"What do you think they are doing right now? Rock climbing?" Parker asked, sticking her head into the front of Lucille. Nate and Sophie laughed, knowing how excited Parker was for Ale to get a chance to get away from Eliot.
Parker thought Eliot was too hard on Ale…she wished he would let her let loose once and a while. Especially with Parker.
"I don't know, Parker. Quinn told me he would keep me updated," Sophie whispered, not wanting Eliot to hear. She had spoken to Quinn, telling him the things that she was sure Eliot hadn't, like how she was going absolutely stir crazy. Quinn told Sophie that he would let her know what they were doing if he thought it was necessary, that way Eliot didn't have to know. After all, Ale had to live with him all of the time, and there are some things you liked to do just for yourself, like get your nails or hair done.
"Well I hope she's having fun," Parker sighed, yelping with glee as Sophie's phone vibrated with a message.
"Mama, would you sit still?" Hardison asked, looking at Parker as she stuck her head between Nate and Sophie in the front seat.
Eliot was also bothered, but was mostly bothered because he couldn't they were saying. He was also upset because he hadn't heard from Ale or Quinn since he left, and he had wanted Quinn to update him often.
Then again, he had just left an hour ago.
"Is that Quinn?" Parker asked, looking at Sophie.
"No. It's Ale," Sophie smiled, reading over the message, letting Parker read it over her shoulder. Both Parker and Sophie got giddy as they read the message, high fiving.
Ale excused herself to her bedroom to get ready to go, also showing Quinn where his room was. As soon as she got into her room she texted Sophie, telling her about Quinn and how cute he was and how excited she was to be going out and doing something other than sitting around Nate's apartment.
Sophie texted her back almost immediately, asking what they were going to be up to all day. Ale bit her lip, wanting to tell Sophie, but she also wasn't sure what to say. Instead, she told her she wasn't quite sure. Still, Sophie helped her pick out an outfit that would, more or less, impress Quinn, and Sophie encouraged her to have fun and be herself.
If Quinn and Ale didn't get together in these five days, Sophie's entire plan would be ruined. Parker had also explained the plan to Parker, and even though she didn't understand why it was so important that Eliot and Ale were together (other than the fact that Eliot wouldn't be as grumpy) Parker did want Ale to get with Quinn…Quinn would make her happy and Ale would have more freedom…and more time to spend with Parker.
When Ale found her way downstairs, she was surprised to see Quinn already down there, leaning against the sofa, his arms crossed over his chest.
"Sorry to make you wait," Ale blushed, grabbing her satchel from the hook on the wall, throwing it over her shoulder. She was glad that Sophie had helped her pick out an outfit…she actually looked like she fit with a guy like Quinn instead of looking like a kid he pulled off the street.
Sophie smiled as Ale sent her a picture of her outfit. Ale's skinny jeans framed her legs perfectly, the high-waisted style complementing her petite stature quite well. Ale's simple, cable knit sweater that was tucked into the pants slouched off of her shoulder slightly, drawing attention to her mocha skin. Ale's fold-over combat boots with cute flowers on the inside revealed Ale's girly side, making her look cute, yet irresistible. Ale had also pulled her hair into a high ballerina bun, showing off the small tattoo she had at the nape of her neck. Ale usually wore her hair down when she was around others, but Sophie had noticed it when she was sponge bathing Ale when she had first gotten injured. Yes, her hair had been in a bun when the team first got to Ale, but no one took the time to look at the back of her neck…they were too busy tending to her wounds. After that, Ale's hair was kept down so that Eliot could check the goose eggs on the top her head. The tattoo was even hidden when Ale wore her hair in a ponytail, her hair so long that it covered the tattoo. Sophie could tell that the tattoo would spark Quinn's interest, though, just as it had sparked hers, so she thought Ale should show it off. She also knew that Ale had more tattoos hidden on her body, but she wasn't quite sure where they were.
Sophie sent back an encouraging message, Parker sitting back in the back of the van, the smile etched onto her face for the rest of the ride to Maine.
Her friend was finally going to have a little fun with her life—and Parker couldn't think of anyone who deserved happiness more than Ale. She had, after all, gone through so much.
"It's really not that big of a deal. You look great," Quinn smiled, Ale blushing again. "And the sweater is very appropriate…it is unusually cold for the end of September. Ready to go?" Quinn asked, Ale nodding.
