Thirty Six Weeks

And

Counting

(Week Thirty-seven)

Eliot sat in the airport terminal waiting for the plane from Kentucky to land. He was excited to see Jodi, his mom and Sarah but he felt a little awkward too. Since coming back into his life Kenna had been closer to his mother and sister than he had. He knew the reasons. Knew why he had to keep himself a little closed off from them but they didn't know. It was frustrating sometimes; keeping the last twenty years from the people his departure affected the most. But somehow they understood.

"You okay Sparky?" Parker sat next to him.

"Yeah. Are you sure Kenna doesn't know about this thing?" He said, not looking at her.

"I would hope not. Sophie planned it in like a day while we were in Kansas." Parker shifted and sat with her legs under her. "I know I'm not your go to guy when it comes to sharing but something's bothering you."

"I don't like keeping secrets from Kenna."

"It's a party Eliot. She can't get mad over a party." Eliot looked over at Parker.

"You do know who we are talking about here. I got home last night and she bit my head off for chewing my gum too loud. I didn't have any gum in my mouth." Parker snorted.

"Sorry, I just can't see her mad for no reason."

"Oh she does lately. If she takes you all out for this don't say I didn't warn you." He watched the people come in and out of the terminal. It was a time when he lived in terminals like this one. Off to God knows where on the spur of the moment.

"It'll be okay Eliot. Kenna loves you and that baby so much." He looked at her.

"Hardison loves you too, you know that right?"

"Yeah, he really got a kick out of the whole spaghetti thing last week." Parker looked down at her shoes. "I know we'll never be epic like you and Kenna and Nate and Sophie but it works for us.

"Epic?"

"You know Nate and Sophie spent years playing cat and mouse in the art world and you and Kenna spent all those years apart. That's epic when you come together."

"What thief finds hacker isn't epic enough for you?" She smiled.

"It'll do in a pinch." Looking up Parker saw Sarah across the terminal. "Incoming!" She bounded up and ran toward the girl. Eliot shook his head. It was going to be a long weekend.

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"What are we doing Nate?" Kenna sat across from him at a little diner on the east side.

"A little recon and enjoying the best coffee in Boston." He looked across the street to the pawn shop the mark they were working on frequented.

"I'm not someone you can con Nathan Ford. You should know that by now."

"I needed to get away from Sophie you needed some coffee and to get away from Eliot's hovering. Win, win." He took a sip of his coffee. "He wants to get married before the baby comes."

"He told you that?"

"I can see it is the way he does things Kenna. I think he's really truly thinking you're going to have this baby and be on the next plane out of town."

"So if we're married I can't run? He's not as smart as I thought he was." She took a sip of her coffee and closed her eyes savoring the warmth and bitterness. "Do you think I'm going to run?"

"I think that you love him so much it scares you. That you want this so bad and everything you ever wanted was taken away so you feel like you have to walk away first."

"You know me pretty well."

"I know Eliot and the two of you are two sides of the same coin Kenna." Nate looked up and saw the mark go into the pawn shop. "Care to plant a few doubts while we're in the neighborhood?" Kenna looked at Nate.

"Sure, what else do I have to do on a Saturday?" Nate handed her a ring and Kenna turned on her ear bud. "Wish me luck." She headed across the street.

"Eliot, you in position?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, I'm around the corner. Kenna?"

"Almost in the door." She smiled as she opened the door and headed in. The burly man standing behind the counter looked up from his conversation with the mark in the suit.

"Be with you in a minute honey." Kenna nodded and went about looking in display cases.

"Three cameras, all low teck. Two motion detectors even lower teck and a shotgun under the register…defiantly no teck." She said softly. "Going in for the kill." Kenna announced as she faux tripped landing against the mark dropping the ring she held in her hand. "I am so sorry…I'm such a klutz lately." She planted the tracker in the man's collar and stood straight. He picked up the ring for her and studied it.

"I believe this is yours." He smiled and handed it to her. "It's very beautiful."

"Thank you. It was my grandmother's."

"You're not thinking of selling it?"

"I have to." Pushing back her coat reveling her expanded waistline. "My boyfriend was killed in a car accident. I'm kind of strapped for cash." The man nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry. A woman as beautiful as you shouldn't have such worries." The man's hand grazed Kenna's stomach.

