"Good-bye," Sophie replied. She turned around and ignored her husband's fatal fall to the ground. She was smiling as she unloaded and discarded her gun. She looked completely relieved as her husband gasped his last breath.
Nate stared at her in complete horror. She just violated her number one rule. She killed and this time it was directly. She killed her own husband and she didn't even care. She looked so relieved and happy over the murder it was like she had no love whatsoever. How could she be such a loving mother one second and a murderess wife the next? How could she condemn herself so easily?
"Why?" Nate demanded. He couldn't tell if he was angry or grief-stricken. Maybe he was just in shock. His grifter just committed the greatest sin in her own eyes. He didn't know what bothered him more. If that she didn't care at or that he cared a lot, too much.
She stopped, tilting her head to the side in curiosity and staring at him with those bright black eyes. She was like an animal trying to decipher if something was greater predator or prey. Then she shrugged and shook off his disapproval as if she didn't care.
"You were right," she cooed, "He would have done the same to me."
The mastermind stared at her in complete disbelief. He was utterly devastated and he didn't know what to do with his emotions. It was as if he just lost his son all over again. She wasn't even dead and he still lost her. Then the hitter placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"It's true, Nate," Eliot explained, "and he would have made certain the kid didn't make it too."
The mastermind turned towards the hitter in confusion. Then he understood. Charlotte saved him. She made the call he never could. She murdered again. Maybe she did change. After all, the hitter used to be a professional killer. He bounced back from that. She could too. They would all help her to do it. Nate turned towards the grifter with a slight nod. She smiled at his understanding.
Another shot rang out and the grifter fell to the ground.
"No!" Nate screamed. He looked to his right with anger on his every feature.
Hardison stood with the smoking gun in his hand. The gun wasn't shaking and his gaze was far too steady. That man didn't even look queasy at what he had done. He looked like he thought he did the world a favor.
"I had to do it," he said, "I promised Nana."
"You said they just kidnapped her," Eliot replied. He was studying the hacker carefully now trying to decide if he was a threat. He took the gun away and stared him straight in the face.
"I lied," Alec replied.
Nate ignored the duo. He rushed towards the grifter with fear gripping his heart. He pulled her into his arms and tried to stop the bleeding. Her entire stomach was red with blood. Even when he put a hand over the gushing wound he knew she wouldn't last long.
"He made… a good call," Sophie stuttered. Pain was evident in her voice and face. There wasn't a trace of hope anywhere.
"It's alright," Nate smiled sadly, "I've got you."
"Sophie Devereaux," she said her breath falling out of her mouth in great gasps. "You love her, don't you?"
"Yes," Nate agreed, "very much."
Sophie nodded at the answer that was given. Tears were finally pouring from her eyes. She coughed up a few flecks of blood and the mastermind squeezed her tighter. She looked grateful when he wiped some hair out of her eyes. They were still cold and full of hate. It hurt to see that kind of emotion at this time.
"Were we married?" She asked.
Nate chuckled at her beautiful mind and how quickly it worked. Then he kissed her on the forehead and shook his head.
"No," he said, "Not yet."
"Take care of Sam," she asked.
Nate nodded at the command. He felt tears prickling his eyes at the way she had to gasp for every breath. Then he watched as the light of life shimmered out of those dark, cold eyes. She fell limp in his arms motionless for the rest of eternity.
"No!" He cried. He was on his feet and heading somewhere. Then his fist collided with black skin. "You killed her!"
Hardison stumbled back at the blow. His brown eyes were wide and filled with fear. But no regret resided in those once kind eyes. No, they were just as cold as Charlotte Prentice-Moreau's. The mastermind cursed himself for being so blind. He was so fixated on saving the grifter that he missed the most obvious sign. The hacker's hatred had been a bright, shining neon sign from the very beginning. It had always been bubbling under the surface. His hacker had been enveloped by the darkness of the world. He was no longer the young man he had once known.
"I had to," Hardison replied, "She would have killed all of us! She killed my Nana. What was I supposed to do? Let her walk away?"
