Ale and Quinn were reading together in the living room, music playing through the speakers Ale had turned on. When Ale had finished her book she watched Quinn.

He was reading some French book, and if Ale really tried, she figured she could understand about half of it. She didn't care to, though, so she instead watched Quinn read.

Her feet were in his lap, him barely noticing when Ale would shift on the couch. She didn't have a long attention span, but Quinn had barely looked up from the book in the two hours since they had begun reading.

Ale squirmed again, shifting so she was a little more comfortable.

"You cannot sit on my lap if you have ants in your pants," Quinn said, not looking up from his book. Ale smiled, thinking back to what she would tell the kids at the hospital. Quinn must have heard her saying it to them and used her own words against her.

"I just…every once and a while I have to move," Ale shrugged. They were currently in Nate's apartment, waiting for the team to get back. They had thought about waiting at Eliot's, but Ale had a few reasons why she didn't want to do that.

Eliot would come home by himself and would no doubt yell at Quinn, and Ale, for not checking in as much as they should have. But mostly Quinn.

She was worried he would somehow figure out what had happened between her and Quinn and would, no doubt, yell at Quinn and Ale. But mostly Quinn.

Ale had really missed the team, and she wanted nothing more than to catch up with them.

Sophie had told Ale that she must hear every single detail about her and Quinn's time together…and Ale saw that as the perfect opportunity to tell someone about her old life.

"What are you thinking about?" Quinn asked, putting down his book, his hand resting on Ale's shins.

"I think I'm going to tell Sophie. About us. And about dancing and the kids and the singing and just…everything. I trust her, you know?" Ale said, Quinn nodding.

"I do. She was very excited for you to have some freedom. She wouldn't care if you didn't tell her what you were up to, but I think she would appreciate it an awful lot."

"She helped me so much when Lio died. She didn't know she was helping, but she was. She just has this comforting way about her that I don't think I could have lived without for those few weeks."

Quinn looked at Ale, watching as she shrugged and went back to reading. She was such a mystery, and yet she was the realest person he had ever encountered. He knew it would take a while for her to be healed from what happened to her, but he liked her, no matter what.

Quinn heard on the lock on the door turn, his stomach dropping. He was nervous that Eliot would know something was up with Quinn and Ale—he was happy that something was going on, but he had a feeling Eliot thought highly of professionalism, which Quinn had thrown out the window as soon as he saw Ale.

Ale took her feet off of Quinn's lap, giving him a reassuring smile. She then leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered, pulling away with a wink.

The team came through the door, their voices laughing loudly.

Ale stood, Parker enveloping her in a hug.

"I missed you so much!" Parker said. "Let's go pick locks!"

"We will in just a little bit," Ale laughed, Hardison pulling her into a hug next.

"If you don't go with her, I have to get rid of Lucille. Don't disappoint me, pipsqueak," Hardison said, Ale smiling.

"I got it covered," Ale nodded. Sophie gave her a kiss on the head and Nate gave her a slight wave. Eliot seemed like he didn't know what to do, Ale stepping close to him as if to give him a hug but he didn't drop his bags, nodding at her slightly. He was so different with her than he was when he had left.

"You alright?" he grumbled, Ale nodding slightly. "Glad to hear it. I'm going to start on dinner."

The team watched as Eliot went into the kitchen, his movement a little stiff. Still, his attitude was even stiffer.

"What did I do?" Ale asked, looking at the rest of team.

"You know Eliot," Sophie shrugged, looking over at Quinn.

"Thanks for taking care of our girl," she said, Quinn standing and nodding.

"It was my pleasure," he nodded, standing beside Ale. He felt her laugh a little against his side, him biting back a laugh as well.

"Truly," Ale nodded, Parker looking at them with a question in her eyes.

"Now can we go pick locks?" Parker asked, Ale looking at Quinn.

"You good?" she asked, Quinn nodding.

"I have to debrief the team," he winked, Sophie not missing the small gesture in the least.

Once Ale and Parker had left the room Quinn went to the kitchen, asking Eliot about the job, offering to help cook, and also telling him (kind of) what he and Ale did while they were gone.

At the same time, Sophie was watching Ale and Parker pick locks in Nate's guest bedroom.

"Did you want to try, Sophie?" Parker asked, Sophie laughing.

"No. I just wanted to talk to Ale."

"Right now? Cause we're busy."

"Parker, be polite," Ale laughed. "We can talk here," Ale shrugged looking around.

Ale figured that if she was telling Sophie, she owed it to Parker to tell her, too. They were the two who talked to her the most while she was in Italy. Their calls got her through a lot.

As Ale and Parker picked locks, Ale told Sophie and Parker about her dancing and volunteering and her involvement with music in high school. She also told them about her time with Quinn, finishing it all in one, big breath.

"Ale, you are simply amazing," Sophie sighed, looking at Ale with tear filled eyes.

"It's not that big of a deal, Sophie," Ale shrugged, blushing a bit.

"But it is. You were this amazing dancer and singer and we knew nothing about it. And you spent so much time with those kids at the hospital. You are just…you are amazing."

"Sophie, you guys probably all did things in high school too. And you don't even know if I was good at any of that."

"We don't do things. What you see us do every day is it. Our amazing things we did in the past are the same things we do now. But you…you have all of these hidden things. It's kind of cool," Parker said, handing Ale a new lock.

Sophie smiled at Parker.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," she said, nodding.

"We won't push you, Ale, but if at any time you want to share those parts of your life with us, we would be honored," Sophie smiled.

Ale looked at Sophie for a second, then clearend her throat, nodding.

"Thanks Sophie."

"You're welcome. Now, tell me more about Quinn," she smiled, wagging her eyebrows.

Ale couldn't help but laugh at Sophie—but she also couldn't help but feeling so happy. She wasn't used to this life with crazy thieves, but it was becoming something she never wanted to have to live without.