A/N Longer chapter this time! It's practically my version of the Queen's Gambit Job!
"I can't believe it that you can't remember when I stole that necklace. It was in Venice? The gondola chase? I was wearing that beautiful Carnival mask…" Sophie had a dreaming look thinking about that night. She really loved Venice during its Carnival.
"I can certainly remember that beautiful green dress you wore" Nate smirked from across the bar counter.
"Men, you're all the same!" She sigh in frustration. "Anything else besides my cleavage?"
"Why concentrate on other details? I have to start keeping a notebook where I can write all these special dates, haven't I?" he wondered.
"If you don't want to get accustomed to sleeping on the couch!" she finished drinking her orange juice. "Let's get out of here." She gave him a flirtatious smile.
"Really?" Nate asked surprised. "I'm starting to like your mood swings!" he finished off his drink in one go. Suddenly the bar door opened. "We're closed" Nate saw the armed man and he immediately put himself in front of Sophie. A second guy appeared at the back . He soon realized who was behind this. "Hello Sterling!"
The old friend/enemy came into view. "Hello, Nate." he looked at the woman behind the mastermind. "Sophie."
"Sterling" she said firmly "What are you doing here?" she still resented him for arresting Nate.
The second man opened a briefcase and took a chess board out. " How about a game, Nate?"
Nate observed him intensely and then turned towards Sophie. "Wait for me upstairs, okay?" he told her softly.
She started to object. "Nate, I don't trust him."
"I'll be fine." He smiled reassuringly. "Call the others" he mouthed.
She gave him a small nod and looked him deeply in his eyes. She knew that she had to go. She had another life to looked after, but that didn't make it better.
She started walking away , but she first stopped in front of Sterling "If he's not upstairs in an hour, I'll send Eliot to kick your ass" she threaten.
Sterling gulped felling scared of the grifter in that moment, Nate just smirked, proud of his woman.
The chess board was set up and the two players took their seats.
"You two finally hooked up. About time" Sterling said first.
"I don't think you're here to talk about my private life." Nate retorted back. Nate took one of Sterling's pawn.
"And I see congratulations are in order too." Sterling moved another piece capturing one of Nate's pawn .
"How do you know?" Nate looked up a bit angry that Sterling discovered their secret and now he had a leverage over him.
"I saw how you stood in front of her and Sophie put a hand on her womb. How far along is she?"
Nate looked unsure, but since for now they were having a peaceful conversation he answered back. "Two months."
"That's good, Nate. After everything that happened to you, you deserve to be happy again." He responded truthfully.
"If you use Sophie or my child in any way…" Nate added menacingly.
"Relax Nate. I'm not here for you and I won't put them in danger. I actually need a favour."
"Why should I help you?"
"Because you will see it's the right thing to do" he smirked "Plus I'll own you one. How often does that happen?"
Nate nodded. "Start talking"
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"I was seconds away from coming down and punch the guy!" Eliot exclaimed the moment Nate stepped in his apartment. "Please, tell he's still here!" he punched the palm of his left hand with his other hand.
"He's gone, but we'll be meeting him tomorrow. At the airport" He threw Hardison a file. "Please, verify its contents. I don't trust Sterling"
"Nate," Sophie said alarmed. "Please, don't tell me we're doing a job for Sterling!"
"We're doing a job for Sterling" he replied back.
"Seriously?" Eliot shouted back. "Why? Every time the guy is in town there's trouble"
Hardison read through the finally. "Seriously? This is big, man."
"What?" Parker picked over his shoulder.
"We have to steal a tiny little weight that calibrates a nuclear centrifuge"
"Nuclear? Cool!" Parker exclaimed happily.
"Why?" Eliot retorted back.
"Before the bad man sells it to terrorists." Nate responded. "Look guys, I know it's Sterling and we can't trust him. I will try to stay a step ahead of him, but it's something we have to do."
The others silently agreed. "Okay, we will meet again tomorrow morning when I'll have a plan. The flight for Dubai leaves in the early evening."
The other three left the apartment while Sophie was sitting at the conference table still looking perplexed .
"What?" Nate stepped closer to her.
"There's something else, isn't there?" she asked having by now learned how to read him and knowing when his hiding something.