"She had a son!" Nate shouted, swinging another fist his former-hacker's way. "What am I supposed to tell him? Both of his parents are dead!"
"Good," Hardison growled, "If you'll give me a moment we won't have to worry about the Prince of Darkness either. He'll be just as dead as the King and Queen."
This time it was Eliot who went into action. He fisted the hacker's shirt and yanked him off his feet. They were face to face now and glaring daggers into each other's eyes.
"You're not touching the kid!" Eliot screamed, "He didn't do anything wrong. You can't punish him for the sins of his parents. He can still change."
"It's already too late, Eliot," Hardison shouted, "That kid thinks Nate killed his father. It's not going to be a hard leap for him to make the connection to his mother. He's not going to accept us or be good. He's going to want revenge. Trust me I'm the direct result of watching my parents die!"
"You're not touching him," Eliot growled, "I'll kill you first."
"Why are you defending him?" Hardison asked in disgust, "If you ask me I did the world a favor!"
"A favor?" Eliot hissed, "Dammit Hardison, you killed a person…"
Nate ignored the two of them. He was too caught up in his own world of misery to care. His breathing was erratic and the only thing he could think about was Sophie's cooling body. He collapsed on the ground beside the grifter and cuddled her close to his body. He just held her tight and tried to imagine a way home, a way to the world where the grifter was alive and the hacker wasn't her murderer.
"Please," Nate begged towards the heavens with all of his might, "Please, Reuel. End this Hell. I want to go home. I want her back. I need her back."
The angel appeared in his line of sight instantly. He was shaking his head while standing over Moreau's body. The hitter and hacker didn't notice him. They probably couldn't even see him. They were too busy battling each other. Parker was racing from the safe house at top speed. Sam wasn't far behind her. Soon they would both join in the mastermind's despair. Yet none of them could know the real pain he was experiencing.
"Please, Reuel," Nate demanded softly, "I can't do this again. Not with her. I can't take losing her too. Hardison killed her."
"Indeed," Reuel agreed, "but the lesson isn't over yet."
"Take me home!" Nate screamed, "Dammit! I won't do this! I won't lose them like this! I would rather it be a fluke than anything else! I will not lose her by Hardison's hand! Take me back."
"You wanted to change their destiny to protect them," Reuel shrugged, "My hands are tied."
Then the angel disappeared with the light sea breeze.
"No!" Nate shouted in misery, "No, come back! Reuel, please come back! Please, I've learned my lesson! It's not my fault! It was never my fault!"
Still, no answer came. The mastermind was left alone with his grifter lying dead in his arms. Eliot was killing Hardison in the background. Sam was crumpled in Parker's arms, mourning his parents with tearful eyes.
"Please," Nate whimpered into the grifter's hair, "I know it's not my fault now. It was an accident. Please let me go home."
"Nate," Eliot called, his voice pitched low in concern. His hand was soft and soothing on his shoulder. He was shaking lightly to get his attention.
"No," Nate hissed.
He pulled his shoulder out of the hitter's grasp. Then he cuddled the grifter tighter to his chest. Tears were slowly slipping from his eyes no matter how hard he tried to stop them. He just wanted to bury himself inside the grifter's hair and disappear. He didn't want to be anywhere without her. He knew it was wrong, but he did the same thing with his son. Why couldn't he die with her too?
"Nate," Eliot kept calling, "Nate, wake up. Nate! Nate, it's only a bad dream."
The mastermind jumped at the voice. It had sounded so much like the dead grifter in his arms. But that was impossible. Her lips weren't moving and she wasn't breathing. She was dead and cold in his arms. She wasn't calling out his name. She never would again.
"Nate," the voice called again.
"Go away, Eliot!" Nate shouted at the voice, "Can't you see I'm mourning?"
"Nate, wake up!"
Nate jumped at the command. He rose up above the bar and nearly fell out of his seat. Wait a minute, he thought. A look left showed nothing but two swinging bar doors and a bunch of empty tables. A look right confirmed that he was indeed in a bar surrounded by bottles and bottles of liquor. He looked for the exit and his eyes fell on the most beautiful sight in the world.
