A/N: For all my lovely E/P-lovin' fans, here is a new and fairly long chapter! We've taken a little hop, skip, and a jump to the end of The Two Live Crew Job, but hopefully that's not going to confuse anybody :-) And as always, big thanx for all the fab reviews!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 8

Sophie was gone. Not dead and gone as she appeared to be at the fake funeral the team pulled days before, but gone from Boston, perhaps even from the States by now, and Parker wasn't handling it well. By now, the thief thought she was used to losing family; after all, she'd been bounced from one foster family to the next from a very young age, never knowing her real parents or anything. As an adult, she had mostly run alone, working within teams occasionally, but only briefly. The Leverage team was her first real family, though it wasn't until one of them was gone that she'd totally realised that.

Breaking up for a while had been hard, between the two David jobs, and the break from LA until they met up again in Boston, but this was different. When she was away from the team they were all apart and she could kid herself that she never had a family. Now one person was missing and it was painfully obvious, even after just one day. Nate was already drinking more coffee than before, wishing for booze but not giving in yet. Hardison was too quiet, too engrossed in his computer game, even beyond what he usually was. Right now Parker wasn't actually paying any mind to Eliot, which was how he managed to pull her usual trick and sneak up on her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked as he appeared at the top of the spiral staircase.

Parker had been sat up on the other floor with her legs dangling through the rails. She wasn't afraid of falling, of course not, the distance was negligible to her compared with the fifty or a hundred storey buildings she would throw herself off at a moments notice.

"I'm fine" she said flatly, though she looked far from it.

If Eliot didn't know better he'd think the little thief had been crying, but that seemed unlikely somehow. It was Parker, she didn't really do emotions as a general rule, any more than he did. Maybe that was their problem in a lot of ways, but now didn't seem like a good time to think about it.

"Parker" he said as he dropped down to sit beside her, a little more wary about the height they were at than she was, "I know you miss Sophie, we all do, but we're still here" he reminded her, mindful of saying too much more than that.

Things still weren't right between them, and he almost hadn't bothered chasing her up here, but Eliot knew she was upset and he couldn't just leave her. He had hoped Nate or Hardison would seek her out and check she was okay, to save him having to worry, but he figured the mastermind was pre-occupied by his own loss that felt much bigger than everyone else's right now, and the hacker probably didn't know how to broach the topic with the thief that was hard enough to figure at the best of times.

"Why do you bother being nice to me?" she snapped, pulling Eliot from his thoughts and making him look across at her strangely, "Seriously, why do you care?" she asked again, hugging the upright beside her that held the banister rail in place, practically glaring.

"We're a team, Parker" he reminded her, "Of course I care" he told her, "We all care" he added, ever-mindful of saying too much.

The oddest smirk came to Parker's lips then as she looked away. Sure, she didn't know how to verbalise the way she felt about Eliot either, she could hardly blame him for being so weird around her, but she was still hurt by what he said before. It was weeks ago, she ought to be over it. Comments made about her state of craziness or similar never bothered her before, whether they were said in jest or genuinely meant to wound. She didn't let stupid things like words harm her, and yet when Eliot had snapped about her being crazy and said he hated the situation they'd landed themselves in, it had stung as if someone had physically struck her. It took forever for it to fade, and just when she thought she was okay, some other nasty feeling had started bubbling up in her stomach. She wanted to ask Sophie about it, but the grifter was gone before she ever got the chance. The only other person she felt she could really talk to before was Eliot, but with everything between them so complicated lately, she just felt so alone… again.

"You seemed to be caring a whole lot for Raquel" she said, without looking at him.

Eliot honestly didn't know how to take that. He couldn't deny he had spent some time with the other hitter, but there was really only one reason Parker would be bothered by that and that meant venturing into the very territory he was trying to avoid with her, now more than ever.

"Why would you bring her up?" he said awkwardly, "I thought we were talking about Sophie" he reminded her, wishing to change the topic to absolutely anything else.

