an: Don't worry, Jedi Steelwolf. The name thing has always been in the works, that's why I kept mentioning it.
The Dublin Street Women's Shelter is located in a good neighborhood on the North side of town. At the turn of the twentieth century it stood alone on a dead end road, but as the years went by house after house cropped up around it. Because it was so much larger than any of the other homes on the street, it always looked like a hulking mother hen watching over her little chicks.
Tonight, the normally quiet street is erupting in chaos. The twinkling lights that adorn every house are outshined by the ones flashing from various emergency vehicles on the scene. When Eliot drives up he has to park two blocks away, but they can already see the flames.
The silence on the ride there had been awful. All three men were running through their worst case scenarios, but praying it was all a mistake. They hoped the girls had just burnt the cookies and set off the fire alarm.
That hope is quickly dissolving.
Hardison is out first, quickly weaving between curious neighbors and police barricades. Eliot hasn't seen him run like that since the day Parker fell into Boston Harbor. Remembering how easily he jumped into the frigid water, both men take off after him, prepared to stop him from sprinting headlong into a burning house.
"Alec."
He hears his name as he tries to fight past two firefighters. He is certain that any other voice would have been drowned in all the commotion, except hers.
"Are you alright?" he asks, rushing over to Parker. She stands off to the side with the other women from the shelter. A few are still being looked at by the paramedics but most are huddled in groups of two and three sharing blankets.
"I'm fine," she declares calmly, as he frantically checks her for injuries. "Just a little smokey." He pulls her into a tight embrace, thanking every god he can think of. When he feels her shiver, Hardison opens his coat and envelops her.
For one moment, Parker smells him instead of smoke. She hears his heartbeat instead of sirens. And, she feels his warmth instead of the cold night air.
"Is she ok?" Nate asks, slightly out of breath.
"Yeah, nothing major," Sophie answers, since neither Parker nor Hardison seemed to hear him, and she gratefully accepts the jacket that Nate slips over her shoulders.
"Was anyone else hurt?" Eliot asks.
"Jordan burned her hand on a door knob," she replies. "But, it's not too bad and one girl has asthma so they took her to the hospital as a precaution."
Eliot disappears without an explanation and they all know who he's looking for.
"Are you ok?" Nate wonders, scrutinizing Sophie.
"Mild smoke inhalation," she says trying to be casual. "Just like Parker and everybody else."
"Do you know what happened?"
"One minute we were all having a good time, then Parker thought she smelled smoke, then…" she trails off, waving a hand toward the blaze. "I didn't happen to see Evan James dousing the place in petrol if that's what you're asking."
"So you don't think it was him?" Nate says in surprise.
"No, he did it. I just didn't see him." She mentally kicks herself for letting her guard down. "We have to get this guy, Nate."
"We have him."
"It's not enough."
"I know."
While Nate and Sophie discuss an addition to the plan, Eliot finds who he is looking for. She is leaning against an ambulance with her back to all the turmoil.
"Jordan," he says carefully, not wanting to startle her. She straightens up and wipes her eyes before turning toward him. "What are you doing?" Eliot asks, moving closer.
"This way is easier." She points to the van's rearview mirror and the fire reflected in it. "It seems smaller." He wants to hug her, but he's afraid that she would only push him away.
"I'm so sorry," is all he can manage.
"Did you light my house on fire?" She asks sharply. "No? Then don't apologize."
"You're freezing. Here, take this," he insists, pulling his coat around her.
"Every picture I had of my mom was in that house," Jordan states distantly.
"We're going to fix this," Eliot promises solemnly.
"'Cause that's what you do, right?" Her smile is a ghost of itself, but the spark in her voice seems to be returning.
"Right."
"Hardison?…Alec?"
"Huh?"
"You can let go now," Parker says gently, voice muffled into his chest.
"Nope, ah-uh, not letting go," he maintains, wrapping his arms around her a bit tighter.
"I'm fine!" she persists, craning her head to peer up at him.
"And, you're going to stay that way."
"Alec, we can't live inside your jacket forever," she laughs.
