Leverage 1. Breathing

_Ale absolutely loved Eliot's apartment. She had been staying there exactly a week and it was one of the safest, homiest places she had ever been. It was a beautiful, wood apartment, much like Nate's. Eliot's apartment was more rustic, however, and it was also much bigger and had a bigger kitchen and living room. His second floor had three guestrooms, two bathrooms and Eliot's room. His main floor had a workout room off the side, and his balcony was unbelievably gorgeous. _

_They had a routine down that often started with Ale and Eliot running in the morning, Eliot cooking breakfast while Ale got ready for the day, Eliot getting ready as Ale cleaned up, and then they headed to Nate's. They often cooked together for dinner, and then watched movies or read until they were tired enough to go to bed._

_Ale woke up with nightmares often, but they weren't nearly as stifling as they were. Instead of five a night, she was down to two or three, which, in her mind, was good. Eliot only came into her room when he could hear her crying, calmed her down, and then went back to his room._

_Ale hated when he left—he gave her such a sense of calm, just like he did when Ale was first with the team. She had decided, however, that she really needed to handle it on her own. She also didn't want to disrupt Eliot, and she hated having people worry over her._

_Eliot had been hesitant about letting Ale be alone with her demons, but she finally convinced him that she would get him if she really needed him._

_Ale truly was enjoying her new life, even though it was so hard to let go of her old one. She needed something to do, though. She was feeling idle and like she needed some deed to do. The only hard part would be convincing Eliot to let her do something without him._

_As far as he was concerned, the people looking for her were always following one step behind her, and he told her that her life was in his hands and he was not going to take it lightly. Eliot never let Ale go anywhere by herself, and if he had somewhere to be he dragged her along. Ale knew he was just super focused on his job, like always, but she also felt badly that she was plaguing his life._

Eliot was downstairs stretching for he and Ale's run when he heard Ale scream his name. Before he could think about going into her room Ale came running out, yelling Eliot's name faster and louder with every step she took down the hallway. She came bounding down the stairs, jumping into Eliot's arms.

Eliot, expecting tears, was surprised when Ale pulled away with a smile on her face.

"What was that for?" he asked, laughing.

"Ask me how many nightmares I had last night," Ale said, Eliot smiling.

"How many?"

"None! I had absolutely zero nightmares for the first time in _weeks_, Eliot," she laughed, Eliot overcome with happiness.

He hadn't been happy about Ale sequestering him to his room unless he heard her crying. She hated the idea of Ale being alone and dealing with everything she had to deal with. He wanted to help her heal, though, and if this is how she wanted to do it, he had to respect that.

Eliot picked Ale up in his arms, spinning her around. When he realized what he had done he put her down, Ale looking at him with a huge smile.

"I cannot believe this. I have not felt this rested in ages. This is the first night I have not thrown up, I didn't wake up crying…it feels so good," Ale smiled, Eliot nodding.

"That's fantastic darlin'," Eliot smiled. "Now, are we going to go for a run or are you giving that up now that you are all better?"

"I actually want to do something else, but I don't want you to have to come. It's kind of stupid," Ale said, looking at Eliot with hopeful eyes.

"What do you want to do?"

"Never mind," Ale sighed. "Instead can I just stay here while you go for a run? I promise I won't open the door, I'll close the blinds, and you can check in with me every fifteen minutes. Please."

Eliot thought about it. Eliot hated leaving Ale alone…then again, she was so excited and she wanted to celebrate this huge accomplishment but didn't want to drag Eliot anywhere he didn't want to be.

"Okay. You can stay here alone and blast your music and run around the house like a crazy person to make up for whatever you wanted to do. Just know that if I call I need you to answer, or I will send out two police forces to find you," Eliot sighed, Ale smiling even wider.

"Thank you! You are the best! Have a good run. And don't worry…I won't do anything stupid. I just want to watch a movie or listen to some music and just…enjoy it, you know?"

Eliot nodded, slipping out the front door.

While he ran, he thought about Ale and how easily she had fit into his life. It was amazing how comfortable h felt, and how much he missed having Ale running beside him, hearing her steady breathing as he matched it to his own.


	2. Not a Monster

Eliot took a shorter run than usual, using the fire escape to get up to the balcony. He wanted to have a nice stretch after his run, but he didn't want to leave Ale alone any longer than he had to.

When he got up to the balcony he looked into the living room, surprised to see Ale dancing in the living room. She wasn't just dancing around, though. She was dancing like a real dancer. She seemed to be classically trained and she was breath taking. Her movement was so…free.

Eliot climbed back down the fire escape, sending a message to Ale that he was on his way home. Once he circled the block a few times, Eliot went back up to the apartment, Ale sitting on the couch, watching a movie.

"Hey how was your run?" she asked absently, turning of the TV.

"Good. What did you do while I was gone?" Eliot asked, hoping Ale would explain what he saw.

"Just watched TV," Ale shrugged, standing. "I was thinking I could make breakfast this morning," Ale said, smiling at Eliot.

He was a little surprised. He wanted to know where she learned to dance the way she did, and now that she had lied about it he wanted to know why she wasn't telling the truth. She was amazing, and there was no need to hide the fact that she could dance.

"Eliot?" Ale said, snapping him back to attention.

"What?"

"Can I make breakfast?"

"Oh yeah. Sure, no problem. I'm gonna go rinse off," Eliot smiled, going up to his room.

_Eliot was acting weird, Ale noticed. He didn't seem as…calm as he usually did when he finished his run. Ale, on the other hand, felt great. She took her time alone in great stride, clearing space in the living room and just dancing._

_She used to be in dance classes, going to competitions, her Mama making her costumes. She did all kinds of dance, and she was pretty good, too. She and her partner did a lot of competitions and they almost always won. She liked lyrical and contemporary the best, and, even though she hadn't danced in a while, she the movement came back to her easily._

_Ale's phone rang, Ale answering as she mixed some eggs with milk in order to make omelets. _

"_Hey Parker," Ale smiled, Parker immediately launching into a sales pitch for Ale to come over today and rappel._

"_We could even do it at Nate's. I don't really care where we do it, we just HAVE to do it," Parker finished, Ale laughing._

"_Well, I'm going to have to ask Eliot. He doesn't let me go anywhere by myself."_

"_You wouldn't be by yourself. You'd be with me!" Parker sighed, exasperated._

"_We'll ask him today, okay?" Ale promised, Parker agreeing. Ale hung up, finishing with breakfast. When Eliot came back downstairs he asked who she was talking to, Ale explaining how much Parker wanted today to be _the_ day._

"_You know, you don't have to do that stuff with her," Eliot said, Ale shrugging._

"_It sounds fun. Plus, I like Parker. I get the hint that she doesn't make friends easily, and if she wants to be friends with me, that's pretty special. I'm not going to just blow her off. Is everything okay, Eliot? You seem a little…grumpy. And you usually aren't like that until you get to work," Ale said carefully, not wanting to upset Eliot further._

Eliot knew Ale was right…he was being more standoff-ish than usual. He was just upset that Ale wouldn't be honest about what she was doing while he was gone. He hated that Ale wouldn't tell him the truth about something…he thought that they had a better relationship than that.

The again, she had been through a lot, and she had a lot of stuff to work through. After Eliot got through his work with Monroe, anything he did reminded him of his time there, whether it was throwing a punch or playing his guitar. He didn't reveal anything about his life for a long, long time.

"It's fine. I just didn't get as long of a run as I usually do," Eliot shrugged.

"Because of me?" Ale sighed, looking guilty.

"No, darlin'. Not because of you. I just had a lot on my mind."

"Well if there's anything you want to talk about, I'm here, you know. It's the least I can do. And don't think that I scare easily or I will be surprised with what you do. I did a lot of research about this team before I came to Ford for help," Ale said, looking straight into Eliot's eyes.

It was that moment that Eliot knew she knew _a lot_ about his past. And it finally made sense about why she had gotten him the book she did.

She didn't see him as a monster, like he saw himself. And that…that was the real gift she gave him.


	3. Free Falling

"We have a job. It shouldn't be that difficult, but it does involve travel. We are heading to Maine. It's an in and out, and it should only take about five days. It will be great," Nate said as soon as the last team member sat down in his living room.

Whenever they had work meetings like this Nate noticed how Ale moved to the dining room, usually reading a book or writing in a notebook, ear buds plugged into her ears. The rest of the team had noticed, too, but it didn't worry them as much as it did Nate.

He eventually wanted Ale to be a part of the team. They could use her intelligence as well as her acting abilities. She had been able to pull an entire con on her own, and he couldn't even imagine what she could do for, and with, a team.

She also seemed bored…like she was itching to do something. Sophie had noticed that easily. She was glad that Ale was staying with Eliot, but she also knew how tunnel-visioned he could get when it came to someone he loved.

He was that way with Aimee, and now he was doing it with Ale. He was sure that he hadn't quite told Ale about his feelings, though, which would make it difficult for Ale to know why she was kept on such a short leash.

"Ale's coming with us, right?" Eliot asked after Nate had explained the job.

"Why would she come?" Hardison asked. Yes, he wanted Ale to be safe, but he also knew Eliot had a million security features on the apartment, they knew plenty of people who could check up on Ale (Detective Bonanno being one of them) and kind of figured that Ale had her own things to do). Besides, all she would have been able to do if she went with them was sit in Lucille, which would not be the ideal job if she didn't have anything to do like he did.

"Because someone needs to be watching her. If the people watching her knew that she is alone for some reason, they will take that opportunity to get her," Eliot growled.

"Eliot, she can't be with us all of the time. That's not fair to her," Parker said, knowing how she would feel if she had to be caged.

"And the people watching her still think she's at her house," Hardison interjected.

Eliot looked around the room, realizing that no one was on his side.

Except Nate. Nate knew how he felt about her and he wasn't arguing with Eliot about him wanting to take Ale. Eliot also figured that Nate had his own reasons he wanted Ale to come.

Still, Eliot was angry that no one was seeing how important it was to keep Ale with them. It was Eliot's fault, after all, that Ale's brother was dead. He didn't need another Mosetti's blood on his hands.

And he would miss her.

Eliot growled, standing and going out of the apartment, done with the team. He needed to cool down and try to get Ale out of his mind.

_Ale heard the door slam, so she took out her ear buds, guessing who had stormed out. Ale was right, noticing immediately that Eliot wasn't there._

"_Is everything alright?" Ale asked, looking around at the team. They seemed disinterested with Eliot leaving. In fact, it seemed like he did that a lot._

"_Eliot just threw a hissy fit," Sophie shrugged, sitting down._

"_I'll go get him, if you want. He probably didn't go far," Ale offered, Sophie smiling._

"_That would be the perfect idea, Alessandra, if he hadn't stormed out because of you. The job we are pulling is out of town and we will be gone for about five days. He is insisting you come, but we all figured you wanted to, I don't know, have a second of breathing room. Lord knows he has enough security in that house to protect the President."_

_Ale thought about this._

_She didn't know if she was ready to be alone for a whole week, but she was also going stir crazy. She knew Eliot was just doing his job, but she wanted just a bit more freedom. After all, Hardison had things handled on the people watching front, and they hadn't figured out she was gone._

_And, if she was alone, she could find a dance studio to work at or a new place to volunteer. Volunteering wouldn't be the problem, but she wasn't quite ready for the team to know she was a dancer. Or a singer. In school, she was very artistic, and so many people were sure she was going to move to New York or California and become someone. _

_And then her Mama got sick. _

_And Papa died._

_And Lio was killed._

_And she was exhausted. Ale didn't know why she didn't want the team to know, but she just wasn't ready. It was something she and her Mama always did, and her Papa loved listening to her sing. Plus, she didn't know how to bring it up. And she wasn't even sure she wanted to do that stuff anymore. It reminded her too much of the person she was._

_After all, what would Eliot have said if, when he asked what she was doing, said 'dancing'. He would have thought she was crazy. If someone asked specifically, she would definitely tell the truth…now she was just, you know, not telling them. _

_She knew there was plenty of stuff they didn't tell _her_._

"_Ale? What do you think about being alone? For a week?" Sophie asked, looking at her as though she was zoning out. Which, she guessed, she was._

"_I think it would be very different, but I could definitely handle it," Ale said carefully. She didn't want to say she would be fine, because she didn't know if she would be, but she knew she could survive on her own for five days._

"_Well I'm sure Eliot would like to hear that, in a way," Nate said, nodding._

_Ale thought about Eliot. She was so grateful for him. He had helped her immensely with her nightmares, and he made her feel so, so safe. _

_She was even sure that she liked him…but she also couldn't help but wonder if her like for him was based solely on the fact that he was the one who was always there to fix her. They had a knight in shining armor relationship, and she was pretty sure she had glommed onto him because he seemed like such an easy fix to all of her problems._

_But she was just his job…she was nothing more than a security detail, and a friend, of course, but nothing more in his eyes. She was sure of it. He was, after all, the kind of guy who could have any woman he wanted, and who would want someone as broken as her?_

Eliot eventually calmed down, going back to the apartment.

When he got there, only Sophie, Hardison, and Nate were left, Hardiosn playing video games, Sophie highlighting some script, and Nate reading a book.

He immediately noticed that Ale's stuff was still on the table, meaning she couldn't have gone far. Her phone was still there too, which made me a little upset. She was supposed to have it with her at all times in case there was an emergency.

"Where's Ale?" Eliot asked, everyone looking at him with wide eyes.

Before anyone could answer he saw a body fly past the window…a body that looked very much like Ale.

Panic immediately filled his chest, Eliot flying over to the window, sure that Ale would be flat on the pavement, the people who were chasing her having grabbed her when she went to get something from the bar and disposing of her body from the roof. Just as he was about to go get her killers, he saw another body fly down from the roof, looking a hell of a lot like Parker.

"She's repelling with Parker," Hardison answered, walking up behind Eliot. "They've been at it for an hour. They finally made it back to this building after terrorizing so many others."

Eliot looked back out the window, watching as Ale and Parker were making their way up the building, suction cup type equipment on their hands and feet. As they got closer Eliot could see the smiles on their faces, laughs stuck in their eyes. When they got to Eliot's window they both smiled, continuing up the building.

Eliot was a bit stricken, not sure how he felt about Parker taking Ale, his Ale, jumping off buildings. She did seem happy, though, and looked adorable in her little harness and climbing gear.

Eliot needed to cool it. He liked Ale so much, but he had to remember that Ale was struggling with a lot and she probably wasn't ready for a relationship.

It still didn't stop him from thinking about her.

_Ale had never had so much fun. She loved the rush of jumping off of the building, only to feel the slight tug of the system as it caught her from completely falling. It was so exhilarating. _

_That's why she and Lio had always loved jumping off of that cliff in Italy…they felt so free. Ale couldn't count the number of times that they had jumped off when her parents died. They needed the weight of the world off of their shoulders for just a second._

Ale and Parker came bounding into the apartment, laughing and immediately going into the kitchen.

"Do you want a fortune cookie?" Parker asked, looking at Ale. She nodded, sitting down at the island.

Parker hadn't had that much fun in such a long time. She loved hanging out with Ale. They texted a lot after work, talking about Italy and other art works and jewelry. Ale didn't steal stuff, like Parker did, but she didn't mind talking about stealing it, or listening to Parker's stories. Parker loved that about her. She made her feel like she wasn't crazy.

Sophie was glad the girls were getting along. She had worried that Parker wouldn't accept Ale into their lives when they had first helped her, but their relationship only grew, and now they were really good friends. Ale helped to keep Parker in check, and Parker helped Ale let loose.

"So, is she coming or not?" Parker asked the team, everyone looking at her.

"She's coming," Eliot huffed, looking at Ale. Her cheeks were a bit flushed and she had been smiling ever since she came in the room. Now, however, her smile looked hesitant, her eyes bouncing from Sophie, who now had her arms crossed over her chest, and him, who had his crossed as well.

"I thought we decided she didn't have to so long as she checked in constantly," Sophie huffed.

"Well I changed my mind. There are too many variables," Eliot shrugged.

"She can't stay with you forever. We told her she could volunteer and get a job off the books. What are you going to do, follow her there, too?" Sophie snapped, fighting for Ale's independence. She loved how Eliot was when Ale was around—he wasn't so easily angered and he was focused. She didn't want Ale to have to be trapped, though, and wanted her to have some freedom.

Because eventually, once they found out who was after Ale, Eliot wouldn't need to protect her. If they didn't start building a relationship outside of bodyguard and target, they would never last after the threats were gone—Sophie wasn't so sure she could handle that. She wanted them to stay together. She needed them too…the team was her family, the three younger members like her children. She knew what was good for them. Parker was good with Hardison, even though they weren't dating quite yet, and Ale had been good for all of them. And she was especially good for Eliot.

Sophie could see Ale's hesitance in liking Eliot, though. She could tell that the girl figured he was only doing a job, when Sophie knew the truth—he liked her. And until Ale knows that he likes her back, she was going to keep her heart guarded.

"She needs to be protected, Sophie," Eliot said, Lio's dead body flashing before his eyes. "It's my job to see that she is safe."

_Ale hated when people argued. Especially when she was the topic of discussion. And she wished that they weren't arguing about her like she wasn't in the room._

"And you can see that she's safe while you are gone," Sophie sighed, Eliot closing his eyes. He wanted to explain his feelings to Sophie, and to Ale, but he couldn't. Instead, he pulled out his phone.

"Let me make some calls," he sighed, going into the hallway.

Sophie nodded, satisfied with the result of the argument. Now Ale could have chance to miss Eliot, and could have a chance to actually have a decorum that didn't exist solely on his worry for her getting killed, and her looking to him for protection.

"Now, Ale, I am sorry if Eliot is short with you or if he makes you check in every ten minutes. At least this way you can have a bit of freedom. We do want to know where you are, though, and we have a detective friend who will be checking in quite a bit. We care about you, but we also want you to have a semi-normal life," Sophie explained, going over to her.

"Have fun. And be safe. I'm going to pack. Parker, you need one of your dresses that I got you. And the heels. And the diamonds. Nate and Hardison, you take what you need. I'm not in charge of you."

"Why are you in charge of me?" Parker asked, her mouth full of fortune cookie. She was on her fifth one already.

"Because the last time you said you had packing handled you didn't bring anything, saying you wanted to try minimal living for a few days, with no regard for the con," Sophie said, Parker shrugging.

"I did want to try it," Parker mumbled, Ale laughing.

Eliot came back in the room, telling Ale to grab her stuff.

"Where are we going?" Ale asked, Eliot sighing.

"Back to the house. We have some things to discuss."

_Ale said her goodbyes, telling the team to be careful and to have as much fun as possible. She quietly thanked Sophie, Sophie simply smiling and winking._

_When they got back to the apartment Eliot sat down at the dining room table, Ale following and sitting across from him._

"_I'm sure you know that I don't want you to stay here alone for five days. But I also know it's probably very difficult to have me hovering over you every minute of every day," Eliot said, looking uncomfortable with the conversation._

"_It's an adjustment. But I do appreciate it. I understand this is your job, and I am so grateful that you take it seriously," Ale said, meaning every word. Every time she reminded herself that it was it was his job, she found it to be so much easier to not like him. _

_All of her feelings were almost gone._

_Almost._

Eliot had thought about telling Ale how much she meant to him, but he was too chicken. She wasn't ready, and he was pretty sure she didn't feel the same way. He needed to do his job, and he couldn't let his feelings get in the way.

"Right. So, I have decided to give you a small break from me, even though I will be going crazy while we are up in Maine without you."

"If you're that uncomfortable with it, and you think I'm in that much danger, maybe I should go with you guys. I can't be picky…I just need to get used to this life for a while," Ale shrugged, looking a little defeated.

"No. I figured it all out. I called one of my friends. He used to be in the same…business as I did. He is basically out of it now and does some different jobs around the world. I trust him with my life, so I trust him with yours. I will expect him to go with you everywhere, but I figured, since he's not me, and you don't have to spend all of your time with him and you don't know him, you can pretend he's not there. And he won't even have to tell me what you guys do. He just has to keep you safe. We are going to pay him, so it's his job, and he said he would even be willing to do some other protection for us when I go away or you have stuff you want to do and you don't want me around. I thought it would be a good trade off, even though I would prefer to be your protection instead," Eliot said, letting out a deep breath.

_Ale could tell that this was difficult for Eliot, giving up control of a situation. He got tunnel vision, which was reassuring, but it also meant he took everything to heart._

"_I think that it will be good to try. If it doesn't work out, I am with you on the next trip. I'll miss you though. I like knowing you have my back," Ale smiled, Eliot smiling back. He didn't seem as uncomfortable after that, and Ale was glad she could ease his mind._

"_I'm probably going to still call you, even though I'll be in contact with your new security."_

"_I won't mind," Ale laughed. "Now, tell me more about this guy."_

"_Well," Eliot started, folding his hands in front of him. "His name is Quinn."_

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying it so far.**

**I know that it's frustrating watching this song and dance between Ale and Eliot, but I promise, it will be worth it in the end. I have many, many plans for that will span for a while. **

**I just wanted to remind everyone that I don't own Leverage, just Ale and the storylines in this fic. If I do ever use a specific con (other than in passing) I will let you know. **

**Thanks again for your support, follows, reviews, and simply taking the time to read. It means a lot.**


	4. Quinn

"So Quinn will stay in my room, that way he can hear you in your room if there's an emergency," Eliot said, packing his bags. Ale sat on his bed, her legs criss-cross applesauce. Eliot hadn't stopped talking about the security measures and the different things in the house that Ale certainly knew about, like where the pots and pans were.

He couldn't stop, though, and he felt like he had to tell her everything he possibly could to ensure that she would be okay while he was gone. If that meant that he showed her how to use the popcorn maker that he had never even opened, so be it.

"Did you tell him about the nightmares? About what happened to me?" Ale asked suddenly, her voice just above a whisper. She was looking down at her folded hands, one of her fingers absently rubbing the scars on her opposite wrist.

Eliot had gone back and forth about telling Quinn everything. He didn't want him to pity Ale, and he wanted her to feel like she had some independence from what had happened. After all, anyone she was currently in contact with knew everything about her and saw everything that happened to her.

He knew what that was like. That's why he didn't tell the team everything he had gone through. It was much easier to be strong if you didn't have to see the pity in people's eyes, or the worry that you would break.

At the same time, he wanted Quinn to know what he was dealing with. If Eliot had the job that Quinn was going to have, being on protection detail, he would want to know what the mark was afraid of, what they had gone through, and why they were the way they were. It was just easier that way. You couldn't protect someone if you knew what you had to save them from every day. If you didn't know what haunted them, however, it was pretty difficult to keep the monsters from the closet.

He ended up telling Quinn everything, even sending over the tapes of Ale's torture. As custom, Hardison recorded everything his computer did and stored it on different disks. He was paranoid about losing information the team might need later. Because of that, Eliot had Hardison send Quinn Ale's entire background story—where she was born, anything that Lio had told the team, as well as the videos from her torture and the information from the con they pulled with the orphanage. When Quinn had finished going through the information, he immediately called Eliot, asking if it was a joke.

"I just don't understand how one girl could deal with all of this. This is more than some of our buddies have gone through, and she doesn't even have the training we do," Quinn had said, Eliot nodding over the phone.

"I know. That's why it's so important that you watch her. She has been through enough…she doesn't need to go through it all again," Eliot had explained.

He and Quinn had talked for another hour, Eliot telling him as much as he could remember Lio saying about Ale—which was everything. Her favorite foods, movies, flowers, songs.

Eliot explained how dedicated Ale was to helping people, and told him about Ale and the orphanage. The stuff that wasn't in the file…how Ale had run herself into the ground and how she preferred to suffer silently than aloud.

He had even told him about the nightmares, breaking down each and every one for him. He knew Ale was getting them less and less, but having a different routine or a different person around could change that. He knew that whenever he moved to a different city, or when he had a particular type of fistfight, his mind came back at him with the nightmares. He was hoping that Ale would be okay, though. He didn't want Quinn to have to help her through them.

That was _his_ job, no matter how much he paid Quinn.

_Ale waited for Eliot to answer her, not sure what she wanted to hear. She was hoping that she wouldn't have any nightmares while Eliot was gone, and she didn't want this new guy to have to deal with them if she did, but she also didn't want him coming in blind in case he heard her crying after a particularly bad one._

"_I did tell him. He knows your history…when your mom died, when and how your dad died, your con on Buchamp, your kidnapping, and Lio's death. He knows you spent five months in Italy with the orphans, and he knows about that con, too. He won't try to talk to you about, it though. It's just what's necessary in this line of work. You have to know about your mark before you can protect them, or you don't end up protecting them in the right way," Eliot explained. _

_Ale nodded, glad she wouldn't have to explain anything to Quinn. She was a little disappointed, though, hoping that she could pretend to be okay, even for just five days._

Eliot could see that Ale was upset. He was cursing himself for telling Quinn. He should have asked Ale first.

"I'm sorry. I should have asked you first," Eliot sighed, Ale looking up at him with wide eyes.

"No, I'm not upset you told him. He has a right to know. I'm glad I didn't have to tell him. It's just…I was hoping that, you know, for just five days, I could pretend that that wasn't necessary for him to know. You know?" she asked, looking at Eliot hopefully, trying to get him to understand.

"I get it," Eliot nodded. "But you aren't broken, Ale. What happened to you doesn't define you. It's just who you are. And, like you said, it sucks, but it doesn't have to run your life."

_Eliot's words struck a cord with Ale, her eyes filling with tears as she nodded. He was right. _

"_Thanks," she sighed, wiping her eyes. "So, do you have any other instructions for me?" Ale asked, putting on a smile. She wanted to change the subject, and Eliot's focus on telling Ale about the house seemed to be the perfect distraction._

_As Eliot continued telling Ale everything she already knew, she watched him pack. He never hesitated or thought about what he needed. He just knew. She noticed he did that a lot. All of his actions were calculated and planned. He never missed a beat and he was never caught off guard by anything. It was admirable._

_Once he finished telling Ale about the TV remotes and which remote did which function, she told him she was thirsty and slipped down to the kitchen. While she was pouring two glasses of lemonade there was a knock on the door, Eliot telling her that it was Quinn and that she could answer it._

_Ale's heart leapt in her chest, but she wasn't sure why. She was nervous, for some reason—she wanted to make a good impression. This was, after all, a person she would be stuck with for the next five days. She didn't need him hating her._

_When Ale opened the door, her heart started beating even more. _

_How could it not, when one of the most attractive men she had ever seen appeared on the other side, smiling at her as if she was the most important thing in the world?_

"_You must be Alessandra. I'm Quinn," he smiled, sticking out his hand._

"_It's Ale, actually," Ale smiled, accepting his hand. It was huge compared to hers, but it didn't completely overwhelm Ale's. Quinn seemed careful not to hurt her._

"_It's a beautiful name, either way," Quinn said, Ale stepping aside so he could enter the apartment. Just as she was about to ask Quinn if he would like anything to drink, Eliot came down the stairs, a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder and a small suitcase in his hand._

Eliot was quick to notice Ale's hand in Quinn's, also noticing the look in Quinn's eyes. He knew this was a bad idea, but Nate had convinced him that it would be fine. Quinn had a horrible habit of falling for his marks, though, and he was an incessant lady's man. He was a good guy, though, and Eliot knew he was the best person for the job.

Across town, Sophie was waiting for Nate to finish packing, sitting in the living room, reading a magazine. She looked at the clock, knowing that Quinn would be arriving at Eliot's house soon, if he wasn't already there.

When Nate had told Sophie who was watching Ale she was more than pleased. She knew that Quinn would fall for Ale—there was no doubt about it. Any man that Ale met liked her in some way. She could have any man she wanted, which was why Sophie was so eager for her to start grifting. She also knew that Quinn wouldn't feel like he couldn't like Ale…he would be honest with her and tell her the truth instead of hiding his feelings behind his work, like a certain hitter did.

If Quinn and Ale had any sort of relationship, Sophie knew it would drive Eliot crazy. She also knew that it wouldn't work out in the long run, because Ale and Eliot were meant to be together—she was sure of it. But Sophie figured that if Eliot saw Quinn doing something as easy as telling Ale the truth, Eliot would be convinced to do the same and he could be with Ale like he wanted.

Sure, it was a bit middle school, but if the shoe fit, why not buy two pairs?

_Ale felt the shift in the room as soon as Eliot came down the stairs, Quinn taking his hand away from hers, Eliot putting his bags by the door next to Quinn's similar luggage._

"_Thanks again for doing this," Eliot said, shaking Quinn's hand._

"_My pleasure. A jobs a job," Quinn shrugged, Eliot nodding._

"_Well, Ale, I'm out of here. Are you sure you'll be okay?" Eliot asked softly, looking at her._

"_I'm sure. Remember what we talked about," Ale stated, Eliot nodding._

"_I will, darlin'," he smiled, picking up his bags. _

"_Be careful, please," Ale said, opening the door for Eliot. He laughed, throwing a wink her way._

_Once Ale closed the door, she wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know if Quinn would want to go for a run or watch TV or read. She didn't have any clue how to entertain him. Then again, he wasn't a house guest. He was her body guard, and he didn't have to be entertained. This was his job, not his life, like it was Eliot's. Eliot had to protect her while living his life…Quinn put his life on pause to do his job._

"_Would you like a glass of lemonade?" Ale asked, looking at Quinn. He smiled, his dimples appearing on either side of his mouth. Ale smiled at the sight, blushing a bit. _

_Quinn reminded Ale of Eliot, but there was something different about him. He seemed…brighter than Eliot. Quinn's hair was bonder and he wore it in a ponytail at the base of his neck, the front part of his hair slipping from the elastic, being tucked loosely behind his ears. _

_It made him seem…breezy. _

"_I would love some," Quinn answered, Ale leading him to the kitchen. Quinn sat down at the island, Ale handing him a glass of lemonade. It was her special mix, using mint leaves as well as a bit of strawberry juice to give the lemonade a little something extra._

_They both sipped on their lemonade, Ale taking in Quinn's appearance. He wore dark jeans and a dress shirt tucked into the waistband of his pants. The shirt was loose fitting but was rolled up to his elbows and, when Quinn twisted a certain way, highlighted the muscles beneath the shirt._

"_So, what do you want to do?" Quinn asked, snapping Ale out of her trance._

"_Well, usually Eliot and I go for a run in the mornings, cook breakfast, get ready for the day and go to Nate's. After that we read or watch movies or go to the garage where he keeps his cars and he works on them while I read or listen to music," Ale shrugged, not knowing how to answer._

"_And do you want to do any of that stuff?" Quinn asked, Ale thinking about it._

"_Not really."_

"_I'm guessing your day kind of revolves around Eliot's schedule?" Quinn said, Ale nodding. "I kind of figured. It's hard when you have to live your life as a part of the job. I am here, though, in a completely different position. We do whatever you want to do, together, or you can do it alone and I will stand in a corner and read a book while you go about your business. As long as I can see you, my job is being handled. You have a lot more freedom with me because watching you is literally all I have to do. For five days," Quinn said, smiling. He didn't seem upset that he was babysitting. He made it seem like a fun adventure, and Ale was extremely excited that she could do something with her time—not that she didn't like hanging with Eliot and the team._

_It was just…she had already lost sight of the person she was before her parents died, and she didn't want to completely forget about it just so Eliot could watch her._

"_There are a few things I have been meaning to do," Ale smiled, taking Quinn's now empty glass._

"_Well, let's get to it," he smiled, Ale smiling back. _

_Maybe this wouldn't be so bad, after all._


	5. Perfect Fit

"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!**


	6. Heartbreakingly Beautiful

_Now that Ale knew Quinn knew she was a dancer, her entire day opened up. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. _

_When she and Lio had lived with Mama and Papa, they lived about a half an hour out of Boston to the North. There was a dance studio right on the edge of Boston where Ale spent her entire child hood days, except for when she and Lio were playing on the intermural lacrosse teams their town had._

_From their new house, the studio was on a completely different side of town. Still, Ale made frequent visits there after her Papa died, helping the instructors who once taught her teach other aspiring dancers. Her dance partner still worked there, as well, teaching a few classes._

_Ale led Quinn to the dance studio, smiling as she walked in the front door. She was glad that the studio could make her smile, especially after talking with that woman on the subway. It had rattled Ale and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to shake the bad mood that had come over her._

_The studio, however, was the perfect distraction. The man working the front desk, the studio owner, immediately dropped everything he was doing, going around the desk and enveloping Ale in a hug._

"_My Alessandra. Have we missed you!" he said excitedly, Ale laughing. "We haven't really seen you since you came to tell us your Papa passed. We all heard about Lio. I am so, so sorry," the man cooed, putting Ale at arm's length._

_Ale looked at the man, Mr. Werth, thinking back to all of the times he greeted her as she walked into the studio, the times he talked with Lio as they both watched Ale dance, and the dozens of times Ale's whole family ate dinner with his family, as well as her partner's family. _

_Ale and her partner were, for a while, the oldest dancers at their studio. They were heads and shoulders above the rest of the kids, not only setting the examples for the younger students, but also setting the precedence for other dance schools in the area._

"_How are you doing?" Mr. Werth asked, Ale sighing._

"_Truthfully," Ale thought, looking straight into Mr. Werth's eyes. "I'm a bit of a mess. But I'm okay."_

"_Well, I think there are plenty of people who would like to see you. Do you have any of your clothes or shoes?" Mr. Werth asked, Ale following him into the teacher's lounge._

"_You know I hate shoes so no. I do have socks, though, and for me that is all I need."_

"_And a leotard?" he asked, looking at Ale pointedly._

"_I have to say this was a spur of the moment trip," Ale admitted, Mr. Werth laughing._

"_Well then, let's see what we can do," he smiled, opening the store room door where they kept the extra merchandise they sold. Mr. Werth left Ale alone in the lounge to get changed, Ale grateful for the silence._

_She chose a coral, halter neck leotard, the entire back of the garment missing, the front a deep v in the front. She also took some black spandex shorts from the closet, slipping them on over the leotard. As Ale looked at herself in the mirror she smiled, finally looking a bit like the Ale she once knew._

Quinn watched as Ale talked with the old man, him leading her back to some room. The man came back out, smiling at Quinn.

"Are you her boyfriend?" he asked, Quinn not sure what to say. "Well if you are, don't hurt her. She has been through enough. If you are just a friend, make sure no one else hurts her."

Quinn nodded, smiling at the man.

"That's the plan," he nodded, the man smiling back. Ale came out of the back room, a smile bright on her face. Quinn took in Ale's appearance, her mocha skin radiant in the low cut leotard, the black shorts just covering her. When Ale turned to set her bag down behind the desk, Quinn caught sight of part of a tattoo on her ribs, words poking out from the side of the leotard. Her entire back was open, the coral fabric only reappearing right before the black shorts began.

"I had a feeling you would pick that one," the man laughed. "You never have liked wearing leotards."

"I get unbearably warm," Ale laughed, grabbing something out of her satchel.

Quinn continued to study Ale's back, many scars dotting her skin. They were dark and looked like they had once hurt badly. He wished he didn't know how she got them and could pretend they were from her dancing.

He knew better, though.

"Quinn, you can either watch or you can stay out here or go in the studio or stay in the viewing area. It's up to you. I might be bouncing from studio to studio. I have a lot to catch up on," Ale smiled, looking at him. Ale looked so excited, a light accompanying her eyes that he hadn't seen in the short time he spent with her.

"I can stay in the room, as long as that's okay with all of the people here, and you," he smiled, wanting to see Ale in her natural environment. It was mesmerizing.

"That's fine with me, which means it will be fine for everyone else," the old man said, Ale smiling.

"Where do you want me, teach?" Ale asked, looking at the man.

"Well first of all I want you to go see your partner who will freak out if he finds out you went anywhere else first. He is teaching a class, but I'm pretty sure the kids would be happy to have you. Then you can have the studio to yourself for about an hour if you would like," the man smiled, Ale throwing her arms around the man, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"You rock, Mr. Werth!" Ale yelled, heading up a flight of stairs. Quinn followed Ale, hearing the man chuckle from the desk downstairs.

_Ale was so excited to see her partner. They hadn't danced together since her Papa died, and that had been too long. The two had been dancing together and teaching together for forever, being inseparable. They had even dated for a short spell. It hadn't worked out, though, and now the two had a brother/sister relationship that was irreplaceable. They talked constantly, until Ale went off to Italy. They wrote letters for a while until the stuff with the orphanage began eating up Ale's time._

_Ale pushed her way into their usual studio, Ale immediately recognizing the class Evan was teaching as the kids she had taught since they first started. They were now in sixth grade, and she had missed the so much. The kids had missed her, too, and they all squealed when they saw Ale walk in the room._

Quinn wasn't surprised by the warm welcome Ale got when she got into the room, fifteen girls running up and enveloping Ale in a huge hug.

