A/N: I know, I know, what happened to Parker in the previous chapter wasn't cool, but hey, Eliot's gonna make it all better, okay? ;-)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 9

Eliot felt better after his work-out, just like he always did. Beating on guys was the best therapy for him, but burning away the anger between the treadmill and the rowing machine worked too, at least it had until Bethan Matthews started hanging around him like some kind of groupie. Thankfully a lot of her incessant rambling was blocked out by the music he was blasting into his ears until he was done.

All raged out, showered, and relaxed, Eliot headed back to the room he was sharing with Parker, even thinking maybe he ought to apologise to her or something. After all, he'd been a little harsh after their therapy session with Dr Matthius and none of what had happened had been entirely the little thief's fault.

When he opened the door he expected to find her sulking, or maybe just not there at all. Parker was more likely to be hiding in the air-vents if she was upset or something, or so Eliot thought, until he stepped into the room and found his partner in crime sat on the edge of the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, shaking like a leaf.

"Parker?" he said, dropping his bag on the ground and closing the door simultaneously, "What happened?" he asked, with genuine concern.

It was clear something was wrong, not least because she was dressed in just a bathing suit and clearly freezing because of it. Her hair was down though still trying to hold the shape of a previous ponytail, and she reeked of chlorine. She had to have run here straight from the pool without even showering, but for the life of him, Eliot couldn't figure as to why.

"Parker!" he yelled this time, because honestly she was starting to scare him, just staring at the opposite wall and holding herself tight like she might die if she let go.

"I'm sorry" she immediately apologised through chattering teeth from the cold.

It wasn't exactly the height of Summer anyway, though this was California and the weather didn't so much tend towards bad. It was chilly enough and when a person was half-naked and soaking wet, that wasn't going to help matters.

Pushing his hair out of his face, that was still frizzy from the shower he'd taken, Eliot looked around and then grabbed the comforter from the bottom of the bed, pulling it carefully around Parker's shoulders. He hovered by the bed a moment, thinking on whether it was better to sit next to her or stay standing, whether he should put in his earbud and talk to the team or just figure it out with Parker first.

"He shouldn't've touched me like that" she said all of a sudden, startling Eliot from his thoughts and stirring up an anger in the pit of the hitter's stomach that was unexpected to say the least.

"Who touched you?" he ground out, "Parker, what happened?" he tried again when she didn't answer, trying not to be mad at her because he doubted somehow that this was her fault.

"Roger" she said swallowing hard as her eyes regained their focus and she looked at Eliot who was now crouched in front of her, "We were at the pool and... I'm sorry" she repeated, tears apparently filling her eyes, something Eliot had never seen before.

There were times he wondered if she really knew how to cry or be emotional at all. Parker was so black and white with things, and her moods varied between angry, neutral, and happy. Sad was new, tears were new, and something he could have used never having to deal with. Women crying was one thing he just couldn't stand.

"Don't be sorry, darlin'" he advised, trying not to sound angry, even though he was already planning seven different ways to tear this Roger guy apart for what he'd done, "Just tell me what happened" he urged her, his hand moving as if to touch her until Eliot thought better of it and retracted his fingers, not knowing that his making contact with her would be just fine to Parker.

"We were at the pool" she started over, "He just... I keep thinking maybe he was trying to be nice but, but then his hand was there and... I pushed him in" she admitted, giggling almost madly now as she recalled that part of the afternoon's events, "He probably almost drowned... or just sank. He's kinda fat" she noted.

Eliot was at least a little relieved that she was both talking and smiling now, a vast improvement on her stony silence and staring at walls from just a few moments ago. Of course the fact this Roger guy had laid a hand on her in such a way as to freak her out like this didn't thrill him at all. Eliot was a protector, it was what he did, especially when it came to this team. He ought to have been there with Parker, then this guy wouldn't even have to dared to look at her in a wrong way, Eliot would've seen to that.

