Sophie, Nate, Hardison, and Parker had all been talking to Ale constantly. She hung out at Nate's a lot, Hardion and Parker went to dinner with her and Quinn often, and Ale often called Sophie for advice. Once a week Ale would call Nate, if she hadn't seen him, and would tell him about her week, and vice versa.
Hardison continued to keep a watch on Ale's stalkers, but there hadn't been any changes.
Quinn and Ale were growing closer, and Eliot was back to his usual grumpy self. He hadn't spoken to Ale or Quinn since the night she moved out, but he had thought about calling and apologizing every day.
He missed having her around the house. Little things, like running beside her in the mornings or hearing her make coffee while he was in the shower, made a space open up in his heart and ache. He refused to bother her, though—she had asked him not to talk to her and he was going to respect that. He knew she was safe in Quinn's protection, and he got updates from Hardison on how she was doing.
It had been two months since Ale and Quinn got in the accident, and the end of November had been a little slow for the team. There hadn't been many jobs in the past few months, and the ones that they had had a lot of heavy lifting.
Ale had been hanging around a lot more when Nate was planning cons, and even let him practice his plans on her. Nate was happy to let her listen—he could see the fire in her eyes and she often helped him work through some of the issues he ran into while planning. She helped Sophie pick out outfits and asked Hardison how he did what he did. Once she was feeling better from her accident she even went on little adventures with Parker.
"I have a job," Nate said, charging into his apartment from the bar. Eliot, Sophie, Hardison, and Parker were all sitting around the living room, waiting for Nate to finish his meeting.
"And what would that be?" Hardison prompted, getting his computer ready.
"We are helping out a man named James Kent. He owned a dance studio in northern California. It was a small town and everyone who danced in there went to Mr. Kent for class. That is, they did until a new studio opened up about a half an hour away. The woman who runs that studio stole his students until he didn't have any left and was forced to move here to live with his daughter and her family.
"Usually, a little turf war wouldn't be cause for alarm. The woman, however, Tonnie Right, is working her students to the bone. Mr. Kent told me that she is taking young students and pushing them way too hard. She also has ridiculous prices, and cheats her clients out of money. Most of the kids going there are on 'scholarships', and Tonnie uses their information used for applying for said scholarships to take money from the families at the studio. They are going bankrupt, but she is allowing them to stay in dance because she is the one draining their bank accounts.
"She has an entire team of workers. Her son does all of the reception work, and three of her colleagues act as teachers. She has others who come in and act as scouts so that the parents can feel like they have something going for them.
"Thirty of Tonnie's students have had injuries causing them to be out of dance for at least two weeks. At this rate, almost every one of those kids could be injured by the end of the year. She continues to grow her business and continues to gain more money from the families she is so kindly letting in for free.
"The families don't know how they are becoming bankrupt and think Tonnie is a saint for helping them out. Little do they know that Tonnie is the reason they will be living on the streets."
"That sounds like an easy job, Nate, but how are we going to get in?" Eliot said gruffly. Nothing about Tonnie Right yelled guys with guns so he was happy about that. He had been running more interference in the past month than he had in a long time.
"Well, the easiest way would be to bring a student. Parker I'm sure could pose as a beginner," Nate shrugged. Parker looked at Sophie with wide eyes.
"And then what, Nate? Have her pretend to make money too? No. Tonnie Right is on a power trip. She is working these students hard so she has something to show for herself, as well as her large amounts of money. Tonnie wants stars—the way to get to her is to get close to her. I'm sure she is chummy with the parents whose kids win the most awards. Beginners aren't going to cut it," Sophie said, thinking.
"Then what do we do?" Hardison asked, Sophie and Parker looking at each other, smiling.
"I think we have someone," Parker said, Sophie nodding.
"Let's go on a road trip," Sophie smiled, the boys looking at the two women as though they were crazy.
Ale finished with the lyrical class she was teaching, glad she was back to work full time. Before she got in the accident she was on a pretty steady schedule, but for the first three weeks after the crash she couldn't work, and once she did come back Mr. Werth had her working with the only the babies.
