Five times: Random
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I only get to play with them. Then I'm forced to put them back. - But I do own the song. It's mine, ask permission if you want to use.
AN: This was written for icycolour for the Leverage fic exchange over on livejournal.
The Song
He heard the quiet sounds of her feet on the floor before he saw her. Parker was making it a habit to sneak into his house at least once a week. He wasn't sure why exactly, but it didn't really matter.
At the moment he just smiled and kept his head down, even though he knew Parker was now standing in the doorway and looking at him. But she didn't make any sound so he kept strumming softly on his guitar.
He knew Parker knew he knew she was there, but she never interrupted him when he was playing, she preferred to just listen to him and talk to him afterwards. It was a little peaceful to have her there, a quiet presence in the background.
But this time he didn't want to ignore her. In fact, he had been counting on her dropping by. With a few more strums he was finished with the music that went with the song he had just finished writing and now it was ready to be played.
He knew exactly who he wanted to play for, and luckily for him, she was there.
Looking up Eliot smiled at Parker and motioned her into the room. Parker walked over to one of the stools in the room and sat down, crossing her legs meditation style, hands on knees, and looked at him.
Smirking slightly he started playing. Than he started singing.
.
The strangest things
Makes you sad, makes you mad
The things that motivate you wouldn't touch me
You laugh when it's silent
Smile when no one thinks you will
Everything about you makes you different
But you don't mind it at all
.
People say there's something wrong with that one
But they just don't get it
They don't understand
There's nothing wrong with being different
From standing out from a crowd
There's something fragile there
Hidden away in your smile
But they don't see
.
At first it seemed so weird
At first it seemed so far fetched
That we could ever understand
You're just to far from our reach
But now we know the truth
We're just as weird to you
But you still try to pull us close
So now we'll try too
.
People say there's something wrong with that one
But they just don't get it
They don't understand
There's nothing wrong with being different
From standing out from a crowd
There's something fragile there
Hidden away in your smile
But they don't see
.
You've been hurt before
But never again, not on my watch
I'll slay your demons down
If you'll just stay with me
Oh darling, just stay close
Cause I'm starting to understand
And I'm starting to see
I'll be your strength,
If you'll just stay with me
.
When Eliot finishes the song he doesn't say anything, just turns to look at her.
Parker is looking at him with wide eyes, eyes that may be a little teary. But she was also smiling at him, so he took that as a good sign. Leaning forward he tucked some of her hair behind her ear and moved in slowly, giving her time to back away. She didn't, so he kissed her. It was slow and sweet.
Afterwards he pulled back a little and looked her in the eyes.
"Stay?" He asked and Parker smiled wide and nodded.
The Past
He was sick and tired of it all, he knew he had to get out. So he packed his bags and told them he was leaving. There was even more yelling, threats, and some violence. But he did it, he left home at 17 and he didn't look back. It was the best thing for everyone.
She ran away from the homes when she was 15. She could provide for herself better then any of them could, and if she was alone then they couldn't hurt her. There wouldn't be anyone to lie to her or be mean and nasty. She was happy on her own, even if it meant she had no money and had to steal everything. She was getting good anyway, and soon enough she might even be able to afford to buy something instead of stealing it.
He got his first job not long after he left. At first he was sent to collect money from people, then one day he got in over his head and had to be rescued by some ex-navy seal. Learning to fight from your mean drunk of a father and learning from an ex-military man and his old buddies was something totally different. He learned what made you a bully and mean and what made you good at controlling the violence that flowed through his veins. He learned a lot from them and he kept learning, even after he left them.
She had pulled a job unlike anything she'd ever done. The rush from it was exhilarating, and she pulled it off! She had hung from the side of the building for over an hour just so she could safely sneak into the main office and break into the safe. Sure it probably hadn't been that safe, especially with the used and old equipment she had bought from local thrift shops and pawn shops, but it had worked and now she had a couple thousand dollars. She could afford to eat out, spend a night in a nice hotel. She wouldn't have to be alert all night long, she could sleep and relax for a few nights. Plus the rush! The whole thing was so easy, and so much fun. She was going to have to do another one again.
He killed a man. He didn't mean to do it. He'd been told to retrieve a statue from the man in the house. He went in, and pulled out his gun. People were always a lot more willing to listen to you if you had a gun. He hadn't meant to shoot him, but he moved to quickly and he startled and pulled the trigger. Now it was too late, he killed someone and he couldn't take it back. It didn't matter that he hadn't meant to, the man was still dead. He grabbed the statue, made sure not to touch anything else and ran from the house. He gave the statue to the man who hired him, got his money, and went back to his hotel room and threw up for an hour. He killed a man. He hated guns. Hated them.