"Eliot back off." Nate said, seeing the hitter round the corner. "She's got this." Eliot shook his head. He couldn't believe Nate talked him into this. Taking three steps back he ran into Parker.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He whispered.

"Everyone's waiting." She said softly so Kenna couldn't here.

"What do you want me to do about it? We're a little busy Parker." Eliot turned his attention back to the pawn shop.

"As much business as I do with my…colleague here I would like to steal your business from him and buy the ring myself." The mark said smoothly. "How is eight thousand dollars?"

"It's worth twelve." She said.

"But if you thought you would get that, this is the last place you would of come to." He smiled. She nodded.

"Then I guess I'm lucky I ran into you." He handed her his card.

"My office tomorrow. I will have the cash for you then." Kenna nodded and watch the man leave. The burly man looked at her.

"He isn't what he seems lady." The man told her. Kenna looked at him and smiled.

"I know." She went to the counter and put two crisp hundred dollar bills and a piece of paper with a phone number on it on the counter. "There's more in it for you if you call me when he comes in with something more interesting than my ring."

"You got it." Kenna smiled and headed out the door and down the street toward Eliot. He grabbed her and pulled her into the ally. He had to see for himself that she was in one piece.

"I'm okay." She said softly.

"I know. I just had to see for myself." He pushed her against the wall and kissed her. "You did good in there."

"Thanks." She looked at him. "Let's go home." Nate pulled into the ally and picked them both up.

"Great job Kenna." He said.

"Thanks Nate. Even ready to give birth I still got it." She smiled and leaned back against the seat. Eliot shook his head.

"Can't say her ego has deflated any." She chuckled.

"You like my inflated everything Spencer." It was Nate's turn to look embarrassed.

"Over sharing people."

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Nate parked at the back door of the bar. Eliot helped Kenna out and they walked down the alley. Eliot wasn't so sure this was a good idea. She was in a pretty good mood after the whole pawn shop thing and he hopped it would carry over in what was about to happen.

"What's wrong?" Kenna said before they got to the door.

"Nothing." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too and you're hiding something Eliot James Spencer, I can tell by the look in those damn blue eyes of yours." Nate was at the door and looked up.

"You two going to fight out in the cold or would you like some coco?" Kenna turned to him.

"Something wrong with him too…Nate never offers coco unless something's wrong."

"Kenna just come on, you're being paranoid."

"You like me when I'm paranoid…it saved your ass more than once." She pushed away from him and headed into the building.

"Incoming." Eliot said as she pushed Nate aside and flung open the door.

"SURPISE!" Kenna was greeted with thirty or so woman and Sarah screaming at the top of their lungs. She wasn't quite sure of her take on what was in front of her. Pink everywhere. Balloons, streamers plates and piñatas all in pink.

"You okay with this?" She heard Eliot from behind her.

"If I say no will you take me out of here?"

"Sophie wanted to make up being so rude to you for most of your pregnancy and Parker…well Parker even found a pink baby hippo piñata just for you." She felt his hands on her shoulders and felt the warmth of his touch. If she didn't do this it would be awkward and a waste of a really nice looking cake.

"Okay, but if they start wrapping toilet paper around my stomach I am so out of here." She stepped into the room smiling at all the greetings.

"That's my girl." Eliot said headed to the bar with Nate and Hardison to have a really stiff drink.

0/0/0/0/0/0/

"The second I push the baby out you owe me a whole lotta tequila and week in Maui." Kenna said as she plopped down on the couch next to him. Eliot looked up from his book.

"I take it the baby shower was everything you weren't expecting?"

"It was a nice thought." Kenna laid her head on his shoulder. "I really liked having your mom and your sister there. Sarah too."

"I'm glad." Kenna looked at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, anything."

"Do you want to get married before the baby's born?" He looked surprised.

"It's all up to you darlin'."

"I suck at big ticket decisions Eliot, you know that. You tell me if it's important."

"Kenna, you know marring you is what I want whether it be now or after the baby is born as long as we get it done before we die." Kenna smiled.

"I do love you Eliot Spencer." She leaned over and kissed him. "We have a poker room full of baby stuff just waiting to be hauled up here."

"I'll recruit Hardison to help me tomorrow."

