A/N This story is a kind of a story of the past. It explores Sophie and Nate's history together. It also explores Parker's past. It's really like a not so chance, chance meeting. It was suppose to be a one-shot but I couldn't transition it well in a one-shot so I just split into chapters. Reviews are welcomed.

For this story the ages are as follows

Nathan Ford (30)

Maggie Ford (29)

Sophie/Jenny (28)

Eliot Spencer (19)

Alec Micah Hardison (16)

Samuel Ford (6)

Elizabeth Grace Parker (5)

Snow, that's all you could see. Surprisingly that didn't bother Nathan Ford at all. It wasn't quite a blizzard that caused a 1 foot barrier of snow to laden the ground that Christmas Eve. It was more like the continuous snow fall that made the snow layer upon layer until that gave him an excuse not to go to work that day. Not that he didn't love his job but it was Christmas Eve and he would rather call a well day spent a day that he spent with his family. The moment itself felt like it was executed perfectly while Samuel his six year old son sat on his lap while driving his hands into a bowl full of popcorn. Maggie, his wife, was in the kitchen cooking up a few concoctions for the day and for tomorrow's evening which was Christmas. There would be no relatives, just him his son and his beautiful wife. The tree held no presents under its synthetic leaves. No, that would have to wait until later on tonight when little Sam was asleep and the plate of chocolate chips and milk were placed by the tree where he would gobble them up thankfully. Then Nate would place the forty-something presents under the tree quickly and quietly before he dispensed of his clothes and went back to lay down by the blonde that was his wife.

He was just imagining it. It was a simple tradition something he had started for himself since his father never really gave him the time of neither the day nor night. He was set on being a good father even though his job often prevented him from doing what he so desired. Retrieving artifacts was his job to say the most of it. He was a busy, logical, and honest man. Most of all he was loyal. When alongside his partner James Sterling they were a force to be reckoned with. James was damaged sure, but he was a mastermind and of course two masterminds are better than one.

In reality James Sterling wasn't the only one broken. Nate himself wasn't as sane as everyone assumed. There was once a time when alcohol controlled his life. Perhaps that was one reason Maggie's parents didn't come for Christmas Eve or even contact Maggie on any occasion other than death. Not much mattering anyway what her parent's opinions were of Nate, Maggie married the fellow and she would never regret her decision. Nate said he loved her. Nate as an honest man said he loved her and if anything, an honest man doesn't lie. So honestly he didn't expect to hear knocks being placed on the door nor did he expect to see the mistress that stood just behind his door.

He looked at the woman he knew not up and down but he was pretty sure he knew her middle. She was a petite woman with brown hair and hazel eyes. He wouldn't state her name no, by then she would have changed her name to another alias with new social security numbers and dates on a birth certificate that claimed she was younger than she really was. He wouldn't say her accent was just one. For the woman was a woman of many accents, names, and characters. For the moment her accent was a British one and although she hadn't spoken yet he knew it was going to be a British accent seeing as this was a formal occasion.

"Darling" Maggie called from the kitchen.

"I got it." He replied back quickly but not too quickly. He didn't need his wife to be suspicious of anything that could possibly pop up in her mind.

He grabbed the jacket from the coat rack and quickly stepped outside.

"It's freezing cold and Christmas Eve and you don't invite me in?" She asked sarcastically. Of course it was sarcastically because the woman was a woman of games and of these games she liked to win. She was good at winning.

Nathan opened his mouth to try and contort some type of name, any name at all. Unfortunately there were so many names and of the names that crossed his mind he was sure none of them identified her at the moment. At the moment she was anonymous and that's what caused him to close his mouth and make her, Anonymous, chuckle lightly.

"Jenny" she said answering his unasked question.

She thought he would have caught up to her latest alias by now seeing as he was her greatest admirer, if you could call Nathan her admirer. He really was a chaser but in her head chasing was some form of admiration, at least when it came to her and Nathan Ford. The two themselves created a game neither one knew that they were playing and even the mastermind himself didn't know that eventually the two would end it in a draw. No matter where she was she could always count on him to be the fisher as she was the bait.

"Jenny" he sighed out. He had half a mind to turn her in now. She was one of the most desired prizes, stealing some of the most ancient, expensive, and worthy of paintings. "Why are you here?" It was a simple question, not much of a question Jen had expected to here as she hugged the fur fitted coat that belonged to her.

"I have a proposal." She stated meekly almost looking as if she was going to wait for a reply before she started again. "Paintings, I will trade genuine, original paintings for the help of retrieving one, just one."

He looked at her confused. She was looking for a bargain. "Why should I help you" It was a smug reply. She came to him for a bargain, she came to him and that meant he had the leverage in this situation.

"I want The Concert."

His face stayed calm despite his distress. He expected her to just simply give up the most valuable stolen painting in history. She wanted him to spare her the painting that's worth 5,000,000 million dollars just for any information that might lead up to the finding of the painting. This was the painting that marked the biggest heist in history the 1990 heist that created that controversy of the year that included all artist and painters alike. This was the painting, The Concert, and like the game Jenny liked to play she expected him to spare her.

"How exactly do you know where it is?"

"I stole it of course." She said like it was nothing.

"The return of that painting is worth 200,000,000" It was a simple statement that he was sure she knew.

"You stole The Concert, you were in that heist?"

"Men" she sighed out. "You really thought men would be smart enough to go through a heist that big and get away with it? If you did then you're not as smart as I thought you were."She downed his ego aggressively. Saying that he didn't know that she was the almighty operator of 1990 heist that stole numerous paintings amounting to millions when amounted all together was basically an insult. Originally the goal was to keep the heist as anonymous as possible but as she and Nate began playing their little game more aggressively she had always guessed he knew, apparently not. "The point is I need your help."

"Why did you choose me?" He asked, I mean they were the best of enemies what did she expect of him, to just give in without questions.

"Why not, you are an honest man aren't you?"

"You need a get in free pass." He looked at her. "It's more than that though isn't it?" If he was going to agree which he doubted so, he needed her full submission. She said she had a proposal; she needed to state all of it.

"They're children involved and I can't do what I need to do with the children in the way. I need you to get them out of my way; I need you to save them." She looked up at him determined. "The deal is a win, win situation. I get the Concert, I give you five paintings, you save the kids and become a hero, and I don't end up in jail." She weighed out the wins.

"Where and when?" he asked which simply stated his answer, yes he was going to do it.

"The painting is at abandoned warehouse where the dried up lake is at and if we leave now we should get there at about…" she looked down at her clock. "We should be there around seven o'clock" She said which meant they were going to be in a car for a good four hours, together.

Almost as if on cue he heard a little knock coming from the door behind him. He knew from the silliness that it was his son so he opened the door quickly.

"Hey Sam" He said perkily.

"Who she?" he asked immediately.

"She's… Daddy's going to work. Can you go tell mommy I'm going to work." It wasn't really that Nate couldn't explain the situation it was more that it would be easier for Sam to explain to Maggie that he was leaving than him himself.

"OK Daddy, bye-bye" Sam said before he stumbled off into the house again to tell his mother what seemed to him good news.

"Associate" Jen said.

"What?" Nathan asked not clearly aware of what she had meant.

"I am your associate."

He kept silent for a second before he headed towards the black car that he knew was hidden by the hill of snow he so carefully shoveled up yesterday. He opened the passenger's side door. "Lady's First" He said as he watched her slim body slipped into the seat comfortably. It was a small gesture but it did its job. They were now associates and he would now be missing the Christmas Eve he had hoped to enjoy.