Author's Note: I know that I'm updating quickly but common! Reviews are abysmal! Please help me out here and feed my muse! Enjoy the after effects of Elliot and Angela's night of passion.
Chapter 12: Clean 'Em Up and Ship 'Em Out!
"Sophie," Nate rapped on the door to Sophie's hotel room. It was 8:00 the next morning; their plane would leave at four that afternoon. The grafter hadn't left her room all night and Nate hadn't heard a peep from any of the rest of the team. This worried him. Elliot and Parker he hadn't expected to show but Hardison being missing was not something that made him all warm and fuzzy inside. "Sophie, please come out. I," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm sorry."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth then Sophie's door opened and a fully dressed and makeuped English woman appeared, very chipper, "Finally! I thought I would never break you down. God Nate, who taught you to talk to women?" She flipped her bag over her shoulder and sauntered out of the room, stopping in the hall, "Well, are you coming?"
Hardison was at the bus station, head in his hands. After storming off he had gone to the arcade he found, schooled some kids in Mrs. Pac Man until the arcade closed at three, then he went to the bus station to wait. Four or five busses had passed and he still hadn't gotten on one, but he had finally decided: he would be getting on the next bus. Just as the transportation rounded the corner he remembered that he had left his stuff in the hotel. With a growl he realized he didn't care, he would send for it later. Hardison stood as the bus doors opened.
In front of the bus pulled up a Hyundai Genesis (those shameless product pluggers *grumble grumble grumble*), blocking any hope of the bus leaving.
Hardison glared at the car, pausing at the door to the bus.
"Hardison," the passenger window rolled down and Sophie reached out, coffee and a donut bag in hand, "stop your pouting and get in the damn car."
When Hardison didn't rise to the bait, Sophie sighed and reached out another hand which held Hardison's I-Pod.
Damn, she had him. The hacker stepped out of the bus and got in the back seat, snatching the offerings from Sophie. "Ya'll lucky I don't feel like leaving right now, that's all I'm sayin'," his voice was only mumbled so Sophie and Nate didn't know what he was saying.
Booth was disturbed, that was the only way he could describe the emotion he felt after twelve hours of watching that blonde girl shinny through the vents and pick all of the locks in the lab "to see if it was safe enough for Dr. Brennan." Sure, he had tried to assure her that everything was perfectly safe and anyway, he had a gun, but she would not be convinced.
Now she slid out of a vent above Dr. Brennan's office door. "I have to say Seeley," Parker said as Booth awkwardly eased her down. Once on the ground she put her hands on her hips in a very matter-of-fact way, "It was far too easy for me to sneak in and out of here."
Booth had nothing to say to this. To think, just two days ago he never thought that he would be having this much fun. He looked toward Brennan who was standing at Hodgins' desk, she shrugged. Really she was amused by the girl, even she would admit that the lab could use some fun every now and then.
Hodgins even enjoyed it, though he was slightly worried about Angela and that other guy. He hadn't seen them all night. "I haven't found anything that can connect a human being to Mr. Carson," he reported. "As far as I can tell, he could have shot and buried himself and we'd be none the wiser." He had to laugh as Booth lost his balance trying to get the Parker girl to the ground again after yet another trip into the vents and they both toppled over.
"Well, our plane leaves at four so you can keep looking," Brennan left his desk and went to be sure Booth was alright.
Just then Cam burst through the doors into the lab, "Um, is there any reason our alarms are being triggered?"
Parker popped her head out of the vent, "Nice response time."
Cam hesitated, "Well," she opened and closed her mouth a few times until Brennan told her that she could disengage the alarms, "Um, just, get Bond out of the air ducts." As she left Nate, Sophie and Hardison came into the lab.
"Parker, come out of the vents," Nate didn't even have to look up to know where she was. "Well, Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan," he nodded to each in turn, "are we ready to head back to the Lone Star State?"
"Almost," for Brennan things were getting more fun by the moment; she had never had the chance to work this closely with criminals, her own father not-withstanding. "Good morning, Mr. Ford, I do not believe that you have introduced us to your friend." Sophie had already held out a hand to shake.
"My apologies, this is Sophie Devereaux."
"It is good to meet you Dr. Brennan, I have read all of your books," Sophie smiled brightly. And this wasn't a lie, she had read and even enjoyed the thrilling adventures and mystery the woman had written, though Nate had thought this a lie.
"Yes, I am sure many people have read my books." This was never meant to be rude, no matter how many times Brennan said it, she though it a perfectly valid comment to be made, and accurate.
"I see you found my thief, Agent Booth," Nate laughed as Parker slid out of the vent for the last time, "now what have you done with my hitter?"
