"Are you coming?" Sophie glared over her shoulder. "You two are so slow" she marched ahead when something caught her attention.

"She's like possessed!" Amy whispered to Nate looking at the woman like she were crazy.

Nate had his hands full of carrier bags. Sophie had been dragging from shop to shop for over two hours. After they had spent an hour at the park where Amy had played on a swing and slide, Sophie told him that they should really go shopping because he couldn't have his daughter going around without some proper clothes. "Welcome to my world." He whispered back. "She always makes me go shopping with her when she wants to punish me."

They saw Sophie disappear inside a shoe shop so they sat on the first available bench sighing in relief. Nate's feet were hurting and he his backache was coming back. "Well, I'm glad you haven't inherited your Mum's shopping gene" he chuckled.

Amy looked down at her feet. "Do I look like any of you?" she suddenly asked.

"Huh…" Nate was a little surprised at her question. "We haven't really got to know each other but I can see you've got Sophie's ability to make people do whatever you want" he smiled knowing that her was going to be in trouble with both his girls playing him. "Your smart. You got that from me" they both laughed. "Okay, from both of us." He paused and his expression changed. "You've got my same blue eyes. It's the first thing I thought when I saw you: She's got Sam's eyes"

She frowned "Who is Sam?"

Nate's head snapped up. "I…"

"I'm back!" Sophie stood in front of them a big grin on her face.

Nate was grateful for the interruption while Amy was curious. Who was Sam?

"I thought the all point was to come and shop for Amy not adding another pair of shoes to your endless collection" he pointed how with a fake glare.

"Have you seen them, Nate?" she opened the box to show him her newest purchase. " 50% off, I just had to buy them"

"And they say I'm the one with an addiction" he muttered under his breath hoping he hadn't heard her.

Sophie gave him a small punch on his arm. "I don't have an addition!"

"Having more than one hundred pair of shoes is called addition"

"Addition means you addicted to it, that you can't stop. I'm able to not buy shoes, if I want"

"Really?" he asked amused, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes" she knew she was sounding like a petulant child, but it didn't matter.

He smirked "Let's bet then. Stay without buying shoe for a month."

"A month? You know sales start in a week!"

"A month without buying shoes then I'll stop complaining about you invading my closet"

She looked doubtful, but she couldn't let him win. "Okay, deal"

"When can we have lunch?" Amy interrupted their glaring contest. "I'm kind of hungry"

Nate and Sophie turned their heads towards Amy. "Of course" Nate coughed nervously embarrassed by being catch by his daughter flirting or whatever they could call it with Sophie. He got up and put an arm around the girl's shoulder. "What would you like?" they walked towards the food area in the mall.

Sophie didn't really look impressed by all the fast food stands. "are you sure there isn't a restaurant nearby? You know, somewhere they make healthy food."

Nate rolled her eyes at her. "A hamburger and French fries every now and again won't kill you, Sophie"

She grunted but followed Nate and Am who were already queuing at one of the fast food stands. They all ordered burgers with fries, Sophie managed to get a salad, and a chocolate milkshakes. Soon they were sitting at a table, munching their food.

"We've bought some clothes and some bed linen for your bedroom, anything else you would like?" Sophie asked the girl while stealing one of Nate's chip from his plate.

Amy shrugged and kept eating her hamburger.

"Have you got any hobbies?" Nate tried to make her talk. "Anything you're interested in?"

"I don't know. I like drawing and playing soccer"

"Soccer?" Nate looked at her interested.

"Some girls played at the park near I lived and would watch them play and I get to join them sometime"

"Well, it's not baseball but I guess I could start learning about soccer" he smiled.

"You know the correct term is football" Sophie intervened.

Nate rolled his eyes and tilted his head towards his daughter. "British!" making the girl giggle. "Ouch!" he winced when Sophie lightly kicked him under the table.

"We've invented it and then you lot had to change it to American Football" she aired quote the last quotes. "And I could teach about soccer if you'd like"

"You? Watching sport?"

