It was five in the morning when the three of them decided to make a move for Nate and Sophie's boat.
"Look man,I am telling you this is the worst idea you've had in the last two years." Hardison is following close behind Eliot.
"What do you mean?" The hitter asks confused.
Hardison sighs heavily. "I dunno,you tell me. You want to go knocking on the damn door and say what? 'Hey guys we are okay,just been hiding for the last two years and oh,you're in danger...surprise!' That's plain insane we have no idea how they will react to seeing us."
Shaking his head,Eliot had no time to worry about that as he climbs on to the deck of the boat making the other two wait on the makeshift deck.
Inside the boat their is a chill in the cabin,Sophie snuggles closer to Nate wanting the heat of his skin against hers to get warmer, She tries to settle into a light sleep but creaking coming from above grabs her attention,sitting up she listens closely hearing it again. "Nate..." She whispers shaking his shoulder.
Groggily he opens his eyes to look at her. "Wh-what's wrong?" He is still half asleep at this point.
"Someone is on the boat." she whispers moving as close to him as possible.
Sighing he brings an arm around her waist shaking his head. "Darling no one is-" He stops hearing the same noise. "There is someone on the boat." He repeats her statement from earlier. Motioning for her to stay quiet he immediately goes into protective husband mode. Getting out of bed he dresses quickly reaching for a bat he keeps below deck. Sophie gets out of bed and changes quickly as well moving behind Nate as they listen to the foot steps.
"Who do you think it is,Jimar?" She asks fear in her voice.
"Darling it's to early for him,he would have knocked by now." Tightening his grip on the bat he motions for her to stay where she is as he moves for the door opening it slowly. He can see a pair of legs near the bow facing the deck. Moving slowly he comes up behind the person raising the bat and bringing it down with force.
"Eliot look out!" Parker yells in time for the hitter to block the blow with is forearm.
Eyes widened Nate takes a few steps back stumbling over something on the bow. "No...no you're suppose to be dead." He stumbles over his words.
Sophie hearing the noise comes on deck seeing Nate,she goes to is side right away. "Nate are you-" She stops when her eyes settle on the hitter who was now holding his arm.
"Ay man,everything alright?" Hardison asks coming to the hitters side along with Parker.
Nate and Sophie stare speechless at the three young members. Standing Nate pulls Sophie to him placing her behind him. "This...this isn't funny,we-we're dreaming." The only things he can come up with.
"Do you need me to pinch you?" Parker asks with a smile that fades when she see's the fear in their eyes.
"How are they here? We saw the bodies Nate." Sophie whispers in his ear as he nods.
The hitter steps forward but Nate moves them away farther. "I don't...just stay right there." He tells the hitter in a serious tone sending a warning to him.
Eliot sighs looking back at his two companions. "It's us,we are real,we are fine. We need to get below deck before we are seen,you're being watched right now...by him."
"It's really you?" Sophie asks.
Eliot nods. "We had to fake our deaths,now please we need to get out of sight before the sun rises."
Sophie leans closer to Nate to whisper in his ear. "It's them." she says quietly in his ear,she was able to read and recognize their body language.
Relaxing just slightly he nods. "Everyone,below deck. Go." He watches as the three make their way past them,he watches them all with a keen eye. Taking Sophie's hand he follows them and closes the hatch. Sitting on one side of the table with Sophie the other three sit across from them. "Explain...everything."
Eliot nods looking to the other two. "We figured when all this started two years ago that the only way to divide the heat was to split us up. While you guys took cover in that warehouse we managed to make it into the woods and Hardison had bodies ready in the long run,we tossed the bodies off the bridge and disappeared,we've been staying in Alaska for the past two years keeping track of the two of you,that's why we are here,because they are here."
Eliot could see in the eyes of his old friends that they were hurt,he would have been hurt too. Looking to the blue eyes of the mastermind he could see there was something different in them,something he has never seen before and he couldn't place it. The way he put Sophie behind him,even if it were them was something he did but this time it was more protective then he'd ever seen. Even now looking into those blue eyes he had the look of a man who isn't afraid to loose everything to protect her. His eyes shift to their hands and he spots it,they were married. How did he not pick that up? How did they miss it while watching them for the past two years.
Nate felt hurt,he felt betrayed. "When were you planning on telling us you were okay?" a hint of anger in his voice.
"When we figured out a way to take him down." Hardison offers.
Nate's gaze never leaves Eliot. "Do you know what we went through?" Eliot shakes his head. "I almost lost my wife!" he yells at the hitter.
"Nate...it's okay,relax Darling. They are here now,that's all that matters." Sophie makes him look at her.
He searches her eyes,reading them as he nods."Alright." He says quietly looking back at the other two.
"You guys are married?" The young thief asks as they both nod.
How long?"
Sophie looks to Nate and smiles. "Almost a year and a half now." Nate smiles as well nodding. The anger leaving him.
"We can celebrate later,right now we need to figure out what to do about him." Eliot says bringing on a serious tone. A fury of knocking on the door grabs their attention.
"Abbie! Luke! Please wake up!" Getting up quickly Nate moves for the door opening it as Jimar literally jumps into his arms crying hysterically.
"Jimar." Sophie says getting up from her spot at the table moving to the masterminds side who is trying to settle him down.
"Hey buddy,you need to calm down and tell us what's wrong." Nate talks softly to the boy as the other three look on wide eyed.
Leaning over to Eliot Hardison whispers to him. "I guess we found the kid." He says watching the scene.
"My father...somebody shot him. He was at work and...and they shot him because he got something wrong with what they wanted."