She and Quinn walked out of the building, Ale trying to decide if she wanted to borrow the truck, like Eliot said she should (apparently the T had too many dangerous variables and he refused to take Ale on it) or if Quinn would let her take the train.
"Do you mind taking the T?" Ale asked, looking up at Quinn.
Quinn could see the hope in her eyes, and he sighed. He knew Eliot wouldn't want him taking Ale on the subway—there were too many variables—but he also knew, realistically, that Ale was very safe. After he talked with Sophie, he found out that the people looking for her still thought she was living in her house.
Still, you couldn't be too sure, which is why he was there in the first place.
"I don't mind. Just stay close," Quinn shrugged, Ale walking the streets of Boston confidently, getting to the nearest station easily. Quinn wasn't quite sure where Ale was taking him, but he didn't really care.
He could see how caged Ale felt. He liked Eliot, and knew he was good at his job, but he also knew that he could go a little overboard. Considering that Ale's stalkers didn't even know where she was, he didn't see the need for such a short leash. Also, he wished that Eliot would make Ale feel comfortable enough to ask him to do something she wanted to do. You can't keep someone in your pocket for too long before they start digging a hole to get out.
Quinn watched Ale. He had met tons of women who were raped or attacked like Ale was (although most of them weren't attacked as harshly as Ale) and none of them carried themselves the way Ale did.
She was confident, and she always looked ready for something. She smiled at those she passed on the street, but she didn't let people think it was an invitation for anything wise. She kept one hand on her bag at all times, and she always looked down alleys before she walked past them. She didn't stop to figure out where she was a lot. She, instead, looked straight ahead, and seemed to check her surroundings before she got to them, always thinking one step ahead.
Quinn liked walking beside her. She was short and he could easily throw her over his shoulder and walk for miles before he got tired because she was so petite, but she didn't make him seem like a giant. She had poise and a dancer's posture. It was easy to tell that she had danced most of her life if you just watched her move. She was graceful and her legs turned out slightly. Quinn's little sister danced, not seriously, but still danced, nonetheless. She used to look up to the older dancers who carried themselves like Ale carried herself. She always said that you could tell the amazing dancers from the good ones because of how they walked, and how they smiled.
Quinn knew his sister would absolutely adore Ale. Her smile lit up the room and she had such a grace to her.
Ale wasn't arrogant though, like most good dancers were. Quinn had had a girlfriend that was a beautiful dancer and came from his sister's studio. She knew she was good, though, and always complained about having to help the younger girls or having to dance with people who didn't dance as well as she did.
It was infuriating.
Ale, though…she seemed to have the biggest heart. From what Eliot and Sophie had told him, she was an incredible girl, unlike anyone he had ever met. Walking next to her made him feel privileged…like he had some special power that no one else had simply because he was with this amazing girl.
It was then that he decided he wouldn't take the money for this job…he didn't feel right getting paid for spending time with Ale. He didn't see her as a job…he saw her as a person, who he could very possibly like.
Ale eventually got to the T, swarms of people going down the steps to catch the train. Just as she was about to slip in front of Quinn so they could get down the stairs, she felt his hand in hers.
Quinn didn't like the idea of he and Ale having to be separated. Their entire walk their elbows brushed against one another. He didn't want Ale to slip in front of him…she was so small and he could easily lose her in the crowds.
Usually, he would wrap his arm in his mark's arm. With Ale, however, his hand seemed to wrap in hers naturally. Ale gave his hand a squeeze, continuing to walk in front of him without letting go of his hand.
As Ale walked Quinn noticed a small, crescent moon tattoo at the nape of Ale's neck. It wasn't one of those overly curved moons—it was still full even though a part of it was missing. It wasn't colored in and was a simple, black outline. Quinn couldn't stop staring at it, and he almost tripped down the stairs in the process.
Anyone who caught a glimpse of Ale and Quinn smiled, looking at the assumingly happy couple.
Ale could feel people's eyes on her, and she realized why. She was holding hands with a gorgeous guy…and they probably assumed the two were together. Ale didn't mind, but she laughed at the idea. If they knew that the connection was simply part of Quinn's job, they would be looking at Ale with pity instead of admiration.
Ale and Quinn got pressed into the train car, Ale getting a seat in the corner. She immediately noticed an old woman standing and holding onto one of the support bars, though, so she stood, offering the woman her seat.
Quinn smiled as he watched Ale talk to the old woman, Ale helping guide her to the seat. There wasn't much room in the car, but Ale easily shooed people out of the way, eventually getting the woman to the seat.
