"Ale, simply wonderful! You were excellent tonight," Sophie cooed, coming down the stairs to meet Ale, Eliot, and Nate in the family room. Hardison was behind her, Parker also coming into the room at some point.

"I didn't do anything except fling myself at him," Ale shuddered, pulling on a sweatshirt that Hardison brought down for her.

"Did he kiss you?" Parker asked.

"Yes. A lot," Eliot answered.

"You saw that?" Ale sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I thought you were gonna stay outside!"

Eliot chuckled a bit to himself, glad that she wasn't happy with Alex's great show of affection.

"What else happened?" Nate asked, looking primarily at Ale.

"He admitted that he has done illegal things. And the story for that will be on date two. So this time I will get him drunk."

"You were drunk?" Parker asked, looking at Ale.

"No, Parker. I don't drink on the job. I just had to pretend that I was."

"Oh. Well good job," Parker nodded. "By the way I saw you two kissing I really thought you were hammered. Very sloppy."

Ale blushed, hiding her face in her hands again.

"So, what do we do? Just hope that Ale can pull some information out of him? Hope that Alex does drugs and that he'll tell Ale where he got them?" Sophie asked.

"Precisely," Nate nodded.

Sophie was a little surprised with Nate. He wasn't really planning, and he definitely wasn't running the show.

"So can I go to bed, then?" Ale asked.

"Of course. Good work today, Ale," Nate nodded, Ale sighing as she stood. She slipped off the sweatshirt she was wearing, handing it back to Hardison.

"Thank you," she smiled, nodding at Hardison and Ale.

Eliot watched her as she left, her shirt open on the back, just enough so he could see the beginnings of the tattoos on her ribs.

"Did you have a nice time, tonight?" Hardison asked, nudging Eliot's shoulder.

"Shut up," Eliot growled, going upstairs. He could hear Ale in her room, opening and closing drawers.

He knocked on the door, Ale opening it a few seconds later. She was now enveloped in a large sweatshirt, her hair tied up in a bun.

"What's up?" Ale asked

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. These last couple of days have been strenuous. And you haven't seemed yourself," Eliot shrugged, Ale sighing.

"You noticed," Ale stated, sitting down on her bed.

"It's kind of my job," Eliot chuckled.

"Last week was my birthday," Ale whispered, looking at Eliot.

Eliot's first instinct was to feel awful that the team had forgotten. With everything that had been going on it was the last thing on their minds.

"Ale, we didn't mean to forget," Eliot sighed, looking over at her.

"I didn't tell you guys on purpose. I tried to forget, myself," she laughed. IT was then that Eliot noticed a couple of tears streaming down Ale's face.

Then it all clicked—Ale's birthday meant it was also Lio's birthday. And it was the first birthday that Ale had to spend without her brother and her family.

"I figured that if I forgot that it was my birthday, then I wouldn't remember that he was gone. And it didn't help. At all," Ale shrugged, her shoulders beginning to shake.

Eliot felt awful that he didn't know Ale was feeling these things.

She had been doing so well with the loss of her family. Her nightmares were basically gone, and she was doing well with talking about them and being able to remember them without getting upset.

This, however, was different.

"I just miss him," Ale sobbed. Eliot pulled Ale into his chest, allowing her to curl into his lap.

"I know darlin'," Eliot soothed. "That's alright."

Eliot hated seeing Ale cry and be in pain. It was awful. It made him feel something as well, and he hated that. He hated not being able to help what he felt. He hated being upset with he felt sad when Ale was sad, and that he couldn't stop thinking about her when she wasn't there.

But most of all, he hated that he didn't mind at all. Because when you loved someone, you didn't mind all of the heart ache that came along with it.

LEVERAGE

Ale couldn't believe that she had broken down like she had. At the same time, it was good to finally let her feelings out.

When she had finally calmed down she was exhausted, wanting to fall asleep right in Eliot's arms.

"Are you all set, darlin'?" Eliot asked softly.

"Will you stay, please?" Ale asked, looking up at Eliot. He nodded, laying Ale in her bed. He laid down beside her, Ale waiting for sleep to overtake her.

Once Ale was officially asleep, she curled into Eliot's side, her usual sleeping habits overtaking her. Eventually, Eliot fell asleep too, a smile on his face.

LEVERAGE

"I think that you are supposed to tell me all of your secrets now," Ale whispered, Alex laughing. They were in yet another bar, Ale having a slight 'buzz' and Alex already pretty drunk.

"You didn't tell me yours," Alex laughed.

"I did. You just don't remember."

"I don't?"

"No."

"Well, I want to show you my secrets," Alex smiled.

"Sounds good to me," Ale nodded.

LEVERAGE

"Eliot, stay on her. I don't know what this boy has planned, but I want to know all about it," Nate said through the coms.

"You got it Nate."

LEVERAGE

"You are a very good driver," Alex slurred, Ale laughing.

"Thanks. Where do I turn next?"

"Down the next side street. Now, when we get in there just pretend we are dating. And pretend you're stupid."

"Why?" Ale asked, trying to figure out what they were doing, although she had a pretty good idea.

"Because it's better that way."

Eliot didn't know why he had a bad feeling about tonight, but he did. Ale told him to stay pretty far behind in the car, seeing as there weren't many people on the road and Alex would notice if they were being followed. She promised to text him the address when she settled somewhere, but he still didn't like how this was going.

"And we are here," Alex sang, Ale looking at the abandoned warehouse with a bit of worry, but knew that Eliot would be right behind her. Eventually.

"Do you guys have me on coms?" Ale whispered, turning off the car.

"Yes. Why?" Nate asked, obviously noticing the change in Ale.

"I just don't have a good feeling about this," Ale sighed, Alex planting a kiss on her lips.

"You ready to have some fun?" Alex asked, Ale nodding.

"Oh yeah. It should be fun," Ale sighed, getting out of the car.

Eliot definitely didn't have a good feeling about this.