Author's Note: Ugh! I'm sorry I didn't get to post as many chapters as I would have liked. I didn't take into consideration the Holidays and the fact that being a nurse, you work with people that refuse to come in when they're supposed, so everything is chaotic :( BUT Thank you for the reviews, messages and favorites! I appreciate it all! And for your patience I give you another chapter! Happy Readings! And please share your thoughts and opinions! I love hearing what you think!

Chapter Seven

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Eliot frowned at Sophie, his annoyance at her staring was building. "What's your problem?"

The British woman scowled prettily as she continued watching the hitter add a little more cheese to the top of the lasagna. She deliberately sipped on her brandy laced tea.

"You're ticking me off." He snapped wiping his hands on a towel.

Finally she answered. "I was just thinking that maybe Parker and Hardison patched up their problems and that's what's taking them so long to get here."

Eliot frowned, not sure if he was content or annoyed by her answer. "That's not anyone's business."

Sophie tucked her hand under her chin. "Hmm."

"What now?"

"I'm just curious how you're in the middle of this."

He growled softly. "I'm not!"

She waved her hand at him. "Of course you are, dear. Both of them came to you, especially Parker and she usually comes to me with relationship problems."

Eliot glared. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"A lot." Was her only answer.

Eliot's right hand twitched visibly. "You're beginning to tick me off Sophie. Just say what you want and get it over with."

"It seems that Parker is getting more vocal with you." She said simply.

He turned to look at her. "She's not getting any more than she was before. You're just making shit up in your head."

"Hmm." Sophie said before standing up and walking over to the couch to sit next to Nate.

Eliot gritted his teeth.

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Parker reigned in the sudden scream at the hacker as he led her at a deliberately slow pace up the steps to the gang. "Hardison, I'm really hungry, can't we sped this up."

The hacker glanced over his shoulder at her, keeping her fingers laced with his as he led her. "Of course babe."

She couldn't help the sudden turn of her stomach at the endearment. It was awkward now, more so now that he knew her stand on their relationship. She wished Eliot or Sophie was with her. Hell, even Nate would be welcomed.

"I really think you're gonna love the con." Hardison said as they reached the last landing before the living space. "There'll be tons of…"

She stopped listening, instead she thought of her empty stomach and the possibility that Eliot made one of her favorites. She felt herself warm to the thoughts of food, especially the hitter's cooking. Her stomach growled at the thought his cooking. Parker bumped into the hacker as he came to a stop at the door. "Are you gonna-"

Hardison turned until he faced her completely. "Until you make your final decision after the comic convention, can we pretend that everything is still great between us?"

Parker banked her expression. "Uhh…"

He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, taking her lack of speech as a yes. "Thanks mama."

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Nate sipped his newly poured scotch as he readjusted his position on the couch. He felt the eyes of his on and off lover as he shifted in his seat. "Yes?"

"You don't think Eliot…" The female grifter began slowly.

Nate smirked. "No. Whether he wants to believe it or not, he's a good guy more than most of us."

Sophie smiled. "Big brother."

He turned his smirk on her. "I wouldn't go that far. But he's definitely a good guy."

She frowned slightly confused, but before she could ask him the door opened to the apartment opened to revile the most talked about couple lately. "Parker, Hardison." She greeted taking another sip of her forgotten tea, grimacing at the cold.

Parker tried, subtlely to pull away, when that didn't work she kept her fingers laced with the hackers. "Sophie, how are you feeling?"

"I'm a little better." The grifter began softly, watching the two with a critical eye. "How are you dear?"

Parker frowned, as if confused at the question, but answered just the same. "I'm alright." She tried once again to pull away from the hacker but he kept his grip on her.

"Hardison!" Eliot snapped from the kitchen.

The hacker turned hopeful eyes on the thief, tighten his grip slightly on her hand, he let go slowly. "I'll be right back babe." Pressing a fleeting kiss to Parker's cheek, he turned on his heel and went to the kitchen.

Parker watched him with a curious intent. "What the-"

"Parker, dear, is everything ok?" The grifter asked with visible concern.

The thief watched the hacker for several seconds before she finally thought twice of the question that her closest (and only) female teammate. "No, but I think I'm supposed to pretend it is."

Sophie leaned forward, ignoring her now freezing hot totty. "What did you say?"

The thief seemed to snap out of her thoughts. "Nothing."

Nate slapped his hands on his knees, pulling himself up until he was now standing. "I think it's about time for dinner. Eliot?"

"Dinner is ready!" The hitter answered gruffly.

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Eliot watched as they entered, he watched as the doubt played across both their features, but he didn't know who to talk to first. So he choose the one that was more sensitive; "Hardison!" it came out as a snap, even before he could control it.

"E…" Hardison grinned, the tension eased slightly from his form. "Man that smells good. I love me some lasagna."

Eliot shrugged, "This goes against my better judgment, but did you two talk?"

Hardison sat on the stool, his hands twitching. "Yeah, we did. She's giving me another chance to prove myself."

"Prove yourself?" The hitter spat the words in annoyance.

"Yeah man, that I love her."

Eliot raised an eyebrow at that. "You have to prove that you love her?" Leaning over the kitchen island he clenched his fists. "Am I the only one that thinks that is a bad idea?"

Hardison swallowed nervously at the rage in Eliot's eyes. "Hey man, its fine. We're giving it until after the Comic Con and then we'll see what's gonna happen for us."

Eliot frowned and backed up. "You're an idiot."