"Thank you," the woman smiled, looking graciously at Ale.
"You're welcome," Ale smiled back, looking around the car. The only space available was directly next to Quinn, who was holding onto an overhead strap. Ale couldn't exactly reach those straps, so her options were limited. Quinn saw the problem and laughed, Ale glaring at him. The car jolted to life, Quinn's arm wrapping around Ale's waist before she even had the chance to stumble.
Ale felt Quinn's arm around her waist before she could fully comprehend what happened. She looked up at Quinn only to find him smiling down at her.
"You know for a ballerina, I would have figured you had better balance," he smiled, not releasing his arm from her waist. Ale could feel the old woman's eyes on them as they stood in front of her, but she didn't really care.
"How'd you know I was a dancer?" Ale asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "No one else knows."
"It's the way you move. Eliot is too busy making sure you don't get more than five feet away from him to notice, and no one else really knows what to look for," Quinn shrugged. "As a side note, it was really cool of you to give up your seat."
"It's common courtesy," Ale smiled, a little happy that Quinn could tell she was a dancer.
"Any other girl I met wouldn't have moved unless I suggested it or she was specifically asked," Quinn explained, Ale laughing.
"Then you haven't been hanging with the right kind of girls."
The train stopped at the first stop, a few people moving. The people who were pressed on the pole in the corner next to Ale and Quinn left, Ale looking up at Quinn.
"I think I can handle it from here," she smiled.
"I would feel better if you stayed here, I think. Safer, you know," Quinn winked.
Quinn couldn't believe he had just said that. Yes, he wasn't going to take the money for this job, but he wasn't planning on being so forward with Ale, either. He had just used a line on her, and he was sure she was going to be uncomfortable now.
Ale blushed, rolling her eyes.
"I thought you said I got a longer leash with you?" she joked, Quinn laughing. He released her waist slightly, giving Ale enough leeway to grab the pole next to her. As they rode, Ale could tell Quinn was trying to figure out where they were going.
"It's killing you, isn't it?" Ale asked. "Not knowing where we are going?" she smiled, Quinn nodding.
"Kind of, yes. But I'll deal with it," he smiled back, his dimples popping out.
Quinn and Ale rode in silence, until the woman who Ale gave her seat up to started talking with Ale. The woman was saying how Ale reminded her of her daughter. They talked for a while about the woman's daughter, the woman eventually telling Ale that she had passed away a few months prior due to some faulty medication.
"Have you ever heard of Buchamp pharmaceuticals?" the woman asked, Ale going rigid next to Quinn. He wrapped his free hand back around Ale's, giving it a squeeze, letting her know he was there like she did earlier on the subway stairwell.
"I do. My Papa and brother passed away from them, as well," Ale nodded, giving the woman a small smile.
"Well, thank God that this girl brought attention to the injustice of Mr. Buchamp. If not, hundreds of other people could have died," the woman said.
Quinn could see the struggle in Ale's eyes. She knew that she was responsible for saving millions of people, but he could also see the pain that was in her eyes when she was locked in the room with Buchamp's men, as well as the guilt she felt for Lio's death.
"She is that girl," Quinn said, nodding at Ale. "Alessandra Mosetti, in the flesh," he smiled, the woman's eyes filling with tears.
"Thank you for bringing justice to my Janie," the woman smiled, placing a wrinkled, warm hand on Ale and Quinn's intertwined hands.
Ale just smiled back at the woman, nodding slightly. The T stopped again, the woman looking at both Quinn and Ale.
"Well, this is my stop," she sighed, standing warily. Ale immediately let go of the pole, offering the woman her arm. She walked the woman to the door, smiling at Ale before she got onto the platform, whispering something to her. Ale found her way back to where she and Quinn were standing, sitting down where the woman was heavily.
"What did she say to you?" Quinn asked after a while, not wanting to look at Ale's sad eyes any longer.
Ale smiled a little, a laugh escaping her lips.
"She said that we make an adorable couple," Ale laughed, rolling her eyes.
Quinn laughed too, although he was slightly flattered that the woman thought they fit so well together.
A/N: In case people aren't familiar with Boston, the T is their form of subway. They run under and above ground and have stops and tracks just like the New York subway.
I hope you are enjoying the story, so far, and I know you might not be 100% happy with the Quinn and Ale pairing, but I promise, it will all work out in the end. Thank you for reading and reviewing! It means so much!