Nate smirked. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?" he sighed. "Sterling has an informant inside close to Livingston. While we distract him with the theft, Sterling will liberate the informant."
"Who is it?"
"Sterling's daughter."
Sophie looked at with wide eyes. "Sterling has a daughter?"
"Yeah, I was shocked too. I never knew about her. But his ex-wife married Livingston and since she died Sterling's daughter is practically living as a hostage."
"Poor girl"
"I don't want the others to know yet. Sterling only told me because I knew he was hiding something from me and I wouldn't have taken the job until he came clean."
Nate gather the files, papers and I-Pad and started working on plan, or several.
Sophie sighed. "If it weren't for Sterling, we could be having sex right now"
Nate chuckled. "Yeah…"
"I guess this is going to be a work night" she looked through the files.
"You can go upstairs to sleep. You need to rest."
"I'll help you until I can" she wrote something down.
Nate shook his head knowing how she could be stubborn most times. "Okay"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Eliot, would you please stop growling?" Hardison snapped from his seat.
"I just can't help it, man. Just the site of him makes my skin crawl…." He kept staring at the Sterling who was smirking at him.
"I would have preferred for you to stay in Boston" Nate whispered to Sophie.
"Nate," she puffed. "We've talked about it. Until I can I'm going to work on cons like normal. If you're going to be so overprotective now that I'm only two months pregnant what are you going to do in last trimester? Lock me in a vault?"
Nate raised his eyebrow. "Can it be an option?"
Sophie just glared at him and Nate sign in resignation. "Okay, I'll try to tone it down a bit. But you can't blame a man for trying."
Sophie smiled. "I like it that you took this role of being my personal bodyguard, but I can take care of myself. I have been doing it long before we've met"
"So you keep reminding me. I just want to keep both of you safe."
She wanted to kiss him but she knew he wasn't very comfortable in being so open and vulnerable in front of Sterling, so she just took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know."
"We here." Sterling announced when the taxi stopped in front of their hotel.
Everyone got out and entered the luxurious hotel. Hardison whistle "We should let INTERPOLE pay for our jobs more often."
"Don't get used to it!" Sterling snarled going passed him. He went to the reception desk and took the key cards. "So we've got all the suit floor for us." He passed each of them a key card.
He gave one to Nate. "I thought that you and Miss Devereaux will be sharing." He commented smirking.
Nate snatched the key from his hand and followed the other to the lift. Hardison had been right, it was really a magnificent hotel. If the circumstances had been different, if would have been perfect for a romantic getaway.
"I've still got a house here in Dubai" Sophie commented as she had read his mind. "We could always come back another time"
Nate nodded even if he knew that would never happen. After this con it would probably be a while before they could return to the city. He might have to tell Sophie that she has to sell her house. "We have to get ready for the open ceremony" he opened his suitcase.
"After that long flight I need a shower" Sophie had already taked hold of the room. Her clothes were neatly placed in the wardrobe and she was carrying her beauty case into the bathroom.
Nate looked around wondering when it all happen and where he was going to put his things now. He sighed and stayed silent knowing not to start an argument.
"Want to join me?" Sophie peaked from the bathroom doorframe.
Nate smirked. "That doesn't usually go fast. I'll go and find Hardison and ask him about our aliases."
"Spoil sport" she smirked back.
Nate discussed the details with his hacker and the told him that they were going to meet down the hall in an hour. He went back to his room, only to find Sophie going around the bedroom naked.
"Wow, I should leave more often." He whispered back eyeing her with lust.
"I'm just about to get dressed." She picked up a dress laying on the bed. "What do you think of this?" she asked.
"You know everything looks good on you" he stepped closer to her and kissed her bare shoulder from behind before sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I don't think your opinion is really impartial." She smiled.
Nate then put a hand on her womb. "You can start noticing a slightly baby bump" he commented stroking the area.
"Hmm… so I've noticed in the shower." His touch felt good.
"You're going to have that test when we get back, aren't you?"
"Yes, a bit nervous about it. Not a big fan a big needles." She replied a bit scared.
"You know I'm going to be there for you, don't you?" he reassured her.
"I know." she smiled back and bend over to kiss me lightly.