"Hey!"

"You think that a nerd convention is going to make everything better? Did you guys even talk at all? Or was it just 'Give me more time to prove I'm a sad case'?" Eliot asked with a dry look. It went against his moral code to even talk about this but they were his friends and he couldn't let this tear the team apart. "What if shit turns sour?"

Hardison smiled suddenly, as if he understood why Eliot was acting the way he was. "Oh I get it."

Eliot scowled at him, but said nothing.

"You're worried about us." Hardison sniffled and clapped his hands in exaggeration. "You love us!"

The hitters hand clenched then moved up to tug on his short hair. "Damnit Hardison I'm-"

Hardison sobered up quickly, knowing he was testing the older man's patience. "E, man, I know what you're getting at. I know you thought it was a bad idea to even start dating her, but I want to make sure that I gave it my all before I call it quits."

Eliot sighed his frustration. "I just don't want any problems affecting the team."

Hardison smiled in understanding. "I know man. You ain't gotta worry 'bout it."

"That's not just what I'm worried about." The hitter muttered to himself.

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The team ate dinner at what seemed like a ridiculously slow pace. There were secret glances between every member of the team before they settled on safe topic of conversation; the current con.

Nate leaned back in his chair at a slight angle, nursing his third cup of bourbon. "With those papers in our hands now and him running scared, I've got him where I want him."

No one bothered to question him on what he meant by the statement, instead Parker turned to look at him. "What about the court date?"

Nate gave her a fleeting glance. "You and Eliot are gonna have a little side job on that."

Eliot frowned, crossing his arms on the table top, he leaned into them. "What do you mean?"

"I'll get into that later with just you Eliot. Right now I need Hardison and Parker to go and surveillance his office until he leaves." The mastermind shifted slightly, only to raise his glass to his lips. "What?" He asked, noticing that they the two youngest team members didn't move.

Parker's face twitched in her annoyance. "Why do I have to go now, if I'm leaving with Hardison to spy on the mark, how will I know what I'm supposed to do when me and Eliot have to do our part?"

Nate smiled. "Eliot will fill you in. You'll need to sneak in and plant some bugs throughout the office, that's the main reason you'll need to go tonight." Looking at both hacker and thief, he nodded towards the door. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Hardison looked overly excited for the small job and moved quickly to his workspace to grab anything extra he might, along with his custom made bugs.

Parker on the other hand scowled at the oldest male member. "Nate!" She whispered angrily. "Why?" She snapped not bothering to explain her question any more than the one word.

He gradually took a sip. "Because I said so."

The scowled deepened noticeably, as she shoved away from the table. "Because I said so." She mocked leaving the room in search of the hacker.

Both Sophie and Eliot grinned at each other at the thief's parting actions; Nate frowned, but turning his attention to the two remaining teammates. "Eliot, I'm gonna-"

The door slammed closed interrupting the masterminds' sentence.

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Hardison grinned as he drove them to the marks office. His thoughts ran wild at the possibilities that were going through his mind. "So Babe, I was wondering if you wanted to dress up for the Con."

Parker frowned questioningly at the dashboard. "I don't think it would make a difference if we dressed up right now or not?"

The hacker chuckled. "Nah, babe, the comic con."

"Oh…Ugh, does it matter?" She was confused and the fact that his endearment was started to rub her nerves raw was getting to her. "Look Hardison, I'm giving you this weekend for the sake of our friendship…"

"I know, I know, I'm just… I'm-" He broke off suddenly tight lipped.

Parker shook her head, her frustration from the past few weeks taking its toll on her. "Let's just get this day over with. There's still two more day until this weekend. Why don't we just focus on what we need to do right now, alright?"

The young man nodded tersely.

Once they were at the office building, Parker quickly moved out of the van before the engine was off. Grabbing a small black satchel that held everything she needed, Parker shot him a quick look that said leave it to her, before she moved across the deserted street to the building.

He frowned as he watched her go. "Damnit Hardison." He told himself.

Shifting in his seat, he moved to the back of the van to set up the computers for the communication links. His process was stalled slightly when he heard a phone go off, glancing around him to find the annoying sound to shut it off, he found Parker's phone. Moving around he snatched the phone off the floorboard and hit the button. "Eliot?"

"Hardison? Why are you answering the phone?" The hitter questioned annoyed.

Hardison moved to hold the phone between his ear and shoulder. "She left her phone."

A grunt was heard over the line before he finally spoke again. "Tell her that she's gonna need to make sure she brings her badge and a dark wig with her tomorrow for our part at the courthouse."

Hardison hummed in acknowledgement. "That all?"

Without responding the line went dead.

The hacker lifted his head and caught the falling phone with his hand, before continuing on the computer. "I guess so."

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Eliot once more leaned back in his chair as Nate explained all that would need to go down for his part with Parker next. "Man, I don't think that's the best way to go."

Nate shot him a curious look, staying silent.

The hitter ran his hand through his hair twice before finally elaborating. "We already exposed ourselves as different people."

"Just to him, there won't be anyone else there that will recognize you two. You two will be fine. I want him in federal prison, not just county jail for a few weeks. Just before court starts is our best bet."

Eliot frowned at Sophie, who softly shook her head. "Yea, alright." He muttered moving to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sophie questioned as he ignored the kitchen and went down the hallway.

"To ease some tension." He threw over his shoulder, leaving the two alone at the table to clean up dinner.

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To Be Continued…