"Where is he?" Nate asks as Jimar points to the shore.
"He's at home. Please we have to help him." Passing the boy to Sophie Nate motions for Eliot to follow him along with Hardison.
Running along the deck an into the sand they don't stop running until they reach Jimar's dad. "Dammit Kano." Nate says knelling next to the man.
"Luke,you came."
Nodding Nate smiled. "I always do."
Grabbing Nate's shirt he pulls him close. "T-Take care of Jimar for me,Luke."
Nate's eyes tear up as he nods slowly,he can hear Hardison trying to get help but he blocks it out focusing on the man in front of him. "You are going to be okay,"
"Helps flying in man,should be here in five minutes." Hardison reports waiting outside,the only way to get him any help would be an air evac.
Sophie still holding onto Jimar makes it to where the boys are along with the blonde thief. "Luke?" Nate turns and stands up shaking his head,she could see the blood on his shirt as the helicopter arrives over head. It's able to land safely in the sand as paramedics rush to the mans side. Moving out of the way Nate stands with his wife as the lift him into the chopper. Getting the name of the hospital it is a few hours away.
"It doesn't look good." Eliot says looking back to Nate who was busy still trying to calm the boy down who was clinging to the grifter as if he was holding on for life.
Off the shore the fury of events Captures Isaac's attention. "What do we have here?" he questions raising his binoculars to see. What he see's surprises even him. "This can not be,they were dead." He growls focusing on the three members,then moves his sight to the couple with the child. He raises a brow as a grin crosses his lips.
"Nate we need to get out of here,now." Eliot notices the boat just off shore.
"Take him,I will grab a few things of his and we can go." Sophie hands the boy to Nate and heads inside grabbing a few of his things. Once they have what the need they head back to the boat. It's the only way they will be able to make it to the hospital to see how his dad is.
"Looks like our peace just got interrupted Nate says to Sophie who nods. He passes the boy back to Sophie who takes him below deck while the others stay above deck with Nate. "Hardison I want you to keep tabs on that boat,they've been watching us since yesterday. Eliot,what ever you guys know,I need to know about it." Eliot nods and begins to tell Nate what they've discovered in the two years.
Below deck Sophie lays Jimar down after fixing the bed and covers him with the blanket from yesterday. She moves to sit on the couch but the boy whimpers as more tears fall from his eyes. "Don't go." he says quietly as she nods and lays down next to him.
"I'm right here sweetie,I'm not going anywhere." Closing his eyes he nods moving closer to her.
"Is my dad going to be okay?"He asks in between silent sobs.
Sighing she doesn't know what to tell him. "We have to wait until we get there." She says quietly watching as he tires himself out trying to fight the sleep he had been feeling. When he is finally asleep she stays with him,knowing that if she moves to soon he will be awake again. Thirty minutes pass and she is sure he is asleep so she moves and joins the others above deck.
Nate the first to notice her passes the wheel off to Eliot. "How is he?"
Shaking her head she runs her fingers through her hair. "He's a mess right now,but he is asleep. Nate what are we going to do?"
"What we always do,we fight back,I highly doubt this was an accident." Noise in the water next to the boat forces him to push his brow together in confusion. Looking over the side his eyes widened."Get down!" He yells moving below deck to get to Jimar. By the time the explosion hits he is covering the boy with his body. Eliot taking note of what is going on Covers Sophie while Hardison protect Parker.
Coughing Nate Checks Jimar then notices the cabin filling with water. "Luke!" Jimar yells clinging on to holds him close seeing the water rise quickly.
"Nate!" Sophie yells trying to get below deck but debris is blocking them, Smoke fills the air around them as the boat begins to sink.
"Get the raft out and get off the boat." She tells the others but Eliot doesn't budge knowing Nate is stuck below deck with the boy.
Below deck Nate looks to Jimar. "Listen,everything is going to be okay." He moves the boy to his shoulders and struggles against the rush of water looking for the oxygen tank he keeps below it he places it on the boy then continues looking for a way tries to kick out the windows but it doesn't work.
Eliot gets everyone on the life raft in time for the boat to go completely under,he knows Nate is still in there and grabs the only thing he can find,a harpoon gun. Jumping into the water he moves to the windows searching for a safe one. He sees Nate struggling to in what is left of open space to breathe before the ship finally fills completely. Aiming the gun at the window he fires as Nate moves away from the window. Pasing the boy through first Eliot resurfaces with him.
"Where's Nate?" Sophie asks getting the boy into the life raft and the settled just in time for the oxygen to run out.
"I'm going back for him." Eliot disappears under the water again to help Nate break out the rest of the window. Grabbing his arm they reach the life raft getting inside. Nate coughs trying to catch his breath as Sophie and Jimar are right by his side. Jimar throws his arms around the mastermind as they both settle down slowly.
"Every...everyone okay? he asks still out of breath. He felt like he couldn't breath,like he was still struggling for air. Sophie notices this and makes him focus on her,he was having a panic attack.
"Nate look at me. Everyone is fine love,just breathe." Closing his eyes he focused on her voice taking in slow breaths. "Okay." she says as he nods.
"What do we do now,we are stranded int he middle of no where and they boat disappeared from sight the moment ours went down." Hardison reports as he stares at the others.
"All we can do is wait for a fly over." Nate says as the sun sets higher in the sky making the heat intense on all of them,he hopes rescue will come soon,other wise they wouldn't make it out there.
[A/N:And that's chapter 3 :D A bit more fun,but the question is,will help come before it's too late or will Isaac return to finish them off? Thank you for all the wonderful reviews!]