"Hey you guys," she laughed, giving a few of them kisses on the head. "I take it you missed me. Is Evan being horribly mean again?" she teased, the man in the room turning to see Ale amongst the girls.

Quinn could tell that the man cared for Ale, but not in a romantic way. He seemed relieved that Ale was okay and standing, as if he had been holding his breath until he saw her in person, to ensure she wasn't gone.

Once the girls moved away from Ale the boy, Evan, Quinn was assuming, started moving toward Ale. She was excited, though, and ran towards him, flinging herself into his arms.

_Evan held Ale tightly to him, not wanting to let her go. Lio had called him when she had gone missing…he knew how close they were, and he figured that Evan would want to know. Ale called him once Lio had died, as well, and told him everything. Since then, all Evan wanted to do was make sure Ale was okay._

_Now that Lio was gone, that was his job. _

_Evan was taller than Ale, and her toes barely touched the ground as the two hugged, Ale's arms around Evan's neck._

"_I am so glad you are here," Evan whispered, Ale sticking her wet eyes in Evan's neck. His hug was all she needed to feel like it was okay to crumble. Ale nodded, understanding the true meaning of Evan's statement—I am so happy that those men didn't kill you, and I'm so glad that you didn't let what happened destroy you._

"_Well, someone had to help this class. I didn't want to leave them to the wolves," Ale joked, eventually finding her voice._

"_Oh, so you are going to help me teach them? You haven't stepping foot in the studio in almost a year."_

"_Hey, if you're good, you're good," Ale shrugged, Evan laughing. She slipped on a pair of socks, folding them so they only covered half of her foot._

_The girls took their positions on the floor again, Evan throwing out a combination. The girls, including Ale, repeated it back to him, Evan nodding and turning on the music._

Quinn watched as Ale danced, the girls watching her with concentration in their eyes. They were memorizing her movement, some of the girls moving slightly as Ale did.

Evan counted off again, Ale and the girls repeating what Ale had done.

It was obvious that Ale was an amazing dancer. Yes, she was older than the girls in the room, but she was good compared to anyone. She kicked higher, spun cleaner, and jumped higher than anyone Quinn had ever seen dance, and he had watched a lot of dance recitals.

She danced with such conviction, her being the only one your eyes were drawn to.

As the class continued Ale was the demonstrator, her dancing with the different groupings of girls as they took their turns across the floor. Once the class was done the girls all gave Ale hugs, her promising to be back soon.

_Once the room was cleared Ale nodded at Evan, reading his mind._

_Yes, she wanted to dance with him._

_The music to one of their duets started, the movement coming back to Ale easily._

Quinn watched as Ale danced with Evan, their movement fluid and connected. Ale danced with no fear, allowing Evan to lift her in complicated holds and flinging her body across the floor, to the ground, and back into Evan's arms.

It was breath taking.

Quinn eventually took to sitting the corner, watching as Ale and Evan danced through different songs. When they seemed to run out of material Evan hugged Ale, Ale promising to come back as soon as she could and to call him when she got home that night.

Ale was then alone on the floor, plugging her iPod into the stereo system. Quinn watched as Ale's body moved around the studio, him never seeing something so beautiful.

He didn't know how Ale could keep this a secret from the team. It seemed to be the entirety of who she was.

He assumed that the studio, and the dances, brought back a lot of memories of her old life, though, and that was something difficult to deal with. He couldn't help but notice how free she looked, though, and how happy she seemed to be.

_When Ale felt entirely drained she shut off the music, sitting in the middle of the floor the stretch. She thought about the hours she spent with her Mama as she made her costumes, the hours she spent with Lio as he escorted her to her dance classes, and the dozens of flowers her Papa brought her anytime she performed. _

_The memories, Ale realized, were what was keeping her from telling Eliot and the team that she could dance._

_They hurt…they filled her heart and her mind, creating an ache for the life she once had. As Ale stretched tears burned down her cheeks, Ale completely forgetting that Quinn was even there._

Quinn watched as Ale stretched, not being able to ignore the tears that streamed down her face. It was heartbreaking and beautiful all at once—just like Ale.


	7. Update

"_Do you mind if I go out on the balcony to make a call?" Ale asked, looking at Quinn. They had just gotten back from dinner, which they had enjoyed over a long series of stories about both of their lives and families, after they went to the record store downtown once Ale was done at the studio._

"_As long as you don't jump off, I don't have a problem with it," Quinn joked, looking up from his book. Ale smiled, going out onto the balcony. The sun was dipping dangerously low into the harbor, almost completely disappearing._

_Ale sat down on the wicker sofa that Eliot had just put on the balcony, tucking her legs into her chest. She dialed the number she knew by heart, Evan picking up almost immediately._

"_I knew you wouldn't forget about me," he said, the smile evident in his voice._

"_How could I ever?" Ale asked, laughing a bit. "So what's up?"_

"_You tell me. You go to Italy for five months and when you come back you have a new boyfriend and forgot to tell me you were in town. Sounds a little suspicious to me," Evan said, a hint of worry and hurt in his voice._

"_I was going to call you. But I have been dealing with some stuff. Nightmares, and I have just had to adjust to life without him. Without all of them," Ale said, picking at some threads on her sweater, which she had untucked and let fall over her knees. "And he's not my boyfriend. Just a friend who didn't want me traveling across town alone."_

_Evan was quiet on the other end of the phone, Ale not knowing what else to say. She knew exactly why she didn't call Evan…she didn't want to go back to that part of her life. It was too hard to remember what life was instead of what it had to be now._

"_You were afraid that it would hurt too much, weren't you?" Evan whispered, Ale nodding, even though she knew Evan couldn't see her._

"_I just…I want everything to be back to normal but I know it can't. And I'm trying to find part of my old life without dwelling too much in it because if I don't think about it I can't miss it," Ale whispered back, her throat thick with tears._

"_I cannot imagine how hard this is for you, Ale. But you cannot give up every part of yourself just so you aren't reminded of them. Because let's face it…if you erase them from your memory, how else are they going to live on?" Evan asked, his voice sounding assertive and strong. "Who is going to tell the stories of the ridiculous pranks you and Lio pulled, who is going to sing those goofy songs your Mama used to sing when she woke up when you fell asleep in the most ridiculous places, and who is going to tell the stories about the stars that your Papa told you every single night? I know it hurts to remember, Ale, but if you don't, no one else will either. And that's not fair. It's okay to have it hurt for a while, and it's going to. But if you don't hold onto every piece of them that you have, they will disappear forever, and when you are ready to open up your memories again, the will be gone and it will be too late."_

_Ale took in Evan's words, tears falling quickly down her cheeks. He was right…she was the only one left to remember and tell others about her amazing family, and if she didn't, they would be gone. Forever. _

_They deserved more than that._

"_You are right," Ale finally said. _

"_I never thought I would hear those words," Evan said, Ale laughing a bit. _

"_Thank you Evan. For everything. I will talk to you soon, yes?" Ale said, not being able to stop the tears from flowing from her eyes._

"_Yes. Call me if you need me and don't forget that you owe me many dances from when you were gone in Italy."_

"_I know," Ale nodded, a smile stretching across her lips as she told Evan she loved him and would talk to him soon. _

_Ale then wiped her eyes and watched as the sun decided to surrender herself to the water, allowing the moon to take her place in the sky._

Sophie was dying to know how Ale's day with Quinn went, but she didn't want to be too pushy. It was, after all, only their first day together and Ale's first day of freedom from the team. Sophie didn't want to push her.

Eliot was also wondering how Ale and Quinn's day was, but he mainly just wanted to know that Ale was okay. Quinn had sent multiple updates throughout the day, but they were just saying that everything was under control.

As if Quinn could read his mind, Eliot's phone rang, Quinn's name popping up at the screen. Eliot looked around the common room of the hotel the team was staying in, everyone else seeming occupied with something else. Eliot was comfortable where he was so he answered the phone right there, not worrying about anyone else.

"Hey Quinn, is everything alright?" Eliot answered, his voice gruff.

Sophie's ears immediately perked up as he heard Quinn's name, as did everyone else's.

"Everything's fine. Today was great, actually. I did just want to give you a heads up about something, though."

"What?" Eliot asked, growing nervous.

"Well two things. First of all, a woman was talking with Ale today on the subway and telling Ale how much she reminded Ale of her daughter, who had, coincidentally, been killed by Buchamp Pharmaceuticals. It kind of shook Ale, but she is okay now. And the second thing was that I took Ale on the subway today and she didn't die, so there's that," Quinn joked, Eliot both enraged that Quinn took her in such a dangerous area and upset that Ale had to go through something like that without the team.

"Are you sure she is okay?" Eliot asked, Sophie putting down her magazine. Eliot's voice had gotten softer, showing his concern for a situation.

"She was fine throughout the rest of the afternoon and she was very talkative at dinner. She is on the balcony talking to someone right now, but I'm sure it's just one of her friends that we ran into today," Quinn said, not sounding at all concerned.

The truth was, Quinn had been concerned about Ale. She was upset after they left the studio and kind of shut herself away from Quinn as she worked through her feelings. She eventually opened back up, though, and everything was fine. He was worried that she would have nightmares tonight, due to the reminders of her past, but he had listened carefully to Eliot about how to handle them so he really wasn't too concerned, currently. Especially after the great dinner they had together.

"Tell her to call me if she needs to talk. Better yet, shoot me a text when she comes in and I'll call her, see if she wants to talk," Eliot said, growing more and more anxious.

"Eliot, she will call you if she needs you. She's done it before," Sophie said from the chair, Eliot shooting her an ice-cold glare.

"I think she'll be alright, but I'll let her know that you are available for the rest of the night to talk," Quinn said, looking onto the balcony. Ale had hung up the phone and was now resting her chin on her knees, looking out at the skyline.

"Thanks, Quinn," Eliot sighed, not wanting to argue. When he hung up he looked at four expectant faces, all of them seeming to silently ask how Ale was.

"She's fine. Someone on the subway was talking to her about their daughter, who died because of Buchamp. Quinn said she was a little shaken but is okay now," Eliot said, grabbing his phone and going into his room in the suite. "I'm goin' to bed," he growled, not wanting to deal with any of the team's questions.

Eliot was sure to put his phone volume all the way up before he allowed himself to fall asleep, his thoughts only on Ale.


	8. Thomas

"_I'm not trying to be rude," Quinn said as Ale walked into the living room. "But you look awful."_

_The concern was evident in his voice and Ale couldn't help but smile, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch of Quinn._

"_I had a difficult time sleeping last night," Ale shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal of it. She hadn't had nightmares, per say, but she just couldn't stop thinking about her family and what happened in the room with Buchamp's men. She didn't have any nightmares because she never really fell asleep for all that long._

"_Anything you want to talk about?" Quinn offered, raising his eyebrows. Ale noticed that he was already showered and changed into a new dress shirt and pair of jeans._

"_I'm okay," Ale smiled, taking in the smell of Quinn's shampoo as it wafted across the room. _

"_Would you like some breakfast, then?" he asked, Ale shaking her head. _

"_I'm just going to grab a granola bar or something after I shower. Do you mind if we go to the hospital today?" Ale asked, Quinn shaking his head, but looking a little skeptical._

"_Great," Ale smiled, going up to her room. "I'll be down soon," she called down the stairs, humming happily to herself as she thought about the day she was about to have._

Quinn was a little concerned about Ale. She looked exhausted, and she wasn't really eating a good breakfast. He didn't want to hover, though, so he let it go.

For now.

He did want to know why they could possibly be going to the hospital. Quinn knew, from Eliot's report, that Ale had volunteered there for a while after her dad died, so he assumed it had something to do with that.

When Ale came downstairs she had her hair loose, soft curls adorning her dark hair, cascading over her shoulders and down her back. She wore a lilac sundress, the skirt stopping just above the middle of her thigh, showing her toned muscles. She looked adorable, Keds tied on her feet.

She looked a million times better than she did that morning when she came down the stairs, a light in her eyes.

"Are you ready?" Ale asked, looking at Quinn with raised eyebrows. He realized he had been staring and quickly cleared his throat, nodding.

"Absolutely," Quinn smiled, Ale smiling back before she grabbed an apple off the fruit bowl in the kitchen.

"We have to make a few stops first. And we should probably take the truck," Ale instructed, locking the door behind her.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh as Ale stuck the apple in her mouth, holding it there as she struggled with the many keys Eliot left her for all of the different locks.

"S like Alscataz," Ale mumbled Quinn taking the apple from her mouth.

"What?" he said, Ale continuing to focus on all of the locks.

"It's like Alcatraz," Ale repeated, finally getting all of the locks secured. Quinn handed her back the apple, Ale putting the keys to the pickup in his hands.

"Whatever you do, don't crash Eliot's truck. You'll be out of a job because he'll kill me himself," Ale said, smiling up at him and taking a bite of her apple. She looked adorable, and it took all of him not to take a bite of the apple, too.

_Ale could hardly contain her excitement. She was so excited to get back to the hospital and help people. It made her feel like she had a purpose. _

_Ale gave Quinn directions to the closest toy store, Ale practically running into the building._

"_Can I ask what we are doing here?" Quinn asked, looking at Ale with an amused look on his face. _

"_No. But you can push the cart," Ale teased, raising her eyebrows at him._

_Ale walked through the aisles until she found what she wanted. She loaded the carts with coloring books and crayons. They continued walking, Ale finding the next aisle she wanted. She grabbed at least twenty tiaras and twenty foam swords, looking at Quinn and nodding._

"_We're ready. Let's go," she said, turning down the aisle to go to the cash register._

When the total came up Quinn couldn't believe how much money Ale was spending on coloring books and tiaras.

"Do you want some help taking these to your car?" the cashier asked, the young man obviously thinking Ale was cute.

"We are all set," Quinn answered, the boy nodding, as if he understood. Quinn loaded the cart with the bags upon bags of coloring books, crayons, tiaras, and swords. In the parking lot Ale stole the cart from Quinn, starting to run with it. Just as she gained speed Ale hopped onto the back of the cart, her hair flying behind her as she rode the cart to the car. Once she reached the truck she hopped off, loading the bags into the bed.

Quinn laughed at Ale, loving how one minute she could seem so mature and how just a few minutes later she was telling jokes or had the innocence of a child. When he finally reached the truck Ale looked at him, smiling even brighter.

"Why are you smiling?" Ale asked, laughing a bit.

"You just…you make me smile," Quinn shrugged, not knowing what else to say. Ale laughed again, sticking her hands in the pockets of her dress. It was then that Quinn noticed the small locket resting between Ale's collarbones, which were bare due to the strapless nature of the dress.

For some reason, the locket made him sad. It was probably given to her by her family, her Mama and Papa picking it out for her carefully, a younger Ale no doubt loving the gift, amazed with it's the beauty and the fact that she had her own locket.

Quinn wondered what she was like before her family died, and what she missed most about them. He wanted to know what she thought about when her eyes went dark or she cleared her throat to most likely clear tears from her eyes. He wanted to know her, not what she went through or how much he would get paid for the amount of time he spent with her. He just wanted to know Ale, because, he could tell, she is absolutely beautiful.

_Ale and Quinn got back into the truck, Ale asking him to drive around the shopping mall's parking lot to an entrance so she could run into a store._

"_I really should go in with you," Quinn said, Ale sighing. She just needed to run in, pay and come back out. She wanted to do something alone._

"_Please Quinn. I promise I will be in there for seven minutes, at the most. I know exactly what I need, and I will be in and out. By the time you drive around once I'll be ready for you to pick me back up," Ale said, looking at Quinn with her best puppy eyes. He finally agreed, Ale giving him a kiss on the cheek. _

"_You are my favorite bodyguard ever!" she called over her shoulder, walking into the small music store._

_Then, as she got what she needed, she thought about what had just happened in the car. She had kissed Quinn, albeit it was on the cheek, but still. She had kissed him. And earlier, he had said she made him smile. _

_If she wasn't careful, Ale was going to fall for Quinn._

Quinn was expecting Ale to run into the music store to get some CD's or gift cards or something small.

He did not expect, however, that when he pulled up to the store where he dropped Ale off, of her to have a guitar case strapped to her back. Ale was smiling, talking with a little boy who looked like he had been crying.

Quinn climbed out of the truck, Ale smiling at him.

"This little guy got a little turned around and ended up here all by himself. Do you think that we could maybe help him find his family?" Ale asked, Quinn smiling back. He could tell that Ale was worried about the boy and that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Of course," Quinn nodded, locking the car and going into the mall, watching as Ale scooped the boy up in her arms, asking him questions about what he remembered and what his parents' names were. She never made it seem like the boy was lost, and she made him laugh and asked him other questions, like what his favorite animals were and if had ever been in a spaceship.

The boy was perfectly content by the time Ale had made it to the security office, Ale knocking on the door confidently.

"Can we help you, miss?" a young officer asked, smiling at Ale.

"Yes. This is my friend Thomas, and his parents were silly and wandered off. He tried to tell them to stay close, but you know parents, they never listen," Ale said, rolling her eyes at Thomas as if to say 'what are we going to do with them?'. Thomas smiled at Ale, laughing a bit.

"I was just wondering if there was some kind of way you could put an announcement over the PA system? Or if there was a different kiosk in the mall they would have been sent if they asked a different security guard?" Ale asked, the officer nodding.

"I will radio in to the other officers. You can leave him here if you would like, Miss. You have certainly done enough," he said, sounding sincere.

"I think I would like to say. Thomas and I haven't quite finished talking about his time in the spaceship," Ale said matter-of-factly, setting Thomas down in a chair in the office. She slipped the guitar off of her, sitting down in front of him.

"I told ya I haven't been in a spaceship," the little boy giggled, Ale putting her hands on her waist.

"Are you sure? Because you look like an astronaut to me!" she said, the boy laughing again.

"Um, Miss, the parents were at the other office. They are coming right down," the officer said, Ale nodding.

"Thank you," she smiled at the officer, looking back to Thomas. "I told ya they weren't lost!" Ale said, Thomas nodding.

While we continued to wait Ale taught the little boy how to play Miss Mary Mack, a game that Quinn had seen his little sister play with her friends and awful lot when he lived at home.

Eventually, two very worried, yet relieved looking parents showed up in the office, the woman immediately crying when she saw Thomas.

"Thank God you are alright!" she cried, picking the boy up in his arms. "You are so brave."

"Mommy I wasn't scared. I was just worried cause _you_ got lost," Thomas said, just as Ale had. His mother laughed, his father also laughing as he thanked the officer.

"Don't thank me. That young woman found him and brought him here. And calmed him down," the officer said, pointing to Ale. She was now standing and had her guitar strapped to her back again.

"We can't thank you enough," the man said, holding his hand out to Ale. Ale took it hesitantly, looking a bit bashful.

"Don't thank me. It was the decent thing to do. Plus, Thomas helped me find my way, too," Ale said, sending a wink Thomas' way.

"Thank you Ale," Thomas said, blowing her a kiss. Ale laughed, blowing him one back.

"See ya later, Thomas," she said, waving as the family walked out of the office.

Quinn looked at Ale, completely amazed with her. She had taken this scared, panicked boy and calmed him down when she didn't even know him. It was incredible.

"Are you ready? We still have to get to the hospital," Ale said, excitement in her eyes.

"You are something else," Quinn replied, Ale rolling her eyes.

"Why? Because I still play Miss Mary Mack?" she asked, waving to the officer as she led the way out of the office. "I know the game is ancient, but it's good, wholesome fun."

"No. Because you are you," Quinn replied, Ale pretending to ignore the comment. "And what are you going to do with that guitar?" he asked, Ale smiling as she climbed into the truck.

"You'll see," she said, turning on the radio as Quinn drove so that he couldn't ask any more questions.


	9. The Hospital

_When they pulled up to the hospital Ale was practically jumping out of her seat. Once they found a parking spot Ale grabbed her guitar, as well as as many bags as she could._

"_If you don't want to come in, or you don't feel comfortable in hospitals, I completely understand. But I'm doing this either way. You can put a track on me and have me check in and I would be fine with that," Ale said, looking at Quinn._

_She knew that some people were uncomfortable in hospitals and she didn't want Quinn to have to do something he didn't want to._

"_I'm fine," Quinn smiled, taking the rest of the bags. Ale walked into the hospital, knowing exactly where she was going, the halls familiar to her. _

_When she got to the pediatric wing the nurses there smiled at her, the ones working the desk coming out and giving her hugs._

"_We have missed you around here," one of them, Rhonda, said, Ale smiling._

"_I missed you guys too. I have some new stuff for the playroom, and I was hoping I could pick up my old job for the day?" Ale asked, Rhonda smiling. _

"_You are too good to us," she sighed, looking over Ale's shoulder to Quinn._

"_Oh, this is my friend Quinn. He is just here to observe for today," Ale said, Rhonda nodding._

"_No one just observes when Ale is around. It's like, suddenly, their hearts grow five sizes."_

"_Shut up," Ale laughed, rolling her eyes._

"_It's true. Well, Ale, you know the drill. Wanda is down there right now getting the room set, and the other nurses are getting some of the kids who need help. The rest of them will just wander in. Once they hear you are here, they will definitely come down," Rhonda said, Ale smiling._

"_Thanks Rhonda!" Ale said, walking down the hallway._

Quinn was beginning to get the impression that, no matter where she was, Ale was well liked and made a huge difference, simply because of who she is. He was hooked.

He did want to know what they were doing today, though, and why Ale had gotten all of this stuff. They eventually made it to a large room, the walls made of glass, the carpet bright purple and the one plaster wall covered in a large mural. There was a nurse in the room, cleaning off some of the small tables in there. When she saw Ale she smiled, dropping what she was doing to give her a hug.

"Hey Wanda," Ale smiled, laughing a bit.

_Ale looked at the mural wall, smiling. _

"_The wall looks amazing," she smiled, glad that it had turned out._

"_You are the one who did it. I don't know why you sound so surprised," Wanda laughed, Ale shrugging._

_Yes, she had designed it, and painted it, but there was one job she left for the kids, and that was drawing some grass at the bottom as well as some flowers. Their drawings here painted professionally, but you could tell that the ragged lines had come from them._

"_I hadn't seen it done yet. It's perfect," Ale smiling, referring to the kid's part in it. "Oh, I brought stuff. Brand new from the store. All of it was wrapped in plastic, swords and tiaras, so I just have to wipe the outside of the coloring books down and the crayon boxes," Ale said, Wanda shaking her head._

"_You did enough by bringing all of this stuff. I'll disinfect them," Wanda smiled, taking the bags from Quinn that held the crayons and coloring books. "And I like your new man," Wanda called, turning down the hallway._

_Ale laughed, but didn't mind everyone thinking she and Quinn were together. The idea had been growing on her._

"_We just have to wash our hands and then we are all set," Ale said, looking at Quinn. He nodded, looking a bit stricken._

Quinn couldn't believe that Ale had painted the mural on the wall. It was incredible. He followed Ale, washing his hands in the small sink just outside the room.

Once they were settled into the playroom some kids were rolled in in wheel chairs, all of them lighting up as they realized Ale was there.

A few of the kids were bald, obviously from chemo. They didn't seem sick, though, which amazed Quinn. Some other kids were connected to tubes and wires, their eyes looking excited but their bodies limp.

"Quinn, these are my friends. This is Ryan. He has CP. But he is the best checkers player I have ever met and can even beat the computer," Ale explained, gesturing to the screen in front of Ryan.

"This is Eric, Wendy, and Lucas. They are kicking cancer's butt, currently. Right as we speak," Ale said, giving each of the children a kiss on the head.

More kids came into the room, some of them in wheelchairs with simple broken legs, others, looking sicker than the rest. Some kids ran in, their arms in slings or casts.

They all seemed so excited to see Ale, and Ale knew almost all of them. If she didn't she immediately introduced herself, the kids warming up to her quickly. Quinn watched as Ale and some other nurses got all of the kids set up around the room, the ones in wheelchairs being lifted into smaller seats, Ale not hesitating to help the nurses with the sick children.

It took a special kind of person to not be afraid of helping people who were sick or hurt. Quinn knew, however, that that is how Ale had spent the past few years of her life.

_Once all of the kids had a seat or were playing with the other toys Wanda came back in with the coloring books and crayons. All of the kids were so excited, thanking Ale left and right. She was just happy that they were so happy._

_She wished she could have gotten each of them a puppy, but the fact that something as small as coloring books made them so happy warmed Ale's heart._

_When Ale had made sure she said hello to each of the kids she walked over to Quinn, who looked a little overwhelmed. _

"_Are you good?" Ale asked, putting a hand on Quinn's arm._

"_I'm fine. I'm just…amazed. With you, and the nurses. But mostly you," he smiled. _

"_Thanks. But it's not a big deal. Would you help me open all of the tiaras and swords?" she asked, Quinn nodding. They sat together on the floor, opening all of the toys. _

_Ale then stood, clapping her hands in a pattern so the kids could repeat her actions and quiet down._

"_My friend Quinn and I have something very special for you all. Today, I was talking with Rainy, the forest fairy. Remember her?" Ale asked, referring to the character that was the center of most of the stories she told to the kids when she had volunteered on a regular basis. The kids nodded, even the new ones who Ale knew were there when she told the stories. She had a few guesses that the nurses had continued on with the tales of Rainy._

"_Well, Rainy told me that you all have been so incredibly brave that she wants to make you all princesses and knights!" Ale said, the kids all cheering. _

"_So, we have tiaras for the girls, and swords for the boys. Quinn and I will bring around your new treasures, and make sure that you tell Rainy thank you, yes?" Ale asked, not being able to stop smiling. The kids were so excited. _

_Ale and Quinn walked around, giving all of the kids their presents. Ale couldn't help but watch as Quinn smiled at each of the kids, the little girls practically swooning whenever he set a crown down on their head. _

"_Here you go, Princess," Quinn smiled, setting a crown on one of the girl's heads. She thanked him and gave Quinn a kiss on the cheek, also thanking Ale with a big hug._

"_You are good with them," Ale said, getting to Ryan, the last person needing his toy._

"_Just learning from the best," Quinn smiled._

Quinn loved watching Ale with the kids. They adored her. She was like a saint to them…or better yet, a real princess.

Quinn watched as Ale talked with Ryan, the boy's head lolling to the side. He was trying to smile, though, and he seemed genuinely happy as Ale tucked the band of the sword around his hand. She secured it there by also connecting it to the side of the wheelchair Ryan was in.

Quinn watched as Ryan used his free hand to choose something on his computer, an automated voice coming from the device, saying thank you.

"You are more than welcome," Ale smiled. "And just between you and me, you are the bravest of them all," Ale whispered, Ryan giving a lopsided smile.

"What now?" Quinn asked Ale. Before she could answer, however, Ryan's computer said something—_play with me_.

Ale smiled, turning to look at Ryan. She pointed to herself and Ryan gave a small shake of his head. Ale then pointed to Quinn, Ryan nodding slightly.

"Well now you get to play with Ryan, and he is going to school you in checkers," Ale smiled, looking up at Quinn. He nodded, pulling a chair up next to Ryan as they played checkers on the little screen.

While he played he watched Ale. She colored with the kids or read them stories, making sure to visit all of the children. One of the youngest girls came and plopped herself on Ale's lap, curling into Ale's chest. Ale smiled, wrapping her arms around the girl, looking down at her as she fell asleep.

Quinn had never seen something like that, and he was amazed that the little girl felt went to Ale solely for comfort and a safe place to sleep. As Ale sat there other girls came up to her, playing with her hair.

They were making a complete mess of Ale's long locks, but she didn't seem to care. She was smiling and talking with the girls, as well as the other kids that flocked around her, them showing her the pictures they had colored or the Lego house they built.

Quinn was also impressed with Ryan. He was very smart and he could even play chess. He also had quite the personality, laughing at jokes Quinn made or other jokes the nurses made as they circulated the room.

"She's pretty," Ryan's computer said, Quinn looking at Ryan. He used his sword hand to point to Ale.

"Yes she is," Quinn nodded, Ryan struggling to hit another button his computer.

"You like her," he said. "Be nice."

Quinn smiled, his eyes tearing up. This little guy was looking out for Ale, and it was extremely touching.

"I do like her. And I promise I will be very nice, and I won't hurt her," Quinn said, Ryan nodding a bit.

_Ale looked over at Quinn to see him saying something to Ryan, a big smile on both of their faces._

"_Miss Ale, can we sing songs?" one of the kids asked, Ale laughing._

"_Of course we can sing songs," Ale smiled, handing off a now sleeping Sophie to one of the nurses. Ale stood, grabbing the guitar she just bought and sitting down on the big rug. The nurses worked to get the kids sitting, Ale putting her hair up in a ponytail so it wouldn't be in her face while she played._

Quinn watched as Ale sang with the kids, her playing her guitar, her voice as sweet as honey as she sang. They sang the songs from the Sound of Music, which Ale no doubt taught them, Ale singing certain parts, the kids joining in when they could remember.

The kids also asked for songs from movies or goofy songs that Ale had clearly made up for them. All of the kids were so happy, all of them singing at the top of their lungs.

"Alright. Once more, and then play time is over. You guys have to eat dinner," Ale said, Quinn looking at the clock on the wall. They had been there almost all day, completely forgetting about lunch and anything else they had to do.

"What are we gonna sing?" one of the kids asked, bouncing on her heels.

"How about…Hallelujah?" Ale asked, the kids nodding. The kids immediately quieted, Ale singing a song that sounded quite familiar to Quinn. He then recognized the tune, the popular song filling the room, Ale's voice giving him goose bumps. The kids, and the nurses, all joined in on the choruses. The kids weren't loud like before. Instead, you could tell they were trying their very best to sound like Ale did…soft and sweet and, well, perfect.

When the song ended the kids who could walk all gave Ale hugs and kisses, going back to their rooms. Ale stood, giving the kids in wheelchairs hugs, too, helping get them back into their chairs. Lastly, Ale gave Ryan a kiss, telling him that she would see him later. Once the room was empty of children Ale started cleaning up the books that were still strewn around, also picking up crayons or stray Legos.

"I hope this wasn't incredibly boring for you," Ale said once the room was cleaned, looking at Quinn, a bit of guilt on her face.

"It was perfect," he nodded. And it was true.

Ever since he retired from the business, he had been trying to do things that would make him feel normal and human again. Before he left his hometown, he used to play with his little sister and helped babysit his cousins and volunteered at an animal shelter and then he just…everything changed, himself included.

It was nice to feel a part of his old self coming back, though. It made him feel like he wasn't a monster.

_Ale smiled, glad that she had a chance to come back. She had forgotten how much she loved volunteering here, and how much she loved the kids. She and Quinn signed out, all of the nurses thanking them. They walked down the street, slipping into a restaurant for dinner._

"_So, that is where you spent a lot of your time, I presume?" Quinn asked after they had ordered, Ale shrugging._

"_I also was in the geriatric ward. I read to a lot of the patients there, or just listened to them talk about their lives. It was wonderful," Ale smiled, remembering all of the people she had met. "There are just so many people in the world, and they all have stories to learn from, you know?" Ale said, Quinn nodding._

"_I do," he said, smiling._

_They had a wonderful dinner after that, talking about anything and everything. The dinner was so nice, in fact, that it turned into dessert, and then a movie._

_If Ale hadn't known better, she would have thought it was a date._

"Where are they, Hardison?" Eliot asked, growing impatient. Quinn and Ale hadn't answered any of his texts, and he needed to make sure everything was okay. The con was going great on their end, and the only people currently working were Parker, who was in an air vent, and Nate, who was talking to someone about how to follow grizzly bear scat.

Hardison clicked the keys on his laptop, eventually tracking down Ale and Quinn's phones.

"It says they are at the hospital. They have been for most of the day," Hardison said, Eliot looking enraged. Sophie smiled to herself, letting Eliot get a little worked up and worried before she interjected.

"Ale said something about going to volunteer today. And you can't have your phone on while you are in a hospital," Sophie said, Eliot looking at her with wide eyes.

Eliot had been worried all day, ranting to the team, wondering if Ale was okay or not, and Sophie had known where she was the _whole damn time_.

"Goddamnit, Sophie!" Eliot growled, running a hand through his hair. "Why does it seem like you are constantly at battle with me lately? We are usually on the same page!" Eliot asked, a little hurt by Sophie's actions. Yes, he hadn't been the easiest person to deal with, but Sophie usually had his back.

"Because you are acting like a child, and I will not encourage it," Sophie snapped back, folding her arms across her chest. It was killing her to watch Eliot struggle with his emotions, but if she just coddled him and fed into it, he would never learn how to control his emotions and he would never realize that he can handle, and deserves, a real relationship and happy ending.

"Now, Ale is fine. Stop worrying. And stop yelling at Hardison because he isn't the one who isn't answering your calls. And stop being angry with everyone else because you are a bloody coward," Sophie said, going into her room in the suite, leaving Eliot a bit dumbfounded and confused, and leaving Hardison with a big smile stretched across his face.


	10. Falling

"_I think I could use a drink," Ale sighed, plopping down on the couch. "Would you like a beer?"_

_Ale and Quinn had just spent their fourth day together, going back to the studio the past two days so Ale could teach a couple dance classes. They had just had dinner, which Ale had cooked, and they now had nothing to do._

_It had been a long two days, the classes Ale taught being tough. She demonstrated for Evan a few times, and then did a lyrical workshop with some high schoolers. She also threw on her Pointe shoes for the first time in forever, helping show technique. She also helped Mr. Werth teach a beginning baby class, the three and four year olds being adorable but demanding._

Quinn thought he would get tired of watching dance classes for two days, but he hadn't. He loved watching Ale in her element, and she was an amazing teacher. Even when she wasn't in charge, she had a commanding presence.

Quinn also couldn't get over how beautiful she was…she was a beautiful dancer, a beautiful person, and she had a beautiful heart.

"_I would not like a beer. No drinking on the job. But can I get you one?" Quinn asked, Ale shaking her head._

"_I don't drink alone."_

"_Well then what should we do?" Quinn asked. Ale shrugged, her eyes starting to close. "How would you like to go dancing?" Quinn said, Ale's eyes snapping open._

"_Are you serious?" _

"_Of course. I know a place," Quinn shrugged._

"_So do I. Let's see if they match," Ale smiled. "I'm going to get changed. Give me twenty minutes."_

"_Take as long as you want. We are in no rush," Quinn laughed, Ale flying up the stairs._

_Once she was in her room Ale called Sophie, not being able to contain her excitement._

"_Ale, dear, is everything alright?" Sophie asked, hearing Ale panting on the other side of the phone._

"_Yeah, I just ran up my stairs. Give me two seconds to catch my breath. How is the con?" Ale asked, taking in some deep breaths as Sophie told her how everything was going. It sounded a little boring to Ale, but she knew it was a simple job, just a slow one._

"_And why are you calling?" Sophie asked, the smile evident in her voice._

"_Quinn and I are going dancing!" Ale shrieked, her heart pumping wildly._

"_And did he propose this or did you?"_

"_He did, surprisingly. I haven't gone dancing since…well I haven't gone in more than a year. I used to go all the time. Mama, Papa, Lio, and I would go to a little family place all of the time, but then once they died…well I only got out once and a while after that and no dates of mine really wanted to go dancing. I just…I know it's silly to be so excited but I just can't help it," Ale laughed, looking through her closet._

"_You have every right to be excited. This is wonderful. What are you going to wear?" Sophie asked. _

"_Well I'm not 100% sure, but I have some ideas," Ale smiled._

Quinn changed into a nicer suit shirt and some better shoes, his jeans also a shade darker than he was wearing earlier. For some reason, he was extremely excited to go dancing with Ale. He had learned some basic ballroom for a job a while back and ever since he used dancing as a sort of release when the job got too stressful.

He heard Ale before he saw her, heels clacking on the wood floor. When Ale came down the stairs, Quinn's heart skipped a beat.

The dark red satin dress she wore dipped dangerously low in the front, a thick band of fabric cutting across her waist, only to have the skirt flow out in a perfect silky flare. The skirt was long enough to cover her, but was short enough to make Ale's legs look like they went on for miles. Ale's feet had slinky, strappy heels on, showing off her perfect dancer feet as they arced with the shoe.

Ale's hair was pulled up in a sloppy bun, small wisps of hair falling around her face. Ale had put on makeup, as well, her eyes looking brighter, the dark shadow around them making her look much older than she had earlier in the day as she taught the kids at the studio. Red lipstick coated her lips, making her smile seem that much brighter.

"Is this okay?" Ale asked, looking a little nervous as she entered the living room.

