. He files that away for later, though, and just nods again to Ford to indicate he can go on. "Alright, so, you and your wife work for some super secret government project, don't you?" He's about to nod because what's the use of trying to keep up the 'deep space telemetry' act if they probably worked that out to be a cover, anyway but Ford doesn't even let him. "Ah, you know what, don't answer that. You'll just give me that 'I could tell you but then I'd have to shoot you' crap and I got that already enough from Eliot."

Okay, that came a bit unexpected. But yeah, Spencer's fighting style and the ease and routine with which he searched the spooks for just the right things in the right places, his rather curt manner… it does fall in place kinda nicely, now. He looks at Spencer again, a little closer now and immediately he registers it, apparently always aware of his surroundings. This definitely reeks of special forces training.

Trying to make the look that had been intended as scrutinizing look casual and inconspicuous, he concentrates on Ford again. "So, Major Williamson's boss suspects something's going on, and apparently, those spooks thought so, too. And I kept thinking… what if we just give them what they want?"

Uh, what? "Excuse me but what exactly are you suggesting here?"

The grifter – Devereaux, he reminds himself – jumps in again and explains, "The first principle of grifiting is to find out what your mark wants. And then give it to them. Or, well, make it look like you're giving it to them."

Oh… oh, that actually starts to make sense. "Uh, just to get this straight: are you suggesting to create a fake secret government agency to… to do what? Flush them out?"

"He's good, Nate." That came from… Parker again and why the hell does he feel like that somewhere in there was an insult?

Oh right. Because of the pointed look he got from Spencer when she said that. Damn, that guy is really starting to irritate him. And it's not just the smirks and the demeanor that screams 'government history, probably with a dishonorable discharge' at him. It's also those looks he throws Laura when he thinks none of them is noticing it. Yeah, those especially, and yes, this does go further than just his usual little bit of jealousy he even once actually admitted to Laura.

But focus on the mission again. Because it is a mission now. "Yes, exactly, Major. And luckily, we don't even need a lot of resources for that." Uh… they don't? "In fact, I think we will…"

Unfortunately, just in the moment Ford is about to get to the explaining, they're interrupted by the apartment's door opening – interesting reflexes everyone on Ford's team has, even Hardison, he can't help noticing – and a kind of… chipper Major Moore is standing in the doorway. And being himself. "Oh, hey, hope you don't mind I let myself in, guys." Then it looks like he noticed everyone took a kind of defensive stance. And the slightly withering look his CO is throwing him. "What? You said 'be here in thirty, not 'be here in thirty sharp'." And then he even dares to add as an afterthought and not the least bit sheepish or deferent, "Uh… sir?"

Right. The party just got really started and Laura will hate him for letting her miss this. But maybe, he can push the blame on Moore for being a lot earlier than expected… and no, he doesn't even know how he actually did that. Oh well, lets it get it on, then.