Now, however, she was working every day, demonstrating and teaching, as well as working on pieces with the other teachers and Evan.
"Dance with me?" Evan asked, popping his head into the room. Ale looked up to the viewing room, Quinn smiling at her. He nodded at her, turning back to his book.
"I would love to," Ale smiled, taking off the sweater she was wearing over her leotard and tights.
The music started, Ale's body taking over her mind. As she moved with the music she felt so free. It felt good to just dance, and it felt even better to not have her memories haunt her for the first time in a while.
Since Ale had moved out of Eliot's she had been trying to remember the good, only, and anytime she started getting sad she thought about something that made her smile when her family was alive. Quinn and taught her to do it and now it was an instant reaction when she felt a twinge of sadness. Ale would tell Quinn a little story of a time when her Mama made her try on ridiculous clothes or her Papa caught her pick-pocketing her aunt. They would both laugh, and the sadness would be gone.
Ale ran halfway across the floor, jumping into Evan's arms. He caught her, then pressing her above his head. Ale held her position, then loosening her muscles to cradle her body as Evan 'dropped' her.
The song ended and Ale and Evan both smiled at each other.
"You know, you are dancing better than you have in a long time. You seem…freer."
"I feel freer. I don't know…I just am getting better, in more ways than one," Ale shrugged, taking a drink of her water.
"Want to try it again?" Evan asked, Ale nodding as she swallowed.
"Sure. But this time, try to keep up," she joked, taking her position in the middle of the floor. Evan laughed, starting the music, Ale allowing it to wash over her again.
When the team had arrived at the correct dance studio Sophie called Quinn, asking for directions to the viewing area. The boys were still very confused about what was going on, but Sophie was enjoying knowing something before them.
Once they got to the viewing room Quinn welcomed them all, telling them that Ale was just working with her partner on learning a new dance.
It was a lyrical piece about two people who hadn't seen each other in a long time and, when they did see each other again, they realized how much it had hurt to be apart—how they could breathe again.
The dance consisted of a lot of partner work and even more turns, extensions and jumps. Quinn was amazed as he watched Ale and Evan learn the dance.
They would listen to the teacher that was down there, then slowly go through a chunk of the dance. It would continue until they took it from the top with the music. It was amazing.
The team was also amazed with what they saw—Nate, Hardison, and Eliot were thrown completely off guard. Parker and Sophie were so proud of Ale, and they were shocked at how truly talented Ale was. They had had their suspicions that Ale was good, but they didn't have any clue that she was that good.
"It's pretty amazing," Quinn said, the team nodding.
Ale and Evan were now learning a new lift, the teacher standing near Ale as she was being thrown and twisted in the air in case she fell. They looked like a mess, laughing and Ale having to catch herself or slide down Evan to make it to the ground safely.
Eventually, though, they got it. Ale ran to Evan, jumping onto him like a koala. He then grabbed her waist, pushing her away as she straightened her legs so they almost looked like a complete diagonal. When she finally made it to the ground Evan grabbed her again, pressing Ale above his head, her legs straight above her. They end up wrapped around Evan's waist, which prompts Evan to fall forward on his forearms. Ale slides off his back, Evan quickly standing and grabbing one of her legs, pulling her back up right. He then, somehow, gets Ale to stand on his shoulder, one of her legs behind her in a perfect arabesque.
It was beautiful.
Evan set Ale down, then picked her up and spun her around.
"Is it always like this?" Nate asked, entranced with Ale and Evan's movement. The way they sprang off of the ground, spun around so easily, and melted into each other was breath taking.
"Yes. And it's even better when she teaches," Quinn smiled, the team, excluding Eliot, all smiling back.
"She has to work this job with us," Hardison stated.
"I agree," Sophie and Parker chirped.
"It would be perfect," Nate agreed.
The rest of the team looked at Eliot, who was mesmerized with Ale. He cleared his throat, looking at them.
"I kept her from this," he said gruffly. "Because I was too afraid. I'm not going to do it again just because I threw a hissy fit."
"Well then let's go steal a dance studio," Nate smiled, clapping his hands together.
Finally, he had his perfect team.
Even if it was only for one job.