"I don't know" Parker shrugged, a complete lie because she did know why, she had a morbid curiosity about what exactly had happened between the two hitters that just wouldn't go away, "You did sleep with her, right?" she said outright, as was her way, and Eliot reacted with the usual shock and disgust that people always did when she asked such direct questions.

"Parker! You don't ask people stuff like that!" he told her, looking annoyed, but she just shook her head, unable to see what his problem was.

"Why not?" she shrugged, "It's just sex" she stated plainly, and yet even though she was sure what she said was true, and that none of this ought to matter at all, deep inside she knew it did.

"Because..." Eliot began as if he was going to give her some explanation, but the second his gaze met hers, he changed his mind, "You just don't ask, okay?" he said firmly, looking away again.

Parker didn't know what to make of this, not just the way Eliot was acting but the way she felt about it. She knew she liked him in a different way to anybody else. It ought to be simple enough, and if it was just a physical attraction it would be, but this was way more than lust alone. That she could have dealt with, because she was pretty sure, even though he often called her crazy or said there was something wrong with her, Eliot did like her enough to have sex with her. She had a body that guys went for, and Sophie had said she was pretty before, so that had to be true - Sophie wouldn't lie. Sex would be the easy part, just like it had been for Eliot and Raquel, but that wasn't all there was to it.

Ever since that kiss that was supposed to mean nothing, Parker felt like her eyes had been opened up to Eliot in a whole new way. Now whenever she saw him, she was getting these fluttery feelings, like butterflies in her stomach or something. When he smiled at her a certain way, it was like time slowed down and nobody else was in the room anymore, except them. She was having a tough time dealing, but with Sophie's help she'd managed for a while. Now here was this new feeling bubbling within her, ever since she caught sight of Eliot and Raquel getting friendly. It was all hot and angry, and yet sad at the same time. If it was something physical and real, Parker thought it would be lava, only maybe green in colour instead of orange...

Eliot sat beside Parker, wondering what the hell he was supposed say next. Somehow he didn't like her knowing that he slept with Raquel, not that sleeping had happened at all, but now wasn't the time to wonder of semantics. It'd been a good long while since he'd been with a woman that way, and she was one hell of a woman. He didn't have to hold back with her because she gave as good as she got, and there was no denying they'd both had a real good time. The problem was that every time he closed his eyes, any time his mind got all fogged up by passion, it was Parker's face he was seeing, imaging her body pressed up against his rather than the actual woman he was holding onto. There was no way he was going to admit that, obviously, but having Parker talk to him about his liaison with the other hitter wasn't helping at all, hence the reason he'd snapped at her so harshly.

Shaking off the awkwardness, or trying to at least, Eliot tried to get back to his original objective. Whatever he was feeling or Parker might've been feeling before, right now she was upset over Sophie and he wanted her to cheer up. It was what he'd come up here for in the first place and so far he was doing a lousy job of helping.

"So, you want somethin' to eat?" he ventured, knowing that was at least something he could do for her that wouldn't get too complicated, besides he did worry about her just eating junk or maybe forgetting to eat at all sometimes when she was upset.

"Pancakes?" she asked, turning to peer at him from behind her hair, a grin on her face that never failed to make him smile too.

"Yes, pancakes" he rolled his eyes, as he got to his feet and gestured for her to follow "if that's what you really want, darlin'" he said, as they descended the stairs.

Parker was practically skipping as she followed him across the apartment, past Nate who she spared a grin for, and into the kitchen. Pulling herself up onto a stool by the counter, she put her elbows on the worktop and rested her chin on her hands. She loved watching Eliot cook, almost as much as he loved making the food, she reckoned.

"Bet you didn't make pancakes for Raquel" she said thoughtfully as Eliot's hand stilled over the ingredients and he looked across at her with a warning in his eyes.

"Parker…" her name was all it took to make her know he really didn't a want to start on that train of conversation again.

