Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Leverage
Nate sat staring at the screen in front of him as it showed images of him and Sophie on their honeymoon. They were on a sandy white beach somewhere, lying on a towel on the sand together. Nate couldn't help but think that he looked happier then he had in a long time. He watched as him and Sophie were swimming in the crystal clear water together, then as they were walking along the edge of the water later. It was sort of bittersweet for Nate to be watching this because part of him still couldn't believe that he and Sophie would ever have this.
"What's wrong?" the little girl asked, having heard Nate sighing a moment ago
"Well it's just hard for me to imagine that Sophie and I will ever get to have this life together" Nate said, turning to look at the little girl "as much as I love her I am just not sure that I will ever get to that point in my life"
"You will" the girl said "trust me"
"I don't even know who you are" Nate said "how can I trust you?"
"You will" she promised "you know me better than you realize"
"But….." Nate started to say
"I think you need to see some more" the little girl said, interrupting Nate
Nate turned his attention back to the screen at the little girl's insistence. He saw a very familiar scene before him, one that showed Sophie sitting on the edge of the bathtub staring at a pregnancy test. It was almost the exact scene that he had witnessed while watching her life with Eliot except that it was a different bathroom. The look on Sophie's face was still the same though, one that showed a mixture of happiness, nervousness, and fear. Seeing the fear on her face and knowing that it more than likely had something to do with him, made Nate want to reach into the screen and grab Sophie into his arms reassuring her that everything was okay. The next scene he saw showed Sophie sitting on the edge of the couch nervously, then he heard the sound of a door opening and saw himself come into view.
"Oh hey Nate" Sophie said
"Hey Soph" Nate said "whats going on?"
"I was hoping to talk to you for a minute" Sophie said nervously
"Of course" Nate said "you can always talk to me"
"That's sweet" Sophie said "well come over and sit down on the couch"
"Ok, now tell me whats wrong" Nate said, once they were sitting side by side on the couch
"Well, I know we didn't plan for this" Sophie started, twisting her wedding ring around on her finger "but I hope you will still be happy anyway"
"Soph just spit it out" Nate said, taking her hand in his
"Nate I'm pregnant" Sophie said, looking into his eyes for a reaction
"Are you sure?" Nate asked after a minute
"Yes" Sophie answered "I took the home test and then I had a test done at the doctors"
"Wow" Nate said, still surprised "why didn't you tell me before?"
"I was afraid of how you would react" Sophie said "I thought you didn't want anymore children"
"So did I" Nate admitted, his face then breaking out into a huge grin "until I found out you were pregnant"
"You're happy?" Sophie asked still unsure
"Of course I am" Nate said, standing up and pulling Sophie up with him to give her a big hug "I am so happy"
The screen flashed to show Nate and Sophie downstairs in the bar with the team. Nate assumed it was later that same day because he and Sophie were wearing the same clothes they had been when she had told him she was pregnant. He watched as Sophie told everyone she was pregnant and as everyone congratulated them. Nate listened as Parker asked Sophie a million questions about pregnancy, he smiled at how patiently Sophie answered each question and he knew then that she would be a great mother. He noticed that neither him nor Sophie were having anything alcoholic to drink, Sophie for obvious reasons, but he wasn't sure why he wasn't.
"You gave up the alcohol" the little girl answered "once you knew she was pregnant"
"Wow" Nate said "well I'm glad that I am being the kind of man that she deserves"
"Give yourself more credit" she said "you have always been that man, you just need to realize it"
As the girl turned back to watch the screen, Nate couldn't help but feel like he was missing something, something important. Before he could think about this for much longer, the screen changed and he was mesmerized by an image of Sophie. She couldn't have been too much more than four months along, barely showing, but the outfit she had on really accentuated the baby bump and she had this beautiful glow to her. Her and Parker were out having lunch, just the two of them.
"So how has everything been going?" Parker asked "is the baby doing okay?"
"Parker, I just saw you last night remember" Sophie says laughing "we all had dinner and a movie at our place"
"Oh I know" Parker said "but I just wondered if everything was still okay"
"Oh yes, everything is good" Sophie said "Nate had become a tiny bit overprotective though"
"Yeah I noticed" Parker said "I called your phone the other night at like nine-thirty and you were already asleep so Nate answered and then he snapped at me for calling you so late"
"Yes that does sound like Nate" Sophie said "and I am sure it will only get worse"
Nate watches the screen change again, and is horrified to see that same scene in which Sophie is tied up in that chair in the dark room again. Everything is exactly the same, she is still about five months pregnant, and her face is all bruised up. The screen changes to show Nate, furious and screaming at Hardison and Parker, Eliot is nowhere around.
"I cant believe this" Nate screams "how could you guys have let this happen"
"Nate" Parker says "we tried everything we could, there was too many of them"
"Shit" Nate said "why did I let her talk me into this, she shouldn't be doing cons when she is pregnant, I knew this was a bad idea"
"Nate this isn't your fault" Parker said "you know how Sophie is when she has her mind made up"
"This is my fault, its my job to protect her" Nate yells "to protect both of them"
"Guys" Eliot says suddenly, in their coms "I found her, I am going in after her, Hardison get that tracking device going and you guys meet us out front"
The screen changed again, this time to show a car screeching to a halt outside of the building that Nate recognized as the one that Sophie had been in before. Suddenly Eliot came running out with Sophie in his arms, setting her in the backseat next to Nate. Nate saw himself wrap his arms around Sophie and watched as she cried into his chest.
"Are you okay sweatheart?" Nate asked "is the baby okay?"
"I think I am okay" Sophie said, running a hand across her baby bump "the only thing that hurts is my face"
"Are you sure?" Nate asked, cupping her face in his hands to get a better look, a look of anger crossing his face at the sight of her bruised up face "do you want to go to the hospital?"
"No I am okay" Sophie said, snuggling closer to Nate "I just want to go home"
The screen changed again, this time showing Nate and Sophie in their apartment right after they get home from saving Sophie. Nate is kicking everyone else out, telling them that Sophie needs to get some rest. After everyone is gone, Nate and Sophie head up to bed and Sophie falls asleep in Nates arms with her head resting on his chest.
"Wait a minute" Nate says "why does this still happen if everything else is different?"
"Well some things are still the same" the little girl answers "you guys are still meant to do that job"
"But I still cant believe I would let her talk me into it" Nate says
"You only do it to make her happy" the girl says "now keep watching"
Nate watches to see him and Sophie at an ultrasound appointment, he watches as they stare transfixed at the screen. Then it shows Nate and Sophie out picking out furniture for the baby's room. Nate watches as him, Eliot, and Hardison put together all of the furniture for the nursery, Parker and Sophie are watching a movie in the living room. Next it shows Nate and Sophie in a Lamaze class, Sophie much further along. Nate watches and realizes how much he wishes that this life could still happen for him. The screen then changes to show Nate watching television in the living room of the apartment, Sophie suddenly entering.
"Hey sweetie" Nate said, turning in his seat to look at her "I thought you were going to take a nap"
"I was" Sophie said "but I think I am in labor"
"Really" Nate said "well we better get you to the hospital"
"Ok" Sophie said, nervously "I am ready"
"Don't worry baby" Nate said, kissing her, then taking her hand "I wont leave you"
This time when the screen changed, it showed Sophie in a hospital bed with a bundle of pink in her arms, Nate standing behind her. As the screen changed to show a closed look at the baby, Nate gasped when he realized what he had been missing. He couldn't believe that it had taken him this long to figure it out, this was the kind of thing he would normally see right away. As he sat there staring at the screen that was showing his baby girl he turned to the little girl next to him.
"That's you isn't it?" Nate asked