"It's perfect," Quinn nodded, clearing his throat. He slid on his blazer as Ale turned to fix her makeup in the mirror on the wall. Quinn noticed that Ale's dress was missing a back, the fabric only showing up again right before the curve of her…well, yeah.

"I thought that it might be too much. It was really one of the only dresses I had that were dressier than sundresses. I wore it for a ballroom competition once, but I was worried it would be too much for, you know, regular dancing, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer, and," Ale started rambling, turning back to Quinn.

He took her hand, giving it a kiss.

"You look beautiful. You have absolutely nothing to worry about," Quinn smiled, Ale blushing.

And just like that, Quinn officially fell for Alessandra Mosetti.


	11. Dancing

"Sophie, what are you looking at?" Parker asked, not being able to miss the smile on Sophie's face as she looked at her phone.

"Hardison, how do I put a picture from my phone on the screen?" Sophie asked, gesturing at her phone.

"I have taught ya'll how to do this so, so many times. It's like my words go in one ear and out the other," Harison rambled. Sophie just handed him her phone, Hardison pulling up what Sophie was trying to get on screen. Hardison, Parker, and Sophie all stared at the screen, Ale's picture appearing on the TV.

"Wow. She looks…amazing," Hardison whistled, Parker shooting him a glare. She wasn't sure why his comment made her upset, but it had. But she did have to admit, Ale looked beautiful. There were two pictures, one of Ale from the front, and one from the back.

"Doesn't she? And so much older, too. I swear, that girl becomes a better grifter by the minute. She could be sixteen or thirty years old," Sophie smiled.

"Why is she so dressed up?" Parker asked, Sophie getting even more excited.

"Quinn is taking her dancing," Sophie sang. Parker didn't know why Sophie was so excited, considering it was _dancing_ and Sophie wasn't the one going, but she couldn't help but get excited too.

"They are going to have sex!" Parker yelled, since she found out recently that that's what people who liked each other did. Hardison's eyes widened, Sophie looking at Parker with a shocked expression.

"I was watching TV," Parker started, about to explain herself.

"Don't go any further, Mama," Hardison said, Sophie laughing.

"You don't say things like that, Parker. But I do think they will have a lovely evening," Sophie smiled, the door to the suite opening, Nate and Eliot coming through the door, Eliot having an ice pack on his eye.

"Who is going to have a lovely evening?" Nate asked, sitting on the edge of Sophie's chair. He looked up at the screen, a little shocked at what he saw. Ale looked…so grown up. He knew it was stupid, but in all of the time he had spent with her, Ale seemed so young. So innocent—so broken.

"Ale and Quinn. Quinn is taking her dancing," Parker said, not noticing the tension in the room as Eliot looked at the screen.

When Eliot had first looked at the screen he refused to believe his eyes. Ale looked…gorgeous, for lack of a better word. He was breathless. Then he realized that he was ogling over Ale, and that there was a reason she was so dressed up.

Quinn was taking her out dancing.

He figured that it wasn't a date, but still, Quinn got to be with her, close to her, when she looked so goddamn beautiful.

Eliot immediately stormed into his room, not wanting to hear the team talk about what a great thing it was that Ale was getting out more. If it was up to him, they would be at home, sipping on some beers and watching the hockey game.

That's what they did together, and he missed it. He missed Ale.

_Ale and Quinn took the subway to Quinn's dance club, Quinn keeping his hand in Ale's the whole time. People were staring, she noticed, but she didn't exactly care. She knew that the dress drew attention. She had to wear it across town when she was late for the dance competition, a large flower in her hair and fishnets adorning her legs._

_The stares this time were different. They were looking at both Ale and Quinn, as a couple, and they were smiling._

_Ale didn't mind it one bit._

_When they got to the center of town Quinn led Ale to a small looking bar, the inside actually being pretty big. There was dance floor in the middle of a bunch of booths, the room dimly lit, the main focus of the place being the crowded dance floor. The music had a strong Latin beat, Ale smiling as people said hello to Quinn. He smiled back, leaving his jacket with the bartender. _

_He and Ale danced close all night, never taking a break. Other couples watched them mesmerized with their dancing._

_Ale was quite impressed with Quinn. He was a strong leader and gave Ale plenty of support to do dips and kicks. He even threw in some lifts. Ale loved dancing with Quinn. It was so…fun. _

"_How am I doing, Miss Ale?" Quinn asked, Ale laughing at the name that the kids at the studio call her._

"_Not too shabby," she smiled, having to whisper in his ear so that he could hear her._

"_Would you like something to drink?" Quinn asked, Ale nodding. He led her to the bar, helping her slide onto one of the stools. All of the men at the bar looked at her as she talked with Quinn, but she pushed the fact out of her mind._

Quinn could tell that people were watching Ale. She was beautiful, and she was an amazing dancer. He didn't like their eyes on her, though, and he made sure to stay close to her all night, keeping a hand on her waist or arm as much as possible.

_Ale could tell that Quinn was a little nervous about the other people in the bar, but she felt safe with him there. _

"_Excuse me, but would you like to dance?" a man asked, Ale smiling. She looked at Quinn, him shrugging. _

"_If you want to you can. I'll be right here if you need me," Quinn smiled, Ale taking the man's hand._

Quinn watched as Ale and the man danced, Ale looking pretty happy. Quinn then noticed the guy getting a little handsy, Ale not looking as happy. Quinn had had just about enough when the guy grabbed Ale's butt, Ale pushing him away. When he pulled Ale in and kissed her, Quinn's blood was pumping.

He stormed over to Ale and the guy, pulling him off of her.

"You don't kiss a girl unless she wants to kiss you, you jerk!" Ale yelled, the guy smiling.

"You were asking for it, mamacita," the guy said lowly. Quinn then punched him, grabbing Ale's hand. Quinn grabbed his jacket from the bartender, leading Ale out of the dance place.

"I am so, so sorry," Quinn said, looking down at Ale. He figured she would be upset, especially because Buchamp's men pressed themselves on her.

She was smiling, though, and looked like she wanted to laugh.

"You don't have to be sorry. That perv does," Ale said, wrapping her arm around Quinn's. "Besides, I had a really, really fun night."

Quinn looked down at Ale, the smile still on her face as she looked up at him. He loved the way her eyes lit up and how easy going she was.

"I could use a drink," Quinn sighed, looking down at Ale.

"I thought you didn't drink on the job," Ale said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I don't think this is a job anymore," Quinn whispered back, Ale widening her eyes just slightly.

Quinn smiled, glad that Ale rose on her toes to meet his lips as he leaned in to kiss her.


	12. A Fighting Chance

"Just know, I am not a cheap date," Ale joked as Quinn picked up a nice bottle of wine from one of his buddies who worked at a classy restaurant.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Quinn laughed, weaving his fingers through Ale's.

They walked back to the apartment, Ale grabbing some wine glasses from the kitchen.

"I'm going to go change out of these clothes, okay?" Quinn said, Ale nodding from the kitchen.

_Ale couldn't believe that she had kissed Quinn. _

_It was…magical._

_She grabbed the glasses, going up to Eliot's room. Ale knocked on the door, Quinn walking out in a worn black t-shirt with his dark jeans._

"_Movie in my bedroom or the living room?" Ale asked, knowing what she wanted the answer to be. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and watch a chick flick…with Quinn, of course._

"_You bedroom will be fine," Quinn smiled, following Ale into her room. She turned on a movie, Ale sitting on the bed next to Quinn. She curled into his side, watching as he poured her a glass of wine. The two ended up drinking the whole bottle, talking for the whole night._

_Talking turned to kissing and kissing turned to talking once again._

"_I really did have a great night," Ale whispered, the wine starting to make her sleepy._

"_I'm glad," Quinn smiled, moving some hair away from Ale's face._

"_Is this a thing now?" Ale asked, not being able to find her filter._

"_It can be," Quinn nodded. "If Eliot doesn't kill us first."_

_Ale laughed, thinking about the days she had spent with Quinn. They were…freeing. She hadn't felt so much like herself in a long time. Maybe it was the wine, but Ale was pretty sure that she wanted to keep having days like she had been having with Quinn. _

"_I think I would like that," Ale nodded, Quinn laughing. "I'm just worried that…you know…we are basing our feelings on the wine. And the fact that I haven't had any freedom for weeks and you…"_

"_Haven't met anyone decent in the past four years. Yes. I am too. But we'll never know unless we try it, right?" Quinn asked, Ale nodding._

"_Right," Ale sighed, starting to fall asleep. "Quinn?"_

"_Yes, Ale?"_

"_I don't know how ready I am…for, you know, intimate stuff," Ale slurred, the wine starting to take over._

"_Ale, I am interested in getting to know you. For who you are. And I understand that that might take a while. And that's okay. Just know that it might take me a while to let you get to know me, too," Quinn said, Ale nodding._

"_I am really tired," Ale sighed. Her head was starting to spin a bit…wine always got to her._

"_You are still wearing your dress," Quinn said, Ale shrugging._

"_It's comfy," she said. _

"_Can I ask you a question?" Quinn whispered, Ale nodding._

"_What is the moon for on your neck?" Ale sat up, looking at Quinn._

"_My parents. Mama always told me that she loved me to the moon and back. And my papa used to tell me stories about the stars. He would always tell me that no matter where we all were, and if I was ever feeling alone, to just look up at the moon because we all have the same one. But he said it better than I did, cause of the wine," Ale laughed, Quinn running his finger over Ale's tattoo._

"_You said it nicely," he promised._

"_I'm going to bed now," Ale smiled, standing and leaving the room._

"_Ale?" Quinn laughed, her looking at him. "This is your room."_

"_Right. Want to share?" Ale asked, smiling._

_She knew that she was being extremely forward, but she couldn't help herself._

_It was the wine._

"_That would be fine with me," Quinn nodded, putting the wine glasses on the table. Ale went back on the bed, pulling the covers up over herself and Quinn, allowing herself to have only sweet dreams._

When Quinn woke up the next morning he was happy to see Ale curled into his side next to him.

He wasn't sure if Eliot would be too happy about them if he found out, but he also didn't really care, because Ale was special girl, and he wanted to be a part of her life…for more than just being her body guard.

Ale opened her eyes, the makeup she was wearing mostly rubbed off, making Ale's face look fresh and, well, adorable.

"Good morning," Ale mumbled.

"Good morning. How ya feeling?"

"I'm good. A little tired though," Ale laughed.

"The team comes back today," Quinn said, running his hand through Ale's now loose hair. She must have taken the elastic out at some point during the night.

"I don't want them to," Ale sighed. "I mean I do. But I also don't want to have to keep this a secret. Which we should for a little while," Ale said thoughtfully, sitting up. Quinn nodded, knowing exactly what Ale meant.

"I agree. We could run away," Quinn suggested, Ale laughing and looking over her shoulder at him.

"Eliot would love that," she smiled.

Shit. Eliot. He had forgotten to check in. Ale took one look at Quinn, widening her eyes.

"_You didn't check in, did you?" Ale asked, looking a bit horrified._

"_Did you, by any chance?" Quinn asked, Ale shaking her head._

"_That is your job," she said, springing out of bed. _

"_We decided last night that my job was done," Quinn smiled, Ale rolling her eyes._

"_Eliot doesn't know that," Ale laughed, grabbing her phone. She had so many missed calls and texts from not only Eliot, but also from Sophie._

_She called Sophie back immediately, knowing that Eliot wasn't going to be as nice as Sophie was._

Sophie was relieved when she saw Ale's name pop up on her screen…Eliot was angry enough and she didn't think she could keep him in Maine much longer.

"Alessandra Mossetti, just where have you been?" Sophie said, a smile playing on her lips.

"We slept together," Ale said, sounding like she was whispering.

"Excuse me?" Sophie said, not sure if she was hearing Ale correctly.

"Not like that…but we went dancing and it was perfect and then this guy kissed me and Quinn punched him and then we kissed and he told me he didn't see this as a job anymore and we had wine and we talked and we, you know, decided to give us a try, and we fell asleep" Ale said, all in one breath.

"Ale, that's great," Sophie said, truly meaning it.

"Is that Ale?" Eliot grumbled, coming into the room. Just then his phone ringing, him swearing.

"So Eliot is pretty mad at Quinn," Sophie said plainly, Ale laughing.

"Don't worry. I have a feeling Quinn is cooking up a pretty good story. Oh, and would you mind…"

"Not telling Eliot? I'm all over it. I'm just glad you are happy, Ale," Sophie smiled.

"Thanks Sophie," Ale whispered, hanging up the phone.

Eliot came back from his room, hanging up the phone.

"Everything alright?" Sophie asked, looking at Eliot.

"They had gone for a run up where they had no cell service and they both fell asleep on the couch as soon as they got home. I'm still not happy, but I'm glad Ale's okay," Eliot grumbled.

"See. I told you it would be fine," Sophie smiled, Eliot growling even more.

He was beginning to hate Sophie's knowing smiles and 'I told you sos'. She was too good at reading people, and he was worried that she knew too much about his feelings—which meant a lot, because Eliot wasn't even sure of his own feelings.


	13. Party's Over

_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._


	14. Follow Me

"_When are you going to sneak away from Eliot long enough to come see me?" Quinn asked on the phone._

_Ale smiled, closing her bedroom door behind her. They had been talking every night since he left a week before, Ale's days falling into the same routine that they had been before._

"_I think I'm going to give it a shot for next week. I'll just let him know I have stuff to do and ask him to call and ask you if you are willing to babysit," Ale said, Quinn laughing on the other end of the phone._

"_I guess I could sound irritated that he's asking me," Quinn joked. "Do you think he knows I didn't take the money?" _

"_He has no idea. He is still pretty grumpy. But he's getting better. Thank you, by the way, for donating your paycheck to the hospital. You didn't have to do that."_

"_I couldn't think of a more deserving place to put it."_

"_Well, I mean, your checking account for one," Ale said, smiling when she heard Quinn sigh on the other end._

"_We have talked about this. I am not going to take money for spending time with you. That is wrong. You are more than a job to me."_

_Ale couldn't help but smile, her cheeks flushing._

"_Well then you could at least put the money in my bank account. I am running low on funds," she joked, Quinn laughing softly._

"_I'm excited to see you," he whispered, sounding close to being asleep._

"_I'm excited to see you, too. Hey, I was thinking that we could try going dancing again next week," Ale suggested, Quinn groaning in response._

"_Last time ended so badly," he whined._

Quinn did not want to go dancing with Ale again. He didn't want to be like Eliot, but he wanted to protect Ale, and that was very hard to do in a room full of men who all want to be with her.

"I remember it ending very well. But maybe that was the wine," Ale said softly, Quinn hearing the smile in her voice.

"I guess I don't count that part as dancing," Quinn replied. "We can kiss and drink wine any time."

"Yes, but how often do you get to punch someone on a dance floor?" Ale teased.

"Goodnight, Ale," Quinn sang, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"Goodnight Quinn," Ale sighed. She always sounded nervous when they hung up. Like she was afraid to go to sleep.

Knowing Ale, she probably had every right to be. Quinn didn't want to know the demons that chased her at night, but he definitely wanted to protect her from them.

_When Ale woke up the next morning she knew she had to ask Eliot to go off on her own. He had been a little grumpy, lately, but he was still nice enough. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she also couldn't be stuck in the house all day, either. Or stuck in the van with Hardison. She loved the guy, but it was so boring._

_Ale and Eliot took their usual run and got ready for work, Ale taking the time they rode together in the car as her opportunity to ask Eliot for some free time._

"_So I was thinking," Ale started, Eliot looking at her and nodding, letting her know that she was listening. "And if it is okay with you, and Quinn is willing to watch me, that I could go visit some old friends next week. Like a Tuesday/Thursday kind of thing. You could drop me with him when you go to work and he could drop me off whenever you get done," Ale said, all in one breath. _

_She tried to read Eliot's reaction, but she couldn't—she might as well have been talking to a brick wall._

"_I guess that would be fine," he sighed, pulling up to Nate's. "I'll call and ask. But don't get your hopes up."_

"_I won't," Ale promised, smiling to herself. She ran upstairs to the team, Sophie nodding at her when she walked in the door. Ale nodding back, Sophie smiling._

Sophie was so happy that Eliot was letting Ale go off with Quinn. Sure, he didn't really know that she was going to be dating him while she was gone but he was still accepting of the fact that Ale wasn't going to be right there with him 24/7.

It was refreshing.

Eliot was hesitant in calling Quinn. He could have just told Ale that he said no, and that would have been so much easier. If she was in his sights, she was in his protection.

It was the right way to do things.

Still, he was taking what Sophie had said to him into consideration…Ale had to have her own life—at least two days out of the week.

Quinn was also nervous to talk to Eliot, not wanting to sound too eager to be with Ale. At the same time, he didn't want to seem too angry about the job or he would stop asking. It was a fine, fine line that he was walking, and he was worried he was going to fall right off of the edge.

And Nate, well Nate was still trying to figure out a way to make Ale a part of the team. She was distancing herself from them, which he knew was good in a way, but he also knew that both the team and Ale needed each other like fire needs oxygen. He could see that Eliot was treating Ale like a job, and he knew why Eliot was treating her like that, but he needed to find some way to make it stop.

He needed to get Ale and Eliot together. He didn't like dealing with the romantic lives of those he dealed with—he didn't even like getting in the middle of his own romantic issues—but he did need to make the team more cohesive. It was the only way that things would work.

Later that night he told Sophie about his thoughts over dinner, and Sophie simply laughed. She promised Nate that she already had it figured out, and that, considering he was supposed to be the master mind of the group, he really, really needed to get himself together.

_That Tuesday Eliot dropped Ale off at Quinn's, him walking her into the building and making sure Quinn was standing directly next to her before leaving._

"_He was, um, a little nervous about today," Ale smiled, Quinn laughing._

"_I could tell. So, I am sure that you have plans for today. But if it works out, I have some plans, too. For us," Quinn smiled. _

_Ale winced, upset with herself for not even thinking Quinn would have planned anything. She had the next four weeks booked between the studio and the hospital. _

"_But I also kind of figured that you would get excited and fill up our schedule, so the plans can be used whenever you don't have something planned."_

"_You are the best," Ale smiled, giving Quinn a kiss. "I just have to change and then we can go."_

Quinn wouldn't have cared if Ale had every day planned for five years…he would have followed her anywhere, for as long as she wanted.


	15. Close Encounters

It had been a month and Ale and Quinn were still together. They were finally doing the activities that Quinn had planned, and he couldn't have been more excited. He loved hanging out with Ale and taking her to dinner the nights they hung out, and, on occasion, going dancing, but he hadn't been able to take her on a proper date.

That was all going to change, though.

When Eliot dropped Ale off at Quinn's house that Tuesday Quinn laughed at her appearance. Not only had Quinn told her to wear something nice, but he also told her that they were going on a proper date, and he wanted her to feel like she was going on a date—not like she was going to the studio or to the hospital.

He wanted her to feel special…because she was.

Ale had shown up at his house in sweatpants and a t-shirt, her hair thrown in a bun.

"Thanks, Eliot. See you tonight," Ale smiled, closing the door behind her. She looked at Quinn, holding up the backpack in her hands.

"Give me ten minutes to change and we are so completely and totally ready," Ale smiled, going into Quinn's bedroom.

A few minutes later Ale came out, her hair down in beautiful waves, a white dress radiating off of her mocha skin.

"Is this okay?" Ale asked, doing a little turn. The skirt of her dress flowed out just a bit, dancing around her legs.

"It's perfect," Quinn laughed. Ale slipped on some wedges, accepting Quinn's kiss on the cheek.

Quinn led Ale through Boston, both of them landing at the park where the bronze _Make Way for Ducklings_ statues were.

"What are we doing?" Ale asked, waving at a little boy who was staring at her.

"Well. We are going to go on the swan boats. Then we are going to have a picnic by my friends, the ducks. After that we will have a nice walk downtown and we are going to a Red Sox game. Then, a romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant, and to finish the night, some dancing."

"You are amazing," Ale smiled, giving him a kiss.

_And it was true. Quinn was amazing. Quinn was Ale's fourth boyfriend, and he had only been with her for a little over a month, but he was, well, perfect._

_But he wasn't perfect, and that's what made him so perfect for her. He was sweet, yet very masculine. He was a proper gentleman, and he was so, so sympathetic when it came to others. He understood Ale's issues, and he understood Ale and her life. He never pushed or prodded issues and he just accepted whatever happened._

_And for Ale, that was perfect._

Sophie couldn't have been happier with how Quinn and Ale were getting on. They were perfect for each other…for the time being. They were very close and they were adorable. One day when she was able to sneak away from the team the three of them went to lunch together and it was quite charming.

Today the team was downtown, all pulling different parts of the con. Hardison was working the swan boats, Eliot was park security, Parker pedaling hot dogs, and Sophie and Nate were meeting with the mark.

Sophie was not expecting the perfect day for the perfect con to be interrupted by Ale and Quinn. She was the first one to spot them, holding hands and waiting for the swan boats. They looked so happy, and Sophie knew that it was the first day they hadn't gone to the studio or hospital when they were together, and she wanted so badly for them to have a good time.

Sophie told Nate that she was going to work on the mark's secretary, as she thought she was getting suspicious of the team. Instead, she made sure that Quinn and Ale got on a different swan boat than the one Hardison was running.

After their tour she made sure that anytime Eliot was hovering around their picnic, Parker was pushing a hot dog cart right by them.

Once they had finally left the park Sophie texted Ale, telling her how close she came to being discovered by Eliot. Ale told her that she owed Sophie big time, Sophie making sure to save the message.

She wanted to make sure she could cash in on that.


	16. The Crash

Another month had passed and Quinn and Ale's Tuesday/Thursday dates had become a custom.

For the next week, however, Ale was being sent to spend time with Detective Bonnano for a week, since the team had to go to Florida for a con.

Eliot had insisted that Quinn get some time off, and that the Detective had really wanted to meet Ale since she had become a part of the team. The team wasn't happy about it, and neither was Ale, and they were already unhappy about the job.

The entire team didn't want to go—Florida had nothing to do, or see…all it had was humidity and rain.

Eliot especially didn't want to go, and those reason were very, very blatantly obvious, and he couldn't lie to himself anymore—he wanted to be with Ale in a way that wasn't just 'run together every morning and go to work together' kind of way. He wanted her to not be just a job and for her to be, well, his.

He got jealous whenever Ale went with Quinn, as if she was choosing Quinn over Eliot. He knew that that was ridiculous, seeing as Ale just needed someone to watch her and Quinn was the only one available, but still. It didn't make him feel any better.

And that's why he sent Ale to stay with Detective Bonanno. He still wished that Ale was in his care, but at least this way he knew she wasn't with Quinn.

The team hand been gone for four days and were finishing their job early. They decided to wait until the next day to fly out, though, so there wasn't a huge rush after finishing the job and flying right back home.

That was the plan, anyway, until Eliot got a phone call.

"_You look absolutely beautiful," Quinn smiled after Ale opened the door. The Detective had told Ale she could hang out with Quinn whenever she wanted, especially because he was one of Eliot's friends from 'work'. Ale didn't abuse her power, but she also didn't ignore it. Quinn and Ale had hung out every day, even when it was only for a little while._

_Tonight, however, they were going on a date. Quinn wouldn't tell Ale what it was, but she was dressed to the nines. She had on a long, silk, purple dress, that could have been worn on any regular day…just not paired with the heels and jewelry she had placed with it. Sophie had helped her pick it out and assured her that simple was always better._

"_Thank you. You look pretty good, yourself," Ale smiled, accepting Quinn's kiss. "Patrick I'm going out. I will be back before midnight," Ale called, Detective Bonanno coming in from the kitchen._

_He smiled at Ale as Quinn held her in his arms._

"_Have fun. And take care of her," Patrick smiled, pointing at Quinn._

"_You look beautiful," Mrs. Bonanno called, Ale smiling._

"_Thank you!" she called back._

_Quinn and Ale got into Quinn's car, Ale turning on the radio. Smooth jazz filled the car and soon Ale was singing along, not being able to help it. She loved jazz, and she loved this song._

Quinn got goose bumps as Ale sang with the radio, her voice timeless and beautiful. Quinn took her hand as she sang, pulling up to a stop light.

He turned to face her, her looking out the window, her silhouette beautiful. As he was studying her features once more as he lifted his foot off the brake to get through the now green light, he was shocked as he saw headlights coming straight towards the side of the car, illuminating Ale's scared face before the entire world shattered around him.


	17. The Call

Once the crash was over Quinn registered what had just happened. The car hadn't quite made it to his side, and that he had was a few scratches from the glass that had scattered around him from Ale's side of the car.

Ale. Quinn needed to make sure Ale was okay.

Their hands were still wrapped together, and when Quinn opened his eyes he wanted to shut them again.

Ale was all cut up from the glass, her eyes closed.

"Ale, babe, come on. Open those eyes," Quinn said moving his seat back in the car so he could face Ale. He knew he should call 911 or Eliot or somebody, but he couldn't. All he cared about was Ale.

Quinn said it again, shaking Ale's shoulder. Slowly, her eyes opened, those green beauties the most amazing things he had ever seen.

"There you are," Quinn smiled, Ale smiling back weakly.

"I'm okay. Stop worrying," she sighed, wincing a bit. Her voice was soft and sounded pained. Still, the fact that she was talking at all was a good sign and a step in the right direction.

"What hurts?" Quinn asked, moving some hair away from her face. Ale closed her eyes again, thinking. She laughed a little, opening her eyes again.

"Everything," she sighed, giving Quinn's hand a squeeze. He heard an ambulance so he gave Ale's hand a kiss and told her he would be right back. He got out of the car, meeting the paramedics.

"My girlfriend is in the car. Her side of the car is the one that got hit. The guy ran through his light as we had the green," Quinn explained, realizing how scared he was for Ale.

His Ale, who he was supposed to protect, was hit by some idiot who didn't know how to follow street signs. He looked over at the cars, Ale's side completely smashed in. The other car's grill was a bit smashed, but for the most part looked unharmed. The man was standing outside of his car, smoking a cigarette.

He started walking towards Quinn, and Quinn was immediately angered. He did not want to even see this man, much less did he want to talk to him.

"I am so sorry," the man said, his voice reeking of alcohol. "I just didn't see ya. I thought I could make it through before your line started going. It's all about timing, you see," he started, waving his hands around.

Luckily, the cops had also arrived at the scene and were now walking over to Quinn and the man. Otherwise, the man would have been on the ground…dead. Quinn wanted nothing more than to ring his neck. He was drunk, and he had hit _his _Ale.

Quinn recognized one of the cops, Detective Bonanno's face falling as soon as he saw Quinn. He rushed over to Quinn, looking at the man he was standing with.

"What happened here?"

The man started talking to Patrick, explaining how 'it's all about timing' and how he was just a bit off. Usually he was much better at running the reds, he said, but tonight he was lagging a little.

"He's drunk," Quinn growled. "And he hit Ale."

"And he's admitted to running several red lights," Patrick said, his blood surging, as well. He had talked to Eliot about Ale multiple times, and she had really been a wonderful presence in his home. His kids liked her, she sang them to sleep, and she helped his wife redecorate the house. She was a very special girl, and he had only been with her for one week.

Patrick told one of his guys to arrest the man, then looked at Quinn.

He looked like a mess, and he could tell that he was worried for Ale. After he looked at the cars, Patrick was worried too. The paramedics had Ale pulled out of the car now, her loaded on a stretcher.

Both Quinn and Detective Bonanno rushed over her, Ale's eyes still closed.

"If one of you is riding with her, we need to go now," they said, Quinn looking at the detective, almost beginning him to let him go.

"Go ahead. I will call Eliot," Patrick said, smiling a bit. "I'll meet you there. Take care of her," he said, nodding at Quinn.

Quinn hopped into the back of the ambulance, taking Ale's hand. He gave it a kiss, smiling when she squeezed back. She opened her eyes smiling at Quinn.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go," she said, her voice soft.

"I guess I could give you a rain check. There was going to be some good wine," Quinn said, Ale closing her eyes again.

"And we all know how I like that," she laughed, wincing. They didn't talk the rest of the way there, but Quinn did try to listen to the paramedics and figure out what was wrong with Ale. When he couldn't, he instead looked at her, her face looking so peaceful as she laid there.

"Hey Detective. Is everything alright?" Eliot asked, although the pit in his stomach told him it wasn't.

The rest of the team looked at Eliot, the tone of his voice putting them on edge.

"What do you mean that she was with Quinn? Why was she with Quinn?" Eliot asked, the little green monster pawing at his back.

"They were on a date," Patrick said, starting to say something else.

"What do you mean they were on a date? Ale isn't dating anyone, and she especially isn't dating Quinn," Eliot snapped, the team looking at each other with wide eyes.

"Eliot…just stop. Listen to me," Patrick almost yelled, the team being able to hear Patrick through the phone. "There's been an accident," the detective said, softer this time.

Eliot's face fell, the team getting even more concerned.

"What kind of accident?" Eliot grumbled, his heart beating in his chest.

"I think you should get to the hospital. All of you. A drunk driver hit Ale's side of the car and I'm not sure what kind of shape she is in, but from the looks of the cars, I wouldn't say it's good."

Eliot thanked the detective and hung up, looking at Hardison.

"Get us tickets home. Now." Eliot snapped.

"What is going on?" Nate asked, his heart pounding in chest. He hadn't seen Eliot this angry in a while.

"There was an accident. Ale was hit by a drunk driver. We need to get to the hospital," Eliot said darkly, storming off to his room.

The team sat around for a few minutes, looking at each other as if they were trying to decide if it was true or not and what they should do.

"You heard him," Sophie said, biting back tears. "Hardison, get the tickets, the rest of you go pack. Our girl needs us."

The team complied, all of them hoping that Ale was okay.

She had to be.


	18. Family Feud

_When Ale woke up she was very happy to see Quinn sitting next to her._

_His hand was in hers, just like it was before the crash._

"_Hey," she smiled, shifting a little._

_She wasn't in as much pain as she was before she got taken to the hospital, but it was still there, hiding behind the drugs that she was being pumped with._

"_I am so, so sorry," Quinn said, his eyes filling with tears._

"_Hey, it's not your fault," she whispered, Quinn resting his head on her bed. Ale took her hand from Quinn's, running it through his hair. "It's not your fault at all. You couldn't have done anything. The guy was drunk, and he had a crazy theorem about red lights. It's definitely not your fault."_

"_How did you know about that?" Quinn asked, his voice muffled._

"_He came over and was trying to talk to me before he started talking to you. He even told me how pretty I was. Watch out, Quinn, because I could have a drunk man who smokes and is usually very good at running red lights on my arm anytime. All I have to do is bail him out of jail," Ale joked._

Quinn was a little mad that Ale wasn't in the least bit angry or upset about what happened. He was still furious with that guy, and he had absolutely nothing to laugh or smile at when Ale was lying in the hospital bed.

"_Seriously Quinn, I'm not dead. I'm obviously not that hurt, and you, thank God, are fine. We are all good. Although, they did have to cut off my dress. I loved that dress," Ale whined, Quinn smiling._

"_It was a nice dress," Quinn agreed._

"_What is wrong with me?" Ale asked, Quinn taking her hand once again._

"She has bruises all along the right side of her body, her knee is strained and she broke one rib. She will make a full recovery, but Ale will feel some pain for a while. She is in incredibly lucky. It was as if there was some kind of shield around her. This should have ended much worse than it did," the doctor said, explaining everything to Detective Bonanno.

He saw the team walk in, Eliot immediately noticing him leading the group over to him.

"Where is she and how is she?" Eliot asked, the rest of the team eventually catching up. Patrick explained everything to the team, Sophie letting out a large breath.

"Do you have any photos? Of the accident?" Nate asked, the insurance collector in him coming out.

The detective pulled out his phone, showing the team the pictures of the scene.

Sophie couldn't believe what she was seeing. Ale should have been in much worse shape than she was. Sophie didn't know if she believed in God, but she did believe that Ale had guardian angels watching over her.

"Can we see her?" Parker asked softly, Patrick smiling.

"She looks a little different but—"

The team was stopped as they heard a slight grunt. Quinn had walked out of Ale's room and Eliot was now clenching his fists.

Sophie looked Quinn over. Although he didn't have any injuries, he looked like hell. She could tell what the past few hours had done to him. Sophie could tell that he truly loved Ale, even though they had only been together for a while.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" Eliot growled, shoving Quinn up against the wall, his forearm against his throat.

"Eliot, it wasn't his fault," Sophie said, not wanting to see the two hitters in a fight.

"You mean dating Ale wasn't his fault? Breaking the rules and getting romantically involved with his client wasn't his fault? Taking her out and getting distracted from his job, was that not his fault, Sophie? Cause it sounds to me like it was!"

Eliot was furious, and Quinn couldn't blame him. He was angry with himself, too. He felt so at fault for what happened to Ale. And, yes, Ale wasn't critically injured, but she was going to be in a lot of pain for a while, and it was because of him.

"Eliot, I get that you are upset with me, and I don't blame you, I really don't. But Ale is just in the next room, and I think the last thing she needs to hear tonight is the two of us getting in an argument and you, inevitably, punch me out," Quinn said, Eliot sighing and letting him go.

Eliot stormed into Ale's room, her eyes closed as she laid in the bed. She looked so small, and, in a way, she looked so much worse than she had when they had gotten her back from Buchamp's men.

Eliot walked into the room, sighing.

He was furious with Quinn for being with Ale. The thing that he was angry about, however, wasn't the fact that he wasn't being professional. The problem was that Quinn had actually gotten over the fact that he wasn't supposed to like Ale and did it anyway.

If Quinn could do it, why couldn't he?

He was also angry because now Quinn had something that Eliot wanted and couldn't have.

_The next time Ale woke up Nate was in the chair next to her, watching her, Sophie on the other side, Parker curled up in a ball at the end of her bed. Hardison was sitting on the heat register. Eliot was nowhere to be found, and Quinn was sitting on the floor in the corner. The four younger members were all sleeping, but Nate was wide awake._

"_Hey Nate," Ale whispered, not wanting to wake up anyone else. Nate smiled, leaning forward. _

"_How are you feelin', champ?" Nate whispered, taking Ale's hand._

"_I'm okay," Ale nodded. "How are you? You shouldn't be here. I know how you feel about hospitals."_

_Ale felt so guilty. Nate had a hard time going into any medical establishment since Sam died, he had told her, and the fact that he was here now broke her heart. He was there for her. It made her feel extremely loved, if not horrible at the same time. She didn't want Nate to have to be here on account of her._

"_I honestly was too worried to be uncomfortable," Nate laughed, Ale sucking in a deep breath._

"_I think that this hurts more than before," Ale sighed, squeezing Nate's hand._

"_Good news is is that we can take you home tomorrow. Bad news is is that Eliot knows."_

_Ale's heart dropped in her chest, her eyes widening._

"Is he mad?" Ale asked, Nate not knowing what to say. He was a little upset that Ale hadn't told him, but he understood why. He was happy for Ale, though, and he could tell that Quinn really cared for Ale.

Then again, so did Eliot.

"_He is a little upset, yes. But not at you. And he will get over it, eventually. He is just worried."_

"_Yeah. Apparently, so is everyone else."_

_Ale and Nate both looked around the room, laughing._

"_We should wake them up. You should all go home."_

"_We aren't going anywhere," Nate laughed. "Now, get some sleep."_

_Ale closed her eyes, knowing that when she woke she would be surrounded by those who loved her_

"I have only been out of the hospital for two hours and already you all are babying me. I can certainly cut my own food," Ale laughed, the team laughing.

That morning when Ale woke up the team had all told her about the con, then went to Nate's to debrief and get ready for dinner together.

Quinn had stayed around and took Ale home when she got discharged, her cleaning up a bit before they headed over to Nate's, Eliot still not making an appearance.

Quinn was nervous to see Eliot, especially now that _everyone_ knew about him and Ale. They could have an open relationship, but he wasn't sure how Eliot would handle seeing them together.

Then again, he was so happy to not be able to hide his relationship—he did wish, however, that everyone didn't find out the way they did. First of all, he and Ale wanted to be the ones to tell Nate, Hardison, and Eliot. And Quinn definitely wished that the fact they had been in an accident hadn't been why they were told.

Sophie was so excited to throw a dinner party. She was in charge of setting the table and picking the music and she even chose the menu from a catering company. She wanted to celebrate Ale and Quinn, but most of all she wanted to celebrate Ale. The face that she was alive and okay was still amazing in Sophie's eyes.

