"Ale, we really need to go," Nate sighed, knocking on her bedroom door.
"Nate, I am not the one who is taking forever. Yell at Sophie," Ale said, wincing at bit.
Nate and Ale had to be at CPS in fifteen minutes and if they didn't leave now, they would never make it.
"I'm trying to make it perfect," Sophie sighed.
"Just distract her and run," Parker offered, standing next to Nate.
"Parker," Sophie warned, finally opening the door. "She will be right out," Sophie sighed, rolling her eyes.
Sure enough, Ale came out of the room not two minutes later, looking, well, very different than her look had been for the past two weeks.
She was wearing nude pumps and a light pink pencil dress that hugged every part of her body. Ale's hair was tied into a professional bun, her bangs tucked behind her ear.
Hardison and Eliot both looked at one another then back at Ale, shocked at how…different she looked.
"How do you breathe in that thing?" Parker asked, laughing a little.
"I don't," Ale sighed. "And these shoes, while they are amazing, are to never be put on my feet again…for at least two weeks. I am shocked that I can even walk right now, much less in heels."
"You look great," Sophie smiled. "Good luck. We will be listening," Sophie smiled, Hardison nodding.
Parker grabbed the black bag full of Ale's posters, taking Nate's arm.
"I call driving," Parker smiled, pulling her arm away to reveal the keys to the car. Eliot grumbled and Ale just laughed, knowing better than to argue.
"And I call shotgun," Ale smiled, waving to Sophie and Hardison as she headed out the door with Nate, Parker, and Eliot.
Eliot could tell that Ale was sore and that the shoes were killing her, so he offered Ale his arm, Ale gladly accepting.
"So, are you nervous?" Eliot asked lowly as they waited for the valet to bring the car.
"Yes. Extremely. But it will be fine. If I start to bomb it, Nate is there. And so are you and Parker, and Hardison and Sophie are listening on the comms. It will be fine," Ale smiled, her eyes still showing a bit of fear.
"You will do great," Parker said, squeezing Ale's arm. "I know you will."
"Thanks, Parker."
Once the car came up Eliot and Nate slid into the back, Ale sliding into the front and Parker slipping in behind the wheel.
"Now, hang onto your hats," Parker said, smiling. "We have take off."
Nate and Eliot rolled their eyes, Ale laughing a bit as Parker sped off, the world blurring around them.
"Sophie, she will be fine," Hardison sighed, watching as Sophie paced around the hotel.
"I know. It's just…"
"You are a control freak who also happens to love and constantly worry about Ale? Yeah. I know. But it really will be okay. You heard her…she knows we have her back. And we do. Right?" Hardison smiled, Sophie nodding back.
"Good. Now, come sit down so you can hear our girl kick ass," Hardison smiled, Sophie laughing.
"When did you get to be in charge of me?" Sophie asked, Hardison shrugging.
"Since you needed someone to watch out for you," he said, Sophie smiling. She didn't know when it had happened, but Hardison had grown up.
She did have a clue that it might have happened when a certain little Italian girl came into their lives.
"Thank you so much for meeting with me today. I am Regina Welsh, and I was a student at Dance Pointe Academy for a year and a half. I am coming to you with concern for the safety of the students at Dance Pointe Academy, as well as their emotional well-being.
"While I was at Dance Pointe, I was constantly injured, as were many of the other students. Those who were well enough to dance did, but many of the students had to drop out due to their injuries. I'm not saying that dancers don't get injured, because we do, a lot, but most injuries don't begin to happen until students are a bit older and are involved in lifts and intense pieces. At Dance Pointe, however, many students have to stop dancing before they even reached their teenage years.
"Now, there are many reasons for this, but the main ones are bad teachers and improper training benchmarks," Ale said, nodding at Nate to put up the first poster.
The team was extremely impressed with Ale's presentation. Not only did she talk about the physical development of the human body, but she also talked about what certain dance moves did to your body and how, when done at the wrong age without the proper body development, it could hurt the students. She was basing everything on fact and feeling, the perfect mix for the CPS officers.
Ale also talked about the emotional abuse of the teachers and how Tonnie covered it all up.
"I am not saying that dance is bad for kids and that all studios are like this. But Dance Pointe Academy is an unsafe environment that hides behind the promise of something bigger. These little girls and boys just want to dance, and instead are being used as money makers and punching bags for emotional blows and physical ailments. Tonnie Right needs to be arrested for child abuse and fraudulent actions, and her students need an actual chance to dance," Ale finished, the CPS officers all looking at one another. The Leverage team wanted to applaud…Ale had knocked it out of the park.
"If you wouldn't mind stepping outside with your team, Ms. Welsh, we will discuss what you have spoken about," one of the officers said, smiling.