"What?" she asked, all innocent smile as she stole a piece of strawberry from the container he'd just retrieved from the fridge and popped it into her mouth.

Eliot just shook his head and went back to the pancake batter. Sometimes Parker was everything he hated about women, and other times, absolutely everything he loved. He'd never known such a contradiction as her. She acted like she had no idea what she was saying or doing wrong half the time, but Eliot honestly doubted if that were true. She was smarter than she let on, and she felt more than she admitted, he was sure.

As he glanced up then, he found her staring despondently at something further along the counter top. He realised when she picked it up and twirled it around her fingers that it was a bracelet left behind by Sophie.

"Hey" he said, getting her attention, "I know Sophie being gone is tough on you right now" he told her, "but we're still here" he promised, "I'm still here"

"Yeah" Parker nodded, finding her smile once again, "I know"

It was late in the day. Hardison had headed home some time before and Parker had disappeared too, though nobody had really seen the going of her. The guys didn't worry, since she seemed to be somewhat out of her deep funk and smiling last anybody had seen her. She was going to be okay, they all were, it was just going to take time.

Nate had assured Eliot he could leave too, but the hitter insisted in clearing up after himself in the kitchen. The truth was, he was the only one whoever cooked here and therefore liked to have the utensils and such just where he wanted them. Nate didn't seem to mind, he was on the stool by he counter with his coffee, just where Parker had been earlier, though she had been cheerier as she tucked into pancakes and talked about happier times before Sophie left them.

Eliot had his hands in the sink, fishing out a teaspoon lost in the soapy water, and then encountering a knife he'd forgotten about.

"Damn!" he swore as he pulled his hand out fast and inspected his finger that was oozing blood, looking much worse than it really was since his hands were wet with water, diluting the redness that ran down his hand.

"And here I was thinking you knew how to handle knives?" noted Nate, tossing a cloth to the hitter so he could wipe his hands, whilst the mastermind went for the first aid kit.

"Can't seem to handle much lately" Eliot cursed, more to himself than to Nate, though he heard and shot him an odd look as he flipped open the lid on the box he'd grabbed and fished around for a suitable band aid.

"We talking more about the knives or the women in your life?" he asked, without missing a beat, feeling the glare Eliot was sending his way like a blow-torch to the side of his face.

"Speaking of women" he said, shifting the subject with ease, "How you holding up without Sophie?" he asked, his tone and expression when Nate glanced his way making it clear he didn't want to have the other talk it seemed he'd been planning.

"I'll live" he replied with a wry smile, no more comfortable than his team-mate was with this kind of conversation.

Talking about feelings was for women, that's what guys were supposed to think, but both Eliot and Nate knew it wasn't true. Talking about what was on their mind might actually help them to make sense of what was going on, but it didn't come easy, and neither wanted to be the first to give.

"So, how's Parker doing?" asked Nate, sitting back down on the stool and watching as Eliot bound up his finger with sticking plaster, "I saw you two talking before and she seemed all the happier after"

"She'll be okay" Eliot shrugged, "She's missing Sophie too, I was just trying to cheer her up some. She's no use to the team if she's moping, right?" he said, turning his back on Nate then to finish putting away the utensils and such he'd been dealing with earlier.

"And that's all you're worried about?" asked Nate, pouring himself another coffee, "Just how Parker performs on the team?"

"You're pushing, Nate" said the hitter through gritted teeth, the cupboard door closing with more force than it required and making a loud bang.

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep this team on an even keel" he pointed out, hands raised in mock-surrender as Eliot glanced over his shoulder, "We already lost Sophie" he continued with a suddenly serious expression that the hitter could understand, "If things are strained between you and Parker..."

