When Nate descends the spiral staircase, Sophie is the only one still lingering. He is freshly showered, dressed and in a much better mood than before.

"What are you still doing here?" he wonders with half a smile.

"There's something you need to know," she says, taking a sip of wine. As she raises her glass he notices the ring on her left hand.

"Sophie, what is that?" he asks, all the color draining from his face.

"Oh, this?" She fingers the stone nervously, really playing the part. "It's an engagement ring." Not technically a lie…

"What?" His jaw drops and he heads for the nearest bottle in a clumsy daze. He pours a shaky drink and gulps down half of it before turning back to her. "I'm sorry, did you say engagement ring?"

Sophie tries, she really tries to keep a straight face, but she can't hold it for long.

"You should see your face!" she bursts out laughing. "Oh, I should have taken a picture!"

"What the hell is going on?" he demands, getting angry. "Sophie!" he snaps as she continues to giggle.

"Alright, I'm sorry. It's not mine," she surrenders. "I couldn't even consider getting engaged without presenting him to the team first. You guys are my family."

"Him? Who is this guy?" Nate asks quickly.

"Nobody. It's a hypothetical 'him'." She holds out her hand to watch the gem sparkle. "Do you really think I'd keep some mystery fiancé from you?"

"Well, you're not the most forthcoming person in the world. You won't even tell me your real name."

"A woman without secrets?" she muses. "That's like a night without stars. A Fourth of July without the fireworks…A song without-"

"I get it!" he erupts in annoyance. "What do you know about the Fourth of July? You're British."

"I know there's fireworks." She removes the ring regretfully and places it back in the box, but leaves the lid open. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes," he agrees cautiously, hoping she'll explain the ring before he embarrasses himself further. Sophie isn't about to make it that easy for him. "If it's not yours, whose is it?" he asks finally.

"Parker's," she states matter-of-factly. "Not yet, I suppose. Soon, though."

"Huh," is all Nate gets out. He knows he shouldn't be surprised, but it's still a bombshell.

"He's going to ask her at the cabin," Sophie continues. "I hope he doesn't put it in food. Why do men always thinks that's romantic?"

"You've seen Parker eat…"

"If she doesn't choke, she probably chip a tooth." She snaps the box shut and slips it back into it's hiding place. "Anyway, he's enlisting all of us to help keep it hidden until the big moment."

"Rolling blackout?" She nods in response. "I just can't believe it," he mutters while refilling his glass.

"What? You can't believe our little Parker is all grown up?" she asks nostalgically.

"It's not that- Well, it's a little bit that," he admits. "But, we live so far outside the normal societal patterns. The idea of them doing something as conventional as getting married just seems odd."

"It's hard to picture them picking out china, fighting over seating charts, taking silly dance lessons…" she trails off. Imagining the unlikely situation brings an odd mix of emotions. She's obviously happy for the both of them. Then, in the back of her mind she wonders, because of the life she's chosen, if she'll ever have something like that for herself.

"I think it's wonderful," Sophie says brightly to shake off the lingering question. "It means he's doing it for the right reasons." Nate nods in agreement. "It seems you're taking this pretty well."

"It's possible I'm still in shock from when I thought it was you." He scowls when Sophie starts to laugh again.

"Eliot owes me ten bucks. He bet that you'd break something."

"I'm so glad you could profit from my-Hey! Is that my book?"

"Yes…"

"Sophie, that was a first edition!"

"Desperate times…" she says apologetically.

short and sweet, but it's only the beginning. i've got a five year plan in the works...