Chapter 1: A Year Later….

"Give it back," Riley said, reaching for her laptop.

Eliot only held it up higher. "Not 'til you stop messing with my stuff," he replied, holding the laptop higher above him.

"I didn't touch your damn hair brush," she said, jumping to try and reach.

"I'm not talking about the hair brush," he replied.

"Eliot give the girl her laptop," Nate groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You heard him. Give it back," Riley added.

Eliot glared at her but half dropped and half lowered the laptop into her awaiting arms. "There, Pipsqueak. Happy?" he asked.

"I'm not a pipsqueak," she replied.

"I beg to differ," he muttered.

She kicked his shin and sat back down on the couch. She held her laptop close and made sure it was all right before setting it on the table in front of her.

"For a pipsqueak you sure kick hard," he said as he went into the kitchen. He stopped dead in his tracks. "And keep your damn dog out of my kitchen."

Riley rolled her eyes and sat on the couch next to Sparky. "Ignore him, Sparky. It's just his time of the month," she said, scratching the husky behind the ears. "You're a good dog, aren't you boy?"

"Dog off the couch," Nate said from where he was drinking a glass of scotch. "I am not getting dog hair on another suit."

She gently shooed Sparky off the couch and he lay down at her feet. "Hardison and Parker got into the safe," she told Nate from where she watched on her laptop. She picked up her mug of tea and took a sip before setting it back down on the table.

"Uh oh," she said.

"What's uh oh? Uh oh is not good," Nate replied, getting up. He peered over her shoulder.

"The guards are on schedule change early," she said. "Just give me a minute."

She typed furiously on the key board and one of the guards looked at his PDA. He motioned the other to follow and they ran towards the way they came.

"What did you do?" Nate asked, straightening up.

"Caused the fire alarms on the twelfth floor to go off. So that gives Sophie enough time to get out of the building and Alec and Parker enough time to get the money and a five minute head start," she answered. "They should be back in twenty minutes."

"Nice going, Pipsqueak" Eliot said, grabbing the remote and turning on the sports channel.

Riley reached over and nicked a few of his chips before he realized it. "I am not a pipsqueak, Pretty boy" she replied.

"Quite calling me Pretty boy" he said.

"I don't know. With your looks, attitude and southern accent, it suits you well," she replied.

He glared at her and growled under his breath, "I am not a damn pretty boy."

She smiled innocently and grabbed the remote, changing the channel to the science channel. "Ohhh Stephen Hawking. Nice," she said.

Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose and counted to twenty. "I am not going to strangle Hardison's little sister. I am not going to strangle Hardison's little sister," he repeated in his head.

"You know Riley doesn't mean half the stuff she says right?" Hardison asked Eliot as he packed up his things for the night. "She's not used to being around people."

Eliot rolled his eyes and looked at the sleeping girl on the couch. "Well she needs to stop snooping," he said, looking away.

Hardison smiled. "You're at least coming to her birthday tomorrow night, right? Twenty-one. It's a milestone."

Eliot nodded. "I'm still going to the party. Why dancing though?"

"It was her idea. When we were younger she said she wanted to go dancing when she turned twenty-one. I figured, why not," Hardison answered.

He slung his bag over his shoulder and picked her up. "See you tomorrow night," he called over his shoulder.

Eliot waved and took a swig of his beer. "Peace and quiet at last."

"Happy birthday, Sweetheart," Sophie told Riley while giving her a hug.

"Thanks Soph," she replied, smiling.

Hardison returned to the table with drinks and set them down. "I propose a toast," he said, holding up his glass.

Eliot rolled his eyes and Parker elbowed him in the ribs.

"You may be a complete pain in my ass, get on my nerves from time to time, but, you only turn twenty-one once and I'm glad to be here to share it with you. Happy birthday, Sis," Hardison said, raising his glass to her.

Riley smiled at him. "Oh, Alec. You're a pain in my ass too," she teased.

"You're so lucky it's your birthday," he said with mock warning.

"Present time," Parker squealed excitedly as she bounced in her seat. "Open mine first," she added while handing Riley a neatly wrapped box.

Riley quickly unwrapped it, setting the paper on the table and smiled. "It's a photo album," she said, looking up at Parker. She opened it and saw pictures from the last four years, plus a few of her Alec when they were little. "Alec gave me the photo's from when you guys were little."

"Wow, Parker. This is really great. Thank you," Riley grinned, pulling her friend into a hug.

"I'm next," Sophie announced as she handed Riley a heavily decorated bag with tissue paper sticking out.

Riley reached in and pulled out a black hand bag.

"Look inside," Sophie said, smiling.

Riley did as instructed and pulled out a small box and opened it, finding a locket inside.

"Every girl deserves a locket," Sophie smiled.

"Sophie got me one for my birthday too," Parker supplied as she held her own out.

Riley pulled Sophie into a hug. "Thanks, Sophie."

"You're welcome, Darling," she replied.

"I feel like my gift is pretty much outdone now," Alec sighed. "Oh well. Happy birthday, Sis," he added, handing her an envelope.