She looked offended. "I know my sport: tennis, golf, cricket…"

"Cricket?" he smirked. "You mean the longer and more boring version of baseball?" he liked teasing her, making her squirm. It was this new and more comfortable development they've found between them.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that comment" she playfully glared at him knowing exactly what we was doing.

"Oh, I can't wait Miss Devereaux" his eyes mischievous.

Amy observed them in amusement. She could see that they really liked each other and wondered why they weren't together.

"Well back to us. If you want anything else. Books, videogames, dolls or a soccer ball we can get it." She looked at Nate smiling. "Your father is buying"

"Of course I am" he glared at her.

Another two hours later they were finally at Sophie's apartment. Nate collapsed on Sophie's couch after putting all the carrier bags in Amy's room. "Remind me never to go shopping with you again" he sighed exhausted.

The grifter chuckled and bought him a glass of water.

"Thanks" he took a large sip as she sat next to him.

"Do you think I'll be able to manage tonight?" she suddenly asked pensive.

"It will be fine. I'm just a phone call away if you need help, but she needs to stay here. You two need to connect."

" I know, it's just… " she sighed. "I'm not good with kids, never were."

"She's not just a kid, she's your daughter." He reminded her. "We decided to make this work. I need to start looking for a new place too. Or maybe ask Hardison if I can buy the apartment next to mine and make it bigger"

"A new place might be a better idea. I don't really like the idea of Amy staying above a bar and at our place of work. Too many people could find us"

He smiled. "See, you're already thinking like an apprehensive Mum" he patted her leg and they both looked down at his hand. He coughed and soon retreat him hand, his face blushing.

Amy walked back into the room.

"Do you like the room?" Sophie asked. Her leg still warm where Nate had touched her.

She nodded. "Yeah, but it needs a child touch" she smiled and sat on one of the armchairs.

"You're right" Sophie smiled back.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Who can it be?" Sophie asked out loud as she went to open the door. "James!" she exclaimed when she saw who it was.

"Katherine, there you are" the man said back walking inside the apartment. He looked curiously at the man and girl already in the sitting room, but he didn't comment and turned towards his girlfriend. "I haven't heard from you since you've disappeared last night saying you had an emergency. Then you haven't be answering my calls all day, I was worried." He put an arm around her.

Sophie was looking at all the people in the room embarrassed. She could feel Nate's eyes on them and he was making her uncomfortable. "it's complicated." She really didn't want to have this conversation with an audience.

"Why don't Amy and I go and get dinner?" Nate got up and walked passed them, his arm brushing Sophie's.

"Yeah, I'll see you later" Sophie rushed the mastermind and daughter outside. Once they were gone she closed the door sighing. It was time to end things. "Listen James…" she turned around with a sad expression. He really was a nice guy, but he wasn't the guy for her.

"You're breaking up with me" he soon understood.

"It's… there's a lot going on"

"Who were that man and girl?"

"Oh, I wish I could tell you and give you an explanation. It's just that now I need to focus on other things, on other responsibilities"

"And I'm not included in them" he fished for her. "It's okay, I understand. I've always knew that there was a part of you that you were not comfortable on sharing"

She looked down avoiding his eyes. Sometimes it was hard being a grifter.

"Well, I guess I should leave now"

She nodded. "Take care, James" she sadly smiled at him.

"You too" he gave her one last kiss on the cheek before leaving her alone.

Sophie felt bad about the break up, mostly because she was a good man but her heart belong to somebody else and now she had to work on building her family.

-.-.-.-

The man peaked around the corner and saw a tall brown haired man exiting the building with the girl. They were laughing at something as they walked down the street.

"There you are, you little brat. I've found you!" he put out the cigarette he had been smoking and gave one last glare at the girl that ruined his life. He had some planning to do.

A/N Thank you all for patience and for still reading and reviewing. Who is the man and what does he have in mind? How will the first night between Sophie and Amy go? Stay tuned for more :D