As if called Elliot came through the doors, his hair hurriedly tied back and his cloths wrinkled, "Hey guys, aren't ya'll a bit early?" A grin.
Parker joined the gathering near the door, "Hey Elliot, where have you been all night? We missed you." She scrunched her nose, "And why is your shirt buttoned crooked . . . and that smell?"
Before Elliot could respond Angela came up behind him; her clothes were equally disheveled but she smelled better, "Um, Elliot, there are showers just back there," she pointed down the hall, "you can shower." She smiled to the assembled people, "Oh, hello, nice to you again Mr. Ford, Mr. Hardison," she looked at the blonde, "um, Parker." Parker nodded with a "Hiya!" "And you are?" she turned her attention to Sophie.
"This is Sophie Devereaux, she is a thief," Brennan offered helpfully.
"Well, I prefer 'grifter', but thank you, Dr. Brennan." Elliot had already left the group to freshen up.
Angela grinned and held out her hand, "Nice to meet you Sophie, I'm Angela."
Hodgins was looking from Angela to the missing Elliot. He didn't have a doubt what had happened last night. It was alright, he and Angela had broken up a year ago, and she had been with a few men . . . and a woman in that time (When Angela told Elliot about this the night before he had grinned broadly and asked for pictures) and he was fine with it. Now, if only he could really convince himself of that. "Dr. Brennan, I'll go on a donut run, any special requests?"
"Yes," she said, "those doughy spheres with chocolate and sprinkles, please."
"Those are donut holes, Bones," Booth was trying hard to get the image of Angela and Elliot out of his head.
"Oh, and strawberry for me please!" Hardison called.
Hodgins nodded and left the lab, leaving the two teams sitting in awkward silence, except for Angela and Sophie who found that they had a lot in common and were up in the loft talking.
Hardison was just short of fuming; really it was more of a hurt kind of fuming than an angry one, as he walked down the hall en-route to his car.
"Hey man," Elliot passed him, hair stringy and wet but he was wrestling it back into a ponytail.
He hadn't meant to start anything, hadn't wanted to make any show that Elliot had moved into his territory, but as their shoulders brushed in the hall he couldn't hold it in. Hodgins froze in the middle of the hall, his shoulders going ridged. 'Easy Hodgins don't sound too confrontational,' he coached himself. Turning, he glared after Elliot, "Hey, what was that about?" He was struggling to keep his breathing under control. He wasn't sure why this one guy bothered him so much, could have been his "I'm so cool" attitude, his hair (possibly) but, to tell the truth, he thought it was the eyes. They were the same color as his, weren't they? Everyone had told Hodgins that his most distinguishing feature was the eyes but here this guy was, blue eyes and all, taking his Angela. He quickly realized that Elliot was waiting for another response. "Where do you get off?" He stepped toward the hitter, "You come in here, break into Dr. Brennan's office, threaten Agent Booth, and sleep with Angela all on the same day!"
Elliot grinned, not quite catching Hodgins meaning, "Well, there was no actual sleeping involved –"
"That's what I mean!" Hodgins grew more irate, "You know we were engaged?"
"No, I only knew about that girl, Roxie," he raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Now Hodgins was mad at more than just "pretty boy," why hadn't Angela told him about their engagement? "You know this means we have to fight," he put up his fists, undeterred by the height Elliot had on him, "for Angela's honor."
Elliot couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing, "Really, do you even know who I am?" Elliot had his hands in his pockets, completely relaxed as Hodgins rushed him. Easy sidestep and Hodgins was skidding to a stop down the hall.
The man was fast, he'd give him that, but, blinded by anger, Hodgins didn't see that he should stop and instead rushed Elliot again. Now Elliot didn't move and instead flipped the scientist over his hip and sprawled him out on his back. "Believe me man; you don't want to do this."
Hodgins shook it off and got to his feet, swaying a little.
"Fine, I'll give you one free shot," Elliot pointed to his jaw, inviting Hodgins to take a swing. Swing he did, no sooner making contact then Elliot made contact with his gut and, with one hit to the nose, felled him again. "Stay down this time damnit, then you can feel accomplished that you stood up for her dignity."
Again Hodgins declined and made to sit up, getting a huge head rush and having to sit back, his nose streaming blood. "Okay, I'm done," Hodgins voice was just a whisper, "but please, don't hurt her." He groaned.
Elliot sighed and walked over to him, kneeling, "I ain't gonna hurt her. Put pressure on that, don't tilt your head and you should probably sit up."
It was at this point that Nate came around the corner, followed by Booth. "Damnit Elliot, what are you doing?" To the mastermind it appeared that Elliot was still beating on the poor, bleeding scientist. "Get off of him!"
Elliot dropped all ministrations, "He started it."