"They're not strained, we're fine" he assured the older man, wiping non-existent marks from the counter top, never meeting Nate's eyes, "We just... we had a misunderstanding but it's cool now"

Nate's hand shot out and landed on Eliot's arm, stopping him from continuing his obviously pointless task. The two men looked at each other properly then, and perhaps the mastermind ought to have been more afraid, because after all the guy he had a hold on had a reputation for killing people for less than what he was doing right now. Of course, Nate knew better than to believe everything he heard or read, and he never had been scared of any of his team, not in the beginning and especially not now.

"I'm not blind, Eliot" he shook his head, "I know you like her" he said, the look in his eye challenging the hitter to argue if he dare.

"Sure, I like her" he shrugged, a smile curving his lips, "And I like Hardison, and I like Sophie" he continued on, "Hell, some days I even like you" he finished with a real grin as he pulled his arm away and turned back to the sink, despite the fact he had nothing left to do there.

"Yes, you care about the team" Nate nodded to himself, not finding the joke at all amusing when he was sure Eliot understood what he really meant, "but you care about Parker in a different way" he said, not a question but a statement because he was already sure it was true.

Sophie had started this, made Nate aware that something was going on, but he hadn't really believed it. Then Hardison had said he would step aside if he thought Parker and Eliot could make each other happy. That was a big deal, not a decision he was likely to have taken lightly. Today, Nate had seen what the other two had already noticed. There really was something there between his hitter and his theif, some odd connection, certain looks and touches that gave them away. They liked each other, as much as they were capable of liking anybody that way, and he wasn't about to let this slide by without being properly dealt with.

Of course, what neither Nate or Eliot had noticed was that when Parker disappeared earlier, it hadn't been out of the front door. She was still in the building, technically still in the apartment, though nobody could see her. In search of comfort, the kind of which not even Eliot could be right now, she had sought refuge in a familiar place. This was how she came to be lying in the air-ducts above the kitchen, peering through the slats of the vent at her team-mates as they talked.

She hadn't meant to be listening in, but the moment she heard her name mentioned, Parker just couldn't help herself. Nate thought there was something between her and Eliot, which was a surprise since he was usually smart in every topic except relationships, Sophie always said so anyway. Initially, Parker had wanted to get away then, sure she would hear Eliot say something she wouldn't want to know, something about her being crazy and him hating having to be near her, like that time before when he got mad at Sophie for cornering him.

It was a suprise to hear him say he liked her, that he cared for the whole team, even though she knew it was true. Eliot talked about feelings even less than Parker herself ever wanted to. If he was about to admit secrets she knew she ought to leave, and yet Parker felt as if she were stuck to the spot by glue or gravity or something else she had no control over. Her ears were taking in the two voices below her with a rapt attention, as Eliot leant on the counter opposite Nate and let out a long breath.

"Look, I don't even know what it is with me and her lately" he admitted, "We had that dumb kiss that wasn't supposed to mean anything, and then she goes and starts acting like she has some crush on me..." he shook his head, immediately regretting it as he was forced to push his hair back out of his eyes, "I started dreaming about her" he admitted, looking at his own hands on the counter top and never at Nate who quirked his head to one side.

"Dreams?" he echoed, "What kind of dreams?" he checked, until Eliot met his eyes and gave him a look that made his meaning very clear, "Oh, dreams" he said with particular emphasis that Parker didn't really understand.

Truth was, she didn't so much care what kind of dreams Eliot was having. Just the fact she was in them made her feel that same giddy, girly feeling she'd been getting a few weeks ago after her first and only kiss with the hitter. Silently cheering, Parker felt an all-over warm glow, knowing that Eliot really might like her that way, the green lava feeling from before fading away without a moments pause.

"Y'know, Eliot" Nate was saying then, though the thief in the air-ducts was barely listening anymore, "and I know I might regret saying this but, if you do like Parker, maybe you should try telling her" he suggested.

"Yeah, 'cause that'll end well" Eliot rolled his eyes, as he muttered something about needing to go and walked away, right out of the apartment.

Nate watched him go and let out a sigh. It was times like this when he wished he'd never given up drinking!

To Be Continued...