"I guess I over-reacted, maybe" she said, shivering still and pulling the comforter tighter around her shoulders.

"Maybe" Eliot said absently, though honestly he doubted it because he knew a good number of women that would push a guy in a pool for putting the moves on them.

After all, Parker was supposed to be the very married Alice, and Roger supposedly had a marriage worth saving too, else why be at a couples retreat? This whole episode only added fuel to the fire that Roger and Bethan were plants and maybe not even a couple at all. It meant they had news for the team but Eliot just couldn't concentrate on that now, not when Parker was such a mess.

"You gonna be okay?" he asked her, not really sure what he was meant to do right now.

If she were any other woman he might've been able to deal, but Parker was so different, and so fragile in a lot of ways. He'd rather have her tell him what she needed than risk guessing and screwing up, making matters worse.

"Yeah" she nodded eventually, a slight smile giving away to a confused frown as her hand was suddenly outstretched to Eliot's hair, "You must use straighteners" she noted from the frizzy curls that had appeared when he showered,

"You keep that to yourself, okay?" he warned her, though he didn't really look all that mad as he dared to bring his hand up to hold onto hers.

When she didn't pull away or smack him in the face, he figured it was only strangers hands she was allergic to. Besides, he wouldn't ever make a move with her, she was Parker after all, and that was an insane idea. Well, that was the story he was telling himself so far...

"Did I screw up the whole job?" she asked with a little worry in her eyes.

"Nah, it'll be fine" Eliot assured her, moving to sit beside her then, "You want me to go kill this Roger guy for you?" he asked semi-seriously, and Parker giggled as she let her head drop into his shoulder.

"That really would ruin the con" she sighed, "But thanks for the offer" she said, genuinely grateful apparently.

They sat like that a few moments, before Parker suddenly seemed to realise the state she was in and maybe that she was allowing herself to depend on someone. That could be dangerous, she decided, and was immediately on her feet, still with the comforter around her shoulders. Eliot thought she muttered something about needing to shower and then she was gone, leaving the door swinging behind her.

The hitter let out a long breath before reaching over to the nightstand and popping his earbud into his ear. Before he ever got a chance to ask if the team had seen anything that happened with either him and Bethan or Roger and Parker, they were bombarding him with questions.

"Guys... Guys... Guys!" he tried three times, getting louder every time til finally they paid attention and all shut their mouths, "I don't know how much longer Parker can stay in here. What just happened really freaked her out" he told them, looking towards the door she had just disappeared through, "I don't think she blew our cover, I mean most women would push a guy into a pool if another chick's husband tried to feel her up but…"

"Poor Parker" Sophie sympathised, "That Roger is a dirty rat, and his wife's no better! I saw the way she was flirting with you, Eliot. She may as well have taken all her clothes off and shouted 'have at it, big boy!'"

That earnt the grifter three astonished looks from the guys, though of course she could only see two of them. The moment passed quickly enough, if only because there were much more serious things to consider than Sophie's odd phrasing and shocking statement.

"Okay" Nate was first to speak in the brief silence that had followed, "So, unfortunately another couple at the retreat simultaneously hitting on you two isn't really enough evidence for us to do anything" he told the team, all business as ever and making Eliot just a little mad when his own focus had been Parker's welfare, something that surprised even him to be honest, "Since so far Hardison can't find anything more incriminating than our would-be swingers being employees of the retreat, I think we're going to have to come at this from another angle"

"What angle is that?" asked Eliot, arms folded and foot tapping impatiently by now.

"Honestly? I'm not sure yet" the mastermind told him, "but I should have a plan by tomorrow" he considered.

"In the meantime, Eliot, you take care of Parker" Sophie told him definitely, even as Hardison started to argue with Nate at what he considered to be an accusation of his not trying hard enough.