"Sophie!" He gasped pulling her into a hug and holding on tight. Then he pulled away so he could take in her beautiful appearance.
"I'm fine," she said unnecessarily. He could see simply by the way she was smiling that she was alive and well. Then he frowned.
"Your hair was up," he said.
He quickly moved her hair away from her face. A giant bruise was already starting to develop on her left cheek. Then he started to look at the rest of her appearance. Her dress was torn in at least three places other than the right strap. Her shoes were missing and her lips had a deep cut in it.
"Nothing happened," she said when their eyes met again.
He looked at her like she was crazy. "Sophie, your dress is torn and you've got a giant bruise on your face," he said, "What do you mean nothing happened?"
"I took care of them before they could do anything," she replied with a bright smile. "Eliot taught me well."
"Where did the bruise come from?" He demanded bitterly.
"I gave it to her," a growly voice spoke up.
Guilt was obvious in the hitter's voice and stance. He was looking between the two of them like a kid who had done something wrong. He refused to meet either of their eyes. Instead his gaze was glued to his feet and he refused to move any closer to them. He was just hanging out by the door.
"I was turning a corner and she was in my blind spot," he explained.
"Eliot hit you?" Nate asked. He couldn't help being impressed and angry all at once. His hitter hit his grifter and she was still walking, talking and acting like nothing had happened.
"Well, mostly the man who had me up against the wall," Sophie shrugged, "But that's not important right now."
"Not important?" Nate scowled, "Sophie, Eliot hit-"
"Parker's awake," Sophie beamed.
Nate's whole world stopped at that simple statement. He grabbed the grifter's hand and pulled her outside with him. He refused to let her go as he rushed the two blocks to the hospital. He could hear the hitter's heavy steps behind them. They were all too excited to even think about anything but Parker.
The mastermind barged through the door in eager anticipation. There she was. The blonde was staring at the door with wide eyes and a happy smile. Hardison was right by her side with an impossibly bigger smile. His eyes fell towards the grifter and he sprang up from his chair. He swallowed her in a bear hug and cried into her shoulder.
"It's alright," Sophie cooed, "everything's going to be alright."
Nate smiled at the way the two were acting. They weren't fighting or deciding how to unravel each other. No, they were celebrating their thief and the fact that they were all alive. This was the family he knew and loved. The family he had missed so much. The mastermind turned towards the thief in the bed and smiled. He pulled her into a giant hug and held on tight. He ignored the slight prickly feeling in his eyes and just kept holding on.
"Am I dying?" Parker asked.
"No, Parker," Nate cried into her hair, "You're not dying. I'm just happy to see you awake."
"Did we get the bad guys?" She asked.
"Sophie blew them up," Eliot explained. He was standing on the other side of the hospital bed and still looking sheepish. "It's all taken care of."
"Then why does Sophie have a giant bruise on her face?" Hardison demanded in shock. He was still squeezing the grifter tight and looked like he wouldn't be letting go anytime soon.
Nate couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. Eliot's eyes had blown wide in fear of what he was supposed to say to that. Even Sophie was stuttering for an explanation. Parker was watching everything with avid fascination and Hardison was just trying to figure everything out. It had all been a dream.
The sound of a bell filled the air and Parker giggled at the noise.
"An angel just earned its wings," Sophie hummed along quietly. She had somehow managed to peel herself away from the hacker and snuck up right beside the mastermind.
The thief looked at the grifter in confusion. "I don't get it," she said.
"Well, Parker," the grifter explained, "There's an old wives tale that says every time a bell rings an angel earns its wings."
"Oh," Parker nodded, "That's stupid."
Nice job Reuel, Nate thought as he joined the others in laughter. Then he pulled the grifter into a bear hug and enjoyed the happy air. Things were looking up.
A/N: Okay, now here is the big question. To Epilogue or not to epilogue. I was thinking about but I'm not too sure if it's going to work for this story or not. So, I decided to leave it up to you guys. Review with your answer. Thanks and thank you all so much for taking the time to read and review this story.