"_I look horrible," Ale sighed, Quinn standing in the doorway. "It looks like a kid tried to use my face to make a jokolantern but couldn't quite decide on a pattern. And all of my good sundresses show my sides and bruises and I just look like one big purple mess."_

"_You look like you were in an accident, which you were, but you still look beautiful," Quinn smiled, walking into Ale's room, sitting down next to her on the bed. Ale was staring at herself in the mirror across from her bed, not being able to ignore the cuts on her face. They were hideous, but if she followed the care instructions the doctor gave her they should fully heal and wouldn't scar, which was good._

_She had enough bad memories and bad scars…she didn't need anymore._

"_I don't remember the crash, really," Ale said, looking at Quinn._

"_That's normal. I wish I didn't," Quinn sighed, taking Ale's hand._

"_Was it that bad?"_

"_It wouldn't have been if you weren't the one in the front seat. I was so worried about you," Quinn said quietly. Ale leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes._

"_I was worried about you," Ale laughed. _

"_When you opened your eyes, I was so relieved. And I was convinced that I loved you."_

"_And now?" Ale asked, her heart beating in her chest._

"_I'm sure of it."_

"Well we wouldn't have to baby you if you hadn't have just gotten in a huge car accident with your boyfriend who was supposed to be your bodyguard," Eliot snapped, everyone freezing in their spots.

Dinner had been good and the team was happy to be back with Ale. They also were happy to be spending time with Quinn, as well, and seeing the two interact. It was wonderful.

Eliot, however, had been quiet for most of dinner, and was even quieter once dessert was served. Just before the cake was brought out Ale had to use the bathroom, Eliot standing to help her. He realized, however, that Quinn was already by her side, helping her to the restroom.

After that, his blood was boiling.

"Eliot!" Sophie snapped, shocked that he had been so inappropriate.

"What, Sophie? You knew about this and you condoned it. He shouldn't be getting money for spending time with her if he is just spending that time kissing her. It's wrong!" Eliot said.

Ale slammed her fork down, glaring at Eliot.

"_He gave the money away. To the children's hospital where he volunteers with me because that's what I want to do. He isn't taking any money, at all, and the minute he kissed me he promised me that this was no longer a job. He wanted to tell you sooner, too, and I didn't let him because I knew you would freak out, just like you are doing right now!" Ale snapped, her blood boiling. She knew Eliot would be upset, but she didn't think he would pick a fight in front of everyone and accuse Quinn of treating Ale badly._

"_It's wrong, Ale. He was in a position of power and he abused it," Eliot growled, Ale sighing._

"_No. He didn't. I'm sure it would shock you to know that I am not completely broken. I can make decisions for myself and I can sure as hell decide who I want to have a relationship with. You just have a problem with it because you aren't in control of me. You hated when I spent time with him and you hated when I did anything without you looming over my shoulder. I was suffocating, Eliot. You were so afraid that you couldn't control what I could do that you hated me having even a bit of freedom. The fact that I did something without your consent and knowledge drives you crazy."_

"_Yes, I did want to be in control. Because the last time that I gave up that control, your brother ended up dead. Sorry that I didn't want you carrying on the Mosetti tradition of dying before your time," Eliot scoffed._

Eliot immediately regretted what he had said. Yes, he could have voiced his concerns and could have explained the situation calmly to Ale, but brining up her family like that was wrong of him. He hated the way Ale's face crumpled, on the verge of tears, just because of what he had said.

"I cannot believe you," Ale breathed. "I am moving out of your apartment. Don't talk to me," she seethed, struggling to stand. Quinn helped her stand and handed her her crutches, Ale sliding them under her arms.

"Thank you for dinner," Ale said softly, looking at Nate and Sophie. "I'll talk to you later," she promised, looking at an upset Parker.

Ale then made her way out of the door, slamming it behind her. Quinn left a second after, grabbing Ale's coat off of the rack by the door.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking only at Eliot.

Eliot didn't know what to say, so instead he threw his plate across the room, putting his head on the table as he tried to calm down.

Instead, all he saw was Lio, his head resting in Ale's lap as she sang him to eternal sleep.


	19. Her First Job

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.


	20. Clarity

_When Ale had finished with Evan she headed up to the viewing room, ready to take her lunch break. She was surprised to see the team sitting there, talking with Quinn._

"_Hey everyone. How is it going?" Ale asked, slipping her sweater back on over her leotard and tights._

"_Ale, you are amazing!" Sophie cooed, standing to give her a hug._

"_Thanks. What is everyone doing here? Is everything okay?" she asked, sitting down on the ground as she started to stretch._

"_Everything is much better now. Ale, you are an incredible dancer," Nate said, Ale smiling._

_A compliment from Nate meant the world to Ale. _

"_When you jumped, and then flew fifty feet into the air, and rolled onto the ground…just wow," Hardison interrupted, Ale laughing._

"_Yes. As I was saying, you are an incredible dancer. And we have a job, where an incredible dancer is needed," Nate said._

"_I'm not sure I understand," Ale said, excitement rising in her chest._

"_We want you on a job. You are the only chance we have to get at these people," Sophie said, smiling widely at Ale._

"_Are you serious?" Ale asked, the whole team nodding. Ale flashed her eyes at Eliot, who nodded at her slightly. "I would love to."_

_Ale had been wanting to be a part of what the team did ever since they first helped her. They were amazing and they changed people's lives. Ale wanted to do that. Considering she never got to go to college, she didn't have any credentials to do a job where she could make a difference. She always felt like she would fit with the team, though. Sophie always told her what a good grifter she would be, and Nate told her what a help she was to coming up with the plan. Parker told her she was a good thief and Hardison said he wished that she was on more jobs because she actually, you know, appreciated him._

Quinn was happy for Ale, but he also was worried. He didn't want her getting hurt, and he also didn't want to be away from her for too long. They had been having such a good time together…he didn't want it to end.

"Great. Let's go get you packed. And we have to nail down your character. You will have to be younger, of course, but you are so small and with the right make-up and hair and clothes I can get you down to fifteen," Sophie began, talking a mile a minute.

"Slow down, Sophie," Ale laughed. "I still have two classes to teach today, if time will allow me to," she said, looking at Nate.

"I think that would be fine. Can we set up camp here?" Nate asked. The team needed to get their backgrounds and assignments pinned down.

"Sure. There will be a couple of parents coming up here, but other than that the space is yours. If they ask just tell them you are friends of my family. Everyone here knows what happened to my parents and Lio, so lying will be of absolutely no use," Ale laughed, standing. She walked over to Quinn, him wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You don't have to wait here if you don't want now that the team is here. I'm sure you're getting sick of watching me teach," she smiled.

Quinn smiled back. He could never get sick of her. There were a couple of errands he had to run, though, so he gave her a kiss and told her he would meet her at his apartment.

"Love you," Quinn whispered against her lips.

"Love you too," Ale sighed, giving him another kiss.

The team then watched as Ale went back into the dance room, ten little girls all running in shortly after. The team worked on planning the con, Sophie and Eliot standing by the window and watching Ale.

"I should have known, you know. Something as special as this and I never figured it out. If I had paid more attention, I could have figured it out. Quinn did," Eliot said, not looking at Sophie.

"She knew that you took your job seriously. She didn't want to mess with that, or your life. That's why she let you drag her everywhere _you_ wanted to go. She felt guilty, Eliot. I'm surprised you didn't see it."

"I was too focused. What I said to her is true…I do feel responsible for Lio's death and I don't want to be responsible for Ale's, as well."

"And you were afraid to feel. I get it, Eliot. But I think we both know that there are some things you have yet to say to Ale that could make things a lot clearer."

"I think I'm too late," Eliot sighed, smiling as Ale caught a little girl before she fell out of a turn.

"It's never too late, Eliot. Never. Look at me and Nate. We are still dancing around things, no pun intended, but at least we both know where we stand. We are happy. And if it wasn't too late for us, it certainly isn't too late for you."

"I don't know, Soph. I screwed up. With all of you. I just haven't felt the way I have about her about anyone in a long time. And she is the single most amazing person I have ever met."

"Well then be patient and don't let her go again."

Eliot nodded, knowing that Sophie was right. She always was.

"_I'm sorry," Ale said, walking into Quinn's room._

"_For what?" he asked, putting on a shirt. Ale could still smell his aftershave._

"_I didn't ask if I could go with the team," Ale sighed, sitting down on Quinn's bed. She watched as he secured his watch to his wrist, his head shaking slightly._

"_Ale, you do not have to ask me permission to do anything. I am not your keeper. I'm your boyfriend. If what you are doing makes you happy, I am happy. I trust the team and I know you are going to have a good time," he said, sitting down next to her on the bed. Ale gave him a kiss, smiling against his lips._

"_So you are okay with me going?"_

"_More than okay," Quinn smiled back, giving Ale another kiss._

_They kissed for a while longer, a knock coming from the door._

"_I'll get it," Quinn sighed, Ale nodding._

_She laid on Quinn's bed, listening as Quinn's footsteps faded down the hallway._

_She was happy with Quinn—truly happy. She was worried that they didn't have enough to talk about though, and the newness of the relationship was gone—that her suspicions that she only liked him because he was attached to her freedom were right. _

_Ale was hoping that this job with the team would give her some clarity._

"_Ale?" Quinn called, his footsteps, and voice, coming closer. "Sophie is here. She wants to help you pack."_

_Quinn came in the room, picking Ale up from the bed. He put her on her feet, giving her a kiss._

"_Have fun. I'm going to start on lunch. After that I think Sophie is taking her with you to the airport."_

_Quinn left the room, Sophie walking in._

"_You two are just too adorable," Sophie smiled, draping herself on the bed._

"_Thanks. Now, what is my cover and what am I supposed to pack?"_

"_Well, you are Jane Reilly, daughter of Ben and Katherine Reilly. Ben is a very, very wealthy investor and Katherine is a doting trophy wife and mother. Jane has been homeschooled so that she could devote her life to dance, and Katherine is the ultimate dance mom. Ben comes in every once and while, per Katherine's short leash, but he mostly just foots the bill. Katherine is the perfect candidate to be Tonnie's new BFF. She is powerful, wealthy, and, most importantly, a kiss ass. Jane is a very dedicated girl, who has a bit of an edge. She isn't afraid of anything. She is very intelligent and dropped out of school to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer in a company. She wants more, and so does her mother. They get along, but Jane often gets sick of her mother's hovering. She would do anything for her mother to have something to do other than pay attention to her."_

"_Sounds very in depth. Are we from anywhere where an accent is needed?"_

"_No. But good question. So, show me your dance clothes. We need some cute outfits," Sophie smiled. _

_As Sophie created Ale's character she sat on the bed, watching. When her phone rang she answered immediately, Emilio's voice filling the other end of the line._

"_What's up?" Ale asked, Emilio telling her to just wait a few seconds._

_Suddenly, a little boy's voice was on the line, Ale smiling as Ben told her all about the new family he was going home with._

"_That's awesome, buddy," Ale laughed. "I'm so happy for you."_

"_I wish you could meet them," Ben said. "You know all my favorite bedtime stories. Who else is going to tell my new family?" _

"_Emilio has the paper that I wrote it all down on," Ale said. "I will come meet them, though. Soon. I promise."_

"_Thanks Ale! I miss you," Ben said, his voice growing soft._

"_I miss you too. I'll see you soon, okay?" Ale sighed._

"_Okay!"_

_Ale hung up, Sophie smiling at her. _

"_Was that little Benvolio?" she asked, Ale nodding. "Are we going to Italy soon?"_

"_When Ben asks you something, you don't say no," Ale shrugged. "Maybe it could be a nice little family vacation."_

"_And by family you mean highly dysfunctional team of conmen?" Sophie laughed, throwing a nice dress and heels into Ale's bag._

"_Exactly. Are we almost done?" _

"_Yes. Now, I am going on my merry way and I will pick you back up and take you to the airport in an hour. Enjoy your lunch with Quinn."_

"_Thanks, Sophie," Ale smiled, zipping up the suitcase as Sophie walked down the hallway, her heels clacking against the hardwood._

_She was excited to work with the team—well, most of the them._


	21. Tonnie

"Ale, dear, are you almost ready?" Sophie asked, knocking on the door to the bedroom. The team was getting ready for the first day of the con and Sophie was over-the-moon. She had a good feeling about this one, and so did Nate. In fact, the whole team was excited…all except Eliot.

He had been avoiding Ale like the plague. Where ever she was he tried to be as far away as possible—but not so far that he wasn't a part of the team.

Ale came out of the bedroom, her hair tied in a French braid.

"Sophie, I cannot go to the studio in this outfit. If I am joining, I can guarantee that Tonnie is going to make me dance. And I cannot dance in this dress. It's like a tube sock for my body."

"But the cardigan looks so cute with it," she sighed.

"It does. But I really cannot move."

"I don't know why she just can't believe that you are a good dancer."

"That's not how it works, Sophie, and you know it," Ale sighed. "I'll just go get changed into some skinny jeans, combat boots, and a tank top. It will be fine."

"You are ruining this," Sophie whined.

Eliot, who was sitting in the corner reading, finally looked up. Ale did look perfect in her dress, couldn't help but laugh as Sophie pouted about the fact she couldn't dress Ale up how she wanted.

"Sorry Soph. I can always leave. I'm sure you could find out another way to infiltrate Tonnie's studio," Ale sang, going back into the bedroom.

Not even five minutes later Ale came out in her outfit, looking like she was a ballerina on break. It was perfect. Sophie smiled, glad that Ale had stood up to her…the look was so much better than what she had originally planned.

She was also happy with how young Ale looked. Her face was a bit washed out due to some make-up, and her hair also made her look younger.

"Are we ready now?" Nate asked impatiently, fastening his cuff links. His suit made him look very sharp, yet a bit uncomfortable.

"So long as you stop fidgeting, we are," Sophie replied.

"Okay…well, the happy family is off. See you all later. Uncle Eliot, are you coming?" Nate sighed, raising his eyebrows at Eliot. He grumbled something in the corner, closing his book and standing. Ale grabbed her dance bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

The four of them walked down to the lobby of the hotel, the valet pulling up the extremely expensive two door-car Nate rented. He smiled, slipping in the front seat.

"Alright, kiddos, into the back," Sophie said, looking at Eliot and Ale. Ale slid in first, putting her bag on the seat between her and Eliot. As soon as he slid in Ale took out her phone, slipping on some head phones and listening to her music. Eliot watched her as she closed her eyes, her hands and arms moving slightly to mimic a dance.

When they pulled up to the studio she stopped, opening her eyes.

"_This_ is the studio where I am dancing?" Ale asked, amazement in her voice.

"Is that okay?" Sophie asked, smiling.

"Um, it's more than okay. I'm sure they have, like, the most perfect floors. This is beautiful!"

And it was. The large building was located on a hill, over looking the ocean. The studio looked to be mostly windows, figures moving around in different rooms.

"Alright, Jane, let's get going. Dad has to get back to work," Sophie chirped, moving her seat so Eliot could slip out. Nate moved his, too, offering his hand to Ale. She got out of the car, wincing a bit as she stood.

"You alright?" Nate asked, raising his eyebrows. Eliot and Sophie both looked at Ale, concern in their eyes.

"Just my knee. Every once and a while I get a little twinge. I'm fine," Ale smiled. She went to reach back into the car to grab her bag but Sophie told her to leave it.

"Don't want to be too eager, darling," Sophie smiled.

The all headed into the building, a bunch of children running around the lobby. Ale smiled at all of them, Eliot watching her as she talked with some of them.

He was playing Nate's younger brother, who Nate, Sophie, and Ale were supposedly staying with until they could move into a new house. He was pretty successful, too, and had to dress up for the job.

He was wearing dark jeans and a dress shirt, almost exactly the way Quinn did on a regular basis.

"She always finds someone to get along with," Nate laughed, Sophie nodding and walking up to the counter. Ale followed, staying a bit behind her, looking perfectly nervous and bored—as well as a bit annoyed.

It was perfect.

"Can I help you?" a young man asked, looking mostly at Ale as she waved at a little girl who was staring at her.

"Yes. My daughter, Jane, is here to enroll in classes. We need to get her dancing as soon as possible. She had to take a week off for the move and if she doesn't get going again she will start losing technique," Sophie chirped, the man nodding slowly and smiling.

"We can stick her in some classes," the boy nodded. His name was Jason, and he was Tonnie's son. Ale and Sophie had done extensive research in him and found out that he was loving his life of luxury, and loved his life surrounded by girls in spandex all the more.

"My daughter doesn't just get stuck in classes. I expect her on your competitive teams. We have goals, you know, and they can't be achieved by just being 'stuck' somewhere."

"Right," Jason nodded, Ale shooting him an apologetic look that was almost a cry for help.

Sophie was so proud.

"I am going to go get Tonnie, the owner, and we will see what we can do," Jason smiled, winking at Ale. She pretended to blush, Eliot rolling his eyes.

_Jason came back in the room, a woman trailing in behind him. She was wearing a designer dress and platform heels. She didn't look like she had danced a day in her life. She was gorgeous, but Ale could tell she wasn't a dancer. Someone as prestigious as Tonnie supposedly was should look like a prima ballerina, not some trophy wife who is playing dress up. _

"_You must be Katherine," Tonnie smiled, her eyes lighting up when she saw Sophie. Ale did her best to bite back a smile, noticing Nate doing the same._

"_The one and only. And you must be Tonnie. It is so wonderful to meet you. I am so excited to be here…you will do such great things with Jane, I'm sure. She is so eager to learn from you, isn't that right, Jane?" Sophie babbled, Ale forcing a smile._

"_Absolutely," she said, Tonnie looking her up and down._

"_Well you are just a little thing. How old are you, sweetie?" _

_Ale shifted in her position, Tonnie's eyes like a hawk's. She knew she was being watched and she had to make the perfect impression._

"_Seventeen."_

"_Well you look like you can fly high. I understand you want to be in the competitive company?" Tonnie asked, Sophie nodding._

"_We have big plans for Ale, and they can't be achieved if we don't have the right training."_

"_You look like you would be a wonderful addition," Tonnie smiled. "Small enough to throw and strong enough to leap. I will need to see you dance, of course," Tonnie said, turning on her heels. The team followed, Ale starting to get butterflies. _

_She was confident in her dancing, but she had never danced for any other teacher than the ones back home. And she definitely hadn't ever had to dance in order to save hundreds of people thousands of dollars._

"_Just in what you are wearing, why don't you go show me something, yes?" Tonnie asked, Ale looking at Sophie with raised eyebrows. Ale nodded, very aware of Tonnie and Jason's eyes on her, as well as the teams. _

_She ignored it, though, plugged in her music in the small practice room, and danced._

Nate, Eliot, and Sophie couldn't help but notice the look on Tonnie's eyes as Ale danced. She was staring at Ale as though she was her winning ticket to the lottery. The team could see her calculating how they could best use Ale, and, although it bothered them, they couldn't blame her.

Ale was amazing. Even in her street clothes, she was breath taking. Her movement wasn't hindered and even seemed more spectacular.

Eliot also couldn't help but notice Jason's eyes on Ale, wide and hungry. He would have to keep his eye on him.

When the song ended Tonnie smiled, looking at Sophie with wide eyes.

"Katherine, she is simply brilliant. The best dancer I have ever seen. I can offer her a full scholarship if you would like," Tonnie offered, grabbing Sophie's arm.

"That won't be necessary. As much as it takes, we can handle," Nate interrupted, Tonnie noticing him for the first time, as well as Eliot.

"My brother and I own an oil refinery. We have nothing to worry about money wise," Nate continued.

"Yes sir. Why don't we go to my office and talk about some figures. Jane can start today," she smiled.

"I'll go get my bag from the car while you guys talk, if that's alright," Ale said timidly, Sophie smiling at her.

"Of course, darling."

"I'll go with you, if you would like," Jason offered, Ale blushing again. Eliot growled a bit under his breath and Sophie rolled her eyes, jabbing Nate in the side to give Ale the keys. He did so, Ale and Jason disappearing down the corridor.

"Please, follow me. This is going to be so wonderful," Tonnie sang, leading Eliot, Nate, and Sophie up to her office.

Sophie smiled to herself—with Ale on the team, it sure was.


	22. Out of Place

"_I don't want to go," Ale mumbled, pulling a pillow over her head._

"_Squirt, you have got to wake up or Sophie is going to kill you. She has a breakfast with Tonnie and Jason and you are expected to be there. You have to get dressed up and be irresistible so Jason falls even more in love with you and Eliot has to sit in the car a block away in case something goes wrong and then you are going to go to the studio and kick ass—again," Hardison said, walking around Ale's room in the suite opening up her shades._

"_Hardison, I feel like I have been hit by a bus and dragged thirty feet behind it. I do not want to go to breakfast with Jason and I do not want to go to dance, where Jason is now my dance partner because Tonnie thinks we are a power couple. She is an unsafe teacher who hires unsafe teachers and if I wasn't used to working hard I could be seriously injured. Instead, I just feel like one, big, bruise. Please do not make me go to breakfast. Tell Sophie that I ran away or cut Tonnie's power at her house so she can't come or do SOMETHING. Please," Ale begged, her voice muffled under the pillow._

Hardison felt bad for the girl. She and Sophie were in the spotlight a lot for this job, but all Sophie had to do was watch Ale dance. Ale, on the other hand, was working eight hours a day. The con was taking longer than expecting, and Tonnie loved Ale much more than they were expecting.

Today was the day Parker was breaking into Tonnie's office, since Jason is off and the studio is opening later on account of the breakfast. Hardison was going with her to break even further into the security systems…all he could get into now were the video feeds to the dance rooms that Tonnie used to keep an eye on the dancers. After today he would be able to tap into the phone lines and the computer.

Nate was going before CPS to try and get Tonnie's studio on some kind of radar for child abuse. He wasn't quite sure how to do that yet, but he was going to.

"Ale, I know this is tough. But I promise, it's going to be worth it. Just go today, have a nice breakfast, enjoy some more dancing, and tonight when you get home I will have a massage waiting for you from the best masseuses at the hotel. I promise. Just please get ready…Eliot and Sophie will kill me if you aren't ready on time. They are getting ready, too, and put me in charge of you."

"Why wouldn't they put Parker in charge of me?"

"Because Parker is protective of you in a very insensible way, and if you wanted to convince her that today was going to be a horrible, horrible thing for you she would have hidden you in the air vents. She doesn't like you having to do things you don't like to do…not ever since she understood what happened to you with Buchamp's men. That's why she gets so angry with Eliot. He forces you into a box. She knows how that feels," Hardison shrugged. "So even though Parker offered to get you ready, we all knew that the two of you would be repelling down buildings as fast as the ropes would let you to simply skip breakfast."

"You know us so well," Ale sighed, taking the pillow off of her head. She flipped over allowing Hardison to pull the covers off of her.

"You really are one big bruise," he winced.

Ale's legs had big bruises on them from Ale getting dropped so much. Her feet had some cuts from the different dance shoes she was wearing every day and her arms had small bruises from Jason lifting her, him holding on too tight for fear of dropping her.

"I tried to tell you," Ale shrugged, standing. She winced, patting Hardison on the shoulder.

"Thanks," she smiled, going into her bathroom.

"For what?"

"Making me do this. I owe it to the people at the studio. If you wouldn't have been the one to come in this morning I would have stayed in bed," she shrugged. "You really are a big part of this team, Hardison. It's amazing what you do, even if people don't always understand it."

Hardison nodded, waiting until Ale went into the bathroom to allow the tears to form in his eyes. Sure he was always joking about being underappreciated, but he really did feel that way sometimes. Not to mention that his job wasn't nearly as cool as repelling or playing mind tricks or beating people up. He just had his computer.

Ale made him feel like that was enough—he felt badly that she had been through everything she had, but he was so happy that it lead her to them.

He left Ale's room, Sophie, Eliot, and Parker all sitting in the living room.

"What took so long?" Ale asked, flipping through a magazine.

"She wasn't feeling great," Hardison shrugged, sitting down next to Parker. She scooted closer to him, peeking over his shoulder as she watched him play a game on his computer.

"What do you mean?" Eliot asked, his heart racing. Although he hadn't spoken to Ale, he still cared for her—a lot. It was killing him to be with her every day, watching her in the practice room either with Hardison at the hotel or with Sophie and Nate at the studio, and not being able to talk to her because he didn't know how to make up for what he had done.

"She is just really, really sore. Tonnie isn't a safe teacher and neither are the rest of them. It's just been a lot," Haridison shrugged, Parker sighing.

"When are we leaving? I'm bored."

"As soon as Ale is ready, mama," Hardison smiled, Sophie and Eliot still looking at Hardison.

"But is she okay?" Sophie asked.

"She'll be good. She's tough. I'm ordering a massage for her tonight. It will be fine."

Ale came out of her bedroom, Eliot sucking in breath.

She looked beautiful. Sophie smiled at Ale, the outfit she was wearing the perfect mix of rich yet vintage. Ale's skirt was flared and was a deep navy with thick white stripes, the white tank top she wore tucked into it radiating off her skin. The skirt was short, showing off Ale's legs, and the combat boots she wore had faded American flags on the inside flap she tucked over each other.

"I figured that Jane wouldn't want to be completely perfect for this little brunch," Ale smiled, tugging nervously on the sloppy side braid she put in her hair. It was perfect, making her look windblown, as well as a bit young.

"It's perfect," Sophie smiled, standing. "But look at you," she sighed, looking at all of Ale's bruises.

"I'm fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "Can you help me with my makeup?"

"I think you are all set. None today. You look beautiful."

"Don't I need something to make me look younger?" Ale asked, looking up at Sophie with knit eyebrows.

"Not today," she smiled. Ale nodded, grabbing her dance bag and slinging it over her body.

Eliot, Sophie, and Ale all piled into a cab, all putting in their comms.

"If you guys need me just call," Eliot said, Sophie being the only one to respond. He found a bench nearby, pretending to read as he listened to everything going on in the restaurant, as well as what was going on with Hardison and Parker as they broke into the studio, and Nate as he tried to convince people that Tonnie was a danger.

He was having a hard time, though, seeing as he had no clue what he was talking about.

He needed Ale with him—he needed his perfect team member on his side.

"_You look beautiful," Jason breathed, Ale forcing herself to blush and accept his kiss on the cheek. He pulled her chair out for her, Ale sitting down next to her mother and the empty seat Jason was supposed to fill. He sat down, scooting a little closer to Ale. _

"_What do you think you are going to have?" he asked, leaning close to Ale, talking lowly._

"_I don't know. What are you thinking?" she smiled sweetly, batting her eye lashes at him. She held up the menu, Jason taking the other side as they studied it together, ignoring their mothers' conversation._

_Jason, even though he was only a little younger than Ale in real life (by two years), was much less mature. He thought women were into all of those pick-up lines and winks and macho men. If she hadn't been playing the bashful and rebellious Jane she would have told Jason to grow up and treat a woman right a long time ago. For now, however, she was supposed to be so completely taken with Jason and fall all over herself to get him to like her._

_It was exhausting._

_Ale had called Quinn to tell him about the job and had apologized in advanced for allowing Jason to 'woo' her. He had just laughed and told her to have fun and that he couldn't wait to hear all about the job when she got back. _

"_Right, Jane?" Sophie said, looking at Ale with raised eyebrows._

"_I didn't hear what you said," Ale said, looking down at her folded hands._

"_I was just saying how much you were loving the studio."_

"_Oh, yes. I love it. It's amazing," Ale smiled, making her eyes brighten to look more excited._

Ale was a natural grifter. Sophie loved watching her work. She hadn't had to give her a single bit of advice or coaching. She told her what to do and she just did it, even whipping out some of her own material. It was wonderful. People liked Ale naturally, and with her added people skills it was magical.

"Thank you so much for having me there. You have all been so welcoming," Ale smiled, the waiter coming back to take their order.

After breakfast they walked to the studio, Sophie catching a glimpse of Hardison and Parker as they walked down the street.

"Nicely done, guys," Ale whispered, Sophie smiling beside her. "Perfect, actually."

"Thanks, Sparky," Parker chirped.

_Ale went into the studio behind Jason, Tonnie, and Sophie, taking her bag from Jason, who had insisted on carrying it, and going to get changed. _

_She didn't really want to dance today, but she knew she had to. The con was almost over, though, and she should only have to be at the studio for one more week. It wasn't going to be that bad._

Sophie was watching Ale dance when she heard Ale wince, Jason gasp, and silence fill the practice room. The teacher in there had turned off the music, asking Ale if she was alright. She was currently up on Jason's shoulders, having had him just swing her up there by her arms. Sophie gasped as well, noticing Ale's shoulder blade sticking out of her back.

"What's going on, Soph?" Nate asked, worry growing in his chest.

"Talk to us Soph," Eliot sighed. All they could hear was Ale wince and the teacher say something to her, as well as Sophie gasping.

"I'm fine," Ale breathed, Sophie watching as Jason helped her down. "My shoulder is just out of place."

Sophie could tell Ale was fighting back tears. She was breathing deeply, holding her elbow to her chest.

"I think we need to rethink that lift," Ale laughed, starting to pace.

"I'm so sorry," Jason said, looking over to Sophie who was standing with Tonnie. "I told you that would be too much," he said, looking back at Ale.

"I'm fine, really," Ale said, almost pleading with him. "There is a clinic right down the street, I'll just go get this fixed and come back and we can finish up the day. Seriously," Ale said, looking between the teacher, Tonnie, Jason, and Sophie.

"Not a good idea," Eliot said over the comm.

"You don't have a say in it," Ale snapped, her eyes widening when she realized what she said so she whipped her head in Sophie's direction. "Last time this happened you over reacted and took me out of dance for a week. I was behind for so long. Just trust me on this one. It's not a big deal and happens all of the time," Ale recovered, Sophie wanting to agree with Eliot. Ale was far too convincing, though.

"Fine," Sophie shrugged.

"I'm so proud of you," Tonnie gushed, seeming relieved. "You are a true dancer."

Ale was about to walk away when Jason grabbed her good elbow, pulling her into the corner.

"_You really don't have to do this," Jason said slowly. "She is out of control."_

"_What do you mean?" Ale asked, sucking in a deep breath._

"_She always does this. She pushes people too far. It never bothered me because she made it seem like we were going to be famous and get wonderful things and be rich and perfect, but I really, really care about you and she has gone too far. I shouldn't even be your partner…I haven't danced in years. And I'm not that good. She just…she is so focused on money. She even cheats the family out of it. Like your dad…he is spending crazy amounts of money on your lessons. She is a fraud. Seriously. Just…go to the clinic and don't come back," James pleaded, Ale not sure what she should say._

_She could hear the team's chatter, all of them shocked that he opened up to her._

"_Guys, seriously, why are you so surprised? We all opened up to her. Everyone opens up to her. It's just the way she is. Now, stop so she can focus," Hardison said. "Take it away, Squirt."_

"_James, that is really sweet of you to be worried about me, but I'm really fine. I'll be back after I get this fixed, okay?" Ale said softly, planting a kiss on James' cheek._

"_You don't get it," James sighed, almost begging Ale to believe him._

"_I get that you are the nicest guy I have ever met. But I need to dance. I just have to. So I'm going to go take care of this, and then I'll be back. You can be my partner or you can find a new one for me. Either way, I'm dancing."_

_Ale walked over to Sophie, her fawning all over her just as a mother should._

"_We will be back in a jiffy," Sophie smiled, waving to Tonnie. _

_Once they got on the street Sophie smacked her on the arm, causing Ale to yell out in pain._

"_Seriously, Sophie. Come on," she grunted, catching her breath._

"_Sorry," Sophie said quickly. "But really…we could have gotten you out of there."_

"_And had to re-plan the entire con? No way. We have to get the kids out of there."_

"_How did you know that there was a clinic?" Nate asked, coming over the comms._

"_I saw it when we first got here, and then I saw it again when we walked from breakfast this morning. I'm not going there, though. That is where Tonnie sends all of her students and I don't trust any establishment that knows about her and hasn't reported her. If one of you can follow my instructions you should be able to just pop it back in place and wrap it up, good as new," Ale said, walking in the general direction of the van Parker and Hardison were in._

"_I'll do it!" Parker offered, everyone except Ale immediately telling her no._

"_I'll do it," Eliot said. "I already know how. I'll meet you at the van," he grunted, Ale rolling her eyes. Of course Eliot would know how to reset a shoulder._

_Ale was still angry with Eliot…what he had said was said out of anger, yes, but it was still said. And there are some things you just don't say, and he knew that, and he still said it. And he had respected her wishes not talking to her, but she was also a little upset that he hadn't tried to break her wishes and apologize. _

_He was the one, after all, who was being a jerk. He should have to apologize._

"_I know you don't want to, but that looks painful, and he is the only one who can help without putting you in danger," Sophie whispered, looking at Ale._

"_Fine. But I'm not talking to him, still."_

"Never said you had to, darlin'," Eliot said without meaning to. He was used to Ale's playful stubbornness and his answer had come naturally…before he could remember that she hated his guts.

Rightfully so, of course.

Ale and Sophie eventually made it back to the van, Hardison gagging when he saw Ale.

"That is not normal," he winced, helping her into the back of the van.

"You are very right. It isn't. That's why I need it fixed. And thank you for earlier," she smiled, sitting down, letting out a deep breath.

"No problem. We get each other," Hardison smiled, Sophie pacing outside of the van.

"Does it hurt?" Parker asked, looking like she wanted to poke Ale's shoulder.

"Yes. Not as much as other things but yes, it still hurts."

Eliot showed up at the van, Sophie talking to him softly.

"Ale, are you okay?" Nate's voice asked quietly over the comms.

"I'll be fine, Nate."

"Not what I asked," he laughed.

"The hardest part is getting it back in. If Eliot doesn't get it right it can get jammed and hurt a lot more and then he'll have to fix it again, and then it will just be a little sore."

"What can I do to help, because, once again, this is my fault," Nate sighed.

He didn't know why he had such a soft spot for Ale. Well, he did—he felt responsible for her because of what happened when they first met—but he also felt like she was alone. Like she needed him and Sophie, as well as the rest of the team. She didn't have people to look out for her anymore…she needed people to be worried. And he saw her as he saw Parker…the daughters he never had. They had childlike beings that made it so easy for them to sneak into your heart. He would never admit it, but he loved his team, especially the ladies who filled it.

"Tell me about what progress you have made today. Just distract me. I blocked most of what has been going on today out…I had to focus on the new dance. And creepy Jason's hand on my thigh during breakfast," Ale said, shuddering a bit.

Eliot climbed into the van, going to stand behind Ale's spot on Hardison's chair. As Nate began to talk he took Ale's shoulder in his hands, focusing on putting it back in place. When he thought Ale was distracted enough he moved her shoulder back in place, knowing as soon as he did it that it wasn't right.

Hardison had been listening to Nate and Ale talk, adding some humor in the conversation to distract Ale. When Eliot moved his hands, however, Ale went pale, all of the color draining from her face.

"Sorry," Eliot said lowly, Ale doubling over in the chair, breathing in deeply and letting it out slowly. Hardison took her hand, Ale immediately giving it a quick squeeze.

"What did you do to her?" Parker snapped, standing up and putting herself between Eliot and Ale.

"Her shoulder isn't exactly right. I just need to readjust it again," Eliot said calmly, although he felt horrible. He knew that putting a shoulder back in the wrong place was more painful than it getting pulled out, and he hated that he did it to Ale. Then again, he was only doing his best.

That didn't make him feel any better.

"Parker, I'm…fine," Ale breathed, sitting back up. "It's not his fault."

Hardison could see the pain in Ale's eyes as she spoke, trying not to cry so Parker wouldn't get mad. Even though she was mad at Eliot, she was still defending him.

Hardison always knew she was a part of the team.

"Fix it," Sophie said, looking at Eliot with raised eyebrows.

"You trust me?" Eliot asked, looking down at Ale. She nodded slightly, asking Nate to keep talking.

Eliot popped Ale's arm back into the socket, finally getting something right.