"I don't know what to say to her, Soph" the hitter admitted, ignoring the other two men as they bickered in the background, "She just... she freaked out so much, and then it was almost like it didn't happen"

"She's skittish about men sometimes" the grifter reminded him, "I never asked why, I'm assuming one too many foster fathers with happy fists... or worse" she shuddered, "Whatever the reason, Eliot, just... just be what she needs, okay? Just let her know she's doing well, and she's not alone"

"Of course" the hitter replied with a single nod that went unseen by his team mate.

The connection was soon severed with an agreement that Eliot and Parker would check in with the team early tomorrow for further instructions and hopefully the workings of a new plan. His earbud abandoned once again, Eliot pushed his frizzy hair out of his face, deciding then and there he was going to fix that before his faux-wife returned to the room. By then it would be almost time for dinner, and after that bed, and that would mean a whole other awkward conversation that needed to be revisited.

"This job is not fun" Eliot muttered to himself, rifling in the drawer for the hair-straigteners, still sore that the one guy so far that deserved being beat senseless was out of bounds.

Parker was too quiet and it was starting to bother Eliot. When they went to dinner, he made a point of keeping tabs on where Bethan and Roger sat. He very deliberately sat himself and Parker away from them, with her back to the couple. They didn't try to come over, and that pleased the hitter for the most part, though on some level he'd love for the guy to make a fuss, give him a further excuse to knock him to the ground.

The little thief sat opposite him picked at her food with some deliberate sighs, that soon had Eliot feeling so bad for her, he traded her half his meal just to make her smile. He honestly wasn't sure when he started caring so much for her welfare and happiness. He told himself it was just that she was easier to handle when she wasn't moping and sad, knowing the truth but refusing to acknowledge it, especially not now.

The fake couple got back to their room all too soon, and then came the problem of sleeping arrangements. They delayed the inevitable for a while as Eliot worked his way through a few more chapters of a book, and Parker kept her skills sharp by going through her set of locks with the stop watch at the ready. When both of them couldn't keep from yawning, they started stealing glances at each other, wondering how this was going to play out. Eventually, Parker decided to just do what she did best and ask the question on her mind outright.

"You're not really serious about me sleeping on the couch, right?" she asked, shutting the drawer on her locks and picks, and coming to sit on the bed by Eliot's feet.

He meant to say yes, tell her he was perfectly serious, but just as soon as he peered over the top of his book at her sad face and recalled what she'd been through today, he just couldn't do it. Besides, it was hardly gentlemanly to make a woman sleep anywhere but in the available bed - his Momma would never approve

"No" he said with a sigh, as he took off his glasses and deposited both them and his book on the night-stand, "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch" he offered, moving to stand up and contemplating the piece of furniture across the room that was never going to offer a good nights sleep.

"You don't have to" shrugged Parker, not getting what the big deal was even now as she started stripping off her shirt and pants without a care, "I guess I could sleep in my underwear if it bothers you so much" she rolled her eyes, as she glanced over her bare shoulder at Eliot and saw he was seriously contemplating her offer.

There was no decision to make as far as Parker was concerned and she wasn't about to stand around and wait for the usually stoic hitter to actually speak. Instead, she climbed into bed and snuggled down under the covers, still in bra and panties, as promised.

Eliot didn't move for a long moment. The couch really didn't appeal at all and the bed was easily big enough for the both of them. Besides, it wasn't like he had no self-control and Parker had proved she wasn't exactly comfortable with guys getting physical with her. Of course, that didn't account for them waking up cuddling this morning, but that was a mistake, and neither of them were here for sex, only for sleep.

Deciding he was being an idiot, Eliot glanced once more at Parker's back and made his choice. Stripping off his clothes, right down to his boxers, he climbed into the bed beside her, turning onto his side. They started out back to back once again, both with the idea in their head that they could so easily wake up again next morning like they had today, and yet neither moved to get out of the bed at all. Now there was a curious thing, they both realised, before they fell asleep.

To Be Continued...