"Thank you," Ale smiled, Nate packing up the bag of posters, Eliot putting a DVD on the table, Parker setting down a file folder.
"Reports of all of the injured students, as well as DVD footage from the studio," Parker said, nodding at the workers sitting around the table.
Once out in the hallway Ale let out a sigh of relief, Parker taking her into her arms and spinning her around.
"You were so good. And so serious. You could have been in a courtroom. Or on TV. That was awesome!" Parker laughed, mimicking Ale's serious face.
"Thanks, Parker. I just hope it was enough," Ale shrugged.
"It will be," Nate assured her. All Ale could do was smile back.
Back at the hotel Sophie and Hardison were smiling, as well.
"So your presentation went well?" Quinn asked, Ale smiling.
"It did. I want to apologize again for calling you yesterday and leaving that message. I just…I couldn't breathe," Ale sighed.
"Are you ever going to tell me what happened?"
"Sophie and Nate asked me to be a part of the team. A part of the family. I felt like it was too much. I felt guilty for being happy and worried that the same thing that happened to my family would happen to them, which I wouldn't be able to handle. And then when I was at the studio made me do this dance where my where family died and I'm trying to get to them and it was just…a really, really bad day. But I'm better today. I really am. And CPS flagged Tonnie and an officer will be there tonight to escort her to jail. And I get to perform in a couple of hours, and I'm really excited about that," Ale sighed.
"And what did you decide about the team?"
"I can't stay away just because I'm afraid," Ale shrugged. "Thank you for calling, by the way. I'm sorry I couldn't answer yesterday."
"That's okay. I know you were busy. I was just worried."
"I know."
"How weird is it to be doing a show without your family around?" Quinn asked, knowing that Ale's family all had a big part in the shows. It was always a family affair, and now she didn't have any of them.
"It's…weird. And sad. And I'm sure I'm going to miss getting the flowers from my dad and getting ready with my mom and Lio waiting for me when I got off for final bows and dropping me off before the show. But it's something I need to do. And it's going to hard. But I can do it," Ale said, her voice wavering a bit.
"Yes you can. I should let you go get ready," Quinn sighed, pacing around his hotel room. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms, comforting her and telling her it would be okay.
"Love you," Ale said, the smile evident in her voice.
"Love you too," Quinn said, hanging up.
Ale turned off her phone, slipping on the silk bath robe Sophie had put on her bed. Ale had just taken a shower and Sophie gave her fifteen minutes to talk to Quinn before they started getting her ready.
Ale padded into the living room, Eliot and Hardison sitting on the couch, watching TV.
"Where is Sophie?" Ale asked, both of the boys looking at her with raised eyebrows.
The robe that Ale was wearing was small and silky and fit her perfectly. Eliot couldn't help but notice how the dark black silk made Ale's skin glow.
"In her room. She said to meet her in there," Hardison said, noticing Eliot's wide eyes and chuckling a bit.
"Thanks man," Ale smiled, looking at Eliot with concern on her face. "Are you okay, Eliot?" Ale asked. "You look a little pale."
"I'm good," Eliot said, clearing his throat.
"Ohhkay then. See ya later," Ale waved, going into Sophie's room in the suite.
"How does she not know that she is hot?" Eliot growled, Hardison laughing.
"I knew you liked her," he teased, Eliot shooting him the death glare. "I'm not going to tell her. Don't worry. But you should, eventually. Then she might not think you are such a jerk for treating her like you do sometimes. I'm just saying," Hardison shrugged. "She's not going to figure it out. She doesn't think like that, you know. She doesn't just assume that people like her. That's what makes her so likeable."
"Whatever," Eliot grumbled, not happy that yet another member of the team knew about his feelings for Ale. Soon, everyone but Ale would know, and that was a recipe for disaster.
Ale knocked on the door to Sophie's room, Parker immediately opening the door.
"Your doom awaits," Parker sighed, Ale laughing.
"Thanks Parker. Is everything all set for tonight?" Ale asked, Parker nodding.
"Absolutely. You have nothing to worry about except dancing. And all of the torture you are about to go through."
"Parker, stop it. Ale is a much better sport than you are about all of this stuff. Plus, she is used to it. Stop trying to scare her away," Sophie warned, Parker shrugging.
Ale sat down on the bar stool Sophie had pulled into the room, folding her legs into her.
"Let's do hair first, yes?" Sophie smiled, Ale nodding. Parker turned on her music, Sophie drying and then flat ironing and curling Ale's hair. While Sophie worked Ale and Parker sang along to the music, albeit that it was loud and off key. Parker also read some magazines, reading the interesting articles out loud.
Most of the time she was making fun of the people in the magazine, but Ale didn't mind. Parker was a lot more mature than she came across, and she was a lot funnier, too.
Once Ale's hair was done Sophie let her go into the main part of the suite to stretch her legs and grab her something to eat.