"How do you know? Give it a week, maybe you'll love it."
"What's wrong with Parker?" Eliot asks when he and Jordan walk over.
"He won't let me out!" she protests, while all they can see is her legs and a shock of blonde hair.
"Damn it, Hardison!" Eliot slaps his friend upside the head to make his point. "She's fine!"
"Ok, ok," he relents. "But, I'm staying close." He finally releases his fiancé and following the example set by Nate and Eliot, he shrugs off his coat and offers it to her.
"I can take care of myself, you know," she replies a little indignantly, pulling it on. "Do I need to remind you what happened the last time we brawled?" She grins smugly at the warning look Hardison shoots her.
"What happened?" Jordan asks, unable to contain her curiosity.
"He tapped out in two minutes," Eliot supplies.
"More like ninety seconds," Sophie corrects. It is nice to return to the established territory of their familial banter and she has to laugh at the sight of them. Three women in oversized coats and three men pretending not to be cold. It's a good thing the boys layered up for ice fishing.
"First things, first," Nate announces. "Sophie: accommodations," he says simply. She nods and links an arm with Jordan, leading her toward the group of concerned looking neighbors. "Sarah will be staying with us tonight, along with any of the girls Sophie can't find a bed for."
"What's the plan?" Eliot asks.
"We're going to save Christmas."
"Are we forgetting about the Grinch?" Hardison inquires with a firmly set jaw.
"Oh, I'll think of something…" Nate muses with a twinkle in his eye. "You two," he motions to Parker and Hardison, "Get Sarah and anyone else left over back to the cabin and make them comfortable. Eliot, we're going shopping."
Eliot grumbles futilely and trails Nate when he heads for the car.
"She does remind me of someone," Parker says out of the blue.
"Huh? Who?" Hardison mutters in confusion. Following her gaze gives him the answer. She's watching an exchange between Kasey and her mother.
"Kasey. You said she reminded you of me, but she makes me think of somebody else."
Even from a distance, they can see the girl has been crying, but now she stands like a soldier at attention. Her mom is trying to wrap a blanket around her but she keeps shaking it off.
"Who?"
The older woman is now kneeling in front of her daughter, attempting to comfort her. Kasey twists out of the soothing embrace and stalks away. Her mother expels a shuddering sigh and strides after her.
Nobody…Just a girl I used to know," Parker replies, her eyes still fixed where the seven year old once stood. "Rebecca Lewis." She turns back to gauge the impact of the seemingly innocuous comment.
Hardison's eyes narrow and his head tips slightly to the right. His expression asks the question that his half open mouth can't seem to form.
Her faint smile answers it.
"We should probably go help Sophie," Parker says to change the subject. "Not that she needs it," she adds, starting to walk away.
"Wait," he says softly. He catches her hand before she can escape and forces her to face him. "I love you. All of you…even the part that's still Rebecca Lewis."
"I love you, too."
"Thank you."
"Do I look like a 'Becky'?"
Hardison thinks for a long moment. This is delicate terrain, he doesn't want to misstep. He had seen glimpses of what he assumed was her former self, but never had a name to go with it. He still isn't sure if Parker will think that it's good or bad.
"Maybe in another lifetime," he says cautiously. The sentiment seems to comfort her and she squeezes his hand. "You'll always be Parker to me, but the label doesn't matter. Hell, you can change your name once a month like Diddy if you want to."
"Who's Diddy?"
"…Puffy…Puff Daddy…Never mind." He pulls her close and kisses the top of her head. "Come on, you heard the man. We have to save Christmas."
He keeps turning the name over in his mind, repeating it to get used to the sound. He imagines what it would be like if she had just stayed 'Rebecca'. Would they have met? Would they have fallen in love? Would they be in engaged?
She will always be Parker, just Parker. Rebecca is a part of her and always will be, but it is a part she keeps hidden away. Locked up tight in one of the dark corners of her mind. Hardison admits to himself that it might not be the most normal thing in the world, it doesn't bother him.
She let him in. All the way. No more deep, dark secrets between them. It is just a name, but little do they know, it will be the key to so much more.