	23. Eventually

"_I can't do this anymore," Quinn sighed._

_Ale looked over at Sophie, shaking her head. _

"_I have seriously only been gone for two weeks," Ale laughed, Sophie holding up another bottle of nail polish for Ale to choose from. Ale was calling Quinn for their nightly chat, Sophie sitting on the end of the bed, Ale's feet in her lap as she gave her a pedicure._

'_Repayment' she had said 'for you having to deal with Jerk Jason, Terrible Tonnie, and Awkward Eliot'._

"_Quinn, Ale is a tremendous asset to our team. We might be stealing her away from you more often," Sophie said, Ale and Quinn both laughing. _

"_Why can Sophie hear everything I'm saying?" Quinn asked, the smile evident in his voice._

"_I hurt my shoulder today and it's just easier to have the phone on my lap on speaker and she is polishing my toenails. My other hand is holding a bag of ice on said hurt shoulder," Ale said, shrugging. "I can have Sophie wait to do my nails until after, if you want. She just happened to be in here when I answered the phone."_

"_It's okay. I don't mind. Tell me more about your shoulder? Are you okay?"_

_Ale retold the whole story, Quinn wincing as she told it._

"_I wish I was there to take care of you," he said lowly. "Are you going back to dance tomorrow?"_

"_Yeah. It should only be for a little longer."_

"_How's the knee?" Quinn asked, Sophie looking at Ale with raised eyebrows._

"_It's…"_

"_Don't lie," he laughed._

"_It's really, really sore. Would you mind scheduling the appointment we talked about?" Ale asked, her voice coming out a lot softer than she was expecting._

"_Yes. I will," Quinn answered back. "We will go as soon as you get home. I'm sorry, by the way, that it's not better."_

"_It's okay. Not your fault," Ale smiled._

Sophie couldn't help but smile at Quinn and Ale. They already had a perfect rhythm, and it was clear that Quinn cared about her, but not in a smothering way. She told him things and she was honest because she knew he wouldn't freak out or baby her. Instead, he was supportive and caring, as well as concerned. He didn't lock her in a tower, though.

Eliot could take some cues from him.

Sophie did want to know more about this knee problem though. The accident had been a while back, and she should be better by now. The doctors had told her so. If they were wrong, she had some serious business to attend to.

Sophie didn't know what it was about Ale, but she went into full mothering mode with her, almost like she did with Parker. She couldn't help it. Whether Sophie liked it or not, the team was a family and she was the mother hen.

She did like it, though, so it really wasn't a problem.

"It kind of is my fault," Quinn said guiltily. Ale sighed, Quinn laughing. "I know, we aren't supposed to talk about it. Sorry. But really…I am sorry that you aren't better. I know you are probably frustrated."

"I'll be okay," Ale smiled. "Oh, and by the way, Jerk Jason has really taken a liking to me. So watch out. I might come home with a new man."

"You wouldn't dare," Quinn laughed.

"I might. Depends on what body part he decides to bust out of place next. I have a thing for guys who step on girl's toes or accidentally elbow them in the nose. It's irresistible."

"Goodnight, Ale," Quinn sang.

"Goodnight, Quinn," Ale said back, biting back a smile. "I love you," she said softly, Quinn whispering it back.

And boy, he really did.

"_Ale, can we talk to you?" Nate asked, he and Sophie standing in the door to her room. She had just gotten ready for the morning, wrapping her knee with kinesio tape and setting some out for her shoulder._

"_Am I in trouble?" Ale asked, wincing as she tried to French braid her hair._

"_No," Nate laughed, Sophie walking over to Ale and beginning to braid her hair._

"_We just wanted to tell you how impressed we are with how you have been doing at this job," Sophie said, Nate nodding._

"_I have just been dancing," Ale shrugged, Nate leaning on her dresser._

"_Ale, you have been doing more than that. You got Jason to basically turn against his mother. You think on your feet. You help the rest of us do our jobs better. Everyone is happier when they work. Everyone respects each other more. You are just…amazing. And we wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you being a part of this con," Nate said._

"_But…" Ale said, raising her eyebrows._

"_What do you mean, dear?" Sophie asked, her fingers freezing in Ale's hair._

"_You are saying a bunch of nice things but your tones are really serious. I am used to that. There is always a but at the end of a string of compliments. Great dancer, but you are too short. Great thief, but you shouldn't steal your brother's toys. You did a great job taking care of your mom, but she still died. You wait long enough and the other shoe will drop," Ale shrugged._

"_There is not but. Ale, I'm sure it's no surprise to you, but our team doesn't let people in very often. But we, well, we trust you. We love you. We wanted to tell you how much we appreciate you because we don't want you, for one second, to think that the only reason we called you in on this job is just because you can dance. We have been waiting to have you join the Leverage family ever since we saw you take down Buchamp. We don't want you to think that you are just a job to us. Yes, that is how we met, but since the first time we worked with Lio, we knew that you were someone special, and you found a place in all of our hearts. You are as much a part of this team as you want to be. We understand if you don't want to work with us full time quite yet, or if you don't want to work with us at all. We would love it if you would, though. Most importantly, Ale, we want you to know that if you don't end up working with us on any other job, you are still a part of this family," Nate said, Ale just staring at him. _

_She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her biggest fear was that the Leverage team was just nice to her because they felt obligated—Nate felt responsible, Eliot felt guilty, and Sophie felt sorry. Now, however, she knew that she had been accepted into something she wanted so badly to be a part of. _

_The only problem was, any family she had been a part of ended up broken._

"_Ale, are you okay?" Sophie said softly, Ale nodding._

"_I just, um, I have to meet Jason at the studio. I can't be late. Tomorrow is the big day, after all," Ale smiled standing and grabbing her dance bag and rushing out of the room, as well as the hotel suite._

"What just happened?" Nate asked, looking at Sophie.

"I think life scared her away," Sophie shrugged.

"Where in the hell is that little girl going so quickly?" Hardison asked, coming into Ale's room.

"I would assume the studio. She shouldn't be going alone, though. Grab the rest of the team and meet in the van. If Ale is walking today we will follow behind," Nate said calmly, Sophie not being able to speak.

She felt horrible that they had upset Ale. She should have known that this would happen. The family thing was probably too much, as was the offering her a lifetime job in crime and thievery. Those kinds of things take time, and Nate and Sophie had just sprung it upon her.

The team piled into the car quickly, Eliot rushing everyone. He was worried about Ale walking the streets alone.

They found her quickly, watching as she walked to the studio, her pace quicker than it usually was.

Eliot, Hardison, and Parker didn't know what had made Ale so upset, but Nate and Sophie knew, and they had a feeling that it was going to follow her all day—after all, an entire family's worth of ghosts will eventually make a lot of noise.

When Quinn got out of the shower he realized he had a missed call, a voicemail from Ale waiting on his phone.

He played it back immediately, surprised to hear sniffling on the other end.

"Sorry I called," she said quickly, trying to catch her breath. "I just…I needed to just…never mind. I wish I could figure out how to delete this damn message," Ale sighed, a soft sob escaping her lips. "I'm fine, I'm sorry I called. I hope you are enjoying your day. Love you. Talk to you later."

Quinn stood frozen in his spot, looking down at the phone. Ale hadn't been that upset around him ever. She had cried a little bit after the accident when Eliot made the comment about her family, but even that was an angry rant. This just sounded like pure sadness. It was the first time that she needed him, emotionally, and he hadn't been there—granted, he didn't know that would be happening today, but still.

Quinn immediately started packing a bag, calling the airport and getting himself a ticket on the next flight to California.

Ale needed him, and he wasn't going to let her down.

Just as Ale reached the studio the van pulled up next to her, Sophie, Nate, and Eliot getting out. They would all be at the studio today, seeing as it was the run through for the show Tonnie was having the kids put on the next night. They had been working on it for a while and had been learning the dances she was being added in and the new ones Tonnie wanted created for her all week. All of the family members were there today to help with costume changes and get assignments for the day, whether it was setting up, taking tickets, or selling concessions. Apparently, these shows were the talk of the town.

Since Sophie and Tonnie were so close, though, Tonnie wants Sophie watching the whole show so that she can tell Tonnie if lighting is off or something needs to be fixed. Sophie was actually pretty excited…she was looking forward to seeing Ale dance on stage. She had been watching a lot, but Tonnie had also pulled her away for long lunch dates and business conversations.

Ale seemed excited too. She had told Sophie that she hadn't been in a dance show since her mom died.

The rest of the team was anxious for the show, as well. Not only did they get to see what Ale had been working on, but they also were excited for the con to be done. There was a lot of setup work for this one, but it was going to be a good reveal.

It had to be, or else Ale's two weeks of hell would have been for nothing, and the team couldn't handle that if it were true.

_Ale didn't want to be so afraid if the team...she was thrilled that Nate and Sophie, as well as the rest of the team, wanted her to be with them._

_But the fear she had...it was like her nightmares. As much as she told herself that it wasn't real, and that she wasn't being sensible, it was still there. _

_Today rehearsals had been tough, bur good. Ale was loving all if the group pieces she was a part of. Her solos were also beautiful, although difficult. Her partner dances were coming together, too. She had the most dances out of anyone in the studio, but she didn't mind. As long as it was helping the con, she would do it. _

_After Ale had finished running all of her dances Tonnie walked up to her as she iced her knee and shoulder, sitting with Eliot in silence._

_"How's my star?" Tonnie asked exictedly._

_"I'm good. In getting excited. Mom and dad just went to get something to eat. They'll be right back," Ale smiled._

_"Oh good. I need your mothers opinion in what I should wear tomorrow. Your dances look wonderful, by the way. But I have one more I want you to learn. The idea came to me a few nights ago after I read this book about a girl who lost all of her family in a car accident. Great book but horribly sad. I gathered together some of the older cast, and one youngen, to be in the dance with you. You are going to be alone separated by a wall of people, it in your case dark angel men who can catch you, trying to get to your mom, dad, and little brother. Its going to be beautiful and the perfect closer before the actual finale. Don't you think so?" Tonnie smiled._

_'No,' Ale thought. 'Its not wonderful. Its going to be the worst dance ever, because I know that book, and I also understand everything that girl went through.'_

_"I cannot wait to get working," Ale smiled, biting back the fear and sadness that was still growing within her._

_She had to do this. She could do this. She would do this._

_There was no other way._

Eliot called Sophie, knowing that she and Nate had taken out their comms to have a small break from the team.

Sophie was expecting some kind of call from the younger team members, but she wasn't expecting it to be from Eliot. Her first guess would have been Ale, who would call to complain about Tonnie or Eliot. Her second guess would have been Parker, who would have been complaining about Eliot in Ale's defense. Either way, she was sure that Eliot had himself pulled together enough to not need to call her.

"Who is it?" Nate asked, putting his fork down and leaning on his elbows.

Instead of answering him Sophie put the phone on speaker, Nate's eyebrows raising when he heard Eliot's voice come over the line.

"I know you guys wanted a break," Eliot started, his voice low.

"But..." Sophie prompted, her heart beating in her chest. Nate was nervous too and took her hand across the table. After all, if Eliot was calling, it couldn't be good.

"But Tonnie is having Ale learn a new dance. Before tomorrow."

Nate and Sophie looked at each other, sighing. That girl was already having a bad day. She did not need to be worked all day and night on top of that.

"We can handle that," Nate said calmly.

"I'm not done. The dance is about a girl losing her whole family and deciding if she wants to go with them or stay on Earth. Its basically Ale's life put on the stage," Eliot sighing, "but she didn't get to choose if she went with them."

Sophie sighed, looking at Nate. She had noticed a change in him ever since Ale had been with them. He was a little more easy going and he definitely didn't go rogue, anymore. He was more worried about the team, in a good way. He was very protective over Ale, though.

This con had made Nate tired, although he would never had admitted it. Ale had been through the ringer, and he was hoping that the con would have helped her realize the team was there for her. With what happened this morning, however, he was so nervous that Ale would be broken all over again. Sophie could see it in his eyes.

"She could have chosen," Nate sighed. "She still can."

"What are we going to do?" Eliot asked, the concern evident in his voice.

"We are going to help her though it best we can and try and understand what she is going through. We can't corner her into anything, though, and if she needs space we will give it to her. This job has been a lot more difficult for her than we had planned."

"Can't we just get her out of there?" Eliot grunted. He could see the panic on Ale's face when Tonnie had described the dance. She looked miserable, not to mention how sore and tired she was.

"She needs to do this," Sophie said quietly. "She needs to feel something. She can't run away forever."

If it were up to the team, however, they would help Ale hide forever.

"_Are you sure you're okay?" one of the guys asked, holding out his hand to help Ale up from the ground._

"_I'm fine," Ale sighed, looking over to the viewing room. _

_Since there were so many people in the dance, Tonnie had moved the group into one of the big rooms. The kids had been working since that afternoon. It was now after dinner and they hadn't gotten a break. One of the younger boys was Ale's little brother, and her mom and dad were played by two of the teachers. Eight of the guys, including Jason, who were in the competitive teams acted as the barrier between Ale and her family. They barely moved from the center of the stage, and her family only danced once and a while. Ale was the main attraction, being thrown, lifted, and twirled all around. The dance was physically, and emotionally, exhausting._


	24. Author's Note

**Thank you guys so much for reading! And I'm sorry to tease you with an update that isn't actually a chapter!**

**I first wanted to let you know that I noticed chapter 6 having a lot of typos so I fixed that, as well as chapter 21. I know there are others but they are small and it is so difficult for me to fix them on here so if you could forgive those, I would much appreciate it!**

**I also want to apologize for the lack in chapter updates, but I haven't had an abundance of time to actually sit down and write a full chapter. Instead I have to work a little bit at a time. Thank you for hanging in there and I promise I am not giving up on this story…I can't get it out of my mind, and now I just need some time to get it onto paper. Thank you for your patience as well as your time to read and review. It means so much to me!**


	25. Forgiveness

"Quinn?" Hardison answered, looking at his phone as he answered.

"Hey. How is Ale?" Quinn said, sounding like he was running.

"She's tired. Why are you asking me, not her? Not that I mind," Hardison laughed, looking at the monitors. Ale was sitting at the bottom of the staircase at the studio her head resting in her lap.

"She left me a voicemail and was pretty upset. I have tried to call her back but she hasn't been able to be reached. And now I'm in LAX and I have no clue where I'm supposed to go."

"You came to California?" Hardison asked, looking at Parker across the van.

"Yes. I did," Quinn sighed. "But I don't want to be in the way of the con. I just wanted to be here…in case she needed me."

"I can get you a hotel room and a ticket for tomorrow night's performance that Ale is in, if you would like. It's going to mean a lot that you are here. She has been having a really hard time this week," Hardison sighed.

"That would be great. Thank you, Hardison. I know you have been helping her a lot this week."

Hardison cleared his throat, surprised that Ale had told Quinn about him. His job was usually invisible.

"It's been my pleasure. She deserves it."

"Yes," Quinn smiled, "She does."

"_Jane, sweetie, are you going to come upstairs?" Sophie called as she headed down from the viewing room. Ale was sitting on the bottom step, her head in her lap._

"_Mom, can we please go home?" Ale sighed, Sophie sitting down next to her._

"_No. I'm sorry, dear," Sophie said, putting a hand on Ale's back._

"_Don't touch me, please," Ale whispered. "Everything hurts."_

"_Well, we have dinner upstairs. And ice. And IB Profen. If you get up there, all of it is yours," Sophie said softly._

"_Fine," Ale scoffed. Sophie practically dragged Ale upstairs, the guys that were up there all talking to her. The one who kept trying to help, Daniel, sat down next to her on the ground._

"_I'm sorry that you got sucked into this studio," he said, looking at Ale as Eliot handed her bags of ice._

"_It's okay. It will be worth it. They are amazing dances, and there will be scouts here tomorrow."_

"_Very true," Daniel nodded. "Well, I'll let you eat and ice in peace. Enjoy."_

"_He's nice," Nate observed, handing Ale a smoothie._

"_He is very nice. And he is very good at catching people," Ale said absent-mindedly. "I'm going to go outside," Ale said, standing from her spot on the floor. Her ice packs had been taped on with athletic tape._

"_Do you want company?" Sophie asked, although she knew the answer. Ale shook her head, making her way, slowly, down the stairs. When she finally made it outside she sat down on one of the benches near the entrance. Not five minutes later was Eliot sitting on the other side of the bench._

"_I know you don't want to hear what I have to say, especially after what I said to you the night of the accident, but this isn't about me. It's about the team," Eliot said, Ale looking at him._

_She wasn't sure she wanted to listen to Eliot yell at her for whatever reason he was going to yell, but she didn't have the energy to go back into the studio. Instead she just nodded her head, motioning for him to go on._

"_I know what Nate and Sophie talked to you about this morning. And I know how much that probably scared you. It's hard to let people in when you have already lost so much. You worry that, for some reason, people are going to get hurt simply because they know you. And you are worried that you will miss them if they get taken from you and you won't be able to handle more loss. But you have to understand that the team…it will be the best thing that ever happened to you. Helping others alongside of these people who understand you…it is something else. Don't back away from the team just because you are afraid. Running from things will end up biting you in the ass," Eliot drawled._

_Ale took a deep breath, looking at Eliot, really, for the first time since the night of their fight. He looked tired, but he also had the same comfortable energy that she had always taken from him._

"_And I am truly sorry for what I said that night. I was out of line and I should have never said that. It's true that I want you to be safe, but I needed to handle myself much better than I did, and I should not have said that about your family. And I know you might not forgive me now, or ever, but I do want you to know how sorry I am that I said that," Eliot said, a little quieter than before._

"_I am sorry, too. But I think I can eventually get over it," Ale sighed, looking at Eliot. "Thank you."_

_Before Eliot could say anything back Tonnie was yelling for Jane from inside of the studio, Eliot handing Ale her comm, her immediately rolling her eyes as she heard Tonnie's voice._

"_See ya in there," Ale sighed, standing and going back to work._

Eliot watched Ale go, hoping that she would forgive him sooner rather than later. He missed her, and he wanted her to be a part of the team.

She had to be, or they wouldn't be complete.

He wouldn't be complete.

"I have a favor to ask," Nate said, leaning against Ale's doorway. After rehearsal they had gone back to the hotel, Ale immediately crashing in her room.

"What's up?" Ale asked, sitting up and putting down her phone.

"I completely bombed at CPS. I don't know enough about dance and physical development and the CPS system to actually make a point to them. I did, however, manage to get another appointment in front of a few of the agents. I was wondering if you would do the presentation to them. You know everything we need to pin down Tonnie. You were the one who could tell right away that the teachers were unsafe. So, tomorrow during your break before the show I was wondering if you would come with me to CPS and completely knock it out of the park."

Nate hated that he couldn't finish this part of the con. Everyone else had done their job superbly. Parker got in and out of the office in record time, Hardison has been collecting footage and watching the financials while record keeping, Eliot has been watching over the team and playing his part perfectly, while Sophie and Ale had been the face of the project, Ale dancing better than he could have imagined and being a better grifter than he could have wished for.

"Sure. Just let Sophie know so she can pick out an outfit. And let me know what name I am supposed to be using and if I have a background story. I will have to fill out a lot of paperwork if I am submitting a complaint," Ale said, smiling weakly at Nate.

"Excellent. Thank you, Ale."

"No problem," she nodded, looking back at her phone.

Nate went back into the living room of the suite, Sophie and Hardison being the only two still awake.

"Well, is our girl going to save us again?" Sophie asked, sipping on some wine.

"She is," Nate nodded. "I'm not so sure how much longer she is going to be saving us, though. After this morning I'm convinced she doesn't want anything to do with us," he sighed.

"Don't underestimate her," Hardison said as he started getting Ale's cover ready for the next day. "She may surprise you. She has up to this point."

"Very true, Hardison," Nate nodded. They heard Ale call for Hardison from her room, him immediately standing.

A few minutes later he came back out, a smile on his face.

"What?" Sophie asked, smiling as well.

"She just asked for a bunch of visuals for her presentation. And didn't apologize for needing them and knew I would pull through. If that isn't a part of being on this team, I don't know what is," he laughed, continuing to work on his computer, taking a swig of orange soda.

Sophie and Nate laughed as well, Hardison somehow making them not as nervous about Ale leaving than they had been all day.

"It's the big day!" Parker sang, walking into Ale's room. She was surprised to see the bed already empty and made, a note on the bed.

'_Don't panic, I didn't run away. I had to get a few things for the presentation today so Eliot and I went out to get it. He's not running or working out like he usually is. We have our comms. I will back in plenty of time to get to the studio with Sophie for the last rehearsal, then go to CPS with Nate, and be back for the show tonight'._

Parker breathed a sigh of relief. She knew how worried Ale was about being a part of the team, and a part of the family. She didn't want her backing out, even though she would have understood if she had. And if Ale had ditched, Parker knew Nate had a plan to cover for her.

But Ale was staying, at least for this job, which was a good sign.

A very, very good sign.

_It was a little weird for Ale to be with Eliot without the team, but it was mostly because they both wouldn't speak to each other and an awkward silence surrounded them._

"_I have an idea," Ale said suddenly as she walked down Main Street._

"_What's that?" Eliot said, smiling a little at Ale's abruptness._

"_Let's just pretend the fight never happened. I will be mad about it on my own time and you can stop being awkward around me and we can go back to being friends and it will be better for the team and our own peace of mind. Sound good?" Ale rambled._

"_Are you sure? Because I don't blame you if you want to be mad at me longer."_

"_I did want to be mad at you, but then you took the time to talk to me yesterday even though you knew I was mad at you all so I didn't screw something up. And that meant a lot. So I can overlook the anger."_

"_Well I will accept that deal. I would be crazy not to."_

"_Perfect," Ale smiled, nodding. _

"_So, what have I missed? Anything interesting happen in your life while I was gone?"_

"_Oh come on, Ale. I know that Sophie and Parker and Nate and Hardison had been talking to you about everything, including me, since we got in the fight," Eliot said, Ale shrugging a bit._

"_True. But they only told me about the cons. I am wondering if you watched any good chick flicks lately, or you perfected my mom's lasagna recipe yet and figured out the secret ingredient, or your sister had her baby."_

"_You remembered that Emily was pregnant? I told you that in passing once," Eliot said, a little surprised._

"_No matter how hard I try, Eliot, I don't forget what you tell me. It's like my ear has a special place for your voice to enter and trap your words. It's infuriating."_

"_Well Emily did have the baby. A little girl, Zoe. She is adorable. I've gotten a lot of pictures."_

"_Well I would love to see them, sometime," Ale nodded, smiling at the doorman as they reached the hotel once again. _

_Ale headed up to the suite, getting dressed quickly for the last round of rehearsals. _

"_Sophie, are you ready? Eliot is already downstairs," Ale called as she tied her hair into a French braid._

"_I am. Are you?" Sophie asked, watching as Ale ran around the living room. _

"_I can't find my—"_

"_Dance bag?" Hardison asked, holding up Ale's bag._

"_Yes!" Ale squealed. _

"_You seem a lot more chipper today," Sophie laughed._

"_I am always like this on show days. Ever since I was little. I get so excited. Even though these have been two weeks of hell, today it all pays off, in more ways than one. My mama used to have to take two hours to do my hair and makeup because I was so fidgety. Lio's job was to pack the car with the list I made the week before because I always forgot something. And my dad always calmed me down right before I went on. It was a full family event trying to keep me from bouncing off of the walls," Ale laughed, grabbing a banana from the counter. "Okay, let's go," she smiled, taking her bag from Hardison._

"_Knock em' dead, squirt. I'll see you after rehearsal."_

"_Thanks Hardison," Ale said, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Sophie, let's go," she sighed, pulling Sophie up from the couch. "It's show day!"_

Sophie couldn't help but laugh at Ale, the light that usually accompanied her finally returning. She was happy that Ale had talked about her family today without getting upset, and she was even happier that she didn't seem so tired and done with everything.

Once they made it down to the lobby Ale practically ran to the car, Nate looking at Sophie with raised eyebrows.

"It's show day!" Sophie sang, as if that answered everything. Eliot laughed in his seat, Nate chuckling as well.

Ale already had her headphones plugged in, rocking to the music that filled her ears.

"She forgave me today," Eliot said quietly to Sophie, Sophie nodding.

"And how does that feel?" she asked, smiling.

"I feel brighter," Eliot smiled back, sitting back in his seat, not being able to help but watch Ale as she let the music consume her.

It was beautiful, just like her.

**I know I might have changed Eliot's back story a little bit, and I will continue to. I want him to have a family to ground him, and I want him to have something to share with the team and with Ale. I hope no one is too upset about it. If you are, I'm truly sorry, but I feel that it will help strengthen Eliot as a character, as well as advance Ale and Eliot's relationship later on.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing; it means so much!**


	26. Getting Ready

"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._


	27. The Show

"You sure she's ready?" Nate asked, sitting down beside Sophie. Parker and Hardison sat beside Sophie on the other side, Eliot on the end.

"I'm sure. She looks beautiful, her costumes were already back there when Eliot dropped her off, she has her dance bag, and any makeup she might need for touch ups are in her dressing room. One of the guys, Steven, is going to help her change since they are sharing a dressing room. You can wipe that look off your face because Steven doesn't even like women so it's not a big deal. Everything is set, Nate. Stop worrying," Sophie explained, although she couldn't help but be a little nervous, as well.

"You guys, seriously, just chill out. She's right there," Parker sighed, waving at Ale, who was searching the crowd, half of her body adorned in a tutu, the other in a zip up.

_When Ale had entered her dressing room after stretching back stage with the rest of the dancers there was a huge bouquet of flowers waiting for her._

'_Knock 'em dead. Love, Dad,'._

_Ale's breath hilted in her throat as she read the note. She knew they weren't really from her father, but her mind, for just a second, had tricked her, a smile stretching across her face. Upon closer inspection Ale recognized Nate's handwriting. In small writing on the inside of the envelope Nate left another note, telling Ale that he was proud of her and that she was going to do great tonight, and he was happy that she had been a part of the team, at least for this con._

_Ale hadn't realized how much she was missing her family until that moment, the flowers catching her off guard. She was so grateful that her dressing room hadn't been empty—now when she changed in between numbers, she could at least pretend that they were from her dad._

_Ale had to thank Nate._

_After her fitting for her tutu Ale rushed into the house, searching for the team in the seats._

_She saw Parker waving so she headed to that row, all of the team looking concerned. Nate made his way into the aisle, Ale immediately wrapping her arms around his neck. _

Nate was surprised at how tightly Ale was gripping him, but he wasn't going to be the first one to let go. She obviously needed it.

"Thank you," Ale whispered.

Ale let go, tears running down her face. She hurried back to the back stage area, waving to some of the parents she knew from the studio. Nate sat back down, the team looking at him.

"What was that about?" Sophie asked, Nate shrugging.

"I sent her some flowers, but I had to sign it as her dad. I wrote a real note on the inside. Just wishing her luck."

"Her dad used to send her flowers," a voice said, sitting down next to Nate. The team, except for Hardison, was surprised to see Quinn sitting there.

"I didn't know. I wouldn't have sent them if—" Nate sad, his face dropping.

"I'm sure she loved them," Quinn smiled. "She would have hated having an empty dressing room. Hello, everyone," Quinn said, waving to the gawking row. "Eliot, if you don't want me here I understand and I will move to the very back of the theatre, but she has had a rough couple of weeks and I just want to be here in case she needs me," Quinn said, getting ready to stand.

"You should be here," Eliot nodded, Quinn breathing a sigh of relief.

The theatre darkened, the team quieting. In the darkness of the theatre Nate took Sophie's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. The curtains opened and Ale stood alone on the stage, slow music seeping in from the speakers. Ale danced a bit on her own, others slowly starting to join in. Soon, a bunch of people were on stage, the music faster and louder. When it finished the entire auditorium erupted in applause, the team some of the loudest cheerers.

As the show kept going the team was amazed with Ale. She was spectacular, and she was the best dancer on the floor. There was a Swan Lake piece where she was Odette and a bunch of young girls where her little swans, there were partner dances and group dances and fun dances and serious dances and Ale was amazing in every single one.

When it was time for the dance about the dead family, the team all held their breath. They could see a difference in Ale as she walked on stage, a little more hesitant than before.

As the music started Ale stood with her family, one of the members being ripped away slowly until Ale was alone on her side of the stage. The rest of the dance was absolutely heartbreaking, the audience feeding into it and Ale making it seem like it was so real.

To her, it was.

By the end of the piece Ale was sobbing. As the last swell of music came over the speakers Ale broke away from the barrier, running up a few of the dancer's backs only to leap away. Before the audience could see if Ale was caught by her family or not the stage went dark, the last note of the song vibrating through the room.

After a few seconds the audience erupted in cheers, the heavy curtains closing. Slowly, people began to stand up, continuing to clap.

The team sat in their seats, frozen. Nate looked to his right, Quinn's jaw clenched tightly. On his left, Sophie, Parker, and Hardison all had tears running down their cheeks. Even Eliot was moved, his chin resting in his hand, his eyes fighting against the tears that were in his eyes.

Nate found that his own cheeks were wet, as well. Eventually, he was able to pull himself from his seat, cheering just as loudly as the rest of the crowd. The curtain finally opened, the youngest kids from the studio bowing. That continued until the oldest group was bowing, Ale bowing last. She got thunderous applause, the audience standing up once again.

Tonnie then came out, the crowd cheering as well. When she started to make her thank you speech Ale went back stage, a CPS officer coming out onto the stage a second later, informing the entire room of what Tonnie had been doing. Ale then took the mic, promising that all of the family's money would be returned, and that the studio would be taken over by a wonderful, safe teacher by the name of James Kent. Tonnie was then hauled away in handcuffs, as was Jason, Ale thanking everyone for coming. The curtain closed, the audience all talking with one another about what had just happened.

"We should go get her, yes?" Sophie said, looking at Nate.

"Why don't we let Quinn go?" Eliot suggested, nodding at a very surprised Quinn.

"We'll meet you back at the hotel?" Hardison said, looking at Quinn. He nodded, standing to go back stage and find Ale.

The team, in turn, headed out to the car, going to the hotel. Nate, Sophie, Hardison, and Parker started packing while Eliot started making dessert, all of them thinking back to Ale and how amazing she was, while also hoping that she was okay. The sadness that she conveyed in the dance was pure and true, and they were hoping it wouldn't pull Ale away.

They would all miss her too much.


	28. Another Author's Note-Sorry!

**Some people have been a little upset that Ale is with Quinn, and that Quinn is getting paid to watch over Ale. To make things clear, he was only paid for the first job, and he did give that money away. The money being used to 'pay' for the times Quinn watched her after that came from the money from Buchamp, not out of any of the team's pocket. Also, once Ale was living with Quinn, he wasn't getting paid. I'm sorry if this fact confused or upset anyone, and I truly hope it doesn't turn you away from the story. If you have any other questions about the story lines or how things are working please don't hesitate to ask…it is my first time writing a fanfic and I may leave some things out on accident.**

**Thank you all who have been reading and reviewing.**


	29. Dessert

_The con had gone off without a hitch. Yes, the students were confused and the parents were enraged, but they were also surprisingly happy with the promise of a new teacher._

_Ale was cleaning up her dressing room, packing up all of the costumes while tears rolled down her cheeks. That dance had opened up a well inside of her, and while she was at peace with staying with the team, she could help but miss her family. Usually at this point in the night Lio was helping Ale clean up her stuff, telling her about the younger students that she taught and how they did on stage while also raving about her different pieces. He was always so amazed._

_There was a knock on the door of the dressing room, Ale turning around as she wiped her eyes._

_She was shocked to see Quinn leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest, a smile stretched across his face. Ale ran into Quinn's arms, his strong embrace lifting her off the ground._

_Once she knew she was safe in Quinn's arms Ale allowed herself to truly cry, sobs escaping her lips._

"_You were beautiful out there, Ale," Quinn whispered. When Ale had finally calmed down Quinn set her down, wiping some of the runny make up from under her eyes._

"_What are you doing here?" Ale asked, sniffling a bit._

"_I had to see my girl in the show," Quinn shrugged, Ale smiling._

"_I can't believe you came."_

"_I wouldn't have missed it for the world."_

_Quinn and Ale continued to pick up Ale's things, Quinn taking her back to the hotel once she had changed into some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. _

Quinn couldn't help but notice how beautiful Ale looked, her hair still done up, a sweatshirt enveloping her small frame, remnants of her stage makeup still highlighting her already beautiful green eyes.

Once they got back to the hotel Quinn and Ale headed up to the team's suite, everyone cheering when they walked in the door.

Parker was the first one to hug Ale, her compliments coming a mile a minute. As Sophie and Nate congratulated Ale Hardison paced around the room, raving about all of the different pieces Ale was in, barely able to get out complete sentences. Eventually he grabbed Ale in a hug, spinning her around.

"Truly amazing, Squirt. Really," he smiled, ruffling her hair.

Eliot, who had been working on serving up the dessert he made, couldn't help but smile from the kitchen. Ale deserved all of the praise in the world. She was amazing.

Ale walked into the kitchen as Quinn and the team started talking about the con, Ale putting the flowers Nate had gotten her on the counter.

"Well, what did ya think, cowboy?" Ale asked, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter.

"Honestly?" Eliot asked, looking over his shoulder at Ale.

She looked beautiful. He was glad that her stage makeup was gone, although the small bit of dark charcoal lining her eyes made them irresistible.

"Yes," Ale nodded, seeming to be worried.

"It was incredible. I'm sorry I kept you from it for so long," Eliot said, putting down the spoon he was using to dish out the ice cream, turning to look at Ale.

"And I'm sorry that I kept it from you. I should have been honest with you from the start. About dancing and feeling caged and Quinn."

"I didn't make it very easy," Eliot laughed, handing Ale a bowl filled with a warm brownie sundae. "Now, go eat and tell everyone else dessert is ready. It is well deserved."

"Thanks Eliot," Ale smiled, taking the bowl and going into the living room, sitting down beside Quinn.

As much as Eliot wanted to be mad at Quinn and upset with Ale, he couldn't. It was his own fault he wasn't with Ale, and he had to accept that. He wasn't going to let his emotions ruin the friendship he was rebuilding with Ale, and he wouldn't let jealousy ruin the working relationship he had with Quinn. They had already ruined enough.

Once everyone was sitting and eating dessert laughs were being shared and everyone was talking about the different dances Ale was in and the ones that she wasn't. It was nice, and the team was happy to see Ale happy as well.

"Well, I am exhausted. I should get some sleep," Ale said, standing. "Good night everyone," Ale smiled, planting a kiss on Quinn's lips, waving to everyone else as she closed herself into her room.

"She is a lovely girl," Sophie sighed.

"Is she going to join the team?" Parker asked, looking between Nate and Sophie.

"We don't know Parker," Nate said, Parker pouting a little bit.

"I'm sure she's not going anywhere, Mama," Hardison assured her, Parker smiling and curling up under his arm.

"You guys have no idea how much you mean to her. You are what got her through this week. And a lot more. She will always belong with you," Quinn said quietly.

Sophie could see the small bit of sadness in Quinn's eyes, as if he knew that he wouldn't have Ale forever. The fact that she had chosen to stay in the suite with the team instead of stay with Quinn was just one indicator, but Sophie knew that it didn't go unnoticed by Quinn, nor did it go unnoticed by the other hitter in the room.

Either way, Ale was choosing where she wanted to belong, and she had three families pulling her in very different directions.


	30. Hide and Seek

"Did you two have a nice trip?" Sophie asked, looking between Parker and Ale.

They had just returned from their two week vacation in Italy, taking time to check up on all of the kids who had gotten adopted as well as help the kids at the orphanage celebrate an early Christmas.

After the dance job there hadn't been any work, the holidays seeming to keep away conmen. Eliot decided to take the time off to see his family, Sophie went to France to shop, making a pit stop in Italy to see Ale and Parker, Nate went sailing on a boat somewhere, and Hardison went to see his Nana.

Quinn had offered to go with Ale and Parker, but then his family asked him to come visit for a while, and Ale felt so guilty that he was going to skip seeing them just to go with her that she insisted Quinn go home.

After Quinn couldn't go, Ale and Parker almost weren't allowed to go on the trip, but Hardison promised Eliot and Quinn that he would keep tabs on Ale and Parker the whole time, and that there was a very, very, very small chance that Ale's stalkers were international.

Now the team was back together to celebrate Christmas and everyone seemed refreshed.

"We had a wonderful trip. The kids are doing great. So are the boys. The orphanage is running so smoothly, and the people there are wonderful. We might have gone a little overboard on the gifts, but we just couldn't help ourselves," Ale shrugged, looking at her phone. She had been checking it religiously since she and Parker walked in the door, as if she was waiting for something.

"When is Nate supposed to be here?" Ale asked, looking at Sophie.

"He just ran out to get something for the dinner Eliot is making," Sophie said, looking at Ale with squinted eyes. "Why?"

"Nothing. I just need to talk to you guys. Preferably before Quinn gets back."

"Why?" Parker asked, wondering why she didn't know what Ale was talking about when she had just spent two weeks with her.

"Speaking of Eliot, where is he? And Hardison?" Ale asked, ignoring Parker's question.

"The kitchen downstairs. It's bigger," Sophie shrugged. Nate came through the door, Ale jumping up from her spot on the couch and giving him a hug.

"Glad to see ya, Nate. Can I talk to you and Sophie?" she said quickly, not waiting for an answer before she took Nate's hand, dragging him up the stairs while calling for Sophie to follow.