"How's it going in there?" Hardison asked, looking away from the TV at Ale. Eliot did the same, smiling to himself as he saw Ale still in her robe, her hair done up, trying to reach something on the top shelf of the cupboards.
"It's going. I hope we aren't being too loud," Ale said, looking back at the boys.
"You're all good, Smalls," Hardison answered.
"What are you looking for?" Eliot asked, standing and walking into the kitchenette.
"I don't know. But I don't understand why you guys keep everything on the top shelf. I can't even see what is up there," Ale complained, hopping up onto the counter.
Eliot didn't know how he hadn't figured out Ale was a dancer. She was so graceful and was built like a dancer and did everything like a dancer. He had dated ballerinas before, but none of them were as relaxed as Ale.
Maybe that is what had thrown him off. She was actually, you know, nice.
"Most of us can see that shelf. We aren't used to having trolls eat our food," Hardison said from the living room. Ale rolled her eyes, picking up an orange that was in the fruit bowl next to her, throwing it at the back of Hardison's head.
"Jeez, Eliot, it was a joke," Hardison winced.
"That wasn't me," Eliot laughed, giving Ale a high five.
"Alessandra Rosaline Mosetti, I will get you back," Hardison warned, Ale laughing as she started to stand on the counter.
"What are you doing?" Eliot asked, grabbing her waist and setting her down on the floor next to him.
"I just wanted to know what there is to eat. I'm starving," Ale said incredulously.
"How about I make you a smoothie?" Eliot offered, Ale's eyes lighting up.
"Thank you!" she squealed, Sophie calling her back to the room.
"I'll bring it in to you," Eliot laughed, seeing the defeat in Ale's face.
"I knew there was a reason I shouldn't be mad at you anymore," Ale said, smiling. Eliot watched as she walked away, not even noticing when Hardison threw the orange back at him, the piece of fruit hitting him in the chest.
"Eliot's making me a smoothie so you should hold off on the lipstick. Actually, that is a good rule of thumb any time with me. Nothing on my lips until right before I need it. I have a bad history or getting lipstick on my costumes or on the knees on my tights when I stretch," Ale rambled, getting settled back into her chair.
"I want a smoothie!" Parker said, bounding out of the room.
"So you forgave Eliot?" Sophie said once Parker was gone.
"I did. Kind of. He helped me through a lot of stuff, and I couldn't stay mad at him. Something about that man…" Ale started, being silenced when Nate walked into the room, smiling at Sophie and Ale.
"How's it going in here?" he asked, seeming a little nervous.
"It's going," Sophie said, Ale closing her eyes so that Sophie could put on her foundation.
"Good. Are you getting nervous, Ale?" Nate asked.
"No. I'm all good, Nate," she smiled, her knee bouncing with anticipation. "Are you getting nervous?" she asked, the anxious energy evident in his voice.
"I'm perfectly fine," Nate said, Ale laughing a bit.
Nate didn't know why he was so nervous. All they had to do was watch Ale dance and watch as the CPS officer took Tonnie away in handcuffs and then present the students and their families with James Kent.
Sophie could easily tell that Nate was nervous, and she was assuming that he was nervous about Ale dancing tonight. He always got nervous when one of the team members had to do something alone, and Ale had already had to do a lot.
He was like a nervous dance dad. It was adorable.
"Ale, are you all good for tonight? You sure your knee is okay and everything?" Nate asked, Ale opening one of her eyes to glance at him.
"Nate, I'm all good. Really. It will be a little tough because there are so many dances and it will be the first show without my family, but I will be okay. I have you guys and it's worth it in the end. I'm really okay."
"Okay," Nate nodded, leaving the room again.
Sophie laughed to herself, not surprised that Nate was acting the way he was. Sure it was a simple con, but he didn't have anything to do today except worry that it wouldn't work out.
Sophie was a little nervous for Ale, though. She had so many dances, and the one about her family was going to be tough. She knew Ale could do it, though. She was strong.
Parker bounded into the room, a smoothie in each hand.
"One for each of you. I already drank mine. It was delicious. What did I miss?" Parker asked, handing Ale her smoothie.
"Nothing. Except the fact that Nate is a mess," Ale laughed, taking a sip of her drink.
"He is always like that when we go out on our own," Parker sighed, doing a handstand against the wall.
"He can't help it," Sophie sighed.
The girls then started talking about the TV show they had watched the night before.
Ale was happy that the girls were helping her get ready. She could have done everything herself a lot faster, but she didn't know if she was ready for that. Her mother used to sit for hours, just like Sophie was doing, and just talk and sing and laugh with Ale while she got her ready.
It definitely wasn't the same without her, but getting ready with Sophie and Parker was nice, too. Different, but nice.
Really, really nice.