"We have to reel in the mark tomorrow."

"I think somewhere between breakfast and busting a lowlife antique dealer I will find time to hall up diapers and whatever else is waiting down there." He hugged her close. "I'm sorry they surprised you like that."

"It's okay. I really didn't mind." Kenna kissed him one more time and stood. "There is a nice hot shower with my name on." She grabbed his hands. "Join me?"

"Yeah. Let me lock up and I'll meet you in there." He stood, kissed her and let her go.

"Don't be long." She turned and headed into the bedroom. Eliot watched her. Taking a deep breath he headed to the door to lock it and set the alarm. Heading back to the bedroom he found Kenna lying on the bed, naked.

"That is so not the shower."

"Didn't quite make it." She smiled.

"I see that." He slipped of his boots as he pulled his shirt over his head. "You do know that my mother, sister and niece are just downstairs right." He asked her.

"Are you implying something Spencer?"

"I'm just sayin' you get kinda loud and I don't want my family thinking I'm marrin' some kind of sex fiend." He slid off his jeans and kicked them in the corner.

"You are marring some kind of sex fiend." She pulled him next to her and kissed him. She ran her hands down his face and arms. "I love you Eliot." She whispered.

"Show me." He growled. Kenna smiled.

"Now who's the sex fiend?" She kissed her way down his chest. He kept his hands curled in the sheets. She had to smile. Eliot was always trying to be the one in control even when he was trying to give it up to her. Her lips made their way down his naked chest and lower. The feel of her warm breath over his hard length was nearly his undoing. Her lips on him felt like nothing he ever felt before. Her tongue moved over him and he let out a long groan. Her teeth grazed him and sent shivers up his spine. Her hands moving to cup him.

"Ahhhh Kenna…"

"Now who's the one making noise?" She whispered and went back to the loving attention she was giving to his hard shaft. Kenna felt him give up his control when his hands left the bed and stroked her hair. Taking him slowly into her mouth one last time before she kissed her way back up his body and sheathed him in her hot heat Kenna looked into his eyes. What she saw was nearly her undoing. "Eliot…"

"Finish it." He whispered and ran his hand behind her neck and pulled her down into a mind blowing, heart stopping kiss. Kenna mover her hips as he smothered her moans with his kisses. He moved his other hand between her legs and took her over the edge just before he tumbled over it with her. He stayed connected to her as he shifted to his side laying her next to him. Kenna curled up into him and kissed his neck. He clung to her letting his breathing slow before he said too much. Kenna kissed him one last time and pulled out of his embrace. "Kenna…" Getting up she walked to the window seat and pulled off the cushion. The safe that was installed in there a few months back was nothing special or overly safe but it was just there for anything they might need to hide quickly and quietly. She opened it and took out a box.

"Burn it." She said. Tossing it on the bed next to Eliot she went into the bathroom without another word.

Eliot watched her close the door and then looked at the box. As he heard the shower turn on he opened it. He had never seen what it contained but always knew it existed. He took out the pass ports, about sixteen if not more…then the driver licenses, over fifty…credit cards, cash and three cell phones. It was her escape. The tools she needed for a fast exit. Not that she couldn't get one or two ID's at a moment's notice but this was there so she could leave when she needed or wanted to. Giving this to him meant that she didn't want to do either…ever.

"Kenna Shane, I love you." He whispered. Getting up he didn't bother with pulling on any clothes. He went into the living room and kneeled in front of the fireplace he lit the kindling and started a fire. He tossed the cash out of the box onto the coffee table and put the box on top of the burning wood. Hearing her at the door he looked up.

"I'm yours forever now. You're stuck with me for the rest of your life Eliot Spencer." She said softly.

"That's what I've wanted since as long as I could remember." He stood up. Kenna went and stood behind him pressing her body against his back and put her chin on his shoulder. She closed her eyes. "You do know you're stuck with me too."

"Yeah, well I think I can live with that." She smiled. He turned and took her into his arms and they watched her past burn a path to their future. "I love you Eliot James."

"Not as much as I love you Kenna Shane." Eliot knew she was in it for keeps now. Whatever she had seen in him tonight had changed her mind. He wasn't even sure what it was himself but he was glad she now felt that they had a future. Lifting her up he carried her back to bed and showed her how long he was in it for.