She was 17 when she pulled her biggest theft to date. It had been the Cairo museum. She stole quite a few priceless objects and it was almost easy. She loved it. She went by Parker now, from her favorite character in a book she read. She didn't want to be who she was before, from now on she was Parker, a thief. Maybe someday she would even be the best. But that didn't matter, she just wanted to continue stealing stuff. She loved the feeling she got when she was in the middle of a job. She loved the money she got afterwards too. Money was her best friend. It never let her down, helped her, and it never lied. Not when it was real anyway. Money was the best. Who needed anything else when there was money?
He was 20 the first time he accepted a job overseas. He had no idea what he was in for but he survived it. He killed again and again, and his hate for firearms only grew. He learned the difference between them and he made sure he knew how to use them all. Ignorance may be bliss for some people but it'd only get him killed someday. Instead of using a gun he kept knives on him at all times and learned how to use them, he also continued learning how to fight. He was never done, he wanted to learn everything. He forced himself to work at it, day after day until he wanted to drop in exhaustion but still he pushed himself. He needed to be the best, he needed to be faster and stronger and able to take the punishment anyone threw at him. He wouldn't ever be anyone's victim. Not again.
She almost died today. But she didn't.
He was captured, toyed with and tortured. He survived.
She's continued to steal things and once or twice she even heard about someone trying to hunt her down, but they never get close. She wants to laugh at them. She isn't being overly confidant, but she knows they wouldn't catch her. To catch someone they have to make mistakes and she doesn't. She doesn't have attachments either so they can't track her easily. She doesn't even know where she is going next most days, so why should they? The only constant in her life was money. She was always careful too. Most of her childhood had been spent trapped or locked away and listening to rules. No one was going to do that to her now. She would make sure they never found her, no matter how hard they looked. She'd keep moving, stay below the radar and never make connections. Who needed people anyway? She had everything she needed and all she wanted was money.
He's older and wiser now. He knows that killing is a part of his life but that doesn't mean he enjoys it. He does it when he can't get out of it and knocks them out when he can. He's fast and he has his own code of honor. Not that anyone else can understand it. It's his and his alone and no one needs to know. He still hates guns, but he knows how to use them. He's learned control. Control over his anger and control over his life and emotions. He can kill you with a knife in more ways then you can count and he can charm any female he wants to. He likes to think that he doesn't have a heart, but he knows there's a soft spot that's so guarded it would take the world's best thief to catch a glimpse of it. He's trained himself that caring for others only leads to trouble and danger and he's never going down that road. He's learned that he can only depend on himself, that everyone has a price, and that given the chance someone will always let you down.
They're both older and wiser now. They're both part of a group, a team, a family. Something they never even imagined was possible for either of them. They both care about this new world, this new connection. They aren't used to it, but they would do almost anything to keep it. They would throw out their rules, change themselves, to keep it. That goes against everything they ever taught themselves but for once, that doesn't seem like such a bad thing. They help others too, help others from bad people while still doing what it is that they are best at. It feels great and they know that it'll never be the same now. They've been changed and they didn't notice until it was too late. But now that it's happened, it isn't so bad. It could be a good thing. Because now they have the pieces they were missing. They belong.
And it isn't as scary as they thought it would be.
Leaving
He's watching from his bike as the planes fly away. He's watching them all go their separate ways and can't help but feel like something was missing. They all had grown so close, almost like a family and now it's all over.
They left.
Everyone leaves at the end.
You would think that he wouldn't forget that. But for a brief time he actually did. It was kind of nice. But now all he's left with is the truth.
"Hey." A soft voice says from behind him.
Eliot whips around and is surprised.
Parker is standing there behind him.
"I thought you left." He said, stunned. He had seen her get into the plane and saw it take off. How the hell did she get off?
Parker shrugged and picked at her jacket. "I didn't want to go." She said and looked at him. They were the only two left now. Everyone else really had flown away. They wouldn't be appearing like she did.
Eliot only paused for a moment before he tossed her his helmet. "Put that on and get on and hold tight." He told her, then turned around and moving forward slightly, so she would have room behind him.
After a moment he feels her move climb on behind him and her arms wrap around his waist.
"Where are we going?" She asks loudly as he starts the bike.
Eliot grins but she couldn't see it. "I don't know. But there are museums everywhere Parker, I'm sure we'll find something for you to steal." He teased, feeling better suddenly.
"And someone for you to beat up." She yells and holds on tighter as he pulled away.
Eliot laughs.
He was wrong.
Not everyone leaves, not always.
Lessons
"Parker." Eliot growled as he came into her office. "Stop it."
Parker looked up at him, eyes wide and filled with an innocence she didn't have. "Stop what?" She asked.