Parker suddenly had a slight idea that she knew what Ale was doing so she flew down the stairs to the kitchen of the bar, Hardison and Eliot looking at her with wide eyes.

"We got her," Parker smiled, both of the boys smiling as well.

_Back upstairs Ale sat Sophie and Nate down on Nate's bed, both of them looking at her as she paced slowly in front of them._

"_Ale, dear, you are worrying us. What is going on?" Sophie said gently, Ale taking a deep breath to talk then shutting her mouth._

"_It's best if you just let it out," Nate said, Ale nodding._

"_Do you guys remember what you talked to me about during the dancer job?" Ale said, both Nate and Sophie nodding. "Well I have thought about it. A lot. And I didn't handle it well at first. In all honesty, I was scared. You said that we were like a family, and I was afraid to be in another one after losing the one I already had. Then I talked to Eliot and actually finished the con and did something amazing all thanks to you guys and I realized that unless I jumped in with two feet I would be losing you guys anyway. So I kept thinking about it and I went on the trip with Parker and while we were there we might have done a small, simple con on our own to help out one of Parker's friends and I loved it just like I loved doing the dancer con. Yes, lieing to people isn't ideal, but they deserve it and helping people is what I'm good at and it's all I have ever known and you guys…I don't feel broken when I'm with you, and even if I do, I know you are going to pick up the pieces because we are all a little broken. So I guess what I am trying to say is that, if you will still have me, I would like to be a part of the team. Permently. I know I might not always have a job and will have to sit in the truck with Hardison or be a scout for Parker, but I don't care. I need this. And I'm ready for it—that is, if you are ready for me," Ale said, her pacing only increasing as she spoke, her words getting faster and faster until Nate and Sophie thought she would run out of breath._

"_Of course you can be a part of the team," Sophie laughed, taking in Ale's surprised expression._

"_You mean you haven't changed your mind?" Ale asked, looking at Nate and Sophie._

"_No, Ale. We haven't," Nate said, rolling his eyes a bit._

"_Well okay then," Ale nodded._

"_One more thing, Ale," Sophie said, Ale deflating a bit. "Well, two, actually. One—don't keep your feelings in. We have all learned how to be honest with each other. And two—why did you want to do this before Quinn got here?" Sophie asked, Ale nodding at the first half and freezing at the second._

"_I haven't exactly told him yet. Any time I am with him I think that I don't want to be a part of the team, but I know that that's not true. And so I wanted to tell you before I had a chance to change my mind. And now I just have to tell him," Ale said, a bit guiltily._

"_Well, good luck with that," Nate said, laughing a bit._

_Ale's phone started ringing, Quinn's name popping up on the screen._

"_Hey," Ale smiled, answering the phone while looking apologetically at Nate and Sophie._

"_Hey. Why am I standing alone in Nate's apartment?" Quinn laughed, Ale widening her eyes._

"Sophie was just showing me some of the new clothes she got on her trip and Nate was unpacking in his room. I'll be right down," Ale smiled, the lie rolling off her tongue easily.

Sophie and Nate shared a knowing look, Ale hanging up and looking at them.

"What?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Is everything alright with you two?" Sophie asked, Ale looking a bit guilty.

"It's fine," Ale sighed. "Just…different."

Ale left the room, Nate and Sophie being able to hear her laughter as Quinn was no doubt spinning her around the room in his arms as they greeted each other.

"I give them two more weeks," Sophie said, nudging Nate with her shoulder.

"I say one. Eliot has to share where was with someone, and I have a feeling Ale is the only one who really knows. The more those two talk, the less Ale feels for Quinn. The heart wants what the heart wants. Ale doesn't know it yet, but she is in love with Eliot," Nate said, standing and holding out his hand for Sophie.

Sophie put her hand in his, letting Nate pull her up from the bed, accepting his quick kiss on the lips.

"I missed you," Nate whispered, Sophie smiling.

"I missed you, too," Sophie smiled.

"_What was so important that we couldn't wait to talk about it until tonight?" Quinn asked, laughing as Ale tied her scarf tighter around her neck. She had pulled Quinn on to the balcony, wanting to tell him about her decision as soon as possible._

"_I decided that I wanted to be a part of the team," Ale sighed, looking at Quinn guiltily._

_He was silent for a few minutes, finally looking down at Ale._

"_Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked, his eyes a little hurt._

"_I'm sure," Ale nodded. "I just…I need to help people and when I help people with them…I don't know. It doesn't make me remember bad things. When I am at the studio or the hospital, I can't help but remember my family. And yeah, it is good to remember them, but I can't do it all of the time, or else I feel like I'm drowning. Does that make sense?" Ale asked, Quinn nodding._

"_I'm happy for you. And I'm going to miss you while you're gone and I'm going to worry like crazy, but I am happy that you are happy when you are with them," Quinn smiled, giving Ale a soft kiss._

_Although the words were nice, Ale could tell Quinn didn't completely mean it. There was something he wasn't telling her, and she was worried it wouldn't be anything good. For now, though, it was Christmas (kind of) and everything was perfect._

"I would like to make a toast," Nate said, raising his glass. "A while ago a girl and her brother came to me to help them bring justice to their father. I didn't listen, and I have regretted it ever since. That girl has been invaluable to our team ever since she first walked in the door. I am proud to say that Alessandra is officially becoming a part of this team, and that I am so, so happy she didn't give up on me all of the months ago," Nate said, the team cheering.

"Welcome to the team, Ale!" Parker yelled, the rest of the team nodding in agreement.

"Thanks for having me," she smiled.

Sophie could tell that Quinn was a little uncomfortable, and she was sure that her and Nate's prediction of their break up would be spot on.

The team ended up having a nice dinner, everyone exchanging gifts and watching Christmas movies on TV. Although Christmas had already passed, it felt like the real thing.

By the end of the night everyone was stuffed with food and festive feelings and their bags were packed with gifts. It had been a wonderful night, and they had a wonderful thing to celebrate—a complete team.

That was something they could celebrate forever.

"_Sophie, can I talk to you?" Ale asked softly, her voice hard to hear over the phone._

"_Of course dear. It's kind of late. Is everything alright?"_

_It was a week after the Christmas celebration and Ale hadn't known who else to call. Parker wouldn't have had any good advice, and Nate and Hardison were out of the question, as was Eliot._

"_Yes. Well, no, but I'm fine in the fact that I don't need a hospital or rescuing," Ale rambled._

_Sophie laughed on the other end of the phone, Ale sighing as she pulled her knees to her chest, flipping on the light on the table beside her._

"_Well then what is it? Out with it, Alessandra," Sophie said._

"_I had a nightmare. And when I woke up, the first thing I looked for was Eliot," Ale explained, sounding guilty._

_Sophie was silent for a few moments, Ale being able to hear her sigh on the other end of the line._

"_And I know it was a knee jerk reaction, and I was just confused and old habits die hard, but once I realized that Quinn was with me I felt…disappointed."_

"_And did Quinn help you through your nightmare?" Sophie asked hesitantly._

"_He didn't even wake up," Ale sighed. "I'm a horrible person, right? For being disappointed that a great guy was sleeping right next to me and I wanted a different one to sit on the couch with me and watch chick flicks until I wasn't afraid anymore?"_

"_Ale, you are not a terrible person. Sometimes we don't know what we want until it's gone," Sophie said softly._

"_But I don't know if I want Eliot. I just…"_

"_Don't want Quinn? Ale, Eliot helped you through a lot of your nightmares. It's natural to want him around when you have one. It's familiar. But, the disappointment with Quinn, and the fact that you felt guilty for wanting to be a part of the team because you were worried that if you didn't spend every minute with Quinn you wouldn't like him anymore—"_

"_I never said that," Ale interrupted._

"_You didn't have to, Ale. Those things…they show that you don't want to be with Quinn anymore. And it's okay to not want to be with him."_

"_But what am I supposed to do?" Ale asked._

"_You tell him. Quinn is a good guy. He will understand. And you move in with Nate, or me, or with Hardison, or back with Eliot. I'm sure Parker has a sleep harness for you to hook up somewhere at her place. We are a team and we are here for you."_

"_Thank you, Sophie. I didn't know who else to call. And I searched through all of the letters my parents wrote me, and none of them had a description of this situation on the front."_

_Sophie laughed, clearing her throat._

"_So, are you going to talk to Quinn?" Sophie asked, Ale sighing._

"_Yes. Tomorrow morning."_

"_You are more than welcome to come over afterwards."_

"_Thank you, Soph," Ale whispered._

"_Don't mention it," Sophie smiled back, hanging up._

"So, what do I get for guessing correctly?" Nate asked, kissing Ale's shoulder as she hung up with Ale.

"You get to see what I bought while I was in Italy," Sophie smiled.

"Is it a big bag? Nate asked, Sophie laughing.

"It's very, very little," she answered, Nate laughing as well.

"Glad to hear it."

"_I'm sorry," Ale sighed._

"_Stop apologizing. I was feeling the same way, actually. We just weren't clicking anymore. I get it," Quinn said taking Ale's hands. _

"_But I want us to work," Ale whispered, a couple of tears falling from her eyes._

"_So do I. But we can't force it. So, we stay friends and know that we are there for each other and if, sometime down the road we are missing what we had, we can come back. If not, at least we had what we did for a while and we came out of it with a good friendship," Quinn said softly, wiping the tears from her eyes._

"_Why are you so nice?" Ale laughed, Quinn kissing her forehead._

"_Because I'm perfect in every way. Remember that when you're missing me," he joked, Ale laughing again._

"_I will," Ale nodded, sighing when her phone rang. "I'm sorry," she apologized, answering immediately._

"_You tricked me," a voice hissed, Ale freezing in her place, the smile vanishing from her lips. "I will find you, my love," the voice said again, Ale trying to remind herself to breathe._

The change in Ale had been immediate, her face becoming pale and her hand squeezing Quinn's. Quinn got out his phone, calling Hardison.

"What's up, my man?" Hardison asked, video games blasting in the background.

"Hardison, track Ale's phone. Now. She's on the phone and we need to know with who," Quinn whispered, keeping his eyes on Ale.

"Forget it," Ale whispered, putting her phone down. "He's gone."

"What is going on?" Hardison asked, his side of the phone much quieter than it was.

"Call a meeting at Nate's," Quinn said, giving Ale's hand a reassuring squeeze. "With everyone."

"Yes sir," Hardison said, his heart beating in his chest. He had a bad feeling about whatever had just happened, and he almost didn't want to know why Quinn sounded so worried. If he was worried, it must be bad.

By the time Ale and Quinn arrived at Nate's the entire team had heard Hardison's side of the story five times, all of them trying to figure out what was going on.

When Ale and Quinn came into the apartment they had luggage with them, Sophie immediately recognizing it at Ale's stuff.

"What is going on?" Nate asked, taking in Ale's shaken appearance. Ale handed her phone to Hardison, sitting down on the couch without looking at any of the team members.

"Ale and I were talking this morning," Quinn started, Ale tucking her knees into her chest. The team could see that Ale was upset and they were confused at why Quinn wasn't comforting her. Well, Nate and Sophie knew, but the rest of them didn't. When Parker realized that Quinn wasn't going to help Ale she shot him the death glare, going to sit next to Ale on the couch, putting a supportive arm around her shoulders.

"And she answered her phone without looking at the caller ID," Quinn continued, Ale nodding. "We think the people watching her were the ones that called."

"What did they say?" Sophie asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"He said that I tricked him. And that he would find me," Ale said, her voice shaking. "'I will find you my love'" Ale sighed. "That's exactly what he said."

The team all looked at one another, anger and worry running through them.

"How did he figure it out?" Parker asked softly, everyone looking at Hardison.

"I don't know," he mumbled, guilt overtaking him.

The team was quiet for a few minutes, Ale suddenly standing and walking over to Hardison.

"There was a power outage last night," Ale said simply. "I woke up last night with a nightmare, and the clock on the stove was wrong. I know you backed up the computer and everything so that the video stream would be right, but maybe he was watching and there wasn't a power outage in the film when there should have been. If, for any reason, the video showed me still being awake, the lights should have flickered," Ale said, Hardison looking at her with wide eyes.

"You are right," Hardison sighed. "I can't believe I didn't think of this ahead of time."

"It's not your fault," Ale smiled weakly.

"So what do we do?" Sophie asked, looking at Quinn, Eliot, and Nate.

"I think Ale should move back in with Eliot," Quinn said, Eliot looking surprised. "We…"

"We broke up this morning and I was going to ask to stay with Hardison, but with this happening-"

"Absolutely," Eliot nodded, interrupting Ale, his heart still pounding in his chest. He was furious that someone had called Ale and upset her as much as they did. It wasn't right.

"And I need a new phone to keep with me. We can forward all calls to the new one, but keep the tracker in the old one and plant it somewhere. If whoever is watching me hasn't tried to find me yet, we obviously know that he is basically a creep and likes watching me. We need to give him more of that power or he's going to be angry. I don't know how to do that, but it needs to happen. Maybe I need to start going back to the house, I don't know. I just…I never want to hear that voice again," Ale shuddered, the team nodding.

"I'm going to go. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Quinn said, moving towards the door. Ale walked over to him, giving him a hug.

"Thank you. I'll talk to you soon okay? I'll let you know what we decide and if anything else comes up."

"Or if you just need to talk," Quinn whispered, Ale nodded.

"I know," she smiled. Quinn left, Ale locking the door behind him.

_Ale looked back at the team, all of them starting to plan what they should do. With them around, Ale had nothing to worry about. _

_Her new family would take care of her—she just knew it._


	31. Next to Normal

When Eliot woke up he was surprised to see Ale laying on the floor at the foot of his bed. She had a blanket pulled over her, completely dead to the world. Eliot sighed, climbing out of bed.

The team had been up late the night before, trying to figure out how to keep Ale safe. Ale was pretty quiet during the whole ordeal, not really saying much. They had eventually called it a night, Ale looking exhausted and Sophie reminded them that she still had to move back into Eliot's.

Ale was hesitant to go to bed that night, unpacking every last bit of her luggage before she finally went to bed. After she had gone to her usual room Eliot had called Quinn, making sure he was really okay with the arrangement and okay with the break-up.

"She doesn't love me any more like that," Quinn had said simply. "I will always care for her, but it's time for me to move on, too," he had simply.

When Eliot had finally gone to sleep he was exhausted.

He wanted to know if Ale had moved into his room simply because she felt unsafe or if she had had a nightmare. Either way, he felt badly that she had spent the night on the floor. He thought about moving her back into her room, but thought better of it. Instead, he climbed back into his bed and pretended to be asleep until Ale woke up and snuck out of the room.

If she needed him, she would wake him or talk to him. He couldn't treat her like he did last time or he would lose her all over again.

_When Ale crept into Eliot's room for the fifth night in a row she was surprised to see an air mattress set up where she usually set up her blankets. Ale smiled to herself, wondering how long Eliot had known she was sleeping there._

"What do you want to do today?" Eliot asked, watching Ale as she came down the stairs. It was the first day in a week that they weren't expected to be at Nate's, and Eliot wanted to utilize it to the best of his ability.

"Let's just stay here," Ale shrugged.

She was different than she was before she moved out to be with Quinn, and since she had done the job. She didn't have the same fire she usually did, and she wasn't bouncing off of the walls.

All of the team had noticed it.

She was afraid.

"Ale, you are telling me that after a week of being holed up in this apartment and Nate's, that you don't want to do _something_ with your time? You used to bounce off of the walls," Eliot said, Ale sighing as she sat down in the arm chair in the living room.

"I just don't feel like going anywhere," she shrugged, Eliot rolling his eyes.

"Really?" he grumbled, Ale nodding.

"Really."

"That's bullshit," Eliot said, Ale looking at him with wide eyes.

"I am afraid, okay? I don't want him watching me, and I don't even know who he is, and it's just safer to stay inside away from cameras and people and stalkers and real life. You were right the first time we did this. Staying secluded is the safest thing," Ale rambled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Eliot walked over to Ale, sitting down on the coffee table in front of her.

"Ale, I shouldn't have brain washed you the first time. You have to understand that the people I used to protect had an army of men looking for them. Anyone on the street was a hitman, and you had to hope that none of them had the target you were protecting. I shouldn't have treated you like those people. We do have to be careful, but I should have been a little more reasonable the first time around. And it's okay to be afraid, but you know that I will not let anything happen to you, and neither will the team. That man who called you, and who made you afraid to sleep in your own room and go outside, he's not getting near you. Do you understand?" Eliot said, softly but firmly, Ale nodding softly.

"Good. Now, where do you want to go?" Eliot asked, Ale smiling a bit.

"I would like to go ice skating. And then it would be nice if we could possibly visit some of my friends in the hospital," she sighed, Eliot nodding.

"Sounds good to me," he smiled, Ale smiling back.

She went upstairs, probably to get ready. While she got dressed Eliot pulled out his phone, Hardison picking up the other end quickly.

"Everything alright?" Hardison asked, his mind immediately going to the worst possible scenario.

"Yeah. Ale finally wants to go do something. We are going ice skating and then to the hospital. Keep an eye on the cameras that are on the path of my tracker. I'll have my comm and I'm going to call Quinn and see if he will be a back-up security, unless you think that's too much," Eliot said. He didn't want to be as overpowering as he was the last time he was in charge of Ale's safety. His team hated him and so did Ale. He had to remember that it was a group effort, and that Ale was all of theirs to protect.

"I think that if she is that afraid of going out she wouldn't mind at all. Thanks for keeping me in the loop, man," Hardison smiled, glad that Eliot was already being better about the whole situation.

Eliot hung up, calling Quinn.

"What are you up to today?" Eliot asked, Quinn telling him he was completely free, but not before he made sure Ale was okay. "That's what I am calling about. Would you mind being our tail today? Or you can take her out and I'll follow behind. She is just…she's really freaked out, and I think after today she will be okay, but I don't want to promise her it will be fine and the first time we set foot outside the house something to go wrong."

"I'll trail behind. Let's just make one thing clear, though," Quinn said seriously, Eliot holding his breath. "I will not be taking any money for this or anything else that you need concerning Ale. She is my friend, and so are you. I would do anything to protect her, and I don't need a salary to do so."

"I get that now," Eliot said quietly, watching the stairs for any sign of Ale. "Thanks, man," Eliot smiled, Quinn hanging up.

Ale came down the stairs not two minutes later, looking adorable in her layers upon layers of clothes. Although she was wearing at least five layers, she still looked adorable and so small.

"Ready?" Eliot asked, Ale nodding. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, Eliot putting on his coat.

"I'm not going to lie," Ale said, looking at Eliot as he locked the door to the apartment. "I am really, really nervous, even though I know I shouldn't be."

"The first time is hard," Eliot shrugged. "It's okay to be a little nervous. But…"

"But you aren't going to let anything happen to me."

"Right. And I have back up," Eliot smiled, Ale looking at him with squinted eyes. "Just trust me."

"Always did," Ale nodded, wrapping her arm in Eliot's.

Eliot smiled, glad to have Ale back. This time, though, he wasn't going to mess it up—

He hoped.

*****  
"How are you such a good ice skater?" Eliot asked, looking at Ale.

"I used to want to be a figure skater, so when Lio went to hockey practice my papa used to let me skate around in the second rink and practice turning and jumping. I was horrible for a long time, but I was a good skater, so I would just do laps. Eventually I gave up the dream of being a figure skater and skated for speed. It was good cardio exercise, considering I hate running."

"You hate running?" Eliot asked, taking off his skates.

"Yes. But I do it because it is necessary for my health," Ale sighed, rolling her eyes. "Lio would drag me along with him and now I feel out of whack if I don't do it but I hate it when I do it. I'm fickle," Ale shrugged. "Did you learn to skate from hockey?" Ale asked, Eliot nodding.

"How'd you know?"

"The way you move," Ale shrugged again. "I bet you were pretty good on the ice," Ale said, putting her skates in her bag putting on a couple of her jackets.

"I wasn't too bad," Eliot laughed. "Ready for the hospital?"

"The real question is…are you?" Ale said looking at Eliot with raised eyebrows.

"I think I can handle it."

Eliot could handle the hospital, but it was exhausting, and he couldn't handle it like Ale could.

She was…amazing. She helped all of the nurses help the kids, even when they had to be lifted out of wheelchairs and when they were throwing up and crying and yes, Eliot was good with kids, but there were so many. And Ale was good with all of them.

"What time is it?" Ale asked, holding one of the children on her hip.

"Song time!" the kids all squealed, making a circle on the floor. Ale sat at the head of it, the kids asking her where her guitar was today.

"I don't have it today," Ale laughed. "So we are going to make the music with our voices and our hands."

Ale led the kids in song, all of them smiling and laughing as they sang with her. When it was time for the kids to go back to their rooms Ale made sure to give a hug and kiss to each and every one of them.

"Did you have fun?" Ale asked once the room was clear of children. Eliot and Ale were picking up the room a little, putting the crayons back in their boxes and stacking the coloring books together.

"I did, actually," Eliot nodded, watching as Ale drew a picture on the whiteboard in the room.

"I'm glad. They are amazing kids," Ale sighed, putting away all of the markers she was using.

"And did you have fun today?" Eliot asked, handing Ale her coats.

"Yes. I did. Thank you. I was worried for nothing," Ale shrugged.

"It'll be good. Now we can have more field trips without you being so stubborn."

"Since when did you want to start going all over town?" Ale asked, laughing as she waved to the nurses and doctors as she walked past.

"Since I realized how much you could be missing if you don't explore," Eliot shrugged. "Nate invited us for dinner. Do you want to go?"

"Well, we are already out. We might as well," Ale smiled.

While they walked Eliot sent a text to Quinn, letting him know that they were all set for the rest of the day.

"Are you ever going to tell me who your back up was today?" Ale asked, looking at Eliot.

"No. We aren't going to have any more. It was just for the first day out. I didn't want to jinx myself."

"Well thanks for that," Ale nodded. "And thank you for today."

"You are more than welcome," Eliot drawled, opening Ale's door for her to the truck.

"_You slept in your own room last night," Eliot stated, Ale sitting down at the counter._

"_I did," Ale nodded._

"_And?"_

"_And I was good. I think getting out of the house yesterday helped me. And I'm 90% sure that the allergy medicine I took last night was actually cold medicine and it knocked me out," Ale shrugged._

_Eliot laughed, handing Ale a cup of coffee._

"_And why didn't you read the bottle?"_

"_Because I had already taken out my contacts. Don't question me," Ale sighed, taking a sip of her coffee._

"_You remembered how I like it," Ale smiled, looking at Eliot. _

"_Yes. I did. I didn't know, however, that you wore contacts."_

"_Funny story about that. I can see general shapes so when I take off my contacts I can generally get by. No reason for the glasses."_

"_There is obviously a need for the glasses, Ale, if you mixed up cold medicine with allergy medicine," Eliot chuckled, Ale shrugging. _

"_Whatever. I guess I will make a better effort to actually see what is going on around me," Ale shrugged._

"_That's all we can ask, darlin'," Eliot said, laughing again._

_After breakfast Ale and Eliot got ready for the day, having to meet at Nate's apartment after lunch._

_Ale decided on wearing her glasses today, her eyes still watery from her allergies. _

When Ale found her way back downstairs, Eliot couldn't help but notice how cute Ale looked in her glasses. The thick, tortoise shell frames looked like something out of the nineties, but Ale still looked wonderful in them.

"Why are you smiling?" Ale sighed, crossing her arms across her chest.

"You look cute," Eliot shrugged.

"Don't tease," Ale laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious," Eliot huffed, handing Ale her coat.

_Ale smiled to herself, glad that their relationship was kind of back to normal. She had missed it—she had missed him._


	32. Packing

"I like the new look, Squirt," Hardison smiled, looking up from his computer.

"It's temporary," Ale sighed, letting Eliot take her jacket off. "I am battling a slight bout of allergies and my eyes are not agreeing with contacts."

"You wear glasses?" Nate asked, walking down the stairs.

"No," Eliot answered. "She walks around blindly most of the time."

"It was one time," Ale laughed, sniffling a bit.

"Are you sick?" Nate asked, the team sighing.

"You already missed all of this, Nate," Parker whined, plopping down on the couch next to Ale, handing her a tissue. "Now, let's get one with this. Ale probably wants to go home."

"Parker, I'm really fine," Ale whispered.

"_I_ want to go home so that I can finish working on the new harness system that I am creating. If you fake sick we can get out of here," Parker whispered back, practically pleading with Ale.

"Do you really feel that badly?" Sophie cooed, looking over at Ale.

"Apparently I do," Ale nodded, Parker breathing a sigh of relief.

"Well then let's make this quick," Nate nodded, Hardison turning on the monitor.

"There is a church down in Georgia where the congregation leader was just arrested for selling drugs."

"I don't see how that's our problem," Eliot grumbled, handing Ale a cup of tea. "Drink that."

"You aren't supposed to interrupt," Parker warned, wanting to get the show on the road.

"Thank you, Parker," Nate nodded, continuing. "One of the members of the congregation called and they are suspicious about the way things are being handled there. And they want us to investigate. It's not a huge lead, but a lead nonetheless," Nate shrugged.

"And why are we going if there isn't anyone to con?" Sophie asked patiently, Nate sighing.

"There are still a lot of drugs being sold around the area, despite the fact that the apparent drug dealer is behind bars. The person who contacted me is also claiming that the reverend is innocent."

"Who contacted you?" Ale asked, sniffling again. Parker handed her another Kleenex, Sophie smiling at the two of them.

"Mrs. Greenfield. The reverend's mother," Nate winced.

"So we are going to go all the way to Georgia because a man's mother believes he's innocent."

"Yes," Nate nodded. "We don't have any other jobs, and this one will be pretty simple."

"It's never simple when there are drugs involved, Nate. You know that," Eliot sighed.

"Well, it will be. Be ready to go by seven tonight, alright? Sophie has your covers and will help you with your packing."

Nate went upstairs, Sophie handing out a piece of paper to the remaining team members. Ale read hers over, sighing.

"Why am I playing a kid? Again?" Ale sighed.

"People trust parents more. Plus, if Nate is playing the new reverend, then he needs the perfect family to seal the deal. Or in this case, the perfect daughter. Single dads are even more trustworthy," Sophie shrugged.

"Fine," Ale sighed. "I have a lot of packing to do. Are you ready, Eliot?"

"Did you finish your tea?"

"Not yet," Ale sighed again.

"Then we aren't leaving."

"Can I at least go?" Parker asked, moving over to the door.

"Yes, Parker, you can go," Eliot laughed.

"See ya later Ale! Thank you!" Parker called, running out the door.

After Ale finished her tea she and Eliot went back to the apartment, Eliot packing quickly. Once he was done he went into Ale's room to see her surrounded by clothes, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Sophie, can you just trust me on this. Please?" Ale begged, stepping over a pair of shoes. Ale hung up the phone, turning to see Eliot.

"What are you doing?" Eliot asked, Ale sighing.

"I had certain ideas about what to pack and then Sophie called me with her ideas and so I was making piles and now I just have a mess."

"Want some help?"

"You want to help me pick out clothes?" Ale asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I am from the south, darlin', and I might have an idea of how a good girl should dress."

"I didn't think you knew what a good girl was," Ale teased, sitting down on her bed.

"I'm not having this conversation," Eliot growled, starting to root through Ale's clothes around the room. As he turned around to ask her a question Eliot quickly saw that Ale was asleep, curled on a ball on top of her sheets. Eliot laughed, pulling a blanket over her. As he finished packing he made sure to stay quiet, not wanting to wake Ale.

When her phone rang, he went over to the nightstand to silence it. He noticed that the number was unknown so he ignored it and let it go to voicemail, the coward not leaving a message. Eliot erased the call from the cell phone's history, not wanting Ale to be upset by it.

After that he finished packing, turning off Ale's night after placing a kiss on her head.

He was so, so happy that Ale was back with the team. It just seemed right that way.

LIFE GOES ON

"_You honestly look amazing," Sophie smiled, opening her arms for Ale._

"_Thanks. I had some help," Ale smiled, looking over at Eliot. He was currently taking all of the luggage out of the truck, to load it into the airport._

_Ale was adorned in a yellow dress, the top tight and a cap sleeve, the bottom flaring out in a bell shape. Ale had high heels on and her hair was perfectly blown out._

"_I didn't help with anything except picking out the dress. You did the hair and makeup. I don't do that," Eliot growled. Ale laughed, taking a couple suitcases in her hands._

_The rest of the team showed up then, Hardison passing out new comms—apparently they were better._

"_Let's get this show on the road," Nate said, clapping his hands together. Ale couldn't help but laugh, his priest's outfit looking very…professional._

"_Wow, Dad, you look great," Ale laughed. Together the pair looked perfect, like they were made for a congregation down south._

"_I hope this works. This collar is very restricting," Nate complained, Ale laughing again._

"_This was your idea. No complaining."_

Nate smiled, glad that Ale was part of the team. It just seemed right that way.


	33. Son of a Preacher Man

**AN: I first of all want to apologize profusely for the extremely long and unacceptable break that I took between chapters. There is no good excuse, and I will try my best to not have it happen again.**

**On the plus side, while I was getting comfortable at University, dealing with some health issues, as well as large amount of school work and writer's block, I have been working on parts of Ale's story with the team. **

**I have found momentum with this specific plot line, though, and I will be hopefully be updating much more often. **

**Once again, I am so sorry for the delay. It certainly was not my intent to let the story go without update for so long. Thank you for all who are still following Ale and the team, and I appreciate your support.**

**Truly.**

_Ale wasn't sure how Nate was going to pull off the church service. As the new reverend, it was extremely important that he make a good impression on the congregation. The problem, however, was that Nate was going to have to not only sound like he knew what he was talking about, but he would also have to win over an already skeptical and angry group of people. _

_She was almost positive that it would be one of the single most hilarious things she had ever seen._

Sophie could tell Nate was a bit nervous. Religion had always been something that Nate wavered on. She was surprised that Nate had chosen to be on the front lines of this one, at all. That said, Sophie also knew that Nate could convince people of anything, especially those who are afraid or confused.

As the sermon got underway, the team could clearly see Nate failing…miserably. At some point during the service Ale had a cough attack, excusing herself to the back room. When Nate went to introduce Ale as his daughter, music started playing behind him. Suddenly, Ale was standing on the altar, the church's choir behind her. Ale looked at Nate, smiling as a dutiful daughter would.

Ale launched into song, the choir backing her up beautifully. By the end of the piece, the entire congregation was on its feet, singing and praising right along with Ale. She sounded amazing, and her voice and message was so pure that it made the rigid church goers loosen up.

After Ale finished Nate formally introduced Ale, and then launched into the story of their family and how they came here. It was Nate's 'honesty' that seemed to win over the crowd. After the service Nate and Ale wandered around, introducing themselves to all of the guests.

Everyone told Nate how brave he was for taking care of Ale on his own, and all of them commended Ale on her voice and made sure to tell her how beautiful she was.

Once the church was empty Eliot, Hardison, Sophie, and Parker all filed back into Nate's office. Their church clothes were gone, but their smiles still intact.

"Ale, you are exceptional!" Sophie squealed, pulling Ale into a hug. The rest of the team agreed, raving about how she saved the day.

"_Nate did a good job too once he got his head out of his ass," Ale smiled, slipping off her high heels. She had been schmoozing and playing the part of a preacher's daughter since they had stepped onto their flight and she was exhausted._

Eliot could tell Ale was tired, but she was happy. She was a part of the team now, and it suited her well. Eliot was amazed with Ale and her performance earlier in the day. She was ingenious and had gotten Nate off to a great start, which was the largest part of the battle.

"So, what is the next step?" Sophie asked, looking at Nate. "You had a successful first couple of hours here. How do you plan on figuring out who is really responsible for selling drugs?"

"That's a good question. First things first is checking into our rental house for our stay. Then we figure it out," Nate shrugged.

For not having a plan, he was extremely calm. For some reason, he had complete faith that everything would work out well. That the team could do it. He didn't see the need for a plan, at least not this time.

LIFE GOES ON

_Ale was picking up some stray bibles in the pews, waiting for Nate to bring the car around. Sophie, Eliot, and Parker had already headed to the house to make sure they weren't seen with Nate and Ale. _

_Ale was humming along to the song she was just singing when she heard footsteps in the aisle._

"_Can I help you?" Ale asked, turning to the source of the sound. A boy a little older than Ale's supposed age leaning against one of the pews, his hands in his pockets._

_Ale could easily tell that he had been at the service, but that he was no good Christian guy. He didn't buy into religion, skepticism and exhaustion with faith pouring off of him._

"_It sucks, doesn't it?" he said, Ale ignoring the voices in her ear. _

"Who is in there?" Eliot growled, Sophie asking as well.

"Ale unless you figure out who this is I can't tell you how to handle him," she chirped.

They were silenced, however, when Ale spoke.

"_You mean smiling for the crowd? Yeah. It does," Ale scoffed. "How do you know about the good life?" Ale asked, leaning against the pew she was standing near._

"_My dad was the old pastor here. But then he, you know," the guy shrugged, looking Ale up and down._

"_Yeah. I do. I'm sure you didn't come here to talk to me about how that made you feel though," Ale teased, the guy laughing._

"_No. I came to invite you out. I know a tired preacher's kid when I see one. And they usually aren't as hot as you. So I'll pick you up tonight, at your house, wherever that may be, and we can go raise a little hell."_

Sophie, Nate, Eliot, Parker, and Hardison were shocked. They had no clue how Ale knew how to handle him without even knowing him. Hardison was working to find anything he could about the boy, although he had a feeling Ale didn't need any information.

She seemed to have him figured out.

"_First of all, I don't even know your name. And second of all, if you are going to take me out, you are going to have to pass the Holy Father test."_

"_I'm Alex. And bring it on, church girl. I've been passing it my whole life," Alex winked, Ale pretending to be enticed._

"_See you tonight, then," Ale smiled, sighing with relief._

_Once Alex left Ale's com went crazy, everyone asking her a million questions. To be honest, Ale had no clue how to answer them—she was just as confused as the rest of them._

Ale met Nate in his office, neither one of them saying anything as they drove to the house. Nate was unsure what to say, as he was both pleased and shocked with how well Ale did. And he was also a little shocked with the new player in the game. He was not expecting the son to be a factor in the whole scenario.

Once they got to the house Ale immediately went inside, sitting down next to Hardison as he started telling the team everything he knew about the boy.

"What I don't understand," Ale sighed, finally slipping off her heels and looking relaxed for the first time all day. "Is why he would even care I'm here. If he hates church so much, and he is as sick of religion as I think he is, why would he still show up today?"

"That's what you need to find out," Nate shrugged, speaking for the first time since the team had left the church. "Let's steal us a preacher's son."


	34. The Date

"So, you want to go out with my daughter," Nate sighed, sitting down on the couch. Alex had, sure enough, shown up at the house, despite the fact that Ale didn't give him the address.

"I do, sir. I heard her song today in church, and with everything going on, it just really spoke to me. And after hearing your sermon and your story, what with Ale losing her mom and all, I just thought that she could help me through this tough time. And she could help me let God get me through this tough time," Alex sighed.

Ale, Sophie, Parker, and Hardison were all in Ale and Parker's room, listening in on the conversation while Ale finished getting ready.

"This boy is good," Sophie smiled.

"If I didn't know any better I would say he was a grifter himself," Hardison laughed, handing Parker another lock to jimmy open.

"Well, it should be an interesting evening, that's for sure," Ale shrugged, tying a ribbon into her hair. On the outside she looked like the perfect preacher's daughter, but underneath her dress was an outfit that would make a bad boy like Alex drool.

At least, that was Sophie's plan.

The team had decided that Alex was a good way into the behind the scenes of the church and to get a better idea of who could possibly be behind the drug scandal. He seemed like the type of boy to know things, and the team was eager to learn what he knew.

_Ale was a little nervous for the plan. She had never been a rule breaker (except for little incurrences, like pranks and stuff like that). She was sassy as a teenager, but never rude or deliberately bad. In fact, she was a saint compared to the other kids in her class. Now, however, she was being forced to play a little hellion, and she wasn't sure she could pull it off. _

Eliot was waiting in a rented car, being on watch the entire night. He was supposed to follow Ale and Alex, just to make sure everything was safe.

He was a little leery of the plan, as well. He wasn't sure if he wanted Ale going around with this kid. He was only twenty two but he acted like he was much older, and although Ale was a couple years older he was much bigger and much more, well, experienced.

Still, Eliot didn't want to ruin the good relationship he and Ale were building again so he kept his objections to himself and let Ale decide if she was okay with the plan. And when she did, he would make sure that she was safe, just like he would for all of the other teammates.