She raised an eyebrow as she opened it and her eyes grew big.

"These are season tickets to the Royal Albert concert hall, how...how did you get these? They cost a fortune," she said.

"I know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows a girl-"

"Get to the point Hardison," Eliot rolled his eyes.

"Some people owed me a couple favors," he finished with a shrug. "Plus I know how much you love the opera and orchestras."

Riley grinned. "I'm so lucky to have a brother like you."

He snorted and shrugged. "Just remember I got you those the next time I forgot something."

"What about you two?" Sophie asked Nate and Eliot.

"What about us?" Nate asked. "Oh oh yes. Present, right." He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope.

"It's...uh... not much, but I figured you'd find something to do with it," he said as he handed it to her.

Riley accepted the envelope with a grateful smile. She opened the envelope. "It's a receipt." she announced.

"For a telescope," he replied.

"I'm going to hug you now," she grinned pulling the man into a hug.

Nate stood their awkwardly before hugging her back. She pulled back and grinned at the receipt. "I got a new telescope," she sang as she grinned happily.

"Wait...so that's what that big box was for?" Parker asked.

"Yep," Nate answered. He stared down at his empty glass.

"Wll I'm going to go get another refill," Nate said as he disappeared to the bar.

"I better make sure he doesn't take the bottle," Sophie replied, going after him.

"We're going to go dance," Parker said, dragging Hardison into the mass of bodies.

Riley leaned back in her seat and eyed Eliot.

"I'm hurt...you didn't get me a present," she said.

"You didn't ask," he pointed out as he finished off his beer.

She rolled her eyes. "Well did you?"

"Nope...forgot it at my place," he answered.

She stuck her tongue out at him and it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"Well, Mr. Party Pooper, I'm going to go dance. You have fun here," she said.

He rolled his eyes and looked around the club, finding a blonde sitting at a table alone.

Might as well have a little fun, he thought.

Eliot laughed as he and the blonde - Sara, her name was Sara, he remembered - stumbled out of the bar. It was close to one in the morning, the others having left hours ago save for Riley who he'd seen leave with some guy.

The blonde giggled as she held onto him.

"I don't usually go home with guys I've just met, you know," she smiled, tipsy.

"Guess that makes me an exception," he teased.

She laughed and they made their way down the street.

"Let go of me, bastard!"

Eliot stopped in his tracks at the sound of a familiar pissed off voice.

"Wait here a minute," he said.

He followed the sounds of struggling and hushed voices down the block and to an alley way where he found Riley and the guy from the bar he had her shoved against the wall, trying to get at her.

"Hey!" Eliot said, catching his attention.

"Piss off, man, I'm busy here," the guy said.

"Get off of me," Riley snapped trying to push him off.

"Shut up," he told her.

She narrowed her eyes and kicked him in the shin.

"Why you little-"

Eliot grabbed the guy by the collar of his shirt and threw him against the back wall. "You'll back off if you know what's good for you," he threatened, his voice menacingly calm.

"Whatever," the guy spat as he pushed past Eliot and left.

"I could've handled it," Riley muttered as she buttoned her shirt.

"Yeah, right," Eliot snorted.

She rolled her eyes and followed him out of the alley. His shoulders sagged as he saw Sara leaving with another guy.

"Well thanks to you, I lost a date," he grumbled as he called a cab.

Riley remained silent.

A cab pulled up before them and he held open the door for her as she got in. They sat as far apart as the cab would let them. Eliot told the cab driver Hardison's address, followed by his own.

"Thanks...for...you know," she said. "Just, please don't tell Hardison, he'll get really upset."

"Don't worry about it," he sighed.

She nodded and relaxed. The taxi rounded a sharp corner and Riley unceremoniously slid across the seat, bumping against Eliot.

"Sorry," she apologized, blushing a little.

"Put your seat belt on," he said.

"I thought I did," she replied sitting up.

Eliot caught a whiff of perfume. Vanilla. She secured her seat belt and they sat in silence again. Riley looked out the window and leaned back.

"Sorry about your date," she sighed. "She was lightweight though. Would've passed out before you got back to you place."

He rolled his eyes. "She was not lightweight."

"Please. She only had three appletini's and she was already tipsy. Hate to break it to you, but that's lightweight," Riley stated.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Eliot asked getting annoyed. "I swear all you do is talk and talk and talk. You're worse then Hardison."

Riley sunk lower in her seat. "I was just making small talk," she mumbled.

"Clearing you don't know the meaning of small talk," he replied.

They sat in silence again and Riley played with her fingers.

"Sorry...I just don't like silence," she apologized.

Eliot took a deep breath. In hindsight he didn't know what he was thinking when he leaned over in his seat and kissed her. All he was thinking about was distracting her. It was second nature now, distracting someone when they needed it. He could blame it on the whiskey shots and beer, but distraction or no distraction having Riley's lips pressed against his was the best feeling at that moment.

The taxi driver driver looked up and sighed. Second address it was.