Time: A few hours after previous chapter

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Ages: Nathan Ford, 44

Sophie Devereaux, 43

Maggie Collins, 42

Eliot Spencer, 33

Alec Hardison, 28

Parker, 24

Parker Ford, 24

"Nate, can we tell them? About Parker I mean. I just feel so guilty not telling them, I mean, they're our family now," Sophie said from her comfortable position on his lap.

"Yes. Definitely Soph. I've been thinking about it for awhile," he said as he began absentmindedly stroking her hair and she leaned into the touch.

"I love it when you do that Nate," she sighed. "But we have more important things to do."

A few minutes later they were all in the living room and Nate started off, "Soph and I have something that we've wanted to tell you. Sophie and I have a child."

Eliot's eyes widened but he knew better than to say something right this second, unlike Hardison, "What the hell? And y'all just thought it'd be cool to keep this from us?"

"Hardison," Sophie said it softly but the look in her eyes was fiery and seemed to say, interrupt him one more time, and you won't be able to have any children. Hardison shut up.

"Her name was, or is, Parker, Parker Grace. About a week before her second birthday she, she was," Nate couldn't finish his sentence.

"She was taken from us. Our beautiful blonde haired blue eyed baby. She'd be twenty-four now," Sophie finished for him.

Parker blinked. She was presently hanging upside-down from the ceiling and hadn't interrupted anyone once, an unusual feat for the thief. Blinking again she lowered herself down from the ceiling as an unexpected, and unfamiliar wave of emotion washed over her. What was this feeling? She felt like she wanted to run away and cry.

By now she was sitting on the couch next to Eliot, still silent.

"Parker, are you alright love," Sophie asked her gently, genuinely concerned about her.

This set Parker over the edge and she ran out of the apartment at full speed.

"Parker," Sophie called after her, moving to follow.

"No. Sophie stop, I'll get her," Eliot said. And with that, he followed Parker out of the apartment.