He would also make sure that this Alex character wasn't trouble. Well, more trouble than Ale could handle.

_Ale made her way downstairs, Sophie giving her a few last words of encouragement before she went on her way._

_Upon entering the living room Nate stood, Ale dutifully going to accept his kiss on the cheek. _

"_Do you know this young man, Grace?" Nate asked, Ale sitting down beside him on the couch._

"_Alex Greenfield. I met him today. He is very sweet. And very in need of help, I believe," Ale said softly, smiling coyly at Alex._

"_And that's why I would love the honor of taking your daughter out this evening. Just a simple dinner. Possibly a walk in the park after," Alex shrugged, Ale pretending to hide a laugh._

"_I guess that would be alright," Nate nodded hesitantly._

"_Thank you, Father," Alex nodded, shaking his hand. Ale gave Nate a kiss on the cheek, allowing Alex to lead her out of the house. _

"Alright Eliot, they are heading your way. Let's figure this out, shall we?" Nate sighed, finally taking off his collar.

It was sure to be an interesting night.

LEVERAGE

Eliot watched as Ale and Alex exited the front of the house, Ale immediately taking the ribbon out of her hair, her long locks falling into voluptuous curls. Alex seemed a little surprised, taking the ribbon Ale handed to him. She then ripped off her sundress, a pair of daisy dukes and a tank top revealed. Ale made a few more modifications to her look, the tank top coming off and a sequined top with a swooping back covering her frame. While Ale transformed into something completely opposite from the church girl she had been playing, Alex watched, dumbfounded. For one last measure of surprise, Ale sipped off the bra she was wearing through the sleeve of her shirt, tossing that and all of her other clothing items into the bushes and pulling out a pair of cowgirl boots.

Ale looked like anyone's dream girl. Eliot had remembered many girls wearing outfits like Ale was wearing right now in his lifetime, but she was the only one who could pull it off without looking like a complete, well, slut. Instead, she revealed just enough to keep people interested, but not enough to reveal everything.

It was…well, a little distracting.

Alex also seemed to be happy with the way Ale looked, him standing stricken on the street.

"Well, church boy, are you going to take me out for this enchanting evening or is this outfit going to go to waste?" Ale said seductively, her voice coming clearly through comms.

"Nice job, Ale," Sophie smiled, happy with Ale's performance. "Now, keep it up."

Nate and Parker decided to take out their coms, as this part of the evening didn't really involve them.

Sophie, however, was extremely interested in how Ale was handling her little date. And how Eliot was handling the date.

It sure would be interested.

LEVERAGE

_When Ale and Alex got to the bar, it already had a line outside its door._

"_Ready to have a good time?" Alex whispered, Ale taking a deep breath. She hadn't been in an actual club like this in a long time._

_Well, she had gone to dance clubs with Quinn, but that was different. This was bar, with a lot of drinking and a lot of loud music. She was 23 and kind of over the whole scene. In fact, she had never been into the scene. She had always been taking care of her family. She never had the desire to go and be wild._

_Except for when she got her tattoos. But that was different._

"_Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Alex asked, glancing down at Ale. _

"_I'm extremely positive. The real question is, are you ready to go through with this?" Ale asked, taking a deep breath as Alex got them to the front of the line and into the club. _

_With the music blaring and people all around them dancing and drinking, Ale was sure she could find something out about Alex. _


	35. Just a Kiss

Eliot made his way into the club easily, immediately seeing Ale on top of a table, dancing with a line of other girls. There were men crowded around the bar, all of them handing the girls shots.

Ale was the most attractive girl up there, and the guys were taking notice. Ale was only gving Alex her attention, and he was definitely enjoying it. When the song ended Ale let Alex help her down from the bar, wrapping her legs around his waist.

It was difficult to see Ale act like girl who couldn't control herself. It wasn't like her at all. She was convincing, though, and Alex was definitely enjoying her attention.

"And now, open mic night. The hottest, best singer will walk away with a free round of drinks. Ladies, get your asses up here and sing!" the announcer said over the mic, Eliot finding a booth to sit in.

"I say you do the competition," Alex said, looking at the stage.

"I don't know. Those girls are all really sexy," Ale sighed.

"Come on, I'm sure daddy wouldn't approve," Alex whispered in her ear, Ale planning a kiss on his lips.

"You're right. He wouldn't."

Eliot watched as Ale made her way up the stage, talking to the MC. It was clear that all of the guys' attention was on her. And Eliot wasn't exactly keen on the idea. Alex, on the other hand, seemed extremely pleased. He was proud that the girl he brought was the one grabbing attention.

Once Ale was on stage the crowd began making catcalls, Ale seeming to seep it up. As she sang and shimmied around the stage, she was the perfect mix between sassy and sexy, her voice sounding perfect and her performance enticing. The audience was enraptured.

Eliot couldn't look away.

_Once Ale was done singing the crowd erupted in cheers, Alex offering Ale his hand to help her down from the stage._

"_How was that?" Ale smiled, putting her hands on her hip. Alex looked a little surprised, Ale simply laughing._

"_Are you going to buy me a drink or am I going to have to dance up on that bar again?" she said, Alex shaking his head and linking his hand in hers. Alex led Ale over to the bar, ordering both of them drinks. Ale, when Alex wasn't paying attention, told the bartender to make anything Alex ordered a virgin, since she was doing a sociology report. He kindly obliged once he got a good look at Ale's body. _

_As Alex continued to try and get Ale drunk, she kept complaining about the life that she was having to lead._

"_It's exhausting," Ale slurred._

"_I know what you mean. That's why I do stuff like this," Alex shrugged, taking a sip of his beer._

"_But it's not even illegal," Ale laughed, winking at the bartender as he handed her another drink._

_Having to pretend to be drunk was exhausting._

"_Well this isn't the only thing that I do, darlin'," he drawled._

Eliot immediately froze. He noticed that Ale did too.

Eliot froze because no one else called Ale darlin' except him…he assumed Ale froze because Alex had finally admitted to something other than being fed up with his dad.

_Ale froze, in part because Alex had admitted to something other than being fed up with his dad, but mostly because he had called her darlin'. The nickname sounded foreign in Alex's mouth. The only person who was supposed to call her that was Eliot._

_Not that she liked when he did, or anything._

"_No? Then what do you do?" Ale slurred, leaning closer to Alex._

_Before he answered he covered his mouth with hers._

"_That's a story for another night, church girl. Your daddy will be waiting for you," he whispered, giving her another kiss._

Eliot was frozen in his seat. He did not like that Alex kissed a very 'intoxicated' Ale.

He watched as Alex 'struggled' with a drunk Ale, stopping to get her a coffee on their way home. Once they were outside Ale's house, Alex helped Ale up the stairs, kissing her a few more times before she slipped into the house.

Eliot watched Alex for a few more minutes while he looked at the house, a mixture of awe and confusion in his eyes. He left, and once he did Eliot got out of the car, grabbing Ale's clothes from the bushes, and going in the front door of the house.

The first thing he did once he got inside was hand Ale her clothes, not being able to look her in the eye.

All he could see was her dancing seductively in the bar.

Not that he didn't enjoy it or anything.


	36. Let the Fun Begin

"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.


	37. The Warehouse

_The warehouse was filled with boxes and worn down couches. There were a few boys milling about, most of them looking like they were into some bad things. _

_Not that Ale was surprised._

"_This is the fun stuff, Gracie," Alex slurred._

"_Absolutely," Ale nodded, slipping her arm in Alex's._

"_Hey, Bo, I finally brought my girl," Alex said, a big guy standing from one of the couches._

"_I told you not to bring her here," the man said, Alex looking a bit dumbfounded._

"_Um, no. You said you wanted to meet her," Alex said, looking between the man and Ale. _

_Ale could easily see that this was a drug house, and this man, Bo, was in charge of something that Alex was into. She took a wild guess, assuming that Alex was the one who was providing the drugs to the people in the church. _

"_I insisted he bring me," Ale said, Bo looking at her for the first time._

"_Why's that?" Bo asked, crossing his arms across his chest._

"_Because. I want to sell, too. Alex is losing his reach. His buyers are leery. They think that the suits are watching him now that his dad got caught. I'm the new figurehead at the church and I am who they are going to come to next," Ale said, Alex looking at her with a dropped jaw._

"_I never told you I did this stuff," Alex slurred, Bo looking between Ale and Alex with both anger and amusement._

"_You didn't have to. I have already gotten to know half of your contacts and asked around. Why do you think I was so eager to go out with you?" Ale said coldly, dropping her arm from Alex's. _

_She knew that Alex had screwed up with Bo. That he had been sloppy and that Bo was going to get angry. If her suspicions were right and Alex was who was selling the drugs to the kids, he was definitely getting them from Bo and his friends. If Bo thought that Alex was letting out to much information, he would be done. So Ale was improvising, instead._

"_I think we could figure something out," Bo nodded, Ale breathing a sigh of relief. _

_It was that moment that Alex decided to puke on the floor._

LEVERAGE

"She is good, Nate," Sophie smiled, looking at the older man as he took out his com. Sophie did the same, assured that Eliot had the situation under control.

"I know. Why do you think I let her basically pave the way for this one?"

"I was wondering that, actually," Sophie laughed.

"I just wanted to see what the girl could do. Plus, having her around has taught me that sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. If Alex hadn't had come along I would have thought of another plan. With him in the picture, though, it was as though the plan was already mapped out."

"She really is doing a remarkable job. We are lucky she is here," Sophie sighed, hearing the front door open and close.

"Back so soon?" Nate said, Ale and Eliot poking their heads into the living room.

"Alex threw up on me so I told Bo I would come find him when I was ready to strike a deal," Ale shrugged, both Sophie and Nate nodding. "I figured you would decide if you wanted to pull a sting or tip off the police or just put the recording into evidence, so I got the hell out of there so that I could shower."

"You figured correctly," Nate nodded. "Make sure you have some dinner."

"I ate," Ale answered, trudging up the stairs.

Sophie and Nate looked at each other, knowing that Ale was lying. She had been a bit reserved the past week, and the two older members were trying to ignore it for her sake. She was still dealing with a lot and one bad week didn't constitute for an intervention.

Eliot remained in the doorway of the living room, Sophie and Nate looking at him expectantly.

"Did you need something, Eliot?" Sophie asked, seeing a question behind his eyes.

"It was her birthday last week," Eliot said quietly, gesturing up the stairs. "She didn't tell us on purpose, and we shouldn't have a celebration. I just thought you should know."

"Thanks, Eliot," Sophie whispered, Ale's behavior making sense.

"That's not all. I was asked to stand up in a wedding this weekend for one of my buddies back home. My entire work team was invited. They think we work together to rebuild houses. The guy wouldn't take no for an answer, and neither would my family once they caught wind of it. And I know we all usually get breaks after a job but"

"But we will all be there, with your family and friends covering your butt for the wedding," Nate said, laughing a bit at Eliot's surprised face.

Eliot nodded a silent thank you, going up the stairs after stopping in the kitchen first.

"He would have never asked us to help him before Ale came along," Sophie smiled, Nate nodding in agreement.

"She's been good for us. For all of us."


	38. Broken Glass

"Ale?" Eliot whispered, knocking on Ale's door. When he heard a quiet come in he pushed his way into the room, Ale wrapped in a robe, her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Did you need something, Eliot?" Ale asked, smiling.

"I know you didn't eat," he smiled, Ale rolling her eyes. "And I checked in the kitchen, and there is nothing good there. So I didn't know if you wanted to go to the diner we saw down the road and grab something to eat."

_Ale wasn't that hungry, but she did want to spend some time with Eliot. Because no matter how hard she tried to hate him, or just be friends with him, the connection she first had with him was still there, pulling her towards him._

"_Fine. But only if you tell me about this wedding we have to go to," Ale said, Eliot rolling his eyes. _

"_You drive a hard bargain. But okay," Eliot laughed, leaving the room so that Ale could get dressed. _

_She quickly put on a pair of jeans and a plain cotton t-shirt, her hair still wet as it fell around her shoulders. Ale grabbed her phone, slipping on a pair of sneakers as she headed downstairs._

"_Eliot are you ready?" Ale asked, looking in the living room. Eliot stood from the couch, Sophie and Nate sharing a look._

"And where are you two off to?"

"We are going to go grab something to eat. Does anyone want us to bring you back something?" Ale asked, smiling.

Sophie was so happy that Ale and Eliot were doing something non-job related. It was important for both of them. And Hardison and Parker did a lot of stuff that didn't revolve around the job…it's how they made sure they had a friendship not a partnership and how they made sure they didn't get lost in the job.

"I would love some pie if they have some," Sophie smiled, Ale nodding.

"You got it, Soph. We will be back in an hour and a half, tops. Then we can go over the new plan," Ale said, grabbing her bag from the couch.

"Take a coat," Eliot grumbled, standing.

"We aren't going to be sitting outside, Eliot. It will be fine," Ale laughed.

"Your hair is wet," he countered.

"We are in Georgia."

"Well you two have fun," Nate laughed, glad that Ale and Eliot were back to 'normal'. They were too polite and closed off for too long.

"Thanks Nate," Ale smiled, heading out the door.

"Get her to eat something," Sophie said quietly, looking at Eliot. He nodded, grabbing his coat off of the hook on the wall.

Once they were in the truck, Ale turned up the radio, good, solid country music coming from the speakers.

"So that was some quick thinking on your feet today," Eliot said, Ale looking at him and rolling her eyes.

"I don't want to talk about work. But yes it was," Ale smiled.

"What are we supposed to talk about, darlin', if we aren't allowed to talk about work."

"I don't know. Your niece. The wedding we are going to. Any old flames that might pop up at the wedding we are going to. Any new books you have read…"

While Ale continued to make a very sarcastic list of what they could talk about Eliot noticed a car following behind them with every turn. He decided to do a little test, taking sharp turns and going in a completely different direction from the diner.

After about fifteen minutes it was clear that the car was indeed following Ale and Eliot, but he wasn't sure why. There was the off chance that it was about the people following Ale, but there was also the chance that it had to do with the job.

"Eliot, you have been noticing that car, right?" Ale asked, looking at Eliot. He laughed, not surprised that Ale had noticed—he should have known she was aware of her surroundings, too.

"Yeah. I saw them about twenty minutes ago. Do me a favor and crawl into the back of the truck so you can see who is in the car."

Ale unbuckled, sliding into the backseat.

"It's Bo," Ale said, climbing back into the front of the truck. "How should we play this?" Ale asked, looking at Eliot.

Before he could answer, however, the back window was shattered with the sound of a gunshot.

**A/N: Glad you guys are still enjoying Ale and the team! There was a request from a couple readers to have a picture of what Ale would look like. Below are two links…the first link shows what Ale mostly looks like, and the second shows the skin tone of Ale, as well as the kind of smile she would have. **

**Thank you all for reading, and I will have the next chapter up soon!**

. /-BRx3Azgef84/UWACQL4T73I/AAAAAAAAAJo/e3xF7kMuNJs/s640/tumblr_lyklju3QEG1qmr4e7o1_ 

.nu/files/looks/small/2012/03/16/2030357_ ?1331907784


	39. Leverage

_Ale knew she didn't need to panic. Panicking only made things worse. And she and Eliot had both been in much worse situations._

"_Don't panic," Eliot said, speeding up a bit._

"_I'm not. But what's our plan?" Ale asked, popping in her com. She sent a text to Hardison, telling him to turn on everyone's coms. She didn't get a response, though, nor did she get a response from anyone else on the team._

_Nevertheless, Ale kept her com in, just in case someone came over the air._

"What do you think our plan should be? What does he want with you?" Eliot asked, glancing over at Ale. He should have been surprised with how calm Ale was, but he knew her, and he knew how well she did in emergency situations. It was only after that she allowed herself to crumble.

"I have no clue. To check that I am loyal to him? That I'm not working for anyone else? These guys are younger than most drug ring leaders…they are probably using their own merchandise, which means that they are more paranoid than usual."

"Very true," Eliot nodded. "So, do we face the music?"

"I say we still go get dinner. I'm starving." Ale shrugged.

"I thought you weren't hungry," Eliot said, looking at Ale.

"I lied," Ale shrugged.

Eliot laughed, jerking down an alley. They eventually made it to the diner they were planning on going to, two more shots ringing into the truck.

_Once Eliot parked the truck Ale and Eliot got out, Bo and his crew quickly following behind them. Ale assumed that Eliot would have the first two guys down before Bo had a chance to get a word in with her. Instead, one of the guys grabbed her from behind, Eliot about to help Ale when two of Bo's guys knocked him out. Ale decided not to panic, as that would make her seem inexperienced and too young minded. Instead, she looked squarely at the guys who knocked Eliot out._

"_Aren't you going to panic?" one of them asked, Ale laughing slightly._

"_Why? Because Bo is making a little test for me to pass? I assume you want us to go with you, so, since you very inconveniently left him unconscious, you can get him into the car and shove me in the back so we can get this song and dance over with," Ale said._

Eliot wasn't out for that long, and when he woke up he was in the back of a van, his head in Ale's lap. His hands were tied behind his back, and when he looked up at Ale he realized hers were too.

"Morning sunshine," Ale smiled, Eliot chuckling.

"What happened?" Eliot asked, sitting back up.

_Ale knew he wasn't asking to know what happened to him. He wanted to know what happened after he went unconscious. _

"_Well, I sassed the boys, asked them to politely take me start whatever little test Bo wanted with me so that I could be home before midnight," Ale shrugged. "So we got put in this van, me a little more nicely than you did, and we are on our way somewhere. I've been counting turns and seconds. Once I realized we are going to the warehouse I was at earlier I stopped because Hardison already has the location. Speaking of, I slipped your com in your ear, mine is in my ear, and I have sent multiple texts to Hardison and the rest of the team trying to get them to turn on the coms to at least listen to what was going on so if we die someone can retell our wonderful last moments. Plus, I was extremely bad ass while you were out and everyone missed it."_

"_Are you not the least bit worried?" Eliot chuckled. Ale was about to answer when the van stopped, Ale and Eliot quieting. _

"_Follow my lead, cowboy," Ale smiled, the door to the van opening._

"_Get out," Bo said, offering his arm to Ale._

"_You are going to have to do a hell of a lot more than that," Ale laughed. "Your friends thought it was a good idea to tie my hands to tie me up."_

"_Ah, they just wanted to be able to rough you up," Bo said, winking a bit. Eliot growled, Bo laughing again. "And they wanted you to be equal to your boyfriend, of course," Bo said._

_The men came to the back of the van, getting Ale and Eliot out of the van._

"_Look, I appreciate what you are doing here," Ale sighed, looking over her shoulder at Bo, "but are these restraints necessary? I don't have any weapons, and neither does he."_

"_No. But by the looks of him, he could probably take all of my guys down. And if you have your hands free you could let him out."_

"_Please. When I have him tied up the last thing that I do is untie him," Ale said seductively._

Eliot almost stopped dead in his tracks, choking on his own spit.

He could not believe that Ale just said that. Granted, she was trying to keep a persona up, but still.

_Ale couldn't believe that she had just said that. Something about this whole situation was making her some sexy, sassy bad ass that she did not recognize. It was working, though, because Bo had the guy take off her restraints._

"_Thank you," Ale nodded. _

_Once they got fully into the warehouse Eliot was shoved onto a couch, his hands still tied behind him. Two of Bo's men sat down on either side of him, the rest of the men all taking the remaining seats and chairs in that pod of seating. Bo sat in an armchair in front of the couch, looking at Ale._

"_Pick your seat, Grace," Bo smiled, Ale simply shrugging at sitting on Eliot's lap, draping her legs onto one of the men's legs._

"_Sorry but I seem to be out of space," Ale said, looking at the man she plopped her legs on. _

"_So, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Eliot asked as Ale wrapped an arm around his neck._

"_Well, your girlfriend here came to me for a deal. She said she needed time to think. But I wanted an answer," Bo shrugged. "I also thought that she was dating that boy, Alex."_

_Ale laughed, raising her eyebrows at Bo._

"_You honestly think that I would spend my time with Alex, willingly? That prep boy with something to prove? You're delusional. He is the minor leagues. And he is losing his reach. I am in the majors. And I need a dealer, and a man, who can keep up."_

Eliot could easily see that Bo was confused, and intrigued, with Ale.

"So you are telling me that you hooked up with Alex to find his dealer?" Bo asked.

"You catch on quick," Ale nodded. "Look, here's the deal. I have been pulling this con with my partner, the priest in ten different cities. Aaron, here, is basically just along for the ride. I get my supplies, I sell, and once my reach is far enough I pass of my business to some schmuck like Alex, make sure my supplier can't be identified, ensure that if anything goes downhill it all falls on my little intern, I still get a cut, and I move on to a new city. It's all very simple. And it can't happen without you. So, the real question is, are _you _in? Because if you keep things going with Alex, you are going to get caught real soon or lose his chunk of business. I can keep you with cash flow for a while," Ale proposed, Bo looking extremely interested.

Eliot was amazed with Ale. He could not believe that she knew what to say to get Bo and his guys to not kill the two of them.

"And how am I supposed to know that you two aren't cops, or that muscle isn't going to take us all out?"

"Do I look like a cop?" Ale asked.

"You could be wearing a wire," one of Bo's guys said. Ale shrugged, pretending to give Eliot a kiss on his neck.

"Please forgive me for whatever happens," Ale said. She stood, standing on the small coffee table in the middle of the seating area.

"I promise you I am not wired."

Ale took the hair tie off her wrist, tying her hair up in a sloppy bun. She then slipped off her t-shirt, a black, lacy bra being the only thing remaining on Ale's top half. Next, Ale slipped off her jeans, a black, lacy pair of underwear adorning her frame.

Eliot did all he could not to look surprised with how sexy Ale looked. She was, after all, her 'girlfriend', and he should have known. Still, Eliot couldn't believe what he was seeing. He could finally see Ale's full tattoos, lines of cursive going on her ribs.

"See. Nothing but black lace under these clothes," Ale shrugged, putting her clothes back on. "And as for Aaron," Ale smiled, pulling her shirt on after she buttoned her jeans. Ale walked over to Bo, sitting on his lap. She kissed him, causing everyone in the room to drop their jaws. Eliot realized that he shouldn't look surprised so he instead put a look of contentment on his face, a smug smile accompanying a raised eyebrow.

"That is just a taste of what he gets," Ale whispered, wiping the side of Bo's mouth. "I think you would do what I said, too, if you got that kind of…attention. And I don't want him to take you out."

_Ale had absolutely no idea what had come over her. She figured it was the grifter in her, but she was also a little certain that it was her hidden bad girl side coming out. _

_No. It was the grifter. Definitely the grifter. _

_She was just trying to get the situation under control and gain leverage. It's what she does. What the team does._

_And one sixth of the team had just seen her in her underwear. In her sexy underwear._

_And now _he_ had leverage._


	40. Sweet Dreams

Sophie finished the book she was reading, looking at her phone for the first time she cracked open the novel.

She had five texts from Ale and one missed call. She also realized that it had been three hours since Ale and Eliot left. Ale threw something at Nate, who was asleep on the couch.

"What, Sophie?"

"It's been more than three hours since Ale and Eliot left," Sophie hissed. "And I have multiple messages from Ale to turn on the coms and get a surveillance on them. Something is not right."

With that Nate sprang off the couch, going upstairs to get Hardison's attention. He was lost in his video game world, barely noticing when Sophie and Nate entered the room.

"Check your phone," Sophie said, starting to panic.

"What, Soph?" Hardison asked, not looking away from his computer monitor.

"Check. Your. Bloody. Phone. Ale tried to contact you when she and Eliot got abducted," Sophie said, Hardison immediately pausing the game.

"What are you talking about?" he said, assuming Sophie was going crazy. When he reached for his phone, however, he saw how many texts he had, asking to turn on the coms, put a trace on Ale and Eliot, and to gather the team.

None of which he did.

"I'm sorry," Hardison whispered, immediately pulling up the coms. As Nate and Sophie pulled up some chairs that were in Hardison's room Parker came bounding into the room, holding up her phone.

"While I was exploring Ale texted me. You're supposed to put on the coms."

"Thanks, Parker," Nate scoffed, Hardison typing something into his computer.

"Well, they're on a road, near where Ale was earlier," Hardison explained. "And the coms are now on."

"_So, do we have a deal?" Ale asked, Bo standing up from his spot. It was clear that he was still a little surprised by the kiss._

"_We have a deal," Bo nodded, holding out his hand. Ale took it, shaking._

"_Good. Now, next time you need to get a hold of me, try calling. Even a nice knock on my door. Men with guns really is cliché."_

_Ale winked at Bo, turning on her heels and going over to Eliot. The man next to him took off his restraints, Eliot nodding at him, as well as everyone else in the room._

"_Do you need a ride?" Bo asked, Ale laughing. _

"_No. We're good," Eliot said lowly, guiding Ale out of the warehouse by the small of her back._

_Once they were out of the warehouse Ale laughed a bit, shaking her head. _

"_I cannot believe that worked," she whispered, Eliot shaking his head as well._

"_I have to hand it to you," Eliot smiled. "You certainly knew how to handle him."_

"_I figured any dirt bag would enjoy a little strip tease and a kiss," Ale shrugged, shivering a bit. Her hair was still wet, and it had cooled off a bit. _

_Eliot laughed, slipping off his jacket._

"_I'm not cold," Ale said indignantly. At that exact instant goose bumps rose on her arms, Eliot raising his eyebrows at her. _

"_Sure," Eliot nodded, about to take the jacket back. Instead, Ale snatched it from his hands, slipping it on. _

"_Thank you," she whispered. "Can we promise to maybe forget that the little show back there ever happened?" Ale asked, looking at Eliot with raised eyebrows. She was absolutely mortified that he had been witness to it, even though it had saved their butts._

"_You got it," Eliot nodded. As they walked back to the car they talked about the upcoming wedding, any recent books that they both read, as well as Zoe, Eliot's niece. Just as they got back to the van Hardison came over the coms, asking if they were okay._

"_Damnit, Hardison. Where were you three hours ago?" Eliot growled._

"_We are fine thanks for asking. We'll be home soon. As you were," Ale sighed, not wanting Eliot to get angry with anyone on the coms. She switched off her com as well as Eliot's. Two seconds later she got a text on her phone, from Sophie, double checking that they were fine._

_Ale said they would be home in twenty minutes, and that they would fill them in on what happened. _

Sure enough, twenty minutes later Ale and Eliot came through the door, Ale handing a pie to Sophie.

"What the hell happened?" Nate asked, looking at Eliot and Ale as they sat down on the couch. Parker and Hardison were also in there, waiting to hear about their night.

"Well, we were followed by Bo's men, they shot at us, took us to the warehouse, and we made a deal with him. I am now setting Alex up to take the fall on a huge drug ring that I am starting here. With Bo as my main supplier," Ale shrugged. "Why didn't you guys answer us?"

"We thought we were having a night off," Parker shrugged.

"Nate, you have never taken a night off. When we are on a job, we are always supposed to be on high alert," Eliot said.

While he hadn't been angry at the time, the fact that the team hadn't known that they were gone for three hours and they weren't in contact was a little unsettling, despite the fact that they didn't have a specific con that night.

What if they hadn't have been okay? How would they have gotten help?

_Ale could see that Eliot was a little upset, and he was worried he was going to get angry with the team. Instead, he told everyone he was going to bed, stomping up the stairs._

"_What happened in that warehouse?" Sophie asked, Ale shrugging._

"_Nothing. We handled it. We were all good, really. It's just been a long day. Now, how about some pie?" Ale asked, the team all looking at each other with a bit of disbelief. _

They were all dying to know what had exactly happened in the warehouse. It seemed too simple. Instead, they decided to talk about a possible new plan while sharing pie.

Once they had finished they decided that Ale would tell Alex about the new drug plan at the end of the week (after spending a bit more time with him) and then when Alex went to pick up the supplies the team would tip off the police, Bo and his crew ending up in jail. Hardison would make it look like Ale was in deep cover, as well as Eliot and Nate, and they would also make a press release that took all blame away from Greenfield.

"Ale, we are really sorry," Sophie eventually said as they finished eating. "We just…this con seemed to be going so well that we didn't even feel we needed to be on alert. Still, we are sorry. There's no excuse."

Ale shrugged, looking at the people around the table.

"It's all good. We handled it and we weren't in too much danger."

"You were shot at," Parker said, taking another piece of chocolate pie.

"But after that…let's just say we had them wrapped around our fingers. Just…I don't know. I wasn't afraid because I knew you had our backs. It let me do what I needed to do to get out of there safely. Eliot felt the same way…until you weren't there. Plus, with the fact that he wanted us all to go to cover for him at that wedding…you said we had is back, but then you weren't there tonight. He doesn't open up often, and then when he did, it was immediately after that we couldn't count on you. Ya know?" Ale said, all of the team looking at each other.

"It's no one's fault. Let's just all make sure we can be reached at all times."

Ale grabbed a piece of pie, as well as a fork, going upstairs.

LEVERAGE

Once they got back to the house Eliot went upstairs. He was a little upset with the team, and he was also still pretty surprised with how the evening had turned out.

After he took a shower he called his family, as well as his friend who was getting married, letting them know that they were for sure coming and that his friends would be there. He was on the phone with Jeff, the guy getting married, when there was a knock on his door, Ale peeking her head in.

"Oh, sorry to bother you," Ale whispered, about to slip back out.

"It's alright, darlin'," Eliot laughed, waving her in.

"Is that the girl?" Jeff asked, Eliot chuckling to himself.

"Yeah."

"Let me talk to her," Jeff said.

"No," Eliot growled, Ale raising her eyebrows.

"Getting in an argument, cowboy?" she asked, handing him the piece of pie.

"Come on, Eliot. I am one of your only friends. We saw things together. We are connected. If there is a hot girl in your room who you are in love with I should get to talk to her. I promise I won't say anything embarrassing."

"Fine," Eliot growled, handing the phone to Ale.

"It's Jeff. The guy getting married. He and his brother are my two best friends. He wants to talk to you. Just ignore whatever he says," Eliot said, sighing. Ale laughed, sitting down next to Eliot on the bed.

"_Hello?" Ale said, shoving Eliot away as he tried to hear what Jeff was saying._

"_You sound just about as pretty as Eliot said."_

"_Well thanks," Ale smiled. "Getting excited for your big day?"_

"_Well, I mean, as excited as you can get with an impending doom of commitment over your head. You ever been married, or close to married, Ale?" Jeff asked, Ale laughing._

"_Never close. And never married. But I know some people who were. It didn't seem to bad. I heard there was lots of beer at the wedding so that is a plus."_

"_You are a smart girl. You are keeping our boy in line over there in Boston, right?"_

"_Oh yeah. It's a job in itself, but I manage."_

"_Good. Well, I can't wait to meet you. See if everything Eliot has said about you is true."_

"_Oh, so Eliot has been talking about me has he?" Ale asked, nudging Eliot with her shoulder. Eliot growled a bit._

"_Well, he has talked about all of you. But since you live with him, I definitely get to hear about the wonderful Alessandra Mossetti more than anyone else."_

"_Naturally," Ale laughed. "Well, Jeff, I tell you what. You and I will have to make sure to trade stories about Eliot when we see you this weekend. Deal?"_

"_Deal," Jeff laughed, Ale handing the phone back to Eliot._

_They said their goodbyes, Eliot looked over at Ale, a big smile on her face._

"_You talk about us. You like us," Ale smiled, Eliot taking a bite of his pie._

"_What else am I supposed to talk about if we spend all of our time together?" _

"_I don't know. Does Jeff know the truth about what we do?"_

"_Yes. He does. And I was thinking about telling my family this weekend. I don't know why they can't know anymore. It's not the same as when I was in my other job. I just…I didn't think that it would work out. The team, that is. I also didn't know how safe my family would be. But it has been nothing but good."_

"_Then I think you should tell them. Other than Hardison, you are the only one who really has true family left. Don't let us pull you away from them," Ale smiled, stealing a bite of his pie before she slipped out the door of his room, wishing him sweet dreams._

That night, with Ale on his mind, he most definitely had sweet dreams.


	41. Someone Else

**A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay. Now that I have a summer off I am hoping to get a lot of writing done! Let me know what you think!**

**Also, the new photo for the fic is what I would imagine Ale to look like, just with longer hair.**

"You are sure that you want to get into this stuff?" Alex asked, looking at Ale. She was dressed in short shorts again, her cowgirl boots and tight flannel corset matching her hair, which was in voluptuous curls.

She looked irresistible, which is just what Sophie was going for.

"I am more than sure. This isn't my first rodeo, cowboy," Ale said seductively, taking the cowboy hat Alex was wearing and plopping it on her head. "And until we have that meeting with Bo, I am going to dance."

Eliot watched as Ale planted a kiss on Alex's cheek, popping off of the bar stool to join the line dancers. He had never found line dancing that fun, nor had he ever found it to be sexy. But the way Ale did it…well, it kept his attention. As well as every other guy's in the room. Especially Alex's.

"Damnit Sophie, why did you make her look so good?" Eliot growled. By this point, everyone knew how he felt about Ale. There was now use hiding it.

"She does most of that on her own," Sophie laughed, watching the feed from the bar over Hardison's shoulder.

Ale danced for a while longer, Alex eventually going and grabbing her arm and whispering in her ear when they had to go. Ale put his hat back on his head, saying out loud (mostly for the benefit of the team) that she was upset that they had to leave.

Eliot moved to be in position for their exit, trailing behind the car as Ale and Alex made their way to the warehouse.

Meanwhile, Parker was in Alex's room at his house, planting evidence. Nate was downstairs talking to Preacher Greenfield's mother, ensuring her that her son would be out of prison soon—he just neglected to mention that her grandson would be replacing his spot in the cell.

LEVERAGE

"I cannot be in these tinie tiny outfits anymore," Ale shivered, walking into the living room. Nate threw her a blanket, which she immediately wrapped around herself.

"But the plan is going so swimmingly," Sophie sighed, Ale scoffing.

Just then Eliot came in the front door, going into the living room.

"You have that boy wrapped around your finger," Eliot laughed, looking at Ale.

"I think it's mostly the small clothes," she shrugged, sitting next to Nate on the couch. "How did it go with Grandma Greenfield?"

Nate told her how the evening went, complete with the play by play from Parker about her breaking into Alex's room.

"Sounds like things went well," Ale nodded. "And tomorrow is when the police catch us? And I reveal my undercover detective work?"

"Yes. And then we head to Alabama for a wedding," Sophie smiled, Ale winking at Eliot as he rolled his eyes.

It was evident he was regretting inviting the team. Then again, they were making it pretty easy to regret, saying how they couldn't wait to find out all about Eliot as a kid. Ale was the only one who didn't seem to want to do it for blackmail. She seemed genuinely interested.

Eliot was actually excited to show Ale where he was from. At first he wasn't but then he figured that he knew so much about her that it was only fair. And he knew that his family would love Ale. It would help him to tell them the truth. If they could see the good in Ale, they could understand.

"Come on Eliot. It won't be that bad," Parker assured him. "I promise not to steal anything."

"Thanks, Parker," Eliot laughed, watching as Ale set the blanket down on the couch, answering her phone as she headed up the stairs.

"So," Sophie started, looking at Eliot. "What should we know about your family?"

"They are the typical Southern family. My mom will make you eat a lot and my sisters will smother you with questions and charm. My real dad isn't around but my mom's new husband is as good as they come. They don't know yet about all of this. But I think I'm going to tell them. Nothing can be as bad as my past, and they found out some of it when it came back to bite me in the ass. But they were there. And so were the brothers I've been telling you about. When I lost my way and when what I saw when I was serving my country pushed me farther and farther into the dark they pulled me out little by little. Just like you guys did."

_Ale had been on the phone with Emilio but as soon as she heard Eliot start talking about his family she asked if she could call him back. Listening to Eliot be so open about his life was something Ale couldn't miss._

_As Eliot spoke Ale smiled, leaning against the wall near the entry way to the living room, just listening. She couldn't wait to meet his family. She had a horrible feeling, however, that it would only make her like him more. Which could be dangerous._

_All of the negative feelings she had towards him seemed to evaporate as soon as he helped her pick out her clothes for the trip. And possibly before then…but it was definitely clear when her suitcase was packed with her favorite sundresses._

_After Eliot was done talking Ale headed upstairs to her room, calling Emilio back. She hadn't talked to him in a while and he deserved to know what was going on in her life. She had, after all, dated him. And she had already talked to a lot of the boys. And had been updating everyone except Emilio. _

Sophie headed up to bed, stopping by Ale's room as she heard her talking on the phone. The conversation was semi-formal, with a bit of forced laughter and a familiarity that sparked an interest in Sophie's mind.