"Better go and have my shower and to leave you to get dressed." He got up and went to the bathroom. After his quick shower he came out of the bathroom with only his boxer and saw Sophie trying a big hat in front of the mirror. "I thought hats were my thing" he exclaimed.
"It's hot outside, I don't really want to burn my head" she turned around already wearing the purple dress "Too much?"
Nate put his white trousers on and started buttoning his black shirt. "I don't know why you keep asking me fashion advice. I'm not that good at it."
"Hmm… but you do dress nicely." She ran a hand up and down his chest.
With the finally touch, Nate was ready. "Let's go!" he offered her his arm which she gratefully took it.
They used the party at Livingston building as an opportunity to do a recon. The vault seemed impenetrable, but Nate left the solution in Hardison's capable hands and he and Sophie retired in his room for a deserved rest. He needed to be at his best tomorrow.
"So," Sophie said. "You want to practice some chess with me?"
Nate smiled. "The last time you didn't exactly play fair."
"I don't know what you mean" she faked obliviousness.
"Half thorough the game you turned it to strip-chess!" he exclaimed.
"It's not my fault you're so easily distracted!"
"I'll show you easily distracted" and started planting soft kisses along her cheek and jaw.
Sophie moaned. "I don't think we should be having sex tonight"
Nate looked up. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, aren't you supposed to be like a big athlete before he's big game? There is a reason why footballers' wives and girlfriends must stay away before a football match"
"You really believe that?" he questioned.
"It must be true somehow. So the only thing you'll be having from tonight, Nathan Ford, it's a game of chess. If not, we can go to sleep."
Nate sighed in frustration. "You really enjoy teasing me, don't you?"
"It has become one of my favourite pastimes, yes!" she smirked.
"I'll remember this and then I won't be so gentle." He warned not really implying he was going to hurt her. Never that. But doing a bit of teasing himself, maybe
"Bring it on!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Nate, calm down please" Sophie tried to stop her partner.
"He got you arrested!" Nate retorted back angrily.
"and he drugged me!" Eliot shouted too.
The rented van stopped in the hangar next to a private jet. Nate soon got out of it.
"Sterling!" he shouted watching the man boarding the plane.
The agent turned around and saw Nate running towards him. "I know you're pissed!" he put his hands up in surrender.
Nate was ready to punch him. "Not in front of my daughter, please" Nate stopped when he saw the young girl watching frightened from the airplane window.
Nate sighed and put his arm down. "You got my girlfriend arrested. I told you not to mess with them"
"I just did what had to be done. Tell you what, I'll make it up to you"
"How?"
"I can offer you a ride to Boston" he nodded towards the jet.
Nate considered the offer and then nodded making a sign to the others to gather their things and board the plane. Soon they were flying to the U.S.. Half way through the flight Olivia approached Nate. The mastermind looked up from the book he was reading.
"Can I help you?" he inquired.
"I wanted to ask you if you would like to play another game of chess. This time a fair game."
Nate considered the suggestion. She seemed like a nice girl, it was not her fault that her flaw was to have Sterling as her father.
"Sure" he finally agreed. He turned towards Sophie who was leaning against his shoulder, her too reading a book. "Will you be okay by yourself?"
"Jeez, I wonder if I can manage to stay here alone in my seat in a plane with you and other 6 other people?"
"You know, I could do without the sarcasm!"
"Just go" she pushed him out of his seat. "Have fun!" she waved.
The first game finished with a draw. They were both excellent players. The second game was won by Olivia, to her father's joy that smirked at Nate. The mastermind won the last game. Soon they were landing in Boston.
The team got off the plane. Eliot wasn't still very happy that Sterling drugged him and he so wanted to punch him, but he promised not to.
"I will send the information you need as soon as I can" Sterling promised.
Nate just nodded and helped Sophie off the steps.
"Mr. Ford" Olivia called him. "I hope we'll be able to play again." She smiled.
"Hmm… sure" Nate responded a bit surprised.
Sophie just giggled behind her hand and Sterling groaned recognizing the smitten look on his daughter face.
"How cute!" Sophie exclaimed once they were far away.
"What?"
"Olivia has got a crush on you. I think that's enough of a punishment for Sterling!"