"I don't care who started it, I'm going to finish it if you don't leave that man alone and go back into the lab," this was not the first time that he felt like he was babysitting a bunch of infantile fugitives. As Elliot passed him, "And you had best not bother the nice doctors in there!"
"Yes Father!" Elliot shot him a certain hand gesture over his shoulder.
"Are you okay Dr. Hodgins?" Nate watched, hands in pockets as Booth helped the poor man to his feet, "Though I must say, picking a fight with Elliot, let's just say you got off very easily. Consider yourself lucky you caught him on a good day." Booth could contest to that but didn't.
Sophie and Angela were bonding over a Monet painting the artist had scanned into her machine and made 3-D varying the colors until it resembled a futuristic landscape that Sophie found oddly beautiful. "These are wonderful!" she exclaimed. "You are very talented; I would definitely steal this if I had a chance."
Angela laughed, knowing that it was just a joke, "I take that as the highest compliment I have received." She flipped through some other of her artworks, showing the grifter each and explaining her process.
"So," Sophie had been waiting for a Segway but, finding none she decided to bring up the subject on her own, "Elliot? How was he, I mean . . . you know?" The brazen bluntness of the comment did not abash Sophie but did cause Angela to balk.
"What are you talking about?" She quickly made herself busy.
"Bloody hell you American's are so prudish!" Sophie poked Angela in the shoulder, "Just tell me, was he any good?"
Angela pursed her lips before breaking into a large grin and sitting next to Sophie on the couch, leaning in conspiritly. "Well, at first I wasn't sure, you know, the compensation thing that most guys have," Sophie nodded, "but then, well, he does have big hands right?" Sophie's eyebrows shot up. "And he can use those hands . . ." Angela enjoyed sharing her story more than she thought she would, Brennan would have been bored with the talk, say "intercourse is not something that you can truly excel at, it is intercourse," and be on her way. She sometimes tried to listen but would soon grow bored of it.
And so went the rest of the day: Booth brought Hodgins to Brennan who ascertained that his nose was indeed broken, Elliot was sent to Dr. Brennan's office like a school boy, Hardison and the now patched up Hodgins were chatting (yes, Hardison was now glad that Elliot had messed with Angela and not him so now he had a friend to talk trash about the hitter with), and Nate and Booth were discussing what would happen when they got to Texas.
At noon thirty Booth, Brennan, Sweets, Hardison, Nate, Sophie, Parker and Elliot all headed to the airport. Hardison had procured the Leverage team tickets (Booth didn't want to know how), and Brennan had bought Booth and her ticket in first class. By five o'clock, they were in the air.
"What, Booth you are not having second thoughts are you?" Brennan asked, Booth had been fidgeting since the plane had taken off. "I mean we are all on the plane together, you cannot just drop this con and leave Nate." She was looking forward to this actually. The thought of working with criminals (only if Booth agreed) sounded fun to her.
"No, Bones," Booth sighed, "We'll go through with it, just don't get to comfortable with them. If they turn on us we have to be prepared. Always prepare for the worst Bones, always."
Two rows behind the couple sat Sweets and Parker. Upon meeting the girl at the airport he just knew there were plenty of untapped reservoirs of crazy that his Psychology-horny hands could delve into and unlock. Anyway, he and Daisy's off-again-on-again was off-again and the thief was cute . . .
"So then I blew up my foster parents . . ."
Psyco, but cute.
Parker, though enjoying Sweets company, felt strange actually sitting still on an airplane.
Nate and Sophie had since made up and were sitting just out of the earshot of Booth and Brennan, chatting to Elliot and Hardison about the plan. "Elliot," Nate was asking, "did you get the files?"
Elliot was playing air marshal again, "Uh, you mean from the Jeffersonian? Uh, I . . . didn't get that far."
Hardison sat by himself in coach, in the back by the bathroom, "Oh, but you could have if you put that 'going far' to productive instead of recreational uses."
"You're just jealous because I was the one with the recreation," he growled. Elliot was also sitting by himself.
"Boys! Knock it off!" Sophie chastised, "You are both behaving like children." (Still sitting next to Sweets, Parker laughed at this, earning strange looks from the psychologist who didn't know about her ear bud.)
"So you didn't do the job that I left you behind for?" Nate rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Elliot, we were counting on you. Now we'll just have to hope that Booth is cooperative enough."
Elliot rolled his eyes, "I got ten reasons he should be cooperative."
"Oh, yeah, that'll work out well," Hardison quipped, "threaten the FBI guy."
"Boys!"
Author's Note: Now we go back to the con! And back to Texas! What will happen? Will the new alliance last? And what was it that Elliot forgot? Review! Please, when that number goes up it makes me feel that I'm not loved and that everyone hates my story . . .