"Look, Emilio, I miss you too. But not like that. I love my life here. It's so much easier than back home. And I…" Ale stopped talking for a second, listening. "Yes. There is someone else. But I do know that no matter if there is someone else here or not we wouldn't be together. I'm sorry," Ale sighed.

Sophie smiled to herself, knowing exactly who the someone else was.


	42. I'm Okay

"So we will be right outside the door with agent McSweeten and his partner. Eliot will come in when the cover is blown for effect and to also make sure things don't go south. If you ever feel uncomfortable just say the word and Eliot can be there. Or we can start the invasion early," Nate wouldn't stop talking to Ale about the con even though they had gone over what would happen many, many times.

He was very nervous for Ale, as well as the con. He hadn't had a huge part in it, and therefore he didn't have much control. Instead, he had to watch from the sidelines. It was nice to know that they team could handle a con on their own, but he certainly missed being a part of it.

"Nate, it will be fine. I promise," Ale smiled, climbing into Eliot's rental truck and planting a kiss on Nate's cheek. He climbed into Lucille with the rest of the team, watching as Eliot and Ale drove towards the drug warehouse.

"_Are you nervous?" Eliot asked. _

"_No. It's just like it always is. You guys have each other's backs and you have mine, too. Are you nervous?" Ale asked, Eliot laughing._

"_I do this all the time," Eliot shrugged. Ale took her turn to laugh, shaking her head._

"_I'm talking about seeing your family with the team."_

"I'm actually not. I'm excited," Eliot chuckled, the realization a little foreign in his mouth.

"Good. I'm excited too. I cannot wait to get my hands on that little baby. She'll be there, right?" Ale asked eagerly, Eliot nodding.

"She will be. Little Zoe apparently has an aversion to new people, though, so don't get your hopes up." 

"I won't. But you should know that most babies love me. It's my unwitting charm and grace," Ale joked, obviously being sarcastic. Eliot, however, didn't think it was funny. He knew it was true.

They pulled up to the warehouse, Ale hopping out of the truck and confidently walking into the building, her daisy dukes and cowgirl boots making their last appearance.

_Ale wasn't surprised that, upon her entrance to the warehouse, all of the men stood and pointed their guns at the door. She was, for the most part, unannounced. She also didn't usually enter the warehouse without knocking. Today, however, she was feeling brave._

"_Calm down, boys. It's just me," Ale sighed, closing the door behind her. Alex was already there, his eyes lighting up when he saw Ale. Although he had been upset at first that she was using him to get to the drugs, he got over it pretty quickly when he looked at her body. _

"_You're early," Bo rasped, being the first one to put his gun back on his hip._

"_By three minutes. Better than three minutes late," Ale shrugged, sitting down on one of the couches._

"_Where's your partner?" Bo asked, Ale shrugging. _

"_Didn't really think they needed to be here. I figured you guys could handle the shipment. Was I wrong?" Ale challenged, Bo shaking his head._

"_Not at all."_

"_Well then let's get started. I have places to be and things to do that don't revolve around you people."_

The team was listening in the van, noting the police cars that were pulling up to the building. They had chosen a code phrase for Ale to say so they would know when to intrude, and all the team had to do was wait for that to get their girl and head to Alabama.

_As the shipment started getting separated and catalogued Ale stood beside Bo, both of them overseeing what was happening._

"_I think we are really going to expand our market," Bo smiled, Ale nodding._

"_It will be nice. Wish I could stick around to see it," Ale shrugged._

The team heard Ale's line, as did the police. They swarmed into the building, Eliot following in behind them.

_Ale and Bo watched the boys unpack for a little while longer, Ale just waiting for what was to come. Just when Bo was about to say something else shouts were heard from the other room._

The police invaded the building with their guns raised, telling everyone to put their weapons down and their hands up. They stormed through the warehouse, finally finding the room where everyone was waiting.

_Ale could see the fear in everyone's eyes as they started panicking. Some drew their weapons, others raised their hands in defeat, and some just stood there (Alex). Bo, however, looked furious. Not only was he angry at his men, but he also started getting angry with Ale. _

"_You did this, didn't you?" Bo yelled, Ale jumping back a bit. It wasn't necessarily the words or the idea that Bo was yelling at her that made her jump. He was just extremely loud._

"_If you mean that I did my job, which was to find the true dealer in the town and turn them into the local police so that more kids wouldn't get addicted to drugs and throw their life away, then yeah, I did this," Ale said forcefully, crossing her arms over her chest._

"_You bitch," Bo spat, slapping Ale across the face. The police finally entered, telling everyone, once again, to put their hands up and weapons down._

"_You just assaulted a federal officer," Eliot drawled, walking into the room. _

Eliot was filled with rage after seeing Bo hit Ale. He suppressed it, though, and stuck to the script, for the most part.

Ale pulled her 'badge' out of her shirt, holding it up to Bo.

"_You, and all of your men, are under arrest," Ale said simply, looking at Bo. Ale then walked over to Alex, glaring at him although all she wanted to do was cry and ice her face where Bo had just hit her._

"_And you, who let your father take the fall for you, who helped your friends and peers get hooked on life altering drugs and who doesn't seem to care about anyone around him, you are going to jail too. You still just want to get drunk and get the girls and keep selling. You disgust me," Ale said calmly, turning on her heels and walking out of the room. _

Eliot followed behind Ale, making sure to give Bo a nice shove on his way out. As soon as Eliot and Ale hit the pavement outside Ale ripped off the microphone meant for the police, leaving it on the ground.

"That thing was tucked in all of the wrong places," Ale sighed, Eliot not laughing at the joke. Instead, grabbed Ale by the arm, twisting her towards him so he could see her face.

"I'm okay Eliot," she whispered. Eliot could tell that the red mark on her cheek stung, but he didn't want to seem too overprotective and argue with her. He touched the mark gently, Ale wincing a bit.

"I know," Eliot nodded. "I just had to be sure."

_Ale nodded back at Eliot, her heart beating in her ears. She hadn't stood this close to him when she was fully coherent or playing a character in a con in a long time._

"_Ale are you okay?" Parker asked, rushing out of the van. The outside noise immediately snapped Ale and Eliot out of the trance they were in, Ale clearing her throat._

"_I'm fine, Parker. We should get going though. We have a wedding to crash," Ale smiled, looking at Eliot as Parker took her hand._

_Ale had to get a hold on her emotions. She was worried that, if she wasn't careful, everyone would know how she felt about Eliot. It would be so embarrassing to have everyone know she liked him and then to have him not feel the same way._

_She didn't know if she could bear it._

**A/N: The next chapter is where we meet the Spencers! Thanks for reading and reviewing…I most definitely appreciate it!**


	43. Drift Away

When they drove up to the Spencer's house, the team was very pleasantly surprised at the beautiful ranch house that laid in front of them.

The expansive ranch was fitting for Eliot. It was exactly what the team had imagined. The charming white farm house was in the center of a beautiful green field, a red barn off in the distance.

"It's perfect," Ale smiled, being the first one to jump out of the car. "I love it here already!"

"Slow down, darlin'," Eliot laughed, being the next one to slip out of the car, grabbing Ale around the waist, pulling her back towards the car.

Eliot's family started coming out of the house, stopping when they saw Eliot with his hands around the waist of a beautiful girl in a sundress.

"_I'm just trying to be excited about our trip," Ale shrugged. "If one person is excited it helps you to keep your excitement up no matter how awful it may get."_

Eliot chuckled, dropping his hands from Ale's waist as soon as he saw his family. He didn't want them getting too attached.

"Are you sure you are still up for this, cowboy?" Ale smiled, Eliot smiling too. He was more than up for it.

Before he could say anything else his nephew Chris ran down the steps. Eliot swept him into his arms, spinning him around.

"Uncle Eliot!" Chris laughed, looking at Ale. "Who is that?" he asked, picking his nose. Elio laughed, smiling at Ale.

"This is my friend Ale. And these are my other friends Parker, Hardison, Nate, and Sophie." The team stood behind Ale, waving at the little boy, each with a different level of excitement.

"Will she play with me?" Chris asked, only looking at Ale. Eliot was about to say maybe later when Ale took a step towards him, holding out her hand.

"I would love to," Ale smiled, Chris jumping down from Eliot's arms, taking Ale's hand and leading her past the family on the steps.

"This is Ale she's my friend we're going to play," Chris said, dragging Ale behind him.

"It's nice to meet you," Ale smiled, Eliot's family smiling back.

They didn't know Ale yet, but something about her and the way Eliot looked at her made them sure that she was going to change their lives, too.

LEVERAGE

"Chris, Ale, it's time for dinner," Eliot said, finally reaching the top of the stairs. Instead of finding the two playing he found Chris asleep on Ale's lap, her sitting in the middle of the floor.

"He fell asleep about an hour ago and I couldn't get him in my arms and lift him while standing off the ground."

"Why didn't you just call down to me, darlin'?" Eliot asked, laughing as he scooped Chris into his arms.

"You were reuniting with your family. And he was _sleeping_," Ale shrugged. "How was it, by the way? Getting caught up with them?"

"I didn't realize how much I missed them," Eliot smiled softly.

"You never do until you get a reminder or a taste of what it was like before," Ale smiled sadly. "I am really happy you came here, Eliot. I would hate for you to lose your family, too."

It was then that Ale placed a kiss on Eliot's cheek, going down the stairs to officially meet his family.

LEVERAGE

_The dining room was in full action by the time I got downstairs, people putting things on the table, holding babies and chatting away. Sophie and Hardison were holding court with the family, Parker looking at pictures of the horses and Nate quietly taking in the scene._

"_And you must be Ale," a woman, whom Ale was guessing was Eliot's mother, smiled, opening her arms for a hug._

"_In the flesh," Ale smiled, accepting the hug. "You must be…"_

"_Elain, Eliot's mama. This is my husband, Ret, and his sister—"_

"_Emily, right?" Ale interrupted, taking Emily's hand. _

"_That's right. It's nice to meet you," Emily smiled, a baby on her hip._

"_I'm Eliot's other sister, Darcy," a woman smiled, holding out her hand._

"_And I'm Jeff. We talked on the phone the other day. This is my fiancé, Lauren, and my brother, Zach."_

"_It's nice to meet all of you. I have heard so much about you all. It's wonderful actually get to put faces and voices with the names and the stories," Ale smiled, wondering why they were all staring at her with such big smiles._

_Eliot came down the stairs, Chris still in his arms._

"_Emily, I think you are missing one of your ducklings," he smiled, setting Chris down in a chair at the table. He was starting to wake up, adjusting to his surroundings._

"_Can Ale sit next to me?" he asked, his voice still laced with sleep. _

"_Sure thing big guy," Ale smiled. _

"_Are you going to sit by her, Uncle Eliot?"_

"_Would you like me to?" Eliot asked, Chris nodding._

"_Yes please. That way you can help her cut her chicken like you cut mine," Chris explained. Ale laughed, sitting down in her seat between Chris and Eliot. Everyone else found a seat, looking at Ale._

"_Why are they staring at me," Ale whispered in Eliot's ear. _

"_They already asked the others questions. After I revealed what I did they had a lot of questions for the team. It's your turn," Eliot smiled._

"_Where are you from, dear?" Elaine asked, Ale smiling as she helped Chris scoop some peas onto his plate._

"_Italy, originally. Eventually my family and moved to the states and before I was with the team I was living outside of Boston."_

"_And what does your family do now?" Elaine asked, Jeff, Chris, and Eliot sharing a look, as well as the rest of the team._

"_Actually, they have all passed away. My mom passed a few years ago, as did my father. My brother was killed in an accident recently. Since then the team has been my family," Ale smiled, Chris looking up at her._

"_All of your family is in Heaven?" he asked, Ale nodding. "God must have needed them for something good."_

"_I think he did," Ale smiled._

"_I also bet they miss you. Cause you're so nice."_

"_Well I miss them," Ale said, Chris giving her a kiss on the cheek._

"_Well, do you have a specialty for the team?" Elaine asked, trying to recover from the question that she was sure brought so much sadness to the girl._

"_I don't really. I'm actually new to it all," Ale shrugged, taking a sip of her iced tea. She wasn't uncomfortable with the questioning, per say, but she didn't want all of the attention on her. It wasn't in her nature._

"_I'm sure I'm pretty boring. Jeff, Lauren, you have got to be getting excited," Ale smiled, Lauren lighting up and launching into details about her wedding. Ale was smiling and nodding in all of the right places but she knew her heart wasn't in the conversation. Talking about her family and being surrounded by such a beautiful one made it hard for Ale not to be upset._

_As Lauren spoke Ale felt Eliot's hand on her knee, keeping her from drifting away from not only the dinner table but the team all together._


	44. You Are Doing Alright

"_You okay, darlin?" Eliot's voice drawled, coming into the little alcove upstairs. The rest of the team was staying in the guest barn, but there weren't enough rooms with all of the other guests for the wedding so Ale offered to sleep on the window seat._

"_Yeah. It's plenty of space for me," Ale shrugged, hoping Eliot wouldn't notice her puffy eyes. She had been a little stricken with how wonderful Eliot's family had been and it made her miss her own fiercely._

"_That's not what I'm talking about, Ale, and you know it," Eliot said sternly, Ale sighing and sitting down on the window seat. Eliot sat down next to her, their thighs touching as they shared the small space._

"_Chris was so right, you know. There is a greater reason that they are gone. I am not so sure it was God, but the universe definitely needed them for some reason. Everything happens for a reason. I refuse to believe they were taken from me for nothing. But even thinking like that…it's a little selfish. They weren't just taken from me…they were taken from each other and others and life. But still…I don't know. They were a lot like your family. They were friendly and welcoming and they just…my mom would have welcomed all of you just like your mom did. And my brother would have embarrassed and complimented me just like Jeff and his brother did. Your dad…he was so proud and happy to have everyone there, just like Papa would have. I don't know…they just made me remember how much I miss them."_

"_I'm sorry, Ale," Eliot started, Ale laughing a bit, taking his hand to stop him from speaking. She was stunned that she had done that, but then again, she couldn't deny the magnetism she felt any time he was in the room._

"_Don't apologize. It was great, in a way. Really, it was. Like I told you, you have to remember them or you start to forget your love for them."_

"_You are something else, Ale," Eliot sighed, smiling a bit. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow for the wedding day," Eliot said, standing._

"_Yes. Your sister invited me to the salon with the bridal party to help take care of the kids and get to know them. Sophie and Parker declined politely but I thought it might be fun. Plus Chris said that if I was his date to the wedding I have to go with him everywhere tomorrow," Ale laughed, Eliot smiling again, not being able to ignore how beautiful Ale looked, her face washed free of makeup, her hair pulled to the top of her head. It was mostly dark in the little alcove but the little light there was was illuminating Ale in the most beautiful way._

"_Oh, so you're Chris' date tomorrow?"_

"_Guess so, cowboy," she shrugged. "Goodnight, Eliot."_

"_Night, Ale," Eliot smiled, ducking out of the corner to go to his room downstairs. Once he left Ale turned off the lamp beside her, closing the eyes. Instead of letting the bad thoughts of her family leaving her filling her mind, she instead thought of Eliot, his smile helping her to have sweet dreams._

LEVERAGE

"It's wedding day!" Chris sang, running around the kitchen. Sophie and Nate were still asleep, Hardison was fiddling with his computer, Parker was on a hike, and Ale was helping Emily with the baby while she helped Jeff's fiancé, Lauren, get some finishing touches done.

"Where is Ale?" Chris asked. "Cause I am her date."

"She is right here," Ale said, the baby on her hip. Eliot couldn't believe how beautiful she was. She was wearing yoga pants, a tank top, and a big zip up, her hair in a braid…but she was still so beautiful.

"You aren't in your dress," Chris said, putting his hands on his hips. Elaine, who was making French toast by the stove, laughed and Ale put her free hand on her hip.

"You aren't in your tux," she sighed.

Chris laughed, running over to Eliot.

"Are you coming to the salon with us? Mom says it's to help me practice my patience."

Eliot smiled, Ale smiling at him, as well. For a moment, his heart stopped.

"Yeah, Eliot. Do you need to practice your patience?" Hardison chuckled, pulling out a chair for Ale to sit down at the table. She sat the baby on the table, holding her hands as she played with Ale's face.

"Please, Uncle Eliot?" Chris begged, Eliot glancing at Ale once more. She was kissing the baby on the neck, making little Zoe giggle the sweetest laugh. Something about this house was making it impossible for Eliot to ignore how much he liked Ale.

"I can come for a little bit," Eliot promised, Chris cheering. Emily, Darcy, and Lauren came into the room. They both pulled up a chair, Ale handing Zoe to Emily.

"Come where?" Emily asked, looking at Eliot.

"To the salon. Chris asked me to. Then I can take Chris to be with the groomsmen," Eliot shrugged.

"That sounds good. You can take Ale, too. She said she would get there early with the guys to help with Chris and finishing touches. She is great. Sophie and Parker said they would help too," Emily smiled, looking so relieved that they had offered to help.

"Oh. Okay," Eliot nodded, Ale sighing as she stood from the table.

"Well I am going to go take a shower and get ready for the salon. See you in a bit," Ale smiled, Elaine turning from the counter.

"You haven't eaten yet."

"I'm not that hungry," Ale shrugged, smiling at Zoe as she reached for her. Ale blew her a kiss and avoided eye contact with Eliot, something that he didn't ignore.

LEVERAGE

Sophie woke up to a pounding on her bedroom door. She wrapped herself in her robe, opening the door to see panicked Ale, her hair wet and dripping down her shoulders, sweats adorning her body.

"Can I talk to you?" Ale asked, rushing into the room.

"Well I guess so," Sophie laughed, pulling up the sheets on her bed so Ale could sit down. "What could possibly be the matter early in the morning?"

"I like Eliot," Ale blurted, looking a bit ashamed.

"I like Eliot too," Sophie shrugged, although she knew where it was going.

"No. I _like_ Eliot. As in I have romantic feelings for him."

"I'm shocked," Sophie said, deadpanned.

"Don't be like that, Sophie. It's not my fault it took me this long to admit it," Ale sighed, laying backwards on the bed. "What am I going to do?" Ale sighed, still sounding panicked.

"What do you want to do?"

"Well according to the dream I had last night I want him to be my boyfriend, to put it in a PG manner."

Sophie laughed, smiling at Ale.

"Maybe you just need to talk to Eliot," she suggested, Ale rolling her eyes.

"That's a _great_ idea. Thanks Sophie."

"Sorry, kid. That's all I've got," Sophie sighed, Ale standing up.

"I'll see you at the church," Ale smiled, leaving the room. Sophie smiled to herself, happy that Ale had finally jumped on the same wagon Eliot was moving on.

LEVERAGE

_After Ale was done blow drying her hair she started rifling through her bags, looking for her baggie of envelopes. The two different bags were at the bottom of her suitcase, one holding a few of her mother's letters, the other holding a few of her father's. She had big boxes of each at her house, but took a few with her at all times. They each wrote one to read when she missed them, and wrote one for when she struggled to understand why they were gone. She instead searched for a new envelope, her mom's envelopes providing her with what she needed._

"_For when you think you are in love-_

_ My beautiful Ale. My guess is, you have found many men who you have been in love with. I am positive many men have found themselves to be in love with you, as well, whether or not you knew it. But the fact that you came to find this letter this particular time, means you are, for whatever reason, afraid. My guess is it's someone you are friends with, or someone you feel you can't be with. Or you are afraid of being happy altogether. Either way, you came here for a reason, and that is reason enough to prove that you don't just think you are in love. You are. And that is okay. As far as the fear or apprehension goes, that is okay. But it is not okay enough to keep you from happiness. _

_ So, no matter what is stopping you (unless it be a wedding ring on that man's finger) please let yourself be happy. Take it slow if you need to, or jump right in. Either way, give your heart a chance to truly be in love. I did…and I got two beautiful children and a wonderful husband out of it. If you are afraid enough to question whether the love is true, it is._

_I love you with all of my heart, and I promise I am watching over you every day, and I am so proud of you. I am sorry I had to leave you so soon, but I promise that you are doing alright._

_ Love always , Mama."_


	45. Allowed to Love

"Are you almost done in there?" Chris asked, knocking on the bathroom door. They had been at the salon for three hours and Chris, Eliot, and Ale were just getting ready to leave. All Ale had to do was put on her dress.

"Just give her a minute," Eliot laughed, Chris starting to dance around out of boredom. Ale poked her head out of the bathroom, locking eyes with Eliot.

"Can you zip me up?" she asked, looking a bit hesitant. Eliot nodded, Ale stepping out of the bathroom, her bare back waiting for Eliot to cover it with the satin from her dress. Once he zipped up the dress Ale turned around, Eliot's breath completely gone from his body.

Ale's tan skin was adorned in a baby blue, tight, silk dress, structured like something you would see in the 1950's. The long pencil skirt reached to her knees, the deep, straight neck on the dress showing just enough of her chest to make him stare. When Ale turned to grab her bag from the bathroom Eliot couldn't help but notice how the thick straps scooped down to leave a clear view of her shoulders blades, cutting and poised like the dancer she was. The tight silk also molded to her every curve. Eliot couldn't believe how beautiful she was.

Ale slipped on a pair of cranberry stilettos, the thin yet structured shoes making her legs look like they went on for miles, despite the longer length of the dress. Ale's dark hair was put in old Hollywood waves, her makeup simple, highlighting her beauty even more.

"Do I look okay?" Ale asked, smiling softly at Eliot.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Eliot admitting, not being able to hold back his admiration.

"Really?"

"Really," he nodded.

"Well, then let's go get you boys ready," Ale smiled, Eliot taking her bag from her even as she started to protest.

Eliot was hoping that at some point in the evening he would stop noticing how amazing Ale looked and how well she fit in with his family—that he would stop noticing how much Chris loved her and how natural she was with Zoe, and how his heart fluttered anytime she smiled. As they sat by each other in the truck (which Eliot had to help Ale into since her pencil skirt didn't allow for her to step into the cab), however, Eliot didn't think he would stop noticing her anytime soon.

LEVERAGE

"_Well, cowboy, you are the last one to be wrangled," Ale smiled, holding up the tie she was about to secure around Eliot's neck. The guys all got to wear khaki suits and suspenders, a very relaxed, Southern style. _

"_You single handedly go the outdoor ceremony setup when it was discovered the church was double booked, kept everyone calm, and got all of the groomsmen ready in one afternoon while keeping a smile on your face. How do you do it?" Eliot smiled, shaking his head as he stood from the window seat he had been perched on._

_Ale tried to ignore how toned his chest was underneath his shirt as she buttoned the top few of his buttons then tied on his tie._

"_Well, your mama sent me with a vat of sweet tea so lots and lots of sugar," Ale shrugged, laughing._

"_I am happy that you are here, Ale. I would have had no clue how to deal with everything today," Eliot drawled, Ale stepping away from him to look at the final product. Eliot was handsome…there was no doubt about that. Ale smiled softly, turning to grab her clutch purse so Eliot didn't have to see her face flush._

"_I'm sure you would have figured something out. Plus Sophie and Parker helped me," Ale shrugged, turning back around. "Shall we go? You have an aisle to walk down."_

_Eliot held out his arm, Ale wrapping her arm in his. As the headed to the outdoor ceremony Ale couldn't help but notice the looks that they got, the small smiles people flashed at them reminding her of how people looked at her and Quinn when they were a couple._

Sophie saw Eliot and Ale before the rest of the team did. Ale looked absolutely stunning, and Eliot, for once in his life, looked relaxed and happy. Sophie watched as Ale said something to Eliot, planting a friendly kiss on his cheek before she came over to stand with the team.

"Did you have a nice morning?" Sophie asked, raising her eyebrows at Ale.

"I did, thank you," she nodded, fidgeting with her dress and hair.

"You look wonderful. Stop fidgeting," Sophie instructed, Ale sighing. "He can't take his eyes off of you," Sophie smiled, Ale looking at her in disbelief.

_Ale talked to Parker the rest of the day until the ceremony began. Once it did, Ale was completely in awe of how beautiful it was. It was so simple and real, and so sweet. Ale couldn't remember the last time she had witnessed a wedding, and seeing the country ceremony made her ache for a love of her own. It reminded her of her mother and father's love for each other. It made her miss Quinn, but not Quinn himself—instead, she missed the luxury of allowing herself to love. _


	46. Drive Me Crazy

"If you aren't careful all of those gentlemen are going to ask Ale to dance and the night will be gone without you even getting a second to tell her how beautiful she is," Nate sighed, Eliot sipping on his third beer.

Eliot wasn't planning on drinking tonight, but after seeing the wedding and how beautiful Ale looked, he felt like he needed something to forget his feelings. After the beer he was sure he would move onto something a little stronger. After all, watching Ale dance with everyone but him was not helping his cause.

A slow song that sounded like something coming from a jazz club came on and an old man in suspenders walked up to Ale, asking her to dance. She of course smiled and nodded, the old man whisking her around the floor. Once the song ended Ale gave the old man a kiss on the cheek, heading over to the team's table.

"Can I get you something to drink, Ale?" Nate asked, Ale shaking her head softly.

"I can get it. I am actually just going to get some water," Ale smiled, standing again. Eliot watched her go, waiting a beat before he followed behind her.

Once she was at the bar Eliot sidled up next to her, asking the bartender for a line of shots.

"Taking out the big guns, hey cowboy?" Ale asked, a small amount of concern behind her eyes.

"Just wanted to celebrate a bit," Eliot shrugged.

_Ale was feeling bold, and the fact that Eliot had had a few beers might have helped that fact._

"_Are you going to ask me to dance, tonight, or am I going to have to keep pretending to like all of these guys that have wandering hands?" she said, Eliot looking at her with wide eyes._

"_Let me take these shots and then I think I can keep up," Eliot laughed, Ale smiling back._

_When the next slow song came on Ale and Eliot took the floor, Eliot holding Ale close to him, her head resting on his chest._

"_I am really glad we came, Eliot. Thank you so much for inviting us here," Ale said, looking up at him. Eliot smiled lazily, Ale pretty sure the alcohol was getting the best of him._

"_I'm glad you came," he sighed, squeezing Ale's hand he was holding against his chest._

"_We wouldn't have missed it," Ale said._

"_No, I am glad that _you_ came," Eliot emphasized, his voice rolling together._

"_What do you say we get you home, cowboy?" Ale laughed, Eliot nodding. _

"_Right after this song," he smiled, Ale not wanting to argue. She would have stayed in Eliot's arms all night if it meant feeling as wonderful as she did just then._

LEVERAGE

Eliot's head was in a complete fog. He didn't drink, and when he did, he told the truth all too often. He was trying so hard to keep his mouth shut and not say anything about his feelings for her. As she drove his truck to the family house, however, he couldn't help but notice how strong his feelings were.

"Did I tell you you look beautiful tonight?" Eliot asked.

_Ale couldn't help but laugh. He was being free with his thoughts, and he was reminding her slightly of a kid on Christmas._

"_You did. Multiple times," Ale laughed. She was flattered with how attentive Eliot was being, but she also didn't want to get too excited, seeing as Eliot was not totally himself._

_Then again, it was often alcohol that made people bring out their true feelings and selves._

_When they finally made it to the house Ale got out of the truck, helping Eliot out as well. _

"_I am sorry I am drunk. I don't usually drink. But you were driving me crazy," Eliot said, wrapping his arm around Ale gently so she could help him inside._

"_I was driving you crazy?" Ale asked, looking at Eliot. Eliot nodded, taking the railing as he headed upstairs._

"_That dress, and the way you played with Chris, and all of those guys swirling you around the floor. The way you drove my truck. And your smile and the way you smell. Everything about you drives me crazy, Alessandra," Eliot said stopping at the top of the stairs._

"_I don't think you mean that, Eliot," Ale breathed, her cheeks flushing. She led Eliot into his room, sitting him down on his bed. She bent down to start untying Eliot's shoes._

"_I do. I have meant it since I first saw your picture when Lio came to us for help. I meant it when I wanted to kill Quinn for admitting he liked you. I meant it every time I looked at you but I just…I wasn't drunk enough to admit it. I always mean it, Ale, anytime I look at you. It's never an accident," Eliot whispered, Ale slowing down in her task. She looked up at Eliot only to find that he was looking right at her. His eyes were still in a fog but there was a clarity to them that was a bit reassuring._

Eliot wasn't sure he was going to remember what he was about to do in the morning, but he didn't care. When Ale looked up at him he took her chin in his hands, gently guiding her lips up to his. When he was close enough his mouth encased hers, Ale sitting down on Eliot's knee as he deepened the kiss.

Eliot wrapped his arms around Ale's waist, rolling her onto the bed. Eliot put his weight on his forearms, kissing Ale more intensely with each passing second.

_Ale couldn't believe that Eliot was kissing her—and she couldn't believe that she was kissing him back._

_The kisses from Eliot were the tenderest and yet urgent kisses she had ever had in her life. He was so gentle with her, but he was also clear about how much he needed to kiss her in the way he took charge and made Ale feel wanted._

_Ale's head was starting to swirl when headlights lit up the room, the front door opening a few minutes after._

"_Eliot," Ale said between kisses, Eliot either not hearing or ignoring her. "Eliot," she said, again, laughing a bit when Eliot shushed her._

"_You're family is here. And you are drunk," she said, as if that explained everything._

"_I don't care. It doesn't matter if I'm drunk. And I am a grown ass man, I am allowed to have a girl in my room."_

"_It does matter if you are drunk," Ale sighed, although all she wanted to do was kiss him more. "You need to sleep. You need to sober up. You need to be able to make the conscious decision to kiss me and change things. I loved tonight and want it to go on forever. But your family is downstairs, and there is alcohol in your blood and you need a new day to make sure this is what you want," Ale explained._

"_What about you, darlin'? What do you want?" Eliot said lowly, Ale instinctively looking at Eliot's lips. _

"_I want this. But I want to make sure you want this…without having to give you shots every day," Ale laughed, planting a soft kiss on Eliot's lips. "So I am going to get you some water and aspirin, and you are going to get out of these clothes. After you get a good night's sleep, and we determine in the morning if you remembered this, we can either continue or figure out what we are doing or pretend it never happened. Sound like a deal, cowboy?"_

Eliot chuckled, his head starting to spin. All he could do was nod, Alestanding and going out of the room. He fell asleep before she returned, however, not waking up until the sun started to rise, the blanket Ale must have pulled over him providing him almost as much warmth as her lips had the night before.


	47. Finally

_Ale couldn't sleep. After she had tucked Eliot in she went downstairs, helping to get the kids in bed and cleaning out the vehicles from the wedding, all of the decorations having to come back to the house. The whole time she kept thinking back to Eliot's lips on hers, his hands around her waist as he rolled her onto the bed._

_When she finally finished helping the family she went to her alcove, changing into a big t-shirt and boxers, reading the letter that her mom wrote her over and over again until the sun began to rise._

LEVERAGE

When Eliot woke up he vaguely remembered the night before, Ale's smile in his mind. When he thought more about the night he remembered his lips covering that same smile he had admired for so long. If he was remembering correctly, she kissed him back.

He had a pounding headache, but he had to know if what he was remembering was correct. He pulled himself out of bed, putting on some jeans and a fresh shirt. He went into the kitchen, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Ale sitting at the breakfast nook, her back against the wall, her hair still in curls, her frame evident beneath the large t-shirt she was wearing. Zoe was on Ale's bent knees, her fingers curled around Ale's as she giggled at Ale as she made faces at her.

"I don't know what I am going to do when you go, Ale. Zoe just adores you and you are so good with her," Eliot's sister sighed, sitting down at the table with a cup of coffee. Ale went to look at her, blushing when she saw Eliot. She obviously remembered something about last night.

Even with last night's makeup on and her dress gone, Ale still looked beautiful.

"I think that's how we all feel about Ale," Sophie smiled, coming into the room. "Ale, you look like you didn't sleep a wink last night," she said offhandedly, Eliot looking at her more closely. While she was still beautiful, Ale did look tired.

Instead of saying anything, Ale picked Zoe up into an airplane dropping her down to give her kisses on the cheek.

"Well there is one thing that I can't help Zoe with, and that is eating. She is starting to get a little hungry I think," Ale said, standing to hand Zoe off. "I am going to go pack."

_Ale climbed the stairs, starting to pull her stuff together. She heard footsteps behind her, Ale looking over her shoulder to find Eliot standing there, his hands in his pockets, looking unsure of himself._

"_How ya feelin', cowboy?" Ale asked, folding up some of her clothes. _

"_A bit foggy," Eliot answered, Ale nodding. She couldn't decide if she wanted Eliot to remember last night or not. _

_If he did, then they would have to talk about it. They would have to decide if they wanted to be together. Ale was terrified that Eliot would regret the kiss, or worse, want to kiss more and have everything ruined when it didn't work out._

_On the other hand, if he didn't remember, then things would stay the same forever. And Ale would have to keep her feelings inside and pretend not to be falling for Eliot._

"_What do you remember?" Ale asked casually._

"_A beautiful girl took me home…and I kissed her. And it was perfect," Eliot said, walking closer to Ale._

_Ale froze, hoping that he knew it was her._

"_Oh yeah?" Ale asked, Eliot clearing her throat. Ale turned around, surprised at how close Eliot was to her._

"_Yeah," Eliot nodded, putting his hands on Ale's forearms, pulling her closer. Before Ale could say anything else Eliot's lips were over hers again, Ale's breath being taken away._

"_I remember everything about last night. It took a while but as soon as I saw you this morning, it all came back. How could I forget?"_

"_This isn't like you, Eliot," Ale said, a bit of doubt creeping into her voice._

"_I know. That is exactly why I needed to do it. Last night I couldn't take my eyes off of you. The thought of any other guy dancing with you drove me insane. I have waited too long to not do something about liking you that I was the only thing standing in my way. And last night I kissed you...and you kissed me back. How could we just ignore that?"_

Eliot wasn't sure where all of this was coming from, but he was sure that this was what needed to happen. He couldn't keep denying his feelings for Ale. It was starting to get in the way of his job. Instead, he imagined he was Quinn, and he took a chance.

He was only hoping that Ale would be okay with it.

LEVERAGE

The van was entirely too quiet to be recognized as the Leverage caravan. Nate was asleep, Sophie was reading, Eliot and Ale were trying desperately not to look at each other or touch each other or send off any impression that they even knew each other, and Hardison was driving. Even Parker was quiet, laying on the floor, working on untying a bunch of knots in some of Sophie's jewelry.

"So, how was the rest of the wedding?" Ale asked, breaking the silence. She and Eliot had left early and she didn't get a chance to chat with the team about how their night was.

"Oh it was lovely," Sophie smiled. "Did you two have a good rest of your night?"

Ale was about to answer when her phone rang, Eliot breathing a sigh of relief. She talked for a while to whomever was on the other end, her making it clear that she was trying to hang up because she was surrounded by others.

"Sorry. That was my cousin in Italy. She was just checking in," Ale shrugged, Sophie giving her a knowing look. Ale bored her eyes into Sophie, pleading with her to stop badgering them.

After what seemed like years, the team finally reached the bar.

"Can we go?" Ale asked, anxious to talk things out with Eliot.

"You are dismissed," Nate nodded, Ale bolting to the apartment. Eliot came up a few minutes later their bags in his arms.

"I'm sorry. I forgot we had those," Ale laughed, taking hers from him. As soon as she set her bags on the ground Eliot dropped his, pulling Ale towards him and kissing her softly. "Eliot…we still have to talk about," Ale breathed, Eliot nodding.

"I know," he smiled, kissing her again.

"Eliot," Ale said seriously, him pulling away and sighing. They sat down on the couch, Ale not sure how to start the conversation.

"What are we doing?" she eventually asked, looking at Eliot with raised eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" Eliot asked, chuckling a bit.

"I mean…how are we going to handle this? Because it will change things…and if it doesn't work out, then what are we going to do? I can't lose you, and I can't lose the team. You are all I have left," Ale shrugged. Eliot's heart melted, him sighing and taking Ale's hand.

"You know that I like you. And I am assuming you like me."

"We aren't in middle school, Eliot. It doesn't matter if we like each other. There is a lot more riding on this than some valentine's day dance."

"Ale, we have been through a lot more than having a crush on each other. I think we can handle our emotions if something doesn't work out. The way I see it, the only reason we shouldn't be together is if you aren't as crazy about me as I am about you," Eliot drawled, Ale closing the distance between them and kissing him.

"I think we can figure it out," Ale laughed softly, Eliot taking her in his arms as he laid her down on the couch, finally getting to know what it felt like to kiss Alessandra Mosetti.


End file.

Leverage, Hurt-Comfort, Romance