On The Long Times Between Jobs

by Fish_Echo

Summary:

Parker likes to check on the rest of the team when they have too much time off between jobs.

Notes:

• For insane_duckfish.

Accidentally written for insane_duckfish for the [2009 Fandom Free For All]. 'Accidentally' because I cut this from the story proper but decided (as the story is *still* in progress) to sand off the rough edges and post it as a 'sorry your story is taking so long' gift.

In my mind this is set in L.A. (and thus during S1), but I suppose there's nothing in the fic that requires that.

Any and all feedback and concrit is welcomed and treasured. :)

Parker likes to check on the rest of the team when they have too much time off between jobs. It can take a while if traffic is bad, but Parker is patient and it makes her feel better. She's new to having a real, proper family, but she's fairly certain that caring for people is part of how it's supposed to work. So she checks in on them.

Nate has the world's largest crossword on his living room wall and he's writing 'ecru' in 14 across. He's got the radio set to a classical music station and when he's thinking about the words he conducts to the empty room. His hair is messy but it's the sort of mess that comes from running your hands through it (not the messy that comes from not taking care of yourself for a week), which makes Parker happy.

Sophie is unwrapping a new pair of sandals. Parker doesn't understand Sophie's attraction to shoes, but then, Sophie doesn't understand the thrill of jumping off of buildings. Sophie puts her new sandals on a rack in her closet and runs her hand over her fancy shawls. Parker thinks she's probably designing her outfit for the opera that night. Sophie's been talking about it all month, something about a ring and needing five nights to perform and it would be like her to start worrying about her outfit hours early. Maybe if she's still bored on Thursday, Parker might sneak into the opera house (she could steal Sophie's necklace to say hello). She slips away as Sophie reaches for a green dress.

Eliot is teaching self-defense lessons at a woman's shelter downtown. (He hasn't told the team he does it but Hardison figured it out a few weeks ago and told her. They're fairly certain that Nate and Sophie don't know.) He's busy showing people how to fall, so he doesn't notice her. She has her hood up and her hands in her pockets. She leans against the window, peering inside, watching. She's glad Eliot does this.

She goes to Hardison's place via the air ducts. For all her bitching (and the team could stand to learn how to do it themselves), she does like the freedom of movement that air duct travel brings. She checks the devices she's planted along the way to Hardison's apartment, they tell her that no one has been this way since she last came by. That's good. There's no reason for anyone else to be spying on Hardison.