Chapter 42

Alec finally had a moment alone.

Parker and their ever-present guard left him in their prep room to get dressed while they did a quick sweep of the hotel.

He was instructed to dress in the tuxedo for his next task and he obliged although he was curious.

The suit fit him perfectly. Even with its hidden pockets, it draped his athletic frame as though he'd been measured personally.

He wondered fleetingly when Sonia had taken his measurements. Then he wondered if Parker had supplied the figures.

Parker…

His mind went over every minute they'd spent together. Her face… her hands… her eyes.

The room was getting too small. He needed air.

He stepped out onto the room's tiny balcony and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

He had her back for a minute. He got to look into the eyes that haunted him for three years. He got to hold her, kiss her, tell her how he felt. And even if she didn't remember or didn't really care, he knew that he'd stepped up and he was whole again for a few days. He didn't have any questions or regrets. His love was flesh and blood again.

No matter how the night ended, he had that.

"Hardison."

He spun to find her walking toward the balcony door, her face relaxed, that unmistakable twinkle in her eye- that Parker twinkle. And for a moment he lost his breath.

"Why are you out here? It's freezing," Parker asked as she stood in the balcony's door frame.

"Parker?" Alec stared at her inquiringly, wondering if he was imagining the lightness in her voice.

She stared back at him for just a moment before squeezing the entire left side of her face into an awkward, exaggerated, so-very-Parker wink.

Alec nearly screamed out at the discovery.

"Parker, wha…when…what are you…" he stepped in to her in the balcony door, closing the space between them.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. There wasn't time. I knew from the time he called me TA1 when we resurfaced, it stands for Team Alpha Leader, from the time I heard that I knew that they didn't consider me an enemy. They weren't fully briefed, or something. If they considered us co-conspirators then we would have been separated. If you were my charge then you would go where I went," she smiled a small, apologetic smile, "I couldn't risk them taking you away."

Alec smiled back at her. He wondered if it was possible to love her even more. He stared into her eyes suddenly lost for words. His throat grew tight and all he could manage was a small nod.

"Okay now, please come inside, it's really cold," she urged and stepped into the room to allow him space to enter.

But Alec didn't move. As he stared at her he realized that nothing had really changed. They were still going to die if Sonia didn't get Domino. And, they didn't have Domino to give her.

Alec looked at Parker for a moment without saying a word. He looked at her face, every line, every shimmering surface that the dim hotel light caught and reflected. He would commit that to memory. If he had to choose it would be the last thing he would want to see in this world.

"Parker…" he started but couldn't find the right words to continue.

He stepped into the room and closed the balcony door behind him and the vacuum of silence that fell on them spurred him to go on.

The words weren't right. They would never be. She wouldn't understand. He thought back to the night in the tunnel three years ago when he couldn't get her to leave him to save her own life and he realized walking away was not who she was.

"Parker, look," he approached her and handed her his pen device, "the Domino demo is on here. Hold onto it for me."

"Why are you giving this to me?" Parker asked and Alec could see the questions and concerns beginning to form by the furrowing of her brows.

"I just don't want it getting into anyone else's hands while I'm doing my thing," he hedged lightly. "Our lives depend on this," he added. "Besides, I remember how fond you were of Tasers. Consider this my early 'Plan Completed' gift to you. The charge in this thing can put down an elephant and you don't even have to stand close. It fires the charge, see…." He stepped closer to demonstrate but the door opened and the beach soldier entered the room.

"It's time," the soldier announced as he looked first to Parker, then to Alec.

Parker still stared questioningly at Alec but she said nothing.

Alec turned to the soldier before the man could grow suspicious, "I'm ready."

The soldier focused on Alec, "Good we need to move now." He opened the door wide and stood against it waiting for Alec to walk out ahead of him.

Alec looked quickly at Parker and she returned his stare. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes but he couldn't say anything else without giving away their connection.

"I will go with him," Parker scrambled quickly.

"You have to be downstairs and dressed in 15 minutes; I will take him to his position," the soldier responded firmly.

Parker couldn't argue with the logic. She spared Alec another quick glance but he wasn't looking at her.

He couldn't look at her again. He had his last memory of her face and he'd given her the pen device to use as leverage to secure her freedom. He couldn't say goodbye to Parker.

Even though he just knew he'd never see her again.