"Stop playing the guitar. You're butchering it. The guitar isn't supposed to make sounds like that so I don't know what you're doing, but please, stop it." He said.
Parker pouted and looked down at the guitar she was holding before looking up at him. "I just wanted to learn how to play it." She said and suddenly Eliot felt like a heel.
Sighing he came into the room.
"Alright, I'll show you the basics." He told her coming closer to her and sitting down beside her.
He held out his hand for the guitar and Parker handed it over. He started going over which strings were which and things he thought she needed to know. Then he handed it back to her and watched her struggle to get her fingering right. When she couldn't he came up behind her and adjusted it so her hands and fingers were in the right position to play.
Which was when Hardison walked in. Hardison only saw Eliot holding Parker and the guitar closely to him, and Eliot talking to Parker in a low voice.
"Hate to interrupt but Nate wants us all in the conference room." Hardison told them, grinning.
Eliot and Parker looked up at him and Eliot glared, knowing where Hardison's mind was going.
"No." Eliot said. "It isn't what you're thinking Hardison, so don't go there." He warned but Hardison only grinned wider and wiggled his eyebrows.
Turning around Hardison headed to the conference room only he started singing as soon as he was away from the door.
"Eliot and Parker sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, than comes marriage, than comes baby in the baby tree…"
"I'll kill him." Eliot growled, standing up. "What is he? Three?"
"I don't get it." Parker said and looked up at him.
"It's just a stupid song Parker." Eliot said, hoping she wasn't going to go all weird on him and ask him where babies came from or something. Then he really would kill Hardison.
"What? No. Which cord is G again?" She asked and looked at the guitar. "This one? Or is it that one?"
Eliot hesitated before pointing out the correct one.
Sometimes he really didn't understand these people.
"So when are you going to show me how to play this thing?"
Ride
"No."
"Parker-"
"No."
"Come on, you've got to do this."
"No, I really don't."
"It's not as bad as you think. I thought you had gotten over this anyway." Eliot states.
"Petting a horse and trusting my life to one are two completely different things." Parker tells him, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes.
What had started as an innocent ride had turned into something really not fun. She hadn't expected Eliot to be going to a horse stable when she jumped into his truck with him. This is what being bored got her.
She would work on not being bored again, but that was a little too hard. Instead she would try to never be bored around Eliot again. Not if this is what it got her.
"Look, Bessie is one of the best horses here. She's great with beginners."
"Bessie? You're going to trust my life and safety to something named Bessie?" Parker questioned.
"What's wrong with the name Bessie?" Eliot asked, defensive.
"Oh god, you didn't name her did you?" Parker asked. Honestly, nothing was wrong with the name but at the moment she would take any excuse she could. Right now she was betting she could pick a big enough fight with Eliot to make him forget this whole insane idea.
There was no way she was riding a horse.
No way.
"I didn't name her." Eliot growled out, starting to loose a little of his patience.
"Sure." Parker said, blinking up at him.
Eliot sighed than stared at her. "You're getting on the horse Parker. Your only choice is between Bessie and riding by yourself, or riding on Stanton with me."
Parker narrowed her eyes. "I'm not riding them at all, Eliot." She said and crossed her arms.
They both stared at each other, neither willing to back down.
"Pick one Parker." Eliot growled out.
"No." Parker told him. "It's not going to happen."
Ten minutes later they are still unsure who the winner is. Both of them are on the ground, rubbing new bruises, and in Eliot's case, a few bite marks.
"Damn-it Parker, why can't you do this?" He demanded.
"Because I'm afraid!" Parker exclaimed.
Eliot softened a little. "I know. But it's safe, nothing is going to happen. I don't want you to fear horses anymore." He said, leaning a little closer.
Parker sighed and closed her eyes. "Fine." She said than opened them. "But if anything bad does happen, I guarantee you'll never find all the pieces to your truck again."
Eliot grinned at her. "Deal." He had a few other trucks stored away anyway so he wasn't too worried, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her.
"Come on, you'll ride Stanton with me. This way there's no chance that Bessie will run away with you."
Parker glared at Bessie and stood up. Eliot stood up as well. They had a few grass stains, and were a little mussed up but that was it. Luckily, they hadn't rolled into anything gross.
Eliot held out his hand and waited until Parker took it before tugging her closer and leading her to Stanton's stall he showed her how to get him ready to ride.
Later on when they were riding together Parker kept her eyes closed most of the time and kept her arms tight around Eliot as she listened to him talk. He sounded happy, which made her glad that she had gone along with him but she still wasn't comfortable on a horse. But she knew that Eliot would keep her safe, and that was enough to keep her from hating it.
Besides, maybe it wasn't so bad.